upi--2020-06-13--Most asymptomatic COVID-19 cases stay that way, small study says

There 's been a lot of talk recently about the transmission dangers posed by people who are infected by the new coronavirus but show no symptoms .
Are many of these `` asymptomatic '' carriers simply in a stage of infection that later moves on to symptomatic COVID-19 ?
No , suggests a small , new study of cruise ship passengers and crew .
Japanese researchers were able to track outcomes for 96 coronavirus-infected passengers and crew aboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess , which made headlines recently .
`` In this cohort , the majority of asymptomatic infected persons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection , '' a team led by Dr. Yohei Doi , of Fujita Health University in Japan , reported June 12 in the New England Journal of Medicine .
The plight of the 700 passengers aboard the Diamond Princess grabbed the world 's attention in February as coronavirus spread through the vessel while it was docked in Japan .
As Doi and his colleagues reported , 96 passengers who tested positive for coronavirus infection but had no symptoms , plus 32 of their cabin mates who tested negative , were transferred for observation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan .
This allowed doctors the unique opportunity of tracking changes in the patients ' symptom status over time .
Among the 96 passengers who at first tested positive for coronavirus but showed no symptoms , only 11 -- about 11 percent -- went on to show any symptoms over the course of their infection , the Japanese team said .
That meant that those 11 patients `` had been presymptomatic , rather than asymptomatic '' for COVID-19 , the researchers explained .
That 's significant , due to controversy emerging earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement made by one of its officials that asymptomatic transmission of coronavirus `` appears to be rare . ''
The WHO quickly walked back from that statement , saying there simply is n't enough data to know right now how infectious asymptomatic carriers are .
Speaking with ABC 's `` Good Morning America '' on Wednesday , Dr. Anthony Fauci , head of the U.S. National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said current evidence suggests that anywhere from 25 percent to 45 percent of people infected with coronavirus will never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from epidemiological studies they can transmit to someone who is uninfected even when they 're without symptoms , '' he said .
`` People tend to be the most contagious before they develop symptoms , if they 're going to develop symptoms , '' CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta told the news agency .
`` They call that the presymptomatic period , '' he said .
`` So people tend to have more virus at that point seemingly in their nose , in their mouth .
This is even before they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shedding that virus into the environment . ''
The Diamond Princess also provided good data on which asymptomatic carriers might in reality be presymptomatic .
According to the study , patient age appears to be key : For every 1 year added to the patient 's age , the odds that he or she would go on to develop symptoms rose by 8 percent .
The researchers also had data on 90 passengers who remained asymptomatic throughout the course of their infections .
Among this group , their median age was 59 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as high blood pressure or diabetes , Doi and colleagues noted .
And by eight days after first testing positive for coronavirus infection , nearly half ( 48 percent ) of those 90 patients had tested negative ( meaning they had cleared the virus ) .
By 15 days that number had risen to 90 percent .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the new coronavirus .

A man wears a protective suit and face mask while riding a bicycle on Mott street in the Chinatown section of Manhattan in New York City in May. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
There's been a lot of talk recently about the transmission dangers posed by people who are infected by the new coronavirus but show no symptoms. Are many of these "asymptomatic" carriers simply in a stage of infection that later moves on to symptomatic COVID-19? Advertisement
No, suggests a small, new study of cruise ship passengers and crew.
Japanese researchers were able to track outcomes for 96 coronavirus-infected passengers and crew aboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess, which made headlines recently.
"In this cohort, the majority of asymptomatic infected persons remained asymptomatic throughout the course of their infection," a team led by Dr. Yohei Doi, of Fujita Health University in Japan, reported June 12 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The plight of the 700 passengers aboard the Diamond Princess grabbed the world's attention in February as coronavirus spread through the vessel while it was docked in Japan.
Advertisement
As Doi and his colleagues reported, 96 passengers who tested positive for coronavirus infection but had no symptoms, plus 32 of their cabin mates who tested negative, were transferred for observation and isolation to a hospital in central Japan.
This allowed doctors the unique opportunity of tracking changes in the patients' symptom status over time.
Among the 96 passengers who at first tested positive for coronavirus but showed no symptoms, only 11 -- about 11 percent -- went on to show any symptoms over the course of their infection, the Japanese team said.
That meant that those 11 patients "had been presymptomatic, rather than asymptomatic" for COVID-19, the researchers explained.
That's significant, due to controversy emerging earlier this week when the World Health Organization retracted a statement made by one of its officials that asymptomatic transmission of coronavirus "appears to be rare."
The WHO quickly walked back from that statement, saying there simply isn't enough data to know right now how infectious asymptomatic carriers are.
Speaking with ABC's "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said current evidence suggests that anywhere from 25 percent to 45 percent of people infected with coronavirus will never show symptoms.
Advertisement
"And we know from epidemiological studies they can transmit to someone who is uninfected even when they're without symptoms," he said.
Presymptomatic carriers are a bit different.
"People tend to be the most contagious before they develop symptoms, if they're going to develop symptoms," CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta told the news agency.
"They call that the presymptomatic period," he said. "So people tend to have more virus at that point seemingly in their nose, in their mouth. This is even before they get sick. And they can be shedding that virus into the environment."
The Diamond Princess also provided good data on which asymptomatic carriers might in reality be presymptomatic.
According to the study, patient age appears to be key: For every 1 year added to the patient's age, the odds that he or she would go on to develop symptoms rose by 8 percent.
The researchers also had data on 90 passengers who remained asymptomatic throughout the course of their infections. Among this group, their median age was 59, and 27 percent had chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure or diabetes, Doi and colleagues noted.
And by eight days after first testing positive for coronavirus infection, nearly half (48 percent) of those 90 patients had tested negative (meaning they had cleared the virus). By 15 days that number had risen to 90 percent.
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More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the new coronavirus.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-06-13--On This Day, June 13: Ahmadinejad declared president of Iran

On this date in history : In 323 B.C.
, Alexander the Great died of fever in Babylon at age 33 .
In 1910 , former President Theodore Roosevelt cured a severe case of seasickness which overcame his daughter Ethel 's dog , Bongo .
In 1944 , the first German V-1 `` buzz bomb '' hit London .
In 1966 , the U.S. Supreme Court , in Miranda vs. Arizona , ruled that police must inform all arrested people of their constitutional rights before questioning them .
In 1967 , President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African American on the high court in August .
In 1971 , The New York Times began publishing top secret , sensitive details and documents from 47 volumes that comprised the history of the U.S. decision making process on Vietnam policy , better known as the Pentagon Papers .
In 1976 , Arizona Republic investigative reporter Don Bolles died as a result of injuries suffered when a bomb blew up his car 11 days earlier .
He had been working on an organized crime story at the time of his death .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assassin of Martin Luther King Jr. , was captured in a Tennessee wilderness area after escaping from prison .
In 1983 , the robot spacecraft Pioneer 10 became the first man-made object to leave the solar system .
It did so 11 years after it was launched .
In 1993 , Canada got its first female prime minister when the ruling Progressive Conservative Party elected Kim Campbell to head the party and thus the country .
In 1994 , Nicole Brown Simpson , the ex-wife of former football star O.J .
Simpson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stabbed to death outside her condominium in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles .
Simpson was charged with the murders and acquitted in a trial that became a media sensation .
A civil court later found him liable in a wrongful-death lawsuit and , in an unrelated robbery case in Nevada , he was convicted in 2008 and sentenced to 33 years in prison .
In 1996 , members of the Freeman militia surrendered , 10 days after the FBI cut off electricity to their Montana compound .
The standoff lasted 81 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il meet for the first-ever inter-Korea summit in Pyongyang .
In 2005 , pop superstar Michael Jackson was acquitted by a California jury on charges of child molestation .
In 2009 , incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner in a disputed Iranian presidential election , touching off widespread clashes between protesters and police .
In 2011 , the complete Pentagon Papers , a secret history of the Vietnam War , were made public 40 years after the first leaks were published .
The excerpts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle with the Nixon administration and a landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court expanding freedom of the press .
In 2012 , ousted Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali , in exile and tried in absentia , was sentenced to life imprisonment for ordering the shooting of protesters .
In 2013 , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that human genes can not be patented .
In 2019 , the Toronto Raptors dethroned the defending champion Golden State Warriors 114-110 in Game 6 of the Finals to capture their first NBA championship in @ @ @

