thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Record avalanche of early votes transforms the 2020 election

More than 22 million Americans have already cast ballots in the 2020 election , a record-shattering avalanche of early votes driven both by Democratic enthusiasm and a pandemic that has transformed the way the nation votes .
The 22.2 million ballots submitted as of Friday night represents 16 % of all the votes cast in the 2016 presidential election , even as eight states are not yet reporting their totals and voters still have more than two weeks to cast ballots .
Americans ’ rush to vote is leading election experts to predict that a record 150 million votes may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher than in any presidential election since 1908 .
“ It ’ s crazy , ” said Michael McDonald , a University of Florida political scientist who has long tracked voting for his site ElectProject.org .
McDonald ’ s analysis shows roughly 10 times as many people have voted compared with this point in 2016 .
“ We can be certain this will be a high-turnout election , ” McDonald said .
So far the turnout has been lopsided , with Democrats outvoting Republicans by a 2-1 ratio in the 42 states included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been bracing themselves for this early Democratic advantage for months , as they ’ ve watched President Donald Trump rail against mail-in ballots and raise unfounded worries about fraud .
Polling , and now early voting , suggest the rhetoric has turned his party ’ s rank and file away from a method of voting that , traditionally , they dominated in the weeks before Election Day .
That gives Democrats a tactical advantage in the final stretch of the campaign .
In many critical battleground states , Democrats have “ banked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can turn their time and money toward harder-to-find infrequent voters .
But it does not necessarily mean Democrats will lead in votes by the time ballots are counted .
Both parties anticipate a swell of Republican votes on Election Day that could , in a matter of hours , dramatically shift the dynamic .
“ The Republican numbers are going to pick up , ” said John Couvillon , a GOP pollster who is tracking early voting .
“ The question is at what velocity , and when ?
” Couvillon said Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Republicans are themselves making a big gamble .
A number of factors , from rising virus infections to the weather , can impact in-person turnout on Election Day .
“ If you ’ re putting all your faith into one day of voting , that ’ s really high risk , ” Couvillon said .
That ’ s why , despite Trump ’ s rhetoric , his campaign and party are encouraging their own voters to cast ballots by mail or early and in-person .
The campaign , which has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for months despite the pandemic , touts a swell in voter registration in key swing states like Florida and Pennsylvania — a sharp reversal from the usual pattern as a presidential election looms .
But it ’ s had limited success in selling absentee voting .
In key swing states , Republicans remain far less interested in voting by mail .
In Pennsylvania , more than three-quarters of the more than 437,000 ballots sent through the mail so far have been from Democrats .
In Florida , half of all ballots sent through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats and less than a third of them from Republicans .
Even in Colorado , a state where every voter is mailed a ballot and Republicans usually dominate the first week of voting , only 19 % of ballots returned have been from Republicans .
“ This is all encouraging , but three weeks is a lifetime , ” Democratic data strategist Tom Bonier said of the early vote numbers .
“ We may be midway through the first quarter and Democrats have put a couple of points on the board.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any of the violent skirmishes at polling places that some activists and law enforcement officials feared .
It has featured high-profile errors — 100,000 faulty mail ballots sent out in New York , 50,000 in Columbus , Ohio , and a vendor supplying that state and Pennsylvania blaming delays in sending ballots on overwhelming demand .
But there ’ s little evidence of the mass disruption that some feared as election offices had to abruptly shift to deal with the influx of early voting .
But there have been extraordinary lines and hourslong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina as they ’ ve opened in-person early voting .
The delays were largely a result of insufficient resources to handle the surge , something advocates contend is a form of voter suppression .
Republicans argue that these signs of enthusiasm are meaningless — Democratic early voters are people who would have voted anyway , they say .
But an AP analysis of the early vote shows 8 % of early voters had never cast a ballot before , and 13.8 % had voted in half or fewer of previous elections for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also show voters embracing mail voting , which health officials say is the safest way to avoid coronavirus infection while voting .
Of the early voters , 82 % cast ballots through the mail and 18 % in person .
Black voters cast 10 % of the ballots cast , about the same as their share of the national electorate , according to the AP analysis of data from L2 , a political data firm .
That ’ s a sign that those voters , who have been less likely to vote by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have warmed to the method .
Mail ballots so far have skewed toward older voters , with half coming from voters over age 64 .
Traditionally , younger and minority voters send their mail ballots in closer to Election Day or vote in person .
The mail ballots already returned in several states dwarf the entire total in prior elections .
In Wisconsin , more than five times as many mail ballots have been cast compared with the entire number in 2016 .
North Carolina has seen nearly triple the number so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in several major states and also broke records , particularly in crowded , Democratic-leaning metropolitan areas .
In Texas , Houston ’ s Harris County saw a record 125,000 ballots cast .
In Georgia , hourslong lines threaded from election offices through much of the state ’ s urban areas .
Tunde Ezekiel , a 39-year-old lawyer and Democrat who voted early in Atlanta on Thursday , said he wanted to be certain he had a chance to oust Trump from office : “ I don ’ t know what things are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... And I didn ’ t want to take any chances.
“ The obvious enthusiasm among Democrats has cheered party operatives , but they note that it ’ s hard to tell which way turnout will eventually fall .
Republicans may be just as motivated , but saving themselves for Election Day .
“ High turnout can benefit either side , ” Bonier said .
“ It just depends.
” Associated Press writers Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Pia Deshpande in Chicago contributed to this report .

Nicholas Riccardi And Angeliki Kastanis - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Trump changes course, approves California relief for 6 fires

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - President Donald Trump ’ s administration abruptly reversed course and approved California ’ s application for disaster relief funds to clean up damage from six recent deadly and destructive blazes that have scorched the state , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Friday .
“ Just got off the phone with President Trump who has approved our Major Disaster Declaration request .
Grateful for his quick response , ” Newsom said in a brief statement .
Neither he nor the White House gave details on why the administration shifted positions less than two days after it initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a declaration that officials said could provide the state with hundreds of millions of dollars .
White House spokesman Judd Deere previously said California ’ s request “ was not supported by the relevant data ” needed for approval .
He initially said Trump agreed with Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Pete Gaynor , who said in a three-paragraph rejection letter that the damage “ was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the ( state ’ s ) capabilities.
” “ The Governor and ( GOP ) Leader ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convincing case and additional on-the-ground perspective for reconsideration leading the President to approve the declaration , “ Deere said in a statement after Trump ’ s change of heart .
McCarthy thanked Trump in a tweet for providing “ the assistance needed to rebuild and repair.
” Fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock said in a tweet that McCarthy told him “ the President has committed to reverse FEMA ’ s decision ... and help is on the way.
” Both congressmen represent areas harmed by wildfires .
The state had planned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a strong case , Brian Ferguson , a spokesman with the governor ’ s Office of Emergency Services , said before the reversal .
Newsom asked for the major disaster declaration on Sept. 28 to cover fires in Fresno , Los Angeles , Madera , Mendocino , San Bernardino , San Diego and Siskiyou counties .
The 30-page request described the disasters and pointed out that damage assessments were incomplete because the fires were still raging and access was difficult .
Federal major disaster declarations allow for cost-sharing for damage , cleanup and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They also activate relief programs led by FEMA .
The dispute surfaced as a representative of one fire-stricken area warned that time was running out to clean up debris before rain and snow arrived , bringing the threat of mudslides and toxins being washed into a river watershed .
Denials of relief are rare and Newsom , a Democrat , has previously praised the Republican administration for approving aid related to the fires and the coronavirus pandemic .
The White House said Trump quickly approved wildfire relief that was supported by damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the now-approved aid application is the Creek Fire , which erupted in the Sierra Nevada on Sept. 4 and is 60 % contained after burning 850 homes and more than 537 square miles ( 1,391 square kilometres ) in Fresno and Madera counties .
Republican state Assemblyman Jim Patterson of Fresno said the state needs to move quickly to avoid further problems in areas left barren by fires .
“ We ’ re going to see rain pretty soon , snow pretty soon , ” he told an online briefing .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas quickly we ’ re going to miss this window and we ’ re going to end up seeing mudslides where this toxic debris goes into the San Joaquin River watershed.
” No major new fires were reported statewide early Friday , but warnings of dangerously hot , dry and gusty conditions that can fan fires were expected to remain in effect until the evening .
Nearly 9,000 firefighters remain on the lines of 21 fires .
Near San Francisco ’ s international airport , crews were battling a smoky grass fire burning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iconic sign welcoming people to “ South San Francisco.
” The city of nearly 70,000 people said on social media that authorities were on the scene and evacuation instructions would follow if needed .
Numerous studies have linked bigger wildfires in America to climate change from the burning of coal , oil and gas .
Scientists have said climate change has made California much drier , meaning trees and other plants are more flammable .
It has been a disastrous wildfire season in California , with more than 8,500 blazes burning more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) since the start of the year .
Thirty-one people have died and some 9,200 buildings have been destroyed .
Thousands of Northern California residents remained without electricity Friday after a utility cut off service to prevent the latest round of powerful winds from damaging equipment and sparking wildfires amid a fall heat wave .
Power restorations began Thursday afternoon and by evening Pacific Gas and Electric said about 30,000 customers were still in the dark — down from about 45,000 the previous night .
All electricity was expected to be restored by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The utility better targeted outages this time after it was criticized in 2019 for cutting power to about 800,000 customers and leaving about 2 million people in the dark for days .
Most of this year ’ s fires have occurred since mid-August , when an unusual siege of thousands of lightning strikes ignited huge blazes .
The causes of two fires that broke out in September remain under investigation .
PG & E equipment is being examined in connection with the Zogg Fire in Northern California , and Southern California Edison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fire near Los Angeles .
Antczak reported from Los Angeles .
AP reporters Janie Har contributed from San Francisco and Kevin Freking from Washington , D.C .

