thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--COVID-19 Live Updates: NYC Will Not Allow Indoor Dining In Next Phase Of Reopening

HuffPost reporters around the world are tracking the pandemic and its effects .
Read the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic below .
( To see the latest updates , you may need to refresh the page .
All times are Eastern .
For earlier updates on the pandemic , go here . )
Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer has ordered most bars in the state to halt indoor service once more , as COVID-19 cases spike across the lower part of the state .
Bars were allowed to open on June 8 , albeit with safety restrictions and limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued Wednesday , forces establishments that earn more than 70 % of sales from alcohol to serve customers outside or not at all .
The tip of the Lower Peninsula and the entire Upper Peninsula are exempt .
Whitmer cited the goal of reopening classrooms for the upcoming school year in a statement on the order .
“ Following recent outbreaks tied to bars , I am taking this action today to slow the spread of the virus and keep people safe .
If we want to be in a strong position to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall , then we need to take aggressive action right now to ensure we don ’ t wipe out all the progress we have made , ” she said .
The decision to re-close comes after one bar , Harper ’ s , in the college town of East Lansing , led to more than 100 infections — all in people under age 30 .
Harper ’ s says it followed safety protocol , and is currently installing an air filtration system .
Michigan has seen more than 70,000 coronavirus cases , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus Likely A ‘ Substantial Undercount ’ Of Actual Burden , Yale Study Finds — 7/1/20 , 4:15 p.m .
ET A Yale University study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 has likely been significantly undercounted .
According to the study , there were 781,000 total deaths in the U.S. in that period — 122,300 more than would be expected at that time of year .
Of those , 95,235 deaths were officially attributed to COVID-19 , leaving 27,065 unexplained excess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those excess deaths could ultimately be attributed to the coronavirus .
One factor : Many people who died of COVID-19 went untested due to a shortage of tests , especially early in the pandemic .
Another : Death certificates , and the data they record , varies greatly from state to state , likely contributing to an undercount .
“ Our analyses suggest that the official tally of deaths due to Covid-19 represent a substantial undercount of the true burden , ” Dan Weinberger , an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study , told CNBC .
Weinberger told AFP that the margin of unexplained excess deaths has gotten smaller in states like New York , where COVID-19 tests have become more readily available .
“ How reliably the official tolls capture the full burden of excess deaths still varies considerably between states , ” he said .
California Gov .
Requires Some Counties To Close Indoor Dining , Other Businesses — 7/1/20 , 3:20 p.m .
ET California Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that counties on a state “ watch list ” due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some indoor operations , including dining inside restaurants .
Several sectors , including restaurants , wineries , movie theaters and museums , must close indoor operations for the next three weeks , Newsom said .
Bars in the affected counties must cease all operations .
Nineteen counties , representing 70 % of the state ’ s population , are impacted by Newsom ’ s announcement .
Those counties include Los Angeles , Sacramento , Orange , Fresno and Santa Clara .
He also announced that parking at state beaches in Southern California and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed for the upcoming holiday weekend .
Coronavirus cases have spiked across California this week .
On Tuesday , the state logged 8,610 new cases , setting a new single-day record in the state , where more than 6,000 people have died from COVID-19 .
New York City Will Not Allow Indoor Dining In Next Phase Of Reopening — 7/1/20 , 10:55 a.m .
ET As the number of COVID-19 cases tied to restaurants and bars is rising in a growing number of U.S. states , New York City won ’ t permit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the city ’ s next phase of reopening , which is set to begin July 6 .
“ It ’ s not the time to forge ahead with indoor dining , ” Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday at his daily press briefing .
Following growing signs over the weekend that the pandemic is worsening in many states , de Blasio and New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said earlier this week that they would reassess whether the city would include indoor dining as part of Phase 3 .
Many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in restaurants and bars , and public health experts have warned that enclosed indoor spaces are among the highest risk and most dangerous for spreading the virus .
Instead , de Blasio said Wednesday he wants to “ double down ” on outdoor dining , which resumed on June 22 , under the city ’ s second phase of reopening .
Outdoor dining also comes with its own risks , though it ’ s generally less risky than indoors .
But many New York City restaurants have faced challenges in ensuring enough space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was once the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. but is now one of the few regions where COVID-19 cases have steadily decreased .
New Jersey , which has similarly made a lot of progress in containing the virus , will also not allow indoor dining as part of its next phase of reopening , Gov .
Phil Murphy said earlier this week .

