upi--2020-09-23--Experts unsure about COVID-19, flu co-infection, but expect U.S. to find out

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- Becoming ill with both COVID-19 and the seasonal flu is possible , but it 's unclear whether one virus makes the other one worse , experts said this week .
With the winter flu season approaching , concerns about co-infection -- being infected with both viruses simultaneously -- with influenza and COVID-19 are valid , they said .
Although documented cases of co-infection are relatively rare , as many as 3 % of all COVID-19 patients are also battling another virus at the same time , with influenza being among the most common , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health risk of COVID-19 has n't been determined , but that could change if the United States faces `` parallel pandemics '' this winter , Daniel Salmon , director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , said during a conference call with reporters Tuesday .
`` That 's the big unknown , '' added Salmon 's colleague , Andrew Pekosz , a virologist and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance .
`` What we do know is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both can cause serious illness , particularly in certain at-risk populations , '' he said .
Those `` at-risk '' groups are the same for both viruses , and include the elderly and people with chronic health conditions like high blood pressure , heart disease and diabetes , Pekosz said .
In a typical flu season , as many as 40 million Americans are sickened with the seasonal virus , but winter of 2020-21 is expected to be anything but typical , officials have said .
Earlier this month , Dr. Anthony Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allergy and Infectious Diseases , warned that COVID-19 cases across the United States were `` unacceptably high '' heading into flu season and expressed concern that the two viruses could overwhelm the country 's healthcare system .
More than 550,000 Americans have been hospitalized by COVID-19 , and up to 800,000 require that level of care annually because of the flu , the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates .
CDC officials recently urged clinicians across the country to consider the seasonal virus , COVID-19 or both when patients experience cough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They also bolstered flu vaccine supplies for the 2020-21 season to encourage more Americans to get the preventive shot .
Although the flu vaccine does n't protect against COVID-19 , getting the shot reduces a person 's risk for flu , making it more likely that any respiratory symptoms they develop would be caused by the new coronavirus , Pekosz said .
Because both COVID-19 and the flu are respiratory viruses , and are spread the same way , people can take the same steps to reduce their risk for both , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in public and washing their hands regularly , he said .
Researchers also are working on tests that can screen patients for both viruses simultaneously .
Diagnostics manufacturer LabCorp announced last week that it has created a test that can identify those with COVID-19 , influenza A and B and respiratory syncytial virus , or RSV , another common virus .
The company has applied for emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a testing kit consumers can use at home .
Meanwhile , in an analysis published last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , researchers said they have developed a test that can differentiate between both viruses with greater than 99 % accuracy .
Until the dual tests have been evaluated and approved for wide distribution , separate tests will be needed to accurately diagnose those infected , Pekosz said .
`` If you 're starting to feel respiratory symptoms and they 're starting to seem severe , contact your doctor and have them guide you '' as to whether you should get tested and what you should be tested for first , Pekosz said .

Experts are unsure how COVID-19 and influenza interact, but they are raising concerns about the ability of doctors to determine which, if not both, a patient may have when seeking care. Photo by fernandozhiminaicela /Pixabay
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Becoming ill with both COVID-19 and the seasonal flu is possible, but it's unclear whether one virus makes the other one worse, experts said this week. With the winter flu season approaching, concerns about co-infection -- being infected with both viruses simultaneously -- with influenza and COVID-19 are valid, they said. Advertisement
Although documented cases of co-infection are relatively rare, as many as 3% of all COVID-19 patients are also battling another virus at the same time, with influenza being among the most common, researchers estimate.
Whether co-infection worsens the health risk of COVID-19 hasn't been determined, but that could change if the United States faces "parallel pandemics" this winter, Daniel Salmon, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said during a conference call with reporters Tuesday.
Advertisement
"That's the big unknown," added Salmon's colleague, Andrew Pekosz, a virologist and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance.
"What we do know is that both viruses have similar symptoms, and both can cause serious illness, particularly in certain at-risk populations," he said.
Those "at-risk" groups are the same for both viruses, and include the elderly and people with chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, Pekosz said.
In a typical flu season, as many as 40 million Americans are sickened with the seasonal virus, but winter of 2020-21 is expected to be anything but typical, officials have said.
Earlier this month, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned that COVID-19 cases across the United States were "unacceptably high" heading into flu season and expressed concern that the two viruses could overwhelm the country's healthcare system.
More than 550,000 Americans have been hospitalized by COVID-19, and up to 800,000 require that level of care annually because of the flu, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.
CDC officials recently urged clinicians across the country to consider the seasonal virus, COVID-19 or both when patients experience cough, fever, muscle aches and fatigue.
Advertisement
They also bolstered flu vaccine supplies for the 2020-21 season to encourage more Americans to get the preventive shot.
Although the flu vaccine doesn't protect against COVID-19, getting the shot reduces a person's risk for flu, making it more likely that any respiratory symptoms they develop would be caused by the new coronavirus, Pekosz said.
Because both COVID-19 and the flu are respiratory viruses, and are spread the same way, people can take the same steps to reduce their risk for both, like social distancing, wearing a mask in public and washing their hands regularly, he said.
Researchers also are working on tests that can screen patients for both viruses simultaneously. Diagnostics manufacturer LabCorp announced last week that it has created a test that can identify those with COVID-19, influenza A and B and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, another common virus.
The company has applied for emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a testing kit consumers can use at home.
Meanwhile, in an analysis published last week by the Royal Society of Chemistry, researchers said they have developed a test that can differentiate between both viruses with greater than 99% accuracy.
Advertisement
Until the dual tests have been evaluated and approved for wide distribution, separate tests will be needed to accurately diagnose those infected, Pekosz said.
"If you're starting to feel respiratory symptoms and they're starting to seem severe, contact your doctor and have them guide you" as to whether you should get tested and what you should be tested for first, Pekosz said.


upi--2020-09-23--Remodeled antibiotic molecules used to battle drug-resistant bacteria

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- Every year , drug-resistant strains of common bacteria cause thousands of premature deaths , and the problem is getting worse , according to researchers .
Drug-resistance has rendered many old treatments obsolete , but new classes of antibiotics have been slow to materialize .
To tackle the problem , researchers at the University of California , San Francisco decided to redesign existing antibiotic molecules , instead of inventing new ones .
Scientists described the new approach in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature .
`` The aim is to revive classes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieve their full potential , especially those already shown to be safe in humans , '' lead study author Ian Seiple said in a news release .
`` If we can do that , it eliminates the need to continually come up with new classes of drugs that can outdo resistant bacteria .
Redesigning existing drugs could be a vital tool in this effort , '' said Seiple , an assistant professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at the UCSF School of Pharmacy .
Researchers tested their novel approach on a class of antibiotics called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an effective weapon against Staphylococcus aureus infections .
Unfortunately , the bacteria evolved resistance to the antibiotics , forcing doctors to mostly sideline the drugs .
Streptogramins work by attacking a bacteria 's ribosome , preventing the bacteria from synthesizing proteins .
Staphylococcus aureus eventually grew wise to the strategy .
Now , drug-resistant strains of the bacteria produce proteins called virginiamycin acetyltransferases , or Vats , which recognize and chemically disarm the drug molecules upon entering the bacterial cell .
Like many antibiotics , streptogramins are made by tweaking naturally occurring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by other types of bacteria .
Scientists hypothesized that additional designs change might help the antibiotic evade Vats .
Instead of augmenting streptogramin molecules , researchers decided to entirely rebuild the antibiotic .
To simplify the process , they created seven molecular modules , or streptogramin prototypes , that could be further customized .
`` This system allows us to manipulate the building blocks in ways that would n't be possible in nature , '' said Seiple .
`` It gives us an efficient route to re-engineering these molecules from scratch , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be creative with how we modify the structures . ''
Once researchers had some basic molecular building blocks to work with , they used computer models to visually understand how they might fit together and tweak them in order to create a new and effective antibiotic molecule .
`` My lab 's contribution was to say , 'Now that you 've got the seven pieces , which one of them should we modify and in what way ? '
'' said study co-author James Fraser , professor of bioengineering and therapeutic sciences in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modeling helped Seiple , Fraser and their colleagues figure out which parts of the streptogramin molecules are essential to its antibiotic qualities and which non-essential parts could be manipulated to prevent Vats interference .
Using what they learned , researchers synthesized several new streptogramin molecules and tested them against drug-resistant S. aureus in infected mice .
The most promising candidate was ten times more effective than traditional streptogramin drugs .
According Seiple , the team 's research can serve as a blueprint for modifying other classes of antibiotics .
`` We learned about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bind to the same target , '' he said .
`` In addition , we established a workflow for using chemistry to overcome resistance to antibiotics that have n't reached their potential . ''
Ultimately , scientists hope that by studying the molecular mechanics of previously effective antibiotics , they can design more effective drugs .
`` It 's a never-ending arms race with bacteria , '' said Fraser .
`` But by studying the structures involved -- before resistance arises -- we can get an idea of what the potential resistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a guide to making antibiotics that bacteria ca n't resist . ''

Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Every year, drug-resistant strains of common bacteria cause thousands of premature deaths, and the problem is getting worse, according to researchers.
Drug-resistance has rendered many old treatments obsolete, but new classes of antibiotics have been slow to materialize. To tackle the problem, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco decided to redesign existing antibiotic molecules, instead of inventing new ones.
Advertisement
Scientists described the new approach in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
"The aim is to revive classes of drugs that haven't been able to achieve their full potential, especially those already shown to be safe in humans," lead study author Ian Seiple said in a news release.
"If we can do that, it eliminates the need to continually come up with new classes of drugs that can outdo resistant bacteria. Redesigning existing drugs could be a vital tool in this effort," said Seiple, an assistant professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at the UCSF School of Pharmacy.
Advertisement
Researchers tested their novel approach on a class of antibiotics called streptogramins, which, until recently, was an effective weapon against Staphylococcus aureus infections. Unfortunately, the bacteria evolved resistance to the antibiotics, forcing doctors to mostly sideline the drugs.
Streptogramins work by attacking a bacteria's ribosome, preventing the bacteria from synthesizing proteins. Staphylococcus aureus eventually grew wise to the strategy.
Now, drug-resistant strains of the bacteria produce proteins called virginiamycin acetyltransferases, or Vats, which recognize and chemically disarm the drug molecules upon entering the bacterial cell.
Like many antibiotics, streptogramins are made by tweaking naturally occurring antibiotic molecules, which are typically produced by other types of bacteria. Scientists hypothesized that additional designs change might help the antibiotic evade Vats.
Instead of augmenting streptogramin molecules, researchers decided to entirely rebuild the antibiotic. To simplify the process, they created seven molecular modules, or streptogramin prototypes, that could be further customized.
"This system allows us to manipulate the building blocks in ways that wouldn't be possible in nature," said Seiple. "It gives us an efficient route to re-engineering these molecules from scratch, and we have a lot more latitude to be creative with how we modify the structures."
Once researchers had some basic molecular building blocks to work with, they used computer models to visually understand how they might fit together and tweak them in order to create a new and effective antibiotic molecule.
Advertisement
"My lab's contribution was to say, 'Now that you've got the seven pieces, which one of them should we modify and in what way?'" said study co-author James Fraser, professor of bioengineering and therapeutic sciences in the UCSF School of Pharmacy.
Visual modeling helped Seiple, Fraser and their colleagues figure out which parts of the streptogramin molecules are essential to its antibiotic qualities and which non-essential parts could be manipulated to prevent Vats interference.
Using what they learned, researchers synthesized several new streptogramin molecules and tested them against drug-resistant S. aureus in infected mice. The most promising candidate was ten times more effective than traditional streptogramin drugs.
According Seiple, the team's research can serve as a blueprint for modifying other classes of antibiotics.
"We learned about mechanisms that other classes of antibiotics use to bind to the same target," he said. "In addition, we established a workflow for using chemistry to overcome resistance to antibiotics that haven't reached their potential."
Ultimately, scientists hope that by studying the molecular mechanics of previously effective antibiotics, they can design more effective drugs.
"It's a never-ending arms race with bacteria," said Fraser. "But by studying the structures involved -- before resistance arises -- we can get an idea of what the potential resistance mechanisms will be. That insight will be a guide to making antibiotics that bacteria can't resist."


upi--2020-09-23--Firefighters battle blaze from 22-ton pile of chicken poop

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- Firefighters in Britain said crews from three towns spent three hours extinguishing the flames @ @ @ @ @ with a 22-ton pile of chicken manure .
The Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service said @ @ @ @ @ and Stowmarket responded to the property near Mendlesham when the foul-smelling fowl droppings erupted in @ @ @ @ @ took about three hours to extinguish the fire .
No injuries were reported .
Experts @ @ @ @ @ manure can cause spontaneous combustion when a pile becomes too large to allow heat to @ @

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Britain said crews from three towns spent three hours extinguishing the flames from a blaze that started with a 22-ton pile of chicken manure.
The Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service said crews from Leiston, Eye and Stowmarket responded to the property near Mendlesham when the foul-smelling fowl droppings erupted in flames.
Advertisement
Officials said it took about three hours to extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported.
Experts said the chemicals in poultry manure can cause spontaneous combustion when a pile becomes too large to allow heat to escape.


upi--2020-09-23--COVID-induced vacation cancellation leads to $700,000 lottery jackpot

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- An Australian woman said being forced to cancel a planned vacation due to COVID-19 turned out to be unexpectedly lucky when she won a lottery jackpot of more than $ 700,000 .
The Morphett Vale , South Australia , woman told The Lott officials her $ 707,235 winning ticket for the Sept. 21 Monday & Wednesday X Lotto drawing would never have been purchased if it had n't been for the coronavirus pandemic .
`` We 'd actually booked a trip to Europe , and we were supposed to be there now , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to cancel it due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
It 's strange to think that if we had been in Europe , I would n't have purchased this ticket and won [ $ 707,235 ] . ''
The woman said she and her husband are making other plans for their windfall .
`` We 've just got a few things to fix up around the house , and we 'd love to help our family out , '' the winner said .
`` I 'm still working , but I might look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what 's ahead .
It will be handy to have this as a nest egg . ''

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- An Australian woman said being forced to cancel a planned vacation due to COVID-19 turned out to be unexpectedly lucky when she won a lottery jackpot of more than $700,000.
The Morphett Vale, South Australia, woman told The Lott officials her $707,235 winning ticket for the Sept. 21 Monday & Wednesday X Lotto drawing would never have been purchased if it hadn't been for the coronavirus pandemic.
Advertisement
"We'd actually booked a trip to Europe, and we were supposed to be there now," the winner said. "But we had to cancel it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's strange to think that if we had been in Europe, I wouldn't have purchased this ticket and won [$707,235]."
The woman said she and her husband are making other plans for their windfall.
"We've just got a few things to fix up around the house, and we'd love to help our family out," the winner said. "I'm still working, but I might look to retire soon. You never really know what's ahead. It will be handy to have this as a nest egg."


upi--2020-09-23--Dow falls 525 points, S&P 500 dips near correction territory as tech stocks fall

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 525.05 points as tech stocks dragged the major U.S. markets down on Wednesday .
The blue-chip index ended the day down 1.92 % after having been up as much as 176 points earlier in the day .
The S & P 500 also fell 2.34 % pushing it closer to correction territory , which is defined as 10 % below a record high , while the tech-heavy Nasdaq slid deeper into correction territory as it fell 3 % .
Apple stock led a decline in big tech falling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Microsoft slid 3.29 % and Facebook ended the day down 2.25 % .
The S & P 500 has fallen 7.4 % in September , while the Dow has dropped 5.9 % and the Nasdaq has declined 9.7 % in the month as shares of Facebook , Amazon , Apple , Netflix , Alphabet and Microsoft have all dropped 10 % .
`` This rotation out of tech and into cyclical stocks has picked up legs in September , '' Art Hogan , chief marketing strategist at National Securities told CNBC .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and this one has been a quagmire of headwinds .
Today is reflective of that . ''
Tesla stock also fell 10.34 % , while Nike bucked the trend by rising 8.76 % .

Tech stocks fell Wednesday, dragging the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 525 points and pushing the S&P 500 closer to correction territory. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 525.05 points as tech stocks dragged the major U.S. markets down on Wednesday. The blue-chip index ended the day down 1.92% after having been up as much as 176 points earlier in the day. The S&P 500 also fell 2.34% pushing it closer to correction territory, which is defined as 10% below a record high, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq slid deeper into correction territory as it fell 3%. Advertisement
Apple stock led a decline in big tech falling 4.19%, Amazon dropped 4.13%, Microsoft slid 3.29% and Facebook ended the day down 2.25%.
The S&P 500 has fallen 7.4% in September, while the Dow has dropped 5.9% and the Nasdaq has declined 9.7% in the month as shares of Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Alphabet and Microsoft have all dropped 10%.
"This rotation out of tech and into cyclical stocks has picked up legs in September," Art Hogan, chief marketing strategist at National Securities told CNBC. "September is a historically tough month and this one has been a quagmire of headwinds. Today is reflective of that."
Tesla stock also fell 10.34%, while Nike bucked the trend by rising 8.76%.


upi--2020-09-23--1 of 3 Louisville officers indicted in Breonna Taylor shooting

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- A grand jury on Wednesday indicted one of three police officers involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor in her Louisville apartment .
But the charges relate to the firing of shots into the home next door and not Taylor 's killing .
A Jefferson County grand jury indicted former officer Brett Hankison on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment .
The other two involved in the shooting , Sgt .
Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove , were not indicted .
Taylor was shot during the serving of a `` no-knock '' search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narcotics investigation .
The officers arrived without warning and drew resistance from Taylor 's boyfriend , Kenneth Walker , who said he did n't know it was police who entered the apartment and was alarmed by the sudden interruption .
Taylor , 26 , was a certified emergency medical technician , and was not the subject of the raid .
She had no criminal history .
Hankison was dismissed from the force in June after `` wantonly and blindly '' firing 10 shots into Taylor 's apartment and one next door , showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human life , '' Louisville Metro Police Chief Robert Schroeder said .
A wanton endangerment charge is a a felony that carries one to five years in prison if Hankison is convicted .
A judge issued a warrant for his arrest and set a $ 15,000 cash bond .
Ben Crump , an attorney for Taylor 's family , had called for a minimum charge of second-degree manslaughter in the case .
He and co-counsels Sam Aguiar and Lonita baker released a statement in reaction to Wednesday 's announcement .
`` This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memory .
It 's yet another example of no accountability for the genocide of persons of color by white police officers , '' they said .
`` If Hankison 's behavior constituted wanton endangerment of the people in the apartments next to hers , then it should also be considered wanton endangerment of Breonna .
In fact , it should have been ruled wanton murder .
How ironic and typical that the only charges brought in this case were for shots fired into the apartment of a white neighbor , while no charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Black neighbor 's apartment or into Breonna 's residence . ''
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky said the indictment `` is the latest miscarriage of justice in our nation 's long history of denying that Black lives matter . ''
`` Once again , a prosecutor has refused to hold law enforcement accountable for killing a young Black woman . ''
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said prosecutors did n't pursue homicide charges for any of the three officers because they were justified in returning fire after Walker fired upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy and does not fit the mold of public opinion , '' he said .
`` And it does not conform to shifting standards .
I know that not everyone will be satisfied with the charges we 've reported today .
`` My team set out to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ms. Taylor 's death .
We did it with a singular goal in mind : pursuing the truth .
Kentucky deserves no less .
The city of Louisville deserves no less .
If we simply act on emotion or outrage , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not justice . ''
The FBI , meanwhile , said its investigation of the shooting was still underway despite the state 's announcement .
The agency opened the probe in May .
`` FBI Louisville continues its federal investigation into all aspects of the death of Breonna Taylor , '' FBI spokesman Tim Beam told the Louisville Courier Journal .
`` This work will continue beyond the state charges announced today .
An array of activists , politicians and celebrities have called for all three officers to face murder charges .
Presidential candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers `` need to be charged . ''
His running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris , tweeted in June , `` We ca n't forget about Black women in our quest for justice . ''
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared a state of emergency Tuesday out of concern for potential civil unrest following the decision .
The declaration allowed him to set curfews .
`` Our goal is ensuring space and opportunity for potential protesters to gather and express their First Amendment rights after the announcement , '' he said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are preparing for any eventuality to keep everyone safe . ''
The Gene Snyder federal courthouse in downtown Louisville began a weeklong closure on Monday as officials prepared for the possibility of protests .
The city agreed to a $ 12 million civil settlement with Taylor 's family earlier this month .
The settlement included some policing reforms , including a requirement that police commanders approve all warrants before they go to a judge , mandatory written approval before search warrants are executed and an overhaul of the process for simultaneous search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that of of George Floyd in Minnesota , spurred many weeks of unrest nationwide this summer that called for the officers in Louisville and Minneapolis to be prosecuted .

