thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Exploding Takata air bag inflator kills Arizona driver

LANSING , Mich. - Another person has been killed by an exploding Takata air bag inflator , bringing the worldwide death toll to at least 26 .
The latest death occurred Aug. 20 in Mesa , Arizona , in the crash of a 2002 Honda Civic , according to a statement released Saturday by Honda .
It was the 17th death reported in the United States .
Others have been reported in Malaysia and Australia .
Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash .
But the chemical can deteriorate over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air .
The explosion can blow apart a metal canister and hurl shrapnel into the passenger compartment .
The problem caused the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history , with at least 63 million inflators recalled .
The U.S. government says that as of September , more than 11.1 million had not been fixed .
About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide .
Honda said in a statement that it inspected the Civic in the Mesa crash on Wednesday , along with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driver ’ s side air bag had ruptured .
The inflator in the passenger air bag also ruptured .
Honda said the Civic was recalled in December 2011 for the driver ’ s side inflator and in November of 2014 for the passenger side .
The company said it mailed more than 15 notices to the owners over eight years , but the free repairs were never done .
The company said it also made numerous phone calls and even visited the current registered owner ’ s home and left recall information .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the registered owner of the car , Honda said .
The company would not release further information about the driver .
Honda , which has the most Takata inflators of any manufacturer , urged owners of recalled Honda and Acura vehicles to get repairs done at a dealer as soon as possible .
Owners can check their vehicles ’ recall status at www.recalls.honda.com or www.recalls.acura.com .
Worldwide , more than 200 people have been hurt by the inflators .
Takata was charged criminally and was sold after filing for bankruptcy .
AP Business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Detroit .
This story has been corrected to show that Honda said the Civic was recalled for the driver ’ s side inflator in December 2011 , not December 2012 .


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Strong Tropical Storm Gamma drenches Cancun area of Mexico

MEXICO CITY - Tropical Storm Gamma hit the resort-dotted coast of Mexico ’ s Yucatan Peninsula at near-hurricane force on Saturday , flooding streets , knocking down trees and stranding people trying to return from outlying islands .
The storm came ashore near Tulum with maximum sustained winds of nearly 70 mph ( 110 kph ) — 4 mph ( 9 kph short of hurricane force ) , according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami .
By the evening , winds had dipped to 60 mph ( 95 kph ) , and it was centred about 60 miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , moving to the northwest at 8 mph ( 13 kph ) .
Forecasters said the biggest threat to the area , which recently reopened to tourism after a pandemic shutdown , was likely the torrential rain and possible flooding , with as much as 10 to 15 inches ( 250 to 375 mm ) possible over the northeastern part of the peninsula .
The state ’ s tourism department reported Friday on Twitter that more than 41,000 tourists were present in Quintana Roo , with hotels in Cancun and Cozumel already at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media accounts of Quintana Roo ’ s state government showed police removing people from vulnerable shacks and removing downed trees .
The storm forced suspension of sea ferry services between Cancun and Playa del Carmen with the islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres .
The storm was projected to emerge from the northern edge of the Yucatan on Sunday and then curve toward the west-southwest into the lower Gulf of Mexico , flinging heavy rains across a large part of southern Mexico and Central America .
Meanwhile , powerful Hurricane Marie began to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marie was a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph ( 215 kph ) Friday evening , according to the Hurricane Center , but winds dipped to Category 3 status , 125 mph ( 205 kph ) by Saturday .
It was centred about 1,150 miles ( 1,850 kilometres ) west of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula and was headed to the northwest at 9 mph ( 15 kph ) .
Forecasters said it shouldn ’ t pose a threat to land .

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thetorontostar--2020-10-03--3 blow up ATM in open Chinese restaurant, flee without cash

PHILADELPHIA - Three men blew up an ATM in a Chinese takeout restaurant in Philadelphia while the establishment was still @ @ @ @ @ get any cash , police said .
The men entered the Golden Chinese/American takeout restaurant @ @ @ @ @ 9 p.m. Friday and ordered food , police said .
They then placed some kind @ @ @ @ @ the ATM and the window and knocked items off shelves behind the counter , police @ @ @ @ @ back into the establishment but were unable to remove the cash box that was still @ @ @ @ @ police said .
The three then fled , one on a bicycle and the other @ @ @ @ @ were searching for suspects and no arrests were immediately reported .


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Minnesota congressmen flew Delta after flying with Trump

MINNEAPOLIS - Three Minnesota congressmen are facing backlash over taking a commercial flight home from Washington , D.C. , on Friday night just two days after they shared Air Force One with President Donald Trump .
U.S. Reps. Pete Stauber , Tom Emmer and Jim Hagedorn all were on the same Delta Airlines flight despite the airline ’ s restrictions on passengers recently exposed to COVID-19 .
Trump announced early Friday morning he had tested positive for the virus .
Delta ’ s policy says customers who know they were exposed to the virus in the past 14 days can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aircraft .
The airline defines exposure as face-to-face contact with someone carrying the virus , or sustained contact for more than 15 minutes less than 6 feet apart .
Ken Martin , chairman of the state Democratic party , said the three Republican congressmen put the health and safety of other passengers at serious risk .
Hagedorn pushed back in a post on his campaign Facebook page Saturday morning , saying the three men had tested negative and had not been exposed to someone carrying the virus longer than 15 minutes and closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men also informed the airline and the flight ’ s captain of their situation , and the airline “ made the decision to fly based upon the facts.
” Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the flight was less than 40 % full and that no one left the plane before it took off to protest the men ’ s presence .
Another Delta spokesman , Anthony Black , told The Associated Press on Saturday that he did not know what other passengers on the flight were told about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was held for about an hour until the airline ’ s operations centre in Atlanta cleared it to fly .
He said Delta was reviewing the matter to see if proper procedures were followed .
A top Minnesota Republican who greeted Trump at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Wednesday said he tested negative for the coronavirus .
House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt said in a statement that he got tested Friday morning and obtained the results Saturday afternoon .


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Chris Christie hospitalized with ‘mild’ virus symptoms

Former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie tweeted Saturday that he ’ s checked himself into a hospital , hours after he announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus .
Christie said that after consulting with his doctors , he went to Morristown Medical Center on Saturday afternoon .
He said he ’ s only experiencing mild symptoms .
“ Due to my history of asthma , we decided this is an important precautionary measure , ” he tweeted .
Christie , who has publicly struggled with his weight , is the latest in a string of virus cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inner circle .
Trump ’ s former 2016 rival told The Associated Press on Friday that the last time he was with the president was Tuesday in Cleveland during preparations for his debate with former Vice-President Joe Biden .
Christie had tweeted Friday morning that he had last tested negative ahead of Tuesday ’ s debate and was not having any symptoms then .
In 2013 , during Christie ’ s first term as New Jersey governor , he underwent lap-band surgery and lost a significant amount of weight .
Two years before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breathing .
The 58-year-old uses an inhaler .
He once called himself “ the healthiest fat guy you ’ ve ever seen.
” In addition to Trump and first lady Melania Trump , multiple people who have travelled with the president or attended events with him over the last several days have contracted the virus .


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Trump’s whirlwind week, disdain for masks, ended with COVID

