thetorontostar--2020-09-29--Debate Takeaways: Stark differences between Trump, Biden

WASHINGTON - After more than a year of circling each other , Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden met on the debate stage Tuesday night in Ohio .
The 74-year-old president and the 77-year-old former vice-president are similar in age , and they share a mutual dislike .
But they differ starkly in style and substance .
All of that was evident from the outset on the Cleveland stage .
Here are key early takeaways from the first of three scheduled presidential debates before Election Day on Nov. 3 .
Trump has been itching to attack Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time going on offence .
He repeatedly interrupted Biden mid-sentence , sometimes in intensely personal ways .
“ There ’ s nothing smart about you , ” Trump said of Biden .
“ 47 years you ’ ve done nothing.
” While Trump played into his reputation as a bully , it may have been effective at breaking up the worst of Biden ’ s attacks — simply by talking over them .
Trump aides believed before the debate that Biden would be unable to withstand the withering offensive on style and substance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few retorts of his own , calling Trump a “ clown ” and mocking Trump ’ s style by asking , “ Will you shut up , man ?
” His supporters may have been cheered by Trump ’ s frontal nature .
Whether undecided voters , who watched the debate to try to learn about the two candidates , were impressed is another matter .
Trump has wanted the election to be about anything but the coronavirus pandemic , but he couldn ’ t outrun reality on the debate stage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are who you are , ” Biden told the president , referring to Trump ’ s months of downplaying COVID-19 while he said privately he understood how deadly it is .
But Trump didn ’ t take it quietly .
He proceeded to blitz Biden with a mix of self-defence and counter-offensives .
200,000 dead ?
Biden ’ s death toll would have been “ millions , ” Trump said .
A rocky economy ?
Biden would ’ ve been worse .
Biden wouldn ’ t have manufactured enough masks or ventilators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a vaccine very soon.
” Biden fell back on his bottom line : “ A lot of people died , and a lot more are going to unless he gets a lot smarter.
” For voters still undecided about who ’ d better handle the pandemic , the exchange may not have offered them anything new .
Trump defended his decision to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court just weeks before Election Day , saying “ elections have consequences.
” Biden said he was “ not opposed to the justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have a right to have a say in who the Supreme Court nominee is.
” But rather than litigate Republicans ’ 2016 blocking of Merrick Garland to the high court , Biden quickly pivoted to the issues that will potentially come before the court : healthcare and abortion .
It ’ s an effort by the Democrat to refocus the all-but-certain confirmation fight for Trump ’ s third justice to the Supreme Court into an assault on Trump and his record .
Biden said Barrett , who would be the sixth justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a Republican , would endanger the Affordable Care Act and tens of millions of Americans with preexisting conditions , and would imperil legalized abortion .
It was a reframing of the political debate to terms far more favourable to the Democrat , and one Trump played into .
Trump said of the conservative Barrett , “ You don ’ t know her view on Roe vs. Wade ” and he defended his efforts to try to chip away at the popular Obama-era health law .
Biden has tried to press Democrats to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallying cry against Trump , and the debate discussion largely played out on his turf .
Debate moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News held his ground Tuesday after saying beforehand that it was not his job to fact-check the candidates , especially Trump , in real time .
But Wallace struggled to stop Trump from interrupting and at times seemed to lose control of the debate .
“ Mr .
President , as the moderator , we are going to talk about COVID in the next segment , ” Wallace said .
Soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderator , and I ’ d like you to let me ask my question.
” Minutes later : “ I have to give you roughly equal time .
Please let the vice-president talk.
” And when Wallace noted that Trump hasn ’ t come up with his health care plan in nearly four years , Trump turned the question back on Wallace .
“ First of all , I ’ m debating you and not him .
That ’ s okay .
I ’ m not surprised.
” Wallace said he wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was impossible .
DEBATES DON ’ T MATTER ?
THINK AGAIN There was plenty of talk heading into Tuesday that debates don ’ t matter .
Indeed , this has been a remarkably stable race through months of seismic headlines : Biden has maintained a lead , with Trump holding his enthusiastic base to remain within striking distance .
But presidential elections often turn on the margins , and Tuesday marked many firsts for some voters who could prove decisive in battleground states .
It was the first time Biden has had Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his face , the first time Biden ’ s had to respond to Trump casting him as a do-nothing career politician , the first time the two men could mix it up over the 2010 health care law .
Likewise , it was the first time Trump had to respond to Biden casting his presidency as a divisive failure on everything from the pandemic to race relations .
Biden also used the opportunity to push back at some of Trump ’ s caricatures that he ’ s a puppet of the left-wing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ centre-left politician he ’ s been for most of his career .
Maybe the back-and-forth won ’ t sway as many voters as in 1980 , when challenger Ronald Reagan used the debate stage to turn a seemingly competitive race with President Jimmy Carter into a blowout .
But it also could be a 1960 redux .
That year , Sen. John Kennedy excelled in the new television debate format , and he went on to win the decisive states , Illinois and Texas , by fewer than 60,000 votes combined .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remembering 2016 , when Trump lost the national popular vote but carried Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin by fewer than 100,000 votes combined to win the Electoral College anyway .
Debates don ’ t have to move millions to matter .

Bill Barrow And Zeke Miller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--Judge says ending 2020 census on Oct. 5 may violate order

A federal judge on Tuesday said a revised Oct. 5 date the U.S. Commerce Department picked to end the 2020 census may violate an order she issued last week that cleared the way for the head count of every U.S. resident to continue through the end of October .
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh suggested she would be open to considering a motion of contempt against the federal government or a motion saying her order had been violated .
Last week , the San Jose , California , judge suspended the U.S. Census Bureau ’ s deadline for ending the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reverted the deadline back to an older Census Bureau plan in which the timeline for ending field operations was Oct. 31 .
Her order also suspended a Dec. 31 deadline for the Census Bureau to turn in numbers used for apportionment , the process of deciding how many congressional seats each state gets .
In her decision , Koh sided with civil rights groups and local governments that had sued the Census Bureau and the Department of Commerce , which oversees the statistical agency , arguing that minorities and others in hard-to-count communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the end of September instead of the end of October .
The decision to end the 2020 census on Oct. 5 , credited to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Monday , was built on the idea of turning in the apportionment numbers by Dec. 31 which violates her injunction , the judge said .
“ I think it ’ s inconsistent with what I ordered last Thursday , “ Koh said .
August Flentje , an attorney for President Donald Trump ’ s administration , said the suggestion that the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfair.
“ Trump administration attorneys were in courts on both coasts Tuesday , fighting over when the 2020 census would end and how the data would be used for deciding how many congressional seats each state gets .
In the nation ’ s capital , Trump administration attorneys asked a panel of three judges to dismiss a challenge to a memorandum from Trump seeking to exclude people in the country illegally from being counted in the apportionment process .
Tuesday ’ s virtual court arguments in the District of Columbia were part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s July memorandum .
Arguments already have made heard in federal cases in Maryland and New York , where a three-judge panel blocked the presidential order earlier this month , ruling it was unlawful .
The New York judges ’ order prohibits Ross from excluding people in the country illegally when handing in 2020 census figures used to calculate apportionment .
The Trump administration has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and asked for the judges ’ order to be suspended during that process .
The judges on Tuesday denied that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t rule on the constitutionality of the memorandum , merely saying it violated federal laws on the census and apportionment , leaving open the door for the judges in the nation ’ s capital to rule on other aspects of the president ’ s memorandum .
Other lawsuits challenging the memorandum have been filed in California , Maryland and Massachusetts .
One of the aspects the judges indicated they may consider is whether the Census Bureau will have to use statistical sampling to determine how many people are in the country illegally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 census that could help answer that .
The Supreme Court has ruled that statistical sampling can ’ t be used for the apportionment count .
Under questioning from the federal judges , federal government attorney Sopan Joshi said the Census Bureau had no intention of using statistical sampling .
The Washington lawsuit was brought by a coalition of cities and public interest groups , who argued the president ’ s order was part of a strategy to enhance the political power of Republicans and non-Hispanic whites .
The U.S. House of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the plaintiffs .
The Trump administration attorneys said the lawsuit was premature since it ’ s impossible to know who will be affected by the exclusion order before the head count is finished and whether the Census Bureau will come up with a method for figuring out who is a citizen .
But Gregory Diskant , an attorney for one of the plaintiffs , Common Cause , said waiting to challenge the president ’ s memo until after the apportionment numbers are turned in would create even greater problems .
Douglas Letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Representatives , told the judges that since the nation ’ s founding all three branches of government have believed that the apportionment count included noncitizens , regardless of whether they were in the country legally .
“ It ’ s just not right for a president to come in and say , without explanation , “ I ’ m changing that , ’ “ Letter said .
The census helps determine how many congressional seats each state gets during apportionment , as well as the distribution of $ 1.5 trillion in federal @ @ @

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--2020-09-29--Marine jet crashes after mid-air collision in California

SAN DIEGO - A Marine Corps fighter jet collided in mid-air with another plane during a refuelling operation in a remote desert area of Southern California Tuesday afternoon .
But the pilot ejected and the other aircraft landed safely , the military said .
The F-35B jet collided with a Lockheed Martin KC-130J tanker around 4 p.m. , according to a statement from the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in nearby Arizona .
The jet pilot “ ejected successfully and is currently being treated , “ the statement said .
It didn ’ t provide other details .
The other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board .
None were injured .
The F-35B is a single-seat combat aircraft that can take off and land conventionally and vertically .
That plane crashed near the Salton Sea , an inland lake about 100 miles ( 160 kilometres ) northeast of downtown San Diego .
The four-engine turboprop tanker landed in Thermal , a small desert city in Riverside County about 125 miles ( 200 kilometres ) northeast of downtown San Diego .
Photos from the scene posted online by NBC Palm Springs show a military plane on its belly in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The cause of the crash is under investigation .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear whether the planes were on a routine mission or a training exercise .


