thetorontostar--2020-06-07--China defends its coronavirus response in new report

BEIJING - Senior Chinese officials released a lengthy report Sunday on the nation ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic , defending their government ’ s actions and saying that China had provided information in a timely and transparent manner .
China “ wasted no time “ in sharing information such as the genome sequence for the new virus with the World Health Organization as well as relevant countries and regional organizations , according to the report .
An Associated Press investigation found that government labs sat on releasing the genetic map of the virus for more than a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a third country and the sharing of information needed to develop tests , drugs and a vaccine .
National Health Commission Chairman Ma Xiaowei did not address the specific findings in the AP report , but said it “ seriously goes against the facts.
” He added that there were many unknowns in the early stage of the outbreak and that it took time to gather evidence and figure out the characteristics of the new virus .
“ The Chinese government did not delay or cover up anything , “ he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus data and relevant information about the epidemic to the international community and made an important contribution to the prevention and control of the epidemic around the world.
” He ticked off a series of government actions from a detailed timeline in the government report .
The timeline says that China began updating the WHO on a regular basis on Jan. 3 and that the head of China ’ s Center for Disease Control and Prevention briefed the head of the U.S. CDC on Jan. 4 .
U.S. officials have been critical of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a deterioration of U.S.-China relations over trade and technology and pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong .
Asked how China would repair its relations with the rest of the world , Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said that co-operation over the pandemic had improved ties with most other countries .
Without naming the U.S. , he said : “ Certain countries go against the tide of history .
To disguise their inadequate response to COVID-19 , they insanely smeared and slandered China ... .
In response to such scapegoating practice , China will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which ran 66 pages in the English version , lauded China ’ s success in reducing the daily increase in new cases to single digits within about two months and the “ decisive victory ... in the battle to defend Hubei Province and its capital city of Wuhan ” in about three months .
Wuhan , where the first cases of the virus were detected late last year , was the hardest-hit part of China in the outbreak .
The city and soon after much of Hubei province were locked down for 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the virus to the rest of the country .
The report credited Chinese leader Xi Jinping with making the Jan. 22 decision to cut Wuhan off by cutting transportation links and banning people from leaving or entering the city .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Israeli PM: Killing of Palestinian with autism a “tragedy”

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called the deadly police shooting of an unarmed Palestinian man with autism a “ tragedy , ” although he stopped short of apologizing for the incident .
Netanyahu ’ s remarks were the first he ’ s made since police in Jerusalem ’ s Old City shot and killed Eyad Hallaq last week .
The 32-year-old Palestinian with severe autism was chased by Israeli border police forces into a nook in Jerusalem ’ s Old City and fatally shot as he cowered next to a garbage bin after apparently being mistaken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawn comparisons to the death of George Floyd in the U.S. and prompted a series of small demonstrations against police violence toward Palestinians .
Some Israeli figures have paid condolence visits to the grieving Hallaq family .
At last week ’ s Cabinet meeting , a day after the shooting , Defence Minister Benny Gantz , who is also Israel ’ s “ alternate ” prime minister under a power-sharing deal , apologized for the incident .
Netanyahu , seated next to him , made no mention of it in his remarks at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hallaq family , with Eyad Hallaq , is a tragedy .
A person with disabilities , with autism , who was suspected we now know unjustly of being a terrorist in a very sensitive place , ” Netanyahu said Sunday .
“ We all share in the grief of the family.
“ Netanyahu said he was awaiting police examinations of the event , but unlike Gantz did not apologize .
Israel ’ s Justice Ministry has said two officers have been placed under house arrest , but gave no further details .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ City spotted a man carrying a “ suspicious object that looked like a pistol.
” When the man failed to heed calls to stop , police said they opened fire and “ neutralized ” him after a chase in a volatile area that has seen several previous attacks .
The shooting came two weeks after another fatal shooting of an Arab man outside an Israeli hospital .
According to police , the man was shot after stabbing a security guard .
Security camera footage showed the man , who reportedly suffered from mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was shot multiple times .
For Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem , and members of Israel ’ s Arab minority , these cases reflect what they see as Israeli forces ’ loose trigger fingers when it comes to dealing with Arab suspects .
Hallaq ’ s death , in particular , has reverberated across Israel , with his image raised on signs at a demonstration in Tel Aviv Saturday night against Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank .
“ This is what occupation looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s image .
Inspired by the protests in the U.S. , demonstrators held signs reading “ Palestinian Lives Matter ” and photographs of Hallaq alongside Floyd .
Lone Palestinian attackers with no clear links to armed groups have carried out a series of stabbings , shootings and car-ramming attacks in recent years .
Palestinians and Israeli human rights groups have long accused Israeli security forces of using excessive force in some cases , either by killing individuals who could have been arrested or using lethal force when their lives were not in @ @

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thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Africa’s essential truckers say they face virus stigma

NAMANGA , Kenya - They haul food , fuel and other essential supplies along sometimes dangerous roads during tough economic times .
But Africa ’ s long-distance truckers say they are increasingly being accused of carrying something else : the coronavirus .
While hundreds of truckers have tested positive for the virus in recent weeks , the drivers say they are being stigmatized and treated like criminals , being detained by governments and slowing cargo traffic to a crawl .
That has created a challenge for governments in much of sub-Saharan Africa , where many borders remain closed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balance between contagion and commerce .
Countries are struggling to reach common ground .
“ When I entered Tanzania , in every town that I would drive through , they would call me , ’ You , corona , get away from here with your corona !
’ ” said Abdulkarim Rajab , a burly Kenyan who has been driving trucks for 17 years and recalls when drivers were being accused of spreading HIV during that outbreak .
Rajab and his load of liquefied gas spent three days at the Kenya-Tanzania border , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be cleared stretched into the distance and wound around the lush hills overlooking the crossing at Namanga .
Tanzania closed the border there this week , protesting Kenya ’ s efforts to re-test all incoming truckers , including those who even had certificates showing they had been tested in the previous 14 days .
It was the second time the frontier was closed in less than a month and was taken after many Tanzanian truckers with negative results started testing positive at the border .
Many truckers must sleep in unsanitary motels and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk of contagion .
They ’ re often stuck for days at a border waiting for virus test results , mingling in crowded parking lots .
Some told The Associated Press they try to elude authorities or switch off their phones when they enter Uganda so they can ’ t be ordered to pull over .
More than half of the country ’ s 507 coronavirus cases as of Wednesday have been confirmed among truckers .
New government orders largely confine truckers to their vehicles and have designated rest areas along highways to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the restrictions are necessary , but the truckers see them as biased and unjust .
When a driver takes a bathroom break , “ the people in the area start chasing him , saying , ‘ You want to leave your COVID here.
’ That ’ s discrimination , ” said Byron Kinene , a Ugandan who heads the Regional Lorry Drivers and Transporters Association .
Several Kenyan truckers driving through northern Uganda to South Sudan on May 30 made a distress call after locals threatened them as they sought to park , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African countries don ’ t have enough tests for their population , so they focus instead on highly mobile truckers .
“ We are concentrating on hot spot areas .
We are picking many ( truckers ) who are positive , ” said Pontiano Kaleebu , who heads the Uganda Virus Research Institute , the government testing agency .
“ This is not unfair .
This is the reality.
” The testing at the border is often slow , frustrating and risky .
“ The challenge is the number of people who come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Aggrey Keya , a Kenyan lab technician at the Namanga border .
Taking samples raises the possibility of getting infected , Keya said .
Processing the samples can take two days , along with another three days for truckers to clear customs and immigration .
Some drivers report waiting for up to a week .
The East African Community regional bloc said May 30 it wants to monitor truckers via mobile phones and issue certificates declaring their health status .
But the measure can ’ t be implemented until each country sets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary equipment , and no start date has been set .
That means countries like Kenya and Tanzania , which have responded differently to the pandemic , will continue their own restrictions .
Tanzania hasn ’ t updated its number of virus cases since April 29 .
While its president claims the virus has been defeated , African health authorities want its government to be more transparent and the opposition fears a coverup .
Officially , cases remain at just over 500 while the opposition says the real number could be in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uganda have enforced strict measures .
The countries are on major transport corridors that serve a large part of central and southern Africa .
Some trucks coming in from the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa head for South Sudan , which is emerging from civil war .
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said banning trucks is “ suicidal ” in a region where delivery by other means , including air and sea , is underdeveloped .
Some truckers have staged protests on the highway leading to the Kenya-Uganda border recently , citing alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , during which truckers deflated their tires , caused a huge traffic jam inside Kenya .
Feeling harassed , some truckers refuse to co-operate with authorities , switching off phones or giving the wrong contact address if their sample tests positive , said Ndugu Omogo , head of the Uganda Professional Drivers Network .
He said some drivers have been mistreated when arrested .
Ally Akida Samwel of Tanzania , waiting at the Namanga border post to haul maize to Kenya , said some officials refuse even to touch a trucker ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead .
“ On the other hand , drivers themselves are scared of getting the coronavirus from the people , so most prefer to sleep in their trucks and not hotels , ” he said .
“ I stop and cook on the roadside , and I am on my way .
If you are scared of me giving you the coronavirus , I am also scared of you giving it to me .
”

Rodney Muhumuza And Tom Odula - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Tropical Storm Cristobal draws nearer to US Gulf Coast

