WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — File it under pizza toppings only offered in Florida. State inspectors found an 80-pound (36-kilogram) iguana stashed in the freezer at a local pizza joint.
Pizza Mambo in West Palm Beach was forced to close for a day last week following the inspection by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
The restaurant could not be reached for comment, but an employee told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the reptile was given as a personal gift to the owner. It was stored in a separate freezer away from the restaurant’s food and was immediately trashed after they were informed it was a violation.
Non-native iguanas are multiplying so rapidly in South Florida that a state wildlife agency has been encouraging people to kill them. Iguanas aren’t dangerous or aggressive to humans, but they damage seawalls, sidewalks, landscape foliage and can dig lengthy tunnels. The males can grow to at least 5 feet (1.5 meters) long and weigh nearly 20 pounds (9 kilograms) and female iguanas can lay nearly 80 eggs a year.
The reptile is considered a delicacy by some. One company even makes iguana sausages and burgers.
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The remote Siberian town of Verkhoyansk is known for its extreme cold: Winter temperatures often dip below –50° Celsius. But on June 20, temperatures in the town soared to a high of 38° C (100.4° Fahrenheit). If confirmed by the World Meteorological Association, that marks the hottest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle.
Verkhoyansk has experienced extreme heat before: On July 25, 1988, the town hit a then-record of 37.3° C (99.1° F). The new high, which smashes that 32-year record, comes on the heels of a historically hot May around the globe, and especially in Siberia, which is in the grips of an ongoing heat wave.
Globally, May was 0.63 degrees C warmer than average May temperatures from 1981 to 2010, enough to set a new record, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. But in parts of Siberia, particularly in northwestern Siberia, May temperatures were as much as 10 degrees C higher than average. The anomaly was so marked that the region’s heat wave would represent a 1 in 100,000 year event — at least in a world without climate change, climate scientist Martin Stendel of the Danish Meteorological Institute in Copenhagen, tweeted on June 9. With climate change, however, such Arctic heat waves are expected to become more common, along with melting permafrost and increasing wildfires (SN: 8/2/19).
The new benchmark highlights how the Arctic region is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification. Average temperatures in Siberia from December to May were also the warmest on record going back to 1979, according to Copernicus. When combined with data from NASA going back to 1880, the researchers suggest, this six-month period is likely unprecedented within the last 140 years.
Wildfires (red dots) burned across Siberia on June 21, fueled by record-high temperatures in May and drying soils. Climate change–driven warming in the Arctic is not only melting permafrost but also leading to earlier growing seasons (SN: 1/3/20). Combined with extreme heat, these factors are expected to lead to more wildfires in the region.NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)
But Fauci and three other top US public health officials and members of Trump’s coronavirus taskforce testified that Trump had not asked them to slow down testing.
“We will be doing more testing,” Fauci told the House committee.
Fauci said that, while some states like New York were “doing very well” in controlling the spread of the virus, the surge in other states was “very troublesome to me”.
“We’ve been hit badly,” said Fauci, saying he was “really quite concerned” about rising community spread in some states.
“The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges we are seeing in Florida, Texas, Arizona and other states,” Fauci said.
He said he believed “it will be when and not if” there will be a COVID-19 vaccine and that he remained cautiously optimistic that some will be ready at the end of the year.
Experts have raised concerns that the reopening of the US economy could lead to a fresh wave of infections.
A number of US states, including Texas and Arizona, have relaxed social distancing rules while grappling with a rising number of coronavirus patients filling hospital beds. Arizona reported a new daily record of nearly 3600 additional coronavirus cases on Tuesday as the state continued to set records for the number of people hospitalised, in intensive care and on ventilators.
US health officials last week warned that states seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases may need to reimpose strict restrictions similar to what was implemented in March.
Judge orders Bolsonaro to wear face mask
A Brazilian federal judge has ordered President Jair Bolsonaro to comply with local rules to wear a face mask whenever he is outdoors in the capital of Brasilia.
During recent weekends, a sometimes unmasked Bolsonaro has joined throngs of people protesting against Brazil’s Congress and Supreme Court.
Jair Bolsonaro rides a horse during a rally in support of his presidency amid the coronavirus pandemic.Credit:Getty
He has often visited bakeries and outdoor food stalls, drawing crowds around him.
Judge Renato Coelho Borelli said in his ruling that Bolsonaro “has exposed other people to the contagion of a disease that has caused national commotion”.