WASHINGTON - The scene at the White House a week ago was one of normalcy in these most abnormal times : a crowd of revelers gathered in the Rose Garden , a band playing , the mingling of the elite , good cheer everywhere , handshakes and hugs left and right .
Now it ’ s a suspected petri dish of coronavirus infection , prominent among the numerous occasions over a week or more where President Donald Trump might have caught — or spread — the virus that has now landed him in the hospital No one knows how , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nor is it established who , if anyone , has contracted the disease from him .
But to retrace some of his steps over the last week is to see risk at multiple turns and an abundance of opportunity for infection .
This was the case day after day and right up until a few hours before his positive diagnosis , as he took a contingent to New Jersey for a fundraiser while knowing he ’ d been close to someone sick with COVID-19 .
The result is that one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now hospitalized , battling a disease that has killed more than 1 million people worldwide , more than 200,000 of them in the United States .
A look at days leading up to it : More than 150 people gathered in the Rose Garden for Trump ’ s introduction of Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee for the Supreme Court .
The event was highly social , but not distanced .
Few in the crowd wore masks ; in fact , some guests were told it was safe to take them off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Rev .
John Jenkins , president of the University of Notre Dame , one of the attendees .
COVID-19 tests are not 100 % reliable and do not rule out the possibility that someone might have an infection that is not yet detectable .
The virus can incubate for days before a test will uncover it .
In the days that followed , a succession of attendees reported they had contracted COVID-19 , among them Sens .
Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina and former counsellor to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie , seen in an AP photo with his arm around another guest while chatting up several face to face , announced his positive virus test this weekend .
“ I regret my error of judgment in not wearing a mask during the ceremony and by shaking hands with a number of people in the Rose Garden , ” he said in a message to the Notre Dame community .
“ I failed to lead by example , at a time when I ’ ve asked everyone else in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Public-health experts say Trump failed to lead by example , too .
That night he headed to Pennsylvania for a rally , followed Sunday by an outing to the golf course , a reception with Gold Star families , and a press conference during which he made not a single reference to the virus .
After a spirited send-off from the White House grounds , Trump and members of his team headed to Cleveland and the raucous presidential debate with Democrat Joe Biden .
Adviser Hope Hicks was among them .
Everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been tested in advance and come up negative , the Cleveland Clinic officials who served as the debate ’ s health advisers said in a statement .
“ We had requirements to maintain a safe environment that align with CDC guidelines — including social distancing , hand sanitizing , temperature checks and masking.
” But most in Trump ’ s contingent — his adult children , senior staff and other VIPs — stripped off their masks for the duration of the debate , violating the rules .
Moderator Chris Wallace , seated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s VIP guests , including his wife , Jill , walked in , they were wearing masks and kept them on throughout the debate .
“ I don ’ t wear a mask like him , ” Trump said of Biden mockingly in the debate .
“ Every time you see him , he ’ s got a mask .
He could be speaking 200 feet away from him and he shows up with the biggest mask I ’ ve ever seen.
” Said Biden : “ He ’ s been totally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handled the social distancing and people wearing masks , basically encouraged them not to .
He ’ s a fool on this.
” Trump and his team returned late to Washington , with much more on tap for the week and the election now just a month away .
Trump ’ s campaign manager , Bill Stepien , who attended the debate and helped him prepare with Christie , has tested positive for COVID-19 .
People around Trump are tested daily for the coronavirus and Hicks had her test in the morning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with him for the day .
Her results were negative .
She joined others aboard Marine One for the 15-minute or so flight to Air Force One waiting for them at Joint Base Andrews .
Marine One is a single-cabin chopper , normally seating 10 , a noisy aircraft with no partitions except between the president and the cockpit .
Once at Andrews , it was on to Minnesota for a fundraiser followed by an outdoor rally in Duluth .
On the ground in Minnesota , Hicks reported feeling unwell .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit of a mist .
As usual , few in the crowd wore masks .
They heard Trump make his dubious promise of a vaccine by the end of the year and congratulate himself for doing a great job .
“ On November 3rd , Minnesota will decide whether we end this pandemic , defeat the virus , and return to record prosperity , “ he said .
” Either way , we ’ re returning .
Either way.
” Trump ’ s speech was notably shorter than usual , 45 minutes instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After his remarks , he mingled on stage briefly , pumping his fist to the beat of the Village People and waving to folks in the crowd .
He did not speak to reporters before boarding Air Force One nor come back to speak with them on the flight .
Hicks kept apart from others on the big plane coming back and did not take the crowded Marine One back to the White House once at Andrews .
On Thursday morning , Hicks got another test .
This time it was positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president was set to lift off in Marine One for a fundraiser at his golf club in Bedminster , New Jersey .
Hicks ’ diagnosis affirmed that Trump had been in close proximity to someone infected with the virus .
That ’ s when you should quarantine , according to public-health guidelines .
But Trump went ahead with the trip .
Not only that , but others who had also been around Hicks were not immediately told about her positive test .
The White House worked furiously to swap out staff who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and replace them with others .
Spokesman Judd Deere was swapped in at the last minute , without being told why .
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not make the trip .
White House officials said they began learning of Hicks ’ positive test after Trump boarded Marine One to start his journey to New Jersey .
Comedian Joe Piscopo attended the outdoor Bedminster fundraiser and told The Associated Press by phone that “ it was meticulously run , from the Secret Service to COVID testing to masking.
” “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top of his game — warm , funny , vulnerable , ” Piscopo said .
“ Like we say in New Jersey , he ’ s an animal .
He ’ s going to be fine , and I mean that in a good way.
” Charlie Kolean , 25 , of Dallas also attended the event , and described getting a nasal swab and negative results in 15 minutes , after which he joined a cocktail party of some 60 people .
Staff at the event were masked but the guests weren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VIPs had their pictures taken with Trump in another room , standing six feet from the president with no handshakes .
Hours after the Bedminster fundraiser , Trump publicly confirmed Hicks had tested positive and told Fox News he and his wife had been tested and were prepared to quarantine if necessary .
This chain of events during the week does not establish how or where Trump got the virus .
Given the highly variable period between infection and sickness — anywhere from a few days to two weeks — he could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a variety of people .
At 12:54 a.m. , Trump tweeted : “ Tonight , @ FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19 .
We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately .
We will get through this TOGETHER !
” Flotus refers to Melania Trump , the first lady , who also has COVID-19 .
Hours after that , Kolean got a “ Dear Supporter ” letter from the Trump campaign team saying : “ We unfortunately write today to notify you that , as you have probably seen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he and the First Lady were tested for COVID-19 and produced positive test results.
” The email urged attendees to contact their doctor if they developed symptoms .
Well wishes for the Trumps came in from around the world and from across the political divide , some of them with an I-told-you-so undertone .
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pronounced the news “ tragic , it ’ s very sad , ” but also unsurprising given actions by Trump that were “ sort of a brazen invitation for this to happen.
” Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.
” Before the day was out , Trump was admitted to a military hospital for a stay expected to last at least several days , in what White House officials initially said was merely a precaution .
But his chief of staff , Mark Meadows , said Saturday that Trump went though a “ very concerning ” period Friday and it was revealed that he had been given supplementary oxygen at the White House Friday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his care , Meadows said .
Despite the abject failure to keep the president protected from the virus , White House officials defended their current protocols as well thought out .
And masks still won ’ t be required on the White House grounds for all West Wing employees .
“ Wearing a mask , ” said one official , “ is a personal choice.
” Associated Press writers Christina Paciolla in Philadelphia , Thalia Beaty in New York and Zeke Miller and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report .

Calvin Woodward And Jill Colvin - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Wisconsin senator at least 3rd to say positive for virus

MADISON , Wis. - Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson said Saturday that he tested positive for the coronavirus , at least the third U.S. senator to do so this week since President Trump announced his own positive test .
Johnson ’ s office announced the diagnosis in a statement Saturday morning , following Utah Sen. Mike Lee and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis ’ announcement of being positive to COVID-19 , adding to tension in Washington , D.C. , since Trump ’ s announcement Friday .
Johnson , a second-term Republican , reported being exposed to someone with COVID-19 last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff — and quarantined for 14 days without developing symptoms .
He said he tested negative twice during that time .
Johnson returned to Washington , D.C , on Tuesday and said he was exposed soon after that to someone else who tested positive .
He said he was tested Friday after learning of the exposure and tested positive .
Johnson told The Associated Press by phone Saturday that he returned from Washington on Thursday and was quarantining at home in Oshkosh .
He said he felt fine , with no symptoms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ test after finding out that Lee caught the disease and was shocked his test came back positive .
Asked whether his exposure may have come from other senators , Johnson said , “ Possibly .
... Nobody knows .
I was around all my colleagues.
” Johnson ’ s spokesman , Ben Voelkel , said the senator was still in Wisconsin during quarantine and did not attend last Saturday ’ s Rose Garden event in which Trump announced Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee .
Several people who attended the event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway , announced positive tests this week .
Johnson said he learned of his positive result while driving home after speaking Friday evening at a Republican dinner in suburban Milwaukee .
He said he wore a mask at the event except for when he delivered his speech .
He also said he didn ’ t shake hands or pose for photographs and left immediately afterward .
“ I let people know why , ” he said .
“ I ’ m not taking photographs , I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prima donna , I need to stay healthy so I can provide a vote to confirm Amy Barrett.
“ AP ’ s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early , by mail or absentee from each state : https : //interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Trump said to be improving but next 48 hours ‘critical’

