thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Coronavirus fears lead to global shortages of face masks

Fear of the spreading a novel coronavirus has led to a global run on sales of face masks despite evidence that most people who aren ’ t sick don ’ t need to wear them .
Many businesses are sold out , while others are limiting how many a customer can buy .
Amazon is policing its site , trying to make sure sellers don ’ t gouge panicked buyers .
In South Korea , hundreds lined up to buy masks from a discount store .
Rumours that toilet paper and napkins could be used as masks have emptied store @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past few weeks .
Civilians trying to protect themselves from the outbreak and medical centres alike are facing shortages .
Some industry officials are attributing the shortages not just to high demand but to disruptions in supply : An outsize share of the world ’ s surgical masks are made in China — 50 per cent , by its own estimate .
But even factories there that have ramped up demand say they are hard pressed to meet local demand .
The government has taken over manufacturers , and exports have plunged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic , we used to export 600,000-700,000 surgical masks a month , but now the amount is zero , ” David Peng , manager of Ningbo Buy Best International Trading Co. in Ningbo , south of Shanghai , said .
The company ’ s dozen or so suppliers in Hubei , near the centre of the outbreak , have been ordered to prioritize government orders .
Apart from shortages of workers , manufacturers say they are struggling to get enough raw materials to make the masks .
“ At present , we only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to negotiate with overseas customers to see whether it is possible to deliver a few months later , ” said Tony Zhou , sales manager for Suzhou Sanical Protective Products Manufacturing Co .
In the U.S. , Walgreens , Home Depot , Lowe ’ s and True Value Hardware are reporting a sharp uptick in sales of masks over the past several weeks and say they are scrambling to get more from suppliers .
Home Depot , the nation ’ s largest home improvement chain , has limited sales of N95 respirators to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close facial fit and more filtration material than general surgical masks , enabling them to keep out at least 95 per cent of particles .
Marc Jaconksi , owner of Stanley ’ s True Value Hardware and Rental store in Philadelphia , said he saw a surge in demand for masks , particularly the N95 , two weeks ago .
But since Tuesday , when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the virus will almost certainly spread in the U.S. , sales went through the roof .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we are not getting snow , ’ ’ he said .
‘ ’ We ’ re crazy busy with respirators.
’ ’ Jaconski said his store has sold 1,000 masks of all kinds in the past two weeks .
He has ordered more N95s , but customers are so desperate they are picking up lightweight dust masks or buying heavy-duty respirators used for asbestos cleanup that sell for up to $ 60 .
“ It ’ s usually the oldest folks who get a little crazed , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The virus has sickened more than 82,000 people worldwide and killed more than 2,800 , according to international health authorities .
Still , the CDC doesn ’ t recommend that people wear masks to protect themselves from the virus .
The CDC says people infected — or those showing symptoms such as fever and shortness of breath — should wear masks to avoid spreading it to others .
Health care workers also need masks , the agency says .
Mike Gania of the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists said some hospital pharmacies are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to two-week supply of masks and that the major wholesalers are unable to fill orders .
Within hospitals , surgical masks are worn by operating room teams — doctors , nurses , anesthesiologists — and frequently by pharmacists .
Staff members caring for patients with dangerous infections wear the N95 masks .
Dr. Sarah Boston , a veterinary surgical oncologist and author in Toronto , uses 10 to 15 surgical masks per week in her practice .
She switched to a less comfortable brand when her usual supplier ran out .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who are worried that we ’ re going to lose supply or not be able to get them , ” she said .
Boston sees a lot of people wearing them incorrectly — over their mouths but not their noses , for example — and said they should understand that other things would be more effective , like frequent handwashing .
Companies that make masks are struggling to keep up .
Medicom Group , a Montreal medical supply company , usually makes 150 million masks per year at its factory near Angers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February , the factory had orders for 500 million masks .
Orders have only grown since then , the company said , and it has hired new workers and increased capacity at its plants , including two in Shanghai and one in Augusta , Georgia .
3M , the Minnesota-based manufacturer , said it has ramped up production of respirators at its facilities in the U.S. , Europe , Asia and Latin America .
Many people in Asia routinely wear masks against allergies , colds and smog , and soaring demand has prompted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks .
Taiwan manufacturer Foxconn , a major supplier of electronics to Apple , said it has begun making about 1 million masks a day for its own factories .
Dealmed , a New York company that makes and sells medical supplies , said it expects to sell out of face masks next week .
It temporarily stopped taking orders from new customers a month ago and ended sales on Amazon and Walmart.com .
It now is selling only to buyers that need them most , such as hospitals , doctors ’ offices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gowns and other items jumped as much as 300 per cent in February from the year before , said Michael Einhorn , Dealmed ’ s president .
Sales of face masks are so astronomical , he said , he hasn ’ t been able to calculate them .
In Italy , the site of Europe ’ s biggest cluster of cases , the government met with the country ’ s business lobby to work out a centralized distribution system to get masks to hard-hit areas .
Italy ’ s financial police announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for selling masks that were falsely said to offer complete protection against the disease .
They were selling for as much as 5,000 euro apiece , or about $ 7,391 .
On Amazon , the bestselling item in its health and household section Thursday was a pack of three cotton masks for $ 19.99 ( U.S. ) .
Ten-packs of 3M masks were sold out .
And a listing for 100 disposable masks said it would arrive at shoppers ’ doorsteps sometime in April or May .
Prices varied wildly on Amazon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more for 50 disposable surgical masks ; others were charging $ 33 for a similar set .
Hand sanitizers were also hard to find on the site , with some bottles of Purell and Amazon ’ s own brand sold out .
Dr. John Huber , a clinical psychologist and chairman of the Austin , Texas-based non-profit Mainstream Mental Health , said retailers need to do a better job of allaying customers ’ fears and sharing the CDC ’ s advice .
“ It ’ s the fear of the unknown , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand something , we tend not to be so fearful .
”

Dee-Ann Durbin - The Associated Press,Anne D’Innocenzio,Joseph Pisani


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Thousands of Bangladeshi Muslims protest India violence

DHAKA , Bangladesh - Several thousand Muslims marched from the main mosque in Bangladesh ’ s capital on Friday to denounce India ’ s government for allegedly inflaming tensions between Hindus and Muslims , leading to clashes that left at least 40 dead and hundreds injured .
After Friday prayers , thousands of Muslims left the Baitul Mokarram Mosque in Dhaka and joined the rally , chanting slogans against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi .
They threw shows at posters of Modi and burned a portrait of him .
Many of the protesters carried banners saying , “ Stop killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The protesters also demanded that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cancel a plan to invite Modi to a commemoration next month of the 100th anniversary of the birth of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman .
Rahman , Hasina ’ s father , led a political movement that created the separate nation of Bangladesh after a nine-month war with what is now Pakistan in 1971 .
“ I ask the prime minister to immediately cancel Narendra Modi ’ s invitation , “ Nur Hossain Kasemi of the influential Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so , the people of the country will be forced to take action and surround the airport .
They will build resistance.
” But he asked Bangladeshi Muslims not to harm Hindus .
“ I remind the Muslims of our country that we believe in harmony .
We don ’ t believe in violence .
We shall not harm any non-Muslims in this country , ” he said .
Tensions in India between Hindu hard-liners and Muslims protesting the Modi government ’ s Hindu-first policies have been building for months .
Violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday night , the eve of U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s first state visit to India .
Hindus and Muslims attacked each other with guns and swords , metal rods and axes , leaving the streets where the three days of rioting occurred resembling a war zone .

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thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Financial pain deepens as nearly 60 countries report virus

TOKYO - A deepening health crisis became an economic one too Friday , with the virus outbreak sapping financial markets , emptying shops and businesses , and putting major sites and events off limits .
As the list of countries hit by the illness edged toward 60 with Mexico , Belarus , Lithuania , New Zealand , Nigeria , Azerbaijan and the Netherlands reporting their first cases , the threats to livelihoods were increasingly eyed as warily as the threats to lives .
“ It ’ s not cholera or the black plague , ” said Simone Venturini , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Italy , where tourism already hurt by historic flooding last year has sunk with news of virus cases .
“ The damage that worries us even more is the damage to the economy.
” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , director general of the World Health Organization , said the outbreak “ has pandemic potential , “ but whatever terminology officials used , the rippling effects were clear .
Attractions including Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan announced closures and events that expected tens of thousands , including a tour by the K-pop group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watched warily as stocks fell across Asia and girded to see if Wall Street ’ s brutal run would continue , while businesses both small and large saw weakness and people felt it in their wallets .
“ There ’ s almost no one coming here , ” said Kim Yun-ok , who sells doughnuts and seaweed rolls at Seoul ’ s Gwangjang Market , where crowds were thin Friday as South Korea counted 571 new cases — more than China .
“ I am just hoping that the outbreak will come under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the count of 650 cases is growing , hotel bookings were dropping and Premier Giuseppe Conte raised the spectre of recession .
Shopkeepers like Flavio Gastaldi , who has sold souvenirs in Venice for three decades , wondered if they could survive the blow .
“ We will return the keys to the landlords soon , ” he said .
The economic hurt came with anger in Bangkok , where tenants at the Platinum Fashion Mall staged a flash mob , shouting “ Reduce the rent !
” and holding signs that said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shops suffer .
“ Kanya Yontararak , a 51-year-old owner of a women ’ s clothing store , said her sales have sunk as low as 1,000 baht ( $ 32 ) some days , making it a struggle to pay back a loan for her lease .
She ’ s stopped driving to work , using public transit instead , packs a lunch instead of buying , and is cutting her grocery bills .
The situation is more severe than the floods and political crises her store has braved in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have ever seen , ” she said of the merchants .
Some saw dollar signs in the crisis , with 20 people in Italy arrested for selling masks they fraudulently claimed provided complete protection from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
Police said they were selling them for as much as 5,000 euros ( $ 5,520 ) each .
Japan ’ s schools prepared to shutter and the country ’ s Hokkaido island declared a state of emergency , with its governor urging residents to stay home over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with more than 1,000 people , while at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany , basins of holy water were emptied for fear of spreading germs .
Globally , more than 83,000 people have fallen ill with the coronavirus .
China , though hardest hit , has seen lower numbers of new infections , with 327 additional cases reported Friday , bringing the country ’ s total to 78,824 .
Another 44 people died there for a total of 2,788 .
South Korea has recorded 2,337 cases , the most outside of China .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has had 34 deaths and 388 cases , have in turn led to infections of people in other countries .
France and Germany were also seeing increases , with dozens of infections .
Sedensky reported from Bangkok .
Contributing to this report were Hyung-jin Kim and Tong-hyung Kim in Seoul , South Korea ; Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo ; Preeyapa Khunsong in Bangkok ; Renata Brito and Giada Zampano in Venice , Italy ; Angela Charlton in Paris ; and Frank Jordans in Berlin .

