thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Georgia police investigated for firing at car carrying kids

WAYCROSS , Ga. - State authorities said they ’ re investigating after a Georgia police officer opened fire Saturday morning at a vehicle with at least two teenagers inside during an attempted traffic stop .
Nobody was injured by the gunshots in Waycross near the Georgia-Florida state line , the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said .
But the agency said in a news release that a 15-year-old boy was treated for minor injuries after an altercation with an officer .
Five children — ages 16 , 15 , 14 , 12 and 9 — were in the vehicle alone when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the driver , the GBI said .
The vehicle stopped and the three younger children got out and ran and the officer began to follow them .
A second officer approached the vehicle from the front when it began driving toward him , the GBI said .
That officer fired multiple shots at the vehicle , with the 16- and 15-year-old boys still inside .
“ They shot at a car full of unarmed minors .
A car full of unarmed children , ” Dominique Goodman Sr. , who identified himself as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WJXT-TV .
Goodman said the children were coming home from Walmart when an officer began following them in his patrol car .
He said the younger children got out and tried to run home to alert him and he stepped outside after hearing them screaming .
“ We open the door , we see my 9-year-old , my 12-year-old and a 14-year-old running from the police behind them with gunshots coming behind them , ” Goodman said .
“ We go down the street and we see our 15-year-old and our 16-year-old on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she did not know the races of the children or the officer who opened fire .
Atlanta attorney Gerald Griggs , as vice-president of the city ’ s NAACP chapter , said the organization is calling for police to immediately release body camera and dash camera footage of the attempted traffic stop .
“ I ’ m very concerned that shots were fired while children were involved , ” Griggs told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
“ We ’ re concerned that level of force was used .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Brazil makes grim milestone — 100,000 deaths from COVID-19

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil surpassed a grim milestone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday night , and five months after the first reported case the country has not shown signs of crushing the disease .
The nation of 210 million people has been reporting an average of more than 1,000 daily deaths from the pandemic since late May and reported 905 for the latest 24-hour period .
The Health Ministry said there had been a total of 3,012,412 confirmed infections with the new coronavirus — death and infection tolls second only to the United States .
And as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both numbers are severe undercounts due to insufficient testing .
In a tribute to COVID-19 victims Saturday morning , the non-governmental group Rio de Paz placed crosses on the sand on the famed Copacabana beach and released 1,000 red balloons into the sky .
“ It ’ s very sad .
Those 100,000 represent various families , friends , parents , children , ” said Marcio do Nascimento Silva , a 56-year-old taxi driver who lost his children in the pandemic and joined the tribute .
“ We reach that mark ( 100,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see it , both among the government and our people .
They are not just numbers but people .
Death became normal , ” Silva said .
President Jair Bolsonaro — who himself reported being infected — has been a consistent skeptic about the impact of the disease and an advocate of lifting restrictions on the economy that had been imposed by state governors trying to combat it .
He has frequently mingled in crowds , sometimes without a mask .
On the day that Brazil reached more than 100,000 deaths , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism from former Justice Minister Sergio Moro on social media for the management of the pandemic .
“ There are many numbers that deserve to be disclosed : - ALMOST 3 MILLION LIVES SAVED OR IN RECOVERY - ONE OF THE LOWEST DEATHS PER MILLION AMONG LARGE NATIONS , ” said the secretariat ’ s official account on Twitter , sharing Moro ’ s tweet .
Bolsonaro answered the tweet with an emoji of shaking hands .
Experts have complained of a lack of national co-ordination under Bolsonaro and scattershot responses by city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier than health experts recommended .
“ Administrative incompetence ruined our chance to have a good response to COVID , “ said Miguel Lago , executive director of Brazil ’ s Institute for Health Policy Studies , which advises public health officials .
Brazil is facing the pandemic with an interim health minister , Eduardo Pazuello , an army general who made his career in logistics .
Two earlier health ministers , both physicians , exited over differences with Bolsonaro about social distance measures and the use of hydroxychloroquine , an anti-malaria drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studies have found to be inteffective against COVID-19 , or even dangerous .
Bolsonaro , who has called COVID-19 a “ little flu , ” says he recovered from his own infection thanks to that drug .
Many of Brazil ’ s 27 states have begun to reopen shops and restaurants , though responses have differed , as has the strain on the health system .
While Brasilia , the capital , has recorded almost 80 % occupancy of its ICU beds , Rio de Janeiro ’ s occupation rate is now down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals .
In Rio , shopping malls and restaurants have already opened and people have returned to the beaches .
“ The situation is very comfortable and we don ’ t understand why it is happening .
Perhaps the infection rate was much higher than what was reported at the beginning of the pandemic and many of those on the street are immune , ” speculated Graccho Alvim , director of the state ’ s association of hospitals Viviane Melo da Silva , 47 , lost her mother , Esther Melo da Silva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manaus on April 9 .
The mother reported having a cold , and a few days later started having problems breathing .
She died after five days in a public hospital .
“ I still don ’ t accept her death , not yet , ” said da Silva , crying , and expressing regret the family had been unable to hold a wake for her mother .
“ The government was saying that it was a ‘ little flu.
’ It did not care .
It was not worried with that and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people died because of the negligence and the lack of preparation from the government , “ she added .
Nazare Rosa de Paula , 67 , said many people remain indifferent to the virus despite so many deaths .
She said her husband Geraldo , a 70-year-old retired bus driver , would wear a mask to go to the supermarket in Rio de Janeiro , but never believed he would be infected .
In April he got what seemed to be just a flu .
After his health worsened for eight days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on April 28 .
“ It was fast .
There was not time to do anything and it surprised a lot of people , “ de Paula said .
They had been together for 43 years .
“ Only the feeling of missing him is left .
People said that with time ( it will get better ) , but for me , it will not end , it won ’ t. ” ——— Associated Press journalists Yesica Fisch , David Biller and Mario Lobao in Rio de Janeiro and Tatiana Polastri in @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Ex-Green Berets sentenced to 20 years for Venezuela attack

CARACAS , Venezuela - A Venezuelan court has sentenced two former U.S. special forces soldiers to 20 years in prison for their part in a blunder-filled beach attack aimed at overthrowing President Nicolás Maduro .
Lawyers for the former Green Berets , Luke Denman and Airan Berry , said they were barred from the secretive jailhouse proceedings Friday night in what they consider a violation of their constitutional rights to a defence .
“ THEY ADMITTED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FACTS , ” Tarek William Saab announced on Twitter , adding that proceedings will continue against dozens of other defendants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raid .
He did not offer details .
“ Operation Gideon “ was launched from makeshift training camps in neighbouring Colombia and left at least eight rebel soldiers dead while more than 60 more were jailed .
Ex-Green Beret Jordan Goudreau , who operated a Florida-based security firm called Silvercorp USA , claimed responsibility for the failed attack and had hired his two former army buddies to prepare a small cadre of deserting Venezuelan soldiers living at the makeshift camps .
Venezuelan prosecutors have ordered his arrest .
Goudreau is believed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is under investigation f or possibly violating arms trafficking laws in connection to the botched incursion .
Denman and Berry , both decorated former U.S. service members , were found guilty of conspiracy , trafficking in illegal arms and terrorism , Saab said .
But lawyers for the men said the hearing was marred by irregularities .
Alonso Medina Roa said he was hired a month ago by the families of the two Americans but has so far been barred from meeting or speaking with his clients .
In violation of their constitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Judge Máximo Marquez never informed him of Friday night ’ s proceedings at the headquarters of the SEBIN police , where the men are being held .
They were represented instead by a public defender .
The two Americans arrested in a coastal fishing community have ever since been paraded by officials on Venezuelan state TV as proof of their long-held claims that the United States is set on violently overthrowing Maduro ’ s socialist government .
The incident also prompted claims that U.S. backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó had authorized Goudreau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attack , executed by two of Guaidó ’ s former political advisors in the U.S. U.S. officials have denied any role in the attack but have not said what knowledge they had about the clandestine camps in Colombia , details of which were made public by an AP investigation two days prior to the raid .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington would use all possible means to win the freedom of Denman and Berry .
Mark Denman , brother of Luke Denman , said in a statement that the families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men were not represented by their private legal counsel .
“ With the trial behind us , we are now focused on assuring that during their detainment their rights are adhered to .
This includes humane treatment , access to adequate medical care , communication with their families and attorneys , ” he said .
U.S. officials also have demanded freedom for six jailed American oil executives from Houston-based Citgo , a subsidiary of Venezuela ’ s state-owned oil monopoly , who had been lured to Caracas for a meeting and then arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A day before the two ex-Green Berets were sentenced , the corruption trial began for the so-called Citgo 6 .
The case had lingered since their arrest two years and eight months ago until former New Mexico Gov .
Bill Richardson met in July with Maduro in Caracas to urge they be released and returned home to the United States .
Richardson on Saturday said he would also work to free the convicted veterans , who are both natives of Texas .
“ Luke Denman and Airan Berry are American citizens and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ he said .
” We will continue our dialogue with the Venezuelans to try to find a way to bring them back home to their families.
” Both cases play out amid hostility between Washington and Caracas .
The Trump administration last year threw its support behind opposition leader Guaidó , who has been recognized as Venezuela ’ s legitimate president by 60 nations pledging to oust Maduro .
Guaidó blames Maduro for the once wealthy nation ’ s economic and social collapse , while the socialist leader , who is wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Washington is using Guaidó to steal the nation ’ s vast oil wealth .
Medina Roa said that while Maduro may be looking to negotiate a political deal with the U.S. for the Green Berets ’ release , authorities don ’ t need to trample further on Venezuela ’ s constitution to achieve their goals .
“ It ’ s a perversion of justice to violate their constitutional rights for future political gain , ” said Medina Roa .

