thedenverpost--2020-06-10--New coronavirus cases in Colorado remain low, but state officials watching neighboring states where

New coronavirus cases in Colorado remain low, but state officials watching neighboring states where infections are increasing

The number of new coronavirus cases in Colorado remains relatively low , although Gov .
Jared Polis said Tuesday that state officials are keeping an eye on nearby states where there are a growing number of people with the respiratory disease COVID-19 .
There are 28,347 people confirmed to have the novel coronavirus , an increase 164 people from 28,183 individuals , according to the latest data from the state Department of Public Health and Environment .
“ We are wearily watching Utah and Arizona , neighboring states that have both shown substantial increases in COVID-19 just in the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press conference .
Polis noted that there is a lot of travel between the two states and Colorado , but said there are no plans for any type of checks of people coming into the state .
Cumulative hospitalizations for COVID-19 jumped this week , however , state health officials said the increase is the result of a change in reporting .
With the change , the data now include hospitalizations in cases where a person was admitted to a facility after public health officials conducted their investigation .
In the past , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to state or local agencies , according to a news release .
Overall , 5,025 people have been hospitalized for the new coronavirus , up 166 people from 4,859 hospitalizations .
However , as of Tuesday , 180 people remain in the hospital with COVID-19 , according to the state health department .
As of Sunday , 1,553 people have died with COVID-19 , up 10 people from 1,543 deaths .
The number of people who died due to the disease also increased by 20 people , going from 1,292 deaths to 1,312 @

The number of new coronavirus cases in Colorado remains relatively low, although Gov. Jared Polis said Tuesday that state officials are keeping an eye on nearby states where there are a growing number of people with the respiratory disease COVID-19.
There are 28,347 people confirmed to have the novel coronavirus, an increase 164 people from 28,183 individuals, according to the latest data from the state Department of Public Health and Environment.
“We are warily watching Utah and Arizona, neighboring states that have both shown substantial increases in COVID-19 just in the last week,” Polis said during a press conference.
Polis noted that there is a lot of travel between the two states and Colorado, but said there are no plans for any type of checks of people coming into the state.
Cumulative hospitalizations for COVID-19 jumped this week, however, state health officials said the increase is the result of a change in reporting.
With the change, the data now include hospitalizations in cases where a person was admitted to a facility after public health officials conducted their investigation. In the past, such information was not always reported back to state or local agencies, according to a news release.
Overall, 5,025 people have been hospitalized for the new coronavirus, up 166 people from 4,859 hospitalizations. However, as of Tuesday, 180 people remain in the hospital with COVID-19, according to the state health department.
As of Sunday, 1,553 people have died with COVID-19, up 10 people from 1,543 deaths. The number of people who died due to the disease also increased by 20 people, going from 1,292 deaths to 1,312 deaths


thedenverpost--2020-06-10--John Hickenlooper, Andrew Romanoff to face off in in-person U.S. Senate debate

John Hickenlooper and Andrew Romanoff will face off ahead of the U.S. Senate Democratic primary in a June 16 debate @ @ @ @ @ , Colorado Public Radio News , Denver7 and the University of Denver .
The 90-minute @ @ @ @ @ and will air on both Denver7 and CPR News .
Hickenlooper , the former Colorado @ @ @ @ @ the former state House speaker , will appear in-studio at Denver7 , which will carry @ @ @ @ @ debate live .
CPR News will broadcast the entire event on 90.1 FM , and @ @ @ @ @ it live on their websites .
The candidates will be questioned by Post political reporter @ @ @ @ @ Anne Trujillo and CPR ’ s “ Colorado Matters ” host , Ryan Warner .
@ @ @ @ @ 30 primary were sent to voters this week .
The winner of the primary will @ @ @ @ @ , a Republican , in the Nov. 3 general election .

John Hickenlooper and Andrew Romanoff will face off ahead of the U.S. Senate Democratic primary in a June 16 debate sponsored by The Denver Post, Colorado Public Radio News, Denver7 and the University of Denver.
The 90-minute debate begins at 6 p.m. and will air on both Denver7 and CPR News. Hickenlooper, the former Colorado governor, and Romanoff, the former state House speaker, will appear in-studio at Denver7, which will carry the first hour of the debate live. CPR News will broadcast the entire event on 90.1 FM, and all three outlets will stream it live on their websites.
The candidates will be questioned by Post political reporter Justin Wingerter, Denver7 anchor Anne Trujillo and CPR’s “Colorado Matters” host, Ryan Warner.
Mail ballots for the June 30 primary were sent to voters this week. The winner of the primary will face incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner, a Republican, in the Nov. 3 general election.


thedenverpost--2020-06-10--Kiszla: Crazy talk? Nuggets itching for fight with LeBron, Kawhi or the Beard in NBA playoffs

The Nuggets , he wants everybody in the NBA to know , are itching for a fight with LeBron James .
This young Denver team , with precisely one playoff series victory on its resume , wants a piece of proven champ Kawhi Leonard , and isn ’ t afraid to start an argument with James Harden .
“ We don ’ t think there ’ s a team that can beat us in a seven-game series when we ’ re playing at our best , ” Murray declared .
He dreams big .
I like the swagger Murray brings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a championship can ’ t happen in Denver .
“ Why not ?
Why not ?
Why not ?
” he said .
Alongside center Nikola Jokic , the young point guard is ready to take on anybody .
“ When me and Joker are on , I don ’ t think there ’ s anybody who can stop us , ” Murray said during a recent Zoom call with local media .
But shooting from the lip is easy .
Gunning down the Lakers , Clippers or Rockets in the wild , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play in Florida ?
That will be hard .
Harder than anything Jokic and Murray have ever achieved on the basketball court .
“ We know we can go win the title , ” said Murray , emboldened by the team ’ s 43-22 record when the coronavirus interrupted the regular season in March .
Are the Nuggets ready to walk the brash talk ?
At relatively tender ages , have Jokic , 25 , and Murray , 23 , grown up enough to run with the big dogs in the NBA playoffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think not .
In a league that celebrates individual greatness like no other team sport in the USA , the playoffs are when NBA stars shine brightest .
Jokic and Murray are young and capable of being freaky good together .
But while Jokic is a bona fide star , Murray has yet to prove he ’ s a top-tier guard on anywhere near a consistent basis .
Yes , it takes more than two to win a playoff series .
But at crunch time – or winning time , as Magic Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team looks to its stars to take over .
And the Western Conference is packed with dynamic duos .
How do you think Jokic and Murray stack up against Leonard and Paul George of the Clippers , who might not even be the best one-two punch in the city they share with James and Anthony Davis of the Lakers .
The last team Denver wants to see in the opening round of the playoffs is Houston , with Harden and Russell Westbrook .
While the Nuggets shout they ’ ve got next , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns in the West are Mavericks Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis ?
All the cool kids in the NBA lunchroom salivate over advanced metrics , and consider any opinion not grounded in stats as pure baloney .
So I will play that game , and for the purpose of getting this argument started , rank the Western stars by Real Plus-Minus .
Lacking a true No .
2 to make a dynamic duo , coach Michael Malone was forced to lean on Jokic to the point of exhaustion a year ago .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grown enough for Denver to be anything more than a long shot to win the championship ?
While the Nuggets embrace the convenient excuse that youth and inexperience caused them to be bounced from the playoffs on their home floor in 2019 , would it be outrageous to suggest the bigger reason Denver lost to Portland is because Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum slightly out-played Jokic and Murray over the course of seven games ?
“ We shouldn ’ t have lost to Portland , ” Murray said .
I am tempted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stirring with the suggestion Denver won ’ t be a true championship contender until the Nuggets trust the skills and health of Michael Porter Jr. enough to anoint him as the Jokic ’ s wingman .
But let ’ s put that argument on hold , leaving a lively debate about MPJ ’ s role to bounce off the walls of the NBA bubble in Orlando .
For now , riddle me this : Can Joker and Jamal take out Bron and the Brow in the NBA playoffs , or even survive a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Don ’ t know about you , but I can ’ t wait to find out .
The sweet anticipation is precisely why we ’ ve missed sports so much .

