thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Flowers, homemade signs by high court in Ginsburg tribute

WASHINGTON - Mourners dropped off bouquets and gathered outside the Supreme Court early Saturday in quiet tribute to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Homemade cardboard signs and a collection of flowers blanketed the court ’ s grounds .
Hours earlier , hundreds of people had turned out after hearing of Ginsburg ’ s death .
They wept and sang in a candlelight vigil , packing the high court ’ s steps in a spontaneous memorial .
Scores of candles flickered in the nighttime wind as people knelt to leave flowers , American flags and handwritten condolence messages for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer at age 87 after 27 years on the court .
Prayer candles with Ginsburg ’ s photo on them were also left on the steps .
Several times , dozens in the crowd broke out into song , singing “ Amazing Grace ” and “ This Land is Your Land ” as others embraced one another and wiped tears from their eyes .
At one point , the crowd broke into a thunderous applause — lasting for about a minute — for Ginsburg .
“ Thank you RBG , ” one sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RBG ” was drawn inside a pink chalk heart .
Jennifer Berger , 37 , said she felt compelled to join the large crowd that gathered to pay tribute to Ginsburg ’ s life .
“ I think it is important for us to recognize such a trailblazer , ” she said .
“ It is amazing to see how many people are feeling this loss tonight and saying goodbye.
” Ginsburg spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court ’ s liberal wing and became something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Young women especially seemed to embrace the court ’ s Jewish grandmother , affectionately calling her the Notorious RBG , for her defence of the rights of women and minorities .
The memorial service remained mostly peaceful and sombre , but turned tense for several minutes after a man with a megaphone approached people in the crowd and began to chant that “ Roe v. Wade is dead , ” a refence to the landmark Supreme Court ruling establishing abortion rights nationwide .
A large group confronted the man , leading to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crowd began yelling “ RBG ” to try to drown out the man ’ s voice as he continued to say Republicans would push to quickly appoint a conservative justice to the court .
Supreme Court police officers stood alongside the crowd and the man eventually left the area .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Evangelicals at base of Trump hopes for Pennsylvania repeat

HARRISBURG , Pa. - President Donald Trump ’ s homestretch push to repeat his razor thin victory in Pennsylvania four years ago won ’ t happen without white evangelicals , and there are signs that critical component of his coalition hasn ’ t lost the faith .
It ’ s a group that has often made the difference for Republicans on the Pennsylvania ballot .
And while some born-again voters had misgivings about Trump in 2016 , they helped him eke out a 44,000-vote margin of victory in the pivotal swing state .
This time around , they sound eager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump ’ s policies have helped keep in the fold evangelicals who otherwise might have been discomforted by his style .
Their opinions on a range of political issues make them among the least likely voters to jump to former Vice-President Joe Biden , the Democrat .
A recent NBC News/Marist poll in Pennsylvania found 79 % of white evangelicals saying they will vote for Trump in this year ’ s presidential election .
But Biden ’ s campaign hopes to make some inroads , with plans to launch an “ evangelicals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Josh Dickson , the campaign ’ s national faith engagement director .
“ In this moment , there is a stark moral contrast between the common good values of the Biden-Harris agenda , which deeply aligns with the values of people of faith , and the agenda of the current administration , which is based in divisiveness and fear , ” Dickson said in a statement .
The Biden campaign frames “ the real religious issue ” at stake as systemic racism , while evangelical Trump voters point to his support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointees , along with school choice , religious freedom and the movement of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem .
“ Many of us who support the president wish sometimes he didn ’ t say the things he did , wish he had a character more in line with scriptural teachings , ” said Laszlo Pasztor , a retired military officer from Carlisle who organizes evangelicals politically .
“ Many of us say he ’ s a work in progress .
However , his policies , nevertheless , have probably been more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in my lifetime.
” Evangelicals , Christians who generally have had a “ born again ” personal religious conversion or awakening , form a significant slice of the electorate .
They believe in the Bible as God ’ s literal word and embrace an activist aspect to their faith .
Trump was raised as a Presbyterian , a mainline Protestant denomination , and Biden is a practicing Catholic .
White evangelical voters made up 17 % of the 2018 midterm electorate in Pennsylvania , according to an AP VoteCast survey .
And a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of voters nationwide in the 2016 election were white evangelicals ; 77 % of them backed Trump .
Black Protestant voters often share religious views with white evangelicals , but they largely vote Democratic .
While evangelical voters are scattered across Pennsylvania , they are most concentrated in the vast T-shaped swath of farm and forest land outside the greater Philadelphia and Pittsburgh regions .
“ It ’ s a strong , quiet undercurrent that will sweep the T again in huge numbers , ” said state Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populated district along the New York border .
Larry Denver , who helped found the Faith and Freedom Coalition state chapter , said his enthusiasm for Trump has grown since 2016 .
Like many other evangelicals , Trump was not his first choice four years ago — he favoured U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the Republican primary .
“ Throughout the scriptures , God has done most of his work through the most unlikely people , ” said Denver , a retired veteran from the Philadelphia suburbs .
“ The people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ d think would be involved.
” Trump is “ using white evangelicals , he ’ s playing on their anti-intellectualism , ” said John Fea , an American history professor at Messiah University outside Harrisburg and an evangelical churchgoer who has written extensively about evangelicals in politics and public life .
“ I feel that most white evangelicals who support Trump are often sacrificing the integrity of the office of the president , ” Fea said .
“ They ’ re supporting a person — the list goes on — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with racist language.
” Fea said Biden may be able to reach enough evangelicals to make a difference in a close race , particularly around Philadelphia , but he sees in evangelicals devotion to a political effort that has been entrenched for decades .
“ Is the political playbook going to hold up even with a corrupt guy who doesn ’ t hold our values ?
The answer is yes , the political playbook is the most important thing , ” Fea said .
Evangelicals often cite Trump ’ s vice-presidential selection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while an Indiana congressman and governor , as a turning point in getting behind Trump .
They ’ ve noticed when Trump and Pence have brought up faith and made other religious references in public remarks .
“ We have a vice-president that not only speaks our language but has shown day in and day out that he is a man of God , “ said Justin Behrens , an evangelical Christian who chairs the Republican Party in Luzerne County , which Trump flipped in 2016 with a 25-point swing from President Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his appeal to evangelicals to pay off ahead of the Nov. 3 election with campaign help , donations and the type of energy that makes someone persuade fence-sitting friends and neighbours .
Pasztor has been volunteering with the Trump Victory Faith Coalition ’ s local organization and organizing voter registration drives , poll workers and neighbourhood networks within the evangelical community , to reach those who did not turn out for Trump in 2016 .
What remains to be seen is how the evangelical vote will play out at a time when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political talk at churches .
Trump needs to energize that evangelical , churchgoing part of his base to claim Pennsylvania ’ s 20 electoral votes .
Evangelical voters “ tend to be competitive , they tend to be out front , they tend to be more involved , they go to rallies , ” said veteran Pennsylvania pollster Terry Madonna , a political science professor at Franklin & Marshall College .
“ They are critical.
” Associated Press polling reporter Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this story .

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thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Cargo plane crashes at airport in Somalia’s capital, 3 hurt

MOGADISHU , Somalia - A cargo plane crashed Saturday morning at the international airport in Somalia ’ s capital , and the country ’ s transport minister said three of the four crew members on board were injured .
Photos from the scene showed the plane ’ s cockpit crushed against a concrete barrier just steps from the sea .
Transport Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Salad told reporters that the plane had just taken off for Beledweyne town in central Somalia but returned to the airport after having mechanical problems .
Markings on the plane indicated that it is operated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company could not be reached .
The heavily fortified Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu is home to diplomatic missions and is a hub for humanitarian flights in the Horn of Africa nation trying to rebuild from three decades of conflict .
Somalia has seen at least two other such plane crashes this year .
In July , a cargo plane carrying humanitarian aid crashed in Beledweyne in central Somalia .
And in May , six people were killed when a Kenyan plane with African Express carrying medical supplies crashed on approach to @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Documents detail push to manage Yellowstone bison as cattle