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--Trump intel chief unveils unverified Russian info about Dems

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration ’ s top intelligence official said Tuesday that he has declassified Russian intelligence alleging damaging information about Democrats during the 2016 election even though he acknowledged it might not be true .
The announcement , just hours before the first presidential debate of this November ’ s election , drew harsh criticism from lawmakers who accused National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe of politicizing intelligence .
In a letter Tuesday to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , Ratcliffe said that in late July 2016 , U.S. intelligence agencies obtained “ insight ” into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was running for president , had “ approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against ” Trump .
But Ratcliffe added that American intelligence agencies do “ not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication.
” The announcement was a startling break from convention given that the nation ’ s intelligence chiefs are generally loath to publicly discuss sensitive government intelligence , particularly when that information is unconfirmed — as Ratcliffe himself admits is the case here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to install loyalists in the role of intelligence director , and Ratcliffe and his predecessor , Richard Grenell , have authorized a series of disclosures in recent months aimed at undermining the Russia investigation and providing a political advantage to Trump .
Graham signalled Tuesday that he intended to ask former FBI Director James Comey about the issue when Comey testifies before the committee , which has been doing its own inquiry into the origins of the Russia probe .
Sen. Mark Warner , the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ especially this close to a presidential election .
Sen. Ron Wyden , D-Ore. , a member of the intelligence committee , accused Ratcliffe of abusing his position as the nation ’ s top spy .
“ His politicization of intelligence , including through selective releases to political allies , damages the country and undermines the intelligence community he purports to lead , “ Wyden said in a statement .
“ Ratcliffe is even willing to rely on unverified Russian information to try to concoct a political scandal — a shocking abdication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wyden said the information being released amounted to “ rumint ” or intelligence based on rumours .
Ratcliffe responded with a second statement claiming the intelligence was not Russian disinformation .
He said he ’ d be briefing Congress in coming days about the “ sensitive sources and methods by which it was obtained.
” Ratcliffe said he was providing the intelligence to the Judiciary Committee related to the FBI ’ s “ Crossfire Hurricane ” investigation in 2016 and 2017 into links between Trump associates and Russian officials .
Comey is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In his letter to the committee , Ratcliffe said that according to handwritten notes by former CIA Director John Brennan , Brennan briefed President Barack Obama and other senior national security officials on the intelligence , including the “ alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on July 26 , 2016 of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services.
” Nick Shapiro , former CIA deputy chief of staff to Brennan , said Russian interference in the 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented in scale and scope.
” Shapiro said the meddling was authorized personally by Russian President Vladimir Putin to hurt Clinton and to promote the electoral prospects of Trump .
“ The intelligence on this is incontrovertible and the analysis unimpeachable , ” Shapiro said .
He said the intelligence community ’ s assessment of Russian interference on behalf of Trump has been corroborated numerous times .
That includes in the CIA ’ s own review when Secretary Mike Pompeo was the CIA director as well as in the bipartisan Senate intelligence committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Mueller .
“ Trump ’ s own head of counterintelligence has publicly stated that the Russians are once again helping Donald Trump , ” Shapiro added .
“ Ratcliffe should be ashamed of his blatant politicization of his position.
” Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , the chairman of the House intelligence committee , also denounced Ratcliffe ’ s action .
“ Ratcliffe ’ s decision to release Russian intelligence he concedes may be false is an obvious domestic political errand with an election weeks away , ” Schiff tweeted .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from sensitive sources and methods—which he may now have compromised—is just inexcusable.
” Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--Error leaves thousands in NYC with flawed absentee ballots

NEW YORK - Mail-in voting has gotten off to a rocky start in New York City , where election officials sent out nearly 100,000 absentee ballots with the wrong names and addresses printed on the return envelopes .
The deluge of faulty ballots , sent to voters across Brooklyn , could result in ballots being voided if voters sign their own name on return envelopes bearing different names .
The New York City Board of Elections blamed the problem on the company hired to print and mail the ballots .
The faulty ballots are limited to one print run of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the board ’ s director Michael Ryan said at a board meeting Tuesday .
He didn ’ t say during the meeting how many were printed .
But Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s top aide Melissa DeRosa said the issue was contained to about 100,000 ballots .
All voters who got the bad ballots will receive new ones before the Nov. 3 election , with the vendor covering the cost , Ryan said .
He said the move will “ make certain that absolutely no disenfranchisement occurs in the borough of Brooklyn.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city will handle voters who had already mailed their completed ballot back in the provided envelopes .
Ryan said elections workers will reach out to voters by social media and , if available , by telephone and email addresses .
And he said the board will ensure all received ballots are “ appropriately processed ” and tallied votes are “ properly credited.
“ “ It is essential that confidence be established on this process and that we make certain we have all the voters who potentially have a problem have a full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Ryan said .
The printer the city blamed for the error , Phoenix Graphics , didn ’ t return messages seeking comment .
The Rochester-based printing company , which was founded in 1985 and calls itself the state ’ s largest supplier of ballot materials , is urging those who call its offices about absentee ballot issues to contact their local board of election .
“ Phoenix Graphics is working hard with your board of elections to ensure that everyone will have what they need to vote , ” the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , the city elections board also was dealing with confusion regarding another printing anomaly on absentee ballots .
Ordinarily , absentee ballots in the city are sent out with a heading identifying them as an “ Official Absentee / Military Ballot.
” This year , the slash between “ absentee ” and “ military ” was left out , leading some voters to believe they had mistakenly been mailed a ballot for use only by members of the military .
The board tweeted that the ballot was still good for use by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mishaps took place despite intense scrutiny of mail-in voting nationwide .
And it comes on the heels of a rocky spring primary in New York in which election boards struggled to handle a record amount of voting by mail .
Marla Garfield , an editor who lives in Brooklyn , said she was among those who received a ballot envelope with another person ’ s name .
Garfield said she is “ furious ” about the errors and plants to vote in-person out of concern replacement ballots won ’ t arrive in time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will fuel distrust in mail-in-voting .
“ It ’ s a mess , it ’ s an absolute mess , ” she said .
“ The fact they don ’ t know how far reaching it is , is troubling , ” she added .
“ And you have this moment where really , now this election , this is the one this is happening to ?
“ In Brooklyn ’ s Sheepshead Bay section , Victoria Edel , 28 , said her family of four was excited to open up their ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requested them online Aug. 22 .
Then , they discovered she had received her younger brother ’ s ballot envelope .
Her younger brother had her mother ’ s .
Her mother had the envelope of a woman who appears to live nearby .
She said she ’ s worried about people who don ’ t watch the news and perhaps are still sending back ballots in wrong envelopes .
“ It feels like it ’ s really easy for a lot of people to be disenfranchised this way , “ Edel said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 400,000 New York City residents voted by absentee ballot in during the primary .
That was 10 times the number of absentee ballots cast in the 2016 primary .
Many voters complained that their absentee ballots didn ’ t arrive in time for the primary .
And thousands of ballots cast by mail were later disqualified for minor technical errors , including voters forgetting to sign their name , or the U.S .
Postal Service failing to put a postmark on the ballot indicating when it was sent .
The city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Republican and Democratic appointees picked by county party leaders and is not subject to the control of City Hall .
A long list of city officials and the current and past mayors have called for reforms of the body because of a history of election mismanagement .

Marina Villeneuve And Karen Matthews - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--California prosecutor: Driver tried to kill Trump supporters

LOS ANGELES - The organizer of a Southern California rally against police brutality and racism was charged with attempted murder Tuesday for driving her car into counterprotesters and running over a woman ’ s head .
Tatiana Turner deliberately drove into a crowd of President Donald Trump ’ s supporters with the intent to kill the woman and also seriously injured a man who broke his leg , Orange County prosecutors said .
“ She positioned her vehicle to be used as a backup weapon and she used that vehicle as a deadly weapon , willing to injure and kill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement .
A defence lawyer said Turner tried unsuccessfully to get help from deputies Saturday in Yorba Linda after her group was overwhelmed by a hostile crowd .
Turner saw people with guns and feared for her life when she got into her car that was blocked by Trump supporters , attorney Ludlow Creary II said .
She was trying to get away and didn ’ t intend to hit anyone .
“ There were actions that caused her to become fearful for her life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Creary said .
Turner , 40 , made her first appearance in court remotely from the jail and was ordered held on $ 1 million bail .
A not guilty plea was entered on her behalf by her lawyer .
The incident is one of more than 100 where motorists have plowed into demonstrations since late May , following protests against police brutality that grew nationwide over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis officer , according to Ari Weil , deputy director on the Chicago Project on Security and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The vast majority of those cases tallied by Weil involved motorists who ran into those demonstrating for causes aligned with the Black Lives Matter movement , Weil said .
He knows of only one other instance where that wasn ’ t the case when a man drove into a people rallying in support of police officers in Eaton , Colorado , in July .
“ It ’ s a man bites dog case when compared to the usual pattern , ” said Jody Armour , a law professor at the University of Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult for prosecutors to prove Turner tried to kill someone because it requires showing she was more than just reckless or negligent .
“ When you ’ re talking about attempted murder , you ’ re talking a requirement that the state prove that ... she drove into the crowd with the true purpose to cause someone ’ s death , ” Armour said .
“ That says something about their motivations , their character , their state of mind .
It ’ s a value judgment .
It ’ s a moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The felony complaint said Turner had the “ specific intent to kill ” the woman who was run over .
The victim has not been named .
Authorities said she was hospitalized with major injuries and expected to survive .
Turner , who has a felony record for drug sales and domestic violence , is also charged with six counts of assault with a deadly weapon , including one count for causing great bodily injury , mayhem , and two counts of the use of pepper spray by a felon .
Turner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , had planned a peaceful march Saturday at the Yorba Linda Library , about 30 miles ( 48 kilometres ) southeast of Los Angeles .
But they were quickly outnumbered and threatened by the other group , Creary said .
The DA , however , referred to Turner ’ s group as “ professional militant organizers.
“ Turner was seen in videos waving a baton and spraying what appeared to be pepper spray earlier in the protest .
Some members of her group had helmets and riot shields .
Creary said the charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s a message to activists that go to OC , “ Creary said .
” They want to let them know that they ’ re going to push to the full extent of the law against activists .
Again , it ’ s part of the hostile environment .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--Lawyer for Flynn says she updated Trump on status of case