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Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrives for a press conference at the presidential palace in Tehran, Iran, on September 7, 2009. On this day in 2009, Ahmadinejad was declared the winner in a disputed Iranian presidential election. File Photo by UPI/STR | License Photo
On this date in history: In 323 B.C., Alexander the Great died of fever in Babylon at age 33. Advertisement
In 1910, former President Theodore Roosevelt cured a severe case of seasickness which overcame his daughter Ethel's dog, Bongo.
In 1944, the first German V-1 "buzz bomb" hit London.
In 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Miranda vs. Arizona, ruled that police must inform all arrested people of their constitutional rights before questioning them.
In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court. He became the first African American on the high court in August.
File Photo courtesy Library of Congress
In 1971, The New York Times began publishing top secret, sensitive details and documents from 47 volumes that comprised the history of the U.S. decision making process on Vietnam policy, better known as the Pentagon Papers.
Advertisement
In 1976, Arizona Republic investigative reporter Don Bolles died as a result of injuries suffered when a bomb blew up his car 11 days earlier. He had been working on an organized crime story at the time of his death.
In 1977, James Earl Ray, convicted assassin of Martin Luther King Jr., was captured in a Tennessee wilderness area after escaping from prison.
In 1983, the robot spacecraft Pioneer 10 became the first man-made object to leave the solar system. It did so 11 years after it was launched.
In 1993, Canada got its first female prime minister when the ruling Progressive Conservative Party elected Kim Campbell to head the party and thus the country.
In 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of former football star O.J. Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman were found stabbed to death outside her condominium in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles. Simpson was charged with the murders and acquitted in a trial that became a media sensation. A civil court later found him liable in a wrongful-death lawsuit and, in an unrelated robbery case in Nevada, he was convicted in 2008 and sentenced to 33 years in prison.
Advertisement
In 1996, members of the Freeman militia surrendered, 10 days after the FBI cut off electricity to their Montana compound. The standoff lasted 81 days.
In 2000, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il meet for the first-ever inter-Korea summit in Pyongyang.
In 2005, pop superstar Michael Jackson was acquitted by a California jury on charges of child molestation.
File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
In 2009, incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner in a disputed Iranian presidential election, touching off widespread clashes between protesters and police.
In 2011, the complete Pentagon Papers, a secret history of the Vietnam War, were made public 40 years after the first leaks were published. The excerpts leaked by Daniel Ellsberg led to a battle with the Nixon administration and a landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court expanding freedom of the press.
In 2012, ousted Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, in exile and tried in absentia, was sentenced to life imprisonment for ordering the shooting of protesters.
Advertisement
In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that human genes cannot be patented.
In 2019, the Toronto Raptors dethroned the defending champion Golden State Warriors 114-110 in Game 6 of the Finals to capture their first NBA championship in franchise history.


upi--2020-06-13--Famous birthdays for June 13: Rivers Cuomo, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

June 13 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Gemini .
-- Finnish @ @ @ @ @ of nine Olympic gold medals , in 1897

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Musician Rivers Cuomo arrives for the 47th annual American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on November 24. The Weezer frontman turns 50 on June 13. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
June 13 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Gemini. They include: Advertisement
-- U.S. Army Gen. Winfield Scott in 1786
-- Irish poet/dramatist William Butler Yeats in 1865
-- British actor Basil Rathbone in 1892
-- British author Dorothy L. Sayers in 1893
-- Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, winner of nine Olympic gold medals, in 1897
-- Mexican composer Carlos Chavez in 1899
-- Radio-TV host Ralph Edwards in 1913
-- Tennis Hall of Fame member Don Budge in 1915
-- Nobel economics laureate John Forbes Nash in 1928
-- Moroccan-born artist Jeanne-Claude in 1935
-- Bulgarian-born artist Christo, born Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, in 1935
-- Actor Malcolm McDowell in 1943 (age 77)
File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
-- Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 1944 (age 76)
-- Actor Stellan Skarsgard in 1951 (age 69)
-- Actor Richard Thomas in 1951 (age 69)
-- Comedian Tim Allen in 1953 (age 67)
-- Actor Ally Sheedy in 1962 (age 58)
-- Singer Rivers Cuomo in 1970 (age 50)
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-- TV personality Steve-O, born Stephen Glover, in 1974 (age 46)
-- Actor Chris Evans in 1981 (age 39)
File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
-- Actor/fashion designer Ashley Olsen in 1986 (age 34)
-- Actor/fashion designer Mary-Kate Olsen in 1986 (age 34)
-- Actor Kat Dennings in 1986 (age 34)
-- Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson in 1990 (age 30)


upi--2020-06-13--Rocket Lab launches Boston University's magnetosphere experiment

June 13 ( UPI ) -- A rocket launched five small satellites into orbit from New Zealand early Saturday morning , including a Boston University experiment to measure solar winds and the Earth 's magnetosphere .
California-based Rocket Labs , which owns the New Zealand launch site on the Mahia Peninsula , lofted the satellites aboard a company Electron rocket at 1:12 a.m. EDT .
The launch was delayed slightly by a cumulus cloud above the pad .
The launch had been postponed twice -- once in May because of travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic and again Thursday due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiment , the ANDESITE CubeSat , consists of one satellite the size of a toaster oven that is carrying eight tiny satellites inside .
They will be released to form a network that relays data to the small mothership .
The project aims to gain a better understanding of how solar winds change the environment in space near Earth , said Joshua Semeter , a professor of engineering at Boston University .
Electrical currents in the atmosphere run through plasma , or extremely heated matter , created by solar winds , Semeter said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a light bulb , '' he said .
`` We want to study how the current is distributed in the wires .
That , in turn , will tell us a lot about how the power is generated in the distant magnetosphere , a topic that is not well understood . ''
Such information could help predict space weather , including disruptions to satellite communications and Global Positioning Satellite networks , he said .
Sensors on the ground will record conditions in the sky as the ANDESITE network flies over the northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common .
Because the mission also carries spy satellites for the U.S. government , the company declined to reveal the orbit altitude .
The aurora borealis occurs at altitudes of about 75 miles to 110 miles up .
Semeter said the ANDESITE mothership initially will orbit 310 miles high and then drop to about 248 miles to before releasing the mini satellites..
The experiment is part of NASA 's CubeSat Launch Initiative , which promotes the use of small satellites for new space science experiments .
The mission also carried three payloads for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation 's spy satellites for intelligence agencies , as well as the M2 Pathfinder communications satellite for the University of New South Wales and the Australian government .
Rocket Lab named the mission `` Do n't Stop Me Now . ''
It 's the 12th mission launch of an Electron rocket , which is considered a small vehicle with about 34,000 pounds of thrust on liftoff .
By comparison , SpaceX 's Falcon 9 is capable of 1.7 million pounds of thrust on liftoff .
The mission does n't include testing or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make the first-stage booster reusable .

Rocket Lab's Electron rocket stands in the glow of a sunset in New Zealand on Friday as it waited for Saturday's launch. Photo courtesy of Rocket Lab
June 13 (UPI) -- A rocket launched five small satellites into orbit from New Zealand early Saturday morning, including a Boston University experiment to measure solar winds and the Earth's magnetosphere. California-based Rocket Labs, which owns the New Zealand launch site on the Mahia Peninsula, lofted the satellites aboard a company Electron rocket at 1:12 a.m. EDT. The launch was delayed slightly by a cumulus cloud above the pad. Advertisement
The launch had been postponed twice -- once in May because of travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic and again Thursday due to high winds.
Boston University's experiment, the ANDESITE CubeSat, consists of one satellite the size of a toaster oven that is carrying eight tiny satellites inside. They will be released to form a network that relays data to the small mothership.
The project aims to gain a better understanding of how solar winds change the environment in space near Earth, said Joshua Semeter, a professor of engineering at Boston University.
Electrical currents in the atmosphere run through plasma, or extremely heated matter, created by solar winds, Semeter said.
"It's like wires connected to a light bulb," he said. "We want to study how the current is distributed in the wires. That, in turn, will tell us a lot about how the power is generated in the distant magnetosphere, a topic that is not well understood."
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Such information could help predict space weather, including disruptions to satellite communications and Global Positioning Satellite networks, he said.
Sensors on the ground will record conditions in the sky as the ANDESITE network flies over the northern pole regions where the aurora borealis is common.
Because the mission also carries spy satellites for the U.S. government, the company declined to reveal the orbit altitude. The aurora borealis occurs at altitudes of about 75 miles to 110 miles up.
Semeter said the ANDESITE mothership initially will orbit 310 miles high and then drop to about 248 miles to before releasing the mini satellites..
The experiment is part of NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative, which promotes the use of small satellites for new space science experiments.
The mission also carried three payloads for the National Reconnaissance Office, which oversees the nation's spy satellites for intelligence agencies, as well as the M2 Pathfinder communications satellite for the University of New South Wales and the Australian government.
Rocket Lab named the mission "Don't Stop Me Now."
It's the 12th mission launch of an Electron rocket, which is considered a small vehicle with about 34,000 pounds of thrust on liftoff. By comparison, SpaceX's Falcon 9 is capable of 1.7 million pounds of thrust on liftoff.
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The mission doesn't include testing or development for Rocket Lab's continuing efforts to make the first-stage booster reusable.


upi--2020-06-13--Son of NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar arrested for allegedly stabbing neighbor

June 12 ( UPI ) -- The son of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was arrested earlier this week after allegedly stabbing his neighbor multiple times .
The Orange County Sheriff 's Department said Adam Abdul-Jabbar , 28 , was booked Wednesday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after a dispute in San Clemente , Calif .
He was later released after posting a $ 25,000 bail , according to department spokeswoman Carrie Braun .
The victim transported himself to a local hospital , according to police .
The man had multiple injuries but none were considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday around 10 p.m. local time .
Adam Abdul-Jabbar , who was cooperative , then was taken into custody .
Braun did n't provide details about the nature of the dispute or what type of weapon was used .
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , 73 , was a six-time NBA champion and was named the league 's Most Valuable Player on six occasions .
At the time of his retirement at age 42 in 1989 , the 19-time All-Star selection -- who also played for the Milwaukee Bucks -- was the league 's all-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , blocks , defensive rebounds and career wins .

