upi--2020-10-05--Gallup: Voters say U.S. economy, national security are top concerns

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- As is traditionally the case , the vast majority of Americans say the U.S. economy is their chief concern ahead of the presidential election , a Gallup survey showed Monday .
According to the poll , about nine in 10 respondents identified the economy as `` extremely '' ( 44 % ) or `` very '' ( 45 % ) important to their vote .
`` It is not surprising that voters overall rate the economy as the most important issue impacting their vote for president this year given the fragile state of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prioritize it and other issues such as national security and education , '' Gallup wrote .
The economy was followed on the list by national security and terrorism ( 83 % ) , education ( 82 % ) , healthcare ( 80 % ) , crime ( 79 % ) , the COVID-19 response ( 77 % ) and race relations ( 76 % ) .
Among Republicans , the most important issues are the economy ( 93 % ) , national security and terrorism ( 93 % ) and crime ( 85 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 95 % ) topped the list , followed by the COVID-19 response ( 93 % ) and race relations ( 89 % ) .
`` The largest gap between partisans is in how important they consider climate change -- 88 % of Democrats rate it as important compared with 23 % of Republicans , '' Gallup added .
`` Wide disparities are also seen in the importance of healthcare , the response to the coronavirus ( 32 points ) and race relations ( 27 points ) .
`` At the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats do on several other key voting issues , including terrorism or national security ( 22 points ) and taxes ( 18 points ) . ''
Gallup interviewed more than 1,000 U.S. adults for the survey , which has a margin of error of 4 points .

Flags hang outside the New York Stock Exchange in New York City on September 21. Eighty-nine percent of U.S. adults cited the economy as a very important issue in the 2020 presidential election. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- As is traditionally the case, the vast majority of Americans say the U.S. economy is their chief concern ahead of the presidential election, a Gallup survey showed Monday. According to the poll, about nine in 10 respondents identified the economy as "extremely" (44%) or "very" (45%) important to their vote. Advertisement
"It is not surprising that voters overall rate the economy as the most important issue impacting their vote for president this year given the fragile state of the U.S. economy and their tendency historically to prioritize it and other issues such as national security and education," Gallup wrote.
The economy was followed on the list by national security and terrorism (83%), education (82%), healthcare (80%), crime (79%), the COVID-19 response (77%) and race relations (76%).
Among Republicans, the most important issues are the economy (93%), national security and terrorism (93%) and crime (85%).
Among Democrats, healthcare (95%) topped the list, followed by the COVID-19 response (93%) and race relations (89%).
"The largest gap between partisans is in how important they consider climate change -- 88% of Democrats rate it as important compared with 23% of Republicans," Gallup added. "Wide disparities are also seen in the importance of healthcare, the response to the coronavirus (32 points) and race relations (27 points).
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"At the same time, Republicans place significantly more emphasis than Democrats do on several other key voting issues, including terrorism or national security (22 points) and taxes (18 points)."
Gallup interviewed more than 1,000 U.S. adults for the survey, which has a margin of error of 4 points.


upi--2020-10-05--Nearly 8M tune in for 'SNL' Season 46 premiere

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- This weekend 's Season 46 premiere of Saturday Night Live on NBC attracted nearly @ @ @ @ @ according to Nielsen Media Research .
The episode was SNL 's most-watched season premiere in @ @ @ @ @ 12 years .
The show included a parody of last week 's U.S. presidential debate @ @ @ @ @ Jim Carrey standing in for President Donald Trump and Democratic contender Joe Biden .
Another @ @ @ @ @ a face mask-themed music video called `` Bottom of Your Face . ''
This is @ @ @ @ @ taped at the show 's New York studio since March 7 when production was shut @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .

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Chris Rock hosted this weekend's edition of "Saturday Night Live." File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- This weekend's Season 46 premiere of Saturday Night Live on NBC attracted nearly 8 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. The episode was SNL's most-watched season premiere in four years and second-most-watched in 12 years. Advertisement
Comedian Chris Rock guest hosted Saturday's episode and rapper Megan Thee Stallion provided the musical entertainment.
The show included a parody of last week's U.S. presidential debate, with Alec Baldwin and Jim Carrey standing in for President Donald Trump and Democratic contender Joe Biden.
Another highlight of the episode was a face mask-themed music video called "Bottom of Your Face."
This is the first episode of SNL taped at the show's New York studio since March 7 when production was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


upi--2020-10-05--Look: Robin Thicke, April Love Geary expecting third child

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- Robin Thicke and his fiancée , April Love Geary , are expecting their third child together .
Geary , 25 , confirmed Sunday on Instagram that she is expecting another child with Thicke , 43 .
Geary shared a photo of herself sitting in the shade during an outing to a beach .
She showed her baby bump in a black bikini .
`` Sorry we ca n't hang out , there 's a pandemic & I 'm pregnant ... again .
We love consistency ! ''
Geary captioned the post .
Socialite Paris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders and Nazanin Mandi were among those to congratulate Thicke and Geary in the comments .
`` OMG congrats babes !
!
!
!
I 'm so happy for you both !
!
! ''
Sanders added .
`` Omg congrats to you beauty and @ robinthicke , '' Mandi said .
Thicke and Geary got engaged in December 2018 and have two children , daughters Mia Love , 2 , and Lola Alain , 19 months .
Thicke also has a 10-year-old son , Julian Fuego , with his ex-wife , Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six-year anniversary as a couple in September .
`` I love you so much and I could n't imagine my life without you .
You 're the best father , partner , cook , lover !
I know I 'm rarely ever romantic or serious ( lol ) but you 're truly my other half and you love me more than anyone ever has before .
Forever & always , '' Geary wrote on Instagram .
Thicke is a singer and serves as a judge on the Fox reality competition series The Masked @ @

Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Robin Thicke and his fiancée, April Love Geary, are expecting their third child together.
Geary, 25, confirmed Sunday on Instagram that she is expecting another child with Thicke, 43.
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Geary shared a photo of herself sitting in the shade during an outing to a beach. She showed her baby bump in a black bikini.
"Sorry we can't hang out, there's a pandemic & I'm pregnant... again. We love consistency!" Geary captioned the post.
Socialite Paris Hilton, singer Miguel and models Jasmine Sanders and Nazanin Mandi were among those to congratulate Thicke and Geary in the comments.
"Congratulations beautiful!!" Hilton wrote.
"OMG congrats babes!!!! I'm so happy for you both!!!" Sanders added.
"Omg congrats to you beauty and @robinthicke," Mandi said.
Thicke and Geary got engaged in December 2018 and have two children, daughters Mia Love, 2, and Lola Alain, 19 months. Thicke also has a 10-year-old son, Julian Fuego, with his ex-wife, Paul Patton.
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Thicke and Geary celebrated their six-year anniversary as a couple in September.
"I love you so much and I couldn't imagine my life without you. You're the best father, partner, cook, lover! I know I'm rarely ever romantic or serious (lol) but you're truly my other half and you love me more than anyone ever has before. Forever & always," Geary wrote on Instagram.
Thicke is a singer and serves as a judge on the Fox reality competition series The Masked Singer.


upi--2020-10-05--Trump's hospital ride criticized as irresponsible; could be released today

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- President Donald Trump could be discharged from the hospital as soon as Monday , as criticism mounts over his brief ride outside to greet supporters.Trump made a surprise excursion Sunday evening outside Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda , Md.
, where was admitted Friday for treatment of COVID-19 .
He wore a cloth mask while sitting in the back seat of an SUV and waved at cheering supporters around the hospital .
At least two people were seen in the car with him .
Doctors criticized the trip as careless and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
`` Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary presidential 'drive-by ' just now has to be quarantined for 14 days .
They might get sick .
They may die .
For political theater , '' Walter Reed attending physician Dr. James Phillips , who is also a doctor of emergency medicine at George Washington University , tweeted .
`` Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater .
This is insanity . ''
`` That presidential SUV is not only bulletproof , but hermetically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in another post .
`` The risk of COVID-19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures .
The irresponsibility is astounding . ''
The Washington Post reported that current and former Secret Service officials criticized the drive , as well as Trump aides .
Trump announced his diagnosis early Friday and he was flown the hospital later that evening aboard Marine One .
White House physician Dr. Sean Conley told reporters Sunday Trump has shown improvement .
The White House dismissed concerns about Trump 's motorcade drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been cleared by medical staff .
`` Appropriate precautions were taken in the execution of this movement to protect the president and all those supporting it , including PPE , '' spokesman Judd Deere said .
`` The movement was cleared by the medical team as safe to do . ''
Doctors said Sunday the president could be moved back to the White House as early as Monday .
But Conley acknowledged the president 's oxygen levels had dropped twice since Friday and that he 'd been treated with the powerful steroid dexamethasone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients who need oxygen , including those on ventilators .
Administering the drug risks a systemic inflammatory response that can lead to lung injury and multisystem organ dysfunction , the National Institutes of Health warns .
Trump also received two doses of the antiviral drug remdesivir that was authorized for emergency use in May for treating hospitalized patients with the coronavirus .
Some experts have voiced concern about a premature release .
`` For someone sick enough to have required remdesivir and dexamethasone , I ca n't think of a situation in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on day three , even with the White House 's medical capacity , '' University of California , San Francisco professor Robert Wachter told The Washington Post .
Doctors say COVID-19 patients remain especially vulnerable to complications for as many as 10 days after their first symptoms -- and sometimes deteriorate suddenly .
Trump 's age and weight place him in a high-risk category .
The prospect of Trump quickly returning to the White House was also questioned by former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb , who said he was more concerned about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Sounds very much like [ Trump ] has inflammatory changes on chest CT , '' Gottlieb told CNBC .
First lady Melania Trump , who also tested positive , remains in isolation at the White House .
The president posted several tweets early Monday , slamming news media and calling for his supporters to vote .