Foster Klug And Matt Sedensky - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--US consumer spending slowed in January while incomes jumped

WASHINGTON - Americans pulled back on their spending in January , even as their incomes surged , a sign the economy was growing modestly before the threat of coronavirus arose .
The Commerce Department said Friday that consumer spending increased 0.2 % last month , down from 0.4 % in December and the smallest gain since October .
Incomes , however , rose 0.6 % , the biggest rise in nearly a year , spurred by bigger paychecks and an increase in Social Security benefits stemming from a cost of living adjustment .
The additional income could help offset the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stock market plunge and the broader threat from the coronavirus , which has caused many economists to slice their estimates for growth in the first three months of the year .
Most analysts now forecast that the U.S. economy will expand at a roughly 1.5 % annual pace in the first quarter , down from 2.1 % in the fourth quarter .
The viral outbreak in China has spread to more than 30 countries and has disrupted global supply chains , forcing many companies to mark down their profit estimates .
Microsoft and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease and factory shutdowns in China have made it impossible for them to meet demand for their products .
Should the coronavirus spread in the United States and more broadly overseas , economists worry that a sharp , if brief , recession could ensue .
Widespread cancellations of travel plans are already hitting hotel revenues , and if more people stay away from work , shopping and restaurants , the economic damage would worsen dramatically .
The stock market ’ s plunge of roughly 12 % this week may discourage many wealthier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weigh on the economy ’ s growth .
Last month ’ s modest spending increase in the Commerce report , coupled with the strong income gain , boosted Americans ’ savings rate to 7.9 % , the highest since April .
That means consumers have some additional spending power even if income growth slows .
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Christopher Rugaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Nigeria confirms 1st case of new virus in sub-Saharan Africa

ABUJA , Nigeria - Nigerian authorities on Friday confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa as the outbreak spread to a region with some of the world ’ s weakest health systems .
The health commissioner for Lagos , Africa ’ s largest city with more than 20 million people , said an Italian citizen who entered Nigeria on Tuesday from Milan on a business trip fell ill the next day .
Commissioner Akin Abayomi said the man was clinically stable with no serious symptoms .
Abayomi said officials were working to identify all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Italian had travelled on Turkish Airlines to Istanbul and then to Lagos , according to health authorities .
Lagos state early this month advised people arriving from virus-affected areas to observe 14 days of self-quarantine .
“ I have seen him this morning , he is in high spirits , ” said Dr. Bowale Abimbola , medical director of the hospital where the 44-year-old Italian was brought with body aches and fever .
“ He is doing well and we expect that he will continue to do well.
” Nigerian health authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as keeping their distance from people who cough and washing their hands regularly .
Cases of the virus also were confirmed in Egypt and Algeria in north Africa in recent days .
Until then , some global health experts had expressed surprise that no cases had been reported in Africa .
Concerns about the virus spreading to countries with weaker health systems led the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global health emergency last month .
WHO officials in Africa have warned that health systems could be overwhelmed .
Nigeria is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the WHO as high priority in this outbreak because of direct links to China or a high number of visitors from there .
That Nigeria ’ s first case came from overseas and wasn ’ t person-to-person transmission inside Africa “ shows that the Nigerian government had the right systems in place to detect and confirm this case , ” Trudie Lang , director of The Global Health Network at the Nuffield Department of Medicine and the University of Oxford , said in a statement .
But detection of further cases in Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kits are needed for on-the-spot diagnosis , Lang added .
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has hurried to train its 54 member countries in testing for the virus .
Just two countries had the capability at the beginning of this month .
Now more than two dozen have it , including Nigeria .
Most African airlines with direct flights to China quickly suspended them , and countries activated surveillance and quarantine measures .
Many had experience with trying to prevent the spread of the devastating West Africa Ebola outbreak that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point to that as a sign of preparedness in this outbreak .
The Africa CDC was created in response to the Ebola outbreak , and many countries established public health institutes .
Nigeria was praised for quickly containing cases when the Ebola outbreak reached there in 2014 after an infected man from Liberia landed in Lagos .
Nineteen people were infected and seven died , but officials were praised for effective public awareness campaigns .
“ The Ebola outbreak taught us a lot of lessons , ” the director of the Nigeria Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in a commentary for The Conversation last month .
As of December , all 36 of Nigeria ’ s states had a rapid response team in case of a disease outbreak , he wrote , and 22 states had emergency operations centres .
Nigeria is also currently dealing with an outbreak of Lassa fever — an indication of the health challenges that many African nations face .
With the new virus case announced in Nigeria , Africa ’ s most populous country with 190 million people and numerous air links around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of possible spread .
“ Given these recent developments globally and in Africa , it is not unlikely that we will have importation of COVID-19 to South Africa , ” that country ’ s National Institute for Communicable Diseases said .
Separately , South Africa said two citizens who had been working on the Princess Diamond cruise ship have the virus and will stay in Japan for treatment .
South Africa said it was informed by Japanese authorities Tuesday after the quarantine on the ship ended .
In a separate statement , South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 130 citizens from China ’ s Wuhan city where the outbreak began .
It did not say when that would happen .
South Africa is the first major country in sub-Saharan Africa to evacuate its citizens , while thousands of African students remain stranded .
Several governments have said it ’ s safer to stay in place and not risk spreading the virus back home .
In Kenya , the High Court on Friday ruled that all 239 passengers who arrived Thursday on a China Southern Airlines flight should be found and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus-free .
The case was brought by the Law Society of Kenya and others amid a public outcry .
The court also suspended all flights from China for 10 days .
Separately , President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered that a national isolation and treatment facility be completed within a week .
Anna reported from Johannesburg .
AP journalists Danica Kirka in London and Tom Odula in Nairobi contributed .

Bashir Adigun And Cara Anna - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--NATO urges Syria, Russia to halt airstrikes as migrants move

BRUSSELS - NATO on Friday called on Syria and Russia to halt their airstrikes following the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers in northeastern Syria , as scores of migrants seeking entry into Europe gathered at Turkey ’ s border with Greece With Turkey signalling that it would let migrants leave , Greece and neighbouring Bulgaria bolstered border security .
The European Union warned that the fighting in northern Syria could degenerate into open war and that it stood ready to protect its security interests .
After chairing emergency talks between NATO ambassadors , Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Syria and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to respect international law and to back U.N efforts for a peaceful solution.
” “ This dangerous situation must be de-escalated and we urge an immediate return to the 2018 cease-fire to avoid the worsening of the horrendous humanitarian situation in the region , ” Stoltenberg said .
Turkey ’ s allies also expressed their condolences over the deaths , but no additional NATO support was offered during the meeting .
Apart from providing some aerial surveillance over Syria , NATO plays no direct role in the conflict-torn country , but its members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions there , and European allies are worried about the arrival of any new waves of refugees .
The air strike by Syrian government forces marks the largest death toll for Turkey in a single day since it first intervened in Syria in 2016 .
It ’ s a major escalation in a conflict between Turkish and Russia-backed Syrian forces that has raged since early February .
Omer Celik , spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’ s ruling party , said Turkey was “ no longer able to hold refugees ” following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s longstanding warning that his country can not cope with more people fleeing the conflict .
Turkey hosts some 3.6 million Syrians and under a 2016 deal with the EU agreed to step up efforts to halt the flow of refugees to Europe .
Since then , Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to “ open the gates , ” playing on European nervousness about a new surge .
The Turkish DHA news agency reported that some 300 Syrians , Iranians , Iraqis , Moroccans and Pakistanis were gathering at the border with Greece , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ islands off Turkey ’ s western coast .
Early Friday , Turkish broadcaster NTV showed images of dozens of people — carrying rucksacks , suitcases and plastic bags — crossing fields towards the Greek frontier .
Near the Pazarkule border crossing with Greece , Turkish police stopped some 150 refugees about 1 kilometre ( half a mile ) from the border , preventing them from going further .
A Greek police official said dozens of people had gathered on the Turkish side of the land border in Greece ’ s Evros region , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and military border patrols on the Greek side readied to prevent people crossing without authorization .
The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak on the record to the press .
In Bulgaria , Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said that “ army units , national guard and border police staff have been urgently deployed at the border with Turkey to beat off a possible migrant influx.
” Borissov said that large groups of migrants were gathering by the border near the Turkish city of Edirne .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving away from the border .
But EU spokesman Peter Stano said the bloc was waiting for an official analysis of reports about migrant movements before acting .
He said Turkey had not officially signalled that it was changing its migrant policy .
“ We expect Turkey to uphold its commitments , “ Stano said .
Meanwhile , EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that “ there is a risk of sliding into a major open international military confrontation .
It is also causing unbearable humanitarian suffering and putting civilians in danger.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the escalation around Idlib to “ stop urgently , ” and underlined that “ the EU will consider all necessary measures to protect its security interests .
We are in touch with all relevant actors.
” Turkey ’ s invasion of the north of the conflict-torn country — along with the criticism and threats of sanctions brandished by fellow allies at Ankara over the offensive — has come close to sparking a major crisis at NATO .
France in particular has tried to launch a debate on what Turkey ’ s allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty — which requires all allies to come to the defence of another member under attack — but that discussion has not happened .
The allies are extremely reluctant to be drawn into a conflict of Turkey ’ s making .

