upi--2020-05-08--Weekend live sports include UFC 249, 14 baseball games in Asia

May 8 ( UPI ) -- UFC 249 will be sandwiched between 14 live baseball broadcasts out of South Korea and Taiwan this weekend for American sports fans to watch as they wait for major sports leagues to return .
Games from South Korea 's Korean Baseball Organization and Taiwan 's Chinese Professional Baseball League will be the most accessible for viewers , as UFC 249 is a pay-per-view event .
Fans have flocked to broadcasts of the Asian baseball action as American sports leagues are suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Several former Major League Baseball and Minor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ KBO and CPBL .
ESPN on Monday announced an exclusive broadcast agreement with Eclat Media Group to air KBO games .
CPBL games are available to stream on Twitter .
UFC 249 was scheduled for April 18 in New York City before it was suspended until Saturday .
Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson will headline the fight card when they face off in an interim lightweight title bout .
The fights will be held at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville , Fla. , and air on ESPN+ .
Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik , after second fight Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz , after third fight

Chinese Professional Baseball League star Yu-Hsien Chu and the Rakuten Monkeys battle the CTBC Brothers in a three-game weekend series in Taiwan. Photo courtesy of Eleven Sports Taiwan
May 8 (UPI) -- UFC 249 will be sandwiched between 14 live baseball broadcasts out of South Korea and Taiwan this weekend for American sports fans to watch as they wait for major sports leagues to return. Games from South Korea's Korean Baseball Organization and Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League will be the most accessible for viewers, as UFC 249 is a pay-per-view event. Advertisement
Fans have flocked to broadcasts of the Asian baseball action as American sports leagues are suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Several former Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball players are featured in the KBO and CPBL. ESPN on Monday announced an exclusive broadcast agreement with Eclat Media Group to air KBO games. CPBL games are available to stream on Twitter.
UFC 249 was scheduled for April 18 in New York City before it was suspended until Saturday. Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson will headline the fight card when they face off in an interim lightweight title bout. The fights will be held at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., and air on ESPN+.
Saturday
KBO
Kia Tigers vs. Samsung Lions, 4 a.m. EDT, Twitch.TV/KBO
Advertisement
SK Wyverns vs. Lotte Giants, 4 a.m. EDT, Twitch.TV/KBO
LG Twins vs. NC Dinos, 4 a.m. EDT, ESPN2
Hanwha Eagles vs. Kiwoom Heroes, 4 a.m. EDT, Twitch.TV/KBO
KT Wiz vs. Doosan Bears, 4 a.m. EDT, Twitch.TV/KBO
LG Twins vs. NC Dinos (rebroadcast), 10 p.m. EDT, ESPN2
CPBL
Rakuten Monkeys vs. CTBC Brothers, 5:05 a.m. EDT, Twitter.com/ElevenSportsTW
Uni-Lions vs. Fubon Guardians, 5:05 a.m. EDT, Twitter.com/ElevenSportsTW
UFC 249 Main card on ESPN+
Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro, 10 p.m. EDT
Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar, after first fight
Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik, after second fight
Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz, after third fight
Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje, after fourth fight
Sunday
KBO
Kia Tigers vs. Samsung Lions, 1 a.m. EDT, Twitch.TV/KBO
SK Wyverns vs. Lotte Giants, 1 a.m. EDT, Twitch.TV/KBO
LG Twins vs. NC Dinos, 1 a.m. EDT, ESPN2
Hanwha Eagles vs. Kiwoom Heroes, 1 a.m. EDT, Twitch.TV/KBO
KT Wiz vs. Doosan Bears, 1 a.m. EDT, Twitch.TV/KBO
CPBL
Rakuten Monkeys vs. CTBC Brothers, 5:05 a.m. EDT, Twitter.com/ElevenSportsTW
Uni-Lions vs. Fubon Guardians, 5:05 a.m. EDT, Twitter.com/ElevenSportsTW


upi--2020-05-08--Introducing wolves leads to fewer wildland coyotes, researchers find

DENVER , May 8 ( UPI ) -- As the population of gray wolves expands across the northern United States , researchers are finding a surprising side-effect : Their presence appears to lead to a reduction in the coyote population .
Wildlife researchers at the University of Washington are using radio transmitter collars and game cameras to determine how the new presence of top-of-the-food-chain predators is influencing scavengers , or `` kleptoparasites , '' particularly coyotes .
`` Wolves really seem to have it in for coyotes , '' said Laura Prugh , associate professor of wildlife and forest sciences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatal attraction '' scenario , coyotes that sneak up to the carcass of a wolf-killed elk or moose are attacked by their canid cousin in brutal ways , Prugh said .
`` We 've seen cases where wolves decapitated coyotes and buried their heads , kinda mob-style .
It really is dog-eat-dog , '' she said .
Coyotes have expanded their territory nationwide into both human and wildland areas since the early 20th century , showing up in New York City 's Central Park and on the streets of Los Angeles and Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack small pets and occasionally bite humans .
They are hated by federal and state game officials , but trapping , poisoning and blowing them up with cyanide bombs does little to diminish their population .
`` Coyotes are one of the most adaptable species on the planet , '' Prugh said .
`` They can coexist and persist with wolves and people . ''
Listed as endangered in 1974 , gray wolves have rebounded in the northern Midwest states of Wisconsin , Minnesota and Michigan 's Upper Peninsula .
The species also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the northern Pacific Northwest .
As movements grow to reintroduce wolves in western states like Colorado , coyote populations in wildland areas might drop , Prugh said .
But she doubts wolves would follow coyotes into urban areas .
`` Wolves do n't do well with people , '' Prugh said .
`` Coyotes will always have a refuge in cities and places where there are lots of people . ''
Unlike wolves , coyotes hunt in pairs , or with a small pack of family members .
`` They are extremely pair-bonded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnessed coyotes snuggling in the wild .
`` But if their mate is killed , they 'll find another mate within a month . ''
Coyotes can reproduce fast enough to compensate for up to 50 percent of their population being killed , Prugh said .
Coyotes usurped the ecological niche of top-level predators as wolves were killed off across the United States in the 1940s , said Roland Kays , a research associate professor at the Raleigh-based North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their place , '' said Kays , who is not affiliated with the Washington research .
As mid-sized predators , coyotes do n't go after elk , moose and even bison , as wolves can .
`` They sometimes kill a deer on their own , but they 're not very good at it , '' Kays said .
Coyotes eat rodents , rabbits and even berries and insects , and in urban areas , outdoor pet food and garbage .
With the reintroduction of gray wolves in the northern United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source from wolf-kills in their role as scavengers , the Washington research shows .
`` We often think , 'Oh the coyotes like to scavenge , it must be good for them , ' '' Kays said .
`` But this research turns an old idea on its head .
It turns out that scavenging is an evolutionary trap , with more coyotes ending up dying from it as a result than benefiting from it . ''
Yellowstone National Park 's coyote population dropped by 50 percent for the first five years after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crabtree , chief scientist at the Yellowstone Ecological Research Center .
A pack of wolves kill an elk , and eat as much as they can until they become `` meat drunk , '' and leave the scene .
That 's when coyotes and other species try to scavenge the carcass , until the wolves come back , killing about 80 percent of the coyotes who got caught on the scene .
`` You need to compete to eat -- and not get eaten -- in order to survive and reproduce , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populous now in Yellowstone , got smarter as they became accustomed to wolves , he said .
`` The coyote is an incredible survivor , '' Crabtree said .
Coyotes are a native species that date back to the prehistoric Ice Age era , he said .
`` In the La Brea Tar Pits , of the six most common species of prehistoric animal found , five are extinct , and coyotes are still here , '' Crabtree said .
For centuries , coyotes seemed to prefer open plains to forested areas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ species has now expanded to U.S. forests , finding new sources of food , North Carolina 's Kays ' research shows .
For example , invasive coyotes have eaten their way through the population of Olympic marmots , large wood chucks that live in the high mountain forests of Washington 's Olympic National Park , studies show .
`` We 'll see what happens if wolves make it to that area , '' Kays said .
`` Maybe the marmots will have a chance if the wolves kill the coyotes and things will @ @ @ @ @ @

