upi--2020-11-19--SpaceX's Starlink satellites are ruining stargazing for everyone

Nov. 19 ( UPI ) -- I walk outside my rural Saskatchewan house before dawn and look up , expecting to have my breath taken away by the sheer number of stars overhead .
I 'm a professional astronomer , but I still appreciate naked-eye stargazing as much as an eager child .
This is the first place I 've lived that 's dark enough to easily see the Milky Way , and I 'm stunned and awed every time I look up .
This time though , I curse softly .
There 's a bright satellite .
And another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another .
I used to be excited about seeing artificial satellites , but now I know what 's coming .
We 're about to undergo a dramatic transition in our experience of satellites .
No longer will you escape your city for a camping trip and see the stars unobstructed : you will have to look through a grid of crawling , bright satellites no matter how remote your location .
If mega-constellations of satellites become reality , the night sky will become a mundane highway of moving lights , obscuring the stars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bright reflection of a satellite tracking across the stars , I am reminded of what has already been approved by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission -- the agency that regulates frequencies broadcast by satellites over the United States , effectively putting itself in charge of regulating every space launch on the planet .
SpaceX has received approval for 12,000 Starlink satellites and is seeking approval for 30,000 more .
Other companies are not far behind .
The Starlink mega-constellation would increase the number of active satellites more than tenfold : There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current Starlinks are brighter than 99 percent of them because they are in lower orbits , closer to the surface of Earth , and more reflective than Starlink engineers predicted .
SpaceX is launching sets of 60 satellites every couple of weeks , and there will be a thousand Starlinks in orbit by Christmas .
With the naked eye , stargazing from a dark-sky location allows you to see about 4,500 stars .
From a typical suburban location , you can see about 400 .
Simulations show that from 52 degrees north ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) hundreds of Starlinks will be visible for a couple of hours after sunset and before sunrise ( comparable to the number of visible stars ) and dozens of these will be visible all night during the summer months .
Light pollution has long been a threat to stargazing , but at least that can be escaped by leaving urban centers .
But satellites will be a global star-obscuring phenomenon , particularly bad at the latitudes of northern U.S. states , Canada and much of Europe .
To their credit , SpaceX and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in satellite Internet services -- have voluntarily started participating in discussions with professional astronomers on possible ways to mitigate the effects of thousands of bright satellites on specific observations , like interstellar objects .
SpaceX did also try a `` darksat '' coating , though preliminary measurements by astronomers showed that it was only marginally fainter than other Starlinks .
Meanwhile , launches continue with unmitigated , bright Starlinks .
Simulations show that professional astronomy and amateur astrophotography will be severely affected by bright mega-constellations .
Discoveries of hazardous near-Earth asteroids will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confusing their targets , leaving Earth more vulnerable to world-altering impacts .
The point of the Starlink mega-constellation is to provide global Internet access .
It is often stated by Starlink supporters that this will provide Internet access to places on the globe not currently served by other communication technologies .
But currently available information shows the cost of access will be too high in nearly every location that needs Internet access .
Thus , Starlink will likely only provide an alternate for residents of wealthy countries who have other ways of accessing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its plans , other companies are actively developing separate megaconstellations , and there are more in the works .
Currently , there are no rules about satellite orbits or right-of-way , and if a collision ( or multiple collisions ) should occur , it 's not clear who would be at fault and who would have to clean up the debris ( if that is even possible to do ) .
The only international law that applies to satellite debris , from 1972 , basically says that the country that launched the satellite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaves on the surface of the Earth after crashing .
Most satellites today are launched by private companies not governments , and most satellite debris remains abandoned in orbit , because there are no rules about cleanup .
There are thousands of pieces of this space junk , ranging in size from bolts to bus-sized dead satellites .
With tens of thousands of new satellites approved for launch , and no laws about orbit crowding , right-of-way or space cleanup , the stage is set for the disastrous possibility of Kessler Syndrome , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroy most satellites in orbit and prevent launches for decades .
As human beings , we have deep connections to the stars that extend back to the dawn of humanity and , indeed , we are made of material from ancient stars .
The Native Skywatchers program celebrates humanity 's time-honored love of the night sky and shares Indigenous knowledge of astronomy .
A Dakota elder recently shared her traditional knowledge of the skies : the Blue Woman spirit To Wiŋ lives in Wichakiyuhapi ( the Big Dipper ) , where she guides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our world and waits to greet our spirits at the door as we leave our world .
Large corporations like SpaceX and Amazon will only respond to legislation -- which is slow , especially for international legislation -- and consumer pressure .
Is having another source of Internet worth losing access to unobstructed stargazing for yourself and nearly every other person on the planet ?
Our species has been stargazing for thousands of years , do we really want to lose access now for the profit of a few large corporations ?
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and look up .
Enjoy the stars that you can see now , because without big changes in the plans of corporations that want to launch mega-constellations , your view of the stars is about to change dramatically .
Samantha Lawler is an assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Regina .
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

1/3
SpaceX launches 58 more Starlink satellites on its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on August 18.. Three SkySat Earth imaging satellites are also on board to hitch a ride to earth orbit. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 19 (UPI) -- I walk outside my rural Saskatchewan house before dawn and look up, expecting to have my breath taken away by the sheer number of stars overhead. I'm a professional astronomer, but I still appreciate naked-eye stargazing as much as an eager child. This is the first place I've lived that's dark enough to easily see the Milky Way, and I'm stunned and awed every time I look up. This time though, I curse softly. There's a bright satellite. And another following behind. And another. And another. Advertisement
I used to be excited about seeing artificial satellites, but now I know what's coming. We're about to undergo a dramatic transition in our experience of satellites. No longer will you escape your city for a camping trip and see the stars unobstructed: you will have to look through a grid of crawling, bright satellites no matter how remote your location.
Advertisement
Crowded orbits
If mega-constellations of satellites become reality, the night sky will become a mundane highway of moving lights, obscuring the stars. Now, every time I see the bright reflection of a satellite tracking across the stars, I am reminded of what has already been approved by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission -- the agency that regulates frequencies broadcast by satellites over the United States, effectively putting itself in charge of regulating every space launch on the planet.
SpaceX has received approval for 12,000 Starlink satellites and is seeking approval for 30,000 more. Other companies are not far behind.
The Starlink mega-constellation would increase the number of active satellites more than tenfold: There are around 3,000 active satellites in orbit; current Starlinks are brighter than 99 percent of them because they are in lower orbits, closer to the surface of Earth, and more reflective than Starlink engineers predicted.
SpaceX is launching sets of 60 satellites every couple of weeks, and there will be a thousand Starlinks in orbit by Christmas.
With the naked eye, stargazing from a dark-sky location allows you to see about 4,500 stars. From a typical suburban location, you can see about 400. Simulations show that from 52 degrees north (the latitude of both Saskatoon and London) hundreds of Starlinks will be visible for a couple of hours after sunset and before sunrise (comparable to the number of visible stars) and dozens of these will be visible all night during the summer months.
Advertisement
Light pollution has long been a threat to stargazing, but at least that can be escaped by leaving urban centers.
But satellites will be a global star-obscuring phenomenon, particularly bad at the latitudes of northern U.S. states, Canada and much of Europe.
Stellar sacrifices
To their credit, SpaceX and Amazon --- which is also investing in satellite Internet services -- have voluntarily started participating in discussions with professional astronomers on possible ways to mitigate the effects of thousands of bright satellites on specific observations, like interstellar objects.
SpaceX did also try a "darksat" coating, though preliminary measurements by astronomers showed that it was only marginally fainter than other Starlinks. Meanwhile, launches continue with unmitigated, bright Starlinks.
Simulations show that professional astronomy and amateur astrophotography will be severely affected by bright mega-constellations. Discoveries of hazardous near-Earth asteroids will be particularly devastated by the hundreds of Starlinks confusing their targets, leaving Earth more vulnerable to world-altering impacts.
The point of the Starlink mega-constellation is to provide global Internet access. It is often stated by Starlink supporters that this will provide Internet access to places on the globe not currently served by other communication technologies. But currently available information shows the cost of access will be too high in nearly every location that needs Internet access. Thus, Starlink will likely only provide an alternate for residents of wealthy countries who have other ways of accessing the Internet.
Advertisement
Crowding the night sky
Even if SpaceX changes its plans, other companies are actively developing separate megaconstellations, and there are more in the works.
Currently, there are no rules about satellite orbits or right-of-way, and if a collision (or multiple collisions) should occur, it's not clear who would be at fault and who would have to clean up the debris (if that is even possible to do). The only international law that applies to satellite debris, from 1972, basically says that the country that launched the satellite has to clean up any mess it leaves on the surface of the Earth after crashing.
Space junk - or orbital debris - is a growing problem.
Most satellites today are launched by private companies not governments, and most satellite debris remains abandoned in orbit, because there are no rules about cleanup. There are thousands of pieces of this space junk, ranging in size from bolts to bus-sized dead satellites.
With tens of thousands of new satellites approved for launch, and no laws about orbit crowding, right-of-way or space cleanup, the stage is set for the disastrous possibility of Kessler Syndrome, a runaway cascade of debris that could destroy most satellites in orbit and prevent launches for decades.
Advertisement
Losing our connections
As human beings, we have deep connections to the stars that extend back to the dawn of humanity and, indeed, we are made of material from ancient stars.
The Native Skywatchers program celebrates humanity's time-honored love of the night sky and shares Indigenous knowledge of astronomy. A Dakota elder recently shared her traditional knowledge of the skies: the Blue Woman spirit To Wiŋ lives in Wichakiyuhapi (the Big Dipper), where she guides new babies from the Star Nation into our world and waits to greet our spirits at the door as we leave our world.
Large corporations like SpaceX and Amazon will only respond to legislation -- which is slow, especially for international legislation -- and consumer pressure. Is having another source of Internet worth losing access to unobstructed stargazing for yourself and nearly every other person on the planet? Our species has been stargazing for thousands of years, do we really want to lose access now for the profit of a few large corporations?
On your next clear night, go outside and look up. Enjoy the stars that you can see now, because without big changes in the plans of corporations that want to launch mega-constellations, your view of the stars is about to change dramatically.
Advertisement
Samantha Lawler is an assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Regina.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


upi--2020-11-19--Gallup: Support in U.S. for death penalty at lowest point in decades