NEW ORLEANS - A re-energized Tropical Storm Cristobal continued its advance toward the U.S. Gulf Coast early Sunday , having spawned a tornado in Florida and brought heavy rains that already caused flooding and mudslides in Mexico and Central America .
After weakening to a tropical depression while moving over land in Mexico ’ s Gulf coast , Cristobal headed back into the southern Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday and powered back up into a tropical storm .
Forecasters said it would arrive on U.S. soil late Sunday but was not expected to grow into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mouth of the Mississippi River by Sunday morning and conditions were expected to deteriorate .
the National Hurricane Center in Miami said .
Cristobal ’ s maximum sustained winds remained at 50 mph ( 85 kph ) and it was moving north at 12 mph ( 19 kph ) , centred around 140 miles ( 225 kilometres ) south-southwest from the mouth of the Mississippi River .
The National Hurricane Center said the storm was expected to slowly strengthen until making landfall Sunday night along the U.S. Gulf Coast .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening with a tornado that touched down near downtown Orlando , the National Weather Service said .
The twister just missed a group of protesters at Lake Eola at around 7:30 p.m .
There appeared to be no injuries , but tree limbs were knocked down , and there were reports of power outages .
“ Yes , it is related to the tropical storm that is well to our west , ” said Scott Kelly , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne , Florida .
“ But the tropical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shear and that has allowed for some tornadoes to form over Central Florida.
” The threat for tornadoes would continue overnight , he said .
The Hurricane Center said the storm could cause heavy rains from East Texas to Florida this weekend and into early next week .
A tropical storm warning was posted for the northern Gulf of Mexico coast from Intracoastal City , Louisiana , to the Alabama-Florida border .
Storm surge warnings and watches were in effect in Louisiana and Mississippi , with flooding up to 5 feet ( 1.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Louisiana , Gov .
John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency to prepare for the storm ’ s possible arrival .
“ Now is the time to make your plans , which should include the traditional emergency items along with masks and hand sanitizer as we continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic , ” Edwards said in a statement released Thursday .
On Friday , he asked President Donald Trump to declare a pre-landfall emergency for the state due to the storm ’ s threat .
“ We are confident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rainfall and coastal flooding , “ Edwards said in a letter to the White House .
“ I anticipate the need for emergency protective measures , evacuations , and sheltering for the high-risk areas .
The length of possible inundation is unknown and will likely require post-flood activities.
” Jefferson Parish , a suburb of New Orleans , called for voluntary evacuations Saturday of Jean Lafitte , Lower Lafitte , Crown Point and Barataria because of the threat of storm surge , high tides and heavy rain .
Residents were urged to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground .
“ We want to make sure residents are safe as this storm approaches so we are taking all the necessary precautions to be fully prepared , ” Jean Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner Jr. told The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate .
A similar order was issued Saturday for several Plaquemines Parish communities , including Happy Jack , Grand Bayou , Myrtle Grove , Lake Hertiage , Harlem and Monsecour .
The parish ’ s president , Kirk Lepine , said the order was issued as a precaution .
“ We need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draws near , so we are taking all the necessary precautions to be completely prepared , ” he said .
The hurricane centre ’ s forecast path puts Alabama on Cristobal ’ s east side , far from where the centre comes ashore .
Still , the southwest part of the state is expected to get gusty winds , heavy rain , storm surge and possibly tornadoes as the storm moves closer to the coast .
“ Sunday will be very wet and windy as Cristobal passes west of the area , placing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dirty ’ eastern side of the storm , ” the weather service said .
Cristobal formed this week in the Bay of Campeche from the remnants of Tropical Storm Amanda , which had sprung up last weekend in the eastern Pacific and hit Central America .
The two storms combined to soak the region with as much as 35 inches ( 89 centimetres ) of rain in some areas over the past week .
At least 30 deaths have been attributed to the two storms and the flooding and landslides they unleashed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico ’ s Quintana Roo state , 230 families were isolated by the rains and had to be airlifted out , David Leon , Mexico ’ s national civil defenceco-ordinator , said Friday .
Leon added there had been light damage in 75 municipalities in seven states .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--China’s exports and imports fall amid coronavirus woes

BEIJING - China ’ s exports and imports both fell in May as the coronavirus and trade tensions with the @ @ @ @ @ home and abroad .
Exports fell 3.3 % compared to a year earlier to $ @ @ @ @ @ 16.7 % to $ 143.9 billion , the Chinese customs agency said Sunday .
The @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s trade surplus up sharply to $ 62.9 billion .
The surplus with @ @ @ @ @ 27.9 billion and climbed $ 18.2 billion with the European Union .
The fall in @ @ @ @ @ 3.5 % rise the previous month .
Analysts were expecting the decline , attributing April @ @ @ @ @ placed before virus restrictions hit overseas economies and predicting that American and European customers would @ @ @ @ @ Chinese exports to the U.S. totalled $ 37.2 billion , about the same as the @ @ @ @ @ to the EU .
However , its imports from the EU were $ 17.3 billion @ @ @ @ @ 9.3 billion from the U.S .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--10-foot great white shark kills surfer in Australia

SYDNEY , Australia - A 60-year-old surfer was attacked and killed by a 3-meter ( 10-foot ) great white shark off the coast of northern New South Wales state on Sunday , officials said .
The man received a bite to the back of his thigh and was brought to the shore by other surfers who had fought off the shark , a surf rescue group , Surf Life Saving NSW , said in a statement .
The victim , from Tugun just over the state border in Queensland , received first aid on the shore but died on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photographs and confirmed a white shark was responsible for the fatal attack , ” the state ’ s Department of Primary Industries said .
New South Wales Ambulance Inspector Terence Savage said it was a “ dreadful ” situation for everyone involved .
“ When you get a call to attend a shark attack , you never really know the full extent of the damage until you get on scene , ” he said .
“ They did everything they could to try and save his life , but despite their best efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nearby beaches were cleared of swimmers and surfers and will remain closed for 24 hours .
Kingscliff resident Stuart Gonsal had just arrived at the beach ready for a surf , when he found out about the fatal attack .
“ We came down and we hadn ’ t got in the water and police were immediately hauling people in , ” Gonsal told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio .
“ We found out there was a fatal shark attack on the south side of the rock wall .
We were going to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to now for sure.
” It was the third fatal shark attack in Australia this year .
In January , a diver was killed near Esperance off the Western Australia state coast .
In April , a shark fatally mauled a 23-year-old wildlife worker on the Great Barrier Reef .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Protesters topple Confederate statue in Virginia capital

RICHMOND , Va. - A small group of demonstrators toppled a statue of a Confederate general in the the former capital of the Confederacy late Saturday , following a day of largely peaceful protests in the Virginia city .
The statue of Gen. Williams Carter Wickham was pulled from its pedestal in Monroe Park , a Richmond police spokeswoman said .
She said she did not know if there were any arrests or damage done to the statue .
A rope had been tied around the Confederate statue , which has stood since 1891 , The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after it was pulled down .
Photos and video from the newspaper showed the what appeared to be red paint splashed or sprayed on the statue .
In 2017 , some of Wickham ’ s descendants urged the city to remove the statue .
Confederate monuments are a major flashpoint in Virginia and elsewhere in the South .
Confederate memorials began coming down after a white supremacist killed nine black people at a Bible study in a church in South Carolina in 2015 and then again after the deadly white nationalist rally in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last week , Gov .
Ralph Northam announced that a state-owned statue of former Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee would be removed from its perch on the famed Monument Avenue “ as soon as possible.
” The Lee statue is one of five Confederate monuments along Monument Avenue , a prestigious residential street and National Historic Landmark district .
Monuments along the avenue have been rallying points during protests in recent days over Floyd ’ s death , and they have been tagged with graffiti , including messages that say “ End police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney last week announced plans to seek the removal of the other Confederate monuments along Monument Avenue , which include statues of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Confederate Gens .
Stonewall Jackson and J.E.B .
Stuart .
Those statues sit on city land , unlike the Lee statue , which is on state property .
Stoney said he would introduce an ordinance July 1 to have the statues removed .
That ’ s when a new law goes into effect , which was signed earlier this year by Northam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protecting Confederate monuments and instead lets local governments decide their fate .
Wickham ’ s statue stood in Monroe Park , about a mile away from the Lee statue and surrounded by the Virginia Commonwealth University campus .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Deputy killed, 2 other officers shot in California ambush

SANTA CRUZ , Calif. - A Northern California sheriff ’ s deputy was killed and two law enforcement officers wounded Saturday when they were ambushed with gunfire and explosives while pursuing a suspect , authorities said .
Sgt .
Damon Gutzwiller , 38 , was shot and killed in Ben Lomond , an unincorporated area near Santa Cruz , Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said .
A second deputy was injured , and a third officer from the California Highway Patrol was shot in his hand , Hart said .
Gutzwiller “ was a beloved figure here at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sheriff said .
“ Damon showed up today to do his job , to keep this community safe , and his life was taken needlessly , “ a visibly shaken Hart said .
The suspect , Steven Carrillo , 38 , was shot during his arrest and was being treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries , Hart said .
The Sheriff ’ s Department and the FBI are investigating .
The deputies responded to a 911 call around 1:30 p.m. about a suspicious van .
The caller said there were guns and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When deputies arrived , the van pulled away and the deputies followed .
The van went down a driveway at Carrillo ’ s home and the deputies were ambushed by gunfire and explosives after getting out of their vehicle .
Gutzwiller was wounded and later died at a hospital .
Another deputy was wounded by gunfire or shrapnel and struck by a vehicle as the suspect fled .
Carrillo attempted to carjack a vehicle and was wounded while being arrested .
Hart said Carrillo was taken to the hospital for treatment and would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting shocked Ben Lomond , a town of about 6,000 people tucked up in the Santa Cruz mountains .
Resident Kathy Crocker brought a bouquet to the sheriff ’ s office as Hart gave a news conference about the shootings .
“ It just breaks my heart that this keeps happening , ” she said , as teary-eyed deputies entered the building .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--India, China decide to continue efforts to defuse border row