BILLINGS , Mont .
- In May 2018 , Yellowstone National Park ’ s superintendent was ordered by then-Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to manage the park ’ s bison “ more actively like cattle on a ranch , ” according to a park briefing statement .
About a month later , Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk was removed from his post .
Wenk was replaced by current Superintendent Cam Sholly who took over in October 2018 .
Before being appointed to lead the Department of Interior , Zinke was Montana ’ s lone representative in Congress .
He left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 .
The revelation of Zinke ’ s order didn ’ t surprise Darrell Geist , habitat co-ordinator for the Buffalo Field Campaign , a non-profit bison advocacy group .
“ These are things we ’ ve been saying for a long time … that the herd is being managed for the good of the livestock industry and not the public trust , ” Geist told the Billings Gazette .
Confirmation of the group ’ s theory came after a long court fight by BFC seeking the release of documents from the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act .
In July , U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy ruled the NPS must release nine documents in their entirety .
Buffalo Field Campaign recently made the documents available online , including the briefing statement .
The group is also suing the Department of Interior for similar documents and hopes to receive the records by this fall .
The Yellowstone briefing statement goes on to say , “ Managing Yellowstone bison more intensively like livestock on a ranch would be a set-back for restoration and would likely lead to intense negative publicity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further attempts to list plains bison as threatened pursuant to the Endangered Species Act which would constrain future management options.
” Dan Bailey , Yellowstone program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association , said in an email that his group “ encourages Yellowstone to continue working with stakeholders , Native American tribes and other partners to expand opportunities for bison to be managed similar to other valued wildlife.
” Since 2018 , and under new leadership at the Department of Interior , Bailey said NPCA has seen progress on the issue of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently released Department of the Interior Bison Conservation Initiative 2020 , outlining goals including conserving bison as wildlife.
” The documents released to Buffalo Field Campaign include a scientific paper co-authored by three Yellowstone wildlife biologists .
The March 2018 paper , which was never published , is titled “ Resolving intractable governance issues to recover wild bison while maintaining public and tribal trust.
” In the document , the biologists argued that “ declarations that expanded tolerance for bison managed similarly to elk would threaten the economic interest and viability of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bolster special livestock interests through fears of reprisal.
” Unlike bison , which are not allowed to roam very far outside of Yellowstone , elk migrate freely into and out of the park .
Elk also carry brucellosis , the same disease ranchers cite as a reason for keeping bison numbers low and holding the big animals close to Yellowstone , instead of allowing them to roam more freely like other wildlife .
The biologists also advocate for a capture facility farther north of Yellowstone than the current one at Stephens Creek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some bison captured for removal from the population to the upper Gallatin watershed … Yellowstone bison used this watershed into the 1990s , but have not been observed there in recent years and are unlikely to naturally recolonize this area … ” The biologists noted that such a move would require Montana Fish , Wildlife & Parks to conduct an assessment and develop a management plan .
The Custer Gallatin National Forest , which manages the upper Gallatin watershed , recently released its proposed forest plan .
Buffalo Field Campaign has objected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habitat for bison , which it argues is a species of conservation concern .
“ Releasing bison in the watershed would not substantially increase the risk of brucellosis transmission to livestock because elk in the vicinity are chronically infected with brucellosis , ” the Yellowstone biologists wrote .
The lead author for the paper is P.J .
White , the park ’ s chief wildlife biologist .
The other authors are biologists Rick Wallen , who has retired as bison manager , and Chris Geremia , who replaced Wallen .
Together , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management approach for Yellowstone bison is not serving the broader common good , but rather specific livestock interests based on perpetuated myths and misperceptions.
” Geist speculated the biologists may have written the paper because the Interagency Bison Management Plan co-operators — who collaborate on managing the animals — have not updated the bison management plan , which was finalized in 2000 .
The IBMP , which includes tribes , the state of Montana and Yellowstone officials .
Yellowstone ’ s own website notes that “ we believe we ’ ve outgrown ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new paradigm that recognizes bison as wildlife and gives them the ability to move more freely on suitable public lands outside the park , ” the website states .
The Stephens Creek bison capture facility that Yellowstone National Park uses to capture and send bison to slaughter sits on park land close to the northern border .
In 2018 , three park wildlife biologists advocated for the facility to be moved farther north .
Another document revealed in Buffalo Field Campaign ’ s FOIA includes emails between White and Wallen .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document “ considering alternate management paradigms , ” much of which is redacted .
Wallen responded to the proposal saying : “ This is absolutely the right message to share .
“ I am feeling a lot like Phil Connor ( Bill Murray ’ s character in the movie ‘ Groundhog Day ’ ) , and that makes today February the 2nd .
I am a bit numb from seeing this proposal so many times I don ’ t know how to respond now.
” Yet progress on a new bison management plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s fight for the park documents began in 2018 .
“ This threat of domestication has been hovering over buffalo for many years , ” he said .
Yellowstone is home to one of the most iconic bison populations in the nation .
The story of a small herd ’ s survival , when thousands of other plains bison were eliminated during the 1800s , is a success story for wildlife conservation .
As the bison population has grown in the park , with the herd numbering more than 4,800 animals at last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been able to force the Park Service to annually cull and slaughter hundreds of animals every winter .
Buffalo Field Campaign ’ s website says that 12,575 Yellowstone bison have been killed and another 540 have been captured since 1985 .
The purpose of the capture and slaughter program is to keep bison from migrating into Montana .
Last winter , 442 bison were removed from the park through the capture and slaughter program .
Another 105 were isolated for quarantine to see if they can be eventually transferred alive to Indian tribes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by tribal hunters exercising their treaty rights .
Geist said recent successes in moving small numbers of bison from the park to tribes after lengthy quarantine is not what his group wants to see .
BFC wants bison to roam as freely as other wildlife .
“ The buffalo may live , but they ’ re not the restoration of wildlife that was promised a long time ago , ” he said .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--The Latest: 2 more college football games postponed by virus

NEW YORK — Two more college football games on Saturday have been postponed because of the coronavirus .
Baylor ’ s season opener against Houston and Florida Atlantic ’ s opener against Georgia Southern have been affected by positive tests .
Baylor says its unable to meet the Big 12 roster threshold of a minimum of 53 players available to play .
There ’ s now been 16 Bowl Subdivision games postponed or cancelled because of virus issues since Aug. 26 .
The pandemic has impacted college basketball , with the start date delayed until Nov. 25 .
The marquee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to North Carolina .
Meanwhile , the Pac-12 is considering getting back into fall football .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK — University of Colorado has students move out of dorms to provide more isolation housing after virus spike — Can mandatory masks offer enough protection in lecture halls so packed that late arrivals have to sit on the floor ?
That ’ s what worries many students at the centuries-old Sorbonne University in Paris with the coronavirus on the rebound across France .
— New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be on the cards soon as the British government targeted more areas to suppress sharp spike in new coronavirus infections .
— Hungary ’ s prime minister says the government has drawn up a “ war plan ” to defend against the new wave of the coronavirus and that the country ’ s health care system is prepared to handle more cases .
HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for massive upgrades of school technology around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekly video podcast that teachers were left scrambling to teach courses virtually when schools closed at the start of the country ’ s outbreak .
She says that underscored how important digital media and other tools are but also exposed widespread infrastructure failings .
The German leader said : “ That is why we have to push ahead with the digitization of schools at full speed .
We need this as an indispensable addition to face-to-face teaching.
” Merkel says the government is committing 6 billion euros ( $ 7.1 billion ) to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure in schools .
She says all schools need high-speed internet access as soon as possible and teachers need computers suitable for providing digital lessons .
Germany ’ s schools have reopened and students have returned to in-class learning , but officials have cautioned that the country needs to be better prepared in case virus case numbers spike again .
NEW DELHI —India has maintained its surge in coronavirus cases , adding 93,337 new confirmed infections in the past 24 hours .
The Health Ministry on Saturday raised the nation ’ s caseload @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nearly 1.4 billion people .
It said 1,247 more people died in the past 24 hours for a total of 85,619 .
The country has over a million active cases with about 80 % recovery rate .
India has been reporting the highest single-day rise in the world every day for more than five weeks .
It ’ s expected to become the pandemic ’ s worst-hit country within weeks , surpassing the United States .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s government has faced scathing criticism from opposition lawmakers in India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic amid a contracting economy leaving millions jobless .
More than 10 million migrant workers , out of money and fearing starvation , poured out of cities and headed back to villages when Modi ordered the nationwide lockdown on March 24 .
The migration was one key reason that the virus spread to the far reaches of the country while the lockdown caused severe economic pain .
The economy contracted nearly 24 % in the second quarter , the worst among the world ’ s top economies .
DENVER — The University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move out of their dorms to create more isolation housing for students with coronavirus infections as case numbers continue to increase at the Boulder campus .
The Denver Post reported that the university said in an email to affected students that those living in the Darley North tower at the Williams Village complex must move to other residence halls within the complex by 5 p.m. Sunday .
The announcement came as the university reported 130 newly confirmed coronavirus cases , bringing the total to 671 cases since classes began about a month ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space at the university is already full , with 151 beds in use out of 267 available as of Thursday .
SACRAMENTO , Calif. — California ’ s unemployment rate fell to 11.4 % in August amid its slow recovery from the pandemic ’ s damage to the economy .
The Employment Development Department says the state added 101,900 jobs during the month .
Most were government jobs , including temporary positions for the U.S. Census .
California lost more than 2.6 million jobs in March and April because of the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third of those jobs .
But experts warn that other indicators show the state ’ s economy has stalled with no quick recovery in sight .
Restaurants and other hospitality businesses have been the hardest hit .
The sector lost 14,600 jobs just in August with coronavirus restrictions still in place across much of the state .
BOISE , Idaho -- Idaho will remain under current restrictions of the final stage of Gov .
Brad Little ’ s economic reopening plan for at least another two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit hospitalizations of those infected remain too high .
Little says Idaho residents have done well in their precautions , such as wearing face coverings , but virus infections have continued .
John Hopkins University says that through Thursday , Idaho had more than 36,000 confirmed coronavirus cases , with 434 deaths .
Most Idaho businesses are open in the state ’ s stage 4 restrictions .
The governor says the unemployment rate is now at 4.2 % , after reaching nearly 12 % during spring when the virus entered Idaho and businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — The New Hampshire Department of Education says a public school cancelled a scheduled visit from U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos after a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus .
The McKelvie Intermediate School in Bedford informed the department Friday morning that it had a positive test .
DeVos did go on to visit Riddle Brook Elementary School in Bedford .
A state education spokesperson says the decision on McKelvie Intermediate was made by school officials in Bedford .
According to a school board meeting this week , the schools had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notified families about earlier cases of the virus .
The U.S. Department of Education did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment .
ROME — Public health authorities in Italy are warning that the average age of coronavirus patients is creeping up as young people infect their more fragile parents and grandparents , risking new strain on the hospital system .
The Superior Institute of Health issued its weekly monitoring report Friday as the country where COVID-19 hit first in the West recorded the highest number of new infections — 1,907 — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died over the past day , bringing Italy ’ s official death toll to 35,668 .
While Italy hasn ’ t seen the thousands of daily new infections other European countries have seen recently , its caseload has crept up steadily over the past seven weeks .
Initially , most new infections were in young people who returned from vacation hotspots .
The health institute said Friday that they are now infecting their older and more fragile loved ones in home settings , with the average age of positive cases last week at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The institute warned that while the health system isn ’ t overwhelmed , it risks further strain if Italians don ’ t rigorously adhere to mask mandates and social distancing norms .
SALT LAKE CITY — A spike of coronavirus cases in Utah that began after schools and colleges resumed classes has reached a new peak and led the state ’ s Republican governor to say again that he ’ s considering new measures to combat the spread of the virus .
Gov .
Gary Herbert said Friday he will meet with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he described as an “ alarming ” spike that makes him question if previous warnings and public education are enough .
He said one day earlier he ’ s considering a state mask mandate — a move he ’ s stopped short of making despite making repeated pleas for residents to use face coverings when social distancing isn ’ t possible .
He has instead allowed counties to decide if they needed bans .
The 1,117 cases reported Friday in Utah surpassed the previous record of about 875 hit twice in July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised the state ’ s rolling average number of daily new confirmed coronavirus cases to 726 , more than double 381 just one week ago .
The state ’ s positive rate hit 12.5 % Friday , up from 8.2 % one month ago .
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says a second wave of the coronavirus is coming , on a day when the government reported 4,322 new confirmed cases , the highest since early May .
Speaking at a vaccine manufacturing centre under construction near Oxford , Johnson says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France , in Spain , across Europe — it has been absolutely , I ’ m afraid , inevitable we were going to see it in this country.
” The weekly survey released Friday by the Office for National Statistics revealed an average of 6,000 people in England were estimated as newly infected between Sept. 4-10 , about double from the previous week .
England is preparing for more restrictions on gatherings and other activities in several areas of the country .
There is growing speculation Britain may be sliding toward a lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the testing regime is struggling to cope with higher demand .
The U.K. recorded 27 deaths on Friday , bringing the government ’ s official tally of deaths from COVID-19 to 41,732 .
PARIS — France ’ s health agency has recorded 13,215 new coronavirus cases and 123 additional deaths in the last 24 hours .
Public Health France says the country surpassed the 10,000 mark in cases last weekend for the first time since May .
In the Paris region , Ile-de-France , the agency reports 2,311 new hospitalizations and 86 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials believe France is in the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic .
The French government has said it will tighten restrictions in certain virus hotspots in the cities of Nice and Lyon .
The virus hot spots include academies in the cities of Lille , Toulouse , Aix-Marseille , Bordeaux and Versailles .
Some 891 students tested positive for the virus in the 24 hours , bringing the weekly rolling tally to 5,056 students .
Another 284 more staff tested positive , bringing the weekly rolling tally to 1,307 staff .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s emergencies chief says new global cases of the coronavirus appear to have plateaued at about 2 million and 50,000 deaths every week .
Dr. Michael Ryan says while the global COVID-19 caseload was not rising exponentially , the weekly number of deaths was still very unsettling .
“ It ’ s not where developing countries want to be with their health systems under nine months of pressure , ” Ryan said .
He says there have been recent surges in Europe , Ecuador and Argentina .
He adds a lack of large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might reflect a lack of testing .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Russia’s Navalny says he’s now more than ‘technically alive’

