upi--2020-10-07--George Springer homers twice to lead Houston Astros past Oakland Athletics in Game 2 of ALDS

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- Veteran outfielder George Springer homered twice to lead the Houston Astros to a victory and a 2-0 series lead Tuesday night over the Oakland Athletics in their American League Division Series .
Springer went deep in the third and fifth innings of the 5-2 win at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles .
He went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs scored in the victory .
`` I 'm just trying to help the team win , '' Springer told reporters .
`` It 's the playoffs .
This is supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to enjoy it .
You do n't know if you 're ever going to get back here .
The times that you are , you might as well try to have fun . ''
Designated hitter Khris Davis swatted a 394-foot solo homer in the bottom of the second inning to give the Athletics an early lead .
The Astros responded in the top of the next inning .
After Yuli Gurriel grounded out , Josh Reddick singled to center field and Athletics starter Sean Manaea struck out Martin Maldonado .
Next , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smashed a 3-2 curveball over the center field fence for a 410-foot , two-run homer that put Houston in front , 2-1 .
In the fourth inning , Carlos Correa drove in the Astros ' third run and Athletics third baseman Chad Pinder closed the gap to 3-2 with a 453-foot solo shot off Houston starter Framber Valdez .
Maldonado and Springer then hit back-to-back bombs in the top of the fifth for the final two runs of the game .
Maldonado 's was a 391-foot solo homer to left off Manaea in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their starter with relief pitcher Yusmeiro Petit , Springer sent his first offering over the left field fence for a 403-foot homer .
Valdez allowed five hits and two runs in seven innings for Houston in the win .
Relief pitchers Enoli Paredes and Ryan Pressly did n't allow a run over the final two innings .
Manaea allowed five hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings for Oakland in the loss .
Shortstop Marcus Semien joined Davis as the only Athletics players to have more than one hit .
Springer was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than one .
The Astros are now one win away from a spot in the American League Championship Series , where they would face the winner of the league 's other divisional series between the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees .
That series is tied at a game apiece .
Houston faced , and defeated , both teams in the playoffs last year on their way to the AL pennant .
The Athletics next face the Astros in Game 3 of the best-of-five series at 3:35 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the divisional and championship rounds at `` neutral site '' National League parks in Los Angeles and San Diego .
Petco Park in San Diego will host the ALCS .

1/3
Houston Astros outfielder George Springer went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored in a win over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday in Los Angeles. File Photo by Trask Smith/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Veteran outfielder George Springer homered twice to lead the Houston Astros to a victory and a 2-0 series lead Tuesday night over the Oakland Athletics in their American League Division Series. Springer went deep in the third and fifth innings of the 5-2 win at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. He went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs scored in the victory. Advertisement
"I'm just trying to help the team win," Springer told reporters. "It's the playoffs. This is supposed to be fun.
"You've got to enjoy it. You don't know if you're ever going to get back here. The times that you are, you might as well try to have fun."
Designated hitter Khris Davis swatted a 394-foot solo homer in the bottom of the second inning to give the Athletics an early lead.
The Astros responded in the top of the next inning. After Yuli Gurriel grounded out, Josh Reddick singled to center field and Athletics starter Sean Manaea struck out Martin Maldonado. Next, Springer worked the count full before he smashed a 3-2 curveball over the center field fence for a 410-foot, two-run homer that put Houston in front, 2-1.
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In the fourth inning, Carlos Correa drove in the Astros' third run and Athletics third baseman Chad Pinder closed the gap to 3-2 with a 453-foot solo shot off Houston starter Framber Valdez.
Maldonado and Springer then hit back-to-back bombs in the top of the fifth for the final two runs of the game.
Maldonado's was a 391-foot solo homer to left off Manaea in the second at-bat. After Oakland replaced their starter with relief pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, Springer sent his first offering over the left field fence for a 403-foot homer.
Valdez allowed five hits and two runs in seven innings for Houston in the win. Relief pitchers Enoli Paredes and Ryan Pressly didn't allow a run over the final two innings. Manaea allowed five hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings for Oakland in the loss.
Shortstop Marcus Semien joined Davis as the only Athletics players to have more than one hit. Springer was the only Astros player to record more than one.
The Astros are now one win away from a spot in the American League Championship Series, where they would face the winner of the league's other divisional series between the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. That series is tied at a game apiece. Houston faced, and defeated, both teams in the playoffs last year on their way to the AL pennant.
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The Athletics next face the Astros in Game 3 of the best-of-five series at 3:35 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Los Angeles. American League teams are playing the divisional and championship rounds at "neutral site" National League parks in Los Angeles and San Diego. Petco Park in San Diego will host the ALCS.
This week in Major League Baseball


upi--2020-10-07--Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jennifer Doudna win Nobel Prize in Chemistry for genome editing tool

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- A French scientist and an American professor were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday for their work in developing a `` genetic scissors '' used to fight human diseases .
Emmanuelle Charpentier , a French-born researcher and director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Germany , and Jennifer Doudna , a professor at the University of California , Berkeley , were given the chemistry prize , the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced in Stockholm .
The pair worked together to help develop the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genomes in precise locations and allowing researchers to add or delete pieces of genetic material or make changes by replacing an existing segment with a customized sequence .
The tool 's development has led to widespread applications for genome editing -- and is faster , more accurate , more efficient and less expensive than other existing methods .
The CRISPR/Cas9 system is used to research a wide variety of diseases , including single-gene disorders including cystic fibrosis , hemophilia and sickle cell disease .
It also holds some promise for treating and preventing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mental illness and HIV/AIDS .
Genome editing has also found a strong presence in agriculture , where it 's used to develop crops resistant to mold , pests and drought .
After publishing an initial discovery in 2011 , Charpentier teamed with Doudna to develop the `` genetic scissors '' to make it easier to use .
The next year , they proved it could be controlled and used to cut any DNA molecule at a predetermined site .
`` There is enormous power in this genetic tool , which affects us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry , said in a statement Wednesday .
`` It has not only revolutionized basic science , but also resulted in innovative crops and will lead to ground-breaking new medical treatments . ''
Due to ethical considerations , scientists are limited to using CRISPR/Cas9 in humans on somatic cells -- cells other than egg and sperm cells .
Changes made in those cells are not passed from one generation to the next .
The Nobel Prize for medicine was awarded Monday to Americans Harvey J .
Alter and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their work on curing Hepatitis C ; the prize for physics was given Tuesday to Roger Penrose , Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez for their research on black holes .
The Nobel Prize in Literature will be awarded Thursday , the peace prize on Friday and the prize for economic sciences on Oct. 12 .

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Emmanuelle Charpentier was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry Wednesday for her work on CRISPR/Cas9 "genetic scissors" with Jennifer Doudna. Photo by Hallbauer & Fioretti/Emmanuelle Charpentier/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- A French scientist and an American professor were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday for their work in developing a "genetic scissors" used to fight human diseases. Emmanuelle Charpentier, a French-born researcher and director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Germany, and Jennifer Doudna, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, were given the chemistry prize, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced in Stockholm. Advertisement
The pair worked together to help develop the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editor, which is capable of cutting DNA genomes in precise locations and allowing researchers to add or delete pieces of genetic material or make changes by replacing an existing segment with a customized sequence.
The tool's development has led to widespread applications for genome editing -- and is faster, more accurate, more efficient and less expensive than other existing methods.
The CRISPR/Cas9 system is used to research a wide variety of diseases, including single-gene disorders including cystic fibrosis, hemophilia and sickle cell disease. It also holds some promise for treating and preventing complex diseases like cancer, heart disease, mental illness and HIV/AIDS.
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Genome editing has also found a strong presence in agriculture, where it's used to develop crops resistant to mold, pests and drought.
After publishing an initial discovery in 2011, Charpentier teamed with Doudna to develop the "genetic scissors" to make it easier to use. The next year, they proved it could be controlled and used to cut any DNA molecule at a predetermined site.
"There is enormous power in this genetic tool, which affects us all," Claes Gustafsson, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said in a statement Wednesday. "It has not only revolutionized basic science, but also resulted in innovative crops and will lead to ground-breaking new medical treatments."
Due to ethical considerations, scientists are limited to using CRISPR/Cas9 in humans on somatic cells -- cells other than egg and sperm cells. Changes made in those cells are not passed from one generation to the next.
The Nobel Prize for medicine was awarded Monday to Americans Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice and Briton Michael Houghton for their work on curing Hepatitis C; the prize for physics was given Tuesday to Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez for their research on black holes.
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The Nobel Prize in Literature will be awarded Thursday, the peace prize on Friday and the prize for economic sciences on Oct. 12.


upi--2020-10-07--Donald Trump reverses course on stimulus, supports some payments

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- President Donald Trump has reversed course somewhat on his declaration that he 's broken off negotiations with House Democrats on a new COVID-19 stimulus package , saying he 's open to pursuing smaller-scale , individual measures .
Trump tweeted Tuesday afternoon that he 'd ended talks on a stimulus bill until after the Nov. 3 election .
Hours later , he partly walked back the move and said he would approve another direct $ 1,200 stimulus payment to Americans and stand-alone funding for certain industries , including airlines .
`` I am ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The contradictory messages came a day after Trump returned to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center , where he was treated for COVID-19 .
Trump 's initial message was followed by a selloff in U.S. equity markets and stoked fears that homes and businesses would face more hardship brought on by the pandemic .
Some critics slammed Trump 's earlier declaration as a pure political move .
`` Make no mistake : if you are out of work , if your business is closed , if your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you are seeing layoffs in your community , Donald Trump decided today that none of that matters to him , '' Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said in a tweet .
`` Trump turned his back on millions of Americans who are struggling to get through this global pandemic and desperately needed relief , '' added Biden 's vice presidential running mate Sen. Kamala Harris , who will appear with Vice President Mike Pence Wednesday night in their only debate .
Earlier Tuesday , Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` weak recovery '' and `` unnecessary hardship '' for millions of Americans .
Later , Trump accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of `` not negotiating in good faith . ''
Pelosi and other congressional Democrats have been negotiating for weeks with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on a new round of stimulus .
The House favors a larger package that includes money for unemployed Americans , businesses and states to fight the pandemic .
Republicans have favored a more piecemeal approach with smaller , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only certain recipients .
The House passed a $ 2.2 trillion measure last week that includes another $ 1,200 payment and resurrects an enhanced federal unemployment supplement of $ 600 per week , which out-of-work Americans have not received since late July when the first round of aid expired .
Republicans balked at the proposal , objecting to funding for state and local governments whose revenues have been interrupted by the health crisis .

