thetorontostar--2020-04-22--The Latest: Windom pork plant to close temporarily

MINNEAPOLIS - The latest on the coronavirus outbreak in Minnesota ( all times local ) : Comfrey Farm Prime Pork in Windom has temporarily closed after at least one employee was diagnosed with COVID-19 .
The company said it would be closed until Friday while it does a “ deep clean sanitization “ and sets up more in-plant preventive measures .
The Star Tribune reports the company did not say how many Prime Pork workers had been diagnosed .
The company employs 650 and is owned by Star Tribune owner Glen Taylor , who also owns the NBA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees to be back at work Friday , but production of some pork products will be suspended until the week of May 4 .
The Minnesota Republican Party is moving its state convention online due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
State Chair Jennifer Carhanan told Minnesota Public Radio on Tuesday that there will be a virtual convention in place of the traditional in-person convention that was set for May 15-16 in Rochester .
She said she didn ’ t see a way to have 4,000 people gather in an arena just 11 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is due to expire .
Carnahan said federal guidance to limit large gatherings for the time being also factored into the decision .
The lack of an in-person state convention deprives the party of one of its key showcases for its candidates .
A delay wasn ’ t feasible because Minnesota ’ s filing deadline comes in early June .
So the party will endorse a U.S. Senate candidate and select national convention delegates in an online gathering .
Voting will happen through mobile or computer applications .
All of the party ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held over the internet .
Congressional endorsements will come that way , too , next week .
Minnesota Democratic leaders plan to meet later this week to decide the fate of their state convention , which was set for May 30-31 in Rochester .


thetorontostar--2020-04-22--Under pressure, Harvard says it will reject US relief aid

CAMBRIDGE , Mass .
- Harvard University announced Wednesday it will turn down $ 8.7 million in federal coronavirus relief , a day after President Donald Trump excoriated the wealthy Ivy League school over taxpayer money it stood to receive .
It followed similar actions at Stanford and Princeton universities , which said they will too will reject millions of dollars in federal funding amid growing scrutiny of wealthy colleges .
Officials at Harvard said the school still faces significant financial challenges due to the pandemic but will refuse the money over concerns that “ intense focus by politicians ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress .
“ While we understand any reallocation of these resources is a matter for the Department of Education , we hope that special consideration will be given to Massachusetts institutions that are struggling to serve their communities and meet the needs of their students through these difficult and challenging times , ” Harvard said in a statement .
Trump later thanked Harvard and Stanford at a White House press conference , saying he was pleased the schools turned down the funding .
“ They stopped it , “ he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that ’ s great .
So I want to thank Harvard .
I want to thank Stanford.
” Congress is offering $ 14 billion to the nation ’ s colleges and universities as part of a $ 2.2 trillion rescue package .
Schools were allotted varying sums based on their size and the number of students they teach from poorer backgrounds .
But Trump said Tuesday that Harvard “ shouldn ’ t be taking ” its share because it has such deep financial reserves .
It echoed concerns from other critics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t need the money and can rely on its nearly $ 40 billion endowment .
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday said other rich schools should reject the funding .
Affluent schools that do not primarily serve low-income students “ do not need or deserve additional taxpayer funds , “ she said in a statement .
“ Schools with large endowments should not apply for funds so more can be given to students who need support the most .
It ’ s also important for Congress to change the law to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to elite , wealthy institutions , ” she said .
Only hours later , Sen. Josh Hawley , R-Mo.
, said he was introducing legislation to block colleges from receiving coronavirus relief if they have endowments topping $ 10 billion .
Under the proposal , those schools could access federal relief only after they spend a large share of their own money — an amount 10 times the size of their federal allotment — on direct aid for students .
About a dozen U.S. schools have endowments large enough to be affected by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was meant to help colleges and students facing financial losses triggered by the pandemic .
If colleges accept the funding , they ’ re required to spend at least half on direct grants for students .
Harvard had previously committed to spending its entire share on students , and on Wednesday said it is “ fully committed to providing the financial support that it has promised to its students.
” Stanford , which has an endowment of nearly $ 28 billion , said it told the Education Department on Monday it would refuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The school said it wanted to free the funding to be directed to smaller colleges that now face an “ existential threat ” because of the pandemic .
Stanford says it ’ s still “ fully committed ” to providing financial relief to students .
Officials at Princeton said they will reject $ 2.4 million in aid , but not because of the pressure from DeVos .
The school said it made the decision after the Education Department issued new guidelines forbidding the funding from going to students in the federal Deferred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were brought to the country illegally .
The school , which has a $ 26 billion endowment , said the rules were inconsistent with Princeton ’ s values .
Harvard also said the “ evolving guidance ” around the funding factored into its decision .
More than 300 colleges were granted larger shares than Harvard , including some that also rank among the nation ’ s wealthiest .
The University of Southern California , which had an endowment of $ 5.7 billion last year , was allotted nearly $ 20 million .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 11 billion , was allotted nearly $ 13 million .
Major public universities received many of the largest shares , including Arizona State University , which was granted $ 63.5 million , and the Pennsylvania State University system , with $ 55 million .
Wealthy colleges are facing new pressure to reject the funding amid a similar outcry over major companies that received emergency aid meant for small businesses .
The Shake Shack burger empire said it would return a $ 10 million loan after facing public anger .
But some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the funding .
Cornell University , with a $ 7.3 billion endowment , says it plans to accept $ 12.8 million in relief and use it entirely on student grants .
The University of Southern California said its $ 5.7 billion endowment is “ substantially smaller than that of our peers “ and noted that 1 in 5 of its undergraduates receive federal Pell grants for low-income students .
“ We desperately need these emergency funds and will drive 100 % of them toward supporting our students who are experiencing financial hardships , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affluent universities contacted by The Associated Press , including Duke and Columbia universities , said they have yet to make decisions on the funding .
Scores of colleges say they have taken heavy hits as they refund money to students for housing after campuses closed last month .
Many more are losing millions in ticket sales after sports seasons were cut short , and some have lost big shares of their endowments amid swings in the stock market .
Some colleges have starting to furlough employees to avoid deeper layoffs later , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down permanently amid financial crisis .
Terry Hartle , a senior vice-president with the American Council on Education , an association of college presidents , said Congress did not exclude any type of institution when it created the formula used to distribute funding .
Instead , lawmakers said all colleges qualified to receive federal education funding were eligible for the relief .
“ All schools means all schools : barber colleges , dance schools , community colleges , publicly traded for-profit schools and elite universities , ” said Terry Hartle , the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could have but did not exclude any category of institution .
”

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thetorontostar--2020-04-22--Despite warnings, Trump downplays threat of virus returning

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Wednesday played down the possibility that the coronavirus could be worse this winter despite medical experts ’ warnings that COVID-19 could combine with the flu to make a more complicated return to the United States .
Trump , who has been pushing for states to begin reopening their economies , batted down notions that COVID-19 could return in large waves , as has happened in previous pandemics .
Health experts and members of the White House coronavirus task force have warned of a possible comeback for the virus next fall .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve gone through , in any way , shape or form , ” Trump said flatly .
He continued : “ If it comes back , though , it won ’ t be coming back in the form that it was .
It will be coming back in smaller doses that we can contain .
... You could have some embers of corona ... ( but ) we will not go through what we went through for the last two months.
” Trump then turned to Dr. Deborah Birx , co-ordinator of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Doctor , wouldn ’ t you say there ’ s a good chance that COVID will not come back ?
” Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , said later in the same briefing : “ We will have coronavirus in the fall .
I am convinced of that.
” He stressed that in the fall , the nation would be better prepared to manage it .
“ Whether or not it ’ s going to be big or small is going to depend on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s insistence that the virus won ’ t pose a grave danger later this year could run the risk of creating a false sense of security when health experts are still urging Americans to take precautions .
Moreover , it could stand as a precarious political prediction when he goes before voters in November .
Trump opened his daily briefing by calling up the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Dr. Robert Redfield , to address his assertion a day earlier that “ there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through.
“ Redfield said he wanted to clarify those remarks to The Washington Post , although he confirmed the statement was accurately reported .
“ I didn ’ t say that this was going to be worse , “ Redfield said .
“ I said it was going to be more difficult and potentially complicated.
” He added , “ We are building that public healthcare capacity now to make sure that we stay in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winter season so we will not need to resort to the kind of mitigation that we had to in the spring.
” Trump had been unhappy about Redfield ’ s remarks , which conflicted with the administration ’ s optimistic messaging that the country will soon move beyond the virus .
The president tweeted earlier in the day that Redfield ’ s comments had been misconstrued .
Trump has frequently taken an optimistic view regarding the severity of the virus , including declarations last month that COVID-19 would “ disappear.
” In recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation to begin restarting its economy .
But his own health experts on Wednesday continued to urge caution .
Fauci said that states beginning to reopen “ should be careful ” and that rushing to lift social distancing guidelines would likely accelerate infections .
Trump also said Wednesday that the Pentagon is planning a multicity tour by the U.S. military ’ s top flight demonstration teams to “ champion national unity ” amid the coronavirus pandemic .
He said the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds , the demonstration squadrons for the Navy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of cities .
And he promised a July Fourth celebration for the public on the National Mall .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

Jonathan Lemire And Zeke Miller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-22--Argentina doesn’t make payment, starting default countdown