Is Jamal Murray nuts?
The Nuggets, he wants everybody in the NBA to know, are itching for a fight with LeBron James. This young Denver team, with precisely one playoff series victory on its resume, wants a piece of proven champ Kawhi Leonard, and isn’t afraid to start an argument with James Harden.
“We don’t think there’s a team that can beat us in a seven-game series when we’re playing at our best,” Murray declared.
He dreams big. I like the swagger Murray brings to a franchise long told that winning a championship can’t happen in Denver.
“Why not? Why not? Why not?” he said.
Alongside center Nikola Jokic, the young point guard is ready to take on anybody.
“When me and Joker are on, I don’t think there’s anybody who can stop us,” Murray said during a recent Zoom call with local media.
But shooting from the lip is easy. Gunning down the Lakers, Clippers or Rockets in the wild, wild Western Conference when the NBA resumes play in Florida? That will be hard. Harder than anything Jokic and Murray have ever achieved on the basketball court.
“We know we can go win the title,” said Murray, emboldened by the team’s 43-22 record when the coronavirus interrupted the regular season in March.
Are the Nuggets ready to walk the brash talk? At relatively tender ages, have Jokic, 25, and Murray, 23, grown up enough to run with the big dogs in the NBA playoffs?
We shall see. But I think not.
In a league that celebrates individual greatness like no other team sport in the USA, the playoffs are when NBA stars shine brightest.
Jokic and Murray are young and capable of being freaky good together. But while Jokic is a bona fide star, Murray has yet to prove he’s a top-tier guard on anywhere near a consistent basis.
Yes, it takes more than two to win a playoff series. But at crunch time – or winning time, as Magic Johnson liked to call it – every NBA team looks to its stars to take over.
And the Western Conference is packed with dynamic duos. How do you think Jokic and Murray stack up against Leonard and Paul George of the Clippers, who might not even be the best one-two punch in the city they share with James and Anthony Davis of the Lakers.
The last team Denver wants to see in the opening round of the playoffs is Houston, with Harden and Russell Westbrook. While the Nuggets shout they’ve got next, could it be the most dangerous young guns in the West are Mavericks Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis?
All the cool kids in the NBA lunchroom salivate over advanced metrics, and consider any opinion not grounded in stats as pure baloney. So I will play that game, and for the purpose of getting this argument started, rank the Western stars by Real Plus-Minus.
Lakers: 9.92 (James 6.86; Davis 3.06)
Rockets: 9.08 (Harden 5.71; Westbrook 3.37)
Mavericks: 6.40 (Doncic 3.80; Porzingis 2.60)
Clippers: 6.02 (Leonard 4.08; George 1.94)
Nuggets: 3.80 (Jokic 3.44; Murray 0.36)
Lacking a true No. 2 to make a dynamic duo, coach Michael Malone was forced to lean on Jokic to the point of exhaustion a year ago. While Murray is fearless, has his game grown enough for Denver to be anything more than a long shot to win the championship?
While the Nuggets embrace the convenient excuse that youth and inexperience caused them to be bounced from the playoffs on their home floor in 2019, would it be outrageous to suggest the bigger reason Denver lost to Portland is because Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum slightly out-played Jokic and Murray over the course of seven games?
“We shouldn’t have lost to Portland,” Murray said.
I am tempted to knock over this pot I’m stirring with the suggestion Denver won’t be a true championship contender until the Nuggets trust the skills and health of Michael Porter Jr. enough to anoint him as the Jokic’s wingman. But let’s put that argument on hold, leaving a lively debate about MPJ’s role to bounce off the walls of the NBA bubble in Orlando.
For now, riddle me this: Can Joker and Jamal take out Bron and the Brow in the NBA playoffs, or even survive a matchup against the Beard and Russ?
Don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to find out. The sweet anticipation is precisely why we’ve missed sports so much.


thedenverpost--2020-06-09--102 mph wind recorded in Akron overnight; significant damage reported

A burst of exceptionally strong winds ripped through the Eastern Plains late on Monday night into early Tuesday morning , leading to significant damage in the town of Akron .
Estimated winds in excess of 100 mph followed a highly-localized band of storms that moved through the area in northeast Colorado .
The National Weather Service office in Boulder confirmed that a 102-mph wind gust moved through the town of Akron shortly before 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning .
The winds led to several reports of significant damage in the small town of about 2,000 people .
A water resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s storm “ the most insane wind ever ” on Twitter .
The severe wind was part of a narrow but powerful line of storms that moved quickly from south to north overnight Monday into Tuesday .
Colorado state climatologist Russ Schumacher captured the line of storms on a radar loop .
In the radar animation below , note a brief but clear burst of dark red coloring and the appearance of an archer ’ s bow as the storm approached Akron ( approximately in the middle in the map below ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong winds .
Within those lines , a microburst may well have taken place , adding an extra jolt to the already strong winds that were howling along the line of storms .
A microburst is a narrow push of wind within a storm , usually two miles or less in size , that can create hyper-local wind damage .
When they ’ re focused over a populated area , microbursts can greatly enhance wind damage for a specific location .
During the overnight event in Akron , gusty winds were consistently coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suddenly shifted to out the south .
A stark wind shift like that is a likely indicator that a microburst was responsible for the sudden acceleration in wind speed .
As of Tuesday afternoon , no power outages were reported in Akron , according to outage tracking website PowerOutage.us .

A burst of exceptionally strong winds ripped through the Eastern Plains late on Monday night into early Tuesday morning, leading to significant damage in the town of Akron.
Estimated winds in excess of 100 mph followed a highly-localized band of storms that moved through the area in northeast Colorado. The National Weather Service office in Boulder confirmed that a 102-mph wind gust moved through the town of Akron shortly before 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
A powerful storm system moving across Colorado produced windy conditions & widespread rain across northeast CO overnight. A few severe storms which developed across the far northeast plains produced strong & damaging winds across Washington & Logan Counties after midnight. #cowx pic.twitter.com/R4fCFMCP6S — NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) June 9, 2020
The winds led to several reports of significant damage in the small town of about 2,000 people. A water resources specialist who experienced the storm called Tuesday’s storm “the most insane wind ever” on Twitter.
That was the most insane wind ever. Power lines down everywhere. Called 911 to report lines down and they said it was a microburst. Never seen a microburst change wind directions midway. — Joel Schneekloth (@JoelSchneekloth) June 9, 2020
Akron, Colorado had a horrible microburst last night that ruined our beautiful little town. @9NEWS pic.twitter.com/O6L9Tqtyeh — 𝙺𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚊 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚎 🌻 (@kiarajanaeguy3) June 9, 2020
The severe wind was part of a narrow but powerful line of storms that moved quickly from south to north overnight Monday into Tuesday.
Colorado state climatologist Russ Schumacher captured the line of storms on a radar loop. In the radar animation below, note a brief but clear burst of dark red coloring and the appearance of an archer’s bow as the storm approached Akron (approximately in the middle in the map below), a classic meteorological signal of exceptionally strong winds.
Wowzers – the severe winds keep coming. Check out this small bow echo that went through Akron and Sterling around midnight-1am. A report of 102mph near Akron…the CoAgMET station reported 79 mph (at 3 m above ground) before possibly being knocked out. #cowx https://t.co/qMkPMTzCDY pic.twitter.com/fc0qiviVFt — Russ Schumacher (@russ_schumacher) June 9, 2020
Within those lines, a microburst may well have taken place, adding an extra jolt to the already strong winds that were howling along the line of storms.
A microburst is a narrow push of wind within a storm, usually 2 miles or less in size, that can create hyper-local wind damage. When they’re focused over a populated area, microbursts can greatly enhance wind damage for a specific location.
During the overnight event in Akron, gusty winds were consistently coming out of the north, before they suddenly shifted to out the south. A stark wind shift like that is a likely indicator that a microburst was responsible for the sudden acceleration in wind speed.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no power outages were reported in Akron, according to outage tracking website PowerOutage.us.


thedenverpost--2020-06-09--With Cory Gardner leading the charge, Senate takes up Great American Outdoors Act

Colorado senators are leading a congressional push to pass landmark conservation legislation that would deploy $ 9.5 billion to maintain overrun national parks and permanently direct $ 900 million a year for outdoor recreation on public lands .
President Donald Trump has said he will sign this Great American Outdoors Act if lawmakers get it to his desk .
Senators this week took up the issue , aiming for a vote next Tuesday , and around 200 House members have said they ’ ll support similar legislation .
Conservationists for decades have prioritized these measures as crucial steps to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential for a booming recreation industry that has become an economic mainstay , especially in Colorado and the West .
Congress has failed to provide the full $ 900 million a year for land acquisition and other spending that the 1965 Land and Water Conservation Act requires .
Lawmakers have approved spending between $ 255 million and $ 450 million a year since 2008 and only twice in 55 years provided the full $ 900 million .
National Park Service officials have estimated deferred maintenance as land and facilities deteriorate will cost more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been trying for decades to get this done .
Now we have an historic window to actually achieve it .
This is a moment where we need to capitalize to get this great achievement accomplished , ” Sen. Cory Gardner said in an interview Tuesday .
On March 3 , Gardner , of Yuma , went to the White House and , in a discussion with Trump , showed a photo he ’ d taken on his iPhone of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he pointed to a portrait of President Teddy Roosevelt , a leading conservationist , in suggesting that Trump support could lead to a major achievement .
He said Trump gazed up at the portrait and said he would sign the legislation .
Sen. Michael Bennet of Denver is one of some 60 Senate sponsors of the Great American Outdoors Act but is proposing amending it to include the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy ( CORE ) Act , which would protect about 400,000 acres of public land in Colorado , establishing new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , we have an opportunity to secure new protections for public lands in Colorado that were left out of the public lands bill Congress passed last year , ” Bennet said , urging colleagues to incorporate the CORE Act “ or to quickly pass ” it on its own .
Gardner said , regarding the amendment , that Bennet “ may try to get a vote on that .
That is his bill .
The GAOA certainly will help the CORE Act.
” A June 3 letter to congressional leaders from six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ken Salazar ( 2009-2013 ) and Gale Norton ( 2001-2006 ) of Colorado , urged swift passage of the GAOA “ without any amendments.
” This push to provide permanent full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and step up public lands maintenance reflects years of wrangling in Congress to support outdoors recreation on public land .
The Land and Water Conservation Act , passed in 1965 , says money should go to federal agencies to acquire land and to states for acquisition of land and waters and to develop recreation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combines two previous bills that each had strong majority bipartisan support .
One part would provide full and permanent funding of $ 900 million each year , the amount the fund is authorized to receive , from offshore oil and gas revenues – not tax dollars .
The other aims for parks restoration by investing $ 1.9 billion annually for the next five years to maintain land managed by the National Park Service , Forest Service , Fish and Wildlife Service , Bureau of Indian Education and Bureau of Land Management .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future and also is important for the present .
It ’ s going to put up to 100,000 people to work each year fixing our national parks , ” said Tracy Stone-Manning , associate vice president for public lands at the National Wildlife Federation , a conservation group with 6 million members .
Beyond national parks and forests , the congressional spending each year could help cities such as Denver and Missoula , where urban voters are pushing leaders to acquire more land for parks and other open space .
“ Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grow with our population .
We ’ ve seen , during the pandemic , the importance of the ability to be safely outside in parks , ” Stone-Manning said .
“ Denver could identify property that is worth acquiring and use Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars to help acquire it , ” she said .
“ Humans have to have access to nature for our health , and we have a long-term need to protect our larger landscapes .
”

