upi--2020-03-06--Chris Pratt and Tom Holland relate to each other's 'Onward' characters

LOS ANGELES , March 6 ( UPI ) -- Chris Pratt and Tom Holland , who lend their voices to Pixar 's latest animated film , Onward , say the film cast them in roles that are opposite to how they interact with their real-life families .
Holland voices Ian , younger brother to Pratt 's Barley .
In real life , Pratt is the younger brother .
`` I was Ian and my brother was Barley , '' Pratt said at a press conference .
`` My brother , for instance , always wanted to be an actor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 'Wow , that 's amazing .
Being an actor is awesome .
I want to be an actor . '
'' Now , Pratt is the star of three franchises : Marvel 's Guardians of the Galaxy , Jurassic World and The Lego Movie .
His brother , Cully Pratt , enlisted in the Army and now serves as a law enforcement officer in Solano County , Calif. Cully was never jealous of Chris ' show business success .
Likewise , Barley is a magic enthusiast in the world of Onward , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When his younger brother develops the ability to cast spells , Barley never resents him .
`` He loves his brother so much that he 's just so proud of him that he has this gift , '' Pratt said .
`` It really made me appreciate how my brother was with me .
[ For ] my whole life , he 's always only been super encouraging and positive about what I 've been able to do as an actor . ''
In the Holland family , Tom is the oldest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his younger brothers learn from his mistakes .
`` How to be gracious losers when they lose at golf -- that 's what I 've taught them , '' Holland said .
`` I 'm a terrible loser , so they 've learned what not to do from their big brother . ''
Ian and Barley go on an adventure when Ian casts a spell to bring back their late father .
The spell only works halfway , so they seek a magical artifact that can help them complete it .
Pratt appreciated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What you see [ in other movies ] is the older brother who does n't let the younger brother hang out with him , who does n't take him to school , '' Pratt said .
`` It 's kind of a caricature of what real relationships are .
The truth is brothers love each other . ''
Pratt and Holland crossed paths before in the Avengers movies , where Holland 's Spider-Man teams up with Pratt 's Star-Lord and all the other superheroes .
Holland said they have become like brothers themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obviously so close already , before we even came onto this film , it was almost like we were just playing ourselves , '' Holland said .
Animated films record each voice individually and piece the dialogue together during editing .
Watching Onward , Pratt said director Dan Scanlon still captured his chemistry with Holland .
`` There were moments where we were brought together [ before recording ] , '' Pratt said .
`` I think maybe part of that had to do with just getting a model of what our relationship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with one another and goof around .
Some of that was probably expressed in the movie . ''
Although he plays the younger sibling , Holland said he also could relate to Ian .
Ian is a shy teenager celebrating his 16th birthday .
Ian reminded Holland of himself before he joined the West End production of Billy Elliot in the title role .
`` The similarities between Ian and myself go back to more when I was sort of in my early teens , 12 , 13 , '' Holland said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an introvert .
I was a very nervous kid , and I had a hard time at school .
`` It was n't until I went on this adventure that was Billy Elliot when I sort of came out of my shell .
I became more confident in myself and believed in myself , '' he said .
Onward made the actors reflect on their own families , including those family members who have died .
Asked if they could cast a spell to bring someone back , Holland chose his great-grandfather as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bob , he never actually met his dad , '' Holland said .
`` His dad passed away when he was 18 months old , so I would bring back my great-grandfather so my granddad would have the opportunity to meet his dad . ''
Pratt said he 'd choose his father , to share with him his accomplishments .
`` I would show him Guardians of the Galaxy , '' Pratt joked .
`` Then if he did n't like it , I 'd bring back a known criminal to beat him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my dad did n't like Guardians , I would be like , 'All right , you can go back to heaven . '
''

1/5
Chris Pratt, seen here with wife Katherine Schwarzenegger, is the voice of Barley in Pixar's "Onward." File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
LOS ANGELES, March 6 (UPI) -- Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, who lend their voices to Pixar's latest animated film, Onward, say the film cast them in roles that are opposite to how they interact with their real-life families. Holland voices Ian, younger brother to Pratt's Barley. In real life, Pratt is the younger brother. Advertisement
"I was Ian and my brother was Barley," Pratt said at a press conference. "My brother, for instance, always wanted to be an actor. He did plays. I was like, 'Wow, that's amazing. Being an actor is awesome. I want to be an actor.'"
Now, Pratt is the star of three franchises: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World and The Lego Movie. His brother, Cully Pratt, enlisted in the Army and now serves as a law enforcement officer in Solano County, Calif.
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Cully was never jealous of Chris' show business success. Likewise, Barley is a magic enthusiast in the world of Onward, but has no powers of his own. When his younger brother develops the ability to cast spells, Barley never resents him.
"He loves his brother so much that he's just so proud of him that he has this gift," Pratt said. "It really made me appreciate how my brother was with me. [For] my whole life, he's always only been super encouraging and positive about what I've been able to do as an actor."
In the Holland family, Tom is the oldest of four siblings. He joked that his younger brothers learn from his mistakes.
"How to be gracious losers when they lose at golf -- that's what I've taught them," Holland said. "I'm a terrible loser, so they've learned what not to do from their big brother."
Ian and Barley go on an adventure when Ian casts a spell to bring back their late father. The spell only works halfway, so they seek a magical artifact that can help them complete it. Pratt appreciated that Onward avoided sibling rivalry.
"What you see [in other movies] is the older brother who doesn't let the younger brother hang out with him, who doesn't take him to school," Pratt said. "It's kind of a caricature of what real relationships are. The truth is brothers love each other."
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Pratt and Holland crossed paths before in the Avengers movies, where Holland's Spider-Man teams up with Pratt's Star-Lord and all the other superheroes. Holland said they have become like brothers themselves.
"Because Chris and I are obviously so close already, before we even came onto this film, it was almost like we were just playing ourselves," Holland said.
Animated films record each voice individually and piece the dialogue together during editing. Watching Onward, Pratt said director Dan Scanlon still captured his chemistry with Holland.
"There were moments where we were brought together [before recording]," Pratt said. "I think maybe part of that had to do with just getting a model of what our relationship would be like, how we interact with one another and goof around. Some of that was probably expressed in the movie."
Although he plays the younger sibling, Holland said he also could relate to Ian. Ian is a shy teenager celebrating his 16th birthday. Ian reminded Holland of himself before he joined the West End production of Billy Elliot in the title role.
"The similarities between Ian and myself go back to more when I was sort of in my early teens, 12, 13," Holland said. "I was a little bit of an introvert. I was a very nervous kid, and I had a hard time at school.
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"It wasn't until I went on this adventure that was Billy Elliot when I sort of came out of my shell. I became more confident in myself and believed in myself," he said.
Onward made the actors reflect on their own families, including those family members who have died. Asked if they could cast a spell to bring someone back, Holland chose his great-grandfather as that person.
"My granddad, Bob, he never actually met his dad," Holland said. "His dad passed away when he was 18 months old, so I would bring back my great-grandfather so my granddad would have the opportunity to meet his dad."
Pratt said he'd choose his father, to share with him his accomplishments.
"I would show him Guardians of the Galaxy," Pratt joked. "Then if he didn't like it, I'd bring back a known criminal to beat him up on Instagram live. Because if my dad didn't like Guardians, I would be like, 'All right, you can go back to heaven.'"


upi--2020-03-06--Judge orders deportation of ex-Nazi concentration camp guard

March 5 ( UPI ) -- An immigration judge ordered the deportation of a Tennessee man who served as an armed guard of concentration camp prisoners in Nazi Germany during World War II .
Judge Rebecca L. Holt found German citizen Friedrich Karl Berger to be eligible for removal from the United States to Germany under the 1978 Holtzman Amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act citing his `` willing service as an armed guard for prisoners at a concentration camp where persecution took place , '' the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday .
`` Berger was part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concentration camp prisoners in atrocious conditions of confinement , '' said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department 's criminal division .
`` This ruling shows the department 's continued commitment to obtaining a measure of justice , however late , for the victims of wartime Nazi persecution . ''
The court found that Berger said he guarded prisoners to prevent them from escaping as they worked dawn to dusk and while they traveled to and from worksites and their Neuengamme sub-camp near Meppen , Germany .
He also said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guard service and continues to receive a pension from Germany based on his employment there `` including his wartime services . ''
The court also found that Berger had helped guard prisoners during their forced two-week evacuation from the site to the Neuengamme main camp as the Nazis were abandoning the location in March 1945 amid advancing British and Canadian forces .
The prisoners were evacuated under `` inhumane conditions , '' resulting in the deaths of some 70 prisoners , the Justice Department said .
The head of the Meppen sub-camps , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other Meppen personnel were charged with war crimes by British occupation authorities in Germany in 1946 for `` ill-treatment and murder of Allied nationals . ''
`` We will continue to pursue these types of cases so that justice may be served , '' said Assistant Director David C. Shaw of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 's Homeland Security Investigations .

