thetorontostar--2020-10-12--In India, top US diplomat calls China ‘elephant in the room’

NEW DELHI - A top U.S. envoy speaking in New Delhi has called China “ an elephant in the room ” and said Washington is keen to advance India ’ s interests across the Indo-Pacific region .
Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said the U.S. was exploring ways to empower India without altering what he called New Delhi ’ s “ strong and proud tradition of strategic autonomy.
“ Biegun spoke Monday in New Delhi at the opening session of the India-U.S. Forum as his three-day visit to India kicked off .
“ India has a strong and proud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respect that .
We do not seek to change India ’ s traditions , ” he said .
“ Rather we want to explore how to empower them and India ’ s ability to defend its own sovereignty and democracy and to advance Indian interests , across the Indo-Pacific region.
” Biegun ’ s visit follows a meeting last week between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his counterparts from India , Japan and Australia in Tokyo , who together make up the four Indo-Pacific nations known as the Quad .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , who critics say is flexing its military muscle in the South China Sea , East China Sea , Taiwan Strait and along its northern border with India .
Beijing also faces criticism over its handling of the initial outbreak of the coronavirus as well as its human rights .
Pompeo , whose nation is locked in a trade war with Beijing , had said China ’ s increasingly assertive actions across the region make it more critical than ever for the Quad to co-operate and protect their partners and people from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Biegun ’ s New Delhi visit follows a recent flareup in military tensions between China and India over their disputed mountainous border in the Ladakh region .
China routinely denies criticism of its human rights record as well as its handling of the virus .
It says concern over its military is unfounded and counters by saying the U.S. is the biggest impediment to peace in places like the South China Sea .
Biegun noted Monday that Washington has increased military equipment sales and intelligence sharing with India .
“ But there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including strengthening India ’ s ability to defend itself and by promoting interoperability among our militaries , ” he said .
Biegun cautioned about the rise of China in the region .
“ Of course , as we advance in this direction , there is an elephant in the room : China , ” he said .
Biegun said that the partnership between the four Quad countries is driven by “ shared interests , not binding obligations , and is not intended to be an exclusive grouping.
” “ Any country that seeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to take steps to ensure that , should be welcome to work with us , ” he said .
Biegun is expected to lay the groundwork for the “ 2+2 ” dialogue during his visit to India between Pompeo and U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper and their Indian counterparts External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh later this month .

Sheikh Saaliq And Aijaz Hussain - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-12--Mexico City marks Columbus Day without statue of Columbus

MEXICO CITY - Mexicans have never had much affection for Cristopher Columbus , and officials were being coy about why his statue was removed from the capital ’ s main boulevard over the weekend before Monday ’ s observances of Columbus Day , which saw protests in several Latin American nations .
Unlike in other cities where monuments to the 15th century explorer have been toppled by protesters , in Mexico City the 19th century bronze statue was gently lifted off its pedestal with a crane and taken away for restoration .
But leaders danced around the question of when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said it was just a coincidence it was removed just before the anniversary of Columbus ’ arrival in the Americas — known in the Spanish-speaking world as “ Día de la Raza.
” In past years , leftist and indigenous groups have spray-painted the statue on Oct. 12 , as well as during many other protests , and had appeared likely to do so again this year .
“ As far as I know , they took the statue down to restore it .
And , yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s date , but that should not be misinterpreted.
” López Obrador said , while acknowledging “ it is a date that is very controversial and lends itself to conflicting ideas and political conflicts.
” In Mexico ’ s western state of Michoacan , a coalition of largely Purepecha communities marked Monday by blocking roads leading into their territories and issued a statement saying that “ we were not ‘ discovered ’ ... our lands were invaded and looted , not discovered.
” Elsewhere in the region , an unauthorized march in support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Mapuche , erupted into clashes when police attempted to stop the demonstration .
The Mapuche long resisted the Spanish conquerors , and later the Chilean government , and the march is held annually to bring attention to their plight and reiterate their claims to recover ancestral lands .
In Bolivia , protesters painted a statue of Columbus red to symbolize the blood of Indigenous peoples and also dressed a statue of Queen Elizabeth I in the clothes of an Indigenous Chola woman during demonstrations on what is known there as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obrador both rails against the conquest and has a keen appreciation of history , asking Mexicans “ not to take their anger out on statues.
” He again demanded over the weekend that Spain and the Roman Catholic Church apologize for abuses committed during the conquest of Mexico in the 1500s , though Spain already refused to apologize in 2019 .
The National Institute of Anthropology and History , which oversees such monuments , said only that “ the date for returning the statue will de determined by the Mexico City government ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one other less prominent statue of Columbus in the capital , but it is in a little-visited median strip .
Even so , a group of protesters gathered Monday and tried to reach that statue , but were driven back by police .
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum declined to say much about the fate of the main statue removed over the weekend .
“ Maybe now that it is being restored and all , it would be worth while reflecting on what it represents , ” she said .
On whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheinbaum said : “ I am not saying no , I am not saying yes .
I do not even think the mayor should make that decision alone ; I think a debate should be opened.
” She also brought up the question of whether streets in the city should continue to bear the names of brutal Spanish conquistadores like Pedro de Alvarado , one of Hernán Cortes ’ officers blamed for a massacre of people in Tenochtitlan , the Aztech capital that became Mexico City .
A stretch of the Mexico-Tacuba causeway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Americas , bears the name “ Puente de Alvarado ” after the conquistador .
“ I think it would be worthwhile for historians and the public and everybody to reflect on that , in light of next year , ” Sheinbaum said — 2021 is the 700th anniversary of the founding of Tenochtitlan , the 500th anniversary of its fall to Cortes , and the 200th anniversary of the victory of Mexico ’ s 1810-1821 independence struggle against Spain .
On Monday , just two days after the statue was removed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the monument were already daubed with graffiti reading “ Christopher Columbus , murderer !
“ , “ To the junkyard !
” and “ We brought him down !
” Most Mexicans have some indigenous ancestry and are keenly aware that during and after the conquest millions of Indigenous people died from violence and disease .
“ I don ’ t agree with having that kind of monument on the streets because I think they represent oppression , ” Viridiana Chacon , a marketing specialist , said Saturday as she passed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But some Mexicans fear the government is falling into the same old trap of tearing down historical landmarks , like the 1860s reformist government that fought the church ’ s immense power and demolished colonial-era religious buildings in Mexico City .
“ Everything seems to suggest they want to commemorate the 500th anniversary by using the old methods , ” columnist Héctor De Mauleón wrote in the newspaper El Universal .
“ The problem is that history can not be buried , what can be erased is memory , which is something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and whose loss it will have to answer for.
” On Saturday , López Obrador published an open letter to Pope Francis saying , “ The Catholic Church , the Spanish monarchy and the Mexican government should make a public apology for the offensive atrocities that Indigenous people suffered.
“

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thetorontostar--2020-10-12--Protesters knock down Roosevelt, Lincoln statues in Portland

PORTLAND , Ore. - Protesters in Portland overturned statues of former Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln and vandalized the Oregon Historical Society in a declaration of “ rage ” toward Columbus Day .
Protest organizers dubbed the event “ Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage , ” in response to Monday ’ s federal holiday named after 15th-century Italian explorer Christopher Columbus , a polarizing figure who Native American advocates have said spurred centuries of genocide against indigenous populations in the Americas .
The group Sunday night threw chains around Roosevelt ’ s statue , officially titled “ Theodore Roosevelt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paint on the monument and used a blowtorch on the statue ’ s base , news outlets reported .
The statue was pulled down by the crowd just before 9 p.m .
The group later turned their attention toward Lincoln ’ s statue , pulling it down about eight minutes later .
Historians have said Roosevelt expressed hostility toward Native Americans , once saying : “ I don ’ t go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians , but I believe nine out of every 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 38 ” on the base of Lincoln ’ s statue , referencing the 38 Dakota men Lincoln approved to have hanged after the men were involved in a violent conflict with white settlers in Minnesota .
After toppling the statues , the crowd smashed windows at the Oregon Historical Society and later moved onto the Portland State University Campus Public Safety office .
A quilt sewn by 15 Black women from Portland in the mid-1970s was among the items damaged , Oregon Historical Society executive director Kerry Tymchuk said Monday in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bicentennial Commemorative Quilt honours a Black individual or moment in history .
The quilt that had been given to the museum for safekeeping was found a few blocks away and will be assessed for damage , Tymchuk said .
“ As we clean up broken glass , scrub paint , and make plans to ensure safety in our building , we also , as always , welcome critique of our work , ” Tymchuk wrote .
“ We would be grateful to have constructive feedback from all those who are willing and able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an Oregon story that is meaningful to all Oregonians.
” Three people were arrested by police who said in a statement that multiple businesses were damaged , including a restaurant that had at least two bullets fired through its front windows .
In New Mexico , protesters on Monday tore down a historical monument as part of demonstrations in the state and in neighbouring Arizona meant to mark Indigenous Peoples Day .
Protesters used a rope and chain to topple an obelisk in Santa Fe long a point of contention for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died in battle with “ savage Indians.
” The monuments are the latest statues to come down in a wave of removed monuments and protests sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .


thetorontostar--2020-10-12--NYC virus lockdown protest leader ordered away from reporter

