thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Kansas girl’s killer 5th federal inmate executed this year

TERRE HAUTE , Ind .
- A Kansas girl ’ s killer Friday became the fifth federal inmate put to death this year , an execution that went forward only after a higher court tossed a ruling that would have required the government to get a prescription for the drug used to kill him .
Questions about whether the drug pentobarbital causes pain prior to death had been a focus of appeals for Keith Nelson , 45 , the second inmate executed this week in the Trump administration ’ s resumption of federal executions this summer after a 17-year hiatus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs of pain or distress during the execution , was pronounced dead at a federal prison in Terre Haute , Indiana , at 4:32 p.m. EDT — about nine minutes after the execution began .
There was silence from Nelson when a prison official looming over him asked if he had any last words to witnesses behind the execution-chamber glass .
Those observers included the mother of 10-year-old Pamela Butler .
who Nelson raped and strangled with a wire 21 years ago .
Nelson didn ’ t utter a word , grunt or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official waited for about 15 seconds , his eyes fixed on Nelson waiting in vain for any sign of an answer , he turned away and began the execution procedure .
Nelson didn ’ t appear to deliberately move a muscle or turn his head toward the family witness room , where Pamela ’ s mom wore a T-shirt emblazoned with her daughter ’ s picture .
Angel wings jutted out from behind Pamela ’ s image .
But earlier , before curtains opened enabling witnesses to see inside the chamber , Nelson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Battista , was allowed to walk up and stand two feet from the gurney , lean in and hear his last words , she told The Associated Press later .
“ He said he wanted me to tell his lawyers he didn ’ t have to wear an adult diaper during the execution .
He was glad about that , ” she said .
“ He ’ d also told me ( days ) earlier he didn ’ t want to be forced to do that , that it was undignified.
” Battista @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nelson was put to death , standing farther away , said her interpretation of his silence during the public portion was that he was afraid if he said anything , he might then say something inappropriate .
Battista , a longtime anti-death penalty activist , said she made a point of addressing Nelson by his first name in his last minutes alive .
“ He wanted someone there who would call him ‘ Keith ’ rather than ’ Inmate Nelson , ’ “ she said .
Nelson , whose face was obscured from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still even as the lethal dose of pentobarbital was delivered .
None of his limbs twitched or quivered , though his his chest and midsection briefly heaved and shuttered involuntarily .
The relative stillness and quiet was a contrast to the scene on on Oct. 12 , 1999 , as Nelson grabbed Pamela off the street and threw her into his truck .
As Pamela screamed , one of her sisters who saw her abducted began screaming , too .
Pamela had been returning to her Kansas City , Kansas , home on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he drove off with her , he made a rude gesture to her sister as she screamed .
He later raped the fifth-grader and strangled her with a wire .
Pamela ’ s mom , Cherri West , said she didn ’ t expect Nelson to express remorse .
She said , if anything , she thought he might curse at her and her family as he had done during criminal proceedings .
“ I wasn ’ t expecting him to say anything because he never had no remorse , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him.
” Nelson showed no remorse during a sentencing hearing statement and instead “ blistered the district court and the victim ’ s family with a profanity laden tirade , “ the 8th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals noted in one ruling .
After he was declared dead and curtains were again drawn across the windows , Battista was allowed to say a prayer over , touch and anoint Nelson ’ s body , she said .
Nelson ’ s attorneys , Dale Baich and Jen Moreno , said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him as someone other than a killer , that they “ saw his humanity , his compassion , and his sense of humour.
” “ The execution of Keith Nelson did not make the world a safer place , ” they said .
A flurry of filings by Nelson ’ s legal team over several weeks zeroed in on pentobarbital , which depresses the central nervous system and , in high doses , eventually stops the heart .
In one filing in early August , Nelson ’ s attorneys cited an unofficial autopsy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ William Purkey , saying it indicated evidence of pulmonary edema in which the lungs fill with fluid and causes a painful sensation akin to drowning .
The federal government has defended the use of pentobarbital , disputing that Purkey ’ s autopsy proved he suffered .
They have also cited Supreme Court ruling precedent that an execution method isn ’ t necessarily cruel and unusual just because it causes some pain .
In her overturned ruling , U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan halted Nelson ’ s execution early Thursday , saying laws regulating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executions .
Within hours , an appellate panel tossed her ruling .
Nelson ’ s crime was horrific by any measure .
Nelson , who didn ’ t previously know Butler or her family , told a co-worker a month earlier he planned to find a female to kidnap , torture , rape and kill because he expected to go back to prison anyway on other charges , prosecutors said .
After killing Butler , he dumped her body in a wooded area near a Missouri church .
With the execution Wednesday of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on federal death row — the federal government under President Donald Trump registered more executions in 2020 than it had in the previous 56 years combined .
The executions of Nelson and Mitchell were carried out the same week as the Republican National Convention , where many Trump supporters sought to portray him as a law-and-order candidate .
Salter reported from St. Louis .
AP reporters Mike Balsamo and Jessica Gresko also contributed to this report .

Michael Tarm And Jim Salter - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--Ownership of Rhode Island lighthouse up for grabs

WESTERLY , R.I. - One of Westerly ’ s most recognizable landmarks is available for any qualified organization willing to take care of it .
The U.S. Coast Guard wrote to the state Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission this month to inform it that the Watch Hill Lighthouse was in “ excess to the needs of the Coast Guard ” and was posted for transfer to the federal General Services Administration , The Sun of Westerly reports .
Under provisions of the federal lighthouse act , the National Park Service will provide applications to interested parties and review and evaluate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ownership is approved , the new owner will be required to maintain the lighthouse in accordance with federal standards .
The 45-foot-tall lighthouse currently at the site dates to 1856 , but the property ’ s role as a beacon for ships dates to 1745 .
The lighthouse was automated in 1986 and leased to the Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association .
“ The association is committed to its care of this historic Westerly landmark , and looks forward to working with the U.S. Coast Guard during the upcoming transfer process and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lighthouse and its property , ” the organization said in a statement .

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada
Postal Code


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--‘Protect our babies:’ Hospital cares for babies in hurricane

As the wind howled and the rain slammed down , a team of nurses , respiratory therapists and a doctor worked through the night to care for 19 tiny babies as Hurricane Laura slammed southwestern Louisiana .
The babies , some on ventilators or eating through a feeding tube , seemed to weather the storm just fine , said Dr. Juan Bossano , the medical director of the neonatal intensive care unit at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women .
“ They did very well .
They tolerated it very well .
We had a very good day , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday morning as a Category 4 storm , packing top winds of 150 mph ( 241 kph ) , and pushing a storm surge as high as 15 feet in some areas .
Hours before it made landfall , officials had to move the babies from the women ’ s hospital to the main hospital in the system after it became clear that storm surge could inundate the women ’ s hospital , located on the southern end of Lake Charles .
The hospital has its own generator and hospital administrator Alesha Alford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force winds .
But in the single story facility , there ’ s no room to move up and storm surge in that area was expected to hit nine feet .
In a roughly two-hour operation the babies in the intensive care unit were transferred by ambulance to Lake Charles Memorial Hospital , a ten-story facility on the northern side of the city .
Trucks carried needed equipment such as incubators .
Alford said the storm hadn ’ t yet hit but “ the skies looked very ominous.
” She said everyone pitched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other hospital .
“ It went as smooth as could be because we had everyone helping , ” she said .
Alford said three mothers who couldn ’ t be discharged from the women ’ s hospital were also transferred .
Two of them had their newborns with them while the child of the third mom was in the intensive care unit .
Parents of the other children in the neonatal intensive care unit couldn ’ t stay with them during the storm because there wasn ’ t enough room so Bossano said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep them informed of how their children were doing .
Bossano occasionally posted updates on Facebook .
Once they got situated at the larger hospital and the winds picked up , Alford said the patients were moved into the hallways .
To “ protect our babies , ” mattresses were pushed up against the windows to prevent flying glass although none of the windows ended up breaking .
She said as huge gusts of wind started coming in , they could feel the building vibrate .
In addition to Bossano , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practitioners , 14 nurses and three respiratory therapists who worked on 12-hour shifts .
Some of the staff slept on air mattresses in the hallway , Alford said .
After making it through the hurricane , the plan was to have the babies stay in Lake Charles .
While electricity was out in the city , the hospital has its own generator .
But Alford said the city ’ s water system has been so heavily damaged that it ultimately forced them to transfer the babies as well as other patients to other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alford and Bossano repeatedly praised the nursing staff for their work in caring for the babies that in some cases were born weighing only a pound or two .
Some of the nursing staff lost their houses in the storm , and they were worried about their own families , but they put those concerns aside to care for their tiny patients .
“ Really the nurses and the respiratory therapists are the heroes here , ” Bosanno said .
“ They showed that very clearly the way they performed .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--Were they a threat? Police shootings reignite legal debate

