thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Trump’s leadership is tested in time of fear, pandemic

WASHINGTON - Not long after noon on Feb. 6 , President Donald Trump strode into the elegant East Room of the White House .
The night before , his impeachment trial had ended with acquittal in the Republican-controlled Senate .
It was time to gloat and settle scores .
“ It was evil , “ Trump said of the attempt to end his presidency .
“ It was corrupt .
It was dirty cops .
It was leakers and liars.
” It was also soon forgotten .
On Feb. 6 , in California , a 57-year-old woman was found dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unknown .
When her autopsy report came out , officials said her death had been the first from COVID-19 in the U.S .
The “ invisible enemy ” was on the move .
And civil unrest over racial injustice would soon claw at the country .
If that were not enough , there came a fresh round of angst over Russia , and America would ask whether Trump had the backs of troops targeted by bounty hunters in Afghanistan .
For Trump , the virus has been the most persistent of those problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make a common health crisis the subject of national common ground and serious purpose .
He has refused to wear a mask , setting off a culture war in the process as his followers took their cues from him .
Instead he spoke about preening with a mask when the cameras were off : “ I had a mask on , “ he said this past week .
” I sort of liked the way I looked ... like the Lone Ranger.
” These are times of pain , mass death , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be losing its allure , exposing the empty space once filled by the empathy and seriousness of presidents leading in a crisis .
Angry and scornful at every turn , Trump used the totems of Mount Rushmore as his backdrop to play on the country ’ s racial divisions , denouncing the “ bad , evil people ” behind protests for racial justice .
He then made a steamy Fourth of July salute to America on the White House South Lawn his platform to assail “ the radical left , the anarchists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ and , for good measure , people with “ absolutely no clue.
” “ If he could change , he would , “ said Cal Jillson , a presidential scholar at Southern Methodist University in Dallas .
” It ’ s not helping him now .
It ’ s just nonstop .
It is habitual and incurable .
He is who he is.
” Over three and a half years Trump exhausted much of the country , while exhilarating some of it , with his constant brawls , invented realities , outlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making .
Into summer , one could wonder whether Trump had finally exhausted even himself .
Vainglorious always , Trump recently let down that front long enough to ponder the possibility that he could lose in November , not from the fabricated voting shenanigans he likes to warn about but simply because the country may not want him after all of this .
On Feb. 5 in the White House residence , Trump had watched all the Republican senators , save Mitt Romney of Utah , dutifully vote to acquit , ending the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His rambling , angry , 62-minute remarks the next day were meant to air out grievances and unofficially launch Trump ’ s reelection bid — with the crucible of impeachment behind him , his so-so approval ratings unharmed , Republicans unified and the economy roaring .
The president ’ s advisers also watched , relieved that the shadow of impeachment — which loomed first due to Russia ’ s U.S. election interference , then his Ukraine machinations — was now behind them , letting them focus on the reelection battle ahead .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barnstorming tour , rallies meant to compete with the Democratic primaries and a chance for the president to dive into the reelection fight that had animated so many of his decisions thus far in his term , according to some of the 10 current and former administration and campaign officials who requested anonymity to speak candidly for this story .
A few days earlier , the first coronavirus death outside China had been recorded , in the Philippines .
Known cases of the disease in the U.S. were under a dozen .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and restricted travel to and from China .
But this was not something Trump wanted to talk about in the glow of acquittal and fog of grievance , and events had not yet forced his hand .
The day was meant to mark a new chapter in Trump ’ s presidency .
It did .
But not the one the president and his people expected .
Trump ’ s whirlwind trip to India was meant to be a celebration and in some ways was .
He addressed a rally crowd of 100,000 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a quick talk to business people at the U.S. ambassador ’ s residence , he felt compelled to address the virus , which had begun rattling the foundation for his argument for another four years in office : the economy .
Fighting jet lag and anxiety about a dive in the stock market , Trump was up much of the previous night on the phone with advisers , peppering them with questions about the potential economic fallout of the outbreak , according to the officials who spoke with The Associated Press .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the market , and that ’ s something , ” Trump told the two dozen or so business leaders .
“ Things like that happen where — and you have it in your business all the time — it had nothing to do with you ; it ’ s an outside source that nobody would have ever predicted.
” The virus was “ a problem that ’ s going to go away , “ he said .
” Our country is under control.
” But the markets fell again the next day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
When Trump boarded Air Force One well after sundown in India , he was in a rage about the virus and his inability to slow the market tumble with reassuring words , according to the officials .
Trump barely slept on the plane as it hurtled back to Washington overnight , landing early in the morning Feb. 26 after more than a dozen hours in the air , creating the effect of one endless day .
He then quickly tore into aides about Nancy Messonnier , director of the National Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had publicly predicted that the virus ’ impact would be severe .
It was already too late to pretend otherwise , not that Trump stopped trying .
Warning signs had been missed .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed in an early attempt at a coronavirus test .
Trump had refused to turn up the pressure on China for fear of alienating Xi Jinping and scuttling a trade deal .
His conventional weapons failed him .
The virus doesn ’ t have a Twitter account .
“ Trump was elected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Eric Dezenhall , a crisis-management consultant who has followed Trump ’ s business , TV and political careers .
“ When things get terrible , people don ’ t want a leader to burn down the system and entertain .
We actually want a system .
And you can ’ t bully a disease , which has been his one manoeuvr for 74 years.
” The president returned to the West Wing to watch the market fall yet again and told aides that , later that day , he would take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task force briefing for the first time .
This would become a daily ritual for Trump to try to force his belief that the virus was under control even as infections surged and the death toll mounted .
The virus was not the only exterior event shaping his week .
Three days later , Joe Biden began his remarkable political comeback by trouncing Bernie Sanders in the South Carolina Democratic primary .
Trump ’ s assumption that he would be running on the back of a strong economy against a socialist had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were about to soar .
At an April 23 briefing that would live in infamy and make some comedy careers , Trump wasn ’ t really listening .
By this day about 50,000 Americans had died from COVID-19 .
Trump has long had trouble focusing in meetings , hearing one piece of information and often going off on tangents , frequently a memory from his time in New York real estate .
Instead , he focused on the televised briefings and relished his jousting with reporters .
He scheduled them for the late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aides and confidants about the huge ratings they ’ d get , according to the officials .
The briefings would often stretch more than an hour , the vital health information from public health officials often drowned out by Trump ’ s attacks on the media and insistence that the pandemic was under control when , in late April , it decidedly was not .
Trump ’ s aides had already begun counselling the president to scale back or stop altogether his appearances at the briefings , nervously watching polls that found his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among older people , the group most vulnerable to COVID-19 .
Trump refused .
He told aides that his successes in politics were from dominating the stage and he was not going to give that up , particularly when his beloved campaign rallies were suspended and he couldn ’ t run the race against Biden that he wanted .
But in the task force meeting that April 23 , Trump only somewhat heard or understood a discussion about a study detailing the use of light and disinfectants to help kill the coronavirus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with William Bryan , acting head of science at the Department of Homeland Security , who said the “ virus dies quickest in sunlight.
“ Trump had a thought or two about that .
“ So supposing we hit the body with a tremendous — whether it ’ s ultraviolet or just a very powerful light — and I think you said that hasn ’ t been checked because of the testing , ” Trump said in a helpful tone .
“ And then I said , supposing you brought the light inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either through the skin or some other way , and I think you said you ’ re going to test that , too.
” “ Then I see the disinfectant , “ he continued , even more perilously .
“ Knocks it out in a minute.
” Perhaps an “ injection inside or almost a cleaning.
” “ It would be interesting to check that.
” The uproar was instantaneous , the White House ’ s attempted cleanup futile .
Soon , the briefings would be cancelled , the president surrendering his pulpit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and growing questions about his fitness for the job .
What might have worked for Trump before the pandemic stopped working as the death toll mounted and the president looked increasingly out of his element , Jillson said .
“ People would watch Trump and see the instability ... the emergencies of his own making he would then claim to have taken care of , and be mildly entertained or at least not deeply worried , ” he said .
But now ?
“ A lot of that ‘ Am I still amused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No ’ answer .
“ You ’ re never going to come out a major natural disaster unscathed but you can mitigate the damage by an empathetic response that describes the path out of this .
That ’ s what Trump is literally incapable of doing.
“ The chants could be heard inside the White House residence .
George Floyd , a Black man , had died under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer , igniting several nights of protests in the Twin Cities .
Trump had said little about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence that accompanied some of the demonstrations .
“ When the looting starts , the shooting starts , ” he tweeted , a threat flagged by the social media company and pilloried by Democrats because it reprised the language of a racist Miami police chief in the 1960s .
That Friday afternoon , May 29 , as racial unrest now gripped the country and the virus death toll stood at more than 100,000 , Trump spoke to reporters from the Rose Garden about China .
He did not mention Floyd ’ s name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Square , clashing with law enforcement and overwhelming the security perimeter hastily set up just a few hundred yards from the front fencing of the White House .
The size and energy of the protest had caught the Secret Service off guard and Trump , along with members of his immediate family , were rushed to an underground bunker , usually used to protect presidents during possible terrorist attacks .
The president ’ s tweeting continued , threatening a further crackdown against the protests , which he depicted as unlawful even though the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bunker story became public , Trump reacted in a rage , screaming at aides to find the leaker , whom he deemed a traitor , and angry that it made him look weak , according to the officials .
In the days that followed , Trump argued unconvincingly that he was only in the bunker to inspect it .
It was that anger — and a reflexive desire to align himself with law enforcement even when polling indicated widespread support for the protests — that led Trump to make one of the defining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the clearing of the square so he could walk across to the nearby “ Church of the Presidents , ” which was damaged during the protests , and hold up a Bible .
The photo op went terribly wrong .
Democrats likened it to the actions of an authoritarian while Republicans dissociated themselves from the spectacle .
Aides cast blame on each other and even Trump privately admitted that he did not expect the fierce blowback .
Trump issued an executive order directing the government to establish a national database tracking police officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freeing grant money to improve policing practices .
With these steps , Trump “ turned justified anger into meaningful action , ” said deputy White House press secretary Sarah Matthews .
She spoke of a “ whole-of-America response to this pandemic ” that let states decide when and how to reopen and ensures “ the federal government will be there to support states if needed.
” Trump ’ s instinct , his ability to read a moment , had long been his strength as a politician .
But from the bunker to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Confederate monuments , he appeared out of step even with many Republicans on matters of race and in denial about the ravages of COVID-19 .
“ In a crisis , when you lack an operational solution , all you are left with is humanity , ” Dezenhall said .
“ This is just a situation where Trump can not pivot because he views empathy as the equivalent of running down Pennsylvania Avenue in high heels and a tutu.
” THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE The rally in Tulsa was supposed to signal his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the onset of the pandemic .
It was to be a show of political defiance and force in deep-red Oklahoma , reassuring nervous Republicans .
It didn ’ t turn out that way .
Despite campaign boasts of 1 million ticket requests , only slightly more than 6,000 people came to the indoor rally in a space holding 19,000 .
An overflow space went unused .
Fears of the virus and protests kept many away .
But the scant crowd also raised questions about whether the Trump show was wearing thin even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was June 20 .
The virus death toll was closing in on 120,000 .
The woebegone rally was part of a bet his campaign was making and still is .
It ’ s predicated on the belief that few voters who don ’ t like Trump can be persuaded to swing behind him now , so success lies in motivating those who are still with him .
The plan : First , drive up negative opinions about Biden , whom the Trump campaign believes is liked by perhaps 60 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the theory that a largely unwavering 40 % of the country likes the president , Trump would serve up policies and rhetoric to generate enough enthusiasm to turn out that slice of the country to vote .
A key recent stop for that plan was Arizona , where Trump in 109-degree Yuma heat marked progress on the border wall central to his 2016 campaign .
Then a speech at a Phoenix megachurch , a nod to evangelicals and a group of avid young Republicans .
And when Trump looked out at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empty seats that bedeviled him in Tulsa just three days earlier .
Trump reveled in the crowd , speaking for more than 90 minutes and getting the in-person adulation he had been missing for months .
He did not mention that his supporters in the church were placing themselves and others at risk by sitting close together and not wearing masks .
Confirmed infections and hospitalizations in Arizona have hit daily records .
The president boarded Air Force One in an ebullient mood , telling aides to return to scheduling rallies — perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside — that could soon again get him in front of a crowd , the officials said .
No rallies have been held since Tulsa .
One is coming up Saturday in New Hampshire , to be held outside at Portsmouth ’ s airport .
The virus has come roaring back in widespread parts of the country , pushing the death toll to about 130,000 .
White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway acknowledged “ it ’ s a new world ” because of the pandemic and many Trump supporters won ’ t go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ high risk , low reward for them , ” given that they already back the president .
Nonetheless , Trump tried to entice the masses to his July Fourth event , drawing only a scattered crowd to the National Mall for an air show and fireworks while he remained at the White House , hosting several hundred invited guests on the South Lawn .
There his angry words washed over the guests and ricocheted across the country .
The people in front of him were said to be medical and other front-line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he was speaking really to his most fervent supporters around the country , tapping the divide over race and culture and making it about us versus them — the leftists , the looters and the clueless .
He cast himself as the defender of heritage and the “ American way of life.
” He wore no mask .
But the Lone Ranger was riding again .
Associated Press writer Nancy Benac contributed to this report .