Don Thompson And John Antczak - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-10-16--The Latest: Trump tries to explain lower fundraising numbers

WASHINGTON - The latest on the presidential campaign ( all times local ) : President Donald Trump says he “ could be the world ’ s greatest fundraiser , ” but he doesn ’ t want to put in the work or have to “ do things ” in return for his donors .
Trump claimed to thousands of supporters at a rally Friday in Macon , Georgia , that he could easily get multimillion-dollar donations from the heads of Wall Street firms .
But he says he ’ d then have “ do things for them ” in return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released new numbers suggesting he ’ s likely the first president to face a financial disadvantage in the modern era .
Trump ’ s campaign , the Republican National Committee and associated groups raised $ 247 million in September .
That ’ s well short of the $ 383 million his Democratic opponent , Joe Biden , and the Democratic National Committee reported raising last month .
Trump reported having $ 251.4 million in the bank , compared to Biden ’ s $ 432 million .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump is holding rallies in Ocala , Florida , and Macon , Georgia , on Friday night .
His Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , is in Michigan , where he is talking about health care in Southfield and mobilizing voters in Detroit .
— Trump on defence , courting voters in two must-win states — AP-NORC poll : Voters see the nation as fundamentally divided HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON : Joe Biden is promising a sweeping effort for racial and economic justice if he ’ s elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday at a drive-in rally at the Michigan State Fairgrounds that President Donald Trump has encouraged a rise of white supremacy , armed militias and bitter divisions .
Biden says he ’ d lead emphasizing unity while acknowledging systemic racism .
He praised Black Americans especially for “ a deep love of this country that for far too long ” has not fully recognized generations of oppression .
The former vice-president promised an economic program that would boost opportunities for American workers of all races and ethnicities .
After hailing the U.S. auto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says he wants a manufacturing renaissance to “ make it in America , make it in Michigan.
” Michigan Sen. Gary Peters is playing up Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as a saviour of the U.S. auto industry .
The senator , who faces his own tough reelection campaign , was among the warmup speakers at a Biden campaign drive-in rally Friday at the Michigan State Fairgrounds .
Peters says Michigan should “ thank President Obama and Vice-President Biden ” for their role in bailing out automakers after the 2008 financial collapse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with us in the past ” and “ will stand with us in the future.
” The bailout for GM and Chrysler was authorized by President George W. Bush after Obama and Biden won the 2008 election but before they took office .
The Obama administration carried out the rescue program .
President Donald Trump is predicting a “ red wave ” of Republican voting in Florida .
Most polls show a close race in the important battleground state that both the Republican incumbent and Democrat Joe Biden are courting heavily .
Addressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump reminded thousands of supporters that “ I live here , too.
” He recently switched his legal residence from New York .
The president noted that early voting in Florida starts Monday .
He says in 18 days “ we ’ re going to win the state of Florida .
We ’ re going to win the White House.
” Trump won Florida in 2016 .
Trump predicted a “ red wave ” of Republican voting , “ the likes of which they ’ ve never seen before.
” Joe Biden is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to strip health insurance from tens of millions of Americans with preexisting conditions .
Campaigning outside Detroit on Friday , the Democratic nominee said Trump promises to protect the insurance eligibility of all Americans but in reality wants to scrap the 2010 Affordable Care Act .
That law for the first time set a federal standard that requires insurers to offer health insurance to customers regardless of their health history .
Biden says Trump “ can only see from his penthouse ” in Manhattan and doesn ’ t see most Americans ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Department of Health and Human Services found that as many as 133 million Americans could be defined as having a “ preexisting ” condition by the standards insurers used before the 2010 law .
Biden noted that the number could rise in the wake of the pandemic .
Some patients who recover from COVID-19 have been found with lingering lung , heart or other organ damage .
Joe Biden is mocking President Donald Trump for suggesting in a Thursday town hall that the U.S. has “ turned the corner ” in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Friday while campaigning in Southfield , Michigan , that the virus is “ not disappearing ” and is instead “ on the rise again.
” The Democratic nominee noted a COVID-19 uptick in many states and said Trump has put the U.S. on course to have more coronavirus deaths than combat deaths in World War II .
Biden said Trump “ puts his supporters in such jeopardy ” by holding mass rallies where masks are not required .
Biden had removed his own mask to speak Friday .
But he spoke in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread out across a community centre gymnasium floor .
He asked them to recall Trump repeatedly “ making fun of Biden wearing a mask.
” Biden has built much of his general election argument around the criticism that Trump has bungled the pandemic and its economic fallout , leading to more deaths and job losses .
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is heaping praise on leading Michigan Democrats as he tries to flip the state back his party ’ s presidential win column .
Biden praised Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer on Friday as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors and said she “ stands up straight and tall.
” He again blasted President Donald Trump for not explicitly condemning white supremacists and far-right anarchists like the group recently arrested for plotting to kidnap Whitmer .
The former vice-president also heaped praise on Sen. Gary Peters as the Democrat faces a stiff challenge from Republican John James .
Democrats can not afford to lose Peters ’ seat if they hope to have a working Senate majority in January .
Biden called Peters a “ go-to ” lawmaker for the Obama administration when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s campaign says the former vice-president and his running mate , Kamala Harris , each tested negative Friday for COVID-19 .
The tests come a day after the campaign confirmed three individuals connected to the campaign had tested positive , including Harris ’ communications director Liz Allen .
As a precaution , Harris has suspended in-person campaigning through the weekend , but plans to return Monday .
Biden is continuing to campaign , with two stops Friday in Michigan .
Medical advisers to the campaign said none of the individuals who tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly expose him to the virus .
President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will face questions on the coronavirus , race issues and climate change in the final presidential debate next week .
Moderator Kristen Welker of NBC released the six topics for the debate Friday through the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates .
They are “ Fighting COVID-19 , ” “ American Families , ” “ Race in America , ” “ Climate Change , ” “ National Security , ” and “ Leadership.
” Trump and Biden will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 22 in Nashville , three weeks after their first meeting in Cleveland .
A second outing planned for Oct. 15 was called off after Trump ’ s coronavirus diagnosis and his refusal to participate in a virtual debate .
Trump and Biden held town halls on different networks at the same time instead .
President Donald Trump says he ’ s moving “ heaven and earth ” to protect older people from the coronavirus .
Trump is making a direct appeal to older voters during a Friday appearance in Fort Myers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s support among this voting bloc has slipped partly because of his uneven handling of the coronavirus pandemic , which has killed more people in the United States than in any other country .
Older people are among the groups most vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease it causes .
Trump says in the speech : “ I will protect you , I will defend you , and I will fight for you with every ounce of energy and conviction that I have.
” The president is also assuring older people that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine when one is approved .
He adds that he will provide them with treatments like those he received at no cost .
Trump recently recovered from COVID-19 and spent three days in the hospital .