WASHINGTON - A lawyer for former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn told a judge Tuesday that she recently updated President Donald Trump on the case and asked him not to issue a pardon for her client .
The attorney , Sidney Powell , was initially reluctant to discuss her conversations with the president or the White House , saying she believed they were protected by executive privilege .
But under persistent questioning from U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan , she acknowledged having spoken to the president within the last few weeks to update him and to request that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not elaborate on the request , but it presumably reflected the defence team ’ s desire to secure a legal , rather than political , victory for their client and to have the judge concur with the Justice Department ’ s assertion that the prosecution should be abandoned .
Attorney General William Barr , who appointed a U.S. attorney from Missouri to investigate the handling of the case , moved in May to dismiss the case despite Flynn ’ s own guilty plea in the Russia investigation .
That request is pending , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the other on Tuesday .
Powell ’ s acknowledgement that she had recently spoken with the president about the case that arose from special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia probe underscored the politically charged nature of the prosecution .
Flynn has emerged as something of a cause célèbre for Trump supporters , while critics of Barr ’ s action — including former FBI and Justice Department officials — have decried what they see as the politicization of law enforcement in the move to drop the case .
Current Justice Department officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hearing , the first since a federal appeals court ruled last month that Sullivan did not have to immediately dismiss the prosecution just because the government wants him to .
That decision returned the case to Sullivan for additional proceedings .
At issue before the judge Tuesday was what role courts may play in scrutinizing prosecutors ’ request to abandon a case they had once brought , and to what extent a judge can second-guess the motives behind such an effort .
Flynn has twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the presidential transition period in December 2016 , when he encouraged the diplomat not to escalate tensions over sanctions that had just been imposed by the Obama administration for election interference .
At the time , the FBI was investigating whether the Trump campaign had co-ordinated with Russia to tip the election in Trump ’ s favour .
But the Justice Department moved in May to dismiss the case , saying there had been insufficient basis to interview Flynn and that the questioning of Flynn and the statements he made were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counterintelligence investigation into the campaign and Russia .
Powell , Flynn ’ s attorney , added her own criticism , calling the case and the way it was handled a “ hideous abuse of power that continues until this very minute.
” “ This is the most egregious injustice I have even seen in my 30-plus years of practice , ” Powell said .
Sullivan has so far resisted efforts to dismiss the prosecution and appointed a former federal judge to argue against the Justice Department ’ s position .
That ex-judge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of acting for political reasons when it moved to drop the case and of shifting its rationale over several months for doing so .
“ These reasons are so patently pretextual that the government feels the need to keep coming up with more of them , ” Gleeson said .
Lawyers for the federal government revived their efforts to persuade Sullivan that dismissing the Flynn case was in the interests of justice .
The lawyers cited what they said was internal uncertainty within the FBI about whether Flynn had even committed a crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credibility of law enforcement officials in the case .
Allegations of improper political motives are “ just not true , ” said federal prosecutor Ken Kohl , who identified himself as the most senior career official in the U.S. Attorney ’ s office in Washington .
“ I ’ ve never seen it in my career in my office , and it didn ’ t happen here , ” Kohl said .
“ I ’ m here to say that the U.S. Attorney ’ s office ’ s decision to dismiss this case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons.
” He also suggested that the case would be impossible for the Justice Department to win in the event that it went to trial .
He cited the actions of Peter Strzok , an FBI agent who interviewed Flynn but was later fired from the bureau because of pejorative texts about Trump , and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe , who was fired following allegations that he misled the Justice Department ’ s inspector general over a news media disclosure .
“ Are we going to call Pete Strzok in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Or do we call the deputy director who ordered the interview , Andy McCabe ?
” A spokeswoman for McCabe declined to comment , as did a lawyer for Strzok .
In recent weeks , as part of the review of the Flynn case being conducted by U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Jensen of St. Louis , the Justice Department has identified correspondence that it sees as possibly favourable to Flynn and supportive of the decision to drop the case .
That includes the recent interview of an FBI agent who was part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the case , and had also come to believe that some on the Mueller team exhibited a “ get Trump ” attitude .


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--Wisconsin justices weigh removal of 130K from voter rolls

MADISON , Wis. - The Wisconsin Supreme Court weighed Tuesday whether to go along with conservatives who argue that 130,000 voters should be removed from the rolls in the hotly contested presidential battleground state , while the Democratic attorney general defended not purging them .
The Wisconsin case is one of several lawsuits across the country , many in battleground states , that seek to purge voters from registration rolls .
It is being closely watched because President Donald Trump won the swing state by fewer than 23,000 votes in 2016 .
However , the lawsuit was unlikely to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Nov. 3 election just five weeks away .
Justices on the court controlled 4-3 by conservatives gave little indication during the hour-long oral arguments how they were leaning .
The Wisconsin case hinges on whether voters who were identified as potentially having moved should be removed from the voter registration database .
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty , a conservative law firm , argued that the state elections commission broke the law when it did not remove voters from the rolls who did not respond within 30 days to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified as someone who potentially moved .
The commission wanted to wait until after the presidential election before removing anyone because of inaccuracies found while previously attempting to identify voters who may have moved .
Because voters who moved were concentrated in more Democratic areas of the state , liberals argued that the lawsuit was meant to lower turnout on their side .
Republicans countered that it was about reducing the likelihood of voter fraud and making sure that people who moved are not able to vote from their previous addresses .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the voters must be removed immediately , but a state appeals court overturned that in February .
Many of the questions from justices on Tuesday revolved around whether it was the duty of the state elections commission , or local election clerks , to remove voters from the rolls .
Justice Brian Hagedorn , part of the court ’ s conservative majority who has sometimes sided with liberals , questioned whether the state elections commission had the legal authority to remove anyone from the registration list .
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul maintained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duty to treat as reliable the information it received about voters who may have moved .
Kaul said the commission ’ s only responsibility under the multi-state Electronic Registration Information Center agreement was to notify flagged voters that they may need to update their address .
Rick Esenberg , attorney for the conservative group that brought the lawsuit , argued that state law clearly gives the elections commission the responsibility to maintain the voter list .
When presented with the information about those who had moved , the commission had a duty to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mailing , Esenberg said .
No voters have been deactivated while the yearlong legal fight continues .
Even if a voter has their registration deactivated , they can register again later or on Election Day when they show up at the polls .
Absentee voting is underway in Wisconsin with more than 308,000 ballots returned already .
The lawsuit is just one of several voting-related challenges across the country , many of them in battleground states .
On Tuesday , hours after the Supreme Court arguments , a federal appeals court upheld @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee ballots can be counted in Wisconsin .
And on Monday , a judge in Georgia dismissed a similar voter purge lawsuit filed by two voters in Fulton County , which includes Atlanta .
The lawsuit sought to force election officials to hold hearings that could have resulted in 14,000 voters being removed from the county ’ s voter rolls before the November general election .
In Pennsylvania , a federal lawsuit filed by the conservative group Judicial Watch alleges that up to 800,000 registered voters should be classified as “ inactive ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold until after the election .
Judicial Watch also sued in North Carolina , saying not enough has been done to periodically remove inactive or permanently moved voters in that state .
And in Michigan , a Republican activist sued in federal court to remove ineligible voters from 16 counties with “ abnormally high ” registration levels .
The state recently sought to dismiss the lawsuit , saying the plaintiff had no standing to sue and , even if he did , federal law prohibits the systemic removal of ineligible voters within 90 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is pending .
Removals or proposed removals , especially this close to an election , can be confusing and intimidating for voters and frequently aren ’ t based on reliable information , said John Powers , an attorney with the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights , which has been fighting those efforts .
“ You ’ re scaring people and kicking eligible voters off the rolls , all of which undermines confidence in elections at time when that ’ s the last thing we need , ” he said .
Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eggert in Lansing , Michigan ; Marc Levy in Harrisburg , Pennsylvania ; and Bryan Anderson in Raleigh , North Carolina , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--Trump approves permit for Alaska cross-border railroad line