President Donald Trump returns to the White House on Monday after three days of COVID-19 treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- White House talks with House Democrats turned toward a possible stand-alone relief bill for airlines Wednesday as President Donald Trump reversed course somewhat on his decision to end negotiations. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on an airline stimulus package Wednesday morning. Advertisement
Funding for airlines under the Payroll Support Program expired at the end of September, causing the companies to begin layoffs of some 30,000 workers without replacement legislation in place. Those layoffs were all but made certain Tuesday afternoon when Trump pulled his negotiators out of talks with Democrats on another stimulus bill.
But the industry saw a possible lifeline after Trump reversed course on his decision Wednesday, saying he's open to pursuing smaller-scale, individual measures. He said he would approve another direct $1,200 stimulus payment to Americans and stand-alone funding for certain industries, including airlines.
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"I am ready to sign right now," one tweet said.
Pelosi threw her support behind such a stand-alone package earlier this month, promising airlines she saw additional funding in their future.
"I'm optimistic, I'm always optimistic. We always have to find a path, that is our responsibility to do so, and I believe that we will," she said at the time.
The contradictory messages from Trump came a day after he returned to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was treated for COVID-19.
Trump's initial message was followed by a selloff in U.S. equity markets and stoked fears that homes and businesses would face more hardship brought on by the pandemic.
Markets mostly regained their losses Wednesday, with the Dow Jones closing up 1.91%, the S&P 500 up 1.74% and the Nasdaq Composite up 1.88%.
Some critics slammed Trump's earlier declaration as a pure political move.
"Make no mistake: if you are out of work, if your business is closed, if your child's school is shut down, if you are seeing layoffs in your community, Donald Trump decided today that none of that matters to him," Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said in a tweet.
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"Trump turned his back on millions of Americans who are struggling to get through this global pandemic and desperately needed relief," added Biden's vice presidential running mate Sen. Kamala Harris, who will appear with Vice President Mike Pence Wednesday night in their only debate.
Earlier Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned that a lack of more stimulus could lead to a "weak recovery" and "unnecessary hardship" for millions of Americans.
Later, Trump accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of "not negotiating in good faith."
Pelosi and other congressional Democrats have been negotiating for weeks with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Mnuchin on a new round of stimulus. The House favors a larger package that includes money for unemployed Americans, businesses and states to fight the pandemic. Republicans have favored a more piecemeal approach with smaller, individual measures that earmark less money for only certain recipients.
The House passed a $2.2 trillion measure last week that includes another $1,200 payment and resurrects an enhanced federal unemployment supplement of $600 per week, which out-of-work Americans have not received since late July when the first round of aid expired.
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Republicans balked at the proposal, objecting to funding for state and local governments whose revenues have been interrupted by the health crisis.
President Donald Trump hospitalized for COVID-19


upi--2020-10-07--Migrant caravans restart as pandemic deepens crisis at U.S.-Mexico border

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- Members of a U.S.-bound migrant migrant caravan from Honduras have been detained in Guatemala and deported before they could reach Mexico .
Though their journey was cut short , the formation of a new caravan reveals that -- as in 2018 and 2019 -- Central Americans are still fleeing violence , hunger and climate change en masse .
The crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border also persists .
As a scholar of Mexican migration , I have watched the pandemic create new hardships for immigrants while giving the Trump administration leeway to impose further restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seekers .
The result is a continuation of dehumanizing and dangerous conditions on the border , with less public scrutiny than ever .
During my research for a 2019 documentary , Waylaid in Tijuana , I observed firsthand the difficult conditions facing thousands of migrants and asylum seekers who were stranded at the U.S.-Mexico border well before the pandemic .
Under international and domestic law , the United States must offer asylum to people with a `` well-founded fear '' of persecution based on their political beliefs , racial or ethnic background , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them a target for violence .
But in April 2018 , the Trump administration began `` metering '' asylum seekers by requiring that they get on a waiting list for their initial appointment with U.S. officials .
By August 2019 , 25,000 people were on the list , mostly in Tijuana .
In February 2020 , just before the global pandemic was declared , 15,000 people were still waiting .
Nine months after metering began , the Trump administration introduced the Migration Protection Protocols , which require asylum seekers who pass their initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for each subsequent court hearing .
By March 2020 , over 65,000 asylum -seekers had been returned to Mexico , mostly through ports of entry in Texas .
Under pressure from the Trump administration , the Mexican government acceded to this policy , giving asylum seekers the right to wait for their interview in Mexico .
Migrants in the caravans that arrived in late 2018 and early 2019 were also given a special work permit .
But the Mexican government has since drastically curtailed these permits , and today 's migrants receive almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find food and lodging at a church-run migrant shelter , an informal job waiting tables or working construction and access to healthcare and legal counsel through local or U.S.-based nonprofit organizations .
Most migrants are not so lucky .
Shelters can not keep up with the demand , leaving thousands on the streets or in tent camps with no plumbing or electricity , especially along the Texas border .
Asylum seekers outside the shelters rarely have access to social assistance or legal counsel .
Asylum seekers are also targeted by criminals and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and assault -- adding another layer of trauma to the violence suffered back home and along their journey .
During the interviews with asylum seekers conducted for Waylaid in Tijuana , my colleagues and I could see the fear and anxiety in their body language .
These two policies -- the metering system and the Migration Protection Protocols -- had vastly reduced Central American migrants ' chances of gaining asylum in the United States even before the pandemic .
As of August 2020 , only 570 of the 44,000 asylum seekers sent back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were granted refuge in the United States .
That 's an approval rate of 1.3 % , compared with 21 % in 2018 for asylum seekers from El Salvador , Honduras and Guatemala .
The pandemic has now enabled the Trump administration to effectively end asylum as an avenue for Central Americans to legally enter the United States .
In March 2020 the Department of Homeland Security closed the waiting lists for asylum interviews and suspended asylum hearings .
The Trump administration also invoked Title 42 , a little-used rule of the Centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent the spread of infectious disease , to expel all migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border immediately and without the hearing to which many of them would normally be entitled .
Under this rule , U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has turned away more than 147,000 people since March , over the objections of top scientists .
Most of the migrants , including non-Mexicans , are stuck in Mexico .
That puts even more pressure on Mexico 's overextended shelters , many of which stopped taking new residents or closed down completely when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mexico 's economy on lockdown , jobs are nearly impossible to find .
A recent International Labor Organization report finds Mexico lost 10.4 million informal jobs during the first two months of the pandemic , particularly in areas like hospitality and construction that used to employ migrants .
Despite the obvious health risks , U.S. Customs and Border Patrol continues to require that migrants check in regularly at ports of entry to keep their asylum cases active .
Yet pandemic restrictions mean U.S.-based aid workers and lawyers are unable to cross the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like the United States , is struggling to contain COVID-19 ; over 81,000 people have died of the disease .
Many asylum seekers waiting at the border can not practice social distancing in crowded encampments or apartments and have nowhere to turn if they get sick .
Hunger , sickness , violence and generally dangerous conditions in Central America mean many asylum seekers will brave the obvious health risks at the U.S.-Mexico border rather than return home .
And others , like the migrants in the new Honduran caravan , will continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been crippled by politics and the pandemic while the humanitarian crisis at the border continues .
Katrina Burgess is an associate professor of political economy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University .
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Honduran migrants seeking to reach the United States walked through Poptun, Guatemala, on Friday toward the El Ceibo border with Mexico before being detained by Guatemalan soldiers. Photo by Esteban Biba/EPA-EFE
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Members of a U.S.-bound migrant migrant caravan from Honduras have been detained in Guatemala and deported before they could reach Mexico. Though their journey was cut short, the formation of a new caravan reveals that -- as in 2018 and 2019 -- Central Americans are still fleeing violence, hunger and climate change en masse. The crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border also persists. As a scholar of Mexican migration, I have watched the pandemic create new hardships for immigrants while giving the Trump administration leeway to impose further restrictions on the rights of migrants and asylum seekers. Advertisement
The result is a continuation of dehumanizing and dangerous conditions on the border, with less public scrutiny than ever.
Crisis at the border
During my research for a 2019 documentary, Waylaid in Tijuana, I observed firsthand the difficult conditions facing thousands of migrants and asylum seekers who were stranded at the U.S.-Mexico border well before the pandemic.
Advertisement
Under international and domestic law, the United States must offer asylum to people with a "well-founded fear" of persecution based on their political beliefs, racial or ethnic background, religion or other special characteristics that make them a target for violence.
But in April 2018, the Trump administration began "metering" asylum seekers by requiring that they get on a waiting list for their initial appointment with U.S. officials. By August 2019, 25,000 people were on the list, mostly in Tijuana. In February 2020, just before the global pandemic was declared, 15,000 people were still waiting.
Nine months after metering began, the Trump administration introduced the Migration Protection Protocols, which require asylum seekers who pass their initial interview to return to Mexico to wait for each subsequent court hearing. By March 2020, over 65,000 asylum -seekers had been returned to Mexico, mostly through ports of entry in Texas.
Under pressure from the Trump administration, the Mexican government acceded to this policy, giving asylum seekers the right to wait for their interview in Mexico. Migrants in the caravans that arrived in late 2018 and early 2019 were also given a special work permit.
But the Mexican government has since drastically curtailed these permits, and today's migrants receive almost no government support. The lucky ones find food and lodging at a church-run migrant shelter, an informal job waiting tables or working construction and access to healthcare and legal counsel through local or U.S.-based nonprofit organizations.
Advertisement
Most migrants are not so lucky. Shelters cannot keep up with the demand, leaving thousands on the streets or in tent camps with no plumbing or electricity, especially along the Texas border. Asylum seekers outside the shelters rarely have access to social assistance or legal counsel.
Asylum seekers are also targeted by criminals and local police for extortion, mugging, kidnapping and assault -- adding another layer of trauma to the violence suffered back home and along their journey. During the interviews with asylum seekers conducted for Waylaid in Tijuana, my colleagues and I could see the fear and anxiety in their body language.
Barred by the pandemic
These two policies -- the metering system and the Migration Protection Protocols -- had vastly reduced Central American migrants' chances of gaining asylum in the United States even before the pandemic. As of August 2020, only 570 of the 44,000 asylum seekers sent back to Mexico whose cases had been decided were granted refuge in the United States. That's an approval rate of 1.3%, compared with 21% in 2018 for asylum seekers from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.
The pandemic has now enabled the Trump administration to effectively end asylum as an avenue for Central Americans to legally enter the United States.
Advertisement
In March 2020 the Department of Homeland Security closed the waiting lists for asylum interviews and suspended asylum hearings. The Trump administration also invoked Title 42, a little-used rule of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intended to prevent the spread of infectious disease, to expel all migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border immediately and without the hearing to which many of them would normally be entitled.
Under this rule, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has turned away more than 147,000 people since March, over the objections of top scientists. Most of the migrants, including non-Mexicans, are stuck in Mexico.
That puts even more pressure on Mexico's overextended shelters, many of which stopped taking new residents or closed down completely when the pandemic hit.
And with much of Mexico's economy on lockdown, jobs are nearly impossible to find. A recent International Labor Organization report finds Mexico lost 10.4 million informal jobs during the first two months of the pandemic, particularly in areas like hospitality and construction that used to employ migrants.
Dual crises
Despite the obvious health risks, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol continues to require that migrants check in regularly at ports of entry to keep their asylum cases active. Yet pandemic restrictions mean U.S.-based aid workers and lawyers are unable to cross the border to help their clients.
Advertisement
Mexico, like the United States, is struggling to contain COVID-19; over 81,000 people have died of the disease. Many asylum seekers waiting at the border cannot practice social distancing in crowded encampments or apartments and have nowhere to turn if they get sick.
Hunger, sickness, violence and generally dangerous conditions in Central America mean many asylum seekers will brave the obvious health risks at the U.S.-Mexico border rather than return home. And others, like the migrants in the new Honduran caravan, will continue to flee.
The U.S. asylum system has been crippled by politics and the pandemic while the humanitarian crisis at the border continues.
Katrina Burgess is an associate professor of political economy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