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Teacher who turned ALS diagnosis into a movement dies at 71

Christopher Pendergast , a suburban New York teacher who turned a dreaded Lou Gehrig ’ s disease diagnosis into a decadeslong campaign to raise awareness and fund research , died from the illness on Wednesday .
He was 71 .
Pendergast was the driving force behind the ALS Ride for Life , an annual wheelchair ride across Long Island that has raised more than $ 10 million for research , patient and caregiver services , and education about the neurodegenerative disease , formally known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis .
Pendergast ’ s family confirmed his death .
He had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was surrounded by loved ones in his final moments .
The disease took his ability to speak about a year ago , but his mind remained sharp and he communicated through an eye gaze computer .
“ Our dad , despite all odds , lived life just how he wanted , ” the family said in a statement .
The news of Pendergast ’ s death spread quickly on social media , eliciting tributes and remembrances from former students , colleagues and people who have been touched by his efforts .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his hometown , Miller Place .
It will also be streamed online .
“ He ’ s a hero to all of us , ” said Ray Manzoni , a friend who serves as the chairman of the ALS Ride for Life organization .
“ Mr .
P just had an air about him that he was going to fight this to the end , “ said Don Strasser , a chemistry teacher in Northport , where Pendergast taught elementary school and remained a fixture at ALS fundraisers and class activities .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ...
He ’ s done that , time and time again for so many patients.
” Pendergast led the first ALS Ride for Life in 1998 , five years after his diagnosis .
It was an ambitious , 15-day journey to Washington , D.C. , that started at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx , where baseball legend Lou Gehrig called himself “ the luckiest man on the face of the Earth ” after his own ALS diagnosis in 1939 .
The route moved closer to home in subsequent years , with Pendergast in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ALS patients from Montauk , at the eastern tip of Long Island , to New York City , some 118 miles ( 190 kilometres ) away .
The two-week trek each spring drew immense community support .
Local police provided escorts , people rode along on bicycles or joined on foot , and onlookers would sometimes step into the street to hand over spare change .
The money the ride raised has funded a variety of ALS-related programs , including the Christopher Pendergast ALS Center of Excellence .
The centre , opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University more than a decade ago , provides a level of diagnostic and treatment services that were previously only available in New York City .
Pendergast and his wife , Christine , chronicled their experiences as patient , caregiver and advocates in a recent book , “ Blink Spoken Here : Tales From A Journey To Within.
” Pendergast , who retired from teaching in 2003 , returned to schools frequently to offer an inspirational message of perseverance in the face of adversity .
He last visited with Northport High School students in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the closure of schools and businesses and the cancellation of events , including May ’ s edition of the Ride for Life .
From the start , Pendergast saw his diagnosis as a calling to help others .
In 1997 , as ALS ate away at his ability to walk , he marched outside the Food and Drug Administration ’ s offices in Washington , pressing for approval of an unproven but potentially beneficial therapy .
“ One day I ’ m going to be chained to that door , ” Pendergast told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s the politics of power , and we have been powerless for too long.
” In 2005 , after another Northport teacher revealed his ALS diagnosis , students were inspired to start their own fundraising event , an annual gala dubbed “ Midwinter Night ’ s Dream.
” The event , the brainchild of one of Pendergast ’ s elementary school science students , attracted celebrity guests such as “ The Sopranos ” star Edie Falco and pitcher David Cone .
Pendergast shared advice with students from his own charitable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each year ’ s gala .
But , Strasser said , he was also careful not to take the spotlight from David Deutsch , the other Northport teacher battling ALS .
Deutsch died in 2012 and the last gala was held in 2014 .
“ There ’ s no doubt that being involved actively in fighting the disease in this form is life-lengthening , ” Pendergast said at the first event .
“ We can ’ t undergo chemotherapy or invasive types of surgical procedures to allow us to fight back against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of laying down and doing nothing and allowing the disease to steamroll right over us , or to fight back with spirit and get involved ... That is our only medicine .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Authorities: Top Mexico official helped smuggle drugs to US

LOS ANGELES - Mexico ’ s former defence secretary helped a cartel smuggle thousands of kilograms of cocaine , heroin , methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States in exchange for bribes , according to court documents unsealed Friday .
Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda , 72 , acted on behalf of the H-2 cartel while defence secretary from 2012 to 2018 under former President Enrique Pena Nieto , authorities said .
Thousands of intercepted BlackBerry messages show the general ensured military operations were not conducted against the cartel , and that operations were initiated against rivals , according to prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other corrupt Mexican officials .
Cienfuegos — also known as “ El Padrino , “ or “ The Godfather , ” according to the indictment — is accused of alerting cartel leaders to a U.S. law enforcement investigation into its operations and the use of co-operating witnesses and informants , which resulted in the murder of a member of the cartel that leaders incorrectly believed was assisting U.S. law enforcement authorities .
Intercepted communications between Cienfuegos and a senior cartel leader discussed the general ’ s historical assistance to another drug trafficking organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the defendant is identified by name , title and photograph as the Mexican government official assisting the H-2 cartel , authorities said .
Mexico authorities don ’ t identify any drug cartel as H-2 , which , according to U.S. officials , was led by Juan Francisco Patrón Sánchez .
Instead , Mexican officials alleged Patrón Sánchez was a regional leader of the Beltrán Leyva drug cartel .
He was killed in 2017 in a shootout with Mexican marines .
U.S. authorities said in court documents that the cartel had numerous distribution cells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexican military , including Los Angeles , Las Vegas , Ohio , Minnesota , North Carolina and New York .
In Mexico , the cartel is accused of trafficking hundreds of firearms and committing “ countless acts of horrific violence , including torture and murder , in order to protect against challenges from rival drug trafficking organizations , fight for territory and silence those who would co-operate with law enforcement.
” Cienfuegos made an initial court appearance Friday by video from his Los Angeles detention facility , wearing a dark-colored jacket and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but answered U.S. District Judge Alexander MacKinnon ’ s procedural questions in English , saying “ yes ” and “ yes , your honour.
” The judge ordered Cienfuegos held without bail until a hearing Tuesday in Los Angeles .
His attorney , Duane Lyons , appeared by video and did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
Cienfuegos was indicted by a grand jury in the Eastern District of New York on Aug. 14 , 2019 , on charges of conspiracy to participate in international distribution of heroin , cocaine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He could face a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years in prison if convicted on the conspiracy charges .
Federal prosecutors asked that Cienfuegos be denied bail , saying he is a major flight risk .
They say he last visited the United States in March 2019 , and if he were captured in Mexico , extradition to the U.S. could take years .
“ While the United States and Mexico have an extradition treaty , it will be extremely difficult to apprehend the defendant in Mexico if the H-2 Cartel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Seth DuCharme , acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York , wrote the court .
The Drug Enforcement Administration , which issued the arrest warrant , declined to comment .
Cienfuegos was expected to be transferred to New York , where his case is being handled .
He was arrested Thursday as he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport .
A senior Mexican official , who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn ’ t authorized to give details of the case , said Cienfuegos was arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center .
Cienfuegos is the highest-ranking former Cabinet official arrested since top Mexican security official Genaro Garcia Luna was taken into custody in Texas in 2019 .
Garcia Luna , who served under former President Felipe Calderón , has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges .
The arrest of Cienfuegos is a tough blow for Mexico , where the army and navy are some of the few remaining respected public institutions .
Mexico ’ s current president , Andres Manuel López Obrador , has vowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past administrations , but he has relied more heavily on the army — and given it more tasks , ranging from building infrastructure projects to distributing medical supplies — than any other president in recent history .
López Obrador sought Friday to reassure the country that he still had faith in the armed forces as “ pillars of the Mexican state.
” He has invested more responsibility in military leaders than any president in recent history .
While he said the arrest was unfortunate , it gave him another opportunity to repeat his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mexico ’ s most serious problems .
López Obrador draws a bold line between the degradation of public institutions that occurred under his predecessors and the transformation he says he is undertaking .
For many Mexicans however , the military has long been seen as the last defence against the cartels , raising the question of who can be trusted now .
Mexico ’ s defence ministry had not commented on the arrest .
Associated Press writers E. Eduardo Castillo and Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report .
Spagat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been corrected to say Cienfuegos is Mexico ’ s former defence secretary , not foreign defence secretary .

Stefanie Dazio And Elliot Spagat - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-16--Joe Kennedy III: Senate campaign improperly spent $1.5M

BOSTON - U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III ’ s campaign improperly spent $ 1.5 million earmarked for the general election during the Massachusetts congressman ’ s failed bid to capture the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat , he said Friday .
Kennedy said in a statement to The Boston Globe that he did not know about the improper spending before the Sept. 1 primary election , and has since reimbursed the campaign with his $ 1.5 million of his own money .
He and his campaign self-reported the violation to the Federal Election Commission last week , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I believe it was an honest mistake by those involved , resulting from misinformation , not malintent , ” Kennedy told the newspaper .
“ But as the candidate , I take full responsibility for the error that occurred and have worked to rectify it as expeditiously as possible.
” The campaign dipped into the general election funds beginning in August , as incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey closed the polling gap and out-fundraised Kennedy , the newspaper reported .
Markey ultimately won the Sept. 1 primary by a margin of nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grandson of Robert F. Kennedy , became the first of his storied family to lose a Congressional election in Massachusetts .
Federal campaign finance rules do not allow candidates to spend money earmarked for the general election — typically given in advance from individual donors who have already hit the $ 2,800 limit for the primary , but can give up to $ 2,800 more for the general election campaign — during primary season .
The Kennedy campaign said two senior officials believed the rules allowed them to spend the general election money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributions after the primary .
The campaign argued it had no reason to willingly violate the rules , because Kennedy ’ s personal wealth meant he could have contributed the money if necessary .
FEC rules require losing campaigns to refund donations made for the general election within 60 days of the primary .
Kennedy said the campaign has already fully reimbursed donors , ahead of that deadline .
It ’ s unclear how the FEC will respond to the reported violation , as the agency hasn ’ t had enough commissioners to @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-10-17--Pope removes Polish bishop accused of sex abuse coverup

