thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-22--Firing Of U.S. Attorney Highlights William Barr’s Pattern Of Misleading The Public

After a tense 24-hour standoff that began Friday night , Barr ’ s varied and contradictory explanations for the departure of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman extended a pattern of misleading statements he ’ s made during his time atop the Justice Department at a time when the nation ’ s policing and legal systems are already facing widespread fury and protest .
Barr , who took over as attorney general a few months after Trump fired Jeff Sessions , hasn ’ t shown much independence from Trump since his confirmation in February 2019 .
He intervened in the prosecution of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more lenient sentence , he tried to dismiss charges against former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn and he ’ s backed Trump ’ s whims at nearly every turn .
The highest-profile instance of Barr ’ s misleading of the public to benefit Trump came when he issued a summary of the special counsel report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign before Robert Mueller ’ s report was released last year .
Barr ’ s summary , which Mueller privately complained “ did not fully capture the context , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report and created “ public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation , ” steered media coverage of the report for weeks before a fuller , yet still redacted , version was released .
Just before the COVID-19 pandemic slammed the United States , a federal judge appointed by former President George W. Bush issued a remarkable opinion saying that Barr “ distorted ” the Mueller report .
The judge questioned whether Barr intended to create a “ one-sided narrative about the Mueller Report — a narrative that is clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the redacted version of the Mueller Report.
” The latest saga unfolded late Friday night , when Berman , the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York , found out in a press release from the Justice Department that he was “ stepping down.
” Berman , who was appointed by judges in his district , not Trump ― soon clarified in his own statement that he was not “ stepping down ” and planned to stay until “ a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate.
” Had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could have hand-picked a replacement .
Barr initially announced that U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Craig Carpenito would fill that spot .
But Barr ’ s attempt to force Berman out , and Berman ’ s subsequent defiance , forced the administration to follow standard procedure and install Audrey Strauss , Berman ’ s deputy in the Southern District of New York office , as acting U.S. attorney .
Berman praised Strauss and said she would help “ safeguard the Southern District ’ s enduring tradition of integrity and independence.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ solid explanation for precisely why the Trump administration wanted to force out Berman .
None of the potential reasons for forcing Berman out look particularly great .
Even the most benign explanation ― that Trump wanted to nominate his recent golf buddy , Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton , to the job ― isn ’ t really standard DOJ operating procedure , especially because Clayton has no prosecutorial experience .
Trump said on Saturday that the decision was “ all up to the attorney general ” and that he was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump had to be involved .
Because Berman was appointed by the judges of the Southern District of New York , the Department of Justice ’ s position was that only Trump could dismiss him .
Trump later told Fox News that he had “ to sign a document , or I guess give it the OK ” but said he “ spent very little time talking about it ” with Barr .
The White House press secretary said Monday that Trump was involved in Berman ’ s dismissal only in a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his role in the June 1 violent attack on protesters as federal law enforcement officers cleared Lafayette Square , next to the White House , ahead of a presidential photo-op at a nearby church .
He even claimed that the pepper balls and pepper spray fired at demonstrators were “ not a chemical irritant , ” even though the manufacturer of pepper balls calls them a “ chemical irritant ” on its own website .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) asked the Justice Department ’ s inspector general and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Professional Responsibility to jointly examine “ the removal of the U.S. Attorney Berman and whether he was removed for partisan political purposes , to influence an investigation or prosecution , or to retaliate for his actions in any specific investigation or prosecution.
” But House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler ( D-NY ) said calls for Barr ’ s impeachment were “ a waste of time at this point because we know that we have a corrupt Republican majority in the Senate , which will not consider an impeachment no matter what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts.
” The statement DOJ released with the letter was misleading as well .
In a press release , the Justice Department claimed de Blasio made the move to Phase 2 of rolling back coronavirus-related restrictions following “ action by the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division , ” which implied at causal link .
In fact , de Blasio announced on Thursday that New York City would be moving to Phase 2 ― before DOJ sent its letter on Friday or made it public on Monday , the day Phase 2 went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Justice Department previously sent a letter to an elected official in Montgomery County alleging that they allowed a protest that featured “ hundreds of people packed into a library ” to move forward .
But that DOJ letter was based on an inaccurate Fox News story .
The protest , in fact , took place outdoors in the library parking lot .
The Justice Department never publicly corrected its mistake .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump’s firing on Saturday of a top federal prosecutor is once again drawing focus to the role that Attorney General William Barr has played as an enforcer of the president’s personal and political priorities.
After a tense 24-hour standoff that began Friday night, Barr’s varied and contradictory explanations for the departure of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman extended a pattern of misleading statements he’s made during his time atop the Justice Department at a time when the nation’s policing and legal systems are already facing widespread fury and protest.
Advertisement
Barr, who took over as attorney general a few months after Trump fired Jeff Sessions, hasn’t shown much independence from Trump since his confirmation in February 2019. He intervened in the prosecution of Trump associate Roger Stone to advocate for a more lenient sentence, he tried to dismiss charges against former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn and he’s backed Trump’s whims at nearly every turn.
The highest-profile instance of Barr’s misleading of the public to benefit Trump came when he issued a summary of the special counsel report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign before Robert Mueller’s report was released last year. Barr’s summary, which Mueller privately complained “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of the report and created “public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation,” steered media coverage of the report for weeks before a fuller, yet still redacted, version was released.
Just before the COVID-19 pandemic slammed the United States, a federal judge appointed by former President George W. Bush issued a remarkable opinion saying that Barr “distorted” the Mueller report. The judge questioned whether Barr intended to create a “one-sided narrative about the Mueller Report — a narrative that is clearly in some respects substantively at odds with the redacted version of the Mueller Report.”
The latest saga unfolded late Friday night, when Berman, the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, found out in a press release from the Justice Department that he was “stepping down.” Berman, who was appointed by judges in his district, not Trump ― soon clarified in his own statement that he was not “stepping down” and planned to stay until “a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate.”
Advertisement
Had Berman stepped aside, the Trump administration could have hand-picked a replacement. Barr initially announced that U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Craig Carpenito would fill that spot. But Barr’s attempt to force Berman out, and Berman’s subsequent defiance, forced the administration to follow standard procedure and install Audrey Strauss, Berman’s deputy in the Southern District of New York office, as acting U.S. attorney. Berman praised Strauss and said she would help “safeguard the Southern District’s enduring tradition of integrity and independence.”
There hasn’t been a solid explanation for precisely why the Trump administration wanted to force out Berman. None of the potential reasons for forcing Berman out look particularly great. Even the most benign explanation ― that Trump wanted to nominate his recent golf buddy, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton, to the job ― isn’t really standard DOJ operating procedure, especially because Clayton has no prosecutorial experience.
Trump said on Saturday that the decision was “all up to the attorney general” and that he was “not involved.” But legally speaking, Trump had to be involved. Because Berman was appointed by the judges of the Southern District of New York, the Department of Justice’s position was that only Trump could dismiss him.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr's misleading statements have added to a growing lack of confidence in the nation's policing and legal systems. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Trump later told Fox News that he had “to sign a document, or I guess give it the OK” but said he “spent very little time talking about it” with Barr. The White House press secretary said Monday that Trump was involved in Berman’s dismissal only in a “sign-off capacity.”
Advertisement
By then, the misleading public narrative surrounding Berman’s forced departure had once against spoiled trust in Barr. “How can anyone trust Bill Barr’s Justice Department now?” asked the editorial board of The Washington Post.
Barr has also downplayed his role in the June 1 violent attack on protesters as federal law enforcement officers cleared Lafayette Square, next to the White House, ahead of a presidential photo-op at a nearby church. He even claimed that the pepper balls and pepper spray fired at demonstrators were “not a chemical irritant,” even though the manufacturer of pepper balls calls them a “chemical irritant” on its own website.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) asked the Justice Department’s inspector general and the head of the department’s Office of Professional Responsibility to jointly examine “the removal of the U.S. Attorney Berman and whether he was removed for partisan political purposes, to influence an investigation or prosecution, or to retaliate for his actions in any specific investigation or prosecution.”
In a speech on the Senate floor, Schumer laid out what he called a “sordid, ham-handed plot by President Trump and Attorney General Barr to oust a well-respected U.S. Attorney.”
But House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said calls for Barr’s impeachment were “a waste of time at this point because we know that we have a corrupt Republican majority in the Senate, which will not consider an impeachment no matter what the evidence and no matter what the facts.”
Advertisement
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Berman refused to sign a letter to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio that contrasted his treatment of protests to his treatment of religious communities. The Justice Department released the letter, which was dated Friday, on Monday afternoon.
The statement DOJ released with the letter was misleading as well. In a press release, the Justice Department claimed de Blasio made the move to Phase 2 of rolling back coronavirus-related restrictions following “action by the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division,” which implied at causal link. In fact, de Blasio announced on Thursday that New York City would be moving to Phase 2 ― before DOJ sent its letter on Friday or made it public on Monday, the day Phase 2 went into effect.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--Kentucky And New York Hold Primaries Amid Concerns About Polling Site Closures

