thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Medics around the world face hostility over virus stigma

CAIRO - Dr. Dina Abdel-Salam watched in terror last month as scores of strangers gathered under the balcony of her aunt ’ s empty apartment in the Egyptian city of Ismailia , where she ’ d temporarily sheltered after leaving her elderly parents at home to protect them from exposure to the coronavirus .
The crowd called out her name , hurling threats until she dialed the police for help .
“ You have moved here to make us sick , ” someone shouted .
Abdel-Salam ’ s ordeal is just one of many in a wave of assaults on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rage can turn against the very people risking their lives to save patients in the pandemic .
While many cities across the world erupt at sundown with collective cheers to thank front-line workers treating COVID-19 patients , in Egypt , India , the Philippines , Mexico and elsewhere , some doctors and nurses have come under attack , intimidated and treated like pariahs because of their work .
The pandemic , especially in places with limited healthcare infrastructure , has already subjected doctors to hardships .
But medical workers , seen as possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge in these countries : the stigma associated with the illness .
“ Now more than ever , we need to recognize the importance of investing in our health workforce and take concrete actions that guarantee their well-being and safety , ” Ahmed al-Mandhari , the World Health Organization ’ s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean , said in a virtual news conference earlier this week .
But in many places , that ’ s a difficult task as mistrust , fear and misinformation can have devastating effects .
Decades of poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places have created deep misgivings about the medical profession .
In central India , a group of five health workers , dressed in full protective suits , entered a neighbourhood to quarantine contacts of a confirmed COVID-19 patient when a mob descended , slinging stones and screaming insults .
“ Some people felt that the doctors and nurses will come and take their blood , ” said Laxmi Narayan Sharma , the health union president in Madhya Pradesh , in central India .
In the southern Indian city of Chennai , another stone-throwing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hercules , a neurologist who died from COVID-19 , pelting the ambulance carrying his remains and forcing his family and friends to run for their lives .
In Afghanistan , conspiracy theories undermine the credibility of medical professionals .
Nearly 19 years after the U.S.-led coalition defeated the Taliban , many blame Western nations for the country ’ s deterioration .
One commonly shared conspiracy theory is that the virus was allegedly manufactured by the U.S. and China to reduce the world population , said Sayed Massi Noori , a doctor at one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last week , several physicians at the emergency unit of the Afghan Japan Hospital , where Noori works , were mobbed by 15 family members of a patient who died of the virus .
The doctors had their noses bloodied .
“ The relatives believe it is the doctors who killed their family members , ” Noori said .
The coronavirus hotline in Ouagadougou , the capital of war-torn Burkina Faso , fields calls about persistent coughs and headaches .
But it has also gotten death threats .
“ They call and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing the soldiers in the north , they ’ re going to come and kill everyone here , ” said Red Cross volunteer Emmanual Drabo .
Health workers across the Philippines have been attacked and targeted more than 100 times since mid-March , resulting in 39 arrests , police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar told The Associated Press .
In one attack , five men stopped a nurse heading to work in the Sultan Kudarat province in late March , throwing liquid bleach into his face and burning his eyes .
Tough-talking President Rodrigo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach to curbing crime , responded : “ I told the police , maybe it ’ s illegal but I ’ ll answer for it .
Pour it back on the attackers of doctors and nurses.
” In Guadalajara , Mexico ’ s second-largest city , doctors and nurses say just venturing out in scrubs invites danger .
One city hospital instructed its workers to shed their uniforms when they clock out , and the government has assigned National Guard troops to public hospitals .
Similar fears have sparked arrests in Sudan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the capital , Khartoum , a riot erupted at a hospital when rumour spread it would take COVID-19 patients .
Police arrested several people who tried to attack the building , said hospital director Babaker Youssef .
In Egypt , even hospital administrators have faced public anger .
Ahmed Abbas , the vice-president of a government hospital in Egypt ’ s Nile Delta city of Zagazig , was wearing scrubs when he was jostled and cursed while waiting in line at an ATM .
The head of Egypt ’ s Doctors ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidents are “ limited “ but still disheartening .
On top of a global shortage of respirators , virus testing , and protective equipment , increased public hostility has deprived some medical professionals of basic needs — such as housing and transportation .
In India ’ s capital , New Delhi , doctors and first responders reported being evicted by their landlords .
A nurse in Ethiopia said taxis refuse to pick up workers coming out of the nation ’ s main hospital dedicated to coronavirus patients .
As the wave of attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personnel and dispel rumours , many doctors draw optimism from growing public awareness .
After police dispersed the mob beneath her balcony in Ismailia , some people came back to apologize , Abdel-Salam said .
In India , two of the doctors pelted with stones in Madhya Pradesh were cheered when they returned with gifts of saplings a day later , after health officials had explained the purpose of their visit .
After the aborted burial of Dr. Hercules in southern India , one of his colleagues had to pick shards of glass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pradeep Kumar , gathered two hospital workers and returned under the cover of night to cover the dug-out grave with dirt .
“ We had to literally use our hands , ” Kumar said .
“ This man deserved something better than that.
” Schmall reported from New Delhi .
Associated Press writers Chonchui Ngashangva in New Delhi ; Jim Gomez in Manila , Philippines ; Tameem Akhgar in Kabul , Afghanistan ; Sam Mednick in Ouagadougou , Burkina Faso , and Elias Meseret in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia , contributed .

Samy Magdy And Emily Schmall - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Virus lockdown gives Venice a shot at reimagining tourism

VENICE , Italy - In Venice , a city famous for being visited by too many and home to too few , children ’ s play now fills neighbourhood squares , fishermen sell their catch to home cooks , and water buses convey masked and gloved commuters to businesses preparing to reopen .
At the same time , the famed lacquered black gondolas remain moored to the quay ; hotel rooms are empty , museum doors sealed ; and St. Mark ’ s Square — normally teeming in any season — is traversed at any given moment by just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city in late February .
For years , Venice has faced an almost existential crisis , as the unbridled success of its tourism industry threatened to ruin the things that have drawn visitors for centuries .
Now the coronavirus pandemic has dammed off the tide of tourists and hobbled the city ’ s economy .
Residents hope the crisis has also provided an opportunity to reimagine one of the world ’ s most fragile cities , creating a more sustainable tourism industry and attracting more full-time residents .
The pandemic — following on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floods in November that dealt a first economic blow — ground to a halt Italy ’ s most-visited city , stanching the flow of 3 billion euros ( $ 3.2 billion ) in annual tourism-related revenue , the vast majority of the city ’ s intake .
Promised government assistance has been predictably slow to arrive .
The city that has inspired painters like Canaletto and Turner is now a blank canvas .
“ This allows us to rethink life in the historic centre , ” said Mayor Luigi Brugnaro , speaking in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark ’ s Basilica this week .
The population of the historic centre has shrunk to some 53,000 , down by one-third from a generation ago .
To help repopulate the centre , Brugnaro favours a proposal from the city ’ s Ca ’ Foscari university to rent to students apartments that had been removed from housing stock as tourist rentals .
The mayor imagines a dynamic he witnessed in Boston , where those who come to study fall in love with the city and stay .
Brugnaro also wants to create a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s vulnerability to flooding , that could attract scientists who would become residents .
He imagines triggering a sort of Renaissance that would bring other foreign residents — creatives — who for centuries were the city ’ s lifeblood .
He would like to resize the hit-and-run mass tourism on which the economy depends .
“ Venice is a slow city , ” Brugnaro said .
“ The slowness of Venice is the beauty of Venice.
” Visions for Venice ’ s future include calls to offer tax breaks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centre .
Civic groups have suggested incentives to restore traditional ways of Venetian life , like the standing rowboats used for centuries by residents but that struggle to compete with motorized boats .
There is hope that tourist trap shops that disappeared after the shutdown will be replaced with more sustainable businesses .
Bevilacqua — the maker of luxury textiles used by fashion houses such as Dior , Valentino and Dolce & Gabbana — is the only manufacturer in operation on the Grand Canal .
“ To relaunch , Venice must return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You can not , and I will use a heavy term , profane it daily .
That is , people who don ’ t clean up after themselves.
” While the pandemic has offered a glimpse at a cleaner , slower Venice , already there are signs of how hard it will be to maintain that , let alone implement grander plans .
Jane da Mosto , executive director of the NGO We Are Here Venice , notes that bars that have begun to reopen are serving with disposable plates and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Debates over how to manage tourism have always been heated in Venice and are especially fraught now .
Venice ’ s controversial plan to impose a tax on day-trippers has been put aside — and many object that any such system would give the city even more of a theme park air .
The mayor and tourism officials estimate it will be at least a year until tourists — who have numbered 30 million a year — return in any significant numbers .
While many are reveling in the drop in noise pollution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without tourists also means many jobs will be wiped out .
“ It will be a fight for survival , ” said Claudio Scarpa , the head of the Venetian hotel association .
The docking of cruise ships is halted for this year .
Gondoliers aren ’ t being permitted to glide through the canals until June 1 , and many are struggling , having received just one payment of 600 euros from the government .
Their future even after that date remains uncertain .
The gondolier ’ s position at the rear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spare them the mask requirement .
But Andrea Balbi , the head of the association representing the city ’ s 433 gondoliers , said that the rules so far won ’ t permit them to help tourists on and off the rocky boats .
The extended hand is not just a courtesy , Balbi said , but a condition of insurance coverage .
Arrigo Cipriani , the owner of Harry ’ s Bar , said he is not even thinking about opening the wood-paneled , canal-side bar made famous by Ernest Hemingway until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offers some of the best people-watching in Venice over peachy Bellini cocktails — but it is just 9 1/2 meters by 4 metres ( 30 feet by 13 feet ) , which under current rules would allow only a fraction of the usual clientele .
“ Hospitality means freedom .
It means an absence of imposition , ” Cipriani said — and doesn ’ t happen over a mask .
Nearby , the Hotel Saturnia is spacing out its bar tables to reopen next Monday .
“ We want to send a positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Brugnaro , the mayor , is hoping to send a signal of recovery by staging the popular Redeemer ’ s festival in July .
The annual event celebrates the end of the plague in 1577 — one of the most disastrous episodes in Venetian history — with a regatta and a spectacular fireworks display .
“ It will be something out of this world to see , “ he said , ” watching from a boat in St. Mark ’ s Basin .
”

