upi--2020-07-12--Trump wears mask during visit with wounded service members at Walter Reed

July 12 ( UPI ) -- President Donald Trump wore a mask while visiting wounded members at Walter Reed National Military Center in Bethesda , Md .
Trump was seen wearing the facial covering while walking with staff , who also were wearing protection amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The president briefly wore a mask while visiting a Ford Motor Co. plant in Ypsilanti , Mich. , in May , but this is the first time that the White House press corps saw him with a face covering .
`` Had the privilege of accompanying President @ realdonaldtrump to Walter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' deputy press secretary Judd Deere posted on Twitter .
We owe so much to these warriors .
The President listened to their stories , answered their questions , thanked them for their bravery , and told them he loved them . ''
Trump also was accompanied by Mark Meadows , the White House chief of staff .
Trump did not discus his visit to the hospital upon arriving on the South Lawn of the White House at 6:34 p.m. , according to a White House pool report .
`` I 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know .
I 'll probably have a mask , '' Trump told reporters before departing from the White House .
`` I think when you 're in a hospital especially in that particular setting , where you are talking to a lot of soldiers , people that in some cases just got off the operating table .
I think it 's a great thing to wear a mask .
I 've never been against masks but I do believe they have a time and a place . ''
Visitors `` are expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nose and mouth upon entering and while moving about the facility ... when not able to maintain 6 feet of social distancing , '' according to the Reed website .
The Trump administration has not required Americans to wear masks during the pandemic .

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President Donald Trump arrives Saturday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., to visit with wounded military members and front line coronavirus healthcare workers. President Trump wore a face mask in public for the first time. Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo
July 12 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump wore a mask while visiting wounded members at Walter Reed National Military Center in Bethesda, Md. Trump was seen wearing the facial covering while walking with staff, who also were wearing protection amid the coronavirus pandemic. The president briefly wore a mask while visiting a Ford Motor Co. plant in Ypsilanti, Mich., in May, but this is the first time that the White House press corps saw him with a face covering. Advertisement
"Had the privilege of accompanying President @realdonaldtrump to Walter Reed where he visited with wounded veterans," deputy press secretary Judd Deere posted on Twitter. We owe so much to these warriors. The President listened to their stories, answered their questions, thanked them for their bravery, and told them he loved them."
Trump also was accompanied by Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff.
Trump did not discus his visit to the hospital upon arriving on the South Lawn of the White House at 6:34 p.m., according to a White House pool report.
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"I'll probably have a mask if you must know. I'll probably have a mask," Trump told reporters before departing from the White House. "I think when you're in a hospital especially in that particular setting, where you are talking to a lot of soldiers, people that in some cases just got off the operating table. I think it's a great thing to wear a mask. I've never been against masks but I do believe they have a time and a place."
Visitors "are expected to wear a cloth face covering over their nose and mouth upon entering and while moving about the facility... when not able to maintain 6 feet of social distancing," according to the Reed website.
The Trump administration has not required Americans to wear masks during the pandemic.


upi--2020-07-13--Washington NFL team to retire Redskins name

July 13 ( UPI ) -- The Washington Redskins announced Monday they will retire their controversial nickname and Native American branding .
The team made the announcement in a statement Monday morning .
The NFC East franchise announced on July 3 that it would `` undergo a thorough review '' of its nickname , which it has long received criticism for being discriminatory toward Native Americans .
`` Today , we are announcing that we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review , '' the team said in a statement .
Washington plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trademark issue .
The statement Monday did n't specify when the new name would be announced , but said it will `` enhance the standing of our proud tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors , fans and community for the next 100 years . ''
The team is no longer expected to use any Native American imagery but plans to retain its burgundy and gold colors .
The team has had the Redskins nickname since 1971 .
Washington 's decision to change the name comes amid pressure from several sponsors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights for the team 's stadium -- requested a team-name change July 2 .
FedEx Corp. President , Chairman and CEO Frederick Smith owns a minority stake in the Redskins .
FedEx , Nike and PepsiCo each received letters signed by 87 investment firms and shareholders worth a more than $ 600 billion asking the companies to disassociate from the NFL franchise unless it changes the controversial nickname .
Some retailers , including Amazon and Walmart , have also stopped selling team merchandise .
`` This process allows the team to take into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history of the franchise but also input from our alumni , the organization , sponsors , the National Football League and the local community it is proud to represent on and off the field , '' Redskins owner Dan Snyder said last week .
Washington has had `` internal discussions '' about a name change for the past month .

The Washington Redskins have used the nickname since 1971 but said Monday it will be retired. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
July 13 (UPI) -- The Washington Redskins announced Monday they will retire their controversial nickname and Native American branding. The team made the announcement in a statement Monday morning. The NFC East franchise announced July 3 that it would "undergo a thorough review" of its nickname, for which it has long received criticism as discriminatory toward Native Americans. Advertisement
"Today, we are announcing that we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review," the team said in a statement.
Washington plans to reveal a new name immediately due to a trademark issue. The statement Monday didn't specify when the new name would be announced, but said it will "enhance the standing of our proud tradition-rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years."
The team is no longer expected to use any Native American imagery but plans to retain its burgundy and gold colors.
The team has had the Redskins nickname since 1971.
Washington's decision to change the name comes amid pressure from several sponsors. FedEx Corp. -- who holds the naming rights for the team's stadium -- requested a team name change July 2. FedEx President, Chairman and CEO Frederick Smith owns a minority stake in the Redskins.
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FedEx, Nike and PepsiCo each received letters signed by 87 investment firms and shareholders worth more than $600 billion asking the companies to disassociate from the NFL franchise unless it changes the controversial nickname. Some retailers, including Amazon and Walmart, have also stopped selling team merchandise.
"This process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni, the organization, sponsors, the National Football League and the local community it is proud to represent on and off the field," Redskins owner Dan Snyder said last week.
Washington has had "internal discussions" about a name change for the past month.


upi--2020-07-13--Doctors cautious on use of medical marijuana in kids with cancer

Parents are increasingly interested in whether medical marijuana can help their children with problems like cancer-related pain and nausea -- but there 's concern about interactions with their medications and a general lack of research .
That 's one of the main takeaways from a new report in Pediatrics detailing one hospital 's approach to medical marijuana .
Doctors at Children 's Hospital Colorado do not prescribe medical marijuana .
But when kids are admitted , some are already using some form of it .
In other cases , parents want to know if it might help with persistent problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , the hospital decided it needed a formal policy on the matter .
It was n't just about deciding whether kids could use the products in the hospital , according to Dr. David Brumbaugh , associate chief medical officer .
It was also about giving parents accurate information and `` having an open conversation , '' he said .
`` We do n't want to just say , 'No , you ca n't do this in the hospital , ' because that 's not right , '' Brumbaugh said .
`` But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it without telling us . ''
And , he said , it 's important for doctors to be aware of all medications or supplements a child takes .
A major reason is the potential for those substances to interact -- possibly creating side effects or lowering the effectiveness of a vital medication .
As part of its policy , the hospital created a consultation service to give families information .
It was also needed to support hospital staff , who could not be expected to have all the answers on medical marijuana .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brumbaugh 's team describes the hospital 's experience with the first 50 children seen by the service .
A full 80 percent had cancer , and their parents had either already started them on medical marijuana or wanted information about it .
In Colorado , kids under 18 can use it if two separate physicians certify to a medical need , and parents give consent .
Most often , parents were seeking help for their child 's nausea and vomiting , appetite loss or pain .
`` That speaks to a real need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We still do n't have enough treatments for improving quality of life . ''
But whether medical marijuana fits the bill is unknown .
`` There really is an absence of data in kids and adults , too , '' Brumbaugh said .
It 's hard to study , because federal law deems marijuana a schedule 1 drug -- meaning it has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse .
Complicating matters , the cannabis plant is not one thing marijuana is a variety , as is hemp .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which THC -- famous for the marijuana `` high '' -- is only one .
Another compound , cannabidiol , or CBD , has become wildly popular -- showing up in commercially available oils , capsules and edibles .
It does not produce a high .
A majority of the 50 children in this report were taking CBD-only products .
Brumbaugh said there 's some reassurance in that , but it does n't mean the products are safe , either .
In fact , of the 50 kids , consultations deemed medical marijuana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was almost always because of possible interactions with their medications , Brumbaugh said .
Often , parents were advised to change the timing of the medical marijuana , to make interactions less likely .
In one-quarter of cases , the advice was to avoid the products altogether .
The scenario sounded familiar to Dr. Anup Patel , a pediatric neurologist at Nationwide Children 's Hospital in Columbus , Ohio .
`` Drug interactions are one of my major concerns , '' Patel said .
Like many medications , cannabis chemicals -- including THC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liver , he explained .
When cannabis and other medications are metabolized by the same liver enzymes , they are essentially competing : So medication levels in the blood could either be too high ( causing side effects ) or too low ( compromising effectiveness ) .
Aside from safety , there is the question of effectiveness .
There are approved medications containing human-made THC used for nausea related to cancer therapy .
And one drug -- a purified form of CBD called Epidiolex -- is approved for treating certain forms of epilepsy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain unproven , Patel said .
Plus , he added , the many products on the market are largely unregulated , and consumers ca n't be sure of what they 're getting .
Like Brumbaugh , Patel encouraged parents to talk with their child 's doctor before using any cannabis product .
`` If your child needs help with symptom relief , '' he said , `` have a conversation with your doctor .
We need to have an open dialogue . ''
The American Cancer Society has more on marijuana and cancer @

