thetorontostar--2020-07-04--Mexico’s COVID deaths pass 30,000, world’s 5th highest total

MEXICO CITY - Mexico topped 30,000 COVID-19 deaths Saturday , overtaking France as the country with the fifth-highest death toll since the coronavirus outbreak began .
Officials reported 523 more confirmed coronavirus deaths for the day , bringing the nation ’ s total to 30,366 for the pandemic .
Mexico ’ s total confirmed infections rose by almost 6,000 to 251,165 , about on par with Spain , the eighth highest caseload .
Also Saturday , about 200 street vendors briefly blocked several major avenues in downtown Mexico City on Saturday to demand they be allowed to sell again amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the colonial-era downtown are usually crowded with vendors who lay out their wares on wire racks or blankets .
But since March , the city has banned such informal commerce and closed most established businesses in the district to stem the spread of the new coronavirus .
Protesting vendors carried signs and chanted slogans claiming they could no longer bear the lockdown .
Most have no unemployment insurance , and after three months of not selling many are growing desperate .
Officials had allowed a partial reopening of downtown this week although virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reversed course Friday after a lack of sanitary measures were reported at some stores .
While most customers and employees wore some form of face mask , many stores didn ’ t reduce the number of clients allowed in or provide the required foot-wiping pads or sanitizer gel .
The joint reopening plan required the active participation of the government , the public and store owners , and Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said it would now be rethought .
Reopening plans in other parts of the city were not affected by the reversal on @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-04--Kansas newspaper’s post equates mask mandate with Holocaust

TOPEKA , Kan. - A weekly Kansas newspaper whose publisher is a county Republican Party chairman posted a cartoon on its Facebook page likening the Democratic governor ’ s order requiring people to wear masks in public to the roundup and murder of millions of Jews during the Holocaust .
The cartoon on the Anderson County Review ’ s Facebook page depicts Gov .
Laura Kelly wearing a mask with a Jewish Star of David on it , next to a drawing of people being loaded onto train cars .
Its caption is , “ Lockdown Laura says : Put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cattle car.
” The newspaper posted the cartoon on Friday , the day that Kelly ’ s mask order aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus took effect .
It ’ s drawn several hundred comments , many of them strongly critical .
Dane Hicks , the paper ’ s owner and publisher , said in an email to The Associated Press that he plans to publish the cartoon in the newspaper ’ s next edition Thursday .
Kelly , who is Catholic , issued a statement saying , “ Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagery is deeply offensive and he should remove it immediately.
” But Hicks said in an email that political cartoons are “ gross over-caricatures designed to provoke debate ” and “ fodder for the marketplace of ideas.
” “ The topic here is the governmental overreach which has been the hallmark of Governor Kelly ’ s administration , ” he said .
As for the cartoon ’ s reference to the Holocaust , Hicks said critics of President Donald Trump have compared him to Adolf Hitler , and , “ I certainly have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kelly ’ s actions , in an editorial cartoon sort of way , than Trump ’ s critics do , yet they persist in it daily.
“ Hicks ’ newspaper is based in the Anderson County seat of Garnett , about 65 miles ( 105 kilometres ) southwest of Kansas City and has a circulation of about 2,100 , according to the Kansas Press Association .
Hicks also is Anderson County ’ s GOP chairman .
Kansas Republican Party Chairman Michael Kuckelman said in a text that posting the cartoon is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney , added , “ it is on the newspaper Facebook page and media has wide berth with ( the ) First Amendment ( to the U.S. Constitution , guaranteeing freedom of speech and the press ) .
Critics of the cartoon demanded that Republican Party and GOP legislative leaders to repudiate the cartoon and Hicks .
Kansas Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley , a Topeka Democrat , called the cartoon “ appalling ” and disgusting.
” Kansas House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer , a Wichita Democrat , said the cartoon ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous.
” Rabbi Moti Rieber , executive director of Kansas Interfaith Action , said most if not all comparisons of current political events to the Holocaust are “ odious ” and said it ’ s “ incoherent ” to equate an action designed to save lives with mass murder .
Finally , he said , putting the Star of David on Kelly ’ s mask is anti-Semitic because it implies “ nefarious Jews ” are behind her actions .
“ This thing is like the trifecta of garbage , ” Rieber said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their relatives or other Jews are offended , he would apologize to them because he means “ no slight to them.
” “ Then again , they better than anyone should appreciate the harbingers of governmental overreach and the present but tender seedlings of tyranny , ” he added .
Hicks also derided some of his social media critics as “ liberal Marxist parasites , ” adding , “ As a traditional American , they are my enemy.
” Some Republicans have criticized Kelly ’ s order as infringing on personal liberties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out and Anderson County has done so .
The governor issued the order because of resurgence in reported coronavirus cases that increased the state ’ s total to nearly 16,000 as of Friday , when Kansas finished its worst two-week spike since the pandemic began .
The state has reported 277 COVID-19-related deaths .
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick .
Hicks previously criticized Kelly in a blog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopening what he called the state ’ s “ bureaucracy-hammered ” economy .
Kelly lifted statewide restrictions on businesses and public gatherings on May 26 after weeks of criticism from the Republican-controlled Legislature that she was moving too slowly to reopen the state ’ s economy .
Some conservative GOP lawmakers also have accused her of being heavy-handed and even dictatorial in responding to the pandemic .
Anderson County , with about 7,900 residents , is part of a conservative swath of eastern Kansas .
Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats 2-to-1 and Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vote in 2016 .
The state health department has reported only four coronavirus cases for Anderson County , all of them since May 8 .
There have been no reported deaths there .
County Commission Chairman Jerry Howarter said of the more than 70 people who showed up to its meeting on the mask mandate Friday , all but one opposed it .
He said he had not seen the cartoon .

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada
Postal Code


thetorontostar--2020-07-04--Bellagio error may be biggest sportsbook loss for Vegas

LAS VEGAS - The nearly quarter-million dollars in winning wagers reportedly placed at MGM Resorts last Sunday might be the largest sportsbook loss in Las Vegas history on bets made after an event has started .
Seven longtime Las Vegas bookmakers can ’ t recall a larger loss , the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports .
But each oddsmaker has taken hits on past posts and said it ’ s a fairly common occurrence at books .
According to an ESPN report , Sunday ’ s bets were allowed to be placed because incorrect start times were posted on some Korean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manual entry error .
Nearly all of the approximately 50 wagers were placed on self-serve kiosks at the Bellagio between 1:30 a.m. and 3 a.m. when the games in question started at 1 a.m. and 2 a.m .
Among the bets was a $ 250 10-leg parlay that paid more than $ 137,100 .
The Nevada Gaming Control Board is reportedly investigating the matter .
Anytime there is a dispute in excess of $ 500 , the state ’ s books are required to contact the board , which conducts an investigation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by .
“ It ’ s happened to all of us , ” Westgate sportsbook director John Murray said .
“ I think every sportsbook probably since the beginning of time has dealt with this at some point .
“ We ’ ve had past post situations where our employees put in the wrong time or put in the wrong number or they forgot to close something .
It ’ s manual entry and humans are going to make mistakes.
” Robert Walker , USBookmaking director of sportsbook operations , is still haunted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MGM Resorts sportsbook director from 1996-2008 .
“ I still haven ’ t gotten over some mistakes I made at The Mirage 20 years ago , ” he said .
“ There ’ s no worse feeling than when you see a bet come across on a game that ’ s already started .
“ I got lit up on some halftimes before .
If you don ’ t manually close out the halftime line , they keep betting it and that ’ s what they did.
” Walker said a college football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wager on Louisiana State late in the fourth quarter , when the bet couldn ’ t lose .
“ Once I saw that bet come across the ticker in the fourth quarter , I was mortified , ” he said .
The sportsbook locked out the ticket from cashing while Walker went to the MGM Grand to explain his mistake to the bettor .
“ He gave me the story that they didn ’ t know and they were LSU fans .
But yet you ’ re watching the game , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % my fault .
They were guests of the casino , so at that point I sided with them and it was a mistake we had to eat .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-04--Californians celebrate July 4 with virtual parades, masks

