upi--2020-06-04--Russia declares state of emergency in Siberia after power plant spills 20,000 tons of oil

June 4 ( UPI ) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a state of emergency for a region in northern Siberia after oil spilled from a power plant into a river .
A fuel tank at the plant in Norilsk ruptured on Friday , leaking 20,000 tons of diesel fuel into the nearby Ambarnaya River , contaminating portions of the waterway as far as 7 miles away from the site .
The plant 's parent company , Norilsk Nickel , said it believes thawing permafrost caused one of the tank 's pillars to collapse .
Permafrost thawing is linked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage to roads and homes as well as disruptions to herding and agriculture throughout Siberia .
Greenpeace Russia issued a statement describing the incident as the largest oil spill in the history of the Russian Arctic , comparing it to the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 .
The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal inquiry into the spill and detained the plant 's manager , Vyacheslav Starostin .
Putin said he would ask investigators to look into the spill and assess how officials responded .
He also criticized the company in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the spill Sunday .
`` Why did the government agencies only find out about this two days after the fact ? ''
Putin said .
`` Are we going to learn about emergency situations from social media ? ''
Norilsk Nickel , the world 's leading producer of nickel and palladium , was responsible for another oil spill in 2016 .
The company has dispatched hundreds of personnel to clean up the most recent spill , gathering 340 tons of oil .

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a state of emergency in Siberia after a fuel tank from a power plant leaked 20,000 tons of diesel fuel into the Ambarnaya River. Photo by Russian Marine Rescue Service/EPA-EFE
June 4 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a state of emergency for a region in northern Siberia after oil spilled from a power plant into a river. A fuel tank at the plant in Norilsk ruptured on Friday, leaking 20,000 tons of diesel fuel into the nearby Ambarnaya River, contaminating portions of the waterway as far as 7 miles away from the site. Advertisement
The plant's parent company, Norilsk Nickel, said it believes thawing permafrost caused one of the tank's pillars to collapse.
Permafrost thawing is linked to climate change and has caused issues including damage to roads and homes as well as disruptions to herding and agriculture throughout Siberia.
Greenpeace Russia issued a statement describing the incident as the largest oil spill in the history of the Russian Arctic, comparing it to the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.
The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal inquiry into the spill and detained the plant's manager, Vyacheslav Starostin.
Putin said he would ask investigators to look into the spill and assess how officials responded.
He also criticized the company in a videoconference, questioning why he only learned of the spill Sunday.
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"Why did the government agencies only find out about this two days after the fact?" Putin said. "Are we going to learn about emergency situations from social media?"
Norilsk Nickel, the world's leading producer of nickel and palladium, was responsible for another oil spill in 2016.
The company has dispatched hundreds of personnel to clean up the most recent spill, gathering 340 tons of oil.


upi--2020-06-04--Buffalo Bills rookie QB Jake Fromm apologizes for 'elite white people' comment

June 4 ( UPI ) -- Buffalo Bills rookie quarterback Jake Fromm offered an apology after screenshots emerged on social media of a text conversation in which he said only `` elite white people '' should be allowed to buy guns .
The exchange , which took place in 2019 and was posted to social media Thursday , involved Fromm and a friend discussing firearms .
`` But no , guns are good .
They need to let me get suppressors , '' Fromm wrote .
`` Just make them very expensive so only elite white people can get them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not an `` elite white person '' in the text conversation .
`` I am extremely sorry that I chose to use the words 'elite white person ' in a text message conversation , '' Fromm said in a statement posted on social media .
`` Although I never meant to imply that I am an 'elite white person , ' as later stated in the conversation , there 's no excuse for that word choice and sentiment .
`` I stand against racism 100 percent .
I promise to commit myself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this country . ''
Later Thursday , the Bills released a statement about Fromm 's comments , saying the former Georgia quarterback apologized to his teammates and coaches in a team meeting .
`` Earlier today , we became aware of comments made in a text message conversation involving Jake Fromm in 2019 , '' the team said .
`` He was wrong and he admitted it to us .
We do n't condone what he said .
Jake was honest and forthcoming to us about the text exchange .
`` He asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his teammates and coaches today in a team meeting , which he did .
We will continue to work with Jake on the responsibilities of being a Buffalo Bill on and off the field . ''
The Bills selected Fromm in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft .

The Buffalo Bills selected former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm (11) in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. File Photo by AJ Sisco/UPI | License Photo
June 4 (UPI) -- Buffalo Bills rookie quarterback Jake Fromm offered an apology after screenshots emerged on social media of a text conversation in which he said only "elite white people" should be allowed to buy guns. The exchange, which took place in 2019 and was posted to social media Thursday, involved Fromm and a friend discussing firearms. Advertisement
"But no, guns are good. They need to let me get suppressors," Fromm wrote. "Just make them very expensive so only elite white people can get them haha."
Fromm later said he was not an "elite white person" in the text conversation.
"I am extremely sorry that I chose to use the words 'elite white person' in a text message conversation," Fromm said in a statement posted on social media. "Although I never meant to imply that I am an 'elite white person,' as later stated in the conversation, there's no excuse for that word choice and sentiment.
"I stand against racism 100 percent. I promise to commit myself to being part of the solution in this country."
Later Thursday, the Bills released a statement about Fromm's comments, saying the former Georgia quarterback apologized to his teammates and coaches in a team meeting.
"Earlier today, we became aware of comments made in a text message conversation involving Jake Fromm in 2019," the team said. "He was wrong and he admitted it to us. We don't condone what he said. Jake was honest and forthcoming to us about the text exchange.
"He asked for an opportunity to address and apologize to his teammates and coaches today in a team meeting, which he did. We will continue to work with Jake on the responsibilities of being a Buffalo Bill on and off the field."
The Bills selected Fromm in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.


upi--2020-06-04--Defense Secretary Mark Esper sends some troops home after D.C. deployment

Protesters make their way to the Lincoln Memorial during a demonstration against police brutality and the death of George Floyd, in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
June 4 (UPI) -- The Department of Defense is returning some members of active duty units that had deployed to Washington, D.C., to their home bases, a senior Pentagon official said Thursday. The official told UPI the return of the remaining active duty service members will be "conditions-based." Advertisement
The official did not name the number of troops being removed from the capital, but Stars & Stripes reported that Esper sent about 700 soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division back to Fort Bragg, N.C.
Earlier this week, the military deployed 1,600 troops to the nation's capital to respond to police-brutality protests spurred by the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that it was not yet necessary to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow the federal government to send troops to states in response to protests.
It was Esper's first public comment on the matter.
Earlier this week U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., demanded the Trump administration and Defense Department officials offer more detail about potential domestic deployments of the military, including a comment from Esper -- on a phone call recording that was leaked to The New York Times -- that National Guard forces needed to "dominate the battlespace" in cities.
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President Donald Trump has said multiple times this week that he would send the military into cities where protests have been punctuated by looting and vandalism as well as deployment of tear gas and flash bangs by police.
The Insurrection Act of 1807 was last used in 1992 as Los Angeles residents rioted after officers who beat Rodney King were acquitted of criminal charges.
Protesters demand justice in police killing of George Floyd


upi--2020-06-04--Federal appeals court extends block on voting-by-mail expansion in Texas

June 4 ( UPI ) -- A three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals extended its order Thursday blocking a lower court 's sweeping ruling that would have allowed all Texas voters to qualify to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic .
With early voting for the primary runoff elections starting later this month -- and the Texas Supreme Court also blocking expanded voting by mail in a separate case -- Thursday 's ruling effectively eliminates the possibility that Texas voters will be able to legally request mail-in ballots solely because they fear a lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them at risk if they vote in person .
The issue is likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court .
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction in late May expanding mail-in voting , but the appellate panel almost immediately put it on administrative hold while awaiting legal briefings from both sides .
Thursday 's ruling keeps Biery 's ruling on ice while Texas appeals it .
This keeps in place the state 's existing rules for mail-in ballots : They are available only if voters are 65 or older , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be out of the county during the election period , or are confined in jail .
The Texas election code defines disability as a `` sickness or physical condition '' that prevents a voter from appearing in person without the risk of `` injuring the voter 's health . ''
The Texas Supreme Court found last month that lack of immunity alone does not meet the state 's qualifications , but the court reiterated that it is up to voters to assess their own health and determine if they meet the election code @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his preliminary injunction , Biery cited the irreparable harm voters would face if existing age eligibility rules for voting by mail were in place for elections held while the new coronavirus remains in wide circulation .
In his appeal to the 5th Circuit , Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that Biery 's injunction threatened `` irreparable injury '' to the state `` by injecting substantial confusion into the Texas voting process mere days before ballots are distributed and weeks before runoff elections . ''
Siding with Paxton , the 5th Circuit panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to institute voting by mail for all against their will would present `` significant , irreparable harm '' to the state .
The panel pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court 's standing that lower federal courts should `` ordinarily not alter the election rules on the eve of an election . ''
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune .
Read the original here .
The Texas Tribune is a non-profit , non-partisan media organization that informs Texans -- and engages with them -- about public policy , politics , government and @ @ @