HuffPost reporters around the world are tracking the pandemic and its effects.
Read the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic below. (To see the latest updates, you may need to refresh the page. All times are Eastern. For earlier updates on the pandemic, go here.)
Fauci: ‘We Are Not Going In The Right Direction’ — 7/3/2020, 6:45 a.m.
Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said that the record numbers of coronavirus cases in the U.S. reflect a “very disturbing week” for the U.S.
Speaking to the American Medical Association over livestream, Fauci said it was “pretty obvious that we are not going in the right direction.”
“We have areas of the country where they were at a level that is difficult and disturbing,” Fauci said. “Then when one tries to open up, even in situations where governors and mayors were trying to abide by the guidelines… that there is this, among some, there’s this feeling of an all-or-none phenomenon where you’re either under lockdown or say, you know, the devil may care,” he said.
Daily cases skyrocketed past 50,000 in the U.S. for the first time this week, and only 14 states are showing declines in the rate of infections.
— Nick Visser
UK To Keep Two-Week Quarantine For U.S. Visitors — 7/03/20, 6:20 a.m.
The United States will be on a “red list” of countries from which visitors to the U.K. will have to have quarantine for 14 days when they arrive, HuffPost UK reports.
A two-week self-isolation policy for people returning to or visiting England from destinations such as Spain, France, Italy and Germany is being lifted from July 10. A full list of around 60 countries deemed to pose “a reduced risk to the public health of UK citizens” will be published later Friday.
But speaking to the BBC on Friday, U.K. transport secretary Grant Shapps was asked if the U.S. would be on a “red list” of countries not included. “I’m afraid it will be,” Shapps said.
The requirement for everyone arriving into the UK – bar a handful of exemptions – to self-isolate for 14 days was introduced June 8.
— Ned Simons
In A Reversal, Texas Gov. Requires General Public To Wear Face Masks — 7/2/20, 4:50 p.m. ET
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered all Texans to wear a face covering in counties with 20 or more COVID-19 cases, a reversal from his previous stance.
In an executive order issued on Thursday, Abbott also gave mayors and county judges the ability to impose restrictions on outdoor gatherings of 10 or more people.
Abbott has generally been against mask requirements, especially those imposed on the general public. In June, he banned local governments from imposing fines on those who refuse to wear masks, saying at the time that “government cannot require individuals to wear masks,” according to the Texas Tribune.
But spikes in infections across Texas have apparently led him to change his tune.
“Wearing a face covering in public is proven to be one of the most effective ways we have to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Abbott said, according to DallasNews.com. “We have the ability to keep businesses open and move our economy forward so that Texans can continue to earn a paycheck, but it requires each of us to do our part to protect one another — and that means wearing a face covering in public spaces.”
—Andy Campbell
Over 40 Bay Area Principals Exposed To COVID-19 During Meeting To Discuss Schools Reopening — 7/2/20, 4:40 p.m. ET
Over 40 principals of schools in the Bay Area were exposed to COVID-19 after attending an in-person meeting to discuss plans for re-opening schools in the Santa Clara Unified School District.
The meeting took place on June 19, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
A person in attendance tested positive for COVID-19 days after the meeting.
During an online meeting last week, District Superintendent Stella Kemp told the school board that the infected person had exposed other attendees to the virus.
“Given the complexity required in the development of our reopening plan, some of our staff meetings are taking place in person,” Kemp said, according to the Associated Press. “Of course those meetings are being conducted under the strict guidelines provided to us by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.”
Schools across the country are scrambling to find ways to reopen campuses for the upcoming school year despite uncertainty, and as coronavirus cases continue to emerge.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey pushed back the first day of instruction for public schools in the state to at least Aug. 17. Some schools had been set to start as early as July 22, according to the Arizona Republic.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday that public schools in the city would be opening in September. However, Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed back on those plans. Cuomo’s communications director said that the state government has the ultimate say on whether schools can reopen come the fall semester, according to CNN.
— Carla Russo
Herman Cain Hospitalized For COVID-19 Hours After Condemning Masks On Twitter — 7/2/20, 3:30 p.m. ET
Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain was hospitalized with COVID-19 on Wednesday, hours after he sent a tweet hailing a Trump event in South Dakota where masks wouldn’t be mandatory.
A spokesman confirmed Cain’s condition Thursday afternoon, describing the 73-year-old as “resting comfortably” at an Atlanta-area hospital after his symptoms became serious enough Wednesday to require care, but not a respirator.
Cain’s positive coronavirus test on June 29 came just over a week after he appeared at Trump’s indoor campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he did not wear a mask.
Addressing speculation that he may have picked the virus up at Trump’s campaign, Cain’s team said in a statement that they are unsure how or where he contracted it, noting “he did a lot of traveling the past week.”
—Ryan Grenoble
U.S. Economy Added 4.8 Million Jobs In June, But New Outbreaks Could Spell More Economic Trouble Ahead — 7/2/20, 8:50 a.m.
After record job losses in the spring, the U.S. economy gained 4.8 million jobs in June, and the unemployment rate fell to 11.1%, the second straight month of improvements since the pandemic began, according to the Department of Labor’s jobs report.
However, as new outbreaks emerge in dozens of U.S. states, closing down businesses that had reopened, economic growth will likely slow down again in the coming month.
Last week, nearly 1.5 million workers applied for unemployment claims, a number that has remained steady for several weeks.
— Marina Fang
Trump ‘Undermining’ Global COVID-19 Fight By Hoarding New Drug — 7/02/20, 6:25 a.m.
Donald Trump risks “undermining” global collaboration on COVID-19 by buying up the world’s supplies of a drug treatment for the virus, the British government has warned.
Business minister Nadhim Zahawi hit out after it emerged that the United States had struck a deal with pharma giant Gilead to purchase almost its entire production of Remdesivir for the next three months.
HuffPost UK reports that Downing Street backed the minister on the need for countries and drugs firms to be “collaborating” rather than competing, as it revealed the U.K. had already stockpiled its own supply of the antiviral treatment for patients.
No.10 also said that the U.K. was opposed to the exploitation of potentially life-saving drugs for “financial gain” and stressed that countries should work together to beat the pandemic.
Remdesivir is authorized in the U.S. as a possible treatment for patients with coronavirus, although its impact on death rates is far from proven.
— Paul Waugh
Michigan Gov. Re-Closes Bars Amid Case Spike — 7/1/20, 5:40 p.m. ET
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has ordered most bars in the state to halt indoor service once more, as COVID-19 cases spike across the lower part of the state.
Bars were allowed to open on June 8, albeit with safety restrictions and limited capacity. Whitmer’s order, issued Wednesday, forces establishments that earn more than 70% of sales from alcohol to serve customers outside or not at all.
The tip of the Lower Peninsula and the entire Upper Peninsula are exempt.
Whitmer cited the goal of reopening classrooms for the upcoming school year in a statement on the order.
“Following recent outbreaks tied to bars, I am taking this action today to slow the spread of the virus and keep people safe. If we want to be in a strong position to reopen schools for in-person classroom instruction this fall, then we need to take aggressive action right now to ensure we don’t wipe out all the progress we have made,” she said.
The decision to re-close comes after one bar, Harper’s, in the college town of East Lansing, led to more than 100 infections — all in people under age 30. Harper’s says it followed safety protocol, and is currently installing an air filtration system.
Michigan has seen more than 70,000 coronavirus cases, and over 6,000 deaths.
— Sara Boboltz
Deaths Due To Coronavirus Likely A ‘Substantial Undercount’ Of Actual Burden, Yale Study Finds — 7/1/20, 4:15 p.m. ET
A Yale University study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 has likely been significantly undercounted.
According to the study, there were 781,000 total deaths in the U.S. in that period — 122,300 more than would be expected at that time of year. Of those, 95,235 deaths were officially attributed to COVID-19, leaving 27,065 unexplained excess deaths.
The authors suggest most of those excess deaths could ultimately be attributed to the coronavirus. One factor: Many people who died of COVID-19 went untested due to a shortage of tests, especially early in the pandemic. Another: Death certificates, and the data they record, varies greatly from state to state, likely contributing to an undercount.
“Our analyses suggest that the official tally of deaths due to Covid-19 represent a substantial undercount of the true burden,” Dan Weinberger, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health and a lead author of the study, told CNBC.
Weinberger told AFP that the margin of unexplained excess deaths has gotten smaller in states like New York, where COVID-19 tests have become more readily available.
“How reliably the official tolls capture the full burden of excess deaths still varies considerably between states,” he said.
— Ryan Grenoble
California Gov. Requires Some Counties To Close Indoor Dining, Other Businesses — 7/1/20, 3:20 p.m. ET
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that counties on a state “watch list” due to rising coronavirus cases must temporarily close some indoor operations, including dining inside restaurants.
Several sectors, including restaurants, wineries, movie theaters and museums, must close indoor operations for the next three weeks, Newsom said. Bars in the affected counties must cease all operations.
Nineteen counties, representing 70% of the state’s population, are impacted by Newsom’s announcement. Those counties include Los Angeles, Sacramento, Orange, Fresno and Santa Clara.
He also announced that parking at state beaches in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area will be closed for the upcoming holiday weekend.
Coronavirus cases have spiked across California this week. On Tuesday, the state logged 8,610 new cases, setting a new single-day record in the state, where more than 6,000 people have died from COVID-19.
— Mollie Reilly
New York City Will Not Allow Indoor Dining In Next Phase Of Reopening — 7/1/20, 10:55 a.m. ET
As the number of COVID-19 cases tied to restaurants and bars is rising in a growing number of U.S. states, New York City won’t permit restaurants to resume indoor dining as part of the city’s next phase of reopening, which is set to begin July 6.
“It’s not the time to forge ahead with indoor dining,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday at his daily press briefing.
Following growing signs over the weekend that the pandemic is worsening in many states, de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said earlier this week that they would reassess whether the city would include indoor dining as part of Phase 3. Many of the new outbreaks have come from people gathering in restaurants and bars, and public health experts have warned that enclosed indoor spaces are among the highest risk and most dangerous for spreading the virus.
Instead, de Blasio said Wednesday he wants to “double down” on outdoor dining, which resumed on June 22, under the city’s second phase of reopening.
Outdoor dining also comes with its own risks, though it’s generally less risky than indoors. But many New York City restaurants have faced challenges in ensuring enough space for outdoor dining in the dense city, which was once the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. but is now one of the few regions where COVID-19 cases have steadily decreased.
New Jersey, which has similarly made a lot of progress in containing the virus, will also not allow indoor dining as part of its next phase of reopening, Gov. Phil Murphy said earlier this week.
— Marina Fang


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--Facebook Cracked Down On Extremism. It Only Took A Major Boycott And Multiple Killings.

Facebook announced on Tuesday that it had banned hundreds of accounts and dozens of groups dedicated to the far-right “ boogaloo ” movement , which has been linked to multiple extremist plots and killings in recent months .
Facebook touted its action as “ the latest step in our commitment to ban people who proclaim a violent mission from using our platform.
” But this isn ’ t a sea change in how these platforms address hateful content .
Many experts instead see a slow , piecemeal approach by companies who have let extremism and political disinformation become pervasive ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from advertisers and public criticism ahead of the 2020 election .
Facebook , for example , has repeatedly made subtle attempts to address individual problems while hand-wringing over large-scale policy decisions .
When faced with a growing extremism problem from the anti-government boogaloo movement , the platform initially tried to make the groups harder to find or to restrict certain terms ― a change that many groups quickly found ways of working around .
Federal prosecutors in California last month charged two members of the movement in the shooting of two officers working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service , one of whom died .
The criminal complaint said that the two members met on Facebook and posted references to carrying out an attack .
A closer look at Facebook ’ s ban on boogaloo groups also reveals that it only targets a specific network that the platform alleges is engaged in violent activity while leaving the wider movement largely untouched .
The policy has already led to vague and unclear enforcement , such as removing one major public boogaloo group while leaving its private offshoot untouched .
“ There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re banning because there ’ s terrible people out there using these platforms and they don ’ t get them all at once , ” Squire said .
“ It ’ s just this constant battle.
” Facebook and its chief executive , Mark Zuckerberg , have also dragged their feet for years over how to address misinformation and racist rhetoric put out by Trump and his campaign , generally carving out broad exceptions for him and other politicians .
But Facebook was forced to reevaluate its arrangement last month after Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters : “ When the looting starts , the shooting starts.
” Trump ’ s post resulted in an internal uproar and a private phone call between Zuckerberg and the president , The Washington Post reported .
The platform ultimately changed its policy to label hate speech from political leaders , although what that policy looks like in practice remains to be seen .
Facebook said that Trump ’ s post would not have qualified for action under the new policy .
The most notable change for the platform in the last few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s messaging or the levels of extremism on the platform but the reaction from both employees and advertisers .

