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NewsThe Canadian PressNew York AG authorized to probe Cuomo's use of aides on book
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York’s attorney general has been authorized to launch a criminal investigation into whether Gov. Andrew Cuomo used state resources to write and promote his pandemic leadership book, the state comptroller said in a letter released Monday. The letter dated April 13 by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office asked State Attorney General Letitia James to investigate whether the process of drafting, editing, selling and promoting the book violated state laws. James’ office said it received the referral letter from the state comptroller but didn’t comment further. Recent media reports have raised concerns about staff members who helped Cuomo, a Democrat, with his book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” released last fall. “Allegations have recently emerged that public resources may have been used in the development and promotion of the governor’s book,” DiNapoli wrote. DiNapoli asked James' office to investigate the “alleged commission of any indictable offence or offences in violation of" laws that restrict the use of state property and resources for “personal purposes, private business purposes or other compensated non-governmental purposes.” DiNapoli authorized the attorney general to prosecute any one believed to have violated those laws and to "take whatever other action you deem appropriate.” That could include “appearing before and presenting all such matters to a grand jury,” he wrote. Cuomo's office hasn't provided direct responses to a list of questions from The Associated Press, including the total number of staffers who helped Cuomo with the book and whether Cuomo received compensation based on how many books were sold. Cuomo’s office didn't immediately respond to request for comment Monday. Spokesperson Rich Azzopardi has previously said that people who helped with the project "did so on their own time" and that Cuomo's office made every effort to ensure no state resources were used. “To the extent an aide printed out a document, it appears incidental,” he said. Cuomo received permission from state ethics commissioners last year to write his book — with conditions. He had to write the book on “his own time and not on state time,” according to state ethics rules. And, “no state property, personnel or other resources" could be used. The governor said Monday that he asked some people who he mentioned in the book to “review” it. “On the book, some people volunteered to review the book,” Cuomo said in a teleconference call Monday. “You look at the people who are mentioned in the book. I wanted to make sure they were okay with the mention.” Azzopardi has also disputed criticism about Cuomo discussing the book in news conferences and media appearances: “An offhand mention about writing a book, or answering questions from the media about it in no way is an advertisement of endorsement of it.” Cuomo has also repeatedly declined to reveal how much he has made for his book. The governor, who allows reporters to view personal income tax filings each year, said Monday that he would disclose financial details in those tax documents: “You will see everything you want to see in the personal income taxes.” ___ AP reporter Michael R. Sisak contributed to this report. Marina Villeneuve, The Associated Press
NewsThe Canadian PressFeds weighing how to respond after verdict in Chauvin trial
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is privately weighing how to handle the upcoming verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, including considering whether President Joe Biden should address the nation and dispatching specially trained community facilitators from the Justice Department, aides and officials told The Associated Press. Closing arguments began Monday in Chauvin’s trial with a prosecutor telling jurors that the officer “had to know” he was squeezing the life out of George Floyd as he cried over and over that he couldn’t breathe and finally fell silent. Chauvin faces murder and manslaughter charges. The plans for possible presidential remarks are still fluid, with the timing, venue and nature of the remarks still being considered, in part depending on the timing of the verdict, according to two White House aides who were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The White House has been warily watching the trial proceed in Minneapolis — and then another shooting of a Black man by a white police officer last week — and are preparing for the possibility of unrest if a guilty verdict is not reached in the trial. Biden may also speak after a guilty verdict, the White House aides said. The verdict — and the aftermath — will be a test for Biden, who has pledged to help combat racism in policing, helping African Americans who supported him in large numbers last year in the wake of protests that swept the nation after Floyd’s death and restarted a national conversation about race. But he also has long projected himself as an ally of police, who are struggling with criticism about long-used tactics and training methods and difficulties in recruitment. Press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that the White House has had a “range of conversations” about preparations for the upcoming verdict and added, “Our objective is to ensure there is space for peaceful protest." “Of course we’ll let the jury deliberate and we’ll wait for the verdict to come out before we say more about our engagements,” Psaki said. Psaki said administration officials have been in contact with leaders in Minnesota and in other cities and states that saw unrest after Floyd’s death last year. She declined to answer if Biden would be “disappointed” if a not guilty verdict was reached. Meanwhile, the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota have been working with local officials to support law enforcement as they prepare for the possibility of unrest after the verdict, officials said. And the Justice Department has also dispatched specially trained community facilitators from the its civil rights division ahead of a verdict, according to a senior Justice Department official. The official could not discuss the plans publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The officials, part of the Justice Department’s Community Relations Service, tout themselves as “America’s Peacemaker” by mediating disputes in communities and holding listening sessions to help prevent future conflicts. A federal civil rights investigation, separate from the trial, remains ongoing. Several witnesses were subpoenaed earlier this year to appear before a federal grand jury considering charges against Chauvin. The Justice Department’s civil rights investigation has been focused on Chauvin and some of the witnesses, including other officers who worked with Chauvin, people familiar with the matter have told the AP. Chauvin was prepared to plead guilty to third-degree murder in George Floyd’s death before then-Attorney General William Barr personally blocked the plea deal last year. Barr rejected the deal in part because he felt it was too soon, as the investigation into Floyd’s death was still in its relative infancy, law enforcement officials said. Across the country, police departments are also preparing for the possibility of rioting or other unrest, with some cancelling vacation time and increasing the number of officers available for shifts. The federal government hasn't detailed its plan in the event of widespread or sustained civil unrest. Jonathan Lemire And Michael Balsamo, The Associated Press
ScienceBBCNasa successfully flies small helicopter on Mars
The Ingenuity drone completes the first powered, controlled flight by an aircraft on another world.
NewsThe Canadian PressOregon gun storage law would be among the toughest in the US
SALEM, Ore. — A proposed gun storage law that would be among the toughest in the U.S. is headed for a vote in the Oregon Legislature, with backers saying it will save lives and opponents contending it could lead to deaths. Meanwhile, in Colorado, a less sweeping gun storage bill was signed into law Monday by Gov. Jared Polis., who said: “It’s a sensible measure to help avoid immeasurable heartbreak.” Colorado’s new law creates the offence of unlawful storage of a firearm if a person stores a gun knowing that a juvenile could access it without permission or if a resident of the premises is ineligible to possess a firearm. Oregon’s bill generated testimony from hundreds of people, mostly in writing because there wasn’t enough time to take all the oral testimony. A vote in Oregon's House of Representatives on the bill, initially scheduled for Monday, was pushed back by a week to enable Democratic representatives to work with the Senate “to guarantee the bill is on track to pass and be enacted,” said Hannah Kurowski, spokeswoman for the majority House Democrats. Among those testifying was Paul Kemp, whose brother-in-law Steve Forsyth was killed with a stolen gun in a mass shooting at a Portland-area shopping mall in 2012. “I will never forget the screams I heard when we had to tell my teenage nephew that his father had been killed at the mall,” Kemp said. But opponents say forcing people to keep guns locked up could waste precious moments if they need to defend themselves against armed intruders. Jim Mischel, of Sheridan, Oregon, described how his wife woke up when he was away one night in 1981. She heard a noise, went to investigate and saw that a man had broken into their home. She returned to the bedroom and tried to get to a pistol that was in a locked gun box in the nightstand. “She was unable to get the box unlocked and the pistol out before he got into the bedroom and threatened her with his gun,” Mischel said. “She has never recovered.” The debate in Oregon over guns mirrors similar discussions being held nationwide, with little movement on gun control even as the number of mass shootings climbs again as the nation eases coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Massachusetts is the only state that requires that all unattended firearms be stored with locking devices in place, according to the Giffords gun safety advocacy group. Penalties for violations can range from imprisonment to thousands of dollars in fines. States that have passed laws requiring some level of firearms safe storage include California, Connecticut and New York, said Allison Anderman, senior counsel at Giffords. Similar bills this session have failed in Illinois, Kentucky, Montana, New Mexico and Virginia, Anderman said. Oregon's bill mandates that gun owners secure unattended weapons with trigger locks or in locked compartments. Those who don't would be strictly liable for any injuries or property damage. If a minor gets ahold of an unsecured firearm, the gun's owner would face a maximum $2,000 fine. Tensions are running high as the Oregon Legislature considers this and other gun bills, even leading to death threats. Recently, six Republican state senators stayed for a vote on a different firearms bill, instead of doing a walkout in what has become a tactic for them to prevent a vote from taking place. That bill would ban guns from the Capitol and other state buildings and allow local jurisdictions to decide whether people with a concealed handgun license can bring guns into public buildings. They voted “nay” on the bill instead of joining a GOP boycott to deny a quorum. All six GOP senators who stayed got threatening emails. They have been turned over to the Oregon State Police for investigation “You should be shot,” said one of the emails. Advocates for the gun storage bill have said it would reduce suicides. Anderman said putting anything between a person’s impulse to take their own life and a gun could give the person a moment to reconsider. Elizabeth Klein testified in favour of the bill “on behalf of my deceased brother,” who killed himself with a gun. “My family is devastated by my brother’s gun suicide. It always seems preventable to me,” Klein wrote. Safe storage could also reduce school shootings. Minors who commit those attacks often obtain the gun from their home or the home of a relative or friend. Opponents have said the bill is an infringement on the constitutional right to bear arms. “As usual, the Second Amendment is under attack because attacking it is a perennial favourite with Democrats and has been for years,” said James Purvine of Eugene, Oregon, who testified in writing to the House Committee on Health Care about the bill. ___ Associated Press writer James Anderson in Denver contributed to this report. ___ Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky Andrew Selsky, The Associated Press