Parents are increasingly interested in whether medical marijuana can help their children with problems like cancer-related pain and nausea -- but there's concern about interactions with their medications and a general lack of research.
That's one of the main takeaways from a new report in Pediatrics detailing one hospital's approach to medical marijuana.
Advertisement
Doctors at Children's Hospital Colorado do not prescribe medical marijuana. But when kids are admitted, some are already using some form of it. In other cases, parents want to know if it might help with persistent problems like nausea or pain.
Several years ago, the hospital decided it needed a formal policy on the matter. It wasn't just about deciding whether kids could use the products in the hospital, according to Dr. David Brumbaugh, associate chief medical officer.
It was also about giving parents accurate information and "having an open conversation," he said.
Advertisement
"We don't want to just say, 'No, you can't do this in the hospital,' because that's not right," Brumbaugh said. "But also, families might continue to use it without telling us."
And, he said, it's important for doctors to be aware of all medications or supplements a child takes. A major reason is the potential for those substances to interact -- possibly creating side effects or lowering the effectiveness of a vital medication.
As part of its policy, the hospital created a consultation service to give families information. It was also needed to support hospital staff, who could not be expected to have all the answers on medical marijuana.
In the August issue of Pediatrics, Brumbaugh's team describes the hospital's experience with the first 50 children seen by the service.
A full 80 percent had cancer, and their parents had either already started them on medical marijuana or wanted information about it. In Colorado, kids under 18 can use it if two separate physicians certify to a medical need, and parents give consent.
Most often, parents were seeking help for their child's nausea and vomiting, appetite loss or pain.
"That speaks to a real need out there," Brumbaugh said. "We still don't have enough treatments for improving quality of life."
Advertisement
But whether medical marijuana fits the bill is unknown.
"There really is an absence of data in kids and adults, too," Brumbaugh said. It's hard to study, because federal law deems marijuana a schedule 1 drug -- meaning it has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
Complicating matters, the cannabis plant is not one thing marijuana is a variety, as is hemp. And they contain many compounds, of which THC -- famous for the marijuana "high" -- is only one.
Another compound, cannabidiol, or CBD, has become wildly popular -- showing up in commercially available oils, capsules and edibles. It does not produce a high.
A majority of the 50 children in this report were taking CBD-only products. Brumbaugh said there's some reassurance in that, but it doesn't mean the products are safe, either.
In fact, of the 50 kids, consultations deemed medical marijuana potentially unsafe for 64 percent. It was almost always because of possible interactions with their medications, Brumbaugh said.
Often, parents were advised to change the timing of the medical marijuana, to make interactions less likely. In one-quarter of cases, the advice was to avoid the products altogether.
The scenario sounded familiar to Dr. Anup Patel, a pediatric neurologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
Advertisement
"Drug interactions are one of my major concerns," Patel said.
Like many medications, cannabis chemicals -- including THC and CBD -- are metabolized by the liver, he explained. When cannabis and other medications are metabolized by the same liver enzymes, they are essentially competing: So medication levels in the blood could either be too high (causing side effects) or too low (compromising effectiveness).
Aside from safety, there is the question of effectiveness. There are approved medications containing human-made THC used for nausea related to cancer therapy. And one drug -- a purified form of CBD called Epidiolex -- is approved for treating certain forms of epilepsy.
But other health claims for CBD remain unproven, Patel said. Plus, he added, the many products on the market are largely unregulated, and consumers can't be sure of what they're getting.
Like Brumbaugh, Patel encouraged parents to talk with their child's doctor before using any cannabis product.
"If your child needs help with symptom relief," he said, "have a conversation with your doctor. We need to have an open dialogue."
More information
The American Cancer Society has more on marijuana and cancer.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-07-13--21 people injured in 3-alarm fire on board USS Bonhomme Richard

July 12 ( UPI ) -- At least 21 people including more than a dozen sailors were injured after a three-alarm fire broke out with an explosion on the USS Bonhomme Richard , the Navy said on Sunday .
The fire was reported at 8:30 a.m. as the ship was docked at Naval Base San Diego for repairs with 17 of the 160 sailors on board as well as four civilians sustaining non-life-threatening injuries , Naval Surface Forces reported on Twitter , adding all had been transferred to local hospitals for treatment .
Rear Adm. Philip E. Sobeck told reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all hospitalized sailors were in stable condition , most of whom were suffering from either heat exhaustion or smoke inhalation .
Firefighters and sailors from all over San Diego were fighting the fire , he said , adding a 1,800-foot perimeter has been established around the vessel and nearby buildings while the U.S. Coast Guard is enforcing a 1-nautical-mile perimeter around the ship , which has a crew size of approximately 1,000 .
`` Just know that sailors across this waterfront are doing a magnificent job , '' Sobeck said .
`` They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saving their ship . ''
Sobeck explained the fire is believed to have started in the lower cargo hold and the reported explosion was the result of `` over-pressurization '' caused by the fire heating up the enclosed compartment but it is unknown what caused the Class-A fire , which is fueled by paper , wood and other common items .
All personnel has been evacuated from the vessel and there were no ordinances on board when the fire ignited , he said , adding the 1 million gallons of fuel on board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source .
Asked if the ship will ever sail again , Sobeck said `` absolutely . ''
`` She was already in the shipyard being worked on so , again , she was in a stage of repair anyway so we 're just going to get right back at it once we get this thing contained and put out , '' he said .
The San Diego Fire Department earlier wrote on Twitter that it was combatting the blaze alongside Federal Fire and that multiple sailors were being treated for `` a variety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship that was commissioned in 1998 .
The name is derived from the pen name of Benjamin Franklin .
The ship appeared in two films , Battleship and Act of Valor .
All ships in port were directed to provide fire parties to possibly assist with the effort to combat the blaze and the USS Fitzgerald and USS Russell were shifted further away from the fire .

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Federal and Navy firefighting crews battle a fire that erupted Sunday morning on the USS Bonhomme Richard. Photo by Lt. John J. Mike/U.S. Navy/UPI | License Photo
July 12 (UPI) -- At least 21 people including more than a dozen sailors were injured after a three-alarm fire broke out with an explosion on the USS Bonhomme Richard, the Navy said on Sunday. The fire was reported at 8:30 a.m. as the ship was docked at Naval Base San Diego for repairs with 17 of the 160 sailors on board as well as four civilians sustaining non-life-threatening injuries, Naval Surface Forces reported on Twitter, adding all had been transferred to local hospitals for treatment. Advertisement
Rear Adm. Philip E. Sobeck told reporters during a press conference Sunday evening that all hospitalized sailors were in stable condition, most of whom were suffering from either heat exhaustion or smoke inhalation.
Firefighters and sailors from all over San Diego were fighting the fire, he said, adding a 1,800-foot perimeter has been established around the vessel and nearby buildings while the U.S. Coast Guard is enforcing a 1-nautical-mile perimeter around the ship, which has a crew size of approximately 1,000.
"Just know that sailors across this waterfront are doing a magnificent job," Sobeck said. "They are fighting their ship and they're saving their ship."
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Sobeck explained the fire is believed to have started in the lower cargo hold and the reported explosion was the result of "over-pressurization" caused by the fire heating up the enclosed compartment but it is unknown what caused the Class-A fire, which is fueled by paper, wood and other common items.
All personnel has been evacuated from the vessel and there were no ordinances on board when the fire ignited, he said, adding the 1 million gallons of fuel on board was "well bellow" any heat source.
Asked if the ship will ever sail again, Sobeck said "absolutely."
"She was already in the shipyard being worked on so, again, she was in a stage of repair anyway so we're just going to get right back at it once we get this thing contained and put out," he said.
The San Diego Fire Department earlier wrote on Twitter that it was combatting the blaze alongside Federal Fire and that multiple sailors were being treated for "a variety of injuries."
USS Bonhomme Richard is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship that was commissioned in 1998. The name is derived from the pen name of Benjamin Franklin.
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The ship appeared in two films, Battleship and Act of Valor.
All ships in port were directed to provide fire parties to possibly assist with the effort to combat the blaze and the USS Fitzgerald and USS Russell were shifted further away from the fire.


upi--2020-07-13--FDA gives Pfizer, BioNTech 'fast track' status for possible COVID-19 vaccine

July 13 ( UPI ) -- U.S. pharma giant Pfizer and BioNTech announced Monday that they have received `` fast track '' designation from U.S. health officials for two COVID-19 vaccine candidates .
The companies said the designation from the Food and Drug Administration -- a process used by reguators to speed the development and review of potential drugs and vaccines -- means a large-scale human trial of their BNT162b1 and BNT162b2 candidates could begin as soon as this month .
`` The FDA 's decision to grant these two COVID-19 vaccine candidates Fast Track designation signifies an important milestone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 [ the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 ] , '' Pzizer Senior Vice President Peter Honig said in a statement .
The FDA granted fast-track status based on preliminary data from ongoing studies in the United States and Germany , as well as earlier animal studies .
Pfizer and BioNTech are evaluating at least four experimental vaccines in its BNT162 program , all based on an mRNA , or `` messenger RNA , '' technique -- which , unlike traditional vaccines , does not use an inactivated virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' own genetic code to trigger production of antibodies .
The initial results of the Phase 1 and 2 studies , published earlier this month , showed that all 24 participants who received lower dose levels of the BNT162b1 candidate generated antibodies against COVID-19 .
Some of the antibodies were found to be `` neutralizing , '' or sufficiently powerful to halt the virus .
Pfizer called the results encouraging because the vaccine succeeded in activating antibody responses at least as robust as convalescent sera -- the antibody collected from patients who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month they 're preparing to produce millions of vaccine doses this year and hundreds of millions in 2021 .
Other vaccine candidates have also shown early promise in fighting COVID-19 , including potential drugs from Inovio Pharmaceuticals , Moderna and China 's CanSino Biologics .

