upi--2020-02-07--On This Day, Feb. 7: Senate votes on committee to probe Watergate

Feb. 7 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1497 , the Bonfire of the Vanities in Florence , Italy , took place when followers of Girolamo Savonarola burned thousands of books , art and cosmetics .
In 1964 , the Beatles arrived in the United States for the first time and immediately set off a frantic wave of `` Beatlemania . ''
In 1973 , the U.S. Senate voted to set up a committee to investigate a break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington 's Watergate complex .
In 1979 , Josef Mengele , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' who conducted medical experiments on victims of the Holocaust , died .
His death -- caused by a stroke while swimming in Brazil -- was n't revealed until 1985 .
In 1984 , U.S. astronauts Bruce McCandless and Robert Stewart made the first untethered spacewalks .
McCandless was the first to float freely in space , propelled by a nitrogen-powered `` jetpack '' after leaving the shuttle Challenger .
In 1990 , Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev issued a series of reforms and the Communist Party gave up its 70-year monopoly of political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1991 , Jean-Bertrand Aristide was inaugurated as Haiti 's first democratically elected president in 186 years .
In 1992 , the European Union was created when the Maastricht Treaty was signed .
In 1995 , the mastermind in the 1993 bombing of New York 's World Trade Center , Ramzi Ahmed Yousef , was arrested in Pakistan .
He was sentenced to life in prison in 1998 .
In 1999 , King Hussein of Jordan died of cancer at age 63 .
Hussein ruled Jordan for 46 years .
Crown Prince Abdullah succeeded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the most deadly series of brushfires in Australian history claimed more than 200 lives , destroyed almost 2,000 homes and burned at least 1.1 million acres in Victoria state .
In 2019 , the Philippines declared a measles outbreak in the capital city of Manila after a 550 percent increase in the number of cases .

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On February 7, 1973, the U.S. Senate voted to set up a committee to investigate a break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington's Watergate complex. File Photo by Alexis C. Glenn/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 7 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1497, the Bonfire of the Vanities in Florence, Italy, took place when followers of Girolamo Savonarola burned thousands of books, art and cosmetics. Advertisement
In 1940, British railroads were nationalized.
In 1964, the Beatles arrived in the United States for the first time and immediately set off a frantic wave of "Beatlemania."
In 1973, the U.S. Senate voted to set up a committee to investigate a break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington's Watergate complex.
In 1979, Josef Mengele, the so-called Nazi "Angel of Death" who conducted medical experiments on victims of the Holocaust, died. His death -- caused by a stroke while swimming in Brazil -- wasn't revealed until 1985.
In 1984, U.S. astronauts Bruce McCandless and Robert Stewart made the first untethered spacewalks. McCandless was the first to float freely in space, propelled by a nitrogen-powered "jetpack" after leaving the shuttle Challenger.
File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI
In 1990, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev issued a series of reforms and the Communist Party gave up its 70-year monopoly of political power in the Soviet Union.
Advertisement
In 1991, Jean-Bertrand Aristide was inaugurated as Haiti's first democratically elected president in 186 years.
In 1992, the European Union was created when the Maastricht Treaty was signed.
In 1995, the mastermind in the 1993 bombing of New York's World Trade Center, Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, was arrested in Pakistan. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1998.
In 1999, King Hussein of Jordan died of cancer at age 63. Hussein ruled Jordan for 46 years. Crown Prince Abdullah succeeded his father as king.
UPI File Photo
In 2009, the most deadly series of brushfires in Australian history claimed more than 200 lives, destroyed almost 2,000 homes and burned at least 1.1 million acres in Victoria state.
In 2019, the Philippines declared a measles outbreak in the capital city of Manila after a 550 percent increase in the number of cases.


upi--2020-02-07--Rob McElhenney initially said ‘No, thank you’ to ‘Mythic Quest’

NEW YORK , Feb. 7 ( UPI ) -- It 's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator and star Rob McElhenney initially passed when Ubisoft pitched him a sitcom about the artists and tech wizards behind a wildly popular video game .
`` They said , 'We love Sunny and we want to do a show set in the gaming world . '
And we were like , 'Great .
Good luck with that .
No , thank you , ' '' McElhenney told reporters in New York on Tuesday .
`` We just did n't really have any interest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tour Ubisoft 's studio and meet its staffers convinced McElhenney that a comic gold could be mined for a TV series about gaming culture .
He brought his fellow Sunny writer-producers Charlie Day and Megan Ganz on board .
and they built the framework for what would become the critically acclaimed Mythic Quest : Raven 's Banquet .
The nine-episode workplace comedy debuts Friday on Apple TV+ and stars McElhenney as Ian , the egotistical creative genius behind the new extension of a beloved video game .
F. Murray Abraham , David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Imani Hakim , Ashly Burch and Jessie Ennis co-star as quirky members of Ian 's team .
The goal for the show 's writers was to accurately portray the specificity of the gaming world , while also creating relatable characters and situations .
`` You can see some bits of people in the show that maybe you work with , no matter what you do , '' Ganz said .
`` Anytime people engage in something creative or just something they are really passionate about , obviously , it 's hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is you are making .
So , that 's going to lead to a lot of ego , that 's going to lead to clashes and all those things are really great for comedy . ''
In the pilot episode , Ian 's insistence on perfecting a shovel that Poppy [ Nicdao ] designed causes a delay in launching the new version of their medieval game .
`` We wanted people to watch the show and find it funny , but also be like 'This could really happen . '
This seems like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making real decisions , '' McElhenney said .
`` Because of that , '' he said , `` we had to make sure that the decisions that he was making -- albeit seemingly ridiculous to hold up an entire multimillion-dollar expansion for this one little detail -- was true to the experience of making really anything in a creative collaboration , which is the details . ''
While he hopes viewers love the show as much as he does , 14 years of working on Sunny taught McElhenney not to anticipate which moments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fan favorites .
`` You can only do what you think is funny .
You ca n't really predict what is going to connect with people , '' he said .
`` At a certain point , it 's none of my business what other people like .
I just make it and then I hope that they enjoy it . ''
McElhenney said he does n't get upset over negative feedback because everyone is entitled to their opinion .
`` However , when I feel like people are just lazy or have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking the time to at least try to understand what we are going for , that becomes frustrating , '' he said .
Burch , who plays game tester Rachel , comes to Mythic Quest with previous experience as a voice artist in the gaming industry .
`` Getting to be part of the show is very surreal for me , especially as a lifelong gamer and someone that loves games , '' Burch said .
`` For a long time , it was considered a niche hobby , so the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oscar winners on a major platform is really , really exciting .
`` The little girl in me that used to stay up late playing video games is pretty astonished that I get to be a part of it . ''
Oscar winner Abraham -- known for his roles in Amadeus , Homeland and various Wes Anderson films -- was attracted to the show because characters like his story czar , CW Longbottom , are unique and well-defined .
`` Each of us is very individual , and yet there is a real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` There seems to be a respect between them , too .
Maybe , in some cases , a grudging respect , but , in fact , it is what binds them together .
`` It 's not simply a job .
They do fight for their territory , but they give a little at times and that begins to build this family . ''
Abraham related to CW , in part , because he , too , has stayed relevant in a fast-changing industry by keeping an open mind and learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Working in television becomes more and more time-compressed .
You really simply have to get a certain amount of work done in a certain time and you 've got to learn the technique for doing that , '' he said .
`` I come into the situation where people are practically a quarter of my age who look at a script and they 've got it .
They are ready to go .
And I think : 'My God !
I need a little more time . '
... And they are patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Burch agreed that having a diverse cast helps the show tell better stories -- and even enhances the game within the series -- because different points of view are represented .
`` The more perspectives that you have , the more interesting your product .
So , if you only have a certain type of person filling your entire company , you 're going to make a certain type of game , '' Burch said .
`` If you bring different people from different backgrounds that have different genders , you 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out product . ''
Abraham added : `` Diversity is one of the richest things about this show .
The other thing is that it 's really funny . ''
Mythic Quest : Raven 's Banquet already has been renewed for a second season .