DENVER, May 8 (UPI) -- As the population of gray wolves expands across the northern United States, researchers are finding a surprising side-effect: Their presence appears to lead to a reduction in the coyote population.
Wildlife researchers at the University of Washington are using radio transmitter collars and game cameras to determine how the new presence of top-of-the-food-chain predators is influencing scavengers, or "kleptoparasites," particularly coyotes.
Advertisement
"Wolves really seem to have it in for coyotes," said Laura Prugh, associate professor of wildlife and forest sciences at the university.
In a "fatal attraction" scenario, coyotes that sneak up to the carcass of a wolf-killed elk or moose are attacked by their canid cousin in brutal ways, Prugh said.
"We've seen cases where wolves decapitated coyotes and buried their heads, kinda mob-style. It really is dog-eat-dog," she said.
Coyotes have expanded their territory nationwide into both human and wildland areas since the early 20th century, showing up in New York City's Central Park and on the streets of Los Angeles and Chicago.
Advertisement
In urban areas, they sometimes attack small pets and occasionally bite humans. They are hated by federal and state game officials, but trapping, poisoning and blowing them up with cyanide bombs does little to diminish their population.
Adaptable species
"Coyotes are one of the most adaptable species on the planet," Prugh said. "They can coexist and persist with wolves and people."
Listed as endangered in 1974, gray wolves have rebounded in the northern Midwest states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The species also has recovered in Montana, Idaho and the northern Pacific Northwest.
As movements grow to reintroduce wolves in western states like Colorado, coyote populations in wildland areas might drop, Prugh said. But she doubts wolves would follow coyotes into urban areas.
"Wolves don't do well with people," Prugh said. "Coyotes will always have a refuge in cities and places where there are lots of people."
Unlike wolves, coyotes hunt in pairs, or with a small pack of family members.
"They are extremely pair-bonded," said Prugh, who has witnessed coyotes snuggling in the wild. "But if their mate is killed, they'll find another mate within a month."
Fast reproduction
Coyotes can reproduce fast enough to compensate for up to 50 percent of their population being killed, Prugh said.
Advertisement
Coyotes usurped the ecological niche of top-level predators as wolves were killed off across the United States in the 1940s, said Roland Kays, a research associate professor at the Raleigh-based North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
"The wolves weren't there to keep them in their place," said Kays, who is not affiliated with the Washington research.
As mid-sized predators, coyotes don't go after elk, moose and even bison, as wolves can. "They sometimes kill a deer on their own, but they're not very good at it," Kays said.
Coyotes eat rodents, rabbits and even berries and insects, and in urban areas, outdoor pet food and garbage.
With the reintroduction of gray wolves in the northern United States, coyotes are getting an extra food source from wolf-kills in their role as scavengers, the Washington research shows.
Evolutionary trap
"We often think, 'Oh the coyotes like to scavenge, it must be good for them,'" Kays said. "But this research turns an old idea on its head. It turns out that scavenging is an evolutionary trap, with more coyotes ending up dying from it as a result than benefiting from it."
Yellowstone National Park's coyote population dropped by 50 percent for the first five years after gray wolves became established, said Bob Crabtree, chief scientist at the Yellowstone Ecological Research Center.
Advertisement
A pack of wolves kill an elk, and eat as much as they can until they become "meat drunk," and leave the scene. That's when coyotes and other species try to scavenge the carcass, until the wolves come back, killing about 80 percent of the coyotes who got caught on the scene.
"You need to compete to eat -- and not get eaten -- in order to survive and reproduce," Crabtree said.
Coyotes, though less populous now in Yellowstone, got smarter as they became accustomed to wolves, he said.
"The coyote is an incredible survivor," Crabtree said. Coyotes are a native species that date back to the prehistoric Ice Age era, he said.
"In the La Brea Tar Pits, of the six most common species of prehistoric animal found, five are extinct, and coyotes are still here," Crabtree said.
For centuries, coyotes seemed to prefer open plains to forested areas, but research with game cameras shows the species has now expanded to U.S. forests, finding new sources of food, North Carolina's Kays' research shows.
For example, invasive coyotes have eaten their way through the population of Olympic marmots, large wood chucks that live in the high mountain forests of Washington's Olympic National Park, studies show.
Advertisement
"We'll see what happens if wolves make it to that area," Kays said. "Maybe the marmots will have a chance if the wolves kill the coyotes and things will be more in balance."


upi--2020-05-08--UPI News Quiz: Asian baseball, Grimes' baby, scary insects

U.S. News // 6 hours ago
Search for victims of Maui wildfire ongoing as death toll climbs to 101
Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The death toll from the Maui wildfires has risen to 101, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Tuesday night, as he announced plans to reopen the Lahaina Bypass for several hours a day to "reunite the pieces of Maui."


upi--2020-05-08--'Valley Girl' musical reinvents classic '80s music

LOS ANGELES , May 8 ( UPI ) -- In 1983 , Valley Girl came out one year after Fast Times at Ridgemont High and one year before Sixteen Candles , the first of John Hughes ' '80s teen comedies .
The 2020 Valley Girl remake turned it into a full musical with characters singing '80s rock ' n ' roll hits .
The plot follows the 1983 original .
Julie ( Jessica Rothe ) spends her teenage years in Los Angeles ' San Fernando Valley .
She falls for Hollywood punk Randy ( Josh Whitehouse ) , only now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Think , '' `` Crazy For You '' and `` We Got The Beat '' along the way .
`` We went through dozens and dozens , probably hundreds of songs trying to make sure that the songs would be songs that worked in the movie sort of organically , '' director Rachel Lee Goldenberg told UPI in a phone interview Monday .
`` They did n't feel like we were throwing songs in , but that lyrically they connected with the actors .
Musically , there was a way for us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reproduce them for the movie , '' Goldenberg said .
`` Girls Just Want to Have Fun '' and `` Kids In America '' slow down as Julie sings them wistfully .
`` You Might Think '' becomes punk rock .
Some songs become duets between Julie and Randy or other cast members .
`` With 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun , ' it was an interesting challenge to find ways for that to represent Julie , '' Goldenberg said .
`` So when she says things like 'when the working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somber reprise at the end , finding ways to work it into the narrative was part of the challenge . ''
Julie and her friend , Karen ( Chloe Bennet ) , get into a dance-off fight in aerobics class .
They sing a medley at each other that includes `` Just Ca n't Get Enough , '' `` Material Girl , '' `` I Ca n't Go For That '' and `` Tainted Love . ''
`` It was originally supposed to be one song , '' Goldenberg said .
`` There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has the back-and-forth energy and the heightening that I wanted in that scene .
So we would go back and forth on a number of songs , play with the lyrics and try them from different perspectives .
We ended up building that mashup . ''
Modern English 's `` I Melt with You '' and The Plimsouls ' `` A Million Miles Away '' were part of the soundtrack of 1983 's Valley Girl .
Goldenberg felt she had to incorporate them into her film .
`` Melt '' became a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Since our version of Randy is a songwriter , it could be cool if that 's something that he 's tinkering with throughout the movie , '' Goldenberg said .
`` It pays off because it 's so essential to the original . ''
Valley Girl 's runtime is filled with the cast members singing their takes on a jukebox 's worth of '80s hits .
When they are n't singing , Goldenberg found more '80s music to put in the background .
`` In the roller rink , where we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to lyrically match anything , '' Goldenberg said .
`` We were just looking for a fun song that we could have a different take on and that 's a song that I 've loved for a while , so that made its way in there . ''
While Valley Girl was not limited to songs that existed in 1983 , Goldenberg did not quite cast a net as wide as the entire decade .
`` We had a cutoff , '' she said .
`` It might have been 1985 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early '80s , not late '80s .
To us , it was n't so much about being exactly accurate for May 1983 or whenever the film takes place .
It was really about capturing the heart and the emotion of the time and not being exactly to-the-month accurate of when a song came out . ''
The original Valley Girl was Nicolas Cage 's first leading man role as Randy .
Whitehouse did not try to recreate Cage 's eccentric '80s vibe , either .
`` It 's impossible to do Nicolas Cage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about that , '' Goldenberg said .
`` What I love about Nicolas Cage 's performance is how unexpected and strange and an oddball he is .
So I really wanted not to mimic that , but to have that sort of strange energy , [ we had ] our own version of that . ''
Whitehouse made a self-tape on which he performed Joan Jett 's `` Bad Reputation . ''
That earned him an audition and sold Goldenberg on him .
`` He shot it from all these different angles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has and put all these crazy video effects in it and sent it in , '' she said .
`` He ended up being right for the part for many other reasons , but that organic creativity and strangeness that he has was what really attracted him to me initially . ''
Rothe made Valley Girl before Happy Death Day , the 2017 horror film that catapulted her to stardom .
She sang `` I Melt With You '' in her audition and stood out from the competition .
`` It sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it , '' Goldenberg said .
`` People were [ treating it ] just like a vocal test if they had a good voice to sing it or not .
I 'd seen so many , it was just sort of exhausting .
`` Jessica came in and just the way she sang it , her voice was beautiful but it was captivating , '' Goldenberg continued .
`` The room lit up .
She just connected in a way that felt magical in a really special , specific moment that does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that . ''
Valley Girl features some cameos from the original cast members , although not Cage .
Goldenberg said she connected with some of that cast at retrospective screenings of the original film .
`` As we were prepping the movie , there was a screening of the original Valley Girl at a theater in Los Angeles , '' Goldenberg said .
`` So the cast and crew [ of my film ] all went into the screening and [ original director ] Martha [ Coolidge ] and a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we actually had a chat with them and that 's how that all originated .
The cameos we had are based on the connections that we formed talking to them . ''
Valley Girl is available on video-on-demand platforms and at drive-in movie theaters Friday .

