thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Esper, in first trip since March, defends antivirus efforts

WASHINGTON - Defence Secretary Mark Esper is travelling beyond Washington for the first time in nearly two months as he looks to highlight and defend a Pentagon approach to fighting the coronavirus pandemic that some Senate Democrats have criticized as slow and disjointed .
Esper was flying Thursday to the headquarters of U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs , Colorado , to meet with Gen. Terrence O ’ Shaughnessy , who is spearheading the military ’ s support for civilian agencies combating the virus .
It is Esper ’ s first trip beyond Washington since he visited Norfolk , Virginia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump in sending off a Navy hospital ship .
The visit comes as Trump pushes for a reopening of the country and for demonstrations of the administration ’ s shift from crisis management to rebooting a battered economy .
Trump ended his isolation in the White House with a trip to Arizona on Tuesday to visit a face mask factory , and Vice-President Mike Pence has made several recent trips .
Even as he begins to venture out to visit commanders and troops after weeks cooped up in the Pentagon , Esper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect to resume business as usual any time soon .
He hopes to ease military travel and training restrictions by summer , but such steps will be gradual .
“ I think that we will be in a new type of normal for a period of time , measured in months at least , and we ’ re going to take it one step at a time to make sure we do everything possible to protect our people , ” he said Tuesday .
Esper ’ s trip comes a week after 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota , complained that he has taken a slow and disjointed approach to the coronavirus problem .
In a letter to Esper , they said he may have put politics ahead of servicemembers ’ health and that he failed to issue coherent guidance to military commanders .
They demanded answers by next week to a range of questions about virus testing and steps to mitigate the virus ’ s spread .
Esper said Tuesday he was disappointed by the letter , asserting that it contained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said he has spoken to governors of the states represented by the senators who signed the letter , and that every governor thanked him and praised the Pentagon ’ s performance .
Esper has regularly asserted that the Pentagon has been “ ahead of the curve ” in dealing with the pandemic , starting with his decision to begin implementing a pandemic plan on Feb. 1 .
Support to civilian authorities has been just one aspect of the Pentagon ’ s response .
It also has scaled back training , reduced face-to-face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abroad .
These and other measures aimed at protecting the health of the force have had degrees of success , despite major setbacks such as a virus outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt that has sidelined the ship on Guam for weeks , creating turmoil among Navy leadership and taken the life of one sailor .
After a buildup of military support for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services , as well as state and local governments , the active-duty military ’ s role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USNS Comfort returned to its home port at Norfolk , Virginia , on Saturday after 31 days on station in New York harbour .
A second Navy hospital ship , the USNS Mercy , is likely to depart Los Angeles , where it has been stationed since late March , “ in the coming weeks , ” Esper said Monday .
Military medical specialists have played a key role in hospitals in hard-hit New York City and elsewhere , but their numbers are declining .
A little over a week ago , 4,400 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical facilities ; on Wednesday the Pentagon said their number had shrunk to 2,600 .
Also , military expeditionary medical facilities that were set up in Texas and Louisiana are being returned to Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida this week .
Some medical facilities set up by the Army Corps of Engineers that turned out not to be needed may be kept on standby in case of a resurgence of the coronavirus later in the year .
Esper has not spoken in detail about preparations the Pentagon may be making to remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a resurgence .
The National Guard under state governors ’ control is still helping across the country with more than 46,000 on active duty .
“ As the situation evolves , we will continue to remain agile , flexible and responsive to stay ahead of the needs of state and local authorities across the country , ” Esper told reporters Tuesday .
“ From the beginning of the outbreak , I have made protecting our troops , department civilians and their families a top priority .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--SUPREME COURT NOTEBOOK: Chatty Thomas breaks with precedent

WASHINGTON - A Supreme Court justice gets it in his mind to ask a question , and pretty soon , he ’ s got questions for everyone .
And so the next question : Will Clarence Thomas ever stop talking ?
Before this week , the intervals between Thomas ’ questions during high court arguments were measured in years .
He once went 10 years , from 2006 to 2016 , without asking even one .
Now he ’ s been an active questioner for three straight days .
He ’ ll have the chance to continue his streak next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It might be the setting , the court ’ s first arguments by telephone , because of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ I must say , as a former clerk , I ’ m delighted that a silver lining of the new format in this difficult time is that the public can see the extraordinary combination of preparation , thoughtfulness , and grace the Justice brings to every case , ” Elizabeth Papez , partner in a big Washington , D.C. , law firm said in an email .
The new arrangement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with justices taking turns instead of jumping in whenever they wanted .
Only Chief Justice John Roberts goes before Thomas , the longest-serving justice .
He joined the court in 1991 .
One reason Thomas , 71 , has given over the years for his reticence is that he thinks his colleagues talk too much and don ’ t give the lawyers before them the courtesy of presenting arguments they have sweated over for weeks and months .
“ It confirms in one sense what Justice Thomas has said about the excessive interruptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a University of Notre Dame law professor who once worked for Thomas .
The contrast between Thomas on the phone and in person is stark .
In the courtroom , the justice often reclines in his chair , his gaze toward the decorative ceiling , not on the lawyer who is arguing .
Occasionally , he will lean forward , approaching his microphone and putting reporters on alert that he might break his silence .
Almost always , it ’ s just a feint .
But on the phone , he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he went out of order Wednesday because of temporary technical difficulties .
In another time , Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg arranged her medical care around the court ’ s schedule so she wouldn ’ t miss arguments .
On Wednesday , the 87-year-old Ginsburg was able to participate from a Baltimore hospital , where she was being treated for an infection caused by a gallstone .
It ’ s an unforeseen option after the court ’ s virus-driven decision to hold remote arguments .
Ginsburg was back home Wednesday night .
When Ginsburg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer in 1999 , she followed advice from the first woman on the court , Justice Sandra Day O ’ Connor , who was back in court nine days after breast cancer surgery .
“ Ruth , you schedule your chemotherapy for a Friday .
Then you can get over it on Saturday and Sunday and be back in court on Monday , ” Ginsburg said last year , quoting O ’ Connor , at a Clinton Foundation event in Little Rock , Arkansas .
Illness does sometimes keep justices from the courtroom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time since joining the court in 1993 as she recovered from surgery to remove cancerous growths on her lung in 2018 .
Chief Justice William Rehnquist missed 44 arguments when he was dealing with the thyroid cancer to which he eventually succumbed in 2005 .
Justice William Douglas didn ’ t return to the bench for nearly six months after he broke 14 ribs and punctured a lung in a horseback riding accident on the day before the Supreme Court term began in October 1949 .
Follow AP ’ s Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And Supreme Court reporters Mark Sherman at https : //twitter.com/shermancourt and Jessica Gresko at https : //twitter.com/jessicagresko .

Mark Sherman And Jessica Gresko - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Asia Today: Cruise ship in Philippine waters to return crew

