upi--2020-07-14--Texas hospitals are running out of drugs, beds, ventilators, staff

July 14 ( UPI ) -- A coronavirus patient in Anahuac , Texas , was flown by helicopter to a hospital in El Campo -- 120 miles away -- because closer facilities could not take him .
Ambulances are waiting up to 10 hours to deliver patients to packed Hidalgo County emergency rooms .
And short-staffed hospitals in Midland and Odessa have had to turn away ailing COVID-19 patients from rural West Texas facilities that ca n't offer the care they need .
As the tally of coronavirus infections climbs higher each day , Texas hospitals are taking extraordinary steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients .
Some facilities in South Texas say they are dangerously close to filling up , while hospitals elsewhere are taking precautionary measures to keep their numbers manageable .
Doctors warn of shortages of an antiviral drug that shows promise for treating COVID-19 patients .
And epidemiologists say the state 's hospitals may be in for a longer , harder ride than places like New York , where hospitals were stretched to capacity in the spring and some parked refrigerated trailers outside to store bodies of people who died from COVID-19 .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if one hospital got kind of overwhelmed ... you would start transferring out ICU patients to other facilities that had ICU beds available , '' said Dr. Robert Hancock , president of the Texas College of Emergency Physicians .
`` And there really is none of that now , because everybody 's in the same boat and they 're struggling to get their own patients admitted . ''
Cases of the new coronavirus have surged in Texas since Memorial Day weekend at the end of May , one month after Gov .
Greg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In June , Abbott scaled back parts of that plan , first pausing elective procedures in the state 's biggest cities in an attempt to conserve hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients , then ordering bars to close and capping restaurant occupancy at 50 percent .
Last week , he expanded the ban on elective procedures to more than 100 counties across broad swaths of the state , a sign of the increasing urgency of the virus ' toll on Texas hospitals .
Then he warned that if the trend continues , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's going to be a rough few weeks , '' said John Henderson , president of the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals .
`` Most everything we 're seeing is worrisome or scary . ''
State data shows the hardest-hit regions include most of Texas ' biggest cities , as well as large swaths of South and Central Texas and the Gulf Coast .
Dr. John Zerwas , the executive vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Texas System and a former state representative who is advising Abbott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` will be a month for peak activity related to the epidemic . ''
`` Probably toward the end of the month , we 'll be seeing ourselves get into a bit more comfortable place , '' he said .
Local officials in urban centers throughout Texas say more restrictions are needed now to slow the virus ' spread and keep hospitals from being overwhelmed in the future .
On Sunday , Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner called on the governor to shut down businesses for two weeks .
Many Texas hospitals have stopped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space for a surge that 's expected to come .
In the Rio Grande Valley , that moment has arrived , with hospital beds in short supply .
`` The tsunami is here , '' Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez said last week .
DHR Health , based in Edinburg , the county seat , is creating a third special COVID-19 ward in a facility normally used for physical therapy -- after spending more than $ 9 million to convert a hospice center and rehabilitation facility into COVID-19 units .
`` We 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Carlos J. Cardenas , chairman of the board at DHR Health .
In neighboring Cameron County , all of the hospitals were at or above capacity and holding patients in their emergency departments Monday , said Dr. James Castillo , the county health authority .
Some were converting or eyeing areas not typically used for patient care , like conference rooms or lobbies , he said .
At Valley Baptist Medical Centers in Brownsville and Harlingen -- which keep opening new units to care for critically ill patients -- there were people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment this week , said Dr. Jamil Madi , medical director of the ICU in Harlingen .
The hospitals are nearly out of ventilators and are starting to consider older models and disaster ventilators that are less optimal for treating the virus , he said .
`` There 's nothing else other than COVID .
... You treat COVID , you look at COVID , you see COVID , you smell COVID , you hear COVID .
Everything 's COVID , '' Madi said .
`` There are two parallel worlds : the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside .
... We need people to understand that it is a dire situation going on inside the hospital . ''
Ambulances are sometimes waiting hours to deliver patients to the emergency rooms , said Mack Gilbert , chief operating officer of Med-Care EMS , which services most of Hidalgo County .
Normally , the wait is less than 30 minutes , he said .
`` You ca n't blame the hospitals for being full .
The ICUs are full , '' Gilbert said .
But `` the longer [ the patients are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes to get them the care they need .
We 're not really set up for long-term care like that , for four to six to eight hours . ''
The extended delay also leaves medics in the confined space of an ambulance with a COVID-19 positive patient for longer , increasing their risk of exposure to the virus even though they wear full protective gear , Gilbert said .
The state sent hundreds of medical personnel to South Texas earlier this month to alleviate staffing shortages .
It also deployed a fleet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Med-Care can use two for 12 hours a day .
Gilbert is grateful -- `` these guys are doing a great job . ''
But in a 12-hour shift , `` they 're only able to do three calls , because each call is taking four hours , '' he said .
In Houston , major hospitals have had to treat hundreds of COVID-19 patients in their emergency rooms as they await space in intensive care units .
Data shows the dozen busiest hospitals in the area are increasingly telling emergency responders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients .
Ripple effects can be felt throughout the region , including at El Campo Memorial Hospital , about 75 miles southwest of Houston .
Under normal circumstances , hospitals in Houston 's world-renowned Texas Medical Center would accept transfers of medically complex patients from smaller regional hospitals that are less equipped to handle them .
But with many Houston hospitals diverting patients away , smaller facilities like the 49-bed El Campo Memorial Hospital have taken them on .
On Monday , the hospital was caring for 18 coronavirus patients , including at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Anahuac patient who was transported by helicopter , said Nathan Tudor , chief executive of the Mid Coast Health System , which includes the hospital .
`` Traditionally , if the complex cases need to go out , they do go to Houston , '' Tudor said .
`` We 're just praying that this virus gets behind us sooner rather than later . ''
In Dallas , some hospitals are gearing up for crisis as the number of admitted patients climbs .
After requests from Abbott and Dallas Mayor Eric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Parkland Memorial Hospital , one of the city 's biggest facilities , to help treat an onslaught of patients .
`` Additional staff is our primary need , '' said Donna Richardson , chief nursing officer for Parkland Health and Hospital System .
Similar teams were sent to Houston and San Antonio .
And for the next two weeks , Medical City Healthcare is suspending elective surgeries at 10 of its 16 North Texas facilities , even though the governor 's order allows such surgeries to take place outside Dallas County .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ safely and quickly expand capacity and staff to care for hospitalized patients , '' spokeswoman Janet St. James said .
`` While we currently have adequate capacity , staff and [ personal protective equipment ] -- we are concerned that there is a misconception in the community that this rate of growth can continue . ''
Meanwhile , short-staffed West Texas hospitals have been forced to turn away patients from rural areas , where small regional hospitals lack the resources to treat the sickest patients .
Earlier this month , Medical Center Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' -- meaning it did not accept transfer patients from regional hospitals outside the county -- as it faced severe staffing shortages .
Currently , more than 20 staff members are out because either they or their family members have been exposed to COVID-19 , said Trevor Tankersley , a spokesman for the Medical Center Health System in Odessa .
When MCHS resumed accepting transfer patients , 15 arrived in one day , from West Texas towns as farflung as Kermit and Alpine .
Soon after , the city 's other major hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accepting transfers .
Nearby Midland Memorial Hospital stopped accepting transfers of critical patients Thursday , spokeswoman Tasa Richardson said .
At that point , the 286-bed hospital was treating 34 coronavirus patients .
By Monday , the number had grown to 44 .
It 's important that the numerous rural hospitals in the region have somewhere to send their patients , hospital representatives said .
`` We know what it 's like to be in a small hospital outside of this area and not have the resources , and it 's difficult to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a higher level of care , '' said Dr. Rohith Saravanan , Odessa Regional Medical Center 's chief medical officer .
`` There is really no option for that patient at that point -- there 's no care they can provide that would give these patients a good fighting chance . ''
But even larger hospitals face severe staffing limitations .
At ORMC , nurses in the intensive care unit are working with twice as many patients as they normally would .
In remote West Texas , there is a severe shortage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and medical technicians , he said .
So the hospital is turning to more expensive contract labor .
`` We have the bed capacity , we have [ personal protective equipment ] .
...
The capacity is limited mostly by staffing , '' Saravanan said .
`` There is n't any talent in the area that we can tap into . ''
Farther west , El Paso 's University Medical Center is `` doing OK on capacity and ... able to handle all patients '' under a surge planning process that was set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the hospital 's director of public affairs .
Neighboring El Paso Children 's Hospital is prepared to offer up a number of its own units for adult COVID-19 patients if that becomes necessary , but `` we are not close to reaching that right now , '' said Audrey Garcia , director of marketing for El Paso Children 's .
`` You just got ta pray that it stays on that curve , '' Garcia said .
Healthcare workers urged Texans to wear masks , wash their hands frequently and avoid contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help prevent new coronavirus infections .
`` The community has an expectation of us as a hospital .
The expectation is that we 'll have beds to take care of them , staff to take care of them , medications , '' Saravanan said .
`` They need to have an expectation of themselves to say , 'We 're gon na do everything we can so we do n't have to utilize those resources . '
The only way we can do that is by preventing the spread of this disease . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Physicians , the University of Texas System , the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals , and Parkland Health and Hospital System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune , a nonprofit , nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members , foundations and corporate sponsors .
Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune 's journalism .
Find a complete list of them here .
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune .
Read the original here .
The Texas Tribune is proud to celebrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exceptional state .
Explore the next 10 years with us .