upi--2020-10-07--Watch: Ruby Rose on 'Batwoman': 'I didn't up and leave'

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- Ruby Rose appeared on The Tonight Show and discussed her exit from Batwoman and how her departure was the right move for the series .
`` I did n't up and leave .
We were in such a weird position because we had to shut down before we could finish the season because of COVID , '' Rose told host Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday .
Rose said she reflected on her time on the show while staying in quarantine and decided to exit the series and her lead role as Kate Kane after speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ended up talking to Warner Bros. and Greg and where the show was going and we really just kind of had a really honest good chat where we sort of mutually agreed that Kate Kane and her story and everything , we had done what we set out to do , '' Rose said .
Javicia Leslie will be portraying new character Ryan Wilder on the CW drama who takes on the mantle of Batwoman .
`` I had a blast and I do really feel like it was right for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone else now .
There 's going to be many iterations of Batwoman and I 'm really proud of it and I ca n't wait to watch Season 2 , '' Rose continued .

Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Ruby Rose appeared on The Tonight Show and discussed her exit from Batwoman and how her departure was the right move for the series.
"I didn't up and leave. We were in such a weird position because we had to shut down before we could finish the season because of COVID," Rose told host Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday.
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Rose said she reflected on her time on the show while staying in quarantine and decided to exit the series and her lead role as Kate Kane after speaking with executive producer Greg Berlanti.
"I ended up talking to Warner Bros. and Greg and where the show was going and we really just kind of had a really honest good chat where we sort of mutually agreed that Kate Kane and her story and everything, we had done what we set out to do," Rose said.
Javicia Leslie will be portraying new character Ryan Wilder on the CW drama who takes on the mantle of Batwoman.
"I had a blast and I do really feel like it was right for the show to pass the mantle on to someone else now. There's going to be many iterations of Batwoman and I'm really proud of it and I can't wait to watch Season 2," Rose continued.


upi--2020-10-07--French Open: Nadal sweeps into semis, Schwartzman upsets Thiem

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- Rafael Nadal is now just one win away from playing for his 13th French Open title after a straight-sets win over Italian Jannik Sinner in Paris .
Nadal beat Sinner 7-6 ( 4 ) , 6-4 , 6-1 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at Roland Garros .
He will face Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the semifinals Friday .
Schwartzman beat Nadal in straight sets on Sep. 19 at the 2020 Italian Open , his only win over Nadal in 11 career matches .
`` I have two days to practice the things that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what I 'm going to do , '' Nadal told reporters .
Nadal dispatched of Sinner in two hours and 49 minutes .
He had one double fault , won six of eight break points , fired 37 winners and had 33 unforced errors .
Sinner had three double faults , 31 winners and 44 errors .
Sinner and Nadal went back and forth in the first set before Sinner won the 10th and 11th game .
Nadal then forced a tie break before he won the 72-minute set on a Sinner unforced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wins to start the second set before Sinner won the third and fourth games .
Nadal responded with wins in the fifth and sixth games before Sinner won the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead .
Nadal then won the final three games and won the set on another Sinner error .
Nadal dominated the third set and won the first four games before Sinner claimed the fifth game .
The Spaniard fired a winner to claim the sixth game before he broke Schwartzman to win match point .
Schwartzman -- the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the semifinals with a five-set marathon win over No .
3 Dominic Thiem .
The Argentine beat Thiem 7-6 ( 1 ) , 5-7 , 6-7 ( 6 ) , 7-6 ( 5 ) , 6-2 in the five-hour , eight-minute thriller .
`` If I see the history , I 'm 10-1 down [ in matches against Nadal ] , '' Schwartzman said .
`` I 'm not sure if I 'll have a lot of confidence , but I know that I can beat him . ''
No .
1 Novak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Busta on Wednesday for a spot in the semifinals .
No .
5 Stefanos Tsitsipas also battles No .
13 Andrey Rublev in a Wednesday quarterfinal .
The women 's semifinals start Thursday with Iga Swiatek in a match against Nadia Podoroska .
American 's Danielle Collins and Sofia Kenin match up Wednesday in a women 's quarterfinal .
The winner of that match will face Petra Kvitova in the semifinals .
Kvitova -- the No .
7 seed -- beat Laura Siegemund in straight sets Wednesday to reach the semifinals .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roland Garros .
The men 's final is Sunday .