NEW YORK - A leader of protests against new coronavirus restrictions in Brooklyn was ordered Monday to stay away from a journalist who was chased and trapped by a crowd .
Judge Edwin Novillo told Heshy Tischler , who is charged with inciting people to riot and unlawful imprisonment of a journalist , that he would be subject to getting arrested again if he had any contact — or had someone else get into contact on his behalf , including through social media — with Jewish Insider journalist Jacob Kornbluh Tischler , a City Council candidate and activist in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been arrested in connection with his actions during an Oct. 7 street protest .
Video shows a crowd of men , egged on by Tischler , surrounding , jostling and taunting Kornbluh , who has been reporting on resistance to social distancing in the neighbourhood .
Tischler , who was not wearing a mask , can be seen screaming in Kornbluh ’ s face .
Kornbluh , who is also an Orthodox Jew , said he was struck and kicked during the incident .
Tischler called his arrest a “ political stunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he believed his interactions with Kornbluh were protected by the First Amendment .
In another act of intimidation , several dozen men gathered outside Kornbluh ’ s apartment late Sunday to protest Tischler ’ s arrest .
On Monday , during the video hearing , Tischler ’ s attorney Abraham Hoschander protested against the judge implementing the order of protection against his client , saying he “ poses no danger whatsoever.
“ Tischler was released on his own recognizance and ordered to return to court on April 27 .
Large protests erupted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Cuomo announced new restrictions on schools , businesses and houses of worship in areas where coronavirus infection rates have increased .
The majority of the areas facing lockdowns are home to large Orthodox Jewish populations , and religious leaders have complained of being singled out .
The spike in cases coincided with the back-to-back Jewish holidays in late September .
Cuomo said Sunday that the so-called cluster areas contain 2.8 % of the state ’ s population , yet have had 17.6 % of all positive confirmed cases reported this past week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in those areas to abide by the restrictions even though the new rules ban large gatherings in synagogues .
Tischler has led some of the opposition , cutting the chains off playgrounds in the spring after they were ordered closed by the state and recently disrupting a news conference by the head of the city ’ s hospital system .


thetorontostar--2020-10-12--Trump, Biden try to line up by Fauci as they court voters

President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden are both looking to harness the credibility of America ’ s best-known infectious disease expert , Dr. Anthony Fauci , as they make their case to American voters .
Trump is quoting him out of context , the doctor says .
Biden , for his part , is eagerly promising to seek Fauci ’ s advice if elected .
Overall , it ’ s an uncomfortable season for Fauci , who ’ s been studiously apolitical over a five-decade career in public health .
The doctor is calling out the Trump campaign for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it into a campaign ad to suggest Fauci is in the president ’ s corner .
Biden is taking every opportunity to associate himself with the doctor ’ s positions .
Look no further than poll numbers on trustworthiness for the candidates — and Fauci — to understand the interest in lining up with the doctor .
A Kaiser Family Foundation poll in September showed 68 % of Americans have a great deal or a fair amount of trust in Fauci to provide reliable information on the coronavirus .
That compares with 52 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do that and just 40 % for Trump .
Trump ’ s reelection campaign began airing an ad last week that includes a snippet from a March interview in which Fauci says , “ I can ’ t imagine that … anybody could be doing more ” to contain the virus .
It sounds as if the doctor is praising the president , but Fauci says he was speaking more generally of the federal government response .
Biden has treated Fauci ’ s opinion over the course of the pandemic as gospel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci ” as they weigh loosening COVID-19 restrictions in their states .
He also promises to ask Fauci , the longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , to stay on as a coronavirus task force adviser if he wins next month ’ s election .
His running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris , at last week ’ s vice-presidential debate said she would wait for guidance from Fauci before deciding whether it ’ s safe to take a vaccine once one becomes available .
“ The fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is revealing , ” said Steven Webster , an Indiana University political scientist .
“ It sort of serves as a microcosm of where we ’ re at in American politics : Americans at either side of the political divide can look at the same thing and come away with vastly different interpretations of it.
” Dr. Deborah Birx , the head of the White House coronavirus task force , told The Associated Press in an interview Monday that “ public health is not a political issue and I think Dr. Fauci and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our very core values in bringing a message of public health and frankly a message of hope that we know what to do to control this virus .
This has never been a political message .
” The attempt by Trump to claim Fauci ’ s approval has clearly rankled the doctor .
“ In my nearly five decades of public service , I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate , ” Fauci said in a statement on Sunday .
“ The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials.
” Fauci told CNN on Monday that the campaign should take down the ad , calling it “ really unfortunate and really disappointing that they did that.
” He told CNBC that “ obviously there are a lot of things that are going on that you would prefer did not happen , like the ad , which put me in a political context.
” He also bristled when asked in a July interview with The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in touch with him .
“ No , ” Fauci replied .
“ I mean I think they know better .
That I ’ m in a sensitive position.
” The Trump campaign refuses to take down its ad , stressing that the comments are Fauci ’ s “ own words.
” “ The words spoken are accurate , and directly from Dr. Fauci ’ s mouth , ” said Trump campaign spokeswoman Erin Perrine .
Biden , at a campaign event in Toledo , noted the irony that Trump was claiming praise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called out a Sept. 26 Rose Garden where Trump announced his choice for the Supreme Court .
Several who attended the announcement , including Trump , later tested positive for coronavirus .
“ Dr .
Fauci referred to the president ’ s announcement to the Supreme Court in the Rose Garden as a super spreader event , ” Biden said “ And how is he responding ?
He ’ s running a national ad , quoting Dr. Fauci out of context.
” Trump ’ s embrace of Fauci in the last lap of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an up-and-down relationship .
Though Fauci often took pains to avoid appearing to criticize the president , his disapproval of the president ’ s handling of the pandemic has slipped through from time to time .
In April , Fauci set off Trump by saying that more lives could have been saved if the U.S. government had acted more quickly .
“ If we had right from the very beginning shut everything down , it may have been a little different , ” he said .
“ But there was a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then.
” Later that day , Trump retweeted a call to # FireFauci , raising questions about whether Fauci ’ s job was in jeopardy .
The following day , Fauci took the podium at the briefing to say he had used the “ wrong choice of words.
” In July , Fauci , in a podcast interview , contradicted Trump ’ s claim that the U.S. was doing a great job in stemming the virus .
“ As a country , when you compare us to other countries , I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re doing great , ” Fauci said .
“ I mean , we ’ re just not.
” Trump later said Fauci had “ made a lot of mistakes.
” White House aides even circulated anti-Fauci talking points to reporters , a list of moments when they said Fauci ’ s opinion had been off base .
Brian Ott , a Missouri State University communications professor and co-author of the book “ The Twitter Presidency : Donald J. Trump and the Politics of White Rage , ” said Trump ’ s attempt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but hardly surprising .
“ He is more than willing to make whatever argument or case he thinks will help him get reelected regardless of how it tracks with past behaviour or statements , ” Ott said .
Fauci did comment that he “ absolutely ” would be willing to stay on next year regardless of how the election turns out .
“ I ’ m not gon na walk away from this outbreak no matter who ’ s the president , ” he told CNBC .
Associated Press writers Hannah Fingerhut in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Michael Casey in Boston contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-12--Joe Morgan, driving force of Big Red Machine, dies at 77

