npr--2020-06-21--Bolton: Trump And China's Xi Talked 'Frequently' About Trump's Reelection

President Trump and his Chinese counterpart spoke about Trump 's reelection prospects `` frequently , '' former National Security Adviser John Bolton tells NPR .
According to Bolton , Chinese President Xi Jinping lamented that Trump could n't run for a potential third term , to which Trump `` said yes , '' Bolton recounted .
`` I just thought this kind of back and forth with authoritarian leaders did not reflect well on Donald Trump himself or the presidency or the United States , '' Bolton told NPR Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep on Sunday evening , for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is promoting a new book in which he accuses Trump of being uninformed , incompetent , ignorant of basic facts and almost solely focused on his own reelection .
Trump has blasted Bolton in recent days , calling him a liar .
Trump ousted Bolton in September 2019 .
According to Bolton , at a G20 meeting in Osaka , Japan , Trump pressed Xi to buy agricultural products from U.S. farmers , who were an important voting bloc to Trump .
Bolton writes that Trump also encouraged Xi and China to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minority Uighur dissidents .
In the book , The Room Where It Happened , Bolton writes that in his year and a half in the White House , he could barely think of any decisions Trump made that were n't driven by reelection calculations .
`` Having seen him in operation for 17 months , I just can not vote for him again , '' Bolton told Inskeep .
`` I 'm planning to write in the name of a conservative Republican , identity to be determined yet .
But I will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not be voting for [ presumptive Democratic nominee ] Joe Biden . ''
Bolton said he still thinks Trump has an `` excellent chance '' to win in November .
He says , whether Trump wins or loses , the GOP needs to come together to determine the future of the party .
He warns that Republicans will likely soon understand that Trump 's priorities are not in line with their own .
`` Once he 's free of any reelection pressure , it 's going to be revealed — what one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he 's not a conservative , '' Bolton says .
`` And that 's one reason I wrote the book .
I think it 's important to make it clear to Republicans and to Democrats that this is not the future of the Republican Party . ''
When pressed about his own role overseeing a National Security Council that made changes to an office overseeing the administration 's response to pandemics , Bolton tried to refocus the blame back on the Oval Office .
Bolton said Trump simply did n't want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China or that could be seen as critical of President Xi , such as the coronavirus — even though Bolton had left the administration by that point .
`` And he did n't want to hear anything about negative effects on the Chinese economy that could undermine the trade negotiations , '' Bolton said .
Bolton said Trump also did n't want to hear anything that could suggest trouble for the American economy , `` which he saw as his ticket to reelection . ''
The Justice Department made a last-ditch effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged the book violates nondisclosure agreements Bolton signed as part of his employment , as well as compromises national security .
On Saturday , a federal judge ruled Bolton can move forward with publishing the memoir , but also admonished Bolton 's conduct in releasing the book , saying doing so `` raises grave national security concerns . ''
U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth suggested that Bolton could still be prosecuted .
`` Bolton has gambled with the national security of the United States , '' Lamberth wrote .
`` He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to civil ( and potentially criminal ) liability .
But these facts do not control the motion before the court .
The government has failed to establish that an injunction will prevent irreparable harm . ''
Trump made clear that the administration would do whatever it could to prevent Bolton from benefiting financially from the book .
`` Whatever he makes , he 's going to be giving back , in my opinion .
Based on the ruling , he 's going to be giving back , '' Trump said Saturday before leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Tulsa , Okla. Bolton said the threats and lawsuit are not unexpected , but he says he felt `` vindicated '' by the court 's decision .
He said an NSC official concluded that there was no classified information in his manuscript .
Bolton said he knew there would be `` trials and tribulations '' when you displease Trump .
`` So this is all par for the course , '' Bolton said .
`` And I did n't look forward to it .
Do n't get me wrong .
This was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But I have been determined and was vindicated by the court in laying this story before the American people .
They will be the one to decide . ''

Bolton: Trump And China's Xi Talked 'Frequently' About Trump's Reelection
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump and his Chinese counterpart spoke about Trump's reelection prospects "frequently," former national security adviser John Bolton told NPR.
According to Bolton, Chinese President Xi Jinping lamented that Trump couldn't run for a potential third term, to which Trump "said yes," Bolton recounted.
"I just thought this kind of back and forth with authoritarian leaders did not reflect well on Donald Trump himself or the presidency or the United States," Bolton told NPR Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep on Sunday evening for an interview to be broadcast Monday.
Bolton is promoting a new book in which he accuses Trump of being uninformed, incompetent, ignorant of basic facts and almost solely focused on his own reelection.
Trump has blasted Bolton in recent days, calling him a liar. Trump ousted Bolton in September 2019.
According to Bolton, at a G-20 meeting in Osaka, Japan, Trump pressed Xi to buy agricultural products from U.S. farmers, who are an important voting bloc to Trump. Bolton writes that Trump also encouraged Xi and China to go ahead with prison camps for the largely minority Uighur dissidents.
Writing in his vote
In the book The Room Where It Happened, Bolton writes that in his year and a half in the White House, he could barely think of any decisions Trump made that weren't driven by reelection calculations.
"Having seen him in operation for 17 months, I just cannot vote for him again," Bolton told Inskeep. "I'm planning to write in the name of a conservative Republican, identity to be determined yet. But I will not be voting for Donald Trump, and I will not be voting for [presumptive Democratic nominee] Joe Biden."
Bolton said he still thinks Trump has an "excellent chance" to win in November. He said, whether Trump wins or loses, the GOP needs to come together to determine the future of the party. He warns that Republicans will likely soon understand that Trump's priorities are not in line with their own.
"Once he's free of any reelection pressure, it's going to be revealed — what one of my greatest concerns is — is that he's not a conservative," Bolton said. "And that's one reason I wrote the book. I think it's important to make it clear to Republicans and to Democrats that this is not the future of the Republican Party."
When pressed about his own role overseeing a National Security Council that made changes to an office overseeing the administration's response to pandemics, Bolton tried to refocus the blame back on the Oval Office.
Bolton said Trump simply didn't want to hear anything bad about the situation in China or that could be seen as critical of Xi, such as the coronavirus — even though Bolton had left the administration by that point.
"And he didn't want to hear anything about negative effects on the Chinese economy that could undermine the trade negotiations," Bolton said.
Bolton said Trump also didn't want to hear anything that could suggest trouble for the American economy, "which he saw as his ticket to reelection."
Publication legal battle
The Justice Department made a last-ditch effort to block the publication of Bolton's book.
Prosecutors alleged the book violates nondisclosure agreements Bolton signed as part of his employment as well as compromises national security.
On Saturday, a federal judge ruled Bolton can move forward with publishing the memoir but also admonished Bolton's conduct in releasing the book, saying doing so "raises grave national security concerns." U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth suggested that Bolton could still be prosecuted.
"Bolton has gambled with the national security of the United States," Lamberth wrote. "He has exposed his country to harm and himself to civil (and potentially criminal) liability. But these facts do not control the motion before the court. The government has failed to establish that an injunction will prevent irreparable harm."
Trump made clear that the administration would do whatever it could to prevent Bolton from benefiting financially from the book.
"Whatever he makes, he's going to be giving back, in my opinion. Based on the ruling, he's going to be giving back," Trump said Saturday before leaving the White House for a campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla.
Bolton said the threats and lawsuit are not unexpected but he said he felt "vindicated" by the court's decision. He said an NSC official concluded that there was no classified information in his manuscript.
Bolton said he knew there would be "trials and tribulations" when someone displeases Trump.
"So this is all par for the course," Bolton said. "And I didn't look forward to it. Don't get me wrong. This wasn't anything I thought would be pleasant. But I have been determined and was vindicated by the court in laying this story before the American people. They will be the one to decide."


npr--2020-06-21--Authorities In U.K. Will Investigate English Park Stabbing As A Terrorist Incident