NEW DELHI - India and China will press ahead with military and diplomatic engagements in a bid to resolve a standoff along their disputed Himalayan frontier , the foreign ministry in New Delhi said Sunday .
The External Affairs Ministry said in statement that a meeting between Indian and Chinese military commanders at a border post in the Himalayan region on Saturday took place in a “ cordial and positive atmosphere.
” “ Both sides agreed to peacefully resolve the situation in the border areas in accordance with various bilateral agreements and keeping in view the agreement between the leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ border regions is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations , ” the statement said .
There was no immediate reaction from Beijing .
Indian officials say the standoff began in early May when large contingents of Chinese soldiers entered deep inside Indian-controlled territory at three places in Ladakh , erecting tents and posts .
They said the Chinese soldiers ignored repeated verbal warnings to leave , triggering shouting matches , stone-throwing and fistfights .
China has sought to downplay the confrontation while saying the two sides were communicating through both their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to resolve the issue .
The China-India border dispute covers nearly 3,500 kilometres ( 2,175 miles ) of frontier that the two countries call the Line of Actual Control .
They fought a bitter war in 1962 that spilled into Ladakh .
The two sides have been trying since the early 1990s to settle their dispute without success .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Panhandle businesses eager to see start of passport program

SCOTTSBLUFF , Neb .
- Not long after the stops for the Nebraska Passport Program were announced , the tourism industry was forced to come to a halt .
As restrictions have begun to ease , travel is picking back up .
On Monday , the Passport Program , which includes a number of western Nebraska stops , officially kicked off .
The program , put on by Nebraska Tourism , encourages Nebraskans and tourists to travel around the state to collect stamps while supporting destinations and businesses .
Travelers have until Oct. 31 to collect stamps , and those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sara Cottrell , who owns French Door Antique Mall with her husband , said she was thrilled to be selected as a participant .
She felt like being a stop would give them a chance to let people know about the other things Sidney has to offer , in addition to highlighting their own business .
“ Honestly , a big part of why we were excited was to help draw more people to Sidney , ” she told the Star-Herald .
“ With everything that happened with Cabela ’ s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excited to show people we are doing just fine and we aren ’ t going anywhere.
” The couple is from the Sidney area , and wanted to stay there , even as the community faced the loss of Cabela ’ s .
“ The original owner of the store was in a similar boat , but they decided to leave and had to sell the store , ” Cottrell said .
“ We had never done anything like this before but something about it seemed right .
We bought the store in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steph Mantooth , owner of Steph ’ s Studio in Alliance , said this is her first time as a Passport stop .
“ I was really excited and honoured when we learned we were selected , ” Mantooth said .
In addition to offering photography services , Mantooth also offers printing , framing and scrapbooking services , in addition to monthly classes , calling the store a “ one-stop shop.
” The operator ’ s of the family-owned Scottsbluff restaurant , Rosita ’ s , said in an email that they , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop .
This was their first year applying , although the restaurant has been in the area for 50 years .
Known for made-to-order panchos and taco shells , Rosita ’ s started in Lyman as Lerma ’ s Café .
Margarita Lerma opened her business , and had help from her son , Paul , along the way .
Paul eventually took over and moved the restaurant to Scottsbluff and renamed it Rosita ’ s .
Today , it ’ s managed by his children .
There are a number of Passport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The Most Unlikely Place , 205 Main St .
Participants can order a Passport through the website , or pick up one up at any destination .
It is also recommended that travellers download the Nebraska Passport app , by searching it in their app store .
With the app , they get digital stamps , supplementing the physical booklet .
Program updates will also be sent out through the app .
In a press release from the Nebraska Tourism Commission , executive director John Ricks said the organization has been looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program .
“ Not only is the Passport a great way to experience what the state has to offer , it ’ s a great way to support the tourism destinations in our state when they need it most , ” said Ricks .
“ We feel that the Nebraska Passport fits well into social distancing and desired group sizes and can be tailored by anyone to fit their comfort level as the recovery process begins.
” The release also said that Gov .
Pete Ricketts is asking participants to follow current health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps to protect themselves while travelling including staying six feet apart , frequent hand washing , avoiding contact with your eyes , nose or mouth , and covering coughs and sneezes .
Updated state guidelines can be found on www.COVID.Nebraska.gov The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that frequent stops for gas , food and bathroom breaks can lead to close contact situations .
More travel tips can be found at cdc.gov .
For more information about travel destinations in Nebraska , including those not featured in the Passport program , check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours of operation , are offering limited services , or had plans to open after June 1 because of COVID-19 .
Updates about Passport stops can be found at nebraskapassport.com .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Protests continue in NYC amid lingering tensions over curfew

NEW YORK - Demonstrations over the death of George Floyd continued in New York City on Saturday , with thousands taking to the streets and parks to protest police brutality as police pulled back on enforcing an 8 p.m. curfew that has led to confrontations over the past several days .
More than two hours after the curfew had passed , groups of several hundred demonstrators continued to march in Manhattan and Brooklyn , while police monitored them but took a hands-off approach .
At protests in Manhattan earlier Saturday , volunteers handed out snacks , first aid kits and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon .
One person carried a sign listing nearby open buildings for those seeking to escape the heat — which some soon did when a rain storm arrived .
Thousands of people crossed the Brooklyn Bridge into lower Manhattan , where other groups numbering in the hundreds to thousands marched or gathered in places like Foley Square , home to state and federal court buildings , and Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village .
Further uptown , police had erected barriers to all but close off Times Square to vehicle and foot traffic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large group of protesters walked onto the FDR Drive , the main north-south artery along Manhattan ’ s east side , closely monitored by police , forcing police to temporarily shut down one side of the roadway .
Earlier , Julian Arriola-Hennings said he didn ’ t expect the movement to slow down anytime soon .
“ I ’ m never surprised by people taking action because inaction , it really hurts the soul , ” he said as he told protesters at Washington Square Park that they would soon march from there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s feet get tired , their souls get re-energized for the right purpose.
” One of Saturday ’ s marches was enlivened by a band led by Jon Batiste , bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert .
Local politicians and civil liberties advocates have called for an end to the 8 p.m. curfew , complaining that it causes needless friction when officers try to enforce it .
But Mayor Bill de Blasio has insisted the curfew will remain in place throughout the weekend .
Images on social media on Friday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended showed officers surrounding a group of protesters and chasing down some with batons .
And officers on Manhattan ’ s East Side also used force to break up remnants of a march that started near the mayor ’ s official residence .
There were about 40 arrests citywide Friday — far fewer than previous nights — and no obvious signs of the smash-and-grab stealing that marred protests earlier in the week .
On Saturday , Antoinette Henry wasn ’ t surprised people were still marching after more than a week , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from police earlier in the week .
“ Our first couple of protests ended a bit violently but we ’ re back out here .
We ’ re not going to stop fighting , ” Henry said .
She added she thinks protests could continue next week , even as some will go back to work when New York City begins its reopening .
“ I think as long as we stay organized , that ’ s exactly what can and will and should happen , ” Henry said .
Also on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who allegedly stabbed a police officer in the neck in Brooklyn on Wednesday night .
Dzenan Camovic , 20 , has been hospitalized in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds .
The Brooklyn resident faces multiple charges , including attempted murder of a police officer .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Washington protesters express optimism after week on edge