Nurses look over the charts of patients in the COVID-19 unit at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Health System in Edinburg, Texas. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune
July 14 (UPI) -- A coronavirus patient in Anahuac, Texas, was flown by helicopter to a hospital in El Campo -- 120 miles away -- because closer facilities could not take him. Ambulances are waiting up to 10 hours to deliver patients to packed Hidalgo County emergency rooms. And short-staffed hospitals in Midland and Odessa have had to turn away ailing COVID-19 patients from rural West Texas facilities that can't offer the care they need. Advertisement
As the tally of coronavirus infections climbs higher each day, Texas hospitals are taking extraordinary steps to make space for a surge of patients. Some facilities in South Texas say they are dangerously close to filling up, while hospitals elsewhere are taking precautionary measures to keep their numbers manageable.
Doctors warn of shortages of an antiviral drug that shows promise for treating COVID-19 patients. And epidemiologists say the state's hospitals may be in for a longer, harder ride than places like New York, where hospitals were stretched to capacity in the spring and some parked refrigerated trailers outside to store bodies of people who died from COVID-19.
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"It used to [be that] if one hospital got kind of overwhelmed ... you would start transferring out ICU patients to other facilities that had ICU beds available," said Dr. Robert Hancock, president of the Texas College of Emergency Physicians. "And there really is none of that now, because everybody's in the same boat and they're struggling to get their own patients admitted."
Cases of the new coronavirus have surged in Texas since Memorial Day weekend at the end of May, one month after Gov. Greg Abbott allowed a phased reopening of businesses. In June, Abbott scaled back parts of that plan, first pausing elective procedures in the state's biggest cities in an attempt to conserve hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients, then ordering bars to close and capping restaurant occupancy at 50 percent.
Last week, he expanded the ban on elective procedures to more than 100 counties across broad swaths of the state, a sign of the increasing urgency of the virus' toll on Texas hospitals. Then he warned that if the trend continues, he might order another economic lockdown.
"It's going to be a rough few weeks," said John Henderson, president of the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals. "Most everything we're seeing is worrisome or scary."
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State data shows the hardest-hit regions include most of Texas' biggest cities, as well as large swaths of South and Central Texas and the Gulf Coast.
Dr. John Zerwas, the executive vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Texas System and a former state representative who is advising Abbott on coronavirus response, forecast that July "will be a month for peak activity related to the epidemic."
"Probably toward the end of the month, we'll be seeing ourselves get into a bit more comfortable place," he said.
Local officials in urban centers throughout Texas say more restrictions are needed now to slow the virus' spread and keep hospitals from being overwhelmed in the future. On Sunday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner called on the governor to shut down businesses for two weeks.
Many Texas hospitals have stopped accepting transfer patients in order to maintain space for a surge that's expected to come. In the Rio Grande Valley, that moment has arrived, with hospital beds in short supply.
"The tsunami is here," Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez said last week.
DHR Health, based in Edinburg, the county seat, is creating a third special COVID-19 ward in a facility normally used for physical therapy -- after spending more than $9 million to convert a hospice center and rehabilitation facility into COVID-19 units.
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"We're full to the gills," said Dr. Carlos J. Cardenas, chairman of the board at DHR Health.
In neighboring Cameron County, all of the hospitals were at or above capacity and holding patients in their emergency departments Monday, said Dr. James Castillo, the county health authority. Some were converting or eyeing areas not typically used for patient care, like conference rooms or lobbies, he said.
At Valley Baptist Medical Centers in Brownsville and Harlingen -- which keep opening new units to care for critically ill patients -- there were people waiting in the emergency room hallways for treatment this week, said Dr. Jamil Madi, medical director of the ICU in Harlingen. The hospitals are nearly out of ventilators and are starting to consider older models and disaster ventilators that are less optimal for treating the virus, he said.
"There's nothing else other than COVID. ... You treat COVID, you look at COVID, you see COVID, you smell COVID, you hear COVID. Everything's COVID," Madi said. "There are two parallel worlds: the world inside the hospital and the world outside. ... We need people to understand that it is a dire situation going on inside the hospital."
Ambulances are sometimes waiting hours to deliver patients to the emergency rooms, said Mack Gilbert, chief operating officer of Med-Care EMS, which services most of Hidalgo County. Normally, the wait is less than 30 minutes, he said.
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"You can't blame the hospitals for being full. The ICUs are full," Gilbert said. But "the longer [the patients are] with us, the longer it takes to get them the care they need. We're not really set up for long-term care like that, for four to six to eight hours."
The extended delay also leaves medics in the confined space of an ambulance with a COVID-19 positive patient for longer, increasing their risk of exposure to the virus even though they wear full protective gear, Gilbert said.
The state sent hundreds of medical personnel to South Texas earlier this month to alleviate staffing shortages. It also deployed a fleet of 10 ambulances to Hidalgo, of which Med-Care can use two for 12 hours a day.
Gilbert is grateful -- "these guys are doing a great job." But in a 12-hour shift, "they're only able to do three calls, because each call is taking four hours," he said.
In Houston, major hospitals have had to treat hundreds of COVID-19 patients in their emergency rooms as they await space in intensive care units. Data shows the dozen busiest hospitals in the area are increasingly telling emergency responders that they cannot safely accept new patients.
Advertisement
Ripple effects can be felt throughout the region, including at El Campo Memorial Hospital, about 75 miles southwest of Houston.
Under normal circumstances, hospitals in Houston's world-renowned Texas Medical Center would accept transfers of medically complex patients from smaller regional hospitals that are less equipped to handle them. But with many Houston hospitals diverting patients away, smaller facilities like the 49-bed El Campo Memorial Hospital have taken them on.
On Monday, the hospital was caring for 18 coronavirus patients, including at least two who were admitted from Houston and the Anahuac patient who was transported by helicopter, said Nathan Tudor, chief executive of the Mid Coast Health System, which includes the hospital.
"Traditionally, if the complex cases need to go out, they do go to Houston," Tudor said. "We're just praying that this virus gets behind us sooner rather than later."
In Dallas, some hospitals are gearing up for crisis as the number of admitted patients climbs. After requests from Abbott and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, federal medical teams are heading to Parkland Memorial Hospital, one of the city's biggest facilities, to help treat an onslaught of patients.
"Additional staff is our primary need," said Donna Richardson, chief nursing officer for Parkland Health and Hospital System.
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Similar teams were sent to Houston and San Antonio.
And for the next two weeks, Medical City Healthcare is suspending elective surgeries at 10 of its 16 North Texas facilities, even though the governor's order allows such surgeries to take place outside Dallas County.
The pause will "enable us to safely and quickly expand capacity and staff to care for hospitalized patients," spokeswoman Janet St. James said. "While we currently have adequate capacity, staff and [personal protective equipment] -- we are concerned that there is a misconception in the community that this rate of growth can continue."
Meanwhile, short-staffed West Texas hospitals have been forced to turn away patients from rural areas, where small regional hospitals lack the resources to treat the sickest patients.
Earlier this month, Medical Center Health System in Odessa went on "diversion" -- meaning it did not accept transfer patients from regional hospitals outside the county -- as it faced severe staffing shortages. Currently, more than 20 staff members are out because either they or their family members have been exposed to COVID-19, said Trevor Tankersley, a spokesman for the Medical Center Health System in Odessa.
When MCHS resumed accepting transfer patients, 15 arrived in one day, from West Texas towns as farflung as Kermit and Alpine. Soon after, the city's other major hospital, Odessa Regional Medical Center, stopped accepting transfers.
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Nearby Midland Memorial Hospital stopped accepting transfers of critical patients Thursday, spokeswoman Tasa Richardson said. At that point, the 286-bed hospital was treating 34 coronavirus patients. By Monday, the number had grown to 44.
It's important that the numerous rural hospitals in the region have somewhere to send their patients, hospital representatives said.
"We know what it's like to be in a small hospital outside of this area and not have the resources, and it's difficult to turn down a request for a transfer to a higher level of care," said Dr. Rohith Saravanan, Odessa Regional Medical Center's chief medical officer. "There is really no option for that patient at that point -- there's no care they can provide that would give these patients a good fighting chance."
But even larger hospitals face severe staffing limitations. At ORMC, nurses in the intensive care unit are working with twice as many patients as they normally would. In remote West Texas, there is a severe shortage of nurses, respiratory therapists and radiology and medical technicians, he said. So the hospital is turning to more expensive contract labor.
"We have the bed capacity, we have [personal protective equipment]. ... The capacity is limited mostly by staffing," Saravanan said. "There isn't any talent in the area that we can tap into."
Advertisement
Farther west, El Paso's University Medical Center is "doing OK on capacity and ... able to handle all patients" under a surge planning process that was set up early on, said Ryan Mielke, the hospital's director of public affairs.
Neighboring El Paso Children's Hospital is prepared to offer up a number of its own units for adult COVID-19 patients if that becomes necessary, but "we are not close to reaching that right now," said Audrey Garcia, director of marketing for El Paso Children's.
"You just gotta pray that it stays on that curve," Garcia said.
Healthcare workers urged Texans to wear masks, wash their hands frequently and avoid contact with others as much as possible to help prevent new coronavirus infections.
"The community has an expectation of us as a hospital. The expectation is that we'll have beds to take care of them, staff to take care of them, medications," Saravanan said. "They need to have an expectation of themselves to say, 'We're gonna do everything we can so we don't have to utilize those resources.' The only way we can do that is by preventing the spread of this disease."
Disclosure: The Texas College of Emergency Physicians, the University of Texas System, the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals, and Parkland Health and Hospital System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune. Read the original here. The Texas Tribune is proud to celebrate 10 years of exceptional journalism for an exceptional state. Explore the next 10 years with us.