NewsThe Canadian PressFire on Cape Town's Table Mountain under control, smouldering
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Firefighters in Cape Town finally brought a wildfire under control Monday after it swept across the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain, burning the university's historic library and forcing the evacuation of some neighbourhoods. The smouldering fire is being watched for flareups amid high winds and hot, dry conditions. City authorities said the fire, which started early Sunday, was “largely contained” more than 24 hours later. The fire had already badly damaged the library and other buildings on the campus of the University of Cape Town on Sunday, as well as other historic buildings nearby. Fueled by the high winds, it spread through the wild bush on the mountain slopes toward the city's centre and the surrounding residential areas. Devil’s Peak, one of the iconic points of the mountain which overlooks downtown Cape Town, was lit up by flames as the fire raged through the night. Residents of suburbs on the mountain slopes were evacuated early Monday as the blaze came dangerously close to their homes. Fire-fighting helicopters with water containers suspended on ropes had been scooping up water from swimming pools and the nearby ocean and dumping it on the fire. But they were grounded on Monday because of the strong winds. Four firefighters were injured battling the blaze on the slopes, said officials. The South African army had offered to help with some of its aircraft. “It’s a massive wind that’s blowing, and that is actually fueling the fire to spread in each and every direction,” Cape Town mayor Dan Plato said. A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of arson for setting additional fires, another city official said, but it's not clear if he was responsible for starting the blaze. The man was arrested after witnesses reported seeing three people moving through flames setting more fires, Cape Town safety and security official JP Smith said. Smith said the city had commissioned a forensic fire investigator to look into the cause. Wildfires on the mountains surrounding Cape Town are fairly common during the hot, dry summer months and are sometimes whipped up into huge, uncontrollable blazes by strong coastal winds. The temperature in Cape Town peaked at 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) Sunday and the winds hit the city overnight and Monday. About 250 city and volunteer firefighters were deployed to battle the fire, which damaged four buildings at the University of Cape Town. The Jagger Library's main reading room, where rare and unique African books and manuscripts were kept, was gutted and some of the “priceless” works had been lost, the university said. Others were saved after fire-proof doors activated and sealed off parts of the library. Library staff had watched “in horror” from a safe distance as the building burned, the library’s executive director, Ujala Satgoor, said. A windmill, built in 1796, and a restaurant near a memorial for the British colonial politician Cecil Rhodes also burned down. The university has been completely evacuated and shut down and meals were being provided for around 4,000 students who had to quickly leave the university campus and their residences, according to Gift of the Givers, a disaster response organization. Many of those students were taken to local hotels, the group said. Activities at the university were suspended until at least Wednesday. The group said it is also supplying food and water to the firefighters who had been working for more than 24 hours to control the fire. Heavy smoke hung over parts of Cape Town and people were advised to cover their mouths and noses with wet towels or rags while being evacuated. Dramatic videos and photos were posted on social media by people who came perilously close to the blaze on the slopes of Table Mountain, which is popular among runners and mountain bikers on the weekend. Lisette Lombard posted a video of herself escaping from the fire after going on a trail run on Sunday. She's seen running, breathless, as plumes of smoke rise close behind her. She said her car and others left in a parking lot were completely burnt out and she eventually found help from firefighters coming up the mountain. “When they told me that it (the fire) is out of control, that is when the penny dropped on how dangerous the situation was and how lucky I had got,” she told South Africa's IOL news website. Gerald Imray, The Associated Press
SportsThe Canadian PressUEFA could ban Super League players from Euro 2020, WCup
MONTREUX, Switzerland — Players at the 12 clubs setting up their own Super League could be banned from the European Championship and next year’s World Cup, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said Monday. Ceferin showed his sense of anger and betrayal by the leaders of some wealthy European clubs as he spoke of “snakes,” and wished UEFA could ban Super League clubs and players “as soon as possible” from all of its competitions. Whether UEFA's lawyers will advise that — with the Champions League and Europa League semifinals starting next week, and Euro 2020 kicking off in June — is unclear. Ceferin spoke following a UEFA executive committee meeting and said some “legal assessments” will begin Tuesday morning. The meeting was held only hours after the English, Italian and Spanish clubs announced the Super League project that threatens to split the historic structure of European soccer. “They will not be able to represent their national teams at any matches,” Ceferin earlier warned. “UEFA and the footballing world stand united against the disgraceful self-serving proposal we have seen in last 24 hours from a select few clubs in Europe that are fueled purely by greed above all else.” UEFA’s 55 member federations are gathering for an annual meeting on Tuesday, including 24 nations that are playing in Euro 2020. Three of the 12 rebels — Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid — are scheduled to play in the Champions League semifinals next week. Two more, Manchester United and Arsenal, are in the Europa League semifinals. Earlier, the 12 planning to start the breakaway Super League told the leaders of FIFA and UEFA that they have begun legal action aimed at fending off threats to block their competition. The letter was sent by the group to Ceferin and FIFA President Gianni Infantino saying the Super League has already been underwritten by funding of 4 billion euros ($5.5 billion) from American bank JPMorgan Chase. Currently, teams have to qualify each year for the Champions League through their domestic leagues, but the Super League would lock in 15 places every season for the founding members. The seismic move to shake up the sport is partly engineered by the American owners of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, who also run franchises in closed U.S. leagues — a model they are trying to replicate in Europe. Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp could be an ally of UEFA. Klopp on Monday repeated comments in past years that he was against a Super League: “My opinion didn’t change,” he told English Premier League broadcaster Sky ahead of a game at Leeds. UEFA warned the Super League clubs, including Barcelona and Juventus, that legal action would be taken against them and said they also would be barred from existing domestic competitions like the Spanish league and the Premier League. “We are concerned that FIFA and UEFA may respond to this invitation letter by seeking to take punitive measures to exclude any participating club or player from their respective competitions,” the Super League clubs wrote to Infantino and Ceferin in a letter obtained by The Associated Press. “Your formal statement does, however, compel us to take protective steps to secure ourselves against such an adverse reaction, which would not only jeopardize the funding commitment under the Grant but, significantly, would be unlawful. For this reason, SLCo (Super League Company) has filed a motion before the relevant courts in order to ensure the seamless establishment and operation of the Competition in accordance with applicable laws.” The courts were not named. “It is our duty, as SLCo’s board members, to ensure that all reasonable actions available to protect the interests of the Competition and our stakeholders are duly taken, given the irreparable damage that would be suffered if, for any reason, we were deprived of the opportunity to form promptly the Competition and distribute the proceeds of the Grant," the Super League letter continued. The Super League intends to launch a 20-team competition with 15 founding members but only 12 have currently signed up. The others are Liverpool and Tottenham from England, Atletico Madrid from Spain, and AC Milan and Inter Milan from Italy. The breakaway was launched just as UEFA thought it had agreement on an expansion of the Champions League from 2024. Now, the same officials who backed the plans have decided to go it alone while claiming the existing competitions could remain — despite losing their most successful teams, including record 13-time European champion Real Madrid and six-time winner Liverpool. UEFA approved the new format proposal Monday amid the turmoil. The agreement was negotiated with the 246-member European Club Association. The ECA's leader, Juventus president Andrea Agnelli, resigned from the UEFA executive committee overnight. “He is probably biggest disappointment of all," Ceferin said of Agnelli, whose young daughter he became godfather to. “I have never seen a person that would lie so many times and so persistently as he did. “Now I know who is who. Who is honest. Who loves football.” In their letter to the FIFA and UEFA presidents, the Super League clubs said their competition could also play alongside domestic leagues and cups. “We do not seek to replace the UEFA’s Champions League or the Europa League," they said, "but to compete with and exist alongside those tournaments.” Infantino is due to address UEFA members on Tuesday, and Ceferin said the FIFA president would state his opposition to the Super League. ___ Harris reported from London. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Rob Harris And Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press
NewsThe Canadian PressThe Latest: Vaccinated prisoners in Alaska can have visitors
