upi--2020-06-22--Climate change mystery solved: Ancient sea ice loss spurred Antarctic cold reversal

June 22 ( UPI ) -- A mysterious period of climate change , known as the Antarctic cold reversal , was triggered by the rapid loss of sea ice nearly 15,000 years ago , according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience .
At the end of the last ice age , some 18,000 years ago , atmospheric carbon levels began to rise , Earth 's glaciers started receding and the world steadily warmed .
But this period of warming did n't proceed uninterrupted .
It happened in fits and starts .
One fit , beginning 14,600 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Antarctic cold reversal .
After a period of greenhouse warming , atmospheric CO2 levels plateaued -- remaining at 240 parts per million for 1,900 years .
Scientists were n't sure what caused the plateau , but researchers recently found evidence of increased biological activity during the reversal period .
`` We found that in sediment cores located in the sea-ice zone of the Southern Ocean biological productivity increased during this critical period , whereas it decreased farther north , outside of the sea-ice zone , '' Michael Weber , researcher at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bonn in Switzerland , said in a news release .
`` It was now important to find out how climate records on the Antarctic continent depict this critical time period . ''
To better understand how changes in ice patterns influenced the region 's biological activity and the Antarctic carbon cycle , an international team of researchers headed to Western Antarctica 's Patriot Hills Blue Ice Area in search of marine biomarkers trapped in ancient ice layers .
`` The cause of this long plateau in global atmospheric CO2 levels may be fundamental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ocean to moderate atmospheric CO2 , '' said lead researcher Chris Fogwill .
`` Whilst recent reductions in emissions due to the Covid-19 pandemic have shown that we can reduce CO2 , we need to understand the ways in which CO2 levels have been stabilized by natural processes , as they may be key to the responsible development of geoengineering approaches and remain fundamental to achieving our commitment to the Paris Agreement , '' said Fogwill , professor of glaciology and palaeoclimatology at Keele University in Britain .
Blue ice areas are formed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embankments .
The combination of wind-drive snow transport , ice flow and sublimation leaves older , smoother and bluer ice exposed .
Many blue ice areas feature especially ancient ice , and some contain ice as much as 2.5 million years old , researchers say .
`` Instead of drilling kilometers into the ice , we can simply walk across a blue ice area to travel back through time , '' said researcher Chris Turney , a professor of climate change at the University of New South Wales .
`` This provides the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary for studying new organic biomarkers and DNA that were blown from the Southern Ocean onto Antarctica and preserved in the blue ice . ''
Analysis of the ice samples collected from the Patriot Hills revealed a growing abundance of marine organisms during the 1,900-year Antarctic cold reversal , researchers reported .
When scientists ran climate models fueled by paleoclimate data from the time period , their simulations showed the rise in biological activity coincided with dramatic seasonal changes in sea ice extent .
The research suggests sea ice losses triggered an increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CO2 from the atmosphere and sequester it in the ocean .
In future studies , scientists said they hope to use their findings to improve climate change prediction models for the Southern Ocean and Antarctica .
`` Our results highlight the role Antarctic sea ice plays in controlling global CO2 , and demonstrate the need to incorporate such feedbacks into climate-carbon models , '' researchers wrote in the study .

Researchers collected ancient ice samples from a blue ice area in Western Antarctica's Patriot Hills. Photo by Chris Turney
June 22 (UPI) -- A mysterious period of climate change, known as the Antarctic cold reversal, was triggered by the rapid loss of sea ice nearly 15,000 years ago, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience. At the end of the last ice age, some 18,000 years ago, atmospheric carbon levels began to rise, Earth's glaciers started receding and the world steadily warmed. But this period of warming didn't proceed uninterrupted. It happened in fits and starts. Advertisement
One fit, beginning 14,600 years ago, was particularly pronounced: the Antarctic cold reversal. After a period of greenhouse warming, atmospheric CO2 levels plateaued -- remaining at 240 parts per million for 1,900 years.
Scientists weren't sure what caused the plateau, but researchers recently found evidence of increased biological activity during the reversal period.
"We found that in sediment cores located in the sea-ice zone of the Southern Ocean biological productivity increased during this critical period, whereas it decreased farther north, outside of the sea-ice zone," Michael Weber, researcher at the Institute for Geosciences at the University of Bonn in Switzerland, said in a news release. "It was now important to find out how climate records on the Antarctic continent depict this critical time period."
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To better understand how changes in ice patterns influenced the region's biological activity and the Antarctic carbon cycle, an international team of researchers headed to Western Antarctica's Patriot Hills Blue Ice Area in search of marine biomarkers trapped in ancient ice layers.
"The cause of this long plateau in global atmospheric CO2 levels may be fundamental to understanding the potential of the Southern Ocean to moderate atmospheric CO2," said lead researcher Chris Fogwill.
"Whilst recent reductions in emissions due to the Covid-19 pandemic have shown that we can reduce CO2, we need to understand the ways in which CO2 levels have been stabilized by natural processes, as they may be key to the responsible development of geoengineering approaches and remain fundamental to achieving our commitment to the Paris Agreement," said Fogwill, professor of glaciology and palaeoclimatology at Keele University in Britain.
Blue ice areas are formed when high winds push snow into large embankments. The combination of wind-drive snow transport, ice flow and sublimation leaves older, smoother and bluer ice exposed.
Many blue ice areas feature especially ancient ice, and some contain ice as much as 2.5 million years old, researchers say.
"Instead of drilling kilometers into the ice, we can simply walk across a blue ice area to travel back through time," said researcher Chris Turney, a professor of climate change at the University of New South Wales. "This provides the opportunity to sample large volumes of ice necessary for studying new organic biomarkers and DNA that were blown from the Southern Ocean onto Antarctica and preserved in the blue ice."
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Analysis of the ice samples collected from the Patriot Hills revealed a growing abundance of marine organisms during the 1,900-year Antarctic cold reversal, researchers reported.
When scientists ran climate models fueled by paleoclimate data from the time period, their simulations showed the rise in biological activity coincided with dramatic seasonal changes in sea ice extent.
The research suggests sea ice losses triggered an increase in biological activity, which helped pull CO2 from the atmosphere and sequester it in the ocean.
In future studies, scientists said they hope to use their findings to improve climate change prediction models for the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.
"Our results highlight the role Antarctic sea ice plays in controlling global CO2, and demonstrate the need to incorporate such feedbacks into climate-carbon models," researchers wrote in the study.


upi--2020-06-22--Michigan man wins his second $4 million lottery jackpot in three years

June 22 ( UPI ) -- A Michigan man said his feelings were `` hard to put into words '' after winning a $ 4 million prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket -- for the second time .
Mark Clark , 50 , of South Rockwood , told Michigan Lottery officials he bought a $ 150,000,000 Payout scratch-off ticket from Ash Market in Carleton and scratched it off inside the store using a special coin .
`` I scratched the ticket off in the store with a coin my dad gave me about 10 years ago .
We lost him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggles , and I ca n't help but think maybe that lucky coin helped me win this , '' Clark recalled .
The player said he was shocked to see he had won a $ 4 million jackpot -- just three years after he won $ 4 million from a Millionaire 's Club scratch-off ticket .
`` You do n't think you 'll win millions once , and you definitely never think it would happen twice , '' Clark said .
`` It 's hard to put into words exactly what I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the winnings are similar to his plans for his 2017 jackpot .
`` After the first win , I retired from my job and spent a lot of time fishing .
My dad and I always used to fish together and have great memories of that , so this will help me keep fishing and enjoying time with my son and family , '' he said .

A Michigan man won a $4 million jackpot from a scratch-off lottery ticket just three years after winning the same amount from a different lottery game. Photo courtesy of the Michigan Lottery
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe June 22 (UPI) -- A Michigan man said his feelings were "hard to put into words" after winning a $4 million prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket -- for the second time. Mark Clark, 50, of South Rockwood, told Michigan Lottery officials he bought a $150,000,000 Payout scratch-off ticket from Ash Market in Carleton and scratched it off inside the store using a special coin. Advertisement
"I scratched the ticket off in the store with a coin my dad gave me about 10 years ago. We lost him about a year ago after some health struggles, and I can't help but think maybe that lucky coin helped me win this," Clark recalled.
The player said he was shocked to see he had won a $4 million jackpot -- just three years after he won $4 million from a Millionaire's Club scratch-off ticket.
"You don't think you'll win millions once, and you definitely never think it would happen twice," Clark said. "It's hard to put into words exactly what I am feeling."
Clark said his plans for the winnings are similar to his plans for his 2017 jackpot.
"After the first win, I retired from my job and spent a lot of time fishing. My dad and I always used to fish together and have great memories of that, so this will help me keep fishing and enjoying time with my son and family," he said.


upi--2020-06-22--Real swear words help dull pain, study finds

Ouch !
Many of us swear when we get hurt , and a new study shows it actually does help .
Turns out that swearing can significantly increase your pain tolerance -- but only if you use real swear words , and not G-rated versions that mimic them , British researchers report .
For the study , 92 volunteers held their hands in an ice bath .
To assess their pain threshold , researchers timed how long it took them to begin to feel pain , and their pain tolerance was determined by how long they were able to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Each participant did the experiment four times .
In random order , they were instructed to repeat either actual expletives or the fake swear words `` twizpipe '' and `` fouch . ''
Using actual swear words increased their pain tolerance by 33 percent , while the fake swear words did little to help people cope .
The findings were recently published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology .
`` This is the first study to assess whether novel 'swear ' words have any pain-relieving effects .
They did n't , even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emotion arousing , '' said lead author Richard Stephens , a senior lecturer in psychology at Keele University in the United Kingdom .
`` This new finding confirms that it 's not the surface properties of swear words , such as how they sound , that underlie the beneficial effects of swearing , but something much deeper , probably linked back to childhood as we learn swear words growing up , '' he said in a university news release .
The American Academy of Pediatrics discusses children and swearing .