1/3
Jessica Rothe is the valley girl who falls for a Hollywood guy (Josh Whitehouse) in the musical "Valley Girl." Photo courtesy of Orion
LOS ANGELES, May 8 (UPI) -- In 1983, Valley Girl came out one year after Fast Times at Ridgemont High and one year before Sixteen Candles, the first of John Hughes' '80s teen comedies. The 2020 Valley Girl remake turned it into a full musical with characters singing '80s rock 'n' roll hits. The plot follows the 1983 original. Julie (Jessica Rothe) spends her teenage years in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. She falls for Hollywood punk Randy (Josh Whitehouse), only now they sing songs like "You Might Think," "Crazy For You" and "We Got The Beat" along the way. Advertisement
"We went through dozens and dozens, probably hundreds of songs trying to make sure that the songs would be songs that worked in the movie sort of organically," director Rachel Lee Goldenberg told UPI in a phone interview Monday.
"They didn't feel like we were throwing songs in, but that lyrically they connected with the actors. Musically, there was a way for us to make them our own and reimagine them and reproduce them for the movie," Goldenberg said.
Advertisement
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Kids In America" slow down as Julie sings them wistfully.
"You Might Think" becomes punk rock. Some songs become duets between Julie and Randy or other cast members.
"With 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun,' it was an interesting challenge to find ways for that to represent Julie," Goldenberg said. "So when she says things like 'when the working day is done,' or her somber reprise at the end, finding ways to work it into the narrative was part of the challenge."
Julie and her friend, Karen (Chloe Bennet), get into a dance-off fight in aerobics class. They sing a medley at each other that includes "Just Can't Get Enough," "Material Girl," "I Can't Go For That" and "Tainted Love."
"It was originally supposed to be one song," Goldenberg said. "There just does not exist an '80s song that has the back-and-forth energy and the heightening that I wanted in that scene. So we would go back and forth on a number of songs, play with the lyrics and try them from different perspectives. We ended up building that mashup."
Modern English's "I Melt with You" and The Plimsouls' "A Million Miles Away" were part of the soundtrack of 1983's Valley Girl. Goldenberg felt she had to incorporate them into her film. "Melt" became a song Randy writes throughout the film.
Advertisement
"Since our version of Randy is a songwriter, it could be cool if that's something that he's tinkering with throughout the movie," Goldenberg said. "It pays off because it's so essential to the original."
Valley Girl's runtime is filled with the cast members singing their takes on a jukebox's worth of '80s hits. When they aren't singing, Goldenberg found more '80s music to put in the background.
"In the roller rink, where we have 'Safety Dance,' it didn't have to lyrically match anything," Goldenberg said. "We were just looking for a fun song that we could have a different take on and that's a song that I've loved for a while, so that made its way in there."
While Valley Girl was not limited to songs that existed in 1983, Goldenberg did not quite cast a net as wide as the entire decade.
"We had a cutoff," she said. "It might have been 1985 or something. We definitely wanted to be early '80s, not late '80s. To us, it wasn't so much about being exactly accurate for May 1983 or whenever the film takes place. It was really about capturing the heart and the emotion of the time and not being exactly to-the-month accurate of when a song came out."
Advertisement
The original Valley Girl was Nicolas Cage's first leading man role as Randy. Whitehouse did not try to recreate Cage's eccentric '80s vibe, either.
"It's impossible to do Nicolas Cage, so I wasn't too worried about that," Goldenberg said. "What I love about Nicolas Cage's performance is how unexpected and strange and an oddball he is. So I really wanted not to mimic that, but to have that sort of strange energy, [we had] our own version of that."
Whitehouse made a self-tape on which he performed Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation." That earned him an audition and sold Goldenberg on him.
"He shot it from all these different angles and in his home recording studio that he has and put all these crazy video effects in it and sent it in," she said. "He ended up being right for the part for many other reasons, but that organic creativity and strangeness that he has was what really attracted him to me initially."
Rothe made Valley Girl before Happy Death Day, the 2017 horror film that catapulted her to stardom. She sang "I Melt With You" in her audition and stood out from the competition.
"It sort of felt like that was a perfunctory part of it," Goldenberg said. "People were [treating it] just like a vocal test if they had a good voice to sing it or not. I'd seen so many, it was just sort of exhausting.
Advertisement
"Jessica came in and just the way she sang it, her voice was beautiful but it was captivating," Goldenberg continued. "The room lit up. She just connected in a way that felt magical in a really special, specific moment that doesn't always happen in a casting room like that."
Valley Girl features some cameos from the original cast members, although not Cage. Goldenberg said she connected with some of that cast at retrospective screenings of the original film.
"As we were prepping the movie, there was a screening of the original Valley Girl at a theater in Los Angeles," Goldenberg said. "So the cast and crew [of my film] all went into the screening and [original director] Martha [Coolidge] and a number of the actresses were there.
"So we actually had a chat with them and that's how that all originated. The cameos we had are based on the connections that we formed talking to them."
Valley Girl is available on video-on-demand platforms and at drive-in movie theaters Friday.


upi--2020-05-08--Famous birthdays for May 8: Toni Tennille, David Attenborough

May 8 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Taurus .
-- Jean-Henri @ @ @ @ @ the Red Cross Society/co-founder of the Young Men 's Christian Association , in 1828 -- @ @ @ @ @ of the United States , in 1884

Toni Tennille attends the 43rd annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles on April 29, 2016. The singer turns 80 on May 8. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
May 8 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Taurus. They include: Advertisement
-- Jean-Henri Dunant, Swiss founder of the Red Cross Society/co-founder of the Young Men's Christian Association, in 1828
-- Harry Truman, 33rd president of the United States, in 1884
-- Nobel Prize-winning Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek in 1899
-- Filmmaker Roberto Rossellini in 1906
-- Pianist Mary Lou Williams in 1910
-- Blues guitarist Robert Johnson in 1911
-- Author/broadcaster/naturalist David Attenborough in 1926 (age 94)
File Photo by Neil Hall/EPA-EFE
-- Comedian Don Rickles in 1926
-- Former heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston in 1932
-- Actor/singer Rick Nelson in 1940
-- Author Peter Benchley in 1940
-- Singer Toni Tennille in 1940 (age 80)
-- English rock singer Gary Glitter, born Paul Francis Gadd, in 1944 (age 76)
-- Musician Alex Van Halen in 1953 (age 67)
-- Actor David Keith in 1954 (age 66)
-- Actor Stephen Furst in 1954
-- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in 1961 (age 59)
File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI
Advertisement
-- Actor Melissa Gilbert in 1964 (age 56)
-- Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias in 1975 (age 45)
-- Actor Stephen Amell in 1981 (age 39)
-- Actor Elyes Gabel in 1983 (age 37)


upi--2020-05-08--On This Day, May 8: V-E Day marks end of World War II in Europe

May 8 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1541 , Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto becomes the first European colonizer to discover the Mississippi River .
In 1909 , President William Howard Taft announced he would continue the conservation policies put in place by his predecessor , President Theodore Roosevelt .
In 1915 , reports issued by The Admiralty ( Royal Navy ) indicated that 703 of the passengers and crew of RMS Lusitania had been rescued , with more than 1,300 believed lost in the previous day 's U-boat attack .
In 1945 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day , the end of World War II in Europe .
In 1970 , Let It Be , The Beatles ' final original album , was released .
In 2015 , Spotify said the song `` Let It Be '' was the No .
2 most-played Beatles song on the streaming service .
In 1984 , the Soviet Union declared it would n't take part in the Los Angeles Olympics , citing fears about security for its athletes .
The decision came four years after the United States team boycotted the Games in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted for a new Constitution .
Its bill of rights included the right to food , housing and education .
In 2003 , dozens of people were reported killed after the rear door of a cargo jet suddenly opened at 33,000 feet over the Democratic Republic of the Congo and passengers were sucked out of the plane .
Many occupants managed to stay in the aircraft until it landed at an airport .
In 2006 , Lillian Asplund , the last known U.S. survivor of the 1912 sinking of the Titanic , died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mass.
, home .
She was 99 .
In 2007 , Northern Ireland installed a new power-sharing government linking Catholic and Protestant parties .
In 2011 , a senior al-Qaida suspect being moved from his Baghdad cell for questioning grabbed a jailer 's gun and set off a 6-hour battle that left at least 14 people dead , including the inmate .
In 2016 , Londoners elected Sadiq Khan as the first Muslim mayor in the capital city 's history .
In 2018 , a 78-foot wave was observed off the coast of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest wave ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere .
In 2019 , Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared the country would partially stop complying with the nuclear deal it signed in 2015 with six other nations .

1/4
People jam Piccadilly Circus during celebration of V-E Day on May 8, 1945, in London. UPI File Photo
May 8 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto becomes the first European colonizer to discover the Mississippi River. Advertisement
In 1909, President William Howard Taft announced he would continue the conservation policies put in place by his predecessor, President Theodore Roosevelt.
In 1915, reports issued by The Admiralty (Royal Navy) indicated that 703 of the passengers and crew of RMS Lusitania had been rescued, with more than 1,300 believed lost in the previous day's U-boat attack.
In 1945, President Harry S. Truman officially declared V-E Day, the end of World War II in Europe.
In 1970, Let It Be, The Beatles' final original album, was released. In 2015, Spotify said the song "Let It Be" was the No. 2 most-played Beatles song on the streaming service.
UPI File Photo
In 1984, the Soviet Union declared it wouldn't take part in the Los Angeles Olympics, citing fears about security for its athletes. The decision came four years after the United States team boycotted the Games in Moscow.
Advertisement
In 1988, France re-elected socialist Francois Mitterrand as president, defeating conservative Prime Minister Jacques Chirac.
In 1996, South Africa voted for a new Constitution. Its bill of rights included the right to food, housing and education.
In 2003, dozens of people were reported killed after the rear door of a cargo jet suddenly opened at 33,000 feet over the Democratic Republic of the Congo and passengers were sucked out of the plane. Many occupants managed to stay in the aircraft until it landed at an airport.
In 2006, Lillian Asplund, the last known U.S. survivor of the 1912 sinking of the Titanic, died of natural causes at her Shrewsbury, Mass., home. She was 99.
File Photo courtesy National Archives
In 2007, Northern Ireland installed a new power-sharing government linking Catholic and Protestant parties.
In 2011, a senior al-Qaida suspect being moved from his Baghdad cell for questioning grabbed a jailer's gun and set off a 6-hour battle that left at least 14 people dead, including the inmate.
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In 2016, Londoners elected Sadiq Khan as the first Muslim mayor in the capital city's history.
In 2018, a 78-foot wave was observed off the coast of Campbell Island, New Zealand, the largest wave ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 2019, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared the country would partially stop complying with the nuclear deal it signed in 2015 with six other nations.


upi--2020-05-08--Fourth person charged in shooting death of Michigan security guard

May 8 ( UPI ) -- Authorities have charged a fourth person connected to the shooting death of a Flint , Mich. , security guard who was killed after confronting a customer who entered a store without a state-mandated face mask amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Brya Shatonai Bishop , 24 , was charged with three felonies on Thursday in connection to the May 1 death of 43-year-old Calvin Munerlyn , Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton said in a press release .
Brya is the sister of Ramonyea Bishop -- the 23-year-old man authorities have accused of shooting Munerlyn .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-degree premeditated murder for Munerlyn 's death , along with his mother , Sharmel Teague , 45 , and his step-father , Larry Edward Teague , 44 .
Sharmel has been arrested while Ramonyea and Larry remain at large .
Leyton accused Brya of interfering with police efforts to locate and arrest the two men , charging her with tampering with evidence , lying to police investigating a violent crime and accessory after the fact to a felony .
She was being held at the Genesee County Jail , he said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members will not be tolerated and we will likewise hold anyone else involved in offering shelter and assistance to Larry Teague or Ramonyea Bishop accountable under the law , '' he said .
The shooting occurred amid the coronavirus pandemic , which forced Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer to order all state residents to wear face masks in enclosed public spaces .
Prosecutors said Munerlyn and Sharmel got into a verbal altercation last week at a Family Dollar store after the security guard told her to wear a face mask .
After she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son returned and confronted Munerlyn and Ramonyea allegedly shot him in the back of the head .
Leyton described Munerlyn 's death as `` tragic and senseless . ''
`` Those responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent under the law , '' Leyton said .

