upi--2020-06-25--Disney to re-theme Splash Mountain after 'The Princess and the Frog'

June 25 ( UPI ) -- Disney announced Thursday that the Splash Mountain ride will be `` completely reimagined , '' following an online petition highlighting the ride 's original connection to a film featuring offensive portrayals of African Americans .
The company said the rides at both its East and West Coast parks -- which currently feature characters from the 1946 film Song of the South -- will be transitioned to a new theme inspired by the 2009 animated film , The Princess and the Frog .
`` Splash Mountain -- both at Disneyland park in California and Magic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be completely reimagined , '' Disney said .
`` The theme is inspired by an all-time favorite animated Disney film , The Princess and the Frog . ''
The decision follows an online petition that received more than 21,000 signatures calling on Disney to change the theme of the ride .
`` While the ride is considered a beloved classic , its history and storyline are steeped in extremely problematic and stereotypical racist tropes , '' the petition stated .
`` There is a huge need for diversity in the parks and this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Song of the South has long been criticized for its racist portrayals of black people in the American South .
The company has ceased screening and production of the film for decades , most recently choosing not to include it in its Disney+ streaming library .
The 2009 film The Princess and the Frog features Tiana , a black woman in New Orleans , who dreams of opening her own restaurant , before meeting Prince Naveen , a black man who has been transformed into a frog .
`` It is really exciting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom will finally be fully realized ! ''
Tiana 's voice actress , Anika Noni Rose , said .
`` As passionate as I am about what we created , I know the fans are going to be over the moon .
The Imagineers are giving us The Princess and the Frog Mardis Gras celebration we 've been waiting for , and I 'm here for it . ''
Disney said the ride 's theme will take Tiana and the trumpet-playing alligator Louis `` on a musical adventure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The new concept is inclusive -- one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year , '' the company said .

We're thrilled to share Splash Mountain at @Disneyland & @WaltDisneyWorld will be completely reimagined with a new story inspired by an all-time favorite @DisneyAnimation film, "The Princess & The Frog." Learn about what Imagineers have in development:https://t.co/MWLaZ7dST4 pic.twitter.com/J39tOgxtjv— Disney Parks News (@DisneyParksNews) June 25, 2020
June 25 (UPI) -- Disney announced Thursday that the Splash Mountain ride will be "completely reimagined," following an online petition highlighting the ride's original connection to a film featuring offensive portrayals of African Americans.
The company said the rides at both its East and West Coast parks -- which currently feature characters from the 1946 film Song of the South -- will be transitioned to a new theme inspired by the 2009 animated film, The Princess and the Frog.
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"Splash Mountain -- both at Disneyland park in California and Magic Kingdom park in Florida -- will soon be completely reimagined," Disney said. "The theme is inspired by an all-time favorite animated Disney film, The Princess and the Frog."
The decision follows an online petition that received more than 21,000 signatures calling on Disney to change the theme of the ride.
"While the ride is considered a beloved classic, its history and storyline are steeped in extremely problematic and stereotypical racist tropes," the petition stated. "There is a huge need for diversity in the parks and this could help fill that need."
Song of the South has long been criticized for its racist portrayals of black people in the American South. The company has ceased screening and production of the film for decades, most recently choosing not to include it in its Disney+ streaming library.
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The 2009 film The Princess and the Frog features Tiana, a black woman in New Orleans, who dreams of opening her own restaurant, before meeting Prince Naveen, a black man who has been transformed into a frog.
"It is really exciting to know that Princess Tiana's presence in both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom will finally be fully realized!" Tiana's voice actress, Anika Noni Rose, said. "As passionate as I am about what we created, I know the fans are going to be over the moon. The Imagineers are giving us The Princess and the Frog Mardis Gras celebration we've been waiting for, and I'm here for it."
Disney said the ride's theme will take Tiana and the trumpet-playing alligator Louis "on a musical adventure" as they prepare for Mardis Gras.
"The new concept is inclusive -- one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year," the company said.


upi--2020-06-25--USS Eisenhower, USS Jacinto break records for time at sea

June 25 ( UPI ) -- The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS Jacinto set new records for continuous time at sea Thursday , according to the Navy .
Both vessels have been at sea for 161 days , having left from their homeport of Norfolk , Va. , on Jan. 17 for the strike group 's Composite Training Unit Exercise and follow-on deployment to the U.S. 6th and 5th Fleet areas of operation in the Arabian Sea .
`` Our ships remain undeterred in the face of adversity and this monumental feat will only make our crews and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kyle Higgins , Eisenhower 's commanding officer .
`` I 'm so proud of the young men and women I see on the deck plates each and every day .
Their dedication to the mission is what makes our Navy the greatest fighting force the world has ever seen . ''
Naval History and Heritage command does not specifically track continuous days underway , it has two documented days-at-sea records : in 1980 , the Eiseinhower was underway for 152 days during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980 , and in 2002 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 160 days straight in support of post-9/11 response .
According to the Navy , the Eiseinhower and its accompanying strike group ships remained at sea to minimize sailors ' exposure to COVID-19 .
`` In March , I suspended liberty port visits to reduce the chance of spreading and contracting the virus across the Fleet , '' said Vice Adm. Jim Malloy , commander U.S .
Naval Forces Central Command , U.S. 5th Fleet , and Combined Maritime .
`` Throughout this pandemic , maintaining the Fleet 's warfighting readiness while ensuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been my top priority . ''
The ships also participated in a `` rest & reset '' period at sea with morale events like swim calls and steel beach picnics .

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower transits the Arabian Sea in this June 12 photo. Ike is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean through the western Indian Ocean and three critical chokepoints to the free flow of global commerce. Photo by Aaron Bewkes/U.S. Navy
June 25 (UPI) -- The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS Jacinto set new records for continuous time at sea Thursday, according to the Navy. Both vessels have been at sea for 161 days, having left from their homeport of Norfolk, Va., on Jan. 17 for the strike group's Composite Training Unit Exercise and follow-on deployment to the U.S. 6th and 5th Fleet areas of operation in the Arabian Sea. Advertisement
"Our ships remain undeterred in the face of adversity and this monumental feat will only make our crews and the Navy stronger," said Capt. Kyle Higgins, Eisenhower's commanding officer. "I'm so proud of the young men and women I see on the deck plates each and every day. Their dedication to the mission is what makes our Navy the greatest fighting force the world has ever seen."
Naval History and Heritage command does not specifically track continuous days underway, it has two documented days-at-sea records: in 1980, the Eiseinhower was underway for 152 days during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980, and in 2002 the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt operated for 160 days straight in support of post-9/11 response.
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According to the Navy, the Eiseinhower and its accompanying strike group ships remained at sea to minimize sailors' exposure to COVID-19.
"In March, I suspended liberty port visits to reduce the chance of spreading and contracting the virus across the Fleet," said Vice Adm. Jim Malloy, commander U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet, and Combined Maritime. "Throughout this pandemic, maintaining the Fleet's warfighting readiness while ensuring the safety and well-being of our Sailors has been my top priority."
The ships also participated in a "rest & reset" period at sea with morale events like swim calls and steel beach picnics.


upi--2020-06-25--Trump lays wreath at Korean War Memorial on 70th anniversary

June 25 ( UPI ) -- President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump laid a wreath at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington , D.C. , on Thursday to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War .
The couple entered the memorial at 11:23 a.m. and paid respects at the wreath before the president saluted while a trumpeter played taps .
They then went on to greet Korean War veterans in attendance .
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie , Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and South Korean ambassador to the United States Lee Soo Hyuck also attended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is located in the National Mall southeast of the Lincoln Memorial and south of the Reflecting Pool .
It features stainless steel statues of Vietnam soldiers as well as the Pool of Remembrance , dedicated to the U.S .
Forces that served in the war .
The Korean War began on June 25 , 1950 , when more than 135,000 North Korean troops invaded South Korea and ended on July 27 , 1953 , with the signing of an armistice .
More than 5 million people were killed during the conflict , including @ @ @ @ @

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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump place a wreath at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI | License Photo
June 25 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump laid a wreath at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War. The couple entered the memorial at 11:23 a.m. and paid respects at the wreath before the president saluted while a trumpeter played taps. Advertisement
They then went on to greet Korean War veterans in attendance.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and South Korean ambassador to the United States Lee Soo Hyuck also attended the event.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial is located in the National Mall southeast of the Lincoln Memorial and south of the Reflecting Pool.
It features stainless steel statues of Vietnam soldiers as well as the Pool of Remembrance, dedicated to the U.S. Forces that served in the war.
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when more than 135,000 North Korean troops invaded South Korea and ended on July 27, 1953, with the signing of an armistice.
More than 5 million people were killed during the conflict, including more than 33,000 Americans.


upi--2020-06-25--Texas Gov. Greg Abbott halts elective medical procedures amid COVID-19 uptick

