thetorontostar--2020-10-09--McConnell tries to salvage Senate majority with court vote

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spent a year prepping his Republican colleagues for this moment , telling them the confirmation of a Supreme Court justice is the “ most important ” vote they will take as senators , the chance to make “ seismic change ” that will stay with the nation for generations to come .
Now , three weeks before Election Day , the GOP leader needs this moment more than ever .
Confirmation hearings are set to begin Monday for President Donald Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee giving Republicans one last chance to salvage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the White House and its COVID-19 response and onto the GOP ’ s longtime goal of fashioning a conservative court .
The arrival of conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett offers a long-shot opportunity to bring wayward Republican voters back in the fold .
As Trump ’ s standing drops in internal polls , McConnell hopes to remind voters why they stuck with Trump in 2016 : the promise of another conservative justice ruling on abortion access and other big issues .
Democrats are within range of seizing Senate control Nov. 3 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it ’ s going to do -- energize the base , ” said Doug Deason , a wealthy Dallas donor who is the Northern Texas fundraising chairman for Trump and helps congressional Republicans .
That ’ s the optimistic view .
It ’ s coming mostly from those Republicans and backers still pouring millions of dollars into campaign efforts to salvage McConnell ’ s slim 53-47 GOP majority .
The more dour assessment is that McConnell is simply trying to grab whatever he can before he and his majority are out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just indicates a clear lack of confidence in Donald Trump and these Senate races , ” said Stuart Stevens , a veteran Republican strategist who helmed Mitt Romney ’ s 2012 campaign and now is among those trying to defeat Trump .
Democrats need to gain at least three seats to win the Senate majority if presidential nominee Joe Biden is elected , or four if Trump wins a second-term , because party ’ s vice-president can vote as a tie-breaker in the Senate .
What started as an election cycle with just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballooned into an expanding Senate map from Alaska to inter-mountain West to the Deep South as Republicans face tough challenges , while Democrats see few .
Alarms are flashing red throughout Republican Senate campaigns after Trump ’ s overbearing debate performance and COVID diagnosis sent the party ’ s poll numbers cratering , particularly among the suburban white women and moms who helped elect him in 2016 .
One Republican advising in Senate and House races called it the worst presidential dive in U.S. history — one that is bringing the entire GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s something no amount of money can fix , the person said .
The strategist , like others interviewed for this story , were granted anonymity to frankly assess the situation .
In group meetings and one on one , McConnell started raising the prospect of a Supreme Court vacancy last year , according to a person close to the leader and familiar with the private conversations .
He told them legislating can bring incremental changes but as senators they have few opportunities to make the more substantial , lasting shift that comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He is personally , deeply committed to getting a great Supreme Court justice on the court , ” said David McIntosh , president of the conservative Club for Growth who has worked with McConnell on judicial nominees for years , back to Ronald Reagan ’ s failed nomination of Robert Bork to the court .
With the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Sept. 18 , the plan was already set .
Only two GOP senators balked at quick confirmation .
The hearings will spotlight Sen. Lindsey Graham , the chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own competitive re-election in South Carolina , where Democrat Jaime Harrison in raising millions to defeat him .
The panel includes Thom Tillis in North Carolina , who was in a tough race until opponent Cal Cunningham was caught up in a text-messaging scandal ; and Texas Sen. John Cornyn , a party leader , is suddenly fielding off a challenger ; and Sen. Joni Ernst , who is up for re-election in Iowa .
The confirmation battle could also bolster Sen. Martha McSally in Arizona , who is trailing former astronaut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stem the sudden slide in GOP strongholds — Steve Daines in Montana , Kelly Loeffler in Georgia or in Kansas where Sen. Pat Roberts is retiring , strategists said .
On the flip side , the court battle is less helpful for Sens .
Susan Collins in Maine and Cory Gardner in Colorado and and Ernst in Iowa , where Trump was already less popular and now a drag on the GOP ticket .
Even far-flung races like Mike Espy ’ s challenge to Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi are commanding attention and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The televised hearings are likely to rake in cash for Democrats , with Vice-Presidential candidate Kamala Harris taking her own centre stage role as a member of the Judiciary Committee .
McConnell ’ s strategy is the opposite of the one Republicans used to boost turnout in 2016 when they blocked Barack Obama ’ s nominee nine months before the election , saying it should be up to the new president to decide .
No high court confirmation in history is as close to a presidential election as this one .
This time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own legacy reshaping the judiciary into what allies call the “ McConnell Court ” as giving his majority a landing pad after a tumultuous four years with Trump .
Republican senators linked themselves indelibly to Trump ’ s political movement , so much so that historian Douglas Brinkley has called it the “ shrinkage ” of the Senate — without that big name senators Americans may recall from history .
Many of the senators expected to run alongside Trump to another term .
Then COVID-19 hit , the economy crumbled and Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ halt .
The pressure was on McConnell , who is running for a seventh term in Kentucky without serious risk of defeat , not to wait until after the Nov. 3 election .
“ More important to finish out the job , ” McIntosh said .
Having already bent Senate rules to allow 51-vote threshold to advance Supreme Court nominees , rather than 60 as was tradition , McConnell is now poised to usher a third Trump justice to confirmation .
“ It ’ s not going to be remembered as the McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His legacy is going to be Donald Trump ’ s enabler .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--The second presidential debate slated for Oct. 15 has been cancelled by commission

Next week ’ s debate between Joe Biden and President Donald Trump has officially been cancelled after Trump refused to accept the organizer ’ s decision to keep the event virtual out of COVID-19 concerns , according to a person familiar with the matter .
The person , who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss non-public information , told The New York Daily News that the Commission on Presidential Debates made the decision late Friday after Trump wouldn ’ t budge on his insistence that the Oct. 15 event be held in-person .
Trump tested positive for COVID-19 on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , meaning he could be contagious for up to 20 days , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Andrew Bates , a spokesman for the Biden campaign , called Trump ’ s stubbornness on the matter “ shameful ” and noted that the Oct. 15 debate was the only one where voters would be able to directly ask the candidates questions in a town hall format .
“ But it ’ s no surprise , ” Bates said .
“ Everyone knows that Donald Trump likes to bully reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the guts to answer for his record to voters at the same time as Vice President Biden.
” The Trump campaign had asked the commission to push back the debate schedule so that the town hall-style event fell on Oct. 22 , followed by the third and final debate on Oct. 29 .
The commission did not immediately return a request for comment , but the cancellation of the Oct. 15 event suggests there will only be two presidential debates this year , with the last one falling on Oct. 22 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the commission ’ s cancellation shows it is “ protecting Biden and preventing voters from hearing from the two candidates for president.
” Murtaugh also floated the idea of Trump and Biden debating without the commission ’ s involvement .
“ There ’ s nothing that says that President Trump and Joe Biden can ’ t debate together without the overlords at the commission having a say in the matter , ” Murtaugh said .
“ We would be glad to debate one-on-one without the commission ’ s interference .
”

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thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Judge: Minnesota 2nd District election to take place Nov. 3

MINNEAPOLIS - A federal judge on Friday ruled that the election in Minnesota ’ s 2nd Congressional District should proceed in November as originally scheduled , despite the recent death of a third-party candidate , saying a delay would leave constituents without representation for weeks .
Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig asked the judge to block enforcement of a state law that postponed the election to February upon the Sept. 21 death of Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate Adam Weeks .
Craig , who is seeking a second term representing the competitive suburban and rural district south of the Twin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the contest to be held in November .
In her ruling Friday , U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina Wright granted Craig ’ s request , saying Craig is likely to succeed in her argument that federal law preempts state law , and that Craig would suffer harm because she would have to conserve campaign resources for use in February if there was a delay .
She also said a November election is the public ’ s interest because a delay would mean that constituents would go without representation for more than a month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Second Congressional District voters to be able to vote in the November general election and to have uninterrupted representation in the United States Congress , the public interest weighs in favour of granting Plaintiffs ’ motion for a preliminary injunction , ” Wright wrote .
Secretary of State Steve Simon must also stop telling voters in the 2nd District that their votes on Nov. 3 will not be counted , according to her order .
In a statement Friday , Simon said , “ Voters should continue to vote this race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the district court ruling , those votes will be counted.
” Craig ’ s Republican opponent , Tyler Kistner , had argued for the postponement and said he will appeal the ruling “ to make sure that every Minnesotan has an opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choosing.
” Kistner , a Marine Corps veteran making his first run for office , said in a statement that numerous voters told his campaign they didn ’ t vote in the 2nd District because they were told their vote wouldn ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a request Friday to keep Wright ’ s order from being enforced while he appeals , saying her order is “ sure to disenfranchise thousands of voters ” who believed there would be no election on Nov. 3 .
Craig said the decision shows that Minnesota doesn ’ t have the authority to alter the date for federal elections .
“ This is an enormous victory for the people of the Second District , who will still have an opportunity to make their voices heard in this election , “ she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ skipped a vote in the 2nd District when they voted early or absentee may go to their county elections office to have their ballot spoiled , and they will be given a new ballot to complete .
However , the deadline to make that change is Oct. 20 .
Simon , who is also a Democrat , said after Weeks ’ death that state law requires if a major party nominee dies within 79 days of Election Day , a special election must be held for that office on the second Tuesday in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Legal Marijuana Now has major party status in Minnesota under a law that lets a small party qualify if one of its candidates for statewide office got at least 5 % of the vote in a recent election .
The Legislature added this provision to state election law to avoid a repeat of the hectic 2002 race , when Sen. Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane crash 11 days before the election .
Democrats chose former Vice-President Walter Mondale to replace Wellstone on the ballot , but he lost the seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that unlike this case , Wellstone ’ s death caused a “ vacancy ” because he was already an elected person , not a nominee .
Absent the vacancy of an elected official , she said Congress has not given state governments the authority to decide when to hold elections for the U.S. House .
Craig is expected to benefit from the high turnout on Election Day , while Kistner ’ s chances may have been better in a special election , in which Republicans tend to have a greater advantage from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sept. 18 .
Craig continued to urge her supporters to mark their ballots for her and other Democrats , even while the date of the 2nd District race was in limbo .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Ex-Philadelphia cop charged in fatal shooting of Black man