Brazil’s federal district requires people to wear face masks in public to help control the spread of the coronavirus. Failure to comply carries a possible daily fine of $US390 ($561).
Bolsonaro often does wear a mask at public events, unlike some other heads of state in the Americas including Trump, Mexico’s Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Argentina’s Alberto Fernandez.
Djokovic tests positive
Novak Djokovic tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday after taking part in a tennis exhibition series he organised in Serbia and Croatia.
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The top-ranked Serb is the fourth player to test positive for the virus after playing last week in Belgrade and last weekend in Zadar, Croatia. His wife also tested positive.
“The moment we arrived in Belgrade we went to be tested. My result is positive, just as Jelena’s, while the results of our children are negative,” Djokovic said in a statement.
Djokovic has been criticised for organising the tournament and bringing in players from other countries.
Viktor Troicki said on Tuesday that he and his pregnant wife have both been diagnosed with the virus. Grigor Dimitrov, a three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist from Bulgaria, said on Sunday he tested positive for the virus.
Dimitrov played Borna Coric played on Saturday, and Coric said on Monday he has also tested positive.
South Africa opens field hospital in car plant
South Africa has opened a 3300-bed field hospital in a converted car manufacturing plant as the country braces for an anticipated surge in COVID-19 cases.
The field hospital was built in the city of East London in the Eastern Cape province, one of the country’s coronavirus hotspots. South Africa has reported a total of 101,590 virus cases and 1991 COVID-19 deaths as of Tuesday.
The new field hospital brings the number of hospital beds nationwide to just above 27,000, including existing facilities and new field hospitals, according to the government. The new facility’s beds come with equipment to administer concentrated oxygen.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the facility also will help boost laboratory testing capacity in South Africa.
Lockdown loosened in Egypt
Egypt is gradually loosening its partial coronavirus lockdown amid a steady increase of daily infections in recent weeks.
Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly said on Tuesday that his government would reopen mosques and churches starting on Saturday and the ban on Friday’s Muslim prayers at mosques and Sunday’s masses at churches would remain in place for now.
He says restaurants, coffee shops, clubs and theatres will allowed to reopen at 25 per cent capacity.
Madbouky says Egypt’s beaches and parks remain closed until further notice.
The gradual reopening was announced as the the daily number of new coronavirus cases in Egypt has often surpassed 1000 in recent weeks.
The Arab world’s most populous country has officially reported around 57,000 confirmed cases, including at least 2278 deaths.
Britain’s pubs to reopen
Millions of people in Britain will be able to go to the pub, visit a movie theatre, get a haircut or attend a religious service starting on July 4, but they will have to wait to see a concert, get a tattoo or go to the gym.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a major loosening of coronavirus lockdown restrictions on Tuesday that will allow a swath of businesses to reopen. They include restaurants, bars, hotels, hairdressers, cinemas and museums.
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Places of worship can hold services, but choirs and congregations won’t be permitted to sing since the virus can spread through open mouths. Live music and theatre performances are remaining off-limits for the same reason.
Indoor gyms, pools, spas and tattoo parlours also have to stay shut for now.
The government also announced that social-distancing rules will be relaxed. From July 4 people will be advised to stay at least one metre apart, rather than two metres – as long as they take other measures to reduce transmission of the virus, such as wearing a mask in enclosed spaces.
The changes only apply in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all following slightly different measures.
Mourners arrive at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church for a public viewing of Rayshard Brooks, a Black man whose fatal shooting by a white police officer came amid growing calls for an end to racial injustice (June 22)
Mourners paid tribute to Brooks at his public viewing Monday at the same church in Atlanta, which was also Martin Luther King Jr.’s church. Meanwhile, the officer charged in connection to Brooks’ death said Tuesday that he “didn’t do anything wrong.”Â
And after two shootings in Seattle this weekend that left one dead and another person injured, Mayor Jenny Durkan said Monday that the city is working to wind down the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) zone.
A closer look at some recent developments:
What we’re reading: These teens grew up in the shadow of Tamir Rice’s death. Ahead of what would have been Tamir’s 18th birthday on June 25, the USA TODAY Network talked to 31 teenagers about growing up Black in America. These are their stories.Â
Our live blog will be updated throughout the day. For first-in-the-morning updates, sign up for The Daily Briefing.
