upi--2020-09-29--Democrats unveil $2.2T updated pandemic relief package

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- House Democrats unveiled a $ 2.2 trillion pandemic relief proposal in an attempt to revive stalled negotiations with Republicans on another COVID-19 aid package .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , said Monday in a letter to her Democratic colleagues that the measure will provide `` the absolutely needed resources to protect lives , livelihoods and the life of our democracy over the coming months . ''
The bill is an update to the $ 3.4 trillion Heroes Act that the House passed in May but never made it to the GOP-controlled Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 600 in weekly unemployment benefits through January and a second round of $ 1,200 payments mailed to taxpayers as well as a $ 500 check for dependents .
It also sets aside $ 182 billion for grade schools , $ 39 billion for post-secondary institutions and $ 57 billion for childcare support .
It will also infuse the Paycheck Protection Program with more funds to keep struggling small businesses , including restaurants , afloat , among several other programs .
The substantially reduced Democratic proposal is still far above the $ 1 trillion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer .
In the letter , Pelosi said Democrats in negotiations offered the White House to come down a trillion dollars in their ask if the Republicans would go up by the same amount .
`` Democrats are making good on our promise to compromise with this updated bill , which is necessary to address the immediate health and economic crisis facing America 's working families right now , '' she said .
`` We have been able to make critical additions and reduce the cost of the bill by shortening the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the substantial changes in the new bill is a drop from $ 1 trillion to $ 436 billion for local governments to pay vital workers such as first responders and healthcare professionals .
In an interview Monday with MSNBC 's Andrea Mitchell , Pelosi said it 's now the Republicans ' turn to meet them .
`` It takes money to crush the virus .
It takes money to make the schools safe .
It takes money to put money in people 's pockets , '' she said , adding that she thinks @ @ @ @ @ @

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it is now time for the Republicans to negotiate on a new COVID-19 relief package after the Democrats reduced their ask by $1 trillion. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- House Democrats unveiled a $2.2 trillion pandemic relief proposal in an attempt to revive stalled negotiations with Republicans on another COVID-19 aid package. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Monday in a letter to her Democratic colleagues that the measure will provide "the absolutely needed resources to protect lives, livelihoods and the life of our democracy over the coming months." Advertisement
The bill is an update to the $3.4 trillion Heroes Act that the House passed in May but never made it to the GOP-controlled Senate floor.
The updated bill includes $600 in weekly unemployment benefits through January and a second round of $1,200 payments mailed to taxpayers as well as a $500 check for dependents. It also sets aside $182 billion for grade schools, $39 billion for post-secondary institutions and $57 billion for childcare support. It will also infuse the Paycheck Protection Program with more funds to keep struggling small businesses, including restaurants, afloat, among several other programs.
The substantially reduced Democratic proposal is still far above the $1 trillion Heal Act the Republicans pursued over the summer.
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In the letter, Pelosi said Democrats in negotiations offered the White House to come down a trillion dollars in their ask if the Republicans would go up by the same amount.
"Democrats are making good on our promise to compromise with this updated bill, which is necessary to address the immediate health and economic crisis facing America's working families right now," she said. "We have been able to make critical additions and reduce the cost of the bill by shortening the time covered for now."
One of the substantial changes in the new bill is a drop from $1 trillion to $436 billion for local governments to pay vital workers such as first responders and healthcare professionals.
In an interview Monday with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell, Pelosi said it's now the Republicans' turn to meet them.
"It takes money to crush the virus. It takes money to make the schools safe. It takes money to put money in people's pockets," she said, adding that she thinks a deal can be reached.
"I'm hopeful," she said. "I'm optimistic."


upi--2020-09-29--Study: Cardiac arrest with COVID-19 more likely to be fatal

Folks whose hearts stop due to a severe case of COVID-19 are very unlikely to leave the hospital alive , a new study shows .
Out of 54 patients at a Michigan hospital who suffered cardiac arrest while battling COVID-19 , none survived their illness even though 29 were resuscitated by cardiopulmonary resuscitation , the researchers reported .
`` I do n't think we can say cardiac arrest is always fatal if you have COVID , '' said Dr. J. Randall Curtis , a professor of pulmonology with the University of Washington in Seattle , who was not involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can say in this setting of cardiac arrest and COVID , the chances of cardiac resuscitation working are very , very low . ''
Doctors had suspected prior to this study that saving a COVID-19 patient whose heart stops would be difficult , Curtis said .
A previous report from China had similar results .
This sort of thing is common in other severe pulmonary diseases , with the problem coming not from the heart but from the lungs , Curtis said .
`` Of patients who have COVID and progress to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is a cardiac arrest that is occurring because their lung disease has gotten so severe that they are n't getting enough oxygen and their body is shutting down , '' Curtis explained .
Even if the heart is revived , it will continue to have to fight against a lack of oxygen from damaged lungs , Curtis said .
Curtis noted that of the 54 patients , 52 had a type of cardiac arrest called pulseless electrical activity , or PEA .
In PEA , the heart is generating enough electricity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart muscle itself has given out and will not contract .
`` PEA arrests have much worse hospital survival after an in-hospital cardiac arrest '' than cardiac arrests caused by a dysfunction of the heart itself , Curtis said .
The researchers , Dr. Shrinjaya Thapa and colleagues at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak , Mich. , suggested that doctors might want to think twice before performing prolonged CPR on these patients , especially because the resuscitation process generates aerosols that may place health care personnel at a higher risk of contracting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does increase the amount of virus in the air , but noted that most patients who are this ill with COVID-19 will already be in the intensive care unit and in isolation .
`` I feel like if we 're going to do CPR , the risk is relatively low for hospital workers , because personal protective equipment that is properly donned and doffed works , '' Curtis said .
These results , which were published online Sept. 28 in JAMA Internal Medicine , do highlight the need for doctors to have frank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their desires related to resuscitation , he noted .
Curtis co-authored a commentary accompanying the research letter .
`` It 's really important for us to think ahead of time about whether we should really put patients and families through this , '' Curtis said .
`` Talking ahead of time is really important .
Many patients with such low chances of meaningful survival would n't want to be put through this . ''
The American Heart Association has more about cardiac arrest .

Folks whose hearts stop due to a severe case of COVID-19 are very unlikely to leave the hospital alive, a new study shows.
Out of 54 patients at a Michigan hospital who suffered cardiac arrest while battling COVID-19, none survived their illness even though 29 were resuscitated by cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the researchers reported.
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"I don't think we can say cardiac arrest is always fatal if you have COVID," said Dr. J. Randall Curtis, a professor of pulmonology with the University of Washington in Seattle, who was not involved in the study. "I think we can say in this setting of cardiac arrest and COVID, the chances of cardiac resuscitation working are very, very low."
Doctors had suspected prior to this study that saving a COVID-19 patient whose heart stops would be difficult, Curtis said. A previous report from China had similar results.
This sort of thing is common in other severe pulmonary diseases, with the problem coming not from the heart but from the lungs, Curtis said.
Advertisement
"Of patients who have COVID and progress to have cardiac arrest, most of the time that is a cardiac arrest that is occurring because their lung disease has gotten so severe that they aren't getting enough oxygen and their body is shutting down," Curtis explained.
Even if the heart is revived, it will continue to have to fight against a lack of oxygen from damaged lungs, Curtis said.
Curtis noted that of the 54 patients, 52 had a type of cardiac arrest called pulseless electrical activity, or PEA. In PEA, the heart is generating enough electricity to create a heart beat, but the heart muscle itself has given out and will not contract.
"PEA arrests have much worse hospital survival after an in-hospital cardiac arrest" than cardiac arrests caused by a dysfunction of the heart itself, Curtis said.
The researchers, Dr. Shrinjaya Thapa and colleagues at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., suggested that doctors might want to think twice before performing prolonged CPR on these patients, especially because the resuscitation process generates aerosols that may place health care personnel at a higher risk of contracting the virus.
Curtis agreed that CPR does increase the amount of virus in the air, but noted that most patients who are this ill with COVID-19 will already be in the intensive care unit and in isolation.
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"I feel like if we're going to do CPR, the risk is relatively low for hospital workers, because personal protective equipment that is properly donned and doffed works," Curtis said.
These results, which were published online Sept. 28 in JAMA Internal Medicine, do highlight the need for doctors to have frank discussions with severely ill COVID-19 patients about their desires related to resuscitation, he noted. Curtis co-authored a commentary accompanying the research letter.
"It's really important for us to think ahead of time about whether we should really put patients and families through this," Curtis said. "Talking ahead of time is really important. Many patients with such low chances of meaningful survival wouldn't want to be put through this."
More information
The American Heart Association has more about cardiac arrest.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-09-29--On This Day, Sept. 29: Senate confirms John Roberts Jr. to Supreme Court

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1789 , the U.S. War Department organized the country 's first standing army -- 700 soldiers who would serve for three years .
In 1923 , Britain began to govern Palestine under a League of Nations mandate .
In 1936 , in the U.S. presidential race between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Alf Landon , the Democratic and Republican parties used radio for the first time .
FDR won re-election in a record vote in November .
In 1941 , the Babi Yar massacre of nearly 34,000 Jewish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outskirts of Kiev in Nazi-occupied Ukraine .
In 1965 , Communist North Vietnam announced that U.S. pilots taken prisoner would be tried as war criminals .
In 1988 , Stacy Marie Allison , a construction worker from Portland , Ore. , became the first American woman and the world 's seventh to scale Mount Everest .
In 1992 , Earvin `` Magic '' Johnson announced he was returning to the Los Angeles Lakers less than a year after he retired because he had the AIDS virus .
A month later , Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2005 , John Roberts Jr. easily won confirmation by the U.S. Senate and was sworn in as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court .
He succeeded the late William Rehnquist .
In 2011 , a special court in India convicted 269 police officers and others for their roles in a 1992 raid on a small village that resulted in multiple rapes and beatings .
In 2017 , the U.S. State Department pulled all non-emergency staff from its embassy in Havana , Cuba , in connection to mysterious health issues experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the center-right Austrian People 's Party won Austria 's election , position former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to reclaim the position .