Notable deaths of 2020

Kelly Preston arrives at a photocall for the film `` Gotti '' during the Cannes International Film Festival in Cannes @ @ @ @ @ , 2018 .
The actress , known for her roles in `` Jerry Maguire , @ @ @ @ @ Love , '' as well as her marriage to John Travolta , died after a @ @ @ @ @ on July 13 at the age of 57 .
Photo by David Silpa/UPI

Dawn Wells
Dawn Wells poses with the original, fully restored S.S. Minnow from "Gilligan's Island" to meet and greet fans and visitors at the Vancouver International Boat Show in Vancouver on January 23, 2014. Best known for her role as Mary Ann from "Gilligan's Island," Wells died of COVID-19 on December 30 at the age of 82. Photo by Heinz Ruckemann/UPI


upi--2020-07-14--Deion Sanders' son, Shedeur, commits to Florida Atlantic

July 14 ( UPI ) -- Shedeur Sanders , the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders , has committed to play football at Florida Atlantic University .
He is ESPN 's No .
10 quarterback for the class of 2021 .
Sheduer is the No .
30 quarterback in the class in 247 Sports ' rankings .
The Trinity Christian High School ( Cedar HIll , Texas ) star is the No .
8 pocket-passer in ESPN 's rankings .
He is the first ESPN 300 recruit to pick FAU since the ESPN service began in 2009 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ legacy , '' said Shedeur , who also considered Louisville and Alabama .
Shedeur -- a three-time state champion -- passed for 3,477 yards , 47 scores and four interceptions last season .
The 6-foot-2 , 200-pound quarterback said he chose FAU because of the presence of coach Willie Taggart .
Florida State fired Taggart in November .
FAU hired the former Seminoles coach a month later .
`` With everything that is going on in our country , there is so much important to me , '' Shedeur said .
`` One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Black head coach , one that is real to me . ''
Shedeur also said he wants to compete to play as a freshman .
Taggart signed his son , quarterback Willie Taggart Jr. , as part of the 2020 class .
FAU also landed three-star quarterback Cordel Littlejohn in 2018 .
Owls starter Chris Robinson could still be on the roster for two more seasons in Boca Raton , Fla. Robinson completed 61.8 percent of his throws for 3,701 yards , 28 touchdowns and six interceptions in 14 games last season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , attempts , and passing yards .
He also was second in the conference in touchdown passes .

Shedeur Sanders, the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders (pictured), will play at FAU next season. File Photo by David Richard/UPI | License Photo
July 14 (UPI) -- Shedeur Sanders, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, has committed to play football at Florida Atlantic University. Shedeur announced his commitment on Monday. Advertisement
He is ESPN's No. 10 quarterback for the class of 2021. Sheduer is the No. 30 quarterback in the class in 247 Sports' rankings. The Trinity Christian High School (Cedar HIll, Texas) star is the No. 8 pocket-passer in ESPN's rankings. He is the first ESPN 300 recruit to pick FAU since the ESPN service began in 2009.
"I want to write my own legacy," said Shedeur, who also considered Louisville and Alabama.
Shedeur -- a three-time state champion -- passed for 3,477 yards, 47 scores and four interceptions last season. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound quarterback said he chose FAU because of the presence of coach Willie Taggart. Florida State fired Taggart in November. FAU hired the former Seminoles coach a month later.
"With everything that is going on in our country, there is so much important to me," Shedeur said. "One of those things is to play for a Black head coach, one that is real to me."
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Shedeur also said he wants to compete to play as a freshman. Taggart signed his son, quarterback Willie Taggart Jr., as part of the 2020 class. FAU also landed three-star quarterback Cordel Littlejohn in 2018. Owls starter Chris Robinson could still be on the roster for two more seasons in Boca Raton, Fla.
Robinson completed 61.8 percent of his throws for 3,701 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions in 14 games last season. He led Conference USA in completions, attempts, and passing yards. He also was second in the conference in touchdown passes.


upi--2020-07-14--Declassified letters show Queen Elizabeth II not involved in 1975 Australian crisis

July 14 ( UPI ) -- Britain 's Queen Elizabeth II did not know about the removal of Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in the 1970s , according to classified documents released Tuesday that shed light on a mystery that 's lasted for nearly five decades .
Whitlam 's 1975 dismissal occurred amid perhaps Australia 's greatest-ever constitutional crisis , and some had long believed his removal was ordered by the queen herself .
Tuesday 's release included letters between then-Governor General John Kerr and Buckingham Palace after a long court battle in which the effort to keep them private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purposely kept Queen Elizabeth II out of the loop amid the growing constitutional crisis that saw Whitlam 's minority Labor government struggling to pass legislation amid intense opposition .
Whitlam 's removal outraged many Australians and strained relations with Britain , leading to accusations that the queen had a direct hand in sacking the prime minister .
`` I decided to take the step I took without informing [ Buckingham ] Palace in advance , '' Kerr , who died in 1991 , wrote in one of the letters , `` because under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was of the opinion that it was better for Her Majesty not to know in advance , though it is , of course , my duty to tell her immediately . ''
Kerr 's decision roiled Australians at the time but was ultimately determined to be lawful .
The documents released Tuesday , part of a trove of 211 letters between Kerr and Buckingham Palace , confirmed that the governor general acted entirely on his own in dismissing the 21st prime minister of Australia .
The letters did show that Queen Elizabeth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple options , including dismissing Whitlam and dissolving Parliament .
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said the letters show Australia needs a national debate about the head of state .
`` It is , I think , a blight on our character as a nation that a democratically-elected government was dismissed , '' he said .
`` The actions of the governor-general on Nov. 11 , [ 1975 ] to dismiss a government to put himself above the Australian people , is one that reinforces the need for us to have an Australian head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to stand on our own two feet . ''

1/2
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wave to crowds as they are driven from Buckingham Palace to Guildhall in London in November 1972. Tuesday's letters showed that the queen had no direct hand in dismissing Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam three years later. UPI Photo/British Information Services/File | License Photo
July 14 (UPI) -- Britain's Queen Elizabeth II did not know about the removal of Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in the 1970s, according to classified documents released Tuesday that shed light on a mystery that's lasted for nearly five decades. Whitlam's 1975 dismissal occurred amid perhaps Australia's greatest-ever constitutional crisis, and some had long believed his removal was ordered by the queen herself. Advertisement
Tuesday's release included letters between then-Governor General John Kerr and Buckingham Palace after a long court battle in which the effort to keep them private failed. The letters show that Kerr purposely kept Queen Elizabeth II out of the loop amid the growing constitutional crisis that saw Whitlam's minority Labor government struggling to pass legislation amid intense opposition.
Whitlam's removal outraged many Australians and strained relations with Britain, leading to accusations that the queen had a direct hand in sacking the prime minister.
"I decided to take the step I took without informing [Buckingham] Palace in advance," Kerr, who died in 1991, wrote in one of the letters, "because under the Constitution the responsibility is mine and I was of the opinion that it was better for Her Majesty not to know in advance, though it is, of course, my duty to tell her immediately."
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Kerr's decision roiled Australians at the time but was ultimately determined to be lawful.
The documents released Tuesday, part of a trove of 211 letters between Kerr and Buckingham Palace, confirmed that the governor general acted entirely on his own in dismissing the 21st prime minister of Australia.
The letters did show that Queen Elizabeth II had knowledge that Kerr was considering multiple options, including dismissing Whitlam and dissolving Parliament.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said the letters show Australia needs a national debate about the head of state.
"It is, I think, a blight on our character as a nation that a democratically-elected government was dismissed," he said. "The actions of the governor-general on Nov. 11, [1975] to dismiss a government to put himself above the Australian people, is one that reinforces the need for us to have an Australian head of state, reinforces the need for us to stand on our own two feet."


upi--2020-07-14--WWE Raw: Randy Orton challenges Big Show, Bayley and Sasha Banks battle Kabuki Warriors

July 14 ( UPI ) -- Randy Orton challenged Big Show to an unsanctioned match after he faced 24/7 Champion R-Truth on Raw .
Orton was once again accompanied by living legend Ric Flair who praised Truth before the bell rang on Monday .
Flair promised that Orton would not injure Truth .
Truth started the match by asking Orton if he could speak with Flair first .
The 24/7 Champion was lying , however , and used it to gain an early advantage against Orton .
The Viper weathered Truth 's offense and immediately delivered an RKO to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite Flair 's promise , teased that he was going to perform his signature punt kick that has taken out Edge and Christian in recent weeks .
Big Show then entered the arena to try and save Truth .
Orton then challenged Big Show to an unsanctioned match next week on Raw as he left with Flair , which Big Show accepted .
Also on Raw , Women 's Tag Team Champions Bayley and Sasha Banks defended their titles against The Kabuki Warriors which consist of Raw Women 's Champion Asuka and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every women 's champion in WWE as Bayley is also the SmackDown Women 's Champion .
Bayley and Banks started things off by sneak attacking The Kabuki Warriors before the bout officially started .
The duo , who have been dominating the women 's division and have competed on every WWE brand , briefly took Sane out of the contest by throwing her into the plexiglass barricade that surrounds the ring .
Asuka , after finally being tagged in , attacked Bayley and Banks hard .
Asuka locked in the Asuka Lock onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop the submission hold .
The Kabuki Warriors were then on the verge of victory as Sane landed her Insane Elbow on Banks , but Bayley once again was able to save the match for her team .
Asuka and Bayley Dos Straps then starting fighting outside the ring as Banks applied The Bank Statement to Sane , causing her to tap out .
Banks will be facing Asuka for the Raw Women 's Championship Sunday at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules while Bayley will be defending her SmackDown Women 's Championship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in action against Kevin Owens in a highly-competitive match .
The bout , which took place after Rollins ' disciple Murphy lost to Aleister Black , was a rematch from WrestleMania 36 in April .
Rollins ' rival Rey Mysterio , Black and Mysterio 's son Dominik , surrounded the ring in support of Owens .
The Monday Night Messiah gained an advantage by attacking Owen 's eye and got ready to end things with the Stomp .
Mysterio , Black and Dominik then started distracting Rollins by jumping up onto the ring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rollins with a Stunner and win the match .
Rollins will be facing Mysterio Sunday in a Eye for an Eye match .
Other moments from Raw included WWE Champion Drew McIntyre knocking out Dolph Ziggler on MVP 's VIP Lounge ; Andrade and Angel Garza defeating The Viking Raiders in an Elimination Tag match ; Ruby Riott and Bianca Belair defeating The IIconics ; Shayna Baszler returning ; and Bobby Lashley defeating Ricochet .

