upi--2020-07-19--Japanese film star, singer Haruma Miura dead at 30

July 19 ( UPI ) -- Japanese actor and musician Haruma Miura has died at age 30 .
Miura 's @ @ @ @ @ Brats singer unresponsive in his Tokyo home Saturday after Miura failed to report for work @ @ @ @ @ a hospital where he was pronounced dead .
Police are investigating his death as a @ @ @ @ @ was reportedly found hanging in his home .
There was a note explaining his actions @ @ @ @ @ 's credits include Attack on Titan , Ima ai ni yukimasu , Unfair , The @ @ @ @ @ Me Go , Adult School , Dying Eye , Two Weeks , The Fighter Pilot @ @ @ @ @ of the Broadway musical , Kinky Boots .
He recently worked on Brave : Gunjyo @ @ @ @ @

Japanese actor and musician Haruma Miura has died at age 30. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
July 19 (UPI) -- Japanese actor and musician Haruma Miura has died at age 30. Miura's manager discovered the former Brash Brats singer unresponsive in his Tokyo home Saturday after Miura failed to report for work. Advertisement
Miura was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police are investigating his death as a possible suicide.
The star was reportedly found hanging in his home. There was a note explaining his actions at the scene.
Miura's credits include Attack on Titan, Ima ai ni yukimasu, Unfair, The Last Cinderella, Never Let Me Go, Adult School, Dying Eye, Two Weeks, The Fighter Pilot and the 2016 Japanese adaptation of the Broadway musical, Kinky Boots.
He recently worked on Brave: Gunjyo Senki and Ghost Hunt.
Notable deaths of 2020


upi--2020-07-19--Look: Tiffany Haddish celebrates new bald look on Instagram

July 19 ( UPI ) -- Actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish has no regrets about shaving off all of her @ @ @ @ @ my new look thought I 'd share it with y'all .
The best part is @ @ @ @ @ it feels like kisses from God .
# sheready for more of Gods Love !
@ @ @ @ @ .
Haddish also shared a photo of her new bald look .
She is smiling @ @ @ @ @ lipstick .
A video Haddish posted earlier in the week showed her shaving her head @ @ @ @ @ her sister , a barber , told her she would n't cut her hair because @ @ @ @ @ It has gotten more than 1.1 million views .
Haddish , 40 , is known @ @ @ @ @ a Boss , The Last O.G .
and Girls Trip .

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Tiffany Haddish has a new bald look. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
July 19 (UPI) -- Actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish has no regrets about shaving off all of her hair. "Just Loving my new look thought I'd share it with y'all. The best part is when water hits my head it feels like kisses from God. #sheready for more of Gods Love!" she wrote on Saturday. Advertisement
Haddish also shared a photo of her new bald look. She is smiling and wearing long eyelashes and lipstick.
A video Haddish posted earlier in the week showed her shaving her head with an electric razor after her sister, a barber, told her she wouldn't cut her hair because of the coronavirus pandemic. It has gotten more than 1.1 million views.
Haddish, 40, is known for her roles in Like a Boss, The Last O.G. and Girls Trip.


upi--2020-07-20--Watch: Golnesa 'GG' Gharachedaghi, Mercedes Javid clash on 'WWHL'

July 20 ( UPI ) -- Golnesa `` GG '' Gharachedaghi says her Shahs of Sunset co-star Mercedes Javid needs `` authentic change '' for their friendship to progress .
The 38-year-old television personality and her co-star Reza Farahan clashed with Javid , 47 , during Part 1 of the Shahs of Sunset Season 8 virtual reunion Sunday on Watch What Happens Live .
When asked if she believes her relationship with Javid is getting back on track , Gharachedaghi said `` not at all . ''
`` This is the first time I 'm hearing her give value to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes that I see that authentic change in her and really just see the change , I ca n't really build on a new friendship , '' she said .
`` I do love when she reaches out to me . ''
Earlier in the episode , Javid praised Gharachedaghi for becoming a single mom .
Javid said she sent Gharachedaghi a handwritten note to congratulate her on her baby boy 's birth .
`` I think what makes her an amazing mother is that she has the courage to do it herself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called out Javid for being `` hypocritical '' for praising Gharachedaghi .
Javid previously said their co-star Asa Soltan Rahmati was having a `` bastard child . ''
`` Back then , I was completely emotionally broken , my dad was in a horrible place , and I was half a bottle deep in Patron , '' Javid said on WWHL , defending her past remarks about Rahmati .
`` But you 're saying that because you were going through something and drinking and acting a certain way , that should be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When I was going through that , when I was going through my pains and I picking up the bottle and fighting , you guys outed me completely . ''
Gharachedaghi gave birth to her first child , son Elijah , in April .
On WWHL , Mike Shouhed and Nema Vand also discussed how they were kicked off a plane to Arizona , which was captured during Shahs of Sunset Season 8 .
The pair said they were discriminated against because they are Middle Eastern .
`` The [ expletive ] police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plane , '' Shouhed said .
Part 2 of the Shahs of Sunset Season 8 reunion airs Sunday , July 26 , on WWHL on Bravo .

July 20 (UPI) -- Golnesa "GG" Gharachedaghi says her Shahs of Sunset co-star Mercedes Javid needs "authentic change" for their friendship to progress.
The 38-year-old television personality and her co-star Reza Farahan clashed with Javid, 47, during Part 1 of the Shahs of Sunset Season 8 virtual reunion Sunday on Watch What Happens Live.
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When asked if she believes her relationship with Javid is getting back on track, Gharachedaghi said "not at all."
"This is the first time I'm hearing her give value to her mistakes, but until the day comes that I see that authentic change in her and really just see the change, I can't really build on a new friendship," she said. "I do love when she reaches out to me."
Earlier in the episode, Javid praised Gharachedaghi for becoming a single mom. Javid said she sent Gharachedaghi a handwritten note to congratulate her on her baby boy's birth.
"I think what makes her an amazing mother is that she has the courage to do it herself," Javid said.
Farahan then called out Javid for being "hypocritical" for praising Gharachedaghi. Javid previously said their co-star Asa Soltan Rahmati was having a "bastard child."
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"Back then, I was completely emotionally broken, my dad was in a horrible place, and I was half a bottle deep in Patron," Javid said on WWHL, defending her past remarks about Rahmati.
"But you're saying that because you were going through something and drinking and acting a certain way, that should be the excuse," Gharachedaghi responded. "When I was going through that, when I was going through my pains and I picking up the bottle and fighting, you guys outed me completely."
Gharachedaghi gave birth to her first child, son Elijah, in April.
On WWHL, Mike Shouhed and Nema Vand also discussed how they were kicked off a plane to Arizona, which was captured during Shahs of Sunset Season 8. The pair said they were discriminated against because they are Middle Eastern.
"The [expletive] police had to come and escort us off the plane," Shouhed said.
"Which was humiliating," Vand added.
Part 2 of the Shahs of Sunset Season 8 reunion airs Sunday, July 26, on WWHL on Bravo.


upi--2020-07-20--Former World Series umpire Rick Reed dies at 70

July 20 ( UPI ) -- Rick Reed , who umpired the 1991 World Series , has died .
He was 70 .
The Major League Baseball Players Association announced Reed 's death Sunday .
Reed died Thursday night .
His cause of death was undisclosed .
Reed umpired for more than 30 years and continued work despite two strokes during that time .
Reed also appeared in the 1999 movie For Love of the Game .
He was an umpire in the baseball film , which featured lead actor Kevin Costner .
`` Our thoughts and prayers go out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and friends , '' the MLB players ' union said in a statement .
`` He was a professional on and off the field , and those of us who had the opportunity to work with him over the years respected and appreciated him as a result . ''
Reed began his MLB umpire career in 1979 in the American League .
He went on to become an MLB umpire crew chief until he retired in 2009 .
Reed had strokes in 2008 and 2009 .
The Detroit native umpired 3,392 regular season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three division series , three league championship series and two All-Star games , in addition to the 1991 World Series .
Reed ejected a combination of 71 players , coaches or managers .
Frank Robinson , Manny Ramirez , Reggie Jackson , Bobby Cox and Tony LaRussa were among those ejected by Reed .
Reed served at home plate 862 times , first base 849 times , second base 840 times and third base 842 times in 31 seasons .