A white former Philadelphia police officer was charged Friday with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a Black man after a high-speed car chase nearly three years ago .
Former Officer Eric Ruch Jr. shot and killed Dennis Plowden Jr. , 25 , only seconds after Plowden crashed his car at 77 mph ( 125 kph ) , stumbled out of it and fell to the ground , authorities said .
Plowden , dazed and unarmed , was holding his empty left hand in front of his face when Ruch fired the fatal shot , prosecutors said .
Four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and had taken cover did not fire their weapons , according to a grand jury presentment .
The grand jury said Ruch shot Plowden in the head without justification as Plowden looked “ dazed and lost on the sidewalk.
“ “ Ruch intentionally fired on Dennis Plowden less than 20 seconds after the Hyundai he had been driving crashed at nearly 80 miles an hour , Mr. Plowden had fallen to the ground , and yet was still attempting to obey commands , “ the grand jury wrote .
Ruch , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , turned himself in Friday to face charges of first-degree murder , third-degree murder , voluntary manslaughter and possession of an instrument of crime .
Prosecutors expected him to be held without bail .
The police union said its lawyers will defend the former officer .
“ We will represent former police officer Eric Ruch Jr. against these serious charges .
Our attorneys will review the allegations and appropriately defend this officer , ” said John McNesby , president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No .
5 .
“ Officer Ruch Jr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we believe the judicial system will protect his rights to a fair trial.
” Paul Hetznecker , who represents Plowden ’ s wife , Tania Bond , called the charges “ long overdue ” and “ an important step in the struggle for racial and social justice in this city.
” Bond is suing Ruch , three other officers and the city .
It remained unclear why police sought to stop Plowden ’ s car in the first place .
According to the grand jury , Ruch and his partner began following Plowden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registration of his car .
Ruch ’ s partner told investigators after the shooting that they had stopped Plowden ’ s Hyundai because of a patrol alert that connected it to a homicide , according to the grand jury .
But other officers said they were unaware of the patrol alert — which had not been broadcast over police radio — and all the information sought by Ruch from police dispatch was already contained in the alert , the grand jury said .
“ There ’ s no information on the police radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew for sure that this vehicle may have been involved in a homicide , ” Assistant District Attorney Vincent Corrigan said at a news conference Friday .
That homicide investigation remains open , he said , but the Hyundai is no longer an “ avenue of inquiry.
“ The grand jury said three of the four officers present for the shooting testified they did not see Plowden raise his left hand , while the fourth said he didn ’ t recall what Plowden was doing with it .
Other eyewitnesses said Plowden was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up when he was shot , with one saying Plowden was gesturing with his left hand in front of his face .
The lawsuit filed by Plowden ’ s wife said he was propping himself up with his right arm while holding out his left hand in a vain attempt to prevent Ruch from shooting him .
A medical examiner said the bullet tore through the fingers of Plowden ’ s left hand before hitting him in the head , indicating the hand was raised , according to the grand jury .
Officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right hand in his pocket , with one saying “ it looked like he had a gun in there , ” the grand jury said .
The other eyewitnesses did not mention Plowden ’ s right hand .
Ruch fired the fatal shot just 6 to 8 seconds after getting to the crash scene , the grand jury said .
Hetznecker , the lawyer for Plowden ’ s wife , said that police had no probable cause to stop the car , and that officers ’ statements were an attempt to justify the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glad to see the grand jurors saw through that , ” he said .
Plowden was taking classes to get his high school diploma and was learning the construction trade at the time of his killing .
He left behind two children and three stepchildren , including an infant son who is now 3 .
“ I am happy that Ruch was charged with the murder of Dennis , ” Plowden ’ s wife , Tania Bond , said Friday in a phone interview , but “ this is only the beginning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we reach the end.
” She said she wants to know “ whether Ruch has any remorse and anything to say to us .
I just want to know , has Ruch ever thought about my family ?
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--The Latest: 2nd presidential debate is officially cancelled

WASHINGTON - The Latest on the 2020 presidential campaign ( all times local ) : The second presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden is officially off .
The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates confirmed Friday that the Oct. 15 faceoff would be scrapped .
The decision was made a day after the commission announced the debate would take place “ virtually ” because Trump had contracted the coronavirus .
Trump balked at holding the debate in that format , and Biden scheduled a town hall with ABC News for that night once Trump said he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later countered with a call to hold the debates as scheduled once the president ’ s doctor said he would be cleared to hold public events beginning on Saturday .
But the commission said it would not reverse its decision not to have the candidates on stage together , citing an abundance of caution with health concerns — particularly for the town-hall-style debate that was set to feature questions from average voters .
The third debate , scheduled for Oct. 22 in Nashville , Tennessee , is still on .
HERE ’ S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ S HAPPENING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE : President Donald Trump is convalescing from the coronavirus at the White House .
Democrat Joe Biden is campaigning in Nevada on Friday .
— On radio , TV , Trump sets out to get campaign back on track HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : Minnesota health officials say nine people who attended a Sept. 18 rally with President Donald Trump in the northern city of Bemidji later tested positive for the coronavirus .
The Department of Health said Friday that two more cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has visited Minnesota frequently this cycle in hopes of becoming the first Republican to win there since Richard Nixon in 1972 .
At his airport stop in Bemidji , about 200 miles ( 320 kilometres ) north of Minneapolis , there was little sign of social distancing among the thousands of attendees and many went without face masks .
Health officials aren ’ t saying definitively that people contracted the virus at Trump ’ s rally .
But health spokesperson Doug Schultz said the rally and a wedding the following day were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 in Beltrami County in September .
Trump himself tested positive for the coronavirus on Oct. 1 .
Joe Biden is using a campaign stop in economically decimated Nevada to hammer President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans for not doing more to help Americans deal with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic .
The Democratic presidential candidate told supporters Friday at a socially distanced drive-in rally outside Las Vegas that Trump “ ignores you ” and has “ no urgency to deliver hard-working Americans ... what they need desperately.
” He says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let state and local governments “ go bankrupt.
” Biden blasted Trump for pulling out of congressional negotiations for another round of pandemic economic relief and reversing himself Friday .
Biden noted it ’ s been months since House Democrats passed a $ 3.4 trillion package for businesses , individuals and local and state governments dealing with cratering tax revenues and increased costs .
Nevada has been hit especially hard in the pandemic economy as tourism to Las Vegas has fallen drastically .
The state ’ s 13.2 % unemployment rate in September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump is returning to the campaign trail and will hold his first rally since his COVID-19 diagnosis on Monday in Florida .
Trump ’ s campaign says the event will take place at 7 p.m. in Sanford .
The rally will be Trump ’ s first since he tested positive for the coronavirus Oct. 1 with just weeks to go before voting ends in the Nov. 3 election .
Trump ’ s doctor , Sean P. Conley , said in a memo Thursday that he “ fully anticipate ( d ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safely “ return to public engagements ” as soon as Saturday .
On Saturday , President Donald Trump is planning to hold his first in-person event since testing positive for the coronavirus .
Two weeks after the Rose Garden event that is now considered a “ superspreader , ” Trump is planning to convene another large crowd outside the White House for an event on “ law and order.
” That ’ s despite the ongoing White House COVID-19 outbreak .
An official says Trump will address the group from a White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many people had been invited .
White House doctor Sean Conley said in a memo Thursday that , “ based on the trajectory of advanced diagnostics the team has been conducting , ” he “ fully anticipate ( d ) the President ’ s safe return to public engagements ” as soon as Saturday .
Trump said during a Thursday interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity that he is already planning rallies , too .
The event was first reported by ABC News .
Joe Biden is heading back to Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his native state that President Donald Trump won narrowly in 2016 .
Biden ’ s campaign announced Friday that he will travel to Erie , which is in one of the most populous counties nationally that flipped to Republican Donald Trump in 2016 .
Trump won the county by about 1.5 percentage points .
Democratic President Barack Obama won Erie County by 20 points and 16 points in his two national victories .
Erie will be especially critical for Biden as he focuses on winning more white voters beyond the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s Biden ’ s seventh trip to the state since the start of September .
Joe Biden is telling Latinos in Nevada that they can “ determine the outcome ” of the November election and help deliver a Democratic victory big enough to keep President Donald Trump from pushing “ phony challenges ” to the results .
The Democratic presidential nominee said Friday at the East Las Vegas Community Center that he can ’ t win without strong support from Hispanics .
Latinos are on track to surpass Black voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. electorate .
Biden told a masked , socially distanced crowd that voting in decisive numbers is “ the thing that guarantees significant influence over what happens next ” because politicians respond to those that “ delivered the vote.
” Biden drew parallels between his family lineage as Irish Catholic immigrants and much of the Latino community that he said is hurt by Trump ’ s hard-line immigration policies .
Biden says “ family and faith ” link his experiences with the Hispanic community .
Early voting starts in Nevada on Oct. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state in 2016 , but it remains a battleground .
President Donald Trump , still White House bound after his COVID-19 diagnosis , called into the Rush Limbaugh show for a radio “ rally ” with the conservative talk host .
Limbaugh started what he describe as a “ mega , MAGA rally ” — in which Trump is expected to take questions from callers — by praising Trump as the “ strongest , most unwavering ” leader .
Limbaugh also called it “ breathtaking ” the difference between the Trump he knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media .
Trump talked up his prospects in the face of grim polls , blamed media “ poisoned by their own hatred “ and assured Limbaugh that his recovery is going well .
The president , who was diagnosed on Oct. 1 with coronavirus and hospitalized for three days , says he wants to get back on the campaign trail as soon as this weekend .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Anti-nuclear activist Sister Ardeth Platte dies at 84

