thetorontostar--2020-03-04--World stocks mixed after Wall Street sinks despite rate cut

BEIJING - Global stock markets were mixed Wednesday after Wall Street sank despite an emergency U.S. interest cut aimed at defusing fears the virus outbreak might stunt global economic activity .
London opened lower while Germany advanced .
Shanghai gained , Sydney and Hong Kong declined and Tokyo was little-changed .
Seoul ’ s benchmark surged 2.2 % after the government announced a spending package to pay for medical supplies and aid to businesses hurt by the virus .
Markets appeared to be unimpressed by a pledge Tuesday from the Group of Seven major industrialized countries to support the global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Wall Street , the benchmark S & P 500 index tumbled 2.8 % despite the Federal Reserve ’ s surprise 0.5 % rate cut .
It was the index ’ s eighth daily decline in nine days .
China , Australia and other central banks also have cut rates to shore up economic growth in the face of anti-virus controls that are disrupting trade and manufacturing .
But economists warn that while cheaper credit might encourage consumers , rate cuts can not reopen factories that have closed due to quarantines or lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fed cutting rates in support of the U.S. market , fear had clearly returned to reign in the markets , ” Jingyi Pan of IG said in a report .
More reductions may give “ limited support , ” Pan wrote .
“ Perhaps besides vaccines , there may be little quick and easy solution to easing the shock for global markets.
” In early trading , London ’ s FTSE 100 lost 0.3 % to 6,700.71 while Germany ’ s DAX added 0.2 % to 12,010.94 .
France ’ s CAC 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street , the S & P 500 future rose 1.5 % and that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.6 % .On Tuesday , the Dow sank 2.9 % and the Nasdaq composite fell 3 % .
U.S. markets have fallen 11 % since setting a record two weeks ago .
On Wednesday in Asia , the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.6 % to 3,011.67 while the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo added 0.1 % to 21,100.06 .
Hong Kong ’ s Hang Seng shed 0.2 % to 26,222.07 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government announced a $ 9.8 billion spending package to pay for medical supplies and aid to businesses that are struggling with disruptions to travel , auto manufacturing and other industries .
Despite the extra spending , the virus “ poses a major downside risk ” to Korean economic growth , Rajiv Biswas of IHS Markit said in a report .
Market benchmarks in Singapore and the Philippines declined while New Zealand , Indonesia and Malaysia rose .
In another sign of U.S. investor caution , the yield on the 10-year Treasury sank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in history .
It was at 0.95 % early Wednesday .
A smaller yield — the difference between the market price and what investors receive if they hold the bond to maturity — indicates traders are shifting money into bonds as a safe haven out of concern about the economic outlook .
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell acknowledged the ultimate solution to the virus challenge will have to come from health experts and others , not central banks .
The Fed has a long history of coming to the market ’ s rescue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has helped this bull market in U.S. stocks become the longest on record .
On Monday , the Dow recorded its biggest daily gain in more than a decade on rising anticipation for co-ordinated support from the Fed and other central banks .
Even before Tuesday ’ s announcement , traders were convinced he Fed would cut rates by half a percentage point on March 18 at its next meeting .
The U.S. rate cut was the Fed ’ s first outside a regularly scheduled meeting since the 2008 global crisis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fed might foresee an even bigger economic impact than markets fear .
Benchmark U.S. crude gained 8 cents to $ 47.26 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
The contract rose 43 cents on Tuesday to close at $ 47.18 .
Brent crude , used to price international oils , added 1 cent to $ 51.87 per barrel in London .
It fell 4 cents the previous session to close at $ 51.86 a barrel .
The dollar gained to 107.44 yen from Tuesday ’ s 107.12 yen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.1171 .


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Israel’s re-do election returns it to political limbo, again

JERUSALEM - Israel looked set to slide back into political deadlock on Wednesday as the final votes were being tallied from the country ’ s third election in less than a year , with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’ s Likud party holding on to a solid lead but failing to win the outright parliamentary majority needed to form a government .
With nearly all the votes counted , Likud led the way with 36 seats followed by Benny Gantz ’ s centrist Blue and White party that held 33 seats .
The Joint List , an umbrella group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats , an all-time high for them .
Along with its religious and nationalist allies , Likud had the backing of 58 of the 120 incoming members in parliament — three votes short of the hoped-for majority .
The final results were expected to be released later Wednesday .
These were delayed because of new verification procedures and complications arising from tallying some 4,000 ballots cast by Israelis confined to home quarantine after possible exposure to the coronavirus .
Netanyahu , set to go on trial on corruption charges in two weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Likud party as the largest faction in parliament in Monday ’ s election .
But late fluctuations in the official returns signalled that Israel ’ s year-long political deadlock is far from over .
Although Netanyahu ’ s opponents together are projected to hold a 62-seat majority , they are deeply divided and unlikely to co-operate .
They include the predominantly Arab Joint List and the secular nationalist faction led by Avigdor Lieberman , who has ruled out any alliance with Arab politicians .
Joint List chairman Ayman Odeh has announced a series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an alternative candidate and made it clear that aligning with Lieberman was out of the question .
“ The Joint List won ’ t allow the racist Avigdor Lieberman to become a minister , ” he told Israel ’ s Army Radio .
It ’ s unclear if Netanyahu can capitalize on the division among his rivals .
Officials close to the prime minister have already indicated they are seeking to poach defectors from the opposing camp in return for plum political postings .
All of the potential defectors have denied they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Blue and White leadership has made it clear that a unity government with Netanyahu is out of the question because of the serious criminal charges of corruption against the prime minister .
Netanyahu is eager to form a government before his trial begins March 17 .
He has been charged with fraud , breach of trust and accepting bribes for his actions in a series of scandals that included accepting lavish gifts from wealthy friends , and allegedly offering favours to media moguls in exchange for positive press coverage .
Netanyahu denies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and prosecutors of orchestrating a witch-hunt aimed at ousting him against the will of the people .
Netanyahu is expected to use his position to lash out at his prosecutors and rally public support .
If he forms a new government , he might also seek ways to delay or derail the proceedings .
Blue and White has staked its claim as the moral alternative to Netanyahu .
If neither the prime minister nor Gantz can build a majority or figure out a way to work together yet another election looks likely later @ @ @

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thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Missing toddler’s mother denied request for lowered bond

BRISTOL , Tenn. - A Tennessee mother accused of lying to authorities about her missing 15-month-old daughter has been denied a bond reduction .
Bond for Megan Boswell , 18 , will remain at $ 25,000 , news outlets reported .
Sullivan County General Session Court Judge Klyne Lauderback rejected her attorney ’ s request to drop the bond to $ 10,000 on Monday .
Boswell ’ s attorney , Brad Sproles , said the bond should be reduced because his client has no previous criminal record .
An Amber Alert was issued about two weeks ago for Evelyn Mae @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15-month-old hadn ’ t been seen since at least December .
Megan Boswell was charged with filing a false report .
Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy said Boswell gave conflicting accounts about what happened to her daughter , which hampered efforts to find the child .
Assistant District Attorney General Teresa Nelson said Boswell shouldn ’ t receive a lower bond because she has no stable home to return to if she were to be released .
Sproles waived a preliminary hearing and the case was sent to a grand jury .
Boswell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for May 8 .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-04--AP VoteCast: Health care top issue in Virginia

WASHINGTON - Voters in Virginia ’ s Democratic primary ranked health care as the most important issue facing the country , well above climate change , the economy , race relations , foreign policy and many other social issues .
About a third named health care , an issue that has intensely divided the field of Democratic candidates .
Roughly 2 in 10 each had climate change and the economy on their minds , according to a wide-ranging AP VoteCast survey of the Democratic primary electorate in Virginia .
The Associated Press declared Joe Biden the winner just after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call on data from VoteCast .
Here ’ s a snapshot of Democratic voters in Virginia — who they are and how they voted — based on preliminary results from AP VoteCast , a survey of 2,604 voters , conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago .
DO THEY WANT A BIG CHANGE ?
Voters in Virginia ’ s Democratic primary were closely divided over whether they want a candidate who would bring fundamental change to Washington or one who would restore the political system to how it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
About 6 in 10 voters said they preferred a candidate who will pursue practical , centrist policies to one pursuing bold liberal policies .
WHAT ELSE VOTERS WANT Roughly 8 in 10 said it was very important that a nominee can beat Trump and is a strong leader .
About 7 in 10 said it was very important that a candidate cares about people like them , while about 6 in 10 said the same of one who has the best policy ideas .
Having “ the right experience ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were considered very significant for a Democratic nominee by about 6 in 10 voters .
As in the primary contests so far , young voters in Virginia were behind Bernie Sanders .
About half of those under 30 supported the Vermont senator .
But Biden won about two-thirds of voters ages 45 and older , the majority of voters in the state .
Black voters were far more likely to support Biden than any other candidate .
Similar shares of Latino voters backed Sanders and Biden .
Among white voters , about half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 went for Sanders and about 1 in 10 each supported Mike Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren .
A wide majority say they will definitely vote for the Democratic candidate against Trump in the general election .
Still , about a quarter say their decision will depend on which Democrat is on the ballot in November .
Voters are skeptical that the Democratic Party ’ s nomination process is fair .
Just about 2 in 10 say they are very confident that the process for selecting a presidential nominee is fair .
Roughly a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while nearly half say they are somewhat confident .
The campaign to date has featured a contentious debate among candidates over the best way to tackle health care , an issue seen as the most important facing the country by roughly a third of voters .
There is majority support for a government-run health care system for all Americans , with nearly 6 in 10 voters saying they are in favour .
Roughly 4 in 10 are opposed .
But support for a public option , where every American could buy into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is even higher .
More than 8 in 10 are in favour .
About half voters are in favour of either proposal , while about a third say they favour a public option but oppose a single-payer system .
CLIMATE CHANGE , THE ECONOMY AND OTHER ISSUES Roughly 2 in 10 said climate change in the most important issue facing the nation .
A wide majority — about 7 in 10 — expressed support for a tax on the use of carbon-based fuels , such as coal , oil and natural gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy the top issue .
But a significant majority described the economic system in this country as unfair .
That includes one-quarter who said it ’ s very unfair .
Small shares of voters considered race relations , immigration , gun policy or abortion most important .
AP VoteCast is a survey of the American electorate conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for The Associated Press and Fox News .
The survey of 2,604 voters in Virginia was conducted for seven days , concluding as polls closed .
Interviews were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survey combines a random sample of registered voters drawn from the state voter file and self-identified registered voters selected from nonprobability online panels .
The margin of sampling error for voters is estimated to be plus or minus 3.3 percentage points .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”