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Judge John Roberts (2nd L) is sworn in by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens (R) as his wife, Jane Roberts, holds the Bible and U.S. President George W. Bush watches on September 29, 2005, in the East Room of the White House. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1789, the U.S. War Department organized the country's first standing army -- 700 soldiers who would serve for three years. Advertisement
In 1923, Britain began to govern Palestine under a League of Nations mandate.
In 1936, in the U.S. presidential race between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Alf Landon, the Democratic and Republican parties used radio for the first time. FDR won re-election in a record vote in November.
In 1941, the Babi Yar massacre of nearly 34,000 Jewish men, women and children began on the outskirts of Kiev in Nazi-occupied Ukraine.
File Photo by Sergey Starostenko/UPI
In 1965, Communist North Vietnam announced that U.S. pilots taken prisoner would be tried as war criminals.
In 1988, Stacy Marie Allison, a construction worker from Portland, Ore., became the first American woman and the world's seventh to scale Mount Everest.
In 1992, Earvin "Magic" Johnson announced he was returning to the Los Angeles Lakers less than a year after he retired because he had the AIDS virus. A month later, Johnson announced his retirement for a second time.
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File Photo by David Becker/UPI
In 2005, John Roberts Jr. easily won confirmation by the U.S. Senate and was sworn in as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He succeeded the late William Rehnquist.
In 2011, a special court in India convicted 269 police officers and others for their roles in a 1992 raid on a small village that resulted in multiple rapes and beatings.
In 2017, the U.S. State Department pulled all non-emergency staff from its embassy in Havana, Cuba, in connection to mysterious health issues experienced by workers there.
In 2019, the center-right Austrian People's Party won Austria's election, position former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to reclaim the position.


upi--2020-09-29--Famous birthdays for Sept. 29: Chrissy Metz, Zachary Levi

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra .

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Chrissy Metz arrives for the 92nd annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on February 9. She turns 40 on September 29. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They includ: Advertisement
-- Spanish poet-novelist Miguel de Cervantes in 1547
-- Italian artist Caravaggio in 1571
-- Author Elizabeth Gaskell in 1810
-- Pioneer nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi in 1901
-- Actor Greer Garson in 1904
-- Singing movie cowboy Gene Autry in 1907
-- Film director Michelangelo Antonioni in 1912
-- British writer Colin Dexter in 1930
-- Actor Anita Ekberg in 1931
-- Rock 'n' roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis in 1935 (age 85)
File Photo by Rune Hellestad/UPI
-- Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in 1936 (age 84)
-- Actor Madeline Kahn in 1942
-- Actor Ian McShane in 1942 (age 78)
-- Astronaut Bill Nelson in 1942 (age 78)
-- Polish leader/Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa in 1943 (age 77)
-- Composer Mike Post in 1944 (age 76)
-- TV personality Bryant Gumbel in 1948 (age 72)
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
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-- Rock guitarist Mark Farner in 1948 (age 72)
-- Olympic gold medal-winning runner Sebastian Coe in 1956 (age 64)
-- Comedian Andrew Dice Clay in 1957 (age 63)
-- Actor Chrissy Metz in 1980 (age 40)
-- Actor Zachary Levi in 1980 (age 40)
-- Musician Dallas Green in 1980 (age 40)
-- Actor Kelly McCreary in 1981 (age 39)
-- NBA star Kevin Durant in 1988 (age 32)
-- Singer Halsey, born Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, in 1994 (age 26)


upi--2020-09-29--MLB playoffs: Ace pitcher matchups, big bats launch postseason schedule

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- American and National League teams will send their best pitchers to the mound Tuesday and Wednesday to begin the wild card round of the 2020 MLB playoffs .
Sixteen teams -- eight from each league -- emerged from the MLB 's coronavirus pandemic shortened 60-game regular season to form the expanded playoff field .
They will compete in best-of-three wild card series through Oct. 10 , starting a month-long journey toward the World Series , which will be played Oct. 20 to 28 in Arlington , Texas .
The third-seeded Minnesota Twins will battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game of the postseason at 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Minneapolis .
The Oakland Athletics will host the Chicago White Sox in the second game of the day .
The top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays will host the No .
8 Toronto Blue Jays in the third game Tuesday in St. Petersburg , Fla .
The No .
4 Cleveland Indians will host the No .
5 New York Yankees in the nightcap at 7 p.m. EDT in Cleveland .
`` We know we 'll have our hands full , '' Yankees manager Aaron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look forward to going there and the challenge of hopefully having a good series . ''
New York and Tampa Bay are among the betting favorites to win the American League pennant and clinch a World Series berth .
The Los Angeles Dodgers -- the National League 's top seed -- are favored to emerge as the National League 's World Series representative .
The No .
2 seed Atlanta Braves will host the No .
7 Cincinnati Reds in the first game Wednesday in Atlanta .
The Astros will take on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wednesday 's second game .
`` We clawed to get back to .500 for so long throughout the course of these 60 games , '' Reds pitcher Sonny Gray said of the team 's regular-season push to the playoffs .
`` The 60 games were a whirlwind .
It was something none of us had ever been a part of or experienced .
Ending the season above .500 .
... we feel very good with where we are at . ''
The No .
3 Chicago Cubs will host the No .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the day .
The No .
2 Athletics and No .
7 White Sox play the second game of their series at 3 p.m. EDT Wednesday .
The Blue Jays and Rays will face off in Game 2 at 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday .
The San Diego Padres will host the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of that wild card series at 5 p.m. EDT Wednesday .
The Indians will host the Yankees in Game 2 at 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday .
The Dodgers will host the Brewers in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Dodger Stadium .
Like the pandemic-shortened regular-season schedule , the 2020 MLB postseason will look different this year than it has in the past .
The 2020 MLB playoff field features an increase of six teams from 2019 and begins play with a new , best-of-three wild card series .
Eight teams from each league will battle at the higher-seeds ' home stadiums for the first round before four teams advance from each league to play best-of-five division series at neutral sites .
The American League Division Series will be played from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Los Angeles .
The National League Division Series will be held Oct. 6 to 10 in Arlington , Texas , and Houston .
Two teams from each league will advance to their respective best-of-seven league championship series .
The American League Championship Series is from Oct. 11 to 17 in San Diego .
The National League Championship Series is from Oct. 12 to 18 in Arlington .
The World Series remains a best-of-seven format .
Twins ace Kenta Maeda and Astros pitcher Zack Greinke will take the mound for the first game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.70 ERA and a 6-1 record in 11 regular-season games .
Greinke -- the 2009 Cy Young award winner -- was 3-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 12 starts .
The third-seeded Twins are favored to win Game 1 over the No .
6 Astros .
The Athletics have yet to announce a starter for Game 1 of their wild card series against the White Sox .
Chicago will send Lucas Giolito to the hill .
Giolito -- who pitched a no-hitter in August -- had a 4-3 record and 3.48 ERA in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 Oakland is favored to beat No .
7 Chicago in Game 1 .
The Rays -- the top seed in the American League -- will send 2018 Cy Young award winner Blake Snell to the mound against the No .
8 Blue Jays .
Snell had a 4-2 record and 3.24 ERA in 11 starts this season .
The Blue Jays have yet to announce a starter , but are expected to hand the ball to Hyun-Jin Ryu .
Ryu had a 2.69 ERA and 5-2 record in 12 starts this season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Game 1 .
Gerrit Cole and 2020 Cy Young award favorite Shane Bieber should produce the best pitching matchup Tuesday when the Indians host the Yankees .
Cole was 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA this season for the Yankees .
Bieber achieved MLB 's pitching triple crown , with a league-best eight wins , 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 12 starts .
The Yankees are slight favorites to beat the Indians at Progressive Field .
The Braves are favored to beat the Reds in Game 1 of that series , despite Cincinnati @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bauer -- a National League Cy Young favorite -- had a 5-4 record and National League best 1.73 ERA in 2020 .
The Braves will send Max Fried to the mound .
The left-handed pitcher posted a perfect 7-0 record and a 2.25 ERA in 11 starts this season .
The Marlins and Cubs each have several strong options for Game 1 starters , but have not announced who will pitch .
Chicago is favored to win the first game of the series .
The Padres and Cardinals have not revealed their Game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favored to win Game 1 .
Walker Buehler will man the mound for the Dodgers in their postseason opener against the Brewers .
Buehler had a 1-0 record and 3.44 ERA in eight starts this season .
The Dodgers are heavy favorites to win Game 1 .
Juan Soto , 21 , became the youngest player to ever win a National League batting title on Sunday , but the All-Star outfielder and reigning World Series champions failed to make the playoffs .
That leaves Braves hitters Freddie Freeman and Marcell Ozuna as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race .
Freeman hit .341 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs this season .
Ozuna swatted a league-high 18 homers and hit .338 on the season .
Freeman and Ozuna each played in all 60 regular-season games .
The Braves also had the best team batting average in the National League at .268 for the season .
The Dodgers led MLB in home runs and ERA and boast several big bats .
Corey Seager hit a team-best .307 and had 15 home runs this season .
Mookie Betts and A.J .
Pollock swatted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The White Sox are the top hitting team in the American League .
The White Sox hit a league-best 96 homers this season .
They also had a .261 team batting average .
Shortstop Tim Anderson led Chicago with a .322 average .
He also hit 10 home runs .
White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu slugged 19 home runs and hit .317 in 60 regular-season games .
Outfielder Eloy Jimenez also brings pop at the plate .
He hit 14 homers this season .
Yankees second baseman D.J .
LeMahieu was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all season .
He hit an MLB-best .364 and paces a potent Yankees lineup .
Yankees first baseman Luke Voit led MLB with 22 homers and hit .277 on the season .
Aaron Judge , Giancarlo Stanton and Clint Frazier are among the other Yankees hitters who should put pressure on Indians pitchers in the wild card round .
MVP candidate Fernando Tatis Jr. and his Padres teammate Manny Machado , Indians infielder Jose Ramirez , Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt , Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz and Astros designated hitter Michael Brantley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the playoff field .
Braves outfielders Adam Duvall and Ronald Acuna Jr. , Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez , Padres outfielder Wil Myers and Reds sluggers Eugenio Suarez and Nick Castellanos are among the top home run hitters who made the playoffs .
Game 1 : Astros at Twins at 2 p.m. on ABC Game 1 : White Sox at Athletics at 3 p.m. on ESPN Game 1 : Blue Jays at Rays at 5 p.m. on TBS Game 1 : Yankees at Indians at 7 p.m. on ESPN Game 1 : Reds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 : Astros at Twins at 1 p.m. on ESPN2 Game 1 : Marlins at Cubs at 2 p.m. on ABC Game 2 : White Sox at Athletics at 3 p.m. on ESPN Game 2 : Blue Jays at Rays at 4 p.m. on TBS Game 1 : Cardinals at Padres at 5 p.m. on ESPN2 Game 2 : Yankees at Indians at 7 p.m. on ESPN Game 1 : Brewers at Dodgers at 10 p.m. on ESPN Game 3 : Yankees at Indians ( if necessary ) at TBD Game 3 : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at TBD Game 3 : White Sox at Athletics ( if necessary ) at TBD Game 3 : Blue Jays at Rays ( if necessary ) at TBD Game 3 : Reds at Braves ( if necessary ) at TBD Game 3 : Marlins at Cubs ( if necessary ) at TBD Game 3 : Brewers at Dodgers ( if necessary ) at TBD Game 3 : Cardinals at Padres ( if necessary ) at TBD