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's son is facing an assault with a deadly weapon charge after a stabbing incident in San Clemente, Calif. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
June 12 (UPI) -- The son of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was arrested earlier this week after allegedly stabbing his neighbor multiple times. The Orange County Sheriff's Department said Adam Abdul-Jabbar, 28, was booked Wednesday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after a dispute in San Clemente, Calif. He was later released after posting a $25,000 bail, according to department spokeswoman Carrie Braun. Advertisement
The victim transported himself to a local hospital, according to police. The man had multiple injuries but none were considered life-threatening.
Police responded to a call on Tuesday around 10 p.m. local time. Adam Abdul-Jabbar, who was cooperative, then was taken into custody. Braun didn't provide details about the nature of the dispute or what type of weapon was used.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 73, was a six-time NBA champion and was named the league's Most Valuable Player on six occasions. At the time of his retirement at age 42 in 1989, the 19-time All-Star selection -- who also played for the Milwaukee Bucks -- was the league's all-time leader in points scored, games played, blocks, defensive rebounds and career wins.


upi--2020-06-12--NFL receiver Antonio Brown pleads no contest in battery case, gets probation

June 12 ( UPI ) -- Former Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots star receiver Antonio Brown pleaded no contest Friday to a felony burglary with battery charge and two lesser misdemeanor charges stemming from a January incident outside his South Florida home .
Brown will face no jail time , but he was ordered to serve two years of probation and 100 hours of community service , according to WPLG Local 10 News in Florida .
The NFL wideout also will be required to attend a 13-week anger management program and undergo a mandatory psych evaluation as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is allowed to travel within the country for work purposes but was ordered not to make direct contact with the victims .
`` Rather than engage in a protracted legal case , Mr. Brown decided to resolve this matter in an expeditious manner in consideration of his family and his football career , '' Brown 's attorney , Carson Hancock , said in a statement Friday .
Earlier this year , Brown was accused of striking a driver of a moving truck company after a disagreement over payment escalated outside of the receiver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also was accused of throwing a rock at the driver 's moving truck , causing damage to the vehicle .
Hancock said that after Brown paid the moving fee , the driver demanded an `` extra time '' fee .
While they were discussing the charge , Brown 's friends began unloading boxes from the vehicle , including some items that did n't belong to Brown .
Brown 's attorney said they put the boxes back but were still charged with burglary and battery .
`` Antonio 's case resulted from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moving of Antonio 's family from California to Florida , '' Hancock said .
Brown , a seven-time Pro Bowl selection , wants to return to the league this year and has been working out with multiple NFL players in South Florida this off-season .
Brown last played for the Patriots on Sept. 15 , but he was released one week later after being accused of sexual and personal misconduct .
The NFL is currently investigating those allegations and could discipline him if he returns to the league .

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown was ordered to serve two years of probation and 100 hours of community service. File Photo by Rhona Wise/EPA-EFE
June 12 (UPI) -- Former Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots star receiver Antonio Brown pleaded no contest Friday to a felony burglary with battery charge and two lesser misdemeanor charges stemming from a January incident outside his South Florida home. Brown will face no jail time, but he was ordered to serve two years of probation and 100 hours of community service, according to WPLG Local 10 News in Florida. The NFL wideout also will be required to attend a 13-week anger management program and undergo a mandatory psych evaluation as part of the plea. Advertisement
Brown, 31, is allowed to travel within the country for work purposes but was ordered not to make direct contact with the victims.
"Rather than engage in a protracted legal case, Mr. Brown decided to resolve this matter in an expeditious manner in consideration of his family and his football career," Brown's attorney, Carson Hancock, said in a statement Friday.
Earlier this year, Brown was accused of striking a driver of a moving truck company after a disagreement over payment escalated outside of the receiver's home in Hollywood, Fla. He also was accused of throwing a rock at the driver's moving truck, causing damage to the vehicle.
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Hancock said that after Brown paid the moving fee, the driver demanded an "extra time" fee. While they were discussing the charge, Brown's friends began unloading boxes from the vehicle, including some items that didn't belong to Brown.
Brown's attorney said they put the boxes back but were still charged with burglary and battery.
"Antonio's case resulted from a misunderstanding concerning the payment of costs for the moving of Antonio's family from California to Florida," Hancock said.
Brown, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, wants to return to the league this year and has been working out with multiple NFL players in South Florida this off-season.
Brown last played for the Patriots on Sept. 15, but he was released one week later after being accused of sexual and personal misconduct. The NFL is currently investigating those allegations and could discipline him if he returns to the league.


upi--2020-06-12--Varner III grabs 1-shot lead over Spieth at Charles Schwab Challenge

June 12 ( UPI ) -- Harold Varner III shook off a triple bogey to take a 1-shot lead over a red-hot Jordan Spieth in the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge on Friday at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth , Texas .
Varner started on the back nine and had his opening tee shot fly through the trees and land on a bridge , leading to a one-shot penalty .
Three putts from 50 feet away gave him a triple bogey to start his second round after ending in a first-place tie with Justin Rose on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wound up with a 66 for a one-shot lead over Spieth atop the leaderboard .
`` Obviously not the start I wanted , but it 's just a part of golf , '' Varner said .
`` If I would have tripled the last [ hole ] , it would have added up the same .
... You just ca n't live in the past .
It 's not a great place to be and it 's hard to learn from there . ''
Spieth , who began the day tied for seventh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first round , continued his hot streak by hitting 7 of 7 fairways and 8 of 9 greens on the back nine to start his second round of the tournament .
He sank four birdies on the back nine to shoot 4-under par through his first nine holes .
He then made back-to-back birdies on the front nine to move to 11-under par .
Spieth carded a double bogey on No .
3 and a bogey on the next hole to slip back to 8-under par .
He responded with birdies on hole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a second-place tie with Bryson DeChambeau , who played bogey-free for his 65 .
Rory McIlroy , Xander Schauffele ( 66 ) and Collin Morikawa ( 67 ) were tied for fourth at 9-under 131 , with Justin Thomas ( 68 ) and Rose ( 69 ) among those a shot back .
Jon Rahm , Phil Mickelson , Rickie Fowler , Dustin Johnson , Webb Simpson , Jason Day , Sergio Garcia and Matt Kuchar were among those who failed to make the cut Friday .
Tom Lehman , a 61-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5-under 65 Thursday to sit two strokes behind the leaders , but he failed to make the cut after a 74 Friday .
Golf became the second major sport in the United States -- behind motorsports -- to resume its season Thursday after a 91-day shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Before the tournament began , golfers , caddies and other essential personnel were required to be tested for the virus , with all 487 tests coming back negative .
Third round play begins at 8 a.m. EDT Saturday in Fort Worth @

Harold Varner III started his second round with a triple bogey on hole No. 10. He responded with eight birdies to reclaim the top spot on the leaderboard. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
June 12 (UPI) -- Harold Varner III shook off a triple bogey to take a 1-shot lead over a red-hot Jordan Spieth in the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge on Friday at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Varner started on the back nine and had his opening tee shot fly through the trees and land on a bridge, leading to a one-shot penalty. Three putts from 50 feet away gave him a triple bogey to start his second round after ending in a first-place tie with Justin Rose on Thursday. Advertisement
Varner answered with eight birdies and wound up with a 66 for a one-shot lead over Spieth atop the leaderboard.
"Obviously not the start I wanted, but it's just a part of golf," Varner said. "If I would have tripled the last [hole], it would have added up the same. ... You just can't live in the past. It's not a great place to be and it's hard to learn from there."
Spieth, who began the day tied for seventh after he shot 5-under par in the first round, continued his hot streak by hitting 7 of 7 fairways and 8 of 9 greens on the back nine to start his second round of the tournament.
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He sank four birdies on the back nine to shoot 4-under par through his first nine holes. He then made back-to-back birdies on the front nine to move to 11-under par.
Spieth carded a double bogey on No. 3 and a bogey on the next hole to slip back to 8-under par. He responded with birdies on hole Nos. 5 and 6 to sit in a second-place tie with Bryson DeChambeau, who played bogey-free for his 65.
Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele (66) and Collin Morikawa (67) were tied for fourth at 9-under 131, with Justin Thomas (68) and Rose (69) among those a shot back.
Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson, Jason Day, Sergio Garcia and Matt Kuchar were among those who failed to make the cut Friday. Tom Lehman, a 61-year-old former champion at Colonial, shot a 5-under 65 Thursday to sit two strokes behind the leaders, but he failed to make the cut after a 74 Friday.
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Golf became the second major sport in the United States -- behind motorsports -- to resume its season Thursday after a 91-day shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic. Before the tournament began, golfers, caddies and other essential personnel were required to be tested for the virus, with all 487 tests coming back negative.
Third round play begins at 8 a.m. EDT Saturday in Fort Worth.


upi--2020-06-13--Queen Elizabeth celebrates 94th birthday in 'mini-trooping' ceremony

June 13 ( UPI ) -- Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 94th birthday Saturday with a small , socially distanced ceremony at Windsor Castle .
This year Elizabeth watched a performance by a small number of Welsh Guardsmen and the band of the household division in what was called a `` mini-trooping . ''
Typically the British sovereign 's birthday is marked on the second Saturday in June by a military parade called Trooping the Colour .
Designated in 1748 as the official marker of the sovereign 's birthday , the parade has taken place annually since 1820 except in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other exceptional circumstances .
Flanked by just a few officials rather than the full family , she received a royal salute followed by a display of marching , with guardsmen following social distancing measures -- rather than standing shoulder-to-shoulder as is typical .
The ceremony marked the queen 's first official public appearance of the queen since the British government issued stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Typically the Trooping the Colour ceremony is accompanied by the announcement of the Queen 's Birthday Honours ' List , but she has agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ autumn .
According to Prime Minister Boris Johnson , the delay will allow the British government to recognize those who have helped fight the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` We anticipate that COVID-19 recognition will happen across future honours lists , reflecting the on-going work being done by so many , '' Johnson said in a statement last month .
Elizabeth , the longest-reigning monarch in British history , also held an unofficial birthday celebration on her birthdate in April .