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Facebook announced on Tuesday that it had banned hundreds of accounts and dozens of groups dedicated to the far-right “boogaloo” movement, which has been linked to multiple extremist plots and killings in recent months. Facebook touted its action as “the latest step in our commitment to ban people who proclaim a violent mission from using our platform.”
Other social media companies took similar actions against hate speech and extremism this week. Reddit announced that it banned about 2,000 of its online communities for violating its content policies, including the subreddit The_Donald, which had about 800,000 members who supported President Donald Trump.
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YouTube de-platformed several far-right extremists from its service, and the streaming service Twitch temporarily suspended Trump’s account for “hateful conduct.”
But this isn’t a sea change in how these platforms address hateful content. Many experts instead see a slow, piecemeal approach by companies who have let extremism and political disinformation become pervasive ― and who are now facing strong backlash from advertisers and public criticism ahead of the 2020 election.
At least 300 advertisers pulled their ads from Facebook’s properties for July as part of a boycott demanding the company adjust its practices.
While headlines heralded a wave of tech platforms cracking down on hate speech, the recent actions were less drastic than they may seem.
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YouTube’s ban targeted outright white supremacists, including former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.
Trump is a minor figure on Twitch, and the number of his followers pales in comparison to those of the platform’s professional gamer stars.
Meanwhile, although Reddit claimed its bans were part of a larger policy on hate, most of the subreddits it removed were inactive. The_Donald had been effectively abandoned for months after its users migrated to another platform.
“I just don’t see a whole lot different here,” said Megan Squire, a professor of computer science at Elon University who tracks online extremist groups. “Right now, I don’t think that there’s been much big structural change.”
Facebook, for example, has repeatedly made subtle attempts to address individual problems while hand-wringing over large-scale policy decisions. When faced with a growing extremism problem from the anti-government boogaloo movement, the platform initially tried to make the groups harder to find or to restrict certain terms ― a change that many groups quickly found ways of working around.
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It was only after actions on Facebook were directly linked to real-world violence did the platform announce on Tuesday that it would ban certain boogaloo accounts and label it a dangerous organization.
Federal prosecutors in California last month charged two members of the movement in the shooting of two officers working for a contractor of the Federal Protective Service, one of whom died. The criminal complaint said that the two members met on Facebook and posted references to carrying out an attack.
One of the two boogaloo supporters was also charged with the killing of a sheriff’s deputy in Santa Cruz, California, and engaging in a shootout with police days later.
“We know that hate speech leads to violence, but [platforms] don’t take action until it gets to that point,” Squire said.
A closer look at Facebook’s ban on boogaloo groups also reveals that it only targets a specific network that the platform alleges is engaged in violent activity while leaving the wider movement largely untouched. The policy has already led to vague and unclear enforcement, such as removing one major public boogaloo group while leaving its private offshoot untouched.
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For its part, Facebook said that it has a lengthy and rigorous process to designate groups as dangerous organizations and that it will continue to take action against those who violate its policies.
“We are committed to reviewing accounts, groups and pages, including ones currently on Facebook, against our Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy,” a Facebook spokesperson told HuffPost.
Platforms have become increasingly sensitive to criticism and bad press over allowing hate speech on their sites in recent years, and most have updated their policies while making efforts to prevent the spread of extremist content.
“We have strict policies prohibiting hate speech on YouTube, and terminate any channel that repeatedly or egregiously violates those policies,” a YouTube spokesperson told HuffPost in a statement. YouTube said it has removed more than 25,000 channels for violating hate speech since implementing a new policy in June 2019.
But there have been ongoing enforcement issues when it comes to how platforms police themselves. YouTube, for instance, has continually struggled with preventing child sexual exploitation on its platform.
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And despite YouTube’s latest ban, several other prominent white nationalists continue to have channels on the platform. Removing and assessing extremism and hate speech can ultimately end up looking like a game of whack-a-mole.
“There is always going to be somebody that they’re banning because there’s terrible people out there using these platforms and they don’t get them all at once,” Squire said. “It’s just this constant battle.”
Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies at a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington on Oct. 23, 2019. Erin Scott / Reuters
The Trump Problem
Facebook and its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, have also dragged their feet for years over how to address misinformation and racist rhetoric put out by Trump and his campaign, generally carving out broad exceptions for him and other politicians.
But Facebook was forced to reevaluate its arrangement last month after Trump posted a threat of violence against anti-racism protesters: “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” Trump’s post resulted in an internal uproar and a private phone call between Zuckerberg and the president, The Washington Post reported. The platform ultimately changed its policy to label hate speech from political leaders, although what that policy looks like in practice remains to be seen. Facebook said that Trump’s post would not have qualified for action under the new policy.
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“They’re kind of on this long, slow slog of defining what they want on the platform,” Squire said. “They’re taking these tiny steps, and we keep running story after story about each of the steps.”
The most notable change for the platform in the last few weeks is not the content of Trump’s messaging or the levels of extremism on the platform but the reaction from both employees and advertisers.
More than 5,000 employees demanded that Facebook change its policies around political speech after Trump’s threat to protesters, and some staged a virtual walkout.
The advertiser boycott, “Stop Hate for Profit,” enlisted major corporations such as Unilever and Verizon. (Verizon owns Verizon Media Group, HuffPost’s parent company.) The boycott caused Facebook to lose $56 billion in market value last week as its stock plunged on Friday, although it has recovered somewhat since then.
Even companies that have been more proactive about content moderation than Facebook have ultimately taken uneven actions when it comes to addressing Trump and other far-right misinformation.
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Twitter has begun putting warning labels on some tweets containing misinformation, including several of Trump’s, although the tweets are still viewable, and it’s unclear what effect such labels have on Trump’s overall messaging.
This relatively lax attempt at moderation — essentially flagging outright falsehoods and removing easily definable forms of threats or hate speech — has also generated intense conservative backlash.
Many Republicans and right-wing pundits continue to allege that there is anti-conservative bias on platforms, despite ample evidence to the contrary.
Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign has reportedly been seeking alternatives to major platforms as a means of getting around any moderation at all. It urges followers to download its campaign app and created an unofficial network of sympathetic media to pump out its message.
A number of high-profile Republicans and Trump allies also announced in recent weeks that they were joining Parler, an alternative to Twitter that describes itself as “unbiased” and pro-free speech ― despite banning several forms of speech, making users potentially liable for legal fees and retaining the power to ban users whenever it chooses. On Monday, Parler’s CEO, John Matze, responded to people complaining about being banned from the free speech platform with a list of some rules.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--U.S. Buys Virtually All Of Coronavirus Drug Remdesivir In The World

The U.K. is confident is has enough of the drug for now , but it is not clear when its own stockpile will run out .
Remdesivir – an anti-viral drug first developed to tackle Ebola – has been approved for use treating coronavirus in the UK and the US after trials suggested it could cut recovery time by around four days .
But the U.S. said it had secured more than 500,000 courses of the drug , which is produced by U.S. pharmaceutical firm Gilead , for American hospitals .
This represents 100 % of Gilead ’ s projected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 94,200 courses ) , 90 % of production in August ( 174,900 courses ) , and 90 % of production in September ( 232,800 courses ) , alongside an allocation for clinical trials .
“ The Trump administration is doing everything in our power to learn more about life-saving therapeutics for Covid-19 and secure access to these options for the American people.
” Secretary general Antonio Guterres said at the time that treatments must be safe , affordable and “ available for everyone , everywhere.
” The U.K. backed the program and British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus drug would be made available to the U.K. public ― but Nick Dearden of advocacy group Global Justice Now said this was not a strong enough guarantee to protect people from the actions of unscrupulous drug companies .
He told BBC Radio 4 ’ s Today program : “ It does raise two very important questions : what is a fair price for a drug , and what is fair access to a drug , and those are common issues but are particularly important in a global crisis like this.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access question ― the trial that gave the result that allowed Remdesivir to sell their drug wasn ’ t just done in the U.S .
There were patients participating through other European countries , in the U.K. as well , and internationally ― Mexico and other places.
” “ And I wonder how they would feel knowing now that the drug is going to have restricted availability in their own country and would they have volunteered for that trial if they had known that ?
” “ Commercial companies are built to behave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stronger framework if we are going to develop these things and they ’ re going to be used for national emergencies.
” Gilead has said it will charge $ 2,340 ( £1,900 ) for a typical treatment course for people in the U.S. and other developed countries .
In the U.K. , a clinical trial found a cheap steroid could also be used to fight coronavirus , with trials of dexamethasone showing it could reduce deaths by up to a third among patients suffering the worst effects of the virus .

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The United States has bought up virtually all stocks of a drug shown to reduce the recovery time of COVID-19 patients.
The U.K. is confident is has enough of the drug for now, but it is not clear when its own stockpile will run out.
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Remdesivir – an anti-viral drug first developed to tackle Ebola – has been approved for use treating coronavirus in the UK and the US after trials suggested it could cut recovery time by around four days.
But the U.S. said it had secured more than 500,000 courses of the drug, which is produced by U.S. pharmaceutical firm Gilead, for American hospitals.
This represents 100% of Gilead’s projected production of the drug for July (94,200 courses), 90% of production in August (174,900 courses), and 90% of production in September (232,800 courses), alongside an allocation for clinical trials.
“President Trump has struck an amazing deal to ensure Americans have access to the first authorized therapeutic for COVID-19,” health secretary Alex Azar said in a statement.
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“To the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs Remdesivir can get it.”
“The Trump administration is doing everything in our power to learn more about life-saving therapeutics for Covid-19 and secure access to these options for the American people.”
The British government believes the country currently has a large enough stock of the drug to treat U.K. coronavirus patients.
In May, the United Nations announced a £6.5 billion ($8.1 billion) program to speed up global access to safe, affordable and universal coronavirus vaccines and medicines.
Secretary general Antonio Guterres said at the time that treatments must be safe, affordable and “available for everyone, everywhere.” The U.K. backed the program and British health secretary Matt Hancock promised that any coronavirus drug would be made available to the U.K. public ― but Nick Dearden of advocacy group Global Justice Now said this was not a strong enough guarantee to protect people from the actions of unscrupulous drug companies.
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Oxford University’s Professor Peter Horby, chair of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG), said manufacturer Gilead would be under “certain political pressures locally” as a U.S. company.
Gilead logo is seen at its office in Foster City, California, United States SIPA USA/PA Images
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “It does raise two very important questions: what is a fair price for a drug, and what is fair access to a drug, and those are common issues but are particularly important in a global crisis like this.”
“That’s part of the fair access question ― the trial that gave the result that allowed Remdesivir to sell their drug wasn’t just done in the U.S. There were patients participating through other European countries, in the U.K. as well, and internationally ― Mexico and other places.”
“And I wonder how they would feel knowing now that the drug is going to have restricted availability in their own country and would they have volunteered for that trial if they had known that?”
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It also raises questions if a vaccine is found, Horby said.
“Commercial companies are built to behave like this and we need a much stronger framework if we are going to develop these things and they’re going to be used for national emergencies.”
Gilead has said it will charge $2,340 (£1,900) for a typical treatment course for people in the U.S. and other developed countries.
It will sell for less in poorer countries, where generic drug-makers are being allowed to produce it.
Critics in the U.S. attacked the price because taxpayers have funded much of the drug’s development.
In the U.K., a clinical trial found a cheap steroid could also be used to fight coronavirus, with trials of dexamethasone showing it could reduce deaths by up to a third among patients suffering the worst effects of the virus.
For coronavirus patients who end up on a ventilator, the mortality rate is normally above 40%.
But during the trial, the use of dexamethasone reduced this by a third.
The drug is cheap, too, with a complete course on the U.K.’s National Health Service costing only £5 ($6.23).
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--Man Faces Bomb Charges After Friends Worried He'd Attack Black Lives Matter Protesters