Authorities In U.K. Will Investigate English Park Stabbing As A Terrorist Incident A stabbing in an English park that killed three people and injured several others on Saturday is being investigated as a terrorist incident , authorities in the U.K. announced on Sunday .
The attack took place in Forbury Gardens , a public park in the town of Reading , England , about 40 miles west of London .
According to the Thames Valley Police , a man attacked park-goers with a knife around 7 p.m. , leaving three people dead and three with `` serious injuries . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the scene and arrested him for suspicion of murder .
In a statement released Sunday , Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Neil Basu said the individual remains in custody and is thought to have acted alone .
Security sources told the BBC the man is thought to be a Libyan national .
`` From our enquiries undertaken so far , officers have found nothing to suggest that there were any other people involved in the attack , and presently , we are not looking for anyone else in relation to this incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the stabbing was unrelated to a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest that had taken place in the park earlier that day and concluded hours before the attack .
One eyewitness , Lawrence Wort , told the BBC that groups of people were drinking and enjoying the park when a man suddenly started shouting and darting around a circle of about eight to 10 people .
Wort said he saw him stab several people with a `` massive '' knife , which he estimated to have been at least five inches long .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said , the attacker stabbed at least one more person in a different cluster .
`` Incidents of this nature are very rare , though I know that will be of little comfort to those involved and understand the concern that this incident will have caused amongst our local community , '' said John Campbell , the chief constable of the Thames Valley Police .
National leaders also reacted swiftly to the attack .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was `` appalled and sickened '' by the incident , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the suspect .
`` My heart , prayers and thoughts are with all of those affected and to the people of Reading who will be deeply shocked and concerned by this terrible incident , '' said Home Secretary Priti Patel .
Counterterrorism officials are encouraging members of the public who witnessed the attack or have other pertinent information to contact the police , and to refrain from sharing any images or videos of the attack on social media .
While the United Kingdom has weathered a series of terror attacks over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday 's attack was unusual , as most attackers have targeted locations in London for political symbolism and maximum publicity .
According to M15 , the national threat level to the U.K. from terrorism remains designated as `` substantial . ''
Within the security agency 's five-level classification system indicating the likelihood of a terrorist attack , `` substantial '' falls squarely in the middle .

Authorities In U.K. Will Investigate English Park Stabbing As A Terrorist Incident
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alastair Grant/AP Alastair Grant/AP
A stabbing in an English park that killed three people and injured several others on Saturday is being investigated as a terrorist incident, authorities in the U.K. announced on Sunday.
The attack took place in Forbury Gardens, a public park in the town of Reading, England, about 40 miles west of London. According to the Thames Valley Police, a man attacked park-goers with a knife around 7 p.m., leaving three people dead and three with "serious injuries." Officers detained a 25-year-old man from Reading on the scene and arrested him for suspicion of murder.
In a statement released Sunday, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Neil Basu said the individual remains in custody and is thought to have acted alone. Security sources told the BBC the man is thought to be a Libyan national.
"From our enquiries undertaken so far, officers have found nothing to suggest that there were any other people involved in the attack, and presently, we are not looking for anyone else in relation to this incident," Basu said.
He added that the stabbing was unrelated to a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest that had taken place in the park earlier that day and concluded hours before the attack.
One eyewitness, Lawrence Wort, told the BBC that groups of people were drinking and enjoying the park when a man suddenly started shouting and darting around a circle of about eight to 10 people. Wort said he saw him stab several people with a "massive" knife, which he estimated to have been at least five inches long. As people started screaming and running away, he said, the attacker stabbed at least one more person in a different cluster.
"Incidents of this nature are very rare, though I know that will be of little comfort to those involved and understand the concern that this incident will have caused amongst our local community," said John Campbell, the chief constable of the Thames Valley Police.
National leaders also reacted swiftly to the attack. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was "appalled and sickened" by the incident, and thanked local police for bravely "tackling" the suspect.
"My heart, prayers and thoughts are with all of those affected and to the people of Reading who will be deeply shocked and concerned by this terrible incident," said Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Counterterrorism officials are encouraging members of the public who witnessed the attack or have other pertinent information to contact the police, and to refrain from sharing any images or videos of the attack on social media.
While the United Kingdom has weathered a series of terror attacks over the last several years, the location of Saturday's attack was unusual, as most attackers have targeted locations in London for political symbolism and maximum publicity.
According to M15, the national threat level to the U.K. from terrorism remains designated as "substantial." Within the security agency's five-level classification system indicating the likelihood of a terrorist attack, "substantial" falls squarely in the middle.
Frank Langfitt contributed to this report.


npr--2020-06-22--Barcelona Opera Reopens With An Audience Of Plants

Barcelona Opera Reopens With An Audience Of Plants When Barcelona 's Liceu opera opened on Monday for its first concert since mid-March , it did so to a full house — of plants .
The Gran Teatre del Liceu filled its 2,292 seats with plants for a performance by the UceLi Quartet , which it called a prelude to its 2020-2021 season .
The string quartet serenaded its leafy audience with Giacomo Puccini 's `` Crisantemi , '' in a performance that was also made available to human listeners via livestream .
`` After a strange , painful period , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director and the curator Blanca de la Torre offer us a different perspective for our return to activity , a perspective that brings us closer to something as essential as our relationship with nature , '' according to a release on the Liceu 's website .
The plants came from local nurseries and will be donated along with a certificate from the artist to 2,292 health care professionals , specifically at the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona .
Organizers wrote that they wanted to recognize the work of health care providers , who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a battle unprecedented for our generations . ''
Spain ended its national state of emergency on Sunday , lifting a lockdown that had been in place for three months .
According to the country 's phased-in reopening plan , establishments such as theaters and cinemas can operate with capacity restrictions .
The venue 's statement addressed this gradual return to a new normal .
`` [ The Liceu ] welcomes and leads a highly symbolic act that defends the value of art , music and nature as a letter of introduction to our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Barcelona Opera Reopens With An Audience Of Plants
Enlarge this image toggle caption Emilio Morenatti/AP Emilio Morenatti/AP
When Barcelona's Liceu opera opened on Monday for its first concert since mid-March, it did so to a full house — of plants.
The Gran Teatre del Liceu filled its 2,292 seats with plants for a performance by the UceLi Quartet, which it called a prelude to its 2020-2021 season. The string quartet serenaded its leafy audience with Giacomo Puccini's "Crisantemi" in a performance that was also made available to human listeners via livestream.
"After a strange, painful period, the creator, the Liceu's artistic director and the curator Blanca de la Torre offer us a different perspective for our return to activity, a perspective that brings us closer to something as essential as our relationship with nature," according to a release on the Liceu's website.
The plants came from local nurseries and will be donated along with a certificate from the artist to 2,292 health care professionals, specifically at the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona.
Organizers wrote that they wanted to recognize the work of health care providers, who have served "on the toughest front in a battle unprecedented for our generations."
Spain ended its national state of emergency on Sunday, lifting a lockdown that had been in place for three months. According to the country's phased-in reopening plan, establishments such as theaters and cinemas can operate with capacity restrictions. The venue's statement addressed this gradual return to a new normal.
"[The Liceu] welcomes and leads a highly symbolic act that defends the value of art, music and nature as a letter of introduction to our return to activity," it read.


npr--2020-06-22--Former California Governors Unite To Promote Mask Wearing

Political rivals and former governors of California Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis found some common ground in a video project : mask-wearing .
`` Hey , maybe you did n't vote for me , '' said Schwarzenegger , who beat Davis in a tightly contested recall election in 2003 .
But Schwarzenegger , three other former governors of the Golden State , and current Gov .
Gavin Newsom all stressed the importance of wearing masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
`` No matter who you voted for , or if you did n't vote at all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after each other , '' Newsom said .
The governors , rounded out by Jerry Brown and Pete Wilson , warned the public that the disease is still spreading , and that a reopening of the economy does n't mean the threat of further spread has disappeared .
`` It did n't go away just because your mall is open at 50 % capacity , '' Schwarzenegger said .
California 's hospitalizations and total number of cases have been on the rise during its recent reopening campaign , according to LAist .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly plateaued .
Newsom finished the video by donning his own mask and reiterating a simple message : `` Just do it . ''