BUENOS AIRES , Argentina - Argentina said it didn ’ t make $ 500 million in debt payments due Wednesday , starting a 30-day countdown to a possible default unless the government and bondholders can reach a deal on restructuring its massive foreign debt .
The failure to pay came a week after the government of President Alberto Fernández presented a proposal to restructure roughly $ 70 billion in debt involving the suspension of its debt obligations for three years and a 62 % reduction for interest payments .
Argentina will use the period to seek creditor acceptance of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain in force until May 8 and aims at “ restoring the sustainability of public debt in foreign currency.
” If creditors do not accept the offer — and at least three groups of bondholders have said they will not — Argentina will officially be in default by the end of May , the second default in two decades .
Argentina is under a mandatory quarantine due to COVID-19 and was in a recession with high inflation and 35.5 % of its population in poverty even before the pandemic .
Wednesday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ its willingness to pay even in the most serious international context ” and said it is looking for a debt profile “ compatible with a path of sustainable growth in the medium and long term , which improves future repayment capacity future and basic social indicators .
”


thetorontostar--2020-04-22--Minnesota police discover remains of alleged homicide victim

MOORHEAD , Minn. - Law enforcement officers investigating the killing and dismemberment of a 19-year-old woman have discovered remains in @ @ @ @ @ to be those of the victim , police said Wednesday .
Ethan Broad , 27 @ @ @ @ @ in Clay County with second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony in the death @ @ @ @ @ more people were arrested Wednesday on accessory to murder charges .
Moorhead Police Capt .
@ @ @ @ @ Press that officers had been searching the landfill for more than two days .
He @ @ @ @ @ to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner ’ s Office for an examination , but gave @ @ @ @ @ to the criminal complaint , Broad confessed to killing and dismembering Avery , but he @ @ @ @ @ of self-defence .
The complaint says he cut up her body with a saw , @ @ @ @ @ bags and dumped them in bins near his apartment in south Moorhead , near the @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-04-22--B.C. premier tells workers to stay home if sick after COVID-19 outbreak at chicken plant

VICTORIA—B.C .
Premier John Horgan says people who are sick must stay away from work after an outbreak of COVID-19 at a chicken processing plant in Vancouver .
Horgan said Wednesday workers should not go to work when they are sick because they fear losing wages , and that he was planning a meeting with Labour Minister Harry Bains and WorkSafeBC officials to discuss sick pay issues .
Horgan said health investigators arrived at the United Poultry Co. Ltd. plant on Monday after one worker tested positive for COVID-19 and discovered more than two dozen other employees had the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve learned from the limited information I have on the poultry facility is that workers were coming to work because they were fearful that they would lose wages and not be able to meet their expenses , ” Horgan told a news conference .
“ We can ’ t have people putting others at risk for fear of economic consequences for themselves.
” Horgan said the presence of COVID-19 at a B.C .
workplace signals the province can not let down its guard in the fight against the disease .
“ The outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call that we can ’ t get too complacent , ” he said .
“ We need to make sure that our workplaces are safe , even those essential workplaces.
” British Columbia reported 71 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday , in a surge Health Minister Adrian Dix said reflected the outbreak among workers at the poultry plant .
B.C .
reported three more deaths , all people from long-term care homes , for a total death toll of 90 .
There has been 1,795 COVID-19 cases in B.C.
, while 1,079 people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Poultry Co. Ltd. in east Vancouver have tested positive for COVID-19 .
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said during her daily news conference on Wednesday that employers are expected to pay attention to the health of their staff , without penalizing them for calling in sick .
She said employees feeling sick must stay away from work .
“ Employers need to understand than an outbreak in your business has effects on all of us , ” Henry said .
“ It also can have significant financial impact , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The plant has been closed and Vancouver Coastal Health authority and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency ( CFIA ) are investigating the outbreak .
The health authority said in a news release on Tuesday that the CFIA has determined a recall of chicken products from the plant is not required .
The federal agency , which inspects food processing plants like the one in Vancouver , did not comment directly on the COVID-19 outbreak at the plant in a statement Wednesday outlining its responsibilities .
“ The CFIA has a responsibility for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees , ” the statement said .
“ Decisions related to plant operations due to COVID-19 are made by the establishments and local public health authorities.
” The statement said the agency expects operators to follow advice from the Public Health Agency of Canada and local public health authorities in addressing the pandemic .
WorkSafe BC media spokesperson Craig Fitzsimmons said in a statement Wednesday that a prevention officer has been assigned to investigate the situation at the poultry plant .
“ We will be discussing this outbreak with the premier and minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures that can help reduce exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace , ” he said .
The Olymel plant in Quebec , Harmony Foods near Calgary and the Cargill plant near High River , Alta.
, have also been closed because of COVID-19 outbreaks .


thetorontostar--2020-04-22--Amid pandemic, homebrewing surges in popularity

SALEM , Ore. - On March 14 , the day after the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a national emergency in the United States , I decided to take up an activity that I had abandoned decades ago .
I became part of a trend .
While states imposed stay-at-home orders , brewpubs closed , and people lost jobs and tried to economize , homebrewing in America has exploded in popularity .
“ Our industry in a recession does well because not as many people are working , people are more cost-conscious and they have time on their hands , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Ohio-based LD Carlson , a wholesale distributor of beer- and winemaking supplies .
Homebrewing also provides an escape from dwelling on the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ It ’ s so easy to get wrapped up in the news , constantly feeling like you need to be updated , ” said Gary Glass , director of the American Homebrewers Association .
“ So it ’ s a way to get away from what ’ s going on out there in the world and do something that ’ s fun , and later drink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 is National Homebrew Day .
Normally , homebrewers come together to make the same official recipes for side-by-side competition .
This year , it will be a “ virtual big brew , “ in which people brew at home with a suggested recipe ( Pangea Proxima Polar IPA ) and do a toast on social media .
More than 1,700 people from around the world have pledged to join .
Northern Brewer , a major supplier of homebrewing and wine-making equipment in America , says business has shot up by 40 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shops are seeing an upturn .
Gina Fox ’ s Salem Brew Supply , in Salem , Oregon , has had a slight dip in sales since they moved from in-store sales to home deliveries .
But she ’ s optimistic .
“ I think with the tight community that we have , the homebrewing community , and with the fact that once people start homebrewing they usually continue down the road , I feel like we could survive this , ” she said .
Hazy IPAs are trendy these days , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hops ” — like cascade , centennial , chinook — that were popular years ago , said Mike Brennan , sales manager in the western U.S. for the homebrew division of BSG HandCraft , a wholesaler of brewing supplies .
“ They ’ re dusting off their old equipment , the fermenters , and they ’ re going back and brewing some of those classic-style IPAs , those more bitter IPAs , like we used to do , ” he said .
Homebrewing starter kits are also selling very well , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pale Ales became the rage in America .
Back in the early 1990s , my first attempt , a brown ale , was a failure ; I had added too much water .
My third and last attempt back then , an Anchor Steam Beer style , turned out fine .
It was a lot of work , including sterilizing all the equipment and bottles in the confines of our small apartment in Brooklyn .
I had other things to do , though honestly I should chalk up my lack of persistence to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , my wife and I moved frequently , with the brew kit accompanying our household goods each time .
Finally , she suggested I dump the barrels , along with the tubes , rods , gauges and other paraphernalia that look like they could have come from the workshop of a scientist , or sorcerer .
Then last December , a big cardboard box with Northern Brewer ’ s logo arrived at my doorstep .
This must be a mistake , I thought .
I didn ’ t order this .
I called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , D.C. , and is a homebrewer , thinking he ordered it for himself .
Turns out it was his and our other son , Blaine ’ s , Christmas present to me .
I was delighted to get such a thoughtful gift .
It remained in a closet for almost three months until , on an idle Saturday , I brought it to the kitchen and began brewing a batch of German-style hefeweizen .
It did take my mind off the pandemic .
I put some music on , made sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over , poured in hops and malt extract and , using a timer , followed the other steps .
One month later , it was time to pop the cap off a bottle and sample the fruits of my labour .
It was delicious .
Next , I ’ m thinking about making an IPA .
This version corrects spelling of surname of sales manager to Stuart .


thetorontostar--2020-04-22--UN rejects 2 COVID-19 resolutions from Russia, Saudi Arabia