June 25 ( UPI ) -- Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott halted all elected medical procedures and paused further business reopenings Thursday , one day after the state recorded a 24-hour high for new coronavirus cases .
Texas is one of several states experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as the United States begins to loosen restrictions on non-essential businesses and workers .
The state reported 5,551 new infections Wednesday , a record .
Coronavirus-related hospitalizations in the state increased for the 13th-straight day Wednesday , with 4,389 patients seeking treatment statewide .
That number increased by nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since Memorial Day .
`` As we experience an increase in both positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations , we are focused on strategies that slow the spread of this virus while also allowing Texans to continue earning a paycheck to support their families , '' Abbott said in a statement Thursday .
`` The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses . ''
Texas never declared a statewide stay-at-home order like New York and Michigan .
Instead , Abbott left it to individual counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-essential businesses and activities .
The governor , did , however , begin issuing statewide orders to reopen the economy in late April , superseding local orders .
Initially reluctant to allow cities and counties to require residents to wear face coverings , Abbott gave them permission last week and amid record increases this week began to encourage Texans to wear them .
`` I ask all Texans to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask , washing their hands regularly and socially distancing from others , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders come the same day that U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials warned the true number of coronavirus cases in the country could be 10 times higher than reported .
Dr. Robert Redfield , director of the CDC , told reporters that more than 20 million may have been infected with the virus .
According to Johns Hopkins University , the United States leads the world in both coronavirus infections and deaths at 2.4 million confirmed cases and more than 122,000 fatalities .
`` Our best estimate right now is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there actually are 10 other infections , '' he said .
The CDC on Wednesday predicted that the U.S. death toll from the pandemic will reach up to 150,000 by July 18 .
The virus first emerged late December in the central Chinese city of Wuhan with the United States diagnosing its first cases in mid-January .
Comprising 20 individual national forecasts , the ensemble prediction shows new deaths reported over the next four weeks will likely surpass the number reported over the previous month in 13 states , including Arizona , Arkansas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Missouri , Nevada , North Carolina , Oklahoma , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas and Utah .
`` For other states , the number of new deaths is expected to be similar to the number seen in the previous four weeks or to decrease slightly , '' the federal agency said .
The prediction was announced on the same day the CDC said there were at least 34,313 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the previous 24 hours -- the country 's third-highest single-day total .
However , Johns Hopkins had it at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to only April 24 when more than 36,400 cases were recorded .
The health departments of California , Florida , Texas , Oklahoma and South Carolina said Wednesday that they each recorded single-day highs over the previous 24 hours .
Meanwhile , more than two dozen states are experiencing an upward trend in new infections , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
California , which has the second-highest number of infections at 190,222 , reported 7,149 new cases over Tuesday , which shattered its previous record of more than 5,500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , health officials registered 5,508 new infections over the previous 24 hours , beating its record of 4,049 cases reported Friday .
The state now has 109,014 cases .
Oklahoma also reported a 24-hour high of 482 new cases , lifting its total to 11,510 .
And South Carolina announced 1,291 new cases over Tuesday for a total of 27,842 .

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President Donald Trump meets with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the Oval Office on May 7. After months of phased reopenings, Abbott paused plans during an uptick in coronavirus cases in Texas. File Photo by Doug Mills/UPI | License Photo
June 25 (UPI) -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott halted all elected medical procedures and paused further business reopenings Thursday, one day after the state recorded a 24-hour high for new coronavirus cases. Texas is one of several states experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as the United States begins to loosen restrictions on non-essential businesses and workers. The state reported 5,551 new infections Wednesday, a record. Advertisement
Coronavirus-related hospitalizations in the state increased for the 13th-straight day Wednesday, with 4,389 patients seeking treatment statewide. That number increased by nearly 300 from the day before and tripled since Memorial Day.
"As we experience an increase in both positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, we are focused on strategies that slow the spread of this virus while also allowing Texans to continue earning a paycheck to support their families," Abbott said in a statement Thursday.
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"The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses."
Texas never declared a statewide stay-at-home order like New York and Michigan. Instead, Abbott left it to individual counties to have control over certain restrictions on non-essential businesses and activities.
The governor, did, however, begin issuing statewide orders to reopen the economy in late April, superseding local orders.
Initially reluctant to allow cities and counties to require residents to wear face coverings, Abbott gave them permission last week and amid record increases this week began to encourage Texans to wear them.
"I ask all Texans to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask, washing their hands regularly and socially distancing from others," he said Thursday.
Abbott's orders come the same day that U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials warned the true number of coronavirus cases in the country could be 10 times higher than reported.
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, told reporters that more than 20 million may have been infected with the virus. According to Johns Hopkins University, the United States leads the world in both coronavirus infections and deaths at 2.4 million confirmed cases and more than 122,000 fatalities.
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"Our best estimate right now is that for every case that's reported, there actually are 10 other infections," he said.
The CDC on Wednesday predicted that the U.S. death toll from the pandemic will reach up to 150,000 by July 18.
The virus first emerged late December in the central Chinese city of Wuhan with the United States diagnosing its first cases in mid-January.
Comprising 20 individual national forecasts, the ensemble prediction shows new deaths reported over the next four weeks will likely surpass the number reported over the previous month in 13 states, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.
"For other states, the number of new deaths is expected to be similar to the number seen in the previous four weeks or to decrease slightly," the federal agency said.
The prediction was announced on the same day the CDC said there were at least 34,313 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the previous 24 hours -- the country's third-highest single-day total. However, Johns Hopkins had it at more than 34,700, placing it second to only April 24 when more than 36,400 cases were recorded.
The health departments of California, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and South Carolina said Wednesday that they each recorded single-day highs over the previous 24 hours. Meanwhile, more than two dozen states are experiencing an upward trend in new infections, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
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California, which has the second-highest number of infections at 190,222, reported 7,149 new cases over Tuesday, which shattered its previous record of more than 5,500 set the day prior.
In Florida, health officials registered 5,508 new infections over the previous 24 hours, beating its record of 4,049 cases reported Friday. The state now has 109,014 cases.
Oklahoma also reported a 24-hour high of 482 new cases, lifting its total to 11,510. And South Carolina announced 1,291 new cases over Tuesday for a total of 27,842.
COVID-19 pandemic alters life in New York City


upi--2020-06-25--NYPD officer charged with strangulation; Ariz., N.C. cops face scrutiny

June 25 ( UPI ) -- Prosecutors on Thursday charged a New York police officer with strangulation after video appeared to show him using a banned chokehold technique during an arrest .
The New York Police Department suspended officer David Afanador without pay in response to the Sunday incident .
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Afanador has been charged with attempted aggravated strangulation and second-degree strangulation after he allegedly used a chokehold on Ricky Bellevue as he was being arrested on the boardwalk in Far Rockaway .
The charges come two weeks after New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from using chokeholds on citizens .
He signed the law after protests seeking reforms in the wake of the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
`` The ink from the pen Gov .
Cuomo used to sign this legislation was barely dry before this officer allegedly employed the very tactic the new law was designed to prohibit , '' Katz said .
`` Police officers are entrusted to serve and protect -- and the conduct alleged here can not be tolerated .
This police officer is now a defendant and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maneuver we know has been lethal .
This Office has zero tolerance for police misconduct . ''
Video from Bellevue 's arrest shows he and two other men allegedly heckling the responding police officers .
Four officers appear to grab Bellevue after he grabbed a can from a trash can .
At that point , Afanador allegedly wraps his arm around Bellevue 's neck and pins him to the ground .
The video appears to show Afanador holding Bellevue in a chokehold until the man goes limp and loses consciousness .
If convicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in prison .
The NYPD officer is one of multiple law enforcement officials coming under fire in recent days as activists and lawmakers seek policing reforms to cut down on excessive force .
Tucson police Chief Chris Magnus offered his resignation Wednesday after facing scrutiny for the police-involved death of a man in April .
The department shared video footage of the arrest of Carlos Ingram Lopez , who died after police wrestled him to the ground and put him in handcuffs while he was on his stomach .
Ingram Lopez can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he could n't breathe and requesting a drink of water .
After police noticed he became unresponsive , they administered naloxone thinking he was having a drug overdose and performed CPR .
Emergency medical technicians arrived and pronounced him dead on the scene .
The Pima County Medical Examiner 's report said Ingram Lopez died of `` sudden cardiac arrest in the setting of acute cocaine intoxication and physical restraint . ''
The three police officers involved in Ingram Lopez 's arrest have since resigned , though Magnus said they would have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take accountability for these mistakes , I am offering my resignation to the mayor , city council and city manager , which they can accept or handle as they view appropriate , '' Magnus said .
Meanwhile , the Wilmington , N.C. , Police Department fired three police officers after a patrol car camera captured them using `` hate-filled speech . ''
The fired officers were identified as James Gilmore , Cpl .
Jesse Moore II and Kevin Piner .
In the videos , the officers can be heard criticizing black officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matter movement and police response to the protests .
The conversations `` were brutally offensive and deserved immediate action , '' police Chief Donny Williams said Thursday .
`` When I first learned of these conversations , I was shocked , saddened and disgusted .
There is no place for this behavior in our agency or our city and it will not be tolerated . ''