Using actual swear words increased pain tolerance by 33 percent, while fake swear words did little to help people cope, the study found. Photo by Davis Silpa/UPI | License Photo
Ouch! Many of us swear when we get hurt, and a new study shows it actually does help. Turns out that swearing can significantly increase your pain tolerance -- but only if you use real swear words, and not G-rated versions that mimic them, British researchers report. Advertisement
For the study, 92 volunteers held their hands in an ice bath. To assess their pain threshold, researchers timed how long it took them to begin to feel pain, and their pain tolerance was determined by how long they were able to keep their hands in the freezing water.
Each participant did the experiment four times. In random order, they were instructed to repeat either actual expletives or the fake swear words "twizpipe" and "fouch."
Using actual swear words increased their pain tolerance by 33 percent, while the fake swear words did little to help people cope. The findings were recently published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
"This is the first study to assess whether novel 'swear' words have any pain-relieving effects. They didn't, even though they were rated as being funny and emotion arousing," said lead author Richard Stephens, a senior lecturer in psychology at Keele University in the United Kingdom.
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"This new finding confirms that it's not the surface properties of swear words, such as how they sound, that underlie the beneficial effects of swearing, but something much deeper, probably linked back to childhood as we learn swear words growing up," he said in a university news release.
More information
The American Academy of Pediatrics discusses children and swearing.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-06-22--Look: Deputies capture alligator attempting to cross Georgia highway

June 22 ( UPI ) -- Police in Georgia said officers encountered `` a dangerous subject '' attempting to walk @ @ @ @ @ and they safely apprehended the culprit -- an alligator .
The Gregg County Sheriff 's @ @ @ @ @ evening to Highway 135 , where an alligator was spotted wandering across the roadway .
@ @ @ @ @ help from the Department of Public Safety and a game warden .
`` The Gregg @ @ @ @ @ a report of a dangerous subject illegally crossing Hwy .
135 this evening , '' @ @ @ @ @ in a Facebook post .
`` The area was surrounded .
After a brief foot @ @ @ @ @ , and flex cuffs were applied .
No injuries were reported . ''

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June 22 (UPI) -- Police in Georgia said officers encountered "a dangerous subject" attempting to walk across a stretch of highway and they safely apprehended the culprit -- an alligator.
The Gregg County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded Sunday evening to Highway 135, where an alligator was spotted wandering across the roadway.
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Deputies apprehended the alligator with help from the Department of Public Safety and a game warden.
"The Gregg County Sheriff's Office received a report of a dangerous subject illegally crossing Hwy. 135 this evening," the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. "The area was surrounded. After a brief foot chase the suspect was apprehended, and flex cuffs were applied. No injuries were reported."


upi--2020-06-22--Top economic adviser Kevin Hassett to leave White House after volunteer stint

June 22 ( UPI ) -- Kevin Hassett , one of the White House 's top economic advisers , is leaving after a return volunteer engagement that helped the Trump administration interpret unprecedented economic turmoil of the coronavirus pandemic .
Hassett will depart this summer , White House officials told Axios , leaving the Trump administration without his expertise during the run-up to the November election .
Hassett served on President Donald Trump 's first Council of Economic Advisors and stepped down , only to return as a volunteer in March for 90 days as the economic ramifications of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has now elapsed .
Hassett has been an ally for Trump on cable television shows and has helped push the administration to support a Phase 4 economic stimulus bill , including expanding unemployment insurance and more direct payments to taxpayers .
Hassett warned in May that U.S. unemployment could hit 23 percent without more government stimulus , and could still remain in the `` double digits '' in November .
Hassett joins other top White House staffers who have stepped down in the past months , including the president 's special assistant for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olmen ; as well as Eric Ueland , director of legislative affairs ; and Joe Grogan , the White House 's Domestic Policy Council 's director .
Pentagon former undersecretary of defense James Miller also stepped down June 3 in protest over Trump 's use of security during a photoshoot at St. John 's Episcopal Church in Washington D.C. 's , Lafayette Square .
Hassett will return to a post as a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University 's Hoover Institution , Axios reported .
`` It 's always distressing when a high-ranking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an economic catastrophe , '' Ernie Tedeschi , a former Treasury economist in the Obama administration told the Washington Post .
`` They clearly brought him in again because they wanted more economic expertise -- and we are not past the point where we need economic expertise . ''

Senior adviser Kevin Hassett will leave the White House after a brief volunteer stint to help the Trump administration deal with the economic disruptions of the coronavirus pandemic. File photo by Stefani Reynolds/UPI | License Photo
June 22 (UPI) -- Kevin Hassett, one of the White House's top economic advisers, is leaving after a return volunteer engagement that helped the Trump administration interpret unprecedented economic turmoil of the coronavirus pandemic. Hassett will depart this summer, White House officials told Axios, leaving the Trump administration without his expertise during the run-up to the November election. Advertisement
Hassett served on President Donald Trump's first Council of Economic Advisors and stepped down, only to return as a volunteer in March for 90 days as the economic ramifications of the pandemic became evident. That time window has now elapsed.
Hassett has been an ally for Trump on cable television shows and has helped push the administration to support a Phase 4 economic stimulus bill, including expanding unemployment insurance and more direct payments to taxpayers.
Hassett warned in May that U.S. unemployment could hit 23 percent without more government stimulus, and could still remain in the "double digits" in November.
Hassett joins other top White House staffers who have stepped down in the past months, including the president's special assistant for economic policy, Indiana insurance executive Andrew Olmen; as well as Eric Ueland, director of legislative affairs; and Joe Grogan, the White House's Domestic Policy Council's director.
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Pentagon former undersecretary of defense James Miller also stepped down June 3 in protest over Trump's use of security during a photoshoot at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington D.C.'s, Lafayette Square.
Hassett will return to a post as a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, Axios reported.
"It's always distressing when a high-ranking economic adviser leaves in the middle of an economic catastrophe," Ernie Tedeschi, a former Treasury economist in the Obama administration told the Washington Post. "They clearly brought him in again because they wanted more economic expertise -- and we are not past the point where we need economic expertise."


upi--2020-06-22--Disneyland Paris to reopen in July

Disneyland Paris to reopen in July

June 22 ( UPI ) -- Disneyland Paris said Monday it would reopen July 15 after being closed since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The move coincides with the reopening of Disney 's Florida-based Epcot and Hollywood Studios theme parks and Florida 's Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom reopening a few days earlier .
Universal Studios was the first major theme park to resume operations on June 5 .
Disney 's California-based theme parks will also reopen the same week as Disneyland Paris .
The Paris-based Disney theme park is being reopened in accordance with guidance from French @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paris statement said Monday .
Safety measures will include placing limits on attendance and requiring guests and cast members ages 11 and older to wear face masks at the resort .
Some attractions will not return until a later date to improve safety and sanitary measures , such as `` Disney Stars on Parade '' and the nighttime `` Disney Illuminations '' show , according to the statement .
Meet and greets with Disney characters and services to speed up access to rides will also be suspended .
The Lion King : Rhythms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Book Jive shows will return later in the summer .
`` All of us at Disneyland Paris are excited to be on the path to reopening over the next few weeks , '' Disneyland Paris President Natacha Rafalski said in a statement .
`` Making magic means even more , as we reflect on the resilience of our cast members and community , the enthusiasm of our guest and fans , and the positive momentum of many reopenings in the tourism industry across Europe .
We are looking forward to the return of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for guests to once again enjoy . ''

A view of Fantasia Gardens at the entrance of Disneyland Paris theme park, which will reopen next month. Photo courtesy of Disneyland Paris
June 22 (UPI) -- Disneyland Paris said Monday it would reopen July 15 after being closed since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The move coincides with the reopening of Disney's Florida-based Epcot and Hollywood Studios theme parks and Florida's Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom reopening a few days earlier. Universal Studios was the first major theme park to resume operations on June 5. Advertisement
Disney's California-based theme parks will also reopen the same week as Disneyland Paris.
The Paris-based Disney theme park is being reopened in accordance with guidance from French government and health authorities, a Disneyland Paris statement said Monday. Safety measures will include placing limits on attendance and requiring guests and cast members ages 11 and older to wear face masks at the resort.
Some attractions will not return until a later date to improve safety and sanitary measures, such as "Disney Stars on Parade" and the nighttime "Disney Illuminations" show, according to the statement. Meet and greets with Disney characters and services to speed up access to rides will also be suspended. The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands and The Jungle Book Jive shows will return later in the summer.
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"All of us at Disneyland Paris are excited to be on the path to reopening over the next few weeks," Disneyland Paris President Natacha Rafalski said in a statement. "Making magic means even more, as we reflect on the resilience of our cast members and community, the enthusiasm of our guest and fans, and the positive momentum of many reopenings in the tourism industry across Europe. We are looking forward to the return of our cast members and reopening our gates for guests to once again enjoy."


upi--2020-06-22--Pungent package prompting post office evacuation was stinky fruit