BANGKOK - A cruise ship being investigated in Australia for sparking coronavirus infections has sailed into Philippine waters to bring Filipino crewmen home .
The Philippine coast guard said Thursday the Ruby Princess will drop anchor in Manila Bay , where at least 16 other cruise ships have converged since last month while waiting for more than 5,000 Filipino crewmembers to be tested for the coronavirus before disembarking .
Coast guard spokesman Armand Balilo said 214 Filipino crewmen on board the Ruby Princess will be tested .
The Ruby Princess has been linked to 19 deaths in Australia and two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government inquiry is underway into why 2,700 passengers and crew were allowed to disembark in Sydney on March 19 before the test results of sick passengers were known .
Many passengers flew from Sydney overseas .
Two died at home in the United States , including Los Angeles resident Chung Chen , whose family is suing Princess Cruises for more than $ 1 million in a lawsuit alleging it failed to alert passengers to the risk .
— CHINA RESPONDS TO POMPEO : China is firing back at U.S. Secretary of State Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ enormous evidence ” that the coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory , accusing him of “ making up lies and covering up a lie by fabricating more lies.
” The strong language from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at a Thursday briefing came as President Donald Trump and his allies continue to express confidence in an unsubstantiated theory linking the origin of the outbreak to a possible accident at a Chinese lab .
U.S. officials say they are still exploring the subject and describe the evidence as purely circumstantial .
But Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notion to further highlight China ’ s lack of transparency .
“ Under the situation that no scientists and experts can even draw any conclusions , why did Secretary Pompeo want to rush to the conclusion to hold the Wuhan laboratory accountable ?
Where is his evidence ?
, ” Hua told reporters , while defending the integrity of the Wuhan lab .
“ Show us .
If he can ’ t , is he still in the middle of concocting this so-called evidence ?
” — BACK IN THE AIR : South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some flights next month to expand cargo transport and prepare for a possible increase in travellers as countries ease their coronavirus restrictions .
Despite the increased flights , Korean Air said it will still be operating only 32 of its 110 international routes in June .
Korean Air has said the coronavirus pandemic has pushed South Korean airlines into an existential crisis and called for stronger government support .
The company is currently rotating 70 % of its 20,000 workers on six months paid leave .
— SINGAPORE CASES SURGE : The number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20,000 as more foreign workers living in crowded dormitories were diagnosed .
The city-state reported 788 new cases to take its total to 20,198 .
Foreign workers living in dorms accounted for nearly 90 % of the cases .
Officials expected the upsurge as they test residents in the locked-down dormitories .
Singapore will let selected businesses operate from May 12 in a gradual easing of a two-month lockdown that is due to end June 1 .
— CHINA ’ S ASSISTANCE : China is touting its assistance to countries struck by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government aid to 150 nations , including millions of testing kits .
“ The virus knows no borders .
Unity and co-operation is international society ’ s most powerful weapon to defeat the epidemic , ” the foreign ministry said in a statement to The Associated Press .
It said China has been providing within its means , including , 3.3 million testing kits , 2.6 million gowns , 53 million masks and 729 ventilators , among other supplies .
Additionally , $ 50 has been donated directly to the World Health Organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The government on Thursday declared all areas of the vast country downgraded from high to low virus risk , as the numbers of new cases falls to near zero and no new deaths have been reported in more than three weeks .
The last region to be downgraded was Linkou county outside the city of Mudanjiang in the province of Heilongjiang that borders on Russia and where the most recent spike in cases had been reported .
Authorities shut an emergency field hospital in the region after the closing of the land border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have effectively brought the number of new cases to zero .
China ’ s National Health Administration on Thursday reported just two new coronavirus cases , both of them brought from overseas , and said 295 people remained in hospital with COVID-19 .
Another 884 people were under isolation and monitoring for being suspected cases or for having tested positive while showing no symptoms .
In total , China has reported 4,633 deaths among 82,885 cases .
— SOUTH KOREA EXPANDS MASK SHIPMENTS : South Korea says it ’ ll expand its humanitarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waning domestic cases of the coronavirus .
The country ’ s food and drug safety minister , Lee Eui-kyung , told reporters Thursday that a total of 70 countries had requested mask shipments .
Lee says South Korea will focus on assisting countries with bigger outbreaks that urgently need masks .
She says diplomatic and security relations will also be considered .
Separately , the Defence Ministry will use a military aircraft to transport 500,000 masks intended for U.S. veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War .
— SRI LANKA REIMPOSES CURFEW , AGAIN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24-hour countrywide curfew until next Monday , as part of stringent measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus .
The blanket curfew was imposed Wednesday night a surge in new infections during the last few days .
There are now 797 COVID-19 patients in Sri Lanka including nine deaths .
Of the total , 460 cases were reported after April 22 , including 372 navy sailors or their close contacts .
Authorities have isolated the main navy camp and quarantined about 4,000 troops there .
— NEW ZEALAND TO REOPEN BARS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , retail stores and hair salons from next week and once again allow domestic travel .
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday outlined what the country would look like under a further relaxation of its lockdown rules .
Much of the country would get back to a semblance of normality .
Senior lawmakers will decide Monday whether to go ahead with the plan starting Wednesday .
Under the plan , schools could reopen from the following week .
The country ’ s borders will remain shut .
Professional sports would start again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be restricted to 100 people and social distancing protocols observed .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Bank of England: UK economy could shrink by nearly a third

LONDON - The Bank of England warned Thursday that the British economy will suffer a historically deep recession as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that could see it shrink by nearly a third in just half a year .
In what it describes as a “ plausible ” scenario , the bank said the British economy will be 30 % smaller at the end of the first half of the year than it was at the start of it , with the second quarter seeing a 25 % slump alone following a 3 % decline in the first .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to around 9 % , but that figure does not include the 6 million workers who have been retained by firms as part of a scheme that sees the government pay up to 80 % of salaries , up to 2,500 pounds ( $ 3,075 ) a month .
The central bank said the economy should start to recover during the second half of the year as the lockdown restrictions start to be lifted and “ materially so ” in the latter part of the period .
It noted that the timeliest indicators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent weeks , albeit at very low levels , after unprecedented falls during late March and early April .
As a result , it anticipates that the economy will end up 2020 with a 14 % contraction .
That would be far greater than anything seen during the world wars , the Spanish flu of a century ago or the global financial crisis of 2008-9 .
Over the longer term , the bank thinks that the British economy could revive quickly if the pandemic comes under control globally .
It thinks that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 % next year and be back to where it was before the outbreak within three years , with the financial sector helping the corporate sector get through the strain .
“ We expect the recovery of the economy to happen over time , although much more rapidly than the pull-back from the global financial crisis , “ said Andrew Bailey , the bank ’ s new governor , who has only been at the helm since March .
“ We expect that there will be some longer-term damage to the capacity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we judge these effects to be relatively small.
” That scenario clearly depends on how long the lockdown restrictions remain in place .
The bank has assumed that both the furlough scheme and social distancing guidelines will be phased out between June and the end of the year .
It has meanwhile not factored in a second wave of infections .
The gloomy outlook was issued after the bank ’ s Monetary Policy Committee decided to keep its main interest rate at the record low of 0.1 % and opted against a further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the nine policymakers wanted to increase the bank ’ s stimulus program by another 100 billion pounds ( $ 124 billion ) .
The policymaking panel had previously announced big cuts in interest rates , an expansion in its stimulus program and a sizeable lending program as it tries to contain the economic damage of the pandemic .
Bailey said the bank stood ready to support the economy further .
Many economists think the bank will back another stimulus package in the next few months , and the reaction in financial markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steady at $ 1.24 .
“ Having thrown the kitchen sink at the economic recovery , and been unafraid of acting in between meetings , it ’ s not too surprising that the Bank of England has opted against making any major new changes this week , ” said James Smith , developed markets economist at ING .
“ After all , financial markets are calmer .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Chemical leak at LG plant in India kills 11, about 1,000 ill

HYDERABAD , India - A gas leaked from an LG chemical plant in southern India early Thursday , leaving people struggling to breathe and collapsing in the streets as they tried to flee .
At least 11 people died and about 1,000 suffered breathing difficulties and other problems .
The synthetic chemical styrene leaked from the LG Polymers plant in a city on India ’ s eastern coast while workers were preparing to restart the facility after a coronavirus lockdown was eased , state official Vinay Chand said .
A fire that broke out before the gas leak was extinguished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was later halted and the air had cleared .
Chand said some people collapsed on the road and were rushed to a hospital .
About 1,000 people in an area of 3 kilometres ( 1.8 miles ) complained of breathing difficulties and a burning sensation in their eyes , he said .
About 100 people were hospitalized and in non-life-threatening condition , Police Commissioner R.K. Meena said .
S.N .
Pradhan , chief of the National Disaster Response Force , said 11 people had died .
The dead included an 8-year-old girl .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a well while running away and another person died after jumping from the second story of his house to escape .
The others died in a hospital .
State Industries Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy said rescuers broke open the doors of village homes which were locked from the inside and found some people who had collapsed and transported them to a hospital .
South Korean company LG Chem Ltd. operates the plant in Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh state .
It says it is South Korea ’ s largest chemical company and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The company said it is co-operating with Indian authorities to help residents and employees .
“ The gas leakage is now under control , but the leaked gas can cause nausea and dizziness , so we are investing every effort to ensure proper treatment is provided swiftly , ” LG Chem said in a statement .
It is looking into the cause of the leak of styrene monomer gas , which is used to produce plastic , but won ’ t know exactly until Indian authorities complete their investigation , company official Song @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a leading manufacturer of polystyrene plastic in India .
It employs around 300 workers , but Song said the victims appeared mostly to be local residents .
Mekapati Goutham Sawang , the state director-general of police , said styrene gas “ is not a poisonous or a lethal gas.
” “ Only if one inhales high doses of it , it is serious .
Otherwise , it leads to irritation , losing coherence and breathlessness , ” he said .
Authorities deployed 25 ambulances to move the victims to hospitals and others away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 3,000 people were evacuated from a village near the plant .
Images from television showed people lying in the streets after they collapsed while trying to flee .
A witness said there was panic as a mist-like gas enveloped the area .
“ People felt breathless in their homes and tried to run away .
Darkness added to the confusion , ” he told a television channel .
His name wan ’ t given by the channel .
India imposed a strict nationwide lockdown on March 25 to control the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , allowing neighbourhood shops and factories to resume activities .
India has reported about 50,000 virus cases and 1,694 deaths .
In a major industrial disaster in India in 1984 , at least 2,850 people were killed and 20,000 injured when methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a tank at Union Carbide India Ltd. ’ s Bhopal plant in central India .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Face masks make a political statement in era of coronavirus

