upi--2020-06-15--One in four parents hesitant about flu vaccine, survey finds

June 15 ( UPI ) -- One in four parents describe themselves as `` hesitant '' about having their children vaccinated against the flu -- and nearly three in four question it 's efficacy -- according to the findings of a survey published Monday by the journal Pediatrics .
In addition , more than 6 percent of parents who respondents said they would consider not having their children receive routine shots , like the measles-mumps-rubella , or MMR , vaccine , the survey found .
`` A lot of parents continue to have safety concerns about both routine childhood and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is more ongoing safety monitoring of vaccines than for any other drug or treatment we do in medicine , '' Dr. Allison Kempe , who co-authored the article on the survey , told UPI .
`` Parents need to obtain their information from a trusted provider ... because there is a great deal of misinformation online , '' said Kempe , a professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine .
In 2019 , the World Health Organization designated vaccine hesitancy as one of the 10 leading threats to global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , hesitancy about childhood vaccines has contributed to lower rates of childhood vaccination , with associated outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases , including pertussis , mumps and measles .
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 94.7 percent of American children have received the MMR vaccine -- close to the 95 percent needed to maintain herd immunity against the mumps and measles .
But the number of children granted exemptions nationally has increased slightly in recent years , to 2.5 percent during the 2018-19 school year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleagues surveyed 2,176 parents and found that nearly 40 percent reported having concerns over serious side effects of both routine childhood and influenza vaccines .
Among participants , 70 percent said they strongly agreed that routine vaccinations were effective , while only 26 percent said the same about the influenza vaccine , according to the researchers .
While 6 percent of parents were hesitant to give their children routine vaccinations , 25.8 percent of parents were hesitant about the influenza vaccine .
During the 2018-2019 flu season , just 58 percent of American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers said .
The vaccine is not 100 percent effective in preventing influenza `` but parents should remember that even when the vaccine and circulating influenza strains are not well-matched , the vaccine prevents severe disease and hospitalizations due to influenza illness , '' Kempe said .
Understanding the reasons for parental vaccine hesitancy will help providers develop educational interventions that can reverse some of these trends , Kempe said .
The best way to counter hesitancy might be to prevent development by starting conversations about vaccines before a baby is born , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drop below a particular threshold , outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases occur , and we have seen this in recent years with outbreaks of whooping cough and measles , '' Kempe said .

A survey has found that 25 percent of parents hesitate to have their children vaccinated against the flu, and nearly 75 percent question the vaccines efficacy. Photo by whitesession/Pixabay
June 15 (UPI) -- One in four parents describe themselves as "hesitant" about having their children vaccinated against the flu -- and nearly three in four question it's efficacy -- according to the findings of a survey published Monday by the journal Pediatrics. In addition, more than 6 percent of parents who respondents said they would consider not having their children receive routine shots, like the measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine, the survey found. Advertisement
"A lot of parents continue to have safety concerns about both routine childhood and influenza vaccines despite the fact that there is more ongoing safety monitoring of vaccines than for any other drug or treatment we do in medicine," Dr. Allison Kempe, who co-authored the article on the survey, told UPI.
"Parents need to obtain their information from a trusted provider ... because there is a great deal of misinformation online," said Kempe, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
In 2019, the World Health Organization designated vaccine hesitancy as one of the 10 leading threats to global health.
In many countries, including the United States, hesitancy about childhood vaccines has contributed to lower rates of childhood vaccination, with associated outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, including pertussis, mumps and measles.
Advertisement
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 94.7 percent of American children have received the MMR vaccine -- close to the 95 percent needed to maintain herd immunity against the mumps and measles.
But the number of children granted exemptions nationally has increased slightly in recent years, to 2.5 percent during the 2018-19 school year, researchers pointed out.
Kempe and her colleagues surveyed 2,176 parents and found that nearly 40 percent reported having concerns over serious side effects of both routine childhood and influenza vaccines.
Among participants, 70 percent said they strongly agreed that routine vaccinations were effective, while only 26 percent said the same about the influenza vaccine, according to the researchers.
While 6 percent of parents were hesitant to give their children routine vaccinations, 25.8 percent of parents were hesitant about the influenza vaccine.
During the 2018-2019 flu season, just 58 percent of American children were vaccinated against influenza, the researchers said.
The vaccine is not 100 percent effective in preventing influenza "but parents should remember that even when the vaccine and circulating influenza strains are not well-matched, the vaccine prevents severe disease and hospitalizations due to influenza illness," Kempe said.
Understanding the reasons for parental vaccine hesitancy will help providers develop educational interventions that can reverse some of these trends, Kempe said. The best way to counter hesitancy might be to prevent development by starting conversations about vaccines before a baby is born, she said.
Advertisement
"If vaccination rates drop below a particular threshold, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases occur,and we have seen this in recent years with outbreaks of whooping cough and measles," Kempe said.


upi--2020-06-15--Lawyers request reprieve for Texas death row inmate Ruben Gutierrez

June 15 ( UPI ) -- Lawyers for a Texas death row inmate scheduled to die on Tuesday asked the governor to issue a reprieve in his case after a federal appeals court vacated a stay of his execution .
The defense team for Ruben Gutierrez asked Gov .
Greg Abbott to issue a 30-day reprieve in the case , citing an ongoing call for new DNA testing , disruption related to the COVID-19 pandemic and disputes over allowing a chaplain to enter the execution chamber .
Gutierrez , 42 , was convicted in the 1998 murder of trailer park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing of nail scrapings and loose hair taken from the victim , a shirt belonging to a family member of Harrison and other clothing items .
`` Mr. Gutierrez has always maintained that he did not kill Escolastica Harrison , a claim he expects DNA testing will support .
We ask that you grant a 30-day reprieve so that testing may occur , '' the request read .
Gutierrez 's attorneys said that prison conditions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic have `` deprived Mr. Gutierrez of his right to counsel '' by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ application and other late-stage litigation .
They also noted that the Huntsville prison , where the execution is to occur , has high rates of COVID-19 and puts Guttirerrez 's family , religious adviser and any state witnesses at risk of exposure to the virus .
Further , the letter continued to challenge a Texas Department of Criminal Justice statute that prohibits all religious or spiritual advisers from entering the execution chamber , stating that Gutierrez is a devout Catholic who feels a personal and faith-based desire to `` have spiritual aid during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you grant a 30-day reprieve so that TDCJ may be given time to revise its policy and return to its longstanding practice of allowing a chaplain in the chamber , '' it stated .
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops has filed an amicus brief that supports Gutierrez 's petition to have a Catholic chaplain accompany him into the execution chamber .
A federal court last week issued a stay for his execution , but the 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Friday vacated the stay , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success on his claims .

Attorneys for Texas death row inmate Ruben Gutierrez sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott requesting that he issue a 30-day reprieve in the case to allow time for DNA testing. File Photo courtesy of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
June 15 (UPI) -- Lawyers for a Texas death row inmate scheduled to die on Tuesday asked the governor to issue a reprieve in his case after a federal appeals court vacated a stay of his execution. The defense team for Ruben Gutierrez asked Gov. Greg Abbott to issue a 30-day reprieve in the case, citing an ongoing call for new DNA testing, disruption related to the COVID-19 pandemic and disputes over allowing a chaplain to enter the execution chamber. Advertisement
Gutierrez, 42, was convicted in the 1998 murder of trailer park owner Escolastica Harrison, but has sought testing of nail scrapings and loose hair taken from the victim, a shirt belonging to a family member of Harrison and other clothing items.
"Mr. Gutierrez has always maintained that he did not kill Escolastica Harrison, a claim he expects DNA testing will support. We ask that you grant a 30-day reprieve so that testing may occur," the request read.
Gutierrez's attorneys said that prison conditions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic have "deprived Mr. Gutierrez of his right to counsel" by hampering their ability to prepare a clemency application and other late-stage litigation.
Advertisement
They also noted that the Huntsville prison, where the execution is to occur, has high rates of COVID-19 and puts Guttirerrez's family, religious adviser and any state witnesses at risk of exposure to the virus.
Further, the letter continued to challenge a Texas Department of Criminal Justice statute that prohibits all religious or spiritual advisers from entering the execution chamber, stating that Gutierrez is a devout Catholic who feels a personal and faith-based desire to "have spiritual aid during his execution."
"We ask that you grant a 30-day reprieve so that TDCJ may be given time to revise its policy and return to its longstanding practice of allowing a chaplain in the chamber," it stated.
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops has filed an amicus brief that supports Gutierrez's petition to have a Catholic chaplain accompany him into the execution chamber.
A federal court last week issued a stay for his execution, but the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Friday vacated the stay, saying Gutierrez failed to show likelihood of success on his claims.


upi--2020-06-15--Cave remains offer new insights into Paleolithic mortuary rituals