June 22 ( UPI ) -- Police in Germany said a post office was evacuated and some workers received medical @ @ @ @ @ from a suspicious package that turned out to be full of a famously pungent fruit @ @ @ @ @ the Bavarian town of Schweinfurt responded to the municipality 's post office Saturday when workers @ @ @ @ @ from a package .
`` Due to the unknown content , it was initially unclear @ @ @ @ @ a greater risk , '' Schweinfurt police said in a statement .
Police said 12 @ @ @ @ @ illness from the smell were treated by medical personnel at the scene , while six @ @ @ @ @ hospital as a precaution .
Investigators opened the package and discovered it was filled with @ @ @ @ @ famous for its strong odor , which has been compared to rotten food , dirty @ @ @ @ @ fruit , prized for its appealing flavor despite its smell , was eventually delivered to @ @ @ @

A post office in Germany was evacuated when workers detected a suspicious smell coming from a package that turned out to be full of pungent durian fruit. Photo by PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe June 22 (UPI) -- Police in Germany said a post office was evacuated and some workers received medical treatment due to a smell from a suspicious package that turned out to be full of a famously pungent fruit. Police and firefighters in the Bavarian town of Schweinfurt responded to the municipality's post office Saturday when workers reported a suspicious smell coming from a package. Advertisement
"Due to the unknown content, it was initially unclear whether the suspect package posed a greater risk," Schweinfurt police said in a statement.
Police said 12 Deutsche Post workers complaining of illness from the smell were treated by medical personnel at the scene, while six were taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
Investigators opened the package and discovered it was filled with durian, a Thai fruit famous for its strong odor, which has been compared to rotten food, dirty socks and vomit.
The fruit, prized for its appealing flavor despite its smell, was eventually delivered to its intended recipient.


upi--2020-06-22--White House scales back COVID-19  temperature checks

June 22 ( UPI ) -- The White House allowed visitors Monday to enter the complex without a temperature check to control the spread of COVID-19 for the first time since mid-March .
The tent at the north gate entrance where White House medical staff had been taking temperatures during the coronavirus pandemic was removed Monday , according to pool reports .
`` In conjunction with Washington , D.C. , entering Phase Two today , the White House is scaling back complex-wide temperature checks , '' Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said in a statement .
`` In addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep cleaning of all work spaces , and voluntary facial coverings , every staff member and guest in close proximity to the president and vice president is still being temperature checked , asked symptom histories , and tested for COVID-19 . ''
The move shows a continued loosening of measures to control COVID-19 around the White House .
Last week , Press Secretary Kaleigh McEnany said that face masks , though recommended , would no longer be required to be worn through the West Wing .
The White House had directed staffers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wing in May after Vice President Mike Pence 's Press Secretary Katie Miller and one of President Donald Trump 's personal valets tested COVID-19 positive .
Also , last week , a Health Affairs study found that states that mandated use of face masks in public had a greater decline in COVID-19 growth rates than ones that did not issue such mandates .
Trump has said he does not want to be seen wearing a mask on camera and polls show partisan divides in mask wearing .
A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely as Republicans to use face masks all or most of the time they are in public places indoors .

The White House on Monday scaled back temperature checks for visitors after loosening face mask restrictions in the West Wing last week. File Photo by Anna Moneymaker/UPI | License Photo
June 22 (UPI) -- The White House allowed visitors Monday to enter the complex without a temperature check to control the spread of COVID-19 for the first time since mid-March. The tent at the north gate entrance where White House medical staff had been taking temperatures during the coronavirus pandemic was removed Monday, according to pool reports. Advertisement
"In conjunction with Washington, D.C., entering Phase Two today, the White House is scaling back complex-wide temperature checks," Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said in a statement. "In addition to social distancing, hand sanitizer, regular deep cleaning of all work spaces, and voluntary facial coverings, every staff member and guest in close proximity to the president and vice president is still being temperature checked, asked symptom histories, and tested for COVID-19."
The move shows a continued loosening of measures to control COVID-19 around the White House.
Last week, Press Secretary Kaleigh McEnany said that face masks, though recommended, would no longer be required to be worn through the West Wing.
The White House had directed staffers to wear masks while moving through the West Wing in May after Vice President Mike Pence's Press Secretary Katie Miller and one of President Donald Trump's personal valets tested COVID-19 positive.
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Also, last week, a Health Affairs study found that states that mandated use of face masks in public had a greater decline in COVID-19 growth rates than ones that did not issue such mandates.
Trump has said he does not want to be seen wearing a mask on camera and polls show partisan divides in mask wearing. A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll recently found that Democrats are twice as likely as Republicans to use face masks all or most of the time they are in public places indoors.


upi--2020-06-22--Poland calls for more U.S. troops, aircraft as Trump, Duda set to meet

June 22 ( UPI ) -- A planned White House visit by Polish President Andrzej Duda this week is expected to bring U.S. troops to Poland , as well as the sale of U.S. aircraft .
Up to 2,000 U.S. troops , largely deployed to Campbell Barracks , Germany , will transfer to Poland , the Polish Daily News reported on Monday .
A plan to move about 30 U.S. F-16 fighter planes from Germany to Poland is under discussion , as well as the grant of five used C-130 transport planes by the United States to Poland .
Plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were discussed in 2019 , when Duda and Trump last met .
On June 12 , U.S. officials confirmed an earlier Trump announcement that some U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Germany .
`` The president [ Duda ] is very much looking to discussions on that topic , '' said Krzysztof Szczerski , Duda 's top cabinet official , in an interview regarding Wednesday 's meeting .
He added that a troop increase in Poland would demonstrate `` the reality of our alliance . ''
Duda , who is up for re-election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled to visit President Donald Trump on Wednesday .
Trump remains popular in Poland , and the visit is reminiscent of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's White House visit in 2019 , two weeks before an election in Israel .
Trump has called Poland , a NATO member , `` an exemplary ally , '' and the new U.S.-Polish military alliance has been referred to as `` Fort Trump '' in Poland .
`` We love Donald Trump , we think he 's a great president , and I do believe he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , '' said Dominik Tarczynski , a Law and Justice Party parliamentarian .
`` He 's going to help Andrzej Duda win . ''
Poland has also been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic , and an Economic Union censure for a plan to reduce the impartiality of appointed judges .

| License Photo U.S. President Donald Trump, R, met with Polish President Andrzej Duda, L, at the White House on June 12, 2019. Their next meeting, on Wednesday, Duda is expected to push for an increased U.S. troop presence in Poland, as well as the sale of military aircraft. File Photo by Zach Gibson/UPI
June 22 (UPI) -- A planned White House visit by Polish President Andrzej Duda this week is expected to bring U.S. troops to Poland, as well as the sale of U.S. aircraft. Up to 2,000 U.S. troops, largely deployed to Campbell Barracks, Germany, will transfer to Poland, the Polish Daily News reported on Monday. Advertisement
A plan to move about 30 U.S. F-16 fighter planes from Germany to Poland is under discussion, as well as the grant of five used C-130 transport planes by the United States to Poland.
Plans to increase U.S. troop strength in Poland were discussed in 2019, when Duda and Trump last met. On June 12, U.S. officials confirmed an earlier Trump announcement that some U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Germany.
"The president [Duda] is very much looking to discussions on that topic," said Krzysztof Szczerski, Duda's top cabinet official, in an interview regarding Wednesday's meeting. He added that a troop increase in Poland would demonstrate "the reality of our alliance."
Duda, who is up for re-election in a June 28 vote, is scheduled to visit President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
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Trump remains popular in Poland, and the visit is reminiscent of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's White House visit in 2019, two weeks before an election in Israel.
Trump has called Poland, a NATO member, "an exemplary ally," and the new U.S.-Polish military alliance has been referred to as "Fort Trump" in Poland.
"We love Donald Trump, we think he's a great president, and I do believe he's going to help us win the election," said Dominik Tarczynski, a Law and Justice Party parliamentarian. "He's going to help Andrzej Duda win."
Poland has also been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and an Economic Union censure for a plan to reduce the impartiality of appointed judges.


upi--2020-06-22--Major land sales fueling tropical forest losses

June 22 ( UPI ) -- Large-scale land buys are fueling deforestation across the tropics , according to a new study .
When researchers analyzed the kinds of land acquisitions most associated with forest losses , they found purchases made with the intent of establishing new single-species tree plantations , whether for palm oil , timber or wood fiber , posed the largest threat to native tree stands .
For the study , published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience , researchers surveyed the details of 82,000 land deals , penned in 15 countries across Latin America , sub-Saharan Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data with global records of annual forest cover and loss between 2000 and 2018 .
The analysis showed more than three-quarters of all major land sales in the tropics -- deals involving parcels bigger than 1 square mile -- involve foreign investment .
Often , local governments and communities welcome the influx of capital and new jobs that come with foreign investment , but in addition to threatening vital ecological resources , they can also negatively impact locals who rely on the forest for their livelihoods .
`` Investments to establish new oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have higher rates of forest loss , and that makes sense because basically , you have to completely clear the land in order to convert it , '' lead study author Kyle Davis , assistant professor of geography and spatial sciences at the University of Delaware , said in a news release .
`` If you want to establish a tree plantation or a palm oil plantation in place of natural vegetation , you 've first got to cut down the forest . ''
Researchers found large-scale land acquisitions for logging , mining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with mixed outcomes .
Large logging land buys actually had a small protective effect on forests .
By identifying the kinds of economic activities associated with forest losses , researchers can help policymakers identify regulations to help protect natural resources and keep forest intact .
`` If you see deals in one country that are n't leading to enhanced forest loss but the same type of investment in another country is accelerating deforestation , then this suggests that there are opportunities to compare the policies in both places , and leverage what 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to another context , '' Davis said .
`` But it also clearly shows that countries will inevitably experience deforestation should they seek to promote certain investments such as palm oil , wood fiber , and tree plantations . ''