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - President Donald Trump on Tuesday approved a permit for a proposed rail line connecting Alaska and Canada .
So-called presidential permits are required for certain cross-border projects .
Trump sent a tweet Friday announcing his intention to sign the permit for the A2A cross-border line between Alaska and Canada .
Alaska Republican Gov .
Mike Dunleavy thanked Trump Tuesday and called the permit “ a game changer for Alaskans.
” “ The rail link between our state , Canada and the rest of the country has been a dream for many generations , “ Dunleavy said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a big win for Alaska and our entire country.
” Trump ’ s tweet Friday credited what he called a “ strong recommendation ” by U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Don Young , both Republicans , supporting the rail permit .
The 1,600-mile ( 2,575-kilometre ) railroad line would connect Alaska to Canada and the continental U.S. , said Mead Treadwell , Alaska vice chair of Alaska to Alberta Railway , the company proposing the project .
The route would run from Alaska ’ s Interior region through Canada ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passengers and commodities including grain , fertilizer , pipe , containers and sulfur , Treadwell said .
The line would decrease the time required to move products between Asia and North America , Treadwell said .
A presidential permit would boost investor confidence to spend more money on detailed engineering and environmental reviews , Treadwell said .
Sullivan ’ s office said the project could expand the state ’ s transportation system , create jobs , lower food costs and “ provide greater security for food and supplies.
” Young said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House on the project that “ will strengthen our country ’ s already close relationship with Canada and allow us to work hand-in-hand to responsibly develop our resources.
” Democratic Rep. Sara Hannan was the only state legislator to vote against a May 2019 Alaska House resolution encouraging the presidential permit .
Hannan said she did not oppose the railroad , but she is against rail cars possibly carrying Alberta tar sands oil .
“ I don ’ t think we should be encouraging those oil developments because they ’ re the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--Azerbaijan and Armenia brush off suggestion of peace talks

YEREVAN , Armenia - Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia brushed off the suggestion of peace talks Tuesday , accusing each other of obstructing negotiations over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh , with dozens killed and injured in three days of heavy fighting .
In the latest incident , Armenia said one of its warplanes was shot down by a fighter jet from Azerbaijan ’ s ally Turkey , killing the pilot , in what would be a major escalation of the violence .
Both Turkey and Azerbaijan denied it .
The international community is calling for talks to end the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ republics in the Caucasus Mountains region following a flareup of violence this week .
It centres on Nagorno-Karabakh , a region that lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian government since 1994 at the end of a separatist war .
The U.N. Security Council called on Armenia and Azerbaijan Tuesday evening to immediately halt the fighting and urgently resume talks without preconditions .
The U.N. ’ s most powerful body strongly condemned the use of force and backed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ’ earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tensions , and resume talks “ without delay.
“ Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev told Russian state TV channel Rossia 1 that Baku is committed to negotiating a resolution but that Armenia is obstructing the process .
“ The Armenian prime minister publicly declares that Karabakh is ( part of ) Armenia , period .
In this case , what kind of negotiating process can we talk about ?
” Aliev said .
He added that according to principles brokered by the Minsk group , which was set up in 1992 by the Organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolve the conflict , “ territories around the former Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region should be transferred to Azerbaijan.
” Aliev noted that if Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says “ that Karabakh is Armenia and that we should negotiate with the so-called puppet regime of Nagorno-Karabakh , ( he is ) trying to break the format of negotiations that has existed for 20 years.
” Pashinyan , in turn , told the broadcaster that “ it is very hard to talk about negotiations ... when specific military operations are underway.
” He said there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and called for a compromise .
But first , Azerbaijan must “ immediately end ( its ) aggression towards Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia , “ Pashinyan said .
“ We all perceive this as an existential threat to our nation , we basically perceive it as a war that was declared to the Armenian people , and our people are now simply forced to use the right for self-defence.
” Since Sunday , the Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Ministry reported 84 servicemen were killed .
Aliyev said 11 civilians were killed on its side , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s military casualties .
Both countries accused each other of firing into their territory outside of the Nagorno-Karabakh area on Tuesday .
The separatist region of about 4,400 square kilometres ( 1,700 square miles ) , or about the size of the U.S. state of Delaware , is 50 kilometres ( 30 miles ) from the Armenian border .
Soldiers backed by Armenia also occupy some Azerbaijani territory outside the region .
Armenia also alleged that Turkey , which supports Azerbaijan , was involved .
“ Turkey , according to our information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broader involvement in this conflict , ” Pashinyan said .
The Armenian military said an SU-25 from its air force was shot down in Armenian airspace by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet that took off from Azerbaijan , and the pilot was killed .
The allegation of downing the jet was “ absolutely untrue , ” said Fahrettin Altun , communications director for Turkey ’ s president .
Azerbaijani officials called it “ another fantasy of the Armenian military propaganda machine.
” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Armenia to withdraw immediately from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey is “ by Azerbaijan ’ s side on the field and at the ( negotiating ) table.
” Armenian officials said that Turkey , a NATO member , is supplying Azerbaijan with fighters from Syria and weapons , including F-16 fighter jets .
Both Azerbaijan and Turkey deny it .
Earlier in the day , Azerbaijan ’ s Defence Ministry said Armenian forces shelled the Dashkesan region in Azerbaijan .
Armenian officials said Azerbaijani forces opened fire on a military unit in the Armenian town of Vardenis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one civilian .
Armenia ’ s Foreign Ministry denied shelling the region and said the reports were laying the groundwork for Azerbaijan “ expanding the geography of hostilities , including the aggression against the Republic of Armenia.
“ German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pushed for “ an immediate cease-fire and a return to the negotiating table “ in phone calls with the leaders of both countries , her office said .
She told them the OSCE offers an appropriate forum for talks and that the two countries ’ neighbours “ should contribute to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman , Steffen Seibert .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a visit to Greece that “ both sides must stop the violence “ and work ” to return to substantive negotiations as quickly as possible.
” Russia , which along with France and the United States co-chairs the Minsk group , urged every country to help facilitate a peaceful resolution of the conflict .
“ We call on all countries , especially our partners such as Turkey , to do everything to convince the opposing parties to cease fire and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politico-diplomatic means , ” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday .
Putin spoke to Pashinyan on Tuesday for the second time in three days , urging de-escalation and , like the other leaders , an immediate cease-fire .
Associated Press writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow , Geir Moulson in Berlin , Suzan Fraser in Ankara and Elena Becatoros in Athens contributed .


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--Trump chose Barrett days after Ginsburg’s death, papers show

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump offered to name Judge Amy Coney Barrett his Supreme Court nominee more than a week ago at the White House — and she accepted , according to formal paperwork submitted to the Senate ahead of her confirmation hearings .
Barrett tells the Senate Judiciary Committee that the White House initially contacted her Sept. 19 , the day after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died , creating the court vacancy .
Trump made the offer when she visited the White House on Monday , Sept. 21 , “ and I accepted , ” she wrote .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formal announcement Saturday , and as he kept Americans guessing up until the last moment , suggesting he was still considering other nominees .
The judge ’ s nearly 70-page questionnaire was submitted by the White House to the Senate Tuesday as Barrett launched day one of private meetings at the Capitol , drawing praise from GOP senators but opposition from Democrats objecting to her conservative views and fast-track confirmation before the Nov. 3 election .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was “ even more convinced ” of Barrett after their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working mother of seven children , he scoffed at Democratic objections that the judge would put Americans ’ access to health care at risk or turn back the clock on women ’ s rights .
“ What a joke , ” he said .
As questions swirl about the potential for the results of the presidential election between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden to wind up in a court battle , Barrett offered no suggestion she would recuse herself from hearing any such election cases .
Instead , she said she would recuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sister , both practicing attorneys , had participated , as well as cases involving her alma mater Notre Dame University .
Barrett lists a net worth of $ 2.5 million , including $ 1.6 million in securities and more than $ 500,000 in real estate .
Liabilities include $ 102,000 in mortgages and more than $ 44,000 in tuitions .
She reports $ 31,000 cash on hand .
Leading Democrats say Barrett should not hear any cases about the presidential election because her nomination is the first in U.S. to come so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underway .
But Republicans said Barrett , if confirmed , should absolutely be involved .
Sen. Ted Cruz , R-Texas , said that ’ s “ the entire reason ” why the Senate should rush to fill the vacant seat — “ so that the Supreme Court can resolve any cases that arise in the wake of the election.
” Democrats are confronting the limits of their power as they fight against the nomination .
Some have said they won ’ t meet with Barrett , who is expected to be confirmed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of October .
No Democrats met with her Tuesday .
Ginsburg , who died Aug. 18 at the age of 87 , was buried Tuesday in a private service at Arlington National Cemetery .
With Republicans holding a 53-47 Senate majority , and just two GOP senators opposing a quick vote , Barrett appears to have enough support for confirmation .
The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold hearings Oct. 12 .
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged Tuesday it will be an “ uphill fight ” to stop Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans are on Democrats ’ side in preferring to wait until after the election so the winner can choose the next justice .
He is among those refusing to meet with Barrett , calling the process “ illegitimate , ” and said her conservative views on health care , abortion and other issues are “ far outside ” the mainstream .
“ It ’ s not over , ” Schumer said on ABC ’ s “ The View.
” Barrett made no public remarks at the start of what is expected to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a traditional part of the confirmation process .
At the Capitol , Vice-President Mike Pence said Barrett “ represents the best of America.
” The White House formally submitted the nomination Tuesday .
“ She ’ s got a good chance of getting my vote , ” said Sen. Chuck Grassley , R-Iowa , the former Judiciary Committee chairman who now helms the Finance Committee .
Ahead of one meeting , Sen. John Thune , R-S.D.
, the GOP whip , said the two were set “ to talk about judicial philosophy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not she thinks ‘ Hoosiers ’ is the greatest movie ever.
” The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee , Sen. Lindsey Graham , said that barring any unusual developments , “ I ’ m going to vote for her.
” Unable to block Trump ’ s pick on their own , Democrats are arguing to voters that Barrett ’ s nomination threatens the protections of the Affordable Care Act .
The court will hear a case challenging the constitutionality of President Barack Obama ’ s health care law just after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue .
More Americans favour the ACA than have opposed it over the last few years , according to polls , and Democrats believe the coronavirus pandemic will only solidify that support .
But there will also be ample opportunities for Democrats to make mistakes as partisans on both sides infuse the nomination battle with cultural , gender and religious politics .
Religion , in particular , could be a minefield .
Democrats worry that Barrett has tied her Catholicism too closely to some of her statements and decisions , and California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Senate Judiciary Committee , still faces criticism for her comments during Barrett ’ s 2017 confirmation hearing .
Feinstein had joined Republicans on the panel in asking Barrett about her faith , but then went further by telling the then-professor that “ when you read your speeches , the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you.
” One likely prominent messenger on the issue is the Democratic vice-presidential nominee , California Sen. Kamala Harris , who sits on the judiciary panel and is expected to participate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Barrow in Atlanta , Kathleen Ronayne in Raleigh , N.C. , and Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report .