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska prison authorities say inmates who have been fully vaccinated will be able to receive visitors starting this week. A statement from the Department of Corrections says visitation will begin Wednesday by appointment statewide, except for at facilities in Anchorage and Ketchikan after spikes in coronavirus cases. No physical contact will be allowed, and face masks must be worn. Lobbies at corrections institutions will also reopen to visitors for business such as refilling prisoners' commissary accounts. That will also be by appointment. Corrections Commissioner Nancy Dahlstrom says the pandemic has been challenging “and we appreciate everyone’s patience and flexibility as we gradually restore our facilities to their pre-COVID operations.” ___ THE VIRUS OUTBREAK: — A jab on the job: Companies, unions offer COVID-19 vaccines — Bitter experience helps French ICUs crest latest virus wave — Billions spent on coronavirus fight, but what happens next? — India’s capital to lock down amid explosive virus surge ___ Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine ___ HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Yale has joined a growing list of universities that are requiring students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning in the fall. The university’s president and provost made the announcement Monday in an email to the Yale community. They urged students to get their shots as soon as possible, calling inoculation “the strongest tool for preventing transmission of the virus.” “There is abundant evidence of the vaccines’ effectiveness and growing confidence that vaccines will be widely available by early summer,” the message added. Reasonable exceptions will be made for religious or medical reasons, and Yale will vaccinate any students in the fall who could not get access to the vaccine this summer. The school announced Friday that Yale Health had secured enough doses for all students to receive Pfizer vaccines over the coming weeks. ___ MONROE, N.C. — A Walgreens pharmacy in a North Carolina town mistakenly gave a small number of people injections of saline instead of COVID-19 vaccines last month. Company spokesperson Erin Loverher says 22 people were affected by the mix-up March 20 at the pharmacy in Monroe and were scheduled to receive their second shot over the past weekend. Loverher says pharmacists sometimes use saline solutions during training and there is no reason to believe anyone injected was harmed. Walgreens is investigating what went wrong, reviewing its procedures and working to prevent similar incidents from taking place in the future. ___ COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gov. Henry McMaster is urging South Carolina lawmakers to approve a bill barring lawsuits against businesses and other groups by people who contract COVID-19 as long as federal and state health guidelines were followed. He says in a letter sent Monday to House members that business “should not be placed at future risk." The House Judiciary Committee is set to take up the measure Tuesday. It has already passed the state's Senate. Dozens of other states have passed similar laws. The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce calls the measure crucial to efforts “to rebuild our businesses and adapt to evolving public health guidance.” Opponents say existing laws are sufficient for addressing the issue. They point out that earlier this year there was just one lawsuit pending in state court where someone blamed a business for their illness. ___ MADRID — The official in charge of Spain’s pandemic response says a mix of prevention measures and the rollout of vaccines has for now kept a recent surge in cases from spiraling out of control. Fernando Simón, who heads the Health Ministry’s emergency co-ordinationcentre, says people’s movements during the Easter holiday did not lead to a significant surge in cases two weeks later. Spain previously saw a sharp spike following social gatherings over Christmas. Spain on Monday recorded 21,000 new cases and 121 confirmed deaths since the health ministry’s last update of data on Friday. One out of five of residents have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, and over 7% of the population have been fully vaccinated. Spanish health authorities are conducting a study of the effects of mixing different vaccines, with results expected in four weeks. ___ BALTIMORE — A key contract manufacturer for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine has stopped making bulk vaccine substance and is retaining what’s already been made at its Baltimore Bayview factory while U.S. regulators continue inspecting it due to quality problems. The news was disclosed Monday in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. It raises questions about whether problems at the Emergent BioSolutions Inc. factory will prevent Johnson & Johnson from meeting its U.S. supply commitments. Johnson & Johnson says it remains committed to providing 100 million doses of the single-shot vaccine pledged by the end of June. It says “it is premature to speculate on any potential impact this could have on the timing of our vaccine deliveries.” Emergent says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began inspecting the factory April 12 and four days later asked Emergent not to resume manufacturing and to quarantine all vaccine material already produced there. Emergent said it is doing so until the inspection is complete and the company addresses any problems found. Johnson & Johnson disclosed on March 31 that it had to throw out a batch of bulk vaccine manufactured at the Emergent plant because it didn’t meet quality standards. ___ ANKARA, Turkey — Deaths from COVID-19 in Turkey have reached a new daily high. The 341 deaths take the overall confirmed toll for the country to 34,267. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan imposed a partial lockdown April 13, including an extended evening curfew on weekdays, a return to online education and a ban on unnecessary intercity travel. He has said the government will consider stricter measures if infection and death rates do not fall. The Health Ministry has attributed the rising numbers on the faster-spreading coronavirus variants. Turkey began making COVID-19 vaccines available for all people 55 and older as of Monday. So far, 20 million people in the country of 84 million have received at least one of dose of COVID-19 vaccines. ___ THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A major coronavirus test event, a music festival with a planned crowd of 10,000, has been scrapped after a Dutch city denied organizers a permit. Breda Mayor Paul Depla says in a statement that Monday’s decision came after police picked up signals that opponents and supporters of lockdown measures could be drawn to the event “with all the risks that that entails.” Tens of thousands of people had signed an online petition opposing the 538 Oranjedag festival, which was scheduled for Saturday. The petition was started by a doctor at a Breda hospital that was swamped with COVID-19 patients early in the pandemic and is located about 400 yards (meters) from the planned festival’s site. It called the event “a slap in the face” for hospital staff. The festival was intended as one of a series of government-backed test events to evaluate how society can safely reopen. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in the Netherlands has risen slightly over the past two weeks, but the government is considering allowing cafes to reopen outdoor terraces under strict conditions. ___ GENEVA — Climate activist Greta Thunberg says governments, vaccine developers and the international community must “step up their game” to fight global vaccine inequity. The Swedish teen who inspired the Fridays for Future environmental movement cites estimates that one in four people in high-income countries have received coronavirus vaccines, compared with one in 500 in middle- and lower-income countries. Thunberg says it is “completely unethical that high-income countries are now vaccinating young and healthy people if that happens at the expense of people in risk groups and on the front lines in low- and middle-income countries.” Thunberg is directing 100,000 euros (about $120,000) from her charitable foundation to the WHO Foundation to help supply COVID-19 vaccines where they are sorely needed. The World Health Organization has announced 5.2 million new confirmed cases of the coronavirus over the last week, a new high. Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says infections among people between 25 and 59 years old are “increasing at an alarming rate, possibly as a result of highly variants and increased social mixing among younger adults.” ___ NEW DELHI — The Indian capital has imposed a weeklong lockdown seeking to prevent the collapse of the city's health system, which authorities say has been pushed to its limit amid an explosive surge in coronavirus cases. To combat the crisis, India announced that it would soon expand its vaccination campaign to everyone 18 and older starting May 1. India began vaccinating health workers in mid-January and later extended the drive to people above 45 in two phases. The country has so far administered 120 million doses. India reported 273,810 new infections, the most it has seen in a single day since the pandemic began. It now has more than 15 million confirmed cases, second only to the United States. Also Monday, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 88, was hospitalized in New Delhi after testing positive. ___ WASHINGTON — The White House says “it has never been easier” to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot as all people 16 and older are eligible for vaccines nationwide as of Monday. President Joe Biden is encouraging people to book appointments immediately and to encourage family and friends to do the same. Says Biden: “You need to be protected, and you need in turn to protect your neighbours and your family.” On Sunday the country reached the milestone of having 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated. ___ JERUSALEM — Israel has signed an agreement with Pfizer to secure millions more doses of its coronavirus vaccine to meet the country’s needs through 2022. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Office says in a statement that the agreement includes an option for future delivery of vaccines capable of dealing with new variants, and that similar negotiations with Moderna are underway. The announcement does not say how many new vaccines Israel would acquire or how much it was paying for them. Israel has been a world leader in vaccinations per capita since launching its inoculation campaign in December. It secured a large supply of vaccines after striking a deal with Pfizer to trade medical data for doses. More than 53% of Israel's 9.3 million people have received two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, and new infections have plummeted since a peak in January. ___ BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia is easing its tight lockdown amid a decline in new coronavirus infections. Starting Monday all stores and services will be allowed to reopen at reduced capacity for people with a negative coronavirus test. Religious services may resume, and hotels, zoos, botanical parks and libraries can reopen. Groups of up to six people may exercise and play sports together outdoors. New coronavirus infections and hospitalizations have been declining since early March. But Prime Minister Eduard Heger says people must still be cautious because “we haven’t won yet.” ___ LONDON — Britain's prime minister has called off a trip to India amid surging coronavirus cases in the latter country. The British and Indian governments said Monday that “in the light of the current coronavirus situation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not be able to travel to India next week” as planned. The two governments said Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would speak later this month and meet in person later this year. The long-planned trip would have been Johnson’s first foreign visit since the start of the coronavirus pandemic more than a year ago. It was originally scheduled for January but postponed when cases of the virus soared in Britain. London is also adding India to its “red list” of countries with high coronavirus rates from which international travel is severely restricted. Starting Friday people who have been in India within the previous 10 days will not be allowed into the United Kingdom, with an exception for returning residents who will face mandatory hotel quarantine on arrival. ___ BERLIN — Pharmaceutical company BioNTech and its U.S. partner Pfizer say they will provide 100 million more doses of their coronavirus vaccine to the European Union this year. The two companies said Monday that the 27-nation group’s executive Commission exercised an option to purchase the additional doses, bringing the total number of shots to be delivered to the EU in 2021 to 600 million. The announcement offers a much-needed boost to the EU’s sluggish and much-criticized vaccine rollout. Sean Marett, the chief business officer of BioNTech, said deliveries of the company’s mRNA-based vaccine this year will cover two-thirds of the EU population. The bloc has so far administered about 105 million shots to its population of some 450 million. The Associated Press