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation two weeks ago banning police from using chokeholds. File Photo by John Angelillo UPI | License Photo
June 25 (UPI) -- Prosecutors on Thursday charged a New York police officer with strangulation after video appeared to show him using a banned chokehold technique during an arrest. The New York Police Department suspended officer David Afanador without pay in response to the Sunday incident. Advertisement
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Afanador has been charged with attempted aggravated strangulation and second-degree strangulation after he allegedly used a chokehold on Ricky Bellevue as he was being arrested on the boardwalk in Far Rockaway.
The charges come two weeks after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation banning police in the state from using chokeholds on citizens. He signed the law after protests seeking reforms in the wake of the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
"The ink from the pen Gov. Cuomo used to sign this legislation was barely dry before this officer allegedly employed the very tactic the new law was designed to prohibit," Katz said.
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"Police officers are entrusted to serve and protect -- and the conduct alleged here cannot be tolerated. This police officer is now a defendant and is accused of using a chokehold, a maneuver we know has been lethal. This Office has zero tolerance for police misconduct."
Video from Bellevue's arrest shows he and two other men allegedly heckling the responding police officers. Four officers appear to grab Bellevue after he grabbed a can from a trash can. At that point, Afanador allegedly wraps his arm around Bellevue's neck and pins him to the ground.
The video appears to show Afanador holding Bellevue in a chokehold until the man goes limp and loses consciousness.
If convicted, Afanador faces up to seven years in prison.
The NYPD officer is one of multiple law enforcement officials coming under fire in recent days as activists and lawmakers seek policing reforms to cut down on excessive force.
Tucson police Chief Chris Magnus offered his resignation Wednesday after facing scrutiny for the police-involved death of a man in April. The department shared video footage of the arrest of Carlos Ingram Lopez, who died after police wrestled him to the ground and put him in handcuffs while he was on his stomach.
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Ingram Lopez can be heard in the video wheezing and saying he couldn't breathe and requesting a drink of water. After police noticed he became unresponsive, they administered naloxone thinking he was having a drug overdose and performed CPR.
Emergency medical technicians arrived and pronounced him dead on the scene. The Pima County Medical Examiner's report said Ingram Lopez died of "sudden cardiac arrest in the setting of acute cocaine intoxication and physical restraint."
The three police officers involved in Ingram Lopez's arrest have since resigned, though Magnus said they would have been fired.
"To demonstrate my willingness to take accountability for these mistakes, I am offering my resignation to the mayor, city council and city manager, which they can accept or handle as they view appropriate," Magnus said.
Meanwhile, the Wilmington, N.C., Police Department fired three police officers after a patrol car camera captured them using "hate-filled speech." The fired officers were identified as James Gilmore, Cpl. Jesse Moore II and Kevin Piner.
In the videos, the officers can be heard criticizing black officers in their department, the Black Lives Matter movement and police response to the protests.
The conversations "were brutally offensive and deserved immediate action," police Chief Donny Williams said Thursday. "When I first learned of these conversations, I was shocked, saddened and disgusted. There is no place for this behavior in our agency or our city and it will not be tolerated."
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Protesters demand justice in police killing of George Floyd


upi--2020-06-25--Letter from 'Winnie the Pooh' to young fan fetches more than $15,000

June 25 ( UPI ) -- A 1935 letter signed by `` Winnie the Pooh '' -- actually written by illustrator Ernest Howard Shepard -- fetched triple its expected amount when it sold for more than $ 15,000 .
The note , which included a drawing of the titular bear from A.A. Milne 's book series as well as best friend Piglet , apologizes to a young fan named `` Buffkins '' for missing his birthday party .
Dominic Winters Autioneers said `` Buffkins '' was a childhood nickname for Harry Stopes-Roe , whose mother , Marie Stopes , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stopes-Roe family said Harry would often invite `` Winnie the Pooh '' to his birthday parties , and the illustrator would respond with a letter apologizing for the bear 's absence .
The letter is riddled with intentional Pooh-esque misspellings .
`` We are teribly sorry that we shant be able to come to your party on March 30th but we are going to be away .
Thank you so much for inviteing us , '' the note reads .
The letter had been expected to fetch a top bid of up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hammer Thursday , but it ended up selling for a total $ 15,521 .
Shepard , who died in 1976 , was famed as the illustrator for Milne 's books , as well as his 50-year tenure at Punch magazine .

A letter written by Winnie the Pooh illustrator Ernest Howard Shepard in the guise of the fictional bear in 1935 sold for more than $15,000 in an auction. Photo courtesy of Dominic Winter Auctioneers
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe June 25 (UPI) -- A 1935 letter signed by "Winnie the Pooh" -- actually written by illustrator Ernest Howard Shepard -- fetched triple its expected amount when it sold for more than $15,000. The note, which included a drawing of the titular bear from A.A. Milne's book series as well as best friend Piglet, apologizes to a young fan named "Buffkins" for missing his birthday party. Advertisement
Dominic Winters Autioneers said "Buffkins" was a childhood nickname for Harry Stopes-Roe, whose mother, Marie Stopes, was a close friend of Shepard. The Stopes-Roe family said Harry would often invite "Winnie the Pooh" to his birthday parties, and the illustrator would respond with a letter apologizing for the bear's absence.
The letter is riddled with intentional Pooh-esque misspellings.
"We are teribly sorry that we shant be able to come to your party on March 30th but we are going to be away. Thank you so much for inviteing us," the note reads.
The letter had been expected to fetch a top bid of up to $5,000 when it went under the hammer Thursday, but it ended up selling for a total $15,521.
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Shepard, who died in 1976, was famed as the illustrator for Milne's books, as well as his 50-year tenure at Punch magazine.


upi--2020-06-25--Dow rises nearly 300 points as bank stocks climb after Volcker Rule changes

June 25 ( UPI ) -- Stocks on Thursday rebounded slightly from losses the prior day , as bank stocks rose after the Federal Reserve announced changes to the Volcker Rule .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 299.66 points , or 1.18 percent , while the S & P 500 rose 1.10 percent and the Nasdaq Composite increased 1.09 percent after the Federal Reserve and other financial agencies approved changes allowing banks to increase their investments in venture capital funds .
Wells Fargo stock climbed 4.79 percent following the announcement , while Bank of America , Citigroup and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent .
Markets were down earlier in the day amid concern over spikes in COVID-19 cases in places such as Florida , Texas , Arizona , California and the Carolinas .
Florida reported an increase of more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day on Thursday , while Texas paused reopening plans after reporting a record 5,551 new infections on Wednesday .
Disney stock ended the day down 0.63 percent after the company announced it would delay plans to reopen its parks in California after the state said it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 .
Tuesday 's gains fell after the Dow dropped 700 points on Wednesday amid news of rising coronavirus cases .

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed nearly 300 points on Thursday, as bank stocks rose after the Federal Reserve announced changes to the Volcker Rule, rebounding slightly after dropping 700 points on Wednesday. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
June 25 (UPI) -- Stocks on Thursday rebounded slightly from losses the prior day, as bank stocks rose after the Federal Reserve announced changes to the Volcker Rule. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 299.66 points, or 1.18 percent, while the S&P 500 rose 1.10 percent and the Nasdaq Composite increased 1.09 percent after the Federal Reserve and other financial agencies approved changes allowing banks to increase their investments in venture capital funds. Advertisement
Wells Fargo stock climbed 4.79 percent following the announcement, while Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase each rose more than 3 percent.
Markets were down earlier in the day amid concern over spikes in COVID-19 cases in places such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and the Carolinas.
Florida reported an increase of more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day on Thursday, while Texas paused reopening plans after reporting a record 5,551 new infections on Wednesday.
Disney stock ended the day down 0.63 percent after the company announced it would delay plans to reopen its parks in California after the state said it would not release theme park guidance until July 4.
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Tuesday's gains fell after the Dow dropped 700 points on Wednesday amid news of rising coronavirus cases.


upi--2020-06-25--WHO: Ebola outbreak that killed more than 2,000 in Congo is over