June 15 ( UPI ) -- Ancient human remains found in a French cave have offered researchers new insights into the mortuary rituals of humans during the Paleolithic period .
The cave , found in southwestern France at the end of the last century , was originally occupied by members of the Gravettian culture , approximately 30,000 years ago .
The hunter-gatherers were prolific cave artists ; scientists have found more than 800 engravings inside the Grotte de Cussac cave .
These early humans also carved Venus figurines and performed elaborate burial rituals .
Now , paleontologists have gained new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handled the deceased prior to burial , detailing their discoveries in a new paper published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .
Because contact with the remains inside the cave is forbidden , researchers analyzed photographs and 3D photogrammetric models .
Deep inside a branch of the cave , scientists found a male skeleton placed in the bowl-like depression of a former bear nest .
In another two abandoned bear nests , researchers found the remains of two more ancient humans , their bones sorted anatomically .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of at least three other individuals , sorted and place in hollows along the cave walls .
Their analysis suggests the bones are sorted by lower and upper extremities .
`` Gravettian mortuary practices provide a key perspective on social complexity during the Upper Paleolithic , '' researchers wrote in their paper .
`` Such inferences have been drawn mostly from the formal burials relatively abundant for this period . ''
Burials themselves can only offer so much insight into the ways ancient humans processed the dead .
The latest research revealed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dead prior to burial .
`` These bone accumulations correspond to several forms of deposition -- a whole body , body parts on the surface , and dry bones in bear nests -- plus displacement and removal of elements that indicate diverse and complex mortuary behaviors , '' scientists wrote .
`` The exceptional preservation during millennia of these surficial deposits illustrates steps of a mortuary landscape that are beyond reach in more usual Upper Paleolithic burial sites . ''

Researchers found the organized remains of ancient humans in abandoned bear nests inside a cave in southwestern France. Photo by Sacha Kacki, et al./PNAS
June 15 (UPI) -- Ancient human remains found in a French cave have offered researchers new insights into the mortuary rituals of humans during the Paleolithic period. The cave, found in southwestern France at the end of the last century, was originally occupied by members of the Gravettian culture, approximately 30,000 years ago. Advertisement
The hunter-gatherers were prolific cave artists; scientists have found more than 800 engravings inside the Grotte de Cussac cave. These early humans also carved Venus figurines and performed elaborate burial rituals.
Now, paleontologists have gained new insights into the ways the Paleolithic people handled the deceased prior to burial, detailing their discoveries in a new paper published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Because contact with the remains inside the cave is forbidden, researchers analyzed photographs and 3D photogrammetric models.
Deep inside a branch of the cave, scientists found a male skeleton placed in the bowl-like depression of a former bear nest. In another two abandoned bear nests, researchers found the remains of two more ancient humans, their bones sorted anatomically.
The team of paleontologists also observed the bones of at least three other individuals, sorted and place in hollows along the cave walls. Their analysis suggests the bones are sorted by lower and upper extremities.
Advertisement
"Gravettian mortuary practices provide a key perspective on social complexity during the Upper Paleolithic," researchers wrote in their paper. "Such inferences have been drawn mostly from the formal burials relatively abundant for this period."
Burials themselves can only offer so much insight into the ways ancient humans processed the dead. The latest research revealed the ways members of the Gravettian culture processed the dead prior to burial.
"These bone accumulations correspond to several forms of deposition -- a whole body, body parts on the surface, and dry bones in bear nests -- plus displacement and removal of elements that indicate diverse and complex mortuary behaviors," scientists wrote. "The exceptional preservation during millennia of these surficial deposits illustrates steps of a mortuary landscape that are beyond reach in more usual Upper Paleolithic burial sites."


upi--2020-06-15--University of California regents endorse ending affirmative action ban

June 15 ( UPI ) -- Regents of the 10-campus University of California system voted Monday to endorse a movement by state lawmakers to repeal a decades-old end to affirmative action in the state .
`` If we are going to be serious about creating a university that truly serves the public interest , we can not be silent , '' John Perez , chairman of the regents said at a San Francisco meeting , held by video conference .
`` We can not be neutral . ''
The lower house of the California state legislature voted last week to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote on repealing Proposition 290 .
In 1996 , voters approved an initiative that forbids any government body from granting preferential treatment based on race , ethnicity or sex .
The amendment must be ratified by the California Senate to appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot .
A report to regents of the state 's universities said that even `` race-neutral '' admission policies for more than 20 years could not create a student body and faculty population that accurately reflects California 's racial demographics .
`` Despite years of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UC enrollment of students from underrepresented groups and recruitment of faculty of color falls short of reflecting the diversity of California 's population , '' the report , from the office of UC President Janet Napolitano said .
About 75,400 , or 26 percent of the UC system 's students are `` underrepresented minorities , '' according to the system 's fall enrollment dashboard .
About 4 percent of students in both the system 's undergraduate and graduate programs are African American , the 2019 enrollment numbers showed .
About 70 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 percent Asian-Pacific Islander , 7 percent Latino and 3 percent black , a 2018 report from the Campaign for College Opportunity showed .
Nationwide , affirmative action has been losing support at universities .
In 2018 , the Department of Justice pushed back Obama-era guidelines that attempted to achieve more diversity in higher education by using race in admissions decisions .
In 2017 , then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Department of Justice would investigate and sue universities that discriminated against white applicants , including Harvard University .

The regents at California's UC university system voted Monday to support a ballot initiative that would allow voters to choose to overturn a state rule prohibiting affirmative action. File photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
June 15 (UPI) -- Regents of the 10-campus University of California system voted Monday to endorse a movement by state lawmakers to repeal a decades-old end to affirmative action in the state. "If we are going to be serious about creating a university that truly serves the public interest, we cannot be silent," John Perez, chairman of the regents said at a San Francisco meeting, held by video conference. "We cannot be neutral." Advertisement
The lower house of the California state legislature voted last week to amend the state Constitution to allow electors to vote on repealing Proposition 290. In 1996, voters approved an initiative that forbids any government body from granting preferential treatment based on race, ethnicity or sex.
The amendment must be ratified by the California Senate to appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
A report to regents of the state's universities said that even "race-neutral" admission policies for more than 20 years could not create a student body and faculty population that accurately reflects California's racial demographics.
"Despite years of effort with race-neutral admissions at UC, UC enrollment of students from underrepresented groups and recruitment of faculty of color falls short of reflecting the diversity of California's population," the report, from the office of UC President Janet Napolitano said.
Advertisement
About 75,400, or 26 percent of the UC system's students are "underrepresented minorities," according to the system's fall enrollment dashboard. About 4 percent of students in both the system's undergraduate and graduate programs are African American, the 2019 enrollment numbers showed.
About 70 percent of UC tenured faculty are white, with 16 percent Asian-Pacific Islander, 7 percent Latino and 3 percent black, a 2018 report from the Campaign for College Opportunity showed.
Nationwide, affirmative action has been losing support at universities.
In 2018, the Department of Justice pushed back Obama-era guidelines that attempted to achieve more diversity in higher education by using race in admissions decisions.
In 2017, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Department of Justice would investigate and sue universities that discriminated against white applicants, including Harvard University.


upi--2020-06-15--Dow claws back some losses, begins week with slight gains

June 15 ( UPI ) -- U.S. stocks ended Monday with slight gains , rebounding from losses last week and sharp declines after the opening bell .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 157.62 points , or 0.62 percent , the S & P 500 climbed 0.83 percent and the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.43 percent .
Shortly after the opening bell , the Dow sank 600 points , the S & P 500 was down just a handful of points and the Nasdaq was up about 40 points .
Stocks turned around on Monday after the Federal Reserve announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bonds to support credit for large employers .
Tech stocks , which had dragged the markets down after poor performances last week , rebounded and helped to push the major indexes higher on Monday .
Bank stocks also rose on Monday as Bank of America stock increased 1.53 percent , Citigroup gained 1.46 percent , JPMorgan Chase climbed 1.41 percent and Wells Fargo gained 0.86 percent .
The Dow put together a second straight day of gains .
It sank 1,800 points on Thursday but rebounded Friday with a near-500 point gain .

Sunlight hits the front of the New York Stock Exchange Friday after the opening bell on Wall Street in New York City. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
June 15 (UPI) -- U.S. stocks ended Monday with slight gains, rebounding from losses last week and sharp declines after the opening bell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 157.62 points, or 0.62 percent, the S&P 500 climbed 0.83 percent and the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.43 percent. Advertisement
Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow sank 600 points, the S&P 500 was down just a handful of points and the Nasdaq was up about 40 points.
Stocks turned around on Monday after the Federal Reserve announced it would expand its buying of corporate bonds to support credit for large employers.
Tech stocks, which had dragged the markets down after poor performances last week, rebounded and helped to push the major indexes higher on Monday.
Netflix stock climbed 1.78 percent, Facebook gained 1.71 percent, Apple increased 1.24 percent and Amazon rose 1.09 percent.
Bank stocks also rose on Monday as Bank of America stock increased 1.53 percent, Citigroup gained 1.46 percent, JPMorgan Chase climbed 1.41 percent and Wells Fargo gained 0.86 percent.
The Dow put together a second straight day of gains. It sank 1,800 points on Thursday but rebounded Friday with a near-500 point gain.


upi--2020-06-15--Man's $830,000 lottery win is 'literally a dream come true'

June 15 ( UPI ) -- An Australian man said he woke up from a vivid dream where he won the lottery and soon discovered he had scored a jackpot of more than $ 800,000 in real life .
The Hampton East , Victoria , man told The Lott officials he had forgotten about his ticket for Saturday 's TattsLotto drawing , but on the night of the drawing he had a dream about a large windfall .
`` It was quite bizarre , '' the man said .
`` I had a dream on Saturday night that I had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win to help my family landscape their front garden . ''
The man said he was disappointed to wake up and discover it had been a dream .
`` I woke up on Sunday morning and told my wife about my dream and she asked me if I had checked my ticket .
I had n't !
I had completely forgotten about it , '' he recalled .
The man discovered he had matched six numbers in the drawing , earning a jackpot of $ 830,000 .
`` That 's when I realized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
The winner said he picks a new set of numbers at the start of each year and uses them to play lottery drawings .
The man said his plans for the money include following the advice of his dream and doing some landscaping .
`` I 'd better stick to the original plan I made in my dream , '' he said .
`` It 's actually a bit hard to get my head around at the moment .
I think I 'm going to keep life as @ @ @ @ @