Anti-nuclear activist Sister Ardeth Platte , a Dominican nun who spent time in jail for her peaceful protests , died in her sleep on Sept. 30 .
She was 84 .
Sister Carol Gilbert , who confirmed Platte ’ s death , lived with her at a Catholic Worker house in Washington , D.C. Gilbert said Platte had participated in a street corner demonstration against nuclear weapons just a few days before her death .
In 2010 , Platte was arrested for trespassing at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge , Tennessee , during a protest , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her sentencing hearing , Platte said , “ Nuclear weapons are the taproot of violence , and they must be abolished .
So I refuse to be silent , ” the newspaper reported .
She served a four-month sentence .
It was one of several arrests over many years of anti-war protests .
In October 2002 , Platte , Gilbert and one other Dominican nun , the late Sister Jackie Hudson , poured their own blood on a Minuteman III missile loaded with a 20 kiloton nuclear bomb in Weld County , Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear weapons stored in the state .
Their action symbolized taking it offline .
They were convicted of sabotage and received harsh sentences : 41 months for Platte , 33 for Gilbert and 30 for Hudson .
In September 2000 , the three were arrested for civil disobedience at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs and jailed .
The charges were subsequently dropped .
They ’ ve also served time in other states for nonviolent acts of civil disobedience .
A report in a Dominican Sisters newsletter provided by Gilbert says Platte @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in 1954 entered the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids at 18 .
She was a Dominican nun for 66 years .
The newsletter calls Platte a “ justice preacher , peace seeker , teacher , compassionate neighbour and friend who stood with people on the margins .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Embattled Texas AG drops case that set off staff revolt

AUSTIN , Texas - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday dropped an investigation sought by a wealthy donor that set off an extraordinary revolt by the Republican ’ s top deputies , who accused him of bribery and abuse of office , and fueled new calls for his resignation .
The announcement came hours after prosecutors in Austin expressed unease over why Paxton launched an investigation sought by Nate Paul , an Austin developer and Paxton donor whose offices were raided by the FBI .
State authorities also confirmed Friday that they had referred criminal allegations made by Paxton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to federal authorities .
“ The newly surfaced information raises serious concerns about the integrity of your investigation and the propriety of your conducting it , ” said Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore , who instructed her office to sever contact with Paxton over the case .
Paul gave Paxton $ 25,000 in campaign contributions in 2018 .
Federal authorities have not disclosed why they searched Paul ’ s offices last year , but Paul later sought his own investigation , alleging that his constitutional rights were violated .
Paxton , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said in a statement he was dropping Paul ’ s complaint since local prosecutors are now no longer involved .
But Moore has disputed Paxton ’ s claims of how the case began , saying it was him who first approached her about Paul this summer .
“ Criminal investigations are crucial to seek justice for families across the state , but it is a small part of the wide-ranging issues this office handles .
We proudly stand by the good , hard work our office continues to conduct every day for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul ’ s attorney , Michael Wynne , did not respond to requests for comment Friday .
The end of the investigation is unlikely to ease pressure on Paxton , who has spent nearly his entire five years in office under indictment over separate allegations of securities fraud .
He has denied wrongdoing over the Paul complaint , and cast blame on “ rogue employees and their false allegations.
” Republican Rep. Chip Roy , who used to work for Paxton , called for his resignation this week .
On Friday , another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oversight of Paxton ’ s office also expressed concerns .
“ If there is any truth whatsoever to the factual and legal claims of your own senior staff , I believe you must voluntarily resign your position and urge you to do so , ” Republican state Rep. Jeff Leach wrote in a letter .
Moore , a Democrat , distanced herself from the probe a week after Paxton ’ s top deputies accused him of bribery and abuse of office after he hired an outside lawyer to look into Paul ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors referred the case to his office , but Moore wrote Friday that “ should not be used as any indication of a need for investigation.
” The outside lawyer Paxton hired was Brandon Cammack , who graduated from law school in 2015 and runs a modest criminal defence practice .
He has no prosecutorial experience but d oes have ties to one of Paul ’ s defence attorneys .
He has not responded to repeated requests for comment this week .
Keith Byers , an attorney and retired FBI agent who oversaw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attorney general ’ s investigation was “ a cheap diversionary tactic and nothing more than political theatre.
” Byers said the FBI is often wary of the motives of people who report crimes to them then promptly make the allegations public .
“ I understand , however , a situation sometimes can become so unbearable that desperate people decide to jump kicking and screaming off the sinking Titanic in hopes someone will send help , ” he said .
Paxton has said he brought in an outside lawyer because he knew Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s employees were trying to block the investigation .
The full nature of Paul and Paxton ’ s relationship is unclear .
It ’ s also unclear what Paul has alleged against federal law enforcement , but his claims came to light a year after the FBI searched his home and office .
The FBI has declined to comment and Paul ’ s lawyer has not answered questions about his claims .

Paul J. Weber And Jake Bleiberg - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Court: Son born abroad to gay couple is a U.S. citizen

LOS ANGELES - A federal appeals court has ruled against the U.S. State Department in its quest to deny the citizenship of one of two twins born abroad to a gay married couple .
The 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals said Friday that a Los Angeles trial judge correctly concluded that 4-year-old Ethan Dvash-Banks was an American citizen despite being conceived with sperm of an Israeli father and born in Canada using a surrogate mother .
The boy ’ s other father is a U.S. citizen , and the law does not require a child to show a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time of their birth , a U.S. District Court judge ruled last year .
The boy was granted a passport after the ruling , but the State Department appealed .
A three-judge panel ruled unanimously that it was bound by precedent from previous decisions and issued a short memorandum without hearing arguments .
Andrew Dvash-Banks , the father who is a U.S. citizen , said he was thrilled by the ruling that affirms his son ’ s citizenship and removes uncertainty that has hung over the family for nearly four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young to understand what their parents have gone through , the fathers set up email accounts to create a sort of digital journal the boys can read some day .
Dvash-Banks said he planned to email them tonight with a copy of the ruling and thoughts on the latest development .
“ We want both to know how much we love then and how much we fight for them , ” he said .
“ The fact that they ’ re twins and not being treated equally , we want them to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right and we were successful.
” Before the boys were out of diapers , Ethan was a plaintiff in the unusual case that arose after the American consulate in Toronto denied his citizenship after requiring DNA tests that showed he was the biological son of Elad Dvash-Banks , an Israeli citizen .
Ethan ’ s twin brother , Aiden , was given citizenship because he was the biological son of Andrew Dvash-Banks .
The couple met when Andrew was studying in Israel .
At the time , they couldn ’ t marry legally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they moved to Canada and wed in 2010 .
The boys were born by a surrogate in September 2016 using sperm from each of the fathers and donor eggs .
The lawsuit filed on behalf of the toddler by Immigration Equality , an LGBTQ immigrant rights group , sought the same rights for Ethan as his brother .
The group argued that the children of a U.S. citizen who marries abroad are entitled to citizenship at birth no matter where they are born , even if the other parent is a foreigner .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , D.C. , have issued similar rulings , said Aaron Morris , executive director of Immigration Equality and one of the family ’ s lawyers .
He said the Department of Justice conceded in its appeal that it would lose if the court applied the law in the case .
“ This seems to be an issue they ’ re not willing to budge on , ” Morris said .
“ Every federal court that has heard the government ’ s argument has ruled against them.
” The State Department said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Justice .