Breonna Taylor's image is seen in a mural on a wall in Vernon, Calif. Though one of the officers involved in her shooting was indicted Wednesday, it wasn't directly related to her death. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A grand jury on Wednesday indicted one of three police officers involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor in her Louisville apartment. But the charges relate to the firing of shots into the home next door and not Taylor's killing. Advertisement
A Jefferson County grand jury indicted former officer Brett Hankison on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. The other two involved in the shooting, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove, were not indicted.
Taylor was shot during the serving of a "no-knock" search warrant on March 13 related to a narcotics investigation. The officers arrived without warning and drew resistance from Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who said he didn't know it was police who entered the apartment and was alarmed by the sudden interruption.
Taylor, 26, was a certified emergency medical technician, and was not the subject of the raid. She had no criminal history.
Advertisement
Hankison was dismissed from the force in June after "wantonly and blindly" firing 10 shots into Taylor's apartment and one next door, showing "extreme indifference to the value of human life," Louisville Metro Police Chief Robert Schroeder said.
A wanton endangerment charge is a a felony that carries one to five years in prison if Hankison is convicted. A judge issued a warrant for his arrest and set a $15,000 cash bond.
Ben Crump, an attorney for Taylor's family, had called for a minimum charge of second-degree manslaughter in the case. He and co-counsels Sam Aguiar and Lonita baker released a statement in reaction to Wednesday's announcement.
"This is outrageous and offensive to Breonna Taylor's memory. It's yet another example of no accountability for the genocide of persons of color by white police officers," they said.
"If Hankison's behavior constituted wanton endangerment of the people in the apartments next to hers, then it should also be considered wanton endangerment of Breonna. In fact, it should have been ruled wanton murder. How ironic and typical that the only charges brought in this case were for shots fired into the apartment of a white neighbor, while no charges were brought for the shots fired into the Black neighbor's apartment or into Breonna's residence."
Advertisement
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky said the indictment "is the latest miscarriage of justice in our nation's long history of denying that Black lives matter."
"Once again, a prosecutor has refused to hold law enforcement accountable for killing a young Black woman."
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said prosecutors didn't pursue homicide charges for any of the three officers because they were justified in returning fire after Walker fired upon them.
"Justice is not often easy and does not fit the mold of public opinion," he said. "And it does not conform to shifting standards. I know that not everyone will be satisfied with the charges we've reported today.
"My team set out to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ms. Taylor's death. We did it with a singular goal in mind: pursuing the truth. Kentucky deserves no less. The city of Louisville deserves no less. If we simply act on emotion or outrage, there is no justice. Mob justice is not justice."
Tune in to our Facebook page (https://t.co/63jQ0rJwFO) to watch today's 1:30pm ET press conference, or watch here: https://t.co/NZPNlLXhfv— Attorney General Daniel Cameron (@kyoag) September 23, 2020
Advertisement
The FBI, meanwhile, said its investigation of the shooting was still underway despite the state's announcement. The agency opened the probe in May.
"FBI Louisville continues its federal investigation into all aspects of the death of Breonna Taylor," FBI spokesman Tim Beam told the Louisville Courier Journal. "This work will continue beyond the state charges announced today.
An array of activists, politicians and celebrities have called for all three officers to face murder charges. Presidential candidate Joe Biden said earlier this month the officers "need to be charged."
His running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, tweeted in June, "We can't forget about Black women in our quest for justice."
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared a state of emergency Tuesday out of concern for potential civil unrest following the decision. The declaration allowed him to set curfews.
"Our goal is ensuring space and opportunity for potential protesters to gather and express their First Amendment rights after the announcement," he said in a statement. "At the same time, we are preparing for any eventuality to keep everyone safe."
The Gene Snyder federal courthouse in downtown Louisville began a weeklong closure on Monday as officials prepared for the possibility of protests. The city agreed to a $12 million civil settlement with Taylor's family earlier this month.
Advertisement
The settlement included some policing reforms, including a requirement that police commanders approve all warrants before they go to a judge, mandatory written approval before search warrants are executed and an overhaul of the process for simultaneous search warrants.
Taylor's death, and that of of George Floyd in Minnesota, spurred many weeks of unrest nationwide this summer that called for the officers in Louisville and Minneapolis to be prosecuted.
Protesters march for social justice


upi--2020-09-23--Military medical personnel dealing with COVID-19 return home

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- About 740 military personnel stationed in Texas and California to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic have returned to home units , the Army said on Wednesday .
Declining demand led to an adjustment in the number of medical and support personnel needed , a statement by the U.S. Army Northern Command on Wednesday said .
`` Through our Defense coordinating officers and Defense coordinating elements , we remain in constant coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency , and have carefully monitored conditions as they relate to COVID-19 in both Texas and California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , U.S. Army North commander .
`` As demand for federal military support declines , so too can our presence as we reset for potential , future missions directed by the Department of Defense , '' Richardson said .
The drawdown occurred throughout September .
Army , Air Force and Navy personnel were assigned since July to 23 hospitals in 13 Texas and California cities at the request of FEMA .
The last 10 leave were100 Army and Navy service members , from three Texas hospitals .
Stars and Stripes reports that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals in San Antonio , Houston , McAllen , Corpus Christi , Victoria , Harlingen , Edinburg , Del Rio , Eagle Pass and Rio Grande City , all in Texas , and in Lodi , Rancho Mirage , Visalia , Fresno , Stockton , Hanford , Los Angeles and Torrance in California .
`` The Department of Defense remains postured to provide capacity and capability when requested by FEMA , in support of local authorities , and is in the COVID-19 fight for as long as needed , '' Army officials said @

The U.S. Fifth Army announced the departure on Wednesday of 740 military medical and support personnel, dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, from Texas and California hospitals to their home units. Photo courtesy of A1C Charissa Mencken/National Guard
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- About 740 military personnel stationed in Texas and California to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic have returned to home units, the Army said on Wednesday. Declining demand led to an adjustment in the number of medical and support personnel needed, a statement by the U.S. Army Northern Command on Wednesday said. Advertisement
"Through our Defense coordinating officers and Defense coordinating elements, we remain in constant coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and have carefully monitored conditions as they relate to COVID-19 in both Texas and California," said Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson, U.S. Army North commander.
"As demand for federal military support declines, so too can our presence as we reset for potential, future missions directed by the Department of Defense," Richardson said.
The drawdown occurred throughout September. Army, Air Force and Navy personnel were assigned since July to 23 hospitals in 13 Texas and California cities at the request of FEMA. The last 10 leave were100 Army and Navy service members, from three Texas hospitals.
Stars and Stripes reports that the medical and support professionals were assigned to hospitals in San Antonio, Houston, McAllen, Corpus Christi, Victoria, Harlingen, Edinburg, Del Rio, Eagle Pass and Rio Grande City, all in Texas, and in Lodi, Rancho Mirage, Visalia, Fresno, Stockton, Hanford, Los Angeles and Torrance in California.
Advertisement
"The Department of Defense remains postured to provide capacity and capability when requested by FEMA, in support of local authorities, and is in the COVID-19 fight for as long as needed," Army officials said.


upi--2020-09-23--Watch: Boy's message in a bottle gets reply from 'The Tooth Fairy'

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- A Tennessee boy who addressed a message in a bottle to the tooth fairy after losing his tooth at a South Carolina beach received a reply in the mail from a generous stranger , his mother said .
Ashley Hamrick of Knox County said her young son , Lucas , was visiting Myrtle Beach with his family in June when he lost his tooth while boogie boarding and it disappeared into the surf .
Hamrick helped Lucas write a letter to the tooth fairy explaining the incident and the note was put inside a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The mother said she was surprised when a package showed up at the family 's home months later bearing a Dayton , Ohio , postmark .
The package contained a letter addressed to Lucas and signed by `` The Tooth Fairy . ''
`` I hope you had a fun vacation at the beach !
I 'm so sorry that you lost your tooth in the surf .
I got your message in the bottle , so I was n't worried about not finding it right away , '' the letter reads .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tooth and gave it to me !
The mermaid wanted you to have this shark tooth to remember your vacation .
Brush your teeth 2 times every day to keep them pretty for me .
Flossing is good too .
Stay safe , '' the anonymous person wrote .
Hamrick said the package contained a shark tooth necklace for Lucas , but did not include any information that might identify the kind stranger .
`` Wish I could find the person who found our # messageinabottle and tell them how appreciative we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their love to spread tooth fairy cheer , '' Hamrick wrote in a Facebook post .