SAN FRANCISCO - As the coronavirus surges in the state , Californians celebrated Independence Day with virtual parades featuring photos of flag-draped front porches instead of pancake breakfasts and crowded festivities .
Meanwhile , law enforcement officers were out and about , reminding people to wear masks in public and turning away disappointed sun-seekers from beaches that were closed to discourage crowds for the holiday weekend .
California is in a make-or-break moment , with infection rates and hospitalizations rising sharply .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom this week ordered the three-week closures of bars , indoor restaurant dining areas and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties , including the two most populous , Los Angeles and San Diego .
The country ’ s recent reckoning with racial injustice also marked the day .
Demonstrators in San Jose created a Black Lives Matter mural while former Gov .
Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Twitter : “ Happy birthday , America .
Thank you for letting me live the American Dream .
We must fight every day to make sure that dream is as true for a Black child born in Minneapolis as it was for a white bodybuilder born in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows and limited or closed beaches , changes that appeared to successfully keep crowds at bay .
The beach closures that began Friday from Los Angeles County rolled northward through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties .
In Orange County , hugely popular beaches such as Huntington and Newport closed Saturday and Sunday .
Half Moon Bay on the Pacific Coast south of San Francisco set up barricades to prevent access to its beaches .
But determined beach-goers on Friday simply carried small children and gear over the blockades .
“ So our sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and down the coast , “ said Jessica Blair , communications director for the city .
“ It was just a revolving door of people climbing over the barricades , getting set up and getting kicked out.
” Seal Beach police Sgt .
Nick Nicholas said Saturday afternoon that people appeared to have gotten the message that beaches in Orange County were closed .
“ It ’ s been good so far .
We don ’ t see anybody on the beach , “ he said .
“ It looks like people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said the crowd size was “ the right amount.
“ On Saturday , California reported another 6,500 newly confirmed cases of coronavirus , bringing the state ’ s total to more than a quarter million cases .
The actual number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick .
Enforcement has been a touchy issue throughout the state .
The Southern California cities of West Hollywood and Santa Monica as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are enforcing mask mandates with tickets ranging from $ 100 to $ 300 for a first offence .
About 200 state inspectors that are part of new “ strike teams ” set up by Newsom are fanning out over the weekend to enforce rules — and encountered trouble in the Santa Clara County city of Morgan Hill .
At a news conference Saturday , Mayor Rich Constantine slammed the appropriateness of armed officers with the state ’ s Alcohol Beverage Control who visited at least a dozen restaurants Friday night and ordered them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know why the agents ordered the restaurants to close when they are allowed to operate outdoors .
The strike team did not cite anyone , but they were “ heavy-handed “ and did not explain what the restaurants were doing wrong , he said .
“ We can ’ t even get ahold of anybody in the governor ’ s office , and we ’ re the government , “ Constantine said .
“ The county attorney , our city attorney all have been trying to get an answer so we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ladera Grill owner Dan McCranie said it ’ s beyond frustrating that just as they ’ re starting to get customers back , “ these guys come up and say we can ’ t show you a rule or regulation but you will stop this.
“ In response , California ’ s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control said Saturday that the restaurants did not have permission from the state to open .
San Diego County beaches remained open and saw tens of thousands of visitors on Friday .
Many clustered in socially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ splashing in the shallows .
But lifeguards said not everyone was obeying public safety rules despite public address system reminders .
In San Jose , Mayor Sam Liccardo pleaded in a tweet Friday for the public to avoid crowds and maintain distance from people outside their household .
He was responding to a photo of a street packed with happy , socializing diners .
Authorities have warned that even ordinary gatherings of families and friends have been identified as sources of COVID-19 infections .
In remote Northern California , Lake County reported its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Humboldt County said Friday that about a quarter of its 144 cases were reported in the past two weeks .
“ This has been driven largely by residents gathering and visiting between households both locally and while travelling , as well as by illness occurring in the cannabis industry workforce , ” said Dr. Teresa Frankovich , the county health officer .
The state also is fighting an outbreak in its prisons .
The virus is suspected of killing another death row inmate Saturday at San Quentin State Prison , where about 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corrections officials said .
Dewayne Michael Carey , 59 , was pronounced deceased on Saturday , bringing the total number of COVID-related deaths of death row inmates at the Marin County prison to five .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .


thetorontostar--2020-07-04--Noose found at Johns Hopkins University construction site

BALTIMORE - Johns Hopkins University is investigating the discovery of a rope tied into a noose at a construction site in a building it owns off its Baltimore campus .
Johns Hopkins officials also notified federal authorities about what the university calls a potential hate crime , the Baltimore Sun reports .
“ Johns Hopkins University condemns this act of hate , ” President Ronald J. Daniels said in a message emailed to the university community Friday .
“ We find such racist imagery horrifying and repugnant and a direct threat to the Black community at Johns Hopkins and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the values of equity , justice , and humanity to which we are firmly committed.
” Representatives of general contractor Plano-Coudon told university officials Thursday that a noose had been found at a site in Baltimore where the firm is renovating a laboratory that is part of the university ’ s Whiting School of Engineering .
The university ’ s Office of Institutional Equity is investigating in co-ordination with the general contractor , Johns Hopkins spokeswoman Karen Lancaster said .
Lancaster said the company “ has offered its full co-operation and support.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior vice-president for administration and finance , said the school has shut down the construction site .
“ We take this matter extremely seriously , ” he said .
“ Acts like this have no place in our society .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-04--Phoenix to change ‘Robert E. Lee,’ ‘Squaw Peak’ street names

Phoenix officials are set to begin the process of changing the names of two streets — one seen as demeaning to indigenous Native American women and the other glorifying the Confederacy .
The Phoenix City Council voted unanimously this week to rename Squaw Peak Drive and Robert E. Lee Street .
In a letter to the city manager last month , Mayor Kate Gallego and Councilwoman Thelda Williams wrote squaw is a “ demeaning and degrading word.
“ Meanwhile , Lee represents historical institutions of racism and slavery , they said .
Patti Hibbeler , CEO of the Phoenix Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is long overdue for removal .
“ The s-word continues to be one that is highly derogatory and of the sexual nature to American Indian women , and one that continues to be used as a negative tool , as a weapon , to make us feel less than human , ” Hibbeler said .
The initiative to rename Squaw Peak Drive has been an ongoing issue for years .
Some residents opposed the change , saying they would have to change addresses on letterhead , bills and other important documents .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure that would give the city the right to re-name derogatory street names without residents ’ consent .
Councilman Sal DiCiccio , who voted against the 2017 policy , said he doesn ’ t oppose these street name changes , but the city should cover fees for residents affected .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s anyone ’ s fault in that neighbourhood or on that street that this has happened to them , ” DiCiccio said .
“ And I don ’ t think it ’ s fair for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay for any changes or anything else like that.
” The city Planning and Development Department will now gather comment from the U.S .
Postal Service and city departments like street transportation , police and fire .
The department must also mail an official first notice to affected residents and property owners in the next three weeks .
There will be at least four virtual public comment meetings , two related to each street .
The official move to change could get on the council ’ s agenda as early as October .


thetorontostar--2020-07-04--US holiday weekend adds to virus worries as case counts grow

ST. PETE BEACH , Fla. - Florida and Texas reported record daily increases in confirmed coronavirus cases Saturday , the latest sign that the virus is surging in many parts of the United States , casting a pall over Fourth of July celebrations .
Officials and health authorities warned people to take precautions or simply stay home on Independence Day , as confirmed cases are climbing in dozens of states .
The U.S. reported more than 50,000 confirmed cases on Saturday for the third day in a row , according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases — about a quarter of the 11 million worldwide infections , according to the tally , which is widely thought to understate the true toll , partially because of asymptomatic cases and limited testing .
More than 525,000 people have died around the globe .
While the rise in cases in the U.S. partly reflects expanded testing , experts say there is evidence that the virus is also spreading more as states reopen their economies .
Deaths have begun to rise in some states that have seen a surge in cases — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the coming weeks will be telling .
Still , some experts have expressed doubt that deaths will ever return to the peak of around 2,200 deaths per day , hit in mid-April , because of advances in treatment and because more young adults who are less vulnerable to serious complications are among those diagnosed recently .
In another worrying sign , the World Health Organization said member states reported more than 212,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world on Saturday , the highest single-day increase since the start of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60 % of the confirmed cases reports it received were in the Americas , which includes the United States and Brazil .
WHO ’ s count can differ from other global case tallies due to reporting delays .
The sobering updates came as local officials and health experts across the U.S. tried to minimize opportunities for the virus to continue spreading on a holiday weekend typically spent eating at backyard gatherings or crowding elbow-to-elbow to view parades and fireworks shows .
Many communities cancelled those events and cautioned people against gathering on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record daily increase of 8,258 confirmed coronavirus cases Saturday , is retreating from what had been one of the country ’ s swiftest reopenings .
Much of the state began mandating face coverings Friday , with a $ 250 fine for scofflaws .
In Florida , which reported 11,445 confirmed infections on Saturday , bars statewide are shut down and some regional attractions , such as Zoo Miami and Jungle Island , have closed .
Officials in South Florida — including in Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys — closed beaches through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained open .
At St. Pete Beach on the Gulf of Mexico , parking spaces were scarce Saturday afternoon and hundreds of people clustered in groups under umbrellas and in cabanas on the sand .
Deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff ’ s office patrolled on ATVs , telling folks they should stay with their own families or groups — and away from others .
Keisha Pereira came to the beach from Osceola County — more than 100 miles ( 160 kilometres ) inland — with her daughter and two other children and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from others .
She brought along hand sanitizer and masks in case they go anywhere other than the beach .
“ We ’ re going to stay with each other , “ she said .
” I feel pretty safe outside.
” In several of California ’ s tourism-focused counties , economic woes prompted campaigns to convince state residents to travel within its borders .
But public health experts and mayors of popular beach towns Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay have pleaded with people to stay home for the holiday .
Crista @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” since reopening the 14-room Boon Hotel and Spa that she owns in the Sonoma County town of Guerneville .
Guests must stay at least two nights and are assigned chaise lounges near the pool .
“ Tourism is not dangerous , ” Luedtke said .
“ I think people not following the rules is dangerous.
“ The holiday weekend coincides with a big step back this week for California ’ s efforts to reopen the state ’ s economy .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered a three-week closure of bars and many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to about three-quarters of the state ’ s population .
Law enforcement workers turned away disappointed sun-seekers from some beaches that have been closed to discourage large crowds .
Local efforts to discourage holiday gatherings are in stark contrast to President Donald Trump ’ s weekend agenda , including a fireworks display Friday night at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota and Saturday ’ s “ Salute for America ” celebration with a presidential speech on the White House South Lawn and an enormous fireworks display in downtown Washington .
In Britain on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pubs and barbers reopened for the first time in months .
But other countries continued to report record highs in new confirmed cases , including South Africa and India .
In Australia and northeast Spain , authorities ordered lockdowns for specific counties or communities aimed at stomping out increases in cases .
Authorities in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba said they are collecting about 17 bodies per day during the pandemic .
Relatives of one apparent victim of the virus left his coffin in the street for several hours on Saturday to protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Col. Iván Rojas said the demand “ is collapsing the police personnel and funeral workers ” in the city of some 630,000 people .
The Andean nation has reported nearly 37,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 1,300 deaths .
Associated Press writer Tamara Lush reported this story in St. Pete Beach , Fla. ; AP writer Kim Chandler reported from Montgomery , Ala. ; and AP writer Kathleen Foody reported from Chicago .
AP writers around the world contributed to this report .
This story was updated to correct that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 54,000 , not 52,300 .