In the span of 48 hours , two Black men in U.S. cities hundreds of miles apart were shot by police in episodes that set off a national conversation about the need for officers to open fire on people walking away from them .
The Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha , Wisconsin , and the killing of Trayford Pellerin in Lafayette , Louisiana , two days earlier have thrust into the spotlight a thorny and long-running legal issue that has on several occasions gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court .
And the Blake shooting has raised a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the officer felt the need to shoot him seven times in the back at close range , and the prudence of police opening fire with children nearby .
Wisconsin authorities are investigating those questions as they weigh charges against the officer in a case that has reignited national protests over racial injustice .
The shootings come less than three months after almost daily clashes between police and protesters in response to the death of George Floyd after a Minnesota officer knelt on his neck for several minutes .
Laws governing the use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and past shootings of people who were fleeing from officers have played out differently across the country .
An Atlanta officer was charged with felony murder in June in the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks , who authorities said had taken an officer ’ s stun gun and was 18 feet away when the officer shot him from behind .
Prosecutors in South Carolina agreed to drop murder charges against former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager as part of a plea deal in the 2015 fatal shooting of unarmed Walter Scott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man five times in the back , is serving a 20-year federal sentence after pleading guilty to a civil rights violation .
And in Pennsylvania , a prosecutor in Pittsburgh ’ s Allegheny County said shooting a suspect in the back was unacceptable when he charged a former officer after he fatally shot 17-year-old Antwon Rose as he fled a 2018 traffic stop .
But a jury declined to convict the officer , who said he thought he saw a gun .
“ Even if it appears to be horrific , it doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law that they have violated , ” said Raleigh Blasdell , a criminologist and professor at North Central College in Illinois .
Police said 31-year-old Pellerin , who was killed , was carrying a knife Friday when he tried to enter a convenience store after causing a disturbance at another store earlier .
Video shows police following Pellerin and shots are heard as he opens the store ’ s door .
Authorities have not identified the officer or officers who shot Pellerin or said where or how many times he was shot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he leaned into his SUV , where three of his children were seated .
The Kenosha police union said Friday that officers were dispatched there because of a complaint that Blake was attempting to steal the caller ’ s keys and vehicle .
A union attorney said in the moments leading up to the shooting , officers saw Blake holding a knife and made multiple requests for him to drop it but he was unco-operative .
Blake also “ forcefully fought with the officers , including putting one of the officers in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After police tried twice unsuccessfully to use a stun gun on Blake , officer Rusten Sheskey shot him at close range while holding onto his shirt , authorities said .
Blake survived but is paralyzed .
Federal authorities said they will conduct a civil rights investigation into the shooting .
Wisconsin law provides officers with a defence to criminal charges if a shooting is “ a reasonable accomplishment of a lawful arrest.
” The state ’ s vague law essentially allows officers to use any and all force to accomplish a lawful arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often steer away from second-guessing an officer ’ s split-second decisions even when other officers on scene testify that they didn ’ t shoot because they didn ’ t see a threat , said Philip Stinson , a former police officer and criminologist at Bowling Green State University .
Yet , the tactics used by the officer who shot Blake are highly questionable , said Seth Stoughton , another former officer .
If police believe someone has a knife , they ’ re supposed to keep their distance , not get closer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the University of South Carolina .
He also questioned why the officer followed Blake around the car with his gun drawn instead of simply grabbing him to stop him .
But David Klinger , who as a rookie Los Angeles police officer in 1981 fatally shot a man who pulled a butcher knife on another officer , urged the public not to rush to judgment in either case .
“ If it turns out these officers in Louisiana , these officers in Wisconsin , did something wrong then they need to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , now a criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis .
“ But we have a system , we have a process ; we need to let that process work itself out.
” It ’ s difficult to say whether a suspect being shot in the back leads more often to criminal charges or convictions because police often don ’ t release those details , and recent cases have come to light only through videos , Stinson said .
The legal thinking surrounding such cases has evolved over the years , but even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , few have been focused on restricting when officers can shoot someone fleeing police .
In the 1970s , officers were often authorized under state laws to shoot someone in the back to keep them from evading arrest even if that suspect didn ’ t pose a threat .
But a 1985 Supreme Court decision in a Tennessee case said officers could use lethal force to stop a fleeing felon only if they have reasonable grounds to think the suspect is a danger to police or bystanders .
Years later , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear in the heat of the moment , not just the actual threat , was relevant in deciding whether a shooting was legally justified .
That could mean an officer could be found justified in a shooting if he or she truly believed the suspect had a gun but turned out to be wrong .
Regardless of whether they result in criminal charges , experts said both cases show an urgent need to better train officers so they don ’ t resort so quickly to their gun .
“ When I was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you and it looked like they were going to get something , you tackle them ...
It wouldn ’ t have crossed my mind to bear down on them and shoot , ” Stinson said .
Associated Press reporter Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans contributed to this report .

Alanna Durkin Richer And Claudia Lauer - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--Virginia home played role in desegregating tennis

LYNCHBURG , Va. - Lange Johnson has big dreams for his grandfather ’ s home on Pierce Street — almost as big as the dreams Walter Johnson nurtured there decades ago .
The simple circa-1911 American Foursquare house , with its white clapboard and wood-shingled second facade , sits boarded up , waiting for an infusion of cash to convert this humble house into a museum and tennis camp to honour the late Dr. Robert Walter “ Whirlwind ” Johnson .
“ The last thing we want to do is allow this property to go by the wayside and with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there.
” Lange said .
“ We can not do that .
We ’ ve got to preserve it because it ’ s important to the history of Black America.
” It was Johnson ’ s mentorship and philanthropy that provided tennis greats Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe the wherewithal to break the colour barrier in the game of tennis and gave countless more the resources to get a college education .
Since the Whirlwind Johnson Foundation was formed in 2015 , one important portion of that dream has been realized — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of children learned the game and how to excel in a world that wanted to hold them back .
The tennis court , dedicated in 2018 , is used by the Lynchburg Parks and Recreation Department for free youth tennis programming .
The court restoration was underwritten largely by the U.S. Tennis Association , and Musco Sports Lighting provided money to replace the lighting .
The current estimate on restoring the house at 1422 Pierce Street stands at more than $ 800,000 .
“ We ’ ve been marketing , fundraising , trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this history to provide the money to get this restored , ” Lange said .
“ The numbers , the estimates are pretty high.
” Lange said the house will need lead and asbestos abatement , new electrical and plumbing systems as well as basement and roof work .
“ It ’ s in bad condition , ” Lange said .
“ It ’ s boarded up .
It ’ s not in living condition at all.
” The interior , according to the application for inclusion in the National Register of Historic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ style with an entry hall and living room across the front and the dining room and kitchen across the rear .
The second floor features two bedrooms and a bathroom , and two more bedrooms were crafted from attic space .
The interior features hardwood flooring , moulded baseboards , picture moulding and five paneled doors with transoms above .
The fireplaces featured a simple mantle with a curved shelf supported by round pilasters .
Johnson owned the house from 1933 until his death in 1971 at age 72 .
The home and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his practice , Erdice Creecy , who lived in the home for about 25 years.The house was deeded to the Whirlwind Johnson Foundation in 2012 .
“ We want to restore the house to its original condition , but obviously better , with new plumbing and lighting , ” Lange said .
“ And then the goal will be to really restart the program that my grandfather initiated , which is having a handful of kids come down to Lynchburg , and train and compete across the country .
… When you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won the U.S. Open in 1968 and no African American male has done that since , my grandfather would be pretty upset if he were still alive.
” Johnson , born in Norfolk and grew up in North Carolina , earned the nickname “ Whirlwind Johnson ” as a standout football player who was named to the Black All-American Football Team in 1924 .
He graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and coached for a while before entering medical school at Meharry Medical College in Nashville ; it was at his internship at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his lifelong devotion to the sport .
“ He was a great football player and , you know , the fact that he was practicing medicine he knew a lot about the impact of exercise on people who started early with exercise , whether you were swimmers , basketball players , or whatever , ” Lange said .
“ ...
He was also looking for sports where he could have some impact on the community.
” Johnson was recruited to practice medicine in Lynchburg in 1933 .
He became the first Black doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospital , and was active in Lynchburg area politics and the civil rights movement .
Johnson also was a leading member of the American Tennis Association , formed in 1916 to promote the game of tennis among Black players , since they were barred from playing in the United States Lawn Tennis Association .
He built his tennis court next to his home in 1941 initially as a means to stay in shape .
“ It was essential to have a court at your home because there were no country clubs that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , ” Lange said .
But it quickly became so much more than that .
“ Recognizing that young African Americans were not exposed to the sport at an early age and lacked opportunities to compete , he recruited young players of all races throughout the country to play tennis at his summer camps , ” the Historic Register nomination form reads .
“ In addition to coaching these young players , he provided housing , meals , equipment and clothing .
As founder of the junior development program of the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players in tournaments throughout the states on the east coast .
Among his proteges were Althea Gibson , and Arthur Ashe , the first black female and male to win the Wimbledon championship .
“ Through the junior development program and the interscholastic committee of the ATA , Johnson helped to recruit promising young African Americans to the sport of tennis and organized a system of tournaments through which they could compete , these efforts eventually lead to the desegregation of the USLTA.
” In 1946 , Johnson and Dr. Hubert Eaton learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their money in her career .
Gibson became the first woman to play the U.S .
Lawn Tennis Association tournament in 1949 and went on to win the U.S. open in 1957 , and Wimbledon in 1957 and 1958 .
She earned a tennis scholarship to Florida A & M University .
In 1950 , she became the first person of colour to compete at the U.S. National Championships ( today ’ s U.S. Open ) at age 23 .
In 1951 , Johnson opened the American Tennis Association ’ s Junior Development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , about a dozen kids from across the country — handpicked by Johnson — would come to his all-expenses-paid camp .
Monday to Thursday , the students trained on the court from dawn to dusk .
On Friday , they would load into cars for weekend tournaments .
Practices often were supervised by Johnson ’ s son , Robert , and colleague William “ Babe ” Jones .
On the weekends , Johnson drove the campers to competitions across the Eastern Seaboard .
In 1953 , one of those pupils was Arthur Ashe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent summers through 1960 learning on Pierce Street .
In 1968 , Ashe became a U.S. Open champion .
He remains the only Black man to win the U.S. Open , Australian Open and Wimbledon .
“ There were times when I asked myself whether I was being principled or simply a coward , ” Ashe said as quoted in Johnson ’ s page on the International Tennis Association ’ s website .
“ I was wrapped in the cocoon of tennis early in life , mainly by Blacks like my most powerful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Virginia .
They insisted that I be unfailingly polite on the court , unfalteringly calm and detached , so that whites could never accuse me of meanness .
I learned well .
I look at photographs of the skinny , frail , little black boy that I was in the early 1950s , and I see that I was my tennis racket and my tennis racket was me .
It was my rod and my staff.
” Johnson ’ s tennis camps not only taught students the game of tennis , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were prepared for the world .
“ He was all about the civil rights kind of demeanour , which was you don ’ t complain , you just move forward , ” Lange said .
“ If a ball was two inches out , it was suddenly in for their opponents , because you didn ’ t want to bring any grief or unwanted attention.
” Lange estimates more than 200 players have stepped foot on the courts at Johnson ’ s house , roughly a dozen players a year for the 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was committed to getting younger players on court so he could teach them and train them early , ” Lange said .
“ And then , hopefully get them to the finish line , ” whether it be tennis championships or a college degree .
In 1965 , Lynchburg honoured the doctor with R. Walter Johnson Appreciation Day , which featured an exhibition match between Ashe and Dennis Ralston , the number one U.S .
Player at the time .
Johnson was inducted in the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1972 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1988 , and the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009 .
Lynchburg ’ s Johnson Health Center is named in his honour ; his doctor ’ s office stood just a couple blocks away at 5th and Polk streets .
Lange grew up in Washington , D.C. and his family often came down for visits .
He began learning the game at age 5 .
“ I certainly didn ’ t play my best tennis while he was still alive ; he passed away when I was 9 years old , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing really good tennis around 11 or 12 .
… He would have been backing me tremendously .
... “ It was just a wonderful experience to be there in the summers to play on that backyard to this court and play around the city and then to get in the car on the weekends and drive to events every weekend.
” Lange ’ s father , Robert Walter Johnson Jr. , who helped coach the students while Johnson was practicing medicine , died in 2018 .
Lange wants to restore his grandfather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devoting part of the house to preserving this history , and devoting the court to restarting Johnson ’ s tennis program .
After Johnson ’ s death , the court wasn ’ t used and the house and court fell into disrepair .
The property was left to Lange Johnson and his brothers , Bobby and Julian .
It was after Walter Johnson ’ s induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009 that the brothers hatched a plan for the historic home — starting at the tennis courts .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pad for so many different lives and careers that we felt like that was the first leg of the stool that needed to be completed , followed by the shed and then the home , ” Lange said .
A 15-year-old tennis player from Maryland , Corinne Chau , helped toward the fundraising effort earlier this month .
The ATA Nationals winner learned about Johnson ’ s legacy in a documentary she saw about Althea Gibson and felt compelled to help .
She created a fundraiser with the hope of raising $ 1,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the end , she raised $ 3,314 .
Chau ’ s efforts were rewarded by getting to play with Lange on Johnson ’ s famed tennis court , her shoes touching the same places as Gibson and Ashe .
“ He destroyed the stigma of tennis being only for one race , ” Corinne said , adding she felt compelled to help because of her love for tennis .
” ... Dr. Johnson , if he didn ’ t do what he did , I wouldn ’ t be here playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him and his house and I want to help with building this museum.
” Lange said the Whirlwind Johnson Foundation is actively raising money to preserve and restore the house , hoping to amass enough to start the stabilization process .
Lange said the foundation needs an architect and engineer to evaluate the property .
“ You know , at the end of the day , my goal is to try to find somebody who ’ s interested in the story that would be willing to help us , ” Lange said @