Mary Clare Jalonick And Lisa Mascaro - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--Experts find about 15 skeletal remains in central Mexico

MEXICO CITY - Prosecutors in Mexico ’ s most violent state said they have found skeletal remains that may belong to the bodies of about 15 people near the city of Irapuato .
Relatives of missing people led them to a site where bones were scattered on the ground or in plastic bags , Guanajuato state prosecutors ’ office said late Monday .
The search concluded over the weekend and the remains were taken to laboratories for analysis and possible identification , but the office said they represented the remains “ of no more than 15 people.
” Relatives of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brigades to look for the bodies of their loved ones , collecting information on clandestine burial grounds used by drug cartels to dispose of the bodies of their victims and rivals .
Similar volunteer search groups have led authorities in other states to find hundreds of sets of remains in the past .
Guanajuato has been the most violent state in Mexico in recent years , but authorities had hoped the detention of a leader of a local gang on Aug. 2 would help stem the violence .
The detained leader of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antonio Yépez Ortíz , was better known by his nickname “ El Marro , ” which means “ The Sledgehammer.
” He had long fought a bloody turf battle with the Jalisco cartel , and authorities blamed him for much of the violence in the industrial and farming state .
While murders across the state dropped slightly to 339 in August from 403 in July , they may be rebounding in September as gang members fight to fill the vacuum left by Yépez Ortiz ’ s detention .
On Sunday , gunmen killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a bar in another part of Guanajuato .


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--9 1/2 years in prison for running sex ring out of parents’ home

SOUND BEACH , N.Y. - A Long Island man convicted of running a sex trafficking ring out of his elderly parents ’ sprawling suburban home was sentenced Tuesday to 9 1/2 years in prison .
Raymond Rodio III , 49 , was arrested in April 2019 and pleaded guilty in February to charges including sex trafficking and promoting prostitution .
After he completes his prison sentence , Rodio must register as a sex offender and spend five years under court supervision .
“ This defendant had a sex dungeon in his parents ’ home and forced women into sex slavery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sini said .
Rodio recruited women through social media , got them hooked on heroin or crack cocaine and forced them to have sex with men in the basement of the Sound Beach home or at nearby motels , Sini said .
Rodio operated the ring for about four years , victimized more than 20 women and forced some to use a bucket instead of a toilet when they needed a bathroom , according to the district attorney .
Rodio ’ s parents may have known “ something untoward ” was going on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was running a prostitution ring , Sini said .
They were not charged with a crime .


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--Former ComEd vice-president pleads guilty in bribery scheme

CHICAGO - A former ComEd vice-president pleaded guilty Tuesday to his role in what prosecutors say was a long-running bribery conspiracy in which the energy utility sought legislative support from one of Illinois ’ most powerful Democrats , House Speaker Michael Madigan .
Fidel Marquez , who headed ComEd ’ s governmental affairs office until 2019 and is the first former executive charged in the ongoing investigation , entered the plea by video before Chicago-based U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland .
The action took place just before a special investigating committee of the Illinois House opened testimony on possible discipline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a legislative body in U.S. history .
At the Springfield hearing , the House Republican leader decried ComEd ’ s “ breathtaking admission ” even in scandal-weary Illinois .
And a ComEd representative confirmed the utility hired or gave contracts to Madigan allies , despite doing no work because “ Speaker Madigan is an influential public official.
“ Madigan hasn ’ t been charged and denies any wrongdoing .
But prosecutors singled him out in July when they announced ComEd would pay $ 200 million under a deferred prosecution deal that requires the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation .
The utility acknowledged bribing Madigan with jobs for political allies and more valued at $ 1.3 million in exchange for favourable legislation .
Marquez faces a maximum five-year prison term and a possible penalty of up to $ 300 million , which is twice the estimated value of the benefits to ComEd in the scheme to provide jobs and vendor subcontracts for Madigan associates .
When Judge Rowland asked Marquez Tuesday how he wanted to plead , he answered calmly , “ I plead guilty , your honour.
” But a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if Marquez co-operates fully .
The willingness to spare Marquez prison time for his co-operation suggests the U.S. attorney ’ s office in Chicago has other , potentially more important targets in its sights .
Sentencing for Marquez was delayed until the probe is over , which could be years .
In Springfield , testimony got underway in a disciplinary hearing used just twice in the past 115 years .
Although Republican action created the committee , its six members are evenly divided politically .
Durkin said that makes a 3-3 tie on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unbecoming to a legislator ” inevitable .
But he said the facts lead to “ one conclusion.
” “ One of the largest utilities in the nation paid over $ 1.3 million in bribes to influence or reward the speaker of the House of Representatives ... in a state that has long witnessed and suffered from scandal and corruption , ” Durkin said .
“ That admission in itself is breathtaking.
” David Glockner , who signed the deferred prosecution agreement as Exelon ’ s new vice-president of compliance and audit , testified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statements in the so-called DPA and confirmed its admissions .
Elmhurst Republican Rep. Deanne Mazzochi went over ComEd ’ s admissions , including that Madigan allies were hired despite Glockner ’ s acknowledging ComEd had no record of the doing any work .
Why , Mazzochi asked , would ComEd pay , for eight years , two lobbyists with close political ties to Madigan despite having no evidence they did any work ?
“ The DPA indicates that ComEd believed that it would be helpful for the company with the speaker ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the DPA noted , Speaker Madigan is an influential public official.
” Follow AP Legal Affairs Writer Michael Tarm on Twitter at https : //twitter.com/mtarm and AP Political Writer John O ’ Connor at https : //twitter.com/apoconnor

Michael Tarm And John O'Connor - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-29--Crowds out, masks in: Debating in the age of the coronavirus

CLEVELAND - Crowds and pageantry are out .
COVID-19 tests and masks are in .
Presidential debates are typically some of the most exciting nights of the campaign season , drawing a crowd of thousands of staffers , media and guests .
But this year , as with almost everything else , things are very , very different , with a long list of precautions in place .
Instead of the usual auditorium setting , the debate is being hosted by the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University in the 27,000-square-foot ( 2,500-square-meter ) atrium of the Sheila and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Health Education Campus .
Notre Dame , the original debate host , withdrew because of the pandemic .
Not long ago , the building was transformed into a temporary , 1,000-bed surge hospital , named Hope Hospital , for expected coronavirus patients .
Though it never ended up needing to be used , the floor where the debate stage was built was not long ago lined with beds for patients and copper piping to bring in oxygen .
The atrium , with its skylighted roof , has now been turned into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ red carpeting and elevated platforms for cameras .
While chairs are mostly placed right next to one another , the rows have been spaced out and signs have been posted on many chairs that read , “ Thank you for not sitting here in observance of social distancing.
“ That leaves room for about 100 people , all of whom will have been tested for the virus and will be required to wear masks .
President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden won ’ t have to wear masks themselves , though .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 tickets to hand out to guests , said White House chief of staff Mark Meadows .
Trump ’ s guests were to include his wife , Melania , and his four adult children .
Seats were set with programs and anti-bacterial wipes .
Beyond those watching the televised debates from afar , the faceoffs typically draw several thousand people , including guests , sponsors , donors and the national and international media , taking on the feel of a festival .
There ’ s usually a huge media filing centre and food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And after the debate , supporters of each candidate typically file into the press centre , creating a “ spin room ” where they post-game the main event .
While there is a media filing centre in Cleveland in a ballroom near the venue , the atmosphere felt far from buzzy Tuesday afternoon , with few reporters in place .
And only those wearing gray wristbands indicating they had tested negative for the virus were allowed inside .
Outside , there were no large demonstrations , just security officials blocking off streets around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and helicopters buzzing overhead .
One man was spotted driving around the venue in a pickup truck that had a papier-mache model of Trump ’ s head in a box , along with pro-Biden flags and signs that read , “ 203,000 DEAD ” of COVID-19 and “ Trump failed us.
“ Also spotted : A woman dressed as a doctor and pulling a plastic wagon filled with toy skeletons .