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada
Postal Code


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Tetsuko Itagaki, AP Tokyo linchpin for decades, dies at 96

TOKYO - Tetsuko Itagaki , who was a secretary for five AP Tokyo bureau chiefs from 1958 until she retired in 1989 , has died in Tokyo .
She was 96 .
Itagaki suffered a fall at an assisted living home in early April and became progressively weaker , according to her nephew , Atsushi Takeuchi .
She died May 7 .
The funeral service was attended only by relatives because of the coronavirus pandemic .
In addition to assisting bureau leaders at a time when Tokyo was a hub of AP Asia operations , Itagaki served a key role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens of Japanese nationals as well as expatriate correspondents .
As her role grew , she began to consider the members of the bureau as part of her own family .
“ It is no exaggeration to say that she was the linchpin of the bureau , often serving as a buffer between the strong personalities of the bureau chiefs and the staff , but also ready with a vast intellectual repertoire , including an intimate knowledge of the Bible , which often came in handy , ” said Valerie Komor , director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October 2010 interviewed Itagaki and other Japanese staff for the company records .
Itagaki came from an academic family and studied English language and literature .
“ It was a very interesting , exciting , occupation , ” Itagaki said in the 2010 interview , recalling her front—row seat for the political assassinations , demonstrations , typhoons and Olympics that the bureau covered .
“ I wouldn ’ t have worked for ( an ) oil company or trading company .
... Everybody recognized the name AP .
‘ So you work for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was so proud .
I was glad I worked for the AP.
” Shigeyoshi Kimura joined AP as a copy boy in 1957 and retired in 2002 after many years as a reporter .

Shigeyoshi Kimura - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Pilot in Kobe Bryant crash had no alcohol, drugs, autopsy shows

LOS ANGELES - The pilot flying Kobe Bryant and seven others to a youth basketball tournament did not have alcohol or drugs in his system , and all nine sustained immediately fatal injuries when their helicopter slammed into a hillside outside Los Angeles in January , according to autopsies released Friday .
The reports by the Los Angeles County coroner ’ s office provide a clinical but unvarnished look at the brutality of the crash .
One of the most popular sports figures in Los Angeles and a celebrity around the globe , Bryant was broken beyond recognition when his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chopper , His remains had to be identified by his fingerprints .
The report made it clear : Bryant and the passengers almost certainly were dead in an instant due to blunt trauma .
“ These injuries are rapidly if not instantly fatal , ” wrote Juan Carrillo , senior deputy medical examiner , in Bryant ’ s report .
The crash that killed the 41-year-old retired Los Angeles Lakers star , his 13-year-old daughter Gianna — clad in the jersey she would have worn to play that morning , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her last name on the back — pilot Ara Zobayan and the others is considered accidental .
Bryant was headed from his Orange County home to his daughter ’ s tournament at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks on the morning of Jan. 26 .
The group , including one of his daughter ’ s coaches , and two of her teammates , encountered thick fog in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles .
Zobayan , an experienced pilot who often flew Bryant , climbed sharply and had nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ craft took an abrupt left turn and plunged into the grassy , oak studded hills below .
When it struck the ground , it was flying at about 184 mph ( 296 kph ) and descending at a rate of more than 4,000 feet per minute .
The impact caused a crater and scattered debris over an area the size of a football field in the Calabasas hills .
Flames engulfed the wreckage , but burns on the bodies were determined to have occurred after death .
Bryant ’ s body was found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his daughter was found in a ravine on the opposite side .
The autopsy noted Bryant ’ s tattoo of a crown on his right shoulder , above where his wife ’ s name , Vanessa , was imprinted .
On the lower right arm were the names of three of his four daughters : Bianka Bella , Natalia Diamante and Gianna Maria-Onore , the daughter who died with him .
The youngest girl , Capri Kobe , only 7 months old when her father died , is not mentioned .
The only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ methylphenidate , which is sold under the brand name Ritalin and used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy .
The National Transportation Safety Board has not concluded what caused the crash on the outskirts of Los Angeles County but said there was no sign of mechanical failure in the Sikorsky S-76 .
A final report is not expected for months .
The aircraft did not have a device called the Terrain Awareness and Warning System , which signals when an aircraft is in danger of hitting ground .
While the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be mandatory for helicopters , the Federal Aviation Administration only requires it for air ambulances .
Both California ’ s senators have called for the FAA to mandate the devices in the wake of the tragedy .
The others killed were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli , his wife , Keri , and their daughter Alyssa ; Christina Mauser , who helped Bryant coach his daughter ’ s basketball team ; and Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton .
Alyssa and Payton were Gianna ’ s teammates .
Bryant is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retire two numbers in his honour .
He was selected last month for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame .
A ceremony is scheduled for late August though it may be delayed until at least October because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Bryant and his daughter were honoured at a star-studded public memorial Feb. 24 at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles , with 20,000 in attendance at the arena where Bryant spent most of his two-decade career with the Lakers .
The date 2/24 corresponded with the No .
24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 worn by Gianna .
The same day , Vanessa Bryant filed a lengthy lawsuit alleging that Zobayan was careless and negligent to fly in the fog and should have aborted the flight .
She has also filed a claim , a precursor to a lawsuit , against the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department after deputies allegedly shared unauthorized photos of the crash site .
Zobayan ’ s brother , Berge Zobayan , has said in a court filing that Bryant knew the risks of helicopter flying and his survivors aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pilot ’ s estate , while the helicopter company , Island Express , says they are not responsible for damages , calling the crash , among other things , “ an act of God ” and “ an unavoidable accident ” that was beyond their control .

Stefanie Dazio And Brian Melley - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Trump fires State Dept. watchdog critical of admin moves

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has fired the State Department ’ s inspector general , an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of alleged political bias in the agency ’ s management .
The ouster is the latest in a series of moves against independent executive branch watchdogs who have found fault with the Trump administration .
A senior department official said Trump removed Steve Linick from his job on Friday but gave no reason for his ouster .
In a letter to Congress , Trump said Linick , who had held the job since 2013 , no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removal would take effect in 30 days .
Trump did not mention Linick by name in his letter .
Democrats in Congress immediately cried foul , with the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee suggesting that Linick was fired in part in retaliation for opening an unspecified investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
“ This firing is the outrageous act of a president trying to protect one of his most loyal supporters , the secretary of state , from accountability , ” Eliot Engel , D-N.Y. , said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Office of the Inspector General had opened an investigation into Secretary Pompeo .
Mr. Linick ’ s firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation.
” Engel offered no details of the alleged investigation into Pompeo , although two congressional aides said the probe involved allegations that Pompeo may have improperly treated staff .
Linick ’ s office has issued several reports critical of the department ’ s handling of personnel matters during the Trump administration , including accusing some of political appointees of retaliating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Linick was fired because he was conducting an investigation of conduct by Secretary Pompeo , the Senate can not let this stand , ” said Sen. Chris Murphy , D-Conn. “ The Senate Foreign Relations Committee must get to bottom of what happened here.
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also condemned Linick ’ s ouster , saying he had been “ punished for honourably performing his duty to protect the Constitution and our national security.
” “ The president must cease his pattern of reprisal and retaliation against the public servants who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly during this time of global emergency.
” Linick , whose office also took issue with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ’ s use of a private email server while she served as America ’ s top diplomat , played a minor role in the Ukraine impeachment investigation into Trump .
In October , Linick turned over documents to House investigators that he had received from State Department ’ s Counselor T. Ulrich Brechbuhl , a close Pompeo associate , which contained information from debunked conspiracy theories about Ukraine ’ s role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replaced by Stephen Akard , a former career foreign service officer who has close ties to Vice-President Mike Pence , said the official , who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
Akard currently runs the department ’ s Office of Foreign Missions .
He had been nominated to be the director general of the foreign service but withdrew after objections he wasn ’ t experienced enough .
Linick , a former assistant U.S. attorney in California and Virginia , had overseen inspector general reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s management policies during the Trump administration .
His office had criticized several Trump appointees for their treatment of career staff for apparently being insufficiently supportive of Trump and his policies .
Under Linick , the State Department ’ s inspector general office was also critical of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ’ s hiring freeze and attempts to streamline the agency by slashing its funding and personnel .
Trump has been taking aim lately at inspectors general .
In April , he fired Michael Atkinson , the inspector general for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the whistleblower complaint that led to Trump ’ s impeachment .
Then Trump removed Glenn Fine as acting inspector general at the Defence Department , a move that stripped him of his post as chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee .
During a White House briefing on COVID-19 , Trump questioned the independence of an inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services over a report that said there was a shortage of supplies and testing at hospitals .
Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Trump’s emergency powers worry some senators, legal experts