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From left to right, F. Murray Abraham, Danny Pudi, David Hornsby, Rob McElhenney and Charlotte Nicdao star in "Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet," which premieres Friday. Photo courtesy of Apple TV+
NEW YORK, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator and star Rob McElhenney initially passed when Ubisoft pitched him a sitcom about the artists and tech wizards behind a wildly popular video game. "They said, 'We love Sunny and we want to do a show set in the gaming world.' And we were like, 'Great. Good luck with that. No, thank you,'" McElhenney told reporters in New York on Tuesday. "We just didn't really have any interest." Advertisement
But a free trip to Montreal to tour Ubisoft's studio and meet its staffers convinced McElhenney that a comic gold could be mined for a TV series about gaming culture.
He brought his fellow Sunny writer-producers Charlie Day and Megan Ganz on board, and they built the framework for what would become the critically acclaimed Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet.
The nine-episode workplace comedy debuts Friday on Apple TV+ and stars McElhenney as Ian, the egotistical creative genius behind the new extension of a beloved video game.
Advertisement
F. Murray Abraham, David Hornsby, Danny Pudi, Charlotte Nicdao, Imani Hakim, Ashly Burch and Jessie Ennis co-star as quirky members of Ian's team.
The goal for the show's writers was to accurately portray the specificity of the gaming world, while also creating relatable characters and situations.
"You can see some bits of people in the show that maybe you work with, no matter what you do," Ganz said.
"Anytime people engage in something creative or just something they are really passionate about, obviously, it's hard to separate your personal feelings from what it is you are making. So that's going to lead to a lot of ego, that's going to lead to clashes, and all those things are really great for comedy."
In the pilot episode, Ian's insistence on perfecting a shovel that Poppy (Nicdao) designed causes a delay in launching the new version of their medieval game.
"We wanted people to watch the show and find it funny, but also be like 'This could really happen.' This seems like a real studio with real human beings making real decisions," McElhenney said.
Advertisement
"Because of that," he said, "we had to make sure that the decisions that he was making -- albeit seemingly ridiculous to hold up an entire multimillion-dollar expansion for this one little detail -- were true to the experience of making really anything in a creative collaboration, which is the details."
While he hopes viewers love the show as much as he does, 14 years of working on Sunny taught McElhenney not to anticipate which moments or phrases will go viral and become fan favorites.
"You can only do what you think is funny. You can't really predict what is going to connect with people," he said. "At a certain point, it's none of my business what other people like. I just make it, and then I hope that they enjoy it."
McElhenney said he doesn't get upset over negative feedback because everyone is entitled to their opinion.
"However, when I feel like people are just lazy or have an ax to grind or aren't taking the time to at least try to understand what we are going for, that becomes frustrating," he said.
Burch, who plays game tester Rachel, comes to Mythic Quest with previous experience as a voice artist in the gaming industry.
Advertisement
"Getting to be part of the show is very surreal for me, especially as a lifelong gamer and someone that loves games," Burch said. "For a long time, it was considered a niche hobby, so the fact that a television show is being made with Oscar winners on a major platform is really, really exciting.
"The little girl in me that used to stay up late playing video games is pretty astonished that I get to be a part of it."
Oscar winner Abraham -- known for his roles in Amadeus, Homeland and various Wes Anderson films -- was attracted to the show because characters like his story czar, CW Longbottom, are unique and well-defined.
"Each of us is very individual, and yet there is a real chemistry between them," he said. "There seems to be a respect between them, too. Maybe, in some cases, a grudging respect, but, in fact, it is what binds them together.
"It's not simply a job. They do fight for their territory, but they give a little at times, and that begins to build this family."
Abraham related to CW, in part, because he, too, has stayed relevant in a fast-changing industry by keeping an open mind and learning new skills from younger co-workers.
Advertisement
"Working in television becomes more and more time-compressed. You really simply have to get a certain amount of work done in a certain time, and you've got to learn the technique for doing that," he said.
"I come into the situation where people are practically a quarter of my age who look at a script and they've got it. They are ready to go. And I think: 'My God! I need a little more time.' ... And they are patient with me that way."
Abraham and Burch agreed that having a diverse cast helps the show tell better stories -- and even enhances the game within the series -- because different points of view are represented.
"The more perspectives that you have, the more interesting your product. So if you only have a certain type of person filling your entire company, you're going to make a certain type of game," Burch said.
"If you bring different people from different backgrounds that have different genders, you're going to have a more fully fleshed out product."
Abraham added: "Diversity is one of the richest things about this show. The other thing is that it's really funny."
Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet has been renewed for a second season.


upi--2020-02-07--Suit seeks to close Wyoming elk feed grounds near Yellowstone

Feb. 7 ( UPI ) -- Two years is too long to wait to start ramping down a large Wyoming winter elk feeding program , now that chronic wasting disease already is close to Yellowstone National Park , activists said in a federal lawsuit filed this week .
The National Elk Refuge near Jackson Hole , and other state-run elk feeding areas are endangering the animals by congregating them in large herds , conservationists said in the suit filed against the U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service .
The suit was filed in the Washington , D.C. , District Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the National Wildlife Refuge Association .
A new U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service feedlot plan that would gradually delay feeding the elk over several years , until they became accustomed to foraging elsewhere , is scheduled to go into effect in two years .
The suit alleges that the delay would not uphold the Fish and Wildlife Service 's duty to protect the animals on the refuge .
Chronic wasting disease , also called zombie deer disease , has spread through elk , deer and moose populations in 26 states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ elk from the disease , wildlife experts fear .
The highly contagious and fatal disease with no cure has marched steadily from southeast Wyoming , where it first appeared in the 1960s , toward the state 's northwest corner , said Bozeman , Mont.-based Timothy Preso , managing attorney for Earthjustice , which filed the suit .
At the winter feed grounds , 20,000 elk eat hay and alfalfa pellets provided by federal rangers and the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish , creating a perfect vector for spread of the disease , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elk from the worst consequences of what [ wildlife managers are ] doing at this point , '' he said .
Already wildlife experts fear that the disease is at hand in northwest Wyoming .
An infected mule deer was found at the wildlife refuge last summer .
`` Chronic wasting disease has already arrived in the Yellowstone ecosystem , '' Preso said .
Private ranchers started the feeding program in the early 1900s .
Animals winter in close quarters in the national refuge and 22 other feedlots managed by the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spend the entire winter walking around in their feces and urine in just the same way cattle do at a feedlot , '' Jonathan Ratner , regional director for Western Watersheds Project said in November .
Wyoming is the only state that feeds herds of wild elk in the winter , Ratner said .
The National Elk Refuge is the largest ungulate feeding program of any federal wildlife refuge , U.S .
Fish and Wildlife spokesman Gavin Shire confirmed .
He declined to comment on the lawsuit .
Chronic wasting disease is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mad cow disease and scrapie in sheep and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans .
Misshapen proteins , called prions , build up in the spine and brain , causing brain damage and death .
While an infected deer , elk or cervid appears healthy for two years , the animal eventually will stop eating and become confused , stumbling and drooling with a droopy head and ears .
The disease has not jumped the species barrier from deer to cattle or from deer to humans .
But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humans not eat venison from a diseased animal .
Prions from infected animals can not be destroyed with heat or and can remain on landscape for years , so feeding grounds could become `` de facto biological 'Superfund ' sites , '' retired U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Bruce Smith said last year .
Conservationists believe there is sufficient forage around Jackson Hole for elk to feed without a handout over the winter .
But state wildlife officials worry the animals would become confused and starve if sites were shut down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Game and Fish , said last year that between 60 to 80 percent of Wyoming 's elk population could be reduced if the state stopped feed ground operations .
The state wildlife agency does not want to risk losing business from Wyoming 's $ 300 million elk hunting and outfitting industry .
But elk hunting could cease if the Yellowstone ecosystem herds are decimated by chronic wasting disease .
`` If we shut down the feedlots , there might be fewer elk on the refuge over the winter .
But if we keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will destroy the great fall tradition of family elk hunt , '' Earthjustice 's Preso said .
He added : `` What will happen to elk hunting if you have a looming fear you 'll pick up a brain-deteriorating disease eating the meat of the elk you just shot ? ''

Thousands of elk that are fed at Wyoming winter feedlots risk becoming a vector for chronic wasting disease, wildlife experts say. Photo by Mark Gocke/Wyoming Department of Game and Fish
Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Two years is too long to wait to start ramping down a large Wyoming winter elk feeding program, now that chronic wasting disease is close to Yellowstone National Park, activists said in a federal lawsuit filed this week. The National Elk Refuge near Jackson Hole and other state-run elk feeding areas are endangering the animals by congregating them in large herds, conservationists said in the suit filed against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Advertisement
The suit was filed in the Washington, D.C., District Court by Defenders of Wildlife, the Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Refuge Association.
A new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service feedlot plan that would gradually delay feeding the elk over several years, until they became accustomed to foraging elsewhere, is scheduled to go into effect in two years. The suit alleges that the delay would not uphold the Fish and Wildlife Service's duty to protect the animals on the refuge.
Advertisement
Chronic wasting disease, also called zombie deer disease, has spread through elk, deer and moose populations in 26 states. It could be too late to save elk from the disease, wildlife experts fear.
The highly contagious and fatal disease with no cure has marched steadily from southeast Wyoming, where it first appeared in the 1960s, toward the state's northwest corner, said Bozeman, Mont.-based Timothy Preso, managing attorney for Earthjustice, which filed the suit.
20,000 elk fed
At the winter feed grounds, 20,000 elk eat hay and alfalfa pellets provided by federal rangers and the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish, creating a perfect vector for spread of the disease, Preso said.
"Nothing is shielding the elk from the worst consequences of what [wildlife managers are] doing at this point," he said.
Already wildlife experts fear that the disease is at hand in northwest Wyoming. An infected mule deer was found at the wildlife refuge last summer.
"Chronic wasting disease has already arrived in the Yellowstone ecosystem," Preso said.
Private ranchers started the feeding program in the early 1900s. Animals winter in close quarters in the national refuge and 22 other feedlots managed by the state wildlife agency.
"The elk essentially spend the entire winter walking around in their feces and urine in just the same way cattle do at a feedlot," Jonathan Ratner, regional director for Western Watersheds Project, said in November. Wyoming is the only state that feeds herds of wild elk in the winter.
Advertisement
The National Elk Refuge is the largest ungulate feeding program of any federal wildlife refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife spokesman Gavin Shire confirmed. He declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Similar to mad cow
Chronic wasting disease is a form of spongiform encephalopathy, similar to mad cow disease and scrapie in sheep and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Misshapen proteins, called prions, build up in the spine and brain, causing brain damage and death.
While an infected deer, elk or cervid appears healthy for two years, the animal eventually will stop eating and become confused, stumbling and drooling with a droopy head and ears.
The disease has not jumped the species barrier from deer to cattle or from deer to humans. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization recommend that humans not eat venison from a diseased animal.
Prions from infected animals cannot be destroyed with heat and can remain on landscape for years, so feeding grounds could become "de facto biological 'Superfund' sites," retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Bruce Smith said last year.
Conservationists believe there is sufficient forage around Jackson Hole for elk to feed without a handout over the winter.
Advertisement
But state wildlife officials worry the animals would become confused and starve if sites were shut down.
Brian Nesvik, director of Wyoming Game and Fish, said last year that 60 to 80 percent of Wyoming's elk population could be reduced if the state stopped feed ground operations. The state wildlife agency does not want to risk losing business from Wyoming's $300 million elk hunting and outfitting industry.
Hunting could end
But elk hunting could cease if the Yellowstone ecosystem herds are decimated by chronic wasting disease.
"If we shut down the feedlots, there might be fewer elk on the refuge over the winter. But if we keep going like we're going, it will destroy the great fall tradition of family elk hunt," Earthjustice's Preso said.
He added: "What will happen to elk hunting if you have a looming fear you'll pick up a brain-deteriorating disease eating the meat of the elk you just shot?"