Lorne Cook And Costas Kantouris - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Malawi legalizes cannabis cultivation for certain uses

BLANTYRE , Malawi - Malawi has legalized the cultivation of cannabis as the country seeks an alternative to tobacco , its main earner of foreign exchange which is under pressure from anti-smoking campaigns .
Parliament on Thursday passed the bill to allow cultivation for medicinal and industrial uses .
“ Legalization of this crop will contribute to economic growth as it will contribute in the diversification of the economy and boost the country ’ s exports , especially at this time when tobacco exports are dwindling , ” agriculture minister Kondwani Nankhumwa said .
While lawmakers discussed the bill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burning three tons of marijuana confiscated from dealers last year .
“ The hemp is continuously being illegally grown in remote parts of Malawi and smuggled out of the country , and part of what is confiscated accumulates in the police stores and burning it is necessary to free up space , ” Nkhotakota police spokesman Williams Kaponda said .
Malawi is the latest southern African nation to loosen restrictions on the cannabis industry , joining Zambia , Lesotho and Zimbabwe .
In South Africa , the finance minister has proposed legalizing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy a boost .
Malawi ’ s new law allows for the establishment of the Cannabis Regulatory Authority , which will grant licenses to cultivate , process , store , sell , export and distribute .
It also will issue permits to firms and institutions to conduct scientific research .
Those found cultivating , processing or distributing cannabis illegally will face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of nearly $ 70,000 .
Paliani Chinguwo , who for decades has led advocacy campaigns to legalize cannabis in the southern African nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has come a long way .
“ It dates back to as far as 1992-93 during the transition from one-party state when Rastafarians started to emerge in public to articulate the enormous benefits of cannabis and agitate for the legalization , ” Chinguwo said .
Seven years ago , Malawi ’ s government granted authorization to two firms to conduct research trials on hemp for industrial and medicinal uses .
And the Malawi Hemp Association formed to work with government departments in creating legislative and policy framework .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Agency: 2nd US case of person who got virus from community

VACAVILLE , Calif. - THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE .
AP ’ S EARLIER STORY IS BELOW : Health officials have confirmed the second case of novel coronavirus in the United States believed to have been transmitted to a person who didn ’ t travel internationally or come in close contact with anyone who had it .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that officials are “ aware of a second possible instance of community spread of COVID-19 in California.
“ The CDC said in a statement that the patient has tested positive for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case .
Santa Clara County Public Health Department spokesman Maury Kendall said earlier that the person is isolated at home .
It comes a day after state officials said a woman hospitalized at UC Davis Health Center in Sacramento had contracted the illness after no known contact .
Solano County Public Health Officer Dr. Bela Matyas said public health officials have identified dozens of people — but less than 100 — who had close contact with the woman .
They are quarantined in their homes .
and a few who have shown symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health officials on Friday confirmed another case of the novel coronavirus in Northern California , raising the tally a day after health officials revealed the first case in the U.S. believed to have been transmitted to a person who didn ’ t travel internationally or come in close contact with anyone who had it .
Santa Clara County Public Health Department spokesman Maury Kendall said the person is isolated at home and that other details would be provided later Friday .
A day earlier , state health officials had pegged the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 33 after investigators announced that a woman hospitalized in Sacramento contracted it .
Residents of the community where the woman first went to the hospital , in Vacaville , are at the epicenter of what officials are calling a turning point in the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus , As infectious disease experts fanned out in Vacaville , some residents in the city of 100,000 stocked up on supplies amid fears things could get worse despite official reassurances , while others took the news in stride .
Vacaville lies between San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agricultural central valley and near California ’ s famous wine region .
It is about 10 miles ( 16 kilometres ) from Travis Air Force Base , which has been used as a virus quarantine location .
Public health officials said they can find no connection between the infected woman and passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship who were evacuated to the base when the ship was docked in Japan .
The case of the infected woman marks an escalation of the worldwide outbreak in the U.S. because it means the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preventative measures like quarantines , though state health officials said that was inevitable and that the risk of widespread transmission remains low .
California public health officials on Friday said 8,700 people are self-monitoring after arriving on commercial flights from China through Los Angeles and San Francisco .
That ’ s up from the 8,400 that Gov .
Gavin Newsom cited on Thursday , though officials said the number increases daily as more flights arrive .
Solano County Public Health Officer Dr. Bela Matyas said public health officials have identified dozens of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had close contact with the woman there .
They are quarantined in their homes and a few who have shown symptoms are in isolation , Matyas said .
Officials are not too worried , for now , about casual contact , because federal officials think the coronavirus is spread only through “ close contact , being within six feet of somebody for what they ’ re calling a prolonged period of time , ” said Dr. James Watt , interim state epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health .
The virus can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pneumonia .
Health officials think it spreads mainly from droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes , similar to how the flu spreads .
“ I ’ m definitely going to wear my mask and gloves at work , because I ’ m a server , ” said Vacaville bowling alley worker Denise Arriaga , who said she doesn ’ t care if she ’ s criticized for the extra precautions .
“ At the end of the day , it ’ s my life , ” she said .
The woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Vacaville , before her condition worsened and she was transferred to the medical centre .
Confusion over how quickly the woman was tested for coronavirus concerned McKinsey Paz , who works at a private security firm in Vacaville .
The company has already stockpiled 450 face masks and is scrambling for more “ since they ’ re hard to come by.
” The company ’ s owner bought enough cleaning and disinfectant supplies to both scrub down the office and send home with employees .
But they appeared to be at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing a face mask , but in fear of anything including the common cold .
Her immune system is impaired because she is undergoing chemotherapy , and she has long been taking such precautions .
“ We ’ re not paranoid .
We ’ re just trying to be practical , ” said her husband of 31 years , Ivan Kendall .
“ We wipe the shopping carts if they have them , and when I get back in the car I wipe my hands — and just hope for the best.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospitalized woman , officials were trying to figure out how she got it and who else she may have unwittingly infected .
They are interviewing immediate family members and expanding their net to include more distant family members who may have been in contact , social gatherings like church that the patient may have attended and any possible time spent at work or events like a concert .
Besides the woman , all the 59 other cases in the U.S. have been for people who travelled abroad or had close contact with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included 14 in people who returned from outbreak areas in China , or their spouses ; three people who were evacuated from the central China city of Wuhan ; and 42 American passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship .
The global count of those sickened by the virus hovered Friday around 83,000 and caused more than 2,800 deaths , most of them in China .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible @ @ @ @

Don Thompson And Adam Beam - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Guinea’s president delays vote on contested referendum

CONAKRY , Guinea - Guinea ’ s president has delayed Sunday ’ s legislative and constitutional referendum vote for two weeks , citing concerns from international observers .
President Alpha Conde , 81 , made the announcement late Friday on state television in the wake of the withdrawal of international election observers by the African Union and regional West African economic bloc because of security concerns .
“ It is by national and sub-regional responsibility that we accepted a slight postponement of the date of the elections .
It is neither a capitulation , nor a retreat but fidelity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today , “ Conde said .
He clarified that only eligible candidates who registered would be valid for legislative elections .
Guineans were meant to vote Sunday on a controversial constitutional referendum that could extend the president ’ s rule for at least another decade and lead to deeper political violence and more deadly demonstrations .
Residents were also meant to vote for deputies in parliament .
The vote , however , was being boycotted by opposition parties .
“ We will oppose by all legal means this referendum , ” said Sekou @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of opposition parties and civil society groups National Front for the Defence of the Constitution .
More than 36 people have died in demonstrations against the referendum since October , along with at least one gendarme .
Security forces on Thursday were put on high alert to protect against unrest .
The organization of French-speaking organisations , along with the African Union and economic bloc , ECOWAS , all withdrew poll observation missions , citing security issues .
President Alpha Conde , first elected in 2010 , is barred from running for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his supporters say the referendum to the constitution would allow him to run again .
The new constitution would increase presidential terms from five years to six years , and would impose a two term limit .
It is unclear if previous terms served would count , but Conde has implied they would not .
In February , Conde said if the new constitution is passed his party will decide if he will run .
“ The Guinean Constitution stipulates that the presidential mandate is of five years renewable only once , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opposition spokesmen .
“ Now that he does not want to leave power in 2020 , he has submitted this March 1 referendum … but it will not work.
” The opposition coalition has said that it will use all means to prevent elections this Sunday across the country .
But at a recent electoral rally , the president called for people to prevent disruptions of the vote .
“ Guineans who do not want to go to this referendum are free not to vote .
But , they have no right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from voting , ” said Conde , speaking at a meeting in Kissidougou , a city in southern Guinea last week .
“ Don ’ t hit anyone .
Don ’ t insult anyone .
But , if someone approaches the ballot boxes with the intention of sabotaging the vote , hit him well , ” he said .
Many worry about violence and Guinean authorities have already deployed nearly 2,000 police and gendarmes .
Human Rights Watch called on Guinea ’ s government to respect freedom of assembly and ensure security forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guinea ’ s government needs to ensure that police and gendarme exercise restraint and discipline when policing opposition protests , ” said Corinne Dufka , West Africa director at Human Rights Watch , who also reiterated the need for investigations into past alleged abuses .