WASHINGTON - On Monday , they were forcibly removed from the street by law enforcement .
On Saturday , they danced .
The tens of thousands of racially diverse demonstrators who flooded Washington to protest injustice and police brutality reshaped the mood of a city that has been on edge this week .
Bursts of looting and violence early in the week prompted a dramatic clampdown by law enforcement that gave the nation ’ s capital the feeling of an occupied city , complete with military vehicles , helicopters buzzing low to the skyline and National Guard troops on patrol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a distinctive D.C. offshoot of funk — blared from a truck that looked more like a parade float .
Impromptu dance parties popped up .
A black man shared a fist bump with a black police officer .
People used chalk to write messages of support on the street .
The purpose of the protest was sombre : to demand changes to police practices and pay homage to George Floyd , the black man killed by Minneapolis police .
But the displays of levity , unfolding against the backdrop of damaged buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment of catharsis for a city and nation in crisis .
Some said they saw the beginning of a new movement .
“ This is us walking across the Pettus Bridge , ” said Kendyll Myles , a 33-year-old project manager , referring to site of the iconic 1965 civil rights march in Selma , Alabama .
“ This is that type of awakening that our country needed.
” The scene on Saturday was starkly different from earlier this week when law enforcement moved aggressively to push back protesters from a park in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes , President Donald Trump walked across the park to appear before cameras at a church where he held up a Bible , but didn ’ t offer any prayers .
The episode has been widely criticized .
As demonstrations are expected to spill into another week , there are questions about whether the scope of the protests can become something more durable .
Unlike the major Washington protests of the past , Saturday ’ s events weren ’ t strongly organized .
In some cases , they were mini-marches that began in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of the major roads leading to the White House , where Trump spent the day without any public appearances .
Many protestors carried signs urging participants to vote with the passion they brought to the streets .
The Rev .
Al Sharpton has said he ’ s organizing a March on Washington for late August that would energize voters heading into the fall presidential campaign .
There were signs of cultural change .
Those who led demonstrators in chants were almost exclusively people of colour .
Several white people who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that white people do enough talking and that this was a moment for their black and brown counterparts to have the spotlight and set the agenda .
That ’ s one reason some black protestors said they thought this moment was different from previous demonstrations against police brutality .
The fact that large numbers of white people would march alongside them fueled some hope that change might happen .
“ You can finally see it , the different races out here , ” said Carl Sirls , a 26-year-old airline worker .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s not just white people .
It ’ s everyone.
” Pamela Reyolds said she hoped the massive size of the crowd and the diversity of the participants would help build momentum behind reforms including a ban on police chokeholds and a requirement for law enforcement to wear body cameras .
“ It took protest , it took rioting to happen , ” the 37-year-old teacher said .
“ But I think they ’ re finally listening and they ’ re seeing that this is everybody ’ s fight.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger on Saturday .
Outside the FBI headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue , a protestor moved close to a line of law enforcement and shouted they had no right to patrol the city .
A few blocks away at the Trump International Hotel , protestors regularly shouted epithets at the building .
One man used a bullhorn to ask police how they could justify guarding a building associated with a president who has backed aggression toward protestors .
More broadly , the expressions of hope don ’ t mask the deeper challenges facing Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home to one of the largest income inequality gaps in the country , according to the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute .
The racial divide is stark and has grown as longtime black neighbourhoods have gentrified , sending home prices soaring .
The coronavirus has taken a disproportionate toll on the black community .
Mayor Muriel Bowser is under pressure to reduce funding for the city ’ s police and reinvest that money elsewhere .
The local chapter of Black Lives Matter derided Bowser ’ s widely publicized move to paint Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House .
“ This is performative and a distraction from her active counter organizing to our demands to decrease the police budget and invest in the community , ” it said on Twitter .
But as Bowser strolled that section of the street , the crowd in this overwhelmingly Democratic city burst into applause for a woman who is increasingly the subject of Trump ’ s ire .
Art Lindy , a fifth-generation Washingtonian , shouted “ Vice-President Bowser ” as she walked by .
Bowser “ has done an incredible job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power , ” the 56-year-old construction manager said .
A few blocks north , Jake Mathai was passing out free bottles of water to any demonstrator who needed relief from the heat and humidity .
He said it was the least he could do for protestors and expressed particular admiration of younger people who showed up .
“ When I was 18 , I was never doing this kind of thing , ” the 36-year-old said .
“ These kids are going to be me in 18 years .
But much better because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Massive, peaceful protests across US demand police reform

WASHINGTON - Massive demonstrations against racism and police brutality filled some of the nation ’ s most famous cityscapes Saturday , with tens of thousands of people marching peacefully in scenes that were more often festive than tense .
Wearing masks and urging fundamental change , protesters gathered in dozens of places from coast to coast while mourners in North Carolina waited for hours to glimpse the golden coffin carrying the body of native son George Floyd , the black man whose death at the hands of Minneapolis police has galvanized the expanding movement .
Collectively , it was perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 days ago and came as many cities began lifting curfews that authorities imposed following initial spasms of arson , assaults and smash-and-grab raids on businesses .
Authorities have softened restrictions as the number of arrests plummeted .
Demonstrations also reached four other continents , ending in clashes in two European cities .
In the U.S. , Seattle police used flash bang devices and pepper spray to disperse protesters hurling rocks , bottles and explosives , just a day after city leaders temporarily banned one kind of tear gas .
The largest U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where protesters flooded streets closed to traffic .
On a hot , humid day , they gathered at the Capitol , on the National Mall and in neighbourhoods .
Some turned intersections into dance floors .
Tents offered snacks and water .
Pamela Reynolds said she came seeking greater police accountability .
“ The laws are protecting them , ” said the 37-year-old African American teacher .
The changes she wants include a federal ban on police chokeholds and a requirement that officers wear body cameras .
At the White House , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security measures , chants and cheers could be heard in waves .
President Donald Trump , who has urged authorities to crack down on unrest , downplayed the demonstration , tweeting : “ Much smaller crowd in D.C. than anticipated.
“ Elsewhere , the backdrops included some of the nation ’ s most famous landmarks .
Peaceful marchers filed across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York , where officers pulled back on enforcing a curfew that has led to confrontations .
They walked the boulevards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , street famous for country music-themed bars and restaurants .
They also gathered in places as far flung as a St. Louis suburb and cities in the Deep South .
Many wore masks — a reminder of the danger that the protests could exacerbate the spread of the coronavirus .
Roderick Sweeney , who is black , said he was overwhelmed to see the large turnout of white protesters waving signs that said “ Black Lives Matter ” in San Francisco .
“ We ’ ve had discussions in our family and among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until our white brothers and sisters voice their opinion , ” said Sweeney , 49 .
The large turnout of white protesters “ is sending a powerful message.
” In Philadelphia and Chicago , marchers chanted , carried signs and occasionally knelt in silence .
At a massive showing near the Philadelphia Museum of Art and its famous “ Rocky ” steps , protesters chanted “ No justice , no peace !
” before heading for City Hall .
Seattle police said on Twitter that several officers were injured by “ improvised explosives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded with pepper spray .
Earlier , a large crowd of medical workers , many in lab coats and scrubs , marched to City Hall , holding signs reading , “ Police violence and racism are a public health emergency ” and “ Nurses kneel with you , not on you ” — a reference to how a white officer pressed his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes .
Atop a parking garage in downtown Atlanta , a group of black college band alumni serenaded protesters with a tuba-heavy mix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business owner Leah Aforkor Quaye said it was her first time hitting the streets .
“ This makes people so uncomfortable , but the only way things are happening is if we make people uncomfortable , ” said Quaye , who is black .
In Raeford , North Carolina , a town near Floyd ’ s birthplace , people lined up outside a Free Will Baptist church , waiting to enter in small groups .
At a private memorial service , mourners sang along with a choir .
At the front of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a portrait of him adorned with an angel ’ s wings and halo .
“ It could have been me .
It could have been my brother , my father , any of my friends who are black , ” said Erik Carlos of nearby Fayetteville .
“ It made me feel very vulnerable at first.
” Floyd ’ s body will go to Houston , where he lived before Minneapolis , for another memorial in the coming days .
Protesters and their supporters in public office say they ’ re determined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notably overhauling policing policies .
Many marchers urged officials to “ defund the police , “ which some painted in enormous yellow letters on the street leading to the White House near a “ Black Lives Matter ” mural that the mayor had added a day earlier .
Theresa Bland , 68 , a retired teacher and real estate agent protesting at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus , envisioned a broader agenda .
“ I ’ m looking at affordable housing , political justice , prison reform , ” she said .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have agreed to ban chokeholds and neck restraints and require that officers stop colleagues who are using improper force .
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered the state ’ s police-training program to stop teaching officers a neck hold that blocks blood flowing to the brain .
The police chief in Bellevue , a wealthy city near Seattle , largely banned officers from using neck restraints , while police in Reno , Nevada , updated their use-of-force policy .
Congressional Democrats are preparing a sweeping package of police reforms , which is expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creating a database of use-of-force incidents .
Revamped training requirements are planned , too , among them a ban on chokeholds .
The prospects of reforms clearing a divided Congress are unclear .
While police in some places have knelt in solidarity with protesters , their treatment of some marchers also has generated more tension .
Two officers in Buffalo , New York , were charged Saturday with second-degree assault after a video earlier this week showed them shoving a 75-year-old protester , who smashed his head on the pavement .
Both pleaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were peaceful .
In London , however , clashes with police erupted after thousands gathered amid a cold rain .
In the French city of Marseille , authorities fired tear gas and pepper spray as protesters hurled bottles and rocks .
Back in North Carolina , the Rev .
Christopher Stackhouse recounted the circumstances of Floyd ’ s death for the congregation .
“ It took 8 minutes and 46 seconds for him to die , “ Stackhouse said at the memorial service .
” But it took 401 years to put the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Pritchard reported from Los Angeles and Foreman from Raeford , North Carolina .
Associated Press staff from around the world contributed to this report , including Jeff Chiu in San Francisco ; Jill Colvin in Washington ; Jeff Amy in Atlanta ; Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus , Ohio ; John Leicester in Paris ; and David Crary and Brian Mahoney in New York .

Steven Sloan, Justin Pritchard And Tom Foreman Jr. - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Hoosier National forest experiments with wood harvest debris

BLOOMINGTON , Ind .
- Looking for ways to improve the soil in the Hoosier National Forest as well as better utilize woody debris left over after timber harvests led Chad Menke , a hydrologist with the U.S. Forest Service , to try something new : making biochar .
It ’ s something that is done on some Forest Service properties in the West , where there ’ s more timber harvesting and a need to capture moisture and amend the soil .
But the biochar produced by K & K Dirtworks of Evanston was the first that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and the first in the eastern region of the Forest Service .
The first experimental site was a half-acre section within the Uniontown North Restoration Project in Crawford County .
The area had a timber harvest that left lots of woody debris , known as slack , on the compacted soil .
At most timber harvest sites , the slack is left to decay , which does eventually add nutrients to the soil .
In early May , the slack was burned in a special kiln for eight hours .
Five tons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the half-acre area , which was later seeded with native vegetation .
The area was chosen for the experiment because it isn ’ t likely to get a lot of recreational use that would disturb the soil and plantings .
“ I ’ m hoping we can utilize it in a number of applications , ” Menke said .
Those would include other timber harvests but also areas where trees are blown down due to storms and areas that have been disturbed with bare soil needing more nutrients and better filtration so plants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first test site are to create early successional habitat — with bushes , shrubs and small trees that provide habitat for many species of wildlife .
“ We ’ re using our own material left behind , ” Menke said , adding biochar also increases the growth rate of vegetation .
While holding moisture in the soil isn ’ t a real problem in the Hoosier National Forest , the biochar can help improve water quality , Menke said .
Biochar holds water in soils , helping control erosion .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since it ’ s a carbon-based product , it can mitigate climate change by increasing the carbon pool within soils .
The Hoosier National Forest is shipping samples of the biochar to the regional lab to assess how much carbon is in the finished product and the overall quality of the char produced .
Menke plans to determine how cost-effective creating and using biochar will be for the Forest Service and other agencies and landowners in Indiana and beyond .
“ We want to make it economically viable , a long-term bang for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If when a ( timber ) harvester is done , he can leave the excess ( slack ) in one place and we can figure out the cost versus benefit at each site.
” The study will continue for at least two years .
The hope is to compare the biochar area with other forest projects to see what treatments for soil are most effective and efficient .
“ I would like to see more strategies for harvests , ” Menke said , adding that the money needed for the study came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The harvests also help fund projects including water crossing improvements , invasive plant removal and building and maintaining trails .
Once an area in the national forest is harvested for timber , Menke said it ’ s left alone for 20 years or more .
“ This is to replenish what has been done , ” he said .
“ When you walk away from that replenished site , you won ’ t touch it for another 20 years .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--The two Brooklyn lawyers, the anti-police protests and the Molotov cocktail attack