Nov. 19 ( UPI ) -- Support in the United States for capital punishment keeps declining and more Americans now oppose the death penalty than at any point in more than a half-century , according to a Gallup survey Thursday .
The survey shows that a majority of Americans still favor executions for criminals convicted of murder , but the share ( 55 % ) is at its lowest point since 1972 , when 50 % said they supported the practice .
The share of Americans ( 43 % ) who said they oppose the death penalty , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the late 1960s , according to the poll .
Support for capital punishment reached its peak ( 80 % ) in 1994 .
It dipped to 66 % by 2000 , but climbed to 70 % in the following years and again tumbled below 60 % in 2017 .
`` As public opinion has trended away from favoring the death penalty , state laws have also changed , '' Gallup wrote .
`` Twenty-two states do not allow the death penalty by law , with nearly half of those having enacted their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Three additional states -- California , Oregon and Pennsylvania -- have laws permitting the death penalty , but their governors have issued moratoriums on its use . ''
Politically , Republicans comprise the greatest share ( 80 % ) of supporters over the last four years .
Support is far lower among Democrats ( 39 % ) and independents ( 54 % ) .
Support is most common among non-Hispanic Whites ( 61 % ) , while fewer than half ( 46 % ) of non-Whites favor the practice , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major factor on the issue .
Americans born before 1946 ( 62 % ) and baby boomers ( 59 % ) , those born between 1946 and 1964 , have supported capital punishment the most since 2017 .
Thursday 's poll found varying support among those in Generation X ( 57 % ) , those born 1965-1979 , Millennials ( 51 % ) born 1980-1996 and Gen Z'ers ( 45 % ) born 1997-2002 .
The Gallup survey was published on the same day the federal government is set to carry out its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resumed in July for the first time in 17 years .
Gallup polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults living in every state and Washington , D.C. , for the survey , which has a margin of error of 4 points .

Support is most common among non-Hispanic Whites (61%), while fewer than half (46%) of non-Whites favor the practice, Thursday's survey shows. File Photo by Doug Smith/Florida Department of Corrections/Wikimedia Commons
Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Support in the United States for capital punishment keeps declining and more Americans now oppose the death penalty than at any point in more than a half-century, according to a Gallup survey Thursday. The survey shows that a majority of Americans still favor executions for criminals convicted of murder, but the share (55%) is at its lowest point since 1972, when 50% said they supported the practice. Advertisement
The share of Americans (43%) who said they oppose the death penalty, however, is lower now than at any point since the late 1960s, according to the poll.
Support for capital punishment reached its peak (80%) in 1994. It dipped to 66% by 2000, but climbed to 70% in the following years and again tumbled below 60% in 2017.
"As public opinion has trended away from favoring the death penalty, state laws have also changed," Gallup wrote. "Twenty-two states do not allow the death penalty by law, with nearly half of those having enacted their current laws in the past two decades.
"Three additional states -- California, Oregon and Pennsylvania -- have laws permitting the death penalty, but their governors have issued moratoriums on its use."
Advertisement
Politically, Republicans comprise the greatest share (80%) of supporters over the last four years. Support is far lower among Democrats (39%) and independents (54%).
Support is most common among non-Hispanic Whites (61%), while fewer than half (46%) of non-Whites favor the practice, the survey shows.
Age is also a major factor on the issue. Americans born before 1946 (62%) and baby boomers (59%), those born between 1946 and 1964, have supported capital punishment the most since 2017. Thursday's poll found varying support among those in Generation X (57%), those born 1965-1979, Millennials (51%) born 1980-1996 and Gen Z'ers (45%) born 1997-2002.
The Gallup survey was published on the same day the federal government is set to carry out its eighth execution of 2020. Federal executions resumed in July for the first time in 17 years.
Gallup polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults living in every state and Washington, D.C., for the survey, which has a margin of error of 4 points.


upi--2020-11-19--Bobby Brown Jr., son of Bobby Brown, dead at 28

Nov. 19 ( UPI ) -- Bobby Brown Jr. , the son of singer Bobby Brown , has died at the age of 28 .
Bobby Brown Jr. was discovered dead inside his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday , authorities confirmed to CNN .
The Los Angeles Police Department also confirmed Bobby Brown Jr. 's death to People magazine .
A cause of death has not been announced .
Officers had responded to a call for a medical emergency when Bobby Brown Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene .
Foul play is not suspected .
Bobby Brown Sr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had no comment on his son 's death .
Bobby Brown Jr. was the half brother of Bobbi Kristina Brown , who died at the age of 22 in 2015 .
Bobby Brown Sr. shared Bobbi Kristina Brown with his ex-wife Whitney Houston who died at the age of 48 in 2012 .
Bobbi Kristina Brown was discovered facedown and unresponsive in the bathtub of her Georgia home that she shared with her partner Nick Gordon .
An autopsy indicted that her death was caused by complications related to drugs and immersion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wrongful death case of Bobbi Kristina Brown , however , Gordon died at the age of 30 in January from a drug overdose .

Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Bobby Brown Jr., the son of singer Bobby Brown, has died at the age of 28.
Bobby Brown Jr. was discovered dead inside his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday, authorities confirmed to CNN.
Advertisement
The Los Angeles Police Department also confirmed Bobby Brown Jr.'s death to People magazine. A cause of death has not been announced.
Officers had responded to a call for a medical emergency when Bobby Brown Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene. Foul play is not suspected.
Bobby Brown Sr.'s agent Nick Szatmari said the singer had no comment on his son's death.
Bobby Brown Jr. was the half brother of Bobbi Kristina Brown, who died at the age of 22 in 2015. Bobby Brown Sr. shared Bobbi Kristina Brown with his ex-wife Whitney Houston who died at the age of 48 in 2012.
Bobbi Kristina Brown was discovered facedown and unresponsive in the bathtub of her Georgia home that she shared with her partner Nick Gordon. An autopsy indicted that her death was caused by complications related to drugs and immersion in water.
Advertisement
Gordon was found liable in the wrongful death case of Bobbi Kristina Brown, however, Gordon died at the age of 30 in January from a drug overdose.


upi--2020-11-19--Judge says Trump admin can't use COVID-19 to send back migrant children

Nov. 19 ( UPI ) -- A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop its policy of immediately deporting migrant children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent , over fears they could spread COVID-19 .
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday against the Homeland Security Department practice of using emergency health measures to send single children back across the border without first considering their humanitarian appeals .
Under the policy , the department cites the Public Health Service Act to impose stricter border controls , which allows them to send back thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The government said it has expelled more than 200,000 undocumented migrants since the policy began in March .
The department has argued that the expulsions are needed to protect border agents and the American public , arguing that holding unaccompanied children would spawn new COVID-19 outbreaks .
In his order , Sullivan ruled that the department must immediately halt those expulsions and denied a request that the order be delayed while the matter is litigated .
`` The court agrees that the undisputed authority granted in [ federal law ] is extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Sullivan wrote .
`` But that is entirely distinguishable from whether or not [ the law ] authorizes the government to expel persons . ''
The American Civil Liberties Union , which sought the injunction on behalf of a migrant child , called the injunction a `` critical step '' in stopping the administration 's `` unprecedented and illegal attempt to expel children under the thin guise of public health . ''
`` The administration 's order has already allowed for the rapid expulsion of more than 13,000 children in need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to apply for asylum , '' ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt , the lead attorney in the case , said .