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Groups push for easier student loan relief for the disabled
Advocates for the disabled are pressing the Biden administration to cancel student debt for hundreds of thousands of Americans who have disabilities that make them eligible for federal debt forgiveness but who have not applied for the benefit. Using a rarely pursued federal petition process, three federal advocacy groups on Monday asked the U.S. Education Department to consider erasing debt for nearly 400,000 people with severe disabilities and to overhaul a debt forgiveness program that critics say is overly burdensome. The petition argues that huge swaths of eligible Americans are missing out on debt relief through the program because of its bureaucratic barriers, including a “byzantine application that includes false, misleading and legally incorrect information.” It was filed by the National Student Legal Defence Network, Community Legal Aid Society of Delaware and Justice in Aging, and it was backed by U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. The petition takes aim at a federal program that offers debt cancellation to people with “total and permanent” disabilities. It’s meant to help people with physical or mental disabilities that leave them unable to work. Applicants must provide proof of their disability and undergo a three-year monitoring period to ensure their incomes remain below certain levels. But many who are eligible for the relief don’t get it. Last year, the Social Security Administration identified nearly 600,000 people who qualified for the program, but more than half had not applied. Many people don’t know they’re eligible, advocates say, and many are deterred by the program’s requirements. A federal study in 2016 found that the monitoring period creates major obstacles for applicants. It found that, among more than 60,000 people who had recently been disqualified during their monitoring period, 98% were booted for filing the wrong paperwork — not because their incomes were too high. Advocacy groups and some in Congress have been calling for an overhaul of the program for years. The Biden administration last month paused some of the program’s requirements during the pandemic and said it will consider permanent changes. In a statement, Coons called the petition a “critical step” to getting Americans with disabilities their entitled relief. “I urge the Department of Education to answer the persistent calls of borrowers, advocates and bipartisan members of Congress to automate the loan discharge process,” Coons said. The petition asks the Education Department to eliminate the application process and automatically cancel debt for people who have been identified as eligible by the Social Security Administration. The measure would erase an estimated $14 billion in existing student debt. The groups are also asking for an end to the monitoring period, which they called an “unnecessary administrative nightmare.” In 2019, the Trump administration started issuing automatic loan discharges to military veterans who become eligible for the relief. But all others must apply, even those deemed permanently disabled by the Social Security Administration. U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona in March put a pause on the monitoring period’s reporting requirements until at least Sept. 30. He also moved to erase debt for 40,000 people who had been granted relief only to see it restored over paperwork issues. The petition urged Cardona to revamp the program before the temporary reprieve is lifted. It was filed through a provision of the Administrative Procedure Act, which allows anyone to file a petition to issue, amend or repeal a federal rule. Federal agencies are required to consider and respond to such petitions “within a reasonable time.” Collin Binkley, The Associated Press
NewsThe Canadian PressAlbanian man with knife wounds 5 at mosque in Tirana
TIRANA, Albania — An Albanian man with a knife attacked and wounded five people Monday at a mosque in the capital, police said, as investigators tried to determine a motive for the attack. Rudolf Nikolli, 34, entered the Dine Hoxha mosque in downtown Tirana about 2:30 p.m., a police statement said. Police said they reacted immediately after the attack began and took him into custody. The Top Channel private television station, however, showed civilians blocking Nikolli before the police arrived. A police investigation has been launched into the case. The five wounded, all men ranging from 22 to 35, were taken to a hospital and police said their conditions weren't life-threatening. Nikolli's father, Niko, told the Balkanweb online media that his son has been depressed since last year after he wasn't allowed to leave for Italy and had also been infected with coronavirus. The alleged attacker's father is Catholic and his mother is Muslim, and the father said he told his son to go to the mosque or a church, whatever he wanted. His father said his son was converted to Islam by an imam in the northern town of Burrel, where he lived. But the father said his son was often prevented from entering mosques by worshippers because they told him he was a Christian. Ahmed Kalaja, imam of the mosque, said the man attacked worshipers and staff at a time when the mosque was filled with believers during the fasting month of Ramadan. “We hope it was not a terrorist attack," said Kalaja. Albania's 2.8 million people are predominantly Muslim with smaller Christian Catholic and Orthodox communities that have gotten along well with each other. Top Catholic Church official in Albania, Angelo Massafra deplored Nikolli's act and expressed his support to the wounded. “We pray to God for all of you, who are living the month of Ramadan, for the wounded, for your community and all Albanians so that peace and goodness reign in our hearts and that such events do not occur any more,” Massafra said in a statement to the leader of Albania's Muslim community, Bujar Spahiu. Religion in Albania was banned for 23 years under the former communist regime of Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha, who declared Albania the world’s first atheist state, from 1967 until its fall in 1990. Religious authorities of all faiths were killed, tortured, imprisoned or sent to labour camps. Pope Francis made his first visit to a Muslim-dominated country in 2014 to Albania, calling its interreligious harmony an “inspiring example” for the world. Llazar Semini, The Associated Press
EntertainmentThe Canadian PressNew this week: 'Stowaway,' 'Rutherford Falls' and the Oscars
Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIES — The Oscars are Sunday and if you're looking to catch up on the nominees, most of them are streaming. Our top suggestions begin with the best-picture nominees “Nomadland ( on Hulu and available for digital rental) the West-wandering tale of itinerant travellers; “Sound of Metal" ( on Amazon Prime ), a piercing drama of deafness and addiction; “Promising Young Woman” (available for digital rental), the provocative revenge drama; and “Minari" (available for digital rental), the achingly tender Korean-American family drama. Also recommended: the lushly animated Irish animated film “Wolfwalkers” ( on Apple TV+ ); the songs of “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” (on Netflix ); the probing investigative Romanian documentary “Collective” ( on Hulu, and for rental elsewhere); the joyous disability rights documentary “Crip Camp” ( on Netflix ); and the artfully composed “Time" ( on Amazon Prime ), a documentary about incarceration but also the best love story of the year. — Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette and space is a solid recipe for any film. In “Stowaway,” debuting Friday on Netflix, they play researchers on a two-year mission to Mars who, shortly after liftoff, discover a stowaway (Shamier Anderson) on the ship. The film is directed and co-written by Joe Penna, who previously directed the survival film “Arctic,” with Mads Mikkelsen. — When the first “Mortal Kombat” film adaptation was released in 1995, gamers were quick to note that it was largely missing one main ingredient in the popular video game: blood. Simon McQuoid’s R-rated reboot of the film series, though, brings brutality back to “Mortal Kombat.” The film, which Warner Bros. will release Friday in theatres and on HBO Max, aims to honour the gruesome fatalities of the game. — AP Film Writer Jake Coyle MUSIC — It’s no surprise that Snoop Dogg is dropping a new album on 4/20, the annual holiday for pot. The rap legend is releasing “From Tha Streets 2 Tha Suites” on Tuesday, the same day he’s hosting Weedmap’s “Even Higher Together: Virtual 420 Celebration.” The free streaming event starts at 4 p.m. ET and will feature performances by A$AP Rocky, Jhené Aiko and TOKiMONSTA, while Wiz Khalifa, Mike Tyson, G-Eazy, Ms. Pat, Too $hort, Jaleel White and more will make appearances. — Eric Church is releasing the final two parts of his three-album project, “Heart & Soul,” this week. Church released the nine-track set “Heart” on April 16 and on Tuesday he will drop “&,” which has six songs. “Soul,” out on Friday, includes nine more songs, and the project was written and recorded in 28 days when Church stayed in the mountains of North Carolina. Church co-wrote 22 of the 24 songs, with the exception of “Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones” and “Stick That In Your Country Song,” which was nominated for best country solo performance at last month’s Grammy Awards. — AP Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu TELEVISION — Freeform’s “Cruel Summer” introduces us to Kate, a 1990s teenager with the world on a string, and Jeanette, the uncool girl who aspires to Kate’s life. When Kate vanishes from their small Texas town, Jeanette manages to fill her social vacuum — until questions arise about whether Kate’s disappearance may be linked to Jeanette, and the wrath of national scorn is unleashed. Olivia Holt and Chiara Aurelia star in the thriller set over three summers and debuting 9 p.m. EST Tuesday with a double episode. — “Rutherford Falls” arrives Thursday on the Peacock streaming service with an impressive pedigree: It stars Ed Helms (“The Office”), who created the comedy along with Michael Schur (“Parks and Recreation”) and Sierra Teller Ornelas (“Superstore”). Set in a Northeast town and a bordering Native American reservation, the series stars Helms and Jana Schmieding (“I Know This Much is True”) as friends caught in the drama over a proposal to move a statue of the town’s founder — it’s a traffic hazard. — Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” are among the nominees for top acting honours at Sunday’s Academy Awards, airing 8 p.m. EDT on ABC. A prelude, “Oscars: Into the Spotlight,” airs at 6:30 p.m. EDT and include best-song performances by, among others, H.E.R., Leslie Odom Jr. and Laura Pausini. Producers promise this year’s telecast will, itself, resemble a movie. — AP Television Writer Lynn Elber ___ Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/apf-entertainment. The Associated Press