March 5 (UPI) -- An immigration judge ordered the deportation of a Tennessee man who served as an armed guard of concentration camp prisoners in Nazi Germany during World War II.
Judge Rebecca L. Holt found German citizen Friedrich Karl Berger to be eligible for removal from the United States to Germany under the 1978 Holtzman Amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act citing his "willing service as an armed guard for prisoners at a concentration camp where persecution took place," the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday.
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"Berger was part of the SS machinery of oppression that kept concentration camp prisoners in atrocious conditions of confinement," said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department's criminal division. "This ruling shows the department's continued commitment to obtaining a measure of justice, however late, for the victims of wartime Nazi persecution."
The court found that Berger said he guarded prisoners to prevent them from escaping as they worked dawn to dusk and while they traveled to and from worksites and their Neuengamme sub-camp near Meppen, Germany.
He also said he never requested a transfer from concentration camp guard service and continues to receive a pension from Germany based on his employment there "including his wartime services."
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The court also found that Berger had helped guard prisoners during their forced two-week evacuation from the site to the Neuengamme main camp as the Nazis were abandoning the location in March 1945 amid advancing British and Canadian forces.
The prisoners were evacuated under "inhumane conditions," resulting in the deaths of some 70 prisoners, the Justice Department said.
The head of the Meppen sub-camps, SS Obersturmfuhrer Hans Griem, along with other Meppen personnel were charged with war crimes by British occupation authorities in Germany in 1946 for "ill-treatment and murder of Allied nationals."
"We will continue to pursue these types of cases so that justice may be served," said Assistant Director David C. Shaw of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.


upi--2020-03-06--Taking more antibiotics could increase odds for hospitalization

If your doctors keep giving you prescriptions for antibiotics , you might be at increased risk of hospitalization for a serious infection , a new report suggests .
For the study , researchers analyzed data from 2 million patients in England and Wales .
These patients had received prescriptions for antibiotics between 2000 and 2016 to treat common infections such as upper respiratory tract , urinary tract , ear and chest infections .
Those who had nine or more antibiotic prescriptions for common infections in the previous three years were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized with another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the findings showed .
The risk was 1.77 times higher among those who had five to eight prescriptions , 1.33 times higher among those who had three to four prescriptions and 1.23 times higher among those who had two prescriptions , the University of Manchester researchers found .
Doctors may `` prescribe numerous courses of antibiotics over several years , which according to our study increases the risk of a more serious infection .
That in turn , we show , is linked to hospital admissions , '' study author Tjeerd van Staa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We do n't know why this is , but overuse of antibiotics might kill the good bacteria in the gut ( microbiota ) and make us more susceptible to infections , for example , '' he said .
It 's clear doctors lack the tools to prescribe antibiotics effectively for common infections , especially when patients already have previously used antibiotics , van Staa said .
`` Prescribing antibiotics for a common infection -- even though it 's not certain whether it 's viral , where antibiotics are not indicated , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be easier when there is little time , '' he suggested .
Also , in large practices , doctors may be less likely to know their patients and less tuned in to their history and circumstances to make informed decisions , van Staa said .
The study does n't show a direct cause-and-effect relationship between prescription practices and hospitalizations .
And more research is needed to understand the association , the researchers noted .
The study was published online March 2 in the journal BMC Medicine .
The American Academy of Family Physicians @ @ @ @ @

If your doctors keep giving you prescriptions for antibiotics, you might be at increased risk of hospitalization for a serious infection, a new report suggests.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from 2 million patients in England and Wales. These patients had received prescriptions for antibiotics between 2000 and 2016 to treat common infections such as upper respiratory tract, urinary tract, ear and chest infections.
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Those who had nine or more antibiotic prescriptions for common infections in the previous three years were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized with another infection within three or more months, the findings showed.
The risk was 1.77 times higher among those who had five to eight prescriptions, 1.33 times higher among those who had three to four prescriptions and 1.23 times higher among those who had two prescriptions, the University of Manchester researchers found.
Doctors may "prescribe numerous courses of antibiotics over several years, which according to our study increases the risk of a more serious infection. That in turn, we show, is linked to hospital admissions," study author Tjeerd van Staa said in a university news release.
"We don't know why this is, but overuse of antibiotics might kill the good bacteria in the gut (microbiota) and make us more susceptible to infections, for example," he said.
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It's clear doctors lack the tools to prescribe antibiotics effectively for common infections, especially when patients already have previously used antibiotics, van Staa said.
"Prescribing antibiotics for a common infection -- even though it's not certain whether it's viral, where antibiotics are not indicated, or bacterial, where they are -- might be easier when there is little time," he suggested.
Also, in large practices, doctors may be less likely to know their patients and less tuned in to their history and circumstances to make informed decisions, van Staa said.
The study doesn't show a direct cause-and-effect relationship between prescription practices and hospitalizations. And more research is needed to understand the association, the researchers noted.
The study was published online March 2 in the journal BMC Medicine.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on antibiotics.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-03-06--U.S. sanctions Nicaragua police force for human rights abuses

March 6 ( UPI ) -- The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the Nicaraguan National Police , accusing the law enforcement agency of committing human rights abuses amid ongoing pro-democracy protests .
Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin announced the sanctions Thursday , accusing Nicaragua 's leftist president , Daniel Ortega , in a statement of using the police force as a tool in his `` campaign of violent repression against the Nicaraguan people . ''
`` The Treasury is committed to holding accountable those who seek to silence pro-democracy voices in Nicaragua , '' he said .
Anti-government protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 2018 in response to an increase in taxes and cuts to pensions .
The protests quickly turned violent and some 100 people were killed during its first six weeks .
By the end of 2019 , at least 328 people were killed , primarily at the hands of state security forces , and more than 2,000 were injured , according to Amnesty International .
The Treasury accused the NNP using live ammunition against protesters , participating in death squads and conducting extrajudicial killings , disappearances and kidnappings .
The federal agency highlighted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people during a July 2018 operation to crack down on protesters .
Three NNP commissioners -- Juan Valle Valle , Luis Alberto Perez Olivas and Justo Pastor Urbina -- were also blacklisted for their involvement as senior officials .
All assets of the three NNP commissioners and the police force are blocked and U.S. citizens are prohibited from conducting business with them under the sanctions imposed Thursday .
Those currently working with the NPP have until May 6 to `` wind down '' their transactions , the State Department said .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately stop repressing the Nicaraguan people , respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and allow the conditions for free and fair elections and the restoration of democracy in Nicaragua , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement .
The Treasury 's Office of Foreign Assets Control previously sanctioned NNP officials , including Deputy Director General Ramon Antonio Avellan Medal in November 2019 and Director General Francisco Javier Diaz Madriz in 2018 .
Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo De Ortega , who is also the first lady , was sanctioned by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corruption and human rights abuses .

Anti-riot agents prevent the passage of a protest demanding justice for the young people killed in the past demonstrations, in Managua, Nicaragua, May 2, 2018. Photo by Jorge Torres/EPA-EFE
March 6 (UPI) -- The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the Nicaraguan National Police, accusing the law enforcement agency of committing human rights abuses amid ongoing pro-democracy protests. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin announced the sanctions Thursday, accusing Nicaragua's leftist president, Daniel Ortega, in a statement of using the police force as a tool in his "campaign of violent repression against the Nicaraguan people." Advertisement
"The Treasury is committed to holding accountable those who seek to silence pro-democracy voices in Nicaragua," he said.
Anti-government protests erupted in the Central American nation in April 2018 in response to an increase in taxes and cuts to pensions. The protests quickly turned violent and some 100 people were killed during its first six weeks. By the end of 2019, at least 328 people were killed, primarily at the hands of state security forces, and more than 2,000 were injured, according to Amnesty International.
The Treasury accused the NNP using live ammunition against protesters, participating in death squads and conducting extrajudicial killings, disappearances and kidnappings. The federal agency highlighted the NNP's alleged killing of 100 people during a July 2018 operation to crack down on protesters.
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Three NNP commissioners -- Juan Valle Valle, Luis Alberto Perez Olivas and Justo Pastor Urbina -- were also blacklisted for their involvement as senior officials.
All assets of the three NNP commissioners and the police force are blocked and U.S. citizens are prohibited from conducting business with them under the sanctions imposed Thursday. Those currently working with the NPP have until May 6 to "wind down" their transactions, the State Department said.
"The United States urges the Ortega regime to immediately stop repressing the Nicaraguan people, respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and allow the conditions for free and fair elections and the restoration of democracy in Nicaragua," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control previously sanctioned NNP officials, including Deputy Director General Ramon Antonio Avellan Medal in November 2019 and Director General Francisco Javier Diaz Madriz in 2018.
Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo De Ortega, who is also the first lady, was sanctioned by the Trump administration in November 2018 for corruption and human rights abuses.


upi--2020-03-05--Colorado man claims $25,000 yearly lotto prize two days before expiration

March 5 ( UPI ) -- A Colorado man turned in a winning lottery ticket with a prize of $ 25,000 a year for life just two days before it was set to expire .
The Colorado Lottery posted a photo on Facebook announcing the `` missing '' winner had come forward and encouraging players to check their tickets after the winner was mistaken about the extent of his winnings .
`` Get this -- he thought he had won a $ 5,000 prize until about a week ago that he realized his ticket was worth $ 25,000 a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If the winner had not claimed the ticket by its expiration date on March 6 , the money would have been returned to the prize pool .
The Lucky For Life game is a national lottery game played by selecting five numbers out of 48 and one number from 18 for Lucky ball .
Each ticket purchased is entered into a nationwide pool with a top prize of $ 1,000 a day for life with the second prize offering $ 25,000 every year .
A second person in Colorado won the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had 14 of the second-prize winners since we joined the game in July 2016 , '' Colorado Lottery communication manager Meghan Dougherty said .
`` Colorado has not yet had a 1st-prize winner in this game but our fingers are crossed ! ''