A young child looks through the border fence into the United States at Playas de Tijuana in Tijuana, Mexico, on November 28, 2018. File Photo by Ariana Drehsler/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 19 (UPI) -- A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop its policy of immediately deporting migrant children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent, over fears they could spread COVID-19. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday against the Homeland Security Department practice of using emergency health measures to send single children back across the border without first considering their humanitarian appeals. Advertisement
Under the policy, the department cites the Public Health Service Act to impose stricter border controls, which allows them to send back thousands of unaccompanied children -- defying court-mandated protections.
The government said it has expelled more than 200,000 undocumented migrants since the policy began in March.
The department has argued that the expulsions are needed to protect border agents and the American public, arguing that holding unaccompanied children would spawn new COVID-19 outbreaks.
In his order, Sullivan ruled that the department must immediately halt those expulsions and denied a request that the order be delayed while the matter is litigated.
"The court agrees that the undisputed authority granted in [federal law] is extraordinary and that the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented," Sullivan wrote. "But that is entirely distinguishable from whether or not [the law] authorizes the government to expel persons."
Advertisement
The American Civil Liberties Union, which sought the injunction on behalf of a migrant child, called the injunction a "critical step" in stopping the administration's "unprecedented and illegal attempt to expel children under the thin guise of public health."
"The administration's order has already allowed for the rapid expulsion of more than 13,000 children in need of protection, who were legally entitled to apply for asylum," ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt, the lead attorney in the case, said.


upi--2020-11-19--AEW Dynamite: Cody Rhodes, Darby Allin team up

Nov. 19 ( UPI ) -- Cody Rhodes and newly crowned TNT Champion Darby Allin joined forces on Dynamite to take on FTW Champion Brian Cage and Ricky Starks of Team Taz .
Cage and Starks ' manager Taz was a guest commentator during the main event match .
Rhodes was accompanied to the ring by his coach Arn Anderson .
Anderson was thrown out of the match , however , after he got upset about Taz coming down to the ringside area and grabbing Rhodes ' foot .
Anderson threw a chair into the ring in anger which led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referee .
Rhodes was able to nail Starks with a Cross Rhodes but Cage responded with a Clothesline .
Cage then performed an Avalanche Drill Claw from the middle rope on Allin , in order to win the hard-hitting match .
Team Taz started to attack Rhodes and Allin afterwards until Will Hobbs entered the ring with a steel chair .
Hobbs picked up Cage 's FTW Championship but in a twist , used the title to strike down Rhodes instead .
Hobbs then joined Team Taz as Taz yelled at Rhodes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Dynamite , AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and and Kenny Omega were set to sign the contract for their championship match on Dec. 2 .
Omega came to the ring and awaited Moxley 's arrival , but he never showed up .
The champ was then found knocked out backstage with a bloody nose .
Moxley was attended to by medical personnel and was unable to take part in the contract singing .
Omega commented on how Moxley was trying to avoid their match and signed his part of the contract .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ added members MJF and his bodyguard Wardlow to their ranks , took a trip to Las Vegas .
MJF paid for the trip as a welcoming gift .
Chris Jericho , Jake Hager , Sammy Guevara , Santana and Ortiz were also present as the group partied and gambled .
MJF and Jericho drank too much and The Inner Circle ran into professional wresting veteran Konnan , who smoked with the team .
The segment then paid homage to the Hangover films as The Inner Circle woke up from their crazy night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of MJF earlier , had written the word soft all over MJF 's face .
Other moments from Dynamite included AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks defeating Top Flight ; Orange Cassidy defeating Kip Sabian ; Pac winning his return match against The Blade ; Pac reforming Death Triangle with Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero M ; and NWA Women 's World Champion Serena Deeb successfully defending her title against Thunder Rosa .
Dr. Britt Baker , who had attacked Rosa during the match , brawled with Rosa afterwards around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to break the fight up .

Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Cody Rhodes and newly crowned TNT Champion Darby Allin joined forces on Dynamite to take on FTW Champion Brian Cage and Ricky Starks of Team Taz.
Cage and Starks' manager Taz was a guest commentator during the main event match. Rhodes was accompanied to the ring by his coach Arn Anderson.
Advertisement
Anderson was thrown out of the match, however, after he got upset about Taz coming down to the ringside area and grabbing Rhodes' foot. Anderson threw a chair into the ring in anger which led to him being thrown out by the referee.
Rhodes was able to nail Starks with a Cross Rhodes but Cage responded with a Clothesline. Cage then performed an Avalanche Drill Claw from the middle rope on Allin, in order to win the hard-hitting match.
Team Taz started to attack Rhodes and Allin afterwards until Will Hobbs entered the ring with a steel chair. Hobbs picked up Cage's FTW Championship but in a twist, used the title to strike down Rhodes instead.
Advertisement
Hobbs then joined Team Taz as Taz yelled at Rhodes and Dynamite went off the air.
Also on Dynamite, AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and and Kenny Omega were set to sign the contract for their championship match on Dec. 2.
Omega came to the ring and awaited Moxley's arrival, but he never showed up. The champ was then found knocked out backstage with a bloody nose. Moxley was attended to by medical personnel and was unable to take part in the contract singing.
Omega commented on how Moxley was trying to avoid their match and signed his part of the contract.
The Inner Circle, who have recently added members MJF and his bodyguard Wardlow to their ranks, took a trip to Las Vegas. MJF paid for the trip as a welcoming gift.
Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz were also present as the group partied and gambled. MJF and Jericho drank too much and The Inner Circle ran into professional wresting veteran Konnan, who smoked with the team.
Advertisement
The segment then paid homage to the Hangover films as The Inner Circle woke up from their crazy night. Guevara, who had expressed his dislike of MJF earlier, had written the word soft all over MJF's face.
Other moments from Dynamite included AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks defeating Top Flight; Orange Cassidy defeating Kip Sabian; Pac winning his return match against The Blade; Pac reforming Death Triangle with Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero M; and NWA Women's World Champion Serena Deeb successfully defending her title against Thunder Rosa.
Dr. Britt Baker, who had attacked Rosa during the match, brawled with Rosa afterwards around the ringside area. AEW officials had to break the fight up.


upi--2020-11-19--Seth Curry to play for father-in-law Doc Rivers after 76ers-Mavericks trade

Nov. 19 ( UPI ) -- Guard Seth Curry will play for his father-in-law -- Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers -- after he was acquired in a trade during the NBA Draft Wednesday night , the team announced .
The Dallas Mavericks sent Curry to the 76ers in exchange for shooting guard Josh Richardson and the No .
36 pick in Wednesday 's draft .
Philadelphia selected power forward Tyler Brey with that pick , but the Colorado product will suit up for the Mavericks .
Curry -- who married Rivers ' daughter Callie in September 2019 -- averaged 12.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per game last season for the Mavericks .
The former Duke Blue Devil went undrafted in 2013 , but has played for the Mavericks , Memphis Grizzlies , Cleveland Cavaliers , Phoenix Suns , Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers .
The 76ers also made another draft-night trade on Wednesday when they sent center Al Horford , the No .
34 overall pick , a future first-round pick and the rights to Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for guards Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson .
Philadelphia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the No .
21 overall pick .

Seth Curry (R), the brother of Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (L), will suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2020-21 season. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Guard Seth Curry will play for his father-in-law -- Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers -- after he was acquired in a trade during the NBA Draft Wednesday night, the team announced. The Dallas Mavericks sent Curry to the 76ers in exchange for shooting guard Josh Richardson and the No. 36 pick in Wednesday's draft. Philadelphia selected power forward Tyler Brey with that pick, but the Colorado product will suit up for the Mavericks. Advertisement
Curry -- who married Rivers' daughter Callie in September 2019 -- averaged 12.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game last season for the Mavericks. The former Duke Blue Devil went undrafted in 2013, but has played for the Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers.
Curry shot a career-high 45.2% from 3-point range last season.
The 76ers also made another draft-night trade on Wednesday when they sent center Al Horford, the No. 34 overall pick, a future first-round pick and the rights to Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for guards Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson.
Advertisement
Philadelphia selected former Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey with the No. 21 overall pick.


upi--2020-11-19--U.S. set to execute Orlando Hall Thursday; 8th federal execution of 2020

Nov. 18 ( UPI ) -- The U.S. government is set to carry out its eighth execution this year on Thursday , putting to death a man convicted of murdering a 16-year-old Texas girl in 1994 .
Orlando Hall of Arkansas is set to die by lethal injection at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute , Ind.
, after 25 years on death row .
The District of Columbia U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that it would not intervene in Hall 's execution , or Brandon Bernard 's on Dec. 10 .
They were among 13 death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block federal executions after William LeCroy was found to have experienced pulmonary edema while conscious during his execution in September .
The 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals also denied a stay of execution on Wednesday night .
Hall 's attorneys sought the injunction on the grounds that his conviction was the product of racial discrimination .
Hall is Black and he was convicted by an all-White jury .
Hall , 49 , and four other men were found guilty of kidnapping and murdering Lisa Rene .
Prosecutors said they killed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about $ 4,700 from them as part of a drug deal .
The Justice Department said the men were involved in a marijuana trafficking operation in Pine Bluff , Ark.
, and traveled to Arlington , Texas , to confront one of the men .
They found his sister at their home and kidnapped her at gunpoint .
Prosecutors said the men drove Rene to a hotel in Arkansas , where they raped her before driving her to a park , beating her and burying her alive .
After the government announced Hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorneys said it would be a `` grave injustice '' to move forward with the execution .
They argued that although Hall never denied involvement in Rene 's death , they do n't believe the jury would have sentenced him to death if they knew `` key facts '' about his case .
`` Because Mr. Hall 's court-appointed attorneys conducted no meaningful investigation into the case , the jurors were unaware of the severe trauma Mr. Hall suffered growing up in a home marked by poverty and brutality , where he and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their parents ' marriage , '' a statement from Marcia Widder and Robert Owen said .
Of the five men charged with Rene 's murder , only Hall and one other , Bruce Webster , faced capital prosecution by the federal government .
The other three were allowed to sign plea deals for prison time in exchange for testifying against Hall and Webster .
Those three men have each served their sentences and been released from prison .
Defense attorneys also blamed racial bias in the selection of Hall 's all-White jury .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ team enlisted the help of a former state prosecutor known for keeping Black citizens from serving on criminal juries , '' Hall 's attorneys said .
`` In the years since Mr. Hall 's trial , the U.S. Supreme Court has expressly found that this very prosecutor , in a trial that preceded Mr. Hall 's , discriminated against Black potential jurors on account of their race and then lied under oath in an attempt to conceal his racist conduct . ''
An analysis released earlier this month by the Death Penalty Information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly Black Americans -- have disproportionately faced execution in the United States .
Of the 57 people presently on federal death row , 34 are persons of color .
More than two dozen are Black men and some were convicted by all-White juries .
If executed on Thursday , Hall will be the eighth person put to death by the federal government this year .
The Justice Department resumed federal executions in July after a 17-year hiatus .