Tamara Lush, Kim Chandler And Kathleen Foody - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-04--Florida sees record number of coronavirus cases in one day

ST. PETERSBURG , Fla. - The Fourth of July holiday weekend began Saturday with some sobering numbers in the Sunshine State : Florida logged a record number of people testing positive for the coronavirus .
State health officials reported 11,445 new cases , a single-day record .
The latest count brings the total number of cases in the state to 190,052 .
A website maintained by the Department of Health shows an additional 245 hospitalizations from the outbreak .
More than 3,700 people in Florida have died .
Local officials and health experts are worried that people will gather over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus through close contact .
They ’ ve tried to mitigate spread by shutting bars statewide .
Some regional attractions , such as Zoo Miami and Jungle Island , have closed .
Universal Studios in Orlando is open .
Mayor Carlos Gimenez closed Miami-Dade County beaches through the July 4 holiday weekend .
Municipalities elsewhere in South Florida , from Vero Beach to Broward County , did the same .
Beaches in the Florida Keys are also closed .
Public beaches along Pinellas County ’ s 35 miles of sand are open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Miami-Dade County has increased from 61 two weeks ago to 158 on Saturday , according to Miami-Dade figures posted by the county online .
The highest number of patients on ventilators was 198 , on April 9 .
On St. Pete Beach on Saturday afternoon , parking spaces were scarce as people flocked to the wide strip of sand on the Gulf of Mexico .
On the beach , hundreds of people clustered in groups under umbrellas and in cabanas .
Deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff ’ s Office patrolled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay with their own families or groups and away from others .
“ We ’ re going to social distance , ” said Keisha Pereira , who came to the beach from Osceola County , closer to Orlando .
She was with her daughter and two other children and said they were armed with hand sanitizer and masks in case they decide to go anywhere other than the beach .
“ We ’ re going to stay with each other .
I feel pretty safe outside.
” In Jupiter , along Florida ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boats to enjoy the Fourth of July on the water .
Kim Stone , a Jupiter resident , said she was happy to be outdoors .
“ I think it ’ s great .
Family , friends get some fresh air with everything that ’ s going on in our country , ” she said .
“ We are doing our social distancing like we ’ re supposed to be .
… It ’ s nice after quarantining for so long and afraid to go anywhere .
You can ’ t get better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water.
” In Orlando , a week before the first of Walt Disney World ’ s theme parks are set to reopen for the first time since March , three firefighters for the theme park resort ’ s private government have tested positive for COVID-19 , union officials said Saturday .
As many as 10 other firefighters for the Reedy Creek Improvement District are in quarantine , said Tim Stromsnes , an official with the Reedy Creek Fire Rescue IAFF Local 211 .
Firefighters are upset since they are expected to use up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , instead of getting paid time off .
They also said Disney ’ s private government has done a poor job of communicating their coronavirus-related policies and informing other firefighters about their sick colleagues .
“ They can ’ t manage COVID in the fire department .
How is Reedy Creek going to protect visitors ?
” Stromsnes said .
The Reedy Creek Fire Department has under 140 firefighters .
The Reedy Creek firefighters have some of the most generous benefits in Florida , with 20 days of sick leave which translates into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week , said Eryka Washington , a spokeswoman for the Reedy Creek Improvement District .
The district has had an infectious disease protocol in place predating the pandemic and firefighters and paramedics have been trained in it , she said .
Two theme parks , Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom , are set to reopen next Saturday for the first time since coronavirus-related closures in March .
The resort ’ s two other theme parks , Epcot and Hollywood Studios , are opening four days later .
Follow AP coverage of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Tamara Lush And Cody Jackson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-04--Bolsonaro, others shun masks at July 4 celebration in Brazil

BRASILIA , Brazil - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attended a U.S .
Independence Day celebration in Brazil ’ s capital Saturday at which participants declined to wear face masks , one day after he vetoed obligatory use of masks in private settings .
Bolsonaro shared photos on social media of himself , four Cabinet ministers , other top aides and U.S .
Ambassador Todd Chapman , none of whom were wearing masks despite being in close quarters .
Health experts recommend social distancing and wearing masks to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus .
Bolsonaro on Friday vetoed clauses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brazilians to wear masks at churches , schools , shops , factories and private gatherings , but approved their obligatory use on the street and public transport .
An outspoken admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump , Bolsonaro has made tighter relations with the U.S. the cornerstone of his foreign policy since assuming office Jan. 1 , 2019 .
He attended the U.S. Embassy ’ s Fourth of July celebration last year , breaking with the custom of Brazilian presidents avoiding visits to foreign embassies in the capital , Brasilia .
On Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. holiday : “ I also want to greet my friend @ realDonaldTrump for the courageous speech he delivered yesterday .
Those were the words of a great statesman .
May the legacy and the values of the Founders of this great nation endure and be kept from the evil intentions of radicals.
” Bolsonaro ’ s downplaying of the coronavirus outbreak and his rejection of local restrictions to curb spreading the virus became part of a heated , politicized debate .
He took part in street demonstrations after the federal Health Ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly appeared in public without a mask .
Brazil , the world ’ s sixth most populous nation , with more than 210 million people , is one of the global hot spots of the pandemic .
There have been more than 1.5 million confirmed cases and 64,265 deaths , according to Health Ministry data .
Both are thought to be undercounts due to insufficient testing .
In light of the pandemic , the U.S. Embassy cancelled its customary July 4th celebration in Brasilia this year and instead broadcast a ceremony online .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about why Bolsonaro , the ambassador and others weren ’ t wearing masks , the embassy said in an emailed statement that the meeting was private .
Bolsonaro ’ s visit with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in March set off alarm bells once multiple members of the Brazilian delegation were diagnosed with coronavirus infections , including one who was photographed alongside Trump .


thetorontostar--2020-07-04--Feds: Friend supplied bottles to NYPD fire bomb suspect

NEW YORK - Federal authorities arrested a man Saturday they say supplied glass bottles to a woman charged with hurling a Molotov cocktail at an occupied New York City police vehicle during unrest after George Floyd ’ s death .
In court papers , prosecutors said Tim Amerman admitted to law enforcement agents that he invited Samantha Shader to take bottles from his recycling bin as she headed to the protests on May 29 , but didn ’ t think she ’ d be using them to create an incendiary device .
Amerman , 29 , of Saugerties , New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks , rope , plastic baggies , marijuana and $ 10 in gas money , and that she took a hammer from his tool bucket , according to prosecutors .
Amerman is charged with civil disorder and civil disorder conspiracy .
He was ordered jailed following an initial court appearance Saturday in Albany and is due back in court Monday for a hearing to move the case to Brooklyn .
If convicted , he faces up to 10 years in prison .
Information on a lawyer who could comment on his behalf wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 , of Catskill , is accused of tossing a Molotov cocktail at an NYPD van during at-times violent protests in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn , days after Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis .
A bystander who was recording video of the incident picked up the bottle and gave it to police , prosecutors said .
It was an old Bulleit bourbon bottle .
Amerman , who works as a painter , told investigators that ’ s his preferred brand of bourbon , prosecutors said .
The device shattered two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ none of the four officers in the vehicle were seriously injured .
Shader was arrested within days of the incident and has been jailed since .
Shader ’ s sister faces state charges for allegedly jumping on a police officer ’ s back and attempting to stop the arrest .
In an interview with law enforcement agents , prosecutors said Shader admitted throwing the Molotov cocktail , but falsely claimed she was given the bottle by a Black man she encountered on the street .
Authorities learned it was Amerman who allegedly supplied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the car that Shader took to meet a friend so they could carpool to the protest , prosecutors said .
“ I found a few more glass bottles Than I thought I had , Though still not many , ” said the note , which prosecutors said bore Amerman ’ s fingerprints .
Prosecutors contend some of Amerman ’ s social media posts indicate he supports rioting and related criminal activity , such as one Shader said she also shared that states Black people “ have every right to burn down a country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with another user on Facebook the night of the firebomb attack , Amerman said he passed on an invitation to join the protests but “ kitted out some others , ” prosecutors said .
Associated Press writer Karen Matthews contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-04--Police: Texas officers fatally shoot man who shot his wife

IRVING , Texas - Police in a Dallas suburb shot and killed a man Saturday after he reportedly shot his wife and opened fire on the officers , a police spokeswoman said .
Officers in Irving responded to a call before 10 a.m. from a woman who said her husband shot her , Investigator Ariel Esparza said in a statement .
The man had left by the time the officers arrived at the home in a residential part of the city about 12 miles ( 19 kilometres ) northwest of downtown Dallas .
Police searched the area and found the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property , Esparza said .
The officers announced themselves while entering the backyard , she said , and then both the man and the officers began shooting .
The man was pronounced dead at the scene , while the woman was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries , Esparza said .
None of the officers involved were hurt .
Esparza did not say who fired first nor provide the names of any of the people involved .
She said the investigation of the shooting is in its early stages and @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--7-year-old girl among 5 killed in July 4 Chicago shootings