Hope Yen And Hannah Fingerhut - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Democrats eye more gains after Texas stars on Super Tuesday

AUSTIN , Texas - Democrats ’ plans to win Texas in 2020 sharpened into focus Wednesday amid the familiar uncertainty of whether the party ’ s presidential nominee will work as hard in the giant red state in November as on Super Tuesday .
Former Vice-President Joe Biden ’ s Texas win over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders helped revive his campaign and shaped how rejuvenated Texas Democrats will plot their own comeback this fall .
For Republicans , the risk of surrendering the Texas House for the first time in 20 years is real enough , although a loss for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A pivotal U.S. Senate runoff was finalized Wednesday in a race where whoever emerged will also be an underdog against Republican incumbent John Cornyn .
But any path back to power for Texas Democrats depends on historic turnout .
And despite expressing elation over a primary that cast more than 2 million Democratic votes — at least a 45 per cent increase over 2016 — there are also worries about whether Bernie Sanders or Biden are now all but done focusing on the Lone Star State .
Trump won Texas by 9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ odds here often leave Democrats drawing up easier paths to the White House .
“ I don ’ t have confidence in that , “ said Zack Malitz , a Democratic strategist who was field director for Beto O ’ Rourke ’ s narrow Texas Senate loss in 2018 and is backing Sanders .
“ That ’ s a real question that Texans should be asking the eventual nominee is whether they ’ re going to run a real battleground operation.
” One question that was finally answered a day after Super Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas Senate race .
Royce West , a longtime state senator , edged into a runoff against Democrat MJ Hegar , an Air Force veteran long seen as a front-runner to challenge Cornyn in November .
West beat out liberal activist Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez , who has been endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , the liberal firebrand from New York .
Had she prevailed , it would set up an ideological clash at the top of the ticket over what kind of Democrat in Texas could win a Senate seat for the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has scoffed that running left is a winning gambit in Texas , while Hegar has campaigned on building a coalition with disaffected Republicans .
Whoever wins will likely have their work cut out against Cornyn , who is seen as a heavy favourite and has never faced a serious reelection challenge since joining the Senate in 2002 .
Like elsewhere , Democratic voters in Texas were driven by beating Trump , with more than 8 in 10 voters saying they considered it highly important , according to an AP VoteCast survey .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where Democrats feel they have their best shot , needing just nine seats to claim a majority in the House chamber for the first time since 2001 .
The stakes to win control of statehouses is high across the country , with the ability to redraw voting maps next year on the line in November .
State Rep. Celia Israel , who is leading the efforts by Texas House Democrats to flip the chamber next year , expressed optimism Wednesday that the national party and presidential nominee would spend money this year to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The message I ’ m getting is they ’ re not going to gloss over Texas like they have in the past , “ she said .
“ They ’ re not just going to come and drag the bag , fill it with money and take that money to the Midwest.
” Republican consultant Matt Mackowiak , who also suspects the GOP is facing a rare but real threat in the Texas Capitol , doesn ’ t see it .
“ Trump is going to win Texas , “ he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a lot more other places where they need to deploy resources .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Official: Nashville voters turned out in tornado’s aftermath

NASHVILLE - An elections administrator in the tornado-stricken Tennessee county that includes Nashville praised voters for turning out on Super Tuesday despite damage to voting locations and treacherous driving conditions .
More than a dozen voting locations in Davidson County were damaged and closed after a tornado swept through Nashville and surrounding areas before dawn Tuesday .
Voters navigated road debris and street closures to reach precincts that were not damaged to cast ballots in the presidential primary election .
Polls in Davidson County opened at 8 a.m. , an hour later than originally planned .
Campaigns for four Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg , Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren — successfully sued to keep polls open past 7 p.m. local time .
A couple of locations remained open until 10 p.m. State emergency officials said 24 people were killed as fast-moving storms blew through the middle part of the state early Tuesday .
Dozens of homes and businesses in several counties were damaged or destroyed .
Despite the adversity , voters still made it to the polls in respectable numbers , Davidson County elections administrator Jeff Roberts said Wednesday .
Roberts estimated that voter turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials expected without the tornado .
“ Last night , we still had 35,000 residents without power , roads blocked , the mayor asking people not to get out on the roads , an emergency declaration , ” Roberts said .
“ All of those things added up , yet Davidson County voters still turned out.
” ’ Late Tuesday , the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Tennessee State Conference of the NAACP and three voters asking a judge to extend primary voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Davidson , Putnam and Wilson Counties .
The lawsuit , which named Republican Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee and state election officials as defendants , sought to give more time to voters who were unable to cast ballots Tuesday as they dealt with the tornado ’ s aftermath .
Former Vice-President Joe Biden won Tennessee ’ s Democratic primary .
President Donald Trump won on the Republican side .


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Ex-wrestler sues University of Michigan over doc’s assaults

DETROIT - A man who was a college wrestler in the 1980s sued the University of Michigan on Wednesday , alleging that a school doctor molested him dozens of times despite the university knowing that he was a threat to athletes .
The lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Detroit is the first since victims of late Dr. Robert E. Anderson began to emerge a few weeks ago .
The man , identified only as John Doe , accused the university of failing to remove the doctor despite complaints about him .
Doe said he was a student from 1984 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physician for various sports at the University of Michigan from 1966 until his retirement in 2003 .
He died in 2008 .
“ One illustrative incident is when plaintiff scratched his arm while wrestling on the mat during a summer training session , and he was told by leadership to see Anderson about the bleeding , ” the lawsuit states .
“ During his appointment for his arm , Anderson told plaintiff to drop his pants , and Anderson sexually assaulted , abused and molested ” him , according to the lawsuit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t comment “ other than to deeply apologize for the harm caused by Robert E. Anderson.
” “ We recognize the enormous strength and courage it takes for survivors to come forward and share their stories , university spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen said .
The university has acknowledged that some campus employees were aware of accusations against the doctor prior to a 2018 complaint that led to a police investigation .
The school announced last week that it had received more than 100 complaints about Anderson .
“ The university continues to encourage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ E. Anderson , or who have evidence of his misconduct , to come forward , ” Broekhuizen said .
Doe ’ s lawsuit accuses the university of violating his rights under federal education law and failing to supervise the doctor .
Doe said he entered college as a 17-year-old from a large , blue-collar family .
He said Anderson ’ s treatments made him uncomfortable but that he was trained through wrestling “ to do as he was ordered by those in positions in authority.
” More than 50 people , including a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ championship football team , also say they were victimized by Anderson , according to a law firm representing them .
The firm said during a news conference Wednesday evening that its clients want to make the school accountable without publicly revealing their names .
The firm , Wahlberg , Woodruff , Nimmo & Sloane , said it met Wednesday for a second time with the school ’ s vice-president and general counsel Timothy Lynch .
“ I believe the university is trying to do the same thing , “ Denver-based attorney Michael Nimmo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t feel like they had the right intentions , we would not be talking to them anymore.
” Following a meeting with the independent investigators hired by the University of Michigan , attorney Parker Stinar said he is advising his clients and others who allege Anderson abused them to not call the school ’ s hotline set up for others who have information to come forward .
Stinar is calling on the Michigan attorney general ’ s office to investigate allegations of abuse against Anderson .
On Thursday , three men plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were assaulted by Michigan State University sports doctor Larry Nassar .
Nassar is serving decades in prison .
John Manly , a lawyer who represented many Nassar victims , said the attorney general ’ s office should investigate what the University of Michigan knew about Anderson , who worked there for decades .
“ It needs to happen now , ” Manly said .
AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Novi , Michigan , and Associated Press reporter Corey Williams contributed to this story .