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A Tennessee boy who addressed a message in a bottle to the tooth fairy after losing his tooth at a South Carolina beach received a reply in the mail from a generous stranger, his mother said.
Ashley Hamrick of Knox County said her young son, Lucas, was visiting Myrtle Beach with his family in June when he lost his tooth while boogie boarding and it disappeared into the surf.
Advertisement
Hamrick helped Lucas write a letter to the tooth fairy explaining the incident and the note was put inside a bottle and thrown into the ocean.
The mother said she was surprised when a package showed up at the family's home months later bearing a Dayton, Ohio, postmark.
The package contained a letter addressed to Lucas and signed by "The Tooth Fairy."
"I hope you had a fun vacation at the beach! I'm so sorry that you lost your tooth in the surf. I got your message in the bottle, so I wasn't worried about not finding it right away," the letter reads.
"Good news! Mermaids found your tooth and gave it to me! The mermaid wanted you to have this shark tooth to remember your vacation. Brush your teeth 2 times every day to keep them pretty for me. Flossing is good too. Stay safe," the anonymous person wrote.
Advertisement
Hamrick said the package contained a shark tooth necklace for Lucas, but did not include any information that might identify the kind stranger.
"Wish I could find the person who found our #messageinabottle and tell them how appreciative we are of their gift, their kindness & their love to spread tooth fairy cheer," Hamrick wrote in a Facebook post.


upi--2020-09-23--Fauci: Enough COVID-19 vaccines for all Americans by April

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- The nation 's leading infectious diseases expert , Dr. Anthony Fauci , told Congress on Wednesday that he believes the United States will have enough doses of a coronavirus vaccine to distribute to every American by April .
His prediction moves up the timeline Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield gave Congress last week .
Fauci , who is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said it 's possible for an effective vaccine to become available as soon as late October or early November .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe 50 million doses available , '' he told the Senate appropriations subcommittee .
`` By December , maybe another 100-plus million .
And then you get into January and February .
By the time you get to April , it 'll be a total of about 700 million .
`` They will be rolling in as the months go by and by the time you get to maybe the third or fourth month of 2021 , then you 'll have doses for everyone . ''
The United States has a population of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientists should know if a vaccine is safe and effective by November or December , but Dr. Stephen Hahn , commission of the Food and Drug Administration , said his agency wo n't rush the approval process .
`` FDA will not authorize or approve any COVID-19 vaccine before it has met the agency 's rigorous expectations for safety and effectiveness , '' he told Congress .
`` Decisions to authorize or approve any such vaccine or therapeutic will be made by the dedicated career staff at DA , through our thorough review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions . ''
Questioning turned heated when Sen. Rand Paul , R-Ky. , suggested the coronavirus cases have come down in New York City because the one-time U.S. epicenter of the disease had reached herd immunity .
Fauci rigorously rebuked the idea , telling Paul he 's `` not listening . ''
About 22 % of New York 's population have developed immunity to the virus , but the World Health Organization says 60 % to 80 % of a populace must have immunity to achieve herd immunity .
`` If you believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I believe you 're alone in that , '' Fauci told Paul .
`` Right now if you look at what 's going on right now , the things that are going on in New York to get their test positivity 1 % or less is because they are looking at the guidelines that we have put together from the task force of the four or five things of masks , social distancing , outdoors more than indoors , avoiding crowds and washing hands , '' Fauci said .
The United States added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to updated data from Johns Hopkins University .
Data Wednesday from the university 's Center for Systems Science and Engineering showed 39,300 new COVID-19 cases and 921 deaths .
The death toll for Tuesday was the highest in four days .
Since the start of the pandemic , there have been 6.92 million cases and 201,300 deaths in the United States , according to Johns Hopkins as of Wednesday afternoon .
The national total surpassed 200,000 on Tuesday .
Data shows a national average of 858 deaths per day since Feb. 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death .
Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday it has begun the final stage of clinical trials for its vaccine candidate .
The trial is partly funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and will seek to enroll participants in the United States , Argentina , Brazil , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru and South Africa .
In Wisconsin , Gov .
Tony Evers declared a new public health emergency amid one of the nation 's quickest outbreaks , which officials believe is being driven by students returning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask mandate through late November and said Wisconsin is seeing an `` unprecedented , near-exponential growth '' of the virus .
Statistics show there has been a near three-fold increase in Wisconsin cases over the past three weeks -- and the state had the nation 's highest average over the past week of 46 cases per 100,000 residents , according to the Harvard Global Health Institute .
`` We are seeing an alarming increase in cases across our state , especially on campus , '' Evers said .
`` We need folks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people especially -- please stay home as much as you are able , skip heading to the bars , and wear a mask whenever you go out . ''
The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations reached an all-time high in Wisconsin Tuesday , state health figures show .

1/3
Pedestrians are seen wearing face masks Tuesday in New York City's Times Square. More than 900 people died of COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to researchers. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The nation's leading infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told Congress on Wednesday that he believes the United States will have enough doses of a coronavirus vaccine to distribute to every American by April. His prediction moves up the timeline Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield gave Congress last week. Advertisement
Fauci, who is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it's possible for an effective vaccine to become available as soon as late October or early November.
"In November you'll probably have maybe 50 million doses available," he told the Senate appropriations subcommittee. "By December, maybe another 100-plus million. And then you get into January and February. By the time you get to April, it'll be a total of about 700 million.
Advertisement
"They will be rolling in as the months go by and by the time you get to maybe the third or fourth month of 2021, then you'll have doses for everyone."
The United States has a population of about 328 million people.
Fauci said scientists should know if a vaccine is safe and effective by November or December, but Dr. Stephen Hahn, commission of the Food and Drug Administration, said his agency won't rush the approval process.
"FDA will not authorize or approve any COVID-19 vaccine before it has met the agency's rigorous expectations for safety and effectiveness," he told Congress.
"Decisions to authorize or approve any such vaccine or therapeutic will be made by the dedicated career staff at DA, through our thorough review processes, and science will guide our decisions."
Questioning turned heated when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., suggested the coronavirus cases have come down in New York City because the one-time U.S. epicenter of the disease had reached herd immunity. Fauci rigorously rebuked the idea, telling Paul he's "not listening."
About 22% of New York's population have developed immunity to the virus, but the World Health Organization says 60% to 80% of a populace must have immunity to achieve herd immunity.
Advertisement
"If you believe that 22% is herd immunity, I believe you're alone in that," Fauci told Paul.
"Right now if you look at what's going on right now, the things that are going on in New York to get their test positivity 1% or less is because they are looking at the guidelines that we have put together from the task force of the four or five things of masks, social distancing, outdoors more than indoors, avoiding crowds and washing hands," Fauci said.
The United States added almost 40,000 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, according to updated data from Johns Hopkins University.
Data Wednesday from the university's Center for Systems Science and Engineering showed 39,300 new COVID-19 cases and 921 deaths. The death toll for Tuesday was the highest in four days.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 6.92 million cases and 201,300 deaths in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins as of Wednesday afternoon. The national total surpassed 200,000 on Tuesday.
Data shows a national average of 858 deaths per day since Feb. 6, the date of the first known death.
Advertisement
Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday it has begun the final stage of clinical trials for its vaccine candidate.
The trial is partly funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and will seek to enroll participants in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and South Africa.
In Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers declared a new public health emergency amid one of the nation's quickest outbreaks, which officials believe is being driven by students returning to college campuses.
Evers extended a statewide mask mandate through late November and said Wisconsin is seeing an "unprecedented, near-exponential growth" of the virus.
Statistics show there has been a near three-fold increase in Wisconsin cases over the past three weeks -- and the state had the nation's highest average over the past week of 46 cases per 100,000 residents, according to the Harvard Global Health Institute.
"We are seeing an alarming increase in cases across our state, especially on campus," Evers said. "We need folks to start taking this seriously, and young people especially -- please stay home as much as you are able, skip heading to the bars, and wear a mask whenever you go out."
Advertisement
The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations reached an all-time high in Wisconsin Tuesday, state health figures show.


upi--2020-09-23--Disney pushes 'Black Widow,' 'West Side Story' releases back to 2021

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- Disney announced several films that had been slated for late 2020 release , including Black Widow and West Side Story , are being postponed until 2021 .
The studio said Marvel movie Black Widow , starring Scarlett Johansson as the titular hero , is being pushed back from Nov. 6 until May 7 , 2021 .
The Eternals , a Marvel effort starring Angelina Jolie , is being delayed from Feb. 12 , 2021 , until Nov. 5 of that year ; while Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings , Marvel 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will be released July 7 of next year , instead of the previously announced May 7 .
Kenneth Branagh 's Death on the Nile , originally planned for an Oct. 23 release , is being pushed back to Dec. 18 ; Deep Water , a thriller starring Ben Affleck , is being postponed from Nov. 12 until Aug. 13 of next year ; and Steven Spielberg 's remake of musical West Side Story is being delayed an entire year from Dec. 18 , 2020 , to Dec. 10 , 2021 .
Disney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being pushed up from Dec. 4 of this year to Oct. 23 , 2020 , while The Kings Man , a prequel to the Kingsman franchise , is being moved up from Feb. 26 to Feb. 12 .
The shifts come as about three-quarters of the nation 's movie theaters have reopened , but major markets including New York and Los Angeles remain closed .
Christopher Nolan 's Tenet , one of the first films to be released after theaters reopened , has made only $ 36.1 million since its Sept. 3 release @