thetorontostar--2020-10-09--Switzerland says Swiss hostage in Mali has been killed

GENEVA - Switzerland ’ s Foreign Ministry said Friday that a Swiss woman who was held hostage in Mali has been killed by an Islamist group .
The ministry said it was informed by French authorities that the hostage had been “ killed by kidnappers of the Islamist terrorist organization Jama ’ at Nusrat al-Islam Muslimeen about a month ago.
” The group , known as JNIM , is Mali ’ s branch of al-Qaida .
Switzerland ’ s foreign minister condemned the killing of the hostage , Beatrice Stoeckli , whose release his country had quietly been trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
“ It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of our fellow citizen , ” Ignazio Cassis said in a statement .
“ I condemn this cruel act and express my deepest sympathy to the relatives.
” Cassis said the exact circumstances of her killing were still unclear .
“ The information about the killing was obtained by the French authorities from the recently released French hostage , ” the ministry said .
French aid worker Sophie Petronin was released with Italians Rev .
Pierluigi Maccalli and Nicola @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cisse this week , days after the Malian government freed nearly 200 Islamic militants in an apparent prisoner exchange .
Stoeckli , a Christian missionary , and at least four further foreign hostages were also held by JNIM and its associates .
The fate of the others wasn ’ t immediately known .
The Swiss Foreign Ministry said it was trying to find out more about the circumstances of the killing and the whereabouts of her remains .


thetorontostar--2020-10-10--AP FACT CHECK: Debate week’s twisted tales on virus, climate