Queen Elizabeth marked her 94th birthday in a scaled-down version of the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony. Photo via The Royal Family/ Twitter
June 13 (UPI) -- Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 94th birthday Saturday with a small, socially distanced ceremony at Windsor Castle. This year Elizabeth watched a performance by a small number of Welsh Guardsmen and the band of the household division in what was called a "mini-trooping." Advertisement
Typically the British sovereign's birthday is marked on the second Saturday in June by a military parade called Trooping the Colour.
Designated in 1748 as the official marker of the sovereign's birthday, the parade has taken place annually since 1820 except in bad weather, periods of mourning and other exceptional circumstances.
Flanked by just a few officials rather than the full family, she received a royal salute followed by a display of marching, with guardsmen following social distancing measures -- rather than standing shoulder-to-shoulder as is typical.
The ceremony marked the queen's first official public appearance of the queen since the British government issued stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Typically the Trooping the Colour ceremony is accompanied by the announcement of the Queen's Birthday Honours' List, but she has agreed to postpone publication of the list to autumn.
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According to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the delay will allow the British government to recognize those who have helped fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We anticipate that COVID-19 recognition will happen across future honours lists, reflecting the on-going work being done by so many," Johnson said in a statement last month.
Elizabeth, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, also held an unofficial birthday celebration on her birthdate in April.


upi--2020-06-13--Far-right groups blamed for clash with London police

A group is shown gathering Saturday at the Cenotaph war memorial in London where violent clashes occurred between anti-Black Lives Matter protesters and police. Photo by Vickie Flores/EPA-EFE
June 13 (UPI) -- Counterprotesters who said they wanted to protect statues from Black Lives Matter activists clashed with police Saturday in London's Parliament Square while similar demonstrations took place throughout the rest of Britain. London Mayor Sadiq Khan blamed the violent protests in the capital on "far-right groups." Advertisement
Video footage showed counterprotesters to the Black Lives Matter movement hurling cans, glass bottles and smoke canisters at London police, blockading White Hall.
British news organizations The Guardian and BBC reported that protesters were drinking alcohol and chanting "All lives matter," saying they wanted to protect statues from BLM activists.
French police also clashed with activists Saturday, deploying tear gas against protesters who tried to go forward with a march that was banned.
About 15,000 protesters gathered in Paris under the banner "Justice for Adama," in honor of Adama Traoré, a young black man who died in French police custody in 2016.
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The gathering was allowed, but police prevented demonstrators from marching to the Opera area, out of concern for area businesses.
Anti-racism activists have toppled statues of slave traders, and U.S. Confederate and colonialist figures in the United States and Britain in recent days as part of protests sparked by the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.
BLM organizers said they called off their event Saturday to avoid clashes with far-right demonstrators.
The counterprotesters gathered around the Cenotaph war memorial in Whitehall and a boarded-up statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square before moving to Trafalgar Square, where fireworks were thrown across the crowds.
Police attempted to stop the counterdemonstrators from getting to Hyde Park where a largely peaceful BLM protest was taking place.
Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds tweeted that the attacks on police after Whitehall was blocked off, were "completely unacceptable."
MP Prit Patel also took to Twitter to condemn the attacks.
"Any perpetrators of vandalism should expect to face the full force of the law," Patel tweeted. "Violence toward our police officers will not be tolerated."
Patel also advised demonstrators to go home in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
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"Coronavirus remains a threat to us all," she added. "Go home to stop the spread of the virus and save lives."
In Bristol, anti-BLM demonstrators shouted "scum" and "fascists" at BLM supporters. A man also climbed on top of a base for a statue of slave trader Edward Colston that BLM supporters tore down last week. The statue had been in Bristol city center for more than 100 years.
Meanwhile, in Newcastle city center, activists from Stand Up to Racism North East, encouraged protesters to observe social distancing and wear face masks during a protest in solidarity with the BLM movement.
A counterprotest by the group Defenders of Newcastle also took place in the city center with heavy police presence.
Peaceful BLM protests took place in Canterbury where the Rev. Rose Hudson-Wilkin, bishop of Dover, addressed the crowd.
"Let's together, in harmony, make the change that needs to happen," she said.
Peaceful protests against systemic racism also took place in Newington Green in London.
Protesters demand justice in police killing of George Floyd


upi--2020-06-13--Atlanta police chief resigns after officer shoots man at Wendy's

June 13 ( UPI ) -- Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields has resigned following the death of a black man at the hands of an Atlanta police officer Friday .
On Friday 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police outside an Atlanta Wendy 's .
Video released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation appears to show Brooks taking a Taser from an officer , running from police and then firing it at them before an officer shot at him .
The officer 's name has not been released to the media , but Bottoms has called for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a debate about whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force , I firmly believe there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do , '' Bottoms said Saturday .
`` I have called for the immediate termination of the officer . ''
Shields , who joined the Atlanta Police Department in 1995 , had served as chief since late 2016 .
`` Out of a deep and abiding love for this City and this department , I offered to step aside as police chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mayor Bottoms has my support on the future direction of this department , '' Shields said in a statement released Saturday night .
According to Bottoms , Shields will remain with APD and assistant chief Rodney Bryant will become the interim chief while the city searches for a replacement .
Earlier this month six Atlanta officers were arrested on charges of excessive force against two people protesting police brutality .
Bottoms fired two of the officers and placed the others on desk duty .
Protesters began to gather near the Wendy 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time another set of protesters began to gather for anti-police brutality protests already planned in another part of the city , as American cities were gripped by a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations against excessive force by police .

June 13 (UPI) -- Atlanta police Chief Erika Shields resigned Saturday following the death of a Black man at the hands of an Atlanta police officer.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Shields' resignation Saturday.
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On Friday 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police outside an Atlanta Wendy's.
Video released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation appears to show Brooks taking a Taser from an officer, running from police and then firing it at them before an officer shot at him.
The officer's name has not been released to the media, but Bottoms has called for his immediate termination.
"While there may be a debate about whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do," Bottoms said Saturday. "I have called for the immediate termination of the officer."
Shields, who joined the Atlanta Police Department in 1995, had served as chief since late 2016.
"Out of a deep and abiding love for this City and this department, I offered to step aside as police chief. APD has my full support, and Mayor Bottoms has my support on the future direction of this department," Shields said in a statement.
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According to Bottoms, Shields will remain with the APD and Assistant Chief Rodney Bryant will become the interim chief while the city searches for a replacement.
Earlier this month six Atlanta officers were arrested on charges of excessive force against two people protesting police brutality.
Bottoms fired two of the officers and placed the others on desk duty.
Protesters began to gather near the Wendy's where Brooks died Saturday night, at the same time another set of protesters began to gather for anti-police brutality protests already planned in another part of the city, as American cities were gripped by a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations against excessive force by police.


upi--2020-06-13--AstraZeneca agrees to deliver Oxford-developed COVID-19 vaccine once approved

June 13 ( UPI ) -- AstraZeneca announced Saturday that it has reached an agreement with the Inclusive Vaccines Alliance of Europe to supply as many as 400 million doses of the University of Oxford 's COVID-19 vaccine , with deliveries beginning at the end of the calendar year .
The initiative was spearheaded by Germany , France , Italy and the Netherlands , but the pharmaceutical company said it aims to make the vaccine available to other European countries that wish to participate .
`` This agreement will ensure that hundreds of millions of Europeans have access to Oxford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Pascal Soriot , AstraZeneca 's chief executive officer , in a press statement .
`` With our European supply chain due to begin production soon , we hope to make the vaccine available widely and rapidly .
I would like to thank the governments of Germany , France , Italy and the Netherlands for their commitment and swift response . ''
At the end of May AstraZeneca reached a deal with British gene and cell therapy company Oxford Biomedica on Thursday to produce a potential COVID-19 vaccine .
It has also received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. government to develop its coronavirus vaccine candidate .
In May Oxford University announced the start of a Phase II/III UK trial of a vaccine candidate , with about 10,000 adult volunteers .
`` AstraZeneca recognises that the vaccine may not work but is committed to progressing the clinical programme with speed and scaling up manufacturing at risk , '' the company 's statement said .
In the United States , Army scientists are testing coronavirus vaccines developed by outside laboratories , but also one created by the Army itself , and say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the end of this summer .

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has reached an agreement to deliver as many as 400 million COVID-19 vaccines as soon as a vaccine candidate is approved. Photo by Matthew Lotz/U.S. Air Force
June 13 (UPI) -- AstraZeneca announced Saturday that it has reached an agreement with the Inclusive Vaccines Alliance of Europe to supply as many as 400 million doses of the University of Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine, with deliveries beginning at the end of the calendar year. The initiative was spearheaded by Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, but the pharmaceutical company said it aims to make the vaccine available to other European countries that wish to participate. Advertisement
"This agreement will ensure that hundreds of millions of Europeans have access to Oxford University's vaccine following approval," said Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca's chief executive officer, in a press statement. "With our European supply chain due to begin production soon, we hope to make the vaccine available widely and rapidly. I would like to thank the governments of Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands for their commitment and swift response."
At the end of May AstraZeneca reached a deal with British gene and cell therapy company Oxford Biomedica on Thursday to produce a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
It has also received more than $1 billion from the U.S. government to develop its coronavirus vaccine candidate.
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In May Oxford University announced the start of a Phase II/III UK trial of a vaccine candidate, with about 10,000 adult volunteers.
"AstraZeneca recognises that the vaccine may not work but is committed to progressing the clinical programme with speed and scaling up manufacturing at risk," the company's statement said.
In the United States, Army scientists are testing coronavirus vaccines developed by outside laboratories, but also one created by the Army itself, and say human clinical trials could begin as soon as the end of this summer.


upi--2020-06-13--COVID-19: New York death toll drops; Florida, Texas report record new cases

June 13 ( UPI ) -- Texas set another record for COVID-19 hospitalizations Saturday and Florida marked its biggest increase yet in daily reported infections by the state health department , while New York Gov .
Cuomo hailed `` the best news of all '' as the daily coronavirus death toll dropped to 32 .
Nearly half of states are experiencing an increase in new cases and hospitalizations after reopening businesses .
In Texas , public health officials announced 2,242 COVID-19 hospitalizations Saturday , and Dallas County reported 345 new cases and three COVID-19 deaths -- both of which set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Today marks another record for the number of positive COVID19 cases , but remember , we are doing more testing and that will weigh into the increase in numbers .
Of greater concern is the number of hospitalizations , '' Judge Clay Jenkins said .
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported the Dallas-Fort Worth area has 729 patients in hospitals due to the virus , with the statewide number of hospitalizations reported as 1,935 Monday .
Florida also set new records Saturday , with 2,581 new cases and 48 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department .
The state reports 73,552 confirmed cases statewide , with the state reporting more than 2,000 new cases in one day for the first time since the outbreak began .
Saturday 's death toll in New York state was its lowest since the virus hit the state in March , and COVID-19 hospitalizations also reached a new low of 1,734 , with positive test rates stable at 1.8 percent in New York City .
`` We have tamed the beast , '' Cuomo said .
`` We are now 180 degrees on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved Stage 3 reopening plans for some parts of the state , but also warned New Yorkers against dropping their guard .
`` New York is an anomaly .
We reopened and the numbers are continuing to come down , '' he said .