Colorado senators are leading a congressional push to pass landmark conservation legislation that would deploy $9.5 billion to maintain overrun national parks and permanently direct $900 million a year for outdoor recreation on public lands.
President Donald Trump has said he will sign this Great American Outdoors Act if lawmakers get it to his desk. Senators this week took up the issue, aiming for a vote next Tuesday, and around 200 House members have said they’ll support similar legislation.
Conservationists for decades have prioritized these measures as crucial steps to ensure healthy public lands, increasingly seen as essential for a booming recreation industry that has become an economic mainstay, especially in Colorado and the West.
Congress has failed to provide the full $900 million a year for land acquisition and other spending that the 1965 Land and Water Conservation Act requires. Lawmakers have approved spending between $255 million and $450 million a year since 2008 and only twice in 55 years provided the full $900 million.
National Park Service officials have estimated deferred maintenance as land and facilities deteriorate will cost more than $20 billion.
“We’ve been trying for decades to get this done. Now we have an historic window to actually achieve it. This is a moment where we need to capitalize to get this great achievement accomplished,” Sen. Cory Gardner said in an interview Tuesday.
On March 3, Gardner, of Yuma, went to the White House and, in a discussion with Trump, showed a photo he’d taken on his iPhone of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado. Trump said it was beautiful. Gardner also said he pointed to a portrait of President Teddy Roosevelt, a leading conservationist, in suggesting that Trump support could lead to a major achievement. He said Trump gazed up at the portrait and said he would sign the legislation.
Sen. Michael Bennet of Denver is one of some 60 Senate sponsors of the Great American Outdoors Act but is proposing amending it to include the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act, which would protect about 400,000 acres of public land in Colorado, establishing new wilderness and recreation opportunities.
“This week, we have an opportunity to secure new protections for public lands in Colorado that were left out of the public lands bill Congress passed last year,” Bennet said, urging colleagues to incorporate the CORE Act “or to quickly pass” it on its own.
Gardner said, regarding the amendment, that Bennet “may try to get a vote on that. That is his bill. The GAOA certainly will help the CORE Act.”
A June 3 letter to congressional leaders from six former Department of Interior secretaries, including Ken Salazar (2009-2013) and Gale Norton (2001-2006) of Colorado, urged swift passage of the GAOA “without any amendments.”
This push to provide permanent full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and step up public lands maintenance reflects years of wrangling in Congress to support outdoors recreation on public land.
The Land and Water Conservation Act, passed in 1965, says money should go to federal agencies to acquire land and to states for acquisition of land and waters and to develop recreation facilities.
The Great American Outdoors Act combines two previous bills that each had strong majority bipartisan support. One part would provide full and permanent funding of $900 million each year, the amount the fund is authorized to receive, from offshore oil and gas revenues – not tax dollars. The other aims for parks restoration by investing $1.9 billion annually for the next five years to maintain land managed by the National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Education and Bureau of Land Management.
Conservation groups have welcomed the bill.
“This will be a remarkable gift for the future and also is important for the present. It’s going to put up to 100,000 people to work each year fixing our national parks,” said Tracy Stone-Manning, associate vice president for public lands at the National Wildlife Federation, a conservation group with 6 million members.
Beyond national parks and forests, the congressional spending each year could help cities such as Denver and Missoula, where urban voters are pushing leaders to acquire more land for parks and other open space.
“Our parks and open space set-asides need to grow with our population. We’ve seen, during the pandemic, the importance of the ability to be safely outside in parks,” Stone-Manning said.
“Denver could identify property that is worth acquiring and use Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars to help acquire it,” she said. “Humans have to have access to nature for our health, and we have a long-term need to protect our larger landscapes.”


thedenverpost--2020-06-09--New Orleans to let good times roll in casinos and bars again

BATON ROUGE , La .
— New Orleans will let the good times roll in casinos and bars again beginning Saturday , with restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 , Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Tuesday .
The city was once a major hot spot for the disease caused by the new coronavirus , and that led to the closure of entertainment venues .
But the city began easing restrictions on restaurants and other businesses in May .
On a Tuesday radio broadcast , Cantrel outlined plans to lift more restrictions this weekend .
That means bars and casinos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only at 25 percent capacity , Cantrell said during a “ Town Hall ” broadcast on WBOK .
Food-serving establishments , churches and movie theaters , which are already allowed to open at 25 percent capacity , can move to 50 percent capacity in the city beginning Saturday , although churches and movie theaters will have a cap of 250 people .
Gatherings of 100 will be allowed for weddings and funerals , Cantrell said .
And tattoo parlors will be allowed to open .
However , another New Orleans cultural touchstone — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — will remain off limits .
And churches will have to meet without choirs .
City health director Jennifer Avegno explained that exhaling one ’ s breath during singing could help spread the virus .
Also remaining off limits for now : Festivals , fairs , amusement parks and arcades .
Cantrell said officials feel comfortable easing restrictions as the city has intensified testing and “ contact tracing , ” while the number of new cases has been declining .
One caller to the radio show , who identified himself as a Bourbon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued ban on live music .
“ I basically would plead with you Madam Mayor , ” he said , saying he ’ s been unable to collect unemployment benefits .
“ I don ’ t know how to support my family.
” Cantrell said the city ’ s restrictions on music are based on sound health considerations and are in line with the state ’ s .
Gov .
John Bel Edwards had imposed numerous restrictions statewide as Louisiana became a major area of coronavirus infection .
In recent weeks , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to what is called Phase 2 of restrictions this past weekend .
The city , an epicenter of COVID-19 in the early spring , has lagged the state .
For instance , the city had kept casinos closed even as the state allowed them to open .
Cantrell ’ s announcement came after the state Department of Veterans Affairs , said Louisiana ’ s five veterans cemeteries have resumed conducting burial services that had been suspended because of the outbreak .
Seating will be limited in the shelter where the memorial services take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be required to remain distanced from each other .
Face coverings will be required .
More than 43,000 cases of the COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus have been confirmed in Louisiana , according to the state health department , and 2,844 people have died .
The state says nearly 34,000 people have recovered from COVID-19 .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up within weeks .
But for some , especially older adults and those with existing health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness and be life-threatening .
Louisiana State University scientists will be testing sewage for genetic traces of the novel coronavirus in Baton Rouge .
The technique is being used in many places .
But while most sewage systems use gravity to bring sewage to a central plant , flat cities like New Orleans and Baton Rouge must use pumping stations .
Since Baton Rouge has more than 500 pumping stations , “ we can get precise with our sampling , ” environmental engineering professor John Pardue said in a news release Tuesday from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 million donation from Colorado cookbook author Elana Amsterdam and her husband , Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz , will let it more than triple its ability to test for COVID-19 .
Equipment bought with the money will enable 1,000 tests a day , up from 300 , a news release said Monday .
Tulane said its lab ran about 3,000 tests from April 1 until mid-May .
Those included almost 1,400 from Orleans Parish Prison , 300 from a clinic set up in the Morial Convention Center and 600 from patients of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Katz are parents of a student at Tulane , university spokesman Keith Brannon said .
This story has been corrected to note that the 250-person limit applies to movie theaters and churches .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