WASHINGTON - The decision to wear a mask in public is becoming a political statement — a moment to pick sides in a brewing culture war over containing the coronavirus .
While not yet as loaded as a “ Make America Great Again ” hat , the mask is increasingly a visual shorthand for a debate pitting those willing to follow health officials ’ guidance and cover their faces against those who feel it violates their freedom or buys into a threat they think is overblown .
That resistance is fueled by some of the same people who object to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been stoked by President Donald Trump — he didn ’ t wear a mask during a Tuesday appearance at a facility making them — and some other Republicans , who have flouted rules and questioned the value of masks .
It ’ s a development that has worried experts as Americans are increasingly returning to public spaces .
“ There ’ s such a strong culture of individualism that , even if it ’ s going to help protect them , people don ’ t want the government telling them what to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Virginia Tech engineering professor with experience in airborne transmission of viruses .
Inconclusive science and shifting federal guidance have no doubt muddied the political debate .
Health officials initially said wearing masks was unnecessary , especially amid a shortage of protective materials .
But last month , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending wearing cloth masks in public to prevent transmitting the virus to others .
Whether Americans are embracing the change may depend on their political party .
While most other protective measures like social distancing get broad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than Republicans to say they ’ re wearing a mask when leaving home , 76 % to 59 % , according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .
The split is clear across several demographics that lean Democratic .
People with college degrees are more likely than those without to wear masks when leaving home , 78 % to 63 % .
African Americans are more likely than either white people or Hispanic Americans to say they ’ re wearing masks outside the home , 83 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , respectively .
The notable exception is among older people , a group particularly vulnerable to serious illness from the virus .
Some 79 % of those age 60 and over were doing so compared with 63 % of those younger .
“ Who knows what the truth is on masks ?
” asked Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul , who , unlike some of his colleagues , went without a mask Tuesday in the Senate .
Paul already contracted the virus and believes he is no longer contagious .
His comments were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s moral argument for the mask a few days earlier .
“ How people can not wear masks — that to me is even disrespectful , ” Cuomo said .
“ You put so many people at risk because you did not want to wear a mask ?
“ Effectiveness aside , politicians of both parties are clued into the powerful symbolism of the mask , and many Americans take their cues from the president .
Trump was barefaced when he spoke to masked journalists , workers and Secret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He later said he briefly wore a mask backstage but took it off because facility personnel told him he didn ’ t need it .
But Trump has been mask averse for weeks .
Within minutes of the CDC announcing its updated mask recommendations , he said , “ I don ’ t think that I ’ m going to be doing it.
” Trump has told advisers that he believes wearing one would “ send the wrong message , ” according to one administration and two campaign officials not authorized to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said doing so would make it seem like he is preoccupied with health instead of focused on reopening the nation ’ s economy — which his aides believe is the key to his reelection chances in November .
Moreover , Trump , who is known to be especially cognizant of his appearance on television , has also told confidants that he fears he would look ridiculous in a mask and the image would appear in negative ads , according to one of the officials .
“ It ’ s a vanity thing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of Trump on MSNBC .
“ You ’ d think , as the president of the United States , you would have the confidence to honour the guidance he ’ s giving the country.
” That ’ s left those around him unsure of how to proceed .
White House aides say the president hasn ’ t told them not to wear them , but few do .
Some Republican allies have asked Trump ’ s campaign how it would be viewed by the White House if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to two campaign officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren ’ t authorized to discuss private conversations .
Meanwhile , Trump ’ s reelection campaign has ordered red Trump-branded masks for supporters and is considering giving them away at events or in return for donations .
But some advisers are concerned the president will later sour on the idea , according to one campaign official .
That uncertainty was on display last week , when Vice-President Mike Pence went maskless at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota .
He later acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use a mask during a subsequent trip to a ventilator plant .
The issue has been far less fraught for Democrats , whose presumptive presidential nominee , Joe Biden , has said he wears a mask when interacting with the Secret Service .
Dilemmas for politicians and other Americans are only going to increase as parts of the country begin easing stay-at-home orders and businesses reopen with new rules .
The tensions have already flared in Michigan , where a man was shot and killed over a mask dispute at a store .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks in public was Laredo , Texas .
A $ 1,000 noncompliance fine was negated by an order from the governor , but Mayor Pete Saenz said his community is still asking citizens to comply so hospitals aren ’ t overtaxed with new cases .
“ We don ’ t want to violate anyone ’ s civil liberties , ” Saenz said .
But “ we can ’ t help you , if it ’ s beyond our medical capacity , whether you exercise your civil liberties or not .
”

Will Weissert And Jonathan Lemire - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Hit by pandemic and oil slide, Norway cuts key interest rate

COPENHAGEN - Norway ’ s central bank has cut its key policy rate by a quarter percentage point to 0 % as the economy is slammed by the combination of the coronavirus pandemic and a recent plunge in the price of oil .
“ The uncertainty surrounding developments ahead is unusually high , ” Norges Bank added Thursday .
“ Economic activity is expected to pick up as containment measures are eased , but it will likely take time for output and employment to return to the levels prevailing before the pandemic.
” The bank ’ s governor said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for some time .
Besides the pandemic , which has hit economies around the world as governments put restrictions on business , Norway has been hurt by a slide this year in energy prices .
Norway is a big exporter of oil and gas , the price of which has halved this year .
Last month , the Norwegian government said it will reduce its off-shore oil production to contribute to a global stabilization of the oil market .
Norway would cut production by 250,000 barrels per day in June and by 134,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2020 .
The start-up of production of several fields will be delayed until 2021 .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--July 12 is possible date for Poland’s postponed election

WARSAW , Poland - A spokesman for Poland ’ s ruling party said Thursday that July 12 is a potential @ @ @ @ @ election that will not take place Sunday as previously scheduled .
The ruling conservative coalition @ @ @ @ @ late Wednesday as the coronavirus national lockdown disturbed the preparations while political infighting added to @ @ @ @ @ date was set .
Under the current plan , the Supreme Court is expected to @ @ @ @ @ void and thus pave way for a new election .
Ruling Law and Justice party @ @ @ @ @ July 12 is seen as the possible new date , falling before President Andrzej Duda @ @ @ @ @ Aug. 6 .
The vote would be by mail , out of concern for voters @ @ @ @ @ .
Law and Justice is backing Duda ’ s reelection bid and he is leading @ @ @ @ @ of nine other candidates .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Rugby league hits vaccine roadblock on May 28 return to play

BRISBANE , Australia - The National Rugby League ’ s planned return to competition on May 28 after a two-month shutdown amid the coronavirus pandemic is being upstaged by at least one player who refuses to get a seasonal flu vaccine .
It has reached the upper echelons of the Australian government , with Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Thursday reiterating Prime Minister Scott Morrison ’ s call for the NRL to institute a “ no jab , no play ” policy as teams gather this week to begin training .
Gold Coast Titans forward Bryce Cartwright has refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it would be “ coercion ” if he was forced to .
Also , Canberra Raiders forwards Sia Soliola , Josh Papalii and Joseph Tapine were reported by local media to have crossed out a line in the NRL ’ s vaccination waiver that stated players must accept they are at a heightened risk of contracting influenza if they go without the injection .
Medical officials have told the NRL that players getting influenza in tandem with COVID-19 — for which there is no vaccine yet — would result in serious illnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Later Thursday , in a complicated decision , the Australian Rugby League Commission revised a vaccination waiver clause to allow NRL players to play if they refuse to be vaccinated .
“ A clause has been taken out .
It used to say they believe by not having it ( vaccination ) that would put them medically at risk — well they don ’ t believe that , ” the commission said .
“ So we have changed that to say that they have been advised by their medical officer that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been like that in the first place to be honest .
So if any player doesn ’ t execute the waiver they will not be able to play.
” Cartwright had also put a line through a sentence stating players accept being at greater risk of contracting influenza without the injection .
“ I won ’ t be bullied into making decisions that could impact my health and the health of my family , ” he said on social media .
“ Giving us the ultimatum of get the shot or be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical information is illegal.
“ Dutton said the NRL made it clear to the federal government that flu vaccines were to be administered as part of permission for the competition to resume this month , albeit with no spectators allowed in stadiums .
“ The conditions were obvious and the commitments were made by the NRL before a decision was made to allow them to go ahead , “ Dutton said .
“ We provided support , obviously , for the players to come from New Zealand , and we did that based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health advice was based on the commitments given by the NRL .
So I think it ’ s pretty clear-cut.
” The New Zealand Warriors players and staff arrived in Tamworth , north of Sydney in New South Wales state , last weekend after being given government permission to enter Australia despite a general ban on incoming travellers .
They ’ ll be in isolation for 14 days during which they ’ ll be able to train in the regional city , but they ’ ll likely be without their families until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NRL rounds were played before the season was suspended on March 23 when Australia started going into lockdown .
The NRL plans a 20-round season in a revised schedule with the grand final to be played on Oct. 25 .
The match venues have not been determined , although most are expected to be in New South Wales state .
Veteran coach and commentator Phil Gould says he can ’ t understand why the flu vaccine has become such an issue in the NRL relaunch , saying the flu shot was administered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gould said it made sense for players to get the flu vaccination for their general health but noted there were people with different opinions and it could create tension among the players .
“ The whole anti-vaxxing argument does bring tension , it does bring pressure , particularly against young mothers that may have someone else in the club that doesn ’ t want to vaccinate their children ... but that ’ s a whole bigger argument , ” Gould said on a Wide World of Sports podcast .
Follow AP news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Belarus strips Russian reporters of accreditation amid virus

MINSK , Belarus - The Foreign Ministry of Belarus has stripped two Russian journalists of accreditation after reports about the growing coronavirus outbreak in the country , the ministry ’ s spokesman said Wednesday .
Reporter Alexei Kruchinin and cameraman Sergei Panasyuk work for Russia ’ s state-run Channel One .
The ministry didn ’ t name the reason for the decision .
Channel One called it “ groundless.
” Earlier this week Channel One aired several critical reports about the situation with the virus in Belarus .
The latest report that ran on Wednesday featured residents of Stolbtsy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , questioning the official virus tally and claiming that people dying of COVID-19 are registered with other causes of death .
In response to Channel One reports , Belarusian television aired a 18-minute segment accusing Russian journalists of spreading false information about the outbreak in the country .
As of Wendesday , Belarus has reported 19,255 confirmed coronavirus cases and 112 deaths .
President Alexander Lukashenko repeatedly dismissed concerns around the pandemic as “ mass psychosis ” and refused to impose a lockdown .
Belarus remains one of the few countries that hadn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t suspended business operations and continues to throw big public events despite numerous warnings from the World Health Organization .
On Saturday , Minsk will host a military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the allied victory over the Nazi Germany .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Foreigners on the frontlines of pandemic in Arab Gulf states