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Rafael Nadal (pictured) beat Jannik Sinner in a French Open quarterfinal match on Tuesday at Roland Garros in Paris. Photo by Julien De Rosa/EPA-EFE
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Rafael Nadal is now just one win away from playing for his 13th French Open title after a straight-sets win over Italian Jannik Sinner in Paris. Nadal beat Sinner 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-1 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at Roland Garros. He will face Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the semifinals Friday. Advertisement
Schwartzman beat Nadal in straight sets on Sep. 19 at the 2020 Italian Open, his only win over Nadal in 11 career matches.
"I have two days to practice the things that I need to improve on. That's what I'm going to do," Nadal told reporters.
Nadal dispatched of Sinner in two hours and 49 minutes. He had one double fault, won six of eight break points, fired 37 winners and had 33 unforced errors. Sinner had three double faults, 31 winners and 44 errors.
Sinner and Nadal went back and forth in the first set before Sinner won the 10th and 11th game. Nadal then forced a tie break before he won the 72-minute set on a Sinner unforced error.
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Nadal and Sinner exchanged game wins to start the second set before Sinner won the third and fourth games. Nadal responded with wins in the fifth and sixth games before Sinner won the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Nadal then won the final three games and won the set on another Sinner error.
Nadal dominated the third set and won the first four games before Sinner claimed the fifth game. The Spaniard fired a winner to claim the sixth game before he broke Schwartzman to win match point.
Schwartzman -- the No. 12 seed -- advanced to the semifinals with a five-set marathon win over No. 3 Dominic Thiem. The Argentine beat Thiem 7-6 (1), 5-7, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the five-hour, eight-minute thriller.
"If I see the history, I'm 10-1 down [in matches against Nadal]," Schwartzman said. "I'm not sure if I'll have a lot of confidence, but I know that I can beat him."
No. 1 Novak Djokovic faces No. 17 Pablo Carreno Busta on Wednesday for a spot in the semifinals. No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas also battles No. 13 Andrey Rublev in a Wednesday quarterfinal.
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The women's semifinals start Thursday with Iga Swiatek in a match against Nadia Podoroska. American's Danielle Collins and Sofia Kenin match up Wednesday in a women's quarterfinal. The winner of that match will face Petra Kvitova in the semifinals.
Kvitova -- the No. 7 seed -- beat Laura Siegemund in straight sets Wednesday to reach the semifinals.
The women's singles final is Saturday at Roland Garros. The men's final is Sunday.


upi--2020-10-07--Greece court declares Golden Dawn ran criminal operation

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- A Greek court on Wednesday convicted members of the Golden Dawn political party and ruled that the group ran an unlawful enterprise that regularly attacked migrants in the Mediterranean nation .
Judge Maria Lepeniotou found party leader Nikos Michaloliakos and several other members guilty of running a criminal organization .
Golden Dawn is also known in Greece as Chrysi Avgi .
The others convicted were Christos Pappas , Artemis Matthaiopoulos , Ilias Panagiotaros , Ilias Kasidiaris , Yiannis Lagos and Giorgos Germenis .
Former party lawmakers Giorgos Patelis and Anastasios Pantazis were found guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization .
`` This is a very good day for the anti-fascist movement globally , '' Petros Constantinou , a prominent anti-racism activist , said .
`` The decision will send a very important message to the far right in Europe .
A conviction today is vital if we are to end the fascist threat .
The evidence against them is overwhelming . ''
Golden Dawn supporter Giorgos Roupakias was previously accused in the stabbing death of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas .
Roupakias and 13 other Golden Dawn backers were found guilty in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director at Amnesty International , said before Wednesday 's verdict that the case could open a window into whether other nations have the legal power to take on neo-Nazi groups in Europe .
`` The trial of Golden Dawn has been a serious test for the Greek criminal justice system and its ability to address the threat posed by a group that has used and advocated violence and discrimination , '' Muiznieks said in a statement .
`` The impact of this verdict , in what is an emblematic trial of an extreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-human rights stance , will be felt far beyond Greece 's borders . ''

Magda and Panagiotis Fyssas, the mother and father of slain anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, celebrate the court's decision on Wednesday to convict several members of the ultra-right party Golden Dawn Party, in Athens, Greece. Photo by Pantelis Saitas/EPA-EFE
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- A Greek court on Wednesday convicted members of the Golden Dawn political party and ruled that the group ran an unlawful enterprise that regularly attacked migrants in the Mediterranean nation. Judge Maria Lepeniotou found party leader Nikos Michaloliakos and several other members guilty of running a criminal organization. Golden Dawn is also known in Greece as Chrysi Avgi. Advertisement
Wednesday's verdicts ended a five-year trial against the controversial ultra-right party.
The others convicted were Christos Pappas, Artemis Matthaiopoulos, Ilias Panagiotaros, Ilias Kasidiaris, Yiannis Lagos and Giorgos Germenis.
Former party lawmakers Giorgos Patelis and Anastasios Pantazis were found guilty of joining and participating in a criminal organization.
"This is a very good day for the anti-fascist movement globally," Petros Constantinou, a prominent anti-racism activist, said. "The decision will send a very important message to the far right in Europe. A conviction today is vital if we are to end the fascist threat. The evidence against them is overwhelming."
Golden Dawn supporter Giorgos Roupakias was previously accused in the stabbing death of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas. Roupakias and 13 other Golden Dawn backers were found guilty in the death.
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Nils Muiznieks, Europe director at Amnesty International, said before Wednesday's verdict that the case could open a window into whether other nations have the legal power to take on neo-Nazi groups in Europe.
"The trial of Golden Dawn has been a serious test for the Greek criminal justice system and its ability to address the threat posed by a group that has used and advocated violence and discrimination," Muiznieks said in a statement.
"The impact of this verdict, in what is an emblematic trial of an extreme far-right party with an aggressive anti-migrant and anti-human rights stance, will be felt far beyond Greece's borders."


upi--2020-10-07--Look: 'Jurassic World: Dominion' delayed to 2022, new poster released

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- Universal 's Jurassic World : Dominion has been delayed to June 10 , 2022 , director Colin Trevorrow announced on Twitter .
The film , which acts as the third entry in the Jurassic World trilogy starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard , was set to hit theaters on June 11 , 2021 .
`` For the past three months , I 've worked with an extraordinary cast and crew on a film we ca n't wait to share with the world .
Even though we 'll have to wait a bit longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Let 's stay healthy and take care of each other until then , '' Trevorrow said on Tuesday alongside a new poster for Jurassic World : Dominion .
The new poster features the franchise 's signature logo placed inside amber , a reference to the original Jurassic Park film from 1993 .
Production on Jurassic World : Dominion was shut down in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Production was then restarted in the summer in the United Kingdom .
Jurassic Park stars Jeff Goldblum , Laura Dern and Sam Neil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alongside Pratt and Howard .

For the past three months, I've worked with an extraordinary cast and crew on a film we can't wait to share with the world. Even though we'll have to wait a bit longer, it will all be worth it. Let's stay healthy and take care of each other until then. pic.twitter.com/vnGzhHs4nR— Colin Trevorrow (@colintrevorrow) October 6, 2020
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Universal's Jurassic World: Dominion has been delayed to June 10, 2022, director Colin Trevorrow announced on Twitter.
The film, which acts as the third entry in the Jurassic World trilogy starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, was set to hit theaters on June 11, 2021.
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"For the past three months, I've worked with an extraordinary cast and crew on a film we can't wait to share with the world. Even though we'll have to wait a bit longer, it will all be worth it. Let's stay healthy and take care of each other until then," Trevorrow said on Tuesday alongside a new poster for Jurassic World: Dominion.
The new poster features the franchise's signature logo placed inside amber, a reference to the original Jurassic Park film from 1993.
Production on Jurassic World: Dominion was shut down in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production was then restarted in the summer in the United Kingdom.
Jurassic Park stars Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern and Sam Neil will star in Jurassic World: Dominion alongside Pratt and Howard.


upi--2020-10-07--Delta weakens to Category 3 hurricane as it moves toward U.S.

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- Hurricane Delta weakened to a Category 3 storm early Wednesday in the northern Caribbean as it moves toward the U.S. Gulf Coast , forecasters said .
Delta exploded into a Category 4 storm on Monday before encountering conditions that caused it to lose steam off the eastern Yucatan Peninsula .
In its 4 a.m. update Wednesday , the National Hurricane Center said Delta was located 35 miles northeast of Cozumel , Mexico , and had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph .
A storm becomes a Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delta was moving northeast at 17 mph .
`` On the forecast track , the center of Delta will move over the northeastern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula during the next few hours , '' the center said .
`` Delta is forecast to move over the southern Gulf of Mexico this afternoon , be over the southern or central Gulf of Mexico through Thursday , and approach the northern Gulf coast on Friday . ''
Forecasters said they expect the storm to again grow in intensity before it reaches land in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Although some weakening is likely when Delta moves over the Yucatan peninsula , re-strengthening is forecast when the hurricane moves over the southern Gulf of Mexico Wednesday night and Thursday , and Delta could become a category 4 hurricane again by late Thursday , '' it said .
`` Weakening is expected as Delta approaches the northern Gulf coast on Friday . ''
The NHC said a hurricane warning has been issued for Cozumel and from Tulum to Dzilam , Mexico .
In its forecast , the center cautioned that life-threatening storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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


upi--2020-10-07--Watch live: Kamala Harris, Mike Pence go head-to-head in vice presidential debate

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence are set to square off in their first and only debate Wednesday night , which will be staged with expanded COVID-19 safety precautions days after President Donald Trump was diagnosed with the coronavirus .
The debate is scheduled for 7 p.m. MDT at Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and will be broadcast live nationally .
Early Wednesday , the Commission on Presidential Debates was working to iron out details of safety measures .
Trump announced he 'd tested positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days after he participated in a debate with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
The commission has said that Harris and Pence will be spaced 12 feet apart for their debate , instead of the 7 feet originally planned .
Since the spring , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged Americans to keep at least 6 feet away from anyone outside their household .
The agency updated its guidance Monday to indicate that , under certain conditions , the coronavirus can spread more than 6 feet away in poorly ventilated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ odds on Tuesday night , however , about whether there should be plexiglass dividers between Harris and Pence to protect them .
Biden 's campaign requested the dividers , but Pence asked that a divider not be placed on his side of the stage .
`` If she wants it , she 's more than welcome to surround herself with plexiglass if that makes her feel more comfortable , '' Marc Short , Pence 's chief of staff , told The Washington Post .
`` It 's not needed . ''
Pence ultimately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frank Fahrenkopf Jr. , co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates , told The New York Times .
The dividers were installed on the debate stage earlier Tuesday .
Pence 's position on the issue is representative of the divide between the two camps on the seriousness of the pandemic .
Pence and Trump have repeatedly downplayed the threat while Biden and Harris have warned of its dangers and routinely advocated for protective measures .
More than a million people worldwide and 210,000 patients in the United States have died of the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since at least Friday , when Trump announced he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive .
Several Trump aides and associates have also tested positive , including aide Hope Hicks , adviser Stephen Miller , former adviser Kellyanne Conway , press secretary Kayleigh McEnany , Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel , campaign manager Bill Stepien and campaign adviser Chris Christie .
Biden and Harris have tested negative multiple times since the debate in Cleveland a week ago .