A Victoria, Australia, man said he woke up from a dream about winning the lottery and discovered he had scored an $830,000 jackpot. Photo courtesy of The Lott
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe June 15 (UPI) -- An Australian man said he woke up from a vivid dream where he won the lottery and soon discovered he had scored a jackpot of more than $800,000 in real life. The Hampton East, Victoria, man told The Lott officials he had forgotten about his ticket for Saturday's TattsLotto drawing, but on the night of the drawing he had a dream about a large windfall. Advertisement
"It was quite bizarre," the man said. "I had a dream on Saturday night that I had won the lottery and I used the win to help my family landscape their front garden."
The man said he was disappointed to wake up and discover it had been a dream.
"I woke up on Sunday morning and told my wife about my dream and she asked me if I had checked my ticket. I hadn't! I had completely forgotten about it," he recalled.
The man discovered he had matched six numbers in the drawing, earning a jackpot of $830,000.
"That's when I realized it was literally a dream come true," he said.
The winner said he picks a new set of numbers at the start of each year and uses them to play lottery drawings.
Advertisement
The man said his plans for the money include following the advice of his dream and doing some landscaping.
"I'd better stick to the original plan I made in my dream," he said. "It's actually a bit hard to get my head around at the moment. I think I'm going to keep life as normal as possible."


upi--2020-06-15--The Fed expands corporate bond buying to help large employers

June 15 ( UPI ) -- The Federal Reserve said Monday it will expand its buying of corporate bonds to support credit for large employers .
The central bank updated its Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility to expand its reach to now also buy individual corporate bonds , along with exchange-traded funds , a Federal Reserve statement shows .
The goal is `` to support market liquidity and the availability of credit for large employers , '' by forming a `` corporate bond portfolio that is based on a broad , diversified market index of U.S. corporate bonds , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is made up of all the bonds in the secondary market that have been issued by U.S. companies that satisfy the facility 's minimum rating , maximum maturity , and other criteria .
This indexing approach will complement the facility 's current purchases of exchange-traded funds . ''
The Treasury Department has provided the SMCCF $ 25 billion in equity and the Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility $ 50 billion in equity from the $ 2 trillion CARES Act .
The Federal Reserve said the support will boost spending power to buy corporate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced the SMCCF and the PMCCF on March 23 , to tap financing markets amid the coronavirus pandemic .

The Federal Reserve said Monday that it would start buying individual corporate bonds to support credit for large employers. File Photo by Alexis C. Glenn/UPI | License Photo
June 15 (UPI) -- The Federal Reserve said Monday it will expand its buying of corporate bonds to support credit for large employers. The central bank updated its Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility to expand its reach to now also buy individual corporate bonds, along with exchange-traded funds, a Federal Reserve statement shows. Advertisement
The goal is "to support market liquidity and the availability of credit for large employers," by forming a "corporate bond portfolio that is based on a broad, diversified market index of U.S. corporate bonds," the statement said. "This index is made up of all the bonds in the secondary market that have been issued by U.S. companies that satisfy the facility's minimum rating, maximum maturity, and other criteria. This indexing approach will complement the facility's current purchases of exchange-traded funds."
The Treasury Department has provided the SMCCF $25 billion in equity and the Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility $50 billion in equity from the $2 trillion CARES Act.
The Federal Reserve said the support will boost spending power to buy corporate debt to $750 billion.
Advertisement
It announced the SMCCF and the PMCCF on March 23, to tap financing markets amid the coronavirus pandemic.


upi--2020-06-15--Body of F-15 pilot found after crash

Body of F-15 pilot found after crash

June 15 ( UPI ) -- The body of the pilot whose U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jet crashed into the North Sea on Monday was recovered , officials said .
The USAF 48th Fighter Wing , based at the RAF Lakenheath , Britain , station , said in a statement the F-15C Eagle crashed during a training mission early Monday morning .
Though some F-15s can carry two pilots , military officials said the `` C '' variant involved in Monday 's crash carried just one .
The plane took off from Lakenheath , the largest air base in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The cause of the crash remains unknown , and identification of the pilot will not be released until relatives are notified .
`` The pilot of the downed F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing has been located , and confirmed deceased , '' a statement from the base said .
`` This is a tragic loss for the 48th Fighter Wing community , and our deepest condolences go out to the pilot 's family and the 493rd Fighter Squadron . ''
Rescue teams from the British Maritime & Coastguard Agency were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Sea , about 85 miles off Flamborough Head in Yorkshire .
`` Our helicopter from Humberside has been sent along with Bridlington and Scarborough [ Royal National Lifeboat Institution ] lifeboats , '' HM Coastguard tweeted .
Other vessels nearby aided in the search after HM Coastguard issued a mayday call .

The body of the U.S. Air Force pilot whose F-15 fighter plane crashed into the North Sea was recovered, officials at the Royal Air Force Lakenheath, Britain, air base said. File Photo by Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew/U.S. Air Force
June 15 (UPI) -- The body of the pilot whose U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jet crashed into the North Sea on Monday was recovered, officials said. The U.S. Air Force 48th Fighter Wing, based at the Royal Air Force Lakenheath, Britain, station, said in a statement the F-15C Eagle crashed during a training mission early Monday morning. Though some F-15s can carry two pilots, military officials said the "C" variant involved in Monday's crash carried just one. The plane took off from Lakenheath, the largest air base in Britain operated by the U.S. Air Force. Advertisement
The cause of the crash remains unknown, and identification of the pilot will not be released until relatives are notified.
"The pilot of the downed F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing has been located, and confirmed deceased," a statement from the base said. "This is a tragic loss for the 48th Fighter Wing community, and our deepest condolences go out to the pilot's family and the 493rd Fighter Squadron."
Rescue teams from the British Maritime & Coastguard Agency were sent to the crash site in the North Sea, about 85 miles off Flamborough Head in Yorkshire.
Advertisement
"Our helicopter from Humberside has been sent along with Bridlington and Scarborough [Royal National Lifeboat Institution] lifeboats," HM Coastguard tweeted.
Other vessels nearby aided in the search after HM Coastguard issued a mayday call.


upi--2020-06-15--U.S. Supreme Court rules Texas death row inmate had an ineffective lawyer, orders new review

June 15 ( UPI ) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has again ruled against Texas ' top criminal court in a death penalty case , the latest in the high court 's repeated dismissals of Texas decisions against death row inmates .
In a 19-page opinion on a 6-3 ruling Monday , the justices sent Terence Andrus ' case back to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for further review .
They said the court must again examine whether the `` abundant '' amount of mitigating evidence not presented at Andrus ' trial should warrant a new punishment trial to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or life in prison without parole .
Justices Samuel Alito , Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented .
Andrus was sentenced to death in 2012 for two 2008 shooting deaths in Fort Bend County during an unsuccessful carjacking attempt .
Last year , the Court of Criminal Appeals rejected the trial court 's recommendation on appeal that Andrus get a new punishment trial because his lawyer failed to raise potentially sentence-changing evidence .
The Supreme Court ruling focused on the evidence that could have been used to sway the jury from a death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug addiction and prostitution , his role as caretaker for his siblings when his mother would disappear , his own drug abuse , multiple suicide attempts and a diagnosis of psychosis .
`` During Andrus ' capital trial , however , nearly none of this mitigating evidence reached the jury , '' the justices wrote .
`` That is because Andrus ' defense counsel not only neglected to present it ; he failed even to look for it . ''
The justices ruled that the work by Andrus ' lawyer , former Fort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crowley , fell below what is legally reasonable representation .
They sent Andrus ' case back to the Court of Criminal Appeals to make a determination on whether , with better legal representation , there is a `` reasonable probability '' that Andrus ' jury would have instead delivered a life sentence .
Both factors must be met for a new trial to be granted based on a constitutional violation of effective assistance of counsel .
Crowley died in 2019 , according to an obituary listing .
Supreme Court justices said it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' rejection of a new trial if it even considered whether Crowley 's representation could have affected the jury 's decision .
The Texas court 's opinion simply stated that despite the trial court 's recommendation for a new trial , Andrus had failed to show what is needed for one - that the legal representation fell below an objective standard and that there was a reasonable probability that his sentence could have been different with better counsel .
The dissenting justices said that was enough to indicate the Texas court had considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should n't have to show it again .
`` Perhaps the Court thinks the CCA should have used CAPITAL LETTERS or bold type .
Or maybe it should have added : 'And we really mean it !
!
! '
, '' Alito wrote in his dissent .
Andrus , now 32 , was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death for the killings of Avelino Diaz and Kim-Phuong Vu Bui .
According to court documents , Andrus confessed to the crime , saying that while he was high on PCP-laced marijuana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diaz 's car , shooting and killing him and Bui , who was in another car .
At the punishment trial , Crowley brought forward Andrus ' parents , who largely said he was a good child and sibling and that he did not have access to drugs , which Andrus said was a lie , according to court documents .
A prison counselor also testified that Andrus appeared to show remorse , and a drug expert spoke generally on the impact of substance use on developing brains , according to the opinion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , almost no evidence was presented on what the Supreme Court opinion called `` a childhood marked by extreme neglect and privation , a family environment filled with violence and abuse . ''
The dissenting justices and the prosecution , however , point to Andrus ' often violent criminal history as a reason why even with bad lawyering , the trial would have likely still ended in the death penalty .
`` To establish prejudice , Andrus must show ' a substantial , not just conceivable , likelihood ' that one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not have done so if his trial counsel had presented more mitigation evidence , '' Alito wrote for the dissenting opinion .
Andrus had previously been sent to a state juvenile lockup after taking part in a robbery , and he had been accused of other armed robberies and violence within the juvenile lockup .
The majority opinion by the justices wrote that the lack of mitigating evidence presented hurt Andrus more because his lawyer was unable to counter the state 's presentation painting Andrus as a violent criminal .
The justices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` steeped in gang culture , dosed on high quantities of psychotropic drugs , and frequently relegated to extended stints of solitary confinement . ''
In recent years , the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has repeatedly been knocked in harsh rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court on death penalty decisions .
Twice , the high court overturned the state court 's decisions in the case of Bobby Moore , first invalidating the Texas court 's method for determining whether a death row inmate is intellectually disabled and therefore ineligible for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again said Moore did not qualify as intellectually disabled and was eligible for execution , the Supreme Court again tossed the court 's ruling and made the decision itself that Moore was disabled .
Since then , Moore and other Texas death row inmates with intellectual disability claims have been resentenced to life in prison .
Moore was granted parole earlier this month .
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune .
Read the original here .
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit , nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans -- and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , politics , government and statewide issues .