NEW YORK—The day before he went out to protest , Colinford Mattis , 32 , an Ivy-educated corporate lawyer in Brooklyn , chatted for over an hour on the phone with a close high school friend .
They discussed George Floyd ’ s death as just “ another example of an unarmed black person being killed , ” the friend said , but they talked about grocery shopping and YouTube videos as well .
The next afternoon , Urooj Rahman , 31 , who is also a lawyer and Mattis ’ close friend , attended a Zoom talk about building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colour .
Rahman had recently finished fasting for Ramadan and was caring for her mother at home , also in Brooklyn .
What happened next came as a surprise to many who know the two young lawyers .
The pair took to the streets May 29 with thousands of New Yorkers who were voicing their outrage over Floyd ’ s death .
But after midnight , police officers spotted them in a tan minivan driving through the Fort Greene neighbourhood of Brooklyn .
At one point , Rahman climbed out , walked toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Molotov cocktail through its broken window , prosecutors said .
Their arrests shortly after were a startling turn for the two , who were otherwise role models in their communities .
Both children of immigrants , they rose from working-class Brooklyn neighbourhoods to win a long list of awards and campus leadership positions .
Mattis graduated from Princeton University and New York University Law School , while Rahman went to Fordham University for college and law school .
As one friend put it , they were “ NYC kids from impoverished backgrounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little over a week after their arrests , it is difficult to draw conclusions about their motivations .
If the charges prove to be true , were the two spurred by an ill-advised moment of anger — or did they act out of a deeper , darker disillusionment with the political system in the wake of Floyd ’ s death ?
A portrait of Mattis and Rahman was assembled from interviews with more than three dozen of their friends , relatives , colleagues , neighbours and former professors .
Those who knew the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passionate about social justice issues and had expressed frustration over Floyd ’ s death but never showed a desire to commit violence .
Investigators have been scrutinizing their social media accounts and personal backgrounds to determine whether the pair had been involved with groups that espoused violence , according to law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation .
But they appear to have found no evidence of such ties , and prosecutors did not offer a motive in court filings .
Still , in a video interview with Loudlabs News NYC , first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than an hour before the attack , Rahman said it was understandable for people to be in the streets and enraged about police brutality .
“ This has got to stop , and the only way they hear , the only way they hear us , is through violence , through the means that they use , ” she said .
She suggested that the destruction of police property was appropriate .
“ People are angry because the police are never held accountable , ” she said .
In the video , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to people with knowledge of the investigation , where some of the materials for the attack were purchased .
At a hearing last week , a lawyer for Rahman all but acknowledged her guilt , suggesting that the two had foolishly engaged in a reckless act .
“ This was lawless ; this was stupid , ” said the lawyer , Paul Shechtman .
“ This was two people swept up in the moment .
But it is two people with no history of violence , no criminal history at all.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said at an earlier hearing , “ The government tries to argue to this court that Mr. Mattis ’ behaviour — assuming that they can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt and conceding nothing at this point — is indicative of who Mr. Mattis is .
They are clearly wrong.
” Since the arrest of the two , friends and family members are struggling to understand what happened .
Ikenna Iheoma , the friend who spoke with Mattis the day before the protest , said they had never discussed violence against police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school , ” he said .
“ That ’ s not the lane we go to .
We try to intellectualize and come up with policy solutions.
” Friends said Mattis had sounded relatively upbeat since the coronavirus outbreak began , even after he was furloughed without pay March 31 from his job as an associate at the law firm Pryor Cashman LLP .
Mattis had been working on multimillion-dollar deals , including the acquisition last year of the fashion brand Anne Klein .
Several friends said Mattis had not told them that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did , however , tell one friend in April that he was already interviewing at other firms .
Mattis , a reliable presence at Princeton ’ s boisterous annual reunions , had been planning to attend a virtual event for his 10-year reunion on the day he was arrested , friends said .
Salmah Rizvi , who was also at the May 29 Zoom talk with Rahman , said nothing seemed unusual about Rahman ’ s recent behaviour .
“ She was in a good spiritual state this past month , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend .
“ She ’ s always been vocal about the important role of nonviolent resistance in seeking change.
” Rahman was a staff lawyer at Bronx Legal Services , helping poor tenants facing evictions .
Her supervisor , Jackeline Solivan , said she was deeply committed to the job and , like other colleagues , had been stressed about pressures on her clients caused by the outbreak .
Friends said they were not aware that the two were going to attend the protest that Friday , the second night of demonstrations in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night had been quiet , the scene at Barclays Center in Brooklyn turned chaotic on that second day .
Videos on social media showed police beating protesters with batons and protesters throwing bottles and debris at police .
In the middle of the chaos , shortly after midnight , Mattis and Rahman , while riding around in his minivan , pulled over near the 88th police precinct at Classon and DeKalb avenues .
Rahman stepped out of the passenger seat and threw a Molotov cocktail through the broken window of an empty police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to prosecutors , who said the episode was captured on surveillance video .
No one was injured .
Inside the van , police also found a Bud Light beer bottle filled with toilet paper , a liquid believed to be gasoline and a lighter .
Prosecutors said Rahman tried offering Molotov cocktails to other protesters so they could throw them .
The two were charged in Brooklyn federal court with causing damage by fire and explosives to a police vehicle .
If convicted , they face a mandatory minimum of five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rahman spent more than two days in jail , a federal magistrate judge in Brooklyn released them each on $ 250,000 bond to home confinement with GPS monitoring , describing the allegations as “ one night of behaviour.
” Prosecutors appealed the ruling twice , calling the two a danger to the community .
A federal appeals court sent them back to jail Friday , pending the outcome of their bail appeal .
Police also arrested another woman in Brooklyn , Samantha Shader , who was charged in federal court with throwing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a separate incident that night .
Four officers were able to escape from the car before any injury .
There does not appear to be a connection between the incident with Shader and the one that prosecutors said involved Mattis and Rahman .
Mattis and Rahman most likely met at a birthday party in Manhattan in October 2014 , according to a mutual friend .
Friends were not aware of romantic involvement between the two but said they were very close .
Rahman ’ s friends said her roots as an activist seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School , one of the most selective public high schools in New York .
Andrea Wangsanata , a high school classmate , recalled that Rahman was often “ vocal and adamant , advocating on the side of people who were systematically oppressed.
” Rahman was born in Pakistan and grew up in Bay Ridge , Brooklyn , a neighbourhood with a large population of Muslim immigrants .
The neighbourhood came under intense police scrutiny after the Sept. 11 terror attack , which became a defining experience for Rahman , childhood friends said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the policing in her neighbourhood .
In 2014 , she co-authored a paper titled , “ Changing the NYPD : A Progressive Blueprint for Sweeping Reform.
” Through college and law school at Fordham , she lived primarily at home with her mother .
Her father died in 2012 .
While Rahman pursued public interest law , Mattis took a more lucrative path .
Martin Guggenheim , one of Mattis ’ law professors at NYU , remembered him explaining — “ sometimes apologetically ” — that he wanted to work at a law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his family with the opportunity to have that kind of career .
Mattis grew up in East New York at a time when the neighbourhood was among the poorest and most violent in the city .
Throughout his childhood , his mother , a Jamaican immigrant who worked as a home health aide and youth counsellor at a group home , fostered several children .
He struggled with literacy in the early years of elementary school .
By middle school , he became a voracious reader , a neighbour said .
Mattis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s School in Delaware with the help of Prep for Prep , a competitive program that places high-achieving minority students in private high schools .
He later was quoted in the program ’ s admissions packet as saying he “ wanted a better future than that which was offered to me by going to my local high school.
” He was a football player in high school and briefly played rugby at Princeton , where he was also president of the Black Student Union and a member of Cap and Gown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eating clubs .
His college friends said they were particularly stunned by the allegations because he was known as a peacemaker on campus , the one who brought students of colour to parties hosted by wealthy white students .
In recent years , Mattis shared posts on Facebook drawing attention to protests against police brutality and the death of Eric Garner in police custody .
Last summer , Mattis ’ mother died of cancer .
He moved back to her house in East New York and became responsible for the three children she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been their mother ’ s dying wish .
The children are all under the age of 11 .
“ He goes to every parent-teacher conference , ” said the half-sister , Doreen Crowe .
In recent months , Mattis chatted with friends about ideas he had for improving his neighbourhood .
He sat on the community board in East New York , focusing on housing .
Bill Wilkins , who serves on the board , had high hopes for Mattis , praising his charm and intelligence .
Wilkins noted that the board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department building and that the board had recently facilitated the donation of 5,000 surgical masks to the local precinct , though Mattis had no direct role .
Wilkins , a community activist who described himself as a child of the civil rights movement , said the news of Mattis ’ arrest was upsetting .
Wilkins said his hopes for “ passing on the mantle ” to Mattis seem to have been dashed .
“ We need Colin in the struggle , ” he said , “ but not what he is alleged to @ @ @ @