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - As she was treated for COVID-19 in a hospital isolation ward in Kuwait City , Amnah Ibraheem wanted to credit those caring for her .
The nurses were all South Asian , the radiologist was African , another of her doctors was Egyptian .
The only fellow Kuwaiti she saw , briefly , was a lone volunteer .
Ibraheem pointed this out on Twitter , in a rejoinder to some voices in Kuwait and other parts of the Gulf who have stoked fear and resentment of foreigners , blaming them for the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t decide right now to be racist and to say that expats are free-riders , because they ’ re not , ” the 32-year-old political scientist and mother of two told The Associated Press .
“ They ’ re the ones working on our health right now , completely holding our health system together.
” The global pandemic has drawn attention to just how vital foreigners are to the Arab Gulf countries where they work , particularly as countries like Saudi Arabia , Kuwait and Oman expel foreigners from certain sectors to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis has also shed a brief light on the systemic inequality in their home countries that drives so many to the region in the first place .
Across the Gulf countries , the workers on the front lines are uniquely almost entirely foreigners , whether it ’ s in a hospital in Saudi Arabia , an isolation ward in Kuwait or a grocery store in the United Arab Emirates .
They carry out the essential work , risking exposure to the novel coronavirus , often with the added strain of being far from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast majority of the roughly 78,000 confirmed coronavirus cases overall in the UAE , Qatar , Kuwait , Bahrain Oman and Saudi Arabia .
In the UAE , Qatar , Kuwait and Bahrain , foreigners also make up the vast majority of the population .
Most hail from India , Pakistan , Nepal , the Philippines and Egypt .
They reside on temporary work visas with no path to citizenship , no matter how long they ’ ve lived or worked in the Gulf .
Many work low-paying construction jobs and live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share a room .
These living conditions have made them vulnerable to the fast-spreading disease known as COVID-19 .
That has made them a target for some .
Popular Kuwaiti actress Hayat al-Fahad told a Kuwaiti broadcaster the root of the country ’ s coronavirus problem lies in South Asian and Egyptian migrant workers .
She lamented that if their own countries won ’ t take them back , why should Kuwait fill its hospitals to treat them at the expense of its own citizens .
“ Aren ’ t people supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , before adding : “ I swear by God , put them in the desert .
I am not against humane treatment , but we have gotten to a point where we ’ re fed up already.
” Ibraheem said her tweet was in response to such rhetoric .
Kuwait , she said , has always been a moderate , welcoming country built with help from expatriates .
“ This is the not the time to become tribalistic , ” Ibraheem said .
“ This is the time to work together with everybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your passport.
” From the same hospital , Najeeba Hayat used Instagram to take aim at Kuwaiti lawmaker Saffa al-Hashem after she called for the deportation of foreigners who ’ d overstayed their visas in order to “ purify the country ” of the virus they might transmit .
“ I take umbrage to that , ” Hayat told the AP .
“ There ’ s no way we can survive if we continue to look down on the very people taking care of us , who have raised our children , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community.
” Hayat spent more than 30 days in the hospital until she was cleared of COVID-19 .
On the day she left , she shared photos with her more than 25,000 followers of her Indian nurses , thanking them for being on the front line with her .
While foreign doctors and nurses have received some praise in local media , farther from the spotlight are the delivery men , street cleaners , construction workers , butchers and cashiers who also risk exposure to the virus in their jobs .
At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the registers protect the cashiers , and everyone entering is required to wear gloves and a mask .
One cashier , Valaney Fernandes , a 27-year-old from Goa , India , who ’ s been working in the UAE the past five years , said she felt she was contributing .
“ It ’ s like in hospitals and everywhere , they are serving there as much as they can.
” Fernandes said she was grateful to still be working .
Her retired parents back home rely on her salary .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs , ” she said .
“ I ’ m lucky enough to work now .
I ’ m really lucky.
” Tens of thousands of migrant workers who ’ ve lost their jobs have demanded from their embassies in the Gulf to be flown back home amid the pandemic .
In the UAE alone , local media reported that more than 197,000 Indians registered their details with the Indian government to return home .
When the UAE shuttered movie theatres in March , Ugandan Lukia Namitala came close to losing her job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Majid Al Futtaim quickly redeployed her and some 1,000 other employees to their Carrefour supermarket division to help with a surge in demand .
“ The majority of my friends , they are no longer working , ” she said .
Now she ’ s an essential worker , stocking shelves .
To be so far from family has been hard , she said .
Namitala had to postpone her annual leave last month due to the pandemic , and missed her daughter ’ s fifth birthday .
As she thought about another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with tears .
“ The best thing in this world is staying next to your family , ” she said .
“ If I get my savings nicely , I ’ m ready to go back and stay with my family because my family is my everything.
” In a nod to how important foreigners are to the economy , Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed said in a video he was moved to tears watching foreign residents on social media sing the UAE ’ s national anthem .
“ May God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re in , which you are loyal to like its own citizens , ” he said in late March .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Veteran Chinese diplomat and Mao Zedong’s interpreter dies

BEIJING - Ji Chaozhu , a veteran Chinese diplomat who provided English translation for leaders from Mao Zedong to Deng Xiaoping and served as an undersecretary of the United Nations , has died , the foreign ministry said .
He was 90 .
Ji had also served as ambassador to Britain over the course of a lengthy career that began after he left Harvard University to return to China during the Korean War , when U.S. and Chinese troops engaged in vicious combat .
After briefly studying at prestigious Tsinghua University , he was assigned by dint of his fluent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the village of Panmunjon between the warring sides .
That led to a job as interpreter to Premier and Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai as well as Mao , with whom he appeared on the reviewing stand atop iconic Tiananmen Gate when foreign guests were present .
After Mao ’ s death , Ji took on a similar role with successor Deng Xiaoping .
Having been dispatched by Zhou to set up an informal liaison office in the U.S. in 1973 , Ji accompanied Deng to America after the establishment of formal diplomatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and later worked at the Chinese Embassy in Washington .
That was followed by assignments as ambassador to Fiji and the U.K. and five years as a U.N. under-secretary-general for development support and management services , a position from which he retired in 1996 .
His last post was as vice-president of the All China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese , from which he stepped down in 2005 .
Ji was born into a wealthy family in the northern Chinese province of Shanxi in 1929 and moved with his family to the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his brother attended exclusive private schools in New York where he developed the fluent English and deep knowledge of American culture that would prove him so valuable to China ’ s drive to confront the West and restore what it views at its traditional dominant role in Asia .
Like many high officials , Ji experienced various persecutions during the xenophobic 1966-76 Cultural Revolution , particular due to his foreign education and the fact that his brother had remained in the U.S .
He chronicled his experiences in his autobiography , “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a brief notice sent to The Associated Press , the foreign ministry said Ji had died on April 29 in Beijing from an unspecified illness .
“ We mourn the unfortunate passing of Mr. Ji Chaozhu and send our condolences to his family , ” the ministry said .
Ji is survived by his wife and two sons .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Judge rejects abortion clinic’s bid to block virus test rule

LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
- A federal judge on Thursday rejected a request by Arkansas ’ only surgical abortion clinic to block a rule requiring a negative coronavirus test before a woman undergoes the procedure .
U.S. District Judge Brian Miller rejected the motion to prevent the state from enforcing the requirement on three women nearing Arkansas ’ limit on when abortions can be performed .
Arkansas bans abortions 20 weeks into a woman ’ s pregnancy .
Little Rock Family Planning Services had been prohibited from performing abortions under a rule that banned elective procedures during the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the state requires a negative coronavirus test within 48 hours of the procedure .
The clinic said a lack of widespread testing meant the rule was preventing women from getting an abortion .
The clinic said it had performed four abortions last week after the elective surgeries ban was lifted .
In the lawsuit , the clinic said it contacted more than 15 testing locations but has been unable to find one that will test asymptomatic people and that ’ s able to have results within 48 hours .
“ People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this politically-motivated restriction is already pushing care out of reach , “ Holly Dickson , legal director and interim executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas , which represented the clinic .
“ This ruling will extend that harm.
” The state argued the clinic was simply being required to follow the same rule as other health providers for elective procedures .
“ Today ’ s decision ensures that there are no exemptions for surgical abortions during this pandemic , ” Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said .
“ Arkansas ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health and safety of patients , healthcare professionals , and the public during the COVID-19 emergency.
” In his ruling , Miller called the requirement reasonable , “ given the health crisis facing the world , the country and the state.
“ But the federal judge called the decision “ agonizingly difficult ” because of the questions it presented about individual liberties and the state ’ s power to protect the public ’ s health , and because of the difficult circumstances the women faced .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--South Dakota teen admits to fatally shooting Wyoming girl