Jill Colvin And Pablo Martinez Monsivais - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-30--Chris Wallace struggled to rein in an unruly Trump at first debate

On the eve of Tuesday ’ s presidential debate , Chris Wallace of Fox News declared his goal as the evening ’ s moderator : “ My job is to be as invisible as possible.
” With a pugilistic President Donald Trump relentlessly interrupting his opponent , Joe Biden , Wallace repeatedly struggled Tuesday to keep the proceedings coherent , reduced at times to pleading with the president to pause and allow his opponent to speak .
“ Mr .
President , I am the moderator of this debate , and I would like you to let me ask my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Wallace , sounding more headmaster than moderator , instructed Trump early on .
( Trump did not accede . )
Known for his sharp interrogations of political figures , Wallace — at 72 the youngest of the three men onstage — succeeded in keeping Trump more or less in check during his first go-round as moderator four years ago , when the pundits declared the veteran Fox News anchor a clear winner of the night .
On Tuesday , Wallace faced harsh reviews as viewers assessed his performance on social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Michael Beschloss , the presidential historian , demanded on Twitter 15 minutes in , speaking for a large swath of the political class .
In a brute-force style , Trump flouted the agreed-upon ground rules and refused to allow Biden his two minutes to respond to questions , leaving Wallace yelping at one point , “ Let him answer !
” Not satisfied with merely speaking over his Democratic opponent , Trump took aim at the moderator , too , repeatedly scolding Wallace .
“ I guess I ’ m debating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s OK , I ’ m not surprised , ” Trump said after one Wallace query he disliked .
The debate had no breaks .
But at the midway point , perhaps sensing that Trump was threatening to steamroll the event , Wallace did something unusual for a presidential moderator : He effectively called the debate to a temporary halt .
“ The country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions , ” Wallace said , directly asking Trump to yield a higher civic ideal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , sir , to do it.
” “ And him , too ?
” the president replied defiantly , nodding at Biden .
“ Well , frankly , you ’ ve been doing more interrupting , ” Wallace replied .
Few journalists envied the moderator his task heading into the night .
Trump ’ s onstage intensity and logorrhea have proved a formidable challenge for some of the nation ’ s leading interviewers .
And with the president ignoring the traditional parameters of debate decorum , Wallace was left with few good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pause .
He tried humour : “ If you want to switch seats , we can do that , ” Wallace told the president at one point , arching a brow .
( Trump did not parry . )
He said he regretted having to raise his voice , “ but why should I be different than the two of you ?
” On social media , some viewers at home called for the president ’ s microphone to be shut off , but that was a power Wallace did not possess : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a mechanism .
Which left the moderator , a lonely man on a large stage , having to try to cajole , joke , plead and argue to maintain order .
“ If you are coming down hard on Chris Wallace , ask yourself : What could a moderator have done in the face of Trump ’ s behaviour ?
” veteran political strategist Jeff Greenfield asked on Twitter immediately afterward .
Lester Holt , who had Wallace ’ s role as leadoff moderator of the 2016 debates , gave a resigned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the debate ended .
“ If hearing that this debate is over was music to your ears , you may not be alone , ” Holt told viewers , adding , “ I ’ m at a bit of a loss for words.
” Wallace , son of the “ 60 Minutes ” legend Mike Wallace , drew on the entirety of his on-screen repertoire : the defusing aside , a self-deprecating remark , a jabbing question .
None seemed to knock Trump off his determination to dominate the night .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stated goal for the debate .
“ I ’ m trying to get them to engage , to focus on the key issues , to give people at home a sense of ‘ why I want to vote for one versus the other , ’ ” he had said beforehand .
Instead , he closed the evening with Trump still talking off screen , attempting to argue over Wallace ’ s signoff .
“ This is the end of this debate , ” the Fox News anchor said , drawing a deep breath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interesting hour and a half.
” Two more matchups are scheduled between Trump and Biden , and the next moderator assigned to maintain control will be a TV personality known less for jousting with lawmakers than listening , quietly and attentively , to rambling on-air callers : Steve Scully of C-SPAN .

Michael M. Grynbaum - The New York Times


thetorontostar--2020-09-30--Historic home that was facing demolition is sold to museum

A historic New Hampshire mansion built by a wealthy industrialists has been saved from demolition by a last-minute sale to an art museum .
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester had applied for a permit in June to demolish Chandler House in Manchester after being unable to sell it .
But a bid to save the 19th-century home from city and community leaders led to its sale to the Currier Museum of Art .
The museum plans to restore rooms on the main level of the house to their original appearance and conduct tours of those areas .
The rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office and classroom space .
“ Obviously we are thrilled the house is being saved , ” said Mayor Joyce Craig , who had sent a letter to the diocese this summer urging it to reconsider demolishing the structure .
“ There is a lot of history there .
Manchester is so proud of its history , ” she said .
“ It is just gorgeous inside , the natural woodwork .
It ’ s just critical to preserve a building , a structure such as this , so that generations going forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The 30-room home was built by George Chandler , a banker and a philanthropist .
More recently , the house was the home of several bishops in the city and a convent for nuns from the nearby St. Hedwig Church .
It hadn ’ t been used for several years and had fallen into disrepair .
The diocese had been trying to sell the Victorian home for five years but had been unable to come to terms with a buyer .
Keeping the building was not an option , the diocese said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a pricy heating bill .
Its decision to seek demolition of the home this summer angered historians , who have raved about its elaborate interior reflecting the peak of New Hampshire ’ s industrial past .
Many rooms on the first floor have stained glass , and a stairway to the second floor features elaborate carved woodwork .
The move prompted Craig to write a letter to the diocese and generated an online petition .
In the end , the diocese was able to come an agreement with Currier Museum , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is across from the Chandler House .
The museum was built on site of the Currier House , built by former Gov .
Moody Currier .
“ It seemed awfully wasteful to me .
It was such a beautiful example of a house of its period , “ Michael Duffy , a member of the Manchester Heritage Commission , said of plans to demolish the house .
” This is one of the few remaining of big houses on big lots .
Its location was really key to its significance.
” The sale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ museum still needs approval from the city to subdivide property .
“ The Chandler House is a beautiful 19th-century residence that tells the story of New Hampshire ’ s dynamic past , ” museum Director Alan Chong said in a written statement .
“ The Currier Museum is proud to help preserve it for the benefit of the community in collaboration with the Diocese of Manchester , our long-time neighbours .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-30--Bright flash lights up dark skies over parts of eastern US

PITTSBURGH - A bright flash lit up the skies over parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio in the wee hours of @ @ @ @ @ ’ t yet sure what it was .
Many social media users around the Pittsburgh @ @ @ @ @ fireball , possibly a meteor , shortly after 4 a.m .
It remained in the @ @ @ @ @ before disappearing from view .
A security camera in New Lyme , Ohio , northwest @ @ @ @ @ brief , bright flash partially obscured by clouds around 4:20 a.m .
The National Weather @ @ @ @ @ was aware of the reports but had no information .
Officials at the University of @ @ @ @ @ did not immediately comment .


thetorontostar--2020-09-30--The Trump effect took the stage at the U.S. presidential debate

