usatoday--2020-07-06--Aaron Glee has been charged with murders of Oluwatoyin Salau and Vicki Sims in Florida. He 'would ha

TALLAHASSEE , Fla. — The woman thought her young son was sleepwalking when she heard the front door of her Florida house creak open just before midnight .
Roused from sleep , she went to investigate downstairs but found her son still asleep on the couch .
She went to the kitchen , where a light was on , and found her ex-boyfriend , Aaron Glee Jr. , rifling through a suitcase .
Glee , who didn ’ t have a key to the house or permission to be inside , turned confrontational during the surprise encounter .
“ She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their reports .
He left , at her insistence .
But after waking her son and ushering him upstairs to the safety of his bedroom , she spotted Glee outside the window , still lingering by the front door .
“ She felt very unsafe and called 911 , ” police reports said .
Glee disappeared into the darkness that night , a couple of weeks before Christmas 2010 .
His ex-girlfriend had no idea how close she ’ d come to a man who would confess a decade later in the deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 , Tallahassee police trying to find Victoria Sims , a retired state worker who ’ d gone missing a few days earlier , traced her cellphone to Glee ’ s residence tucked off Monday Road .
A search of the property and nearby woods turned up the bodies of Sims , 75 , and Oluwatoyin Salau , 19 , a local student and Black Lives Matter protester who ’ d been missing about a week .
Glee , 49 , managed to slip out of town before officers arrived , fleeing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his pants .
Police caught up with him at a bus station in Orlando , arresting him on murder , kidnapping and sexual assault charges .
Experts said Glee , who has a long history of violence against women and soured relationships with girlfriends and wives , may not have stopped killing otherwise .
`` Glee would have killed again if given the chance and most likely intended to acquire additional victims , '' said Enzo Yaksic , a renowned serial killer scholar and founder of the Boston-based Atypical Homicide Research Group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same behaviors of serial killers , including binding his victims and letting at least one of them die slowly by asphyxiation .
`` That his assaults occurred over three decades and his victims were usually female shows that Glee ’ s hatred toward women , a hallmark of serial homicide , manifested gradually until it culminated in the deaths of Salau and Sims — two women who refused to comply with his demands , '' he said .
Jeffrey Rinek , a retired FBI agent and criminal profiler who worked numerous serial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off and returned to normal life after the first murder .
But he struck again , demonstrating an intent to keep killing .
Glee , who spent much of his life in the area of West Palm Beach , Florida , began getting into trouble at a young age .
His run-ins with police followed a tough childhood — when he was 3 years old , his young father and uncle died after their car crashed into a palm tree .
He was arrested for the first time in 1989 , just before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to more serious crimes : armed robbery , grand theft auto and drug offenses .
In all , his rap sheet shows more than three dozen arrests , numerous stays in county lock-up and six prison stints totaling seven years .
He left behind a trail of arrest records , including domestic violence complaints , from Palm Beach County to Tallahassee .
Glee started a family in the mid-1990s .
But after only two years of marriage , he abandoned his wife and four kids , she alleged in divorce filings .
Then-Circuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court justice , signed the divorce order , giving full custody of the kids to their mom and no visitation for Glee .
Two more marriages also ended in divorce , each within a year .
The woman who found Glee in her kitchen told police they dated for a few months but she ended it “ because of ( his ) drinking problem . ''
He assaulted his sister-in-law in the middle of the road on the Fourth of July in 2012 and got into a fight with a different woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cocaine and a crack-laced cigarette inside a stolen truck Glee was driving .
In 2013 , Glee threw a brick through another ex-girlfriend 's window .
`` ( The girlfriend ) stated she broke up with Aaron earlier in the day , ” police reports said .
He moved to Tallahassee at some point , landing on law enforcement ’ s radar last year after police spotted him with cocaine and marijuana outside a local business .
He snorted the coke before officers could get to him , according to police reports .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ pick girls up.
” He was cited for misdemeanor possession , but the charge was later dropped .
In the days leading up to the murders , Glee had back-to-back run-ins with police .
He was cited for battery May 28 after fighting with another man at a bus stop , then arrested the next day for aggravated assault after shoving a woman to the ground and kicking her repeatedly .
The victim told police he flew into a rage after she declined a sexual overture .
He bonded out of jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he happened to meet Salau after she stepped off a bus .
He coaxed her back to his house after she confided she had been sexually assaulted earlier in the day and had nowhere to go .
He called Sims , a retired state worker and volunteer who 'd delivered meals to him before , to take them there .
Glee , in a confession to police , said he overpowered Salau after she rejected his advances .
He kept her tied up and a prisoner in his house for days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
Yaksic said throughout life , Glee appeared hyper-focused on securing sex partners .
When Salau resisted , he resorted to kidnapping and rape .
“ It could very well be that her resistance to his advances is what triggered him to respond with violence , ” he said .
“ His second victim was collateral damage given that she had information linking him to the first homicide.
” Yaksic said it ’ s unlikely Glee killed before given the missteps that led to his capture .
He didn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picked a victim in Sims who could be linked to him easily .
He also left behind a wealth of evidence at the scene .
“ Serial murderers spend an immense amount of time in a state of what we call homicidal ideation or fantasy , ” Yaksic said .
“ It can take a number of years to work up the courage to kill and even longer to convince themselves they can escape apprehension.
” Yaksic added , “ They can be lazy and take the easiest pathway to murder .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consuming and is sometimes released at the first opportunity.