Pfizer and BioNTech are evaluating at least four experimental vaccines in its BNT162 program, all based on an mRNA, or "messenger RNA," technique. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
July 13 (UPI) -- U.S. pharma giant Pfizer and BioNTech announced Monday that they have received "fast track" designation from U.S. health officials for two COVID-19 vaccine candidates. The companies said the designation from the Food and Drug Administration -- a process used by reguators to speed the development and review of potential drugs and vaccines -- means a large-scale human trial of their BNT162b1 and BNT162b2 candidates could begin as soon as this month. Advertisement
"The FDA's decision to grant these two COVID-19 vaccine candidates Fast Track designation signifies an important milestone in the efforts to develop a safe and effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 [the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19]," Pzizer Senior Vice President Peter Honig said in a statement.
The FDA granted fast-track status based on preliminary data from ongoing studies in the United States and Germany, as well as earlier animal studies.
Pfizer and BioNTech are evaluating at least four experimental vaccines in its BNT162 program, all based on an mRNA, or "messenger RNA," technique -- which, unlike traditional vaccines, does not use an inactivated virus but rather a portion of the coronavirus' own genetic code to trigger production of antibodies.
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The initial results of the Phase 1 and 2 studies, published earlier this month, showed that all 24 participants who received lower dose levels of the BNT162b1 candidate generated antibodies against COVID-19.
Some of the antibodies were found to be "neutralizing," or sufficiently powerful to halt the virus. Pfizer called the results encouraging because the vaccine succeeded in activating antibody responses at least as robust as convalescent sera -- the antibody collected from patients who have recovered from COVID-19.
The companies said last month they're preparing to produce millions of vaccine doses this year and hundreds of millions in 2021.
Other vaccine candidates have also shown early promise in fighting COVID-19, including potential drugs from Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Moderna and China's CanSino Biologics.
World moves to reopen amid COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-07-13--Spice Girls docuseries coming to Channel 4

July 13 ( UPI ) -- A new docuseries about the British girl group Spice Girls is coming to Channel 4 .
The network said in a tweet Monday that it ordered Girl Powered : The Spice Girls , a new series featuring archive footage of and interviews about the band .
`` Through archive footage and revealing interviews , this series will tell the complete story of the best-selling girl band of all time - coming soon to @ Channel4 , '' the post reads .
Girl Powered hails from Rob Coldstream and Clare Cameron , who directed Channel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Who Changed Britain .
Coldstream will executive produce , with Cameron to serve as series editor .
The docuseries will reportedly premiere in 2021 to honor the 25th anniversary of the release of the Spice Girls ' hit single `` Wannabe . ''
The Spice Girls , consisting of Mel B , Melanie Chisholm , Emma Bunton , Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham , made their debut as a group in 1994 .
The band released two albums , Spice ( 1996 ) and Spiceworld ( 1997 ) , and a film , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , before Halliwell 's departure in 1998 .
Following Halliwell 's exit , the Spice Girls released a third album , Forever , in 2000 .
The group began an indefinite hiatus in 2001 but has since reunited on several occasions , including a reunion tour , sans Beckham , in 2019 .

Spice Up Your Life with new documentary 'Girl Powered: The Spice Girls' (w/t). Through archive footage and revealing interviews, this series will tell the complete story of the best-selling girl band of all time - coming soon to @Channel4. Zigga Zig Ah! pic.twitter.com/Vz0pnGKtnc— Channel 4 Press (@C4Press) July 13, 2020
July 13 (UPI) -- A new docuseries about the British girl group Spice Girls is coming to Channel 4.
The network said in a tweet Monday that it ordered Girl Powered: The Spice Girls, a new series featuring archive footage of and interviews about the band.
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"Through archive footage and revealing interviews, this series will tell the complete story of the best-selling girl band of all time - coming soon to @Channel4," the post reads.
Girl Powered hails from Rob Coldstream and Clare Cameron, who directed Channel 4's Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain. Coldstream will executive produce, with Cameron to serve as series editor.
The docuseries will reportedly premiere in 2021 to honor the 25th anniversary of the release of the Spice Girls' hit single "Wannabe."
The Spice Girls, consisting of Mel B, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham, made their debut as a group in 1994. The band released two albums, Spice (1996) and Spiceworld (1997), and a film, Spice World: The Movie (1997), before Halliwell's departure in 1998.
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Following Halliwell's exit, the Spice Girls released a third album, Forever, in 2000. The group began an indefinite hiatus in 2001 but has since reunited on several occasions, including a reunion tour, sans Beckham, in 2019.


upi--2020-07-13--Look: Jennifer Lopez, Maluma tease music collaboration

July 13 ( UPI ) -- Jennifer Lopez and Maluma are teasing new music they recorded together on Instagram .
@ @ @ @ @ of each other having a studio session together on Sunday .
`` Are you ready @ @ @ @ @ images of herself sitting next to Maluma on a couch and an image of the @ @ @ @ @ to be working on lyrics .
Lopez and Maluma star together in an upcoming romantic @ @ @ @ @ .
Lopez stars in the film as a pop star who finds out that her @ @ @ @ @ by Maluma , has cheated on her at their wedding .
Lopez then randomly selects @ @ @ @ @ watching from an audience , to marry instead .
Lopez previously announced that she recorded @ @ @ @ @ 's soundtrack , along with Maluma .
The film has no set release date .

July 13 (UPI) -- Jennifer Lopez and Maluma are teasing new music they recorded together on Instagram.
Both music stars uploaded photos of each other having a studio session together on Sunday.
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"Are you ready?" Lopez said alongside images of herself sitting next to Maluma on a couch and an image of the pair laughing as they appear to be working on lyrics.
Maluma posted a similar photograph from the collaboration.
Lopez and Maluma star together in an upcoming romantic comedy, titled Marry Me. Lopez stars in the film as a pop star who finds out that her rock star fiance, portrayed by Maluma, has cheated on her at their wedding. Lopez then randomly selects Owen Wilson, who was watching from an audience, to marry instead.
Lopez previously announced that she recorded new music for the film's soundtrack, along with Maluma. The film has no set release date.
Moments from Jennifer Lopez's career


upi--2020-07-13--In photos: Baseball kicks off with training camps

It was announced during the workout that New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has tested positive for the coronavirus and @ @ @ @ @ Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

Kansas City Royals batter Alex Gordon connects for a sacrifice RBI during an exhibition game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on July 22. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI


upi--2020-07-13--Watch: 'Power Book II: Ghost': Crime saga continues in new teaser

July 13 ( UPI ) -- Tariq St. Patrick must help his mother in a new teaser trailer for upcoming @ @ @ @ @ Book II : Ghost .
Tariq , portrayed by Michael Rainey Jr. , is attempting @ @ @ @ @ ( Naturi Naughton ) out of jail after she faces charges for a murder that @ @ @ @ @ to a life of crime in order to afford defense lawyer Davis MacLean ( Cliff @ @ @ @ @ , Tasha 's only hope of escaping prosecution by U.S. Attorney Cooper Saxe ( Shane @ @ @ @ @ have to do anything to help my mother , '' Tariq says in the clip @ @ @ @ @ Twitter Sunday .
Power Book II : Ghost , from series creator and showrunner Courtney @ @ @ @ @ Curtis '50 Cent ' Jackson , takes place days after the Power finale .
The @ @ @ @ @ September on Starz .

July 13 (UPI) -- Tariq St. Patrick must help his mother in a new teaser trailer for upcoming Power sequel series, Power Book II: Ghost.
Tariq, portrayed by Michael Rainey Jr., is attempting to keep his mother Tasha (Naturi Naughton) out of jail after she faces charges for a murder that he committed.
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Tariq turns to a life of crime in order to afford defense lawyer Davis MacLean (Cliff 'Method Man' Smith), Tasha's only hope of escaping prosecution by U.S. Attorney Cooper Saxe (Shane Johnson).
"I have to do anything to help my mother," Tariq says in the clip, which was posted onto Twitter Sunday.
Power Book II: Ghost, from series creator and showrunner Courtney A. Kemp and executive producer Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson, takes place days after the Power finale. The new show will premiere in September on Starz.
Mary J. Blige, Gianni Paolo, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Daniel Bellomy, Paige Hurd, Melanie Liburd, Justin Marcel McManus, Woody McClain, Lovell Adams-Gray and LaToya Tonodeo also star.


upi--2020-07-13--North Korea blames United States for U.S.-China tensions

July 13 ( UPI ) -- North Korea could be taking sides in ongoing disputes between the United States and China as the U.S. and its allies , including Japan , are pursuing new defense strategies in the South China Sea .
Choson Sinbo , the pro-Pyongyang newspaper of the Japan-based General Association of Korean Residents , stated Monday the United States is to blame for U.S.-China tensions that range from Hong Kong , trade disputes and the novel coronavirus .
`` North Korea is actively supporting China 's position , as the U.S.-China relationship is deteriorating at an unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's de facto embassy in Japan said .
`` As long as the United States is dragging relations with China to a confrontation between ideologies and institutions , the U.S.-China clash will be prolonged , regardless of who is in charge in the United States . ''
The newspaper said the relationship between the two nations has transcended competition and is at a stage where the two `` can not coexist . ''
`` In all aspects of politics , economy and the military , the United States is making pressure on China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Choson Sinbo said .
The pro-Pyongyang news service is weighing in on U.S.-China relations following joint U.S.-Japan exercises in the South China Sea .
Earlier this month , North Korean state media praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping following China 's imposition of a national security law in Hong Kong , which would criminalize anyone in the city challenging Beijing 's authority .
`` Our people are confident that the Chinese people will surely achieve victory in their struggle to build a modernized socialist power under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Korean Workers ' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said .
U.S. and Chinese maneuvers in the South China Sea are raising concerns in the region .
`` With both China and the United States deploying significant numbers of ships and military aircraft in close proximity with one another , the risk of collision is an ever-present danger , '' said Olli Pekka Suorsa , a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore , according to Radio Free Asia .