Carrie Sidener, The News & Advance - AP Member


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--AP FACT CHECK: Is US great again or dystopian? GOP says both

WASHINGTON - The Republican National Convention begged this question : Why are President Donald Trump ’ s most fervent supporters describing the state of his union as a hellscape ?
It was perhaps the central paradox for voters wondering what to believe in the rhetoric , because it defied logic to believe it all .
Are Americans living in a dystopia or in an America made great again by Trump ?
Four years ago , candidate Trump promised that if he won , “ The crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon come to an end .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety will be restored.
” Now ?
“ I ’ ve never seen our streets go this bad so quickly , “ Pat Lynch , representing tens of thousands of New York police officers , told the GOP proceedings .
“ We are staring down the barrel of a public safety disaster.
” He said this in remarks singing Trump ’ s praises .
Rudy Giuliani , Trump ’ s personal lawyer and a former New York mayor , spoke of years of “ carnage ” and violence rising now , and implored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our nation safe again.
“ All of the convention ’ s apocalyptic rhetoric was in service of bashing Trump challenger Joe Biden , Democratic mayors and national Democrats both in and out of office as being soft on violence and anarchy .
Yet the landscape of lawlessness they described is Trump ’ s America now .
Hyperbole suffused the proceedings , both when Trump and his supporters hailed his record and when they denounced the other side .
Outright falsehoods were heard every night on the social justice protests , the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE , expressing support for people in uniform : “ People like Dave Patrick Underwood , an officer in Homeland Security ’ s Federal Protective Service , who was shot and killed during the riots in Oakland , California.
” — Wednesday .
THE FACTS : Pence is blurring what happened , leaving the impression that Underwood was a victim of rioters .
Underwood was not killed by demonstrators in Oakland who were protesting for racial justice .
Federal authorities say Underwood was fatally shot by Steven Carrillo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has ties to a far-right , anti-government movement , while Underwood was guarding a federal courthouse during protests in May .
Officials believe Carrillo used the protests as a cover for the slaying and his subsequent escape .
Carrillo , 32 , hatched a plot to target officers with at least one other accomplice online , federal authorities allege .
Over an eight-day span before his capture , they say , Carrillo fatally shot Underwood and wounded his partner , then killed a California sheriff ’ s deputy and injured four others .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pence only mentioned the one who was in the vicinity of the protest .
The other is Santa Cruz County Sgt .
Damon Gutzwiller , who authorities say was killed by Carrillo while pursuing him in June .
KENTUCKY ATTORNEY GENERAL DANIEL CAMERON : “ On the economy : Joe Biden couldn ’ t do it , but President Trump did build an economy that worked for everyone , especially minorities.
” — Tuesday .
Republicans can talk successfully about the decline in unemployment rates for Black and Hispanic workers .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty of economic troubles and inequalities abound for minorities .
Minority groups still lagged behind white people with regard to incomes , wealth and home ownership before the pandemic .
But when the disease struck , it became clear that the economy did not work well for everybody as the job losses and infections disproportionately hit minorities .
Black unemployment now stands at 14.6 % .
Hispanic unemployment is 12.9 % .
The white unemployment rate is 9.2 % .
For every dollar of total wealth held by white households , Blacks have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Reserve .
It ’ s 4 cents for Hispanics .
That is not evidence of an economy working “ especially ” for minorities .
ERIC TRUMP : “ Biden has pledged to defund the police.
” — Wednesday .
REP. STEVE SCALISE of Louisiana : “ Joe Biden has embraced the left ’ s insane mission to defund them.
” THE FACTS : No , Biden has explicitly rejected the call by some on the left to defund the police .
He has proposed more money for police , conditioned on improvements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal justice agenda , released long before the protests over racial injustice , proposes more federal money for “ training that is needed to avert tragic , unjustifiable deaths ” and hiring more officers to ensure that departments are racially and ethnically reflective of the populations they serve .
Specifically , he calls for a $ 300 million infusion into federal community policing grant programs .
That ’ s more money , not less .
GIULIANI : “ Black Lives Matter and antifa sprang into action and , in a flash , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutal riots.
” — Thursday .
There ’ s no evidence that Black Lives Matter or antifa , or any political group for that matter , is infiltrating racial injustice protests and injecting violence .
In June , The Associated Press analyzed court records , employment histories and social media posts for 217 people arrested in Minneapolis and the District of Columbia , cities at the centre of the protests earlier this year .
More than 85 per cent of the people arrested were local residents , and few had affiliation with any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few of those arrested indicated they were involved in left-leaning activities while others expressed support for the political right and Trump himself .
Local police departments were forced to knock down widespread social media rumours that busloads of “ antifa , ” a term for leftist militants , were coming to violently disrupt cities and towns during nationwide racial justice protests .
In June , Twitter and Facebook busted accounts linked to white supremacy groups that were promoting some of those falsehoods online .
TRUMP : “ The United States has among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major country anywhere in the world.
” — Thursday .
THE FACTS : Not true .
Not if you consider Russia , Saudi Arabia , the Philippines and India to be major countries .
The U.S. sits right in the middle when it comes to COVID-19 mortality rates in the 20 nations most impacted by the pandemic , according to data from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center .
Of the 20 , Mexico has the highest mortality rate at 10.8 deaths for every 100 confirmed COVID cases , followed by Ecuador @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lowest rate of the 20 nations at 1.2 , followed by Bangladesh , the Philippines , Russia , Morocco , India , Argentina , South Africa and Chile .
The U.S. had the 10th lowest of the 20 nations , with a mortality rate of 3.1 .
When the centre looked at the data in another way , analyzing the COVID death rate for every 100,000 residents , the U.S. fares even worse .
Only three nations — Brazil , Chile and Peru — posted higher death rates .
Understanding deaths as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage of known infections is problematic because countries track and report COVID-19 deaths and cases differently .
Many other factors are in play in shaping a death toll besides how well a country responded to the pandemic , such as the overall health or youth of national populations .
TRUMP : “ Instead of following the science , Joe Biden wants to inflict a painful shutdown on the entire country .
His shutdown would inflict unthinkable and lasting harm on our nation ’ s children , families , and citizens of all backgrounds.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s false .
Biden has publicly said he would shut down the nation ’ s economy only if scientists and public health advisers recommended he do so to stem the COVID-19 threat .
In other words , he said he would follow the science , not disregard it .
Speaking Sunday in an ABC interview , Biden said he “ will be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives ” when he was asked if he would be willing to shut the country again .
“ So if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked ABC ’ s David Muir .
“ I would shut it down , ” Biden responded .
“ I would listen to the scientists.
” The former vice-president has said repeatedly that no one knows what January would look like .
DONALD TRUMP JR. on the coronavirus response : “ The president quickly took action and shut down travel from China.
” — Monday .
THE FACTS : No , he didn ’ t shut down travel from China .
He restricted it .
Dozens of countries took similar steps to control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time the U.S. did .
The U.S. restrictions that took effect Feb. 2 continued to allow travel to the U.S. from China ’ s Hong Kong and Macao territories over the past five months .
The Associated Press reported that more than 8,000 Chinese and foreign nationals based in those territories entered the U.S. in the first three months after the travel restrictions were imposed .
Additionally , more than 27,000 Americans returned from mainland China in the first month after the restrictions took effect .
U.S. officials lost track of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to be monitored for virus exposure .
Dr. Anne Schuchat , the No .
2 official at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , also told the AP that the federal government was slow to understand how much the coronavirus was spreading from Europe , which helped drive the acceleration of outbreaks across the U.S. in late February .
Trump didn ’ t announce travel restrictions for many European countries until mid-March .
TRUMP : “ Biden also vowed to oppose school choice and oppose all charter schools.
” — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s false .
Biden doesn ’ t oppose charter schools .
He opposes federal money going to for-profit charter companies .
Such companies are only a slice of the charter school market , meaning Biden ’ s position wouldn ’ t substantially alter the charter landscape that is dominated by non-profit organizations .
TRUMP : “ We protected your preexisting conditions .
Very strongly protected preexisting ... and you don ’ t hear that.
” — Monday .
THE FACTS : You don ’ t hear it because it ’ s not true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health insurance protections because of President Barack Obama ’ s health care law , which Trump is trying to dismantle .
One of Trump ’ s alternatives to Obama ’ s law — short-term health insurance , already in place — doesn ’ t have to cover preexisting conditions .
Another alternative is association health plans , which are oriented to small businesses and sole proprietors and do cover those conditions .
Neither of the two alternatives appears to have made much difference in the market .
Meanwhile , Trump ’ s administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeal of the Obama-era law , including provisions that protect people with preexisting conditions from health insurance discrimination .
With “ Obamacare ” still in place , preexisting conditions continue to be covered by regular individual health insurance plans .
Insurers must take all applicants , regardless of medical history , and charge the same standard premiums to healthy people and those who are in poor health , or have a history of medical problems .
Before the Affordable Care Act , any insurer could deny coverage — or charge more — to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking to buy an individual policy .
NIKKI HALEY , former ambassador to the United Nations , on the Democrats : “ They want a government takeover of health care .
They want to ban fracking and kill millions of jobs.
” — Monday .
REP. JIM JORDAN of Ohio : “ Defund the police , defund border patrol and defund our military.
” — Monday .
RONNA McDANIEL , chairwoman of the Republican National Committee : “ You deserve to know that they would ban fracking and eliminate fossil fuels , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise the cost of driving our cars and heating our homes .