” Rinek said investigators wo n't know for sure whether Glee was a nascent serial killer until after a thorough interview of the suspect and investigation .
`` They need to look at the rest of his life with a magnifying glass , '' he said .
`` There could be other victims out there that he didn ’ t kill ... that represent the entire continuum from simple assault to rape and murder.
” Yaksic said two-victim serial killers are just as dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though they 're often ignored by scholars .
He said it 's important for researchers to study them and the public to be aware of them .
`` Discounting them and not studying their behavior patterns may lead to opportunities for future two-victim killers to accrue more victims , '' he said .
`` The Glee case is evidence of how vitally important it is for potential victims of serial killers to remain vigilant . ''

Aaron Glee has been charged with murders of Oluwatoyin Salau and Vicki Sims in Florida. He 'would have killed again,' experts say.
Show Caption Hide Caption What we know about the deaths of Oluwatoyin Salau and Victoria Sims Oluwatoyin Salau, Victoria Sims found dead: What we know Nate Chute, USA Today Network
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The woman thought her young son was sleepwalking when she heard the front door of her Florida house creak open just before midnight.
Roused from sleep, she went to investigate downstairs but found her son still asleep on the couch. She went to the kitchen, where a light was on, and found her ex-boyfriend, Aaron Glee Jr., rifling through a suitcase.
“Just looking,” he told her.
Glee, who didn’t have a key to the house or permission to be inside, turned confrontational during the surprise encounter.
“She became scared,” police noted in their reports. He left, at her insistence. But after waking her son and ushering him upstairs to the safety of his bedroom, she spotted Glee outside the window, still lingering by the front door.
“She felt very unsafe and called 911,” police reports said.
Glee disappeared into the darkness that night, a couple of weeks before Christmas 2010. His ex-girlfriend had no idea how close she’d come to a man who would confess a decade later in the deaths of two Tallahassee women.
On June 13, Tallahassee police trying to find Victoria Sims, a retired state worker who’d gone missing a few days earlier, traced her cellphone to Glee’s residence tucked off Monday Road.
A search of the property and nearby woods turned up the bodies of Sims, 75, and Oluwatoyin Salau, 19, a local student and Black Lives Matter protester who’d been missing about a week.
Glee, 49, managed to slip out of town before officers arrived, fleeing on a Greyhound bus with blood stains still on his pants. Police caught up with him at a bus station in Orlando, arresting him on murder, kidnapping and sexual assault charges.
Experts said Glee, who has a long history of violence against women and soured relationships with girlfriends and wives, may not have stopped killing otherwise.
"Glee would have killed again if given the chance and most likely intended to acquire additional victims," said Enzo Yaksic, a renowned serial killer scholar and founder of the Boston-based Atypical Homicide Research Group.
Yaksic said Glee demonstrated many of the same behaviors of serial killers, including binding his victims and letting at least one of them die slowly by asphyxiation.
"That his assaults occurred over three decades and his victims were usually female shows that Glee’s hatred toward women, a hallmark of serial homicide, manifested gradually until it culminated in the deaths of Salau and Sims — two women who refused to comply with his demands," he said.
Jeffrey Rinek, a retired FBI agent and criminal profiler who worked numerous serial murders, said Glee could have cooled off and returned to normal life after the first murder. But he struck again, demonstrating an intent to keep killing.
"I think he's a serial killer," Rinek said.
A troubled family life and history
Glee, who spent much of his life in the area of West Palm Beach, Florida, began getting into trouble at a young age. His run-ins with police followed a tough childhood — when he was 3 years old, his young father and uncle died after their car crashed into a palm tree.
He was arrested for the first time in 1989, just before his 18th birthday, and quickly graduated to more serious crimes: armed robbery, grand theft auto and drug offenses.
In all, his rap sheet shows more than three dozen arrests, numerous stays in county lock-up and six prison stints totaling seven years. He left behind a trail of arrest records, including domestic violence complaints, from Palm Beach County to Tallahassee.
Glee started a family in the mid-1990s. But after only two years of marriage, he abandoned his wife and four kids, she alleged in divorce filings.
Then-Circuit Judge Jorge Labarga, now a Florida Supreme Court justice, signed the divorce order, giving full custody of the kids to their mom and no visitation for Glee. Two more marriages also ended in divorce, each within a year.
The woman who found Glee in her kitchen told police they dated for a few months but she ended it “because of (his) drinking problem."
He assaulted his sister-in-law in the middle of the road on the Fourth of July in 2012 and got into a fight with a different woman the next day. Police found powder cocaine and a crack-laced cigarette inside a stolen truck Glee was driving.
In 2013, Glee threw a brick through another ex-girlfriend's window.
"(The girlfriend) stated she broke up with Aaron earlier in the day,” police reports said.
Rejection may have sparked killing
He moved to Tallahassee at some point, landing on law enforcement’s radar last year after police spotted him with cocaine and marijuana outside a local business. He snorted the coke before officers could get to him, according to police reports.
Glee told police he was trying to “pick girls up.” He was cited for misdemeanor possession, but the charge was later dropped.
In the days leading up to the murders, Glee had back-to-back run-ins with police. He was cited for battery May 28 after fighting with another man at a bus stop, then arrested the next day for aggravated assault after shoving a woman to the ground and kicking her repeatedly. The victim told police he flew into a rage after she declined a sexual overture.