Instagram Police in St. Charles County , Missouri , arrested Cameron Swoboda on weapons charges after his friends reportedly expressed worry that he would attack Black Lives Matter protesters .
A Missouri man , who friends reportedly worried would attack Black Lives Matter protesters , is facing state weapons charges after law enforcement officials say they discovered grenades , mines and pipe bombs in his possession .
Cameron Swoboda is facing several felony state weapons charges after St. Charles County police said they seized explosive devices that had been doctored with metal BBs to “ increase ... lethality ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The friends of the suspect had a lot of concerns for the suspect to commit a large scale attack on groups of people , ” Det .
B. Reimer , a certified bomb technician who also works on an FBI task force , wrote in a probable cause statement .
“ They believed he was preparing for an attack on groups of protesters and voiced his dislike for Afican [ sic ] Americans , Hispanics , the Black Lives Matter rhetoric , and criminal justice reform.
” Swoboda ’ s friends , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought martial law would be imposed because of COVID-19 and that he might have to “ go to war ” with the military or police , and that he would not hesitate to shoot or kill law enforcement .
Police seized his devices on June 22 , but before Swoboda was arrested this week , he posted on Instagram about his support for the Black Lives Matter movement .
In one post after the raid that seized his weapons , Swoboda noted he had “ a life changing experience.
” In another Instagram @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Black Lives Matter slogan and a hashtag referencing the death of George Floyd , he suggested that his interaction with police had been a learning experience that could have ended much differently if he were Black .
“ I have recently seen how there is in fact white privilege in at least our corner of the US , if not the whole damn country , ” he wrote in the post .
“ Put another way , if I was black , and I did the same thing I did four days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jason Korner , an attorney for Swoboda , told HuffPost that he expects mental health issues will be a factor in the case moving forward .
As Korner understands it , his client made a voluntary statement to a mandated reporter , likely a mental health counselor , whose notification to authorities triggered the investigation .
It was the federal Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives that reportedly requested St. Charles County ’ s help on June 22 , according to the police report .
“ Just because he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t mean the feds aren ’ t going to go ahead and pick it up and go forward , ” Korner said .
“ It ’ s not uncommon ... to have them held on state charges while they get their ducks in a row and take a case to the grand jury .
”

Police in St. Charles County, Missouri, arrested Cameron Swoboda on weapons charges after his friends reportedly expressed worry that he would attack Black Lives Matter protesters. Instagram
A Missouri man, who friends reportedly worried would attack Black Lives Matter protesters, is facing state weapons charges after law enforcement officials say they discovered grenades, mines and pipe bombs in his possession.
Cameron Swoboda is facing several felony state weapons charges after St. Charles County police said they seized explosive devices that had been doctored with metal BBs to “increase ... lethality” and “injure or kill more people.”
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“The friends of the suspect had a lot of concerns for the suspect to commit a large scale attack on groups of people,” Det. B. Reimer, a certified bomb technician who also works on an FBI task force, wrote in a probable cause statement. “They believed he was preparing for an attack on groups of protesters and voiced his dislike for Afican [sic] Americans, Hispanics, the Black Lives Matter rhetoric, and criminal justice reform.”
Swoboda’s friends, according to police, said that Swoboda thought martial law would be imposed because of COVID-19 and that he might have to “go to war” with the military or police, and that he would not hesitate to shoot or kill law enforcement.
Police seized his devices on June 22, but before Swoboda was arrested this week, he posted on Instagram about his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
In one post after the raid that seized his weapons, Swoboda noted he had “a life changing experience.” In another Instagram caption, posted alongside an image of the Black Lives Matter slogan and a hashtag referencing the death of George Floyd, he suggested that his interaction with police had been a learning experience that could have ended much differently if he were Black.
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“I have recently seen how there is in fact white privilege in at least our corner of the US, if not the whole damn country,” he wrote in the post. “Put another way, if I was black, and I did the same thing I did four days ago, I would be dead.”
Jason Korner, an attorney for Swoboda, told HuffPost that he expects mental health issues will be a factor in the case moving forward. As Korner understands it, his client made a voluntary statement to a mandated reporter, likely a mental health counselor, whose notification to authorities triggered the investigation. It was the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that reportedly requested St. Charles County’s help on June 22, according to the police report.
“Just because he’s been charged in state court doesn’t mean the feds aren’t going to go ahead and pick it up and go forward,” Korner said. “It’s not uncommon ... to have them held on state charges while they get their ducks in a row and take a case to the grand jury.”
New of Swoboda’s arrest was first reported by St. Louis news station KSDK. A court docket indicates that a St. Charles County judge ordered Swoboda held on $50,000 bond.
The probable cause statement, obtained and redacted by HuffPost, is embedded below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--Houston ICUs Surpass 100% Capacity As Texas Medical Center Makes Beds Available

Intensive care units in one of the world ’ s largest medical centers are operating at 102 % capacity as coronavirus cases surge in Texas , according to a report Wednesday from Texas Medical Center in Houston .
An estimated 36 % of the center ’ s 1,330 ICU beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients .
The sprawling medical campus reported that there were 480 current patients with the virus in total .
As the medical center reached capacity , it enacted Phase 2 of a plan to address the surge by making 373 more beds available by reallocating hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take in more patients , the Houston Chronicle reported .
This is the first time that the Houston medical center ’ s intensive care units have surpassed their capacity since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S .
The Texas Medical Center campus contains most of Houston ’ s hospitals , including Baylor College of Medicine , M.D .
Anderson Cancer Center , Memorial Hermann and Houston Methodist .
Texas was one of the first states to push for an aggressive strategy to reopen businesses and activities after quarantine regulations forced a national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abbott slowed down some of the state ’ s reopening plans as coronavirus hospitalizations rose again .
Abbott ordered bars to shut down again and called for restaurants to operate at 50 % capacity after allowing them to reopen .
Meanwhile , county and city officials in Texas have began enacting face mask requirements to try to slow the surge .
On Tuesday , the state saw 6,975 new COVID-19 cases in a single day , marking a new record for the state .
Texas has also seen 75,000 more reported cases over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Texas Department of Health and Human Services .
# COVID19TX update : https : //t.co/ofycOLqWQZ # Texas had 75,000 new cases in 3 weeks from June 8 to June 29 .
It took Texas 3 months to reach its first 75K cases Since June 1 , current # COVID19 hospitalizations have more than tripled from 1,756 to 6,533 Together for a # HealthyTexas pic.twitter.com/bpTjqqd1Rd — Texas DSHS ( @ TexasDSHS ) June 30 , 2020 If the additional beds under Phase 2 also become occupied , the medical center could enter Phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which would add 504 beds .
The adaptations in response to ICU overflow caused confusion Tuesday after the center ’ s reports on its website showed that the hospitals on its campus had already reached capacity .
Texas Medical Center CEO Bill McKeon told KHOU-TV in Houston that it has since updated its information to show that , although ICU capacity may have been reached , there are still ways to make more beds available .
“ We ’ re four times what we were in May and April , so we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want this discussion about capacity to lose sight of this virus being highly active in our community , ” McKeon said .
CORRECTION : An earlier version of this story misnamed one of the hospitals that make up Texas Medical Center .
It is called Houston Methodist , not Houston Memorial .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Intensive care units in one of the world’s largest medical centers are operating at 102% capacity as coronavirus cases surge in Texas, according to a report Wednesday from Texas Medical Center in Houston.
An estimated 36% of the center’s 1,330 ICU beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients. The sprawling medical campus reported that there were 480 current patients with the virus in total.
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As the medical center reached capacity, it enacted Phase 2 of a plan to address the surge by making 373 more beds available by reallocating hospital staff and equipment to ICUs in order to take in more patients, the Houston Chronicle reported.
This is the first time that the Houston medical center’s intensive care units have surpassed their capacity since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. The Texas Medical Center campus contains most of Houston’s hospitals and clinics, including Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Hermann and Houston Methodist.
Texas was one of the first states to push for an aggressive strategy to reopen businesses and activities after quarantine regulations forced a national shutdown. However, Gov. Greg Abbott slowed down some of the state’s reopening plans as coronavirus hospitalizations rose again. Abbott ordered bars to shut down again and called for restaurants to operate at 50% capacity after allowing them to reopen.
Meanwhile, county and city officials in Texas have began enacting face mask requirements to try to slow the surge.
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On Tuesday, the state saw 6,975 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, marking a new record for the state. Texas has also seen 75,000 more reported cases over the month of June, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
#COVID19TX update: https://t.co/ofycOLqWQZ#Texas had 75,000 new cases in 3 weeks from June 8 to June 29. It took Texas 3 months to reach its first 75K cases
Since June 1, current #COVID19 hospitalizations have more than tripled from 1,756 to 6,533
Together for a #HealthyTexas pic.twitter.com/bpTjqqd1Rd — Texas DSHS (@TexasDSHS) June 30, 2020
If the additional beds under Phase 2 also become occupied, the medical center could enter Phase 3 of its ICU overflow plan, which would add 504 beds.
The adaptations in response to ICU overflow caused confusion Tuesday after the center’s reports on its website showed that the hospitals on its campus had already reached capacity.
Texas Medical Center CEO Bill McKeon told KHOU-TV in Houston that it has since updated its information to show that, although ICU capacity may have been reached, there are still ways to make more beds available.
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“We’re four times what we were in May and April, so we’re very concerned. We don’t want this discussion about capacity to lose sight of this virus being highly active in our community,” McKeon said.
CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this story misnamed some of the hospitals that make up Texas Medical Center. The story has been updated with their correct names, Houston Methodist and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--Democrats Call Trump's Bluff On Military Bases Named For Confederate Officers