You deserve to know that they want a complete government takeover of our health care system , so moms like me won ’ t be able to take our kids to the same pediatrician they ’ ve been seeing for years.
” — Monday .
THE FACTS : Those aren ’ t Biden ’ s positions .
A number of Republican speakers seized on proposals of the Democratic left , in some cases distorting those positions , and assigned them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those views .
He does not favour a government takeover of health care ; instead he proposes building on Obama ’ s law , which preserves the private insurance market while expanding Medicaid .
Biden also did not endorse proposals to cease border enforcement or even to decriminalize illegal crossings .
Biden supports banning only new oil and gas permits , fracking included , on federal land .
But most U.S. production is on private land .
The government says production on federal land accounted for less than 10 % of oil and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 primary debate , Biden misstated his energy policy , suggesting he would allow no new fracking .
His campaign quickly corrected the record .
Biden has otherwise been consistent on his middle-of-the-road position , going so far as to tell an anti-fracking activist that he “ ought to vote for somebody else ” if he wanted an immediate fracking ban .
IVANKA TRUMP : “ Our president rapidly mobilized the full force of government and the private sector ... to build the most robust testing system in the world.
” — Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superior U.S. testing for COVID-19 is dubious .
The U.S. repeatedly stumbled with testing in the early weeks of the outbreak , allowing the virus to quickly spread in the U.S .
The president ’ s own experts say the U.S. is nowhere near the level of testing needed to control the virus .
The U.S. currently is conducting nearly 750,000 tests a day , far short of what many public health experts say the U.S. should be testing to control the spread of the virus .
Looking to the fall , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more tests daily , while a group assembled by Harvard University estimated that 20 million a day would be needed to keep the virus in check .
Public-health authorities acknowledge testing was a critical failure in the crucial early months .
The number of tests being done has since surged but remains inadequate .
Many who do get tested have unduly long waits for results , during which time they can be spreading the virus to others .
SEN. TOM COTTON of Arkansas : “ Joe Biden sent pallets of cash to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : This is a distorted tale Trump and Republicans love to tell .
Yes , the U.S. flew cash to Iran in the Obama years , but it was money the United States owed to that country .
Cotton also played into the convention ’ s pattern of attributing every questionable action of Obama ’ s administration to Biden personally .
PENCE : “ Four years ago we inherited ... an economy struggling to break out of the slowest recovery since the Great Depression .
...
In our first three years we built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Wednesday .
LARRY KUDLOW , Trump economic adviser : Trump was ” inheriting a stagnant economy on the front end of recession , ” and under the president , “ the economy was rebuilt in three years.
” — Tuesday .
THE FACTS : This is false .
The economy was healthy when Trump arrived at the White House .
Even if the recovery from the 2008 financial crisis was slow , Trump took office with unemployment at a low 4.7 % , steady job growth and a falling federal budget deficit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began in the middle of 2009 and continued until the start of the year , spanning both the Obama and Trump presidencies .
The U.S. economy did benefit from Trump ’ s 2017 tax cuts with a jump in growth in 2018 , but the budget deficit began to climb as a result of the tax breaks that favoured companies and the wealthy in hopes of permanently expanding the economy .
Annual growth during Obama ’ s second term averaged about 2.3 % .
Trump notched a slightly better 2.5 % during his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swung into recession this year because of the coronavirus and will probably leave Trump with an inferior track record to his predecessor over four years .
SEN. RAND PAUL : “ Joe Biden voted for the Iraq war , which President Trump has long called the worst geopolitical mistake of our generation.
” — Tuesday .
THE FACTS : Trump had no more foresight on this matter than Biden .
Neither was against it when it started .
When asked during a Sept. 11 , 2002 , radio interview if he would support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Yeah , I guess so.
” The next month , Biden as a senator voted to authorize George W. Bush to use force in Iraq .
The next March , just days after the U.S. launched its invasion , Trump said it “ looks like a tremendous success from a military standpoint.
” It wasn ’ t until September 2003 that Trump first publicly raised doubts about the invasion , saying “ a lot of people ( are ) questioning the whole concept of going in in the first place.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote to authorize force a mistake .
ERIC TRUMP : The president slashed taxes and “ wages went through the roof.
” — Tuesday .
THE FACTS : Not quite .
Wage growth did improve , but there is clearly still a roof on workers ’ incomes .
The 2017 tax cuts appear unlikely to deliver on their promised pay increases .
White House economists argued that incomes would surge by at least $ 4,000 because of the lower corporate tax rate .
That has yet to occur and seems unlikely given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did improve to a 3.5 % annual gain by February 2019 , much better than the 2.7 % annual gain in December 2016 before Trump became president .
The problem was that wage growth then began to slip through the end of last year despite the steady hiring .
Wage gains only accelerated again with the pandemic and layoffs of millions of poor workers that artificially raised average wages .
What workers have yet to see is a meaningful change in the distribution of income .
More than half of total household income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earners , according to the Census Bureau .
Their share has increased slightly under Trump with data that is current through 2018 .
The bottom 20 % of earners get just 3.1 % of total income , just as they did before Trump ’ s presidency .
CRIS PETERSON , from a Wisconsin dairy family : “ Our entire economy and dairy farming are once again roaring back .
One person deserves the credit and our vote , President Donald J. Trump.
” — Tuesday .
THE FACTS : Not everyone in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially as larger operations are putting smaller family farms out of business .
The Agriculture Department reported this summer that “ dairy herds fell by more than half between 2002 and 2019 , with an accelerating rate of decline in 2018 and 2019 , even as milk production continued to grow.
” Part of the problem is that smaller farms face higher production costs .
Farms with more than 2,000 cattle are more likely for their sales to exceed their total costs , while smaller farms are more likely to operate at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government figures .
PATRICIA McCLOSKEY on Democrats : “ They want to abolish the suburbs altogether by ending single-family home zoning .
This forced rezoning would bring crime , lawlessness and low-quality apartments into thriving suburban neighbourhoods .
President Trump smartly ended this government overreach , but Joe Biden wants to bring it back.
“ — Monday .
THE FACTS : That ’ s a false account of what Biden supports .
In 2015 , during the Obama administration , a regulation took effect intended to ensure that communities confront racial segregation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,200 jurisdictions receiving federal Housing and Urban Development block grants and housing aid to analyze their housing stock and come up with plans to combat patterns of segregation and discrimination .
It did not eliminate zoning for single-family homes in the suburbs .
Trump revoked the rule ; Biden supports it .
But Biden does not support requiring municipalities to refrain from building single-family homes as a condition for getting money from HUD .
McClosky and her husband have been charged with a felony for brandishing guns outside their St. Louis home as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on mail-in voting : “ Absentee — like in Florida — absentee is good .
But other than that , they ’ re very , very bad.
” — Monday .
THE FACTS : He ’ s making a false distinction .
Mail-in ballots are cast in the same way as absentee mail ballots , with the same level of scrutiny such as signature verification in many states .
In more than 30 states and the District of Columbia , voters have a right to “ no excuse ” absentee voting .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any reason , regardless of whether a person is out of town or working .
In Florida , the Legislature in 2016 voted to change the wording of such balloting from “ absentee ” to “ vote-by-mail ” to make clear a voter can cast such ballots if they wish .
So there is no “ absentee ” voting in that state , as Trump alludes to .
More broadly , voter fraud has proved exceedingly rare .
The Brennan Center for Justice in 2017 ranked the risk of ballot fraud at 0.00004 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studies of past elections .
TRUMP , on the November vote count and Democrats : “ We have to be very , very careful and this time they are trying to do it with the whole post office scam .
They will blame it on the post office .
You can see them setting it up.
” — Monday .
THE FACTS : No postal scam has emerged from the Democrats .
Instead Trump has given credence to suspicions that he wants to suppress mail-in voting to help his chances in the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In an interview this month , he admitted he ’ s trying to starve the U.S .
Postal Service of money in order to make it harder to process an expected surge of mail-in ballots , which he worries could cost him the election .
TRUMP , on defective ballots in an election : “ What does defective mean ?
It means fraud.
” — Monday .
THE FACTS : No , defective ballots do not equate to fraud .
The overwhelming majority aren ’ t .
According to the Brennan Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots are disqualified because they arrive late , a particular worry this year because of recent U.S .
Postal Service delays and an expected surge in mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic .
Ballots also are deemed defective if there is a missing signature — common with newer voters unfamiliar with the process — or it doesn ’ t match what ’ s on file .
In addition , some states require absentee voters to get a witness or notary to sign their ballots .
“ None of those are fraud , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s democracy program at NYU School of Law .
When suspected cases are investigated for potential fraud , studies have borne out the main reason for defects is voter mistake , she said .
Defective ballots also disproportionately impact voters of colour , and recent lawsuits have successfully challenged some requirements as posing health risks or disenfranchising voters .
Earlier this year , for instance , a federal judge ruled that a South Carolina requirement to have witnesses to mail-in ballots could put voters ’ health at risk ; the requirement was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Others states including Minnesota and Rhode Island have also suspended that requirement due to the pandemic .
Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz in Chicago ; David Klepper in Providence , Rhode Island ; Bill Barrow in Atlanta ; Matthew Lee , Paul Wiseman and Matthew Daly in Washington ; and Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines , Iowa , contributed to this report .
EDITOR ’ S NOTE — A look at the veracity of claims by political figures .