North Korea is condemning the United States after the USS Gabrielle Giffords (L), exercised with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in June in the South China Sea. File Photo by Mass Communication Spc. 2 Brenton Poyser/U.S. Navy
July 13 (UPI) -- North Korea could be taking sides in ongoing disputes between the United States and China as the U.S. and its allies, including Japan, are pursuing new defense strategies in the South China Sea. Choson Sinbo, the pro-Pyongyang newspaper of the Japan-based General Association of Korean Residents, stated Monday the United States is to blame for U.S.-China tensions that range from Hong Kong, trade disputes and the novel coronavirus. Advertisement
"North Korea is actively supporting China's position, as the U.S.-China relationship is deteriorating at an unprecedented pace," the newspaper of Pyongyang's de facto embassy in Japan said.
"As long as the United States is dragging relations with China to a confrontation between ideologies and institutions, the U.S.-China clash will be prolonged, regardless of who is in charge in the United States."
The newspaper said the relationship between the two nations has transcended competition and is at a stage where the two "cannot coexist."
"In all aspects of politics, economy and the military, the United States is making pressure on China on all fronts official policy," the Choson Sinbo said.
The pro-Pyongyang news service is weighing in on U.S.-China relations following joint U.S.-Japan exercises in the South China Sea.
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Earlier this month, North Korean state media praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping following China's imposition of a national security law in Hong Kong, which would criminalize anyone in the city challenging Beijing's authority.
"Our people are confident that the Chinese people will surely achieve victory in their struggle to build a modernized socialist power under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and its core, Comrade Xi Jinping," Korean Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said.
U.S. and Chinese maneuvers in the South China Sea are raising concerns in the region.
"With both China and the United States deploying significant numbers of ships and military aircraft in close proximity with one another, the risk of collision is an ever-present danger," said Olli Pekka Suorsa, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, according to Radio Free Asia.


upi--2020-07-13--Jada Pinkett Smith confirms past Will Smith split, romance with August Alsina

July 11 ( UPI ) -- Actress Jada Pinkett Smith confirmed on her Facebook Watch show that she dated singer August Alsina during a temporary split from her husband , actor Will Smith .
`` It 's a situation that I consider private .
This is a very personal journey that became very public , '' Pinkett Smith said on Friday 's episode of her Red Table Talk series .
`` Four and a half years ago ...
I started a friendship with August and we actually became really , really good friends , '' she said , telling Smith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alsina took place during a difficult time in their marriage .
`` I was done with you , '' Smith said .
`` We broke up , '' Pinkett Smith said .
`` We decided that we were going to separate for a period of time .
... From there , as time went on , I got into a different kind of entanglement with August . ''
Pinkett Smith shot down reports claiming Smith gave Alsina his blessing to date his estranged wife .
`` The only person that can give permission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she said , explaining Alsina eventually broke off the relationship and she and Smith worked things out .
`` We came together young , and we were both broken in our own ways and to be able to make mistakes without the fear of losing your family is so critical , '' Smith said .
`` Yeah , it 's the idea of any relationship in trying to get to deeper understanding of love is going to be forged in fire , '' Pinkett Smith said .
The couple married in 1997 @ @ @ @ @ @

1/3
Jada Pinkett Smith (L) and Will Smith discussed their past marital problems on Friday's "Red Table Talk" show. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
July 11 (UPI) -- Actress Jada Pinkett Smith confirmed on her Facebook Watch show that she dated singer August Alsina during a temporary split from her husband, actor Will Smith. "It's a situation that I consider private. This is a very personal journey that became very public," Pinkett Smith said on Friday's episode of her Red Table Talk series. Advertisement
"Four and a half years ago... I started a friendship with August and we actually became really, really good friends," she said, telling Smith -- and viewers -- her romance with Alsina took place during a difficult time in their marriage.
"I was done with you," Smith said.
"We broke up," Pinkett Smith said. "We decided that we were going to separate for a period of time. ... From there, as time went on, I got into a different kind of entanglement with August."
Pinkett Smith shot down reports claiming Smith gave Alsina his blessing to date his estranged wife.
"The only person that can give permission in that particular circumstance is myself," she said, explaining Alsina eventually broke off the relationship and she and Smith worked things out.
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"We came together young, and we were both broken in our own ways and to be able to make mistakes without the fear of losing your family is so critical," Smith said.
"Yeah, it's the idea of any relationship in trying to get to deeper understanding of love is going to be forged in fire," Pinkett Smith said.
The couple married in 1997 and have two children together.
Moments from Will Smith's career


upi--2020-07-13--In Photos: Moments from Will Smith's career

Oscar-nominated actor-rapper Will Smith has delighted audiences with his performances since his major debut as `` The Fresh Prince of @ @ @ @ @ 's to recent work like `` Spies in Disguise '' with Tom Holland .
Here @ @ @ @ @ his career through the years .

Smith (R), and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith laugh with President Clinton, first lady Hillary and daughter Chelsea as they arrive for the Millennium Dinner gala at the White House in Washington, D.C. on December 31, 1999. Photo by Ron Sachs/UPI


upi--2020-07-13--Five years later, nuclear deal with Iran is in tatters

July 13 ( UPI ) -- It will be five years this week since the Iran nuclear deal was signed in Vienna .
The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- China , France , Russia , the United Kingdom and the United States -- together with the European Union ( P5+1 ) signed what was called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran on July 14 , 2015 .
It was U.S. President Barack Obama 's last-ditch effort to achieve a major foreign policy legacy before he left office .
The one-sided deal contained many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lifting of sanctions in Iran .
In return , the West got very little , apart from a few scant paragraphs detailing Iranian cooperation in slowing its nuclear enrichment process for a period of eight years .
It was a very bad deal for the West and a breakthrough deal for Iran .
The JCPOA released over $ 150 billion in assets that were frozen under the sanctions , revitalizing the broken Iranian economy and enabling the theocratic regime to redouble its funding of Hezbollah in Lebanon , Hamas in Gaza , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ al-Assad in Syria and the brutal Shi'ia militias in Iraq .
Page after page of the JCPOA related specifically to the dismantling of all sanctions on Iran 's banking , insurance , metals , aviation , shipping , arms and general trade markets , even covering the reopening of Iran 's right to sell carpets and caviar to the West .
Ludicrously , under the deal the West also had to end its `` exclusion of Iranian citizens from higher education coursework related to careers in nuclear science , nuclear engineering or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Western universities were being told to train Iranians in advanced nuclear technology to ensure that they were properly equipped to build a nuclear bomb .
You could n't make it up .
More ominously , the JCPOA committed the P5+1 nations to supporting Iran 's crumbling economy financially with export credit guarantees , grants , financial assistance and even loans to the government of Iran .
All `` persons , entities and bodies '' previously banned from traveling to the West were to have their full rights restored so that they could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these persons , entities and bodies ran to more than a dozen pages and , hidden away near the foot of this long catalog of Iranian banks , petro-chemical companies , sanctions evaders and individuals , was none other than Gen. Qassem Soleimani , the fanatic jihadist and notorious commander of the terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force .
Soleimani was killed by a U.S. drone strike at Baghdad Airport in early January , ending his tenure as one of the Iranian regime 's main godfathers of terrorism and murder .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program was concerned , regular inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency were limited to the Natanz site in Isfahan Province , Iran 's main underground nuclear facility with over 19,000 operational centrifuges .
Natanz was first revealed to Western intelligence agencies by the People 's Mojahedin Organization of Iran ( PMOI/MEK ) , the main democratic opposition group , in 2002 .
Until that point , it had been a closely guarded secret by the Iranian regime .
In February 2015 , the MEK revealed another secret site called Lavizan-3 in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Again , this had been entirely hidden from Western inspectors .
The JCPOA stated that : `` Iran will permit the IAEA regular access , including daily access as requested by the IAEA , to relevant buildings at Natanz . ''
The fact that only `` relevant '' buildings were to be accessed and only at Natanz was indicative of how Iran intended to restrict inspections to the bare minimum .
The West was to be reassured by a clause that stated : `` For 15 years , the Natanz enrichment site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Iran 's uranium enrichment-related activities , including safeguarded R & D . ''
So , from the outset , the West was supposed to trust the Iranian regime , which had previously hidden all their nuclear facilities from the West .
How on earth Obama 's secretary of state , John Kerry , and the P5+1 team fell for this is astonishing .
For Kerry and the P5+1 to capitulate to almost every Iranian demand revealed a level of weakness that was eagerly exploited by the mullahs .
The ink was hardly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Iran 's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , in a fiery address to mark the end of Ramadan in a mosque in Tehran said : `` Whether this scheme is approved or disapproved , we will never stop supporting our friends in the region and the people of Palestine , Yemen , Syria , Iraq , Bahrain and Lebanon .
Even after this deal , our policy toward the arrogant U.S. will not change .
Our policy in the region is 180 degrees different from the U.S. , '' he told an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Death to America '' and `` Death to Israel . ''
Obama tried to convince the world that he had struck a good deal with the `` trustworthy and moderate '' President Hassan Rouhani of Iran .
In fact , the opposite was true .
Rouhani was not trustworthy and certainly not moderate .
It was a terrible deal , which , far from curtailing Iran 's expansionist agenda , had significantly strengthened its position in the Middle East .
Iran 's efforts to build a nuclear weapon continued in secret , hidden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bases that were declared off- limits under the terms of the nuclear deal , were where most of the regime 's nuclear activity was and is still taking place .
From day one of his presidency , Donald Trump decried the JCPOA as `` the worst deal in history . ''
During his first year in office , Trump kept signing waivers and repeatedly asked Iran to come back to the negotiation table .
The mullahs refused , so the United States withdrew from the deal and reintroduced tough sanctions , which have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy and curtailed the mullahs ' expansionist agenda in the Middle East .
Nevertheless , China and Russia , as close allies of the clerical regime , and the EU as arch-appeasers , have stubbornly clung to the crumbling remnants of the JCPOA , despite recurring breaches of the deal by the mullahs , desperately searching for ways to circumvent the sanctions without severing ties with the United States .
On June 30 , the U.N. secretary general received a report indicating how Iran has breached U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared by a team of U.N. investigators , showed how the missiles used last September to hit Saudi Arabia 's oil installations were of Iranian origin .
The report listed attacks on oil tankers in Fujairah , in the United Arab Emirates , and recorded how a Japanese tanker was attacked in the Gulf of Oman when the Japanese prime minister was in Iran .
The fascist regime 's continuing aggressive activities in Syria , Iraq , Yemen , Lebanon and Gaza were also reported .
Five years on , the West must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disastrous mistake and that the Americans were right to withdraw from it unilaterally .
As a key sponsor of international terror and a violent aggressor at home and abroad , the Iranian regime has compounded its role as a pariah state .
Some 80 million oppressed and brutalized Iranians now look to the West to end their appeasement of this cruel regime and transfer their support to the people of Iran who long for freedom and justice .
Struan Stevenson is the Coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change .
He was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 1999-2014 ) , president of the Parliament 's Delegation for Relations with Iraq ( 2009-14 ) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup ( 2004-14 ) .
He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and is also president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association .