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President Donald Trump removes his mask on the Truman Balcony at the White House after being discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center following three days of treatment for COVID-19. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump was discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and returned to the White House Monday night after being treated for COVID-19 for three days. Trump walked out of the hospital in Bethesda, Md., at around 6:40 p.m. Monday evening, wearing a mask, while flashing a thumbs up and a balled fist to cameras before entering a motorcade for a brief drive to board a Marine One flight back to Washington, D.C. Advertisement
Upon leaving the hospital, Trump ignored a reporter asking how many members of his staff had been infected and whether he was a "superspreader."
"Thank you very much everybody," Trump said as he walked down the hospital steps.
Marine One landed at the White House at 6:54 p.m. and upon climbing the White House stairs removed his mask and saluted as he posed for photographs.
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Before emerging from the hospital, the president tweeted that he would "be back on the campaign trail soon!"
In a video message shared to his Twitter account Monday night, Trump thanked the staff at Walter Reed and again urged Americans not to fear the virus.
Earlier in the day, Trump's medical team said he had met the requirements for discharge, while his physician Dr. Sean Conley acknowledged that the president "may not entirely be out of the woods yet," adding that the world-class team at the White House medical unit could handle his ongoing treatment.
Conley said Trump hadn't had a fever for 72 hours and that there was no evidence of the presence of live coronavirus.
Conley deflected questions about the safety of the White House work environment, where several people have contracted the virus. He also declined to say when the president had received his last negative COVID-19 test result, citing HIPAA regulations.
Trump's temperature was reported at 98.1 degrees Monday morning. Trump's blood pressure was measured at 134/78 and oxygen levels were at 97% said Col. Sean Dooley, a physician at Walter Reed.
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The president has received three doses so far of FDA-approved experimental COVID-19 drug remdesivir and would be taking a total of five doses, said Dr. Brian Garibaldi of Walter Reed. Trump's kidney and liver function continued normally, Garibaldi said. In addition, Trump has received the powerful steroid dexamethasone.
Trump has received "medical management that is within national, clinical and societal guidelines," said Jayson Blaylock, head doctor at Walter Reed.
Trump will return to the White House, where he will be cared for by the on-site medical team. The team will determine when the president is no longer shedding the virus and not considered contagious, which could be "seven to 10 days," Conley said.
"We're in a bit of uncharted territory where we have a patient who's received the therapies he has so early in the course," Conley said. "If we can get through the weekend to Monday with him staying the same or improving ... then we will all take that deep sigh of relief."
Trump said in a tweet announcing his pending discharge that he was "feeling really good."
"I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M.," he tweeted. "Feeling really good! Don't be afraid of Covid. Don't let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!"
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The virus has killed more than 210,000 Americans and sickened more than 7.45 million people in the United States.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told Fox News on Monday that Trump's health had improved overnight and that the president was ready to get back "to a normal working schedule."
Trump made a surprise excursion Sunday evening outside the hospital, where was admitted Friday after his oxygen levels dropped. He wore a cloth mask while sitting in the back seat of an SUV and waved at cheering supporters around the hospital. At least two people were seen in the car with him.
At Monday's press briefing, doctors said the Secret Service agents in the car with Trump were wearing full precautionary medical garb and rode in the car "for a short time."
But some doctors criticized the trip as careless and said it flagrantly flouted precautions designed to contain the coronavirus.
"Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary presidential 'drive-by' just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater," Walter Reed attending physician Dr. James Phillips, who is also a doctor of emergency medicine at George Washington University, tweeted.
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"Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity."
"That presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack," he wrote in another post. "The risk of COVID-19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding."
The Washington Post reported that current and former Secret Service officials criticized the drive, as well as Trump aides.
The White House dismissed concerns about the trip, saying it had been cleared by medical staff.
"Appropriate precautions were taken in the execution of this movement to protect the president and all those supporting it, including PPE," spokesman Judd Deere said. "The movement was cleared by the medical team as safe to do."
Conley acknowledged this weekend that the president's oxygen levels had dropped twice since Friday and that he'd been treated with the powerful steroid dexamethasone, which is recommended only for COVID-19 patients who need oxygen, including those on ventilators.
Administering the drug risks a systemic inflammatory response that can lead to lung injury and multisystem organ dysfunction, the National Institutes of Health warns.
Some experts have voiced concern about a premature release.
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"For someone sick enough to have required remdesivir and dexamethasone, I can't think of a situation in which a patient would be okay to leave on day three, even with the White House's medical capacity," University of California, San Francisco professor Robert Wachter told The Washington Post.
Doctors say COVID-19 patients remain especially vulnerable to complications for as many as 10 days after their first symptoms -- and sometimes deteriorate suddenly. Trump's age and weight place him in a high-risk category.
The prospect of Trump quickly returning to the White House was also questioned by former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who said he was more concerned about his health after Sunday's briefing.
"Sounds very much like [Trump] has inflammatory changes on chest CT," Gottlieb told CNBC.
First lady Melania Trump, who also tested positive, remains in isolation at the White House.
President Donald Trump hospitalized for COVID-19


upi--2020-10-05--Fantasy football: Chargers RB Ekeler, Browns RB Chubb sustain Week 4 injuries

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- Fantasy football team owners likely will need replacement options for Austin Ekeler and Nick Chubb for the foreseeable future after the star running backs sustained Week 4 injuries .
Chubb picked up a right knee injury after he was rolled up on by a Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman in the first quarter of a Cleveland Browns win Sunday in Arlington , Texas .
Ekeler sustained left leg injuries after he was hit several times near the end of the first quarter of the Los Angeles Chargers loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backs are expected to get MRI scans on Monday to reveal the full extent of the damage .
Sources told ESPN and Fox Sports that Ekeler could miss several weeks due to a hyperextension of his knee and a hamstring issue .
`` The last I heard it was a hamstring ( injury ) , but the way that man limped off the field [ did n't look good ] .
I do n't know how bad it is , but it looked pretty bad , '' Chargers coach Anthony Lynn told reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was in noticeable pain after he sustained his injury .
He could miss multiple games if the injury proves to be serious .
The Browns host the Indianapolis Colts at 4:25 p.m. EDT Sunday in Cleveland .
The Chargers battle the New Orleans Saints at 8:15 p.m. EDT on Oct. 12 in New Orleans .
Chargers rookie running back Joshua Kelley has 174 yards and a touchdown on 174 carries this season .
The fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft had just seven yards on nine carries in Sunday 's loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back-up behind Ekeler this season , but I expect the Chargers to use more of a committee approach than the Browns will in the absence of Chubb .
Justin Jackson also should see an increased workload for the Chargers , which should someone limit Kelley 's productivity as a fantasy football option .
Kelley is a low-end RB2 or flex play going forward , but should only be used in good matchups .
The Browns will turn the bulk of the workload over to Kareem Hunt if Chubb misses an extended period of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capable backup running back in the NFL .
He should be started -- regardless of match-up -- going forward .
The 2017 NFL leading rusher has 317 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns this season .
The Browns also have one of the most run-heavy offenses in the NFL .
I expect Hunt to post RB1 production through October .
He averaged 6.45 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns in Sunday 's win over the Cowboys .
`` We are working as a team , '' Hunt said Sunday .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hopefully , we get [ Chubb ] back soon .
He is a brother to me . ''
Keep Ekeler and Chubb on your fantasy football bench until you get more clarity on the injuries .