MOSCOW - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said he is recovering his verbal and physical abilities at the German hospital where he is being treated for suspected nerve agent poisoning but that he at first felt despair over his condition .
Navalny , the most visible opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin , fell ill on a domestic flight to Moscow on Aug. 20 and was transferred to Germany for treatment two days later .
A German military lab later determined that the Russian politician was poisoned with Novichok , the same class of Soviet-era agent that Britain said was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his daughter in England , in 2018 .
Navalny was kept in an induced coma for more than a week while being treated with an antidote .
He said in a Saturday post on Instagram that once he was brought out of the coma , he was confused and couldn ’ t find the words to respond to a doctor ’ s questions .
“ Although I understood in general what the doctor wanted , I did not understand where to get the words .
In what part of the head do they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the post , which accompanied a photo of him on a staircase .
“ I also did not know how to express my despair and , therefore , simply kept silent.
” “ Now I ’ m a guy whose legs are shaking when he walks up the stairs , but he thinks : ‘ Oh , this is a staircase !
They go up it .
Perhaps we should look for an elevator , ’ ” Navalny said .
” And before , I would have just stood there and stared.
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Charite hospital “ turned me from a ‘ technically alive person ’ into someone who has every chance to become the Highest Form of Being in Modern Society again — a person who can quickly scroll through Instagram and without hesitation understands where to put likes , ” he wrote .
The Kremlin has repeatedly said that before Navalny ’ s transfer to Berlin , Russian labs and a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk found no sign of a poisoning .
Moscow has called for Germany to provide its evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chancellor Angela Merkel and other Western leaders to answer questions about what happened to the politician .
“ There is too much absurdity in this case to take anyone at their word , ” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday .
Peskov also accused Navalny ’ s colleagues of hampering a Russian investigation by taking items from his hotel room out of the country , including a water bottle they claimed had traces of the nerve agent .
Navalny ’ s colleagues said that they removed the bottle and other items from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tomsk Siberia and brought them to Germany as potential evidence .
because they didn ’ t trust Russian authorities to conduct a proper probe .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Asia Today: India’s cases keep rising; rallies in Melbourne

NEW DELHI - India has maintained its surge in coronavirus cases , adding 93,337 new confirmed infections in the past 24 hours .
The Health Ministry on Saturday raised the nation ’ s caseload to more than 5.3 million out of the nearly 1.4 billion people .
It said 1,247 more people died in the past 24 hours for a total of 85,619 .
The country has over a million active cases with about 80 % recovery rate .
India has been reporting the highest single-day rise in the world every day for more than five weeks .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s worst-hit country within weeks , surpassing the United States .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s government has faced scathing criticism from opposition lawmakers in India ’ s Parliament for its handling of the pandemic amid a contracting economy leaving millions jobless .
More than 10 million migrant workers , out of money and fearing starvation , poured out of cities and headed back to villages when Modi ordered the nationwide lockdown on March 24 .
The migration was one key reason that the virus spread to the far reaches of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pain .
The economy contracted nearly 24 % in the second quarter , the worst among the world ’ s top economies .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — Australia ’ s death toll from COVID-19 rose to 844 on Saturday with 21 more cases and seven fatalities in Victoria state .
The hardest-hit Victoria has had 757 deaths .
Its capital city of Melbourne , with a population of 5 million , has been in lockdown for a month and faces nightly curfews in an effort to stem the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The city has a 14-day new case average of 39.3 , well below the state ’ s target of 50 , despite a few clusters of cases in several southeastern suburbs .
It comes as state Premier Daniel Andrews urged anti-lockdown protesters not to gather following reports of more planned protests in Melbourne .
It was unclear exactly where the demonstrations would be , with protesters taking caution not to make their plans easily accessible on social media .
There have already been a number of rallies over the past several weekends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence , handing out dozens of fines and making arrests .
“ People should be positive and optimistic this strategy is working , and therefore , let ’ s not any of us do anything to undermine that , ” Andrews said .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Magnitude 4.5 earthquake rattles Southern California

SOUTH EL MONTE , Calif. - A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Southern California late Friday night , according to the @ @ @ @ @ earthquake hit around 11:40 p.m. , about 2 miles ( 3 kilometres ) outside of @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles , the agency reported .
Preliminary reports indicate it was about 11 miles @ @ @ @ @ .
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries .
Officials warned residents to @ @ @ @ @ .
The epicenter of Friday night ’ s earthquake was close to the location of @ @ @ @ @ 1987 , which was a magnitude 5.9 , seismologist Lucy Jones tweeted .
The Whittier @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--First Native American racer blazes trail at Tour de France