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo passes out face masks when he arrives at Grand Central Station to attend a near by press conference in New York City Monday. New York City this week entered phase 1 of a four-part reopening plan and reported its lowest number of new cases since March Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
June 13 (UPI) -- Texas set another record for COVID-19 hospitalizations Saturday and Florida marked its biggest increase yet in daily reported infections by the state health department, while New York Gov. Cuomo hailed "the best news of all" as the daily coronavirus death toll dropped to 32. Nearly half of states are experiencing an increase in new cases and hospitalizations after reopening businesses. Advertisement
In Texas, public health officials announced 2,242 COVID-19 hospitalizations Saturday, and Dallas County reported 345 new cases and three COVID-19 deaths -- both of which set new records for the state and county.
"Today marks another record for the number of positive COVID19 cases, but remember, we are doing more testing and that will weigh into the increase in numbers. Of greater concern is the number of hospitalizations," Judge Clay Jenkins said.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported the Dallas-Fort Worth area has 729 patients in hospitals due to the virus, with the statewide number of hospitalizations reported as 1,935 Monday.
Florida also set new records Saturday, with 2,581 new cases and 48 new deaths reported by the state health department.
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The state reports 73,552 confirmed cases statewide, with the state reporting more than 2,000 new cases in one day for the first time since the outbreak began.
Saturday's death toll in New York state was its lowest since the virus hit the state in March, and COVID-19 hospitalizations also reached a new low of 1,734, with positive test rates stable at 1.8 percent in New York City.
"We have tamed the beast," Cuomo said. "We are now 180 degrees on the other side."
Cuomo has approved Stage 3 reopening plans for some parts of the state, but also warned New Yorkers against dropping their guard.
"New York is an anomaly. We reopened and the numbers are continuing to come down," he said.


upi--2020-06-13--Beijing district shuts down market after new coronavirus outbreak

June 13 ( UPI ) -- Beijing shut down its biggest fruit and vegetable market Saturday amid a new cluster of COVID-19 cases and declared `` wartime emergency mode '' in one district .
More than 50 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the new cluster , including more than 40 who showed no symptoms .
The asymptomatic patients have been quarantined .
The Beijing Health Commission reported four more patients with symptoms , bringing total symptomatic cases to seven .
Two other symptomatic cases were announced Friday and one was announced Thursday .
The new cluster of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new local cases .
The northeastern province of Liaoning also recently announced two new COVID-19 cases , where the patients had been in close contact with people infected in Beijing .
Liaoning residents have been advised to avoid travel to Beijing .
Beijing 's Center for Disease Control and Prevention Deputy Director Pang Xinghuo said all the cases have been linked to the Xinfadi Agricultural Products Wholesale Market in Fengtai district , in southern Beijing .
Officials shut down the market Saturday morning .
Its meat and seafood section were already closed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday had been workers at the market and all four had been to the market before symptoms appeared .
Fengtai 's acting chief , Chu Junwei , said the district has a command center to oversee `` wartime '' restrictions in response to the new cluster of cases .
The lockdown includes 11 residential compounds surrounding the Xinfadi market and three primary schools and six kindergartens suspending classes , Chu said .
Health commission spokesman Gao Xiaojun said everyone who had been to the market since May 30 would be tested .
Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Science and Technology 's Tongji Medical College in Wuhan , said the situation was similar to the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan where infections from a seafood market spread citywide .
`` If it ca n't be put under control right now , the virus will affect many people in a short time because of the high density of population in cities , '' Feng said .
China has 84,229 cases of COVID-19 and 4,638 deaths from it , according to the Johns Hopkins University global tracker .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 2 million and the most deaths at over 114,700 .
Brazil reported 909 new deaths on Friday , bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths to 41,828 , surpassing Britain for the second-highest number of fatalities from the virus worldwide .
The number of cases increased by 25,982 , bringing the total number to 828,810 , also the second-highest number globally .
A new study by researchers at the University of Pelotas in southern Brazil estimated six unreported COVID-19 cases for every one case reported across the 120 cities they studied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries have been reporting new highs in daily cases , including Mexico reporting 5,222 new daily cases Friday , Chile announcing 6,754 and Argentina 1,391 .
Chile also reached a new high for its daily death toll , reporting 222 deaths .
On Saturday , Chile 's President Sebastian Pinera replaced Health Minister Jaime Manalich with Enrique Paris amid the new record death toll .
Paris previously served as director of the Toxicological Information Center of the Catholic University .
`` The first mission of Minister Paris will be to fight the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of leading a deep reform of the public and private health system , '' Pinera said .
Manalich 's strategy to control the virus , included placing specific neighborhoods instead of entire cities in lockdown .
Still , the government ended up putting all of Santiago on lockdown because of the increase in new cases last month .
Manalich had also initially backed immunity cards for people who have recovered from COVID-19 , but scrapped the idea after warnings it could lead to discrimination .
`` It has been brought to our attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem of discrimination , '' Manalich said .
`` They would give a minority of people privileges when being hired , re-hired or simply entering public buildings . ''
France , on the other hand , has reported no rise in COVID-19 cases since a strict lockdown for eight weeks ended a month ago , The Guardian reported .
In response to the `` favorable development of the health situation , '' Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian and Minister for the Interior Christophe Castaner said in a joint statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions with its European internal borders on Monday .
Still , they noted exceptions for Spain and Britain .
Spain has chosen to maintain traffic restrictions due to COVID-19 until June 21 , and France will maintain those restrictions in agreement with Spanish authorities .
Britain has set up rules for travelers to self-isolate for 14 days , and France , in reciprocity , said that travelers from Britain to France should still quarantine for two weeks after Monday .
France has reported 193,220 cases of COVID-19 and 29,377 deaths from the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 7.6 million people and killed more than 426,000 people .

Beijing has seen a new cluster of COVID-19 cases recently after 55 day-run without a locally transmitted case. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
June 13 (UPI) -- Beijing shut down its biggest fruit and vegetable market Saturday amid a new cluster of COVID-19 cases and declared "wartime emergency mode" in one district. More than 50 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the new cluster, including more than 40 who showed no symptoms. The asymptomatic patients have been quarantined. Advertisement
The Beijing Health Commission reported four more patients with symptoms, bringing total symptomatic cases to seven. Two other symptomatic cases were announced Friday and one was announced Thursday.
The new cluster of cases ends Beijing's 55-day streak of no new local cases.
The northeastern province of Liaoning also recently announced two new COVID-19 cases, where the patients had been in close contact with people infected in Beijing. Liaoning residents have been advised to avoid travel to Beijing.
Beijing's Center for Disease Control and Prevention Deputy Director Pang Xinghuo said all the cases have been linked to the Xinfadi Agricultural Products Wholesale Market in Fengtai district, in southern Beijing.
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Officials shut down the market Saturday morning. Its meat and seafood section were already closed.
Three of the four new symptomatic cases Saturday had been workers at the market and all four had been to the market before symptoms appeared.
Fengtai's acting chief, Chu Junwei, said the district has a command center to oversee "wartime" restrictions in response to the new cluster of cases.
The lockdown includes 11 residential compounds surrounding the Xinfadi market and three primary schools and six kindergartens suspending classes, Chu said.
Health commission spokesman Gao Xiaojun said everyone who had been to the market since May 30 would be tested.
Public health expert Feng Zhanchun, of Huazhong University of Science and Technology's Tongji Medical College in Wuhan, said the situation was similar to the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan where infections from a seafood market spread citywide.
"If it can't be put under control right now, the virus will affect many people in a short time because of the high density of population in cities," Feng said.
China has 84,229 cases of COVID-19 and 4,638 deaths from it, according to the Johns Hopkins University global tracker.
The United States has the most cases at more than 2 million and the most deaths at over 114,700.
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Brazil reported 909 new deaths on Friday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths to 41,828, surpassing Britain for the second-highest number of fatalities from the virus worldwide. The number of cases increased by 25,982, bringing the total number to 828,810, also the second-highest number globally.
A new study by researchers at the University of Pelotas in southern Brazil estimated six unreported COVID-19 cases for every one case reported across the 120 cities they studied in Latin America.
Meanwhile, other countries have been reporting new highs in daily cases, including Mexico reporting 5,222 new daily cases Friday, Chile announcing 6,754 and Argentina 1,391.
Chile also reached a new high for its daily death toll, reporting 222 deaths.
On Saturday, Chile's President Sebastian Pinera replaced Health Minister Jaime Manalich with Enrique Paris amid the new record death toll.
Paris previously served as director of the Toxicological Information Center of the Catholic University.
"The first mission of Minister Paris will be to fight the coronavirus, but he also has the job of leading a deep reform of the public and private health system," Pinera said.
Manalich's strategy to control the virus, included placing specific neighborhoods instead of entire cities in lockdown. Still, the government ended up putting all of Santiago on lockdown because of the increase in new cases last month.
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Manalich had also initially backed immunity cards for people who have recovered from COVID-19, but scrapped the idea after warnings it could lead to discrimination.
"It has been brought to our attention that the cards could trigger a severe problem of discrimination," Manalich said. "They would give a minority of people privileges when being hired, re-hired or simply entering public buildings."
France, on the other hand, has reported no rise in COVID-19 cases since a strict lockdown for eight weeks ended a month ago, The Guardian reported.
In response to the "favorable development of the health situation," Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian and Minister for the Interior Christophe Castaner said in a joint statement Saturday that France will lift all traffic restrictions with its European internal borders on Monday.
Still, they noted exceptions for Spain and Britain. Spain has chosen to maintain traffic restrictions due to COVID-19 until June 21, and France will maintain those restrictions in agreement with Spanish authorities. Britain has set up rules for travelers to self-isolate for 14 days, and France, in reciprocity, said that travelers from Britain to France should still quarantine for two weeks after Monday.
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France has reported 193,220 cases of COVID-19 and 29,377 deaths from the virus.
Globally, COVID-19 has infected more than 7.6 million people and killed more than 426,000 people.
World moves to reopen amid COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-06-13--Louisville, Ky., law named for Breonna Taylor bans no-knock warrants