He bonded out of jail on June 1. Five days later, he happened to meet Salau after she stepped off a bus .
He coaxed her back to his house after she confided she had been sexually assaulted earlier in the day and had nowhere to go. He called Sims, a retired state worker and volunteer who'd delivered meals to him before, to take them there.
Glee, in a confession to police, said he overpowered Salau after she rejected his advances. He kept her tied up and a prisoner in his house for days, raping her repeatedly before deciding to kill her.
Yaksic said throughout life, Glee appeared hyper-focused on securing sex partners. When Salau resisted, he resorted to kidnapping and rape.
“It could very well be that her resistance to his advances is what triggered him to respond with violence,” he said. “His second victim was collateral damage given that she had information linking him to the first homicide.”
'The easiest pathway to murder'
Yaksic said it’s unlikely Glee killed before given the missteps that led to his capture. He didn’t have a vehicle or viable escape plan and picked a victim in Sims who could be linked to him easily. He also left behind a wealth of evidence at the scene.
“Serial murderers spend an immense amount of time in a state of what we call homicidal ideation or fantasy,” Yaksic said. “It can take a number of years to work up the courage to kill and even longer to convince themselves they can escape apprehension.”
Yaksic added, “They can be lazy and take the easiest pathway to murder. The tension that builds in them becomes all consuming and is sometimes released at the first opportunity.”
Rinek said investigators won't know for sure whether Glee was a nascent serial killer until after a thorough interview of the suspect and investigation.
"They need to look at the rest of his life with a magnifying glass," he said. "There could be other victims out there that he didn’t kill ... that represent the entire continuum from simple assault to rape and murder.”
Yaksic said two-victim serial killers are just as dangerous as those with higher death counts, though they're often ignored by scholars. He said it's important for researchers to study them and the public to be aware of them.
"Discounting them and not studying their behavior patterns may lead to opportunities for future two-victim killers to accrue more victims," he said. "The Glee case is evidence of how vitally important it is for potential victims of serial killers to remain vigilant."
Follow Jeff Burlew on Twitter: @JeffBurlew


usatoday--2020-07-06--Will the Facebook advertising boycott force the social media giant to change? Not likely

Hundreds of advertisers say they wo n't spend money on Facebook in July or beyond over concerns the social media company is n't doing enough to stop hate speech .
But the exodus of spenders may not be enough to push CEO Mark Zuckerberg to make the level of change that critics are demanding .
Critics have an initial list of 10 recommendations that they say would help Facebook corral hate speech and make civil rights a priority when moderating content .
Zuckerberg and top executives , who have agreed to meet with the civil rights groups behind the Stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to release the company 's third civil rights audit , which Facebook says will address many of the activists ' concerns , as well as other policy changes that were already under consideration .
The pressure on Facebook seems intense , but it may not be as powerful as the headlines make it appear .
Brands that are boycotting Facebook make up a small percentage of the company 's revenue and they are pulling ad dollars at a time when many had already dialed back spending .
And these advertisers are discovering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now from not advertising on Facebook than advertising on it .
For their part , investors have been largely unconcerned .
Though the stock dipped when the boycott began attracting major consumer brands , it 's bounced back with the expectation that this corporate boycott , like others before it , will peter out .
Analysts even told investors that the short-lived drop presented a good opportunity to buy shares .
Facebook while black : Users call it getting 'Zucked , ' say talking about racism is censored as hate speech George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism and discrimination in the workplace Facebook has another consideration in the run-up to the presidential election .
Most of the engagement on its platform is from conservatives and much of the outrage fueling the boycott comes from controversial posts by President Donald Trump .
Add to that the fact that Facebook users , many of whom are older , have a tougher time quitting the social network and Zuckerberg may be right that he does n't have much to worry about .
“ Do I think that the current crisis is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no , ” says Harvard Business School professor David Yoffie .
But , says Yoffie , “ the longer-term danger to Facebook is that Mark ’ s position on content curation is ultimately going to seriously impact the brand.
” Why Trump has sway over Facebook The quandary for Facebook : Its platform reflects the political demographics and conflicts of the American electorate – with one important difference : the outsize influence of conservatives there .
“ While the nation skews liberal in population size , conservative and liberal are even on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO of social analytics company BlitzMetrics .
“ When you look at relative engagement , conservatives are significantly larger.
” Of Facebook users ’ interactions with the top 10 political media outlets on the platform , conservative pages accounted for about 78 % from June 23 to June 30 , according to data from CrowdTangle , a public insights tool owned by Facebook .
Conservative voices Ben Shapiro and Breitbart alone represented more than 70 % .
Trump 's presence on Facebook dwarfs that of his presumptive Democratic challenger , former Vice President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s main Facebook page got nearly 11 times more interactions than Biden ’ s , according to CrowdTangle data .
Trump got more than seven times as many video views and added twice as many page likes during that period .
Even in the face of growing pressure from the boycott , Zuckerberg says he is standing by his belief that everyone should be able to see what politicians say , even when their claims are false or inflammatory .
Last month , the Facebook CEO called out Twitter for fact-checking a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should not police political speech .
`` I just believe strongly that Facebook should n't be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online , '' he told Fox News .
That position when it comes to Trump ’ s posts , the same ones that Twitter flagged as glorifying violence or misleading Americans , has wedged Zuckerberg between a rock and a hard place , Yoffie says .
“ Mark is trying to thread a needle and he has continuously failed , '' Yoffie said .
`` He does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't want to alienate the right wing .