Calvin Woodward, Hope Yen And Josh Boak - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--Debate churns over rebel statue after board votes to keep it

OXFORD , Miss .
- Refusing to give up , some north Mississippi residents are still urging an all-white board of county officials to move a Confederate monument away from an old courthouse on the town square in Oxford .
The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors voted in July to keep the rebel soldier statue in place , with one supervisor saying he had been a victim of racism because he ’ s white and others saying that African American leaders had never expressed concerns about the statue .
A newspaper ’ s public-records request shows that the Lafayette County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college athletes and politicians who asked them to relocate the monument because it presents an unwelcoming image in a diverse community .
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal received hundreds of email and text messages that were sent to the supervisors about the monument , which has stood since 1907 .
Protests against racial injustice across the U.S. in the past three months have brought renewed debate about the display of Confederate monuments and other symbols in public spaces .
Former Oxford Mayor Richard Howorth owns Square Books , which faces the monument .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to relocate the monument because it ’ s “ both the smart and the right thing ” to do .
Howorth later told the Daily Journal that debate about the monument has lasted too long .
“ I look at it every single day , ” Howorth said of the statue .
“ Every day , I think it is a sign that we are disrespecting our Black fellow citizens , neighbours and friends .
For that reason alone , it needs to be dealt with.
” Kesha Howell-Atkinson , the only Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , emailed several supervisors June 13 , saying the statue “ is a negative representation ” of Oxford , and she would like to see it relocated .
“ I believe the statue also hinders positive strides our town and community at large have made in the area of race relations , ” Howell-Atkinson wrote .
“ There are projects , people and events coming to Oxford .
We should not allow visitors to be able to judge us , develop a negative impression of our community and convey to others a negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Janice Antonow , told supervisors in a mid-July email that she would give them “ complete support ” if they moved the statue .
“ Besides being offensive to many citizens , the statue in its present location will always serve as a magnet for protests , pro and con , and will continue to strain our resources that could be better used for more positive events , ” Antonow wrote .
The University of Mississippi is in Oxford and Lafayette County .
In June , several of the school ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling for supervisors to move the statue .
Records also indicate county supervisors met with football player Mohamed “ MoMo ” Sanogo to discuss the monument .
“ If one of y ’ all want to join , I am meeting with Momo Sanago at 1 at chancery , ” board president Mike Roberts wrote in a group text to other supervisors .
Another supervisor asked what the meeting was about .
Roberts said Sanogo wanted to talk about the monument and then Roberts used a sad face emoji .
None of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s request for comment .
Sanogo , through a spokesman for the university ’ s athletics department , said he was grateful for conversations with supervisors .
“ Obviously we are disappointed with the current decision , ” Sanago said .
“ We realize the negative pressure that the board faces , and we will continue to provide positive support for the removal of the statue.
” The Rev .
Duncan Gray III , retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi , has a long history as an advocate for racial reconciliation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newcomer to the effort to move Confederate monuments from prominent spaces .
Gray texted Supervisor Chad McLarty and asked him to place the monument question on the board ’ s July 6 agenda , and he offered to speak in favour of relocation .
McLarty responded by thanking Gray for his opinion , but did not ask him speak .
Gray said he passed the statue “ a thousand times growing up and never thought about it.
” But he said that through research , he discovered that language inscribed on the statue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a justification for lynching African Americans during the Jim Crow era .
He also believes that symbols play an important role in the subconscious mind of people .
“ Christian and other clergy know this intuitively , if not by training , ” Gray said .
“ It ’ s why we ’ re so careful with the symbols of the faith.
” Gray later participated in a news conference with local clergy asking supervisors to reverse their decision and relocate Confederate monuments .
Lafayette County supervisors have shown no intention of revisiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the University of Mississippi , the City of Grenada , Lowndes County , Bolivar County , Leflore County , Noxubee County and Washington County have voted to move Confederate monuments .
Oxford officials have raised questions about whether the Lafayette supervisors control the monument .
Oxford sent county supervisors a letter Aug. 18 , raising the possibility that the statue is on property owned by the city and not the county .


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--2-story restaurant collapses in China, killing 13 people

BEIJING - Thirteen people were killed in China after a two-story restaurant collapsed during a gathering Saturday morning , state @ @ @ @ @ CCTV said in a social media post that 30 other people were brought out from @ @ @ @ @ with serious injuries .
The restaurant was in Shanxi province ’ s Xiangfen county , @ @ @ @ @ miles ) southwest of Beijing .
The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear @ @ @ @ @ , wearing hardhats and face masks , searched for trapped people in a daylong operation @ @ @ @ @ showed them hefting heavy pieces of concrete .
At least once , the remaining frame @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t fall .