Family, friends gather to remember Rayshard Brooks in private funeral
“It’s very overwhelming and it’s something that I feel like in my heart should not have happened,†said Glenda Caruthers, who stood outside Ebenezer on Tuesday before the funeral started. “I may not even know him, but it seems like I do in a way.”Â
The Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church and a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, will eulogize Brooks. Gospel singers Smokie Norful, Tamela Mann and Kurt Carr are expected to perform.
Brooks will be buried in Atlanta.
– Lorenzo Reyes and David Heath
University of Cincinnati will remove Marge Schott’s name from stadium
Acting on a recommendation by school president Neville G. Pinto, the Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to remove the name of the late Cincinnati Reds owner from the university’s baseball stadium.
“Marge Schott’s record of racism and bigotry stands at stark odds with our University’s core commitment to dignity, equity and inclusion,†said Pinto in a release.
The decision comes after a petition created by former University of Cincinnati baseball player Jordan Ramey asked the university to change the baseball stadium from Marge Schott Stadium to a new name, citing Schott’s history of racially insensitive conduct and anti-Semitism.
– Keith Jenkins, Cincinnati Enquirer
Trump vows to issue executive order protecting statues
Trump offered no details about the order, saying “I will have an executive order very shortly. All it’s going to do is reinforce what’s already there, but in a more uniform way.”Â
Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn before departing for a trip to Arizona that the order would include “long-term jail sentences.”
The Veterans Memorial Preservation Act, a federal law passed in 2003, already makes it a crime to destroy or attempt to destroy a plaque, monument or statue “commemorating the service” of anyone who served in the armed forces. The law carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
Almost a third of Americans say “a complete overhaul” of the criminal justice system is needed, while 40% say it needs “major changes” and 25% say it needs “minor changes.”
The poll also found that Americans overwhelmingly want clear standards on when police officers may use force and consequences for officers who do so excessively. Among the other measures many support: requiring officers to wear body cameras and requiring officers to report misconduct by their peers. There was strong support for penalizing officers who engage in racially biased policing
Soldier leaked information to neo-Nazi group in plot to attack USÂ soldiers
Federal prosecutors alleged that Ethan Melzer, using encrypted applications, sent messages to members of a neo-Nazi group called Order of the Nine Angles or O9A shortly after learning of his unit’s deployment overseas. Melzer leaked information about the unit’s location, movements, security and the number of soldiers to facilitate what he and his co-conspirators referred to as a “jihadi attack,” prosecutors alleged.Â
Melzer, 22, of Louisville, Ky., has been charged with conspiring and attempting to murder U.S. nationals, conspiring and attempting to murder military service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder and maim in a foreign country. He joined the Army in 2018 and joined O9A the following year, authorities said.Â
– Kristine Phillips
Baltimore restaurant apologizes to Black woman, son after denying them service over clothes
Marcia Grant was repeatedly told by a manager that she and her son, Dallas, were unable to eat at Ouzo Bay in a video she recorded and posted on social media Monday.
In the video, her son was seen wearing sneakers, gym shorts and an Air Jordan T-shirt. Another child, recorded eating outside, was wearing similar apparel. That child was white.
Atlas Restaurant Group, which owns Ouzo Bay and other restaurants in the area, called the incident “incredibly disturbing†and has put the manager involved on “indefinite leave.â€Â Atlas will also not require anyone under the age of 12 to follow dress code at its restaurants.
– Joshua Bote
Rhode Island to drop ‘Providence Plantations’ from some official documents
Official state documents and websites will no longer contain the words “Providence Plantations” as part of Rhode Island’s name after Gov. Gina Raimondo signed an executive order Monday to remove the phrase from her administration’s communications.
While the official state name includes “Providence Plantations” in reference to the mainland colony founded by Roger Williams in 1636, Raimondo said the word’s ties to slavery and the painful images it conjures for Black Americans cannot be ignored.
“That is a word that is associated with the ugliest institution that our country has ever had,” she said during a Monday afternoon news conference. “So I think it’s time, it’s past time, to get rid of it. You can be proud of Rhode Island, but don’t be proud of a word that represents the worst of what our nation had to offer.”
Rhode Islanders had a chance to change the state’s name in 2010 when a question to remove the phrase appeared on a ballot. The measure did not pass. The General Assembly is pursuing bills to put the question back on this year’s ballot, and one has already passed in the Senate.