TANZANIA , Tanzania - U.N. officials said the General Assembly rejected two resolutions on the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday , one from Russia and one from Saudi Arabia .
It was the second defeat for a Russian resolution on COVID-19 by the 193-member world body .
Under voting rules instituted because the assembly isn ’ t holding meetings during the pandemic , a draft resolution is circulated to member nations .
If a single country objects before the deadline — in this case noon EDT Wednesday — the resolution is defeated .
Normally , assembly resolutions are adopted by majority votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolution , which failed April 2 , called for abandoning trade wars and protectionist measures and said no unilateral sanctions should be applied without approval from the U.N. Security Council .
Diplomats said the European Union , United Kingdom , United States and Ukraine objected to it .
The revised resolution defeated Wednesday kept the reference to ending protectionist practices and dropped the reference to unilateral sanctions .
But it welcomed an April 3 statement on COVID-19 by the Group of 77 and China — the main group of developing countries at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
The G77 statement included a call for the international community to adopt “ measures to eliminate the use of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries.
” Diplomats said the European Union , United Kingdom , United States , Canada , Japan and South Korean objected to the new text .
Saudi Arabia , the current chair of the Group of 20 major global economies , proposed a resolution welcoming the March 26 G-20 summit statement on injecting $ 5 trillion into the global economy “ to counteract the social , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The Saudi draft also stressed “ the necessity of urgent short-term actions ” to expand manufacturing capacity and swiftly deliver medical supplies and increase funding for research and development of vaccines and medicines .
Syria and Iran objected to the Saudi draft , said diplomats , who spoke on condition of anonymity because the voting process was closed .
The General Assembly previously approved two resolutions on COVID-19 .
A resolution adopted April 2 recognizes “ the unprecedented effects ” of the pandemic and calls for “ intensified international co-operation to contain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
A Mexico-sponsored resolution approved Monday night urges global action to rapidly scale up development , manufacturing and access to medicine , vaccines and medical equipment to confront the pandemic .
The latter resolution also reaffirms the U.N. role in co-ordinating the global response to control and contain the spread of COVID-19 and “ acknowledges the crucial leading role played by the World Health Organization.
” U.S. President Donald Trump suspended funding to the WHO earlier this month , accusing the U.N. agency of failing to stop the virus from spreading when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States did not block adoption of the resolution .
General Assembly resolutions reflect the opinion of governments around the world but are not legally binding .
Security Council resolutions are legally binding but the 15-member body has not adopted a resolution since the pandemic , though it is now considering one .
The draft resolution demands an immediate cease-fire in major conflicts from Syria and Yemen to Libya , South Sudan and Congo that are on the Security Council agenda and calls for all parties to armed conflicts “ to engage immpediatelu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 30 consecutive days ” to deliver aid .
The draft , obtained by The Associated Press , states that these measures to not apply to military operations against the Islamic State and al-Qaida extremist groups and their affiliates .
The draft resolutions leaves unresolved the difficult issue of how to refer to the World Health Organization , saying “ compromise related to the language on WHO to be decided at the end of the negotiation.
” U.S. President Donald Trump suspended funding to the World Health Organization earlier this month , accusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus from spreading when it first surfaced in China , saying it “ must be held accountable.
’ ’ U.S. President Donald Trump suspended funding to the WHO earlier this month , accusing the U.N. agency of failing to stop the virus from spreading when it first surfaced in China .
The United States did not block adoption of the resolution .
General Assembly resolutions reflect the opinion of governments around the world but are not legally binding .
Security Council resolutions are legally binding but the 15-member body has not adopted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is now considering one , melded from drafts by Tunisia and France .
The draft resolution demands an immediate cease-fire in major conflicts from Syria and Yemen to Libya , South Sudan and Congo that are on the Security Council agenda and calls for all parties to armed conflicts “ to engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause for at least 30 consecutive days ” to deliver aid .
The draft , obtained by The Associated Press , states that these measures to not apply to military operations against the Islamic State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It leaves unresolved the difficult issue of how to refer to the World Health Organization in light of U.S. opposition , saying compromise language will be “ decided at the end of the negotiation .
”


thetorontostar--2020-04-22--Cuomo outlines plan for ‘tracing army’ to tame outbreak

ALBANY , N.Y. - Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg will help create a “ tracing army ” that will help find people infected with the coronavirus and get them into isolation , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday .
New York will co-ordinate the massive effort with neighbouring New Jersey and Connecticut , accounting for the large number of people who commute into New York City for work .
Wide-scale testing , tracing and isolation are considered crucial to taming the outbreak in the hard-hit region .
“ It all has to be co-ordinated .
There is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Cuomo said at his daily briefing .
The city of more than 8 million people is an epicenter of the pandemic and tracing infected people in the wider metropolitan area will be a gargantuan task .
More than 257,000 people statewide have already tested positive for COVID-19 — a figure that likely undercounts infected residents by a substantial amount .
Now Cuomo aims to double the amount of daily tests in the state from 20,000 to 40,000 .
The governor said that “ we will literally need thousands ” of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state currently has just 225 tracers with almost 500 more in New York City and its suburbs , and their efforts to contain the virus by finding people who had contact with the sick fell apart quickly as huge numbers of people in the region fell ill. Cuomo said they will start to build a greater force of disease detectives by drawing from 35,000 medical field students at state and city universities , as well as from the state health department and other agencies .
The Bloomberg School of Public Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online curriculum and training program .
Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies will provide support to help build and run the program .
The philanthropic group also will contribute $ 10.5 million .
Bloomberg , in a prepared statement said the ramped up testing and tracing “ will help us drive the virus into a corner.
” Connecticut Gov .
Ned Lamont said Wednesday he has spoken “ broadly ” with Cuomo about the co-ordination plan but nothing has been finalized yet .
New York City can still hire tracers independently , but there will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its localities have as much as $ 1.3 billion from the federal government available to pay for tracing , Cuomo said .
Speaking shortly before Cuomo outlined his tracing plan , New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio outlined what he called a test-and-trace plan that he said would be run by the city .
The mayor said once widespread testing for the virus is available the city will need as many as 5,000 to 10,000 contact tracers including city workers and employees of non-profit groups that work with the city .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : With 474 COVID-19-related deaths on Tuesday , New York state has now recorded more than 15,000 since the outbreak began last month .
It was the third straight day the death toll has been below 500 .
The state figures do not include another 4,865 “ probable ” deaths in New York City that haven ’ t been confirmed by a lab test .
President Donald Trump will speak at a West Point graduation ceremony being designed to keep cadets safe from the coronavirus , the U.S. Military Academy announced Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the outbreak , but the Class of 2020 will return to campus in time for the June 13 ceremony .
Trump recently announced he would give the commencement address .
Graduation ceremonies at the storied academy are usually held in May in a football stadium that can hold 38,000 people .
West Point officials said in a release they are working on plans for a ceremony for the 1,000-member class that will “ look different.
” “ The size and scope of the graduation ceremony will be determined by safety considerations for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” according to the academy .
Decisions on family attendance and the scope of the ceremony have yet to be made .
On Saturday , the U.S. Air Force Academy hosted a scaled-down ceremony with hundreds of graduating cadets sitting in chairs eight feet apart on the school ’ s parade field , instead of its stadium .
The pandemic forced the academy to close the ceremony to visitors .
Several dozen protesters outside the state capitol waved signs calling on Cuomo to lift social distancing restrictions as a cavalcade of horn-honking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circled the block to snarl noontime traffic .
Similar “ Operation Gridlock ” protests have been happening across the country .
“ Dictator Cuomo give us our lives back , ” said one Albany protester ’ s sign .
“ I understand the concerns , and they ’ re valid concerns , but to take the control they ’ re taking , it ’ s out of control , ” said protester Jeff Malatesta .
At his daily coronavirus briefing held while the protest was going on outside , Cuomo said he understood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is how do you respond to it , and do you respond to it in a way that jeopardizes public health and possibly causes more people to die , ” he said .
The coronavirus has sunk major New York City events from the St. Patrick ’ s Day Parade to the 50th anniversary Pride march , but the famous July Fourth fireworks extravaganza will happen in some form , de Blasio said Wednesday .
“ One way or another , the show will go on , ” he said .
“ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of July ... and even if we have to do something different , we have to mark it in a meaningful way.
” Fireworks sponsor Macy ’ s said in a statement it was working with the city on “ reimagining how to safely share the nation ’ s largest Fourth of July fireworks show with America again this year.
” - Two pet cats in New York state have tested positive for the coronavirus , marking the first confirmed cases in companion animals in the United States , federal officials said Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respiratory illnesses and are expected to recover , are thought to have contracted the virus from people in their households or neighbourhoods .
- The Associated Press got an exclusive look inside an emergency room in Yonkers that has been besieged by the coronavirus .
“ In one shift , I pronounced six people dead , ” said Dr. Anthony Leno , the hospital ’ s director of emergency medicine .
Karen Matthews and Jennifer Peltz contributed from New York City .
Mary Esch contributed from Albany , N.Y .

Marina Villeneuve And Michael Hill - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-22--Massachusetts death toll in pandemic surges past 2,000