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Shane Bieber, who led MLB in wins, strikeouts and ERA this season, will start for the Cleveland Indians against the New York Yankees in an American League wild card game Tuesday in Cleveland. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- American and National League teams will send their best pitchers to the mound Tuesday and Wednesday to begin the wild card round of the 2020 MLB playoffs. Sixteen teams -- eight from each league -- emerged from the MLB's coronavirus pandemic shortened 60-game regular season to form the expanded playoff field. Advertisement
They will compete in best-of-three wild card series through Oct. 10, starting a month-long journey toward the World Series, which will be played Oct. 20 to 28 in Arlington, Texas.
The third-seeded Minnesota Twins will battle the sixth-seeded Houston Astros in the first game of the postseason at 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Minneapolis.
The Oakland Athletics will host the Chicago White Sox in the second game of the day.
The top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays will host the No. 8 Toronto Blue Jays in the third game Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
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The No. 4 Cleveland Indians will host the No. 5 New York Yankees in the nightcap at 7 p.m. EDT in Cleveland.
"We know we'll have our hands full," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters Sunday. "We look forward to going there and the challenge of hopefully having a good series."
New York and Tampa Bay are among the betting favorites to win the American League pennant and clinch a World Series berth. The Los Angeles Dodgers -- the National League's top seed -- are favored to emerge as the National League's World Series representative.
The No. 2 seed Atlanta Braves will host the No. 7 Cincinnati Reds in the first game Wednesday in Atlanta. The Astros will take on the Twins in Game 2 of that series in Wednesday's second game.
"We clawed to get back to .500 for so long throughout the course of these 60 games," Reds pitcher Sonny Gray said of the team's regular-season push to the playoffs.
"The 60 games were a whirlwind. It was something none of us had ever been a part of or experienced. Ending the season above .500. ... we feel very good with where we are at."
The No. 3 Chicago Cubs will host the No. 6 Miami Marlins in the third game of the day. The No. 2 Athletics and No. 7 White Sox play the second game of their series at 3 p.m. EDT Wednesday.
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The Blue Jays and Rays will face off in Game 2 at 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday. The San Diego Padres will host the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of that wild card series at 5 p.m. EDT Wednesday. The Indians will host the Yankees in Game 2 at 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday. The Dodgers will host the Brewers in the final game at 10 p.m. EDT Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
Postseason format
Like the pandemic-shortened regular-season schedule, the 2020 MLB postseason will look different this year than it has in the past.
The 2020 MLB playoff field features an increase of six teams from 2019 and begins play with a new, best-of-three wild card series. Eight teams from each league will battle at the higher-seeds' home stadiums for the first round before four teams advance from each league to play best-of-five division series at neutral sites.
The American League Division Series will be played from Oct. 5 to 9 in San Diego and Los Angeles. The National League Division Series will be held Oct. 6 to 10 in Arlington, Texas, and Houston.
Two teams from each league will advance to their respective best-of-seven league championship series.
The American League Championship Series is from Oct. 11 to 17 in San Diego. The National League Championship Series is from Oct. 12 to 18 in Arlington. The World Series remains a best-of-seven format.
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Pitcher matchups
Twins ace Kenta Maeda and Astros pitcher Zack Greinke will take the mound for the first game of the playoffs.
Maeda had a 2.70 ERA and a 6-1 record in 11 regular-season games. Greinke -- the 2009 Cy Young award winner -- was 3-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 12 starts. The third-seeded Twins are favored to win Game 1 over the No. 6 Astros.
The Athletics have yet to announce a starter for Game 1 of their wild card series against the White Sox. Chicago will send Lucas Giolito to the hill. Giolito -- who pitched a no-hitter in August -- had a 4-3 record and 3.48 ERA in 12 starts this season. No. 2 Oakland is favored to beat No. 7 Chicago in Game 1.
The Rays -- the top seed in the American League -- will send 2018 Cy Young award winner Blake Snell to the mound against the No. 8 Blue Jays. Snell had a 4-2 record and 3.24 ERA in 11 starts this season.
The Blue Jays have yet to announce a starter, but are expected to hand the ball to Hyun-Jin Ryu. Ryu had a 2.69 ERA and 5-2 record in 12 starts this season. The Rays are favored to win Game 1.
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Gerrit Cole and 2020 Cy Young award favorite Shane Bieber should produce the best pitching matchup Tuesday when the Indians host the Yankees.
Cole was 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA this season for the Yankees. Bieber achieved MLB's pitching triple crown, with a league-best eight wins, 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 12 starts. The Yankees are slight favorites to beat the Indians at Progressive Field.
The Braves are favored to beat the Reds in Game 1 of that series, despite Cincinnati ace Trevor Bauer getting the start. Bauer -- a National League Cy Young favorite -- had a 5-4 record and National League best 1.73 ERA in 2020.
The Braves will send Max Fried to the mound. The left-handed pitcher posted a perfect 7-0 record and a 2.25 ERA in 11 starts this season.
The Marlins and Cubs each have several strong options for Game 1 starters, but have not announced who will pitch. Chicago is favored to win the first game of the series.
The Padres and Cardinals have not revealed their Game 1 starters, but the Padres are favored to win Game 1.
Walker Buehler will man the mound for the Dodgers in their postseason opener against the Brewers. Buehler had a 1-0 record and 3.44 ERA in eight starts this season. The Dodgers are heavy favorites to win Game 1.
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Top hitters
Juan Soto, 21, became the youngest player to ever win a National League batting title on Sunday, but the All-Star outfielder and reigning World Series champions failed to make the playoffs. That leaves Braves hitters Freddie Freeman and Marcell Ozuna as the top hitters in the National League playoff race.
Freeman hit .341 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs this season. Ozuna swatted a league-high 18 homers and hit .338 on the season. Freeman and Ozuna each played in all 60 regular-season games. The Braves also had the best team batting average in the National League at .268 for the season.
The Dodgers led MLB in home runs and ERA and boast several big bats. Corey Seager hit a team-best .307 and had 15 home runs this season. Mookie Betts and A.J. Pollock swatted 16 home runs apiece for the Dodgers.
The White Sox are the top hitting team in the American League. The White Sox hit a league-best 96 homers this season. They also had a .261 team batting average. Shortstop Tim Anderson led Chicago with a .322 average. He also hit 10 home runs.
White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu slugged 19 home runs and hit .317 in 60 regular-season games. Outfielder Eloy Jimenez also brings pop at the plate. He hit 14 homers this season.
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Yankees second baseman D.J. LeMahieu was one of the best hitters in baseball all season. He hit an MLB-best .364 and paces a potent Yankees lineup. Yankees first baseman Luke Voit led MLB with 22 homers and hit .277 on the season.
Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Clint Frazier are among the other Yankees hitters who should put pressure on Indians pitchers in the wild card round.
MVP candidate Fernando Tatis Jr. and his Padres teammate Manny Machado, Indians infielder Jose Ramirez, Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz and Astros designated hitter Michael Brantley are among the other top hitters in the playoff field.
Braves outfielders Adam Duvall and Ronald Acuna Jr., Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, Padres outfielder Wil Myers and Reds sluggers Eugenio Suarez and Nick Castellanos are among the top home run hitters who made the playoffs.
MLB wild card round (all times EDT)
Tuesday
Game 1: Astros at Twins at 2 p.m. on ABC
Game 1: White Sox at Athletics at 3 p.m. on ESPN
Game 1: Blue Jays at Rays at 5 p.m. on TBS
Game 1: Yankees at Indians at 7 p.m. on ESPN
Wednesday
Game 1: Reds at Braves at noon on ESPN
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Game 2: Astros at Twins at 1 p.m. on ESPN2
Game 1: Marlins at Cubs at 2 p.m. on ABC
Game 2: White Sox at Athletics at 3 p.m. on ESPN
Game 2: Blue Jays at Rays at 4 p.m. on TBS
Game 1: Cardinals at Padres at 5 p.m. on ESPN2
Game 2: Yankees at Indians at 7 p.m. on ESPN
Game 1: Brewers at Dodgers at 10 p.m. on ESPN
Thursday on ESPN/TBS
Game 2: Brewers at Dodgers at TBD
Game 2: Reds at Braves at TBD
Game 3: Yankees at Indians (if necessary) at TBD
Game 3: Astors at Twins (if necessary) at TBD
Game 3: White Sox at Athletics (if necessary) at TBD
Game 3: Blue Jays at Rays (if necessary) at TBD
Game 2: Cardinals at Padres at TBD
Game 2: Marlins at Cubs at TBD
Friday on ESPN/TBS
Game 3: Reds at Braves (if necessary) at TBD
Game 3: Marlins at Cubs (if necessary) at TBD
Game 3: Brewers at Dodgers (if necessary) at TBD
Game 3: Cardinals at Padres (if necessary) at TBD
ALDS
Oct. 5 to 9 on TBS
NLDS
Oct. 6 to 10 on FS1
ALCS
Oct. 11 to 17 on TBS
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NLCS
Oct. 12 to 18 on Fox/FS1
World Series
Oct. 20 to 28 on Fox
This week in Major League Baseball


upi--2020-09-29--County, family of Maryland man killed by police reach 'historic' $20M settlement

