thetorontostar--2020-07-22--US labs buckle amid testing surge; world virus cases top 15M

WASHINGTON - Laboratories across the U.S. are buckling under a surge of coronavirus tests , creating long processing delays that experts say are undercutting the pandemic response .
With the U.S. tally of confirmed infections at nearly 4 million Wednesday and new cases surging , the bottlenecks are creating problems for workers kept off the job while awaiting results , nursing homes struggling to keep the virus out and for the labs themselves as they deal with a crushing workload .
Some labs are taking weeks to return COVID-19 results , exacerbating fears that people without symptoms could be spreading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolate while they wait .
“ There ’ s been this obsession with , ‘ How many tests are we doing per day ?
’ ” said Dr. Tom Frieden , former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
“ The question is how many tests are being done with results coming back within a day , where the individual tested is promptly isolated and their contacts are promptly warned.
” Frieden and other public health experts have called on states to publicly report testing turnaround times , calling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
The testing lags in the U.S. come as the number of people confirmed to be infected worldwide passed a staggering 15 million , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
The U.S. leads the world in cases as well as deaths , which have exceeded 142,000 .
New York , once by far the U.S. leader in infections , has been surpassed by California , though that is partly due to robust testing in a state with more than twice the population of New York .
Guidelines issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus restrictions have a testing turnaround time of under four days .
The agency recently issued new recommendations against retesting most COVID-19 patients to confirm they have recovered .
“ It ’ s clogging up the system , ” Adm. Brett Giroir , assistant health secretary , told reporters last week .
Zachrey Warner knows it all too well .
The 30-year-old waiter from Columbus , Ohio , was sent home from work on July 5 with a high fever a few days after he began feeling ill .
He went for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his employer .
Almost two weeks and one missed pay period later , he finally got his answer Wednesday : negative .
Though Warner said most symptoms — including fever , diarrhea , chest tightness and body aches — stopped a few days after he was tested , he wasn ’ t allowed to return to work without the result .
It was “ frustrating that I ’ ve missed so much work due to testing taking forever , “ Warner said .
“ It is what it is ... ( but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m negative and happy to be able to get back to work this week.
” Beyond the economic hurt the testing lags can cause , they pose major health risks , too .
In Florida , which reported 9,785 new cases and a rise in the death toll to nearly 5,500 , nursing homes have been under an order to test all employees every two weeks .
But long delays for results have some questioning the point .
Jay Solomon , CEO of Aviva in Sarasota , a senior community with a nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results were taking up to 10 days to come back .
“ It ’ s almost like , what are we accomplishing in that time ?
” Solomon said .
“ If that person is not quarantined in that 7-10 days , are they spreading without realizing it ?
” Test results that come back after two or three days are nearly worthless , many health experts say , because by then the window for tracing the person ’ s contacts to prevent additional infections has essentially closed .
“ The turnaround times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long , ” Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force said on Fox .
Birx said the U.S. had shorter turnaround times in April , May and early June , but that “ this surge and this degree of cases is so widespread compared to previously , ” she said .
Dr. Leana Wen , a public health professor at George Washington University said it ’ s reasonable to tell people awaiting test results to isolate for 24 hours , but the delays have been unacceptable .
“ Imagine you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-isolate for 10 days or more without knowing they actually have COVID ?
I mean , that ’ s ridiculous .
That ’ s actually absurd , ” Wen said .
U.S. officials have recently called for ramping up screening to include seemingly healthy Americans who may be unknowingly spreading the disease in their communities .
But Quest Diagnostics , one of the nation ’ s largest testing chains , said it can ’ t keep up with demand and most patients will face waits of a week or longer for results .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut down on tests from low-priority individuals , such as those without symptoms or any contact with someone who has tested positive .
As testing has expanded , so have mask orders and other measures aimed at keeping infections down .
Ohio , Indiana , Minnesota and Oregon became the latest to announce statewide mandatory mask orders Wednesday .
The U.S. is testing over 700,000 people per day , up from less than 100,000 in March .
Trump administration officials point out that roughly half of U.S. tests are performed on rapid systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or in hospitals , which typically process tests in about 24 hours .
But last month , that still left some 9 million tests going through laboratories , which have been plagued by limited chemicals , machines and kits to develop COVID-19 tests .
There is no scientific consensus on the rate of testing needed to control the virus in the U.S. , but experts have recommended for months that the U.S. test at least 1 million to 3 million people daily .
Health experts assembled by the Rockefeller Foundation said last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing 30 million Americans per week by the fall , when school reopenings and flu season are expected to further exacerbate the virus ’ s spread .
The group acknowledged that will not be possible with the lab-based testing system .
The National Institutes of Health has set up a “ shark tank ” competition to quickly identify promising rapid tests and has received more than 600 applications .
The goal is to have new testing options in mass production by the fall .
Until then , the backbone of U.S. testing remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capable of processing thousands of samples per day .
Many say they could be processing far more tests if not for global shortages of testing chemicals and other materials .
Dr. Bobbi Pritt of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester , Minnesota , says the hospital ’ s machines are running at just 20 % capacity .
Lab technicians run seven different COVID-19 testing formats , switching back and forth depending on the availability of supplies .
At Emory University Hospital in Atlanta , lab workers lobby testing manufacturers on a weekly basis to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ materials .
“ There ’ s no planning ahead , we just do as many as we can and cross our fingers that we ’ ll get more , ” said Dr. Colleen Kraft , who heads the hospital ’ s testing lab .
This story has been corrected to show that the CDC has issued guidelines recommending against repeat testing for patients recovering from coronavirus .
Webber reported from Fenton , Michigan , and Sedensky reported from Philadelphia .
Associated Press writers Kelli Kennedy in Fort Lauderdale , Florida , Michelle R. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Medical Writer Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Matthew Perrone, Tammy Webber And Matt Sedensky - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--Mississippi politico, civil rights figure Charles Evers dies

JACKSON , Miss .
- Charles Evers , who led an eclectic life as a civil rights leader , onetime purveyor of illegal liquor in Chicago , history-making Black mayor in deeply segregated Mississippi and contrarian with connections to prominent national Democrats and Republicans , died Wednesday .
He was 97 .
Evers — who was the older brother of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers — died of “ natural causes ” at a home in the Jackson , Mississippi , suburb of Brandon , where he was surrounded by relatives , Rankin County Coroner David Ruth told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of death was not the coronavirus , and no autopsy is planned .
Charles and Medgar Evers both served in the military during World War II , and they became active in the NAACP when they returned to their home state of Mississippi and continued to face discrimination .
Medgar Evers had been field secretary for the Mississippi NAACP for more than eight years when he was assassinated outside his Jackson home in June 1963 .
In 1968 , a former fertilizer salesman and self-avowed white supremacist , Byron De La Beckwith , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but all-white juries deadlocked and did not convict him .
The case was later revived , and a jury of eight African Americans and four white people convicted Beckwith of murder in 1994 .
The Mississippi Supreme Court upheld that conviction in 1997 .
“ Before , the killer of a Black man would go free .
Now we know you just can ’ t go out and kill a Black man or woman and nothing is done , ” Charles Evers said after that Supreme Court decision .
“ Justice finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead the Mississippi NAACP after his brother was killed .
In 1969 , he was elected mayor of the southwestern Mississippi town of Fayette , becoming the first Black mayor of a multiracial town in the state since Reconstruction .
During his long career , Charles Evers ran several businesses in Chicago and Mississippi .
A Mississippi Blues Trail marker commemorates his career as a concert promoter with blues legend B.B .
King , and it notes that Charles Evers was once in the bootleg liquor business .
In his office at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ displayed photos of himself with two former Republican presidents , Richard Nixon and George W. Bush ; and with Democrat Robert F. Kennedy .
As the U.S. attorney general , Robert Kennedy sat with Charles Evers at the funeral of Medgar Evers .
Charles Evers worked on Robert Kennedy ’ s 1968 presidential campaign and with with him the day Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles .
Evers was among the passengers on the plane that took Kennedy ’ s body from Los Angeles to New York .
Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Charles Evers was one of his favourite people , with a career that “ covered the spectrum from his roguish youth to a respected civil rights leader , mayor , businessman and radio host.
“ “ Charles Evers was never afraid to challenge the accepted norms or fly in the face of political correctness , ” Wicker said .
“ As an elected official , he navigated the circuitous route from Freedom Democrat to Independent to Republican .
...
He used his powerful personality and platform to change Mississippi for the better.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. House seat as a Democrat in 1968 .
He served on the Democratic National Committee in the mid-1970s .
He ran as an independent for Mississippi governor in 1971 and for a U.S. Senate seat in 1978 .
Although he lost those elections , Evers influenced the outcome of the Senate race by drawing support away from the Democratic candidate .
That led to a victory by Republican Thad Cochran , who later became chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee and remained in the Senate until early 2018 .
Evers endorsed Ronald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1996 and 2000 .
He publicly supported Democrat Barack Obama for president in 2008 and 2012 .
Then , after the 2016 presidential election , Evers cast one of Mississippi ’ s six electoral votes for Republican Donald Trump .
Trump on Tuesday tweeted a photo of Evers sitting with him in the White House .
“ I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend Charles Evers , ” Trump wrote .
“ Charles was a trail blazer in politics and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medgar , for Civil Rights.
” On the day Evers cast the electoral vote for Trump , he described himself as an “ independent Republican.
” “ I ’ m a great believer in earning something .
Democrats always want to give away something , ” Evers said after the electors voted .
He said he is a longtime supporter of Trump .
“ He ’ s a multimillionaire , ” Evers said .
“ I like rich folks .
Can ’ t nobody buy him .
”