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--The Preservation Trust of Vermont gets $745k grant, leader

MONTPELIER , Vt. - The Preservation Trust of Vermont is getting a $ 745,000 grant from the National Park Service that is now named after the late founder of the Vermont organization .
The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant was one of eight applications funded nationally as part of the Leahy-created program to invest in historic preservation in rural communities .
The program was renamed in honour Vermonter Paul Bruhn , a longtime champion of historic preservation and original founder of the Preservation Trust of Vermont who died last year .
“ The adaptation and reuse of Vermont ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identity of our local communities , “ Leahy said in a statement .
“ While this pandemic has forced us to be physically apart , it has made clear how important it is to invest in spaces where people can gather to socialize , exchange ideas and participate in democracy.
” The trust announced separately that Ben Doyle , of Montpelier will become the permanent head of the organization on Oct. 5 .
Since Bruhn ’ s death in September 2019 , the organization has been led by interim director Liz Gamache , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board of directors .
Doyle is currently the northern Vermont area director at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development .


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--With the conventions now over, what’s next in campaign 2020?

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden have emerged from their presidential nominating conventions with each candidate believing he has a head of steam .
Trump ’ s job approval ratings and standing in polls are perilously low for an incumbent , but Biden and other Democrats vividly remember 2016 , when Trump made an against-all-odds October comeback and defeated Hillary Clinton .
Five key questions as the 2020 campaign moves toward the fall home stretch : WHAT WILL A COVID-19 CAMPAIGN LOOK LIKE ?
Expect a flurry of travel and speeches as the candidates spend the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needle and win new votes against the backdrop of a global pandemic .
Trump is set to launch an aggressive travel schedule with multiple events a week , according to advisers .
After an arena rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , early this summer drew a paltry crowd , his campaign has settled on a new format in the age of the coronavirus : packing smaller crowds into open-air airport hangars .
The campaign has also been handing out masks at its events and , on Friday , told attendees they would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s also planning a series of policy speeches and is expected to continue to use the powers of his office — including signing executive orders and issuing pardons — to help his prospects .
Biden is planning to ramp up travel to battleground states after Labor Day after spending most of the spring and summer at his home in Wilmington , Delaware , holding mostly virtual events , with only occasional travel to tightly controlled gatherings .
Campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond said the former vice-president will be active but emphasized that Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health guidelines .
That means no indoor , crowded rallies and lots of mask-wearing .
Expect plenty of roundtables , meet-and-greets and question-and-answer sessions .
If there are larger gatherings , the drive-in watch party outside Biden ’ s nomination acceptance address could be the blueprint .
WHOSE VERSION OF THE OTHER CONVINCES MORE VOTERS ?
Trump will continue trying to win back suburban , female and older voters , and win over independents and people who didn ’ t vote four years ago , by painting the election as a stark choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between a radical , socialist takeover and economic prosperity .
Never mind that Biden has spent decades in the political establishment and California Sen. Kamala Harris , his running mate , is a former prosecutor .
Trump will use every scare tactic he can muster .
If his 2016 race is any indication , expect Trump to launch a scorched-earth strategy if he feels he ’ s losing come October .
Realizing his only shot then was to drive up Clinton ’ s unfavourable ratings to match his own , Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of , including inviting women who accused Bill Clinton of rape and unwanted sexual advances to appear at one of the debates .
Attacks on Biden ’ s family ?
Accusations he ’ s drugged up or senile ?
There is no line Trump won ’ t cross to win .
Biden will continue to hammer Trump as a fundamental threat to democracy and try to make the case that the president is a selfish , corrupt figure incapable of empathy .
Biden will sell himself as a steady , experienced hand with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate action and criminal justice -- just not as progressive as Trump tries to make him when he blasts Biden as the front man for a “ radical ” takeover .
Biden ’ s campaign believes that he is enough of a known quantity that voters beyond Trump ’ s base simply won ’ t buy the president ’ s descriptions of the former vice-president .
If they are right , they see Trump ’ s base-driven campaign as one that opens up a wide coalition -- from progressives who aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans -- for the Democratic ticket .
Biden has defined his White House bid from the start as a moral and competency case against Trump .
The COVID-19 pandemic has only intensified the approach .
Biden ’ s campaign believes there ’ s no cover for Trump with the coronavirus death toll surpassing 180,000 and climbing , cases nearing the 6 million mark , unemployment hovering in double digits and Congress at an impasse on further economic aid .
In remarks Thursday before Trump ’ s nomination acceptance speech , Harris summarized the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s incompetence is nothing new , ” she said , “ but in January of this year , it became deadly.
” She said the incumbent “ failed at the most basic and important job of a president ... to protect us.
” Trump is hoping for a late development that could be a campaign game-changer : The release of a vaccine that would mark the beginning of the end of the pandemic on his watch , before Americans vote .
His administration has been doing everything it can to accelerate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even when it ’ s not clear they work .
“ We ’ ll produce a vaccine before the end of the year , or maybe even sooner , ” he said in his convention keynote .
It ’ s unclear , however , whether science can deliver on his timetable .
HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE DEBATES ?
The conventions largely succeeded in fulfilling both campaigns ’ objectives , so the debates -- scheduled for Sept. 29 , Oct. 15 and Oct. 22 -- will be the most high-profile opportunities for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters and cajole the small but critical slice of persuadable voters .
Biden and his team say they relish the idea of confronting Trump face to face .
“ The debates will give the V.P .
the chance to call Trump on all of his B.S.
, ” Richmond said .
It also will be another chance for the 77-year-old Democrat to work to dismantle Trump ’ s framing that Biden is too old for the job .
Richmond said that narrative could backfire on Trump , himself a 74-year-old who regularly mangles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Trump ’ s camp seem to agree .
After months of trying to cast Biden as feeble and mentally diminished , they ’ re now talking up Biden ’ s abilities as a way to try to lower expectations on Trump ’ s side .
“ Joe Biden is really good at debates , ” Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller has been saying , portraying Biden as much more skilled than Hillary Clinton .
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO HAVE A WINNER ?
It might not be on election night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in lawsuits across many states , arguing over rules for absentee voting amid the pandemic , and that litigation could continue if results are close on Nov. 3 .
Republicans and Democrats alike are pushing their supporters to ask for absentee mail ballots , even as Trump continues to question the integrity of the election before a single vote is cast .
Don ’ t expect that landscape to change between now and Election Day -- or even for several weeks afterward .
Trump has refused to say whether he ’ ll accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton has warned Biden not to concede if the election is remotely close .
One thing is clear , though : The Constitution sets Inauguration Day as Jan. 20 , and barring catastrophic developments , either Trump or Biden will take the oath of office that day .

Bill Barrow And Jill Colvin - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--UN expresses concern over ‘dramatic turn’ in Libya crisis

CAIRO - The United Nations on Saturday voiced alarm over what it called “ a dramatic turn of events ” in Libya ’ s civil war , after a power struggle between leaders of the Tripoli-based government surfaced in the wake of anti-corruption protests .
“ Libya is witnessing a dramatic turn of events that underlines the urgent need to return to a full and inclusive political process , ” the U.N. support mission in Libya said .
Protests over deteriorating economic conditions erupted earlier this week in the capital and elsewhere in western Libya , which is controlled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Tripoli , local militia allied with the government opened fire on the demonstrators using rifles and truck-mounted guns , and abducted some of the protesters .
Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj and his interior minister , Fathi Bashaga , initially accused “ outlawed infiltrators ” over the violence .
The prime minister also said the protesters “ did not obtain necessary permits ” for their rally and described their demonstrations as “ riots.
” However on Friday , Sarraj suspended Bashaga and referred him to an administrative investigation after the interior minister accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters in Tripoli this week .
Bashaga , who was excluded from two high-profile military and security meetings in the capital over the past few days , quickly responded .
He said in a statement he accepted the premier ’ s decision but demanded a public and live questioning “ to expose the facts ” of the incident .
Following the suspension of the interior minister , militias in Tripoli celebrated the decision by firing into the air , while others in Bashaga ’ s hometown of Misrata took to the streets to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.N. mission in Libya , known as UNSMIL , said it was still concerned about “ the excessive use of force against demonstrators as well as the arbitrary arrest of a number of civilians.
” It did not say how many people were detained .
Retweeting the UNSMIL ’ s statement , the U.S. embassy in Libya urged Sarraj and Bashaga toward “ co-operation “ in the interests ” the Libyan people.
” Over the past two days , militias sealed off main streets and roads to prevent the demonstrators from reaching Tripoli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the protests , according to two residents who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear reprisals .
A group of women however protested in the city centre before being dispersed .
Two women were wounded and four others were arrested , according to the protest movement , known as “ Hirak Aug. 23.
” The movement called for civil disobedience until achieving their demands that include handing over power to the Supreme Judicial Council to work towards presidential and parliamentary elections .
Protests also spread to the southern town of Sabah and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the control of rival east-based Libyan forces led by Khalifa Hifter .
The U.N. also said it is concerned about “ on-going human rights violations and abuses ” in the coastal city of Sirte , which is controlled by Hifter ’ s forces since January .
It said at least one civilian was killed and several others were arrested .
“ The prolific use of hate speech and incitement to violence appears designed to further divide Libyans , increase polarization and tear at the country ’ s social fabric , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi , who was later killed .
The country is now split between rival east- and west-based administrations , each backed by different armed groups and foreign governments .