Nicole Hong - The New York Times,William K. Rashbaum


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Former Florida, NFL star Reche Caldwell fatally shot

TAMPA , Fla. - Reche Caldwell , the former University of Florida and NFL receiver , was fatally shot Saturday night in his hometown .
Caldwell ’ s mother , Deborah , did not return phone messages left by The Associated Press on Sunday , but confirmed her son ’ s death to the Tampa Bay Times .
She said police told her they believe her son was ambushed outside his home in a possible robbery attempt .
The New England Patriots and Washington Redskins -- two of Caldwell ’ s stops in the NFL — and his alma mater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his family , along with former Gators coach Steve Spurrier and former Gators quarterback Rex Grossman .
Spurrier tweeted that Caldwell “ was one of the best WR ’ s in school history and was very instrumental in winning the 2000 SEC Championship.
” “ RIP Reche , ” Grossman wrote .
“ You were one of my favourite teammates of all time .
I will always remember our time at Florida for your unreal talent , infectious humour , and our shared success as a team .
You will be missed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarterback Tom Brady posted a photo tribute to his Instagram page , with one photo showing Brady and Caldwell in an on-field embrace .
The 41-year-old Caldwell was not named in a police report on the incident per Florida law , but the report said , early in the investigation , the shooting “ does not appear to be a random act.
” Caldwell was awaiting sentencing this month after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud , along with several other former NFL players .
He also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge .
Caldwell was drafted by San Diego in the second round in 2002 .
He had 152 catches for 1,851 yards and 11 touchdowns in six NFL seasons — four with the Chargers and one each with New England and Washington .
Caldwell ’ s brother Andre Caldwell also was a Florida and NFL receiver .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Thousands march in NYC as curfew ends and peace prevails

NEW YORK - Police moved barricades Sunday so protesters could approach the Trump International Hotel and Tower in midtown Manhattan as thousands continued to march against police brutality — this time without a curfew looming in the night .
Mayor Bill de Blasio lifted the city ’ s 8 p.m. curfew ahead of schedule Sunday after a peaceful night Saturday , free of the clashes or ransacking of stores that rocked the city days earlier .
“ I want to thank everybody who has expressed their views peacefully , “ de Blasio said Sunday morning .
“ I made the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honestly , I hope it ’ s the last time we will ever need a curfew in New York City.
” The curfew , New York ’ s first in decades , had been set to remain in effect through at least Sunday , with officials planning to lift it at the same time the city enters the first phase of reopening after nearly three months of shutdowns because of the coronavirus .
Hundred of protesters stood in front of NYPD officers outside Barclays Center and chanted the names of George Floyd and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no acknowledgement of the suspended curfew .
Officers looked on , most standing relaxed and without riot helmets .
Some were even smoking cigars .
The move followed New York City police pulling back on enforcing the curfew Saturday as thousands took to the streets for another day of marches and rallies sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police .
Peaceful protests continued Sunday with thousands of protesters , most of them wearing masks , walking through Manhattan chanting “ Black Lives Matter ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a black pastor at Epiphany Church in Brooklyn , mandated that participants wear a mask at a “ Pray & Protest ” march he organized Sunday with several other churches .
Attendees were offered free coronavirus testing at one of the participating churches .
“ COVID-19 hit the inner city harder than anybody else , ” Watts said .
“ And so we have to be very careful .
We ’ re the only ones in a pandemic within a pandemic.
” Catherine Corien , a 60-year-old dental hygienist in Brooklyn , held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was afraid of catching the virus , but she stood near the back of a protest in Bed-Stuy on Sunday wearing a mask and keeping some distance from other protesters .
“ I ’ m very concerned , but at the same time , a lot of people , if they are like me and decided to stay home , nothing would have happened , ” she said .
Police at multiple protests in Brooklyn on Sunday were not wearing riot masks , which had been standard at protests for the past week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vest-wearing bikers , and barricades at the Trump hotel at Columbus Circle were moved for protesters and replaced when they passed through the area .
De Blasio said police had arrested just four people and issued 24 court summonses on Saturday .
There were more than 2,000 arrests made through Friday morning , with the largest number coming on Sunday and Monday , when hundreds were arrested as the police tried to control crime in Manhattan ’ s shopping districts .
More than two hours after the curfew had passed Saturday night , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manhattan and Brooklyn , while police monitored them but took a hands-off approach .
Local politicians and civil liberties advocates had called for an end to the 8 p.m. curfew , complaining that it causes needless friction when officers try to enforce it .
But de Blasio had initially insisted the curfew would remain in place throughout the weekend .
Civil liberties organizations had threatened to sue if the curfew was extended beyond Sunday .
The end of the curfew comes as New York City prepares to begin reopening some businesses Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and retailers .
Between 200,000 and 400,000 people are expected to head back to the workplace Monday in the city .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo reiterated his call for people who have attended the protest marches to get tested for the coronavirus .
” Get a test .
Get a test , ” the governor said Sunday , adding that the state planned on opening 15 testing sites dedicated just to protesters so they can get results quickly .
“ I would act as if you were exposed , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , assume I am positive for the virus .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--A U-turn, an angry president and a fateful walk to a church

WASHINGTON - Defence Secretary Mark Esper was three blocks from the FBI ’ s Washington field office .
He had planned to confer there at a security command centre , but plans changed with an unexpected call to divert immediately .
Go the White House .
President Donald Trump wanted a briefing from him and Gen. Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , on how the military was handling security as protests grew on the streets of the nation ’ s capital .
Esper ’ s driver pulled a U-turn in the middle of the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they rushed to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue .
It was late afternoon on Monday , June 1 — one of the more consequential days of Donald Trump ’ s presidency , when he was forced to reckon with rapidly swelling demonstrations after George Floyd ’ s death in the hands of Minneapolis police officers .
This account of Trump ’ s decision-making , based on a senior defence official as well as several others in the Trump administration , offers insight into how the president was pushing for the fastest , most extreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to persuade him to take a more moderate approach .
The officials asked that their names not be used to describe sensitive deliberations .
At an Oval Office meeting late Monday morning , tempers were flaring .
Trump and some of his senior aides wanted federal troops on the streets , and fast .
Some Washington businesses had been vandalized Sunday night and St. John ’ s Church , near the White House , had sustained fire damage .
Trump was unhappy .
Some governors , and local authorities in the District of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop violence , Trump believed .
By Monday morning he was considering a dramatic move — invoking the Insurrection Act so that he could use federal troops to enforce the law .
According to a senior defence official , Trump wanted 10,000 federal troops immediately on the streets to control a situation some aides believed could escalate dangerously .
Esper and Milley , however , argued against calling out the active-duty forces , fearful that it would militarize a problem that should be handled by civilian law enforcement .
Violent elements among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were too small and manageable to justify calling out the military .
Attorney General William Barr on Sunday denied Trump asked for 10,000 troops .
When asked on Saturday , the White House would neither confirm nor deny the figure .
On Sunday , the White House director of strategic communications , Alyssa Farah , said in a tweet that Trump directed a surge of Guardsmen , not active-duty troops .
A senior White House official recalled Trump urging Esper and Milley to get as many troops as needed to secure the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night ’ s unrest , in which St. John ’ s Church sustained fire damage and some businesses were vandalized , had shown that security was inadequate .
With the president ’ s demands in mind , and hoping they could stall his move to use federal troops , Esper and Milley moved swiftly to try to get governors to send as many National Guard troops from their states as possible to supplement the roughly 1,300 District of Columbia National Guard members and a hodgepodge of Park Police , Secret Service and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Because of the District of Columbia ’ s special status and its dizzying mix of jurisdictions , the FBI field office had been selected to serve as a command post to co-ordinate the movements and functions of various security forces .
Attorney General William Barr was in charge .
That ’ s why Esper was headed there from the Pentagon on Monday afternoon when he got the call to go see Trump again .
Milley had gone to the command centre , also .
And figuring he had seen the last of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he made a decision he later regretted — changing from his dress uniform , which is standard for a White House visit , to his battle fatigues , everyday wear at the Pentagon and when mixing with troops .
Milley figured he would have a long night , including time with troops on the street .
Another surprise was in store for Esper and Milley when they reached the White House .
After meetings , Trump went to the Rose Garden , where he noted Americans ’ revulsion at Floyd ’ s death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law and order.
” “ In recent days , our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists , violent mobs , arsonists , looters , criminals , rioters , antifa and others , ” he said .
“ A number of state and local governments have failed to take necessary action to safeguard their residents.
” That failure , in Trump ’ s view , made it urgent to get more security on the streets , even if it meant using active-duty forces , about 1,300 of which had been moved to military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in case .
Esper and Milley , joined by Barr , opposed the use of federal troops at that point .
To Esper , a failure to get more Guard troops called up would mean there would be active-duty troops all over the country confronting protesters , a scene he and Milley saw as unwise and untenable .
After Trump finished his remarks in the Rose Garden he gathered aides and officials , including Esper and Milley , for a walk across Lafayette Park to St. John ’ s Church .
The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photographers .
Critics would slam both Esper and Milley for their presence at the photo op — especially with Milley in battle fatigues .
The scene fed a perception that Milley was giving tangible meaning to Trump ’ s threat to use the military on city streets , and that Esper was allowing himself to be used to advance a political agenda .
Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Missouri officer investigated after police SUV strikes man