BETHESDA , Md .
- President Donald Trump went through a “ very concerning ” period Friday and faces a “ critical ” next two days in his fight against COVID-19 at a military hospital , his chief of staff said Saturday — in contrast to a rosier assessment moments earlier by Trump doctors , who took pains not to reveal the president had received supplemental oxygen at the White House before his hospital admission .
“ We ’ re still not on a clear path yet to a full recovery , ” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medical Center .
The changing , and at times contradictory accounts , created a credibility crisis for the White House at a crucial moment , with the president ’ s health and the nation ’ s leadership on the line .
With Trump expected to remain hospitalized several more days and the presidential election looming , his condition is being anxiously watched by Americans .
Moreover , the president ’ s health represents a national security issue of paramount importance not only to the functions of the U.S. government but to countries around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday ’ s briefing by Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley and other doctors raised more questions than it answered .
Conley repeatedly refused to say whether the president ever needed supplemental oxygen , despite repeated questioning , and declined to share key details including how high a fever Trump had been running before it came back down to a normal range .
Conley also revealed that Trump had begun exhibiting “ clinical indications ” of COVID-19 on Thursday afternoon , earlier than previously known .
Conley spent much of the briefing dodging reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for details .
“ Thursday no oxygen .
None at this moment .
And yesterday with the team , while we were all here , he was not on oxygen , ” Conley said .
But according to a person familiar with Trump ’ s condition , Trump was administered oxygen at the White House on Friday morning , well before he was transported to the military hospital by helicopter that evening .
The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press only on condition of anonymity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including a mild cough , nasal congestion and fatigue “ are now resolving and improving , ” and said the president had been fever-free for 24 hours .
But Trump also is taking aspirin , which lowers body temperature and could mask or mitigate that symptom .
“ He ’ s in exceptionally good spirits , ” said another doctor , Sean Dooley , who said Trump ’ s heart , kidney , and liver functions were normal and that he was not having trouble breathing or walking around .
Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting him at higher risk of serious complications from a virus that has infected more than 7 million people nationwide and killed more than 200,000 people in the U.S. Meadows himself had insisted Friday morning that Trump had only “ mild symptoms “ as the White House tried to project an image of normalcy .
It was unclear whether Trump already had received oxygen when Meadows spoke .
“ President Trump remains in good spirits , has mild symptoms and has been working throughout the day , ” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She said Trump had only been sent to Walter Reed as a precaution .
Trump ’ s administration has been less than transparent with the public throughout the pandemic , both about the president ’ s health and the virus ’ spread inside the White House .
The first word that a close aide to Trump had been infected came from the media , not the White House .
And aides have repeatedly declined to share basic health information , including a full accounting of the president ’ s symptoms , what tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a memo released late Friday , Conley did report that Trump had been treated at the hospital with remdesivir , an antiviral medication , after sharing that he ’ d taking another experimental drug at the White House .
Conley declined to say when Trump had last been tested before he was confirmed to have COVID-19 late Thursday .
He initially suggested that Trump was 72 hours into the diagnosis — which would mean that he was confirmed infected Wednesday .
Conley later clarified that Trump was administered an accurate test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after White House aide Hope Hicks was confirmed to be positive and Trump exhibited “ clinical indications ” of the virus .
The White House has said Trump was expected to stay at the hospital for “ a few days ” and would continue to work from its presidential suite , which is equipped to allow him to keep up his official duties .
In addition to accessibility to tests and equipment , the decision to move to the hospital on Friday was made , at least in part , with the understanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worrying signal if he took a turn for the worse .
On Saturday , Conley said Trump ’ s blood oxygen level was 96 % , which is in the normal range .
The two experimental drugs he has received , given through an IV , have shown some promise against COVID-19 .
On Friday , he was given a single dose of a drug Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. is testing to supply antibodies to help his immune system fight the virus .
Friday night , he began a five-day course of remdesivir , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderately and severely ill patients .
The drugs work in different ways — the antibodies help the immune system rid the body of virus and remdesivir curbs the virus ’ ability to multiply .
“ We ’ re maximizing all aspects of his care , ” attacking the virus in multiple ways , Conley said .
“ I didn ’ t want to hold anything back if there was any possibility it would add value to his care.
” He noted that in many cases , COVID-19 can become more dangerous as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID , and in particular day seven to 10 , are the most critical in determining the likely course of this illness , ” he said .
At the same time , the White House has been working to trace a flurry of new infections of close Trump aides and allies .
Attention is focused in particular on last Saturday ’ s White House event introducing Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee .
That day , Trump gathered more than 150 people in the Rose Garden , where they mingled , hugged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There were also several indoor receptions , where Trump ’ s Supreme Court pick , Judge Amy Coney Barrett , her family , senators and others spent time in the close quarters of the White House , photographs show .
Among those who attended and have now tested positive : former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie , White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway , the president of the University of Notre Dame , and at least two Republican lawmakers — Utah Sen. Mike Lee and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stepien , and the head of the Republican National Committee , Ronna McDaniel , have also tested positive , though they were not at the event .
Despite its failure to protect the president and senior staff from infection , the White House has given no indication that it intends to make any major protocol changes , such as mandating that everyone wears a mask .
Meadows , the chief of staff , accompanied the president to the hospital aboard Marine One , the kind of small , enclosed space where experts say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did wear masks .
While Vice-President Mike Pence is currently off the campaign trail preparing for the coming week ’ s vice-presidential debate , he and his staff are operating under a “ business as usual ” approach .
He ’ s still planning to travel to Arizona on Thursday , Indiana on Friday and Florida on Saturday for events instead of isolating himself after potential exposure and to protect himself from contracting the virus anywhere else .
Colvin and Miller reported from Washington .
Associated Press chief medical writer Marilynn Marchione contributed @ @ @ @ @ @

Jonathan Lemire, Jill Colvin And Zeke Miller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Ex-Bridgeport officials expected to plead guilty to fraud

BRIDGEPORT , Conn. - The former police chief of Connecticut ’ s largest city and another former official are expected to plead guilty Monday in their federal fraud case .
A change of plea hearing is scheduled for former Bridgeport Police Chief Armando Perez and former acting Personnel Director David Dunn .
Perez and Dunn resigned last month after being arrested on federal fraud charges .
They are accused of rigging the process that led to the city hiring Perez as chief in 2018 .
Both were charged with wire fraud , conspiracy to commit wire fraud and with making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plead guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of making a false statement , his attorney , Fred Paoletti , said in an email .
According to the criminal complaint , Dunn gave answers to the oral portion of the police chief exam and other materials to Perez and tailored the scoring criteria for that exam in Perez ’ s favour .
Perez , investigators said , also had two police officers secretly take the written portion of the exam for him .
Email and telephone messages seeking comment were left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public access to the change of plea hearing will be available via video , according to the U.S. District Court docket .


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Contact tracing, key to reining in the virus, falls flat in the U.S. and Europe

LONDON—As the coronavirus stampeded across Europe and the United States this spring , governments made their depleted citizens a tantalizing promise : Soon , legions of disease detectives would hunt down anyone exposed to the virus , confining them to their homes and letting everyone else get on with their lives .
Nearly eight months on , as a web of new infections spreads across Europe and the United States , that promise has nearly evaporated .
Despite repeated vows by Western nations to develop “ world-beating ” testing and tracing operations , those systems have been undone by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onerous quarantines or to draw out intimate details of their whereabouts .
That has shattered the hope of pinpoint measures replacing lockdowns and undermined flagging confidence in governments .
Beholden to privacy rules , Western officials largely trusted people to hand over names to contact tracers .
But that trust was not repaid , in large part because governments neglected services that were crucial to winning people ’ s co-operation : a fast and accurate testing system and guarantees that people would be housed , fed and paid while they isolated .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea of contact tracing as an important tactic — and it is — but that ’ d be like if you ’ re going into war and were just talking about the tanks , ” said Brian Castrucci , president of the de Beaumont Foundation , a public health charity in Maryland .
Just as important , officials overlooked the impact of raging mistrust in government and a thicket of conspiracy theories about the virus ’ s spread .
Fearful of plunging themselves or their friends into a painful period off work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paltry number of contacts and often flouted self-isolation rules .
Contact tracers are struggling to reach people who test positive and being rebuffed once they do .
In theory , countries were to build mass testing programs that would provide quick diagnoses .
Then a group of tracers would find others who had crossed paths with the infected person and tell them to stay home .
Elected officials presented the system as a critical bridge between lockdown and a vaccine , allowing them to contain small outbreaks without shutting down large parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been rocky , at best .
The West ’ s public health systems have not matched the success in parts of East Asia where the fear of epidemics became more ingrained after outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS ) and Middle East respiratory syndrome ( MERS ) .
Following those outbreaks , places like Taiwan and South Korea built robust tracing systems and legal frameworks for limiting civil liberties during an epidemic .
Some contact tracers have used cellphone and credit card data to identify people who were potentially exposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , which have largely relied on the public to provide information and follow quarantine rules voluntarily , the response has been spotty .
The West also ran up against the blunt fact that contact tracing , while useful in containing limited cases , has become overwhelmed by a new explosion of infections .
In the past week , Europe has averaged about 60,000 new daily cases , while the United States is registering more than 40,000 .
“ The track and trace system is unrealistic and useless , ” said Mahmoud Salamon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduate on a visit to Brighton , on England ’ s south coast , where a testing centre at a stadium was recently closed for the start of soccer season .
He said he distrusted restaurants or stores with his personal information .
In Taiwan , an infected person names more than 15 contacts on average , and tracers often interview patients in person , trying to extract details about secret jobs or marital affairs .
But the picture in Europe is far different , and the low level of co-operation has startled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where hospitals are struggling with a new rush of cases , contact tracers identify , on average , only three contacts for each known case .
In France , the figure has fallen below three .
Yet even those numbers are higher than in the United States .
In New York City , each infected person hands over an average of 1.1 other names .
In England , people are neither handing over many contacts — about five , on average — nor following the rules .
In a survey of about 32,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who reported coronavirus symptoms said they had stayed home .
Of those alerted that they had been close to an infected person , only one in 10 said they had complied with orders to self-isolate .
“ It suggests there is some degree of skepticism in the population to engagement , ” said Prof. Christophe Fraser of the University of Oxford , an adviser to the government ’ s tracing program , referring to the proportion of known cases — a fifth — who handed over no other names .
Crucially , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial and psychological blow of self-isolation by guaranteeing people tests or giving them enough money to weather two weeks without work .
People self-isolating and unable to work in England were eligible for just 13 pounds , or $ 22.38 , per day until the government increased the payments this past week .
“ You need to have the trust of people for this to work , and trust comes by whether you ’ re going to take care of me , ” said Dr. Jason Wang , a Stanford University professor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s coronavirus response .
“ If I ’ m sick , are you going to help me or just quarantine me ?
Are you going to get me tested on time ?
” With tests results lagging in many countries , contact tracers can not get ahead of the virus .
In Paris , people wait up to a week to get testing appointments and results .
England recently recorded a backlog of nearly 200,000 untested lab samples , making it impossible to track the virus through newly reopened schools .
Danielle Lennon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sat in a mile-long line of idling cars for almost an hour to get her seven-year-old daughter tested , only for someone to announce that the testing centre was closed .
“ The government has kind of lost the general public on this , through incompetence , ” she said .
Some elected leaders have blamed recalcitrant citizens for undermining contact tracing .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently said the problem was that Britain was “ a freedom-loving country.
” But the evidence for such claims is thin .
Some countries have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s resistance , in large part by investing in chronically underfunded health departments , epidemiologists said .
In Germany , people said they would refuse to hand over names to contact tracers at double the rate of Britons , according to a poll by Imperial College London .
Even so , the country has largely kept a small uptick in new infections under control .
Beyond Germany ’ s strong testing program , said Ralf Reintjes , a professor of epidemiology at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences , the country also responded to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roughly 400 local public health offices , which had long conducted contact tracing for communicable diseases .
England , by contrast , awarded a 108-million British pound ( $ 186 million ) contract to an outsourcing company , putting the fate of contact tracing in the hands of ill-trained call centre workers .
Gerry , a former nurse who asked not to be fully identified because she was barred from speaking publicly , said she had quit her job as a more senior contact tracer in England because so few people either picked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
Western countries have been slow to introduce mobile contact tracing apps like those used in parts of Asia , which notify users who have spent time near an infected person .
Even if only 15 per cent of people download them , they can reduce infections by eight per cent and deaths by six per cent , according to research by Fraser , the Oxford professor .
But the dissonance of countries asking people to take personal and professional risks in handing over contacts ’ names , while at the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes tracking the virus a difficult order .
“ We say we ’ d like you to quarantine for the good of your neighbours , but in doing so , potentially your kids starve and you lose your home , ” Castrucci said .
“ That ’ s bad math .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Albuquerque airport has gradual increase in plane travellers