Emily Wagster Pettus - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-07-22--Mexico’s president dismissive of wearing mask in pandemic

MEXICO CITY - Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Wednesday downplayed the importance of wearing face masks during the pandemic , calling his treasury secretary ’ s assertion that using them would be a factor in reactivating the economy “ disproportionate.
” López Obrador had never been seen publicly wearing a mask until he flew to Washington earlier this month to meet with President Donald Trump .
“ If a mask was an option for the economy ’ s reactivation , I ’ d put one on immediately , ” López Obrador said Wednesday .
“ But it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recommendations of the doctors , of the scientists.
” The World Health Organization recommends the wearing of masks among other measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
At age 66 , López Obrador also falls into an at-risk group of people who should wear masks .
Mexico continued to report high transmission rates Wednesday , with 6,019 newly confirmed cases , for a cumulative total of 362,274 infections .
The Health Department also reported 790 more deaths , bringing the total so far in the pandemic to 41,190 , the fourth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 45,586 .
On Tuesday , Treasury Secretary Arturo Herrera said in a virtual meeting with a national business council that countries that have taken a more ordered approach and precautions in reactivating their economies had been more successful than others that suffered new outbreaks and had to lock down again .
Herrera himself had been earlier infected with COVID-19 and recovered .
On Wednesday , Herrera was sitting behind López Obrador when he spoke and he asked the president to let him clarify his comments from the day before .
He said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analogy ” to explain to business owners that measures have to be taken to safely operate now .
Among such measures are masks and he pulled out his own .
López Obrador returned to the podium and pronounced : “ It ’ s safe distance and freedom.
” He then proceeded to commend Mexicans for being careful and to criticize recent stories in the press that highlight the number dead in countries with presidents who don ’ t wear masks , including Mexico , the United States and Brazil .
Trump tweeted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and yesterday conceded that they had an impact .
López Obrador continued travelling around Mexico for weeks , wading into crowds like usual , after Mexico confirmed its first COVID-19 infection Feb. 28 .
He has generally downplayed the pandemic ’ s threat and pushed to reopen Mexico ’ s economy .
“ It ’ s not just the mask , ” he said .
“ It has to do with a number of factors of all kinds.
” On Wednesday , the Health Department reported that COVID-19 has now become the leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico and those who have recently given birth , accounting for 19 % of such deaths .
A total of 2,842 infections have been confirmed among pregnant women and those who have recently given birth , resulting in 83 deaths .
The agency said 88 % per cent of the infections were confirmed during pregnancy and 12 % after giving birth .


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--AP-NORC poll: Very few Americans back full school reopening

BOSTON - Virtual instruction .
Mandated masks .
Physical distancing .
The start of school will look very different this year because of the coronavirus — and that ’ s OK with the vast majority of Americans .
Only about 1 in 10 Americans think daycare centres , preschools or K-12 schools should open this fall without restrictions , according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs .
Most think mask requirements and other safety measures are necessary to restart in-person instruction , and roughly 3 in 10 say that teaching kids in classrooms shouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ findings are a sharp contrast to the picture that President Donald Trump paints as he pressures schools to reopen .
Trump said Wednesday that he would be “ comfortable ” with his son Barron and grandchildren attending school in person this fall .
“ I would like to see the schools open , “ he told reporters .
Few schools , however , plan to return to business as usual .
Many of the nation ’ s largest school districts have announced that they ’ ll be entirely virtual in the fall or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in classrooms only a couple of days a week .
The poll finds only 8 % of Americans say K-12 schools should open for normal in-person instruction .
Just 14 % think they can reopen with minor adjustments , while 46 % think major adjustments are needed .
Another 31 % think instruction should not be in person this fall .
It ’ s little different among the parents of school-age children .
The poll also shows Americans feel the same about colleges and universities reopening this fall .
Americans show little confidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues .
Only 36 % say they approve of Trump ’ s performance , while 63 % disapprove .
But a stark political divide on opening schools suggests many Republicans are taking cues from the president .
About 9 in 10 Democrats say requiring students and staff to wear masks is essential to reopening , while only about half of Republicans say the same .
Democrats are roughly twice as likely as Republicans to say schools should use a mix of in-person and virtual instruction to reduce the number of students in buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patty Kasbek , of Bartlesville , Oklahoma , said she desperately wants her two children , ages 5 and 10 , to return to school .
After months at home , the family is stressed and anxious .
But with the virus surging , she doesn ’ t see a safe way to reopen .
“ School shouldn ’ t even be considered right now , ” said Kasbek , 40 .
“ We need to get this under control before we play with the virus .
It ’ s just too dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guinea pigs.
” Her local school district is planning to reopen with new safety measures , she said , but she ’ s opting to enrol her children in a virtual school .
She isn ’ t as worried about her own health but fears that reopening schools could spread the virus to others .
“ I just see it going very badly , and I ’ m very , very worried for the teachers , “ said Kasbek , who considers herself a Democrat .
The poll finds a majority of Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very or extremely concerned that reopening schools will lead to additional infections in their communities ; another 24 % are somewhat concerned .
Some , however , see little risk .
James Rivers , of Ramsey , Minnesota , said schools should reopen without protective measures against the virus .
Rivers , a Republican , says Trump is doing a “ fine job ” and will have his vote in November .
“ I think it should be just business as usual , ” said Rivers , 54 .
“ Yes , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it any more deadly than the common flu ?
I don ’ t think so.
” Rivers , who does not have school-age children , said parents who fear the virus can home school .
“ As for everybody else who isn ’ t afraid of a virus that has a less than 2 % chance of being fatal , send your kid back to school .
Let ’ s get it done , ” he said .
Majorities say it is essential that buildings be disinfected daily , temperature checks and face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apart if schools are to reopen .
And 6 in 10 think a mix of in-person and virtual instruction is necessary , to limit the number of students inside at one time .
Some of the nation ’ s largest districts , including New York City ’ s schools , plan to use that model .
But Education Secretary Betsy DeVos says that fails students and taxpayers , arguing that students should be in the classroom every day .
In his campaign to reopen schools , Trump argues that Democrats oppose it for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut federal funding for schools that fail to reopen fully .
The White House has said he wants to work with Congress to tie future relief funding to reopening .
He argues that other countries have reopened schools safely , although some he cites have used the hybrid model that DeVos decried .
The Trump administration also has argued that it ’ s not just about academics .
Students need access to meal programs and mental health services , it says .
But Trump ’ s demands put him at odds with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for releasing school guidelines that he said were too tough .
The poll finds about half of parents saying they are at least somewhat concerned about their child losing services like school lunches or counselling because of the pandemic .
More say they are worried about their child falling behind academically : 55 % are very concerned , with another 21 % somewhat concerned .
A majority of parents , 65 % , are at least somewhat concerned about their own ability to juggle responsibilities .
Jimmy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Georgia , thinks schools should reopen with safety measures that local officials think are necessary .
Still , La Londe , who considers himself a Republican , said keeping schools closed will only hurt students and anger taxpayers .
“ They have to keep the momentum , they have to keep people used to going to school , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t think you can stop school forever.
“ Fingerhut reported from Washington .
Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC ’ s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel , which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population .
The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points .