1/2
President Barack Obama holds a press conference at the White House in Washington, D.C. on July 15, 2015 to defend the Iran nuclear deal. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
July 13 (UPI) -- It will be five years this week since the Iran nuclear deal was signed in Vienna. The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States -- together with the European Union (P5+1) signed what was called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran on July 14, 2015. It was U.S. President Barack Obama's last-ditch effort to achieve a major foreign policy legacy before he left office. Advertisement
The one-sided deal contained many clauses and annexes that related mainly to the lifting of sanctions in Iran. In return, the West got very little, apart from a few scant paragraphs detailing Iranian cooperation in slowing its nuclear enrichment process for a period of eight years.
It was a very bad deal for the West and a breakthrough deal for Iran. The JCPOA released over $150 billion in assets that were frozen under the sanctions, revitalizing the broken Iranian economy and enabling the theocratic regime to redouble its funding of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the brutal Shi'ia militias in Iraq.
Advertisement
Page after page of the JCPOA related specifically to the dismantling of all sanctions on Iran's banking, insurance, metals, aviation, shipping, arms and general trade markets, even covering the reopening of Iran's right to sell carpets and caviar to the West. Ludicrously, under the deal the West also had to end its "exclusion of Iranian citizens from higher education coursework related to careers in nuclear science, nuclear engineering or the energy sector."
In other words, Western universities were being told to train Iranians in advanced nuclear technology to ensure that they were properly equipped to build a nuclear bomb. You couldn't make it up.
More ominously, the JCPOA committed the P5+1 nations to supporting Iran's crumbling economy financially with export credit guarantees, grants, financial assistance and even loans to the government of Iran. All "persons, entities and bodies" previously banned from traveling to the West were to have their full rights restored so that they could be issued visas.
The list of these persons, entities and bodies ran to more than a dozen pages and, hidden away near the foot of this long catalog of Iranian banks, petro-chemical companies, sanctions evaders and individuals, was none other than Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the fanatic jihadist and notorious commander of the terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force. Soleimani was killed by a U.S. drone strike at Baghdad Airport in early January, ending his tenure as one of the Iranian regime's main godfathers of terrorism and murder.
Advertisement
As far as scrutiny of Iran's nuclear program was concerned, regular inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency were limited to the Natanz site in Isfahan Province, Iran's main underground nuclear facility with over 19,000 operational centrifuges. Natanz was first revealed to Western intelligence agencies by the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the main democratic opposition group, in 2002. Until that point, it had been a closely guarded secret by the Iranian regime. In February 2015, the MEK revealed another secret site called Lavizan-3 in a military base in northeast Tehran's suburbs. Again, this had been entirely hidden from Western inspectors.
The JCPOA stated that: "Iran will permit the IAEA regular access, including daily access as requested by the IAEA, to relevant buildings at Natanz." The fact that only "relevant" buildings were to be accessed and only at Natanz was indicative of how Iran intended to restrict inspections to the bare minimum.
The West was to be reassured by a clause that stated: "For 15 years, the Natanz enrichment site will be the sole location for all of Iran's uranium enrichment-related activities, including safeguarded R&D." So, from the outset, the West was supposed to trust the Iranian regime, which had previously hidden all their nuclear facilities from the West.
Advertisement
How on earth Obama's secretary of state, John Kerry, and the P5+1 team fell for this is astonishing. For Kerry and the P5+1 to capitulate to almost every Iranian demand revealed a level of weakness that was eagerly exploited by the mullahs.
The ink was hardly dry on the agreement in July 2015 before Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a fiery address to mark the end of Ramadan in a mosque in Tehran said: "Whether this scheme is approved or disapproved, we will never stop supporting our friends in the region and the people of Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon. Even after this deal, our policy toward the arrogant U.S. will not change. Our policy in the region is 180 degrees different from the U.S.," he told an audience of hard-liners who cried: "Death to America" and "Death to Israel."
Obama tried to convince the world that he had struck a good deal with the "trustworthy and moderate" President Hassan Rouhani of Iran. In fact, the opposite was true. Rouhani was not trustworthy and certainly not moderate. It was a terrible deal, which, far from curtailing Iran's expansionist agenda, had significantly strengthened its position in the Middle East. Iran's efforts to build a nuclear weapon continued in secret, hidden from the IAEA's inspectors. Military bases that were declared off- limits under the terms of the nuclear deal, were where most of the regime's nuclear activity was and is still taking place.
Advertisement
From day one of his presidency, Donald Trump decried the JCPOA as "the worst deal in history." During his first year in office, Trump kept signing waivers and repeatedly asked Iran to come back to the negotiation table. The mullahs refused, so the United States withdrew from the deal and reintroduced tough sanctions, which have had a crippling impact on the Iranian economy and curtailed the mullahs' expansionist agenda in the Middle East.
Nevertheless, China and Russia, as close allies of the clerical regime, and the EU as arch-appeasers, have stubbornly clung to the crumbling remnants of the JCPOA, despite recurring breaches of the deal by the mullahs, desperately searching for ways to circumvent the sanctions without severing ties with the United States.
On June 30, the U.N. secretary general received a report indicating how Iran has breached U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 over the past six months. The report, prepared by a team of U.N. investigators, showed how the missiles used last September to hit Saudi Arabia's oil installations were of Iranian origin. The report listed attacks on oil tankers in Fujairah, in the United Arab Emirates, and recorded how a Japanese tanker was attacked in the Gulf of Oman when the Japanese prime minister was in Iran. The fascist regime's continuing aggressive activities in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Gaza were also reported.
Advertisement
Five years on, the West must surely recognize that the JCPOA was a disastrous mistake and that the Americans were right to withdraw from it unilaterally. As a key sponsor of international terror and a violent aggressor at home and abroad, the Iranian regime has compounded its role as a pariah state. Some 80 million oppressed and brutalized Iranians now look to the West to end their appeasement of this cruel regime and transfer their support to the people of Iran who long for freedom and justice.
Struan Stevenson is the Coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change. He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland (1999-2014), president of the Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-14) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (2004-14). He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and is also president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association.


Notable deaths of 2020

Kelly Preston arrives at a photocall for the film `` Gotti '' during the Cannes International Film Festival in Cannes @ @ @ @ @ , 2018 .
The actress , known for her roles in `` Jerry Maguire , @ @ @ @ @ Love , '' as well as her marriage to John Travolta , died after a @ @ @ @ @ on July 13 at the age of 57 .
Photo by David Silpa/UPI

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


upi--2020-07-13--In Photos: Audra McDonald turns 50: a look back

McDonald poses with her award for Best Featured Actress/Musical for her role in `` Ragtime '' at the Tony Awards @ @ @ @ @ June 7 , 1998 .
She became the first woman in the 52 year history @ @ @ @ @ win consecutive Tony Awards for her performances in 3 different productions , `` The Master @ @ @ @ @ , '' and `` Ragtime . ''
Playwright Terrence McNally , who wrote `` Ragtime @ @ @ @ @ in 2020 .
Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI

McDonald poses with her award for Best Featured Actress/Musical for her role in "Ragtime" at the Tony Awards in New York City on June 7, 1998. She became the first woman in the 52 year history of the awards ceremonies to win consecutive Tony Awards for her performances in 3 different productions, "The Master Class," "Carousel," and "Ragtime." Playwright Terrence McNally, who wrote "Ragtime," died from coronavirus in 2020. Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI


upi--2020-07-13--Watch: Kanye West releases 'Donda' in honor of late mother's birthday

July 13 ( UPI ) -- Kanye West has released a new song , titled `` Donda , '' in honor of his late mother Donda West on her birthday .
Kanye West uploaded a video of archival footage onto Twitter Sunday that features the track .
The clip includes footage of Kanye West spending time with his mother .
`` In loving memory of my incredible mother on her birthday .
My mom reciting KRS1 lyrics .
This song is called DONDA , '' Kanye West captioned the video .
Donda West starts the song off by reciting lyrics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police '' before Kanye West jumps in .
`` Mama I need you to tuck me in/ I done made some mistakes and they rubbed it in/ I know you and grandma had enough of them , '' Kanye West raps .
Donda West died at the age of 58 in 2007 from post-surgery complications .
Kanye West has announced a 10th studio album titled God 's Country that will include his song `` Wash Us in the Blood . ''
Kanye West has not announced if `` Donda '' will appear on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stated that he plans to run for U.S. president and compete against Republican incumbent Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden .

In loving memory of my incredible mother on her birthday My mom reciting KRS1 lyrics This song is called DONDA pic.twitter.com/YWKhqYYu2E— ye (@kanyewest) July 13, 2020
July 13 (UPI) -- Kanye West has released a new song, titled "Donda," in honor of his late mother Donda West on her birthday.
Kanye West uploaded a video of archival footage onto Twitter Sunday that features the track. The clip includes footage of Kanye West spending time with his mother.
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"In loving memory of my incredible mother on her birthday. My mom reciting KRS1 lyrics. This song is called DONDA," Kanye West captioned the video.
Donda West starts the song off by reciting lyrics from KRS-One's "Sound of da Police" before Kanye West jumps in.
"Mama I need you to tuck me in/ I done made some mistakes and they rubbed it in/ I know you and grandma had enough of them," Kanye West raps.
Donda West died at the age of 58 in 2007 from post-surgery complications.
Kanye West has announced a 10th studio album titled God's Country that will include his song "Wash Us in the Blood." Kanye West has not announced if "Donda" will appear on the new album.
Kanye West recently stated that he plans to run for U.S. president and compete against Republican incumbent Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.


upi--2020-07-13--Polish President Andrzej Duda wins re-election in closest race since 1989

July 13 ( UPI ) -- Polish President Andrzej Duda has won re-election in Poland 's presidential race , edging Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski in a runoff , electoral officials said Monday .
The National Electoral Commission said Duda defeated Trzaskowski 51.2 percent to 48.8 percent in Sunday 's vote .
The conservative incumbent , Duda campaigned on a `` family values '' and anti-gay rights agenda .
The results will allow Duda 's Law and Justice Party ( PiS ) to continue its rule of Polish politics through 2023 , when parliamentary elections will be held .
Duda , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Polish religious values as the race tightened with Trzaskowski , Warsaw 's liberal mayor .
Duda won support from older voters and those who lived in small towns and the countryside -- while Trzaskowski captured younger voters and those living in larger cities and the west .
Duda and Trzaskowski survived the first round of voting with 11 presidential candidates two weeks ago .
The election was originally scheduled to take place in May but it was postponed by the coronavirus pandemic .
The delay seemed to help Trzaskowski 's campaign and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the closest Polish presidential election since 1989 .

Polish President Andrzej Duda attends a joint news conference with U.S. President Donald Trump on June 24 during a visit to the White House in Washington, D.C. Duda, who won re-election in Poland Sunday, was the first foreign leader to visit the White House in three months. Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI | License Photo
July 13 (UPI) -- Polish President Andrzej Duda has won re-election in Poland's presidential race, edging Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski in a runoff, electoral officials said Monday. The National Electoral Commission said Duda defeated Trzaskowski 51.2 percent to 48.8 percent in Sunday's vote. Advertisement
The conservative incumbent, Duda campaigned on a "family values" and anti-gay rights agenda.
The results will allow Duda's Law and Justice Party (PiS) to continue its rule of Polish politics through 2023, when parliamentary elections will be held.
Duda, a devout Catholic, campaigned on traditional Polish religious values as the race tightened with Trzaskowski, Warsaw's liberal mayor. Duda won support from older voters and those who lived in small towns and the countryside -- while Trzaskowski captured younger voters and those living in larger cities and the west.
Duda and Trzaskowski survived the first round of voting with 11 presidential candidates two weeks ago. The election was originally scheduled to take place in May but it was postponed by the coronavirus pandemic. The delay seemed to help Trzaskowski's campaign and the challenger closed in to make Sunday's the closest Polish presidential election since 1989.


upi--2020-07-13--Watch: 'Star Trek' goes animated in 'Lower Decks' trailer

July 13 ( UPI ) -- Star Trek goes animated once again in the first trailer for upcoming CBS All @ @ @ @ @ .
The adult animated series follows a ragtag team of support crew workers who are @ @ @ @ @ least important ships , the U.S.S .
Cerritos .
Ensigns Mariner , Boimler , Rutherford @ @ @ @ @ with their duties at the bottom of the ship , but still see some action @ @ @ @ @ visits strange and new planets .
Star Trek : Lower Decks was developed by Emmy @ @ @ @ @ and Morty , Solar Opposites ) .
The series will premiere Aug. 6 on CBS @ @ @ @ @ is the first new Star Trek animated program since 1973 's Star Trek : The @ @ @ @ @ Access is also the home of Star Trek : Picard , Star Trek : Discovery @ @ @ @ @ : Strange New Worlds .

July 13 (UPI) -- Star Trek goes animated once again in the first trailer for upcoming CBS All Access series, Lower Decks.
The adult animated series follows a ragtag team of support crew workers who are onboard one of Starfleet's least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos.
Advertisement
Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford and Tendi must keep up with their duties at the bottom of the ship, but still see some action as the U.S.S. Cerritos visits strange and new planets.
Star Trek: Lower Decks was developed by Emmy award-winner Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites). The series will premiere Aug. 6 on CBS All Access.
Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noel Wells, Eugene Cordero, Dawnn Lewis, Jerry O' Connell, Fred Tatasciore and Gillian Vigman provide voices.
The show is the first new Star Trek animated program since 1973's Star Trek: The Animated Series.
CBS All Access is also the home of Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Discovery and upcoming series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.


upi--2020-07-13--Lakers' Rajon Rondo breaks thumb in practice

July 13 ( UPI ) -- The Los Angeles Lakers will be without point guard Rajon Rondo for up to @ @ @ @ @ his thumb in practice .
Rondo sustained a fracture in his right thumb Sunday in @ @ @ @ @ team said he will have surgery this week and is expected to return to basketball @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
Rondo , 34 , averaged 7.1 points and 5.0 assists per game this @ @ @ @ @ campaign was suspended in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The four-time All-Star had @ @ @ @ @ guard to Lakers star LeBron James .
The Lakers are scheduled to resume the season @ @ @ @ @ rival Los Angeles Clippers at 9 p.m. EDT July 30 in Orlando .
Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ practiced Saturday and Sunday .

Los Angeles Lakers veteran Rajon Rondo will not play for six to eight weeks due to a broken thumb. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
July 13 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Lakers will be without point guard Rajon Rondo for up to two months after he broke his thumb in practice. Rondo sustained a fracture in his right thumb Sunday in Orlando, Fla. The team said he will have surgery this week and is expected to return to basketball activities in six to eight weeks. Advertisement
Rondo, 34, averaged 7.1 points and 5.0 assists per game this season before the 2019-2020 NBA campaign was suspended in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The four-time All-Star had served as a backup point guard to Lakers star LeBron James.
The Lakers are scheduled to resume the season with a game against the rival Los Angeles Clippers at 9 p.m. EDT July 30 in Orlando.
Los Angeles traveled to Orlando Thursday and practiced Saturday and Sunday.


upi--2020-07-13--Actress Kelly Preston, wife of John Travolta, dies at 57

July 13 ( UPI ) -- Actress Kelly Preston has died following a two-year battle with breast cancer , husband John Travolta said in a social media post .
She was 57 .
`` It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife , Kelly , has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer , '' Travolta wrote Sunday in an Instagram post .
`` She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many . ''
The actor praised doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and loved ones who have been by her side . ''
`` Kelly 's love and life will always be remembered , '' he added .
Born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu , Preston landed her first major movie role in 1985 in the teen comedy Mischief .
She went on to star in 1980s hits such as SpaceCamp ( 1986 ) and Twins ( 1988 ) before marrying Travolta in 1991 .
Preston 's career also included roles in such notable films as Jerry Maguire ( 1996 ) with Tom Cruise , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with George Clooney , Addicted to Love ( 1997 ) with Meg Ryan and For Love of the Game ( 1999 ) with Kevin Costner .
Her final film role was playing opposite her husband of 28 years in the 2018 film Gotti .
Preston and Travolta had three children together .
Their first child , Jett , died in 2009 at age 16 .
Preston is survived by her husband , daughter Ella , 20 , and 9-year-old son Benjamin .

Actor John Travolta kisses his wife, Kelly Preston, before the screening of "Solo: A Star Wars Story" at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2018. She died Sunday at age 57. File Photo by David Silpa/UPI | License Photo
July 13 (UPI) -- Actress Kelly Preston has died following a two-year battle with breast cancer, husband John Travolta said in a social media post. She was 57. "It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife, Kelly, has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer," Travolta wrote Sunday in an Instagram post. "She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many." Advertisement
The actor praised doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston as well as Preston's "many friends and loved ones who have been by her side."
"Kelly's love and life will always be remembered," he added.
Born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Preston landed her first major movie role in 1985 in the teen comedy Mischief. She went on to star in 1980s hits such as SpaceCamp (1986) and Twins (1988) before marrying Travolta in 1991.
Preston's career also included roles in such notable films as Jerry Maguire (1996) with Tom Cruise, From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) with George Clooney, Addicted to Love (1997) with Meg Ryan and For Love of the Game (1999) with Kevin Costner. Her final film role was playing opposite her husband of 28 years in the 2018 film Gotti.
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Preston and Travolta had three children together. Their first child, Jett, died in 2009 at age 16.
Preston is survived by her husband, daughter Ella, 20, and 9-year-old son Benjamin.
Notable deaths of 2020


upi--2020-07-13--China retaliates with sanctions for U.S. politicians over Xinjiang

July 13 ( UPI ) -- China on Monday announced sanctions targeting U.S. politicians in retaliation for the Trump administration 's blacklisting Chinese government officials over human rights abuses against Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region .
U.S .
Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Samuel Brownback , Republican Sens .
Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz and Republican Rep. Chris Smith were sanctioned as was the Congressional-Executive Commission on China , Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a daily news briefing on Monday .
It was unclear exactly what the sanctions entitle other than they were effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Ministry for comment .
The move came in response to the Trump administration on Thursday blacklisting four Chinese officials , including Chen Quanguo , who holds one of 25 seats on the powerful policymaking Politburo , for contributing to the human rights abuses being committed in Xinjiang , where the Chinese Communist Party has been accused by the U.N. , the United States and activists of detaining more than 1 million Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in detention camps .
China has repeatedly denied the allegations , claiming the camps to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out extremism in the name of counterterrorism while urging the United States and other nations who have condemned its human rights record to stop meddling in its internal affairs .
`` Xinjiang internal affairs are China 's internal affairs , and the U.S. has no right to interfere , '' Hua said Monday , vowing Beijing would take further actions to punish Washington if deemed necessary .
`` The Chinese government is determined to guard national sovereignty , security and development interests and is determined in fighting terrorists , violent separatists and religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interference . ''
Those named by China Monday have repeatedly called it out for its treatment of its Uyghur citizens , with Rubio having authored a bill President Donald Trump signed into law last month to impose sanctions on those responsible for human rights abuses in Xinjiang .