– Madeleine List, Providence Journal
Protesters attempt to remove Andrew Jackson statue near White House
Tensions were high in front of the White House on Monday night after Black Lives Matter protesters unsuccessfully tried to remove the Andrew Jackson statue in Lafayette Square. During the unrest, CNN reported that their staffers and other members of the White House press corps were asked to leave the White House grounds by Secret Service.
The Secret Service told USA TODAY that four members of the media were “misdirected by the Secret Service to leave the White House grounds” on Monday.
President Donald Trump tweeted that “numerous people” had been arrested “for the disgraceful vandalism, in Lafayette Park, of the magnificent Statue of Andrew Jackson, in addition to the exterior defacing of St. John’s Church across the street.”
The statue shows Jackson in a military uniform, riding a horse that is rearing on its hind legs. The 19th century president’s ruthless treatment of Native Americans has made his statue a target of demonstrators protesting the United States’ legacy of racial injustice.
The Washington Post reported that protesters spray painted “BHAZ” on the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church. Another sign nearby read, “BHAZ: Black House Autonomous Zone,” a nod to the autonomous zone in Seattle. According to the Post, police were clearing tents in the area.
– Savannah Behrmann and Associated Press
Seattle mayor seeks peaceful shutdown of activists’ ‘police-free zone’
Seattle officials have decided to dismantle a six-block “police-free zone†held by demonstrators in the heart of the city for more than two weeks.
Durkan declined to say exactly how the area will be cleared if occupants resist but stressed that a transition will be “peaceful and in the near future.â€
Hundreds of demonstrators have occupied the area, sharing food, music and political activism but also causing damage and closing businesses. Now, said Durkan, “It’s time for people to go home.†Â
– Dennis Wagner
Iowa city unanimously approves racial profiling banÂ
After years of coordinated efforts by local organizers, the Des Moines City Council on Monday approved an anti-racial profiling ordinance that prohibits biased policing and says officers have a duty to intervene when witnessing “unreasonable force†by another officer.
The city council unanimously approved a second, then a final reading of the ordinance, which gained swift momentum after widespread protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. In a public forum, community members congratulated the persistence of a community alliance that has shaped the ordinance and thanked young Iowans who’ve organized in force to demand change at the local level.
“It is progress,†Iowa-Nebraska NAACP President Betty Andrews, who has led negotiations on behalf of the alliance, told the Des Moines Register. “It is not perfect, but we are working toward better and this is definitely a good step in that direction.â€Â
– Shelby Fleig, Des Moines Register
Officer charged in Rayshard Brooks shooting: ‘I didn’t do anything wrong’
An Atlanta police officer facing criminal charges in connection with a June 12 fatal shooting outside a Wendy’s restaurant says he did nothing wrong and expects truth to prevail.
In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, officer Devin Brosnan said Rayshard Brooks, the 41-year-old Black man who was killed, had grabbed his Taser while being arrested. During a tussle, Brosnan said, he was shocked with the weapon and his head was slammed against the pavement.
As Brooks ran away with the Taser – a scene captured on video – he was pursued by a second officer, Garrett Rolf, who shot Brooks. Rolf faces 11 felony counts, including murder.
Brosnan, charged with placing his foot on Brooks’ back after the shooting, said he was disoriented and fearful until he realized the suspect was no longer a threat. “In no way, shape or form was I trying to hurt this man,†he told the Atlanta newspaper. “People will see this for what it is. They will understand I didn’t do anything wrong.”Â
Northern California city named after Confederate general to consider name change
A Northern California city named after a Confederate general is considering changing its name as calls to take down Confederate monuments and statues nationwide continue.
The city of Fort Bragg is named after Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, who is accused of keeping more than 100 slaves. On Monday, the city council will discuss whether to add a local ballot measure for voters to decide on the name change in November.
In a memo, city staff told city council that they could also re-dedicate the city’s name to a different Bragg, such as Britain’s William Henry Bragg and William Lawrence Bragg, the father-son team who won the 1915 Nobel Prize in physics.
In North Carolina, Bragg has one of the largest military installations in the world named after him. It’s one of many bases across the country that Army officials have signaled to discuss scrapping the Confederates names.
Police cars vanish from Fortnite video game
In the virtual world, things can appear and disappear unexpectedly. Things like police cars. And that’s apparently what happened in the action video game “Fortnite,†which featured law enforcement vehicles as decorative props until a new version premiered last week.
According to the Wall Street Journal, patrol cars were removed not as a political statement, but out of sensitivity to the national controversy over law enforcement abuses.
