thetorontostar--2020-05-30--For father battling cancer, a graduation to victory lane

INDIANAPOLIS - Jacob Foxworthy and his parents waited patiently as their car crawled through pit road at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on this most unusual of graduation days .
When his turn came , the Speedway High School senior climbed out and walked across the race track ’ s iconic yard of bricks , his mother and father holding hands as they watched .
He crossed the finish line like his 121 classmates to wrap up a school year like no other — without in-person classes , without a senior prom and without the traditional pomp and circumstance .
The Foxworthys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to express what this day meant .
Seeing Jacob in a cap and grown with his father in tow Saturday meant Ted Foxworthy had achieved a milestone of his own after a 4 1/2-year battle with a rare form of cancer .
“ I had one daughter graduating college and one daughter getting married , and I knew I ’ d be around for those two things , “ Foxworthy recalled , explaining his thoughts when he was first diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma in 2016 .
“ I knew my wife was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fighter .
So most of my focus was on Jacob .
He was 14 and I didn ’ t want him to grow up without a dad .
I wanted to be there when he walked across the stage .
I didn ’ t want him going , ‘ I wish my dad was there.
’ “ He was there Saturday , behind the wheel of the family car , driving through Gasoline Alley , and he was there for the family photo with the old race car that had been brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lobby six blocks away .
And then , as school officials whisked other families on and off the track , he grabbed his son ’ s arm , pulled him tight and gave him the hug of a lifetime .
School principal Luke Zartman and speedway officials came up with a plan that worked within the state ’ s social distancing guidelines to give these seniors an unforgettable moment .
“ When we realized we weren ’ t coming back and we realized the seniors would miss out on so many things at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagine them not being properly celebrated at the end was heartbreaking , “ Zartman said .
“ It just adds a bright spot to an otherwise dark time to to send them out the way they deserve.
” Sporting venues certainly have played their part in the coronavirus fight , from testing sites at major league ballparks and NFL stadiums .
Field hospitals were constructed at stadiums in California and Washington state and Texas Motor Speedway and Daytona also have held graduation ceremonies .
But this one felt different .
The silent speedway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usually its biggest month , bringing the tiny enclave of Speedway along for the ride .
Residents lined Main Street and Crawfordsville Road for a parade .
Some stood in front of race shops with handmade signs bearing the names of seniors .
One by one , the cars came into the speedway , forming a three-car front row at the yard of bricks — for all the world looking like the front row for the Indianapolis 500 , postponed this year to August .
“ This has been amazing , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ For the whole town of Speedway to come out for these kids the way they did really is a dream come true.
” In an email sent to Zartman a few days ago , Ted Foxworthy thanked school officials for finding a way to stage graduation during a global pandemic .
“ What you have provided means more to my family than just the ceremony , ” he wrote .
“ This has become a victory for my family.
” What he left out was the part about his first challenging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and how his 14-year-old son cared for him .
“ Jacob had to go through this with us , he and Cindy .
She was still working and he was taking care of me , “ he said .
“ That ’ s asking a lot for a 14-year-old kid to spend your summer getting stuff when you ’ re dad needed it .
I was like a pickle that summer .
I was sitting in the recliner or laying on the coach , I was just gone , I lost a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ted began counting the birthdays and the days tol graduation amid a sobering prognosis .
Those who survive the first six months with this aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma , Foxworthy said , still face about an 80 % fatality rate after five years .
For now , the 55-year-old accountant is working from home and savoring every special moment .
Like the one with his 18-year-old son .
“ That ( my dad ) is the most important thing about today , ” Jacob said .
A few minutes later , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sped off down victory lane .


thetorontostar--2020-05-30--Launch provides Trump moment to relish during difficult week

CAPE CANAVERAL , Fla. - President Donald Trump celebrated on Saturday the first launch of American astronauts from U.S. soil in nearly a decade , marveling at the power of the rocket ship and the danger faced by its passengers as they soared into the stratosphere and provided a moment of triumph as the country raged and mourned .
The successful launch provided the president a moment to relish during what has been a difficult week with protests breaking out in several American cities over the death of a black man , George Floyd , while he was in police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death toll from the coronavirus surpassing 100,000 .
“ That was a beautiful sight to see and I hope you all enjoyed it , ” Trump said shortly after the rocket ship designed and built by Elon Musk ’ s SpaceX company lifted off for a trip to the International Space Station .
Trump addressed the unrest during a speech celebrating the launch , saying Floyd ’ s death was a “ grave tragedy “ that has filled the country with anger and grief .
But he said his administration would stop mob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop it cold.
” “ I stand before you as a friend and ally to every American seeking justice and peace , and I stand before you in firm opposition to anyone exploiting this tragedy to loot , rob , attack and menace , “ he said .
“ Healing , not hatred , justice , not chaos , are the missions at hand.
” For Trump , the second time was the charm .
He also flew to the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday before the launch was postponed at the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When you hear that sound and you hear all of that roar , you can imagine how dangerous it is , ” Trump said .
“ When you feel the shake — and we ’ re very far away — but when you feel the shake over here , it ’ s pretty amazing .
Beautiful sight .
A beautiful ship , too.
” Asked why he felt it was important to be in Florida for the launch , given all that is going on in the country , Trump said the launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country .
“ We suffered something that was terrible , it should have never happened .
And that ’ s one of the reasons I wanted to be here today .
I thought it was so important to be here today , “ Trump said .
“ And I think any one of you would say , that was an inspiration to see what we just saw.
” Trump visited the launch control centre to congratulate those involved and spoke with Musk , who wore a shirt emblazoned with the launch ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has provided companies with research and development funds to help build their own spacecraft .
Ultimately , NASA hopes to rely in part on its commercial partners as it works to send astronauts back to the moon in the next few years , and on to Mars in the 2030s .
Vice-President Mike Pence likened the circumstances surrounding Saturday ’ s mission to what the nation experienced when astronauts on Apollo rockets launched during the tumult and clamour of the 1960s .
He said the missions were a symbol of national strength and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states across the nation take their first steps to reopen and recover from an unprecedented pandemic , and as our nation reels from the tragic death of George Floyd and violent protests of the past few days , I believe with all my heart that millions of Americans today will find the same inspiration and unity of purpose that we found in those days in the 1960s , ” Pence said .
Associated Press writer Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report .

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


thetorontostar--2020-05-30--Reopened Mississippi casinos made more this Memorial Day

BILOXI , Miss .
- Mississippi ’ s casinos reopened just in time for the Memorial Day weekend and what a weekend it was .
Casinos raked in $ 5 million more than Memorial Day weekend 2019 , when they won $ 28.9 million in gaming revenue , the Mississippi Gaming Commission reported Thursday .
That increase was without the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi — the state ’ s largest casino — being open , The Sun Herald reported .
Customers will be welcomed back there beginning June 1 .
“ What we know is there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there , ” Gov .
Tate Reeves said during a press conference Thursday .
People want to go out to nice restaurants and casinos after being home for so long , he said .
Casinos reopened May 21 under tight restrictions including 50 % occupancy on the casino floor and social distancing requirements .
Silver Slipper Casino in Hancock County opened with only 392 of its 855 total slot machines , and only permitting three active positions at table games that normally accommodate six or more people , according to a press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The total casino win increased by 12.3 % despite a 15.9 % decrease in customers over the first five days the casino was open , the company reported .


thetorontostar--2020-05-30--As Minneapolis burns, mayor takes heat for the response

MINNEAPOLIS - First-term Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey appeared to be doing everything right .
He worked with the city ’ s booming business community and the City Council .
He reached out to minority neighbourhoods and advocated for affordable housing .
He implemented stricter disciplinary measures against police who violated the city ’ s body camera policy .
When George Floyd , a handcuffed black man , died Monday after a white police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes and ignored his “ I can ’ t breathe ” pleas , Frey quickly expressed outrage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Four officers were fired the next day , and on Friday , Officer Derek Chauvin was charged in Floyd ’ s death .
But Frey ’ s leadership is being questioned after police failed to quell several nights of rioting , fires and ransacking of local businesses that followed Floyd ’ s death .
Frey , who pleaded for calm , also approved the decision to abandon the city ’ s 3rd Precinct station on Thursday night , surrendering it to protesters who set fire to the building .
The night the station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news conference after hours of criticism on social media for a police response that didn ’ t confront the violence despite the activation of the National Guard .
As he began talking , one reporter snapped , “ What ’ s the plan here ?
” Frey struggled to answer , and the next morning , Gov .
Tim Walz — like Frey , a Democrat — criticized the “ abject failure ” of the city ’ s response and said the state had taken control .
President Donald Trump took to Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Radical Left Mayor ” and threatened to get involved .
By early Saturday morning , it was Walz who found himself struggling with the enormity of the challenge , conceding that he didn ’ t have enough people to cope with the protests and moving to mobilize another 1,000 Guard members .
Walz also took pains to praise Frey , who appeared alongside him after another night of unrest .
Some wonder whether Frey ’ s approach to the crisis might damage his chances for reelection next year .
The 38-year-old former lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member took office in 2018 after defeating Betsy Hodges , whose time as mayor was marred by two high-profile police shootings .
The 2015 shooting of 24-year-old black resident Jamar Clark after a scuffle with two white police officers set off weeks of protests ; neither officer was charged .
The 2017 shooting of unarmed Australia native Justine Ruszczyk Damond , who had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault behind her house , provoked an international outcry .
The black officer in that case was convicted of third-degree murder and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaigned partly on a promise to add police officers .
But a City Council committee this spring voted against applying for a federal grant to hire 10 new officers for traffic enforcement , with one member saying he worried it would exacerbate racial disparities in vehicle stops .
Community activist Mel Reeves , who said he has led rallies to protest Floyd ’ s killing , refused to discuss the mayor ’ s response except to say that Frey had been “ put in a difficult position.
” He said the black community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do the right thing .
“ The mayor is new , and he said all the right things , “ Reeves said .
“ This is not about the mayor ; it ’ s about the police department.
” The day after the 3rd Precinct fire , University of Minnesota political science professor Larry Jacobs said Frey was “ out of his depth ” and “ clearly unable to understand what he has to do to restore order while also creating the kind of healing that has to happen in Minneapolis.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent a powerful message ” that the city was not in control .
“ There needs to be another message : ‘ Here is the line and order will be maintained , ’ ” said Jacobs .
“ You ’ ve got businesses that are just shocked without words to see property going up in flames , often with no police intervention at all .
You have the black community ( that has ) heard his words but does not believe them .
“ He worked really hard at those relationships and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think a lot of residents are unnerved by the violence and the chaos.
” Jonathan Weinhagen , president and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber , said the mayor still has his support , and that many businesses damaged by the violent protests , including those owned by minorities and immigrants , want to rebuild .
“ There is a lot of fear right now .
If your store has been hit , you feel violated , ” said Weinhagen , adding that some businesses already were suffering because of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see some light and this hit.
” But he believes the mayor is “ leading with his values “ and getting a lot of things right , including requesting the Guard assistance and implementing a curfew Friday and Saturday nights .
Jacobs , the political scientist , said Frey has been energetic , upbeat and dynamic , effectively leading the fast-growing city .
But his inexperience with crisis management has shown .
“ Until about a week ago , he looked to be on glide path to reelection , and within a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s crumbled , “ Jacobs said .