July 14 (UPI) -- Randy Orton challenged Big Show to an unsanctioned match after he faced 24/7 Champion R-Truth on Raw.
Orton was once again accompanied by living legend Ric Flair who praised Truth before the bell rang on Monday. Flair promised that Orton would not injure Truth.
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Truth started the match by asking Orton if he could speak with Flair first. The 24/7 Champion was lying, however, and used it to gain an early advantage against Orton.
The Viper weathered Truth's offense and immediately delivered an RKO to win the match in quick fashion. Orton, despite Flair's promise, teased that he was going to perform his signature punt kick that has taken out Edge and Christian in recent weeks.
Big Show then entered the arena to try and save Truth. Orton then challenged Big Show to an unsanctioned match next week on Raw as he left with Flair, which Big Show accepted.
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Also on Raw, Women's Tag Team Champions Bayley and Sasha Banks defended their titles against The Kabuki Warriors which consist of Raw Women's Champion Asuka and Kairi Sane. This match featured nearly every women's champion in WWE as Bayley is also the SmackDown Women's Champion.
Bayley and Banks started things off by sneak attacking The Kabuki Warriors before the bout officially started. The duo, who have been dominating the women's division and have competed on every WWE brand, briefly took Sane out of the contest by throwing her into the plexiglass barricade that surrounds the ring.
Asuka, after finally being tagged in, attacked Bayley and Banks hard. Asuka locked in the Asuka Lock onto The Boss but Bayley was able to stop the submission hold. The Kabuki Warriors were then on the verge of victory as Sane landed her Insane Elbow on Banks, but Bayley once again was able to save the match for her team.
Asuka and Bayley Dos Straps then starting fighting outside the ring as Banks applied The Bank Statement to Sane, causing her to tap out.
Banks will be facing Asuka for the Raw Women's Championship Sunday at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules while Bayley will be defending her SmackDown Women's Championship against Nikki Cross.
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Seth Rollins was in action against Kevin Owens in a highly-competitive match. The bout, which took place after Rollins' disciple Murphy lost to Aleister Black, was a rematch from WrestleMania 36 in April.
Rollins' rival Rey Mysterio, Black and Mysterio's son Dominik, surrounded the ring in support of Owens. The Monday Night Messiah gained an advantage by attacking Owen's eye and got ready to end things with the Stomp.
Mysterio, Black and Dominik then started distracting Rollins by jumping up onto the ring apron. This allowed Owens to nail Rollins with a Stunner and win the match.
Rollins will be facing Mysterio Sunday in a Eye for an Eye match.
Other moments from Raw included WWE Champion Drew McIntyre knocking out Dolph Ziggler on MVP's VIP Lounge; Andrade and Angel Garza defeating The Viking Raiders in an Elimination Tag match; Ruby Riott and Bianca Belair defeating The IIconics; Shayna Baszler returning; and Bobby Lashley defeating Ricochet.


upi--2020-07-14--South Korean President Moon Jae-in unveils ambitious 'New Deal'

SEOUL , July 14 ( UPI ) -- President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday declared his government 's aim to `` fundamentally change '' South Korea through a package of economic , environmental and social reforms he is billing as the Korean version of the New Deal .
During a televised speech at the presidential Blue House , Moon laid out some details of the $ 133 billion plan , which he said would help overcome the COVID-19 crisis and transform South Korea into a country that will become a leader of the global economy in the coming years .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy , from a carbon-dependent economy to a low-carbon economy , from an unequal society to an inclusive society , it is the government 's strong will to fundamentally change South Korea , '' Moon said .
Moon predicted that 1.9 million new jobs would be created by 2025 under the plan .
By the end of Moon 's five-year presidential term in 2022 , 890,000 jobs would be created , he said .
The New Deal , originally announced in April as part of a coronavirus stimulus package , is built around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a green New Deal .
The green New Deal looks to move South Korea away from its heavy dependency on fossil fuel with investments in areas such as renewable energy , eco-friendly buildings , electric vehicles and telemedicine .
Meanwhile , the digital New Deal will look to leverage South Korea 's robust technology infrastructure to take a leading role in industries such as 5G , artificial intelligence and big data .
`` We have the skills and capabilities to lead the digital revolution , '' Moon said .
`` With bold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life , including society , economy , education , industry and medical care , we will advance to become the world 's top digital country . ''
The national government will directly invest around $ 95 billion in the New Deal projects , while the remaining funds would come from local governments and private investment , Moon said .
The government is also aiming to reduce social inequality , he added , noting that the coronavirus pandemic exposed the vulnerability of the social safety net for many , including freelancers and contract workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the New Deal , while the government will invest directly in job creation and job training .
The New Deal refers to the series of programs enacted by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s to help pull the United States out of the Great Depression .
South Korea 's economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus , shrinking 1.3 percent in the first quarter of 2020 in its sharpest contraction since the global financial crisis of 2008 .
The Bank of Korea is forecasting that the economy will shrink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the International Monetary Fund recently revised its forecast downward to a decline of 2.1 percent for the year .
The government has pledged $ 225 billion in stimulus this year to help prop up the economy and minimize the impact of the coronavirus .
On the political front , it remains to be seen whether this ambitious project will boost Moon 's flagging approval ratings .
While the president had seen his popularity rating rise to 71 percent in May over his administration 's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic , that figure tumbled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released Friday , based in large part over soaring housing prices in an overheated real estate market that he 's been unable to tame .
Deteriorating relations with North Korea also have taken a toll on Moon 's approval , as Pyongyang cut off all communications with Seoul and destroyed an inter-Korean liaison office last month in retaliation for defectors sending information leaflets on balloons across the border .
In Tuesday 's address , Moon touted South Korea 's extraordinary development over the past century as it weathered colonization , war and division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy .
However , he said that now is the time for South Korea embark on a new path .
`` The growth of the old way is now at its limit , and the shadow of inequality remains dark , '' he said .
`` The post-coronavirus era marks a new 100-year path toward a leading economy , an aggressive response to climate change and a great transition to an inclusive society .
For the future of Korea , it is a task that can no longer be delayed . ''

President Moon Jae-in announces details of the $133 billion "Korean New Deal" in Seoul on Tuesday. Photo by Yonhap
SEOUL, July 14 (UPI) -- President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday declared his government's aim to "fundamentally change" South Korea through a package of economic, environmental and social reforms he is billing as the Korean version of the New Deal. During a televised speech at the presidential Blue House, Moon laid out some details of the $133 billion plan, which he said would help overcome the COVID-19 crisis and transform South Korea into a country that will become a leader of the global economy in the coming years. Advertisement
"From a pursuing economy to a leading economy, from a carbon-dependent economy to a low-carbon economy, from an unequal society to an inclusive society, it is the government's strong will to fundamentally change South Korea," Moon said.
Moon predicted that 1.9 million new jobs would be created by 2025 under the plan. By the end of Moon's five-year presidential term in 2022, 890,000 jobs would be created, he said.
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The New Deal, originally announced in April as part of a coronavirus stimulus package, is built around two components: a digital New Deal and a green New Deal.
The green New Deal looks to move South Korea away from its heavy dependency on fossil fuel with investments in areas such as renewable energy, eco-friendly buildings, electric vehicles and telemedicine.
Meanwhile, the digital New Deal will look to leverage South Korea's robust technology infrastructure to take a leading role in industries such as 5G, artificial intelligence and big data.
"We have the skills and capabilities to lead the digital revolution," Moon said. "With bold and proactive investment in all areas of life, including society, economy, education, industry and medical care, we will advance to become the world's top digital country."
The national government will directly invest around $95 billion in the New Deal projects, while the remaining funds would come from local governments and private investment, Moon said.
The government is also aiming to reduce social inequality, he added, noting that the coronavirus pandemic exposed the vulnerability of the social safety net for many, including freelancers and contract workers.
Unemployment insurance benefits will be expanded under the New Deal, while the government will invest directly in job creation and job training.
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The New Deal refers to the series of programs enacted by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s to help pull the United States out of the Great Depression.
South Korea's economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus, shrinking 1.3 percent in the first quarter of 2020 in its sharpest contraction since the global financial crisis of 2008. The Bank of Korea is forecasting that the economy will shrink by 0.2 percent in 2020, while the International Monetary Fund recently revised its forecast downward to a decline of 2.1 percent for the year.
The government has pledged $225 billion in stimulus this year to help prop up the economy and minimize the impact of the coronavirus.
On the political front, it remains to be seen whether this ambitious project will boost Moon's flagging approval ratings. While the president had seen his popularity rating rise to 71 percent in May over his administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, that figure tumbled to 47 percent in a Gallup poll released Friday, based in large part over soaring housing prices in an overheated real estate market that he's been unable to tame.
Deteriorating relations with North Korea also have taken a toll on Moon's approval, as Pyongyang cut off all communications with Seoul and destroyed an inter-Korean liaison office last month in retaliation for defectors sending information leaflets on balloons across the border.
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In Tuesday's address, Moon touted South Korea's extraordinary development over the past century as it weathered colonization, war and division to grow into the world's 12th-largest economy. However, he said that now is the time for South Korea embark on a new path.
"The growth of the old way is now at its limit, and the shadow of inequality remains dark," he said. "The post-coronavirus era marks a new 100-year path toward a leading economy, an aggressive response to climate change and a great transition to an inclusive society. For the future of Korea, it is a task that can no longer be delayed."
World moves to reopen amid COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-07-14--Emirates Mars launch delayed until Thursday due to weather