A sign points to the Federal Correctional Complex, where the federal execution chamber is located, in Terre Haute, Ind., on July 15. Inmate Orlando Hall is scheduled to die there on Thursday. File Photo by Tannen Maury/EPA-EFE
Nov. 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. government carried out its eighth execution this year on Thursday, putting to death a man convicted of murdering a 16-year-old Texas girl in 1994. Orlando Hall of Arkansas died by lethal injection at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., after 25 years on death row. He was pronounced dead at 11:47 p.m., the Department of Justice announced in a statement. Advertisement
Hall was executed following an 11th hour decision by the Supreme Court to vacate a lower court's stay, with Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan saying they would have ruled against the government.
The Supreme Court overturned District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan who ruled a stay of execution earlier Thursday, saying in her opinion that "the public interest is not served by executing individuals in this manner."
Advertisement
"The court is deeply concerned that the government intends to proceed with a method of execution that this court and the Court of Appeals have found violates federal law," she wrote.
A divided District of Columbia U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that it would not intervene in Hall's execution, or Brandon Bernard's on Dec. 10., in a case objecting to the government's use of the pentobarbital drug in lethal injection executions. They were among 13 death row inmates who sought an injunction to block federal executions after William LeCroy was found to have experienced pulmonary edema while conscious during his execution in September.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also denied a stay of execution on Wednesday night. Hall's attorneys sought the injunction on the grounds that his conviction was the product of racial discrimination. Hall is Black and he was convicted by an all-White jury.
Hall, 49, and four other men were found guilty of kidnapping and murdering Lisa Rene. Prosecutors said they killed the teen because her two older brothers stole about $4,700 from them as part of a drug deal.
The Justice Department said the men were involved in a marijuana trafficking operation in Pine Bluff, Ark., and traveled to Arlington, Texas, to confront one of the men. They found his sister at their home and kidnapped her at gunpoint.
Advertisement
Prosecutors said the men drove Rene to a hotel in Arkansas, where they raped her before driving her to a park, beating her and burying her alive.
After the government announced Hall's execution date in September, his attorneys said it would be a "grave injustice" to move forward with the execution. They argued that although Hall never denied involvement in Rene's death, they don't believe the jury would have sentenced him to death if they knew "key facts" about his case.
"Because Mr. Hall's court-appointed attorneys conducted no meaningful investigation into the case, the jurors were unaware of the severe trauma Mr. Hall suffered growing up in a home marked by poverty and brutality, where he and his siblings witnessed almost daily violence in their parents' marriage," a statement from Marcia Widder and Robert Owen said.
Of the five men charged with Rene's murder, only Hall and one other, Bruce Webster, faced capital prosecution by the federal government. The other three were allowed to sign plea deals for prison time in exchange for testifying against Hall and Webster. Those three men have each served their sentences and been released from prison.
Advertisement
Defense attorneys also blamed racial bias in the selection of Hall's all-White jury.
"During jury selection, the prosecution team enlisted the help of a former state prosecutor known for keeping Black citizens from serving on criminal juries," Hall's attorneys said.
"In the years since Mr. Hall's trial, the U.S. Supreme Court has expressly found that this very prosecutor, in a trial that preceded Mr. Hall's, discriminated against Black potential jurors on account of their race and then lied under oath in an attempt to conceal his racist conduct."
An analysis released earlier this month by the Death Penalty Information Center found that people of color -- particularly Black Americans -- have disproportionately faced execution in the United States.
Of the 57 people presently on federal death row, 34 are persons of color. More than two dozen are Black men and some were convicted by all-White juries.
Hall was the eighth person put to death by the federal government this year. The Justice Department resumed federal executions in July after a 17-year hiatus.
The federal government had scheduled three executions to be carried out between Election Day and the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. Some critics, including Democrats in Congress, have called for the Trump administration to halt those executions and leave them for the next administration to handle.
Advertisement
The DPIC said a federal execution hasn't been carried out during a lame-duck presidency since 1880 under the administration of President Grover Cleveland -- that of Richard Smith.
"These executions are a further illustration of how deviant and dangerously out of touch this government's conduct has been during the entire course of this execution spree," DPIC Executive Director Robert Dunham said.
"No lame-duck president has attempted to carry out an execution in more than a century. And to cavalierly do so, as infections from a virus that has killed a quarter million Americans are exploding across the country, exhibits a pathological lack of concern for public health and safety."


upi--2020-11-19--Report: Australian special forces unlawfully killed 39 Afghans

Nov. 19 ( UPI ) -- Australian special forces committed 39 unlawful killings during operations in Afghanistan , according to a new report released Thursday that recommended federal police investigate 19 soldiers for criminal prosecution .
Australia Defense Chief Angus Campbell said Thursday the report 's findings allege the most serious breaches of military conduct and that he apologizes to the people of Afghanistan for the crimes committed by his soldiers .
`` It 's my duty , and that of my fellow chiefs , to set things right , '' he said .
Quoting the report , Campbell blamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a `` warrior culture . ''
`` A misplaced focus on prestige , status and power , turning away from the regiment 's heritage of military excellence fused with the quiet humility of service , '' he said .
`` As the units became consumed with preparing for and fighting the war , much of the good order and discipline of military life fell away .
Cutting corners , bending and ignoring rules was normalized . ''
The report released by the Australian Defense Force Inspector-General was based on more than 20,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as interviews with 423 witnesses .
The report was initiated in 2016 following the surfacing of rumors and allegations that some soldiers may have breached the Law of Armed Conflict in the Middle Eastern country from 2005 to 2016 .
During the four-year investigation , the report found 23 incidents in which 39 people were unlawfully killed by or at the direction of special forces soldiers that would meet the definition of a war crime in court .
It also found two incidents when a person was mistreated that would also reach the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Twenty-five current and former Australian Defense Force soldiers were involved in these incidents as either the perpetrators or as principals or accessories , it said .
`` None of these are incidents of disputable decisions made under pressure in the heat of battle , '' the report said .
`` The cases in which it has been found that there is credible information of a war crime are ones in which it was or should have been plain that the person killed was a non-combatant . ''
The report said there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by their patrol commanders to shoot a prisoner in order to achieve that soldier 's first kill -- a practice known as `` blooding . ''
It also said some members of the Special Operations Task Group carried foreign weapons or equipment known as `` throwdowns , '' which were to be placed with bodies for the purposes of portraying them as legitimate targets .
Campbell said he accepted the report 's 143 recommendations , which will be implemented through a plan currently being developed .
`` To the people of Afghanistan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I sincerely and unreservedly apologize for any wrongdoing by Australian soldiers , '' he said .
The office of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani tweeted that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had called him and `` expressed his deepest sorrow over the misconduct by some Australian troops '' and assured him of investigations and justice .

An Afghan Air Force MD-530 helicopter flies over Afghan National Defense and Security Forces members during an air-to-ground integration exercise in Kabul Province, Afghanistan, in 2016. File Photo by Kay M. Nissen/NATO | License Photo
Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Australian special forces committed 39 unlawful killings during operations in Afghanistan, according to a new report released Thursday that recommended federal police investigate 19 soldiers for criminal prosecution. Australia Defense Chief Angus Campbell said Thursday the report's findings allege the most serious breaches of military conduct and that he apologizes to the people of Afghanistan for the crimes committed by his soldiers. Advertisement
"It's my duty, and that of my fellow chiefs, to set things right," he said.
Quoting the report, Campbell blamed the killings on the soldiers' embrace of a "warrior culture."
"A misplaced focus on prestige, status and power, turning away from the regiment's heritage of military excellence fused with the quiet humility of service," he said. "As the units became consumed with preparing for and fighting the war, much of the good order and discipline of military life fell away. Cutting corners, bending and ignoring rules was normalized."
The report released by the Australian Defense Force Inspector-General was based on more than 20,000 documents and 25,000 images, as well as interviews with 423 witnesses. The report was initiated in 2016 following the surfacing of rumors and allegations that some soldiers may have breached the Law of Armed Conflict in the Middle Eastern country from 2005 to 2016.
Advertisement
During the four-year investigation, the report found 23 incidents in which 39 people were unlawfully killed by or at the direction of special forces soldiers that would meet the definition of a war crime in court. It also found two incidents when a person was mistreated that would also reach the threshold in court of a war crime.
Twenty-five current and former Australian Defense Force soldiers were involved in these incidents as either the perpetrators or as principals or accessories, it said.
"None of these are incidents of disputable decisions made under pressure in the heat of battle," the report said. "The cases in which it has been found that there is credible information of a war crime are ones in which it was or should have been plain that the person killed was a non-combatant."
The report said there was credible information that junior soldiers were required by their patrol commanders to shoot a prisoner in order to achieve that soldier's first kill -- a practice known as "blooding."
It also said some members of the Special Operations Task Group carried foreign weapons or equipment known as "throwdowns," which were to be placed with bodies for the purposes of portraying them as legitimate targets.
Advertisement
Campbell said he accepted the report's 143 recommendations, which will be implemented through a plan currently being developed.
"To the people of Afghanistan, on behalf of the Australian Defense Force, I sincerely and unreservedly apologize for any wrongdoing by Australian soldiers," he said.
The office of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani tweeted that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had called him and "expressed his deepest sorrow over the misconduct by some Australian troops" and assured him of investigations and justice.