BATON ROUGE, La. — New Orleans will let the good times roll in casinos and bars again beginning Saturday, with restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Tuesday.
The city was once a major hot spot for the disease caused by the new coronavirus, and that led to the closure of entertainment venues.
But the city began easing restrictions on restaurants and other businesses in May. On a Tuesday radio broadcast, Cantrel outlined plans to lift more restrictions this weekend.
That means bars and casinos in the city can open — although only at 25 percent capacity, Cantrell said during a “Town Hall” broadcast on WBOK. Food-serving establishments, churches and movie theaters, which are already allowed to open at 25 percent capacity, can move to 50 percent capacity in the city beginning Saturday, although churches and movie theaters will have a cap of 250 people.
Gatherings of 100 will be allowed for weddings and funerals, Cantrell said. And tattoo parlors will be allowed to open.
However, another New Orleans cultural touchstone — live music in bars and music halls — will remain off limits. And churches will have to meet without choirs. City health director Jennifer Avegno explained that exhaling one’s breath during singing could help spread the virus.
Also remaining off limits for now: Festivals, fairs, amusement parks and arcades.
Cantrell said officials feel comfortable easing restrictions as the city has intensified testing and “contact tracing,” while the number of new cases has been declining.
One caller to the radio show, who identified himself as a Bourbon Street musician, was critical of the continued ban on live music. “I basically would plead with you Madam Mayor,” he said, saying he’s been unable to collect unemployment benefits. “I don’t know how to support my family.”
Cantrell said the city’s restrictions on music are based on sound health considerations and are in line with the state’s.
Gov. John Bel Edwards had imposed numerous restrictions statewide as Louisiana became a major area of coronavirus infection. In recent weeks, the state has allowed more openings, moving to what is called Phase 2 of restrictions this past weekend. The city, an epicenter of COVID-19 in the early spring, has lagged the state. For instance, the city had kept casinos closed even as the state allowed them to open.
Cantrell’s announcement came after the state Department of Veterans Affairs, said Louisiana’s five veterans cemeteries have resumed conducting burial services that had been suspended because of the outbreak.
Seating will be limited in the shelter where the memorial services take place, and individuals from different households will be required to remain distanced from each other. Face coverings will be required.
Services had been temporarily halted starting March 17.
More than 43,000 cases of the COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus have been confirmed in Louisiana, according to the state health department, and 2,844 people have died. The state says nearly 34,000 people have recovered from COVID-19.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up within weeks. But for some, especially older adults and those with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and be life-threatening.
Louisiana State University scientists will be testing sewage for genetic traces of the novel coronavirus in Baton Rouge.
The technique is being used in many places. But while most sewage systems use gravity to bring sewage to a central plant, flat cities like New Orleans and Baton Rouge must use pumping stations. Since Baton Rouge has more than 500 pumping stations, “we can get precise with our sampling,” environmental engineering professor John Pardue said in a news release Tuesday from LSU.
Tulane University said a $1 million donation from Colorado cookbook author Elana Amsterdam and her husband, Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz, will let it more than triple its ability to test for COVID-19. Equipment bought with the money will enable 1,000 tests a day, up from 300, a news release said Monday.
Tulane said its lab ran about 3,000 tests from April 1 until mid-May. Those included almost 1,400 from Orleans Parish Prison, 300 from a clinic set up in the Morial Convention Center and 600 from patients of state mental health facilities.
Amsterdam and Katz are parents of a student at Tulane, university spokesman Keith Brannon said.
___
This story has been corrected to note that the 250-person limit applies to movie theaters and churches.
___
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thedenverpost--2020-06-09--University of Denver announces 38 layoffs, salary reductions for staff

The University of Denver announced more than three dozen layoffs and other cutbacks in an email to staff Tuesday afternoon that outlined the university ’ s response to an expected $ 45 million gap in its upcoming budget due to COVID-19 .
DU is laying off approximately 38 staff members , furloughing 37 employees long term beginning July 1 — mostly in conference services , athletics and recreation — instituting temporary salary reductions for staff with salaries higher than $ 90,000 , and temporarily reducing retirement plan matches , Chancellor Jeremy Haefner said in the email .
“ Despite every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University , we simply can not avoid laying off a number of employees whose jobs are not mission critical , and whose future need can not be assured , ” he wrote .
The announcement follows other cost-cutting measures previously instituted at the university , including cutbacks in travel , food and events ; the elimination of car and cellphone allowances ; and freezes on nonessential capital projects and hiring .
DU staff laid off were notified by their supervisors Monday and Tuesday , according to Haefner ’ s email .
It did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from .
Salary reductions will be instituted in five tiers tied to annual compensation : tier one ( $ 90,000 to $ 129,999 ) will see a 3.1 % reduction , tier two ( $ 130,000 to $ 169,999 ) a 4.6 % reduction , tier three ( $ 170,000 to $ 209,999 ) a 6.1 % reduction , tier four ( $ 210,000 to $ 249,999 ) an 8.4 % reduction and tier five ( $ 250,000 and above ) a 10 % reduction .
Those reductions will begin with paychecks received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiscal year 2021 , with the possibility that full salaries could be restored by fiscal year 2022 .
“ We know that the University will thrive despite the present difficulties because we have confidence in our path ahead — a path that addresses affordability and access , creates a global and holistic student experience , cultivates a truly equitable and inclusive community , makes an impact in Colorado and around the world , and embodies our relentless pursuit of excellence , ” Haefner wrote .
“ And through these hard times , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kindness to one another truly matters .
”

The University of Denver announced more than three dozen layoffs and other cutbacks in an email to faculty and staff Tuesday afternoon that outlined the university’s response to an expected $45 million gap in its upcoming budget due to COVID-19.
DU is laying off approximately 38 staff members, furloughing 37 employees long term beginning July 1 — mostly in conference services, athletics and recreation — instituting temporary salary reductions for faculty and staff with salaries higher than $90,000, and temporarily reducing retirement plan matches, Chancellor Jeremy Haefner said in the email.
“Despite every effort to preserve every job at the University, we simply cannot avoid laying off a number of employees whose jobs are not mission critical, and whose future need cannot be assured,” he wrote.
The announcement follows other cost-cutting measures previously instituted at the university, including cutbacks in travel, food and events; the elimination of car and cellphone allowances; and freezes on nonessential capital projects and hiring.
DU staff laid off were notified by their supervisors Monday and Tuesday, according to Haefner’s email. It did not specify which departments those layoffs came from.
Salary reductions will be instituted in five tiers tied to annual compensation: tier one ($90,000 to $129,999) will see a 3.1% reduction, tier two ($130,000 to $169,999) a 4.6% reduction, tier three ($170,000 to $209,999) a 6.1% reduction, tier four ($210,000 to $249,999) an 8.4% reduction and tier five ($250,000 and above) a 10% reduction. Those reductions will begin with paychecks received Aug. 1 and remain in place through fiscal year 2021, with the possibility that full salaries could be restored by fiscal year 2022.
“We know that the University will thrive despite the present difficulties because we have confidence in our path ahead — a path that addresses affordability and access, creates a global and holistic student experience, cultivates a truly equitable and inclusive community, makes an impact in Colorado and around the world, and embodies our relentless pursuit of excellence,” Haefner wrote. “And through these hard times, our commitment to the public good and our kindness to one another truly matters.”


thedenverpost--2020-06-09--Video evidence increasingly disproves police narratives

Minneapolis police initially told the public that George Floyd died after a “ medical incident during a police interaction.
” The Buffalo , New York , department said a protester “ tripped and fell.
” Philadelphia police alleged that a college student who suffered a serious head wound had assaulted an officer .
All three claims were quickly disproved by videos seen widely on the internet and television , fueling mistrust and embarrassing agencies that made misleading or incomplete statements that painted their actions in a far more favorable light .
Police departments deny lying but acknowledge sometimes making mistakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situations .
The videos , they say , do not always capture officers ’ perspectives .
Defense lawyers say the inaccurate statements are encouraged by a culture of silence in which officers protect misbehaving colleagues , a court system that rarely holds officers accountable and a public that has given police the benefit of the doubt .
Floyd died after a white officer put his knee on his neck , even after Floyd stopped moving .
Cellphone video showed him pleading for air as other officers stood by and bystanders urged the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s initial news release claimed that Floyd “ appeared to be suffering medical distress ” after he resisted arrest and was handcuffed .
The death set off nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice .
Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder said Tuesday that he missed initial notifications about Floyd and did not visit the scene , as he usually does after major events .
He said he knew the arrest was on body camera video but that he would not be able to review it for several hours .
Instead , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by supervisors , whom he learned later were also not at the scene .
The department realized the statement was inaccurate hours later when the bystander video surfaced , and immediately requested an FBI investigation , he said .
By then , the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension had taken over the investigation of Floyd ’ s death , and Elder said he was unable to send out a corrected statement .
“ I will never lie to cover up the actions of somebody else , ” Elder said .
In Buffalo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were seen last week shoving peace activist Martin Gugino , who fell backward and struck his head on the sidewalk .
The charges came only after video captured by a television crew was broadcast .
The shove was not mentioned in an initial statement saying that Gugino fell .
Police later apologized and said they were “ working with incomplete details during what was a very fast-moving and fluid situation.
” On Friday , a prosecutor in Philadelphia charged an officer who was seen on video striking a Temple University student in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 21-year-old protester needed several staples and stitches to close his wound .
He was in custody for almost 40 hours on allegations that he assaulted and injured an officer , according to his attorney .
The student was released after prosecutors saw the video and decided to pursue the officer who hit him instead .
Those are only the most recent examples .
The same phenomenon has rocked other law enforcement agencies , particularly when minorities have been killed in police interactions that are captured by cellphones , surveillance systems or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities initially said the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was justified because the teen was approaching officers with a knife .
But more than a year later , video was released showing that McDonald was veering away when he was shot by officer Jason Van Dyke , who was later convicted of second-degree murder .
When an officer in suburban Dallas shot 15-year-old Jordan Edwards in 2017 , his department said Edwards was in a vehicle with other teenagers that backed up toward police “ in an aggressive manner.
” The chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicle was moving away from , not toward , officers .
The officer who fired into the car was later convicted in Edwards ’ death .
Civil rights lawyer Michael Avery , who is the board president of the National Police Accountability Project , said false claims by the police had long been known to inner-city communities .
“ But what is happening now with video , this is getting out into the larger world , into the media , into white communities , suburban communities , and people outside the affected communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going on , ” he said .
” It ’ s a completely different situation.
” When he started practicing law 50 years ago , Avery said , claims of misconduct were hard to prove because it was often one person ’ s word against “ an officer and the officer ’ s buddies.
” The habit of police giving false testimony is so widely known in New York that it has long been nicknamed “ testilying.
” Officers are rarely held accountable because they enjoy broad legal protections , and prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Avery said .
False public statements made by police departments and their leaders are more of a “ political issue ” than a legal one , he said .
The availability of video and a fast-moving news cycle accelerated by social media have put extra pressure on police department public information officers .
Having to retract a statement is “ very embarrassing to the agency ” and causes the community to lose trust , said Leonard Sipes Jr. , a retired law enforcement and government spokesman who has written and taught extensively about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to watch any video before releasing information to the public and take steps to verify the statements of officers and administrators , he said .
“ If they aren ’ t sure as to what transpired , simply say it ’ s under investigation and leave it alone , ” he said .
“ It makes no sense to be putting out a story today and two days later having to retract it.
” Associated Press writers Amy Forliti in Minneapolis and Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia contributed to this report .