July 14 ( UPI ) -- The first of three planned missions to Mars this summer scheduled to lift off from Japan on Tuesday was postponed at the last minute due to weather at the launch site , officials said , delaying the historic first attempt for the United Arab Emirates to reach the Red Planet until Thursday .
Launch of the Emirati orbiting satellite , named Hope , was planned for 4:51 p.m. EDT from Tanegashima Space Center , about 450 miles south of Hiroshima , aboard a Japanese H-2A rocket , but was delayed hours before its scheduled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' on Tanegashima Island , the mission announced on Twitter .
The UAE Space Agency said the launch date has been rescheduled for Thursday at 4:43 p.m. EDT .
The launch is to be followed by a Chinese Tianwen-1 Mars mission planned for July 23 , and then NASA 's Mars Perseverance rover no earlier than July 30 .
Assembly of the Hope satellite in Dubai -- with help from the University of Colorado -- already has created an enthusiasm for space within the UAE , said Sarah bint Yousif Al-Amiri , chair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We see more and more children dreaming about space and getting excited about it .
We see more interest in space science , '' Al-Amiri said .
The mission is the first attempt by any Arab country to reach another planet .
Only the United States , Russia , the European Space Agency and India sent spacecraft to Mars .
The UAE planned for the mission to arrive at Mars in February to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the country 's founding in 1971 .
Hope carries three instruments that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- two years on Mars -- to gather data and images of the atmosphere .
The goal is to gain a better understanding of Martian weather and atmospheric processes around the entire planet in all of its seasons , not just in a few locations , Al-Amiri said .
The mission could last longer , but Al-Amiri declined to discuss what further science might be accomplished beyond the planned duration .
`` The mission will be covering the full day-to-night cycle ... to capture the full range of conditions in Martian weather systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which UAE intends to share with up to 200 nations , could help scientists understand one of the mysteries about Mars : why the planet lost much of its atmosphere over millions of years .
`` We 'll be looking at how did Mars go from a denser atmosphere to a very thin atmosphere by looking at whether or not the Mars weather system plays a role in 'kicking out ' hydrogen , '' Al-Amiri said .
The orbiter will deliver unique science , but the instruments on board are fairly standard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Brett Landin , a spacecraft systems engineer at the University of Colorado-Boulder , who leads the mission 's spacecraft team .
A team of UAE citizens built the Hope spacecraft at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai , with total mission cost of about $ 200 million .
The orbiter is about 9 1/2 feet long and 8 feet wide .
`` For Earth 's atmosphere , we look at clouds .
For Mars , we 'll look at any traces of vapor .
Here we monitor fires from orbit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking at dust storms , '' Landin said .
Landin said the UAE chose Japan 's H-2A rocket because of its capabilities and because the two nations had cooperated on other space-related missions .
The Emirates Mars Mission launch will be the 42nd for the H-2A .
The rocket , manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries , is about 174 feet tall .
In its most powerful configuration with four boosters , the rocket can achieve almost 2 million pounds of thrust , but this launch will use two boosters .
The mission received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the Emiratis learned the technology and accomplished their goal , Landin said .
`` This was built by young engineers in the UAE who did n't know how to do this just six years ago , '' he said .
`` The goal was technology transfer . ''
Final construction of the satellite and transport from the Middle East to Japan occurred under COVID-19 restrictions , said Pete Withnell , program manager with the University of Colorado 's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics .
Although the pandemic made logistics more complicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
`` We had to travel , and working that out during the pandemic required volunteers to travel and be away from their homes .
Quarantine delays were added .
Embassies and governments were brought in to help us meet the timeline for launch , '' Withnell said .
The cluster of Mars missions launching in 2020 is because of required timing , he said , since Mars and Earth only come into close proximity every two years .
If the launch window is missed , the mission would be postponed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even the construction of the spacecraft was a big win for the UAE , Withnell said .
`` I think this has been a game-changer for the UAE , definitely , like the U.S. moon shot , '' he said .
`` Many people were skeptical .
I think we 'll see big things happening there in the future . ''

1/5
An artist's conception depicts the United Arab Emirates Mars Hope orbiter near the Red Planet. Image courtesy of UAE Space Agency
July 14 (UPI) -- The first of several planned missions to Mars this summer is scheduled to lift off from Japan on Thursday, representing a historic first attempt at an interplanetary mission for the United Arab Emirates. Launch of the Emirati orbiting satellite, named Hope, is planned for Thursday at 4:43 p.m. EDT from Tanegashima Space Center, about 450 miles south of Hiroshima, aboard a Japanese H-2A rocket. It had been postponed from Tuesday because of bad weather. Advertisement
The launch is to be followed by a Chinese Tianwen-1 Mars mission planned for July 23, and then NASA's Mars Perseverance rover no earlier than July 30.
Assembly of the Hope satellite in Dubai -- with help from the University of Colorado -- already has created an enthusiasm for space within the UAE, said Sarah bint Yousif Al-Amiri, chair of the nation's Council of Scientists.
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"We see more and more children dreaming about space and getting excited about it. We see more interest in space science," Al-Amiri said.
The mission is the first attempt by any Arab country to reach another planet. Only the United States, Russia, the European Space Agency and India sent spacecraft to Mars.
The UAE planned for the mission to arrive at Mars in February to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the country's founding in 1971.
Hope will carry three instruments that will circle Mars for four Earth years -- two years on Mars -- to gather data and images of the atmosphere. The goal is to gain a better understanding of Martian weather and atmospheric processes around the entire planet in all of its seasons, not just in a few locations, Al-Amiri said.
The project could last longer, but Al-Amiri declined to discuss what further science might be accomplished beyond the planned duration.
"The mission will be covering the full day-to-night cycle ... to capture the full range of conditions in Martian weather systems," she said.
The data, which UAE intends to share with up to 200 nations, could help scientists understand one of the mysteries about Mars: why the planet lost much of its atmosphere over millions of years.
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"We'll be looking at how did Mars go from a denser atmosphere to a very thin atmosphere by looking at whether or not the Mars weather system plays a role in 'kicking out' hydrogen," Al-Amiri said.
The orbiter will deliver unique science, but the instruments on board are fairly standard technology used on other space missions, said Brett Landin, a spacecraft systems engineer at the University of Colorado-Boulder, who leads the mission's spacecraft team.
A team of UAE citizens built the Hope spacecraft at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai, with total mission cost of about $200 million. The orbiter is about 9 1/2 feet long and 8 feet wide.
"For Earth's atmosphere, we look at clouds. For Mars, we'll look at any traces of vapor. Here we monitor fires from orbit. For Mars, we'll be looking at dust storms," Landin said.
Landin said the UAE chose Japan's H-2A rocket because of its capabilities and because the two nations had cooperated on other space-related missions. The Emirates Mars Mission launch will be the 42nd for the H-2A.
The rocket, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is about 174 feet tall. In its most powerful configuration with four boosters, the rocket can achieve almost 2 million pounds of thrust, but this launch will use two boosters.
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The mission received coaching and guidance from U.S. experts, but the Emiratis learned the technology and accomplished their goal, Landin said.
"This was built by young engineers in the UAE who didn't know how to do this just six years ago," he said. "The goal was technology transfer."
Final construction of the satellite and transport from the Middle East to Japan occurred under COVID-19 restrictions, said Pete Withnell, program manager with the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.
Although the pandemic made logistics more complicated, the schedule was not affected, he said.
"We had to travel, and working that out during the pandemic required volunteers to travel and be away from their homes. Quarantine delays were added. Embassies and governments were brought in to help us meet the timeline for launch," Withnell said.
The cluster of Mars missions launching in 2020 is because of required timing, he said, since Mars and Earth only come into close proximity every two years. If the launch window is missed, the mission would be postponed for at least that length of time.
Even the construction of the spacecraft was a big win for the UAE, Withnell said.
"I think this has been a game-changer for the UAE, definitely, like the U.S. moon shot," he said. "Many people were skeptical. I think we'll see big things happening there in the future."
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Astronauts make round trip to space station from U.S. soil
NASA astronaut Douglas Hurley (C) waves to onlookers as he boards a plane at Naval Air Station Pensacola to return him and NASA astronaut Robert Behnken home to Houston a few hours after the duo landed in their SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft off the coast of Pensacola, Fla,, on August 2, 2020. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo


upi--2020-07-14--Study: 5.4M Americans lost health insurance amid pandemic

July 14 ( UPI ) -- An estimated 5.4 million Americans lost their health insurance between February and May because of job losses due to the coronavirus pandemic , a new study said , stating it is the greatest loss in healthcare coverage in the country 's history .
The 23-page report , published by the nonpartisan Families USA consumer advocacy group on Monday , said the number of people who lost their health insurance during the three-month period is 39 percent higher than any annual increase ever recorded , trumping the previous high of 3.9 million non-elderly adults who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2008 to 2009 .
Nearly half of those who lost insurance due to the pandemic reside in the five states of California , Texas , Florida , New York and North Carolina , the report said , adding the new increases also mean that more than 20 percent of adults in the eight states of Georgia , Florida , South Carolina , North Carolina , Mississippi , Oklahoma and Texas are without health insurance .
`` Families in America are losing comprehensive health insurance in record numbers , '' the report said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a grave public health crisis and deep economic downturn . ''
The numbers could also be much higher as they do not include the family members of workers who recently lost their jobs and with it their health insurance , said the report , which is the product of compiling data from each state to examine the effects of COVID-19 on workers below 65 , the age at which one is guaranteed Medicare .
Between February and May , 21.9 million Americans lost their jobs due to the economic contraction caused by states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stymie the spread of COVID-19 , which has infected more than 3.3 million people in the United States resulting in more than 135,600 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Late last week , the Labor Department said more than 1.3 million American workers had filed new claims for unemployment benefits , representing the 16th straight week of at least 1 million new claims .
Families USA said that despite the historic losses , no COVID-19 legislation has yet to be signed into law to protect comprehensive health insurance , stating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coverage losses .
`` Now is the time to fill that gap by including protections for comprehensive health insurance in the next COVID-19 bill , '' the consumer advocacy group said .
The report comes as cases continue to surge in the United States , which recorded more than 60,000 new cases a day in three of the past five days with the other two days recording just shy of that figure , according to data compiled by the Baltimore university .
Many of the states where the number of uninsured has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , such as Florida , which set a single-day record by any state at more than 15,000 new infections over the weekend , and California , which on Monday ordered dine-in restaurants , bars , movie theaters and the like to again close .