BOSTON - The Massachusetts death toll in the coronavirus pandemic surged past 2,000 on Wednesday , about doubling in just seven days as the state becomes a hot spot .
Public health officials said there were 221 new deaths , pushing the overall toll to 2,182 .
It was the most deaths reported in a single day since the outbreak in Massachusetts began , and the first time the state has recorded more than 200 in a day .
Massachusetts saw its first COVID-19 death on March 20 , and the outbreak has intensified despite strict social distancing measures and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The state passed 1,000 deaths on April 15 , when 1,108 were reported .
There were more than 1,700 new cases reported Wednesday , bringing the number of confirmed cases close to 43,000 .
More than half the deaths — 1,205 — were reported in long-term care centres , such as nursing homes .
The average age of people who have died of confirmed COVID-19 is 82 , officials said .
The average age of people with confirmed COVID-19 is 54 .
Vice-President Mike Pence recently said the White House is closely watching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the federal coronavirus task force , Dr. Deborah Birx , said officials are “ very much focused ” on Massachusetts .
In other coronavirus-related developments in Massachusetts : Massachusetts is relying on community health centres to step up testing and tracking for COVID-19 , Baker said Wednesday .
Quest Diagnostics has agreed to ship 2,200 tests a day to a dozen health centres across the state including multiple locations in Boston , the Republican said during a news conference .
Baker said 30 community health centres have also agreed to participate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed to try to track down individuals who may have come in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 .
Cellphone calls from the contract tracing program will show up on phones as “ MA COVID Team ” and won ’ t be blocked by caller ID .
Baker urged anyone getting a call to answer it .
Baker said it ’ s still too early to begin reopening the state ’ s economy .
The most important piece of data state health officials look at are new hospitalizations , he said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent days , from 30 new hospitalizations on Friday to 105 in the past day .
On Wednesday the state reported a total of 3,977 people with confirmed COVID-19 currently hospitalized .
“ We ’ re still seeing an increase , a modest one , but an increase statewide , ” he said .
“ We ’ ve seen this data bounce around before.
” When the state does begin to emerge from a state of emergency , the question will be less what businesses are essential or nonessential and more about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including continued social distancing , to prevent another surge , Baker said .
Massachusetts has paused a program to test residents of nursing homes and long-term health care centres for the coronavirus after problems with the collection of samples , Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders said .
The elderly are particularly susceptible , and more than half the state ’ s fatalities from the virus were nursing home residents , according to figures from the state Department of Public Health .
The state announced this month that nursing homes could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then administered by trained personnel .
But after sending out 14,000 tests , only 4,000 were returned , and many were unlabeled or in leaking tubes , Sudders told The Boston Globe on Tuesday .
Sudders said at a press conference Wednesday that the state will expand mobile testing at nursing homes through the National Guard while officials work to solve the problems with the test kit program .
Nearly 240 trainees at the Massachusetts State Police Academy have been sent home to self-quarantine for 14 days and continue their studies online after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities said .
All the trainees will be tested , according to a statement Tuesday from state police spokesman David Procopio , even though not all of them had contact with the two who tested positive .
The trainees who tested positive , one man and one woman , are the first recruits or staff at the New Braintree academy to test positive for the virus , he said .
The training class is still on track to graduate May 6 , five weeks earlier than originally planned , because of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty of historic sites — from the Old North Church to the USS Constitution — but Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said he has major concerns about when tourism to those sites and others might return after Massachusetts emerges from the COVID-19 state of emergency .
Walsh said Wednesday that he doesn ’ t anticipate tourism coming back “ for months if not a year.
“ “ I think a lot of people are going to be concerned about flying .
I think a lot of people are going to be concerned about travelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major concerns about our tourism industry , ” the Democrat said at a press conference .

Steve Leblanc And Mark Pratt - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--Germany: Syrian ex-secret police go on trial for war crimes

BERLIN - Two former members of Syria ’ s secret police appeared in court in Germany on Thursday accused of crimes against humanity for their role in a government-run detention centre where thousands of opposition protesters were tortured .
The trial of Anwar R. and Eyad A. , whose last names weren ’ t released because of German privacy rules , is the first time that representatives of the Syrian government have faced trial abroad for war crimes allegedly committed during the country ’ s years-long conflict .
The two men , who were arrested in Germany early last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who allege they were tortured at the detention centre known as Al Khatib , or Branch 251 , near Damascus .
Federal prosecutors allege 57-year-old Anwar R. was in charge of the site and thereby responsible for crimes against humanity , rape and the murder of at least 58 people there .
The indictment by German prosecutors accuses him of complicity in more than 4,000 cases of torture .
Eyad A. , 43 , is accused of being part of a police squad that detained protesters and brought them back to Branch 251 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At least nine torture victims are represented as co-plaintiffs in the case , as allowed under German law .
They and several others are expected to be called as witnesses .
They are supported by the European Center for constitutional and Human Rights .
If convicted , Anwar R. could face life imprisonment .
Eyad A. could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison if convicted of complicity in crimes against humanity .
The defendants ’ lawyers declined to comment to reporters ahead of the trial , which is scheduled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who themselves left Syria for Germany before their arrest in February 2019 , remain in prison .
The trial has been described as a pivotal moment in the effort to bring Syrian officials accused of crimes to justice .
A United Nations expert panel published a report two years ago detailing the extent to which prisoner abuse is widespread in Syria , particularly in government detention centres .
“ The criminal trial starting today for crimes against humanity by the Syrian regime is historic , ” said Germany ’ s justice minister , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time thousands of instances of torture and abuse are being prosecuted before an independent court in Germany , ” she said .
“ This sends a clear message : War criminals must not feel safe anywhere.
” Lambrecht said the trial would send a “ signal of hope ” to many who have fallen victim to crimes at the hands of the Syrian government .
More than 700,000 Syrian asylum seekers have found refuge in Germany in recent years , including Wassim Mukdad , who plans to testify in court .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personally ” said Mukdad .
“ It is also important for the victims who are alive , who have also been in prison and also for the victims who are no longer alive.
” “ The first time in my life that I experienced a fair trial , ” Hussein Ghrer , another co-plaintiff represented in Koblenz , said .
“ We want to reveal the truth about the system of torture in Syria.
” The Koblenz regional court , where the trial is being held , has reduced the number of seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a third due to social distancing rules to combat the coronavirus pandemic .


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--At least 6 dead as storms hit Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana

MADILL , Okla. - Severe weather was moving through Mississippi and Alabama early Thursday after apparent tornadoes tore through parts of Oklahoma , Texas and Louisiana , where six deaths included a trailer factory worker whose body was found a quarter mile from his workplace .
More than 100,000 customers from Texas to Mississippi were without power Thursday as the severe weather moved through , according to poweroutage.us , which tracks utility reports .
Tornado warnings sent residents taking cover in southern Mississippi and Alabama .
Trees and power lines were toppled in parts of west Alabama .
No injuries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The factory worker was killed when a suspected twister hit just as the workforce was leaving for the day from J & I Manufacturing in southern Oklahoma , Marshall County Emergency Management Director Robert Chaney said .
That apparent tornado caused widespread damage in Madill , near the Red River , said Donny Raley , the city ’ s emergency manager .
The worker ’ s body was found about a fourth of a mile ( 0.4 kilometres ) the factory , Chaney said .
A Louisiana man found dead after a witness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can from water near a drainage ditch .
He lost his footing and was swept away by floodwaters , DeSoto Parish Sheriff Jayson Richardson told The Shreveport Times .
“ There was some pretty extreme flooding here in Mansfield .
Water like I ’ ve not seen in many , many years , if ever , ” the sheriff told the newspaper .
“ Basically the water rose really fast and we had to rescue some people out of homes .
I think we had about 20 or so homes that people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a bridge in Woodworth , Louisiana , 15 miles ( 24 kilometres ) south of Alexandria , due to the severe weather , the Rapides Parish Sheriff ’ s Office told KALB-TV .
The sheriff ’ s office did not provide detail on how she died .
At least three people were killed when apparent tornado touched down in southeast Texas about 6 p.m. Wednesday near Onalaska , about 75 miles ( 120 kilometres ) north of Houston , the Polk County Emergency Management System said in a statement .
The storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe damage to homes and other structures , said Carrie Miller , a spokeswoman for Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy .
There was no immediate information on how these victims were killed .
The Alexandria campus of Louisiana State University also saw some damage from the storm .
The university tweeted , “ All resident students safe .
There is damage to DeWitt Livestock building and a camper flipped over.
“ The campus was also left without power .
A National Weather Service team will be dispatched to survey damage and to confirm @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--White House shifts from raising alarms to reopening country