Boubacar Diallo And Carley Petesch - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Chicago police boost mass transit presence amid crime spike

CHICAGO - A spike in crime on Chicago ’ s rail system and some recent high profile outbursts of violence has prompted the city ’ s police department to put 50 more officers in trains and on platforms and assign four detectives to investigate nothing but Chicago Transit Authority crimes , officials announced Friday .
Hours after the new security plan was unveiled , Chicago police said an officer shot a person on the platform of a CTA station in the Chicago ’ s River North neighbourhood .
Officials did not immediately reveal the circumstances of the shooting , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the afternoon rush hour .
The wounded person was taken to a hospital and their condition wasn ’ t immediately known .
Days before the announcement by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Interim Chicago Police Superintendent Charlie Beck , riders began seeing more police SWAT officers boarding trains and manning platforms on the nation ’ s second largest public transit system .
The additional 50 officers brings the number of officers assigned to the Mass Transit Unit to 250 .
The department also announced it will this spring open a Strategic Decision Support Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ones it already has in police districts around the city .
The technology centres allow law enforcement to respond to crime scenes quicker and develop crime-fighting strategies based on the data that ’ s collected .
Four detectives and a crime analyst will be assigned to the CTA centre .
They will be able to monitor in real time more than 32,000 cameras installed on every train and bus , in rail stations and elsewhere on CTA property .
The department said such focus will allow officers to respond to violent crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
Beck said in a statement that the “ technology-based policing ” that has helped reduce violent crime in Chicago over the past three years will do the same for the CTA .
“ With more than 1 million daily riders , the safety and security of the travelling public are extremely important to us , ” he said .
Last year , the number of violent crimes , including assault and robbery , on public transport climbed significantly .
According to an analysis by the Chicago Tribune , the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jumped from 447 in 2018 to 590 last year .
And in recent weeks , concern about passenger safety has only grown in the wake of a shooting in a downtown CTA tunnel that left one person dead and two wounded .
Separately , a man was shot in the back at a train stop near the University of Illinois-Chicago , and another man was stabbed at a CTA stop on the city ’ s South Side .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Former Mexico security official denied bail in bribery case

NEW YORK - A federal magistrate judge in Brooklyn denied bail Friday to a former top security official in Mexico accused of taking tens of millions of dollars in bribes to protect the Sinaloa cartel .
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Levy said the $ 1 million bond that Genaro Garcia Luna proposed would not ensure his appearance on charges he conspired to traffic cocaine and made false statements .
Prosecutors opposed Garcia Luna ’ s release , saying he could easily return to Mexico or a country without an extradition treaty with the United States if released from custody .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luna maintains a “ web of former corrupt officials ” who would help ensconce him in Mexico .
He said Garcia Luna could spend the rest of his life in a U.S. prison if convicted of shielding Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman ’ s drug-trafficking syndicate .
Garcia Luna denies the charges and says he intends to fight them at trial .
Defence attorney Cesar de Castro argued Garcia Luna would be leaving family members and friends in financial ruin if he absconded before trial .
“ I don ’ t see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia Luna fleeing .
Levy said the proposed bail did not include enough assets , such as real property , to “ cause some kind of pain ” to his would-be sureties if Garcia Luna became a fugitive .
“ I ’ m not saying there are no conditions that could ensure his return to court , “ the judge said , ” but this bond doesn ’ t do it.
” Garcia Luna once led Mexico ’ s Federal Investigation Agency and later served as the country ’ s secretary of public @ @


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Outbreak starts to look more like worldwide economic crisis

NEW YORK - The coronavirus outbreak began to look more like a worldwide economic crisis Friday as anxiety about the infection emptied shops and amusement parks , cancelled events , cut trade and travel and dragged already slumping financial markets even lower .
More employers told their workers to stay home , and officials locked down neighbourhoods and closed schools .
The wide-ranging efforts to halt the spread of the illness threatened jobs , paychecks and profits .
“ This is a case where in economic terms the cure is almost worse than the disease , ’ ’ said Jacob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute for International Economics .
“ When you quarantine cities ... you lose economic activity that you ’ re not going to get back.
’ The list of countries touched by the illness climbed to nearly 60 as Mexico , Belarus , Lithuania , New Zealand , Nigeria , Azerbaijan , Iceland and the Netherlands reported their first cases .
More than 83,000 people worldwide have contracted the illness , with deaths topping 2,800 .
The head of the World Health Organization announced that the risk of the virus spreading worldwide was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued increase in the number of cases and the number of affected countries.
” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all governments to “ do everything possible to contain the disease.
” “ We know containment is possible , but the window of opportunity is narrowing , ” the U.N. chief told reporters in New York .
The economic ripples have already reached around the globe .
Stock markets around the world plunged again Friday .
On Wall Street , the Dow Jones index took yet another hit , closing down nearly 360 points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 % from a recent high , making this the market ’ s worst week since 2008 , during the global financial crisis .
The effects were just as evident in the hush that settled in over places where throngs of people ordinarily work and play and buy and sell .
“ There ’ s almost no one coming here , ” said Kim Yun-ok , who sells doughnuts and seaweed rolls at Seoul ’ s Gwangjang Market , where crowds were thin as South Korea counted 571 new cases — more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I am just hoping that the outbreak will come under control soon.
” In Asia , Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan announced they would close , and events that were expected to attract tens of thousands of people were called off , including a concert series by the K-pop group BTS .
The state-run Export-Import Bank of Korea shut down its headquarters in Seoul after a worker tested positive for the virus , telling 800 others to work from home .
Japanese officials prepared to shutter all schools until early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported 888 cases , the most of any country outside of Asia — hotel bookings are falling , and Premier Giuseppe Conte raised the spectre of recession .
Shopkeepers like Flavio Gastaldi , who has sold souvenirs in Venice for three decades , wondered if they could survive the blow .
“ We will return the keys to the landlords soon , ” he said .
The Swiss government banned events with more than 1,000 people , while at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany , basins of holy water were emptied for fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of spread , however , the virus could gain footholds around the world and many could die .
In a report published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine , Chinese health officials said the death rate from the illness known as COVID-19 was 1.4 % , based on 1,099 patients at more than 500 hospitals throughout China .
Assuming there are many more cases with no or very mild symptoms , the rate “ may be considerably less than 1 % , ” U.S. health officials wrote in an editorial in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus more like a severe seasonal flu than a disease similar to its genetic cousins SARS , severe acute respiratory syndrome , or MERS , Middle East respiratory syndrome .
“ It ’ s not cholera or the black plague , ” said Simone Venturini , the city councillor for economic development in Venice , Italy , where tourism already hurt by historic flooding last year has sunk with news of virus cases .
“ The damage that worries us even more is the damage to the economy.
” Europe ’ s economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recession .
A measure of business sentiment in Germany fell sharply last week , suggesting that some companies could postpone investment and expansion plans .
China is a huge export market for German manufacturers .
In the U.S. , online retail giant Amazon said Friday that it has asked all of its 800,000 employees to postpone any non-essential travel , both within the country and internationally .
The chairman of the Federal Reserve , Jerome Powell , said that the U.S. economy remains strong and that policymakers would “ use our tools ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kudlow , the top economic advisor to President Donald Trump , told reporters that the selloff in financial markets may be an overreaction to an epidemic with uncertain long-term effects .
“ We don ’ t see any evidence of major supply chain disruptions .
I ’ m not trying to say nothing ’ s happening .
I think there will be impacts , but to be honest with you , at the moment , I don ’ t see much , ” Kudlow said .
The pain was already taking hold in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Platinum Fashion Mall staged a flash mob , shouting “ Reduce the rent !
” and holding signs that said “ Tourists don ’ t come , shops suffer.
“ Tourist arrivals in Thailand are down 50 % compared with a year ago , according Capital Economics , a consulting firm .
Kanya Yontararak , a 51-year-old owner of a women ’ s clothing store , said her sales have sunk as low as 1,000 baht ( $ 32 ) some days , making it a struggle to pay back a loan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped driving to work , using public transit instead .
She also packs a lunch instead of buying one and is cutting her grocery bills .
The situation is more severe than the floods and political crises her store has braved in the past .
“ Coronavirus is the worst situation they have ever seen , ” she said of her fellow merchants .
Economists have forecast global growth will slip to 2.4 % this year , the slowest since the Great Recession in 2009 , and down from earlier expectations closer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , estimates are falling to as low as 1.7 % growth this year , down from 2.3 % in 2019 .
But if COVID-19 becomes a global pandemic , economists expect the impact could be much worse , with the U.S. and other global economies falling into recession .
“ If we start to see more cases in the United States , if we start to see people not travelling domestically , if we start to see people stay home from work and from stores , then I think the hit is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gus Faucher , an economist at PNC Financial .
Some saw dollar signs in the crisis .
Twenty people were arrested in Italy for selling masks they fraudulently claimed provided complete protection from COVID-19 .
Police said they were selling them for as much as 5,000 euros ( $ 5,520 ) each .
China , though hardest hit , has seen lower numbers of new infections , with 327 additional cases reported Friday , bringing the country ’ s total to 78,824 .
Another 44 people died there for a total of 2,788 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the most outside of China .
Emerging clusters in Italy and in Iran , which has had 34 deaths and 388 cases , have led to infections of people in other countries .
France and Germany were also seeing increases , with dozens of infections .
“ I think this is a reality check for every government on the planet , ” WHO Emergencies Program Director Michael Ryan said Friday after the agency raised its alert level .
“ Wake up , get ready .
This virus may be on its way.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , Joseph Pisani and Edith M. Lederer in New York , Carla K. Johnson in Seattle , Matt Sedensky and Preeyapa Khunsong in Bangkok , Hyung-jin Kim and Tong-hyung Kim in Seoul , South Korea , Foster Klug and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo , Renata Brito and Giada Zampano in Venice , Italy , Frances D ’ Emilio in Rome , Angela Charlton in Paris and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report .