The coronavirus pandemic has given way to a host of rationalizations for limiting access to polling sites across the country , concerning voting rights activists .
As voters in Kentucky and New York cast ballots in primary elections on Tuesday , the pall of the pandemic and the specter of voter suppression have created a climate of uncertainty for some who may want to vote in person but question how they can do so safely and efficiently .
Kentucky , which has had thousands of polling places in previous elections , has merely 170 open on Tuesday , including a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s largest city : Louisville , which has more than 600,000 residents .
There had been no reports of major incidents as of noon on Tuesday , but voting rights advocates still took issue with the process by which the polling sites were closed .
A federal judge in Kentucky ruled last week against plaintiffs , including a local Republican legislator and several voters , who claimed the drastic winnowing of polling places in the county ’ s most populous and diverse districts violated the First and 14th amendments , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The plaintiffs requested the judge , a Reagan appointee named Charles R. Simpson III , “ enter permanent and preliminary injunctive relief to prohibit the use of a single polling location ” in counties with more than 35,000 registered voters .
Simpson denied their request , stating his view that vast restriction of polling places in these counties didn ’ t amount to a constitutional violation .
“ While it may seem intuitive that , when it comes to polling places , more is better , that is not a call for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ unless we first find a constitutional or statutory violation.
” Charles Booker , a Kentucky Democrat vying for the party ’ s nomination to compete in November ’ s Senate election , said Tuesday that restricting all of Jefferson County ’ s voters to a single polling place still amounts to voter suppression , even though the governor and secretary of state previously moved to expand vote-by-mail during the primary .
“ One location is just gon na naturally make it harder for folks who don ’ t have transportation or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line , ” Booker told reporters .
The Chenango County Board of Elections , which is led by a Democrat , dismissed a petition residents circulated that claimed going to a polling place full of sheriff ’ s deputies would intimidate voters .
Officials in Wisconsin , for example , drastically slashed the number of polling places across the state ahead of its primary in April , forcing residents in its most densely populated , diverse districts to wait in long lines .
And at least 70 people tested positive for coronavirus after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin ; there are competing studies as to whether those cases contributed to a spike in positive tests shortly after .
President Donald Trump himself has routinely downplaying the need for special accommodations to keep voters safe and has blatantly attacked the concept of voting by mail ― even though he and several members of his administration have done so previously .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The coronavirus pandemic has given way to a host of rationalizations for limiting access to polling sites across the country, concerning voting rights activists.
As voters in Kentucky and New York cast ballots in primary elections on Tuesday, the pall of the pandemic and the specter of voter suppression have created a climate of uncertainty for some who may want to vote in person but question how they can do so safely and efficiently.
Advertisement
Kentucky, which has had thousands of polling places in previous elections, has merely 170 open on Tuesday, including a single polling place for the state’s largest city: Louisville, which has more than 600,000 residents.
There had been no reports of major incidents as of noon on Tuesday, but voting rights advocates still took issue with the process by which the polling sites were closed.
A voter casts her ballot in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday. Bryan Woolston / Reuters
A federal judge in Kentucky ruled last week against plaintiffs, including a local Republican legislator and several voters, who claimed the drastic winnowing of polling places in the county’s most populous and diverse districts violated the First and 14th amendments, as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Advertisement
The plaintiffs requested the judge, a Reagan appointee named Charles R. Simpson III, “enter permanent and preliminary injunctive relief to prohibit the use of a single polling location” in counties with more than 35,000 registered voters. Simpson denied their request, stating his view that vast restriction of polling places in these counties didn’t amount to a constitutional violation.
“While it may seem intuitive that, when it comes to polling places, more is better, that is not a call for this Court to make,” Simpson wrote, “unless we first find a constitutional or statutory violation.”
Charles Booker, a Kentucky Democrat vying for the party’s nomination to compete in November’s Senate election, said Tuesday that restricting all of Jefferson County’s voters to a single polling place still amounts to voter suppression, even though the governor and secretary of state previously moved to expand vote-by-mail during the primary.
“One location is just gonna naturally make it harder for folks who don’t have transportation or aren’t able to stand in line,” Booker told reporters.
.@Booker4KY made a brief stop here for photos and to reiterate that his team is organizing free Lyft rides to the polls and how “suppression” is still occurring today. pic.twitter.com/OS3FGFg14S — Not Ben Tobin (@Billy_Kobin) June 23, 2020
Advertisement
Cassia Herron, the board chair for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, a progressive advocacy group, said “there wasn’t enough intention to be sure that we weren’t suppressing the vote.” She said officials in the state should “have started the process earlier” and provided a way for voters and voting rights groups to “have some input in the process.” New York also slashed several polling locations ahead of its primary day, citing insufficient staffing due to coronavirus as the primary cause. Chenango County in upstate New York closed all polling places except for one that’s located inside the county sheriff’s office, The Daily Star reported.
The Chenango County Board of Elections, which is led by a Democrat, dismissed a petition residents circulated that claimed going to a polling place full of sheriff’s deputies would intimidate voters.
“Why would it?” asked Carol Franklin, the elections commissioner for the county.
Tuesday’s widespread restriction of polling places is in line with earlier Republican-led efforts to diminish in-person voter access.
Officials in Wisconsin, for example, drastically slashed the number of polling places across the state ahead of its primary in April, forcing residents in its most densely populated, diverse districts to wait in long lines. And at least 70 people tested positive for coronavirus after voting in person on Election Day in Wisconsin; there are competing studies as to whether those cases contributed to a spike in positive tests shortly after.
President Donald Trump himself has routinely downplaying the need for special accommodations to keep voters safe and has blatantly attacked the concept of voting by mail ― even though he and several members of his administration have done so previously.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--The South Has Some Of The Nation’s Dirtiest Electricity. Now It’s Seeing A COVID-19 Uptick.

Yet the region remains far behind the rest of the country on even the most basic policies to lower climate-changing emissions , according to research published Tuesday by the Southern Economic Advancement Project , a nonprofit founded by Stacey Abrams , a former Democratic candidate for Georgia governor .
“ We have to understand that climate change is here , that it represents a serious threat to the economy , to our ecosystems and to our people , ” Abrams said by phone Tuesday .
“ The South has untapped potential for economic growth and climate leadership , but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a public conversation.
” The report ― co-authored by the University of California , Santa Barbara ’ s Leah Stokes and the Roosevelt Institute ’ s Mark Paul , two heavyweights in the climate policy sphere ― tracked a range of climate issues from wetlands restoration and forest conservation to public transit and electric vehicles , and identified vast potential across the region for economic gains and improvements in quality of life through such policies .
“ The human mind has a difficult time wrapping itself around an existential crisis , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk to a farmer about low crop yield .
You can talk to homeowners and renters about having to evacuate when we have stronger hurricanes.
” The most jarring finding was the degree to which the sun-soaked Southeast has struggled to modernize its electricity system , at great cost to ratepayers and public health .
Of the 13 U.S. states that still lack renewable electricity standards and clean energy targets , nine of them ― including Alabama , Florida and Georgia ― are in the South .
Coal plants have rapidly declined over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s campaign pledge to revive the troubled industry , more coal plants were retired over the past three years than during former President Barack Obama ’ s second term , when the environmental rules that coal producers have blamed for suffocating the sector were enacted .
Yet coal remained the dominant fuel for electricity in the Southeast , making the utility sector the region ’ s top source of emissions , with 40 % of the pollution share .
Replacing 74 of the 77 coal-fired power stations throughout the Southeast with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2025 than keeping the existing plants open , according to the report .
For example , Tom Fanning , the chief executive of the utility giant Southern Co. , espoused the widely debunked position that carbon dioxide is not responsible for warming the planet as he appeared on national television as recently as 2017 .
Last year , the company ’ s board of directors linked Fanning ’ s pay to lowering emissions .
But Southern and other major utilities have focused their efforts on building fracked gas plants instead , which saddle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , emissions and costly infrastructure with a dubious lifespan .
`` I believe access to energy is a human right .
We have to treat the ability to survive as a human right , and , in the South , this is one of those moments . ''
“ It ’ s terrible from a climate perspective , ” said Stokes , who has a new book out on utilities .
“ It ’ s terrible from an air quality perspective , putting people at higher risk of dying from COVID-19 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perspective in a region where there ’ s already pretty high energy insecurity.
” Southern states also have some of the fewest protections for ratepayers who fall behind on their bills .
During months when temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees , few if any municipalities in the South bar utilities from cutting off service to households that can not pay , forcing many to go without potentially lifesaving air conditioning .
“ I believe access to energy is a human right , ” Abrams said .
“ We have to treat the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , in the South , this is one of those moments .
”