CHICAGO - A 7-year-old girl at a family party and a teenage boy were among five people shot and killed in Chicago on the Fourth of July , police said .
In one shooting , just before midnight Saturday , four males opened fire on a large gathering in the street in the Englewood neighbourhood , police spokesman Tom Ahern said .
Two males died at the scene and two more , including a 14-year-old boy , died at a hospital , Ahern said .
Four others were injured ; One is in critical condition and the other three are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The four attackers fled the scene .
No one was arrested .
The 7-year-old girl was fatally shot in the head while standing on the sidewalk at her grandmother ’ s house during a Fourth of July party around 7 p.m. in the Austin neighbourhood , police said .
Suspects got out of a car and began shooting , police said .
No one was has been arrested .
“ Tonight , a 7-year-old girl in Austin joined a list of teenagers and children whose hopes and dreams were ended by the barrel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lightfoot said on Twitter late Saturday .
“ As a city , we must wrap our arms around our youth so they understand there ’ s a future for them that isn ’ t wrapped up in gun violence.
” A 32-year-old man was injured in the shooting and was in fair condition .
The shootings this weekend that killed young people followed tragedy the weekend before when victims included a 1-year-old boy riding in a car with his mother and a 10-year-old girl who was inside her home when a bullet fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struck her in the head as she sat on a couch .
In response to violence that has occurred since Memorial Day weekend , police said they would have 1,200 extra officers on the streets for this holiday weekend .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Facebook groups pivot to attacks on Black Lives Matter

CHICAGO - A loose network of Facebook groups that took root across the country in April to organize protests over coronavirus stay-at-home orders has become a hub of misinformation and conspiracies theories that have pivoted to a variety of new targets .
Their latest : Black Lives Matter and the nationwide protests of racial injustice .
These groups , which now boast a collective audience of more than 1 million members , are still thriving after most states started lifting virus restrictions .
And many have expanded their focus .
One group transformed itself last month from “ Reopen California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Order , ” with recent posts mocking Black Lives Matter or changing the slogan to “ White Lives Matter.
“ Members have used profane slurs to refer to Black people and protesters , calling them “ animals , ” “ racist ” and “ thugs ” — a direct violation of Facebook ’ s hate speech standards .
Others have become gathering grounds for promoting conspiracy theories about the protests , suggesting protesters were paid to go to demonstrations and that even the death of George Floyd , an unarmed Black man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police , was staged .
An Associated Press review of the most recent posts in 40 of these Facebook groups — most of which were launched by conservative groups or pro-gun activists — found the conversations largely shifted last month to attacking the nationwide protests over the killing of Black men and women after Floyd ’ s death .
Facebook users in some of these groups post hundreds of times a day in threads often seen by members only and shielded from public view .
“ Unless Facebook is actively looking for disinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unnoticed for a long time and they will grow , ” said Joan Donovan , the research director at the Harvard Kennedy School ’ s Shorenstein Center on Media , Politics , and Public Policy .
“ Over time , people will drag other people into them and they will continue to organize.
” Facebook said it is aware of the collection of reopen groups , and is using technology as well as relying on users to identify problematic posts .
The company has vowed in the past to look for material that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as in public places on its site .
But the platform has not always been able to deliver on that promise .
Shortly after the groups were formed , they were rife with coronavirus misinformation and conspiracy theories , including assertions that masks are “ useless , ” the U.S. government intends to forcibly vaccinate people and that COVID-19 is a hoax intended to hurt President Donald Trump ’ s re-election chances this fall .
Posts in these private groups are less likely to be scrutinized by Facebook or its independent fact-checkers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlets around the world , including The Associated Press , to fact check claims on its site .
Members in these private groups have created an echo chamber and tend to agree with the posts , so are therefore less likely to flag them for Facebook or fact-checkers to review , Donovan added .
At least one Facebook group , ReOpen PA , asked its 105,000 members to keep the conversation focused on reopening businesses and schools in Pennsylvania , and implemented rules to forbid posts about the racial justice protests as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks .
But most others have not moderated their pages as closely .
For example , some groups in New Jersey , Texas and Ohio have labeled systemic racism a hoax .
A member of the California Facebook group posted a widely debunked flyer that says “ White men , women and children , you are the enemy , “ which was falsely attributed to Black Lives Matter .
Another falsely claimed that a Black man was brandishing a gun outside the St. Louis mansion where a white couple confronted protesters with firearms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the groups have pushed an unsubstantiated theory that liberal billionaire George Soros is paying crowds to attend racial justice protests .
Facebook members in two groups — Wisconsinites Against Excessive Quarantine and Ohioans Against Excessive Quarantine — also regularly refer to protesters as “ animals , ” “ thugs , ” or “ paid “ looters .
In the Ohio group , one user wrote on May 31 : “ The focus is shifted from the voice of free people rising up against tyranny ... to lawless thugs from a well known racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Those two pages are part of a network of groups in Ohio , Wisconsin , Minnesota , New York and Pennsylvania created by conservative activist Ben Dorr , who has for years raised money to lobby on hot-button conservative issues like abortion or gun rights .
Their latest cause — pushing for governors to reopen their states — has attracted hundreds of thousands of followers in the private Facebook groups they launched .
Private groups that balloon to that size , with little oversight , are like “ creepy basements ” where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said disinformation researcher Nina Jankowicz , a fellow at the nonpartisan Wilson Center , a Washington , D.C. , think-tank .
“ It ’ s sort of a way that the platforms are enabling some of the worst actors to stay on it , ” said Jankowicz .
“ Rather than being de-platformed — they can organize .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--1 of 2 protesters hit by car on closed Seattle highway dies

SEATTLE - A car drove onto a closed freeway early Saturday and struck two people in a crowd protesting against police brutality , killing one and critically injuring the other , authorities said .
Summer Taylor , 24 , of Seattle died in the evening at Harborview Medical Center , spokesperson Susan Gregg said .
Taylor and Diaz Love , 32 , of Portland , Oregon , were hit by the car that barrelled through a panicked crowd of protesters on Interstate 5 early Saturday morning , officials said .
Dawit Kelete of Seattle drove the car around vehicles that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd about 1:40 a.m. , according to a police report released by the Washington State Patrol .
Video taken at the scene by protesters showed people shouting “ Car !
Car !
” before fleeing the roadway .
Love is in serious condition in the intensive care unit , Harborview , Gregg said .
Love was filming the protest in a nearly two-hour-long Facebook livestream captioned “ Black Femme March takes I-5 ” when the video ended abruptly ; with about 15 seconds left , shouts of “ Car !
” can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before screeching tires and the sound of impact are heard .
A graphic video posted on social media showed the white Jaguar racing toward a group of protesters who are standing behind several parked cars , set up for protection .
The car swerves around the other vehicles and slams into the two protesters , sending them flying into the air .
The driver , who was alone , fled the scene after hitting the protesters , Trooper Chase Van Cleave told The Associated Press .
One of the other protesters got in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a mile .
He was able to stop him by pulling his car in front of the Jaguar , Van Cleave said .
Troopers arrived , and the driver was put in custody , Washington State Patrol Capt .
Ron Mead said .
Kelete was described by offices as reserved and sullen when he was arrested , according to court documents .
He also asked if the pedestrians were OK , the documents say .
Kelete was booked into the King County Correctional Facility on Saturday morning on two counts of vehicular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge found probable cause to hold Kelete on an investigation of vehicular assault .
He faces a second court hearing on Monday at which the judge will determine if he can be released on bail , according to court documents .
It was not immediately clear if Kelete had an attorney who could speak on his behalf .
Officials were trying to determine the motive as well as where he got onto the interstate , which had been closed by the state patrol for more than an hour before the protesters were hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wrong way on a ramp .
Trooper Rick Johnson said the driver went through a barrier that closed the freeway .
Troopers did not know whether it was a targeted attack , but impairment was not considered a factor , Mead said .
Kelete has a Seattle address .
He is listed in public records as a student who attended Washington State University between 2011 and 2017 majoring in business and commerce .
His enrolment status could not be confirmed because the university was closed Saturday .
The Washington State Patrol said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t allow protesters to enter I-5 and would arrest pedestrians on the freeway .
Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest following the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis , which sparked nationwide protests .
Dozens of people were arrested this past week in connection with protests as demonstrations continue after authorities cleared the “ Capitol Hill Occupied Protest ” zone Wednesday morning .
Protesters had shut down the interstate for 19 days in a row , Mead said at a press conference .
The State Patrol responded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep drivers and protesters safe .
“ In a time that requires care and flexibility , we are exercising the safest means possible to avoid injuries or worse to motorists , protesters , WSDOT personnel and our troopers by closing the roadway and separating protesters from vehicular traffic , “ Chief John Batiste said in a statement on June 27 , responding to complaints about the road closures .
Mead emphasized that the freeway is “ simply not a safe place “ for pedestrians , and said he hoped protesters would cease what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocking the interstate .
“ My hope is , as a result of this tragedy , protesters will reconsider their desire to be on the interstate because I can not guarantee their safety , plain and simple , ” Mead said .
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said the city stands beside the friends and family of the victims .
“ No one should risk their life for demanding better from our city , state and country , ” Durkan said on Twitter .
Protesters were on the freeway for more than an hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 1:36 a.m. , Mead said .
The state patrol tweeted out two pictures of the driver ’ s car with significant damage to its bumper and windshield .
Seattle police tweeted that they were assisting .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Ethiopian police patrol Oromia area and capital after unrest