NewsThe Canadian PressCzech, Russian envoys fly home amid depot explosion dispute
PRAGUE, Czech Republic — The two Russian military agents believed to be behind a massive Czech depot explosion in 2014 likely targeted the ammunition, not the Czech Republic itself, the country's prime minister and prosecutor general said Monday. Prime Minister Andrej Babis said he didn’t consider the Russian action “an act of state terrorism” but said “the presence of GRU agents is absolutely unacceptable.” “We’re a sovereign state and it’s unacceptable for foreign agents to conduct such operations here,” Babis said. On Sunday, Russia ordered 20 Czech diplomats to leave the country within a day in response to the Czech government’s expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats it identified as spies from the GRU and the SVR, Russia’s military and foreign intelligence services. Both sides sent government planes Monday to take the envoys and their families home. Pavel Zeman, the Czech prosecutor general, said the ammunition targeted was mostly meant to be sent to an arms dealer in Bulgaria and be intentionally exploded after delivery. The 2014 depot blast in the town of Vrbetice killed two people. “The explosion was not supposed to occur on Czech Republic’s territory,” Zeman said. Zeman said the two Russian suspects were using false identities on passports from Tajikistan and Moldova when they booked a visit to the depot. They stayed in Prague and the eastern city of Ostrava, about two-hour drive from the depot, which is located in the eastern Czech Republic. The suspects also used Russian passports to travel to the Czech Republic. Their names and photos matched two Russians whom British authorities charged in absentia in 2018 with trying to kill former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter with the Soviet nerve agent Novichok in the English city of Salisbury. “The two were identified as the attackers in Salisbury in 2018,” Zeman said. Zeman said because the investigation has not been completed, authorities cannot reveal more details about the case and rejected Babis’ request to publish them. Babis said his government is consider demanding compensation for damages from the Russians. Czech Republic’s Interior Minister Jan Hamacek, who is also the acting foreign minister, said Monday that the Russian expulsion of Czech diplomats effectively paralyzed the Czech Embassy in Moscow. “We had to expect that to happen but the Czech Republic has not done anything wrong,” Hamacek said. “It’s us who are the victims of the Russian actions.” Babis said the Czechs will “certainly” respond to what is seen as a disproportionate Russian move. The Czech government also decided not to allow the Russian state-controlled Rosatom nuclear corporation from participating in a tender for the planned construction of a nuclear reactor at its Dukovany nuclear plant. The Czech intelligence services have repeatedly warned against allowing Russian and Chinese companies to bid in the multibillion-dollar tender, saying they pose security risk due to links to their respective governments. Karel Janicek, The Associated Press
- NewsThe Canadian Press
Leaders of Proud Boys ordered jailed on Capitol riot charges
A federal judge on Monday ordered two leaders of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group to be arrested and jailed while awaiting trial on charges they planned and co-ordinated an attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Joseph Biggs and Ethan Nordean had been free since their March 10 indictment, but U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly concluded that the two men are dangerous and no conditions for their release could be adequate. The judge said Biggs and Nordean “facilitated political violence” even if they weren't armed and didn't assault anybody at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Kelly overruled another federal judge in Washington, D.C., who had ordered pretrial home confinement for Nordean. Biggs was freed after his initial Jan. 20 arrest in his home state of Florida. Justice Department prosecutors initially didn't seek to keep Biggs jailed but last month asked for his pretrial release to be revoked, saying new evidence shows he poses a “grave danger" to the community. Attorneys for Biggs and Nordean asked Kelly to suspend Monday's ruling pending a possible appeal, but the judge denied their request. Biggs and Nordean are among more than two dozen Capitol riot defendants who have been described by federal authorities as Proud Boys leaders, members or associates. Last month's indictment charged Biggs, Nordean and two other men described as Proud Boys leaders with conspiring to impede Congress’ certification of the Electoral College vote. Other charges in the indictment include obstruction of an official proceeding, obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and disorderly conduct. Zachary Rehl and Charles Donohoe are charged in the same indictment as Biggs and Nordean and have been jailed since their arrests in March. Police arrested the Proud Boys' top leader, Enrique Tarrio, in Washington two days before the riot and charged him with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December. Tarrio, who was ordered to stay out of the District of Columbia, hasn’t been charged in connection with the Capitol siege. Nordean, 30, of Auburn, Washington, has been a Proud Boys chapter president and member of the group’s national “Elders Council.” Biggs, 37, of Ormond Beach, Florida, is a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Rehl, 35, of Philadelphia, and Donohoe, 33, of Kernersville, North Carolina, serve as presidents of their local Proud Boys chapters, according to the indictment. Proud Boys members describe themselves as a politically incorrect men’s club for “Western chauvinists." Its members frequently have engaged in street fights with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. On the morning of the riot, Biggs and Nordean met other Proud Boys members at the Washington Monument and led them on a march to the Capitol before then-President Donald Trump finished addressing thousands of supporters near the White House, the indictment says. Around two hours later, just before Congress convened a joint session to certify the election results, Proud Boys members followed a crowd of people who breached barriers at a pedestrian entrance to the Capitol grounds, the indictment says. Several Proud Boys also entered the Capitol building itself after the mob smashed windows and forced open doors. During a March 3 hearing, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell accused prosecutors of backtracking on their claims that Nordean had instructed Proud Boys members to split up into smaller groups and directed a “strategic plan” to breach the Capitol. However, Howell concluded that Nordean was extensively involved in “pre-planning” for the events of Jan. 6 and that he and other Proud Boys “were clearly prepared for a violent confrontation” that day. ___ Kunzelman reported from College Park, Maryland. Michael Kunzelman, The Associated Press
NewsThe Canadian PressAP source: Guantanamo prisoners now getting COVID-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON — Prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre can begin getting the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as Monday, a senior defence official told The Associated Press, months after a plan to inoculate them was scuttled over outrage that many Americans weren’t eligible to receive the shots. The new timing coincides with President Joe Biden’s deadline for states to make the vaccines more widely available across the U.S. Beginning Monday, anyone 16 and older qualifies to sign up and get in a virtual line to be vaccinated. The defence official said all 40 men held at the Navy base in Cuba will be offered the vaccination to comply with legal requirements regarding the treatment of prisoners and to help prevent COVID-19 from spreading. Strict quarantine procedures had already sharply curtailed activities at the base and halted legal proceedings for prisoners facing war crime trials, including the men charged in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack. “Obviously, we don’t want an outbreak of COVID on a remote island with the challenges that would present,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the effort ahead of an official announcement. The announcement in January that the military intended to offer the vaccine to prisoners sparked intense criticism, particularly among Republicans in Congress, at a time when COVID-19 vaccines were just being rolled out to troops and civilians at Guantanamo and were not widely available in the United States. Several Republican members of Congress backed legislation that would have blocked Guantanamo prisoners from receiving the vaccine until all Americans had the opportunity to receive it. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy criticized the decision on Twitter. “President Biden told us he would have a plan to defeat the virus on day 1,” the California Republican said on Jan. 30. “He just never told us that it would be to give the vaccine to terrorists before most Americans.” Though the decision to vaccinate the prisoners may still prove controversial, a key difference now is that the vaccine is now more widely available, both on the base and throughout the U.S. Half of all adults in the country have received at least one dose of the shot. At Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, 56% of the total population of about 5,700 people, a mix of military personnel, contractors and dependents, has been vaccinated, and the shot is available to any adult who wants it, said Dawn Grimes, a public affairs officer for the base hospital. There are about 1,500 people assigned to the task force that runs the detention centre on the base. There have been no known cases of COVID-19 among them, nor among any of the prisoners. Medical personnel have already discussed the vaccine with the prisoners. The military does not plan to disclose how many ultimately choose to accept it, the official said, citing medical privacy regulations. The Biden administration announced in April that it could conduct a full review of detention centre operations with the goal of eventually closing the facility, which opened in January 2002 to hold people suspected of links to al-Qaida and the Taliban after the Sept. 11 attacks. At its peak in 2003, the detention centre at the Navy base on the southeast tip of Cuba held nearly 680 prisoners, and it drew widespread condemnation over the treatment of the men held there, most without charges. Closing it has proved a challenge because the U.S. has sought to continue holding and prosecute some prisoners, but Congress has prevented the transfer of anyone held there to facilities inside the country for any reason. Those still being held there include Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, who, along with four others, faces trial on charges that include murder and terrorism over the Sept. 11 attacks. The long-stalled case remains in the pretrial stage, and no hearings have been held in more than a year because of the pandemic. ___ This story has been corrected to show that the vaccine in the U.S. is now available to anyone 16 and older, not 18 and older. Ben Fox, The Associated Press