CINCINNATI - At 5-foot-7 , he was the smallest cog in the Big Red Machine .
And to his star-powered teammates , Joe Morgan was a driving force , too .
Morgan , the Hall of Fame second baseman who became the sparkplug of dominant Cincinnati teams in the mid-1970s and the prototype for baseball ’ s artificial turf era , has died .
He was 77 .
He died at his home Sunday in Danville , California , family spokesman James Davis said in statement Monday .
Morgan was suffering from a nerve condition , a form of polyneuropathy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best baseball player I played against or saw , ” Reds Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench texted to The Associated Press .
Morgan ’ s death marked the latest among major league greats this year : Whitey Ford , Bob Gibson , Lou Brock , Tom Seaver and Al Kaline .
“ All champions .
This hurts the most , ” Bench said .
Morgan was a two-time NL Most Valuable Player , a 10-time All-Star and won five Gold Gloves .
A dynamo known for flapping his left elbow at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a home run , steal a base and disrupt any game with his daring .
Most of all , he completed Cincinnati ’ s two-time World Series championship team , boosting a club featuring the likes of Pete Rose , Tony Perez and Bench to back-to-back titles .
“ Joe would always amaze me , ” Rose told the AP .
“ He was by far the most intelligent player I ’ ve ever been around .
He rubbed off on all of us .
A big part of the Big Red Machine.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ two outs in the ninth inning of Game 7 in 1975 gave the Reds the crown in a classic matchup with Boston , and he spurred a four-game sweep of the Yankees the next season .
Morgan was the league ’ s MVP both years .
And his Hall of Fame teammates and manager readily acknowledged he was the one that got it all started .
Often regarded as the greatest second baseman in history , he was an easy first-ballot pick for Cooperstown .
“ He was just a good major league @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything , ” former Reds and Tigers skipper Sparky Anderson once said .
“ But when it meant something , he was a Hall of Famer.
” In a 22-year career through 1984 , Morgan scored 1,650 runs , stole 689 bases , hit 268 homers and batted .271 .
But those stats hardly reflected the force created on the field by the lefty-swinging No .
8 .
Confident and cocky , he also was copied .
His habit of flapping his back elbow as a way to keep it high when hitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Cincinnati and beyond .
Health issues had slowed down Morgan in recent years .
Knee surgery forced him to use a cane when he went onto the field at Great American Ball Park before the 2015 All-Star Game and he later needed a bone marrow transplant for an illness .
In his prime , Morgan helped to revolutionize the game with his quickness and many talents , especially once he hit the turf at Riverfront Stadium .
His statue outside Great American Ball Park portrays him in motion , naturally .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 150-lb .
fireplug frame , ” he was praised on his Hall of Fame plaque .
There were moments of silence held at Petco Park in San Diego before the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros played Monday in Game 2 of the AL Championship Series and at Globe Life Field in Arlington , Texas , before the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves met in the NL Championship Series opener .
“ He meant a lot to us , a lot to me , a lot to baseball , a lot to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot to players that were considered undersized , ” said Astros manager Dusty Baker , a longtime friend and National League rival .
“ He was the one of the first examples of speed and power for a guy they said was too small to play.
” Morgan got his start with Houston in 1963 , when the team was called the .45s and still played on grass .
Once he became a full-time player in 1965 when the club became the Astros and moved into the Astrodome , he began to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players could do on the new kind of turf .
The Reds had already built a formidable team , but they came up short in 1970 , losing to Baltimore in the World Series .
Cincinnati made a shocking trade for Morgan after the 1971 season , giving up slugger Lee May and All-Star second baseman Tommy Helms in an eight-player swap .
Morgan turned out to be exactly what the Reds needed to take the next step .
“ Joe made us better , and we made him better , ” Rose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spotlight .
It was a perfect fit.
” Rose was the dashing singles hitter , on his way to becoming the game ’ s career hits leader .
Bench supplied the power .
Perez was the clutch hitter .
And Morgan did a bit of everything , slashing hits and stealing bases whenever needed .
Skilled at drawing walks , and helped by a small strike zone , Morgan led the NL in on-base percentage in four of his first five years with the Reds , and finished with a career mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the game went to more speed , ” Rose once said .
“ There were guys who did more , but Joe stole bases when everyone at the park knew he would .
He didn ’ t waste steals .
He made them count .
Joe probably could have stolen more .
Lots of guys just steal to run up the numbers , and then they can ’ t when it counts to win the game .
Joe made them count.
” Morgan scored a major league-leading 122 runs in his first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1972 World Series , where they lost in seven games to Oakland .
Morgan hit .327 with 17 homers , 94 RBIs and 67 stolen bases in 1975 , then followed with a .320 average , 27 homers , 111 RBIs and 60 steals the next year .
He was only the fifth second baseman in the NL to drive in more than 100 runs and also led the league in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage in 1976 .
The next year , he led off the All-Star Game at Yankee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hall of Famer Jim Palmer .
“ Small in stature like his idol Nellie Fox , Joe played every game at the highest level .
Maybe proving to himself and everyone else that he belong .
Did he ever !
“ Bench said .
A series of injuries in the late 1970s diminished Morgan ’ s production — the years of throwing his body around on the turf had taken a toll .
The Reds decided to dismantle the Big Red Machine , prompting Morgan to also leave .
He spent the 1980 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a NL West title .
He played two years with San Francisco — hitting a home run on the final day of the 1982 season against the rival Dodgers to knock the defending champions out of the playoffs — and later was reunited with Rose and Perez in Philadelphia .
Morgan hit two home runs in the 1983 World Series as the Phillies lost in five games to Baltimore , and tripled in his final at-bat .
Morgan finished as a career .182 hitter in 50 post-season games .
He played in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in just one of them , a stat that surprises many considering his big-game reputation .
Raised in Oakland , Morgan returned to the Bay Area and played the 1984 season for the Athletics before retiring .
Morgan set the NL record for games played at second , ranked among the career leaders in walks and was an All-Star in every one of his years with the Reds .
After his playing career , he spent years as an announcer for the Reds , Giants and A ’ s , along with ESPN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was analyst for ESPN ’ s Sunday night telecasts from 1990-2010 and won two Sports Emmy Awards as an Event Analyst — ESPN ’ s first two wins in the category , in 1998 and 2005 .
Morgan also was board vice chairman of baseball ’ s Hall of Fame and on the board of the Baseball Assistance Team .
Morgan was inducted into baseball ’ s Hall of Fame in 1990 .
The Reds also inducted him into their Hall of Fame and retired his number .
“ He did it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time , ” said Bench , the first member of the Big Red Machine to enter the Hall .
“ Great father and outstanding businessman .
He was a friend to so many and respected by all , ” he said .
Morgan recognized his place on one of baseball ’ s all-time greatest teams .
?
Bench probably had the most raw baseball ability of any of us , ” Morgan said before his Hall of Fame induction .
“ Pete obviously had the most determination to make himself the player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hero .
I guess I was just a guy who could do a lot of things.
“ He is survived by his wife of 30 years , Theresa ; twin daughters Kelly and Ashley ; and daughters Lisa and Angela from his first marriage to Gloria Morgan .
Funeral details were not yet set .


thetorontostar--2020-10-12--Authorities: 37 pounds of meth found in driver’s spare tire

FOREST , Miss .
- Law enforcement officers who pulled a driver over for a traffic violation in Mississippi allegedly @ @ @ @ @ methamphetamine hidden inside a spare tire stashed in the vehicle .
The Scott County Sheriff @ @ @ @ @ Flowood Police Department stopped a pickup truck along an interstate near Flowood early this month @ @ @ @ @ a “ careless manner , “ according to the agencies .
An officer conducting the @ @ @ @ @ the bed of the truck , and inside it , an assisting deputy found 37.5 @ @ @ @ @ of methamphetamine worth an estimated street value of $ 350,000 , WLBT-TV reported , citing @ @ @ @ @ was charged with aggravated trafficking in methamphetamine , Scott County Sheriff Mike Lee said .
@ @ @ @ @ identified and it was unclear whether they were being held in custody .


thetorontostar--2020-10-12--Police: Van carrying 80 dogs overturns on Virginia highway

SALEM , Va. - A van carrying 80 dogs overturned on an interstate in Virginia , causing some of the @ @ @ @ @ others to escape the vehicle , police say .
The crash occurred early Sunday on @ @ @ @ @ , according to Virginia State Police Sgt .
Rick Garletts .
It is unclear how @ @ @ @ @ injured or how many had escaped .
Garletts told The Roanoke Times that it also @ @ @ @ @ the vehicle or where it was headed .
But the Fort Lewis Fire Department said @ @ @ @ @ that the van belonged to a rescue group that was transporting the dogs to other @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-10-12--New Mexico governor urged to take stand against nuclear plan

ALBUQUERQUE , N.M. - Environmentalists and other watchdog groups want New Mexico Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham to create a government agency that would be tasked with keeping the state from becoming a permanent dumping ground for spent nuclear fuel and other high-level waste .
Dozens of groups sent a letter Friday to the Democratic governor .
They pointed to Nevada ’ s past success in mothballing the once-proposed Yucca Mountain waste repository project in that state and asked the governor to consider similar measures to protect New Mexico .
“ New Mexico ’ s people and our environment deserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of years of a public health menace from radioactive waste spreading into our soil , air , water and rivers , ” the letter states .
“ Please consider what more aggressive steps can be taken to defeat the Holtec plan.
” New Jersey-based Holtec is seeking a 40-year license from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build what it has described as a state-of-the-art complex near Carlsbad .
Company executives have said the project is needed because the federal government has yet to find a permanent solution for dealing with the tons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear power plants around the U.S .
The first phase of the project calls for storing up to 8,680 metric tons of uranium , which would be packed into 500 canisters .
Future expansion could make room for as many as 10,000 canisters of spent nuclear fuel .
Holtec has said the site in New Mexico — about 35 miles ( 56 kilometres ) from Carlsbad — is remote and geologically stable .
The company also has said the four-layer casks that would hold the spent fuel would be made of steel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
State officials in comments recently submitted to federal regulators opposed a preliminary recommendation by staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that a license be granted to Holtec to build the multibillion-dollar facility .
They said technical analysis has been inadequate so far and accused regulators of failing to consider environmental justice concerns and meet requirements spelled out by federal environmental laws .
Dave McCoy of Citizen Action is among those who signed the letter sent to Lujan Grisham .
He said Monday that there ’ s a push to approve New Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the waste will never leave .
The governor ’ s office did not immediately respond to questions about what options she might consider as the licensing process continues .
In Nevada , the state ’ s commission on nuclear projects was created in the 1980s to advise the governor and state lawmakers on matters related to the disposal of radioactive waste and to oversee activities of the state ’ s Agency for Nuclear Projects .
Agency officials over the years challenged the U.S. Energy Department , Nuclear Regulatory Commission and nuclear energy lobby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have supported Holtec ’ s plans , saying the project will bring in $ 3 billion in capital investment and more jobs to the region .
New Mexico already is home to the federal government ’ s only underground nuclear waste repository , a uranium enrichment plant and two national labs that conduct nuclear research .
John Heaton , the city of Carlsbad ’ s energy development co-ordinator , said community leaders would not be advocating for something that would be detrimental to their own families and residents .
Holtec has requested meetings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state officials , but to no avail , Heaton said .
“ This should be a business decision for her and not a political one , ” he said .
“ With the collapse of the oil and gas industry and what may be a very long recovery , it becomes even more important for us in southeast New Mexico to diversify our economy and provide jobs for our people .
”

Susan Montoya Bryan - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-12--Trump doctor says president ‘has tested negative’ for COVID-19 on consecutive days, won’t reveal whe

Trump doctor says president ‘has tested negative’ for COVID-19 on consecutive days, won’t reveal when