Duke Energy's Marshall Power Plant in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina. CHRIS KEANE/Reuters
The Southeastern United States faces deadly heatwaves, catastrophic hurricanes and rising seas that have already sent entire communities fleeing for higher ground.
Yet the region remains far behind the rest of the country on even the most basic policies to lower climate-changing emissions, according to research published Tuesday by the Southern Economic Advancement Project, a nonprofit founded by Stacey Abrams, a former Democratic candidate for Georgia governor.
Advertisement
Now, as coronavirus cases are charting a record surge in Southern states, the region’s reliance on aging coal plants risks inflaming infections with air pollution.
This, Abrams told HuffPost in an interview, could help “connect the dots” for Southerners and stop having “esoteric arguments about climate change.”
“We have to understand that climate change is here, that it represents a serious threat to the economy, to our ecosystems and to our people,” Abrams said by phone Tuesday. “The South has untapped potential for economic growth and climate leadership, but we have to be willing to have this as a public conversation.”
The report ― co-authored by the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Leah Stokes and the Roosevelt Institute’s Mark Paul, two heavyweights in the climate policy sphere ― tracked a range of climate issues from wetlands restoration and forest conservation to public transit and electric vehicles, and identified vast potential across the region for economic gains and improvements in quality of life through such policies.
Advertisement
“The human mind has a difficult time wrapping itself around an existential crisis,” Abrams said. “But you can talk to a farmer about low crop yield. You can talk to homeowners and renters about having to evacuate when we have stronger hurricanes.”
The most jarring finding was the degree to which the sun-soaked Southeast has struggled to modernize its electricity system, at great cost to ratepayers and public health. Of the 13 U.S. states that still lack renewable electricity standards and clean energy targets, nine of them ― including Alabama, Florida and Georgia ― are in the South.
Such policies are overwhelmingly successful. Nearly half of all renewable energy growth in the United States since 2000, according to a federal study published last year.
Coal plants have rapidly declined over the past decade. Despite President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to revive the troubled industry, more coal plants were retired over the past three years than during former President Barack Obama’s second term, when the environmental rules that coal producers have blamed for suffocating the sector were enacted.
The climate report marks the debut research from Democrat Stacey Abrams' new group, the Southern Economic Advancement Project. Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
Advertisement
Yet coal remained the dominant fuel for electricity in the Southeast, making the utility sector the region’s top source of emissions, with 40% of the pollution share. Replacing 74 of the 77 coal-fired power stations throughout the Southeast with wind or solar would be cheaper by 2025 than keeping the existing plants open, according to the report.
“That means people across the South are paying more for their energy bills than if utilities had requirements to clean up their electricity systems,” Stokes said.
Rather than converting to low-carbon renewables, Southern utilities have largely funded and promoted misinformation on climate change.
For example, Tom Fanning, the chief executive of the utility giant Southern Co., espoused the widely debunked position that carbon dioxide is not responsible for warming the planet as he appeared on national television as recently as 2017. Last year, the company’s board of directors linked Fanning’s pay to lowering emissions. But Southern and other major utilities have focused their efforts on building fracked gas plants instead, which saddle ratepayers with more, if slightly different, emissions and costly infrastructure with a dubious lifespan.
“"I believe access to energy is a human right. We have to treat the ability to survive as a human right, and, in the South, this is one of those moments."” - Stacey Abrams
Advertisement
“It’s terrible from a climate perspective,” said Stokes, who has a new book out on utilities. “It’s terrible from an air quality perspective, putting people at higher risk of dying from COVID-19, and it’s terrible from a bottom-line perspective in a region where there’s already pretty high energy insecurity.”
Higher levels of the tiny air pollution particles known as PM2.5 were linked to higher death tolls from COVID-19, according to a nationwide analysis of 3,080 U.S. counties that Harvard University researchers published in April.
Southern states also have some of the fewest protections for ratepayers who fall behind on their bills. During months when temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees, few if any municipalities in the South bar utilities from cutting off service to households that cannot pay, forcing many to go without potentially lifesaving air conditioning.
“I believe access to energy is a human right,” Abrams said. “We have to treat the ability to survive as a human right, and, in the South, this is one of those moments.”
Cooling centers, meanwhile, may carry their own risks as research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests air-conditioned restaurants helped spread the coronavirus in China.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--'Massive Prehistoric Structure’ Discovered Near Stonehenge Dates To 2500 BC

One of the mysteries of the landscape near Stonehenge was just solved ― and a whole new one has opened up .
Scientists said the deep shafts discovered nearby over the years aren ’ t sinkholes or other natural features , as once was theorized .
Instead , they ’ re part of a Neolithic complex built some 4,500 years ago to surround the nearby Durrington Walls henge .
Together , these 15-foot shafts form a circle 1.2 miles in diameter , less than 2 miles from Stonehenge itself , according to a study in the journal Internet Archaeology : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they believe there may have been more than 30 .
They made the discovery using data from the Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project , a geophysical and remote sensing survey that led to the creation of a highly detailed “ total digital models of the Stonehenge landscape.
” It ’ s also part of a widening range of monuments around Stonehenge , including the “ super-henge ” buried under the Durrington Walls and Woodhenge .
“ It is remarkable that the application of new technology can still lead to the discovery of such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is significantly larger than any comparative prehistoric monument that we know of in Britain , at least , ” lead researcher Professor Vince Gaffney of the University of Bradford said in a news release .
Now comes the new mystery : Uncovering the reason for this newly discovered complex .
Gaffney and his team believe that the complex may have served as a boundary ― guiding believers toward a site of religious importance and warning others away , the University of Bradford said in a news release .
“ Stonehenge was for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Gaffney told The New York Times .
“ But now , what we are probably looking at was this great big boundary around them probably warning people of what they are approaching.
” One ’ s immediate reaction to this is disbelief , yet however hard you try to take it apart it stands up .
Exactly when the pits were dug is not clear and their function is a mystery .
More Excavation needed , but congrats all round https : //t.co/Y8hfLa41Io — Mike Pitts ( @ pittsmike ) June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the builders of Stonehenge lived and feasted , Durrington Walls is key to unlocking the story of the wider Stonehenge landscape , ” archaeologist Nick Snashall of the National Trust said in a news release .
“ And this astonishing discovery offers us new insights into the lives and beliefs of our Neolithic ancestors .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
One of the mysteries of the landscape near Stonehenge was just solved ― and a whole new one has opened up.
Scientists said the deep shafts discovered nearby over the years aren’t sinkholes or other natural features, as once was theorized. Instead, they’re part of a Neolithic complex built some 4,500 years ago to surround the nearby Durrington Walls henge. Together, these 15-foot shafts form a circle 1.2 miles in diameter, less than 2 miles from Stonehenge itself, according to a study in the journal Internet Archaeology:
Advertisement
Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project announces discovery of huge pit circle enclosing Durrington henge. #stonehenge @eh_stonehenge Open Access journal @IntarchEditor https://t.co/BQRVE6lUgD Click to watch animation. pic.twitter.com/d4VbztGNYd — European Association of Archaeologists (@archaeologyEAA) June 22, 2020
Although researchers have found 20 shafts, they believe there may have been more than 30. They made the discovery using data from the Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project, a geophysical and remote sensing survey that led to the creation of a highly detailed “total digital models of the Stonehenge landscape.”
It’s also part of a widening range of monuments around Stonehenge, including the “super-henge” buried under the Durrington Walls and Woodhenge.
“It is remarkable that the application of new technology can still lead to the discovery of such a massive prehistoric structure which, currently, is significantly larger than any comparative prehistoric monument that we know of in Britain, at least,” lead researcher Professor Vince Gaffney of the University of Bradford said in a news release.
Advertisement
Now comes the new mystery: Uncovering the reason for this newly discovered complex.
Gaffney and his team believe that the complex may have served as a boundary ― guiding believers toward a site of religious importance and warning others away, the University of Bradford said in a news release.
“Stonehenge was for the dead, Durrington was for the living,” Gaffney told The New York Times. “But now, what we are probably looking at was this great big boundary around them probably warning people of what they are approaching.”
One’s immediate reaction to this is disbelief, yet however hard you try to take it apart it stands up. Exactly when the pits were dug is not clear and their function is a mystery. More Excavation needed, but congrats all round https://t.co/Y8hfLa41Io — Mike Pitts (@pittsmike) June 22, 2020
“As the place where the builders of Stonehenge lived and feasted, Durrington Walls is key to unlocking the story of the wider Stonehenge landscape,” archaeologist Nick Snashall of the National Trust said in a news release. “And this astonishing discovery offers us new insights into the lives and beliefs of our Neolithic ancestors.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--Alfalfa From ‘Little Rascals’ Arrested After Overdose Report