Former California Governors Unite To Promote Mask Wearing
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg via Getty Images
Political rivals and former governors of California Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis found some common ground in a video project: mask-wearing.
"Hey, maybe you didn't vote for me," said Schwarzenegger, who beat Davis in a tightly contested recall election in 2003.
But Schwarzenegger, three other former governors of the Golden State, and current Gov. Gavin Newsom all stressed the importance of wearing masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
"No matter who you voted for, or if you didn't vote at all, it doesn't change that Californians look after each other," Newsom said.
The governors, rounded out by Jerry Brown and Pete Wilson, warned the public that the disease is still spreading, and that a reopening of the economy doesn't mean the threat of further spread has disappeared.
"It didn't go away just because your mall is open at 50% capacity," Schwarzenegger said.
California's hospitalizations and total number of cases have been on the rise during its recent reopening campaign, according to LAist. The percentage of those who test positive has mostly plateaued.
Newsom finished the video by donning his own mask and reiterating a simple message: "Just do it."


npr--2020-06-22--Black Medicare Patients With COVID-19 Nearly 4 Times As Likely To End Up In Hospital

Black Medicare Patients With COVID-19 Nearly 4 Times As Likely To End Up In Hospital New federal data reinforces the stark racial disparities that have appeared with COVID-19 : According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services , Black Americans enrolled in Medicare were hospitalized with the disease at rates nearly four times higher than their white counterparts .
Disparities were also striking among Hispanics and Asian Americans .
Hispanics were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized as whites , while Asian Americans were about 50 % more likely .
Black and Hispanic beneficiaries were more likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , CMS Administrator Seema Verma said .
The data `` confirms long understood and stubbornly persistent disparities in health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority groups , '' Verma said in a press briefing Monday .
`` Low socioeconomic status itself , all too often wrapped up with the racial disparities I just mentioned , represents a powerful predictor of complications from COVID-19 , '' she added .
Previous data has already shown that older Americans in general are more likely to develop severe cases of COVID-19 ; but the new CMS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group , racial and health disparities are dramatic .
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith , director of the Equity Research and Innovation Center at Yale School of Medicine , calls the data on racial and ethnic health disparities `` irrefutable . ''
`` We need to recognize the urgency in this moment to expand how we think about health care 's role in promoting health , '' she says .
`` As physicians and health care delivery systems , we need to prioritize addressing our patient 's health related social needs such as food and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beneficiaries are over 65 , though the program also covers some younger people with disabilities or end-stage renal disease .
Verma notes that COVID-19 has disproportionately affected people who are dually eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare , which includes both low-income older adults and some people with disabilities .
This group was more likely to be hospitalized than other Medicare beneficiaries .
People with end-stage renal disease had the highest rates of hospitalization , according to the data .
A CMS official said the agency plans to release separate data on COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the data is complete enough for public reporting .
Overall , more than 325,000 Medicare beneficiaries were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the time period covered — from Jan. 1 through May 16 , 2020 — and nearly 110,000 were hospitalized for treatment for the disease .
The CMS data , released Monday , is based off Medicare claims filed during this period , and is incomplete , CMS officials warned , because some claims for that period may not have been filed yet .
Even so , it is in line with other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities of color particularly hard .
For example , one study , published in May and based off patient records in a large California health care system , found that African-Americans are 2.7 as likely as white people to end up hospitalized with the disease .
And last month , NPR 's own analysis found that nationally , African-American deaths from COVID-19 are nearly two times greater than would be expected based on their share of the population .
`` The new numbers released by the government reinforce what we 've seen from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID is taking a disproportionate toll on black Americans , and other communities of color , '' wrote Tricia Neuman , executive director of the program on Medicare policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation , in an e-mail .
`` And because COVID is harshest on older Americans , this means higher rates among black older adults than whites , higher rates of hospitalization and higher death rates . ''

Black Medicare Patients With COVID-19 Nearly 4 Times As Likely To End Up In Hospital
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Moore/Getty Images John Moore/Getty Images
New federal data reinforces the stark racial disparities that have appeared with COVID-19: According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Black Americans enrolled in Medicare were hospitalized with the disease at rates nearly four times higher than their white counterparts.
Disparities were also striking among Hispanics and Asian Americans. Hispanics were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized as whites, while Asian Americans were about 50% more likely. Black and Hispanic beneficiaries were more likely to test positive for the coronavirus as well, CMS Administrator Seema Verma said.
The data "confirms long understood and stubbornly persistent disparities in health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority groups," Verma said in a press briefing Monday.
"Low socioeconomic status itself, all too often wrapped up with the racial disparities I just mentioned, represents a powerful predictor of complications from COVID-19," she added.
Previous data has already shown that older Americans in general are more likely to develop severe cases of COVID-19; but the new CMS data highlights that, even among this group, racial and health disparities are dramatic.
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, director of the Equity Research and Innovation Center at Yale School of Medicine, calls the data on racial and ethnic health disparities "irrefutable."
"We need to recognize the urgency in this moment to expand how we think about health care's role in promoting health," she says. "As physicians and health care delivery systems, we need to prioritize addressing our patient's health related social needs such as food and housing."
The majority of Medicare beneficiaries are over 65, though the program also covers some younger people with disabilities or end-stage renal disease. Verma notes that COVID-19 has disproportionately affected people who are dually eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare, which includes both low-income older adults and some people with disabilities. This group was more likely to be hospitalized than other Medicare beneficiaries.
People with end-stage renal disease had the highest rates of hospitalization, according to the data.
A CMS official said the agency plans to release separate data on COVID-19 and beneficiaries of Medicaid as soon as the data is complete enough for public reporting.
Overall, more than 325,000 Medicare beneficiaries were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the time period covered — from Jan. 1 through May 16, 2020 — and nearly 110,000 were hospitalized for treatment for the disease.
The CMS data, released Monday, is based off Medicare claims filed during this period, and is incomplete, CMS officials warned, because some claims for that period may not have been filed yet.
Even so, it is in line with other data that has found that COVID-19 hits communities of color particularly hard. For example, one study, published in May and based off patient records in a large California health care system, found that African-Americans are 2.7 as likely as white people to end up hospitalized with the disease. And last month, NPR's own analysis found that nationally, African-American deaths from COVID-19 are nearly two times greater than would be expected based on their share of the population.
"The new numbers released by the government reinforce what we've seen from the early stages of the pandemic — COVID is taking a disproportionate toll on black Americans, and other communities of color," wrote Tricia Neuman, executive director of the program on Medicare policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, in an e-mail. "And because COVID is harshest on older Americans, this means higher rates among black older adults than whites, higher rates of hospitalization and higher death rates."


npr--2020-06-22--NYPD Suspends Officer Over Using Apparent Chokehold During Arrest

NYPD Suspends Officer Over Using Apparent Chokehold During Arrest A New York City police officer has been suspended after apparently using a chokehold during an arrest in Rockaway , Queens .
NYPD commissioner Dermot Shea said the department is investigating the incident , which happened Sunday .
Cellphone video shot by a bystander shows several police struggling to subdue a Black man , including one officer who had his arm around the man 's neck .
One bystander shouts , `` Stop choking him ! ''
Police body-cam footage , which Shea said was released in a spirit of transparency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three men on a boardwalk who are shouting invective and slurs at passersby and the police .
After more than ten minutes , one of the men picks up a plastic bag and gets closer to the police , asking , `` Are you scared ? ''
The officers then tackle him , and one officer appears to use a chokehold .
A voice is heard saying , `` He 's out , '' before the officers move off the man , who moments later walks away in handcuffs with police .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his lawyer as 35-year old Ricky Bellevue , told the police he has bipolar disorder .
The NYPD said Bellevue was taken to a hospital where he was in good condition .
`` The officer involved here used a chokehold to strangle my client until he was unconscious , '' said Lori Zeno , with the nonprofit Queens Defenders .
`` This officer needs to be fired and prosecuted .
He is the one who committed a crime in this circumstance . ''
Chokeholds have been banned in New York City since 1993 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using them .
A new state law making it a felony was signed this month and named for Eric Garner .
Garner was a Black man from Staten Island who died in 2014 after a New York City cop put him in a chokehold .
The incident in Queens happened a day before commissioner Shea was scheduled to appear at hearings held by New York State Attorney General Letitia James on interactions between police and protesters during recent demonstrations .
At the hearing , Shea largely defended his department against allegations of excess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were caught on video corralling peaceful protesters between large groups of officers and hitting them with batons , pushing them down and spraying them with pepper spray .
Shea claimed the number of incidents was small considering weeks of daily protests involving millions of interactions .
When James asked him why chokeholds continue , mentioning the arrest in Queens , Shea said for most of the encounter , his police had acted with extreme restraint .
`` At the end of that story an officer put his hand around a person 's neck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the officer , `` was dealt swiftly with , was suspended .
And we will continue to take that seriously and continue to emphasize it in training . ''