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe March 5 (UPI) -- A Colorado man turned in a winning lottery ticket with a prize of $25,000 a year for life just two days before it was set to expire. The Colorado Lottery posted a photo on Facebook announcing the "missing" winner had come forward and encouraging players to check their tickets after the winner was mistaken about the extent of his winnings. Advertisement
"Get this -- he thought he had won a $5,000 prize until about a week ago that he realized his ticket was worth $25,000 a year FOR LIFE," the lottery said.
If the winner had not claimed the ticket by its expiration date on March 6, the money would have been returned to the prize pool.
The Lucky For Life game is a national lottery game played by selecting five numbers out of 48 and one number from 18 for Lucky ball.
Each ticket purchased is entered into a nationwide pool with a top prize of $1,000 a day for life with the second prize offering $25,000 every year.
A second person in Colorado won the second prize last week.
"Colorado has had 14 of the second-prize winners since we joined the game in July 2016," Colorado Lottery communication manager Meghan Dougherty said. "Colorado has not yet had a 1st-prize winner in this game but our fingers are crossed!"


upi--2020-03-05--Alabama executes Nathaniel Woods, convicted in slayings of three police officers

March 4 ( UPI ) -- An Alabama man convicted in 2005 in the murders of three Birmingham police officers was executed on Thursday night .
Nathanial Woods , 44 , was pronounced dead at 9:01 p.m. at the Holman Correctional Facility near Atmore after the Supreme Court lifted a stay on his execution just before 8 p.m. Alabama Gov .
Kay Ivey issued a statement on the execution , the fifth in the United States and first in Alabama this year , after she had declined a request to halt it .
`` Under Alabama law , someone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as guilty as the person who directly commits the crime .
Since 1983 , Alabama has executed two individuals for being an accomplice to capital murder . ''
Woods was convicted in 2005 of multiple counts of capital murder and attempted murder for the deaths of officers Carlos Owen , Harley Chisholm III and Charles Bennett .
A fourth officer also was shot but survived .
Woods ' roommate at the time , Kerry Spencer , admitted to shooting the officers after they responded to their Birmingham home .
Prosecutors said Woods set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Spencer said he shot the officers in self-defense because they were assaulting Woods .
The Appeal reported in February that two of the officers -- Chisholm and Owen -- were known for `` corruption and violence '' and had a reputation for collecting money from known drug dealers in the city in exchange for protection .
The Supreme Court had earlier halted Woods ' scheduled 6 p.m. execution pending further order from the justices on his appeal .
The document filed in the 11th Circuit asked for a limited , 90-day stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , can obtain new legal counsel .
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the request was `` untimely '' and called it `` an eleventh-hour exercise in gamesmanship . ''
He said Woods also failed to establish that he 's entitled to a stay .
Woods ' request came less than a day after the 11th Circuit denied an earlier request for a stay .
The defense sought the stay on the grounds that other death row inmates in Alabama who chose nitrogen hypoxia ( gas asphyxiation ) as their method of execution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who selected lethal injection .
The state has delayed setting execution dates for those who chose the former as officials review the protocol for the new method .
The 11th U.S .
Circuit on Wednesday declined to intervene in the case , saying `` the last-minute nature '' of his request for a stay was `` unjustified . ''
The panel also said Woods had the opportunity to select nitrogen hypoxia as his method of execution like other inmates .
`` That the state has chosen to offer an alternative method of execution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who make that selection does not eliminate its interest in carrying out the sentences of inmates who did not elect that method , '' the opinion said .
Activists and supporters appealed to Ivey to stop the execution .
Martin Luther King III sent her a letter asking her to intervene .
`` Killing this African American man , whose case appears to have been strongly mishandled by the courts , could produce an irreversible injustice , '' he wrote .
`` Are you willing to allow a potentially innocent man to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is carried out Thursday , Woods would be the fifth person executed in the United States this year and the first in Alabama .

Nathaniel Woods was executed on Thursday after being convicted in 2005 of multiple counts of murder and attempted murder for the deaths of three Birmingham, Ala., police officers. File Photo courtesy of the Alabama Department of Corrections
March 4 (UPI) -- An Alabama man convicted in 2005 in the murders of three Birmingham police officers was executed on Thursday night. Nathanial Woods, 44, was pronounced dead at 9:01 p.m. at the Holman Correctional Facility near Atmore after the Supreme Court lifted a stay on his execution just before 8 p.m. Advertisement
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statement on the execution, the fifth in the United States and first in Alabama this year, after she had declined a request to halt it.
"Under Alabama law, someone who helps kill a police officer is just as guilty as the person who directly commits the crime. Since 1983, Alabama has executed two individuals for being an accomplice to capital murder."
Woods was convicted in 2005 of multiple counts of capital murder and attempted murder for the deaths of officers Carlos Owen, Harley Chisholm III and Charles Bennett. A fourth officer also was shot but survived.
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Woods' roommate at the time, Kerry Spencer, admitted to shooting the officers after they responded to their Birmingham home. Prosecutors said Woods set up an ambush of the officers, but Spencer said he shot the officers in self-defense because they were assaulting Woods.
The Appeal reported in February that two of the officers -- Chisholm and Owen -- were known for "corruption and violence" and had a reputation for collecting money from known drug dealers in the city in exchange for protection.
The Supreme Court had earlier halted Woods' scheduled 6 p.m. execution pending further order from the justices on his appeal.
The document filed in the 11th Circuit asked for a limited, 90-day stay of execution so that Woods, 44, can obtain new legal counsel.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the request was "untimely" and called it "an eleventh-hour exercise in gamesmanship." He said Woods also failed to establish that he's entitled to a stay.
Woods' request came less than a day after the 11th Circuit denied an earlier request for a stay.
The defense sought the stay on the grounds that other death row inmates in Alabama who chose nitrogen hypoxia (gas asphyxiation) as their method of execution received temporary reprieves, but not those who selected lethal injection. The state has delayed setting execution dates for those who chose the former as officials review the protocol for the new method.
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The 11th U.S. Circuit on Wednesday declined to intervene in the case, saying "the last-minute nature" of his request for a stay was "unjustified." The panel also said Woods had the opportunity to select nitrogen hypoxia as his method of execution like other inmates.
"That the state has chosen to offer an alternative method of execution and to honor the wishes of inmates who make that selection does not eliminate its interest in carrying out the sentences of inmates who did not elect that method," the opinion said.
Activists and supporters appealed to Ivey to stop the execution. Martin Luther King III sent her a letter asking her to intervene.
"Killing this African American man, whose case appears to have been strongly mishandled by the courts, could produce an irreversible injustice," he wrote. "Are you willing to allow a potentially innocent man to be executed?"
If his lethal injection is carried out Thursday, Woods would be the fifth person executed in the United States this year and the first in Alabama.


upi--2020-03-05--Los Angeles Lakers to sign ex-Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters

March 5 ( UPI ) -- The Los Angeles Lakers are signing former Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters .
League sources told ESPN and USA Today Sports on Thursday that Los Angeles is finalizing an agreement with Waiters that will run through the remainder of the season .
The team has yet to confirm the deal .
The Lakers worked out Waiters earlier this week after waiving veteran guard Troy Daniels on Sunday to create a roster spot .
Waiters played only three games for the Heat this season because of team suspensions and poor conditioning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a 10-game ban following a drug-related incident on a team plane .
The Memphis Grizzlies acquired Waiters from the Heat at the NBA trade deadline last month before subsequently waiving him .
Waiters , 28 , has averaged 13.2 points , 2.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game in 412 career contests ( 211 starts ) between the Oklahoma City Thunder , Cavaliers and Heat .
Waiters spent half of the 2014-15 season playing alongside current Lakers star LeBron James when both were in Cleveland .
Waiters averaged 10.5 points per game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Thunder in the middle of that season .

Former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters (3) played in only three games for the Miami Heat this season. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo
March 5 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Lakers are signing former Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters. League sources told ESPN and USA Today Sports on Thursday that Los Angeles is finalizing an agreement with Waiters that will run through the remainder of the season. The team has yet to confirm the deal. Advertisement
The Lakers worked out Waiters earlier this week after waiving veteran guard Troy Daniels on Sunday to create a roster spot.
Waiters played only three games for the Heat this season because of team suspensions and poor conditioning. He served three suspensions this year, including a 10-game ban following a drug-related incident on a team plane.
The Memphis Grizzlies acquired Waiters from the Heat at the NBA trade deadline last month before subsequently waiving him.
Waiters, 28, has averaged 13.2 points, 2.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game in 412 career contests (211 starts) between the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cavaliers and Heat.
Waiters spent half of the 2014-15 season playing alongside current Lakers star LeBron James when both were in Cleveland. Waiters averaged 10.5 points per game with the Cavaliers before being traded to the Thunder in the middle of that season.