The disappearance was first noted on social media, including Reddit, where one post exclaimed, “Yikes. The anti-cop sentiment is reaching everything†and another observed, “Fortnite has de-funded the police.â€
More on protests
DOJ, FBI to investigate noose found in Bubba Wallace’s garage
The Department of Justice announced Monday that it will be looking into the noose found in NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace’s garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway in an attempt to determine if federal law was broken. The FBI is also investigating the discovery of the noose.
NASCAR reacted swiftly Sunday to condemn the incident as a “heinous act,” announcing an investigation and pledging to find the individual responsible and ban them from the sport.Â
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A US Army soldier has been charged with multiple felonies for allegedly helping other members of a neo-Nazi group plan a “mass casualty†attack on his own unit during an upcoming deployment to Turkey.
Prosecutors say 22-year-old Pvt. Ethan Phelan Melzer of Louisville, Kentucky, fed sensitive information about his unit’s “location, movement and security†to members of the Order of the Nine Angles (O9A), an occult white supremacist organization whose founder once pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda. Court documents released Monday allege Melzer joined O9A in 2019 after enlisting in the US Army the previous year.
While deployed in Italy in May, Melzer allegedly invited other members of O9A, including an FBI informant, to plan an attack on a US military installation in Turkey that Melzer’s unit would be guarding during an upcoming deployment.
The soldier and other alleged O9A members communicated via a secure messenger app group chat dubbed “RapeWaffen Divison,†an apparent reference to the neo-Nazi Atomwaffen Division network, which has been tied to a number of murders, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The Order of the Nine Angles is a self-proclaimed satanic network that originated in the United Kingdom. Its publications have promoted pedophilia and the murder of police, judges and other public figures as ways to subvert society, which it says has been corrupted by “Nazarene,†or Judeo-Christian, culture. The group has praised the ideas of Osama bin Laden and Adolf Hitler, describing Nazi Germany as “a burst of Luciferian light … in an otherwise Nazarene, pacified, and boring world,†according to an affidavit filed by US Air Force special agent Faye Stephan of New York’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The affidavit, unsealed Monday, alleged Melzer and his co-conspirators shared satellite images of the unspecified US military facility in Turkey and discussed recruiting local jihadist militants to carry out the attack from high ground nearby.
The document alleges Melzer bragged to the group that he “used to be cool with a couple [Islamic State] members who lived in France†and said that a group of just a few dozen fighters “could absolutely reek [sic] havoc†on his unit.
Using the pseudonym “Etil Reggad,†Melzer allegedly discussed his unit’s expected travel routes and told the O9A members that his fellow soldiers would be “essentially crippled†in an attack on the facility because they would not have machine guns, tanks or rocket launchers. He also promised to provide access to his unit’s radio communications in order to facilitate the attack.
The affidavit alleges Melzer intended the incident to “result in the deaths of as many of his fellow service members as possible†in hope of sparking “another war†in the Middle East. He allegedly told the FBI informant he was willing to die in the attack because “another 10-year war in the Middle East would definitely leave a mark.â€
Melzer allegedly told his contacts that he was “literally risking [his] literal free life†by divulging the information and was “expecting results.â€
Investigators said Melzer waived his Miranda rights in a May 30 interview with the FBI and US military and confessed his involvement in the plot, allegedly describing himself as a traitor.
Photos obtained by prosecutors from an iCloud account said to belong to Melzer revealed IS propaganda that detailed the killing of Western military personnel. Another photo featured what appeared to be an O9A publication, a US Army beret and a ski mask bearing a white skull similar to masks featured in propaganda videos by groups like Atomwaffen Division.
Melzer faces life in prison on charges of conspiracy to commit and attempted murder of US military personnel and attempting to provide material support for terrorism, among other charges.
The indictment is the latest case of right-wing militancy within the US armed forces, but is an exceptionally rare case of a member of the military inviting foreign attack on his or her own unit.
Two former and one current US service members were indicted by federal prosecutors in June for plotting to firebomb a Las Vegas protest organized in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in May. The US Navy expelled a sailor suspected of recruiting for Atomwaffen Division in March.
Senate Democrats on Tuesday called Republican police reform legislation “woefully inadequate†and threatened to block debate on the measure, a move that elicited partisan sniping from both sides of the aisle amid ongoing nationwide protests over police brutality.