Protesters stop traffic on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles to express outrage at police brutality on Friday. This week, Louisville, Ky., Mayor Greg Fischer signed an ordinance that bans no-knock warrants like the one police were executing when they shot 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in March. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
June 13 (UPI) -- Louisville, Ky., Mayor Greg Fischer has signed an ordinance banning no-knock search warrants like the one police were executing when they shot 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in March. Called Breonna's Law and passed unanimously by the city's 26-person Metro Council on Thursday, the ordinance took effect immediately after Fischer signed it Friday. Advertisement
Police were executing a search warrant with a no-knock clause as part of a narcotics investigation March 13 when they entered Taylor's apartment, were met with a gunshot from Taylor's boyfriend, and returned fire.
Taylor, an emergency medical technician who was not the subject of the raid, was fatally shot multiple times by police.
"I am proud of this Metro Council. Our action tonight sets an example for other cities to follow. We will never experience the loss Breonna's family is dealing with every day. We are with them and at the same time, this council is saying the time has come right a wrong, a wrong of more than 400 years. I am proud that we are first in justice for all," said Metro Council President David James.
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No-knock warrants do not mean police don't announce their presence, but that they identify themselves as police only after gaining entrance.
The ordinance also requires all officers serving warrants to wear body cameras, activate them at least 5 minutes before the warrant is executed and turn them off 5 minutes after the search concludes.
None of the officers who shot Taylor was wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which had been pushing for the ordinance to go further, praised the council, but said the ban should include all law enforcement agencies in Jefferson County.
"These deadly warrants put innocent people at grave risk, including law enforcement officers. This ordinance is an important step, but it's only the first step in a series of desperately needed changes to address police abuse of power and excessive force against Black people," ACLU of Kentucky Policy Strategist Keturah Herron said.
Protesters have been demonstrating in downtown Louisville for more than two weeks, and were assembled when the vote was announced, prompting cheers.
Fischer also announced this week that an FBI-led task force is investigating allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment against Detective Brett Hankison, one of the three officers involved in the shooting.
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Hankison, along with Sgt. John Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove, are on administrative assignment.
None has faced criminal charges in connection with the shooting.
Protesters demand justice in police killing of George Floyd


upi--2020-06-13--Minnesota lawmakers split on police reform as Minneapolis leaders unite

June 13 ( UPI ) -- Minnesota lawmakers appeared divided this week on sweeping police reforms while the Minneapolis City Council agreed on replacing the department after the police-involved killing of George Floyd .
During a special session Friday , Republican lawmakers in the state legislature said they oppose restoring voting rights to felons and placing the state 's attorney general -- instead of local prosecutors -- in charge of prosecuting police killings .
Still , there was agreement on some other issues across political parties in the legislature .
Both parties supported banning chokeholds and providing more funding for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the legislature 's People of Color and Indigenous Caucus , initiated reform proposals , including redefining when police are justified in using deadly force , providing funding for community-based alternatives to traditional policing and reforming how officers are disciplined .
Democrats said that there was not enough sweeping reform in what Republicans agreed to .
`` This is not what Minnesotans of all persuasions are asking us to do , '' said state Sen. Jeff Hayden , a Democrat who represents the district that includes the Minneapolis neighborhood where Floyd died .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ other hand , was united in a resolution to replace the department .
On Friday , the council unanimously passed a resolution to replace the police department with a community-led public safety system amid some protesters ' calls to defund the police .
`` We acknowledge that the current system is not reformable -- that we would like to end the current policing system as we know it , '' council member Alondra Cano said .
Floyd , 46 , an African-American security guard and community leader , died on Memorial Day during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a report of a man passing a counterfeit bill at a store .
Legislators and city councils in other states are also considering police reforms amid worldwide protests against police killings disproportionately impacting black people after video footage showed Floyd , who was unarmed , dying as a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes .
In New York , Mayor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill banning the use of chokeholds and repealed a decades-old statute that hid the disciplinary records of officers .
In Washington , D.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to require police to release the names of officers involved in deadly encounters with citizens , along with body-camera footage of the incidents .
New legislation also makes neck restraints , and firing rubber bullets and tear gas at peaceful protesters illegal , but police said those practices were already forbidden .
The new D.C. legislation also says labor unions ca n't `` shield employees from accountability , '' when it comes to misconduct , giving the police chief more power to fire officers .
It also adds civilians with voting rights to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Review Board .
Under the Tuesday vote , changes are currently enacted for 90 days , and it would take a second vote to extend them for 225 days .
D.C. police Chief Peter Newsham said the changes occurred `` too quickly '' and without enough input .
Union Chairman Greggory Pemberton said that cutting labor unions out of the disciplinary process was unfair .
`` The allegation that , somehow , police officers should not be entitled to the same employment rights as firefighters or nurses is preposterous , '' Pemberton said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will prevail before there is an exodus of officers , who can easily go to other departments where their rights are protected . ''
In Louisville , Ky. , the Louisville Metro Council voted unanimously Thursday to ban `` no-knock '' warrants in response to the death of Breonna Taylor , a 26-year-old who worked as a certified emergency medical technician and was killed in March after police used such a warrant .
The council named the legislation Breonna 's Law Taylor , an unarmed black woman , had no criminal history and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The Minneapolis City Council on Friday unanimously passed a resolution to pursue a community-led public safety system to replace the police department following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
June 13 (UPI) -- Minnesota lawmakers appeared divided this week on sweeping police reforms while the Minneapolis City Council agreed on replacing the department after the police-involved killing of George Floyd. During a special session Friday, Republican lawmakers in the state legislature said they oppose restoring voting rights to felons and placing the state's attorney general -- instead of local prosecutors -- in charge of prosecuting police killings. Advertisement
Still, there was agreement on some other issues across political parties in the legislature. Both parties supported banning chokeholds and providing more funding for de-escalation training.
Gov. Tim Walz and the legislature's People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, initiated reform proposals, including redefining when police are justified in using deadly force, providing funding for community-based alternatives to traditional policing and reforming how officers are disciplined.
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Democrats said that there was not enough sweeping reform in what Republicans agreed to.
"This is not what Minnesotans of all persuasions are asking us to do," said state Sen. Jeff Hayden, a Democrat who represents the district that includes the Minneapolis neighborhood where Floyd died.
The Minneapolis City Council, on the other hand, was united in a resolution to replace the department.
On Friday, the council unanimously passed a resolution to replace the police department with a community-led public safety system amid some protesters' calls to defund the police.
"We acknowledge that the current system is not reformable -- that we would like to end the current policing system as we know it," council member Alondra Cano said.
Floyd, 46, an African-American security guard and community leader, died on Memorial Day during an arrest by Minneapolis police officers responding to a report of a man passing a counterfeit bill at a store.
Legislators and city councils in other states are also considering police reforms amid worldwide protests against police killings disproportionately impacting black people after video footage showed Floyd, who was unarmed, dying as a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes.
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In New York, Mayor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill banning the use of chokeholds and repealed a decades-old statute that hid the disciplinary records of officers.
In Washington, D.C., the city council passed legislation Tuesday to require police to release the names of officers involved in deadly encounters with citizens, along with body-camera footage of the incidents. New legislation also makes neck restraints, and firing rubber bullets and tear gas at peaceful protesters illegal, but police said those practices were already forbidden.
The new D.C. legislation also says labor unions can't "shield employees from accountability," when it comes to misconduct, giving the police chief more power to fire officers. It also adds civilians with voting rights to the police department's Use of Force Review Board.
Under the Tuesday vote, changes are currently enacted for 90 days, and it would take a second vote to extend them for 225 days.
D.C. police Chief Peter Newsham said the changes occurred "too quickly" and without enough input.
Union Chairman Greggory Pemberton said that cutting labor unions out of the disciplinary process was unfair.
"The allegation that, somehow, police officers should not be entitled to the same employment rights as firefighters or nurses is preposterous," Pemberton said. "We hope that cooler heads will prevail before there is an exodus of officers, who can easily go to other departments where their rights are protected."
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In Louisville, Ky., the Louisville Metro Council voted unanimously Thursday to ban "no-knock" warrants in response to the death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old who worked as a certified emergency medical technician and was killed in March after police used such a warrant. The council named the legislation Breonna's Law
Taylor, an unarmed black woman, had no criminal history and was not the subject of the raid.