upi--2020-11-19--Ex-Green Beret pleads guilty to spying for Russia

Nov. 19 ( UPI ) -- A former U.S. Army Green Beret has pleaded guilty to espionage charges for having spied on the United States for Russia for nearly two decades .
Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins , 45 , of Gainesvilles , Va. , pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring with Russian intelligence agents to give them national defense information from 1996 to 2011 .
`` Debbins today acknowledged that he violated this country 's highest trust by passing sensitive national security information to the Russians , '' John C. Demers , the assistant attorney general for National Security , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his oath , his country and his Special Forces team members with the intent to harm the United States and help Russia . ''
Debbins , whose mother was born in the former Soviet Union , was encouraged to join the U.S. Special Forces by Russian agents , which he did in 1998 and was granted top secret security clearance .
He was honorably discharged in 2005 .
According to prosecutors , Debbins gave information to Russian agents concerning his chemical and Special Forces units , and in 2008 , after leaving active @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the names of , and information about , his former team members so agents could evaluate whether to recruit them .
During the conspiracy , Debbins also visited Russia periodically to meet with Russian agents , the Justice Department said .
`` Debbins betrayed this nation and his fellow servicemen , putting Americans and our national security at risk by providing national defense information to Russia 's intelligence service , '' Steven M. D'Antuono , assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office , said in a statement .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and U.S. national security , he chose to abuse this trust by knowingly providing classified information to one of our most aggressive adversaries . ''
Debbins , who was arrested in August , faces life in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 26 .

Former U.S. Army Green Beret Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, pleaded guilty Wednesday to spying for Russian intelligence agents. Photo courtesy of Alexandria Sheriff's Office
Nov. 19 (UPI) -- A former U.S. Army Green Beret has pleaded guilty to espionage charges for having spied on the United States for Russia for nearly two decades. Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, of Gainesvilles, Va., pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring with Russian intelligence agents to give them national defense information from 1996 to 2011. Advertisement
"Debbins today acknowledged that he violated this country's highest trust by passing sensitive national security information to the Russians," John C. Demers, the assistant attorney general for National Security, said in a statement. "Debbins betrayed his oath, his country and his Special Forces team members with the intent to harm the United States and help Russia."
Debbins, whose mother was born in the former Soviet Union, was encouraged to join the U.S. Special Forces by Russian agents, which he did in 1998 and was granted top secret security clearance. He was honorably discharged in 2005.
According to prosecutors, Debbins gave information to Russian agents concerning his chemical and Special Forces units, and in 2008, after leaving active duty, he disclosed classified information, including the names of, and information about, his former team members so agents could evaluate whether to recruit them.
Advertisement
During the conspiracy, Debbins also visited Russia periodically to meet with Russian agents, the Justice Department said.
"Debbins betrayed this nation and his fellow servicemen, putting Americans and our national security at risk by providing national defense information to Russia's intelligence service," Steven M. D'Antuono, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, said in a statement. "Despite being entrusted to protect his colleagues and U.S. national security, he chose to abuse this trust by knowingly providing classified information to one of our most aggressive adversaries."
Debbins, who was arrested in August, faces life in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 26.


upi--2020-11-19--Physical, mental ills of COVID-19 can linger months after recovery

Patients who survive severe COVID-19 after being hospitalized are not necessarily home-free upon discharge , new research warns .
After tracking outcomes among 1,250 COVID-19 patients for two months after being released from the hospital , investigators found that nearly 7 % ultimately died in the weeks following their release , while 15 % ended up being readmitted to the hospital .
Many others said they continued to struggle with symptoms and were unable to resume their usual lifestyle or return to work .
`` COVID is not a 'one-and-done ' disease , '' said study author Dr. Vineet Chopra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medicine with Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor .
`` Rather , there are many complications and consequences that patients continued to struggle with , '' he said .
`` Our findings suggest that we need to approach post-hospitalization COVID care differently , '' Chopra said .
`` Yes , there are medical needs .
But there are also more pressing needs in terms of mental well-being , financial and emotional stress , being able to regain independence , [ and ] return to work .
We need policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues . ''
Among an initial pool of about 1,650 seriously ill COVID-19 patients , nearly one-quarter died while undergoing treatment in 38 hospitals across the United States .
Investigators focused on the remaining 75 % who were discharged at some point between March and July 2020 .
On average , released patients were 62 years of age .
A little more than half were Black and just over one-third were white .
While hospitalized , about 13 % had spent part of their time in the intensive care unit , 6 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % had been treated with supplemental oxygen .
Nearly 500 patients participated in a follow-up phone survey 60 days out .
By that point , nearly one-third said they experienced persistent symptoms ; nearly one in five said they experienced new or worse symptoms after release ; and about 40 % were unable to resume their normal routines .
Only about one-quarter said they had been able to return to work , according to the report .
Roughly half said their poor health had a mild or moderate effect on their emotional state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 had taken a mild or moderate hit on their finances , with about 10 % saying they had used up all or most of their savings .
`` In general , we know very little about what happens to patients following discharge from the hospital , '' Chopra acknowledged .
`` I think we were also surprised to hear of how much of a struggle life after COVID has been for many of the survivors , '' he noted .
And while acknowledging that some of that struggle might be shared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stressed the unique challenges COVID-19 survivors face .
`` Unlike other serious illness when you have support from family , many post-COVID patients found themselves alone , isolated [ or ] quarantined , experiencing stigma and challenges accessing health care again , '' Chopra said .
`` This is especially true for the vast majority of patients we saw from inner-city areas who were often economically disadvantaged to begin with . ''
The findings were published this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine .
Dr. Colin Franz , a physician/scientist with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the finding that stands out for him is that even two months after being released from the hospital many of the patients remained unable to return to work .
Franz pointed to a number of likely reasons why , including `` persistent fatigue , 'brain fog , ' as well as neuromuscular problems stemming from nerve and muscle damage . ''
Though not part of this study , Franz 's own research has further identified a risk for enduring peripheral nerve and muscle damage that is higher than what 's typically seen among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other types of illnesses .
The upshot , he said , is that there is an `` extreme risk of persistent disability for survivors of COVID-19 who required hospitalization . ''
Franz noted that some of that disability may ultimately be linked to the risks associated with being hospitalized and undergoing treatment for any serious illness .
`` For example , patients who spend a long time on a ventilator for reasons other than COVID-19 tend to be very debilitated afterwards , '' he said .
Figuring out which lingering health issues are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more investigation , he added .

Patients who survive severe COVID-19 after being hospitalized are not necessarily home-free upon discharge, new research warns.
After tracking outcomes among 1,250 COVID-19 patients for two months after being released from the hospital, investigators found that nearly 7% ultimately died in the weeks following their release, while 15% ended up being readmitted to the hospital.
Advertisement
Many others said they continued to struggle with symptoms and were unable to resume their usual lifestyle or return to work.
"COVID is not a 'one-and-done' disease," said study author Dr. Vineet Chopra, chief of the division of hospital medicine with Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "Rather, there are many complications and consequences that patients continued to struggle with," he said.
"Our findings suggest that we need to approach post-hospitalization COVID care differently," Chopra said. "Yes, there are medical needs. But there are also more pressing needs in terms of mental well-being, financial and emotional stress, being able to regain independence, [and] return to work. We need policy and programmatic approaches to help with these issues."
Advertisement
Among an initial pool of about 1,650 seriously ill COVID-19 patients, nearly one-quarter died while undergoing treatment in 38 hospitals across the United States. Investigators focused on the remaining 75% who were discharged at some point between March and July 2020.
On average, released patients were 62 years of age. A little more than half were Black and just over one-third were white. While hospitalized, about 13% had spent part of their time in the intensive care unit, 6% had been on a ventilator and 70% had been treated with supplemental oxygen.
Nearly 500 patients participated in a follow-up phone survey 60 days out.
By that point, nearly one-third said they experienced persistent symptoms; nearly one in five said they experienced new or worse symptoms after release; and about 40% were unable to resume their normal routines.
Only about one-quarter said they had been able to return to work, according to the report.
Roughly half said their poor health had a mild or moderate effect on their emotional state of mind. And about half said COVID-19 had taken a mild or moderate hit on their finances, with about 10% saying they had used up all or most of their savings.
Advertisement
"In general, we know very little about what happens to patients following discharge from the hospital," Chopra acknowledged.
"I think we were also surprised to hear of how much of a struggle life after COVID has been for many of the survivors," he noted. And while acknowledging that some of that struggle might be shared with survivors of other serious illnesses, Chopra stressed the unique challenges COVID-19 survivors face.
"Unlike other serious illness when you have support from family, many post-COVID patients found themselves alone, isolated [or] quarantined, experiencing stigma and challenges accessing health care again," Chopra said. "This is especially true for the vast majority of patients we saw from inner-city areas who were often economically disadvantaged to begin with."
The findings were published this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Colin Franz, a physician/scientist with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, said the finding that stands out for him is that even two months after being released from the hospital many of the patients remained unable to return to work.
Franz pointed to a number of likely reasons why, including "persistent fatigue, 'brain fog,' as well as neuromuscular problems stemming from nerve and muscle damage."
Though not part of this study, Franz's own research has further identified a risk for enduring peripheral nerve and muscle damage that is higher than what's typically seen among patients coming out of the ICU following other types of illnesses.
Advertisement
The upshot, he said, is that there is an "extreme risk of persistent disability for survivors of COVID-19 who required hospitalization."
Franz noted that some of that disability may ultimately be linked to the risks associated with being hospitalized and undergoing treatment for any serious illness.
"For example, patients who spend a long time on a ventilator for reasons other than COVID-19 tend to be very debilitated afterwards," he said. Figuring out which lingering health issues are directly attributable to the coronavirus will take more investigation, he added.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-11-19--Lebanon battles COVID-19 surge with new lockdown