Scott Smith And Joshua Goodman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--TikTok to sue Trump administration as soon as Tuesday, NPR says

TikTok plans to file a federal lawsuit as soon as Tuesday to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s executive order banning the video-sharing service from the U.S. as unconstitutional , National Public Radio reported .
The lawsuit will be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California , where TikTok ’ s American operations are based , NPR said , citing a person familiar with the matter whom it didn ’ t identify .
It will argue that the president ’ s action is unconstitutional because it failed to give the company a chance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s national-security justification for the order is baseless , according the report .
Chinese-owned TikTok responded in a blog post on Friday it is “ shocked ” and will pursue all remedies available , including in U.S. courts .
A company spokesman reached by phone on Saturday declined to comment on the NPR report and referred to the earlier blog post .
Trump signed executive orders on Thursday prohibiting U.S. residents and companies from doing business with TikTok and Tencent Holdings ’ WeChat apps , effective in 45 days , citing the national-security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposed .
Trump made the order under a 1977 law that lets the U.S. president declare a national emergency in response to an “ unusual and extraordinary threat , ” allowing him to block transactions and seize assets .
The president is stepping up his campaign against China , betting that a hard line will help him win November ’ s election despite upsetting millions of younger TikTok users .


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--7 killed in Mexico’s most violent state despite capo arrest

MEXICO CITY - Hopes that the recent arrest of a Mexican gang leader could calm the country ’ s most violent state appeared dashed Saturday as the bullet-ridden bodies of seven men were found in a field and a rival drug cartel announced it was moving in .
The central state of Guanajuato has been the scene of over 9,000 killings since the Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the rival Jalisco cartel started a turf war for control of the industrial state around 2017 .
There were hopes the violence might subside after the Aug. 2 arrest of Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , better known by his nickname “ El Marro , ” which means “ The Sledgehammer.
” But on Saturday , Guanajuato officials confirmed that the bodies of seven men with multiple gunshot wounds were found dumped on the side of a road near the Jerécuaro , near the state ’ s border with Michoacan .
Authorities said they found spent shell casings from assault rifles and pistols at the scene , suggesting the men had been killed there .
Also Saturday , a video was posted on social media showing about two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armed with assault rifles , .50-calibre sniper rifles and at least two belt-fed machine-guns .
The men claim in the video to be members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel , the rival of the Santa Rosa gang that has sought to move into Guanajuato .
“ We know that there are still people from this gang of killers of innocents , ” a cartel spokesman says in the video , a reference to remaining Santa Rosa gang members .
“ They will also fall .
The best thing they can do is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Santa Rosa gang is gone , peace will return to Guanajuato under Jalisco New Generation , which is Mexico ’ s most violent and fastest growing cartel .
“ Today , the Cartel Jalisco New Generation makes the promise to you , the people of Guanajuato , and to the authorities , that it will keep the state in peace and tranquility , ” the spokesman said .
It is a promise the Jalisco cartel has made in the past in other parts of Mexico , and always broken .
Authorities could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video , but the cartel has posted similar videos in the past .
The last one , posted in July , was confirmed by the Defence Department to show members of an elite hit squad of Jalisco gunmen who may have had some military training .
Officials said the video was apparently filmed near the border of Jalisco and Guanajuato states and showed a column of about 75 gunmen dressed in military-style fatigues with a dozen homemade armoured pickup trucks , an anti-aircraft gun , nine belt-fed machine-guns , 10 sniper rifles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Santa Rosa gang grew up in a farming hamlet of the same name by stealing fuel from government pipelines and refineries and robbing freight from trains .
But after authorities stepped up security around trains and pipelines over the last two years , the gang turned to extortion and kidnapping .
It would move sector to sector , systematically demanding extortion payments from businesses like tortilla shops or car dealerships .
However , the gang ’ s reign never affected the major companies that have built dozens of plants in Guanajuato @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rail and highway links .


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Trump signs executive order on coronavirus relief without $1,200 (U.S.) cheques after rambling attac

Trump signs executive order on coronavirus relief without $1,200 (U.S.) cheques after rambling attack on Democrats

With talks for a new coronavirus stimulus package stalled , President Donald Trump signed a package of coronavirus stimulus measures that he will seek to implement unilaterally by executive action .
“ This pretty much takes care of the whole situation , ” Trump said before exiting the contentious event .
“ We ’ re coming back very strong , ” he added .
“ We ’ re doing great with the virus.
” Trump moved to extend a scaled-down emergency unemployment benefits and an eviction ban , along with relaxing rules for repaying college loans .
Trump reduced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. ) instead of the previous $ 600 ( U.S. ) , and ordered states to foot 25 per cent of the bill .
Trump also moved to suspend payroll taxes for those making $ 100,000 ( U.S. ) a year or less .
He pointedly did not propose sending a new round of $ 1,200 ( U.S. ) checks to all American taxpayers , perhaps the most popular coronavirus stimulus measure .
Before actually signing the measures , Trump went into a rambling campaign-style speech against Democratic rival Joe Biden and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billions in aid to hard-pressed states and cities along with what he derided as a wish list of liberal spending .
“ They want to bailout states that have been very badly managed for years if not decades , ” Trump said .
“ It has nothing to do with the China virus at all.
” He also railed against the Democratic proposals to give billions in aid to states to hold elections during the COVID-19 crisis when millions of more voters want to vote by mail .
“ They want to steal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That ’ s all this is about.
” Trump signed the measures after summoning reporters to a rare Saturday press conference at his golf resort in Bedminster , N.J. , where he is spending the weekend .
The room was packed with members of Trump ’ s club , and supporters cheered the president and jeered at reporters .
Trump had already spoken about taking executive action to implement or extend some stimulus provisions after talks with Congress hit a dead end Friday .
On the emergency unemployment benefits , the payment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) a week before it expired last weekend after Congress failed to reach a deal to extend it .
Extending the ban on evictions has wide support among Democrats , although they also want emergency cash assistance to renters .
On the other hand , the moratorium on payroll tax collection is unpopular .
Republicans and Democratic lawmakers alike dislike the proposal because it economists say it will have little immediate boost on the troubled economy , and has a very high price tag .
There is significant dispute about the legality of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the unemployment benefit since the Constitution grants the power of the purse to Congress , not the president .
Trump is acting to signal he has lost patience with the stalled talks with Democratic leaders in Congress for a giant new stimulus package .
He claimed he is acting to shuffle unspent cash from the previous $ 1 trillion ( U.S. ) CARES Act .
Democrats passed a sprawling $ 3 trillion ( U.S. ) plan months ago .
After sitting on their hands for several weeks , Republicans and the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1 trillion ( U.S. ) package .
Talks for a compromise have made little progress .


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Protesters decry government’s anti-LGBT attitudes in Poland

WARSAW , Poland - Demonstrators turned out in Warsaw and other Polish cities Saturday to protest anti-LGBT attitudes promoted by the government as well as the detention of pro-LGBT protesters .
“ You will not lock all of us up !
” people chanted at a protest in Warsaw that drew thousands of mostly young people .
Most wore masks for the coronavirus pandemic .
Similar protests took place in Krakow , Lublin , Wroclaw and other places .
The protests came a day after LGBT rights supporters in Warsaw scuffled with police who arrested a transgender activist , Malgorzata @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Police said they detained 48 people , while activists said police used rough tactics against them .
“ The police were aggressively pushing the protesters out of the way , knocking people to the ground and holding them down with their boots , ” said the Campaign Against Homophobia , a Warsaw-based group .
The protests come amid an intensifying standoff in Poland between the LGBT rights movement and the conservative government , which has declared it an alien , dangerous “ ideology.
” President Andrzej Duda , who was sworn in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-election on a strong anti-LGBT platform , and social tensions have been rising .
Some critics accuse the government of stoking tensions in order to channel attention and anger away from what they say are plans to further erode the rule of law under the populist governing party .
Last week the Justice Ministry said it is preparing legislation that would require non-governmental groups to declare any foreign funding sources , echoing laws passed in Russia and Hungary that critics say are meant to hamstring groups critical of authorities .
Szutowicz was put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acts of civil disobedience , including using a knife to cut the tires of a van that drives around broadcasting anti-LGBT messages , including a claim that “ homosexuals are preparing society to accept pedophilia.
” Police allege she also used violence against the driver of the van , shaking and pushing him .
She belongs to a group called Stop Bzdurom ( Stop the Nonsense ) , which has been putting rainbow flags and anarchist symbols on Warsaw statues , including one of Jesus , infuriating the conservative government .
Some others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stunt with the statues was offensive and counter-productive .
Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski , Duda ’ s challenger in the recent presidential election , called it “ an unnecessary provocation.
” Those defending her say the legal measures being used against her — as well as the detentions of others Friday night — are disproportionate .
Lawyers have not had contact with her , her defence lawyer said .
Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro defended the police behaviour as appropriate .
He accused opposition politicians who are defending the LGBT protesters of supporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was used to destroy the van back then will be used for a bigger crime next time , ” Ziobro said .
“ There can be no license for this type of attack ... we have to agree with this and stand together against criminals.
” Dunja Mijatovic , the human rights commissioner for the Council of Europe , the continent ’ s top human rights body , called Saturday for her immediate release .
“ Order to detain her for 2 months sends very chilling signal for # FreedomOfSpeech & # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mijatovic tweeted .