In a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), as well as Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.) and Kamala Harris (Calif.), called on Republicans to produce a “meaningful†bill aimed at bringing accountability to law enforcement.
“This bill is not salvageable and we need bipartisan talks to get to a constructive starting point,†the senators wrote.
Unlike the Democratic bill, which Harris and Booker co-authored, the GOP measure does not explicitly ban law enforcement techniques such as chokeholds and no-knock warrants. Police used a chokehold in the death of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis; officers used a no-knock warrant in the incident that led to the death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman in Kentucky.
The GOP bill would also not end qualified immunity for law enforcement, as Democrats have proposed. The legal doctrine gives police officers a broad liability shield in court, making it all but impossible to successfully sue them over claims of wrongdoing.
In a speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday, Booker called the GOP bill “unacceptable.†He warned that the lives of Black Americans were on the line and that lawmakers would later regret not trying to enact broader reforms.
The Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on a procedural motion that would open debate on the GOP bill, which was authored by Tim Scott of South Carolina, the lone Black Republican in the Senate. Republicans will need at least seven Democrats to join them in order to overcome a filibuster and advance the bill. McConnell, however, has not committed to allowing any amendments to the legislation.
The Kentucky Republican blasted Democrats for threatening to block debate over police reform after calling on Republicans to put a bill on the floor by next month.
“Suddenly, our Democratic colleagues are reportedly agonizing and debating whether to let the Senate have this discussion at all or whether to kill any chance of reform legislation before it can even taxi onto the runway,†McConnell said Tuesday in a floor speech.
“Tomorrow, we’ll find out whether our Democratic colleagues share our ambition, or whether they choose to duck this issue and leave the country in the lurch,†the senator added.
But Democrats rejected that argument, accusing McConnell of trying to derail efforts at police reform by forcing them to swallow a GOP bill they view as a half-hearted measure that wouldn’t bring accountability to police departments nationwide.
“For all of the pundits out there that want to entertain a conversation about whether Democrats actually want police reform: Are you kidding me?†Harris said on Tuesday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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Some companies don’t even try to argue that executive pay was cut. At $6.4 million, the cash bonus paid to Whiting Petroleum’s chief executive, Bradley J. Holly, is larger than the $5.5 million at which the company valued his total compensation for 2019.
Updated June 22, 2020
Is it harder to exercise while wearing a mask?
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort†and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.†Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,†he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.†Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
I’ve heard about a treatment called dexamethasone. Does it work?
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
What is pandemic paid leave?
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
Does asymptomatic transmission of Covid-19 happen?
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,†but she later walked back that statement.
What’s the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface?
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
How does blood type influence coronavirus?
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
How many people have lost their jobs due to coronavirus in the U.S.?
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
My state is reopening. Is it safe to go out?
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
How can I protect myself while flying?
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
What should I do if I feel sick?
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
And of course the bonuses are far higher than what regular employees earn. Ms. Soltau’s was many times the $11,482 the retailer’s median employee, a part-time worker, earned during J.C. Penney’s 2019 fiscal year, according to a securities filing.
Are troubled companies linking bonuses to goals in any way?
The cash bonuses have also led to the concealing, loosening and removal of the tools companies normally use to tie pay to performance, which many critics contend were already too weak. Companies still operate when seeking protection under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code. And, in theory, boards could require chief executives to hit sales targets or achieve other goals.
And in some cases, a few strings remain. Ms. Soltau has to repay a fifth of her cash bonus if she fails to achieve certain performance goals, and Mr. Lawler has to repay half of his. But J.C. Penney and Chesapeake did not disclose the goals in their securities filings and declined to answer questions about them.
Hertz and Whiting, the oil and gas company, did not tie cash bonuses to performance goals at all. Whiting and Mr. Holly didn’t respond to requests from comment, but the company said in a securities filing that the new bonuses “eliminate any potential misalignment of interests that would likely arise if existing performance metrics were retained and/or new performance metrics were established at a volatile and uncertain time.â€
Could lawmakers do anything about these bonuses?
This is not the first time that executive pay at troubled companies has prompted an outcry. Congress passed a law in 2005 aimed at curbing retention bonuses paid during bankruptcy. Under the law, companies are allowed to pay incentive-based bonuses, but the legal cost of constructing such payments and getting them approved in bankruptcy court soared after 2005, according to research by Jared Ellias, a professor at the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law.