ROME - Pope Francis on Saturday permanently removed a Polish bishop who was kicked out of his diocese a few months ago pending a Vatican investigation into allegations he covered up cases of sexual abuse by his priests .
The resignation of Edward Janiak as bishop of Kalisz suggests the Vatican was able to substantiate at least some elements of the accusations made in a documentary about sex abuse in Poland that has undermined the country ’ s influential Catholic hierarchy .
Francis on Saturday accepted Janiak ’ s resignation and confirmed the archbishop of Lodz , Grzegorz Rys , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At 68 , Janiak is well below the normal retirement age of 75 for bishops .
Francis in June had ordered Janiak to leave Kalisz and forbade him from having any influence on how the diocese is run pending the investigation .
In May , the online documentary “ Playing Hide and Seek ” exposed two cases of pedophile priests that Janiak handled , first as an auxiliary bishop of Wroclaw and then as bishop of Kalisz , which he had headed since 2012 .
It featured court testimony about Janiak ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , subsequently convicted and defrocked , from Wroclaw to another diocese even after a criminal investigation had begun .
The film also documented an alleged coverup relating to another priest during Janiak ’ s time as Kalisz bishop .
The film was the second on Polish clergy abuse to be made by brothers Tomasz and Marek Sekielski .
Their first film last year , “ Tell No One , ” triggered a national reckoning in a country where there is no higher moral authority than the Catholic Church and its clergy .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news on its website Saturday , simply posted a statement from the Vatican ambassador to Poland reporting that Janiak had resigned and Rys would be the “ apostolic administrator “ of Kalisz until the position is permanently filled .


thetorontostar--2020-10-17--‘Big pile’ of eels dumped in NYC park; impact not yet known

NEW YORK - Andrew Orkin was taking a break from his evening jog to sit by Prospect Park Lake when he turned around and was startled to see a tangle of wriggling snakes .
“ And quite a big pile — fully alive , ” said Orkin , a music composer who lives near the Brooklyn park .
They turned out to be eels that had escaped from one of two large plastic bags that split open as a man dragged them to the shoreline .
After dumping the eels in the lake , the man walked away , explaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to save lives.
” The illegal release late last month became a curiosity on social media , but the dumping of exotic animals in urban parks isn ’ t new .
In cities across the country , nonnative birds , turtles , fish and lizards have settled into , and often disturbed , local ecosystems .
New Yorkers free thousands of non-native animals every year , many of them abandoned pets that quickly die .
But others can survive , reproduce and end up causing lasting harm .
“ People like animals and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good thing by letting them go , ” said Jason Munshi-South , urban ecologist at Fordham University .
“ Most will die .
Some will become a problem , and then there ’ s no going back.
” New York state and city officials say it ’ s too soon to know how the eels in Prospect Park might affect local species .
But based on photos taken by bystanders , officials identified them as swamp eels native to Southeast Asia like those that have been found in at least eight states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchased at local live fish markets , officials say — the eels eat almost anything including plants , insects , crustaceans , frogs , turtles and other fish .
And they could prey upon or compete with the park ’ s native species for however long they survive , said Katrina Toal , deputy director of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation ’ s Wildlife Unit .
There are no plans to eradicate the eels .
Since they ’ re nocturnal and spend most of their time burrowed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , spotting and removing them from the lake could be impossible .
“ This kind of species is a little tricky .
They ’ re well hidden , ” Toal said .
“ We ’ re not going to go out there and try to trap any of them.
” Without having witnessed the release , officials from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation , which is investigating the incident , could not specify the number of eels released last month .
Bystanders described seeing more than 100 of them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ swamp eels during the agency ’ s next survey in the spring , but don ’ t expect them to make it through the winter .
However , said University of Toronto freshwater ecologist Nicholas Mandrak , “ Even if they don ’ t survive , they could have negative short-term impacts.
” If some Prospect Park transplants survive for a few years , climate change could feasibly warm up city waters enough to render them hospitable for swamp eels , Mandrak said .
“ We shouldn ’ t come to an immediate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Asia they couldn ’ t survive in New York City , ” he said .
The exotic species previously has shown up in western New York state ’ s Hemlock and Canadice lakes in 2019 and Queens ’ Meadow Lake in 2017 .
Elsewhere , biologists have found Asian swamp eels in waterways in Hawaii , Georgia , New Jersey , Maryland , Michigan , Florida and Pennsylvania .
New York City has a long history of people introducing exotic species into its parks .
In 1890 , Shakespeare enthusiasts released a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Central Park that grew into a current population of hundreds of millions nationwide that outcompete native birds , destroy crops and occasionally snarl jet engines .
For decades , pet Red-eared slider turtles have been abandoned in city ponds , creating a major nuisance that has crowded out local painted turtles and fueled green algae blooms .
Voracious , sharp-toothed Northern snakehead fish — introduced by way of pet stores , live food markets and aquarium hobbyists across the U.S. — have been spotted in New York ’ s Harlem Meer and Flushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escaped or released monk parakeets and Italian wall lizards are scattered across the city ’ s boroughs .
The eels are just the latest episode .
“ This is an unusual and eye-catching story , “ Toal said , “ but something that happens far more often is people release one unwanted pet.
” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-10-17--Suspect in teacher’s beheading in France was Chechen teen

PARIS - A suspect shot dead by police after the gruesome beheading of a history teacher in an attack near Paris was an 18-year-old Moscow-born Chechen refugee , officials said Saturday .
France ’ s anti-terrorism prosecutor ’ s office said authorities investigating the killing of Samuel Paty in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine on Friday also arrested nine suspects , including the teen ’ s grandfather , parents and 17-year-old brother .
Paty had discussed caricatures of Islam ’ s Prophet Muhammad with his class , leading to threats and a complaint from a parent , police officials said .
Islam prohibits images @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead to idolatry .
The officials could not be named because they were not authorized to discuss ongoing investigations .
The French anti-terrorism prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard said an investigation for murder with a suspected terrorist motive had been opened .
Ricard told reporters that the suspect , who had been granted a 10-year residency in France as a refugee in March and was not known to intelligence services , had been armed with a knife and an airsoft gun , which fires plastic pellets .
The prosecutor said a text claiming responsibility and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the suspect ’ s phone .
Ricard said the suspect had been seen at the school asking students about the teacher , and the headmaster had received several threatening phone calls .
French leaders offered messages of sadness but also of hope after the killing .
“ We ’ ll pick ourselves up together , thanks to our spirit of solidarity , ” said Laurent Brosse , mayor of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine .
“ We are all affected , all touched by this vile assassination , ” said Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school in solidarity , holding signs that read “ I am a teacher.
“ A police official said the suspect was shot dead about 600 metres ( yards ) from where Paty died .
Police opened fire after he failed to respond to orders to put down his arms and acted in a threatening manner .
The official could not be named because of the ongoing investigations .
French President Emmanuel Macron went to the school on Friday night to denounce what he called an “ Islamist terrorist attack.
” He urged the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ One of our compatriots was murdered today because he taught ... the freedom of expression , the freedom to believe or not believe , ” Macron said .
The presidential Elysee Palace announced Saturday that there will be a national ceremony at a future date in homage to Paty , about whom few details have so far emerged .
In a video posted recently on Twitter , a man describing himself as the father of a student asserted that Paty had shown an image of a naked man and told students it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Before showing the images , the teacher asked Muslim children to raise their hands and leave the room because he planned to show something shocking , the man said .
“ What was the message he wanted to send these children ?
What is this hate ?
” the man asked .
The AP has not been able to independently confirm these claims .
Chechnya is a predominantly Muslim Russian republic in the North Caucasus .
Two wars in the 1990s triggered a wave of emigration , with many Chechens heading for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to many Chechens since the Russian military waged war against Islamist separatists in Chechnya in the 1990s and early 2000s .
France has seen occasional violence involving its Chechen community in recent months , believed linked to local criminal activity and score-settling .
This is the second time in three weeks that terror has struck France linked to caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad .
Last month , a young man from Pakistan was arrested after attacking two people with a meat cleaver outside the former offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly newsroom attack in 2015 , and it republished caricatures of the prophet this month to underscore the right to freedom of information as a trial opened linked to that attack .
Friday ’ s terror attack came as Macron ’ s government works on a bill to address Islamic radicals , who authorities claim are creating a parallel society outside the values of the French Republic .


thetorontostar--2020-10-17--Gas prices rise a bit in NJ, dip a bit across nation

TRENTON , N.J. - Gas prices rose a bit in New Jersey but dipped a bit across the nation as @ @ @ @ @ week .
AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of a gallon of regular gas in @ @ @ @ @ $ 2.24 , up a penny from last week .
Drivers were paying an average @ @ @ @ @ a year ago at this time .
The national average price for a gallon of @ @ @ @ @ , down a penny from the previous week .
Drivers were paying an average of @ @ @ @ @ year ago at this time .
Analysts say gas prices are decreasing nationally as demand @ @ @ @ @ trips being taken in the fall .


thetorontostar--2020-10-17--Transit shutdowns fail to deter Thai pro-democracy protests