Tammy Webber And Steve Karnowski - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-30--Health care workers protest lack of protective gear

HARTFORD , Conn. - Health care workers rallied Saturday in New London to protest what they called a shortage of personal protective equipment and pay tribute to a nurse ’ s aide who died earlier this month after contracting the coronavirus .
Gov .
Ned Lamont , Lt. Gov .
Susan Bysiewicz and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney , D-Conn. , joined workers for Lawrence + Memorial Hospital and the Visiting Nurses Association of Southeastern Connecticut for the rally .
Union leaders said nurses , aides and other health care workers are risking their lives caring for COVID-19 patients while lacking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gowns to keep them safe .
“ Our # HealthcareHeroes are fighting 24 hours a day to save lives , all while putting their own lives at risk , ” Courtney said in a Twitter posting .
“ Losing even just one of these workers due to improper protections can not be tolerated .
Congress must act to ensure OSHA implements a new & enforceable safety standard.
” People at the rally also remembered Elva Graveline , a 52-year-old nurse ’ s aide at Lawrence + Memorial who contracted the coronavirus and died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thanked hospital workers for caring for her mother , according the AFT Connecticut labour union .
Hospital officials said in a statement Saturday that workers have not been without protective gear during the pandemic and credited staff for doing a “ phenomenal job.
” As of Saturday , more than 42,000 people in Connecticut have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 3,900 have died , including about 2,400 nursing home residents .
Hospitalizations declined by 44 patients since Friday , down to a total of 533 .
For most people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as fever and cough , that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , or death .
In other coronavirus news in Connecticut : The two tribal casinos in Connecticut reopened Saturday by invitation only as they prepared for a partial reopening to the general public on Monday .
The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes , who operate Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun , respectively , invited an undisclosed number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend .
“ This weekend we are hosting a private opening for some Tribal members and higher tier Mohegan loyalty ( Momentum ) guests to experience the property , “ Jeff Hamilton , president and general manager of Mohegan Sun , said in a statement .
” We kept the invite list small in order to give our team members a chance to become more familiar with the robust safety measures in place prior to our partial reopening to the public on Monday.
” Messages seeking comment were left with a spokeswoman for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday that the tribes were opening the casinos sooner than he would like , but credited them with taking precautions against the coronavirus including taking customers ’ temperatures , requiring them to wear masks and increasing cleaning .
Both casinos also said they would not allow out-of-state guests at their hotels during the first phase of their reopenings .
Barbershops and hair salons in the state will be able to reopen beginning Monday with required coronavirus precautions in place , under an executive order signed by Lamont on Friday .
Under the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve customers by appointment only , waiting areas must be closed , customers and workers must wear face masks , chairs must be at least 6 feet apart and scissors and other tools must be disinfected between customers .
Lamont first said barbershops and hair salons could reopen May 20 , but pushed the date back after some shop owners and employees said they wanted more time to prepare .
Other owners and workers were frustrated by the postponement .
The governor also increased the limits on social and recreational gatherings to 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The previous limit was five people per gathering .
Connecticut ’ s high school coaches can do more work with their teams starting Monday .
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference has lifted many off-season coaching restrictions .
On Monday , coaches in all sports will be allowed to share game films , playbooks and virtual , not-in-person skill instruction .
Glenn Lungarini , the CIAC ’ s executive director , says he believes there will be a fall sports season in Connecticut , but he ’ s still not sure when it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or whether fans will be allowed at any sporting events .
Associated Press writers Susan Haigh and Pat Eaton-Robb contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-31--AP Explains: What’s behind latest India-China border tension

NEW DELHI - Tensions along the China-India border high in the Himalayas have flared again in recent weeks .
Indian officials say the latest row began in early May , when Chinese soldiers entered the Indian-controlled territory of Ladakh at three different points , erecting tents and guard posts .
They said the Chinese soldiers ignored repeated verbal warnings to depart , triggering shouting matches , stone-throwing and fistfights .
China has sought to downplay the confrontation while providing little information .
A look at the history and current relations between the two countries and how events may develop : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the two countries have been facing off just a few hundred meters ( yards ) from each other in Ladakh ’ s Galwan Valley .
China has objected to India building a road through the valley connecting the region to an airstrip , possibly sparking its move to assert control over territory along the border that is not clearly defined in places .
Analyst Chris Biggers said that a Chinese airport nearby has steadily expanded its military use over the past year with the deployment of a surface-to-air missile battery and four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagery of Ngari Günsa shows workers constructing a taxiway , parking ramps and “ quick reaction alert aprons ” but falling short of adding a second runway .
While a brawl between Chinese and Indian troops has been captured on video , Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Wednesday that the border situation was “ generally stable and controllable.
” The sides were communicating through both their front-line military units and their respective embassies to “ properly resolve relevant issues through dialogue and consultation , ” Zhao said at a daily ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China engaged in a similar standoff for 73 days at Doklam , at the other end of their disputed border , in 2017 , when Indian troops were mobilized to counter what was seen as moves by the Chinese side to expand its presence along the border with Bhutan .
The situation was later defused through diplomatic channels .
WAR AND PEACE BETWEEN TWO ASIAN GIANTS The sides established diplomatic relations in 1950 , but a 1962 border war between them set back ties for decades .
In all , China claims some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) of territory in India ’ s northeast , including the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh with its traditionally Buddhist population .
India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometres ( 15,000 square miles ) of its territory in the Aksai Chin Plateau in the western Himalayas , including part of the Ladakh region .
Relations are also strained by India ’ s hosting of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader , the Dalai Lama , who fled his homeland in 1959 during an aborted uprising against Chinese rule .
The Dalai Lama established a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Dharmsala , where thousands of Tibetans have settled .
In 1993 , the two countries signed an agreement on the “ Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility ” along what is known as the Line of Actual Control along their border .
But they are nowhere near to settling their dispute despite more than 20 rounds of talks along with multiple meetings between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping .
Beijing ’ s support for Pakistan on the issue of the disputed territory of Kashmir is also a major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has built a road through Pakistani-controlled Kashmir and is blocking India ’ s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group by insisting on Pakistan ’ s simultaneous entry .
India ’ s refusal to participate in Xi ’ s signature foreign policy initiative , the multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative , hasn ’ t gone down well with China , while Beijing has paid only lip service to New Delhi ’ s aspirations to join the U.N. Security Council as a permanent member .
Despite the sporadic border clashes , economic ties between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with China exercising a large trade surplus .
More than 100 Chinese companies , many of them state-owned , have established offices or operations in India , according to India ’ s External Affairs Ministry .
Chinese firms including Xiaomi , Huawei , Vivo and Oppo occupy nearly 60 % of India ’ s mobile phone market , while India ’ s major exports to China lean toward cotton , copper and gemstones .
Trade volume rose to more than US $ 95 billion in 2018 , and passed $ 53 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with almost $ 43 billion of that being Chinese exports to India .
The imbalance has contributed to a push by India to capitalize on China ’ s rising costs and deteriorating ties with the United States and European nations to become a replacement home for large multinationals .
This story corrects the name of the analyst .
Associated Press journalist Sam McNeil in Beijing contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-31--Locals take back tourist-free Waikiki during pandemic