President Donald Trump did for the Tuesday debate what he has done for the political life of the country in his four years : supply as much rampaging volume , custom-busting obtrusion and outright inaccuracy as necessary to impose his will on the proceedings .
He declined to condemn white supremacy and let fly dark conspiracies about the voting process .
He mocked Joe Biden ’ s mask-wearing and intellectual firepower and seemed more interested in running against the caricature of his opponent than the man himself , once insisting that Biden supports defunding the police moments after the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And with inveterate interruption and well-practiced grievance , the president complained incessantly about the unfairness of it all , ensuring that the conversation — even on a subject as universally experienced as the coronavirus pandemic — turned back to his personal feelings and treatment at nearly every opportunity .
“ Many of your Democrat governors said President Trump did a phenomenal job , ” Trump offered in one exchange , sprinkling his typical first-person praise with a bit of third-person .
He ticked through promises and boasts that strained credulity : about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he purportedly saved , the safety of his rallies , flashing more passion on the subject of Biden ’ s academic record than a virus that has killed more than 200,000 Americans on his watch .
Biden steered through an uneven rebuttal , recalling the president ’ s sunny projections of a largely virus-free Easter before settling on his thesis for the night .
“ If you believe for a moment what he ’ s telling you in light of all the lies he ’ s told you about the whole issue relating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ he still hasn ’ t even acknowledged that he knew this was happening.
” On some level , this has long been the basic tension at the core of Trump ’ s quest to keep his job : Which undecided Americans — to the extent that there are very many — can be swayed by a president whose personal behaviour and threadbare credibility have already disappointed wide swaths of voters he needs ?
Re-elections often reduce to this premise .
The incumbent is dependable , or he isn ’ t .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it for four more years , or he hasn ’ t .
But for Trump , with approval ratings that hover in the low 40s and polls showing a solid lead for Biden in battleground states , the task is especially pronounced .
After a first term spent confidently telling untruths and trafficking in conspiracy theory — including persistently playing down the dangers of the pandemic , in public and in private — he has reverted to a familiar pitch .
Believe me .
I ’ ve got this .
And would you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
An insatiable self-evangelist and denier of realities that displease him , Trump invited viewers Tuesday to embrace his preferred version of Trump-era events — a kind of executive happy place for the converted , where his reign has been spotless , the winning is bountiful and the virus has effectively been defeated .
The goal before Trump , though , was not merely to delight his base — though there was plenty of that — but to persuade the unpersuaded and to bludgeon his opponent , at minimum disillusioning some who might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lesser evil .
The president certainly tried .
He moved to bind Biden to “ socialist ” forces on the left .
He said China “ ate your lunch , Joe.
” And he took furious aim at Biden ’ s own honesty , an issue on which the former vice president significantly outperforms Trump in voter surveys .
“ Joe , ” he said , “ you ’ re the liar.
” For four years , Trump has rarely strayed from the warm confines of his own informational bubble .
Any exposure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House news conference , a friendly media interview , a rally with adoring supporters — has generally gone forward on his terms .
But often enough Tuesday , this was a picture of a presidency stripped to its studs : an unpopular incumbent unfurling an often dubious defence .
Occasionally , the very sight of a presidential debate — the precooked zingers , the waving arms , the feigned incredulousness — could feel divorced from the gravity of the era and the policy contrasts that will colour the course of American life for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on health care access , environmental regulation , the future of the Supreme Court .
“ That was a productive segment , wasn ’ t it ?
” Biden asked sarcastically at one point .
This was already an election of known quantities : two men in their 70s , bullheaded and proud , who have each managed public profiles for most of the past half-century and generally betrayed little interest in adapting their bearings much since .
Trump was as he is : relentless , immodest , never bashful about cutting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scranton ( and man of Washington ) whom even supporters admire more for his intentions than his eloquence — was the candidate Democrats have come to know , for better or worse , across three presidential campaigns and a what-did-he-say-now vice presidency .
His anecdotes drifted .
His specifics were sometimes non-specific .
He could seem less stirring than performatively exasperated , as if debuting an off-off-Broadway show titled , “ Come On , Man !
” “ Will you shut up , man ?
” Biden said at one fit of crosstalk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed from the bounds of the regular — a pandemic , a generational protest movement , a sitting president accusing his opponent of mainlining performance-enhancing drugs — the mere sight of an engagement scheduled in the before-times was in some ways most disorienting of all .
Much of what Trump said in the first 45 minutes of the debate was something of a word cloud of Fox News opinion show segments .
“ Why don ’ t you say the words ‘ law enforcement ?
!
’ ” Trump demanded at one point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white supremacists and militia groups , Trump said he was willing to before immediately pivoting to an attack on “ antifa , ” a recurring feature of his favoured right-wing programming .
“ Proud Boys , stand back and standby , ” Trump said of a far-right group notorious for engaging in violent clashes .
“ But I ’ ll tell you what , ” he added .
“ Somebody has to do something about antifa and the left .
Because this is not a right-wing problem .
This is a left-wing problem.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ list of nearly 20 things that Biden had said that were not true , like a statement about Delaware State University .
But while Trump was prepared by his advisers to go on offence against Biden to goad a collapse , the president was unable to modulate and simply tried to bulldoze .
Some flourishes seemed to evoke Trump ’ s calamitous coronavirus briefings with reporters in the spring , when Trump alarmed his own supporters by screaming at routine questions about the pandemic .
This was the matchup that Democrats envisioned when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competitors : the amiable sidekick to the nation ’ s first Black president , a capital veteran who has transcended personal hardships , facing down an opponent rarely cited for feats of empathy and often openly hostile to the nation ’ s institutions .
The latter portion of that contrast is a discussion Trump has often welcomed .
Presenting Biden as a political lifer with little to show for his efforts , the president set out Tuesday to continue the difficult work of running as the race ’ s true outsider while simultaneously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forty-seven years , you ’ ve done nothing , ” Trump said of his rival , nodding at his long tenure as a senator .
For months , Trump has prepared his supporters for nothing short of outright humiliation for Biden on the debate stage , all but declaring ( baselessly ) that his opponent is beset by dementia and plying his followers with taunts of “ Sleepy Joe ” and often misleadingly edited social media clips of Biden ’ s verbal stumbles .
Of course , such overreach does not negate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debater at times .
As he tends to a national polling lead generally in the mid to high single digits five weeks before Election Day , Democrats had suggested publicly that Biden merely needed to avoid catastrophe to consider Tuesday evening a success .
Surveys do indicate that most voters are already firm in their electoral intentions , leading strategists in both parties to question whether a single debate would make much difference .
Still , for liberals seeking a cathartic confrontation from their nominee after four years of Trump — and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters disenchanted with this White House but hardly enthused about its alternative — Biden did enter the debate hoping to close the sale .
“ So unpresidential , ” he said of Trump ’ s conduct .
But often , Biden struggled to negotiate the hail of interjections — and self-inflicted asides of his own that broke up any narrative momentum .
Before the debate , Trump made clear to advisers that he would like to speak often about Biden ’ s younger son , Hunter , despite being warned that would give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss the president ’ s daughter and son-in-law working in the White House and declining to divest themselves of holdings .
In the end , Trump took the risk , ridiculing Hunter Biden ’ s business dealings and history with drug addiction .
( An investigation into the Bidens released last week by Senate Republicans found no evidence of wrongdoing or improper influence by the Democratic nominee , though it accused the younger Biden of having “ cashed in ” on his father ’ s name in overseas business ventures . )
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledged privately , was that his faring well depended in part on his ability to make Biden lose his temper .
On the broader question that has dominated the election this year — Trump ’ s and his administration ’ s failed pandemic response — there is no particularly good answer that the president can offer , some Republicans concede .
So he has generally chosen not to answer it and change the subject , as he did when he could Tuesday .
This has always been a rhetorical strength .
Four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debater but to the extent he succeeded , it was because he proved willing to go where no other modern presidential candidate would .
Near the conclusion Tuesday , he shared with voters the kind of ominous and meritless forecast that tends to overshadow any fleeting snapshots of discipline .
Pointing to the Democratic-leaning city of Philadelphia as the kind of hellscape he thinks could cost him the election , Trump refused to promise to wait until all ballots are counted before declaring victory .
“ Bad things happen in Philadelphia , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to be a fair election .
”

Matt Flegenheimer - The New York Times,Maggie Haberman


thetorontostar--2020-09-30--Economy plunges 31.4% in spring but big rebound expected

WASHINGTON - The U.S. economy plunged at a record rate in the spring but is poised to swing to a record increase in the quarter that is just ending .
The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that the gross domestic product , the economy ’ s total output of goods and services , fell at a rate of 31.4 % in the April-June quarter , only slightly changed from the 31.7 % drop estimated one month ago .
The new report , the government ’ s last look at the second quarter , showed a decline that was more than three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fall of 10 % in the first quarter of 1958 when Dwight Eisenhower was president .
Economists believe the economy will expand at an annual rate of 30 % in the current quarter as businesses have re-opened and millions of people have gone back to work .
That would shatter the old record for a quarterly GDP increase , a 16.7 % surge in the first quarter of 1950 when Harry Truman was president .
The government will not release its July-September GDP report until Oct. 29 , just five days before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is counting on an economic rebound to convince voters to give him a second term , economists said any such bounce back this year is a longshot .
Economists are forecasting that growth will slow significantly in the final three months of this year to a rate of around 4 % and could actually topple back into a recession if Congress fails to pass another stimulus measure or if there is a resurgence of COVID-19 .
There are upticks in infections occurring right now in some regions of the country , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of potential pitfalls out there , ” said Gus Faucher , chief economist at PNC Financial Services .
“ We are still dealing with a number of significant reductions because of the pandemic.
” He said in addition to the possibility that Congress will not pass further stimulus support because of the sharp split between Democrats and Republicans over how much more is needed , there are other threats in the form of uncertainty over the upcoming election .
“ All this political uncertainty has the potential to weigh on economic growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration says that solid growth in coming quarters that will restore all of the output lost by the pandemic .
So far this year , the economy fell at a 5 % rate in the first quarter , signalling an end to a nearly 11-year-long economic expansion , the longest in U.S. history .
That drop was followed by the second quarter decline of 31.4 % , which was initially estimated two months ago as a drop of 32.9 % , and then revised to 31.7 % last month .
The slight upward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plunge in consumer spending than had been estimated .
It was still a record fall at a rate of 33.2 % , but last month projections were for a decline of 34.1 % .
This improvement was offset somewhat by downward revisions to exports and to business investment .

Martin Crutsinger - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-30--Rare earthquake shakes parts of Denmark, no damage, injuries

COPENHAGEN - A rare earthquake with magnitude 3.4 occurred Wednesday in the North Sea off Denmark , officials said , @ @ @ @ @ large ” for the Scandinavian country .
There were no reports of damage or injury @ @ @ @ @ of Denmark and Greenland said the undersea quake off the northwestern fishing port of Thyboroen @ @ @ @ @ 0458 GMT ) .
Thyboroen is nearly 300 kilometres ( 186 miles ) northwest of @ @ @ @ @ television said the quake was felt in many parts of northwestern Denmark .
Earthquakes are @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-30--Iraq hopes US ‘reconsiders’ embassy closure, warns of danger

