upi--2020-12-23--Dramatic freeze-up, snow to come in like polar express

A storm triggering full-blown blizzard conditions across the northern Plains at midweek will direct a blast of bitterly cold Arctic air across the Midwest , as well as southern and eastern parts of the United States through Christmas Day .
AccuWeather meteorologists are warning that the Arctic air and brutal winds will make it feel like the dead of winter -- and the combination of snow and a dramatic freeze-up will have some locations feeling like the North Pole .
Even though travel restrictions are in place in many areas of the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minnesota to eastern Tennessee and the mountains of North Carolina .
Advancing cold air will continue to catch up with the back edge of a storm and a trailing cold front in the Central , Southern and Eastern states , causing wintry weather and a slew of hazards for motorists .
High winds gusted as high as 80 mph , causing blowing snow and whiteout conditions over portions of Nebraska and the Dakotas on Wednesday morning -- and the wintry weather wo n't stop there .
`` Snow and gusty winds will extend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of Iowa and Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into Wednesday night , '' AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson said .
`` Plunging temperatures from parts of the Plains to the Upper Midwest will create a quick freeze-up so that road conditions transition from slushy to snow-covered and icy , '' Anderson said .
Snow will dodge the Chicago , Milwaukee , St. Louis and Kansas City , Mo.
, areas this time around , but the cold sweep will be brutal .
On Thursday , temperatures may struggle to reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louis and may not reach 20 in Chicago and Milwaukee .
Highs in the single digits are forecast for Minneapolis on Thursday .
`` AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures are forecast to plunge below zero over a large part of the northern and central Plains by Thursday morning , and the core of that brutally cold air will settle slowly eastward , '' Anderson said , adding , `` The polar air will pack a bite farther south . ''
The temperature in Atlanta will dip into the 20s during nighttimes spanning Christmas Eve through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk of unprotected pipes freezing .
People who will be away from home are urged to take precautions to avoid busted pipes and water damage .
Temperatures may dip into the upper 30s around Orlando , Fla. , by Christmas morning and are forecast to dip near the freezing mark by Saturday morning .
The cold plunge down the Florida Peninsula could pose some risk to strawberries in the central counties of the state , but even areas as far south as Miami and Key West , Florida , will feel the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start off in the 40s and 50s in these areas , respectively .
`` The arrival of cold air on the back side of the storm and front in the Appalachians and the eastern parts of the Tennessee and Ohio valleys as well as the lower Great Lakes region will be accompanied by a dramatic transition from rain to accumulating snow and then a freeze up , '' Anderson said .
Roads that were wet originally during the first part of the storm are likely to become slushy , snow-covered and icy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less during Thursday and Thursday night .
As the cold air arrives and gusty winds shift from south to west , sporadic power outages are possible from the Appalachians to the Midwest .
Forecasters strongly discourage travel during the rapid freeze-up Thursday afternoon to Thursday night as changing weather often brings the greatest challenges and most dangerous conditions to motorists .
A few inches of snow can fall on parts of Ohio , eastern Kentucky , western Virginia and the Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina , as well as much of western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cold air catches up to the moisture from the storm .
As the storm departs and the Arctic air flows across the Great Lakes , bands of lake-effect snow will pick up and become intertwined with the storm 's precipitation Christmas Day and even Saturday in parts of New York state .
Where bands of snow linger for several hours , a foot or more of snow can pile up into the weekend .
The cold air will spill east of the Appalachians and into the mid-Atlantic during Christmas Day .
New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region to experience the winter conditions during Friday night and Saturday .
In most cases , the combination of dry and colder air will just cause roads to dry off along the Eastern Seaboard .
However , on Christmas Day and even this weekend , some of these eastern areas may still be reeling from the storm 's high winds and flooding rain .
Flooding and power outages may linger beyond the storm 's departure as colder air sweeps in , leaving potentially thousands of customers without heat .

Meteorologists are warning that Arctic air and brutal winds will make it feel like the dead of winter -- and the combination of snow and a dramatic freeze-up will have some locations feeling like the North Pole. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
A storm triggering full-blown blizzard conditions across the northern Plains at midweek will direct a blast of bitterly cold Arctic air across the Midwest, as well as southern and eastern parts of the United States through Christmas Day. AccuWeather meteorologists are warning that the Arctic air and brutal winds will make it feel like the dead of winter -- and the combination of snow and a dramatic freeze-up will have some locations feeling like the North Pole. Advertisement
Even though travel restrictions are in place in many areas of the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the weather will be a further deterrent from Minnesota to eastern Tennessee and the mountains of North Carolina. Advancing cold air will continue to catch up with the back edge of a storm and a trailing cold front in the Central, Southern and Eastern states, causing wintry weather and a slew of hazards for motorists.
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High winds gusted as high as 80 mph, causing blowing snow and whiteout conditions over portions of Nebraska and the Dakotas on Wednesday morning -- and the wintry weather won't stop there.
"Snow and gusty winds will extend across much of Minnesota, the northwestern parts of Iowa and Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into Wednesday night," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
"Plunging temperatures from parts of the Plains to the Upper Midwest will create a quick freeze-up so that road conditions transition from slushy to snow-covered and icy," Anderson said.
Snow will dodge the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo., areas this time around, but the cold sweep will be brutal. On Thursday, temperatures may struggle to reach 30 F in Kansas City and St. Louis and may not reach 20 in Chicago and Milwaukee. Highs in the single digits are forecast for Minneapolis on Thursday.
"AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures are forecast to plunge below zero over a large part of the northern and central Plains by Thursday morning, and the core of that brutally cold air will settle slowly eastward," Anderson said, adding, "The polar air will pack a bite farther south."
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The temperature in Atlanta will dip into the 20s during nighttimes spanning Christmas Eve through Saturday. The penetrating cold will raise the risk of unprotected pipes freezing. People who will be away from home are urged to take precautions to avoid busted pipes and water damage.
Temperatures may dip into the upper 30s around Orlando, Fla., by Christmas morning and are forecast to dip near the freezing mark by Saturday morning. The cold plunge down the Florida Peninsula could pose some risk to strawberries in the central counties of the state, but even areas as far south as Miami and Key West, Florida, will feel the chill. Saturday morning, temperatures could start off in the 40s and 50s in these areas, respectively.
"The arrival of cold air on the back side of the storm and front in the Appalachians and the eastern parts of the Tennessee and Ohio valleys as well as the lower Great Lakes region will be accompanied by a dramatic transition from rain to accumulating snow and then a freeze up," Anderson said.
Roads that were wet originally during the first part of the storm are likely to become slushy, snow-covered and icy in a matter of a few hours or less during Thursday and Thursday night. As the cold air arrives and gusty winds shift from south to west, sporadic power outages are possible from the Appalachians to the Midwest.
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Forecasters strongly discourage travel during the rapid freeze-up Thursday afternoon to Thursday night as changing weather often brings the greatest challenges and most dangerous conditions to motorists.
A few inches of snow can fall on parts of Ohio, eastern Kentucky, western Virginia and the Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina, as well as much of western Pennsylvania and western New York state as the cold air catches up to the moisture from the storm.
As the storm departs and the Arctic air flows across the Great Lakes, bands of lake-effect snow will pick up and become intertwined with the storm's precipitation Christmas Day and even Saturday in parts of New York state. Where bands of snow linger for several hours, a foot or more of snow can pile up into the weekend.
The cold air will spill east of the Appalachians and into the mid-Atlantic during Christmas Day. New England is forecast to be the last region to experience the winter conditions during Friday night and Saturday.
In most cases, the combination of dry and colder air will just cause roads to dry off along the Eastern Seaboard. However, on Christmas Day and even this weekend, some of these eastern areas may still be reeling from the storm's high winds and flooding rain.
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Flooding and power outages may linger beyond the storm's departure as colder air sweeps in, leaving potentially thousands of customers without heat.


upi--2020-12-23--100 killed in attack on village in western Ethiopia

Dec. 23 ( UPI ) -- More than 100 people were killed in an attack on a village in western Ethiopia , the country 's human rights commission said Wednesday .
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said the attack took place in the village of Bekoji in the Benishangul-Gumuz region , a day after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed traveled there to discuss ethnic-based violence in recent months .
`` More than 100 people have been killed in fires and shooting perpetrated by armed men , '' the commission said .
According to the commission , at least 34 Amhara and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the region in November and 45 were killed in another attack in September .
In a statement Wednesday , Amnesty International condemned the attack which it said appeared to be targeting people of ethnic minorities in the area , citing successive waves of violence targeting ethnic Amhara , Shinasha , Oromo and Agew residents of the region .
`` This brutal attack against Amhara , Oromo and Shinasha residents of villages in Beinishangul-Gumuz underscores the urgent need for the Ethiopian government to act to stop violence against ethnic minorities , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Amnesty International .