June 4 (UPI) -- A three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals extended its order Thursday blocking a lower court's sweeping ruling that would have allowed all Texas voters to qualify to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic.
With early voting for the primary runoff elections starting later this month -- and the Texas Supreme Court also blocking expanded voting by mail in a separate case --Thursday's ruling effectively eliminates the possibility that Texas voters will be able to legally request mail-in ballots solely because they fear a lack of immunity to the new coronavirus will put them at risk if they vote in person.
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The issue is likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction in late May expanding mail-in voting, but the appellate panel almost immediately put it on administrative hold while awaiting legal briefings from both sides. Thursday's ruling keeps Biery's ruling on ice while Texas appeals it.
This keeps in place the state's existing rules for mail-in ballots: They are available only if voters are 65 or older, cite a disability or illness, will be out of the county during the election period, or are confined in jail.
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The Texas election code defines disability as a "sickness or physical condition" that prevents a voter from appearing in person without the risk of "injuring the voter's health." The Texas Supreme Court found last month that lack of immunity alone does not meet the state's qualifications, but the court reiterated that it is up to voters to assess their own health and determine if they meet the election code's definition of disability.
In issuing his preliminary injunction, Biery cited the irreparable harm voters would face if existing age eligibility rules for voting by mail were in place for elections held while the new coronavirus remains in wide circulation. In his appeal to the 5th Circuit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that Biery's injunction threatened "irreparable injury" to the state "by injecting substantial confusion into the Texas voting process mere days before ballots are distributed and weeks before runoff elections."
Siding with Paxton, the 5th Circuit panel in part found that requiring Texas officials to institute voting by mail for all against their will would present "significant, irreparable harm" to the state. The panel pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court's standing that lower federal courts should "ordinarily not alter the election rules on the eve of an election."
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Early voting for the upcoming primary runoffs begins June 29.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune. Read the original here. The Texas Tribune is a non-profit, non-partisan media organization that informs Texans -- and engages with them -- about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.


upi--2020-06-04--Speaker Nancy Pelosi asks for full ID of all police, forces responding to D.C. protests

June 4 ( UPI ) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday sent a letter to President Donald Trump expressing concern about the `` increased militarization '' in response to police brutality demonstrations .
She called for full identification of all law enforcement and military agencies involved in policing the protests in Washington , D.C. '' It is alarming that here in our nation 's capital , the thousands who have turned out peacefully have been confronted with the deployment of various security officers from multiple jurisdictions , including unidentified federal law enforcement personnel , '' Pelosi wrote .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , D.C. , police , the federal Bureau of Prisons , the National Park Service , the National Guard and the FBI .
`` We are concerned about the increased militarization and lack of clarity that may increase chaos , '' Pelosi said .
She called for a full list of all agencies involved in policing the protests and their individual responsibilities .
`` Congress and the American people need to know who is in charge , what is the chain of command , what is the mission and by what authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operating in the capital . ''
Pelosi addressed the letter during her weekly news conference in the Capitol , hours after Attorney General and FBI Director Christopher Wray held their own briefing .
Barr on Thursday said Trump asked him to lead the federal response to protests in the nation 's capital , which included the clearing of Lafayette Park for the president 's visit to St. John 's Church on Monday .
`` This is the federal city .
It 's the seat of the federal government .
It is the responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection , '' Barr said .
The law enforcement officials addressed the federal response to protests and violence linked to the police-involved killing of George Floyd last week in Minneapolis .
The arrest that led to his death was captured on cellphone video , prompting outrage and protests across the globe .
The former officer who kneeled on Floyd 's neck during his arrest , Derek Chauvin , faces a second-degree murder charge .
Three other officers present during the incident were charged with aiding and abetting murder in the second-degree .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being not to be struck to the heart with horror , '' Barr said .
The Trump administration has faced criticism after U.S. Park Police used smoke canisters and pepper balls to clear protesters from Lafayette Park in front of the White House .
After the protesters were dispersed , Trump walked from the White House to St. John 's Church for what some critics said amounted to a `` photo op . ''
The church experienced a fire the night before during protests .
Barr said Thursday that he meant to order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day to expand the security perimeter around the White House , but there were n't enough personnel in place to carry that out .
The attorney general said the decision to expand the perimeter came before Trump decided to visit St. John 's Church .
He said demonstrators in front of the White House were `` becoming increasingly unruly '' and that they had been asked to move one block away three times .
Black Lives Matter D.C. and The American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia , along with other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , Barr and Defense Secretary Mark Esper for the actions taken to clear the park and plaza near the White House .
`` This case is about the president and attorney general of the United States order the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators who were speaking out against discriminatory police brutality targeted at black people , '' the lawsuit read .
Also named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the Lawyers ' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , the Washington Lawyers ' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Porter .
`` What happened to our members Monday evening , here in the nation 's capital , was an affront to all our rights , '' said April Goggans , core organizer of Black Lives Matter D.C. `` The death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police officers has reignited the rage , pain , and deep sadness our community has suffered for generations .
We wo n't be silenced by tear gas and rubber bullets .
Now is our time to be heard . ''
Barr blamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antifa '' -- anti-fascist groups deemed a terrorist organization by the administration this week -- and a `` witches ' brew '' of other groups .
`` We have evidence that antifa and other similar extremist groups , as well as actors of a variety of different political persuasions have been involved in instigating and participating in the violent activity , '' he said .
`` And we are also seeing foreign actors playing all sides to exacerbate the violence . ''
Wray said he was `` appalled and profoundly troubled '' by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying his death `` erodes the trust '' people have in law enforcement .
`` This is not just about George Floyd , '' he said .
`` This is about all of those over the years who have been unjustifiably killed or had their rights violated .

1/3
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks during her weekly news conference at U.S Capitol on Thursday. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo
June 4 (UPI) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday sent a letter to President Donald Trump expressing concern about the "increased militarization" in response to police brutality demonstrations. She called for full identification of all law enforcement and military agencies involved in policing the protests in Washington, D.C. Advertisement
"It is alarming that here in our nation's capital, the thousands who have turned out peacefully have been confronted with the deployment of various security officers from multiple jurisdictions, including unidentified federal law enforcement personnel," Pelosi wrote.
She said she's seen officers from the Washington, D.C., police, the federal Bureau of Prisons, the National Park Service, the National Guard and the FBI.
"We are concerned about the increased militarization and lack of clarity that may increase chaos," Pelosi said.
She called for a full list of all agencies involved in policing the protests and their individual responsibilities.
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"Congress and the American people need to know who is in charge, what is the chain of command, what is the mission and by what authority is the National Guard from other states operating in the capital."
Pelosi addressed the letter during her weekly news conference in the Capitol, hours after Attorney General and FBI Director Christopher Wray held their own briefing.
Tune in as I speak with reporters during my weekly press conference at the U.S. Capitol. https://t.co/p5ro5eAdBK— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) June 4, 2020
Barr on Thursday said Trump asked him to lead the federal response to protests in the nation's capital, which included the clearing of Lafayette Park for the president's visit to St. John's Church on Monday.
"This is the federal city. It's the seat of the federal government. It is the responsibility of the federal government to render that protection," Barr said.
The law enforcement officials addressed the federal response to protests and violence linked to the police-involved killing of George Floyd last week in Minneapolis. The arrest that led to his death was captured on cellphone video, prompting outrage and protests across the globe.
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The former officer who kneeled on Floyd's neck during his arrest, Derek Chauvin, faces a second-degree murder charge. Three other officers present during the incident were charged with aiding and abetting murder in the second-degree.
"It is impossible for any normal human being not to be struck to the heart with horror," Barr said.
The Trump administration has faced criticism after U.S. Park Police used smoke canisters and pepper balls to clear protesters from Lafayette Park in front of the White House. After the protesters were dispersed, Trump walked from the White House to St. John's Church for what some critics said amounted to a "photo op." The church experienced a fire the night before during protests.
Barr said Thursday that he meant to order the park's clearance earlier in the day to expand the security perimeter around the White House, but there weren't enough personnel in place to carry that out. The attorney general said the decision to expand the perimeter came before Trump decided to visit St. John's Church.
He said demonstrators in front of the White House were "becoming increasingly unruly" and that they had been asked to move one block away three times.
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Black Lives Matter D.C. and The American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia, along with other rights groups filed a lawsuit Thursday against Trump, Barr and Defense Secretary Mark Esper for the actions taken to clear the park and plaza near the White House.
"This case is about the president and attorney general of the United States order the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators who were speaking out against discriminatory police brutality targeted at black people," the lawsuit read.
Also named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and the law firm of Arnold & Porter.
"What happened to our members Monday evening, here in the nation's capital, was an affront to all our rights," said April Goggans, core organizer of Black Lives Matter D.C. "The death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police officers has reignited the rage, pain, and deep sadness our community has suffered for generations. We won't be silenced by tear gas and rubber bullets. Now is our time to be heard."
Advertisement
Barr blamed recent violent activity during protests on "antifa" -- anti-fascist groups deemed a terrorist organization by the administration this week -- and a "witches' brew" of other groups.
"We have evidence that antifa and other similar extremist groups, as well as actors of a variety of different political persuasions have been involved in instigating and participating in the violent activity," he said. "And we are also seeing foreign actors playing all sides to exacerbate the violence."
Wray said he was "appalled and profoundly troubled" by the video of Floyd's death, saying his death "erodes the trust" people have in law enforcement.
"This is not just about George Floyd," he said. "This is about all of those over the years who have been unjustifiably killed or had their rights violated.
Protesters demand justice in police killing of George Floyd


upi--2020-06-04--Dallas Cowboys officially place All-Pro C Travis Frederick on retired list