June 25 ( UPI ) -- The World Health Organization said Thursday that the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo , which killed 2,280 people over nearly two years , has ended .
The Ebola outbreak hit the eastern DRC on Aug. 1 , 2018 , in North Kivu province , nearly a week after the World Health Organization declared the ninth Ebola outbreak over in the DRC 's northwest region .
That outbreak , in the Equateur province , 1,500 miles away , infected 50 people and killed 33 .
The 10th Ebola outbreak since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second deadliest worldwide only to the 2014-2016 outbreak in an active conflict zone in West Africa .
The 2014-2016 outbreak killed 2,287 people and infected 3,470 people , 28 percent of whom were children , according to the U.N. agency providing humanitarian aid for children worldwide , known as UNICEF .
Ebola virus disease is a deadly disease transmitted to people from wild animals and then spread through direct contact with bodily fluids , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
`` The outbreak took so much from all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the DRC , but we came out of it with valuable lessons , and valuable tools , '' WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement .
WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said that `` it was n't easy , '' to defeat the epidemic in the eastern DRC .
`` At times it seemed like a mission impossible , '' Moeti told reporters Thursday .
`` Ending this Ebola outbreak is a sign of hope for the region and the world , that with solidarity and science and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenging epidemics can be controlled . ''
Moeti also said that the lessons learned from fighting the Ebola outbreak `` have been quickly activated in response to COVID-19 in the DRC and its neighboring countries . ''
`` Working together we leave an enduring legacy which is now supporting the fight against COVID-19 and other outbreaks , '' Moeti added .
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported that COVID-19 has sickened 6,411 people and killed 142 people in the central African country , according to Johns Hopkins University global tracker .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ over in the DRC , the fight continues in Mbandaka , the capital of the Equateur province , where it resurfaced earlier this month , infecting 24 and killing 12 people .
Head of the U.N .
Emergency Ebola Response Office Abdou Dieng said that `` before we even ended the 10th epidemic , an 11th epidemic was started in Mbandaka . ''
`` We have beaten Ebola in Eastern DRC , but the struggle is n't over yet , '' Dieng said .
The outbreak is unrelated to the outbreak in eastern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , genetic sequencing shows .
`` Despite this , communities across DRC need to know now and in the future that they can recover from this disease , '' Dieng said .

The 10th #Ebola outbreak in #DRC was declared over today! Here is a look back over the journey to bring this epidemic to an end since it first began almost 2 years ago. pic.twitter.com/gsl13tJWOC— WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) June 25, 2020
June 25 (UPI) -- The World Health Organization said Thursday that the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, which killed 2,280 people over nearly two years, has ended.
The Ebola outbreak hit the eastern DRC on Aug. 1, 2018, in North Kivu province, nearly a week after the World Health Organization declared the ninth Ebola outbreak over in the DRC's northwest region. That outbreak, in the Equateur province, 1,500 miles away, infected 50 people and killed 33.
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The 10th Ebola outbreak since 1976 for the central African country ranked second deadliest worldwide only to the 2014-2016 outbreak in an active conflict zone in West Africa. The 2014-2016 outbreak killed 2,287 people and infected 3,470 people, 28 percent of whom were children, according to the U.N. agency providing humanitarian aid for children worldwide, known as UNICEF.
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Ebola virus disease is a deadly disease transmitted to people from wild animals and then spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The outbreak took so much from all of us, especially from the people of the DRC, but we came out of it with valuable lessons, and valuable tools," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.
WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said that "it wasn't easy," to defeat the epidemic in the eastern DRC.
"At times it seemed like a mission impossible," Moeti told reporters Thursday. "Ending this Ebola outbreak is a sign of hope for the region and the world, that with solidarity and science and courage and commitment, even the most challenging epidemics can be controlled."
Moeti also said that the lessons learned from fighting the Ebola outbreak "have been quickly activated in response to COVID-19 in the DRC and its neighboring countries."
"Working together we leave an enduring legacy which is now supporting the fight against COVID-19 and other outbreaks," Moeti added.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported that COVID-19 has sickened 6,411 people and killed 142 people in the central African country, according to Johns Hopkins University global tracker.
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Even though the fight against Ebola is over in the DRC, the fight continues in Mbandaka, the capital of the Equateur province, where it resurfaced earlier this month, infecting 24 and killing 12 people.
Head of the U.N. Emergency Ebola Response Office Abdou Dieng said that "before we even ended the 10th epidemic, an 11th epidemic was started in Mbandaka."
"We have beaten Ebola in Eastern DRC, but the struggle isn't over yet," Dieng said.
The outbreak is unrelated to the outbreak in eastern DRC or an Equateur outbreak in 2018, genetic sequencing shows.
"Despite this, communities across DRC need to know now and in the future that they can recover from this disease," Dieng said.


upi--2020-06-25--Military prohibits troops' use of CBD products

June 25 ( UPI ) -- Military service members can be punished for using products like hemp or cannibidiol , also known as CBD , according to a Pentagon memo that became public this week .
The memo , which was issued in February but published on the DoD 's Operation Supplement Safety website , directs all military branches to issue orders by March 1 prohibiting the use of products made from hemp .
Last year , the DoD warned troops against use of CBD products , and individual branches advised service members that some CBD products contain trace amounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cannabis plant -- and could cause them to fail a drug test .
But the Navy and Marine Corps still allowed use of topical CBD products , such as lotions and creams , which are increasingly popular as a treatment for pain and anxiety .
That 's no longer the case : per the memo , which was signed by Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Matthew Donovan , all active-duty and reserve component personnel are no longer permitted to use the products .
Donovan wrote that the prohibition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the drug testing program . ''
The reason , he said , is that under federal law , hemp is no longer a controlled substance and hemp products can contain up to .3 percent THC and still be legal .
`` I specifically find a military necessity to require a prohibition of this scope to ensure the military drug testing program continues to be able to identify the use of marijuana , which is prohibited , and to spare the U.S. military the risks and adverse effects marijuana use has on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military units , '' Donovan wrote .

June 25 (UPI) -- Military service members can be punished for using products like hemp or cannibidiol, also known as CBD, according to a Pentagon memo that became public this week.
The memo, which was issued in February but published on the DoD's Operation Supplement Safety website, directs all military branches to issue orders by March 1 prohibiting the use of products made from hemp.
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Last year, the DoD warned troops against use of CBD products, and individual branches advised service members that some CBD products contain trace amounts of THC -- the psychoactive ingredient in the cannabis plant -- and could cause them to fail a drug test.
But the Navy and Marine Corps still allowed use of topical CBD products, such as lotions and creams, which are increasingly popular as a treatment for pain and anxiety.
That's no longer the case: per the memo, which was signed by Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Matthew Donovan, all active-duty and reserve component personnel are no longer permitted to use the products.
Donovan wrote that the prohibition is necessary for "protecting the integrity of the drug testing program."
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The reason, he said, is that under federal law, hemp is no longer a controlled substance and hemp products can contain up to .3 percent THC and still be legal.
"I specifically find a military necessity to require a prohibition of this scope to ensure the military drug testing program continues to be able to identify the use of marijuana, which is prohibited, and to spare the U.S. military the risks and adverse effects marijuana use has on the mission readiness of individual Service members and military units," Donovan wrote.


upi--2020-06-25--'COVID toes' might be from lack of physical activity, not coronavirus symptom

June 25 ( UPI ) -- `` COVID toes '' might not be a symptom of coronavirus infection , but instead the result of lifestyle changes during lockdown , two small studies published Thursday by JAMA Dermatology found .
`` COVID toes '' has been described as `` purplish-red lesions on the feet , '' according to the researchers involved in the studies .
The `` symptom '' mirrors that of a condition called Chilblains , or perniosis , a painful inflammation of the small blood vessels in the skin that occurs after repeated exposure to cold air , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trending topic on social media and earlier research has suggested the lesions are associated with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 , although findings to date have been inconclusive , the researchers said .
Biopsies performed on all participants in the two studies suggest they may have developed Chilblains , while separate antibody testing revealed they were negative for the new coronavirus , SARS-CoV-2 , the researchers on both studies reported .
In a related commentary also published Thursday by the same journal , researchers who were not involved in the two studies said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk factors , it appears that `` COVID toes '' is perniosis .
`` Both author groups propose that lifestyle changes imposed by the quarantine , such as walking barefoot in unheated homes , inactivity and time spent in sedentary positions , could explain these findings , '' the commentary authors , who were not part of either study , added .
In the first study , which enrolled 31 teenagers and young adults in Belgium with lesions on their toes and feet , researchers confirmed a diagnosis of chilblains in 22 via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 31 patients , SARS-CoV-2 RNA remained undetectable in nasal and throat swabs and in biopsy samples of the skin lesions , the researchers said .
In addition , antibody testing was also negative for the virus in all of the patients , they said .
In the second study , which enrolled 20 children age 18 and younger , biopsy findings appeared to be Chilblains , but antibody test results for all were negative for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 , the researchers said .
It 's also possible that study participants were seen early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were asymptomatic or had extremely mild cases of the disease , they said .
`` We are not stating [ definitively that ] the lesions are not caused by the virus , [ just ] that we could not detect it , '' co-author Dr. Ignacio Torres-Navarro , a dermatologist at University Hospital in Valencia , Spain , told UPI .
`` The relationship between skin disease and COVID-19 has yet to be proven , '' he said .
`` If the virus is implicated , maybe individuals [ with the lesions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for contagion or for severe disease . ''