PoliticsThe Canadian PressBiden feels heat on emissions goal as climate summit nears
WASHINGTON — As President Joe Biden convenes a virtual climate summit on Thursday with 40 world leaders, he faces a vexing task: how to put forward a nonbinding but symbolic goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that will have a tangible impact on climate change efforts not only in the U.S. but throughout the world. The emissions target, eagerly awaited by all sides of the climate debate, will signal how aggressively Biden wants to move on climate change, a divisive and expensive issue that has riled Republicans to complain about job-killing government overreach even as some on the left worry Biden has not gone far enough to address a profound threat to the planet. The climate crisis poses a complex political challenge for Biden, since the problem is harder to see and far more difficult to produce measurable results on than either the coronavirus pandemic relief package or the infrastructure bill. The target Biden chooses “is setting the tone for the level of ambition and the pace of emission reductions over the next decade,? said Kate Larsen, a former White House adviser who helped develop President Barack Obama’s climate action plan. The number has to be achievable by 2030 but aggressive enough to satisfy scientists and advocates who call the coming decade a crucial, make-or-break moment for slowing climate change, Larsen and other experts said. Scientists, environmental groups and even business leaders are calling on Biden to set a target that would cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030. The 50% target, which most experts consider a likely outcome of intense deliberations underway at the White House, would nearly double the nation’s previous commitment and require dramatic changes in the power and transportation sectors, including significant increases in renewable energy such as wind and solar power and steep cuts in emissions from fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Anything short of that goal could undermine Biden’s promise to prevent temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, experts say, while likely stirring up sharp criticism from international allies and Biden’s own supporters The target is significant, not just as a visible goal for the U.S. to achieve after four years of climate inaction under President Donald Trump, but also for “leveraging other countries,'' Larsen said. “That helps domestically in the battle that comes after, which is implementing policies to achieve that target. We can make a better case politically at home if other countries are acting at the same level of ambition as the U.S.? The 2030 goal, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution, or NDC, is a key part of the Paris climate agreement, which Biden rejoined on his first day in office. It’s also an important marker as Biden moves toward his ultimate goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. “Clearly the science demands at least 50%” in reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, said Jake Schmidt, a climate expert at the Natural Resources Defence Council, a leading environmental group. The 50% target “is ambitious, but it is achievable,'' he said in an interview. It's also a good climate message, he said: “People know what 50% means — it's half.'' Whatever target Biden picks, the climate summit itself “proves the U.S. is back in rejoining the international effort? to address climate change, said Larsen, now a director at the Rhodium Group, an independent research firm. The summit is “the starting gun for climate diplomacy” after a four-year “hiatus” under Trump, she said. John Kerry, Biden's climate envoy, has been pressing global leaders, including his counterpart in China, for commitments and alliances on climate efforts. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a speech Monday, said the U.S. is falling behind China, the largest producer and exporter of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles. “If we don’t catch up, America will miss the chance to shape the world’s climate future in a way that reflects our interests and values, and we’ll lose out on countless jobs for the American people,'' Blinken said in prepared remarks for a speech in Annapolis, Maryland. Nathaniel Keohane, another former Obama White House adviser and now a vice-president at the Environmental Defence Fund, said experts have coalesced around the need for the U.S. to reduce emissions by at least 50% by 2030. “The number has to start with 5,” he said, adding, “We've done the math. We need at least 50%.'' The 2030 target is just one in a sometimes overlapping set of goals that Biden has outlined on climate. He also has said he expects to adopt a clean energy standard that would make electricity carbon-free by 2035, along with the wider goal of net-zero carbon emissions economywide by 2050. Biden's climate adviser, Gina McCarthy, acknowledged that the sheer volume of numbers can be confusing. At a forum last week, she and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg said climate activists should focus on actions in the next decade. “Let’s stop talking about 2050,'' said McCarthy, who is leading White House efforts to develop U.S. climate commitments for 2030. Bloomberg, 79, was even more blunt: 2050 “is a good number for people who give speeches, but I don’t know anyone giving those speeches who’s going to be alive in 2050.'' Some Republican lawmakers call the focus on reducing U.S. emissions counterproductive, saying Biden's plan would raise energy costs and kill American jobs while allowing Russia, China and other countries to increase greenhouse gas emissions. “The Biden administration will set punishing targets for the United States, while our adversaries keep the status quo. That won’t solve climate change,'' said Sen. Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the top Republican on the Senate Energy Committee. The United States already leads the world in reducing carbon emissions, Barrasso said, adding that Biden should try to “make American energy as clean as we can, as fast as we can, without raising costs for consumers.” Some on the left think Biden is not going far enough. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat who has called for a massive Green New Deal, said Biden deserves “a lot of credit” for his infrastructure plan's vision and scope, but said it falls far short of what is needed to meaningfully combat the climate crisis. She and her supporters are calling for at least $10 trillion in federal spending over the next decade to address climate change and other problems. McCarthy disputed the notion that Biden has backtracked from campaign promises to lead on climate. “We’re always either doing too little or too much,'' she told reporters earlier this month. “But rest assured that the president put a (spending) number out here that he felt was not just defensible but required to meet this moment in time.'' Much of the proposed spending to address climate change is included in Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure bill. If Republicans think less money should be spent on clean energy and infrastructure, McCarthy added, “then we’ll have those conversations.” Marcella Burke, a former Trump administration official who now is an energy lawyer in Houston, gives Biden an “A-plus for enthusiasm” on climate, but an incomplete on details. “We've had a lot of goals, but not a lot of strategy announced to get there,'' she said. "So the jury is still out.'' ___ AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report. Matthew Daly, The Associated Press
NewsBBCAustralian sex education campaign branded 'concerning' by activists
The Australian campaign uses tacos and swimming with sharks to teach about respectful relationships.
NewsThe Canadian PressHistorian says Census didn't consult states on privacy tool
The U.S. Census Bureau didn't consult with the 50 states when making its decision to introduce a controversial statistical method used to protect the privacy of participants in the 2020 census, a significant departure from 40 years of practices, according to a leading census historian. Historian Margo Anderson said Friday in a court filing that the Census Bureau should reach out to the states as it works towards putting the finishing touches on the privacy method known as “differential privacy." The method, for the first time, will be applied to the data used for redrawing congressional and legislative districts later this year. Anderson's court filing was made in a lawsuit filed by the state of Alabama, challenging the bureau's use of differential privacy, which Alabama argues will result in inaccurate redistricting data. The Census Bureau plans to release redistricting data in August at the earliest. At least 16 other states are supporting Alabama’s opposition to the use of differential privacy. The Census Bureau has missed an opportunity to involve the states in working out the mechanics of the statistical technique, said Anderson, a history professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “There has not been a formal opportunity for the states to evaluate, challenge, or recommend improvement ... or assess their impact on the redistricting responsibilities within the states," Anderson said. Differential privacy adds mathematical “noise,” or controlled amounts of errors, to the data to obscure any given individual’s identity while still providing statistically valid information. Bureau officials say the change is needed to prevent data miners with powerful computing capabilities and sophisticated software from matching individuals to confidential details that have been rendered anonymous in the massive redistricting data. It will be applied to race, age and other demographic information in geographic areas within each state. After studying other possibilities, the Census Bureau concluded that differential privacy was the best option for maintaining the confidentiality of census participants' information, John Abowd, the Census Bureau's chief scientist, said in a court filing last week. “Our empirical analysis showed that differential privacy offered the most efficient trade-off between privacy and accuracy," Abowd said. “In other words, regardless of the level of desired confidentiality, differential privacy will always produce more accurate data than the alternative traditional methods considered by the Census Bureau." ___ Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP Mike Schneider, The Associated Press
NewsReutersCzechs exclude Rosatom from nuclear tender after dispute with Russia
PRAGUE (Reuters) -The Czech government will not invite Russia's Rosatom to take part in security assessments before a planned tender for a new unit at the Dukovany nuclear power plant, Industry Minister Karel Havlicek said on Monday. The decision, which effectively excludes Russia from the multi-billion dollar tender, was announced two days after Prague expelled 18 Russian embassy staff, saying it suspected Russian intelligence was involved in explosions at an ammunition depot in 2014. Russia has dismissed the accusation as absurd.