ALBUQUERQUE , N.M. - Demand for flights in New Mexico ’ s Albuquerque International Sunport are low compared to normal , but there has been a gradual increase in travellers since April .
“ A few months ago , it looked kind of like a ghost town , ” Sunport Spokesperson Jonathan Small said .
“ There were very few people in the terminal in general , and nowadays , it ’ s looking a little more like an airport.
” A flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City returned to the Albuquerque airport recently .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ route to and from Queens as midday flights on Sundays and Thursdays , KRQE-TV reported .
The route was cancelled in May when traffic at the New Mexico airport was down 90 % from the same time last year , Small said .
In August , passenger numbers were down 77 % from the same time in 2019 .
Now , traffic is down 71 % from the same time last year , with about 4,800 travellers every day .
There have been 30,000 confirmed cases and 887 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to New Mexico ’ s Department of Health .
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick .
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 , @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Ex-Major League Baseball player sought in woman’s killing

SCOTTSALE , Ariz. - The unoccupied vehicle of a former professional baseball player sought in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend in a Phoenix suburb was found Saturday found near Flagstaff in northern Arizona , police said .
Police have probable cause to arrest 37-year-old Charles Haeger on suspicion of murder and aggravated assault in the fatal shooting Friday , said Sgt .
Ben Hoster , a Scottsdale Police Department spokesman .
The victim ’ s identity was not released .
Though the vehicle was discovered near Flagstaff , “ Haeger is still outstanding , “ Hoster said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northern Arizona as we continue to search for the suspect.
” According to mlb.com , Haeger was a pitcher drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2001 , and he played 83 innings in the the major leagues .
His career included stints with the Boston Red Sox , Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodges organizations .
Hoster said investigators determined that a male roommate of the victim heard gunshots when he returned to the residence Friday and that moments later Haeger emerged from the victim ’ s bedroom with a handgun .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the roommate .
The roommate quickly escaped out of the back of the residence , and he was able to get a neighbour to call 911 , “ Hoster said in a statement .
Responding police found the victim dead in her bedroom , Hoster said .
Haeger “ should be considered armed and dangerous , “ and anyone with information on his whereabouts should call 911 immediately , the statement said .


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--The Latest: Trump says he is ‘going to beat’ coronavirus

WASHINGTON - The Latest on coronavirus infections hitting President Donald Trump and others in his circle ( all times EDT ) : President Donald Trump has told his longtime friend and sometimes lawyer Rudy Giuliani that he ’ s “ going to beat ” the coronavirus .
The New York Post says Trump called Giuliani on Saturday to assure him he ’ s doing fine following a sobering assessment from the White House chief of staff .
Trump reportedly told Giuliani on the call : “ I feel I could get out of here right now .
But they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a backstep with this disease .
But I feel I could go out and do a rally.
“ Trump also reportedly explained that he continued to engage in high-risk activity despite the pandemic because he ’ s the “ president of the United States .
I can ’ t lock myself in a room .
… I had to confront ( the virus ) so the American people stopped being afraid of it so we could deal with it responsibly.
” He also said he hopes that by beating the virus he “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can deal with this disease responsibly , but we shouldn ’ t be afraid of it.
” Trump is being treated around the clock by a team of doctors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center .
Joe Biden says he urged some governors who wanted to endorse his presidential campaign to refrain from doing so because the Trump administration might retaliate by withholding medical supplies critical to COVID-19 relief .
Addressing a virtual town hall of the Amalgamated Transit Union town hall from Wilmington , Delaware , on Saturday , Biden said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say this.
” “ I told some governors , don ’ t endorse me who wanted to endorse me .
Don ’ t endorse me because you ’ ll pay a penalty , ” Biden said .
“ You won ’ t get what you need from the federal government in terms of COVID prep.
” Biden ’ s campaign has drawn the support of some leading Republicans who have broken ranks against their own party and President Donald Trump .
Asked what he would do differently in handling the coronavirus pandemic than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want to be attacking the president and the first lady now because they now have contracted the coronavirus.
” “ Jill and I pray for their quick and full recovery , ” he added , referring to his wife , Jill .
With President Donald Trump in the hospital , his campaign is launching an effort it ’ s calling “ Operation MAGA ” to maintain momentum .
The operation entails “ a full marshalling of top-level surrogates , campaign coalitions and Trump supporters ” to carry the campaign until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a campaign statement .
Vice-President Mike Pence and Trump ’ s family will be prime players in the effort , which will feature a series of online events leading up to Wednesday ’ s vice-presidential debate before moving to in-person events .
It ’ s unclear how the new plan differs from the campaign ’ s operations before Trump was hospitalized .
Pence and the first family was already actively campaigning .
Pence outlined the effort in an all-staff conference call Saturday afternoon with campaign manager Bill Stepien , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I want to encourage you to stay in the fight , ” Pence told the staff .
President Donald Trump says he ’ s “ feeling well “ and has voiced his appreciation for the medical professionals treating him for COVID-19 at a military hospital .
On Saturday , Trump tweeted , “ Doctors , Nurses and ALL at the GREAT Walter Reed Medical Center , and others from likewise incredible institutions who have joined them , are AMAZING !
!
!
” He also says , “ With their help , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Trump went through a “ very concerning ” period Friday and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care .
Trump ’ s doctors painted a rosy picture of the president ’ s health in a press conference at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center .
But the briefing raised more questions than it answered .
The White House says Trump is expected to stay at the hospital for “ a few days ” and would continue to work from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is equipped to allow him to keep up his official duties .
A person familiar with President Donald Trump ’ s medical condition says the president had been administered supplemental oxygen at the White House on Friday before he was hospitalized .
The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity .
The revelation follows a press conference by Trump ’ s doctors where they refused to confirm the president had been on oxygen following his COVID-19 diagnosis Thursday .
The doctors would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oxygen at the hospital .
First lady Melania Trump also has tested positive for COVID-19 and is recovering at home .
White House doctors said President Donald Trump began exhibiting “ clinical indications ” of COVID-19 on Thursday afternoon , earlier than previously known .
Trump ’ s doctors held a press conference Saturday at Walter Reed Medical Center , where the president was transported Friday .
They said he was doing very well and his symptoms were improving .
However , a person familiar with the president ’ s illness said Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” but he has been improving since going to the hospital .
The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity .
Trump sent a tweet around 1 a.m. Friday confirming he had been diagnosed with coronavirus , along with first lady Melania Trump .
On Thursday evening , Trump called into Fox News host Sean Hannity ’ s show , where he discussed aide Hope Hicks ’ diagnosis and that he had been tested for the illness .
But he did not say whether he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s doctors early Friday did not mention the president having symptoms .
Presidential aide and former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie has tweeted that he ’ s tested positive for COVID-19 .
Christie said Saturday that he will be receiving medical attention and “ will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition.
” He did not say whether he had symptoms .
Christie had said the last time he was with President Donald Trump was Tuesday during preparations for the first debate with former Vice-President Joe Biden in Cleveland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Bedminster fundraiser in New Jersey on Thursday .
He had tweeted Friday morning that he had last tested negative ahead of Tuesday ’ s debate .
Senate Republicans have cancelled legislative work until Oct. 19 as the coronavirus sweeps through their ranks and lawmakers increasingly call for comprehensive testing on Capitol Hill .
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement Saturday that confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett are still on .
One by one , President Donald Trump and a series of GOP lawmakers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed more than 208,000 Americans .
Over the last week , many of the politicians who tested positive attended events at which few people wore masks and mingled in the halls and tunnels of the Capitol complex .
Just since Friday morning , Trump , Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina , Mike Lee of Utah and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin announced that they have tested positive .
The Senate was to reconvene this week ahead of its confirmation proceedings for Barrett .
McConnell has said those hearings , scheduled to begin Oct. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” A person familiar with President Donald Trump ’ s COVID-19 illness says some of his vital signs over the past 24 hours were “ very concerning ” but they ’ ve improved since he was admitted to a military hospital .
The person has knowledge of the president ’ s medical condition but was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity .
It contradicted Trump ’ s doctors , who said during a press conference Saturday that the president was doing very well and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a military hospital .
They said he had not been on oxygen Saturday or when he was with their medical team Friday , and that his symptoms were subsiding .
Trump was admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday after saying he had contracted COVID-19 .
First lady Melania Trump also has fallen ill .
The person described the next 48 hours as critical and said there was no clear path yet on a recovery and that it could be days before he was discharged .
President Donald Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is fever-free and isn ’ t having difficulty breathing after contracting the coronavirus .
Doctors said Saturday that Trump was not on supplemental oxygen , and while he had fatigue , nasal congestion and coughing , his symptoms are now resolving and improving .
Dr. Sean Conley , Trump ’ s physician , refused to say whether Trump had been on supplemental oxygen at any point during his illness , saying he was not on it Saturday or Thursday or Friday while he was with the medical team from Walter Reed Medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military hospital on Friday afternoon in what doctors say was a precaution after he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 .
He has not transferred powers .
Conley says the president has “ a lot of work to do ” and is doing it .
Doctors say the president told them : “ I feel like I could walk out of here today.
” Three Republican congressmen from Minnesota are facing criticism for taking a commercial flight home from Washington just two days after they were on Air Force One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stauber , Tom Emmer and Jim Hagedorn were on a Delta Air Lines flight Friday night despite its restrictions on passengers recently exposed to COVID-19 .
Trump announced early Friday that he had tested positive for the virus .
Delta ’ s policy says customers who know they were exposed to the virus in the past 14 days can not travel .
The airline defines exposure as face-to-face contact with someone with the virus or sustained contact for more than 15 minutes less than 6 feet ( 2 metres ) apart .
State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three congressmen put the health and safety of other passengers at serious risk .
Hagedorn pushed back in a post on his campaign Facebook page Saturday , saying the three men had tested negative and had not been exposed to someone carrying the virus longer than 15 minutes and closer than 6 feet ( 2 metres ) .
He said they also informed the airline and the flight ’ s captain of their situation and Delta “ made the decision to fly based upon the facts.
” Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than 40 % full and that no one left the plane before it took off to protest the men ’ s presence .
The White House says President Donald Trump ’ s doctor will provide an update on his condition Saturday morning as the president undergoes treatment for COVID-19 symptoms at a military hospital .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley will address reporters at 11 a.m. from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center .
In a late Friday letter , Conley reported that Trump had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an antiviral medication , after taking another experimental drug at the White House .
He added that Trump is “ doing very well ” and is “ not requiring any supplemental oxygen.
” The White House said Trump was expected to stay at the hospital for “ a few days ” out of an abundance of caution and that he would continue to work from the hospital ’ s presidential suite , which is equipped to allow him to keep up his official duties .
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson says he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson ’ s office announced the diagnosis in a statement Saturday .
He ’ s the third Republican senator to report a positive test this week , following Utah Sen. Mike Lee and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis .
Johnson ’ s announcement is adding to the swirl of tension in Washington since President Donald Trump announced his positive test Friday .
Johnson , a second-term Republican , had reported exposure last month to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 , and quarantined for 14 days without developing symptoms .
Johnson said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He returned to Washington on Sept. 29 and said he was exposed soon after that to someone who tested positive .
Johnson says he was tested Friday afternoon after learning of the exposure , and it came back positive .
Johnson said he feels healthy and doesn ’ t have symptoms , but will isolate until cleared by his doctor .