Collin Binkley And Hannah Fingerhut - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--Joe Biden calls Trump the country’s ‘first’ racist president

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden said Wednesday that President Donald Trump was the country ’ s “ first ” racist president .
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee ’ s comments came during a virtual town hall organized by the Service Employees International Union .
When a questioner complained of racism surrounding the coronavirus outbreak and mentioned the president referring to it as the “ China virus , ” Biden responded by blasting Trump and “ his spread of racism.
” “ The way he deals with people based on the colour of their skin , their national origin , where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the former vice-president said .
“ No sitting president has ever done this .
Never , never , never .
No Republican president has done this .
No Democratic president .
We ’ ve had racists , and they ’ ve existed .
They ’ ve tried to get elected president .
He ’ s the first one that has.
” Biden also suggested that Trump is using race “ as a wedge ” to distract from his mishandling of the pandemic .
Many presidents — including the nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
President Woodrow Wilson , the country ’ s 28th president , is having his name removed from Princeton University ’ s public policy school after recent protests against institutional racism and police brutality .
Wilson , who served in the early 20th century , supported segregation and imposed it on several federal agencies .
At a White House briefing later Wednesday , Trump responded to a question about Biden ’ s comments by pointing to his administration ’ s efforts passing criminal justice reform legislation and expanding opportunity zones , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups before the coronavirus outbreak .
“ I ’ ve done more for Black Americans than anybody with the possible of exception of Abraham Lincoln , “ the president said .
“ Nobody has even been close.
” Katrina Pierson , a senior adviser for Trump ’ s reelection campaign , said in a statement that ” no one should take lectures on racial justice from Joe Biden.
“ Biden has vowed that , if elected , he will begin addressing institutional racism within his first 100 days of taking office .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s suggested Trump ’ s actions were racist .
Biden has built his campaign around the election being a “ battle for the soul of the nation ” and says he felt compelled to run for president after he saw Trump respond to a deadly 2017 white supremacist attack on counterprotesters in Charlottesville , Virginia , by saying there were “ some very fine people “ on both sides .
When Trump said last year that four Democratic congresswomen of colour should “ go back ” to their countries , Biden called it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--Trump deploys more federal agents under ‘law-and-order’ push

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will send federal agents to Chicago and Albuquerque , New Mexico , to help combat rising crime , expanding the administration ’ s intervention into local enforcement as he runs for reelection under a “ law-and-order ” mantle .
Using the same alarmist language he has employed to describe illegal immigration , Trump painted Democrat-led cities as out of control and lashed out at the “ radical left , “ which he blamed for rising violence in some cities , even though criminal justice experts say it defies easy explanation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a radical movement to defund , dismantle and dissolve our police department , ” Trump said at a White House event , blaming the movement for “ a shocking explosion of shootings , killings , murders and heinous crimes of violence.
“ “ This bloodshed must end , “ he said .
“ This bloodshed will end.
” The decision to dispatch federal agents to American cities is playing out at a hyperpoliticized moment when Trump is grasping for a new reelection strategy after the coronavirus upended the economy , dismantling what his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second term .
With less than four months until Election Day , Trump has been warning that violence will worsen if his Democratic rival Joe Biden is elected in November and Democrats have a chance to make the police reforms they have endorsed after the killing of George Floyd and nationwide protests demanding racial justice .
Crime began surging in some cities like Chicago , New York and Philadelphia when stay-at-home orders lifted .
Criminal justice experts seeking answers have pointed to the unprecedented moment : a pandemic that has killed over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass reckoning over race and police brutality , intense stress and even the weather .
Compared with other years , crime in 2020 is down overall .
The plan Trump announced Wednesday expands an existing program that sent hundreds of federal agents to Kansas City , Missouri , after a 4-year-old boy ’ s shooting death to help quell a record rise in violence .
Sending federal agents to help localities is not uncommon ; Attorney General William Barr announced a similar surge effort in December for seven cities with spiking violence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 Department of Homeland Security Investigations officers who generally conduct drug trafficking and child exploitation investigations , in addition to personnel under the Justice Department umbrella .
DHS officers have already been dispatched to Portland , Oregon , and other localities to protect federal property and monuments as Trump has lambasted efforts by protesters to knock down Confederate statutes .
Local authorities there have complained that agents have exacerbated tensions on the streets , while residents have accused the government of violating their constitutional rights .
Indeed , civil unrest escalated after federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in unmarked cars without probable cause .
Since the racial justice protests began , Trump ’ s campaign has leaned heavily into a pledge to maintain “ law and order “ as it has tried to tie Biden to a small group of radicals and anarchists it claims is trying to destabilize America ’ s cities and rewrite history .
The campaign believes the push can help Trump by drumming up support from suburban and older voters who may be rattled by violent images , which have been broadcast often by conservative media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lori Lightfoot , who had initially blasted the news , said the U.S. attorney ’ s office will supervise the additional agents joining existing federal law enforcement offices .
“ If those agents are here to actually work in partnership on support of gun violence and violent cases , plugging into existing infrastructure of federal agents , not trying to play police in our streets , then that ’ s something different , ” she said , while also accusing the president of trying to distract from scrutiny of the federal response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic elected officials had cautioned Trump against sending in federal agents , with U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich calling on Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales to resign for attending the White House event .
“ Instead of collaborating with the Albuquerque Police Department , the Sheriff is inviting the President ’ s stormtroopers into Albuquerque , ” Heinrich said in a statement .
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf drew a distinction between the mission in Portland — to protect federal property — and the surges in Kansas City , Chicago and Albuquerque to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be getting millions of dollars for new officers , and the Justice Department will reimburse Chicago $ 3.5 million for local law enforcement ’ s work on the federal task force .
In Kansas City , the top federal prosecutor said any agents involved in an operation to reduce violent crime in the area will be clearly identifiable when making arrests , unlike what has been seen in Portland .
Hundreds of extra agents have been sent .
“ These agents won ’ t be patrolling the streets , ” U.S. Attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t replace or usurp the authority of local officers.
” Operation Legend — named after 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro , who was fatally shot while sleeping in a Kansas City apartment last month — was announced July 8 .
“ My one and only child who fought through open heart surgery at four months is gone due to senseless gun violence , “ LeGend ’ s mother , Charon Powell , said at the White House .
” Children are supposed to be our future and our son didn ’ t make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foody in Chicago , Michael Balsamo in Washington and Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report .
This story has been corrected to delete an incorrect reference to more than 200 arrests being made in Kansas City ; that figure includes arrests going back to December 2019 .

Colleen Long And Jill Colvin - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--First hurricane of the season forms in eastern Pacific

MEXICO CITY - The first hurricane of the eastern Pacific season formed far from land Wednesday .
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Douglas was centred about 1,785 miles ( 2,870 kilometres ) east-southeast of Hilo , Hawaii , Wednesday morning with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph ( 120 ’ kph ) .
It was moving to the west at 15 mph ( 24 kph ) .
That track would carry it toward Hawaii on Sunday or Monday , but forecasters said it was likely to weaken back to a tropical depression by that point .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Atlantic and the centre said it was expected to become a hurricane by Thursday .
As of Wednesday evening , Gonzalo was centred about 1,110 miles ( 1,785 kilometres ) east of the southern Windward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph ( 85 kph ) .
It was heading west at 14 mph ( 22 kph ) .
The Hurricane Center said that interests in the Windward Islands should monitor the storm .
Gonzalo ’ s strengthening breaks a record set by Tropical Storm Gert , which formed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year , Cristobal , Danielle , Edouard and Fay also set records for being the earliest named Atlantic storms of their respective place in the alphabet .


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--California moves past NY, now tops in nation for virus cases

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - A record one-day total of newly confirmed coronavirus cases gave California more than 415,000 since the pandemic began , sending it past New York for the most in the country , data from Wednesday showed .
California ’ s cases have climbed rapidly in the last month , punctuated by the 12,807 recorded Tuesday , while New York ’ s have fallen to less than 1,000 per day .
California ’ s overall total is about 6,000 more than New York ’ s , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
The surge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its economy was reopened in May and early June following nearly three months under the nation ’ s first statewide stay-at-home order that forced most businesses to close and restricted where people could go .
Statewide , hospitalizations have nearly doubled in the past month to more than 7,100 patients .
Coronavirus patients in intensive care have risen 71 % over the same time frame to more than 2,000 patients .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom and health officials have blamed the increase on people — many of them younger adults — gathering with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or maintaining social distancing .
At the end of June , Newsom began reimposing shutdowns .
Bars and inside dining are again forbidden statewide and tougher restrictions — including bans on indoor religious services and in-person instruction at schools and closures of indoor malls and gyms — have been imposed on virtually every large county and some small ones where the outbreak is most severe .
Officials say it ’ s still too soon to know if the new restrictions will adequately slow the spread of the virus .
Meantime , the lure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends to gather for barbecues and pool parties despite pleas from public health officials to stay home .
“ I know it ’ s hard , ” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday .
“ I know it ’ s a sacrifice , especially on beautiful summer days .
But I ’ m asking people to stay home as much as possible .
Avoid gathering with people you don ’ t live with.
” New York still has by far the most coronavirus-related deaths in the country with more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California ’ s tally of about 7,900 .
New York ’ s rate of confirmed infections of about 2,100 per 100,000 people is twice California ’ s rate .
With nearly 40 million residents , California is the most populous state in the country by a wide stretch .
New York has 19.5 million residents .
Newsom said it wasn ’ t surprising California would eventually have the most cases .
He added , however , that it is “ a sober reminder of why we are taking things as seriously as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faster than public health officials can track it , it ’ s impossible to know the true extent of the virus ’ s reach in the United States .
Federal government data published Tuesday found that reported and confirmed coronavirus cases vastly underestimate the true number of infections , echoing results from a smaller study last month .
Testing supplies were so scarce at the start of the pandemic that many people had it and recovered without ever getting checked to see if they had the disease .
Antibody surveys in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as many as 1 in 5 people in the city had the disease , which would be about 1.6 million people .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study said true COVID-19 rates were more than 10 times higher than reported cases in most U.S. regions from late March to early May .
It is based on COVID-19 antibody tests performed on routine blood samples in 16,000 people in 10 U.S. regions .
In California , Los Angeles County and its 10 million residents remain a virus hot spot .
County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , raising the total to 4,213 as the number of confirmed cases soared past 164,800 .
County hospitals had 2,207 patients , marking the fourth day in a row of hospitalizations exceeding 2,200 people .
A state watch list of counties with increasing number of cases grew to 35 on Wednesday as officials added rural Butte County to the list .
The Northern California county was devastated by a 2018 wildfire that destroyed most of the town of Paradise .
Counties on the watch list for three consecutive days trigger a new round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at hair and nail salons .
The renewed restrictions now apply to more than 85 % of the state ’ s population , fueling fears of a more job losses in a state where more than 8 million people have applied for unemployment benefits .
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti had warned the situation in LA has become so tenuous that a virtual lockdown may be needed .
But he softened that stance Wednesday , saying no additional closures are planned and pointing to promising early signs of improvement .
Notably , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how quickly the virus is spreading person to person has fallen to 0.94 , meaning every person who has it is on average giving it to fewer than one other person .
The rate had been above 1 , a signal that cases would be increasing .
“ Please , please , please don ’ t back up to where we were , “ he told residents in a televised update Wednesday , urging them to wear masks , keep their distance and refrain from social gatherings .
This story has been corrected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York deaths is 32,250 , not 72,302 , and that the New York death toll is four times higher than California ’ s toll , not eight times .
Associated Press writer John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed to this report .