upi--2020-02-07--Virginia passes sweeping LGBT rights legislation

Feb. 7 ( UPI ) -- Virginia 's Senate and House have passed sweeping LGBT rights protection legislation that bans discrimination in public accommodations , employment and housing based on one 's sexual orientation and gender identity .
The so-called Virginia Values Act passed the House 59 to 35 and the Senate 30 to 9 on Thursday to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state 's civil rights protections .
`` Today , we have laid a marker down that every Virginian can work hard , earn a living wage and live their lives without fear of discrimination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they love , '' said House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn in a statement after the House vote .
`` The sun shines brighter on the Commonwealth of Virginia with the House 's passage of this landmark legislation . ''
Each chamber must now vote on the other 's version of the bill before it goes on to Gov .
Ralph Northam 's desk to sign .
Northam has voiced support for the bill , which , if signed into law , will make Virginia the first southern state to include sexual orientation and gender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LGBTQ Virginians should never have to fear being fired or evicted because of who they love , '' Northam said in a statement following the vote .
`` These comprehensive anti-discrimination protections will make our Commonwealth stronger and more inclusive and I 'm proud to support them . ''
According to Equality Virginia , there are some 250,000 gay , lesbian , bisexual and transgendered adults living in the state who will be directly affected by the passage of this bill .
`` This is a historic day and a bright moment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become the first Southern state to ensure full , comprehensive protections for LGBTQ people from discrimination , '' said Kasey Suffredini , CEO and national campaign director of Freedom for All Americans .
`` The moment for freedom and fairness in Virginia will reverberate across America as ongoing proof that people of all beliefs and backgrounds -- living in red , blue and purple states -- can and do support non-discrimination protections . ''

Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Virginia's Senate and House have passed sweeping LGBT rights protection legislation that bans discrimination in public accommodations, employment and housing based on one's sexual orientation and gender identity.
The so-called Virginia Values Act passed the House 59 to 35 and the Senate 30 to 9 on Thursday to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's civil rights protections.
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"Today, we have laid a marker down that every Virginian can work hard, earn a living wage and live their lives without fear of discrimination based on who they are or who they love," said House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn in a statement after the House vote. "The sun shines brighter on the Commonwealth of Virginia with the House's passage of this landmark legislation."
Each chamber must now vote on the other's version of the bill before it goes on to Gov. Ralph Northam's desk to sign.
Northam has voiced support for the bill, which, if signed into law, will make Virginia the first southern state to include sexual orientation and gender identity in its anti-discrimination laws.
"LGBTQ Virginians should never have to fear being fired or evicted because of who they love," Northam said in a statement following the vote. "These comprehensive anti-discrimination protections will make our Commonwealth stronger and more inclusive and I'm proud to support them."
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According to Equality Virginia, there are some 250,000 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered adults living in the state who will be directly affected by the passage of this bill.
"This is a historic day and a bright moment for the whole country as Virginia prepares to become the first Southern state to ensure full, comprehensive protections for LGBTQ people from discrimination," said Kasey Suffredini, CEO and national campaign director of Freedom for All Americans. "The moment for freedom and fairness in Virginia will reverberate across America as ongoing proof that people of all beliefs and backgrounds -- living in red, blue and purple states -- can and do support non-discrimination protections."


upi--2020-02-07--Two U.S. evacuation flights depart Wuhan

Feb. 7 ( UPI ) -- Two U.S. chartered evacuation flights with approximately 300 passengers on board have departed the central Chinese city of Wuhan amid an epidemic of a deadly coronavirus that has killed more than 600 people since December .
The Pentagon announced the departure of the United States third group of evacuees in a statement late Thursday .
`` The Department of Defense is prepared to receive two Department of State chartered evacuation flights from Wuhan , China , currently scheduled to arrive on Feb. 7th , '' the statement read .
One of the planes was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California where it will refuel before departing for its final destination of Omaha , Neb.
, via Texas ' Lackland Air Force Base .
The other plane is en route to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego , Calif. , by way of Vancouver , Canada .
The chartered flights come two days after some 350 people aboard two flights were evacuated to California from Wuhan , the epicenter of an ongoing outbreak of a novel coronavirus named 2019-nCoV .
The United States ' first evacuation flight from Wuhan was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Among the passengers are Canadian citizens , said Francois Philippe Champagne , Canada 's minister of foreign affairs .
`` Canada has secured seats on a flight organized by U.S. authorities from Wuhan , '' he said via Twitter .
The Canadian citizens will disembark from the plan in Vancouver before it takes off after refueling , he said .
Upon arrival in the United States , the passengers will be subjected to a 14-day quarantine managed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
`` The goal of evacuating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring them into a control quarantine environment under CDC observation for 14 days to ensure their health needs are met during that observation period and to limit the spread of the virus , '' said Capt .
Jennifer McQuiston , deputy director of the CDC 's Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology .
About 70 people will be arriving in Omaha where they will be quarantined at Camp Ashland , the CDC said .
Nebraska Medicine said in a statement that officials have been training at the base for receiving the evacuees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a press conference that they expect those who arrive from Wuhan to be healthy as they have been screened several times before their arrival .
Those arriving at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar will be joining a group of evacuees already under quarantine who were upon one of the earlier evacuation flights .
On Monday , Defense Secretary Mark Esper approved a request for assistance from the Department of Health and Human Service to support housing at Camp Ashland for up to 75 people to be quarantined at the site .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced Friday that the death toll from the coronavirus climbed to 638 after 73 people died over the day prior .
The United States has confirmed 12 cases of the disease , according to the CDC .

Passengers are taken off of the Kalitta Air Boeing 747-400 freighter and shuttled onto waiting buses at the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., on January 29. Photo by Etienne Laurent/EPA-EFE
Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Two U.S. chartered evacuation flights carrying about 300 passengers have departed the central Chinese city of Wuhan amid the deadly coronavirus spread that's so far killed more than 600 people since December. The Pentagon announced the departure of the evacuees late Thursday. Advertisement
One of the planes headed for Travis Air Force Base in California, where it was set to refuel before continuing to Omaha, Neb., via Texas' Lackland Air Force Base. The other plane was headed for Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Calif., by way of Vancouver, Canada.
The flights occurred two days after some 350 people were evacuated to California from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV. The first evacuation flight from Wuhan was made Jan. 29.
A group of Canadians were among the group evacuated Friday, said foreign minister Francois Philippe Champagne. They planned to get off in Vancouver, he said.
Once in the United States, the passengers are subject to a 14-day quarantine managed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The goal of evacuating Americans ... is to bring them into a control quarantine environment under CDC observation for 14 days to ensure their health needs are met," said Capt. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the CDC's Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology.
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About 70 people were expected to be quarantined at Camp Ashland in Omaha. Nebraska Medicine said officials have been training to treat the evacuees. Defense Secretary Mark Esper approved a request Monday for federal aid to support housing there for as many as 75 people.
CDC officials told reporters they expected the evacuees to be healthy since they were screened several times previously. Those in San Diego will join a group from prior flights who are already under quarantine.
Chinese health officials said Friday more than 600 coronavirus patients have died. The United States has confirmed 12 cases.


upi--2020-02-07--Study: 2 million lost health coverage, access in Trump's first year

Two million more Americans did n't seek health care from late 2016 through 2017 because they could n't afford it or lacked insurance , new research shows .
The analysis of data from 2011 through 2017 also found that health care coverage and access improved with implementation of the Affordable Care Act , but reversed after President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans began working to dismantle it , according to Boston University researchers .
`` While we found the ACA is n't unraveling , there are real consequences to some of the policies that have been put in place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Health .
`` We see that you have these policy changes that are affecting millions of people 's ability to get insurance , and millions of people forgoing care because they ca n't afford it . ''
For the study , Griffith and his team analyzed federal data on 18- to 64-year-olds .
The investigators found that uninsurance rates dropped 7.1 percentage points between 2013 and 2016 , then rose 1.2 percentage points during 2017 , Trump 's first year in office .
Rates of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to costs reflected similar trends .
The 2017 reversals had the greatest impact on low-income residents of 14 states that did n't expand Medicaid under the ACA .
In those states , which are mainly in the South , decreases in insurance coverage and health care access were four to five times higher than in states that expanded Medicaid .
The study also found that from 2013 to 2016 , the gap in health care access between higher- and lower-income Americans narrowed by about 8.5 percentage points in expansion and nonexpansion states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the fourth quarter of 2017 , that gap widened by 2.6 percentage points in nonexpansion states -- a relative increase of 11 percent .
It continued to decrease by another 1 percentage point in expansion states , a relative decrease of 8 percent .
The study appears in the February issue of the journal Health Affairs .
`` Medicaid expansion seemed to be a really great way for states to insulate themselves from some of the damage of these federal policies , '' Griffith said in a university news release .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows that it 's a good way to take care of your residents , even regardless of what 's going on in Congress . ''
He said the reversals revealed by the study are worrisome .
`` We had this narrowing of disparities in access and coverage , but that 's reversing , '' Griffith said .
`` Since 2017 , the split between white and black , between rich and poor , urban and rural , renters and homeowners -- all of these disparities are getting wider again .
That 's concerning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Physicians has more on health insurance .