BANGKOK - Pro-democracy activists in Thailand staged a fourth straight day of high-profile protests in the capital on Saturday , thwarting efforts by the authorities to stop them , including a shutdown of the city ’ s mass transit systems .
Unlike protests a day earlier , which saw police using water cannons to keep the protesters at bay , Saturday ’ s demonstrations were peaceful , with no reports of any clashes by the time participants started heading home in the evening .
The protesters are calling for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to leave office , the constitution to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the nation ’ s monarchy to undergo reform .
All stations of Bangkok ’ s elevated Skytrain transit system were closed Saturday afternoon to try to keep protesters from gathering .
The underground MRT system was also shut , and police blocked off several roads .
Protesters met anyway as planned at the Skytrain stations , where they held small impromptu rallies , in effect establishing a temporary but active presence across the city .
The organizers then issued a fresh advisory for followers to gather at three stations outside the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was easier .
Once that was announced , money was pooled by participants so they could take taxis to get around the transit shutdown .
“ Right now we can do nothing much , ” said a 26-year-old hotel worker who asked to be called only Veronica .
“ What we can do right now is only show our power to let the outside see.
“ Several thousand people gathered in multiple locations , with some taking turns airing their views over a megaphone .
By the evening , police had not disturbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to marching in the street .
Protesters began dispersing at 8 p.m. , the time organizers had said the protests would end .
The protesters acted despite a state of emergency imposed by Prayuth on Thursday that makes them all subject to arrest .
They also appeared not to be cowed by a crackdown on their rally in central Bangkok on Friday night , in which riot police backed up by water cannons cleared the streets in about an hour .
No major injuries were reported from that confrontation .
It was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests that the authorities have employed such forceful tactics against the student-led movement .
A 20-year-old student who used the name Ryo said Friday night ’ s events had hardened his resistance .
“ I respect people ’ s political opinions , but after yesterday ’ s incident , I feel it was so harsh , perpetrating violence against unarmed people who had no weapons to fight back , ” he said .
Protective gear such as goggles was distributed Saturday at some venues .
Friday night ’ s violent dispersal led the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ umbrella organization , to declare in a statement that “ the government and military have established themselves as the enemy of the people , ” Most of the group ’ s top leaders have been arrested .
The protesters have been doing their best to elude the authorities , using social media to assemble followers before police have time to block them .
The government has announced plans to take legal action against Twitter and Facebook accounts that announce the protests , but fresh calls to action were posted Saturday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ army commander led a 2014 coup that toppled an elected government , was returned to power unfairly in last year ’ s general election because laws had been changed to favour a pro-military party .
The protesters say a constitution promulgated under military rule and passed in a referendum in which campaigning against it was illegal is undemocratic .
The call by the protesters for reform of the monarchy has significantly raised the political temperature in Thailand , angering many older conservative Thais for whom any critical discussion of the royal family is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other key members of the royal family are protected by a lese majeste law that has regularly been used to silence critics who risk up to 15 years in prison if deemed to have insulted the institution .
Prayuth ’ s declaration of a state of emergency said the measure was necessary because “ certain groups of perpetrators intended to instigate an untoward incident and movement in the Bangkok area by way of various methods and via different channels , including causing obstruction to the royal motorcade.
” He was referring to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a small crowd heckling a motorcade carrying Queen Suthida and Prince Dipangkorn as it slowly passed .
On Friday , two activists were arrested under a law covering violence against the queen for their alleged part in the incident .
They could face up to life in prison if convicted .
They denied any wrongdoing .


thetorontostar--2020-10-17--New virus restrictions in Europe; Merkel warns of hard days

BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to come together like they did in the spring to slow the spread of the coronavirus as the country posted another daily record of new cases Saturday .
“ Difficult months are ahead of us , ” she said in her weekly video podcast .
“ How winter will be , how our Christmas will be , that will all be decided in these coming days and weeks , and it will be decided by our behaviour.
” Meanwhile , new restrictions went into effect in several other European nations in an effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Paris and eight other French cities , restaurants , bars , movie theatres and other establishments were being forced to close no later than 9 p.m. to try to reduce contact among people .
The country was deploying 12,000 extra police officers to enforce the new rules .
Many restaurant owners have bristled at the order .
An earlier months-long lockdown devastated the sector .
“ I have the right to question the government ’ s approach , I think it ’ s a catastrophic measure for the industry , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philosophes and several other bistros in Paris ’ s chic Le Marais district , saying that if nothing else , the curfew should be 11 p.m. “ At least that would not destroy us , ” he said .
“ There ’ s no evidence that this difference of a couple of hours will have any effect on the virus circulating.
” In Britain , a three-tier regional approach to battle the pandemic introduced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson went into effect , with each level bringing progressively tighter restrictions .
On Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were subject to a ban on socializing with people from other households indoors , while the county of Lancashire joined Liverpool in tier 3 with the tightest restrictions .
Among other things , that means pubs have been forced to close and socializing with others is banned even in many outdoor settings .
In Northern Ireland a lockdown lasting four weeks came into force Friday .
All pubs and restaurants must close except for takeaway services , and schools will close for two weeks for an extended half-term holiday .
Data from Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.K. within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus , bringing the total official toll to 43,429 .
The World Health Organization has warned that intensive care units in a number of European cities could reach maximum capacity in the coming weeks if the number of infections doesn ’ t slow .
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg joined the list of top politicians who have tested positive for the virus , and was quarantined though he showed no symptoms , his office told Austria ’ s APA news agency .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives in the same hotel as Pope Francis tested positive for the virus , adding to the 11 cases of COVID-19 among the Swiss Guards who protect him .
In Germany , which was widely lauded for rapidly slowing the spread of the virus when the pandemic first broke out , the numbers have been climbing rapidly .
On Saturday , the country ’ s disease control centre , the Robert Koch Institute , reported 7,830 cases overnight , a new record .
Like most countries , Germany has been grappling with how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to prevent people from coming into close contact with one another .
Germany has registered a total of 356,387 coronavirus cases and a relatively low 9,767 deaths .
Merkel urged Germans to avoid unnecessary travel , cancel parties and remain at home whenever possible .
“ What brought us so well through the first half year of the pandemic ?
” she asked .
“ It was that we stood together and obeyed the rules out of consideration and common sense .
This is the most effective remedy we currently have against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now than ever.
” In the neighbouring Czech Republic , the number of new infections surpassed 10,000 for the first time , surging to 11,105 on Friday , the Health Ministry said .
The country has now registered a total of 160,112 cases , including 1,283 deaths .
Despite new restrictive measures to slow the surge , Health Minister Roman Prymula said he still expects a rise in those testing positive for about two weeks .
Next door , Slovakia said it was acquiring 13 million rapid antigen tests — enough to test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and would establish 6,000 testing sites .
Prime Minister Igor Matovic said testing will take place over the next two weekends , starting with the three or four hardest hit counties .
It was not immediately clear whether tests would be mandatory .
Italy ’ s northern Lombardy region , where the European outbreak began in late February , has taken new measures to contain rebounding infections , limiting bar service and alcohol sales , banning contact sports and closing bingo parlours .
The regional government late Friday called for high schools to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person with online learning .
The measures were taken after Lombardy , Italy ’ s most populous region , once again became the most affected , adding more than 2,000 infections a day .
Hospitals are coming under strain and intensive care units are filling up .
The new measures allow only table service for bars from 6 p.m. , ban takeout alcohol sales from that time and prohibit all consumption of booze in public spaces .
Italy ’ s other hardest hit region , southern Campania , has taken similarly strict measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks .
After parents protested , the regional governor backed off Friday and allowed daycare centres to remain open .
In the capital , Rome , residents grumbled as cases climbed , fearing a return to the strict country-wide measures that were imposed when the virus was spreading out of control .
“ The situation is critical thanks to the morons , because I call them morons , who have not respected the rules , “ said resident Mario Massenzi .
” And if we fall back into the same situation as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas Adamson in Paris , Sylvia Hui in London , Nicole Winfield in Rome , Colleen Barry in Milan and Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-17--Black immigrants find camaraderie, divide amid protests