Jonathan Lemire And Calvin Woodward - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Hundreds evacuated after oil spill in central Philippines

MANILA , Philippines - More than 400 people have been evacuated from a coastal village in the central Philippines after @ @ @ @ @ gallons ) of bunker fuel spilled from a power-generating barge into the sea , an @ @ @ @ @ The stench was so bad we have to move people away to two schools and @ @ @ @ @ request for a third evacuation site , ” Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas said by @ @ @ @ @ Friday when an accidental explosion on the barge blasted a hole in its hull .
@ @ @ @ @ .
The accident has not affected the power supply to the commercial city of about @ @ @ @ @ it has other power sources , Trenas said .
The coast guard said it is @ @ @ @ @ filed against the owners of the barge if needed .

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thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Waste-watching: Sewage can help track pandemic virus trends

NEW YORK - One county in Utah beat back a spike of pandemic virus infections in the spring , and another saw its rate jump .
Both trends showed up in their sewage .
Yes , sewage .
Across the U.S. and in Europe , researchers and health officials say they can track the course of a community outbreak of the new coronavirus by studying the waste flushed from its bathrooms .
And that can provide a valuable addition to public health tools , they say .
In Utah , wastewater from communities near a Cache County meatpacking plant that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several days before it was officially reported .
In contrast , sewage from Summit County showed a decline after officials imposed anti-virus measures , including asking tourists to stay away from its popular Park City ski area .
The monitoring in April and May was part of a demonstration project , and the results helped persuade state officials to authorize a bigger monitoring effort that will include wastewater from 75 % of Utah ’ s residents , said Erica Gaddis , director of the state ’ s Division of Water Quality .
Utah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach .
When the Massachusetts company Biobot said on social media this spring that it would test wastewater for free , “ it just kind of exploded , ” said CEO Marian Martus .
The company took on 400 wastewater plants in 42 states , representing waste from about 10 % of the U.S. population , she said .
The company now charges for its service , Martus said , and still has hundreds of customers that regularly send in samples of about a half-cup ( 150 millilitres ) .
The British , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitoring programs , with all wastewater treatment plants in the Netherlands to participate .
“ We can detect the virus anonymously , quickly and on a large scale , “ said Dutch health minister Hugo de Jonge .
The concept is straightforward .
Studies indicate genetic material from the virus can be recovered from the stools of about half of patients with COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
Wastewater analysis looks for that genetic material .
Results over time are taken as indications of trends for infection in the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even include people who would normally be overlooked because they don ’ t get tested or may not know they ’ re infected .
The approach can serve as an early warning because it can detect trends several days before results appear from community testing or people get sick enough to show up at a hospital , studies indicate .
One Dutch study found a wastewater signal in a city six days before the community reported its first cases .
Sewage can be used as “ a mirror of society , ’ ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the KWR Water Research Institute in the Netherlands .
“ Sewage is more than just a wastewater carrier , it ’ s also an information carrier.
” Sewage monitoring is “ a very promising tool , “ said Vince Hill , chief of the waterborne disease prevention branch of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The CDC is now working to understand how useful it can be in the U.S. “ There is a lot to learn , ” he said .
“ We ’ re working on this with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to look for outbreaks of the polio virus .
With the new application to the pandemic virus , scientists are working to refine their techniques as economies reopen and researchers warn of a possible surge of disease this fall .
They don ’ t yet have a reliable way to use wastewater to pin down just how many infected people a community has .
Biobot provides estimates but its calculation method is still being studied and the estimates should not be taken as hard numbers , Martus said .
Researchers in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure we ’ ve got the science right , ” said Peter Grevatt , CEO of The Water Research Foundation , which promotes studies of water and wastewater to ensure water quality and service .
Among the unknowns experts cite : How does the viral shedding in stools vary by different stages of infection ?
How can lab results produced by different testing methods be compared ?
And how are samples affected by the characteristics of different sewage systems , such as the degree of dilution and the time waste spends in transit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meyer , county executive for New Castle County in Delaware , said his community is putting reports from Biobot to work .
In addition to county-wide data from a central treatment plant , the county uses readings from its 11 sewage pumping stations that serve more localized areas .
“ That gives us a view of where the hot spots are and ... where the hot spots are developing if the numbers are going up , ” he said .
So that helps officials decide where to put mobile stations for testing people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gauge the effect of changes in measures to fight the virus spread , Meyer added .
Although he has no idea when a so-called “ second wave ” with surging infections may appear across the country , Meyer said , “ We ’ re working like it ’ s going to happen any day now.
“ Kathy Young in New York and Aleksandar Furtula in Nieuwegein , the Netherlands , contributed to this report .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--India, China both say border disengagement process under way