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced retaliatory sanctions against U.S. officials on Monday. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
July 13 (UPI) -- China announced sanctions Monday targeting U.S. politicians in retaliation for the Trump administration's blacklisting Chinese government officials over human rights abuses against Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region. U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Samuel Brownback, Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz and Republican Rep. Chris Smith were sanctioned, as was the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a daily news briefing. Advertisement
It was unclear exactly what the sanctions include, other than they were effective immediately.
The move came in response to the Trump administration on Thursday blacklisting four Chinese officials, including Chen Quanguo, who holds one of 25 seats on the powerful policymaking Politburo, for contributing to the human rights abuses being committed in Xinjiang. The Chinese Communist Party there has been accused by the United Nations, the United States and activists of detaining more than 1 million Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in detention camps.
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China has repeatedly denied the allegations, claiming the camps are training centers whose purpose is to stamp out extremism in the name of counterterrorism, while urging the United States and other nations who have condemned its human rights record to stop meddling in its internal affairs.
"Xinjiang internal affairs are China's internal affairs, and the U.S. has no right to interfere," Hua said Monday, vowing Beijing would take further actions to punish Washington if deemed necessary. "The Chinese government is determined to guard national sovereignty, security and development interests and is determined in fighting terrorists, violent separatists and religious extremists forces and determined in opposing external interference."
Those named by China on Monday have repeatedly called it out for its treatment of its Uyghur citizens, with Rubio having authored a bill President Donald Trump signed into law last month to impose sanctions on those responsible for human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
The move comes amid escalating tensions between the two countries as Washington has increased its vocal condemnation of Beijing's human rights record and has also passed legislation to punish its officials it deems responsible for the abuses being committed against its Muslim minorities and protesters in Hong Kong. The United States has also lambasted China over allegations it attempted to cover up its initial coronavirus outbreak.
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Cruz, who led the successful initiative to blacklist companies that the CCP use to oppress Uyghurs, responded to the sanctions stating the Chinese Communist Party "is terrified and lashing out."
"These are egregious human rights atrocities that cannot be tolerated," he said in a statement. "Unfortunately for CCP leaders, I don't have plans to travel to the authoritarian regime that covered up the coronavirus pandemic and endangered millions of lives worldwide."
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China replied that the sanctions are an attempt by Beijing to intimidate and silence those who are critical of its policies that violate human rights and that it won't back down.
"The CECC will not be silenced and will continue to press the U.S. and the international community to stand together and shine a bright light on Beijing's human rights abuses and the officials who carry them out," its chairs said in a statement.


upi--2020-07-13--10M students may never return to school due to pandemic, says Save the Children

July 13 ( UPI ) -- Almost 10 million children out of school worldwide due to the coronavirus pandemic may never return to a classroom , a new report published Monday by an international children 's humanitarian aid organization said , warning the world is facing an unprecedented and `` hidden education emergency . ''
In the 94-page report Save Our Education published by the Save the Children Fund , the London-based organization said that by early April more than 1.6 billion students , or 91 percent of all students worldwide , had stopped going to school as their doors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has infected nearly 13 million people resulting in more than 569,000 fatalities , according to Johns Hopkins University .
The schools closed as governments the world over instituted varying degrees of lockdown , which has thrust the global economy toward a recession .
By the end of this year , global gross domestic product is forecast to shrink 7.6 percent , the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said last month .
This recession could create a $ 77 billion shortfall in education spending in the world 's poorest countries over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst-case scenario , that figure could be $ 192 billion by the end of 2021 , according to the report 's estimations .
These deep budget cuts to education and rising poverty caused by the virus could cause some 9.7 million students to never return to school with millions more falling behind in their education , the report said .
Children in low-income countries , in refugee camps and in conflict zones , but especially females in those environments , are at high risk of never returning to school , the report said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become more vulnerable to hunger , violence , child labor and child marriage .
`` This is an unprecedented education emergency and governments must urgently invest in learning , '' Inger Ashing , CEO of Save the Children , said in a statement that accompanied the report .
`` Instead , we are at risk of unparalleled budget cuts , which will see existing inequality explode between the rich and the poor and between boys and girls . ''
Children in Afghanistan , Chad , Cote d'Ivoire , Guinea , Liberia , Mali @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pakistan , Senegal and Yemen face the greatest risk of never returning to school while those in another 28 countries have been labeled at either high to moderate risk of not continuing with their education , the report said .
Children in these countries face the greatest risk of being subjected to forced child labor while adolescent females may suffer from gender-based violence , child marriage and pregnancy , the researchers said , adding that the longer they are out of school the greater that risk becomes .
Last month , UNICEF warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into low-paying and dangerous jobs , potentially leading to the first rise in child labor in at least two decades .
`` If we allow this education crisis to unfold , the impact on children 's futures will be long-lasting .
The promise the world has made to ensure all children have access to a quality education by 2030 will be set back , '' Ashing said , referring to one of the United Nations ' Sustainable Development Goals to ensure all children have access to free , equitable and quality primary and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To right this situation , the report calls on governments and donors to invest in education while urging commercial creditors to suspend debt repayments to low-income countries that could make some $ 14 billion available for education investments .
Specifically , it calls on the World Bank to provide $ 35 billion to fund the return to school by making them safe and inclusive with access to school meals and health services .
`` It would be unconscionable to allow resources that are so desperately needed to keep alive the hope that comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repayments , '' Ashing said .
`` Governments should be putting the interests of children before the claim creditors . ''

Afghanistan is one of 12 countries Save the Children said is at the greatest risk of its children never returning to school due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photo courtesy of Hedayatullah Amid/EPA-EFE
July 13 (UPI) -- Almost 10 million children out of school worldwide due to the coronavirus pandemic may never return to a classroom, a new report published Monday by an international children's humanitarian aid organization said, warning the world is facing an unprecedented and "hidden education emergency." In the 94-page report Save Our Education published by the Save the Children Fund, the London-based organization said that by early April more than 1.6 billion students, or 91 percent of all students worldwide, had stopped going to school as their doors shuttered to stymie the spread of COVID-19, which has infected nearly 13 million people resulting in more than 569,000 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University. Advertisement
The schools closed as governments the world over instituted varying degrees of lockdown, which has thrust the global economy toward a recession. By the end of this year, global gross domestic product is forecast to shrink 7.6 percent, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said last month.
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This recession could create a $77 billion shortfall in education spending in the world's poorest countries over the next 18 months. In a worst-case scenario, that figure could be $192 billion by the end of 2021, according to the report's estimations.
These deep budget cuts to education and rising poverty caused by the virus could cause some 9.7 million students to never return to school with millions more falling behind in their education, the report said.
Children in low-income countries, in refugee camps and in conflict zones, but especially females in those environments, are at high risk of never returning to school, the report said, as each day that passes they become more vulnerable to hunger, violence, child labor and child marriage.
"This is an unprecedented education emergency and governments must urgently invest in learning," Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children, said in a statement that accompanied the report. "Instead, we are at risk of unparalleled budget cuts, which will see existing inequality explode between the rich and the poor and between boys and girls."
Children in Afghanistan, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal and Yemen face the greatest risk of never returning to school while those in another 28 countries have been labeled at either high to moderate risk of not continuing with their education, the report said.
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Children in these countries face the greatest risk of being subjected to forced child labor while adolescent females may suffer from gender-based violence, child marriage and pregnancy, the researchers said, adding that the longer they are out of school the greater that risk becomes.
Last month, UNICEF warned that millions of children could be forced into low-paying and dangerous jobs, potentially leading to the first rise in child labor in at least two decades.
"If we allow this education crisis to unfold, the impact on children's futures will be long-lasting. The promise the world has made to ensure all children have access to a quality education by 2030 will be set back," Ashing said, referring to one of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals to ensure all children have access to free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education by the next decade.
To right this situation, the report calls on governments and donors to invest in education while urging commercial creditors to suspend debt repayments to low-income countries that could make some $14 billion available for education investments.
Specifically, it calls on the World Bank to provide $35 billion to fund the return to school by making them safe and inclusive with access to school meals and health services.
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"It would be unconscionable to allow resources that are so desperately needed to keep alive the hope that comes with education to be diverted into debt repayments," Ashing said. "Governments should be putting the interests of children before the claim creditors."