WASHINGTON - Sidelined but not silenced , President Donald Trump demonstrated anew this past week he can ’ t be relied on to give a straight account of the disease that has afflicted millions , now including him .
He heralded the arrival of a COVID-19 cure , which did not happen , and likened the coronavirus to the common flu even while knowing better .
The week featured the only vice-presidential debate of the 2020 campaign and an emphasis on policy lacking in the virulent Trump vs. Joe Biden showdown of the week before .
Vice-President Mike Pence asserted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when actually the president mocks it , and Pence defended a White House gathering that the government ’ s infectious disease chief branded a super-spreader event .
His Democratic rival , California Sen. Kamala Harris , tripped on tax policy while wrongly accusing Trump of dismissing the pandemic as a hoax .
TRUMP , on those who get COVID-19 .
“ Now what happens is you get better .
That ’ s what happens , you get better.
” — to Fox Business on Thursday .
THE FACTS : As a blanket assurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people get better .
But more than 1 million people worldwide have died from the disease , more than 212,000 of them in the U.S .
The disease also may leave many people with long-term harm that is not fully understood .
Trump ’ s doctor , Navy Cmdr .
Sean Conley , said Friday that Trump was showing no evidence of his illness progressing or adverse reactions to the aggressive course of therapy prescribed by his doctors .
That doesn ’ t mean he is over it .
TRUMP , on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have a cure .
...
I can tell you , it ’ s a cure and I ’ m talking to you today because of it.
” — speaking to Rush Limbaugh ’ s radio show by phone Friday .
THE FACTS : We don ’ t have a cure .
His statement is premature at best and may raise false hope .
And his present condition can not be pinned on a particular medicine in the combination of drugs he has been given .
Antibody drugs like the one Trump was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being tested for treating and preventing coronavirus infections .
But the medicines are still in testing ; their safety and effectiveness are not yet known .
Trump was among fewer than 10 people who were able to access the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals drug without having to enrol in a study .
Eli Lilly and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. are both asking the U.S. government to allow emergency use of their antibody drugs , which aim to help the immune system clear the virus .
Trump has routinely made too much of promising developments in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how to prevent and treat the disease while dismissing the importance of true preventives such as wearing a mask and staying away from groups of people .
TRUMP : “ Flu season is coming up !
Many people every year , sometimes over 100,000 , and despite the Vaccine , die from the Flu .
Are we going to close down our Country ?
No , we have learned to live with it , just like we are learning to live with Covid , in most populations far less lethal !
!
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ FACTS : He ’ s contradicting science and himself .
First , he ’ s overstating the U.S. death toll from the seasonal flu .
The flu has killed 12,000 to 61,000 Americans annually since 2010 , not 100,000 , a benchmark rarely reached in U.S. history .
More than 212,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 .
Second , health officials widely agree that the coronavirus seems to be at least several times more lethal than seasonal flu .
At one point , Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 times more lethal .
“ There ’ s absolutely no doubt , no doubt at all , that this COVID-19 ... is far more serious than a seasonal flu , no doubt about that , ” Fauci told MSNBC this past week .
Trump ’ s tweet also flies in the face of what he told author Bob Woodward in February , that the virus was even more deadly than “ your strenuous flus , ” even while suggesting publicly that the pandemic was akin to the flu season .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the author .
TRUMP on Biden : “ He gets up and he says , we ’ re not fracking .
We ’ re not fracking .
He was fracking .
For six months he was fracking .
He was raising his -- his very thin hand and he was fracking .
And now all of a sudden he ’ s not fracking .
...
It ’ s ridiculous .
He said he ’ s not fracking.
” — Thursday to Fox News .
THE FACTS : It ’ s OK to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was trying to say is that Biden flip-flopped on whether he would ban fracking , though the president skipped the part about banning in his remark .
Biden in a 2019 Democratic primary debate said he would ban fracking , but his campaign quickly said he misspoke and corrected the record .
Biden supports banning new oil and gas leases on public lands but says he does not want a fracking ban and consider such a ban probably impossible .
Trump did add at the end of more fracking accusations , “ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minute they get into office.
” That ’ s false , but it is the accusation Trump was trying to make before .
Biden did not flip-flop but rather flubbed his position at one event , his campaign said .
Democrats are divided on fracking and not all of them appreciated the clarity that Harris brought to the issue in the vice-presidential debate , when she stoutly declared a Biden administration would not ban fracking .
PENCE : “ The both of you repeatedly committed to abolishing fossil fuel and banning fracking .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to continue to listen to the science ” on climate change .
THE FACTS : In addition to being wrong about Biden ’ s position on fracking , Pence is wrong to say Trump follows the science on climate change .
He conspicuously doesn ’ t .
Trump ’ s public comments as president all dismiss the science on climate change — that it ’ s caused by people burning fossil fuels and it ’ s worsening sharply .
As recently as last month , Trump said , “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it ’ s talking about regarding global warming and the resulting worsening of wildfires , hurricanes and other natural disasters .
He ’ s ridiculed the science in many public comments and tweets .
As for his actions , his regulation-cutting has eliminated key Obama-era efforts to reduce fossil fuel emissions .
Pence is correct when he says Harris supported banning fracking .
That was when she was running for president .
At a CNN climate change town hall for Democratic presidential candidates last year , Harris said , “ There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favour of banning fracking .
Starting with what we can do from Day One on public lands.
” Now , as Biden ’ s running mate , she is bound to his agenda , which is different .
PENCE : The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration “ tells us that , actually , as difficult as they are , there are no more hurricanes today than there were 100 years ago , but many of the climate alarmists use hurricanes and wildfires to try and sell a bill of goods.
” THE FACTS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually says about climate change and hurricanes .
The main studies don ’ t assert Earth is seeing more hurricanes than a century ago .
They find that today ’ s hurricanes are worse because of the warming climate .
Research shows that intensification of the storms has increased tremendously since the 1980s in the Atlantic and the only explanation is human-caused climate change .
An analysis of 167 years of federal storm data by The Associated Press in 2017 found that no 30-year period in history has seen this many major hurricanes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this many days of those whoppers spinning in the Atlantic , or this much overall energy generated by those powerful storms .
Such findings are what alarm scientists and part of what Pence calls alarmist .
PENCE : “ You know , what ’ s remarkable is the United States has reduced CO2 more than the countries that are still in the Paris climate accord.
” FACTS : True but hardly remarkable .
With its giant economy , the U.S. has far more raw emissions of climate-damaging carbon dioxide to cut than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more telling measure of progress in various countries is to look at what percentage of emissions they have cut .
Since 2005 , the United States hasn ’ t been even in the top 10 in percentage of greenhouse gas emission reductions .
PENCE : “ Joe Biden wants to go back to the economic surrender to China , that when we took office , half of our international trade deficit was with China alone .
And Joe Biden wants to repeal all of the tariffs that President Trump put into effect to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” THE FACTS : The tariffs were not the win claimed by Pence .
For starters , tariffs are taxes that consumers and businesses pay through higher prices .
So Pence is defending tax increases .
The tariffs against China did cause the trade deficit in goods with China to fall in 2019 .
But that ’ s a Pyrrhic victory at best as overall U.S. economic growth slowed from 3 % to 2.2 % because of the trade uncertainty .
More important , the Trump administration has not decreased the overall trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government said the trade deficit was $ 576.9 billion last year , nearly $ 100 billion higher than during the last year of Barack Obama ’ s presidency .
HARRIS , on Trump ’ s tax cuts : “ On Day 1 , Joe Biden will repeal that tax bill.
” THE FACTS : No , that ’ s not what Biden proposes .
He would repeal some of it .
Nor can he repeal a law on his own , much less on his first day in office .
Harris also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people making under $ 400,000 .
If he were to repeal the Trump tax cuts across the board , he would be breaking that promise .
PENCE , on the Sept. 26 Rose Garden event after which more than 11 attendees tested positive for COVID-19 : “ It was an outdoor event , which all of our scientists regularly and routinely advise.
” THE FACTS : His suggestion that the event followed public health safety recommendations is false .
The event , introducing Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett , drew more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple ways .
And it was not all outside .
“ We had a super-spreader event in the White House , “ Fauci told CBS Radio News .
“ And it was in a situation where people were crowded together , were not wearing masks.
” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says large gatherings of people who have travelled from outside the area and aren ’ t spaced at least 6 feet apart pose the greatest risk for spreading the virus .
That ’ s exactly the type of high-risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were seated close together , not 6 feet apart , in rows of chairs outside .
Many were captured on camera clapping backs , shaking hands and talking , barely at arm ’ s length .
The CDC also “ strongly encourages ” people to wear masks , but few in the Rose Garden wore them .
There was also a private reception inside the White House after the Rose Garden ceremony , where some politicians , including North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis , who has since tested positive , were pictured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus : “ The president said it was a hoax.
” She ’ s referring to a Feb. 28 campaign rally in South Carolina in which Trump said the phrases “ the coronavirus ” and “ this is their new hoax ” at separate points .
Although his meaning is difficult to discern , the broader context of his words shows he was railing against Democrats for their denunciations of his administration ’ s coronavirus response .
“ Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus , ” he said at the rally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus .
They ’ re politicizing it.
” He meandered briefly to the subject of the messy Democratic primary in Iowa , then the Russia investigation before returning to the pandemic .
“ They tried the impeachment hoax .
... And this is their new hoax.
” Asked at a news conference the day after the rally to clarify his remarks , Trump said he was not referring to the coronavirus itself as a hoax .
“ No , no , no.
” he said .
” ‘ Hoax ’ referring to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pin this on somebody , because we ’ ve done such a good job .
The hoax is on them , not — I ’ m not talking about what ’ s happening here .
I ’ m talking what they ’ re doing .
That ’ s the hoax.
” PENCE : “ President Trump and I have a plan to improve health care and to protect preexisting conditions for all Americans.
” THE FACTS : No , there is no clear plan .
People with preexisting conditions are already protected by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the Trump administration succeeds in persuading the Supreme Court to overturn it , those protections will be in jeopardy .
Trump has signed an executive order declaring it the policy of the U.S. government to protect people with preexisting conditions , but he would have to go back to Congress to work out legislation to replace those “ Obamacare ” provisions .
Various Republican approaches offered in 2017 would have undermined the protections in the ACA , and Trump has not offered details of how his plan would work .
Although Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he has yet to roll out the comprehensive health care proposal he once promised .
PENCE : “ He suspended all travel from China , the second-largest economy in the world .
Joe Biden opposed that decision , he said it was xenophobic and hysterical.
” THE FACTS : Trump ’ s order did not suspend “ all travel from China.
” He restricted it , and Biden never branded the decision “ xenophobic.
” Dozens of countries took similar steps to control travel from hot spots before or around the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions that took effect Feb. 2 continued to allow travel to the U.S. from China ’ s Hong Kong and Macao territories for months .
The Associated Press reported that more than 8,000 Chinese and foreign nationals based in those territories entered the U.S. in the first three months after the travel restrictions were imposed .
Additionally , more than 27,000 Americans returned from mainland China in the first month after the restrictions took effect .
U.S. officials lost track of more than 1,600 of them who were supposed to be monitored for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of having a record of xenophobia but not explicitly in the context of the president ’ s decision to limit travel from China during the pandemic .
Trump took to calling the virus the “ China virus ” and the “ foreign virus ” at one point , prompting Biden to urge the country not to take a turn toward xenophobia or racism in the pandemic .
HARRIS , on the effects of the pandemic : “ One in 5 businesses , closed.
” THE FACTS : That ’ s not accurate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know yet how many businesses have permanently closed — or could do so in the months ahead .
What we do know is that the National Federation of Independent Business said in August that 1 in 5 small businesses will close if economic conditions don ’ t improve in the next six months .
Many small businesses survived in part through the forgivable loans from the Payroll Protection Program .
Larger employers such as Disney and Allstate insurance have announced layoffs , as have major airlines .
Restaurants that survived the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge of cold weather .
So it ’ s too soon to tell how many businesses have closed or will .
PENCE , on the conclusions of special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia investigation : “ It was found that there was no obstruction , no collusion .
Case closed.
“ THE FACTS : That ’ s a mischaracterization of Mueller ’ s nearly 450-page report and its core findings .
Mueller did not absolve the president of obstructing the investigation into ties between Trump ’ s 2016 campaign and Russia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen episodes in which the president sought to exert his will on the probe , including by firing his FBI director and seeking the ouster of Mueller himself .
Ultimately , Mueller declined to reach a conclusion on whether Trump had committed a crime , citing Justice Department policy against indicting a sitting president .
But that ’ s different than finding “ no obstruction.
” Mueller also didn ’ t quite find “ no collusion.
” His investigation identified multiple contacts between Russians and Trump associates and outlined sweeping Russian interference that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to benefit from .
Mueller said that he did not have enough to establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia ; collusion is not a precise legal term .
PENCE : “ President Trump and I are fighting every day in courthouses to prevent Joe Biden and Kamala Harris from changing the rules and creating this universal mail-in voting that will create a massive opportunity for voter fraud.
” THE FACTS : Pence is vastly overstating the potential for fraud with mail-in ballots , just as Trump frequently does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proved exceedingly rare .
A 2017 report from the Brennan Center for Justice ranked the risk of ballot fraud at 0.00004 % to 0.0009 % , based on studies of past elections .
A panel commissioned by the Trump administration to explore the issue uncovered no evidence to support claims of widespread voter fraud .
Trump and his allies have tried to argue that absentee balloting is fine — when someone has to request a ballot as opposed to automatically getting one in the mail — while universal mail-in balloting is open to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registered voters receive a ballot through the mail .
It ’ s true that some election studies have shown a slightly higher incidence of mail-in voting fraud compared with in-person voting , but the overall risk is extremely low .
There is ongoing litigation in several states over a host of election issues , including absentee ballots .
States nationwide expect a surge in mail-in voting due to the ongoing risk posed by the coronavirus .
Five states routinely send ballots to all registered voters , allowing them to choose to vote through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November , four other states — California , New Jersey , Nevada and Vermont — and the District of Columbia will be adopting that system , as will almost every county in Montana .
Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein , Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar , Colleen Long , Amanda Seitz , Michael Balsamo and Eric Tucker contributed to this report .
EDITOR ’ S NOTE — A look at the veracity of claims by political figures .