Trees in the Peruvian Amazon are cleared to make way for an oil palm plantation. Photo by Kevin Krajick/Earth Institute
June 22 (UPI) -- Large-scale land buys are fueling deforestation across the tropics, according to a new study. When researchers analyzed the kinds of land acquisitions most associated with forest losses, they found purchases made with the intent of establishing new single-species tree plantations, whether for palm oil, timber or wood fiber, posed the largest threat to native tree stands. Advertisement
For the study, published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience, researchers surveyed the details of 82,000 land deals, penned in 15 countries across Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. They compared the data with global records of annual forest cover and loss between 2000 and 2018.
The analysis showed more than three-quarters of all major land sales in the tropics -- deals involving parcels bigger than 1 square mile -- involve foreign investment.
Often, local governments and communities welcome the influx of capital and new jobs that come with foreign investment, but in addition to threatening vital ecological resources, they can also negatively impact locals who rely on the forest for their livelihoods.
"Investments to establish new oil palm or tree plantations seem to consistently have higher rates of forest loss, and that makes sense because basically, you have to completely clear the land in order to convert it," lead study author Kyle Davis, assistant professor of geography and spatial sciences at the University of Delaware, said in a news release. "If you want to establish a tree plantation or a palm oil plantation in place of natural vegetation, you've first got to cut down the forest."
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Researchers found large-scale land acquisitions for logging, mining and other kinds of development were associated with mixed outcomes. Large logging land buys actually had a small protective effect on forests.
By identifying the kinds of economic activities associated with forest losses, researchers can help policymakers identify regulations to help protect natural resources and keep forest intact.
"If you see deals in one country that aren't leading to enhanced forest loss but the same type of investment in another country is accelerating deforestation, then this suggests that there are opportunities to compare the policies in both places, and leverage what's working in one country and adapt that to another context," Davis said. "But it also clearly shows that countries will inevitably experience deforestation should they seek to promote certain investments such as palm oil, wood fiber, and tree plantations."


upi--2020-06-22--Gilead Sciences to start clinical trials of inhaled remdesivir for COVID-19

June 22 ( UPI ) -- Gilead Sciences plans to start clinical trials for an inhaled version of the antiviral remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 , company officials said Monday .
The inhaled form is delivered using a nebulizer -- similar to many asthma drugs -- making it easier to administer outside of a hospital at earlier stages of infection , they said .
To date , patients infected with the new coronavirus , SARS-CoV-2 , receive the drug via intravenous , or IV , injection in a hospital or clinic .
`` For patients who are at high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be particularly beneficial to start treatment outside the hospital , '' Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day said in an open letter posted on the company 's web site .
`` Our hope is that earlier intervention could help patients avoid hospitalization altogether , '' he said .
Remdesivir has been the focus on global clinical trials in patients with COVID-19 , the disease caused by the new coronavirus , since March .
It was originally developed to treat Ebola virus .
Trials of the IV form of the drug have produced mostly positive results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helps hospitalized patients recover from COVID-19 faster .
Gilead will begin screening patients for the Phase I clinical trial -- the first step in evaluating a drug before it is approved for use -- this week , O'Day said .
The company expects to begin the trials in August , he said .
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved IV remdesivir for emergency use in May after a National Institutes of Health-funded study showed it helped patients reduce recovery times by an average of four days .
The company also plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` outpatient settings '' such as infusion centers and nursing homes , O'Day said .
The new trial will also study the use of remdesivir in children and in combination with two other drugs known as `` immune modulators , '' he said .
Gilead expects to produce more than 2 million treatment courses of the drug by the end of this year , according to O'Day .
`` Our best hope of beating COVID-19 is with a set of tools at our disposal : complementary therapeutics , effective vaccines and widespread testing @ @ @ @ @

Gilead Sciences has announced plans to launch Phase I clinical trials of an inhaled version of its drug remdesivir for COVID-19. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
June 22 (UPI) -- Gilead Sciences plans to start clinical trials for an inhaled version of the antiviral remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19, company officials said Monday. The inhaled form is delivered using a nebulizer -- similar to many asthma drugs -- making it easier to administer outside of a hospital at earlier stages of infection, they said. Advertisement
To date, patients infected with the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, receive the drug via intravenous, or IV, injection in a hospital or clinic.
"For patients who are at high risk of disease progression, it could be particularly beneficial to start treatment outside the hospital," Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day said in an open letter posted on the company's web site.
"Our hope is that earlier intervention could help patients avoid hospitalization altogether," he said.
Remdesivir has been the focus on global clinical trials in patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, since March. It was originally developed to treat Ebola virus.
Trials of the IV form of the drug have produced mostly positive results, researchers have reported, suggesting it helps hospitalized patients recover from COVID-19 faster.
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Gilead will begin screening patients for the Phase I clinical trial -- the first step in evaluating a drug before it is approved for use -- this week, O'Day said. The company expects to begin the trials in August, he said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved IV remdesivir for emergency use in May after a National Institutes of Health-funded study showed it helped patients reduce recovery times by an average of four days.
The company also plans to conduct trials of the IV form in "outpatient settings" such as infusion centers and nursing homes, O'Day said.
The new trial will also study the use of remdesivir in children and in combination with two other drugs known as "immune modulators," he said. Gilead expects to produce more than 2 million treatment courses of the drug by the end of this year, according to O'Day.
"Our best hope of beating COVID-19 is with a set of tools at our disposal: complementary therapeutics, effective vaccines and widespread testing," he said.


Notable deaths of 2020

Ian Holm attends the premiere of `` The Duchess '' in London on September 3 , 2008 .
The actor @ @ @ @ @ portrayal as Bilbo Baggins in `` The Lord of the Rings , '' died on @ @ @ @ @ at from the age of 88 .
Photo by Rune Hellestad/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--2020-06-22--U.S. shale industry poised for bankruptcies, consolidation: Report

June 22 ( UPI ) -- The U.S. shale industry , hammered by low demand , international competition and high debt , is poised for a `` great compression , '' a report from multinational accounting service Deloitte said Monday .
Shale companies face `` an economic storm on the horizon '' as oil prices have dropped by more than 50 percent to below $ 30 a barrel , down from around $ 60 before the pandemic .
Lockdowns across the world caused drastic changes in the crude oil market , especially with transportation demand , the report said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ flood the market with OPEC oil has helped to drive demand for U.S. oil lower , and China has turned to cheaper international sources for oil , the report said .
Even though 10 percent of global oil comes from the U.S. shale market , U.S. shale makes up 40 percent of global oil extraction activity and 100 percent of the growth in U.S. midstream and petrochemical sectors over the past 10 years , the report said .
High debt levels , and investor wariness around U.S. shale companies makes the industry ripe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The industry could write down more than $ 300 billion in assets and many companies will likely go bankrupt , the report predicted .
According to Deloitte , 30 percent of shale companies are technically insolvent when oil prices hit $ 35 per barrel or below , and 20 percent of companies suffer from `` stressed financials . ''
This makes a volatile industry even more disrupted , the report said .
More than 190 shale companies have declared bankruptcy in the past 10 years .
`` Any major developments in U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the global oil and gas industry , '' the report said .
Last week , The Institute for Economics and Peace said in a report that the COVID-19 fallout on oil prices could result in the `` collapse '' of the U.S. shale industry .
The U.S. shale disruption will spill over into other industries , such as construction , other analysts predict .
Financing for large liquid natural gas construction infrastructure projects in the U.S. Gulf regions has dried up , according to a June 19 report from the Institute for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What becomes more challenging is that the whole case for U.S. LNG exports was that the U.S. gas price was low , the international gas price was high , and there was a trade to be had , '' Nikos Tsafos , a senior fellow with the energy security and climate change program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said .
`` To me , it 's not obvious that you are going back to that world . ''

The U.S. shale industry is facing disruption and contraction a report from international accounting firm Deloitte said Monday. File photo by Gary C. Caskey/UPI | License Photo
June 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. shale industry, hammered by low demand, international competition and high debt, is poised for a "great compression," a report from multinational accounting service Deloitte said Monday. Shale companies face "an economic storm on the horizon" as oil prices have dropped by more than 50 percent to below $30 a barrel, down from around $60 before the pandemic. Lockdowns across the world caused drastic changes in the crude oil market, especially with transportation demand, the report said. Advertisement
Collaboration by Russia and Saudi Arabia to flood the market with OPEC oil has helped to drive demand for U.S. oil lower, and China has turned to cheaper international sources for oil, the report said.
Even though 10 percent of global oil comes from the U.S. shale market, U.S. shale makes up 40 percent of global oil extraction activity and 100 percent of the growth in U.S. midstream and petrochemical sectors over the past 10 years, the report said.
High debt levels, and investor wariness around U.S. shale companies makes the industry ripe for consolidation and contraction, Deloitte said. The industry could write down more than $300 billion in assets and many companies will likely go bankrupt, the report predicted.
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According to Deloitte, 30 percent of shale companies are technically insolvent when oil prices hit $35 per barrel or below, and 20 percent of companies suffer from "stressed financials." This makes a volatile industry even more disrupted, the report said. More than 190 shale companies have declared bankruptcy in the past 10 years.
"Any major developments in U.S. shales will likely have a domino effect on the global oil and gas industry," the report said.
Last week, The Institute for Economics and Peace said in a report that the COVID-19 fallout on oil prices could result in the "collapse" of the U.S. shale industry.
The U.S. shale disruption will spill over into other industries, such as construction, other analysts predict.
Financing for large liquid natural gas construction infrastructure projects in the U.S. Gulf regions has dried up, according to a June 19 report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
"What becomes more challenging is that the whole case for U.S. LNG exports was that the U.S. gas price was low, the international gas price was high, and there was a trade to be had," Nikos Tsafos, a senior fellow with the energy security and climate change program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said. "To me, it's not obvious that you are going back to that world."
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upi--2020-06-23--Florida woman's lawsuit seeks paternity test for goats

June 23 ( UPI ) -- A Florida woman filed a civil suit against a neighbor demanding a paternity test for the five goats she purchased in December .
The lawsuit filed by Kris Hedstrom demands that her neighbor , Heather Dayner , either refund the $ 900 she paid for the five Nigerian dwarf goats she purchased in December or provide a sample of DNA from the goats ' purported father to prove their lineage .
Hedstrom 's lawsuit alleges she was under the impression that she would be able to register the goats ' pedigrees with the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , owner of Baxter Lane Farm in Odessa , told her the father of the goats , Country Caprese Ace , was registered with the organization , but the group rejected her attempt to register the babies because Dayner is not an active member .
Hedstrom alleges the association told her she would need to submit 40 hair follicles from the father goat to prove the lineage of the babies , so she sent Dayner a letter requesting the DNA sample .
Dayner responded by offering to take the goats back and give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has repeatedly trespassed on her property and called the police on her .
She said the other woman sent her a message in March telling her not to contact her again , and that was the last she heard until the lawsuit was filed this month .
Dayner said she is due in court next month .
She said she plans to represent herself , because she does n't want to spend money on a lawyer .