Dec. 23 (UPI) -- More than 100 people were killed in an attack on a village in western Ethiopia, the country's human rights commission said Wednesday.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said the attack took place in the village of Bekoji in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, a day after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed traveled there to discuss ethnic-based violence in recent months.
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"More than 100 people have been killed in fires and shooting perpetrated by armed men," the commission said.
According to the commission, at least 34 Amhara and Agew people were killed by armed forces in the region in November and 45 were killed in another attack in September.
State government representative Beyene Melese blamed "anti-peace elements" for the attack.
In a statement Wednesday, Amnesty International condemned the attack which it said appeared to be targeting people of ethnic minorities in the area, citing successive waves of violence targeting ethnic Amhara, Shinasha, Oromo and Agew residents of the region.
"This brutal attack against Amhara, Oromo and Shinasha residents of villages in Beinishangul-Gumuz underscores the urgent need for the Ethiopian government to act to stop violence against ethnic minorities," said Netsanet Belay, research and advocacy director of Amnesty International.


upi--2020-12-23--Fire breaks out at migrant camp in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Dec. 23 ( UPI ) -- A fire broke out at a migrant camp in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday after it had been ordered closed in response to complaints about a lack of basic necessities .
The blaze came after the Lipa camp was temporarily closed after rights groups said government officials failed to connect fresh water supply and electricity , and winterize the camp .
International Organization for Migration official Peter Van der Auweraert said it appears as if former residents of the temporary encampment set the blaze in reaction to the temporary closure .
`` As far as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents put three tents and containers on fire after most of the migrants had left the camp , '' he said .
There were no reports of casualties from the fire .
The IOM blamed the lack of basic resources on politics .
The agency estimated about 1,400 people lived at the camp and were forced to sleep `` rough '' in the region , which is close to the border with Croatia .
Another 1,500 migrants are already encamped in nearby forests or are squatting in the area .
`` What concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will go to Sarajevo or Velika Kladuza , but we already know that there is zero additional capacity at any of the shelters for single males .
This is likely to drive people to move closer to the border , '' Van der Auweraert said .

Rights groups complained that the government hadn't connected the camp to water or electricity and had failed to winterize the tents. Photo by Ervin Causevic/IOM
Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A fire broke out at a migrant camp in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday after it had been ordered closed in response to complaints about a lack of basic necessities. The blaze came after the Lipa camp was temporarily closed after rights groups said government officials failed to connect fresh water supply and electricity, and winterize the camp. Advertisement
International Organization for Migration official Peter Van der Auweraert said it appears as if former residents of the temporary encampment set the blaze in reaction to the temporary closure.
"As far as we know now, a group of former residents put three tents and containers on fire after most of the migrants had left the camp," he said.
There were no reports of casualties from the fire.
The IOM blamed the lack of basic resources on politics.
The agency estimated about 1,400 people lived at the camp and were forced to sleep "rough" in the region, which is close to the border with Croatia. Another 1,500 migrants are already encamped in nearby forests or are squatting in the area.
"What concerns us is that many have said they will go to Sarajevo or Velika Kladuza, but we already know that there is zero additional capacity at any of the shelters for single males. This is likely to drive people to move closer to the border," Van der Auweraert said.


upi--2020-12-23--Twitter to wipe followers from White House accounts upon Biden inauguration

Dec. 23 ( UPI ) -- Twitter on Wednesday confirmed it will wipe the followers from various White House accounts , including @ POTUS , when President-elect Joe Biden takes office .
Twitter representative Nick Pacilio told CNN that multiple White House accounts being transferred upon inauguration day on Jan. 20 `` will not automatically retain their existing followers . ''
`` Instead , Twitter will notify followers of these accounts to provide context that the content will be archived and allow them the choice to follow the Biden administration 's new accounts , '' Pacilio said .
`` For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be notified that the account has been archived as @ WhiteHouse45 and given the option to follow the new @ WhiteHouse account . ''
On inauguration day the @ WhiteHouse , @ POTUS , @ VP , @ FLOTUS , @ PressSec , @ Cabinet and @ LaCasaBlanca accounts will be formally transferred to the Biden administration .
Biden transition official Rob Flaherty tweeted that they had been informed of the move and had pushed back against the decision in a series of emails with Twitter .
`` In 2016 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Twitter followers on @ POTUS and @ WhiteHouse -- at Team 44 's urging , '' Flaherty wrote .
`` In 2020 , Twitter has informed us that as of right now the Biden administration will have to start from zero . ''
Flaherty added in another tweet that the move was Twitter 's decision and not the Trump administration 's .
The @ POTUS account has 33.2 million followers , although Trump almost exclusively tweets directly from his personal account @ realDonaldTrump , which has 88.5 million followers .
Biden 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In November , Twitter said Trump will lose special privileges for government officials allowing him to tweet things from his personal account that otherwise may be removed for violating its rules due to public interest once Biden is inaugurated .

A Twitter representative on Wednesday confirmed that the social network will remove followers from all White House accounts, including @POTUS when President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Twitter on Wednesday confirmed it will wipe the followers from various White House accounts, including @POTUS, when President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Twitter representative Nick Pacilio told CNN that multiple White House accounts being transferred upon inauguration day on Jan. 20 "will not automatically retain their existing followers." Advertisement
"Instead, Twitter will notify followers of these accounts to provide context that the content will be archived and allow them the choice to follow the Biden administration's new accounts," Pacilio said. "For example, people who follow @WhiteHouse will be notified that the account has been archived as @WhiteHouse45 and given the option to follow the new @WhiteHouse account."
On inauguration day the @WhiteHouse, @POTUS, @VP, @FLOTUS, @PressSec, @Cabinet and @LaCasaBlanca accounts will be formally transferred to the Biden administration.
Biden transition official Rob Flaherty tweeted that they had been informed of the move and had pushed back against the decision in a series of emails with Twitter.
"In 2016, the Trump admin absorbed all of President Obama's Twitter followers on @POTUS and @WhiteHouse -- at Team 44's urging," Flaherty wrote. "In 2020, Twitter has informed us that as of right now the Biden administration will have to start from zero."
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Flaherty added in another tweet that the move was Twitter's decision and not the Trump administration's.
The @POTUS account has 33.2 million followers, although Trump almost exclusively tweets directly from his personal account @realDonaldTrump, which has 88.5 million followers. Biden's personal account has 21.7 million followers.
In November, Twitter said Trump will lose special privileges for government officials allowing him to tweet things from his personal account that otherwise may be removed for violating its rules due to public interest once Biden is inaugurated.


upi--2020-12-23--Dow rises, S&P ends flat, Nasdaq drops after Trump pans $900B relief bill

Dec. 23 ( UPI ) -- The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 100 points , the S & P 500 ended flat and the Nasdaq Composite dropped Wednesday after President Donald Trump criticized Congress ' $ 900 stimulus bill .
The Dow gained 114.32 points , or 0.38 % , while the S & P 500 rose 0.075 % and the Nasdaq declined 0.29 % after Trump on Tuesday night called the stimulus package passed by Congress on Monday a `` disgrace '' and called on lawmakers to amend it by removing `` unnecessary '' spending and raising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person to $ 2,000 and $ 4,000 per couple .
Democrats on Wednesday urged Republicans to act on Trump 's request to raise the amount for stimulus payments .
Art Hogan , chief market strategist at National Securities told CNBC , that `` odds are there is enough time '' to alter the legislation and get it passed and signed .
`` It feels like the market is following the rule of 'watch what he does , not what he says ' in terms of the president 's late-night , drive-by shooting of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The S & P 's energy sector rose 3.2 % , while the financials gained 1.9 % Wednesday .
Travel stocks also rebounded as concerns over a new strain of COVID-19 seemed to subside .
Delta gained 3.37 % and United Airlines increased 2.65 % , while Norwegian Cruise Line grew 6.2 % and Carnival climbed 5.7 % .
Chris Larkin , managing director of ETrade financial 's trading and investing product , said the traders appear to be focusing on `` more positive bull cases around each macro event .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ choosing to see the cup half full , as it shrugs off the possibility of the stimulus bill failing and instead viewing it as a catalyst for larger stimulus cash in the pockets of consumers , '' Larkin said .

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 rose and the Nasdaq Composite on Wednesday after President Donald Trump criticized Congress' $900 billion coronavirus relief bill. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 100 points, the S&P 500 ended flat and the Nasdaq Composite dropped Wednesday after President Donald Trump criticized Congress' $900 stimulus bill. The Dow gained 114.32 points, or 0.38%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.075% and the Nasdaq declined 0.29% after Trump on Tuesday night called the stimulus package passed by Congress on Monday a "disgrace" and called on lawmakers to amend it by removing "unnecessary" spending and raising payments to individuals from $600 per person to $2,000 and $4,000 per couple. Advertisement
Democrats on Wednesday urged Republicans to act on Trump's request to raise the amount for stimulus payments.
Art Hogan, chief market strategist at National Securities told CNBC, that "odds are there is enough time" to alter the legislation and get it passed and signed.
"It feels like the market is following the rule of 'watch what he does, not what he says' in terms of the president's late-night, drive-by shooting of the COVID aid package," Hogan said.
The S&P's energy sector rose 3.2%, while the financials gained 1.9% Wednesday.
Travel stocks also rebounded as concerns over a new strain of COVID-19 seemed to subside. Delta gained 3.37% and United Airlines increased 2.65%, while Norwegian Cruise Line grew 6.2% and Carnival climbed 5.7%.
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Chris Larkin, managing director of ETrade financial's trading and investing product, said the traders appear to be focusing on "more positive bull cases around each macro event."
"We're seeing the market choosing to see the cup half full, as it shrugs off the possibility of the stimulus bill failing and instead viewing it as a catalyst for larger stimulus cash in the pockets of consumers," Larkin said.


upi--2020-12-23--Full-dose blood thinners may harm, not help, COVID-19 patients in ICU