LE PECQ , France - A late draft to the Tour de France , Neilson Powless didn ’ t have time to scramble together a turtle necklace , the spirit animal of his Native American tribe , or paint one of their wampum bead belts on the frame of the bike that he ’ s ridden for three punishing weeks , over 3,300 kilometres ( 2,000 miles ) of roads .
But although unable to carry the Oneida Tribe ’ s symbols with him , the Tour rookie has become a powerful symbol himself as the first tribally recognized Native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 117-year-old event .
Not only has Powless survived cycling ’ s greatest and most grueling race , he distinguished himself in a crop of exciting young talents who helped set this Tour alight .
Crossing the finish in Paris on Sunday will , he hopes , resonate on reservations back in the United States .
“ My main hope is that I can be a positive role model for young indigenous kids who have a lot going against them , ” Powless , who turned 24 during the race , told The Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tour de France is a testament to years of hard work and dedication to a lifelong dream .
Hopefully I can help drive kids to setting their mind to a goal and going after it.
” “ It must make it a lot easier when you can see somebody else who is doing it , or has done it , “ he adds .
Word of Powless ’ feats in France has already filtered back to the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin .
The tribal chairman , Tehassi Hill , says the cyclist is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope and inspiration.
” “ Whenever one of our own , from the Oneida community , are in the spotlight , it definitely does not go unnoticed .
Neilson ’ s journey and accomplishments I ’ m sure are spoken of at many gatherings here in Oneida , ” Hill told the AP .
“ Even during a pandemic , he did not falter or give up on his dreams , ” the Oneida leader added .
“ This is an important message not only to our youth here in Oneida , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traces his Oneida heritage back to his grandfather , Matthew Powless .
The ex-U.S. Army paratrooper lived on the Stockbridge-Munsee Reservation in Wisconsin .
He coached boxing and occasionally showed off his tribal smoke-dancing skills to his grandson .
He died at age 80 in 2015 .
“ I saw him dance once or twice when I was younger , but I wish I could have watched him more , “ says Powless , who grew up in Roseville , California .
“ He tried to get me into boxing for a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gym he coached at sometimes when we would visit.
” The good news for American cycling is that Powless saw his future on a bike , instead .
His main job at this Tour has been to ride in support of his team leader , veteran Colombian rider Rigoberto Uran .
But Powless has also shown off his own strengths , particularly on arduous climbs .
On Stage 6 , his birthday , he was part of a small group that powered to the front of the race in a fight on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stunning views across southern France .
He placed fourth at the top .
“ An amazing experience , ” he says .
“ The win would have been nice.
” He distinguished himself again two days later , placing fifth on the brutal Stage 8 of climbing in the Pyrenees .
“ This Tour will be a massive point of growth for him , ” Jonathan Vaughters , his boss at the EF Pro Cycling team , told the AP .
“ Where that heads him is still unknown .
But he certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much better rider than he went in.
” The Tour confirms he is its first Native North American competitor .
The cyclist hasn ’ t made a fuss of his heritage .
Vaughters says he only found out that Powless is one-quarter Oneida from the rider ’ s dad just days before he took the Tour start on Aug. 29 .
Still , when pressed , Powless proudly points out that he has a tribal ID recognizing him as one of the 16,500 Oneida members .
“ The tribe has helped me financially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reservation , ” he says .
“ It ’ s not that I just had a blood test one day and decided ‘ Oh , I guess I ’ m Native American.
’ It is something I have , like , sort of grown up with and it has been part of my whole life and the tribe recognizes that as well.
” Told just days before the Tour that he was on the team , Powless says he didn ’ t have time to discreetly decorate his bike or source a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year .
Still , based on his performances , he ’ ll surely be back and able to fix that at future Tours .
“ Normally I would have a painting of the Oneida bead belt , the wampum belt , somewhere on my bike , my garment , my shoe , “ he said .
” Just something really small , most people wouldn ’ t even really see it .
It ’ s just something that I have always tried to keep close to me .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--After wildfire smoke clears, protests resume in Portland

PORTLAND , Ore. - Protesters returned to the streets of Portland , Oregon , following a dayslong pause largely due to poor air quality from wildfires on the West Coast .
Police declared an unlawful assembly Friday night in a neighbourhood near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building where protesters had marched , according to a police statement .
Demonstrators participated in criminal activity and threw items at officers , police said , leading to 11 arrests .
Photos show that smoke was used to clear the crowd , and it appeared that tear gas was deployed .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the list of crowd control agents if people did not disperse , but the tweet was later deleted , KOIN-TV reported .
Another tweet was issued that didn ’ t mention tear gas .
“ No , we are required by law to make that warning , “ Portland Sgt .
Kevin Allen told the television station when asked about the initial tweet .
“ PPB is still prevented from using tear gas.
” Less than two weeks ago the mayor of Portland ordered police to stop using tear gas for crowd control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city for more than three months after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Mayor Ted Wheeler , a Democrat , was tear gassed when he went to a demonstration against the presence of federal authorities dispatched to the city to protect federal property .
He said he still wants police to respond aggressively to prevent violence and vandalism .
Hundreds of people have been arrested since the protests started in May .
Demonstrators had not gathered in the city since at least Sept. 9 , when police and protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spewed dangerously dirty air across Oregon , California and Washington state , and sent haze across the country .
The protesters in Portland want city officials to slash the police budget and reallocate that money to Black residents and businesses .
Some demonstrators are also demanding the resignation of Wheeler , a white man and the scion of a timber company fortune .
In clashes with police , some protesters have broken windows , set small fires , punctured police car tires , shined lasers in officers ’ eyes and pelted them with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized Wheeler ’ s move , saying in a statement that it could force them to employ potentially more dangerous crowd control measures to quell violent demonstrations .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Iran vows ‘hit’ on all involved in US killing of top general

TEHRAN , Iran - The chief of Iran ’ s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened Saturday to go after everyone who had a role in a top general ’ s January killing during a U.S. drone strike in Iraq .
The guard ’ s website quoted Gen. Hossein Salami as saying , “ Mr .
Trump !
Our revenge for martyrdom of our great general is obvious , serious and real.
” U.S. President Donald Trump warned this week that Washington would harshly respond to any Iranian attempts to take revenge for the death of Gen. Qassem Soleimani , tweeting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , any form , written instructions already done we ’ re going to hit them 1000 times harder.
” The president ’ s warning came in response to a report that Iran was plotting to assassinate the U.S. ambassador to South Africa in retaliation for Soleimani ’ s killing at Baghdad ’ s airport at the beginning of the year .
“ We took out the world ’ s number one terrorist and the mass murderer of American troops and many , many troops and many people all over the world , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is dead .
He ’ s dead .
Bad guy .
Bad guy .
Very bad guy.
” Salami rejected the report of an Iranian plot to assassinate Ambassador Lana Marks , but made clear that Iran intends to avenge the general ’ s death .
“ Do you think we hit a female ambassador in return to our martyred brother ?
’ the general said .
“ We will hit those who had direct and indirect roles .
You should know that everybody who had role in the event will be hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We do prove everything in practice.
” In January , Iran launched a ballistic missile attack targeting U.S. soldiers in Iraq in response to the fatal drone strike .
Trump has stepped up economic pressure on Iran with sanctions since he pulled the United States out of Iran ’ s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018 .
Tehran has continued to expand its stockpile of enriched uranium and pressured other nations to offset the harm of U.S. sanctions , while insisting it does not want to develop a nuclear weapon .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Deadly party shooting adds new layer to Rochester’s grief

ROCHESTER , N.Y. - Already roiled by this month ’ s revelation of Daniel Prude ’ s police suffocation death , the city of Rochester , New York , was further traumatized Saturday when gunfire at a backyard party killed two teenagers and wounded 14 others .
“ Our community has been hurting enough already , ” Rochester City Council Vice-President Willie Lightfoot said .
“ This is just another thing on top of all the things that we ’ ve been going through.
” The shooting that started just before 12:30 a.m. has not been linked to Prude ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which first emerged nearly six months later .
But the city ’ s acting police chief , Mark Simmons , placed the violence that claimed the lives of a man and woman — both 19 years old who police believe were not the intended targets — in context .
“ This is truly a tragedy of epic proportions , ” Simmons said in a news conference .
“ I mean 16 victims is unheard of , and for our community , who ’ s right now going through so much , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , needlessly , for people who decide to act in a violent manner is unfortunate and shameful.
” Police on Saturday night identified the two victims as Jaquayla Young , a graduate of East High School , and Jarvis Alexander , a graduate of University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men , or UPrep .
No arrests were announced .
“ We have two innocent victims here that were attending a party with a few friends and unfortunately they lost their lives as a result because three or four individuals decided to carry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a crowd of 100 to 200 people , “ police Capt .
Frank Umbrino said at a news conference .
The party was supposed to be a small gathering , but people from two other nearby parties went there in the early morning and an argument broke out , Umbrino said .
Three or four people opened fire , and police found more than 40 bullet casings at the scene , he said .
The 14 wounded by gunfire were not believed to have life-threatening injuries and were all between the ages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two more people were hurt when they were trampled while fleeing , but are expected to recover , he said .
Young , who was attending Monroe Community College , was captain of her high school ’ s cheerleading team and a member of the track team , while Alexander , a sophomore at Alfred University , was on his high school ’ s football and track teams and won a state championship in the 4x100-meter relay , the Democrat & Chronicle reported .
In recent weeks , Rochester has been rocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverup and calls for the mayor ’ s resignation and the arrests of the officers involved in Prude ’ s death .
Body camera video released by Prude ’ s family showed Rochester police officers putting a hood over the naked 41-year-old man ’ s head to stop him from spitting , then pushing his face into the pavement and holding him down until he stopped breathing .
He was taken off life support around a week later .
Simmons has now found himself at the helm of a police department in disarray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ La ’ Ron Singletary on Monday , saying Singletary had initially misled her about the circumstances of the death .
Other senior police officials have announced their retirements or departures from top command positions .
Simmons expressed frustration about the large , late-night party amid both the city ’ s ongoing tumult and the coronavirus pandemic .
“ This is yet another tragedy where individuals are having these illegal , unsanctioned house parties taking place in these properties , which — number one — is not safe because of COVID , because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ And then you add in alcohol and violence and it just becomes a recipe for disaster.
” Pastor Marlowe Washington of the Seneca United Methodist Church called Saturday ’ s shooting “ senseless ” and pleaded for an end to such violence .
“ I went out there in the early morning to pray quietly at the scene of the incident and to ask God ‘ Why this ?
’ and ‘ What did we do to our children ?
Why all this !
’ “ Washington told WHAM-TV .
“ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand for moral justice until we command the same justice from within our own community !
” Police were still trying to piece together who opened fire and why .
They asked witnesses to come forward with statements and any photos or video .
“ It sounded like somebody was trying to go to war , “ neighbourhood resident Asa Adams told Spectrum News .
Some of the people who went to the party uninvited were believed to have attended a nearby vigil for a 20-year-old man who was shot to death near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It wasn ’ t clear if the shooting was related to the killing .
The Rev .
Lewis Stewart , president of the United Christian Leadership Ministry , painted a parallel between Saturday ’ s shooting and Prude ’ s death and called for clergy to perform proactive community outreach .
“ We should be just as outraged by gun violence caused by residents just as much so as it is caused by police who shoot innocent Black men and women , ” Stewart said at a news conference .
Hours after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their previously planned ride through the city ’ s streets on the block where Prude was restrained .
Around 3 miles ( 5 kilometres ) away , captured on video , a group gathered for prayer near the shooting site .
“ Oh , tell me , ” voices sang in unison , “ who can save me ?
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Ginsburg’s death draws big surge of donations to Democrats