Preparations take place at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City for Wednesday night's vice presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris. Photo courtesy University of Utah
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence are set to square off in their first and only debate Wednesday night, which will be staged with expanded COVID-19 safety precautions days after President Donald Trump was diagnosed with the coronavirus. The debate is scheduled for 7 p.m. MDT at Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and will be broadcast live nationally. Advertisement
Early Wednesday, the Commission on Presidential Debates was working to iron out details of safety measures. Trump announced he'd tested positive for the virus a little more than two days after he participated in a debate with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
The commission has said that Harris and Pence will be spaced 12 feet apart for their debate, instead of the 7 feet originally planned.
Since the spring, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged Americans to keep at least 6 feet away from anyone outside their household. The agency updated its guidance Monday to indicate that, under certain conditions, the coronavirus can spread more than 6 feet away in poorly ventilated spaces.
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The two parties were at odds on Tuesday night, however, about whether there should be plexiglass dividers between Harris and Pence to protect them. Biden's campaign requested the dividers, but Pence asked that a divider not be placed on his side of the stage.
"If she wants it, she's more than welcome to surround herself with plexiglass if that makes her feel more comfortable," Marc Short, Pence's chief of staff, told The Washington Post. "It's not needed."
Pence ultimately agreed to the dividers, according to Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, told The New York Times. The dividers were installed on the debate stage earlier Tuesday.
Pence's position on the issue is representative of the divide between the two camps on the seriousness of the pandemic. Pence and Trump have repeatedly downplayed the threat while Biden and Harris have warned of its dangers and routinely advocated for protective measures. More than a million people worldwide and 210,000 patients in the United States have died of the disease.
Both candidates have been tested daily since at least Friday, when Trump announced he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive. Several Trump aides and associates have also tested positive, including aide Hope Hicks, adviser Stephen Miller, former adviser Kellyanne Conway, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, campaign manager Bill Stepien and campaign adviser Chris Christie.
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Biden and Harris have tested negative multiple times since the debate in Cleveland a week ago.
First presidential debate takes place in Cleveland


upi--2020-10-07--New Zealand eliminates COVID-19 for a 2nd time; cases surge in Europe

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- New Zealand on Wednesday announced it has eliminated local transmission of the coronavirus for a second time as cases surge in Europe .
New Zealand 's Health Minister Chris Hipkins said there were no more active community cases of COVID-19 in the country after the last patients had recovered from a recent outbreak of the virus .
`` This is a big milestone , '' he said .
`` New Zealanders have once again through their collective actions squashed the virus . ''
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in early June that the archipelago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifting the country from weeks of strict lockdown measures in doing so .
But after going more than 100 days without reporting local transmission of the virus , the country was placed back under lockdown in August as four new cases were confirmed among a single Auckland family with no known source of transmission .
In total , 186 community cases of COVID-19 -- 179 of which were connected to the Auckland cluster -- were diagnosed , but all of them have since been discharged from hospitals .
The so-called Auckland cluster will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two incubation periods have elapsed .
`` While having stamped out COVID-19 in our community for the second time is a real achievement that New Zealanders should be proud of , there is an ongoing risk that further community cases will emerge in the future , '' he said .
`` I urge New Zealanders to remain vigilant and to not let complacency creep in . ''
New Zealand has been internationally lauded for its suppression of the coronavirus , having reported only 25 deaths and fewer than 1,600 confirmed cases of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country in late February .
On Wednesday , health officials reported three new imported cases in New Zealand , and they have been isolated in quarantine , lifting its total number of confirmed cases to 1,505 and 1,861 confirmed and probable cases .
Auckland , which has been under Alert Level 2 lockdown since August , will move to the less restrictive Alert Level 1 at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday .
In Europe , however , cases have been surging since Septemeber .
On Wednesday , health officials in the Czech Republic announced a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous high of 3,796 infections diagnosed late last week .
The central European country has been battling skyrocketing cases since late August , lifting its total number of infections to 90,022 , nearly half of which were still active by Wednesday morning .
The Czech Republic also recorded a record high of 36 deaths in the last 24 hours for a total of 794 .
A state of emergency went into effect on Monday that will last at least 30 days , enforcing strict social distancing , closing secondary schools where clusters are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , among other actions .
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control , 27 European nations , including the Czech Republic , have experienced high levels or sustained increases in 14-day COVID-19 case rates compared to the previous week .
Europe over Tuesday added more than 82,000 infections , more than any other continent aside from Asia where India accounted for the majority of its 108,000 cases with some 72,000 , according to statistics by Worldometer.info .
As of early Wednesday , there were more than 35.8 million cases worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a live tally of the pandemic by Johns Hopkins University .
The United States has held the top spot with more than 7.5 million cases for months , but India is catching up as it has struggled to contain skyrocketing infections .
On Wednesday , health officials in New Delhi reported 72,049 cases , lifting its total to 6.7 million infections .

A woman waits on a subway platform near a sign advising social distancing in Athens, Greece on Aug. 7. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- New Zealand on Wednesday announced it has eliminated local transmission of the coronavirus for a second time as cases surge in Europe. New Zealand's Health Minister Chris Hipkins said there were no more active community cases of COVID-19 in the country after the last patients had recovered from a recent outbreak of the virus. Advertisement
"This is a big milestone," he said. "New Zealanders have once again through their collective actions squashed the virus."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in early June that the archipelago Oceania nation had eliminated the virus, lifting the country from weeks of strict lockdown measures in doing so.
But after going more than 100 days without reporting local transmission of the virus, the country was placed back under lockdown in August as four new cases were confirmed among a single Auckland family with no known source of transmission.
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In total, 186 community cases of COVID-19 -- 179 of which were connected to the Auckland cluster -- were diagnosed, but all of them have since been discharged from hospitals. The so-called Auckland cluster will be officially considered "closed" after two incubation periods have elapsed.
"While having stamped out COVID-19 in our community for the second time is a real achievement that New Zealanders should be proud of, there is an ongoing risk that further community cases will emerge in the future," he said. "I urge New Zealanders to remain vigilant and to not let complacency creep in."
New Zealand has been internationally lauded for its suppression of the coronavirus, having reported only 25 deaths and fewer than 1,600 confirmed cases of the virus that was first diagnosed in the country in late February.
On Wednesday, health officials reported three new imported cases in New Zealand, and they have been isolated in quarantine, lifting its total number of confirmed cases to 1,505 and 1,861 confirmed and probable cases.
Auckland, which has been under Alert Level 2 lockdown since August, will move to the less restrictive Alert Level 1 at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.
In Europe, however, cases have been surging since Septemeber.
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On Wednesday, health officials in the Czech Republic announced a record high 4,457 cases, trumping its previous high of 3,796 infections diagnosed late last week.
The central European country has been battling skyrocketing cases since late August, lifting its total number of infections to 90,022, nearly half of which were still active by Wednesday morning.
The Czech Republic also recorded a record high of 36 deaths in the last 24 hours for a total of 794.
A state of emergency went into effect on Monday that will last at least 30 days, enforcing strict social distancing, closing secondary schools where clusters are reported and banning spectators from sporting events, among other actions.
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, 27 European nations, including the Czech Republic, have experienced high levels or sustained increases in 14-day COVID-19 case rates compared to the previous week.
Europe over Tuesday added more than 82,000 infections, more than any other continent aside from Asia where India accounted for the majority of its 108,000 cases with some 72,000, according to statistics by Worldometer.info.
As of early Wednesday, there were more than 35.8 million cases worldwide, including 1.05 million deaths, according to a live tally of the pandemic by Johns Hopkins University.
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The United States has held the top spot with more than 7.5 million cases for months, but India is catching up as it has struggled to contain skyrocketing infections.
On Wednesday, health officials in New Delhi reported 72,049 cases, lifting its total to 6.7 million infections.


upi--2020-10-07--Florida rapper charged with conspiring to steal coronavirus relief funds