He also does n't want to alienate his employees and Silicon Valley .
But he can ’ t make everybody happy . ''
Zuckerberg may not have to .
Facebook recently reported that it had more than 7 million active advertisers and more than 90 million business pages .
The vast majority of them aren ’ t going anywhere .
The top 100 biggest ad spenders on Facebook accounted for less than 6 %  of its revenue ,  according to advertising analytics firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of the world 's largest advertisers that has joined the boycott , had already reduced spending because of COVID-19 .
 Of the advertisers that announced Facebook boycotts as of Tuesday , only 13 were in the top 1,000 spenders on Facebook ads in the U.S. for Jan. 1 through June 27 , according to ad database and marketing analytics firm Pathmatics .
Those advertisers – including Pfizer , Microsoft and Unilever – accounted for less than 3 % of the more than $ 4 billion spent on Facebook U.S. ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USA TODAY analysis of Pathmatics data .
Disney , which has not announced a boycott as of Friday , was the top advertiser on Facebook in the U.S. during that period .
It spent $ 211 million , which was about $ 95 million more than the top 10 Facebook boycotters combined , according to Pathmatics .
Several advertisers that announced Facebook boycotts – including Denny 's , Eddie Bauer , Jansport and North Face – didn ’ t register in the top 1,000 ad spenders on Facebook in the first half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough' Facebook relies mostly on ad dollars from small and medium-sized businesses ,  which typically can ’ t afford to buy ads on more expensive media with broad reach such as television , and direct response advertisers , who urge consumers to take action , such as make a purchase or install an app .
 While major corporations grab the headlines , about one-third of Facebook ’ s ad revenue comes from small and mid-sized businesses , according to Third Bridge .
The effectiveness of the Facebook platform , which allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on specific demographic characteristics , is too compelling for many advertisers to give up .
“ There definitely are alternatives , but some of the reasons seemingly that Facebook has been so successful is because they do provide very straightforward , easy-to-use solutions that frankly work for a lot of advertisers , ” Kessler said .
Internally , Zuckerberg has told employees he expects advertisers will return `` soon enough '' and pledged that Facebook would not yield to threats from advertisers who represent such a small share of Facebook 's revenue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Does that mean the Facebook boycott will fail ?
Not necessarily , says Maurice Schweitzer , a professor at the University of Pennsylvania 's Wharton School who has studied boycotts .
When the Stop Hate for Profit campaign launched nearly three weeks ago , it had n't lined up a single advertiser .
Now it has more than 400 .
Facebook has rushed to reassure advertisers that it takes these issues seriously , saying it spends billions to make its platforms safe and works with outside groups to review its policies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Nick Clegg , published an open letter Wednesday saying the company `` does not profit from hate . ''
Most boycotts driven by consumers fail because “ people don ’ t persist in changing their behaviors , ” he said .
This one is driven by corporations that may not back down because of pressure they ’ re facing from their employees and customers to take a stand , he said .
“ They can channel literally millions of dollars and have a direct and immediate impact , ” Schweitzer said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ squeeze and is exerting much more pressure on Facebook than the average call for the boycott.
” Schweitzer said Facebook could end up making concessions that at least partially satisfy critics .
Or the pressure on Facebook may decline following the presidential election , particularly if Trump , the central figure driving much of the tension , loses to Biden .
Facebook has long been aware of the possibility that divisive and harmful content on its platform could hurt its financial prospects , particularly with the nation gripped by civil unrest and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subject to negative publicity if we are not successful in our efforts to prevent misinformation or other illicit or objectionable use of our products or services in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic , the 2020 U.S. presidential election or other elections around the world , '' Facebook warned in a public filing in April .
`` Any such negative publicity could have an adverse effect on the size , engagement and loyalty of our user base and result in decreased revenue , which could adversely affect our business and financial results . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , investors have become increasingly concerned about the financial implications .
“ I don ’ t think there ’ s any question that it is very quickly becoming a risk factor that people probably need to pay attention to , ” said Scott Kessler , global sector lead for technology , media and telecommunications at market research firm Third Bridge .
But Facebook is a habit that advertisers would have a hard time breaking for long .
The company has more than 3 billion users on its apps including Instagram ,  Messenger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still growing .
The number of people who used Facebook services at least once per month in the first quarter of 2020 totaled 2.6 billion , up 10 % from a year earlier .
That 's one-third of the world 's population , according to the United Nations Population Fund .
Facebook ’ s saving grace could be Instagram , which is driving growth .
Many users and advertisers treat the photo-sharing social media app as distinct from Facebook , even though they ’ re part of the same company .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the Facebook platform , as opposed to the other platforms , including Instagram , ” Kessler said .
With such a tight hold on users , Facebook controls about a quarter of the U.S. digital advertising market ,  according to EMarketer. It pulled in $ 70 billion in ad revenue last year , despite threats of government regulation and user defections .
The company 's first-quarter revenue rose 17.6 % to $ 17.7 billion , while its net income more than doubled to $ 4.9 billion .
And , even with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say Facebook is on track to grow revenue this year , but not by as much .
So far the effort to punish Facebook hasn ’ t had a big impact on its stock , despite some bumps .
Facebook shares closed at $ 235.53 on Wednesday , June 17 , the day a coalition of groups , including Color Of Change , the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League called on advertisers to pause spending on the social network .