NYPD Suspends Officer Over Using Apparent Chokehold During Arrest
A New York City police officer has been suspended after apparently using a chokehold during an arrest in Rockaway, Queens. NYPD commissioner Dermot Shea said the department is investigating the incident, which happened Sunday.
Cellphone video shot by a bystander shows several police struggling to subdue a Black man, including one officer who had his arm around the man's neck. One bystander shouts, "Stop choking him!"
Police body-cam footage, which Shea said was released in a spirit of transparency, shows a group of police watching three men on a boardwalk who are shouting invective and slurs at passersby and the police. After more than ten minutes, one of the men picks up a plastic bag and gets closer to the police, asking, "Are you scared?" The officers then tackle him, and one officer appears to use a chokehold.
A voice is heard saying, "He's out," before the officers move off the man, who moments later walks away in handcuffs with police. The man, who has been identified by his lawyer as 35-year old Ricky Bellevue, told the police he has bipolar disorder. The NYPD said Bellevue was taken to a hospital where he was in good condition.
"The officer involved here used a chokehold to strangle my client until he was unconscious," said Lori Zeno, with the nonprofit Queens Defenders. "This officer needs to be fired and prosecuted. He is the one who committed a crime in this circumstance."
Chokeholds have been banned in New York City since 1993 but police have rarely been punished for using them. A new state law making it a felony was signed this month and named for Eric Garner. Garner was a Black man from Staten Island who died in 2014 after a New York City cop put him in a chokehold.
The incident in Queens happened a day before commissioner Shea was scheduled to appear at hearings held by New York State Attorney General Letitia James on interactions between police and protesters during recent demonstrations.
At the hearing, Shea largely defended his department against allegations of excess force during the protests – where police were caught on video corralling peaceful protesters between large groups of officers and hitting them with batons, pushing them down and spraying them with pepper spray.
Shea claimed the number of incidents was small considering weeks of daily protests involving millions of interactions. When James asked him why chokeholds continue, mentioning the arrest in Queens, Shea said for most of the encounter, his police had acted with extreme restraint.
"At the end of that story an officer put his hand around a person's neck," said Shea, who said the officer, "was dealt swiftly with, was suspended. And we will continue to take that seriously and continue to emphasize it in training."


npr--2020-06-22--Joel Schumacher, Director Of 'St. Elmo's Fire' And 'Batman Forever,' Dead At 80

Joel Schumacher , Director Of 'St .
Elmo 's Fire ' And 'Batman Forever , ' Dead At 80 Director Joel Schumacher died Monday morning in New York City from cancer .
Schumacher directed the 80s hit movies St. Elmo 's Fire and The Lost Boys , as well as two movies in the Batman movie franchise — Batman Forever and Batman & Robin .
He was 80 years old .
Schumacher started out working in the fashion industry .
But , as he started gaining success there , he became addicted to drugs .
He told WHYY 's Fresh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a change .
`` When I got off hard drugs in 1970 , I thought , ' I got to go back to basics , and I 've really screwed up my life here .
So what can I do to make my life better ? '
And I thought , ' I 've got to pursue my original dream as a child to become a movie director . '
`` He used his background in fashion to start working as a costume designer in Hollywood , and then he started writing movies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and The Wiz .
Schumacher then earned massive success by writing and directing the teen coming-of-age movie St. Elmo 's Fire and followed it up with the horror-comedy The Lost Boys .
As his career grew , so did the budgets for his movies , culminating in the two Batman movies .
There was a campiness in them , with Schumacher playing up certain aspects of the Batman mythos : the goofy costumes , the corny jokes calling back to the Adam West TV era of the character , and the erotic tension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I had a lot of fun with it .
Since you always get asked if that 's the case with them , I thought , well , I might as well play it up to — somewhat , '' he said in the Fresh Air interview .
`` And I over-exaggerated all the sexuality in my Batman movies — you know , the men and the women are sort of 'oversteroided ' sexually because I thought it was better to play into it than try to pretend it was n't there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked on smaller thrillers such as 8MM and Phone Booth , as well as the film version of The Phantom of the Opera .
Schumacher , who was openly gay , was known for being honest and candid about his life — from his drug addictions , to his many sexual encounters , to his feelings about the mixture of art and money in Hollywood .
`` People who work in the movie business have the same feelings as people do all over the globe , '' he told Fresh Air when asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference in show business is , if you can make money for people , they do n't care what you do.
``

Joel Schumacher, Director Of 'St. Elmo's Fire' And 'Batman Forever,' Dead At 80
Enlarge this image toggle caption Hector Mata/AFP via Getty Images Hector Mata/AFP via Getty Images
Director Joel Schumacher died Monday morning in New York City from cancer. Schumacher directed the 80s hit movies St. Elmo's Fire and The Lost Boys, as well as two movies in the Batman movie franchise — Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. He was 80 years old.
Schumacher started out working in the fashion industry. But, as he started gaining success there, he became addicted to drugs. He told WHYY's Fresh Air that by 1970, he needed a change.
"When I got off hard drugs in 1970, I thought, 'I got to go back to basics, and I've really screwed up my life here. So what can I do to make my life better?' And I thought, 'I've got to pursue my original dream as a child to become a movie director.' "
He used his background in fashion to start working as a costume designer in Hollywood, and then he started writing movies — including Sparkle, Car Wash, and The Wiz. Schumacher then earned massive success by writing and directing the teen coming-of-age movie St. Elmo's Fire and followed it up with the horror-comedy The Lost Boys.
As his career grew, so did the budgets for his movies, culminating in the two Batman movies. There was a campiness in them, with Schumacher playing up certain aspects of the Batman mythos: the goofy costumes, the corny jokes calling back to the Adam West TV era of the character, and the erotic tension between Batman and his sidekick Robin.
"I had a lot of fun with it. Since you always get asked if that's the case with them, I thought, well, I might as well play it up to — somewhat," he said in the Fresh Air interview. "And I over-exaggerated all the sexuality in my Batman movies — you know, the men and the women are sort of 'oversteroided' sexually because I thought it was better to play into it than try to pretend it wasn't there."
After the Batman movies, Schumacher worked on smaller thrillers such as 8MM and Phone Booth, as well as the film version of The Phantom of the Opera.
Schumacher, who was openly gay, was known for being honest and candid about his life — from his drug addictions, to his many sexual encounters, to his feelings about the mixture of art and money in Hollywood.
"People who work in the movie business have the same feelings as people do all over the globe," he told Fresh Air when asked about homophobia in Hollywood. "The difference in show business is, if you can make money for people, they don't care what you do. "


npr--2020-06-22--Saudi Arabia Announces This Year's Hajj Will Be 'Very Limited'