President Donald Trump is spoiling for a fight over the Confederacy just weeks after widespread protests kicked off a nationwide conversation on racism and police brutality .
Democrats say he ’ s on the wrong side of history and are welcoming the clash with open arms .
“ We will scrub from our military bases the names of men who fought for the Confederacy , who took up arms against our country , ” Schumer pledged .
The massive $ 740 billion defense bill the Senate took up this week includes an amendment sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change the names of the bases as well as other memorials named for Confederate leaders who fought against the Union during the Civil War .
The measure was approved by a bipartisan voice vote last month in the Republican-controlled Senate Armed Services Committee .
Ten military bases across the country were named after Confederate generals as part of the “ Lost Cause ” narrative that became popular in the South in the early 20th century .
“ These bases were not named in the years following the Civil War .
No .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , during the Jim Crow era , to strengthen a movement that tried to glorify the Confederacy and reinforce white supremacy , ” Warren said Tuesday in a floor speech .
In a tweet on Tuesday evening , however , Trump threatened to veto the bill and set up a showdown not only with Democrats , but also with Republican senators who believe it ’ s time to begin the process of changing the names of the bases .
“ In my view , I just don ’ t think it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) said Wednesday .
“ I just feel like in today ’ s environment in the country that this is not a bad exercise .
Let ’ s sit down and think of new heroes ― American heroes ― to name these bases.
” The annual defense bill establishes spending levels for various military initiatives , funds salaries of U.S. troops worldwide , and supports countless jobs .
President Barack Obama last vetoed the bill in 2015 over GOP restrictions on the transfer of detainees being held at Guantanamo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an empty threat , but he won ’ t have a reason for doing it if we do our job and we develop the bill the way it should be developed , and that will happen , ” Sen. Jim Inhofe ( R-Okla. ) , the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee , told reporters on Wednesday .
Inhofe supports Trump ’ s stance on the matter .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , meanwhile , has said he would be “ OK ” with renaming military bases such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are named after Confederate Army officers .
Statues of Confederate leaders and other slavery advocates have been graffitied and toppled by protesters in Richmond , Virginia ― once the capital of the Confederacy ― as well as in Washington , D.C. ; Nashville , Tennessee ; and Dallas .
Some activists have gone further , targeting statues of Christopher Columbus and George Washington .
Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-Mo . )
, who has introduced an amendment that would repeal the requirement in the defense bill to rename military bases , said “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to rename military bases in order to appease “ cancel culture.
” The Missouri Republican said “ whether or not there was valorization ” of Confederate military leaders should be studied first , and the ultimate decision of renaming bases left up to their communities .
Hawley hasn ’ t received assurances that his amendment will receive a vote .
However , even if it does , it would require 60 votes for passage ― an unlikely scenario given the bipartisan support for renaming military bases .

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President Donald Trump is spoiling for a fight over the Confederacy just weeks after widespread protests kicked off a nationwide conversation on racism and police brutality. Democrats say he’s on the wrong side of history and are welcoming the clash with open arms.
“This is nothing but typical bluster,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday after Trump threatened to veto the annual defense spending bill if it includes a mandate to rename military bases named for Confederate military leaders.
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“We will scrub from our military bases the names of men who fought for the Confederacy, who took up arms against our country,” Schumer pledged.
The massive $740 billion defense bill the Senate took up this week includes an amendment sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) that would require the Pentagon to change the names of the bases as well as other memorials named for Confederate leaders who fought against the Union during the Civil War. The measure was approved by a bipartisan voice vote last month in the Republican-controlled Senate Armed Services Committee.
Ten military bases across the country were named after Confederate generals as part of the “Lost Cause” narrative that became popular in the South in the early 20th century.
“These bases were not named in the years following the Civil War. No. They were named decades and decades later, during the Jim Crow era, to strengthen a movement that tried to glorify the Confederacy and reinforce white supremacy,” Warren said Tuesday in a floor speech.
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“In my view, I just don’t think it’s that big a deal.” - Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
In a tweet on Tuesday evening, however, Trump threatened to veto the bill and set up a showdown not only with Democrats, but also with Republican senators who believe it’s time to begin the process of changing the names of the bases.
“In my view, I just don’t think it’s that big a deal,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Wednesday. “I just feel like in today’s environment in the country that this is not a bad exercise. Let’s sit down and think of new heroes ― American heroes ― to name these bases.”
The annual defense bill establishes spending levels for various military initiatives, funds salaries of U.S. troops worldwide, and supports countless jobs. President Barack Obama last vetoed the bill in 2015 over GOP restrictions on the transfer of detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay.
Republican leaders expressed optimism about resolving the issue so it would not result in a presidential veto.
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“It’s not an empty threat, but he won’t have a reason for doing it if we do our job and we develop the bill the way it should be developed, and that will happen,” Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters on Wednesday. Inhofe supports Trump’s stance on the matter.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), meanwhile, has said he would be “OK” with renaming military bases such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina that are named after Confederate Army officers.
“I would really hope the president wouldn’t veto the bill over this issue,” McConnell told Fox News in an interview on Wednesday.
Statues of Confederate leaders and other slavery advocates have been graffitied and toppled by protesters in Richmond, Virginia ― once the capital of the Confederacy ― as well as in Washington, D.C.; Nashville, Tennessee; and Dallas. Some activists have gone further, targeting statues of Christopher Columbus and George Washington.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who has introduced an amendment that would repeal the requirement in the defense bill to rename military bases, said “the left-wing mob” was behind the effort to rename military bases in order to appease “cancel culture.”
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The Missouri Republican said “whether or not there was valorization” of Confederate military leaders should be studied first, and the ultimate decision of renaming bases left up to their communities.
But Warren rejected that argument, saying the point of Hawley’s measure was simply to strip her amendment from the bill.
“The current bill already includes a commission charged with thoughtfully executing the requirement to remove these names from U.S. military installations and it requires consultation with local officials,” Warren said Tuesday.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--Black And Asian Americans Have Experienced More Racism Due To COVID-19: New Survey

Black and Asian Americans have both reported experiencing more racism because of the COVID-19 pandemic and worry about wearing a mask because it might make them a target , according to a new survey .
The findings reinforce the many ways people of color have faced some of the most insidious effects of the pandemic .
The Pew Research Center survey published Wednesday found that 39 % of Asian American respondents , 38 % of Black respondents and 27 % of Hispanic respondents said that “ someone has acted uncomfortable around them because of their race or ethnicity since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 % of white respondents .
A significant portion of both Black and Asian Americans also worried that wearing a mask may put them at risk for racism or discrimination in public .
About 42 % of Black respondents and 36 % of Asian American respondents said that they “ worry a great deal or a fair amount that other people might be suspicious of them because of their race or ethnicity if they wear a mask or face covering when in stores or other businesses , ” the survey found .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask in public .
But the issue has become political in many areas of the country — leading to vocal opposition and sometimes physical confrontation — despite growing consensus from public health experts that wearing a mask can greatly reduce or mitigate the spread of COVID-19 .
The Pew survey ’ s findings are consistent with the many ways the pandemic has disproportionately affected people of color .
Advocacy groups have collected mounting reports since March of racist harassment and attacks against Asian Americans due to the pandemic .
And they ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including President Donald Trump , who has repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as the “ Chinese virus ” and “ kung flu ” — only fuels anti-Asian racism .
Black and Latino Americans have died disproportionately from the virus because they are more likely to be working in front-line or essential professions , greatly increasing their exposure to the virus .
They are also more likely to live in areas with poor access to health care and other resources and to have preexisting health conditions that put them more at risk of getting COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 to 10 , during the height of nationwide anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests catalyzed by the police killings of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery .
Both Black and Asian Americans surveyed were more likely to have experienced racist slurs or jokes since the pandemic began and more likely to report having fears of threats and physical attacks because of their race .
Pew ’ s sample size of Asian American respondents was relatively small and may not represent the overall Asian American population because the survey only included English-speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite this limitation , it is important to report the views of Asian Americans on the topics in this study , ” the survey ’ s authors wrote .