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Black bear tracks pizza scent, destroys car in Juneau

JUNEAU , Alaska - A black bear has destroyed a Juneau Pizza employee ’ s car looking for food in a residential neighbourhood , raising concerns from wildlife experts that the animal will have future encounters with people .
“ I think it was the delicious smell of the pizza that drove the bear to the point where he could not resist the urge to go into the car , ” said Andrew Fairchild , who owns the car .
“ It ’ s pretty totalled on the inside .
The seat belt was ripped completely out .
The panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fairchild was woken up Friday around 3 a.m. by noise from the neighbours in the Mendenhall Valley area north of the Juneau International Airport , the Juneau Empire reported .
Fairchild said there was no pizza in the car , but the bear likely smelled the scent from his job .
“ No playing favourites , ” Juneau Pizza said on Facebook .
“ If the bear wants a pizza , he has to call it in just like everyone else.
” The bear destroyed the inside of the vehicle before returning into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local insurance and they completely understand what ’ s going , ” Fairchild said , adding that the car is already in the shop getting repaired .
“ If we were able to catch up with the bear , then we ’ d probably have to capture them .
I don ’ t know if we ’ ll necessarily set up a trap and wait for someone to report it somewhere we can find it , ” Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Roy Churchwell said , adding that it is likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep food out of their cars and keep their doors locked to avoid similar situations , Churchwell said .
Things like birdseed , dog food and other strong odor foods could tempt bears and other animals .


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Body removed months after hotel collapsed under construction

NEW ORLEANS - Crews on Saturday recovered the body of one of two construction workers that had been trapped nearly 10 months ago in the collapse of a Hard Rock Hotel under construction in New Orleans .
Family watched as the remains of Quinnyon Wimberly , 36 , were lowered from the complex using a platform and a crane , The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported .
Sobbing relatives huddled at the site for 15 minutes , as Mayor LaToya Cantrell and New Orleans Fire Department Chief Tim McConnell stood by .
There was no immediate word on when crews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worker , Jose Ponce Areola , 63 .
Crews have yet to reach the area on the 8th floor of the structure where they expect to find his body , authorities said .
The remains of Anthony Magrette , 49 , the third worker killed , were removed the day after the partial building collapse last Oct. 12 .
His twin sister , Angela Magrette , stood with Wimberly ’ s family on Saturday as Wimberly ’ s remains were lowered from the structure around 10:45 a.m. “ This family we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be here for them , ” she said .
“ It ’ s torture .
You live this October 12th every day , knowing people still aren ’ t being held accountable.
” Plans to remove the bodies have been hit with several delays .
Representatives for 1031 Canal Development , the project ’ s owner , said problems have included finding insurance and a contractor for demolition work at the site , as well as inclement weather .
Once the last body is removed , authorities said , they plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in the middle of a new hurricane season .
Officials have said they hope to have the structure down by October , a year after the initial collapse .
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation .
Cantrell and the fire chief , McConnell , spoke to reporters just after midday , saying that Saturday was a difficult day , but ultimately a good one .
“ This has been a long journey , ” Cantrell said haltingly and with tears on her cheeks .
“ But the longest journey has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this collapse .
( It was a ) long time coming to get Quinnyon Wimberly out of the building .
It was an intolerable wait.
” Cantrell and McConnell said the next step is to remove Ponce Areola ’ s body , which the chief has said would be much more difficult and complex than the process involved in bringing out Wimberly ’ s remains .


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Thousands throng central Jerusalem in anti-Netanyahu protest

JERUSALEM - Thousands of demonstrators thronged the streets near the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in central Jerusalem on Saturday night , in a renewed show of strength as weeks of protests against the Israeli leader showed no signs of slowing .
Throughout the summer , thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to call on Netanyahu to resign , protesting his handling of the country ’ s coronavirus crisis and saying he should not remain in office while on trial for corruption charges .
Self-employed workers whose businesses have been hurt by the economic crisis also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Netanyahu has tried to downplay the protests , the gatherings only appear to be getting stronger .
In Jerusalem on Saturday , protesters held Israeli flags , blew horns and chanted slogans against Netanyahu .
Some held posters that said “ Crime Minister ” or called him “ out of touch.
” A large banner projected onto a nearby building said “ Balfour is in our hands , ” a reference to the street where Netanyahu lives .
The demonstrators accuse Netanyahu of corruption and say that he and the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suffering of its citizens .
Israeli media estimated some 15,000 people at the Jerusalem demonstration .
An estimated 1,000 also protested at an intersection near Netanyahu ’ s beach house in the upscale coastal town of Caesaria , and smaller gatherings took place on bridges and at intersections across the country .
There was a heavy police presence at the demonstrations but no reports of violence in the loud but orderly protests .
The rallies against Netanyahu are the largest Israel has seen since 2011 protests over the country ’ s high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contain the virus last spring , many believe Israel reopened its economy too quickly , leading to a surge in cases .
The country is now coping with record levels of coronavirus , while unemployment has surged to over 20 % .
Many of the demonstrators , including many young unemployed Israelis , accuse Netanyau of mishandling the coronavirus crisis and the economic damage it has caused .
Netanyahu ’ s Likud Party announced that Sunday ’ s weekly Cabinet meeting had been called off because of disagreements with the chief coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party .
The sides have been feuding over the country ’ s national budget , and if they can not reach a deal by late this month , Israel would be plunged into an early election .
Likud and Blue and White have repeatedly squabbled since forming a coalition government in May .
While Blue and White leader Benny Gantz has defended the protesters , Netanyahu has dismissed them as “ leftists ” and “ anarchists ” and inciting violence against him .
He also accuses the local media of strengthening the demonstrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s son , Yair , this week caused a public uproar when he described the protesters as “ aliens.
” Many protesters Saturday dressed up as visitors from outer space to mock the comments .
While the demonstrations have largely been peaceful , there have been signs of violence in previous weeks .
Some protesters have clashed with police , accusing them of using excessive force , while small gangs of Netanyahu supporters affiliated with a far-right group have assaulted demonstrators .
But recent gatherings have taken place without incident .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week at locations around the country , are organized by a loose-knit network of activist groups .
Some object to Netanyahu remaining in office while he is on trial .
He has been charged with fraud , breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of scandals .
Many carry black flags , the name of one of the grassroots movements .


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Bikers descend on Sturgis rally with few signs of pandemic

STURGIS , S.D .
- The coronavirus may be changing the world , but there aren ’ t many signs of the pandemic at the massive annual motorcycle rally being held this week at a small city along Interstate 90 in western South Dakota .
The scene Saturday at the 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was familiar to veterans of the event , with throngs of maskless bikers packing the streets .
Motorcyclist Kevin Lunsmann , 63 , rode more than 600 miles ( 965 kilometres ) to the rally from Big Lake , Minnesota , with several friends .
Lunsmann @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every year since 2003 and didn ’ t want to miss the 80th , despite being “ somewhat “ concerned about the coronavirus .
Still , the crowds of people and rows of bikes surprised him .
He said there was no difference from previous years “ other than a few people wearing masks.
” Lunsmann said he was avoiding the bars and nightclubs that line the city ’ s main drag this year , but many others were not .
They were filled with revelers as the sun set Friday .
Organizers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , perhaps half the size of a normal year , when some half-million people from across the country roar into a town whose population is around 7,000 .
The sheer numbers raise the prospect that this year ’ s rally could spread the COVID-19 virus in a state with no special limits on indoor crowds , no mask mandates , and a governor who is eager to welcome visitors and their money .
“ Screw COVID , ” read the design on one T-shirt being hawked at the event .
“ I went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was one of the few people wearing masks as he walked along Main Street .
“ We don ’ t want the virus .
We want to come up here a few more years yet , ” Graham said .
Graham made his 36th annual trip to Sturgis from Central City , Nebraska , with his wife , calling it “ kind of like our therapy for the year.
” For Stephen Sample , who rode his Harley from Arizona , the event was a break from the routine of the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been mostly homebound or wearing a mask when he went to work as a surveyor .
“ I don ’ t want to die , but I don ’ t want to be cooped up all my life either , ” he said .
Sample was aware his trip to the rally could end in the hospital , which seemed to weigh on him .
“ This is a major experiment , ” he said .
“ It could be a major mistake.
” Republican Gov .
Kristi Noem has taken a largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask mandate and preaching personal responsibility .
She supported holding the rally .
Daily virus cases have been trending upward in South Dakota , but the seven-day average is still only around 84 , with fewer than two deaths per day .
Sturgis officials plan to mass test residents to try to detect and halt outbreaks , but the area ’ s largest hospital system is already burdened with the influx of tourists and bikers who inevitably need medical care during this time .
Marsha Schmid , who owns the Side Hack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep her bar and restaurant from becoming a virus hot spot by spacing out indoor tables and offering plenty of hand sanitizer .
She also scaled back the number of bands hired for the rally , hoping the crowds would stay thin but still spend the cash that keeps her business viable for the rest of the year .
“ You ’ ve got people coming from all over the world , ” she said .
“ I just hope they are being responsible and if they don ’ t feel good , @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--7 people cited for illegal entry of the Crater Lake caldera

KLAMATH FALLS , Ore. - Seven people were cited for illegally entering the Crater Lake caldera , creating a hazardous situation and putting park staff at risk , officials said Saturday .
KOMO-TV reports Crater Lake National Park staff received a report Friday afternoon of multiple visitors in the caldera between Rim Village and Discovery Point .
Law enforcement staff responded quickly to attempt to locate them , the park said .
Park officials said the Cleetwood Trail is the only safe and legal way to access the shore of Crater Lake .
“ Climbing in the caldera at any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said .
“ The slopes are very unstable , and through the years , visitors have been seriously injured or even killed by illegally entering the caldera.
” Rescue staff rappelled over the edge of the caldera to look for the individuals and provide technical rescue assistance if needed .
Jackson County Search and Rescue was deployed .
Lake research staff was called in to the lake to launch a boat for a possible rescue from the shore .
The group was eventually spotted near the shoreline below Rim Village .
Seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were cited .
No one was injured .