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Trump’s diagnosis shows US vulnerability to the coronavirus

ST. CHARLES , Mo .
- President Donald Trump ’ s startling COVID-19 diagnosis serves as a cruel reminder of the pervasive spread of the coronavirus and shows how tenuous of a grip the nation has on the crisis , health experts said .
With U.S. infections rising for several weeks , Trump became one of the tens of thousands of Americans who test positive each day .
He went through a “ very concerning ” period Friday and the next 48 hours “ will be critical “ in his care , White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rosy assessment by Trump ’ s staff and doctors , who took pains not to reveal the president had received supplemental oxygen at the White House before he went to a military hospital .
Some of Trump ’ s top advisers and allies also have tested positive recently .
“ No one is entirely out of the virus ’ s reach , even those supposedly inside a protective bubble , “ said Josh Michaud , associate director of global health policy with the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington .
Eight months after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signals mounted of what ’ s ahead this fall .
The NFL has postponed two games after players on three teams tested positive .
Some hospitals in Wisconsin have run low on space , and experts warned of a likely surge in infections during the colder months ahead .
Some economists say it could take as long as late 2023 for the job market to fully recover .
The U.S. leads the world in numbers of confirmed infections , with more than 7 million , and deaths , with more than 208,000 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in COVID-19 deaths per capita .
“ The statistics are so mindboggling , they make us numb to the reality of just how painful , unacceptable and absurd this is , ” said Dr. Reed Tuckson , board chairman of the nonpartisan Health Policy Alliance in Washington .
“ Every single American must double down on their vigilance .
If we don ’ t , then we are being foolhardy and irresponsible.
” Wallace Clark , 50 , of Springfield , Illinois , said he was flummoxed by the president ’ s diagnosis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to take the pandemic seriously .
“ Some people probably think they ’ re immune or can ’ t get it , but it is possible .
It does send a message , ” Clark said Saturday .
The president ’ s infection occurred as the nation has reached a crossroads in its response to the virus .
The U.S. is averaging 40,000 cases a day .
The situation is improving in Sun Belt states that were hot spots in the summer , and many loosened restrictions this week .
Mississippi ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina ’ s governor said he would ease capacity restrictions on restaurants and New Orleans bars got the greenlight to sell carry-out drinks .
Florida has moved ahead with an aggressive reopening that gives bars and restaurants latitude to allow as many customers as they choose .
The outlook is gloomier in the Midwest .
Wisconsin reported a record daily death toll Wednesday , and hospitals in multiple cities said they were running out of space .
A 530-bed field hospital that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built on the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April could be used if the situation worsens .
Iowa reported more than 1,000 new cases for the third consecutive day Friday as the virus continued to aggressively spread , but the governor said bars in the two largest college towns could reopen Monday after a five-week closure .
South Dakota officials reported record highs in deaths and cases Thursday .
In Missouri , several people waving Trump signs and American flags at drivers in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles on Saturday said the president and Republican Gov .
Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change their behaviour .
Of the roughly two dozen Trump supporters who gathered , most didn ’ t wear masks .
Vince Kuhn , a 72-year-old retiree and Vietnam War veteran , called Trump “ a brave man ” who likely caught the virus because he was willing to be out with people .
Kuhn said he opposed restrictions like mask mandates before the president got sick and still does .
“ I fought for freedom in ‘ Nam , ” Kuhn said .
“ I really didn ’ t like it when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and assembling .
But people are coming back .
Everything ’ s coming back .
People want the real America we fought for.
” Carol Schutz , 54 , who had a lung transplant last year and often wears a mask but didn ’ t Saturday , doesn ’ t believe Trump ’ s illness will sway many people but will be “ more fuel for the fire ” for those who don ’ t like him .
The mood was far different in St. Louis .
Arlene Mathis , 65 , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registration event where nearly everyone wore masks .
“ I don ’ t know that we would have to have the president affected by this to be awakened by it , because so many people have died and continue to die every day , ” Mathis said .
She was hopeful , however , that Trump ’ s illness would change behaviour .
“ It ’ s an indication that nobody is immune , ” Mathis said .
“ It goes high , it goes low , it goes everywhere .
So hopefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have an impact.
” Dr. William Schaffner , an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University , said Trump ’ s diagnosis “ reinforces the notion we need a national policy and we need everyone to participate in the basic preventions.
“ Instead , Schaffner said , the response “ has been subcontracted to the governors , which has left us with a crazy quilt of approaches.
” For months , Trump has downplayed the virus , rarely wearing a mask , holding large campaign rallies and urging businesses and schools to reopen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ House staff , despite evidence they help stop the spread .
“ Now , tragically , this experiment has shown , at the highest office of the country , it ain ’ t working .
It didn ’ t work , “ Schaffner said .
“ I ’ m nervous this process could last another couple of years , ” George said outside a coffee shop in the Cleveland suburb of Cleveland Heights .
“ People in March and April were terrified of the unknown .
But now restaurants are filling up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michaud said the nation is experiencing “ a dangerous moment.
” “ We have lots of schools , universities , workplaces and other businesses and institutions reopening .
Colder weather is also on the way , which will likely increase the chances people will congregate together indoors , ” Michaud said .
If complacency sets in , infections will rise .
“ We ’ re still not doing sufficient testing and contact tracing across the country , ” Michaud said .
“ For all these reasons , we ’ re likely to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less , in the coming weeks and months.
” Johnson reported from Washington state .
Associated Press writer John O ’ Connor in Springfield , Illinois , and Mark Gillespie in Cleveland Heights , Ohio , contributed to this report .