Brya Shatonai Bishop, 24, was charged with three felonies in connection to the shooting death of Calvin Munerlyn. Photo courtesy of Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton/ Twitter
May 8 (UPI) -- Authorities have charged a fourth person connected to the shooting death of a Flint, Mich., security guard who was killed after confronting a customer who entered a store without a state-mandated face mask amid the coronavirus pandemic. Brya Shatonai Bishop, 24, was charged with three felonies on Thursday in connection to the May 1 death of 43-year-old Calvin Munerlyn, Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton said in a press release. Advertisement
Brya is the sister of Ramonyea Bishop -- the 23-year-old man authorities have accused of shooting Munerlyn.
Ramonyea has been charged by authorities with first-degree premeditated murder for Munerlyn's death, along with his mother, Sharmel Teague, 45, and his step-father, Larry Edward Teague, 44.
Sharmel has been arrested while Ramonyea and Larry remain at large.
Leyton accused Brya of interfering with police efforts to locate and arrest the two men, charging her with tampering with evidence, lying to police investigating a violent crime and accessory after the fact to a felony.
She was being held at the Genesee County Jail, he said.
"Brya Bishop's attempts to shield family members will not be tolerated and we will likewise hold anyone else involved in offering shelter and assistance to Larry Teague or Ramonyea Bishop accountable under the law," he said.
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The shooting occurred amid the coronavirus pandemic, which forced Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to order all state residents to wear face masks in enclosed public spaces.
Prosecutors said Munerlyn and Sharmel got into a verbal altercation last week at a Family Dollar store after the security guard told her to wear a face mask.
After she left the store, her husband and son returned and confronted Munerlyn and Ramonyea allegedly shot him in the back of the head.
Leyton described Munerlyn's death as "tragic and senseless."
"Those responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent under the law," Leyton said.


upi--2020-05-08--Study: Middle age more stressful now than in the 1990s

Before the COVID-19 pandemic upended people 's lives , Americans were already feeling more stressed than they did a generation ago .
Now , new research finds that no group is feeling the impact of additional stress more than middle-aged people .
The study found that most age groups reported an increase of 2 percent more daily stress in 2012 than they did in 1995 .
But middle-aged folks -- 45- to 64-year-olds -- had about 19 percent more daily stress than did their counterparts from the 1990s .
`` If you feel like daily life is getting more stressful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study author David Almeida , professor of human development and family studies at Penn State University .
`` People feel like life is getting more stressful , and that there are more irritations and challenges , and that was even before the pandemic .
While all adults said life was a little bit more stressful , life seems more stressful for adults in the middle , '' Almeida said .
In fact , the researchers said that reported stress adds up to about a week of additional stressed time each year .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 64 more days of stress a year .
The study included data from almost 1,500 adults in 1995 and nearly 800 different adults in 2012 .
The goal was to study two groups who were the same age at the time the data was collected but were born in different decades .
They were interviewed about stress in their lives for eight days in a row .
The volunteers were asked about stressful experiences throughout the previous 24 hours .
For example , did they have any arguments with family or friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or work ?
They were also asked about their stress levels , and whether stress was impacting different areas of their lives .
So , where is all this extra stress coming from ?
Almeida said that a faster pace of life , coupled with information overload , are likely culprits .
Middle-aged folks may be helping adult children more now than they did in the 1990s .
They may also be helping aging parents who are living longer .
People in this age group have also dealt with a lot of economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ busts in the stock market , as well as the 2008 economic crash .
Almeida also explained that many structural supports , such as employer-based pension plans , have changed or vanished .
Dr. Robert Roca , chair of the American Psychiatry Association 's Council on Geriatric Psychiatry , pointed out that the authors could speculate on additional stressors , but he wondered if the perspectives of the people doing the interviews might have influenced the answers .
And he said they interviewed people over a little more than a week , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days spread throughout the year , would the findings still be the same ?
Still , Roca said , `` This is a provocative finding , and it seems to align with more recent data on who 's at risk for suicide . ''
Suicide rates have gone up 35 percent since 1999 , and the highest rates are in middle-aged Americans , a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found .
`` There seems to be a phenomenon here that merits more study , '' Roca said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no matter your age , it 's a good idea to take steps to reduce your stress levels , the experts said .
`` Try to organize the stressors you can have control over .
If you 're worried about coronavirus , wash your hands regularly and practice social distancing , '' Almeida suggested .
He said a healthy diet and exercise both ease stress .
`` When people are experiencing stress , our bodies are designed to move and engage .
A good walk seems refreshing because that 's what your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Both Almeida and Roca agreed that information overload from the 24-hour news cycle and the internet can increase stress .
Both suggested staying informed and checking in with trusted sources of information for a little while .
`` Once you 've heard the facts , then turn it off and turn on something like stand-up comedy or anything else that makes you feel better .
You do n't need to watch the news stories that detail personal tragedies , '' Roca said .
It 's important to name your emotions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Speak with a trusted confidante -- a friend or spiritual adviser -- or a psychiatrist or other psychological professional .
The situation you 're in may not be easily changed , but it can be ameliorated when you give voice to it .
And a sympathetic listener or ally may have a different view on how to improve things .
Mobilizing hope is critical , '' he said .
Almeida added it 's important to remember that `` stress can connect you to other people .
The people who give us stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support and meaning to our lives . ''
The study was published May 7 in the journal American Psychologist .
The Cleveland Clinic has more information on reducing stress .

Before the COVID-19 pandemic upended people's lives, Americans were already feeling more stressed than they did a generation ago. Now, new research finds that no group is feeling the impact of additional stress more than middle-aged people.
The study found that most age groups reported an increase of 2 percent more daily stress in 2012 than they did in 1995. But middle-aged folks -- 45- to 64-year-olds -- had about 19 percent more daily stress than did their counterparts from the 1990s.
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"If you feel like daily life is getting more stressful, it's true," said study author David Almeida, professor of human development and family studies at Penn State University.
"People feel like life is getting more stressful, and that there are more irritations and challenges, and that was even before the pandemic. While all adults said life was a little bit more stressful, life seems more stressful for adults in the middle," Almeida said.
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In fact, the researchers said that reported stress adds up to about a week of additional stressed time each year. In middle-aged people, the extra stress translates to 64 more days of stress a year.
The study included data from almost 1,500 adults in 1995 and nearly 800 different adults in 2012. The goal was to study two groups who were the same age at the time the data was collected but were born in different decades. They were interviewed about stress in their lives for eight days in a row.
The volunteers were asked about stressful experiences throughout the previous 24 hours. For example, did they have any arguments with family or friends? Were they feeling overwhelmed at home or work? They were also asked about their stress levels, and whether stress was impacting different areas of their lives.
So, where is all this extra stress coming from?
Almeida said that a faster pace of life, coupled with information overload, are likely culprits. Middle-aged folks may be helping adult children more now than they did in the 1990s. They may also be helping aging parents who are living longer.
People in this age group have also dealt with a lot of economic uncertainty, having lived through booms and busts in the stock market, as well as the 2008 economic crash. Almeida also explained that many structural supports, such as employer-based pension plans, have changed or vanished.
Advertisement
Dr. Robert Roca, chair of the American Psychiatry Association's Council on Geriatric Psychiatry, pointed out that the authors could speculate on additional stressors, but he wondered if the perspectives of the people doing the interviews might have influenced the answers. And he said they interviewed people over a little more than a week, but if they had questioned them at eight days spread throughout the year, would the findings still be the same?
Still, Roca said, "This is a provocative finding, and it seems to align with more recent data on who's at risk for suicide." Suicide rates have gone up 35 percent since 1999, and the highest rates are in middle-aged Americans, a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.
"There seems to be a phenomenon here that merits more study," Roca said.
Whatever the reasons for your stress and no matter your age, it's a good idea to take steps to reduce your stress levels, the experts said.
"Try to organize the stressors you can have control over. If you're worried about coronavirus, wash your hands regularly and practice social distancing," Almeida suggested.
He said a healthy diet and exercise both ease stress. "When people are experiencing stress, our bodies are designed to move and engage. A good walk seems refreshing because that's what your body wants to do," Almeida said.
Advertisement
Both Almeida and Roca agreed that information overload from the 24-hour news cycle and the internet can increase stress. Both suggested staying informed and checking in with trusted sources of information for a little while.
"Once you've heard the facts, then turn it off and turn on something like stand-up comedy or anything else that makes you feel better. You don't need to watch the news stories that detail personal tragedies," Roca said.
It's important to name your emotions and talk about them, Roca said. "Speak with a trusted confidante -- a friend or spiritual adviser -- or a psychiatrist or other psychological professional. The situation you're in may not be easily changed, but it can be ameliorated when you give voice to it. And a sympathetic listener or ally may have a different view on how to improve things. Mobilizing hope is critical," he said.
Almeida added it's important to remember that "stress can connect you to other people. The people who give us stress are also usually the ones who give support and meaning to our lives."
The study was published May 7 in the journal American Psychologist.
More information
The Cleveland Clinic has more information on reducing stress.
Advertisement
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-05-08--Police arrest two men in shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery

May 7 ( UPI ) -- More than two months after Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot while jogging near Brunswick , Georgia police arrested two men for the shooting , authorities said .
Gregory McMichael , 64 , and his son , Travis McMichael , 34 , were arrested and charged Thursday with murder and aggravated assault in Arbery 's death and will be booked into the Glynn County Jail , authorities said .
The Georgia Bureau of Investigations said Arbery , 25 , was shot and killed Feb. 23 in the Satilla shores neighborhood in Brunswick after being confronted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crump , an attorney for Arbery 's father , said in a statement that it was `` outrageous '' that it took more than two months for them to be taken into police custody .
`` This is the first step to justice .
This murderous father and son duo took the law into their own hands , '' he said .
`` It 's a travesty of justice that they enjoyed their freedom for 74 days after taking the life of a young black man who was simply jogging . ''
Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he added .
Charges were not initially filed against the McMichaels and Arbery 's death failed to gain attention until a video of the shooting surfaced on the Internet earlier this week .
The video , shot from a vehicle trailing Arbery who is jogging along a street on a sunny day , shows Arbery confronted by the younger McMicael armed with what appears to be a shotgun .
A shot is fired .
The two men are seen fighting .
A second shot is fired and the video ends .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McMichael told police following the shooting that they thought Arbery looked like someone who was suspected of committing a series of break-ins in the area and chased after him .
Travis fired his weapon in self-defense after Arbery attacked him , Gregory told police .
The autopsy showed that Arbery was shot three times .
Waycross District Attorney George Barnhill , who was initially assigned to the case , said in a letter that he did not bring charges against the three men as they were in `` hot pursuit '' of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause . ''
He said the video is proof that the shooting was in self-defense .
`` Given the fact Arbery initiated the fight , at the point Arbery grabbed the shotgun , under Georgia Law , McMichael was allowed to use deadly force to protect himself , '' he wrote .
Barnhill recused himself from the case after Arbery 's mother said there was a conflict of interest as the elder McMichael had retired from another district attorney 's office .
S. Lee Merritt , a lawyer for the Arbery family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it confirms Arbery was pursued by three white men who targeted him `` solely because of his race and murdered him without justification . ''
`` This is murder , '' Merritt said .
The video sparked outrage among the public , activists and NBA basketball star LeBron James , who tweeted about Arbery 's death , offering his condolences , prayers and anger against the alleged injustice of the shooting .
`` We 're literally hunted EVERYDAY/EVERYTIME we step foot outside the comfort of our homes !
Ca n't even go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' LeBron said .
The morning of the video 's release , the Glynn County Police Department , which was investigating the shooting , requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigations to `` investigate the public release of video related to Arbery 's death . ''
Gov .
Brian Kemp said in a statement that same day that `` Georgians deserve answers . ''
On Twitter Thursday , Crump called on authorities to arrest William `` Roddie '' Bryan as an accomplice to the crime .

May 7 (UPI) -- More than two months after Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot while jogging near Brunswick, Georgia police arrested two men for the shooting, authorities said.
Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, were arrested and charged Thursday with murder and aggravated assault in Arbery's death and will be booked into the Glynn County Jail, authorities said.
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The Georgia Bureau of Investigations said Arbery, 25, was shot and killed Feb. 23 in the Satilla shores neighborhood in Brunswick after being confronted by the pair with firearms.
Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Arbery's father, said in a statement that it was "outrageous" that it took more than two months for them to be taken into police custody.
"This is the first step to justice. This murderous father and son duo took the law into their own hands," he said. "It's a travesty of justice that they enjoyed their freedom for 74 days after taking the life of a young black man who was simply jogging."
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Friday would have been Arbery's 26 birthday, he added.
Charges were not initially filed against the McMichaels and Arbery's death failed to gain attention until a video of the shooting surfaced on the Internet earlier this week.
The video, shot from a vehicle trailing Arbery who is jogging along a street on a sunny day, shows Arbery confronted by the younger McMicael armed with what appears to be a shotgun. A shot is fired. The two men are seen fighting. A second shot is fired and the video ends.
According to a police report, the elder McMichael told police following the shooting that they thought Arbery looked like someone who was suspected of committing a series of break-ins in the area and chased after him. Travis fired his weapon in self-defense after Arbery attacked him, Gregory told police.
The autopsy showed that Arbery was shot three times.
Waycross District Attorney George Barnhill, who was initially assigned to the case, said in a letter that he did not bring charges against the three men as they were in "hot pursuit" of a burglary suspect with "solid first-hand probable cause."
He said the video is proof that the shooting was in self-defense.
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"Given the fact Arbery initiated the fight, at the point Arbery grabbed the shotgun, under Georgia Law, McMichael was allowed to use deadly force to protect himself," he wrote.
Barnhill recused himself from the case after Arbery's mother said there was a conflict of interest as the elder McMichael had retired from another district attorney's office.
S. Lee Merritt, a lawyer for the Arbery family, said via Twitter after the video surfaced that it confirms Arbery was pursued by three white men who targeted him "solely because of his race and murdered him without justification."
"This is murder," Merritt said.
The video sparked outrage among the public, activists and NBA basketball star LeBron James, who tweeted about Arbery's death, offering his condolences, prayers and anger against the alleged injustice of the shooting.
"We're literally hunted EVERYDAY/EVERYTIME we step foot outside the comfort of our homes! Can't even go for a damn jog, man!" LeBron said.
The morning of the video's release, the Glynn County Police Department, which was investigating the shooting, requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigations to "investigate the public release of video related to Arbery's death."
Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement that same day that "Georgians deserve answers."
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On Twitter Thursday, Crump called on authorities to arrest William "Roddie" Bryan as an accomplice to the crime.


upi--2020-05-07--Federal judge declines to block COVID-19 abortion ban in Arkansas

May 7 ( UPI ) -- A federal court on Thursday denied a motion to block an Arkansas directive preventing patients from receiving abortion care .
The ruling came in response to a lawsuit by Arkansas abortion providers and the American Civil Liberties Union seeking to block the directive restricting access procedural abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic In his ruling , U.S. District Judge Brian S. Miller said the directive should be upheld on the grounds that it was related to preventing the spread of COVID-19 and was `` not beyond all question , a plain , palpable invasion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Miller added the decision was `` agonizingly difficult '' in part because it affects four specific women named in the case as well as other women seeking abortions .
`` There is a strong urge to rule for them because they are extremely sympathetic figures , but that would be unjust , '' he wrote .
Under the directive , patients are not permitted to obtain a procedural abortion unless they test negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours .
Jennifer Dalven , director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project , noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortions , Little Rock Family Planning Services , said patients have been unable to obtain testing and the directive is `` outright barring people who have decided to have an abortion from getting one and instead forcing them to stay pregnant and have a child against their will . ''
`` A state should never prevent people from making a decision about a pregnancy that is best for themselves and their families .
But doing so during the pandemic , when people are losing their jobs and doing everything they can to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is beyond cruel , '' Dalven wrote .

A federal judge rejected a motion by Arkansas abortion providers and the ACLU to block a directive preventing abortions unless patients test negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours. File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI | License Photo
May 7 (UPI) -- A federal court on Thursday denied a motion to block an Arkansas directive preventing patients from receiving abortion care. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit by Arkansas abortion providers and the American Civil Liberties Union seeking to block the directive restricting access procedural abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic Advertisement
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Brian S. Miller said the directive should be upheld on the grounds that it was related to preventing the spread of COVID-19 and was "not beyond all question, a plain, palpable invasion of a woman's right to an abortion."
Miller added the decision was "agonizingly difficult" in part because it affects four specific women named in the case as well as other women seeking abortions.
"There is a strong urge to rule for them because they are extremely sympathetic figures, but that would be unjust," he wrote.
Under the directive, patients are not permitted to obtain a procedural abortion unless they test negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours.
Jennifer Dalven, director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, noted the state's sole provider of procedural abortions, Little Rock Family Planning Services, said patients have been unable to obtain testing and the directive is "outright barring people who have decided to have an abortion from getting one and instead forcing them to stay pregnant and have a child against their will."
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"A state should never prevent people from making a decision about a pregnancy that is best for themselves and their families. But doing so during the pandemic, when people are losing their jobs and doing everything they can to keep their families healthy and make ends meet, is beyond cruel," Dalven wrote.


upi--2020-05-07--Former Denver Broncos QB Joe Flacco underwent neck surgery

May 7 ( UPI ) -- Former Denver Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco , who remains a free agent , could miss the start of the 2020 season after he underwent neck surgery .
League sources told NFL Media and SiriusXM NFL Radio on Thursday that Flacco had the neck procedure in early April .
According to NFL Media , he underwent a 45-minute disc repair and wo n't be cleared to return until late August or mid-September .
Flacco , 35 , landed on injured reserve after only eight games last season because of the neck injury .
The Broncos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually released the former Baltimore Ravens signal-caller this off-season .
In eight games with the Broncos last year , Flacco threw for 1,822 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions .
After Flacco 's injury , Denver turned to rookie gunslinger Drew Lock , who finished with 1,020 passing yards , seven touchdowns and three picks in five starts .
The Ravens selected Flacco in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Delaware .
Flacco , who was named Super Bowl XLVII MVP , has recorded 40,067 passing yards , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NFL career .