1/2
Medical professionals administer rapid pinprick COVID-19 testing in California. New research shows "COVID toes" might not be a coronavirus symptom. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
June 25 (UPI) -- "COVID toes" might not be a symptom of coronavirus infection, but instead the result of lifestyle changes during lockdown, two small studies published Thursday by JAMA Dermatology found. "COVID toes" has been described as "purplish-red lesions on the feet," according to the researchers involved in the studies. Advertisement
The "symptom" mirrors that of a condition called Chilblains, or perniosis, a painful inflammation of the small blood vessels in the skin that occurs after repeated exposure to cold air, they said.
The phenomenon has become a trending topic on social media and earlier research has suggested the lesions are associated with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19, although findings to date have been inconclusive, the researchers said.
Biopsies performed on all participants in the two studies suggest they may have developed Chilblains, while separate antibody testing revealed they were negative for the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, the researchers on both studies reported.
In a related commentary also published Thursday by the same journal, researchers who were not involved in the two studies said that with extensive testing failing to identify other risk factors, it appears that "COVID toes" is perniosis.
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"Both author groups propose that lifestyle changes imposed by the quarantine, such as walking barefoot in unheated homes, inactivity and time spent in sedentary positions, could explain these findings," the commentary authors, who were not part of either study, added.
In the first study, which enrolled 31 teenagers and young adults in Belgium with lesions on their toes and feet, researchers confirmed a diagnosis of chilblains in 22 via skin biopsy.
However, in all 31 patients, SARS-CoV-2 RNA remained undetectable in nasal and throat swabs and in biopsy samples of the skin lesions, the researchers said.
In addition, antibody testing was also negative for the virus in all of the patients, they said.
In the second study, which enrolled 20 children age 18 and younger, biopsy findings appeared to be Chilblains, but antibody test results for all were negative for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the researchers said.
It's also possible that study participants were seen early in the course of COVID-19, or they were asymptomatic or had extremely mild cases of the disease, they said.
"We are not stating [definitively that] the lesions are not caused by the virus, [just] that we could not detect it," co-author Dr. Ignacio Torres-Navarro, a dermatologist at University Hospital in Valencia, Spain, told UPI.
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"The relationship between skin disease and COVID-19 has yet to be proven," he said. "If the virus is implicated, maybe individuals [with the lesions] do not represent a serious risk for contagion or for severe disease."


upi--2020-06-25--Astronomers find massive black hole in the early universe

June 25 ( UPI ) -- With the help of a trio of Hawaiian telescopes , astronomers have imaged the 13-billion-year-old light of a distant quasar -- the second-most distant quasar ever found .
Scientists gave the new quasar an indigenous Hawaiian name , Pōniuāʻena , which means `` unseen spinning source of creation , surrounded with brilliance . ''
Researchers described the brilliant object in a new paper , which is available in preprint format online and will soon be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters .
Quasars are like lighthouses , their beams hailing from far away in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black holes at the center of galaxies , quasars are some of the brightest objects in the universe .
As astronomers peer deeper into the cosmos , they 're able to see what the universe was like during its earliest days .
In this instance , the Pōniuāʻena 's lighthouse-like beacon hails from a period when the universe was still in its infancy -- just 700 million years after the Big Bang .
The light of J1342+0928 , a quasar spotted in 2018 , is older and more distant , but the power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the early universe .
Spectroscopic observations of Pōniuāʻena , recorded by the Keck and Gemini observatories , revealed a supermassive black hole with a mass 1.5 billion times that of the sun .
`` Pōniuāʻena is the most distant object known in the universe hosting a black hole exceeding one billion solar masses , '' lead study author Jinyi Yang , postdoctoral research associate at the University of Arizona 's Steward Observatory , said in a news release .
According to Yang and colleagues , for a black hole to grow to such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history of the universe , it would have needed to start out as a 10,000 solar mass `` seed '' black hole , born no later than 100 million years after the Big Bang .
`` How can the universe produce such a massive black hole so early in its history ? ''
said Xiaohui Fan , associate head of the astronomy department at the University of Arizona .
`` This discovery presents the biggest challenge yet for the theory of black hole formation and growth in the early universe . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and massive galaxies in the early universe , can help scientists pinpoint the reionization of the universe .
Astrophysicists estimate reionization occurred between 300 million years and one billion years after the Big Bang , but astronomers have n't been able to determine exactly when and how quickly it happened .
The phenomenon describes the ionization of hydrogen gas as the first stars , quasars , galaxies and black holes came into existence .
Prior to the reionization , the universe was without distinct light sources .
Diffuse light dominated , and most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Poniua'ena acts like a cosmic lighthouse , '' said study co-author Joseph Hennawi , a cosmologist and an associate professor in the department of physics at the University of California , Santa Barbara .
`` As its light travels the long journey towards Earth , its spectrum is altered by diffuse gas in the intergalactic medium which allowed us to pinpoint when the Epoch of Reionization occurred . ''
Poniua'ena was initially spotted by a deep universe survey using the observations of the University of Hawai ' i Institute for Astronomy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maui .
Later , scientists used the Gemini Observatory 's GNIRS instrument , as well as the Keck Observatory 's Near Infrared Echellette Spectrograph , to confirm the identify of Poniua'ena .
`` The preliminary data from Gemini suggested this was likely to be an important discovery , '' said study co-author Aaron Barth , a professor in the physics and astronomy department at the University of California , Irvine .
`` Our team had observing time scheduled at Keck just a few weeks later , perfectly timed to observe the new quasar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to confirm its extremely high redshift and measure the mass of its black hole . ''

An illustration showcases the second-most distant quasar ever found. Photo by International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld
June 25 (UPI) -- With the help of a trio of Hawaiian telescopes, astronomers have imaged the 13-billion-year-old light of a distant quasar -- the second-most distant quasar ever found. Scientists gave the new quasar an indigenous Hawaiian name, Pōniuāʻena, which means "unseen spinning source of creation, surrounded with brilliance." Researchers described the brilliant object in a new paper, which is available in preprint format online and will soon be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Advertisement
Quasars are like lighthouses, their beams hailing from far away in the ancient universe. Powered by supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies, quasars are some of the brightest objects in the universe.
As astronomers peer deeper into the cosmos, they're able to see what the universe was like during its earliest days. In this instance, the Pōniuāʻena's lighthouse-like beacon hails from a period when the universe was still in its infancy -- just 700 million years after the Big Bang.
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The light of J1342+0928, a quasar spotted in 2018, is older and more distant, but the power and size of Pōniuāʻena is unmatched in the early universe. Spectroscopic observations of Pōniuāʻena, recorded by the Keck and Gemini observatories, revealed a supermassive black hole with a mass 1.5 billion times that of the sun.
"Pōniuāʻena is the most distant object known in the universe hosting a black hole exceeding one billion solar masses," lead study author Jinyi Yang, postdoctoral research associate at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory, said in a news release.
According to Yang and colleagues, for a black hole to grow to such a tremendous size so early in the history of the universe, it would have needed to start out as a 10,000 solar mass "seed" black hole, born no later than 100 million years after the Big Bang.
"How can the universe produce such a massive black hole so early in its history?" said Xiaohui Fan, associate head of the astronomy department at the University of Arizona. "This discovery presents the biggest challenge yet for the theory of black hole formation and growth in the early universe."
The light of distant objects, including quasars and massive galaxies in the early universe, can help scientists pinpoint the reionization of the universe. Astrophysicists estimate reionization occurred between 300 million years and one billion years after the Big Bang, but astronomers haven't been able to determine exactly when and how quickly it happened.
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The phenomenon describes the ionization of hydrogen gas as the first stars, quasars, galaxies and black holes came into existence. Prior to the reionization, the universe was without distinct light sources. Diffuse light dominated, and most radiation was absorbed by neutral hydrogen gas.
"Poniua'ena acts like a cosmic lighthouse," said study co-author Joseph Hennawi, a cosmologist and an associate professor in the department of physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "As its light travels the long journey towards Earth, its spectrum is altered by diffuse gas in the intergalactic medium which allowed us to pinpoint when the Epoch of Reionization occurred."
Poniua'ena was initially spotted by a deep universe survey using the observations of the University of Hawai'i Institute for Astronomy's Pan-STARRS1 telescope on the Island of Maui. Later, scientists used the Gemini Observatory's GNIRS instrument, as well as the Keck Observatory's Near Infrared Echellette Spectrograph, to confirm the identify of Poniua'ena.
"The preliminary data from Gemini suggested this was likely to be an important discovery," said study co-author Aaron Barth, a professor in the physics and astronomy department at the University of California, Irvine. "Our team had observing time scheduled at Keck just a few weeks later, perfectly timed to observe the new quasar using Keck's NIRES spectrograph in order to confirm its extremely high redshift and measure the mass of its black hole."


upi--2020-06-25--Man finds Haitian 'Phoenix Button' from 1800s on Washington state beach

June 25 ( UPI ) -- A Washington state man using his metal detector on a beach made an unusual discovery -- a Haitian `` Phoenix Button '' from the 1800s .
Phil Massie said he and some friends were metal detecting recently on a Puget Sound beach when he found the brass object buried about 6 inches under ground .
`` I pulled it out .
And I told the guys , 'Hey , come here and take a look this , I found a button and I 've never seen anything like this before , ' '' Massie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image of a bird with some text in French .
A few days of research revealed the object was a `` Phoenix Button , '' a military uniform button manufactured by an English firm for King Christophe of Haiti in the early 1800s .
`` They usually have the phoenix on the front , the phoenix bird , and a motto in French , which would have been appropriate for Haiti at the time , and that motto is ' I am reborn from my ashes , '' said Doug Wilson , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site .
He said a number on the button likely refers to the regiment .
Wilson said a number of Phoenix Buttons have turned up in the Pacific Northwest over the past 150 years .
He said historians believe a U.S. man purchased a quantity of the buttons after King Christophe 's death and brought them to the Old Oregon Country , where he used the buttons as trading items with indigenous people .