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- Federal prosecutors have charged a South Florida rapper of conspiring with others to steal tens of millions of dollars in federal relief funds meant to aid small businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The Justice Department in a release said Diamond Blue Smith , 36 , a member of the music group Pretty Ricky , and Tonye C. Johnson , 28 , of Flourtown , Pa. , have been charged in federal criminal complaints unsealed Tuesday for wire fraud , bank fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud .
The complaints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheme involving 11 other defendants , including former NFL wide receiver Joshua Bellamy , to steal $ 24 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program .
The Paycheck Protection Program was included in the $ 2 trillion CARES Act that President Donald Trump signed in March to help small businesses struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic to keep employees on their payrolls .
Prosecutors said Tuesday that Smith obtained more than $ 1 million from the program through filing falsified documents on behalf of his two companies , Throwbackjersey.com and Blue Star Records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ill-gotten funds to buy luxury goods as well as a $ 96,000 Ferrari , which authorities confiscated Monday when Smith was arrested , the Justice Department said .
The complaint further accuses the rapper of seeking loans on behalf of others in order to receive kickbacks .
Johnson , the owner of Synergy Towing & Transport , is accused of using falsified documents to obtain nearly $ 400,000 in loans of which he paid a portion of to co-conspirators in the scheme .
According to the Justice Department , the scheme was hatched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was charged in a criminal complaint in July .
The court document states that after Augustin obtained a fraudulent PPP loan for his company Clear Vision Music Group he focused on recruiting others to the scheme through his network of business contacts cultivated from his work as a manager for professional football players .
`` The conspirators in the scheme planned or prepared at least 90 fraudulent applications , most of which were submitted , '' the complaint said , adding that Augustin and his coconspirators applied for loans worth more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 42 of their applications being approved , equalling about $ 17.4 million .
`` Because Augustin had originated the scheme with CHS and recruited so many loan applicants , Augustin expected to receive -- and often did receive -- sizable kickbacks , '' the complaint said , referring to an unnamed source working with the investigation as CHS .
Charges against Bellamy , who played for the New York Jets and Chicago Bears of the NFL , were announced on Sept. 10 .
That same day , the Justice Department said it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 175 million from the paycheck program .
During the press conference , Brian Rabbitt , the acting assistant attorney general , said those who have attempted to steal from the program fall into either those who lie about owning businesses or those in organized criminal rings .
`` The involvement of these rings is unsurprising , '' Rabbitt said , `` but it is particularly troubling , and we will be focusing on these types of cases going forward . ''
Other celebrities have also be charged with attempting to steal from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fayne .

Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Federal prosecutors have charged a South Florida rapper of conspiring with others to steal tens of millions of dollars in federal relief funds meant to aid small businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Justice Department in a release said Diamond Blue Smith, 36, a member of the music group Pretty Ricky, and Tonye C. Johnson, 28, of Flourtown, Pa., have been charged in federal criminal complaints unsealed Tuesday for wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
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The complaints said the pair were charged in a scheme involving 11 other defendants, including former NFL wide receiver Joshua Bellamy, to steal $24 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program.
The Paycheck Protection Program was included in the $2 trillion CARES Act that President Donald Trump signed in March to help small businesses struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic to keep employees on their payrolls.
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Prosecutors said Tuesday that Smith obtained more than $1 million from the program through filing falsified documents on behalf of his two companies, Throwbackjersey.com and Blue Star Records.
Smith is accused of using the ill-gotten funds to buy luxury goods as well as a $96,000 Ferrari, which authorities confiscated Monday when Smith was arrested, the Justice Department said.
The complaint further accuses the rapper of seeking loans on behalf of others in order to receive kickbacks.
Johnson, the owner of Synergy Towing & Transport, is accused of using falsified documents to obtain nearly $400,000 in loans of which he paid a portion of to co-conspirators in the scheme.
According to the Justice Department, the scheme was hatched by Phillip J. Augustin, 51, who was charged in a criminal complaint in July.
The court document states that after Augustin obtained a fraudulent PPP loan for his company Clear Vision Music Group he focused on recruiting others to the scheme through his network of business contacts cultivated from his work as a manager for professional football players.
"The conspirators in the scheme planned or prepared at least 90 fraudulent applications, most of which were submitted," the complaint said, adding that Augustin and his coconspirators applied for loans worth more than $24 million, with at least 42 of their applications being approved, equalling about $17.4 million.
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"Because Augustin had originated the scheme with CHS and recruited so many loan applicants, Augustin expected to receive -- and often did receive -- sizable kickbacks," the complaint said, referring to an unnamed source working with the investigation as CHS.
Charges against Bellamy, who played for the New York Jets and Chicago Bears of the NFL, were announced on Sept. 10.
That same day, the Justice Department said it had arrested 57 people with attempting to steal $175 million from the paycheck program.
During the press conference, Brian Rabbitt, the acting assistant attorney general, said those who have attempted to steal from the program fall into either those who lie about owning businesses or those in organized criminal rings.
"The involvement of these rings is unsurprising," Rabbitt said, "but it is particularly troubling, and we will be focusing on these types of cases going forward."
Other celebrities have also be charged with attempting to steal from the PPP, including television personality Maurice Fayne.


upi--2020-10-07--Early school sports reduce ADHD symptoms for girls in later years

Girls who played after-school sports in elementary school seem to have fewer symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder once they reach middle school , a new study suggests .
The research included both boys and girls , but the effect of sports on attention and behavior symptoms was only significant in girls .
`` Girls , in particular , benefit from participation in sport when it comes to ADHD symptoms , '' said lead author Linda Pagani .
She 's a professor at the University of Montreal School of Psychoeducation in Quebec , Canada .
ADHD is a condition that includes ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- issues that interfere with a person 's functioning or development , according to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health .
ADHD signs and symptoms include : Making careless mistakes in schoolwork , at work or during other activities ; having difficulty paying attention in tasks like a lecture or lengthy reading assignment or during play ; seeming not to listen when spoken to directly ; interrupting others ; fidgeting ; leaving one 's seat when staying seated is expected ; running around in inappropriate situations or feeling restless , in teens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 1,500 children born in Quebec in 1997 and 1998 .
The group included 758 girls and 733 boys with complete data from age 6 .
Parents were asked if kids participated in an extra-curricular physical activity with a coach or instructor between the ages of 6 and 10 .
When kids were 12 , teachers were asked to compare their ADHD symptoms and behaviors to their peers ' .
Teachers only looked for symptoms suggestive of ADHD , not a formal diagnosis , Pagani said .
Girls who consistently participated in organized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms than girls who did n't , the study found .
The researchers did n't find a similar link for boys .
Pagani said organized sports likely help reduce ADHD symptoms in several ways : During an organized physical activity , kids have to listen and focus on what their coach is saying .
It 's different from an unstructured after-school program where kids can do whatever they want .
Sports also help inhibit distraction and promote planning behavior , Pagani explained .
Plus , sports get kids away from their screens and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and give them a chance to shake off some energy .
So , why would n't sports make a difference for boys , too ?
They probably do , Pagani said , but the upside was n't strong enough to be statistically significant .
`` Boys are over-identified when it comes to any kind of ADHD symptoms , '' she said .
`` For every three boys with ADHD , only one girl will get identified .
Girls may not be getting pharmacology [ medications ] and psychotherapy that boys often do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girls are under-identified and under-treated , they tend to benefit a lot from sports . ''
All kids -- both girls and boys -- can benefit from taking part in organized sports , Pagani said .
Dr. Andrew Adesman , chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Children 's Medical Center in New Hyde Park , N.Y. , reviewed the findings .
`` Although the researchers found an association in girls between organized sports and teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms , very few boys or girls in the study had ADHD , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do n't know if children with ADHD in this research study differed from their non-ADHD peers with respect to involvement with organized sports , '' he said .
The findings were recently published online in the journal Preventive Medicine .
Learn more about how playing sports can benefit and challenge children with ADHD from Nationwide Children 's Hospital .

Girls who played after-school sports in elementary school seem to have fewer symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder once they reach middle school, a new study suggests.
The research included both boys and girls, but the effect of sports on attention and behavior symptoms was only significant in girls.
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"Girls, in particular, benefit from participation in sport when it comes to ADHD symptoms," said lead author Linda Pagani. She's a professor at the University of Montreal School of Psychoeducation in Quebec, Canada.
ADHD is a condition that includes ongoing patterns of inattention, hyperactivity and/or impulsivity -- issues that interfere with a person's functioning or development, according to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.
ADHD signs and symptoms include: Making careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work or during other activities; having difficulty paying attention in tasks like a lecture or lengthy reading assignment or during play; seeming not to listen when spoken to directly; interrupting others; fidgeting; leaving one's seat when staying seated is expected; running around in inappropriate situations or feeling restless, in teens and adults.
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The current study included nearly 1,500 children born in Quebec in 1997 and 1998. The group included 758 girls and 733 boys with complete data from age 6.
Parents were asked if kids participated in an extra-curricular physical activity with a coach or instructor between the ages of 6 and 10.
When kids were 12, teachers were asked to compare their ADHD symptoms and behaviors to their peers'. Teachers only looked for symptoms suggestive of ADHD, not a formal diagnosis, Pagani said.
Girls who consistently participated in organized sports were less likely to have ADHD symptoms than girls who didn't, the study found. The researchers didn't find a similar link for boys.
Pagani said organized sports likely help reduce ADHD symptoms in several ways: During an organized physical activity, kids have to listen and focus on what their coach is saying. It's different from an unstructured after-school program where kids can do whatever they want.
Sports also help inhibit distraction and promote planning behavior, Pagani explained. Plus, sports get kids away from their screens and switching from one app to the next, and give them a chance to shake off some energy.
So, why wouldn't sports make a difference for boys, too?
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They probably do, Pagani said, but the upside wasn't strong enough to be statistically significant.
"Boys are over-identified when it comes to any kind of ADHD symptoms," she said. "For every three boys with ADHD, only one girl will get identified. Girls may not be getting pharmacology [medications] and psychotherapy that boys often do. In this particular domain, because girls are under-identified and under-treated, they tend to benefit a lot from sports."
All kids -- both girls and boys -- can benefit from taking part in organized sports, Pagani said.
Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., reviewed the findings.
"Although the researchers found an association in girls between organized sports and teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms, very few boys or girls in the study had ADHD," Adesman said. "Thus, we don't know if children with ADHD in this research study differed from their non-ADHD peers with respect to involvement with organized sports," he said.
The findings were recently published online in the journal Preventive Medicine.
More information
Learn more about how playing sports can benefit and challenge children with ADHD from Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-10-07--Famous birthdays for Oct. 7: Simon Cowell, Toni Braxton