Former Denver Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco landed on injured reserve after only eight games last season because of the neck injury. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
May 7 (UPI) -- Former Denver Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco, who remains a free agent, could miss the start of the 2020 season after he underwent neck surgery. League sources told NFL Media and SiriusXM NFL Radio on Thursday that Flacco had the neck procedure in early April. According to NFL Media, he underwent a 45-minute disc repair and won't be cleared to return until late August or mid-September. Advertisement
Flacco, 35, landed on injured reserve after only eight games last season because of the neck injury. The Broncos placed him on IR in November and eventually released the former Baltimore Ravens signal-caller this off-season.
In eight games with the Broncos last year, Flacco threw for 1,822 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions. After Flacco's injury, Denver turned to rookie gunslinger Drew Lock, who finished with 1,020 passing yards, seven touchdowns and three picks in five starts.
The Ravens selected Flacco in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Delaware. Flacco, who was named Super Bowl XLVII MVP, has recorded 40,067 passing yards, 218 touchdowns and 141 interceptions in his NFL career.


upi--2020-05-07--House intelligence committee releases 57 transcripts from Russia probe

May 7 ( UPI ) -- The House intelligence committee on Thursday released transcripts from its investigation into a Russian campaign to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election .
The committee made public 57 transcripts of interviews conducted between 2017 and 2018 as part of the investigation to determine whether President Donald Trump and his 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia to influence the results of the election .
Upon the conclusion of the investigation in 2018 , former special counsel Robert Mueller found that Russia did interfere in the election but was unable to conclude whether Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether Trump obstructed the investigation .
House intelligence committee Chairman Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , on Thursday said the transcripts show `` ample evidence '' of corrupt interactions between the Trump campaign and Russia .
`` The transcripts released today richly detail evidence of the Trump campaign 's efforts to invite , make use of and cover up Russia 's help in the 2016 presidential election , '' Schiff said .
`` Special counsel Robert Mueller identified in his report similar , and even more extensive , evidence of improper links between individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian government .
A bipartisan Senate investigation also found that Russia sought to help the candidacy of Donald Trump in 2016 . ''
Included in the transcripts released Thursday were interviews with Trump 's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner , former chief strategist Steve Bannon , former campaign aide Corey Lewandowski and former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats .
They also include law enforcement and intelligence officials from the Obama administration , including former Director of National Intelligence Jams Clapper and former deputy Attorney General Sally Yates .
Transcripts from Tump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , had previously been released as part of a criminal case in which he was convicted of lying to Congress and witness tampering in Mueller 's investigation .

The House intelligence committee released 57 transcripts related to its investigation into Russian collusion to interfere in the 2016 presidential election on Thursday, which Chairman Adam Schiff said show "ample evidence" of corrupt interactions between the Trump campaign and Russia. File Photo by UPI | License Photo
May 7 (UPI) -- The House intelligence committee on Thursday released transcripts from its investigation into a Russian campaign to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The committee made public 57 transcripts of interviews conducted between 2017 and 2018 as part of the investigation to determine whether President Donald Trump and his 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia to influence the results of the election. Advertisement
Upon the conclusion of the investigation in 2018, former special counsel Robert Mueller found that Russia did interfere in the election but was unable to conclude whether Trump's campaign colluded with the Russian government or whether Trump obstructed the investigation.
House intelligence committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., on Thursday said the transcripts show "ample evidence" of corrupt interactions between the Trump campaign and Russia.
"The transcripts released today richly detail evidence of the Trump campaign's efforts to invite, make use of and cover up Russia's help in the 2016 presidential election," Schiff said. "Special counsel Robert Mueller identified in his report similar, and even more extensive, evidence of improper links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government. A bipartisan Senate investigation also found that Russia sought to help the candidacy of Donald Trump in 2016."
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Included in the transcripts released Thursday were interviews with Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, former chief strategist Steve Bannon, former campaign aide Corey Lewandowski and former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.
They also include law enforcement and intelligence officials from the Obama administration, including former Director of National Intelligence Jams Clapper and former deputy Attorney General Sally Yates.
Transcripts from Tump's former political strategist, Roger Stone, had previously been released as part of a criminal case in which he was convicted of lying to Congress and witness tampering in Mueller's investigation.


upi--2020-05-07--Ex-ABA commissioner, NBA executive Mike Storen dies at 84

May 7 ( UPI ) -- Former American Basketball Association commissioner and NBA executive Mike Storen died Thursday after a lengthy battle with a rare form of cancer .
He was 84 .
Storen was the father of ESPN SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm , who announced her father 's death on social media .
`` If you knew my dad , you knew not only the profound impact he had on the sports industry , but also on the people he encountered , '' Storm wrote .
`` He was creative , larger-than-life , relentlessly positive , a fierce leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above all , my greatest supporter .
...
I am so grateful for all of the time I had with him , and for all of the time he spent with my daughters .
`` I learned so much from him , but most importantly , he set the example for the kind of parent I strive to be for my girls , one who lives their dreams in such a way that it inspires and enables your children to do the same .
I am honored to continue to carry on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I know he was immensely proud to have a daughter who embraced his world and made a career for herself there , too . ''
Storen was the founder and first general manager of the Indiana Pacers in 1967 , paving the way for the ABA franchise 's eventual entry into the NBA .
`` Pacers Sports & Entertainment is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the first general manager of the Indiana Pacers , Mike Storen , '' the team said in a statement .
`` It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on our franchise and the American Basketball Association , for which he would later serve as commissioner .
`` He paved the way for the Pacers ' eventual entry into the NBA by putting together a talented front office and assembling a roster led by eventual Hall of Famers Roger Brown and Mel Daniels .
... Storen was the first captain of the ABA 's flagship franchise and the foundation for the tradition of success the Pacers maintain to this day . ''
As a front office executive , Storen played a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players , including Roger Brown , Mel Daniels , Artis Gilmore , Louis Dampier and Dan Issel .
Storen became the commissioner of the ABA in 1973 and had a direct role in leading the upstart league to an eventual merger with the NBA .
He later became owner of the ABA 's Memphis Sounds with musician Isaac Hayes and general manager of the NBA 's Atlanta Hawks .
Storen also helped launch the `` Toys for Tots '' program while serving in the United States Marine Corps .
Storen , a graduate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Michigan City , Ind .
He is survived by his wife Lynn , his three children , two step-daughters and 14 grandchildren .

May 7 (UPI) -- Former American Basketball Association commissioner and NBA executive Mike Storen died Thursday after a lengthy battle with a rare form of cancer. He was 84.
Storen was the father of ESPN SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm, who announced her father's death on social media.
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"If you knew my dad, you knew not only the profound impact he had on the sports industry, but also on the people he encountered," Storm wrote. "He was creative, larger-than-life, relentlessly positive, a fierce leader, inspiring, a forward thinker and above all, my greatest supporter. ... I am so grateful for all of the time I had with him, and for all of the time he spent with my daughters.
"I learned so much from him, but most importantly, he set the example for the kind of parent I strive to be for my girls, one who lives their dreams in such a way that it inspires and enables your children to do the same. I am honored to continue to carry on his legacy through my own career in sports, and I know he was immensely proud to have a daughter who embraced his world and made a career for herself there, too."
Advertisement Rest In Peace Dad. You will be missed in so many ways.  pic.twitter.com/6sA5w1CMzn— Hannah Storm (@HannahStormESPN) May 8, 2020
Storen was the founder and first general manager of the Indiana Pacers in 1967, paving the way for the ABA franchise's eventual entry into the NBA.
"Pacers Sports & Entertainment is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the first general manager of the Indiana Pacers, Mike Storen," the team said in a statement. "It is impossible to overstate the impact Storen had on our franchise and the American Basketball Association, for which he would later serve as commissioner.
"He paved the way for the Pacers' eventual entry into the NBA by putting together a talented front office and assembling a roster led by eventual Hall of Famers Roger Brown and Mel Daniels. ... Storen was the first captain of the ABA's flagship franchise and the foundation for the tradition of success the Pacers maintain to this day."
As a front office executive, Storen played a key role in acquiring multiple Hall of Fame players, including Roger Brown, Mel Daniels, Artis Gilmore, Louis Dampier and Dan Issel.
Storen became the commissioner of the ABA in 1973 and had a direct role in leading the upstart league to an eventual merger with the NBA. He later became owner of the ABA's Memphis Sounds with musician Isaac Hayes and general manager of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.
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Storen also helped launch the "Toys for Tots" program while serving in the United States Marine Corps.
Storen, a graduate of Notre Dame, was a native of Michigan City, Ind. He is survived by his wife Lynn, his three children, two step-daughters and 14 grandchildren.


upi--2020-05-08--Colts QB Philip Rivers to coach at Alabama high school once NFL career ends

May 8 ( UPI ) -- Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers will become the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School , the school announced Friday .
Rivers , though , wo n't officially take over as coach of the Fairhope , Ala. , school until his retirement from the NFL .
`` It 's a special day for me and my family , really , '' Rivers told reporters Friday .
`` I know I 'm going to get a little emotional .
I 've had two childhood dreams -- one was to play in the NFL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on my 17th year .
The other was to be a high school football coach as my dad did .
How blessed am I to live both of these out ? ''
Rivers was an all-state quarterback while playing for his father , Steve Rivers , at Athens ( Ala. ) High School before going to play at North Carolina State .
Philip Rivers , who is entering his 17th season in the league , signed a one-year , $ 25 million contract with the Colts this off-season .
The veteran quarterback @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season at a time , but the Colts hope he can play longer than the one-year pact he signed with them .
The 38-year-old quarterback spent the first 16 years of his NFL career with the Chargers after the franchise acquired him in a 2004 draft-day trade with the New York Giants for Eli Manning .
He served as the Chargers ' starting quarterback since the 2006 season before parting ways with the organization earlier this off-season .
Philip Rivers , an eight-time Pro Bowl selection , left the Chargers as their franchise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passing yards ( 59,271 ) and touchdown passes ( 397 ) .