Inspired by the global protests against systemic racism and police brutality , Nigerian American blogger Nifesimi Akingbe donned a black shirt that read “ I am Black history , ” and began recording a video .
Akingbe then went on to list her frustrations about racism in America and directed her message to Black immigrant communities like her own : This is your battle , too .
“ When these cops see us or when some of these racist people see us , they see a Black person , ” Akingbe said during the 34-minute video posted on YouTube .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you were born in Alabama , if you were born in Nigeria , in Ghana , in Sierra Leone .
They see one colour.
” Akingbe , of suburban Baltimore , is among the many young Black immigrants or children of immigrants who say they are speaking out for racial equity while also trying to convince older members of their communities that these issues should matter to them , too .
“ I feel like their mindset is different , “ the 31-year-old told The Associated Press , referring to immigrants like her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overlook racial issues .
To be sure , most Black immigrants have experienced the brutal legacy of European colonization , and those from Latin American and Caribbean nations have a history of slavery in their own countries .
In the U.S. , from the civil rights movement to the current Black Lives Matter demonstrations , there have also been generational tensions in the African American community when it comes to taking a stand against racism .
But these have largely been over tactics , said David Canton , a professor of African American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Everybody has a role in the movement .
People have to learn to live with that and respect people ’ s decisions , ” Canton said .
Like Akingbe , fellow Nigerian American Ade Okupe has been having conversations with older immigrants in hopes that they will see police brutality as something that also affects them .
So far , the 27-year-old said , he hasn ’ t been successful .
“ It ’ s a non-issue to the older generation , ” said Okupe , who lives in Parkville , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chats , older immigrants tell him they came to America to work and provide a better life for their children , not to protest about race .
“ They want to make sure they are not doing anything that rocks the boat , ” said Daniel Gillion , author of “ The Loud Minority : Why Protests Matter in American Democracy.
“ “ They are trying to be good citizens and protests , in their eyes , — pushing back and criticizing the nation — isn ’ t their perception of being a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their attitudes are driven by worries about their children .
Elsa Arega , an Ethiopian immigrant who lives in Lancaster , Pennsylvania , was horrified by the police killing of George Floyd in May and cares about what is going on .
But she also wants to keep her daughter , a college student in Virginia , safe and fears her daughter could put herself in danger if she participates in protests .
“ I just want her to focus on her education , ” Arega said , speaking her native Amharic language @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work and change their lives , not to get into an argument with the government.
” The number of Black immigrants to the United States has increased in recent decades largely due to family reunification , the admission of refugees from war-torn countries like Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and the diversity visa lottery program , according to the Migration Policy Institute .
This has led to ethnic enclaves across the U.S. West African communities are dominant in New York City , Ethiopians have made their mark in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Black immigrants from the Caribbean are prominent in Florida and New York City .
Somalis have a sizable presence in Minneapolis , where Floyd died under the knee of a white police officer who was later charged along with three other officers .
The global protest movement sparked by Floyd ’ s death came eight years after the police shooting death of 18-year-old Ramarley Graham , the son of a Jamaican immigrant , in the Bronx .
In 1999 , Guinean immigrant Amadou Diallo was killed in a barrage of 41 shots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police officers who mistook his wallet for a gun .
His death sparked widespread demonstrations but the officers were acquitted of all charges in 2000 .
That same year , the fatal police shooting of Patrick Dorismond , a 26-year-old Haitian American , ignited another wave of protests against police brutality in New York .
Such police killings can be unsettling to immigrants , many of whom come to the U.S. in search of a better life and then find themselves injected into America ’ s centuries-old racial strife .
“ When they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are treated no differently , they begin to feel a certain amount of camaraderie with Black Americans , ” said Bill Ong Hing , founder of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and a law professor at the University of San Francisco .
In fact , one of the co-founders of the original network of Black Lives Matter was Opal Tometi , the daughter of Nigerian immigrants .
Civil rights leader Malcolm X was also the son of an immigrant , from Grenada .
“ At the end of the day , we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a 25-year-old Ghanaian American who lives in Houston .
” We are all one community across the diaspora , whether you are a Black American , raised on the African continent or you ’ re from elsewhere .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-17--Rural Midwest hospitals struggling to handle virus surge

WESSINGTON SPRINGS , S.D .
- Rural Jerauld County in South Dakota didn ’ t see a single case of the coronavirus for more than two months stretching from June to August .
But over the last two weeks , its rate of new cases per person soared to one of the highest in the nation .
“ All of a sudden it hit , and as it does , it just exploded , ” said Dr. Tom Dean , one of just three doctors who work in the county .
As the brunt of the virus has blown into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the severity of outbreaks in rural communities has come into focus .
Doctors and health officials in small towns worry that infections may overwhelm communities with limited medical resources .
And many say they are still running up against attitudes on wearing masks that have hardened along political lines and a false notion that rural areas are immune to widespread infections .
Dean took to writing a column in the local weekly newspaper , the True Dakotan , to offer his guidance .
In recent weeks , he ’ s watched as one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county has tested positive for the virus .
It ripped through the nursing home in Wessington Springs where both his parents lived , killing his father .
The community ’ s six deaths may appear minimal compared with thousands who have died in cities , but they have propelled the county of about 2,000 people to a death rate roughly four times higher than the nationwide rate .
Rural counties across Wisconsin , North Dakota , South Dakota and Montana sit among the top in the nation for new cases per capita over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johns Hopkins researchers .
In counties with just a few thousand people , the number of cases per capita can soar with even a small outbreak — and the toll hits close to home in tight-knit towns .
“ One or two people with infections can really cause a large impact when you have one grocery store or gas station , ” said Misty Rudebusch , the medical director at a network of rural health clinics in South Dakota called Horizon Health Care .
“ There is such a ripple effect.
” Wessington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of farmers and ranchers that work the surrounding land .
Residents send their children to the same schoolhouse they attended and have preserved cultural offerings like a Shakespeare garden and opera house .
They trust Dean , who for 42 years has tended to everything from broken bones to high blood pressure .
When a patient needs a higher level of care , the family physician usually depends on a transfer to a hospital 130 miles ( 209 kilometres ) away .
As cases surge , hospitals in rural communities are having trouble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transfer a “ not desperately ill , but pretty “ sick COVID-19 patient was denied for several days , until the patient ’ s condition had worsened , Dean said .
“ We ’ re proud of what we got , but it ’ s been a struggle , “ he said of the 16-bed hospital .
The outbreak that killed Dean ’ s dad forced Wessington Springs ’ only nursing home to put out a statewide request for nurses .
Thin resources and high death rates have plagued other small communities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ health department in Toole County , Montana , worried that the region ’ s small hospitals would need to start caring for serious COVID-19 patients after cases spiked to the nation ’ s highest per capita .
One out of every 28 people in the county has tested positive in the last two weeks , according to Johns Hopkins researchers .
“ It ’ s very , very challenging when your resources are poor — living in a small , rural county , ” she said .
Infections can also spread quickly in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone shops at the same grocery store , attends the same school or worships at a handful of churches .
Even as outbreaks threaten to spiral out of control , doctors and health officials said they are struggling to convince people of the seriousness of a virus that took months to arrive in force .
“ It ’ s kind of like getting a blizzard warning and then the blizzard doesn ’ t hit that week , so then the next time , people say they are not going to worry about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 67-year-old author who lives in Redfield , South Dakota .
In swaths of the country decorated by flags supporting President Donald Trump , people took their cues on wearing masks from his often-cavalier attitude towards the virus .
Dean draws a direct connection between Trump ’ s approach and the lack of precautions in his town of 956 people .
“ There ’ s the foolish idea that mask-wearing or refusal is some kind of a political statement , ” Dean said .
“ It has seriously interfered with our ability to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surge , Republican governors in the region have been reluctant to act .
North Dakota Gov .
Doug Burgum said recently , “ We are caught in the middle of a COVID storm “ as he raised advisory risk levels in counties across the state .
But he has refused to issue a mask mandate .
South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem , who has carved out a reputation among conservatives by foregoing lockdowns , blamed the surge in cases on testing increases , even though the state has had the highest positivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks , according to the COVID Tracking Project .
Positivity rates are an indication of how widespread infections are .
In Wisconsin , conservative groups have sued over Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers mask mandate .
Whether the requirement survives doesn ’ t matter to Jody Bierhals , a resident of Gillett who doubts the efficacy of wearing a mask .
Her home county of Oconto , which stretches from the northern border of Green Bay into forests and farmland , has the state ’ s second-highest growth in coronavirus cases per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with three kids , is more worried about the drop in business at her small salon .
The region depends on tourists , but many have stayed away during the pandemic .
“ Do I want to keep the water on , or do I want to be able to put food on the table ?
” she asked .
“ It ’ s a difficult situation.
” Bierhals said she thought the virus couldn ’ t be stopped and it would be best to let it run its course .
But local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s health officer , Debra Koniter , desperate .
Konitzer warned that the uncontrolled spread of infections has overwhelmed the county ’ s health systems .
“ I ’ m just waiting to see if our community can change our behaviour , “ she said .
” Otherwise , I don ’ t see the end in sight .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-17--PM office: ICC prosecutor visits Sudan over Darfur charges