WASHINGTON - Democrats raised more than $ 71 million in the hours after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s death , demonstrating how the liberal icon ’ s passing and the contentious nomination fight that lies ahead have already galvanized the party ’ s base .
The jaw-dropping sum was raised by 9 p.m. Saturday after news of her death broke late Friday , according to a donation ticker on the website of ActBlue , the party ’ s online fundraising platform .
The 2020 campaign , which will decide control of the White House and the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Democrats , a sign of the motivation within the party to rebuke President Donald Trump on Election Day .
But Ginsburg ’ s death brought new impetus to the campaign , particularly after Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , both pledged to move forward with finding a new justice .
That would further tilt the court in a conservative direction , carrying wide-ranging implications for the fate of abortion access , environmental regulations and health care .
Though ActBlue hasn ’ t yet disclosed who the biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators were in line to benefit from the influx of cash .
A group of Democratic strategists raising money through an effort called “ Get Mitch or Die Trying , ” which shares donations among Democratic Senate contenders , reported that within hours of Ginsburg ’ s death they more than doubled what they had previously raised .
“ In tribute to the extraordinary life of Justice Ginsberg , I ’ m matching donations to this fund up to $ 10,000 tonight , ” tweeted Grey ’ s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a link to the fundraising effort in his tweet : “ Don ’ t pick your favourite candidate or the one you ’ ve heard of .
Give here .
I repeat , this money goes directly to the most competitive races , not just the most famous candidates.
“ “ In this moment it is vital to give to Senate candidates , ” reads an ActBlue fundraising page called “ Protect RBG ’ s Legacy ” “ Time to apply maximum pressure so that they do the right thing & refuse to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” A representative for ActBlue did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday .
A spokesman for WinRed , Republican ’ s ActBlue counterpart , also did not respond to a request for comment .
Democrats were not the only ones who raised the spectre of the coming Senate nomination fight while raising money .
In Iowa , vulnerable Republican Sen. Joni Ernst sent out fundraising pleas shortly after Ginsburg ’ s death was announced , drawing a swift online backlash .
“ BREAKING : The future of the Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subject line of fundraising email from Ernst .
“ Our Conservative values and constitutional rights are now on the line , ” the email said .
“ The next Supreme Court nominee will shape major decisions for decades to come.
” “ This email never should have gone out , “ she said in a statement .
” Though I never saw it , it was sent out under my name and I take responsibility for it .
Tonight , my prayers are with the family of Justice Ginsburg.
” On Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a fundraising solicitation to supporters .
“ Pres .
Trump will fill the Supreme Court vacancy with a conservative justice , ” the message read .
“ Make America Great Again !
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Trump pledges woman for court, pushes Senate to move on pick

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Saturday promised to put forth a female nominee in the coming week to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , pushing the Republican-controlled Senate to consider the pick without delay .
Taking the stage at a North Carolina rally to chants of “ Fill that seat , ” the president said he would nominate his selection despite Democrats ’ objections .
And , after conducting what he joked was a “ very scientific poll “ of the Fayetteville crowd as to whether supporters wanted a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice would be “ a very talented , very brilliant woman.
” He added that he did not yet know whom he would choose .
“ We win an election and those are the consequences , ” said the president , who then seemed to signal that he ’ d be willing to accept a vote on his nominee during the lame duck period after the election .
“ We have a lot of time .
We have plenty of time .
We ’ re talking about January 20th.
“ But one Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Susan Collins , who is in a tough reelection battle , said Saturday that she believed replacing Ginsburg should be the decision of the president who is elected Nov. 3 .
Three more defections from the GOP ranks would be needed to stop Trump ’ s nominee from joining the court .
At stake is a seat held by a justice who was a champion of women ’ s rights and spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court ’ s liberal wing .
Senate Majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call a vote for Trump ’ s nominee , but Democrats countered that Republicans should follow the precedent that GOP legislators set in 2016 by refusing to consider a Supreme Court choice in the run-up to an election .
The impending clash over the vacant seat — when to fill it and with whom — scrambles the stretch run of a presidential race for a nation already reeling from the pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 people , left millions unemployed and heightened partisan tensions and anger .
McConnell pledged to Trump in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the choice to a vote though he has not said if it would be before the election .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said any selection should come after Nov. 3 .
“ Voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice to consider , ” he said .
The president this month added 20 more names to his roster of potential court nominees , and aides in recent days have focused on a short list heavy on female candidates , according to four White House aides and officials close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations .
Those under close consideration for the high court include three women who are federal appeals court judges : Amy Coney Barrett , beloved among conservatives and an early favourite ; Barbara Lagoa , who is Hispanic and comes from the battleground state of Florida ; and Allison Jones Rushing , who clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas and for Neil Gorsuch , when the current Trump-appointed justice was an appeals court judge .
At least one man , appeals court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under consideration .
A McConnell ally from Kentucky , he has been screened by Trump ’ s team for past openings and he would be the first Asian-American on the high court .
McConnell , who sets the calendar in the Senate and has made judicial appointments his priority , declared unequivocally in a statement that Trump ’ s nominee would receive a confirmation vote .
In 2016 , McConnell refused to consider President Barack Obama ’ s nominee months before the election , eventually preventing a vote on Judge Merrick Garland .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ York convened a conference call with Democratic senators at midday Saturday , according to a person on the private call who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
He told senators the “ number one goal ” must be to communicate the stakes of the confirmation vote .
Schumer also warned that if Republicans push through the nominee , “ nothing is off the table ” for Senate rules changes to come , the person said .
Ginsburg ’ s death led to a wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court and a protest outside McConnell ’ s house .
It also seemed certain to stoke enthusiasm in both political parties as the election could now be viewed as referendum on the high court ’ s decisions , including the future of abortion rights .
Democrats raised more than $ 60 million in the hours after Ginsburg ’ s death , indicating her passing has already galvanized the party ’ s base .
A confirmation vote in the Senate is not guaranteed , even with a Republican majority .
McConnell has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It could motivate conservative voters to rally behind Trump and GOP senators or it could push away moderates who prefer to see the Senate stick to norms or are fearful of a right-leaning court stripping away women ’ s right to choose an abortion .
Typically , it takes several months to vet and hold hearings on a Supreme Court nominee , and time is short before November .
Key senators may be reluctant to cast votes so close to the election .
With a slim GOP majority , 53 seats in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could afford to lose only a few .
McConnell did not specify the timing .
But trying for confirmation in a lame-duck session after the Nov. 3 election , if Trump had lost to Biden or Republicans had lost the Senate , would carry further political complications .
Democrats immediately denounced McConnell ’ s move as hypocritical , pointing out that he refused to call hearings for Garland 237 days before the 2016 election .
The 2020 election is 46 days away .
The average number of days to confirm a justice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is 69 , which would be after the election .
But some Republicans quickly noted that Ginsburg was confirmed in just 42 days .
Obama waited more than a month to nominate Garland after Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016 .
John Fischetti , who waited in line more than two hours to enter Trump ’ s Fayetteville rally , said replacing Ginsburg would inflame tensions but was within the president ’ s rights .
“ I would assume it would make everyone more energized , ” Fischetti said of the political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want him to always press forward.
” Four GOP defections could defeat a nomination , while a tie vote could be broken by Vice-President Mike Pence .
After Collins ’ decision , focus grew on Sens .
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah , who have been critical of Trump and protective of the institution of the Senate .
And because the Arizona Senate race is a special election , that seat could be filled as early as Nov. 30 — which would narrow the window for McConnell if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The next pick could shape important decisions beyond abortion rights , including any legal challenges that may stem from the 2020 election .
In the interim , if the court were to take cases with eight justices , 4-4 ties would revert the decision to a lower court ; for instance , the Affordable Care Act could then be struck down by a lower Texas court .
Biden has promised to nominate a Black woman to the high court if given the chance .
His campaign reiterated Saturday that it would release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from New York .
Peoples reported from Montclair , New Jersey .
Additional reporting by Darlene Superville and Alexandra Jaffe in Washington and Kevin Freking and Bryan Anderson in Fayetteville , North Carolina .