STURGIS , S.D .
- A South Dakota teenager admitted Thursday that he fatally shot a Wyoming girl during an argument last fall .
The 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter for killing Shayna Ritthaler , a 16-year-old from Upton , Wyoming .
“ We got into an argument and then I shot her , ” the defendant said during his change-of-plea hearing n Meade County Court .
“ I shot her in the head.
“ Asked by Judge Kevin Krull if he had any justification for killing Ritthaler , the teen replied , “ No.
” In court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as his girlfriend .
Both the prosecutor and the defence agreed to ask the judge to sentence the boy to 55 years in prison .
Krull said he plans to follow that recommendation and that if he changes his mind , the defendant could withdraw his guilty plea .
The teen originally pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to alternate counts of first- and second-degree murder .
Under the proposed sentence , the defendant could seek parole after 27 years , when he is 44 years old .
Sentencing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two had been chatting online for a while but met in person for the first time when he killed her , Meade County State ’ s Attorney Michele Bordewyk told the Rapid City Journal .
Ritthaler went missing Oct. 3 after being seen getting into a Jeep-like vehicle at a coffee shop in Moorcroft , Wyoming .
She was found Oct. 7 in the basement of the home the boy shared with his mother east of Sturgis , near the Wyoming border .
Family members of both the defendant and the victim attended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they weren ’ t yet ready to speak .
In court , the teen said he understood he was giving up his right to argue that he was mentally incompetent at the time of the shooting and that his case should be transferred to juvenile court , where he could have been imprisoned only until the age of 21 .
He also said he understood he was giving up his right that the judge should suppress statements he made to law enforcement and block all evidence from a search of his phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a special part of the plea deal that he is giving up his right to appeal .
Krull told the defendant that he can ’ t have any contact with the Ritthaler family for the rest of his life and that he owed them more than $ 8,300 in restitution .
Bordewyk , the prosecutor , told the Journal that Ritthaler ’ s family approved of the plea deal .
Defence lawyer Steven Titus said it was unlikely that the judge would have agreed to transfer the teen to juvenile court .
Bordewyk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chat and dating website and that they planned for Ritthaler to run away and live with the defendant .
It was the defendant who picked up Ritthaler from the coffee shop , driving his mother ’ s vehicle , the prosecutor said .
Bordewyk said it ’ s unclear how an argument between the pair escalated to the boy deciding to shoot Ritthaler .
She said the teen used a handgun that belonged to his mother , who was not home at the time .
Titus , the defence attorney , said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and drugs were involved .
The defendant is being held on a $ 1 million bond at juvenile jail in Rapid City .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Arrests made in shooting death of black man after outcry

SAVANNAH , Ga. - Georgia authorities arrested a white father and son Thursday and charged them with murder in the February shooting death of a black man they had pursued in a truck after spotting him running in their neighbourhood .
The charges came more than two months after Ahmaud Arbery , 25 , was killed on a residential street just outside the port city of Brunswick .
National outrage over the case swelled this week after a cellphone video that appeared to show the shooting .
Those close to Arbery celebrated the news , but also expressed frustration at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have occurred the day it happened , ” said Akeem Baker , one of Arbery ’ s close friends in Brunswick .
“ There ’ s no way without the video this would have occurred .
I ’ m just glad the light ’ s shining very bright on this situation.
” Gregory McMichael , 64 , previously told police that he and his son chased after Arbery because they suspected him of being a burglar .
Arbery ’ s mother , Wanda Cooper Jones , has said she believes her son , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jogging in the Satilla Shores neighbourhood before he was killed on a Sunday afternoon .
Benjamin Crump , an attorney for the slain man ’ s father , Marcus Arbery , said it was “ outrageous ” that it took so long for arrests to be made .
“ This is the first step to justice , ” Crump said in a statement .
“ This murderous father and son duo took the law into their own hands .
It ’ s a travesty of justice that they enjoyed their freedom for 74 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young black man who was simply jogging.
” The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the arrests the day after it began its own investigation at the request of an outside prosecutor .
The agency said in a news release that Gregory McMichael and his 34-year-old son , Travis McMichael , had both been jailed on charges of murder and aggravated assault .
The GBI news release said the McMichaels “ confronted Arbery with two firearms .
During the encounter , Travis McMichael shot and killed Arbery.
” No other details were immediately released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either of the McMichaels had an attorney who could comment on the charges .
Gregory McMichael served as an investigator for Glynn County District Attorney Jackie Johnson .
He retired last year .
The connection caused Johnson to recuse herself from the case .
At a news conference before the arrests were announced Thursday , Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp told reporters he was confident state investigators would “ find the truth.
” “ Earlier this week , I watched the video depicting Mr. Arbery ’ s last moments alive , ” Kemp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I can tell you it ’ s absolutely horrific , and Georgians deserve answers.
” Gregory McMichael told police he suspected the runner was the same man filmed by a security camera committing a break-in .
He and his grown son , Travis McMichael , grabbed guns and began a pursuit in the truck .
The video shows a black man running at a jogging pace on the left side of a road .
A truck is parked in the road ahead of him .
One of the white men is inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other is standing beside the open driver ’ s side door .
The runner crosses the road to pass the pickup on the passenger side , then crosses back in front of the truck .
A gunshot sounds , and the video shows the runner grappling with a man in the street over what appears to be a shotgun or rifle .
A second shot can be heard , and the runner can be seen punching the man .
A third shot is fired at point-blank range .
The runner staggers a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defence attorney Alan Tucker identified himself Thursday as the person who shared the video with the radio station .
In a statement , Tucker said he wasn ’ t representing anyone involved in the case .
He said he released the video “ because my community was being ripped apart by erroneous accusations and assumptions.
” Tucker did not say how he obtained the video .
He did not immediately respond to a phone message or an email .
The outcry over the killing reached the White House , where President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family .
“ It ’ s a very sad thing , ” Trump said in the Oval Office , “ but I will be given a full report this evening.
” Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has called Arbery ’ s death a “ murder.
” During an online roundtable Thursday , Biden compared the video to seeing Arbery “ lynched before our very eyes.
” The outside prosecutor overseeing the case , Tom Durden , had said Monday that he wanted a grand jury to decide whether charges are warranted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus , the soonest that could happen is mid-June .

Russ Bynum And Ben Nadler - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Prominent lawyer, Trump donor representing Biden accuser

WASHINGTON - Tara Reade , a former Senate staffer who alleged Joe Biden sexually assaulted her 27 years ago , is being represented by a prominent lawyer and political donor to President Donald Trump ’ s 2016 Republican campaign .
Attorney Douglas Wigdor told The Associated Press he was not currently being paid for his work with Reade .
His firm also denied there was a political motivation for his decision to represent Reade in her accusations against Trump ’ s presumptive Democratic opponent in the November election .
“ We have decided to take this matter on because every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the firm said in a statement .
Reade has said for weeks that she was struggling to find a lawyer willing to represent her .
She ’ s accused Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993 , when she worked on his Senate staff .
He has denied her allegation .
On Thursday , Reade said she wanted Biden to be “ held accountable ” and called on him to drop out of the presidential race .
Her comments came in her first on-camera interview , conducted by former Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pressed by a Florida television station about Reade ’ s comment , Biden reiterated his denial of the allegation .
“ The truth is what matters , ” he told Bay News 9 .
“ In this case , the truth is these claims are flat-out false.
” Wigdor is well known for his work on prominent cases related to sexual harassment and assault .
He represented six women who accused Harvey Weinstein , the disgraced Hollywood producer , of sexual misconduct .
He has also represented a number of Fox News employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the network .
Wigdor has been a supporter of Trump and provided about $ 55,000 in campaign contributions in 2016 , according to Federal Election Commission records .
He has also supported some Democratic politicians , including New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries , and has not donated to either Trump ’ s or Biden ’ s 2020 campaign .
Wigdor said he plans to help Reade in her dealings with the media and any independent investigations into her allegations that might occur .
He said the two have not discussed bringing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did not rule that out .
Wigdor suggested Reade ’ s earlier struggles to find a lawyer to represent her were the result of “ politics.
” “ I think highly of a lot of these people , ” he said .
“ These are my friends and colleagues , people who I respect , but they tend to be Democrats or liberals , and they were not interested , because of that , in representing Tara Reade.
” Over the weekend , another attorney , William Moran , told the AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who works at a law firm in Columbia , Maryland , previously wrote and edited for Sputnik , a news agency founded and supported by the Russian state-owned media company Rossiya Segodnya .
A January 2017 report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Russia ’ s interference in the 2016 campaign said Sputnik was part of “ Russia ’ s state-run propaganda machine , ” which “ contributed to the influence campaign by serving as a platform for Kremlin messaging to Russian and international audiences.
” Reade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writing praising Russian President Vladimir Putin .
Reade on Thursday expressed concern to Kelly about having been “ called a Russian agent ” and said she had received a death threat from someone who “ thought I was being a traitor to America.
” There is no evidence to suggest Reade or Moran worked at the behest of Russia with respect to the Biden allegation .
Moran contacted the AP on behalf of Reade to complain about and seek changes in a story detailing what Reade says she remembers writing in a Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP she did not allege sexual assault in the complaint and did not explicitly use the words “ sexual harassment , ” though that is the behaviour she believes she was describing .
Moran told the AP in a text message Thursday that he found the focus on his past work “ disgraceful.
” He said Reade requested that he reach out to the AP “ on a limited matter.
” “ I do not turn away clients who I believe and who have credible causes of action .
I never will , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told him she was connected to Moran through Katie Halper , a podcaster who first interviewed Reade about her sexual assault allegation against Biden in March .
It ’ s unclear how Reade connected with Wigdor , who said he believed she found the firm through “ word of mouth and our reputation.
” Reade first spoke out about her alleged interactions with Biden in 2019 , telling journalists he had touched her inappropriately while she worked on his Senate staff .
She came forward in 2020 , around the time Biden became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations of assault .
She says she didn ’ t initially disclose the assault allegations because she was scared of backlash and was still coming to terms with what had happened to her .
AP Washington Bureau Chief Julie Pace and writer Brian Slodysko contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--NYPD distancing arrests: Many non-whites, at times violently