1/2
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that a death row inmate had an ineffective lawyer and sent the case back to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for further review. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
June 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has again ruled against Texas' top criminal court in a death penalty case, the latest in the high court's repeated dismissals of Texas decisions against death row inmates. In a 19-page opinion on a 6-3 ruling Monday, the justices sent Terence Andrus' case back to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for further review. They said the court must again examine whether the "abundant" amount of mitigating evidence not presented at Andrus' trial should warrant a new punishment trial to decide if he should get lethal injection or life in prison without parole. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented. Advertisement
Andrus was sentenced to death in 2012 for two 2008 shooting deaths in Fort Bend County during an unsuccessful carjacking attempt. Last year, the Court of Criminal Appeals rejected the trial court's recommendation on appeal that Andrus get a new punishment trial because his lawyer failed to raise potentially sentence-changing evidence.
Advertisement
The Supreme Court ruling focused on the evidence that could have been used to sway the jury from a death sentence. This includes his mother's drug addiction and prostitution, his role as caretaker for his siblings when his mother would disappear, his own drug abuse, multiple suicide attempts and a diagnosis of psychosis.
"During Andrus' capital trial, however, nearly none of this mitigating evidence reached the jury," the justices wrote. "That is because Andrus' defense counsel not only neglected to present it; he failed even to look for it."
The justices ruled that the work by Andrus' lawyer, former Fort Bend County prosecutor James "Sid" Crowley, fell below what is legally reasonable representation. They sent Andrus' case back to the Court of Criminal Appeals to make a determination on whether, with better legal representation, there is a "reasonable probability" that Andrus' jury would have instead delivered a life sentence. Both factors must be met for a new trial to be granted based on a constitutional violation of effective assistance of counsel.
Crowley died in 2019, according to an obituary listing.
Supreme Court justices said it was unclear in the Court of Criminal Appeals' rejection of a new trial if it even considered whether Crowley's representation could have affected the jury's decision. The Texas court's opinion simply stated that despite the trial court's recommendation for a new trial, Andrus had failed to show what is needed for one - that the legal representation fell below an objective standard and that there was a reasonable probability that his sentence could have been different with better counsel.
Advertisement
The dissenting justices said that was enough to indicate the Texas court had considered the standard, and argued the court shouldn't have to show it again.
"Perhaps the Court thinks the CCA should have used CAPITAL LETTERS or bold type. Or maybe it should have added: 'And we really mean it!!!'," Alito wrote in his dissent.
Andrus, now 32, was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death for the killings of Avelino Diaz and Kim-Phuong Vu Bui. According to court documents, Andrus confessed to the crime, saying that while he was high on PCP-laced marijuana, he tried and failed to steal Diaz's car, shooting and killing him and Bui, who was in another car.
At the punishment trial, Crowley brought forward Andrus' parents, who largely said he was a good child and sibling and that he did not have access to drugs, which Andrus said was a lie, according to court documents. A prison counselor also testified that Andrus appeared to show remorse, and a drug expert spoke generally on the impact of substance use on developing brains, according to the opinion.
Aside from Andrus' own testimony, almost no evidence was presented on what the Supreme Court opinion called "a childhood marked by extreme neglect and privation, a family environment filled with violence and abuse."
Advertisement
The dissenting justices and the prosecution, however, point to Andrus' often violent criminal history as a reason why even with bad lawyering, the trial would have likely still ended in the death penalty.
"To establish prejudice, Andrus must show 'a substantial, not just conceivable, likelihood' that one of the jurors who unanimously agreed on his sentence would not have done so if his trial counsel had presented more mitigation evidence," Alito wrote for the dissenting opinion.
Andrus had previously been sent to a state juvenile lockup after taking part in a robbery, and he had been accused of other armed robberies and violence within the juvenile lockup. The majority opinion by the justices wrote that the lack of mitigating evidence presented hurt Andrus more because his lawyer was unable to counter the state's presentation painting Andrus as a violent criminal.
The justices said that in the lockup, Andrus was "steeped in gang culture, dosed on high quantities of psychotropic drugs, and frequently relegated to extended stints of solitary confinement."
In recent years, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has repeatedly been knocked in harsh rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court on death penalty decisions.
Twice, the high court overturned the state court's decisions in the case of Bobby Moore, first invalidating the Texas court's method for determining whether a death row inmate is intellectually disabled and therefore ineligible for the death penalty. After the state court again said Moore did not qualify as intellectually disabled and was eligible for execution, the Supreme Court again tossed the court's ruling and made the decision itself that Moore was disabled.
Advertisement
Since then, Moore and other Texas death row inmates with intellectual disability claims have been resentenced to life in prison. Moore was granted parole earlier this month.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune. Read the original here. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans -- and engages with them -- about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.


upi--2020-06-15--Joe Biden releases plan to tackle inequality: 'Race-neutral policies' insufficient

June 15 ( UPI ) -- Former Vice President Joe Biden released a plan Monday for reducing systemic racial disparities for African Americans in his campaign for president .
`` Race-neutral policies are not a sufficient response to race-based disparities .
We need to tackle systemic racism head-on and ensure everyone has a fair shot at the American dream , '' Biden tweeted Monday .
The plan addressees economic disparities and small-business access to credit , as well as inequality in health and housing across the United States .
It also calls for universal broadband access and a federal review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and prosecutors ' offices .
Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge GOP President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election , calls for more COVID-19 rescue funds for businesses with fewer than 50 employees and to boost the ability of churches to apply for non-profit group loans in the Paycheck Protection Program .
The pandemic rescue program , which dispersed $ 511 billion in small-business loans , left smaller and minority-owned businesses behind , according to a report by the Center for Responsible Lending .
The plan would also shore up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on government contracts , including `` unbundling '' federal bids , a practice which shuts out smaller bidders , he said .
Biden also proposes a onetime $ 15,000 first-time home-buying tax credit , applied at the time of purchase , and a national standard for home appraisals to counter lower appraisal values in non-white neighborhoods .
Biden also proposes a return of Obama-era housing discrimination legal protections .
Because many front-line `` essential '' workers in the COVID-19 pandemic are people of color , Biden 's plan calls for improved virus testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay and paid sick leave for front-line employees .
The plan also calls for a national minimum wage of $ 15 per hour .
Biden 's education plan calls for subsidies of up to $ 18 billion for secondary education institutions identified as historically black and minority-serving universities that could subsidize two years of tuition each for lower-income and middle-class students .
Biden 's Super-Tuesday primary win over Bernie Sanders was attributed to African- American voters in Southern U.S. states like South Carolina .
Biden has committed to picking a woman as his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are among the possibilities , including California Sen. Kamala Harris , Florida U.S. Rep. Val Demings and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.Trump criticized Biden in a tweet Monday .
`` I 've done more in less than 4 years than Biden 's done in more than 40 years , including for Black America , '' Trump tweeted .
`` Biden has been a part of every failed decision for decades .
Bad Trade Deals , Endless Wars , you name it , he has shown a complete lack of leadership .
He 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has pointed out how his administration has boosted funding of historically black colleges and universities and that pre-pandemic unemployment numbers for African Americans were historically low .
In his 2016 campaign , Trump told black voters that Democrats `` take you for granted . ''
Trump rescheduled his first post-COVID campaign rally from the Juneteenth holiday in Tulsa , Okla. , the site of a massacre of African Americans in 1921 .
`` [ We 're ] changing the date out of respect for the holiday , and in observance of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Trump said .