Actor Bug Hall , who is best known for playing Alfalfa in the 1994 film “ The Little Rascals , ” was arrested Saturday in Weatherford , Texas , after police received a call about a possible overdose .
Police told TMZ a member of Hall ’ s family called asking for a “ status check ” on the 35-year-old actor , who was reportedly staying in a local hotel .
The person who placed the call spotted Hall huffing , or inhaling , something near a hotel dumpster and feared he might have overdosed , a police spokesperson told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actor opened the door , they noticed a large number of cans of air duster ― typically used for blasting debris from computer keyboards ― all over the room .
Hall , whose real name is Brandon Bug Hall-Barnett , admitted he had been inhaling from the cans , according to TMZ ’ s report .
He apparently didn ’ t require medical treatment .
Hall was charged with misdemeanor possession for use to inhale or ingest a volatile chemical , according to Fox News .
He was released Sunday from the Parker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surety bond .
Air duster huffing can cause life-threatening injury , including rapid airway compromise , according to a 2015 peer-reviewed study documenting one man ’ s recovery from what appeared to be a combination of frostbite and rapid swelling called angioedema .
Bug Hall , who played Alfalfa in the 1994 film `` The Little Rascals , '' was arrested in Weatherford , Texas , on June 20 , 2020 , on a charge of possession for use to inhale or ingest a volatile chemical .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Actor Bug Hall, who is best known for playing Alfalfa in the 1994 film “The Little Rascals,” was arrested Saturday in Weatherford, Texas, after police received a call about a possible overdose.
Police told TMZ a member of Hall’s family called asking for a “status check” on the 35-year-old actor, who was reportedly staying in a local hotel. The person who placed the call spotted Hall huffing, or inhaling, something near a hotel dumpster and feared he might have overdosed, a police spokesperson told Page Six.
Advertisement
Officers said when the actor opened the door, they noticed a large number of cans of air duster ― typically used for blasting debris from computer keyboards ― all over the room.
Hall, whose real name is Brandon Bug Hall-Barnett, admitted he had been inhaling from the cans, according to TMZ’s report. He apparently didn’t require medical treatment.
Hall was charged with misdemeanor possession for use to inhale or ingest a volatile chemical, according to Fox News. He was released Sunday from the Parker County Jail after posting a $1,500 surety bond.
Air duster huffing can cause life-threatening injury, including rapid airway compromise, according to a 2015 peer-reviewed study documenting one man’s recovery from what appeared to be a combination of frostbite and rapid swelling called angioedema.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--Dead Iguana Found In Freezer Of Florida Pizza Parlor

WEST PALM BEACH , Fla. ( AP ) — File it under pizza toppings only offered in Florida .
State inspectors found an 80-pound ( 36-kilogram ) iguana stashed in the freezer at a local pizza joint .
Pizza Mambo in West Palm Beach was forced to close for a day last week following the inspection by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation .
The restaurant could not be reached for comment , but an employee told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the reptile was given as a personal gift to the owner .
It was stored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurant ’ s food and was immediately trashed after they were informed it was a violation .
Non-native iguanas are multiplying so rapidly in South Florida that a state wildlife agency has been encouraging people to kill them .
Iguanas aren ’ t dangerous or aggressive to humans , but they damage seawalls , sidewalks , landscape foliage and can dig lengthy tunnels .
The males can grow to at least 5 feet ( 1.5 meters ) long and weigh nearly 20 pounds ( 9 kilograms ) and female iguanas can lay nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is considered a delicacy by some .
One company even makes iguana sausages and burgers .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — File it under pizza toppings only offered in Florida. State inspectors found an 80-pound (36-kilogram) iguana stashed in the freezer at a local pizza joint.
Pizza Mambo in West Palm Beach was forced to close for a day last week following the inspection by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Advertisement
The restaurant could not be reached for comment, but an employee told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the reptile was given as a personal gift to the owner. It was stored in a separate freezer away from the restaurant’s food and was immediately trashed after they were informed it was a violation.
Non-native iguanas are multiplying so rapidly in South Florida that a state wildlife agency has been encouraging people to kill them. Iguanas aren’t dangerous or aggressive to humans, but they damage seawalls, sidewalks, landscape foliage and can dig lengthy tunnels. The males can grow to at least 5 feet (1.5 meters) long and weigh nearly 20 pounds (9 kilograms) and female iguanas can lay nearly 80 eggs a year.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--Democrats Threaten To Block 'Woefully Inadequate' GOP Police Reform Bill

Senate Democrats on Tuesday called Republican police reform legislation “ woefully inadequate ” and threatened to block debate on the measure , a move that elicited partisan sniping from both sides of the aisle amid ongoing nationwide protests over police brutality .
In a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer ( N.Y. ) , as well as Sens .
Cory Booker ( N.J. ) and Kamala Harris ( Calif. ) , called on Republicans to produce a “ meaningful ” bill aimed at bringing accountability to law enforcement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need bipartisan talks to get to a constructive starting point , ” the senators wrote .
Unlike the Democratic bill , which Harris and Booker co-authored , the GOP measure does not explicitly ban law enforcement techniques such as chokeholds and no-knock warrants .
Police used a chokehold in the death of George Floyd , a Black man in Minneapolis ; officers used a no-knock warrant in the incident that led to the death of Breonna Taylor , a Black woman in Kentucky .
The GOP bill would also not end qualified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have proposed .
The legal doctrine gives police officers a broad liability shield in court , making it all but impossible to successfully sue them over claims of wrongdoing .
In a speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday , Booker called the GOP bill “ unacceptable.
” He warned that the lives of Black Americans were on the line and that lawmakers would later regret not trying to enact broader reforms .
The Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on a procedural motion that would open debate on the GOP bill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina , the lone Black Republican in the Senate .
Republicans will need at least seven Democrats to join them in order to overcome a filibuster and advance the bill .
McConnell , however , has not committed to allowing any amendments to the legislation .
The Kentucky Republican blasted Democrats for threatening to block debate over police reform after calling on Republicans to put a bill on the floor by next month .
“ Suddenly , our Democratic colleagues are reportedly agonizing and debating whether to let the Senate have this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any chance of reform legislation before it can even taxi onto the runway , ” McConnell said Tuesday in a floor speech .
“ Tomorrow , we ’ ll find out whether our Democratic colleagues share our ambition , or whether they choose to duck this issue and leave the country in the lurch , ” the senator added .
But Democrats rejected that argument , accusing McConnell of trying to derail efforts at police reform by forcing them to swallow a GOP bill they view as a half-hearted measure that wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ For all of the pundits out there that want to entertain a conversation about whether Democrats actually want police reform : Are you kidding me ?
” Harris said on Tuesday .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Senate Democrats on Tuesday called Republican police reform legislation “woefully inadequate” and threatened to block debate on the measure, a move that elicited sharp partisan sniping amid ongoing nationwide protests over police brutality.
“This bill is not salvageable and we need bipartisan talks to get to a constructive starting point,” Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Cory Booker (N.J.) and Kamala Harris (Calif.) wrote in a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Advertisement
Without bipartisan support in the upper chamber, the chances of a police reform bill making it to President Donald Trump’s desk are slim to none.
“There probably is no path forward in this Congress if they block debate tomorrow,” Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a member of GOP leadership, told reporters on Tuesday.
Unlike the Democratic bill, which the House is expected to pass on Thursday, the Senate GOP measure does not explicitly ban law enforcement techniques such as chokeholds and no-knock warrants. Police used a chokehold in the death of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis; officers used a no-knock warrant in the incident that led to the death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman in Kentucky.
The GOP bill would also not end qualified immunity for law enforcement, as Democrats have proposed. The legal doctrine gives police officers a broad liability shield in court, making it all but impossible to successfully sue them over claims of wrongdoing. Many Republicans are hesitant about doing away with those protections, however.
Advertisement
“Qualified immunity is extremely important,” McConnell explained at a press conference on Tuesday. “Imagine you were thinking about becoming a police officer and you think you’re going to be personally liable for every fracas you try to break up.”
Republicans will need at least seven Democrats to join them in order to overcome a filibuster and advance their bill, which was authored by Tim Scott of South Carolina, the lone Black Republican in the Senate, in a key procedural vote on Wednesday.
Those votes aren’t likely to materialize.
“It will never get 60 votes in the Senate,” Schumer told reporters on Tuesday, citing opposition from dozens of civil rights groups like the NAACP and the attorney who is representing the families of Floyd and Taylor.
McConnell accused Democrats of hypocrisy, especially after they had urged Senate leadership to put a bill addressing the issue on the floor by next month.
“Suddenly, our Democratic colleagues are reportedly agonizing and debating whether to let the Senate have this discussion at all or whether to kill any chance of reform legislation before it can even taxi onto the runway,” McConnell said Tuesday.
Advertisement
“Tomorrow, we’ll find out whether our Democratic colleagues share our ambition, or whether they choose to duck this issue and leave the country in the lurch,” the senator added.
But Democrats rejected that argument, accusing McConnell of trying to derail efforts at police reform by forcing them to swallow a GOP bill they view as a half-hearted measure that wouldn’t bring accountability to police departments nationwide.
“For all of the pundits out there that want to entertain a conversation about whether Democrats actually want police reform: Are you kidding me?” Harris said on Tuesday.
Booker, meanwhile, expressed skepticism that McConnell would allow the GOP bill to be amended, calling his strategy a “trap” for Democrats.
“He has purposefully set up a process that cannot succeed,” Booker said of the GOP leader. “He’s the shrewdest man when it comes to this place.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--New U.S. COVID-19 Cases Surge 25%