NEW YORK - One newly surfaced video of social distancing enforcement gone wrong in New York City shows a police officer running at a black man and throwing him to the ground for mouthing off .
Another shows an officer punching a man in the head as he lay pinned to a sidewalk , unable to fight back .
Despite mounting pressure to stop using police to enforce social distancing and data showing that such arrests disproportionately affect people of colour , Mayor Bill de Blasio stood by the practice on Thursday , saying : “ We ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am not making my decisions based on a very few interactions that were handled poorly or went bad , “ de Blasio said .
” I ’ m making my decisions based on the millions of interactions that are going right.
” The new videos , posted online after an officer was recorded Saturday pulling a stun gun on a man and violently taking him to the ground , stand in sharp contrast to photos and video tweeted by the NYPD showing friendly officers handing out face masks and gently reminding people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watchdogs say the conduct shown in the videos suggests officers are using social distancing during the pandemic as a pretext to harass people of colour along the lines of stop and frisk , a practice curtailed in recent years in which officers stop people on the streets and search them for weapons .
The Brooklyn district attorney ’ s office released data late Thursday showing that of the 40 people arrested for social distancing violations in the borough since mid-March , 35 were black and 4 were Hispanic .
All cases were dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office called the incidents in the videos “ disturbing ” and said his office is reviewing them to determine if disciplinary recommendations or criminal charges for the officers are warranted .
“ Police are using enforcement of social distancing as cover to initiate and engage in abusive broken windows policing , with threats and physical attacks against New Yorkers , “ Joo-Hyun Kang , the director of Communities United for Police Reform , said .
“ It ’ s time for Mayor de Blasio to step in and remove the NYPD immediately from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new videos shows an officer knocking a 32-year-old man to the ground with his arm Monday night in Brooklyn after police say he took a “ fighting stance ” as officers wrestled his stepbrother against a squad car .
Police say the men were part of a group that failed to disperse when told to comply with social distancing rules .
Another video , recorded Saturday , shows an officer throwing a 20-year-old black man to the ground and arresting him at Brooklyn ’ s Brower Park moments after the man was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend away in handcuffs .
Police said both men were gang members with a history of arrests .
Other videos posted in recent days showed : an officer punching a man in the head as he lay on a sidewalk while being apprehended and a bystander being slugged in the face and thrown into a closed storefront by an officer after he recorded another officer taking a swing at a man during a chaotic social distancing sweep .
“ I thought police were meant to de-escalate a situation , not escalate it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adegoke Atunbi , who was cited for disorderly conduct .
“ It ’ s a scary thing to be put on the ground .
You have 6-7 people on top of you .
You have no way to defend yourself , thinking you might die .
It does something to your mind.
” Some officers in the videos weren ’ t wearing protective masks .
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said the incidents should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and that “ a punch should not be assumed to be excessive force.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are allowed to punch someone when warranted as part of an escalating progression of force , he said .
The police department ’ s social distancing patrols have exacerbated sometimes tense relations between officers and the city ’ s various minority communities .
Last week , officers twice interrupted crowded funerals in Brooklyn ’ s Hasidic Jewish community to crack down on social distancing violators .
De Blasio stoked divisions further with a series of tweets singling out Jews for ignoring a ban on large gatherings .
On Saturday , officer Francisco Garcia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a black man , 33-year-old Donni Wright , and dragging him to a sidewalk after levelling him in a crosswalk near a Manhattan public housing complex .
Garcia was stripped of his gun and badge and placed on desk duty pending an internal investigation .
On Sunday , police issued at least one social distancing summons at a small protest organized by an LGBT group outside a Manhattan hospital , pitting free speech and public health concerns .
De Blasio and Shea defended the response , wrongly arguing people had no right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union , said stay-at-home and other orders de Blasio issued in response to the crisis don ’ t give police “ unfettered — and unconstitutional — discretion to ban all protest activity.
” “ The right to protest is a bedrock of our nation ’ s principles , and it is never more important than in times of crisis , “ Lieberman said .
” The government may not needlessly restrict protest activity that is in compliance with important public health guidelines .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Disney World restaurant, entertainment complex to reopen

ORLANDO , Fla. - Walt Disney World plans to reopen its restaurant and entertainment area later this month , though @ @ @ @ @ will remain closed .
Disney Springs vice-president Matt Simon posted Thursday on the official Disney @ @ @ @ @ will reopen May 20 with enhanced safety measures to help prevent the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ increased cleaning procedures , the use of appropriate face coverings by both cast members and @ @ @ @ @ and additional safety training for cast members .
“ Following the guidance of government and @ @ @ @ @ number of shopping and dining experiences that are owned by third-party operating participants will begin @ @ @ @ @ phase , ” Simon said .
The post didn ’ t say which businesses would @ @ @ @ @ is an outdoor shopping , dining and entertainment complex that covers about 120 acres ( @ @ @ @ @ Walt Disney World Resort .
Walt Disney World closed in March in response to the @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Biden uses virtual events to target battleground Florida

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden ventured back onto the campaign trail Thursday , targeting the critical battleground state of Florida — but without actually leaving home .
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is staying in his Delaware house amid efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus , which has shut down most aspects of American life , including the presidential campaign .
But he held a virtual roundtable on Thursday with more than a dozen African American leaders in Jacksonville , including Rep. Al Lawson .
“ It ’ s great to be in Jacksonville today , ” Biden said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anxious to get down in person to campaign.
” Biden later held an online rally focused on Tampa voters that featured many of the fixtures from an in-person appearance , including the Pledge of Allegiance , a DJ and introductions by state and local leaders .
It frequently didn ’ t go well , however , with lengthy delays between speakers and connection issues that made what was said often difficult to understand .
When he finally made it on camera , Biden asked , “ Am I on ?
“ while peeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that he wished he could have done the Tampa event in person — and that it could have gone ” more smoothly.
” Despite the glitches , the virtual stops marked the first time Biden has tried to emulate a traditional campaign swing through a key state since locking up the Democratic primary nearly a month ago .
In previous weeks , the former vice-president used a makeshift studio in his basement rec room to hold online fundraisers and discussions with top Democrats .
Even as he has repeatedly poked fun at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though , Biden faces mounting pressures and concerns from Democrats to step up his visibility amid President Donald Trump ’ s dominant presence on social media and across traditional news outlets .
“ Tampa will not be broken , ” Biden said during the evening rally , referring to the spread of the coronavirus .
Earlier , Biden told participants during the Jacksonville roundtable , “ I ’ m going to need you if we win in November.
” He promised to reinvigorate the economy in a way that could reduce economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m going to need you to rebuild the backbone of this country , but bring along everyone this time.
” Biden ’ s evolving online campaign will continue Friday with an exclusive appearance on NowThis , a video-heavy news outlet that boasts a monthly audience that includes 60 % of Americans in their 20s by distributing content across platforms such as Facebook , Twitter , Snapchat and TikTok .
Biden , according to NowThis , will preview his central economic pitch for the general election .
The back-to-back virtual campaign days were meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign schedule , and NowThis can connect the 77-year-old candidate to a swath of younger voters whom he ’ s largely failed to excite so far .
All of this comes as Trump ’ s campaign has stepped up its efforts to portray the former vice-president as soft on China .
It released an online video Thursday that included clips of Biden previously describing that country as “ not bad folks ” and saying economic growth there was in the U.S. interest .
The Trump administration also is making ever louder pronouncements casting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , aiming to defuse increasingly sharp domestic criticism of the president ’ s own response .
Biden said the virus has disproportionately affected minority communities , often because they have inadequate access to health care .
He said it is “ shining a very bright light on “ institutional racism .
The former vice-president was also asked about his promises to build on the Obama administration ’ s signature health law — rather than embrace universal insurance coverage under the “ Medicare for All ” program that dominated debate during the Democratic primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and other top progressives to find ways to expand health care coverage , but to do so in ways that wouldn ’ t require so much additional government spending .
“ For everyone who backed Medicare for All , join us , ” he said .
Trump won Florida by only about 1 percentage point over Hillary Clinton in 2016 , but his showing there was a harbinger of the strong election night he was to have .
While still a tossup , Florida has begun to lean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ races , including Republican Gov .
Ron DeSantis ’ win over Democrat Andrew Gillum by only about 33,000 votes in 2018 .
Also during the afternoon roundtable , Biden spoke about the slaying of Ahmaud Arbery , a black man in Georgia who was pursued by two armed white men while he was jogging and was shot .
The killing happened in February but has sparked a renewed outcry now that cellphone video has surfaced .
Biden decried Arbery ’ s “ brutal murder , ” saying he was “ in a sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press writer Bill Barrow contributed to this report from Atlanta .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Ex-Green Beret behind Venezuela raid suspected of plagiarism