President Donald Trump tested negative for COVID-19 at some point in the “ recent ” past , his personal doctor said Monday , though he didn ’ t specify what that meant .
Dr. Sean Conley , the White House doctor who has continued to offer misleading or incomplete information about Trump ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis , offered the latest confusing update in a memo released shortly before the president was set to hold an evening campaign rally in Florida .
“ In response to your inquiry regarding the president ’ s most recent COVID-19 tests , I can share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on consecutive days , ” Conley wrote in the memo .
A White House spokesman did not return a request for clarity .
Conley wrote in the memo that Trump ’ s negative results came back using the so-called “ Abbott BinaxNOW antigen card ” — a rapid test known to not be as accurate as more sensitive swab tests .
However , Conley said the team of White House physicians also relied on “ clinical and laboratory data ” in assessing that “ the president is not infectious to others.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 1 , Conley and White House officials have refused to say when he took his last negative test .
The obfuscation has raised concern that Trump could still be contagious .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says COVID-19 patients who experience severe symptoms — which Trump did — can be contagious for “ up to 20 days.
” Nonetheless , Trump was not wearing a face mask as he boarded Air Force One on Monday afternoon for a rally in Sanford , Florida — his first public campaign event since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s killed more than 215,000 Americans .


thetorontostar--2020-10-12--Ossoff slams Perdue over virus; Republican cries socialism

ATLANTA - During their first debate , Democrat Jon Ossoff hammered Sen. David Perdue on his response to the coronavirus pandemic , while the Georgia Republican accused Ossoff of backing a “ radical socialist agenda ” — an assertion he sometimes backed with false claims .
The two rivals in the hotly contested Senate race had few kind words for each other Monday .
Perdue called Ossoff “ desperate , ” and Ossoff said his opponent is so deeply entrenched in the “ swamp ” of Washington insiders that he lacks empathy for the problems everyday Americans are facing due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator has downplayed the risk of COVID-19 , compared it to the common flu and enabled President Donald Trump “ in a pandemic response that everybody from all parties knows has been a disaster.
” “ We need government that is honest and competent and that empowers public health experts in a public health emergency , ” Ossoff said .
“ What we really did is we brought help to the people of Georgia , both in the hospitals , schools , communities and in the workplace , ” Perdue said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solution , ” Perdue said to Ossoff .
“ Not one solution.
” “ Two hundred twenty thousand Americans have been killed and listen to you — not a shred of empathy — not a shred of personal responsibility ( about ) a virus that you told us posed low risk to our health , ” Ossoff said .
Throughout the debate , Perdue accused Ossoff of being a “ rubber stamp ” for liberals ’ wishes and of hiding his true “ radical socialist agenda ” — a phrase Perdue used at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Echoing his own false ads that have deluged Georgia TV markets , Perdue accused Ossoff of wanting to defund the police and said Ossoff has been getting support from the Community Party USA .
Ossoff has said he does not want to defund the police and the claim about the Community Party USA is “ flatly false , ” the Associated Press has previously reported .
The debate , which was held virtually as a safeguard against the coronavirus , coincided with the first day of in-person early voting in Georgia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cast a ballot Monday morning .
While statewide races in Georgia tend to favour Republican candidates , public polling shows a neck-and-neck battle between Perdue and Ossoff .
That ’ s led to huge sums of money being spent on advertising by both the candidates and outside groups with a stake in the outcome .
Georgia ’ s other Republican-held U.S. Senate seat is also up for grabs this year , and more than $ 150 million has been committed to ads in the two races combined , including past spending and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a former business executive who is seeking his second term in the Senate .
Ossoff , 33 , heads a media company that investigates crime and corruption for news organizations .
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday also began hearings in Washington on President Donald Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee , Amy Coney Barrett , opening another avenue of contention between Ossoff and Perdue .
Ossoff accused Perdue of hypocrisy for backing Barrett ’ s nomination when he was against former President Barack Obama ’ s 2016 nomination of Merrick Garland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four years ago , Sen. Perdue was adamant , he gave impassioned floor speeches on the floor of the Senate , that no confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice should proceed in a presidential election year .
Now he ’ s thrown those so-called principles aside , ” Ossoff said .
Perdue said the situation in 2016 was “ totally different ” because the White House was controlled by one party and the Senate by the other , when today both branches are controlled by Republicans .
Perdue also said Ossoff will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Democrats packing the Supreme Court by adding more seats should they take control of the Senate and White House , even though Ossoff has said he opposes efforts to pack the Supreme Court .
Perdue has previously lauded Barrett , saying in a recent statement that she “ will be an exceptional Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
” Ossoff meanwhile has raised questions about what confirmation of Barrett would mean for the future of the Affordable Care Act , the health care reform law passed by Congress in 2010 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of law and defend the public interest by upholding the Affordable Care Act , which prevents insurance companies from denying health coverage to Americans suffering from cancer , diabetes , heart disease , and other pre-existing conditions ?
” Ossoff asked in a recent news release .
The Supreme Court will soon hear arguments in a challenge to the law by the Trump administration and Republican-led states including Georgia .
Monday ’ s debate , which is the first of three debates scheduled in the race , also included Libertarian candidate Shane Hazel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what you ’ re seeing here between politicians , you ’ ve got a choice , ” Hazel said .


thetorontostar--2020-10-12--Biden makes big push in Ohio, once seen as long shot for him

CINCINNATI - Joe Biden made two campaign stops Monday in Ohio , attempting to expand the battleground map and keep President Donald Trump on the defensive in a state long thought to be out of reach for Democrats after Trump ’ s wide margin of victory there four years ago .
The Democratic presidential nominee stressed an economic message and touted his own record while casting Trump as having abandoned working-class voters who helped him win Rust Belt states that put him in the White House in 2016 .
The president ’ s reelection campaign countered that few expected Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago and that he would repeat a similar upset on Election Day .
In Toledo , Biden addressed United Auto Workers who represent a local General Motors ’ powertrain plant .
The former vice-president spoke in a parking lot with about 30 American-made cars and trucks arrayed nearby , and he struck a decidedly populist note , praising unions and arguing that he represented working-class values while the Republican Trump cared only about impressing the Ivy League and country club set .
“ I don ’ t measure people by the size of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You and I measure people by the strength of their character , their honesty , their courage.
” Biden highlighted his role as vice-president as the Obama administration rescued the U.S. auto industry after the 2008 financial collapse .
President George W. Bush signed the aid package after the 2008 election , but the Obama administration managed most of the rescue program .
“ The auto industry that supported 1 in 8 Ohioans was on the brink , ” Biden said at the drive-in rally , eliciting horn honks from people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I bet on you , and it paid off.
” Trump was resuming campaign travel for the first time since testing positive for the coronavirus , with a Florida rally .
The president tweeted , “ We have far more support and enthusiasm than even in 2016.
” And Vice Present Mike Pence staged his own event in Ohio ’ s capital , Columbus , concluding remarks at Savko & Sons , an excavation company that hosted Obama at one of its job sites in 2010 , shortly before Biden took the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yes to President Donald Trump in 2016 , and I know the Buckeye State ’ s going to say yes to four more years , ” Pence told the crowd .
In a nod to Senate confirmation hearings on Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination to the Supreme Court — where Biden ’ s running mate , California Sen. Kamala Harris , was participating remotely — Pence declared to applause that “ We ’ re going to fill that seat.
” He also noted that Biden has refused to say whether he will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who would like to see the party expand the number of seats on the Supreme Court , should Democrats win the White House and the Senate on Nov. 3 while retaining control of the House .
“ It could be nothing less than the biggest power grab in American history , ” Pence said .
“ Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won ’ t tell the American people what they ’ re going to do.
” Biden has called for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s seat to remain vacant until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answered questions about whether he would be open to expanding the court .
He says doing so would be playing politics by Trump ’ s rules .
Trump carried Ohio over Democrat Hillary Clinton by a comfortable 8 percentage points in 2016 , but recent polls show this year ’ s presidential race tightening in the state .
The Biden campaign has increased advertising in Ohio lately , even as Trump has scaled back his efforts in the state and elsewhere .
Biden ’ s perceived increases in support have largely come as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in cities — but he is looking to cancel that out by further expanding his already strong support among voters in rural areas .
“ We are thrilled to see Joe Biden wasting a valuable day on the campaign trail visiting a state he can not win , ” Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said Monday .
Biden argued that Trump has mishandled the coronavirus pandemic , exacerbating the resulting economic fallout .
He said the Trump administration “ squandered ” the strong economy it inherited from the Obama White House four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new , high-paying union jobs once the country gets the virus under control .
“ He turned his back on you , “ Biden said of Trump .
“ I promise you , I will never do that.
” Congresswoman Marcia Fudge said early and absentee voting numbers are already high in her district that includes Cleveland , a strong city for Democrats .
“ I am seeing numbers that I can only dream of , ” Fudge said .
The travelling press that accompanies Biden on campaign trips remained grounded in Delaware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event in Toledo because of mechanical problems on the aircraft it was assigned .
Reporters use a separate plane than the candidate , a setup the campaign attributes to the coronavirus .
The campaign eventually procured a new plane so the press pool could attend Biden ’ s rally later Monday in Cincinnati .
There , Biden continued his focus on struggling Americans .
“ They see the people at the top doing better and better even in the midst of this god-awful recession , ” he said .
“ They ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking out for me ?
That ’ s Donald Trump ’ s presidency.
” Biden also seized on Trump ’ s coronavirus diagnosis , saying the president ’ s “ reckless personal conduct since his diagnosis “ has been ” unconscionable.
“ “ The longer Donald Trump is president , ” Biden added , “ the more reckless he gets.
” Weissert reported from Washington .
Associated Press writer Kathleen Ronayne contributed to this report from Sacramento , Calf .