BEIRUT , Lebanon , Nov. 19 ( UPI ) -- Lebanon 's government is fighting a surge of COVID-19 cases amid a shortage of medical staff and equipment with a new two-week lockdown .
But many people , desperate to earn money for food , are not staying home .
Restrictions were largely observed when they started on Saturday , with a 24-hour general curfew imposed Sunday that left the streets nearly deserted and most people staying indoors .
But by Monday , many who were not allowed to drive on that day were circulating in their cars while others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doors .
Police have issued 15,116 tickets for violations .
About 85 percent of the population has been following restrictions .
`` If we close , who is going to feed us ? ''
Afif , a 29-year-old father of three who works at a linen store in Beirut 's Tarik al Jadide neighborhood , told UPI .
`` If I do n't work , I do n't get paid and so I ca n't bring food to my family .
The store owner is doing his best to support his employees , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disastrous economic conditions ? ''
Afif , who spoke on the condition his last name be withheld , said `` health comes first '' and he is wearing a face mask and practicing social distancing .
But , he said , `` There is also a reality ... many can not even afford to buy a bundle of bread . ''
A parcel of bread is going for 1,500 Lebanese pounds ( $ 1 at official rate and 25 cents at the black market rate ) .
Lebanon reported Wednesday more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the virus was first detected in February .
When daily cases reached more than 1,922 on Nov. 11 , the government decided to impose the new lockdown .
The pandemic arrived amid a devastating economic crisis , with poverty and unemployment on the rise -- misery further exacerbated by an Aug. 4 explosion at the Beirut port that destroyed a third of the city and left 300,000 homeless .
Under the first one-month lockdown at the end of March , the Beirut government distributed a one-time cash assistance of 400,000 Lebanese pounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) to the poorest families .
Aware of its limited resources and a dying private sector , the caretaker government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab opted for a two-week lockdown this time instead of the six weeks recommended by the World Health Organization in Lebanon .
Healthcare services , banks , factories , the judiciary , supermarkets and food stores are exempted from restrictions , while shops , restaurants , cafes , gyms , bars and nightclubs were ordered to close .
A 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew was imposed and driving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plate rule was applied .
Cars with license plates that end with an odd number are allowed to circulate on Mondays , Wednesdays and Fridays while those with license plates ending with an even number on Tuesdays , Thursdays and Saturdays .
`` We need to persevere , as we do n't have other options but to restrict activity .
The situation is extremely worrisome , '' Dr. Firas Abiad , director of the government-run Rafik Hariri University hospital in Beirut , told UPI .
`` Coronavirus is spreading , registering 15 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown was ordered , the hospital could no longer admit patients transferred from others because it was at capacity .
Even the emergency room was full .
`` The virus is moving faster , '' Abiad said , adding that the lockdown would `` allow us to stay one step ahead '' and avoid `` unnecessary deaths . ''
The reopening of the Beirut Airport on July 1 should have been managed better , he said , by imposing proper quarantine measures and following up on passengers , especially those from Africa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The port explosion might have contributed to a spike in coronavirus cases because of urgent rescue operations and resulting chaos `` but not as much as we have feared , '' Abiad said .
`` What the explosion did was to put a bigger strain on the medical sector with a number of hospitals destroyed and put out of service , '' he said .
Even before the port blast , Lebanon 's hospitals were strained by the economic crisis , forced to dismiss several doctors and nurses .
On Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cover unpaid bills amounting to 480 billion Lebanese pounds that have been accumulating since 2012 .
`` This is a whiff of oxygen so that we do n't drown , '' Suleiman Haroun , president of the Syndicate of Private Hospitals , told UPI .
`` We are facing a very bad and difficult situation ... We are trying as much as we can to keep operating with what 's available . ''
Health Minister Hamad Hassan has been urging the country 's 137 private hospitals to help fight coronavirus and prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have a big shortage in the medical staff to treat coronavirus patients ... we have to rehire those who were previously dismissed because of the financial crisis but many had already left the country , '' Haroun said .
The hospitals are in need of artificial respirators and only few of them are able to pay for them in cash -- $ 20,000 per unit -- due to banking restrictions on international transfers and withdrawals limited to specific monthly amounts in Lebanese pounds .
Meanwhile , the lockdown is expected to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The president of Lebanon 's Socio-Economic Council , Charles Arbid , told UPI the losses under the new lockdown could range from $ 750 million to $ 1 billion .
`` When you are locked down , you just eat ; you do n't even pay for gasoline , '' Arbid said .
`` This is very , very hard on restaurants , merchants , trade and tourism .
The question is whether we are going to open again in December . ''
Another closure , he said , will be `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Year festivities usually constituting 20 percent of the economic activities .
`` My real concern is poverty ... We are going from poverty to misery , '' said Arbid , expressing concerns that people have lost purchasing power , a growing number of people are emigrating and more small businesses are closing .
If a new cabinet is formed , a rescue plan is worked out with the International Monetary Fund and $ 1 billion is pumped in to compensate those who lost their houses and businesses in the port explosion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could begin .

1/2
Lebanese police officers check vehicle license plates at a checkpoint in Beirut, Lebanon, on Saturday as a new lockdown went into effect. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA-EFE
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Lebanon's government is fighting a surge of COVID-19 cases amid a shortage of medical staff and equipment with a new two-week lockdown. But many people, desperate to earn money for food, are not staying home. Restrictions were largely observed when they started on Saturday, with a 24-hour general curfew imposed Sunday that left the streets nearly deserted and most people staying indoors. Advertisement
But by Monday, many who were not allowed to drive on that day were circulating in their cars while others were working in their shops behind closed doors. Police have issued 15,116 tickets for violations. About 85 percent of the population has been following restrictions.
"If we close, who is going to feed us?" Afif, a 29-year-old father of three who works at a linen store in Beirut's Tarik al Jadide neighborhood, told UPI.
Advertisement
"If I don't work, I don't get paid and so I can't bring food to my family. The store owner is doing his best to support his employees, but what can he do more with the disastrous economic conditions?"
Afif, who spoke on the condition his last name be withheld, said "health comes first" and he is wearing a face mask and practicing social distancing. But, he said, "There is also a reality...many cannot even afford to buy a bundle of bread."
A parcel of bread is going for 1,500 Lebanese pounds ($1 at official rate and 25 cents at the black market rate).
Lebanon reported Wednesday more than 110,037 cases of coronavirus and 852 deaths since the virus was first detected in February. When daily cases reached more than 1,922 on Nov. 11, the government decided to impose the new lockdown.
The pandemic arrived amid a devastating economic crisis, with poverty and unemployment on the rise -- misery further exacerbated by an Aug. 4 explosion at the Beirut port that destroyed a third of the city and left 300,000 homeless.
Under the first one-month lockdown at the end of March, the Beirut government distributed a one-time cash assistance of 400,000 Lebanese pounds (about $150 at then-market rates) to the poorest families.
Advertisement
Aware of its limited resources and a dying private sector, the caretaker government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab opted for a two-week lockdown this time instead of the six weeks recommended by the World Health Organization in Lebanon.
Healthcare services, banks, factories, the judiciary, supermarkets and food stores are exempted from restrictions, while shops, restaurants, cafes, gyms, bars and nightclubs were ordered to close. A 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew was imposed and driving was banned on Sundays while odd-even license plate rule was applied. Cars with license plates that end with an odd number are allowed to circulate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while those with license plates ending with an even number on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
"We need to persevere, as we don't have other options but to restrict activity. The situation is extremely worrisome," Dr. Firas Abiad, director of the government-run Rafik Hariri University hospital in Beirut, told UPI. "Coronavirus is spreading, registering 15% positivity rate."
Just before the lockdown was ordered, the hospital could no longer admit patients transferred from others because it was at capacity. Even the emergency room was full.
"The virus is moving faster," Abiad said, adding that the lockdown would "allow us to stay one step ahead" and avoid "unnecessary deaths."
Advertisement
The reopening of the Beirut Airport on July 1 should have been managed better, he said, by imposing proper quarantine measures and following up on passengers, especially those from Africa, Iran and Italy, who tested positive.
The port explosion might have contributed to a spike in coronavirus cases because of urgent rescue operations and resulting chaos "but not as much as we have feared," Abiad said.
"What the explosion did was to put a bigger strain on the medical sector with a number of hospitals destroyed and put out of service," he said.
Even before the port blast, Lebanon's hospitals were strained by the economic crisis, forced to dismiss several doctors and nurses. On Monday, the caretaker health and finance ministers promised to cover unpaid bills amounting to 480 billion Lebanese pounds that have been accumulating since 2012.
"This is a whiff of oxygen so that we don't drown," Suleiman Haroun, president of the Syndicate of Private Hospitals, told UPI. "We are facing a very bad and difficult situation...We are trying as much as we can to keep operating with what's available."
Health Minister Hamad Hassan has been urging the country's 137 private hospitals to help fight coronavirus and prepare special sections for COVID-19 patients.
Advertisement
"We have a big shortage in the medical staff to treat coronavirus patients...we have to rehire those who were previously dismissed because of the financial crisis but many had already left the country," Haroun said.
The hospitals are in need of artificial respirators and only few of them are able to pay for them in cash -- $20,000 per unit -- due to banking restrictions on international transfers and withdrawals limited to specific monthly amounts in Lebanese pounds.
Meanwhile, the lockdown is expected to bring another economic blow to the private sector.
The president of Lebanon's Socio-Economic Council, Charles Arbid, told UPI the losses under the new lockdown could range from $750 million to $1 billion.
"When you are locked down, you just eat; you don't even pay for gasoline," Arbid said. "This is very, very hard on restaurants, merchants, trade and tourism. The question is whether we are going to open again in December."
Another closure, he said, will be "very harmful," with Christmas and New Year festivities usually constituting 20 percent of the economic activities.
"My real concern is poverty...We are going from poverty to misery," said Arbid, expressing concerns that people have lost purchasing power, a growing number of people are emigrating and more small businesses are closing.
Advertisement
However, he remained hopeful.
If a new cabinet is formed, a rescue plan is worked out with the International Monetary Fund and $1 billion is pumped in to compensate those who lost their houses and businesses in the port explosion, the relaunching of the country's economy could begin.