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The Los Angeles Chargers will turn to Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelley at running back after starter Austin Ekeler (pictured) sustained injuries on Sunday. File Photo by Lori Shepler/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Fantasy football team owners likely will need replacement options for Austin Ekeler and Nick Chubb for the foreseeable future after the star running backs sustained Week 4 injuries. Chubb picked up a right knee injury after he was rolled up on by a Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman in the first quarter of a Cleveland Browns win Sunday in Arlington, Texas. Advertisement
Ekeler sustained left leg injuries after he was hit several times near the end of the first quarter of the Los Angeles Chargers loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday in Tampa, Fla.
Both star running backs are expected to get MRI scans on Monday to reveal the full extent of the damage. Sources told ESPN and Fox Sports that Ekeler could miss several weeks due to a hyperextension of his knee and a hamstring issue.
"The last I heard it was a hamstring (injury), but the way that man limped off the field [didn't look good]. I don't know how bad it is, but it looked pretty bad," Chargers coach Anthony Lynn told reporters Sunday.
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Chubb grabbed his right knee and was in noticeable pain after he sustained his injury. He could miss multiple games if the injury proves to be serious.
The Browns host the Indianapolis Colts at 4:25 p.m. EDT Sunday in Cleveland. The Chargers battle the New Orleans Saints at 8:15 p.m. EDT on Oct. 12 in New Orleans.
Chargers rookie running back Joshua Kelley has 174 yards and a touchdown on 174 carries this season. The fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft had just seven yards on nine carries in Sunday's loss.
Kelley has been the most productive back-up behind Ekeler this season, but I expect the Chargers to use more of a committee approach than the Browns will in the absence of Chubb.
Justin Jackson also should see an increased workload for the Chargers, which should someone limit Kelley's productivity as a fantasy football option.
Kelley is a low-end RB2 or flex play going forward, but should only be used in good matchups.
The Browns will turn the bulk of the workload over to Kareem Hunt if Chubb misses an extended period of time. Hunt is arguably the most capable backup running back in the NFL. He should be started -- regardless of match-up -- going forward.
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The 2017 NFL leading rusher has 317 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns this season. The Browns also have one of the most run-heavy offenses in the NFL.
I expect Hunt to post RB1 production through October. He averaged 6.45 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns in Sunday's win over the Cowboys.
"We are working as a team," Hunt said Sunday. "I am proud of those guys up front. Hopefully, we get [Chubb] back soon. He is a brother to me."
Keep Ekeler and Chubb on your fantasy football bench until you get more clarity on the injuries.
This week in the National Football League


upi--2020-10-05--Cineworld, Regal theater closures confirmed; 45,000 workers affected

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- Britain 's Cineworld Group announced Monday that it is closing hundreds of its Cineworld , Regal and Picturehouse movie theaters in the United States and United Kingdom .
`` In response to an increasingly challenging theatrical landscape and sustained key market closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic , Cineworld confirms that it will be temporarily suspending operations at all of its 536 Regal theaters in the U.S. and its 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse theaters in the U.K. from Thursday , 8 October 2020 , '' the company said in a statement .
An estimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closures , Deadline.com reported .
It is unclear when the theaters might reopen .
Multiple media reports during the weekend said the decision was made after the release of No Time to Die , the next James Bond adventure , was postponed from November to April .
The film exhibition industry has complained for months that it is struggling because film studios are not providing new content to attract moviegoers in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic .
Many film release dates have been pushed into 2021 , while others like Mulan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ altogether , debuting instead on streaming services .
Regal is the second-largest theater chain in the United States after AMC .
Cineworld is the biggest cinema operator in Great Britain .

Cineworld confirmed Monday that it is closing hundreds of its movies theaters indefinitely this week. Image courtesy of Pixabay
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Britain's Cineworld Group announced Monday that it is closing hundreds of its Cineworld, Regal and Picturehouse movie theaters in the United States and United Kingdom. "In response to an increasingly challenging theatrical landscape and sustained key market closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cineworld confirms that it will be temporarily suspending operations at all of its 536 Regal theaters in the U.S. and its 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse theaters in the U.K. from Thursday, 8 October 2020," the company said in a statement. Advertisement
An estimated 45,000 employees will be impacted by the closures, Deadline.com reported.
It is unclear when the theaters might reopen.
Multiple media reports during the weekend said the decision was made after the release of No Time to Die, the next James Bond adventure, was postponed from November to April.
The film exhibition industry has complained for months that it is struggling because film studios are not providing new content to attract moviegoers in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Many film release dates have been pushed into 2021, while others like Mulan and Greyhound skipped theatrical releases in some markets altogether, debuting instead on streaming services.
Regal is the second-largest theater chain in the United States after AMC.
Cineworld is the biggest cinema operator in Great Britain.


upi--2020-10-05--Water crisis in Iran could bring ecological disaster

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- The theocratic regime in Iran is struggling to maintain its funding of proxy wars and terrorist groups throughout the Middle East against a background of toughening U.S. sanctions and a grossly mismanaged attempt to control the coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 116,000 .
With the economy and currency in free fall , 70 % of Iranians are living on or below the international poverty line .
The mullahs have stolen the people 's wealth for the past 41 years , corruptly lining their own pockets , financing terror and turning Iran into an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condemned for sickening human rights abuse .
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps -- the regime 's Gestapo -- controls over 80 % of the economy , corruptly funneling money stolen from the people into private banks and using the rest to finance their proxy wars and burgeoning nuclear and ballistic missile programs .
The IRGC pays no tax , nor does Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , Iran 's supreme leader , who controls a financial empire worth an estimated $ 200 billion , resources which could readily be made available to alleviate the suffering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all this , Iran faces an ecological disaster .
The mullahs ' maladministration over four decades has left Iran struggling with deforestation , desertification , water scarcity and countless other examples of environmental degradation .
Climate change is exacerbating these environmental issues and turning them into a matter of life and death for the Iranian population .
The deprived people living in southern , central and eastern Iran have witnessed the relentless destruction of their water infrastructure by the regime 's institutions , primarily the IRGC .
The situation has become so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in southeastern Iran , people are being forced to collect rainwater from ditches and from crocodile-infested lakes .
In Lorestan , the CEO of the Water & Sewerage Co. claimed that only half of the villages in his district are even linked to water and sewer systems .
The member of parliament for Ahwaz , in southwest Iran , claimed that 800 villages in his area had no access to drinking water , although there are five large dams and seven rivers nearby .
Many dams have been constructed by the IRGC in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaching towns and villages and causing drought in some areas and flooding in others .
Farmers , deprived of a regular water supply , are no longer able to irrigate their crops , creating food shortages .
Meanwhile , corrupt IRGC officials pocket the profits from selling potable water at outrageous prices to some of Iran 's poorest people .
As always , when sporadic protests break out , the regime refuses to help , instead ordering the IRGC and Basij internal security thugs to crack down on protesters and crush dissent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ready to explode .
Deforestation , which had been going on since 1900 when Iran enjoyed extensive forest cover , accelerated after the ayatollahs came to power in the 1979 revolution .
Nineteen million acres of trees in 1900 has shrunk to less than 11 million acres today .
This has coincided with a sharp reduction in annual rainfall , caused partly due to deforestation and environmental degradation and partly to climate change , leading to desertification and water shortages .
Alarmingly , Iran ranks fourth in the World Resources Institute 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk of exhausting their water supply .
While dozens were killed by recent torrential rainstorms and floods in Fars and Golestan Provinces , thousands more suffer from drought and water scarcity in other parts of Iran , where lakes , rivers and aquifers have dried up .
The mullahs ' response to the growing economic crisis has devastated Iran 's fragile environment .
Determined to achieve self-sufficiency in agriculture and several other sectors , the clerical regime ordered the felling of forests and draining of reservoirs , to create more available land for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with environmental degradation accelerating and poverty and deprivation growing exponentially .
Refusing to accept responsibility for these self-inflicted disasters , the mullahs turned their fury onto Iran 's dwindling community of environmentalists , arresting some of them on trumped-up spying charges .
One environmentalist even died under mysterious circumstances in prison , while other fled abroad in fear for their lives .
One such notorious case involved the young , leading environmental scientist and water resources expert Kaveh Madani .
President Hassan Rouhani coaxed him to leave his post at Imperial College @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of the Iranian Environment Department and deputy vice president of Iran .
But from the moment he arrived in Tehran , he was placed under constant surveillance by Iran 's Ministry of Intelligence & Security and was interrogated repeatedly .
Finally , in February 2018 he was arrested by the IRGC and accused of espionage .
Madani resigned from his political posts and fled to America , where he is now a Henry Hart Rice Senior Fellow at Yale University and spends a lot of his time drawing attention to the plight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is this sort of prevailing paranoia in Iran that has hounded out those who could have helped the situation and forced a brain drain that has seen the majority of Iran 's best environmental scientists flee the country .
As Iran creeps steadily toward ecological meltdown , environmental concerns have figured prominently in protests , particularly in regions populated by ethnic minorities like the Azeris and Iranian Arabs .
Fearing such protests could spark a general uprising that could sweep them from power , the mullahs have reacted with typical viciousness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of others .
But as water and food shortages grow , the Iranian population is becoming increasingly aware of the fact that their government is no longer capable of delivering basic public goods and services .
The tipping point has been reached .
Without adequate supplies of food and water , 83 million enraged Iranians will quickly lose their fear of batons and bullets .
Struan Stevenson is the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change .
He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland ( 1999-2014 ) , president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq ( 2009-14 ) and chairman of Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup ( 2004-14 ) .
He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and is also president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association .