Jonathan Lemire, Lisa Mascaro And Steve Peoples - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--US says all UN sanctions on Iran restored, but world yawns

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration declared Saturday that all U.N. sanctions against Iran have been restored , a move most of the rest of the world rejects as illegal and sets the stage for an ugly showdown at the world body ahead of its annual General Assembly .
The administration said that its triggering of the “ snapback ” mechanism in the U.N. Security Council resolution that enshrined the 2015 Iran nuclear deal had taken effect at 8 p.m. Eastern Time .
That is 30 days after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo notified the council that Iran was in “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the accord , known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action , or JCPOA .
“ The United States took this decisive action because , in addition to Iran ’ s failure to perform its JCPOA commitments , the Security Council failed to extend the UN arms embargo on Iran , which had been in place for 13 years , ” Pompeo said in a statement released at precisely 8 p.m. “ In accordance with our rights ... we initiated the snapback process to restore virtually all previously terminated U.N. sanctions , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The world will be safer as a result.
” The White House plans to issue an executive order on Monday spelling out how the U.S. will enforce the restored sanctions , and the State and Treasury departments are expected to outline how foreign individuals and businesses will be penalized for violations .
“ The United States expects all U.N , member states to fully comply with their obligations to implement these measures , ” Pompeo said .
“ If U.N , member states fail to fulfil their obligations to implement these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use our domestic authorities to impose consequences for those failures and ensure that Iran does not reap the benefits of U.N.-prohibited activity.
” But the U.S. move faces stiff opposition from the other members of the Security Council who have vowed to ignore it .
They say the U.S. lost legal standing to invoke snapback when President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed American sanctions on Iran .
The U.S. argues it retains the right to do it as an original participant in the deal and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. declaration , fellow Security Council members said the declaration had no legal force , calling into question the ability to enforce snapback .
Snapback means that international sanctions eased or lifted by the nuclear deal are reimposed and must be enforced by U.N. member states , including hitting Iran with penalties for uranium enrichment to any level , ballistic missile activity and buying or selling conventional weapons .
Those bans were either removed or set to expire under the terms of the deal in which Iran was granted billions of dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its nuclear program .
China and Russia have been particularly adamant in rejecting the U.S. position , but U.S. allies have not been shy either .
In a letter sent Friday to the president of the Security Council , Britain , France and Germany — the three European participants who remain committed to the deal — said the U.S. announcement “ is incapable of having legal effect and so can not bring in to effect the procedure.
” “ It flows from this that any decisions and actions which would be taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible outcome would also be incapable of having any legal effect , ” they wrote .
Thus , the three countries said , the sanctions relief provided by the nuclear deal will remain in place .
In its own letter to the Security Council on Saturday , Iran said the U.S. move “ is null and void , has no legal standing and effect and is thus completely unacceptable.
” Iran ’ s ambassador to the U.N. , Majid Takht Ravanchi , added in a tweet that the U.S. declaration would “ only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have talked tough about their intentions to ensure the sanctions are enforced , but it remains unclear how the administration will respond to being ignored , particularly by its European allies , which have pledged to keep the nuclear deal alive .
A wholesale rejection of the U.S. position could push the administration , which has already withdrawn from multiple U.N. agencies , organizations and treaties , further away from the international community .
In the midst of a heated campaign for reelection , Trump plans to address Iran in a speech to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting on Tuesday .
Officials say he will also touch on his brokering of agreements for Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to normalize relations in part to solidify a regional bulwark against Iran .
And , as he seeks to demonstrate statesmanlike credentials ahead of the election , Trump has injected another element of uncertainty into the mix by threatening to retaliate “ 1,000 times ” harder against Iran if it attacks U.S. personnel overseas .
Iran earlier Saturday warned that it may still strike U.S. interests to avenge the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an American airstrike earlier this year .
But the head of the country ’ s Revolutionary Guard Corps mocked a report that it was plotting to assassinate the U.S. ambassador to South Africa , saying Iran ’ s response would target people directly or indirectly involved in the general ’ s death .
Amid uncertainty over that , the other 14 members of the Security Council and all but about five of the U.N. ‘ s 195 member states say the U.S. lost its legal standing to act on sanctions when Trump withdrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago .
Pompeo travelled to the United Nations on Aug. 20 to formally notify the Security Council that the U.S. was triggering snapback because Iran is not complying with the nuclear deal .
He dismissed suggestions that the administration was engaged in anything legally questionable or even controversial .
He has said the snapback mechanism was the “ one thing that the previous administration got right ” in the nuclear deal that Trump has denounced as the worst deal ever negotiated .
Yet , aside from Israel and the Gulf Arab states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agrees with the U.S. Trump administration officials have been attacking the 2015 nuclear deal for years .
They say it is fatally flawed because certain restrictions on Iran ’ s nuclear activity gradually expire and will allow the country to eventually develop atomic weapons .
The immediate concern of the U.S. has been the indefinite extension of the arms embargo that would otherwise expire on Oct. 18 .
The Security Council rejected a U.S. effort to extend the embargo in a lopsided vote which saw the United States get support from only one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Virginia Commonwealth to remove Confederate names, symbols

RICHMOND , Va. - A university in the former capital of the Confederacy will remove building names , plaques and other symbols that honour several Confederate supporters .
The board of visitors at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond voted unanimously on Friday to remove 16 different references on campus .
While the decision marks the latest action this year in Richmond and elsewhere to take down remembrances of the Confederacy , VCU ’ s action was nearly three years in the making , the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported .
School President Michael Rao formed a committee in 2017 to accumulate building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that honour Confederate supporters , research their histories and begin discussions .
A new committee was created in 2019 and tasked with making a recommendation to Rao .
It gathered 3,000 public comments .
This summer , when Confederate monuments in the city and elsewhere were toppled or removed following the death of George Floyd , the committee made its recommendation .
“ The VCU memorial landscape is dominated by ex-Confederates or those people who sought to perpetuate and revere the memory of the Confederacy , currently represented in the form of dedicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statues , ” VCU history professor Kathryn Shively said .
Rao backed the board ’ s move , saying “ VCU rightfully serves all human beings ” and “ we must be dedicated to the truth.
” The decision will strip the name Ginter from a VCU building located and remove the words “ Dooley Hospital ” from a threshold that still exists where a hospital once stood .
Ginter refers to cigarette magnate Lewis Ginter , who at his death in 1897 left money for charities and public institutions .
He fought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dooley references James Dooley , also a Confederate soldier who died in 1922 .
He served in the General Assembly , helped oversee railroad expansion nationwide and left his home to the city .
Board member Peter Farrell said the decision wasn ’ t meant to disparage the men ’ s work in the city , but rather it ’ s about how the school looks at history and the role the Confederacy plays on the campus .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Ginsburg to be remembered with statue in her native Brooklyn

NEW YORK - A statue of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be built in her native Brooklyn , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday .
Ginsburg died Friday of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer at age 87 .
A legal trailblazer and champion of women ’ s rights , she became the high court ’ s second female justice in 1993 .
Cuomo , a Democrat , said that he ’ ll appoint a commission to choose an artist and oversee the selection of a location for the statue .
In a statement , Cuomo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical reminder of Ginsburg ’ s “ many contributions to the America we know today and as an inspiration for those who will continue to build on her immense body of work.
” Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn in 1933 and grew up in the borough ’ s Flatbush neighbourhood .
She first gained fame as a litigator for the Women ’ s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union .
The governor said that Ginsburg “ selflessly pursued truth and justice in a world of division , giving voice to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aside by forces of hate and indifference.
“ “ Ruth Bader Ginsburg does not need a seat on the Supreme Court to earn her place in the American history books , ” then-President Bill Clinton said when he announced her appointment .
“ She has already done that .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Trump backs proposed TikTok deal with Oracle, Walmart

NEW YORK - President Donald Trump said Saturday he ’ s given his “ blessing ” to a proposed deal between Oracle and Walmart for the U.S. operations of TikTok , the Chinese-owned app he ’ s targeted for national security and data privacy concerns .
Trump said the proposed deal will result in a new company likely to be based in Texas .
“ I have given the deal my blessing , ” he said .
“ If they get it done , that ’ s great .
If they don ’ t , that ’ s OK too.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be hiring at least 25,000 people and making a $ 5 billion contribution to a fund dedicated to education for Americans .
“ That ’ s their contribution that I ’ ve been asking for , ” he said .
“ We are pleased that the proposal by TikTok , Oracle , and Walmart will resolve the security concerns of the U.S. Administration and settle questions around TikTok ’ s future in the U.S. , ” TikTok said in a statement .
TikTok said both Oracle and Walmart will take part in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a 20 % cumulative stake in the company .
The deal will make Oracle responsible for hosting all TikTok ’ s U.S. user data and securing computer systems to ensure U.S. national security requirements are satisfied .
TikTok said it ’ s also working with Walmart on a “ commercial partnership ” but gave no other details .
Representatives from Oracle and Walmart could not be immediately reached for comment late Saturday .
Trump has been demanding that TikTok , a video app popular with younger people , be sold to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations shut down .
He ’ s also been targeting WeChat , another Chinese-owned app .
The dispute over the two apps is the latest flashpoint in the rising tensions between the world ’ s two largest economies .
Just a day earlier , the U.S. Commerce Department said it would bar TikTok from U.S. app stores as of late Sunday .
Further restrictions that would prevent TikTok from accessing essential internet services in the country would go into effect on Nov. 12 .
The deal Trump signed off on would allow TikTok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Commerce Department is imposing similar restrictions on WeChat , although all of the restrictions on WeChat are set to go into effect Sunday night at 11:59 p.m .
Earlier Saturday , WeChat users asked a U.S. judge to block the moves targeting the app , saying they would restrict free speech .
WeChat is an all-in-one app with instant-messaging , social media and other communication tools .
The U.S. government argued that it is not restricting free speech because WeChat users still “ are free to speak on alternative platforms that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The aggressive tactics are part of Trump ’ s latest attempt to counter the influence of China , a rising economic superpower .
Since taking office in 2017 , Trump has waged a trade war with China , blocked mergers involving Chinese companies and stifled the business of Chinese firms like Huawei , a maker of phones and telecom equipment .
China-backed hackers , meanwhile , have been blamed for data breaches of U.S. federal databases and the credit agency Equifax , and the Chinese government strictly limits what U.S. tech companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ministry of commerce condemned the U.S. moves and urged it to stop what it called bullying behaviour .
It also said China may take “ necessary measures ” to protect Chinese companies .