Adam Geller, Paul Wiseman And Christopher Rugaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Anti-Polanski protesters greet French film awards ceremony

PARIS - The ceremony for the French version of the Oscars took place in Paris on Friday amid protests by women ’ s rights activists as director Roman Polanski was awarded , in his absence , the best director award for his latest film .
Polanski decided to skip the Cesar awards ceremony because of protests by women ’ s groups denouncing the 12 nominations “ An Officer and a Spy ” received after a French woman brought a new rape accusation against him .
At the announcement of Polanski ’ s award as best director , some boos emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cinema professionals .
Actress Adele Haenel , who recently denounced alleged sexual assault by another French director in the early 2000s when she was 15 , got up and walked out of the room , followed by a few others .
“ Distinguishing Polanski is spitting in the face of all victims .
It means raping women isn ’ t that bad , ” Haenel told the New York Times earlier this week .
The film ’ s cast and production team , including best actor nominee Jean Dujardin , also declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a message on Instagram that said , “ By making this film , I believed and I still believe I made more good than harm.
” Polanski ’ s film won two other awards for best costume design and best adaptation .
No one came on stage to accept the trophies awarded to “ An Officer and a Spy.
” The show ’ s host , comedian Florence Foresti , left Polanski ’ s film out of her opening remarks when she mentioned the ones with multiple nominations .
Instead , Foresti referred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” French for the Sneezy character in “ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
” “ I decided that Atchoum would not be big enough to overshadow the French cinema , ” she said .
The Cesar for best film has been awarded to “ Les Miserables , ” Ladj Ly ’ s Oscar candidate , about tensions between police and minorities in a poor Paris suburb .
The film won the Jury Price in Cannes Film Festival last year .
The entire male-dominated leadership of the Cesar stepped down recently amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deal with the Polanski problem .
A few hundred protesters brandishing signs with phrases such as “ Victims , we believe you ” and “ No to impunity “ assembled outside the Salle Pleyel hall before the ceremony started .
The group chanted , “ We are here , we are here , even if Polanski doesn ’ t want to , we are here.
” “ By supporting the aggressors , by celebrating the aggressors , one does not allow the victims to speak out .
Their word is denied , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activist group Osez le Feminisme said In a statement this week , the Paris-based Polanski said the ceremony was turning into a “ public lynching “ and that he decided not to attend the ceremony to protect his colleagues and his wife and children .
Polanski is still wanted in the United States decades after he was charged with raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977 .
He pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor but fled the country on the eve of sentencing .
Last year , a woman came forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1975 in his Swiss chalet when she was 18 .
Polanski denied it , and the allegations are too old for an investigation .
But the accusation put the director under fresh scrutiny in France , where he has long been revered as one of the country ’ s premier filmmakers despite the outstanding rape charge in the U.S. Other accusations have also emerged .
“ Is it normal for a man to rape and then 30 years later to be a star in popular cultures ?
No , it ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in prison , “ another Osez le Feminisme activist , Fabienne El Khouri , said .
“ An Officer and a Spy ” is about the anti-Semitic persecution of French army Capt .
Alfred Dreyfus and his wrongful treason conviction in the 1890s .
It is among the best film nominees .
Polanski has nominations for best adaptation and best director .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Federal court blocks Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy

SAN DIEGO - Dealing a significant blow to a signature Trump administration immigration policy , a federal appeals court ruled Friday that the government can no longer make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico while their cases wind through U.S. immigration courts .
The government faced a setback from a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals that may prove temporary if President Donald Trump ’ s administration appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court , which has consistently sided with Trump on immigration and border security policies .
The “ Remain in Mexico ” policy , known officially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took effect in January 2019 in San Diego and gradually spread across the southern border .
Nearly 60,000 people have been sent back to wait for hearings , and officials believe it is a big reason why illegal border crossings plummeted about 80 % from a 13-year high in May .
Reaction to the decision was swift among immigration lawyers and advocates who have spent months fighting with the administration over a program they see as a humanitarian disaster , subjecting hundreds of migrants to violence , kidnapping and extortion in dangerous Mexican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living in squalid encampments just across the border , as they wait for their next court date .
Advocates planned to have immigrants immediately cross the border and present the court decision to authorities Friday , with group Human Rights First hand-delivering a copy to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at a bridge connecting Laredo , Texas , and Nuevo Laredo , Mexico .
Lawyers were hoping to get their clients before U.S. immigration court judges .
The decision interrupted some court cases .
Immigration Judge Philip Law in San Diego delayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s asylum case to April 17 after a government attorney couldn ’ t answer his questions about the effect of ruling , which temporarily halts the policy during legal challenges .
The government attorney said she asked her supervisor how to address the ruling and that he didn ’ t know what to do either .
In El Paso , an administrator came to tell a judge of the ruling as he heard the case of a Central American mother and her partner .
The couple cried when they learned they could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The couple and their two young children will be put into government detention to wait and they won ’ t have to return to Ciudad Juarez , Mexico .
“ Do you guys understand that ?
” Herbert asked through an interpreter .
“ There was a pretty significant change in the law in the middle of your testimony.
” The Justice Department sharply criticized the ruling , saying it “ not only ignores the constitutional authority of Congress and the administration for a policy in effect for over a year , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court.
” Judge William Fletcher , writing the majority , sided with the American Civil Liberties Union and other advocacy groups who argued the policy violates international treaty obligations against sending people back to a country where they are likely to be persecuted or tortured on the grounds of race , religion , ethnicity , political beliefs or membership in a particular social group .
Fletcher agreed the government set the bar too high for asylum-seekers to persuade officers that they should be exempt from the policy and didn ’ t provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviews or consult lawyers .
The judges said the government also erred by requiring asylum-seekers to express fear of returning to Mexico to be considered for an exemption , instead of asking them unprompted .
Fletcher quoted at length asylum-seekers who reported being assaulted and victimized in Mexico , saying it was “ enough — indeed , far more than enough ” to undercut the government ’ s arguments .
Fletcher was joined by Judge Richard Paez , who were both appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton .
Judge Ferdinand Fernandez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bush , dissented .
“ The court forcefully rejected the Trump administration ’ s assertion that it could strand asylum-seekers in Mexico and subject them to grave danger , “ ACLU attorney Judy Rabinovitz said .
” It ’ s time for the administration to follow the law and stop putting asylum-seekers in harm ’ s way.
” The appeals court in San Francisco also decided to keep another major Trump policy on hold , one that denies asylum to anyone who enters the U.S. illegally from Mexico .
The Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divert Defence Department money to border wall construction , backed rules disqualifying more people from green cards if they use government benefits and upheld a travel ban affecting several Muslim-majority countries .
The ruling ’ s impact will be at least partially blunted by other policies introduced in response to unprecedented surge of asylum-seeking families that peaked last year , many of them from Guatemala , Honduras and El Salvador .
In November , the administration began sending asylum-seekers from Honduras and El Salvador to Guatemala , denying them a chance to seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to apply in the strife-torn Central American nation .
Similar agreements with Honduras and El Salvador are set to take effect soon .
Another policy leads Mexicans and Central Americans who fail an initial screening to be rapidly deported without leaving Border Patrol stations .
The screening interview is designed to take place in one day and any appeals to an immigration judge within 10 days .
Asylum-seekers are given up to 90 minutes to contact a lawyer .
The other measure with far-reaching consequences denies asylum to anyone who passes through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S.-Mexico border without seeking protection there first .
It took effect in September and is being challenged in a separate lawsuit .
Supporters of the “ Remain in Mexico ” policy note it has prevented asylum-seekers from being released in the United States with notices to appear in court , which they consider a major incentive for people to come .
Asylum has been granted in less than 1 % of the roughly 35,000 Remain in Mexico cases that have been decided .
Only 5 % are represented by attorneys , many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico .
This story has been corrected to show that Judge Ferdinand Fernandez was appointed by President George H.W .
Bush , not President Ronald Reagan .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--US judge cancels oil and gas leases on some sage grouse land