Carla K. Johnson And Jim Salter - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--GOP seeks to call off Senate work, but not Barrett hearings

WASHINGTON - The coroniavirus reached further into Republican ranks on Saturday , forcing the Senate to call off lawmaking as a third GOP senator tested positive for COVID-19 .
Even so , Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared he would push President Donald Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee toward confirmation in the shadow of the November election .
Trump and Senate Republicans had hoped the confirmation hearings of Judge Amy Coney Barrett ’ s would make the final case to voters of the party ’ s commitment to remake the court with a muscular conservative majority .
But the hospitalization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trio of GOP senators , shattered any notion of changing the subject entirely from the virus that ’ s killed more than 205,000 Americans .
So great was the threat posed by COVID-19 that McConnell called off floor proceedings but not Barrett ’ s hearings , slated to begin Oct. 12 .
The Kentucky Republican , who is battling to save the GOP majority and running for reelection himself , was not about to give them up .
“ The Senate ’ s floor schedule will not interrupt the thorough , fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell wrote Saturday .
Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , who like McConnell is running for reelection , added that senators can attend the hearings remotely .
“ Certainly , ” McConnell said , “ all Republican members of the committee will participate in these important hearings.
” But by weeks ’ end , the relentless virus made clear it wouldn ’ t cede the national stage to anyone .
It had sidelined the president of the United States after a busy week of ceremonies and other events where few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force One .
In the wee hours of Friday , Trump announced that he and first lady Melania Trump had been infected .
Hours later , Trump was given supplemental oxygen and flown to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center .
Republicans in the Senate who had attended several of the GOP events began announcing that they too had tested positive .
First was Utah Sen. Mike Lee , then North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis .
On Saturday , Sen. Ron Johnson on Wisconsin , who said he had met with Lee and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been infected .
Several other Republicans announced they were awaiting test results or quarantining at home just to be safe .
Members of the House and Senate , meanwhile , increasingly demanded that Congress adopt uniform testing and tracing plans for anyone in the warren of the Capitol .
McConnell , who advocates often for mask-wearing , bowed to the concerns by pushing Senate business to Oct. 19 .
But he made clear that the Barrett nomination would open Oct. 12 as planned .
“ Just had another great call with @ POTUS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He sounds well and says he ’ s feeling good .
We talked about the people ’ s business — fighting the pandemic , confirming Judge Barrett , and strengthening the economy for American families.
” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer took aim at McConnell ’ s plan , saying that if the COVID threat is too great for Senate sessions , it makes Barrett ’ s confirmation perilous , too .
The Republicans ’ “ monomaniacal drive to confirm Judge Barrett at all costs needlessly threatens the health and safety of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who work in the Capitol complex , ” Schumer said in a statement .
Schumer notably did not say Democrats would block McConnell ’ s plan .
Doing so could force the Senate back into the confines of the Capitol , where no one wants to be , without the mandatory testing of lawmakers and their aides .
McConnell had led the Senate this spring in an early return to the Capitol , as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi put in place a new system that allows lawmakers in the much larger chamber to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington .
But even McConnell ’ s efforts at creating a semblance of normalcy in the Senate splintered with the quick-moving developments following the president ’ s hospitalization .
The news about Covid ’ s march into the White House didn ’ t let up and wasn ’ t flattering after months of complaints that Republicans weren ’ t approaching the pandemic in a serious or organized way .
For example , Trump ’ s doctors on Saturday painted a rosy picture of the president ’ s health during a press conference .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ say whether the president had ever needed supplemental oxygen and declined to discuss exactly when Trump fell ill. Conley also revealed that Trump began exhibiting “ clinical indications ” of COVID-19 on Thursday afternoon , earlier than previously known .
According to a person familiar with Trump ’ s condition , Trump was administered oxygen at the White House on Friday before he was transported to the military hospital .
The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity , Concern began with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where Trump introduced Barrett .
In the audience , where few people wore masks , were members of the Judiciary Committee that will handle confirmation hearings .
Trump also travelled to Minnesota for a rally , after which a top aide , Hope Hicks , fell ill and was diagnosed with the disease .
The Trumps were diagnosed on Thursday , the White House said .
The next day , Tillis and Lee , two members of the Judiciary Committee that will handle Barrett ’ s confirmation , announced that like Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A cascade of others in the president ’ s circle followed with similar news .
And on Saturday , it was Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson ’ s turn .
With three Republican senators infected and others awaiting results , McConnell is without a fully working majority of 50 senators .
He would need to rely on Vice-President Mike Pence to be on hand to break any tie votes .
Amid the outbreak , members of both chambers of Congress called for a comprehensive testing plan for Capitol Hill .
House Speaker Nancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because universal testing is not available to everyone in America .
Some senators called for a more stringent protocol and contact tracing for Congress .
Sen. Chris Murphy , D-Conn. , called on McConnell to require immediate tests for every senator and staff member who has visited the White House over the past two weeks .
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report .

Laurie Kellman And Lisa Mascaro - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--New Caledonia archipelago votes on independence from France

NOUMEA , New Caledonia - Voters in New Caledonia , a French archipelago in the South Pacific , were deciding Sunday whether they want independence from France in a referendum that marks a milestone in a three-decade decolonization effort .
More than 180,000 voters were invited to answer the question : “ Do you want New Caledonia to gain full sovereignty and become independent ?
” Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. ( 11 p.m. Saturday in mainland France ; 2100 GMT ) and will close 10 hours later .
Results were expected later Sunday .
If voters choose independence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that the archipelago can get ready for its future status .
Otherwise , New Caledonia will remain a French territory .
Two years ago , 56.4 % of voters who participated in a similar referendum chose to keep ties with Paris instead of backing independence .
Both referendums are the final steps of a process that started 30 years ago after years of violence that pitched pro-independence Kanak activists against those willing to remain in France .
The archipelago now counts 270,000 inhabitants , including both native Kanaks , who once suffered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of European colonizers .
New Caledonia became French in 1853 under Emperor Napoleon III — Napoleon ’ s nephew and heir — and was used for decades as a prison colony .
It became an overseas territory after World War II , with French citizenship granted to all Kanaks in 1957 .
Under French colonial rule , the Kanaks faced strict segregation policies and widespread discrimination .


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Colliding crises shake already chaotic campaign’s last month