A Florida woman's lawsuit is demanding a paternity test for the five baby goats she bought from a neighbor. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe June 23 (UPI) -- A Florida woman filed a civil suit against a neighbor demanding a paternity test for the five goats she purchased in December. The lawsuit filed by Kris Hedstrom demands that her neighbor, Heather Dayner, either refund the $900 she paid for the five Nigerian dwarf goats she purchased in December or provide a sample of DNA from the goats' purported father to prove their lineage. Advertisement
Hedstrom's lawsuit alleges she was under the impression that she would be able to register the goats' pedigrees with the American Dairy Goat Association.
She said Dayner, owner of Baxter Lane Farm in Odessa, told her the father of the goats, Country Caprese Ace, was registered with the organization, but the group rejected her attempt to register the babies because Dayner is not an active member.
Hedstrom alleges the association told her she would need to submit 40 hair follicles from the father goat to prove the lineage of the babies, so she sent Dayner a letter requesting the DNA sample.
Dayner responded by offering to take the goats back and give Hedstrom a refund.
Dayner said Hedstrom has repeatedly trespassed on her property and called the police on her. She said the other woman sent her a message in March telling her not to contact her again, and that was the last she heard until the lawsuit was filed this month.
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Dayner said she is due in court next month. She said she plans to represent herself, because she doesn't want to spend money on a lawyer.


upi--2020-06-23--Obama launches online fundraiser for Biden presidential campaign

June 23 ( UPI ) -- Former President Barack Obama launched Tuesday an online fundraiser for former vice president Joe Biden 's 2020 campaign .
The online fundraiser is Obama 's first fundraiser for the presumptive Democratic nominee .
The small-dollar fundraiser raised more than $ 4 million from more than 120,000 people who paid to attend , The New York Times first reported .
A fundraiser co-hosted by former Democratic candidate rival and former South Bend , Ind.
, mayor Pete Buttigieg last month raised $ 1 million from about 36,000 people .
Last month , Biden and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Republican Party in fundraising for the first time , nearly $ 81 million compared with $ 74 million .
Obama endorsed Biden in April in a video message posted to Biden 's YouTube channel .
Ben Tulchin , who polled for rival Democratic candidate for Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , who has since dropped out of the race , said that Obama 's support is important , especially in the current climate .
Black Lives Matter protests have erupted worldwide since George Floyd , a 46-year-old unarmed black man , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minn. , on Memorial Day , after two other unarmed black people were killed earlier in the year -- Breonna Taylor , 26 , who was shot by police in her home in Louisville , Ky. , and Ahmaud Arbery , 25 , who was killed while jogging in Brunswick , Ga .
Protesters have demanded justice and an end to police brutality , systemic racism , and disproportionate killing of black people by police .
`` Biden does n't have the strongest record on criminal justice reform so having Obama there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tulchin said .
`` Given what 's going on with criminal justice reform and Black Lives Matter , having the first African American president out there publicly backing Biden is extremely helpful . ''
Biden has said he would reinvigorate Obama-era police reforms rolled back under th Trump administration .
Among those reforms , under Obama , the Justice Department used pattern-or-practice investigations and consent decrees to address `` systemic police misconduct , '' and `` restore trust between police and communities . ''
The Trump Administration 's Justice Department limited this action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off on these consent decrees .
The Obama administration also had policy to reduce private prisons , which the Trump administration rescinded .
Biden said he would `` stop corporations from profiteering off of incarceration . ''
And Biden said he would also expand funding for transitional housing for formerly incarcerated individuals , which was sharply cut under the Trump administration .
Earlier this month , Biden also pledged to establish in his first 100 days if elected president , a ban on police using chokeholds , creation of a national police oversight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transferring weapons of war to police forces . ''

Former President Barack Obama, who endorsed the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in April, will hold his first fundraiser for Biden's campaign online Tuesday night. File Photo by UPI | License Photo
June 23 (UPI) -- Former President Barack Obama launched Tuesday an online fundraiser for former vice president Joe Biden's 2020 campaign. The online fundraiser is Obama's first fundraiser for the presumptive Democratic nominee. Advertisement
The small-dollar fundraiser raised more than $4 million from more than 120,000 people who paid to attend, The New York Times first reported.
A fundraiser co-hosted by former Democratic candidate rival and former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg last month raised $1 million from about 36,000 people.
Last month, Biden and the Democratic National Committee surpassed President Donald Trump and the Republican Party in fundraising for the first time, nearly $81 million compared with $74 million.
Obama endorsed Biden in April in a video message posted to Biden's YouTube channel.
Ben Tulchin, who polled for rival Democratic candidate for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has since dropped out of the race, said that Obama's support is important, especially in the current climate.
Black Lives Matter protests have erupted worldwide since George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man, was killed by police in Minneapolis, Minn., on Memorial Day, after two other unarmed black people were killed earlier in the year -- Breonna Taylor, 26, who was shot by police in her home in Louisville, Ky., and Ahmaud Arbery, 25, who was killed while jogging in Brunswick, Ga. Protesters have demanded justice and an end to police brutality, systemic racism, and disproportionate killing of black people by police.
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"Biden doesn't have the strongest record on criminal justice reform so having Obama there is helpful in reinforcing that issue," Tulchin said. "Given what's going on with criminal justice reform and Black Lives Matter, having the first African American president out there publicly backing Biden is extremely helpful."
Biden has said he would reinvigorate Obama-era police reforms rolled back under th Trump administration.
Among those reforms, under Obama, the Justice Department used pattern-or-practice investigations and consent decrees to address "systemic police misconduct," and "restore trust between police and communities." The Trump Administration's Justice Department limited this action by requiring a political appointee to sign off on these consent decrees. The Obama administration also had policy to reduce private prisons, which the Trump administration rescinded. Biden said he would "stop corporations from profiteering off of incarceration." And Biden said he would also expand funding for transitional housing for formerly incarcerated individuals, which was sharply cut under the Trump administration.
Earlier this month, Biden also pledged to establish in his first 100 days if elected president, a ban on police using chokeholds, creation of a national police oversight commission, and "measures to stop transferring weapons of war to police forces."


upi--2020-06-23--White House spokesman Hogan Gidley moves to Trump campaign

June 23 ( UPI ) -- White House spokesman Hogan Gidley is leaving his post to become the press secretary for President Donald Trump 's re-election campaign , the president said Tuesday .
Gidley has been deputy press secretary at the White House for nearly three years .
He 'll fill the role left vacant by Kayleigh McEnany when she left the campaign in April to become White House press secretary .
`` Hogan Gidley will be leaving the White House on July 1 and heading over to my campaign to be the National Press Secretary .
He is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the team that I know will do an outstanding job !
We must WIN this election ! ''
Trump tweeted .
Before joining the Trump administration , Gidley worked for former Arkansas Gov .
Mike Huckabee , and former U.S. Sens .
Elizabeth Dole , R-N.C. , and Rick Santorum , R-Pa. His move to the Trump campaign is one of several in recent months as the president heads into the final stretch of the general election .
Bill Stepien became deputy press secretary and Erine Perrine became head of press communications .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy .

Hogan Gidley will become national press secretary for the Trump campaign on July 1. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
June 23 (UPI) -- White House spokesman Hogan Gidley is leaving his post to become the press secretary for President Donald Trump's re-election campaign, the president said Tuesday. Gidley has been deputy press secretary at the White House for nearly three years. He'll fill the role left vacant by Kayleigh McEnany when she left the campaign in April to become White House press secretary. Advertisement
"Hogan Gidley will be leaving the White House on July 1 and heading over to my campaign to be the National Press Secretary. He is a strong, loyal and trusted member of the team that I know will do an outstanding job! We must WIN this election!" Trump tweeted.
Before joining the Trump administration, Gidley worked for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and former U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., and Rick Santorum, R-Pa.
His move to the Trump campaign is one of several in recent months as the president heads into the final stretch of the general election. Bill Stepien became deputy press secretary and Erine Perrine became head of press communications. Jason Miller was moved from communications to strategy.


upi--2020-06-23--NAHB: New home sales soar in May

NAHB: New home sales soar in May

June 23 ( UPI ) -- The National Association of Home Builders said Tuesday that May sales of newly constructed homes were up 12.7 percent over a year ago and 16.6 percent higher than April .
The figures -- highlighting a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000 units in May -- come from the latest data provided by the Department of Urban Development and the Census Bureau , NAHB officials said , suggesting the increases indicate the market is emerging from the coronavirus pandemic .
`` The May sales numbers are in line with rising builder sentiment , '' NAHB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` With home building considered an essential business , this solid sales report is another indicator that housing is leading the economic recovery . ''
The association said one of the biggest takeaways from the statistics came in the increase of homes not yet under construction .
A new home sale happens when a sales contract is signed or a deposit is accepted .
A home can be in any stage of construction at that point .
`` Sales of homes not yet under construction are rising given capacity limitations in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief economist at NAHB said .
`` Due to labor and land constraints , homebuilders were already producing too few single-family homes given potential demand .
As housing demand has picked up in recent weeks , builders have shifted sales to homes not yet under construction -- a 20 percent year-over-year gain for such sales . ''
The rapid change may have caught some builders off guard as coronavirus restrictions may have piqued an increasing market for homes in the suburbs and buyers are now preferring new over existing houses .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may also reflect a change in consumer preferences , with buyers showing a newfound penchant for a cleaner , never-lived-in homes -- although the long-term durability of that trend remains to be seen , '' Matthew Speakman , an economist at Zillow , said .

An undated image of a house with a sale pending sign. The National Association of Home Builders said home sales in May increased sharply, indicated the market in on the rebound with the easing of coronavirus restrictions. Photo by Dan Moyle/Flickr
June 23 (UPI) -- The National Association of Home Builders said Tuesday that May sales of newly constructed homes were up 12.7 percent over a year ago and 16.6 percent higher than April. The figures -- highlighting a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000 units in May -- come from the latest data provided by the Department of Urban Development and the Census Bureau, NAHB officials said, suggesting the increases indicate the market is emerging from the coronavirus pandemic. Advertisement
"The May sales numbers are in line with rising builder sentiment," NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke said in a statement. "With home building considered an essential business, this solid sales report is another indicator that housing is leading the economic recovery."
The association said one of the biggest takeaways from the statistics came in the increase of homes not yet under construction. A new home sale happens when a sales contract is signed or a deposit is accepted. A home can be in any stage of construction at that point.
"Sales of homes not yet under construction are rising given capacity limitations in the building industry," Robert Dietz, chief economist at NAHB said. "Due to labor and land constraints, homebuilders were already producing too few single-family homes given potential demand. As housing demand has picked up in recent weeks, builders have shifted sales to homes not yet under construction -- a 20 percent year-over-year gain for such sales."
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The rapid change may have caught some builders off guard as coronavirus restrictions may have piqued an increasing market for homes in the suburbs and buyers are now preferring new over existing houses.
"The rapid improvement in sales of new homes may also reflect a change in consumer preferences, with buyers showing a newfound penchant for a cleaner, never-lived-in homes -- although the long-term durability of that trend remains to be seen," Matthew Speakman, an economist at Zillow, said.


upi--2020-06-23--Watch: f(x)'s Luna covers Doja Cat's 'Say So'

June 23 ( UPI ) -- South Korean singer Luna covers Doja Cat 's hit single `` Say So '' @ @ @ @ @ The 26-year-old K-pop star , a member of the girl group f ( x ) @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday for her Korean-language cover of the song .
In the video , Luna wears @ @ @ @ @ brightly-colored outfits as she sings and dances .
The `` Say So '' cover is @ @ @ @ @ `` Even If It Hurts and Hurts . ''
Luna released the latter song in @ @ @ @ @ Project Vol .
2 .
Luna released her debut solo EP , Free Somebody , @ @ @ @ @ came to fame with f ( x ) , which released its fourth studio album @ @ @ @ @ 2015 .
The group has largely been on hiatus since 2016. f ( x ) @ @ @ @ @ Amber and Krystal .

June 23 (UPI) -- South Korean singer Luna covers Doja Cat's hit single "Say So" in a new video.
The 26-year-old K-pop star, a member of the girl group f(x), released a music video Tuesday for her Korean-language cover of the song.
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In the video, Luna wears a number of pastel and brightly-colored outfits as she sings and dances.
The "Say So" cover is Luna's first release since "Even If It Hurts and Hurts." Luna released the latter song in February for the album X-MAS Project Vol. 2.
Luna released her debut solo EP, Free Somebody, in May 2016.
Luna came to fame with f(x), which released its fourth studio album, 4 Walls, in 2015. The group has largely been on hiatus since 2016.
f(x) also consists of Victoria, Amber and Krystal.


upi--2020-06-23--iHeartMedia, WarnerMedia sign deal to co-produce HBO Max podcasts

June 23 ( UPI ) -- iHeartMedia and WarnerMedia Entertainment are teaming up to co-produce companion podcasts for HBO Max shows .
The first podcasts to debut under the new deal will include comedy thriller Search Party and sci-fi drama Raised by Wolves .
The entire slate of podcasts will be available on HBO Max , iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard .
iHeartMedia will get first-look priority to produce HBO Max companion podcasts .
The two companies may also produce podcasts for WarnerMedia Entertainment 's television networks TNT , TBS , and truTV .
`` We look forward to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find new ways to break ground and create opportunities for our storytellers to do what they do best , '' Kevin Reilly , president , TBS , TNT , truTV and chief content officer of HBO Max said in a statement .
`` Today 's streaming fans are hungry for more content the second they finish an episode of their favorite shows , and podcasts are a great way to keep those fans engaged while also giving our roster of creative talent additional tools to extend the worlds of their shows and stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which stars Alia Shawkat , John Reynolds , John Early and Meredith Hagner , follows a group of twenty-somethings who are searching for their missing friend in New York City .
The first two seasons of Search Party are available on HBO Max with Season 3 set to arrive on Thursday .
Raised by Wolves , directed and executive produced by Ridley Scott , will follow two androids known as Father and Mother who are tasked with raising a human child on a mysterious planet .

"Search Party" star Alia Shawkat arrives for the the 23rd annual SAG Awards on January 2017. WarnerMedia and iHeartMedia will produce podcasts based on HBO Max shows like "Search Party." File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
June 23 (UPI) -- iHeartMedia and WarnerMedia Entertainment are teaming up to co-produce companion podcasts for HBO Max shows. The first podcasts to debut under the new deal will include comedy thriller Search Party and sci-fi drama Raised by Wolves. Advertisement
The entire slate of podcasts will be available on HBO Max, iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard.
iHeartMedia will get first-look priority to produce HBO Max companion podcasts. The two companies may also produce podcasts for WarnerMedia Entertainment's television networks TNT, TBS, and truTV.
"We look forward to working with iHeartMedia as we continue to find new ways to break ground and create opportunities for our storytellers to do what they do best," Kevin Reilly, president, TBS, TNT, truTV and chief content officer of HBO Max said in a statement.
"Today's streaming fans are hungry for more content the second they finish an episode of their favorite shows, and podcasts are a great way to keep those fans engaged while also giving our roster of creative talent additional tools to extend the worlds of their shows and stories," he continued.
Search Party, which stars Alia Shawkat, John Reynolds, John Early and Meredith Hagner, follows a group of twenty-somethings who are searching for their missing friend in New York City.
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The first two seasons of Search Party are available on HBO Max with Season 3 set to arrive on Thursday.
Raised by Wolves, directed and executive produced by Ridley Scott, will follow two androids known as Father and Mother who are tasked with raising a human child on a mysterious planet.


upi--2020-06-23--New Mexico woman's lost ring turns up in Oklahoma 35 years later

June 23 ( UPI ) -- A class ring found at the side of an Oklahoma road was returned to its owner -- a New Mexico woman who had n't seen the ring in more than 35 years .
Blake Williams said a coworker found the 1981 Mayfield Trojans ring in a sunglasses bag at the side of a road in Marietta , and he decided to attempt to track down the owner .
Williams posted a photo of the ring on Facebook and messaged the administrators of a Facebook group dedicated to the Class of 1981 at Mayfield High @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I sent all five administrators a message telling them what we had found , '' Williams told KTEN-TV .
He said the administrators were able to connect him with the ring 's original owner , Peggy Brown .
Brown received the ring in the mail and was pleasantly surprised to find it still fits .
`` I am so grateful !
I never thought I 'd see it again , and I just ca n't believe I have it back on my hand , '' she said .
`` I have n't been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story . ''
Williams said he was shocked when Brown told him the ring had been missing for more than 35 years .
`` Realizing it 's been missing for over 30 years was crazy , and thinking , 'How in the world did it make it from New Mexico all the way to Marietta , Okla. ? '
'' Brown said .