Disney announced Marvel movie "Black Widow," starring Scarlett Johansson, is being postponed from its Nov. 6 release date until May 7, 2021. File Photo by Rune Hellestad/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Disney announced several films that had been slated for late 2020 release, including Black Widow and West Side Story, are being postponed until 2021. The studio said Marvel movie Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johansson as the titular hero, is being pushed back from Nov. 6 until May 7, 2021. The Eternals, a Marvel effort starring Angelina Jolie, is being delayed from Feb. 12, 2021, until Nov. 5 of that year; while Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Marvel's first movie led by an Asian hero, will be released July 7 of next year, instead of the previously announced May 7. Advertisement
Kenneth Branagh's Death on the Nile, originally planned for an Oct. 23 release, is being pushed back to Dec. 18; Deep Water, a thriller starring Ben Affleck, is being postponed from Nov. 12 until Aug. 13 of next year; and Steven Spielberg's remake of musical West Side Story is being delayed an entire year from Dec. 18, 2020, to Dec. 10, 2021.
Advertisement
Disney said horror film The Empty Man is being pushed up from Dec. 4 of this year to Oct. 23, 2020, while The Kings Man, a prequel to the Kingsman franchise, is being moved up from Feb. 26 to Feb. 12.
The shifts come as about three-quarters of the nation's movie theaters have reopened, but major markets including New York and Los Angeles remain closed. Christopher Nolan's Tenet, one of the first films to be released after theaters reopened, has made only $36.1 million since its Sept. 3 release.


upi--2020-09-23--Watch: Man confronts mountain lion outside California home

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- A California man who spotted what he initially thought was a German shepherd in his yard ended up chasing a mountain lion that was stalking some nearby kids .
Timothy Kerisk said he went outside his Pacifica home to look for his cat when he spotted a much larger animal next to his fence .
`` I thought it was a German Shepherd at first , I was like 'oh , somebody 's dog , ' '' Kerrisk told KABC-TV .
`` Then I looked and it turned back and looked at me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ god no , that 's a mountain lion . '
'' Kerrisk said the mountain lion was peering through the slats of his fence at some kids playing nearby .
`` I started yelling for the kids to go back inside and that 's when the mountain lion turned around , saw me coming , and started coming at me and then jumped over the fence , '' he said .
`` Still watching the kids , so I had to come out of the house and chase him out from under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Kerrisk said .
Kerrisk said the mountain lion had chased his cat earlier that same day .
Neighbor Andrew Mooney 's surveillance cameras also captured footage of the big cat prowling the neighborhood .
`` The width of a 2020 Ford F-150 from nose to tail .
It 's the biggest one that I 've seen .
We have a lot of sightings of mountain lions around here , and they all seem to be small bobcat size .
This one was well fed , '' Mooney told KRON-TV .

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A California man who spotted what he initially thought was a German shepherd in his yard ended up chasing a mountain lion that was stalking some nearby kids.
Timothy Kerisk said he went outside his Pacifica home to look for his cat when he spotted a much larger animal next to his fence.
Advertisement
"I thought it was a German Shepherd at first, I was like 'oh, somebody's dog,'" Kerrisk told KABC-TV. "Then I looked and it turned back and looked at me, and I was like, 'oh my god no, that's a mountain lion.'"
Kerrisk said the mountain lion was peering through the slats of his fence at some kids playing nearby.
"I started yelling for the kids to go back inside and that's when the mountain lion turned around, saw me coming, and started coming at me and then jumped over the fence," he said.
Kerrisk said the cougar fled underneath a nearby parked vehicle.
"Still watching the kids, so I had to come out of the house and chase him out from under the car and up over the hill," Kerrisk said.
Advertisement
Kerrisk said the mountain lion had chased his cat earlier that same day.
Neighbor Andrew Mooney's surveillance cameras also captured footage of the big cat prowling the neighborhood.
"The width of a 2020 Ford F-150 from nose to tail. It's the biggest one that I've seen. We have a lot of sightings of mountain lions around here, and they all seem to be small bobcat size. This one was well fed," Mooney told KRON-TV.


upi--2020-09-23--U.S. Marine F-35Bs land on deck of carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- Ten U.S. Marines F-35B fighter planes arrived on the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to begin exercises in the North Sea , the Marines announced .
The short-takeoff-and-landing planes of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 , based in Arizona , arrived aboard the ship on Tuesday .
The aircraft arrive ahead of GroupEx , an exercise which will involve a British Carrier Strike Group , as well as Dutch and U.S. Navy warships .
The drills will focus on the interoperability of the F-35Bs and the aircraft carrier , which will house British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Britain earlier in September .
`` HMS Queen Elizabeth will be operating with the largest air group of 5th generation fighters assembled anywhere in the world , `` Commodore Steve Moorhouse , of Britain 's Royal Air Force , said in a statement .
`` Led by the Royal Navy , and backed by our closest allies , this new Carrier Strike Group puts real muscle back into NATO , and sends a clear signal that the United Kingdom takes its global role seriously , '' said Moorhouse , commander of Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will include the largest air group to operate from a Royal Navy carrier since the Falkland Islands war in 1983 .
It is also the first time a squadron of 5th-generation aircraft will be deployed aboard a foreign vessel .
The union of U.S. fighter planes and British warships is an element of Joint Warrior , NATO 's largest annual exercise , off the Scottish coast .

Ten F-35B fighter planes of the U.S. Marines landed on the deck of the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday in preparation for naval and aerial exercises. Photo courtesy of Royal Navy
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Ten U.S. Marines F-35B fighter planes arrived on the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to begin exercises in the North Sea, the Marines announced. The short-takeoff-and-landing planes of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, based in Arizona, arrived aboard the ship on Tuesday. Advertisement
The aircraft arrive ahead of GroupEx, an exercise which will involve a British Carrier Strike Group, as well as Dutch and U.S. Navy warships. The drills will focus on the interoperability of the F-35Bs and the aircraft carrier, which will house British F-35Bs in 2021.
The squadron flew to Britain earlier in September.
"HMS Queen Elizabeth will be operating with the largest air group of 5th generation fighters assembled anywhere in the world, " Commodore Steve Moorhouse, of Britain's Royal Air Force, said in a statement.
"Led by the Royal Navy, and backed by our closest allies, this new Carrier Strike Group puts real muscle back into NATO, and sends a clear signal that the United Kingdom takes its global role seriously," said Moorhouse, commander of Britain's carrier strike group.
The exercise will include the largest air group to operate from a Royal Navy carrier since the Falkland Islands war in 1983. It is also the first time a squadron of 5th-generation aircraft will be deployed aboard a foreign vessel.
Advertisement
The union of U.S. fighter planes and British warships is an element of Joint Warrior, NATO's largest annual exercise, off the Scottish coast.


upi--2020-09-23--Antarctic Ice Sheet to melt, raise sea levels by 8.5 feet even under Paris Agreement

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- The Antarctic Ice Sheet will suffer irreversible ice loss raising ocean levels by 8.5 feet even if the world meets global warming goals laid out by the Paris Agreement on Climate change , scientists said in a report published Wednesday .
The analysis determined there are a number of temperature thresholds above pre-industrial levels that will ultimately lead to increasing sea levels if the world 's nations do n't rein in emissions and global warming .
The study , published Wednesday in the journal nature , was conducted by researchers at the Potsdam Institute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Potsdam in Germany , Columbia University in New York City , and Stockholm University in Sweden .
The researchers determined that if global warming is maintained at 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels -- as laid out by the Paris Agreement -- sea levels would rise by 8.5 feet .
If the climate agreement is not met and global warming rises to between 6 degrees and 9 degrees above pre-industrial levels , sea levels will increase to up to about 138.5 feet .
Global warming of 10 degrees above pre-industrial levels would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the study says .
The impacts wo n't be immediate , but once global temperatures reach these levels , Antarctic ice will irreversibly melt into the next century .
`` Antarctica holds more than half of Earth 's fresh water , frozen in a vast ice-sheet which is [ more than 3 miles ] thick , '' said Ricarda Winkelmann , lead authors of the study and researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and University of Potsdam .
`` As the surrounding ocean water and atmosphere warm due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cap on the South Pole loses mass and eventually becomes unstable .
Because of its sheer magnitude , Antarctica 's potential for sea-level contribution is enormous : We find that already at 2 degrees of warming , melting and the accelerated ice flow into the ocean will , eventually , entail 2.5 meters of global sea level rise just from Antarctica alone .
At 4 degrees , it will be 6.5 meters and at 6 degrees almost 12 meters if these temperature levels would be sustained long enough . ''
Basically , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continent loses its ice .
Last month , scientists discovered a new melting spot in East Antarctica , home to most of the ice sheet .
An influx of warm seawater into the Lützow-Holm Bay has accelerated melt rates beneath the Shirase Glacier Tongue .