NEW DELHI - India and China said Monday that they had made progress disengaging frontline troops from a months-long standoff along a disputed part of their border where a brawl in June left 20 Indian soldiers dead .
Special representatives on the border issue , India ’ s national security advisor Ajit Doval and China ’ s Foreign Minister Wang Yi , spoke by phone on Sunday about the issues along the frontier known as the Line of Actual Control , according to India ’ s Foreign Ministry .
The representatives agreed that “ maintenance of peace and tranquility in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the further development of our bilateral relations ” and to “ complete the ongoing disengagement process along the LAC expeditiously , ” the ministry said Monday in a statement .
An Indian Defence Ministry official told The Associated Press that Chinese troops were observed “ removing tents and structures ” near the Galwan Valley along the disputed border .
He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn ’ t authorized to speak to reporters .
Asked about a Chinese withdrawal , China ’ s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said only that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in disengaging frontline troops and easing the border situation with effective measures ” in a third round of military talks June 30 .
Both sides blamed each other for the June 15 clash in the remote river valley in the Karakoram mountains of Ladakh where India is building a strategic road connecting the region to an airstrip close to China .
Soldiers fought in hand-to-hand combat with fists and clubs , but not with firearms , deferring to an agreement not to use them .
India said 20 of its soldiers were killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials have not confirmed any casualties .
Chris Biggers , senior analyst at the geospatial intelligence company HawkEye 360 , has said a review of satellite images showed China was moving construction equipment , soldiers and military hardware toward the Line of Actual Control before and after the clash .
China and India fought a 1962 war over their disputed border , an area that covers nearly 3,500 kilometres ( 2,175 miles ) .
That fighting ended in an uneasy truce and the creation of the Line of Actual Control , which stretches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indian state of Sikkim in the northeast .
The two countries have been trying to settle their border dispute since the early 1990s , without success .
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unannounced visit Friday to a military base in Ladakh , telling troops that the “ days of expansionism are over.
” “ Expansionism creates danger for world peace .
This is an era of development .
Expansionist forces have either lost or forced to turn back , ” he said in an apparent reference to China .
Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Deep undersea earthquake widely felt in Indonesia, no damage

JAKARTA , Indonesia - A deep undersea earthquake hit off the coast of Indonesia ’ s main island of Java @ @ @ @ @ injuries or serious damage were reported .
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake measured @ @ @ @ @ about 94 kilometres ( 58 miles ) north of Batang , a coastal town in @ @ @ @ @ was about 528 kilometres ( 328.5 miles ) deep .
The Indonesian Meteorology , Climatology @ @ @ @ @ temblor was 6.1 magnitude and did not cause a tsunami .
Daryono , an agency @ @ @ @ @ by a single name , said people felt mild shaking as far as Bali island @ @ @ @ @ deep .
Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions .
A powerful Indian Ocean @ @ @ @ @ killed a total of 230,000 people in a dozen countries , most of them in @ @ @ @ @ been revised to correct the earthquake occurred Tuesday , not Friday .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Judge blocks auction of so-called Hawaiian princess’ things

HONOLULU - An auction of a 94-year-old Native Hawaiian heiress ’ belongings can ’ t go forward until a conservator is named to handle her finances , a judge ruled Monday .
Abigail Kawananakoa ’ s foundation , which has been working to ensure her fortune goes to benefiting Native Hawaiian causes , asked a judge to stop the auction until at least a conservator is named .
The auction was scheduled to close next week , while a hearing on her conservator isn ’ t scheduled until July 21 .
On Monday , the the auction website said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 .
Kawananakoa ’ s wife and others can ’ t proceed with the auction or sell any of her belongings until there ’ s a ruling on the foundation ’ s petition and a permanent conservator is named , Judge R. Mark Browning ruled .
Her $ 215-million fortune has been tied up in a legal battle since 2017 , when her longtime lawyer , Jim Wright , argued a stroke left her impaired .
Kawananakoa said she ’ s fine and fired Wright .
She then married her partner of 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later took her last name .
A judge ruled in March that she needs a conservator because she ’ s unable to manage her property and business affairs .
Another judge ruled month last month her conservatorship should be unlimited and set a hearing for July 21 to determine who that will be .
Some consider Kawananakoa a princess because she ’ s related to the family that ruled the islands before the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom in 1893 .
She inherited her wealth as the great-granddaughter of James Campbell , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sugar plantation owner and one of Hawaii ’ s largest landowners .
“ Ms .
Abigail and her spouse , Veronica , have no issue with postponing the sale of Ms. Kawananakoa ’ s personal effects located in her North Shore cottage , ” Michael Rudy , an attorney representing Kawananakoa ’ s wife , said in a statement on behalf of the couple .
“ The Kawananakoa Foundation is grateful that the auction has been stopped for now , ” the foundation said in a statement .
“ We look forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can best determine what should happen to Ms. Kawananakoa ’ s property , consistent with what is in her best interests.
” Foundation directors said in their petition they are concerned that some of the auction items appear culturally significant .
Kawananakoa “ will carefully re-examine the sale items to ensure that no significant cultural or historical items are publicly sold ” and plans to donate those items to Iolani Palace , Rudy said .
“ Ms .
Abigail and Veronica respect this ruling and all other prior rulings in this case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wish , however , that the Court continues to protect and conserve all of Ms. Kawananakoa ’ s other assets and financial resources that continue to be squandered by unnecessary and unreasonable attorneys ’ fees , trustee ’ s fees and other costs ( now totalling in the millions of dollars ) , that Ms. Kawananakoa is being involuntarily forced to incur and will continue to be incurred until such time as the Court puts a stop to it .
”

Jennifer Sinco Kelleher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Maxwell moved to NY for Epstein-related sex abuse charges

NEW YORK - Jeffrey Epstein ’ s longtime confidante Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred Monday to a New York City jail plagued by coronavirus concerns and other problems as she faces charges that she recruited girls , one as young as 14 , for him to sexually abuse .
Maxwell , 58 , was moved to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn , where she will await a July 14 remote appearance in Manhattan federal court , her lawyer told a judge .
She had been locked up at a New Hampshire jail since authorities arrested her last week at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maxwell , the daughter of the late British publishing magnate Robert Maxwell , was the former girlfriend and longtime close associate of Epstein , who killed himself at a federal jail in Manhattan last August while he awaited trial on federal sex trafficking charges .
“ Somebody made the conscious decision , ‘ let ’ s not house her where Epstein was housed , ’ ” said Jack Donson , a former prison official who worked for the Bureau of Prisons for more than two decades .
Maxwell has been indicted on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to entice girls as young as 14 to engage in illegal sex acts with Epstein from 1994 through 1997 .
Several Epstein victims have described Maxwell as his chief enabler , recruiting and grooming young girls for abuse .
She has denied wrongdoing and called claims against her “ absolute rubbish.
” Late Monday , a judge said Maxwell could appear at her arraignment and bail hearing by video because of the pandemic , but those scheduling limitations require it be held Thursday or next week — not Friday as her lawyer requested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian Everdell told Judge Alison J. Nathan in a letter Monday evening that they were finally able to speak with their client at the Brooklyn lockup shortly before 9 p.m. Monday , when she agreed to waive her right to appear in person in court for arraignment and a bail hearing .
The lawyers said they wanted the hearing to occur the morning of July 14 .
She will appear by video remotely from the federal jail .
A message seeking comment was left with Everdell .
The Bureau of Prisons declined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prosecutors have said Maxwell “ poses an extreme risk of flight.
” She has three passports , is wealthy with lots of international connections , and has “ absolutely no reason to stay in the United States and face the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence , ” they wrote in a memo .
Maxwell is being prosecuted in Manhattan but jailed in Brooklyn — the opposite of what happened with Mexican drug lord Joaquín “ El Chapo ” Guzmán , who was held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompting closures of the Brooklyn Bridge each day as he was taken to and from court .
Donson , who advises white-collar criminals on what to expect in prison , said the lockup on the Brooklyn waterfront is akin to the federal prison system ’ s version of a high-rise apartment building — highly secure , with elevators to move inmates from floor-to-floor , air-conditioned cells and limited room for recreation or other activities .
The facility , opened as a federal jail in the early 1990s , houses about 1,600 inmates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a century-old former Navy warehouse .
Donson said he ’ s made frequent visits to the jail and observed staff acting “ downright unprofessional “ yelling and cursing at inmates .
The jail ’ s former warden , Cameron Lindsay , said it is “ one of the most troubled ” facilities in the federal prison system and had a “ unique history of staff misconduct.
“ A week-long power failure at the Brooklyn jail in January 2019 sparked unrest among shivering inmates and drew concerns from a federal watchdog about the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the jail had the federal prison system ’ s first inmate to test positive for coronavirus , and the facility ’ s response to the disease led to an ongoing court battle over allegations that inmates were being put at serious risk .
Last month , an inmate died after correctional officers sprayed him with pepper spray , which has led to an investigation by the Justice Department ’ s inspector general .
In May , another inmate at the facility died .
The Bureau of Prisons has been the subject of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life while in custody in August , which Attorney General William Barr said was the result of the “ perfect storm of screw ups.
” The agency has been plagued for years by serious misconduct , violence and staffing shortages so severe that guards often work overtime day after day or are forced to work mandatory double shifts and has struggled recently with an exploding number of coronavirus cases in prisons across the U.S .
The Justice Department launched a special task force earlier this year to address criminal misconduct by Bureau of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the discovery of a smuggled gun found at the same Manhattan jail where Epstein took his own life .
On its website Monday , the Bureau of Prisons listed five inmates and six staff members at the Brooklyn jail currently testing positive , while another eight inmates and 35 staff members previously recovered from the disease .
Donson said he expects Maxwell will be closely watched while she ’ s in jail , possibly even with a working camera fixed on her cell , to avoid a repeat of the errors that authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Under the prison system ’ s coronavirus protocols , Maxwell faces an immediate 14-day quarantine and testing for the virus .
“ Especially for a socialite living in a mansion in New Hampshire , it ’ s quite a difference , ” Donson said .
Balsamo reported from Washington .
Associated Press writer Larry Neumeister in New York contributed to this report .
On Twitter , follow Michael Balsamo at twitter.com/mikebalsamo1 and Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak

Michael Balsamo And Michael R. Sisak - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Death toll from flooding in Japan rises to 50, dozen missing