ADDIS ABABA , Ethiopia - Ethiopian police were patrolling the country ’ s troubled Oromia region and the capital , Addis Ababa , on Sunday , following a week of unrest in which 166 people were killed and more than 2,000 arrested , after a popular singer was shot dead .
In Oromia , 145 civilians and 11 members of security forces were killed , Girma Gelam , deputy police commissioner in the region , told the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate .
Another 10 people were killed in the capital , eight of them civilians .
The internet was cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests and made it difficult for rights monitors to track the scores of killings .
More than 2,280 people were arrested in Oromia and Addis Ababa , said police .
Arrests included that of a well-known Oromo activist , Jawar Mohammed , and more than 30 supporters .
It is not clear what charges they might face .
The Oromo make up Ethiopia ’ s largest ethnic group but had never held the country ’ s top political post until Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018 .
The arrest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation even worse , ” Human Rights Watch has said .
The unrest erupted after popular singer Hachalu Hundessa was killed .
He had been a prominent voice in anti-government protests that led to Abiy coming to power .
The singer was buried Thursday in a ceremony shown on national television .
The new disturbances amount to the prime minister ’ s greatest domestic test since he took office , say analysts .
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for dramatic reforms , including welcoming home once-banned exile groups .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ open political space have been used by some Ethiopians to air ethnic and other grievances .
At times it has led to deadly violence , and human rights groups have accused security forces of abuses .
Speaking about the week of unrest , Abiy said he had recently extended an offer of peace to dissidents , but they have “ taken up arms ” in revolt against the government in a week .
Those who participate “ in the destruction of the nation can not be considered guardians of the nation , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a moment when people need to pause and de-escalate , ” said Murithi Mutiga , project director for the Horn of Africa with the International Crisis Group .
He cited a series of challenges in Ethiopia including an armed insurgency in parts of the country and tension over the timing of the next election .
The government recently delayed the vote , citing the coronavirus pandemic .
“ This is not the first but one in a long line of grave provocations by an actor not yet identified , ” Mutiga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course of action is to strive to create an atmosphere of reconciliation and dialogue.
” The past week appears to be the most serious challenge yet to Ethiopia ’ s transition to multifaceted democracy , Mutiga said .
“ Thankfully , the situation seems to have calmed down in Addis and parts of Oromia but the scale of the violence , the degree of grievance witnessed on the streets and the danger of instability was quite high .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Trump Cabinet members look to reassure battleground voters

TALLAHASSEE , Fla. - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue tromped through a strawberry festival in central Florida , detailing the government ’ s new trade pact .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talked about foreign policy at a roundtable in south Florida .
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler toured parts of Michigan and Wisconsin , where he boasted of the Trump administration ’ s efforts to clean up the Great Lakes .
And just this past week , Interior Secretary David Bernhardt was listed as a headliner along with White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway , Donald Trump Jr. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top fundraiser for the president , at an event in Rapid City , South Dakota , where tickets prices started at $ 250 , according to an independent watchdog group , Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility .
With President Donald Trump confronted by skyrocketing joblessness and the coronavirus pandemic as he campaigns for reelection against Democrat Joe Biden , members of his Cabinet are busy making time in pivotal states .
They are carrying a message to voters about what the Trump administration is doing for them .
At the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heads are running afoul of a law meant to bar overt campaigning by federal officials on the taxpayer tab .
These are states in renewed focus after Trump ’ s narrow 2016 victory .
Recent polls in states such as Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania show Biden leading .
The lesson of four years ago is crucial , though .
Nearly every poll in the three states showed Democrat Hillary Clinton ahead of Republican Trump , before Trump ’ s base came together in the final weeks of the campaign .
Cabinet-level leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 times this year .
Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin and Arizona have also seen visits from agency and administration chiefs discussing federal funding and initiatives for local interests — and talking up Trump .
Trump is hoping for an energized base to buoy his prospects for a second term .
His recent rhetoric seems to reflect that strategy , as he stokes divides over racial injustice and the coronavirus outbreak .
It can be hard to spot any local impact that a housing or a health secretary may have on a presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there can be an effect , said Aubrey Jewett , a political science professor at the University of Central Florida , who has been studying presidential politics in the battleground state .
Cabinet secretaries usually “ aren ’ t generating the same kind of buzz .
But it doesn ’ t mean that what they do is not important both for policy and also politics for their president , ” Jewett said .
A Trump campaign spokesperson did not respond to questions about the Cabinet members ’ trips .
Biden campaign spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focusing on “ scoring political points , not delivering for the people they work for .
With COVID-19 raging unchecked , more than 17 million Americans unemployed , and our country divided , it ’ s shameful that Trump ’ s Cabinet is campaigning on the taxpayer ’ s dime instead of doing their jobs.
” A Washington bigwig showing up with assurances on federal policies most vital to Orlando , Florida , or Milwaukee is usually enough to earn an administration a wave of favourable comments , columns and tweets from local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when Perdue went to the strawberry festival in Plant City , in central Florida ’ s Interstate 4 corridor , he talked about the new U.S. trade pact with Mexico and Canada , and spoke of the importance of the farming community .
Afterward , the president of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association , Kenneth Parker , said he was appreciative of “ the administration ’ s commitment ... to move forward in helping us in ways to compete.
” When the EPA ’ s Wheeler was in Michigan and Wisconsin last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a friend of an initiative to clean up the Great Lakes .
Never mind Trump ’ s repeated attempts to kill money for the Obama-era program .
GOP lawmakers persuaded Trump , while riding to a Michigan rally last year , to ease up on trying to starve the Great Lakes effort , which is popular across the region , and champion it instead .
“ Let ’ s just say we were happy to see him come around on that , ” said Laura Rubin of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And so this spring and summer , Wheeler and the EPA boast of millions of dollars the agency has doled out for Great Lakes regional projects such as cleaning up toxic sites and curbing farm nutrient runoff that feeds harmful algae blooms .
Wheeler drew praise during the visits from Republican members of Congress and leaders of business groups .
Notably absent were environmentalists , who accused Trump and Wheeler , a former coal lobbyist , of taking credit for actions by previous administrations and ignoring Trump ’ s gutting of environmental and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the road to talk up a president ’ s record in an election year is a political norm .
Donald K. Sherman , deputy director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington watchdog group , said it can be tough to track the officials closely enough to know whether they are sticking to the Hatch Act , which is meant to bar obvious campaigning by federal officials with taxpayer money .
But with the White House rejecting recommendations from the Office of Special Counsel to presidential adviser Conway for violating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down Democrats , Sherman said he is not sure Trump Cabinet members deserve the benefit of the doubt when it comes to staying within the law on their stops in select states .
“ It ’ s obvious that the administration is doing this for a political reason , ” Sherman said .
“ What ’ s not obvious is if they ’ re doing this within the contours of the law or outside of it.
” Interior Department spokesmen did not respond to questions this past week about the Rapid City event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernhardt helped open for Trump at a fireworks show at Mount Rushmore , Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility said .
It was unclear whether the Trump campaign or the federal government paid for Bernhardt ’ s costs on the trip .
Asked about Hatch Act compliance overall before the latest event , department spokesman Nicholas Goodwin said , “ No campaign related activities have taken place on any official travel.
” Spokespeople for two Cabinet-level agencies , the Interior Department and the EPA , did not specifically answer questions about whether they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s advisers or with his campaign staff .
They said administration officials are doing their job by travelling and are not favouring any areas .
Wheeler ’ s recent visits “ have coincided with important agency announcements that positively impact their respective region , ” EPA spokesman James Hewitt said in an email .
Knickmeyer reported from Oklahoma City and Flesher from Traverse City , Mich. Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report from Washington .

Bobby Caina Calvan, Ellen Knickmeyer And John Flesher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Croatia parliamentary race close as virus spikes

ZAGREB , Croatia - Amid a spike of new coronavirus cases , voters in Croatia cast ballots on Sunday in what is expected be a close parliamentary race that could push the latest European Union member state further to the right .
The ballot is expected to produce no clear winner as neither the ruling conservatives nor their main liberal opponents appeared set to win a majority in the 151-member parliament .
This means that a newcomer right-wing party led by a popular folk singer could play a key role in the future government .
Miroslav Skoro ’ s Homeland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over some of his staunchly hard-line and nationalist views .
Skoro ’ s party is believed to have chipped away votes from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union , a conservative party that has dominated the political scene in Croatia since the independence in 1991 .
The HDZ is bidding for reelection while faced with a renewed surge in virus cases that followed reopening of the country ’ s borders and easing of lockdown rules .
Croatia is struggling to salvage its main source of revenue — tourism along the Adriatic Sea coast .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader , Andrej Plenkovic , said upon voting on Sunday that anti-virus recommendations are being respected and urged people to come out to vote .
“ Democracy means that citizens get to have their say , and today is such a moment when we all get to meet the will of the people , “ Plenkovic said .
“ I ’ m looking forward to the choice made by our citizens and also to continue working for the benefit of Croatia.
” A country of 4.2 million people , Croatia has kept the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 113 deaths and some 3,100 confirmed infections .
But Plenkovic was criticized over an outbreak at a tennis tournament organized by top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the coastal town of Zadar .
Plenkovic ’ s main opponents are Restart coalition led by the centre-left Social Democratic Party , the main liberal group .
They say the government is plagued by corruption and voters should choose a new beginning if they want the country to move forward .
“ Today your future is being decided , the fate of your families will be decided , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” SDP leader Davor Bernardic said .
“ Every vote counts .
Do not throw away your vote , and don ’ t let somebody else decide for you .
We offered a clear alternative , a clear direction , and a clear vision of the future.
” Right-wing Skoro also called for a change , saying that “ today voters decide and politicians wait in anticipation.
“ “ I hope that voters will come out in large numbers and I hope that they will make a right decision and that after this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we all expect , “ he said .
Restart could also ally with a new green-left alliance further on the left , if they gain enough seats .
The group led by Mozemo , or We Can , party is strong mostly in the capital Zagreb but not so much in other parts of Croatia .
Some 3.8 million people are eligible to vote but analysts say virus fears could keep many at home .
Voters have been advised to take own temperature and stay away if they have a fever .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wear a mask .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Hospitality industry may suffer from foreign visa suspension