Minneapolis police initially told the public that George Floyd died after a “medical incident during a police interaction.” The Buffalo, New York, department said a protester “tripped and fell.” Philadelphia police alleged that a college student who suffered a serious head wound had assaulted an officer.
All three claims were quickly disproved by videos seen widely on the internet and television, fueling mistrust and embarrassing agencies that made misleading or incomplete statements that painted their actions in a far more favorable light.
Police departments deny lying but acknowledge sometimes making mistakes when releasing information in fast-moving, complicated situations. The videos, they say, do not always capture officers’ perspectives.
Defense lawyers say the inaccurate statements are encouraged by a culture of silence in which officers protect misbehaving colleagues, a court system that rarely holds officers accountable and a public that has given police the benefit of the doubt.
Floyd died after a white officer put his knee on his neck, even after Floyd stopped moving. Cellphone video showed him pleading for air as other officers stood by and bystanders urged the police to help him.
The department’s initial news release claimed that Floyd “appeared to be suffering medical distress” after he resisted arrest and was handcuffed. The death set off nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice.
Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder said Tuesday that he missed initial notifications about Floyd and did not visit the scene, as he usually does after major events. He said he knew the arrest was on body camera video but that he would not be able to review it for several hours. Instead, he released the initial description after being briefed by supervisors, whom he learned later were also not at the scene.
The department realized the statement was inaccurate hours later when the bystander video surfaced, and immediately requested an FBI investigation, he said. By then, the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension had taken over the investigation of Floyd’s death, and Elder said he was unable to send out a corrected statement.
“I will never lie to cover up the actions of somebody else,” Elder said.
In Buffalo, authorities suspended and charged two officers who were seen last week shoving peace activist Martin Gugino, who fell backward and struck his head on the sidewalk. The charges came only after video captured by a television crew was broadcast. The shove was not mentioned in an initial statement saying that Gugino fell. Police later apologized and said they were “working with incomplete details during what was a very fast-moving and fluid situation.”
On Friday, a prosecutor in Philadelphia charged an officer who was seen on video striking a Temple University student in the head and neck with a metal baton.
The 21-year-old protester needed several staples and stitches to close his wound. He was in custody for almost 40 hours on allegations that he assaulted and injured an officer, according to his attorney. The student was released after prosecutors saw the video and decided to pursue the officer who hit him instead.
Those are only the most recent examples. The same phenomenon has rocked other law enforcement agencies, particularly when minorities have been killed in police interactions that are captured by cellphones, surveillance systems or officers’ cameras.
In Chicago, authorities initially said the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was justified because the teen was approaching officers with a knife. But more than a year later, video was released showing that McDonald was veering away when he was shot by officer Jason Van Dyke, who was later convicted of second-degree murder.
When an officer in suburban Dallas shot 15-year-old Jordan Edwards in 2017, his department said Edwards was in a vehicle with other teenagers that backed up toward police “in an aggressive manner.” The chief later acknowledged that police video showed the vehicle was moving away from, not toward, officers. The officer who fired into the car was later convicted in Edwards’ death.
Civil rights lawyer Michael Avery, who is the board president of the National Police Accountability Project, said false claims by the police had long been known to inner-city communities.
“But what is happening now with video, this is getting out into the larger world, into the media, into white communities, suburban communities, and people outside the affected communities are becoming more aware of what’s going on,” he said. ”It’s a completely different situation.”
When he started practicing law 50 years ago, Avery said, claims of misconduct were hard to prove because it was often one person’s word against “an officer and the officer’s buddies.”
The habit of police giving false testimony is so widely known in New York that it has long been nicknamed “testilying.” Officers are rarely held accountable because they enjoy broad legal protections, and prosecutors almost never charge them with perjury, Avery said.
False public statements made by police departments and their leaders are more of a “political issue” than a legal one, he said.
The availability of video and a fast-moving news cycle accelerated by social media have put extra pressure on police department public information officers.
Having to retract a statement is “very embarrassing to the agency” and causes the community to lose trust, said Leonard Sipes Jr., a retired law enforcement and government spokesman who has written and taught extensively about media relations.
Police representatives should try to watch any video before releasing information to the public and take steps to verify the statements of officers and administrators, he said.
“If they aren’t sure as to what transpired, simply say it’s under investigation and leave it alone,” he said. “It makes no sense to be putting out a story today and two days later having to retract it.”
___
Associated Press writers Amy Forliti in Minneapolis and Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia contributed to this report.


thedenverpost--2020-06-09--Trump eyes racial equality debate through economic lens

WASHINGTON — In his comments since George Floyd died , President Donald Trump has shared lots of opinions about the need for “ law and order , ” about fighting crime and the dangerous ideas of the “ liberal left.
” When it comes to addressing racism , not so much .
Trump has remained largely silent on that , except to argue that a strong economy is the best antidote .
He insists he ’ s “ done more for the black community than any president since Abraham Lincoln.
” But the lack of substantive discussion of racism by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to criticism that he has failed to show leadership during the unrest following Floyd ’ s death and has inflamed the situation with his “ law and order ” mantra and tweets about looting and shooting , vicious dogs and ominous weapons .
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms , a Democrat , says Trump ’ s relative silence on racism and harsh rhetoric toward protesters have created a confounding dynamic for a consequential national conversation .
“ I think we have to have the conversation with him being absent , ” Bottoms said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be like having a conversation with a madman .
It would mean nothing.
” Trump , for his part , has been quick to cite an economy that hummed before the outbreak of coronavirus and benefited all racial groups , along with his work to secure permanent funding for historically black colleges and universities , opportunity zones in cities and an overhaul of criminal sentencing procedures .
But those who flooded the streets after Floyd ’ s death want to know how he plans to address the systemic racism they believe is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes .
At a recent event highlighting job growth during May , Trump was asked about his plan to address racial inequality and framed his answer through an economic prism : “ What ‘ s happened to our country , and what you now see , it ’ s been happening , is the greatest thing that can happen for race relations .
For the African American community , for the Asian American , for the Hispanic American community , for women , for everything , because our country is so strong , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is.
” Housing Secretary Ben Carson , the highest-ranking black administration official , suggested over the weekend that Trump will address the issues “ in some detail ” this week and that Americans should “ reserve judgment.
” Administration officials say Trump is reviewing various proposals .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has avoided answering directly when asked if Trump believes systemic racism exists , replying only that the president calls out “ injustice ” when he sees it .
Some Trump advisers have spoken internally about having the president address the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but others have counseled against it , believing it would do little good .
Presidents long before Trump have grappled with racism and its effects , from the Kerner commission that Lyndon B. Johnson created to investigate 1960s race riots to Bill Clinton ’ s “ Initiative on Race ” to the White House “ beer summit ” Barack Obama held in 2009 with African American Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and the white Cambridge , Massachusetts , police sergeant who had arrested Gates after a misunderstanding outside his home .
More discussion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a presidential historian at Hofstra University .
“ I don ’ t know that the United States has really had a sustained conversation about race and wrestled with these questions , really , in kind of that extended way that we saw in the 1950s and 1960s , ” Bose said .
Trump has said Derek Chauvin , the fired Minneapolis police officer charged with second-degree murder after pinning Floyd ’ s neck beneath his knee for several minutes , must have “ snapped.
” Over two weeks of daily protests , tens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to small towns have called for police reform and a reckoning on the stain of racial injustice .
Trump , meanwhile , has focused on organized leftist protesters and tried to make the case that disaster awaits if the nation turns its back on him in November and elects Democrat Joe Biden .
The president used Twitter on Tuesday to claim without evidence that a 75-year-old Buffalo , New York , protester who was seriously injured by police belonged to radical Antifa and Democrats should “ let police do their job.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things like we witnessed recently , ” he said , referring to Floyd ’ s death at a White House meeting Monday with law enforcement officials .
“ But 99 , I say 99.9 , but let ’ s go with 99 percent of them are great , great people.
” Trump , a former real estate developer who attended top schools and lived in a Manhattan penthouse before moving to the White House , has long had a complicated relationship with the black community .
In 1989 , he took out a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arrest of five young black and Latino men for the assault of a white woman jogging in Central Park in which he urged , “ BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY .
BRING BACK OUR POLICE !
” The convictions of the men , known as the Central Park Five , were vacated in 2002 after another man confessed .
Trump never apologized .
Early in his real estate career , Trump and his father were sued by the Justice Department for violating fair housing laws by discriminating against black applicants .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not admit guilt .
Before his 2016 run , Trump spent years pushing the false claim that President Barack Obama , the nation ’ s only black president , was not born in the United States .
The Rev .
Darrell Scott , a Cleveland pastor who has served as liaison for Trump to the African American community , said that before the killing of Floyd , there was a relative “ détente ” in the conversation because Trump had made progress in addressing economic inequity .
“ The fact is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president the credit he deserves for improving lives in the black community , ” Scott said .
“ And be sure , George Floyd ’ s death will be a catalyst for change.
” Bottoms , the Atlanta mayor , praised Defense Secretary Mark Esper for publicly disagreeing with the president ’ s push to deploy active-duty military to quell the unrest , and former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for repudiating the president ’ s handling of the crisis .
She noted that Trump ’ s wife , Melania , has called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not agree on policies , but fundamentally there is a piece of goodness in everyone ’ s heart , ” said Bottoms , who is among several people Biden is considering as his vice presidential running mate .
“ And that ’ s what we are seeing from everyone other than Donald Trump.
” Madhani reported from Chicago and Lemire reported from New York .