Cars idle for miles in line for food being distributed to residents impacted by the COVID-19 crisis at Jordan High School in Long Beach, Calif., on May 9. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
July 14 (UPI) -- An estimated 5.4 million Americans lost their health insurance between February and May because of job losses due to the coronavirus pandemic, a new study said, stating it is the greatest loss in healthcare coverage in the country's history. The 23-page report, published by the nonpartisan Families USA consumer advocacy group on Monday, said the number of people who lost their health insurance during the three-month period is 39 percent higher than any annual increase ever recorded, trumping the previous high of 3.9 million non-elderly adults who became uninsured during the one-year period of 2008 to 2009. Advertisement
Nearly half of those who lost insurance due to the pandemic reside in the five states of California, Texas, Florida, New York and North Carolina, the report said, adding the new increases also mean that more than 20 percent of adults in the eight states of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas are without health insurance.
"Families in America are losing comprehensive health insurance in record numbers," the report said. "This creates particularly serious dangers during a grave public health crisis and deep economic downturn."
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The numbers could also be much higher as they do not include the family members of workers who recently lost their jobs and with it their health insurance, said the report, which is the product of compiling data from each state to examine the effects of COVID-19 on workers below 65, the age at which one is guaranteed Medicare.
Between February and May, 21.9 million Americans lost their jobs due to the economic contraction caused by states enforcing strict lockdown measures in an effort to stymie the spread of COVID-19, which has infected more than 3.3 million people in the United States resulting in more than 135,600 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Late last week, the Labor Department said more than 1.3 million American workers had filed new claims for unemployment benefits, representing the 16th straight week of at least 1 million new claims.
Families USA said that despite the historic losses, no COVID-19 legislation has yet to be signed into law to protect comprehensive health insurance, stating that policymakers need to know the magnitude of coverage losses.
"Now is the time to fill that gap by including protections for comprehensive health insurance in the next COVID-19 bill," the consumer advocacy group said.
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The report comes as cases continue to surge in the United States, which recorded more than 60,000 new cases a day in three of the past five days with the other two days recording just shy of that figure, according to data compiled by the Baltimore university.
Many of the states where the number of uninsured has climbed are also experiencing dramatic increases in cases, such as Florida, which set a single-day record by any state at more than 15,000 new infections over the weekend, and California, which on Monday ordered dine-in restaurants, bars, movie theaters and the like to again close.


upi--2020-07-14--Rheumatoid arthritis treatment doesn't damage lungs, study shows

Treatment with the immunosuppressant methotrexate does not raise the risk of lung disease among rheumatoid arthritis patients , two new studies claim .
At least 5 percent to 10 percent of rheumatoid arthritis , or RA , patients develop interstitial lung disease , which leads to inflammatory changes in lungs that are accompanied by a dry cough and breathing difficulties .
Severe disease may cause scarring of lung tissue -- fibrosis -- which may lead to a lifelong dependency on oxygen or even a lung transplant .
Lung disease is the cause of premature death in 10 percent to 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers .
The RA treatment methotrexate has been suspected of increasing the risk of interstitial lung disease , or ILD , in RA patients .
But these two studies concluded that methotrexate does not appear to be an additional risk factor for the lung disease in RA patients .
In the first study , researchers analyzed data from more than 30,000 RA patients in Denmark for the lung disease and breathing conditions .
`` RA patients have a higher risk of suffering from interstitial lung disease than the general population .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no evidential correlation to the treatment with methotrexate , '' said study author Lene Dreyer , from Aalborg University in Denmark .
The second study was conducted in France .
`` In a total of 1,223 RA patients , we were not only able to show that MTX [ methotrexate ] has no impact on the development of interstitial lung diseases but , in fact , may contribute to delaying this development , '' said study author Pierre-Antoine Juge , from the Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital in Paris .
`` The number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduced by more than half in comparison with RA patients not receiving any MTX treatment , '' Juge said in a European League Against Rheumatism news release .
`` Of course , further examinations are required to support the results and assure patients and physicians that treatment with MTX does not have any negative impact on the pulmonary health of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis , '' EULAR scientific chair John Isaacs said in the release .
He is from the University of Newcastle in England .
The American Lung Association has more @ @ @ @ @

Treatment with the immunosuppressant methotrexate does not raise the risk of lung disease among rheumatoid arthritis patients, two new studies claim.
At least 5 percent to 10 percent of rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, patients develop interstitial lung disease, which leads to inflammatory changes in lungs that are accompanied by a dry cough and breathing difficulties.
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Severe disease may cause scarring of lung tissue -- fibrosis -- which may lead to a lifelong dependency on oxygen or even a lung transplant. Lung disease is the cause of premature death in 10 percent to 20 percent of RA patients, according to researchers.
The RA treatment methotrexate has been suspected of increasing the risk of interstitial lung disease, or ILD, in RA patients.
But these two studies concluded that methotrexate does not appear to be an additional risk factor for the lung disease in RA patients.
In the first study, researchers analyzed data from more than 30,000 RA patients in Denmark for the lung disease and breathing conditions.
"RA patients have a higher risk of suffering from interstitial lung disease than the general population. However, based on our large dataset, there is no evidential correlation to the treatment with methotrexate," said study author Lene Dreyer, from Aalborg University in Denmark.
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The second study was conducted in France.
"In a total of 1,223 RA patients, we were not only able to show that MTX [methotrexate] has no impact on the development of interstitial lung diseases but, in fact, may contribute to delaying this development," said study author Pierre-Antoine Juge, from the Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital in Paris.
"The number of RA patients affected by ILD therapy was reduced by more than half in comparison with RA patients not receiving any MTX treatment," Juge said in a European League Against Rheumatism news release.
"Of course, further examinations are required to support the results and assure patients and physicians that treatment with MTX does not have any negative impact on the pulmonary health of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis," EULAR scientific chair John Isaacs said in the release. He is from the University of Newcastle in England.
More information
The American Lung Association has more on interstitial lung disease.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-07-14--'Friends'' David Schwimmer returns to comedy in 'Intelligence' bromance

LOS ANGELES , July 14 ( UPI ) -- David Schwimmer says he has n't been avoiding TV comedy since Friends ended in 2004 , even if it looks as if he has .
Aside from guest-starring on comedies like 30 Rock , Will & Grace and Episodes , most of Schwimmer 's acting work has been in drama , most notably as Robert Kardashian in the miniseries American Crime Story : The People Vs. O.J .
Simpson .
He returns to comedy in Intelligence , premiering Wednesday , when the Peacock streaming service launches .
Schwimmer portrays National Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England to serve as the NSA liaison to its Government Communications Headquarters .
`` Honestly , there was just never an idea or a script that I read that I thought was going to be as fun as this or as original as this , '' Schwimmer told UPI in a recent Zoom interview .
Jerry sees the Government Communications Headquarters as his opportunity to make his mark on the intelligence community .
He hopes to do this by whipping this rag tag group of second-rate analysts into shape .
The team includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , disheveled introvert cryptoanalyst ( Jane Stanness ) and distracted analyst Evelyn ( Eliot Salt ) .
Their boss , Christine ( Sylvestra Le Touzel ) , has less patience for Jerry than she has for her team .
Cyber data analyst Joseph Harries , played by Intelligence creator Nick Mohammed , looks up to Jerry .
Schwimmer says their friendship will be a highlight of the show .
`` It 's a bromance , '' Schwimer said .
`` Will they [ or ] wo n't they let themselves become friends because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since Peacock is a streaming service , no restrictions exist on language like those on broadcast TV .
Jerry and the Government Communications Headquarters team can say the F-word , and they do in many episodes .
`` I never really noticed the bad language in it , certainly when I was writing it , or even filming it , until my parents watched it , '' Mohammed said .
Mohammed acknowledged that he included more profanity than his parents were comfortable with , but it suits the abrasive personality of Jerry .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ profanity .
`` My character is vulgar , '' Schwimmer said .
`` He 's arrogant , brash , ignorant and insensitive and reckless . ''
Schwimmer says Jerry 's brash personality masks his deep insecurity .
Intelligence will reveal the truth about Jerry throughout the first season .
`` You really understand a little more of his backstory and realize he 's in a world of pain right now , '' Schwimmer said .
`` The mask keeps slipping throughout Season 1 , and you get to see what 's really going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researched the Government Communications Headquarters and NSA while developing Intelligence .
He said he read books that mainly focused on the GCHQ 's World War II activities , during which they were involved in cracking German Enigma codes .
Since the agencies maintain a great deal of secrecy , that allowed Mohammed to invent workplace scenarios for Intelligence .
`` You could really exaggerate certain elements of it and play with what people would maybe expect to happen there , '' Mohammed said .
Schwimmer debuts his new persona as he prepares to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ross .
He had expected to film a Friends reunion special for HBO Max by the time Intelligence premiered .
When Hollywood productions shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the special was postponed .
He plans to use the summer to brush up on old episodes so he 's ready for the reunion .
`` I 'm sure we 're going to be asked about things that happened 15 years ago and I have no memory of half the episodes , '' the 53-year-old said .
`` I 'm sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of homework . ''
With the city of Los Angeles and industry guilds releasing guidelines for COVID-19 safe productions , Schwimmer expects to be able to film the Friends reunion soon .
`` We 're hoping to shoot maybe the middle of August if it 's safe enough , '' Schwimmer said .
`` There 's no lines to learn .
It 's unscripted .
It 's basically an interview with some other funny bits planned .
It should be fun . ''