Because COVID-19 is known to raise the odds for dangerous blood clots , blood thinners have quickly become part of routine care for many hospitalized patients .
But three clinical trials testing full doses of these drugs in COVID-19 patients have now paused recruitment of critically ill patients because the medications could end up doing more harm than good .
According to experts at the U.S. National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) , the finding is limited to COVID-19 patients who are so sick they require care in the intensive care unit ( ICU ) .
Based on trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of oversight boards that are charged with patient safety in clinical trials , `` all the trial sites have paused enrollment of the most critically ill hospitalized patients with COVID-19 , '' the NIH said in a statement released Tuesday .
`` Enrollment continues for moderately ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the trials , '' the NIH added , because benefits may still outweigh risks for patients who do n't need ICU care .
According to the NIH , results so far from the three trials show that full-dose blood thinners do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support in critically ill , adult COVID-19 patients in intensive care .
On the other hand , there could be potential harm : Increased bleeding is a complication of full-dose use of blood thinners .
One doctor on the frontlines of the pandemic agreed that full-dose anticoagulants come with hazards .
`` While lower doses of blood thinners may be helpful for both treatment and prevention of blood clots in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 , higher doses may be associated with harm due to increased risk of bleeding -- potentially affecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Dr. Robert Glatter , an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City .
`` Such abnormal bleeding could be lethal if not quickly diagnosed and treated . ''
Further analyses of the data will be made available as soon as possible , the NIH said .
The three trials are being conducted on four continents .
Each compares the use of full doses of blood thinners against the use of lower doses , which are often used to prevent blood clots in hospitalized patients .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have noted that many COVID-19 patients , including those who have died from the disease , developed blood clots throughout their bodies , even in their smallest blood vessels .
This unusual clotting can cause serious problems such as lung failure , heart attack and stroke , according to the NIH .
`` At the recommendation of the oversight boards , patients who do not require ICU care at the time of enrollment will continue to be enrolled in the trial , '' the NIH said .
`` Whether the use of full-dose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better outcomes in hospitalized patients with less COVID-19 severe disease remains a very important question .
Patients who require full-dose blood thinners for another medical indication are not included in these trials , '' the NIH noted .
Dr. Teresa Murray Amato is chair of emergency medicine at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills , also in New York City .
Responding to the NIH announcement , she said , `` As we learn more about the COVID-19 virus , we are continuing to explore medical treatment . ''
She stressed that full-dose blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play in the care of hospitalized patients who do not need ICU care .
`` The study is continuing for less critically ill patients in the hope that we will continue to develop safe and effective treatments , '' Amato said .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19 .

A member of the Israeli medical staff treats a patient in the intensive care unit of the COVID-19 ward in the Shaare Tzedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, on Tuesday, October 20, 2020. A new study found that full-dose blood thinners could harm COVID-19 patients in ICU. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Because COVID-19 is known to raise the odds for dangerous blood clots, blood thinners have quickly become part of routine care for many hospitalized patients. But three clinical trials testing full doses of these drugs in COVID-19 patients have now paused recruitment of critically ill patients because the medications could end up doing more harm than good. Advertisement
According to experts at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the finding is limited to COVID-19 patients who are so sick they require care in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Based on trial findings, and acting on the recommendations of oversight boards that are charged with patient safety in clinical trials, "all the trial sites have paused enrollment of the most critically ill hospitalized patients with COVID-19," the NIH said in a statement released Tuesday.
"Enrollment continues for moderately ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the trials," the NIH added, because benefits may still outweigh risks for patients who don't need ICU care.
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According to the NIH, results so far from the three trials show that full-dose blood thinners do not appear to lessen the need for organ support in critically ill, adult COVID-19 patients in intensive care.
On the other hand, there could be potential harm: Increased bleeding is a complication of full-dose use of blood thinners.
One doctor on the frontlines of the pandemic agreed that full-dose anticoagulants come with hazards.
"While lower doses of blood thinners may be helpful for both treatment and prevention of blood clots in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, higher doses may be associated with harm due to increased risk of bleeding -- potentially affecting the GI tract, lungs and brain," said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Such abnormal bleeding could be lethal if not quickly diagnosed and treated."
Further analyses of the data will be made available as soon as possible, the NIH said.
The three trials are being conducted on four continents. Each compares the use of full doses of blood thinners against the use of lower doses, which are often used to prevent blood clots in hospitalized patients.
These trials were launched because health care providers have noted that many COVID-19 patients, including those who have died from the disease, developed blood clots throughout their bodies, even in their smallest blood vessels. This unusual clotting can cause serious problems such as lung failure, heart attack and stroke, according to the NIH.
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"At the recommendation of the oversight boards, patients who do not require ICU care at the time of enrollment will continue to be enrolled in the trial," the NIH said.
"Whether the use of full-dose compared to low-dose blood thinners leads to better outcomes in hospitalized patients with less COVID-19 severe disease remains a very important question. Patients who require full-dose blood thinners for another medical indication are not included in these trials," the NIH noted.
Dr. Teresa Murray Amato is chair of emergency medicine at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills, also in New York City. Responding to the NIH announcement, she said, "As we learn more about the COVID-19 virus, we are continuing to explore medical treatment."
She stressed that full-dose blood thinners might still have a role to play in the care of hospitalized patients who do not need ICU care.
"The study is continuing for less critically ill patients in the hope that we will continue to develop safe and effective treatments," Amato said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19.
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SOURCES: Robert Glatter, MD, emergency medicine physician, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Teresa Murray Amato, MD, chair, emergency medicine, Long Island Jewish Forest Hills, New York City; U.S. National Institutes of Health, news release, Dec. 22, 2020
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-12-23--Watch: Tilda Swinton waits and rages in 'Human Voice' trailer

Sony Pictures Classics released the trailer to Pedro Almodovar 's short film The Human Voice , starring Tilda Swinton , on Wednesday .
Sony Classics will release the film in theaters March 5 .
The trailer shows Swinton watering plants .
There is a men 's suit laid out on the bed , onto which a dog jumps and jumps off .
Swinton lays beside the suit after checking her phone and putting on makeup .
The trailer ends with an intense montage that leads to Swinton wielding an axe over the suit .
The Human Voice premiered at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played at the New York Film Festival and BFI London .
It marks director Almodovar 's English language debut .
Sony said the short is `` freely based on Jean Cocteau 's play . ''
The play revolves around a woman speaking by phone with her lover the day before his wedding to another woman .
The synopsis for Almodovar 's film states that Swinton 's character is waiting for her ex to pick up his suitcases .
The dog belongs to him , as well .
In a director 's statement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an acquaintance .
That acquaintance also inspired the director 's Women On the Verge Of a Nervous Breakdown and Law of Desire , Almodovar writes .
`` I have kept what is essential , the woman 's despair , the high price imposed by the law of desire , which she is willing to pay , even though it almost costs her her life , '' Almodovar writes .
`` She is n't a submissive woman , as in the original text .
She ca n't be , given the times in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a running time of 30 minutes .

Dec. 23 (UPI) --
Sony Pictures Classics released the trailer to Pedro Almodovar's short film The Human Voice, starring Tilda Swinton, on Wednesday. Sony Classics will release the film in theaters March 5.
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The trailer shows Swinton watering plants. There is a men's suit laid out on the bed, onto which a dog jumps and jumps off.
Swinton lays beside the suit after checking her phone and putting on makeup. The trailer ends with an intense montage that leads to Swinton wielding an axe over the suit.
The Human Voice premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September and subsequently played at the New York Film Festival and BFI London. It marks director Almodovar's English language debut.
Sony said the short is "freely based on Jean Cocteau's play." The play revolves around a woman speaking by phone with her lover the day before his wedding to another woman.
The synopsis for Almodovar's film states that Swinton's character is waiting for her ex to pick up his suitcases. The dog belongs to him, as well.
In a director's statement, Almodovar said he based his adaptation on an acquaintance. That acquaintance also inspired the director's Women On the Verge Of a Nervous Breakdown and Law of Desire, Almodovar writes.
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"I have kept what is essential, the woman's despair, the high price imposed by the law of desire, which she is willing to pay, even though it almost costs her her life," Almodovar writes. "She isn't a submissive woman, as in the original text. She can't be, given the times in which we live."
The Human Voice has a running time of 30 minutes.


upi--2020-12-23--Purifying common antibiotic may lower risk of deafness

Reformulation and improved purification of the popular antibiotic gentamicin would reduce the risk that it will cause deafness , researchers say .
U.S. hospitals use gentamicin to treat a variety of bacterial infections , and the drug is popular in developing countries because it 's highly effective and cheap .
But up to 20 % of patients treated with gentamicin suffer some degree of irreversible hearing loss .
Gentamicin belongs to a class of antibiotics called aminoglycosides that have been in use since the 1950s .
Those used today are a mixture of five subtypes .
The formula is allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In this study , the researchers analyzed the different subtypes and identified the one most toxic to ear tissue ( sisomicin ) and the least toxic one ( C2b ) .
Both are equally effective .
The researchers also found that removing impurities from the mixture also reduced toxicity to the ear , according to findings recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .
`` What this study shows is that the formulation that is currently in a hospital bottle of gentamicin is not optimized , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He 's a professor of otolaryngology at Stanford University in California .
All of the subtypes now used in gentamicin are required by both U.S. and international law .
`` If we just use the subtype that 's less toxic or change the formulation of this bottle , we can make the drug much less '' toxic to the ear , Ricci said in a university news release .
Because all of the subtypes used in gentamicin are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , new formulations do n't necessarily need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly be available for use , according to Ricci .
`` We 've developed a simple method of reformulating the drug that should be put to use as soon as possible , '' he said .
The researchers will recommend that the FDA change its requirements for how drug companies make gentamicin .
`` Currently , the FDA 's instructions for how to make aminoglycosides are making people go deaf , '' Ricci said .
He said the drugs are used because they save a lot of lives .
`` We 've stopped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because living with hearing loss is better than dying , '' Ricci added .
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on antibiotics .