upi--2020-07-13--Sea vegetables could become tasty new nutrition source

ORLANDO , Fla. , July 13 ( UPI ) -- Aquaculture experts and fish farm operators in Florida say a potential new crop , sea vegetables , could provide a tasty source of nutrition and generate revenue .
The native Florida vegetables that grow in salty areas near the ocean can be cultivated in fish farms using fish waste for fertilizer , according to new research .
Such crops could provide a new sustainable and environmentally friendly source of nutrition , researchers say .
`` I think there 's a huge market for these sea veggies , which are more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nutritious soil-farmed plant , '' said Megan Davis , professor of aquaculture at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce , about 120 miles southeast of Orlando .
Davis led a 10-week study this spring to determine the best growing conditions for sea vegetables .
Plants in the study were sea asparagus , which looks similar to regular asparagus ; sea purslane , harvested for the fleshy leaves on long red stems ; and saltwort , a smaller frilly plant .
The plants are high in minerals , such as zinc and iodine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she is awaiting a detailed nutrition analysis from the harvest .
`` Obviously , a lot of people eat seaweed , but I think these sea vegetables appeal to a broader public .
They have a crisp salty taste , '' Davis said .
Besides Florida , the sea vegetables are native to other coastal regions around the world .
For the Harbor Branch experiment , they were grown in tanks that also raise fish , shrimp , urchins and oysters .
The vegetables were grown in three different types of hydroponic media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water with nutrients .
Davis and other researchers used the waste from the marine life to provide nutrients , or fertilizer .
She said the sand provided the best growth in the study , which received $ 25,000 in funding from the state 's marine-themed specialty license plate sales .
One of the plants grew to weigh 2 pounds in 10 weeks .
Companies that farm fish , shrimp and clams said they were impressed with the findings by the institute , which is part of Florida Atlantic University .
Shrimp farmer Robin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sea vegetables to his product lineup at his company , American Penaeid in Pine Island , Fla. , 120 miles south of Tampa .
`` We currently sell shrimp to many high-end restaurants , and we 'd offer sea vegetables to the chefs who like new , interesting cuisine , '' Pearl said .
With 100 acres of shrimp tanks , Pearl 's company has plenty of shrimp waste to use as fertilizer , he said .
`` We 've thought about doing this before , but we 've been too focused on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we 've learned , it might make sense now , '' Pearl said .
Shrimp are among many farmed marine products that could complement sea vegetables , said Carolina Panoff , sales and marketing manager at Seaventures Clam Co. in Fort Pierce .
Seaventures , founded in 2018 , sells young clams to clam farmers .
The company plans to grow sea vegetables , Panoff said .
`` Sea vegetables look like an incredible market to get into .
Seaweed is super healthy , and frankly , it should be available in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Panoff said .

1/4
Sea asparagus and sea purslane are harvested by Professor Megan Davis (L) and staff as part of an aquaculture study at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Photo by Megan Davis/Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
ORLANDO, Fla., July 13 (UPI) -- Aquaculture experts and fish farm operators in Florida say a potential new crop, sea vegetables, could provide a tasty source of nutrition and generate revenue. The native Florida vegetables that grow in salty areas near the ocean can be cultivated in fish farms using fish waste for fertilizer, according to new research. Such crops could provide a new sustainable and environmentally friendly source of nutrition, researchers say. Advertisement
"I think there's a huge market for these sea veggies, which are more nutritious than even kale, the most nutritious soil-farmed plant," said Megan Davis, professor of aquaculture at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, about 120 miles southeast of Orlando.
Davis led a 10-week study this spring to determine the best growing conditions for sea vegetables. Plants in the study were sea asparagus, which looks similar to regular asparagus; sea purslane, harvested for the fleshy leaves on long red stems; and saltwort, a smaller frilly plant.
The plants are high in minerals, such as zinc and iodine, and vitamins, but Davis said she is awaiting a detailed nutrition analysis from the harvest.
"Obviously, a lot of people eat seaweed, but I think these sea vegetables appeal to a broader public. They have a crisp salty taste," Davis said.
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Besides Florida, the sea vegetables are native to other coastal regions around the world. For the Harbor Branch experiment, they were grown in tanks that also raise fish, shrimp, urchins and oysters.
The vegetables were grown in three different types of hydroponic media -- sand, clay pebbles and only water with nutrients. Davis and other researchers used the waste from the marine life to provide nutrients, or fertilizer.
She said the sand provided the best growth in the study, which received $25,000 in funding from the state's marine-themed specialty license plate sales. One of the plants grew to weigh 2 pounds in 10 weeks.
Companies that farm fish, shrimp and clams said they were impressed with the findings by the institute, which is part of Florida Atlantic University.
Shrimp farmer Robin Pearl said he'd like to add sea vegetables to his product lineup at his company, American Penaeid in Pine Island, Fla., 120 miles south of Tampa.
"We currently sell shrimp to many high-end restaurants, and we'd offer sea vegetables to the chefs who like new, interesting cuisine," Pearl said.
With 100 acres of shrimp tanks, Pearl's company has plenty of shrimp waste to use as fertilizer, he said.
"We've thought about doing this before, but we've been too focused on the business of growing shrimp. Given what we've learned, it might make sense now," Pearl said.
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Shrimp are among many farmed marine products that could complement sea vegetables, said Carolina Panoff, sales and marketing manager at Seaventures Clam Co. in Fort Pierce.
Seaventures, founded in 2018, sells young clams to clam farmers. The company plans to grow sea vegetables, Panoff said.
"Sea vegetables look like an incredible market to get into. Seaweed is super healthy, and frankly, it should be available in every grocery store in the near future," Panoff said.


upi--2020-07-13--Famous birthdays for July 13: Patrick Stewart, Harrison Ford

July 13 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer .

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Patrick Stewart participates in a hand and footprint ceremony immortalizing him in the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on January 13. The actor turns 80 on July 13. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
July 13 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include: Advertisement
-- Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest in 1821
-- U.S. businessman John Jacob Astor IV in 1864
-- Dave Garroway, a host of TV's Today Show, in 1913
-- Former HUD Secretary/congressman/pro football star Jack Kemp in 1935
-- Actor Bob Crane in 1928
-- Author Wole Soyinka in 1934 (86)
-- Actor Patrick Stewart in 1940 (age 80)
-- Actor Harrison Ford in 1942 (age 78)
File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
-- Musician Roger McGuinn in 1942 (age 78)
-- Rubik's Cube inventor Erno Rubik in 1944 (age 76)
-- Comedian Cheech Marin in 1946 (age 74)
-- Sports commentator Tony Kornheiser in 1948 (age 72)
-- Actor Didi Conn in 1951 (age 69)
-- Country singer Louise Mandrell in 1954 (age 66)
File Photo by Frederick Breedon IV/UPI
-- Screenwriter/director Cameron Crowe in 1957 (age 63)
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-- Actor Ken Jeong in 1969 (age 51)
-- Actor Colton Haynes in 1988 (age 32)
-- Actor Linnea Berthelsen in 1993 (age 27)
-- Actor Leo Howard in 1997 (age 23)
-- Actor Wyatt Oleff in 2003 (age 17)


upi--2020-07-13--On This Day, July 13: George Zimmerman acquitted of shooting Trayvon Martin

July 13 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1863 , opposition to the Federal Conscription Act triggered New York City riots in which at least 120 people died and hundreds were injured .
In 1898 , Guglielmo Marconi was awarded a patent for wireless telegraphy -- the radio .
In 1943 , one of the largest tank battle in history -- which happened as part of the Battle of Kursk -- ended along the Eastern Front in the Soviet Union when German dictator Adolf Hitler redeployed his troops to the south .
In 1960 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts for president against GOP Vice President Richard Nixon .
In 1977 , a state of emergency was declared in New York City during a 25-hour power blackout .
In 1985 , musicians and celebrities gathered at arenas around the world to hold a 16-hour Live Aid concert , raising more than $ 125 million in famine relief for Africa .
In 1992 , Yitzhak Rabin became Israel 's new prime minister , ending the hard-line Likud Party 's 15-year reign .
Rabin embraced Israeli-Palestinian relations and helped establish peace between Palestinians and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ views and in 1995 was assassinated .
In 1998 , Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto resigned , a victim of the country 's economic woes .
In 2005 , a judge in New York sentenced former WorldCom Chief Executive Officer Bernard Ebbers to 25 years in prison for his part in what was described as the largest fraud in U.S. corporate history .
In 2008 , the U.S. Treasury Department announced a plan to save major government-backed mortgage companies known as Fannie Mac and Freddie Mac with billions of dollars in investments and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteer George Zimmerman was acquitted in the 2012 shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in a gated community in Florida .
The case provoked a national debate on `` stand your ground '' laws and racial profiling .
In 2019 , Simona Halep became the first Romanian to win a Wimbledon singles title after beating Serena Williams .

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George Zimmerman listens as the verdict is announced that a jury found him not guilty on Day 25 of his trial in the Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla., on July 13, 2013. The jury deliberated for 16 hours aver two days. File Photo by Joe Burbank/UPI | License Photo
July 13 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1863, opposition to the Federal Conscription Act triggered New York City riots in which at least 120 people died and hundreds were injured. Advertisement
In 1898, Guglielmo Marconi was awarded a patent for wireless telegraphy -- the radio.
In 1943, one of the largest tank battle in history -- which happened as part of the Battle of Kursk -- ended along the Eastern Front in the Soviet Union when German dictator Adolf Hitler redeployed his troops to the south.
In 1960, Democrats nominated Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts for president against GOP Vice President Richard Nixon.
John F. Kennedy (R) and Richard Nixon debate on October 21, 1960. UPI File Photo
In 1977, a state of emergency was declared in New York City during a 25-hour power blackout.
In 1985, musicians and celebrities gathered at arenas around the world to hold a 16-hour Live Aid concert, raising more than $125 million in famine relief for Africa.
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In 1992, Yitzhak Rabin became Israel's new prime minister, ending the hard-line Likud Party's 15-year reign. Rabin embraced Israeli-Palestinian relations and helped establish peace between Palestinians and Jordanians. He faced criticism for his views and in 1995 was assassinated.
In 1998, Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto resigned, a victim of the country's economic woes.
In 2005, a judge in New York sentenced former WorldCom Chief Executive Officer Bernard Ebbers to 25 years in prison for his part in what was described as the largest fraud in U.S. corporate history.
File Photo by Monika Graff/UPI
In 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department announced a plan to save major government-backed mortgage companies known as Fannie Mac and Freddie Mac with billions of dollars in investments and loans.
In 2013, neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was acquitted in the 2012 shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in a gated community in Florida. The case provoked a national debate on "stand your ground" laws and racial profiling.
In 2019, Simona Halep became the first Romanian to win a Wimbledon singles title after beating Serena Williams.
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