June 4 ( UPI ) -- The Dallas Cowboys officially placed former Pro Bowl and All-Pro center Travis Frederick on the reserve/retired list , the team announced Thursday .
Frederick announced his retirement from football in March , but the Cowboys kept him on their active roster until now to spread the former offensive lineman 's salary-cap hit over the next two seasons .
According to Spotrac , he was set to count roughly $ 12 million against the cap this season but will now count about $ 5 million this year and $ 6.1 million in 2021 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 million toward this year 's salary cap , according to the team .
Dallas has yet to sign any of their draft picks from April 's NFL Draft .
Frederick , 29 , started every regular-season game from 2013-17 before he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome , an auto-immune disease that impacts the nervous system , in 2018 .
The disease , which caused him to lose strength and some motor skills , forced him to miss the entire 2018 campaign .
Frederick received treatment for the disease and eventually returned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fifth trip to the Pro Bowl .
At the time of his retirement , he attributed his long battle with the disease as a significant reason for walking away from football .
The Cowboys selected Frederick in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin .
He earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2016 and was named second-team All-Pro twice ( 2014-15 ) .
Joe Looney , Connor McGovern , Connor Williams and Tyler Biadasz are possible candidates to start at center for the Cowboys in 2020 .
Looney filled in @ @ @ @ @

Former Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick announced his retirement from football in March. File Photo by Ian Halperin/UPI | License Photo
June 4 (UPI) -- The Dallas Cowboys officially placed former Pro Bowl and All-Pro center Travis Frederick on the reserve/retired list, the team announced Thursday. Frederick announced his retirement from football in March, but the Cowboys kept him on their active roster until now to spread the former offensive lineman's salary-cap hit over the next two seasons. According to Spotrac, he was set to count roughly $12 million against the cap this season but will now count about $5 million this year and $6.1 million in 2021. Advertisement
The move will save the Cowboys about $7 million toward this year's salary cap, according to the team. Dallas has yet to sign any of their draft picks from April's NFL Draft.
Frederick, 29, started every regular-season game from 2013-17 before he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, an auto-immune disease that impacts the nervous system, in 2018. The disease, which caused him to lose strength and some motor skills, forced him to miss the entire 2018 campaign.
Frederick received treatment for the disease and eventually returned to the field in 2019, earning his fifth trip to the Pro Bowl. At the time of his retirement, he attributed his long battle with the disease as a significant reason for walking away from football.
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The Cowboys selected Frederick in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. He earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2016 and was named second-team All-Pro twice (2014-15).
Joe Looney, Connor McGovern, Connor Williams and Tyler Biadasz are possible candidates to start at center for the Cowboys in 2020. Looney filled in for Frederick in 2018.


upi--2020-06-04--NBA owners approve 22-team format to resume 2019-20 season

June 4 ( UPI ) -- The NBA 's board of governors voted Thursday to approve a 22-team format to resume the 2019-20 season in Orlando , Fla. , the league announced .
League sources told ESPN that teams approved the plan by a 29-1 margin , with the Portland Trail Blazers voting against the proposal .
The National Basketball Players Association has been working closely with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and league officials on the return-to-play plan , and the NBPA 's team player representatives have a conference call scheduled for Friday to approve the proposal , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season resuming is contingent on an agreement with The Walt Disney Company to use the Walt Disney Resort as a single site for all games , practices and housing for the remainder of the season .
`` The Board 's approval of the restart format is a necessary step forward resuming the NBA season , '' Silver said in a statement .
`` While the COVID-19 pandemic presents formidable challenges , we are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalized with public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We also recognize that as we prepare to resume play , our society is reeling from recent tragedies of racial violence and injustice , and we will continue to work closely with our teams and players to use our collective resources and influence to address these issues in very real and concrete ways . ''
Under the proposal , 13 Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference teams will play eight regular-season `` seeding '' games , a potential play-in tournament for the eighth seeds in each conference and the postseason at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 teams in the West and the East will be joined by teams currently within six games of the eighth seed in the two conferences -- the New Orleans Pelicans , Trail Blazers , San Antonio Spurs , Sacramento Kings , Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards .
The play-in tournament will include the No .
8 and No .
9 teams in the standings , if the ninth seed ends the regular season within four games of the eighth spot .
If a play-in series occurs , it would essentially be a best-of-two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seed would have to win twice to earn the final playoff berth , while the No .
8 seed would need to win once .
Teams will start training in Orlando beginning July 9-11 , according to ESPN .
Under the plan , the season would resume at the end of July and the NBA Finals would take place in October .
The NBA also offered dates beyond the start and end of this season , with the draft lottery scheduled for Aug. 25 , the NBA Draft on Oct. 15 and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The league will have daily testing for the coronavirus at the Disney campus .
If a player tests positive for the virus , the league would remove that individual from the team to quarantine and continue to play .
The NBA suspended its season in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic .

Under the proposal, which was submitted to the NBA's board of governors by league commissioner Adam Silver, the 2019-20 season is set to resume at the end of July. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
June 4 (UPI) -- The NBA's board of governors voted Thursday to approve a 22-team format to resume the 2019-20 season in Orlando, Fla., the league announced. League sources told ESPN that teams approved the plan by a 29-1 margin, with the Portland Trail Blazers voting against the proposal. Advertisement
The National Basketball Players Association has been working closely with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and league officials on the return-to-play plan, and the NBPA's team player representatives have a conference call scheduled for Friday to approve the proposal, according to ESPN.
The NBA also said the season resuming is contingent on an agreement with The Walt Disney Company to use the Walt Disney Resort as a single site for all games, practices and housing for the remainder of the season.
"The Board's approval of the restart format is a necessary step forward resuming the NBA season," Silver said in a statement. "While the COVID-19 pandemic presents formidable challenges, we are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalized with public health officials and medical experts.
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"We also recognize that as we prepare to resume play, our society is reeling from recent tragedies of racial violence and injustice, and we will continue to work closely with our teams and players to use our collective resources and influence to address these issues in very real and concrete ways."
Under the proposal, 13 Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference teams will play eight regular-season "seeding" games, a potential play-in tournament for the eighth seeds in each conference and the postseason at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The top 16 teams in the West and the East will be joined by teams currently within six games of the eighth seed in the two conferences -- the New Orleans Pelicans, Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards.
The play-in tournament will include the No. 8 and No. 9 teams in the standings, if the ninth seed ends the regular season within four games of the eighth spot. If a play-in series occurs, it would essentially be a best-of-two matchup, where the No. 9 seed would have to win twice to earn the final playoff berth, while the No. 8 seed would need to win once.
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Teams will start training in Orlando beginning July 9-11, according to ESPN. Under the plan, the season would resume at the end of July and the NBA Finals would take place in October.
The NBA also offered dates beyond the start and end of this season, with the draft lottery scheduled for Aug. 25, the NBA Draft on Oct. 15 and the 2020-21 season likely starting Dec. 1.
The league will have daily testing for the coronavirus at the Disney campus. If a player tests positive for the virus, the league would remove that individual from the team to quarantine and continue to play.
The NBA suspended its season in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.


upi--2020-06-04--Coronavirus: Brazil now has third highest number of cases globally