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Black and Asian Americans have both reported experiencing more racism because of the COVID-19 pandemic and worry about wearing a mask because it might make them a target, according to a new survey.
The findings reinforce the many ways people of color have faced some of the most insidious effects of the pandemic.
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The Pew Research Center survey published Wednesday found that 39% of Asian American respondents, 38% of Black respondents and 27% of Hispanic respondents said that “someone has acted uncomfortable around them because of their race or ethnicity since the coronavirus outbreak” — compared to just 13% of white respondents.
A significant portion of both Black and Asian Americans also worried that wearing a mask may put them at risk for racism or discrimination in public. About 42% of Black respondents and 36% of Asian American respondents said that they “worry a great deal or a fair amount that other people might be suspicious of them because of their race or ethnicity if they wear a mask or face covering when in stores or other businesses,” the survey found.
Some states and municipalities have mandated wearing a mask in public. But the issue has become political in many areas of the country — leading to vocal opposition and sometimes physical confrontation — despite growing consensus from public health experts that wearing a mask can greatly reduce or mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The Pew survey’s findings are consistent with the many ways the pandemic has disproportionately affected people of color. Advocacy groups have collected mounting reports since March of racist harassment and attacks against Asian Americans due to the pandemic. And they’ve warned that racist rhetoric from leaders — including President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” and “kung flu” — only fuels anti-Asian racism.
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Black and Latino Americans have died disproportionately from the virus because they are more likely to be working in front-line or essential professions, greatly increasing their exposure to the virus. They are also more likely to live in areas with poor access to health care and other resources and to have preexisting health conditions that put them more at risk of getting COVID-19.
Pew conducted its survey from June 4 to 10, during the height of nationwide anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests catalyzed by the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.
Both Black and Asian Americans surveyed were more likely to have experienced racist slurs or jokes since the pandemic began and more likely to report having fears of threats and physical attacks because of their race.
Pew’s sample size of Asian American respondents was relatively small and may not represent the overall Asian American population because the survey only included English-speaking Asian Americans, Pew said.
“Despite this limitation, it is important to report the views of Asian Americans on the topics in this study,” the survey’s authors wrote.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--Catholic Priest In Indiana Suspended After Calling Black Lives Matter Protesters 'Maggots'

The Rev .
Theodore Rothrock , who was assigned to St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carmel , Indiana , was suspended after he wrote a fiery bulletin post on Sunday that disparaged Black Lives Matters organizers for protesting what Rothrock called “ alleged systemic racism.
” Bishop Timothy L. Doherty of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana issued the suspension from public ministry in the diocese .
Rothrock ’ s article , “ The lady ( doth ) protest too much , methinks , ” conflated Black Lives Matter protesters with antifa , an umbrella term used for leftist militants .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. wouldn ’ t support “ throwing bombs or even marching in the streets.
” “ They are wolves in wolves clothing , masked thieves and bandits , seeking only to devour the life of the poor and profit from the fear of others , ” Rothrock said of Black Lives Matter protesters .
“ They are maggots and parasites at best , feeding off the isolation of addiction and broken families , and offering to replace any current frustration and anxiety with more misery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we must also be fully aware that there are those who would distort the Gospel for their own misguided purposes , ” Rothrock wrote in his apology letter .
“ People are afraid , as I pointed out , rather poorly I would admit , that there are those who feed on that fear to promote more fear and division.
” Doherty said Tuesday that he hadn ’ t approved Rothrock ’ s message beforehand and that he was waiting for the priest to issue a clarification before taking action .
It appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t enough for Doherty , who suspended the priest the following day .
Rothrock ’ s suspension offered “ an opportunity for pastoral discernment for the good of the diocese and for the good of Father Rothrock , ” the diocese said , adding that “ various possibilities ” for Rothrock ’ s future public ministry were being considered .
“ What he needed to say was , ‘ I need to as a leader in a church educate myself to do better and recognize the plight of people of color , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , to better serve our community , ’ ” said Spilker , who is white .
“ It was misguided fear-mongering to his parish , ” Spilker added .
“ People look to leaders to educate them , and so to put out something so misguided that can instill fear about what we ’ re trying to do here in Carmel was irresponsible on his part.
” Now that Rothrock ’ s suspension has been announced , the group will monitor the diocese ’ s further response , Spilker said .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in part to call for Rothrock ’ s resignation will now become part of a “ day of healing , ” Spilker added .
Carmel Against Racial Injustice came together in June after Spilker and two Black high school classmates , Breanna Hargrove and Kayla Seymour , reconnected to organize the city ’ s response to nationwide calls for racial justice after the death of George Floyd , an unarmed Black man killed in police custody in Minneapolis .
The three former classmates , who are each 24 years old , organized a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since then , the group has met with local and state officials to talk about police and school reforms , Spilker said .
The group isn ’ t officially affiliated with the global Black Lives Matter organization .
Rothrock ’ s original message was “ vile , ” “ disgusting ” and “ simply inexcusable , ” the Rev .
Bryan Massingale , a prominent Black Catholic theologian at Fordham University , told HuffPost .
Massingale said he is happy that Doherty removed Rothrock from the ministry but added that the bishop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national scandal ” the priest caused and proclaim that the church won ’ t turn a blind eye to any form of racism .
The deeper issue is that Rothrock is not an aberration in the U.S. Catholic church , Massingale said .
By claiming that “ people are afraid ” in his apology , Rothrock expressed the fears some white conservative Catholics hold but ignored the “ real terror ” experienced by Black Catholics and people of color living in a society that devalues and endangers their lives , Massingale added .

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The Rev. Theodore Rothrock, who was assigned to St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carmel, Indiana, was suspended after he wrote a fiery bulletin post on Sunday that disparaged Black Lives Matters organizers for protesting what Rothrock called “alleged systemic racism.” Bishop Timothy L. Doherty of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana issued the suspension from public ministry in the diocese.
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Rothrock’s article, “The lady (doth) protest too much, methinks,” conflated Black Lives Matter protesters with antifa, an umbrella term used for leftist militants. Rothrock said that Christians should promote peace and that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. wouldn’t support “throwing bombs or even marching in the streets.”
Black Lives Matter protesters are “serpents in the garden” whose “poison is more toxic than any pandemic we have endured,” Rothrock said.
“They are wolves in wolves clothing, masked thieves and bandits, seeking only to devour the life of the poor and profit from the fear of others,” Rothrock said of Black Lives Matter protesters. “They are maggots and parasites at best, feeding off the isolation of addiction and broken families, and offering to replace any current frustration and anxiety with more misery and greater resentment.”
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Rothrock issued a “response and clarification” Wednesday, insisting that he didn’t intend to offend anyone and that he was sorry that his words had hurt people.
“However, we must also be fully aware that there are those who would distort the Gospel for their own misguided purposes,” Rothrock wrote in his apology letter. “People are afraid, as I pointed out, rather poorly I would admit, that there are those who feed on that fear to promote more fear and division.”
Doherty said Tuesday that he hadn’t approved Rothrock’s message beforehand and that he was waiting for the priest to issue a clarification before taking action. It appeared that Rothrock’s follow-up wasn’t enough for Doherty, who suspended the priest the following day.
Rothrock’s suspension offered “an opportunity for pastoral discernment for the good of the diocese and for the good of Father Rothrock,” the diocese said, adding that “various possibilities” for Rothrock’s future public ministry were being considered.
“The Bishop expresses pastoral concern for the affected communities,” the diocese’s statement read.
HuffPost reached out to Rothrock and the diocese for comment.
A man holds a placard during a demonstration in solidarity with Black Lives Matter in Nashville, Indiana, on June 20. Nashville is about 80 miles south of Carmel. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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Carmel Against Racial Injustice, a group formed to rally anti-racists in the city, called for Rothrock’s resignation. The group vehemently objected to Rothrock’s original post and didn’t buy his apology, Ashten Spilker, a Carmel resident and one of the group’s co-CEOs, told HuffPost.
“What he needed to say was, ‘I need to as a leader in a church educate myself to do better and recognize the plight of people of color, not only in my congregation but in our country, to better serve our community,’” said Spilker, who is white.
“It was misguided fear-mongering to his parish,” Spilker added. “People look to leaders to educate them, and so to put out something so misguided that can instill fear about what we’re trying to do here in Carmel was irresponsible on his part.”
Now that Rothrock’s suspension has been announced, the group will monitor the diocese’s further response, Spilker said. A protest planned for Sunday outside the church in part to call for Rothrock’s resignation will now become part of a “day of healing,” Spilker added.
Carmel Against Racial Injustice came together in June after Spilker and two Black high school classmates, Breanna Hargrove and Kayla Seymour, reconnected to organize the city’s response to nationwide calls for racial justice after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed in police custody in Minneapolis.
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The three former classmates, who are each 24 years old, organized a rally at a local park in mid-June. Since then, the group has met with local and state officials to talk about police and school reforms, Spilker said. The group isn’t officially affiliated with the global Black Lives Matter organization.
The words "Black Lives Matter" are painted over a mural in Bloomington, Indiana, on June 19. Bloomington is about 70 miles southwest of Carmel. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Rothrock’s original message was “vile,” “disgusting” and “simply inexcusable,” the Rev. Bryan Massingale, a prominent Black Catholic theologian at Fordham University, told HuffPost. Massingale said he is happy that Doherty removed Rothrock from the ministry but added that the bishop also needs to apologize for the “national scandal” the priest caused and proclaim that the church won’t turn a blind eye to any form of racism.
The deeper issue is that Rothrock is not an aberration in the U.S. Catholic church, Massingale said. By claiming that “people are afraid” in his apology, Rothrock expressed the fears some white conservative Catholics hold but ignored the “real terror” experienced by Black Catholics and people of color living in a society that devalues and endangers their lives, Massingale added.
Whenever the church does acknowledge racism, it’s usually with “bland sentiments of concern that won’t disturb white Catholics,” Massingale said. Church leaders rarely have the courage to address how central white racial resentment and entitlement are in shaping public life, he said.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--House Passes $1.5 Trillion Infrastructure Bill