Rick Reed, who umpired in Major League Baseball for 31 years, died Thursday. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- Rick Reed, who umpired the 1991 World Series, has died. He was 70. The Major League Baseball Players Association announced Reed's death Sunday. Reed died Thursday night. His cause of death was undisclosed. Reed umpired for more than 30 years and continued work despite two strokes during that time. Advertisement
Reed also appeared in the 1999 movie For Love of the Game. He was an umpire in the baseball film, which featured lead actor Kevin Costner.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to former umpire Rick Reed's family and friends,"the MLB players' union said in a statement. "He was a professional on and off the field, and those of us who had the opportunity to work with him over the years respected and appreciated him as a result."
Reed began his MLB umpire career in 1979 in the American League. He went on to become an MLB umpire crew chief until he retired in 2009. Reed had strokes in 2008 and 2009.
The Detroit native umpired 3,392 regular season games. His tenure featured appearances in three division series, three league championship series and two All-Star games, in addition to the 1991 World Series.
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Reed ejected a combination of 71 players, coaches or managers. Frank Robinson, Manny Ramirez, Reggie Jackson, Bobby Cox and Tony LaRussa were among those ejected by Reed.
Reed served at home plate 862 times, first base 849 times, second base 840 times and third base 842 times in 31 seasons.
Notable deaths of 2020


upi--2020-07-20--LeBron James rookie card fetches $1.8M at auction

July 20 ( UPI ) -- A rookie card of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James sold for $ 1.845 million in an online auction .
The 2003-2004 Upper Deck Patch Rookie Parallel card sold Sunday at Goldin Auctions .
Lob.com CEO Leore Avidar purchased the pricy cardboard keepsake .
The sale represents the most-expensive purchase in history for a basketball card .
James ' rookie card sale also set a record for the priciest card produced in 1980 or later .
The card features a cut-off piece of James ' Cleveland Cavaliers jersey and his autograph .
`` If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Honus ] Wagner , or a 1952 [ Mickey ] Mantle , it probably would n't be that much news , '' Goldin Auctions founder Ken Goldin told ESPN .
`` But when you 're talking about a card that was literally produced 17 years ago and is for a guy still playing in the NBA , it 's just shocking news to a lot of people . ''
The Patch Rookie Parallel set produced the same number of cards as the players ' jersey number , which means 23 of the James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the cards received a 9.5 mint gem rating by Beckett grading service .
One was the card sold at the auction and the other remains in private hands .
`` Guess who else has a couple of those exact ones too , '' James wrote Sunday on Instagram .
James , 35 , averaged 20.9 points , 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds during his rookie campaign in Cleveland .
He was the youngest Rookie of the Year in league history ( 19 ) .

A 2003-2004 LeBron James Upper Deck rookie card sold for nearly $2 million Sunday at GoldinAuctions.com. Photo courtesy of Goldin Auctions
July 20 (UPI) -- A rookie card of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James sold for $1.845 million in an online auction. The 2003-2004 Upper Deck Patch Rookie Parallel card sold Sunday at Goldin Auctions. Lob.com CEO Leore Avidar purchased the pricy cardboard keepsake. The sale represents the most-expensive purchase in history for a basketball card. Advertisement
James' rookie card sale also set a record for the priciest card produced in 1980 or later. The card features a cut-off piece of James' Cleveland Cavaliers jersey and his autograph.
"If we were talking about a T206 [Honus] Wagner, or a 1952 [Mickey] Mantle, it probably wouldn't be that much news," Goldin Auctions founder Ken Goldin told ESPN.
"But when you're talking about a card that was literally produced 17 years ago and is for a guy still playing in the NBA, it's just shocking news to a lot of people."
The Patch Rookie Parallel set produced the same number of cards as the players' jersey number, which means 23 of the James rookie card were produced. Just two of the cards received a 9.5 mint gem rating by Beckett grading service. One was the card sold at the auction and the other remains in private hands.
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"Guess who else has a couple of those exact ones too," James wrote Sunday on Instagram.
James, 35, averaged 20.9 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds during his rookie campaign in Cleveland. He was the youngest Rookie of the Year in league history (19).


upi--2020-07-20--Gallup: Most in U.S. say COVID-19 is worse, but many are less vigilant

July 20 ( UPI ) -- Gallup said in a new survey Monday that Americans are well aware of the rising number of COVID-19 cases but do n't seem to be reacting with a greater sense of urgency when it comes to wearing masks and distancing .
The survey found that about two-thirds of U.S. adults acknowledge the pandemic is getting worse , but many are n't being as vigilant as they were during the first surges in March and April .
About 44 % of respondents said they 're isolating from activity with persons from outside their homes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Seventy-three percent said they 're avoiding travel , down from 91 % in April .
Mask usage , however , is at a record high .
The survey showed 88 % of respondents said they have worn a face covering in the past week , an increase from 83 % at the start of June .
The survey found that mask use is divided along political lines -- 96 % of Democrats , 70 % of independents and 51 % of Republicans said they `` always '' or `` very often '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of women said the same , compared to just 65 % of men .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said face coverings are `` a critical tool '' in fighting the pandemic and Director Robert Redfield said COVID-19 could effectively be controlled in a matter of weeks if everyone wore a mask in public .
`` Americans are mindful of the news that COVID-19 cases are spiking to new highs in much of the country , but this has n't sent them indoors , '' Gallup wrote .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask adoption may account for this , it 's likely that after months of adhering to advice that the best way to avoid infection was to stay home , many are now prioritizing the advice that face masks work . ''
Gallup polled more than 3,600 members of its Gallup Panel for the survey , which has a margin of error of 3 points .
Gallup says it uses probability-based , random sampling methods to recruit its panel members .

A sign encourages distancing at a polling location for the Washington, D.C., primary election on June 2. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- Gallup said in a new survey Monday that Americans are well aware of the rising number of COVID-19 cases but don't seem to be reacting with a greater sense of urgency when it comes to wearing masks and distancing. The survey found that about two-thirds of U.S. adults acknowledge the pandemic is getting worse, but many aren't being as vigilant as they were during the first surges in March and April. Advertisement
About 44% of respondents said they're isolating from activity with persons from outside their homes. That figure was 75% in April. Seventy-three percent said they're avoiding travel, down from 91% in April.
Mask usage, however, is at a record high. The survey showed 88% of respondents said they have worn a face covering in the past week, an increase from 83% at the start of June.
The survey found that mask use is divided along political lines -- 96% of Democrats, 70% of independents and 51% of Republicans said they "always" or "very often" wear a mask in public. Eighty-two percent of women said the same, compared to just 65% of men.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said face coverings are "a critical tool" in fighting the pandemic and Director Robert Redfield said COVID-19 could effectively be controlled in a matter of weeks if everyone wore a mask in public.
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"Americans are mindful of the news that COVID-19 cases are spiking to new highs in much of the country, but this hasn't sent them indoors," Gallup wrote. "While it's not clear how much mask adoption may account for this, it's likely that after months of adhering to advice that the best way to avoid infection was to stay home, many are now prioritizing the advice that face masks work."
Gallup polled more than 3,600 members of its Gallup Panel for the survey, which has a margin of error of 3 points. Gallup says it uses probability-based, random sampling methods to recruit its panel members.


upi--2020-07-20--Alex Trebek on wife Jean: 'I'm just in awe of the way she handles it'

July 20 ( UPI ) -- Alex Trebek appeared on Good Morning America to discuss how he is undergoing an experimental treatment for his pancreatic cancer , new memoir and the help he receives from his wife Jean Trebek .
`` She 's a saint , '' the Jeopardy !
host said on Monday about his wife .
`` She has so much goodness in her that she is always giving out , always putting out to help me get over difficult moments .
And there have been some difficult moments .
I 'm just in awe of the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while getting choked up .
Alex Trebek , who announced that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March 2019 , is undergoing an experimental immunotherapy treatment .
Alex Trebek is seeing positive results but noted that if it does n't work out , he wo n't be pursuing any extraordinary measures .
The 79-year-old said that his family handled the news well .
`` They understand there is a certain element regarding quality of life .
And if the quality of life is not there , it 's hard sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I 'm gon na keep going even though I 'm miserable , '' Alex Trebek said .
Alex Trebek 's memoir titled The Answer Is ... : Reflections on My Life , will be released Tuesday .
`` I 've received so many expressions of love and so many prayers said on my behalf since the diagnosis was made public that I thought , well maybe the people would care to learn something about me , '' he said .

.@ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE: @Jeopardy host Alex Trebek speaks with our @tjholmes about undergoing an experimental treatment for pancreatic cancer and releasing a new memoir. https://t.co/gjPg9CURBj pic.twitter.com/TPLHOMprCL— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 20, 2020
July 20 (UPI) -- Alex Trebek appeared on Good Morning America to discuss how he is undergoing an experimental treatment for his pancreatic cancer, new memoir and the help he receives from his wife Jean Trebek.
"She's a saint," the Jeopardy! host said on Monday about his wife.
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"She has so much goodness in her that she is always giving out, always putting out to help me get over difficult moments. And there have been some difficult moments. I'm just in awe of the way she handles it," he continued while getting choked up.
Alex Trebek, who announced that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March 2019, is undergoing an experimental immunotherapy treatment.
Alex Trebek is seeing positive results but noted that if it doesn't work out, he won't be pursuing any extraordinary measures. The 79-year-old said that his family handled the news well.
"They understand there is a certain element regarding quality of life. And if the quality of life is not there, it's hard sometimes to push. And just say well, I'm gonna keep going even though I'm miserable," Alex Trebek said.
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Alex Trebek's memoir titled The Answer Is...: Reflections on My Life, will be released Tuesday.
"I've received so many expressions of love and so many prayers said on my behalf since the diagnosis was made public that I thought, well maybe the people would care to learn something about me," he said.


upi--2020-07-20--South Korea nominee vows to act independently on inter-Korea projects