Hope Yen, Calvin Woodward And Ellen Knickmeyer - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-10--‘Jews in Space’ exhibit explores Jewish scholars, artists

BALTIMORE - During the early years of the first “ Star Trek ” TV series , when a producer asked actor Leonard Nimoy to develop a sign of greeting for his character Spock to use , Nimoy flashed on a childhood memory .
What popped into his mind was a synagogue service in which several rabbis raised their hands , split their pinkie and ring fingers from their middle and index fingers to form a wide V , and started chanting in Hebrew .
And that ’ s how the Birkat Kohanim — a sign of Jewish blessing that dates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Vulcan salute , ” the hand sign that became Spock ’ s signature and an icon of Western pop culture .
The story , first shared by Nimoy in his 1975 autobiography , “ I Am Not Spock , ” isn ’ t the only example of Judaism intersecting the universes of space study and science fiction .
It ’ s a connection as old as the Torah , and now it ’ s the theme of an unconventional exhibit at the Jewish Museum of Maryland .
“ Jews in Space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” as it ’ s whimsically titled , includes displays about everything from rabbinical scholars who shaped early astronomy to modern Jewish authors and artists who helped develop the sci-fi genre in books , comics and films .
Spaced out over 2,000 colorfully arrayed square feet , it embraces everything from Maimonides to Mel Brooks as it advances a sort of field theory : that just as the Jewish people are known for their history of travelling far and wide in search of an identity and a home , so are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explore the heavenly beyond .
“ I think the idea of an alien — of someone who doesn ’ t belong , who ’ s trying to find their way and navigate the pressures of assimilation — definitely resonates with Jews in America or in any diaspora , ” says Tracie Guy-Decker , the museum ’ s deputy director and a Jewish native of Baltimore .
“ Staying true to oneself , but fitting in at the same time , is a theme of a lot of science fiction and fandom out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be drawn to it.
” Officials of the Jewish Museum of Maryland , which stands next to the historic Lloyd Street Synagogue in East Baltimore , happened on the concept two years ago when they learned of a smaller version of the exhibit at the Center for Jewish History in New York .
The starting point for the curators there , the team learned , was basically their amusement at the goofball phrase “ Jews in Space.
” It ’ s the title of a zany short film Brooks created and made part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the World , Part I ” in 1981 .
That short feature — a takeoff of “ Star Wars ” and “ The Muppet Show ” — showed audiences Orthodox rebbes piloting Star of David-shaped spacecraft and blasting lasers while happily belting out the title song , “ We ’ re Jews out in space / We ’ re zooming along protecting the Hebrew race !
” Among other things , it showed that the existential quest at the heart of the faith could be viewed alongside popular entertainment vehicles , including a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” called “ Pigs in Space.
” But that “ funny contrast became something real over time ” as the New Yorkers began gathering information and artifacts that “ tell the full story of Jews ’ relationship to the solar system , ” says Marvin Pinkert , executive director of the Jewish Museum of Maryland .
“ The idea starts out as a comical thing , but there ’ s plenty of depth to it as well , ” Pinkert says .
It was in about A.D. 360 , for example , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said to have fixed the Jewish calendar , an undertaking that required a sophisticated understanding of both celestial patterns and advanced mathematics .
Jewish ruling elders had decreed that every new month should begin at a time determined by observations of the new moon , a decision that made it otherwise difficult for Jews to know , for instance , on what exact days to celebrate their most important holidays .
The Jewish calendar is “ progressive lunar ” in nature , with a full leap month added once for every cycle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Science was in a way indistinguishable from religion at that juncture in history , and someone had to understand astronomy ” to develop that calendar , Pinkert says .
The story became part of a graphic timeline that stretches from such early thinkers to Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon , also known as Maimonides , who used his 12th-century writings to reconcile Aristotle ’ s views of the universe with biblical accounts , to modern Jewish figures including sci-fi pioneer Isaac Asimov , astronauts Judith Resnik and Jeffrey Hoffman , and filmmakers Stanley Kubrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ) and Steven Spielberg ( “ E.T.
, ” “ Close Encounters of the Third Kind ” ) .
The timeline is part of the New York exhibit that curators brought to Baltimore .
So are such highlights as rare works of astronomy , in Hebrew , from the early and mid-18th century and a section on Nimoy that contains editions of “ I Am Not Spock ” and its 1995 follow-up , “ I Am Spock.
” When Pinkert and company decided to import the exhibit , they did so with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make use of the larger display space in the Lloyd Street museum and to enhance it with Maryland-related features .
Joanna Church , the Baltimore museum ’ s collections and exhibits director , quickly realized some of the possibilities .
The museum , Church says , had long possessed a hand-carved , early-20th-century decalogue — a representation of the tablets on which God is said to have etched the Ten Commandments — donated by the now-defunct B ’ nai Reuben Synagogue .
The piece , designed to decorate a synagogue ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Torah ) , was surmounted not by a crown or lions , as many are , but by a carving of a pair of hands giving the Kohanim blessing that had inspired Nimoy .
Curators made it part of the “ Star Trek ” display .
“ By putting it in this context , we ’ re talking about that ( Vulcan ) salute as a religious symbol , ” Church says .
“ Most of us know that salute , but this placement doubles the meaning.
” Exhibitors have manifested the productivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than 500 science fiction books , by stacking more than 100 of the tomes .
A few feet away , visitors can operate a theremin , the electronic musical instrument responsible for the wobbly , high-pitched sounds known to fans of sci-fi fare including the TV series “ The Twilight Zone.
” The instrument is Pinkert ’ s favourite interactive feature both because its touchless nature answers the sanitary demands of the COVID-19 era ( players alter sound frequencies by moving their hands in proximity to a pair of antennas ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our storyline.
” “ There have been many Jewish composers involved in the scores for science fiction movies , including the ( 1951 classic ) ‘ The Day The Earth Stood Still , ’ and several of the ‘ Star Trek ’ movies , ” says Pinkert , whose love of pop culture has influenced exhibits at the museum for years .
“ Those are some of the classic theremin soundtracks .
Visitors can recreate the sounds for themselves.
” The team has fleshed out the Maryland component with an oversize map of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt and the 57-year-old Baltimore Science Fiction Society .
There ’ s also an exhibit on Resnik , the second American female and first American Jewish astronaut to go into space .
Resnik , an Ohio native who earned her doctorate at the University of Maryland , died in the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986 .
A mailgram announcing her acceptance to NASA ’ s astronaut candidate program , dated 1978 , is part of the display .
The exhibit is timely , in the view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role of Jewish people in the creation and growth of science fiction .
Lawrence Pinsker is the former longtime rabbi of Beit Tikvah Congregation in Baltimore , which was founded in 1963 by a group of people who happened to be interested in science fiction .
Pinsker , who has taught courses on Jews in science fiction at Beit Tikvah and at the annual Balticon convention , says the connection is drawing increasing scholarly attention .
The Jewish tradition , he says , historically encourages questions about the nature of the universe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different under slightly altered circumstances — both core elements of science fiction .
After all , he says , it was the Talmud that contained the first “ time-travel ” story , when Moses is granted a glimpse 1,400 years in the future to visit Akiva , a first-century scholar and sage .
And it was a Jewish immigrant from Luxembourg , Hugo Gernsback , who started the first “ scientific fiction ” magazines in the 1920s and coined the term “ science fiction.
” “ I ’ ve been a devotee of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Pinsker , 73 .
“ A significant percentage of the authors and fans I ’ ve met in that world have been Jewish .
It ’ s a fascinating subject area.
” “ Jews in Space ” debuted in September , and members of the public may visit the exhibit either online or in person through April .
In-person visits , offered twice a day , are limited to 10 people at a time , due to coronavirus restrictions , and guests must make reservations in advance .
Guy-Decker says guests have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respite from the ongoing stresses of politics and the pandemic .
“ It ’ s an enjoyable show because it ’ s so playful , but it doesn ’ t sacrifice intellectual rigour along the way , ” she says .
“ That ’ s something that feels so welcome right now .
”

Jonathan M. Pitts, The Baltimore Sun - AP Member


thetorontostar--2020-10-10--Voting-related lawsuits pepper US before Election Day