The House passed the infrastructure legislation 233-188 , with 230 Democrats and three Republicans voting yes , and two Democrats and 185 Republicans voting no .
Independent Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan also voted no .
“ We are going to need an economic recovery , ” DeFazio said on the floor .
“ This is going to look a lot more like — it already does — like the Great Depression .
And we are going to need to put people back to work.
” As partisan as the vote was Wednesday , Republicans and Democrats did agree on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental bill .
DeFazio said Democrats had woven a number of environmental provisions into the legislation , and the main point of contention between Republicans and Democrats were these “ green energy ” programs .
Over the course of two days of debate , Republicans made that clear .
The green energy provisions ― which were mostly tax credits for more environmentally friendly energy alternatives ― would cost $ 124 billion over the next 10 years , according to the Congressional Budget Office , though the bedrock of the infrastructure package was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeFazio ’ s committee passed in June .
Also included in the legislation was roughly $ 300 billion to fix dilapidated bridges and roads , $ 100 billion to help fix schools , $ 100 billion for affordable housing , $ 100 billion for broadband internet , $ 40 billion in new wastewater construction , $ 30 billion in health care infrastructure , $ 25 billion in drinking water infrastructure , $ 25 billion for the struggling Postal Service , and tripled funding for Amtrak — to $ 29 billion — to allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized the measure as a “ leftist wish list , ” and they complained that Democrats were pushing forward with a bill that had no chance of becoming law .
“ If this were a serious effort , we wouldn ’ t be talking about passing a $ 1.5 trillion debt to future generations , ” said Rep. Sam Graves ( R-Mo . )
, the ranking Republican on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee .
“ We would be talking about real proposals to fix the finances of the Highway Trust Fund instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president and Republicans , despite the fact that they wrote the entire partisan proposal in the speaker ’ s office.
” But Democrats countered that Trump has called for a sweeping infrastructure package for years .
In fact , as DeFazio pointed out , Trump told Democrats he wanted a $ 2 trillion infrastructure bill , and he said items like highways , bridges , rails , wastewater , drinking water , and broadband all qualified as infrastructure .
“ All of those things are in this package at — or near — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeFazio said , noting that the White House had now held seven “ infrastructure weeks.
” “ It is heavily biased against rural America , ” the White House said in its statement .
“ It also appears to be entirely debt-financed .
And it fails to tackle the issue of unnecessary permitting delays , which are one of the most significant impediments to improving our infrastructure.
” Despite all of Trump ’ s bluster about an infrastructure bill , this appears to be one piece of legislation he has no intention of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be forced to make the choice .
“ Naturally , this nonsense is not going anywhere in the Senate , ” McConnell said .
“ It will just join the list of absurd House proposals that were only drawn up to show fealty to the radical left .
”

WASHINGTON — After years of President Donald Trump’s posturing about an infrastructure bill, House Democrats did a bit of their own posturing Wednesday, passing a $1.5 trillion package with almost zero Republican support.
The House passed the infrastructure legislation 233-188, with 230 Democrats and three Republicans voting yes, and two Democrats and 185 Republicans voting no. Independent Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan also voted no.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) began the debate on Tuesday by claiming that, in many ways, this infrastructure bill was also a coronavirus response bill.
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“We are going to need an economic recovery,” DeFazio said on the floor. “This is going to look a lot more like — it already does — like the Great Depression. And we are going to need to put people back to work.”
As partisan as the vote was Wednesday, Republicans and Democrats did agree on one point: This was also an environmental bill.
DeFazio said Democrats had woven a number of environmental provisions into the legislation, and the main point of contention between Republicans and Democrats were these “green energy” programs.
“We have a disagreement in principle,” DeFazio said, referring to the issue of climate change. “And you can’t compromise on principle.”
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Over the course of two days of debate, Republicans made that clear. The green energy provisions ― which were mostly tax credits for more environmentally friendly energy alternatives ― would cost $124 billion over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office, though the bedrock of the infrastructure package was a $494 billion green transportation bill that DeFazio’s committee passed in June.
Also included in the legislation was roughly $300 billion to fix dilapidated bridges and roads, $100 billion to help fix schools, $100 billion for affordable housing, $100 billion for broadband internet, $40 billion in new wastewater construction, $30 billion in health care infrastructure, $25 billion in drinking water infrastructure, $25 billion for the struggling Postal Service, and tripled funding for Amtrak — to $29 billion — to allow for upgrades and rail expansions.
Republicans criticized the measure as a “leftist wish list,” and they complained that Democrats were pushing forward with a bill that had no chance of becoming law.
“If this were a serious effort, we wouldn’t be talking about passing a $1.5 trillion debt to future generations,” said Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), the ranking Republican on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “We would be talking about real proposals to fix the finances of the Highway Trust Fund instead of the majority pointing fingers at the president and Republicans, despite the fact that they wrote the entire partisan proposal in the speaker’s office.”
But Democrats countered that Trump has called for a sweeping infrastructure package for years. In fact, as DeFazio pointed out, Trump told Democrats he wanted a $2 trillion infrastructure bill, and he said items like highways, bridges, rails, wastewater, drinking water, and broadband all qualified as infrastructure.
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“All of those things are in this package at — or near — the level that he asked,” DeFazio said, noting that the White House had now held seven “infrastructure weeks.”
The White House, for its part, issued a veto threat for the legislation on Monday, saying the bill was “problematic” for several reasons.
“It is heavily biased against rural America,” the White House said in its statement. “It also appears to be entirely debt-financed. And it fails to tackle the issue of unnecessary permitting delays, which are one of the most significant impediments to improving our infrastructure.”
Despite all of Trump’s bluster about an infrastructure bill, this appears to be one piece of legislation he has no intention of signing — not that he will ever be forced to make the choice.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday morning that the Senate wouldn’t be taking up the measure.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--Trump’s Pick For Public Lands Chief Puts Endangered GOP Senators In A Bind

Late Tuesday , Trump formally nominated William Perry Pendley , a conservative lawyer with extreme anti-environmental views and a long history of advocating for the sale of federal lands , to serve as director of the Bureau of Land Management ― an agency that manages 245 million acres , more than one-third of all federal land .
The timing of the move is baffling .
Pendley has served as the bureau ’ s acting director since last July , thanks to a series of questionable ― some say illegal ― extensions by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt .
Pendley could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump instead opted on the cusp of the 2020 elections to kickstart the scrutiny of a Senate confirmation process that Pendley has so far avoided .
That presumably will confront Republican Sens .
Cory Gardner ( Colo. ) and Steve Daines ( Mont . )
― two close Trump allies facing tough reelection bids who recently scored rare points with the conservation community ― with a dilemma : vote to confirm Pendley , which would surely enrage public land advocates , or oppose the nominee and face the wrath of Trump .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act , has been hailed as the most important conservation bill in a generation .
It sets aside $ 9.5 billion to address the ballooning maintenance backlog at national parks and provides full , permanent funding for the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund , a program established in 1964 to protect natural areas and water resources .
The House is expected to pass the bill this month , and Trump has promised to sign it into law .
Sen. Cory Gardner ( R-Colo. ) joined President Donald Trump on stage during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colorado Springs .
With Gardner facing a tough reelection bid this year , Trump did n't do him any favors this week by nominating an extreme anti-environmentalist to head the Bureau of Land Management .
Daines and Gardner , neither of whom have records that environmentalists consider strong , are credited with convincing the president to reverse his stance on the fund after years of trying to gut it .
“ I can ’ t for the life of me figure out why the administration would nominate Pendley now after he has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said via email .
” The good work by Senators Daines and Gardner to pass the Great American Outdoors Act in such bipartisan fashion will be clouded by the nomination of a sworn enemy to public lands .
The people of Montana and Colorado are definitely watching.
” Gardner has managed to avoid taking a stand on the controversial public lands chief .
During a Wednesday interview with Colorado Public Radio , he was asked if Pendley ’ s past positions and statements , including advocating for the sale of public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ kooks , ” should disqualify him from leading the federal agency .
Pendley , whose anti-environmental record is well-documented , is unlikely to answer tough questions from senators .
He has repeatedly dismissed concerns about his stance on federal lands and claimed his personal views and past statements ― including describing climate science as “ junk science ” and comparing immigrants to a “ cancer ” ― are “ irrelevant ” to leading the bureau .
A native of Wyoming , Pendley is the former longtime president of Mountain States Legal Foundation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the government to sell off millions of federal acres .
His first stint in government was in the early 1980s under James Watt , President Ronald Reagan ’ s anti-environmentalist Interior chief .
Pendley has been described as Watt ’ s “ ideological twin.
” He has said the Endangered Species Act seeks “ to kill or prevent anybody from making a living on federal land , ” railed against environmental “ terrorists ” and “ eco-fascists , ” and published anti-environmental pieces in a fringe magazine of the late cult leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lyndon LaRouche .
“ His past comments calling the Endangered Species Act ‘ a joke , ’ comparing global warming to the existence of unicorns and arguing the federal government should sell off its public lands are disqualifying , ” Manchin said in a statement to Politico .
“ At this moment in our nation ’ s history , the Bureau of Land Management and every agency need leaders who are willing to listen and lead with compassion .
Mr. Pendley ’ s comments about the Black Lives Matter movement make it clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