May 23 ( UPI ) -- With a spike of more than 20,000 new infections of COVID-19 within 24 hours , Brazil on Saturday reported the third-highest number of cases in the world behind Russia and the United States .
`` In a sense , South America has become a new epicenter for the disease , '' the World Health Organization 's top emergencies expert , Dr. Mike Ryan , said with Brazil being the `` most affected '' South American country .
Ryan added that authorities in Brazil have broadly approved anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use given potential side effects .
Policy experts said one of the biggest challenges in curbing the spread is Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro .
`` It 's unbelievable what 's happening in Brazil , '' said Natalia Pasternak , a microbiologist and researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Sao Paulo .
`` When the biggest science denier in the country is the president himself , what can we scientists do ? ''
Brazil has reported 21,048 deaths from COVID-19 , according to Johns Hopkins University 's global tracker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of cases at more than 1.6 million and more than 96,000 deaths , according to the Johns Hopkins tracker .
President Donald Trump , an ally of Bolsonaro , has similarly touted the anti-malarial drug as a potential treatment for COVID-19 .
Trump also said earlier this week he started to take hydroxychloroquine , but a study published Friday in The Lancet found that the drug has no clinical benefit , might cause serious heart-related side effects and people with severe illness treated with it were twice as likely to die than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was retracted by the authors on Thursday over questions of the validity of the data .
Trump also called Friday for places of worship to reopen and threatened to override governors if they do n't allow them to reopen .
Religious ceremonies have also now been allowed to immediately resume in France , according to a legislative decree published Saturday morning .
France 's Interior Ministry has collaborated with faith leaders `` to ensure that religious ceremonies resume , while ensuring the health protection of all , '' Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the global tracker , France has 182,015 COVID-19 cases and 28,218 deaths .
Russia reported 335,882 cases as of Saturday , the second-highest globally .
The country has had 3,388 deaths from the virus , according to the global tracker .
Britain now has the fourth-highest number of cases worldwide with 255,544 cases and 36,475 deaths .
A spokesperson for the British prime minister 's office told CNN that top aide Dominic Cummings did not breach COVID-19 guidelines after it was revealed that he showed symptoms of the virus while he traveled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents ' home .
South Korea has received international praise for largely bringing the coronavirus under control after continuing a monthlong streak of new daily cases below 100 .
But after beginning to loosen its social distancing guidelines , a cluster of cases started to develop linked to multiple Seoul nightclubs that a 29-year-old man infected with the virus had visited .
As of Saturday , 219 cases have been linked to the nightclub cluster , said Kwon Jun-wook , deputy director of Korea 's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths from the virus , according to the global tracker .
Globally , the number of cases is more than 5.2 million with over 338,000 deaths from COVID-19 .
In Spain , Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the country 's longest period of mourning in history -- 10 days .
`` Starting Tuesday , when the entire national territory is in phase one , the government of Spain will approve a formal declaration of official mourning throughout our country in memory of the victims of COVID-19 .
The mourning will last 10 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our democracy . ''
`` Those who died in this epidemic deserve to be remembered . ''
Also Saturday , far-right protesters in Spain called for lockdowns to be lifted , driving their cars through major cities to maintain social distancing .
The country imposed some of the tightest restrictions in Europe in mid-March , but large cities are planning on loosening the restrictions gradually -- but protesters , citiing the impact on jobs and the economy , want the lockdown lifted immediately .
This story has been updated to reflect that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retracted .

Federal public officials wear masks at protest against Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro in front of the Palacio Planalto headquarters in Brasilia. File Photo by Joedson Alves/EPA-EFE
May 23 (UPI) -- With a spike of more than 20,000 new infections of COVID-19 within 24 hours, Brazil on Saturday reported the third-highest number of cases in the world behind Russia and the United States. Brazil's Health Ministry reported 330,890 cases Friday, up 20,803 from Thursday. Advertisement
"In a sense, South America has become a new epicenter for the disease," the World Health Organization's top emergencies expert, Dr. Mike Ryan, said with Brazil being the "most affected" South American country.
Ryan added that authorities in Brazil have broadly approved anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment even though clinical evidence does not support its widespread use given potential side effects.
Policy experts said one of the biggest challenges in curbing the spread is Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
"It's unbelievable what's happening in Brazil," said Natalia Pasternak, a microbiologist and researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Sao Paulo. "When the biggest science denier in the country is the president himself, what can we scientists do?"
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Brazil has reported 21,048 deaths from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University's global tracker.
The United States has the highest number of cases at more than 1.6 million and more than 96,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker.
President Donald Trump, an ally of Bolsonaro, has similarly touted the anti-malarial drug as a potential treatment for COVID-19.
Trump also said earlier this week he started to take hydroxychloroquine, but a study published Friday in The Lancet found that the drug has no clinical benefit, might cause serious heart-related side effects and people with severe illness treated with it were twice as likely to die than a control group. But that study was retracted by the authors on Thursday over questions of the validity of the data.
Trump also called Friday for places of worship to reopen and threatened to override governors if they don't allow them to reopen.
Religious ceremonies have also now been allowed to immediately resume in France, according to a legislative decree published Saturday morning.
France's Interior Ministry has collaborated with faith leaders "to ensure that religious ceremonies resume, while ensuring the health protection of all," Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said in a statement Friday night.
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According to the global tracker, France has 182,015 COVID-19 cases and 28,218 deaths.
Russia reported 335,882 cases as of Saturday, the second-highest globally. The country has had 3,388 deaths from the virus, according to the global tracker.
Britain now has the fourth-highest number of cases worldwide with 255,544 cases and 36,475 deaths.
A spokesperson for the British prime minister's office told CNN that top aide Dominic Cummings did not breach COVID-19 guidelines after it was revealed that he showed symptoms of the virus while he traveled across the country to stay at his parents' home.
South Korea has received international praise for largely bringing the coronavirus under control after continuing a monthlong streak of new daily cases below 100. But after beginning to loosen its social distancing guidelines, a cluster of cases started to develop linked to multiple Seoul nightclubs that a 29-year-old man infected with the virus had visited.
As of Saturday, 219 cases have been linked to the nightclub cluster, said Kwon Jun-wook, deputy director of Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
South Korea has 11,165 COVID-19 cases and 266 deaths from the virus, according to the global tracker.
Globally, the number of cases is more than 5.2 million with over 338,000 deaths from COVID-19.
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In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the country's longest period of mourning in history -- 10 days.
"Starting Tuesday, when the entire national territory is in phase one, the government of Spain will approve a formal declaration of official mourning throughout our country in memory of the victims of COVID-19. The mourning will last 10 days, the longest official mourning in history of our democracy."
"Those who died in this epidemic deserve to be remembered."
Also Saturday, far-right protesters in Spain called for lockdowns to be lifted, driving their cars through major cities to maintain social distancing.
The country imposed some of the tightest restrictions in Europe in mid-March, but large cities are planning on loosening the restrictions gradually -- but protesters, citiing the impact on jobs and the economy, want the lockdown lifted immediately.
This story has been updated to reflect that a study published in The Lancet was retracted.
World moves to reopen amid COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-06-04--WHO suspends trials of hydroxychloroquine, citing safety

May 25 ( UPI ) -- The World Health Organization announced Monday it was temporarily pausing international medical trials involving the malarial drug hydroxychloroquine , which was touted by U.S. President Trump as a possible cure for COVID-19 .
WHO 's Solidarity Trial division will temporarily suspend trials for further review by the agency 's Data Safety Monitoring Board , said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus .
`` The review will consider data collected so far in the Solidarity Trial and , in particular robust randomized available data , to adequately evaluate the potential benefits and harms from this drug , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 3,500 patients in 17 countries were enrolled in clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine for coronavirus treatment , Tedros said .
But a study of 15,000 patients published in the Lancet on Friday said taking the drug doubled the risks of dangerous cardiac side effects that could lead to death .
But that study was retracted by the authors on Thursday over questions of the validity of the data .
Tedros added that the drug is accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria .
Hydroxychloroquine and related drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs for decades .
Doctors have also prescribed them for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis .
In the United States , the Federal Drug Administration has approved testing under clinical conditions of hydroxychloroquine , and the drug combined with other drugs , such as zinc and antibiotic azithromycin , for treatment of COVID-19 .
But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association have warned that using the drug without medical supervision can lead to increased risks of cardiac arrest .
Trump and others , including billionaire Elon Musk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a potential treatment for COVID-19 or could be taken to prevent infection .
Trump said last week he had been taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative medication , but then Sunday announced he had stopped taking the drug .
There have been more than 5.4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 , with around 345,000 deaths , according to a tracker from Johns Hopkins University .
In the United States , the number of COVID-19-related deaths approaches 100,000 with more than 1.6 million confirmed cases reported .
This story has been updated to reflect that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retracted .