New U.S. COVID-19 Cases Surge 25%

( Reuters ) - The United States saw a 25 % increase in new cases of COVID-19 in the week ended June 21 compared to the previous seven days , with Arizona , Florida and Texas experiencing record surges in new infections , a Reuters analysis found .
Twenty-five U.S. states reported more new cases last week than the previous week , including 10 states that saw weekly new infections rise more than 50 % , and 12 states that posted new records , according to the analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project , a volunteer-run effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the largest rises in new cases at 24,000 for the week ended June 21 , an increase of 84 % from the previous week .
The number of COVID-19 tests that came back positive in the state rose to 10 % , from 7 % .
New cases in Florida rose 87 % last week to almost 22,000 , with the state ’ s positive test rate nearly doubling to 11 % .
Arizona reported 17,000 new cases , a 90 % increase , with 20 % of tests coming back positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors of all three states have attributed the increases in new cases to more testing , and to younger residents not following social distancing guidelines .
Some health experts have criticized these states for reopening too quickly without adequate restrictions , for instance not making it mandatory to wear masks in public .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has recommended states wait for new COVID-19 cases to fall for 14 days before easing social distancing restrictions .
Thirteen states and the District of Columbia are in compliance with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down from 17 states the prior week .
New York leads with 10 straight weeks of declines , followed by Rhode Island , Illinois and Washington , D.C .
Nationally , the number of new COVID-19 cases had been falling on a weekly basis through May .
Last week ’ s 25 % jump came after a 1 % rise in the second week of June and a 3 % increase in the first week of June .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
(Reuters) - The United States saw a 25% increase in new cases of COVID-19 in the week ended June 21 compared to the previous seven days, with Arizona, Florida and Texas experiencing record surges in new infections, a Reuters analysis found.
Twenty-five U.S. states reported more new cases last week than the previous week, including 10 states that saw weekly new infections rise more than 50%, and 12 states that posted new records, according to the analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer-run effort to track the outbreak.
Advertisement
Texas reported one of the largest rises in new cases at 24,000 for the week ended June 21, an increase of 84% from the previous week. The number of COVID-19 tests that came back positive in the state rose to 10%, from 7%.
New cases in Florida rose 87% last week to almost 22,000, with the state’s positive test rate nearly doubling to 11%.
Arizona reported 17,000 new cases, a 90% increase, with 20% of tests coming back positive, according to the analysis.
(GRAPHIC-Where coronavirus cases are rising in the United States, here)
The governors of all three states have attributed the increases in new cases to more testing, and to younger residents not following social distancing guidelines. Some health experts have criticized these states for reopening too quickly without adequate restrictions, for instance not making it mandatory to wear masks in public.
Advertisement
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended states wait for new COVID-19 cases to fall for 14 days before easing social distancing restrictions.
Thirteen states and the District of Columbia are in compliance with that guideline, the analysis showed, down from 17 states the prior week. New York leads with 10 straight weeks of declines, followed by Rhode Island, Illinois and Washington, D.C.
Nationally, the number of new COVID-19 cases had been falling on a weekly basis through May. Last week’s 25% jump came after a 1% rise in the second week of June and a 3% increase in the first week of June.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--Late Show Hosts Dissect Donald Trump’s Tulsa Rally For The Many Voters Who Didn't Go

The comedians of late night TV couldn ’ t resist poking fun at President Donald Trump ’ s underattended weekend @ @ @ @ @ Oklahoma .
Seth Meyers , Stephen Colbert , Trevor Noah , Jimmy Fallon and James @ @ @ @ @ some of the stranger incidents that occurred during the event and that photograph of a @ @ @ @ @ One afterward .

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--Fake Melania Trump Fears She’s Next ‘Monument To White Supremacy’ To Be Torn Down

Laura Benanti returned as the bogus first lady to “ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ” on Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ Melania Trump , she expressed her fear over nationwide anti-racism protests .
“ Oh , @ @ @ @ @ frightening , ” said Benanti as Trump .
“ Every day , they tear down @ @ @ @ @ to white supremacy .
I can ’ t help but worry , am I next @ @ @ @ @ lady also pulled no punches with her critique of Donald Trump ’ s weekend rally @ @ @ @ @ The underattended event was like the president ’ s performance every night , she said @ @ @ @ @ promised , and everyone involved should get tested.
” Check out the full video here @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Laura Benanti returned as the bogus first lady to “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Monday.
And, in character as Melania Trump, she expressed her fear over nationwide anti-racism protests.
“Oh, Stephen, these protesters are frightening,” said Benanti as Trump. “Every day, they tear down another cold, lifeless monument to white supremacy. I can’t help but worry, am I next?”
The fake first lady also pulled no punches with her critique of Donald Trump’s weekend rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Advertisement
The underattended event was like the president’s performance every night, she said: “Way smaller than promised, and everyone involved should get tested.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--It’s Time For America To Get Serious About Fixing The Trains

Sergei KIBALCHICH/Getty Images In a new era of social distancing and an ongoing battle over climate change , railroads suddenly look like the smarter choice .
For one thing , air travel suddenly looks a lot less enticing in the COVID-19 era .
With social distancing nearly impossible at 30,000 feet , anxieties are high and passengers eye each other skeptically , worried that every cough or sneeze will spread the coronavirus .
And the pandemic has dealt the aviation industry a catastrophic financial blow , grounding thousands of planes and leading to pay cuts for many of the roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That approach wouldn ’ t immediately work on this side of the Atlantic because the U.S. lacks the necessary railway infrastructure to make up for losing short-haul flights .
But advocates argue that federal pandemic-related stimulus money could get rail improvement or expansion projects started .
That would create millions of jobs and chip away at U.S. transportation emissions , which currently represent more than a quarter of the national carbon footprint .
While it ’ s hard to nail down precise numbers because of high variance within both modes of travel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powered by electricity or diesel depending on location ― uses far less energy per passenger-mile than air travel How The Railways Were Built An efficient national rail system in the U.S. might sound pie-in-the-sky , but there ’ s a strong historical precedent .
In the 19th century , rail was the most practical way to travel overland between distant cities ( horse-pulled vehicles being far slower ) .
After the Civil War , the network of tracks grew to span the contiguous United States and territories , with stops in every major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tracks themselves , were privately owned .
Passengers and politicians alike grew to resent the oligopoly of the railroad companies , which overcharged customers , underpaid workers for what could be dangerous jobs and used their clout with politicians to seize land and evade taxes .
By the mid-20th century , passenger rail was in deep decline .
Amtrak , a quasi-public corporation , emerged out of the ashes in 1971 with the passage of the Rail Passenger Service Act , which brought the country ’ s remaining 20 passenger railways under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But unlike many European countries , the U.S. never fully nationalized its rail system .
Instead , the tracks themselves mostly remained in the hands of private rail owners , which had by then pivoted entirely to the far more profitable freight sector .
Still , until the coronavirus arrived , passenger rail ’ s prospects were looking up .
Last fall , Amtrak announced record ridership that put it on track to make a profit in 2020 , for what would have been the first time in its history .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffered as states shut down their economies .
Amtrak reported a 95 % drop in ridership this April compared to last year ( it will use at least $ 1 billion in federal relief funds to make up for lost ticket sales ) .
Although Amtrak ’ s situation was comparable to the 96 % decline in air travel that same month , it ’ s possible that in an era of social distancing , trains may have a few advantages that airlines lack .
Given much lower per-passenger fuel costs , operating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than flying a half-full jet .
Airlines pack seats into narrow cabins ; trains ’ comparative spaciousness allows passengers to sit farther apart .
Air travel also involves hours standing in line at airports , a potential hazard given that the virus spreads more easily in crowded conditions indoors .
While it remains to be seen whether air travel will pick up post-pandemic , the nation ’ s interest in rail certainly seems to be growing , and new passenger rail projects are springing up across the country .
The private Texas Central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final environmental impact statement , an important regulatory milestone on the way to beginning construction of its proposed Dallas-to-Houston line .
In Florida , the privately owned Brightline , which will eventually connect Miami with Orlando , reported steadily increasing ridership and revenues before shutting down temporarily due to COVID-19 .
And on the public side , the California High-Speed Rail project continues to plug away despite delays , while the state of Virginia is spending $ 3.7 billion in a deal with freight company CSX to expand its D.C.-to-Richmond service .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far , federal economic assistance related to the COVID-19 crisis has focused mostly on helping American businesses and individuals simply survive the lockdowns .
But in May , Rep. Seth Moulton ( D-Mass . )
released a stimulus plan that would specifically target passenger rail .
He wants to spend $ 205 billion over five years to build a national high-speed rail network , a scheme that his office calculated would create at least 725,000 jobs a year ― jobs that will be much needed in a nation with more than 40 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a quarter of what is spent on the Defense Department in a single year .
Rail is the mode that “ best supports 21st-century development in bustling urban centers , walkable downtowns even in much smaller cities and towns and the agglomeration economies of cities and megaregions that are driving the vast majority of current economic growth , ” according to a white paper laying out Moulton ’ s plan .
In other words , trains are not only better for the environment than other modes of transportation , but they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes communities greener and allows economies to grow .