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Alaska House plans to turn attention to dividend debate

JUNEAU , Alaska - House lawmakers plan to turn their attention to the check residents receive from Alaska ’ s oil-wealth fund and begin reviewing proposals that would change how the Permanent Fund dividend is calculated .
Whether any new formula can be agreed upon is unclear .
Debate over the size of the dividend has dominated recent legislative sessions .
Many lawmakers believe the existing formula , last used in 2015 , is unsustainable and at odds with a law seeking to limit withdrawals from Permanent Fund earnings for government costs and dividends .
The state in 2018 began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Reps. Chuck Kopp and Jennifer Johnston , leaders of the House Rules Committee , on Wednesday proposed legislation that would dedicate 80 % of the set withdrawal from earnings for government and 20 % for dividends .
Kopp called it a path forward that would invite discussion .
Johnston , who is also co-chair of the House Finance Committee , said it would equate to a dividend of around $ 900 this year .
She said that bill and other dividend proposals would be reviewed by the finance committee starting next week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly Merrick , argue the existing formula should be followed until it ’ s changed .
Gov .
Mike Dunleavy has proposed a dividend under that formula for this year , which the Legislative Finance Division says would be about $ 3,100 .
Dunleavy has said Alaskans should be able to weigh in on any dividend changes .
Merrick , like Johnston , served on a working group tasked with looking at the Permanent Fund and dividends .
The group made no recommendation on a dividend calculation but said a majority of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like that set in 2018 .
Merrick , also a finance committee member , said in looking at the dividend formula there needs to be discussion of a “ reasonable ” spending cap .
“ I think people ’ s minds are open and they want to see this issue resolved so that it ’ s not something that divides the legislature year after year , ” she said of the dividend .


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Missouri man sentenced in planned terrorism attack plot

JEFFERSON CITY , Mo .
- A Missouri man who believed he was helping ISIS terrorists plot an attack on Kansas City was sentenced Wednesday to nearly 20 years in prison and a lifetime of probation .
Robert Lorenzo Hester Jr. , 28 , of Columbia , pleaded guilty in September to providing material support or resources to terrorists .
Prosecutors said Hester gave materials such as nails and duct tape to people he believed were members of the ISIS but who were actually undercover federal agents .
Hester came to the attention of the FBI after posting several comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and expressing hostility toward the U.S. , according to federal prosecutors .
The FBI said Hester stated the U.S. government should be “ overthrown ” and that the government should be hit “ hard.
” An FBI undercover officer told Hester the “ attacks ” were planned on buses , trains and a train station in Kansas City .
Hester was enlisted in the U.S. Army for less than a year , receiving a general discharge from service in mid-2013 .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Man gets jail for video of himself licking ice cream tub

PORT ARTHUR , Texas - A 24-year-old man was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail for posting on social media a video last August of himself removing an ice cream container from a Texas market freezer , licking the contents and returning the container to the freezer .
D ’ Adrien Anderson , 24 , also was sentenced to an additional six-month jail term probated for two years and ordered to pay a $ 1,000 fine and $ 1,565 in restitution to Blue Bell Creameries , which had to replace all of its products in the freezer .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Port Arthur .
Store surveillance cameras showed that he finally took the Blue Bell ice cream from the freezer and bought it , which wasn ’ t captured in the social media video , authorities said .
Anderson could have been sentenced to up to a year in jail and fined $ 4,000 for misdemeanour criminal mischief .
Port Arthur is about 85 miles ( 137 kilometres ) east of Houston .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Arkansas woman convicted of killing husband getting clemency

LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
- A woman convicted more than three decades ago of fatally shooting her husband , who had physically abused her , will have her life sentence commuted , Arkansas Gov .
Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday .
Hutchinson announced his intent to make Willie Mae Harris , 72 , immediately eligible for parole , citing the physical abuse Harris suffered .
Harris was convicted of first-degree murder in 1985 .
“ She had been a victim of domestic violence for a long period of time , there ’ s evidence of that , ” Hutchinson said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Mansion to the Political Animals Club .
“ She proclaimed her evidence but for a lot of different reasons , I granted clemency to Willie Mae Harris today.
“ Harris admitted to shooting her husband , Clyde Harris , but said it was an accident related to self-defence .
Harris is legally blind and the state Parole Board several times over the years has recommended she receive clemency .
Her case has gained renewed attention in recent months following columns by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist Mike Masterson and a story by The Appeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues .
“ I ’ ve basically been crying over the past hour , “ Lee Eaton , an attorney for Harris , said Wednesday afternoon following Hutchinson ’ s announcement .
“ She ’ s missed generations of her family.
” In her most recent application for clemency , Harris said she did not receive a fair trial because none of the evidence of the abuse she suffered was presented .
She included an affidavit from her aunt , who said Clyde Harris once broke Willie Mae ’ s hand with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Harris has been a model prisoner and cited her work as a tutor for other inmates .
There is a 30-day waiting period to receive public feedback before final action is taken on the commutation .
The Arkansas Parole Board will still have to approve Harris ’ parole before she can be released .
Hutchinson also said planned to commute the sentence of Robert R. Johnson Jr. , 36 , who was sentenced in 2008 to 86 years in prison on multiple nonviolent drug offences .
This story corrects the spelling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Eaton .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Health officials: California has 1st coronavirus fatality

LOS ANGELES - California ’ s first coronavirus fatality is an elderly patient who apparently contracted the illness on a cruise , authorities said Wednesday , and a medical screener at Los Angeles International Airport is one of six new confirmed cases .
The cruise ship is now under investigation as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention probe a “ small cluster ” of coronavirus patients who were aboard , according to the cruise line .
Another passenger who contracted the COVID-19 virus is now in stable condition at a hospital in Sonoma County , north of San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical screener contracted through their work at the airport or from so-called community transmission , according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security .
No travellers screened at the Los Angeles airport have tested positive for the virus .
Earlier Wednesday , officials in Los Angeles County announced that six new cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed , up from one previously .
The airport screener is one of those six patients .
Across California , more than 50 people have tested positive for the virus , including several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the state Department of Public Health .
More than 500 people have been tested for the virus .
The elderly patient had underlying health conditions and died at a hospital in Roseville , near Sacramento , according to Placer County health officials .
The person was not identified , with officials disclosing only that the person was a Placer County resident who tested positive for the virus Tuesday .
Health officials believe both cruise ship patients were exposed while they were on the Grand Princess cruise from San Francisco to Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Placer County person had symptoms as early as Feb. 19 , according to Placer County Health Officer Aimee Sisson .
Emergency personnel were called to the person ’ s home in Rocklin , about 110 miles ( 180 kilometres ) northeast of San Francisco , on Feb. 27 , when they were admitted to a hospital .
The cruise ship is at sea but is expected to skip its next port and return to San Francisco by Thursday , according to a statement from Dr. Grant Tarling , the chief medical officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Grand Princess .
Any current passengers who were also on the February trip will be screened .
The CDC is working with California authorities to contact other passengers from the previous trip , CDC Director Robert Redfield said Wednesday at a White House briefing .
“ We ’ re at the very beginning of that , looking at the manifest to make sure that we understand who has gotten off the cruise and where they got off the cruise , ” Redfield said .
The airport screener is a contractor for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment at work , the homeland security statement said .
The person is being quarantined at home with mild symptoms .
The patient last worked at the airport on Feb. 21 and began feeling cold-like symptoms on Feb. 29 , officals said .
The patient ’ s doctor tested them for coronavirus on March 1 .
NBC News first reported the case of the airport screener .
Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever , runny nose , cough and breathing trouble .
Most develop only mild disease .
But some people , usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more severe symptoms , including pneumonia , which can be fatal .
In all , more than 94,000 people have contracted the virus worldwide , according to the World Health Organization , with more than 3,200 deaths .
WHO reports that the COVID-19 virus is more fatal than the common flu .
Los Angeles County health officials expect more cases to be confirmed and have increased the county ’ s capacity to test at a local laboratory .
The cases were from throughout the county , she said , but did not provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , officials said three of those who tested positive were travellers together in northern Italy , two were family members who had close contact with another family member who previously tested positive for the virus and the sixth patient is the airport screener .
Officials in Los Angeles County and the city have signed proclamations of local emergencies to aid efforts to respond to the virus and free up resources .
Authorities are also assisting shelters to prevent transmission of the virus in the homeless population .
“ This is not a response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said .
Associated Press writers Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco and Kevin Freking in Washington , D.C. , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--In Italy and beyond, virus outbreak reshapes work and play