Nineteen million acres of trees in Iran in 1900 has shrunk to less than 11 million acres today. File Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA-EFE
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The theocratic regime in Iran is struggling to maintain its funding of proxy wars and terrorist groups throughout the Middle East against a background of toughening U.S. sanctions and a grossly mismanaged attempt to control the coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 116,000. With the economy and currency in free fall, 70% of Iranians are living on or below the international poverty line. The mullahs have stolen the people's wealth for the past 41 years, corruptly lining their own pockets, financing terror and turning Iran into an international pariah, its religious fascist regime condemned for sickening human rights abuse. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps -- the regime's Gestapo -- controls over 80% of the economy, corruptly funneling money stolen from the people into private banks and using the rest to finance their proxy wars and burgeoning nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The IRGC pays no tax, nor does Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, who controls a financial empire worth an estimated $200 billion, resources which could readily be made available to alleviate the suffering of the Iranian people. Advertisement Advertisement
On top of all this, Iran faces an ecological disaster. The mullahs' maladministration over four decades has left Iran struggling with deforestation, desertification, water scarcity and countless other examples of environmental degradation. Climate change is exacerbating these environmental issues and turning them into a matter of life and death for the Iranian population.
The deprived people living in southern, central and eastern Iran have witnessed the relentless destruction of their water infrastructure by the regime's institutions, primarily the IRGC. The situation has become so bad that in Sistan and Baluchistan province in southeastern Iran, people are being forced to collect rainwater from ditches and from crocodile-infested lakes. In Lorestan, the CEO of the Water & Sewerage Co. claimed that only half of the villages in his district are even linked to water and sewer systems. The member of parliament for Ahwaz, in southwest Iran, claimed that 800 villages in his area had no access to drinking water, although there are five large dams and seven rivers nearby.
Many dams have been constructed by the IRGC in the wrong places, preventing water from reaching towns and villages and causing drought in some areas and flooding in others. Farmers, deprived of a regular water supply, are no longer able to irrigate their crops, creating food shortages. Meanwhile, corrupt IRGC officials pocket the profits from selling potable water at outrageous prices to some of Iran's poorest people. As always, when sporadic protests break out, the regime refuses to help, instead ordering the IRGC and Basij internal security thugs to crack down on protesters and crush dissent, turning Iran into a volatile powder keg, ready to explode.
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Deforestation, which had been going on since 1900 when Iran enjoyed extensive forest cover, accelerated after the ayatollahs came to power in the 1979 revolution. Nineteen million acres of trees in 1900 has shrunk to less than 11 million acres today. This has coincided with a sharp reduction in annual rainfall, caused partly due to deforestation and environmental degradation and partly to climate change, leading to desertification and water shortages. Alarmingly, Iran ranks fourth in the World Resources Institute's list of the countries at the greatest risk of exhausting their water supply. While dozens were killed by recent torrential rainstorms and floods in Fars and Golestan Provinces, thousands more suffer from drought and water scarcity in other parts of Iran, where lakes, rivers and aquifers have dried up.
The mullahs' response to the growing economic crisis has devastated Iran's fragile environment. Determined to achieve self-sufficiency in agriculture and several other sectors, the clerical regime ordered the felling of forests and draining of reservoirs, to create more available land for growing crops. The results were predictable, with environmental degradation accelerating and poverty and deprivation growing exponentially. Refusing to accept responsibility for these self-inflicted disasters, the mullahs turned their fury onto Iran's dwindling community of environmentalists, arresting some of them on trumped-up spying charges. One environmentalist even died under mysterious circumstances in prison, while other fled abroad in fear for their lives.
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One such notorious case involved the young, leading environmental scientist and water resources expert Kaveh Madani. President Hassan Rouhani coaxed him to leave his post at Imperial College London to join his government as deputy head of the Iranian Environment Department and deputy vice president of Iran. But from the moment he arrived in Tehran, he was placed under constant surveillance by Iran's Ministry of Intelligence & Security and was interrogated repeatedly. Finally, in February 2018 he was arrested by the IRGC and accused of espionage. Madani resigned from his political posts and fled to America, where he is now a Henry Hart Rice Senior Fellow at Yale University and spends a lot of his time drawing attention to the plight of his environmentalist colleagues in Iran.
It is this sort of prevailing paranoia in Iran that has hounded out those who could have helped the situation and forced a brain drain that has seen the majority of Iran's best environmental scientists flee the country. As Iran creeps steadily toward ecological meltdown, environmental concerns have figured prominently in protests, particularly in regions populated by ethnic minorities like the Azeris and Iranian Arabs.
Fearing such protests could spark a general uprising that could sweep them from power, the mullahs have reacted with typical viciousness, shooting dead unarmed protesters and arresting hundreds of others. But as water and food shortages grow, the Iranian population is becoming increasingly aware of the fact that their government is no longer capable of delivering basic public goods and services. The tipping point has been reached. Without adequate supplies of food and water, 83 million enraged Iranians will quickly lose their fear of batons and bullets.
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Struan Stevenson is the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change. He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland (1999-2014), president of the Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-14) and chairman of Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (2004-14). He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and is also president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association.


upi--2020-10-05--In photos: President Donald Trump hospitalized for COVID-19

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows listens in the background as Trump 's physician , Dr. Sean Conley , @ @ @ @ @ the condition of the president saying he could be released as early as Monday from @ @ @ @ @ Michael Reynolds/UPI

President Donald Trump returns to the Truman Balcony of the White House on Monday after three days of treatment for COVID-19 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI


upi--2020-10-05--Tropical Storm Delta forms, forecast to hit U.S. Gulf Coast

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- Tropical Storm Delta formed in the southern Caribbean Sea early Monday and is forecast to make landfall as a hurricane on the U.S. Gulf Coast later this week -- the third to hit the region so far this season .
The National Hurricane Center said in its 8 a.m. EDT advisory Delta was located 130 miles south of Negril , Jamaica , and 270 miles southeast of Grand Cayman .
It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving northwest at 9 mph .
The NHC forecast has Delta strengthening into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday somewhere between the Louisiana-Texas border to the west and the Alabama-Georgia border to the east .
`` On the forecast track , the center of Delta is expected to move away from Jamaica later today , move near or over the Cayman Islands later tonight , and approach the Isle of Youth and western Cuba Tuesday afternoon or evening , '' the NHC said in its advisory .
`` Delta is forecast to move into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico Tuesday night or early Wednesday . ''
Delta is expected to reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
The Gulf Coast has been hit by two hurricanes so far in the 2020 Atlantic season , Laura and Sally , which both arrived last month .

Delta was expected to remain a tropical depression through Monday morning. Photo courtesy of NOAA
Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Delta weakened to a tropical depression as it pushed into Mississippi on Saturday, forecasters said. In its 10 a.m. CDT update, the National Hurricane Center said the hurricane had 35 mph maximum sustained winds. The eye was located 65 miles north-northwest of Jackson, Miss., and was moving northeast at 16 mph. Advertisement
The eye of the storm was close to Mississippi's border with Louisiana and Arkansas.
"On the forecast track, the center of Delta should move across western and northern Mississippi today and into the Tennessee Valley tonight and Sunday," the NHC said in its advisory.
It's expected to remain a depression through Monday morning, when it'll be situated over Ohio.
Delta had previously been projected to make landfall somewhere between far eastern Texas and western Mississippi, a region that has been threatened twice this year by hurricanes -- Laura and Sally, both in September.
The track narrowed late Thursday and early Friday as Delta neared the U.S. Gulf Coast. The storm made landfall in Creole, La., around 6 p.m. Friday.
Delta exploded into a Category 4 hurricane on Monday before gradually weakening. On Tuesday, its intensification was the most extreme in 15 years for an October hurricane.
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Delta also set a speed record for strengthening from a depression to a Category 4 hurricane, just over 36 hours, surpassing Keith from 2000 -- and strengthened into the second-most intense hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season on Tuesday. The only storm to become stronger this season was Hurricane Laura, which packed peak winds of 150 mph.