Pixabay Up to 20% of patients treated with gentamicin suffer some degree of irreversible hearing loss. Photo by Wolfgang Claussen
Reformulation and improved purification of the popular antibiotic gentamicin would reduce the risk that it will cause deafness, researchers say. U.S. hospitals use gentamicin to treat a variety of bacterial infections, and the drug is popular in developing countries because it's highly effective and cheap. Advertisement
But up to 20% of patients treated with gentamicin suffer some degree of irreversible hearing loss.
Gentamicin belongs to a class of antibiotics called aminoglycosides that have been in use since the 1950s. Those used today are a mixture of five subtypes. The formula is allowed to contain up to 10% impurities.
In this study, the researchers analyzed the different subtypes and identified the one most toxic to ear tissue (sisomicin) and the least toxic one (C2b). Both are equally effective.
The researchers also found that removing impurities from the mixture also reduced toxicity to the ear, according to findings recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"What this study shows is that the formulation that is currently in a hospital bottle of gentamicin is not optimized," said study senior co-author Anthony Ricci. He's a professor of otolaryngology at Stanford University in California.
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All of the subtypes now used in gentamicin are required by both U.S. and international law.
"If we just use the subtype that's less toxic or change the formulation of this bottle, we can make the drug much less" toxic to the ear, Ricci said in a university news release.
Because all of the subtypes used in gentamicin are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, new formulations don't necessarily need to be retested in humans and could quickly be available for use, according to Ricci.
"We've developed a simple method of reformulating the drug that should be put to use as soon as possible," he said.
The researchers will recommend that the FDA change its requirements for how drug companies make gentamicin.
"Currently, the FDA's instructions for how to make aminoglycosides are making people go deaf," Ricci said.
He said the drugs are used because they save a lot of lives. "We've stopped paying attention to their toxic side effects because living with hearing loss is better than dying," Ricci added.
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on antibiotics.
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SOURCE: Stanford University, news release, Dec. 17, 2020
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-12-23--President Donald Trump vetos $740B defense spending bill

Dec. 23 ( UPI ) -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed a $ 740 billion defense spending bill that @ @ @ @ @ passed earlier this month with veto-proof majorities .
The decision means both chambers of Congress @ @ @ @ @ whether to override the veto .
It 's unclear if Republicans will vote to defy @ @ @ @ @ threatened last week to veto the National Defense Authorization Act if it did n't include @ @ @ @ @ of the Communication Decency Act , which protects tech giants such as Facebook and Twitter @ @ @ @ @ posted on their platforms .
Trump has complained that the provision poses a threat to @ @ @ @ @ it protects Twitter for placing warning labels on his tweets .
The veto message also @ @ @ @ @ `` provisions that fail to respect our veterans and our military 's history , '' @ @ @ @ @ honor Confederate leaders .
The bill also includes a 3 % pay raise for troops @ @ @ @ @ requires further review before withdrawing troops from Germany or Afghanistan .

President Donald Trump had threatened to veto the the defense spending bill if it didn't repeal Section 230. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 23 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed a $740 billion defense spending bill that both the House and Senate passed earlier this month with veto-proof majorities. The decision means both chambers of Congress must return to vote on whether to override the veto. It's unclear if Republicans will vote to defy the outgoing president. Advertisement
Trump threatened last week to veto the National Defense Authorization Act if it didn't include a repeal of Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act, which protects tech giants such as Facebook and Twitter from legal liability for content posted on their platforms.
Trump has complained that the provision poses a threat to national security and argued that it protects Twitter for placing warning labels on his tweets.
The veto message also criticizes the NDAA for including "provisions that fail to respect our veterans and our military's history," by renaming military installations that honor Confederate leaders.
The bill also includes a 3% pay raise for troops, modernizes equipment, and requires further review before withdrawing troops from Germany or Afghanistan.
Clyde Hughes contributed to this report.


upi--2020-12-23--Man wins nearly $19,000 from lottery ticket selected by clerk

Dec. 23 ( UPI ) -- An Australian man said his ritual of letting a store clerk choose his scratch-off lottery tickets for him paid off with a jackpot worth nearly $ 19,000 .
The Hastings , Victoria , man told The Lott officials he visits Lucky Lotto & News Hastings once a week to buy a TattsLotto ticket for his wife and scratch-off tickets for himself .
`` Each week , I buy my wife a TattsLotto ticket and then ask the girl behind the counter to round up the total to $ 10 [ U.S. $ 7.58 ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One of the tickets selected by the clerk , a Christmas Wishes scratch-off , turned out to be a $ 18,954 top prize winner .
`` I knew I had won something , but I had no idea that it was a top prize winning ticket , '' the man said .
`` It was n't until I went to the shop to check it that I realized I had won that much . ''
`` Even then , I do n't think I believed it until I claimed it .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in until I see it in my bank account , '' he said .
The man said the money will allow him to spend extra on his grandchildren 's Christmas presents and upgrade the couple 's planned trip to New Zealand next year .

A Hastings, Australia, man said the Christmas Wishes scratch-off lottery ticket that won him nearly $19,000 was selected by a clerk to help him round up his purchase of a TattsLotto ticket for his wife. Photo courtesy of The Lott
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Dec. 23 (UPI) -- An Australian man said his ritual of letting a store clerk choose his scratch-off lottery tickets for him paid off with a jackpot worth nearly $19,000. The Hastings, Victoria, man told The Lott officials he visits Lucky Lotto & News Hastings once a week to buy a TattsLotto ticket for his wife and scratch-off tickets for himself. Advertisement
"Each week, I buy my wife a TattsLotto ticket and then ask the girl behind the counter to round up the total to $10 [U.S. $7.58] using scratchies," the man said.
One of the tickets selected by the clerk, a Christmas Wishes scratch-off, turned out to be a $18,954 top prize winner.
"I knew I had won something, but I had no idea that it was a top prize winning ticket," the man said. "It wasn't until I went to the shop to check it that I realized I had won that much."
"Even then, I don't think I believed it until I claimed it. I don't think it will really sink in until I see it in my bank account," he said.
The man said the money will allow him to spend extra on his grandchildren's Christmas presents and upgrade the couple's planned trip to New Zealand next year.


upi--2020-12-23--Watch: Man swims 662 feet underwater on only one breath

Stig Severenson went for a swim in La Paz , Mexico , and took only one breath before swimming the @ @ @ @ @ underwater .
Severenson said he wants his record attempt to inspire children and raise awareness @ @ @ @ @ life .
The swimmer previously broke the Guinness record for longest time holding his breath @

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Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A Danish swimmer broke a Guinness World Record by swimming 662 feet, 8.7 inches underwater with a single breath.
Stig Severenson went for a swim in La Paz, Mexico, and took only one breath before swimming the record-breaking distance with his head underwater.
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Severenson said he wants his record attempt to inspire children and raise awareness of protecting oceans and undersea life.
The swimmer previously broke the Guinness record for longest time holding his breath.


upi--2020-12-23--Out-of-pocket costs jump for people with neurological disorders, study finds

Dec. 23 ( UPI ) -- Out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic tests and office visits for neurological conditions have increased by almost 200 % in a 15-year period since 2001 , according to a study published Wednesday by the journal Neurology .
Much of this rise in cash expenditures was fueled by people enrolled in high-deductible health insurance plans , who were more likely to have high out-of-pocket costs than people in other types of plans , the researchers said .
`` This trend of increased out-of-pocket costs could be harmful , as people may forgo diagnostic evaluation due to costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hill said in a statement .
In addition , `` those who complete diagnostic testing may be put in a position of financial hardship before they can even start to treat their condition , '' said Hill , a neurologist and professor of medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor .
Recent estimates suggest that some 100 million people in the United States have some form of neurological disorder , ranging from migraine and tension-type headache to dementia and epilepsy .
These conditions can be expensive to diagnose and treat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than $ 750 billion annually , according to researchers .
For this study , Hill and her colleagues evaluated out-of-pocket costs for 3.7 million people across the country for visits to a neurologist and diagnostic tests ordered by a neurologist between 2001 and 2016 .
They used a large private insurance claims database .
Among those who had out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic tests , average inflation-adjusted expenses rose by as much as 190 % over the 15-year period , the data showed .
Average out-of-pocket costs for electroencephalograms , or EEGs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as epilepsy , increased to $ 112 from $ 39 during that time , the researchers said .
For MRI scans , cash expenditures increased to $ 242 from $ 84 over the same period , while fees for office visits rose from an average to $ 52 from $ 18 , according to the researchers .
Those who paid out-of-pocket costs spent an increasing amount of the total charges for the services , the researchers said .
For example , people paid , on average , 15 % of the total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared with 7 % in 2001 , according to the researchers .
Among those who underwent MRIs , 70 % paid out-of-pocket fees for the tests in 2016 , compared with 24 % in 2001 , the data showed .
People with high-deductible health plans were more likely to have out-of-pocket costs on tests and to have higher out-of-pocket costs , the researchers said .
In 2016 , 11 % of the people included in the analysis were enrolled in high-deductible health plans , while none were In 2001 , they said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have individualized information available regarding what the out-of-pocket costs might be to make informed decisions about use of care , '' Hill said .