MIAMI - The former Green Beret behind a failed military incursion in Venezuela can add another infraction to his growing list of potential screw ups — cut and paste plagiarism .
The website for Jordan Goudreau ’ s Silvercorp USA appears to have lifted entire passages from the website of the Department of Homeland Security and as well as one run by a crisis management firm .
There are also pages found on the website , without active hyperlinks , with wording nearly identical to online texts from inspirational speaker Tony Robbins , a more-established competitor in the private security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ educational website MasterClass .
Goudreau has claimed responsibility for a failed military incursion Sunday to capture socialist leader Nicolás Maduro that resulted in the detention in Venezuela of two of his former special forces colleagues .
The Trump administration has denied any responsibility for the armed raid .
Goudreau has said he was hired last year by opposition leader Juan Guaidó , something the U.S.-backed Venezuelan lawmaker has denied .
An Associated Press investigation found that last year Goudreau helped train a team of Venezuelan military deserters in Colombia to carry out a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the first thing people often look for is a leader : the person who knows how to solve the problem and will take the necessary steps to do so , ” reads the homepage of SilvercorpUSA.com , which features images of Goudreau firing machine-guns in battle , running shirtless up a pyramid and flying on a private jet .
Except for the substituted word Silvercorp , the five-sentence blurb is identical to a passage on the website of Tucker/Hall , a Jacksonville , Florida-based PR firm that specializes in crisis management .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm ’ s expertise on “ Natural Disaster Mitigation ” lifts three sentences verbatim from the Homeland Security website .
Goudreau ’ s apparent intellectual property theft was first detected by an anonymous social media sleuth who published his findings under the handle @ Z3dster on Twitter .
“ That # SilvercorpUSA site is special , ” the person wrote .
“ If anyone was doing business with him , this should ’ ve raised some serious red flags , ” @ Z3dster said in an interview on what he said was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via a direct message on Twitter .
He declined to provide his real name or location but said he is a system administrator with a degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison .
Z3dster achieved renown in 2017 for discovering former Trump campaign boss Paul Manafort may have used the online password “ Bond007.
” Goudreau hung up when contacted by phone on Thursday .
David Volk , whose Melbourne , Florida-based law firm represented Goudreau in his past dealings with Guaidó aides in Miami , declined to comment or even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veteran with three Bronze Stars .
“ Please stop contacting our office , ” Volk said in a response to an AP email .
Befitting Goudreau ’ s own James Bond-like aura , he had a gmail account ending with “ 007 “ that Z3dster found .
A friend of Goudreau confirmed that the account belongs to the ex-Green Beret .
A photo icon associated with that account matches one of a U.S. combat soldier peering through a long-lens camera in mountainous terrain that has appeared on Silvercorp ’ s website , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations , said he believes Goudreau designed the website himself .
The domain was registered in February 2018 by a former business partner .
A copy of the site was downloaded by AP on April 12 , indicating the plagiarized passages existed before Goudreau was at the centre of a major U.S. foreign policy crisis .
In one sloppy mistake on the Silvercorp website , Goudreau appears to have even copied the small print of MasterClass , leaving a trail of 37 citations of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his website .
The link to the privacy terms was not active .
“ Anyone embarking on a personal journey toward higher achievement and deeper fulfilment needs a strong core , a foundation on which to build their new life , ” reads a sentence on the “ Ask Jordan ” section of the Silvercorp website that is identical to an “ Ask Tony ” on Robbins ’ website .
The section remains on the Silvercorp website but is no longer active .
Sean McFarte , a former U.S. Army paratrooper who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Goudreau ’ s behaviour should raise serious concerns about the lack of enforcement of U.S. laws requiring Americans who conduct private military training abroad to obtain U.S. government licensing .
“ Charlatans and amateurs have always haunted the mercenary business , “ said McFarte , who is the author of “ The New Rules of War ” on the foreign policy implications of privatized warfare .
” But Goudreau finds the new bottom .
Silvercorp is literally ’ the gang that can ’ t shoot straight.
’ ” AP Technology Writer Frank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Carved stone turtle unearthed from Angkor reservoir site

PHNOM PENH , Cambodia - Cambodian archaeologists have unearthed a large centuries-old statue of a turtle at the Angkor temple complex .
The 56-by-93 centimetre ( 22-by-37 inch ) carved stone turtle believed to date from the 10th century was discovered Wednesday during digging at what was the site of a small temple that had been built on Srah Srang , one of Angkor ’ s several reservoirs .
Researchers pinpointed where the temple had been and workers drained water off to enable the dig , which began March 16 , said Mao Sokny , head of the excavation team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency that oversees the Angkor archaeological site .
The bottom half of the turtle remained buried Thursday while preparations were being made to lift it out without damaging it .
Angkor was strongly influenced by Hindu culture , and as a result , when a temple or other important structure was built , sacred objects would often be buried in the ground underneath as a gesture to ensure safety and good fortune .
In several Asian cultures , turtles are seen as symbols of longevity and prosperity .
The dig also discovered some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tridents and a carved head of a naga , a mythical creature .
The Angkor complex is Cambodia ’ s biggest tourist attraction , as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is included in the Cambodian flag .
Mao Sokny said discoveries of such artifacts help Cambodians take pride in their heritage .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--UN appeals for $6.7 billion to fight virus in poor countries

TANZANIA , Tanzania - The United Nations called on governments , companies and billionaires Thursday to contribute to a $ 6.7 billion fund for fighting the coronavirus pandemic in vulnerable countries , warning that a failure to help could lead to a “ hunger pandemic , ” famine , riots and more conflict .
U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said that “ COVID-19 has now affected every country and almost every person on the planet.
“ He said the U.N. ’ s initial $ 2 billion appeal unveiled March 25 was being increased because there is already evidence of incomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falling and prices soaring , and children missing vaccinations and meals .
He added that the peak of the pandemic isn ’ t expected to hit the world ’ s poorest countries for three to six months .
Lowcock said in a video briefing launching the new appeal that the poorest countries face “ a double whammy ” — the health impact of COVID-19 and “ the impact of the global recession and the domestic measures taken to contain the virus.
” “ We must be prepared for a rise in conflict , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contract , export earnings , remittances and tourism disappear , and health systems are put under strain , ” he warned .
“ Lockdowns and economic recession may mean a hunger pandemic ahead for millions.
” The executive director of the World Food Program , David Beasley , said there are two keys to averting the possibility of 265 million people being on the brink of famine by the end of the year : providing money and keeping supply chains running smoothly .
The U.N. appeals to wealthy nations for funding all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic is “ a one-time phenomena , a catastrophe we ’ re hitting , ” so it ’ s not unreasonable to ask the wealthiest people and the wealthiest companies to give .
“ I don ’ t mean just a few million .
I ’ m talking about hundreds of millions of dollars , billions , ” Beasley said .
He also urged action to address the “ breakdown of supply chains globally.
” Nations must ensure “ that we don ’ t have export-import bans , restrictions at borders , shutdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said , saying that some countries have already imposed export bans that are having ripple effects on food supplies .
As an example , Beasley said that if young people in urban areas in Africa lose their jobs as a result of the economic impact of the pandemic , they don ’ t have bank accounts to fall back on .
“ And if they don ’ t have food , you ’ re going to have protests , riots , unrest and destabilization .
It ’ s going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ react after the fact , ” he warned .
He said that if the world doesn ’ t respond with sufficient funding , it will be catastrophic .
“ We ’ re facing famine of biblical proportions , “ he said .
“ We can avert famine if we act and we act now.
” The U.N. ’ s initial $ 2 billion appeal has so far raised $ 1 billion , including a lot from Europe — Germany , Britain , the European Commission — with contributions also from Japan , Persian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lowcock said .
The updated appeal adds nine vulnerable countries to the 54 nations covered in the initial appeal — Benin , Djibouti , Liberia , Mozambique , Pakistan , the Philippines , Sierra Leone , Togo and Zimbabwe .
Lowcock said more countries are being monitored for addition to the list amid “ a very fast-moving situation.
” U.N. refugee chief Filippo Grandi said in the briefing that there has not been a major outbreak of COVID-19 in refugee camps , but warned that they have an “ extraordinary vulnerability ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who heads the World Health Organization ’ s emergencies operation , said that people in such camps can ’ t maintain physical distance and they have “ underlying vulnerabilities “ with no access to personal hygiene , safe water , sanitation , food and welfare .
“ That is the tinder in which this epidemic may explode , ” he said .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Chief: Maryland police officer shoots, kills man with knife

ROCKVILLE , Md .
- A Maryland police officer fatally shot a man who charged at him with a knife , authorities said Thursday .
Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones told reporters that officers were dispatched to a call about a man who threw a rock at a neighbour ’ s window and yelled for them to call police .
When officers arrived , Jones said they encountered the man as he held the knife .
One officer ordered the man to get on the ground , Jones said , adding that the unidentified man rushed at the officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drop the knife and then came at the officer again before he was shot .
The chief said the officer performed first aid on the man before he was taken to a local hospital , where he died .
Jones said there is body-cam video as well as eyewitness video of the incident .
He also said witnesses were being interviewed by police .
The races of the officer and the man who died weren ’ t released on Thursday , and a police didn ’ t immediately respond to a request for @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Mexico suspends judge in house arrest for child rape suspect

MEXICO CITY - A judicial oversight council suspended a federal judge in Mexico for six months Thursday for granting house @ @ @ @ @ suspect .
The Federal Judiciary Council said the judge showed “ notorious ineptitude and carelessness @ @ @ @ @ ’ s petition for an injunction against being held in prison .
The case occurred @ @ @ @ @ Hidalgo .
It was not clear if the victim lived in or near the house @ @ @ @ @ serving house arrest .
Neither the suspect nor victims were named , in keeping with @ @ @ @ @ The council said the judge had no authority to rule the way he did .
@ @ @ @ @ eligible for house arrest in Mexico , rape is considered a serious crime .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Store workers become enforcers of social distancing rules