WASHINGTON - The day he declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency , President Donald Trump made a cryptic offhand remark .
“ I have the right to do a lot of things that people don ’ t even know about , “ he said at the White House .
Trump wasn ’ t just crowing .
Dozens of statutory authorities become available to any president when national emergencies are declared .
They are rarely used , but Trump last month stunned legal experts and others when he claimed — mistakenly — that he has “ total ” authority over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompted 10 senators to look into how sweeping Trump believes his emergency powers are .
They have asked to see this administration ’ s Presidential Emergency Action Documents , or PEADs .
The little-known , classified documents are essentially planning papers..
The documents don ’ t give a president authority beyond what ’ s in the Constitution .
But they outline what powers a president believes that the Constitution gives him to deal with national emergencies .
The senators think the documents would provide them a window into how this White House interprets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to look at these things , ” Sen. Angus King , I-Maine , said in a telephone interview .
“ This is a case where the president can declare an emergency and then say ’ Because there ’ s an emergency , I can do this , this and this.
’ ” King , seven Democrats and one Republican sent a letter late last month to acting national intelligence director Richard Grenell asking to be briefed on any existing PEADs .
Sen. Patrick Leahy , D-Vt. , wrote a similar letter to Attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pat Cipollone .
“ The concern is that there could be actions taken that would violate individual rights under the Constitution , “ such as limiting due process , unreasonable search and seizure and holding individuals without cause , King said .
“ I ’ m merely speculating .
It may be that we get these documents and there ’ s nothing untoward in their checks and balances and everything is above board and reasonable.
’ ’ Joshua Geltzer , visiting professor of law at Georgetown University , said there is a push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because there is rising distrust for the Trump administration ’ s legal interpretations in a way he hasn ’ t seen in his lifetime .
The most publicized example was Trump ’ s decision last year to declare the security situation along the U.S.-Mexico border a national emergency .
That decision allowed him to take up to $ 3.6 billion from military construction projects to finance wall construction beyond the miles that lawmakers had been willing to fund .
Trump ’ s move skirted the authority of Congress , which by law has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation ’ s wallet .
“ I worry about other things he might call an emergency , ” Geltzer said .
“ I think around the election itself in November — that ’ s where there seems to be a lot of potential for mischief with this president.
” The lawmakers made their request just days after Trump made his startling claim on April 13 that he had the authority to force states to reopen for business amid the pandemic .
“ When somebody ’ s the president of the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , causing a backlash from some governors and legal experts .
Trump later tweeted that while some people say it ’ s the governors , not the president ’ s decision , “ Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect.
” Trump later backtracked on his claim of “ total “ authority and agreed that states have the upper hand in deciding when to end their lockdowns .
But it was just the latest from a president who has been stretching existing statutory authorities “ to , if not beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephen Vladeck , a law professor at the University of Texas .
Questions about Trump ’ s PEADs went unanswered by the Justice Department , National Security Counsel and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence .
Elizabeth Goitein , co-director of a national security program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law , said PEADs have not been subject to congressional oversight for decades .
She estimates that there are 50 to 60 of these documents , which include draft proclamations , executive orders and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ assert broad presidential authority ” in national emergencies .
She said the Eisenhower administration had PEADs outlining how it might respond to a possible Soviet nuclear attack .
According to the Brennan Center , PEADs issued up through the 1970s included detention of U.S. citizens suspected of being subversives , warrantless searches and seizures and the imposition of martial law .
“ A Department of Justice memorandum from the Lyndon B. Johnson administration discusses a presidential emergency action document that would impose censorship on news sent abroad , ” Goitein wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published last month in The New York Times .
“ The memo notes that while no ‘ express statutory authority ’ exists for such a measure , ‘ it can be argued that these actions would be legal in the aftermath of a devastating nuclear attack based on the president ’ s constitutional powers to preserve the national security.
” ’ Goitein said she especially worries about any orders having to do with military deployment , including martial law .
“ You can imagine a situation where he ( Trump ) engineers a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which then becomes a pretext for martial law , ” said Goitein , who insists she ’ s simply playing out worst-case scenarios .
“ What I worry about is the extreme interpretation under which he asserts the authority to declare martial law and take over all the functions of government , including running the elections.
” She also wonders if there is a PEAD outlining steps the president could take to respond to a serious cyberattack .
Would the president aggressively interpret telecommunications law and flip an internet kill switch , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bobby Chesney , associate dean at the University of Texas School of Law , said some fears might be exaggerated because while Trump makes off-the-cuff assertions of authority far beyond past presidents , he doesn ’ t necessarily follow up with action .
Says Chesney : “ His actions don ’ t match the rhetoric always — or even often .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--It’s a work from home Congress as House approves proxy vote

WASHINGTON - It all started with the grandchildren .
As House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer saw it , if he could Face Time with the grandkids , why not have Congress legislate by video chat and avoid the health risks of convening at the Capitol during the coronavirus pandemic ?
And so the silver-haired , 80-year-old congressman from Maryland helped steer the House into one of the more substantial rules changes of its 230 year history .
“ This is no revolutionary , radical change , ” Hoyer told The Associated Press in an interview .
“ This is exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The House approved the new rules Friday , during what could likely be the chamber ’ s last fully in-person votes for the foreseeable future .
From now on , lawmakers will be allowed to cast House floor votes by proxy — without being “ present ” as the Constitution requires .
The next step will allow them to skip the middle-man and simply vote remotely once leaders approve the technology .
The shift will dramatically change the look , if not the operation , of the legislative branch — launching a 21st @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ working from home.
” Debate over the changes has been fierce .
As President Donald Trump encourages Americans back to work , Democrats pushed the changes past the objections of Republicans .
“ It ’ s a very sad day inside this House , ” said Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California .
Neither Civil War nor Great Depression or any other national crisis had spurred the House to allow its members to vote from home , a sign of how deeply the virus outbreak act is disrupting the institutional norms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ally , argued during debate , “ The founders would be ashamed.
“ But like the rest of the country , lawmakers are weighing risks and responsibilities .
Since the virus outbreak shuttered Capitol Hill in March , the 435-member House has largely stayed away while the smaller Senate resumed operations .
Several lawmakers and dozens of staff in the sprawling complex have tested positive as the virus hits close .
Democrats argue the House can rely on technology for remote work as the pandemic drags on .
But Republicans objected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the crisis .
Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma , the top Republican on the rules panel , warned the changes will fundamentally alter the nature of the institution , “ and not for the better.
” Under the new rules , House lawmakers will no longer be required to travel to Washington to participate in floor votes .
Some will .
But others can assign their vote to another lawmaker who will be at the Capitol to cast it for them .
A single lawmaker can carry 10 proxy votes to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House committees — the bread and butter of legislative work — will be able to fully function remotely .
Committee hearings are prime-time for lawmakers — the chance to grill officials , spar with colleagues and have much of it captured on C-SPAN .
House lawmakers will be able to draft bills , conduct oversight and even issue subpoenas from the comfort of their homes .
With the Capitol physician warning it could be years before Congress resumes full operations , lawmakers are anxious to show constituents they are working — but safely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a super-spreader event , ” said Rep. Jim McGovern , D-Mass.
, the chairman of the Rules Committee .
The changes are expected to be temporary , only through the remainder of this session of Congress , at the end of the year .
Democrats insist the changes should be used only under times of crisis .
But Republicans warn there will be legal challenges to legislation passed during this period , questioning the constitutional legitimacy of proxy votes .
“ You ’ ve got to be here , ” said another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R-Ohio .
“ You can ’ t phone it in.
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shelved the proposal two weeks ago insisting she wanted any change of this significance to be bipartisan .
McCarthy had proposed a “ hybrid ” plan that would allow the committees to conduct work remotely but stopped short of allowing the proxy floor voting .
A bipartisan task force failed to reach a compromise .
The House has never allowed proxy floor votes , even during some of the most challenging eras in the nation ’ s history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flu epidemic and only stayed away a short time after the 2001 terror attacks .
Proxy votes had been allowed in committees , but that ended decades ago .
For Hoyer , who has spent half is lifetime in Congress — marking his 40th year in the House next week — it ’ s a reminder that technological savvy cuts across generational and institutional lines .
He acknowledges being new to technology but quickly grew “ enamoured ” by feeling of proximity video provided .
“ It ’ s a real experience , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for options during the crisis , the leader came on board .
He ’ s not a fan of proxy voting — he would have preferred a video vote — but sees it as a temporary step until they are able to create the remote vote option .
Known as an institutionalist who often welcomes freshmen lawmakers with Capitol tours , Hoyer believes the changes are in keeping with tradition .
“ It is unacceptable to have the Congress sidelined at any point in time , ” he said .
“ It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same thing the Congress has been doing since its inception , “ he said — conducting oversight and debating and passing legislation ” and sending it to the desk of the president .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--VA says it won’t stop use of unproven drug on vets for now