July 20 ( UPI ) -- South Korea 's unification chief nominee said Seoul should push forward independently with inter-Korea humanitarian projects -- and without necessarily consulting the United States .
Lee In-young , 56 , a former lawmaker and supporter of engagement with North Korea , said at a parliamentary hearing of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee that Seoul needs to more boldly pursue projects that affect the health and welfare of ordinary North Koreans , local news service Newsis reported Monday .
Humanitarian areas including , food , healthcare and family reunions are sectors in which South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discretion , or `` on its own , '' Lee told lawmakers .
According to Lee , the South Korean government has the financial means to deliver 200,000 tons of rice through the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund , a government fund set aside for economic as well as socio-cultural exchange .
The South Korean nominee said as unification minister he would seek to resume inter-Korea family reunions .
If large-scale reunions are not possible , Lee said he would look into less ambitious events , as well as video or virtual reunions through online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister , he would see to it there would be no more cancellations that impacted the delivery of medicine to North Korea .
In 2019 and 2020 , the South attempted to deliver Tamiflu , an antiviral medication used to treat flu symptoms but the shipment never made its way to the North , according to Newsis .
`` This should never happen again , '' Lee said .
Lee has been nominated to the top post for inter-Korea affairs at a time when the United States and South Korea could be increasingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leafleting campaigns of North Korean defectors in the South .
The June 15 Joint Declaration Committee , a South Korean civic group committed to engagement with the North , condemned reports the U.S. State Department is providing indirect support for North Korean defector leafleting campaigns , News 1 reported Monday .
Voice of America reported Thursday a State Department official had stressed the importance of access to information in North Korea , a statement the committee said was `` interfering in South Korean affairs . ''

South Korea's new unification minister nominee said Seoul should resume humanitarian projects. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- South Korea's unification chief nominee said Seoul should push forward independently with inter-Korea humanitarian projects -- and without necessarily consulting the United States. Lee In-young, 56, a former lawmaker and supporter of engagement with North Korea, said at a parliamentary hearing of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee that Seoul needs to more boldly pursue projects that affect the health and welfare of ordinary North Koreans, local news service Newsis reported Monday. Advertisement
Humanitarian areas including, food, healthcare and family reunions are sectors in which South Korea should be able to act with discretion, or "on its own," Lee told lawmakers.
According to Lee, the South Korean government has the financial means to deliver 200,000 tons of rice through the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund, a government fund set aside for economic as well as socio-cultural exchange.
The South Korean nominee said as unification minister he would seek to resume inter-Korea family reunions. If large-scale reunions are not possible, Lee said he would look into less ambitious events, as well as video or virtual reunions through online networks.
Lee also said as unification minister, he would see to it there would be no more cancellations that impacted the delivery of medicine to North Korea. In 2019 and 2020, the South attempted to deliver Tamiflu, an antiviral medication used to treat flu symptoms but the shipment never made its way to the North, according to Newsis.
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"This should never happen again," Lee said.
Lee has been nominated to the top post for inter-Korea affairs at a time when the United States and South Korea could be increasingly at odds over various issues, including the leafleting campaigns of North Korean defectors in the South.
The June 15 Joint Declaration Committee, a South Korean civic group committed to engagement with the North, condemned reports the U.S. State Department is providing indirect support for North Korean defector leafleting campaigns, News 1 reported Monday.
Voice of America reported Thursday a State Department official had stressed the importance of access to information in North Korea, a statement the committee said was "interfering in South Korean affairs."


upi--2020-07-20--Cody Bellinger grand slam fuels LA Dodgers past Arizona Diamondbacks in summer camp game

July 20 ( UPI ) -- Reigning National League MVP Cody Bellinger said he 's `` ready '' for the 2020 MLB regular season after crushing a grand slam during a summer camp win against the Arizona Diamondbacks .
Bellinger also had a pair of singles to go 3 for 4 with five RBIs and a run scored in the 9-2 win Sunday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles .
`` We 're ready , '' Bellinger told reporters .
`` It was good to play another team , so we 've got two more [ summer camp games ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready for it . ''
The Diamondbacks led 1-0 after Ketel Marte hit a solo home run in the second at-bat of the scrimmage .
Diamondbacks starting pitcher Taylor Widener then settled in to face the Dodgers ' potent lineup in the bottom of the frame .
Widener threw back-to-back walks to Mookie Betts and Max Muncy before he surrendered a single to Justin Turner to load the bases .
The Diamondbacks right-handed pitcher then fell behind 2-1 in the count against Bellinger before the Dodgers star fouled off his fourth offering , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to right field , clearing the wall and the bases to give the Dodgers a 4-1 edge .
Los Angeles added two more runs in the third frame off RBIs from Turner and Bellinger .
Corey Seager and Chris Taylor plated runs in the fifth and seventh innings , respectively , to push the lead to 8-1 .
Stephen Vogt brought in the Diamondbacks ' second run with an eighth-inning single .
Rocky Gale plated Joc Pederson with another eighth-inning single for the Dodgers ' final run .
Betts was 2 for 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Muncy went 2 for 2 with three runs scored in the win ; and Dodgers starter Mitchell White allowed just one hit and one run in five innings .
The Dodgers next host the Diamondbacks in another summer camp clash at 6:40 p.m. PDT Monday at Dodger Stadium .
They start the regular season Thursday by hosting the San Francisco Giants at 7:08 p.m. PDT .
Arizona opens the season in San Diego Friday to take on the Padres at 5:10 p.m. PDT .

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Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger watches his grand slam go over the wall in the first inning of a game Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- Reigning National League MVP Cody Bellinger said he's "ready" for the 2020 MLB regular season after crushing a grand slam during a summer camp win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Bellinger also had a pair of singles to go 3 for 4 with five RBIs and a run scored in the 9-2 win Sunday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Advertisement
"We're ready," Bellinger told reporters. "It was good to play another team, so we've got two more [summer camp games], then opening day and we're ready for it."
The Diamondbacks led 1-0 after Ketel Marte hit a solo home run in the second at-bat of the scrimmage. Diamondbacks starting pitcher Taylor Widener then settled in to face the Dodgers' potent lineup in the bottom of the frame.
Widener threw back-to-back walks to Mookie Betts and Max Muncy before he surrendered a single to Justin Turner to load the bases.
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The Diamondbacks right-handed pitcher then fell behind 2-1 in the count against Bellinger before the Dodgers star fouled off his fourth offering, and then smashed a 2-2 fastball deep to right field, clearing the wall and the bases to give the Dodgers a 4-1 edge.
Los Angeles added two more runs in the third frame off RBIs from Turner and Bellinger. Corey Seager and Chris Taylor plated runs in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively, to push the lead to 8-1.
BELLI GRAND SLAM. pic.twitter.com/OPxNfbjibd— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 20, 2020
Stephen Vogt brought in the Diamondbacks' second run with an eighth-inning single. Rocky Gale plated Joc Pederson with another eighth-inning single for the Dodgers' final run.
Betts was 2 for 3 with two runs scored for the Dodgers; Muncy went 2 for 2 with three runs scored in the win; and Dodgers starter Mitchell White allowed just one hit and one run in five innings.
The Dodgers next host the Diamondbacks in another summer camp clash at 6:40 p.m. PDT Monday at Dodger Stadium. They start the regular season Thursday by hosting the San Francisco Giants at 7:08 p.m. PDT. Arizona opens the season in San Diego Friday to take on the Padres at 5:10 p.m. PDT.
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Baseball kicks off with preseason training