CAIRO - The International Criminal Court ’ s prosecutor is arriving Saturday in Sudan to discuss co-operation with local authorities over bringing to trial those internationally wanted for war crimes and genocide in the country ’ s Darfur conflict , the Sudanese government said .
Prime Minister Abdallla Hamdok ’ s office said in a statement that ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and other court officials would stay in Sudan till Wednesday .
It ’ s the first announced visit for Bensouda to Sudan .
“ The ICC delegation will discuss methods of co-operation between the Government of Sudan and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom the ICC has issued arrest warrants , ” read the statement , which did not name any of the suspects .
Among those wanted by the international court is Sudan ’ s former President Omar al-Bashir who has been in jail in Khartoum since his ouster last year and is facing several trials in Sudanese courts related to his three decades of strongman rule and the uprising that helped oust him .
The conflict in Sudan ’ s Darfur region broke out when rebels from the territory ’ s ethnic central and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2003 , complaining of oppression by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum .
Al-Bashir ’ s government responded with a scorched-earth campaign of aerial bombings and unleashed militias known as Janjaweed , who are accused of mass killings and rapes .
Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes .
The ICC charged al-Bashir , 76 , with war crimes and genocide for allegedly masterminding the campaign of attacks in Darfur .
Sudanese prosecutors started last week their own investigation into the Darfur conflict .
Also indicted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of al-Bashir ’ s rule : Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein , interior and defence minister during much of the conflict , and Ahmed Haroun , a senior security chief at the time and later the leader of al-Bashir ’ s ruling party .
Both , Hussein and Haroun , have been under arrest in Khartoum since the Sudanese military , under pressure from protesters , ousted al-Bashir in April 2019 .
The court also indicted rebel leader Abdulla Banda , whose whereabouts are not known , and Janjaweed leader Ali Kushayb , who surrendered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sudan ’ s neighbour , in June before being flown to The Hague to face justice more than 13 years after ICC judges issued an arrest warrant against him .
Sudan ’ s transitional government , which has promised democratic reforms and is led by a mix of civilian and military leaders , has previously said that war crime suspects including al-Bashir would be tried before the ICC , but the trial venue is a matter for negotiations with The Hague-based court .


thetorontostar--2020-10-17--Brazil leader’s ally suspended after underwear cash jackpot

SAO PAULO - A Brazilian lawmaker stepped down from his position representing President Jair Bolsonaro ’ s government and was suspended from the senate , after police searched his house and found cash inside the underwear he was wearing .
Federal police targeted Roraima state ’ s Sen. Chico Rodrigues as part of a probe into the alleged misappropriation of COVID-19 funds , according to the 90-day suspension issued by Luís Roberto Barroso , a justice on Brazil ’ s Supreme Court .
Police initially found 10,000 reais ( $ 1,780 ) and $ 6,000 inside a safe in Rodrigues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lawmaker asked if he could go to the bathroom , according to the police report , part of which is included in Barroso ’ s ruling .
As Rodrigues walked away , a police officer noticed a large , rectangular bulge under the senator ’ s shorts .
“ Found inside his underwear , near his buttocks , were stacks of money that totalled 15,000 reais ( $ 2,675 ) , ” the report says .
The ruling was reviewed by The Associated Press .
Asked three times whether he had any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoved his hand into his underwear to retrieve more stacks of bills , which totalled 17,900 reais ( $ 3,200 ) , according to the report .
A subsequent police search turned up another 250 reais ( $ 45 ) from inside his underwear .
There is video of that search , which Barroso wrote in his ruling he was declining to provide to the senate as it was “ well within his ( Rodrigues ’ ) intimate clothing ?
and could cause ?
greater discomfort.
?
Barroso wrote that Rodrigues ’ decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had raised the possibility of decreeing preventative imprisonment .
The senate can vote to reverse the suspension .
“ My home was invaded for having done my job as a lawmaker , getting resources for the state to combat COVID-19 , ” Rodrigues said in a statement .
“ I believe in justice and I will prove that I have nothing to do with any illicit act.
” Earlier Thursday , Rodrigues resigned as deputy leader of Bolsonaro ’ s government in the senate , according to the nation ’ s official gazette @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part due to his vow to take on crime and corruption .
However , his dedication to crimefighting has faced skepticism after his justice minister , Sergio Moro , resigned earlier this year , alleging Bolsonaro had sought to intervene improperly in the federal police .
There are also investigations underway that target Bolsonaro ’ s sons , who are lawmakers .
Late Wednesday , shortly before the first news report from online site Crusoe appeared about the police raid on Rodrigues ’ house , Bolsonaro said he would deliver a kick to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found to be corrupt .
In the capital , Brasilia , Bolsonaro repeated his claim Thursday that his government hasn ’ t been marred by the scandals as have previous administrations .
He also said that , unlike ministers and heads of state-owned enterprises , Rodrigues doesn ’ t form part of his government .
“ We are combating corruption ; it makes no difference who the person is , ” Bolsonaro said when asked about Rodrigues ’ case , adding the investigation was a point of pride .
Rodrigues is a member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executing the budget for COVID-19 measures .
___ Biller reported from Rio de Janeiro

Christiana Sciaudone And David Biller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-17--AP FACT CHECK: Trump sees what others do not in the pandemic