WASHINGTON - Facing growing criticism , the Department of Veterans Affairs said Friday that it will not halt use of an unproven malaria drug on veterans with COVID-19 but that fewer of its patients are now taking it .
In responses provided to Congress and obtained by The Associated Press , the VA said it never “ encouraged or discouraged ” its government-run hospitals to use hydroxychloroquine on patients even as President Donald Trump heavily promoted the drug for months without scientific evidence of its effectiveness .
Still , it acknowledged that VA Secretary Robert Wilkie had wrongly asserted publicly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown to benefit younger veterans .
The VA , the nation ’ s largest hospital system , also agreed more study was needed on the drug and suggested its use was now limited to extenuating circumstances , such as last-ditch efforts to save a coronavirus patient ’ s life .
In the first week of May , 17 patients had received the drug for COVID-19 , according to VA data obtained by the AP .
The department declined to say how many patients had been treated with hydroxychloroquine for the coronavirus since January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital data showed that hundreds of veterans had taken it by early April .
“ VA has not endorsed nor discouraged the use of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients and has left those decisions to providers and their patients , ” the VA said .
“ While all drugs have the potential for adverse events and some drugs in particular , like hydroxychloroquine , are known to have specific risks , when they are used carefully and judiciously , they can be managed safely.
” As of Friday , 11,883 veterans had been confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 985 had died , according to VA statistics .
Responding to written questions from Sen. Jon Tester , the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee , the department admitted it had no studies or evidence to back up Wilkie ’ s claim that hydroxychloroquine had shown effectiveness in younger veterans in particular .
“ The use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID has dropped off dramatically , ” the VA said .
Trump repeatedly has pushed the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin , but no large , rigorous studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , and they can cause heart rhythm problems and other side effects .
The Food and Drug Administration has warned against the drug combination and said hydroxychloroquine should only be used for the coronavirus in formal studies .
Two large observational studies , each involving around 1,400 patients in New York , recently found no benefit from hydroxychloroquine .
Two new ones published Thursday in the journal BMJ , one by French researchers and the other from China , reached the same conclusion .
Tester , who received VA ’ s responses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the drug ’ s safety .
“ Any drug used to treat patients with COVID-19 , especially veterans living with debilitating preexisting conditions , must be proven safe and effective before it ’ s administered , ” he said .
“ Given recent studies from both VA and other hospitals , hydroxychloroquine seems to fall short of those requirements.
” Major veterans organizations and Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had called on the VA to explain why it allowed the use of an unproven drug on vets .
Last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Human Services official Rick Bright alleged that the Trump administration wanted to “ flood ” hot spots in New York and New Jersey with the drug .
Jeremy Butler , CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America , said Friday that his group was heartened by the VA ’ s preliminary explanations and called it imperative that it release additional details .
“ It remains concerning that it took this long to begin to get answers to basic questions , ” he said .
The analysis of VA hospital data , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with VA approval , was not a rigorous experiment .
Researchers analyzed medical records of 368 older male veterans hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infection at VA medical centres who died or were discharged by April 11 .
About 28 % of veterans who were given hydroxychloroquine plus usual care died , versus 11 % of those getting routine care alone .
In its response to Congress , the department provided copies of some of its guidance issued to VA physicians on hydroxychloroquine from March to May .
It made clear that hydroxychloroquine should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trials or when medically appropriate after a full discussion with the patient about risks .
The VA did not explain the circumstances in which veterans in the recent analysis of hospital data were given the drug , only suggesting that “ it is possible ” they were prescribed as part of last efforts to save a patient ’ s life .
“ Based on the principles of patient-centric care , it would be inappropriate to deny patients access to hydroxychloroquine under these dire circumstances , ” VA wrote .
It said it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Allergy and Infectious Diseases by “ summarizing the medical literature regarding unapproved treatments for COVID-19 and making that available to VA clinicians in their shared decision-making with patients.
” That guidance now includes preliminary studies on remdesivir , which has been federally approved for emergency use to treat COVID-19 .
One VA document dated March 25 notes a few “ very small cohort studies ” showing possible “ beneficial effects ” but adds “ these data have NOT been verified in randomized controlled trials and are extremely preliminary.
“ The VA acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders for hydroxychloroquine from Feb. 1 to April 23 for 6.3 million tablets worth $ 208,000 in anticipation of a possible shortage of the drug , but that most of it was being used for approved uses , such as treating lupus and rheumatoid arthritis .
It said it did not have breakdowns .
The department also said it planned further studies and clinical trials on hydroxychloroquine , including whether it could help prevent infection in veterans who were potentially exposed to COVID-19 .
It is in discussions with Novartis to have some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial that will look at the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in combination with azithromycin in patients with moderate and severe disease .
AP Chief Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Wisconsin again? Swing state a hotbed of virus politics

MADISON , Wis. - Wisconsin has been the battleground for political proxy wars for nearly a decade , the backdrop for bruising feuds over labour unions , executive power , redistricting and President Donald Trump .
Now , six months before a presidential election , the state is on fire again — some might say still .
With a divided state government and a polarized electorate , Wisconsin has emerged as a hotbed of partisan fighting over the coronavirus , including how to slow its spread , restart the seized economy , vote amid a pandemic and judge Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every political twist has been dissected by the parties , political scientists and the press , all searching for insight into which way the swing state might be swinging in the virus era .
The answers have been conflicting .
Democrats notched the most significant recent win — a contested statewide Supreme Court race — giving them a claim on sense of momentum after making gains in the 2018 midterm elections .
But Republicans this week won a special election for Congress , albeit in a GOP stronghold , and successfully had the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the state Supreme Court .
But no one in the state -- nor the many outsiders paid to mine it for votes -- will make many predictions about Wisconsin in November , other than to note that the latest fight over the fallout from the coronavirus may be the most important of them all .
“ The jury ’ s still out , ” said former Gov .
Scott Walker , perhaps the figure most closely associated with Wisconsin ’ s political turbulence .
The Republican had previously said the economic recovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , he said the November presidential election will be a referendum on Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic .
“ One , how do you feel about your own health and health of your family , ” Walker said .
“ Two , how do you feel about the health of the economy , particularly your own job .
...
If people are still freaked out , then I think it ’ s always tough for any incumbent.
“ Taking their cues from Trump , who has called on states to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and get back to normal , state Republican lawmakers challenged Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers ’ order in court .
Similar manoeuvrs have been tried in Michigan and Pennsylvania , the other Rust Belt states that backed Trump in 2016 and handed him the White House .
But only in Wisconsin have Republicans gotten what they wanted , suddenly taking ownership of the state ’ s coronavirus response and , with it , new political risk .
While some Wisconsinites rushed out to bars to celebrate the court ’ s ruling , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new patchwork of restrictions .
Meanwhile , a solid majority of Wisconsin residents have said they support Evers ’ handling of the crisis , according to a new Marquette University Law School poll .
Democrats were quick to cast the issue as much larger than the previous partisan feuds .
“ By November , a significant fraction of Wisconsinites might be close to someone who has been hospitalized or even died because of coronavirus , ” Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler said .
“ And those are , unlike passing news cycles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that change how people view politics in their own lives.
” As in other states , the virus has moved beyond Wisconsin ’ s big Democratic cities .
Brown County , home of Green Bay and a number of meat processing plants , has become Wisconsin ’ s fastest-growing coronavirus hot spot .
In 2016 , Trump easily carried the county .
But in last month ’ s election , Democrats ’ choice for the state Supreme Court , Jill Karofsky , won Brown County , part of her surprisingly strong showing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling places and widespread worries over whether it was safe to be voting at all .
Evers tried at the last minute to postpone the election , but Republicans refused .
Again , Wisconsin ’ s drama was projected on the national stage — and mined for lessons about organizing , mail-in voting and ballot access .
“ Republicans in my district were begging us not to hold an in-person election , ” said state Rep. Robyn Vining , a Democrat whose district spans western Milwaukee County and GOP-leaning suburbs .
“ People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire lives were furious.
” Whether Republicans will take out any frustrations on Trump is far from clear .
The Marquette University poll this week found Trump has a 47 % approval rate in Wisconsin , virtually unchanged from March .
The poll also registered the impact of the state ’ s decade of political battles — an intense polarization .
“ There ’ s not much of a middle in Wisconsin , at least as far as Donald Trump is concerned , ” said John Johnson , a research fellow from Marquette @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been building for nearly a decade .
The state was a hotbed of tea party opposition to Barack Obama ’ s administration in 2010 , sentiment that helped Walker win office and move to cut public-sector unions ’ bargaining rights .
The effort ignited mass Capitol protests in Madison and prompted a bitter recall election a year later .
Walker beat it back and went on to win reelection in 2014 .
His tenure hit at the heart of Wisconsin ’ s once-progressive tradition .
In addition to his labour legislation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over a challenge to Wisconsin ’ s legislative redistricting — leaving the state with districts heavily gerrymandered to favour his party .
Since Trump ’ s narrow 2016 victory in Wisconsin — the first by a Republican presidential candidate since 1984 — Wisconsin has become home to a permanent campaign .
Democrats began a year-round organizing initiative that led to a comeback with Evers ’ narrow defeat of Walker in 2018 .
Republicans , too , have invested in organizing in the state , particularly in hunting for new voters in the rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past Republicans candidates .
The Trump campaign says its staff of 60 turned its attention this week to a special election for a congressional seat in northern Wisconsin .
They made 2.4 million get-out-the-vote calls in the district — roughly half of all the voter contacts they ’ ve made this election cycle in the state .
State Sen. Tom Tiffany won the seat by 14 percentage points .
Trump carried the district by 20 percentage points in 2016 .
Walker said he didn ’ t think that was a sign of trouble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters were angry with Republicans , “ then Tiffany would not have won by a significant margin .
It would have been razor thin , or he would have lost .
”