HONOLULU - Growing up in Hawaii , Amber Lethem ’ s family avoided Waikiki , the world-famous tourist mecca .
“ I reflect back on my childhood , Waikiki has always been this pinnacle of like that ’ s where all the tourists are , ” Lethem said .
“ We didn ’ t really go into Waikiki , ever.
” Many other locals would also shun Waikiki ’ s congested streets and herds of slow-moving tourists .
But now that the coronavirus pandemic has forced state leaders to impose a 14-day quarantine on travellers arriving to the islands , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
David Ige has extended the traveller quarantine through June .
So , locals are taking Waikiki back .
Residents are enjoying wide sidewalks for running and walking .
They ’ re swimming -- with lots of room for social distancing -- in waters normally clogged with awestruck and sunburned tourists .
There ’ s more parking available for those escaping small houses and apartments in neighbourhoods that don ’ t have sidewalks .
Lethem , a sales coach who lives on the eastern edge of Waikiki that has fewer hotels , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the area for the first time in her life in ways she hasn ’ t be able to before .
“ I have been experiencing Waikiki more , and it ’ s definitely in a different paradigm , ” she said .
“ It ’ s overwhelming with tons of tourists .
And that ’ s not necessarily a bad thing .
It ’ s a lot .
It ’ s like , it ’ s intense.
” Tourists “ are sometimes oblivious , ” Lethem said .
“ They ’ re so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re not as present to people who are local.
” She ’ s appreciating how “ beautiful and calm ” her community is now .
“ And I ’ m so happy to enjoy it in this capacity right now , ” she said .
As of Friday , Hawaii had 649 cases of coronavirus .
There have been 17 deaths .
Hawaii ’ s traveller quarantine has dramatically reduced the number of daily passengers coming to the tourism-dependent state .
On Thursday , 300 visitors arrived in the state , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time last year , nearly 30,000 passengers arrived daily .
“ Waikiki is not Waikiki anymore , obviously , ” said Mufi Hannemann , president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism and Lodging Association .
“ So it is a good opportunity for local residents to , you know , enjoy some of those things , perhaps in the past that they ’ ve been in competition with visitors.
” He warned that if all goes well , an empty Waikiki will be short-lived : “ Go now because it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because we have to get people back to work.
” Hawaii has long grappled with how many tourists is too many .
“ People say slow it down , less tourists .
But that also means a significant number of people are not going to be working , “ Hannemann said .
“ Tourism fuels the economy .
If they ’ re not working , then Hawaii can ’ t sustain itself.
” Until the tourists return in force , Melissa Chang is enjoying driving from her nearby Honolulu neighbourhood to walk along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I could walk in my own neighbourhood , but there ’ s a lot of homeless .
So it ’ s actually safer to drive to entrance of Waikiki and walk there , “ she said .
Previously , the social media professional would go into Waikiki only if she needed to for work .
“ But for recreation , I ’ d probably go somewhere else , ” she said .
Now , it ’ s more pleasant , and “ you can park almost anywhere , ” Chang said .

Jennifer Sinco Kelleher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-31--Truck drives through Florida protesters; no serious injuries

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. - A pickup truck drove through a crowd of protesters Saturday in Florida ’ s capital , sending some running and screaming as protests across the state erupted in violence , especially in Miami where police cruisers were burned and authorities threw tear gas .
Video shows Tallahassee protesters walking around the truck as it stopped at a traffic light , while some appeared to speak to the driver .
In one video , a bottle was apparently smashed against the widow and the truck then suddenly accelerated , knocking several people to the side , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday ’ s protest demanding justice for George Floyd was one of several in Florida and dozens across the nation .
Demonstrators outraged over Floyd ’ s death faced off against heavily-armed officers in other states Friday , with some smashing police cars , ransacking businesses and setting fires that smouldered through the night .
An officer , who is seen on video pressing his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes as Floyd begged for air , was charged Friday in Floyd ’ s death .
Lucas von Hollen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , heard a distinct scream of fear from the the crowd of protesters and saw the burgundy pickup from the second-floor window where he was working “ The truck revved its engines … a couple people got out of the way , but some people didn ’ t , and it just drove straight through the crowd , ” he said .
Witnesses said a group followed the truck , forcing it to stop .
Tallahassee Police immediately handcuffed the driver , shut down the street and redirected protesters to another area .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the driver or say whether he would face any charges .
“ This is an extremely tense , emotional time across the nation , “ Chief Lawrence Revell said in a statement .
“ Mutual respect among all of us is vital.
” Further south in Miami , what started as a peaceful protest turned violent as a small group set fire to multiple police cruisers , prompting police to respond with tear gas and fireworks to disperse the crowd , witnesses said .
The mayor set a 10 p.m. curfew .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down in both directions as a group of protesters stood on the busy roadway .
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez warned on Twitter that the highway protest was “ creating a dangerous situation for themselves and others .
This is not the place or way to protest.
” Police officers later used bicycles to push back an increasingly rowdy crowd throwing rocks .
Cars were also vandalized , including those belonging to protesters .
Later Saturday night , videos on social media showed dozens of people breaking into stores at Bayside Marketplace , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Miami-Dade police tweeted that 38 people had been arrested in connection with Saturday ’ s protests .
“ It started off peaceful and we were just walking around chanting stuff , trying to have all our voices heard and when we got to the police department that ’ s when things started to get a little rowdy , ” said Savano Wilkerson , a 22-year-old West Palm Beach resident .
He was overcome by the tear gas , along with others around him .
“ I had to get milk poured in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the gas twice , ” he said .
Police issued a dispersal order , warning protesters they would be arrested for trespassing if they did not leave the area .
Liseth Hatta , a 27-year-old student at Florida International University , said the protest was largely peaceful with many in the crowd of about 500 singing and urging each other not to break windows or hurt businesses .
But when they arrived at the police station , another group of protesters also converged there and things escalated within minutes .
“ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police chief standing next to him and they started throwing smoke bombs to the crowd .
Most of them were kids .
They couldn ’ t have been older than 21 .
Everyone ran away screaming , ” she said .
Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina confirmed some were arrested , but said “ it ’ s not a big number.
” “ The restraint the officers have shown , I ’ m incredibly proud of their efforts , ” he said , condemning Floyd ’ s death , adding he should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tampa , protesters smashed store windows and set a gas station ablaze on Saturday night .
Some broke into an AT & T store and a jewelry shop after the protests earlier in the day had been peaceful .
Deputies in riot gear lined up outside the doors to the University Mall as hundreds of people protested in the mall ’ s parking lot , with some on top of their cars .
Video from the Tampa Bay Times shows a small group of protesters jumping on and lobbing projectiles at a moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Office tweeted that a deputy at the mall was hit in the back of the head with a “ hard object .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-31--Israeli forces kill unarmed autistic Palestinian man

JERUSALEM - Israeli police shot dead an unarmed autistic Palestinian man in Jerusalem ’ s Old City on Saturday after saying they suspected he was carrying a weapon .
The shooting drew broad condemnations and revived complaints alleging excessive force by Israeli security forces .
On social media , some compared the shooting to police violence in the U.S .
Relatives identified the deceased man as Iyad Halak , 32 .
They said he suffered from autism and was heading to the school for students with special needs where he studied each day when he was shot .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a suspect “ with a suspicious object that looked like a pistol.
” When he failed to obey orders to stop , officers opened fire , the statement said .
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld later said no weapon was found .
Channel 12 said members of Israel ’ s paramilitary border police force fired at Halak ’ s legs and chased him into a dead-end alley .
It said a senior officer ordered a halt in fire as they entered the alley , but that a second officer did not listen and fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rifle , killing Halak .
The report said both officers were taken into custody and interrogated for several hours .
AP video from the scene showed three bullet holes in a white wall at the end of the alleyway .
Halak ’ s father , Kheiri , said police raided the family ’ s home after the shooting .
“ They found nothing , ” he said , claiming that police had cursed his daughter when she became upset at them .
Lone Palestinian attackers with no clear links to armed groups have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shootings and car-ramming attacks in recent years .
Palestinians and Israeli human rights groups have long accused Israeli security forces of using excessive force in some cases , either by killing individuals who could have been arrested or using lethal force when their lives were not in danger .
“ We must resist the expected coverup and make sure that the police will sit in jail , ” Ayman Odeh , the leader of the main Arab party in parliament , wrote on Twitter .
“ Justice will be done only when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the Palestinian people know freedom and independence.
” On social media , some pro-Palestinian activists compared the shooting to this week ’ s killing of George Floyd , a handcuffed black Minnesota man who pleaded for air as a white police officer pressed a knee on his neck .
His death has set off violent protests across the U.S. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid , whose daughter is autistic , said Halak ’ s death was “ heartbreaking.
” “ The death of a young person with special needs is heartbreaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is not our way , ” he tweeted .
In west Jerusalem , about 150 protesters , some pounding drums , gathered to demonstrate against police violence .
“ A violent policeman must stay inside , ” they chanted in Hebrew .
At a smaller protest in Tel Aviv , one poster read “ Palestinian lives matter.
“ The shooting came a day after Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank who they said had tried to ram them with his vehicle .
No Israelis were wounded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurred in east Jerusalem , which Israel captured in the 1967 war along with the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip .
The Palestinians want all three territories for their future state .
Tensions have risen in recent weeks as Israel has pressed ahead with plans to annex large parts of the West Bank in line with President Donald Trump ’ s Middle East plan , which strongly favours Israel and was rejected by the Palestinians .
Netanyahu has said he plans on moving ahead with the plan in July .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the West Bank , said last week that it was no longer bound by past agreements with Israel and the United States and was cutting off all ties , including longstanding security co-ordination , to protest the annexation plan .
The Trump plan would allow the Palestinians to establish a capital on the outskirts of the city , beyond Israel ’ s separation barrier .
It would grant them limited statehood in a cluster of enclaves surrounded by Israel , but only if they meet a long list of stringent conditions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ condemnations from Israeli allies in Europe and across the Arab world .


thetorontostar--2020-05-31--Los Angeles mayor: National Guard to be deployed overnight