Kathleen Ronayne And Adam Beam - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--Anchorage mayor to impose new restrictions amid virus cases

JUNEAU , Alaska - The mayor of Anchorage is limiting gathering sizes and the number of people allowed in bars , restaurants and entertainment venues in response to rising coronavirus cases .
The order , by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz , takes effect Friday and says that due to a “ resurgence ” in cases there is a need for increased restrictions on public interactions “ to preserve health and save lives in our community.
” Of the 92 new resident cases statewide reported by the Alaska health department Wednesday , 42 were from the Municipality of Anchorage , which also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are experiencing exponential growth at this time , ” Anchorage Health Department Director Natasha Pineda said Wednesday , noting in part the average daily rate of cases based on a seven-day average .
She said there is widespread community transmission .
Berkowitz ’ s order bars indoor gatherings of more than 25 people .
Outdoor gatherings involving food and drink can have no more than 50 people , with some exceptions , such as farmers ’ markets , where distancing is maintained and onsite eating is discouraged , and drive-in events , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicles and food or other goods are not passed between vehicles .
Bars and nightclubs will be limited to 25 % of maximum building occupancy .
Restaurants and breweries will be held to 50 % of their indoor capacity and outside areas limited to table service with tables at least 10 feet apart .
Indoor entertainment and recreation venues , including gyms and theatres , will be limited to 50 % capacity , the order states .
The order also includes visitor log requirements and requires businesses to help health officials inform customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workplace .
Managers of hotels and other places of lodging will be required to regularly inform employees if the properties are housing individuals in quarantine or isolation due to travel , potential exposure or a COVID-19 diagnosis , and provide proper cleaning and protective supplies to employees .
The names of any such individuals are to be kept confidential , the order states .
Berkowitz said he hopes people take this “ in the spirit that it ’ s offered and the spirit that it ’ s offered is , we need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health of this community .
We need to do what we can by coming together to make sure that businesses are able to operate.
” He said there are plenty of issues to fight or be political about .
“ This is not one of them , ” he said .
The new restrictions come on top of an existing order from Berkowitz mandating use of face coverings in certain indoor public settings .
The state has reported 2,132 cases of COVID-19 involving residents and 487 involving nonresidents .
Nineteen deaths related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new case involving a Fairbanks woman in her 80s with pre-existing conditions , the state reported Wednesday .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--Man charged with 1973 killing of California girl dies

SANTA ANA , Calif. - A Colorado man charged with strangling an 11-year-old California girl in 1973 died Wednesday at an Orange County hospital , authorities said .
James Neal of Monument , Colorado , was being held at the maximum-security Theo Lacy Facility in Orange , but the 73-year-old was transferred to a hospital in May because of an illness , according to a statement from the county Sheriff ’ s Department .
It didn ’ t state the nature of his illness .
He was pronounced dead at 5:15 a.m. “ There are no suspicious circumstances and no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The inmate was not exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 , “ the statement said .
Neal was charged with killing Linda O ’ Keefe in Newport Beach .
The girl vanished in July 1973 while walking home from summer school .
She was last seen talking to a stranger in a van .
The next day , she was found strangled , her body tossed in a ditch , authorities said .
Neal , then known as James Albert Layton Jr. , was living with his family in the Newport Beach area at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortly after the killing and changed his name , authorities said .
In addition to murder , Neal was charged with committing lewd and lascivious acts on two girls under age 14 .
Authorities say those crimes happened between 1995 and 2004 in Riverside County east of Los Angeles .
He pleaded not guilty in March .
“ The pursuit of justice is never-ending , and in this case the hunt for a child rapist and murderer lasted more than 46 years and transcended generations of law enforcement officers , ” Orange County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
“ The death of James Neal prior to putting him on trial for Linda ’ s rape and murder robs the O ’ Keefe family of the justice they so deserve and deprives the law enforcement officers of the satisfaction that they finally got their culprit.
” Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said he hoped that the long efforts of investigators to find the girl ’ s killer “ have been able to bring a measure of closure to Linda ’ s family , friends , and loved ones .
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thetorontostar--2020-07-22--Oregon urges judge to rein in US agents deployed in Portland

PORTLAND , Ore. - Attorneys for Oregon argued Wednesday for a restraining order against federal agents deployed to quell protests in Portland — a standoff that some legal experts have warned could lead to a constitutional crisis in an election year .
A federal judge heard arguments from the state and the U.S. government in a lawsuit filed by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum , who accuses federal agents of arresting protesters without probable cause , whisking them away in unmarked cars and using excessive force .
Federal authorities have disputed those allegations .
The lawsuit is part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal agents to Portland and announcing they ’ d also be going to Chicago and Albuquerque , New Mexico , to fight rising crime , a move that ’ s deepening the country ’ s already considerable political divide .
Democratic mayors of 15 cities condemned the use of the agents in a letter to the U.S. attorney general .
The court hearing focused on the actions of more than 100 federal agents responding to protests outside Portland ’ s Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse , which has been a target for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injustice following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police .
The motion for a temporary restraining order asks U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman to command agents from the Department of Homeland Security , the Customs and Border Patrol , the Federal Protective Service and the U.S .
Marshals Service to immediately stop detaining protesters without probable cause , to identify themselves and their agency before arresting anyone , and to explain why an arrest is taking place .
During the hearing — held by videoconference because of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agents have the right to defend the courthouse but argued that they had overstepped .
Rosenblum , the state attorney general , said she was asking the court to “ declare it not acceptable for federal officers to use unconstitutional , police state-type acts to detain citizens of Oregon without cause.
” David Morrell , an attorney for the U.S. government , called the motion “ extraordinary ” and told the court it was based solely on “ a few threadbare declarations ” from witnesses and a Twitter video .
“ The Hatfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , calling the protests “ dangerous and volatile.
” It ’ s not clear when Mosman will rule , but he challenged the state on whether it had the standing to ask for the restraining order .
The judge noted that past legal decisions have required a state to establish a very high bar — “ quasi-sovereign interest ” — to successfully sue the U.S. government .
Attorneys for Oregon contended they had met that bar because the actions of the federal agents could erode residents ’ trust in all law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Morrell , the U.S. government attorney , disputed that , saying successful lawsuits usually involved issues that affected many people , not “ highly individual interests ” like the arrests .
The lawsuit is one of several filed over authorities ’ response to the Portland protests .
On Thursday , a judge will hear arguments in a legal challenge that the American Civil Liberties Union filed on behalf of journalists and legal observers who say they were targeted and attacked by Portland police while documenting demonstrations .
A freelance photographer covering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affidavit that he was beaten with batons , chemical irritants and hit with rubber bullets .
U.S. Judge Michael Simon previously ruled that journalists and legal observers are exempt from police orders requiring protesters to disperse once an unlawful assembly has been declared .
Federal lawyers say that journalists should have to leave when ordered .
The Portland City Council on Wednesday banned city police from co-operating with federal agents or knowingly arresting reporters or legal observers .
Meanwhile , a fence went up around the federal courthouse , where protesters and federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly tried to break into the building and set fires around it , and the federal agents drove them back with tear gas and stun grenades , police said .
Far from tamping down the unrest in Portland , the presence of federal agents has energized the nightly protests .
Mayor Ted Wheeler ’ s office said he would attend the protests Wednesday night and there would be “ some form of dialogue ” with the demonstrators .
The Democrat has vocally opposed the federal presence in Portland but has still faced harsh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including fellow council members , have accused him of not reining in local police , who used tear gas before federal agents arrived .
Others , including business leaders , have condemned him for not bringing the situation under control .
One group that has been prominent in the protests , the Pacific Northwest Youth Liberation Front , told the mayor to stay away .
The use of federal agents against the wishes of local officials — and the threat that it might be done elsewhere — was deepening the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a constitutional crisis months ahead of the presidential election .
The standoff could escalate after Trump announced Wednesday that he would be sending federal agents to combat crime in Chicago and Albuquerque , New Mexico , which are both led by Democrats .
The mayors of Chicago , Portland and other Democratic-led cities objected to such deployments and called them politically motivated in a letter to Attorney General William Barr and Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf .
Federal authorities have defended their response , saying officials in Oregon had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop the vandalism against the the U.S. courthouse and violence against federal officers .
Wolf said Tuesday that agents have been assaulted with lasers , bats , fireworks , bottles and other weapons .
While he said federal agencies have made 43 arrests since July 4 , he disputed they were done by unidentified agents , noting they have the word “ police ” on their uniforms .
Among the protesters was Maureen Healy , who joined a march Monday as people sang songs and chanted the names of Black lives lost .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ line of authorities wearing camouflage and dark outfits advance on the crowd .
Protesters retreated , and Healy said she heard bangs , saw smoke and was struck by a projectile .
She went to the hospital with a black eye , a cut to her face and a possible concussion .
“ I was protesting peacefully , so why did federal troops shoot me in the head ?
” asked Healy , 52 , who is chairwoman of the history department at Lewis & Clark College .
Associated Press writers Sara Cline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Long and Ben Fox in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--House votes to remove Confederate statues from Capitol