The train pulls up to the platform a few minutes ahead of schedule, ready for passengers to board. Once they’ve settled into their spacious seats, the train pulls away, exactly on time. As they speed smoothly through the countryside, hungry passengers visit the dining car for healthy, regionally inspired food. There’s even a play area, complete with a slide, to keep kids entertained during the journey.
This might sound like a utopian vision for railroad travel, but it’s an everyday reality in Switzerland, whose trains were named “best in the world” in 2018.
Advertisement
It is, however, a far cry from train travel in the United States. Even Amtrak’s Northeast corridor service ― which runs from Richmond, Virginia, to Boston and is considered the crown jewel of American passenger rail ― can’t compete with the quality of service found in countries like Switzerland, China, Spain and Japan.
While rail advocates have long called on the U.S. to invest in train infrastructure and commit to building a world-class, coast-to-coast, environmentally friendly passenger rail system, the funding has yet to come. Flying remains the default way to travel between distant cities.
Some see a sliver of hope that this may change, however, as the U.S. grapples with both the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis.
For one thing, air travel suddenly looks a lot less enticing in the COVID-19 era. With social distancing nearly impossible at 30,000 feet, anxieties are high and passengers eye each other skeptically, worried that every cough or sneeze will spread the coronavirus. And the pandemic has dealt the aviation industry a catastrophic financial blow, grounding thousands of planes and leading to pay cuts for many of the roughly 715,000 people it employs in the U.S.
Advertisement
The Trump administration agreed to a $25 billion bailout package in April but it’s likely the industry will need help for months or even years to come. Meanwhile, transportation experts, environmentalists and some lawmakers question the logic of continuing to prop up an industry responsible for 3% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
“Does it make sense to do that?” asked Anthony Perl, a professor of urban studies and political science at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. “Or should we spend some money on an alternative that might be more resilient and post-carbon friendly? We’re still a long way from electric-powered planes.”
Global greenhouse gas emissions from flying could triple between 2018 and 2050, according to the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization. In Europe, some governments are adding “green strings” to pandemic bailout packages for airlines. France and the Netherlands, for example, will require the Air France KLM group to cut emissions per passenger in half and to halve emissions from domestic flights, which, on a per-mile basis, burn far more fuel than long-haul routes.
Overall, these green strings, if they don’t get cut by industry lobbying, would effectively limit the number of short-haul flights that airlines can run ― a technically easy change to make on a continent where there’s already a more environmentally friendly option: frequent, efficient high-speed rail.
That approach wouldn’t immediately work on this side of the Atlantic because the U.S. lacks the necessary railway infrastructure to make up for losing short-haul flights. But advocates argue that federal pandemic-related stimulus money could get rail improvement or expansion projects started. That would create millions of jobs and chip away at U.S. transportation emissions, which currently represent more than a quarter of the national carbon footprint. While it’s hard to nail down precise numbers because of high variance within both modes of travel, it’s clear that rail ― powered by electricity or diesel depending on location ― uses far less energy per passenger-mile than air travel
Advertisement
In short, this could be the perfect time to radically rethink how America travels and finally bring the country’s passenger rail network into the 21st century.
How The Railways Were Built
In the 19th century, rail was the most practical way to travel overland between distant cities. Print Collector via Getty Images
An efficient national rail system in the U.S. might sound pie-in-the-sky, but there’s a strong historical precedent. In the 19th century, rail was the most practical way to travel overland between distant cities (horse-pulled vehicles being far slower). After the Civil War, the network of tracks grew to span the contiguous United States and territories, with stops in every major settlement. But those railroads, including the tracks themselves, were privately owned. Passengers and politicians alike grew to resent the oligopoly of the railroad companies, which overcharged customers, underpaid workers for what could be dangerous jobs and used their clout with politicians to seize land and evade taxes.
“Railroaders were the original robber barons,” said Perl, author of “New Departures: Rethinking Rail Passenger Policy in the Twenty-First Century.” “The founding legacy of the North American rail industry is one of total disregard for the public interest. Remember William Henry Vanderbilt, who owned the New York Central Railway? His motto was, ‘The public be damned.’”
Reacting to the excesses of the Gilded Age, progressive officials worked to prevent public investment in railroads, which was seen as handing tax dollars over to fat cats. Instead, Perl said, as the automobile emerged as an apparently more democratic mode of transportation, public money flowed into roads (and, much later, aviation).
Advertisement
By the mid-20th century, passenger rail was in deep decline. Amtrak, a quasi-public corporation, emerged out of the ashes in 1971 with the passage of the Rail Passenger Service Act, which brought the country’s remaining 20 passenger railways under the protective wing of the federal government. But unlike many European countries, the U.S. never fully nationalized its rail system. Instead, the tracks themselves mostly remained in the hands of private rail owners, which had by then pivoted entirely to the far more profitable freight sector.
“Rail is still the only major mode of transportation where the infrastructure is private property,” Perl said. “Passenger rail is kind of a victim of its own early success, and this legacy makes it much harder for North America to deal with the railroads. It’s a lot of baggage to carry.”
Time To Change Track
Today, with the exception of the busy Northeast Corridor service — which runs mostly along state-owned tracks, as well as sections that Amtrak inherited from bankrupt railroads in the 1970s — publicly owned passenger trains run on rail that belongs to freight companies, which prioritize their own trains, rendering passenger service unreliable.
Modernizing the U.S. rail system would involve fixing existing tracks and laying new ones, improving signaling technology and replacing trains, but Perl said that simply adding sidetracks to allow trains to more easily pass one another would go a long way. Making even that happen, however, would require untangling a mess of regulation and property rights.
Last fall, Amtrak looked to be on track to make its first-ever yearly profit in 2020. But this April as the pandemic crushed travel, the railway reported a 95% drop in ridership. Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Advertisement
Still, until the coronavirus arrived, passenger rail’s prospects were looking up. Last fall, Amtrak announced record ridership that put it on track to make a profit in 2020, for what would have been the first time in its history. Like nearly every industry, however, rail suffered as states shut down their economies. Amtrak reported a 95% drop in ridership this April compared to last year (it will use at least $1 billion in federal relief funds to make up for lost ticket sales).
Although Amtrak’s situation was comparable to the 96% decline in air travel that same month, it’s possible that in an era of social distancing, trains may have a few advantages that airlines lack. Given much lower per-passenger fuel costs, operating a half-full train could make more sense than flying a half-full jet. Airlines pack seats into narrow cabins; trains’ comparative spaciousness allows passengers to sit farther apart. Air travel also involves hours standing in line at airports, a potential hazard given that the virus spreads more easily in crowded conditions indoors.
While it remains to be seen whether air travel will pick up post-pandemic, the nation’s interest in rail certainly seems to be growing, and new passenger rail projects are springing up across the country. The private Texas Central Railway just announced the publication of its final environmental impact statement, an important regulatory milestone on the way to beginning construction of its proposed Dallas-to-Houston line. In Florida, the privately owned Brightline, which will eventually connect Miami with Orlando, reported steadily increasing ridership and revenues before shutting down temporarily due to COVID-19. And on the public side, the California High-Speed Rail project continues to plug away despite delays, while the state of Virginia is spending $3.7 billion in a deal with freight company CSX to expand its D.C.-to-Richmond service.
In several cases, these advances involve new deals between public railways and the private freight companies that own the tracks, which suggests the paralysis that has gripped U.S. rail infrastructure for decades may be loosening.
Advertisement
What Should Our Stimulus Priorities Be?
One pandemic stimulus proposal envisions a major investment in high-speed rail infrastructure creating over 700,000 jobs a year over five years. guenterguni via Getty Images
So far, federal economic assistance related to the COVID-19 crisis has focused mostly on helping American businesses and individuals simply survive the lockdowns. But in May, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) released a stimulus plan that would specifically target passenger rail. He wants to spend $205 billion over five years to build a national high-speed rail network, a scheme that his office calculated would create at least 725,000 jobs a year ― jobs that will be much needed in a nation with more than 40 million new unemployment claims since March ― for about a quarter of what is spent on the Defense Department in a single year.
Rail is the mode that “best supports 21st-century development in bustling urban centers, walkable downtowns even in much smaller cities and towns and the agglomeration economies of cities and megaregions that are driving the vast majority of current economic growth,” according to a white paper laying out Moulton’s plan. In other words, trains are not only better for the environment than other modes of transportation, but they can also promote the kind of density that makes communities greener and allows economies to grow.
While previous stimulus efforts, including after the 2008 recession, focused on highways, Moulton said that “investment is achieving diminishing returns.” Highways promote sprawl, leading to longer commutes and more emissions while making regional economies less efficient, he argued. “Forcing everyone into more cars or over-crowded planes has failed for our international peers and is failing here at home,” the congressman said.
The United States has prioritized roads and planes for decades, and it’s going to take more than a single stimulus bill, however ambitious, to change that. And the window for real change is closing, said Sean Jeans-Gail, vice president for policy and government affairs at the Rail Passengers Association, a D.C.-based advocacy group.
Advertisement
While the world is up against a lot in 2020, and other priorities may have eclipsed the environment, that doesn’t mean the threat of climate change has gone away. It might never seem like a convenient time to invest in greener transportation, Jeans-Gail said, but the pandemic recovery may give us a perfect excuse to act. He predicts fundamental shifts in our transportation network as we enter the post-pandemic era. “And not only in the willingness of people to get on airplanes — those small steel tubes with poor ventilation,” he said.
Recent investments in rail are a positive sign, but they’re still “nibbling at the edges,” Jeans-Gail argues. Pandemic stimulus money coupled with adoption of the Green New Deal ― a plan proposed by congressional Democrats to tackle climate change, which calls for high-speed rail among other measures ― could make a real difference.
“If there were a lot of money that somehow became available because of COVID, that could be the key,” he said. “Maybe we could do something on the level of what the Eisenhower administration did with the highways in the 1950s ― connect every part of the country and have that sort of 21st-century rail system that you see in almost every other part of the world, except the U.S.”
For more content and to be part of the “This New World” community, follow our Facebook page.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--Clueless Yosemite Bigwig Caught Using Protected Meadow For Golf