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- Officials in Maryland announced they have reached a $ 20 million settlement with the family of a man who was killed by a police officer in January .
Prince George 's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced the agreement , which is one of the largest made in connection to a police-involved death , during a press conference Monday that came months after Cpl .
Michael Owen of the Prince George 's County Police Department fatally shot William Green after he was arrested on Jan. 27 .
Authorities said Green was sitting in the front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands cuffed behind his back when Owen fired seven shots from within the vehicle , striking the 43-year-old six times .
The county said it was initially claimed that Green had gone for a weapon in the car when Owen opened fire but use-of-force specialists within the department were unable to verify the claim , and Owen was arrested within 24 hours of the shooting and charged with murder .
Green had been apprehended following a series of car collisions , officials said .
Alsobrooks , who negotiated the settlement with the Green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Green 's mother and his two children at the press conference that she is aware that the agreement wo n't bring back their loved one and that she was deeply sorry for their loss .
`` Now be clear , there is no price that you can put on the life of a son , a father , an uncle , a brother , there is no appropriate price tag to accompany a loss like that one , '' Alsobrooks said during the conference .
`` But we believe the actions taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ultimately his family , warrant this settlement . ''
The announcement of the settlement occurred nearly two weeks after the city of Louisville said it had reached a $ 12 million settlement with the family of Breonna Taylor , who was killed during a police raid last spring .
Murphy thanked Alsobrooks during the press conference for `` having the courage to do the right thing . ''
`` In this case , the takeaway is that the Black life of Mr. Green truly mattered , and the Black lives of his mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives matter , '' he said , calling it a `` historic settlement '' that reflects `` the heinous nature '' of the crime .
Alsobrooks told reporters that the money to cover the settlement will come from the county 's budget , stating that `` this is not the way we want to spend taxpayer dollars , which is why we 're doing everything we can to make sure we 're never here again . ''
Along with the monetary settlement , Alsobrooks will issue a letter to the family expressing regret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green 's family to address the Police Reform Work Group , her office said in a statement .

Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Officials in Maryland announced they have reached a $20 million settlement with the family of a man who was killed by a police officer in January.
Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced the agreement, which is one of the largest made in connection to a police-involved death, during a press conference Monday that came months after Cpl. Michael Owen of the Prince George's County Police Department fatally shot William Green after he was arrested on Jan. 27.
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Authorities said Green was sitting in the front seat of a police cruiser with his hands cuffed behind his back when Owen fired seven shots from within the vehicle, striking the 43-year-old six times.
The county said it was initially claimed that Green had gone for a weapon in the car when Owen opened fire but use-of-force specialists within the department were unable to verify the claim, and Owen was arrested within 24 hours of the shooting and charged with murder.
Green had been apprehended following a series of car collisions, officials said.
Alsobrooks, who negotiated the settlement with the Green family attorney, William H. Murphy, told Green's mother and his two children at the press conference that she is aware that the agreement won't bring back their loved one and that she was deeply sorry for their loss.
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"Now be clear, there is no price that you can put on the life of a son, a father, an uncle, a brother, there is no appropriate price tag to accompany a loss like that one," Alsobrooks said during the conference. "But we believe the actions taken that night against Mr. Green, and ultimately his family, warrant this settlement."
The announcement of the settlement occurred nearly two weeks after the city of Louisville said it had reached a $12 million settlement with the family of Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a police raid last spring.
Murphy thanked Alsobrooks during the press conference for "having the courage to do the right thing."
"In this case, the takeaway is that the Black life of Mr. Green truly mattered, and the Black lives of his mother and two children truly matter because Black lives matter," he said, calling it a "historic settlement" that reflects "the heinous nature" of the crime.
Alsobrooks told reporters that the money to cover the settlement will come from the county's budget, stating that "this is not the way we want to spend taxpayer dollars, which is why we're doing everything we can to make sure we're never here again."
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Along with the monetary settlement, Alsobrooks will issue a letter to the family expressing regret for the incident as well as allow Green's family to address the Police Reform Work Group, her office said in a statement.
Owen is currently awaiting trial.


upi--2020-09-29--Sex remains important to women through middle age, survey shows

It 's often thought that older women lose interest in sex , but many women continue to rate sex as important , a new study finds .
`` In contrast to prior literature reporting that the importance of sex decreases as women move through midlife , we found that for a quarter of women , sex remains highly important to them throughout midlife , '' said lead author Dr. Holly Thomas , an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh .
More than 3,200 women took part in the Study of Women 's Health Across the Nation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ early in midlife and became less so over time , the study found .
For 27 % , sex remained important throughout midlife and for 28 % sex was of low importance .
Black women were more likely to say sex was important throughout midlife , but Chinese and Japanese women were more likely to regard sex as not important or of less importance .
Women with depression symptoms also were more likely to regard sex as unimportant .
Sexual satisfaction was linked with high levels of importance of sex , as was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The findings are to be presented Monday at the 2020 virtual meeting of the North American Menopause Society .
`` Studies like these provide valuable insights to health care providers who may otherwise dismiss a woman 's waning sexual desire as a natural part of aging , '' NAMS medical director Dr. Stephanie Faubion said in a society news release .
`` Often there are other treatable reasons , such as vaginal dryness or depression , as to why a woman 's interest in sex may have decreased . ''
Research presented at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a peer-reviewed journal .
For more on sex and aging , visit the U.S. National Institute on Aging .

It's often thought that older women lose interest in sex, but many women continue to rate sex as important, a new study finds.
"In contrast to prior literature reporting that the importance of sex decreases as women move through midlife, we found that for a quarter of women, sex remains highly important to them throughout midlife," said lead author Dr. Holly Thomas, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.
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More than 3,200 women took part in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.
For 45%, sex was important early in midlife and became less so over time, the study found. For 27%, sex remained important throughout midlife and for 28% sex was of low importance.
Black women were more likely to say sex was important throughout midlife, but Chinese and Japanese women were more likely to regard sex as not important or of less importance.
Women with depression symptoms also were more likely to regard sex as unimportant. Sexual satisfaction was linked with high levels of importance of sex, as was higher education, the researchers found.
The findings are to be presented Monday at the 2020 virtual meeting of the North American Menopause Society.
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"Studies like these provide valuable insights to health care providers who may otherwise dismiss a woman's waning sexual desire as a natural part of aging," NAMS medical director Dr. Stephanie Faubion said in a society news release. "Often there are other treatable reasons, such as vaginal dryness or depression, as to why a woman's interest in sex may have decreased."
Research presented at meetings is typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
For more on sex and aging, visit the U.S. National Institute on Aging.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-09-29--Breeding earlier because of climate change may put birds at risk

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- As the climate warms , spring temperatures are arriving earlier and earlier , causing some animals to alter their breeding and migrational patterns .
Research published this week in the journal PNAS suggests some birds may be putting themselves at risk by mating and breeding earlier in the year , when they are more likely to face inclement weather events -- and a lack of food .
`` We actually can look at it empirically for our specific study location using really great long-term weather records collected near Ithaca , N.Y. , that start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taff told UPI in an email .
`` What we see is that springs have gotten warmer overall in that time period , but the date of the last major cold snap has not changed , '' said Taff , postdoctoral fellow in behavioral ecology at Cornell University .
To better understand how birds are adapting to shifts in seasonal weather patterns , researchers turned to a 30-year effort to track the nesting success of tree swallows living near Ithaca .
In addition to reproduction data , researchers analyzed fluctuations in insect abundance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as climate patterns stretching back 100 years .
Their analysis showed tree swallows have been mating roughly three days earlier every decade for the last 30 years .
The climate and insect data showed fledglings born earlier were at greater risk of exposure to inclement weather and a subsequent reduction in food availability .
Lots of bird species have altered their breeding schedules in response to changes in food availability , researchers found .
`` For example , a lot of migrant birds depend on gleaning caterpillars and bugs from tree branches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food sources do n't become available until after the spring leaf-out .
With climate change , leaf-out happens earlier , so food is available earlier and many bird species have changed their timing to match that . ''
However , leaves and caterpillars can usually withstand a few cold days .
The latest research showed cold spells have a much more significant impact on the availability of flying insects , the main food source for tree swallows .
`` Even a day of cold weather can drastically reduce the amount of flying insects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those prey species might just be delayed and emerge a few days later when it warms up , but that does n't help the swallows if their nest has already failed . ''
If climate change slows and stabilizes , scientists might expect birds to adapt to the risks posed by an earlier breeding season , but researchers worry birds and other animals simply ca n't keep up with the accelerated pace of human-caused climate change .
For many challenges , individual variability among birds and other animals ensures that some prove more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But research suggests that when it comes to cold weather , even the most resilient birds are no match .
`` We know that this kind of between-individual difference is important and describes the variation that selection can operate on , but the effect of a bad cold snap in these populations is so strong that basically all the birds who happen to be at a vulnerable stage are impacted , '' Taff said .
Taff and his research partners are working to more closely analyze the affects of temperature and food availability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have several lines of investigation going on now that look at how early life conditions , including the temperature when nestlings are in the nest , influences behavior and performance throughout the lifetime , '' Taff said .