WASHINGTON - For weeks , the Trump administration played up the dangers of the coronavirus as it sought to persuade Americans to disrupt their lives and stay home .
Now , as President Donald Trump aims for a swift nationwide reopening , he faces a new challenge : convincing people it ’ s safe to come out and resume their normal lives .
It ’ s a defining question for a cloistered nation — and a political imperative for Trump , whose reelection likely rides on the pace of an economic rebound .
Can the country move beyond a crippling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some modified version of its old routines , doing what ’ s possible to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 but acknowledging it may be a fact of life for years to come ?
“ We need to create the kind of confidence in America that makes it so that everybody goes back to work , ” said Kevin Hassett , a White House adviser and former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers .
“ And that confidence is going to require testing and confidence that your workplace is a healthy place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the White House , officials believe they ’ ve entered a new chapter of the pandemic response , moving from crisis mode to sustained mitigation and management .
It began last Thursday with the release of guidelines to governors for how to safely reopen their states .
Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence celebrated Americans for successfully “ flattening the curve ” of the epidemic .
A day later , a phalanx of the administration ’ s top medical officials sought to reassure the nation that there were plenty of tests available to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been lifting restrictions each day since then , including aggressive moves announced Wednesday in Montana and Oklahoma .
The Montana governor gave schools the green light to open their doors in early May , and Oklahoma will allow salons , barbershops , spas and pet groomers to reopen Friday .
Trump , in his evening news conference , did take issue with Republican Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp ’ s bold reopening plans .
“ I disagree strongly , ” he said .
“ I think it ’ s too soon.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news around the country .
The death toll in Massachusetts eclipsed 2,000 on Wednesday , doubling from just a week earlier .
About 16,000 people remained hospitalized across New York .
A meat plant in Iowa that is vital to the nation ’ s pork supply is the latest slaughterhouse to shut down because of outbreak .
With the economy in for a long , brutal slump , Congress was on the verge of passing an almost $ 500 billion relief bill to bolster small businesses .
Trump flatly promised Americans that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We will not go through what we went through for the last two months , ” he said .
It ’ s a sharp shift in rhetoric after Trump and allies stressed the threat of an “ invisible enemy ” to persuade people to abide by social distancing recommendations .
The American people have also been scarred by the daunting death toll and images of body bags piled up in refrigerated trailers .
Moving from fear to acceptance will take confidence in government , medical professionals and businesses at a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
White House aides say restoring confidence will require the same “ whole-of-America ” approach that slowed the virus spread .
“ It ’ s one thing for government to say , ‘ OK , it ’ s safe to go out , ’ ’ ’ New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , a Democrat , said Tuesday .
“ If people don ’ t believe it ’ s safe , they ’ re not going to go.
” While there have been isolated protests in states aimed at lifting aggressive stay-at-home measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be safe to ease the restrictions anytime soon , according to a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .
Trump predicted earlier this month that the economy would take off like a “ rocket ship once we get back to business.
” But experts say the recovery will be far slower .
“ It ’ ll be a very gradual process regardless of what a governor says or the president says , ” said Dr. Robert Blendon , a Harvard professor of health policy and political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdowns , particularly the quarantine of more than 25,000 people around Toronto in 2003 to slow the spread of SARS , shows that it will take weeks , even months , for people to develop the confidence to resume normal activity .
Blendon also warned that a predicted second wave of COVID-19 could reverse any gains made in the interim .
It ’ s not just government , but individual businesses that will need to convince employees and consumers that it ’ s safe to return , once they decide to reopen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ advertise to the public ” about the safety measures they are putting in place when they reopen , said Larry Kudlow , the director of the National Economic Council .
He said the White House is also considering asking Congress to provide liability protection for employers in case their workers or customers fall sick .
“ We want small businesses to have some confidence that if they do reopen , they ’ ll stay open , ” Kudlow said .
The outbreak has infected over 2.5 million people and killed about 180,000 around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. , according to a tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University from official government figures , though the true numbers are believed to be far higher .
Mark Schlesinger , a Yale professor of health policy , said it ’ s going to take time “ for people to re-equilibrate emotionally , and it ’ s very hard to predict how long.
” Even if people worried about their economic situation want to get back to work , “ There may be permanent behavioural changes in how people do business and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House , the administration is adjusting its posture away from drastic containment measures to managing virus “ flareups ” and bottlenecks in testing or supplies .
And officials hope to use the daily White House briefings to inundate Americans with facts and figures on testing and therapeutics , blanketing television with graphics of flattening and declining curves and statistics on the number of testing kits available .
White House officials also are planning to step up travel in coming weeks as a visual representation of reopening .
Pence has travelled to Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is pushing aides to get him back on the road .
There are still plenty of caution flags .
“ There ’ s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through , ” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield told The Washington Post in an interview Tuesday .
“ We ’ re going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time.
” “ We ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said Tuesday of a potential second wave , which in some predictions could hit just weeks before the November elections .
“ We don ’ t want that to happen ; it could happen .
I think we stamp it out if it does happen.
” Instead , White House aides hope that people accept a “ new normal ” that envisions short-term disruptions when there are COVID-19 cases , causing routine week-long school or office closures but not panic .
But Blendon said , “ People will watch the cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and if there ’ s a conflict , that will slow things even greater.
” Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--Iran, like wider Mideast, relies on deliveries amid pandemic

TEHRAN , Iran - For some $ 15 a day , deliverymen don masks and gloves in Iran ’ s capital to zip across its pandemic-subdued streets to drop off groceries and food for those sheltering at home from the virus .
Like the wider Mideast , from skyscraper-studded Dubai to the narrow alleyways of Cairo , Iranians in cities rely on delivery for many of their daily supplies amid one of the world ’ s worst coronavirus outbreaks .
Those deliveries , coming as Muslims prepare for the holy fasting month of Ramadan , take on new importance for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks for the couriers trying to make a living .
“ I need a source of income and I take all the risks , “ 23-year-old deliveryman Yaghoub Moradi said .
Iran , the Middle Eastern country hardest hit by the pandemic , on Thursday put its death toll from the virus at 5,481 out of more than 87,000 confirmed cases .
State TV said there were 1,030 new cases and the death toll was 90 more than Wednesday .
Iran already struggles under severe U.S. sanctions blocking the sale of its crude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran ’ s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018 .
That has led to a monthslong period of increased tensions that have persisted through the pandemic .
Now , the virus is striking the service sector and other industries that escaped the wrath of sanctions , economic analyst Mehdiyar Mostafaei told The Associated Press .
For a nation already struggling with unemployment , that ’ s forced many into the gray market of gypsy cabs and on-demand delivery , using their own vehicles .
Shahin Daryani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP that much of his sales come from phone orders .
The demand has seen him hire four new couriers .
“ My customers and I prefer to not see each other in the supermarket , ” Daryani said .
“ If they stay at home , it could be great , even for me .
No contact , no virus outbreak.
” Iran on Monday reopened intercity highways and major shopping centres to stimulate its sanctions-choked economy , gambling that it has brought under control its coronavirus outbreak , even as some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of infections .
That fear has led those who can stay inside to rely on deliveries .
With so many staying home , the internet taxi service Snapp , the Iranian app that resembles Uber , has seen a drop off in demand .
“ Before the Nowruz ( the Persian New Year ) , some 800,000 were active in ( using ) Snapp , but the virus cut 70 per cent of them , “ Snapp CEO Jhubin Alaghband told the AP .
The pandemic , however , has seen a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizes grocery store deliveries .
Its orders have doubled to some 20,000 a day , Alaghband said .
But the risk remains for couriers like Saeed Vatanparast .
He said he worried while on his deliveries about contracting the virus by handling customers ’ money or using his portable debit card machine to take payments .
“ God knows if they have the virus I can contract it and I can take the virus with me to other homes and customers.
” he said .
Most people who become infected experience mild to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause severe illness and lead to death , particularly among older people and those with underlying health problems .
It is highly contagious .
Egypt ’ s highest religious authority , Grand Mufti Shawki Allam , said Thursday that healthy Muslims have a religious obligation to fast during the holy month of Ramadan despite the global pandemic .
“ After consulting with medical experts in the midst of the current pandemic , we affirm that fasting has no negative effect on ( healthy ) people , ” said Allam in a video posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and those with underlying medical conditions should follow their doctors ’ advice on whether they could fast .
“ As to coronavirus patients , they are the most eligible to break their fast , ” he said .
Egypt has confirmed more than 3,600 virus cases , including 276 fatalities .
The government has banned gatherings , including congregational prayers at mosques .
The Cabinet was expected to announce Thursday whether a nightly curfew will be extended during Ramadan .
If so , Muslims won ’ t be able to hold large family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Associated Press writers Mehdi Fattahi and Nasser Karimi in Tehran , Iran ; Jon Gambrell in Dubai , United Arab Emirates , and Noha ElHennawy in Cairo contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--Tokyo Olympic CEO promises ‘transparency’ over cost of delay

TOKYO - The chief executive of the Tokyo Olympics promised “ transparency ” with the Japanese public on Thursday regarding the cost of postponing the games until next year .
Neither the Japanese organizers nor the International Olympic Committee has said what it will cost to delay the Tokyo Games for one year .
Early estimates in Japan range between $ 2 billion and $ 6 billion .
“ It ’ s highly likely that the expense will be higher than the originally planned budget , ” CEO Toshiro Muto said , speaking through an interpreter at a weekly teleconference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unclear , “ but we will proceed with transparency and explain to the taxpayers about the costs.
” Although officials say the added costs are unknown , one thing is certain : Japanese taxpayers will pick up most of the bills .
The Tokyo city government , the local organizers and the Japanese Olympic Committee are obligated under the “ Host City Contract ” signed in 2013 to cover most of the costs .
The cost issue is sensitive in Japan , particularly for the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olympics .
Japan , like many countries , could be deep in a recession next year , brought on the by the coronavirus pandemic .
Japan is officially spending $ 12.6 billion to organize the Olympics , but a government audit report last year said it was at least twice that much .
It ’ s all public money except for $ 5.6 billion in a privately funded operating budget .
The Switzerland-based IOC has contributed $ 1.3 billion to that private budget , but is not expected to pay much more .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ four-year Olympic cycle was $ 5.7 billion .
IOC member John Coates , who oversees planning for the Tokyo Olympics , said last week the IOC would need to pay “ several hundred million dollars ” to keep many international sports federations and national Olympic committees afloat .
He did not indicate any of that money was going to Tokyo .
Muto was asked point-blank if Japan was “ prepared to pay all of the extra running costs — or should it be shared ?
“ He did not answer directly , referring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week by the IOC and local organizers .
“ The joint statement is all we have , “ Muto said .
“ We need to assess the impact of the postponement , and then we need to discuss how to address it.
” Muto was asked repeatedly if the pandemic would allow the delayed Olympics to open on July 23 , 2021 .
Earlier this week , a Japanese scientist and an expert in infectious disease said it was unlikely the Olympics could be held .
“ How this coronavirus infection situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — nobody can answer this question for sure , “ Muto said .
He said postponing until July 2021 gave organizers and the IOC “ enough time.
” He also discounted any chance of postponing until 2022 .
The Beijing Winter Olympics are scheduled for 2022 but are also under a cloud since it was in China where the virus was first discovered .
“ Prime Minster Abe said the nature of the Olympics would change if Tokyo 2020 were postponed for two years , “ Muto said .