Darlene Superville, Aamer Madhani, Jonathan Lemire

WASHINGTON — In his comments since George Floyd died, President Donald Trump has shared lots of opinions about the need for “law and order,” about fighting crime and the dangerous ideas of the “liberal left.” When it comes to addressing racism, not so much.
Trump has remained largely silent on that, except to argue that a strong economy is the best antidote. He insists he’s “done more for the black community than any president since Abraham Lincoln.”
But the lack of substantive discussion of racism by the White House has opened the president to criticism that he has failed to show leadership during the unrest following Floyd’s death and has inflamed the situation with his “law and order” mantra and tweets about looting and shooting, vicious dogs and ominous weapons.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat, says Trump’s relative silence on racism and harsh rhetoric toward protesters have created a confounding dynamic for a consequential national conversation.
“I think we have to have the conversation with him being absent,” Bottoms said. “Having a conversation with him would be like having a conversation with a madman. It would mean nothing.”
Trump, for his part, has been quick to cite an economy that hummed before the outbreak of coronavirus and benefited all racial groups, along with his work to secure permanent funding for historically black colleges and universities, opportunity zones in cities and an overhaul of criminal sentencing procedures.
But those who flooded the streets after Floyd’s death want to know how he plans to address the systemic racism they believe is at fault — and what Trump himself believes.
At a recent event highlighting job growth during May, Trump was asked about his plan to address racial inequality and framed his answer through an economic prism:
“What‘s happened to our country, and what you now see, it’s been happening, is the greatest thing that can happen for race relations. For the African American community, for the Asian American, for the Hispanic American community, for women, for everything, because our country is so strong, and that’s what my plan is.”
Housing Secretary Ben Carson, the highest-ranking black administration official, suggested over the weekend that Trump will address the issues “in some detail” this week and that Americans should “reserve judgment.”
Administration officials say Trump is reviewing various proposals. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has avoided answering directly when asked if Trump believes systemic racism exists, replying only that the president calls out “injustice” when he sees it.
Some Trump advisers have spoken internally about having the president address the nation on police-community relations and racial injustice but others have counseled against it, believing it would do little good.
Presidents long before Trump have grappled with racism and its effects, from the Kerner commission that Lyndon B. Johnson created to investigate 1960s race riots to Bill Clinton’s “Initiative on Race” to the White House “beer summit” Barack Obama held in 2009 with African American Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and the white Cambridge, Massachusetts, police sergeant who had arrested Gates after a misunderstanding outside his home.
More discussion is needed, said Meena Bose, a presidential historian at Hofstra University.
“I don’t know that the United States has really had a sustained conversation about race and wrestled with these questions, really, in kind of that extended way that we saw in the 1950s and 1960s,” Bose said.
Trump has said Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis police officer charged with second-degree murder after pinning Floyd’s neck beneath his knee for several minutes, must have “snapped.”
Over two weeks of daily protests, tens of thousands of Americans from urban centers to small towns have called for police reform and a reckoning on the stain of racial injustice.
Trump, meanwhile, has focused on organized leftist protesters and tried to make the case that disaster awaits if the nation turns its back on him in November and elects Democrat Joe Biden. The president used Twitter on Tuesday to claim without evidence that a 75-year-old Buffalo, New York, protester who was seriously injured by police belonged to radical Antifa and Democrats should “let police do their job.”
“Sometimes you’ll see some horrible things like we witnessed recently,” he said, referring to Floyd’s death at a White House meeting Monday with law enforcement officials. “But 99, I say 99.9, but let’s go with 99 percent of them are great, great people.”
Trump, a former real estate developer who attended top schools and lived in a Manhattan penthouse before moving to the White House, has long had a complicated relationship with the black community.
In 1989, he took out a full-page ad in New York newspapers following the arrest of five young black and Latino men for the assault of a white woman jogging in Central Park in which he urged, “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!” The convictions of the men, known as the Central Park Five, were vacated in 2002 after another man confessed. Trump never apologized.
Early in his real estate career, Trump and his father were sued by the Justice Department for violating fair housing laws by discriminating against black applicants. The Trumps ultimately entered a consent decree but did not admit guilt.
Before his 2016 run, Trump spent years pushing the false claim that President Barack Obama, the nation’s only black president, was not born in the United States.
The Rev. Darrell Scott, a Cleveland pastor who has served as liaison for Trump to the African American community, said that before the killing of Floyd, there was a relative “détente” in the conversation because Trump had made progress in addressing economic inequity.
“The fact is the mainstream media won’t give the president the credit he deserves for improving lives in the black community,” Scott said. “And be sure, George Floyd’s death will be a catalyst for change.”
Bottoms, the Atlanta mayor, praised Defense Secretary Mark Esper for publicly disagreeing with the president’s push to deploy active-duty military to quell the unrest, and former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for repudiating the president’s handling of the crisis. She noted that Trump’s wife, Melania, has called for unity and peace.
“We may not agree on policies, but fundamentally there is a piece of goodness in everyone’s heart,” said Bottoms, who is among several people Biden is considering as his vice presidential running mate. “And that’s what we are seeing from everyone other than Donald Trump.”
___
Madhani reported from Chicago and Lemire reported from New York.


thedenverpost--2020-06-10--20 years ago, the Rockies drafted Virginia Tech QB Michael Vick

Major League Baseball ’ s amateur draft starts Wednesday and the Rockies have the ninth pick in the first round .
Over the years , Colorado has made more than 1,000 picks .
Some turn out to be stars like Nolan Arenado and Todd Helton .
Others make for a quirky footnote .
In 2000 , the Rockies drafted then-Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick in the 30th round .
Multi-sport athletes are rare but certainly not unheard of .
Helton was the starting quarterback at Tennessee .
Broncos legend John Elway was a second-round selection by the Yankees in 1981 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30th round by the Reds in 1972 .
The Rockies picked Russell Wilson in the fourth round in 2010 .
The Seattle quarterback was a prospect in the farm system before returning to college football .
Vick , an athlete extraordinaire for sure , was different .
He hadn ’ t played baseball since he was in the eighth grade .
“ Seeing him on the tube , he was one of the best athletes in the country , ” Rockies vice president of scouting Bill Schmidt told The Undefeated in 2018 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about opening the gate for athletes in our system , and we have no problems taking opportunities and chances like that to see if football players want to entertain our business.
” And Vick seriously considered the opportunity .
He told The Undefeated , “ I was about to take that money .
I grew up from nothing … we didn ’ t have anything , and my family was still living in the ‘ hood .
… College was a struggle , and I was far removed from baseball , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you enjoy the Denver Sports Omelette , tell a friend it ’ s easy to sign up here for our daily sports roundup .
If you have any questions or suggestions , hit me up on Twitter @ joenguyen or by email .
A special offer for Sports Omelette readers !
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Ask Mike Singer here .
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Ask Mike Chambers here .
+ Rockies Mailbag : Have a question about the team ?
Ask Patrick Saunders here .