The World Health Organization announced Monday it was suspending clinical trials of malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for treatment of COVID-19 until adequate data had been gathered. UPI File Photo
May 25 (UPI) -- The World Health Organization announced Monday it was temporarily pausing international medical trials involving the malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, which was touted by U.S. President Trump as a possible cure for COVID-19. WHO's Solidarity Trial division will temporarily suspend trials for further review by the agency's Data Safety Monitoring Board, said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Advertisement
"The review will consider data collected so far in the Solidarity Trial and, in particular robust randomized available data, to adequately evaluate the potential benefits and harms from this drug," Tedros said in remarks.
More than 3,500 patients in 17 countries were enrolled in clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine for coronavirus treatment, Tedros said.
But a study of 15,000 patients published in the Lancet on Friday said taking the drug doubled the risks of dangerous cardiac side effects that could lead to death. But that study was retracted by the authors on Thursday over questions of the validity of the data.
Tedros added that the drug is accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria.
Hydroxychloroquine and related drug Chloroquine, have been used as anti-malarial drugs for decades. Doctors have also prescribed them for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
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In the United States, the Federal Drug Administration has approved testing under clinical conditions of hydroxychloroquine, and the drug combined with other drugs, such as zinc and antibiotic azithromycin, for treatment of COVID-19.
But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association have warned that using the drug without medical supervision can lead to increased risks of cardiac arrest.
Trump and others, including billionaire Elon Musk, have theorized that hydroxychloroquine could be a potential treatment for COVID-19 or could be taken to prevent infection.
Trump said last week he had been taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative medication, but then Sunday announced he had stopped taking the drug.
There have been more than 5.4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, with around 345,000 deaths, according to a tracker from Johns Hopkins University.
In the United States, the number of COVID-19-related deaths approaches 100,000 with more than 1.6 million confirmed cases reported.
This story has been updated to reflect that a study published in The Lancet was retracted.


upi--2020-06-04--Anthony Fauci says hydroxychloroquine ineffective as coronavirus treatment

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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks to reporters at the White House on April 16. File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo
May 27 (UPI) -- Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that hydroxychloroquine, a drug President Donald Trump said he has taken to ward off the coronavirus, is not an effective treatment based on the latest scientific data. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, made his most definitive statement yet against the drug once touted by Trump as a possible treatment. Advertisement
"The scientific data is really quite evident now about the lack of efficacy," Fauci, the White House's top infectious disease expert, said.
His statement comes on the heels of France banning the drug altogether Wednesday and the internationally respected science journal The Lancet publishing a 96,000-patient study that concluded hydroxychloroquine had no effect on COVID-19. But that study was retracted by the authors on Thursday over questions of the validity of the data.
France's decision was published in the country's official legal journal, ending the drug's use as a weapon in the pandemic just weeks after French epidemiologist Dr. Didier Raoult recommended it as a key tool against the coronavirus disease.
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Tuesday, the French High Council of Public Health and National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products said hydroxychloroquine has shown higher rates of death and cardiac arrhythmia in COVID-19 patients.
French Health Minister Olivier Veran ordered the assessments last weekend after the study in The Lancet. The study also reported increased death rates and irregular heartbeat among COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine.
The World Health Organization said Monday it paused medical trials involving the drug.
On Wednesday, Mike Ryan, the executive director of WHO's emergencies program, said there's no evidence hydroxychloroquine and related drug chloroquine work to treat COVID-19.
"There is no empirical evidence at this point that these drugs work in this case either for treatment or for prophylaxis," he said. "We do not advise the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 outside randomized control trials or under appropriate close clinical supervision subject to whatever national regulatory authorities have decided."
Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have been used as anti-malarial drugs for decades and are sometimes used to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Trump and others have said hydroxychloroquine could be a potential treatment for COVID-19 or to prevent infection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Heart Association, however, have warned that using it without medical supervision can lead to a greater risk of cardiac arrest.
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This story has been updated to reflect that a study published in The Lancet was retracted.
U.S. copes with COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-06-04--Judge advances murder cases of three men charged in Ahmaud Arbery killing

June 4 ( UPI ) -- A Georgia judge on Thursday advanced the cases against the three defendants charged with murder in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery to trial court .
Magistrate Court Judge Wallace Harrell found there was enough evidence to allow the cases against Travis McMichael , 34 , his father Greg McMichael , 64 , and William Bryan , 50 , to advance following a probable cause hearing featuring testimony from a special prosecutor and the lead investigator .
The McMichaels and their neighbor , Bryan , are each charged with felony murder in the killing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot three times on Feb. 23 as he was jogging through a Brunswick neighborhood less than 2 miles from his home .
Special prosecutor Jesse Evans said Arbery , a 25-year-old black man , `` was chased , hunted down and ultimately executed '' while being boxed in by two pickup trucks driven by the white defendants .
Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Richard Dial testified that the driver of the first pickup truck , Travis McMichael , got out of the truck and shot Arbery three times with a shotgun .
Dial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call Arbery a racial slur after firing the fatal shots .
The McMichaels were arrested last month and charged with murder and aggravated assault after video of the shooting was posted online .
Bryan , who captured the footage of the confrontation , was also arrested on charges of murder and attempt to commit false imprisonment .
All three were being held without bond at the Glynn County Detention Center .
The elder McMichael told police they pursued Arbery after suspecting he 'd committed a series of break-ins in the neighborhood .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd in Minnesota and the case has been a part of national protests over the past week opposing police brutality .
Crowds of protesters gathered outside of the courthouse chanting `` hands up , do n't shoot '' and `` no bond . ''
Police were on high alert in Brunswick after Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp promised he would `` do whatever is necessary to keep the peace '' amid protests .
District Attorney Joyette Holmes will lead the case , after two previous prosecutors recused themselves due to conflicts of interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the McMichaels were acting in self-defense and advised that no charges be filed against them .
An arrest warrant for Bryan said he attempted to block Arbery with his vehicle and confine and detain him without legal authority .
The Justice Department said last month federal prosecutors are also weighing hate crimes charges in the case .

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Ahmaud Arbery was shot dead in February while jogging near his home in Brunswick, Ga. Three men have been charged in his slaying. Photo courtesy Ahmaud Arbery family/UPI | License Photo
June 4 (UPI) -- A Georgia judge on Thursday advanced the cases against the three defendants charged with murder in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery to trial court. Magistrate Court Judge Wallace Harrell found there was enough evidence to allow the cases against Travis McMichael, 34, his father Greg McMichael, 64, and William Bryan, 50, to advance following a probable cause hearing featuring testimony from a special prosecutor and the lead investigator. Advertisement
The McMichaels and their neighbor, Bryan, are each charged with felony murder in the killing of Arbery, who died after he was shot three times on Feb. 23 as he was jogging through a Brunswick neighborhood less than 2 miles from his home.
Special prosecutor Jesse Evans said Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, "was chased, hunted down and ultimately executed" while being boxed in by two pickup trucks driven by the white defendants.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Richard Dial testified that the driver of the first pickup truck, Travis McMichael, got out of the truck and shot Arbery three times with a shotgun.
Dial also testified that Bryan heard Travis McMichael call Arbery a racial slur after firing the fatal shots.
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The McMichaels were arrested last month and charged with murder and aggravated assault after video of the shooting was posted online. Bryan, who captured the footage of the confrontation, was also arrested on charges of murder and attempt to commit false imprisonment.
All three were being held without bond at the Glynn County Detention Center.
The elder McMichael told police they pursued Arbery after suspecting he'd committed a series of break-ins in the neighborhood.
His death preceded the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota and the case has been a part of national protests over the past week opposing police brutality.
Crowds of protesters gathered outside of the courthouse chanting "hands up, don't shoot" and "no bond."
Police were on high alert in Brunswick after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp promised he would "do whatever is necessary to keep the peace" amid protests.
District Attorney Joyette Holmes will lead the case, after two previous prosecutors recused themselves due to conflicts of interest. One, George Barnhill, had said the McMichaels were acting in self-defense and advised that no charges be filed against them.
An arrest warrant for Bryan said he attempted to block Arbery with his vehicle and confine and detain him without legal authority.
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The Justice Department said last month federal prosecutors are also weighing hate crimes charges in the case.


upi--2020-06-04--'Tiger King': Joe Exotic speaks out after judge awards his zoo to Carole Baskin

June 4 ( UPI ) -- Joe Exotic on Thursday weighed in on a ruling that handed the zoo at the center of the Netflix documentary Tiger King to his rival Carole Baskin .
The management team for Joe Exotic , born Joe Maldonado-Passage , issued a statement regarding a judge 's ruling to give Baskin control of the G.W .
Zoo in Oklahoma .
Maldonado-Passage is serving a 22-year prison sentence for a murder-for-hire plot against Baskin , animal abuse and other charges .
`` This ruling is yet another emotional blow to an already fragile Joe , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in solitary confinement , '' his management team wrote .
`` He has been completely unable to defend himself . ''
Maldonado-Passage 's lawyers added that his legal team plans to file an appeal against the ruling .
The ruling on Monday awarded Baskin 's Big Cat Rescue Corporation control of 16 acres of land in Garvin County , Okla. , that hosts the zoo in addition to several cabins and vehicles .
A judge ordered the Greater Wynnewood Development Group , LLC , formerly owned by Maldonado-Passage , to vacate the zoo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animals .