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--Africa’s 43% jump in COVID-19 cases in week worries experts

CAPE TOWN , South Africa - Africa has registered a 43 % jump in reported COVID-19 cases in the last week , highlighting a warning from the World Health Organization that the continent of 1.3 billion could become the next epicenter of the global outbreak .
Africa also has a “ very , very limited ” and “ very , very strained ” testing capacity , John Nkengasong , director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in his weekly briefing on Thursday .
It means that the surge in infections on the continent is likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
WHO ’ s recent report painted a grim picture for Africa .
It warned the virus could kill more than 300,000 people and push 30 million into desperate poverty .
Africa still has time to avert such a disaster , but testing people and tracing virus cases is critical , said Nkengasong .
“ It all depends on what we are discussing here , “ Nkengasong said , ” which is , are you testing ?
Are you finding the cases ?
Are you isolating and tracking the contacts ?
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must happen.
” By Nkengasong ’ s own criteria , Africa is struggling on the testing front .
In the two months since the continent began mobilizing to fight the outbreak , less than 500,000 tests have been conducted on a population of more than 1 billion .
That ’ s just 325 people tested per 1 million people , Nkengasong said .
That ’ s far lower than Italy , one of the world ’ s worst-hit countries , he said by way of comparison .
African governments reported nearly 26,000 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , up from just over 16,000 a week ago .
Although those figures are still relatively small in the global picture , the sharp increase is a cause for concern , said Nkengasong .
The previous week saw an increase of 29 % .
“ If you don ’ t test , you don ’ t find .
And if you don ’ t test , you are blinded .
If you don ’ t test , you are not ahead of the curve , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control has a target of conducting 1 million more tests in Africa over the next four weeks and 10 million tests in the next four months .
The overall effort is badly hampered , Nkengasong said , by a major obstacle : The existing fragility of the health services in many African countries .
“ I ’ d like to make sure I make this very clear , “ he said .
” It is an uphill battle to build health systems while you need them .
... That is what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing catch-up and that is a very , very tough thing to do .
”


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--US church faces neglect allegations after Haiti child deaths

KENSCOFF , Haiti - For a limestone mantel from the Waldorf Astoria , the church that owns the Olde Good Things antique stores asks for $ 8,500 .
But for the death of each child in a fire at a home it ran in Haiti , the same church offered to pay just $ 50 to $ 100 in family compensation — along with $ 150 for funeral-related costs such as new clothes and transportation .
The wealth of the Church of Bible Understanding in the United States has long stood in contrast with the shoddiness of its two children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have faced years of infractions and failed two state inspections .
But the gap came into even sharper focus on Feb. 13 , when the fire killed 13 children and two adult caretakers described by the church ’ s lawyer as disabled .
Authorities suspect the fire started because the home used candles instead of a functioning generator or battery in a country where power failures are frequent .
The deaths have devastated parents like Eustache Arismé , 33 .
His daughters Nedjie , 4 , and Vanise , 3 , died in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is known as an orphanage in Haiti although most children in such homes have at least one living parent .
‘ ’ At first , I was happy to see the children growing up in the orphanage .
But now I profoundly regret my decision , ’ ’ Arismé said .
‘ The lawyer for the church , Osner Fevry , said it is being unfairly singled out by critics in Haiti and overseas .
Along with compensation and spending money for the parents , the church is assuming the costs of funerals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think the church can endorse legal responsibility , but moral responsibility , yes , ” Fevry acknowledged .
“ Morally , how come there was a candle to get light for those kids ?
” A series of inspections beginning in November 2012 found the homes the church ran in Haiti didn ’ t meet minimum health and safety standards , with overcrowding , unsanitary conditions and insufficient trained staff .
Haitian authorities stripped them of accreditation .
The orphanages failed another round of state inspections in 2017 but stayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closing an orphanage can take months or years , particularly if the management has money or influence .
Through its U.S.-based spokeswoman , the church declined to comment on specific allegations of neglect and mistreatment at its children ’ s homes in Haiti .
“ We are devastated by the tragic fire that took the life of our children at our Haitian orphanage .
Words would fail to express our immense grief and heartbreak , ” the church said in a written statement .
“ We are taking this very seriously and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected by this horrific accident.
” On the night of Feb. 13 this year , 61 children were sleeping inside the church ’ s two-story home in the town of Kenscoff in the mountains above the Haitian capital , Port-au-Prince , according to the Institute of Social Welfare , when a fire broke out after candles were lit in the absence of city power or a functional generator .
Thirteen children , ages 3 to 18 , died , along with a 39-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man .
Among them was Tania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Caristan makes a living selling items on the street and washing neighbours ’ clothes .
She said she had to leave Ricardo with her estranged husband when he was still a toddler .
It was only two months later that she learned her former husband had put the boy in a Church of Bible Understanding home .
Shocked , she went there with a copy of the birth certificate to get her baby back .
But a white man told her through an interpreter that she couldn ’ t take him because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had given him to the orphanage , she said .
‘ ‘ I tried everything I could to convince the person in charge at the orphanage , ’ ’ she said quietly .
“ I cried bitterly.
” Through its spokeswoman , the church declined to comment on Caristan ’ s story .
Haitian prosecutors have begun a criminal investigation into the church ’ s homes , which held 154 children at the time of the fire , according to the national child-welfare institute .
Some children raised in the orphanages say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describe conditions as mentally and physically abusive , including social isolation and beatings .
Anaika Francois , 19 , told The Associated Press that she entered the homes at six and children with bed-wetting issues from about that age were physically punished .
In bad cases , they were stretched across a table and spanked by the monitor or head of the orphanage , she said .
‘ ’ That would often produce marks , in which case the monitor would give you a bath with warm salt water , ’ ’ she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifically on former residents ’ allegations .
The Church of Bible Understanding has a thriving online business and retail shops in New York , Los Angeles and at the headquarters in Scranton , Pennsylvania .
They cater to the market for antique and vintage home décor , offering such items as crystal chandeliers for as much as $ 22,000 .
A former accountant for the company , Rashida Lovely , says senior managers of the company were church members and lived in church housing .
Lovely said older members of the church were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work in Haiti .
“ They did the best they can do up until now , ” she said .
“ They are too old to be doing it anymore.
” Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation .
The AP is solely responsible for this content .
Fox reported from Washington .
Evens Sanon contributed to this story from Port-au-Prince , Haiti .

Michael Weissenstein And Ben Fox - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--The Latest: 12 residents die of COVID-19 at 1 senior campus

NEW HOPE , Minn. - The Latest on the coronavirus outbreak in Minnesota ( all times local ) : One of Minnesota ’ s deadliest outbreaks of the coronavirus in a single setting is at a senior care campus in New Hope where 12 residents have died of complications of the virus .
Records reviewed by the Star Tribune show the deaths since April 6 involve residents at St. Therese of New Hope who were between 82 and 96 years old .
Most residents died from pneumonia and other respiratory complications caused by COVID-19 , the disease that has killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials say 129 of those deaths are linked to long-term care facilities .
Administrators at St. Therese say they are working with the state Department of Health on a response to the outbreak .
The campus includes a 258-bed nursing home , as well as independent and assisted living residences .
Nursing homes have been on lockdown for weeks to protect their vulnerable residents .
Those infected with the coronavirus are quarantined on a single unit at St. Therese .
Employees are being screened for signs of the illness before each shift .


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--Iran Guard commander threatens US Navy after Trump tweet

TEHRAN , Iran - The leader of Iran ’ s Revolutionary Guard warned Thursday he ordered his forces to potentially target the U.S. Navy after President Donald Trump ’ s tweet a day earlier threatening to sink Iranian vessels .
Iran separately summoned the Swiss ambassador , who looks out for America ’ s interests in the country , to complain about Trump ’ s threat coming amid months of escalating attacks between the two countries .
While the coronavirus pandemic temporarily paused those tensions , Iran has since begun pushing back against the Trump administration ’ s maximum pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guard also launched Iran ’ s first military satellite Wednesday , unveiling a previously secret space program .
Speaking to state television Thursday , Guard Gen. Hossein Salami warned his forces “ will answer any action by a decisive , effective and quick counteraction.
” “ We have ordered our naval units at sea that if any warships or military units from the naval force of America ’ s terrorist army wants to jeopardize our commercial vessels or our combat vessels , they must target those ( American ) warships or naval units @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispute comes after the U.S. Navy said last week that 11 Guard naval gunboats had carried out “ dangerous and harassing approaches ” to American Navy and Coast Guard vessels in the Persian Gulf .
The Americans said they used a variety of nonlethal means to warn off the Iranian boats , and they eventually left .
Iran , meanwhile , accused the U.S. of sparking the incident , without offering evidence .
Iran has had tense encounters at sea for years with the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf and the Strait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all oil passes .
The U.S. has patrolled the area to protect global shipping for decades , something Iran describes as akin to it patrolling the Gulf of Mexico .
Trump on Wednesday , facing a collapsing global energy market and the pandemic at home amid his re-election campaign , tweeted out a warning to Iran that he ordered the Navy to “ shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea.
” “ We don ’ t want their gunboats surrounding our boats , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good time , ” Trump told reporters Wednesday evening at the White House .
“ We ’ re not going to stand for it .
...
They ’ ll shoot them out of the water.
” The International Crisis Group , noting the tensions , urged both countries to create a deconfliction hotline to avoid a possible military confrontation .
“ In the absence of a major diplomatic breakthrough , an indirect military communications channel could go some way toward ensuring , at least , that a single incident will not spark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a report Thursday .
Iran in the past has rejected idea of a hotline .
Meanwhile , the Guard surprised analysts by sending a satellite into space on Wednesday from a previously unused launch pad and with a new system .
While Iran stresses its program is peaceful , Western nations fear such a program will help Iran build intercontinental ballistic missiles .
State television on Thursday said Iran received signals from the satellite , without elaborating .
While American officials haven ’ t acknowledged the satellite reached orbit , open-source data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Noor , ” or “ Light ” satellite now orbited the Earth .
Uzi Rubin , fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and the founder of Israel ’ s missile defence program , said the launch showed the Guard ’ s “ further gain in wresting for power and in building its own state within a state.
” “ The very act of launching a military satellite in the midst of the coronavirus crisis that is affecting Iran too is a statement of self confidence and perseverance by the ayatollahs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own population , ” Rubin said .
Gambrell reported from Dubai , United Arab Emirates .
Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report .