Two million more Americans didn't seek health care from late 2016 through 2017 because they couldn't afford it or lacked insurance, new research shows.
The analysis of data from 2011 through 2017 also found that health care coverage and access improved with implementation of the Affordable Care Act, but reversed after President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans began working to dismantle it, according to Boston University researchers.
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"While we found the ACA isn't unraveling, there are real consequences to some of the policies that have been put in place," said lead author Kevin Griffith, a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Health. "We see that you have these policy changes that are affecting millions of people's ability to get insurance, and millions of people forgoing care because they can't afford it."
For the study, Griffith and his team analyzed federal data on 18- to 64-year-olds. The investigators found that uninsurance rates dropped 7.1 percentage points between 2013 and 2016, then rose 1.2 percentage points during 2017, Trump's first year in office.
Rates of adults who did not seek care due to costs reflected similar trends.
The 2017 reversals had the greatest impact on low-income residents of 14 states that didn't expand Medicaid under the ACA.
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In those states, which are mainly in the South, decreases in insurance coverage and health care access were four to five times higher than in states that expanded Medicaid.
The study also found that from 2013 to 2016, the gap in health care access between higher- and lower-income Americans narrowed by about 8.5 percentage points in expansion and nonexpansion states.
But between the fourth quarter of 2016 and the fourth quarter of 2017, that gap widened by 2.6 percentage points in nonexpansion states -- a relative increase of 11 percent. It continued to decrease by another 1 percentage point in expansion states, a relative decrease of 8 percent.
The study appears in the February issue of the journal Health Affairs.
"Medicaid expansion seemed to be a really great way for states to insulate themselves from some of the damage of these federal policies," Griffith said in a university news release. "For states considering Medicaid expansion, this shows that it's a good way to take care of your residents, even regardless of what's going on in Congress."
He said the reversals revealed by the study are worrisome. "We had this narrowing of disparities in access and coverage, but that's reversing," Griffith said. "Since 2017, the split between white and black, between rich and poor, urban and rural, renters and homeowners -- all of these disparities are getting wider again. That's concerning."
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More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on health insurance.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-02-07--Coronavirus death toll surges to 638; infected surpasses 31,000

Feb. 6 ( UPI ) -- The global death toll from a deadly new virus skyrocketed to more than 600 as Chinese health officials reported 73 new fatalities over Thursday and confirmed the number of infected surpassed 30,000 .
Health officials reported the new figures early Friday , explaining 69 of the newly reported deaths occurred in the disease 's epicenter , Hubei province , with 64 of them reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where the disease is believed to have emerged from .
As of midnight Thursday , the global death toll from the novel coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 619 of those deaths occurring in Hubei .
One of those deaths reported Friday was that of a 34-year-old Chinese doctor who was accused by law enforcement of `` spreading rumors '' about the coronavirus during the initial stages of its outbreak in early December .
Li Wenliang , an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital , died at 2:58 a.m. Friday after `` emergency treatment '' failed , his hospital announced in a statement .
`` We deeply deplore and mourn [ his death ] , '' the hospital said .
Li @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan of spreading rumors about the disease after warning friends that his hospital was seeing patients with an unusual pneumonia that was comparable to SARS , which killed some 800 people in China and Hong Kong in the early 2000s .
Earlier this week , it was confirmed that he had contracted the disease he had tried to warn others about .
On Friday , national and Hubei health officials reported 3,143 new cases nationwide .
The majority of the newly confirmed cases totaling 2,447 were reported in Hubei with 1,501of those reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed coronavirus cases nationwide to 31,161 .
Outside of mainland China there have only been two deaths -- one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines .
Twenty-four countries aside from China have recorded at least one confirmed case of the disease equalling at least 216 cases , according to the World Health Organization .
Taiwan on Thursday confirmed two new cases of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus .
The Ministry of Health and Welfare identified the two patients in a statement as a man in his 40s and a woman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wuhan in December before traveling to mainland China mid-January .
He returned to Taiwan Sunday before developing a fever and other symptoms the next day .
The woman had been living in Wuhan before traveling to Taiwan Jan. 21 .
On Saturday , she began to experience symptoms .
`` At present , they are being treated in isolation wards , '' the health ministry said .
`` The condition is stable . ''
The two new cases are the 12th and 13th confirmed in Taiwan , it said .
Taiwan also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ port calls by cruise liners to prevent further spread of the disease , its latest move to stem further infection of the island .
On Wednesday , it raised its travel advisory for travelers from Hong Kong and Macau , ordering residents with `` a history of travel to China , Hong Kong and Macau '' to a 14-day home quarantine on returning to Taiwan .
Earlier in the week , it announced that starting Friday foreign nationals who have visited or lived in mainland China within 14 days of the date would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The news of the measures came as the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control said Thursday it was notified by Japan that a Taiwanese national quarantined on a cruise ship off the Asian nation 's coast has been diagnosed with the disease .
Princess Cruises instituted a quarantine Wednesday for some 3,700 passengers and crew aboard a ship anchored at Yokohama , Japan , after 10 people aboard tested positive for the coronavirus .
`` The passenger has been hospitalized in the designated hospital in Japan to receive medical treatment in an isolation ward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center said in a statement .
`` The health authority has requested that other Taiwanese passengers remain in the cabin and at least under quarantine on board for 14 days . ''
Meanwhile , Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said 36 citizens who were evacuated from Wuhan upon an Air New Zealand flight have arrived safely on Christmas Island where they will join more than 200 others currently under a 14-day quarantine .
`` Our focus remains on keeping Australians safe , '' he said via Twitter .
The flight departed Wuhan on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Wednesday , WHO said it is seeking $ 675 million to fund an international preparedness and response plan that will run from February through April to try and prevent further spread of the disease .
The new plan focuses on establishing international coordination and operational support , scaling up country readiness and response operations and accelerating priority research and innovation .
`` My biggest worry is that there are countries today who do not have the systems in place to detect people who have contracted with the virus , even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement .
`` Urgent support is needed to bolster weak health systems to detect , diagnose and care for people with the virus , to prevent further transmission and protect health workers . ''