Hundreds of lawsuits about voting have been filed before the Nov. 3 election .
The cases concern the fundamentals of the American democratic process , including how ballots are cast and counted .
A look at some of the top lawsuits in battleground states : ARIZONA : A federal judge ruled in favour of Democrats by holding that voters who neglected to sign their early ballots before mailing them in get up to five days after the election to fix the problem .
The judge ruled that it was not fair for elections officials not to give voters a chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The case has since been appealed to the 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals .
IOWA : Several of the election disputes involve mail-in voting rules .
In one , Democrats are challenging a new GOP-backed law that blocks county auditors from filling in any missing voter ID information on absentee ballot applications returned by voters .
In a related case , Republicans have persuaded judges to invalidate tens of thousands of absentee ballot applications submitted by voters whose ID information had been pre-filled on the forms by county auditors .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s rules that drop boxes must be located on county property and not at grocery stores or other community sites .
MICHIGAN : Officials are mired in litigation over how long ballots can be counted after Nov. 3 .
State law requires the ballots to be counted by Election Day .
But a state judge , citing mail delays , has ordered that they be counted if they are postmarked by Nov. 2 and arrive by Nov. 17 .
The Republican-led Legislature is appealing .
The issue could be crucial in determining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state , which Trump won by less than 10,000 votes in 2016 .
Absentee voting has only been permitted since 2018 , but some 2.7 million people have requested absentee ballots .
MINNESOTA : Republicans have challenged the state ’ s Nov. 10 deadline for mail-in ballots to arrive this year , a 7-day extension granted because of the pandemic .
Under a consent decree , the ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 .
Republicans are appealing the plan .
Meanwhile , Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig has challenged a state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District seat to February due to the Sept. 21 death of Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate Adam Weeks .
A delay could have national implications if the presidential election remains in dispute in January and the seat remains empty when her first term concludes in January .
NEVADA : The Democratic-led Legislature passed a law this year that sends mail-in ballots to every registered voter and lets someone else return it on the voter ’ s behalf .
The latter practice , known as ballot harvesting , had previously been illegal .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steve Sisolak , also let county election officials start counting mailed ballots on Oct. 19 .
The Trump campaign challenged the law , suggesting mail-in voting was rife with fraud , but a federal judge said they failed to show any actual harm .
NEW HAMPSHIRE : A judge in April struck down a 2017 New Hampshire law that made it more difficult for people to vote if they registered the month before the election .
The judge said the added paperwork was “ unreasonable.
” The Republican-led Legislature had passed the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
State officials have appealed to the state Supreme Court .
Meanwhile , the American Federation of Teachers , citing the pandemic , challenged some state voting procedures in August , including an Election Day deadline and lack of prepaid postage for absentee ballots .
Both the Trump campaign and state officials pushed back , and a judge mostly dismissed the suit while ordering the state to help would-be voters obtain registration forms .
NORTH CAROLINA : The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee are suing in federal court to block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could boost the number of ballots counted .
That includes guidance that will allow the fixing of absentee ballots with deficient information without forcing the voter to fill out a new blank ballot .
OHIO : A federal judge in Cleveland this month ruled that a new Ohio directive allowing ballot drop boxes at locations “ outside ” boards of elections means they can be placed at multiple locations — a ruling at odds with the intention of the state elections chief .
It ’ s not yet clear how many drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the election .
Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose moved to appeal .
A state appeals court ruled that requests for an absentee ballot can not be sent by fax or email , finding it could swamp local election officials and threaten the security of the election .
PENNSYLVANIA : Pennsylvania has seen a frenzy of election-related suits as state officials prepare for some 3 million people , about half the expected turnout , to cast mail-in ballots .
Trump ’ s campaign has asked the courts to bar counties from using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collect mail-in ballots ; to throw out state guidance on signature discrepancies ; to overturn a county residency requirement on poll watchers ; and to let campaign representatives watch people register or fill out mail-in ballots in election offices .
Republican lawmakers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a ruling that gives counties three days after Election Day to receive and count eligible ballots .
VIRGINIA : The key court case over the election in Virginia involves the requirement that absentee voters find a witness to watch them sign their ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed suit over the issue , a federal judge issued a decree allowing voters to skip that step given the pandemic if they don ’ t feel it ’ s safe to have a witness present .
The Republican Party of Virginia , which opposed the consent decree , is now challenging the state guidance on the issue , saying it ’ s likely to confuse voters .
WISCONSIN : A federal appeals court upheld a six-day extension for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin as long as they are postmarked on or before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats in the state at least a temporary victory in a case that could nonetheless by appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court .


thetorontostar--2020-10-10--Delta adds insult to injury in hurricane-ravaged Louisiana

LAFAYETTE , La .
- Ripping tarps from damaged roofs and scattering massive piles of storm debris in the wind and water , Hurricane Delta inflicted a new round of destruction in Louisiana communities along a path Hurricane Laura carved just six weeks earlier .
Delta hit as a Category 2 hurricane with top winds of 100 mph ( 155 kph ) before rapidly weakening over land .
It was barely a tropical storm Saturday morning , with top winds of 40 mph ( 65 kph ) , but heavy rain , ocean water from the storm surge and flash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Texas to Mississippi , where up to 10 inches of rain was predicted in places by day ’ s end .
Delta made landfall Friday evening near the coastal town of Creole — only 15 miles ( 24 kilometres ) or so from where Laura struck land in August , killing 27 people in Louisiana .
It then moved directly over Lake Charles , a waterfront city about 30 miles ( 50 kilometres ) inland where the earlier hurricane damaged nearly every home and building , and where mouldy mattresses , sawed-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streets .
Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter spoke with The Associated Press as he rode out Delta ’ s arrival downtown .
He said tarps were flying off homes across the city , and piles of wreckage were being blown around , some of it floating in the surge of ocean water .
“ I ’ m in a building right now with a tarp on it and just the sound of the tarp flapping on the building sounds like someone pounding with a sledgehammer on top of the building , “ Hunter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intense.
” In Lake Arthur , Delta ’ s winds peeled shingles off the roof of L ’ Banca Albergo , an eight-room boutique hotel in what used to be a bank .
“ I probably don ’ t have a shingle left on the top of this hotel , ” owner Roberta Palermo said as the winds gusted outside .
The electricity was out and Palermo said she could see pieces of metal coming off the roof of a 100-year-old building across the street .
Unsecured trash cans were flying around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of power lines down all over the place , there ’ s ... really deep water in certain spots , ” said hotel guest Johnny Weaver .
He had been out in the weather with his friends earlier and one friend ’ s car was stranded in the water .
About 740,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana , Texas and Mississippi early Saturday , according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us .
In Lafayette , about 75 miles ( 120 kilometres ) east of Lake Charles , drivers cautiously moved through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parkway where long stretches were left shrouded without electricity .
“ Rising water with all the rain is the biggest problem , ” Calcasieu Sheriff Tony Mancuso told KPLC-TV on Saturday .
“ It ’ s still dangerous out there , and we ’ re just going to have to start over from a few weeks ago.
” He said vehicles were overturned on Interstate-10 — a harsh lesson for anyone hoping to rush back into the disaster area .
“ I just think people need to use some good common sense , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attributed to Delta as of early Saturday , but a hurricane ’ s wake can be treacherous .
Only seven of the deaths attributed to Laura came the day that hurricane struck .
A leading cause of the others was carbon monoxide poisoning from generators used in places without electricity .
Others died in accidents while cleaning up .
Delta has swirled over a wide swath of the U.S. , with tropical storm force winds reaching 160 miles ( 260 kilometres ) outward .
Dangerous gusts were reported at LSU ’ s Tiger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Natchez , Mississippi .
Winds blew down the steeple at the Mount Triumph Baptist Church in Jennings , Louisiana .
In Galveston , Texas , about 100 miles ( 160 kilometres ) from where the centre made landfall , winds toppled trees , street signs and two homes under construction , and with dunes flattened by earlier storms , the surge reached beneath raised houses .
Large swells and rip currents prompted beach closures as far west as the mouth of the Rio Grande .
Delta also downed trees across Mississippi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WLBT-TV vehicle with a news crew inside .
No one was injured .
At 7 a.m. local time , it was centred about 45 miles ( 70 kilometres ) east of Monroe , Louisiana .
Forecasters said Delta ’ s remnants would move into the Tennessee Valley Saturday and into Sunday , possibly spinning off tornadoes and dumping up to 3 inches of rain that could cause flash flooding in the southern Appalachians .
Delta , the 25th named storm of an unprecedented Atlantic hurricane season , made the record books when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first Greek-alphabet-named hurricane to hit the continental U.S. And it became the 10th named storm to hit the mainland U.S. this year , breaking a century-old record set in 1916 , according to Colorado State University researcher Phil Klotzbach .
Delta was the fourth named storm to strike Louisiana in 2020 .
Tropical Storm Marco fizzled as it hit the southeast Louisiana tip just three days before Laura struck .
And Tropical Storm Cristobal caused damage in southeast Louisiana in June .
Some who rode out Laura hunkered down again with Delta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her door in Lafayette as her patio gate banged open and shut .
She said the roof from a trailer at the mobile home park behind her apartment was torn off and tossed down the sidewalk .
“ The wind gusts are making the glass from our windows bow inward , “ Gove tweeted .
“ It ’ s pretty scary.
” Hunter said he thought more people evacuated for Delta than Laura , reducing emergency calls during the worst of the storm .
Across the disaster area , people could only wait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a full view of the damage .
“ I believe that Delta could actually be more of a flooding issue than Laura was from what I ’ m seeing and what I ’ m hearing right now in the thick of it , ” the mayor said Friday night .
“ We really just need people not to forget about us , ” Hunter said .
“ We are going to be in the recovery mode for months and probably years from these two hurricanes .
It ’ s just unprecedented and historic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press contributors include Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge , Louisiana ; Gerald Herbert in Lake Charles , Louisiana ; Kevin McGill in New Orleans ; Seth Borenstein in Kensington , Maryland ; Russ Bynum in Savannah , Georgia ; Leah Willingham in Jackson , Mississippi ; and Sophia Tulp in Atlanta .