DELLWOOD , Mo .
- A police officer from a St. Louis suburb has been suspended and is under investigation by local and federal authorities after a video was released that appears to show a police SUV knocking a man to the ground and striking him before arresting the man .
St. Louis County police say the incident involving an officer from Florissant happened around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday in Dellwood , Missouri .
The events were captured by a resident ’ s doorbell camera , according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch .
The video shows the police SUV striking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Then the officer jumps on top of the man and appears to hit him before cuffing him .
“ After seeing that video , I was deeply concerned about the content of it , ” Florissant Police Chief Tim Fagan said at a news conference .
Fagan said he hadn ’ t seen the video until Saturday , four days after the incident .
“ We want the same answers that the public does , ” he said .
Florissant police spokesman Steve Michael said the 31-year-old detective who was driving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has been suspended .
Two other officers have also been put on leave .
Fagan said the man in the video was treated at the hospital for an ankle injury .
Fagan said the man and others with him face charges for drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest .
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said a special prosecutor has been appointed in the case because a relative of one of his staffers was at the scene of the incident .
St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar ’ s office is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St. Louis County police and the FBI .
“ I haven ’ t seen anything yet other than the video , ” Lohmar said Saturday .
“ We ’ re just waiting for the reports to come in but what I ’ ve seen is pretty shocking.
” U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen issued a statement saying his office , the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice and the FBI are aware of the case and will review the evidence to determine what federal response is warranted .
“ Experienced prosecutors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter for potential federal civil rights violations , ” Jensen said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Man charged in slaying of retired St. Louis police captain

ST. LOUIS - A 24-year-old St. Louis man has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a retired police captain who died on a night of violent protests while trying to protect his friend ’ s pawn shop , the city ’ s prosecutor announced Sunday Stephan Cannon was being held without bond on a first-degree murder charge in the death of David Dorn , 77 , who was killed Tuesday on the sidewalk outside Lee ’ s Pawn and Jewelry .
Dorn ’ s last moments were caught on video and apparently posted on Facebook Live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken down .
Dorn ’ s death came on a violent night in St. Louis , where four officers were shot , officers were pelted with rocks and fireworks , and 55 businesses were burglarized or damaged , including a convenience store that burned .
The unrest came as cities across the U.S. have seen protests and violence since George Floyd died May 25 after a white Minneapolis officer pressed his knee into Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes , even after the handcuffed black man stopped moving and pleading for air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , Cannon was among those seen on surveillance footage entering the store and then stealing several televisions , The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported .
Dorn , a friend of the pawn shop ’ s owner who was in the habit of checking on the business when alarms went off , arrived at the store .
Cannon then walked toward the street corner with gun in his hand .
“ At the time the shots were fired , ( Cannon ) was the only person standing at that corner , ” the probable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of smoke ” can be seen coming from where Cannon was standing , and shell casings were found on the spot , police said .
Cannon also faces several other charges including robbery and felon in possession of a firearm .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Curfews lift, police show less force amid peaceful protests

NEW YORK - With New York City poised to reopen after a more than two-month coronavirus shutdown , officials on Sunday lifted a curfew that was in place amid protests of police brutality and racial injustice .
But they also urged that demonstrators be tested for COVID-19 .
“ Get a test .
Get a test , ” New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo told people who have been participating in rallies and marches in memory of George Floyd .
“ I would act as if you were exposed , and I would tell people you are interacting with , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Cuomo said the state would open 15 testing sites dedicated to protesters so they can get results quickly .
His call for demonstrators to proceed carefully is similar to those made in Seattle , San Francisco and Atlanta following massive demonstrations , with free testing for protesters .
New York has been the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak , with black communities hit especially hard .
The Rev .
Brandon Watts of Epiphany Church in Brooklyn , was mindful of the pandemic while organizing a “ Pray & Protest ” march with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters wear masks , and he came with boxes of them .
Attendees also were offered free coronavirus tests at one church .
“ COVID-19 hit the inner city harder than anybody else , ” Watts said .
“ And so we have to be very careful .
We ’ re the only ones in a pandemic within a pandemic.
” In addition to suffering disproportionately from the the virus , the black community also has been roiled by the death of Floyd , a black man who died after a white officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arresting him .
Floyd ’ s death sparked massive protests throughout the country and renewed calls to reform policing in America .
A majority of the City Council in Minneapolis , where Floyd died , said Sunday they support disbanding the police department .
A heavy-handed police response to protesters in many places has underscored what critics have maintained : Law enforcement is militarized and too often uses excessive force .
Cities imposed curfews as several protests last week were marred by spasms of arson , assaults and smash-and-grab raids on businesses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the country since protests began , sometimes after violent confrontations with officers .
Videos have surfaced of officers in riot gear using tear gas or physical force against even peaceful demonstrators .
But recent U.S. protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful — and over the weekend , several police departments appeared to retreat from aggressive tactics .
Several cities have also lifted their curfews , including Chicago and New York City , which is preparing to enter its first phase of reopening after virus shutdowns .
Up to 400,000 people are expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Last night was the best by far , ” Mayor Bill de Blasio said .
“ We had the biggest number of protesters , the fewest arrests , the fewest problems and that convinced me it was time for the curfew to go away.
” In Compton , California , several thousand protesters , some on horseback , peacefully demonstrated Sunday through the city , just south of Los Angeles .
The only law enforcement presence was about a dozen sheriff ’ s deputies , who watched without engaging .
A similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protesters converged on San Francisco ’ s Golden Gate Bridge .
Tow trucks held off car traffic , and police directed vehicles caught in the middle to go around protesters .
For the first time since protests popped up in New York more than a week ago , most NYPD officers were not wearing riot helmets as they watched over marches and rallies .
Police moved the barricades at the Trump hotel at Columbus Circle in Manhattan for protesters and replaced when they passed through the area .
Mayor de Blasio said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued 24 court summonses on Saturday — in stark contrast to more than 2,000 arrests made through Friday morning .
Even at Brooklyn ’ s Barclays Center , which has been the site of numerous faceoffs between protesters and police , officers stood by casually as hundreds of protesters gathered to observe a moment of silence for George Floyd .
Some officers even shook hands and posed for photos with motorcyclists at the rally .
In Washington , D.C. , National Guard troops from South Carolina were seen checking out of their hotel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was giving the order to withdraw them from the nation ’ s capital .
At the newly renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House , protesters posed with the street sign and the yellow block lettering painted on the pavement by the city .
As ice cream truck jingles mixed with protest chats , the district ’ s Metropolitan Police Department patrolled .
Meanwhile , a majority of city council members in Minneapolis vowed to radically overhaul policing .
Council Member Jeremiah Ellison went so far as to promise the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state of Minnesota launched a civil rights investigation of the department last week , and the first concrete changes came Friday when the city agreed to ban chokeholds and neck restraints .
“ It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe , ” said Lisa Bender , the council president .
“ Our efforts at incremental reform have failed , period.
” ?
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told protesters outside his house that he doesn ’ t support the “ full abolition ” of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Shame !
Shame !
“ Floyd ’ s body arrived in Texas for a third and final memorial service , said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo .
A viewing is planned for Monday in Houston , followed by a service and burial Tuesday in suburban Pearland .
The 46-year-old out-of-work bouncer ’ s death at the hands of police has drawn new attention to the treatment of African Americans by law enforcement — in the United States and around the world .
At Atlanta Motor Speedway , NASCAR paused before Sunday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests , in a remarkable moment for the sport with its roots in the South and one-time embrace of Confederate symbols .
During warm-up laps , the 40 cars pulled to a stop in front of the empty grandstands , and NASCAR President Steve Phelps spoke .
“ The black community and all people of colour have suffered in our country , and it has taken far too long for us to hear their demands for change , “ Phelps said .
” Our sport must do better .
Our country must do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tore down a statue of Edward Colston , a 17th century slave trader , and pushed it into the harbour of the port city in southwestern England .
A crowd estimated at 10,000 , many in face masks , filled a square in Brussels , holding white roses and signs decrying racism .
And outside the new U.S. Embassy in London , student Darcy Bourne said the demonstration was about “ more than just George Floyd , more than just America , but racism all around the world.
” Kruesi reported from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boise , Idaho .
Associated Press writers around the world contributed .

Jake Seiner, Kimberlee Kruesi And Lisa Marie Pane - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--When protesters cry ‘defund the police,’ what does it mean?