The stock ’ s price rose over the next four days , hitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following Tuesday , even after prominent brands like Ben & Jerry ’ s , Patagonia and REI joined the boycott .
However , as more brands flocked to the protest , including giants like CVS , Coca-Cola and Unilever , the stock dropped 11 % from its peak the prior week , closing at $ 216.08 on Friday , June 26 .
It has since cut those losses , rising to $ 233.42 on Thursday , as investors assessed the situation .
“ Even if all the advertisers boycotted Facebook for a full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 % of revenues by our math , '' said Colin Sebastian , senior research analyst with Baird Equity Research .
“ The stock is going to reflect that anticipated impact on revenue and profits as opposed to expressing any underlying view about whether Facebook is handling these issues properly from a broader social perspective .
”

Jessica Guynn and Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY

Will the Facebook advertising boycott force the social media giant to change? Not likely
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump campaign ad removed from Facebook for upside-down triangle The Nazis used the red triangle to mark political prisoners. USA TODAY
Hundreds of advertisers say they won't spend money on Facebook in July or beyond over concerns the social media company isn't doing enough to stop hate speech. But the exodus of spenders may not be enough to push CEO Mark Zuckerberg to make the level of change that critics are demanding.
Critics have an initial list of 10 recommendations that they say would help Facebook corral hate speech and make civil rights a priority when moderating content.
Zuckerberg and top executives, who have agreed to meet with the civil rights groups behind the Stop Hate for Profit boycott this week, plan to release the company's third civil rights audit, which Facebook says will address many of the activists' concerns, as well as other policy changes that were already under consideration.
The pressure on Facebook seems intense, but it may not be as powerful as the headlines make it appear.
Brands that are boycotting Facebook make up a small percentage of the company's revenue and they are pulling ad dollars at a time when many had already dialed back spending. And these advertisers are discovering that they can get better exposure right now from not advertising on Facebook than advertising on it.
For their part, investors have been largely unconcerned. Though the stock dipped when the boycott began attracting major consumer brands, it's bounced back with the expectation that this corporate boycott, like others before it, will peter out. Analysts even told investors that the short-lived drop presented a good opportunity to buy shares.
Facebook while black: Users call it getting 'Zucked,' say talking about racism is censored as hate speech
George Floyd protests: Black employees speak out on racism and discrimination in the workplace
Facebook has another consideration in the run-up to the presidential election. Most of the engagement on its platform is from conservatives and much of the outrage fueling the boycott comes from controversial posts by President Donald Trump.
Add to that the fact that Facebook users, many of whom are older, have a tougher time quitting the social network and Zuckerberg may be right that he doesn't have much to worry about.
“Do I think that the current crisis is one that potentially dooms Facebook? The answer is no,” says Harvard Business School professor David Yoffie.
But, says Yoffie, “the longer-term danger to Facebook is that Mark’s position on content curation is ultimately going to seriously impact the brand.”
Why Trump has sway over Facebook
The quandary for Facebook: Its platform reflects the political demographics and conflicts of the American electorate – with one important difference: the outsize influence of conservatives there.
“While the nation skews liberal in population size, conservative and liberal are even on Facebook,” says Dennis Yu, CEO of social analytics company BlitzMetrics. “When you look at relative engagement, conservatives are significantly larger.”
Of Facebook users’ interactions with the top 10 political media outlets on the platform, conservative pages accounted for about 78% from June 23 to June 30, according to data from CrowdTangle, a public insights tool owned by Facebook. Conservative voices Ben Shapiro and Breitbart alone represented more than 70%.
Trump's presence on Facebook dwarfs that of his presumptive Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden. In June, Trump’s main Facebook page got nearly 11 times more interactions than Biden’s, according to CrowdTangle data. Trump got more than seven times as many video views and added twice as many page likes during that period.
Zuckerberg fails at threading needle
Even in the face of growing pressure from the boycott, Zuckerberg says he is standing by his belief that everyone should be able to see what politicians say, even when their claims are false or inflammatory.
Last month, the Facebook CEO called out Twitter for fact-checking a Trump tweet, saying social media platforms should not police political speech. "I just believe strongly that Facebook shouldn't be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online," he told Fox News.
That position when it comes to Trump’s posts, the same ones that Twitter flagged as glorifying violence or misleading Americans, has wedged Zuckerberg between a rock and a hard place, Yoffie says.
“Mark is trying to thread a needle and he has continuously failed," Yoffie said. "He doesn't want to alienate Trump. He doesn't want to alienate the right wing. He also doesn't want to alienate his employees and Silicon Valley. But he can’t make everybody happy."
Boycott represents fraction of ad sales
Zuckerberg may not have to. Facebook recently reported that it had more than 7 million active advertisers and more than 90 million business pages. The vast majority of them aren’t going anywhere.
The top 100 biggest ad spenders on Facebook accounted for less than 6% of its revenue, according to advertising analytics firm Pathmatics. Many of them, including Unilever, one of the world's largest advertisers that has joined the boycott, had already reduced spending because of COVID-19.
Of the advertisers that announced Facebook boycotts as of Tuesday, only 13 were in the top 1,000 spenders on Facebook ads in the U.S. for Jan. 1 through June 27, according to ad database and marketing analytics firm Pathmatics.
Those advertisers – including Pfizer, Microsoft and Unilever – accounted for less than 3% of the more than $4 billion spent on Facebook U.S. ads during that period, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Pathmatics data.