A man using a metal detector on a Washington state beach found a mysterious brass object identified as a "Phoenix Button," which was made by an English firm for Haitian King Christophe in the 1800s. Photo by Ben_Kerckx/Pixabay.com
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe June 25 (UPI) -- A Washington state man using his metal detector on a beach made an unusual discovery -- a Haitian "Phoenix Button" from the 1800s. Phil Massie said he and some friends were metal detecting recently on a Puget Sound beach when he found the brass object buried about 6 inches under ground. Advertisement
"I pulled it out. And I told the guys, 'Hey, come here and take a look this, I found a button and I've never seen anything like this before,'" Massie told KIRO-FM.
The button bore the image of a bird with some text in French. A few days of research revealed the object was a "Phoenix Button," a military uniform button manufactured by an English firm for King Christophe of Haiti in the early 1800s.
"They usually have the phoenix on the front, the phoenix bird, and a motto in French, which would have been appropriate for Haiti at the time, and that motto is 'I am reborn from my ashes," said Doug Wilson, an archaeologist with the National Park Service at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.
He said a number on the button likely refers to the regiment.
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Wilson said a number of Phoenix Buttons have turned up in the Pacific Northwest over the past 150 years.
He said historians believe a U.S. man purchased a quantity of the buttons after King Christophe's death and brought them to the Old Oregon Country, where he used the buttons as trading items with indigenous people.


upi--2020-06-26--Survey: More in U.S. using medical pot for insomnia, pain, stress

More and more U.S. states are allowing marijuana to be taken as medicine , and a new study suggests that users do indeed feel better .
In a survey of nearly 1,300 people with chronic health conditions , researchers found that those using `` medicinal cannabis '' reported less pain , better sleep and reduced anxiety .
They also tended to use fewer prescription medications and were less likely to have been to the hospital recently .
A majority of U.S. states have made marijuana legal for medical or recreational use , and studies have looked at whether those laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car accidents or emergency room visits .
But little research has examined the impact of legalization on the people who use medicinal cannabis , said senior study author Ryan Vandrey , an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore .
The finding that cannabis users felt better than nonusers is not necessarily surprising , according to Vandrey .
But it 's important to demonstrate it in a study , he said .
The results do not prove , however , that medicinal cannabis is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain products were linked to particular benefits .
Medicinal cannabis included not only formulations of THC -- the chemical behind marijuana 's `` high '' -- but also cannabidiol , or CBD , which does not create a high .
Fifty-eight percent of users were taking `` CBD-dominant '' oils , tinctures and other products .
CBD has exploded in popularity across the United States in recent years , and is marketed in everything from oils and capsules to cookies and coffee .
The purported benefits are also wide-ranging , and include relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But nearly all of those claims are untested , said Richard Miller , a professor of pharmacology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago .
CBD has been shown to improve certain rare seizure disorders , he noted .
In 2018 , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex -- a purified , pharmaceutical-grade CBD -- for those conditions .
`` But all of the other 10,000 things CBD is supposed to do ?
We have no idea , '' Miller said .
`` I think the vast majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , cannabis clearly does have some medicinal use , according to Miller .
`` With respect to humanity 's experience with cannabis , '' he said , `` people have taken it medicinally for thousands of years . ''
It was only in the last century that marijuana prohibition took hold -- making those years `` the anomaly , '' Miller said .
The new findings , published recently in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research , are based on responses from 808 cannabis users and 468 `` controls . ''
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis or epilepsy chronic pain or psychiatric conditions such as depression or anxiety .
All were seeking information from a nonprofit on medical marijuana use people in the control group were not using cannabis but were considering it .
Overall , the study found , cannabis users scored a little lower on standard scales rating pain severity and anxiety and depression .
They also reported better sleep quality .
More striking , Vandrey said , was the fact that cannabis users needed less health care : They were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalized in the prior month , and 39 percent less likely to have visited an ER .
And in their day-to-day lives , they tended to use fewer prescription medications -- an average of 14 percent fewer .
Jane Allen , an analyst with the research institute RTI International in North Carolina , called the study 's recruitment strategy a limitation .
Since participants consulted the nonprofit , they likely had `` positive perceptions '' about cannabis from the start , she said .
`` The study would be stronger and less susceptible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cannabis-neutral channel , '' Allen said .
To Vandrey , the findings highlight the need for researchers to dig deeper into medicinal cannabis .
Studies need to look , for example , at individual health conditions and the effects of a given CBD or THC product , he said .
`` If we 're going to legalize cannabis to be used as medicine , '' Vandrey said , `` then we need to better understand how to use it as medicine . ''
Miller agreed .
He said the new findings `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that medicinal cannabis has benefits -- but the specifics remain unclear .
The study also found that only 27 percent of cannabis users said they were doing so under a doctor 's recommendation .
That 's concerning , according to Vandrey .
`` So who is recommending it to them ? ''
he said .
`` And are their doctors aware they 're using it ? ''
For one , he noted , there 's increasing evidence that cannabinoids can interact with certain medications .
Vandrey suggested that if people are interested in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk to their doctor .
And do the research : `` See if there 's evidence of safety and efficacy for your health condition , '' he said .
The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine has more on cannabis .

People using medical cannabis also also tended to use fewer prescription medications and were less likely to have been to the hospital recently, the survey showed. Photo by Circe Denyer/publicdomainpictures
More and more U.S. states are allowing marijuana to be taken as medicine, and a new study suggests that users do indeed feel better. In a survey of nearly 1,300 people with chronic health conditions, researchers found that those using "medicinal cannabis" reported less pain, better sleep and reduced anxiety. Advertisement
They also tended to use fewer prescription medications and were less likely to have been to the hospital recently.
A majority of U.S. states have made marijuana legal for medical or recreational use, and studies have looked at whether those laws are linked to increased marijuana use, car accidents or emergency room visits.
But little research has examined the impact of legalization on the people who use medicinal cannabis, said senior study author Ryan Vandrey, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Advertisement
The finding that cannabis users felt better than nonusers is not necessarily surprising, according to Vandrey. But it's important to demonstrate it in a study, he said.
The results do not prove, however, that medicinal cannabis is effective. It's also unclear whether certain products were linked to particular benefits.
Medicinal cannabis included not only formulations of THC -- the chemical behind marijuana's "high" -- but also cannabidiol, or CBD, which does not create a high. Fifty-eight percent of users were taking "CBD-dominant" oils, tinctures and other products.
CBD has exploded in popularity across the United States in recent years, and is marketed in everything from oils and capsules to cookies and coffee. The purported benefits are also wide-ranging, and include relief from chronic pain, anxiety and insomnia.
But nearly all of those claims are untested, said Richard Miller, a professor of pharmacology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
CBD has been shown to improve certain rare seizure disorders, he noted. In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex -- a purified, pharmaceutical-grade CBD -- for those conditions.
"But all of the other 10,000 things CBD is supposed to do? We have no idea," Miller said. "I think the vast majority of it is b.s."
Advertisement
That said, cannabis clearly does have some medicinal use, according to Miller.
"With respect to humanity's experience with cannabis," he said, "people have taken it medicinally for thousands of years." It was only in the last century that marijuana prohibition took hold -- making those years "the anomaly," Miller said.
The new findings, published recently in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, are based on responses from 808 cannabis users and 468 "controls." All had chronic health conditions -- most often neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis or epilepsy chronic pain or psychiatric conditions such as depression or anxiety.
All were seeking information from a nonprofit on medical marijuana use people in the control group were not using cannabis but were considering it.
Overall, the study found, cannabis users scored a little lower on standard scales rating pain severity and anxiety and depression. They also reported better sleep quality.
More striking, Vandrey said, was the fact that cannabis users needed less health care: They were 46 percent less likely to have been hospitalized in the prior month, and 39 percent less likely to have visited an ER. And in their day-to-day lives, they tended to use fewer prescription medications -- an average of 14 percent fewer.
Advertisement
Jane Allen, an analyst with the research institute RTI International in North Carolina, called the study's recruitment strategy a limitation. Since participants consulted the nonprofit, they likely had "positive perceptions" about cannabis from the start, she said.
"The study would be stronger and less susceptible to bias if recruitment had been through a cannabis-neutral channel," Allen said.
To Vandrey, the findings highlight the need for researchers to dig deeper into medicinal cannabis. Studies need to look, for example, at individual health conditions and the effects of a given CBD or THC product, he said.
"If we're going to legalize cannabis to be used as medicine," Vandrey said, "then we need to better understand how to use it as medicine."
Miller agreed. He said the new findings "add to the flow of data" that medicinal cannabis has benefits -- but the specifics remain unclear.
The study also found that only 27 percent of cannabis users said they were doing so under a doctor's recommendation.
That's concerning, according to Vandrey. "So who is recommending it to them?" he said. "And are their doctors aware they're using it?"
For one, he noted, there's increasing evidence that cannabinoids can interact with certain medications.
Vandrey suggested that if people are interested in using cannabis for medical reasons, they talk to their doctor. And do the research: "See if there's evidence of safety and efficacy for your health condition," he said.
Advertisement
More information
The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine has more on cannabis.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-06-26--Watch: Charlie Puth performs 'Girlfriend' on 'Late Late Show'