TOKYO - Japan ’ s disaster management agency says the death toll from recent flooding has risen to 50 and @ @ @ @ @ are still missing .
Pounding rain since late Friday in Japan ’ s southern region @ @ @ @ @ flooding .
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 49 of the dead confirmed as @ @ @ @ @ riverside towns in the Kumamoto region .
One person was found dead in Fukuoka as @ @ @ @ @ the southern area .
At least a dozen people are missing .
Rescue operations have @ @ @ @ @ and continuing harsh weather .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Amy Cooper, white woman in racist Central Park confrontation, charged with filing false report

NEW YORK - A white woman who called the police during a videotaped dispute with a Black man over her walking her dog without a leash in Central Park was charged Monday with filing a false police report .
In May , Amy Cooper drew widespread condemnation and was fired from her job after frantically calling 911 to claim she was being threatened by “ an African American man , ” bird watcher Christian Cooper .
On the video he recorded of the woman , he sounds calm and appears to keep a safe distance from her .
District Attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday that his office had charged Amy Cooper with falsely reporting the confrontation , a misdemeanour that carries a maximum penalty of a year behind bars .
She was ordered to appear in court on Oct. 14 .
Cooper ’ s attorney , Robert Barnes , said Cooper would fight the charge .
His client , he said , has already lost her livelihood and “ her public life .
Now some demand her freedom ?
” Reached by phone on Monday , Christian Cooper said he had no reaction or comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released an apology through a public relations service , saying she “ reacted emotionally and made false assumptions about his intentions.
” “ He had every right to request that I leash my dog in an area where it was required , ” she said in the written statement .
“ I am well aware of the pain that misassumptions and insensitive statements about race cause and would never have imagined that I would be involved in the type of incident that occurred with Chris.
” Amy Cooper ’ s 911 call was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of everyday racism and fueled outrage in the period leading up to the street protests sparked by the police custody death of George Floyd .
It also inspired New York state lawmakers in June to pass a law that makes it easier under civil rights law to sue an individual who calls a police officer on someone “ without reason ” because of their background , including race and national origin .
The new law , which the governor also signed last month , holds an individual who makes such 911 calls liable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or any other appropriate relief ” in a civil lawsuit .
Cooper was charged under an existing false-report law that ’ s been long on the books and doesn ’ t reference race .
The confrontation began early one morning when Christian Cooper said he noticed Amy Cooper had let her cocker spaniel off its leash against the rules in the Ramble , a secluded section of Central Park popular with birdwatchers .
In the video posted on social media , he claimed the dog was “ tearing through the plantings ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the park .
When she refused , he pulled out dog treats , causing her to scream at him to not come near her dog .
Amy Cooper also warned him she would summon police unless he stopped recording .
“ I ’ m going to tell them there ’ s an African American man threatening my life , ” Amy Cooper is heard saying in the video as she pulls down her face mask and struggles to control her dog .
“ There ’ s an African American man , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is recording me and threatening myself and my dog .
… Please send the cops immediately !
” she says during the call before he stops recording .
Police say by the time they responded , they were both gone .
Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Brazil’s Bolsonaro tested for COVID-19, feels well

SAO PAULO - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was tested for COVID-19 after having an X-ray of his lungs on Monday .
He didn ’ t say whether he was showing symptoms of the new coronavirus .
Brazil ’ s presidency said in a statement the result of the test will be known on Tuesday .
Earlier Bolsonaro , who has repeatedly downplayed the risks of the disease , told supporters outside the presidential residence in capital Brasilia that he is feeling well .
Brazil ’ s Supreme Court published documents in May showing that Bolsonaro tested negative three times in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in Florida .
The Brazilian leader hasn ’ t said whether he took any additional tests for the disease since .
Bolsonaro ’ s prior tests were conducted using pseudonyms , as is customary for medical tests performed on Brazilian leaders in order to preserve their privacy .
The president has repeatedly appeared in public without wearing a mask , shaking hands with supporters and mingling with crowds .
He has fiercely criticized local leaders ’ restrictions on activity and said the economic impact of shutdowns would inflict more hardship than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died from COVID-19 in Brazil .

Mauricio Savarese - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Army identifies buried remains as missing Texas soldier

AUSTIN , Texas - An Army commander confirmed Monday that dismembered remains found last week buried near Fort Hood belonged to a 20-year-old soldier who vanished more than two months ago from the Texas base .
Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt , Fort Hood ’ s senior commander , said during a news conference that the armed forces forensic examiner determined through DNA analysis that the remains belonged to Spc .
Vanessa Guillén .
A day earlier , an attorney for Guillén ’ s family had said Army officials told the family at their Houston home that the remains were hers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the aftermath of one of the most heinous acts I can imagine , “ Efflandt said .
Guillén , who had been missing since April , was killed and dismembered by U.S. Army Specialist Aaron Robinson , a 20-year-old soldier from Calumet City , Illinois , took his own life last week , federal and military investigators have said .
Cecily Aguilar , a 22-year-old civilian from Killeen , has been arrested and charged with one count of conspiring to tamper with evidence for allegedly helping hide Guillén ’ s body .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal court in Waco , saying that she understood the charge as read .
If convicted , Aguilar faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $ 250,000 .
Her next court date is scheduled for July 14 .
The human remains were found near the Leon River in Bell County , about 20 miles ( 32 kilometres ) east of Fort Hood .
Natalie Khawam , the attorney representing the Guillén family , said Army officials told the family it took longer to identify the remains because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were unable to use dental records .
“ Her mom is distraught that they can ’ t even bury her body because there are only fragments , ” Khawam said .
Guillén ’ s family has said that they believe she was sexually harassed by Robinson and is calling for a congressional investigation .
Army investigators said last week that they had no credible evidence that Guillén had been sexually harassed or assaulted .
Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform , including Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney , of New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a briefing on the Army ’ s response and investigation into Guillén ’ s disappearance .
“ The emerging details about the disappearance and murder of Specialist Vanessa Guillen are truly horrific , and our hearts go out to her family .
We are also deeply disturbed by reports that Specialist Guillen was sexually harassed prior to her disappearance , but according to her family , was too fearful of the professional consequences to report her concerns , “ the Democrats said in a joint news release .
At the Monday news conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing sexual harassment investigation and will take action on any findings .
“ Every person who raises their right hand to serve their family and their country in uniform deserves to be safe and treated with dignity and respect , “ Efflandt said .
“ To the victims of sexual harassment and assault we hear you , we believe you and encourage you to come forward.
” Col. Ralph Overland , commander of Guillén ’ s regiment , said at the news conference that Guillén ’ s death “ has devastated us all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ She was strong , courageous and caring , ” he said , adding that she “ always went above and beyond to accomplish the mission.
” AP writer Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report .
Acacia Coronado is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a non-profit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Czech volunteers develop functioning lung ventilator in days

PRAGUE , Czech Republic - Tomas Kapler knew nothing about ventilators — he ’ s an online business consultant , not an engineer or a medical technician .
But when he saw that shortages of the vital machines had imperiled critically ill COVID-19 patients in northern Italy , he was moved to action .
“ It was a disturbing feeling for me that because of a lack of equipment the doctors had to decide whether a person gets a chance to live , ” Kapler said .
“ That seemed so horrific to me that it was an impulse to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I just said to myself : ‘ Can we simply make the ventilators ?
’ ” he said .
Working around the clock , he brought together a team of 30 Czechs to develop a fully functional ventilator — Corovent .
And they did it in a matter of days .
Kapler is a member of an informal group of volunteers formed by IT companies and experts who offered to help the state fight the pandemic .
The virus struck here slightly later than in western Europe but the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
“ It seemed that on the turn of March and April , we might be in the same situation as Italy , ” Kapler said .
Ventilators had become a precious commodity .
Their price was skyrocketing and so was demand that the traditional makers were unable to immediately meet .
Components for the ventilators were also in critically short supply .
So Kapler said he set out to “ make a ventilator from the parts that are used in common machines.
” A crowd-funding campaign ensured the necessary finances in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Czech Technical University for help .
He , in turn , assembled colleagues through Skype , while his post-graduate student tested the new design in their lab in Kladno , west of Prague .
They had a working prototype in five days , something that would normally take a year .
Roubik said their simple design makes the machine reliable , inexpensive , and easy to operate and mass produce .
A group of volunteer pilots flew their planes to deliver anything needed .
And then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in Trebic , 200 kilometres ( 125 miles ) from Kladno , offered to do the manufacturing .
Flights between the two places helped fine-tune the production line in a few weeks .
“ I didn ’ t do anything more than those people who were making the face masks , ” said MICO ’ s chief executive , Jiri Denner .
“ They did the maximum they could .
And I did the maximum I could.
” With the certification for emergency use in the European Union approved , the ventilator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not needed in the Czech Republic , which had managed to contain the outbreak .
MICO has submitted a request for approval for emergency use in the United States , Brazil , Russia and other countries .
Meanwhile , they ’ ve applied for EU certification for common hospital use .
“ Originally , we thought it would be just an emergency ventilator for the Czech Republic , ” Kapler said .
“ But it later turned out that the ventilators will be needed in the entire world.
” Kapler looks back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had to quit my job and I have been without pay for several months , ” he said .
“ But otherwise , it was mostly positive for me .
I ’ ve met many fantastic people who are willing to help.
” Or to quote the slogan printed on the ventilator ’ s box : “ Powered by Czech heart.
“ While nonstop news about the effects of the coronavirus has become commonplace , so , too , have tales of kindness .
“ One Good Thing ” is a series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joy and benevolence in a dark time .
Read the series here : https : //apnews.com/OneGoodThing


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--NY count: 6,300 virus patients were sent to nursing homes