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--Activists see disparate police tactics amid Kenosha protests

KENOSHA , Wis. - Police officers in Kenosha were on alert after days of protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake by one of their colleagues , and they ’ d recently gotten a tip about “ suspicious vehicles ” from out of state .
So , after watching a group of people fill cans at a gas station Wednesday and then hop into a minivan with Oregon plates , the officers sped in .
A bystander ’ s video shows officers leaping out of black SUVs with guns drawn .
About 25 seconds later , an officer shatters the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baton , unlocks its door and pulls a person out .
The group turned out to be members of Riot Kitchen , a Seattle-based organization that serves food at demonstrations .
Jennifer Scheurle , a member of its board of directors , said they were filling up gas cans to power a generator for their food truck .
The nine taken into custody in the SWAT-style operation Wednesday were among dozens of people arrested this week in the Wisconsin city .
The arrests have highlighted activists ’ complaints that police have been responding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s shooting that left Blake , a Black man , paralyzed , even as they ’ ve tolerated armed militia groups .
The Riot Kitchen members were charged with misdemeanour disorderly conduct , but all were free by Friday morning .
“ We reject all claims that our crew was there to incite violence or build explosives , ” said Scheurle , who was not among those in Kenosha .
“ Our non-profit organization has always been and will always be about feeding people.
” Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis said at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 ” people had been arrested during the protests .
The department later provided a list of 58 charges , more than half of them for curfew violations , but declined to specify the number of people arrested or provide names .
“ I believe everybody out there in law enforcement has been friendly to both sides , ” Miskinis said .
An analysis of jail records since the day of Blake ’ s shooting shows about 45 % the people facing charges seemingly related to the protests live outside Wisconsin .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about two-thirds male .
The vast majority were charged with misdemeanours or civil violations , although there were also some felonies .
Miskinis said one person had been charged for having a “ flamethrower.
” More than 20 of the people remained in jail Friday afternoon .
Adelana Akindes , a 24-year-old from Kenosha , said she spent nearly a day in a crowded cell after being arrested Wednesday while walking toward the demonstrations carrying a shield .
Police had Akindes and three others lie on the ground as they put them in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers did not read their Miranda rights or say why they were being arrested .
She was released on Thursday evening and charged with breaking curfew .
“ They wanted to scare us , ” said Akindes , who is Black .
“ They wanted to make an example of us.
” The last three nights of protests have been mostly peaceful , and police have not fired tear gas or pepper balls .
But they ’ ve used tactics that local activists see as heavy handed .
On Thursday night , police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protests .
They arrested a group of people in one vehicle and searched the car of another group .
“ There has been no respect for anybody ’ s civil rights , ” said Isaac Wallner , a 30-year-old Kenosha activist .
“ It ’ s been a police free for all .
They do whatever they want.
” Wallner , who is Black , contrasted this with what he characterized as a tolerant , or even friendly , attitude police have taken toward the white men who ’ ve come to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long guns , including a 17-year-old charged with fatally shooting two people and wounding a third .
Earlier in the week , sheriff ’ s deputies shot pepper balls at protesters and arrested them when they failed to quickly leave after being told they were breaking curfew .
But officers in an armoured vehicle with “ Sheriff ” on the side were also recorded at night tossing water bottles to men carrying rifles .
“ We appreciate you guys .
We really do , ” someone can be heard calling from the vehicle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said Friday that the officer seen giving out water was not one of his deputies , and the person who said he appreciated what the armed civilians were doing “ doesn ’ t mirror all of law enforcement ’ s perspective on what happened.
” Bleiberg reported from Dallas .
Associated Press reporters Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City and Scott Bauer in Madison , Wisconsin , contributed reporting .

Jake Bleiberg And Stephen Groves - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--Asia Today: Cases still rise in S.Korea, Malaysia stays shut

SEOUL , Korea , Republic Of - South Korea has reported 323 new cases of the coronavirus as health officials prepare to tighten distancing restrictions in the greater capital area .
The 16th consecutive day of triple-digit jumps brought the national caseload to 19,400 .
Fatalities reached 321 after five more deaths overnight .
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday that 249 of the new cases came from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area , where about half of the country ’ s 51 million people live .
Health workers have struggled to track infections linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment buildings .
The country has added 4,630 cases over the last 16 days , raising fears about overwhelming hospitals .
Kwon Jun-wook , director of South Korea ’ s National Health Institute , said the death toll could rise in the coming weeks as many of those who tested positive this month were 60 years or older , an age group that ’ s more likely to experience serious health complications caused by the virus .
He said 64 of the country ’ s active patients are in critical condition , compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country began the current streak of triple-digit daily increases .
“ While young people may think that COVID-19 is an illness they could recover from after a certain period , it could become a life and death matter for the parents and grandparents they love and also people with existing medical conditions , ” Kwon said during a virus briefing , pleading for vigilance in social distancing .
“ Each and every one of us ... is at war with COVID-19 .
In war , we need to maintain unity to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and prevent the collapse of all our social systems.
” More than 1,000 infections have been linked to a northern Seoul church led by a conservative pastor who opposes the country ’ s president .
The spread worsened after thousands of anti-government protesters , including members of the Sarang Jeil Church and its pastor , Jun Kwang-hun , marched in downtown Seoul on Aug. 15 .
More than 300 , including Jun , have tested positive .
For eight days starting Sunday , restaurants in the Seoul metropolitan area will provide only deliveries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coffee shops like Starbucks will sell only takeout drinks and food while gyms and after-school academies will be shut to slow the viral spread in the region .
Authorities have already banned larger gatherings , shut down nightspots and churches , and shifted most schools back to remote learning nationwide .
But they have so far resisted elevating restrictions to the highest level .
Such a move would possibly include a ban on all gatherings of more than 10 people , shutting down a broader range of businesses and having private company employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Asia-Pacific region : — India has recorded 76,472 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours , raising its tally to over 3.4 million .
A country of 1.4 billion people , India now has the fastest-growing caseload in the world .
The Health Ministry on Saturday also reported 1,021 deaths for a total of 62,550 .
India is reporting around 1,000 COVID-19 deaths every day .
There has been a spurt of new cases over the last few weeks .
One of the reasons is testing : India now conducts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared with just 200,000 two months ago .
Even as western Maharashtra and the three southern states of Tamil Nadu , Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka remain the worst-hit regions with nearly 64 % of fatalities and 55 % of active cases , the virus is spreading fast in the country ’ s vast hinterlands .
Earlier this week , members of a small tribe in the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands tested positive with experts saying the virus has now entered the widespread transmission stage .
— Malaysia has extended its pandemic movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the year .
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a televised address late Friday that global cases have been rising and the country has seen sporadic virus clusters even though the situation was under control .
Malaysia has recorded more than 9,000 cases with 125 deaths .
Muhyiddin said the extension of restrictions will not disrupt daily activities as most businesses and schools have resumed .
Only nightclubs and entertainment centres remain shut and international sporting events prohibited .
Borders will stay closed and those entering the country will be quarantined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has reported 18 more COVID-19 deaths and 94 new cases -- the first time in almost two months that new infections have dropped below 100 .
The deaths take the state toll to 514 and the Australian COVID-19 death total to 601 .
Since Monday there have been no more than 150 new daily cases in Victoria , adding to speculation about an easing of lockdown restrictions across Melbourne , which include a daily 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew .
But state Premier Daniel Andrews says it is too soon to dramatically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to be gradual and steady because we ’ ve all got to be really careful to make sure nothing we do makes it more likely that we find ourselves back here at exactly this place , ” Andrews said .
“ We want to defeat the second wave ... that means we can avoid a third wave.
” — About one-third of students returned to school in the Chinese capital on Saturday in a staggered start to the new school year because of the coronavirus .
The first batch of 590,000 students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high school , the first and third years of middle school and the first grade of primary school .
Another 400,000 students are to start school on Tuesday , and the final 520,000 on Sept. 7 .
Both students and teachers are required to wear masks .
China reported nine new coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period , bringing its official total to 85,022 .
All the new cases were overseas arrivals .
The country ’ s death toll remained at 4,634 .


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--Protests erupt at Portland police building, mayor’s condo

PORTLAND , Ore. - Fires set outside a police union building that ’ s a frequent site for protests in Portland , Oregon , prompted police to declare a riot early Saturday and detain several demonstrators .
An accelerant was used to ignite a mattress and other debris that was laid against the door of the Portland Police Association building , police said in a statement .
At least one dumpster had also been set on fire in the street nearby .
As officers approached to move demonstrators away from the building and extinguish the fire , objects including rocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Multiple officers suffered minor injuries , according to the statement .
The fire was put out and several people were arrested , police stated , though exact numbers weren ’ t immediately available .
The building was damaged , and a bottle containing flammable fluid was found near the scene .
Witnesses also said a car drove by near the demonstration and someone inside fired several gunshots into the air .
Video posted online showed shell casings in the street .
No injuries were reported .
Police did not mention any gunfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commotion followed a sit-in in the lobby of the Portland mayor ’ s condo building Friday night .
Protesters have issued demands , including police budget reductions and Mayor Ted Wheeler ’ s resignation , the Oregonian/OregonLive reported .
A crowd of about 150 had gathered outside the building .
Portland has been gripped by nightly protests for three months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
The demonstrations , often violent , usually target police buildings and federal buildings .
Some protesters have called for reductions in police budgets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some in the Black community have decried the violence , saying it ’ s counterproductive .
Seventy-four people are now facing federal charges related to protests that have rocked the city for three months since George Floyd was killed , the local U.S. attorney announced Thursday .
The misdemeanour and felony charges include assaults on federal officers , arson and damaging federal property .
Earlier Friday , Wheeler had said he sent a letter to President Donald Trump declining his offers to help the city manage the protests .
In early July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city to protect the federal courthouse , but local officials said their presence made things worse .
The federal agents later pulled back .