BOISE , Idaho - A federal judge has cancelled more than $ 125 million in oil and gas leases on public lands that are home to the declining bird species greater sage grouse , in a ruling that said the Trump administration illegally curtailed public comment .
The ruling doesn ’ t prevent the administration from selling the leases at a later date .
But opponents hope the delay can help them make the case that drilling should not be allowed in areas with sage grouse .
U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald Bush ’ s order out of Boise , Idaho @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bureau of Land Management in 2018 on more than 1,300 square miles ( 3,400 square kilometres ) in Nevada , Utah and Wyoming , Wyoming Gov .
Mark Gordon said millions of dollars that the state received from the sales already has been incorporated into its budget .
He said the cancellation was “ ’ unworkable ” and urged the administration to challenge the order .
The case is part of a broader effort by environmentalists challenging the administration ’ s oil and gas leasing practices within the habitat of the ground-dwelling greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across 11 Western states have suffered sharp population declines in recent decades because of development , disease , drought and wildfires .
Future leases in greater sage-grouse habitat must allow a 30-day public comment and administrative protest period , Bush ordered .
The Trump administration had reduced the protest period to just 10 days , which critics said gave them too little time to meaningfully react to proposed sales .
The ruling means any future sales on more than 100,000 square miles ( 270,000 square kilometres ) of sage grouse habitat also would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Talasi Brooks with the Western Watersheds Project , one of the groups that challenged the lease sales with a federal lawsuit .
“ It ’ s a real win for public process and transparency in federal decision making , “ Brooks said .
“ It could change the outcome potentially .
The government could say after hearing public comment , ‘ This is potentially important habitat.
’ ” The state of Wyoming , the oil industry and the federal government had argued against cancelling the leases outright because of the huge amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush to merely suspend them or say that no drilling could occur pending more public comment .
Cancelling the leases “ would require BLM ( Bureau of Land Management ) to refund over $ 125 million worth of revenues to the purchasers , ” attorneys for Wyoming and the Western Energy Alliance said in a joint court filing .
About half of lease sale proceeds are distributed to the states where the sales occur .
That includes more than $ 44 million received by Wyoming , the attorneys said .
“ The remedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , impractical and unworkable , “ Gordon , a Republican , said in a statement .
Western Energy Alliance President Kathleen Sgamma said the shortening of the public comment period was a policy decision that should have been left to the administration — not a regulatory move that called for court intervention .
Bush said he had considered the “ undeniably significant “ economic effects of voiding the lease sales .
But he said allowing the leases to stand would provide incentive for the government to approve potentially illegal projects out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive to unwind.
” BLM spokesman Derrick Henry said in response to the ruling that the agency supports “ common-sense adjustments ” to rules that govern leasing as a way to get rid of “ burdensome regulations.
” Agency officials did not respond to questions about how money from the lease sales could be recovered from the states .
A U.S. Justice Department spokesman said the government was reviewing the ruling and declined to say if an appeal was planned .
Under former President Barack Obama , the Interior Department delayed many lease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worries .
In 2015 , it adopted a set of wide-ranging plans meant to protect the best grouse habitat and keep the bird off the endangered species list .
Under Trump , the agency has placed a greater priority on energy development , including directives that rolled back or eased restrictions imposed by the Obama administration .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Missouri man charged with murder in wife’s presumed death

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
- A grand jury on Friday indicted a Missouri man on first-degree murder and other charges in the disappearance of his Chinese wife , who is presumed dead .
Joseph Elledge , who has a 1-year-old daughter with his missing wife , Mengqi Ji , had been in jail for months on two counts of child endangerment and one count of child abuse .
Boone County prosecutors sought to charge Elledge with murder on Feb. 19 but a judge didn ’ t sign the warrant within a week , so they took the case to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the murder charge , the grand jury replaced one of the endangerment counts with a domestic assault count .
Prosecutors allege in one of the charges that he created “ a substantial risk “ to his daughter by separating her from her mother .
Prosecutors speculate that Elledge strangled his wife because he wanted to avoid a costly divorce and ensure that she didn ’ t flee to China with their daughter .
Authorities say Elledge discovered his wife missing on Oct. 9 but didn ’ t report that she was gone until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came to the house at the request of Ji ’ s mother .
During that 24 hours , he allegedly drove to remote areas , spending around 45 minutes at a secluded access point to the Lamine River after dark .
Cadaver dogs detected the presence of human remains there , but law enforcement was unable to find a body despite multiple searches .
In an emailed statement Friday from attorney Amy Salladay , Ji ’ s parents , Ke Ren and Xiaolin Ji , told The Columbia Tribune their daughter ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst thing to ever happen to their family .
They are Chinese citizens currently in the U.S. on visas and will soon have to return to mainland China .
“ We ’ ve hoped this might all be a nightmare , and we could wake up one day to see our granddaughter still in the loving arms of her mother , ” the parents said .
“ After the murder charge was filed , our hope has gone .
Now we only hope justice will prevail , we pray that Joseph Elledge still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truth , so we can bring our daughter home.
” Elledge , who is being held with no bond , was scheduled to be arraigned Monday .
John O ’ Connor , the lawyer who has been defending Elledge against the child abuse charges , declined to comment about the murder case .
The county ’ s prosecuting attorney , Dan Knight , said he couldn ’ t comment on the specifics of the case or his trial strategy .
“ I ’ m pleased the grand jury returned indictments in both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do everything we can to make sure justice is secured , ” he said .
Ji ’ s parents , who currently share custody of their granddaughter with Elledge ’ s mother , said they are focusing on the child while struggling with the possibility they may never take their daughter home .
“ We came here believing Mengqi would be found and that our stay in the United States would be brief , ” they said .
“ We never would have imagined that our son-in-law could be involved .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If we leave the United States without Mengqi , we will feel that we have forever abandoned our child in a foreign country.
” Elledge and Ji married in 2017 and attended the University of Missouri .

Heather Hollingsworth And Margaret Stafford - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Dems joust with Pompeo at hearing, the 1st since impeachment

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the Trump administration ’ s response to the spreading coronavirus but also faced contentious questions Friday from Democrats about the basis for an airstrike that killed Iran ’ s most powerful general and whether the attack had put American security at risk .
Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee repeatedly expressed frustration that the panel was afforded only two hours to question Pompeo , who until Friday had gone months without testifying publicly on Capitol Hill .
He balked last fall at complying with a subpoena tied to the House impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Ukraine .
“ Mr .
Secretary , it shouldn ’ t have been so difficult to get you here , and your appearance here today is far too short , “ Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel of New York , the committee ’ s chairman , said at the outset of the hearing .
He later called it an “ embarrassment ” that the hearing was so short .
Minutes later , Rep. Gregory Meeks , a New York Democrat , recalled Pompeo ’ s “ thundering “ while in Congress about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic predecessors , Hillary Clinton , about the 2012 attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi .
“ ’ But with you , sir , we had to move heaven and earth to get you here today for just two hours , ” Meeks said .
“ To me that shows disregard for the oversight responsibilities of the United States Congress .
Pompeo headed to Maryland after the hearing to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference .
President Donald Trump also announced he was dispatching Pompeo to witness the signing of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beginning a drawdown of thousands of U.S. troops .
Pompeo , a close ally of Trump , noted that he had briefed Congress more than 70 times on the administration ’ s dealings with Iran and sought to keep his testimony focused on that subject — the stated focus of the hearing .
He repeatedly defended the administration ’ s January strike against Gen. Qassen Soleimani , the head of Iran ’ s elite Quds force , saying he was “ 100 % “ confident that the military commander had plans to kill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” to do so .
“ His death reduced the risk to our personnel overseas , both my diplomats and our military , and made clear that we are willing and able to impose costs on our adversaries if they threaten or attack us , “ Pompeo said .
Republicans defended the strike , with Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois describing Soleimani as a “ demon “ and Rep. Brian Mast of Florida challenging Democrats on the committee to say they ’ d have preferred that the general was alive rather than dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kinzinger said of the hearing , describing it as a “ multimedia dog and pony show.
” Democrats were skeptical of Pompeo ’ s arguments , with Rep. Andy Levin of Michigan at one point showing Pompeo a blank map and asking him to pinpoint the embassies that were under threat of imminent attack at the time of Soleimani ’ s death .
“ I ’ m never willing to disclose classified information .
I assume you ’ re not either , ” Pompeo responded .
Pompeo also defended the administration ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ incredibly proud ” of the work the State Department had done in getting American civilians and diplomats out of China , where the illness first surfaced .
He also said the administration had been in touch with Iran , where new cases have been reported , and is prepared to offer medical and technical help .
“ I am confident that this administration has taken actions that have significantly reduced risk , and will continue to do so , “ Pompeo said .
The COVID-19 illness caused by a new coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of Wuhan has stretched well beyond Asia .
The global count of those infected as of Friday exceeds 83,000 , with China still by far the hardest-hit country .
Dozens of cases but no deaths have been confirmed in the United States .
Pompeo ’ s testimony comes three weeks after the conclusion of the Senate impeachment trial against Trump , who was accused of abusing his office by withholding aid from Ukraine while he was seeking an investigation into Democratic rival Joe Biden .
Trump , who denied doing anything wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The inquiry before House lawmakers featured the testimony of several foreign service officers , including some who ’ d been enlisted with trying to carry out the Republican president ’ s wishes and expressed concerns over it .
Though Pompeo sought to distance himself from the impeachment inquiry and the circumstances surrounding it , he has also faced criticism from some who felt that he had not done enough to support State Department during the controversy .
Marie Yovanovitch , the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was ousted last spring after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies , has said she felt threatened by comments about her from Trump .