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles mayor said National Guard troops were being sent in to the nation ’ s second-largest city after continuing demonstrations Saturday saw protesters torch police cars and vandalize and burglarize stores while clashing with lines of officers .
Mayor Eric Garcetti said he asked Gov .
Gavin Newsom for 500 to 700 members of the Guard .
“ The California National Guard is being deployed to Los Angeles overnight to support our local response to maintain peace and safety on the streets of our city , “ the mayor said on social media .
Elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrators marched through San Francisco while northeast of San Diego police fired tear gas to try to break up a large group that defied orders to leave the La Mesa police headquarters .
In Los Angeles , a mostly peaceful demonstration against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody occurred Saturday near the Grove , a popular outdoor mall in the middle of the city , But it devolved in the afternoon when protesters set several Police Department cars on fire , broke store windows and climbed on top of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters back and shot rubber bullets to scatter the crowd .
The demonstration came hours after LAPD Chief Michel Moore appealed for peaceful protest .
“ I am asking for all of Los Angeles to come together and find the ability to peacefully express individual and collective grievances while also maintaining the safety of all of Angelenos , ” he said .
Garcetti initially imposed a curfew on the downtown area , where hours of clashes occurred Friday night .
But he quickly expanded it to the entirety of the city as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles ( 9.6 kilometres ) to the west .
Everyone was ordered to be off the streets from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m .
Adjacent Beverly Hills and West Hollywood followed as demonstrations spread into those cities .
Other cities in the county also began imposing curfews .
“ We can not allow this city to spiral into anarchy , ” Chief Moore told ABC7 at the scene of one clash .
“ We have a city of 4 million people in a region of 10 million people .
Our community will decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posts showed marchers chanting “ Eat the rich “ in Beverly Hills , where a crowd broke into a high-end boutique and fled with merchandise .
The governor said earlier that authorities were closely monitoring organizing by violent extremist groups who may be trying to use the protests for their own agendas .
“ To those who seek to exploit Californians ’ pain to sow chaos and destruction , you are not welcome , ” he said .
“ Our state and nation must build from this moment united and more resolved than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes.
” In Oakland , 13 officers were injured late Friday as demonstrators hurled objects at them .
A federal contract security officer was killed and another critically injured when a vehicle pulled up to the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and someone opened fire .
The officers guard the U.S. courthouse as part of their regular duties and were monitoring the protest , Department of Homeland Security officials said .
It wasn ’ t immediately known whether the shooter had anything to do with the protest .
The death of the 46-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleading for air as a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee on his neck , has shocked the country and produced violence in numerous citie s. Police chiefs and police unions have called it unjustifiable and excessive force .
The officer has been charged with murder .
The LAPD said 533 people were arrested between Friday night and early Saturday after ignoring repeated orders to disperse when authorities declared an unlawful assembly .
They faced a range of charges , including burglary , battery on a police officer , attempted murder , probation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but 18 were released on their recognizance .
Police had items thrown at them .
Six LAPD officers sustained injuries ranging from lacerations to impact wounds .
In the San Francisco Bay Area , protests in Oakland and San Jose grew increasingly tense and confrontational Friday night .
Small fires were set inside a Walgreens and a Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oakland ’ s auto row , where several cars were smashed and spray-painted with graffiti .
City officials said more than 70 businesses were vandalized .
“ This is not who we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a videotaped statement Saturday .
“ We must fight the travesty of racism , but we must do it in a way that works .
Let ’ s not destroy or harm our own community.
” In San Jose , a Santa Clara County Sheriff ’ s deputy fired at an SUV that attempted to drive through a group of protesters , striking two of them while attempting to make a U-turn , the East Bay Times reported .
Police in both cities fired tear gas and flashbang grenades to break up unruly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preliminary report that at least 18 people were arrested and another 60 detained for investigation of stealing .
In Sacramento , nine police officers sustained minor injuries at a protest that drew about 500 people .
In Bakersfield , police arrested a man they said drove recklessly through a crowd of protesters , striking a 15-year-old girl and causing minor injuries .
Officers monitoring the protest noticed that Michael Tran , 31 , passed by the crowd several times and appeared to be talking to the protesters , possibly antagonizing them , police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for investigation of attempted murder .
Police said a number of protesters blocked a roadway , threw bottles and rocks at officers and vandalized a memorial dedicated to fallen officers .
Ten people were arrested for resisting and obstructing officers .
Associated Press reporter John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed to this report .

Stefanie Dazio And Daisy Nguyen - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-31--Great Smokies firefly light show to be presented virtually

ASHEVILLE , N.C. - This is the time of the year the Great Smoky Mountains National Park would be buzzing — and glowing — with the spectacular natural phenomenon of synchronous fireflies and the hordes of humans who come to see them .
But along with so many other springtime events that draw massive crowds , the annual public viewing of the world-famous fireflies , aka Photinus carolinus , has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and having no way to safely keep visitors socially distanced , Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash said .
It might not be the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pitch-dark forest , with only the sound that of the rippling Little River , but the non-profit Discover Life in America will offer a virtual viewing of the phenomenon via its YouTube channel at 8 p.m. June 1 .
The male fireflies synchronize their blinking lights at the height of mating season while whizzing through the air , to attract the female fireflies crawling along the forest floor .
The show had become so popular that the National Park Service instituted a lottery system , only accepting 1,800 people during the week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when a scientific prediction of the peak mating period was made by park entomologist Becky Nichols .
Last year , 29,000 people applied for a ticket .
But only 1,800 are granted each year .
The epicenter of the firefly viewing — Elkmont Campground — near Gatlinburg , Tennessee , remains closed , as do all the park ’ s campgrounds , picnic pavilions and many secondary roads .
Park officials closed most of the half-million-acre Smokies on March 24 in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus among staff and visitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 .
A phased reopening began May 9 .
The Smokies is the nation ’ s most visited national park , with 12.5 million visitors in 2019 .
But DLIA , a biodiversity research organization that works with the Smokies , and cinematographer Radim Schreiber , will deliver a safe , socially-distanced viewing in its first-ever virtual event .
“ The footage is from lots of locations , some at Elkmont , some at Norton Creek .
The footage is spectacular in my opinion , ” said Todd Witcher , DLIA executive director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are actually beetles , do appear in other places around Western North Carolina , the Smokies have one of the highest population of synchronous fireflies , Witcher said .
There are actually 19 different species of fireflies in the park .
The presentation is free , but a $ 5 donation is suggested .
DLIA ’ s director of science and research , Dr. Will Kuhn , will discuss the synchronous fireflies as well as blue ghosts ( Phausis reticulata ) and other firefly species native to the Smokies region , followed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relaxing sounds of nature .
“ I think fireflies are quite magical and I believe we recognize this as children and it lives with us throughout our lives .
Not really many creatures can light up , so they a very interesting , ” Witcher said .
“ A virtual event seemed to be a good way to give everyone an idea of what all the fuss is about.
” Nichols said that synchronous fireflies range as far north as Pennsylvania , and can be found on your own with a little know-how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ rich forest floor , with lots of leaf litter and detritus , moist conditions , an open understory with a closed canopy , so when they ’ re flashing , they ’ re more able to see each other , ” she said .

Karen CháVez, Asheville Citizen-Times - AP Member


thetorontostar--2020-05-30--China’s manufacturing still sluggish as virus hits exports

BEIJING - China ’ s manufacturing activity expanded in May but at a sluggish pace for the second straight month as the coronavirus pandemic weighed on the global economy .
A monthly purchasing managers ’ index issued Sunday slipped to 50.6 , down from 50.8 in April .
A reading above 50 means that manufacturing is growing .
The figures indicate that manufacturing picked up in May , although more slowly than the previous month , said Zhao Qinghe , a senior statistician at the National Bureau of Statistics .
The index , compiled by the the statistics bureau and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Purchasing , has bounced back from a historic low of 35.7 in February , when many factories were shut at the peak of the virus outbreak in China .
Factories have reopened as China has ended lockdowns and eased restrictions on commuting and travel , but the spread of the pandemic has slowed economies globally , depressing demand for Chinese exports .
In a worrying sign , the index for export orders in the monthly report remained low at 35.3 , though up from 33.5 in April .
That suggests exports will remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qinghe noted that indexes for new orders overall picked up in 12 of 21 sectors , which he said indicates improving domestic demand .


thetorontostar--2020-05-30--Protests over police killings rage in dozens of US cities