EntertainmentBBCMorrissey's manager attacks 'hurtful and racist' Simpsons parody
The show has taken "a turn for the worst" says Morrissey's manager after an episode poked fun at him.
NewsBBCGeorge Floyd death: Five key moments from the Derek Chauvin trial
As prosecutors and defence lawyers begin their closing arguments, we look back at five key moments of the trial.
EntertainmentThe Canadian PressReview: An odd surrogate friendship in ‘Together Together’
The new film “ Together Together ” has a great premise: A single, straight man wants to be a father and decides to hire a surrogate to help. It’s fertile territory that has been fairly unexplored in popular art and brings with it a host of built in dramatic and comedic opportunities, especially with someone like Ed Helms leading the cast. Writer-director Nicole Beckwith (“Stockholm, Pennsylvania”) instead chooses to focus on the relationship between Helms’ character Matt and his surrogate, Anna (Patti Harrison) and it becomes just another semi-quirky, frustratingly surface exploration of two lonely headcases finding comfort in one another. In some ways, it’s a quintessential Sundance film. The baby and the pregnancy become just a screenwriter’s excuse to put these two together. It’s too bad because Helms shows promise stretching in a more dramatic role and Harrison herself is a captivating presence. Matt is a 40-something app developer living a comfortable life in San Francisco. Anna is in her mid-20s and working at a coffee shop. We’re introduced to them as Matt is interviewing potential surrogates and it’s hardly an instant connection. In fact, it’s a terribly stilted exchange that is made only somewhat funny by the excruciating awkwardness of it all. It’s unclear if there were any other candidates to choose from but Matt for some reason chooses Anna as his gestational surrogate and soon they’re having another stilted conversation at the doctor’s office. She’s pregnant. It’s not the first pregnancy for Anna. In the interview we find out that she had a baby that she gave up for adoption as a teenager. The experience caused a rift with her family and she spent the next few years drifting and estranged. But she has a plan to get back on track and wants to use the money from the surrogacy to go to get a college degree in Vermont. From the start, Matt and Anna’s relationship seems misguided and unhealthy. Matt starts showing up at her work and apartment bearing gifts like pregnancy tea and supportive clogs. They visit the doctor’s together. They go out to dinner. They choose colours for the baby’s nursery. They even go to couple’s therapy together and, separately, support groups for surrogates and expectant parents using surrogates. He monitors what she eats and how she’s progressing and makes a big deal out of the fact that she’s still dating in the first trimester. It all seems wildly inappropriate and overbearing, especially considering Anna doesn’t even want to know the sex of the baby so she doesn’t get attached. And although she talks about boundaries, soon she’s staying at his house on the regular and binging “Friends” with him. This might all be fine or understandable if Matt and Anna had some sort of chemistry with one another. I’m not even suggesting anything romantic. They’re just two strangers thrust together by this surrogacy agreement and spending time with them is not fun, engaging or enlightening enough to sustain a movie. A strong supporting cast including Nora Dunn, Fred Melamed, Rosalind Cho, Sufe Bradshaw and Tig Notaro can’t even help all that much in their limited time on screen. Beckwith’s script does have a few moments of grace and humour. Helms gets a particularly beautiful monologue about why he wants a child. And there are wry observations too about how all parenting books for single dads are for widows and divorcees. But there are far more clichés, contrivances and threads left unnecessarily dangling. Recent films like the fertility drama “Private Life” and the adoption comedy “Instant Family” have successfully and entertainingly taken audiences on journeys through different facets of modern parenting. “Together Together” had a chance to do that for surrogacy and single fatherhood but comes up short. “Together Together,” a Bleecker Street release in theatres Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America “for some sexual references and language.” Running time: 90 minutes. Two stars out of four. —- MPAA Definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. —- Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
NewsThe Canadian PressPutin foe Navalny sent to prison hospital amid hunger strike
MOSCOW — Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is in the third week of a hunger strike while behind bars, was moved to a hospital in another prison after his doctor said he could be near death, his lawyer said Monday. Navalny was transferred Sunday from a penal colony east of Moscow to a prison hospital in Vladimir, a city 180 kilometres (110 miles) east of the capital, lawyer Alexei Liptser said after visiting the politician on Monday afternoon. “Yesterday he was really unwell. ... Given the test results and the overall state of his health, it was decided to transfer him here. In the evening, he became significantly worse,” Liptser said. While Navalny was able to meet with him Monday, he continued his hunger strike and “in general his look indicates he is really unwell," the lawyer added. Russia's state penitentiary service FSIN did not report the decision to transfer Navalny until Monday morning and a statement it released said he had agreed to take vitamin therapy. Liptser said he didn't have enough time with his client to confirm that: “They were searching him ahead of our meeting longer than our meeting had lasted. He was outraged by this. Therefore, we couldn’t discuss anything, apart from what has happened to him." The prison service statement said Navalny’s condition was deemed “satisfactory.” But the opposition leader's physician, Dr. Yaroslav Ashikhmin, said Saturday that test results provided by the family show Navalny has sharply elevated levels of potassium, which can bring on cardiac arrest, as well as heightened creatinine levels that indicate impaired kidney function. “Our patient could die at any moment,” he said in a Facebook post. Reports about his rapidly declining health drew international outrage and calls urging Russian authorities to give adequate medical help to Navalny, who is President Vladimir Putin's fiercest opponent. European Union foreign ministers were assessing the bloc’s strategy toward Russia in wake of the news. White House press secretary Jen Psaki called for his release and that he “must be treated humanely,” adding that U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan discussed Navalny with Nikolai Patrushev, head of the Russian Security Council. “What happens to Mr. Navalny in the custody of the Russian government is the responsibility of the Russian government, and that they will be held accountable by the international community," she added. Navalny was arrested in January upon his return from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from a nerve agent poisoning he blames on the Kremlin — an accusation Russian officials have rejected. His arrest triggered massive protests across Russia, the biggest show of defiance in recent years. Soon after, a court ordered him to serve 2 1/2 years in prison on a 2014 embezzlement conviction that the European Court of Human Rights deemed to be “arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable.” Navalny began a hunger strike to protest the refusal to let his doctors visit when he began experiencing severe back pain and a loss of feeling in his legs. The penitentiary service has said Navalny was getting all the medical help he needs. In response to the alarming news about Navalny’s health, his team has called for a nationwide rally Wednesday, the same day that Putin is scheduled to deliver his annual state of the nation address. According to a website dedicated to the protests, demonstrations were being planned in 77 Russian cities as of Monday afternoon. The Interior Ministry in a statement urged Russians not to take part in unauthorized rallies, citing coronavirus risks and alleging that some “destructive-minded” participants might provoke unrest. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said police will treat any unauthorized protests as illegal. In the past, security forces have violently broken up demonstrations. Already, Russian authorities have taken their crackdown on Navalny’s allies and supporters to a new level, with the Moscow prosecutor’s office last week petitioning a court to label as extremist groups Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption and his network of regional offices. Human rights advocates say if that happens, both the foundation and the regional offices would be outlawed, paralyzing their operations, and those who work for either could be prosecuted. Donating money to the groups — something thousands of Russians have done regularly in recent years — would also become a criminal offence punishable by prison. For now, several Navalny allies have dismissed as insufficient the move to move him to the prison hospital. Ivan Zhdanov, head of the Foundation for Fighting Corruption, tweeted that the transfer takes Navalny merely to another “tormenting colony, just with a big in-patient facility, where gravely ill are being transferred.” Dr. Anastasia Vasilyeva, head of the Navalny-backed Alliance of Doctors union and also his personal physician, noted that it was “not a hospital where a diagnosis can be determined and treatment (can be) prescribed for his ailments,” but rather “a prison where tuberculosis is being treated.” She again called for the prison to let her and other physicians see him, but Liptser said that prison officials told Navalny he won't be allowed a visit from “civilian” doctors. Since last month, the politician has been serving his sentence in a penal colony notorious for its harsh conditions. Navalny has complained about being sleep-deprived because guards conduct hourly checks on him at night, and he said he developed severe back pain and numbness in his legs within weeks of his transfer to the colony. His demands for a visit from an independent “civilian” physician were rebuffed by prison officials, and he began the hunger strike March 31. In a wry message Friday from prison, Navalny said authorities threatened to force-feed him “imminently,” using a “straitjacket and other pleasures.” Over the weekend, the French newspaper Le Monde published a letter to Putin signed by dozens of cultural figures — including writers Salman Rushdie and Mario Vargas Llosa, singer Patti Smith and actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Kristin Scott Thomas — urging him to give Navalny access to proper medical care. On Monday, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, reiterated her calls for Navalny's release and to “give him full access to medical care in light of his serious health deterioration." Daria Litvinova, The Associated Press