ROME - Italy closed all schools and universities Wednesday and barred fans from all sporting events for the next few weeks , as governments trying to curb the spread of the coronavirus around the world resorted to increasingly sweeping measures that transformed the way people work , shop , pray and amuse themselves .
With the virus now reported in more than 80 countries , Saudi Arabia barred citizens from making the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca , Iran cancelled Friday prayers for a second week , and leader after leader pleaded with citizens to put an end to that traditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Italian government decreed that soccer games and other sporting events will take place without fans present until at least April 3 .
Italy is is the epicenter of Europe ’ s coronavirus outbreak .
More than 3,000 have been infected and at least 107 have died , the most of any country outside China .
Italy also closed schools for 8.4 million students through March 15 , after at least four other countries — Japan , the United Arab Emirates , Lebanon and Iraq — took similar action .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an impact .
As education minister , I obviously want my students back in school as soon as possible , “ said Education Minister Lucia Azzolina .
With the disease ebbing in the place where it began , Italy , Iran and South Korea confronted deadly , fast-growing clusters of the disease that accounted for about 80 % of new cases outside China , according to the World Health Organization .
In all , more than 94,000 people have contracted the virus worldwide , with more than 3,200 deaths .
In the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Iran reported 92 deaths among its more than 2,900 cases , though many fear the outbreak is far bigger .
Among the ill are dozens of members of the government .
The Islamic republic cancelled Friday prayers to avoid public gatherings .
“ The virus has no wings to fly , ” said Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour .
“ We are the ones who transfer it to each other.
” WHO said about 3.4 % of people infected with the COVID-19 virus globally have died , making it more lethal than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was met with skepticism , with scientists noting that large numbers of mild cases have probably gone undetected or unreported .
A study last week in the New England Journal of Medicine of data from more than 30 Chinese provinces estimated the death rate at 1.4 % .
In Daegu , the South Korean city at the centre of that country ’ s outbreak , a shortage of hospital space meant about 2,300 patients were being cared for in other facilities while they awaited a hospital bed .
Prime Minister Chung Se-Kyun sought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We will win the war against COVID-19.
” South Korea reported 435 new infections Wednesday , down from 851 a day earlier .
More than 5,600 people in South Korea have contracted the virus and 32 have died .
In Europe , officials told French soccer players to simply disperse — without shaking hands — after lining up , and referees and coaches will no longer shake hands either .
In Paris , the Louvre finally reopened after closing because of fears among workers about catching the virus from visitors , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the danger of germs .
A news conference at Milan ’ s Triennale contemporary art and design museum looked like an exhibit itself , with journalists ’ chairs spaced more than a yard ( meter ) apart .
In Israel , the country ’ s chief rabbi urged observant Jews to refrain from kissing the mezuza , the small box containing a prayer scroll that is posted by Jews on their doorposts .
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also urged people to adopt the Indian greeting of “ namaste , ” with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Businesses of all types suffered a downturn as travel and tourism plummeted and worried consumers changed their habits .
“ People are afraid to touch anything or take anything from us , ” said Maedeh Jahangiri , a perfume seller at a mall in Tehran .
China reported 119 new cases Wednesday , all but five in the outbreak ’ s epicenter of Wuhan .
In a sign of the shifting threat , Beijing ’ s health commissioner said two new cases in the Chinese capital were apparently infected abroad , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan said hospitals there have an increasing number of empty beds but cautioned there is always the possibility of a new spike of infections .
“ The war is not over , ” said Dr. Cao Bin , who specializes in respiratory research .
Hinnant reported from Paris .
Contributors include Matt Sedensky in Bangkok ; Kim Tong-Hyung and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul , South Korea ; Yanan Wang and Ken Moritsugu in Beijing ; Aniruddha Ghosal in New Delhi ; John Leicester in Paris ; and Maria Cheng and Jill Lawless in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus outbreak at h ttps : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Nicole Winfield And Lori Hinnant - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Noose placed on Wisconsin brewery shooter’s locker in 2015

MADISON , Wis. - Someone placed a noose several years ago on the locker of a Wisconsin brewery employee who opened fire on his co-workers last week , the brewery operator said Wednesday .
Police quickly warned that it ’ s too early to conclude that racism was a factor in the attack .
Anthony Ferrill , an electrician at the sprawling Molson Coors brewery in Milwaukee , fatally shot five co-workers before killing himself on the campus last week .
His motive remains unknown .
Ferrill was black .
Four of the victims were white .
The fifth was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement Wednesday that detectives are still investigating and so far “ neither race nor racism has been identified as a factor in this incident.
” They also said they haven ’ t yet found anything that suggests the victims were involved in any racist behaviour toward Ferrill .
But they cautioned that the investigation into the Feb. 26 shooting is still ongoing .
“ It is imperative to wait for the facts of the investigation to be released rather than speculating and generating a false narrative that could negatively impact the lives of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the suspect , as well as the employees of Molson Coors , ” the statement said .
Local media have reported over several days on speculation that the attack was racially motivated , interviewing current and former Molson Coors employees anonymously complaining about longstanding discrimination against black workers .
The company on Wednesday confirmed that a noose was placed on Ferrill ’ s locker in 2015 .
Ferrill wasn ’ t working that day but was told about it , the company said .
Molson Coors spokesman Adam Collins said the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video showing who placed the noose on the locker .
The company explained to employees that such actions weren ’ t acceptable and shared channels for filing discrimination or harassment complaints .
He said there ’ s no evidence to suggest any of the shooting victims were involved in the noose incident .
Collins called the incident “ disgusting ” but said there ’ s no record of Ferrill filing any complaints with the company or the federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission .
Christine Saah Nazer , an EEOC spokesperson , said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office can not confirm or deny complaints unless the EEOC files suit against an employer , “ which is usually a last resort.
” No suit appeared to have been filed regarding Ferrill , she said .
Messages left by The Associated Press with the law firm representing the Ferrill family weren ’ t immediately returned Wednesday .
Nooses can evoke the lynch mobs that targeted black people in the South between Reconstruction and the mid-20th century .
Miller Brewing Co. , which Molson Coors took over in 2008 , paid $ 2.7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees who alleged that racial harassment ran unchecked at its Volney , New York , plant .
Among the black workers ’ complaints were nooses found at the plant ’ s gate .
Collins said Molson Coors has “ a lot of work to do to build the open , welcoming and inclusive culture this company values .
We ’ ve already started some of that work by listening to employees over the last few days.
” He urged people to be patient while police investigate .
“ It ’ s understandable in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there , ” he said .
“ But we have the same kinds of questions everyone else does.
” Two former brewery employees , Robert Powell and Lonnie Carl Jones , told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for a story published Tuesday that a few months after the noose was found , several racist notes were slipped into Ferrill ’ s locker .
Asked if he could confirm whether anyone put racist notes in Ferrill ’ s locker , Collins again said the company isn ’ t aware of any complaints Ferrill may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managers or Molson Coors ’ human resources about discrimination or harassment .
Jones told the AP in a telephone interview that he worked at the brewery from 2013 until 2019 .
He said Ferrill mentioned to him that someone had placed an ace of spades playing card on his locker in 2016 or 2017 .
“ We knew what that meant , ” Jones said .
“ It ’ s calling you black , like a spade.
” He said workers of different races clustered together in cliques .
He noticed racist graffiti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said a Hispanic employee refused to train him on how to use a machine that filled bottles with beer because he is black .
He never filed any formal complaints with human resources personnel , he said , but he did complain verbally to them .
Nothing was done , he said .
Jones said the culture was so toxic that it drove him to smoke marijuana and fail a drug test , resulting in his firing in 2019 .
“ I still get mad about it to this day , ” Jones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Tell HR , they say , ` We ’ ll look into it.
’ I can ’ t run to HR 10 times a day .
...
They had bad seeds and they never tried to weed them out.
“ He described Ferrill as a quiet man who was focused on his work .
He never fooled around because he didn ’ t want to give his managers any reason to fire him , Jones said .
“ That man was a nice guy , ” Jones said .
“ He wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like everybody else .
They ( just ) pushed Tony too far.
” Messages the AP left on social media sites for Powell on Wednesday weren ’ t immediately returned .
Associated Press writers Amy Forliti and Tim Sullivan in Minneapolis and Scott Bauer in Madison contributed to this report .
The name of a Molson Coors employee has been corrected to Lonnie Carl Jones , instead of Lonnie Carl James .


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Trump attacks Sessions ahead of primary runoff for US Senate