Researchers at Cornell University have been tracking the reproductive success of tree swallows for the last 30 years, finding they have mated about three days earlier per decade over that time. Photo by David Chang van Oordt/Cornell University
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- As the climate warms, spring temperatures are arriving earlier and earlier, causing some animals to alter their breeding and migrational patterns. Research published this week in the journal PNAS suggests some birds may be putting themselves at risk by mating and breeding earlier in the year, when they are more likely to face inclement weather events -- and a lack of food. Advertisement
"We actually can look at it empirically for our specific study location using really great long-term weather records collected near Ithaca, N.Y., that start in 1893," study co-author Conor Taff told UPI in an email.
"What we see is that springs have gotten warmer overall in that time period, but the date of the last major cold snap has not changed," said Taff, postdoctoral fellow in behavioral ecology at Cornell University.
To better understand how birds are adapting to shifts in seasonal weather patterns, researchers turned to a 30-year effort to track the nesting success of tree swallows living near Ithaca.
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In addition to reproduction data, researchers analyzed fluctuations in insect abundance over the last 25 years, as well as climate patterns stretching back 100 years.
Their analysis showed tree swallows have been mating roughly three days earlier every decade for the last 30 years. The climate and insect data showed fledglings born earlier were at greater risk of exposure to inclement weather and a subsequent reduction in food availability.
Lots of bird species have altered their breeding schedules in response to changes in food availability, researchers found.
"For example, a lot of migrant birds depend on gleaning caterpillars and bugs from tree branches," Taff said. "Those food sources don't become available until after the spring leaf-out. With climate change, leaf-out happens earlier, so food is available earlier and many bird species have changed their timing to match that."
However, leaves and caterpillars can usually withstand a few cold days. The latest research showed cold spells have a much more significant impact on the availability of flying insects, the main food source for tree swallows.
"Even a day of cold weather can drastically reduce the amount of flying insects available," Taff said. "Those prey species might just be delayed and emerge a few days later when it warms up, but that doesn't help the swallows if their nest has already failed."
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If climate change slows and stabilizes, scientists might expect birds to adapt to the risks posed by an earlier breeding season, but researchers worry birds and other animals simply can't keep up with the accelerated pace of human-caused climate change.
For many challenges, individual variability among birds and other animals ensures that some prove more resilient to newfound challenges than others. But research suggests that when it comes to cold weather, even the most resilient birds are no match.
"We know that this kind of between-individual difference is important and describes the variation that selection can operate on, but the effect of a bad cold snap in these populations is so strong that basically all the birds who happen to be at a vulnerable stage are impacted," Taff said.
Taff and his research partners are working to more closely analyze the affects of temperature and food availability on breeding success among swallows.
"We have several lines of investigation going on now that look at how early life conditions, including the temperature when nestlings are in the nest, influences behavior and performance throughout the lifetime," Taff said.


upi--2020-09-28--Law enforcement agencies nationwide report brief 911 outages

Sept. 28 ( UPI ) -- Law enforcement agencies across the country reported 911 services were briefly down Monday night .
Law enforcement agencies from Arizona to Minneapolis reported their 911 services were down with most stating they had returned to working order within a few hours .
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks tweeted Monday evening that its 911 service was down but at 8:45 p.m. , it said the service had been restored and that it was working to `` determine the disruption 's timeline & how many calls were impacted . ''
The Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines are not operational nationwide '' but updated within hours that the system `` is back up and working again . ''
Law enforcement agencies in Tucson , Delaware , counties throughout Nevada and several others announced that they had been briefly affected by the outage .
The outage occurred as Microsoft reported a service interruption to its Microsoft 365 programs but it was unclear if they were connected .
Meanwhile , Universal Health Services , one of the nation 's largest healthcare providers , said earlier Monday that computers across its network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down due to a `` security issue . ''
No patient or employee data appears to have been accessed , the healthcare provider said in a statement , adding that while the computers are down its employees will be using `` offline documentation methods . ''
`` We implement extensive IT security protocols and are working diligently with our IT security partners to restore IT operations as quickly as possible , '' it said .
`` Patient care continues to be delivered safely and effectively . ''

Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Law enforcement agencies across the country reported 911 services were briefly down Monday night.
Law enforcement agencies from Arizona to Minneapolis reported their 911 services were down with most stating they had returned to working order within a few hours.
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The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks tweeted Monday evening that its 911 service was down but at 8:45 p.m., it said the service had been restored and that it was working to "determine the disruption's timeline & how many calls were impacted."
The Minneapolis Police Department also tweeted that "911 lines are not operational nationwide" but updated within hours that the system "is back up and working again."
Law enforcement agencies in Tucson, Delaware, counties throughout Nevada and several others announced that they had been briefly affected by the outage.
The outage occurred as Microsoft reported a service interruption to its Microsoft 365 programs but it was unclear if they were connected.
Meanwhile, Universal Health Services, one of the nation's largest healthcare providers, said earlier Monday that computers across its network in the United States and Britain were down due to a "security issue."
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No patient or employee data appears to have been accessed, the healthcare provider said in a statement, adding that while the computers are down its employees will be using "offline documentation methods."
"We implement extensive IT security protocols and are working diligently with our IT security partners to restore IT operations as quickly as possible," it said. "Patient care continues to be delivered safely and effectively."


upi--2020-09-28--Lightning beat Stars in six games for first Stanley Cup since 2004

Sept. 28 ( UPI ) -- The Tampa Bay Lightning captured their first Stanley Cup since 2004 with a 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars in Monday 's Game 6 .
The Lightning won their second Cup in franchise history despite playing without captain and star forward Steven Stamkos , who last played in Game 3 of the final before being ruled out for the remainder of the series with a core muscle injury .
Tampa Bay defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets , Boston Bruins -- the NHL 's No .
1 team in the regular season -- and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a postseason that featured two Canadian bubble sites due to the coronavirus pandemic .
`` It takes a lot to be in a bubble for 80 days or whatever long it was , '' said Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman , who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP .
`` But it 's all worth it now , we 're coming home with the Cup . ''
Brayden Point scored a power-play goal in the first period with assists from Nikita Kucherov and Hedman to give the Lightning an early 1-0 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blake Coleman killed a penalty and scored on an odd-man rush to clinch the Lightning 's championship victory .
`` The beauty of our team is everyone was chipping in , '' said Point , who scored a playoff career-best 14 goals this year .
`` We got tremendous depth .
We got contributions from anyone and everyone at different times , and that 's what makes this win so special . ''
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy anchored his team to the title with a 22-save shutout .
Stars netminder Anton Khudobin faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NHL is the first of the four major North American professional sports leagues to crown a champion since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic .

Sept. 28 (UPI) -- The Tampa Bay Lightning captured their first Stanley Cup since 2004 with a 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars in Monday's Game 6.
The Lightning won their second Cup in franchise history despite playing without captain and star forward Steven Stamkos, who last played in Game 3 of the final before being ruled out for the remainder of the series with a core muscle injury.
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Tampa Bay defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins -- the NHL's No. 1 team in the regular season -- and the New York Islanders before upending the Stars in a postseason that featured two Canadian bubble sites due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"It takes a lot to be in a bubble for 80 days or whatever long it was," said Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. "But it's all worth it now, we're coming home with the Cup."
Brayden Point scored a power-play goal in the first period with assists from Nikita Kucherov and Hedman to give the Lightning an early 1-0 lead. In the second frame, Blake Coleman killed a penalty and scored on an odd-man rush to clinch the Lightning's championship victory.
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"The beauty of our team is everyone was chipping in," said Point, who scored a playoff career-best 14 goals this year. "We got tremendous depth. We got contributions from anyone and everyone at different times, and that's what makes this win so special."
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy anchored his team to the title with a 22-save shutout. Stars netminder Anton Khudobin faced 29 shots and stopped 27.
The NHL is the first of the four major North American professional sports leagues to crown a champion since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.


upi--2020-09-29--Philadelphia Eagles TE Dallas Goedert placed on IR with fractured ankle

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- The Philadelphia Eagles put standout tight end Dallas Goedert on injured reserve with an ankle injury , the team announced Tuesday .
League sources told ESPN and the Philadelphia Inquirer that Goedert has a small fracture in his ankle .
He is out indefinitely , according to ESPN , leaving quarterback Carson Wentz without another offensive weapon .
With Goedert 's placement on IR , he will have to miss at least the next three weeks .
The Eagles signed wide receiver Hakeem Butler off the Carolina Panthers ' practice squad in a corresponding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move him to tight end .
Goedert limped off the field in the first quarter of Sunday 's 23-23 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals after a short completion and did n't return .
Entering the Week 3 matchup , he led the team in targets , catches , receiving yards and yards after catch .
`` Losing a guy like Dallas that has a huge role in protections [ and the ] run game , but he 's a playmaker with the ball in his hands and down the field .
He 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every week , and so losing him , we obviously had to make some adjustments on the fly , [ which ] makes it tough , '' Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said .
The Eagles also lost veteran wideout DeSean Jackson to a hamstring injury in Sunday 's game .
He is considered day-to-day , and Pederson is optimistic that he will be able to play this week against the San Francisco 49ers .
Philadelphia ( 0-2-1 ) travels to play the 49ers on Sunday Night Football .