Bill Barrow And Will Weissert - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Biden addresses idea of high court packing: ‘I’m not a fan’

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden says he is “ not a fan ” of adding seats to the Supreme Court , after weeks of avoiding questions about the idea that ’ s been pushed by progressives and used by Republicans to attack him .
“ I ’ ve already spoken on — I ’ m not a fan of court packing , but I don ’ t want to get off on that whole issue .
I want to keep focused , ” the Democratic presidential nominee said in an interview Monday with Cincinnati ’ s WKRC .
Biden argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and Republicans ’ efforts to push through Amy Coney Barrett as a replacement for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before the Nov. 3 election .
“ That ’ s the court-packing the public should be focused on , ” he said .
Biden has expressed opposition to the idea of expanding the Supreme Court before , but in recent weeks notably dodged multiple questions from the media about the proposal , insisting he would answer the question after the election .
Pressure on Biden to respond intensified after his running mate , California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question during her debate with Vice-President Mike Pence last week .
Harris , however , expressed support for court-packing during her primary bid for president , along with a number of other progressive candidates .
Faced with the prospect of a decades-long conservative majority on the court following Ginsburg ’ s death , the idea of adding seats to the nine-person court has gained renewed traction among Democrats .
That has Biden caught between the conflicting pressures of appeasing his progressive base and appealing to more moderate and conservative voters that may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reluctant to support such sweeping structural reforms to the court .
Biden , who spent years as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee , expressed opposition to court-packing throughout the Democratic primary .
“ No , I ’ m not prepared to go on and try to pack the court , because we ’ ll live to rue that day , ” he warned in an interview with a local Iowa political blogger last summer .
In dodging the question in recent weeks , Biden has argued that the proposal is a distraction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s replacement .
But Republicans have seized on Biden ’ s refusal to answer as evidence he is being disingenuous and would be beholden to the Left on the issue if elected .
“ Biden evades “ Court Packing ” question .
@ FoxNews Because his puppet masters are willing to destroy the U.S. Supreme Court .
Don ’ t let this , and so many other really bad things , happen .
VOTE !
” Trump tweeted earlier this week .


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Bipartisan Christian group forms super PAC to oppose Trump

WASHINGTON - A group of prominent Christians from both sides of the aisle , including a past faith adviser to former President Barack Obama , is forming a political action committee designed to chip away at Christian support for President Donald Trump in the final weeks of the 2020 campaign .
Dubbed Not Our Faith , the new super PAC plans to roll out six-figure TV and digital ads focused on Christian voters — particularly the evangelical and Catholic voters who helped power Trump to victory in 2016 .
Its first digital ad , set to run in Michigan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s claim to a foothold with Christians .
The ad , shared with The Associated Press in advance of its release , says Trump “ has used Christianity for his own purposes , ” invoking imagery of the Republican president ’ s photo op outside a historic Washington church amid this summer ’ s racial justice demonstrations .
Urging Christians to break from Trump , the ad states that they “ don ’ t need Trump to save them .
The truth is that Trump needs Christians to save his flailing campaign.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s standing with Christian voters comes as the president looks to evangelicals in particular to help him muscle to reelection over Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
While Biden ’ s campaign is mounting a well-organized faith outreach effort , that work largely focuses on an affirmative case for the former vice-president rather than the overtly anti-Trump case that the new PAC is making .
Among the PAC ’ s advisory council members are Michael Wear , a former faith adviser in Obama ’ s administration and reelection campaign , and Autumn Vandehei , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tom DeLay of Texas .
Wear said in an interview that Trump has “ in a predatory way attached himself to Christians , ” asserting that the faith would be “ better off ” without the president .
“ Trump eked out 2016 with unprecedented support from white evangelicals and , important to note , a really strong showing among Catholics .
We ’ re going after all of it , ” Wear said .
“ We think Christian support is on the table in this election.
” Trump and his reelection campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian voters , with the president asserting the baseless claim that Biden and Democrats are hostile to religion .
Republicans are also appealing to voters of faith by claiming that Democrats have unfairly criticized Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett for her Catholicism , although no Democratic senator has yet raised the issue during Barrett ’ s confirmation hearings .
Trump ’ s faith adviser and personal pastor , Paula White , is set to appear Tuesday in the battleground state of Ohio at an event for the campaign ’ s evangelical outreach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to peel away evangelical support from Trump is making headway remains to be seen .
A survey from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center taken after Trump ’ s contentious church photo op found that 72 % of white evangelicals approved of his handling of the job , a level that has remained largely consistent over his presidency .
But the new PAC sees room for a wide-ranging connection with Christian voters beyond Trump ’ s white evangelical base .
Wear said the project hopes “ to reach and appeal to a diverse coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a diverse coalition of Christians will oppose Donald Trump ’ s reelection.
” The PAC ’ s advisory council also includes Carolyn Y .
Woo , the retired president and CEO of the faith-based humanitarian group Catholic Relief Services , and the Rev .
Alvin Love , pastor at Lilydale First Baptist Church-Chicago and chair of faith-based initiatives at the National Baptist Convention .
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation .
The AP is solely responsible for this content .


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Germany: “Solidarity” with Greece, Cyprus in Turkey dispute

BERLIN - Germany ’ s foreign minister headed Tuesday to Greece and Cyprus , pledging “ full solidarity ” with them in their dispute with Turkey over sea boundaries and drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean .
The United States also issued a strong rebuke to Ankara Tuesday over the “ calculated provocation ” of its energy prospecting activities .
Germany holds the rotating European Union presidency and before departing Berlin , Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Greece and Cyprus had both German and EU backing but urged an “ honest effort on all sides ” to find a solution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of undermining efforts to ease a crisis over eastern Mediterranean drilling rights , after Ankara redeployed a survey vessel for new energy exploration in disputed waters — including an area very close to a secluded Greek island .
The move reignited tensions over sea boundaries between Greek islands , Cyprus and Turkey ’ s southern coast , which had flared up over the summer , prompting a military build-up , bellicose rhetoric and fears of a confrontation between the two NATO members and historic regional rivals .
The U.S. State Department issued a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying it “ unilaterally raises tensions in the region and deliberately complicates the resumption of crucial exploratory talks between our NATO Allies Greece and Turkey.
” “ We urge Turkey to end this calculated provocation and immediately begin exploratory talks with Greece , ” the statement added.
“ Unilateral actions can not build trust and will not produce enduring solutions.
” The Turkish search vessel , Oruc Reis , left the port of Antalya on Monday for a mission expected o end Oct. 22 .
According to Greek media it is escorted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nations can only work in a “ constructive atmosphere ” and appealed “ to Turkey not to close the window for dialogue that has just opened with Greece through unilateral measures.
” “ Ankara must stop alternating between relaxation and provocation if the government is interested in talks , as it has repeatedly said , ” he said .
Renewed Turkish gas exploration in the disputed areas would be “ a major setback to efforts to de-escalate and thus also for the further development of EU-Turkey relations , ” Maas said .


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Woman charged with dumping trash on ICE official’s property

RICHMOND , Va. - The executive director of an advocacy organization has been charged with misdemeanouroffences for protesting in Virginia on the property of the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement , authorities said .
Acting ICE Director Tony Pham was not home Sept. 8 when a group of protesters dumped trash on his yard in Henrico County and “ caused fear to his family , “ Henrico County police Lt. Matt Pecka said in a news release Monday .
A police investigation identified Nancy Nguyen , the executive director of VietLead , a political advocacy group in Philadelphia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those protesters , news outlets reported .
The organization said in a Facebook post Friday that the protest was about Pham ’ s recent appointment to the role .
They said Nguyen was arrested on “ bogus charges ” Thursday night in her Philadelphia home .
She was then released Friday on her own recognizance , and greeted by hugs and cheers from supporters outside Philadelphia ’ s police headquarters , The Philadelphia Inquirer reported .
“ While protesting is a protected First Amendment activity , doing so on one ’ s private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding that police are working to identify the other protesters .
Meanwhile , VietLead has called Nguyen ’ s arrest a politically motivated “ scare tactic to intimidate immigration rights advocates.
” She was charged with entering the property of another for the purposes of interfering with property rights and dumping trash , according to Pecka .
It was not immediately clear if she had an attorney who could comment on her behalf .