David Schwimmer (R) and Nick Mohammed star in "Intelligence." Photo courtesy of Peacock
LOS ANGELES, July 14 (UPI) -- David Schwimmer says he hasn't been avoiding TV comedy since Friends ended in 2004, even if it looks as if he has. Aside from guest-starring on comedies like 30 Rock, Will & Grace and Episodes, most of Schwimmer's acting work has been in drama, most notably as Robert Kardashian in the miniseries American Crime Story: The People Vs. O.J. Simpson. Advertisement
He returns to comedy in Intelligence, premiering Wednesday, when the Peacock streaming service launches. Schwimmer portrays National Security Agency agent Jerry Bernstein, sent to England to serve as the NSA liaison to its Government Communications Headquarters.
"Honestly, there was just never an idea or a script that I read that I thought was going to be as fun as this or as original as this," Schwimmer told UPI in a recent Zoom interview.
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Jerry sees the Government Communications Headquarters as his opportunity to make his mark on the intelligence community. He hopes to do this by whipping this rag tag group of second-rate analysts into shape.
The team includes brash hacker Tuva (Gana Bayarsaikhan), disheveled introvert cryptoanalyst (Jane Stanness) and distracted analyst Evelyn (Eliot Salt). Their boss, Christine (Sylvestra Le Touzel), has less patience for Jerry than she has for her team.
Cyber data analyst Joseph Harries, played by Intelligence creator Nick Mohammed, looks up to Jerry. Schwimmer says their friendship will be a highlight of the show.
"It's a bromance," Schwimer said. "Will they [or] won't they let themselves become friends because they're both desperately lonely?"
Since Peacock is a streaming service, no restrictions exist on language like those on broadcast TV. Jerry and the Government Communications Headquarters team can say the F-word, and they do in many episodes.
"I never really noticed the bad language in it, certainly when I was writing it, or even filming it, until my parents watched it," Mohammed said.
Mohammed acknowledged that he included more profanity than his parents were comfortable with, but it suits the abrasive personality of Jerry. He's responsible for most of the profanity.
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"My character is vulgar," Schwimmer said. "He's arrogant, brash, ignorant and insensitive and reckless."
Schwimmer says Jerry's brash personality masks his deep insecurity. Intelligence will reveal the truth about Jerry throughout the first season.
"You really understand a little more of his backstory and realize he's in a world of pain right now," Schwimmer said. "The mask keeps slipping throughout Season 1, and you get to see what's really going on with this guy."
Mohammed researched the Government Communications Headquarters and NSA while developing Intelligence. He said he read books that mainly focused on the GCHQ's World War II activities, during which they were involved in cracking German Enigma codes.
Since the agencies maintain a great deal of secrecy, that allowed Mohammed to invent workplace scenarios for Intelligence.
"You could really exaggerate certain elements of it and play with what people would maybe expect to happen there," Mohammed said.
Schwimmer debuts his new persona as he prepares to look back at his lovable Friends character, Ross. He had expected to film a Friends reunion special for HBO Max by the time Intelligence premiered.
When Hollywood productions shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the special was postponed. He plans to use the summer to brush up on old episodes so he's ready for the reunion.
Advertisement
"I'm sure we're going to be asked about things that happened 15 years ago and I have no memory of half the episodes," the 53-year-old said. "I'm sure I'm going to have to do a lot of homework."
With the city of Los Angeles and industry guilds releasing guidelines for COVID-19 safe productions, Schwimmer expects to be able to film the Friends reunion soon.
"We're hoping to shoot maybe the middle of August if it's safe enough," Schwimmer said. "There's no lines to learn. It's unscripted. It's basically an interview with some other funny bits planned. It should be fun."


upi--2020-07-14--'Brave New World' came true sooner than predicted, star Jessica Brown Findlay says

LOS ANGELES , July 14 ( UPI ) -- Aldous Huxley set his 1932 novel Brave New World in the year 2540 .
Though that still is five centuries away , the stars of the 2020 adaptation -- which premieres Wednesday on the new Peacock streaming service -- feel Huxley 's world is less distant now than it seemed when he imagined it .
`` I think great works all mine thinking outside the box and questioning things , '' Jessica Brown Findlay , who portrays New London citizen Lenina , told UPI in a recent Zoom interview .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come into fruition . ''
Bernard ( Harry Lloyd ) and Lenina take the drug Soma to stabilize their moods , like all citizens of New London do in Brave New World .
Lloyd feels the world of 2020 is not too far from New London , whether people avoid anxiety through medication or technological distraction .
`` Any quiet moment that might occur in a 10-second wait for a bus is now instantly filled with something exciting , '' Lloyd told UPI in a recent Zoom interview .
`` The fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago is pretty sentient . ''
In other ways , the television adaptation updates Huxley 's vision of the future .
Findlay said that aside from Lenina , the book had few female roles .
The show fills both New London and the SavageLands outside the city with women in equal measure to men .
`` So many of the roles where people are in power , they 're now played by women because there 's no reason why it could n't be a woman , '' Findlay told UPI .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernard and Lenina visit the SavageLands , in which the primitive world of 21st century technology is like a theme park .
There , Lenina and Bernard meet John the Savage ( Alden Ehrenreich ) , who has never taken Soma like all of those in the SavageLands do .
When the citizens of SavageLands have an uprising against the visiting New Londoners , John escapes with Bernard and Lenina back to their city .
In the show , as in Huxley 's book , John does not adapt to New London .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ utopia by stripping individuals of any freedom .
`` [ Huxley ] was able to foresee these different things that might emerge in society , '' Ehrenreich said .
`` People kind of become so comfortable and life becomes so convenient that they willingly give up certain freedoms that they have . ''
In contrast , Findlay believes the citizens of SavageLands are happier .
`` Freedom is really the only space in which true happiness can happen , '' Findlay said .
In depicting the SavageLands for a 2020 audience , Brave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the present day .
SavageLands recreates modern-day phenomena like Black Friday doorbusters as nostalgic events .
The Savages make do with entertainment that consumers have discarded by 2020 , but were unimaginable at the time Huxley wrote .
`` [ Production designers ] have a lot of fun in SavageLands by imagining things that are modern today , like these MP3 players that are now post-apocalyptic joke , '' Lloyd said .
`` They do n't make music anymore , but the idea of a CD is really interesting . ''
While New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white tile hallways and windows that overlook a futuristic sunset , Lloyd said the perfection should look a bit unsettling .
`` Imagine this perfect society that might be designed by AI , '' Lloyd said .
`` Or , something that might be designed to keep everyone stable and happy , which is also somewhat creepy . ''
Lloyd added that Huxley 's book focuses more on its depiction of the future society .
He said the series fleshes out Bernard , Lenina and John as human beings coping with the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few new characteristics , '' Lloyd said .
Huxley describes John as a romantic , inspired by reading Shakespeare 's plays in the SavageLands .
As the show progresses , Ehrenreich says it will portray John 's romantic side in a different way .
`` I thought [ series creator ] David Weiner did a great job of finding an updated and more modern feeling version of a character who 's deeply romantic with a capital R , '' Ehrenreich said .
Brave New World is Ehrenreich 's first project after Solo : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are science fiction , Ehrenreich feels Brave New World satirizes modern society .
He considers Star Wars a pure fantasy world .
`` [ Brave New World ] is more about reflecting our world back to us than it is about just immersing you in a new one as a kind of escape , '' Ehrenreich .
Findlay is best known for historical dramas like Downton Abbey , as one of three Crawley daughters in the castle , and Harlots in which she played an 18th century prostitute .
She said Brave New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depiction of the possible future , just as her historical shows transported her into history .
The sets were connected so that actors could film long scenes going between areas of New London as if it were a functioning city .
`` It ends up as about 10 to 15 minutes on camera that 's all connected , '' Findlay said .
Lloyd has appeared in the fantasy realm of Game of Thrones , the parallel worlds of Counterpart , historical dramas like Manhattan and the Marvel superhero world of Legion .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt like a world that really exists .
He marveled that it was so expansive , the crew required additional studio space to portray it .
`` We ran out of space and moved into another studio a few weeks in , '' Lloyd said .