BAGHDAD - Iraq ’ s foreign minister on Wednesday said his country hopes the U.S. will “ reconsider ” its decision to close its diplomatic mission in Baghdad , as a group of ambassadors expressed their willingness to help Iraq tackle security challenges .
Fuad Hussein spoke at a press conference amid a heated week , sparked by the U.S. warning that it was taking measures to close its embassy in Baghdad unless the Iraqi government took action to stop frequent rocket and improvised explosive device attacks by Iran-backed militias and rogue armed elements against the American presence in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close the U.S. Embassy “ dangerous ” because “ there is a possibility that the American withdrawal from Baghdad will lead to other ( embassy ) withdrawals.
” Rocket and mortar attacks have targeted the Green Zone , the seat of Iraq ’ s government and home to many foreign embassies , including the U.S. Embassy .
These attacks have also targeted Baghdad ’ s international airport , and a recent rocket attack intended for the airport struck a residential home , killing six Iraqi civilians , all women and children .
U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embassy closure warning to Iraq ’ s President Barham Saleh and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in separate phone calls last week .
A U.S. official said the warning was not an imminent ultimatum .
But some Iraqi officials appear to be under the impression it may coincide with the expiry of the latest Iran sanctions waiver in two months time .
Iraq desperately needs the waivers to import Iranian energy .
The U.S. official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
In the press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the U.S. government and American administration will reconsider this decision .
... Because the decision is a wrong one , it was taken at the wrong time and the wrong place.
“ He said it would also send a message to the armed groups and extremists perpetuating the attacks that they were effective in reaching their political aims .
He said Iraq acknowledged the domestic climate in the U.S. ahead of the November presidential election , which might have precipitated the warning .
But he said the new Iraqi government — barely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures .
“ It is the government ’ s duty to take action and it has taken some actions , ” he said , naming security measures in the Green Zone and the airport .
His comments came after a group of 25 ambassadors and charges d ’ affaires in Iraq released a statement in support of the Iraqi government and stability in the country , which was issued following a meeting with al-Kadhimi .
In Wednesday ’ s statement — which included ambassadors from the U.S. , the U.K. , Saudi Arabia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ deep concern ” at the rise in the number of attacks against diplomatic missions in Iraq .
They welcomed the actions taken by al-Kadhimi , including recent security operations and heightened security around the airport , and encouraged more measures to consolidate forces within the Green Zone .
“ As friends of Iraq , we also expressed our willingness to help Iraq in addressing these security challenges , ” the statement said .


thetorontostar--2020-09-30--French high court OKs extradition of Rwanda genocide suspect

PARIS - France ’ s highest court on Wednesday rejected Rwandan genocide suspect Félicien Kabuga ’ s appeal of a @ @ @ @ @ an international court in The Hague .
Kabuga , one of the most-wanted fugitives in @ @ @ @ @ , was arrested outside Paris in May after 25 years on the run .
He @ @ @ @ @ crimes against humanity for equipping militias that killed more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate @ @ @ @ @ them .
A French appeals court in June ordered Kabuga , 87 , to be @ @ @ @ @ ’ s International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals .
France ’ s Court of Cassation @ @ @ @ @ in France , including health concerns due to his age .
The court decision was @ @ @ @ @ There was no immediate comment from Kabuga ’ s lawyers .


thetorontostar--2020-09-30--Six takeaways from the first presidential debate

President Donald Trump and Joe Biden appeared onstage together for the first time Tuesday .
It was not exactly a debate .
Shouting , interruptions and often incoherent cross talk filled the air as Trump purposefully and repeatedly heckled and blurted over his rival and the moderator alike in a 90-minute melee that showcased the president ’ s sense of urgency to upend a race in which polls show him trailing .
Biden laboured to get his points in over Trump ’ s stream of interjections , turning directly to the camera for refuge from a scrum that hardly represented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not stumble , contradicting months of questions from the Trump campaign about his mental fitness , and Trump seemed to do little to bring over voters who were not already part of his base .
The impact on the race of the messy affair — given that 90 per cent of voters say they are already decided — is an open question .
Here are six takeaways from the first debate .
From the opening bell , Trump came out as an aggressor , speaking over Biden in what seemed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , who has run as a statesman promising to restore the soul of America , into a mudslinging contest .
He bulldozed Biden and the moderator , Chris Wallace , throughout the evening .
But his goal , other than making for a convoluted contest , was less clear .
Trump seemed principally focused on undercutting and disorienting Biden , rather than on presenting an agenda or a vision for a second term in the White House .
“ I ’ ve seen better-organized food fights at summer camp , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But Trump needed a clear ‘ W , ’ and he didn ’ t get it.
” Biden ’ s own performance was mostly adequate .
He swallowed some of his own lines , and Trump talked over others .
Before the debate , Wallace had said that , if successful , his job was to be “ as invisible as possible.
” He sometimes managed to recede , though at other times he was caught up in the shout-fest .
Rarely did he exert control over the chaos .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he offered gamely at one point to Trump .
The performance kept the focus squarely on Trump — often where he seems to like it — but also where the Biden campaign wants all the attention in a 2020 election the Democrat has cast as a referendum on the current president .
Biden , at his strongest , pivoted to the camera — and away from Trump .
Biden ’ s visceral dislike of Trump practically burst through the screen .
He told Trump to shut up .
He called him a clown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a racist .
“ You ’ re the worst president America has ever had , ” he said at one point .
“ Keep yapping , man , ” he said at another .
But for the most part , Biden succeeded in avoiding the chum that Trump was tossing into the debate water .
Instead , he kept turning — physically — to face the cameras and address the American people instead of his chattering rival .
“ This is not about my family or his family , ” Biden at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bait him with an attack on his son Hunter .
“ It ’ s about your family .
The American people .
He doesn ’ t want to talk about what you need.
” The former vice president was strongest and most comfortable on the issues that he has focused on overwhelmingly in the past six months : the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic downturn .
“ How well are you doing ?
” Biden asked the television audience about the economy , casting Trump as the candidate of the well-to-do , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times that Trump had paid only $ 750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017 .
Turning to the cameras gave Biden refuge from the constant stream of words coming from across the stage , and it helped him land some of his more effective and empathetic lines — an area that his advisers see as crucial to his appeal .
When Trump bragged about his large rallies that are being held against the guidance of many public health officials , Biden said , “ He ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear the outsider mantle .
Trump is the president .
He held his convention speech on the White House grounds .
But he found some of his greatest success four years ago when running against Hillary Clinton as a failed Washington insider .
And he is not ready to give up that angle in 2020 .
In the 2016 debates , Trump hammered Clinton over her failure to fundamentally change the country .
“ She ’ s been doing this for 30 years , ” he said then .
He reprised the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Why didn ’ t you do it over the last 25 years ?
” Trump challenged him about overhauling the tax code .
“ In 47 months , ” Trump said in one of his better , if clearly well-prepared , lines , “ I ’ ve done more than you ’ ve done in 47 years , Joe.
” Like it was for Clinton , it was at times a hard attack for Biden to answer .
But unlike her , he had Trump ’ s record to slash at .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first president of the United States , ” Biden countered at one point , “ to leave office having fewer jobs in his administration when he became president.
” Trump would not condemn white supremacy or urge his supporters to stay calm .
One of the chief reasons Biden has said he is running for president as a 77-year-old is because of the white nationalists who gathered in Charlottesville , Virginia , in 2017 and Trump ’ s unwillingness to condemn them .
The president declined to condemn white supremacists again Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he would do so .
“ I ’ m willing to do that , ” Trump began , before instead saying that “ almost everything I see is from the left wing .
Not from the right.
” Eventually , after Biden suggested he condemn the Proud Boys , a far-right organization widely condemned as a hate group , Trump declared , “ Proud Boys : Stand back and stand by.
” It was a moment likely to outlast the night .
Rep. Ro Khanna , D-Calif. , said : “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condemn white supremacy .
It ’ s much worse .
It ’ s that he acknowledged he was their leader by telling them to ‘ Stand by.
’ ” Later , Trump also refused to say he would abide by the results of the election and declined to tell his supporters to stay calm and avoid civil unrest .
“ If I see tens of thousands of ballots , I can ’ t go along with that , ” Trump said , urging his supporters go to polls and “ watch very carefully.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results and urged calm .
Trump did little to address the gender gap .
Biden has staked himself to a steady lead in the race largely because of a historic gender gap : Women are supporting him far more than Trump , and by a far greater margin than Trump ’ s advantage among men .
While Trump tried at times to explicitly tailor his points to suburban women , who have been at the centre of his demographic erosion , his bullying performance seemed unlikely to win them back .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strength and weakness , winning and losing , but his interruptions and self-aggrandizing seemed ill-suited to expanding his political coalition .
“ Unless his strategy was to alienate more women to see if that helps him pick up more men , no , ” said Sarah Isgur , who was a spokesperson for Jeff Sessions when he was serving as attorney general in the Trump administration and who is now a writer for The Dispatch , a conservative news site .
Or as Anne Caprara , a Democratic strategist and chief of staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , put it , “ I don ’ t know any woman watching that who isn ’ t going to be disgusted by everything Trump did.
” Trump ’ s struggles in the suburbs are , in part , a result of his diminishing support among college-educated voters .
His mocking of Biden ’ s decision to regularly wear a mask — which health officials have recommended — underscored his rejection of science when it suits his political purposes .
“ I don ’ t wear a mask like him , ” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , he ’ s got a mask .
He could be speaking 200 feet away from it , and he shows up with the biggest mask I ’ ve seen ” Beyond his attacks on Biden ’ s mental fitness — which redounded to Biden ’ s benefit by driving down expectations for his performance — one of Trump ’ s most consistent lines of attack has been that Biden is actually a leftist or even a socialist masquerading as a centrist .
Trump , whose narrow 2016 victory was aided by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who either stayed home or voted for a third party , has worked hard to foment ideological divisions among Democrats .
Biden repeatedly took the opportunities Tuesday to distance himself from his party ’ s left wing — without denouncing them .
And he left little doubt who was in charge .
“ The party is me , right now , ” Biden said .
“ I am the Democratic Party.
” He said his eventual stance on adding seats to the Supreme Court — on which he has avoided taking a position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he rejected the Green New Deal without looking down on expansive environmentalism .
“ I support the Biden plan , ” he said .
Biden ’ s delivery was not always forceful .
He did occasionally lose his cool and succumb to Trump ’ s barrage of taunts .
But he mostly emerged unscathed , and for most Democrats , anything but a loss was welcomed as a clear win .