New York hospitals released more than 6,300 recovering coronavirus patients into nursing homes during the height of the pandemic under a controversial , now-scrapped policy , state officials said Monday , but they argued it was not to blame for one of the nation ’ s highest nursing home death tolls .
Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s administration , which has taken intense criticism over the policy , instead contended the virus ’ rampant spread through the state ’ s nursing homes was propelled by more than 20,000 infected home staffers , many of whom kept going to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and April .
Another 17,500 workers were infected through early June .
“ Facts matter .
And those are the facts , ” state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a news conference .
New York ’ s report came more than a month after The Associated Press did its own count finding that hospitals around the state released more than 4,500 recovering coronavirus patients to nursing homes under a March 25 Health Department directive that prohibited nursing homes from refusing to take in patients because they had or may have had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help free up hospital beds for the sickest patients as cases surged .
But several relatives , patient advocates and nursing administrators who spoke to the AP at the time blamed the policy for helping to spread the virus among the state ’ s most fragile residents .
To date , more than 6,400 deaths have been linked to the coronavirus in New York ’ s nursing home and long-term care-facilities .
Cuomo , a Democrat , reversed the directive under pressure on May 10 , but he has argued for weeks that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients , were to blame for a coronavirus spread through nursing homes that he compared to “ fire through dry grass.
” The Cuomo administration didn ’ t release how exactly they reached the report ’ s conclusions , which back up Cuomo ’ s repeated defences .
And the report has its limits : it only looks at the number of residents who died inside nursing homes and not at hospitals , for example .
Cuomo noted Monday that it wasn ’ t well understood early on how readily the virus could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Nobody knew what they were talking about for a long time .
That ’ s the bottom line here , ” he told reporters in New York .
The health commissioner said there was “ no reason to place blame ” on anyone .
“ If you were to place blame , I would blame coronavirus , ” Zucker said .
The state ’ s findings didn ’ t deter Republicans from seeking investigations of the state ’ s nursing home deaths .
And some nursing home groups remain convinced the March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Bringing in even one instance of COVID to a nursing home is in no one ’ s best interest , ” said Stephen Hanse , who runs a nursing home association called the New York State Health Facilities Association and the New York State Center for Assisted Living .
While New York ’ s report doesn ’ t rule out whether the March 25 directive played any role in the thousands of nursing home deaths , it notes that the virus was already present in many homes before they accepted COVID-19 patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 310 nursing homes that admitted such patients already had a confirmed or suspected case among residents or staffers , the report says .
And Zucker contends the timelines line up to suggest that COVID-19 was already surging in nursing homes before the March 25 directive .
The state report says the number of residents dying at nursing homes peaked on April 8 — around the same time as COVID-19 deaths statewide , but nearly a week before the peak of COVID-19 patients from hospitals — a sequence of events the report casts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cause.
” The average patient had been hospitalized for nine days , the report says — the same period that it likely takes for the virus to no longer be contagious , according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Nonetheless , the state ’ s data show over 1,000 COVID-19 patients entered nursing homes between March 25 and April 8 .
And it ’ s unclear how many admitted patients were hospitalized for fewer than nine days , and how many residents died each day at hospitals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as ensuring sick and elderly patients who weren ’ t well enough to return to their communities had somewhere to go if hospital beds overfilled as officials then worried .
But Hanse said the policy tied the hands of nursing home leaders who were afraid of residents becoming infected from new patients , or who wanted to require symptomatic patients be tested for COVID-19 so nursing homes could place them in the right unit .
“ There ’ s now a clear recognition that the nursing home resident is the least among all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handle the COVID-19 virus , ” he said .
The head of a union that represents 60,000 New York nursing home workers said they did all they could to care for residents .
“ They did so at great physical and emotional cost , in many cases without adequate personal protective equipment and while being denied needed paid sick time , ” said George Gresham , president of union 1199SEIU .
New York officials have said that the March 25 directive was never intended to force nursing homes to take patients they weren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that they should have spoken up if that was the case .
Officials also have noted that some other states , including neighbouring New Jersey , had similar policies .
Michael Dowling , CEO of hospital chain Northwell Health — which sent more than 1,700 COVID-19 patients to nursing homes , according to the AP ’ s count — said those who claim that nursing home admission policies from hospitals caused the fatalities are “ not supported by the facts.
“ Nursing home residents ’ advocate Richard Mollot said while the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ devastating spread through the facilities , bigger , underlying issues — like the industry ’ s history of infection-control lapses — remain .
“ There is , unfortunately , plenty of blame to go around , ” said Mollot , executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition .

Marina Villeneuve And Jennifer Peltz - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--California Assembly delays session after virus outbreak

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - A coronavirus outbreak in the California Legislature has indefinitely delayed the state Assembly ’ s return to work from a scheduled summer recess , highlighting the rapid spread of the virus in a state that has imposed new restrictions on bars and restaurants following a surge of cases and hospitalizations .
Speaker Anthony Rendon ’ s office confirmed five people who work in the state Assembly have tested positive for the coronavirus .
That includes Assemblywoman Autumn Burke , a Democrat from Inglewood , who is believed to have been infected while on the Assembly floor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state capitol in Sacramento to approve a $ 202.1 billion budget .
“ The Assembly will remain in recess until further notice , “ Rendon said .
“ We have taken this decision , as we did in March , to protect members , staff and the public from exposure , and it comes in light of recent news of positive coronavirus tests in the Capitol.
” Many state legislatures shut down earlier this year as the pandemic took hold of the U.S. , including California , where lawmakers missed nearly two months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 158 years .
But many legislatures eventually returned to work with restrictions in place to limit the spread of the virus .
In California , those restrictions included mandatory masks for lawmakers on the floor , plus physical distancing in the chamber .
Burke said both she and the person who exposed her to the virus were wearing masks .
“ Currently , my daughter and I have no symptoms , but will be remaining in quarantine until released by a doctor , ” Burke wrote in a message posted to her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more young people are getting the coronavirus in California , fueling a surge of hospitalizations across the state and prompting Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s administration to step up enforcement of new restrictions on bars and restaurants .
Statewide , coronavirus hospitalizations have increased 56 % in the past two weeks while the number of confirmed cases has jumped 53 % .
In Los Angeles County , where one quarter of the state ’ s population lives , people between the ages of 18 and 40 now account for 25 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 % in April .
“ Unfortunately where we are today is different than where we were two , three or four weeks ago .
Cases are surging , hospitalizations are increasing and mostly this is a reflection of a lot more community spread , ” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said .
Overall , about 56 % of the state ’ s nearly 74,000 hospital beds are occupied , leaving some 32,000 beds available for new patients .
But the number of coronavirus hospitalizations has steadily increased in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 % of all hospitalizations in California compared to about 6 % a month ago .
Hospitals in Imperial County are overwhelmed , forcing the transfer of 500 patients to medical facilities in other counties .
In response , Newsom has ordered bars , indoor restaurant dining and other indoor businesses to close for the next three weeks in 23 of the state ’ s 58 counties .
Over the busy Independence Day weekend , Newsom ’ s administration deployed “ strike teams ” of state inspectors to enforce those rules .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most business owners complied with state directives , Newsom said .
“ The overwhelming majority of people were doing the right thing , ” he said .
“ Even if people were out of compliance , the engagement got people back into compliance very quickly.
“ Newsom had sent a letter Friday urging local police and sheriffs to enforce the state health orders .
He warned local elected officials again Monday that they risk losing out on $ 2.5 billion in state funding if they refuse to ensure compliance .
In West Hollywood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fine people $ 300 for not wearing facial coverings , deputies stopped more than 100 people but did not fine anyone over the weekend , according to Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Capt .
Edward Ramirez , who oversees the West Hollywood station .
San Diego County , added to the state watch list on Friday because of its increasing number of cases , announced Monday it would comply with Newsom ’ s order by barring indoor dining and re-closing movie theatres , card rooms , museums , bowling alleys and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has seen more than 21 outbreaks of at least three people from different households , including 16 at restaurants .
“ We have to fight to slow the spread to save our economy , ” San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antczak and Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles and Julie Watson in San Diego contributed to this report .

Adam Beam And Don Thompson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Country rocker and fiddler Charlie Daniels dies at age 83