MINNEAPOLIS - Tense protests over the death of George Floyd and other police killings of black people grew Saturday from New York to Tulsa to Los Angeles , with police cars set ablaze and reports of injuries mounting on all sides as the country convulsed through another night of unrest after months of coronavirus lockdowns .
The protests , which began in Minneapolis following Floyd ’ s death Monday after a police officer pressed a knee on his neck until he stopped breathing , have left parts of the city a grid of broken windows , burned-out buildings and ransacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a national phenomenon as protesters decry years of deaths at police hands .
Tens of thousands of people were in the streets across the country , many of them not wearing masks or observing social distancing , raising concerns among health experts about the potential for spreading the coronavirus pandemic at a time when much of the country is in the process of reopening society and the economy .
After a tumultuous Friday night , racially diverse crowds took to the streets again for mostly peaceful demonstrations in dozens of cities from coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s protests also started calmly , but many descended into violence later in the day .
— In Washington , the National Guard was deployed outside the White House , where chanting crowds were taunting Secret Service agents .
Dressed in camouflage and holding shields , the troops stood in a tight line a few yards from the crowd , preventing them from pushing forward .
President Donald Trump , who spent much of Saturday in Florida for the SpaceX rocket launch , landed on the lawn in the presidential helicopter at dusk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
— In Philadelphia , at least 13 officers were injured when peaceful protests turned violent and at least four police vehicles were set on fire .
Other fires were set throughout downtown .
— In the Greenwood District of Tulsa , Oklahoma , the site of a 1921 massacre of black people that left as many as 300 dead and the city ’ s thriving black district in ruins , protesters blocked intersections and chanted the name of Terence Crutcher , a black man killed by a police officer in 2016 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas and stun grenades to try to disperse black-clad crowds that smashed downtown shopfronts , stole merchandise and tossed mannequins onto the street .
— In Los Angeles , protesters chanted “ Black Lives Matter , ” some within inches of the face shields of officers .
Police used batons to move the crowd back and fired rubber bullets .
One man used a skateboard to try to break a police SUV ’ s windshield .
A spray-painted police car burned in the street .
— And in New York City , dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cleared streets .
A video showed two NYPD cruisers lurching into a crowd of demonstrators who were pushing a barricade against one of them and pelting it with objects , knocking several people to the ground .
It was unclear if anyone was hurt .
“ Our country has a sickness .
We have to be out here , ” said Brianna Petrisko , among those at lower Manhattan ’ s Foley Square , where most were wearing masks amid the coronavirus pandemic .
“ This is the only way we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Minneapolis , the city where the protests began , 29-year-old Sam Allkija said the damage seen in recent days reflects longstanding frustration and rage in the black community .
“ I don ’ t condone them , ” he said .
“ But you have to look deeper into why these riots are happening.
” Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz , who said local forces had been overmatched Friday , fully mobilized the state ’ s National Guard and promised a massive show of force .
The Guard announced Saturday it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and would quickly have nearly 11,000 .
“ The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd , ” Walz said .
“ It is about attacking civil society , instilling fear and disrupting our great cities.
” Soon after the city ’ s 8 p.m. curfew went into force , lines of police cars and officers in riot gear moved in to confront protesters , firing tear gas to push away throngs of people milling around the city ’ s 5th police precinct station .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state leaders were criticized for not forcefully enough confronting days of violent and damaging protests that included protesters burning down a police station shortly after officers abandoned it .
Trump appeared to cheer on the tougher tactics being used by law enforcement Saturday night .
He commended the Guard deployment in Minneapolis , declaring “ No games !
” and also said police in New York City “ must be allowed to do their job !
” Overnight curfews were imposed in more than a dozen major cities nationwide , ranging from 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 p.m. around Ohio .
People were also told to be off the streets of Atlanta , Denver , Los Angeles , Seattle and Minneapolis — where thousands had ignored the same order Friday night .
More than 1,300 people have been arrested in 16 cities since Thursday , with more than 500 of those happening in Los Angeles on Friday .
The unrest comes at a time when most Americans have spent months inside over concerns surrounding the coronavirus , which the president has called an “ invisible enemy.
” The events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live on national television , have shown the opposite : a sudden pivot to crowds , screaming protesters and burning buildings , a stark contrast to the empty streets of recent months .
“ Quite frankly I ’ m ready to just lock people up , “ Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields said at a news conference .
Demonstrations there turned violent Friday , and police were arresting protesters Saturday on blocked-off downtown streets .
“ Yes , you caught us off balance once .
It ’ s not going to happen twice.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the riots in Los Angeles nearly 30 years ago after the acquittal of the white police officers who beat Rodney King , a black motorist who had led them on a high-speed chase .
The protests of Floyd ’ s killing have gripped many more cities , but the losses in Minneapolis have yet to approach the staggering totals Los Angeles saw during five days of rioting in 1992 , when more than 60 people died , 2,000-plus were injured and thousands arrested , with property damage topping $ 1 billion .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death was one more in a litany .
It came in the wake of the killing in Georgia of Ahmaud Arbery , a black man who was shot dead after being pursued by two white men while running in their neighbourhood , and in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic that has thrown millions out of work , killed more than 100,000 people in the U.S. and disproportionately affected black people .
The officer who held his knee to Floyd ’ s neck as he begged for air was arrested Friday and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But many protesters are demanding the arrests of the three other officers involved .
Leaders in many affected cities have voiced outrage over Floyd ’ s killing and expressed sympathy for protesters ’ concerns .
But as the unrest intensified , they spoke of a desperate need to protect their cities and said they would call in reinforcements , despite concerns that could lead to more heavy-handed tactics .
Minnesota has steadily increased to 1,700 the number of National Guardsmen it says it needs to contain the unrest , and the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police put on alert by the Pentagon .
Governors in Georgia , Kentucky , Ohio and Texas also activated the National Guard after protests there turned violent overnight , while nighttime curfews were put in place in Portland , Oregon , Cincinnati and elsewhere .
Police in St. Louis were investigating the death of a protester who climbed between two trailers of a Fed Ex truck and was killed when it drove away .
And a person was killed in the area of protests in downtown Detroit just before midnight after someone fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Police had initially said someone fired into the crowd from an SUV .
Numerous AP journalists contributed from across the U.S .

Tim Sullivan And Stephen Groves - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-30--Mayor says George Floyd’s body will return to Houston

HOUSTON - The mayor of Houston said Saturday that the body of George Floyd , whose death after a Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck during an arrest has sparked protests across the U.S , will be returning to the city where he grew up .
Floyd was a Houston native before moving to Minnesota .
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a news conference that Floyd ’ s body would be coming back to Houston but provided no additional details .
His family has not announced funeral plans .
“ This is the same city that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his body will be returning to this city , “ Turner said .
“ And so the focus needs to be on supporting and uplifting this family.
” Turner spoke alongside Houston Police Chief Art Acevdeo , who said his department had arrested more than 130 people since protests began Friday in the nation ’ s fourth-largest city .
Floyd , 46 , grew up in Houston ’ s Third Ward , one of the city ’ s predominantly black neighbourhoods .
At 6 feet , 6 inches , Floyd emerged as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School and played in the 1992 state championship game in the Houston Astrodome .
Yates lost to Temple , 38-20 .
Floyd ’ s death Monday and other police killings of black men have fueled tense demonstrations nationwide .
The white police officer who held his knee to Floyd ’ s neck as he begged for air was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter .
But many protesters are demanding the arrests of the three other officers involved .


thetorontostar--2020-05-30--The Latest: Portland police: Assembly unlawful, 1 arrested

SEATTLE - The Latest on protests in the Northwest sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis ( all times local ) : Portland police have labeled a demonstration an unlawful assembly after people moved through the Northwest part of the city tagging buildings with George Floyd ’ s name and slurs against police .
On Twitter and by bullhorn , police warned people of the 8 p.m. curfew Saturday , telling them to go home .
They also said they had arrested one person but didn ’ t give details .
By about 7 p.m. the crowd appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and were marching , according to The Oregonian/OregonLive .
Seattle police fired tear gas and flash bangs to try to disperse black-clad looters who smashed downtown businesses fronts , stole merchandise and tossed mannequins onto the street .
Dozens of people remained on city streets in defiance of a 5 p.m. Saturday curfew enacted by Mayor Jenny Durkan following unrest that included fires and demonstrators marching onto Interstate 5 .
“ These criminal acts will not be allowed to continue , ” Durkan said at a news conference .
News footage showed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicle blazes .
There have been arrests but no specific numbers were immediately available .
City officials in Eugene , Oregon , enacted a 9 p.m. Saturday curfew in part of the city following destructive protests over the George Floyd killing Friday .
Seattle and Portland , Oregon , also issued Saturday night curfews due to unrest .
Eugene is home to the University of Oregon .
Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee on Saturday evening activated up to 200 members of the National Guard to respond to violent protests in downtown Seattle that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the imposition of a citywide curfew .
Inslee said the guard personnel will be unarmed and be directed by Seattle officials , who requested the help to protect property and manage crowds who had gathered in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced a 5 p.m. curfew for Saturday following rowdy protests that spilled onto Interstate 5 , forcing the freeway ’ s closure through the central part of the Northwest ’ s largest city .
Thousands of people gathered in downtown and a largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with police pepper spraying demonstrators and deploying flash bands .
Police said arrests were made but an exact figure wasn ’ t available .
Portland ’ s mayor declared an 8 p.m. PDT curfew for Saturday after that city saw fiery protests Friday night .
The Washington State Patrol closed both directions of Interstate 5 through downtown Seattle as a protest over the killing of George Floyd spilled onto the freeway Saturday afternoon .
“ The freeway is not a safe or appropriate place for demonstration , ” state patrol Chief John Batiste @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people gathered in downtown and a largely peaceful early afternoon rally turned rowdier , with police pepper spraying demonstrators and deploying flash bands .
Police said arrests were made but an exact figure wasn ’ t available .
Thousands of people gathered in downtown Seattle to protest the killing of George Floyd and a largely peaceful gathering turned rowdier Saturday afternoon .
Police deployed flash bangs and pepper sprayed some demonstrators who got close to police lines .
Police on bicycles pushed back several protesters .
A police spokeswoman , Sgt .
Lauren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though she didn ’ t have an exact figure .


thetorontostar--2020-05-30--Police make nearly 1,400 arrests as protests continue

LOS ANGELES - Police have arrested nearly 1,400 people in 17 U.S. cities since Thursday as protests continue over the @ @ @ @ @ Floyd died Monday in Minneapolis after a police officer put his knee on Floyd ’ @ @ @ @ @ 8 minutes .
The officer , Derrick Chauvin , was arrested on Friday and charged @ @ @ @ @ was black .
Chauvin is white .
The arrest has done little to quell protests @ @ @ @ @ weekend .
Most have been peaceful , but some have erupted in violence .
An @ @ @ @ @ found at least 1,383 people have been arrested since Thursday .
The actual number is @ @ @ @ @ Saturday night .
More than a third of the arrests , 533 , came from @ @ @ @ @ The mayor of the nation ’ s second-largest city has imposed a citywide curfew until @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-30--Police join residents at peaceful protest rally in Alaska