EntertainmentThe Canadian PressZiggy Marley happy to be part of Earth Day concert
NEW YORK — The pandemic can't stop Ziggy Marley from celebrating the Earth. The son of reggae icon Bob Marley and Rita Marley will be one of the highlights of Nat Geo’s Earth Day Eve 2021 streaming concert on Wednesday. "Any time they call me, I’m there for this. Any time they want me,” he said from Los Angeles. “Everything is being done a bit different but we’re still doing it, which is the main point.” Marley will be joined at the concert by Willie Nelson, Yo-Yo Ma, Angélique Kidjo, AURORA, José González, Maggie Rogers, Rostam and Valerie June. A world premiere new music video will also air from My Morning Jacket. “We’re making art to make a change and challenge the status quo,” Marley said. “We need more art like that in this time. We need more music like that. We need more artists like that. So I am just happy that we are using art in that way.” Marley will pull out an acoustic guitar and sing a song appropriate for the event: “I Don't Wanna Live On Mars” from his 2014 album “Fly Rasta.” The opening line is: “I don’t want to live on Mars/I don’t want to drive space cars.” “Whatever happens to this planet is going to happen to us all," he said. "It's not going to happen just to the rich or just to the poor. It's going to happen to us all — the good and the bad.” Jessica Nabongo is hosting the Earth Day event with Brian Skerry, Dr. Jane Goodall, Lillygol Sedaghat, Dr. Lucy Hawkes and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant making special appearances. The special will be seen Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT on National Geographic’s YouTube channel and website. Following that show, the action will move to TikTok for an afterparty with Jayda G., who’ll be spinning records accompanied by visuals from the Disney+ series “Earth Moods.” Earth Day — this year on Thursday — has for decades been used to rally support for action on climate change. Carbon dioxide levels have increased 26% since the first Earth Day, ___ Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
SportsBBCWhy Super League plan makes financial sense for top clubs
European Super League plans could make clubs more valuable, but risk alienating fans and players.
PoliticsThe Canadian PressSupreme Court rejects lingering 2020 election challenge case
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday said it will not hear a case out of Pennsylvania related to the 2020 election, a dispute that had lingered while similar election challenges had already been rejected by the justices. The high court directed a lower court to dismiss the case as moot. The justices in February, after President Joe Biden's inauguration, had rejected a handful of cases related to the 2020 election. In the case the court rejected Monday, however, the court had called for additional briefing that was not complete until the end of March. The case involved a federal court challenge to a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision requiring election officials to receive and count mailed-in ballots that arrived up to three days after the election. More broadly, however, the case concerned whether state lawmakers or state courts get the last word about the manner in which federal elections are carried out. The Democratic National Committee was among those that argued the case should be rejected as moot because the 2020 election is over. Those that brought the case said the justices should hear it because the issues involved are important and recurring. The court had previously rejected other cases that had involved the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision to extend the deadline for mail-in ballots. Three of the court's conservative justices dissented, saying they would have taken up the cases. The genesis of the cases were changes Pennsylvania lawmakers made to the state’s election laws in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the changes, lawmakers left in place a Nov. 3 deadline to receive absentee ballots. Democrats sued, and Pennsylvania’s highest court cited the ongoing pandemic and United States Postal Service delays in extending the deadline for mailed-in ballots to be received. Wanda Murren, the communications director for the Pennsylvania Department of State, said Monday the elections agency is considering what to do about those ballots now, and whether they should be added to the final tally. In all, just over 10,000 ballots were received by elections officials after polls closed on Election Day, Nov. 3, but before 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6. “We are pleased that yet another court ruling has affirmed the accuracy and integrity of Pennsylvania’s November 2020 election,” Murren said. More than 600 of the ballots received during those three days had no postmark or an illegible postmark. The 10,000 ballots would not have altered the outcome of the presidential election in the state, which former President Donald Trump lost by some 80,000 votes. The Associated Press
EntertainmentThe Canadian PressRejected Broadway posters on sale to help theatre community
NEW YORK — Letting the world see your failures is usually something most people try to avoid. Not for theatrical poster designer Frank Verlizzo — he hopes you'll put his on your wall. Verlizzo is selling prints of his rejected posters for such shows as “Cabaret,” “Equus” and “Matilda” with all proceeds going to the aid organization Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. “It's exciting for me because it’s work that I particularly loved that I didn’t think anyone was ever going to see,” says the artist. “So it’s kind of wonderful that they’re now out in the world, for better or for worse.” The 16 posters included in the series — each goes for $399 with a frame — were either rejected, never pitched or part of a group of submissions that Verlizzo made that allowed only one winner. One highlight is an alternative poster for “The Lion King.” Disney, of course, went for Verlizzo's stark animal mane stamp that has become iconic. But now people can mount an unpublished design of his which uses paw prints from King Mufasa and newborn Simba to illustrate both the past and the future. “There are a million reasons why a poster gets rejected for a show,” he explains. “It’s a room full of people. It’s like one big beauty contest. Everybody has their favourites.” The offerings include an intriguing one for “Matilda” that uses letters of the alphabet to make up a graphic portrait of the imaginative heroine. Verlizzo created it for the Broadway run of the musical but producers decided to keep the previous West End campaign. Verlizzo, who designs under the moniker “Fraver” — a combination of his two names — says opening his vault and helping fellow artists during the pandemic was a “no-brainer.” “The devastation in the theatre industry was unbelievable. So many of my friends were unemployed instantly,” he says. “I hope it raises a lot of money.” The project is in partnership with Gelato, the global production platform that enables artists to sell their designs to customers anywhere in the world using a network of local producers, which means carbon emissions are minimized. Julie Ryland, who led the project for Gelato, said each poster takes you behind the creative process and in some ways celebrates the people who work on Broadway who often aren't seen. “Each one has a story. And and I think we crave stories during this time. We crave creativity,” she said. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that wall art has become so popular. Customers are just craving art and things to put up on their walls and bring into their homes now that we can’t access it in other ways.” Posters play a key role in a show's life. Until word of mouth takes over, ad campaigns have to entice patrons to be willing to pay high ticket prices for something they may know little about. “It’s definitely the first thing anybody sees about any show. And the thing I like most about it is it’s the thing that stays behind when the show’s no longer around,” Verlizzo says. The latest set — on top of a collection of his work, “Fraver By Design: 5 Decades of Theatre Poster Art from Broadway, Off-Broadway and Beyond,” show Verlizzo's range, which includes everything from woodcuts to elaborate typography to stylized illustration. “This was a criticism I always came up against at school — ‘You don’t have a style. You don’t have your own style,’” he says. "It’s like, ‘Well, I like all sorts of things. I like wood cuts. I like illustration. I like graphic design.’ I don’t see why I have to tie myself down to any one particular look or style.” To make his posters, Verlizzo starts with a script and dreams up an image that can be shrunk down to the size of a postage stamp newspaper ad or blown up to be on a billboard. “I read it quickly first and try to get visual impressions, which is really what I’m reading it for,” he says. “Sometimes there’s a theme that I see evolving that I think would be that I could express graphically.” He works so far ahead that often the script isn’t finished yet and there have been no casting decisions yet. He tries to come up with something to “catch your eye or intrigue a possible audience member.” In addition to art for "The Lion King," Verlizzo has made his mark on Broadway with hundreds of posters for such shows as “Sweeney Todd” and “Sunday in the Park with George.” He has no hard feelings if his design isn't picked by producers. “When I finally do get to the theatre to see the show, I always understand why they made the choice they did. It always makes perfect sense to me,” he says. ___ Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