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (88) limped off the field in the first quarter of Sunday's 23-23 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals after a short completion and didn't return. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- The Philadelphia Eagles put standout tight end Dallas Goedert on injured reserve with an ankle injury, the team announced Tuesday. League sources told ESPN and the Philadelphia Inquirer that Goedert has a small fracture in his ankle. He is out indefinitely, according to ESPN, leaving quarterback Carson Wentz without another offensive weapon. Advertisement
With Goedert's placement on IR, he will have to miss at least the next three weeks. The Eagles signed wide receiver Hakeem Butler off the Carolina Panthers' practice squad in a corresponding roster move. The team plans to move him to tight end.
Goedert limped off the field in the first quarter of Sunday's 23-23 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals after a short completion and didn't return. Entering the Week 3 matchup, he led the team in targets, catches, receiving yards and yards after catch.
"Losing a guy like Dallas that has a huge role in protections [and the] run game, but he's a playmaker with the ball in his hands and down the field. He's a big part of our game plan every week, and so losing him, we obviously had to make some adjustments on the fly, [which] makes it tough," Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said.
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The Eagles also lost veteran wideout DeSean Jackson to a hamstring injury in Sunday's game. He is considered day-to-day, and Pederson is optimistic that he will be able to play this week against the San Francisco 49ers.
Philadelphia (0-2-1) travels to play the 49ers on Sunday Night Football.
This week in the National Football League


upi--2020-09-29--VA still failing to make timely appointments for patients, report says

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- The report also found that few VA medical centers have the recommended number of staff for the community care program and the GAO recommends that VA leadership assess its community care staffing and resource needs and develop a plan to address any identified risks to their ability to schedule timely appointments .
This week 's report recommends that Congress require the VA to establish minimum wait-time standards and that the Under Secretary of Health conduct a review of community provider enrollment to remove challenges to community provider enrollment and use .
The GAO had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait-time standard in 2013 for community-care programs and reiterated that recommendation in 2018 .
The community care program was created in 2018 under the VA Mission Act and went into effect in 2019 , expanding the VA Choice Program -- which was created after investigators discovered more than 200 veterans had died while waiting for appointments .
The GAO 's report says that because the department failed to establish a maximum amount of time for waits for appointments , veterans have had to wait an indefinite amount of time for care -- making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the VA 's new community care program .
The Department of Veterans Affairs has failed to set standards that get veterans in to see private-sector doctors in a reasonable amount of time , the Government Accountability Office reported this week .

Sept. 29 (UPI) -- The report also found that few VA medical centers have the recommended number of staff for the community care program and the GAO recommends that VA leadership assess its community care staffing and resource needs and develop a plan to address any identified risks to their ability to schedule timely appointments.
This week's report recommends that Congress require the VA to establish minimum wait-time standards and that the Under Secretary of Health conduct a review of community provider enrollment to remove challenges to community provider enrollment and use.
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The GAO had previously recommended the VA develop a minimum wait-time standard in 2013 for community-care programs and reiterated that recommendation in 2018.
The community care program was created in 2018 under the VA Mission Act and went into effect in 2019, expanding the VA Choice Program -- which was created after investigators discovered more than 200 veterans had died while waiting for appointments.
The GAO's report says that because the department failed to establish a maximum amount of time for waits for appointments, veterans have had to wait an indefinite amount of time for care -- making it impossible to measure the success of the VA's new community care program.
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The Department of Veterans Affairs has failed to set standards that get veterans in to see private-sector doctors in a reasonable amount of time, the Government Accountability Office reported this week.


upi--2020-09-29--United Launch Alliance scrubs spy satellite launch over weather issues

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- United Launch Alliance scrubbed the launch of a spy satellite for the U.S. Department @ @ @ @ @ time this week Tuesday due to weather-related complications .
The launch of the company 's @ @ @ @ @ was derailed after local weather delayed pre-launch preparations , including issues with a Mobile Service @ @ @ @ @ roll began we discovered a hydraulic leak in the ground system required to move the @ @ @ @ @ , '' ULA wrote on Twitter .
`` Subsequent weather will prevent the team from @ @ @ @ @ attempt . ''
The launch was also delayed because of weather on Monday and on @ @ @ @ @ put off seconds before liftoff due to a faulty helium pressure regulator .
The mission @ @ @ @ @ Heavy rocket , which is a triple-core launcher that produces a collective 2.2 million pounds @ @ @ @ @ , called NROL-44 , is to be the 12th launch of a Delta IV Heavy @ @ @ @ @ in 2004 , the company said .

United Launch Alliance postponed the launch of a spy satellite for the U.S. Department of Defense after weather delayed pre-launch operations. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- United Launch Alliance scrubbed the launch of a spy satellite for the U.S. Department of Defense for the second time this week Tuesday due to weather-related complications. The launch of the company's powerful Delta IV Heavy rocket was derailed after local weather delayed pre-launch preparations, including issues with a Mobile Service Tower. Advertisement
"When MST roll began we discovered a hydraulic leak in the ground system required to move the tower which needs further evaluation," ULA wrote on Twitter. "Subsequent weather will prevent the team from moving forward with tonight's attempt."
ULA set a new launch time for 11:54 p.m. EDT Wednesday.
The launch was also delayed because of weather on Monday and on Aug. 29 a launch was put off seconds before liftoff due to a faulty helium pressure regulator.
The mission is to utilize a Delta Heavy rocket, which is a triple-core launcher that produces a collective 2.2 million pounds of thrust.
The flight, called NROL-44, is to be the 12th launch of a Delta IV Heavy, which first was used in 2004, the company said.


upi--2020-09-29--USS Stout breaks records with seven-month deployment

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- The USS Stout completed a nearly seven-month deployment in the U.S. Fifth Fleet Area of Operations Saturday , surpassing the Navy 's record for days consecutively at sea .
The guided-missile destroyer , which remained in theater after the rest of the strike group returned home earlier this summer , broke records previously held by USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS San Jacinto .
`` USS Stout has been instrumental in maintaining freedom of navigation in the region .
Its regular presence has helped to deter potential threats and provide reassurance to the global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rob Bellfield , commander of CTF Sentinel .
`` I wish to thank the crew for their efforts and wish them all the best during the rest of their deployment . ''
The Stout spent 139 days in direct or associated support of the task force to ensure the flow of commerce , providing overwatch for more than 550 vessels as they traveled critical chokepoints .
It supported both the Ike and Nimitz Carrier Strike Groups , taking park in maritime security operations like patrolling the Bab el Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We are extremely proud of Stout 's accomplishments in theater as they 've been operating to ensure freedom of navigation , '' said Vice Adm. Samuel Paparo , commander of U.S .
Naval Forces Central Command , U.S. 5th Fleet , Combined Maritime Forces .
`` Under the challenges of COVID-19 and the uncertainty of regional tensions , Stout embodied their motto and prevailed with 'Courage , Valor and Integrity . '
''

The USS Stout broke a record this week for days spent continuously at sea. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- The USS Stout completed a nearly seven-month deployment in the U.S. Fifth Fleet Area of Operations Saturday, surpassing the Navy's record for days consecutively at sea. The guided-missile destroyer, which remained in theater after the rest of the strike group returned home earlier this summer, broke records previously held by USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS San Jacinto. Advertisement
"USS Stout has been instrumental in maintaining freedom of navigation in the region. Its regular presence has helped to deter potential threats and provide reassurance to the global merchant community," said Cdre. Rob Bellfield, commander of CTF Sentinel. "I wish to thank the crew for their efforts and wish them all the best during the rest of their deployment."
The Stout spent 139 days in direct or associated support of the task force to ensure the flow of commerce, providing overwatch for more than 550 vessels as they traveled critical chokepoints.
It supported both the Ike and Nimitz Carrier Strike Groups, taking park in maritime security operations like patrolling the Bab el Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz and escorting U.S. Army logistics support vessels.
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"We are extremely proud of Stout's accomplishments in theater as they've been operating to ensure freedom of navigation," said Vice Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet, Combined Maritime Forces. "Under the challenges of COVID-19 and the uncertainty of regional tensions, Stout embodied their motto and prevailed with 'Courage, Valor and Integrity.'"


upi--2020-09-29--Tropical Storm Maria to avoid Mexico, Hawaii

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- Although tropical activity in the Eastern Pacific has been taking a back seat compared to the Atlantic 's record pace , the basin has been active periodically and this week will be no exception .
Tropical Depression 18-E formed early Tuesday morning as it was spinning 670 miles south of the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula of Mexico , with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph .
The storm strengthened into Tropical Storm Marie later Tuesday and is forecast to intensify further in the coming days , becoming the third hurricane of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
`` This storm should track west then west-northwest away from the west coast of Mexico through this weekend , '' according to AccuWeather 's top hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski .
The system is forecast to reach Category 2 status with maximum sustained winds of 96-110 mph late this week .
Despite moving well away from land , large swells created by the tropical cyclone will propagate to the east and bring a rough and dangerous surf to the west coast of Mexico later this week .
The system is forecast to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to move in a northwesterly direction this weekend to early next week .
At this time , the system does not pose a threat to Hawaii .
Additional tropical cyclone formation is possible over the Eastern Pacific basin next week , just off the coast of Central America and southwestern Mexico .
Prior to this system , there have been 12 tropical storms with three hurricanes and two major hurricanes so far this season .
A major hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 111 mph or greater .
The pace is fairly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season , there are an average of 15.4 tropical storms with 7.6 hurricanes and 3.2 major hurricanes in the basin .
Two hurricanes reached Category 4 status with maximum sustained winds of at least 130 mph , including Douglas in late July and Genevieve in the middle of August .
Douglas survived as a hurricane as it passed north of the Hawaiian Islands .
Despite this rare achievement , the islands were spared hurricane conditions with the eyewall passing by to the north .
Genevieve never made landfall in Mexico , but its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavy rain , strong winds and pounding surf to the coastal areas including the southern part of the Baja Peninsula of Mexico .
Some leftover moisture from the storm , after it diminished , was pulled northward into the western United States , where it helped to trigger mainly dry thunderstorms , some of which ignited wildfires .
The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs until the end of November .