upi--2020-07-20--Electoral College benefits Whiter states, study shows

July 20 ( UPI ) -- States can force members of the Electoral College to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state 's presidential primary , the Supreme Court recently ruled .
The July 6 decision removed one of the two reasons why the framers of the U.S. Constitution created this election system : to empower political elites who may know more about the candidates than ordinary voters .
Now , the founders ' only remaining justification for the Electoral College is structural racism .
Though the Electoral College has changed since it was first used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1789 , my research shows that the system continues to give more power to states whose populations are Whiter and more racially resentful .
The Founding Fathers created the Electoral College in large part because they feared voters would not know all the candidates who would be running for president .
In that era , most people never left their home states , so they were not likely to know candidates from other states .
The founders did not foresee the development of political parties and campaigns , which help teach voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hamilton argued that those serving in the Electoral College would be `` most likely to possess the information and discernment '' needed to choose a president .
With its recent decision , the Supreme Court has abandoned the possibility that electors might vote for people other than the candidate who wins the popular vote in their state .
The other reason for the Electoral College was to bridge a major divide among the states : slavery .
As James Madison said at the Constitutional Convention : `` [ T ] he great division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not lie between the large & small States ; it lay between the Northern & Southern '' because of `` their having or not having slaves . ''
By the time the founders discussed how to pick a president , they had made the so-called `` three-fifths compromise , '' counting enslaved people as three-fifths of a person in the census and allotting seats in the House of Representatives accordingly .
That gave Southern slave states an advantage over the Northern states in the House .
Slave states -- with many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Electoral College to preserve this advantage in presidential selection .
Ultimately , delegates to the Constitutional Convention decided that each state would receive votes in the Electoral College equal to their representation in both houses of Congress .
As a result , after the 1790 census , Virginia got 21 electoral votes and Pennsylvania got 15 , though both were home to just over 110,000 free White male adults , who were then the only Americans allowed to vote .
That 's because Virginia had 292,627 enslaved residents , to Pennsylvania 's 3,737 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows .
Similarly , South Carolina and New Hampshire had nearly identical numbers of free White men -- right around 36,000 .
But South Carolina got two more electoral votes , for a total of eight , because more than 100,000 enslaved people lived there , compared to New Hampshire 's 158 enslaved people .
In 1803 , the 1800 census was about to shift the balance even more toward slave states .
Rep. Samuel Thatcher of Massachusetts complained that counting enslaved people added significant numbers to the slave states ' delegations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's first 18 presidential elections delivered a slave owner as either president , vice president or both .
Only in 1860 , with the victory of Abraham Lincoln from Illinois and his running mate , Hannibal Hamlin of Maine , did a team of Northern politicians manage to beat the Electoral College 's skew toward White Southerners .
Following the Civil War , the 14th Amendment removed the three-fifths clause , and the 15th Amendment should have protected African Americans ' legal right to vote .
But that did n't fix the Electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the problem worse , because Southern state governments were happy to get the representation from their large numbers of Black citizens -- while keeping them from voting through discriminatory practices like literacy tests and poll taxes .
Judicial decisions at the time upheld Jim Crow restrictions on the right to vote , but those practices are illegal today .
This system benefited the Democratic Party , which was dominant in the South .
Republicans tried to counter that power by strategically admitting new states from the Great Plains and Mountain West .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ settlement policies , these states -- such as Nebraska , the Dakotas and Wyoming -- were unusually thinly populated , heavily White and reliably Republican .
Those statehood decisions made a century and a half ago still reverberate today .
States with smaller populations have more electoral votes per resident because , no matter how few people they might have , they still get two senators and one House member .
I recently performed a quantitative analysis of race and the allocation of electoral votes .
The data indicate that Whiter states consistently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their population .
On average , as a state 's racial composition gets Whiter , its electoral power increases .
For instance , in 2016 , North Dakota was the seventh Whitest state and 47th on the list in terms of adult population .
It had more than 5.2 electoral votes per million adult residents , when an average state had just 2.2 electoral votes per million adult residents .
According to my analysis , a state that is 10 % Whiter than the average state tends to have one extra electoral vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
I also found that states whose people exhibit more intense anti-Black attitudes , based on their answers to a series of survey questions , tend to have more electoral votes per person .
Statistically speaking , if two states ' population numbers indicate each would have 10 electoral votes , but one had substantially more racial resentment , the more intolerant state would likely have 11 .
This is not an ironclad rule , and the inherent bias is n't always decisive .
For instance , Donald Trump owes his presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Whiter than the average state , but that has slightly fewer electoral votes per capita than average .
In addition , the centuries-old racial bias in the Electoral College could disappear with future population changes .
Perhaps other states with relatively few people will follow the pattern of Nevada , whose population has recently become larger and more racially diverse .
But the Electoral College remains a system born from White supremacy that will likely continue to operate in a racially discriminatory fashion .
William Blake is an assistant professor of political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baltimore County .
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Congressional staff unseal envelopes from the two ballot boxes that contain 50 states and District of Columbia Electoral College votes on the floor of the House to be counted and validated at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2017. The procedure, established by the Constitution, and presided over by Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker Paul Ryan declared and finalized Donald Trump and Mike Pence as president and vice president. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- States can force members of the Electoral College to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state's presidential primary, the Supreme Court recently ruled. The July 6 decision removed one of the two reasons why the framers of the U.S. Constitution created this election system: to empower political elites who may know more about the candidates than ordinary voters. Now, the founders' only remaining justification for the Electoral College is structural racism. Though the Electoral College has changed since it was first used to elect George Washington to the presidency in 1789, my research shows that the system continues to give more power to states whose populations are Whiter and more racially resentful. Advertisement
Myths and realities
The Founding Fathers created the Electoral College in large part because they feared voters would not know all the candidates who would be running for president. In that era, most people never left their home states, so they were not likely to know candidates from other states.
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The founders did not foresee the development of political parties and campaigns, which help teach voters about their options. Instead, Alexander Hamilton argued that those serving in the Electoral College would be "most likely to possess the information and discernment" needed to choose a president.
With its recent decision, the Supreme Court has abandoned the possibility that electors might vote for people other than the candidate who wins the popular vote in their state.
The other reason for the Electoral College was to bridge a major divide among the states: slavery. As James Madison said at the Constitutional Convention: "[T]he great division of interests in the U. States did not lie between the large & small States; it lay between the Northern & Southern" because of "their having or not having slaves."
Race in early America
By the time the founders discussed how to pick a president, they had made the so-called "three-fifths compromise," counting enslaved people as three-fifths of a person in the census and allotting seats in the House of Representatives accordingly. That gave Southern slave states an advantage over the Northern states in the House.
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Slave states -- with many people and with fewer -- insisted on the Electoral College to preserve this advantage in presidential selection. Ultimately, delegates to the Constitutional Convention decided that each state would receive votes in the Electoral College equal to their representation in both houses of Congress.
As a result, after the 1790 census, Virginia got 21 electoral votes and Pennsylvania got 15, though both were home to just over 110,000 free White male adults, who were then the only Americans allowed to vote. That's because Virginia had 292,627 enslaved residents, to Pennsylvania's 3,737, the country's very first census shows.
Similarly, South Carolina and New Hampshire had nearly identical numbers of free White men -- right around 36,000. But South Carolina got two more electoral votes, for a total of eight, because more than 100,000 enslaved people lived there, compared to New Hampshire's 158 enslaved people.
In 1803, the 1800 census was about to shift the balance even more toward slave states. Rep. Samuel Thatcher of Massachusetts complained that counting enslaved people added significant numbers to the slave states' delegations.
The slavery bonus ensured that the nation's first 18 presidential elections delivered a slave owner as either president, vice president or both. Only in 1860, with the victory of Abraham Lincoln from Illinois and his running mate, Hannibal Hamlin of Maine, did a team of Northern politicians manage to beat the Electoral College's skew toward White Southerners.
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After the Civil War
Following the Civil War, the 14th Amendment removed the three-fifths clause, and the 15th Amendment should have protected African Americans' legal right to vote. But that didn't fix the Electoral College's anti-Black bias. It actually made the problem worse, because Southern state governments were happy to get the representation from their large numbers of Black citizens -- while keeping them from voting through discriminatory practices like literacy tests and poll taxes.
Judicial decisions at the time upheld Jim Crow restrictions on the right to vote, but those practices are illegal today.
This system benefited the Democratic Party, which was dominant in the South. Republicans tried to counter that power by strategically admitting new states from the Great Plains and Mountain West. In part because of racially disparate postwar settlement policies, these states -- such as Nebraska, the Dakotas and Wyoming -- were unusually thinly populated, heavily White and reliably Republican.
Race and the Electoral College
Those statehood decisions made a century and a half ago still reverberate today. States with smaller populations have more electoral votes per resident because, no matter how few people they might have, they still get two senators and one House member.
Advertisement
I recently performed a quantitative analysis of race and the allocation of electoral votes. The data indicate that Whiter states consistently wield more electoral power partly because of their population.
On average, as a state's racial composition gets Whiter, its electoral power increases. For instance, in 2016, North Dakota was the seventh Whitest state and 47th on the list in terms of adult population. It had more than 5.2 electoral votes per million adult residents, when an average state had just 2.2 electoral votes per million adult residents. According to my analysis, a state that is 10% Whiter than the average state tends to have one extra electoral vote per million adult residents than the average state.
I also found that states whose people exhibit more intense anti-Black attitudes, based on their answers to a series of survey questions, tend to have more electoral votes per person.
Statistically speaking, if two states' population numbers indicate each would have 10 electoral votes, but one had substantially more racial resentment, the more intolerant state would likely have 11.
This is not an ironclad rule, and the inherent bias isn't always decisive. For instance, Donald Trump owes his presidency to winning Wisconsin, a state that is Whiter than the average state, but that has slightly fewer electoral votes per capita than average.
Advertisement
In addition, the centuries-old racial bias in the Electoral College could disappear with future population changes. Perhaps other states with relatively few people will follow the pattern of Nevada, whose population has recently become larger and more racially diverse. But the Electoral College remains a system born from White supremacy that will likely continue to operate in a racially discriminatory fashion.
William Blake is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


upi--2020-07-20--In Photos: Gisele Bundchen turns 40: a look back

Bundchen ( L ) has makeup applied to her legs before appearing in the taping of the Victoria 's Secret @ @ @ @ @ City on November , 14 , 2002 .
In 2019 , the fashion show would @ @ @ @ @ low ratings and declining sales .
Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI

Bündchen (L) has makeup applied to her legs before appearing in the taping of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York City on November, 14, 2002. In 2019, the fashion show would discontinue being televised due to low ratings and declining sales. Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI


upi--2020-07-20--Yankees' Aaron Judge homers twice in summer camp win vs. rival New York Mets

July 20 ( UPI ) -- New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit two home runs to spark a 6-0 thrashing of the rival New York Mets in a summer camp clash at Yankee Stadium .
Giancarlo Stanton , Gary Sanchez and Luke Voit also homered in the lopsided affair Sunday in the Bronx .
`` I think once he got to start swinging the bat and got confirmation that it felt alright , the ramp-up has gone really well for him , '' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Judge .
`` We 're seeing it obviously in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aaron Judge at-bats . ''
Mets starter Corey Oswalt began the inning by forcing D.J .
LeMahieu to ground out before settling in against Judge .
The Yankees outfielder fell behind 0-2 in the count before Oswalt tossed in a 92-mph fastball and Judge smashed it for a 402-foot solo home run to left field .
The score remained 1-0 until the Yankees got another longball in the bottom of the fourth frame .
Oswalt began the inning with a four-seam fastball to Sanchez and the Yankees catcher deposited the pitch into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Luke Voit hit a 443-foot solo homer off Drew Smith to lead off the sixth inning and Judge hit his second dinger of the day four at-bats later .
With a runner on first base , Judge fouled off the first pitch before he took a fastball for a ball .
He then smacked a 1-1 slider to left field for a 400-foot homer to give the Yankees a 5-0 edge .
Chasen Shreve then replaced Smith on the hill for the Mets and forced Gleyber Torres to fly out to end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start the bottom of the seventh frame .
Shreve worked a 1-1 count against Stanton before the Yankees outfielder connected for the longest home run of the day .
The 448-foot solo shot to left field came on a 78-mph slider .
Judge was 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored ; Brett Gardner went 2 for 2 in the win ; and Mets star first baseman Pete Alonso was 0 for 4 in the loss .
The Yankees have another summer camp clash against the Philadelphia Phillies at 6:05 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Mets will host the Atlanta Braves on Friday in the teams ' first game of the regular-season , at 4:10 p.m. EDT at Citi Field .
The Yankees start the season on the road Thursday against the Washington Nationals at 7:08 p.m. EDT at Nationals Park .