Saudi Arabia Announces This Year 's Hajj Will Be 'Very Limited' Countries around the world have placed restrictions on public gatherings , and Saudi Arabia said on Monday that this year 's hajj is no exception .
Officials announced in a statement that the pilgrimage , which is set to begin at the end of July , will be `` very limited '' in size and restricted to Saudi residents only .
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah cited the lack of an available vaccine and the risks of crowded gatherings .
`` This decision is taken to ensure Hajj @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a public health perspective while observing all preventative measures and the necessary social distancing protocols to protect human beings from the risks associated with this pandemic and in accordance with the teachings of Islam in preserving the lives of human beings , '' the statement said .
Millions of Muslims typically make the pilgrimage to Mecca every year , with nearly 2.5 million doing so in 2019 .
The hajj is one of Islam 's most important religious requirements as well as a major source of revenue for Saudi Arabia .
Saudi Arabia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to limit the number of pilgrims traveling to Mecca this year .
In March , Hajj Minister Mohammed Banten asked Muslims to delay finalizing their plans `` until the situation is clear . ''
The country also suspended all visits to Mecca and Medina for the umrah pilgrimage , which can be performed year-round .
Indonesia and Malaysia , which send a combined total of about a quarter-million Muslims to the hajj annually , both announced earlier in June that they would be canceling this year 's pilgrimage out of health concerns for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is honored to serve millions of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims annually and it confirms that this decision stems from the top priority it accords maintaining the safety of pilgrims on its land until they depart to their home countries , '' according to the statement .
Saudi Arabia maintains a 24-hour curfew in Mecca , although it ended curfews imposed in March in most towns and cities .
Certain rules and restrictions remain in place throughout the country as the virus continues to spread : As of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 161,000 coronavirus cases .

Saudi Arabia Announces This Year's Hajj Will Be 'Very Limited'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amr Nabil/AP Amr Nabil/AP
Countries around the world have placed restrictions on public gatherings, and Saudi Arabia said on Monday that this year's hajj is no exception. Officials announced in a statement that the pilgrimage, which is set to begin at the end of July, will be "very limited" in size and restricted to Saudi residents only.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah cited the lack of an available vaccine and the risks of crowded gatherings.
"This decision is taken to ensure Hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective while observing all preventative measures and the necessary social distancing protocols to protect human beings from the risks associated with this pandemic and in accordance with the teachings of Islam in preserving the lives of human beings," the statement said.
Millions of Muslims typically make the pilgrimage to Mecca every year, with nearly 2.5 million doing so in 2019. The hajj is one of Islam's most important religious requirements as well as a major source of revenue for Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia and other nations had already taken steps to limit the number of pilgrims traveling to Mecca this year.
In March, Hajj Minister Mohammed Banten asked Muslims to delay finalizing their plans "until the situation is clear." The country also suspended all visits to Mecca and Medina for the umrah pilgrimage, which can be performed year-round.
Indonesia and Malaysia, which send a combined total of about a quarter-million Muslims to the hajj annually, both announced earlier in June that they would be canceling this year's pilgrimage out of health concerns for travelers.
"The government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is honored to serve millions of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims annually and it confirms that this decision stems from the top priority it accords maintaining the safety of pilgrims on its land until they depart to their home countries," according to the statement.
Saudi Arabia maintains a 24-hour curfew in Mecca, although it ended curfews imposed in March in most towns and cities.
Certain rules and restrictions remain in place throughout the country as the virus continues to spread: As of Monday, the Ministry of Health reported more than 161,000 coronavirus cases.


npr--2020-06-22--How Recommendations Of An Obama Task Force Have, And Haven't, Changed U.S. Policing

How Recommendations Of An Obama Task Force Have , And Have n't , Changed U.S. Policing The police killings of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor and others — and the wave of protests that followed — have sparked a national conversation about how to prevent police killings and improve relationships between law enforcement and the communities they police .
Six years ago , police shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson , Mo.
, sparking a similar conversation .
As a result , President Obama convened a panel of experts , activists , authors and academics to rethink policing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ramsey , the former chief of police in Washington , D.C. , and Philadelphia , and Laurie Robinson , a former U.S. assistant attorney general who is now a professor at George Mason University .
The group 's report , published in 2015 , made 59 recommendations , ranging from the immediately implementable ( codifying use-of-force policies , collecting data on police shootings ) to bigger-picture cultural changes ( diversifying police forces , shifting away from what the report describes as a `` warrior '' mindset to that of a `` guardian '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in American policing .
By one count , about 40 % of the nation 's largest police departments changed training and use-of-force policies in the first two years after the release of the report .
Many police departments still tout their adoption of the report 's recommendations , including those in Los Angeles , Philadelphia and Atlanta .
And yet , the country has arrived at this familiar moment , following another wave of highly publicized police killings of Black people .
According to a database maintained by The Washington Post , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police each year has held remarkably steady each year since 2014 , at about 1,000 annually .
Asked to evaluate the results of their work , Ramsey and Robinson tell NPR 's Ari Shapiro that they believe the report did have an impact , but that changing the culture of policing in America was always going to be difficult .
`` Nothing 's going to be 100 % , and that 's just a fact , '' Ramsey says in an interview on All Things Considered .
`` You do the best you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we 're human beings like everyone else . ''
One complicating factor the authors cited is the decentralization of law enforcement in the United States , where there are more than 18,000 state and local police forces .
Ramsey also says the change in presidential administration had an effect , due to `` a different attitude '' about policing in the Trump White House .
`` There 's no question in my mind .
Could it have been a larger impact ?
I think over time it would have been , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the effectiveness of moderate reforms to police departments , have called to defund departments or abolish them altogether .
Ramsey and Robinson stopped short of supporting abolition , but agreed that armed police may not be appropriate in every emergency situation .
`` I would not probably use the word 'defunding , ' but I think it opens a good conversation about what we want the criminal law and arrest to be used for , '' Robinson said .
Looking ahead , both Ramsey and Robinson are optimistic that their report could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in America , which they believe are more receptive to change today than they were five years ago .
`` When you look at the diversity of the people that are protesting , when you look at what 's taking place in corporate America , sports franchises — everyone seems to be paying attention to this issue , '' Ramsey says .
`` And that 's what drives change . ''
Here are excerpts from the interview .
Could you each name one thing that you wish you could add to the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitely are an area that needs to be addressed .
Robinson : The people coming into the academy right now are the ones who will really shape policing for the 21st century .
So it 's really critical that if we want to change from `` warrior '' mindset to a `` guardian '' mindset in policing ... we really have to hire for that approach .
Atlanta advertises its status as a model city for implementing your recommendations .
And yet it was police in that department who shot and killed Rayshard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaints against the officer [ Garrett Rolfe ] who 's now been charged with murder .
The police chief has stepped down .
At least in this case , it seems like implementing the recommendations was n't enough to present the serious issue .
Ramsey : Atlanta is a fairly large police department .
You 've got a lot of things going on there .
And you 're going to have some officers that do n't always exercise the best judgment .
But other officers have called out sick as a protest against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest that it 's more than one or a few people .
Ramsey : I think that 's a mistake for officers to do that .
They swore an oath to protect the citizens of Atlanta , in good times and bad .
And this is a tough time , but this is a time for them to actually be out there doing their job and doing it well .
But I think it 's difficult to take that incident and then say that somehow that 's a much larger problem .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country are pretty demoralized because of what 's been going on and what 's being said .
I think we need to have balance and be careful so that it does n't appear that we 're demonizing all police for the actions of a few .
At the same time , we need to recognize that we do have people in our profession that should not be police officers , and we have to do everything we can to get rid of them .
For the last few weeks , the conversation has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
Do you think that 's a useful conversation ?
Robinson : I would not probably use the word defunding , but I think it opens a good conversation about what we want the criminal law and arrest to be used for .
Ramsey : When I speak to people about [ defunding ] , they 're talking more in terms of reallocating some resources from the police to the appropriate social service agency , for an example , whether that be substance abuse counselors or mental health workers .
...
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they transfer those resources elsewhere , I personally do n't have a problem with it .
However , I do n't think police can pull completely back from responding to some of those calls because some of those calls are going to be somewhat dangerous and people are going to need support .
Are you convinced that the system is reformable ?
Ramsey : I do .
I really do .
We still have crime and violence occurring in our neighborhoods every single day , and we have to deal with that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the part of police .
If there were no shootings by police officers for the entire year , you 'd still have 14,000 to 15,000 murders committed in this country .
People are n't asking for no police .
They 're asking for good constitutional policing .
Do you see departments right now as being more or less receptive to change ?
Robinson : I do see more receptivity , particularly from police leaders around the country who are looking for ways to build bridges with communities , looking for ways to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think that there is a real opportunity to move forward in progressive and good ways .
Ramsey : I think we 've seen a shift not only in police departments , but in the rest of society .
When you look at the diversity of the people that are protesting , when you look at what 's taking place in corporate America , sports franchises , I mean , everyone seems to be paying attention to this issue , and that 's what drives change .
That 's the beauty of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just hope it does n't lose momentum .
But I think that police departments , certainly elected leaders , are really receptive to change right now .
So I think there 's a tremendous window of opportunity .
Listen to the full interview at the audio link above .