A vice president with the company that runs concessions at Yosemite National Park is out of a job after a video surfaced showing him hitting a golf ball into a protected meadow .
“ That hit the rock , ” Michael Grisar , who was vice president of operations for Yosemite Hospitality , bragged after hitting the ball into the fragile Yosemite Valley landscape .
A spokesperson for parent company Aramark told The Fresno Bee that Grisar was no longer with the organization .
Here ’ s the video of him hitting his ball into Ahwahnee Meadow : According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meadow would be considered littering while walking into the meadow to retrieve it would involve trampling on its delicate and protected ecosystem .
Current and former park employees were livid after viewing the video .
“ I ’ m not a violent person , ” Tammy Hays , who worked there for 16 years , told Fox26 in Fresno .
“ But I wanted to whack him with his own golf club and kick him right out of the park.
” The National Park Service said the meadows of Yosemite Valley have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 700 acres centuries ago to about 300 today , leading to the protections that are currently in place .
Those protections include limiting foot traffic to specific marked trails and boardwalks .
“ Repeated trampling kills plants , cuts the sod to expose soil below the rooting zone soil , and increases erosion , ” NPS said on its website , adding : “ Too much soil compaction can also reduce the ability of meadow soils to hold the shallow watertable that is vital for the health of meadow vegetation .
Wherever you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid decorating nature ’ s meadows with footprints and tire tracks.
” Yosemite National Park spokesperson Scott Gediman told the Bee that Grisar later apologized for his actions .
“ However , we need to be crystal clear that this type of activity is prohibited and violates park rules and regulations , ” Gediman said .
“ Yosemite National Park is a sacred place and its care and stewardship is the responsibility of all park employees and visitors.
” The Grisar family previously made headlines when Michael ’ s son , Riley Grisar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epithets and declaring “ white power ” last year .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A vice president with the company that runs concessions at Yosemite National Park is out of a job after a video surfaced showing him hitting a golf ball into a protected meadow.
“That hit the rock,” Michael Grisar, who was vice president of operations for Yosemite Hospitality, bragged after hitting the ball into the fragile Yosemite Valley landscape.
Advertisement
A spokesperson for parent company Aramark told The Fresno Bee that Grisar was no longer with the organization.
Here’s the video of him hitting his ball into Ahwahnee Meadow:
According to SFGate, leaving the ball in the meadow would be considered littering while walking into the meadow to retrieve it would involve trampling on its delicate and protected ecosystem.
Current and former park employees were livid after viewing the video.
“I’m not a violent person,” Tammy Hays, who worked there for 16 years, told Fox26 in Fresno. “But I wanted to whack him with his own golf club and kick him right out of the park.”
Advertisement
The National Park Service said the meadows of Yosemite Valley have been reduced by more than half, from 700 acres centuries ago to about 300 today, leading to the protections that are currently in place. Those protections include limiting foot traffic to specific marked trails and boardwalks.
“Repeated trampling kills plants, cuts the sod to expose soil below the rooting zone soil, and increases erosion,” NPS said on its website, adding:
“Too much soil compaction can also reduce the ability of meadow soils to hold the shallow watertable that is vital for the health of meadow vegetation. Wherever you go in Yosemite, tread lightly and avoid decorating nature’s meadows with footprints and tire tracks.”
Yosemite National Park spokesperson Scott Gediman told the Bee that Grisar later apologized for his actions.
“However, we need to be crystal clear that this type of activity is prohibited and violates park rules and regulations,” Gediman said. “Yosemite National Park is a sacred place and its care and stewardship is the responsibility of all park employees and visitors.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--Trevor Noah Makes A Bleak Observation About Trump's Post-Rally Mood

Trevor Noah made a withering observation about President Donald Trump ’ s apparent low mood after his less-than-successful campaign rally @ @ @ @ @ weekend .
Trump and his campaign had boasted of receiving 1 million ticket requests for @ @ @ @ @ , which was meant to breathe life into the president ’ s reelection bid despite @ @ @ @ @ spread the coronavirus .
But attendance fell far short of that number .
Local officials @ @ @ @ @ up at the city ’ s 19,200-capacity BOK Center .
Trump ’ s second planned @ @ @ @ @ overflow area for an additional 40,000 people was also canceled when the crowd did not @ @ @ @ @ video showed a defeated-looking Trump disembarking from Marine One .
“ I think this experience @ @ @ @ @ actually felt the full weight and severity of the coronavirus pandemic , ” “ The @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And what finally got to him wasn ’ t the 122,000 lives lost @ @ @ @ @ , the 12,800 empty seats in an arena .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Trevor Noah made a withering observation about President Donald Trump’s apparent low mood after his less-than-successful campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma last weekend.
Trump and his campaign had boasted of receiving 1 million ticket requests for Saturday night’s event, which was meant to breathe life into the president’s reelection bid despite serious concerns it would further spread the coronavirus. But attendance fell far short of that number.
Advertisement
Local officials estimated roughly 6,200 people showed up at the city’s 19,200-capacity BOK Center. Trump’s second planned appearance at an outdoor crowd overflow area for an additional 40,000 people was also canceled when the crowd did not materialize. Afterward, a video showed a defeated-looking Trump disembarking from Marine One.
“I think this experience was the first time Trump actually felt the full weight and severity of the coronavirus pandemic,” “The Daily Show” host said. “And what finally got to him wasn’t the 122,000 lives lost in America, but instead, the 12,800 empty seats in an arena.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--Trump Spends Rally Downplaying Coronavirus And Making Racist Jokes

Speaking in a state where coronavirus cases are surging enough to repeatedly set new daily infection records , President Donald Trump told a crowd of young Arizona supporters that everything was under control .
“ Someday it ’ ll be recognized by history , ” he said of his pandemic response while speaking at a campaign-style event at Dream City Church , hosted by the conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA .
This is “ hopefully the end of the pandemic , ” Trump told an audience of about 3,000 college students , most of whom did not wear masks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Arizona is one of several states that , with Trump ’ s urging , followed an aggressive reopening schedule .
Now it ’ s averaging about 2,500 new cases daily , a 94 % increase from last Monday .
Infections are rising in more than half of the U.S. states , with other alarming surges in Texas and Florida .
Hours before Trump made that prediction , Dr. Anthony Fauci , the infectious diseases expert leading the country ’ s response to COVID-19 , warned that “ the next couple of weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressing surges in the worst-hit states .
But Trump didn ’ t acknowledge the surges during his Arizona rally and repeated his claims that ramped-up testing protocols are making the pandemic look worse than it is in the U.S .
He then boasted of the low mortality rate , despite the U.S. currently having the fourth-highest coronavirus death rate in the world , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
Trump also returned to the same racist jokes he ’ s made since the beginning of the pandemic , which has since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. so far .
“ COVID-19 , I said that ’ s an odd name , ” Trump said after calling the virus “ Wuhan , ” the name of the province where the virus was first reported , and “ kung flu , ” sending the young supporters into cheers .
This was Trump ’ s second rally in the last week .
On Saturday , his campaign proceeded with one in Tulsa , Oklahoma , despite six of his campaign staffers testing positive for the coronavirus the day before the rally @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Speaking in a state where coronavirus cases are surging enough to repeatedly set new daily infection records, President Donald Trump told a crowd of young Arizona supporters that everything was under control.
“Someday it’ll be recognized by history,” he said of his pandemic response while speaking at a campaign-style event at Dream City Church, hosted by the conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA.
Advertisement
This is “hopefully the end of the pandemic,” Trump told an audience of about 3,000 college students, most of whom did not wear masks.
There’s little to indicate that. Arizona is one of several states that, with Trump’s urging, followed an aggressive reopening schedule. Now it’s averaging about 2,500 new cases daily, a 94% increase from last Monday. Infections are rising in more than half of the U.S. states, with other alarming surges in Texas and Florida.
Hours before Trump made that prediction, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious diseases expert leading the country’s response to COVID-19, warned that “the next couple of weeks are going to be critical” in addressing surges in the worst-hit states.
But Trump didn’t acknowledge the surges during his Arizona rally and repeated his claims that ramped-up testing protocols are making the pandemic look worse than it is in the U.S. He then boasted of the low mortality rate, despite the U.S. having the fourth-highest coronavirus death rate among the G-20 nations, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Advertisement
Trump also returned to the same racist jokes he’s made since the beginning of the pandemic, which has since claimed more than 120,000 lives in the U.S. so far.
“COVID-19, I said that’s an odd name,” Trump said after calling the virus “Wuhan,” the name of the city where the virus was first reported, and “kung flu,” sending the young supporters into cheers.
This was Trump’s second rally in the last week. On Saturday, his campaign proceeded with one in Tulsa, Oklahoma, despite six of his campaign staffers testing positive for the coronavirus the day before the rally.
CORRECTIONS: This story previously misidentified Wuhan as a province in China. It is a city. In addition, the story said the U.S. has the fourth-highest death rate from the coronavirus in the world. In fact, it has the fourth-highest death rate among the G-20 nations.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--Hospital Chaplains Grapple With COVID-19's 'Tsunami' Of Grief