upi--2020-03-05--Global COVID-19 cases hit 95,000; outbreak slows in China

March 5 ( UPI ) -- The World Health Organization reported 95,265 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide Thursday , with 3,281 deaths and a shrinking number of cases in China that indicate the outbreak is coming under control .
Over the past day , 2,055 new cases were reported in 33 countries , about 80 percent of which are in Iran , Italy and South Korea , WHO officials said in a news briefing .
China 's Health Commission early Thursday reported deaths there have reached 3,012. WHO said the nation had reported 143 new cases to the agency in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new cases are in Hubei province , where the outbreak began .
Eight provinces in China have not reported new cases in 14 days , and 20 of the country 's 31 provinces have downgraded their public health warnings linked to COVID-19 .
Mike Ryan , head of the WHO 's emergencies program , said those numbers indicate the outbreak -- which began in December in Wuhan , China -- is coming under control .
Besides China 's 80,409 coronavirus patients -- more than 52,000 of whom have been cured and discharged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15,000 cases and more than 200 deaths in nearly 80 countries outside China .
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to take a `` whole government '' approach to containing the outbreak , saying that too many have tasked their health ministries with response management .
The best approach , he said , is to have multiple agencies , including military and security , engaged with the head of state coordinating response .
All governments , including those that have not reported cases of the novel coronavirus , should increase testing capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is not a drill , '' Ghebreyesus said .
`` The solution is aggressive response .
This epidemic is a threat for every country , rich and poor .
Even the high-income countries should expect surprises . ''
As the statistics stabilize in China , epidemics in other countries are growing , with three main clusters in South Korea , Italy and Iran accounting for more than 10,000 cases .
South Korea on Friday morning added 518 infections from the prior day for a total of 6,284 confirmed cases .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 42 .
Italy 's death toll rose to 148 deaths after 41 people infected with the virus died in the past 24 hours , its health ministry reported Thursday evening , making its epidemic the most deadly outside China .
It also surpassed 3,000 infections with 3,296 patients , mostly in northern Italy .
Europe 's largest epidemic has prompted Italian education officials to close all schools and universities and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to sign a special decree Wednesday night that prohibits spectators from attending all sporting events for at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , '' he wrote in a caption that accompanied the video .
`` A challenge that has no political color , which must bring together the entire nation .
It is a challenge that must be overcome with the commitment of all . ''
Along with Italy , the outbreak continued to grow throughout Europe , which was reporting nearly 6,000 cases of the virus and more than 160 deaths , according to a running tally compiled by Johns Hopkins from government and health sources .
In Germany , the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday from the day prior to 545 , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins .
France saw its cases jump by 92 infections from Wednesday to 377 , according to its Ministry of Health .
It also recorded two new deaths in the previous 24 hours raising its death toll to six .
And the Netherlands said it now had 82 patients with the disease after confirming 44 new cases .
Its Ministry of Health Welfare and Sport said 69 of its patients were infected abroad .
Spain on Thursday reported 37 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to an update from its Ministry of Health .
Britain also experienced its first death to COVID-19 on Thursday .
The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust reported an older patient with underlying health issues died from the virus .
The country 's cases also rose by more than 30 in the past 24 hours to 105 with London reporting a quarter of them as the cases are dispersed throughout the nation .
The surge has Britain forecasting the outbreak is going to deepen before it is brought under control .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , '' a spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said .
`` However , it 's now highly likely that the virus is going to spread in a significant way . ''
Switzerland on Thursday also confirmed its first death -- a 74-year-old woman from Vaud .
Its health ministry said it had 87 confirmed cases in 17 of its 26 federal states .
`` All people are isolated , '' the ministry said .
`` The health authorities have informed people who made close contact with them . ''
In response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 1,000 people until at least March 15 while federal states will individually decide whether to allow events hosting fewer people to continue .
In Hong Kong , which has 105 confirmed cases , officials said they successfully completed a two-day operation to repatriate nearly 500 residents who were living in China 's Hubei province where its capital Wuhan has been under lockdown for over a month .
On four chartered flights over Wednesday and Thursday , 469 people were evacuated to Hong Kong where they will undergo a two-week quarantine at Chun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation began Wednesday with 225 Hong Kong residents flown back to the semi-autonomous region from Wuhan .
Patrick Nip , the secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs who was facilitating the evacuation flights , said Thursday that 258 people were originally expected to return Wednesday but nine people said they decided not to take the evacuation flight , three passengers recorded elevated temperatures , which barred them from boarding , and a pregnant woman said she would return on the next plane .
The Hong Kong government said in a statement late Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wuhan , including two students , with the other 44 having been located throughout Hubei province requiring urgent need .
Thirteen were pregnant and 10 were suffering from serious illness , it said .
News of the evacuations follows the Hong Kong government announcing Wednesday it may have discovered a human-to-animal transmission of the virus after diagnosing low levels of COVID-19 in a dog after repeated testing .
In a statement , the Hong Kong government said the Agriculture , Fisheries and Conservation Department conducted the tests over four days , returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each time .
The dog is under quarantine and has yet to show signs of the disease , the government said without stating how the dog was infected .

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Shelves are empty in a grocery store Thursday in Beijing as panic buying starts to hit certain areas due to the threat of spreading coronavirus. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
March 5 (UPI) -- The World Health Organization reported 95,265 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide Thursday, with 3,281 deaths and a shrinking number of cases in China that indicate the outbreak is coming under control. Over the past day, 2,055 new cases were reported in 33 countries, about 80 percent of which are in Iran, Italy and South Korea, WHO officials said in a news briefing. Advertisement
China's Health Commission early Thursday reported deaths there have reached 3,012. WHO said the nation had reported 143 new cases to the agency in the last 24 hours. Most of the new cases are in Hubei province, where the outbreak began.
Eight provinces in China have not reported new cases in 14 days, and 20 of the country's 31 provinces have downgraded their public health warnings linked to COVID-19.
Mike Ryan, head of the WHO's emergencies program, said those numbers indicate the outbreak -- which began in December in Wuhan, China -- is coming under control.
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Besides China's 80,409 coronavirus patients -- more than 52,000 of whom have been cured and discharged from hospitals -- there are more than 15,000 cases and more than 200 deaths in nearly 80 countries outside China.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to take a "whole government" approach to containing the outbreak, saying that too many have tasked their health ministries with response management. The best approach, he said, is to have multiple agencies, including military and security, engaged with the head of state coordinating response.
All governments, including those that have not reported cases of the novel coronavirus, should increase testing capacity and get their hospitals ready.
"This is not a drill," Ghebreyesus said. "The solution is aggressive response. This epidemic is a threat for every country, rich and poor. Even the high-income countries should expect surprises."
As the statistics stabilize in China, epidemics in other countries are growing, with three main clusters in South Korea, Italy and Iran accounting for more than 10,000 cases.
South Korea on Friday morning added 518 infections from the prior day for a total of 6,284 confirmed cases. It also reported seven more deaths for a tally of 42.
Italy's death toll rose to 148 deaths after 41 people infected with the virus died in the past 24 hours, its health ministry reported Thursday evening, making its epidemic the most deadly outside China. It also surpassed 3,000 infections with 3,296 patients, mostly in northern Italy.
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Europe's largest epidemic has prompted Italian education officials to close all schools and universities and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to sign a special decree Wednesday night that prohibits spectators from attending all sporting events for at least a month.
Conte posted a 5-minute video to Facebook detailing the measures.
"We are facing the coronavirus," he wrote in a caption that accompanied the video. "A challenge that has no political color, which must bring together the entire nation. It is a challenge that must be overcome with the commitment of all."
Along with Italy, the outbreak continued to grow throughout Europe, which was reporting nearly 6,000 cases of the virus and more than 160 deaths, according to a running tally compiled by Johns Hopkins from government and health sources.
In Germany, the number of confirmed cases rose by 145 on Friday from the day prior to 545, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins.
France saw its cases jump by 92 infections from Wednesday to 377, according to its Ministry of Health. It also recorded two new deaths in the previous 24 hours raising its death toll to six.
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And the Netherlands said it now had 82 patients with the disease after confirming 44 new cases. Its Ministry of Health Welfare and Sport said 69 of its patients were infected abroad.
Spain on Thursday reported 37 new cases for a total of 237, according to an update from its Ministry of Health.
Britain also experienced its first death to COVID-19 on Thursday.
The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust reported an older patient with underlying health issues died from the virus. The country's cases also rose by more than 30 in the past 24 hours to 105 with London reporting a quarter of them as the cases are dispersed throughout the nation.
The surge has Britain forecasting the outbreak is going to deepen before it is brought under control.
"We will continue to try to contain this," a spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. "However, it's now highly likely that the virus is going to spread in a significant way."
Switzerland on Thursday also confirmed its first death -- a 74-year-old woman from Vaud. Its health ministry said it had 87 confirmed cases in 17 of its 26 federal states.
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"All people are isolated," the ministry said. "The health authorities have informed people who made close contact with them."
In response, Switzerland has banned events of more than 1,000 people until at least March 15 while federal states will individually decide whether to allow events hosting fewer people to continue.
Iran on Thursday reported 3,513 infections and 107 deaths.
In Hong Kong, which has 105 confirmed cases, officials said they successfully completed a two-day operation to repatriate nearly 500 residents who were living in China's Hubei province where its capital Wuhan has been under lockdown for over a month.
On four chartered flights over Wednesday and Thursday, 469 people were evacuated to Hong Kong where they will undergo a two-week quarantine at Chun Yeung Estate, officials said.
The operation began Wednesday with 225 Hong Kong residents flown back to the semi-autonomous region from Wuhan.
Patrick Nip, the secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs who was facilitating the evacuation flights, said Thursday that 258 people were originally expected to return Wednesday but nine people said they decided not to take the evacuation flight, three passengers recorded elevated temperatures, which barred them from boarding, and a pregnant woman said she would return on the next plane.
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The Hong Kong government said in a statement late Wednesday that 200 of the passengers were stranded in Wuhan, including two students, with the other 44 having been located throughout Hubei province requiring urgent need. Thirteen were pregnant and 10 were suffering from serious illness, it said.
News of the evacuations follows the Hong Kong government announcing Wednesday it may have discovered a human-to-animal transmission of the virus after diagnosing low levels of COVID-19 in a dog after repeated testing.
In a statement, the Hong Kong government said the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department conducted the tests over four days, returning "weak positive for the virus" each time.
The dog is under quarantine and has yet to show signs of the disease, the government said without stating how the dog was infected.