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President Donald Trump just put two of his favorite Senate allies in a tough spot.
Late Tuesday, Trump formally nominated William Perry Pendley, a conservative lawyer with extreme anti-environmental views and a long history of advocating for the sale of federal lands, to serve as director of the Bureau of Land Management ― an agency that manages 245 million acres, more than one-third of all federal land.
The timing of the move is baffling. Pendley has served as the bureau’s acting director since last July, thanks to a series of questionable ― some say illegal ― extensions by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. Pendley could have remained in that role indefinitely, but Trump instead opted on the cusp of the 2020 elections to kickstart the scrutiny of a Senate confirmation process that Pendley has so far avoided.
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That presumably will confront Republican Sens. Cory Gardner (Colo.) and Steve Daines (Mont.) ― two close Trump allies facing tough reelection bids who recently scored rare points with the conservation community ― with a dilemma: vote to confirm Pendley, which would surely enrage public land advocates, or oppose the nominee and face the wrath of Trump.
Backing Pendley would undercut if not entirely spoil the win Gardner and Daines scored with environmental and outdoor sporting groups this month. The two played a key role in championing a sweeping public lands package through the Senate.
The legislation, called the Great American Outdoors Act, has been hailed as the most important conservation bill in a generation. It sets aside $9.5 billion to address the ballooning maintenance backlog at national parks and provides full, permanent funding for the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund, a program established in 1964 to protect natural areas and water resources. The House is expected to pass the bill this month, and Trump has promised to sign it into law.
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) joined President Donald Trump on stage during a Keep America Great rally in February in Colorado Springs. With Gardner facing a tough reelection bid this year, Trump didn't do him any favors this week by nominating an extreme anti-environmentalist to head the Bureau of Land Management. Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
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Daines and Gardner, neither of whom have records that environmentalists consider strong, are credited with convincing the president to reverse his stance on the fund after years of trying to gut it.
But Land Tawney, president of the Montana-based nonprofit Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, told HuffPost that Pendley’s nomination “poisons the well.”
“I can’t for the life of me figure out why the administration would nominate Pendley now after he has been acting director for nearly a year,” he said via email. ”The good work by Senators Daines and Gardner to pass the Great American Outdoors Act in such bipartisan fashion will be clouded by the nomination of a sworn enemy to public lands. The people of Montana and Colorado are definitely watching.”
Daines signaled in November that he’d back Pendley for the BLM director post, as E&E News reported. Asked Wednesday if Daines still plans to support Pendley, a spokeswoman declined to comment.
Gardner has managed to avoid taking a stand on the controversial public lands chief. During a Wednesday interview with Colorado Public Radio, he was asked if Pendley’s past positions and statements, including advocating for the sale of public land and dismissing climate change activists as “kooks,” should disqualify him from leading the federal agency.
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“That’s exactly why we’re going to have a hearing and some very tough questions for Mr. Pendley,” Gardner said.
“We haven’t even had the hearing yet,” he said when pressed again. “So I look forward to this investigative process.”
The dilemma facing Gardner (left) over Trump's nomination of William Perry Pendley is shared by Sen. Steve Daines (right), a Montana Republican in a challenging reelection fight. Zach Gibson via Getty Images
Pendley, whose anti-environmental record is well-documented, is unlikely to answer tough questions from senators. He has repeatedly dismissed concerns about his stance on federal lands and claimed his personal views and past statements ― including describing climate science as “junk science” and comparing immigrants to a “cancer” ― are “irrelevant” to leading the bureau.
A native of Wyoming, Pendley is the former longtime president of Mountain States Legal Foundation, a right-wing nonprofit that has pushed for the government to sell off millions of federal acres. His first stint in government was in the early 1980s under James Watt, President Ronald Reagan’s anti-environmentalist Interior chief.
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Pendley has been described as Watt’s “ideological twin.” He has said the Endangered Species Act seeks “to kill or prevent anybody from making a living on federal land,” railed against environmental “terrorists” and “eco-fascists,” and published anti-environmental pieces in a fringe magazine of the late cult leader, convicted fraudster and paranoid conspiracy theorist Lyndon LaRouche.
At a conference for journalists last year in Fort Collins, Colorado, Pendley said his personal views are "irrelevant" to the job of running the Bureau of Land Management. AP Photo/Matthew Brown
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced Wednesday that he will vote against Pendley, citing several of the nominee’s past statements.
“His past comments calling the Endangered Species Act ‘a joke,’ comparing global warming to the existence of unicorns and arguing the federal government should sell off its public lands are disqualifying,” Manchin said in a statement to Politico. “At this moment in our nation’s history, the Bureau of Land Management and every agency need leaders who are willing to listen and lead with compassion. Mr. Pendley’s comments about the Black Lives Matter movement make it clear he is not fit to do so.”
E&E News took note this week on a 2017 op-ed in the Washington Examiner in which Pendley argued that the Black Lives Matter movement is built on a “terrible lie — a lie the mainstream media perpetrated, that cowardly politicians, fearful of saying ‘all lives matter,’ emboldened.”
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Manchin’s opposition means support from Republicans like Gardner and Daines will prove all the more crucial in the closely divided Senate to Pendley winning confirmation, if and when the chamber takes up his nomination.
Two former BLM directors told E&E News that they view the nomination as “strictly a political move” and “nothing more than political theater and a play to [Trump’s] base.”
Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond School of Law who closely tracks presidential nominations, told HuffPost that Pendley’s nomination does not make political sense for the GOP effort to retain its Senate majority, given the awkward position it puts Daines and Gardner in.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--Several San Quentin Inmates On Hunger Strike Amid Alarming COVID-19 Surge

Several men incarcerated in California ’ s San Quentin State Prison who have tested positive for COVID-19 have gone on a hunger strike to protest what they call “ dismal ” living conditions , KNTV in San Jose reported Wednesday .
More than 1,100 active coronavirus cases have been reported at San Quentin , California ’ s oldest prison and home to the state ’ s only death row .
At least one person , a 71-year-old death row inmate , has died of complications from the coronavirus .
The hunger strike at San Quentin , north of San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The strikers are protesting inhumane and cramped conditions inside a unit known as the Badger section , where some people with COVID-19 are being housed , two inmates told the publication .
“ [ T ] he cells are filthy and we are not being given cleaner to maintain them , ” one man said .
“ Some of us are being housed together when the whole thing is to keep us six feet away from each other.
” Sources told the NBC affiliate that inmates infected with the virus , about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were kept quarantined in their cells all day with little to no access to showers , fresh air or electricity .
They also described the medical care available to inmates as inadequate .
Prison officials confirmed to KNTV that seven inmates had begun refusing meals this week .
But the TV station , as well as The Appeal , citing sources , said at least 20 inmates had committed to the hunger strike .
A spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told The Appeal that it was “ implementing strategies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect all those who live and work in our state prison.
” On Wednesday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) put the brakes on the state ’ s reopening as infections and hospitalizations have spiked across California .
A jump in infections in Marin County is largely attributed to the reported 1,113 inmate and 102 staff cases confirmed at San Quentin , according to the Los Angeles Times .
“ The bottom line is the spread of this virus continues at a rate that is particularly concerning , ” Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced the closures of bars and indoor dining , among other measures , in parts of the state .

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Several men incarcerated in California’s San Quentin State Prison who have tested positive for COVID-19 have gone on a hunger strike to protest what they call “dismal” living conditions, KNTV in San Jose reported Wednesday.
More than 1,100 active coronavirus cases have been reported at San Quentin, California’s oldest prison and home to the state’s only death row. At least one person, a 71-year-old death row inmate, has died of complications from the coronavirus.
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The hunger strike at San Quentin, north of San Francisco, began Monday, The Appeal reported. The strikers are protesting inhumane and cramped conditions inside a unit known as the Badger section, where some people with COVID-19 are being housed, two inmates told the publication.
“[T]he cells are filthy and we are not being given cleaner to maintain them,” one man said. “Some of us are being housed together when the whole thing is to keep us six feet away from each other.”
Sources told the NBC affiliate that inmates infected with the virus, about a third of the prison population, were kept quarantined in their cells all day with little to no access to showers, fresh air or electricity. They also described the medical care available to inmates as inadequate.
“It’s bad, it’s bad, please get the word out,” an inmate told The Appeal.
Prison officials confirmed to KNTV that seven inmates had begun refusing meals this week. But the TV station, as well as The Appeal, citing sources, said at least 20 inmates had committed to the hunger strike.
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A spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told The Appeal that it was “implementing strategies to control the spread of the virus to protect all those who live and work in our state prison.”
“We understand and share the concerns of COVID-19 cases in the state’s prisons,” the spokesperson said.
California as a whole is grappling with a surge in COVID-19 infections.
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) put the brakes on the state’s reopening as infections and hospitalizations have spiked across California. A jump in infections in Marin County is largely attributed to the reported 1,113 inmate and 102 staff cases confirmed at San Quentin, according to the Los Angeles Times.