Of course, Congress could change bankruptcy law so that compensation payments made before the filing could be clawed back, Mr. Ellias said. In addition, lawmakers could make it easier for creditors to pursue claims against executives after the bankruptcy. “This doesn’t feel right,†he said of the recent large bonuses, “and it doesn’t instill public confidence in the bankruptcy system.â€
Every person is different. The early coronavirus mantra that “we are all in this together†was true to a point, with the global pandemic exposing our collective human frailty.
But through speaking to dozens of people for our Postcards from the pandemic series, it became obvious that vulnerability was relative. Having a white-collar job that you can perform at home eased the pain and provided some benefits. Losing a job or trying to keep a business afloat was far more stressful.
Our first postcard was about a small businesswoman, Kristy Busuttil, a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist in taekwondo who teaches the martial art in a studio in Melbourne. There were the financial strains – no income, and bills to pay – and the crucial emotional ones, a thread through many of our stories.
There was the uncertainty about what might happen, the fear of someone you love contracting Covid-19. And there were intangible impacts. “[Teaching] gives me some sort of outlet, some sort of purpose to my life,†Busuttil said.
“When you go from working and being focused on a goal and a dream, then all of a sudden it’s taken away from you, it’s very scary.†This week, her studio opened for face-to-face classes for the first time since March.
Aubrey Roe: ‘Life can be hard at times, but it can also be nice.’ Photograph: Dan Spriggs/The Guardian
For a few months at least, norms were tossed into the air, and challenges that seemed too hard were suddenly possible.
Those sleeping on the streets could unwittingly spread the virus, so almost overnight state governments housed thousands in hotels and motels. In Roe’s case, it was Indigenous advocacy groups in Perth who did a deal with a boutique hotel in Fremantle to house people who had nowhere else to go.
“Life can be hard at times, but it can also be nice,†Roe told the Guardian Australia journalist Luke Henriques-Gomes. Homeless groups say the pandemic has given us an opportunity if we grasp it to end rough sleeping for good.
Shirley Purdie (in floral dress) and her family sit out the pandemic in Violet Valley, east Kimberley
So far, fears that coronavirus would devastate Indigenous communities have not eventuated, due to strong efforts by governments to lock remote communities down, and through communities themselves taking action. Like many others, the east Kimberley artist Shirley Purdie, 73, left town to return to her remote homeland, in her case Mabel Downs. It was the safest place to be.
For those on the health frontline, there was a sense of purpose and contribution. The Sydney doctor Brandon Verdonk volunteered to run the Covid-19 testing clinic at Westmead hospital: “You feel like you can make a small difference in this pandemic time and that’s empowering.â€
A Melbourne public transport cleaner, Fawad, felt the same. “If we are not disinfecting the trains, maybe someone get the coronavirus.â€
Businesses large and small lost huge amounts of income, although the wage subsidy scheme, jobkeeper, helped enormously. The North Queensland tourism operator Steve Edmondson grew impatient at the interstate border closures.
Restaurant owners including John Mitchell of the Mornington Peninsula’s Montalto were happy, for now, with a slow, steady and safe reopening.
Zoe Latimore with her family in Melbourne. Photograph: Meredith O’Shea/The Guardian
What also came through was a discussion about how this remarkable crisis might shift thinking, act as wake-up call. A year 12 student, Zoe Latimore, missed school and worried about her results, but she liked hanging out with her family in a way they had not done for years.
Restaurants and cafes offering takeaway is here to stay. Working from home has its downsides and its upsides. There was a new appreciation for those who do essential work for modest remuneration.
Maureen Preedy, 69, died in hospital from Covid-19 after most likely contracting it on a cruise ship. Her husband, Barry, was unable to see his wife of almost 50 years as she died. He also contracted the virus and was kept isolated in a hotel room for two more weeks.
Jonathon Cartwright was far luckier. He, too, contracted Covid-19, and isolated at home in Melbourne for a fortnight until he recovered.
He was brave enough to reveal his own foolishness, his own ignorance. Cartwright had flown to London with a friend in early March to see a band – and both of them contracted the virus. His wife, Christine, hadn’t wanted him to go, and he felt stupid for his cavalier approach: “I took the risk and I fucked up.â€
Cartwright, too, is in a process of rethinking things. Those who held us together and are still doing so are healthcare workers, teachers, cleaners, supermarket attendants and public health officials.
“[This] has the potential for a recalibration of what’s right, both for individuals and their health, but also for the community,†he says.
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