1/3
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge hit two home runs and had three RBIs in a 6-0 win against the New York Mets in a summer camp game Sunday at Yankee Stadium. Photo by Corey Sipkin/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit two home runs to spark a 6-0 thrashing of the rival New York Mets in a summer camp clash at Yankee Stadium. Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez and Luke Voit also homered in the lopsided affair Sunday in the Bronx. Advertisement
"I think once he got to start swinging the bat and got confirmation that it felt alright, the ramp-up has gone really well for him," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Judge.
"We're seeing it obviously in the results, in the typical really good Aaron Judge at-bats."
Mets starter Corey Oswalt began the inning by forcing D.J. LeMahieu to ground out before settling in against Judge. The Yankees outfielder fell behind 0-2 in the count before Oswalt tossed in a 92-mph fastball and Judge smashed it for a 402-foot solo home run to left field.
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The score remained 1-0 until the Yankees got another longball in the bottom of the fourth frame. Oswalt began the inning with a four-seam fastball to Sanchez and the Yankees catcher deposited the pitch into the left field seats for a 426-foot bomb.
Luke Voit hit a 443-foot solo homer off Drew Smith to lead off the sixth inning and Judge hit his second dinger of the day four at-bats later. With a runner on first base, Judge fouled off the first pitch before he took a fastball for a ball. He then smacked a 1-1 slider to left field for a 400-foot homer to give the Yankees a 5-0 edge.
Chasen Shreve then replaced Smith on the hill for the Mets and forced Gleyber Torres to fly out to end the inning before he faced Stanton to start the bottom of the seventh frame.
Shreve worked a 1-1 count against Stanton before the Yankees outfielder connected for the longest home run of the day. The 448-foot solo shot to left field came on a 78-mph slider.
Judge was 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored; Brett Gardner went 2 for 2 in the win; and Mets star first baseman Pete Alonso was 0 for 4 in the loss.
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The Yankees have another summer camp clash against the Philadelphia Phillies at 6:05 p.m. EDT Monday at Yankee Stadium. The Mets will host the Atlanta Braves on Friday in the teams' first game of the regular-season, at 4:10 p.m. EDT at Citi Field. The Yankees start the season on the road Thursday against the Washington Nationals at 7:08 p.m. EDT at Nationals Park.
Baseball kicks off with preseason training


upi--2020-07-20--Google honors astrophysicist Dilhan Eryurt with new Doodle

July 20 ( UPI ) -- Google is celebrating late astrophysicist Dilhan Eryurt who contributed to NASA 's Apollo 11 @ @ @ @ @ today .
Eryurt , who was born in western Turkey in 1926 , began working @ @ @ @ @ after she worked for the International Atomic Energy Agency in Canada .
Eryurt researched the @ @ @ @ @ sun 's brightness has decreased over time .
This research helped NASA plan for space @ @ @ @ @ 1970s .
She was awarded the Apollo Achievement Award in 1969 for her contribution to @ @ @ @ @ featured the first-ever moon landing .
Eryurt returned to Turkey and took a position at @ @ @ @ @ She also established Turkey 's first National Astronomy Congress .
Eryurt died in September 2012 @ @ @ @ @ .

Google is paying homage to astrophysicist Dilhan Eryurt with a new Doodle. Image courtesy of Google
July 20 (UPI) -- Google is celebrating late astrophysicist Dilhan Eryurt who contributed to NASA's Apollo 11 moon landings 51 years ago today. Google's homepage features artwork of Eryurt alongside a space-themed Google logo. Advertisement
Eryurt, who was born in western Turkey in 1926, began working at NASA in the 1960s after she worked for the International Atomic Energy Agency in Canada.
Eryurt researched the sun and demonstrated that the sun's brightness has decreased over time. This research helped NASA plan for space flights throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
She was awarded the Apollo Achievement Award in 1969 for her contribution to the Apollo 11 mission which featured the first-ever moon landing.
Eryurt returned to Turkey and took a position at Middle East Technical University. She also established Turkey's first National Astronomy Congress.
Eryurt died in September 2012 at the age of 85.


upi--2020-07-20--Saudi King Salman hospitalized for gallbladder trouble

July 20 ( UPI ) -- Saudi Arabia 's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has hospitalized for tests due to a gallbladder inflammation , officials said Monday .
Government officials said he was taken to King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh , where doctors treated him for cholecystitis .
The 84-year-old king , who has ruled Saudi Arabia for five years , went to the hospital for a battery of medical checks , the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported .
King Salman was the Saudi crown prince and deputy prime minister between 2012 and 2015 before occupying the throne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Riyadh region for more than a half-century .
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi postponed a planned trip to Saudi Arabia , where he was to meet with the king and his son , Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman .
The meetings were expected to focus on energy development and other infrastructure projects .
`` In recognition of the importance of the visit and keenness to make it a success , our wise leadership in coordination with our brothers in Iraq decided to postpone the visit until after King Salman leaves the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bin Farhan tweeted .
U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet met with King Salman in Washington , D.C. , but he did invite the crown prince in 2018 .
The king visited former President Barack Obama at the White House in 2015 .

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia was hospitalized in Riyadh for a gallbladder inflammation, officials said. File Photo by Olivier Douliery/UPI/Pool | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has hospitalized for tests due to a gallbladder inflammation, officials said Monday. Government officials said he was taken to King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, where doctors treated him for cholecystitis. Advertisement
The 84-year-old king, who has ruled Saudi Arabia for five years, went to the hospital for a battery of medical checks, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.
King Salman was the Saudi crown prince and deputy prime minister between 2012 and 2015 before occupying the throne. Before that, he was governor of the Riyadh region for more than a half-century.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi postponed a planned trip to Saudi Arabia, where he was to meet with the king and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The meetings were expected to focus on energy development and other infrastructure projects.
"In recognition of the importance of the visit and keenness to make it a success, our wise leadership in coordination with our brothers in Iraq decided to postpone the visit until after King Salman leaves the hospital," Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan tweeted.
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U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet met with King Salman in Washington, D.C., but he did invite the crown prince in 2018. The king visited former President Barack Obama at the White House in 2015.


upi--2020-07-20--National 'Strike for Black Lives' to fight racism, low wages

July 20 ( UPI ) -- Thousands of workers in dozens of cities nationwide will walk off the job briefly on Monday to demand companies and governments take action to defeat systemic racism , in an event billed as the `` Strike for Black Lives . ''
Major unions and social organizations said the strike will last for 8 minutes and 46 seconds , a reference to the length of time former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee onto George Floyd 's neck before he died on May 25 .
Those unable to strike are asked to join @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silent for the length of time beginning at noon .
Labor groups -- including the Service Employees International Union , International Brotherhood of Teamsters , American Federation of Teachers and United Farm Workers -- support the Strike for Black Lives , as well as demands to end white supremacy , calls for a $ 15-per-hour minimum wage , allowing workers to form unions , sick leave and expanded healthcare coverage .
`` From our nation 's founding , white supremacy and economic exploitation have been inextricably linked , '' SEIU President Mary Kay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In this national moment of reckoning , working people are demanding fundamental changes to America 's broken system . ''
Union members , Black Lives Matter and other groups are scheduled to hold rallies in 25 cities Monday .
In Chicago , workers plan to gather at the James R. Thompson Center and march through the loop to a downtown McDonald 's restaurant .
`` We 've heard enough talking and platitudes , '' pro-labor group Fight for 15 Chicago said .
`` If our bosses think [ Black lives matter ] , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us better wages and guaranteeing our safety on the job . ''
In Detroit , food workers demanding a $ 15 minimum wage will strike outside a McDonald 's on the city 's east side to demand the company demonstrate commitment by raising wages , guaranteeing paid sick leave and providing safety equipment to workers .
Nursing home employees at six facilities in the Detroit metro area will walk off the job briefly .
They say owners are treating workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis as `` disposable , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minn. , nursing home workers will strike Monday after months of failed bargaining with their employer .
The workers will join a caravan that will stop at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport , where they will be joined by protesting airport workers seeking a $ 15 minimum wage and a `` just and safe '' plan to return people to public and travel spaces .