upi--2020-11-19--Famous birthdays for Nov. 19: Allison Janney, Meg Ryan

Nov. 19 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Scorpio .
-- James @ @ @ @ @ of the United States , in 1831 -- Explorer Hiram Bingham , discoverer of the @ @ @ @ @ , in 1875

Allison Janney attends the 30th annual GLAAD Media Awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California on March 28, 2019. The actor turns 61 on November 19. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Scorpio. They include: Advertisement
-- English King Charles I in 1600
-- James Abram Garfield, 20th president of the United States, in 1831
-- Explorer Hiram Bingham, discoverer of the Inca city of Machu Picchu, in 1875
-- Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1917
-- Actor Gene Tierney in 1920
-- Baseball Hall of Fame member Roy Campanella in 1921
-- Talk show host Larry King in 1933 (age 87)
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
-- Business executive Jack Welch in 1935
-- Entertainer Dick Cavett in 1936 (age 84)
-- Entrepreneur Ted Turner in 1936 (age 84)
-- Actor Dan Haggerty in 1942
-- Fashion designer Calvin Klein in 1942 (age 78)
File Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/UPI
-- Actor Kathleen Quinlan in 1954 (age 66)
-- Eileen Collins, first female space shuttle commander in 1956 (age 64)
-- Television personality Ann Curry in 1956 (age 64)
Advertisement
-- Actor Glynnis O'Connor in 1956 (age 64)
-- Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman in 1958 (age 62)
-- Actor Allison Janney in 1959 (age 61)
-- Actor Meg Ryan in 1961 (age 59)
File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI
-- Actor Jodie Foster in 1962 (age 58)
-- Actor Terry Farrell in 1963 (age 57)
-- Country singer Billy Currington in 1973 (age 47)
-- Entrepreneur Jack Dorsey in 1976 (age 44)
-- Olympic gymnast Kerri Strug in 1977 (age 43)
-- Actor Adam Driver in 1983 (age 37)
-- Rapper Tyga, born Michael Ray Stevenson, in 1989 (age 31)
-- Russian Olympic figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva in 1999 (age 21)
File Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI


upi--2020-11-19--On This Day, Nov. 19: Pete Conrad, Alan Bean walk on moon

Nov. 19 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1863 , U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on a Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania .
In 1932 , Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow carried out the first of their series of bank robberies .
The notorious gangsters would meet their end four years later .
In 1939 , U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid the cornerstone for his presidential library at Hyde Park , N.Y. During the ceremony , he taunted reporters with the suggestion he might run for a third term .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machine went into service at the Union Toll Plaza on New Jersey 's Garden State Parkway .
In 1969 , Apollo 12 landed on the moon .
Astronauts Pete Conrad and Alan Bean become the third and fourth humans to walk the on the moon .
In 1985 , President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met for the first time in Geneva , Switzerland .
In 1995 , in a close presidential runoff election in Poland , former Communist Party leader Aleksander Kwasniewski defeated incumbent Lech Walesa .
In 1997 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Des Moines , Iowa , the first time seven babies had been born and survived .
In 1998 , impeachment hearings against President Bill Clinton were initiated by the United States House of Representatives .
In 2002 , the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to create a Cabinet-level Homeland Security Department in the largest government reorganization in more than 50 years .
In 2005 , Prince Albert II formally became ruler of Monaco , assuming the throne of his late father , Prince Rainier .
In 2018 , Japanese authorities arrested Nissan Motors Chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income by about $ 44 million .
He was removed from the board in 2019 .

1/6
Astronaut Alan Bean walks on the surface of the moon November 19, 1969, as part of Apollo 12. File Photo courtesy of NASA
Nov. 19 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on a Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania. Advertisement
In 1932, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow carried out the first of their series of bank robberies. The notorious gangsters would meet their end four years later.
In 1939, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid the cornerstone for his presidential library at Hyde Park, N.Y. During the ceremony, he taunted reporters with the suggestion he might run for a third term.
In 1954, the first automatic toll collection machine went into service at the Union Toll Plaza on New Jersey's Garden State Parkway.
In 1969, Apollo 12 landed on the moon. Astronauts Pete Conrad and Alan Bean become the third and fourth humans to walk the on the moon.
In 1985, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met for the first time in Geneva, Switzerland.
File Photo by Larry Rubenstein/UPI
In 1995, in a close presidential runoff election in Poland, former Communist Party leader Aleksander Kwasniewski defeated incumbent Lech Walesa.
Advertisement
In 1997, Bobbi McCaughey gave birth to septuplets in Des Moines, Iowa, the first time seven babies had been born and survived.
In 1998, impeachment hearings against President Bill Clinton were initiated by the United States House of Representatives.
In 2002, the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to create a Cabinet-level Homeland Security Department in the largest government reorganization in more than 50 years.
In 2005, Prince Albert II formally became ruler of Monaco, assuming the throne of his late father, Prince Rainier.
Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene arrive on the red carpet at the 2016 Princess Grace awards gala at Cipriani 25 Broadway on October 24, 2016 in New York City. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
In 2018, Japanese authorities arrested Nissan Motors Chairman Carlos Ghosn on charges he understated his income by about $44 million. He was removed from the board in 2019.
File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI


upi--2020-11-20--Interview: ‘Fatima’ star Lucia Moniz: Film ‘brings up the power of love’

NEW YORK , Nov. 20 ( UPI ) -- Love Actually actress Lucia Moniz said she relished the dichotomy of playing a devout Catholic who doubts her own daughter 's claims of seeing the Virgin Mary in Fatima , a film based on real events and people .
`` Maria does n't believe in her daughter and she is also afraid of what impact this is going to have on everyone , which is something that should n't be the priority , '' Moniz told UPI in a recent Zoom conference .
Instead of being stunned by her daughter 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will say and fearful that God will punish her family because her child lied , the actress said Maria should have respected her daughter 's convictions , then defended her .
`` It does n't mean that she believes the Virgin Mary appeared , but believing in her daughter , that 's a different thing and that 's very , very important between parents and sons and daughters -- to have communication and connection , '' Moniz added .
Maria is a pillar of her community and the mother of Lucia dos Santos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ) a 10-year-old shepherd who , along with her two young cousins Jacinta ( Alejandra Howard ) and Francisco de Jesus Marto ( Jorge Lamelas , ) reported seeing apparitions of Jesus Christ 's mother in 1917 Portugal .
Goran Visnjic ( Timeless ) plays the town 's secular mayor and Joaquim de Almeida ( Warrior Nun ) plays the parish priest .
Both men , along with Maria , try to persuade Lucia to recant her story , but the child never wavers .
As World War I rages and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious pilgrims flock to the titular village in hopes of witnessing a miracle .
The Roman Catholic Church investigated Lucia 's claims and decided they have merit .
The church is nearing the end of its process to canonize Lucia , who died in 2005 , as a saint .
Jacinta and Francisco , who died of the Spanish flu as children shortly after the alleged miracle , have been declared saints by the church .
`` I want everyone to see how strong Lucia was , despite what her mother told her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No one believed in her and she just kept going , '' Gil told UPI in a separate interview about how her character was treated at the time of apparitions .
`` I want everyone to know that you should never give up .
Just go for what you want and believe in yourself . ''
Visnjic appreciated how ordinary the children appear in the film and how they stay true to their faith , even when the grownups around them try to stop them from telling their story .
`` They 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They 're just three kids taking care of their sheep and suddenly there is this beautiful young lady who comes to them , '' the actor told UPI .
`` She tells them some beautiful things and she delivers this message they need to tell people and they just do that .
There was no malice .
So , they 're really surprised when these adults suddenly start creating all this turmoil and politicians and church and government '' got involved .
Fatima was made in 2019 , before COVID-19 , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hardships pictured in the movie and possibly feel inspired by it .
`` A hundred years ago , it was the Spanish flu and , actually , Lucia 's mother passes through that and she 's very sick , '' the actress said .
`` This film also brings up the importance and the power of love and , for me , faith is equal to that -- how far we go for love , what we do for love and what we believe for love and to unite everyone , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , human beings that should all be together to make a better world . ''
It is up to an individual whether to believe the Virgin Mary visited three children in Europe a century ago , Visnjic said , acknowledging that , in a modern society where technology and information are readily available , it is difficult to convince the doubtful that an event actually happened without concrete evidence .
`` I just like to go back to basics and I like to say , 'What was the message these kids were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message .
It 's a positive message .
It 's about : love each other , pray more and be kind to each other , '' Visnjic said .
`` That 's something that we should take after watching this movie .
It 's a message of love . ''
Co-starring Harvey Keitel ( Reservoir Dogs ) and Sonia Braga ( Kiss of the Spider Woman , ) Fatima is available on DVD and digital platforms .
It was directed by Marco Pontecorvo whose credits include Game of Thrones and Letters to Juliet @