Thomas Beaumont, Scott Bauer And Sara Burnett - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Pandemic planning becomes political weapon as deaths mount

WASHINGTON - For the first three years of his presidency , Donald Trump did not publicly utter the words “ pandemic ” or “ preparedness.
” Not in speeches , rallies or his many news conferences , planned and impromptu .
But on Friday , the White House pointed to extensive planning exercises the administration conducted and reports it wrote warning of the threat in 2018 .
Still , Trump has repeatedly said that the blame for the federal government having inadequate stockpiles of crucial supplies and machines needed to cope with an outbreak lay with his predecessor , Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foil for Trump on a number of issues , but in the case of planning for the pandemic he has devoted little attention to the 69-page “ playbook ” from the Obama administration about the threat of a viral outbreak that might include Ebola or an airborne respiratory illness like coronavirus .
And the Obama administration could draw from a similar document written during the administration of George W. Bush in 2006 .
The politics of pandemic planning have gotten increasingly pitched as the COVID-19 death toll continues to mount in the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ broken , terrible ” system from Obama .
Critics counter that Trump had three years in office to prepare — more than enough time to build on the pandemic strategies he inherited .
The friction was laid bare in the Rose Garden and the White House briefing room on Friday .
Trump , at a midday event outside the Oval Office , declared : “ I inherited nothing .
I inherited practically nothing from the previous administration , unfortunately.
” His spokeswoman , Kayleigh McEnany , later displayed a copy of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House press room before hoisting two binders of what she called the superior Trump plans .
Beth Cameron , who worked on pandemic planning in the Obama administration , said the playbook that the Obama administration presented to the Trump administration “ was given , briefed and discussed with the incoming administration , explicitly.
” She said it was intended to provide the White House with a set of questions it should ask early on in an emerging epidemic or pandemic threat .
“ It outlined who should come together to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to anticipate what was coming next ... to get moving , ” Cameron said .
She said the Trump administration was slow to respond to COVID-19 and that Obama ’ s playbook could have helped the administration get ahead of an emerging threat like the coronavirus .
Cameron said the Bush and Obama administrations both did extensive planning for pandemics and many of those plans were passed to the Trump White House .
“ They were not political .
They were non-partisan , ” she added .
McEnany styled the Trump administration ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” She referred to Obama ’ s plan as a “ thin packet of paper ” that was replaced by “ two detailed , robust pandemic response reports commissioned by the Trump administration.
” She said that in 2018 the Trump administration issued its own pandemic crisis action plan and last summer conducted Crimson Contagion 2019 , a simulation to test the nation ’ s ability to respond to a large-scale outbreak .
In January , the Department of Health and Human Services issued an after-action report .
“ This exercise expounded upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legacy planning documents , which inform President Trump ’ s coronavirus response beginning as early as January , ” McEnany said .
Her comments drew criticism from Ron Klain , who was the U.S. Ebola response co-ordinator during the Obama administration and now advises Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden .
“ Let ’ s get to the bottom line , ” Klain tweeted after McEnany ’ s briefing .
“ If their position now is that they HAD a plan , and that THIS was their plan ...
I fail to see how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in any way.
” The Trump administration ’ s 36-page National Biodefense Strategy , issued in September 2018 , was a self-described “ call to action.
” Among the many goals was bolstering preparedness to save lives through “ medical countermeasures , ” such as vaccines , ventilators , diagnostic tests and personal protective equipment like medical gowns and masks that were in short supply in the early days of the pandemic .
McEnacy said the nation ’ s stockpile was insufficient , but didn ’ t answer questions about why Trump didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first three years in office .
The White House said the stockpile had only 28 % of the items needed during a pandemic and contained less than a one-month supply of key items , but the administration is updating inventories and how they are distributed .
Cameron said Trump had plenty to study when he entered the Oval Office .
Bush took a keen interest in preparing the nation for an influenza pandemic after reading John M. Barry ’ s “ The Great Influenza ” about the 1918 influenza that killed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people across the globe .
He read the book in 2005 while at his Texas ranch .
A few months later , Bush gave a speech at the National Institutes of Health rolling out the first modern-day national strategy to prepare for an influenza pandemic , detect outbreaks , expand vaccine production capacity and stockpile treatments .
“ Unlike storms or floods , which strike in an instant and then recede , a pandemic can continue spreading destruction in repeated waves that can last for a year or more , ” Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked on the Ebola epidemic and also on H1N1 and the Zika virus .
In 2014 , Obama stood up the White House ’ s National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense to co-ordinate government resources in preparation for the next disease outbreak and prevent it from becoming a pandemic .
There are scores of other pandemic planning books on the shelves , including the Biological Incident Annex , which was updated by the Obama administration and re-issued in January 2017 as Trump took office .
The Pandemic Crisis Action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not online , but a General Accounting Office report references it .
“ President Trump has been in office for well over three years now , which is more than enough to build upon the pandemic strategies he inherited , ” said Lawrence Gostin , a public health expert at Georgetown University who worked with the Bush and Obama administrations on global health issues .
“ It ’ s quite evident that whatever pandemic planning had been done during the Bush or Obama administrations never made it to high levels in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just focused on other issues — that pandemic planning wasn ’ t a top priority for the president .
Gostin said he was startled when Trump first said that no one expected a pandemic like COVID-19 to happen .
“ Well , every global health expert expected this to happen , ” Gostin said .
“ We couldn ’ t tell you when it would happen .
We couldn ’ t tell you exactly what the pathogen would be , but we always knew that there was a big novel pandemic coming .
@


thetorontostar--2020-05-15--Sheriff watchdog seeking subpoena for documents in alleged Kobe Bryant crash photo coverup

LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles County ’ s chief law enforcement watchdog is seeking to subpoena documents related to allegations that Sheriff Alex Villanueva directed a coverup after deputies shared graphic photos of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant , his daughter and seven others .
“ The documents are relevant to a pending inquiry into allegations that the Sheriff directed the destruction of evidence and suppressed an administrative investigation to avoid negative publicity , ” Inspector General Max Huntsman said in a letter this week to the chair of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission .
Huntsman said Villanueva had declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subpoena item be placed on the agenda for the commission ’ s May 21 meeting .
Villanueva had already launched an internal investigation into the photo sharing incident .
On Friday he said , “ monitoring does not give license to interfere or obstruct the investigation .
The OIG will receive what they are lawfully entitled to once the investigation is concluded.
” Huntsman ’ s request came less than a week after Vanessa Bryant filed a claim against the Sheriff ’ s Department alleging that it failed to “ adequately investigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Los Angeles Times first reported that deputies shared photos taken at the scene of the Jan. 26 crash near Calabasas after someone filed a written complaint to the Sheriff ’ s Department .
The complaint , filed three days after the crash , said that a young deputy was displaying gruesome crash scene photos at the Baja California Bar & Grill in Norwalk .
For weeks , the leadership of the Sheriff ’ s Department tried to keep a lid on the episode instead of following normal investigative protocols — even after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photos .
After it was reported publicly , Villanueva acknowledged that he ordered the deputies to delete the photos , a move that some inside the department as well as legal experts said could amount to destruction of evidence .
He said he launched an investigation , which he asked the Office of the Inspector General to monitor .
Last month , the office requested a list of documents and information , including the identity of any personnel who displayed or saw the photographs as well as those involved in deciding how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought information about the cellphones with which the photos were taken , stored or displayed , and the call and text history for all cellphones of employees on the scene .
Villanueva responded in a letter that his investigators “ will maintain full control of the investigation and all information discovered until completion.
” He added that the inspector general ’ s office would continue to get weekly updates until the investigation was complete .
Villanueva said earlier this week that the internal affairs investigation was “ getting near its conclusion ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not answer questions about how many deputies are under investigation , for what policy violations and what discipline those violations carry .
Huntsman said in his subpoena request that county attorneys need reliable information about Villanueva ’ s conduct to appropriately respond to Vanessa Bryant ’ s claim .
According to the claim , Villanueva “ personally assured ” Vanessa Bryant that deputies were securing the crash site to ensure her privacy .
“ In reality , however , no fewer than eight sheriff ’ s deputies were at the scene snapping cellphone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and coaches , ” said the claim , which is a precursor to a lawsuit .
“ As the department would later admit , there was no investigative purpose for deputies to take pictures at the crash site .
Rather , the deputies took photos for their own personal purposes.
” The claim also states the department ’ s response to the scandal has been “ grossly insufficient.
” “ Mrs .
Bryant was distressed to learn that the department did not initiate a formal investigation until after the L.A. Times broke the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document said five deputies and three trainees or reserve deputies took or shared photos of the scene .
The claim alleges that the deputies who took and shared the photos are liable for negligence , intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of her right to privacy .
The others who perished in the crash were Bryant ’ s 13-year-old daughter , Gianna ; Christina Mauser ; Payton and Sarah Chester ; John , Keri and Alyssa Altobelli and pilot Ara Zobayan .
Coroner ’ s officials Friday said each died of blunt @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-15--DeVos funnels coronavirus relief funds to favoured private and religious schools

WASHINGTON—Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is using the $ 2 trillion ( U.S. ) coronavirus stabilization law to throw a lifeline to education sectors she has long championed , directing millions of federal dollars intended primarily for public schools and colleges to private and religious schools .
The Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security Act , signed in late March , included $ 30 billion for education institutions turned upside down by the pandemic shutdowns , about $ 14 billion for higher education , $ 13.5 billion to elementary and secondary schools , and the rest for state governments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that money to encourage states to create “ microgrants ” that parents of elementary and secondary school students can use to pay for educational services , including private school tuition .
She has directed school districts to share millions of dollars designated for low-income students with wealthy private schools .
And she has nearly depleted the 2.5 per cent of higher education funding , about $ 350 million , set aside for struggling colleges , to bolster small colleges — many of them private , religious or on the margins of higher education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graduate University for the Realization of Human Potential , a private college in Wisconsin that has a website debunking claims that it is a cult , was allocated about $ 495,000 .
All of the colleges could apply for the funds or reject them , and Wright officials said the school did not claim the funds .
Bergin University of Canine Studies in California said its $ 472,850 allocation was a “ godsend.
” “ I think we are one of the most important educational institutions out there right now , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is credited with inventing the service dog .
On the Senate floor this week , Sen. Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , the minority leader , accused DeVos of “ exploiting congressional relief efforts.
” He said she had been “ using a portion of that funding not to help states or localities cope with the crisis , but to augment her push for voucherlike programs , a prior initiative that has nothing to do with COVID-19.
” House Democrats included language in a stimulus bill set for a vote Friday that would limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 58 billion in additional education relief for K-12 school districts for private schools .
Congress has largely rejected DeVos ’ proposals to create programs that resemble private school vouchers , and public education groups say DeVos is abusing discretion granted to her under the emergency legislation to achieve a long-held agenda .
“ And it only took a pandemic , ” said Sasha Pudelski , the advocacy director at the AASA , the School Superintendents Association .
The Education Department called the accusation “ absurd.
” But in a statement , the department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been affected by the pandemic .
“ The current disruption to our education system has reaffirmed what Secretary DeVos has been saying for years : We need to rethink education for all students , of every age , no matter the type of school setting , ” it said .
DeVos has long held that taxpayer funds should be available for private school tuition , giving parents the chance to escape failing public schools and public education competition to drive improvement .
A spokesman for Republican members of the House Education Committee defended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are likely multiple ways the secretary could have interpreted this broadly written law , the language the appropriators wrote gave her the flexibility to implement it as she has done.
” The most contentious move is guidance that directs school districts to increase the share of dollars they spend on students in private schools .
Under federal education law , school districts are required to use funding they receive for their poorest students to provide “ equitable services , ” such as tutoring and transportation for low-income students attending private schools in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should use their emergency funding , which was doled out based on student poverty rates , to support all students attending private schools in their districts , regardless of income .
Her guidance comes as elementary and secondary education groups lobby Congress for billions of additional dollars to lift students out of the educational crisis caused by the pandemic .
In big cities , which serve the most vulnerable students , district leaders are projecting budget shortfalls of up to 25 % because of collapsing tax revenues , said the Council of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the nation ’ s large urban districts .
Its member districts said they could be forced to lay off 275,000 teachers .
In New York City , Chancellor Richard Carranza told City Council members Tuesday that the school district was facing “ the most horrific budget ” it had ever seen .
The federal Education Department said if school districts were to count only poor students , “ they would be placing nonpublic school students and teachers at a disadvantage that Congress did not intend.
” “ It ’ s sad , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own financial interests ahead of the needs of all students and teachers , ” the department said .
Educators are pleading with the department to revise or rescind the guidance .
In Montana , school officials estimate that compliance would shift more than $ 1.5 million to private and home schools , up from about $ 206,469 that the schools are due under current law .
In Louisiana , private schools would receive at least 267 per cent more funding , and at least 77 per cent of the relief allocation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a letter state that education chiefs sent to DeVos .
The Newark Public Schools in New Jersey would lose $ 800,000 in federal relief funds to private schools , David Sciarra , the executive director of the Education Law Center , said in a letter to the governor of New Jersey asking him to reject the guidance .
Pennsylvania ’ s education secretary , Pedro Rivera , protested to the department that under the guidance , 53 per cent more money would flow “ from most disadvantaged to more advantaged students ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rural districts like Northeast Bradford would see a 932 per cent increase .
“ School districts can — and should — ignore this guidance , which flouts what Congress intended to do with the CARES Act : support students who need it the most , ” said Randi Weingarten , president of the American Federation of Teachers , and Daniel A. Domenech , executive director of AASA .
Indiana has announced it would not enforce the guidance .
In a memo , its superintendent of public instruction , Jennifer McCormick , a Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the funds are distributed according to congressional intent and a plain reading of the law.
” “ I will not play political agenda games with COVID relief funds , ” she said on Twitter .
Private school educators say that they have always been included in emergency relief funding , including for Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy , and this situation should be no different .
Sister Dale McDonald , director of public policy and educational research at the National Catholic Educational Association , said that many of its schools would need to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be shored up .
At least 100 member schools are at risk for not reopening at all .
“ In an emergency , kids shouldn ’ t have to prove they ’ re poor to get what they need to continue their education , ” McDonald said .
A competition announced by DeVos in which states can vie for tens of millions of dollars either to create statewide virtual schools or offer “ microgrants ” is drawing fire for mirroring voucher programs that help parents pay for services outside the public school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit virtual education companies that DeVos has personally invested in .
Rep. Robert Scott , D-Va. , chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor , said the competition ’ s point system was weighted in favour of rural areas and voucher-friendly states rather than those most affected by the coronavirus .
“ This program design is indistinguishable from a standard voucher scheme and is the latest attempt by this department to promote privatization initiatives against both the wishes of the American people , and the intent of Congress , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been cheered by champions of school choice .
“ They are smart to take advantage of the lag and lack of disciplined delivery of education , ” said Jeanne Allen , the chief executive of the Center for Education Reform .
“ We don ’ t have any choice but to make parents and families the unit of education right now.
” Trish Stevens , who has a special-needs daughter , said a program in Arizona that was much like the microgrant proposal had been “ life changing ” for her child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 150-an-hour speech therapy and $ 250-an-hour tutors .
“ It ’ s like the Wild West of education right now , ” she said , “ and we ’ re all just trying to figure it out.
” DeVos is also under fire from college educators for disbursing millions of dollars to hundreds of small colleges that may not need it .
The coronavirus relief law set aside about $ 350 million for schools that demonstrated “ significant unmet needs related to expenses associated with coronavirus.
” The department was supposed to prioritize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 500,000 from other categories of higher education funding .
Instead , DeVos used the money to ensure that small schools received $ 500,000 each .
That meant outsize per-pupil allocations at several private schools and religious institutions with as few as 50 students while some public community colleges received as little as $ 500 a student .
Ben Miller , vice-president for post-secondary education at the liberal Center for American Progress , said the allocations came as large public colleges were “ rationing ” and community colleges “ starve.
” Aaron Profitt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at God ’ s Bible School and College in Ohio , said the school did not plan to claim its allocation because it was getting by on small donations .
DeVos had criticized elite colleges that received stimulus funding they did not apply for and had urged schools to reject money they did not need .
“ Of course , when you get a letter from the Department of Education giving you money , you start thinking about all the good things you can do , ” Profitt said .
“ But when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intention was not to do all the good things you could do but try to meet needs .
We are trying to co-operate with the law as written .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-15--Texas justices block plan to allow mail vote for virus fears