Demonstrators participate in a Juneteenth rally near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on June 19. The date, which marks the official end of slavery in the United States, took on added significance this year following the death of George Floyd. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- Thousands of workers in dozens of cities nationwide will walk off the job briefly on Monday to demand companies and governments take action to defeat systemic racism, in an event billed as the "Strike for Black Lives." Major unions and social organizations said the strike will last for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, a reference to the length of time former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee onto George Floyd's neck before he died on May 25. Advertisement
Those unable to strike are asked to join supporters, take a knee or remain silent for the length of time beginning at noon.
Labor groups -- including the Service Employees International Union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, American Federation of Teachers and United Farm Workers -- support the Strike for Black Lives, as well as demands to end white supremacy, calls for a $15-per-hour minimum wage, allowing workers to form unions, sick leave and expanded healthcare coverage.
"From our nation's founding, white supremacy and economic exploitation have been inextricably linked," SEIU President Mary Kay Henry said in a statement. "In this national moment of reckoning, working people are demanding fundamental changes to America's broken system."
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Union members, Black Lives Matter and other groups are scheduled to hold rallies in 25 cities Monday.
In Chicago, workers plan to gather at the James R. Thompson Center and march through the loop to a downtown McDonald's restaurant.
"We've heard enough talking and platitudes," pro-labor group Fight for 15 Chicago said. "If our bosses think [Black lives matter], then they should show us by giving us better wages and guaranteeing our safety on the job."
In Detroit, food workers demanding a $15 minimum wage will strike outside a McDonald's on the city's east side to demand the company demonstrate commitment by raising wages, guaranteeing paid sick leave and providing safety equipment to workers.
Nursing home employees at six facilities in the Detroit metro area will walk off the job briefly. They say owners are treating workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis as "disposable, not essential."
In St. Paul, Minn., nursing home workers will strike Monday after months of failed bargaining with their employer.
The workers will join a caravan that will stop at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, where they will be joined by protesting airport workers seeking a $15 minimum wage and a "just and safe" plan to return people to public and travel spaces.
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Protesters march for social justice


upi--2020-07-20--NASCAR's Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick finish 1-2 at Texas Motor Speedway

July 20 ( UPI ) -- Richard Childress Racing team drivers Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick finished first and second , respectively , to lead the pack at the Cup Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway .
Dillon held off the rest of the field in the final laps to capture his first Cup Series win of 2020 Sunday in Fort Worth .
Joey Logano finished third , followed by Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick in the top-five .
Dillon snagged an automatic spot in the Cup Series playoff with the victory .
He averaged 137.2 mph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20,000 to 25,000 fans were in attendance for the race , but most remained under shaded areas in the grandstand due to intense afternoon heat .
`` Tyler Reddick , he raced me clean , '' Dillon told reporters .
`` 1-2 for RCR [ Richard Childress Racing ] .
This has been coming .
`` We 've had good cars all year .
I 've got my baby Ace back home and my wife and I love them so much .
I 'm just so happy .
Thank God .
To tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole lot [ to be in the payoffs ] for the family , for all our of partners . ''
Ryan Blaney led a race-high six times for 150 laps before a caution came out with 31 laps remaining .
The flag changed the landscape of the race and forced several of the day 's best cars to stay on the track , while Reddick and Dillon were able to take a pit stop to improve their cars .
Blaney finished seventh .
Harvick and Aric Almirola each led three times .
Logano @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led twice .
Almirola finished 10th .
Truex Jr. finished 29th .
Harvick leads the Cup Series standings and has clinched a playoff spot .
Denny Hamlin , Brad Keselowski , Logano , Blaney , Chase Elliott , Truex Jr. , Alex Bowman and Cole Custer join Dillon inside the top-10 in the Cup Series standings and also have clinched playoff spots .
The Cup Series season continues with the Super Start Batteries 400 at 7:30 p.m. EDT Thursday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City .

Austin Dillon (pictured) and teammate Tyler Reddick held off the Cup Series field and finished first in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 Monday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. File Photo by Edwin Locke/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- Richard Childress Racing team drivers Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick finished first and second, respectively, to lead the pack at the Cup Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Dillon held off the rest of the field in the final laps to capture his first Cup Series win of 2020 Sunday in Fort Worth. Joey Logano finished third, followed by Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick in the top-five. Advertisement
Dillon snagged an automatic spot in the Cup Series playoff with the victory. He averaged 137.2 mph in the 334-lap race. An estimated 20,000 to 25,000 fans were in attendance for the race, but most remained under shaded areas in the grandstand due to intense afternoon heat.
"Tyler Reddick, he raced me clean," Dillon told reporters. "1-2 for RCR [Richard Childress Racing]. This has been coming.
"We've had good cars all year. I've got my baby Ace back home and my wife and I love them so much. I'm just so happy. Thank God. To tell you the truth, it means a whole lot [to be in the payoffs] for the family, for all our of partners."
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Ryan Blaney led a race-high six times for 150 laps before a caution came out with 31 laps remaining. The flag changed the landscape of the race and forced several of the day's best cars to stay on the track, while Reddick and Dillon were able to take a pit stop to improve their cars.
Blaney finished seventh. Harvick and Aric Almirola each led three times. Logano, Dillon and Martin Truex Jr. each led twice. Almirola finished 10th. Truex Jr. finished 29th.
Harvick leads the Cup Series standings and has clinched a playoff spot. Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Logano, Blaney, Chase Elliott, Truex Jr., Alex Bowman and Cole Custer join Dillon inside the top-10 in the Cup Series standings and also have clinched playoff spots.
The Cup Series season continues with the Super Start Batteries 400 at 7:30 p.m. EDT Thursday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.


upi--2020-07-20--WWE The Horror Show: The Fiend returns

WWE The Horror Show: The Fiend returns

July 20 ( UPI ) -- The Fiend returned for the first time since April as Bray Wyatt battled Universal Champion Bran Strowman in a Swamp Fight at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules .
The Swamp Fight was the main event on Sunday and was filmed cinematically .
Strowman drove out to the Wyatt Family Swamp where Wyatt was waiting for him while sitting in a rocking chair .
Wyatt disappeared and had Strowman fight off a number of masked men until he was taken out by a vision of his former self when Strowman was a part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chained to a rocking chair where he sat as Wyatt had a snake bite him .
The champ , after waking up , saw visions of his friend Alexa Bliss in the form of Sister Abigail .
Wyatt later attacked Strowman and submerged him in the swamp .
The Monster Among Men was able to fight off Wyatt and appeared to have defeated The Eater of Worlds .
Wyatt then came back and dragged Strowman back into the swamp with the Mandible Claw .
The Fiend emerged from the swamp at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be heard laughing .
The Fiend was last seen at WrestleMania 36 when he defeated John Cena in a Firefly Funhouse match .
The Raw Women 's Championship match between Asuka and Sasha Banks ended in controversy as no official winner was declared .
Asuka , who was joined by her tag team partner Kairi Sane , had placed Banks into the Asuka Lock and caused her to tap out .
The referee , however , could n't see it as Banks ' partner Bayley distracted him .
Asuka would try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but she missed , and sprayed the referee in the face instead .
Bayley then took down Asuka with her Women 's Tag Team Championship belt and put on the referee 's shirt .
Bayley proceeded to count a pinfall victory for Banks over Asuka and unofficially declared her the winner .
Banks and Bayley then stole the Raw Women 's Championship and left the arena .
Banks had helped Bayley retain her SmackDown Women 's Championship against Nikki Cross earlier in the night by giving Bayley her hand jewelry to use as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defended his WWE Championship against Dolph Ziggler who waited until right before the match was going to start to announce the stipulation .
Ziggler was granted the ability to announce the stipulation by McIntyre weeks ago .
The Showoff declared that he was allowed to compete under Extreme Rules but that McIntyre would have to wrestle without being able to break any rules .
Ziggler also said that if McIntyre was counted out or disqualified , that he would lose the WWE Championship .
Ziggler took full advantage of being able to compete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steel chairs and even drove the champ through a table .
McIntyre endured all the punishment and as Ziggler got ready to deliver a Superkick , responded with a sudden Claymore to win the match and remain WWE Champion .
Other moments from The Horror Show at Extreme Rules included Kevin Owens defeating Murphy during the kickoff show ; Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura defeating The New Day in a Tables match to become the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions ; MVP declaring himself the new United States Champion after Apollo Crews was unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seth Rollins defeating Rey Mysterio in an Eye for an Eye match .
Rollins defeated Mysterio has he drove the high-flyer 's face into the sharp end of the steel steps .
The referee called for the bell after Mysterio 's eye became injured .
Rollins , after seeing the damage he inflicted , threw up .