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Polish leader vows to veto EU budget in face of ‘blackmail’

WARSAW , Poland - Poland ’ s ruling party leader is threatening to veto the European Union ’ s economic recovery plan and long-term budget if the bloc decides to link funding to respect for rule of law , Jaroslaw Kaczynski , the powerful head of the Law and Justice party and since recently a deputy prime minister , said Poland will do what it must in order to protect its own interests and national sovereignty .
“ There will be a veto .
If the threats and blackmail are maintained then we will firmly defend Poland ’ s vital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying in an interview with Gazeta Polska , a pro-government daily .
Parts of the interview were published online Tuesday .
Donald Tusk , a former Polish prime minister and former EU president , said Kaczynski ’ s threat was harmful to his country on more than one level .
“ Deputy Prime Minister Kaczynski announces that he is ready to block EU aid for Poland so that he can continue to violate the rule of law with impunity .
And I thought that he could not surprise me anymore , ” Tusk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in principle on a 1.8 trillion-euro ( $ 2.1 trillion ) economic recovery package for the 2021-2027 budget period , they have yet to find common ground on how to distribute the money because many countries insist that allocations should be linked to respecting the EU ’ s rule of law standards .
Tying funding to respecting democratic standards would mark a blow to Poland and Hungary , both central European nations with right-wing governments that have eroded judicial independence , media freedom and other basics of a democratic system .
Both have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Poland has also come under major criticism from European partners recently for anti-LGBT rhetoric by its conservative president and other top figures from the ruling party .
Kaczynski and others insist they are trying to defend their conservative culture rooted in Catholicism from a foreign LGBT “ ideology.
” In the interview published Tuesday , Kaczynski said : “ We will defend our identity , our freedom and sovereignty at all costs .
We will not allow ourselves to be terrorized with money .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Oregon protest fallout dominates close Portland mayor race

PORTLAND , Ore. - In most election cycles , America wouldn ’ t pay attention to the Portland , Oregon , mayoral race — but this isn ’ t a normal year .
Months of protests against racial injustice and police violence have made Portland national news in a divisive election year , and President Donald Trump routinely derides Mayor Ted Wheeler as a weak liberal unable to stop unrest in his “ anarchist ” city .
But as Wheeler spars with Trump , the mayor is also facing a threat at home from the opposite end of the political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 50 million in law enforcement cuts and slams her opponent for what she describes as an aggressive police force .
Hemmed in by critics , Wheeler recently lent his campaign $ 150,000 as he struggles to fend off Sarah Iannarone .
“ The race is really in flux , ” said Jim Moore , a Pacific University political science professor .
“ The thing that will cause him to lose is responding to the protests in all their complexity .
That ’ s why Portland ’ s election is important nationally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also because of the president .
The president brings it up all the time.
” Wheeler narrowly missed winning a second term outright in May but the career Democrat ’ s approval ratings plummeted as protests dominated headlines into the fall .
Business interests and moderates are angry that he ’ s let the protests go on so long , while passionate , far-left-leaning progressives are embracing the unrest as necessary for rooting out systemic racism .
Many of those voters are backing Iannarone , who has attended three dozen protests and touts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antifascist .
Always.
” Recent polling shows Wheeler trailing his challenger , but with many undecided voters .
Oregon , a universal vote-by-mail state , will send out ballots this week .
“ The hard thing for a candidate like me in a time of near revolutionary fervour for change is that I seek the elusive centre , “ Wheeler recently told The AP .
” I don ’ t believe compromise is a dirty word , and I still govern with an eye to the future rather than the emotion of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re in a very fearful , anxious and emotional time in our history.
” Since May , the city has cut about $ 15 million from the police budget — including a gun violence reduction team , transit police and a school resource officer program — but Wheeler has resisted pressure to take away more from the bureau ’ s nearly $ 250 million budget without a safety net for mental health and homelessness calls that police handle daily .
Wheeler , as police commissioner , has also taken heat for allowing officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it entirely last month , and says police have made some mistakes but done some things right , too .
“ When people call 911 , they expect to get a response .
If you ’ re going to eviscerate the police bureau , then you have to be able to answer the question ... ‘ What is the plan to actually fill the gap ?
’ ” he said .
“ And so far , we have not had that conversation.
” But Wheeler ’ s failure to engage with Black activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , critics say , even as he drew national attention for getting tear-gassed by U.S. agents when he attended a protest outside a federal courthouse .
“ I ’ m still trying to pin down what Ted Wheeler really stands for , ” said Cameron Whitten , founder of The Black Resilience Fund who ’ s endorsed Iannarone .
“ He ’ s a wind vane , he ’ s got no base and the community is divided because of it.
“ Iannarone supports calls to cut $ 50 million from the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate beholden to corporate interests .
She repeats an oft-cited criticism : That Wheeler failed to build critical relationships as he tried to please all sides .
A passionate advocate for public transportation and bike commuting , Iannarone has an ambitious plan for a green economy , wants free municipal Wi-Fi and has proposed increasing taxes on Airbnb for a renter bailout fund .
But she also stirred controversy in August when she said on KGW-TV that peaceful protests “ might not necessarily be moving the conversation forward.
” And some of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more trees , legalizing all sex work and allowing non-citizens to vote in local and state elections , might be a bridge too far for some voters .
“ She is further to the left — whatever that means in Portland — of the average voter and she ’ s taken up positions that I think many voters would find disqualifying , ” said John Horvick , political director at non-partisan public opinion firm DHM Research .
“ I think that the tensions are much greater there than her campaign would acknowledge publicly.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ temper concerns about her views on the protests .
She says she rejects violence but is quick to add that “ anti-fascist protesters wind up on the receiving end of police brutality more ” than Trump-inspired , right-wing group members who have held several “ law and order ” rallies in the city .
“ Opposing fascism in 2020 is a good thing .
And I ’ ve tried to normalize that , ” Iannarone said in a phone interview .
“ What we try to do is pull it out of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in — where he ’ s making people who oppose fascism the enemy — and make it more accessible to everyday people.
” One hurdle Iannarone may face is that many voters simply don ’ t know her .
The urban planning wonk has never held elected office or worked in city government .
And while she attracts a passionate Twitter following , about 30 % of voters remain undecided or plan to vote for another candidate with weeks to go .
Meanwhile , Wheeler last week got the endorsements — and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business , labour and civic groups , including an environmental non-profit that applauded his commitment to achieving 100 % renewable energy by 2050 and his fight for more middle-income housing .
“ It ’ s up to Ted , with his campaign , to get that information out to voters .
And is he going to do that or not ?
Well , that ’ s the key thing , ” said Moore , the political science professor .
“ He ’ s ... saying the buck stops here .
What he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say , ‘ Here ’ s the way we get out of this situation.
’ And part of that is Ted and part of that is the situation .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Prosecutors: Longer sentences needed for Floyd officers

MINNEAPOLIS - Prosecutors have offered additional explanation about why they believe longer sentences should be given if four former Minneapolis police officers are convicted in the death of George Floyd .
In a court filing Monday in Hennepin County , prosecutors said the position of trust the officers held and Floyd ’ s vulnerability are two reasons why the men , if convicted , should receive longer sentences than guidelines recommend .
Prosecutors previously requested longer-than-recommended sentences for former officers Derek Chauvin , his partner , Tou Thao , and the initial arresting officers , J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keith Ellison ’ s office offers an explanation for enhanced sentences that Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill requested .
Lane ’ s defence attorney Earl Gray said the request for an upward sentencing departure is an attempt to poison the potential pool of jurors .
“ They first have to get a conviction , ” he said .
Chauvin , who is white , was captured on cellphone video kneeling on the neck of Floyd , a Black man , for several minutes May 25 while Floyd was handcuffed face down on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is charged with second-degree unintentional murder , third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter .
Kueng , Lane and Thao each are charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter .
Kueng pinned Floyd ’ s torso and Lane controlled his legs , while Thao kept angry bystanders away from the officers and Floyd .
When they arrived in full uniform to question Floyd about a counterfeit bill , the officers held a “ defined relationship ” of authority over Floyd , which they used to “ dominate and control ” him , prosecutors wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the ground and ultimately caused his death , their memo said .
Prosecutors cited an appellate ruling that endorsed longer sentences when there ’ s a power imbalance that makes it difficult for the victim to protect himself , the Star Tribune reported .
The courts also allow longer sentences when a victim is vulnerable due to reduced physical or mental capacity .


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Barrett facing senators on health care, legal precedent