MOBILE , Ala. - Jeff Sessions , making new strides to regain his former Senate seat , faced renewed criticism from Donald Trump that could be his biggest hurdle after the president appeared to mock his former attorney general for being forced into a primary runoff .
Trump broke his silence on Sessions ’ race in Alabama , again lashing out at his former ally over his 2017 recusal from the Russia investigation .
The newest Twitter scolding by Trump could further damage Sessions ’ hopes of mounting a political resurrection in the state where he had long been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning the GOP nomination outright Tuesday and will face former college football coach Tommy Tuberville in a Republican runoff .
The winner of the March 31 runoff will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Doug Jones as Republicans try to reclaim the Senate seat in the once reliably red state .
Sessions relinquished the Senate seat he held for 20 years when he was appointed Trump ’ s attorney general , a position he was forced to resign after his recusal from the Russia inquiry sparked blistering criticism from Trump .
The president weighed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican primary in Alabama was called .
“ This is what happens to someone who loyally gets appointed Attorney General of the United States & then doesn ’ t have the wisdom or courage to stare down & end the phoney Russia Witch Hunt .
Recuses himself on FIRST DAY in office , and the Mueller Scam begins !
“ Trump wrote in a tweet .
Sessions did not recuse on his first day in office , but did so in March of 2017 after consulting with senior Justice Department officials .
Sessions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s 2016 campaign that he was required by Department of Justice regulation to recuse himself from the probe into whether there was campaign collusion with Russia .
Sessions , 73 , had maintained loyalty to Trump throughout the race and again in his speech Tuesday night after making the runoff .
He noted that he was the first U.S senator to endorse Trump in 2016 and argued he would be most effective in advancing Trump ’ s agenda .
“ Anyone can say they are for the Trump agenda , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought on the great issues of our day and won , “ Sessions told a cheering crowd in his hometown of Mobile Tuesday night .
“ We have this opportunity to turn the Trump agenda into reality , and I am the man for that job , ” Sessions said .
In Alabama , Sessions in many ways was Trump before Trump on some policies issues , embracing hard line stances on immigration and trade .
Sessions was the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump , donning a Make America Great Again hat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a political twist of irony , his public falling out with Trump threatens his hope of recapturing his former seat .
But Tuberville , boosted by name recognition from years as a football coach at Auburn University , positioned himself as a political outsider and tried to capitalize on Trump ’ s past criticisms of Sessions .
Tuberville ’ s campaign quickly began promoting Trump ’ s latest comments on social media .
“ Mr .
President , I could not agree more and in 27 days help will be on the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to Trump .
“ Only one candidate in this race will support Donald Trump down the line .
Doug won ’ t .
Jeff didn ’ t .
But Tommy will , “ Tuberville , 65 , told applauding supporters at his election night watch party .
Former Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead , said Trump ’ s newest comments only add to Sessions ’ troubles .
“ The President is the most popular politician in Alabama so I think it has an impact , “ Armistead said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a positive thing for Jeff Sessions.
” Meanwhile , it was unclear whether Trump ’ s Twitter-lashing was a singular event or would become a regular occurrence .
“ You can like Trump and you can like Sessions and they are not mutually exclusive , but if he really pounds away I think it could be effective , “ said Natalie Davis , a political analyst and retired political science professor at Birmingham-Southern College .
“ I ’ m sure Sessions regrets the day he put the MAGA hat on , ” Davis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a strong challenger to Jones , who defeated a scandal-plagued former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore in December 2017 to become Alabama ’ s first Democratic senator in a quarter-century .
Jones is the only Democrat in a statewide office in the GOP-controlled state .
The primary had been a slugfest and Sessions and Tuberville shows no signs of letting up .
Sessions referred to Tuberville , who until last year was registered to vote in Florida , as a “ tourist from Florida.
” The former senator also asked where Tuberville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump get elected .
“ Where was he when Donald Trump needed him ?
“ Sessions said .
Tuberville said Tuesday night that : “ We are going to finish what President Trump started when he looked at Jeff Sessions from across the table and said ‘ You ’ re fired.
’ “ Associated Press writer Jay Reeves reported in Homewood , Alabama , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Feds investigate nursing home as U.S. death toll hits 11

SEATTLE - The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus climbed to 11 on Wednesday with a patient succumbing in California — the first reported fatality outside Washington state — as federal authorities announced an investigation of the Seattle-area nursing home where most of the victims were stricken .
Officials in California ’ s Placer County , near Sacramento , said an elderly person who tested positive after returning from a San Francisco-to-Mexico cruise had died .
The victim had underlying health problems , authorities said .
Washington also announced another death , bringing its total to 10 .
Most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Care Center , a nursing home in Kirkland , a suburb east of Seattle .
At least 39 cases have been reported in the Seattle area , where researchers say the virus may have been circulating undetected for weeks .
Seema Verma , head of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services , said the agency is sending inspectors to Life Care along with experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to figure out what happened and determine whether the nursing home followed guidelines for preventing infections .
Last April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 67,000 over infection-control deficiencies following two flu outbreaks that affected 17 patients and staff .
An unannounced follow-up inspection in June determined that Life Care had corrected the problems , Verma said .
Meanwhile , public officials in Washington came under pressure to take more aggressive steps against the outbreak , including closing schools and cancelling large events .
While the state and Seattle have declared emergencies , giving leaders broad powers to suspend activities , they have not issued any orders to do so .
“ We have encouraged people who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether it really makes sense to carry those on right now , ” Gov .
Jay Inslee said .
“ Right now , we are deferring to the judgment ... of these organizations.
” While some individual schools and businesses have shut down , the governor said large-scale school closings have not been ordered because “ there are so many ramifications for families and businesses , ” especially for health care workers who might not be able to go to work because of child care responsibilities .
Local and state health officials have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had a confirmed case of the disease .
Jennifer Hayles , 41 , of Kirkland , said she was appalled that Inslee and health officials haven ’ t cancelled next week ’ s Emerald City Comic Con .
The four-day cosplay and pop-culture event draws close to 100,000 people each year , and some participants , including D.C. Comics and Penguin Random House , have pulled out over the virus .
Hayles said she spent hundreds of dollars on tickets and other items related to the event but will have to skip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
“ There ’ s a lot of people who are talking about the economic cost of people forced to pull out of Comic Con , but if we have an explosion of cases of coronavirus , the economic cost is going to be much higher , ” Hayles said .
Comic Con ’ s organizer , Reedpop , announced Wednesday that it would make an exception to its no-refunds policy for those who want their money back , but said it remained committed to holding the event unless local , state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lakshmi Unni said that she was keeping her son , an eighth-grader at Redmond Middle School in Seattle ’ s eastern suburbs , home on Wednesday and that she had urged the school board and principal to close .
“ Yesterday at least three kids were coughing , ” Unni said .
“ We don ’ t know if they were sick with the virus , but if they do become sick , the chances of spreading are very , very high.
” Some schools , businesses and other employers aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials urged businesses to allow employees to work remotely if possible , and the county said it will allow telecommuting for some of its workers for the next three weeks .
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle announced it is cancelling events at the complex and requiring nonessential staff to work remotely at least through the end of the month to lessen the chance of infection among patients with weakened immune systems .
School officials in Renton , south of Seattle , announced that Hazen High School will close for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student tested positive for the coronavirus .
Online petitions urged officials to close other schools on Seattle ’ s east side .
The F5 technology company closed its 44-story tower in downtown Seattle after learning an employee had been in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus .
Outdoor recreation giant REI shut down its Seattle-area operations for two days as a precaution .
A federal immigration field office near Tukwila also closed after an employee visited the Kirkland nursing home .
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said the move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain shut for 14 days .
Health officials in North Carolina reported that a person from Wake County tested positive for the illness after visiting the nursing home .
The patient ’ s flight from the Seattle area to the Raleigh-Durham airport raised fears other passengers were exposed to the virus .
“ My understanding is we have the manifest .
Now the trick is to go find them , ” said Robert Redfield of the CDC .
Life Care Center said on its website that it is screening employees for symptoms before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The nursing home is prohibiting visits from residents ’ family members .
Shortly before the California death was announced , Princess Cruise Lines notified passengers of its Grand Princess that federal health officials are investigating a “ small cluster ” of coronavirus cases connected to the ship ’ s mid-February voyage .
It asked current passengers to stay in their cabins until were cleared by medical staff and said those who had been on the previous voyage should contact their doctor if they develop fever or other symptoms .
The Grand Princess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return early to San Francisco , where CDC and company officials will meet to determine the course of action , the cruise line said .
In Los Angeles , a contract medical worker who was conducting screenings at the city ’ s main airport has tested positive for the virus .
The person wore protective equipment while on the job so it was unclear how the worker contracted the virus , Homeland Security officials said .
In New York , health officials put hundreds of residents in self-quarantine after members of two families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Rochelle were diagnosed with the virus .
Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said the disease appeared to have spread from a lawyer to his wife , two children , a neighbour and two others .
The new results brought the number of confirmed cases in the state to 11 .
Associated Press Writer Carla K. Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report .

Gene Johnson, Rachel La Corte And Martha Bellisle - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Man charged with threatening Rays players, other athletes

TAMPA , Fla. - A New York sports gambler is facing federal charges in Florida related to threatening social media messages sent to players with the Tampa Bay Rays and other teams , federal authorities said Wednesday .
The U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in Tampa announced a charge of transmitting threats in interstate or foreign commerce against Benjamin Tucker Patz , 23 .
He faces up to five years in federal prison .
Patz made numerous violent threats last year against athletes and their family members through anonymous Instagram accounts , according to a criminal complaint .
In many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ athletes ’ homes and behead them or their family members , the FBI said .
Some of Patz ’ s threats also contained derogatory terms and racial slurs , investigators said .
The Tampa Bay Rays lost a home baseball game last July to the Chicago White Sox .
An account linked to Patz later sent threatening Instagram messages to four players for the Rays and one player for the White Sox , according to authorities .
None of the players were identified by name , only initials .
“ Your family will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the messages , quoted in the criminal complaint .
Patz , who resides in New York and California , goes by the moniker “ Parlay Patz.
” FBI investigators said they found online articles that claimed he had recently won more than $ 1 million by wagering on sports events .
Over the past year , Patz has sent threatening messages through social media to numerous professional athletes , investigators said .
After losing $ 10,000 by betting on the Los Angeles Rams to win last year ’ s Super Bowl , Patz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game ’ s winning team , the New England Patriots , claiming that he would rape and murder their families , the indictment said .
The complaint also lists threats against players for the Atlanta Braves , the San Diego Padres , the Oakland Athletics , the Cleveland Indians , the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals .
One of Patz ’ s accounts also threatened a player for the Swedish women ’ s soccer team after they beat Germany in the Women ’ s World Cup Quarter-Final , instigators said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Filjones said Patz was charged in Florida ’ s Middle District because the Rays players were there when the threats were made .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear if Patz would face charges in other districts for the other threats .
Patz had arranged to turn himself in but wasn ’ t yet in custody Wednesday evening , Filjones said .
It wasn ’ t known if he had an attorney .
Rays spokesman Dave Haller said the team didn ’ t immediately have a comment about the case .