Out-of-pocket costs have increased significantly for people with neurological disorders in the United States, a new study finds. Photo by Thomas Breher from Pixabay
Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic tests and office visits for neurological conditions have increased by almost 200% in a 15-year period since 2001, according to a study published Wednesday by the journal Neurology. Much of this rise in cash expenditures was fueled by people enrolled in high-deductible health insurance plans, who were more likely to have high out-of-pocket costs than people in other types of plans, the researchers said. Advertisement
"This trend of increased out-of-pocket costs could be harmful, as people may forgo diagnostic evaluation due to costs," study co-author Dr. Chloe E. Hill said in a statement.
In addition, "those who complete diagnostic testing may be put in a position of financial hardship before they can even start to treat their condition," said Hill, a neurologist and professor of medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Recent estimates suggest that some 100 million people in the United States have some form of neurological disorder, ranging from migraine and tension-type headache to dementia and epilepsy.
These conditions can be expensive to diagnose and treat, with an overall cost to the public of more than $750 billion annually, according to researchers.
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For this study, Hill and her colleagues evaluated out-of-pocket costs for 3.7 million people across the country for visits to a neurologist and diagnostic tests ordered by a neurologist between 2001 and 2016. They used a large private insurance claims database.
Among those who had out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic tests, average inflation-adjusted expenses rose by as much as 190% over the 15-year period, the data showed.
Average out-of-pocket costs for electroencephalograms, or EEGs, which are used to diagnose conditions such as epilepsy, increased to $112 from $39 during that time, the researchers said.
For MRI scans, cash expenditures increased to $242 from $84 over the same period, while fees for office visits rose from an average to $52 from $18, according to the researchers.
Those who paid out-of-pocket costs spent an increasing amount of the total charges for the services, the researchers said.
For example, people paid, on average, 15% of the total cost for an MRI in 2016, compared with 7% in 2001, according to the researchers.
Among those who underwent MRIs, 70% paid out-of-pocket fees for the tests in 2016, compared with 24% in 2001, the data showed.
People with high-deductible health plans were more likely to have out-of-pocket costs on tests and to have higher out-of-pocket costs, the researchers said.
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In 2016, 11% of the people included in the analysis were enrolled in high-deductible health plans, while none were In 2001, they said.
"Right now neurologists and patients may not have individualized information available regarding what the out-of-pocket costs might be to make informed decisions about use of care," Hill said.


upi--2020-12-23--'Bachelor In Paradise' couple Carly Waddell and Evan Bass separate

Dec. 23 ( UPI ) -- Carly Waddell and Evan Bass announced Wednesday that they are separating , in a statement first reported by People .
The couple wed in 2017 after meeting on the ABC dating series Bachelor In Paradise .
In a joint statement published by People , and later E !
, the couple requested privacy .
`` We will always cherish our time together and continue to have the utmost respect for one another as we focus on what 's best for the future of our family , '' the statement read .
Waddell and Bass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Charlie , was born Nov. 14 , 2019 .
Their daughter , Isabelle Evelyn , was born Feb. 15 , 2018 .
Bass has three sons from a previous marriage .
Bass and Waddell met on Season 3 of the Bachelor spinoff .
Waddell was a Season 19 Bachelor contestant and Bass a Season 12 Bachelorette suitor .
Bass proposed to Waddell on the Season 3 finale of Bachelor In Paradise .
They wed in June 2017 at the Grande Luxxe at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta , Mexico .
Bass works as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a singing career .

"Bachelor in Paradise" couple Evan Bass and Carly Waddell have separated. Photo courtesy of ABC
Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Carly Waddell and Evan Bass announced Wednesday that they are separating, in a statement first reported by People. The couple wed in 2017 after meeting on the ABC dating series Bachelor In Paradise. In a joint statement published by People, and later E!, the couple requested privacy. Advertisement
"We will always cherish our time together and continue to have the utmost respect for one another as we focus on what's best for the future of our family," the statement read.
Waddell and Bass have two children together. Their son, Charlie, was born Nov. 14, 2019. Their daughter, Isabelle Evelyn, was born Feb. 15, 2018. Bass has three sons from a previous marriage.
Bass and Waddell met on Season 3 of the Bachelor spinoff. Waddell was a Season 19 Bachelor contestant and Bass a Season 12 Bachelorette suitor. Bass proposed to Waddell on the Season 3 finale of Bachelor In Paradise. They wed in June 2017 at the Grande Luxxe at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.
Bachelor host Chris Harrison officiated. Attendees included Bachelor and Bachelorette alumni Kaitlyn Bristowe, Jade Roper, Tanner Tolbert, Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi.
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Bass works as an erectile dysfunction specialist and Waddell is pursuing a singing career.


upi--2020-12-23--Explosion at downtown Baltimore building injures 23

Dec. 23 ( UPI ) -- An explosion and partial roof collapse at a 21-story building in downtown Baltimore on Wednesday left at least 23 people injured , several critically , fire officials said .
The Baltimore City Fire Department said 21 of the victims were transported to area hospitals as emergency officials continued to search the building .
Nine people were in critical condition and one was serious .
The blast happened around 8:30 a.m. at the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Building .
Witnesses told WJZ-TV in Baltimore that they saw scaffolding fall from the outside of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two workers who were cleaning the building 's windows from the scaffolding .
They were dangling from harnesses for about 30 minutes before their rescue .
Fire department spokeswoman Blair Adams said the explosion caused a fire inside the building and a partial roof collapse .
BGE spokeswoman Stephanie Anne Weaver told The Baltimore Sun that the explosion was likely related to construction work on the building 's air handling and boiler system .
She said not many people were inside the building at the time of the blast because people were working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were off for the Christmas holidays .
Fire Chief Niles Ford said the blast affected all floors from the 10th up to the roof .

Two workers cleaning the windows outside the building were left dangling for half an hour after an explosion. Photo courtesy of the Baltimore City Fire Department
Dec. 23 (UPI) -- An explosion and partial roof collapse at a 21-story building in downtown Baltimore on Wednesday left at least 23 people injured, several critically, fire officials said. The Baltimore City Fire Department said 21 of the victims were transported to area hospitals as emergency officials continued to search the building. Nine people were in critical condition and one was serious. Advertisement
The blast happened around 8:30 a.m. at the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Building.
Witnesses told WJZ-TV in Baltimore that they saw scaffolding fall from the outside of the building after the explosion. Firefighters rescued two workers who were cleaning the building's windows from the scaffolding. They were dangling from harnesses for about 30 minutes before their rescue.
Fire department spokeswoman Blair Adams said the explosion caused a fire inside the building and a partial roof collapse.
BGE spokeswoman Stephanie Anne Weaver told The Baltimore Sun that the explosion was likely related to construction work on the building's air handling and boiler system.
She said not many people were inside the building at the time of the blast because people were working from home due to the pandemic or were off for the Christmas holidays.
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Fire Chief Niles Ford said the blast affected all floors from the 10th up to the roof.


upi--2020-12-23--Customer leaves $2,020 tip at Florida restaurant

Dec. 23 ( UPI ) -- A Florida restaurant said a `` generous customer '' whose bill totaled about $ @ @ @ @ @ a $ 2,020 tip .
South Shore Pizza in Ruskin said in a Facebook post @ @ @ @ @ $ 2,020 tip and requested that the money be split among all of the shop @ @ @ @ @ Godfrey said each employee received about $ 80 from the big tip .
The customer @ @ @ @ @ of the # 2020TipChallenge , an online initiative that started earlier in the year to @ @ @ @ @ toward those in the service industry .
`` Knowing everything that 's gone on with @ @ @ @ @ was a good feeling that there 's still some good in the world that they @ @ @ @ @ way [ to ] choose our establishment to do the challenge , '' Godfrey told @ @

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Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A Florida restaurant said a "generous customer" whose bill totaled about $29 surprised staff by leaving a $2,020 tip.
South Shore Pizza in Ruskin said in a Facebook post that a customer left the $2,020 tip and requested that the money be split among all of the shop's employees.
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Manager Robert Godfrey said each employee received about $80 from the big tip.
The customer said the tip was part of the #2020TipChallenge, an online initiative that started earlier in the year to encourage people to be generous toward those in the service industry.
"Knowing everything that's gone on with the pandemic, it really was a good feeling that there's still some good in the world that they would go out of their way [to] choose our establishment to do the challenge," Godfrey told WFTS-TV.


upi--2020-12-24--Donald Trump's pardons for Blackwater guards met with outrage, disgust

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- The move by U.S. President Donald Trump to pardon and free four private security guards who killed more than a dozen Iraqi civilians in 2007 has been met with outrage from the victims ' families and many others .
In a new round of pardons Wednesday night , Trump excused Blackwater Worldwide guards Dustin Heard , Evan Liberty , Nicholas Slatten and Paul Slough .
They were found guilty in 2014 of launching the attack , unprovoked , at Baghdad 's Nisour Square 13 years ago -- which killed 14 civilians , including two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All four were sentenced to at least 12 years in prison .
Slatten , who started the shooting , was given a life sentence .
In offering justification for the pardons , Trump questioned the merits of the Justice Department 's prosecution of the privately contracted security guards and claimed the pardons are `` broadly supported by the public . ''
Many view the new round of pardons , which also excused crimes committed by political operatives Paul Manafort and Roger Stone , as the most galling of Trump 's presidency so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims reacted with disgust .
`` They are terrorists , '' Jasim Mohammed Al-Nasrawi , an Iraqi police officer who was injured in the attack , said of the four Blackwater guards .
`` I am still not 100 % recovered from my head wound , which [ was ] sustained in the gunfire by Blackwater guards in 2007 , and have not been completely compensated for the attack .
I will not waive my right to this case , I am not giving up . ''
Iraq 's foreign ministry said Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account the seriousness of the crime [ s ] committed . ''
The father of a 9-year boy who was one of the two children killed in the attack said Trump `` broke my life again . ''
`` He broke the law .
He broke everything .
He broke the court .
He broke the judge , '' he told the BBC .
`` Before [ this ] I felt that no-one [ was ] above the law . ''
United Nations Human Rights Office spokeswoman Marta Hurtado said Trump 's move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect of emboldening others to commit such crimes in the future . ''
`` The U.N. Human Rights Office calls on the U.S. to renew its commitment to fighting impunity for gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law , as well as to uphold its obligations to ensure accountability for such crimes . ''
`` President Trump has pardoned a child murderer , '' said Paul Dickinson , an attorney who represented some of the victims .
`` When the White House statement says the situation turned violent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those men did -- not because of anything that happened around them .
While they may have served honorably , they committed heinous crimes that day . ''
`` This is rotten to the core , '' he said .