June 4 (UPI) -- Joe Exotic on Thursday weighed in on a ruling that handed the zoo at the center of the Netflix documentary Tiger King to his rival Carole Baskin.
The management team for Joe Exotic, born Joe Maldonado-Passage, issued a statement regarding a judge's ruling to give Baskin control of the G.W. Zoo in Oklahoma.
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Maldonado-Passage is serving a 22-year prison sentence for a murder-for-hire plot against Baskin, animal abuse and other charges.
"This ruling is yet another emotional blow to an already fragile Joe, who has spent the past three straight months in solitary confinement," his management team wrote. "He has been completely unable to defend himself."
Maldonado-Passage's lawyers added that his legal team plans to file an appeal against the ruling.
The ruling on Monday awarded Baskin's Big Cat Rescue Corporation control of 16 acres of land in Garvin County, Okla., that hosts the zoo in addition to several cabins and vehicles.
A judge ordered the Greater Wynnewood Development Group, LLC, formerly owned by Maldonado-Passage, to vacate the zoo land within 120 days and remove all animals.


upi--2020-06-04--U.S. to send 2 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to Brazil

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in the Rose Garden of the White House on March 19, 2019. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo
June 1 (UPI) -- The White House announced it will send Brazil 2 million doses of hydroxychloroquine in its fight against the coronavirus. In a joint statement Sunday, the two nations said the drug used to treat lupus and malaria will be administered in Brazil to those infected with COVID-19 and to healthcare professionals as a prophylactic. A thousand ventilators will also be sent. Advertisement
The United States and Brazil also announced a joint research effort of randomized controlled clinical trials of the drug to "help further evaluate the safety and efficacy of HCQ for both prophylaxis and the early treatment of the coronavirus."
"Going forward, the United States and Brazil will remain in close coordination in the shared fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing regional response to safeguard public health, further limit the spread of the coronavirus, advance the early development of a vaccine and save lives," the statement said.
President Donald Trump and President Jair Bolsonaro have spoken twice since March concerning the pandemic.
The drug has been noted for weeks as a possible treatment for COVID-19. Trump said last month he'd been taking hydroxychloroquine to fend off the coronavirus.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leader of of Trump's coronavirus task force, said last week hydroxychloroquine is not an effective treatment against the coronavirus disease.
"The scientific data is really quite evident now about the lack of efficacy," Fauci said.
A study in The Lancet showed the drug offers no clinical benefit for COVID-19 patients but possibly increased serious heart-related side effects. But that study was retracted by the authors on Thursday over questions of the validity of the data.
More than 6 million people worldwide have been infected and 370,000 have died due to the virus since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The United States has the most cases, about 1.8 million, followed by Brazil with more than a half-million.
This story has been updated to reflect that a study published in The Lancet was retracted.
Scenes from a pandemic: World copes with COVID-19


upi--2020-06-04--U.S. Gulf on alert for Cristobal as storm crawls across Mexico

June 4 ( UPI ) -- Cristobal weakened to a depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph as it continued to crawl across southern Mexico unleashing flooding rainfall on Thursday .
AccuWeather forecasters expect the system to strengthen again over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico before striking the upper Gulf coast of the United States late Sunday to early Monday .
The government in Mexico discontinued all tropical storm warnings that were in effect from Campeche to Coatzacoalcos , Mexico , as of 10 a.m. CDT Thursday .
The dangers of life-threatening flooding and mudslides will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stalled over southeastern Mexico as predicted , dumped 14 inches of rain in some areas as of early Thursday .
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph , according to the National Hurricane Center in its 4 p.m. update .
The storm was 165 south of Campeche , Mexico , and was moving east-southeast at 3 mph .
The storm will begin to move northward Thursday night into Friday , eventually emerging into the Gulf of Mexico .
`` We are forecasting Cristobal to make landfall over the central coast of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Dan Kottlowski , AccuWeather 's top hurricane expert , said .
Some shift in the track of the storm is possible , especially after it begins to move northward from Mexico this weekend due to how an area of high pressure , currently over the southern United States , interacts with it .
`` There will be no impact on the United States at least through the end of the work week , '' AccuWeather chief on-air meteorologist Bernie Rayno said .
`` It is this weekend that Cristobal will be approaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas coast to as far east as the Mississippi coast for landfall . ''
Since the system is sprawling in size , and it 's likely to increase in size over the Gulf of Mexico , impact from this feature is expected to precede the arrival of the storm 's center by 36 to 48 hours , meaning places along the U.S. Gulf Coast could begin experiencing Cristobal 's outer bands well before the storm makes landfall .
`` Interaction with the land mass of southeastern Mexico will cause Cristobal to spend time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this week , '' Kottlowski said .
`` That land interaction and weakening may be enough to delay the peak strength of the storm over the Gulf of Mexico late this weekend . ''
Landfall as a strong tropical storm in the United States is most likely , but there is a chance that Cristobal reaches hurricane strength as it spends time over warm Gulf waters .
Sea surface temperatures were in the 80s across much of the region as of Thursday , and according to Rayno , 80 degrees Fahrenheit is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems .
How quickly Cristobal gains strength while moving north off Mexico 's Yucatan Peninsula late Friday to Saturday may hold the key to intensity later on , meteorologists say .
If the storm fails to ramp up right away , then it may be a sign that the system may not regain strength .
But , if the storm rapidly organizes as it moves back over the warm water , then the risk of it becoming a hurricane prior to landfall will increase substantially .
`` We are getting some information that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow dry air to wrap into the system over the weekend while over the Gulf of Mexico , and that could limit strengthening as well , '' Kottlowski said .
Wind shear is the increase in wind speed with height in the atmosphere .
Low wind shear can aid in tropical storm development and strengthening , but strong wind shear can cause a tropical system to weaken or limit its development .
Whether the storm makes landfall as a tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane may matter little in terms of impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustained winds of 74-95 mph .
A tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 39-73 mph .
`` We do not expect the slow movement of Barry from last year and the 24 inches of rain it delivered along the central Gulf Coast , '' Kottlowski said , referring to a short-lived hurricane that stuck the Gulf Coast in July 2019 and triggered widespread flooding .
`` But even rainfall of 6-12 inches ... can be enough to cause some serious localized flooding problems along and east of the storm track , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in areas that have experienced a rainfall deficit for the year so far .
Portions of the central Gulf Coast are experiencing moderate to severe drought .
Mobile , Ala. , has picked up 20.52 inches of rainfall since the start of 2020 , about 7 inches below normal for the year to date or 74 percent of normal .
As the storm strengthens over the weekend , winds will increase throughout the Gulf of Mexico , but especially in shoreline areas from Louisiana eastward to the Florida Panhandle and along the west @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm surge up to 6 feet above ground is possible near and just east of where the storm makes landfall .
`` The increasing winds will lead to an increase in coastal flooding with a building storm surge , well ahead of the center beginning on Saturday , '' Kottlowski said .
Because of the sprawled-out nature of Cristobal , impacts will begin well ahead of the storm center .
Rip currents will increase in strength and number along much of the U.S. Gulf coast this weekend .
`` Tropical storm-force winds could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas of the western part of the Florida Panhandle through the Louisiana coast , '' Kottlowski said .
`` Residents along the upper and eastern Gulf coast will need to take action to prepare for the arrival of tropical storm-force winds and building storm surge from Cristobal by Sunday morning , '' he added .
The combination of heavy rain and winds that cause a storm surge might be enough to lead to some flooding in New Orleans .
The city 's levee system has been significantly upgraded since the Hurricane Katrina disaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed to handle a torrential downpour that brought 7 inches of rain in six hours in July 2019 and led to flooding in the city .
All communities from the upper Texas coast to the west coast of the Florida Panhandle are urged to closely monitor the progress of Cristobal .
`` The worst of the conditions from Cristobal will end up being on the eastern side of the storm , '' Rayno said , adding that most of the showers and thunderstorms will be skewed toward the eastern side of the system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coast , areas near and to the east of the storm center may be at risk for tornadoes to develop .
Cristobal 's large size and dry air sweeping up from the southwest could be enough to cause rotating thunderstorms to ignite , with the potential for tornadoes to touch down , from late Sunday through Monday .
For ultimate safety , small craft along the Gulf coast should remain in port this weekend due to the likelihood of a strengthening of a large tropical storm .
Petroleum interests may need to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in part to the lopsided nature of the storm and the further flow of dry air into the storm this weekend , rainfall will trail off dramatically west of the storm track .
Impact on areas near and southwest of Houston may be limited to breezy conditions with surging temperatures and rip currents on the beaches .
Beyond this weekend , Cristobal is forecast to move inland over the lower Mississippi Valley next week .
An area of heavy rain with localized flooding is possible as the storm moves north and evolves into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be monitoring another area of showers and thunderstorms in the Atlantic for tropical development .
Waters around Bermuda could help give birth to a system sometime next week .
AccuWeather is forecasting a busy tropical season in the Atlantic with 14 to 20 tropical storms , including seven to 11 which could strengthen further into hurricanes .
Four to six major hurricanes -- Category 3 or higher -- are predicted .
However , the 2020 season has already set a record .
Cristobal became the earliest third named tropical storm on record in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .
The storm beat the previous record which stood from 2016 when Colin formed on June 5 .