KALISPELL , Mont .
- After hosting exchange students from all over the world for the last 15 years , Whitefish resident Sue Moll will have a much quieter house this ski season .
Every year , Moll hosts foreign J-1 visa workers who travel to the U.S. to work at Whitefish Mountain Resort ( WMR ) as part of a cultural exchange , but the resort won ’ t be able to hire those employees for the 2020-2021 season .
After the Trump administration suspended some foreign worker visas until at least the end of the year , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses in the Flathead Valley ’ s hospitality industry will not be able to utilize foreign workers that they typically hire seasonally .
“ We ’ ve had kids from Peru , Chile and Brazil , and we ’ ve learned so much about their cultures through them , ” Moll said .
Moll and Jan Metzmaker both run the informal host program that recruits families around Whitefish to host the workers , and Moll says they never have a problem finding hosts for the students .
Every season , WMR hires 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to fill positions in housekeeping , back-of-house and food and beverage , jobs that are typically unattractive to Americans and difficult to fill .
“ When you have a student here for a cultural exchange , they ’ re not going after that job because that ’ s the job they want , ” WMR spokesperson Riley Polumbus said .
“ They ’ re going after that job because it ’ s part of their cultural exchange.
” While summer operations are running smoothly since the summer J-1 workers had already arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is concerned about the 2020-2021 ski season .
The busy winter typically relies on roughly 500 employees , while the summer season only requires about 200 .
Polumbus worries that without J-1 workers in the winter , WMR will miss out on cultural diversity and face hiring challenges for those hard-to-fill positions .
WMR must now figure out how to recruit Americans to fill them .
But if managers can ’ t staff food and beverage or housekeeping positions that J-1 workers usually fill , Polumbus says the resort might have to cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limiting menus or hours and could also affect lodging .
Jeremy Sage , an economist and associate director for the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana , says hospitality businesses that rely on J-1 workers will probably suffer from the visa suspension and will likely have to limit services if they can not find employees .
“ That can have a negative impact on the attractiveness of Montana , ” Sage said .
“ As a tourism location , if they ’ re not finding employees , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Montana had 2,844 J-1 workers with 182 within the 59937 zip code , which includes Whitefish , and 205 in zip code 59912 , where Xanterra ’ s offices are located , according to J-1 state data .
Xanterra , a park and resort management company that operates in national parks , also relies on J-1 visa workers .
While the company ’ s Glacier branch didn ’ t hire any J-1 workers this summer due to COVID-19 , Andy Stiles , general manager of Xanterra-operated Glacier National Park Lodges , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers .
In a normal season , they would hire up to 700 employees , but this season they only have about 350 total .
“ We enjoy utilizing ( the program ) in general because it ’ s been great for both the students and our employees making those connections and having that exposure to different cultures , ” Stiles said .
“ And we depend heavily on them to make operations work.
” As Montana ’ s economy recovers from coronavirus shutdowns , Sage says there will likely be a high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the visa suspensions are still in place , many businesses will struggle to find employees .
“ These are jobs traditionally not filled by U.S. workers , ” Sage said .
“ There ’ s a need to reach out to these participants to have a sufficient number of applicants in the pool.
” Since WMR started participating in the J-1 program 15 years ago , Polumbus says this is the first ski season they will not have foreign workers .
“ It ’ s a pretty cool cultural exchange , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how isolated we are up here in Northwest Montana … in terms of cultural exchange , it ’ s a neat way to meet other people from other countries .
That ’ s kind of a tragic loss in that respect .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Democrats, Biden look to accelerate Southern political shift

ATLANTA - From Mississippi retiring its state flag to local governments removing Confederate statues from public spaces , a bipartisan push across the South is chipping away at reminders of the Civil War and Jim Crow segregation .
Now , during a national reckoning on racism , Democratic Party leaders want those symbolic changes to become part of a fundamental shift at the ballot box .
Many Southern electorates are getting younger , less white and more urban , and thus less likely to embrace President Donald Trump ’ s white identity politics .
Southern Democrats are pairing a demographically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressional offices with presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden , a 77-year-old white man they believe can appeal to what remains perhaps the nation ’ s most culturally conservative region .
“ There ’ s so much opportunity for everyone in this region , ” said Jaime Harrison , Democratic challenger to South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and a 44-year-old Black man .
Decades of economic development have coaxed new residents to the area .
That includes white people from other parts of the country , Black families returning generations after the Great Migration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a growing Latino population .
Harrison noted that even younger native Southerners , Black and white , are less wed to hard-partisan identities than their parents and grandparents were .
“ Sometimes we get held back by leadership that ’ s still anchored in old ways , ” Harrison said .
But “ all of these changes are starting to move the dynamics in so many communities .
… That ’ s not to say we ’ re forgetting our past .
But it won ’ t be the thing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November elections will determine the extent of the change , with competitive races in the South affecting the presidency , U.S. Senate control and the balance of power in statehouses from Raleigh , North Carolina , to Austin , Texas .
Democratic victories would redefine policy fights over expanding health insurance access and overhauling criminal justice procedures , among other matters .
The general election is also critical because voters will elect the state lawmakers who will draw legislative and congressional boundaries after the 2020 census .
Republicans , for the most part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats to frame 2020 as a redefining year .
Still , they acknowledge obvious shifts that began with suburban growth in northern Virginia and extended southward down the coastline and westward to Texas .
“ North Carolina , Georgia , Texas – these are becoming real two-party states , ” said Republican pollster Brent Buchanan , whose firm , Cygnal , aides GOP campaigns across the country .
Biden ’ s campaign manager , Jen O ’ Malley Dillon , talks eagerly of “ an expanded map ” that puts North Carolina and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Great Lakes states that sent Trump to the White House .
Georgia and Texas , she adds , will be tighter than they ’ ve been in decades .
Buchanan said GOP-run state House chambers in Georgia and Texas are up for grabs , as are Republican U.S. Senate seats in North Carolina , Georgia and perhaps Texas .
Senate contests in South Carolina , Alabama and Mississippi could be much closer than typical statewide races in those Deep South states .
“ Georgia and the South are changing faster than most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former Georgia lawmaker and state party chair .
“ That was happening before Trump , ” Porter said , but the president “ has accelerated it.
” True two-party states in the Old Confederacy — at least beyond Florida and occasionally North Carolina — would be relatively newfound .
For generations after post-Civil War Reconstruction , the “ Solid South ” was uniformly Democratic , white voters ’ visceral rejection of President Abraham Lincoln ’ s Republican Party .
Beginning with the 1960s civil rights movement , most whites drifted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barack Obama ’ s two terms as the first Black president .
More than party identity , the common controlling force was white cultural conservatism .
“ Voters align first on principles , then on policy , ” Buchanan said .
Democrats see Biden as a party leader who can put a metro-based coalition over the top by mitigating margins beyond big cities and suburbs .
“ Biden is a safe vessel for these ( white ) voters who might have been OK with Trump when everything ’ s going well , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader who ’ ll do the right thing , ” said Zac McCrary , a Democratic pollster based in Alabama and whose firm is aligned with Biden ’ s campaign .
If Biden manages the feat , it would bridge the Southern appeals of the last three Democratic presidents .
Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were native Southerners who , with whiter , less urban electorates , attracted white moderates and Black voters .
Carter , for example , styled himself a racial progressive , yet courted Alabama Gov .
George Wallace , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary .
Carter won across the South .
Clinton , who won several Southern states in 1992 , campaigned seamlessly among Black voters yet made a show of his death penalty support by travelling back to Arkansas during the campaign for the execution of a Black inmate .
Obama won North Carolina and Virginia in 2008 , leaning more heavily on diverse cities and battleground suburbs .
Biden , putting his needle-threading attempt on display , has noted his list of potential running mates includes “ several ” Black women .
He speaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , most recently using an Independence Day address to describe American history as a “ constant push and pull between two parts of our character , the idea that all men and women — all people — are created equal and the racism that has torn us apart.
” But with civil unrest spurred by the latest police violence against Black Americans , Biden has sought a middle ground , making clear he opposes progressives ’ calls to “ defund the police.
” Confederate symbols , Biden has argued , should come down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he ’ s drawn distinctions between memorials to traitorous Confederates and those to national founders who owned slaves , including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson .
Their monuments , Biden said , should be protected .
McCrary said that approach , with Biden ’ s centre-left positioning on policy , should prevent a white backlash that benefits Trump .
Buchanan argued it ’ s an open question of what uneasy white Southerners choose .
“ Those voters are still scared about the direction of their country , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even as more tangible policy fights remain .
“ Almost all of my life , the Confederate flag flew over the state capitol dome or on the grounds of the Statehouse , ” Harrison said .
“ For my sons , they will have no memory of that .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--UAE orders government shakeup as virus erodes economic gains