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Bradshaw to visit every Tennessee county in Senate run

MEMPHIS , Tenn. - U.S. Senate candidate Marquita Bradshaw said Saturday that her campaign fundraising is in full swing and she plans to visit all 95 Tennessee counties as she tries to flip the seat from Republican to Democrat .
Bradshaw won Thursday ’ s Democratic primary election in the contest to replace Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander , who is retiring .
She faces Bill Hagerty , a former ambassador to Japan who was endorsed by President Donald Trump in the GOP primary , in the Nov. 3 election .
The progressive ’ s win over a field of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has drawn national attention in a Senate race where the focus had been on a contentious GOP primary featuring Hagerty and Nashville doctor Manny Sethi .
Bradshaw is the first Black woman nominated for statewide office by either major political party in Tennessee .
An environmental justice and labour issues activist and community organizer , Bradshaw is a single mother who has battled foreclosure and bankruptcy and struggled with student loan debt while working jobs with no health insurance .
She has also become a respected community leader in Memphis .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held both Senate seats in Tennessee since 1994 , and Trump remains popular enough in the red state that Hagerty mentioned the president at every turn .
Bradshaw held a Facebook event from the den of her Memphis home Saturday in which she asked for volunteers and donors to buttress her campaign .
Bradshaw ’ s campaign relied heavily on social media , and on a network of community organizers across the state , to help her connect with voters .
For the primary , Bradshaw spent about $ 5,800 through March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finance activity , records show .
Now she faces Hagerty , who spent $ 9.6 million through mid-July .
She said her campaign raised $ 110,000 in small donations within 24 hours and she plans to visit each of Tennessee ’ s 95 counties while obeying social distancing guidelines in place during the new coronavirus outbreak .
“ The way a single mom spends a dollar is not going to be the same way a rich man spends a dollar , ” she said .
“ It goes a whole lot longer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday attended a GOP unity event with state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson , Gov .
Bill Lee , and Alexander in Franklin , an affluent Nashville suburb .
Bradshaw said she plans to spend time in Shelby County early next week before heading to other locations later in the week .
She encouraged supporters to help register voters .
“ The whole strategy for this campaign is to make everyone feel like they ’ re talking directly to me and voicing their concern as a citizen , so we can come up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Tennessee you ’ re in , ” she said .


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine again tests negative for coronavirus

COLUMBUS , Ohio - The fourth COVID-19 test result for Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine came back negative Saturday after he received conflicting positive and negative results two days before , ahead of a scheduled meeting with President Trump .
The governor and first lady , Fran DeWine , were tested at Ohio State University “ out of an abundance of caution ” following a rollercoaster day Thursday that began with DeWine receiving a positive test result followed by two negatives .
The governor announced the negative results on Twitter on Saturday afternoon , thanking “ everyone who sent along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take a COVID-19 test Thursday morning in Cleveland as part of White House protocol for anyone scheduled to come in contact with the president .
DeWine was administered a rapid point-of-care antigen test at a mobile testing site facilitated by the Republican National Committee , according to DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney .
DeWine then headed to meet Trump at the airport to greet him .
“ I was fully expecting to see the president that morning , ” DeWine said in a press conference Friday .
“ But as we were driving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was called and told about my positive result.
” DeWine was immediately driven back to Columbus , where the governor , his wife and four members of his staff took another test , a polymerase chain reaction test , at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center .
That test is the most commonly used test in the country and is considered the gold standard by medical professionals .
More than 1.3 million Ohioans have been tested with it .
The result were checked twice , both negative .
The conflicting results underscore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are bound to spur more questions about them .
Many people in the U.S. can ’ t get lab results on the more accurate version for weeks , rather than the few hours it took the governor to find out .
Farnoush Amiri is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a non-profit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Fury over Beirut blast fuels protests, clashes with police

BEIRUT - Public fury over this week ’ s massive explosion in Beirut took a new turn Saturday night as protesters stormed government institutions and clashed for hours with security forces , who responded with heavy volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets .
One police officer was killed and dozens of people hurt in the confrontations , which played out in streets that were wrecked from Tuesday ’ s blast at the port that devastated much of the city and killed nearly 160 people .
Dozens were still missing and nearly 6,000 people injured .
The disaster has taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a country already reeling from an unprecedented economic and financial crisis and near bankruptcy .
Activists who called for the protest set up symbolic nooses at Beirut ’ s Martyrs ’ Square to hang politicians whose corruption and negligence they blame for the explosion .
The blast was fueled by thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored at the port for more than six years .
Apparently set off by a fire , the explosion was by far the biggest in Lebanon ’ s troubled history and caused an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in damage , according to Beirut ’ s governor .
It also damaged 6,200 buildings and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless .
“ Resignation or hang , ” read a banner held by protesters , who also planned to hold a symbolic funeral for the dead .
Some nooses were also set up along the bridges outside the port .
Khodr Ghadir , 23 , said the noose was for everyone who has been in power for the last 30 years .
“ What happened was a spark for people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listed the names of the dead , printed over a photo of the blast ’ s enormous pink mushroom cloud .
“ We are here for you , ” it read .
Dozens of protesters stormed the buildings of government ministries and the headquarters of the banking association , turning their rage to state and financial institutions .
Earlier Saturday , the protesters entered the empty buildings of the foreign ministry , declaring it a headquarters of their movement .
Others then fanned out to enter the economy and energy ministries , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reveal the extent of corruption that permeates the government .
Some also entered the environment ministry .
Many protesters said they now had only their homes and even those are no longer safe .
They blamed the government ’ s inefficiency and political division for the country ills , including the recent disaster that hit almost every home .
The violence unfolded on the eve of an international conference co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres aimed at bringing donors together to supply emergency aid and equipment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech Saturday evening , Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the only solution was to hold early elections , which he planned to propose in a draft bill .
He called on all political parties to put aside their disagreements and said he was prepared to stay in the post for two months to allow time for politicians to work on structural reforms .
The offer is unlikely to soothe the escalating fury on the street .
In central Beirut , some protesters threw stones at security forces , who then released heavy tear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to jump over barriers that closed the road leading to the legislature .
The protesters later set on fire a truck that was fortifying barriers on a road leading to parliament .
At least 238 people were hurt in the clashes , and 63 of them needed to be taken to the hospital , according to the Red Cross .
Several protesters were carried away with blood running down their faces .
At one point , gunfire could be heard , but its source was not immediately clear .
The country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former civil war-era leaders , is blamed for incompetence and mismanagement that contributed to Tuesday ’ s explosion .
“ The current leaders ’ bloodline needs to end .
We want the death of the old Lebanon and the birth of a new one , “ said Tarek , a 23-year-old university student who had prepared a mix of water and paint in a bottle to throw at the police .
No peaceful protest would bring about change , he said .
Sandy Chlela , a 35-year old from Kousba in the north @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she had no illusion that the protests would bring change , but the demonstrations were a necessary expression of anger and puts some pressure on the politicians .
“ I know it will not change much but we can ’ t act as if nothing happened , ” the computer programmer said .
The state , which is investigating the cause of the explosion , has been conspicuously absent from the ravaged streets of Beirut , with almost zero involvement in the cleanup .
Instead , teams of young volunteers with brooms have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reopen roads .
The U.S embassy in Beirut tweeted that “ the Lebanese people have suffered too much and deserve to have leaders who listen to them and change course to respond to popular demands for transparency and accountability.
” Documents that surfaced after the blast showed that officials had been repeatedly warned for years that the presence of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate at the port posed a grave danger , but no one acted to remove it .
Officials have been blaming one another , and 19 people have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief , the head of Lebanon ’ s customs department and his predecessor .
The protests came as senior officials from the Middle East and Europe visited in a show of solidarity with the tiny country that is still in shock .
The president of the European Council , Charles Michel , arrived in Beirut for a brief visit .
Turkey ’ s vice-president and the country ’ s foreign minister met Aoun and said that Ankara was ready to help rebuild Beirut ’ s port and evacuate some of the wounded to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the blast , workers continued searching for dozens of missing people .