Sept. 29 (UPI) -- While Hurricane Marie remains no threat to land as it swirls in the open eastern Pacific Ocean, forecasters say it could have indirect impacts to portions of Hawaii, Mexico and the West coast of the United States. Marie became a tropical storm shortly after organizing into a tropical depression on Tuesday. Marie strengthened into a hurricane the following day, making it the fourth hurricane of the East Pacific's season. On Thursday evening, Marie had rapidly strengthened to a Category 3 major hurricane. A major hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 111 mph or greater. Advertisement
Further strengthening occurred on Friday morning as Marie reached Category 4 hurricane status with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. On Sunday, Marie had lost wind intensity and had maximum maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, moving northwest at 8 mph in a 5 p.m. HST advisory. The storm was about 1,405 miles west of the southern tip of Baja, Calif.
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Marie joined just two other storms in the basin that have achieved Category 4 strength thus far -- Douglas and Genevieve. Douglas tracked just north of the Hawaiian Islands in late July as a Category 1 hurricane by that point in its life cycle. Genevieve generally paralleled the western coast of Mexico during the latter half of August and tracked close enough to Baja California Sur to bring rain and gusty winds.
Marie poses no direct threat to Hawaii, Mexico or the United States, according to forecasters.
"However, large swells generated by the hurricane will propagate outward from the tropical cyclone, reaching the western coast of Mexico and along the coast of California, mostly from Point Conception northward," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.
Rough and dangerous surf could also reach the east- and northeast-facing shores of the Hawaiian Islands this week.
Shipping interests are encouraged to monitor the progress of Marie and steer clear of the path of the storm to avoid dangerously high seas.
Forecasters say the hurricane has reached its peak intensity, with weakening likely to continue through early week as it moves on a northwesterly course into cooler waters. Marie will transition to a non-tropical low by the latter half of the week.
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"AccuWeather meteorologists are pondering the possibility that some moisture from Marie might circulate toward the California coast from late this week to the second weekend of October," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
In order for this to occur, a non-tropical storm over the northeastern Pacific Ocean would need to dive far enough south to capture what's left of Marie and fling its moisture northeastward. Conversely, should this non-tropical storm stay farther north, Marie may continue to wander west-northwestward over the East Pacific in its weakened state.
Regardless of which scenario pans out, a pattern change is likely to bring much needed relief from heat and dryness across portions of the West Coast heading into mid-October.
Elsewhere in the East Pacific, a broad area of disorganized thunderstorm clusters to the west of Central America and south of southwestern Mexico is being monitored for possible tropical development this week, according to Kottlowski.
"There is a low to medium chance for tropical development in this area," Kottlowski said.
Including Marie, there have been 13 tropical storms with four hurricanes and three major hurricanes so far this season, which is on par with average. During a typical season, there are an average of 15.4 tropical storms with 7.6 hurricanes and 3.2 major hurricanes in the basin.
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Meanwhile, the Atlantic basin has churned out yet another record-setting storm in its historic season -- Gamma. Tropical Storm Gamma will bring flooding rainfall and gusty winds to portions of Mexico into midweek.


upi--2020-09-29--Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes, fiancée expecting first child

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his fiancée , Brittany Matthews , announced Tuesday on social media that they are expecting their first child .
Mahomes and Matthews have been together for many years and became engaged earlier this month .
`` Just taking a small detour to the wedding , '' Matthews wrote on Twitter .
The 25-year-old Mahomes met Matthews , 25 , while attending high school in Whitehouse , Texas .
Mahomes went on to star at Texas Tech before entering the league in the 2017 NFL Draft .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Player in his first season as a starter in 2018 .
In the 2019-20 campaign , he guided the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl win in 50 years .
Shortly before the start of this season , Mahomes -- who received the richest contract in U.S. team sports history over the summer when he inked a 10-year extension worth about $ 500 million -- obtained his championship ring and proposed to Matthews on the same day .
The Chiefs moved to 3-0 this season after Monday night 's 34-20 victory over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passes and zero interceptions through three games .

Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his fiancée, Brittany Matthews, announced Tuesday on social media that they are expecting their first child.
Mahomes and Matthews have been together for many years and became engaged earlier this month.
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"Just taking a small detour to the wedding," Matthews wrote on Twitter.
The 25-year-old Mahomes met Matthews, 25, while attending high school in Whitehouse, Texas. Mahomes went on to star at Texas Tech before entering the league in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Just taking a small detour to the wedding @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/u3nRaeOusS— Brittany Matthews (@brittanylynne8) September 29, 2020 Advertisement
Mahomes was the NFL's Most Valuable Player in his first season as a starter in 2018. In the 2019-20 campaign, he guided the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl win in 50 years.
Shortly before the start of this season, Mahomes -- who received the richest contract in U.S. team sports history over the summer when he inked a 10-year extension worth about $500 million -- obtained his championship ring and proposed to Matthews on the same day.
The Chiefs moved to 3-0 this season after Monday night's 34-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Mahomes has nine touchdown passes and zero interceptions through three games.
This week in the National Football League


upi--2020-09-29--Houston Texans declining to sign Earl Thomas after nixing workout

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- The Houston Texans do n't plan to sign Earl Thomas after meeting with the former Pro Bowl safety .
League sources told ESPN , NFL Media and the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday that Thomas met with the team and took a physical , but the Texans called off a scheduled workout with the veteran defensive back .
According to the outlets , Houston determined that Thomas was n't a good fit .
The Texans are planning to continue their search for help at the position but will not make any moves at this time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the franchise put safety A.J .
Moore on injured reserve with a hamstring injury .
Thomas , 31 , has n't been on a roster since the Baltimore Ravens abruptly released him in August following an on-field altercation with teammate Chuck Clark .
The Ravens said they parted ways with Thomas for `` personal conduct that adversely affected '' the team .
He reportedly punched Clark during a practice .
In 140 career games between the Seattle Seahawks and Ravens , Thomas recorded 713 total tackles , 30 interceptions , two sacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recoveries and 73 passes defensed .
The Texans ( 0-3 ) are just one of three NFL teams without an interception this season .
Houston also has allowed at least 28 points in all three of its games .
The Minnesota Vikings ( 0-3 ) travel to play the Texans on Sunday .

Former Baltimore Ravens safety Earl Thomas (29) has recorded 713 total tackles and 30 interceptions in his career. File Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- The Houston Texans don't plan to sign Earl Thomas after meeting with the former Pro Bowl safety. League sources told ESPN, NFL Media and the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday that Thomas met with the team and took a physical, but the Texans called off a scheduled workout with the veteran defensive back. According to the outlets, Houston determined that Thomas wasn't a good fit. Advertisement
The Texans are planning to continue their search for help at the position but will not make any moves at this time, according to ESPN. On Monday, the franchise put safety A.J. Moore on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
Thomas, 31, hasn't been on a roster since the Baltimore Ravens abruptly released him in August following an on-field altercation with teammate Chuck Clark.
The Ravens said they parted ways with Thomas for "personal conduct that adversely affected" the team. He reportedly punched Clark during a practice.
In 140 career games between the Seattle Seahawks and Ravens, Thomas recorded 713 total tackles, 30 interceptions, two sacks, 11 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and 73 passes defensed.
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The Texans (0-3) are just one of three NFL teams without an interception this season. Houston also has allowed at least 28 points in all three of its games.
The Minnesota Vikings (0-3) travel to play the Texans on Sunday.
This week in the National Football League


upi--2020-09-29--Hollywood Commission report: Majority believe harassers won't be held accountable

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- A majority of workers in the entertainment industry believe that people of power accused of sexual harassment are unlikely to be held accountable , according to an industry report released Tuesday .
The report by the Hollywood Commission , headed by lawyer Anita Hill and founded by entertainment lawyer Nina Shaw and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy , drew results from an anonymous online survey of 9,630 people who self identified they were currently `` working , pursuing work , or had previously worked in the entertainment industry . ''
`` For too long in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' about the harassment perpetrated on workers by powerful people who are able to successfully evade accountability for their actions , '' Hill said .
`` With this survey , we have identified the most vulnerable workers in Hollywood and the resources and systems that will provide support and a safety net for them . ''
According to the report , 35 % of respondents said they believed it was very likely or somewhat likely that someone in a `` position of significant authority or status , '' such as a high-profile producer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be held accountable for harassing someone with less authority or status .
Views on accountability were most divided among lines of gender as 45 % of male respondents said they believed a harasser would be held accountable compared to 28 % of females .
`` The 2017 # MeToo coverage primarily featured reports about high-profile individuals in entertainment perpetrating particularly egregious cases of sexual assault and coercion , '' the report stated .
`` But sexual harassment is not only a problem of individual behavior .
It 's also a problem of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plays in facilitating and enabling harassment . ''
The report also found that instances of harassment were largely unreported , as 23 % of respondents said they reported to a supervisor , 9 % reported to human resources , and 4 % reached out to a legal , compliance or ethics department .
`` Respondents saw significant risks in reporting -- including the powerful positions the offenders occupied and the possibility of damage to their careers , '' the report stated .
In addition to Tuesday 's report , the Hollywood Commission is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bullying and progress regarding sexual harassment and assault since the # MeToo movement .
The commission also announced the launch of a repeat offender platform for workers to anonymously report situations where they feel they have experienced sexual misconduct , discrimination , harassment , bullying or microaggressions as well as bystander intervention training , to help increase the likelihood of reporting .