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House on Wednesday on a trip to spend the Christmas holiday at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- The move by U.S. President Donald Trump to pardon and free four private security guards who killed more than a dozen Iraqi civilians in 2007 has been met with outrage from the victims' families and many others. In a new round of pardons Wednesday night, Trump excused Blackwater Worldwide guards Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty, Nicholas Slatten and Paul Slough. They were found guilty in 2014 of launching the attack, unprovoked, at Baghdad's Nisour Square 13 years ago -- which killed 14 civilians, including two children, and injured 17 others. Advertisement
All four were sentenced to at least 12 years in prison. Slatten, who started the shooting, was given a life sentence.
In offering justification for the pardons, Trump questioned the merits of the Justice Department's prosecution of the privately contracted security guards and claimed the pardons are "broadly supported by the public."
Many view the new round of pardons, which also excused crimes committed by political operatives Paul Manafort and Roger Stone, as the most galling of Trump's presidency so far. Relatives of the victims and surviving victims reacted with disgust.
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"They are terrorists," Jasim Mohammed Al-Nasrawi, an Iraqi police officer who was injured in the attack, said of the four Blackwater guards.
"I am still not 100% recovered from my head wound, which [was] sustained in the gunfire by Blackwater guards in 2007, and have not been completely compensated for the attack. I will not waive my right to this case, I am not giving up."
Iraq's foreign ministry said Trump's pardons don't "take into account the seriousness of the crime[s] committed."
The father of a 9-year boy who was one of the two children killed in the attack said Trump "broke my life again."
"He broke the law. He broke everything. He broke the court. He broke the judge," he told the BBC.
"Before [this] I felt that no-one [was] above the law."
United Nations Human Rights Office spokeswoman Marta Hurtado said Trump's move "contributes to impunity and has the effect of emboldening others to commit such crimes in the future."
"The U.N. Human Rights Office calls on the U.S. to renew its commitment to fighting impunity for gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law, as well as to uphold its obligations to ensure accountability for such crimes."
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"President Trump has pardoned a child murderer," said Paul Dickinson, an attorney who represented some of the victims.
"When the White House statement says the situation turned violent, the situation turned violent because of what those men did -- not because of anything that happened around them. While they may have served honorably, they committed heinous crimes that day."
Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska reacted with a stern one-sentence statement.
"This is rotten to the core," he said.


upi--2020-12-24--Prince Harry, Meghan Markle play with Archie and dogs in Christmas card image

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- Britain 's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle can be seen playing outdoors with their toddler son Archie and their two dogs in an artistic rendering for their 2020 Christmas card .
`` We 're thrilled to receive wonderful Christmas wishes from our Patron , The Duchess of Sussex .
The Duke and Duchess have also made a personal donation , helping us continue to be there for the dogs , cats and people in our community this winter and beyond .
From all of us at Mayhew , two and four-legged , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the animal support organization captioned an image of the card .
CNN said this is the first image of Archie since his first birthday portrait was released in May .
`` The original photo of the family was taken at their home earlier this month by The Duchess 's mother , '' a family representative told the New York Post .
`` The small Christmas tree , including the homemade ornaments and other decorations , was selected by Archie , and the tree will be replanted after the holidays . ''
Prince Harry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 .
Last January , they announced they were stepping down from their duties as senior members of the royal family .
They now live in California .

1/2
The Christmas card of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex -- Prince Harry (L) and Meghan Markle -- shows a glimpse of their new lives in California. File Photo by Mark Thomas/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle can be seen playing outdoors with their toddler son Archie and their two dogs in an artistic rendering for their 2020 Christmas card. "We're thrilled to receive wonderful Christmas wishes from our Patron, The Duchess of Sussex. The Duke and Duchess have also made a personal donation, helping us continue to be there for the dogs, cats and people in our community this winter and beyond. From all of us at Mayhew, two and four-legged, thank you and Merry Christmas," the animal support organization captioned an image of the card. Advertisement
CNN said this is the first image of Archie since his first birthday portrait was released in May.
"The original photo of the family was taken at their home earlier this month by The Duchess's mother," a family representative told the New York Post. "The small Christmas tree, including the homemade ornaments and other decorations, was selected by Archie, and the tree will be replanted after the holidays."
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Prince Harry married Markle, a U.S. actress, in 2018. Last January, they announced they were stepping down from their duties as senior members of the royal family. They now live in California.


upi--2020-12-24--Democrats ask House Republicans for consent to beef up COVID-19 stimulus payments

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- Democratic lawmakers during a pro forma session in the House on Thursday hope to gain unanimous consent on a measure to raise the next stimulus payment to Americans to $ 2,000 , as President Donald Trump floated this week before taking off for Florida .
The session , during which only a few members will be physically present in the lower chamber , was scheduled to start at 9 a.m. EST .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday that Democrats on the floor will ask for unanimous consent to bring up a standalone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the recently passed , bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill from $ 600 to $ 2,000 .
In a surprise move Tuesday night , Trump assailed the relief bill for including only $ 600 for Americans -- despite the fact that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin , his primary representative during relief negotiations , never pushed for a greater amount over a period of months at the bargaining table .
Pelosi , Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer and other key party lawmakers have long lobbied for larger stimulus payments , but Republicans , led by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark Meadows and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell , opposed those proposals .
`` Just when you think you have seen it all ... the president said that he would possibly veto the bicameral agreement negotiated between Republicans and Democrats , '' Pelosi wrote in a letter to Democratic colleagues on Wednesday .
`` He said he would do so , unless the economic impact payments were increased to $ 2,000 .
`` Schumer and I repeatedly asked Republicans what would be the highest number the president would accept for direct payments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the negotiations , they would never go above $ 600 and in some cases , proposed $ 500 .
`` I said that Democrats would go to the floor [ Thursday ] and ask for unanimous consent to bring up a standalone bill to increase the payments .
To do so requires the agreement of the Republican leader .
This agreement is necessary in the House and in the Senate .
`` If the president truly wants to join us in $ 2,000 payments , he should call upon [ House GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our unanimous consent request . ''
CNBC reported Thursday that McCarthy , however , is planning to object and counter Democrats ' move by requesting to revise language in the attached omnibus spending bill -- which is necessary to keep the government operating and avoid a federal shutdown on Tuesday .
McCarthy and Republicans want language altered in the omnibus that pertains to spending on state and foreign operations , which Trump criticized as `` wasteful . ''
The relief bill and omnibus were attached , meaning one can not pass without the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conveniently ignored [ Trump 's ] call to re-examine tax dollars wasted overseas while so many Americans are struggling at home , '' tweeted McCarthy , who was one of more than 100 House Republicans who signed on to a baseless lawsuit in the Supreme Court this month to try and overturn Trump 's election loss to President-elect Joe Biden .
It 's still unclear what Trump will do with the bills , regardless of what happens in Congress on Thursday .
He left the White House on Wednesday to spend the Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- without signing the bills .
Trump also did not veto the bills .
Doing that even would have allowed both houses of Congress to override the veto and put them into law .
Some analysts have said Trump 's decision to do nothing is merely an effort to blow up the relief effort , possibly motivated by politics and frustration at having lost the presidential election .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi walks to the House floor at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on December 18. Pelosi said she will try for a roll-call vote on Monday in a bid to raise stimulus payments to Americans. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- House Republicans on Thursday blocked an effort by Democratic lawmakers to gain unanimous consent on a measure to raise the next stimulus payment to Americans to $2,000, as President Donald Trump pushed for this week. During a pro forma session, Democratic lawmakers in the chamber sought universal consent to pass a standalone bill to increase the stimulus payment amount. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy denied consent and blocked the attempt. Advertisement
In response, Democrats blocked a counter-proposal from McCarthy that seeks revisions to language in the attached spending bill pertaining to spending earmarked for state and foreign operations, which Trump criticized as "wasteful."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had said Democrats would try for unanimous consent for the standalone measure to raise the stimulus payment amount, which stands at $600 in the recently passed, bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill.
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"Today, on Christmas Eve morning, House Republicans cruelly deprived the American people of the $2,000 that the president agreed to support," Pelosi said in a statement after Republicans blocked the change.
Pelosi, Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer and other key party lawmakers have long lobbied for larger stimulus payments -- while Republicans, led by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, opposed those proposals.
In a surprise move Tuesday night, Trump assailed the relief bill for including only $600 for Americans -- despite the fact that Mnuchin, his primary representative during relief negotiations, never pushed for a greater amount over a period of months at the bargaining table.
Trump, however, left the White House Wednesday to spend the Christmas holiday at his luxury resort in Florida without signing either bill. Trump also did not veto the bills, which would have allowed both houses of Congress to override the veto and put them into law.
If the bills don't become law, the government will run out of funds at midnight on Monday and there will be a federal shutdown. The bills are attached, meaning in their current form one cannot be passed without the other.
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"If the president is serious about the $2,000 direct payments, he must call on House Republicans to end their obstruction," Pelosi added.
"House and Senate Democrats have repeatedly fought for bigger checks for the American people, which House and Senate Republicans have repeatedly rejected -- first, during our negotiations when they said that they would not go above $600 and now, with this act of callousness on the floor."
Pelosi said she will seek a roll-call vote Monday on the proposal.
"I will bring the House back to session where we will hold a recorded vote on our standalone bill to increase economic impact payments to $2,000," she said. "To vote against this bill is to deny the financial hardship that families face and to deny them the relief they need.
"Hopefully by then the president will have already signed the bipartisan and bicameral legislation to keep government open and to deliver coronavirus relief."
Some analysts have said Trump's decision to do nothing is merely an effort to blow up the relief effort, possibly motivated by politics and frustration at having lost the presidential election.
McCarthy was one of more than 100 House Republicans who signed on to a baseless lawsuit in the Supreme Court earlier this month to try and overturn Trump's election loss to President-elect Joe Biden.