Tropical Depression Cristobal is seen over Louisiana on Monday afternoon about a day after making landfall. Image courtesy NOAA
June 8 (UPI) -- Tropical Storm Cristobal weakened to a tropical depression early Monday hours after it arrived on shore on the Gulf Coast, lashed the Louisiana shoreline and unleashed heavy rains as far east as Florida's western coast. The National Hurricane Center said in its 10 a.m. Monday update that the storm's center is about 15 miles east of Monroe, La., and had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. Advertisement
After lashing the central Gulf Coast with tropical downpours, tropical-storm-force winds and coastal flooding over the weekend, Cristobal will race northward along the Mississippi Valley and into Great Lakes into the middle of the week.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys said the storm will interact with the cold front moving across the Plains, allowing it to pick up speed. Cristobal made landfall in the southeastern part of Louisiana Sunday.
The storm has gradually lost intensity, weakening to a tropical depression early Monday morning.
"Even though Cristobal will lose its tightly wound wind field, as it transitions to a rainstorm, strong winds can still occur over a broad area," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
This will be due in part to Cristobal's circulation getting caught up in a non-tropical storm set to eject out of the Rockies early this week. As these system's interact and perhaps merge, winds will become strong over a broad area of the Midwest and Great Lakes region.
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As Cristobal moves inland, conditions will begin to gradually improve along the Louisiana coast, as areas of heavier rain and thunderstorms drench Arkansas into Monday night.
Cristobal will continue to pick up forward speed on Tuesday and downpours are expected to spread from Missouri to Wisconsin and Minnesota. By Tuesday night, rain will cross the Canadian border and spread across parts of southern Ontario.
According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Courtney Travis, this amount of rain could cause creeks and streams across the Midwest to rise. However, more widespread river flooding may develop in the lower Mississippi Valley later this week or this weekend as runoff slowly flows downstream.
Otherwise, Cristobal will threaten areas of flash flooding, especially in low-lying and poor drainage areas.
In addition to the risk of flooding, there will be the potential for isolated tornadoes to be spawned where heavy thunderstorms erupt to the east of Cristobal's circulation.


upi--2020-06-04--Judge sets bail at $1M for three Minneapolis officers

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A protester puts his hands in the air at Cadman Plaza in New York City on Thursday. Three police officers involved in the arrest of George Floyd that led to his death had their bails set at $1 million. Photo by Corey Sipkin/UPI | License Photo
June 4 (UPI) -- A Hennepin County, Minn., judge on Thursday set a $1 million bail for three former officers who were present during the arrest of George Floyd, which led to his death last week. Hennepin County District Court Judge Paul Scoggin said that if the three officers meet certain conditions, such as surrendering any guns they have, their bail would be lower -- $750,000. Advertisement
Former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng, 26, Thomas Lane, 37, and Tou Thao, 34, appeared in court for the first time to face charges of aiding and abetting murder in the second-degree. All three were present during the arrest of George Floyd on May 25, when former officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than 8 minutes.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office blamed Floyd's death on the interaction.
The police department fired all four officers one day after Floyd's death and arrest, which was captured on camera.
Chauvin, 44, is being held at Oak Park Heights state prison. A judge set his bail at $500,000. He's scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday.
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Kueng, Lane and Thao were arrested Wednesday and held in detention at Hennepin County Jail.
During Thursday's hearing, Lane's attorney, Earl Gray, asked for a lower bail. He also argued that his client, who was on his fourth day on the job, was innocent and that he twice asked if they should roll Floyd onto his side.
"What was he supposed to do ... go up to Mr. Chauvin, grab him and throw him off?" Gray said, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Protesters demand justice in police killing of George Floyd


upi--2020-06-04--Poor sleep may increase risk for heart disease, atherosclerosis, study finds

June 4 ( UPI ) -- Sleeping poorly on a regular basis may increase a person 's risk for heart disease , a study published Thursday by the journal PLOS Biology has found .
The connection may be that fragmented sleep increases inflammation in the body , which in turn raises a person 's risk for atherosclerosis and stroke , according to researchers from the University of California at Berkeley .
`` Improving sleep may offer a novel way to reduce inflammation and thus reduce the risk of atherosclerosis , '' study co-author Matthew Walker , a professor of neuroscience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a press release .
In all , 35 percent of Americans report `` poor '' or `` fair '' sleep quality , and one in five say they do n't wake up feeling refreshed , according to the Sleep Foundation .
Atherosclerosis , or hardening of the arteries , is caused by chronic inflammation , Walker and his colleagues said .
It is believed to be the underlying cause of roughly half of all cases of heart disease -- and all heart disease-related deaths -- worldwide .
Sleep loss has been linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For their research , Walker and his colleagues assessed the sleep habits and quality of more than 1,600 adults using sleep lab-based polysomnography -- a commonly used sleep evaluation tool -- and actigraphy -- a movement detector worn on the wrist over multiple nights .
They also used standard blood cell counts to measure levels of neutrophils and monocytes , two types of white blood cells responsible for driving inflammation in the body .
In general , study participants with `` fragmented sleep '' based on actigraphy had higher neutrophil counts and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardening -- than those who had better-quality sleep .
Using a statistical method known as mediation analysis , the researchers showed that poor sleep led to an increase in neutrophils , which in turn led to an increase in atherosclerosis .
The influence of sleep disruption on neutrophils and atherosclerosis remained significant even after researchers accounted for multiple known contributors to coronary artery disease , including age , gender , ethnicity , body mass index , smoking and blood pressure .
The results help explain the long-standing observation that poor sleep increases the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest simple and direct ways to reduce such risk -- by improving sleep , among other steps -- the researchers said .
`` These findings may help inform public health guidelines that seek to increase the continuity of sleep as a way to improve health and decrease the burden of heart disease on society , '' Walker said .

Poor sleep may increase risk for heart disease, including hardening of the arteries, a new analysis suggests. Photo by Simon Law/Flickr
June 4 (UPI) -- Sleeping poorly on a regular basis may increase a person's risk for heart disease, a study published Thursday by the journal PLOS Biology has found. The connection may be that fragmented sleep increases inflammation in the body, which in turn raises a person's risk for atherosclerosis and stroke, according to researchers from the University of California at Berkeley. Advertisement
"Improving sleep may offer a novel way to reduce inflammation and thus reduce the risk of atherosclerosis," study co-author Matthew Walker, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the school, said in a press release.
In all, 35 percent of Americans report "poor" or "fair" sleep quality, and one in five say they don't wake up feeling refreshed, according to the Sleep Foundation.
Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is caused by chronic inflammation, Walker and his colleagues said. It is believed to be the underlying cause of roughly half of all cases of heart disease -- and all heart disease-related deaths -- worldwide.
Sleep loss has been linked with chronic inflammation in multiple studies.
For their research, Walker and his colleagues assessed the sleep habits and quality of more than 1,600 adults using sleep lab-based polysomnography -- a commonly used sleep evaluation tool -- and actigraphy -- a movement detector worn on the wrist over multiple nights.
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They also used standard blood cell counts to measure levels of neutrophils and monocytes, two types of white blood cells responsible for driving inflammation in the body.
In general, study participants with "fragmented sleep" based on actigraphy had higher neutrophil counts and more evidence of coronary artery calcification -- or hardening -- than those who had better-quality sleep.
Using a statistical method known as mediation analysis, the researchers showed that poor sleep led to an increase in neutrophils, which in turn led to an increase in atherosclerosis.
The influence of sleep disruption on neutrophils and atherosclerosis remained significant even after researchers accounted for multiple known contributors to coronary artery disease, including age, gender, ethnicity, body mass index, smoking and blood pressure.
The results help explain the long-standing observation that poor sleep increases the risk for heart disease and stroke and suggest simple and direct ways to reduce such risk -- by improving sleep, among other steps -- the researchers said.
"These findings may help inform public health guidelines that seek to increase the continuity of sleep as a way to improve health and decrease the burden of heart disease on society," Walker said.


upi--2020-06-04--USS Ford still has major technical problems, says GAO report

June 4 ( UPI ) -- The USS Gerald Ford , the U.S. Navy 's new , supercarrier still has major technical problems in two of its systems , according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office .
`` Despite maturing its critical technologies , the Navy is still struggling to demonstrate the reliability of key systems , including the electromagnetic aircraft launch system ( EMALS ) ; Advanced Arresting Gear ( AAG ) ; and dual band radar ( DBR ) , '' said the report , which was released this week .
Intended to replace the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troubled by cost overruns and technical problems , particularly involving its munitions elevators .
The Navy certified a fifth weapons elevator aboard the Ford in April , but according to the GAO , none of the weapons elevators are currently operational , which means the elevators still ca n't bring munitions to the flight deck from the lower decks .
Earlier this week , the Navy announced that the ship has moved from aircraft carrier operations to preparing for maritime combat , including moving inert weapons from a lower deck to the flight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in September 2019 , the Navy increased the CVN 78 cost cap by $ 197 million to $ 13.2 billion -- in part to fix deficiencies in the elevators .
The Navy is now aiming to complete all elevator work by this spring , the GAO said .