A typical day before COVID-19 consisted of meeting new patients — post-surgical , new diagnosis , end of life , anxious , sad or fearful — supporting family members , holding support groups for staff and the community .
What I have learned is that it is very difficult to show care and deep empathy behind a mask and gown and without touch .
Our time with a patient and/or family is so rooted in a bedside presence , holding a hand , offering solace .
When the virus first turned life in our community and at our hospital upside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sadness for all who lost so much : their health , their finances , their jobs , their hope .
It was oppressive .
But I ’ ve sensed something else take root in our community and among my colleagues , and that is the sense of solidarity .
Like so many , I miss the sense of community we have in our jobs , at our schools , with our places of worship .
I don ’ t think there will be a set time when “ this is over.
” I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfolding , a slow realization that we are being healed .

A typical day before COVID-19 consisted of meeting new patients — post-surgical, new diagnosis, end of life, anxious, sad or fearful — supporting family members, holding support groups for staff and the community.
What I have learned is that it is very difficult to show care and deep empathy behind a mask and gown and without touch. Our time with a patient and/or family is so rooted in a bedside presence, holding a hand, offering solace.
When the virus first turned life in our community and at our hospital upside down, I felt a weight of sadness for all who lost so much: their health, their finances, their jobs, their hope. It was oppressive. But I’ve sensed something else take root in our community and among my colleagues, and that is the sense of solidarity.
Like so many, I miss the sense of community we have in our jobs, at our schools, with our places of worship. I don’t think there will be a set time when “this is over.” I think it will be more like an unfolding, a slow realization that we are being healed.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--Miley Cyrus Says She's Been Sober For 6 Months After Vocal Cord Surgery

The 27-year-old actor and singer tells Variety that she quit drinking to undergo vocal cord surgery last fall .
She decided to stay sober after recovering from the procedure , too .
“ I ’ ve been sober sober for the past six months , ” she said .
“ At the beginning , it was just about this vocal surgery .
… But I had been thinking a lot about my mother .
My mom was adopted , and I inherited some of the feelings she had , the abandonment feelings and wanting to prove that you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of family history , which has a lot of addiction and mental health challenges , ” she added .
“ So just going through that and asking , ‘ Why am I the way that I am ?
’ By understanding the past , we understand the present and the future much more clearly .
I think therapy is great.
” The Grammy nominee has found creative ways to stay active while hunkering down amid the coronavirus crisis .
In April , she appeared on an “ at-home ” episode of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a haunting version of Pink Floyd ’ s 1975 classic , “ Wish You Were Here.
” She also launched an Instagram Live series , “ Bright Minded : Live With Miley , ” and gave boyfriend Cody Simpson a quarantine makeover for what appeared to be a forthcoming art project with photographer Mert Atlas .
Speaking to Variety on Tuesday , Cyrus said sobriety had helped “ polish up my craft ” but admitted that breaking out of the party-centric mindset of many of her peers was tricky .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s that stigma of ‘ you ’ re no fun , ’ ” she said .
“ It ’ s like , ‘ Honey , you can call me a lot of things , but I know that I ’ m fun.
’ The thing that I love about it is waking up 100 percent , 100 percent of the time .
I don ’ t want to wake up feeling groggy .
I want to wake up feeling ready .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Miley Cyrus has spent the first half of 2020 embracing an alcohol-free lifestyle.
The 27-year-old actor and singer tells Variety that she quit drinking to undergo vocal cord surgery last fall. She decided to stay sober after recovering from the procedure, too.
“I’ve been sober sober for the past six months,” she said. “At the beginning, it was just about this vocal surgery. … But I had been thinking a lot about my mother. My mom was adopted, and I inherited some of the feelings she had, the abandonment feelings and wanting to prove that you’re wanted and valuable.”
Advertisement
“I did a lot of family history, which has a lot of addiction and mental health challenges,” she added. “So just going through that and asking, ‘Why am I the way that I am?’ By understanding the past, we understand the present and the future much more clearly. I think therapy is great.”
The Grammy nominee has found creative ways to stay active while hunkering down amid the coronavirus crisis. In April, she appeared on an “at-home” episode of “Saturday Night Live,” performing a haunting version of Pink Floyd’s 1975 classic, “Wish You Were Here.”
She also launched an Instagram Live series, “Bright Minded: Live With Miley,” and gave boyfriend Cody Simpson a quarantine makeover for what appeared to be a forthcoming art project with photographer Mert Atlas.
Speaking to Variety on Tuesday, Cyrus said sobriety had helped “polish up my craft” but admitted that breaking out of the party-centric mindset of many of her peers was tricky.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-23--Brazilian Judge Orders President Jair Bolsonaro To Wear Mask Due To COVID-19

BRASILIA/SAO PAULO ( Reuters ) - A Brazilian judge ordered President Jair Bolsonaro to wear a mask in public after the right-wing populist attended political rallies without one in the middle of the world ’ s second-worst coronavirus outbreak .
Federal Judge Renato Borelli ruled in a decision made public on Tuesday that Bolsonaro was subject to a fine of 2,000 reais ( $ 387 ) a day if he continued to disobey a local ordinance in the federal district meant to slow the pandemic .
Brazil ’ s solicitor general , which argues the government ’ s legal interests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was studying ways to reverse the decision .
Brazil has more confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths than anywhere outside the United States .
The virus has killed more than 51,000 people in Brazil and infected more than 1.1 million , according to the Health Ministry .
That has made the country a prime location for vaccine trials , which began over the weekend for a candidate developed by Oxford University .
Brazil ’ s interim health minister said on Tuesday that the government would likely sign a deal this week to produce the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On other fronts , Bolsonaro has openly defied the consensus among public health experts for slowing the outbreak .
The president has criticized lockdown and social-distancing orders issued by governors and mayors , saying their economic damage is worse than the disease .
Echoing U.S. President Donald Trump , Bolsonaro has also pushed unproven anti-malarial drugs to treat the novel coronavirus .
But his most visible defiance has been going mask-less at a string of demonstrations in Brasilia , holding babies for photos and shaking hands with supporters .
Other officials have run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The country ’ s former education minister , who resigned last week , was fined 2,000 reais for not wearing a mask on the capital ’ s central boulevard earlier this month .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
BRASILIA/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge ordered President Jair Bolsonaro to wear a mask in public after the right-wing populist attended political rallies without one in the middle of the world’s second-worst coronavirus outbreak.
Federal Judge Renato Borelli ruled in a decision made public on Tuesday that Bolsonaro was subject to a fine of 2,000 reais ($387) a day if he continued to disobey a local ordinance in the federal district meant to slow the pandemic.
Advertisement
Brazil’s solicitor general, which argues the government’s legal interests, said in a statement that it was studying ways to reverse the decision.
Brazil has more confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths than anywhere outside the United States. The virus has killed more than 51,000 people in Brazil and infected more than 1.1 million, according to the Health Ministry.
That has made the country a prime location for vaccine trials, which began over the weekend for a candidate developed by Oxford University. Brazil’s interim health minister said on Tuesday that the government would likely sign a deal this week to produce the university’s trial vaccine locally.
On other fronts, Bolsonaro has openly defied the consensus among public health experts for slowing the outbreak.
Advertisement
The president has criticized lockdown and social-distancing orders issued by governors and mayors, saying their economic damage is worse than the disease. Echoing U.S. President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has also pushed unproven anti-malarial drugs to treat the novel coronavirus.
But his most visible defiance has been going mask-less at a string of demonstrations in Brasilia, holding babies for photos and shaking hands with supporters.