1/5
Jessica Brown Findlay stars in the new adaptation of "Brave New World." File Photo by Paul Treadway/ UPI | License Photo
LOS ANGELES, July 14 (UPI) -- Aldous Huxley set his 1932 novel Brave New World in the year 2540. Though that still is five centuries away, the stars of the 2020 adaptation -- which premieres Wednesday on the new Peacock streaming service -- feel Huxley's world is less distant now than it seemed when he imagined it. "I think great works all mine thinking outside the box and questioning things," Jessica Brown Findlay, who portrays New London citizen Lenina, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "It's not surprising sometimes when they come into fruition." Advertisement
Bernard (Harry Lloyd) and Lenina take the drug Soma to stabilize their moods, like all citizens of New London do in Brave New World. Lloyd feels the world of 2020 is not too far from New London, whether people avoid anxiety through medication or technological distraction.
"Any quiet moment that might occur in a 10-second wait for a bus is now instantly filled with something exciting," Lloyd told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "The fact that [Huxley] foresaw that 100 years ago is pretty sentient."
Advertisement
In other ways, the television adaptation updates Huxley's vision of the future. Findlay said that aside from Lenina, the book had few female roles. The show fills both New London and the SavageLands outside the city with women in equal measure to men.
"So many of the roles where people are in power, they're now played by women because there's no reason why it couldn't be a woman," Findlay told UPI. "It's a show for now."
Bernard and Lenina visit the SavageLands, in which the primitive world of 21st century technology is like a theme park. There, Lenina and Bernard meet John the Savage (Alden Ehrenreich), who has never taken Soma like all of those in the SavageLands do.
When the citizens of SavageLands have an uprising against the visiting New Londoners, John escapes with Bernard and Lenina back to their city. In the show, as in Huxley's book, John does not adapt to New London. He feels they have created a so-called utopia by stripping individuals of any freedom.
"[Huxley] was able to foresee these different things that might emerge in society," Ehrenreich said. "People kind of become so comfortable and life becomes so convenient that they willingly give up certain freedoms that they have."
Advertisement
In contrast, Findlay believes the citizens of SavageLands are happier.
"Freedom is really the only space in which true happiness can happen," Findlay said.
In depicting the SavageLands for a 2020 audience, Brave New World filled them with artifacts from the present day. SavageLands recreates modern-day phenomena like Black Friday doorbusters as nostalgic events. The Savages make do with entertainment that consumers have discarded by 2020, but were unimaginable at the time Huxley wrote.
"[Production designers] have a lot of fun in SavageLands by imagining things that are modern today, like these MP3 players that are now post-apocalyptic joke," Lloyd said. "They don't make music anymore, but the idea of a CD is really interesting."
While New London might look clean and idyllic with white tile hallways and windows that overlook a futuristic sunset, Lloyd said the perfection should look a bit unsettling.
"Imagine this perfect society that might be designed by AI," Lloyd said. "Or, something that might be designed to keep everyone stable and happy, which is also somewhat creepy."
Lloyd added that Huxley's book focuses more on its depiction of the future society. He said the series fleshes out Bernard, Lenina and John as human beings coping with the world Huxley created.
Advertisement
"Everyone gets a few new characteristics," Lloyd said.
Huxley describes John as a romantic, inspired by reading Shakespeare's plays in the SavageLands. As the show progresses, Ehrenreich says it will portray John's romantic side in a different way.
"I thought [series creator] David Weiner did a great job of finding an updated and more modern feeling version of a character who's deeply romantic with a capital R," Ehrenreich said.
Brave New World is Ehrenreich's first project after Solo: A Star Wars Story. Although both are science fiction, Ehrenreich feels Brave New World satirizes modern society. He considers Star Wars a pure fantasy world.
"[Brave New World] is more about reflecting our world back to us than it is about just immersing you in a new one as a kind of escape," Ehrenreich.
Findlay is best known for historical dramas like Downton Abbey, as one of three Crawley daughters in the castle, and Harlots in which she played an 18th century prostitute. She said Brave New World felt like it was a believable depiction of the possible future, just as her historical shows transported her into history.
The sets were connected so that actors could film long scenes going between areas of New London as if it were a functioning city.
Advertisement
"It ends up as about 10 to 15 minutes on camera that's all connected," Findlay said.
Lloyd has appeared in the fantasy realm of Game of Thrones, the parallel worlds of Counterpart, historical dramas like Manhattan and the Marvel superhero world of Legion. He concurred with Findlay that Brave New World felt like a world that really exists. He marveled that it was so expansive, the crew required additional studio space to portray it.
"We ran out of space and moved into another studio a few weeks in," Lloyd said.


upi--2020-07-14--Famous birthdays for July 14: Jane Lynch, Taboo

July 14 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer .
-- Gerald @ @ @ @ @ the United States , in 1913

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Jane Lynch attends the Creative Arts Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on September 15. The actor turns 60 on July 14. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
July 14 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include: Advertisement
-- Czech painter Alphonse Mucha in 1860
-- Suffragist Emmeline Pankhurst in 1858
-- Austrian painter Gustav Klimt in 1862
-- Cartoonist William Hanna in 1910
-- Folk singer Woody Guthrie in 1912
-- Gerald Ford, 38th president of the United States, in 1913
UPI File Photo
-- Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman in 1918
-- Actor Harry Dean Stanton in 1926
-- TV news commentator John Chancellor in 1927
-- Football star/actor Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier in 1932 (age 88)
-- Guitarist Lady Bo, born Peggy Jones, in 1940
-- Evangelist Franklin Graham in 1952 (age 68)
-- Actor/director Eric Laneuville in 1952 (age 68)
-- Film producer Joel Silver in 1952 (age 68)
-- Actor Jane Lynch in 1960 (age 60)
-- Actor Matthew Fox in 1966 (age 54)
-- R&B singer/reality star Tameka Harris in 1975 (age 45)
-- Rapper Jaime "Taboo" Gomez in 1975 (age 45)
File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
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-- Princess Victoria of Sweden in 1977 (age 43)
-- Dancer Peta Murgatroyd in 1986 (age 34)
-- Singer Dan Reynolds in 1987 (age 33)
-- MMA fighter Conor McGregor in 1988 (age 32)
-- Singer Bibi Bourelly in 1994 (age 26)


upi--2020-07-14--On This Day, July 14: Hank Aaron hits 500th home run

July 14 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1789 , French peasants stormed the Bastille prison in Paris , beginning the French Revolution .
The event is commemorated as `` Bastille Day , '' a national holiday in France .
In 1793 , Jean Paul Marat , one of the most outspoken leaders of the French Revolution , was stabbed to death in his bath by Charlotte Corday , a Royalist sympathizer .
The murder was immortalized in a painting by Jacques-Louis David .
In 1881 , outlaw Billy the Kid was shot to death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 1914 , Robert Goddard , father of the space age , was granted the first patent for a liquid-fueled rocket design .
His first rocket soared for about 2 seconds , flew as fast as 60 mph and landed 174 feet from the lift-off pad .
In 1933 , all political parties except the Nazis were officially suppressed in Germany .
In 1966 , eight student nurses were found killed in Chicago .
Drifter Richard Speck , later convicted of the slayings , died in prison in 1991 .
In 1968 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aaron became the seventh person to hit 500 home runs for the Atlanta Braves in a win over the San Francisco Giants .
In 2007 , Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country would suspend its participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty , a Cold War agreement that limited deployment of heavy weaponry .
In 2009 , within months after repaying bailout money supplied by the U.S. government , New York banking giant Goldman Sachs reported a profit of $ 3.44 billion for the first quarter of the year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Citigroup also reported big profits .
In 2014 , the Church of England 's governing body voted to allow women to become bishops for first time in the church 's history .
In 2015 , the New Horizons space probe came within 7,800 miles of Pluto , providing NASA scientists with the clearest photographs and most detailed measurements they 've ever seen of the dwarf planet .
In 2016 , 86 people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice , France , were killed when a truck drove into a crowd .
The Islamic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2019 , Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer to win his fifth Wimbledon title in a marathon five-set match that lasted nearly 5 hours .

1/3
Hall of Famer Hank Aaron waves to fans before he presents the 2014 Hank Aaron award to Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins and Mike Trout of the Angels before Game 4 of the World Series at AT&T Park in San Francisco on October 25, 2014. On July 14, 1968, Aaron became the seventh person to hit 500 home runs for the Atlanta Braves in a win over the San Francisco Giants. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
July 14 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1789, French peasants stormed the Bastille prison in Paris, beginning the French Revolution. The event is commemorated as "Bastille Day," a national holiday in France. Advertisement
In 1793, Jean Paul Marat, one of the most outspoken leaders of the French Revolution, was stabbed to death in his bath by Charlotte Corday, a Royalist sympathizer. The murder was immortalized in a painting by Jacques-Louis David.
In 1881, outlaw Billy the Kid was shot to death at a ranch in New Mexico.
In 1914, Robert Goddard, father of the space age, was granted the first patent for a liquid-fueled rocket design. His first rocket soared for about 2 seconds, flew as fast as 60 mph and landed 174 feet from the lift-off pad.
File Photo courtesy of NASA
In 1933, all political parties except the Nazis were officially suppressed in Germany.
In 1966, eight student nurses were found killed in Chicago. Drifter Richard Speck, later convicted of the slayings, died in prison in 1991.
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In 1968, future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Hank Aaron became the seventh person to hit 500 home runs for the Atlanta Braves in a win over the San Francisco Giants.
In 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country would suspend its participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty, a Cold War agreement that limited deployment of heavy weaponry.
File Photo by Anatoli Zhdanov/UPI
In 2009, within months after repaying bailout money supplied by the U.S. government, New York banking giant Goldman Sachs reported a profit of $3.44 billion for the first quarter of the year. JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup also reported big profits.
In 2014, the Church of England's governing body voted to allow women to become bishops for first time in the church's history.
In 2015, the New Horizons space probe came within 7,800 miles of Pluto, providing NASA scientists with the clearest photographs and most detailed measurements they've ever seen of the dwarf planet.
In 2016, 86 people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France, were killed when a truck drove into a crowd. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
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In 2019, Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer to win his fifth Wimbledon title in a marathon five-set match that lasted nearly 5 hours.