View of the rift across the Larsen C Ice Shelf as seen from the vantage point of NASA's DC-8 research aircraft on November 10, 2016. Scientists predict that even keeping global warming to a minimum under the Paris Agreement, enough of the Antarctic Ice Shelf will met to raise sea levels by 8.5 feet in the long-term. File Photo by John Sonntag/NASA | License Photo
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The Antarctic Ice Sheet will suffer irreversible ice loss raising ocean levels by 8.5 feet even if the world meets global warming goals laid out by the Paris Agreement on Climate change, scientists said in a report published Wednesday. The analysis determined there are a number of temperature thresholds above pre-industrial levels that will ultimately lead to increasing sea levels if the world's nations don't rein in emissions and global warming. Advertisement
The study, published Wednesday in the journal nature, was conducted by researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the University of Potsdam in Germany, Columbia University in New York City, and Stockholm University in Sweden.
The researchers determined that if global warming is maintained at 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels -- as laid out by the Paris Agreement -- sea levels would rise by 8.5 feet.
If the climate agreement is not met and global warming rises to between 6 degrees and 9 degrees above pre-industrial levels, sea levels will increase to up to about 138.5 feet. Global warming of 10 degrees above pre-industrial levels would cause Antartica to become "virtually ice-free," the study says.
Advertisement
The impacts won't be immediate, but once global temperatures reach these levels, Antarctic ice will irreversibly melt into the next century.
"Antarctica holds more than half of Earth's fresh water, frozen in a vast ice-sheet which is [more than 3 miles] thick," said Ricarda Winkelmann, lead authors of the study and researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and University of Potsdam.
"As the surrounding ocean water and atmosphere warm due to human greenhouse-gas emissions, the white cap on the South Pole loses mass and eventually becomes unstable. Because of its sheer magnitude, Antarctica's potential for sea-level contribution is enormous: We find that already at 2 degrees of warming, melting and the accelerated ice flow into the ocean will, eventually, entail 2.5 meters of global sea level rise just from Antarctica alone. At 4 degrees, it will be 6.5 meters and at 6 degrees almost 12 meters if these temperature levels would be sustained long enough."
Basically, the warmer Earth gets, the faster the continent loses its ice.
Last month, scientists discovered a new melting spot in East Antarctica, home to most of the ice sheet. An influx of warm seawater into the Lützow-Holm Bay has accelerated melt rates beneath the Shirase Glacier Tongue.


upi--2020-09-23--Robot beats humans at curling thanks to deep learning program

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- Thanks to a new deep learning program , a curling robot , appropriately named Curly , was able to win three out of four matches against curlers from South Korea 's national teams .
Researchers detailed the software behind the breakthrough in a new paper published Wednesday in the journal Science Robotics .
Curling is sometimes described as a hybrid of bowling and chess -- on ice .
During gameplay , teams of two take turns throwing large `` stones '' across 150 feet of ice toward a bulls-eye target .
The sport requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategic thinking .
`` The game of curling can be considered a good testbed for studying the interaction between artificial intelligence systems and the real world , '' Seong-Whan Lee , professor of cognitive engineering at Korea University , told UPI in an email .
Often , artificial intelligence system perform well in simulations , but struggle when applied in the real world .
The problem is known as the `` sim-to-real '' gap .
In the computer lab , deep learning systems can learn from millions of actions in repeated simulations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not even be able to perform hundreds of actions for the purpose of learning in each case , '' Lee said .
`` Moreover , the system can never fully replicate the real world . ''
Ice is one of many environments that is especially difficult to simulate .
And because Curly must physically interact with the environment , simulation is even more difficult .
`` In robotics , the sim-to-real gap has to do with visual perception , which means that the simulated world looks different from the real world , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an email .
Stork was not involved in the research , but wrote a commentary article on the research for Science Robotics .
`` An example would be that a driverless car would see many more different cars and houses than one could possibly simulate , '' said Stork , a professor of machine learning at Örebro University in Sweden .
In curling , with each throw , the ice conditions change .
To compete against humans , researchers had to train Curly to judge uncontrollable environmental conditions and adapt .
Researchers supplied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep reinforcement learning '' system , a trial-and-error learning system that helps Curly compensate for uncertainties and take adaptive actions .
Curly learns from each throw , allowing the robot to make corrections on subsequent throws .
`` It is no longer necessary to identify the exact conditions on the ice sheet explicitly and therefore it is not necessary to a simulation that is exactly like the real world , '' Stork said .
`` The simulation only had to change during training such that the policy has to learn to adapt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressed in this work . ''
When the research team , scientists and engineers from Germany and Korea , combined their deep reinforcement learning system with a separate , previously developed strategy planning model , their artificial intelligence curling robot system was able to outperform expert curlers .
`` We succeeded not only in terms of strategic planning but also with respect to the real-time adaptation within the real curling game setting , '' Lee said .
Unlike human curling teams , which have three members , Curly uses only two robots -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skipper , the component in charge of aiming strategy , and a thrower , the component in charge of throwing mechanics .
Using its novel artificial intelligence system , the two components communicate to identify throwing errors , interpret changing ice conditions and make adjustments accordingly , all while accounting for the shifting strategy -- dictated by the stones thrown by the human team .
Scientists hope their new deep reinforcement learning system can be adapted for a variety of complex real-world applications , including drone navigation .
`` The approach presented in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have a task or environment that is changing over time and where the exact conditions are difficult to perceive from sensor data , '' Stork said .
`` An industry-related scenario that I currently work with would be a plant for processing ore from a mine . ''
`` The composition of the ore changes over time , depending from where it was mined and the plant 's operation has to adapt to these changes , '' he said .
`` Here , it is too expensive to analyze in a chemical @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Curly consists of one artificial intelligence system and two physical robots, a thrower and a skipper. The skipper, pictured above, uses a camera to interpret changing ice conditions and coordinate strategy. Photo by Korea University
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Thanks to a new deep learning program, a curling robot, appropriately named Curly, was able to win three out of four matches against curlers from South Korea's national teams. Researchers detailed the software behind the breakthrough in a new paper published Wednesday in the journal Science Robotics. Advertisement
Curling is sometimes described as a hybrid of bowling and chess -- on ice. During gameplay, teams of two take turns throwing large "stones" across 150 feet of ice toward a bulls-eye target. The sport requires a combination of precise physical performance and strategic thinking.
"The game of curling can be considered a good testbed for studying the interaction between artificial intelligence systems and the real world," Seong-Whan Lee, professor of cognitive engineering at Korea University, told UPI in an email.
Often, artificial intelligence system perform well in simulations, but struggle when applied in the real world. The problem is known as the "sim-to-real" gap.
Advertisement
In the computer lab, deep learning systems can learn from millions of actions in repeated simulations.
"In the real world, we may not even be able to perform hundreds of actions for the purpose of learning in each case," Lee said. "Moreover, the system can never fully replicate the real world."
Ice is one of many environments that is especially difficult to simulate. And because Curly must physically interact with the environment, simulation is even more difficult.
"In robotics, the sim-to-real gap has to do with visual perception, which means that the simulated world looks different from the real world," Johannes Andreas Stork told UPI in an email.
Stork was not involved in the research, but wrote a commentary article on the research for Science Robotics.
"An example would be that a driverless car would see many more different cars and houses than one could possibly simulate," said Stork, a professor of machine learning at Örebro University in Sweden.
In curling, with each throw, the ice conditions change. To compete against humans, researchers had to train Curly to judge uncontrollable environmental conditions and adapt.
Researchers supplied Curly with what they call a "deep reinforcement learning" system, a trial-and-error learning system that helps Curly compensate for uncertainties and take adaptive actions. Curly learns from each throw, allowing the robot to make corrections on subsequent throws.
Advertisement
"It is no longer necessary to identify the exact conditions on the ice sheet explicitly and therefore it is not necessary to a simulation that is exactly like the real world," Stork said. "The simulation only had to change during training such that the policy has to learn to adapt. This is how the sim-to-real gap is addressed in this work."
When the research team, scientists and engineers from Germany and Korea, combined their deep reinforcement learning system with a separate, previously developed strategy planning model, their artificial intelligence curling robot system was able to outperform expert curlers.
"We succeeded not only in terms of strategic planning but also with respect to the real-time adaptation within the real curling game setting," Lee said.
Unlike human curling teams, which have three members, Curly uses only two robots -- no sweepers. Curly relies on a skipper, the component in charge of aiming strategy, and a thrower, the component in charge of throwing mechanics.
Using its novel artificial intelligence system, the two components communicate to identify throwing errors, interpret changing ice conditions and make adjustments accordingly, all while accounting for the shifting strategy -- dictated by the stones thrown by the human team.
Advertisement
Scientists hope their new deep reinforcement learning system can be adapted for a variety of complex real-world applications, including drone navigation.
"The approach presented in this work is suitable for problems where we have a task or environment that is changing over time and where the exact conditions are difficult to perceive from sensor data," Stork said. "An industry-related scenario that I currently work with would be a plant for processing ore from a mine."
"The composition of the ore changes over time, depending from where it was mined and the plant's operation has to adapt to these changes," he said. "Here, it is too expensive to analyze in a chemical lab on a continual basis."


upi--2020-09-23--Marines officially roll out new M18 handgun

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- The U.S. Marine Corps officially began fielding the M18 Modular Handgun , its first new service pistol in 35 years , it announced on Wednesday .
The Beretta M9 , adopted by the Marines in 1985 , will be replaced by a handgun based on the civilian Sig Sauer Model P320 , with all M9s in the Marines ' inventory scheduled to be replaced by 2022 , the branch said in a press release .
The M18 was developed through the Army 's Modular Handgun Systems program , and are currently in use by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force , and Coast Guard .
The Marine Corps ordered M18s under a program to supplement the 20,648 it procured in 2018 as part of its $ 17 million request for infantry weapons .
It expects to order a total of 30,305 new pistols .
Formal Marksmanship Training Centers , Reconnaissance Battalions , Provost Marshall Offices and Marine Corps Security Forces will be the first Marine units to receive the M18 , the Marines said .
The new pistol is lighter than its predecessor , has interchangeable grip components to fit a range @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with lights or lasers , and offers two different trigger pulls for single- and double-action shooting .
`` For some Marines , having two trigger pulls , like with the M9 , is difficult to get used to because different forces are acting upon the gun , '' said Sgt .
Randall McClellan , of the Weapons Training Battalion at Marine Corps Base Quantico , Va. `` With the M18 , the trigger is going to be the same weight [ amount of force ] every time . ''