How Recommendations Of An Obama Task Force Have, And Haven't, Changed U.S. Policing
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
The police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others — and the wave of protests that followed — have sparked a national conversation about how to prevent police killings and improve relationships between law enforcement and the communities they police.
Six years ago, police shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., sparking a similar conversation. As a result, President Obama convened a panel of experts, activists, authors and academics to rethink policing in America.
Its two leaders were Charles Ramsey, the former chief of police in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, and Laurie Robinson, a former U.S. assistant attorney general who is now a professor at George Mason University.
The group's report, published in 2015, made 59 recommendations, ranging from the immediately implementable (codifying use-of-force policies, collecting data on police shootings) to bigger-picture cultural changes (diversifying police forces, shifting away from what the report describes as a "warrior" mindset to that of a "guardian").
It was a major moment in American policing. By one count, about 40% of the nation's largest police departments changed training and use-of-force policies in the first two years after the release of the report. Many police departments still tout their adoption of the report's recommendations, including those in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Atlanta.
And yet, the country has arrived at this familiar moment, following another wave of highly publicized police killings of Black people. According to a database maintained by The Washington Post, the number of people shot and killed by police each year has held remarkably steady each year since 2014, at about 1,000 annually.
Asked to evaluate the results of their work, Ramsey and Robinson tell NPR's Ari Shapiro that they believe the report did have an impact, but that changing the culture of policing in America was always going to be difficult.
"Nothing's going to be 100%, and that's just a fact," Ramsey says in an interview on All Things Considered. "You do the best you can in order to provide recommendations, but we're human beings like everyone else."
One complicating factor the authors cited is the decentralization of law enforcement in the United States, where there are more than 18,000 state and local police forces. Ramsey also says the change in presidential administration had an effect, due to "a different attitude" about policing in the Trump White House.
"There's no question in my mind. Could it have been a larger impact? I think over time it would have been," Ramsey says.
Some activists, skeptical of the effectiveness of moderate reforms to police departments, have called to defund departments or abolish them altogether. Ramsey and Robinson stopped short of supporting abolition, but agreed that armed police may not be appropriate in every emergency situation.
"I would not probably use the word 'defunding,' but I think it opens a good conversation about what we want the criminal law and arrest to be used for," Robinson said.
Looking ahead, both Ramsey and Robinson are optimistic that their report could remain a useful playbook for police departments in America, which they believe are more receptive to change today than they were five years ago.
"When you look at the diversity of the people that are protesting, when you look at what's taking place in corporate America, sports franchises — everyone seems to be paying attention to this issue," Ramsey says. "And that's what drives change."
Here are excerpts from the interview.
Could you each name one thing that you wish you could add to the report?
Ramsey: Recruitment and hiring practices definitely are an area that needs to be addressed.
Robinson: The people coming into the academy right now are the ones who will really shape policing for the 21st century. So it's really critical that if we want to change from "warrior" mindset to a "guardian" mindset in policing ... we really have to hire for that approach.
Atlanta advertises its status as a model city for implementing your recommendations. And yet it was police in that department who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks. There was a history of complaints against the officer [Garrett Rolfe] who's now been charged with murder. The police chief has stepped down. At least in this case, it seems like implementing the recommendations wasn't enough to present the serious issue.
Ramsey: Atlanta is a fairly large police department. You've got a lot of things going on there. And you're going to have some officers that don't always exercise the best judgment.
But other officers have called out sick as a protest against the charges against Rolfe. That does suggest that it's more than one or a few people.
Ramsey: I think that's a mistake for officers to do that. They swore an oath to protect the citizens of Atlanta, in good times and bad. And this is a tough time, but this is a time for them to actually be out there doing their job and doing it well.
But I think it's difficult to take that incident and then say that somehow that's a much larger problem. I think that police right now across the country are pretty demoralized because of what's been going on and what's being said. I think we need to have balance and be careful so that it doesn't appear that we're demonizing all police for the actions of a few.
At the same time, we need to recognize that we do have people in our profession that should not be police officers, and we have to do everything we can to get rid of them.
For the last few weeks, the conversation has shifted from police reform toward defunding the police. Do you think that's a useful conversation?
Robinson: I would not probably use the word defunding, but I think it opens a good conversation about what we want the criminal law and arrest to be used for.
Ramsey: When I speak to people about [defunding], they're talking more in terms of reallocating some resources from the police to the appropriate social service agency, for an example, whether that be substance abuse counselors or mental health workers. ... If police are relieved of that responsibility and they transfer those resources elsewhere, I personally don't have a problem with it.
However, I don't think police can pull completely back from responding to some of those calls because some of those calls are going to be somewhat dangerous and people are going to need support.
Are you convinced that the system is reformable?
Ramsey: I do. I really do. We still have crime and violence occurring in our neighborhoods every single day, and we have to deal with that. This isn't just about violence on the part of police. If there were no shootings by police officers for the entire year, you'd still have 14,000 to 15,000 murders committed in this country. People aren't asking for no police. They're asking for good constitutional policing.
Do you see departments right now as being more or less receptive to change?
Robinson: I do see more receptivity, particularly from police leaders around the country who are looking for ways to build bridges with communities, looking for ways to make change really institutionalized in their departments. I think that there is a real opportunity to move forward in progressive and good ways.
Ramsey: I think we've seen a shift not only in police departments, but in the rest of society. When you look at the diversity of the people that are protesting, when you look at what's taking place in corporate America, sports franchises, I mean, everyone seems to be paying attention to this issue, and that's what drives change. That's the beauty of what we're seeing right now. I just hope it doesn't lose momentum.
But I think that police departments, certainly elected leaders, are really receptive to change right now. So I think there's a tremendous window of opportunity.
Listen to the full interview at the audio link above.


npr--2020-06-22--'Together' NASCAR Looks To Move Forward After Noose Found In Driver's Garage