Twenty-four countries have recorded at least one confirmed case of the disease. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The global death toll from a deadly new virus skyrocketed to more than 600 as Chinese health officials reported 73 new fatalities over Thursday and confirmed the number of infected surpassed 30,000. Health officials reported the new figures early Friday, explaining 69 of the newly reported deaths occurred in the disease's epicenter, Hubei province, with 64 of them reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where the disease is believed to have emerged from. Advertisement
As of midnight Thursday, the global death toll from the novel coronavirus -- named 2019-nCoV -- stands at 638 with 619 of those deaths occurring in Hubei.
One of those deaths reported Friday was that of a 34-year-old Chinese doctor who was accused by law enforcement of "spreading rumors" about the coronavirus during the initial stages of its outbreak in early December.
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Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital, died at 2:58 a.m. Friday after "emergency treatment" failed, his hospital announced in a statement.
"We deeply deplore and mourn [his death]," the hospital said.
Li was accused by law enforcement officials in Wuhan of spreading rumors about the disease after warning friends that his hospital was seeing patients with an unusual pneumonia that was comparable to SARS, which killed some 800 people in China and Hong Kong in the early 2000s.
Earlier this week, it was confirmed that he had contracted the disease he had tried to warn others about.
On Friday, national and Hubei health officials reported 3,143 new cases nationwide. The majority of the newly confirmed cases totaling 2,447 were reported in Hubei with 1,501of those reported in Wuhan, ballooning the number of confirmed coronavirus cases nationwide to 31,161.
Outside of mainland China there have only been two deaths -- one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines. Twenty-four countries aside from China have recorded at least one confirmed case of the disease equalling at least 216 cases, according to the World Health Organization.
Taiwan on Thursday confirmed two new cases of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus.
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The Ministry of Health and Welfare identified the two patients in a statement as a man in his 40s and a woman in her 20s.
The man had worked in Wuhan in December before traveling to mainland China mid-January. He returned to Taiwan Sunday before developing a fever and other symptoms the next day.
The woman had been living in Wuhan before traveling to Taiwan Jan. 21. On Saturday, she began to experience symptoms.
"At present, they are being treated in isolation wards," the health ministry said. "The condition is stable."
The two new cases are the 12th and 13th confirmed in Taiwan, it said.
Taiwan also announced effective immediately it would be banning port calls by cruise liners to prevent further spread of the disease, its latest move to stem further infection of the island.
On Wednesday, it raised its travel advisory for travelers from Hong Kong and Macau, ordering residents with "a history of travel to China, Hong Kong and Macau" to a 14-day home quarantine on returning to Taiwan.
Earlier in the week, it announced that starting Friday foreign nationals who have visited or lived in mainland China within 14 days of the date would be barred from entering the island.
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The news of the measures came as the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control said Thursday it was notified by Japan that a Taiwanese national quarantined on a cruise ship off the Asian nation's coast has been diagnosed with the disease.
Princess Cruises instituted a quarantine Wednesday for some 3,700 passengers and crew aboard a ship anchored at Yokohama, Japan, after 10 people aboard tested positive for the coronavirus.
"The passenger has been hospitalized in the designated hospital in Japan to receive medical treatment in an isolation ward," Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center said in a statement. "The health authority has requested that other Taiwanese passengers remain in the cabin and at least under quarantine on board for 14 days."
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said 36 citizens who were evacuated from Wuhan upon an Air New Zealand flight have arrived safely on Christmas Island where they will join more than 200 others currently under a 14-day quarantine.
"Our focus remains on keeping Australians safe," he said via Twitter.
The flight departed Wuhan on Wednesday with 190 passengers for New Zealand.
On Wednesday, WHO said it is seeking $675 million to fund an international preparedness and response plan that will run from February through April to try and prevent further spread of the disease.
Advertisement
The new plan focuses on establishing international coordination and operational support, scaling up country readiness and response operations and accelerating priority research and innovation.
"My biggest worry is that there are countries today who do not have the systems in place to detect people who have contracted with the virus, even if it were to emerge," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement. "Urgent support is needed to bolster weak health systems to detect, diagnose and care for people with the virus, to prevent further transmission and protect health workers."


upi--2020-02-07--State Department: Citgo 6 moved from house arrest to prison

Feb. 6 ( UPI ) -- Six U.S. oil executives held in Venezuela have been moved to the country 's infamous Helicoide prison , the State Department revealed Thursday .
In a briefing with reporters , Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said the State Department has learned that the oil executives known as the `` Citgo 6 '' were rounded up Wednesday by SEBIN , the nation 's intelligence agency , and transported to the prison in the capital Caracas .
`` We condemn this cruel and indefensible action and demand that their long , unjust detention come to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave Venezuela , '' Abrams said during the briefing .
The five dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizens and one U.S. permanent resident are employees of the Houston-based oil refiner Citgo , which is owned by Venezuelan state-run PDVSA .
The six men were arrested in November 2017 and charged with corruption , which they deny .
In December , after spending more than two years in a military intelligence facility , they were moved to house arrest , according to Share America , which is managed by the State Department .
Abrams said the men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ houses but that they were under constant surveillance and that their residences were most likely bugged .
News of the roundup comes on the heels of President Donald Trump honoring opposition leader Juan Guaido -- who has been trying to oust embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for over a year -- in his State of the Union address on Sunday and then hosting the National Assembly leader to a state visit on Wednesday .
According to one of the men 's legal representatives , the Citgo 6 were removed without warning or judicial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same cell .
`` Lawyers and relatives were not informed and they only information shared by the SEBIN officials on duty was that [ they were taken away 'for medical checks , ' '' the legal team said in a statement , CNN reported .
Abrams said he would not speculate on why the roundup occurred but said `` the timing is suspicious . ''
During their previous detention , Abrams said the State Department had concerns over the men 's health as it was unknown if they had access to doctors or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation `` very seriously . ''
He added they have made `` a number of efforts '' Thursday to gain information about their condition and gain their release from prison .
The United States has repeatedly escalated pressure on Maduro to step down to instigate a Democratic transition in the socialist nation since his re-election was deemed illegitimate in 2018 .
Guaido , who is the head of the National Assembly , which is the last bastion of democracy in Venezuela , appointed himself interim president in early 2019 .
The United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracies to back Guaido 's claim and has repeatedly imposed sanctions against the Maduro regime .
However , despite the political and financial pressure , he has maintained his grip on power with the support of Russia and Cuba , the State Department has said .
On Wednesday prior to the arrests , a senior administration official said they were planning to increase their maximum pressure campaign on Maduro .
`` You 'll see some impactful measures within the next 30 days , which will be very important and further crippling on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia that they may soon learn that its support of Maduro `` will no longer be cost-free . ''
`` You will see steps unfold in the coming weeks that demonstrate the seriousness of our intentions in Venezuela , '' he said .
Citgo has been contacted for comment .

U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams warned those who support Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, specifically Russia, that doing so will no longer be "cost-free." Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Six U.S. oil executives held in Venezuela have been moved to the country's infamous Helicoide prison, the State Department revealed Thursday. In a briefing with reporters, Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said the State Department has learned that the oil executives known as the "Citgo 6" were rounded up Wednesday by SEBIN, the nation's intelligence agency, and transported to the prison in the capital Caracas. Advertisement
"We condemn this cruel and indefensible action and demand that their long, unjust detention come to an end and they be allowed to leave Venezuela," Abrams said during the briefing.
The five dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizens and one U.S. permanent resident are employees of the Houston-based oil refiner Citgo, which is owned by Venezuelan state-run PDVSA.
The six men were arrested in November 2017 and charged with corruption, which they deny. In December, after spending more than two years in a military intelligence facility, they were moved to house arrest, according to Share America, which is managed by the State Department.
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Abrams said the men were under house arrest in their own houses but that they were under constant surveillance and that their residences were most likely bugged.
News of the roundup comes on the heels of President Donald Trump honoring opposition leader Juan Guaido -- who has been trying to oust embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for over a year -- in his State of the Union address on Sunday and then hosting the National Assembly leader to a state visit on Wednesday.
According to one of the men's legal representatives, the Citgo 6 were removed without warning or judicial order and are being held in the same cell.
"Lawyers and relatives were not informed and they only information shared by the SEBIN officials on duty was that [they were taken away 'for medical checks,'" the legal team said in a statement, CNN reported.
Abrams said he would not speculate on why the roundup occurred but said "the timing is suspicious."
During their previous detention, Abrams said the State Department had concerns over the men's health as it was unknown if they had access to doctors or medicine and that it takes their current situation "very seriously." He added they have made "a number of efforts" Thursday to gain information about their condition and gain their release from prison.
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The United States has repeatedly escalated pressure on Maduro to step down to instigate a Democratic transition in the socialist nation since his re-election was deemed illegitimate in 2018. Guaido, who is the head of the National Assembly, which is the last bastion of democracy in Venezuela, appointed himself interim president in early 2019.
The United States is one of nearly 60 mostly Western democracies to back Guaido's claim and has repeatedly imposed sanctions against the Maduro regime.
However, despite the political and financial pressure, he has maintained his grip on power with the support of Russia and Cuba, the State Department has said.
On Wednesday prior to the arrests, a senior administration official said they were planning to increase their maximum pressure campaign on Maduro.
"You'll see some impactful measures within the next 30 days, which will be very important and further crippling on the Regime.
On Thursday, Abrams warned Russia that they may soon learn that its support of Maduro "will no longer be cost-free."
"You will see steps unfold in the coming weeks that demonstrate the seriousness of our intentions in Venezuela," he said.
Citgo has been contacted for comment.


upi--2020-02-06--2 in 3 women unhappy with breast size, may pose health risk

Most women wo n't be surprised by this finding : Less than one-third of women worldwide are satisfied with the size of their breasts .
But a new study suggests that what many women may not realize is their dissatisfaction could have implications for their health .
Surveys of more than 18,500 women in 40 countries , average age 34 , found that 48 percent wanted larger breasts , 23 percent wanted smaller breasts and only 29 percent were satisfied with the size of their breasts .
More troubling was the fact that women who were unhappy with their breast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do breast self-examination and were less confident about detecting changes with their breasts -- two important self-care practices for the early detection of breast cancer .
`` Our findings are important because they indicate that the majority of women worldwide may be dissatisfied with the size of their breasts .
This is a serious public health concern because it has significant implications for the physical and psychological well-being of women , '' said lead researcher Viren Swami .
He 's a professor of social psychology at Anglia Ruskin University , in Cambridge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading cause of female cancer-related deaths worldwide and poor survival rates are associated with poorer breast awareness , '' he noted in a university news release .
`` Breast size dissatisfaction may result in avoidance behaviors that reduce breast awareness , particularly if a woman 's breasts trigger feelings of anxiety , shame or embarrassment , '' Swami explained .
`` Our study found a direct link between greater breast size dissatisfaction and poorer breast awareness , as seen through lower frequency of breast self-examination and lower confidence in detecting changes in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health intervention , '' Swami said .
The research , published online Feb. 5 in the journal Body Image , also found that breast size dissatisfaction is associated with poorer mental well-being -- including lower levels of self-esteem and happiness -- and that women unhappy with their breast size were more likely to be dissatisfied with their weight and overall appearance .
Women in Brazil , Japan , China , Egypt , and the United Kingdom were most likely to be unhappy with their breast size , according to the report .
Women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanon and the United Kingdom reported the largest ideal breast size , while women in Japan , the Philippines , Germany , Austria and Malaysia reported the smallest ideal breast size .
`` We also found that despite historical differences across nations , breast size ideals are now similar across the 40 nations we surveyed .
This suggests that the objectification of medium-to-large breasts is now a global phenomenon , '' Swami said .
`` Another key finding is that breast size dissatisfaction decreases with age .
It is possible that older women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideals or that motherhood and breastfeeding encourages women to focus on the functional purposes of breasts rather than seeing them purely in aesthetic terms , '' Swami concluded .
The U.S. Office on Women 's Health has more about body image .