A New Mexico woman was reunited with her lost class ring after more than 35 years, thanks to an Oklahoma man whose coworker found it at the side of a road. Photo by lisabussell/Pixabay.com
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe June 23 (UPI) -- A class ring found at the side of an Oklahoma road was returned to its owner -- a New Mexico woman who hadn't seen the ring in more than 35 years. Blake Williams said a coworker found the 1981 Mayfield Trojans ring in a sunglasses bag at the side of a road in Marietta, and he decided to attempt to track down the owner. Advertisement
Williams posted a photo of the ring on Facebook and messaged the administrators of a Facebook group dedicated to the Class of 1981 at Mayfield High School in Las Cruces, N.M.
"I sent all five administrators a message telling them what we had found," Williams told KTEN-TV.
He said the administrators were able to connect him with the ring's original owner, Peggy Brown.
Brown received the ring in the mail and was pleasantly surprised to find it still fits.
"I am so grateful! I never thought I'd see it again, and I just can't believe I have it back on my hand," she said. "I haven't been able to stop smiling and sharing the story."
Williams said he was shocked when Brown told him the ring had been missing for more than 35 years.
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"Realizing it's been missing for over 30 years was crazy, and thinking, 'How in the world did it make it from New Mexico all the way to Marietta, Okla.?'" Brown said.


upi--2020-06-23--Pa. Supreme Court to hear appeal of Bill Cosby's sex assault conviction

June 23 ( UPI ) -- The Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to review former television star Bill Cosby 's 2018 sexual assault conviction .
Cosby , 82 , was sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison after a jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his home in 2004 .
The conviction was upheld in December by three-judge appellate panel .
But the state Supreme Court , in a brief order , agreed to consider two issues arising from the appeal , including whether the trial judge erred in allowing prosecutors to call five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cosby 's attorneys contend the witnesses were called to establish a `` propensity '' to commit a crime and improperly created an `` assumption of guilt . ''
The high court also agreed to consider Cosby 's contention that he never should have been charged due to the terms of a deal made with a former district attorney .
It declined , however , to hear two other defense arguments .
`` We 're extremely thankful to the State Supreme Court of Pennsylvania for agreeing to review Mr. Cosby 's appeal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , adding that `` the false conviction '' of Cosby is really about `` the destruction of ALL Black people and people of color in America . ''

Bill Cosby gives the OK sign as his car pulls away from a courthouse in Norristown, Penn., after closing arguments in his sexual assault trial on April 24, 2018. Cosby was found guilty but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear an appeal. File photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
June 23 (UPI) -- The Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to review former television star Bill Cosby's 2018 sexual assault conviction. Cosby, 82, was sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison after a jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his home in 2004. The conviction was upheld in December by three-judge appellate panel. Advertisement
But the state Supreme Court, in a brief order, agreed to consider two issues arising from the appeal, including whether the trial judge erred in allowing prosecutors to call five other accusers to back Constand's allegations.
Cosby's attorneys contend the witnesses were called to establish a "propensity" to commit a crime and improperly created an "assumption of guilt."
The high court also agreed to consider Cosby's contention that he never should have been charged due to the terms of a deal made with a former district attorney.
It declined, however, to hear two other defense arguments.
"We're extremely thankful to the State Supreme Court of Pennsylvania for agreeing to review Mr. Cosby's appeal," spokesman Andrew Wyatt said in a statement, adding that "the false conviction" of Cosby is really about "the destruction of ALL Black people and people of color in America."


upi--2020-06-23--7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes southern Mexico

June 23 ( UPI ) -- A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck near Mexico 's southern coast Tuesday and could be felt more than 400 miles away in the capital city , local officials said .
The epicenter of the temblor was about 23 miles southwest of the coastal city of La Crucecita in Oaxaca state and located at a depth of about 16 miles , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
There were no reports of deaths or serious damage in the country , Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said .
It 's unclear how severe the impact was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started really slow ... and then very quickly it notched up very fast , '' Richard Hanson told The Guardian .
Hanson runs Tejiendo Alianzas , a non-governmental organization in the city of Oaxaca , about 90 miles southeast of the epicenter .
He said people ran out of buildings and into open space for safety .
`` Our fan was moving around a lot , you could hear the noise of the walls and the earth moving , things started falling off the shelves in the kitchen and crashing and breaking on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Televisa reported that shaking also was felt in the Tlaxcala , Tabasco and Puebla states .

People leave their homes after hearing the seismic alert in different municipalities of Mexico City, Mexico, on Tuesday. Photo by Sashenka Gutierrez/EPA-EFE
June 23 (UPI) -- A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck near Mexico's southern coast Tuesday and could be felt more than 400 miles away in the capital city, local officials said. The epicenter of the temblor was about 23 miles southwest of the coastal city of La Crucecita in Oaxaca state and located at a depth of about 16 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Advertisement
There were no reports of deaths or serious damage in the country, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said. It's unclear how severe the impact was closer to the epicenter.
"It started really slow ... and then very quickly it notched up very fast," Richard Hanson told The Guardian.
Hanson runs Tejiendo Alianzas, a non-governmental organization in the city of Oaxaca, about 90 miles southeast of the epicenter. He said people ran out of buildings and into open space for safety.
"Our fan was moving around a lot, you could hear the noise of the walls and the earth moving, things started falling off the shelves in the kitchen and crashing and breaking on the ground."
Mexican news service Televisa reported that shaking also was felt in the Tlaxcala, Tabasco and Puebla states.


upi--2020-06-23--Alicia Keys to host 'Nick News' special about race

June 23 ( UPI ) -- Nick News will return with a new special about race hosted by singer Alicia Keys .
Nickelodeon announced in a press release Tuesday that Kids , Race and Unity : A Nick News Special will air June 29 at 7 p.m. EST .
Kids , Race and Unity aims to amplify the voices and experiences of black children across the country .
The special follows the death of George Floyd and comes amid ongoing protests and conversations about racial injustice .
Kids , Race and Unity is a one-hour special that features Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offers tools for families to have conversations about race and inclusivity .
It will also highlight teen activists .
`` Talking about race can be sensitive and uncomfortable ; and sometimes we try to protect our children from racism they are already experiencing .
But honestly , there is no way around this topic if we want to move forward in any kind of meaningful way , '' Keys said .
`` What 's happening in the world is not just a problem for the Black community , it 's all of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it in order to change it ! ''
she added .
`` This is such an important , vulnerable , honest and beautiful conversation , and I know many families may be searching for the right way to enter it .
Let 's really deep dive together . ''
Keys will speak to Black Lives Matter co-founders Patrisse Cullors , Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi , 12-year-old singer Keedron Bryant , author Ibram X. Kendi , Teens4Equality founders Jade Fuller , Nya Collins , Zee Thomas , Kennedy Green , Emma Rose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ star Tabitha Brown and family therapist Dr. George James .
Kids , Race and Unity will be available to watch on Nickelodeon 's YouTube , Nick On Demand and the Nick App following its premiere .
Nick News , created and hosted by Linda Ellerbee , aired on Nickelodeon from 1992 to 2015 .
Nickelodeon plans to air a series of Nick News specials in the coming months .
Keys released a new song , `` Perfect Way to Die , '' in response to `` police violence '' last week .

June 23 (UPI) -- Nick News will return with a new special about race hosted by singer Alicia Keys.
Nickelodeon announced in a press release Tuesday that Kids, Race and Unity: A Nick News Special will air June 29 at 7 p.m. EST.
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Kids, Race and Unity aims to amplify the voices and experiences of black children across the country. The special follows the death of George Floyd and comes amid ongoing protests and conversations about racial injustice.
Kids, Race and Unity is a one-hour special that features Black Lives Matter leaders answering questions from kids and offers tools for families to have conversations about race and inclusivity. It will also highlight teen activists.
"Talking about race can be sensitive and uncomfortable; and sometimes we try to protect our children from racism they are already experiencing. But honestly, there is no way around this topic if we want to move forward in any kind of meaningful way," Keys said.
"What's happening in the world is not just a problem for the Black community, it's all of our problem and we ALL have to care about it in order to change it!" she added. "This is such an important, vulnerable, honest and beautiful conversation, and I know many families may be searching for the right way to enter it. Let's really deep dive together."
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Keys will speak to Black Lives Matter co-founders Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi, 12-year-old singer Keedron Bryant, author Ibram X. Kendi, Teens4Equality founders Jade Fuller, Nya Collins, Zee Thomas, Kennedy Green, Emma Rose Smith and Mikayla Smith, social media star Tabitha Brown and family therapist Dr. George James.
Kids, Race and Unity will be available to watch on Nickelodeon's YouTube, Nick On Demand and the Nick App following its premiere.
Nick News, created and hosted by Linda Ellerbee, aired on Nickelodeon from 1992 to 2015. Nickelodeon plans to air a series of Nick News specials in the coming months.
Keys released a new song, "Perfect Way to Die," in response to "police violence" last week.
Alicia Keys turns 42: a look back


upi--2020-06-23--General Dynamics inks $9.5B deal for first 2 Columbia-class subs

June 23 ( UPI ) -- The Navy awarded General Dynamics a contract for the first two vessels in a new class of ballistic-missile submarines that could total $ 9.5 billion if all options are exercised , according to the Pentagon .
The $ 869 million deal announced Monday funds material procurement , as well as industrial base development , for the first two Columbia SSBNs , as well as Virginia- and Ford-class ships .
The agreement is still subject to Pentagon approval , but includes construction contract options that could increase the value of the deal to $ 9.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of the Navy for Research , Development and Acquisition James Geurts said Monday that the deal `` is the result of a lot of hard work between the shipbuilder teams and our teams to negotiate the first two ships ' cost . ''
`` That will allow us to begin full-rate construction of the first ship , begin advanced construction of the second ship with the intent then to begin full construction of that second ship in FY '24 , '' Geurts said .
The $ 869-million contract also includes support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturing , as well as options to increase funding for submarine production and support for Britain .
Huntington Ingalls , which is performing advance construction activities under a contract with General Dynamics , cut the first steel plate of the Columbia ballistic missile submarine at Newport News shipbuilding in Virginia in May 2019 .
The future Columbia is set to deliver in 2028 and undertake its first nuclear strategic deterrent patrol in 2031 , as Ohio-class submarines are scheduled to begin retirement .