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - The United Arab Emirates announced a wide-ranging government shakeup on Sunday aimed at creating a more flexible and modern bureaucracy to tackle challenges as the coronavirus and lower oil prices erode what was already sluggish economic growth .
The UAE prime minister and ruler of the emirate of Dubai , Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , published the ministerial changes on his Twitter account , saying the goal was to create a “ government that is faster in decision making and is more up to date with changes.
” Many powerful officials kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They include the ministers of interior and foreign affairs , who hail from the ruling Al Nahyan family of Abu Dhabi , the federal capital that also controls the presidency .
As part of the shakeup , the ministries of energy and infrastructure were merged and will be led by current Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei .
The new ministry will oversee a national housing program for Emirati citizens , among other federal agencies .
Sheikh Mohammed also announced the creation of a new Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology that will be led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highest-profile figures in the UAE .
Al-Jaber serves as CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company , board chairman of the government-owned renewable energy company Masdar and chairman of UAE ’ s National Media Council , in addition to other posts .
It was not immediately clear if he would retain those posts as minister .
A woman was named to head the nascent Emirates Space Agency .
Sarah al-Amiri is currently leading the UAE ’ s Hope Probe to Mars , which will launch this month from Japan with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the planet ’ s climate and atmosphere .
Additionally , the ministries of culture and youth were merged .
The new ministry will oversee the country ’ s National Media Council that accredits all local and foreign journalists and oversees media outlets operating in the country .
The ministry will be led Noura al-Kaabi , formerly the culture minister .
A new position overseeing “ digital economy , artificial intelligence and remote work applications ” will be led by Omar Al-Ulama as a minister of state .
The country made waves in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tolerance .
Other plans include converting half of all government service centres into digital platforms in the coming two years .
The UAE is home to airlines Emirates and Etihad Airways , port operator DP World , and the world ’ s tallest skyscraper , the Burj Khalifa .
Dubai ’ s economy relies heavily on real estate investments , aviation , tourism and finance , which are all sectors that have been hard-hit by the pandemic .
Abu Dhabi , which is the largest and wealthiest of the seven emirates that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substantial oil and gas reserves to fuel the country ’ s development and growth .
The International Monetary Fund projects the country ’ s economy will contract by 3.5 % in 2020 .
Dubai ’ s plans to host the EXPO , or World Fair , this year and spur economic growth were delayed until 2021 because of the coronavirus .
While hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in the UAE and wider Gulf who hail from India , Pakistan , the Philippines , Nepal and Egypt have appealed to their embassies for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income amid the pandemic , Emirati citizens — who number around 1.4 million — have numerous perks to cushion economic blows .
The government provides Emirati citizens with subsidized housing , free healthcare , free higher education and scholarships abroad , generous government salaries and pension plans , as well as assistance in finding work and occasional debt relief .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Sheriff: 2 dead, 8 hurt in South Carolina nightclub shooting

GREENVILLE , S.C. - A shooting at a nightclub early Sunday left two people dead and eight wounded in South Carolina , a sheriff ’ s official said .
Two Greenville County sheriff ’ s deputies noticed a disturbance at Lavish Lounge just before 2 a.m. , and saw a large crowd running out of the building , Sheriff Hobart Lewis said at a press conference .
There was “ active gunfire from inside the building , ” Lt. Jimmy Bolt said in an initial statement , and Lewis said all the shots were fired inside .
Both Lewis and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wounded — with at least four in critical condition , Lewis said — but Bolt told The Associated Press that two victims were likely counted twice in the confusion at the hospital .
No one was immediately taken into custody .
Bolt told the AP that the sheriff ’ s office was looking for two suspects , but couldn ’ t provide names or descriptions .
“ We don ’ t really have a person of interest that we can name , “ Lewis said at the press conference , later adding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the gunfire .
Lewis said a “ very large crowd ” was at the nightclub for “ some type of concert.
” A post on Lavish Lounge ’ s Facebook page advertised a July 4 performance by trap rapper Foogiano .
An Instagram direct message from the AP wasn ’ t immediately returned , but a bookings representative told the AP via text message that Foogiano was fine and his team was safe .
Coronavirus cases in South Carolina have risen swiftly and the state ’ s rate of positive tests is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late June , the Upstate city of Greenville — which has experienced some of the state ’ s highest COVID-19 rates — became the first city to mandate face coverings in South Carolina , where Gov .
Henry McMaster has refused to implement a statewide mask requirement .
McMaster reminded South Carolinians last week that he hadn ’ t lifted restrictions on large crowds , and that those operating nightclubs illegally or holding concerts against his orders don ’ t have to be caught in the act to face criminal charges , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 cases are traced back .
Lewis said at the press conference that he didn ’ t know whether the club had sought an exemption to the governor ’ s order or secured a permit for Saturday night ’ s event , but said it was clear that the club ’ s patrons weren ’ t 6 feet ( 2 metres ) apart .
“ It ’ s certainly not the best situation to stop the spread of this virus , ” the sheriff said .
A phone call and an Instagram direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t immediately returned , but the club posted on Facebook just before 6 a.m. that events “ have been postponed until further notice.
” Lewis said the victims , whose names were not immediately released , were taken to the Prisma Health hospital in Greenville , some via private vehicle .
Bolt said that of the eight wounded , some had non-life-threatening injuries and others were in critical condition , but he didn ’ t have a tally of the latter .
Prisma Health spokesperson Tammie Epps could not immediately comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalist Mallika Sen contributed to this report from Los Angeles .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Israel, Palestinians face new restrictions amid virus surge

TEL AVIV , Israel - Israel ordered thousands of people into quarantine after a contentious phone surveillance program resumed while Palestinians in the West Bank returned to life under lockdown amid a surge in coronavirus cases in both areas .
A statement Sunday from Israel ’ s Health Ministry said “ many ” messages had been sent to Israelis following the renewed involvement of the Shin Bet domestic security agency .
The Israeli daily Haaretz reported that more than 30,000 people were notified they must enter quarantine since Thursday .
After imposing strict measures early on during a first wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territories appeared to have contained their outbreaks , with each reporting only a few dozen new cases a day in May .
But an easing of restrictions led to a steady uptick in cases over the past month .
“ We are at the height of a new corona offensive .
This is a very strong outbreak that is growing and spreading in the world and also here , ” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a meeting of his Cabinet Sunday .
“ We are in a state of emergency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would need to further clamp down to rein in the virus .
Israel is now reporting around 1,000 new cases a day , higher than its peak during the previous wave and it is set to reimpose restrictions in response , limiting occupancy in bars , places of worship and event spaces to 50 people .
It is requiring citizens wear masks and has urged more stringent social distancing .
With its contact tracing apparatus struggling to keep up with the mounting caseload , Israel last week redeployed the Shin Bet to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israelis who have come in contact with infected people and then notify them that they must enter home quarantine .
The measure is typically used to thwart attacks by tracking Palestinian militants .
The contentious tactic was used when the outbreak first emerged earlier this year , and when civil rights groups challenged it in the country ’ s Supreme Court , the court threatened to halt its use unless it was put under legislative oversight .
The Israeli Knesset has since done so twice using temporary legislation , most recently on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a life-saving measure , civil rights groups attacked it as an assault on privacy rights .
Analysts say the measure may act as a dragnet that could needlessly force some into quarantine .
Israeli media reported that of the thousands ordered into home quarantine , many Israelis complained that they struggled to appeal quarantine orders because the Health Ministry ’ s hotline was overwhelmed and ill-equipped to handle such a deluge .
Israel appeared to have put the pandemic behind it in May , with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proudly urging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coffee or a beer and “ have fun.
” Critics have charged that amid the dwindling cases , Israel let down its guard , reopened too quickly and failed to capitalize on its gained time to improve its contact tracing capabilities to contend with a second wave .
Netanyahu , who was largely seen as having capably handled the first wave , has suffered in public opinion polls from his approach this time around .
Since the start of the outbreak , Israel has seen more than 29,000 cases and 330 deaths .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the West Bank , residents have been ordered since Friday to remain at home unless they need to purchase food or medicine .
Movement between cities and towns is heavily restricted .
The lock down is expected to last five days .
On Sunday , Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas extended a state of emergency in the territory for 30 days , a measure that allows officials to impose additional virus restrictions , including extending lock downs , banning movement between cities and deploying security forces .
Palestinian authorities fear that if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelm its under-resourced health care system .
In the past two weeks , Palestinian health authorities have reported more than 1,700 confirmed coronavirus cases in the West Bank city of Hebron and hundreds more in Bethlehem and Nablus .
The West Bank has reported more than 3,700 cases since the outbreak began .
More than 400 have died .
Elsewhere in the region the virus was also on the rise .
In Iran , the region ’ s virus epicenter , Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said there were 2,560 new confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
That put its death toll since the start of the outbreak at more than 11,500 , out of 240,438 confirmed cases .
Pakistan meanwhile reported 93 more coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours , increasing the country ’ s fatalities from COVID-19 to 4,712 since the start of its outbreak at the end of February .
According to Sunday ’ s government statement , as many as 3,191 new cases were reported in the previous 24 hours , increasing the country ’ s overall cases to 228,474 .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent days , apparently stemming from a decline in testing .
Officials say COVID-19 tests are decreasing because many people preferred to quarantine themselves at home after developing symptoms of coronavirus .
Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran , Iran , and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad , Pakistan , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Fewer will attend camp this summer; some camps won’t survive