WASHINGTON - The House has approved a bill to remove statues of Gen. Robert E. Lee and other Confederate leaders from the U.S. Capitol , as a reckoning over racial injustice continues following the police killing of George Floyd , a Black man , in Minneapolis .
The House vote also would remove a bust of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney , the author of the 1857 Dred Scott decision that declared African Americans couldn ’ t be citizens .
The bill directs the Architect of the Capitol to identify and eventually remove from Statuary Hall at least 10 statues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the commanding general of the Confederate Army , and Jefferson Davis , the Confederate president .
Three statues honouring white supremacists — including former U.S .
Vice-President John C. Calhoun of South Carolina — would be immediately removed .
“ Defenders and purveyors of sedition , slavery , segregation and white supremacy have no place in this temple of liberty , “ House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said at a Capitol news conference ahead of the House vote .
The House approved the bill 305-113 , sending it to the Republican-controlled Senate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana , joined with 232 Democrats to support the bill .
Hoyer , a Democrat , co-sponsored the measure and noted with irony that Taney was born in the southern Maryland district Hoyer represents .
Hoyer said it was appropriate that the bill would replace Taney ’ s bust with another Maryland native , the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall , the high court ’ s first Black justice .
The House vote comes as communities nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with statues .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi last month ordered that the portraits of four speakers who served the Confederacy be removed from the ornate hall just outside the House chamber .
Rep. Barbara Lee , D-Calif. , said the statues honouring Lee and other Confederate leaders are “ deliberate attempts to rewrite history and dehumanize African Americans.
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The statues “ are not symbols of Southern heritage , as some claim , but are symbols of white supremacy and defiance of federal authority , “ Lee said .
“ It ’ s past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who committed treason against the United States in a concerted effort to keep African Americans in chains.
” Bills to remove the Taney bust and the statues of Confederate leaders have been introduced in the Senate , although they would require separate votes .
Even if legislation passes both chambers , it would need the president ’ s signature , and President Donald Trump has opposed the removal of historic statues elsewhere .
Trump has strongly condemned those who toppled statues during protests over racial injustice and police brutality following Floyd ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 2-foot-high marble bust of Taney is outside a room in the Capitol where the Supreme Court met for half a century , from 1810 to 1860 .
It was in that room that Taney , the nation ’ s fifth chief justice , announced the Dred Scott decision , sometimes called the worst decision in the court ’ s history .
“ What Dred Scott said was , Black lives did not matter , ’ ’ Hoyer said .
“ So when we assert that yes they do matter , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , the land of the free includes all of us.
’ ’ There ’ s at least one potentially surprising voice for Taney to stay .
Lynne M. Jackson , Scott ’ s great-great-granddaughter , says if it were up to her , she ’ d leave Taney ’ s bust where it is .
But she said she ’ d add something too : a bust of Dred Scott .
“ I ’ m not really a fan of wiping things out , “ Jackson said in a telephone interview this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president and founder of The Dred Scott Heritage Foundation , Jackson has seen other Taney sculptures removed in recent years , particularly in Maryland , where he was the state ’ s attorney general before becoming U.S. attorney general and then chief justice .
Calhoun , who served as vice-president from 1825-1832 , also was a U.S. senator , House member and secretary of state and war .
He died a decade before the Civil War , but was known as a strong defender of slavery , segregation and white supremacy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of the bill ’ s passage , along with two other white supremacists , former North Carolina Gov .
Charles Aycock and James Clarke , a former Arkansas governor and senator .
In the summer of 2017 , shortly after white nationalists gathered in Charlottesville , Virginia , to protest the removal of a statue of Lee , Baltimore ’ s mayor removed statues of Lee , Taney and others.A statue of Taney was removed from the grounds of the State House in Annapolis around the same time .
And a bust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside city hall in Frederick , Maryland .
Another Taney bust sits alongside all other former chief justices in the Supreme Court ’ s Great Hall , a soaring , marble-columned corridor that leads to the courtroom .
A portrait of Taney hangs in one of the court ’ s conference rooms .
Jackson said she believes that what memorials honouring figures like Taney need is context .
At the Capitol , the Taney statue sits in the “ place where the Dred Scott case was decided , ” but the fact he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Jackson said in suggesting a bust of Scott be added .
She had proposed a similar fix for the Taney statue in Annapolis .
In Congress , Taney ’ s bust was controversial from the start .
When Illinois Sen. Lyman Trumbull proposed its creation in 1865 , shortly after Taney ’ s death , he got into a heated debate with Massachusetts Sen. Charles Sumner , a fierce opponent of slavery .
“ Let me tell that senator that the name of Taney is to be hooted down the page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Sumner said .
” And an emancipated country will fasten upon him the stigma which he deserves.
” Funding for a Taney bust wasn ’ t approved until almost a decade later .
Today , near the Taney bust , inside the old Supreme Court chamber , there are also busts of the nation ’ s first four chief justices .
The first , John Marshall , is the only person to serve as chief justice longer than Taney and a revered figure in the law .

Matthew Daly And Jessica Gresko - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--Sierra Club apologizes for founder John Muir’s racist views

LOS ANGELES - The Sierra Club apologized Wednesday for racist remarks its founder , naturalist John Muir , made more then a century ago as the influential environmental group grapples with a harmful history that perpetuated white supremacy .
Executive Director Michael Brune said it was “ time to take down some of our own monuments ” as statues of Confederate officers and colonists are toppled across the U.S. in a reckoning with the nation ’ s racist history following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Muir , who founded the club in 1892 , helped spawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father of our national parks , ” figures prominently in what Brune called a “ truth-telling ” about the group ’ s early history .
“ He made derogatory comments about Black people and Indigenous peoples that drew on deeply harmful racist stereotypes , though his views evolved later in his life , “ Brune wrote on the group ’ s website .
“ As the most iconic figure in Sierra Club history , Muir ’ s words and actions carry an especially heavy weight .
They continue to hurt and alienate Indigenous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was born in Scotland , came to the U.S. as a young man and travelled and wrote extensively , romanticizing nature in breathless passages .
He emphasized the need to preserve the land but also disdained American Indians as dirty savages and Black people as lazy “ Sambos , ” a particularly offensive slur .
He also kept company with other early club members and leaders , such as Joseph LeConte and David Starr Jordan , who advocated for white supremacy and promoting the race through eugenics , which called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups , Brune said .
Until recent years , Muir ’ s legacy has been largely untarnished and focused on his conservation efforts , such as saving Yosemite Valley before it became a national park and preserving the world ’ s largest trees in what became Sequoia National Park .
But Richard White , a Stanford history professor , said Muir ’ s advocacy for wilderness has an inherent racial bias .
Muir ’ s image of pristine wilderness unshaped by humans only existed if native people weren ’ t part of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for thousands of years , Muir wrote that they “ seemed to have no right place in the landscape.
” American Indians needed to be removed in order to reinvent those places as untouched .
“ There is a dark underside here that will not be erased by just saying Muir was a racist , ” White said .
“ I would leave Muir ’ s name on things but explain that , as hard as it may be to accept , it is not just Muir who was racist .
The way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rightly prize was racist.
” Muir is so widely revered that his name appears across California on everything from schools to national monuments , one of the state ’ s highest peaks , a giant swath of scenic Sierra Nevada wilderness that is bisected by a trail in his name and a national historic site .
The discernible profile of Muir — with long beard , brimmed hat and walking stick gazing at Yosemite ’ s Half Dome — was stamped on the 2005 California quarter when the U.S. Mint was producing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alaska , where he travelled extensively , a glacier and an inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve are named for Muir , as likely is a mountain east of Anchorage .
You can ’ t walk into a national park gift shop without coming face-to-face with T-shirts , mugs and tchotchkes bearing one of his pithy — often overused — quotes , such as “ The mountains are calling and I must go.
” Revisiting Muir ’ s offensive remarks comes as environmental groups and the outdoor industry aim to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s death .
The killing of the Black man in May has sparked weeks of protests and led to calls to rename places named for Confederate officers and remove statues of historical figures who held slaves or colonized or exploited Native Americans .
Brune said the Sierra Club once excluded people of colour as it catered to middle- and upper-class whites .
He said the focus on preserving recreational lands once inhabited by Indigenous people who had been driven out by white settlers wilfully ignored the plight of minorities who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ For all the harms the Sierra Club has caused , and continues to cause , to Black people , Indigenous people , and other people of colour , I am deeply sorry , ” Brune wrote .
He pledged to hire a more diverse staff and invest in environmental and racial justice work .