Major League Baseball’s amateur draft starts Wednesday and the Rockies have the ninth pick in the first round. Over the years, Colorado has made more than 1,000 picks. Some turn out to be stars like Nolan Arenado and Todd Helton. Others make for a quirky footnote.
In 2000, the Rockies drafted then-Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick in the 30th round. Multi-sport athletes are rare but certainly not unheard of. Helton was the starting quarterback at Tennessee. Broncos legend John Elway was a second-round selection by the Yankees in 1981. Dave Logan was selected in the 30th round by the Reds in 1972. The Rockies picked Russell Wilson in the fourth round in 2010. The Seattle quarterback was a prospect in the farm system before returning to college football.
Vick, an athlete extraordinaire for sure, was different. He hadn’t played baseball since he was in the eighth grade.
“Seeing him on the tube, he was one of the best athletes in the country,” Rockies vice president of scouting Bill Schmidt told The Undefeated in 2018. “For us, it’s about opening the gate for athletes in our system, and we have no problems taking opportunities and chances like that to see if football players want to entertain our business.”
And Vick seriously considered the opportunity. He told The Undefeated, “I was about to take that money. I grew up from nothing … we didn’t have anything, and my family was still living in the ‘hood. … College was a struggle, and I was far removed from baseball, but the Rockies came at me … ”
— Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post
If you enjoy the Denver Sports Omelette, tell a friend it’s easy to sign up here for our daily sports roundup. If you have any questions or suggestions, hit me up on Twitter @joenguyen or by email.
A special offer for Sports Omelette readers! Subscribe to The Denver Post’s sports coverage for just 99¢ for the first month and only $6.99/month thereafter. Cancel anytime.
Ask The Experts
+ Broncos Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Ask Ryan O’Halloran here.
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thedenverpost--2020-06-10--Rockies Mailbag: What impact will elimination of minor league teams have on Colorado?

Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag .
Pose a Rockies — or MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag .
With the elimination of so many minor league teams , what impact will this have on the Rockies organization ?
— Judy Frieman , Denver Judy , let me start off by saying that this will also affect baseball fans in Colorado in a big way .
They will no longer be able to watch the rookie-league players in Grand Junction or the Rocky Mountain Vibes in Colorado Springs .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more on this in an upcoming story .
It remains to be seen how the elimination of about 25 % of minor league teams will affect any team , let alone the Rockies .
In this space , it ’ s very difficult for me to delve into what might happen .
The owners say drastic change is necessary to ensure professional-grade facilities for all minor league players , reduce travel by reorganizing leagues by geography and to improve “ compensation , accommodations , and amenities ” for minor league players .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minor league baseball , and hopefully getting a better situation for the development process and a better situation for the communities where we have minor league baseball , ” Dick Monfort , the majority owner of both the Colorado and Grand Junction Rockies , told The Denver Post in December .
“ It ’ s the whole development process that needs to be re-looked at.
” There are some within baseball who believe that there ’ s the possibility of a “ nuclear option , ” meaning that Major League Baseball could end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ league baseball and set up its own developmental system .
Sports Illustrated recently had a terrific article that explored the state of minor league baseball .
It ’ s worth a read .
Patrick , given both the owners ’ and MLBPA ’ s stance , why can ’ t they agree on an 82-game regular season that pays players 60 % of their salaries ?
Was the owners ’ proposal of 50ish games honoring the March agreement on prorated salaries for players not legitimate ?
— Rancher Bruce , Highlands Ranch Bruce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is interesting , but this is not just about the money .
The dispute is also about the balance of power , now and going forward toward the next CBA after the 2021 season .
Central to the dispute is an agreement that MLB and the MLBPA signed March 26 , which stipulated that players ’ salaries would be prorated for the number of games played .
The players say that agreement is set in stone .
MLB , however , points to language in the agreement that requires good-faith discussion about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , something that seems almost certain now .
The owners , saying that they will collectively lose $ 640,000 per game with no fans in the stands , are telling the players that they want more financial concessions .
The two sides are at a stalemate .
As for the owners ’ plan for a 50-game season , it ’ s viewed as a last resort and one that commissioner Rob Manfred does not want to use .
This is what Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal wrote : “ If an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MLB will likely move to an unappealing option for both sides : imposing a short season of as few as 48 games without the players ’ consent , something the league has the right to do under the March deal .
With that arrangement , players would get their full prorated salaries , which would be about $ 1.206 billion .
Three player agents suggested Monday that some players might choose not to play at all under those conditions , especially those at risk of injury , though some say doing so could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are a lot of people — including me — who consider a 50-game MLB season a joke .
USA Today national baseball writer Bob Nightengale put it well : “ Will we have a 48-52 game season that will be viewed as nothing more than a marketing gimmick ?
Come on , there are spring-training schedules nearly as long.
” If we can get past the greed being exhibited by MLB players and get back to playing baseball why couldn ’ t MLB consider allowing a limited number of fans to attend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10,000 seats on a first-come , first-serve basis and use a lottery system to issue tickets .
You could even allow a certain percentage to go to previous season ticket holders .
The fans that draw tickets would be allowed to enter the stadium up to two hours before games , utilizing social distancing guidelines , and the early birds would get seats on a first-come , first-serve basis .
Family groups could sit together with every other row blocked to maintain safe distancing .
For teams that draw larger crowds , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an individual fan could draw .
I would suggest a $ 30 to $ 40 ticket price and ushers and concession staff would need to wear protective face masks .
Fans would also be required to wear face masks when not in their seats .
I think this would be safer than shopping at Walmart and allow the owners and players to demonstrate they want to give fans at least a limited opportunity to go to the ballpark .
Baseball is already on the decline and allowing a few fans may help slow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dennis Alexander , Broomfield Dennis , I ’ m just going to let you comments stand on their own and see what other fans say .
I will add that I ’ m wondering if it could be worth it to ownership to open the stadium in this fashion .
They might just as soon keep the games limited to TV and radio .
I just finished the Bob Klapisch book “ Inside The Empire ” about the Yankees organization , including how and why they built a data staff and how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all framed by the 2018 season .
Now I am reading “ MVP Machine ” about the development and use of analytics in baseball .
All of which leads me to this : Where do the Rockies rank in the use of analytics among the 32 organizations ?
Astros ’ level or more “ what the heck are analytics ?
” And if it is the latter , is that a reflection on Montfort or Bridich or both ?
— Dave G , Fort Collins Dave , the Rockies have not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least not in terms of people on their payroll .
In December 2018 , The Athletic ranked the organizations and found that the Yankees and Dodgers each had 20 individuals working in their analytics department .
At that time , the Rockies had four .
Things have changed since then , but it ’ s difficult to put a number on how many analytic experts the Rockies employ .
I put in a request to the club to find out but the Rockies did not respond in time for this mailbag .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steve Merriman as the pitching coordinator gives the club a stronger presence in analytics .
The Rockies have begun to meld much of their coaching with numbers guys , plus the Rockies have increasingly used Rapsodo and other equipment to measure player performance .
The bottom line : the Rockies don ’ t have near the analytical manpower of teams like the Yankees , Dodgers and Astros , and they rank near the bottom , but they are investing more .
If it ’ s possible can you ( spell ) out for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the owners and the players from happening ?
Is there one side more wrong then the other ?
— Gary Gaudin , Thornton Gary , there are a lot of issues going on , and it ’ s not just money .
I ’ ve written about many of them , including in this story in Tuesday ’ s Denver Post .
I ’ m not sure one side is “ more wrong ” than the other .
They both have reasons for the stance they have taken .
My issue has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common ground during a time when the nation is in crisis .
The owners and the players are giving baseball another black eye because of their rigidity .
In a nutshell , this is what ’ s going on : * The players will reject anything that seems like a salary cap or revenue sharing .
That ’ s one of the reasons they are demanding to be paid on a full , prorated basis .
* The players believe they are the ones at risk if they play during the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ * From the start , players haven ’ t wavered from their belief that they agreed to a full , pay-per-game proration .
The owners ’ counter-argument is that prorated salaries were not part of the deal without fans in the stands .
* MLB estimates its revenue would drop from $ 9.73 billion last year to $ 2.75 billion this year with the 76-game season played .
The owners say they need payroll relief from the players .
* The players don ’ t believe the owners are losing as much as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ books .
Ownership is not about to open them .
* There is a lot of distrust on both sides .
If MLB does not play this year , do the owners and players not realize how many jobs and lives will be affected ?
How can they expect not to lose credibility , patrons and viewership ?
Give us a reason to believe !
— Robert Emmerling , Centennial Robert , I ’ m sure they are well aware of what ’ s at stake .
How could they not be ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has weighed in on the topic .
I believe there are many , many players who are agonizing over the current situation but they don ’ t want to break ranks with the players union .
I ’ m sure Rockies owner Dick Monfort knows how much not having baseball is hurting the employees at Coors Field .
I ’ m sure it pains him , but the coronavirus is responsible for those job losses , not Monfort .
As for baseball being played in TV-only fashion , I ’ m sure Monfort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just like all of the rest of the owners .
Is there ever a chance that this ownership sells the team ?
— Tony , Denver Tony , I don ’ t see that ever happening .
Dick Monfort is probably the most hands-on owner in baseball and it ’ s a role he enjoys .
Plus , you have to remember that Monfort ’ s sons , Walker and Sterling , are also part of the organization .
Walker is the vice president of corporate sponsorships and Sterling is the assistant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent article you talked about the need to “ speed-up ” MLB games to hold on to the newer generation of fans .
How about this : Make each inning only two outs… instead of three .
That would make games much faster , and also would spice up the game .
Don ’ t change any part of the collective bargaining agreement until next season .
Instead of 2 ½ hour games it ’ ll probably result in 1 ½ hour games .
It has the potential for lengthening player ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hummm… more “ no-hitters.
” The players who now produce offensively will still “ shine , ” just with more “ quality at-bats.
” You don ’ t need to credit me with ANYTHING ; make the idea your own .
— Steven Barrell , Littleton Steven , I ’ ll give you full credit for the idea .
I don ’ t want any part of it .
You are messing with the very essence of the game .
Truthfully , I ’ m not sure if your idea is genuine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Anyway , it ’ s never happening .

Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.
Pose a Rockies — or MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag.
With the elimination of so many minor league teams, what impact will this have on the Rockies organization?
— Judy Frieman, Denver
Judy, let me start off by saying that this will also affect baseball fans in Colorado in a big way. They will no longer be able to watch the rookie-league players in Grand Junction or the Rocky Mountain Vibes in Colorado Springs. My colleague, Kyle Newman, will have more on this in an upcoming story.
It remains to be seen how the elimination of about 25% of minor league teams will affect any team, let alone the Rockies. In this space, it’s very difficult for me to delve into what might happen.
The owners say drastic change is necessary to ensure professional-grade facilities for all minor league players, reduce travel by reorganizing leagues by geography and to improve “compensation, accommodations, and amenities” for minor league players.
“I’m in favor of restructuring minor league baseball, and hopefully getting a better situation for the development process and a better situation for the communities where we have minor league baseball,” Dick Monfort, the majority owner of both the Colorado and Grand Junction Rockies, told The Denver Post in December. “It’s the whole development process that needs to be re-looked at.”
There are some within baseball who believe that there’s the possibility of a “nuclear option,” meaning that Major League Baseball could end its long, historic relationship with minor league baseball and set up its own developmental system.
Sports Illustrated recently had a terrific article that explored the state of minor league baseball. It’s worth a read.
Patrick, given both the owners’ and MLBPA’s stance, why can’t they agree on an 82-game regular season that pays players 60% of their salaries? Was the owners’ proposal of 50ish games honoring the March agreement on prorated salaries for players not legitimate?
— Rancher Bruce, Highlands Ranch
Bruce, I think your 60% proposal is interesting, but this is not just about the money. The dispute is also about the balance of power, now and going forward toward the next CBA after the 2021 season.
Central to the dispute is an agreement that MLB and the MLBPA signed March 26, which stipulated that players’ salaries would be prorated for the number of games played. The players say that agreement is set in stone.
MLB, however, points to language in the agreement that requires good-faith discussion about the economics of playing games in empty stadiums, something that seems almost certain now. The owners, saying that they will collectively lose $640,000 per game with no fans in the stands, are telling the players that they want more financial concessions. The two sides are at a stalemate.
As for the owners’ plan for a 50-game season, it’s viewed as a last resort and one that commissioner Rob Manfred does not want to use.
This is what Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal wrote:
“If an agreement can’t be reached, MLB will likely move to an unappealing option for both sides: imposing a short season of as few as 48 games without the players’ consent, something the league has the right to do under the March deal. With that arrangement, players would get their full prorated salaries, which would be about $1.206 billion.
Three player agents suggested Monday that some players might choose not to play at all under those conditions, especially those at risk of injury, though some say doing so could risk running afoul of labor laws.”
There are a lot of people — including me — who consider a 50-game MLB season a joke. USA Today national baseball writer Bob Nightengale put it well: “Will we have a 48-52 game season that will be viewed as nothing more than a marketing gimmick? Come on, there are spring-training schedules nearly as long.”
If we can get past the greed being exhibited by MLB players and get back to playing baseball why couldn’t MLB consider allowing a limited number of fans to attend games? They could offer 5,000 to 10,000 seats on a first-come, first-serve basis and use a lottery system to issue tickets. You could even allow a certain percentage to go to previous season ticket holders. The fans that draw tickets would be allowed to enter the stadium up to two hours before games, utilizing social distancing guidelines, and the early birds would get seats on a first-come, first-serve basis. Family groups could sit together with every other row blocked to maintain safe distancing. For teams that draw larger crowds, I would suggest limiting the number of games an individual fan could draw. I would suggest a $30 to $40 ticket price and ushers and concession staff would need to wear protective face masks. Fans would also be required to wear face masks when not in their seats. I think this would be safer than shopping at Walmart and allow the owners and players to demonstrate they want to give fans at least a limited opportunity to go to the ballpark. Baseball is already on the decline and allowing a few fans may help slow the erosion of the game. — Dennis Alexander, Broomfield
Dennis, I’m just going to let you comments stand on their own and see what other fans say. I will add that I’m wondering if it could be worth it to ownership to open the stadium in this fashion. They might just as soon keep the games limited to TV and radio.
I just finished the Bob Klapisch book “Inside The Empire” about the Yankees organization, including how and why they built a data staff and how much power that staff has in roster decisions, all framed by the 2018 season. Now I am reading “MVP Machine” about the development and use of analytics in baseball. All of which leads me to this: Where do the Rockies rank in the use of analytics among the 32 organizations? Astros’ level or more “what the heck are analytics?” And if it is the latter, is that a reflection on Montfort or Bridich or both?
— Dave G, Fort Collins
Dave, the Rockies have not been among the leaders in analytics, at least not in terms of people on their payroll. In December 2018, The Athletic ranked the organizations and found that the Yankees and Dodgers each had 20 individuals working in their analytics department. At that time, the Rockies had four.
Things have changed since then, but it’s difficult to put a number on how many analytic experts the Rockies employ. I put in a request to the club to find out but the Rockies did not respond in time for this mailbag.
I will say this, the addition of Steve Merriman as the pitching coordinator gives the club a stronger presence in analytics. The Rockies have begun to meld much of their coaching with numbers guys, plus the Rockies have increasingly used Rapsodo and other equipment to measure player performance.
The bottom line: the Rockies don’t have near the analytical manpower of teams like the Yankees, Dodgers and Astros, and they rank near the bottom, but they are investing more.
If it’s possible can you (spell) out for me just what is keeping an agreement between the owners and the players from happening? Is there one side more wrong then the other?
— Gary Gaudin, Thornton
Gary, there are a lot of issues going on, and it’s not just money. I’ve written about many of them, including in this story in Tuesday’s Denver Post.
I’m not sure one side is “more wrong” than the other. They both have reasons for the stance they have taken. My issue has been their inability to compromise and find common ground during a time when the nation is in crisis. The owners and the players are giving baseball another black eye because of their rigidity.
In a nutshell, this is what’s going on:
* The players will reject anything that seems like a salary cap or revenue sharing. That’s one of the reasons they are demanding to be paid on a full, prorated basis.
* The players believe they are the ones at risk if they play during the coronavirus pandemic and want to be paid accordingly.
* From the start, players haven’t wavered from their belief that they agreed to a full, pay-per-game proration. The owners’ counter-argument is that prorated salaries were not part of the deal without fans in the stands.
* MLB estimates its revenue would drop from $9.73 billion last year to $2.75 billion this year with the 76-game season played. The owners say they need payroll relief from the players.
* The players don’t believe the owners are losing as much as they claim and want to see the books. Ownership is not about to open them.
* There is a lot of distrust on both sides.
If MLB does not play this year, do the owners and players not realize how many jobs and lives will be affected? How can they expect not to lose credibility, patrons and viewership? Give us a reason to believe!
— Robert Emmerling, Centennial
Robert, I’m sure they are well aware of what’s at stake. How could they not be? Every major baseball writer in the country has weighed in on the topic. I believe there are many, many players who are agonizing over the current situation but they don’t want to break ranks with the players union.
I’m sure Rockies owner Dick Monfort knows how much not having baseball is hurting the employees at Coors Field. I’m sure it pains him, but the coronavirus is responsible for those job losses, not Monfort. As for baseball being played in TV-only fashion, I’m sure Monfort’s looking at his bottom line, just like all of the rest of the owners.
Is there ever a chance that this ownership sells the team?
— Tony, Denver
Tony, I don’t see that ever happening. Dick Monfort is probably the most hands-on owner in baseball and it’s a role he enjoys. Plus, you have to remember that Monfort’s sons, Walker and Sterling, are also part of the organization. Walker is the vice president of corporate sponsorships and Sterling is the assistant director of scouting operations.
In a recent article you talked about the need to “speed-up” MLB games to hold on to the newer generation of fans. How about this: Make each inning only two outs… instead of three. That would make games much faster, and also would spice up the game. Don’t change any part of the collective bargaining agreement until next season. Instead of 2 ½ hour games it’ll probably result in 1 ½ hour games. It has the potential for lengthening player’s careers (especially the pitchers’). Hummm… more “no-hitters.” The players who now produce offensively will still “shine,” just with more “quality at-bats.” You don’t need to credit me with ANYTHING; make the idea your own. — Steven Barrell, Littleton
Steven, I’ll give you full credit for the idea. I don’t want any part of it. You are messing with the very essence of the game. Truthfully, I’m not sure if your idea is genuine or if you are yanking my chain. Anyway, it’s never happening.