WASHINGTON - Protesters are pushing to “ defund the police “ over the death of George Floyd and other black Americans killed by law enforcement .
Their chant has become rallying cry — and a stick for President Donald Trump to use on Democrats as he portrays them as soft on crime .
But what does “ defund the police ” mean ?
It ’ s not necessarily about gutting police department budgets .
WHAT IS THE ‘ DEFUND THE POLICE ’ MOVEMENT ?
Supporters say it isn ’ t about eliminating police departments or stripping agencies of all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for the country to address systemic problems in policing in America and spend more on what communities across the U.S. need , like housing and education .
State and local governments spent $ 115 billion on policing in 2017 , according to data compiled by the Urban Institute .
“ Why can ’ t we look at how it is that we reorganize our priorities , so people don ’ t have to be in the streets during a national pandemic ?
“ Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza asked during an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press .
The group MPD150 , which says it is “ working towards a police-free Minneapolis , ” argues that such action would be more about “ strategically reallocating resources , funding , and responsibility away from police and toward community-based models of safety , support , and prevention.
” “ The people who respond to crises in our community should be the people who are best-equipped to deal with those crises , ” the group wrote on its website .
WHAT ARE LAWMAKERS SAYING ?
Sen. Cory Booker said he understands the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not a slogan he will use .
The New Jersey Democrat told NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press ” that he shares a feeling with many protesters that Americans are “ over-policed ” and that “ we are investing in police , which is not solving problems , but making them worse when we should be , in a more compassionate country , in a more loving country.
” Rep. Karen Bass , D-Calif. , chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus , said part of the movement is really about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I don ’ t believe that you should disband police departments , ” she said in an interview with CNN .
“ But I do think that , in cities , in states , we need to look at how we are spending the resources and invest more in our communities .
“ Maybe this is an opportunity to re-envision public safety , ” she said .
President Donald Trump and his campaign view the emergence of the “ Defund the Police ” slogan as a spark of opportunity during what has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s response to the protests has sparked widespread condemnation .
But now his supporters say the new mantra may make voters , who may be otherwise sympathetic to the protesters , recoil from a “ radical ” idea .
Trump seized on the slogan last week as he spoke at an event in Maine .
“ They ’ re saying defund the police , “ he said .
“ Defund .
Think of it .
When I saw it , I said , ‘ What are you talking about ?
’ ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any police , ’ they say .
You don ’ t want police ?
” Trump ’ s 2016 campaign was built on a promise of ensuring law and order — often in contrast to protests against his rhetoric that followed him across the country .
As he seeks reelection , Trump is preparing to deploy the same argument again — and seems to believe the “ defund the police ” call has made the campaign applause line all the more real for his supporters .
IS THERE ANY PUSH TO ACTUALLY DEFUND @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least to reduce their budgets in some major cities .
In New York City , Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday that the city would move funding from the NYPD to youth initiatives and social services , while keeping the city safe , but he didn ’ t give details .
In Los Angeles , Mayor Eric Garcetti vowed to cut as much as $ 150 million that was part of a planned increase in the police department ’ s budget .
A Minneapolis city councilmember said in a tweet on Thursday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we approach public safety and emergency response.
” “ We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department , ” Jeremiah Ellison wrote .
“ And when we ’ re done , we ’ re not simply gon na glue it back together.
“ He did not explain what would replace the police department .
A majority of the members of the Minneapolis City Council said Sunday they support disbanding the city ’ s police department .
Nine of the council ’ s 12 members appeared with activists at a rally in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end policing as the city currently knows it .
“ It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe , ” Lisa Bender , the council president , said .
“ Our efforts at incremental reform have failed , period.
” Disbanding an entire department has happened before .
In 2012 , with crime rampant in Camden , New Jersey , the city disbanded its police department and replaced it with a new force that covered Camden County .
Compton , California , took the same step in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles County .
HOW HAVE POLICE OFFICIALS AND UNIONS RESPONDED ?
Generally , police and union officials have long resisted cuts to police budgets , arguing that it would make cities less safe .
The Los Angeles Police Protective League , the union for the city ’ s rank-and-file officers , said budget cuts would be the “ quickest way to make our neighbourhoods more dangerous.
” “ Cutting the LAPD budget means longer responses to 911 emergency calls , officers calling for back-up won ’ t get it , and rape , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occur or will take forever to initiate , let alone complete , ” the union ’ s board said in a statement last week .
“ At this time , with violent crime increasing , a global pandemic and nearly a week ’ s worth of violence , arson , and looting , ‘ defunding ’ the LAPD is the most irresponsible thing anyone can propose.
” Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington and Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--Minneapolis council majority backs disbanding police force

MINNEAPOLIS - A majority of the members of the Minneapolis City Council said Sunday they support disbanding the city ’ s police department , an aggressive stance that comes just as the state has launched a civil rights investigation after George Floyd ’ s death .
Nine of the council ’ s 12 members appeared with activists at a rally in a city park Sunday afternoon and vowed to end policing as the city currently knows it .
Council member Jeremiah Ellison promised that the council would “ dismantle ” the department .
“ It is clear that our system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe , ” Lisa Bender , the council president , said .
“ Our efforts at incremental reform have failed , period.
” Bender went on to say she and the eight other council members that joined the rally are committed to ending the city ’ s relationship with the police force and “ to end policing as we know it and recreate systems that actually keep us safe.
” Floyd , a handcuffed black man , died May 25 after a white officer pressed his knee into Floyd ’ s neck , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breathe ” cries and holding it there even after Floyd stopped moving .
His death sparked protests — some violent , many peaceful — that spread nationwide .
Community activists have criticized the Minneapolis department for years for what they say is a racist and brutal culture that resists change .
The state of Minnesota launched a civil rights investigation of the department last week , and the first concrete changes came Friday in a stipulated agreement in which the city agreed to ban chokeholds and neck restraints .
A more complete remaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in coming months .
Disbanding an entire department has happened before .
In 2012 , with crime rampant in Camden , New Jersey , the city disbanded its police department and replaced it with a new force that covered Camden County .
Compton , California , took the same step in 2000 , shifting its policing to Los Angeles County .
It was a step that then-Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department was considering for Ferguson , Missouri , after the death of Michael Brown .
The city eventually reached an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required massive reforms overseen by a court-appointed mediator .
The move to defund or abolish the Minneapolis department is far from assured , with the civil rights investigation likely to unfold over the next several months .
On Saturday , activists for defunding the department staged a protest outside Mayor Jacob Frey ’ s home .
Frey came out to talk with them .
“ I have been coming to grips with my own responsibility , my own failure in this , “ Frey said .
When pressed on whether he supported their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not support the full abolition of the police department.
” At another march Saturday during which leaders called for defunding the department , Verbena Dempster said she supported the idea .
“ I think , honestly , we ’ re too far past ” the chance for reform , Dempster told Minnesota Public Radio .
“ We just have to take down the whole system .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-07--FBI looks for link between 2 ambush killings of officers

SANTA CRUZ , Calif. - The FBI and local investigators are trying to determine a possible link between the ambush-style killing of a Northern California sheriff ’ s deputy Saturday night and that of a federal officer who was fatally shot outside the U.S. courthouse in Oakland more than a week ago .
The FBI office in San Francisco confirmed Sunday its investigators were working with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’ s Department to determine a possible motive and links to other crimes committed in the San Francisco Bay Area , including the attack that killed a Federal Protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on May 29 .
Both involved shooters in a van .
An active-duty U.S. Air Force sergeant has been arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting Santa Cruz Sheriff ’ s Sgt .
Damon Gutzwiller , 38 , and wounding two other officers Saturday .
Gutzwiller “ was a beloved figure here at the sheriff ’ s office , ” Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said .
“ Damon showed up today to do his job , to keep this community safe , and his life was taken needlessly , “ a visibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies responded to a 911 call around 1:30 p.m. about a suspicious van in Ben Lomond — an unincorporated area near Santa Cruz .
The caller said there were guns and bomb-making devices inside , Hart said .
When deputies arrived , the van pulled away and the deputies followed .
The van went down a driveway at a home , and the deputies were ambushed by gunfire and explosives after getting out of their vehicle .
Gutzwiller was wounded and later died at a hospital .
Another deputy was wounded by gunfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the suspect fled .
A third officer from the California Highway Patrol was shot in his hand , Hart said .
The suspect , 32-year-old Steven Carrillo , attempted a carjacking and also was shot during his arrest , Hart said .
He was being treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries .
Hart said Carrillo will be charged with first-degree murder .
Carrillo had arrived at Travis Air Force Base , 50 miles ( 81 kilometres ) northeast of San Francisco , in June 2018 and was a member of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman said .
Carrillo ’ s wife Monika Leigh Scott Carrillo , who was also in the Air Force , was found dead in an off-base hotel in May 2018 while she was stationed in South Carolina .
She was 30 .
Her death was investigated by the Sumter County Sheriff ’ s Office , in co-ordination with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations , and ruled a suicide , according to the Air Force .
The FBI has been trying to identify a suspect and motive in the drive-by shooting outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed Dave Patrick Underwood , 53 , and critically wounded another contracted security officer employed by the Department of Homeland Security ’ s Federal Protective Service .
They had been monitoring a nearby protest over the death of George Floyd .
Surveillance cameras captured a white Ford van believed to be driven by the shooter or shooters .
The FBI said the vehicle did not appear to have license plates .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom extended condolences to Gutzwiller ’ s family and ordered flags at the Capitol to be flown at half-staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He will be remembered as a hero who devoted his life to protecting the community and as a loving husband and father , ” Newsom said in a statement .
The shooting shocked Ben Lomond , a town of about 6,000 people tucked up in the Santa Cruz mountains .
Resident Kathy Crocker brought a bouquet to the sheriff ’ s office as Hart gave a news conference about the shootings .
“ It just breaks my heart that this keeps happening , ” she said , as teary-eyed deputies entered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gutzwiller ’ s young son and widow , attended a vigil Sunday at 2:26 p.m. , the time authorities received the call the day before that he had been shot .
There was a long applause when the sheriff acknowledged the community ’ s support for law enforcement officers .
Hart said Gutzwiller never had a citizen ’ s complaint in his 14 years with the department , and praised the sergeant ’ s community approach to policing .
“ He was kind , patient , caring , empathetic .
He can take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he would rather communicate his way through any problem that was in front of him , ” Hart said .
This story has been corrected to reflect that the suspect is 32 , not 38 .