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who is running for president, released a "Plan for Black America" that addresses systemic racial discrimination. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
June 15 (UPI) -- Former Vice President Joe Biden released a plan Monday for reducing systemic racial disparities for African Americans in his campaign for president. "Race-neutral policies are not a sufficient response to race-based disparities. We need to tackle systemic racism head-on and ensure everyone has a fair shot at the American dream," Biden tweeted Monday. Advertisement
The plan addressees economic disparities and small-business access to credit, as well as inequality in health and housing across the United States. It also calls for universal broadband access and a federal review of systematic misconduct in local police departments and prosecutors' offices.
Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge GOP President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election, calls for more COVID-19 rescue funds for businesses with fewer than 50 employees and to boost the ability of churches to apply for non-profit group loans in the Paycheck Protection Program.
Advertisement
The pandemic rescue program, which dispersed $511 billion in small-business loans, left smaller and minority-owned businesses behind, according to a report by the Center for Responsible Lending.
The plan would also shore up Obama-era protections for minority firms that bid on government contracts, including "unbundling" federal bids, a practice which shuts out smaller bidders, he said.
Biden also proposes a onetime $15,000 first-time home-buying tax credit, applied at the time of purchase, and a national standard for home appraisals to counter lower appraisal values in non-white neighborhoods. Biden also proposes a return of Obama-era housing discrimination legal protections.
Because many front-line "essential" workers in the COVID-19 pandemic are people of color, Biden's plan calls for improved virus testing, federal workplace safety standards and premium pay and paid sick leave for front-line employees. The plan also calls for a national minimum wage of $15 per hour.
Biden's education plan calls for subsidies of up to $18 billion for secondary education institutions identified as historically black and minority-serving universities that could subsidize two years of tuition each for lower-income and middle-class students.
Biden's Super-Tuesday primary win over Bernie Sanders was attributed to African- American voters in Southern U.S. states like South Carolina.
Advertisement
Biden has committed to picking a woman as his vice presidential running-mate. Women of color are among the possibilities, including California Sen. Kamala Harris, Florida U.S. Rep. Val Demings and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.Trump criticized Biden in a tweet Monday.
"I've done more in less than 4 years than Biden's done in more than 40 years, including for Black America," Trump tweeted. "Biden has been a part of every failed decision for decades. Bad Trade Deals, Endless Wars, you name it, he has shown a complete lack of leadership. He's weak & shot!!!"
Trump has pointed out how his administration has boosted funding of historically black colleges and universities and that pre-pandemic unemployment numbers for African Americans were historically low.
In his 2016 campaign, Trump told black voters that Democrats "take you for granted."
Trump rescheduled his first post-COVID campaign rally from the Juneteenth holiday in Tulsa, Okla., the site of a massacre of African Americans in 1921.
"[We're] changing the date out of respect for the holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents," Trump said.


upi--2020-06-15--Watch: Bear beats the heat in California home's backyard pool

June 15 ( UPI ) -- A California homeowner snapped a photo of a bear spotted beating the heat with @ @ @ @ @ 's backyard pool .
The Claremont resident snapped a photo Sunday showing the bear lounging @ @ @ @ @ house on Montana Lane .
Witnesses also captured video of the bear climbing a wall @ @ @ @ @ and rooting through some trash in the neighborhood .
Bears have been known to wander @ @ @ @ @ Mountains into populated areas .
A bear made headlines in June 2019 when it climbed @ @ @ @ @ home to sit on the ledge and eat a package of Twizzlers candy .

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe
June 15 (UPI) -- A California homeowner snapped a photo of a bear spotted beating the heat with a dip in the home's backyard pool.
The Claremont resident snapped a photo Sunday showing the bear lounging in the pool behind the house on Montana Lane.
Advertisement
Witnesses also captured video of the bear climbing a wall to walk on the ledge and rooting through some trash in the neighborhood.
Bears have been known to wander from the nearby San Gabriel Mountains into populated areas. A bear made headlines in June 2019 when it climbed a wall outside a Claremont home to sit on the ledge and eat a package of Twizzlers candy.


upi--2020-06-15--Oscars delayed until April

Oscars delayed until April

June 15 ( UPI ) -- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday that the 93rd annual Academy Awards would move from Feb. 28 to April 25 .
The Academy cited the global COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the delay .
The Academy also extended the eligibility period for 2020 films .
Films released up until Feb. 28 , may qualify for the 93rd Oscars , due to delays caused by the pandemic .
The submission deadline for those films to be considered is Jan. 15 .
Previously , the Academy modified the rules for eligibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are forgoing a theatrical release this year , the Academy allowed films that premiere on streaming services and video-on-demand to qualify for Oscar nominations , so long as they were originally scheduled for theatrical release .
`` Our hope , in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date , is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone 's control , '' they said .
The Oscars ceremony will air live on ABC from the Dolby Theater .
The past two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement about a 2021 host has been made yet .
They have also delayed the opening of the Academy Museum from Dec. 20 to April 30 .
The Scientific and Technical Awards and Governors Awards are also delayed to a new date to be announced .

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has postponed the 93rd annual Oscars from Feb. 28 to April 25. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
June 15 (UPI) -- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday that the 93rd annual Academy Awards would move from Feb. 28 to April 25. The Academy cited the global COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the delay. The Academy also extended the eligibility period for 2020 films. Films released up until Feb. 28, may qualify for the 93rd Oscars, due to delays caused by the pandemic. The submission deadline for those films to be considered is Jan. 15. Advertisement
Previously, the Academy modified the rules for eligibility to accommodate COVID-19. Since many movies are forgoing a theatrical release this year, the Academy allowed films that premiere on streaming services and video-on-demand to qualify for Oscar nominations, so long as they were originally scheduled for theatrical release.
Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson issued a joint statement.
"Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone's control," they said.
The Oscars ceremony will air live on ABC from the Dolby Theater. The past two years have seen host-less Oscars. No announcement about a 2021 host has been made yet.
Advertisement
They have also delayed the opening of the Academy Museum from Dec. 20 to April 30. The Scientific and Technical Awards and Governors Awards are also delayed to a new date to be announced.


upi--2020-06-15--Russian President Vladimir Putin: Russia is building defenses against hypersonic missiles

June 15 ( UPI ) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia leads the world in hypersonic weapons research and will have defense systems to counteract opponents ' weapons .
The United States and China have begun hypersonic missile programs , building nuclear-equipped armaments capable of traveling up to 5,000 mph in a flat trajectory , indicating that defenders have less time to react .
Russia has tested similar missiles and appears to have deployed one , the Avangard cruise missile , into service .
It also rolled out a radar station designed to simultaneously track over 1,000 incoming objects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ television interview on Sunday , Putin said that by the time foreign missiles are operational , Russia will have all its required defenses .
`` They [ hypersonic weapons ] will be developed but I think we will be able to surprise our partners to the upside : there is high probability that when they develop such weapons we will have means to retaliate such weapons , '' he said .
`` This is what makes our current position unique .
I would like to repeat once again : there is a high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retaliate hypersonic weapons by the time when the world 's leading powers develop such hypersonic weapons , '' Putin continued .
Putin said previously that the United States is playing catch-up in the hypersonic arms race , and that the missiles can pierce any current shield , rendering ballistic missile shields obsolete .

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that by the time foreign counties develop hypersonic weapons, Russia will be capable of stopping them. Pool File Photo by Emmanuel Dunand/UPI | License Photo
June 15 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia leads the world in hypersonic weapons research and will have defense systems to counteract opponents' weapons. The United States and China have begun hypersonic missile programs, building nuclear-equipped armaments capable of traveling up to 5,000 mph in a flat trajectory, indicating that defenders have less time to react. Advertisement
Russia has tested similar missiles and appears to have deployed one, the Avangard cruise missile, into service. It also rolled out a radar station designed to simultaneously track over 1,000 incoming objects, including hypersonic missiles.
In a television interview on Sunday, Putin said that by the time foreign missiles are operational, Russia will have all its required defenses.
"They [hypersonic weapons] will be developed but I think we will be able to surprise our partners to the upside: there is high probability that when they develop such weapons we will have means to retaliate such weapons," he said.
"This is what makes our current position unique. I would like to repeat once again: there is a high probability that we will have means to retaliate hypersonic weapons by the time when the world's leading powers develop such hypersonic weapons," Putin continued.
Advertisement
Putin said previously that the United States is playing catch-up in the hypersonic arms race, and that the missiles can pierce any current shield, rendering ballistic missile shields obsolete.


upi--2020-06-15--Hummingbirds see 'nonspectral' colors humans can only imagine

June 15 ( UPI ) -- To find nectar-rich flowers and spot the iridescent signatures of would-be mates , hummingbirds must be able to see and recognize a wide variety of colors .
According to a new study , published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , hummingbirds can even see a diversity of so-called nonspectral color combinations .
`` When we say nonspectral , we mean a combination color that arises when the color cones are stimulated by light from widely separated parts of the color spectrum , '' Mary Caswell Stoddard , lead author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University , told UPI in an email .
`` For humans , purple is the clearest example of a nonspectral color . ''
Thanks to a breakthrough series of perceptual experiments , scientists confirmed the ability of hummingbirds to see a range of nonspectral colors , including nonspectral combinations involving visible and ultraviolet light .
Scientists have documented the ability to see ultraviolet light in hundreds of species , including birds .
Some of the earliest studies of UV vision in birds involved hummingbirds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ possessed by humans -- red , green and blue -- hummingbirds boast a fourth cone , sensitive to UV light .
Until now , scientists had yet to show how hummingbirds use their four-cone vision , or tetrachromacy , to perceive combination colors like UV+green and UV+red .
`` Even though biologists have long assumed that birds can discriminate a variety of diverse nonspectral colors , our results confirm that this is indeed the case for hummingbirds , '' Stoddard said .
`` Personally , it was thrilling to watch hummingbirds learn to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UV+green and green , respectively -- that appeared identical to us . ''
Most perceptual experiments involving birds are carried out in labs , but for the new study , scientists at Colorado 's Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory trained wild broad-tailed hummingbirds , Selasphorus platycercus , to participate in a series of color vision tests .
Using special UV light tubes , researchers produced different nonspectral combination colors at hummingbird feeders with sugar water and feeders with plain water .
`` We periodically swapped the positions of the rewarding and unrewarding light tubes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply memorize the location of the sweet treat , '' Stoddard said .
Scientists tracked feeding visitation patterns and determined that the wild hummingbirds learned to differentiate between the nonspectral combination colors .
Control experiments confirmed the birds relied on their vision -- and not their smell or some other sense -- to target the feeder with sucrose .
At present , humans can only imagine what exactly UV+green and UV+red looks like , but scientists are working on visualizing the eyesight of hummingbirds .
`` In my lab , we obtain UV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bird visual experience into something we can appreciate , '' Stoddard said .
`` Ultimately , we have to translate some colors , like many bird nonspectral colors , into something humans can understand , because we can not fully know what those colors really look like to birds . ''
Though scientists suggest their unique LED light tubes and novel experimental design could be used to study UV vision in other bird species and wild animals , Stoddard and her colleagues plan to continue investigating nonspectral color perception in hummingbirds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ system for studying hummingbird color vision in the wild , we are excited to test additional questions , '' Stoddard said .
`` Do all individual hummingbirds learn at the same rate ?
Is learning affected by how many colorful flowers are in bloom ?
Can hummingbirds discriminate different spatial patterns ?
We also want to study how hummingbirds use colors in their daily lives -- visiting flowers and performing courtship displays , '' Stoddard said .