upi--2020-12-24--Winless Chicago State suspends rest of basketball season due to COVID-19

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- Chicago State has suspended the remainder of its 2020-21 men 's basketball season due to COVID-19 .
`` It was a difficult decision , but a necessary decision in order to prioritize the health , wellness , and academic success of the student athletes , '' Chicago State athletic director Elliott Charles said Wednesday .
The Cougars said they made the decision `` to focus on the health , safety , and academic pursuits of the men 's basketball student-athletes . ''
The Cougars men 's basketball team finished the 2020-21 season with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues with COVID-19 throughout the season .
Coach Lance Irvin stepped away from the team earlier this season due to health concerns from COVID-19 .
The Cougars had to cancel a game against Iowa State on Tuesday because they did n't have enough players available for the matchup .
The Cougars had just six players available for a game earlier in December against Illinois State and had seven players for a game last weekend against Drake .
The Cougars were scheduled to start Western Athletic Conference play on Jan. 8 against the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , UCLA and Oregon postponed their game due to `` COVID-19 testing & contact tracing protocols for game officials . ''
On Monday , South Carolina announced it paused men 's basketball activities due to COVID-19 .
The Atlantic Coast Conference also postponed a Tuesday game between Notre Dame and Syracuse due to positive COVID-19 tests from a recent Syracuse opponent .

The Chicago State University men's basketball team finished its 2020-21 campaign with an 0-9 record after the school suspended the remainder of the season on Wednesday due to COVID-19. Photo by TonyTheTiger/Wikimedia Commons
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Chicago State has suspended the remainder of its 2020-21 men's basketball season due to COVID-19. "It was a difficult decision, but a necessary decision in order to prioritize the health, wellness, and academic success of the student athletes," Chicago State athletic director Elliott Charles said Wednesday. Advertisement
The Cougars said they made the decision "to focus on the health, safety, and academic pursuits of the men's basketball student-athletes."
Chicago State's other 14 athletic programs, including women's basketball, will continue regular-season schedules.
The Cougars men's basketball team finished the 2020-21 season with an 0-9 record. The team has had issues with COVID-19 throughout the season.
Coach Lance Irvin stepped away from the team earlier this season due to health concerns from COVID-19. The Cougars had to cancel a game against Iowa State on Tuesday because they didn't have enough players available for the matchup.
The Cougars had just six players available for a game earlier in December against Illinois State and had seven players for a game last weekend against Drake.
The Cougars were scheduled to start Western Athletic Conference play on Jan. 8 against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
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Earlier Wednesday, UCLA and Oregon postponed their game due to "COVID-19 testing & contact tracing protocols for game officials."
On Monday, South Carolina announced it paused men's basketball activities due to COVID-19. The Atlantic Coast Conference also postponed a Tuesday game between Notre Dame and Syracuse due to positive COVID-19 tests from a recent Syracuse opponent.


upi--2020-12-24--North Korea construction stalled in pandemic year, analysts say

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- Construction on a North Korean resort , hospital and shopping mall appear to have slowed or stopped , according to analysts for 38 North .
Activity at North Korea 's high-priority projects , the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourism area or beach resort , may have not returned to normal levels , analysts said , after a busy two years .
`` Construction of the large beach resort , which progressed at a remarkable pace in 2018 and part of 2019 , has lagged significantly in 2020 as the prospects for international tourism , especially from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future , '' analysts Martyn Williams and Peter Makowsky said .
`` Recent commercial satellite imagery indicates that once high-priority North Korean construction projects continue to lose steam . ''
While large-scale construction activity is down , analysts said new construction , a `` previously unidentified seaside complex , '' is the Kalma Beach Aquaculture Farm .
`` It now appears complete , with new roofing added since October , '' the report said .
The Wonsan resort was a high-profile project in North Korea before the pandemic .
From 2018 to 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four times , the report said .
The deadline for completion was postponed last year .
Kim has not publicly visited the site in 2020 .
According to 38 North , other Kim projects including the construction of Pyongyang General Hospital , which began in the spring , may have stalled .
Satellite imagery suggests external construction appears to be complete but low levels of activity around the building could mean the hospital is not in use .
`` The lack of vehicles and other activity around the hospital suggest it is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In July , Pyongyang 's KCNA reported Kim `` severely rebuked '' officials in charge of the hospital after delays .
38 North also said it is unclear whether the East Pyongyang Shopping Mall , a partnership between North Korea and Great China International Group , will be finished soon .
`` The project sat half-complete for several years , but construction resumed earlier this year , '' analysts said .

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's construction projects slowed or stopped in 2020, according to recent satellite imagery analysis. File Photo by KCNA/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Construction on a North Korean resort, hospital and shopping mall appear to have slowed or stopped, according to analysts for 38 North. Activity at North Korea's high-priority projects, the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourism area or beach resort, may have not returned to normal levels, analysts said, after a busy two years. Advertisement
"Construction of the large beach resort, which progressed at a remarkable pace in 2018 and part of 2019, has lagged significantly in 2020 as the prospects for international tourism, especially from China, have stalled for the foreseeable future," analysts Martyn Williams and Peter Makowsky said.
"Recent commercial satellite imagery indicates that once high-priority North Korean construction projects continue to lose steam."
While large-scale construction activity is down, analysts said new construction, a "previously unidentified seaside complex," is the Kalma Beach Aquaculture Farm.
"It now appears complete, with new roofing added since October," the report said.
The Wonsan resort was a high-profile project in North Korea before the pandemic. From 2018 to 2019, Kim Jong Un visited the area four times, the report said. The deadline for completion was postponed last year. Kim has not publicly visited the site in 2020.
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According to 38 North, other Kim projects including the construction of Pyongyang General Hospital, which began in the spring, may have stalled.
Satellite imagery suggests external construction appears to be complete but low levels of activity around the building could mean the hospital is not in use.
"The lack of vehicles and other activity around the hospital suggest it is not yet operating," analysts said.
In July, Pyongyang's KCNA reported Kim "severely rebuked" officials in charge of the hospital after delays.
38 North also said it is unclear whether the East Pyongyang Shopping Mall, a partnership between North Korea and Great China International Group, will be finished soon.
"The project sat half-complete for several years, but construction resumed earlier this year," analysts said.


Notable deaths of 2020

Stella Tennant poses for pictures at the Costume Institute Gala celebrating `` Dangerous Liaisons : Fashion and Furniture in the @ @ @ @ @ Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on April 26 , 2004 .
The @ @ @ @ @ with Chanel , Versace and Calvin Klein died unexpectedly on December 23 , a few @ @ @ @ @ .
Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/UPI

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


upi--2020-12-24--Soccer: Paris Saint-Germain fires manager Thomas Tuchel

Sources informed ESPN , Sky Sports and Germany 's Bild on Thursday of the dismissal .
Tuchel joined the Paris-based @ @ @ @ @ 2018-19 season .
PSG fired Tuchel hours after he led the team to a 4-0 @ @ @ @ @ in Paris .
PSG sits at third place in the Ligue 1 standings and is @ @ @ @ @ of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League .
PSG has won three-consecutive Ligue 1 titles , @ @ @ @ @ under Tuchel 's watch .
Tuchel , 47 , joined PSG after he served as @ @ @ @ @ Borussa Dortmund from 2015 to 2017 .
He also coached at Mainz 05 and for @ @ @ @ @ .
PSG battles St-Etienne in Ligue 1 play at 3 p.m. EST on Jan. 6 @ @ @ @ @ The French club battles Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona in the Champions League on Feb. @ @ @ @