Nasser Karimi And Jon Gambrell - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--Another surge in US unemployment applications is likely

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government is set Thursday to issue another gloomy report on the layoffs that have swept through @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus outbreak forced businesses to shut down beginning last month .
The Labor Department @ @ @ @ @ million more people filed for unemployment benefits last week , after nearly 22 million applied @ @ @ @ @ four weeks .
It represents by far the largest streak of U.S. job losses on @ @ @ @ @ , nonessential businesses have closed , although some governors have begun easing restrictions despite warnings @ @ @ @ @ may be too soon to do so without sparking new infections .
For April , @ @ @ @ @ rate could reach as high as 20 % .
That would be the highest jobless @ @ @ @ @ , when it reached 25 % .
Layoffs have spread throughout the economy , from @ @ @ @ @ , hotels and retail stores to white collar and professional occupations .

Christopher Rugaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--European economies on course for unprecedented recessions

LONDON - Europe ’ s economies are heading for unprecedented recessions as a result of the lockdown measures put in place by governments to get a grip on the coronavirus pandemic , closely watched surveys indicated Thursday .
The scale of the decline in business activity recorded in monthly surveys was staggering , worse even than the most pessimistic forecasts , and is likely to lend urgency to discussions of European Union leaders about a rescue support package .
“ The harsh lockdown measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 have crippled economic activity across the continent , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berenberg Bank .
EU leaders will hold a virtual summit Thursday at which they are expected to endorse a financial aid package worth 540 billion euros ( $ 587 billion ) that would help support wages , keep companies afloat and fund health care systems .
EU institutions and nations have already mobilized around 3.3 trillion euros ( $ 3.6 trillion ) .
If Thursday ’ s surveys are anything to go by , Europe is going to need all of that .
Financial information firm IHS Markit said its purchasing managers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of economic activity — plummeted to an all-time low of 13.5 points in April from the previous record low of 29.7 in March .
The firm has been compiling data for more than 20 years .
Anything below 50 indicates a contraction in activity , with a lower number indicating a sharper drop .
So the scale of the April decline suggests that the eurozone is heading for an unprecedented slump .
At its lowest during the global financial crisis in 2009 , the index only fell to 36.2 .
“ With large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locked down to contain the spread of COVID-19 in coming weeks , the second quarter looks set to record the fiercest downturn the region has seen in recent history , “ said Chris Williamson , chief business economist at IHS Markit .
Williamson said that at the current rate , the eurozone is shrinking by a quarter-on-quarter rate of 7.5 % .
The services sector has borne the brunt of the lockdown measures , which have included widespread temporary business closures and and draconian restrictions on movement .
From restaurants to travel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cliff as companies have had to enforce shutdowns or severely curtail their activities .
Manufacturing is barely faring better , with the lockdown causing a collapse in global demand and huge disruptions in the supply chain .
As a result , unemployment is expected to rise sharply over the coming months .
Some economists expect the eurozone unemployment rate to double from the current rate of 7.3 % even after accounting for the millions of people who remain on payroll but are out of work and losing income .
Unemployment is also set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has now left the EU .
The equivalent purchasing managers ’ survey for the U.K. showed the main index slumping to an all-time low of 12.9 points .
Analysts at Capital Economics say the U.K. economy is headed for its biggest quarterly economic contraction in more than a century .


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--EU leaders weigh massive virus economic recovery measures

BRUSSELS - European Union leaders are set to weigh Thursday the damage the coronavirus has inflicted on health care systems and the lives of around half a billion citizens across the bloc as they struggle to devise a more robust plan to resuscitate their ravaged economies .
As businesses cautiously open their doors in some European countries and citizens begin to venture out , the 27 leaders will endorse a series of urgent spending measures and debate a massive recovery plan they hope to introduce in coming weeks .
The summit — their fourth video-conference since the outbreak struck northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an extremely delicate time , with more than 100,000 Europeans known to have died , according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control .
Trust between member states has eroded , with hard-hit Italy and Spain notably lacking confidence that relatively wealthier northern EU partners like Austria , the Netherlands or Germany — who have suffered less from the virus — are willing to take swift , sweeping measures backed by real economic firepower .
Speaking to the German parliament ahead of the meeting , Chancellor Angela Merkel said her government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is already contributing to a 540-billion-euro ( $ 587 billion ) rescue package expected to be endorsed later Thursday .
The aim is to have that so-called “ safety net ” to help pay lost wages , keep companies afloat and fund health care systems in place by June 1 .
But Merkel balked at the use of shared debt , dubbed coronabonds , saying that parliaments would have to endorse such a move anyway , meaning it could take too long for such funds to reach nations in trouble .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be prepared , in the spirit of solidarity , to make significantly higher contributions to the European budget for a period of time , ” she told the lawmakers .
Drawing up a recovery plan that can be endorsed by all will be more challenging .
The consensus is that it should total at least 1-1.5 trillion euros and target the economic sectors and European regions hit hardest by the coronavirus .
Ahead of Thursday ’ s summit , officials said that no major breakthroughs are expected .
No joint communique will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European Council President Charles Michel , who is chairing the meeting .
The EU ’ s executive arm , the European Commission , will be tasked with drawing up a recovery plan , which could be incorporated into the bloc ’ s next seven-year budget , if differences over that spending package can be overcome .
Big contributors to the budget , like Germany and the Netherlands , are reluctant to fill the estimated 75-billion-euro spending gap left by Britain ’ s departure from the EU .
David Rising in Berlin contributed to @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--Turkey marks its 100th year of parliament amid coronavirus

ISTANBUL - A Turkish Airlines plane flew over the country Thursday making the shape of the country ’ s flag with its flight path to mark centennial celebrations for the founding of Turkey ’ s parliament .
The celebrations for Turkey ’ s National Sovereignty and Children ’ s Day were changed due to the coronavirus pandemic , with authorities replacing parades and school ceremonies with observances in line with social distancing efforts .
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed a crescent and a star over Turkey outlined by a Boeing 777 .
Turkish television stations showed children with flags on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also asked Turkish citizens to sing the national anthem in the evening .
Officials wearing masks visited the mausoleum of Turkey ’ s founder .
The latest health ministry figures show 2,376 people have died from the coronavirus in Turkey .
The country ranks seventh in the world in the number of confirmed infections , which are nearing 100,000 , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Experts say the true toll of the pandemic around the world is much higher than the Johns Hopkins tally , due in part to limited testing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ midst of a crisis .
To stem the spread of COVID-19 , Turkey closed schools , restaurants and other public spaces , barred people under 20 or over 65 from leaving their homes and instituted weekend lockdowns for all , expanding that to four days this week .
In past years , the national sovereignty day was marked with parades , celebrations and schoolchildren acting out ministerial roles with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan .
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk , the founder of the Republic of Turkey , called for an election amid the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s defeat in World War I .
On April 23 , 1920 , the Grand National Assembly held its first session .
A referendum in 2017 changed Turkey ’ s system of governance from parliamentary to an executive presidency , giving Erdogan wider powers .