upi--2020-10-05--Reality TV's Sadie Robertson pregnant with first child

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- Duck Dynasty and Dancing with the Stars alum Sadie Robertson announced on Instagram that @ @ @ @ @ first child .
`` SCREAMING WITH EXCITEMENT TO SHARE THIS NEWS !
Baby we already @ @ @ @ @ from you already - God has still been creating .
God is still believing in @ @ @ @ @ the photo of her and husband Christian Huff grinning as she holds up sonogram images @ @ @ @ @ photo has gotten more than 1 million `` likes '' since it was posted Sunday @ @ @ @ @ engaged in June 2019 and exchanged wedding vows in front of about 600 guests on @ @ @ @ @ in November .
`` We 're excited to be married and live together , do @ @ @ @ @ become one .
We 're pumped !
We can not wait , '' Robertson said @ @ @ @

Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Duck Dynasty and Dancing with the Stars alum Sadie Robertson announced on Instagram that she is pregnant with her first child.
"SCREAMING WITH EXCITEMENT TO SHARE THIS NEWS! Baby we already adore you.What I've learned from you already - God has still been creating. God is still believing in us," Robertson captioned the photo of her and husband Christian Huff grinning as she holds up sonogram images of their baby.
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The photo has gotten more than 1 million "likes" since it was posted Sunday.
Robertson and Huff got engaged in June 2019 and exchanged wedding vows in front of about 600 guests on her family's Louisiana farm in November.
"We're excited to be married and live together, do life fully together and just become one. We're pumped! We cannot wait," Robertson said at the time.


upi--2020-10-05--WNBA Finals: Storm beat Aces for 2-0 lead

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- The Seattle Storm had a record 33 assists in a dominant win over the Las Vegas Aces in Game 2 of the 2020 WNBA Finals to take a 2-0 lead in the series in Bradenton , Fla. Sue Bird had 10 assists in the 104-91 win Sunday at IMG Academy .
The veteran guard set the WNBA Finals single-game record with 16 assists in the Storm 's Game 1 win on Friday .
Storm forward Breanna Stewart scored a game-high 22 points and had five assists and four rebounds on Sunday .
Alysha Clark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apiece for the Storm .
Bird had 16 points .
The Storm are one win away from winning the best-of-five series .
`` This is our moment to really finish the series and take home the championship , so we are going to continue to be sharp , be better than what we were in Game 1 and Game 2 , and leave it all out on the court , '' Stewart told reporters .
A'ja Wilson had 20 points and seven rebounds in the loss .
Angel McCoughtry and Emma Cannon scored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Storm owned a 31-24 lead at the end of the first quarter .
Stewart poured in 10 points in the second quarter to lead the Storm to a 48-42 lead at halftime .
The Storm led 75-68 at the end of the third quarter before they outscored the Aces 29-23 down the stretch .
`` That was a really good balance , and that 's what we need , '' Storm coach Gary Kloppenburg said .
`` That 's really how we played all year long , with good balance .
... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought we settled down . ''
The Storm battle the Aces in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at 7 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Bradenton .
The Storm can claim a second WNBA title in three years if they win the series .

Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird has 26 assists through the first two games of the 2020 WNBA Finals. Photo courtesy of Lorie Shaull/Wikimedia Commons
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The Seattle Storm had a record 33 assists in a dominant win over the Las Vegas Aces in Game 2 of the 2020 WNBA Finals to take a 2-0 lead in the series in Bradenton, Fla. Sue Bird had 10 assists in the 104-91 win Sunday at IMG Academy. The veteran guard set the WNBA Finals single-game record with 16 assists in the Storm's Game 1 win on Friday. Advertisement
Storm forward Breanna Stewart scored a game-high 22 points and had five assists and four rebounds on Sunday. Alysha Clark and Natasha Howard chipped in 21 points apiece for the Storm. Bird had 16 points.
The Storm are one win away from winning the best-of-five series.
"This is our moment to really finish the series and take home the championship, so we are going to continue to be sharp, be better than what we were in Game 1 and Game 2, and leave it all out on the court," Stewart told reporters.
A'ja Wilson had 20 points and seven rebounds in the loss. Angel McCoughtry and Emma Cannon scored 17 points apiece for the Aces.
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The Storm owned a 31-24 lead at the end of the first quarter. Stewart poured in 10 points in the second quarter to lead the Storm to a 48-42 lead at halftime. The Storm led 75-68 at the end of the third quarter before they outscored the Aces 29-23 down the stretch.
"That was a really good balance, and that's what we need," Storm coach Gary Kloppenburg said. "That's really how we played all year long, with good balance. ... but every game's different. I thought we settled down."
The Storm battle the Aces in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at 7 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Bradenton. The Storm can claim a second WNBA title in three years if they win the series.


upi--2020-10-05--Look: Alex Pettyfer, Toni Garrn get married, share wedding photo

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- Magic Mike actor Alex Pettyfer and model Toni Garrn got married during the weekend @ @ @ @ @ can be seen kissing and showing off their wedding rings .
`` Now you really @ @ @ @ @ , '' Garrn captioned the image .
Her new husband posted the same portrait on @ @ @ @ @ , `` Mr & Mrs Pettyfer . ''
The bride is wearing a cream gown @ @ @ @ @ tied to her neck with a black ribbon , while Pettyfer , 30 , is @ @ @ @ @ gray suit for the occasion .
The couple got engaged on Christmas Eve 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ January and tied the knot on Friday .

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Alex Pettyfer married Toni Garrn in Germany during the weekend. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Magic Mike actor Alex Pettyfer and model Toni Garrn got married during the weekend in Germany. Garrn, 28, shared an outdoor photo on Instagram Sunday. Advertisement
The newlyweds can be seen kissing and showing off their wedding rings.
"Now you really get to call me wifey," Garrn captioned the image.
Her new husband posted the same portrait on his account with the title, "Mr & Mrs Pettyfer."
The bride is wearing a cream gown and had a straw hat tied to her neck with a black ribbon, while Pettyfer, 30, is decked out in a dark gray suit for the occasion.
The couple got engaged on Christmas Eve 2019, announced their wedding plans in January and tied the knot on Friday.


upi--2020-10-05--Carson Wentz leads Philadelphia Eagles over SF 49ers for first win of season

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- Carson Wentz rallied the Philadelphia Eagles for a second-half comeback over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football to notch their first win of the season .
The Eagles trailed 14-8 midway through the third quarter before they posted 14 unanswered points to secure the 25-20 triumph at Levi 's Stadium in Santa Clara , Calif. '' It was just a huge night for us to rally around a bunch of new faces [ players ] making plays , '' Wentz told reporters .
Wentz completed 18 of 28 passes for 193 yards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touchdown and an interception .
All-Pro tight end George Kittle had 15 catches for 183 yards and a touchdown for the 49ers .
San Francisco quarterback Nick Mullens was benched for C.J .
Beathard in the fourth quarter after he threw his second interception of the game .
Neither team could get much going early on .
They exchanged punts on the first two drives of the game before Wentz threw an interception to 49ers linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair on the Eagles ' second attempt .
Wentz mounted an eight-play , 61-yard scoring drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eagles quarterback , who ran for an 11-yard score to end the drive , completed a short pass to Zach Ertz for a two-point conversion that gave the Eagles an 8-0 lead .
49ers rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk ran for a 38-yard touchdown on the next drive to make the score 8-7 with 31 seconds remaining in the first quarter .
Neither team scored in the second quarter .
The 49ers had a chance to score late in the first half , but Mullens threw an interception while at the Philadelphia 14-yard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead on a 12-play , 75-yard drive to start the second half before Eagles kicker Jake Elliott made a 35-yard field goal on the next possession .
Wentz then led another touchdown drive and threw a 42-yard score to Travis Fulgham with 5:57 remaining .
Mullens threw an interception to Eagles linebacker Alex Singleton on the first play of the 49ers ' next drive , who returned the pick for a 30-yard touchdown to give the Eagles a 25-14 edge .
The 49ers answered with a Jerick McKinnon touchdown on the next drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end zone for the rest of the game .
Beathard completed 14 of 19 passes for 138 yards in relief of Mullens .
McKinnon had 97 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 21 touches .
Cre'von LeBlanc had a sack and a forced fumble for the Eagles .
Josh Sweat , Hassan Ridgeway and Genard Avery also had sacks for the Eagles .
Rodney McLeod had a game-high seven tackles and an interception in the win .
`` I just did n't like the rhythm of our whole team , '' 49ers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'll have to go back to the drawing board on Monday . ''
The 49ers ( 2-2 ) next host the Miami Dolphins at 4:05 p.m. EDT Sunday and the Eagles ( 1-2-1 ) travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m. EDT at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh .

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz completed 18 of 28 passes for 193 yards and had a passing score and rushing touchdown in a win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Carson Wentz rallied the Philadelphia Eagles for a second-half comeback over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football to notch their first win of the season. The Eagles trailed 14-8 midway through the third quarter before they posted 14 unanswered points to secure the 25-20 triumph at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Advertisement
"It was just a huge night for us to rally around a bunch of new faces [players] making plays," Wentz told reporters.
Wentz completed 18 of 28 passes for 193 yards, one passing score, a rushing touchdown and an interception. All-Pro tight end George Kittle had 15 catches for 183 yards and a touchdown for the 49ers.
San Francisco quarterback Nick Mullens was benched for C.J. Beathard in the fourth quarter after he threw his second interception of the game.
Advertisement Alex Singleton gets a gift and takes it to the house.#PHIvsSF | #FlyEaglesFly : NBC pic.twitter.com/GarzGZ3zDp— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 5, 2020
Neither team could get much going early on. They exchanged punts on the first two drives of the game before Wentz threw an interception to 49ers linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair on the Eagles' second attempt. Wentz mounted an eight-play, 61-yard scoring drive on Philadelphia's next possession.
The Eagles quarterback, who ran for an 11-yard score to end the drive, completed a short pass to Zach Ertz for a two-point conversion that gave the Eagles an 8-0 lead.
49ers rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk ran for a 38-yard touchdown on the next drive to make the score 8-7 with 31 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Neither team scored in the second quarter.
The 49ers had a chance to score late in the first half, but Mullens threw an interception while at the Philadelphia 14-yard line.
San Francisco took a 14-8 lead on a 12-play, 75-yard drive to start the second half before Eagles kicker Jake Elliott made a 35-yard field goal on the next possession.
Wentz then led another touchdown drive and threw a 42-yard score to Travis Fulgham with 5:57 remaining. Mullens threw an interception to Eagles linebacker Alex Singleton on the first play of the 49ers' next drive, who returned the pick for a 30-yard touchdown to give the Eagles a 25-14 edge.
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The 49ers answered with a Jerick McKinnon touchdown on the next drive, but did not return to the end zone for the rest of the game.
Beathard completed 14 of 19 passes for 138 yards in relief of Mullens. McKinnon had 97 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 21 touches.
Cre'von LeBlanc had a sack and a forced fumble for the Eagles. Josh Sweat, Hassan Ridgeway and Genard Avery also had sacks for the Eagles.
Rodney McLeod had a game-high seven tackles and an interception in the win.
"I just didn't like the rhythm of our whole team," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. "We'll have to go back to the drawing board on Monday."
The 49ers (2-2) next host the Miami Dolphins at 4:05 p.m. EDT Sunday and the Eagles (1-2-1) travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m. EDT at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
This week in the National Football League


upi--2020-10-05--American, British Hepatitis C researchers win Nobel Prize in Medicine

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- Three scientists who each played a role in finding a cure for Hepatitis C have won this year 's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine , the Nobel Foundation announced Monday .
Americans Harvey J .
Alter and Charles M. Rice and Briton Michael Houghton won the 2020 prize for their separate work in battling Hepatitis C , a blood-borne disease which causes cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer .
The disease is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and causes more than 1 million deaths per year worldwide , making it a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to HIV-infection and tuberculosis .
The prize was announced during a ceremony at the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden , which awards the honor each year .
Two other types of hepatitis -- A and B -- had been identified earlier , but a still-unknown form had continued to affect blood transfusion patients .
In the 1970s , Alter , working at the U.S. National Institutes of Health , first showed that the condition was caused by a previously unknown , distinct virus , later named the Hepatitis C virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eluded researchers for more than a decade .
Houghton , then working for the Chiron Corp. in California , was able to isolate the genetic sequence of the virus in 1989 , providing a key breakthrough .
With the virus now identified , researchers still needed to prove that it alone was capable of causing hepatitis .
Rice , a scientist at Washington University in St. Louis , provided the link in 2005 after eight years of research .
The scientists ' contributions have `` essentially eliminated post-transfusion hepatitis in many parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine said .
`` Their discovery also allowed the rapid development of antiviral drugs directed at hepatitis C , '' it added .
`` For the first time in history , the disease can now be cured , raising hopes of eradicating Hepatitis C virus from the world population . ''
The Nobel Institute 's two other scientific prizes -- for physics and chemistry -- will be announced Tuesday and Wednesday .
They will be followed by the literature prize on Thursday , the peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next Monday .

Americans Harvey Alter and Charles Rice and Briton Michael Houghton were honored Monday for their work with hepatitis C. Image by Niklas Elmehed/Nobel Foundation
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Three scientists who each played a role in finding a cure for hepatitis C have won this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the Nobel Foundation announced Monday. Americans Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice and Briton Michael Houghton won the 2020 prize for their separate work in battling hepatitis C, a blood-borne disease that causes cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. Advertisement
The disease is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and causes more than 1 million deaths per year worldwide, making it a global health threat on a scale comparable to HIV infection and tuberculosis.
The prize was announced during a ceremony at the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, which awards the honor each year.
Two other types of hepatitis -- A and B -- had been identified earlier, but a still-unknown form had continued to affect blood transfusion patients.
In the 1970s, Alter, working at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, first showed that the condition was caused by a previously unknown, distinct virus, later named the hepatitis C virus.
Identifying the virus, however, eluded researchers for more than a decade. Houghton, then working for the Chiron Corp. in California, was able to isolate the genetic sequence of the virus in 1989, providing a key breakthrough.
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With the virus identified, researchers still needed to prove that it alone was capable of causing hepatitis. Rice, a scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, provided the link in 2005 after eight years of research.
The scientists' contributions have "essentially eliminated post-transfusion hepatitis in many parts of the world, greatly improving global health," the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine said.
"Their discovery also allowed the rapid development of antiviral drugs directed at hepatitis C," it added. "For the first time in history, the disease can now be cured, raising hopes of eradicating hepatitis C virus from the world population."
The Nobel Institute's two other scientific prizes -- for physics and chemistry -- will be announced Tuesday and Wednesday. They will be followed by the literature prize on Thursday, the peace prize on Friday and economic sciences on Oct. 12.


upi--2020-10-05--EU chief Ursula von der Leyen self-isolates after possible COVID-19 exposure

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday she is self-isolating after coming @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for COVID-19 .
The head of the European Union said in a tweet @ @ @ @ @ infected person occurred last week .
`` I 've been informed that I participated in @ @ @ @ @ by a person who [ on Sunday ] tested positive for COVID-19 , '' von @ @ @ @ @ `` In accordance with regulations in force , I 'm therefore self-isolating until tomorrow morning @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday and am tested again today . ''
Von der Leyen spoke with British @ @ @ @ @ video conference on Saturday as part of Brexit trade negotiations .
Johnson had tested positive @ @ @ @ @ this year , at one time entering intensive care before he recovered .
U.S. President @ @ @ @ @ Thursday and spent the weekend at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington , D.C @ @ @ @ @ as soon as Monday , doctors said .

European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen greets European Council President Charles Michel with an elbow bump at the European Council in Brussels, Belgium, on July 21. File Photo by Stephanie LeCocq/EPA-EFE
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday she is self-isolating after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The head of the European Union said in a tweet that her exposure to the infected person occurred last week. Advertisement
"I've been informed that I participated in a meeting last Tuesday attended by a person who [on Sunday] tested positive for COVID-19," von der Leyen wrote Monday.
"In accordance with regulations in force, I'm therefore self-isolating until tomorrow morning. I've tested negative on Thursday and am tested again today."
Von der Leyen spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson via video conference on Saturday as part of Brexit trade negotiations. Johnson had tested positive for the coronavirus disease earlier this year, at one time entering intensive care before he recovered.
U.S. President Donald Trump tested positive last Thursday and spent the weekend at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He could be discharged as soon as Monday, doctors said.


upi--2020-10-05--Several cases, including ACA challenge, face shorthanded Supreme Court

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- A shorthanded U.S. Supreme Court begins its 2020-2021 term on Monday , which is expected to bring a number of issues before the court .
The high court will hear 10 hours of oral argument in 12 cases between Monday and Oct. 14 with just eight justices -- and a 5-3 conservative majority -- presiding over the cases following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month .
The cases were originally scheduled for the court 's 2019-2020 term but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
As a result of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguments via teleconference and will provide live audio in accordance with public health guidelines as they did in May .
Monday 's session will include hearings on Carney vs. Adams , a case regarding the makeup of Delaware 's high courts , and Texas vs. New Mexico seeks to settle a dispute of the Pecos River , which flows through both states .
Other issues included in the cases set to be heard this month include states ' abilities to regulate reimbursements pharmacies receive for selling prescription drugs , whether a criminal conviction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and whether copyright extends to a software interface , among others .
October 's session will take place amid the confirmation process for President Donald Trump 's nominee to succeed Ginsburg , federal appellate court judge Amy Coney Barrett .
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday that hearings for Barrett 's confirmation will take place as planned on Oct. 12 , despite all other floor proceedings being postponed until Oct. 19 after several senators tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend .
If Republicans succeed in efforts to confirm Barrett before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ join the bench in time to participate in hearings on California vs. Texas , in which a Republican-led coalition of 18 states have challenged the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act .
The case became a flashpoint during the first presidential debate between Trump and Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden last week .
Biden cited previous statements from Barrett that indicate she believes the healthcare law is unconstitutional .
Biden , who has promised to expand and improve the ACA , said 20 million Americans would instantly lose health coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been trying to repeal the Obama-era health law since he took office nearly four years ago .
The high court is also set to take up multiple cases on religious liberty .
Those cases include a request for a faith-based exemption from anti-discrimination laws by a private foster care agency , a lawsuit filed by three Muslim men seeking damages from FBI agents who placed them on the no-fly list and a student 's challenge of college speech rules that he says violated his First Amendment rights .
Justices have also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of workers ' religious practices ; buffer zones for anti-abortion counseling at medical facilities ; and an effort to compel a religiously affiliated hospital to allow medical procedures that violate its religious beliefs .