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Democratic Gov. Bullock of Montana said to eye Senate race

WASHINGTON - Democrat Steve Bullock , the Montana governor who has insisted he won ’ t run for the Senate , is poised to do just that , according to two people familiar with his plans .
Bullock has long been a Democratic favourite and has been heavily wooed to take on Republican Sen. Steve Daines .
Democrats are straining to win back the Senate and they see a Bullock matchup with Daines as key to that strategy .
Daines is increasingly allied with President Donald Trump and got a shoutout from the president Wednesday .
Bullock , who made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential primary , has until next Monday ’ s filing deadline to formally announce his bid .
Bullock is in close discussions with his family as he makes the decision , according to one person close to the governor .
Two people confirmed the planning , as first reported by The New York Times , but were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity .
Democrats have courted Bullock for months , even before dropped his presidential bid in December .
He met with former President Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Senate ’ s Democratic leader , Chuck Schumer of New York , made a visit to the West last month for more talks , the people said .
But Bullock also is a dad with school-age children and had emphatically said in the past he would not be relocating to Washington for the Senate .
A matchup in the Mountain West state as part of this fall ’ s battle for the Senate would be potentially intense .
On Wednesday , Daines enjoyed a ripple of activity .
In the morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who met with the president last week at the White House .
“ The great people of Montana can have no better VOICE than Senator @ SteveDaines , ” the president tweeted .
He warned , “ Whoever the Democrat nominee may be , please understand that I will be working hard with Steve all the way.
” Later , Daines and another Republican incumbent facing a tough reelection campaign , Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner , rolled out a public lands funding package important to Montana and other Western states .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for public lands that Trump has suggested cutting in past budgets .
They said they have Trump ’ s backing for the funding .
Daines campaign spokesperson Julia Doyle said : “ We ’ re ready to win this race .
Senator Daines has a proud record of delivering results , protecting our way of life , and always putting Montana First .
”

Matt Volz And Lisa Mascaro - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--FBI handling of terror-related tips is flawed, report finds

WASHINGTON - The FBI needs to improve how it handles tips and leads about people who may carry out violent acts , including developing a comprehensive strategy to evaluate whether individuals with mental health problems pose legitimate threats to public safety , according to a Justice Department watchdog report released Wednesday .
The report from the inspector general ’ s office identifies what it says are weakness and inconsistencies in how the FBI , across its 56 field offices , evaluates tips on subjects known as homegrown violent extremists .
Those are people who are motivated by jihadist ideology and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designated foreign terrorist organizations .
The report underscores the FBI ’ s longstanding challenges in preventing violence from people whose actions and ideology may be disturbing without actually violating federal law .
Those difficulties attracted fresh scrutiny in recent years after several people the FBI once investigated but did not arrest because they had not broken the law later went on to commit attacks , including Omar Mateen , the gunman in the 2016 nightclub rampage in Orlando , Florida .
FBI field offices across the country studied in 2017 whether they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three years .
That internal review found problems in the way the FBI had handled 6 % of those potential terror threats .
But even after that review , many of the fumbled tips and leads were not followed up on for more than a year , according to the inspector general ’ s report .
“ As a result , potential terrorist threats were not mitigated for more than 1 year , ” the report says .
The report says that after the inspector general ’ s office asked about the lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential threat and in some cases opened an investigation .
In addition , the report says , the FBI has cited an increase in the number of reports it receives on people with potential mental health problems but still lacks a consistent and comprehensive strategy for dealing with that information .
In some cases , the FBI refers the individuals for mental health evaluations and in others refers them to family members for monitoring , according to the report .
The challenge is compounded because many individuals who are reported to the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead dealing with mental illness and are not actually a threat to national security .
The report ’ s seven recommendations , all of which the FBI says it agrees with , are largely bureaucratic in nature relating to how field offices process and categorize information they receive on potential threats .
But the issue is significant for the FBI and Justice Department given that so-called homegrown violent extremists are blamed for more than 20 attacks since Sept. 11 , 2001 .
In several of those attacks , the FBI spent months scrutinizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inquiry after either not finding a crime or a basis for continued investigation .
“ This is a particularly challenging area for the FBI because of the need to preserve constitutional protections while maintaining national security , “ Inspector General Michael Horowitz said in a video statement accompanying the report .
The report focuses on the lowest and least intrusive level of investigation the FBI does .
Agents conduct what are known as “ assessments “ when they receive information about a suspicious person .
The FBI may check databases and conduct interviews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not use more sophisticated tools , such as electronic surveillance .
If the FBI does not find basis to continue investigating , agents typically close out the assessment without further action .
But if they find grounds for additional scrutiny , they can bump up the probe to what is known as a preliminary investigation , which requires a factual basis to believe there could be a threat to national security .


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--California delegate wave didn’t quite break as expected

LOS ANGELES - While Sen. Bernie Sanders mined the motherlode of delegates from California on Super Tuesday , it wasn ’ t nearly enough and isn ’ t getting counted fast enough to counter former Vice-President Joe Biden ’ s huge night .
It became an issue of numbers and timing .
After years of being a late season player in presidential primary politics , California joined the Super Tuesday crowd , and its 415 delegates were the biggest haul on the biggest night .
But even though Sanders ’ victory in California was declared quickly , it came after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that dominated the earlier coverage of the primaries .
And Sanders ’ precise delegate margin in the state won ’ t be known any time soon .
California , with lots of early and mail-in voting , typically takes weeks to finish counting ballots .
Experts expect millions are left to count .
The late-night Pacific wave that Sanders was supposed to surf to victory didn ’ t quite break right .
His campaign declined to comment on California specifically , but top aides said before Super Tuesday that they expected far higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to actually earn after voting concluded .
“ Of course I ’ m disappointed .
I would like to win every state by a landslide .
It ’ s not going to happen , “ Sanders said Wednesday .
With almost two-thirds of California ’ s delegates allocated by The Associated Press , Sanders won about 60 more delegates in California than Biden .
However , Biden won about 130 more than Sanders in the other 13 states and both got blanked in American Samoa .
“ I do think Biden will come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , ” said Louisiana State University political scientist Joshua Darr .
He said late counted votes in California will help Sanders narrow Biden ’ s win , but “ it ’ s going to take a seismic shift then for Sanders to catch him.
” Ace Smith , a top California political consultant who had worked on Kamala Harris ’ campaign , said it ’ s looking “ pretty darn good ” for Biden in California , even as Sanders is likely to walk away with more delegates .
Last week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the field with several other candidates cracking the 15 % threshold needed to win delegates .
But Biden ’ s dominance has closed that gap , Smith said .
“ A week ago it looked like he was going to come out with just a mountain of delegates , a Santa Claus sack full from California , but it ’ s just not going to happen , ” he said .
“ Biden got on a crazy roll with what happened across the country.
” But it ’ s not just mere numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s secretary of state won ’ t announce until Thursday how many ballots are left to be counted , after the state collects data from all 58 counties .
And counties don ’ t have to report their final results until April 3 , a full month after the primary .
Paul Mitchell , who runs the nonpartisan Political Data Inc. , which collects and analyzes voter data , guessed as many as 4 million to 5 million ballots have yet to be counted , though they will not all be those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of California ’ s registered voters received mail-in ballots , and those can be counted as long as they are postmarked by election day and received by Friday .
Some counties have only recorded about half the ballots they already have in hand or expect to get , he said .
As of Wednesday afternoon , the secretary of state ’ s office reported about 5.3 million ballots had been cast .
In 2018 , nearly 44 % of California ’ s vote was not counted on election night .
Outside of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that election night means election night , ” Darr said .
But not having full results for days after the election “ is normal for California .
It ’ s not normal for Super Tuesday observers , ” Darr said .
“ It does delay things.
” But which way ?
The ballots California counts first are those that are mailed in early .
Sanders and Biden could both benefit as more votes come in , Mitchell said .
Voters that cast ballots on or near election day tend to be younger and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Biden may also get a boost among the late deciders swayed by the events of the last several days , as he did in other states on Super Tuesday .
AP VoteCast found that late-deciders in California broke more for Biden than Sanders .
Darr said the momentum shift was obvious and may favour Biden in those late-counting votes , or at least counter Sanders ’ late youth vote .
Borenstein reported from Washington .
Will Weissert contributed from Washington .