JUNEAU , Alaska - Juneau law enforcement officers joined elected officials and residents at a peaceful gathering Saturday in Alaska @ @ @ @ @ the death of George Floyd .
Violent protests have erupted around the country after Floyd @ @ @ @ @ died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several @ @ @ @ @ moving and pleading for air .
Juneau Police Chief Ed Mercer said he and other @ @ @ @ @ with residents , the J uneau Empire reported .
“ We don ’ t tolerate @ @ @ @ @ ” Mercer said at the gathering in front of a giant whale sculpture on the @ @ @ @ @ A group sang Alaska Native songs , and most people practiced social distancing and wore @ @ @ @ @ promote the low-key vigil to show support for people grieving in Minneapolis and elsewhere , @ @ @ @ @ to a national event .
“ What goes on outside of Juneau still affects us @ @ @ @ @ said .


thetorontostar--2020-05-31--Christo, artist who wrapped and festooned on an epic scale, dies at 84

Christo , the Bulgarian-born conceptual artist who turned to epic-scale environmental works in the late 1960s , stringing a giant curtain across a mountain pass in Colorado , wrapping the Pont Neuf in Paris and the Reichstag in Berlin and zigzagging thousands of saffron-curtained gates throughout Central Park , died Sunday at his home in New York City .
He was 84 .
His death was announced on his official Facebook page .
No cause was specified .
Christo — he used only his first name — was an artistic Pied Piper .
His grand projects , often decades in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , required the co-operation of dozens , sometimes hundreds , of landowners , government officials , judges , environmental groups , local residents , engineers and workers , many of whom had little interest in art and a deep reluctance to see their lives and their surroundings disrupted by an eccentric visionary speaking in only semi-comprehensible English .
Again and again , Christo prevailed , through persistence , charm and a childlike belief that eventually everyone would see things the way he did .
At his side , throughout , was his wife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband , used only her first name .
In the mid-1990s she began sharing equal billing with him on all their projects , formalizing what the couple insisted had been their practice all along .
She died in 2009 .
“ The Gates , ” Christo ’ s Central Park project , typified his approach .
Like nearly all his projects , it began with a drawing , executed in 1979 .
Then came the seemingly eternal round of lobbying public officials , filing forms , waiting for environmental impact studies , speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this , Christo insisted , was part of the art work .
“ For me esthetics is everything involved in the process — the workers , the politics , the negotiations , the construction difficulty , the dealings with hundreds of people , ” he told The New York Times in 1972 .
“ The whole process becomes an esthetic — that ’ s what I ’ m interested in , discovering the process .
I put myself in dialogue with other people.
” When New York ’ s parks commissioner at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected “ The Gates ” in 1981 , setting forth his reasons in a book-length document , Christo simply incorporated the rebuff into the project .
“ I find it very inspiring in a way that is like abstract poetry , ” he told the College Art Association .
“ He adds a dimension to the work , no matter what he thinks.
” Given the go-ahead by the administration of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg , “ The Gates ” was finally installed in February 2005 .
For two weeks , thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s pathways passed underneath 7,503 steel frames supporting free-hanging panels of saffron-colored fabric .
It was a stunning success .
“ In the winter light , the bright fabric seemed to warm the fields , flickering like a flame against the barren trees , ” Michael Kimmelman wrote in The Times .
“ Even at first blush , it was clear that ‘ The Gates ’ is a work of pure joy , a vast populist spectacle of good will and simple eloquence , the first great public art event of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born on June 13 , 1935 , into a prominent family in Gabrovo , Bulgaria .
He took painting and drawing lessons as a child and went on to study at the Fine Arts Academy in Sofia , the capital , while the country was under Communist control .
One of his propaganda assignments was to advise farmers along the route of the Orient Express how to arrange their haystacks and machinery in a way that suggested bustling activity and prosperity .
He later said that this experience had taught him how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people outside academia .
He was studying and working at the avant-garde Burian Theater in Prague in 1956 when Soviet forces crushed the Hungarian uprising .
Seeing no future in Eastern Europe , he escaped to Vienna , hiding in a freight car loaded with medical supplies .
After studying for a semester at Vienna ’ s Academy of Fine Arts , he moved to Geneva and then , in 1958 , to Paris , supporting himself by painting portraits .
There he met Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon , his future wife , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In his Paris studio Christo began collecting bottles , paint cans , oil drums and wooden crates , some of which he wrapped in resin-soaked canvas , tied with twine and coated with black or grey automobile paint in an evolving work he called “ Inventory.
” In 1961 , as part of his first solo show , he stacked oil drums and a wrapped Renault car inside the Galerie Haro Lauhus in Cologne .
Nearby , on the docks , he arranged mysterious wrapped objects that he called “ Dockside Packages.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ work an incisive critique of packaging and advertising in late-capitalist society .
The next year Christo staged a brilliant coup de theatre , a work he called “ Iron Curtain : Wall of Oil Barrels.
” As part of a solo show at the Galerie J in Paris , he blocked off the narrow Rue Visconti for several hours with 204 stacked oil barrels , while his wife kept the police away through a series of diversionary tactics .
After two of his wrapped “ Packages ” from 1961 were included in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sidney Janis Gallery in Manhattan in 1962 — one of the earliest exhibitions of Pop Art and the related French movement known as Nouveau Réalisme — he and Jeanne-Claude turned their attention to the United States .
Encouraged by promised exhibitions at the Leo Castelli Gallery in Manhattan , Christo , though he spoke almost no English , moved to New York in 1964 with his wife and their young son , Cyril .
That year , the Castelli Gallery exhibited his “ Store Front , ” two display windows flanking a shop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For several years Christo had wanted to wrap not just packages but entire buildings .
He drew up plans to sheath five different art museums .
One of them , the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago , agreed to be wrapped in 1969 .
Later that year , on an even larger scale , he wrapped a million square feet of coastline near Sydney , Australia , in erosion-control fabric .
Several projects on a grand scale followed in the 1970s .
For “ Valley Curtain ” he strung orange nylon fabric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Rifle , Colorado ; a large semicircular opening allowed cars on the state highway below to pass through .
Fierce winds ripped the curtain to shreds two days later , a setback that Christo shrugged off .
“ I as an artist have done what I set out to do , ” he said .
“ That the curtain no longer exists only makes it more interesting.
” Then came “ Running Fence , ” a series of white nylon fabric panels that snaked their way over ranchland in Sonoma and Marin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 101 on their way to the ocean in Bodega Bay .
For “ Valley Curtain , ” Christo and his lawyer devised the system that made all of his subsequent works possible .
For each project a corporation was created , with Jeanne-Claude as director and Christo as a salaried employee .
Financing came from the sale of drawings and small models to collectors and museums ; Christo never accepted grants or public money .
When the artwork was taken down , the corporation dissolved itself , having earned zero profit .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urban projects in the 1980s and ’ 90s .
In “ Surrounded Islands , ” he dressed 11 tiny islands in Biscayne Bay in South Florida in flamingo-pink polypropylene skirts , which made them look like floating tropical flowers .
Then came the wrapping of the Pont Neuf in Paris , stalled for decades by the French bureaucracy and the political rivalry between Jacques Chirac , Paris ’ s mayor , and François Mitterrand , the president of France .
It was a popular triumph when finally completed in 1985 .
The honey-coloured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polyamide covering the bridge and its 44 lamps — blended harmoniously with Paris ’ s urban palette , and the bridge ’ s artful draping was deemed worthy of a couture house .
“ Whether it was ‘ art , ’ they neither knew nor cared , ” John Russell wrote in The Times of the public ’ s love affair with the wrapped bridge .
“ If it was fundamentally vacuous , nobody complained .
It was something to look at , something to walk on and something to think about.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christo ’ s plan to wrap the Reichstag in Berlin .
The first drawing was made in 1971 .
For decades thereafter he encountered nothing but resistance from West German officials .
But with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 , momentum shifted his way , and in 1995 the work was completed .
In between the Pont Neuf and Reichstag Projects , Christo and Jeanne-Claude simultaneously placed 1,760 yellow umbrellas in the Tejon Pass , just north of Los Angeles , and 1,340 blue umbrellas on a hillside near Ibaraki @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan-U.S.A. ” came to grief when one of the 485-pound umbrellas in California came unmoored in high winds and killed a woman and injured several other people .
The two artists ordered the umbrellas in both countries to be taken down immediately .
As a Japanese crane operator prepared to remove one of the umbrellas , his crane made contact with a power line , fatally electrocuting him .
For “ The Floating Piers , ” completed in northern Italy in 2016 — and the culmination of his dream , he would say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — he used nearly two miles of saffron fabric to create a pedestrian walkway connecting two small islands in Lake Iseo to the mainland .
It was the subject of the documentary “ Walking on Water , ” released last year .
At his death , Christo had one major project forthcoming : wrapping the Arc de Triomphe in Paris .
First conceived in 1962 , the project was to wrap the landmark in 25,000 square meters of silvery blue polypropylene fabric and 7,000 meters of red rope .
The project will go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statement announcing Christo ’ s death .
“ Christo and Jeanne-Claude have always made clear that their artworks in progress be continued after their deaths , ” the statement said .
Other unrealized projects include “ Over the River , ” a sequence of silver panels to be hung at intervals above a 40-mile stretch of the Arkansas River in Colorado .
Another , a mastaba , or flat-topped pyramid , made of more than 300,000 oil drums , was to be built in Abu Dhabi as Christo ’ s only permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller version of it in Hyde Park in London in 2018 . )
Christo is survived by his son , Cyril Christo , a wildlife photographer ; his brothers Anani and Stefan , who spell their last name Yavachev ; a grandson ; and two nephews , Vladimir Yavachev and Jonathan Henery , both of whom helped him with his work .
The public loved Christo .
Art critics delivered mixed reviews .
To some , he seemed more showman , or even charlatan , than artist .
“ The fact that their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the disdain and hostility it evokes in certain quarters , ” Calvin Tomkins wrote in The New Yorker in 2004 .
“ It makes some critics and quite a few artists exclude them from the pantheon of serious art.
” Both camps saw him as an unclassifiable figure .
The artist Saul Steinberg , a good friend , said of Christo , “ He not only invented himself , he invented his art and , even more amazing , he invented his public .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-31--Protests over death of George Floyd threaten a jump in coronavirus cases