upi--2020-03-05--VP Mike Pence: COVID-19 testing to be more widely available in coming weeks

March 5 ( UPI ) -- Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to ensure more widespread COVID-19 testing by the end of the week .
Speaking at a joint news briefing on the coronavirus with Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee on Thursday evening after the two meet in Tacoma , Pence said the agency was focused on providing tests to Washington and California the two states with the virus and should have the capability to allow 1.2 million Americans to be tested for coronavirus .
`` We know while we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know about today we still have a way to ensure that tests are available for any future cases and also for people across your state and across the country that may be concerned that they have contracted the coronavirus and want to obtain a test , '' he said .
Pence added that another 4 million tests would be made available by the end of next week , adding that President Donald Trump met with leaders of top commercial labs who formed a consortium to increase the availability of testing .
`` In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts that we 'll do through the FDA they could well be in a position where , in the not so distant future your doctor , your local pharmacy , your local med check will have access to a coronavirus test , '' he said .
Pence traveled to Washington to tour the facility as part of his role as the leader of the White House coronavirus task force .
Also joining Pence were members of Washington 's congressional delegation , including Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers , Kim Schrier , Pramila Jayapal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kilmer .
Washington state has been the site of the biggest cluster of U.S. COVID-19 deaths , with 10 reported there in less than a week .
California has one death .

March 5 (UPI) -- Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to ensure more widespread COVID-19 testing by the end of the week.
Speaking at a joint news briefing on the coronavirus with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday evening after the two meet in Tacoma, Pence said the agency was focused on providing tests to Washington and California the two states with the virus and should have the capability to allow 1.2 million Americans to be tested for coronavirus.
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"We know while we're meeting the demand of cases we know about today we still have a way to ensure that tests are available for any future cases and also for people across your state and across the country that may be concerned that they have contracted the coronavirus and want to obtain a test," he said.
Pence added that another 4 million tests would be made available by the end of next week, adding that President Donald Trump met with leaders of top commercial labs who formed a consortium to increase the availability of testing.
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"In a matter of weeks, through validation efforts that we'll do through the FDA they could well be in a position where, in the not so distant future your doctor, your local pharmacy, your local med check will have access to a coronavirus test," he said.
Pence traveled to Washington to tour the facility as part of his role as the leader of the White House coronavirus task force.
Also joining Pence were members of Washington's congressional delegation, including Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Kim Schrier, Pramila Jayapal, Rick Larsen, Suzan DelBene and Derek Kilmer.
Washington state has been the site of the biggest cluster of U.S. COVID-19 deaths, with 10 reported there in less than a week. California has one death.


upi--2020-03-05--NBA fines Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart $35K for 'verbally abusing' refs

March 5 ( UPI ) -- The NBA fined Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart $ 35,000 for confronting and verbally abusing game officials , the league announced Thursday .
NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe said in a statement the amount of Smart 's fine reflects his `` multiple prior violations of acceptable on-court decorum . ''
The incident occurred after the final buzzer of the Celtics ' 129-120 overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night .
Boston led the Nets by three points with 0.2 seconds left when officials called a foul on Smart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 3-point shot .
LeVert made all three of the free throws to tie the game and send it into overtime .
Smart later fouled out in the extra quarter as the Nets went on to win the contest .
After the defeat , Smart approached two referees and had a heated conversation with them .
He began to yell and point at the officials before being pulled off the court .
Smart previously was fined $ 15,000 for criticizing officials earlier this season .
He was disciplined three times in the 2018-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of altercations with opposing players that cost him more than $ 100,000 in fines .
Smart has averaged career highs in points per game ( 13 ) and assists per game ( 4.9 ) in 50 contests ( 36 starts ) this season , his sixth with the Celtics .

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart was fined for a verbal confrontation with officials during Tuesday's loss to the Brooklyn Nets. File Photo by Mark Goldman/UPI | License Photo
March 5 (UPI) -- The NBA fined Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart $35,000 for confronting and verbally abusing game officials, the league announced Thursday. NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe said in a statement the amount of Smart's fine reflects his "multiple prior violations of acceptable on-court decorum." Advertisement
The incident occurred after the final buzzer of the Celtics' 129-120 overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night. Boston led the Nets by three points with 0.2 seconds left when officials called a foul on Smart, who was guarding Caris LeVert on a 3-point shot.
LeVert made all three of the free throws to tie the game and send it into overtime. Smart later fouled out in the extra quarter as the Nets went on to win the contest.
After the defeat, Smart approached two referees and had a heated conversation with them. He began to yell and point at the officials before being pulled off the court.
Marcus Smart had to be escorted off the court after having a heated conversation with the refs pic.twitter.com/63KeiFUPkG— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 4, 2020 Advertisement
Smart previously was fined $15,000 for criticizing officials earlier this season. He was disciplined three times in the 2018-19 campaign for his actions, including a couple of altercations with opposing players that cost him more than $100,000 in fines.
Smart has averaged career highs in points per game (13) and assists per game (4.9) in 50 contests (36 starts) this season, his sixth with the Celtics.


upi--2020-03-05--Philadelphia Eagles to let Pro Bowl OT Jason Peters test free agency

March 5 ( UPI ) -- The Philadelphia Eagles will allow Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jason Peters to enter free agency this off-season , the team announced Thursday .
`` The Philadelphia Eagles and Jason Peters have mutually agreed that Peters will enter the free agent market when the new league year begins on March 18 , '' the team said in a statement .
`` We are appreciative of everything Jason has contributed to the organization over the last 11 seasons in Philadelphia , including building a first-ballot Hall of Fame career and helping us win our first Super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an incredible leader and person both on and off the field .
We will remain in communication as each side continues to evaluate its options in free agency . ''
Free-agent players can officially sign with teams when the new league year begins on March 18 at 4 p.m. EST .
Starting on March 16 at noon EST , their agents can begin negotiating contracts with other franchises .
Peters , who played tight end at the University of Arkansas , signed with the Buffalo Bills after going undrafted in the 2004 NFL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offensive tackle and spent five seasons in Buffalo before being traded to the Eagles in April 2009 .
Peters , a six-time All-Pro choice , has been selected to the Pro Bowl nine times in his NFL career .
He was widely considered one of the best offensive tackles in the league , but has struggled with multiple injuries in recent years .
The 38-year-old offensive lineman underwent minor surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee in 2019 .
He started all 16 regular-season games in 2018 despite sustaining a torn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season .
Peters , who has started 29 out of a possible 32 games in the last two seasons , also suffered a season-ending ACL and MCL injury in 2017 and missed the entire 2012 campaign due to an Achilles injury .
Peters has appeared in 205 games ( 195 starts ) across his 16-year career between the Bills and Eagles .

Philadelphia Eagles veteran offensive tackle Jason Peters has spent the last 11 seasons with the Eagles. File Photo by Derik Hamilton/UPI | License Photo
March 5 (UPI) -- The Philadelphia Eagles will allow Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jason Peters to enter free agency this off-season, the team announced Thursday. "The Philadelphia Eagles and Jason Peters have mutually agreed that Peters will enter the free agent market when the new league year begins on March 18," the team said in a statement. "We are appreciative of everything Jason has contributed to the organization over the last 11 seasons in Philadelphia, including building a first-ballot Hall of Fame career and helping us win our first Super Bowl championship. Advertisement
"Jason has been an incredible leader and person both on and off the field. We will remain in communication as each side continues to evaluate its options in free agency."
Free-agent players can officially sign with teams when the new league year begins on March 18 at 4 p.m. EST. Starting on March 16 at noon EST, their agents can begin negotiating contracts with other franchises.
Peters, who played tight end at the University of Arkansas, signed with the Buffalo Bills after going undrafted in the 2004 NFL Draft. He made the switch to offensive tackle and spent five seasons in Buffalo before being traded to the Eagles in April 2009.
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Peters, a six-time All-Pro choice, has been selected to the Pro Bowl nine times in his NFL career. He was widely considered one of the best offensive tackles in the league, but has struggled with multiple injuries in recent years.
The 38-year-old offensive lineman underwent minor surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee in 2019. He started all 16 regular-season games in 2018 despite sustaining a torn biceps and a quad strain during the season.
Peters, who has started 29 out of a possible 32 games in the last two seasons, also suffered a season-ending ACL and MCL injury in 2017 and missed the entire 2012 campaign due to an Achilles injury.
Peters has appeared in 205 games (195 starts) across his 16-year career between the Bills and Eagles.


upi--2020-03-05--Gap announces Old Navy executive Sonia Syngal as new CEO

March 5 ( UPI ) -- Clothing retailer Gap announced Thursday that it has named Sonia Syngal its new CEO @ @ @ @ @ improve its performance .
Syngal currently serves as CEO of Gap 's brand Old Navy @ @ @ @ @ role as chief executive of the parent company effective March 23 in addition to joining @ @ @ @ @ `` I 'm committed to fully realizing the potential of our portfolio and the advantage @ @ @ @ @ a focus on strengthening the love that our millions of customers have for our brands @ @ @ @ @ `` To do that , we must better prioritize initiatives and capabilities that will improve @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Gap 's former president and CEO , Art Peck , stepped down in @ @ @ @ @ a drop in global sales during the third quarter of 2019 .
The company had @ @ @ @ @ Old Navy brand into a separate company but abandoned the plans early this year , @ @ @ @ @ cost of the split .