NEW YORK - Sandy Jensen ’ s customer-service job at a Sam ’ s Club in Fullerton , California , normally involves checking member ID cards at the door and answering questions .
But the coronavirus has turned her into a kind of store sheriff .
Now she must confront shoppers who aren ’ t wearing masks and enforce social distancing measures such as limits on the number of people allowed inside .
The efforts sometimes provoke testy customers .
“ They are behaving worse now , ” Jensen said .
“ Everybody is on edge .
I have hostile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is shared by store workers across the country , who are suddenly being asked to enforce the rules that govern shopping during the pandemic , a tension-filled role for which most of them have received little or no training .
The burden is sure to become greater as more businesses in nearly a dozen states start to reopen .
Even if a security guard is posted at the store , employees complain they are often left to stand up to defiant shoppers .
“ I think that people are pushing back because their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marc Perrone , president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union , which represents 1.3 million members including grocery workers .
“ Members don ’ t feel comfortable trying to corral the customer .
Management will take the customer side.
” Store tensions recently resulted in violence in at least two states .
A Michigan security officer was fatally shot last week after telling a customer to wear a mask at a Family Dollar store .
Two McDonald ’ s employees in Oklahoma City were shot Wednesday by a customer who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dining area was closed , police said .
Also in Oklahoma , one city abandoned its mask rule after store clerks were threatened .
And at a southern California grocery store called Vons , a man showed up in what looked like a Ku Klux Klan hood .
He ignored requests from workers to remove it until he got to the register , according to the supermarket .
Masks are required in some states .
Some major retailers including Costco Wholesale Club have made masks mandatory regardless of government policies .
But even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommendations , workers often have to approach unmasked visitors .
Walmart , the nation ’ s largest retailer and largest private employer , said it works with law enforcement in communities where face coverings are required .
Jeff Reid , who works at the meat counter at a Giant store in Silver Spring , Maryland , which mandates masks , said the greeter at his store is the one confronting shoppers , not the security guard posted outside .
“ We are going on the front lines on a daily basis .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your mask , why are you having cashiers and teenagers trying to enforce this when this is the law ?
” asked Zeid , who often has to reprimand customers to keep 6 feet apart .
The pandemic duties are the latest example of workers being asked to police retail space .
Last year , retailers including CVS , Walgreens and Walmart asked customers to refrain from openly carrying guns in stores even where state law allows it .
Stores did not outright prohibit guns because they did not want workers to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers should respond to weapon-carrying customers has remained fuzzy .
Many retailers left it up to the discretion of store managers and provided some guidance and training to workers .
Jason Brewer , a spokesman at the Retail Industry Leaders Association , said it ’ s not a retail employee ’ s role to enforce a local law or an executive order on face coverings or any other protocol .
He said law enforcement should get involved and that shoppers can do their part .
“ The industry is acutely focused on safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to keep this top of mind , ” Brewer said .
At a Costco in Midlothian , Virginia , Wendy Alonzo said markings on the floor indicating proper social distancing were good reminders .
She said she gets frustrated when other customers seem oblivious that they are blocking an aisle , forcing her to squeeze by .
“ And then they kind of side-eye like you are too close , but it ’ s like you ’ re blocking the way , and I ’ m not going to wait here all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether you want eggs or milk or cheese , ” Alonzo said Wednesday .
Target spokesman Joshua Thomas said the chain has not experienced any major issues with shoppers not complying with social-distance rules .
He attributes part of that to Target following local ordinances and not making nationwide mandates .
If customers fail to adhere to protocols , stores may add more signs or play more frequent reminders on the public address system .
Target can also reduce the number of customers let into the store .
“ The safety of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Thomas said .
Many other businesses are trying to defuse tensions between workers and customers .
Fresh Market , a Greensboro , North Carolina-based gourmet food chain with more than 150 stores , was one of the first grocers to request that shoppers wear masks .
But a spokeswoman said it has not denied entrance to customers without face coverings .
“ We do not want to place our team members in a confrontational situation that could result in unintended consequences during an already trying time for many , ” company spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press .
Scott Nash , CEO of MOM ’ s Organic Market , which operates 19 stores in the Mid-Atlantic region , said he ’ s had to deal with some employees feeling overly empowered and hostile toward customers .
He acknowledges that training for his 1,500 employees has been “ on the fly ” and that he has not had time to roll out a “ training module.
” But he tells workers to “ use their common sense.
“ “ Don ’ t be too lax and don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Nash said .
Associated Press Writer Henry Kurz in Midlothian , Virginia , contributed to this report .

Anne D'Innocenzio - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Ex-Florida sheriff’s removal lawsuit dismissed

TALLAHASSEE , Fla.—A federal judge has ruled the due-process rights of a former Florida sheriff ousted by the governor following the Parkland high school massacre were not violated when the state senate refused to reinstate him .
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker dismissed ex-Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel ’ s lawsuit on Tuesday .
The lawsuit had been filed in November in Tallahassee federal court .
Israel contends that Gov .
Ron DeSantis and the state senate deprived him of due process and failed to follow a special master ’ s recommendation that he shouldn ’ t have been suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in January 2019 , DeSantis removed Israel from his job , deeming him incompetent in his department ’ s response to the February 2018 shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School .
The federal judged wrote in his order that Israel ’ s due-process rights weren ’ t violated because the governor and senate followed the legal process for removing an elected official from office , regardless of whether the removal was fair or justified .
DeSantis appointed Gregory Tony to replace Israel .
Israel is running against Tony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in this year ’ s election .
Israel ’ s lawyer , Stuart Kaplan , said Israel is disappointed with the court ’ s decision , but is focused on winning the upcoming election .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Smoky Mountains National Park to reopen over weekend

WASHINGTON - When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park becomes one of the country ’ s first national parks to reopen Saturday , some of its most popular trails will remain off limits .
Major roadways , most trails and some restroom facilities will be accessible , but it ’ s unclear when the Laurel Falls , Chimney Tops and Alum Cave trails will reopen , park spokeswoman Dana Soehn said .
She said safety will be stressed as officials seek to follow federal and state guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
“ We think that access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just simply wouldn ’ t be possible with CDC social distancing guidelines , “ Soehn said .
The push to restore access to some of the country ’ s most treasured spaces comes six weeks after the park abruptly shut its gates when visitors weren ’ t following social distancing guidelines .
On the Tennessee-North Carolina border , the Great Smoky Mountains is the nation ’ s most visited national park .
It closed on March 24 as part of a fragmented federal approach that gives individual parks wide latitude to tailor closures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said about 30,000 people had entered the park each day the previous week and some popular sites were congested .
The reopening was announced after making sure the park was aligned with federal , state and local authorities and had enough personal protective gear for employees , Soehn said .
“ We are going to be restoring access to the park in phases that allow us to try to honour the access to parks while also protecting the health and safety of our employees who manage the operations , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of himself meeting with park workers to herald Saturday ’ s reopening .
“ Please social distance , ” Bernhardt said , although neither Bernhardt nor park staff wore face masks in the photos , as they talked and walked inches apart Tuesday .
Bernhardt was consulting with state governors and with law officers , maintenance workers and others at individual parks , under federal guidelines , to restore public access to the parks “ as rapidly as possible , ” he said in a video in one of the tweets .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park in Utah and the Everglades National Park in Florida have also announced phased reopenings .
Federal authorities have yet to publicly announce timelines for other closed parks to reopen .
The parks are among the earliest federal operations to reopen to the public .
President Donald Trump singled out national parks in an Earth Day ceremony in late April , saying the parks and other public lands soon would be opening their gates again in a sign of “ significant progress against the invisible enemy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has devastated the U.S. economy , and Trump , facing reelection in November , has urged as rapid a return of the U.S. workforce as possible even as coronavirus cases climb .
The National Parks Conservation Association , a non-profit group advocating on park service policy , has “ major concerns ” about the first partial reopenings underway , spokeswoman Angela Gonzalez said Thursday .
“ It remains unclear whether staff at these sites will have enough personal protective equipment to stay safe , or any new signage or barriers to aid in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some management-level staffers in the national park system have privately expressed alarm that they haven ’ t had enough guidance on what federal funds they can use to buy face masks and other protective gear for park staff , said Kristen Brengel , a senior vice-president of the group .
“ If you ’ re going to reopen parks and bring park workers back to interact with the public , this has to be one of the first things you take care of , ” Brengel said .
The National Park Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would provide personal protective equipment for park workers providing “ critical functions , ” including law enforcement , emergency workers and maintenance .
NPS teams were co-ordinating to keep park law enforcement and other field staff “ equipped , safe and informed about the latest guidance ” from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the statement said .
Other measures include waiving entrance fees to limit contact between park workers and the public , and making some trails one-way to limit contact among visitors .
“ The health and safety of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parks continues to be paramount , which is why we ask visitors to be our partner in adopting social distancing practices , ” the statement said .
At the Smokies , rangers will be monitoring roads and emergency situations , but won ’ t be specifically monitoring people .
“ We don ’ t intend to be the social distancing police on trails , ” Soehn said .
She said the park has enough personal protective equipment for all employees for the first phase of the reopening and an adaptable operations plan that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
The first phase restrictions are expected to last at least two weeks .
After that , officials will assess and decide whether to move forward with phase two , which would include reopening secondary roads and campgrounds .
A full reopening would come after that .
“ We ’ re hoping people will safely visit in a manner that allows us to keep our employees safe , ” Soehn said .

Rebecca Reynolds Yonker And Ellen Knickmeyer - The Associated Press