NASHVILLE - Charlie Daniels , who went from being an in-demand session musician to a staple of Southern rock with his hit “ Devil Went Down to Georgia , ” has died at 83 .
A statement from his publicist said the Country Music Hall of Famer died Monday at a hospital in Hermitage , Tennessee , after doctors said he had a stroke .
He had suffered what was described as a mild stroke in January 2010 and had a heart pacemaker implanted in 2013 but continued to perform .
Daniels , a singer , guitarist and fiddler , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even playing on Bob Dylan ’ s “ Nashville Skyline ” sessions .
Beginning in the early 1970s , his five-piece band toured endlessly , sometimes doing 250 shows a year .
“ I can ask people where they are from , and if they say ` Waukegan , ’ I can say I ’ ve played there .
If they say ` Baton Rouge , ’ I can say I ’ ve played there .
There ’ s not a city we haven ’ t played in , ” Daniels said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at the Super Bowl , throughout Europe and often for troops in the Middle East .
He played himself in the 1980 John Travolta movie “ Urban Cowboy ” and was closely identified with the rise of country music generated by that film .
Some of his other hits were “ Drinkin ’ My Baby Goodbye , “ “ Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues ” and “ Uneasy Rider.
” “ I ’ ve kept people employed for over 20 years and never missed a payroll , ” Daniels said in 1998 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pioneer Award from the Academy of Country Music .
He is survived by his wife , Hazel , and his son , Charlie Daniels Jr. “ There are few artists that touched so many different generations in our business than Charlie Daniels did , ” said Sarah Trahern , CEO of the Country Music Association , in a statement .
“ Today , our community has lost an innovator and advocate of Country Music .
Both Charlie and Hazel had become dear friends of mine over the last several years , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrate Charlie ’ s induction into the Opry as well as tell him that he was going to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
“ “ Well , the devil went down to Georgia , but Charlie went straight to heaven , ” said Dolly Parton in a tweet .
“ My heart , like many millions of others , is broken today to find out that we ’ ve lost our dear friend Charlie Daniels.
” Contemporary country artists like Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean also paid tribute to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hero .
A true patriot , Christian , and country music icon .
Prayers to his family , ” said Bryan in a tweet .
“ Charlie Daniels embodied the fire of the South , “ said Ronnie Milsap in a statement .
“ He blurred lines between rock and country , when rock didn ’ t think country was cool , and his Volunteer Jams weren ’ t just legendary , they brought people from both of those worlds together.
” In the 1990s Daniels softened some of his lyrics from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embroiled in controversy .
In “ The Devil Went Down to Georgia , ” a 1979 song about a fiddling duel between the devil and a whippersnapper named Johnny , Daniels originally called the devil a “ son of a bitch , ” but changed it to “ son of a gun.
” In his hit “ Long Haired Country Boy , ” he used to sing about being “ stoned in the morning ” and “ drunk in the afternoon.
” Daniels changed it to “ I get up in the morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ I guess I ’ ve mellowed in my old age , ” Daniels said in 1998 .
Otherwise , though , he rarely backed down from in-your-face lyrics .
His “ Simple Man ” in 1990 suggested lynching drug dealers and using child abusers as alligator bait .
His “ In America ” in 1980 told the country ’ s enemies to “ go straight to hell.
” Such tough talk earned him guest spots on “ Politically Incorrect , ” the G. Gordon Liddy radio show and on C-Span taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he wrote frequently about his conservative political views on his website and on Twitter , issuing daily tweets aimed at Hillary Clinton about the 2012 attack on an American diplomatic compound in Libya , but also bringing attention to veteran suicides .
“ The Devil Went Down to Georgia ” was No .
1 on the country charts in 1979 and crossed over to the pop charts .
It was voted single of the year by the Country Music Association and earned his band a Grammy for best country vocal performance by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devil bowed his head because he knew that he ’ d been beat .
“ He laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny ’ s feet .
“ Johnny said , ‘ Devil just come on back if you ever want to try again .
“ I told you once you son of a ( gun ) , I ’ m the best that ’ s ever been.
’ ” He hosted regular Volunteer Jam concerts in Nashville in which the performers usually were not announced in advance .
Entertainers at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grant , James Brown , Pat Boone , Bill Monroe , Willie Nelson , Vince Gill , Lynyrd Skynyrd , Alabama , Billy Joel , Little Richard , B.B .
King , Stevie Ray Vaughan , Eugene Fodor and Woody Herman .
“ Charlie Daniels embodied the fire of the South , ” said Ronnie Milsap in a statement .
“ He blurred lines between rock and country , when rock didn ’ t think country was cool , and his Volunteer Jams weren ’ t just legendary , they brought people from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a native of Wilmington , N.C. , played on several Dylan albums as a Nashville recording session guitarist in the late 1960s , including “ New Morning ” and “ Self-Portrait.
” He also played on albums by Marty Robbins , Claude King , Flatt & Scruggs , Pete Seeger , Leonard Cohen , Al Kooper and Ringo Starr .
He also performed gospel music , which earned him Dove Awards as well .
He co-founded a veterans charity called The Journey Home Project .
Eventually , at the age of 71 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epitome of Nashville ’ s music establishment , the Grand Ole Opry .
He was inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016 .
He said in 1998 that he kept touring so much because “ I have never played those notes perfectly .
I ’ ve never sung every song perfectly .
I ’ m in competition to be better tonight than I was last night and to be better tomorrow than tonight.
” Daniels said his favourite place to play was “ anywhere with a good crowd and a @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--UN chief warns COVID-19 provides opportunity for terrorists

TANZANIA , Tanzania - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic provides new opportunities for the Islamic State extremist group , al-Qaida and their affiliates as well as neo-Nazis , white supremacists and hate groups .
The U.N. chief said it ’ s too early to fully assess the implications of the coronavirus pandemic on terrorism , but all these groups seek to exploit divisions , local conflicts , failures in governing , and other grievances to advance their aims .
Guterres told the launch of United Nations Counter-Terrorism Week that the Islamic State group , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Iraq , is trying to reassert itself in both countries , “ while thousands of foreign terrorist fighters battle in the region.
” “ The pandemic has also highlighted vulnerabilities to new and emerging forms of terrorism , such as misuse of digital technology , cyber attacks and bio-terrorism , ” he said .
Josep Borrell , the European Union ’ s top diplomat , told the virtual meeting that a global understanding of the pandemic ’ s implications on counter-terrorism efforts across the world is needed .
“ It is true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis has led to a reduction of terrorist activity , mainly due to the mobilization of state security services , ” he said .
“ But in other regions , terrorism and human suffering caused by it continue unabated.
” Former American diplomat Richard Haas , who heads the Council on Foreign Relations , said he believes COVID-19 “ will add to the challenges of counter-terrorism.
” “ It will perhaps create an environment where more countries become weak or fail , ” he said , and recruitment for terrorist organizations will quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.N .
Ambassador Kais Kabtani , who chairs the U.N. Security Council ’ s counter-terrorism committee , said its recent report on COVID-19 described how the pandemic may have temporarily limited operations of terrorist groups because of lockdowns and travel restrictions — but also how groups including the Islamic State are exploiting increased social isolation and online use “ to spread their propaganda through virtual platforms.
” With global attention focused on tackling the pandemic , Kabtani said , terrorist groups are also seeking to capitalize “ by undermining state authority and launching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee ’ s executive directorate said the global population , including over 1 billion students , is spending more time on the internet as a result of COVID-19 .
“ The increase in the number of young people engaging in unsupervised Internet usage – particularly on gaming platforms – offers terrorist groups an opportunity to expose a greater number of people to their ideas , although the relationship between online activity and radicalization to violence is not fully understood , ” the experts ’ report said .
“ The reported rise in cyber @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between terrorist and criminal actors.
” The U.N. experts said a wide variety of terrorist groups have already integrated COVID-19 into their propaganda “ to exploit divisions and weaknesses among their enemies ” including by intensifying hatred for certain groups , “ resulting in racist , anti-Semitic , Islamophobic and anti-immigrant hate speech.
” “ These narratives have been fused with an array of new or existing conspiracy theories , particularly by the extreme right , including through the linkage of 5G technology to the spread of the virus , ” the experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they said the pandemic in addition to limiting the movement of terrorists may disrupt their supply chains making it difficult for them to get food , medicine , money and weapons .
With the overwhelming global focus on COVID-19 , the experts said terrorists may seek “ even more ` attention grabbing ’ targets or techniques — as with the May 2020 attack on a maternity hospital in Afghanistan .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--$1.2 million bail for driver that hit 2 Seattle protesters

SEATTLE - A judge on Monday set a $ 1.2 million bail for the man accused of driving a Jaguar on to a closed Seattle freeway and hitting two protesters , killing one and seriously injuring the other .
Dawit Kelete , who is black , drove the car around vehicles that were parked on Interstate 5 to protect a group of Black Femme March demonstrators , part of the Black Lives Matter movement protesting racial inequality and police violence .
The car hit two people and sped away about 1:40 a.m. Saturday , police said .
Over the weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold Kelete on an investigation of vehicular assault .
But the King County Prosecuting Attorney ’ s Office has yet to file charges against Kelete .
“ A charging decision is expected by Wednesday afternoon , ” spokesman Casey McNerthney said .
Kelete ’ s lawyer , John Henry Browne , said the crash was a “ horrible , horrible accident ” and was not intentional .
“ There ’ s absolutely nothing political about this case whatsoever , ” Browne told The Associated Press .
“ My client is in tears .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels tremendous guilt.
” Kelete is originally from Eritrea and is a U.S. citizen , Browne said .
He lives with his family in Seattle , and they ’ re very religious , he said .
Kelete was the owner of the Jaguar XJL and was alone in the car , according to a Washington State Patrol report submitted to the court late Saturday .
The protesters screamed and scattered as the car approached .
A graphic video shows the vehicle approaching at a high rate of speed .
It appeared to swerve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still in the road .
The car slid sideways as it hit the two protesters , sending them into the air .
The driver turned on his flashers just after impact , and drove away .
Summer Taylor , a 24-year-old veterinary clinic worker , suffered critical injuries and died Saturday night .
Diaz Love , 32 , from Portland , Oregon , was in serious condition .
“ I ’ m alive and stable , ” Love posted on Facebook late Sunday .
“ In a lot of pain .
I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they thought this murder would make us back down , they are very wrong .
Very wrong .
Love also said : “ My FB is filled with death threats , that and only being able to use one hand has me going slow .
I deeply appreciate and feel all the love y ’ all are sending me.
” After Kelete was stopped by state troopers , he agreed to take a field sobriety test for drugs and alcohol .
The tests showed he was not impaired , the state patrol said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared sullen throughout his time in custody , ” Trooper James McGuire wrote in the arrest report .
“ At one point he asked if the injured pedestrians were okay.
” Kelete , 27 , was booked into the King County Correctional Facility on Saturday morning on two counts of vehicular assault .
Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest following the May police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis , which sparked nationwide protests .
Dozens of people were arrested last week in connection with protests as demonstrations continued after authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” zone in downtown Seattle .
The state patrol had closed a section of I-5 for 19 days in a row because of the protesters , troopers said .
It had been closed to traffic for more than an hour before the crash .
The state patrol said going forward it won ’ t allow protesters to enter I-5 and would arrest pedestrians on the freeway .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Sheriff: At least 8 killed in plane collision at Idaho lake