New arrivals to USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) step off Ford's flight deck onto the cat walk in January. Photo by Jesus O. Aguiar/U.S. Navy
June 4 (UPI) -- The USS Gerald Ford, the U.S. Navy's new, supercarrier still has major technical problems in two of its systems, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. "Despite maturing its critical technologies, the Navy is still struggling to demonstrate the reliability of key systems, including the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS); Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG); and dual band radar (DBR)," said the report, which was released this week. Advertisement
Intended to replace the Nimitz-class carriers, the Ford has been troubled by cost overruns and technical problems, particularly involving its munitions elevators.
The Navy certified a fifth weapons elevator aboard the Ford in April, but according to the GAO, none of the weapons elevators are currently operational, which means the elevators still can't bring munitions to the flight deck from the lower decks.
Earlier this week, the Navy announced that the ship has moved from aircraft carrier operations to preparing for maritime combat, including moving inert weapons from a lower deck to the flight deck.
The GAO report notes that in September 2019, the Navy increased the CVN 78 cost cap by $197 million to $13.2 billion -- in part to fix deficiencies in the elevators.
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The Navy is now aiming to complete all elevator work by this spring, the GAO said.


upi--2020-06-04--U.S. ranks 24th in newly released 2020 Environmental Performance Index

June 4 ( UPI ) -- The United States is n't doing a very good job of protecting the environment , according to researchers at Yale and Columbia universities .
The U.S. ranks 24th in the 2020 Environmental Performance Index , released Thursday .
The relatively poor ranking , putting the United States behind most of Europe , reflects the nation 's growing environmental and sustainability problems -- including the rolling back of EPA rules and relaxed enforcement for air and water protections by the Trump administration -- experts say .
Scientists at Yale and Columbia ranked 180 countries on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to environmental health and ecosystem vitality .
The latest index , produced every two years , was compiled using a data-driven and empirical approach , according the report 's authors .
`` This is the most comprehensive Environmental Protection Index that we 've produced yet , '' Zach Wendling , postdoctoral associate at the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy , said during a press conference on Zoom .
`` The top ten consists entirely of European countries that have made long-term investments in public health and environmental protection . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bottom of wealthy democracies , '' Wendling said .
According to the EPI and the index 's authors , Denmark leads the world in the effort to protect the environment and mitigate climate change .
`` We have adopted a climate law with broad support that legally binds us to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent of 1990 emissions , '' said Dan Jørgensen , the minister of climate and energy in Denmark .
According to Jørgensen , Denmark 's political leaders asked a team of scientists to determine what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adequately slow climate change .
`` Now , our task is to make the necessary possible , '' he said .
The Danish politician said slowing climate change will require hard work by dozens of countries all over the world .
`` We are proud to be number one , but we really welcome competition in the years ahead , '' Jørgensen said .
Denmark is followed in the rankings by Luxembourg , Switzerland , Britain , France , Austria , Finland , Sweden , Norway and Germany .
Authors of the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems , assess the deployment of environmental policy solutions and determine whether environmental policies are producing results .
Countries that are making concerted efforts to protect air and water and protect environmental problems -- and getting results -- are likely to score higher marks and get positioned near the top of the index .
In addition to analyzing data related to air and water pollution , scientists looked at key indicators related to biodiversity , habitat and fisheries health , ecosystem services and climate change .
When aggregating data to arrive at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to some categories and key indicators than to others .
`` The largest issue categories -- the issues that rest of the world seems to care most about -- are climate change , biodiversity and air quality , '' Wendling said .
Researchers hope countries will use the index 's granular data to better understand how they rank in terms of specific areas of environmental protection and sustainability .
`` For those that are lagging , there are opportunities to look issue by issue at where there 's room for improvement , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law and policy at Yale .
`` We hope countries will view the EPI as a spur to further action . ''

A layer of smog covers downtown and the nearby areas of Los Angeles on August 14, 2019. Photo by Etienne Laurent/EPA-EFE
June 4 (UPI) -- The United States isn't doing a very good job of protecting the environment, according to researchers at Yale and Columbia universities. The U.S. ranks 24th in the 2020 Environmental Performance Index, released Thursday. The relatively poor ranking, putting the United States behind most of Europe, reflects the nation's growing environmental and sustainability problems -- including the rolling back of EPA rules and relaxed enforcement for air and water protections by the Trump administration -- experts say. Advertisement
Scientists at Yale and Columbia ranked 180 countries on 32 key indicators across 11 categories related to environmental health and ecosystem vitality. The latest index, produced every two years, was compiled using a data-driven and empirical approach, according the report's authors.
"This is the most comprehensive Environmental Protection Index that we've produced yet," Zach Wendling, postdoctoral associate at the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, said during a press conference on Zoom. "The top ten consists entirely of European countries that have made long-term investments in public health and environmental protection."
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"The U.S. comes in 24th, at the bottom of wealthy democracies," Wendling said.
According to the EPI and the index's authors, Denmark leads the world in the effort to protect the environment and mitigate climate change.
"We have adopted a climate law with broad support that legally binds us to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent of 1990 emissions," said Dan Jørgensen, the minister of climate and energy in Denmark.
According to Jørgensen, Denmark's political leaders asked a team of scientists to determine what the European nation needed to do to adequately slow climate change.
"Now, our task is to make the necessary possible," he said.
The Danish politician said slowing climate change will require hard work by dozens of countries all over the world.
"We are proud to be number one, but we really welcome competition in the years ahead," Jørgensen said.
Denmark is followed in the rankings by Luxembourg, Switzerland, Britain, France, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Germany.
Authors of the new EPI report used data to spot environmental problems, assess the deployment of environmental policy solutions and determine whether environmental policies are producing results.
Countries that are making concerted efforts to protect air and water and protect environmental problems -- and getting results -- are likely to score higher marks and get positioned near the top of the index.
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In addition to analyzing data related to air and water pollution, scientists looked at key indicators related to biodiversity, habitat and fisheries health, ecosystem services and climate change. When aggregating data to arrive at the final rankings, researchers gave more weight to some categories and key indicators than to others.
"The largest issue categories -- the issues that rest of the world seems to care most about -- are climate change, biodiversity and air quality," Wendling said.
Researchers hope countries will use the index's granular data to better understand how they rank in terms of specific areas of environmental protection and sustainability.
"For those that are lagging, there are opportunities to look issue by issue at where there's room for improvement," said Daniel Esty, professor of environmental law and policy at Yale. "We hope countries will view the EPI as a spur to further action."


upi--2020-06-04--Watch: Shark steals flipper from diver's foot off Australian coast

June 4 ( UPI ) -- An Australian diver spear fishing off the coast of Queensland captured video of his @ @ @ @ @ that stole the flipper off his foot .
Lachlan Pye , 18 , said he @ @ @ @ @ of Lucinda and spear fishing for coral trout and fingermark bream when he encountered the @ @ @ @ @ returned to the water after taking a catch back to his boat and was pulling @ @ @ @ @ surface when he was joined in the water .
`` I took the easy shot @ @ @ @ @ .
As I came up , this bull shark charged me .
It came out @ @ @ @ @ said .
Pye 's video of the encounter shows the shark pull the flipper off @ @ @ @ @ said he made it back to his vessel without injury .

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June 4 (UPI) -- An Australian diver spear fishing off the coast of Queensland captured video of his encounter with a bull shark that stole the flipper off his foot.
Lachlan Pye, 18, said he was diving off the coast of Lucinda and spear fishing for coral trout and fingermark bream when he encountered the shark.
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Pye said he returned to the water after taking a catch back to his boat and was pulling another fish back toward the surface when he was joined in the water.
"I took the easy shot and started to come up. As I came up, this bull shark charged me. It came out of nowhere," Pye said.
Pye's video of the encounter shows the shark pull the flipper off his foot. The diver said he made it back to his vessel without injury.