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--States to get test kits as White House amps up virus effort

WASHINGTON - Federal health officials scrambled Friday to get coronavirus testing up and running in every state , as the Trump administration signalled it may also invoke a 70-year-old defence law to guarantee the availability of protective gear should the virus spread .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said two more Americans tested positive for the virus out of the group of quarantined passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship , and Santa Clara County in California reported another case , bringing the national total to 63 .
And the World Health Organization upgraded the risk level from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it continued to spread around the globe .
Friday evening , the State Department issued an advisory telling Americans to avoid nonessential travel to Italy , which has seen nearly 900 cases .
A travel advisory already is in place for China .
Two days after the White House abruptly shifted gears from Trump ’ s initial assurances of minimal U.S. fallout to an all-out mobilization under Vice-President Mike Pence , the administration ’ s messaging still wasn ’ t completely seamless .
Trump administration political appointees and nonpartisan career government scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans is low , although that could quickly change .
But some political officials are continuing to offer assurances that concerns will blow over soon , while the scientists are emphasizing preparations for circumstances as yet unknown .
“ I acknowledge that this could change .
I acknowledge the situation could deteriorate .
I acknowledge the risks , ” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters Friday .
“ But , given what we know ... looks to me like the market has gone too far.
” Financial markets continued to slide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its worst week since the 2008 financial crisis .
Later in the day Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell signalled that the central bank would cut interest rates to support the economy if needed .
On Capitol Hill , lawmakers of both parties are working on a spending bill to be unveiled early next week and expected to be two to three times more than the $ 2.5 billion the White House had requested for anti-virus efforts .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar called attention to the breadth of options under consideration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1950 Defence Production Act to ensure production of needed supplies for anti-virus effort .
For example , the government says it needs 300 million masks for health care workers , but only has 30 million stockpiled .
“ We will use the Defence Production Act as necessary , ” said Azar .
“ So that is the authority that we have and we intend to use to acquire anything we need to acquire.
” However , he added the government wants to avoid disruptions .
Shortly before the new case was announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We ’ re at the same number.
” “ We haven ’ t lost anybody yet and hopefully we can keep that intact , ” he said as he left the White House for a political rally in South Carolina .
For the CDC ’ s disease detectives , the priority now is setting up a nationwide testing infrastructure after a shaky start .
Dr. Nancy Messonier , the CDC ’ s chief of respiratory diseases , told reporters the goal is to have every state capable of testing for the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A three-step test kit from CDC is being replaced with a two-step process that Messonnier said should work better .
“ Our goal is to have every state and local health department doing its own testing by the end of next week , “ said Messonnier .
That ’ s a considered a critical step , because it would push the front lines of surveillance closer to local communities where new cases might present themselves .
Disease detectives are still tracing the contacts of a Northern California woman who may be the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without having travelled to China or having been in close contact with a returning traveller .
“ We need to remember right now that the case count in the U.S. is really low , ” said Messonnier .
“ That is a reflection of the aggressive containment efforts of the U.S. government .
We hope that if there is spread , the spread will be limited and that any disease in the United States will be mild.
” The global virus outbreak has become a test of Trump ’ s credibility and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation .
Public health experts say the president should let the scientists in government take the lead .
“ The White House functions best when it follows the leadership of experts in emergency response , ” said John Auerbach , president of the non-profit Trust for America ’ s Health , which works with government at all levels to improve public health .
Although the president himself is famously skeptical of science , the White House is now trying to surround itself with top-flight scientific expertise .
Friday , officials announced the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have established a committee of experts on infectious diseases to help on the coronavirus threat .
“ We are creating a direct line to the nation ’ s top scientific minds on public health , “ said Kelvin Droegemeier , director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy .
Next week , Congress is expected to expedite a bipartisan spending bill for the anti-virus campaign that could total between $ 6 billion and $ 8 billion .
The administration says it has enough funding to get through to April but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible to approve additional funding .
The White House wants Trump to sign the spending bill it by mid-March .
As other countries hard hit by coronavirus cancel public activities and shutter schools , HHS Secretary Azar said such measures could be part of the containment toolkit here , if needed .
Keeping kids home from school and running workplaces on a skeleton staff is part of what experts call “ social distancing , ” a way to keep people from passing disease to one another .
As recently as 2009 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many U.S. communities .
“ It can be indicated under certain circumstances that it might make sense to close a school or schools , or take other measures like that , ” said Azar .
In the U.S. that would be a decision made at the local level .
“ What we ’ re all trying to do is just be very transparent ... with the public to get our mental frame around that there are things that you might see , ” said Azar .
“ That doesn ’ t mean you @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar And Darlene Superville - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Pence says states will receive help if coronavirus spreads

WEST PALM BEACH , Fla. - Vice-President Mike Pence said Friday that the federal government is prepared to assist the states if the coronavirus spreads significantly across the country — an eventuality he called unlikely .
Pence told a brief press conference in Florida that as a former Indiana governor he understands the need for state and federal partnerships in dealing with a potential health crisis .
President Donald Trump appointed Pence on Wednesday to oversee the administration ’ s response to the coronavirus .
Pence was in Florida to speak to a conservative political group and raise money for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with GOP Gov .
Ron DeSantis and his health staff at Palm Beach International Airport before speaking with reporters .
“ We are going to make sure that states like Florida and your local governments have the resources to prepare for any eventuality and in the event that this virus spreads more broadly that the states will be compensated for their efforts , ” said Pence , who promised to work across party lines .
He did not take questions .
According to the World Health Organization , 83,000 confirmed coronavirus cases have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with more than 90 % of them in China where the disease originated in December .
There have been almost 3,000 deaths .
Some 63 cases but no deaths have been reported in the United States .
Still , federal health officials warn the disease is likely to spread .
No cases have been reported in Florida , but four people who may have been exposed in China and have exhibited possible symptoms are awaiting test results , officials said .
Another 15 similar people tested negative .
More that 150 Floridians who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown symptoms are being monitored until the disease ’ s two-week incubation period passes and have been asked not to have contact with others .
DeSantis said he told Pence that his health officials worry that there might not be enough masks , goggles and other medical supplies needed to stem the disease if the state were to get a large number of cases .
He also said hotels , restaurants and other employers that often don ’ t provide sick pay for their workers who deal with the public should reconsider their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t inadvertently spread .
The state ’ s economy is highly dependent on tourism .
“ Employers should look at this and understand how erring on the side of caution could avoid greater costs down the road , ” he said .
He said the state might be able to assist a small number of workers who lose income , but would need federal help if the numbers surged .
Pence arrived in Florida on Friday to make a long-planned luncheon address behind closed doors to the annual economic conference of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that pushes for lower taxes and deregulation .
The group is a major fundraiser for the Republican Party .
After the press conference , Pence headed to Florida ’ s Gulf Coast , where he was headlining a Friday night fundraiser for congressional Republicans at the 5,500 square-foot , $ 8 million waterfront home of GOP Rep. Vern Buchanan , a prominent car dealer before entering Congress .
The minimum ticket cost $ 2,500 , $ 5,000 to take a photo with Pence and $ 25,000 for dinner with him , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times .
Florida Democrats criticized Pence and the administration for not cancelling Friday ’ s trip , saying the vice-president should have stayed in Washington so he could focus on the nation ’ s coronavirus response .
“ The Trump administration ’ s backwards priorities are on full display -- Pence is coming to fundraise in Florida two days after being appointed to lead our national response on the coronavirus .
Trump ’ s carelessness with our health and safety is deeply alarming , “ state Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo said in @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Prosecutors: Hawaii man led meth ring while councilman

HONOLULU - U.S. prosecutors are asking a judge Friday to deny bail for an elected Hawaii councilman accused of running a drug-trafficking organization , supplying guns , conspiring with a gang leader , requesting sexual favours as payment for drugs and assaulting a law enforcement officer in a case that highlights the hold methamphetamine has on some people in the state .
Arthur Brun led a major drug-trafficking conspiracy involving 11 other defendants since at least June 2019 , while serving as an elected member of the Kauai County Council , U.S. Attorney for Hawaii Kenji Price said .
Brun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Public Safety and Human Services Committee , was scheduled to be arraigned Friday in U.S. court in Honolulu .
His court-appointed attorney , Rustam Barbee , declined to comment .
“ I haven ’ t had a chance to talk to him , “ he said of Brun , who is in custody .
Brun is a “ politician who led a drug trafficking organization in the very community he was elected to represent , ” Price said .
Prosecutors intend to ask the judge to order Brun held without bail .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtained meth from a leader of the United Samoan Organization gang and had the drugs mailed to Hawaii from California .
Another co-defendant is a convicted felon who Brun used for protection , prosecutors said .
Brun “ sometimes requested sexual favours as repayment for drugs he supplied , ” prosecutors said in a motion asking for bail to be denied .
They cited phone wiretaps and testimony by a defendant who is hoping for leniency at sentencing in a federal case .
Crystal meth gained a stronghold across the islands long before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mailing or shipping drugs to Hawaii became more common with increased airport security after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks , when it got more difficult to smuggle drugs through air travel .
Court documents say Brun arranged with a co-defendant to purchase a pound of meth to be mailed from California for $ 9,000 .
The appetite for the drug is so strong , it ’ s street value in Hawaii can be more than double that amount .
In October , Kauai police pulled Brun over in a traffic stop after he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader , prosecutors said .
As a lieutenant ’ s arm was inside the vehicle trying to take the keys out of the ignition , the car sped off , injuring the officer ’ s arm .
During a high-speed chase , Brun threw the pound of meth out of his window , prosecutors said .
His criminal history includes a 2004 misdemeanour conviction for abuse of a family/household member and a 2004 felony conviction for second-degree theft , according to court documents .