Disney, which has not announced a boycott as of Friday, was the top advertiser on Facebook in the U.S. during that period. It spent $211 million, which was about $95 million more than the top 10 Facebook boycotters combined, according to Pathmatics.
Several advertisers that announced Facebook boycotts – including Denny's, Eddie Bauer, Jansport and North Face – didn’t register in the top 1,000 ad spenders on Facebook in the first half of the year.
Advertisers will return 'soon enough'
Facebook relies mostly on ad dollars from small and medium-sized businesses, which typically can’t afford to buy ads on more expensive media with broad reach such as television, and direct response advertisers, who urge consumers to take action, such as make a purchase or install an app.
While major corporations grab the headlines, about one-third of Facebook’s ad revenue comes from small and mid-sized businesses, according to Third Bridge.
The effectiveness of the Facebook platform, which allows marketers to narrowly target their spending based on specific demographic characteristics, is too compelling for many advertisers to give up.
“There definitely are alternatives, but some of the reasons seemingly that Facebook has been so successful is because they do provide very straightforward, easy-to-use solutions that frankly work for a lot of advertisers,” Kessler said.
Internally, Zuckerberg has told employees he expects advertisers will return "soon enough" and pledged that Facebook would not yield to threats from advertisers who represent such a small share of Facebook's revenue, according to tech news service The Information.
Will the Facebook boycott fail?
Does that mean the Facebook boycott will fail? Not necessarily, says Maurice Schweitzer, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School who has studied boycotts.
When the Stop Hate for Profit campaign launched nearly three weeks ago, it hadn't lined up a single advertiser. Now it has more than 400.
Facebook has rushed to reassure advertisers that it takes these issues seriously, saying it spends billions to make its platforms safe and works with outside groups to review its policies. Facebook's vice president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, published an open letter Wednesday saying the company "does not profit from hate."
Most boycotts driven by consumers fail because “people don’t persist in changing their behaviors,” he said. This one is driven by corporations that may not back down because of pressure they’re facing from their employees and customers to take a stand, he said.
“They can channel literally millions of dollars and have a direct and immediate impact,” Schweitzer said. “This boycott is really putting a squeeze and is exerting much more pressure on Facebook than the average call for the boycott.”
Facebook to flag posts that break its rules Facebook says it will flag all "newsworthy" posts from politicians, including President Donald Trump, that may incite violence, suppress voting or break its other content rules. (June 26) AP
Schweitzer said Facebook could end up making concessions that at least partially satisfy critics. Or the pressure on Facebook may decline following the presidential election, particularly if Trump, the central figure driving much of the tension, loses to Biden.
Boycott worries some investors
Facebook has long been aware of the possibility that divisive and harmful content on its platform could hurt its financial prospects, particularly with the nation gripped by civil unrest and a deadly pandemic.
"We may be subject to negative publicity if we are not successful in our efforts to prevent misinformation or other illicit or objectionable use of our products or services in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 U.S. presidential election or other elections around the world," Facebook warned in a public filing in April. "Any such negative publicity could have an adverse effect on the size, engagement and loyalty of our user base and result in decreased revenue, which could adversely affect our business and financial results."
As more corporations join the boycott daily, investors have become increasingly concerned about the financial implications.
“I don’t think there’s any question that it is very quickly becoming a risk factor that people probably need to pay attention to,” said Scott Kessler, global sector lead for technology, media and telecommunications at market research firm Third Bridge.
Saved by Instagram?
But Facebook is a habit that advertisers would have a hard time breaking for long. The company has more than 3 billion users on its apps including Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. And that user base is still growing.
The number of people who used Facebook services at least once per month in the first quarter of 2020 totaled 2.6 billion, up 10% from a year earlier. That's one-third of the world's population, according to the United Nations Population Fund.
Facebook’s saving grace could be Instagram, which is driving growth. Many users and advertisers treat the photo-sharing social media app as distinct from Facebook, even though they’re part of the same company.
“Most of the discussion seemingly has been around the Facebook platform, as opposed to the other platforms, including Instagram,” Kessler said.
With such a tight hold on users, Facebook controls about a quarter of the U.S. digital advertising market, according to EMarketer.
It pulled in $70 billion in ad revenue last year, despite threats of government regulation and user defections. The company's first-quarter revenue rose 17.6% to $17.7 billion, while its net income more than doubled to $4.9 billion. And, even with the pandemic slowing ad sales, analysts say Facebook is on track to grow revenue this year, but not by as much.
Stock bounces back
So far the effort to punish Facebook hasn’t had a big impact on its stock, despite some bumps.
Facebook shares closed at $235.53 on Wednesday, June 17, the day a coalition of groups, including Color Of Change, the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League called on advertisers to pause spending on the social network. The stock’s price rose over the next four days, hitting a June high of $242.24 the following Tuesday, even after prominent brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia and REI joined the boycott.
However, as more brands flocked to the protest, including giants like CVS, Coca-Cola and Unilever, the stock dropped 11% from its peak the prior week, closing at $216.08 on Friday, June 26. It has since cut those losses, rising to $233.42 on Thursday, as investors assessed the situation.
“Even if all the advertisers boycotted Facebook for a full year, it would be less than 1% of revenues by our math," said Colin Sebastian, senior research analyst with Baird Equity Research. “The stock is going to reflect that anticipated impact on revenue and profits as opposed to expressing any underlying view about whether Facebook is handling these issues properly from a broader social perspective.”