1/3
Lucia Moniz can now be seen in the faith-based film, "Fatima." Photo courtesy of Picturehouse
NEW YORK, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Love Actually actress Lucia Moniz said she relished the dichotomy of playing a devout Catholic who doubts her own daughter's claims of seeing the Virgin Mary in Fatima, a film based on real events and people. "Maria doesn't believe in her daughter and she is also afraid of what impact this is going to have on everyone, which is something that shouldn't be the priority," Moniz told UPI in a recent Zoom conference. Advertisement
Instead of being stunned by her daughter's story, worried about what her neighbors will say and fearful that God will punish her family because her child lied, the actress said Maria should have respected her daughter's convictions, then defended her.
"It doesn't mean that she believes the Virgin Mary appeared, but believing in her daughter, that's a different thing and that's very, very important between parents and sons and daughters -- to have communication and connection," Moniz added.
Advertisement
Maria is a pillar of her community and the mother of Lucia dos Santos (Stephanie Gil from The Salisbury Poisonings,) a 10-year-old shepherd who, along with her two young cousins Jacinta (Alejandra Howard) and Francisco de Jesus Marto (Jorge Lamelas,) reported seeing apparitions of Jesus Christ's mother in 1917 Portugal.
Goran Visnjic (Timeless) plays the town's secular mayor and Joaquim de Almeida (Warrior Nun) plays the parish priest. Both men, along with Maria, try to persuade Lucia to recant her story, but the child never wavers.
As World War I rages and the Spanish flu pandemic erupts, thousands of religious pilgrims flock to the titular village in hopes of witnessing a miracle.
The Roman Catholic Church investigated Lucia's claims and decided they have merit. The church is nearing the end of its process to canonize Lucia, who died in 2005, as a saint.
Jacinta and Francisco, who died of the Spanish flu as children shortly after the alleged miracle, have been declared saints by the church.
"I want everyone to see how strong Lucia was, despite what her mother told her, what the church told her. No one believed in her and she just kept going," Gil told UPI in a separate interview about how her character was treated at the time of apparitions. "I want everyone to know that you should never give up. Just go for what you want and believe in yourself."
Advertisement
Visnjic appreciated how ordinary the children appear in the film and how they stay true to their faith, even when the grownups around them try to stop them from telling their story.
"They're not portrayed as any saints or anything. They're just three kids taking care of their sheep and suddenly there is this beautiful young lady who comes to them," the actor told UPI.
"She tells them some beautiful things and she delivers this message they need to tell people and they just do that. There was no malice. So, they're really surprised when these adults suddenly start creating all this turmoil and politicians and church and government" got involved.
Fatima was made in 2019, before COVID-19, but Moniz said 2020 viewers will relate to the hardships pictured in the movie and possibly feel inspired by it.
"A hundred years ago, it was the Spanish flu and, actually, Lucia's mother passes through that and she's very sick," the actress said.
"This film also brings up the importance and the power of love and, for me, faith is equal to that -- how far we go for love, what we do for love and what we believe for love and to unite everyone, no matter their religion. It's just people, human beings that should all be together to make a better world."
Advertisement
It is up to an individual whether to believe the Virgin Mary visited three children in Europe a century ago, Visnjic said, acknowledging that, in a modern society where technology and information are readily available, it is difficult to convince the doubtful that an event actually happened without concrete evidence.
"I just like to go back to basics and I like to say, 'What was the message these kids were delivering?' It's a beautiful message. It's a positive message. It's about: love each other, pray more and be kind to each other," Visnjic said. "That's something that we should take after watching this movie. It's a message of love."
Co-starring Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs) and Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman,) Fatima is available on DVD and digital platforms. It was directed by Marco Pontecorvo whose credits include Game of Thrones and Letters to Juliet.


upi--2020-11-20--Secretary of State Mike Pompeo completes visit to Israel before heading to UAE

Nov. 20 ( UPI ) -- Mike Pompeo on Friday completed what 's expected to be his final trip to Israel as U.S. secretary of state by visiting a museum in Jerusalem founded by an evangelical supporter of President Donald Trump .
Mike Evans , creator of the Friends of Zion Museum , has been one of Trump 's most loyal supporters in the faith community with strong ties to Israel .
The museum recognizes Christian supporters of the Jewish state .
Pompeo said in a tweet that touring the museum was `` enriching '' and took the opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanctions movement , which aims to pressure Israel economically to end occupation in the West Bank .
Pompeo said at a joint news conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday the BDS movement is a `` cancer '' that the United States and Israel are committed to defeating .
Also Thursday , Pompeo visited Israeli settlements in the West Bank , the first U.S. secretary of state to do so .
`` Thanks to the Friends of Zion Museum for an enriching tour and continued support for U.S.-Israel relations , particularly efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Pompeo wrote in his tweet .
`` We share common causes of a safe , secure and prosperous Israel and a world free of anti-Semitism . ''
Pompeo said in his remarks Thursday that the United States will cut funding for any group that supports the BDS movement .
Some U.S. supporters of the movement say the threat would violate their freedom of speech .
Pompeo told The Jerusalem Post on Friday that the Trump administration has made the Middle East a safer place over the last four years , a reference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Arab Emirates , Bahrain and Sudan .
After departing Israel , Pompeo is scheduled to visit the UAE , Qatar and Saudi Arabia before returning to Washington , D.C. Pompeo , who has previously implied that Trump won the 2020 election , again declined Friday to acknowledge Joe Biden as the president-elect , saying they 're `` still counting votes . ''
Georgia , a key battleground state Biden won , completed a hand recount Thursday that affirmed the former vice president 's victory by about 14,000 votes .
Georgia is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden has yet to announce his nominee to head the State Department , but Pompeo has given no indication that he will visit Israel again before the Biden administration begins on Jan. 20 .
Pompeo also told the Post that the Trump administration will continue to take action to counter Iran .
`` It can not be the case that rewarding Iranian intransigence , rewarding terror , rewarding Iranians for building their enrichment programs is the right course of action to make Israel safer , '' he said .
`` It makes absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm belief that the continuation of the things we 've been doing leads to a very increased likelihood of a safer , more prosperous Middle East . ''
The New York Times reported last week that Pompeo was one of the administration officials who talked Trump out of an idea last week to bomb a nuclear development facility in Iran .

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, far left, visits the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem, Israel, on Friday with museum and government officials. Photo courtesy Mike Pompeo/Twitter
Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Mike Pompeo on Friday completed what's expected to be his final trip to Israel as U.S. secretary of state by visiting a museum in Jerusalem founded by an evangelical supporter of President Donald Trump. Mike Evans, creator of the Friends of Zion Museum, has been one of Trump's most loyal supporters in the faith community with strong ties to Israel. The museum recognizes Christian supporters of the Jewish state. Advertisement
Pompeo said in a tweet that touring the museum was "enriching" and took the opportunity to again criticize the Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions movement, which aims to pressure Israel economically to end occupation in the West Bank.
Pompeo said at a joint news conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday the BDS movement is a "cancer" that the United States and Israel are committed to defeating. Also Thursday, Pompeo visited Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the first U.S. secretary of state to do so.
"Thanks to the Friends of Zion Museum for an enriching tour and continued support for U.S.-Israel relations, particularly efforts to combat BDS and anti-Semitism internationally," Pompeo wrote in his tweet. "We share common causes of a safe, secure and prosperous Israel and a world free of anti-Semitism."
Advertisement
Pompeo said in his remarks Thursday that the United States will cut funding for any group that supports the BDS movement. Some U.S. supporters of the movement say the threat would violate their freedom of speech.
Pompeo told The Jerusalem Post on Friday that the Trump administration has made the Middle East a safer place over the last four years, a reference to recent normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.
After departing Israel, Pompeo is scheduled to visit the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia before returning to Washington, D.C.
Pompeo, who has previously implied that Trump won the 2020 election, again declined Friday to acknowledge Joe Biden as the president-elect, saying they're "still counting votes."
Georgia, a key battleground state Biden won, completed a hand recount Thursday that affirmed the former vice president's victory by about 14,000 votes. Georgia is expected to certify the votes Friday.
Biden has yet to announce his nominee to head the State Department, but Pompeo has given no indication that he will visit Israel again before the Biden administration begins on Jan. 20.
Pompeo also told the Post that the Trump administration will continue to take action to counter Iran.
Advertisement
"It cannot be the case that rewarding Iranian intransigence, rewarding terror, rewarding Iranians for building their enrichment programs is the right course of action to make Israel safer," he said.
"It makes absolutely no sense and so it's our firm belief that the continuation of the things we've been doing leads to a very increased likelihood of a safer, more prosperous Middle East."
The New York Times reported last week that Pompeo was one of the administration officials who talked Trump out of an idea last week to bomb a nuclear development facility in Iran.