NEW YORK - The closing days of the presidential campaign were already dominated by the worst public health crisis in a century , millions of jobless Americans , a reckoning on civil rights , the death of a Supreme Court justice and uncertainty about President Donald Trump ’ s willingness to accept the election outcome .
And that was before the president woke up in a military hospital on Saturday — the most powerful man in the world unable to escape a virus that has so far killed more than 200,000 Americans .
One month before Election Day and with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there are few parallels in American history to such a stunning collision of crises in the late stage of a campaign .
But beneath the volatility , the broad contours of the 2020 contest are remarkably stable .
The election began as , and remains , a referendum on Trump ’ s turbulent presidency .
The Republican president has trailed Democratic challenger Joe Biden in polls for most of the year .
Trump ’ s approval ratings barely budge , consistently ranking him as among the weakest first-term presidents in living history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no more than roughly 3 in 10 voters have believed the nation is moving in the right direction .
“ You have all these events , but the basic structure of everything has stayed fairly intact , ” said veteran Democratic strategist James Carville .
Even before Trump ’ s hospitalization , Republicans were growing increasingly concerned about the direction of the election .
Trump ’ s allies were particularly worried that his troubling debate performance on Tuesday might further alienate key groups of swing voters : women and college-educated voters , among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to underestimate the weight of the uncertainty looming over the next four weeks .
Beyond Trump ’ s health or the economy , the pillars of American democracy — an independent judiciary , a strong legislative branch and a fair and free electoral system — are under stress .
“ Never in modern American history have more institutions and more people been at the breaking point than right now , ” said longtime Republican pollster Frank Luntz .
He noted , however , that an incredibly small slice of voters are truly undecided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Joe Biden , because he ’ s established a lead that Trump has to somehow break , and as you get closer to the election it ’ s harder to change peoples ’ minds , “ Luntz said .
Trump ’ s challenge becomes exponentially more difficult after his positive coronavius diagnosis .
Even if he recovers quickly , the president will be physically unable — at least for two weeks or so — to lead the large , in-person rallies that have long served as the lifeblood of his political operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior political team .
Campaign manager Bill Stepien , GOP chair Ronna McDaniel , first lady Melania Trump and a handful of other advisers have been infected in recent days .
In an effort to show the reelection effort is not frozen , the Trump campaign on Saturday announced “ Operation MAGA ” to call on top surrogates , coalitions and Trump supporters to “ carry the campaign forward until the President returns to the trail.
” Virtual events were planned ahead of Wednesday ’ s vice-presidential debate , followed by in-person events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full speed , ” a statement said .
It ’ s rare for a president to confront such a significant personal health crisis so close to Election Day .
Ronald Reagan was shot shortly after taking office in 1981 , while Dwight Eisenhower suffered a serious heart attack more than a year before his 1956 reelection .
As Trump recovers in the hospital , the election is further complicated by his attempts to undermine the integrity of the election .
In Tuesday ’ s debate , he repeated his baseless claims of voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accept the election outcome if he lost .
He also declined to condemn white supremacists and called on his supporters to closely monitor voting places , which critics fear may lead to widespread voter intimidation .
Not since perhaps Abraham Lincoln ’ s election in 1860 has there been such doubt about the peaceful transfer of power in the United States , said Republican strategist Steve Schmidt .
Schmidt , co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project , is no stranger to final-weeks political drama , having led John McCain ’ s presidential campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rocked the contest that fall .
“ You have an American president threatening political instability ... and at the same time making wild accusations and spreading conspiracy theories about the legitimacy of an American election , ” Schmidt said .
“ Not only is there no comparison to the 2008 election , there ’ s no comparison to any election , ” he continued .
“ There ’ s nothing between us and the edge of the cliff.
” At the same time , local election officials in key states are wading through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats work to make voting easier during the pandemic , Trump ’ s team and its GOP allies have used a combination of threatening letters , lawsuits , viral videos and presidential misinformation to fight election procedures on a county-by-county basis .
Amid legal and health concerns , it ’ s difficult for pollsters and campaigns to predict how many voters will ultimately cast ballots .
Stacey Abrams , a former Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Georgia now focused on voting rights , said she fears that the Republican tactics will roil elections up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s encouraging people to make a specific plan to vote .
“ We ’ re doing the right thing , which is telling people not to panic , “ Abrams said .


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--Many in migrant caravan bused back to Honduran border

POPTUN , Guatemala - Hundreds of Honduran migrants who had entered Guatemala this week without registering were being bused back to their country ’ s border Saturday by authorities who met them with a large roadblock .
By 5 a.m. Saturday , none of 1,000 or so migrants who had been stalled by police and soldiers remained along a stretch of rural highway remained .
Police said that hours earlier , migrants had boarded buses and army trucks to be taken back to the border .
Small groups of fewer than 10 migrants each could still be found walking along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Olvin Suazo , 21 , was walking with three friends , all from Santa Barbara , Honduras .
“ We ’ re going to continue , ” he said .
“ We were resting and the bigger group continued .
We didn ’ t know what happened to them.
” The four , all in their early 20s , are farmworkers .
They heard about the caravan that formed earlier this week in San Pedro Sula via WhatsApp and Facebook .
Late Friday , hundreds of migrants headed for the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the roadblock .
Seldom since 2018 had the prospects for a migrant caravan been so discouraging .
Guatemala ’ s president saw them as a contagion risk amid the coronavirus pandemic and vowed to deport them .
Mexico ’ s president speculated that the caravan was a plot to influence the U.S. elections .
And newly formed Tropical Storm Gamma threatened to dump torrential rain on their planned route through southern Mexico .
On Friday , over 100 Guatemalan soldiers and police blocked the migrants , who became increasingly frustrated with the lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Honduras earlier this week .
Migrants ’ voices rang out on the rural highway , demanding authorities either let them through or provide them food .
Guatemala immigration authorities said some of the original group of about 2,000 migrants had agreed to return to Honduras , though Guatemala ’ s vice minister of foreign relations , Eduardo Hernández , issued a video Saturday complaining that Honduras was refusing to receive at least some of them .
The others had split between two routes : Some travelled north to Peten , where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hitched rides took buses west toward the capital , Guatemala City .
Some had hitched rides aboard passing trucks .
Wilmer Chávez , 35 , got aboard the bed of one truck in his wheelchair with the help of fellow Honduran migrants .
In Mexico , President Andrés Manuel López Obrador suggested Friday that the estimated 2,000 migrants who set out from San Pedro Sula , Honduras , had perhaps been organized with U.S. politicis in mind .
“ I think it has to do with the election in the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have all the elements , but there are indications that it formed with that purpose .
I don ’ t know to whose benefit , but we ’ re not naive.
” The new group was reminiscent of a migrant caravan that formed two years ago shortly before U.S. midterm elections .
It became a hot issue in the campaign , fueling anti-immigrant rhetoric .
But on Friday , Mexico ’ s point man on the coronavirus pandemic , Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell , sounded more conciliatory , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health threat and that Mexico was “ morally , legally and politically obliged to help them.
” On Thursday , Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei vowed to return the migrants to Honduras , citing efforts to contain the pandemic .
Migrant caravans from Central America gained popularity in recent years because they provided some degree of safety in numbers and allowed those who couldn ’ t afford to pay a smuggler to attempt the trip to the United States .
At first , they received generous support from the communities they passed , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , U.S. President Donald Trump threatened crippling tariffs on Mexican imports if it didn ’ t slow the flow of migrants to the U.S. border .
Mexico responded by deploying the National Guard and more immigration agents to intercept large groups of migrants .
The last attempted caravan was broken up by Mexican guardsmen in January .
This week , Mexico has been warning that it will enforce its immigration laws and even prosecute people who knowingly put public health at risk .
The U.S. has essentially closed its border to legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as ever .
Associated Press writer Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-03--COVID, courts sure to be among SC Senate debate topics

COLUMBIA , S.C. - The ongoing coronavirus pandemic and upcoming Supreme Court nomination process are sure to be among the topics discussed in U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham ’ s first reelection debate with Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison .
Graham and Harrison , an associate Democratic National Committee chairman , debate Saturday night at 8 p.m. in Columbia .
Attendees of the event at Allen University , a historically Black institution , will be socially distanced and required to fill out questionnaires declaring no exposure to or symptoms of coronavirus .
Both candidates say they tested negative Friday .
Graham , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are slated to meet twice more in October , although Washington politics is already complicating that schedule , with the next meeting moved up several days to Oct. 9 .
As Senate Judiciary Committee chairman , it ’ s Graham ’ s job to shepherd President Donald Trump ’ s high court nominee , Amy Coney Barrett , through the Senate .
After several senators announced testing positive for COVID-19 , Republican leaders on Saturday announced a refrain from legislative work until Oct. 19 .
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s hearings , set to begin Oct. 12 .
With two committee members recently contracting the coronavirus , Graham said on Twitter Friday that , “ Any Senator who wants to participate virtually will be allowed to do so.
” Trump has promised a quick confirmation , but the timetable could change with the diagnoses of several senators and Trump , himself , who was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday and treated with antiviral medications .
At the helm of a process that will include days of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the national spotlight in what is sure to be a contentious confirmation process , and one Graham sees as potentially beneficial to his campaign .
“ We ’ re going to fundamentally change the judiciary over time , to take all these liberal activist judges and replace them with highly qualified people like Judge Barrett who will be fair to you , fair to people on the other side , but are not going to take a liberal agenda they can ’ t get passed at the ballot box and make it law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graham said during a Friday campaign event with members of the Fraternal Order of Police .
Harrison , saying he will “ relish the opportunity ” to have the state to himself while Graham works in Washington , portrays his opponent as more interested in advancing his own goals , rather than those of his constituents .
“ We just have a senator who doesn ’ t care , because all he sees is his political relevance , and his political power , ” Harrison said in a recent interview with The Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do anything in order to preserve those two things.
” Their first debate also comes as the campaigns boast raising more than $ 30 million apiece , and two recent surveys show the candidates in a dead heat .
On Thursday , the Constitution Party nominee announced he was throwing his support behind Graham , even thought it ’ s too late to remove his own name from ballots .
Lindsey Must Go , a political action committee that supports Harrison , is pumping money into the race , as is the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multimillion-dollar ad blitz hoping to boost Graham .
Trump carried South Carolina by double digits over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 , and Republicans control both legislative chambers , all statewide offices and most of the state ’ s congressional seats .
South Carolina is assumed to be safely in his reelection column , and Graham is expressing confidence in his own reelection chances , too .
“ Here is what I want to say to all the liberals talking about South Carolina : we are going to kick your ass , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meg Kinnard can be reached at https : //twitter.com/MegKinnardAP .
AP ’ s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early , by mail or absentee from each state : https : //interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/


thetorontostar--2020-10-04--Azerbaijan’s No. 2 city targeted in fighting with Armenia