March 5 (UPI) -- Clothing retailer Gap announced Thursday that it has named Sonia Syngal its new CEO as the company seeks to improve its performance.
Syngal currently serves as CEO of Gap's brand Old Navy and will take on the role as chief executive of the parent company effective March 23 in addition to joining its board of directors.
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"I'm committed to fully realizing the potential of our portfolio and the advantage of our scale, with a focus on strengthening the love that our millions of customers have for our brands," Syngal said. "To do that, we must better prioritize initiatives and capabilities that will improve execution and drive value creation."
Gap's former president and CEO, Art Peck, stepped down in November as the company reported a drop in global sales during the third quarter of 2019.
The company had planned to spin off its Old Navy brand into a separate company but abandoned the plans early this year, citing poor performance and the cost of the split.


upi--2020-03-06--Trump names Rep. Meadows as chief of staff; Mulvaney becomes ambassador

March 6 ( UPI ) -- President Donald Trump on Friday announced Rep. Mark Meadows will become his new chief of staff , replacing Mick Mulvaney .
Mulvaney served in the position in an acting capacity since December 2018 after the departure of John Kelly .
`` I am pleased to announce that Congressman Mark Meadows will become White House Chief of Staff .
I have long known and worked with Mark , and the relationship is a very good one , '' he wrote .
`` I want to thank Acting Chief Mick Mulvaney for having served the Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland .
Thank you ! ''
With Mulvaney 's new position in the State Department , it 's unclear what will become of his role as director of the Office of Management and Budget .
Meadows , R-N.C. , announced in December his retirement from Congress at the conclusion of his fourth term later this year .
Meadows said he `` struggled '' with the decision after eight years representing western North Carolina 's 11th Congressional District , but always knew his time in Congress was temporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to multiple jobs in the Trump administration , including the chief of staff post .

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Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., will replace former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who will become special envoy to Northern Ireland. File Photo by Alex Wroblewski/UPI | License Photo
March 6 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Friday announced Rep. Mark Meadows will become his new chief of staff, replacing Mick Mulvaney. Mulvaney served in the position in an acting capacity since December 2018 after the departure of John Kelly. Advertisement
Trump announced the news on Twitter.
"I am pleased to announce that Congressman Mark Meadows will become White House Chief of Staff. I have long known and worked with Mark, and the relationship is a very good one," he wrote.
"I want to thank Acting Chief Mick Mulvaney for having served the Administration so well. He will become the United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland. Thank you!"
With Mulvaney's new position in the State Department, it's unclear what will become of his role as director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Meadows, R-N.C., announced in December his retirement from Congress at the conclusion of his fourth term later this year.
Meadows said he "struggled" with the decision after eight years representing western North Carolina's 11th Congressional District, but always knew his time in Congress was temporary. There have been previous rumors linking him to multiple jobs in the Trump administration, including the chief of staff post.


upi--2020-03-06--Watch: VP Mike Pence says 21 test positive for coronavirus on cruise

March 6 ( UPI ) -- Vice President Mike Pence revealed Friday that 21 people -- 19 employees and two @ @ @ @ @ Grand Princess cruise ship tested positive for coronavirus .
He made the announcement during a @ @ @ @ @ force briefing at the White House .
Pence said the ship will dock at a @ @ @ @ @ and all people on board will be tested .
The briefing came after President Donald @ @ @ @ @ billion funding bill to fight COVID-19 in the United States .
The U.S. Centers for @ @ @ @ @ the virus has sickened 164 people and killed 11 in the United States as of @ @ @ @ @ Hopkins , basing its numbers on the latest state and local health departments , reports @ @ @ @ @ as of 12:30 p.m. Friday .

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Vice President Mike Pence (R) makes remarks as FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn (L) and Coast Guard Vice Admiral Daniel Abel listen during a briefing on the coronavirus Friday at the White House. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo
March 6 (UPI) -- Vice President Mike Pence revealed Friday that 21 people -- 19 employees and two passengers -- on board the Grand Princess cruise ship tested positive for coronavirus. He made the announcement during a daily White House coronavirus task force briefing at the White House. Advertisement
Pence said the ship will dock at a non-commercial port over the weekend and all people on board will be tested.
The briefing came after President Donald Trump signed a $8.3 billion funding bill to fight COVID-19 in the United States.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the virus has sickened 164 people and killed 11 in the United States as of 4 p.m. Thursday. Johns Hopkins, basing its numbers on the latest state and local health departments, reports 256 ill and 14 dead as of 12:30 p.m. Friday.


upi--2020-03-06--Prosecutors won't seek death penalty for Devon Erickson

March 6 ( UPI ) -- Prosecutors in Colorado wo n't seek the death penalty for one of the suspects in a school shooting that killed one student last year .
District Attorney George Brauchler said capital punishment wo n't be on the table for 19-year-old Devon Erickson , who pleaded not guilty in January to 44 charges , the most serious of which was first-degree murder .
In a notice filed in Douglas County District Court on Thursday , Brauchler declined to explain his rationale for the decision .
He said the family of Kendrick Castillo , an 18-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` genuine desire that capital punishment be sought '' for Erickson .
Police say Erickson and co-conspirator Alec McKinney , 16 , carried out the shooting May 7 at STEM School Highlands Ranch .
McKinney pleaded guilty last month to 44 counts .
McKinney told investigators he and Erickson planned the shooting because they wanted fellow students to `` experience bad things '' and `` have to suffer from trauma like he has had to in his life . ''
McKinney told police he was bullied in school because he 's transgender .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ made fun of him '' and called him names .
McKinney 's legal name on court documents is Maya McKinney .
Police said McKinney and Erickson both fired guns they got from a locked cabinet in the latter 's home .
In addition to killing Castillo , the shooting injured eight students , including two shot by a school security officer who believed they were the shooters .
In addition to two counts of first-degree murder , Erickson faces multiple counts of attempted murder and other misdemeanor charges .
The prosecutors ' decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assembly voted to abolish the death penalty .
Gov .
Jared Polis has said he plans to sign the bill when it reaches his desk .

March 6 (UPI) -- Prosecutors in Colorado won't seek the death penalty for one of the suspects in a school shooting that killed one student last year.
District Attorney George Brauchler said capital punishment won't be on the table for 19-year-old Devon Erickson, who pleaded not guilty in January to 44 charges, the most serious of which was first-degree murder.
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In a notice filed in Douglas County District Court on Thursday, Brauchler declined to explain his rationale for the decision.
He said the family of Kendrick Castillo, an 18-year-old killed in the shooting, had a "genuine desire that capital punishment be sought" for Erickson.
Police say Erickson and co-conspirator Alec McKinney, 16, carried out the shooting May 7 at STEM School Highlands Ranch. McKinney pleaded guilty last month to 44 counts.
McKinney told investigators he and Erickson planned the shooting because they wanted fellow students to "experience bad things" and "have to suffer from trauma like he has had to in his life."
McKinney told police he was bullied in school because he's transgender. He said he targeted people who "made fun of him" and called him names. McKinney's legal name on court documents is Maya McKinney.
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Police said McKinney and Erickson both fired guns they got from a locked cabinet in the latter's home. In addition to killing Castillo, the shooting injured eight students, including two shot by a school security officer who believed they were the shooters.
In addition to two counts of first-degree murder, Erickson faces multiple counts of attempted murder and other misdemeanor charges.
The prosecutors' decision comes two weeks after Colorado's General Assembly voted to abolish the death penalty. Gov. Jared Polis has said he plans to sign the bill when it reaches his desk.


upi--2020-03-06--Navy to commission USNS Hershel "Woody" Williams Saturday

March 6 ( UPI ) -- The Navy will commission its newest expeditionary sea base , the USNS Hershel `` Woody '' Williams , at a ceremony in Norfolk , Va. , Saturday morning .
According to the Pentagon , U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin , D-W. Va , is slated to deliver the commissioning ceremony 's principal address .
Manchin will be joined by Tracie Jean Ross and Tavie Jane Ross , who are the ship 's sponsors and are the daughters of Hershel `` Woody '' Williams , the last surviving Medal of Honor Recipient awarded for heroism at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War II .
`` This ship honors a man who dedicated his life to service - heroic service as a Marine , and continued service to his fellow veterans , '' said Thomas Modly , the Navy 's acting secretary .
`` This dedication will live on in USS Hershel 'Woody ' Williams as the ship is deployed around the world bringing additional capability to our growing fleet .
The ceremony on Saturday will also represent the dedication to service demonstrated by the men and women who worked tirelessly to build this ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The Navy launched the USNS Hershel `` Woody '' Williams in 2017 , and used it as a test bed for sailing with a Littoral Combat Ship Mine Countermeasure Mission package in September .
Built by General Dynamics NASSCO , the Montford Point-class vessel is intended to act as a mobile sea base and act as part of the access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces and supplies to provide prepositioned equipment and sustainment .
The ship is 784 feet long and features a 52,000-square-foot flight deck and fuel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , magazines , and mission-planning spaces .
It is able to accommodate up to 250 personnel .