A fourth ultraviolet light-sensitive color cone allows hummingbirds to see unique nonspectral color combinations like UV+red and UV+green. Photo by Noah Whiteman/Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory
June 15 (UPI) -- To find nectar-rich flowers and spot the iridescent signatures of would-be mates, hummingbirds must be able to see and recognize a wide variety of colors. According to a new study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, hummingbirds can even see a diversity of so-called nonspectral color combinations. Advertisement
"When we say nonspectral, we mean a combination color that arises when the color cones are stimulated by light from widely separated parts of the color spectrum," Mary Caswell Stoddard, lead author of the new study and an assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University, told UPI in an email. "For humans, purple is the clearest example of a nonspectral color."
Thanks to a breakthrough series of perceptual experiments, scientists confirmed the ability of hummingbirds to see a range of nonspectral colors, including nonspectral combinations involving visible and ultraviolet light.
Advertisement
Scientists have documented the ability to see ultraviolet light in hundreds of species, including birds. Some of the earliest studies of UV vision in birds involved hummingbirds.
In addition to the three color cones possessed by humans -- red, green and blue -- hummingbirds boast a fourth cone, sensitive to UV light. Until now, scientists had yet to show how hummingbirds use their four-cone vision, or tetrachromacy, to perceive combination colors like UV+green and UV+red.
"Even though biologists have long assumed that birds can discriminate a variety of diverse nonspectral colors, our results confirm that this is indeed the case for hummingbirds," Stoddard said. "Personally, it was thrilling to watch hummingbirds learn to discriminate two different colors -- such as UV+green and green, respectively -- that appeared identical to us."
Most perceptual experiments involving birds are carried out in labs, but for the new study, scientists at Colorado's Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory trained wild broad-tailed hummingbirds, Selasphorus platycercus, to participate in a series of color vision tests.
Using special UV light tubes, researchers produced different nonspectral combination colors at hummingbird feeders with sugar water and feeders with plain water.
"We periodically swapped the positions of the rewarding and unrewarding light tubes, so that the birds could not simply memorize the location of the sweet treat," Stoddard said.
Advertisement
Scientists tracked feeding visitation patterns and determined that the wild hummingbirds learned to differentiate between the nonspectral combination colors. Control experiments confirmed the birds relied on their vision -- and not their smell or some other sense -- to target the feeder with sucrose.
At present, humans can only imagine what exactly UV+green and UV+red looks like, but scientists are working on visualizing the eyesight of hummingbirds.
"In my lab, we obtain UV images and write software to help translate the bird visual experience into something we can appreciate," Stoddard said. "Ultimately, we have to translate some colors, like many bird nonspectral colors, into something humans can understand, because we cannot fully know what those colors really look like to birds."
Though scientists suggest their unique LED light tubes and novel experimental design could be used to study UV vision in other bird species and wild animals, Stoddard and her colleagues plan to continue investigating nonspectral color perception in hummingbirds.
"Now that we have established a system for studying hummingbird color vision in the wild, we are excited to test additional questions," Stoddard said.
"Do all individual hummingbirds learn at the same rate? Is learning affected by how many colorful flowers are in bloom? Can hummingbirds discriminate different spatial patterns? We also want to study how hummingbirds use colors in their daily lives -- visiting flowers and performing courtship displays," Stoddard said.


upi--2020-06-15--Unusual antique eyeglasses rescued from landfill sell for $5,000

June 15 ( UPI ) -- An unusual pair of eyeglasses believed to be nearly 300 years old were rescued from a New Zealand landfill and auctioned online for more than $ 5,000 .
The Tip Shop , a store operated by the Wellington City Council for items that would have otherwise ended up in the Southern Landfill , said the glasses , a style known as Martin 's Margins , were rescued from the trash and listed by the store on auction site Trade Me .
A last-minute bidding war brought the final price to $ 5,282 just before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Margins were designed by optician Benjamin Martin in 1756 .
The unusual thick-framed look of the glasses results from Martin 's belief that exposure to sunlight would cause damage to eyeglass lenses .
The Tip Shop said no maker 's mark could be identified on the frames , so it was unclear whether the glasses sold in Sunday 's auction were made by Martin himself .
The winning bidder , Aaron Smylie , said he bought the glasses as a tribute to his partner , Helen Hammond , who died May 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he and Hammond would often use FaceTime to video chat , and the glasses reminded him of a screenshot he kept showing Hammond using a filter that gave her round glasses and whiskers .
`` I like quirky stuff anyway , and that appealed to me , but it was more the emotional side .
I guess I just got carried away with the auction , '' Smylie told Stuff.co.nz .

An unusual pair of eyeglasses dating from around 1760 were rescued from a New Zealand landfill and auctioned online for more than $5,000. Photo by the Tip Shop/TradeMe.co.nz
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe June 15 (UPI) -- An unusual pair of eyeglasses believed to be nearly 300 years old were rescued from a New Zealand landfill and auctioned online for more than $5,000. The Tip Shop, a store operated by the Wellington City Council for items that would have otherwise ended up in the Southern Landfill, said the glasses, a style known as Martin's Margins, were rescued from the trash and listed by the store on auction site Trade Me. Advertisement
A last-minute bidding war brought the final price to $5,282 just before the auction ended Sunday night.
Martin's Margins were designed by optician Benjamin Martin in 1756. The unusual thick-framed look of the glasses results from Martin's belief that exposure to sunlight would cause damage to eyeglass lenses.
The Tip Shop said no maker's mark could be identified on the frames, so it was unclear whether the glasses sold in Sunday's auction were made by Martin himself.
The winning bidder, Aaron Smylie, said he bought the glasses as a tribute to his partner, Helen Hammond, who died May 28 after a fight with cancer.
Smylie said he and Hammond would often use FaceTime to video chat, and the glasses reminded him of a screenshot he kept showing Hammond using a filter that gave her round glasses and whiskers.
Advertisement
"I like quirky stuff anyway, and that appealed to me, but it was more the emotional side. I guess I just got carried away with the auction," Smylie told Stuff.co.nz.


upi--2020-06-15--Watch: Hwasa shares intro for solo EP 'Maria'

June 15 ( UPI ) -- South Korean singer Hwasa is teasing her first solo EP .
The 24-year-old K-pop @ @ @ @ @ the girl group Mamamoo , released a video Monday for `` Nobody Else . ''
@ @ @ @ @ Hwasa posing outdoors .
The singer is also seen performing onstage .
`` I do @ @ @ @ @ doing these days .
Sometimes it seems like no one else loves me .
No @ @ @ @ @ me out .
Nobody else , '' text in the video reads .
`` Nobody @ @ @ @ @ for Hwasa 's forthcoming mini album , María .
The singer will release the EP @ @ @ @ @ announced María and shared a teaser photo for the EP on Mamamoo 's official Twitter @ @ @ @ @ its second studio album , Reality in Black , in November .
The group also @ @ @ @ @ and Wheein .

June 15 (UPI) -- South Korean singer Hwasa is teasing her first solo EP.
The 24-year-old K-pop star, a member of the girl group Mamamoo, released a video Monday for "Nobody Else."
Advertisement
The video shows scenes of Hwasa posing outdoors. The singer is also seen performing onstage.
"I don't know what I'm doing these days. Sometimes it seems like no one else loves me. No one's gonna help me out. Nobody else," text in the video reads.
"Nobody Else" is the intro for Hwasa's forthcoming mini album, María. The singer will release the EP on June 29.
Hwasa announced María and shared a teaser photo for the EP on Mamamoo's official Twitter account Sunday.
Mamamoo released its second studio album, Reality in Black, in November. The group also consists of Solar, Moonbyul and Wheein.


upi--2020-06-15--Michigan brewery makes beer deliveries via seaplane

June 15 ( UPI ) -- A Northern Michigan beer company enlisted the help of a seaplane to make six special deliveries to families on waterfront properties .
Steve Smith , aka Aquabear , took off in his seaplane Saturday morning with Joe Short , owner and founder of Short 's Brewing Co. , to deliver six crates of beer to waterfront properties in Antrim County .
The Elk Rapids-based brewery offered a limited run of seaplane deliveries online and the slots quickly sold out .
Smith and Short met at a fundraising event in 2018 and teamed up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Short said Smith pitched him the idea of using the plane to bolster the brewery 's delivery service , which began in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` He likes to get his airplane out , fly it around and have fun bouncing around the lake , '' Short told the Traverse City Record-Eagle .
`` I was like 'Alright cool , let 's put it together . '
'' The pair 's Saturday outing made an impression on their customers .
`` This is a highlight of our summer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` To see a seaplane come in right to your front step and deliver beer and hop off .
I mean this was just phenomenal . ''