upi--2020-06-13--Trump addresses class of 2020 at West Point

Cadets celebrate after commencement at the West Point graduation ceremony held at the Plain Parade Field at the U.S. Military @ @ @ @ @ N.Y. , on Saturday .
Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

Cadets celebrate after commencement at the West Point graduation ceremony held at the Plain Parade Field at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., on Saturday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI


Notable deaths of 2020

Claudell Washington , of the New York Yankees , hits the ball in the first game of a doubleheader against @ @ @ @ @ Stadium in New York City on August 19 , 1988 .
Washington , a two-time @ @ @ @ @ , died from a battle with prostate cancer on June 11 at the age of @ @ @ @ @ Commons

Dawn Wells
Dawn Wells poses with the original, fully restored S.S. Minnow from "Gilligan's Island" to meet and greet fans and visitors at the Vancouver International Boat Show in Vancouver on January 23, 2014. Best known for her role as Mary Ann from "Gilligan's Island," Wells died of COVID-19 on December 30 at the age of 82. Photo by Heinz Ruckemann/UPI


upi--2020-06-13--Former FBI director William S. Sessions dead at 90

June 13 ( UPI ) -- William S. Sessions , who directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1987 to 1993 , died in San Antonio , Texas , his family said .
He was 90 years old .
Nominated by former President Ronald Reagan after serving as a federal judge in Texas , Sessions was confirmed 90-0 by the Senate in 1987 for what was to be a 10-year term running the agency .
But former President Bill Clinton fired Sessions less than six years into his tenure after a Justice Department report accused him of avoiding taxes on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet relatives as work-related .
Sessions refused to resign and was ultimately dismissed , blaming the report on disgruntled agents who he said were unhappy with his shakeup of the traditional order created under J. Edgar Hoover , who ran the agency from 1924 to 1972 .
Sessions was applauded for diversifying the FBI 's ranks to include more black , Latino and female agents after a long history of complaints and lawsuits alleging biased hiring practices in the agency .
But he also attempted to enlist American librarians to catch Soviet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that agents had been overzealous in spying on Americans who protested government policies in Central America .
The agency 's reputation was also tarnished in the early 1990s by the sieges at Ruby Ridge , Idaho , and Waco , Texas -- both of which resulted in deaths of law enforcement and civilians , including children .
In 1992 , the FBI 's hostage rescue team surrounded a cabin at Ruby Ridge near the Canadian border , which was occupied by a fugitive white separatist named Randy Weaver along with his immediate family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoiding appearing in court on weapons charges After an 11-day siege , a U.S. marshal was dead , as were Weaver 's wife and 14-year-old son .
The following spring , after a 51-day standoff outside a cult compound in Waco and a gun battle that killed four federal agents and six civilians , Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno authorized a tear-gas assault on the compound .
That started a fire that killed 75 people , many of them children .
Sessions was the first FBI director to be fired in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Comey , was fired in May 2017 by President Donald Trump .

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Former FBI Director William S. Sessions (C), shown here with fellow former directors William H. Webster (L), and Louis Freeh at a 2008 event, died Friday at the age of 90. File Photo by Patrick D. McDermott/UPI | License Photo
June 13 (UPI) -- William S. Sessions, who directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1987 to 1993, died in San Antonio, Texas, his family said. He was 90 years old. Family members said Sessions died Friday of a congestive heart ailment. Advertisement
Nominated by former President Ronald Reagan after serving as a federal judge in Texas, Sessions was confirmed 90-0 by the Senate in 1987 for what was to be a 10-year term running the agency.
But former President Bill Clinton fired Sessions less than six years into his tenure after a Justice Department report accused him of avoiding taxes on an FBI limousine and passing off trips to meet relatives as work-related.
Sessions refused to resign and was ultimately dismissed, blaming the report on disgruntled agents who he said were unhappy with his shakeup of the traditional order created under J. Edgar Hoover, who ran the agency from 1924 to 1972.
Sessions was applauded for diversifying the FBI's ranks to include more black, Latino and female agents after a long history of complaints and lawsuits alleging biased hiring practices in the agency.
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But he also attempted to enlist American librarians to catch Soviet spies, and was forced to admit that agents had been overzealous in spying on Americans who protested government policies in Central America.
The agency's reputation was also tarnished in the early 1990s by the sieges at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and Waco, Texas -- both of which resulted in deaths of law enforcement and civilians, including children.
In 1992, the FBI's hostage rescue team surrounded a cabin at Ruby Ridge near the Canadian border, which was occupied by a fugitive white separatist named Randy Weaver along with his immediate family and a family friend. Weaver was avoiding appearing in court on weapons charges
After an 11-day siege, a U.S. marshal was dead, as were Weaver's wife and 14-year-old son.
The following spring, after a 51-day standoff outside a cult compound in Waco and a gun battle that killed four federal agents and six civilians, Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno authorized a tear-gas assault on the compound.
That started a fire that killed 75 people, many of them children.
Sessions was the first FBI director to be fired in the agency's history.
The second, James Comey, was fired in May 2017 by President Donald Trump.
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Notable deaths of 2020


upi--2020-06-13--Protesters demand justice in police killing of George Floyd

Protests broke out in cities across the United States and Europe after a white police officer in Minneapolis was recorded @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd , an unarmed African-American man .
Floyd died and the officer has been @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 encounter .
George Floyd was laid to rest on June 9 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ .

Demonstrators hold a sign in Los Angeles on June 14 for Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was shot by police in her home while she was sleeping. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI


upi--2020-06-13--San Antonio police launch manhunt after 8 shot at bar

June 13 ( UPI ) -- San Antonio police said they launched a manhunt for a man accused of shooting @ @ @ @ @ .
Police Chief William McManus said none of the victims was killed in the shooting @ @ @ @ @ lot of REBAR .
`` They are all in stable condition , the most serious @ @ @ @ @ back , '' he said .
Of the victims , five were women and three @ @ @ @ @ were between the ages of 23 and 41 .
Six transported themselves to local hospitals @ @ @ @ @ .
McManus said the man was part of a group of about five people who @ @ @ @ @ bar because they appeared to be inebriated and one man carried a rifle .
The @ @ @ @ @ was `` a UFC fighter from California . ''
Police said they 're working to @ @ @ @ @ and track down the suspected shooter .

June 13 (UPI) -- San Antonio police said they launched a manhunt for a man accused of shooting eight people outside a bar.
Police Chief William McManus said none of the victims was killed in the shooting late Friday in the parking lot of REBAR.
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"They are all in stable condition, the most serious was someone hit in the back," he said.
Of the victims, five were women and three were men, and they were between the ages of 23 and 41. Six transported themselves to local hospitals and two others refused treatment.
McManus said the man was part of a group of about five people who were refused entrance to the bar because they appeared to be inebriated and one man carried a rifle. The suspected shooter allegedly said he was "a UFC fighter from California."
Police said they're working to identify people in the group and track down the suspected shooter.


upi--2020-06-13--'Bill & Ted,' 'Matrix 4,' 'Godzilla vs. Kong' get new release dates

June 13 ( UPI ) -- The theatrical release of the time-travel comedy , Bill & Ted Face the Music @ @ @ @ @ a week to Aug. 14 .
Starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter , the film @ @ @ @ @ Aug. 21 , but switched dates after Gal Gadot 's Wonder Woman 1984 was moved @ @ @ @ @ Reeves picture -- The Matrix 4 -- has been bumped from May 21 , 2021 @ @ @ @ @ .
The monster movie Godzilla vs. Kong , featuring Alexander Skarsgard and Millie Bobby Brown @ @ @ @ @ 21 date .
It was originally slated for Nov. 20 , 2020 .
The film @ @ @ @ @ a loop in recent months as the coronavirus pandemic has caused production shutdowns and theater @ @ @ @ @

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Keanu Reeves' movies "Bill & Ted Face the Music" and "The Matrix 4" have gotten new release dates. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
June 13 (UPI) -- The theatrical release of the time-travel comedy, Bill & Ted Face the Music, has been moved up a week to Aug. 14. Starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, the film was scheduled to open on Aug. 21, but switched dates after Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman 1984 was moved to Oct. 21. Advertisement
Another Reeves picture -- The Matrix 4 -- has been bumped from May 21, 2021 to April 1, 2022.
The monster movie Godzilla vs. Kong, featuring Alexander Skarsgard and Millie Bobby Brown, is taking the May 21 date. It was originally slated for Nov. 20, 2020.
The film industry has been thrown for a loop in recent months as the coronavirus pandemic has caused production shutdowns and theater closures around the world.


upi--2020-06-13--Watch: President Donald Trump praises West Point graduates as 'bravest of the brave'

June 13 ( UPI ) -- President Donald Trump praised the 2020 West Point graduates as the `` bravest of the brave '' during his first commencement address at the military school on Saturday .
The president traveled to New York to give the speech in person despite coronavirus mitigation efforts that made this year 's ceremony unlike any other .
`` This premier military academy produces only the best of the best , the strongest of the strong , and the bravest of the brave , '' Trump told the cadets .
`` West Point is a universal symbol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , discipline and skill . ''
Trump thanked the graduates for `` answering your nation 's call '' to join the Army .
Leading up to Saturday 's event , the military school 's 1,100 or so graduates quarantined together in groups of about 250 for two weeks in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
The ceremony itself was socially distanced , with 6 feet between each graduate at Plain Parade Field .
There also were no guests in attendance at the commencement .
Friends and family were allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump addressed his efforts to battle the virus during his address , blaming the pandemic on China .
`` We will vanquish the virus .
We will extinguish this plague , '' he said .