WASHINGTON - Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is facing senators ’ questions Tuesday for the first time over her approach to health care , legal precedent and even the presidential election during confirmation hearings on track to lock in a conservative court majority for years to come .
Barrett , family in tow , is on Capitol Hill for a second day of hearings at the Senate Judiciary Committee .
The mood is likely to shift to a more confrontational tone as Barrett , an appellate court judge with very little trial court experience , is grilled in 30-minute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump ’ s nominee , yet virtually powerless to stop her rise .
Republicans are rushing her to confirmation before Election Day .
The chairman , Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , gaveled open the session under coronavirus protocols with a focus on health care , and ending the Affordable Care Act .
“ Let ’ s get to it , ” he said .
The Senate , led by Trump ’ s Republican allies , is pushing Barrett ’ s nomination to a quick vote before Nov. 3 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Affordable Care Act , which the Supreme Court is to hear a week after the election .
Republicans also hope to seat Barrett quickly enough to hear any legal challenges after the election .
Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut was among several Democrats demanding that Barrett pledge not to take part in any election case .
She has made no such commitment .
One of the two Republicans on the panel who tested positive for COVID-19 , Sen. Thom Tillis , joined the committee for the first time Tuesday , after ending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law as conservative and fair on Monday at the start of fast-tracked confirmation hearings .
Democrats cast her as a threat to Americans ’ health care coverage during the coronavirus pandemic .
With her husband and six of their seven children behind her in a hearing room off-limits to the public and altered for COVID-19 risks , Barrett delivered views at odds with the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg , the liberal icon whose seat Trump nominated her to fill , laying out a judicial philosophy she has likened to that of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scalia .
“ Courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life , ” declared the 48-year-old federal appeals court judge , removing the protective mask she wore most of the day to read from a prepared statement .
Americans “ deserve an independent Supreme Court that interprets our Constitution and laws as they are written , ” Barrett told the committee .
Ginsburg ’ s legacy was felt throughout the hearing , with some Democrats wearing lapel pins with her likeness .
Barrett also praised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ forever grateful “ for Ginsburg ’ s trailblazing path as a woman on the court .
Yet Sen. Kamala Harris of California , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s running mate , warned that Barrett ’ s nomination puts in jeopardy everything Ginsburg fought to protect .
Testifying from her office because of the pandemic , Harris said that the court is “ often the last refuge for equal justice ” and that not only health care but voting rights , workers ’ rights , abortion rights and the very idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dramatic development , Republicans appear to have the votes to confirm Barrett to a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court , and they spent their time portraying her as a thoughtful judge with impeccable credentials .
She would be Trump ’ s third justice .
“ She is a slam dunk “ based on her qualifications , Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , the committee chairman , told reporters late in the day .
Barrett received the highest rating — “ well-qualified ” — from the American Bar Association , though she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who did not receive a unanimous assessment .
Underscoring the Republicans ’ confidence , Graham set an initial committee vote on the nomination for Thursday , even before the last day of hearings wrapped , which would allow final approval by the panel for one week later and a vote for confirmation by the full Senate on Oct. 26 .
One after another , Democrats sought Monday to tie her nomination to the upcoming Obama-era health care case .
Republicans lambasted Democrats for attacking Barrett ’ s Catholic religion , although none actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after two committee Republicans , Tillis and Mike Lee of Utah , tested positive for the novel coronavirus 10 days ago .
Lee was present in the hearing room , bearing a doctor ’ s note saying he didn ’ t need to remain isolated .
Tillis returned after taking part remotely , and his spokesman said he also was free of symptoms .
Protesters rallied outside the Senate buildings with the hearing room largely closed to the public .
The start of the four-day hearings followed a White House event announcing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in which most of the audience did not wear masks .
The event has been labeled a “ superspreader ” for the virus .
More than two dozen people linked to the Sept. 26 Rose Garden event , including the two GOP senators , have contracted COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
Barrett and her family went maskless at the event .
She and her husband , Jesse , tested positive for the virus earlier this year and recovered , administration officials have said .
Democrats already were enraged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having refused to consider President Barack Obama ’ s nominee after Scalia ’ s death in February 2016 , well before that year ’ s election .
Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Michael Balsamo in Washington , Elana Schor in New York and Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento , California , contributed to this report .

Mark Sherman, Lisa Mascaro And Mary Clare Jalonick - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Bowden says he is improving after contracting COVID-19

TALLAHASSEE , Fla. - Former Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden , hospitalized last week after contracting COVID-19 , says he is feeling better and hopes to go home soon .
Bowden , 90 , told the Tallahassee Democrat on Monday , “ I am doing good .
I appreciate everyone ’ s thoughts , I really do.
” Bowden was hospitalized last week in Tallahassee after contracting the virus .
He told the newspaper he has been able to walk around his hospital room .
Bowden recently spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and rehab after contracting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit him hard .
“ You get fever , you get frustrated , you don ’ t feel good and you wonder if you were able to get up , ” Bowden said .
“ But now that ’ s behind me.
“ Bowden coached Florida State for 34 years , retiring after the 2009 season .
He is second on the career victories list in major college football with 357 , behind only the late Joe Paterno of Penn State .
He won national championships in 1993 and 1999 .
Follow AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--When school is home and home is school, which rules prevail?

CHICAGO - Toys that look like weapons .
Barefoot students .
Disruptive imagery in the background .
Pets roaming the room .
All a clear violation of rules inside most American classrooms .
But that was when most American students were actually inside schools .
How do standards like these translate when everyone is logging on from home ?
Schools are struggling to figure it out this fall — yet another adaptation demanded of educators during the coronavirus pandemic .
In the learn-from-home world , teachers and experts can easily imagine the friction of extending regular classroom discipline into young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Can students have posters visible in the background backing social or political movements that others disagree with or find racist ?
Can they wear clothes at home that are banned from classrooms ?
How can a teacher respond when a student says or does something that the instructor deems rude , offensive or threatening ?
Weeks into the fall semester , a growing number of school officials are navigating those grey areas .
In Colorado , Maryland and Pennsylvania , school administrators asked police to investigate separate incidents of toy guns , BB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video feeds from students ’ homes .
The actions raised complaints that they had overreacted to something that didn ’ t threaten either those students or their classmates .
There ’ s more .
A Florida school district promised an investigation of an apparent high school student shouting racial slurs over a virtual class session .
A Texas teacher was put on leave after parents noticed her virtual classroom is decorated with ( virtual ) posters backing LGBTQ rights and the Black Lives Matter movement .
“ So many of our legal standards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the notion that there ’ s a limited expectation of privacy when you ’ re at school , and certainly the expectation of privacy in your own home is much more expansive , ” says Miranda Johnson , director of the Education Law and Policy Institute at Loyola University .
“ I think , under the circumstances , we have to be really mindful of the ways in which discipline is extending into the home environment , “ she says .
She recommends that school leaders evaluate whether a student ’ s action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , look for a way to address it one on one .
“ The ultimate goal should be to avoid punitive or exclusionary consequences , because students have already had their education disrupted in so many different ways , ” Johnson says .
It ’ s not easy when the lines are so blurred .
Standards that were never in doubt inside school classrooms have prompted pushback in some communities .
On social media , parents and teachers have mocked lists of rules about wearing shoes , keeping pets out of view or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is , they say , school going too far and reaching into private spaces .
Angela McByrd , a statistics teacher at Mansueto High School in Chicago , says she ’ s been horrified by lengthy rule lists shared by other teachers in Facebook groups for educators .
Mansueto is part of the Noble Charter Schools network , known for its demerit-based system enforcing a strict dress code and other rules .
McByrd said teachers began pushing back against that approach before the pandemic and demanded more leniency as they prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her classes began this month , McByrd told her high schoolers that they were expected to participate in class activities but she wouldn ’ t require video cameras to be on .
She had to reassure some students repeatedly that there was no need to wear their usual uniforms .
Schools around the country relying on virtual learning are taking various approaches to rules and discipline .
Some have created new policies ; others have decided existing rules for student conduct would be enforced , including dress codes .
Advocates , though , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspensions or expulsions first , neglecting built-in features that allow teachers to turn off a disruptive student ’ s microphone or camera while still allowing him or her access to the lesson .
“ Students have a right to attend school , and they also have a right to express themselves freely , ” says Johanna Miller , director of the New York Civil Liberties Union ’ s Education Policy Center .
“ And those rights can come into tension with each other ...
But there are other ways to deal with things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because you distracted people , you can no longer be part of this class.
’ “ Reliance on suspensions or expulsions could be particularly damaging for students who are Black and Latino and historically face more frequent discipline for violating school rules , says Andrew Hairston , director of the School-to-Prison Pipeline Project at Texas Appleseed .
The group has joined other advocacy groups calling on Texas to ban on expulsions or suspensions during the pandemic .
“ If we as adults expect our employers and our friends to give us breaks during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use the restroom , drink water and rest , we should be extending that grace for the young people , “ Hairston said .
Ultimately , the uneasy line-blurring between school and home — and melding those different rules in a manner that ’ s appropriate for extraordinary times — is temporary .
Few students or educators expect a different approach to classroom rules when in-person learning again becomes the norm .
Until then , however , those who teach students and mete out discipline will have to navigate an uncertain , constantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some schools are saying , ‘ Oh , we want to present students with some sense of normalcy , ’ ” says McByrd , the statistics teacher in Chicago .
“ But it ’ s so easy for people to forget that the times that we ’ re in right now are not normal .
And this is a chance for us to try to do things differently than we ’ ve done in the past.
” Follow Chicago-based Associated Press journalist Kathleen Foody on Twitter at http : //twitter.com/KatieFoody


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--The Latest: Nominee Barrett to field questions from senators

WASHINGTON - The Latest on the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett ( all times local ) : The second day of confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett has begun .
On Tuesday , Barrett will answer questions from senators on the Judiciary Committee .
A day earlier , she told the panel she believes the court should interpret the U.S. Constitution and laws “ as they are written.
” Barrett said in her opening statement that people of all backgrounds deserve “ an independent Supreme Court.
” Even before her confirmation hearings end , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Thursday vote to approve her nomination .
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham scheduled a committee vote for 9 a.m. Thursday , the last day of hearings .
Barrett ’ s nomination is expected to be brought up for a vote at that meeting and then delayed for a week , per committee rules .
Republicans are moving quickly to confirm Barrett before the presidential election Nov. 3 .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT ’ S HAPPENING IN THE SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION HEARINGS : Barrett is facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of confirmation hearings .
Republicans control the Senate and want to confirm President Donald Trump ’ s pick to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before Election Day to cement a conservative court majority .
— Health care law on line at court , but is it likely to fall ?


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Yemen officials say man has killed 12 in family dispute

SANAA , Yemen - A Yemeni man killed at least a dozen people , including his wife and three children , in a family dispute in the country ’ s central province of Bayda , security officials said on Tuesday .
The father of three was trying to settle a dispute with his wife who was staying at her family ’ s house for three weeks after delivering the couple ’ s third child , the officials said .
The man , in his 20s , opened fire on his wife ’ s family , killing at least 12 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policemen , they said .
Among the dead were his wife , two children and the couple ’ s 20-day old infant , the officials said .
Security forces killed the man in an exchange of fire while he attempted to flee , the officials said , speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media .
It was not immediately clear what sparked the family ’ s dispute .
The officials said the incident took place late Monday in the al-Shareia neighbourhood in the city of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil war when the Houthi rebels took over the capital , Sanaa , in 2014 from the internationally recognized government .
A Saudi-led coalition allied with the government has been fighting the Houthis since March 2015 .
The war in Yemen has spawned the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis , leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages .
It has killed over 112,000 people , including fighters and civilians , according to a database project that tracks violence .