SPOKANE , Wash. - At least eight people , including three children , were killed when two airplanes collided over a scenic mountain lake in northern Idaho , the Kootenai County Sheriff ’ s Office said Monday .
One of the aircraft was a float plane operated by Brooks Seaplane of Coeur d ’ Alene , Idaho , which operates charter flights for tourists over Lake Coeur d ’ Alene , the sheriff ’ s office said .
That plane was carrying five passengers , including three children , and a pilot , the sheriff ’ s office said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was carrying at least two people , the sheriff ’ s office said .
A sheriff ’ s dive team found the wreckage in about 125 feet ( 40 metres ) of water , and the bodies of three victims have been recovered so far , the sheriff ’ s office said .
“ We don ’ t anticipate any survivors , ’ ’ sheriff ’ s Lt. Ryan Higgins said .
“ We think everyone is deceased.
’ ’ Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are headed to the scene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened , the sheriff ’ s office said .
The planes collided in the air near Powderhorn Bay about 2:30 p.m. Sunday and plunged into the water , Higgins said .
The large and popular lake , which is surrounded by vacation homes , was busy with boaters on the Fourth of July weekend .
Numerous personal boats went to the scene immediately in search of survivors .
The sheriff ’ s marine teams , fire departments and the U.S. Coast Guard also responded .
The first two bodies were recovered on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Coast Guard , Higgins said .
The three recovered bodies had not been identified , Higgins said .
The sheriff ’ s office identified the pilot of the float plane as Neil Lunt , 58 , of Liberty Lake , Washington .
One passenger was identified as Sean K. Fredrickson , a golf instructor from Lake Oswego , Oregon .
Also killed were his children and step child , a 16-year-old girl , an 11-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy .
Their names were not released .
Another man on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second plane was registered in Lewiston , Idaho , but it had departed from Felts Field in nearby Spokane , Washington , Higgins said .
Two people on that plane have been identified , but their names were not released pending notification of relatives , the sheriff ’ s office said .
Witnesses told news outlets they saw the two airplanes flying towards each other and colliding in mid-air , then plunging a few hundred feet into the lake .
“ You could just see debris falling with it and can tell it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ’ ’ witness Angie Bishop told KREM-TV .
The float plane was a de Havilland DHC2 that was built in 1956 and was owned by Brooks Seaplane , according to a Federal Aviation Administration data base .
The plane was a fixture on the city of Coeur d ’ Alene waterfront , where Brooks is based .
A makeshift memorial to the victims was set up at the Brooks site on Monday .
The other plane was a Cessna 206G registered to Echo Rental Co. of Lewiston , Idaho , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only two people were aboard that plane , Higgins said .
“ The airplanes sank fairly quickly ’ ’ after colliding , he said .
The sheriff ’ s dive team can not operate at the depth of the bottom of the lake , so a small remote-controlled robot submarine was sent down late Sunday and recovered the third victim , Higgins said .
The bodies of two additional victims have been located at the lake bottom , but not yet recovered , Higgins said .
The search continued for the other three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at that depth is very dangerous , ’ ’ Higgins said .
The air space over the lake did not appear to be any more crowded than usual on Sunday , he said .
“ We don ’ t have any clue what happened , ’ ’ Higgins said , other than the planes collided .

Nicholas K. Geranios - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Edouard downgraded from tropical storm over North Atlantic

MIAMI - Edouard has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone as it moves Monday far off in the Atlantic away from the continental United States .
Edouard had become a tropical storm on Sunday .
But by late Monday afternoon , Edouard lost its tropical storm status about 445 miles ( 715 kilometres ) southeast of Cape Race , Newfoundland , Canada .
No coastal watchings or warnings were in effect for the storm .
As of 5 p.m. EDT , Edouard had top sustained winds of 45 mph ( 75 kph ) , with higher gusts , the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was moving northeast at about 38 mph ( 61 kph ) and forecasters said its remnants are expected to be absorbed into a larger frontal boundary on Tuesday .
Edouard had become the earliest fifth-named tropical storm on record , according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach .
The previous record was Emily on July 12 , 2005 , Klotzbach said .
Two named storms formed in the Atlantic before the official start of the hurricane season June 1 .
Tropical Storm Arthur formed off the coast of Florida May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the South Carolina coast May 27 .
The earliest tropical cyclone on record also formed earlier this year , in the eastern North Pacific , far off the coast of Mexico on April 25 .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Protesters back Indiana pastor who called activists maggots

CARMEL , Ind .
- Supporters of an Indiana minister who was suspended for calling organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement “ maggots and parasites ” walked out of a service and shouted at a bishop who ended his remarks with the words , “ Black lives matter.
” The counterprotesters Sunday at St. Elizabeth Seton church in Carmel , Indiana , were opposing the suspension of Rev .
Theodore Rothrock .
After Bishop Timothy Doherty said “ Black lives matter ” at the end of his opening comments , one woman shouted “ You ’ re a coward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
“ Black lives matter !
” chants were met with chants of “ Go Father Ted !
” during the demonstration called the “ Gathering for Equality , Justice and Healing.
” Counterprotesters argued that Rothrock was speaking the truth , according to The Indianapolis Star .
Rothrock was suspended on Wednesday from public ministry by Doherty for comparing the Black Lives Matter movement and its organizers to “ maggots and parasites ” in a recent church bulletin .
By 11 a.m. on Sunday , protesters and counterprotesters went from church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respective messages to passing cars and church attendees .
A group in support of Rothrock said their goal was not to engage with other groups but to have a presence on the church campus throughout the day .
“ We feel that Father Ted spoke out in truth , and we ’ re to peaceably pray in support of all lives , ” Jill Metz , who organized the group said .
“ This should not be about Black lives .
All lives matter .
All lives.
” Kathy Cohenour , an Indianapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rothrock ’ s remarks .
She held a sign during the demonstration that read , “ Racism is not a Catholic teaching.
” Cohenour said she ’ s been taking part in social justice movements since the 1960s and is thankful that the next generation continues to fight .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Chicago’s holiday weekend ends with 17 dead, 70 wounded

CHICAGO - One of Chicago ’ s bloodiest holiday weekends in memory ended with 17 people fatally shot , including a 7-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy , and 70 more wounded , despite a concerted effort to quell the violence with an additional 1,200 police officers on the streets .
The violence was far worse than last year , when the long July Fourth weekend ended with six people dead and 66 wounded in gunfire .
And the holiday weekend of violence follows Chicago ’ s deadliest Memorial Day weekend since 2015 .
After a relatively peaceful Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seven-year-old Natalia Wallace was standing on the sidewalk outside her grandmother ’ s house in Austin on the city ’ s West Side during a Fourth of July party when , according to police , shots were fired from a car .
The child was shot in the head .
Natalia ’ s death came amid a spate of shootings around the United States that left children dead , including a 6-year-old boy in San Francisco , a 6-year-old boy in Philadelphia , an 8-year-old girl in Atlanta , an 11-year-old girl in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Hoover , Alabama .
The violence in Chicago and New York caught the attention of President Donald Trump , who tweeted : “ The federal government ready , willing and able to help , if asked.
” Later , he returned to a familiar theme , suggesting the shootings were related to their status as so-called sanctuary cities for undocumented immigrants .
“ Perhaps they will have to start changing their ways ( and thinking ! )
” Trump wrote .
Reginald Merrill , 33 , was charged with murder in Natalia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jail awaiting a bond hearing Tuesday .
It wasn ’ t known how many , if any , arrests have been made in the other weekend homicides .
The likelihood that other suspects remain at large points to a longstanding problem in Chicago : Law enforcement ’ s inability to bring more homicide suspects to justice .
For years , the majority of homicides in Chicago have gone unsolved and the department ’ s homicide case clearance rate is far lower than that of departments in Los Angeles and New York .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant changes in the way the department investigates homicides .
It has implemented a number of the recommendations by hiring 300 detectives , expanding to five the number of centres where homicide detectives are assigned , and setting up a cold case unit in each of them .
But after climbing to 49 % late last year , the clearance rate has dropped to 39.9 % — still higher than the 33 % clearance rate of 2016 .
While the department expects the rate to recover , Police Superintendent David Brown suggested Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the county ’ s criminal justice system to keep violent offenders behind bars .
Brown said the program in which detainees are fitted with electronic bracelets to monitor their whereabouts has been expanded so dramatically that it is now impossible to track them all .
“ It ’ s clearly not working , ” he said .
Brown also lamented a drastic reduction in the number of inmates in the county jail , saying it has left Chicago and other communities at greater risk of violent crime .
Even before the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detainees , an order to judges to set bail amounts that defendants can afford resulted in a reduction of 1,500 detainees in 2017 alone .
“ We must keep violent offenders in jail longer , ” he said .
Witnesses are reluctant to come forward because of legitimate safety concerns when so many gang members are released shortly after being arrested , Brown said .
“ Gangsters threaten not just you if you come forward , they threaten your family , ” he said .
Police say warring gangs drive much of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three hours after Natalia was shot , a group of young men police believe are gang members jumped from a vehicle in the Englewood neighbourhood on the South Side and opened fire on a rival gang member .
“ They shot and killed him and they stand over him and keep shooting ” before fleeing in the car , Deputy Chief Brendan Deenihan told reporters Monday morning .
Fourteen-year-old Vernado Jones Jr. , who was nearby , was fatally shot in the armpit .
“ He had nothing to do with gang-on-gang violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Deenihan said .
Brown lamented the growing roster of the youngest victims .
“ We can not get used to hearing about children being gunned down in Chicago every weekend , ” he said .
This year , the department counted the July Fourth weekend shootings from 6 p.m. Thursday through the end of Sunday .
In all , 13 children under the age of 18 were shot , including the two that died .
The weekend violence highlighted what has been a particularly dangerous year for children in Chicago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ homicide victims under the age of 18 this year compared to 20 by this point in 2019 .
A week earlier , Chicago ’ s shooting victims included a 1-year-old boy riding in a car with his mother and a 10-year-old girl who was shot by a bullet that pierced a window and struck her in the head as she sat on a couch at home .
Chicago has counted 1,782 shooting victims this year , 550 more than during the same period last year .
And the weekend brought the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is 99 more than were recorded for the same period last year .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--2 sons of ex-Panama leader Martinelli arrested in Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY - Two sons of former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli were arrested Monday in Guatemala as they tried to board a private plane out of the country .
Luis Enrique and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli were supposedly headed to Panama with stops scheduled in El Salvador and Nicaragua , said Guatemala Interior Ministry spokesman Vinicio Pacheco .
He said there was an international order from Interpol for their arrests on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering .
Both are sought by the Panamanian government for allegedly receiving more than $ 20 million in bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017 .
In recent days , word circulated they were planning to return due to fears of the coronavirus .
They have denied any illegal activity .
“ We trust that the legal situation of the Martinelli brothers in the Guatemalan republic will be resolved as soon as possible so that they may coninue the process of their return to Panama to attend to the processes for which they have been cited , ” the Martinelli family said in a statement Monday .
The brothers had been detained in Florida in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on $ 1 million bond for each .
Ricardo Martinelli , who governed from 2009 to 2014 , was detained in the U.S. and Panama for more than two years on allegations of political espionage and misuse of public funds .
A court found himnot guilty in 2019 and he was released .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--Appeals court deals 2nd blow to Trump asylum policy