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--Amid virus lockdowns, prison ministry groups had to adapt

Normally Teresa Stanfield spends her days in prisons talking with inmates about how she changed the course of her troubled life , and how they can do the same .
But the coronavirus has locked her on the outside .
“ When COVID came and shut down programming , I was extremely disappointed , ” said Stanfield , Oklahoma field director with Virginia-based Prison Fellowship .
“ But I also knew that God had a plan and we were going to do everything we could to continue to encourage our returning citizens and keep our volunteers connected.
” For Stanfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March after correctional facilities closed to visitors , it ’ s a collection of spiritual and inspirational programming that ’ s delivered online and via closed-circuit television to prisons across the country , reaching a total of over 400,000 inmates — 1,000 times more than Stanfield ’ s largest in-person presentations .
It ’ s one of the most ambitious and successful examples of how faith-based organizations have adapted and innovated during the pandemic to keep up their prison ministries and services .
Some , like Prison Fellowship , are producing content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are recording religious services and prayers for specific correction systems to distribute through prison television systems .
Some are turning to direct mail to inmates in the form of letters of spiritual encouragement , study lessons , Bibles and religious magazines , or sending supplies to prison officials and chaplains of various faiths and denominations to distribute .
Jehovah ’ s Witnesses , for example , “ looked for every way possible ” to continue outreach to incarcerated populations with their message of hope at the 3,315 correctional facilities where the faith ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hendriks said .
That has ranged from online content via CCTV to personal messages via the Postal Service .
“ It was not an option for us to stop our ministry , ” Hendriks said .
Prisons , by design restrictive and with little personal space , have been fertile grounds for the spread of the coronavirus .
According to data compiled by The Associated Press and The Marshall Project , more than 108,000 inmates had tested positive for the virus as of Aug. 25 , and there have been 928 reported deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurses , correctional officers , chaplains and administrators tested positive as well , and 72 deaths have been publicly reported .
Overall , the rate of known infections among inmates is nearly three times that of the general U.S. population .
Jim Bright , a longtime prison volunteer with Jehovah ’ s Witnesses in Marion , Ohio , knows that firsthand — at one of the lockups he visits , more than 80 % of the inmates tested came up positive , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the first weekend in 47 years I won ’ t be doing something at one of the prisons , ” Bright said .
“ It ’ s a big part of my life as far as getting to know those guys and helping them take care of their needs.
” Now unable to visit , Bright has been sending religious literature to inmates through a prison chaplain and writing personal letters offering “ scriptural encouragement.
” One inmate wrote back to say he and a couple others were planning to teach and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The last time Matthew Perry , with Jewish Prison Services International , was inside the six Washington state facilities he usually visits was in early March , for the Purim holiday .
He was at his second lockup of the day when authorities abruptly ushered all the volunteers out .
“ All the religious groups were , ‘ What do we do next ?
’ “ Perry said .
” No one knew anything at that point.
” Perry ’ s group is capable of producing video content , but the prisons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for inmates to view it individually or allow them to congregate in groups for safety reasons .
So like Bright , he has turned to old-fashioned mail , sending religious materials directly to Jewish inmates .
“ It ’ s been a lot of adjusting , ” Perry said .
Dawud Walid , executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations , said his group has been shooting video of sermons and prayer services at mosques for distribution in state prisons .
In fact the new , system-wide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accessible to Muslim inmates , as many of Michigan ’ s facilities are in areas lacking locally based imams to make in-person visits .
“ There ’ s actually inmates who are getting religious sermons every Friday that they normally would not get , ” Walid said .
One of most expansive outreach operations is run by Prison Fellowship , founded by the late Charles Colson , a top aide to Richard Nixon who served time for his role in the Watergate scandal .
Staff and volunteers operate programs in hundreds of lockups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and building community support networks to help .
President and CEO James Ackerman said that after the Fellowship ’ s volunteers were locked out , the California Department of Corrections called to say it had a CCTV network to distribute whatever his group could produce , and was “ desperate for inspirational , faith-centric content.
” Thus Floodlight was born .
Partner organizations provided video streams and other viewing materials , while Prison Fellowship called on employees to share their own stories of inspiration and redemption .
It launched April 14 in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day .
There ’ s also religious programming produced by the state Corrections Department featuring chaplains from various denominations , as well as from outside religious groups .
Floodlight has since expanded to prisons in 43 states and will continue permanently even after lockups reopen to visitors .
Prison Fellowship ’ s in-house production team met up with Stanfield in Oklahoma City to put together her video presentation .
In it , the mother of two candidly tells how she spent 20 years in and out of prison due to drug addiction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her a second chance .
Her story can have great impact coming from someone “ who ’ s actually been in that life , “ she said .
“ If God can use me so somebody else doesn ’ t go out and die from addiction , “ Stanfield said , ” that ’ s a calling.
” Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation .
The AP is solely responsible for this content .


thetorontostar--2020-08-29--France’s horses killed in mysterious ritual-like mutilations

PARIS - Armed with knives , some knowledge of their prey and a large dose of cruelty , attackers are going after horses and ponies in pastures across France in what may be ritual mutilations .
Police are stymied by the macabre attacks that include slashings and worse .
Most often , an ear — usually the right one — has been cut off , recalling the matador ’ s trophy in a bullring .
Up to 30 attacks have been reported in France , from the mountainous Jura region in the east to the Atlantic coast , many this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One attack was registered in February , according to the newsmagazine Le Point .
With each attack , the mystery only seems to grow .
“ We are excluding nothing , ” Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie said Friday on France-Info , before heading to a riding club in the Saone-et-Loire region , in east central France , where a horse was attacked a day earlier .
“ Ears are cut off , eyes removed , an animal is emptied of its blood ... , ” he said , spelling out the morbid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most beloved animals .
“ All means are in motion to end this terror , ” the minister tweeted .
After the first solid sighting of an attacker , gendarmes in Auxerre , in Burgundy , released a composite sketch this week based on a description by a man who wrangled with two attackers at his animal refuge in a village in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region .
“ I used to have confidence putting my horses out to pasture .
Today , I have fear in my gut , ” Nicolas Demajean , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Thursday on regional TV station France 3 .
Alerted by his squealing pigs , Damajean faced down two attackers last Monday .
He himself was injured in the arm in a struggle with one intruder wielding a pruning knife as the other slashed the sides of two ponies , now recovering but “ traumatized , ” he said .
The men fled in a vehicle .
The following day , an attacker or attackers bled a young pony in the Saone-et-Loire .
In another case , some of a horse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donkey who reportedly participated in the past in the Christmas market in Paris was killed in a gruesome attack in June .
Theories abound as to whether the acts are a morbid rite of an unknown cult , a chilling “ challenge ” relayed by social media or copycat acts .
Speculation is widespread as to how barbaric acts , some surgical , could be perpetrated without solid knowledge of equine anatomy or on a horse in a pasture presumably able to flee .
“ A fearful horse in a pasture won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels confident with people ... he ’ ll come , find it normal that you put a harness on it or a rope around its neck , ” said veterinarian Aude Giraudet , chief of the equine division at the prestigious National Veterinary School of Alfort , outside Paris .
“ I ’ m not sure you need great knowledge of horses , ” Giraudet said in an interview .
Knowing how to approach them , from the front not the rear , is important .
An ear can be slashed off while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animal would need to be prostate for grislier mutilations , she said .
The veterinarian stressed that she didn ’ t want to describe how to put a horse on the ground so as not to “ give the least sort of tools to make it easier ” for those out to kill them .
“ If I were in Normandy , I think I would be very very worried about this epidemic , ” she said , adding that security measures should be taken — at the very least installing cameras .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , France ’ s horse country .
Pauline Sarrazin , the owner of one victim , Lady , mounted a private Facebook group , “ Justice for our Horses ” after the savage June 6 killing of her horse near Dieppe , on the Atlantic coast .
Aimed at sharing stories and advice , the group now has nearly 17,000 members .
The president of the French Federation of Equitation offered on Friday to help police investigating the scattered cases .
Serge Lecomte said earlier the federation would be a civil party in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all afraid , ” said Veronique Dupin , an official of a riding club in the Yvelines region west of Paris , asking that the exact location of the stable not be identified out of caution .
Her club installed cameras last year because of intruders , and someone sleeps there nightly .
“ Despite that , we ’ re not at ease , ” she said , stressing how vulnerable horses can be .
“ They may be big , but they ’ re lambs .
”