Rebecca Santana And Stacey Plaisance - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-10--Mideast wildfires kill 2, force thousands to flee homes

BEIRUT - Wildfires around the Middle East triggered by a heatwave hitting the region have killed two people , forced thousands of people to leave their homes and detonated landmines along the Lebanon-Israel border , state media and officials said Saturday .
The areas hit by the heatwave are Syria , Lebanon , Israel and the Palestinian territories .
The fires come amid an intense heatwave that is unusual for this time of the year .
Wildfires spread across different areas of Israel and the West Bank for a second day Saturday , forced thousands of people to evacuate their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement firefighters and police forces evacuated 5,000 residents from the city of Nof Hagalil in northern Israel .
One of the hardest hit countries is war-torn Syria where fires have killed two people and left dozens suffering from breathing problems over the past two days .
The wildfires also burnt wide areas of forests , mostly in the central province of Homs and the coastal province of Latakia .
With fire fighters overwhelmed , some residents helped them using primitive methods such as carrying water in buckets and pouring them on the fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latakia Agricultural Department , Bassem Douba , was quoted as saying by state news agency , SANA , that the number of fires reached 85 in different sites .
Also in Latakia province , fires in President Bashar Assad ’ s hometown of Qardaha heavily damaged a building used as a storage for the state-owned tobacco company , part of which collapsed .
In Lebanon , firefighters backed by army helicopters fought fires in the country ’ s north , centre and south .
A big fire in the southern village of Bater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting close to homes when it was put under control .
Along the border with Israel , fires were reported by Lebanon ’ s state news agency in several villages , some of them triggering explosions of land mines placed along the heavily-guarded front .


thetorontostar--2020-10-10--Report: 29 million girls, women victims of modern slavery

TANZANIA , Tanzania - A new report estimates that 29 million women and girls are victims of modern slavery , exploited by practices including forced labour , forced marriage , debt-bondage and domestic servitude .
Grace Forrest , co-founder of the Walk Free anti-slavery organization , said Friday that means one in every 130 women and girls is living in modern slavery today , more than the population of Australia .
“ The reality is that there are more people living in slavery today than any other time in human history , ” she told a U.N. news conference .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the systematic removal of a person ’ s freedom , where one person is exploited by another for personal or financial gain , ” she said .
Forrest said the global estimate of one in 130 women and girls living in modern slavery was made based on work by Walk Free , the International Labor Organization and the International Organization for Migration , both U.N. agencies.. “ What this report has shown is that gender stacks the odds against girls from conception throughout their lives , “ she said .
According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” women account for 99 % of all victims of forced sexual exploitation , 84 % of all victims of forced marriage , and 58 % of all victims of forced labour .
Forrest said the face of modern slavery “ has radically changed.
” “ We ’ re seeing normalized exploitation in our economy in transnational supply chains and also in migration pathways , ” she said .
“ The world ’ s most vulnerable people have been pushed even further into this practice of modern slavery because of COVID-19.
” She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in modern slavery is conservative because it doesn ’ t account for what ’ s happened during the pandemic , which has seen “ sharp increases of forced and child marriage and exploited work conditions around the world.
“ Forrest said Walk Free and the U.N. ’ s Every Woman Every Child program are launching a global campaign to demand action to eliminate modern slavery .
The campaign urges an end to child and forced marriage , which 136 countries have yet to criminalize .
It urges the elimination of legalized systems of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ binds a migrant worker ’ s immigration status to an employer or sponsor for their contract period .
The campaign also urges transparency and accountability for multinationals .
“ We know that women and girls are experiencing unprecedented levels of exploitation and forced labour in supply chains of the goods we buy and use every day — clothing , coffee , techncology , “ Forest said .


thetorontostar--2020-10-10--Egypt begins trial of ex-student in case fueling #MeToo wave

CAIRO - Egypt on Saturday began the trial of a former student of an elite university on charges of sexual assault of three minors , in a case that has launched a new wave of the # MeToo movement in the Arab world ’ s most populous country .
The former student at the American University in Cairo was arrested in July after the allegations against him went viral , resulting in a firestorm on social media .
The # MeToo movement aims to hold accountable those involved in sexual misconduct and those who cover it up .
The trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court in the New Cairo district .
The suspect could face up to life in prison if convicted .
The defendant attended the first closed-door procedural session , in which prosecutors read the charges against the former student and defence lawyers submitted their demands to the court .
The trial was adjourned till November 7 .
The former student faces charges of blackmailing and sexually harassing the women , who were minors at the time the alleged crimes took place .
According to accusations posted on social media , the former student would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook , online groups or school clubs , to target for sexual assault .
He would start with flattery , then pressure the women and girls to share intimate photos that he later used to blackmail them with to have sex with him , according to these accusations .
If they did not , he would threaten to send the pictures to their family .
The former student hails from a wealthy family and studied at the American International School , one of Egypt ’ s most expensive private high schools , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said he left the school in 2018 .
His case , activists say , shows that misogyny cuts across the country ’ s stark class lines .
Many in Egypt have previously portrayed sexual harassment as a problem of poor urban youth .
Sexual assault and harassment are deep-seated problems in Egypt , where victims must also fight the undercurrent of a conservative culture that typically ties female chastity to a family ’ s reputation .
In courts , the burden of proof lies heavily on the victims of such crimes .


thetorontostar--2020-10-10--Woman files ADA lawsuits across US as ‘tester’ of compliance

PORTLAND , Maine - A disabled Florida woman paid a virtual visit to Maine and left a trail of lawsuits in her wake .
Six to be exact .
Deborah Laufer is described in the federal lawsuits as a “ tester ” for the purpose of asserting her civil rights and ensuring that places of public accommodation comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act .
Her six lawsuits in Maine are among hundreds she has filed in more than a dozen states .
Her lawsuits contend lodging establishments and their online booking services failed to identify accessible rooms , provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and provide sufficient information about accessible features .
She contended they discriminated against her by failing to ensure that she could enjoy the same experience as those without disabilities .
Laufer didn ’ t actually stay at any of the properties , at least not in Maine .
She visited the websites or third-party online booking sites for properties including the Bar Harbor Grand Hotel and the Inn on St. John in Portland .
Both businesses declined comment .
Leeanne Hewey , managing partner at the Maine Woods Inn at Vacationland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said her staff is trained to work with people with disabilities to ensure they have an accessible room .
She said she ’ ll make sure that those accessible rooms are reflected on the website .
According to her lawsuits , Laufer has a vision impairment , uses a cane or wheelchair to get around , and has difficulty gripping things .
She did not respond to messages seeking comment .
All told , she has filed about 500 lawsuits in 15 different states , said Robert Thorpe , an attorney in Syracuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Barclay Damon LLP , is defending several hotels and motels against Laufer lawsuits in both New York and Massachusetts .
The Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990 , before the World Wide Web went live , and the regulations promulgated since then don ’ t provide adequate guidance to property owners in the era of online reservations systems , he said .
“ These businesses are essentially left guessing as to what level of detail is required for online reservation systems to comply with the ADA , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disability Rights Maine , said she hopes Laufer is in it for the right reasons because frivolous lawsuits can “ create bad law and give all of us people with disabilities a bad name.
” The reason for the lawsuits is simple , said Thomas Bacon , one of Laufer ’ s attorneys in Florida .
“ The fact is that nobody complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act until they ’ re sued , ” he said .
Laufer hopes to travel to Maine one day , he said , though the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her part , said she commended Laufer for ensuring that lodging operators are communicating with disabled guests .
“ Communication is key , ” she said .
“ We ’ re open to doing whatever we can to help.
“


thetorontostar--2020-10-10--4 killed, 2 injured in shooting in southern Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN , Puerto Rico - Four men were shot to death and two others gravely wounded near a basketball @ @ @ @ @ , police said Saturday .
The shooting occurred late Friday in the coastal city of @ @ @ @ @ U.S. territory ’ s largest municipalities .
No one had been arrested .
Police said @ @ @ @ @ able to identify three of the victims and didn ’ t yet have a motive @ @ @ @ @ have been reported killed this year on the island of 3.2 million people , compared @ @ @ @ @ the same period .