Cadets celebrate after commencement at the West Point graduation ceremony held at the Plain Parade Field at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., on Saturday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
June 13 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump praised the 2020 West Point graduates as the "bravest of the brave" during his first commencement address at the military school on Saturday. The president traveled to New York to give the speech in person despite coronavirus mitigation efforts that made this year's ceremony unlike any other. Advertisement
"This premier military academy produces only the best of the best, the strongest of the strong, and the bravest of the brave," Trump told the cadets. "West Point is a universal symbol of American gallantry, loyalty, devotion, discipline and skill."
Trump thanked the graduates for "answering your nation's call" to join the Army.
Leading up to Saturday's event, the military school's 1,100 or so graduates quarantined together in groups of about 250 for two weeks in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The ceremony itself was socially distanced, with 6 feet between each graduate at Plain Parade Field.
There also were no guests in attendance at the commencement. Friends and family were allowed to watch via live stream at home.
Trump addressed his efforts to battle the virus during his address, blaming the pandemic on China.
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"We will vanquish the virus. We will extinguish this plague," he said.


upi--2020-06-13--Bighorn Fire grows to nearly 9,000 acres near Tucson, Ariz.

June 12 ( UPI ) -- Hundreds of residents were forced to flee northern parts of Tucson , Ariz. , with little notice as the Bighorn Fire raged near the Catalina Foothills .
Forecasters said a dangerous combination of weather conditions will keep the threat high for fires like Bighorn to spread further and for new fires to ignite through the weekend .
Arizona has the largest concentration of ongoing wildfires across the southwestern United States , according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group , with California , Nevada , Colorado , New Mexico and West Texas also reporting blazes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 5 , and it has spread rapidly in recent days .
On Wednesday , the Bighorn Fire had scorched around 3,200 acres , but by Friday night , it had grown to nearly 9,000 acres with 10 percent containment , according to InciWeb .
One of the biggest challenges in battling this blaze is the landscape of the Catalina Mountains where it is burning .
`` This fire has been really complex from the [ beginning ] .
With that terrain , it 's super steep , super rocky , so a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for our firefighters to be on the ground up there unfortunately , so a lot of this fire has been surpassed and managed from the air with helicopters and air tankers , '' Adam Jarrold told AccuWeather .
Jarrold is the public information officer assigned to the Bighorn Fire .
The Pima County Sheriff 's Department went door-to-door in the northern parts of the Catalina Foothills to ensure that residents in danger of the fire were able to get to safety in time .
People that live nearby should monitor the situation closely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mandatory evacuation orders are expanded .
`` As the fire gets closer to the homes , we have hotshots getting behind the communities to create firebreaks , using hand tools , chainsaws to remove any fuel for the fire , '' said Jarrold .
Those that need to evacuate should make sure to keep safety precautions in mind amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` Residents should avoid close contact with those who are sick and should practice public health recommendations when relocating , '' the department stated in its evacuation notice .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mind unique needs for your family or special equipment for pets and livestock . ''
Local resident Scott Fadynich is dangerously close to the fire and is preparing to evacuate the moment that evacuation orders are given .
`` It 's just my wife and myself .
We took some time [ Thursday ] , put the breaks on everything else I 've been doing and just gathered important documents and a few things that we feel like are priceless , '' Fadynich told AccuWeather news reporter Bill Wadell on Friday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Emergency Management and the Pima County Sheriff 's Department downgraded the evacuation status , allowing previously evacuated residents to return to their homes .
However , they caution for people to remain alert and prepared .
Other notable fires across the Southwest include the Elizabeth Fire and the Lime Fire , both burning in Ventura County , Calif .
The Lime Fire is the bigger of the two with mandatory evacuations in place around the 700-acre fire , according to Cal Fire .
`` The potential for new fires and the rapid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Southwest on Friday and Saturday , '' AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said .
`` This time the main threat area may focus more on the Great Basin across the interior . ''
On Friday afternoon around 1 p.m. , Cal Fire declared a new fire , the Grant Fire , in Sacramento County , California .
Within four hours , the blaze exploded from 100 acres to 5,000 acres , though at 60 percent containment .
Video of damage from the fire shows charred fields and small flames still eating away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fresno County , California , the Hog Fire ignited , reaching up to 500 acres by around 5 p.m. Friday .
Any type of outdoor burning is strongly discouraged in the pattern as wind gusts are likely to frequent 20 mph to 30 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 60 mph possible .
Such winds can easily turn a few sparks into a rapidly spreading blaze in minutes .
The use of outdoor power equipment should also be limited , and cigarettes should be properly discarded .
The gusty winds can also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , resulting in poor visibility for motorists at times .
Loose , lightweight outdoor items should be brought inside before the winds pick up .
The highest fire danger will mostly be east of California this weekend , but forecasters say gusty winds and an elevated risk for wildfire spread can not be ruled out for the Golden State .
`` During Saturday evening , we will have to watch for the potential for a Sundowner wind situation during the evening hours across the north-south oriented valleys in Santa Barbara County , California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even moderate wind gusts could be enough to raise concern in this area , especially with the blazes that are already ongoing in the region .
AccuWeather meteorologists expect additional fire threats next week with several more rounds of gusty winds across the Southwest .

The Bighorn Fire consumed nearly 9,000 acres as of Friday evening. Photo courtesy of the Oro Valley Police Department
June 12 (UPI) -- Hundreds of residents were forced to flee northern parts of Tucson, Ariz., with little notice as the Bighorn Fire raged near the Catalina Foothills. Forecasters said a dangerous combination of weather conditions will keep the threat high for fires like Bighorn to spread further and for new fires to ignite through the weekend. Advertisement
Arizona has the largest concentration of ongoing wildfires across the southwestern United States, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, with California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and West Texas also reporting blazes.
Lightning sparked the blaze back on June 5, and it has spread rapidly in recent days. On Wednesday, the Bighorn Fire had scorched around 3,200 acres, but by Friday night, it had grown to nearly 9,000 acres with 10 percent containment, according to InciWeb.
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One of the biggest challenges in battling this blaze is the landscape of the Catalina Mountains where it is burning.
"This fire has been really complex from the [beginning]. With that terrain, it's super steep, super rocky, so a lot of it is just not safe for our firefighters to be on the ground up there unfortunately, so a lot of this fire has been surpassed and managed from the air with helicopters and air tankers," Adam Jarrold told AccuWeather. Jarrold is the public information officer assigned to the Bighorn Fire.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department went door-to-door in the northern parts of the Catalina Foothills to ensure that residents in danger of the fire were able to get to safety in time. People that live nearby should monitor the situation closely and be prepared to leave if the mandatory evacuation orders are expanded.
"As the fire gets closer to the homes, we have hotshots getting behind the communities to create firebreaks, using hand tools, chainsaws to remove any fuel for the fire," said Jarrold.
Those that need to evacuate should make sure to keep safety precautions in mind amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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"Residents should avoid close contact with those who are sick and should practice public health recommendations when relocating," the department stated in its evacuation notice. "Grab your emergency go kit. Keep in mind unique needs for your family or special equipment for pets and livestock."
Local resident Scott Fadynich is dangerously close to the fire and is preparing to evacuate the moment that evacuation orders are given.
"It's just my wife and myself. We took some time [Thursday], put the breaks on everything else I've been doing and just gathered important documents and a few things that we feel like are priceless," Fadynich told AccuWeather news reporter Bill Wadell on Friday.
Friday afternoon, the Pima County Office of Emergency Management and the Pima County Sheriff's Department downgraded the evacuation status, allowing previously evacuated residents to return to their homes. However, they caution for people to remain alert and prepared.
Other notable fires across the Southwest include the Elizabeth Fire and the Lime Fire, both burning in Ventura County, Calif. The Lime Fire is the bigger of the two with mandatory evacuations in place around the 700-acre fire, according to Cal Fire.
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"The potential for new fires and the rapid spread of existing fires will increase over the Southwest on Friday and Saturday," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "This time the main threat area may focus more on the Great Basin across the interior."
On Friday afternoon around 1 p.m., Cal Fire declared a new fire, the Grant Fire, in Sacramento County, California. Within four hours, the blaze exploded from 100 acres to 5,000 acres, though at 60 percent containment. Video of damage from the fire shows charred fields and small flames still eating away at the remaining plant life. In Fresno County, California, the Hog Fire ignited, reaching up to 500 acres by around 5 p.m. Friday.
Any type of outdoor burning is strongly discouraged in the pattern as wind gusts are likely to frequent 20 mph to 30 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 60 mph possible. Such winds can easily turn a few sparks into a rapidly spreading blaze in minutes.
The use of outdoor power equipment should also be limited, and cigarettes should be properly discarded.
The gusty winds can also lead to blowing dust in the deserts, resulting in poor visibility for motorists at times. Loose, lightweight outdoor items should be brought inside before the winds pick up.
Advertisement
The highest fire danger will mostly be east of California this weekend, but forecasters say gusty winds and an elevated risk for wildfire spread cannot be ruled out for the Golden State.
"During Saturday evening, we will have to watch for the potential for a Sundowner wind situation during the evening hours across the north-south oriented valleys in Santa Barbara County, California," AccuWeather meteorologist Brett Rossio said.
Even moderate wind gusts could be enough to raise concern in this area, especially with the blazes that are already ongoing in the region.
AccuWeather meteorologists expect additional fire threats next week with several more rounds of gusty winds across the Southwest.