Paris Saint-Germain fired manager Thomas Tuchel hours after he led the team to a 4-0 win over Strasbourgh on Wednesday in Paris. Photo by Peter Powell/EPA-EFE
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- French soccer club Paris Saint Germain has fired veteran manager Thomas Tuchel. Sources informed ESPN, Sky Sports and Germany's Bild on Thursday of the dismissal. Tuchel joined the Paris-based Ligue 1 club before the 2018-19 season. Advertisement
PSG fired Tuchel hours after he led the team to a 4-0 win over Strasbourg on Wednesday in Paris. PSG sits at third place in the Ligue 1 standings and is in the round of 16 of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League.
PSG has won three-consecutive Ligue 1 titles, with the last two crowns under Tuchel's watch.
Tuchel, 47, joined PSG after he served as manager at German Bundesliga club Borussa Dortmund from 2015 to 2017. He also coached at Mainz 05 and for FC Augsburg's reserve team.
PSG battles St-Etienne in Ligue 1 play at 3 p.m. EST on Jan. 6 in Saint-Etienne, France. The French club battles Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona in the Champions League on Feb. 16 in Barcelona.


upi--2020-12-24--Britain, EU on verge of Brexit trade agreement with 8 days until deadline

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- After months of negotiation , Britain and the European Union appear Thursday to be on the verge of a Brexit trade deal -- with just about a week left before the deadline .
Negotiators have been talking in marathon talks all week , and discussions stretched from Wednesday night into Thursday morning as both sides appear to be on the verge of a breakthrough .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to address the status of negotiations , and possibly an agreement , on Thursday .
Contentious negotiations have been stuck recently on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Britain wants authority over who fishes there , but the bloc wants the right to relief , including sanctions , if Britain closes waters to EU states .
Britain left the EU in January but for months negotiators have been trying to specify the terms of their future trade relationship .
The transition period ends on Jan. 1 , and any potential deal still must go through the review and approval process , which is likely to take several days .
`` On the big picture , I suspect on some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be back in charge of our fisheries , history may judge some of those aspects a little more harshly , '' Farage said .
`` But on the big stuff , the war is over .
`` It has gone on for decades in this country .
Now we 're out , arguably with a new treaty that 's closer to a partnership agreement .
It 's not perfect , but goodness me it 's still progress . ''
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon , a vocal critic of Brexit , said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they 're excluded from `` third country '' status , a key trade provision that allows nations to export agricultural products to the EU .
`` This is a disastrous Brexit outcome for Scottish farmers and like all other aspects of Brexit , foisted on Scotland against our will , '' Sturgeon tweeted .

A British-EU flag is seen on a table during Britain's final EU summit at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on October 22, 2019. File Photo by Patrick Seeger/EPA-EFE
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- After months of oft-contentious negotiations, Britain and the European Union announced Thursday that they have finally reached a Brexit trade agreement. With about a week left before the end of the transition period, both sides announced the deal and proclaimed the end of a long, drawn-out process that began with the British referendum to depart the alliance in 2016. Advertisement
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the deal "fair and balanced," and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it will benefit all parts of Britain.
"We will be your friend, your ally, your supporter and indeed, never let it be forgotten, your number one market," Johnson told the EU in comments Thursday.
"Although we have left the EU, this country will remain culturally, emotionally, historically, strategically, geologically attached to Europe."
Von der Leyen said although negotiations were difficult at times, they were needed to protect European interests, fair trade and fishing rights.
"Finally, we can leave Brexit behind us and look to the future," von der Leyen said in a statement. "Europe is now moving on."
Johnson said on the fishing rights issue, Britain will have "complete control" of its fisheries in 5½ years. He said the EU wanted the transition in 14 years and Britain aimed for three.
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EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the deal preserves the bloc's interests.
"The protection of our interests has been front and center throughout these negotiations and I am pleased that we have managed to do so," Barnier said.
"It is now for the European Parliament and the council to have their say on this agreement."
The agreement will be applied on a "provisional basis" until the end of February while it undergoes a review by European Parliament.
Negotiators were running out of time to find a deal. The transition period is scheduled to expire at midnight on Dec. 31.
Negotiators have been talking in marathon talks all week, and discussions stretched from Wednesday night into Thursday morning as both sides appeared to be on the verge of a breakthrough.
Commercial fishing rights in British territorial waters posed a key obstacle for weeks, as Britain wanted authority over who fishes there and the bloc wanted the right to relief if London closed the waters to EU states.
Britain left the EU in January but for months negotiators worked to specify the terms of their permanent future trade relationship.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, a vocal critic of Brexit, had said the agreement will harm Scotland's farmers because they're excluded from "third country" status, a key trade provision that allows nations to export agricultural products to the EU.
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"This is a disastrous Brexit outcome for Scottish farmers and like all other aspects of Brexit, foisted on Scotland against our will," Sturgeon tweeted before the deal was announced.


upi--2020-12-24--Buddy Hield nets tap-in buzzer-beater, Kings edge Nuggets in OT

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- Buddy Hield soared through the air and just managed to get his fingers on the basketball for a tip-in shot as the final buzzer of overtime sounded to give the Sacramento Kings their first win of the season .
Hield scored a team-high 22 points in the 124-122 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday at Ball Arena in Denver .
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic scored a game-high 29 points and had 15 rebounds and 14 assists in the loss .
`` To win the first game of the season is a great lift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It just gives us good momentum to move in the right direction . ''
The Kings and Nuggets were tied at 122-122 with 2.6 remaining when Harrison Barnes stole the ball from Jokic to spark a Sacramento fast break .
Barnes sprinted down the court before he elevated for a dunk attempt , but the throw-down clanked off the back iron and bounced above the rim .
Hield trailed on the play and was n't boxed out by the defense .
He used his right hand to collect and shoot the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jumped through the lane .
Hield 's flip-up shot bounced off the backboard before it went through the net as the final horn sounded .
Barnes and De'Aaron Fox had 21 points apiece in the victory .
Michael Porter Jr. had 24 points for Denver .
`` We relaxed , '' Jokic said of the Nuggets , who had a 63-50 lead at halftime .
`` We played a really good first half , but they came out really aggressive in the second half .
`` They had a lot of energy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't match it .
The Nuggets host the Los Angeles Clippers at 10:30 p.m. EST on Friday at Ball Arena .
The Kings host the Phoenix Suns at 10 p.m. EST on Saturday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento .

Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Buddy Hield soared through the air and just managed to get his fingers on the basketball for a tip-in shot as the final buzzer of overtime sounded to give the Sacramento Kings their first win of the season.
Hield scored a team-high 22 points in the 124-122 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday at Ball Arena in Denver. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic scored a game-high 29 points and had 15 rebounds and 14 assists in the loss.
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"To win the first game of the season is a great lift for us," Hield told reporters. "It just gives us good momentum to move in the right direction."
The Kings and Nuggets were tied at 122-122 with 2.6 remaining when Harrison Barnes stole the ball from Jokic to spark a Sacramento fast break. Barnes sprinted down the court before he elevated for a dunk attempt, but the throw-down clanked off the back iron and bounced above the rim.
Hield trailed on the play and wasn't boxed out by the defense. He used his right hand to collect and shoot the ball in the same motion as he jumped through the lane. Hield's flip-up shot bounced off the backboard before it went through the net as the final horn sounded.
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Barnes and De'Aaron Fox had 21 points apiece in the victory. Michael Porter Jr. had 24 points for Denver.
"We relaxed," Jokic said of the Nuggets, who had a 63-50 lead at halftime. "We played a really good first half, but they came out really aggressive in the second half.
"They had a lot of energy and picked up the tempo. We didn't match it.
The Nuggets host the Los Angeles Clippers at 10:30 p.m. EST on Friday at Ball Arena. The Kings host the Phoenix Suns at 10 p.m. EST on Saturday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.


upi--2020-12-24--'Furiosa,' 'Color Purple' musical to open in theaters in 2023

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- Warner Bros. has announced that three of its upcoming films will debut in theaters in 2023 .
The slate includes the Mad Max : Fury Road spinoff , Furiosa , starring Anya Taylor-Joy ; The Color Purple musical and the live-action , animated movie , Coyote vs. Acme .
The announcement was made shortly after the studio said it would release its entire 2021 film slate on its streaming service , HBO Max , as well as in theaters , in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Judas and the Black Messiah , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the features expected to be released as part of the new model .
The initiative kicks off this Christmas Day with the release of Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max and in theaters .
Many theaters have remained closed and audience numbers have been down this year due to social-distancing practices .
While some movies ' release dates have been delayed , other films have bypassed theaters altogether and debuted on streaming or video-on-demand services .
The animated adventure The Croods : A New Age has been No .
1 at the North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most recently earning $ 2 million in receipts .

Anya Taylor-Joy's "Furiosa" is set for a 2023 theatrical release. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Warner Bros. has announced that three of its upcoming films will debut in theaters in 2023. The slate includes the Mad Max: Fury Road spinoff, Furiosa, starring Anya Taylor-Joy; The Color Purple musical and the live-action, animated movie, Coyote vs. Acme. Advertisement
The announcement was made shortly after the studio said it would release its entire 2021 film slate on its streaming service, HBO Max, as well as in theaters, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Judas and the Black Messiah, The Suicide Squad and Matrix 4 are among the features expected to be released as part of the new model.
The initiative kicks off this Christmas Day with the release of Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max and in theaters.
Many theaters have remained closed and audience numbers have been down this year due to social-distancing practices.
While some movies' release dates have been delayed, other films have bypassed theaters altogether and debuted on streaming or video-on-demand services.
The animated adventure The Croods: A New Age has been No. 1 at the North American box office for four weekends, most recently earning $2 million in receipts.