The U.S. Marine Corps officially began the rollout of its new M18 Modular Handgun, replacing the Beretta M9 pistol, on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of U.S. Marine Corps
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. Marine Corps officially began fielding the M18 Modular Handgun, its first new service pistol in 35 years, it announced on Wednesday. The Beretta M9, adopted by the Marines in 1985, will be replaced by a handgun based on the civilian Sig Sauer Model P320, with all M9s in the Marines' inventory scheduled to be replaced by 2022, the branch said in a press release. Advertisement
The M18 was developed through the Army's Modular Handgun Systems program, and is currently in use by the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
The Marine Corps ordered M18s under a program to supplement the 20,648 it procured in 2018 as part of its $17 million request for infantry weapons. It expects to order a total of 30,305 new pistols.
Formal Marksmanship Training Centers, Reconnaissance Battalions, Provost Marshall Offices and Marine Corps Security Forces will be the first Marine units to receive the M18, the Marines said.
The new pistol is lighter than its predecessor, has interchangeable grip components to fit a range of hand sizes, can be equipped with lights or lasers, and offers two different trigger pulls for single- and double-action shooting.
Advertisement
"For some Marines, having two trigger pulls, like with the M9, is difficult to get used to because different forces are acting upon the gun," said Sgt. Randall McClellan, of the Weapons Training Battalion at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. "With the M18, the trigger is going to be the same weight [amount of force] every time."


upi--2020-09-23--Guinness: Phone stopwatches 'too unreliable' for world record

Sept. 23 ( UPI ) -- Guinness World Records said that , despite numerous inquiries , it will not be @ @ @ @ @ for starting and stopping a smartphone stopwatch .
`` We 've had a lot of @ @ @ @ @ the last few days about the fastest time to start and stop a phone stopwatch @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's actually not something that Guinness World Records have monitored previously , but @ @ @ @ @ it ? ''
The record-keeping organization posted a follow-up tweet the next day saying officials @ @ @ @ @ not be viable for world record recognition .
`` Just to clarify , sadly this @ @ @ @ @ ever monitor , '' the organization said .
`` Phone stopwatches are too unreliable and @ @ @ @ @ display false times .
Sorry . ''

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe
Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Guinness World Records said that, despite numerous inquiries, it will not be able to create a category for starting and stopping a smartphone stopwatch.
"We've had a lot of people get in touch over the last few days about the fastest time to start and stop a phone stopwatch," Guinness tweeted. "It's actually not something that Guinness World Records have monitored previously, but how quickly can you do it?"
Advertisement
The record-keeping organization posted a follow-up tweet the next day saying officials had determined the practice would not be viable for world record recognition.
"Just to clarify, sadly this isn't something we could ever monitor," the organization said. "Phone stopwatches are too unreliable and can be easily manipulated to display false times. Sorry."


upi--2020-09-24--IEA study: World must quickly adopt CO2-catching science to meet climate goals

Sept. 24 ( UPI ) -- A global energy watchdog said in a report Thursday that governments and polluters must quickly embrace carbon capture and storage technologies to have any chance of meeting future climate goals .
The International Energy Agency said carbon capture , utilization and storage ( CCUS ) technology must have a key role in trapping global-warming emissions .
`` Carbon capture , utilization and storage is the only group of technologies that contributes both to reducing emissions in key sectors directly and to removing [ carbon dioxide ] from the atmosphere to balance the emissions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crucial part of reaching the net-zero emissions goals that a growing number of governments and companies have set for themselves , '' IEA said in a statement .
The major report , titled `` CCUS in Clean Energy Transitions , '' said the technology can be used with existing energy infrastructure , such as power and industrial plants , and can provide solutions for heavy industries like chemicals and aviation .
The report said the technology offers a cost-effective pathway for low-carbon hydrogen production in many regions and can remove CO2 from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate challenge means we need to act across a wide range of energy technologies , '' IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said .
`` Carbon capture is critical for ensuring our transitions to clean energy are secure and sustainable . ''
Birol noted that world governments buying into the strategy is `` essential '' to creating a viable market for the technology .
`` But the industry must also embrace the opportunity , '' he added .
`` No sector will be unaffected by clean energy transitions -- and for some , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is inescapable . ''
The IEA said there are existing plans to build more than 30 CCUS facilities worldwide at a cost of $ 27 billion , more than twice the total of investments pledged in 2017 .

Thursday's report said the technology offers a cost-effective pathway for low-carbon hydrogen production and can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. File Photo by Ryan Tong/EPA-EFE
Sept. 24 (UPI) -- A global energy watchdog said in a report Thursday that governments and polluters must quickly embrace carbon capture and storage technologies to have any chance of meeting future climate goals. The International Energy Agency said carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technology must have a key role in trapping global-warming emissions. Advertisement
"Carbon capture, utilization and storage is the only group of technologies that contributes both to reducing emissions in key sectors directly and to removing [carbon dioxide] from the atmosphere to balance the emissions that are the hardest to prevent -- a crucial part of reaching the net-zero emissions goals that a growing number of governments and companies have set for themselves," IEA said in a statement.
The major report, titled "CCUS in Clean Energy Transitions," said the technology can be used with existing energy infrastructure, such as power and industrial plants, and can provide solutions for heavy industries like chemicals and aviation.
The report said the technology offers a cost-effective pathway for low-carbon hydrogen production in many regions and can remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
"The scale of the climate challenge means we need to act across a wide range of energy technologies," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said. "Carbon capture is critical for ensuring our transitions to clean energy are secure and sustainable."
Advertisement
Birol noted that world governments buying into the strategy is "essential" to creating a viable market for the technology.
"But the industry must also embrace the opportunity," he added. "No sector will be unaffected by clean energy transitions -- and for some, including heavy industry, the value of CCUS is inescapable."
The IEA said there are existing plans to build more than 30 CCUS facilities worldwide at a cost of $27 billion, more than twice the total of investments pledged in 2017.


upi--2020-09-24--Report: North Korea defector group committed fraud

Sept. 24 ( UPI ) -- North Korean defector-led groups in the South are under increased scrutiny amid allegations some of the organizations committed financial fraud as group leaders enriched themselves .
Vision Korea , a nonprofit created by defector-activist Kim Mi-hwa , misappropriated $ 51,000 after Kim collected the funds from government-owned Korea Hana Foundation , court documents obtained by South Korean television network MBC show .
Kim received a six-month prison sentence in November for fraud .
The unification ministry , which registers organizations like Vision Korea , did not conduct a probe for three years before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an apartment in southern Seoul with a market price of about $ 1 million according to MBC , had asked for the government funds to build a `` shelter '' for North Korean women newly arrived in the South .
The shelter 's address was Kim 's private residence , according to the report .
Vision Korea is also connected to far-right organizations that protested the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017 , including the Korea Parent Federation , a far-right group that attacked the families of the victims of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Vision Korea 's accounts show funds received from the Federation of Korean Industries , a pro-deregulation group , and the Park-era National Intelligence Service in 2015 and 2016 .
Vision Korea profited from right-wing rallies .
A rally participant told MBC they would be paid by special interest groups about $ 17 for attending , but Kim would take about 10 % of the fee they received as commission .
Unification ministry sources told MBC the audit of Vision Korea has been delayed for three years because the group had changed its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspect 109 registered corporations and 180 nonprofit organizations as part of planned audits of defector-activists .
U.N. Special Rapporteur Tomás Ojea Quintana has said the audits are a cause for concern , as defectors are a valuable source of information about the North .
Quintana said Wednesday China needs to protect the basic rights of North Koreans in accordance with the U.N .
Refugee Convention , Voice of America 's Korean service reported .
China became a signatory to the convention on Sept. 24 , 1982 .

A defector-led organization in the South allegedly committed financial fraud while supporting right-wing causes, according to a South Korean press report on Thursday. File Photo by Kim Chul-soo/EPA-EFE
Sept. 24 (UPI) -- North Korean defector-led groups in the South are under increased scrutiny amid allegations some of the organizations committed financial fraud as group leaders enriched themselves. Vision Korea, a nonprofit created by defector-activist Kim Mi-hwa, misappropriated $51,000 after Kim collected the funds from government-owned Korea Hana Foundation, court documents obtained by South Korean television network MBC show. Advertisement
Kim received a six-month prison sentence in November for fraud. The unification ministry, which registers organizations like Vision Korea, did not conduct a probe for three years before the sentencing.
Kim, who allegedly sold an apartment in southern Seoul with a market price of about $1 million according to MBC, had asked for the government funds to build a "shelter" for North Korean women newly arrived in the South. The shelter's address was Kim's private residence, according to the report.
Vision Korea is also connected to far-right organizations that protested the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017, including the Korea Parent Federation, a far-right group that attacked the families of the victims of the Sewol ferry sinking. According to MBC, Vision Korea's accounts show funds received from the Federation of Korean Industries, a pro-deregulation group, and the Park-era National Intelligence Service in 2015 and 2016.
Advertisement
Vision Korea profited from right-wing rallies. A rally participant told MBC they would be paid by special interest groups about $17 for attending, but Kim would take about 10% of the fee they received as commission.
Unification ministry sources told MBC the audit of Vision Korea has been delayed for three years because the group had changed its name.
Seoul has said it would inspect 109 registered corporations and 180 nonprofit organizations as part of planned audits of defector-activists. U.N. Special Rapporteur Tomás Ojea Quintana has said the audits are a cause for concern, as defectors are a valuable source of information about the North.
Quintana said Wednesday China needs to protect the basic rights of North Koreans in accordance with the U.N. Refugee Convention, Voice of America's Korean service reported.
China became a signatory to the convention on Sept. 24, 1982.