'Together ' NASCAR Looks To Move Forward After Noose Found In Driver 's Garage The FBI has joined NASCAR in an investigation into who left a noose in the racetrack garage of African American driver Bubba Wallace .
The incident happened Sunday in Wallace 's garage area at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama .
Stock car 's top drivers are there for the annual Talladega race .
It was postponed Sunday because of bad weather and rescheduled for Monday .
Wallace is the only Black driver in NASCAR 's top circuit .
He 's been the focus of attention since his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization to impose a historic ban on the Confederate flag at NASCAR events .
In a pre-race media teleconference Monday , NASCAR President Steve Phelps said the joint NASCAR / FBI investigation does n't yet have a lot of answers about what he calls the `` very , very serious act '' of planting the noose in Wallace 's garage .
Phelps said it 's too early to get into specifics about what might 've been captured on video cameras in the garage area .
He did talk about who might 've had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as `` the footprint '' at the racetrack .
`` We have a very small number of people that are in the footprint , '' Phelps said , noting security is tight even when there is n't a pandemic limiting access .
`` Only essential personnel who [ were ] there .
Obviously we 'll review the entire list with the FBI about who had access at that particular time . ''
`` We also use something called compartmentalization – we look at who was in that particular area and we 'll able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was asked about possible security breaches .
`` I ca n't say no for certain , '' Phelps said , adding `` the security around getting into the footprint is significant . ''
Essential personnel reportedly includes team members , NASCAR and track officials and safety crews .
Phelps is adamant about the ultimate punishment for the culprit ( s ) .
`` Unequivocally they 'll be banned [ from NASCAR ] for life , '' he said .
`` There 's no room for this at all and we wo n't tolerate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are , they will not be here . ''
Phelps said NASCAR also has stepped up security for Wallace .
`` This is a family that needs to take care of one of its family members who 's been attacked , '' Phelps said .
Indeed , Wallace is getting widespread support throughout NASCAR .
Legendary driver Richard Petty , who owns Wallace 's number 43 car , announced before Monday 's rescheduled Talladega race that he would be there to support Wallace .
The 82-year-old Petty said he 's enraged by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no place in our sport or society for racism , '' he said in a statement .
`` This filthy act serves as a reminder of how far we still have to go to eradicate racial prejudice , and it galvanizes my resolve to use the resources of Richard Petty Motorsports to create change .
This sick person who perpetrated this act must be found , exposed and swiftly and immediately expelled from NASCAR . ''
Prior to Monday 's race , Wallace posted a selfie on social media with him and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drivers in the background gathered in a semi-circle of support .
Accompanying the photo , the word `` together . ''

'Together' NASCAR Looks To Move Forward After Noose Found In Driver's Garage
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
The FBI has joined NASCAR in an investigation into who left a noose in the racetrack garage of African American driver Bubba Wallace.
The incident happened Sunday in Wallace's garage area at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. Stock car's top drivers are there for the annual Talladega race. It was postponed Sunday because of bad weather and rescheduled for Monday.
Wallace is the only Black driver in NASCAR's top circuit. He's been the focus of attention since his successful lobbying led the stock car racing organization to impose a historic ban on the Confederate flag at NASCAR events.
In a pre-race media teleconference Monday, NASCAR President Steve Phelps said the joint NASCAR / FBI investigation doesn't yet have a lot of answers about what he calls the "very, very serious act" of planting the noose in Wallace's garage.
Phelps said it's too early to get into specifics about what might've been captured on video cameras in the garage area. He did talk about who might've had access to the area he refers to as "the footprint" at the racetrack.
"We have a very small number of people that are in the footprint," Phelps said, noting security is tight even when there isn't a pandemic limiting access. "Only essential personnel who [were] there. Obviously we'll review the entire list with the FBI about who had access at that particular time."
"We also use something called compartmentalization – we look at who was in that particular area and we'll able to narrow that down."
Phelps was asked about possible security breaches.
"I can't say no for certain," Phelps said, adding "the security around getting into the footprint is significant." Essential personnel reportedly includes team members, NASCAR and track officials and safety crews.
Phelps is adamant about the ultimate punishment for the culprit(s).
"Unequivocally they'll be banned [from NASCAR] for life," he said. "There's no room for this at all and we won't tolerate it. I don't care who they are, they will not be here."
Phelps said NASCAR also has stepped up security for Wallace.
"This is a family that needs to take care of one of its family members who's been attacked," Phelps said.
Indeed, Wallace is getting widespread support throughout NASCAR.
Legendary driver Richard Petty, who owns Wallace's number 43 car, announced before Monday's rescheduled Talladega race that he would be there to support Wallace.
The 82-year-old Petty said he's enraged by the incident.
"There's absolutely no place in our sport or society for racism," he said in a statement. "This filthy act serves as a reminder of how far we still have to go to eradicate racial prejudice, and it galvanizes my resolve to use the resources of Richard Petty Motorsports to create change. This sick person who perpetrated this act must be found, exposed and swiftly and immediately expelled from NASCAR."
Prior to Monday's race, Wallace posted a selfie on social media with him and his car in the foreground, and fellow drivers in the background gathered in a semi-circle of support.
Accompanying the photo, the word "together."


npr--2020-06-22--Police Researcher: Officers Have Similar Biases Regardless Of Race

Police Researcher : Officers Have Similar Biases Regardless Of Race One common recommendation for reducing police brutality against people of color is to have police departments mirror a given area 's racial makeup .
President Obama 's Task Force on 21st Century Policing recommended that law enforcement `` reflect the demographics of the community '' ; the Justice Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said diversity on police forces can help build trust with communities .
Rashawn Ray , a fellow at the Brookings Institution and a sociology professor at the University of Maryland , studies race and policing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` officers , regardless of their race or gender , have similar implicit biases , particularly about Black people . ''
Ray says it 's not enough to have Black cops in a Black neighborhood if they do n't know the area .
Ray and his University of Maryland colleagues have amassed policing data through tests and interviews with hundreds of officers .
He talked with Morning Edition 's Noel King about this research .
Here are excerpts of that interview : What kind of biases do police officers — implicit , explicit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first big thing is that when officers take the implicit association test , they exhibit bias against Black people .
They are more likely to make an association between Black people with weapons than they are with white people with weapons .
We also know that officers speak less respectfully to Black people during traffic stops as well as during other sorts of settings .
And they are particularly less likely to respect Black women in these encounters , even if they 're more likely to slightly use more force on Black men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking to a former police officer whose job is now to recruit more Black and brown police officers into [ the Minneapolis ] force .
It sounds like what you 're saying is if she is recruiting Black and brown officers from Phoenix or from Houston and bringing them over to Minneapolis , that is not likely to solve the problem .
That 's exactly right .
So the optics look good , but we ca n't make the assumption that simply because a person is Black that they 're going to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundamental problem when it comes to policing that I 've noticed is that when police officers interact with a white person , there is a pause , a slight pause , a slight benefit of the doubt .
The reason why that exists is because subconsciously , implicitly , when they interact with that person , they see their neighbor , a parent at their kids ' school , and when they interact with a Black person , they are less likely to have what we call in sociology those `` social scripts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in those multitude of ways .
And if we 're going to change this , one big recommendation I have : Police officers need housing assistance that mandates that they live in the metropolitan area where they are policing .
Because community policing is n't about getting out , playing basketball with a kid in uniform .
Community policing oftentimes is what you do when you 're not on duty .
The way that you 're investing in a neighborhood .
Listen to the full interview here .

Police Researcher: Officers Have Similar Biases Regardless Of Race
Enlarge this image toggle caption Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
One common recommendation for reducing police brutality against people of color is to have police departments mirror a given area's racial makeup.
President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing recommended that law enforcement "reflect the demographics of the community"; the Justice Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said diversity on police forces can help build trust with communities.
Rashawn Ray, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and a sociology professor at the University of Maryland, studies race and policing. He says that diversity helps but that "officers, regardless of their race or gender, have similar implicit biases, particularly about Black people." Ray says it's not enough to have Black cops in a Black neighborhood if they don't know the area.
Ray and his University of Maryland colleagues have amassed policing data through tests and interviews with hundreds of officers. He talked with Morning Edition's Noel King about this research. Here are excerpts of that interview:
What kind of biases do police officers — implicit, explicit — say that they have?
The first big thing is that when officers take the implicit association test, they exhibit bias against Black people. They are more likely to make an association between Black people with weapons than they are with white people with weapons. We also know that officers speak less respectfully to Black people during traffic stops as well as during other sorts of settings. And they are particularly less likely to respect Black women in these encounters, even if they're more likely to slightly use more force on Black men relative to other people.
I was talking to a former police officer whose job is now to recruit more Black and brown police officers into [the Minneapolis] force. It sounds like what you're saying is if she is recruiting Black and brown officers from Phoenix or from Houston and bringing them over to Minneapolis, that is not likely to solve the problem.
That's exactly right. So the optics look good, but we can't make the assumption that simply because a person is Black that they're going to know about the neighborhood. Part of the fundamental problem when it comes to policing that I've noticed is that when police officers interact with a white person, there is a pause, a slight pause, a slight benefit of the doubt. The reason why that exists is because subconsciously, implicitly, when they interact with that person, they see their neighbor, a parent at their kids' school, and when they interact with a Black person, they are less likely to have what we call in sociology those "social scripts" that allow them to view people in those multitude of ways.
And if we're going to change this, one big recommendation I have: Police officers need housing assistance that mandates that they live in the metropolitan area where they are policing. Because community policing isn't about getting out, playing basketball with a kid in uniform. Community policing oftentimes is what you do when you're not on duty. The way that you're investing in a neighborhood.
Listen to the full interview here.