ATLANTA (AP) — Putting 19 people on trial at the same time is a difficult assignment for any prosecutor — whether or not one of those defendan…


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Bitter fight looms over filling Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on U.S. Supreme Court

Within hours of the announcement of her death Friday night , people gathered on the front steps of the Supreme Court building , where she had served as a judge for 27 years , bearing candles and singing “ Amazing Grace.
” That outpouring of grief , and the remembrance of her contributions shaping American law , was very quickly also turning toward a fight ahead — the slogan of the Women ’ s March vigil planned for Saturday night was “ May Her Memory be a Revolution.
” It ’ s a spin on the traditional Jewish bereavement consolation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” which many clearly feel Ginsburg ’ s already is .
But it ’ s adopted at a time when her death promises to be a curse for a nation already in crisis , bringing on a political battle involving all three branches of government that threatens the legitimacy of the court .
A child of Brooklyn public schools , Ginsburg attended Ivy League universities on full scholarships .
She graduated law school at a time when she could not even get an interview for a Supreme Court clerkship she ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman .
As a litigator she began attacking that sexism , with a series of legal cases through her work with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Women ’ s Rights Project in the 1970s , successfully getting the court to begin recognizing that U.S. constitutional rights to equal treatment applied to women .
One great measurement of her success is that she became the second woman appointed to serve on the Supreme Court when she was appointed by Bill Clinton in 1993 .
There she wrote powerful dissents and landmark majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LGBT people .
Late in life she became the senior member of the court ’ s de facto liberal wing , and an unlikely pop culture hero nicknamed the “ Notorious RGB.
” Her approach to the law — first in bringing cases to the Supreme Court and then in deciding them there — was one that expanded the rights of full citizenship to people who were being deprived them .
It was a way , she said , of realizing the full potential of the American constitution ’ s promise .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we the people ’ ?
” she once said .
“ They certainly weren ’ t women .
.
.
they surely weren ’ t people held in human bondage .
The genius of our constitution is that , over now more than 200 sometimes turbulent years , that ‘ we ’ has expanded and expanded.
” Twice earlier in her life she survived cancer diagnoses , in her colon in 1999 and her pancreas in the late 2000s .
Her death at age 87 Friday from complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer threatens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she leaves behind over filling her seat on the Supreme Court .
Her final public message , dictated to her granddaughter just before her death according to an NPR reporter , anticipated that fight .
“ My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed , ” Ginsburg said .
The context is that , on a highly partisan court that has only become more overtly polarized alongside U.S. politics in the past four decades , Ginsburg ’ s death leaves conservatives with a 5-3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her seat to be filled immediately .
Judges , appointed by the president and confirmed by a vote in the Senate , serve lifetime appointments on the nine-member Supreme Court , so opportunities to fill them come along infrequently .
When Justice Antonin Scalia died in early 2016 , Barack Obama nominated a judge to fill the vacancy .
But Mitch McConnell , the leader of the Republican majority in the Senate , refused to give him a confirmation hearing .
He argued at the time that filling a seat in an election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice .
Therefore , this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president , ” McConnell said then .
His Republican colleagues took the same position then — in January of an election year — arguing that allowing a president to appoint a justice right before an election would be unthinkable .
Of course , even then , it was part of a fairly transparent campaign by the Republican Senate to block as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they possibly could — which has been followed by a single-minded focus on stacking the courts with as many conservative Donald Trump nominees as possible , as quickly as possible .
President Trump brags about this filling of the benches as a major accomplishment .
And he wasted no time in making clear he plans to continue by rushing to appoint a successor to Ginsburg with an election just six weeks away .
“ We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which has long been considered to be the selection of United States Supreme Court Justices .
We have this obligation , without delay !
” Trump tweeted Saturday morning .
McConnell , meanwhile , has discarded the principles he claimed so steadfastly just four years ago .
His statement Friday night on Ginsburg ’ s death included a promise to confirm a successor immediately : “ President Trump ’ s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.
” He and many other Republicans have produced sophisticated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president from their own party differs from 2016 , but it appears clear to many that the actual justification is that exercising and consolidating power trumps principles .
There is a significant chance Republicans will not be able to confirm a new justice before the election , and will do so in the “ lame duck session ” between the election and the seating of the newly elected Congress — even or especially if Trump were to lose and Republicans were to lose control of the Senate .
Which sets up a crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Republicans to observe the rules they themselves outlined in 2016 , any appointment now will be viewed by them and a substantial number of their voters as illegitimate — a stolen seat .
That could lead to Democrats , assuming they controlled the presidency and the Senate after the election , attempting to expand the court by adding more seats to right what they view as an injustice .
Which itself would be viewed as illegitimate by Republican voters .
Believe it or not , there are potentially even darker complications : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given Trump ’ s rhetoric about mail balloting , the election result is in question after Nov. 3 , it will be the Supreme Court that adjudicates the dispute .
A Supreme Court that could have , by then , a majority assured by Trump ’ s own new appointee .
Sen. Ted Cruz , who has been put forward as a potential nominee by Trump recently , depicted just that scenario in arguing for a rush-job appointment before the election , arguing the prospect of a 4-4 tie vote needed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis if we do not have a 9-Justice Supreme Court , particularly when there is such a risk of a contested election , ” Cruz tweeted .
So , a heavily polarized country in which the rule of law is already thought by many experts to be deteriorating , one suffering through the worst pandemic in a century and massive civil unrest over racism , faces the likelihood its Supreme Court could soon be seen as having no integrity , which could quickly delegitimize the presidential election .
That , more than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recipe for crisis , constitutional and otherwise .
A functioning democracy depends for its legitimacy on the agreement from all parties , and most citizens , that the system is functioning fairly according to agreed upon rules , written and unwritten .
That agreement is on the verge of shattering .
It is unclear what happens after that .
Ginsburg led a meaningful , inspiring life , and had a career that changed the lives of her fellow Americans .
She made a historic contribution to something much greater than herself .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be facing the historic loss of something much greater , too .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Q&A: What does banning TikTok and WeChat mean for users?