Sarah El Deeb And Bassem Mroue - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--Priest, a seminary rector, slain in El Salvador

SAN SALVADOR , El Salvador - A Roman Catholic priest has been shot to death along a road in El Salvador and church authorities on Saturday called for investigation of the slaying .
The church celebrated a Mass on Saturday for the Rev .
Ricardo Antonio Cortez , who was rector at the seminary named for recently canonized Oscar Arnulfo Romero in the city of Santiago de Maria .
Officials say Cortez was intercepted and shot by unknown attackers while on his way to that city in eastern El Salvador .
The motive for the killing wasn ’ t immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our condemnation of this terrible crime , ” said Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas , speaking for the Central American nation ’ s conference of bishops .
The bishops also called for justice in the slayings of two other priests , Walter Osmar Vásquez Jiménez , killed on March 29 , 2018 , and Cecilio Pérez , on May 18 , 2019 .
“ It is very sad to be unable to trust in justice , to not feel secure , that anything can happen at any moment , ” said Cardinal Gregorio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eucharist .


thetorontostar--2020-08-08--4 tribes sue over Oklahoma gambling compacts with 2 others

OKLAHOMA CITY - Four Oklahoma tribes are asking a federal court to void gambling compacts between the state of Oklahoma and two other tribes — agreements that the Oklahoma State Supreme Court recently invalidated .
The Cherokee , Chickasaw , Choctaw and Citizen Potawatomie Nations filed a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court in Washington , D.C. , asking for a declaration that the U.S. Department of Interior violated federal law by allowing the agreements Gov .
Kevin Stitt signed with the Comanche Nation and the Otoe-Missouira Tribe to take effect .
“ While the Oklahoma Supreme Court has declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their validity under Federal law must also be addressed to avoid damage to the integrity of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act , “ attorneys for the tribes said in a statement .
” The Tribes filed this suit to protect IGRA ’ s established framework and the Tribal operations conducted under it.
” Officials with the Department of Interior , the Bureau of Indian Affairs , and the governor ’ s office did not immediately respond to request for comment Saturday .
The lawsuit was first reported by The Oklahoman .
The chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matthew Morgan , said the group supports the tribes ’ efforts .
“ As we have stated from the beginning , Governor Stitt never had the legal authority to enter into these gaming agreements , ” Morgan said in a statement .
“ It is sad that Governor Stitt has placed the tribal governments in this position.
” Oklahoma ’ s high court ruled July 21 that Stitt overstepped his authority .
The deals would have allowed the Comanche Nation and the Otoe-Missouira Tribe to offer wagering on sporting events and house-banked card @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Pro Tem Greg Treat and Republican House Speaker Charles McCall filed that lawsuit and are also seeking to invalidate compacts that the Republican governor signed with the Kialegee Tribal Town and Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians .
Attorneys for the governor filed a brief in state court this past week arguing that their compacts are valid because they do not include sports betting or house-banked games .
The lawsuit “ is the latest in a series of efforts by legislators to wrest away the executive authority of the governor to negotiate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improperly vest such powers solely to the legislative in the legislative branch , “ according to the brief filed Tuesday .
Treat and McCall allege Stitt ignored state law requiring gambling compacts be approved by the Legislature .
On July 28 , a federal judge ruled that Oklahoma ’ s gambling compacts with the Cherokee , Choctaw and Chickaw nations signed 15 years ago automatically renewed on Jan. 1 .
Stitt had argued that the compacts had expired .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Missouri town divided by move to change its ‘Savages’ mascot

SAVANNAH , Mo .
- A nearly all-white northwest Missouri town is divided over an effort to change its high school ’ s “ Savages ” mascot that depicts a Native American amid a nationwide movement calling for racial justice .
The high school had a “ Savannah Savages ” mascot since at least 1926 and the name and the image of a Native American are emblazoned around the community .
Savannah , a town of about 5,000 residents about 65 miles ( 104.61 kilometres ) north of Kansas City , was built on land that once belonged to several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t miss it if you drive through town .
It ’ s everywhere , ” said Savannah High School graduate Amanda Barr , who started a petition to change the name in response to racial injustice protests that have spurred other towns and sports teams to reconsider mascots or names considered racially offensive .
Barr ’ s petition prompted a second petition by people who want to keep the name .
The issue is so divisive that a meeting of the Savannah School District ’ s school board in July had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crowd was so large .
Speakers were evenly divided on the issue , The Kansas City Star reported .
Kendra Haag , 29 , a member of the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas who graduated from Savanna High School in 2009 , notes that “ savages is a racial slur against Native Americans ” “ Redskins , savages , squaw : Those are all racial slurs .
And the imagery is a Native American head that plays into racial stereotypes that reduces an entire living culture to one people see on movies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Haag , who now lives in Arizona .
Barr , 36 , who now lives in Missoula , Montana , said she the mascot made her “ feel ill ” when she was in school .
“ Tomahawk chops at all the sports games .
Students in face and body paint , wearing feathers and other native-inspired regalia as costumes , ” she wrote in an email .
“ … I am ashamed to say I went to this high school , that I used to belong to a community that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oppression in this way.
” Barr ’ s petition has drawn more than 6,400 signatures from across the nation and spawned a website , standupsavannah.com .
Jeffrey Hovey of Savannah , who organized the Keep the Savannah Savages Mascot petition , said on his Facebook page “ a savage can be from any race or land , ” although the high school ’ s mascot includes an image of a Native American .
He wrote that the mascot “ has no bad intentions towards anyone or any race.
” The counter-petition has so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often mention the potential cost of changing the name and symbol .
“ I feel they will spend a ton of money changing uniforms and gym floors and wrestling mats , football fields and all the things .
And they can take that money and do better things with it , ” said Lisa Gray , owner of Savage Nutrition , who has mixed-race children .
The school board took no action at its July 14 meeting because the issue wasn ’ t on the planned agenda .
It is unclear if any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokeswoman Jess Gillett , who said about half of those who spoke were for changing the name and half were against it .
“ It hasn ’ t ever come before the school board before , ” Gillett said .
“ It has been something that has been talked about unofficially in the community .
It gets brought up every couple of years .
Somebody will say , ‘ Hey , have you ever thought about changing your mascot ?
’ That ’ s usually as far as it goes and it stops @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--The Latest: German sending 10 million euros to Lebanon

BEIRUT - The Latest on the explosion in Beirut ( all times local ) : German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas says his country will provide an additional 10 million euros in emergency aid to Lebanon following the explosion that killed more than 150 people and injured thousands more .
In a statement Sunday , Maas said that “ even after the worst of the rubble is removed there will remain a lot to do ” because even before the disaster Lebanon faced “ overwhelming challenges.
” Maas said that “ without urgently needed reforms there can be neither sustainable change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest bilateral donor to Lebanon , according to the German Foreign Ministry .
Since 2012 , Germany has provided more than 1.2 billion euros in development aid to the country , as well as 634 million euros for humanitarian work .
France is sending a helicopter carrier and a cargo ship loaded with aid and supplies to Beirut as the country is organizing an international donors ’ conference for Lebanon .
The French foreign affairs ministry said in a statement that the two ships come in addition to eight flights scheduled since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescue workers and supplies .
The Tonnerre helicopter carrier , which has a hospital onboard , is leaving on Sunday the port of Toulon , on the French Mediterranean coast .
It is carrying medical equipment and staff , engineering forces , construction materials and food aid including flour , baby food and drinking water .
A cargo ship loaded with aid will also leave France in the coming days .
In total , France is sending 18 tons of medical aid including medicines , vaccines and hygiene kits and 663 tons of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A top USAID official says $ 15 million in American assistance in response to the port explosion in Beirut will not be under the control of the government there but is intended to go directly to those who need it most .
Speaking ahead of his departure for Beirut , John Barsa said Sunday that assistance would be directed to medical authorities at the American University of Beirut and the American Lebanese University .
The U.S. is providing money to the World Food Program for emergency meals for about 300,000 people affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in addition to emergency medical kits , U.S. officials said .
Pope Francis has renewed his appeal for unity within Lebanon and for help from abroad as the nation reels from the devastating explosion in Beirut ’ s port .
In remarks Sunday to the public in St. Peter ’ s Square , the pontiff said the “ catastrophe calls on everyone , beginning with the Lebanese , to work together for the common good of this beloved country.
” Francis cited what he called Lebanon ’ s “ particular identify , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of time as a model of living together.
” But he acknowledged the fragility of such co-existence in such a trying time .
Still , he said .
he is praying that , “ with God ’ s help , and everyone genuine participation , ” Lebanon may be “ reborn free and strong.
” He also appealed to the international community to generously aid Lebanon at this time of tragedy .
A team of German engineers sent to Lebanon to help search for people trapped in the rubble after last week ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , having failed to find any survivors .
Joerg Eger , who heads the THW agency ’ s rapid rescue team in Lebanon , said Sunday that a number of specialist engineers would remain in Beirut until Thursday to assist in determining the safety of buildings affected by the blast .
TWF is a federal agency , but most of the people who go on missions are volunteers .
French President Emmanuel Macron said that an international donors ’ conference is aiming to show global support for Lebanon after the devastating Beirut blast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials were taking part Sunday in the video conference co-organized by France and the United Nations to raise money , including President Donald Trump , Jordan ’ s King Abdullah II and Egypt ’ s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi .
Officials from China , European countries and Gulf countries were also attending .
Turkey and Russia , absent from the conference , are expected to provide aid as well , Macron said in his opening speech .
Macron , who was the first foreign leader to visit Beirut in the wake of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on providing medicine , care , food and housing .
“ It is important that aid goes as quickly as possible to public and private actors , NGOs and the civilian society , ” under U.N. supervision , he added .
Macron also called on Lebanese authorities to carry out essential political and economic reforms to fight corruption in the country .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--After $35M renovation, hotel on Purdue campus reopens doors