AUSTIN , Texas - The Texas Supreme Court on Friday blocked a lower-court order that had allowed residents to vote by mail if they cite concerns about catching the coronavirus at polling places .
Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton petitioned the court for the stay after an appeals court upheld a lower-court ruling last month that lifted restrictions on mail-in voting .
The stay prevents county election officials from formally taking mail-in ballot applications from voters afraid of coronavirus exposure , which they can do beginning 60 days before an election .
Texas held its primary in March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the high court would hear arguments and issue a final ruling before Election Day in November .
Voting by mail in Texas is generally limited to those 65 or older or those with a “ sickness or physical condition ” that prevents voting in person .
Paxton petitioned the Republican-dominated high court after officials in some predominantly Democratic areas approved measures to would allow voters to claim a disability and request mail-in ballots if they are worried about getting sick at polling places .
County officials and Texas Democrats cast Paxton ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election and an ongoing voting case .
The attorney general ’ s request contends officials in counties that include Dallas , Houston , Austin , El Paso and the border community of Brownsville have broadened eligibility to vote by mail beyond what the Legislature intended .
The ruling comes as the virus has deepened the partisan divide over mail-in voting , with President Donald Trump claiming it is ripe for fraud and Democrats embracing the practice as the safest way to vote during the pandemic .
“ Protecting the integrity of elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacred obligations , “ Paxton said in a statement .
” The Legislature has carefully limited who may and may not vote by mail .
The Travis County trial court ’ s decision to allow everyone to vote by mail is contrary to state law and will be reversed on appeal .
I am pleased that today the Texas Supreme Court confirmed that my office may continue to prosecute voter fraud and issue guidance on mail-in ballots while that appeal plays out.
” Conversely , Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy.
” “ The Republican Texas Supreme Court is wrong to force the people of Texas to choose between their health and their right to vote , “ Hinojosa said in a statement .
” They would have Texans die , just so they can hold on to power .
Voters should have the ability to vote-by-mail during a pandemic if they feel their health is in danger .
... We will continue to fight like hell to protect every eligible Texan ’ s right to vote and have their voices heard by @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Obama criticizes virus response in online graduation speech

WASHINGTON - Former President Barack Obama on Saturday criticized U.S. leaders overseeing the nation ’ s response to the coronavirus , telling college graduates in an online commencement address that the pandemic shows many officials “ aren ’ t even pretending to be in charge.
” Obama spoke on “ Show Me Your Walk , HBCU Edition , ” a two-hour event for students graduating from historically black colleges and universities broadcast on YouTube , Facebook and Twitter .
His remarks were unexpectedly political , given the venue , and touched on current events beyond the virus and its social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything , this pandemic has fully , finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they ’ re doing , ” Obama said .
“ A lot them aren ’ t even pretending to be in charge.
” Later Saturday , during a second televised commencement address for high school seniors , Obama panned “ so-called grown-ups , including some with fancy titles and important jobs ” who do “ what feels good , what ’ s convenient , what ’ s easy.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ so screwed up , ” he said .
Obama did not name President Donald Trump or any other federal or state officials in either of his appearances .
But earlier this month , he harshly criticized Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic as an “ absolute chaotic disaster ” in a call with 3,000 members of his administrations obtained by Yahoo News .
The commencement remarks were the latest sign that Obama intends to play an increasingly active role in the coming election .
He has generally kept a low profile in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even as Trump has disparaged him .
Obama told supporters on the call that he would be “ spending as much time as necessary and campaigning as hard as I can “ for Joe Biden , who served as his vice-president .
As he congratulated the college graduates Saturday and commiserated over the enormous challenges they face given the devastation and economic turmoil the virus has wrought , the former president noted the February shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery , 25 , who was killed while jogging on a residential street in Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country , “ Obama said .
” We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities , just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn ’ t submit to their questioning.
” “ Injustice like this isn ’ t new , “ Obama went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that so much of your generation has woken up to the fact that the status quo needs fixing , that the old ways of doing things don ’ t work.
” In the face of a void in leadership , he said , it would be up to the graduates to shape the future .
“ If the world ’ s going to get better , it ’ s going to be up to you , “ he said .
It is a perilous time for the nation ’ s historically black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggled with less funding and smaller endowments than their predominantly white peers and are now dealing with the financial challenges of the coronavirus .
Even at the better-endowed HBCUs , officials are bracing for a tough few years .
Obama ’ s message to high school students came at the end of an hourlong television special featuring celebrities , including LeBron James , Yara Shahidi and Ben Platt , and was less sharp-edged than his speech to the college graduates .
He urged the young graduates to be unafraid despite the current challenges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be part of a diverse community .
“ Leave behind all the old ways of thinking that divide us — sexism , racial prejudice , status , greed — and set the world on a different path , “ Obama said .


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Restaurants and racing can resume, but new rules abound

NEW ORLEANS - Restaurants can reopen in New Orleans , a city famous for its cuisine , but they must take reservations and limit the number of diners .
Auto and horse racing tracks in New York can resume competitions but without spectators .
Officials cautiously eased more restrictions Saturday on eateries , shops and outdoor venues as they tried to restart economies without triggering a surge in new coronavirus infections .
But the reopenings came with new rules designed to curb the spread of the disease — another indication that the familiar ways of dining out or watching sporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health experts warn that the pandemic , which has killed more than 88,000 people in the U.S. and 300,000 worldwide , could pick up again if precautions are not taken or officials move too quickly to get people back to work .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said horse racing tracks and the Watkins Glen International auto track can reopen with “ no crowds , no fans.
” He also said he could envision a return of Major League Baseball in New York , the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak , also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economically , that would be great , ” he said .
The governor has let large parts of upstate New York start reopening by allowing certain businesses such as construction to operate under safety guidelines .
But most residents — particularly in hard-hit areas closer to New York City — remain under tight restrictions as communities try to reduce infection rates and amass enough testing and tracing to reopen in coming weeks or months .
Cuomo also announced that residents of suburban Westchester and Suffolk counties , two of the nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eligible for elective surgeries and ambulatory care .
New York ’ s ban on all nonessential gatherings is still in effect .
New Orleans took its first steps to loosen restrictions that have been in place for two months , one day after the rest of Louisiana did the same .
The city is restricting buildings to 25 % of capacity , like the rest of the state , but also requires restaurants , nail salons and other businesses to take customers by reservation .
The city has capped the number of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theatres at fewer than 100 .
Malls and retail stores can reopen , but casinos , video poker , live entertainment and bars are still closed .
Some restaurateurs decided to try reopening .
Others planned to stick to takeout or stay closed all together .
Kirk Estopinal , one of the owners of Cane & Table in the French Quarter , planned to open Saturday .
Guests are supposed to order their food when they make a reservation online and are asked to wear masks .
Cleaning will be stepped up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We ’ re going to trial run what it is to operate in the new normal , ” he said .
“ We ’ re looking at a restaurant experience that is almost touch-less for our guests.
” Jennifer Weishaupt , chief executive of the Ruby Slipper Cafe , said the company reopened in New Orleans , Metairie and Baton Rouge .
Business was not as busy as anticipated , possibly because of bad weather .
“ We had some folks standing in line before we opened at 8 a.m. , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ re cautiously optimistic , ” she added .
“ We ’ ve had a steady stream of customers , and we ’ ve seen a lot of regulars and it ’ s been nice to reconnect with them.
” In California , more parks and hiking trails welcomed visitors again in a second phase of reopening in which businesses deemed lower risk are allowed to operate with retailers offering curbside pickup .
Similar steps took place around the world as infections declined in many cities and countries .
Australians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in weeks Saturday , but the reopening of restaurants , pubs and cafes came with distancing and capacity rules and a warning : Don ’ t overdo it .
“ The message is , yes , appreciate all the efforts , appreciate the opportunity to release some of those measures , but let ’ s not have a party , let ’ s not go to town , ” said Tony Bartone , president of the Australian Medical Association .
Germany ’ s top soccer league resumed season play with what fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no spectators in the stands and players warned to keep their emotions in check and desist from spitting , handshakes and hugging .
In New Zealand , even Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her fiance , Clarke Gayford , were initially turned away for brunch by a restaurant in the capital , Wellington , because it was too full under coronavirus guidelines .
There was a happy ending : A spot freed up , and staff chased down the street to call the couple back .
Italy ’ s tourism industry is focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional and international borders reopen , allowing the first prospect of tourists since Europe ’ s first lockdown went into place in early March .
In tourist-reliant Venice , occupancy of the city ’ s 50,000 hotel beds has hovered around zero ever since .
“ Venice lives on tourism , period , ’ ’ said Claudio Scarpa , head of the city ’ s hotel association .
’ ’ All the economic structures that operate in the city , including the port , are tied to tourism.
” France was also cautious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on opening .
At the same time , officials could make decisions “ that protect the French ” regarding countries “ where the virus is still active , ” Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Saturday .
As hundreds of beaches reopened , Castaner warned that the government would not hesitate to close them again if rules are not respected .
Local authorities were charged with deciding which beaches would reopen as part of a staggered plan to end a strict two-month lockdown that began March 17 .
Under the rules , beachgoers can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or picnic .
Social distancing must be maintained , and groups must be limited to 10 people .
“ The virus is still there , ” Castaner said .
“ It moves around with our movements.
” In Milan , Italy ’ s financial capital , 3,400 restaurants planned to open Monday , along with 4,800 bars , 2,900 hairdressers , 2,200 clothing stores and 700 shoe shops .
“ After a long period at home , we will all want to go out and have a good coffee in a bar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy a pair of jeans or go to the hairdressers , ” Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said Saturday in a Facebook video .
Many restaurant owners complained that the rules for reopening were unclear and that the entire sector — including suppliers and food producers — was suffering .
Dozens protested outside Milan ’ s main train station and called for an abolition of taxes and more help .
In England , officials and tourism boards discouraged people from visiting popular spots like beaches or parks on the first weekend since the lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in other parts of the U.K. , and English daytrippers have been warned against crossing into Scotland or Wales .
Spain ’ s prime minister , Pedro Sánchez , said he would ask Parliament for what he hopes will be the last extension of a state of emergency to battle the pandemic , until around late June .
The country is slowly scaling back confinement measures , but tourism , which accounts for 12 % of GDP , looks set to lose its critical summer season .
“ Spain needs tourism , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security .
It needs health guarantees.
” Villeneuve reported from Albany , New York .
Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed to this story .