BAKU , Azerbaijan - The fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces continued on Sunday over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh , with Azerbaijan ’ s second-largest city coming under attack .
Azerbaijani officials said Sunday that Armenian forces attacked Ganja , the country ’ s second largest city .
Hikmet Hajiyev , an aide to the Azerbaijani president , tweeted a video depicting damaged buildings , and called it the result of “ Armenia ’ s massive missile attacks against dense residential areas “ in Ganja .
It wasn ’ t immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks on Ganja and other areas in Azerbaijan were launched “ from territory of Armenia.
” Armenia ’ s Defence Ministry said that “ no fire of any kind is being opened from the territory of Armenia in Azerbaijan ’ s direction.
” But Nagorno-Karabakh ’ s leader , Arayik Harutyunyan , confirmed on Facebook he ordered “ rocket attacks to neutralize military objects ” in Ganja .
His spokesman , Vahram Poghosyan , said the territory ’ s army destroyed a military airport in Ganja , a claim Azerbaijani officials denied .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilian and left four others wounded , the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry tweeted .
Harutyunyan said he ordered his forces to stop the attacks on Ganja to avoid civilian casualties .
Nagorno-Karabakh ’ s leader added that “ proportionate and crushing ” strikes targeting the opponent ’ s forces would continue , if Azerbaijan fails “ to draw appropriate lessons.
” The fighting , which broke out on Sept. 27 and has continued for eight straight days , is the biggest escalation in years in the decades-long dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh .
The region lies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia .
Both sides said the hostilities have spread beyond the breakaway territory and accused each other of attacking areas outside Nagorno-Karabakh .
Ganja , with a population of more than 330,000 , is located roughly 100 kilometres ( about 60 miles ) north of Stepanakert , Nagorno-Karabakh ’ s capital .
“ Opening fire on the territory of Azerbaijan from the territory of Armenia is clearly provocative and expands the zone of hostilities , ” Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov said in a statement Sunday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Armenian officials accused Azerbaijan of carrying out strikes on Stepanakert and targeting the civilian population there .
Nagorno-Karabakh ’ s leader Harutyunyan said that in response , his forces would target “ military facilities permanently located in major cities of Azerbaijan.
” In a statement issued later on Sunday , Azerbaijan ’ s Defence Ministry rejected accusations of targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure .
Nagorno-Karabakh officials have said nearly 200 servicemen on their side have died so far .
Azerbaijani authorities haven ’ t given details on their military casualties , but said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were wounded .
Nagorno-Karabakh was a designated autonomous region within Azerbaijan during the Soviet era .
It claimed independence from Azerbaijan in 1991 , about three months before the Soviet Union ’ s collapse .
A full-scale war that broke out in 1992 killed an estimated 30,000 people .
By the time the war ended in 1994 , Armenian forces not only held Nagorno-Karabakh itself but substantial areas outside the territory ’ s formal borders , including Madagiz , the village Azerbaijan claimed to have taken on Saturday along with several others .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls for a cease-fire from around the world .
On Thursday , leaders of Russia , France and the United States — co-chairs of the so-called Minsk Group , which was set up by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 1992 to resolve the conflict — issued a joint statement calling for an immediate cease-fire and “ resuming substantive negotiations ... under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.
” Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev said that Armenia ’ s withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh is the sole condition to end the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is involved in the conflict and is sending fighters from Syria to the region .
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said earlier this week that “ a cease-fire can be established only if Turkey is removed from the South Caucasus.
” Ankara has denied sending arms or foreign fighters , while publicly siding with Azerbaijan in the dispute .
On Sunday , Turkey ’ s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on Ganja , saying it was proof of Armenia ’ s disregard for the law .
Ankara accused Armenia of attacking civilian residential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commit crimes against humanity .
“ Armenia is the biggest barrier to peace and stability in the region , ” the ministry said .
Associated Press writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow , Aven Demourian in Yerevan , Armenia , and Zeynep Bilginsoy in Ankara , Turkey , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-04--Exploding Takata air bag inflator kills Arizona driver

LANSING , Mich. - Another person has been killed by an exploding Takata air bag inflator , bringing the worldwide death toll to at least 26 .
The latest death occurred Aug. 20 in Mesa , Arizona , in the crash of a 2002 Honda Civic , according to a statement released Saturday by Honda .
It was the 17th death reported in the United States .
Others have been reported in Malaysia and Australia .
Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash .
But the chemical can deteriorate over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air .
The explosion can blow apart a metal canister and hurl shrapnel into the passenger compartment .
The problem caused the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history , with at least 63 million inflators recalled .
The U.S. government says that as of September , more than 11.1 million had not been fixed .
About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide .
Honda said in a statement that it inspected the Civic in the Mesa crash on Wednesday , along with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driver ’ s side air bag had ruptured .
The inflator in the passenger air bag also ruptured .
Honda said the Civic was recalled in December 2011 for the driver ’ s side inflator and in November of 2014 for the passenger side .
The company said it mailed more than 15 notices to the owners over eight years , but the free repairs were never done .
The company said it also made numerous phone calls and even visited the current registered owner ’ s home and left recall information .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the registered owner of the car , Honda said .
The company would not release further information about the driver .
Honda , which has the most Takata inflators of any manufacturer , urged owners of recalled Honda and Acura vehicles to get repairs done at a dealer as soon as possible .
Owners can check their vehicles ’ recall status at www.recalls.honda.com or www.recalls.acura.com .
Worldwide , more than 200 people have been hurt by the inflators .
Takata was charged criminally and was sold after filing for bankruptcy .
AP Business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Detroit .
This story has been corrected to show that Honda said the Civic was recalled for the driver ’ s side inflator in December 2011 , not December 2012 .


thetorontostar--2020-10-04--Pilgrims return to Mecca as Saudi eases virus restrictions

RIYADH , Saudi Arabia - A very small , limited number of people , donning the white terrycloth garment symbolic of the Muslim pilgrimage , circled Islam ’ s holiest site in Mecca on Sunday after Saudi Arabia lifted coronavirus restrictions that had been in place for months .
The kingdom had taken the rare step in early March of suspending the smaller year-round “ umrah ” pilgrimage that draws millions from across the world , as the coronavirus morphed into a global pandemic and prompted countries to impose lockdowns and curfews to slow down transmission .
But as nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saudi government on Sunday started allowing a maximum of 6,000 pilgrims a day to enter the sprawling Grand Mosque in Mecca .
Only Saudi citizens and residents will be permitted to enter the mosque during this first phase of reopening , and each person has up to three hours to complete the pilgrimage .
The Grand Mosque , which is being sterilized and cleaned multiple times a day , houses the cube-shaped Kaaba that observant Muslims pray toward five times a day .
Before visitors can enter the mosque to pray or perform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reserve a specific time and date through an online application to avoid crowding and maintain social distancing .
Visitors can also select their means of transportation and meeting points via the app .
State TV showed on Sunday what appeared to be fewer than 50 people circling the Kaaba at the same time and walking several meters ( feet ) apart .
Typically , the mosque would be packed with worshippers from around the world crowded shoulder-to-shoulder at all times of the day and night .
The second phase for loosening restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Oct. 18 , allowing a maximum of 15,000 pilgrims and 40,000 for prayer from among residents and citizens based on allocated times via the app .
Muslim travellers from outside Saudi Arabia could be allowed to perform the umrah pilgrimage as early as Nov. 1 , the Interior Ministry has said .
Saudi Arabia recently began easing some restrictions on international flights for the first time since March .
The kingdom held a dramatically downsized , symbolic hajj pilgrimage in July due to concerns that it could easily have become a global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were selected after applying through an online portal and all were residents or citizens of Saudi Arabia .
Rather than the more than 2 million pilgrims the kingdom hosts for the annual event , as little as 1,000 took part after being tested for the virus and quarantined .
Despite taking early and sweeping measures to contain the virus , Saudi Arabia has recorded nearly 336,000 cases , including 4,850 deaths .


thetorontostar--2020-10-04--Police officer killed in the line of duty in South Carolina

MYRTLE BEACH , S.C. - A South Carolina police chief announced early Sunday the death of an officer following a @ @ @ @ @ Officer Jacob Hancher was killed while responding to a call for service late Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ said at a news conference .
It ’ s unclear what led up to the @ @ @ @ @ The Sun News they heard several shots around 10 p.m. Police had said on social @ @ @ @ @ shooting had occurred around that time .
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has been @ @ @ @ @ news outlets reported .
Hancher was a community service officer for four years and had @ @ @ @ @ less than a year , Prock said .
“ He was a dedicated public servant @ @ @ @ @ protect this community and made the ultimate sacrifice , ” Prock said .
Myrtle Beach @ @ @ @ @ social media for prayers for the police department .
“ They need our community to @ @ @ @ @ and strength , ” Bethune stated .


thetorontostar--2020-10-04--Multi-vehicle crash on northeast Chinese highway kills 18

BEIJING - A crash on a highway in China ’ s northeast early Sunday killed 18 people , police said @ @ @ @ @ tractor and then collided with a car travelling in the opposite direction in Fuyu , @ @ @ @ @ , local police announced on their social media account .
Eight people died at the @ @ @ @ @ hospitals , while one more person was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries , the statement @ @ @ @ @ cause of the accident was under investigation .