A Northern Michigan beer company used a seaplane to deliver six crates of beer to residents with waterfront properties. Photo by AlainAudet/Pixabay
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe June 15 (UPI) -- A Northern Michigan beer company enlisted the help of a seaplane to make six special deliveries to families on waterfront properties. Steve Smith, aka Aquabear, took off in his seaplane Saturday morning with Joe Short, owner and founder of Short's Brewing Co., to deliver six crates of beer to waterfront properties in Antrim County. Advertisement
The Elk Rapids-based brewery offered a limited run of seaplane deliveries online and the slots quickly sold out.
Smith and Short met at a fundraising event in 2018 and teamed up to film a water-skiing promo later that year.
Short said Smith pitched him the idea of using the plane to bolster the brewery's delivery service, which began in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"He likes to get his airplane out, fly it around and have fun bouncing around the lake," Short told the Traverse City Record-Eagle. "I was like 'Alright cool, let's put it together.'"
The pair's Saturday outing made an impression on their customers.
"This is a highlight of our summer, absolutely," delivery recipient Kathy Bryant said. "To see a seaplane come in right to your front step and deliver beer and hop off. I mean this was just phenomenal."


upi--2020-06-16--Corrupt Iranian runaway judge exposes deep fractures in regime

June 16 ( UPI ) -- In January 2018 , a crowd of around 200 ex-pat Iranians gathered outside the International Neuroscience Institute in Hanover , Germany .
They were demanding the authorities arrest and prosecute Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi , the former chief of judiciary in Iran , who had traveled to the clinic to receive treatment for cancer from professor Majid Samii , a renowned Iranian-German neurosurgeon .
The protesters alleged that Shahroudi was guilty of horrific crimes against humanity , including the execution of more than 2,000 political prisoners .
He had even refused to grant an appeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13-year-old child in 2007 .
Fearing his own imminent arrest , Shahroudi fled back to Tehran , where he died later that year .
In a bizarre turn of fate , it was claimed that another corrupt Iranian judge had recently arrived at the same Hanover clinic .
It was said that Gholamreza Mansouri was also receiving treatment from Samii .
On hearing the news earlier this month , a crowd of ex-pat Iranians quickly gathered outside the clinic demanding his arrest .
However , after denials by both the German Foreign Ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Bucharest , where he was arrested by Romanian police on a warrant issued by Interpol .
He is being held pending the restoration of flights to Tehran , suspended during the coronavirus pandemic .
In the meantime , many ex-pat Iranians in Romania have demanded his indictment for crimes against humanity so that he can face trial in Europe .
As a judge in Iran , Mansouri was responsible for a vicious crackdown on the media , censoring the Internet , banning newspapers and ordering the mass arrest and torture of journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devotee of the theocratic regime , he ordered the arrest of at least 20 journalists in Iran on a single day in 2013 , subjecting many of them to torture while in custody .
The Iranian regime arrested , imprisoned or executed at least 860 journalists in the three decades between the Islamic revolution in 1979 and 2009 , according to documents leaked to the media monitoring group Reporters Sans Frontières .
The arrests continue to this day .
Pouria Alami , a former Iranian journalist , wrote in a tweet that Mansouri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of `` collaboration with MI6 , '' the British intelligence agency .
Concocted espionage accusations were one of Mansouri 's favorite tactics and could often lead to the death penalty .
Reyhaneh Tabatabai , a reporter for the Sharq newspaper at the time , also named Mansouri as the prosecutor who ordered her arrest in 2013 .
Sharq was banned in 2012 following its publication of a controversial cartoon `` The Blindfolded Men . ''
The cartoonist , Hadi Heydari , and the newspaper manager and license holder , Mehdi Rahmanian , were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Paris last year to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution that brought the mullahs to power in Iran in 1979 , RSF released a report based on months of detailed research , showing how the theocratic regime had arrested , imprisoned and executed hundreds of journalists .
RSF said it had referred its file to the high commissioner for human rights at the United Nations , demanding that those responsible be held to account .
Christophe Deloire , secretary general of RSF , said , `` The very existence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entries show not only the scale of the Iranian regime 's mendacity ... but the relentless machinations it used for 40 years to persecute men and women for their opinions or their reporting . ''
Deloire said RSF had identified at least four journalists who had been executed , including Simon Farzami , a Swiss-Iranian of Jewish origin who was bureau chief of French news agency Agence France-Presse when he was arrested in 1980 .
Among the 860 journalists arrested by the regime were 218 women .
Beyond the journalists rounded up or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 61,900 political prisoners had been held since the 1980s , with more than 500 of them between ages 15 and 18 .
The United Nations has irrefutable evidence of the summary execution of more than 30,000 supporters of the People 's Mojahedin of Iran/Mojahedin e-Khalq ( PMOI/MEK ) by the Iranian regime in the summer of 1988 .
It was an atrocity that must rank as a crime against humanity and one of the most horrific mass murders of the late 20th century .
The mass executions , in jails across Iran , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fatwa by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini .
Mansouri 's role in these crimes have been well documented .
But in a further twist of fate , it now seems as if Mansouri 's corruption as a judge has caught up with him .
Mansouri fled Iran immediately after Ebrahim Raisi was appointed chief of Iran 's judiciary last year and replaced Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani , with whom Mansouri had closely collaborated .
Raisi was one of the key executioners during the 1988 massacre of political prisoners .
His appointment as justice minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supreme leader Ali Khamenei and exposed the deep fractures at the heart of the regime .
The ousting of Larijani and accusations of corruption against Mansouri were clear signs of that internal civil war .
Corruption has been institutionalized within the Iranian regime , particularly in its governing bodies , from the outset .
All the regime 's elite executive managers , members of parliament , military personnel , members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and clerics are deeply involved in corruption .
The IRGC , the regime 's Gestapo , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , plundering and embezzlement .
The regime 's military hierarchy and top government officials use their positions to finance or provide jobs for their families with high salaries .
Relatives of the regime 's top officials routinely use their family connections to achieve top positions in the government or to acquire huge and profitable businesses and contracts .
Public unrest and repeated uprisings against the venal corruption of the regime have resulted in sporadic `` show trials , '' where the mullahs pretend to take action against such sleaze and dishonesty .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former executive deputy of the Islamic Republic 's powerful judiciary , who went on trial June 7 in Tehran for large-scale corruption .
Tabari was accused of receiving bribes for influencing legal cases and judicial procedures .
In bombshell evidence during his trial , Tabari revealed that he had paid €500,000 ( $ 565,000 ) to Mansouri , to bribe him to sway a judgment in his favor on a major land and construction project dispute .
The Romanians should not allow Mansouri to be extradited to Iran .
His show trial there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end for a gangster guilty of crimes against humanity , but it is more important that he face trial in the European Court of Justice , where his evidence will help to expose the wider corruption and criminality of the Iranian regime .
Struan Stevenson is the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change .
He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland ( 1999-2014 ) , president of the Parliament 's Delegation for Relations with Iraq ( 2009-14 ) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lecturer on the Middle East and president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association .