The top of the U.S Supreme Court building says, "Equal Justice Under Law" on September 23 as the casket of late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose under the portico. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- A shorthanded U.S. Supreme Court begins its 2020-2021 term on Monday, which is expected to bring a number of issues before the court. The high court will hear 10 hours of oral argument in 12 cases between Monday and Oct. 14 with just eight justices -- and a 5-3 conservative majority -- presiding over the cases following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month. Advertisement
The cases were originally scheduled for the court's 2019-2020 term but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the health crisis, Justices will hear oral arguments via teleconference and will provide live audio in accordance with public health guidelines as they did in May.
Monday's session will include hearings on Carney vs. Adams, a case regarding the makeup of Delaware's high courts, and Texas vs. New Mexico seeks to settle a dispute of the Pecos River, which flows through both states.
Other issues included in the cases set to be heard this month include states' abilities to regulate reimbursements pharmacies receive for selling prescription drugs, whether a criminal conviction can prevent a noncitizen from challenging deportation and whether copyright extends to a software interface, among others.
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October's session will take place amid the confirmation process for President Donald Trump's nominee to succeed Ginsburg, federal appellate court judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett sworn in to U.S. Supreme Court
Amy Coney Barrett is sworn in as a U.S. Supreme Court justice in a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday, October 26, 2020. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday that hearings for Barrett's confirmation will take place as planned on Oct. 12, despite all other floor proceedings being postponed until Oct. 19 after several senators tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.
If Republicans succeed in efforts to confirm Barrett before the Nov. 3 presidential election, she could join the bench in time to participate in hearings on California vs. Texas, in which a Republican-led coalition of 18 states have challenged the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.
The case became a flashpoint during the first presidential debate between Trump and Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden last week. Biden cited previous statements from Barrett that indicate she believes the healthcare law is unconstitutional.
Biden, who has promised to expand and improve the ACA, said 20 million Americans would instantly lose health coverage if the law is overturned. Trump has been trying to repeal the Obama-era health law since he took office nearly four years ago.
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The high court is also set to take up multiple cases on religious liberty.
Those cases include a request for a faith-based exemption from anti-discrimination laws by a private foster care agency, a lawsuit filed by three Muslim men seeking damages from FBI agents who placed them on the no-fly list and a student's challenge of college speech rules that he says violated his First Amendment rights.
Justices have also been asked to hear appeals involving employer accommodation of workers' religious practices; buffer zones for anti-abortion counseling at medical facilities; and an effort to compel a religiously affiliated hospital to allow medical procedures that violate its religious beliefs.
Mourning Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg


upi--2020-10-05--Gamma drifts north of Yucatan Peninsula after lashing Mexico with damaging winds, flooding rain

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- The record-breaking nature of the 2020 Atlantic Tropical Season continues as Tropical Storm Gamma meanders north of the Yucatan Peninsula early Monday after striking Mexico with strong winds and flooding rains over the weekend .
Gamma became a tropical storm and gained its name on Friday evening as it strengthened in the northwestern Caribbean Sea , becoming only the second storm of its name to exist in Atlantic Basin history , and the earliest ever , beating out the Gamma of 2005 .
The system made landfall at 12:45 p.m. EDT on Saturday near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tropical storm .
The National Hurricane Center said that a weather station at Xel-Ha Park , along the Yucatan coast just north of Tulum , reported sustained winds of 60 mph .
In its 4 a.m CDT advisory on Monday , the NHC said Gamma had weakened slightly with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was drifting west-southwest at 2 mph and was about 170 miles northeast of Progreso , Mexico , and about 155 miles north-northwest of Cozumel , Mexico .
`` Gamma is forecast to gradually turn toward the southwest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to move slowly in that direction through mid-week , '' the advisory said .
`` on the forecast track , the center of Gamma will continue to meander offshore of the northern Yucatan Peninsula this morning , and pass near or just offshore of the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula later today and on Tuesday . ''
The government of Mexico has issued a Tropical Storm Watch from Progreso to Campeche .
Gamma battered the Yucatan Peninsula over the weekend with heavy rain and gusty winds before shifting into the Gulf of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Quintana Roo , which contains cities like Tulum , Playa del Carmen , and Cancun , advised on Twitter that residents shelter at home and report emergencies to the appropriate authorities .
According to Noticaribe , one of the hardest-hit areas so far is Playa del Carmen , where the State Coordination of Civil Protection issued a red alert on Saturday morning , due to Gamma 's impending impacts .
Reports of fallen trees , blackouts and flooding in main streets were noted by several emergency agencies in the city .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the local government set up two temporary shelters .
Firefighters , public services and civil protection crews were out removing tree branches and assisting drivers , municipal president Laura Fernandez told CancunMio .
Before Gamma pushed into the Yucatan Peninsula , much of southeastern Mexico was deluged by heavy rainfall at the end of September and start of October .

Tropical Storm Gamma was drifting north of the Yucatan Peninsula early Monday. Photo courtesy of NOAA
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The record-breaking nature of the 2020 Atlantic Tropical Season continues as Tropical Storm Gamma meanders north of the Yucatan Peninsula early Monday after striking Mexico with strong winds and flooding rains over the weekend. Gamma became a tropical storm and gained its name on Friday evening as it strengthened in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, becoming only the second storm of its name to exist in Atlantic Basin history, and the earliest ever, beating out the Gamma of 2005. Advertisement
The system made landfall at 12:45 p.m. EDT on Saturday near Tulum, Mexico, as a strong tropical storm.
The National Hurricane Center said that a weather station at Xel-Ha Park, along the Yucatan coast just north of Tulum, reported sustained winds of 60 mph.
In its 4 a.m CDT advisory on Monday, the NHC said Gamma had weakened slightly with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was drifting west-southwest at 2 mph and was about 170 miles northeast of Progreso, Mexico, and about 155 miles north-northwest of Cozumel, Mexico.
"Gamma is forecast to gradually turn toward the southwest or west-southwest later today, and continue to move slowly in that direction through mid-week," the advisory said. "on the forecast track, the center of Gamma will continue to meander offshore of the northern Yucatan Peninsula this morning, and pass near or just offshore of the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula later today and on Tuesday."
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The government of Mexico has issued a Tropical Storm Watch from Progreso to Campeche.
Gamma battered the Yucatan Peninsula over the weekend with heavy rain and gusty winds before shifting into the Gulf of Mexico.
The governor of the state of Quintana Roo, which contains cities like Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun, advised on Twitter that residents shelter at home and report emergencies to the appropriate authorities.
According to Noticaribe, one of the hardest-hit areas so far is Playa del Carmen, where the State Coordination of Civil Protection issued a red alert on Saturday morning, due to Gamma's impending impacts.
Reports of fallen trees, blackouts and flooding in main streets were noted by several emergency agencies in the city.
Just to the north, in Puerto Morelos, the local government set up two temporary shelters. Firefighters, public services and civil protection crews were out removing tree branches and assisting drivers, municipal president Laura Fernandez told CancunMio.
Before Gamma pushed into the Yucatan Peninsula, much of southeastern Mexico was deluged by heavy rainfall at the end of September and start of October.