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Croatian police find weapons after shooting outside govt. HQ

ZAGREB , Croatia - Police have found weapons in the home of a gunman who shot and wounded an officer outside the Croatian government headquarters , they said Tuesday .
The man ’ s father was briefly detained for possession of two rifles with optical sights and silencers , as well as over 1,000 pieces of ammunition , police said in a statement .
He was released after questioning , the local prosecutor ’ s office said .
The 22-year-old from the central town of Kutina on Monday fired at the policeman at Zagreb ’ s St. Mark ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city .
He later committed suicide in a nearby neighbourhood .
Police said on Tuesday that that the shooter used an automatic weapon in the attack , which was later found abandoned .
Authorities on Tuesday blocked public access to the square that hosts the parliament building and other top state institutions .
Police were allowing only residents and officials into the area .
The shooting on Monday sparked security concerns in the European Union country .
Croatian media have reported that the shooter ’ s father was a former fighter from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wounded policeman was in stable condition after undergoing an operation .
He was shot four times in the arm and torso , doctors said .


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--US investigates fire reports in Chevy Bolt electric vehicles

DETROIT - The U.S. government ’ s road safety agency is investigating complaints that the Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle can catch fire .
The probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers nearly 78,000 Bolts made by General Motors from the 2017 through 2020 model years .
The agency says in documents posted on its website Tuesday that it has three reports of fires that began under the rear seat while the cars were parked and unattended .
One person suffered smoke inhalation .
The fire damage appeared to be concentrated in the battery compartment area , spreading into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s co-operating with the probe and is conducting its own investigation .
“ The safety of our products is the highest priority for the entire GM team , ” the statement said .
The company would not comment when asked if the vehicles should be parked outside until the cause of the fires is determined .
The safety agency will determine how often the fires happen and assess the safety consequences .
The probe could lead to a recall .
In one of the complaints from March of 2019 , a Bolt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vehicle was parked in the driveway and plugged into the charger for a little over an hour when the fire began .
Then the owner found smoke billowing from the rear of the 2018 Bolt , apparently from the battery area .
It took firefighters about three hours to control the blaze , and the owners reported headaches from the smoke .
GM sent two engineers from Detroit to inspect the charger , and the company bought the Bolt from the insurance company , the owner wrote .
In another fire from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia , the owner of a 2019 Bolt told NHTSA that the car was driven to a townhouse development with a private parking lot .
Twenty minutes after arriving , a neighbour rang the doorbell and reported white smoke coming from the back of the Bolt .
Firefighters doused the car with water for an hour and left the area , but the fire restarted less than an hour later .
Firefighters returned and put out the fire , and once the car cooled , it was towed to a dealer , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote that GM is refusing to investigate the fire because the owner called an insurance company first .
The National Transportation Safety Board , a separate federal agency , is investigating electric vehicle fires , and a report is expected soon .


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Palestinian premier: God help us if Trump wins re-election

RAMALLAH , Palestinian Territory - The Palestinian prime minister has said it will be disastrous for his people and the world at large if President Donald Trump wins re-election next month .
Speaking remotely to European lawmakers , Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the last four years of the Trump administration have greatly harmed the Palestinians .
“ If we are going to live another four years with President Trump , “ he said , God help us and the whole world , Shtayyeh said Monday .
The comments were posted on his Facebook page .
The Palestinians have traditionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in American presidential elections .
Shtayyeh ’ s comments reflected the sense of desperation on the Palestinian side after a series of U.S. moves that have left them weakened and isolated .
The Palestinians severed ties with Trump after he recognized contested Jerusalem as Israel ’ s capital in late 2017 and subsequently moved the American Embassy to the holy city .
Trump has also cut off hundreds of millions of dollars of American aid to the Palestinians , shut the Palestinian diplomatic offices in Washington and issued a Mideast plan this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have rejected the plan out of hand .
The Trump administration also has persuaded two Arab countries , the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain , to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel and promised that other Arab nations will follow suit .
These deals have undercut the traditional Arab consensus that recognition of Israel only come in return for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal — a rare source of leverage for the Palestinians .
Shtayyeh expressed hope that a victory by the Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would raise prospects for a peace deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change in the United States I think this will reflect itself directly on the Palestinian-Israeli relationship , ” he said .
“ And it will reflect itself also on the bilateral Palestinian-American relationship .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Study: Hurricane Irma caused 400 senior deaths in Florida

TAMPA , Fla. - The aftereffects of 2017 ’ s Hurricane Irma appear to have killed more than 400 senior residents of Florida nursing homes , a new university study shows .
Researchers at the University of South Florida and Brown University concluded that 433 additional patients died within 90 days of the September 2017 storm , compared to the same period in 2015 , when there were no hurricanes .
Their study examined health data for 62,000 patients at 640 Florida nursing homes obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services , according to the Tampa Bay Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The study was prompted by the heat-related deaths of 12 residents at a Broward County nursing home .
Authorities said those deaths were caused when the storm disabled the central air conditioning and the staff failed to move patients to a nearby hospital .
An administrator and three nurses who worked at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills have been charged with failing to prevent the deaths .
The researchers found that long-term nursing home residents suffered not only increased mortality rates after Irma , but more hospitalizations .
“ Nursing homes need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they ’ re in the process of reacting to a hurricane , ” said co-author Lindsay Peterson , a research assistant professor of aging studies at USF .
Brian Lee , director of Families for Better Care , a non-profit that advocates for better services at long-term care facilities , said the study shows that nursing homes need to do a better job preparing for hurricanes .
“ This is an extremely vulnerable population , and nursing homes and other facilities need to do a better job of hardening their facilities to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
After Irma , the Florida required nursing homes and assisted-living facilities to install generators to keep residents cool in case of a storm .
But the laws need to be tougher , Lee said .
Nursing homes need generators that can allow cooling of residents in their rooms , not spot coolers that were used at Hollywood Hills .
That required moving residents into large spaces to keep them cool .
Fewer than 100 of the state ’ s long-term care facilities had temporary generators during Irma , the Times reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that facilities can withstand these storms and not worry about transferring residents around and exposing them to potential transfer trauma , ” Lee said .


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Swedish giant Ikea to buy back used furniture

STOCKHOLM - Flat-pack furnishings retailer Ikea said Tuesday that will offer to buy back thousands of pieces of used Ikea furniture in 27 countries , for resale , recycling or donation to community projects .
The Swedish giant said Tuesday that its Black Friday event will be “ an opportunity to meet customers ’ needs in ways that contribute to a circular economy.
” It will run from Nov. 24 to Dec. 3 .
“ A circular economy can only be achieved through investment and collaboration with customers , other businesses , local communities and governments , so we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repair , reuse , refurbishment and recycling ” , said Pia Heidenmark Cook , the group ’ s chief sustainability officer .
Anyone selling used Ikea furniture will get a voucher that could be worth as much as 50 % of the original price , to buy new items .
The company did not say in what condition the used furniture should be or whether it should be dismantled .
The group said it was currently looking into how to best prolong the life of products for reuse , refurbishment , remanufacturing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will open its first second-hand store , in a shopping centre west of Stockholm .
As of next year , Ikea will have dedicated destinations in every store where people can sell back their old furniture and find repaired or refurbished furniture .
Ikea was founded by Ingvar Kamprad , who turned a small-scale mail order business started on his family ’ s farm into a furniture empire by letting customers piece together his simple and inexpensive furniture themselves , in 1943 .
There are now stores in 40 countries and 131,000 employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Leiden , the Netherlands .


thetorontostar--2020-10-13--Reported death toll in Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes about 600

YEREVAN , Armenia - The reported death toll in clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh has reached about 600 , with officials reporting more military and civilian deaths as the fighting continues despite a cease-fire announced over the weekend .
Nagorno-Karabakh military officials said Tuesday that 16 more of their servicemen have been killed in fighting , bringinhe total number of dead among military members to 532 since Sept. 27 , when the fighting started .
Azerbaijan hasn ’ t disclosed its military losses , and the overall toll is likely to be much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have inflicted significant military casualties on one another .
Azerbaijani authorities said 42 civilians have been killed on their side in over two weeks .
Nagorno-Karabakh human rights ombudsman Artak Beglaryan late Monday reported at least 31 civilian deaths in the breakaway region .
Hundreds more have been wounded .
The recent fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces broke out on Sept. 27 .
More than two weeks of deadly clashes marked the biggest escalation of a decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh , which lies in Azerbaijan but has been under control of ethnic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of a separatist war in 1994 .
Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of attacks amid appeals from the around the globe to end the hostilities and start peace talks .
Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers signed a cease-fire deal last week .
The truce that took effect Saturday was brokered by Russia , which has a security pact with Armenia .
But Moscow also has cultivated warm ties with Azerbaijan and seeks to mediate in the conflict .
The truce , however , has been immediately challenged with both Armenia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks in violation of the agreement .
On Tuesday , Azerbaijani officials have once again accused Armenian forces of shelling some of its regions , and Nagorno-Karabakh officials said Azerbaijan launched “ large-scale military operations ” along the front line .
Russia and the European Union have urged both sides to observe the cease-fire .
Associated Press writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow , and Aida Sultanova in Baku , Azerbaijan , contributed to this report .