June 26 ( UPI ) -- Charlie Puth performed his new song `` Girlfriend '' on The Late Late Show with James Corden .
The 28-year-old singer-songwriter performed the single during Thursday 's episode of the CBS late-night show following its release that morning .
Puth said he made `` Girlfriend '' a couple years ago but thought it was `` too ahead of its time '' at the time .
He wrote the `` '80s-esque Prince-y kind of electropop '' track at a time when hip hop was dominating the charts .
`` It just did n't feel right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kinda just kept it to myself for a long time , '' the star said .
`` I just think it 's a perfect time for the world to hear this song . ''
Puth said he wrote `` Girlfriend '' in the hopes of his love interest hearing it .
`` It 's something you play for someone who 's way out of your league .
You just put it on in the background and you hope that they get the hint , '' he said .
`` Maybe that will help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't help me . ''
Puth also discussed his `` surreal '' experience working with Elton John .
The pair collaborated on a song prior to the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) lockdown .
Puth met John at Craig 's restaurant in Los Angeles and had the singer over to his house the next week .
Puth said John remarked on how they `` write very differently '' but was willing to try .
`` He sits down and plays the entire song that we wrote , it 's three minutes and three seconds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Puth said of John .
`` First take -- did n't do any more takes -- records the entire thing , and he 's like , 'How about that ? '
'' `` I 've never seen anything like it , '' he added .
`` Girlfriend '' is Puth 's first song of 2020 .
Puth released his second studio album , Voicenotes , in 2018 .

June 26 (UPI) -- Charlie Puth performed his new song "Girlfriend" on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
The 28-year-old singer-songwriter performed the single during Thursday's episode of the CBS late-night show following its release that morning.
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Puth said he made "Girlfriend" a couple years ago but thought it was "too ahead of its time" at the time. He wrote the "'80s-esque Prince-y kind of electropop" track at a time when hip hop was dominating the charts.
"It just didn't feel right to put it out, so I kinda just kept it to myself for a long time," the star said. "I just think it's a perfect time for the world to hear this song."
Puth said he wrote "Girlfriend" in the hopes of his love interest hearing it.
"It's something you play for someone who's way out of your league. You just put it on in the background and you hope that they get the hint," he said. "Maybe that will help someone else, because it certainly didn't help me."
Puth also discussed his "surreal" experience working with Elton John. The pair collaborated on a song prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.
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Puth met John at Craig's restaurant in Los Angeles and had the singer over to his house the next week. Puth said John remarked on how they "write very differently" but was willing to try.
"He sits down and plays the entire song that we wrote, it's three minutes and three seconds, he plays the entire thing," Puth said of John. "First take -- didn't do any more takes -- records the entire thing, and he's like, 'How about that?'"
"I've never seen anything like it," he added.
"Girlfriend" is Puth's first song of 2020. Puth released his second studio album, Voicenotes, in 2018.


upi--2020-06-26--Watch live: White House coronavirus task force holds first briefing in nearly 2 months

June 26 ( UPI ) -- The White House coronavirus task force will hold a news briefing on Friday -- its first in nearly two months -- after the United States set a new record for new COVID-19 cases recorded in a single day .
Administration officials indicated Vice President Mike Pence , who heads the task force , will lead Friday 's event , which set for 12:30 p.m. EDT and will be streamed live .
It will be held at the Department of Health and Human Services rather than at the White House , as previous task force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schedule guidance for Friday makes no mention of the task force event .
It indicated he is to receive an intelligence briefing and hold a meeting with the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board before a 3:30 p.m. departure for a weekend at his golf club in Bedminster , N.J .
In contrast to the highly visible daily briefings hosted by the president in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic , the task force has receded from public view in recent weeks as the administration has instead focused its attentions on reopening the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci , the government 's top infectious disease expert , said June 16 he had n't spoken to Trump during the previous two weeks , but added the task force is still making `` substantial '' efforts to tackle the pandemic .
The president continued to stress economic recovery Thursday , tweeting , `` Coronavirus deaths are way down .
Mortality rate is one of the lowest in the World .
Our Economy is roaring back and will NOT be shut down .
'Embers ' or flare ups will be put out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the United States registered more than 40,000 infections of COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours , according to two live trackers of the deadly and infections coronavirus .
That set a new record for cases recorded in a single day .
Dr. Robert Redfield , director of the CDC , said Thursday that more than 20 million people may have been infected in the country .

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is seen testifying during a House committee hearing on Tuesday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
June 26 (UPI) -- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious diseases expert, warned Friday that some parts of the country are facing "a serious problem" as COVID-19 infection rates spiral in several U.S. states across the South and West. Fauci, appearing Friday at the first briefing held by the White House coronavirus task force in nearly two months, noted the sharp jumps in infections and hospitalizations in Texas, Florida, Arizona and elsewhere. Advertisement
While some U.S. states have been able to reopen their economies in a "prudent manner," in others, he said, "we have a serious problem."
Fauci urged individual citizens in areas facing surging coronavirus infections to take responsibility for their actions, noting that more younger people are testing positive for coronavirus.
"When you have an outbreak of an infectious disease, it's a dynamic process that is global, so remember, what happened in China affected us, what happened in Europe affected us, what's happening here is affecting others," he said.
"We can't get away from that. It's interconnected. Therefore, if we are an interconnected society we've got to look at what our role is in trying to put an end to this."
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Vice President Mike Pence, the task force's chairman, opened the briefing by offering condolences for the 126,000 deaths and the 2.5 million infections recorded in the United States so far, then added, "We have made truly remarkable progress in moving our nation forward."
He asserted that "all 50 states" are "opening up safely and responsibly" a day after the United States set a new record for new COVID-19 cases recorded in a single day.
The briefing was held at the Department of Health and Human Services rather than at the White House, as previous task force briefings were.
President Donald Trump was not present at the event.
In contrast to the highly visible daily briefings hosted by the president in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the task force has receded from public view in recent weeks as the administration has instead focused its attentions on reopening the economy.
Fauci said June 16 he hadn't spoken to Trump during the previous two weeks, but added the task force is still making "substantial" efforts to tackle the pandemic.
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The president continued to stress economic recovery Thursday, tweeting, "Coronavirus deaths are way down. Mortality rate is one of the lowest in the World. Our Economy is roaring back and will NOT be shut down. 'Embers' or flare ups will be put out, as necessary!"
Those assurances came as the United States registered more than 40,000 infections of COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours, according to two live trackers of the deadly and infections coronavirus. That set a new record for cases recorded in a single day.
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, said Thursday that more than 20 million people may have been infected in the country.


upi--2020-06-26--Sahara plume to reach eastern United States this weekend

June 26 ( UPI ) -- A large dust plume from across the ocean is expected to arrive in the United States this weekend , covering areas from New York , through the Atlantic coast to Texas .
While the cloud will not produce low-level dust clouds that severely affect visibility , called a haboob , it could still create problems with those suffering from respiratory problems .
The dust could cause sinus issues , itchy eyes , along with symptoms affecting the nose and throat .
Earlier satellite images showed how the plume was spanning the Atlantic Ocean from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Saharan dust will overtake entire states , '' CNN meteorologist Tyler Mauldin said .
`` Even southern Illinois and Ohio may get into the mix .
That 's how far north it could get pulled up . ''
The dust layers could reach the Southeast and Gulf Coast area in the coming days because of higher pressure there with dense concentrations around the Caribbean .
Parts of Texas , Louisiana , Alabama and Florida could see milky skies and an enhanced sunset during this evening .
The plume has been thick enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue a `` Severe Dust Haze Warning '' for residents , alerting residents to expect reduced visibility and potential respiratory problems .
The good news about the plume is meteorologists often call them temporary `` hurricane killers '' because the dry layers often sap a lot of moisture needed for fuel such storms , keeping tropical weather activity at bay .