Public-health and government officials worry ongoing protests against police brutality toward African-Americans and other minority groups , spurred by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Monday , could result in another jump in coronavirus cases in the coming weeks .
The new cases could add to the already disproportionate burden the disease has had on African-American and Latino populations across the country , experts said .
“ It ’ s a triple whammy of protests , plus raging pandemic , plus economic instability .
Those three things together make for a perfect storm of viral transmission , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specialist at the University of California , San Francisco .
He said he expects there will be a spike in cases due to protests .
That would mirror patterns seen around the world after governments started lifting lockdown restrictions , but this time on a larger scale , he said , because the protests are happening across the country , often in hot spots of transmission , like the South and West .
Officials in cities hit by protests stressed that the country was still in the midst of a health emergency and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to adhere to social-distancing guidelines .
On average , without social-distancing measures , each infected person transmits the virus to two to four other people , according to several studies .
The risk for coronavirus transmission is greatest indoors—in enclosed , poorly ventilated and crowded settings , according to researchers .
In homes , the so-called attack rate , a measure of the percentage of people who get infected in a specific place or time , ranges from 4.6 % and 19.3 % , according to several studies .
The protests are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk for transmission diminishes .
Air flow helps dilute viral particles , reducing the risk an infectious particle will come in contact with an uninfected person .
Yet the protests increase the risks , infectious-disease experts said , because protesters can come into proximity-often for long periods of time-and shout .
Outside , “ there ’ s a lot of dilution , as long as you ’ re not standing right next to a person ” who is infected , said Lisa Brosseau , a respiratory-protection expert and consultant for the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Research and Policy .
People can spread the virus before they experience symptoms , according to infectious-disease experts .
These healthy-seeming individuals are more likely to attend gatherings where the risk of transmission is high , like religious services , sporting events , and protests , experts said .
The transmission by people without symptoms or before symptoms start is partly responsible for the challenges containing the spread of the virus .
Protests can involve a lot of shouting , which adds to transmission risk , according to infectious-disease experts .
Screaming can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
People may also be less vigilant about personal hygiene , mask-wearing and social distancing .
The protests are “ like having a stadium game every day and everyone ’ s going to it , ” said Dr. Chin-Hong .
“ Because of anger and frustration and sadness , people are willing to minimize the biological risk.
” The protests could spread the virus in communities already hard hit , infectious-disease experts said .
More than half of Covid-19-related deaths in Los Angeles County , where protests raged over the weekend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Latinos , according to data from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health .
Statewide , Latinos make up 39 % of the state ’ s population , but 54.5 % of cases and blacks account for 6 % of the population , but for 10 % of its deaths , according to data from the California Department of Public Health .
In New York City , data paint a similar picture .
The Minnesota Department of Health said on Sunday that it is concerned about further spread of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see whether cases increase , noting that any increase likely won ’ t become apparent for at least a week or so .
“ Nationwide , we are one of the communities most vulnerable to rapid increases in the spread of the virus , given where we are in the course of the epidemic , ” Minnesota ’ s health commissioner Jan Malcolm said in a statement on Friday .
“ We are particularly concerned about people coming into the metro area from other parts of the state and from outside of Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” She asked protesters to help protect themselves and the larger community against the virus .
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shared tips on social media Saturday for protesters to reduce the spread of Covid-19 .
The tips included wearing face coverings and eye protection , using signs and noise makers instead of yelling , sticking to small groups and keeping 6 feet apart from other groups .
The department also said it is inviting any person who has been to the protests over the past few days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the locations set up across the city .
“ The virus is still out there .
There ’ s still the potential for exposure , ” William Scott , San Francisco chief of police said during a press conference Sunday .
The protests might impact California ’ s plans for reopening , said San Francisco Mayor London Breed during the Sunday press conference , suggesting that businesses might be affected by the 8 p.m. curfew .
“ It ’ s going to be very challenging , ” she said .
“ Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” but timing will depend on “ how long these protests continue to get unruly .
”

Daniela Hernandez - The Wall Street Journal,Brianna Abbott


thetorontostar--2020-05-31--‘No justice! No peace!’ Already in crisis, America lurches toward chaos

WASHINGTON—At the gates blockading Lafayette Square park near the White House Saturday , hundreds of protesters chanted as they faced a line of riot-shield-equipped Secret Service and National Guard officers .
“ I can ’ t breathe , ” they shouted , echoing the dying words of George Floyd as the knee of a Minneapolis police officer on his neck took his life last week .
The sentiment also summed up the suffocating sense that a nation in crisis was lurching toward chaos .
In the midst of an ongoing pandemic that has claimed more than 100,000 American lives and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , and during a parallel economic contraction that has sent unemployment rates to their highest levels since the Great Depression , protests and riots spread to dozens of cities across the country over the weekend — many accompanied by scenes of police brutality , landmarks on fire , and widespread looting .
Police and protesters alike mostly wore COVID-19 masks on the weekend , though the concept of social distancing seemed wholly abandoned in the crowds .
On H Street at the north end of the park in Washington , some protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to near the fences that marked the police line , and set it ablaze : a dumpster fire .
That too seemed a darkly humourous commentary on the state of the nation nearly halfway through 2020 , but one underscored by a tense sense of danger as the acrid , choking scent of whatever was inside mingled in the air with the sting of pepper-spray liberally fired into the crowd periodically by police .
Those on the street , often chanting “ No justice !
No peace !
” and “ Hands up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pelted the police line with water bottles , traffic cones , flaming items from the dumpster , fireworks and occasionally bricks dug up from the sidewalk — often as other protesters chastized them and called for peace .
“ That ’ s what they want !
” one protester said to a man hoisting a wooden traffic sign and preparing to throw it , before he returned it to the ground .
Some protesters shouted at police , “ Why are you protecting Trump ?
He doesn ’ t care about you !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wouldn ’ t protect you !
” Many focused their taunts at a Black officer in the line , “ Would you protect my son ?
Do you think they would ?
” and “ If you didn ’ t wear that uniform they would kneel on your neck !
” For hours , a push-and-pull took place in which protesters pulled down barricades and police restored them — seemingly poised on the verge of an open clash that never quite came , though some cars were burned , windows smashed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington and the adjacent , affluent Georgetown neighbourhood in the early morning hours of Sunday .
In other cities across the country , the situation was even more violent and volatile : police drove a car into a crowd of protesters in New York City , officers fired paint canisters at residents sitting on their front porch in Minneapolis , in Philadelphia 13 police officers were injured and looting continued into Sunday , prompting the city to order businesses shut down .
Curfews had been imposed in more than three dozen cities as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guard had been activated to try to restore order in 15 states and the District of Columbia .
According ot the New York Times , at least 75 cities had seen protests after the death of Floyd , and many of them were smouldering after the experience , an experience not seen on such a scale since 1968 .
As people across the country were left to fear and debate fires and looting as protest tactics , many protesters decried what they called the co-opting of their peaceful movement by those with violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Texas Sunday was called off by organizers due to fears the event would be highjacked by white people committing violence in the name of Black Lives Matter .
Others pointed out dozens of reports and videos of police instigating violence against protesters and members of the press , seemingly unprovoked .
Benjamin Crump , the lawyer for the family of George Floyd , whose death kicked off the protests , decried the violence on a CBS program Sunday , saying neither he nor the Floyd family agree with violence .
But , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to understand that it is not these protesters that started these fires across America .
It is police brutality and a racist criminal justice system .
And the only thing that can put out these fires are police accountability and equal justice.
” As politicians across the country appealed for peace , President Donald Trump seemed to send mixed messages over the weekend , at one point promising severe police tactics by tweeting “ when the looting starts , the shooting starts ” ( he claimed later that he did not want shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other ) , and promising any protesters breaching the White House fence would be greeted by “ vicious dogs ” and “ ominus guns.
” On Saturday he suggested his own MAGA ( Make America Great Again ) movement might show up to meet protesters near the White House , though there was no sign of them Saturday night .
Many commentators suggest that Trump might see benefit politically from a protest movement becoming associated with mass unrest , and being seen to meet violence with violence .
He has denied that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claiming for instance “ MAGA loves black people , ” and expressing his “ horror ” at police brutality .
On Sunday he tweeted that he would designate “ ANTIFA as a terrorist organization , ” a promise that may be hard to keep as Antifa is not an organization in any conventional sense , but a loosely aligned set of self-described anti-fascist people who prefer direct confrontational tactics in protests .
The president spent part of Saturday watching the launch of the NASA/SpaceX mission to the International Space Station , the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in nine years .
It was a stragely triumphant contrast to the unfolding chaos in the streets — and ongoing tragedy in hospitals and boardrooms — across the country .
A bit of hopeful business as usual .
It ’ s becoming less clear , however , if or when anything like usual life will be restored in this country .
The protests and the accompanying civil unrest only grew over the weekend .
The harsh scenes of severe police response at the protests would only seem to deepen the message of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protester response might only lead to more conflict .
There ’ s reason to fear the crowded protests themselves , and the conditions of arrests and detentions alongside them , would lead to a renewed outbreak of coronavirus .
Even as states across the country try to reopen for business , the expiration of some emergency government benefits and ongoing fear of the virus may mean the worst of the economic hardship lies ahead .
Even if Trump were inclined to try to heal the nation with some kind of address , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is hard to imagine anything he could say that would deescalate the situation rather than be read as a provocation by the protesters .
There is no obvious end point to the unfolding crisis .
After months of the coronavirus and days of civil unrest , Americans are bracing themselves for more chaos in the days and weeks ahead .