SAN FRANCISCO - A federal appeals court on Monday blocked a key U.S. policy to deny asylum to anyone who passes through another country without first seeking protection there , dealing it a second blow in less than a week .
The 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals ruling has no immediate impact because a judge appointed by President Donald Trump in Washington last week knocked down the policy on procedural grounds .
The three-judge appeals panel in San Francisco found procedural errors as well as substantive reasons to block the policy while litigation continues .
The panel said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent asylum-seekers from being sent to unsafe countries , a violation of international treaty obligations .
The impact is also lessened by a pandemic-related measure imposed in March to quickly expel asylum-seekers .
In May , the administration extended it indefinitely , relying on a little-known public health law to prevent the spread of disease .
The Justice and Homeland Security departments didn ’ t immediately respond to requests for comment late Monday .
In response to last week ’ s decision , Homeland Security said it strongly disagreed and was considering options @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear arguments before January if it takes the case .
The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union , Center for constitutional Rights and Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of immigrant advocacy and service groups .
“ The court recognized the grave danger facing asylum seekers and blocked the Trump administration ’ s attempt to make an end-run around asylum protections enacted by Congress , ” said ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt .
Judge William Fletcher , an appointee of President Bill Clinton , wrote the opinion .
He was joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of George W. Bush , and Eric Miller , a Trump appointee who said the ruling should be much narrower in scope .


thetorontostar--2020-07-06--American student released after 486 days in Egyptian prison

CAIRO - An American medical student detained without trial in an Egyptian prison for nearly 500 days has been freed and returned to the United States , the U.S. State Department said on Monday .
The release of Mohamed Amashah , a dual Egyptian-American citizen from Jersey City , New Jersey , followed months of pressure from the Trump administration , according to the Freedom Initiative group , which advocated on his behalf .
“ We welcome the release of U.S. citizen Mohamed Amashah from Egyptian custody , and thank Egypt for its co-operation in his repatriation , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Relations Committee Chairman , Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho , said he ’ d personally raised the issue of “ unjustly detained Americans ” with Egypt ’ s foreign ministry last week .
Like thousands of political prisoners in Egypt , Amashah , 24 , had been held in pre-trial detention on charges of “ misusing social media ” and “ aiding a terrorist group , ” according to the Freedom Initiative .
Under broad counterterrorism laws , state prosecutors have used these vague charges to renew 15-day pretrial detention periods for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence .
In March of last year , Amashah stood alone in Cairo ’ s Tahrir Square , the epicenter of Egypt ’ s 2011 Arab Spring uprising , holding an Arabic sign that read : “ Freedom for all the political prisoners.
” He was swiftly arrested and sent to Cairo ’ s notorious Tora prison complex , where he remained for 16 months .
Before boarding a flight home late Sunday , he relinquished his Egyptian citizenship as a condition of his release .
Protesting has been illegal under Egyptian law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ el-Sissi , as defence minister , led the military ’ s ouster Mohamed Morsi , Egypt ’ s first democratically elected president , amid mass protests against his rule .
Over the years , el-Sissi has moved to quash dissent , silencing critics and jailing thousands .
In March , as the coronavirus spread in Egypt and raised the spectre of unchecked contagion in the country ’ s crowded prisons , Amashah and fellow inmates began a hunger strike to protest their unjust imprisonment , the Freedom Initiative said .
Amashah suffers from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him particularly vulnerable to the virus .
His deteriorating health stoked fear in Washington that he could end up like Mustafa Kassem , an auto parts dealer from New York whose recent death after a hunger strike in the same prison sent a chill through Egyptian-U.S. relations .
“ No one wanted to take the risk of another Kassem , ” said Mohamed Soltan , founder of the Freedom Initiative .
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators asked that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urge foreign governments to release Americans detainees , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
“ His case is welcomed progress and a step forward in the right direction , ” the Freedom Initiative said in a statement .
This spring , the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights appealed for the release of pre-trial detainees in Egypt to save them from a possible viral outbreak .
Egypt ’ s prisons , estimated to hold 114,000 people , are “ overcrowded , unsanitary and suffer from a lack of resources , “ the human rights office said , adding that detainees are routinely denied access @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-07--Siberia wildfire smoke reaches Southcentral Alaska, islands

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - Smoke from wildfires in Siberia have carried to Southcentral Alaska and the Aleutian Islands , the National Weather Service said .
Strong winds pushed the smoky air into the region beginning last week from fires burning across more than 5,300 square miles ( 13,727 square kilometres ) of the northern Russian region , The Anchorage Daily News reported Sunday .
The wildfire smoke also has been reported in western Oregon and Canada .
Patrick Doll of the National Weather Service said cloud cover began shifting into Alaska Sunday , which may cause difficulty in determining whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been touched by the smoke or is simply cloudy .
Siberia experienced heavy wildfires last year and some of the new fires reignited from hot spots that did not fully extinguish .
Siberia also is experiencing record-breaking temperatures this year , reaching 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit ( 38 Celsius ) for the first time , NASA said .
Smoke drifting to Alaska from other parts of the world is not unusual .
Smoke from Siberian wildfires last year reached the state but mixed into hazy skies from Alaska ’ s own wildfires at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ length of time the smoke remains over Alaska depends on firefighting efforts in Siberia and can not be accurately determined , Doll said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-07--Figures show Alaska state troopers remain nearly 90% white

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - A vast majority of Alaska State Troopers are white , making the primary statewide law enforcement agency substantially less diverse than Alaska ’ s population .
Alaska Public Media reported Monday that about 87 % of the state ’ s 355 troopers are white , compared to 65 % of Alaska ’ s population .
The figures released by Republican Gov .
Mike Dunleavy ’ s administration in response to a public records request showed Alaska Natives and Native Americans have the next largest representation among troopers at 5 % , while those groups represent about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Representation among the Alaska State Troopers has not changed significantly in recent years , although agency spokeswoman Megan Peters said in an email that “ our efforts have been significant.
“ The Department of Public Safety , which oversees the troopers , declined to make leaders available for questions .
But Peters acknowledged increased diversity could make the law enforcement agency more effective .
The agency is confident its hiring process is fair , but there is a deficit in the amount of people of colour applying for positions , Peters said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative experience many residents have during interactions with troopers , which Peters said generally occur when people are having a “ really bad day.
“ “ In order to create a relationship with a potential trooper that results in a job application , we must have significant contact with the applicant in a positive way , and that isn ’ t happening often enough , ” Peters said .
Positive interactions with troopers most often occur during their off-duty hours , while funding for programs to support those efforts is difficult to obtain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to devote extra time to applicants from diverse groups while continuing to recruit within the nation ’ s military branches and target those groups through advertising , Peters said .
The recruitment efforts should continue , but the agency needs to make more systemic change so people from diverse backgrounds want to work there , said Charlene Apok , director of gender , justice and healing at Native Movement , a Native advocacy group .
“ They need to do their part with the active recruiting and hiring .
But it needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so that it doesn ’ t only perpetuate violence , “ Apok said .
Agency statements about diversification efforts appear to be defensive and an effort to “ perpetuate the way that they ’ re doing their work right now , ” Apok said .