View of the dust cloud of the Sahara desert that lashes the Caribbean islands, in Havana, Cuba, on Wedensday. Photo by Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA-EFE
June 26 (UPI) -- A large dust plume from across the ocean is expected to arrive in the United States this weekend, covering areas from New York, through the Atlantic coast to Texas. While the cloud will not produce low-level dust clouds that severely affect visibility, called a haboob, it could still create problems with those suffering from respiratory problems. The dust could cause sinus issues, itchy eyes, along with symptoms affecting the nose and throat. Advertisement
Earlier satellite images showed how the plume was spanning the Atlantic Ocean from one continent to the other.
"The Saharan dust will overtake entire states," CNN meteorologist Tyler Mauldin said. "Even southern Illinois and Ohio may get into the mix. That's how far north it could get pulled up."
The dust layers could reach the Southeast and Gulf Coast area in the coming days because of higher pressure there with dense concentrations around the Caribbean. Parts of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida could see milky skies and an enhanced sunset during this evening.
The plume has been thick enough to cause the Barbados Meteorological Services to issue a "Severe Dust Haze Warning" for residents, alerting residents to expect reduced visibility and potential respiratory problems.
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The good news about the plume is meteorologists often call them temporary "hurricane killers" because the dry layers often sap a lot of moisture needed for fuel such storms, keeping tropical weather activity at bay.


upi--2020-06-26--In photos: Protesters march for social justice in New York, D.C.

Protesters march for social justice in New York , D.C .
Demonstrations continue on June 25 , 2020 , in @ @ @ @ @ New York City against police brutality and other social justice causes in the wake of @ @ @ @ @ and other cases around the country .

Hundreds have been gathering in a park near City Hall for over a week to demand stripping the New York Police Department of $1 billion in funding as the City Council prepares to vote on a city budget. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI


upi--2020-06-26--More than 100 killed by lightning as India's monsoon storms arrive early

June 26 ( UPI ) -- More than 100 people were killed by lightning strikes in two Indian states as the country 's vital monsoon season arrived earlier than expected .
Eighty-three people were killed Thursday in the northeastern state of Bihar and 24 others died during thunderstorms in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh , local officials reported .
More than 20 districts in Bihar reported fatalities , with Gopalganj in the northern part of the state registering the highest total with 13 deaths , according to state disaster management officials .
They said families of the victims will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said many of the victims were farmers at work in their fields , hurrying to finish planting their crops before the arrival of the Southwest Monsoon season , which generally runs from June to September .
The yearly storms , which are crucial to India 's agricultural economy , arrived in northern parts of the country two weeks early this year , leaving farmers there exposed to lightning strikes in open fields .
The monsoon rains usually begin in India 's southwest corner June 1 and take 45 days to advance across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had covered the entire nation by early Friday , the India Meteorological Department said .

Lightning strikes are shown over Kolkata, India, on May 27. More than 100 people died from lightning in the country Thursday as monsoon storms arrived early. File photo by Piyal Adhikary/EPA-EFE
June 26 (UPI) -- More than 100 people were killed by lightning strikes in two Indian states as the country's vital monsoon season arrived earlier than expected. Eighty-three people were killed Thursday in the northeastern state of Bihar and 24 others died during thunderstorms in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh, local officials reported. Advertisement
More than 20 districts in Bihar reported fatalities, with Gopalganj in the northern part of the state registering the highest total with 13 deaths, according to state disaster management officials.
They said families of the victims will be compensated with $5,300.
Officials said many of the victims were farmers at work in their fields, hurrying to finish planting their crops before the arrival of the Southwest Monsoon season, which generally runs from June to September.
The yearly storms, which are crucial to India's agricultural economy, arrived in northern parts of the country two weeks early this year, leaving farmers there exposed to lightning strikes in open fields.
The monsoon rains usually begin in India's southwest corner June 1 and take 45 days to advance across the country. This year, however, they had covered the entire nation by early Friday, the India Meteorological Department said.


upi--2020-06-26--San Francisco Giants to display season-ticket holders' photos in stands

June 26 ( UPI ) -- Fans wo n't be allowed to attend San Francisco Giants games this season at Oracle Park , but the team will display photo cutouts of season-ticket holders in the stands .
The Giants told ESPN and NBC Sports Bay Area that they will have a fan cutout program and allow the season ticket holders to submit images of themselves .
The team also will allow non-season-ticket holders to send photos that will be placed in the stands -- for a $ 99 fee .
San Francisco 's strategy to fill the stands with cutouts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in South Korea 's Korean Baseball Organization and Chinese Professional Baseball League .
Those leagues have played since April and May , respectively , amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The 2020 MLB season remains suspended but is scheduled to resume July 23 or July 24 .
The Giants ranked 11th in home attendance last season .
They ranked in the Top 4 for home attendance for eight consecutive seasons before their 2019 campaign .
MLB announced this week that it will play a 60-game regular season through September .
Teams can allow fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from MLB and local authorities .
`` The San Francisco Giants are excited to get the 2020 season underway and welcome our players and coaches back to Oracle Park and the San Francisco Bay Area , '' the Giants said in a statement .
`` All preseason workouts and home games during the 2020 regular season will take place at Oracle Park under the rules and guidelines outlined by the health and safety protocols that were agreed upon by Major League Baseball and the MLBPA last night . ''
The Giants posted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the National League West in 2019 .

June 26 (UPI) -- Fans won't be allowed to attend San Francisco Giants games this season at Oracle Park, but the team will display photo cutouts of season-ticket holders in the stands.
The Giants told ESPN and NBC Sports Bay Area that they will have a fan cutout program and allow the season ticket holders to submit images of themselves. The team also will allow non-season-ticket holders to send photos that will be placed in the stands -- for a $99 fee.
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San Francisco's strategy to fill the stands with cutouts of fans follows the trend made popular in South Korea's Korean Baseball Organization and Chinese Professional Baseball League. Those leagues have played since April and May, respectively, amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 MLB season remains suspended but is scheduled to resume July 23 or July 24.
The Giants ranked 11th in home attendance last season. They ranked in the Top 4 for home attendance for eight consecutive seasons before their 2019 campaign.
MLB announced this week that it will play a 60-game regular season through September. Teams can allow fans to attend games after they get approval from MLB and local authorities.
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"The San Francisco Giants are excited to get the 2020 season underway and welcome our players and coaches back to Oracle Park and the San Francisco Bay Area," the Giants said in a statement.
"All preseason workouts and home games during the 2020 regular season will take place at Oracle Park under the rules and guidelines outlined by the health and safety protocols that were agreed upon by Major League Baseball and the MLBPA last night."
The Giants posted a 77-85 record and finished in third place in the National League West in 2019.


upi--2020-06-26--YouTube star Jenna Marbles quits channel, apologizes for offensive videos

June 26 ( UPI ) -- YouTube star Jenna Marbles has announced that she is leaving her channel and apologized for releasing offensive videos in the past which contained racist and sexist content .
Marbles , real name Jenna Mourey , made the announcement on Thursday in a tear-filled video titled `` A Message . ''
Marbles apologized for videos uploaded in 2011 and 2012 which have been made private , along with others .
The 33-year-old showed examples of the clips including how she once impersonated rapper Nicki Minaj using blackface and made a joke about Asians in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to tell you that it was not my intention to do blackface , '' Marbles said .
`` I do n't know how else to say this but it does n't matter because all that matters is that people were offended .
And it hurt them and for that I am so unbelievably sorry , '' she continued .
Marbles said she does n't know if she will return to her channel or if her time on YouTube is over .
Marbles started the channel in 2010 and has over 20 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exist on this channel .
Hopefully I 've taken down anything that would upset someone and I hope you know that 's just not my intent .
That 's not what I ever set out to do .
To hurt anyone 's feelings or to make anyone feel bad , '' Marbles said .
`` I 'm just gon na stop for now or forever , I do n't know , '' she continued .

June 26 (UPI) -- YouTube star Jenna Marbles has announced that she is leaving her channel and apologized for releasing offensive videos in the past which contained racist and sexist content.
Marbles, real name Jenna Mourey, made the announcement on Thursday in a tear-filled video titled "A Message."
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Marbles apologized for videos uploaded in 2011 and 2012 which have been made private, along with others. The 33-year-old showed examples of the clips including how she once impersonated rapper Nicki Minaj using blackface and made a joke about Asians in a rap song.
"I do just want to tell you that it was not my intention to do blackface," Marbles said.
"I don't know how else to say this but it doesn't matter because all that matters is that people were offended. And it hurt them and for that I am so unbelievably sorry," she continued.
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Marbles said she doesn't know if she will return to her channel or if her time on YouTube is over. Marbles started the channel in 2010 and has over 20 million subscribers.
"I just can't exist on this channel. Hopefully I've taken down anything that would upset someone and I hope you know that's just not my intent. That's not what I ever set out to do. To hurt anyone's feelings or to make anyone feel bad," Marbles said.
"I'm just gonna stop for now or forever, I don't know," she continued.