WEST LAFAYETTE , Ind .
- A 90-year-old hotel on Purdue University ’ s campus has reopened for business following a $ 35 million renovation that transformed its lobby , expanded its suites and added a restaurant and bar .
The 182-room Union Club Hotel reopened Wednesday to guests who inspected the overhaul of the hotel , which was built onto the Purdue Memorial Union in 1929 , with additions in 1938 and 1955 .
Under a contract signed in 2019 , when the renovation began , Merrillville-based White Lodging assumed management of the hotel .
The hotel remains the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even though 10 rooms were removed during the project , the Journal & Courier reported .
Jo Wade , the CEO of Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette , called the changes to the hotel , including bigger suites and the addition of a restaurant and bar , “ awesome.
“ She said Union Club-style hotels on campuses across the country tend to be dated .
“ That went for the Union Club Hotel , too , ” Wade said .
“ Now , you walk into the lobby , and it ’ s unrecognizable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve done with the footprint they had.
” Terry Dammeyer , president and CEO of investments and development for White Lodging , said that was the goal of renovations .
About $ 30 million of the renovation work was funded by a pair of $ 15 million gifts from the family of Bruce White , a former Purdue trustee and founder of White Lodging .
According to the 2019 contract between Purdue and White Lodging , the company will get 3 per cent of the revenues from the Union Club Hotel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stays with Purdue , whose president , Mitch Daniels , called the revamped hotel “ a world-class facility.
“ “ There ’ s something , to me , that ’ s uplifting about that .
There ’ s a little something ‘ Boilermaker ’ in that , “ he said .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Official leads highest-level U.S. delegation to Taiwan in decades

TAIPEI , TAIWAN—U.S .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar arrived in Taiwan on Sunday in the highest-level visit by an American Cabinet official since the break in formal diplomatic relations between Washington and Taipei in 1979 .
Beijing has already protested Azar ’ s visit as a betrayal of U.S. commitments not to have official contact with the island .
China claims Taiwan as its own territory , to be brought under its control by military force if necessary .
Azar is due to meet with the island ’ s independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen along with health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-operation in the fight against the coronavirus .
Taiwan ’ s government-run health care system has been credited with keeping the number of coronavirus cases to under 500 with just seven deaths , despite its proximity to China where the virus originated .
China sees Taiwan as a key irritant in its troubled relationship with Washington , with whom it is also at odds over trade , technology , the South China Sea and China ’ s response to the virus pandemic .
The U.S. maintains only unofficial ties with Taiwan in deference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s most important ally and provider of defence equipment .
Azar is the first health secretary to visit Taiwan and the first Cabinet member to visit in six years .
In 2014 , then-Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy visited Taiwan , sparking protests from Beijing .
Azar ’ s office said he will hold discussions on COVID-19 , global health and Taiwan ’ s role as a supplier of medical equipment and technology .
Azar ’ s visit was facilitated by the 2018 passage of the Taiwan Travel Act , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taiwan after decades during which such contacts were rare and freighted with safeguards to avoid roiling ties with Beijing .
China has cut contacts with Tsai over her refusal to recognize China ’ s claim to the island and has brought increasing diplomatic , economic and military pressure against her , including by poaching away several of its remaining diplomatic allies and excluding it from international gatherings including the World Health Assembly .
That , in turn , has increased already considerable bipartisan sympathy for Taipei in Washington and prompted new measures to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu met with the first representative of Somaliland to the island ahead of the territory ’ s opening of a representative office in Taipei .
Wu earlier tweeted that Mohamed Omar Hagi Mohamoud had “ braved Chinese pressure ” — a reference to reports that China had sought to block relations between Taiwan and the region on the Horn of Africa that broke from the rest of Somalia but is not recognized by the United Nations as an independent country .
On his arrival , Mahamoud tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good relations with all countries — those we share values of democracy are special .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--US response to the virus is met with incredulity abroad

ROME - The United States ’ failure to contain the spread of the coronavirus has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe , as the world ’ s most powerful country edges closer to a global record of 5 million confirmed infections .
Perhaps nowhere outside the U.S. is America ’ s bungled virus response viewed with more consternation than in Italy , which was ground zero of Europe ’ s epidemic .
Italians were unprepared when the outbreak exploded in February , and the country still has one of the world ’ s highest official death tolls at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 10-week lockdown , vigilant tracing of new clusters and general acceptance of mask mandates and social distancing , Italy has become a model of virus containment .
“ Don ’ t they care about their health ?
” a mask-clad Patrizia Antonini asked about people in the United States as she walked with friends along the banks of Lake Bracciano , north of Rome .
“ They need to take our precautions .
...
They need a real lockdown.
“ Much of the incredulity in Europe stems from the fact that America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience and medical know-how to treat the virus that the continent itself didn ’ t have when the first COVID-19 patients started filling intensive care units .
Yet , more than four months into a sustained outbreak , the U.S. closed in on an astonishing milestone of 5 million confirmed infections , easily the highest in the world .
Health officials believe the actual number is closer to 50 million , given testing limitations and the fact that as many as 40 % of all those who are infected have no symptoms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a model , “ said Massimo Franco , a columnist with daily Corriere della Sera .
“ But with this virus we ’ ve discovered a country that is very fragile , with bad infrastructure and a public health system that is nonexistent.
” Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza hasn ’ t shied away from criticizing the U.S. , officially condemning as “ wrong ” Washington ’ s decision to withhold funding from the World Health Organization and expressing amazement at President Donald Trump ’ s virus response .
After Trump finally donned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ La7 television : “ I ’ m not surprised by Trump ’ s behaviour now ; I ’ m profoundly surprised by his behaviour before.
“ With America ’ s list-leading 160,000 dead , politicized resistance to masks and rising caseload , European nations have barred American tourists and visitors from other countries with growing cases from freely travelling to the bloc .
France and Germany are now imposing tests on arrival for travellers from “ at risk ” countries , the U.S. included .
“ I am very well aware that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that this is a justifiable intervention , ” German Health Minister Jens Spahn said last week .
Mistakes were made in Europe , too , from delayed lockdowns to insufficient protections for nursing home elderly and critical shortages of tests and protective equipment for medical personnel .
The virus is still raging in some Balkan countries , and thousands of maskless protesters demanded an end to virus restrictions in Berlin earlier this month .
Hard-hit Spain , France and Germany have seen infection rebounds with new cases topping 1,000 a day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 500 on Friday .
Britain is still seeing an estimated 3,700 new infections daily , and some scientists say the country ’ s beloved pubs might have to close again if schools are to reopen in September without causing a new wave .
In the U.S. , new cases are running at about 54,000 a day — an immensely high number even when taking into account the country ’ s larger population .
And while that ’ s down from a peak of well over 70,000 last month , cases are rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are climbing in most .
In contrast , at least for now Europe appears to have the virus somewhat under control .
“ Had the medical professionals been allowed to operate in the States , you would have belatedly gotten to a point of getting to grips with this back in March , ” said Scott Lucas , professor of international studies at the University of Birmingham , England .
“ But of course , the medical and public health professionals were not allowed to proceed unchecked , ” he said , referring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own experts .
When the virus first appeared in the United States , Trump and his supporters quickly dismissed it as either a “ hoax ” or a virus that would quickly disappear once warmer weather arrived .
At one point , Trump suggested that ultraviolet light or injecting disinfectants would eradicate the virus .
( He later said he was being facetious ) .
Trump ’ s frequent complaints about Dr. Anthony Fauci have regularly made headlines in Europe , where the U.S. infectious-disease expert is a respected figure .
Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a job if Trump fired him .
Trump has defended the U.S. response , blaming China , where the virus was first detected , for America ’ s problems and saying the U.S. numbers are so high because there is so much testing .
Trump supporters and Americans who have refused to wear masks against all medical advice back that line .
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“ There ’ s no reason to fear any sickness that ’ s out there , ” said Julia Ferjo , a mother of three in Alpine , Texas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask .
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Ferjo , 35 , teaches fitness classes in a large gym with open doors .
She doesn ’ t allow participants to wear masks .
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“ When you ’ re breathing that hard , I would pass out , ” she said .
“ I do not want people just dropping like flies.
” And health officials watched with alarm as thousands of bikers gathered Friday in the small South Dakota city of Sturgis for an annual 10-day motorcycle rally .
The state has no mask mandates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant to prevent the virus ’ s spread .
Dr. David Ho , director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center , who is leading a team seeking treatments for COVID-19 , decried such behaviour , as well as the country ’ s handling of the virus .
“ There ’ s no national strategy , no national leadership , and there ’ s no urging for the public to act in unison and carry out the measures together , “ he said .
“ That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have completely abandoned that as a nation.
” When he gets on Zoom calls with counterparts from around the globe , “ everyone can not believe what they ’ re seeing in the U.S. and they can not believe the words coming out of the leadership , ’ ’ he said .
Even the European Commission president , Ursula von der Leyen , has taken the unusual step of criticizing the U.S. when she urged Washington to reconsider its decision to break ties with the WHO .
She also issued veiled criticism of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any vaccine that might prove effective , vowing the EU will work to provide access to everyone “ irrespective of where they live.
” Many Europeans point proudly to their national health care systems that not only test but treat COVID-19 for free , unlike the American system , where the virus crisis has only exacerbated income and racial inequalities in obtaining health care .
“ The coronavirus has brutally stripped bare the vulnerability of a country that has been sliding for years , ” wrote Italian author Massimo Gaggi in his new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ) , about U.S. problems that long predated COVID-19 .
Gaggi said he started writing the book last year and thought then that the title would be taken as a provocative wake-up call .
Then the virus hit .
“ By March the title wasn ’ t a provocation any longer , ” he said .
“ It was obvious.
” Pane reported from Boise , Idaho .
AP reporters from around Europe contributed .