thetorontostar--2020-05-31--How China tested 11 million people for COVID-19 in just two weeks

Wuhan is set to complete the testing of its entire population of 11 million as China pours massive resources into avoiding a resurgence of COVID-19 infections .
Hitting the goal at a time when the U.S. and other countries are struggling to implement adequate testing has required mobilizing thousands in the city where the pathogen was first identified .
All residents and those listed in the identity documents of locals have been contacted for an assessment and local authorities have reported just one new case since the two-week program kicked off on May 13 .
China ’ s testing efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels of government to shift the public narrative to the future amid accusations the country delayed its response to the virus that has infected almost 6 million and claimed over 360,000 lives globally .
Beijing is speeding up development of vaccines , expanding testing across the nation and maintaining rigid travel restrictions to ensure the drop off of infections stays that way .
“ China has showed they can mobilize the necessary human resources and equipment to do things quickly and at scale , ” said Raina MacIntyre , professor of global biosecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Sydney .
“ It ’ s a combination of technological capacity and political will.
” While China has rejected accusations that it covered up the virus in its early days , it has also talked up international co-operation in a post-coronavirus world .
Premier Li Keqiang last week called for reform to the system for disease prevention and improved mechanisms for direct and early reporting of outbreaks .
“ Any infection , whenever found , shall be promptly handled , ” Li said in a press conference on Thursday for the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No cover up will ever be allowed.
” Xi Seeks Victory Over Trump in Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine Wuhan , which had only five active cases as of Friday , used a number of different methods to assess everyone , from diagnostics that look for active infections to antibody measurements that detect markers in the blood for exposure to the coronavirus .
Makeshift tents were set up in residential compounds across the city to swab throats or noses with the results likely to be closely watched internationally given China ’ s position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from COVID-19 lockdowns .
“ It ’ s definitely a miracle if 11 million people have truly been tested in only two weeks , ” said Zhou Xiangning , a Wuhan local who said his throat swab test took about 20 minutes .
Reaching the 11 million target has required adopting a batch testing method that enabled health workers to assess as many as 10 samples simultaneously .
Pooling samples enables more tests with existing kits while still providing sufficient diagnostic accuracy , according to a paper published in the Lancet medical journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result comes from the batch , authorities can then follow up with assessments on each person in the group .
“ It ’ s not accurate in the sense that if you get a positive you won ’ t know who in the batch is positive , ” said MacIntyre .
“ But it allows rapid screening of different areas , and if you find a positive you can go in and test everyone individually.
” Still , the technique might not be applicable in other countries that are still reporting tens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only efficient when the infection rate is below one per cent , according to Peng Zhiyong , director of intensive care unit at Wuhan Zhongnan Hospital .
“ If the infection rate among the population is as high as the earlier scenario in Wuhan , this would instead increase the testing cost , ” Peng told local media .
China ’ s enormous testing capacity has outshone many developed countries including the U.S. and U.K. , but it also raised questions on whether the massive efforts are essential or excessive , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the single digits .
It hasn ’ t been a smooth process for all those being tested , with some residents taking to social media to complain about waiting times and express concern about a lack of distancing for those lining up .
With residents unable to leave Wuhan until they were tested , 25-year-old Ariel Min said she went to a hospital so she could get a result that day and be able to travel to Shanghai .
The government-backed community locations can take a week for results .
Pressure from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers responding .
Anyone who isn ’ t tested faces the prospect of having their colour coded health status downgraded .
Just moving from green to the lower level of yellow affects a person ’ s ability to work , travel outside Wuhan and gain access to restaurants , public transport and other facilities .
Residents who fail to get tested might also see their names on the public bulletin board , according to Ma Cong , who got his nose swabbed and blood drawn last week .
“ The community is being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be held accountable if there ’ s any omission .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-31--Anonymous says it’ll ‘expose’ Minneapolis police, website hacked

The Minneapolis Police Department ’ s website has shown signs of a hack since late Saturday , days after a video purported to be from the hacktivist group Anonymous promised retribution for the death of George Floyd during an arrest .
Websites for the police department and the city of Minneapolis were temporarily inaccessible on Saturday as protesters in cities around the U.S. marched against police violence aimed at black Americans .
By Sunday morning , the pages sometimes required visitors to submit “ captchas ” to verify they weren ’ t bots , a tool used to mitigate hacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requests until they stop responding .
Officials with the police department and the city didn ’ t immediately respond to requests for comment .
Anonymous posted a video on their unconfirmed Facebook page on May 28 directed at the Minneapolis police .
The post accused them of having a “ horrific track record of violence and corruption.
” The speaker , wearing a hoodie and the Guy Fawkes mask that ’ s a well-known symbol of the group , concludes the video with , “ we do not trust your corrupt organization to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be exposing your many crimes to the world .
We are a legion .
Expect us.
” The video was viewed almost 2.3 million times on Facebook over the weekend , during which violence swept the U.S. as protesters clashed with law enforcement and National Guard troops .
While many demonstrations have been peaceful , others have devolved into rioting .
Several cities issued curfews and police have at times turned their rubber bullets and mace on the activists and on journalists covering the protests .
President Donald Trump on Sunday cast blame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s followed the death of Floyd , an unarmed black man , in Minnesota police custody .


thetorontostar--2020-05-31--Mosques reopen in Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem amid virus woes

DUBAI , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES—Tens of thousands of mosques across Saudi Arabia reopened Sunday for the first time in more than two months , with worshippers ordered to follow strict guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as Islam ’ s holiest site in Mecca remained closed to the public .
The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem , Islam ’ s holiest site outside of Saudi Arabia , also reopened for prayers for the first time since it was closed in mid-March .
With little regard for social distancing , throngs waited outside the holy site ’ s gates before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing surgical masks .
As they were allowed to enter , the faithful stopped to have their temperature measured .
The mosque was one of Jerusalem ’ s many holy sites , including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Western Wall , whose access was restricted at the height of Israel ’ s coronavirus outbreak .
Throughout that period , worshippers continued to pray in the alleyways outside the mosque .
Jews also resumed their pilgrimages Sunday to the hilltop compound they revere as the Temple Mount , site of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arabia , the government prepared for the reopening of around 90,000 mosques after sanitizing prayer rugs , washrooms and shelves holding copies of the Qur ’ an , the Muslim holy book .
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs said millions of text messages were sent to people in multiple languages to inform them about the new rules for public prayer , which include keeping a two-meter distance between people during prayer , wearing face masks at all times and abstaining from greeting one another with handshakes or hugs .
Children under 15 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The elderly and those with chronic conditions were being told to pray at home .
People are also being advised to perform the mandatory ablution at home since washrooms at mosques will be closed , to use hand sanitizers and to bring their own prayer rugs and copies of the Qur ’ an .
The restrictions call for mosques to open just 15 minutes before each of the five daily prayers and to close 10 minutes after they conclude .
Friday sermons and prayers are to last no longer than 15 minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifted a ban on domestic air travel and permitted some public sector workers to resume office work again , though full attendance will not be allowed until mid-June .
The new measures come as Saudi Arabia and other countries around the world begin to loosen restrictions and stay-at-home orders following weeks of curfews and lockdowns .
However , the Grand Mosque in Mecca , which houses the cube-shaped Kaaba that Muslims around the world pray toward , will remain closed to the public .
The city has been under a strict lockdown for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the Prophet Muhammad is buried will be partially opened to the public to pray outside .
The continued closure of Mecca points to the increasing likelihood that the kingdom may suspend this year ’ s annual Muslim hajj pilgrimage , which falls in late July .
Already , a senior Saudi official has told prospective pilgrims not to plan for the hajj this year amid the global pandemic .
Despite taking early and unprecedented measures to curb the spread of the virus , Saudi Arabia has recorded more than 83,000 people contracting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel has recorded fewer than 300 deaths and mostly kept its daily infection count to the low dozens since the beginning of May .
But it also imposed severe restrictions that battered its economy and sent its unemployment rate skyrocketing .
Many of those restrictions , including on places of worship , began to be eased earlier this month .
On Sunday night , Abu Dhabi , the capital of the United Arab Emirates , announced it would restrict movement within the sheikhdom for a week beginning Tuesday .
The government said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , curb the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of all community members.
” In Pakistan , meanwhile , the government withdrew limits on congregations in mosques and churches , the latest easing of restrictions .
The country ’ s coronavirus death toll of 1,483 is third only to Iran and Turkey in the Middle East , and 88 new deaths were recorded overnight .
Pakistan has an acute bed shortage and near daily warnings from health professionals to tighten lock down measures .
The government has kept mosques open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
In Lebanon , the Ministry of Energy announced the extension of a deadline for submitting bids for the country ’ s second offshore oil and gas licensing round until an unspecified date before the end of 2021 because of coronavirus .
The date has been already postponed twice so far from Jan. 31 until the end of April and later until June 1 .
Lebanon has registered 27 deaths from the coronavirus and reported 29 new cases Sunday , raising the registered cases to 1,220 .