Jennifer Sinco Kelleher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Students stage sit-in outside University of Oklahoma offices

NORMAN , Okla. - Dozens of University of Oklahoma students staged a sit-in that continued Friday outside OU ’ s administrative offices following two instances of professors using racial slurs in the classroom .
However , OU Interim President Joseph Harroz Jr. has rejected the demands of the school ’ s Black Emergency Response Team , known as BERT , for Provost Kyle Harper ’ s resignation .
BERT gathered Wednesday morning in Evans Hall and called for the resignation , mandatory equity training for faculty , semester-long diversity training and a new multicultural centre on campus .
The group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these demands are met “ and the sit-in continued Thursday and Friday .
The sit-in comes days after interim Harroz announced that a history professor read from a historical document in class that used the N-word repeatedly .
Earlier this month , an OU journalism professor stepped down from teaching the course for the rest of the semester after telling students during class that the N-word is no more offensive than the term “ boomer.
” “ We ’ re simply tired of not being treated as human beings on this campus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francisco , said Wednesday .
” BERT will continue its efforts to disrupt oppression on this campus just as faculty continue to use offensive , harmful and traumatizing speech in the classroom for quote-unquote educational purposes.
” In a statement Friday , OU Dean of Students David Surratt said the students “ raised legitimate concerns ” and their demands “ were actually solutions ” the university has included in a strategic plan to be presented to OU regents .
One idea was the creation of a student advisory committee .
Another demand that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s resignation , Harroz said .
In a statement issued late Thursday , he said , “ I have told them I will not meet this demand .
My reasons are based on principle , fairness and precedent .
As a matter of practice , we do not discuss personnel evaluations of employees in this public manner .
We can never allow our desire for expediency to deter us from being fair in our evaluations.
” Almost a year ago , Harper asked to leave the administration and return to the OU faculty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked Harper personally to remain as provost did Harper acquiesce , Harroz said .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Brewery gunman accused of punching woman, gun crime in 90s

MILWAUKEE - The man police say killed five co-workers at one of the nation ’ s largest breweries before killing himself was accused of pointing a gun at an SUV and punching a woman in the face in the early 1990s , court documents show .
Anthony Ferrill , a 51-year-old electrician at Moslon Coors ’ sprawling brewery complex on Milwaukee ’ s west side , walked into one of the brewery ’ s buildings Wednesday and gunned down five co-workers before shooting himself , police said .
Authorities have identified the victims as 60-year-old Dale Hudson ; 61-year-old Gennady @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jesus Valle Jr. ; and 33-year-old Trevor Wetselaar .
Court documents indicate Ferrill was charged with disorderly conduct in 1991 .
He was accused of pointing a gun at a Ford Bronco that pulled up alongside him at a stoplight in downtown Milwaukee , causing the Bronco ’ s driver and passengers to duck down in fear and race away through a red light .
Ferrill was 22 at the time .
The charges were eventually dismissed .
The documents didn ’ t explain why .
Ferrill ’ s attorney in the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t remember much about the case but he thinks prosecutors found Ferrill ’ s accusers weren ’ t credible and that they may have been trying to get him in trouble as payback for a previous dispute .
“ It was a pretty brief thing , ” Halloran said .
“ There was a dispute or disagreement and someone came in and complained to the police about his conduct and when it was investigated it was hard to tell who was telling the truth .
It was one of those cases where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test and they ’ d pass .
It was based on perceptions.
” Four years later , in 1995 , he was charged with misdemeanour battery after a woman accused him of punching her in the mouth .
He pleaded not guilty and was ordered not to have any contact with the woman .
The charge was eventually dismissed .
Court documents didn ’ t say why and Ferrill ’ s attorney in the case , listed as Peter Heflin , didn ’ t immediately return a message Friday .
A doctor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Ferrill filed for compensation following a car accident sheds more light on his past .
He lost a daughter in 2009 after she was born premature , drank three beers a week and didn ’ t use tobacco , the report said .
He had suffered chronic lower back pain since his 20s but told doctors he didn ’ t suffer from headaches or any cognitive problems .
He tore his rotator cuff on the job at the brewery in 2015 but refused to get surgery because he couldn ’ t take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did not suffer from anxiety or depression and he described his emotions as “ good.
” While police have said nothing about Ferrill ’ s motive , a neighbour , Erna Roenspies , told The Associated Press that at one point he told her he was upset at “ spies ” from the brewery .
He told her the “ spies ” were checking up on him to make sure a shoulder injury suffered at work — most likely his rotator cuff tear — was legitimate .
Molson Coors did not respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes do carry out such surveillance .
Miller Brewing Company , now part of Molson Coors , hired outside investigators to watch an employee in Ohio over a disputed foot injury in 2000 .
The employee sued Miller for a variety of claims , including a retaliation claim for the surveillance , but none of the claims succeeded .
More details emerged Friday about what exactly unfolded at the brewery .
Byron Johnson , a brewery employee who works in fermentation , said a last minute decision may have kept him from walking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming from lunch and decided to instead of taking the normal route to the break area , I decided to use that time to pick up some work gloves , “ said Johnson .
He came back from picking up the gloves and entered Building 4 through the back door about 1:45 p.m. “ About five minutes later a co-worker comes in and says someone had an open wound on the first floor , ” Johnson said , adding that the co-worker didn ’ t appear shaken .
“ They were concerned .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Then a sanitation woman came in about 10 minutes later , shaken up and out of breath and really nervous , ” he said .
She said she had seen a wounded man on the first floor and that she had never seen anything like it , Johnson said .
About five minutes later Johnson said they got a company text about an active shooter and they were instructed to shelter in place .
He and co-workers locked themselves in a large closet for about 20 minutes until they heard police , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they spent another 30 minutes locked in before officers led them downstairs and out of the building .
Johnson said he saw multiple bodies as they were led outside , but they were covered by that time .
He never saw the shooter or heard any gunshots and didn ’ t know the gunman or the victims .
Craig Mastantuono , an attorney representing Ferrill ’ s family , said in a statement Friday that the family “ feels terrible sadness and heartache ” over the Molson Coors shooting and was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparent involvement and death of our family member.
” He said they extended sympathy to the victims ’ families , and would make no further statement .
Molson Coors donated $ 500,000 on Friday to a fundraising page that was created for victims ’ families and others directly affected by the shooting .
The Miller Valley Survivors Fund was organized by the company and is being managed by the National Compassion Fund .
It has a goal of raising $ 1 million .

Gretchen Ehlke And Todd Richmond - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-28--Utah advances plan to remove felony status for polygamy

SALT LAKE CITY - Polygamy wouldn ’ t be a felony crime in Utah for the first time in 85 years under a bill that passed the Legislature on Friday and appears to be supported by the governor .
Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly for the proposal that supporters said will allow the 30,000 or so people living in the state ’ s polygamous communities to come out of the shadows and report abuses such as underage marriage by other polygamists without fear of prosecution .
“ It seems so surreal , you ’ re so used to it not being this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Utah polygamist who has three wives .
Republican Utah Gov .
Gary Herbert has indicated he will likely sign the proposal that makes polygamy between consenting adults an infraction , like a traffic offence , that carries no possible jail time .
“ This one has overwhelming support , though it ’ s not without some controversy , ” Herbert said during his monthly news conference at PBS Utah on Thursday .
“ Eliminating it from being a felony to a lesser offence is probably warranted.
” Some former members of polygamous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice could embolden abusers .
The Legislature “ is jumping off a ledge without looking at the landing , ” said Ryan Fisher , a spokesman for the anti-polygamy group Sound Choices Coalition .
The bill got approval from the full Legislature after a final procedural vote in the Senate Friday .
The belief that plural marriage brings exaltation in heaven is a legacy of the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .
The mainstream faith abandoned the practice in 1890 under pressure from the U.S. government and now strictly forbids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those who practice it have one legal marriage and multiple “ spiritual wives.
” The TV show “ Sister Wives “ chronicles the lives of one man and his four wives .
The Utah attorney general has publicly declined to prosecute otherwise law-abiding polygamists for years , but the “ Sister Wives ” family left the state shortly after going public , saying they were afraid of prosecution .
They later lost an attempt to overturn the polygamy law in court .
The Republican sponsoring the proposed change , Sen. Deidre Henderson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Warren Jeffs have “ weaponized ” state law to keep followers from interacting with the outside world or going to police .
Henderson ’ s proposal still includes harsher punishments for crimes linked to polygamy , such as coerced marriage and sexual abuse .
Jeffs is now serving a life prison sentence in Texas for sexually assaulting girls he considered plural wives .
Fears of the outside world were real for Alina Darger , one of Joe Darger ’ s wives .
As a teenager , she was afraid to tell police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her and a friend .
“ I was afraid if I did they ’ d come to the house and see my dad had two wives and take us away , ” she said .
Now the head of a non-profit outreach group called Cherish Families , Alina Darger said the legal change will help her connect polygamous communities to services ranging from child welfare to student loans .
“ I deserve to be able to call on law enforcement , ” she said .
“ I deserve the same rights as other @ @ @

Lindsay Whitehurst - The Associated Press