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra .
-- Signer @ @ @ @ @ Caesar Rodney in 1728 -- Oliver North , the former White House aide who became @ @ @ @ @ controversy , in 1943 ( age 77 ) -- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame @ @ @ @ @ ( age 69 )

Simon Cowell makes comments during an unveiling ceremony honoring television producer Haim Saban, creator of the "Power Rangers," with the 2,605th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on March 22, 2017. Cowell turns 61 on October 7. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include: Advertisement
-- Signer of the Declaration of Independence Caesar Rodney in 1728
-- Danish atomic physicist Niels Bohr in 1885
-- Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad in 1897
-- Actor June Allyson in 1917
-- South African archbishop/Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu in 1931 (age 89)
-- Television personality Joy Behar in 1942 (age 78)
File Photo by Andrea Hanks/UPI
-- Oliver North, the former White House aide who became the center of the Iran-Contra controversy, in 1943 (age 77)
-- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member John Mellencamp in 1951 (age 69)
-- Russian President Vladimir Putin in 1952 (age 68)
-- Classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1955 (age 65)
-- Recording executive/television personality Simon Cowell in 1959 (age 61)
-- Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez in 1961 (age 59)
-- Singer Toni Braxton in 1967 (age 53)
File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
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-- Singer Thom Yorke in 1968 (age 52)
-- Actor Allison Munn in 1974 (age 46)
-- Singer Taylor Hicks in 1976 (age 44)
-- Actor Holland Roden in 1986 (age 34)
-- Singer Lewis Capaldi in 1996 (age 24)


upi--2020-10-07--First U.S. robotic moon lander since Apollo era planned for mid-2021

ORLANDO , Fla. , Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- A private company handling NASA 's long-awaited return to the moon 's surface said its robotic Peregrine lander is on track for launch in the spring .
The lander project , which received funding from NASA , would become the first private , commercial mission to the moon , said Sharad Bhaskaran , mission director for Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology .
The Peregrine mission is planned to help prepare for a 2024 crewed landing in NASA 's Artemis program .
Astrobotic 's lead role in the lunar return follows its founding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whittaker at Carnegie Mellon University .
`` We are trying to become the first to land an American spacecraft on the moon since Apollo , '' Bhaskaran said Tuesday .
`` Within a few years , we want to fly Peregrine once every year or 18 months .
We believe that is a credible plan . ''
Astrobotic has a fixed-price contract from NASA of $ 79.5 million for the first Peregrine mission , which will have 11 experiments or payloads for the space agency .
NASA experiments , for example , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rocks on the surface , and test new sensors that guide landing site selection .
The lander also will carry items for 15 other companies and the Mexican Space Agency that range from rovers to ashes of deceased loved ones .
The private payloads are being flown for such entities as Toronto-based Canadensys Aerospace and Carnegie Mellon , which intends to test robotics on a lunar rover .
Astrobotic plans to launch the lander aboard United Launch Alliance 's new Vulcan rocket , which is being developed and is on target for service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The rocket 's second stage , called Centaur , would push the lander toward the moon .
The journey to the moon would take between 17 and 45 days , depending on when the mission can launch and the moon 's position in its orbit .
All systems on the lander would depend on sunlight to operate on the surface , so the mission must land at the start of the lunar day , Bhaskaran said .
The lander 's propulsion system would use five engines with hydrazine liquid propellant to enter lunar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At least four rovers on board , and possibly more , would also use the lander 's solar-powered systems for the length of the lunar day , which is 14 Earth days , he said .
`` We can maneuver each rover within the spacecraft and release them one by one , '' Bhaskaran said .
NASA has a series of robotic landers and rovers going to the moon after Peregrine 's first mission .
All of these were awarded based on competitive commercial bidding .
Those probes include another Astrobotic mission , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for water ice near NASA 's intended landing site for Artemis in the south pole region in late 2023 .
Astrobotic has another contract at $ 199.5 million for that .
`` Because we have other customers , these missions are much less expensive for NASA , at least 10 times less than any lunar missions NASA ever planned before , '' Bhaskaran said .
Having such private customers on a lunar mission is `` a real game-changer '' for the American space program , said Mark Robinson , professor of earth and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Space technology has spread out from beyond NASA to many private space companies , '' Robinson said .
`` We have much more sophistication in terms of computing power and communications , and our knowledge of the moon is so much better now . ''
Robinson has helped NASA map out the most ambitious lunar rover mission ever , which is called Intrepid but has no launch date .
The Intrepid rover would roam more than 1,000 miles of the lunar surface over four years as it examines the geology of 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander, scheduled for a 2021 moon mission, is shown in this artist's concept on the moon's surface, with Earth in the background. Image courtesy of Astrobotic Technology
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 7 (UPI) -- A private company handling NASA's long-awaited return to the moon's surface said its robotic Peregrine lander is on track for launch in the spring. The lander project, which received funding from NASA, would become the first private, commercial mission to the moon, said Sharad Bhaskaran, mission director for Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology. Advertisement
The Peregrine mission is planned to help prepare for a 2024 crewed landing in NASA's Artemis program. Astrobotic's lead role in the lunar return follows its founding in 2007 by robotics research professor Red Whittaker at Carnegie Mellon University.
"We are trying to become the first to land an American spacecraft on the moon since Apollo," Bhaskaran said Tuesday. "Within a few years, we want to fly Peregrine once every year or 18 months. We believe that is a credible plan."
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Astrobotic has a fixed-price contract from NASA of $79.5 million for the first Peregrine mission, which will have 11 experiments or payloads for the space agency.
NASA experiments, for example, will examine the regolith, or dust and rocks on the surface, and test new sensors that guide landing site selection.
The lander also will carry items for 15 other companies and the Mexican Space Agency that range from rovers to ashes of deceased loved ones.
The private payloads are being flown for such entities as Toronto-based Canadensys Aerospace and Carnegie Mellon, which intends to test robotics on a lunar rover.
Astrobotic plans to launch the lander aboard United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan rocket, which is being developed and is on target for service by early 2021, ULA said. The rocket's second stage, called Centaur, would push the lander toward the moon.
The journey to the moon would take between 17 and 45 days, depending on when the mission can launch and the moon's position in its orbit. All systems on the lander would depend on sunlight to operate on the surface, so the mission must land at the start of the lunar day, Bhaskaran said.
The lander's propulsion system would use five engines with hydrazine liquid propellant to enter lunar orbit and land, he said.
Advertisement
At least four rovers on board, and possibly more, would also use the lander's solar-powered systems for the length of the lunar day, which is 14 Earth days, he said.
"We can maneuver each rover within the spacecraft and release them one by one," Bhaskaran said.
NASA has a series of robotic landers and rovers going to the moon after Peregrine's first mission. All of these were awarded based on competitive commercial bidding.
Those probes include another Astrobotic mission, the VIPER rover, which will hunt for water ice near NASA's intended landing site for Artemis in the south pole region in late 2023. Astrobotic has another contract at $199.5 million for that.
"Because we have other customers, these missions are much less expensive for NASA, at least 10 times less than any lunar missions NASA ever planned before," Bhaskaran said.
Having such private customers on a lunar mission is "a real game-changer" for the American space program, said Mark Robinson, professor of earth and space exploration at Arizona State University.
"Space technology has spread out from beyond NASA to many private space companies," Robinson said. "We have much more sophistication in terms of computing power and communications, and our knowledge of the moon is so much better now."
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Robinson has helped NASA map out the most ambitious lunar rover mission ever, which is called Intrepid but has no launch date.
The Intrepid rover would roam more than 1,000 miles of the lunar surface over four years as it examines the geology of 100 potential landing sites for U.S. missions.
NASA's women astronauts -- at least one likely to walk on moon


upi--2020-10-07--On This Day, Oct. 7: Statue of Helen Keller unveiled at Capitol

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1913 , for the first time , Henry Ford 's entire Highland Park automobile factory was run on a continuously moving assembly line .
In 1916 , Georgia Tech defeated Cumberland University 222-0 in the most lopsided college football game in American history .
In 1949 , less than five months after Britain , the United States and France established the Federal Republic of Germany in West Germany , the Democratic Republic of Germany ( East Germany ) was proclaimed within the Soviet occupation zone .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , originally called Project Astronaut , was officially approved , and renamed Project Mercury .
In 1963 , President John F. Kennedy signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty .
Signed by the Soviet Union , the United Kingdom , and the United States , the treaty was developed to slow the nuclear arms race and reduce the amount of nuclear fallout in the earth 's atmosphere .
In 1968 , the U.S. movie industry adopted a film ratings system for the first time : G ( for general audiences ) , M ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no one under 16 admitted without an adult ) and X ( no one under 16 admitted ) .
In 1985 , a mudslide in Ponce , Puerto Rico , killed an estimated 500 people in the island 's worst disaster of the 20th century .
In 1985 , Palestinian terrorists hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro after it left Alexandria , Egypt , killing one American .
In 1991 , Slovenia and Croatia formally declared secession from Yugoslavia .
In 2003 , Californians voted to recall Democratic Gov .
Gray Davis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican , as their new governor .
In 2009 , a statue of blind and deaf 7-year-old Helen Keller at the moment she got a sense of language was unveiled at the U.S. Capitol .
She is shown at a pump with water running into one hand while alphabet motions on her other hand ( by teacher Anne Sullivan ) spell `` w-a-t-e-r. '' Keller went on to become a world-famous speaker and author of a dozen books .
In 2019 , the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Briton Peter Ratcliffe for their work on hypoxia .