Seth Borenstein And Kathleen Ronayne - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Reptile breeder pays fine after 157 venomous snakes seized

ALBANY , N.Y. - A reptile breeder in upstate New York has paid a $ 500 fine related to the possession of more than 150 venomous snakes in his home , the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Wednesday .
The DEC said in a report that investigators got a warrant to search the Orange County home of Darren Paolini after the man was hospitalized for a venomous snake bite last June .
He had been bitten by a Taiwanese pit viper at his home , where he had a sophisticated breeding operation in the basement .
Officers seized 157 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breeding records from Paolini ’ s Newburgh home .
The snakes , which included 29 species , were turned over to the Bronx Zoo .
DEC said Paolini told an investigator he gets snakes from importers , breeds them and trades the babies for new snakes .
Paolini pleaded guilty to misdemeanour commercialization of wildlife charges in February and agreed to pay a fine , DEC said .
In June , Paolini told News12 Westchester that he had studied Asian pit vipers for 30 years and was an expert on breeding them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ love in my life .
A passion since a young child , ” he said .
He said he had believed reptile permits he obtained in 2005 were still valid .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Roberts chides Schumer for ‘dangerous’ remarks on 2 justices

WASHINGTON - Çhief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday criticized as “ inappropriate “ and “ dangerous ” comments that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer made outside the Supreme Court earlier in the day about Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh .
Roberts was responding to Schumer ’ s remarks at a rally outside the court while a high-profile abortion case was being argued inside .
“ You have released the whirlwind , and you will pay the price .
You will not know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions , ” Schumer said , naming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to video of the rally available online .
In a statement , Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman criticized Roberts , saying that “ to follow the right wing ’ s deliberate misinterpretation of what Sen. Schumer said ” shows the chief justice “ does not just call balls and strikes.
” Goodman said Schumer ’ s comments “ were a reference to the political price Senate Republicans will pay for putting these justices on the court , and a warning that the justices will unleash a major grassroots movement on the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He noted that the chief justice remained quiet in recent weeks when Trump questioned the impartiality of Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor .
Roberts , who in 2018 rebuked Trump for the president ’ s criticism of an “ Obama judge , “ had jumped to his colleagues ’ defence after Schumer ’ s remarks .
“ Justices know that criticism comes with the territory , but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate , they are dangerous , ” Roberts said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weighing a Louisiana law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital .
A federal judge found that just one of Louisiana ’ s three abortion clinics would remain open if the law is allowed to take effect .
Roberts is expected to be the deciding vote .
Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Sanders refocusing his campaign after Biden’s super Tuesday

WASHINGTON - His front-runner status slipping , Bernie Sanders refocused his Democratic presidential campaign on surging rival Joe Biden on Wednesday as the Vermont senator ’ s allies grappled with the fallout from a Super Tuesday stumble that raised internal concerns about the direction of his White House bid .
Sanders targeted Biden ’ s record on trade , Social Security and fundraising just hours after billionaire Mike Bloomberg suspended his campaign and Elizabeth Warren confirmed she was privately reassessing her future in the race .
The dramatic shifts signalled that the Democrats ’ once-crowded nomination fight had effectively come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right to face President Donald Trump in November .
Sanders declared himself “ neck and neck ” with Biden as he faced reporters in his home state , Vermont , one of just four states he captured on the most consequential day of voting in the party ’ s 2020 primary season .
Biden won 10 states , assembling victories that transcended geography , race and class .
“ What this campaign , I think , is increasingly about is , Which side are you on ?
” Sanders said .
The progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice-president ’ s record but ignored supporters ’ calls to be more aggressive and insisted his campaign would avoid any “ Trump-type effort ” that included personal criticism .
“ I like Joe .
I think he ’ s a decent human being , “ Sanders said .
” Joe and I have a very different vision for the future of this country.
” Biden told reporters he would unify the country and , without naming Sanders , knocked the senator ’ s frequent contention that he is beholden to an elite party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those hard-working people “ who voted on Tuesday , Biden told reporters in West Hollywood , California .
Elected officials and leading donors rallied around Biden after his Super Tuesday romp .
Top Democrats have long been skeptical of the 77-year-old lifelong politician ’ s political strength but raced to unite behind him to blunt Sanders ’ rise .
After suspending his campaign , Bloomberg became the fourth failed Democratic presidential contender this week to endorse Biden .
Like the growing chorus of Democratic officials , Bloomberg called Biden the best chance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders confirmed that he spoke to his progressive ally earlier in the day , though it was unclear whether she would endorse him — or anyone else — should she leave the race .
Warren didn ’ t win a single state on Super Tuesday and finished in third place in her home state of Massachusetts .
A resurgent Biden , meanwhile , was poised to finish Super Tuesday with more delegates than Sanders — a stunning shift .
Sanders ’ team had hoped he would finish the night more than 100 delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ ll likely finish dozens of delegates behind once all the votes are counted .
Biden ’ s allies sought to quickly capitalize on his success and take on Sanders .
Biden campaign co-chairman , Rep. Cedric Richmond , blasted Sanders for suggesting that the Democratic establishment was colluding against him .
Richmond said Biden is earning his votes .
“ I just did not know that African Americans in the South were considered part of the establishment , ” the Louisiana Democrat said , noting that Biden ’ s overwhelming support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gains in Alabama , North Carolina and Virginia , among other states .
The Sanders campaign announced it would begin airing three new campaign ads across states holding the next series of primary contests on March 10 and March 17 : Arizona , Florida , Idaho , Illinois , Michigan , Mississippi , Missouri , Ohio and Washington state .
One new ad features archived footage of former President Barack Obama praising Sanders .
It ’ s a not-so-subtle attempt by the Vermont senator to undercut Biden ’ s frequently spotlighting his closeness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy , there was new evidence of internal frustration with Sanders ’ strategy , which some believe has not been tough enough in courting high-profile endorsements or attacking Biden .
Sanders prefers to focus his criticism on the former vice-president ’ s record on key issues , declining to lean into more divisive attacks that will almost certainly come up in a prospective general election match-up against Trump .
For example , there has been internal discussion about highlighting Biden ’ s role in the 1991 confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Clarence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss strategy .
As the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman , Biden allowed an all-male Senate panel to grill Anita Hill , who had accused Thomas of sexual harassment .
Roseann DeMoro , a key Sanders ally and a former president of National Nurses United , said Biden ’ s strong showing on Super Tuesday “ caught people off guard.
” Sanders ’ struggle , she said , was likely tied to his “ gentle ” approach .
“ Is Bernie too gentle on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a gentleman , and they are not , “ DeMoro said .
“ Bernie ’ s a statesman , and he ’ s up against sharks .
He needs to call people out for who they are.
” Moumita Ahmed , co-founder of the independent group Millennials for Bernie , was also disappointed in Tuesday ’ s outcome .
“ I was thinking Bernie would do way better , ” she said , adding that the campaign needs a more effective strategy to connect with African Americans .
“ I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign is run.
” From his social media platform , Trump worked to fan the flames of growing frustration within Sanders ’ camp .
The president amplified his long-running argument that the Democratic Party would move to stop Sanders from winning the nomination .
“ The Democrat establishment came together and crushed Bernie Sanders , AGAIN !
” Trump tweeted .
He also called Warren “ selfish ” for staying in the race because it “ hurts Bernie badly.
” Biden ’ s strong finish punctuated a dramatic turnaround in the span @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blowout victory in South Carolina to score sweeping victories in 10 states that cemented his status as the standard-bearer for the Democrats ’ establishment wing .
The former vice-president showed strength in the Northeast with victories in Massachusetts and Maine .
He won delegate-rich Texas in the Southwest , Minnesota in the upper Midwest and finished on top across the South in Virginia , Alabama , North Carolina , Tennessee and Arkansas — in addition to Oklahoma .
Sanders scored the night ’ s biggest delegate-prize in California but won just three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vermont , as well as Utah and Colorado .
Biden racked up his victories despite being dramatically outspent and out-staffed .
His moderate rival Bloomberg , for example , poured more than $ 12 million into television advertising in Virginia , while Biden spent less than $ 200,000 .
With votes still being counted across the country , The Associated Press has allocated 566 delegates to Biden , 501 to Sanders and 61 to Warren .
The numbers are expected to shift as new states report their numbers and as some candidates hover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must hit to earn delegates .
The ultimate nominee must claim 1,991 delegates , which is a majority of the 3,979 pledged delegates available this primary season .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”

Steve Peoples, Will Weissert And Bill Barrow - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-04--Brian Urlacher’s brother pleads not guilty in gambling case

CHICAGO - Casey Urlacher , the brother of Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher , pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal charges alleging he was part of an offshore sports gambling business .
Urlacher , the mayor of the suburban Chicago village of Mettawa , entered his plea with nine others in U.S. District Court .
He is charged with conspiracy and running an illegal gambling business .
Prosecutors allege Urlacher and the others were part of a ring that raked in millions of dollars .
Urlacher , 40 , acted as an agent for the gambling ring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in exchange for a cut of their eventual losses .
acting with Urlacher as an agent was Nicholas Stella , 42 , a Chicago police officer , prosecutors said .
Stella has been stripped of his police powers .
Among the other `` agents ” charged were Matthew Knight , 46 , of Mokena ; Justin Hines , 40 , of Algonquin ; Todd Blanken , 43 , of Cary ; Matthew Namoff , 23 , of Midlothian ; Vasilios Prassas , 37 , of Chicago ; and Keith Benson , 49 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 54-year-old Vincent DelGiudice of Orland Park , who paid a Costa Rica-based sportsbook a service fee to use its online platform and recruited gamblers to place wagers on the website , according to prosecutors .
Prosecutors say federal agents searched DelGiudice ’ s home in April 2019 and turned up more than $ 1.06 million in cash , $ 347,895 in silver bars and jewelry , and $ 92,623 in gold coins .
Prosecutors are seeking an $ 8 million judgment against DelGiudice , who is charged with conspiracy to conduct an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money laundering and money laundering .
DelGiudice pleaded not guilty during Wednesday ’ s hearing and was released on his own recognizance .
DelGiudice ’ s father , Eugene , 84 , was also charged .
Urlacher was elected mayor of Mettawa in 2013 and re-elected four years later .
He said at a village meeting this week he intended to stay on as mayor while he fights the charges .
However , he did resign from his position on the Illinois Civil Service Commission , to which he was appointed in 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Get more of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-05--UN food aid chief fears for Africa, Mideast amid new crises