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--White House, GOP agree to virus testing but aid bill shifts

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans and the White House reached tentative agreement late Wednesday for more testing funds in the next COVID-19 relief package , but deep disagreements over the scope of the $ 1 trillion in federal aid have forced a shift in strategy .
Facing a GOP revolt , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was preparing to roll out a “ handful ” of COVID-19 aid bills instead of a single package , according to a top lawmaker involved in the negotiations .
The legislation is now expected as soon as Thursday .
“ Very productive meeting , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a late session at the Capitol .
A key holdup remains President Donald Trump ’ s push for a payroll tax cut , according to a Republican granted anonymity to discuss the private talks .
Hardly any GOP senators support the idea .
Instead , McConnell and some Republicans prefer another round of direct $ 1,200 cash payments to Americans .
Mnuchin said the negotiators have agreed to an amount on direct payments , but declined to share details .
The rest of the legislation is taking shape even as key Senate Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is almost certain to grow .
There will be no new money for cash-strapped states and cities , which are clamouring for funds , but they will be provided with additional flexibility to tap existing aid funds .
Republicans propose giving $ 105 billion to help schools reopen and $ 15 billion for child care centres to create safe environments for youngsters during the pandemic .
The centerpiece of the GOP effort remains McConnell ’ s liability shield to protect businesses , schools and others from COVID-related lawsuits .
The bills will also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and retain workers , and to help shops and workplaces retool with new safety protocols .
Still unresolved is how to phase out the $ 600 weekly unemployment benefit boost that is expiring , starting Friday .
Republicans appear to be settling on $ 200 benefit that would ultimately be adjusted according to state jobless benefits rates .
The breakthrough on testing money , though , was key after days of debate between Republicans and the White House , showing a potential shift in the administration ’ s thinking about the importance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans wanted $ 25 billion but the Trump administration said the $ 9 billion in unspent funds from a previous aid deal was sufficient .
The two sides settled on adding $ 16 billion to the unspent funds to reach $ 25 billion , senators said .
Despite deep differences among Republicans , McConnell is trying to push forward with what he calls a “ starting point ” in negotiations with Democrats .
“ I think what the leader has decided he wants to do is to have a handful of bills now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe that comes together , ” Sen. Roy Blunt , R-Mo.
, told reporters at the Capitol .
Exasperated Democrats warned the GOP infighting with Trump is delaying needed relief to Americans during the crisis , with the U.S. pandemic death toll climbing past 142,000 .
With millions out of work and a potential wave of evictions ahead , the severity of the prolonged virus outbreak is testing Washington ’ s ability to respond .
Schools are delaying fall openings , states are clamping down with new stay-home orders and the fallout is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment and business uncertainty .
A new AP-NORC poll shows very few Americans want full school sessions without restrictions in the fall .
“ We ’ re hopeful we ’ ll be able to get there , ” McConnell told reporters earlier Wednesday .
Pressure is mounting as the virus outbreak deepens , and a $ 600 weekly unemployment boost and a federal eviction moratorium come to an end starting Friday .
But some GOP senators simply oppose big spending .
“ I just don ’ t see the need for it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters Wednesday .
Democrats , who already approved House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s more sweeping $ 3 trillion package two months ago , said time is running out for Trump and his GOP allies to act .
“ We ’ re still on the 20-yard line ?
” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said , referring to White House comments .
“ Where have the Republicans been ?
” The White House negotiators , Mnuchin and Mark Meadows , the president ’ s acting chief of staff , arrived late at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , senators did not discuss the package at Wednesday ’ s lunch .
Still , Meadows said other talks had progressed , pushing Republicans to “ the 35-yard line.
” As the Republicans battle over their priorities , Democrats warn they are wasting precious time .
“ We are just days away from a housing crisis that could be prevented , ” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass .
As Trump and his GOP allies are tangled over details , a stopgap measure may be needed to prevent the unemployment benefits from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow there to be a cliff in unemployment insurance given we ’ re still at about 11 % unemployment , ” said Sen .
Rob Portman , R-Ohio .
Portman ’ s bill to provide tax cuts to retool workplaces with safety features appears to be included .
Another Republican , Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa , has been pushing for child care funds .
Of the $ 105 billion for education , Republicans want propose $ 70 billion to help K-12 schools reopen , $ 30 billion for colleges and $ 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration wanted school money linked to reopenings , but in McConnell ’ s package the money for K-12 would likely be split between those that have in-person learning and those that don ’ t .
Sen. Marco Rubio , R-Fla. , said there will be another boost for small business lending in the Payroll Protection Program .
“ It ’ s going to be big , ” he said .
Mnuchin and Meadows made it clear during a private meeting Tuesday with Pelosi and Schumer that the White House was resisting Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , housing aid or money for cash-strapped states , according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private talks .
Republicans said some $ 150 billion allotted previously to state governments is sufficient to avert sweeping layoffs , and they said more housing protections are not needed .
Democrats are calling for $ 430 billion to reopen schools , bigger unemployment benefits and direct aid checks , and a sweeping $ 1 trillion for state and local governments .
They also want a fresh round of mortgage and rental assistance and new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sen. Mitt Romney , R-Utah , who opposes direct checks in favour of more targeted aid , lamented the White House ’ s handling of the crisis .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s been a great example for the world to see , ” he said .
“ We ’ re still struggling.
” Congress approved a massive $ 2.2 trillion aid package in March , the biggest of its kind in U.S. history .
Pelosi pressed on , passing her $ 3 trillion House bill in May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to “ pause ” new spending .


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--Southwest will test thermal cameras at Dallas Love Field

DALLAS - Southwest Airlines will test thermal cameras for spotting people with fevers beginning next month at the Dallas airport as it tries to convince people to fly during the coronavirus pandemic , officials said Wednesday .
The trial could run up to three months , but readings captured by the cameras won ’ t be linked to individual travellers , said officials with the city and the Dallas-based airline .
The trial will evaluate the cameras , where equipment should be placed , and how thermal screening would affect traffic flows at security checkpoints at Dallas Love Field .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ then decide on additional testing .
The airline did not say when readings could be tied to individuals .
A spokesman said that the airline will tell customers and employees about any changes to current procedures at the airport .
Scott Halfmann , the airline ’ s vice-president of safety and security , said the test “ could be an important , additional layer of precaution that Southwest can offer customers , ” which he said is especially important during the virus pandemic .
The Transportation Safety Administration is considering taking passengers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea , but health officials warn that it would not detect people who have COVID-19 but don ’ t show symptoms .
COVID-19 is the illness caused by the new coronavirus .
The city of Dallas owns Love Field , and Southwest controls most of the gates at its hometown airport .