Most women won't be surprised by this finding: Less than one-third of women worldwide are satisfied with the size of their breasts.
But a new study suggests that what many women may not realize is their dissatisfaction could have implications for their health.
Advertisement
Surveys of more than 18,500 women in 40 countries, average age 34, found that 48 percent wanted larger breasts, 23 percent wanted smaller breasts and only 29 percent were satisfied with the size of their breasts.
More troubling was the fact that women who were unhappy with their breast size said they were less likely to do breast self-examination and were less confident about detecting changes with their breasts -- two important self-care practices for the early detection of breast cancer.
"Our findings are important because they indicate that the majority of women worldwide may be dissatisfied with the size of their breasts. This is a serious public health concern because it has significant implications for the physical and psychological well-being of women," said lead researcher Viren Swami. He's a professor of social psychology at Anglia Ruskin University, in Cambridge, England.
"Breast cancer is the leading cause of female cancer-related deaths worldwide and poor survival rates are associated with poorer breast awareness," he noted in a university news release.
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"Breast size dissatisfaction may result in avoidance behaviors that reduce breast awareness, particularly if a woman's breasts trigger feelings of anxiety, shame or embarrassment," Swami explained.
"Our study found a direct link between greater breast size dissatisfaction and poorer breast awareness, as seen through lower frequency of breast self-examination and lower confidence in detecting changes in the breasts, and this requires urgent public health intervention," Swami said.
The research, published online Feb. 5 in the journal Body Image, also found that breast size dissatisfaction is associated with poorer mental well-being -- including lower levels of self-esteem and happiness -- and that women unhappy with their breast size were more likely to be dissatisfied with their weight and overall appearance.
Women in Brazil, Japan, China, Egypt, and the United Kingdom were most likely to be unhappy with their breast size, according to the report. Women in India, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon and the United Kingdom reported the largest ideal breast size, while women in Japan, the Philippines, Germany, Austria and Malaysia reported the smallest ideal breast size.
"We also found that despite historical differences across nations, breast size ideals are now similar across the 40 nations we surveyed. This suggests that the objectification of medium-to-large breasts is now a global phenomenon," Swami said.
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"Another key finding is that breast size dissatisfaction decreases with age. It is possible that older women experience less pressure to attain breast size ideals or that motherhood and breastfeeding encourages women to focus on the functional purposes of breasts rather than seeing them purely in aesthetic terms," Swami concluded.
More information
The U.S. Office on Women's Health has more about body image.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-02-06--New York Knicks plan to hire agent Leon Rose as team president

Feb. 6 ( UPI ) -- The New York Knicks are expected to hire Leon Rose , an NBA player agent at Creative Artists Agency , as the team 's president of basketball operations .
League sources told ESPN and the New York Times on Thursday that no formal deal is expected to be announced anytime soon , but negotiations will begin shortly after the NBA trade deadline passes .
The Knicks have moved quickly to find a replacement for Steve Mills , who was fired by the franchise this week .
In his place , general manager Scott Perry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on an interim basis .
Knicks owner James Dolan started to explore the front-office model of hiring a high-ranking basketball executive out of the player-agent ranks , according to ESPN .
The concept has gained popularity after the successes of Bob Myers ( Golden State Warriors ) and Rob Pelinka ( Los Angeles Lakers ) .
Later Thursday afternoon , Dolan issued a statement , saying the hiring process had n't finished .
He also stressed that he wo n't sell the team .
`` We are actively looking for a new president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to conclude the search as quickly as possible , '' Dolan said .
`` I am not selling , but I am determined to find the right leader for the Knicks who will ensure the long-term success of the team , just as we did with the hiring of [ New York ] Rangers president John Davidson . ''
Rose has been one of the top pro basketball agents for many years , with clients including Chris Paul , Carmelo Anthony , Devin Booker , Joel Embiid , Karl-Anthony Towns and Kyle Kuzma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allen Iverson .
Mills , 60 , served as the Knicks ' president since July 2017 .
Before being promoted to that role , he worked as the team 's executive vice president and general manager .
Mills originally joined the Knicks organization in 1999 as executive vice president of franchise operations before leaving in 2009 .
Since rejoining the Knicks in 2013 , the franchise has posted a 178-365 record , the worst in the NBA .

New York Knicks owner James Dolan (pictured) is looking to replace former team president Steve Mills, who was fired this week. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The New York Knicks are expected to hire Leon Rose, an NBA player agent at Creative Artists Agency, as the team's president of basketball operations. League sources told ESPN and the New York Times on Thursday that no formal deal is expected to be announced anytime soon, but negotiations will begin shortly after the NBA trade deadline passes. Advertisement
The Knicks have moved quickly to find a replacement for Steve Mills, who was fired by the franchise this week. In his place, general manager Scott Perry has controlled the team's basketball operations on an interim basis.
Knicks owner James Dolan started to explore the front-office model of hiring a high-ranking basketball executive out of the player-agent ranks, according to ESPN. The concept has gained popularity after the successes of Bob Myers (Golden State Warriors) and Rob Pelinka (Los Angeles Lakers).
Later Thursday afternoon, Dolan issued a statement, saying the hiring process hadn't finished. He also stressed that he won't sell the team.
"We are actively looking for a new president of the New York Knicks and hope to conclude the search as quickly as possible," Dolan said. "I am not selling, but I am determined to find the right leader for the Knicks who will ensure the long-term success of the team, just as we did with the hiring of [New York] Rangers president John Davidson."
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Rose has been one of the top pro basketball agents for many years, with clients including Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns and Kyle Kuzma. He previously represented LeBron James and Allen Iverson.
Mills, 60, served as the Knicks' president since July 2017. Before being promoted to that role, he worked as the team's executive vice president and general manager.
Mills originally joined the Knicks organization in 1999 as executive vice president of franchise operations before leaving in 2009. Since rejoining the Knicks in 2013, the franchise has posted a 178-365 record, the worst in the NBA.


upi--2020-02-06--White House announces death of al-Qaida leader Qassim al-Rimi

Feb. 6 ( UPI ) -- The White House on Thursday announced that al-Qaida leader Qassim al-Rimi was killed in @ @ @ @ @ directed the United States to conduct a `` counterterrorism operation '' in Yemen that resulted @ @ @ @ @ who was the founder and leader of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula , or AQAP @ @ @ @ @ that AQAP committed `` unconscionable violence against civilians in Yemen and sought to conduct and @ @ @ @ @ United States and our forces '' under Rimi .
`` His death further degrades AQAP @ @ @ @ @ and it brings us closer to eliminating the threats these groups pose to our national @ @ @ @ @ read .
Trump and the White House did not provide information about when the operation @ @ @ @ @ was carried out .

Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The White House on Thursday announced that al-Qaida leader Qassim al-Rimi was killed in Yemen.
President Donald Trump directed the United States to conduct a "counterterrorism operation" in Yemen that resulted in the death of Rimi who was the founder and leader of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP.
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The White House said that AQAP committed "unconscionable violence against civilians in Yemen and sought to conduct and inspire numerous attacks against the United States and our forces" under Rimi.
"His death further degrades AQAP and the global al-Qaida movement and it brings us closer to eliminating the threats these groups pose to our national security," the statement read.
Trump and the White House did not provide information about when the operation was conducted or how it was carried out.


upi--2020-02-06--Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders reach virtual tie after 100% of Iowa precincts report

Feb. 6 ( UPI ) -- Democratic candidates Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders were locked in a near tie as 100 percent of precincts reported in the Iowa caucus on Thursday .
Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Ind.
, garnered 26.20 percent of state delegate equivalents , while Sen. Sanders of Vermont received 26.13 percent , resulting in a virtual tie that awarded both candidates 11 delegates .
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren received 18 percent and five delegates , former Vice President Joe Biden received 15 .
8 percent and two delegates and Minnesota Sen. Amy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Businessmen Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer received 1 percent and 0.3 percent respectively and were not awarded any delegates .
Results were delayed due to inconsistencies in their reporting after a new mobile phone app built by the company Shadow to tally the votes had to be checked against a paper trail .
The Iowa Democratic Party said the app was not shut down or tampered with .
The New York Times analysis Thursday further showed failure to resolve `` quality control issues . ''
`` More than 100 precincts reported results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missing data or that were not possible under the complex rules of the Iowa caucuses , '' the analysis found .
DNC Chair Tom Perez called Thursday for a recanvass of the Iowa caucuses after problems caused delays in reporting votes from Monday night .
`` Enough is enough , '' Perez tweeted .
`` In light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to ensure public confidence in the results , I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party responded in a statement without mentioning Perez or the DNC .
`` Should any presidential campaign in compliance with the Iowa Delegate Selection Plan request a recanvass , the IDP is prepared , '' Troy Price , state party chair , said in a statement .
`` In such a circumstance , the IDP will audit the paper records of report , as provided by the precinct chairs and signed by representatives of presidential campaigns . ''
Despite the state delegate equivalents , Sanders declared victory Thursday , arguing that he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and accused the media of placing too much emphasis on standard delegate equivalent counts to proclaim the winner .
`` Even though the vote tabulations have been extremely slow , we are now at a point with some 97 percent of the precincts reporting where our campaign is winning the popular initial vote by some 6,000 votes , '' Sanders told reporters at his New Hampshire headquarters .
`` And when 6,000 more people come out for you in an election than your nearest opponent , we here in northern New England call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the week , Buttigieg declared victory and became the first openly gay candidate in U.S. history to earn presidential primary delegates toward a major party 's nomination process , whatever the final results may show .
`` It validates for a kid , somewhere in a community , wondering if he belongs , or she belongs , or they belong in their own family , that if you believe in yourself and your country , there 's a lot backing up that belief , '' he said .