FAYETTE , Maine - Camp Winnebago was founded during the Spanish Flu and weathered all manner of health scares from polio to the swine flu over a century .
It wasn ’ t about to let the coronavirus stop the fun .
But things will be different this summer at this camp and others that buck the trend and welcome children .
The vast majority of overnight camps are closed due to the pandemic .
Campers were tested five days before arriving and will be tested again five days later .
The camp installed additional hand-washing stations on the 150-acre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has hand sanitizer that must be used when entering and leaving , and before and after group activities .
Face coverings are required in larger groups .
“ We believe that we can run a program safely and with the health of the campers at the top of our minds .
We ’ re not doing this cavalierly .
We ’ re taking this extremely seriously , ” Camp Winnebago owner Andy Lilienthal said .
Nationwide , the summer camp picture is coming into sharper focus with many of the 15,000-plus summer camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding the pandemic , or because of delays in receiving rules or guidelines from licensing officials .
New York , New Jersey , Connecticut and Oregon have banned overnight camps , and more than 20 states still haven ’ t issued guidance for overnight camp directors during what would normally be the start of the busy summer season , according to the American Camp Association .
All told , an estimated 19.5 million youths will miss out on either day camp or overnight camp this summer , said Tom Rosenberg , from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just a loss for kids who will miss out on seeing friends , becoming independent , and developing outdoor skills .
It ’ s a devastating financial loss for camps , some of which won ’ t recover .
Camps are estimated to lose $ 16 billion in revenue , with more than $ 4.4 billion in lost wages and over 900,000 lost jobs this summer , Rosenberg said .
Even camps that do jump through the hoops to open are going to have a tough time .
Most of them are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ importance of the camp experience , said Ron Hall , from the Maine Summer Camps .
Camps that consider opening are confronting a hodgepodge of safety rules , some of which were late in coming from states .
There is also guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and the American Camp Association .
In Maine , where only 20 of 110 licensed overnight camps are opening , guidelines require staff and counsellors to quarantine or receive a negative test result .
Campers also must quarantine , or get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exempted state .
Campers must be broken up into smaller groups for social distancing .
There are rigid guidelines for sanitizing , and an isolation area must be established in the event someone falls ill .
It was all too much for some camps .
In Vermont , Ellen Flight said the decision was made not to open the girls ’ Camp Songadeewin and the separate boys camp Keewaydin because the safety of campers could not be assured , especially when they ’ re camping out .
“ ’ When you start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire , you can ’ t touch the utensils that somebody else touched , you know , you just can ’ t run a program with any sense of safety , ” said Flight , who ’ s also president of the Vermont Camp Association .
Others are opening but are scaling back .
In Maine , Camp Winona , in Bridgton , will operate with one session instead of two .
Normally , the camp hosts about 220 campers , but this year it will be closer to 150 , co-owner Laura @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divided into groups by age , and then further divided into tents .
Smaller groups will eat , sleep and engage in activities together to avoid transmission of the virus to the larger group .
There will be staggered times for showering .
Meals will be outdoors .
“ Camp directors are risk managers , every single day of the camp .
We ’ re also innovative and tenacious , ” Ordway said .
“ I know that there are challenges , but we ’ ve figured out the safety side of things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the logistics so our campers really thrive.
“ In Washington , D.C. , Nicole Elkon and her husband weighed the benefits and dangers of sending their two sons and daughter to camp in Maine after watching their kids deal with the roller coaster of social isolation , distance learning and quarantines .
They were won over by the “ sealed bubble ” concept with no outsiders allowed , only campers , counsellors and staff .
“ When the plan came out , we were convinced it was a good place for our children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become even more convinced since then that the safest place for them is at camp , ” she said .
But Andrew Klein , from New York City , reached the opposite conclusion for his 14-year-old son .
The family lives a block from Mount Sinai Hospital , one of the hospitals that dealt with a massive outbreak in the spring , The parents did not like the idea of teens in close quarters in cabins .
If their son became sick , he ’ d have to quarantine at camp .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comfortable with it , ” Klein said .
“ He felt that this was a summer to wait it out , and go back next year.
” Here at Camp Winnebago , on Echo Lake , about 80 % of summer slots are filled .
The camp purposefully kept some slots unfilled to create a separate area where campers can be isolated in the event someone falls ill , Lilienthal said .
The camp property was largely closed off after the arrival of 140 campers Wednesday .
There will be no high-intensity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after an initial period .
“ Our system has gotten very good at mitigating risk in all phases of camp .
We see COVID-19 as that , another layer of risk , ” Lilienthal said .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Tokyo governor wins 2nd term, buoyed by handling of virus

Tokyo Gov .
Yuriko Koike has won a second term to head the Japanese capital , buoyed to Sunday ’ s election victory by public support for her coronavirus handling despite a recent rise in infections that has raised concerns of a resurgence of the disease .
In her victory speech , Koike pledged to do her utmost to take measures to protect Tokyo residents amid the pandemic .
“ The most pressing task is coronavirus measures , ” she said .
“ Now is a very important time to prepare for a possible second wave , and I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public broadcaster NHK said its exit polls showed that 74 % of respondents supported Koike , with 63 % saying they approved of her handling of the coronavirus crisis .
The first woman to head Tokyo , Koike , 67 , is viewed as a potential candidate to succeed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when his term ends in September 2021 .
For now , she says she ’ s focused on protecting the lives of the 14 million people in Tokyo , a megacity with a $ 1 trillion economy .
“ Fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tokyo is my first and foremost responsibility , ” she said on the eve of the election .
In her campaign message online , Koike pledged to balance disease prevention and the economy under Tokyo ’ s “ new normal.
” Tokyo ’ s infections started to rebound in late June to reach 131 confirmed cases on Saturday , topping 100 for a third straight day and hitting a two-month high .
New daily cases have also spiked in recent weeks nationwide to about 19,700 , including 977 deaths .
Koike ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veteran lawyer Kenji Utsunomiya .
Yamamoto wanted to cancel the Tokyo Olympics — which were postponed from this summer to next summer — and use the funds to help people hurt by the coronavirus crisis .
Utsunomiya , known as the Bernie Sanders of Japan , called for for better welfare support for a more inclusive and diverse society .
Koike ’ s victory was expected , with a recent poll by the Mainichi newspaper having her leading her opponents by a wide margin .
Outside a polling station in downtown Tokyo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Koike because of her effort to secure the Olympics .
“ I say no to anyone who is against the Olympics , ” he said .
Another voter , Yojiro Tsuchiya , said he doesn ’ t think Koike has addressed growing concerns about the latest jump in infections .
“ I don ’ t think they have a clear grasp of the current situation , ” he said , adding that he voted for Utsunomiya , who is pushing for more expanded testing .
Among other things , Koike says Japan should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control and Prevention .
She also tried to gain public understanding for a simpler version of the Tokyo Olympics after the games were postponed .
Though Koike has not fully delivered on promises to Tokyo residents to relieve congestion on commuter trains , ensure adequate availability of child and elder care facilities and end overwork , even her critics have generally lauded her handling of the pandemic .
That ’ s in sharp contrast to Prime Minister Abe , who has been criticized for doing too little , too late .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Koike often upstaged fellow conservative Abe , whose support ratings have plunged due to his handling of the crisis and its severe impact on the economy , on top of a slew of scandals .
A former TV newscaster , Koike is stylish and media savvy .
She earned the nickname “ Migratory Bird ” for hopping between parties and forming new alliances — at least seven times — a rarity among Japanese politicians , who are known for their loyalty to party factions .
Associated Press videojournalist Emily Wang contributed to @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-05--Japan floods leave up to 34 dead, many at nursing homes

TOKYO - Deep floodwaters and the risk of more mudslides that left at least 34 people confirmed or presumed dead hampered search and rescue operations Sunday in southern Japan , including at elderly home facilities where more than a dozen died and scores were still stranded .
Helicopters and boats rescued more people from their homes in the Kumamoto region .
More than 40,000 defence troops , the coast guard and fire brigades were taking part in the operation .
Large areas along the Kuma River were swallowed by floodwaters , with many houses , buildings and vehicles submerged almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into houses , sending people atop rooftops waving at rescuers .
At a flooded elderly care home in Kuma Village , where 14 residents were presumed dead after rescuers reached them on Saturday , rescue continued Sunday for the dozens of remaining residents and caregivers .
Sixty-five residents and about 30 caregivers were trapped at the riverside care facility Senjuen when floodwaters and mud gushed in .
All remaining 51 residents , including three who had hypothermia , had been rescued by boats and taken to hospitals for treatment by Sunday afternoon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local rafting company operator who joined defence troops in the rescue effort at the nursing home , said floodwaters were still high on the first floor when they arrived at the scene on rafts .
“ So we smashed windows with a hammer to get in , ” he told Japanese broadcaster NHK .
Soldiers went up to the roof to rescue survivors who were able to go upstairs while the waters rose , he said .
“ Unfortunately , some of the residents could not make it to the second floor ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were confirmed dead , while 16 others , including those at the nursing home , were presumed dead .
Fourteen others were still missing as of Sunday afternoon .
Dozens of others were still trapped in inundated areas waiting to be rescued , according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency .
In Hitoyoshi City , the deluge poured into houses near the main train station .
“ The water rose to the second floor so fast and I just couldn ’ t stop shivering , ” a 55-year-old woman who was visiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She and her relatives ran upstairs , swam out of a window and eventually took refuge on the roof to wait for their rescue .
As floods eased in parts of Kumamoto on Sunday , vending machines and cars lay scattered on mud-coated streets .
Some people were cleaning their homes , taking out damaged furniture and rinsing off mud .
More than 200,000 residents in Kumamoto prefecture were urged to evacuate following pounding rains on Friday evening and into Saturday .
But the evacuation was not mandatory and many people opted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , even though officials say shelters are adequately equipped with partitions and other safety measures .
Flooding also cut off power and communication lines , further delaying the search and rescue .
Nearly 6,000 homes in Kumamoto were still without electricity Sunday , according to the Kyushu Electric Power Co .
The rainfall that exceeded 100 millimeters ( 4 inches ) per hour has since subsided , but the Japan Meteorological Agency kept mudslide warnings in place across Kumamoto .
Prefectural officials said evacuation advisories were still in place due to @ @ @ @ @ @