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--MLB returns ball kids to lines after feedback from clubs

CHICAGO - It looks as if Christian Yelich is going to get some help .
Same for Aaron Judge and the rest of baseball ’ s corner outfielders .
Major League Baseball has adjusted its policy for bat-and-ball kids this summer , clearing the way for ball boys and girls to return to the foul lines during games .
It recently informed clubs of the change , along with a set of detailed guidelines covering what they are allowed to do at the ballpark .
Baseball had planned to play without bat-and-ball kids this summer because of the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handle the situation , that might have led to a little more physical activity for corner outfielders running over to get a foul ball off the field .
Not so much anymore .
Take it easy , Mookie Betts .
You , too , Juan Soto .
“ There ’ s some ballparks where there ’ s a lot of foul territory , so I think it has a bigger impact in some places than others , “ Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun said Wednesday .
“ The biggest thing I take away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of us , we ’ re grateful when MLB makes adjustments when there are things that we give them feedback on.
” While ball boys and girls are returning to the foul lines , baseball is staying with its plans to keep them out of the dugout area — covered in Section 5.2 in baseball ’ s operations manual for the 2020 season .
The last paragraph of Section 5.2 reads : “ The duties normally handled by bat boys/girls and ball boys/girls will be performed by existing Club staff and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff is available to perform those roles , the functions will not be available for the game ; provided , however , that Clubs must make staff available to provide umpires with new balls and to retrieve equipment discarded by a batter who reaches base.
” The ball boys and girls on the foul lines will wear masks and gloves .
They are required to stay at least 20 feet away from players , coaches , umpires and staff members .
They aren ’ t allowed to play catch with any on-field personnel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to place anything they touch into a club-supplied bucket or bag , which will be disinfected by a clubhouse worker after the game .
As baseball started ramping up for opening day this week , everything was being worked out .
“ I guess it goes under the fact that , hey , it ’ s a different year — we ’ re worried about who is taking the balls out to the umpire , ” Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly said .
“ Somebody has got to pick it up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a designated person to get equipment , because you don ’ t want a bunch of different people touching it , or players touching it , and not sharing resin or pine tar and all that stuff .
There are lots of protocols with that.
” Mattingly ’ s players might help him figure it out .
Left-hander Adam Conley said he thinks the team will have some fun with covering the responsibilities around the plate .
“ I don ’ t want to give the guys any ideas , but I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things like that , where if you lose you ’ ve got to do it — things like that , ” Conley said .
“ We ’ ll come up with something I ’ m sure.
” Grandal , a veteran catcher who agreed to a $ 73 million , four-year contract with the Chicago White Sox in November , made it sound as if his new team might follow a similar course .
He also thinks it might be a popular role at various points during the shortened 60-game season .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to have our own bat boy , which will be one of the players .
I can tell you that much , ” Grandal said .
“ Don ’ t know who it will be right now , but you never know , maybe it becomes one of those things that whoever ’ s the bat boy that day , the next day , he comes out and crushes .
So everybody is going to want to do it.
” AP Sports Writers Steven Wine , Steve Megargee and Howard Fendrich contributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be reached at https : //twitter.com/jcohenap


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--Buffalo DL Ed Oliver’s drunken driving, gun charges dropped

CONROE , Texas - Prosecutors on Wednesday dropped the drunken driving and illegal handgun charges against Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver , who had been arrested in May during a traffic stop in Houston ’ s northern suburbs .
The charges are dropped due to lack of evidence after blood test results showed no intoxication , said Kelly Blackburn , spokesman for the Montgomery County District Attorney ’ s Office .
No further prosecution was expected , he said .
“ It begs the question as to why he was arrested in the first place , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As for the gun charge , Patterson said in a statement to the Houston television station KRIV that it was automatically dismissed because it ’ s illegal to possess a pistol in a vehicle only if the person is intoxicated or if they get charged with another criminal act .
“ So when the DWI ( driving-while-intoxicated charge ) is dismissed , it ’ s not illegal to have a pistol with you , ” Patterson said .
The Bills posted a statement on Twitter , saying they were pleased with the ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We supported and worked with Ed throughout the off-season program , as it was a priority for us to allow the legal process to play out , ” the Bills said in the statement .
“ We appreciate Ed ’ s honesty and communication with us .
With his name cleared of all charges , he can now turn his full attention on the upcoming training camp and season.
” Oliver spent part of the past few days posting messages on his Twitter account updating his drive from Houston to Buffalo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start of training camp next week .
The Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable ’ s Office had said Oliver was arrested May 16 after deputies had received reports of someone driving recklessly in a construction area .
Oliver failed a field sobriety test and the deputies found a small-calibre pistol in his truck , according to the offence report .
Oliver is from Houston , where he also played his college career .


thetorontostar--2020-07-22--Winner of $10M lottery prize in 2017 charged with murder

SHALLOTTE , N.C. - A North Carolina man who won a $ 10 million lottery prize in 2017 has been arrested on a murder charge in the death of a woman whose body was found at a hotel .
The Shallotte Police Department charged Michael Todd Hill , 52 , of Leland , with murder after the body of 23-year-old Keonna Graham was found Monday in a hotel room in the Brunswick County town , according to news outlets .
Authorities did not immediately release additional details about the woman ’ s slaying .
Graham worked as a correctional officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina , according to a cousin , Antionette Lee .
Before that , Graham worked for a program for people with intellectual disabilities , Lee said .
“ She did all of this like it was second nature to her , ” said Lee , who described her cousin as a generous , loving and adventurous woman who enjoyed hiking and bicycle rides .
Graham lived in Navassa , North Carolina , with her mother , LaTrinda Graham , and a 10-year-old sister , Zoey .
Lee said Graham and her younger sister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are hurting .
We are in pain , ” Lee said .
“ Our family is devastated.
” Hill won $ 10 million from an Ultimate Millions scratch-off ticket in August 2017 , WECT-TV reported .
Hill was arrested Tuesday in Southport , North Carolina .
He was ordered held without bond at a Brunswick County jail after his initial court appearance .
The Brunswick County Sheriff ’ s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation assisted in the investigation .
The spellings of Brunswick County and of LaTrinda Graham have been @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-23--Biden, Obama pair in socially distanced video to decry Trump

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden and Barack Obama are stepping up their attacks on President Donald Trump and defending their own time in the White House in a new video depicting their first in-person meeting since the coronavirus outbreak began .
Snippets offered by Biden ’ s campaign showed the pair wearing masks while arriving at an office , then sitting down well apart from each other to observe social distancing for a bare-faced chat .
The full video will be posted on social media on Thursday , but teasers showed Biden and Obama discussing passing their administration ’ s signature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for stoking division and animosity among Americans from the moment he entered the 2016 presidential race .
They also were sharply critical of the Republican president ’ s efforts to combat a virus that has killed more than 140,000 Americans .
“ Can you imagine standing up when you were president and saying , ‘ It ’ s not my responsibility , I take no responsibility ’ ?
” Biden says , offering a line of attack similar to his recent campaign speeches when he asserted that Trump “ quit ” on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flag ” amid the pandemic .
“ Those words didn ’ t come out of our mouths while we were in office , ” Obama replies .
The former president largely stayed out of the once-crowded Democratic primary but endorsed Biden in April , when he was the last candidate standing .
Obama hosted a virtual fundraiser for his former vice-president last month that raised $ 7.6 million , the most of any Biden campaign event so far .
He warned then against Democrats becoming “ complacent and smug.
” The meeting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promoting it to voters — illustrates the larger role Obama is expected to play for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in the months before November .
In another excerpt , Biden refers to Trump launching his 2016 campaign at Trump Tower , saying , “ He ran by deliberately dividing people from the moment he came down that escalator , and I think people are now going , ‘ I don ’ t want my kid growing up that way.
’ ” Obama responds that he had confidence in Biden ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that you are going to be able to reassemble the kind of government that cares about people and brings people together.
” Another scene features Biden discussing the final months before his son Beau died of brain cancer and recalling thinking “ to myself , what would happen if his insurance company was able to come in — which they could have done before we passed Obamacare — and said , ‘ You have outrun your insurance.
’ ” Obama says , “ I couldn ’ t be prouder of what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have health insurance that didn ’ t have it because of what we did , ” the former president adds .
Eds : This story has been updated to correct final Obama quote to 20 million people receiving health insurance , not 20 million .


thetorontostar--2020-07-23--Saudi king, 84, undergoes surgery to remove gallbladder

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - Saudi Arabia ’ s King Salman underwent a successful surgery that removed his gallbladder , the kingdom said Thursday , just days after being admitted to hospital over an inflammation of the organ .
Surgeons at Riyadh ’ s King Faisal Specialist Hospital operated on the king , the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported , describing the procedure as a laparoscopic surgery — a low-risk procedure that usually involves only small incisions and a tiny camera to aid the surgeons ’ work .
The gallbladder , a small , pouch-like organ near the liver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed and is not critical for life .
Surgeons often take it out if it begins to bother a patient .
King Salman will remain at the hospital for some time to recover and be observed by doctors , the report said , citing a statement from the Saudi royal court .
The king thanked all his well-wishers , the report said .
King Salman has been in power since January 2015 .
He is considered the last Saudi monarch of his generation of brothers who have held power since the death of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , King Abdulaziz .
The king serves as an absolute monarch of Saudi Arabia , one of the world ’ s top oil producers and the site of the holiest sites of Islam .
His health remains a key factor watched by observers of the kingdom , as next in line to the throne is his assertive 34-year-old son , Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , who could rule for decades .
The crown prince ’ s ascension comes as King Salman has empowered him to make sweeping changes in the kingdom .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has granted women the right to drive and disempowered the country ’ s religious police , loosening mores in the ultraconservative Sunni kingdom .
However , Saudi Arabia has been widely criticized internationally over its conduct during its war in Yemen .
Potential political rivals have been imprisoned .
The assassination and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi in late 2018 also has been linked to the crown prince by Western intelligence services and U.S. lawmakers , further straining ties between the kingdom and the U.S. King Salman ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 91-year-old ruling emir left Thursday morning for the United States with the help of the U.S. government to seek further medical care after recently undergoing surgery himself .
It remains unclear what ails Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah , Kuwait ’ s ruler since 2006 .