Former Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is entering his 17th season in the NFL. File Photo by Lori Shepler/UPI | License Photo
May 8 (UPI) -- Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers will become the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School, the school announced Friday. Rivers, though, won't officially take over as coach of the Fairhope, Ala., school until his retirement from the NFL. Advertisement
"It's a special day for me and my family, really," Rivers told reporters Friday. "I know I'm going to get a little emotional. I've had two childhood dreams -- one was to play in the NFL, and I've been doing that going on my 17th year. The other was to be a high school football coach as my dad did. How blessed am I to live both of these out?"
Rivers was an all-state quarterback while playing for his father, Steve Rivers, at Athens (Ala.) High School before going to play at North Carolina State.
Philip Rivers, who is entering his 17th season in the league, signed a one-year, $25 million contract with the Colts this off-season. The veteran quarterback previously said he is taking it one season at a time, but the Colts hope he can play longer than the one-year pact he signed with them.
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The 38-year-old quarterback spent the first 16 years of his NFL career with the Chargers after the franchise acquired him in a 2004 draft-day trade with the New York Giants for Eli Manning. He served as the Chargers' starting quarterback since the 2006 season before parting ways with the organization earlier this off-season.
Philip Rivers, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, left the Chargers as their franchise leader in 30 different categories, including passing yards (59,271) and touchdown passes (397).


upi--2020-05-08--AccuWeather increases number of hurricanes predicted for 'very active' 2020 Atlantic season

May 8 ( UPI ) -- Coastal residents such as Monroe County Commissioner Craig Cates , a lifelong Key West native and the city 's mayor from 2009-18 , do n't frighten easily .
Resiliency is a way of life when you 've seen `` many , many hurricanes '' come your way .
The coronavirus shutdowns have brought new hardships for an area reliant on tourism , which accounts for `` a good 50 percent of our economy , '' Cates told AccuWeather 's Monica Danielle .
The economic math is n't great at the moment as Key West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draws more than 3 million visitors a year .
But now `` everything 's basically shut down , '' he said .
`` We 're dipping into our reserves with no chance to make them up by hurricane season , '' Cates said .
`` That is our concern ... We ca n't afford a hurricane this year , for sure . ''
AccuWeather 's updated 2020 Atlantic Basin hurricane forecast perhaps wo n't brighten the spirits of Key West or other United States coastal residents .
Based on the newest forecasting models @ @ @ @ @ @ @ range of hurricanes predicted for the Atlantic hurricane season .
The hurricane team , led by Dan Kottlowski , the company 's top hurricane expert , is now predicting 14 to 20 tropical storms , with additions also to the number of storms that become hurricanes : seven to 11 this season .
Kottlowski also increased the number of major hurricanes - Category 3 or higher - that could develop this season to four to six .
Kottlowski warned that four to six named tropical systems could make direct impacts on the U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Islands .
The initial 2020 Atlantic hurricane forecast was released in late March and called for 14 to 18 named tropical storms , seven to nine hurricanes and two to four major hurricanes .
`` New climate model runs show a trend toward La Niña evolving during the second half of the upcoming summer , '' said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Kottlowski , the company 's top hurricane expert .
`` This would suggest a decrease in the episodes of vertical wind shear , which can limit tropical development and intensification .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the potential -- again , still potential -- for a very active season , '' Kottlowski said .
Wind shear is the phenomenon in which wind speed or direction changes with altitude .
It can cause the higher parts of a hurricane or storm to be tilted in the opposite direction of where the storm or hurricane is moving .
La Niña , a pattern that influences weather factors and winds around the world , occurs when water temperatures in the central and equatorial Pacific are cooler than normal .
Active hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a La Niña pattern is present due to a general reduction in wind shear over parts of the Atlantic Ocean , including the central and western parts of the basin , which churn out a large majority of tropical systems .
The 2020 season follows four straight years during which there were at least two U.S.-landfalling hurricanes , with Barry and Dorian striking in 2019 .
That 's the longest streak since 1947-50 and only twice since 1851 has the streak reached at least five years ( 1932-36 and 1876-82 ) .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , two subtropical storms , two Category 1 hurricanes , one Category 2 hurricane and three major hurricanes .
`` The biggest issue with this season is this trend going from a weak El Niño to a neutral pattern then to a possible La Niña , '' Kottlowski said .
`` This climate signal pattern has been associated with above-normal seasons .
The big question is just how active is it going to be ? ''
The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season is widely regarded as `` by far the most active and worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Just the number of storms and the number of big storms was outrageous . ''
There were a record 27 named storms ( breaking the 1933 record of 21 ) with 14 hurricanes - exceeding the record of 12 in 1969 - and seven major hurricanes ( Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Scale ) , according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .
Hurricanes Katrina , Rita and Wilma that year are among the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history .
`` The 2020 season will be very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the real hyper-active season of 2005 , '' Kottlowski said .
`` There is a growing concern , '' he added , `` that this season will be another very active one , at least on par what we have seen the past four years . ''
The Atlantic hurricane season officially lasts from June 1 through Nov. 30 , when 98.4 percent of hurricanes have occurred in the Atlantic Basin ; however , hurricanes can form in any month .
Counting 2019 , all 297 hurricanes that have made landfall in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season .
The first tropical storm to develop this year will be named Arthur .
For a complete list of names for the 2020 season and everything related to tropical weather , visit the AccuWeather Atlantic basin hurricane center .
Residents such as Craig Cates know advance warning and planning -- a timely reminder during Hurricane Preparedness Week -- are keys to dealing with whatever may come .
`` As they say , hope is not a strategy , '' Cates told AccuWeather .
`` You have to plan on if a hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're dealing with now .
Luckily , we have a lot of experience with hurricanes . ''

Hurricane Dorian blows palm trees and sea spray across the Pitt Street bridge in the Charleston area September 5. AccuWeather increased its prediction for the number hurricanes in the 2020 season. File Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo
May 8 (UPI) -- Coastal residents such as Monroe County Commissioner Craig Cates, a lifelong Key West native and the city's mayor from 2009-18, don't frighten easily. Resiliency is a way of life when you've seen "many, many hurricanes" come your way. The coronavirus shutdowns have brought new hardships for an area reliant on tourism, which accounts for "a good 50 percent of our economy," Cates told AccuWeather's Monica Danielle. The economic math isn't great at the moment as Key West has roughly 25,000 permanent residents and typically draws more than 3 million visitors a year. But now "everything's basically shut down," he said. Advertisement
"We're dipping into our reserves with no chance to make them up by hurricane season," Cates said. "That is our concern ... We can't afford a hurricane this year, for sure."
AccuWeather's updated 2020 Atlantic Basin hurricane forecast perhaps won't brighten the spirits of Key West or other United States coastal residents.
Advertisement
Based on the newest forecasting models, AccuWeather forecasters have extended the upper range of hurricanes predicted for the Atlantic hurricane season. The hurricane team, led by Dan Kottlowski, the company's top hurricane expert, is now predicting 14 to 20 tropical storms, with additions also to the number of storms that become hurricanes: seven to 11 this season.
Kottlowski also increased the number of major hurricanes - Category 3 or higher - that could develop this season to four to six. Kottlowski warned that four to six named tropical systems could make direct impacts on the U.S mainland, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
The initial 2020 Atlantic hurricane forecast was released in late March and called for 14 to 18 named tropical storms, seven to nine hurricanes and two to four major hurricanes.
"New climate model runs show a trend toward La Niña evolving during the second half of the upcoming summer," said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Kottlowski, the company's top hurricane expert. "This would suggest a decrease in the episodes of vertical wind shear, which can limit tropical development and intensification.
"This new information gives us more confidence of the potential -- again, still potential -- for a very active season," Kottlowski said.
Advertisement
Wind shear is the phenomenon in which wind speed or direction changes with altitude. It can cause the higher parts of a hurricane or storm to be tilted in the opposite direction of where the storm or hurricane is moving.
La Niña, a pattern that influences weather factors and winds around the world, occurs when water temperatures in the central and equatorial Pacific are cooler than normal. Active hurricane seasons in the Atlantic can result when a La Niña pattern is present due to a general reduction in wind shear over parts of the Atlantic Ocean, including the central and western parts of the basin, which churn out a large majority of tropical systems.
The 2020 season follows four straight years during which there were at least two U.S.-landfalling hurricanes, with Barry and Dorian striking in 2019. That's the longest streak since 1947-50 and only twice since 1851 has the streak reached at least five years (1932-36 and 1876-82).
The 2019 hurricane season included 10 tropical storms, two subtropical storms, two Category 1 hurricanes, one Category 2 hurricane and three major hurricanes.
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"The biggest issue with this season is this trend going from a weak El Niño to a neutral pattern then to a possible La Niña," Kottlowski said. "This climate signal pattern has been associated with above-normal seasons. The big question is just how active is it going to be?"
The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season is widely regarded as "by far the most active and worst season on record," Kottlowski said. "Just the number of storms and the number of big storms was outrageous."
There were a record 27 named storms (breaking the 1933 record of 21) with 14 hurricanes - exceeding the record of 12 in 1969 - and seven major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Scale), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma that year are among the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history.
"The 2020 season will be very active, but not as active as the real hyper-active season of 2005," Kottlowski said. "There is a growing concern," he added, "that this season will be another very active one, at least on par what we have seen the past four years."
Advertisement
The Atlantic hurricane season officially lasts from June 1 through Nov. 30, when 98.4 percent of hurricanes have occurred in the Atlantic Basin; however, hurricanes can form in any month. Counting 2019, all 297 hurricanes that have made landfall in the continental U.S. since 1851 occurred during hurricane season. The first tropical storm to develop this year will be named Arthur. For a complete list of names for the 2020 season and everything related to tropical weather, visit the AccuWeather Atlantic basin hurricane center.
Residents such as Craig Cates know advance warning and planning -- a timely reminder during Hurricane Preparedness Week -- are keys to dealing with whatever may come.
"As they say, hope is not a strategy," Cates told AccuWeather. "You have to plan on if a hurricane does come and that's what we're dealing with now. Luckily, we have a lot of experience with hurricanes."


upi--2020-05-08--U.S. copes with COVID-19 pandemic

U.S. copes with COVID-19 pandemic

The novel coronavirus , COVID-19 , pandemic is spreading across the United States .
People are discouraged ( even banned @ @ @ @ @ large gatherings , public spaces are closed , store shelves are empty , with long @ @ @ @ @ and travel is limited .
Here are some scenes from across America .