The U.S. government is cracking down on the Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat , starting by barring them from app stores on Sunday .
President Donald Trump has cited concerns about Chinese government snooping as his administration prepares to follow through on executive orders that could make it increasingly difficult , if not impossible , for Americans to use the apps .
Trump has also floated a potential way out , at least for TikTok , which on Friday he called an “ amazing company ” that is “ very , very popular.
” Here are some questions and answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BANS TAKE EFFECT ?
The order disallowing TikTok and WeChat from smartphone app stores takes effect Sunday , as do additional restrictions on the use of WeChat .
A broader ban on the use of TikTok will follow on Nov. 12 unless its Chinese parent company ByteDance is able to persuade U.S. officials that it can resolve national security concerns , such as with a proposed partnership with American tech company Oracle .
On Saturday , Trump said he has approved “ in concept ” a deal between TikTok , Oracle and WalMart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in Texas and under the control of the U.S. companies .
But the deal still needs to be finalized .
WHAT ARE TIKTOK AND WECHAT ?
TikTok is a smartphone app for making and watching short videos that ’ s popular with teens and young adults , with typical posts centred around lip syncing , dancing or making people laugh .
TikTok says it has 100 million U.S. users and hundreds of millions globally .
It has its own influencer culture , enabling people to make a living by posting videos on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major U.S. companies .
WeChat is a messaging-focused app that in the U.S. serves as a lifeline to friends , family , customers and business contacts in China .
Its owner , Chinese tech giant Tencent , says it has more than a billion users , mostly in China , where it ’ s an all-purpose app used for everything from texting to social media , cab-hailing and payments .
WHAT DOES THE BAN MEAN FOR USERS ?
For WeChat users , the order won ’ t prohibit individual users from sending texts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throw a wrench into WeChat ’ s operations and make it hard for the app to keeping running in the U.S. by blocking critical technical services provided by other companies .
For TikTok users who ’ ve already downloaded the app , it should still work normally for now .
Users , however , might be blocked from getting important app software updates that fix bugs and security vulnerabilities .
Further restrictions echoing those targeting WeChat are set for Nov. 12 .
Maybe , though none are very good .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view the service on a web home screen , but users wouldn ’ t be able to make videos — which could eventually mean fewer new American-made videos to watch .
App users can try to use virtual private networks , or VPNs , to disguise their location and pretend they ’ re in another country .
But that raises additional security concerns , especially for users who go with a free or cheap VPN provider they haven ’ t carefully vetted .
Users can also use tricks to sidestep the Apple and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also pose security risks .
“ If there ’ s a software update , well , WeChat might stop working , ” said Nicholas Weaver , a computer science lecturer at UC Berkeley .
“ If you don ’ t update your phone , it ’ s a security risk .
It puts users in an impossible position.
” HAS THE U.S .
BANNED PHONE APPS BEFORE ?
Not in this way , though such censorship is common in China , said Paul Bischoff , a consumer privacy expert .
Bischoff said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found no evidence that the Chinese government is actually using TikTok as a spying tool , though the advertising-fueled app sucks up personal data much like other social media platforms .
“ This is the first time we ’ ve ever banned an app through an executive order , ” he said .
“ I wonder what sort of precedent that sets for other apps that the current administration sees as a threat or just doesn ’ t like.
“ WHAT DO TIKTOK USERS THINK ABOUT IT ?
The way that TikTok personalizes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes it hard to gauge what the userbase as a whole thinks of the U.S. government actions .
But those who spoke with The Associated Press about the actions shared a mix of skepticism and annoyance .
Carrie Berk , a 17-year-old college freshman in New York , said she ’ s not sure it will really happen .
“ I feel like I ’ ve done this a few times now , “ she said .
” There ’ s been so many fake-outs where you see in the news it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the official deadline has always been Sunday .
She posted a video in early July about changing a phone ’ s settings to Canada so that TikTok could still work , and it ’ s gotten over 5 million views .
Scheduling a total TikTok ban for Nov. 12 delays its effects on millions of American users until after the Nov. 3 presidential election , but it also leaves more time for ByteDance to finalize an arrangement that satisfies government officials .
Trump said this summer he wants the app sold to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Chinese government spying and censorship .
ByteDance proposed an arrangement that lets the California database-software company Oracle manage the data of U.S. users and oversee the app ’ s technology .
But Saturday Trump said he has given his “ blessing ” to a proposed deal between TikTok , Oracle and WalMart that would leave TikTok under the control of the U.S. companies .
But the deal still needs to be finalized .
Elsa Kania , a fellow at the Center for a New American Security who focuses on technology and U.S.-China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shifting rationales and haphazard approach set a bad precedent and criticized the immediate WeChat ban “ given its importance as a means of communication and interpersonal engagement with China.
” WHAT ARE TIKTOK AND WECHAT DOING ABOUT IT ?
TikTok and some of its employees have sued to stop the ban , saying it ’ s unconstitutional .
But the company has remained open to some kind of merger that would resolve U.S. government concerns about spying and censorship , even as it denies that it ’ s a security threat .
TikTok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pappas , publicly sought help from rival Facebook on Friday , responding to a tweet from Adam Mosseri , the head of Facebook-owned Instagram , after he criticized a TikTok ban as bad for everyone .
“ This is a moment to put aside our competition and focus on core principles like freedom of expression and due process of law , ” Pappas wrote .
A group of WeChat users have also sued to stop the ban .
A federal judge in California appeared sympathetic to WeChat users in a hearing Saturday but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their request for an injunction against the government .
The Justice Department said in a filing in that case that they would not target WeChat users with criminal or civil penalties for using the app for messaging .

Matt O'Brien And Tali Arbel - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Robert W. Gore, the inventor of Gore-Tex fabric, dead at 83

NEWARK , Del .
- Robert W. Gore , whose invention of what created the breathable-yet-waterproof fabric known as Gore-Tex revolutionized outdoor wear and helped spawn uses in numerous other fields , has died .
He was 83 .
Gore , who was president of W. L. Gore & Associates for almost 25 years and company chairman for 30 years , died on Thursday at a family home in Maryland following a prolonged illness , company spokesperson Amy Calhoun confirmed Saturday .
Gore discovered a new form of a polymer in 1969 at a company lab in Newark , Delaware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company , asked Bob Gore to research a new way to manufacturer plumber ’ s tape at a low cost using PTFE , commonly known as DuPont ’ s Teflon , The News Journal of Wilmington reported .
The son figured out that by stretching PTFE with a sudden yank , the polymer expanded by 1,000 per cent .
The resulting product , known as ePTFE , created a microporous structure .
The introduction of Gore-Tex technology came seven years later .
“ It was truly a pivot point in this company ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ W.L .
Gore & Associates ’ chief technology officer , said last year .
“ Without which we would be much less significant of an organization than we are today.
” The membrane within Gore-Tex fabric has billions of pores that are smaller than water droplets , leading to waterproof but breathable raincoats , shoes and other clothing .
The patents ultimately led to countless other uses with medical devices , guitar strings and in space travel , the company said .
Gore was born in Utah , the oldest of five children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both founded the company in 1958 .
Bill Gore had previously joined DuPont ’ s workforce and ultimately came to Delaware .
Bob Gore earned his bachelor ’ s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware and advanced degrees from the University of Minnesota .
He succeeded his father as the company ’ s president and CEO in 1976 .
Gore and his family contributed funds for buildings and engineering laboratories at the University of Delaware .
Gore is survived by his wife , Jane , as well as children , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t immediately announced by the company .
The story has been corrected to say Gore died in Maryland , not Delaware .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Tropical Storm Beta spurs hurricane worries for Texas

OKLAHOMA CITY - An exceptionally busy Atlantic hurricane season was churning along Saturday as the Texas coast prepared for a tropical storm that could strengthen into a hurricane before breaching its shores in the week ahead .
Both the city of Galveston and Galveston County on Saturday issued voluntary evacuation orders ahead of Tropical Storm Beta , as did the city of Seabrook to the north of Galveston .
Mayor Pro Tem Craig Brown said in a statement that high tides and up to 10 inches ( 25 centimetres ) of expected rainfall would leave roads impassable , especially along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-lying areas .
County Judge Mark Henry said during a Saturday news conference that his concern is also based on rising waters creating a storm surge and that a mandatory evacuation is not expected .
“ If you can survive in your home for three or four days without power and electricity , which we ’ re not even sure that ’ s going to happen , you ’ re OK , ” Henry said .
“ If it ’ s uncomfortable or you need life support equipment , maybe go somewhere else.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gulf of Mexico , 320 miles ( 510 kilometres ) east-southeast of Corpus Christi , Texas , and 245 miles ( 395 kilometres ) south of Lake Charles , Louisiana , the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory .
The system was expected to be near hurricane strength as it approaches Texas on Sunday and Monday .
Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning from Port Aransas , Texas , to Intracoastal City , Louisiana .
A storm surge warning was issued from Port Aransas , Texas , to High Island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Texas , it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020 , tying a record set in 1916 , according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach .
In Lake Charles , Louisiana , where thousands of people remain without power more than three weeks after Hurricane Laura slammed into the coast , there are concerns that Beta could super-soak the region once again .
Up to 20 inches of rain ( 15 centimetres ) is possible in some parts of the area , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meteorologist based in Lake Charles , said in a Saturday briefing .
“ A lot of people have been saying , ‘ Is this going to be like Harvey ?
Is this going to be like Imelda ?
’ “ Jones said .
“ We ’ re not talking about rainfall totals yet that are on the orders of magnitude that we saw with that.
” Imelda , which struck southeast Texas in 2019 , was one of the wettest cyclones on record .
Harvey — which dumped more than 50 inches ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017 .
However , if the storm ends up moving a bit slower than what ’ s being forecast now , rainfall totals could be even higher than 20 inches , Jones said .
“ Harvey was a very specific and unique event , but we are talking about the same idea in terms of very heavy , heavy rainfall , “ he said .
Beta had maximum sustained winds at 60 mph ( 95 kph ) and was stationary Saturday afternoon .
Forecasters were predicting up to 4 feet ( 1.2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Texas coast that included Baffin Bay , Corpus Christi Bay , Galveston Bay and more .
Wind , heavy rainfall and life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were also expected with the storm .
Forecasters ran out of traditional storm names on Friday , forcing the use of the Greek alphabet for only the second time since the 1950s .
Meanwhile , Hurricane Teddy remained a powerful hurricane Saturday , with maximum sustained winds at 120 mph ( 195 kph ) and moving northwest at 13 mph ( 20 kph ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 765 kilometres ) southeast of Bermuda less than a week after Hurricane Paulette made landfall in the wealthy British territory .
A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda .
Large swells from Teddy were forecast to impact the Lesser Antilles , the Greater Antilles , the Bahamas and Bermuda , and were expected to impact the U.S. East Coast .
Parts of the Alabama coast and Florida Panhandle were still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Sally , which roared ashore on Wednesday .
At least two deaths were blamed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without power in the Florida Panhandle on Saturday .
Gulf Power said 95 % of its customers in hardest hit Escambia and Santa Rosa counties will have power restored by the end of the day Tuesday .
Meanwhile , residents in Springfield were warned to avoid contact with standing water after 5,000 gallons ( about 19,000 litres ) of raw sewage spilled into Lake Martin , according to county health officials .
The Salvation Army was distributing roughly 9,000 meals Saturday at nine locations throughout the Panhandle .
AP reporters Kelli Kennedy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martin in Marietta , Georgia , contributed to this report .