upi--2020-09-24--Watch: Brandon Leake wins 'America's Got Talent' Season 15

Sept. 24 ( UPI ) -- Brandon Leake is the winner of America 's Got Talent Season 15 .
The 27-year-old spoken-word poet was crowned the new champion Wednesday during the NBC reality talent competition 's two-hour live finale .
Leake , who earned Howie Mandel 's Golden Buzzer in a previous episode , impressed the audience and judges with his emotional spoken-word performances throughout the competition .
The Stockton , Calif. , native beat out nine other finalists to win the $ 1 million prize and a headlining show in Las Vegas .
Music duo Broken Roots was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Leake is the first spoken-word poet to appear in the competition .
`` This is a huge win for the spoken-word community , '' he said Wednesday .
`` For an art form that has not been on the main stream ever to have a chance to win America 's Got Talent is bigger than anything . ''
`` I am going to show the world what a spoken-word poet can do , '' he added .
The finale featured appearances by Blake Shelton , Julia Michaels , OneRepublic , Usher , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a special message from Meghan Markle for contestant Archie Williams .
The Season 15 finale results were as follows :

The votes are in! Your new #AGT winner is... pic.twitter.com/trYh9B9rfp— America's Got Talent Finale Tonight! (@AGT) September 24, 2020
Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Brandon Leake is the winner of America's Got Talent Season 15.
The 27-year-old spoken-word poet was crowned the new champion Wednesday during the NBC reality talent competition's two-hour live finale.
Advertisement
Leake, who earned Howie Mandel's Golden Buzzer in a previous episode, impressed the audience and judges with his emotional spoken-word performances throughout the competition.
The Stockton, Calif., native beat out nine other finalists to win the $1 million prize and a headlining show in Las Vegas. Music duo Broken Roots was the runner-up, followed by singer Cristina Rae.
Leake is the first spoken-word poet to appear in the competition.
"This is a huge win for the spoken-word community," he said Wednesday. "For an art form that has not been on the main stream ever to have a chance to win America's Got Talent is bigger than anything."
"I am going to show the world what a spoken-word poet can do," he added.
The finale featured appearances by Blake Shelton, Julia Michaels, OneRepublic, Usher, Ava Max and other stars, and a special message from Meghan Markle for contestant Archie Williams.
Advertisement
The Season 15 finale results were as follows:
First group eliminated: Bello Sisters, Danelia Tuleshova, Bad Salsa, Kenadi Dodds, Archie Williams
Fifth place: Alan Silva
Fourth place: Roberta Battaglia
Third place: Cristina Rae
Second Place: Broken Roots
First place: Brandon Leake


upi--2020-09-24--Jessica Szhor expecting first child with Brad Richardson

Sept. 24 ( UPI ) -- Gossip Girl alum Jessica Szhor is going to be a mom .
The 35-year-old actress is expecting her first child with her boyfriend , professional hockey player Brad Richardson .
Szhor shared the news Wednesday on Instagram alongside a photo of her baby bump .
`` Full of joy ! ''
she captioned the post .
Actresses Nina Dobrev , Claire Holt and Candice King , who all starred on The Vampire Diaries , were among those to congratulate Szhor in the comments .
`` The bun is out of the oven !
Finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ literally .
It 's still cookin ' ) , '' Dobrev wrote .
Szhor and Richardson were first linked in April 2019 .
Szhor posted a tribute to the NHL player in January after an outing to a beach .
`` My beach bum baby !
I am thankful for you today and everyday !
I know I tell you that from time to time and it does n't mean I have to post it & share it ... but today I wanted anyone who follows me or is interested in my life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special human with a huge heart : ) & I am lucky to have crossed paths with him ! ''
she wrote .
Szhor played Vanessa Abrams on the CW series Gossip Girl , which had a six-season run from 2007 to 2012 .
Her former co-star Penn Badgley welcomed his first child , a son , with singer Domino Kirke in August .
Gossip Girl is being rebooted at HBO Max .
Gossip Girl showrunner Josh Schwartz , who will executive produce the new series , said in 2019 that the reboot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series Euphoria .

Jessica Szhor is expecting a baby with her boyfriend, NHL player Brad Richardson. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Gossip Girl alum Jessica Szhor is going to be a mom. The 35-year-old actress is expecting her first child with her boyfriend, professional hockey player Brad Richardson. Advertisement
Szhor shared the news Wednesday on Instagram alongside a photo of her baby bump.
"Full of joy!" she captioned the post.
Actresses Nina Dobrev, Claire Holt and Candice King, who all starred on The Vampire Diaries, were among those to congratulate Szhor in the comments.
"The bun is out of the oven! Finally! (Well... figuratively, not literally. It's still cookin')," Dobrev wrote.
"Yayayayayayyyyy!" Holt added.
"Yay!!!! Congratulations momma!!! Xoxo," King said.
Szhor and Richardson were first linked in April 2019. Szhor posted a tribute to the NHL player in January after an outing to a beach.
"My beach bum baby! I am thankful for you today and everyday! I know I tell you that from time to time and it doesn't mean I have to post it & share it... but today I wanted anyone who follows me or is interested in my life to know that this man is a special human with a huge heart :) & I am lucky to have crossed paths with him!" she wrote.
Szhor played Vanessa Abrams on the CW series Gossip Girl, which had a six-season run from 2007 to 2012. Her former co-star Penn Badgley welcomed his first child, a son, with singer Domino Kirke in August.
Gossip Girl is being rebooted at HBO Max. Gossip Girl showrunner Josh Schwartz, who will executive produce the new series, said in 2019 that the reboot will seem tame compared to the HBO series Euphoria.


upi--2020-09-24--Smoking reduces odds for survival after bladder cancer surgery

Patients who have surgery for bladder cancer fare worse if they smoke , new research shows .
`` This study is important because while it is known that tobacco smoking is the leading cause of bladder cancer , this is the first study to suggest that smoking puts bladder cancer patients at risk after diagnosis , '' said study co-author Dr. Giovanni Cacciamani .
He 's an assistant professor of research urology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine .
When bladder cancer has spread beyond the bladder , patients are usually given chemotherapy and a surgical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involves removal of the bladder , nearby lymph nodes and surrounding organs .
For the new study , Cacciamani 's team reviewed 17 previously published studies that looked at the effect of smoking on chemotherapy response and survival outcomes of nearly 14,000 patients after a radical cystectomy .
The investigators found that people who smoked had a worse response to chemotherapy and had higher death rates in general , and also from bladder cancer .
These patients also had higher odds of bladder cancer recurrence , compared with patients who never smoked or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surgery .
Former smokers also had worse outcomes than those who never smoked , although the differences were not as significant , the findings showed .
Nicotine suppresses the immune system , causing more complications , the researchers noted .
`` In addition , patients with a history of smoking tend to have more aggressive forms of cancer and , if they survive bladder cancer , are more at risk for other potentially fatal cancers , such as lung cancer , '' Cacciamani said in a university news release .
`` The research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not smoking at the time of chemotherapy and surgery , they might do better , '' he added .
The report was published online in the October issue of the Journal of Urology .
For more on bladder cancer , head to the American Cancer Society .

Smoking during or after chemotherapy or surgery for bladder cancer can lower chances for survival, researchers say. Photo by Myriams-Fotos/Pixabay
Patients who have surgery for bladder cancer fare worse if they smoke, new research shows. "This study is important because while it is known that tobacco smoking is the leading cause of bladder cancer, this is the first study to suggest that smoking puts bladder cancer patients at risk after diagnosis," said study co-author Dr. Giovanni Cacciamani. He's an assistant professor of research urology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. Advertisement
When bladder cancer has spread beyond the bladder, patients are usually given chemotherapy and a surgical procedure called a radical cystectomy. This involves removal of the bladder, nearby lymph nodes and surrounding organs.
For the new study, Cacciamani's team reviewed 17 previously published studies that looked at the effect of smoking on chemotherapy response and survival outcomes of nearly 14,000 patients after a radical cystectomy.
The investigators found that people who smoked had a worse response to chemotherapy and had higher death rates in general, and also from bladder cancer. These patients also had higher odds of bladder cancer recurrence, compared with patients who never smoked or were not smokers at the time of surgery.
Former smokers also had worse outcomes than those who never smoked, although the differences were not as significant, the findings showed.
Advertisement
Nicotine suppresses the immune system, causing more complications, the researchers noted.
"In addition, patients with a history of smoking tend to have more aggressive forms of cancer and, if they survive bladder cancer, are more at risk for other potentially fatal cancers, such as lung cancer," Cacciamani said in a university news release.
"The research suggests that as long as a person is not smoking at the time of chemotherapy and surgery, they might do better," he added.
The report was published online in the October issue of the Journal of Urology.
More information
For more on bladder cancer, head to the American Cancer Society.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-09-24--In photos: Moments from Major League Baseball for the week of Sept. 20, 2020

The Pirates ' Adam Frazier walks back to the dugout after being called out following a video review of a @ @ @ @ @ Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI

Miami Marlins players celebrate with a team photo on the mound after defeating the New York Yankees 4-3 and clinching a playoff birth in New York City on Friday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI


upi--2020-09-24--In Photos: Mourning Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Mourners honor the life and legacy of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who died on September 18 @ @ @ @ @ .
She had pancreatic cancer .
Ginsburg will lie in repose at the Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Capitol , the first woman to be so honored .
Ginsburg was a @ @ @ @ @ on the high court since 1993 .

Female members of Congress stand on the steps of the U.S. Capitol as the flag-draped casket of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is carried by a joint services military honor guard after Ginsburg lied in state at the U.S. Capitol on September 25. Pool Photo by Alex Brandon/UPI