July 20 (UPI) -- The Fiend returned for the first time since April as Bray Wyatt battled Universal Champion Bran Strowman in a Swamp Fight at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules.
The Swamp Fight was the main event on Sunday and was filmed cinematically. Strowman drove out to the Wyatt Family Swamp where Wyatt was waiting for him while sitting in a rocking chair.
Wyatt disappeared and had Strowman fight off a number of masked men until he was taken out by a vision of his former self when Strowman was a part of the Wyatt Family.
Strowman woke up chained to a rocking chair where he sat as Wyatt had a snake bite him. The champ, after waking up, saw visions of his friend Alexa Bliss in the form of Sister Abigail.
Wyatt later attacked Strowman and submerged him in the swamp. The Monster Among Men was able to fight off Wyatt and appeared to have defeated The Eater of Worlds. Wyatt then came back and dragged Strowman back into the swamp with the Mandible Claw.
The Fiend emerged from the swamp at the end and starred into the camera as Wyatt could be heard laughing. The Fiend was last seen at WrestleMania 36 when he defeated John Cena in a Firefly Funhouse match.
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The Raw Women's Championship match between Asuka and Sasha Banks ended in controversy as no official winner was declared.
Asuka, who was joined by her tag team partner Kairi Sane, had placed Banks into the Asuka Lock and caused her to tap out. The referee, however, couldn't see it as Banks' partner Bayley distracted him.
Asuka would try to use her green mist to blind Banks but she missed, and sprayed the referee in the face instead. Bayley then took down Asuka with her Women's Tag Team Championship belt and put on the referee's shirt.
Bayley proceeded to count a pinfall victory for Banks over Asuka and unofficially declared her the winner. Banks and Bayley then stole the Raw Women's Championship and left the arena.
Banks had helped Bayley retain her SmackDown Women's Championship against Nikki Cross earlier in the night by giving Bayley her hand jewelry to use as a weapon.
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre defended his WWE Championship against Dolph Ziggler who waited until right before the match was going to start to announce the stipulation.
Ziggler was granted the ability to announce the stipulation by McIntyre weeks ago. The Showoff declared that he was allowed to compete under Extreme Rules but that McIntyre would have to wrestle without being able to break any rules. Ziggler also said that if McIntyre was counted out or disqualified, that he would lose the WWE Championship.
Ziggler took full advantage of being able to compete under Extreme Rules and punished McIntyre with steel chairs and even drove the champ through a table.
McIntyre endured all the punishment and as Ziggler got ready to deliver a Superkick, responded with a sudden Claymore to win the match and remain WWE Champion.
Other moments from The Horror Show at Extreme Rules included Kevin Owens defeating Murphy during the kickoff show; Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura defeating The New Day in a Tables match to become the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions; MVP declaring himself the new United States Champion after Apollo Crews was unable to compete due to injury; and Seth Rollins defeating Rey Mysterio in an Eye for an Eye match.
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Rollins defeated Mysterio has he drove the high-flyer's face into the sharp end of the steel steps. The referee called for the bell after Mysterio's eye became injured. Rollins, after seeing the damage he inflicted, threw up.


upi--2020-07-20--Many U.S. retailers to begin requiring masks for shoppers on Monday

July 20 ( UPI ) -- Starting Monday , customers will have to wear a mask or face covering if they visit a number of retailers nationwide .
The stores have put rules in place mandating masks in an effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease , which has grown in several states in recent weeks .
The national chain said last week it 's imposing the mask rule as a `` simple '' safety step .
The new requirement will apply to customers at all 5,000 Walmart and Sam 's Club locations in the United States .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ role of `` health ambassador , '' an employee who will be stationed near the entrance to further remind customers of safety requirements .
The company noted that the ambassadors will receive special training to make the process `` as smooth as possible . ''
The company , which also owns Sam 's Club , said the same procedure would be followed at Sam 's Club stores and complimentary masks will be provided to shoppers who do not have one .
Like Walmart , pharmaceutical chains Walgreens and CVS will impose a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Since the pandemic began , we 've done everything we can to keep people safe and healthy .
This includes requiring that store employees wear face coverings and encouraging our customers to do so as well , '' CVS Chief Operating Officer Jon Roberts said last week .
`` We 're joining others in taking the next step and requiring all customers to wear face coverings when entering any of our stores throughout the country . ''
`` We support the new CDC guidance that urges the use of face covers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Kevin Ban , Walgreens chief medical officer , added in a statement .
`` As cases continue to rise in many parts of the country , it 's critical we , as businesses and members of the community , do everything we can . ''
The national home improvement chain said it will provide free masks at the customer service desk of every store , while supplies last .
`` We have a responsibility to our associates , customers and small businesses in communities nationwide to help provide a safe shopping experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lowe 's president and CEO , said in a statement last week .
`` As COVID-19 cases continue to rise , face covering mandates have grown to apply to approximately 70 % of our store base , therefore we 've made the decision to take a consistent approach across our entire store fleet , '' the chain said .
`` Beginning Monday ... we will require all customers to wear a face covering while shopping in our stores .
`` This mask requirement does not apply to individuals unable to wear a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it will have store employees `` welcome shoppers and remind them to wear masks . ''
The grocery store chain will impose the rule at its more than 250 locations in Kentucky , Michigan , Ohio , Wisconsin , Indiana and Illinois .
Other chains imposing a mandatory mask rule on Monday are BJ 's Wholesale Club , Dierbergs Markets and Schnuck Markets .
Home Depot , Publix , Kroger and Target plan to do so later this week .
Starbucks , Best Buy and Costco have previously implemented mandatory mask policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by clear signage at store entrances to inform customers .
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said last week that universal mask usage is key to containing the pandemic in the United States .
`` I think if we could get everybody to wear a mask over the next four , six , eight weeks we could bring this epidemic under control , '' he said .
As of Friday , more than 28 states had issued state-wide mandates requiring the use of masks while in public , while many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own measures , according to ABC News .
President Donald Trump , who has often resisted wearing a mask in public , told Fox News Sunday he would not issue a nationwide mask mandate , saying he wants to allow `` a certain freedom '' and would leave the decision to state and local leaders .

Several major U.S. retailers, including Walmart and Walgreens, will not allow shoppers into stores without a facial mask or covering, beginning Monday. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- Starting Monday, customers will have to wear a mask or face covering if they visit a number of retailers nationwide. The stores have put rules in place mandating masks in an effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease, which has grown in several states in recent weeks. Advertisement
Walmart and Sam's Club
The national chain said last week it's imposing the mask rule as a "simple" safety step.
The new requirement will apply to customers at all 5,000 Walmart and Sam's Club locations in the United States.
Walmart also said it's created the role of "health ambassador," an employee who will be stationed near the entrance to further remind customers of safety requirements.
The company noted that the ambassadors will receive special training to make the process "as smooth as possible."
The company, which also owns Sam's Club, said the same procedure would be followed at Sam's Club stores and complimentary masks will be provided to shoppers who do not have one.
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Walgreens and CVS
Like Walmart, pharmaceutical chains Walgreens and CVS will impose a mask rule for thousands of locations nationally.
"Since the pandemic began, we've done everything we can to keep people safe and healthy. This includes requiring that store employees wear face coverings and encouraging our customers to do so as well," CVS Chief Operating Officer Jon Roberts said last week.
"We're joining others in taking the next step and requiring all customers to wear face coverings when entering any of our stores throughout the country."
"We support the new CDC guidance that urges the use of face covers to help prevent the spread of COVID-19," Kevin Ban, Walgreens chief medical officer, added in a statement. "As cases continue to rise in many parts of the country, it's critical we, as businesses and members of the community, do everything we can."
Lowe's
The national home improvement chain said it will provide free masks at the customer service desk of every store, while supplies last.
"We have a responsibility to our associates, customers and small businesses in communities nationwide to help provide a safe shopping experience," said Marvin R. Ellison, Lowe's president and CEO, said in a statement last week.
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Kohl's
"As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, face covering mandates have grown to apply to approximately 70% of our store base, therefore we've made the decision to take a consistent approach across our entire store fleet," the chain said. "Beginning Monday ... we will require all customers to wear a face covering while shopping in our stores.
"This mask requirement does not apply to individuals unable to wear a mask for medical reasons."
Kohl's said it will have store employees "welcome shoppers and remind them to wear masks."
Meijer
The grocery store chain will impose the rule at its more than 250 locations in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois.
Others
Other chains imposing a mandatory mask rule on Monday are BJ's Wholesale Club, Dierbergs Markets and Schnuck Markets. Home Depot, Publix, Kroger and Target plan to do so later this week.
Starbucks, Best Buy and Costco have previously implemented mandatory mask policies.
The changes Monday will be marked by clear signage at store entrances to inform customers.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said last week that universal mask usage is key to containing the pandemic in the United States.
Advertisement
"I think if we could get everybody to wear a mask over the next four, six, eight weeks we could bring this epidemic under control," he said.
As of Friday, more than 28 states had issued state-wide mandates requiring the use of masks while in public, while many smaller county and local governments have implemented their own measures, according to ABC News.
President Donald Trump, who has often resisted wearing a mask in public, told Fox News Sunday he would not issue a nationwide mask mandate, saying he wants to allow "a certain freedom" and would leave the decision to state and local leaders.


upi--2020-07-20--Trader Joe's to rebrand products after complaints over 'racist' packaging

July 20 ( UPI ) -- U.S. grocery store chain Trader Joe 's said it will change the packaging of its international food products after an online petition called its branding `` racist . ''
Kenya Friend-Daniel , Trader Joe 's national director of public relations , said in a statement that while its approach to branding its Chinese food as `` Trader Ming 's '' and its Mexican food as `` Trader Jose '' may have begun as a `` lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness '' the company now recognizes it had the opposite effect .
`` With this in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago to use only the Trader Joe 's name on our products moving forward , '' Friend-Daniel said , elaborating that all products would be in the same packaging `` very soon . ''
`` Packaging for a number of the products has already been changed , but there 's a small number of products in which the packaging is still going through the process , '' she said .
The announced follows a Change.org petition garnering more than 2,140 signatures by early Monday calling for the chain of more than 500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove racist branding and packaging from its stores . ''
The petition accused the company 's branding of being racist as it exoticizes other cultures by presenting the titular Joe as the default normal the rest are based on .
`` The common thread between all of these transgressions is the perpetuation of exoticism , the goal of which is not to appreciate other cultures , but to further other and distance them from the perceived 'normal , '' the petition said .
`` The current branding , given this essential context , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than before . ''
Trader Joe 's announcement comes amid nationwide unrest and protests against racial inequality spurred by the police-involved killing of George Floyd in late May .
In mid-June , the Quaker Oats Company , the maker of Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup , and Mars , the maker of Uncle Ben 's Rice , announced they will be rebranding their products following the protests .