The Military Sealift Command’s newest Expeditionary Mobile Base, USNS Hershel “Woody” Williams (T-ESB-4) docked behind the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. The ship is scheduled to be commissioned Saturday. Photo by Max Lonzanida/US Navy
March 6 (UPI) -- The Navy will commission its newest expeditionary sea base, the USNS Hershel "Woody" Williams, at a ceremony in Norfolk, Va., Saturday morning. According to the Pentagon, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va, is slated to deliver the commissioning ceremony's principal address. Advertisement
Manchin will be joined by Tracie Jean Ross and Tavie Jane Ross, who are the ship's sponsors and are the daughters of Hershel "Woody" Williams, the last surviving Medal of Honor Recipient awarded for heroism at the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.
"This ship honors a man who dedicated his life to service - heroic service as a Marine, and continued service to his fellow veterans," said Thomas Modly, the Navy's acting secretary. "This dedication will live on in USS Hershel 'Woody' Williams as the ship is deployed around the world bringing additional capability to our growing fleet. The ceremony on Saturday will also represent the dedication to service demonstrated by the men and women who worked tirelessly to build this ship and their commitment to quality and innovation."
The Navy launched the USNS Hershel "Woody" Williams in 2017, and used it as a test bed for sailing with a Littoral Combat Ship Mine Countermeasure Mission package in September.
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Built by General Dynamics NASSCO, the Montford Point-class vessel is intended to act as a mobile sea base and act as part of the access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces and supplies to provide prepositioned equipment and sustainment.
The ship is 784 feet long and features a 52,000-square-foot flight deck and fuel and equipment storage as well as repair spaces, magazines, and mission-planning spaces.
It is able to accommodate up to 250 personnel.


upi--2020-03-06--Boeing awarded $800M to support P-8As for U.S., South Korea, New Zealand

March 6 ( UPI ) -- Boeing received an $ 800 million contract modification in support of lot 11 P-8A @ @ @ @ @ the Department of Defense announced .
The contract funds procurement of long-lead material for 18 @ @ @ @ @ -- eight for the U.S. Navy , four for New Zealand and six for South @ @ @ @ @ a multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft used for anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare as well as @ @ @ @ @ and search and rescue , according to Boeing .
More than 97 percent of the @ @ @ @ @ be performed in Seattle , Wash. , with some work being performed in Huntington Beach @ @ @ @ @ Ariz. , and El Segundo , Calif .
The contract has an expected completion date @ @ @ @

Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Michael Martin (L) and Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Cecilia Duran, both assigned to the Pro's Nest of Patrol Squadron (VP) 30, load an AGM-84K SLAM-ER missile on a P-8A Poseidon in 2014 in Floria. Boeing has been awarded an $800 million deal to support the aircraft for the U.S, South Korea and New Zealand. Photo by Jason Kofonow/U.S. Navy
March 6 (UPI) -- Boeing received an $800 million contract modification in support of lot 11 P-8A aircraft for the Navy, the Department of Defense announced. The contract funds procurement of long-lead material for 18 18 P-8A Lot 11 aircraft -- eight for the U.S. Navy, four for New Zealand and six for South Korea. Advertisement
The P-8A is a multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft used for anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and search and rescue, according to Boeing.
More than 97 percent of the work on the contract will be performed in Seattle, Wash., with some work being performed in Huntington Beach, Calif., Mesa, Ariz., and El Segundo, Calif.
The contract has an expected completion date of June 2020.


upi--2020-03-06--Former All-Star center Joakim Noah agrees to deal with Los Angeles Clippers

March 6 ( UPI ) -- Former Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks center Joakim Noah reached an agreement on a short-term contract with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday .
League sources told ESPN and The Athletic that Noah will join the Clippers on a 10-day contract next week .
Barring any setbacks , the Clippers expect the veteran big man to finish the season with the team , according to ESPN .
With the agreement , Noah will occupy the Clippers ' final open roster spot entering the last two months of the regular season .
Noah , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year because of an off-season Achilles injury , has spent this season working out in New York and Los Angeles , according to ESPN .
He played 42 games with the Memphis Grizzlies last season after agreeing to a buyout with the Knicks .
Noah , a two-time All-Star selection , has played only 124 NBA games since the conclusion of the 2014-15 season due to multiple injuries .
`` I lost my confidence , '' Noah told NBA Media in February 2019 .
`` Now I am starting to get my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave me an opportunity ; that was the only team that called .
I am starting to feel better and better every time I step on the court because I am playing consistently and I am healthy for the first time in a long time , knock on wood . ''
Noah , 35 , was selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star teams in 2013 and 2014 as a member of the Bulls .
He was named first-team All-NBA and was the league 's Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 .

Former Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (R) will join the Clippers on a 10-day contract. File Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/UPI | License Photo
March 6 (UPI) -- Former Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks center Joakim Noah reached an agreement on a short-term contract with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. League sources told ESPN and The Athletic that Noah will join the Clippers on a 10-day contract next week. Barring any setbacks, the Clippers expect the veteran big man to finish the season with the team, according to ESPN. Advertisement
With the agreement, Noah will occupy the Clippers' final open roster spot entering the last two months of the regular season.
Noah, who has been out of the league this year because of an off-season Achilles injury, has spent this season working out in New York and Los Angeles, according to ESPN. He played 42 games with the Memphis Grizzlies last season after agreeing to a buyout with the Knicks.
Noah, a two-time All-Star selection, has played only 124 NBA games since the conclusion of the 2014-15 season due to multiple injuries.
"I lost my confidence," Noah told NBA Media in February 2019. "Now I am starting to get my swagger back on the court. Memphis gave me an opportunity; that was the only team that called. I am starting to feel better and better every time I step on the court because I am playing consistently and I am healthy for the first time in a long time, knock on wood."
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Noah, 35, was selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star teams in 2013 and 2014 as a member of the Bulls. He was named first-team All-NBA and was the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2014.


upi--2020-03-06--President Donald Trump signs $8.3 billion bill to fund COVID-19 fight, will visit CDC

March 6 ( UPI ) -- President Donald Trump signed an $ 8.3 billion coronavirus funding bill at the White House on Friday after canceling a trip to the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta , and later reviving it .
Some of the money is earmarked for local officials on the front lines fighting the coronavirus in the United States .
The measure also includes more than $ 3 billion in vaccine research .
There are so far 164 cases and 11 people in the United States have died as of 4 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an update Friday .
Fifty-four of the cases involved person-to-person spread or are travel-related .
The rest are under investigation , the agency said .
Johns Hopkins , which is regularly updating figures based on local and state health departments , reported 14 deaths and 259 confirmed cases as of 1:40 p.m. EST Friday .
The House and Senate passed the bipartisan bill Wednesday and Thursday to pledge billions toward fighting coronavirus disease .
The $ 8.3 billion far exceeded the $ 2.5 billion Trump 's administration asked for .
`` I 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signing the measure .
`` We 're doing very well .
But it 's an unforeseen problem .
What a problem .
...
But we 're taking care of it . ''
Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar , appearing with Trump at the bill signing , said CDC officials have delivered 75,000 test kits in Washington state and California , the two with the highest number of U.S. COVID-19 cases .
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said during Friday 's White House task force briefing that the CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 200,000 were expected to be shipped out Saturday and another 1 million next week .
Speaking at the same briefing , Vice President Mike Pence revealed that 21 people -- 19 employees and two passengers -- on board the Grand Princess cruise ship tested positive for the disease .
He said the ship will dock at a non-commercial port over the weekend and all people on board will be tested .
The University of Washington announced Friday it will close classrooms for more than 50,000 students , beginning Monday and lasting through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ends March 20 .
Instructors were told to instead conduct classes and exams remotely , where possible .
Washington has been the hardest-hit state , with 70 confirmed cases and 11 confirmed deaths .
More than 20 states are dealing with the disease , with Indiana , Oklahoma and Pennsylvania reporting their first cases Friday .
Indiana Gov .
Eric Holcomb announced the state 's first presumptive positive case of the virus and declared a public health emergency .
Oklahoma Gov .
Kevin State said a man in his 50s in Tulsa County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania Gov .
Tom Wolf signed an emergency disaster declaration Friday after announcing two presumptive positive cases there .
Trump was originally supposed to sign the bill at CDC headquarters in Atlanta , but the White House said the trip was called off due to the president 's reluctance to interfere with agency operations and its `` mission to protect the health and welfare of their people and the agency . ''
Later Friday morning , however , White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told reporters the CDC was back on the schedule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ canceled over suspicions that a CDC staff member had contracted the coronavirus , and said the administration was acting `` out of an abundance of caution . ''
The staffer 's test results were ultimately negative .
Trump visited the CDC after stopping in the Nashville area to assess damage from this week 's deadly tornadoes .
In Nashville Friday afternoon , Trump was escorted by a local emergency worker while surveying the tornado damage .
`` This is real devastation ... Hope we never see again , '' he said .
Also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump 's Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida for meetings with campaign supporters .