Rebecca Santana And Marina Villeneuve - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--China faces angry world seeking virus answers at key WHO meeting

CANBERRA , AUSTRALIA—At the first meeting of the World Health Organization ’ s governing body since COVID-19 stormed the globe , China is set to be challenged on two of its most sensitive issues : the Communist Party ’ s initial handling of the virus and the status of Taiwan ’ s participation .
While the U.S. has launched a daily barrage of attacks on China , including suggesting the virus escaped from a laboratory in the central city of Wuhan , the European Union and Australia are set to play a key role pushing for a probe into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Assembly — the WHO ’ s decision making body — gathers Monday for an annual meeting in Geneva .
A U.S.-backed bloc is also pushing for Taiwan , whose handling of the virus has been a rare success story , to attend the meeting as an observer .
The move — aimed at strengthening Taiwan ’ s official and unofficial diplomatic relationships — has angered China , which views the island as a province and has long sought to isolate it on the world stage .
The showdown reflects a broader geopolitical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against China , whose authoritarian system has come under scrutiny in the wake of a pandemic that has killed more than 300,000 people and devastated the global economy .
The U.S. has suspended funding for the WHO , claiming it ’ s biased toward China , and even suggested setting up an alternative body .
Yet for all the noise , most analysts expect China to command support from a large swathe of the nearly 200 countries taking part in the assembly that need good relations with the world ’ s second-biggest economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any effort to replace the WHO is also unlikely to gain traction .
“ As much as the WHO has struggled and been the subject of criticism in this crisis , any replacement would look remarkably similar to what we have today , ” said Natasha Kassam , a former Australian diplomat in China who is now a research fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney .
“ It is hard to imagine an effective global health institution that excluded China , and it ’ s hard to imagine the United States making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Still , the anger in some parts of the world over China ’ s response to the pandemic is still fresh , and will likely play out this week .
Apart from an initial coverup , the world has become increasingly upset with China ’ s heavy-handed response to any criticism .
Australia in particular has felt the heat from Beijing , which threatened a boycott of its goods and also suspended meat imports from four processing plants for “ technical ” reasons .
The government in Canberra called the boycott threats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t backed down on its calls for a virus probe .
“ You can ’ t let the trail go cold , ” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on May 8 .
“ And I think Australia and the United States and the United Kingdom and countries all around the world would like to know what happened , because we don ’ t want to see it happen again.
” While the EU was still working out the wording of the proposal in the run-up to the assembly , the European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling for “ an independent review on lessons learned from the international health response to the coronavirus.
” Australia has said that could happen through the WHO ’ s Health Emergencies Program , which was set up after the Ebola crisis in 2014 , and the International Health Regulations Review Committee , which assessed the response to the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 .
The building acrimony has also made more countries willing to pressure China on Taiwan , which is a red line for authorities in Beijing .
President Tsai Ing-wen ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pitch to be included in the proceedings this week , saying it needs access to firsthand information about the spread of the disease .
The WHO has said its Ethiopian director-general , Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , has no mandate to offer Taiwan an invitation to the assembly because there is “ no clear support ” among member states .
He in April had accused Taiwan of being behind a racist campaign against him and Africans in general — a charge that Taipei rejected as “ slander.
” A proposal backed by 13 member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a call on whether Taiwan can attend .
China has blocked Taiwan ’ s participation in the organization since the independence-leaning Tsai was elected in 2016 and refused to accept that both sides belong to “ one China.
” The U.S. is “ determined ” to see Taiwan participate in the meetings as an observer , with a spokesperson at the U.S. Mission in Geneva saying that lessons from its successful experience fighting COVID-19 “ would be of significant benefit to the rest of the world.
” “ The People ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be shared , no doubt to avoid uncomfortable comparisons , ” the spokesperson said .
For its part , Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said it “ firmly rejects ” countries ’ proposal to invite Taiwan to attend the assembly , and has also blasted the call for an independent probe into the virus origin as “ political manoeuvring.
” “ Certain countries insisted on discussing proposals involving Taiwan to politicize a public health issue , ” Zhao said Friday .
“ This consequence can only severely interfere with the progress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” China is confident that the majority of countries won ’ t allow Taiwan to participate as an observer , and Beijing would “ never ” allow an independent investigative team inside its borders , said Shi Yinhong , an adviser to China ’ s cabinet and also a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing .
“ It ’ s becoming clear that China ’ s basic stance is to reject criticism , and focus on the efforts it has made in the global fight , ” Shi said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t change , hence posing a sharp opposition to the voices accusing its coverup and claiming accountability.
” Legally , there ’ s no provision in the WHO ’ s constitution , resolutions or rules of procedure that would prevent the WHO director-general from inviting Taiwan to the assembly as an observer , said Julian G. Ku , a distinguished professor of constitutional law at Hofstra University who studies China ’ s relationship with international law .
Since nobody is asking the WHO to invite Taiwan as a member state or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , the body ’ s citation of a 1971 United Nations decision recognizing Beijing is “ irrelevant , ” he said .
Still , a majority of assembly members are likely to block Taiwan ’ s participation , according to Kharis Templeman , an adviser to the Project on Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific at Stanford University ’ s Hoover Institution .
“ It ’ s just a fact of international politics now that most countries aren ’ t willing to risk their relationship with the PRC to take symbolic actions in support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referring to China ’ s formal name .
“ As long as Beijing makes countries choose between them , Taiwan is going to lose .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-16--Tropical depression forms, storm watch issued for N Carolina

MIAMI - A low pressure system just off the coast of Florida became a tropical depression Saturday , prompting forecasters to issue a tropical storm watch for a portion of the North Carolina coast .
In an 8 p.m. update , the National Hurricane Center said the storm was located about 175 miles ( 280 km ) northeast of Melbourne , Florida .
It has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph ( 55 kph ) .
The storm , which has been named Tropical Depression One , is moving to the northeast at 14 mph ( 22 kph ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ same track , which means the tropical depression will be offshore , but parallel to , the east coast of Florida .
After that , the track is less clear .
“ The system should gradually strengthen during the next couple of days as it remains over the Gulf Stream current and in relatively low wind shear conditions , ” the NHC wrote .
But because the surrounding air isn ’ t “ particularly moist , ” it likely won ’ t significantly intensify , meteorologists said .
Local forecasters in the Bahamas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Grand Bahama and Abaco , which are still struggling to recover after being hit by a Category 5 hurricane last year .
However , no flooding has been reported as the depression swirls just northwest of the archipelago and is expected to head into open ocean as it strengthens .
Officials said they were prepared to evacuate patients currently housed in tents in Grand Bahama after Hurricane Dorian damaged the island ’ s hospital , but forecasters said the bulk of thunderstorms are located north and east of the depression and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rains are possible in North Carolina on Monday , and dangerous coastal surf conditions and rip currents are expected to spread northward from Florida to the mid-Atlantic states during the next few days .
A tropical storm warning was issued for parts of North Carolina ’ s coast , from north of Surf City to Duck , including Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds .
Danica Coto in San Juan , Puerto Rico , contributed to this report