npr--2020-06-22--Delta To Resume Flights Between The U.S. And China

Delta To Resume Flights Between The U.S. And China Delta Air Lines said on Monday that it would resume passenger flights between the U.S. and China this week .
The company said it 's the first U.S. airline to do so since February after flights were suspended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
The twice-weekly flights from Seattle will travel through Seoul , South Korea , before reaching Shanghai , with the first one departing Thursday , according to a statement from Delta .
The company said its service to China will expand in July to include Detroit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the easing of travel restrictions between the two countries came last week when the U.S. Department of Transportation said that China and the U.S. would allow American and Chinese carriers , respectively , to schedule four weekly flights between the two countries .
Later in the week , the department rejected China 's proposal for additional flights .
In its statement , Delta highlighted the strict safety measures it will be taking to prevent spread of the coronavirus , including `` electrostatic spraying '' before departure , capping main cabin seating at 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' air circulation systems .
Delta has been hit hard financially by the coronavirus .
In May , Delta 's CEO said the company was burning through $ 50 million per day .
The Fortune 500 company also decided to retire its Boeing 777 model from its fleet in response to financial pressure .
Delta 's stock price is above $ 29 as of Monday afternoon , a rebound from a low of $ 19 in May but still about half of its price from the beginning of 2020 .

Delta To Resume Flights Between The U.S. And China
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Minchillo/AP John Minchillo/AP
Delta Air Lines said on Monday that it would resume passenger flights between the U.S. and China this week. The company said it's the first U.S. airline to do so since February after flights were suspended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The twice-weekly flights from Seattle will travel through Seoul, South Korea, before reaching Shanghai, with the first one departing Thursday, according to a statement from Delta. The company said its service to China will expand in July to include Detroit as well.
A major sign of the easing of travel restrictions between the two countries came last week when the U.S. Department of Transportation said that China and the U.S. would allow American and Chinese carriers, respectively, to schedule four weekly flights between the two countries.
Later in the week, the department rejected China's proposal for additional flights.
In its statement, Delta highlighted the strict safety measures it will be taking to prevent spread of the coronavirus, including "electrostatic spraying" before departure, capping main cabin seating at 60% and the use of "state-of-the-art" air circulation systems.
Delta has been hit hard financially by the coronavirus.
In May, Delta's CEO said the company was burning through $50 million per day.
The Fortune 500 company also decided to retire its Boeing 777 model from its fleet in response to financial pressure. Delta's stock price is above $29 as of Monday afternoon, a rebound from a low of $19 in May but still about half of its price from the beginning of 2020.


npr--2020-06-22--Trump Administration Labels 4 More Chinese News Outlets 'Foreign Missions'

The Trump administration on Monday labeled four more Chinese news organizations as `` foreign missions , '' expanding its restrictions on what it calls Chinese propaganda outlets in a move that 's likely to anger Beijing .
The four organizations are state broadcaster China Central Television , the ruling Communist Party 's mouthpiece newspaper People 's Daily , its hawkish tabloid subsidiary , the Global Times , and the semiofficial state-run China News Service .
They join five other Chinese news organizations the U.S. designated in February as foreign missions — a label that includes embassies — potentially adding strain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two leading economies .
The outlets are now required to report their personnel rosters and real estate holdings to the State Department , and may face limits on how many personnel they can have working in the United States .
`` This determination is not intended to reduce or constrain journalistic activity by foreign media outlets .
Again , these four entities are not media but propaganda outlets , '' Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell told reporters .
The decision escalates a tit-for-tat scrap over journalists that kicked off earlier in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a dozen American journalists working for The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post and required those outlets , as well as the Voice of America and Time magazine , to provide the government with information about their operations .
That came after the Trump administration restricted to 100 from about 160 the number of Chinese nationals allowed to work in the United States for a handful of Chinese outlets , including the People 's Daily .
Stilwell brushed aside concerns that China could retaliate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kicking out more American journalists , saying there was no `` moral equivalency . ''
`` We would hope that the government would adhere to its claims to be open and accessible and supportive of journalism . ''
`` This foreign mission designation is an obvious step in increasing transparency of these and other PRC government propaganda activities in the United States , '' he said , referring to the country 's official name , the People 's Republic of China .
During Monday 's conference call , a State Department spokesperson muted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked Stilwell whether he had heard any concerns from U.S. allies about former National Security Adviser John Bolton 's book .
In it , Bolton accuses President Trump of seeking China 's help in his reelection bid .
The move comes less than a week after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met China 's top diplomat , Yang Jiechi , in Hawaii to try to stabilize ties .
After that meeting , the State Department said Pompeo raised the need for `` fully-reciprocal dealings between the two nations across commercial , security , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power in 2012 , Chinese leader Xi Jinping has pressed his country 's news organizations to be loyal to the party , and the already-limited space for muckraking and independent reporting has shrunk further inside the country .
Working conditions for international journalists in China have `` markedly deteriorated , '' according to the Foreign Correspondents ' Club of China .
In a report published in early March , the club said the Chinese government was using visas as weapons against the foreign press like never before .

Trump Administration Labels 4 More Chinese News Outlets 'Foreign Missions'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ma Zhancheng/AP Ma Zhancheng/AP
The Trump administration on Monday labeled four more Chinese news organizations as "foreign missions," expanding its restrictions on what it calls Chinese propaganda outlets in a move that's likely to anger Beijing.
The four organizations are state broadcaster China Central Television, the ruling Communist Party's mouthpiece newspaper People's Daily, its hawkish tabloid subsidiary, the Global Times, and the semiofficial state-run China News Service.
They join five other Chinese news organizations the U.S. designated in February as foreign missions — a label that includes embassies — potentially adding strain to already-worsening relations between the world's two leading economies.
The outlets are now required to report their personnel rosters and real estate holdings to the State Department, and may face limits on how many personnel they can have working in the United States.
"This determination is not intended to reduce or constrain journalistic activity by foreign media outlets. Again, these four entities are not media but propaganda outlets," Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell told reporters.
The decision escalates a tit-for-tat scrap over journalists that kicked off earlier in the year.
In March, China expelled more than a dozen American journalists working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post and required those outlets, as well as the Voice of America and Time magazine, to provide the government with information about their operations.
That came after the Trump administration restricted to 100 from about 160 the number of Chinese nationals allowed to work in the United States for a handful of Chinese outlets, including the People's Daily.
Stilwell brushed aside concerns that China could retaliate to Monday's move by the administration by kicking out more American journalists, saying there was no "moral equivalency."
"We would hope that the government would adhere to its claims to be open and accessible and supportive of journalism."
"This foreign mission designation is an obvious step in increasing transparency of these and other PRC government propaganda activities in the United States," he said, referring to the country's official name, the People's Republic of China.
During Monday's conference call, a State Department spokesperson muted the line of a Reuters reporter who asked Stilwell whether he had heard any concerns from U.S. allies about former National Security Adviser John Bolton's book. In it, Bolton accuses President Trump of seeking China's help in his reelection bid.
The move comes less than a week after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, in Hawaii to try to stabilize ties.
After that meeting, the State Department said Pompeo raised the need for "fully-reciprocal dealings between the two nations across commercial, security, and diplomatic interactions."
Since taking power in 2012, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has pressed his country's news organizations to be loyal to the party, and the already-limited space for muckraking and independent reporting has shrunk further inside the country.
Working conditions for international journalists in China have "markedly deteriorated," according to the Foreign Correspondents' Club of China.
In a report published in early March, the club said the Chinese government was using visas as weapons against the foreign press like never before.