usatoday--2020-07-06--We can't wait for a COVID-19 vaccine. Test everyone now to help end the pandemic.

Experts know testing is a cornerstone of our COVID-19 response .
President Donald Trump knows this , too .
That ’ s why everyone he sees in the White House is tested regularly .
We can ’ t beat COVID without testing .
Despite its importance , as a country we consider testing a temporary fix , just a bridge to a treatment or especially a vaccine .
We seem prepared to wait months or even years for a vaccine to surface .
But there is so much we do not yet know .
A potential vaccine could have intolerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunity or face low uptake among many Americans .
Such great uncertainty calls for more reliable , immediate solutions .
While hoping for the best , we must prepare for the worst .
What is the path forward ?
Is there a solution — not a giant leap , but rather a tried and true approach — that could help end the pandemic sooner than we think ?
Yes , and the answer is simple : testing .
Scalable , cheap and accurate testing .
Testing every person in the country quickly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on risk and exposure , could identify and isolate cases , track spread of the virus and help reduce further transmission .
This isn ’ t a matter of whether , but when .
All signs indicate it ’ s feasible .
Indeed , America 's testing capacity has dramatically improved since the pandemic started .
But in order to reach the level of testing needed , we must act quickly and take key steps outlined below .
There is no time to wait for a vaccine .
Testing is a more immediate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and administering a vaccine will be at least a $ 50 billion investment .
Each vaccine , if comparable with other respiratory diseases , could cost hundreds of dollars .
A $ 20 test , however , even if given to every American multiple times , would be a fraction of the cost and could be directly paid for by the federal government at less than 1 % of the cost of the Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security Act .
Testing is more accessible , too .
While vulnerable populations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undocumented immigrants , would merit special attention , testing more easily enables equitable access compared with a vaccine that may be prohibitively expensive and have loopholes to administration .
A cheap , easy-to-collect and rapidly scalable test could reach every single person in the country in the near future .
Disturbing scenes : Americans keep ignoring COVID-19 safety precautions .
We 'll have to shut down .
Again .
An effective and efficient testing regime requires leadership from the federal government : investment and incentives to drive low-cost testing development and evaluation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confident payment schemes that make this a sustainable proposition for providers to participate .
We also need funding for state public health departments , which have been decimated over the past decade .
In the absence of leadership at the federal level , neither vaccination nor testing programs can achieve their goal of eradicating COVID-19 .
Here 's how we can make this happen : ►Use saliva testing to collect samples .
It 's simpler and more convenient than nasal swabs and facilitates an eventual transition to self-collection for at-home testing .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for at-home use ( with Food and Drug Administration approval ) , and saliva testing has shown promise in outperforming conventional , nasal-based sampling methods .
We need to boost our investment in the rapid development and scaling of saliva testing .
►Develop pooled testing for scale .
Pooled , lab-based polymerase chain reaction testing is another brick in an affordable and scalable road to rapid testing capability .
In fact , the federal government is seriously considering it to increase our testing capacity — and while further evaluation is ongoing , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Employers , universities and health departments can use pooled testing to test large groups at limited cost .
In order for that to happen , we need federal leadership to fund and oversee validation efforts , which must run concurrent to pharmaceutical innovation since private markets may otherwise undersupply .
►Ensure vulnerable populations can be tested and isolated .
To address socioeconomic and racial inequities in testing access , we need community-based testing initiatives run by trusted community members who rely on neither personal finances nor access to transportation .
Examples include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must also be possible , or our testing efforts will be futile .
Cities have used vacant hotels as isolation sites , and similar innovations will be needed moving forward .
Continued reforms to broaden telehealth access can also close existing gaps for rural communities and expand testing access .
►Partner with the private sector .
The public sector can not do this work alone .
Public-private partnerships , like the Greater Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network and the Yale-NBA partnership , can accelerate test development and improve access to testing .
Taking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal .
Getting students back to school is one example .
Universities could test every student over three consecutive days before starting school and then weekly for the rest of the semester .
If someone develops symptoms or tests positive , they will isolate .
If others were exposed , they could be tested more frequently .
Safely reopening schools this fall is one of many scenarios made possible by increased testing .
Mitch Albom : Young people and bars are a recipe for coronavirus .
Ready , set , outbreak .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not replace , social distancing and mask wearing .
Cheap and easy testing would dramatically reduce COVID-19 transmission and deaths , and better prepare us for future such pandemics .
Vaccine development can continue in parallel .
Our nation deserves to get back to normal as soon as feasible .
We shouldn ’ t be a gambler at a casino , betting everything on one number .
Lives aren ’ t chips .
We have options other than a vaccine .
Let 's use them .
Sudhakar V. Nuti ( @ sudhakarnuti ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston .
Samuel R. Turner ( @ samralphturner ) is a junior at Yale University .
Howard P. Forman ( @ thehowie ) is a professor of public health and management at Yale .

Dr. Sudhakar V. Nuti, Samuel R. Turner and Dr. Howard P. Forman, Opinion contributors

We can't wait for a COVID-19 vaccine. Test everyone now to help end the pandemic. Cheap, easy testing would dramatically reduce COVID transmission and deaths and allow reopening with masks and distancing while vaccine work continues.
Show Caption Hide Caption Coronavirus: How vaccines are developed and tested Pressure to create a coronavirus vaccine is increasing by the day, but for a safe vaccine to enter the market, it takes time. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Experts know testing is a cornerstone of our COVID-19 response. President Donald Trump knows this, too. That’s why everyone he sees in the White House is tested regularly. We can’t beat COVID without testing.