upi--2020-10-05--Pope criticizes lack of unity, capitalism amid pandemic

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- Pope Francis said the coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the failures of both global cooperation and capitalism while warning countries against growing nationalism .
In his third encyclical , the most authoritative of the papal teachings , published Sunday , Francis said the pandemic hit as he was preparing the document , and it has shown the world 's inability to work together .
`` For all our hyper-connectivity , we witnessed a fragmentation that made it more difficult to resolve problems that affect us all , '' he said .
`` Anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned was the need to improve what we were already doing , or to refine existing systems and regulations , is denying reality . ''
He said in the lengthy encyclical titled Brothers All that the world lacks a `` shared roadmap '' and that the pandemic has only made it more evident the need to rethink not only how the world organizes its societies but the meanings of their existence .
`` If everything is connected , it is hard to imagine that this global disaster is unrelated to our way of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolute masters of our own lives and all that exists , '' he wrote .
`` Unless we recover that shared passion to create a community of belonging and solidarity worthy of our time , our energy and our resources , the global illusion that misled us will collapse and leave many in the grip of anguish and emptiness . ''
The `` worst response '' the world could take to the ending of the pandemic would be to plunge even deeper into consumerism and other forms of `` egotistic self-preservation , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi , the pope 's namesake .
The marketplace , he said , can not solve all of humanity 's problems as it resorts to the same `` magic theories '' as solutions to inequality , which creates violence that threatens the stability of society .
Instead of coming together , the world has shown signs of regression , he wrote , stating that old conflicts have reignited , and `` myopic , extremist , resentful and aggressive nationalism '' has grown , leading to new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of defending national interests .
The pope wrote that some good has come from the pandemic , as it has enabled the world to see and appreciated those who put their lives at risk to save others .
`` We began to realize that our lives are interwoven with and sustained by ordinary people valiantly shaping the decisive events of our shared history , '' he wrote .
`` They understood that no one is saved alone . ''

Pope Francis warned nations in his third encyclical against growing nationalism. Pool Photo by Possolo/Spaziani/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Pope Francis said the coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the failures of both global cooperation and capitalism while warning countries against growing nationalism. In his third encyclical, the most authoritative of the papal teachings, published Sunday, Francis said the pandemic hit as he was preparing the document, and it has shown the world's inability to work together. Advertisement
"For all our hyper-connectivity, we witnessed a fragmentation that made it more difficult to resolve problems that affect us all," he said. "Anyone who thinks that the only lesson to be learned was the need to improve what we were already doing, or to refine existing systems and regulations, is denying reality."
He said in the lengthy encyclical titled Brothers All that the world lacks a "shared roadmap" and that the pandemic has only made it more evident the need to rethink not only how the world organizes its societies but the meanings of their existence.
"If everything is connected, it is hard to imagine that this global disaster is unrelated to our way of approaching reality, our claim to be absolute masters of our own lives and all that exists," he wrote. "Unless we recover that shared passion to create a community of belonging and solidarity worthy of our time, our energy and our resources, the global illusion that misled us will collapse and leave many in the grip of anguish and emptiness."
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The "worst response" the world could take to the ending of the pandemic would be to plunge even deeper into consumerism and other forms of "egotistic self-preservation," he wrote in the encyclical signed Saturday at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi, the pope's namesake.
The marketplace, he said, cannot solve all of humanity's problems as it resorts to the same "magic theories" as solutions to inequality, which creates violence that threatens the stability of society.
Instead of coming together, the world has shown signs of regression, he wrote, stating that old conflicts have reignited, and "myopic, extremist, resentful and aggressive nationalism" has grown, leading to new forms of selfishness created under the guise of defending national interests.
The pope wrote that some good has come from the pandemic, as it has enabled the world to see and appreciated those who put their lives at risk to save others.
"We began to realize that our lives are interwoven with and sustained by ordinary people valiantly shaping the decisive events of our shared history," he wrote. "They understood that no one is saved alone."


upi--2020-10-05--NASA, space industry seek new ways to cope with space debris

Oct. 5 ( UPI ) -- NASA 's official watchdog panel has renewed calls for the agency to move faster on a plan to better track and mitigate dangers posed by orbiting debris in space .
Members of NASA 's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel said during a regular meeting last week that the agency has made some progress , but it needs to focus on space debris as a top priority .
At stake is the safety of astronauts , anyone going into space on planned private missions and the nation 's growing fleet of satellites used for national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debris orbits at thousands of miles per hour , even tiny pieces of space trash can puncture spacecraft .
The panel 's comments came on the heels of NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine telling a Senate Committee on Wednesday that the agency needs Congress to fund a comprehensive strategy for debris tracking and management , including international outreach .
`` I can not emphasize the importance of this issue enough , and we really need some action taken now , '' said Patricia Sanders , who chairs the panel .
Companies such as Northrop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stations -- basically additional satellites that would capture debris and either destroy it or melt it down and manufacture something new .
NASA is funding limited projects to repurpose space debris , including a mission by Houston-based Nanoracks to convert spent rocket boosters in orbit into useful technology and possibly even human habitats -- what the company calls Outposts .
`` We are rapidly reaching the point where we have to be concerned about how we dispose of hardware , '' Jeffery Manber , CEO of NanoRacks , said in an interview Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from NASA to begin the experiment , and plans to launch next year a robotic cutting machine that will study how to cut metal in space .
The in-space cutting demonstration will last about an hour , and will provide data to NanoRacks for expanded experiments , Manber said .
`` Habitats are a goal , but we are focused now on utility , '' he said .
`` We 're thinking about turning used space debris into recycling centers or storage depots , and possibly even new space stations . ''
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,000 of which are inoperative .
About 14,000 pieces of space debris larger than 10 centimeters in diameter exist , while smaller objects that often result from collisions may number around 600,000 , according to NASA and scientists who track the debris .
Meanwhile , companies like SpaceX and OneWeb plan to launch tens of thousands of new satellites to low-Earth orbit .
Those satellites are able to deorbit and burn up in the atmosphere quickly , but such plans will further crowd the heavens .
Space debris `` not only presents some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for humans and spacecraft , but it also is a growing threat to the sustainability of space as a peaceful domain for science exploration innovation and commerce , '' said Susan Helms , a retired astronaut and panel member .
Helms noted that some progress had been made , but she said `` it is well overdue that the U.S. exert some effective international leadership in the safety of space operations . ''
The panel expects NASA to make sure all future budget requests include funding for such a comprehensive approach , she @ @

Nanoracks envisions in-space renovations of spent rocket stages, depicted here, to be used as storage containers or even human habitats. Image courtesy of Nanoracks
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 5 (UPI) -- NASA's official watchdog panel has renewed calls for the agency to move faster on a plan to better track and mitigate dangers posed by orbiting debris in space. Members of NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel said during a regular meeting last week that the agency has made some progress, but it needs to focus on space debris as a top priority. Advertisement
At stake is the safety of astronauts, anyone going into space on planned private missions and the nation's growing fleet of satellites used for national security, communications and scientific observation.
Because debris orbits at thousands of mph, even tiny pieces of space trash can puncture spacecraft.
The panel's comments came on the heels of NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine telling a Senate Committee on Wednesday that the agency needs Congress to fund a comprehensive strategy for debris tracking and management, including international outreach.
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"I cannot emphasize the importance of this issue enough, and we really need some action taken now," said Patricia Sanders, who chairs the panel.
Companies such as Northrop Grumman have proposed in-space collection and recycling stations -- basically additional satellites that would capture debris and either destroy it or melt it down and manufacture something new.
NASA is funding limited projects to repurpose space debris, including a mission by Houston-based Nanoracks to convert spent rocket boosters in orbit into useful technology and possibly even human habitats -- what the company calls Outposts.
"We are rapidly reaching the point where we have to be concerned about how we dispose of hardware," Jeffery Manber, CEO of NanoRacks, said in an interview Friday.
His company has $15 million from NASA to begin the experiment and plans to launch next year a robotic cutting machine that will study how to cut metal in space.
The in-space cutting demonstration will last about an hour and will provide data to NanoRacks for expanded experiments, Manber said.
"Habitats are a goal, but we are focused now on utility," he said. "We're thinking about turning used space debris into recycling centers or storage depots and possibly even new space stations."
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More than 5,000 satellites orbit the Earth, 3,000 of which are inoperative. About 14,000 pieces of space debris larger than 10 centimeters in diameter exist, while smaller objects that often result from collisions may number around 600,000, according to NASA and scientists who track the debris.
Meanwhile, companies like SpaceX and OneWeb plan to launch tens of thousands of new satellites to low-Earth orbit. Those satellites are able to deorbit and burn up in the atmosphere quickly, but such plans will further crowd the heavens.
Space debris "not only presents some standing safety concerns for NASA, especially for humans and spacecraft, but it also is a growing threat to the sustainability of space as a peaceful domain for science exploration, innovation and commerce," said Susan Helms, a retired astronaut and panel member.
Helms noted that some progress has been made, but she said "it is well overdue that the U.S. exert some effective international leadership in the safety of space operations."
The panel expects NASA to make sure all future budget requests include funding for such a comprehensive approach, she said.