Nicole Winfield And Lisa Marie Pane - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Afghan council frees Taliban prisoners to set up peace talks

KABUL - A traditional Afghan council concluded Sunday with hundreds of delegates agreeing to free 400 Taliban members , paving the way for an early start to negotiations between Afghanistan ’ s warring sides .
The declaration calls for an immediate start to negotiations and a cease-fire , and was read out in both of Afghanistan ’ s official languages , Pashto and Farsi .
The move looks to bring the United States a little closer to bringing home its troops and ending its longest military engagement .
No date has been set , but negotiations between Kabul ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to begin as early as next week and will most likely be held in the Mideast state of Qatar , where the Taliban maintains a political office .
The Afghan negotiations were laid out in a peace deal signed by the U.S. and the Taliban in February .
At the time of its signing it was touted as Afghanistan ’ s best chance at ending decades of war .
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani praised delegates for their decision , urged the Taliban to stop fighting .
Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a positive step.
” He said negotiations could start within one week of their prisoners being freed .
As for a cease-fire , Shaheen said the Taliban was committed to the deal it struck with the U.S. , and according to that deal “ the cease-fire will be one of the items to be discussed during the intra-Afghan negotiations.
“ On Sunday afternoon , an explosive devise hidden in a cart killed two people in Kabul .
The spkesman for the capital ’ s police , Firdus Faramarz , said policemen were trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Five police were injured .
A recent spike in violence in Afghanistan has been mostly attributed to the Islamic State affiliate , whom the Taliban are fighting , as are the Afghan government and U.S. forces .
Previously a U.S. Department of Defence official who could not be named because of the sensitivity of the subject said Washington considered IS its biggest threat in Afghanistan , and wanted a deal that would recruit the Taliban in a co-ordinated fight against it .
The council ’ s decision to free the Taliban prisoners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegates were urged by the U.S. at the start of the council , or jirga , on Friday to take “ this difficult action ” so negotiations could begin to bring an end to the war .
“ To remove obstacle , to start peace talks and to stop the bloodshed , the Jirga confirms the release of 400 Taliban prisoners , ” said Atefa Tayeb , a council secretary who read out the final declaration at the conclusion .
The deal negotiated between the U.S. and Taliban calls for the government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to free 1,000 government and military personnel in its custody as a goodwill gesture ahead of the start of negotiations .
Kabul balked at the release , but eventually freed all but the last 400 .
President Ghani said he was not authorized to free these because of the seriousness of their crimes , and asked for the council to decide instead .
He did not detail what the 400 were accused of .
Delegates were therefore given the stark choice of either freeing the prisoners or seeing a war that has killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they wanted international guarantees that the Taliban would not return to the battlefield .
Washington ’ s peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad spent more than a year and a half negotiating the deal with the Taliban to provide for the withdrawal of American soldiers after more than 19 years in Afghanistan .
The withdrawal began earlier this year but roughly 8,600 U.S. soldiers remain in Afghanistan and their return will depend on the Taliban honouring its commitment to fight against other terrorist groups and ensure Afghanistan is not again used to attack the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops is not dependent on the success of negotiations between Kabul ’ s political leadership and the Taliban .
But U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has made it clear that Washington wants a negotiated end to the conflict , including a cease fire .
An attack against a military compound on Saturday killed seven military personnel and injured another 16 , and was a reminder that Afghanistan ’ s war would not be over easily .
No one took responsibility for the attack but both the Taliban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the area .

Rahim Faiez And Kathy Gannon - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Earthquake rattles North Carolina; no damage reported

SPARTA , N.C. - Officials say an earthquake shook much of North Carolina early Sunday , rattling homes , buildings @ @ @ @ @ Weather Service in Greenville said the 5.1-magnitude temblor struck at 8:07 a.m. , following a @ @ @ @ @ earlier .
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries .
It was the @ @ @ @ @ state since 1916 , when a magnitude 5.5 quake occurred near Skyland , the weather @ @ @ @ @ Geological Service said the quake ’ s epicenter was about 2.5 miles ( four kilometres @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--1 killed, 3 seriously hurt in bus crash in Hungary

BUDAPEST , Hungary - One man died and three people including a young child were seriously injured when a tourist @ @ @ @ @ on the side of a highway in Hungary , police and rescue officials said Sunday @ @ @ @ @ the M5 highway in the city of Kiskunfelegyhaza , about 115 kilometres ( 71 miles @ @ @ @ @ the capital .
Police said the vehicle was a Polish tourist bus with 46 people @ @ @ @ @ the National Rescue Service said a 35-year-old man died at the scene and 34 people @ @ @ @ @ suffered serious injuries , including a child about 5 years old .
Two helicopters and @ @ @ @ @ injured to hospitals .
The bus was travelling toward Budapest and the crash happened around @ @ @ @ @ ) .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Chicago science museum gets grant to digitize artifacts

CHICAGO - The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago has received a grant to digitize thousands of its artifacts @ @ @ @ @ free to public access .
Museum officials said the roughly $ 225,000 grant from the @ @ @ @ @ Services will help build an online collections website with free public access to 7,000 of @ @ @ @ @ .
The digital collections will include high-resolution 360-degree photographs .
The two-year projects starts next @ @ @ @ @ Public Schools teachers .
“ The Museum ’ s Collection is a hidden resource which @ @ @ @ @ scientific and technological developments , ” Kathleen McCarthy , director of collections , said in @ @ @ @ @ artifacts will be accessible globally , allowing us to better serve current and new audiences @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 87-year history.
” The artifacts cover a wide range of items , from @ @ @ @ @ to power farm equipment to a WWII German U-505 submarine .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--5 dead, including baby, as storm hits Greek island

ATHENS , Greece - Five people , including an en elderly couple and an 8-month-old baby , have been found dead as a storm hits the island of Evia in central Greece , authorities said Sunday .
Two others are missing , and dozens have been trapped by flood waters in their homes and cars .
Police say the couple , 86 and 85 years old , were found unconscious in their flooded home Sunday morning , in the seaside village of Politika , about 100 kilometres ( 62 miles ) north of the capital Athens .
The baby was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same village .
The local mayor reportedly said that the baby and its family were not local residents and were on holiday there .
Deputy Minister for Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias confirmed the deaths and added that there were two more fatalities and two people are missing .
The names of the dead and missing were not released .
A river has burst through its banks and flooded part of the village of Politika .
Other parts of the village are intact .
Many residents have climbed to the rooftops of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rescue helicopter to the area .
Heavy rain started falling at about midnight Saturday and firefighters responded to over 50 fires caused by lightning .
The fire service said it was also called to rescue dozens of people and help many others drain flooded homes .
By early afternoon , 47 people had been safely evacuated from their homes and cars , 8 by helicopter , and about 450 homes drained of floodwaters , the fire service said .
Many local roads are impassable , police said .
Road connections to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evia to Central Greece — have been cut and only a ferry service is operating at the moment .
The AP ’ s Yorgos Karahalis contributed to this report from Politika .


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Virginia teens see pandemic-related shifts in summer jobs

ROANOKE , Va. - Teenagers were not spared from the dwindling job opportunities that pervaded the nation due to COVID-19 .
Restrictions on pools , day cares and food services made many typical summer jobs for students impossible this year .
According to a June report from Challenger , Gray & Christmas Inc. , a global outplacement and career transitioning firm , employed teens are at the lowest level since the 1960s , despite gaining almost 600,000 jobs in May .
“ Many businesses that primarily employ teens , like retail stores , amusement parks , and restaurants , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Challenger , the firm ’ s senior vice-president , said in the report .
“ Many other businesses , such as movie theatres and summer youth programs , are not seeing the demand to add jobs or even reopen.
” The Roanoke region does not seem to be an exception to the slowdown in teen summer jobs .
The Grandin Theatre in Roanoke , which closed in March , furloughed all of its teen employees , said Ian Fortier , the theatre ’ s executive director .
The theatre is back open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the essential staff does not include any teenagers .
Other summer closures , especially pools , greatly affected job opportunities for teens .
Chris Smith , 18 , a student at Northside High School , said he was looking forward to lifeguarding outside at Green Ridge Recreation ’ s Splash Valley Water Park .
But Splash Valley is closed for the summer , and all returning lifeguards were hired to work indoors only .
Smith has worked at both the indoor and outdoor pools at Green Ridge since he started lifeguarding in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outdoor work better .
Most lifeguards at Green Ridge prefer to work at the outdoor water park , said aquatics supervisor Jen Ewan .
Indoors , there is less excitement , especially because all the water attractions are taped off .
The indoor pool at Green Ridge opened for recreation and exercise on July 18 .
“ The biggest difference is probably the crowd , ” Smith said .
“ It ’ s been pretty relaxed , not super busy.
” Layla St. Peter , 16 , is also a student at Northside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She said she started working during the off-season last year , so she ’ s never worked outdoors .
With Splash Valley closed , it ’ s no longer an option for St. Peter this summer .
Swimmers with the Virginia Gators Swim Club , a year-round competitive team , weren ’ t as lucky .
Team members usually help manage Roanoke ’ s Fallon Park pool , said coach Brett Fonder .
“ We have a lifeguarding clinic every spring to get the kids certified , ” Fonder said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the summer.
” Normally , the pool has about 20 people on the staff , 15 of whom are kids on the swim team , he said .
But city pools are closed this summer due to the pandemic and related city budget cuts .
This means many of the swimmers are out of a job this year .
Some got a job at other pools , said Fonder , but have greatly reduced hours because of pool restrictions .
The YMCA of Virginia ’ s Blue Ridge is also open in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jennie Weeks , vice-president of human resources , said the Y is employing lifeguards and Stay and Play child care workers , who are mostly high school students .
Weeks said they need lifeguards right now , as applications have slowed down in the past months .
Blue Cow Ice Cream , another typical summer job for students , has had the opposite issue .
Owner Carolyn Kiser said she ’ s seen an increase in applications , although Blue Cow hasn ’ t needed to hire as many workers as usual .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ employs a lot of students .
“ Our applications have really increased this month — I think people just want something to do , ” Kiser said in late June .
“ In the past we ’ ve done a lot of events in the summer , we ’ ll take our truck out to a festival or something .
...
But because we ’ re not doing the events , we don ’ t need maybe as much people as we did last year.
” Blue Cow was open for curbside pickup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has since opened up for in-person orders , although dining inside is still prohibited .
Breanna Anderson , a student at Radford University who worked curbside , said she chose Blue Cow this summer because of its scheduling flexibility .
She said she wanted to be employed by someone who would work with her if school picked back up .
Kroger also emphasized its ability to work with students around their uncertain schedules and has also seen an increase in applications this summer .
“ Grocery stores experiencing massive demand during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beef up their staffs , and in many cases , those positions were filled by teen workers , ” Challenger said in the teen jobs report .
Allison McGee , spokeswoman for Kroger ’ s Mid-Atlantic Division , said Kroger ’ s workforce has grown by 5,000 people since March .
“ That may sound like a lot , but we still have hundreds of openings , ” McGee said .
She said Kroger always hires all ages , but because school patterns changed , “ a lot of teens have been more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as young as 14 with a work permit , McGee said .
Kroger will work with students to schedule shifts around their classes and provides tuition assistance for college students , McGee said .
“ The great thing about retail is we can be very flexible with schedules , ” she said .