Iran's judiciary chief Sadeq Larijani (L) sits next to former judiciary chief Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi during his inauguration ceremony in Tehran on August 17, 2009. File Photo by Hoshang Hadi/ILA/UPI | License Photo
June 16 (UPI) -- In January 2018, a crowd of around 200 ex-pat Iranians gathered outside the International Neuroscience Institute in Hanover, Germany. They were demanding the authorities arrest and prosecute Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, the former chief of judiciary in Iran, who had traveled to the clinic to receive treatment for cancer from professor Majid Samii, a renowned Iranian-German neurosurgeon. The protesters alleged that Shahroudi was guilty of horrific crimes against humanity, including the execution of more than 2,000 political prisoners. He had even refused to grant an appeal against a death sentence imposed on a 13-year-old child in 2007. Fearing his own imminent arrest, Shahroudi fled back to Tehran, where he died later that year. Advertisement
In a bizarre turn of fate, it was claimed that another corrupt Iranian judge had recently arrived at the same Hanover clinic. It was said that Gholamreza Mansouri was also receiving treatment from Samii. On hearing the news earlier this month, a crowd of ex-pat Iranians quickly gathered outside the clinic demanding his arrest. However, after denials by both the German Foreign Ministry and the INI, Mansouri was traced to Bucharest, where he was arrested by Romanian police on a warrant issued by Interpol.
Advertisement
He is being held pending the restoration of flights to Tehran, suspended during the coronavirus pandemic. In the meantime, many ex-pat Iranians in Romania have demanded his indictment for crimes against humanity so that he can face trial in Europe.
As a judge in Iran, Mansouri was responsible for a vicious crackdown on the media, censoring the Internet, banning newspapers and ordering the mass arrest and torture of journalists on fabricated charges. As a lickspittle devotee of the theocratic regime, he ordered the arrest of at least 20 journalists in Iran on a single day in 2013, subjecting many of them to torture while in custody.
The Iranian regime arrested, imprisoned or executed at least 860 journalists in the three decades between the Islamic revolution in 1979 and 2009, according to documents leaked to the media monitoring group Reporters Sans Frontières. The arrests continue to this day.
Pouria Alami, a former Iranian journalist, wrote in a tweet that Mansouri sentenced him to solitary confinement on charges of "collaboration with MI6," the British intelligence agency. Concocted espionage accusations were one of Mansouri's favorite tactics and could often lead to the death penalty.
Reyhaneh Tabatabai, a reporter for the Sharq newspaper at the time, also named Mansouri as the prosecutor who ordered her arrest in 2013. Sharq was banned in 2012 following its publication of a controversial cartoon "The Blindfolded Men." The cartoonist, Hadi Heydari, and the newspaper manager and license holder, Mehdi Rahmanian, were jailed.
Advertisement
In a press conference held in Paris last year to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution that brought the mullahs to power in Iran in 1979, RSF released a report based on months of detailed research, showing how the theocratic regime had arrested, imprisoned and executed hundreds of journalists. RSF said it had referred its file to the high commissioner for human rights at the United Nations, demanding that those responsible be held to account.
Christophe Deloire, secretary general of RSF, said, "The very existence of this file and its millions of entries show not only the scale of the Iranian regime's mendacity...but the relentless machinations it used for 40 years to persecute men and women for their opinions or their reporting."
Deloire said RSF had identified at least four journalists who had been executed, including Simon Farzami, a Swiss-Iranian of Jewish origin who was bureau chief of French news agency Agence France-Presse when he was arrested in 1980. Among the 860 journalists arrested by the regime were 218 women.
Beyond the journalists rounded up or imprisoned, RSF said the files showed 61,900 political prisoners had been held since the 1980s, with more than 500 of them between ages 15 and 18. The United Nations has irrefutable evidence of the summary execution of more than 30,000 supporters of the People's Mojahedin of Iran/Mojahedin e-Khalq (PMOI/MEK) by the Iranian regime in the summer of 1988. It was an atrocity that must rank as a crime against humanity and one of the most horrific mass murders of the late 20th century. The mass executions, in jails across Iran, were carried out on the basis of a fatwa by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Advertisement
Mansouri's role in these crimes have been well documented. But in a further twist of fate, it now seems as if Mansouri's corruption as a judge has caught up with him. Mansouri fled Iran immediately after Ebrahim Raisi was appointed chief of Iran's judiciary last year and replaced Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani, with whom Mansouri had closely collaborated. Raisi was one of the key executioners during the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. His appointment as justice minister signaled a new ultra hard-line approach by supreme leader Ali Khamenei and exposed the deep fractures at the heart of the regime. The ousting of Larijani and accusations of corruption against Mansouri were clear signs of that internal civil war.
Corruption has been institutionalized within the Iranian regime, particularly in its governing bodies, from the outset. All the regime's elite executive managers, members of parliament, military personnel, members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and clerics are deeply involved in corruption. The IRGC, the regime's Gestapo, is the main organization systematically involved in corruption, plundering and embezzlement.
The regime's military hierarchy and top government officials use their positions to finance or provide jobs for their families with high salaries. Relatives of the regime's top officials routinely use their family connections to achieve top positions in the government or to acquire huge and profitable businesses and contracts.
Advertisement
Public unrest and repeated uprisings against the venal corruption of the regime have resulted in sporadic "show trials," where the mullahs pretend to take action against such sleaze and dishonesty. One such recent case involved Akbar Tabari, former executive deputy of the Islamic Republic's powerful judiciary, who went on trial June 7 in Tehran for large-scale corruption.
Tabari was accused of receiving bribes for influencing legal cases and judicial procedures. In bombshell evidence during his trial, Tabari revealed that he had paid €500,000 ($565,000) to Mansouri, to bribe him to sway a judgment in his favor on a major land and construction project dispute.
The Romanians should not allow Mansouri to be extradited to Iran. His show trial there and probable execution might seem a fitting end for a gangster guilty of crimes against humanity, but it is more important that he face trial in the European Court of Justice, where his evidence will help to expose the wider corruption and criminality of the Iranian regime.
Struan Stevenson is the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change. He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland (1999-2014), president of the Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-14) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (2004-14). He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association.


upi--2020-06-16--Challenge of hunting, hiding on land accelerated brain evolution

June 16 ( UPI ) -- Computer models suggest the unique challenge of hunting on savanna-like landscapes accelerated brain evolution among terrestrial species .
The simulations -- detailed Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications -- offer an explanation for why animals on land evolved bigger , more powerful brains than their aquatic ancestors .
`` All animals -- on land or in water -- had the same amount of time to evolve , so why do land animals have most of the smarts ? ''
lead study author Malcolm MacIver , professor of biomedical engineering at Northwestern University , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work shows that it 's not just about what 's in the head but also about what 's in the environment . ''
Dolphins and whales are quite intelligent , and they live in the ocean , a seeming contradiction , but like many of the smartest sea creatures , they evolved on land before returning to the sea relatively recently on the evolutionary timeline .
MacIver hypothesized that hunting on land forced terrestrial animals to develop advanced planning strategies , instead of relying on simple habit -- see minnow , chase minnow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used computer models to show that animals that transitioned from the sea to land quickly evolved more powerful eyesight .
Their new and improved eyesight required greater brainpower .
However , the supercomputer models developed by MacIver showed improved eyesight was necessary but not sufficient , on its own , for advanced planning .
In the followup simulations , MacIver 's models determined animals with long-distance vision evolved advanced planning strategies when placed in landscapes featuring a mix of open spaces and more densely vegetated areas -- like grassland peppered with patches of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onto land poured jet fuel on the evolution of the brain as it may have advantaged the hardest cognitive operation there is : Envisioning the future , '' MacIver said .
`` It could explain why we can go out for seafood , but seafood ca n't go out for us . ''
MacIver and his colleagues built a new model to determine how prey would evolve their behavior in an open water-like world featuring predators hunting by habit and a savanna-like world with predators using advanced planning .
`` When defining complex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habit-based action and planning , '' MacIver said .
`` The important thing about habit is that it is inflexible and outcome independent .
That 's why you keep entering your old password for a while after changing it .
In planning , you have to imagine different futures and choose the best potential outcome . ''
In both worlds , prey did n't fare well , regardless of whether they used habit-based behaviors or relied on planning .
The model revealed similarly low survival rates for prey in crowded environs , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In those simple open or highly packed environments , there is no benefit to planning , '' MacIver said .
`` In the open aquatic environments , you just need to run in the opposite direction and hope for the best .
While in the highly packed environments , there are only a few paths to take , and you are not able to strategize because you ca n't see far .
In these environments , we found that planning does not improve your chances of survival . ''
However , when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mix of open space and patches of vegetation or complex topography , prey using planning instead of habit-based behaviors benefited from a large increase in survival rates .
The findings suggest the challenge of finding prey and avoiding predation in variable landscapes like savannas fueled the development of bigger , more powerful brains among land animals .
MacIver 's theory for how terrestrial animals evolved greater intelligence mirrors the explanation for the accelerated brain development of early humans .
`` When we split off from life in the trees with chimpanzees nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in brain size , paleoecology studies point to our having invaded patchy landscapes , similar to those our study highlights , as giving the biggest payoff for strategic thinking , '' MacIver said .

Mixed habitat and complex topography, like the combination of open spaces and patches of vegetation found in savannas, forced predators and prey to develop advanced planning -- strategies that required bigger, more powerful brains. Photo by Tim Copeland
June 16 (UPI) -- Computer models suggest the unique challenge of hunting on savanna-like landscapes accelerated brain evolution among terrestrial species. The simulations -- detailed Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications -- offer an explanation for why animals on land evolved bigger, more powerful brains than their aquatic ancestors. Advertisement
"All animals -- on land or in water -- had the same amount of time to evolve, so why do land animals have most of the smarts?" lead study author Malcolm MacIver, professor of biomedical engineering at Northwestern University, said in a news release. "Our work shows that it's not just about what's in the head but also about what's in the environment."
Dolphins and whales are quite intelligent, and they live in the ocean, a seeming contradiction, but like many of the smartest sea creatures, they evolved on land before returning to the sea relatively recently on the evolutionary timeline.
Advertisement
MacIver hypothesized that hunting on land forced terrestrial animals to develop advanced planning strategies, instead of relying on simple habit -- see minnow, chase minnow.
In an earlier study, MacIver used computer models to show that animals that transitioned from the sea to land quickly evolved more powerful eyesight. Their new and improved eyesight required greater brainpower. However, the supercomputer models developed by MacIver showed improved eyesight was necessary but not sufficient, on its own, for advanced planning.
In the followup simulations, MacIver's models determined animals with long-distance vision evolved advanced planning strategies when placed in landscapes featuring a mix of open spaces and more densely vegetated areas -- like grassland peppered with patches of forest.
"We speculated that moving onto land poured jet fuel on the evolution of the brain as it may have advantaged the hardest cognitive operation there is: Envisioning the future," MacIver said. "It could explain why we can go out for seafood, but seafood can't go out for us."
MacIver and his colleagues built a new model to determine how prey would evolve their behavior in an open water-like world featuring predators hunting by habit and a savanna-like world with predators using advanced planning.
"When defining complex cognition, we made a distinction between habit-based action and planning," MacIver said. "The important thing about habit is that it is inflexible and outcome independent. That's why you keep entering your old password for a while after changing it. In planning, you have to imagine different futures and choose the best potential outcome."
Advertisement
In both worlds, prey didn't fare well, regardless of whether they used habit-based behaviors or relied on planning. The model revealed similarly low survival rates for prey in crowded environs, such as coral reefs and jungle.
"In those simple open or highly packed environments, there is no benefit to planning," MacIver said. "In the open aquatic environments, you just need to run in the opposite direction and hope for the best. While in the highly packed environments, there are only a few paths to take, and you are not able to strategize because you can't see far. In these environments, we found that planning does not improve your chances of survival."
However, when the model used a savanna-like landscape, featuring a mix of open space and patches of vegetation or complex topography, prey using planning instead of habit-based behaviors benefited from a large increase in survival rates.
The findings suggest the challenge of finding prey and avoiding predation in variable landscapes like savannas fueled the development of bigger, more powerful brains among land animals.
MacIver's theory for how terrestrial animals evolved greater intelligence mirrors the explanation for the accelerated brain development of early humans.
"When we split off from life in the trees with chimpanzees nearly seven million years ago and quickly quadrupled in brain size, paleoecology studies point to our having invaded patchy landscapes, similar to those our study highlights, as giving the biggest payoff for strategic thinking," MacIver said.