thetorontostar--2020-07-23--VIRUS DIARY: Pandemic life, captured digitally (literally)

NEW YORK - In journalism , when we ’ re trying to explain a complicated story , we often start with raw data .
How many ?
How much ?
How long ?
How far ?
I decided to use this same approach to document my life during the lockdown .
I began working from home in mid-March .
Since then , I have left my one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan ’ s Washington Heights neighbourhood only for exercise and to buy groceries and other necessities .
As someone who is generally a homebody , lockdown really hasn ’ t been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you ’ re lucky enough to still have your job , lockdown has its opportunities .
You take up a new hobby , learn a new skill or get those projects done that you ’ ve been putting off .
Of course , you can also feel pangs of guilt for not taking full advantage of those opportunities .
I ’ ve done my share of that .
My Great American Novel remains unwritten .
Everyone ’ s lockdown story is a bit different .
Here are some of the numbers that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment to the park that marks the furthest limit of my travels since the lockdown began : 1/2 mile Number of times I ’ ve gone to that park : 5 Approximate area I have lived my life in since mid-March , in acres : 41 Number of times I ’ ve been in a car : 0 Number of times I ’ ve used any form of conveyance other than the elevator in my apartment building : 0 Approximate number of hours I spent each day commuting to and from my job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the April-May 2019 billing cycle : 103 Kilowatt hours I used in the April-May 2020 billing cycle , my first full month of working from home : 145 Kilowatt hours I used in the May-June 2019 billing cycle — the month that I typically start using the air conditioner : 174 Kilowatt hours I used in the May-June 2020 billing cycle , the first month that I worked from home while using the air conditioner : 352 Number of steps I took on an average day in 2019 : 5,092 Number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June 2020 : 1,162 Number of times I went to the gym between the time I joined in early January and when it closed in mid-March : 25 Number of pounds I lost during that time : 7.8 Number of pounds I ’ ve gained since then : 10.8 Number of times I ’ ve taken money out of an ATM : 1 Number of times I ’ ve used cash to pay for something other than to fill the card needed to operate the laundry machines in my apartment building : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series on the Black Death that I added to my Amazon Prime Video queue thinking it was a two- or three-part documentary : 24 Number of those half-hour lectures that I watched : 24 Rank of reading books among the leisure activities I hoped to do more of during lockdown : 1 Number of books I have purchased on my Kindle since lockdown began : 3 Number of those books I have read in their entirety : 1 Number of pairs of shoes that I own : 6 Number of cloth masks that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks I tried to make : 1 Number of those attempts that were successful : 0 Number of weeks I let my beard grow when the lockdown began : 7 Cost of a beard trimmer I bought on Amazon ( probably while I was watching the lecture series on the Black Death ) : $ 22.99 Number of times I used it to trim my beard : 1 Number of times I used it to shave off most of my beard before finishing the job with a razor : 1 Virus Diary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic through the eyes of Associated Press journalists around the world .
Dave Clark is the mobile editor at The Associated Press .
Follow him on Twitter at http : //twitter.com/dclark5


thetorontostar--2020-07-23--North Macedonia: top Albanian summoned on Kosovo war crimes

SKOPJE , Macedonia - The leader of the main ethnic Albanian party in North Macedonia said he has been invited to appear as a witness at the special international court on alleged crimes during and after the Kosovo ’ s 1998-1999 war , in which he fought .
Ali Ahmeti , leader of the Democratic Union for Integration party in North Macedonia where ethnic Albanians make up at least one-fourth of its 2 million population , posted on Facebook late on Wednesday that The Hague , Netherlands-based Special Prosecutor ’ s office “ invited me to testify as one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liberation Army ) and a member of the General Staff.
“ Ahmeti , a former KLA founder and member , said he had accepted the invitation “ and made constructive contact and co-operation with officials in The Hague.
” The Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor ’ s Office , which has international staff working under Kosovo law , is mandated to look into allegations that KLA members committed war crimes and crimes against humanity .
It has interviewed hundreds of KLA former fighters since early 2019 .
Last week , Kosovo President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in The Hague .
Thaci , former parliamentary speaker Kadri Veseli and still unidentified others have been charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes , including murder , enforced disappearances , persecution and torture during and after the 1998-1999 Kosovo war .
Both men have denied committing any crimes .
A pretrial judge hasn ’ t made a decision on whether to proceed with Thaci ’ s case .
It is still not clear when Ahmeti will testify in The Hague .
“ I am at the disposal of the justice institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberation war of the Albanian people before the genocide of ( Slobodan ) Milosevic ’ s Serb regime , ” Ahmeti wrote .
The fighting killed more than 10,000 people — most of them ethnic Albanian civilians — and 1,641 are still unaccounted for .
It ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbian troops .
Kosovo , which is dominated by ethnic Albanians , declared independence from Serbia in 2008 , which Belgrade doesn ’ t recognize .

Konstantin Testorides - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-23--French foreign minister urges Lebanon to resume IMF talks

BEIRUT - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian urged Lebanese politicians on Thursday to resume talks with the International Monetary Fund , saying they are the only way out of the country ’ s dire economic crisis .
Le Drian , the first Western official to visit Lebanon since the small country ’ s economy began to unravel last year , said concrete measures to undertake reforms have been long expected .
Only such measures would enable France , a major ally of the Mediterranean country , to help Lebanon .
After meetings with senior Lebanese officials , including Lebanon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Drian said the time is now critical and that the situation is very concerning .
“ What I want to tell those responsible in Lebanon today is , ‘ help yourselves and France and its partners will help you ’ , ” he said .
“ It is the key message of my visit.
” France , the former colonial power in Lebanon , is the leading Western nation involved in efforts to help the Lebanese economy out of its dire straits .
The solutions are well-known , Le Drian said , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its model of tolerance and openness in the region .
The crisis has deepened since the government defaulted on its sovereign debt in March , the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions that brought .
Talks with the IMF over an economic rescue plan have stalled .
Unemployment and poverty rates have reached new heights , while basic resources , such as fuel , have became scarce as the government ’ s resources dried up .
The IMF talks , which began in May , have stalled over disagreements between Lebanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move forward .
Lebanese officials hope successful IMF talks will open the way for $ 11 billion in aid pledged during a 2018 conference hosted by France .
“ There is no alternative to an IMF program that will allow Lebanon to get out of the crisis , ” Le Drian said .
“ France is ready to mobilize itself and its partners to support Lebanon but credible and serious reform measures must be taken , ” Le Drian said .
Le Drian said an effective audit of the losses of the Central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talks .
The Lebanese government approved this week a forensic audit after weeks of stalling .
Le Drian said efforts by France would only work if Lebanese officials do their part .
He said a reform of the electricity sector , which has cost the government about $ 2 billion in debt , has so far been discouraging .
Lebanon witnessed nationwide protests last October after the government , as part of efforts to introduce austerity measures , levied new taxes on messaging service WhatsApp .
Protesters accused the government of mismanagement and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Saad Hariri , to resign .
A new government , backed by the powerful Hezbollah group and its allies , was formed in January and has since been bogged down by domestic rivalries and economic power centres on ways to proceed with reforms and the IMF talks .
Adding to the domestic tension is the fact that Hezbollah is facing increased U.S. sanctions , part of Washington ’ s campaign against Iran and its allies in the region .
“ The Lebanese have strongly expressed their legitimate aspirations through popular protests since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to express their thirst for change , for transparency , to fight for corruption and for better governance , “ Le Drian said .
” Their call has not been heard so far.
” The economic crisis has sparked a free-fall of the national currency against the dollar , which had been used interchangeably with the Lebanese pound .
Unemployment and poverty have since soared and U.N. aid agencies began wide distribution of food to needy families for the first time since Lebanon ’ s last devastating war with Israel in 2006 .


thetorontostar--2020-07-23--Bombing at open-air market wounds 20 in northwest Pakistan

PESHAWAR , Pakistan - At least 20 people were wounded when a bomb went off at a busy open-air market @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
The bombing in the town of Parachinar happened as people were @ @ @ @ @ vendors , police official Rehmat Hissain said .
The victims , some of them in @ @ @ @ @ taken to hospital .
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in this majority @ @ @ @ @ province , which borders Afghanistan .
The town , west of the provincial capital of @ @ @ @ @ by Sunni militant groups several times in recent years , leaving dozens dead .
The @ @ @ @ @ regions have long served as hideouts for the Taliban and other militants .
The government @ @ @ @ @ have cleared the area in recent years but there have still been occasional attacks .