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A statue of Helen Keller is unveiled in the Capitol Rotunda on Capitol Hill in Washington on October 7, 2009. File photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1913, for the first time, Henry Ford's entire Highland Park automobile factory was run on a continuously moving assembly line. Advertisement
In 1916, Georgia Tech defeated Cumberland University 222-0 in the most lopsided college football game in American history.
In 1949, less than five months after Britain, the United States and France established the Federal Republic of Germany in West Germany, the Democratic Republic of Germany (East Germany) was proclaimed within the Soviet occupation zone.
In 1958, the U.S. manned space-flight project, originally called Project Astronaut, was officially approved, and renamed Project Mercury.
File Photo by NASA/UPI
In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty. Signed by the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the treaty was developed to slow the nuclear arms race and reduce the amount of nuclear fallout in the earth's atmosphere.
In 1968, the U.S. movie industry adopted a film ratings system for the first time: G (for general audiences), M (for mature audiences), R (no one under 16 admitted without an adult) and X (no one under 16 admitted).
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In 1985, a mudslide in Ponce, Puerto Rico, killed an estimated 500 people in the island's worst disaster of the 20th century.
In 1985, Palestinian terrorists hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro after it left Alexandria, Egypt, killing one American.
In 1991, Slovenia and Croatia formally declared secession from Yugoslavia.
In 2003, Californians voted to recall Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and elected actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, as their new governor.
File Photo by Ken James/UPI
In 2004, Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk abdicated the throne.
In 2009, a statue of blind and deaf 7-year-old Helen Keller at the moment she got a sense of language was unveiled at the U.S. Capitol. She is shown at a pump with water running into one hand while alphabet motions on her other hand (by teacher Anne Sullivan) spell "w-a-t-e-r." Keller went on to become a world-famous speaker and author of a dozen books.
In 2019, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Americans William Kaelin Jr. and Gregg Semenza, and Briton Peter Ratcliffe for their work on hypoxia.
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upi--2020-10-07--Fantasy football: D.K. Metcalf tops Week 5 wide receiver rankings

Oct. 7 ( UPI ) -- D.K .
Metcalf , DeAndre Hopkins , Tyreek Hill , Stefon Diggs and Amari Cooper top my Week 5 fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2020 .
Keenan Allen , Mike Evans , Will Fuller , JuJu Smith-Schuster and Adam Thielen round out my Top 10 options for Week 5 .
Darius Slayton , Greg Ward and Brandon Aiyuk also are among my favorite starts this week .
You should target players who have a good chance to score a touchdown and get a lot of looks from their respective quarterbacks when considering who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bay Packers and Detroit Lions players should be removed from starting lineups as they have Week 5 byes .
Check out my weekly waiver wire article for candidates to add to your roster before your Week 5 matchup .
Here are some of my favorite players in this week 's rankings : Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K .
Metcalf leads the NFL in receiving yards .
He is also my top fantasy football wide receiver for Week 5 .
Metcalf should be starting lineups regardless of matchup , but he should have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host a Minnesota Vikings team that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers .
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs is my No .
4 wide receiver for Week 5 .
Diggs ranks second in receiving yards and is Josh Allen 's top pass-catching option .
He should have another WR1 outing on Sunday when the Bills battle a Tennessee Titans defense that has allowed the 11th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers .
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen lands at No .
10 in my Week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four touchdowns this season and should have another great performance when the Vikings face a Seattle Seahawks squad that has allowed the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers .
The Seahawks have also allowed a league-high 94 receptions for 1,345 yards to the position .
Start Thielen regardless of matchup until further notice .
Darius Slayton is a great WR3 play this week as the New York Giants battle a Dallas Cowboys team that has allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers .
Slayton is my No .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ haul in at least five catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in Week 5 .
The Philadelphia Eagles do n't have many healthy players available at wide receiver .
Greg Ward will line up for the Eagles at that position in Week 5 .
Ward is my No .
35 wide receiver for Week 5 and lands in low-end WR3 territory .
He is a matchup-based WR3 against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers .
San Francisco 49ers rookie Brandon Aiyuk has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Week 5 game against the Miami Dolphins .
Aiyuk is my No .
39 option at the position .
The Dolphins have allowed the third-most receiving yards and are tied for allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to the position .
Aiyuk is a low-end WR3 or a bye week fill-in for Week 5 .

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf (14) leads the NFL in receiving yards and is my top fantasy football wide receiver for Week 5. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- D.K. Metcalf, DeAndre Hopkins, Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs and Amari Cooper top my Week 5 fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2020. Keenan Allen, Will Fuller, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Adam Thielen and Calvin Ridley round out my Top 10 options for Week 5. Darius Slayton, Greg Ward and Brandon Aiyuk also are among my favorite starts this week. Advertisement
You should target players who have a good chance to score a touchdown and get a lot of looks from their respective quarterbacks when considering who to start at wide receiver.
Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions players should be removed from starting lineups as they have Week 5 byes. Check out my weekly waiver wire article for candidates to add to your roster before your Week 5 matchup.
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Here are some of my favorite players in this week's rankings:
TOP SHELF
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf leads the NFL in receiving yards. He is also my top fantasy football wide receiver for Week 5.
Metcalf should be starting lineups regardless of matchup, but he should have a big day on Sunday when the Seahawks host a Minnesota Vikings team that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs is my No. 4 wide receiver for Week 5. Diggs ranks second in receiving yards and is Josh Allen's top pass-catching option.
He should have another WR1 outing on Sunday when the Bills battle a Tennessee Titans defense that has allowed the 11th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
SNEAKY PLAYS
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen lands at No. 9 in my Week 5 rankings. Thielen has already scored four touchdowns this season and should have another great performance when the Vikings face a Seattle Seahawks squad that has allowed the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
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The Seahawks have also allowed a league-high 94 receptions for 1,345 yards to the position. Start Thielen regardless of matchup until further notice.
Darius Slayton is a great WR3 play this week as the New York Giants battle a Dallas Cowboys team that has allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Slayton is my No. 18 option.
I expect Slayton to haul in at least five catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in Week 5.
LONGSHOTS
The Philadelphia Eagles don't have many healthy players available at wide receiver. Greg Ward will line up for the Eagles at that position in Week 5. Ward is my No. 33 wide receiver for Week 5 and lands in low-end WR3 territory.
He is a matchup-based WR3 against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
San Francisco 49ers rookie Brandon Aiyuk has scored in back-to-back games heading into a Week 5 game against the Miami Dolphins. Aiyuk is my No. 37 option at the position.
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The Dolphins have allowed the third-most receiving yards and are tied for allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to the position. Aiyuk is a low-end WR3 or a bye week fill-in for Week 5.
Week 5 fantasy football wide receiver rankings
1. D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks vs. MIN
2. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals at NYJ
3. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs vs. LV
4. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills at TEN
5. Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys vs. NYG
6. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers at NO
7. Will Fuller, Houston Texans vs. JAX
8. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. PHI
9. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings at SEA
10. Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons vs. CAR
11. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks vs. MIN
12. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams at WAS
13. D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers at ATL
14. DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins at SF
15. Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals at BAL
16. Robby Anderson, Carolina Panthers at ATL
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17. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings at SEA
18. Darius Slayton, New York Giants at DAL
19. Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team vs. LAR
20. Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns vs. IND
21. A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans vs. BUF
22. D.J. Chark Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars at HOU
23. Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams at WAS
24. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys vs. NYG
25. John Brown, Buffalo Bills at TEN
26. Jamison Crowder, New York Jets vs. ARI
27. Cole Beasley, Buffalo Bills at TEN
28. Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens vs. CIN
29. Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs vs. LV
30. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts at CLE
31. Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders at KC
32. Tre'Quan Smith, New Orleans Saints vs. LAC
33. Greg Ward, Philadelphia Eagles at PIT
34. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals at BAL
35. Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons vs. CAR
36. Julian Edelman, New England Patriots vs. DEN
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37. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers vs. MIA
38. Golden Tate, New York Giants at DAL
39. Laviska Shenault, Jacksonville Jaguars at HOU
40. Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs vs. LV
41. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals at BAL
42. Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns vs. IND
43. Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos at NE
44. N'Keal Harry, New England Patriots vs. DEN
45. Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys vs. NYG
46. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers vs. MIA
47. Emmanuel Sanders, New Orleans Saints vs. LAC
48. Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans vs. JAX
49. Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos at NE
50. Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals at NYJ
This week in the National Football League