A report by the Hollywood Commission released Tuesday found that 35% of people responding to a survey of industry workers believe sexual harassers will be held accountable for their actions. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- A majority of workers in the entertainment industry believe that people of power accused of sexual harassment are unlikely to be held accountable, according to an industry report released Tuesday. The report by the Hollywood Commission, headed by lawyer Anita Hill and founded by entertainment lawyer Nina Shaw and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, drew results from an anonymous online survey of 9,630 people who self identified they were currently "working, pursuing work, or had previously worked in the entertainment industry." Advertisement
"For too long in Hollywood, there have been 'open secrets' about the harassment perpetrated on workers by powerful people who are able to successfully evade accountability for their actions," Hill said. "With this survey, we have identified the most vulnerable workers in Hollywood and the resources and systems that will provide support and a safety net for them."
According to the report, 35% of respondents said they believed it was very likely or somewhat likely that someone in a "position of significant authority or status," such as a high-profile producer, writer, actor or musician, would be held accountable for harassing someone with less authority or status.
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Views on accountability were most divided among lines of gender as 45% of male respondents said they believed a harasser would be held accountable compared to 28% of females.
"The 2017 #MeToo coverage primarily featured reports about high-profile individuals in entertainment perpetrating particularly egregious cases of sexual assault and coercion," the report stated. "But sexual harassment is not only a problem of individual behavior. It's also a problem of climate -- the role the entertainment industry plays in facilitating and enabling harassment."
The report also found that instances of harassment were largely unreported, as 23% of respondents said they reported to a supervisor, 9% reported to human resources, and 4% reached out to a legal, compliance or ethics department.
"Respondents saw significant risks in reporting -- including the powerful positions the offenders occupied and the possibility of damage to their careers," the report stated.
In addition to Tuesday's report, the Hollywood Commission is set to release further reports on bias, bullying and progress regarding sexual harassment and assault since the #MeToo movement.
The commission also announced the launch of a repeat offender platform for workers to anonymously report situations where they feel they have experienced sexual misconduct, discrimination, harassment, bullying or microaggressions as well as bystander intervention training, to help increase the likelihood of reporting.


upi--2020-09-29--Textron nabs contract to support GBSDs for the Air Force

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- Textron Systems Corporation has been awarded a contract to support the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent missile system for the Air Force .
The company announced the deal , which is part of a larger award to prime contractor Northrop Grumman , Tuesday .
`` For over fifty years , Textron Systems has been developing and producing some of the most sophisticated technologies used by the U.S. Department of Defense ( DOD ) to help protect our nation and its allies , '' said Textron Wayne Prender , Senior Vice President , `` We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the GBSD team provides a strong and reliable nuclear deterrent for the next fifty years and beyond . ''
Textron will provide its advanced reentry system technology to the GBSD program , which is a next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile system and an improvement over the aging LGM-30G Minuteman 3 ICBM initially put in use in 1970 .
Northrop Grumman named Textron as part of its GSBD team in 2019 .
Textron 's press release did specify the amount of its contract with Northrop Grumman , but Northrop Grumman 's deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totaling $ 13.3 billion .

An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test at 1:13 a.m. Pacific Time, Oct. 2, 2019, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Photo by J.T. Armstrong/U.S. Air Force
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Textron Systems Corporation has been awarded a contract to support the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent missile system for the Air Force. The company announced the deal, which is part of a larger award to prime contractor Northrop Grumman, Tuesday. Advertisement
"For over fifty years, Textron Systems has been developing and producing some of the most sophisticated technologies used by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to help protect our nation and its allies," said Textron Wayne Prender, Senior Vice President, "We are proud to support our partner Northrop Grumman, as the GBSD team provides a strong and reliable nuclear deterrent for the next fifty years and beyond."
Textron will provide its advanced reentry system technology to the GBSD program, which is a next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile system and an improvement over the aging LGM-30G Minuteman 3 ICBM initially put in use in 1970.
Northrop Grumman named Textron as part of its GSBD team in 2019.
Textron's press release did specify the amount of its contract with Northrop Grumman, but Northrop Grumman's deal with the Air Force is a nine-year contract totaling $13.3 billion.


upi--2020-09-29--Pennsylvania women receive life imprisonment for murder of 5 family members

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- A Pennsylvania woman and her adult daughter were each sentenced to five-consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty to murdering five of their family members in 2019 .
Shana Decree and Dominique Decree each pleaded guilty but mentally ill to first-degree murder Monday as part of a deal with prosecutors that spared them the death penalty .
`` This is horrible and tragic , because I do believe the two of you have expressed remorse , '' Judge Wallace Bateman Jr. said in court .
`` Unfortunately , that does n't bring them back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' and expect people to move on with their lives . ''
Police arrested the two women in February 2019 after five people were found dead in their apartment .
Among the dead were Shana Decree 's 25-year-old daughter Naa'Irah Smith , her 13-year-old son Damon Decree Jr. , her 9-year-old twin nieces , Imani Allen and Erika Allen , and the twins ' mother and Shana Decree 's sister , 42-year-old Jamilla Campbell .
A building manager discovered the five bodies in the room of a Morrisville , Pa. , apartment after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Services Agency representative attempted to perform a well-being check .
The Bucks County Coroner 's Office said Campbell died of strangulation while the four others died of asphyxiation .
Shana Decree allegedly confessed and told police `` everyone at the apartment ... wanted to die . ''
Court-appointed psychologists and psychiatrists determined both defendants had mental illnesses that included schizoid personality disorder , major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder .
Each of the defendants offered apologies in court .
`` The hardest thing for me to do is decide who to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shana Decree said .
`` To my family , I am sorry for taking away these beautiful souls in such a horrible manner . ''
`` I 'm so sorry for everything that happened , and I truly do n't understand why it happened , '' Dominique Decree said .

1/2
Shana Decree told police her five family members wanted to die before she killed them. File Photo courtesy of the Bucks County District Attorney's Office
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- A Pennsylvania woman and her adult daughter were each sentenced to five-consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty to murdering five of their family members in 2019. Shana Decree and Dominique Decree each pleaded guilty but mentally ill to first-degree murder Monday as part of a deal with prosecutors that spared them the death penalty. Advertisement
"This is horrible and tragic, because I do believe the two of you have expressed remorse," Judge Wallace Bateman Jr. said in court. "Unfortunately, that doesn't bring them back. You can't say, 'sorry,' and expect people to move on with their lives."
Police arrested the two women in February 2019 after five people were found dead in their apartment. Among the dead were Shana Decree's 25-year-old daughter Naa'Irah Smith, her 13-year-old son Damon Decree Jr., her 9-year-old twin nieces, Imani Allen and Erika Allen, and the twins' mother and Shana Decree's sister, 42-year-old Jamilla Campbell.
A building manager discovered the five bodies in the room of a Morrisville, Pa., apartment after a Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services Agency representative attempted to perform a well-being check.
The Bucks County Coroner's Office said Campbell died of strangulation while the four others died of asphyxiation.
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Shana Decree allegedly confessed and told police "everyone at the apartment ... wanted to die."
Court-appointed psychologists and psychiatrists determined both defendants had mental illnesses that included schizoid personality disorder, major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Each of the defendants offered apologies in court.
"The hardest thing for me to do is decide who to say I'm sorry to first," Shana Decree said. "To my family, I am sorry for taking away these beautiful souls in such a horrible manner."
"I'm so sorry for everything that happened, and I truly don't understand why it happened," Dominique Decree said.


upi--2020-09-29--Former Seattle Seahawks WR Jermaine Kearse announces retirement

Sept. 29 ( UPI ) -- Former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and postseason hero Jermaine Kearse announced Tuesday on social media that he is retiring from the NFL .
Kearse , who scored a touchdown in the Seahawks ' Super Bowl XLVIII win over the Denver Broncos , wrote on Instagram that it was a `` complete honor '' to play for Seattle and leaves the game `` feeling extremely grateful and content with what I was able to accomplish . ''
`` Seattle , as a hometown kid it was a complete honor to represent you guys out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Thank you so much for your endless support throughout my football career .
It was an honor to put on that Hawks uniform and I 'm so grateful I was able to help bring our first Super Bowl home !
Something we will never forget .
`` I 'm looking forward to what God has planned for me in this next chapter of this thing called life , but I can assure you it involves a lot of time with my family and a lot of golf .
...
Thank you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During his five-year stint in Seattle , Kearse had a hand in some of the most critical plays in Seahawks postseason history .
In addition to his touchdown grab in Super Bowl XLVIII , he caught the go-ahead and game-winning touchdowns in back-to-back NFC Championship games .
Kearse 's 35-yard score helped the Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers in the 2013 NFC title game .
In the next season , he sent the Seahawks back to the Super Bowl with another 35-yard touchdown in overtime to beat the Green Bay Packers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ free agent in 2012 .
He spent his first five seasons in Seattle before being traded to the New York Jets in 2017 .
He played two seasons with the Jets and set career highs in receptions ( 65 ) , receiving yards ( 810 ) and targets ( 103 ) in the 2017 campaign .
Kearse , 30 , signed with the Detroit Lions last season but broke his left leg during a preseason game against the New England Patriots .
The Lions placed him on injured reserve , ending his season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 255 catches for 3,291 yards and 17 touchdowns .
He also had 31 receptions for 493 yards and six touchdowns in the playoffs .

In his career, former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse (15) notched 255 catches for 3,291 yards and 17 touchdowns. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and postseason hero Jermaine Kearse announced Tuesday on social media that he is retiring from the NFL. Kearse, who scored a touchdown in the Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVIII win over the Denver Broncos, wrote on Instagram that it was a "complete honor" to play for Seattle and leaves the game "feeling extremely grateful and content with what I was able to accomplish." Advertisement
"Seattle, as a hometown kid it was a complete honor to represent you guys out there on the field," Kearse wrote. "Thank you so much for your endless support throughout my football career. It was an honor to put on that Hawks uniform and I'm so grateful I was able to help bring our first Super Bowl home! Something we will never forget.
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"I'm looking forward to what God has planned for me in this next chapter of this thing called life, but I can assure you it involves a lot of time with my family and a lot of golf. ... Thank you and I love you all."
During his five-year stint in Seattle, Kearse had a hand in some of the most critical plays in Seahawks postseason history. In addition to his touchdown grab in Super Bowl XLVIII, he caught the go-ahead and game-winning touchdowns in back-to-back NFC Championship games.
Kearse's 35-yard score helped the Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers in the 2013 NFC title game. In the next season, he sent the Seahawks back to the Super Bowl with another 35-yard touchdown in overtime to beat the Green Bay Packers.
The Seahawks signed Kearse as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He spent his first five seasons in Seattle before being traded to the New York Jets in 2017. He played two seasons with the Jets and set career highs in receptions (65), receiving yards (810) and targets (103) in the 2017 campaign.
Kearse, 30, signed with the Detroit Lions last season but broke his left leg during a preseason game against the New England Patriots. The Lions placed him on injured reserve, ending his season.
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In his career, Kearse notched 255 catches for 3,291 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also had 31 receptions for 493 yards and six touchdowns in the playoffs.
This week in the National Football League