Trader Joe's said it will be rebranding its international food after an online petition said its packaging was "racist." Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- U.S. grocery store chain Trader Joe's said it will change the packaging of its international food products after an online petition called its branding "racist." Kenya Friend-Daniel, Trader Joe's national director of public relations, said in a statement that while its approach to branding its Chinese food as "Trader Ming's" and its Mexican food as "Trader Jose" may have begun as a "lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness" the company now recognizes it had the opposite effect. Advertisement
"With this in mind, we made the decision several years ago to use only the Trader Joe's name on our products moving forward," Friend-Daniel said, elaborating that all products would be in the same packaging "very soon."
"Packaging for a number of the products has already been changed, but there's a small number of products in which the packaging is still going through the process," she said.
The announced follows a Change.org petition garnering more than 2,140 signatures by early Monday calling for the chain of more than 500 stores across the United States to "remove racist branding and packaging from its stores."
The petition accused the company's branding of being racist as it exoticizes other cultures by presenting the titular Joe as the default normal the rest are based on.
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"The common thread between all of these transgressions is the perpetuation of exoticism, the goal of which is not to appreciate other cultures, but to further other and distance them from the perceived 'normal," the petition said. "The current branding, given this essential context, then becomes even more trivializing and demeaning than before."
Trader Joe's announcement comes amid nationwide unrest and protests against racial inequality spurred by the police-involved killing of George Floyd in late May.
In mid-June, the Quaker Oats Company, the maker of Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup, and Mars, the maker of Uncle Ben's Rice, announced they will be rebranding their products following the protests.


upi--2020-07-20--House Dems call for investigation into Trump's use of force at protests

July 20 ( UPI ) -- Democratic congressional leaders have called for an investigation into the legality of the Trump administration 's use of federal law enforcement officers during protests following reports of abusive practices being deployed against demonstrators in Portland .
In a letter to the inspectors general of the Justice and Homeland Security Departments on Sunday , House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler , Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney urged for an investigation to be opened into reports Trump administration officials have abused emergency authorities to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assembly .
`` We write to request an investigation by your offices into the use of federal law enforcement agencies by the attorney general and the acting secretary of Homeland Security to suppress First Amendment-protected activities in Washington , D.C. , Portland and other communities across the United States , '' the three Democratic congressional leaders said in the letter .
The call follows reports that federal officers have been using unmarked vehicles to snatch protesters from the streets without explanation amid escalating protests against police brutality and racial inequality in Portland that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May .
The three Democrats accused Attorney General William Barr and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf of abusing an executive order President Donald Trump signed on June 26 to protect statues as justification for the arrests .
Wolf , in a statement on Thursday , chastised local and state leaders of failing in their response to the protests in Portland , urging them to accept his offer of assistance .
`` DHS will not abdicate its solemn duty to protect federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
In a statement on Friday , U.S. Customs and Border Protection said agents were deployed to Portland in support of that executive order as `` violent anarchists '' have organized in the city `` with willful intent to damage and destroy federal property as well as injure federal officers and agents . ''
On Saturday , Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced the state is suing federal law enforcement agencies over their officers ' alleged seizure and detainment of residents without probable cause and excessive force .
The Democratic leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have unfettered authority '' to direct federal law enforcement agents to arrest and detain Americans exercising their First Amendment rights and that Wolf appears to be relying on Trump 's executive order intended to protect statues as justification `` for arresting American citizens in the dead of night . ''
`` The administration 's insistence on deploying these forces over the objections of state and local authorities suggest that these tactics have little to do with public safety but more to do with political gamesmanship , '' they wrote .
The Democrats also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power on June 1 when horse-mounted federal agents used chemical agents , smoke and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd of peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square near the White House in Washington , D.C. , so the president could take a photo holding his bible in front of a church .
Trump defended his administration 's actions in Portland on Sunday , saying `` we are trying to help Portland , not hurt it . ''
`` Their leadership has , for months , lost control of the anarchists and agitators , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in action .
We must protect federal property , AND OUR PEOPLE .
These were not merely protesters , these are the real deal ! ''

House Democrats on Sunday called for inspectors general to investigate the Trump administration's use of force during protests. Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- Democratic congressional leaders have called for an investigation into the legality of the Trump administration's use of federal law enforcement officers during protests following reports of abusive practices being deployed against demonstrators in Portland. In a letter to the inspectors general of the Justice and Homeland Security Departments on Sunday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney urged for an investigation to be opened into reports Trump administration officials have abused emergency authorities to prevent Americans from exercising their right to peaceful assembly. Advertisement
"We write to request an investigation by your offices into the use of federal law enforcement agencies by the attorney general and the acting secretary of Homeland Security to suppress First Amendment-protected activities in Washington, D.C., Portland and other communities across the United States," the three Democratic congressional leaders said in the letter.
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The call follows reports that federal officers have been using unmarked vehicles to snatch protesters from the streets without explanation amid escalating protests against police brutality and racial inequality in Portland that began six weeks ago, sparked by the police-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May.
The three Democrats accused Attorney General William Barr and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf of abusing an executive order President Donald Trump signed on June 26 to protect statues as justification for the arrests.
Wolf, in a statement on Thursday, chastised local and state leaders of failing in their response to the protests in Portland, urging them to accept his offer of assistance.
"DHS will not abdicate its solemn duty to protect federal facilities and those within them," he said.
In a statement on Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said agents were deployed to Portland in support of that executive order as "violent anarchists" have organized in the city "with willful intent to damage and destroy federal property as well as injure federal officers and agents."
On Saturday, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced the state is suing federal law enforcement agencies over their officers' alleged seizure and detainment of residents without probable cause and excessive force.
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The Democratic leaders wrote Sunday that Barr "does not have unfettered authority" to direct federal law enforcement agents to arrest and detain Americans exercising their First Amendment rights and that Wolf appears to be relying on Trump's executive order intended to protect statues as justification "for arresting American citizens in the dead of night."
"The administration's insistence on deploying these forces over the objections of state and local authorities suggest that these tactics have little to do with public safety but more to do with political gamesmanship," they wrote.
The Democrats also accused the Trump administration of abusing its power on June 1 when horse-mounted federal agents used chemical agents, smoke and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd of peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square near the White House in Washington, D.C., so the president could take a photo holding his bible in front of a church.
Trump defended his administration's actions in Portland on Sunday, saying "we are trying to help Portland, not hurt it."
"Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators," he tweeted. "They are missing in action. We must protect federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!"


upi--2020-07-20--Famous birthdays for July 20: Gisele Bundchen, Sandra Oh

July 20 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer .
-- New @ @ @ @ @ who in 1953 reached the summit of Mount Everest , in 1919 -- Barbara Mikulski @ @ @ @ @ serving woman in U.S. Congress history , in 1936 ( age 84 )

1/2
Gisele Bundchen arrives on the red carpet at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" in New York City on May 7, 2018. The model turns 40 on July 20. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include: Advertisement
-- Macedonian leader Alexander the Great in 356 B.C.
-- Italian poet Petrarch in 1304
-- Pope Innocent IX in 1519
-- Austrian monk/pioneering botanist Gregor Johann Mendel in 1822
-- New Zealand explorer Edmund Hillary, who in 1953 reached the summit of Mount Everest, in 1919
-- Actor Sally Ann Howes in 1930 (age 90)
-- South Korean artist Nam June Paik in 1932
-- Author Cormac McCarthy in 1933 (age 87)
-- Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., the longest serving woman in U.S. Congress history, in 1936 (age 84)
File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI
-- Actor Diana Rigg in 1938 (age 82)
-- Actor Natalie Wood in 1938
-- American artist Judy Chicago in 1939 (age 81)
-- Singer Kim Carnes in 1945 (age 75)
-- Guitarist Carlos Santana in 1947 (age 73)
-- Actor Donna Dixon in 1957 (age 63)
-- Rock singer Chris Cornell in 1964
-- Actor Josh Holloway in 1969 (age 51)
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-- Actor Sandra Oh in 1971 (age 49)
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
-- Actor Omar Epps in 1973 (age 47)
-- Actor Judy Greer in 1975 (age 45)
-- Hockey player Pavel Datsyuk in 1978 (age 42)
-- Model Gisele Bundchen in 1980 (age 40)
-- Actor John Francis Daley in 1985 (age 35)
-- Actor Osric Chau in 1986 (age 34)
-- Dancer/Julianne Hough in 1988 (age 32)
-- Actor Alycia Debnam-Carey in 1993 (age 27)
-- U.S. Olympic figure skater Maia Shibutani in 1994 (age 26)