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--Greenland ready to take US aid but won’t accept conditions

COPENHAGEN - Greenlanders said Thursday they welcome reports that the United States wants to invest in their island , but the money has to come without conditions .
The U.S administration is expected to announce the opening of a U.S. Agency for International Development office at the new American consulate in the capital , Nuuk , and at least $ 12 million in new aid projects .
The announcement , expected Thursday in Washington , will come less than a year after President Donald Trump drew derision for expressing an interest in buying Greenland , which is part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a greater U.S. presence in Greenland have been met with criticism in Greenland and in Denmark .
Aaja Chemnitz Larsen from the left-leaning IA opposition party called it a “ charm offensive.
” “ The Americans are welcome if they want to invest in Greenland , ” she told The Associated Press .
“ But it is important to make sure that Greenland doesn ’ t owe anything back to the United States .
We are skeptical about what they really want besides influence.
” She added that it must clear “ what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen , an associate professor with the Royal Danish Defence College in Copenhagen , said the United States has been missing out on its Arctic strategy , giving Russia and China a head-start in the Arctic , and is now coming back with a large sum of money .
“ The United States has been caught napping and not seen Russia strengthening its military presence in the Arctic and China trying to make investments in Greenland , ” he said .
“ They are now trying to get back at having a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are doing it “ with a big fanfare.
” An op-ed earlier this week by the American ambassador to Denmark , Carla Sands , previewed the announcement and said the U.S. would be “ the preferred partner in the Arctic.
” That sparked harsh reactions in Denmark .
“ They have clearly crossed the line , ” said Carsten Hoenge , an outspoken member of the left-leaning Socialist People ’ s Party that supports the Social Democratic minority government .
We must draw a line in the ice cap.
” Soeren Espersen of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Danish broadcaster DR that financial aid “ is something you say about third world countries when you provide development aid .
But Greenland is not a developing country .
It is a Western democracy .
I think it ’ s reprehensible.
” Greenland covers 2.166 million square kilometres ( 836,000 square miles ) but has a population of only 56,000 , mainly Inuits .
Last August , Trump ’ s desire to buy Greenland emerged in press reports in Washington .
Inuit Premier Kim Kielsen said then that the island was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not Danish .
Greenland is Greenlandic .
I persistently hope that this is not something that is seriously meant.
” Retreating ice could uncover potential oil and mineral resources in Greenland which , if successfully tapped , could dramatically change the island ’ s fortunes .
But no oil has yet been found in Greenlandic waters and 80 % of the island is covered by an ice sheet that is up to 3 kilometres ( 2 miles ) thick , which means exploration is only possible in coastal regions .
Even there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the long winter with frozen ports , 24-hour darkness and temperatures regularly dropping below minus 20 Fahrenheit ( minus 30 Celsius ) in the northern parts .


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--Biden’s ties to Obama could hamper appeal to Latino voters

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden ’ s tenure as Barack Obama ’ s vice-president is complicating his efforts to deepen ties with Latinos who could be critical to winning the White House .
For many Latinos , Biden ’ s embrace of the Obama years is a frightening reminder of when the former president ejected about 3 million people living in the U.S. illegally , earning him the moniker of “ deporter in chief.
” That ’ s one reason Latinos overwhelmingly backed Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primary .
But with the Vermont senator out of the race and Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latinos face an agonizing choice .
They could look past Biden ’ s resume and vote for him or sit out the election and risk another four years of President Donald Trump , who escalated his hard-line stance this week with an executive order freezing some immigration into the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ The ‘ Let ’ s go back to how things were ’ for people who feel like they have a boot on their neck , it ’ s not always that compelling , ” said Marisa Franco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activist group Mijente , which made its first-ever endorsement when it backed Sanders for president .
The record number of deportations under Obama came as his administration sought to show it was serious about enforcement while waiting on Congress to approve an overhaul to the immigration system .
But in the process , it deported a large percentage of people without criminal records , even while publicly saying its priority was removing criminals from the country .
Obama eventually gave up on Congress and changed tactics , extending temporary legal protections to young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or DACA , which is still being challenged in federal court .
Biden long defended the administration ’ s immigration policy , even telling one activist in South Carolina who decried deportations , “ You should vote for Trump.
” But just before losing the caucuses in heavily Hispanic Nevada in February , Biden conceded , “ We took far too long to get it right.
” “ I think it was a big mistake , ” Biden said .
Domingo Garcia , president of the League of United Latin American Citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal side of the Latino community ” view the issue as a “ litmus test that ’ s something they ’ ve not forgotten.
” But he said many activists see it as paling in comparison to Trump ’ s race baiting .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , a leading progressive voice , has said she ’ ll vote for Biden in November even as she ’ s said he needs to pay close attention to Latino issues .
Sanders has endorsed Biden and called on his base of loyal supporters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s defeat .
The Republican president isn ’ t toning down his approach to the issue of immigration , viewing it as a way to motivate his base .
Trump ’ s latest executive order likely guarantees immigration will remain in the spotlight heading into the election .
The Trump administration deported about 267,260 people in fiscal year 2019 , well below the single-year record of nearly 410,000 the Obama administration set in 2012 .
But Trump has increased the number of people jailed in the U.S. awaiting immigration court proceedings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while they wait for the same .
“ Our community definitely understands and knows the consequences of having Trump as president , “ said Laura Jiménez , the Biden campaign ’ s Latino engagement director .
” This election is about our lives , our safety , our ability to thrive and be in this country and be accepted.
“ About 32 million Hispanics will be eligible to vote in November , accounting for 13.3 % of the electorate , outpacing African Americans to become the largest minority voting bloc for the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center .
Biden ’ s campaign has increased the budget for Latino outreach efforts .
He has called into Hispanic radio shows and held weekly “ Unidos Con Biden , ” or “ United For Biden , ” calls to engage Hispanic supporters .
Lately , those have focused on speaking to Hispanic elected officials in states around the country about the fallout from the coronavirus .
In recent weeks , the campaign has begun using more nuanced approaches to target Latinos from an array of backgrounds since Cuban Americans have different concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Mexico , Puerto Rico or Venezuela .
Biden will soon begin vetting potential running mates who will likely include prominent Latinas such as Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada .
Still , the former vice-president has not backed decriminalizing illegal border crossings , an issue on which he split from rivals including Sanders and former Obama administration housing chief Julián Castro during the primary .
Hispanics also represent a high number of uninsured Americans , meaning Sanders ’ support for universal health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appealed to many — another issue Biden hasn ’ t embraced .
Younger Latinos tend to be major supporters of sweeping initiatives to fight climate change , which Sanders backed and Biden didn ’ t .
Since Sanders exited the race , his chief Hispanic strategist , Chuck Rocha , has launched a political action committee aiming to motivate Latino voters up and down the ballot , especially in battleground states like Pennsylvania .
Rocha said that he had not spoken to the Biden campaign about Hispanic outreach but that such initiatives need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not mere weeks before the election when they can feel superficial .
“ You do it with the same percentage of the budget that you spend talking to that white swing voter that voted for Donald Trump , “ Rocha said .
“ Democrats and progressives need to understand that there ’ s way more untapped potential in engaging a Latino infrequent voter.
” Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”


thetorontostar--2020-04-23--House expected to send 4th coronavirus aid bill to Trump

WASHINGTON - The House is reassembling to send President Donald Trump a fourth bipartisan bill to help businesses crippled by the coronavirus , an almost $ 500 billion measure that many lawmakers are already looking beyond .
Anchoring the latest bill is a request by the Trump administration to replenish a fund to help small- and medium-size businesses with payroll , rent and other expenses .
Supporters are already warning that more money will be needed almost immediately for the business-backed Paycheck Protection Program .
Battle lines are forming over the next measure amid growing demands to help out state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and first responders .
Thursday ’ s vote in the House would bring the total cost of the four bipartisan bills to respond to various impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to about $ 2.5 trillion , according to the Congressional Budget Office , Washington ’ s impartial scorekeeper .
The bill started two weeks ago as a simple Trump-sought $ 250 billion replenishment of the oversubscribed payroll subsidy program and grew from there .
The payroll program provides forgivable loans so businesses can continue paying workers while forced to stay closed for social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contains $ 100 billion demanded by Democrats for hospitals and a nationwide testing program , along with a $ 60 billion set-aside for small banks and an alternative network of community development banks that focus on development in urban neighbourhoods and rural areas ignored by many lenders .
There ’ s also $ 60 billion for small-business loans and grants delivered through the Small Business Administration ’ s existing disaster aid program .
Republicans say the delays likely forced some businesses waiting for the payroll subsidies to close .
But they are nonetheless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wide margin .
The legislation swept through the Senate on Tuesday by voice vote barely hours after being first circulated .
The House , however , will conduct a rollcall vote in which lawmakers will vote in turns taken under social distancing rules .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , has also orchestrated a vote to establish a select panel to provide oversight of the government ’ s efforts to battle the coronavirus , a move decried by Republicans as playing politics with the crisis .
Supporters of the Paycheck Protection Program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may only last a few days , likely putting business groups back at Washington ’ s doorstep , along with the nation ’ s governors and the cash-strapped Postal Service .
Pelosi said in an interview Wednesday on Bloomberg Television that more funding for state and local governments — there ’ s already $ 150 billion allocated in last month ’ s $ 2 trillion coronavirus package — means support for “ the health care worker , the police and fire , the first responders , the emergency services people , the teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who get vital , essential workers to work.
” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , meanwhile , is testing the brakes .
After Tuesday ’ s Senate vote , McConnell said there will be a lengthy Senate debate on the next package before billions more in spending will move through his chamber .
“ We ’ re going to take a pause here , we ’ re going to wait ... and clearly weigh before we provide assistance to states and local governments , “ McConnell said Wednesday on Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision , we ’ re going to weigh the impact of what we ’ ve already added to the national debt and make sure that if we provide additional assistance for state and local governments , it ’ s only for coronavirus-related matters.
” Trump has said he supports including fiscal relief for state and local government in another virus aid package along with infrastructure projects .
It ’ s unclear how soon the next bill can advance .
There ’ s also the question of when Pelosi and McConnell feel comfortable reopening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wants discussions to begin as soon as Congress finishes the current legislation .
The Senate is scheduled to return May 4 .
Launched just weeks ago , the Paycheck Protection Program quickly reached its lending limit after approving nearly 1.7 million loans .
That left thousands of small businesses in limbo as they sought help .
Among the targets for the next bill is the Postal Service , which has more than 600,000 workers , mostly covered under union-negotiated contracts , but is hamstrung financially by COVID-19-related revenue losses and pension-funding requirements @