1/2
President Donald Trump signs an $8.3 billion coronavirus supplemental funding bill Friday, alongside Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, in the Diplomatic Room of the White House. Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI | License Photo
March 6 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump signed an $8.3 billion coronavirus funding bill at the White House on Friday after canceling a trip to the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and later reviving it. Some of the money is earmarked for local officials on the front lines fighting the coronavirus in the United States. The measure also includes more than $3 billion in vaccine research. Advertisement
There are so far 164 cases and 11 people in the United States have died as of 4 p.m. EST Thursday, the CDC said in an update Friday. Fifty-four of the cases involved person-to-person spread or are travel-related. The rest are under investigation, the agency said.
Johns Hopkins, which is regularly updating figures based on local and state health departments, reported 14 deaths and 259 confirmed cases as of 1:40 p.m. EST Friday.
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The House and Senate passed the bipartisan bill Wednesday and Thursday to pledge billions toward fighting coronavirus disease. The $8.3 billion far exceeded the $2.5 billion Trump's administration asked for.
"I'll take it," Trump said before signing the measure. "We're doing very well. But it's an unforeseen problem. What a problem. ... But we're taking care of it."
Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, appearing with Trump at the bill signing, said CDC officials have delivered 75,000 test kits in Washington state and California, the two with the highest number of U.S. COVID-19 cases.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said during Friday's White House task force briefing that the CDC shipped out 900,000 tests Thursday, another 200,000 were expected to be shipped out Saturday and another 1 million next week.
Speaking at the same briefing, Vice President Mike Pence revealed that 21 people -- 19 employees and two passengers -- on board the Grand Princess cruise ship tested positive for the disease. He said the ship will dock at a non-commercial port over the weekend and all people on board will be tested.
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The University of Washington announced Friday it will close classrooms for more than 50,000 students, beginning Monday and lasting through the remainder of the winter quarter, which ends March 20. Instructors were told to instead conduct classes and exams remotely, where possible.
Washington has been the hardest-hit state, with 70 confirmed cases and 11 confirmed deaths.
More than 20 states are dealing with the disease, with Indiana, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania reporting their first cases Friday. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced the state's first presumptive positive case of the virus and declared a public health emergency.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin State said a man in his 50s in Tulsa County tested positive after returning from Italy.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed an emergency disaster declaration Friday after announcing two presumptive positive cases there.
Trump was originally supposed to sign the bill at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, but the White House said the trip was called off due to the president's reluctance to interfere with agency operations and its "mission to protect the health and welfare of their people and the agency." Later Friday morning, however, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told reporters the CDC was back on the schedule.
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She explained the trip was initially canceled over suspicions that a CDC staff member had contracted the coronavirus, and said the administration was acting "out of an abundance of caution." The staffer's test results were ultimately negative.
Trump visited the CDC after stopping in the Nashville area to assess damage from this week's deadly tornadoes.
In Nashville Friday afternoon, Trump was escorted by a local emergency worker while surveying the tornado damage.
"This is real devastation ... Hope we never see again," he said.
Also on Friday's schedule is a trip to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida for meetings with campaign supporters.


upi--2020-03-06--Experts unsure if 'cured' COVID-19 patients are reinfected or relapsed

March 6 ( UPI ) -- Although the number of new cases of coronavirus continues to climb , well over half of those diagnosed with the disease have been declared fully recovered , according to data from the World Health Organization .
However , reports suggest a new subset of patients affected by the disease , known as COVID-19 , may be emerging : A handful of the 60,000 or so people declared cured after treatment have been readmitted to hospitals days or weeks later because their symptoms have returned .
So far , most of these cases of reinfection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak started , and research documenting these cases -- and confirming that they are , in fact , instances of reinfection -- remains lacking , experts say .
`` I do not know of any cases at present where I would be definitively convinced that a person had fully recovered from the disease and had been reinfected as opposed to relapsed , '' William Hanage , assistant professor of epidemiology at the T.H .
Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University , told UPI .
`` A lot of people are concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think we have any good evidence for it . ''
There is a distinction between relapse -- where a patient could be temporarily asymptomatic , only to have the flu-like symptoms of COVID-19 return -- and reinfection .
For reinfection , a person would be ruled cured of the virus , and then catch it again , likely from another source , or perhaps with a different strain .
WHO guidance on COVID-19 , which has continuously evolved as researchers learn more the disease , suggests it can be considered cured if a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus on two consecutive polymerase chain reaction assay tests of swabs taken from their larynx or nasal passages .
Although most currently available tests for COVID-19 are based on PCR assays -- including one developed and distributed by U.S. health agencies and private manufacturers -- there are `` subtle differences '' between the approaches being used in different countries , Hanage said , which may be causing some of the confusion surrounding reinfection .
He cited the case of an Israeli passenger on the Diamond Princess cruise ship who was diagnosed with COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Following treatment , and two successive negative PCR tests for the virus , he was declared cured and cleared to return to Israel .
When he arrived home , he was screened for the disease again , and the results came back positive .
`` It was n't that he was reinfected on the plane back to Israel , '' Hanage said .
`` This happened because of the slightly different way physicians in Japan administer these tests , compared to how it 's done in Israel . ''
WHO guidance on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is accurate based on the vast majority of the data on COVID-19 currently available , he added .
According to Justin Lessler , an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , reinfection is possible with other coronaviruses -- and may be with COVID-19 .
`` Nothing is known specifically for COVID-19 , '' he said , adding , that `` it is unlikely reinfection could occur so rapidly that we would see it in the current epidemic wave . ''
If reinfection does occur , he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be more mild . ''
Complicating matters concerning recovery and reinfection further is the shortfall in COVID-19 testing capacity , particularly in the United States .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first began distributing its version of the PCR assay for the virus in mid-February , only to find out the test yielded inclusive results during quality control assessments a few days later .
The agency has scrambled to supply public health labs across the country with viable testing kits since the discovery , and the Food and Drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnostics manufacturers to get similar products in place at hospitals , clinics and doctors offices .
Lessler said that while testing capacity in the United States `` is expanding quickly , '' the shortage thus far has limited clinicians ' ability at `` capturing new cases , not validating recovery . ''
Hanage noted that as testing expands , `` we 're going to see a lot of cases coming out of the woodwork '' -- and only once officials have a handle on how many people have actually been infected can they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reinfection .
`` The U.S. does n't have sufficient testing capacity now , '' he said .
`` Even with 1.5 million tests available , as Vice President Mike Pence has promised , you still need 1.5 million pairs of hands of trained personnel to administer to them .
It 's tough enough at the moment for us to be figuring out exactly who is infected .
The question of reinfection is almost a second-order issue . ''

A woman walks near the New York Stock Exchange wearing a face mask on Wall Street in New York City on Tuesday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
March 6 (UPI) -- Although the number of new cases of coronavirus continues to climb, well over half of those diagnosed with the disease have been declared fully recovered, according to data from the World Health Organization. However, reports suggest a new subset of patients affected by the disease, known as COVID-19, may be emerging: A handful of the 60,000 or so people declared cured after treatment have been readmitted to hospitals days or weeks later because their symptoms have returned. Advertisement
So far, most of these cases of reinfection have been in China, where the outbreak started, and research documenting these cases -- and confirming that they are, in fact, instances of reinfection -- remains lacking, experts say.
"I do not know of any cases at present where I would be definitively convinced that a person had fully recovered from the disease and had been reinfected as opposed to relapsed," William Hanage, assistant professor of epidemiology at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University, told UPI. "A lot of people are concerned about it, but I don't think we have any good evidence for it."
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There is a distinction between relapse -- where a patient could be temporarily asymptomatic, only to have the flu-like symptoms of COVID-19 return -- and reinfection. For reinfection, a person would be ruled cured of the virus, and then catch it again, likely from another source, or perhaps with a different strain.
WHO guidance on COVID-19, which has continuously evolved as researchers learn more the disease, suggests it can be considered cured if a patient has no detectable levels of the virus on two consecutive polymerase chain reaction assay tests of swabs taken from their larynx or nasal passages.
Although most currently available tests for COVID-19 are based on PCR assays -- including one developed and distributed by U.S. health agencies and private manufacturers -- there are "subtle differences" between the approaches being used in different countries, Hanage said, which may be causing some of the confusion surrounding reinfection.
He cited the case of an Israeli passenger on the Diamond Princess cruise ship who was diagnosed with COVID-19 and treated in Japan as one example. Following treatment, and two successive negative PCR tests for the virus, he was declared cured and cleared to return to Israel.
When he arrived home, he was screened for the disease again, and the results came back positive.
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"It wasn't that he was reinfected on the plane back to Israel," Hanage said. "This happened because of the slightly different way physicians in Japan administer these tests, compared to how it's done in Israel."
WHO guidance on testing and cured cases, however, is accurate based on the vast majority of the data on COVID-19 currently available, he added.
According to Justin Lessler, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, reinfection is possible with other coronaviruses -- and may be with COVID-19.
"Nothing is known specifically for COVID-19," he said, adding, that "it is unlikely reinfection could occur so rapidly that we would see it in the current epidemic wave."
If reinfection does occur, he said, "it is likely that subsequent infections would be more mild."
Complicating matters concerning recovery and reinfection further is the shortfall in COVID-19 testing capacity, particularly in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first began distributing its version of the PCR assay for the virus in mid-February, only to find out the test yielded inclusive results during quality control assessments a few days later.
The agency has scrambled to supply public health labs across the country with viable testing kits since the discovery, and the Food and Drug Administration has ramped up efforts with private diagnostics manufacturers to get similar products in place at hospitals, clinics and doctors offices.
Advertisement
Lessler said that while testing capacity in the United States "is expanding quickly," the shortage thus far has limited clinicians' ability at "capturing new cases, not validating recovery."
Hanage noted that as testing expands, "we're going to see a lot of cases coming out of the woodwork" -- and only once officials have a handle on how many people have actually been infected can they better understand issues like disease transmission and reinfection.
"The U.S. doesn't have sufficient testing capacity now," he said. "Even with 1.5 million tests available, as Vice President Mike Pence has promised, you still need 1.5 million pairs of hands of trained personnel to administer to them. It's tough enough at the moment for us to be figuring out exactly who is infected. The question of reinfection is almost a second-order issue."