Grace Mamon, The Roanoke Times - AP Member


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Ohio governor’s conflicting COVID-19 tests raise backlash

COLUMBUS , Ohio - The Ohio governor ’ s positive , then negative , tests for COVID-19 have provided fuel for skeptics of government pandemic mandates and critics of his often-aggressive polices .
“ I ’ m sure the internet is lighting up with ‘ Well , you can ’ t believe any test , ’ ” Mike DeWine said in a WCOL radio interview Friday , after a whirlwind of events the day before when the initial positive showing forced the Republican to scrub a planned meeting with President Donald Trump .
Instead of seeing Trump at the Cleveland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital for new testing with his wife , Fran , through Ohio State University ’ s medical centre They then went to their southwestern Ohio farm in Cedarville , where DeWine said he planned to quarantine for 14 days .
But within hours , he had received Columbus test results that were negative .
The first test , part of protocol for people meeting with the president , was a rapid-result antigen test , while the Columbus testing was a genetic , laboratory test whose results are considered more reliable .
The governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for each by Ohio State ’ s Wexner Medical Center again returned negative results for DeWine and his wife .
The conflicting results come as Americans have grown frustrated about access to testing and by slow results .
Ohioans also remain divided over DeWine ’ s actions to deal with the pandemic , with some saying his early shutdown actions unnecessarily damaged businesses .
He was an early advocate of wearing masks to stop the COVID-19 spread even as other Republicans in Ohio remain unconvinced .
State Rep. Nino Vitale , a conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photo of DeWine wearing a mask minutes after the positive test was announced Thursday .
“ I think the question must be asked .
Has he not been wearing his mask , or do masks not stop the spread ?
” Vitale said in his post , which also stated he wished the governor no ill will .
DeWine said he received some “ not so nice ” texts during the day Thursday about wearing masks .
He reasserted Friday that while they might not be 100 % effective , they do help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noticeable difference in the state ’ s most-populated cities .
Critics were blasting him on his official Twitter account , too .
DeWine , 73 , a former U.S. senator and House member who is in his first term as governor , at first appeared to have been only the second U.S. governor to positive for the coronavirus .
Oklahoma Gov .
Kevin Stitt announced he contracted the virus last month .
Stitt , a Republican who has been disdainful of mask mandates , said he contracted COVID -19 by hugging friends .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has been analyzing and writing about coronavirus data since he contracted COVID-19 this summer , saw a storm of strong reactions on his Facebook page including from some who said DeWine ’ s results show the pandemic is “ a scam.
” “ At this point , this is clearly not a hoax , ” said Wilson , who has fully recovered from the virus .
He said continued pandemic-deniers are mostly “ outliers , “ but many other people are frustrated over what they see as DeWine ’ s overreactions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results , including false positives , affect individual lives by triggering quarantines that are a rising concern as Ohio schools prepare to reopen .
The number of positive cases in Ohio had decreased after the first surge , hitting a low in late May .
But numbers again began to rise in mid-June as Ohio began to reopen businesses .
DeWine had resisted a statewide mask mandate until July 23 .
He quickly backed off an earlier try at a mask requirement inside businesses and balked at closing down bars , instead recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 p.m. and an 11 p.m. closing time .
Nearly 3,700 Ohio deaths have been linked to the coronavirus .
Wilson thinks by now , DeWine and other government officials should allow people to make their own decisions on which precautions they need or are willing to take .
“ We ’ ve found that people ’ s individual behaviour matters more than those government actions anyway , ” Wilson said .
Follow Dan Sewell at https : //twitter.com/dansewell and Andrew Welsh-Huggins at https : //twitter.com/awhcolumbus

Dan Sewell And Andrew Welsh-Huggins - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-09--Beirut explosion bares pitfalls of sending aid to Lebanon

BEIRUT - Hospitals and schools , then shattered and bent water pipes , then the crater that once was Lebanon ’ s port .
The rebuilding needs of Lebanon are immense , but so is the question of how to ensure the millions of dollars promised in international aid is not diverted in a country notorious for missing money , invisible infrastructure projects and its refusal to open the books .
And the port — the epicenter of the explosion that shattered Beirut , the centre of Lebanon ’ s import-based economy , and a source of graft so lucrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to divide its control so everyone could get a piece — sits at the heart of the fears .
Sunday ’ s donor teleconference is hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron , who was mobbed last week by tearful victims of the Beirut ammonium nitrate explosion begging him to ensure the corruption they blame for the blast that devastated the capital does not profit from its destruction .
International diplomacy usually calls for careful language .
Rigged votes are “ irregular.
“ The response to furious protests should be “ measured.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Macron ’ s response to the crowd , and later in a speech in Beirut , was unusually blunt : The aid “ will not fall into corrupt hands ” and Lebanon ’ s discredited government must change .
Germany , Lebanon ’ s second-biggest bilateral donor , made similar demands .
“ That ’ s precisely what the Lebanese people have rightly demanded : individual interests and old lines of conflict must be overcome and the welfare of the entire population must be put first , ” German Foreign Ministry .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanon is purely for humanitarian emergencies and relatively easy to monitor .
France , Britain , Canada and Australia , among others , have been clear that it is going directly to UN agencies or the Lebanese Red Cross .
But actual rebuilding requires massive imports of supplies and equipment .
The contracts and subcontracts that have given Lebanon ’ s ruling elite its wealth and power , while leaving the country with crumbling roads , regular electricity cuts , trash that piles on the streets and intermittent water supplies .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linked today to the level of corruption , ” said Neemat Frem , a prominent Lebanese businessman and independent member of parliament .
“ We badly need more dollars but I understand that the Lebanese state and its agencies are not competent.
” Lebanon has an accumulated debt of about $ 100 billion , for a population of just under 7 million people — 5 million Lebanese and 2 million Syrians and Palestinians , most of them refugees .
Its electricity company , controlled like the port by multiple factions , posts losses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although Frem said most factories pay for their own generators because power is off more than it ’ s on .
“ There ’ s grand theft Lebanon and there ’ s petty theft Lebanon .
Petty theft Lebanon exists but that ’ s not what got the country in the hole we ’ re in , ” said Nadim Houry , executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative .
Prior aid , Houry said , ended up as a tool in the hands of the political leaders , who kept their slice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters .
“ The pie is getting smaller and smaller and they just keep taking , “ he said .
Protesters , tired of the small indignities they endure to get through a day — 37 % of people report needing to pay bribes , compared with 4 % in neighbouring Jordan , according to Transparency International — and the larger issue of a collapsing state , are going after both .
On Saturday , they seized offices of the Economy Ministry , hauling away files they said would show corruption around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s wheat stockpile , stored next to the warehouse filled with ammonium nitrate , was destroyed in the explosion .
“ We restored the economy ministry to the Lebanese people , ” one man called out as they rifled through the desks .
Julien Courson , head of the Lebanon Transparency Association , said the country ’ s non-profits are forming a coalition to monitor how relief and aid money is spent .
He estimated Lebanon loses $ 2 billion to corruption each year .
“ The decision-makers and the public servants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still in their positions .
Until now , we didn ’ t see any solution to the problem , ” he said .
“ I think the Lebanese government has an interest in finding a suitable solution.
” A first step would be an online clearinghouse for every contract linked to reconstruction , Courson said .
And the first project has to be highly visible and spread the benefits widely , said Christiaan Poortman , board chairman of Infrastructure Transparency Initiative .
“ That will help keeping some of the political stuff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Donors will have to be on top of this .
The issue of procurement is always where lots of corruption takes place ... it needs to be done quickly , and there is always the temptation to not follow the rules and go ahead and do something where a lot of people are going to make a lot of money.
” Macron ’ s office said international donors can do nothing until Lebanon ’ s leaders agree to an audit of the national bank , a key demand of the International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political factions have resisted .
Speaking at a news conference in which he conspicuously did not appear alongside Lebanese President Michel Aoun , Macron said he was approaching Lebanon with “ the requirements of a friend who rushes to help , when times are hard , but not to give a blank check to systems that no longer have the trust of their people.
“

Bassem Mroue And Lori Hinnant - The Associated Press