WASHINGTON - “ I believe we ’ re rounding the corner.
“ “ We ’ re a winner on the excess mortality.
” “ We have the vaccines coming and we have the therapies coming.
” “ We have done an amazing job.
” President Donald Trump sees in the pandemic what he wants to see .
He seemed to acknowledge as much when he was challenged on stage a few days ago for repeatedly and thoroughly misrepresenting a study about masks .
No , the study did not find that most people who wear masks get COVID-19 .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ that ’ s what I heard and that ’ s what I saw , and — regardless ... .
” Regard for the facts is not a hallmark of Trump ’ s campaign for the Nov. 3 election or of his presidency .
His assurance , heard for weeks , that the U.S. is rounding the corner on the coronavirus is belied by rising infection in the vast majority of states and higher deaths in 30 by week ’ s end , as well as by a surge in Europe .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ layer of risk to health .
As for Trump ’ s claim that he ’ s done an amazing job on the pandemic , that ’ s part of a record in office that voters are judging now and until polls close for the Nov. 3 election .
He and Democratic rival Joe Biden bid for late advantage in competing forums that replaced a cancelled presidential debate .
Meantime , the Senate vetted Judge Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination for the Supreme Court with committee hearings that often seemed to put the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Obamacare , ” on trial .
Some statements from the past week and how they compare with the facts : TRUMP , asked about the many attendees at a White House event who got sick with COVID-19 : “ Just the other day they came out with a statement that 85 % of the people that wear masks catch it.
” — NBC forum in Miami on Thursday .
NBC ’ S SAVANNAH GUTHRIE : “ Well , they didn ’ t say that , I know that study.
” TRUMP : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard and that ’ s what I saw , and -- regardless , but everybody ’ s tested and they ’ re tested often.
” THE FACTS : That was at least the third time the same day that he flatly misstated the findings of a federal study and the first time he was called out on it .
The study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not find that 85 % of mask wearers catch COVID-19 .
If that were so , the majority of Americans would be infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 85 % of a small group of COVID-19 patients surveyed reported they had worn a mask often or always around the time they would have become infected .
Dining in restaurants , where masks are set aside for meals , was one activity suspected of spreading community infection .
The study not declare masks ineffective .
Trump told a North Carolina rally earlier in the day : “ Did you see CDC ?
That 85 % of the people wearing a mask catch it , OK ?
” And to Fox Business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement that 85 % of the people wearing masks catch it.
” THE FACTS : That marker of mass death is a problematic bragging point .
Excess mortality estimates take a look at how many more people are dying than usual .
The estimates help to illustrate that the death toll attributed to COVID-19 understates how many are actually dying from the disease .
As many as 215,000 more people than usual died in the U.S. during the first seven months of the year , suggesting that the number of lives lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the official toll , which was then about 150,000 .
More than half the dead in the excess mortality count were people of colour , a higher proportion than their share of the population , according to an analysis by The Associated Press and the Marshall Project , a non-profit news organization covering the criminal justice system .
Exactly how many of the abnormally high deaths were from the virus can not be known , and international comparisons can not be made with precision .
But the findings don ’ t make the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ This nominee said she wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.
” – remarks to reporters Monday .
BIDEN : “ Why do Republicans have time to hold a hearing on the Supreme Court ?
...
It ’ s about finally getting his ( Trump ’ s ) wish to wipe out the affordable health care act because their nominee has said in the past that the law should be struck down.
” – to supporters in Ohio on Monday .
THE FACTS : No , Barrett has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health law .
Biden may ultimately be right that if she joins the court , she would vote to eliminate the law , but there are also reasons to believe she might not .
Biden is alluding to a 2017 commentary Barrett wrote that included a critique of the Supreme Court ’ s 2012 ruling upholding parts of the law .
Barrett was a University of Notre Dame law professor at the time .
In her critique , she specifically took issue with Chief Justice John Roberts ’ reasoning that the penalty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the mandate that everyone get health coverage — be considered a tax and therefore within the powers of Congress to enforce .
She said he stretched the law “ beyond its plausible meaning ” to uphold it in the 5-4 vote .
That ’ s not necessarily the same as her wanting to trash the entire law .
It ’ s difficult to take what a prospective jurist wrote about a complex law and use it to state as fact how she might rule years later when some circumstances have changed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t hesitate to do so .
All that is certain is that Barrett criticized how her potential colleagues on the high court ruled on the law eight years ago .
TRUMP , reacting to news that several people associated with the Biden campaign on a recent flight with Biden ’ s running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris , tested positive for COVID-19 : “ We extend our best wishes , which is more than they did to me , but that ’ s OK. ” — North Carolina rally Thursday .
Hours after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 2 that he had tested positive , both Biden and Harris sent their wishes for a quick recovery via Twitter .
“ Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery , ” Biden wrote .
“ We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.
” Harris tweeted a similar message “ wishing President Trump and the First Lady a full and speedy recovery .
We ’ re keeping them and the entire Trump family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time also said it would stop running negative ads , with the candidate tweeting that “ this can not be a partisan moment ” when Trump was going to a hospital for treatment of his coronavirus infection .
Biden ’ s camp resumed the advertising after Trump was released .
SEN. TED CRUZ : “ ’ Obamacare ’ has doubled the profits of the big health insurance companies , doubled them .
‘ Obamacare ’ has been great corporate welfare for giant health insurance companies at the same time , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average families ’ premiums — have risen more than — have risen $ 7,967 per year on average .
That is catastrophic that millions of Americans can ’ t afford health care .
It is a catastrophic failure of ‘ Obamacare.
’ ” — Barrett nomination hearing Wednesday .
THE FACTS : No , family premiums for health insurance have not risen by $ 7,967 per year , as Cruz asserted .
Nowhere close .
That figure comes from the Kaiser Family Foundation but it captures the increase over 11 years — 2009 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the Republican senator from Texas put it .
In addition , the figure applies to the cost of premiums for employer-provided coverage , not for “ Obamacare ” or for health insurance overall .
Kaiser ’ s Larry Levitt says the cost of employer coverage wasn ’ t much affected by the health law and “ the increase in premiums is largely due to changes in underlying health care costs over this period.
” The law ’ s premiums for a standard “ silver ” individual plan purchased by a hypothetical 40-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 273 a month nationally in 2014 , to $ 462 this year .
Levitt said there ’ s not a clear equivalent for a family premium in the health law ’ s marketplaces ; what a family pays is the sum of each member ’ s individual premiums .
Cruz ’ s take on insurer profits also missed the mark .
Some major insurers lost money for a time selling “ Obamacare ” coverage , and several companies exited the health law ’ s markets .
The law actually has a provision that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LINDSEY GRAHAM : “ Under the Affordable Care Act , three states get 35 % of the money , folks .
Can you name them ?
I ’ ll help you , California , New York and Massachusetts .
They ’ re 22 % of the population .
... Now , why did they get 35 % of the money when they are only 22 % of the population ?
“ — Barrett confirmation hearing Tuesday .
THE FACTS : The South Carolina senator ’ s suggestion that Democrats designed the health law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Big states with higher premiums and more enrolment in the health insurance marketplaces get more federal money .
But that ’ s driven by differences in premiums between states and by the number of people who sign up for taxpayer-subsidized coverage .
Moreover , some states such as South Carolina get much less federal money under the health law because they chose not to expand Medicaid , where the federal government picks up 90 % of the cost .
TRUMP : “ We had the greatest economy in the history of our country.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The numbers show it wasn ’ t the greatest in U.S. history .
Did the U.S. have the most jobs on record before the pandemic ?
Sure , the population had grown .
The 3.5 % unemployment rate before the recession was at a half-century low , but the percentage of people working or searching for jobs was still below a 2000 peak .
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer looked at Trump ’ s economic growth record this month .
Growth under Trump averaged 2.48 % annually before the pandemic , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieved during Barack Obama ’ s second term .
By contrast , the economic expansion that began in 1982 during Ronald Reagan ’ s presidency averaged 4.2 % a year .
BIDEN : “ The crime bill itself did not have mandatory sentences , except for two things , it had three strikes and you ’ re out , which I voted against in the crime bill.
” — ABC forum in Philadelphia on Thursday .
THE FACTS : That ’ s misleading .
Biden is understating the impact of the Clinton-era bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in getting it passed into law .
Biden wrote and voted for that sweeping 1994 crime bill , which included money for more prisons , expanded the use of the federal death penalty and called for a mandatory life sentence for three-time violent offenders — the so-called three strikes provision .
He did call the three-strikes rule “ wacko ” at one point , even as he was helping to write the bill .
Whatever his reservations about certain provisions , he ultimately voted for the legislation , which included the three-strikes rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Black Lives Matter era as a heavy-handed and discriminatory tool of the justice system .
TRUMP : “ When I see thousands of ballots dumped in a garbage can and they happen to have my name on it ?
I ’ m not happy about it.
” — Miami forum .
THE FACTS : Nobody has seen that .
Contrary to Trump ’ s repeated , baseless attacks on voting security , voting and election fraud is vanishingly rare .
No cases involving thousands of ballots dumped in the trash have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cited a case of military ballots marked for him being thrown in the trash in Pennsylvania as evidence of a possible plot to steal the election .
But he leaves out the details : County election officials say that the seven ballots , along with two unopened ones , were accidentally tossed in an elections office in a Republican-controlled county by a single contract worker and that authorities were swiftly called .
The Brennan Center for Justice in 2017 ranked the risk of ballot fraud at 0.00004 % to 0.0009 % , based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the five states that regularly send ballots to all voters , there have been no major cases of fraud or difficulty counting the votes .
TRUMP : “ We have the vaccines coming and we have the therapies coming.
” —Miami forum .
THE FACTS : That ’ s the expectation , but not a certainty .
The intense effort to develop vaccines and treatments has had both advances and setbacks .
Despite Trump ’ s repeated promises of an imminent vaccine , scientists say it ’ s unlikely that data showing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
Promising therapies are being tried .
A new study led by the World Health Organization suggests that the antiviral drug remdesivir — among the drugs given to Trump — did not help hospitalized COVID-19 patients .
But that ’ s not the final word on a medicine that became the standard of care in many countries after a U.S. study found it sped recovery .
TRUMP : “ One of the most important issues for Pennsylvania is the survival of your fracking industry .
Joe Biden has repeatedly pledged to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liar .
He ’ s a liar.
” — remarks Tuesday at a rally in Johnstown , Pennsylvania .
THE FACTS : That ’ s false .
Biden has repeatedly pledged not to abolish fracking .
None of that has dissuaded the president from wholly distorting Biden ’ s position .
At one of the Democratic primary debates , Biden misspoke when he addressed the subject , saying that if he became president , there would be “ no more — no new — fracking.
” Biden ’ s campaign quickly corrected his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that he would ban new gas and oil permits , including for fracking , on federal lands only .
The vast majority of oil and gas does not come from federal lands .
He ’ s hewed closely to that middle-of-the-road position , going so far as to tell an anti-fracking activist that he “ ought to vote for somebody else ” if he was in a hurry to see fracking abolished .
Fracking , or hydraulic fracturing , opened up a yearslong oil and gas boom in parts of the Southwest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battleground Pennsylvania .
The technique went into widespread use during the Obama-Biden administration .
Some liberal Democrats wish Biden were taking a tougher line against fracking now .
But he isn ’ t .
TRUMP : “ The World Health Organization just admitted that I was right .
Lockdowns are killing countries all over the world .
The cure can not be worse than the problem itself .
Open up your states , Democrat governors .
Open up New York .
A long battle , but they finally did the right thing !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Over the weekend , the World Health Organization officially changed their policy and strongly stated that prolonged lockdowns must end because of their significant harms.
” — White House official in call Monday with reporters , speaking on condition of anonymity .
THE FACTS : They ’ re twisting words out of context .
The WHO has not shifted its position that national stay-at-home orders or “ lockdowns ” should be considered a measure of last resort to contain the virus .
Nor did it ever declare that Trump “ was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump appeared to be referring to comments made last week by Dr. David Nabarro , one of six special envoys to the WHO on COVID-19 .
He told the British magazine The Spectator that lockdowns should be considered as just one measure among many to control the virus , with an aim to give countries “ breathing space ” to roll out other , better anti-COVID measures .
“ We in the World Health Organization do not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of control of this virus , ” Nabarro said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ justified “ to buy you time to reorganize , regroup , rebalance your resources , protect your health workers who are exhausted .
But by and large , we ’ d rather not do it.
” Since declaring the coronavirus a pandemic in March , the WHO has said that if countries decide to go into lockdown , it should be considered temporary and they should use the time to implement measures such as testing , tracing , informing local populations and promoting physical distancing .
The United Nations body has been inconsistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as mask wearing that it first opposed for the general public .
It has also lagged governments in pushing border closings .
But on “ stay at home ” lockdown measures , it hasn ’ t changed .
Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz , David Klepper , Jude Joffe-Block , Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar , Bill Barrow , Josh Boak , Darlene Superville , Kevin Freking and Jamey Keaten contributed to this report .
EDITOR ’ S NOTE — A look at the veracity of claims by political figures .

Calvin Woodward And Hope Yen - The Associated Press