Bass Pro Shops marketing manager David Smith (R) carries a box of donated face masks into Mercy Health in Chesterfield, Mo., on May 13. The company is donating 1 million FDA-approved ASTM Level 1 Procedure Face Masks to healthcare workers and first responders working on the front lines of the pandemic. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI


upi--2020-05-08--USS Montgomery, USNS Cesar Chavez enter South China Sea to support drill ship

May 8 ( UPI ) -- The USS Montgomery and the USNS Cesar Chavez sailed into the South China Sea this week in support of the West Capella drill ship , U.S. Indo-Pacific Command announced Friday .
Earlier this week the Air Force and Marines conducted training exercises near China amid increased tensions in the region , which is the site of competing maritime claims .
Thursday 's transit , officials said , was a reaction to Chinese harassment of the drill ship in waters the Chinese government has claimed but which the United States considers international waters .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroyer USS Barry from the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea , saying the United States was intruding into Chinese waters without permission .
The West Capella is owned by Patronas , a Malaysian oil and gas company and is registered in Panama .
Adm. John Aquilino , commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet , said U.S. forces would stand with regional friends and partners to resist coercion and oppose unlawful claims to international waters and resources .
`` We are committed to a rules-based order in the South China Sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the seas and the rule of law , '' said Adm. John Aquilino , commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet .
`` The Chinese Communist Party must end its pattern of bullying Southeast Asians out of offshore oil , gas , and fisheries .
Millions of people in the region depend on those resources for their livelihood . ''
Both ships were already underway in the region , with Montgomery on a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations and Cesar Chavez delivering supplies , fuel , cargo and @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Montgomery conducts routine operations near Panamanian flagged drillship, West Capella. Montgomery is on a rotational deployment to USINDOPACOM, conducting operations, exercises and port visits throughout the region and working hull-to-hull with allied and partner navies to provide maritime security and stability, key pillars of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Photo courtesy USINDOPACOM
May 8 (UPI) -- The USS Montgomery and the USNS Cesar Chavez sailed into the South China Sea this week in support of the West Capella drill ship, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command announced Friday. Earlier this week the Air Force and Marines conducted training exercises near China amid increased tensions in the region, which is the site of competing maritime claims. Advertisement
Thursday's transit, officials said, was a reaction to Chinese harassment of the drill ship in waters the Chinese government has claimed but which the United States considers international waters.
Last week the Chinese military expelled the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry from the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea, saying the United States was intruding into Chinese waters without permission.
The West Capella is owned by Patronas, a Malaysian oil and gas company and is registered in Panama.
Adm. John Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said U.S. forces would stand with regional friends and partners to resist coercion and oppose unlawful claims to international waters and resources.
"We are committed to a rules-based order in the South China Sea and we will continue to champion freedom of the seas and the rule of law," said Adm. John Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. "The Chinese Communist Party must end its pattern of bullying Southeast Asians out of offshore oil, gas, and fisheries. Millions of people in the region depend on those resources for their livelihood."
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Both ships were already underway in the region, with Montgomery on a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations and Cesar Chavez delivering supplies, fuel, cargo and equipment to warfighters throughout the region.


upi--2020-05-08--Panthers' Derrick Brown to become first 2020 Round 1 pick to sign rookie deal

May 8 ( UPI ) -- Former Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown agreed to his rookie contract with the Carolina Panthers on Friday .
League sources told ESPN and NFL Media that Brown reached an agreement on a four-year , fully guaranteed $ 23.6 million deal with the Panthers .
This makes him the first Round 1 selection in this year 's NFL Draft to reach a deal .
The Panthers selected Brown with the No .
7 overall pick in last month 's draft over versatile Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons .
According to ESPN , the Panthers felt the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact next to Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short , who spent last season on injured reserve because of a shoulder injury .
`` We had them very close together , obviously , '' Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said of Brown and Simmons after the draft .
`` We believed you start building from the front .
Derrick not only helps [ Short ] and the rest of the line ... he helps the linebackers .
He 's a big , powerful player and he 's got a good first step .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ four sacks , two forced fumbles , two fumble recoveries and four passes defensed during his senior season at Auburn .
In four seasons ( 2016-19 ) with the Tigers , he notched 170 tackles , 12.5 sacks , five forced fumbles and eight pass breakups .
Including Brown , the Panthers selected seven defensive players in the 2020 draft .
It was the first time in the common draft era -- which began in 1967 -- that a team used all of their draft picks on defense .

May 8 (UPI) -- Former Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown agreed to his rookie contract with the Carolina Panthers on Friday.
League sources told ESPN and NFL Media that Brown reached an agreement on a four-year, fully guaranteed $23.6 million deal with the Panthers. This makes him the first Round 1 selection in this year's NFL Draft to reach a deal.
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The Panthers selected Brown with the No. 7 overall pick in last month's draft over versatile Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons. According to ESPN, the Panthers felt the interior defensive lineman could provide an immediate impact next to Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short, who spent last season on injured reserve because of a shoulder injury.
"We had them very close together, obviously," Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said of Brown and Simmons after the draft. "We believed you start building from the front. Derrick not only helps [Short] and the rest of the line... he helps the linebackers. He's a big, powerful player and he's got a good first step."
Brown recorded 54 total tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four passes defensed during his senior season at Auburn. In four seasons (2016-19) with the Tigers, he notched 170 tackles, 12.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and eight pass breakups.
Advertisement While at LSU, Joe Brady said Derrick Brown was the toughest player to game plan against.https://t.co/gh1bSbRkyZ— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 24, 2020
Including Brown, the Panthers selected seven defensive players in the 2020 draft. It was the first time in the common draft era -- which began in 1967 -- that a team used all of their draft picks on defense.


upi--2020-05-08--Televangelist Jim Bakker recovering from stroke

May 8 ( UPI ) -- Televangelist Jim Bakker is recovering at his North Carolina home after having a stroke @ @ @ @ @ .
The 80-year-old is `` okay , '' but will be taking a break from @ @ @ @ @ The Jim Bakker Show , his wife , Lori Bakker said in a Facebook post @ @ @ @ @ projects `` and the vigorous warfare that we have experienced in the last several weeks @ @ @ @ @ toll on Jim 's health , '' Lori Bakker said , referencing a recent lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ back !
He is still dreaming and hearing from the Lord , and he already @ @ @ @ @ deliver when he returns to the air , '' she wrote .
Lori Bakker said @ @ @ @ @ to air .
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sued Jim Bakker in March , accusing @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus cure described as a `` silver solution . ''

May 8 (UPI) -- Televangelist Jim Bakker is recovering at his North Carolina home after having a stroke, his wife said Friday.
The 80-year-old is "okay," but will be taking a break from filming his television program, The Jim Bakker Show, his wife, Lori Bakker said in a Facebook post.
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A number of work projects "and the vigorous warfare that we have experienced in the last several weeks, have taken a huge toll on Jim's health," Lori Bakker said, referencing a recent lawsuit.
"Jim will be back! He is still dreaming and hearing from the Lord, and he already has a powerful word to deliver when he returns to the air," she wrote.
Lori Bakker said the TV show will continue to air.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sued Jim Bakker in March, accusing him of selling a fake coronavirus cure described as a "silver solution."


upi--2020-05-08--AAI Corp., a division of Textron, nabs $20.7M contract modification for Navy drone program

May 8 ( UPI ) -- AAI Corp. , doing business as Textron Systems , was awarded a $ 20.7 million contract modification Friday for work on the Navy 's Unmanned Influence Sweep System and Unmanned Surface Vehicle program .
According to the Department of Defense , this week 's deal modifies a deal originally awarded in September 2014 for work on the UISS , which consists of a mine countermeasure unmanned surface vessel and is designed to operate as part of the littoral combat ship ( LCS ) mine countermeasure ( MCM ) package .
Unmanned surface vehicles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operate on the surface of the water without a crew .
According to the Pentagon , the UISS program is intended to satisfy the Navy 's need for a rapid , wide-area coverage mine clearance capability which are required to neutralize magnetic/acoustic influence mines , while also providing a high-area coverage rate in a small , lightweight package with minimal impact on the host platform .
Work on the contract will be performed in Hunt Valley , Md.
, and Slidell , La .
with an expected completion date of September 2021 .

The Unmanned Influence Sweep System, accompanied by an escort vessel, heads out for an Operational Assessment mission off the coast of South Florida in November 2019. The UISS consists of an unmanned surface vehicle and a towed minesweeping payload for influence sweeping of magnetic, acoustic and magnetic/acoustic combination mine types while keeping warfighters out of the minefield. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy
May 8 (UPI) -- AAI Corp., doing business as Textron Systems, was awarded a $20.7 million contract modification Friday for work on the Navy's Unmanned Influence Sweep System and Unmanned Surface Vehicle program. According to the Department of Defense, this week's deal modifies a deal originally awarded in September 2014 for work on the UISS, which consists of a mine countermeasure unmanned surface vessel and is designed to operate as part of the littoral combat ship (LCS) mine countermeasure (MCM) package. Advertisement
Unmanned surface vehicles, or Naval drones, are boats that operate on the surface of the water without a crew.
According to the Pentagon, the UISS program is intended to satisfy the Navy's need for a rapid, wide-area coverage mine clearance capability which are required to neutralize magnetic/acoustic influence mines, while also providing a high-area coverage rate in a small, lightweight package with minimal impact on the host platform.
Work on the contract will be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., and Slidell, La. with an expected completion date of September 2021.