An artist's rendering of the future Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines. Illustration by U.S. Navy
June 23 (UPI) -- The Navy awarded General Dynamics a contract for the first two vessels in a new class of ballistic-missile submarines that could total $9.5 billion if all options are exercised, according to the Pentagon. The $869 million deal announced Monday funds material procurement, as well as industrial base development, for the first two Columbia SSBNs, as well as Virginia- and Ford-class ships. Advertisement
The agreement is still subject to Pentagon approval, but includes construction contract options that could increase the value of the deal to $9.5 billion for the Columbia-class ships.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James Geurts said Monday that the deal "is the result of a lot of hard work between the shipbuilder teams and our teams to negotiate the first two ships' cost."
"That will allow us to begin full-rate construction of the first ship, begin advanced construction of the second ship with the intent then to begin full construction of that second ship in FY '24," Geurts said.
The $869-million contract also includes support for United Kingdom Strategic Weapon Support System kit manufacturing, as well as options to increase funding for submarine production and support for Britain.
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Huntington Ingalls, which is performing advance construction activities under a contract with General Dynamics, cut the first steel plate of the Columbia ballistic missile submarine at Newport News shipbuilding in Virginia in May 2019.
The future Columbia is set to deliver in 2028 and undertake its first nuclear strategic deterrent patrol in 2031, as Ohio-class submarines are scheduled to begin retirement.


upi--2020-06-23--COVID-19 spreads quickly in crowded homes, poorer neighborhoods

Poverty and crowded living conditions increase the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 , a new study suggests .
Researchers reached that conclusion after testing nearly 400 women who gave birth at two hospitals in New York City during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak .
`` Our study shows that neighborhood socioeconomic status and household crowding are strongly associated with risk of infection .
This may explain why Black and Hispanic people living in these neighborhoods are disproportionately at risk for contracting the virus , '' researcher Dr. Alexander Melamed said in a Columbia University news release .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gynecology at Columbia 's College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City .
Specifically , Melamed 's team studied the connection between neighborhood characteristics and infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 .
The investigators found that women living in neighborhoods with crowded households were three times more likely to be infected with the virus .
Poverty was also a factor .
Women living in poor neighborhoods were twice as likely to be infected , although this finding did n't reach statistical significance because of the small sample size , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , did n't play a part in the risk for infection , they noted .
According to researcher Dr. Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman , `` One may think that because New York City is so dense , there 's little that can slow the spread of the virus , but our study suggests the risk of infection is related to household , rather than urban density . ''
Gyamfi-Bannerman is a professor of women 's health at Columbia .
`` For our pregnant patients , that may mean counseling women about the risk of infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family members to help during pregnancy or postpartum , '' she said .
Melamed added that the findings could help public health officials target preventive measures , such as distributing masks or culturally relevant educational information , to the appropriate neighborhoods .
The report was published online June 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association .
For more on COVID-19 , head to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

People gather and form a line for food distribution in the Chinatown section of Manhattan during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City in May. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Poverty and crowded living conditions increase the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a new study suggests. Researchers reached that conclusion after testing nearly 400 women who gave birth at two hospitals in New York City during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak. Advertisement
"Our study shows that neighborhood socioeconomic status and household crowding are strongly associated with risk of infection. This may explain why Black and Hispanic people living in these neighborhoods are disproportionately at risk for contracting the virus," researcher Dr. Alexander Melamed said in a Columbia University news release.
Melamed is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City.
Specifically, Melamed's team studied the connection between neighborhood characteristics and infection with the virus that causes COVID-19.
The investigators found that women living in neighborhoods with crowded households were three times more likely to be infected with the virus.
Poverty was also a factor. Women living in poor neighborhoods were twice as likely to be infected, although this finding didn't reach statistical significance because of the small sample size, the researchers said.
Population density, however, didn't play a part in the risk for infection, they noted.
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According to researcher Dr. Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, "One may think that because New York City is so dense, there's little that can slow the spread of the virus, but our study suggests the risk of infection is related to household, rather than urban density." Gyamfi-Bannerman is a professor of women's health at Columbia.
"For our pregnant patients, that may mean counseling women about the risk of infection if they are considering bringing in other family members to help during pregnancy or postpartum," she said.
Melamed added that the findings could help public health officials target preventive measures, such as distributing masks or culturally relevant educational information, to the appropriate neighborhoods.
The report was published online June 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
More information
For more on COVID-19, head to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-06-23--Watch: Oklahoma man tracks down car sold by father decades earlier

June 23 ( UPI ) -- An Oklahoma man paid tribute to his late father by tracking down and buying his Dodge Challenger more than 30 years after the older man 's death .
Bobbie Bohnsak of Gage said he was only 8 years old when his father , Bob Bohnsak Sr. , died in 1988 , but he inherited his namesake 's love of cars -- including a fondness for the 1974 Dodge Challenger .
Bohnsak said his father purchased the car brand new from an Illinois dealership shortly after he returned from serving in Vietnam , but sold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oklahoma to help support his family .
The older Bohnsak died in an accident in 1988 , but Bobbie Bohnsak said he remembered his father 's Challenger and decided to try to track it down .
Bohnsak said he was able to find the vehicle identification number from an old bill of sale and did an online search , which revealed the car was currently for sale in San Diego .
`` It was very emotional and stressful , '' Bohnsak told KFOR-TV of purchasing the car and having it shipped .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours till it was home and it took a week . ''
He said the car idles a little rough and has been repainted , but he 's overjoyed to have the car back in the family .
`` I love it , '' he said .
`` I have n't buried the speedometer yet .
Of course that goes to 150 mph .
I 'd probably go to jail . ''
A California man was reunited with his own long-lost car after a similar period of time .
Ian `` Skip '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in non-working condition when it was stolen in 1983 .
Wilson said he was shocked when the California Highway Patrol contacted him to report his car had been found in 2014 in a shipping container bound for Australia .
He said the car returned to him with a new 350-horsepower V-8 engine and only 9 miles on the rebuilt odometer .

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June 23 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma man paid tribute to his late father by tracking down and buying his Dodge Challenger more than 30 years after the older man's death.
Bobbie Bohnsak of Gage said he was only 8 years old when his father, Bob Bohnsak Sr., died in 1988, but he inherited his namesake's love of cars -- including a fondness for the 1974 Dodge Challenger.
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Bohnsak said his father purchased the car brand new from an Illinois dealership shortly after he returned from serving in Vietnam, but sold it a few years after moving to Oklahoma to help support his family.
The older Bohnsak died in an accident in 1988, but Bobbie Bohnsak said he remembered his father's Challenger and decided to try to track it down.
Bohnsak said he was able to find the vehicle identification number from an old bill of sale and did an online search, which revealed the car was currently for sale in San Diego.
"It was very emotional and stressful," Bohnsak told KFOR-TV of purchasing the car and having it shipped. "I bet I didn't sleep eight hours till it was home and it took a week."
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He said the car idles a little rough and has been repainted, but he's overjoyed to have the car back in the family.
"I love it," he said. "I haven't buried the speedometer yet. Of course that goes to 150 mph. I'd probably go to jail."
A California man was reunited with his own long-lost car after a similar period of time. Ian "Skip" Wilson said his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air was in non-working condition when it was stolen in 1983.
Wilson said he was shocked when the California Highway Patrol contacted him to report his car had been found in 2014 in a shipping container bound for Australia. He said the car returned to him with a new 350-horsepower V-8 engine and only 9 miles on the rebuilt odometer.


upi--2020-06-23--Boots Riley announces new series 'I'm A Virgo,' starring Jharrel Jerome

June 23 ( UPI ) -- Filmmaker Boots Riley announced on Twitter that he is developing a new series starring Jharrel Jerome , titled I 'm A Virgo .
Riley said that the show will follow a 13-foot tall black man who lives in Oakland , Calif. Jerome , best known for starring in When They See Us and Moonlight , will play the lead role .
The director is developing the series with Michael Ellenberg 's Media Res .
and has not decided on a network or streaming service .
`` It 'll be dark , absurd , hilarious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a poster for the show that features artwork of a large man sitting in the back of a car .
The poster contains the phrase `` An episodic joy ride from Boots Riley '' on the bottom .
Riley made his directorial debut with 2018 's Sorry to Bother You which starred Lakeith Stanfield , Tessa Thompson , Terry Crews , Danny Glover , Steven Yeun and Armie Hammer .
Sorry to Bother You also took place in Oakland and followed Stanfield as a telemarketer who finds success after he starts talking to @ @ @ @ @ @

I have a show about a 13-ft tall Black man who lives in Oakland. It's called I'm A Virgo. Jharrel Jerome is playing the lead. I'm doing this w Michael Ellenberg's Media Res. We haven't decided on the network/streamer. It'll be dark, absurd, hilarious, and important. pic.twitter.com/pzOGDxMaaO— Boots Riley (@BootsRiley) June 22, 2020
June 23 (UPI) -- Filmmaker Boots Riley announced on Twitter that he is developing a new series starring Jharrel Jerome, titled I'm A Virgo.
Riley said that the show will follow a 13-foot tall black man who lives in Oakland, Calif. Jerome, best known for starring in When They See Us and Moonlight, will play the lead role.
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The director is developing the series with Michael Ellenberg's Media Res. and has not decided on a network or streaming service.
"It'll be dark, absurd, hilarious and important," Riley said alongside a poster for the show that features artwork of a large man sitting in the back of a car.
The poster contains the phrase "An episodic joy ride from Boots Riley" on the bottom.
Riley made his directorial debut with 2018's Sorry to Bother You which starred Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Terry Crews, Danny Glover, Steven Yeun and Armie Hammer.
Sorry to Bother You also took place in Oakland and followed Stanfield as a telemarketer who finds success after he starts talking to customers using a white-sounding voice.