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2020 Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg gather on stage for a debate in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 14. The debate came three weeks before Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses on Feb. 3. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Democratic candidates Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders were locked in a near tie as 100 percent of precincts reported in the Iowa caucus on Thursday. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., garnered 26.20 percent of state delegate equivalents, while Sen. Sanders of Vermont received 26.13 percent, resulting in a virtual tie that awarded both candidates 11 delegates. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren received 18 percent and five delegates, former Vice President Joe Biden received 15. 8 percent and two delegates and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar received 12.3 percent and one delegate. Advertisement
Businessmen Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer received 1 percent and 0.3 percent respectively and were not awarded any delegates.
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Results were delayed due to inconsistencies in their reporting after a new mobile phone app built by the company Shadow to tally the votes had to be checked against a paper trail. The Iowa Democratic Party said the app was not shut down or tampered with.
The New York Times analysis Thursday further showed failure to resolve "quality control issues."
"More than 100 precincts reported results that were internally inconsistent, that were missing data or that were not possible under the complex rules of the Iowa caucuses," the analysis found.
DNC Chair Tom Perez called Thursday for a recanvass of the Iowa caucuses after problems caused delays in reporting votes from Monday night.
Perez made the announcement on Twitter Thursday afternoon.
"Enough is enough," Perez tweeted. "In light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to ensure public confidence in the results, I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin a recanvass."
The Iowa Democratic Party responded in a statement without mentioning Perez or the DNC.
"Should any presidential campaign in compliance with the Iowa Delegate Selection Plan request a recanvass, the IDP is prepared," Troy Price, state party chair, said in a statement. "In such a circumstance, the IDP will audit the paper records of report, as provided by the precinct chairs and signed by representatives of presidential campaigns."
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Despite the state delegate equivalents, Sanders declared victory Thursday, arguing that he had a significant advantage in the popular vote and accused the media of placing too much emphasis on standard delegate equivalent counts to proclaim the winner.
"Even though the vote tabulations have been extremely slow, we are now at a point with some 97 percent of the precincts reporting where our campaign is winning the popular initial vote by some 6,000 votes," Sanders told reporters at his New Hampshire headquarters. "And when 6,000 more people come out for you in an election than your nearest opponent, we here in northern New England call that a victory."
Earlier in the week, Buttigieg declared victory and became the first openly gay candidate in U.S. history to earn presidential primary delegates toward a major party's nomination process, whatever the final results may show.
"It validates for a kid, somewhere in a community, wondering if he belongs, or she belongs, or they belong in their own family, that if you believe in yourself and your country, there's a lot backing up that belief," he said.


upi--2020-02-07--U.S. approves deal to sell LRASMs to Australia for up to $990M

Feb. 7 ( UPI ) -- The State Department has approved a possible sale of up to 200 AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles and related equipment to the Australian government for an estimated cost of $ 990 million , according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency .
According to the DSCA , Australia 's request also included support and test equipment , technical publications and documentation , personnel training , training equipment , technical assistance from the U.S. government and contractor representatives -- and engineering and logistics support .
`` This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific , '' said DSCA 's announcement of the sale approval .
`` The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region . ''
The AGM-158C LRASM Long Range Anti-Ship Missile is a stealth anti-ship cruise missile with more sophisticated autonomous targeting capabilities than the U.S. Navy 's current Harpoon anti-ship missile , which has been in service since 1977 .
The LRASM , which is manufactured by Lockheed Martin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In February 2019 Lockheed won a $ 33.4 million contract to redesign , integrate and test radio frequency sensors for the missiles as part of a cost-reduction initiative .
DCSA 's announcement said Australia plans to use the missiles on F-18 aircraft and in support of the Australian Navy 's potential maritime partnerships .
This is Australia 's first time purchasing these missiles .

A Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) integrated on F/A-18E/F Super Hornet 12 August 2005 at NAS Patuxent River, Md. The U.S. State Department has approved sale of LRASM and related equipment to the government of Australia for up to $900 million. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy
Feb. 7 (UPI) -- The State Department has approved a possible sale of up to 200 AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles and related equipment to the Australian government for an estimated cost of $990 million, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. According to the DSCA, Australia's request also included support and test equipment, technical publications and documentation, personnel training, training equipment, technical assistance from the U.S. government and contractor representatives -- and engineering and logistics support. Advertisement
"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States. Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific," said DSCA's announcement of the sale approval. "The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region."
The AGM-158C LRASM Long Range Anti-Ship Missile is a stealth anti-ship cruise missile with more sophisticated autonomous targeting capabilities than the U.S. Navy's current Harpoon anti-ship missile, which has been in service since 1977.
The LRASM, which is manufactured by Lockheed Martin, has been in service since 2018.
In February 2019 Lockheed won a $33.4 million contract to redesign, integrate and test radio frequency sensors for the missiles as part of a cost-reduction initiative.
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DCSA's announcement said Australia plans to use the missiles on F-18 aircraft and in support of the Australian Navy's potential maritime partnerships. This is Australia's first time purchasing these missiles.


upi--2020-02-07--NTSB: Kobe Bryant's helicopter showed no signs of engine failure

Feb. 7 ( UPI ) -- The National Transportation Safety Board discovered no evidence of engine failure in the helicopter crash that killed Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant , his 13-year-old daughter , Gianna , and seven others .
The NTSB released its preliminary report Friday .
While no cause was listed for the crash , investigators offered details about the aircraft 's flight pattern and rapid descent before hitting a hillside Jan. 26 in Calabasas , Calif .
In the report , a witness said the hillside where the crash occurred was covered in fog when he heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witness , the aircraft sounded normal , and then he saw the blue-and-white helicopter emerge from the clouds at a high rate of speed in a downward trajectory .
Within two seconds , it slammed into the hillside below him .
Investigators said the Sikorsky S-76B was traveling at more than 180 mph and 4,000 feet per minute when it made impact with the hillside .
According to the report , the aircraft 's instrument panel was destroyed in the crash and most of the devices were displaced .
The helicopter damage was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was `` no evidence of an uncontained or catastrophic internal failure , '' according to the NTSB 's report .
Ara Zobayan , the pilot of Bryant 's copter , served as the chief pilot for Island Express Helicopters and logged more than 8,200 hours of flight time , according to investigators .
Maintenance records show the helicopter had about 4,716 hours of flight time at the time of the accident , and all inspections were up to date .
Bryant , 41 , his daughter and seven others were traveling to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bryant created and coached at , for a girls basketball game when their helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances .
There were no survivors .
Along with Bryant and his daughter , the other victims were identified as college baseball coach John Altobelli , his wife , Keri Altobelli , and their daughter , Alyssa Altobelli ; girls ' basketball coach Christina Mauser ; Sarah Chester and her daughter , Payton Chester ; and pilot Ara Zobayan .
The NTSB is investigating the crash , including any role that heavy fog in the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't expected to be released for at least a year .
A public memorial for Bryant and the eight other people killed in the crash will be held Feb. 24 at Staples Center in Los Angeles .
A memorial service for John Altobelli and his family will be held Feb. 10 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim .

Firefighters work to contain smoldering wreckage of a helicopter crash that claimed the life of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and eight others on Jan. 26, 2020, on a hillside in Calabasas, Calif. Photo by John McCoy/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 7 (UPI) -- The National Transportation Safety Board discovered no evidence of engine failure in the helicopter crash that killed Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others. The NTSB released its preliminary report Friday. While no cause was listed for the crash, investigators offered details about the aircraft's flight pattern and rapid descent before hitting a hillside Jan. 26 in Calabasas, Calif. Advertisement
In the report, a witness said the hillside where the crash occurred was covered in fog when he heard the helicopter approaching. According to the witness, the aircraft sounded normal, and then he saw the blue-and-white helicopter emerge from the clouds at a high rate of speed in a downward trajectory. Within two seconds, it slammed into the hillside below him.
Investigators said the Sikorsky S-76B was traveling at more than 180 mph and 4,000 feet per minute when it made impact with the hillside. According to the report, the aircraft's instrument panel was destroyed in the crash and most of the devices were displaced.
The helicopter damage was consistent with "powered rotation" and there was "no evidence of an uncontained or catastrophic internal failure," according to the NTSB's report.
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Ara Zobayan, the pilot of Bryant's copter, served as the chief pilot for Island Express Helicopters and logged more than 8,200 hours of flight time, according to investigators. Maintenance records show the helicopter had about 4,716 hours of flight time at the time of the accident, and all inspections were up to date.
Bryant, 41, his daughter and seven others were traveling to Mamba Sports Academy, a facility that Bryant created and coached at, for a girls basketball game when their helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances. There were no survivors.
Along with Bryant and his daughter, the other victims were identified as college baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri Altobelli, and their daughter, Alyssa Altobelli; girls' basketball coach Christina Mauser; Sarah Chester and her daughter, Payton Chester; and pilot Ara Zobayan.
The NTSB is investigating the crash, including any role that heavy fog in the area played, and a final report isn't expected to be released for at least a year.
A public memorial for Bryant and the eight other people killed in the crash will be held Feb. 24 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. A memorial service for John Altobelli and his family will be held Feb. 10 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.


upi--2020-02-07--Navy receives USS St. Louis at shipyard ceremony in Wisconsin

Feb. 7 ( UPI ) -- The Navy announced Friday that it has accepted delivery of the future USS St. Louis during a ceremony at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette , Wis .
The St. Louis is the 10th Freedom-variant littoral combat ship designed and built by an industry team at FMM , led by Lockheed Martin , which delivered the vessel on Feb. 6 .
Later this year , the ship will be commissioned and transported to Naval Station Mayport , Fla. '' This is a great day for the Navy and our country with the delivery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which will carry into her future an important naval historical legacy , '' LCS program manager Capt .
Mike Taylor said in a press statement .
`` I am extremely proud when I see the results of all the hard work and dedication of the Navy , Lockheed Martin and FMM team in building the Navy the nation needs . ''
According to the Navy , the ship will be the seventh of its name in naval service .
The first U.S. Navy warship named St. Louis was laid down in February 1827 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was decommissioned in 1865 following service during the Civil War .
The St. Louis is the first LCS delivered to the Navy in 2020 .
Four more -- USS Kansas City , USS Oakland and USS Mobile along with USS Minneapolis-St. Paul , which is under construction at FMM along with several others slated for later delivery -- are planned for delivery this year .
Littoral combat ships are designed to move quickly in near-shore environments but are capable of operations in the open-ocean and combatting submarines , mines and swarms of small @ @

USS St. Louis, shown here during acceptance trials in December, was officially received by the U.S. Navy at a ceremony this week. Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin
Feb. 7 (UPI) -- The Navy announced Friday that it has accepted delivery of the future USS St. Louis during a ceremony at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, Wis. The St. Louis is the 10th Freedom-variant littoral combat ship designed and built by an industry team at FMM, led by Lockheed Martin, which delivered the vessel on Feb. 6. Advertisement
Later this year, the ship will be commissioned and transported to Naval Station Mayport, Fla.
"This is a great day for the Navy and our country with the delivery of the future USS St. Louis, which will carry into her future an important naval historical legacy," LCS program manager Capt. Mike Taylor said in a press statement. "I am extremely proud when I see the results of all the hard work and dedication of the Navy, Lockheed Martin and FMM team in building the Navy the nation needs."
According to the Navy, the ship will be the seventh of its name in naval service.
The first U.S. Navy warship named St. Louis was laid down in February 1827 at the Washington Navy Yard. It was decommissioned in 1865 following service during the Civil War.
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The St. Louis is the first LCS delivered to the Navy in 2020. Four more -- USS Kansas City, USS Oakland and USS Mobile along with USS Minneapolis-St. Paul, which is under construction at FMM along with several others slated for later delivery -- are planned for delivery this year.
Littoral combat ships are designed to move quickly in near-shore environments but are capable of operations in the open-ocean and combatting submarines, mines and swarms of small craft.


upi--2020-02-07--Star impeachment witnesses Vindman, Sondland removed from  jobs

Feb. 7 ( UPI ) -- Lt. Col. Alex Vindman and Gordon Sondland , each of whom provided damaging testimony in the House of Representatives ' impeachment hearings , were fired from their government posts Friday .
Vindman , a National Security Council aide , and Sondland , the U.S. ambassador to the European Union , each indicated they had been ousted just two days after President Donald Trump was acquitted on two articles of impeachment .
Attorney David Pressman said Vindman was unceremoniously escorted out of the White House on Friday , months before he was scheduled to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NSC .
`` LTC Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth , '' Pressman said in a statement .
`` His honor , his commitment to right , frightened the powerful .
There is no question in the mind of any American why this man 's job is over , why this country now has one less soldier serving it at the White House . ''
Sondland , meanwhile , said in an issued statement that had been recalled from his EU diplomatic posting .
`` I am grateful to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity to serve , to Secretary ( of State Mike ) Pompeo for his consistent support , and to the exceptional and dedicated professionals at the U.S. Mission to the European Union , '' he said , adding , `` I am proud of our accomplishments .
Our work here has been the highlight of my career . ''
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel called Vindman 's firing `` shameful , of course .
But this is also what we should now expect from an impeached president whose party has decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to no one . ''
The Ukraine expert and Purple Heart winner testified during the House of Representatives ' impeachment hearings in November that he reported concerns about President Donald Trump 's July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky within hours after it happened .
The call was at the heart of the one of the articles of impeachments against Trump that alleged he held up nearly $ 400 million in military aid to the Ukraine as leverage to persuade Zelensky to announce announce investigations of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member at Ukrainian gas company Burisma .
`` It was improper for the president to request , to demand an investigation into a political opponent , especially a foreign power where there is at best dubious belief that this could be an impartial investigation and that this would have significant implications if it became public knowledge , '' Vindman said in his testimony .
His role on the NSC was expected to last until July , but that seemed thrown into doubt earlier Friday when Trump was asked about the Iraq War veteran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not happy '' with him .
Pressman said Vindman 's twin brother , Yevgeny , an NSC lawyer , was also removed from his post and left the grounds walking next to his brother .
Sondland 's testimony also provided key evidence in the Democrats ' case against Trump , saying on Nov. 20 that `` everyone was in the loop '' about the effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate the president 's political rivals .
The ambassador said he pressured Ukraine for investigations at the `` express direction '' of Trump via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Mr. Giuliani 's requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky , '' he said .
`` Giuliani demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing investigations of [ claims Ukraine interfered in the 2016 U.S. election ] and Burisma .
Mr. Giuliani was expressing the desires of the president of the United States , and we knew that these investigations were important to the president . ''

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Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, shown here testifying before the House intelligence committee in November, was fired from his job as a National Security Council aide Friday, his lawyer said. File photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Lt. Col. Alex Vindman and Gordon Sondland, each of whom provided damaging testimony in the House of Representatives' impeachment hearings, were fired from their government posts Friday. Vindman, a National Security Council aide, and Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, each indicated they had been ousted just two days after President Donald Trump was acquitted on two articles of impeachment. Advertisement
Attorney David Pressman said Vindman was unceremoniously escorted out of the White House on Friday, months before he was scheduled to leave his post as a Ukraine expert on the NSC.
"LTC Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth," Pressman said in a statement. "His honor, his commitment to right, frightened the powerful. There is no question in the mind of any American why this man's job is over, why this country now has one less soldier serving it at the White House."
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Sondland, meanwhile, said in an issued statement that had been recalled from his EU diplomatic posting.
"I am grateful to President Trump for having given me the opportunity to serve, to Secretary (of State Mike) Pompeo for his consistent support, and to the exceptional and dedicated professionals at the U.S. Mission to the European Union," he said, adding, "I am proud of our accomplishments. Our work here has been the highlight of my career."
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel called Vindman's firing "shameful, of course. But this is also what we should now expect from an impeached president whose party has decided he is above the law and accountable to no one."
The Ukraine expert and Purple Heart winner testified during the House of Representatives' impeachment hearings in November that he reported concerns about President Donald Trump's July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky within hours after it happened.
The call was at the heart of the one of the articles of impeachments against Trump that alleged he held up nearly $400 million in military aid to the Ukraine as leverage to persuade Zelensky to announce announce investigations of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden, a former board member at Ukrainian gas company Burisma.
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"It was improper for the president to request, to demand an investigation into a political opponent, especially a foreign power where there is at best dubious belief that this could be an impartial investigation and that this would have significant implications if it became public knowledge," Vindman said in his testimony.
His role on the NSC was expected to last until July, but that seemed thrown into doubt earlier Friday when Trump was asked about the Iraq War veteran's future and responded he was "not happy" with him.
Pressman said Vindman's twin brother, Yevgeny, an NSC lawyer, was also removed from his post and left the grounds walking next to his brother.
Sondland's testimony also provided key evidence in the Democrats' case against Trump, saying on Nov. 20 that "everyone was in the loop" about the effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate the president's political rivals.
The ambassador said he pressured Ukraine for investigations at the "express direction" of Trump via Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.
"Mr. Giuliani's requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky," he said. "Giuliani demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing investigations of [claims Ukraine interfered in the 2016 U.S. election] and Burisma. Mr. Giuliani was expressing the desires of the president of the United States, and we knew that these investigations were important to the president."