AMMAN , Jordan - The head of the U.N. ’ s food aid agency warned of “ absolute devastation ” in Africa and parts of the Middle East in coming months if wealthier nations grappling with an economic downturn linked to the new coronavirus don ’ t step up aid efforts in countries in need .
David Beasley , head of the World Food Program , told The Associated Press that the convergence of several crises could further destabilize conflict-scarred regions .
“ If the corona virus continues to create panic around the world , and there is an economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European leaders , and leaders around the world , you don ’ t have enough money set aside to address the needs in Africa , East Africa , West Africa , in the Middle East right now , ” Beasley said during an interview in Jordan late Wednesday , after a visit to Syria .
“ If there is an economic downturn , on top of the economic downturn that exists now in Syria and Lebanon , it absolutely could be a catastrophe , ” he said .
“ I mean absolute devastation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would happen in the next six months .
You could see destabilization unlike any time period , maybe in my lifetime.
” In the Middle East , Iran has been hardest hit by the new virus which has spread around the globe after first being detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year .
There are over 3,740 cases of the virus across the Mideast , with most linking back to the Islamic Republic which also confirmed dozens of deaths .
Only a small number of cases has been reported in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not give an amount for additional aid needed , but suggested it would be in the billions of dollars .
Beasley spoke after a tour of Syria ’ s northwestern Idlib province , the country ’ s last rebel stronghold , where hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced in recent weeks by a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive .
U.N. agencies , including the WFP , are distributing aid in Idlib , but are often hampered by logistics problems , including shifting front lines , access restrictions and roads clogged by large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The leaders of Russia , which backs the Syrian government , and Turkey , which backs the rebels , were meeting in Moscow on Thursday to try to avert further calamity .
But any deal will likely bring only a temporary halt in the punishing offensive by the military of Syria ’ s President Bashar Assad , which threatens continued suffering for the 3 million people trapped in Idlib .
Beasley appealed to leaders on all sides of the Syrian conflict to end the war , which has raged for nine years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Too many people have suffered too long .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-05--World girds for months of trouble as virus pushes west

BANGKOK - People around the world girded for months of disruptions from the new virus Thursday as its unrelenting spread brought ballooning infections , economic fallout and sweeping containment measures .
“ Countries should be preparing for sustained community transmission , ” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , leader of the World Health Organization , said of the 2-month-old virus outbreak .
“ Our message to all countries is : This is not a one-way street .
We can push this virus back .
Your actions now will determine the course of the outbreak in your country.
” In places around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China has been issuing daily reports of new infections that are drastically down from their highs , factories there are gradually reopening and there is a growing sense that normalcy might not be that far off .
Meanwhile , countries elsewhere are seeing escalating caseloads and a litany of cancellations , closures , travel bans and supply shortages .
There are about 17 times as many new infections outside China as in it , WHO said , with widening outbreaks in South Korea , Italy and Iran responsible for a majority .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race and belief or colour .
It is attacking us all , equally , ” said Ian MacKay , who studies viruses at the University of Queensland in Australia .
“ We ’ re looking at a pandemic in all practical reality.
” Desperate to keep a crisis from expanding within their borders , countries have been further tightening travel restrictions .
Australia said Thursday that it is banning travel from South Korea by those who aren ’ t Australian citizens or permanent residents , following similar bans for China and Iran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of Iran , Italy and South Korea after previously banning travel from China .
The United Arab Emirates warned its people not to travel anywhere abroad and said those who do could be subject to quarantines when they return .
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said visitors from China and South Korea would need to complete a two-week quarantine at a government facility and be barred from public transit .
Sri Lankans arriving from Italy , South Korea and Iran will be quarantined at a hospital for leprosy patients , health authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case count rose to 3,513 and the death toll climbed to 107 , checkpoints were to be set up to limit travel between major cities .
Still , no country has matched China ’ s willingness to turn to draconian measures to keep the virus from spreading , but around the world , governments took drastic steps .
Italy closed all schools and universities and forbade fans from attending sporting events .
Saudi Arabia barred citizens from Islam ’ s holiest sites .
In the United States , where 11 have died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were placed in self-quarantines due to cases in a New York suburb .
In places around Europe and the U.S. , anxiety was causing supplies of hand sanitizer and face masks to sell out , as people stood in snaking lines to stock up on food and water .
“ A new risk is always scarier than one we ’ re familiar with because it has elements of the unknown , ” said David Ropeik , who authored the book “ How Risky Is It , Really ?
” South Korea , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , announced strict controls on face masks , which have been in such high demand that people have stood in line for hours to buy them .
Beginning Friday , exports of masks will be prohibited and South Koreans will be limited to buying two masks a week , and only on specific days determined by the year of their birth .
“ The supply side hasn ’ t been able to keep up , ” said Kim Yong-beom , the vice finance minister in South Korea , which reported 467 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6,088 .
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a letter to South Korean President Moon Jae-in to express condolences over the health crisis .
Officials in Seoul said Kim “ underlined his unwavering friendship and trust toward President Moon and said that he will continue to quietly send his best wishes for President Moon to overcome ” the outbreak .
It wasn ’ t clear if the letter was an attempt to improve strained ties .
Markets in Asia and Europe rose Thursday after a surge on Wall Street , but fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread remained .
Ministers from the oil-producing countries in OPEC were weighing slashing output to control plunging prices exacerbated by the outbreak .
And the U.S. Federal Reserve reported the virus has impacted tourism , lowered demand for aircraft and brought supply-chain disruptions .
In the biblical city of Bethlehem , the Church of the Nativity , built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was born , was being closed over virus fears .
The Palestinian Authority said it was preventing all tourists from entering the West Bank .
Even the joyful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hindu revelers celebrate the arrival of spring with bursts of colour , including bright powders smeared on faces , was impacted by the virus .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders said the virus would keep them from attending Holi events Tuesday , and the Holi Moo Festival in New Delhi was cancelled .
The string of bad news related to the virus was weighing on people .
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged state television to offer “ happier ” programs to entertain those stuck at home in a country with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sickened and 92 have died in Iran .
“ I urge all artists , scientists , psychologists and all who can bring smiles to people ’ s faces , come into the social media , ” he said .
“ Today , words that make people tired are no longer advantageous.
” In China , where hospitals were releasing hundreds of recovered patients , officials reported 139 new cases of infection and 31 more deaths .
In all , the country has reported 80,409 cases and 3,012 deaths .
More than two-thirds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been discharged from hospitals , officials said .
Of those who remain hospitalized , about 6,000 are in serious condition .
A state visit to Japan by Chinese President Xi Jinping was postponed as both countries deal with the virus .
The trip , set for April , was to be the first for a Chinese leader since Hu Jintao visited in 2008 .
Worldwide , some 95,000 people in about 80 countries have been infected .
Contributing to this report were Kim Tong-Hyung and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul , South Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mallawarachi in Colombo , Sri Lanka ; Ken Moritsugu in Beijing ; Aniruddha Ghosal and Ashok Sharma in New Delhi ; and Jon Gambrell in Dubai , United Arab Emirates .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-03-05--Philippine police chief, 7 others injured in chopper crash

SAN PEDRO , Philippines - A helicopter carrying the Philippine national police chief and seven other people crashed after hitting a power cable on takeoff Thursday , critically injuring two people on board .
Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa and the others were pulled from the wreckage by police officers .
Gamboa was injured in the shoulder and in the right hand but flashed a thumbs-up and said , “ I ’ m OK , ” while being wheeled to an ambulance that brought him to a hospital in metropolitan Manila .
The police intelligence director , Maj. Gen. Mariel Magaway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jose Ma .
Victor Ramos , were in “ critical condition ” in a Laguna hospital , while the rest , including the police spokesman and the police flight crew , were in stable condition , police Maj. Gen. Benigno Durana Jr. told reporters .
The helicopter was taking off from a police compound in a rural village in San Pedro city in Laguna province south of Manila after the group met with local police officials .
The aircraft whipped up a thick cloud of dust as it took off , hit a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thud on a road near houses , witness Glenda Garcia told The Associated Press .
“ It was really loud and we ran away in fear because we thought the helicopter would move out of control in a circle and hit us , “ Garcia said , adding that power in her village was cut due to the crash .
A motorcycle was damaged but apparently no people on the ground were hurt in the crash .
A part of the propeller or rotor blades also hit the roof of a house , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage showed the white Bell 429 helicopter on its side , with firefighters trying to put out a small fire in one part of the wreckage .
The group had flown to the area to inspect vehicles taken into custody by highway patrol officers for various violations .
They were heading to a police camp in the region for more meetings when their chopper crashed , police officials said .
Gamboa temporarily took over the national police force in October after his predecessor retired early after being linked to illegal drugs .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duterte ’ s anti-drug crackdown that has left thousands of mostly petty drug suspects dead in a bloody campaign that has alarmed Western governments and human rights groups since he took office in mid-2016 .
Duterte formally designated Gamboa as the chief of police force last month .
Gomez reported from Manila .
Associated Press video journalists Joeal Calupitan and Vicente Gonzales contributed to this report .

Aaron Favila And Jim Gomez - The Associated Press