Despite its importance, as a country we consider testing a temporary fix, just a bridge to a treatment or especially a vaccine. We seem prepared to wait months or even years for a vaccine to surface. But there is so much we do not yet know. A potential vaccine could have intolerable side effects, result in only temporary immunity or face low uptake among many Americans. Such great uncertainty calls for more reliable, immediate solutions. While hoping for the best, we must prepare for the worst.
What is the path forward? Is there a solution — not a giant leap, but rather a tried and true approach — that could help end the pandemic sooner than we think?
Yes, and the answer is simple: testing. Scalable, cheap and accurate testing.
Testing every person in the country quickly and affordably, and again as needed based on risk and exposure, could identify and isolate cases, track spread of the virus and help reduce further transmission. This isn’t a matter of whether, but when. All signs indicate it’s feasible. Indeed, America's testing capacity has dramatically improved since the pandemic started. But in order to reach the level of testing needed, we must act quickly and take key steps outlined below. There is no time to wait for a vaccine.
Federal leadership is essential
Testing is a more immediate and cost-effective solution than vaccines. Developing and administering a vaccine will be at least a $50 billion investment. Each vaccine, if comparable with other respiratory diseases, could cost hundreds of dollars. A $20 test, however, even if given to every American multiple times, would be a fraction of the cost and could be directly paid for by the federal government at less than 1% of the cost of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Testing is more accessible, too. While vulnerable populations, such as people experiencing homelessness and undocumented immigrants, would merit special attention, testing more easily enables equitable access compared with a vaccine that may be prohibitively expensive and have loopholes to administration. A cheap, easy-to-collect and rapidly scalable test could reach every single person in the country in the near future.
Disturbing scenes: Americans keep ignoring COVID-19 safety precautions. We'll have to shut down. Again.
An effective and efficient testing regime requires leadership from the federal government: investment and incentives to drive low-cost testing development and evaluation, coordination of the supply chain, and confident payment schemes that make this a sustainable proposition for providers to participate. We also need funding for state public health departments, which have been decimated over the past decade. In the absence of leadership at the federal level, neither vaccination nor testing programs can achieve their goal of eradicating COVID-19.
Four steps to make testing a reality
Here's how we can make this happen:
►Use saliva testing to collect samples. It's simpler and more convenient than nasal swabs and facilitates an eventual transition to self-collection for at-home testing. A saliva-based collection device is already available commercially for at-home use (with Food and Drug Administration approval), and saliva testing has shown promise in outperforming conventional, nasal-based sampling methods. We need to boost our investment in the rapid development and scaling of saliva testing.
►Develop pooled testing for scale. Pooled, lab-based polymerase chain reaction testing is another brick in an affordable and scalable road to rapid testing capability. In fact, the federal government is seriously considering it to increase our testing capacity — and while further evaluation is ongoing, all evidence suggests it will be available soon. Employers, universities and health departments can use pooled testing to test large groups at limited cost. In order for that to happen, we need federal leadership to fund and oversee validation efforts, which must run concurrent to pharmaceutical innovation since private markets may otherwise undersupply.
►Ensure vulnerable populations can be tested and isolated. To address socioeconomic and racial inequities in testing access, we need community-based testing initiatives run by trusted community members who rely on neither personal finances nor access to transportation. Examples include mobile vans and pop-up clinics. Isolation must also be possible, or our testing efforts will be futile. Cities have used vacant hotels as isolation sites, and similar innovations will be needed moving forward. Continued reforms to broaden telehealth access can also close existing gaps for rural communities and expand testing access.
►Partner with the private sector. The public sector cannot do this work alone. Public-private partnerships, like the Greater Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network and the Yale-NBA partnership, can accelerate test development and improve access to testing.
Taking the above steps can help us return to normal. Getting students back to school is one example. Universities could test every student over three consecutive days before starting school and then weekly for the rest of the semester. If someone develops symptoms or tests positive, they will isolate. If others were exposed, they could be tested more frequently. Safely reopening schools this fall is one of many scenarios made possible by increased testing.
Mitch Albom: Young people and bars are a recipe for coronavirus. Ready, set, outbreak.
To be clear, this would complement, not replace, social distancing and mask wearing. Cheap and easy testing would dramatically reduce COVID-19 transmission and deaths, and better prepare us for future such pandemics. Vaccine development can continue in parallel. Our nation deserves to get back to normal as soon as feasible. We shouldn’t be a gambler at a casino, betting everything on one number. Lives aren’t chips. We have options other than a vaccine. Let's use them.
Sudhakar V. Nuti (@sudhakarnuti) is an internal medicine/primary care resident doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Samuel R. Turner (@samralphturner) is a junior at Yale University. Howard P. Forman (@thehowie) is a professor of public health and management at Yale.


usatoday--2020-07-06--A Tennessee dog becomes Fourth of July hero, helps alert owner to a house fire next door

NASHVILLE — A dog in Franklin , Tennessee , became a hero on the Fourth of July by alerting her owner to a house fire next door — a blaze started by consumer fireworks , according to fire officials .
`` Roux , '' a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois , was barking frantically at owner Jeff LeCates ’ front door just before 10:45 p.m .
When LeCates opened the door to investigate , Roux burst out , according to the Franklin Fire Department .
LeCates then saw that his neighbor 's house was on fire , prompting him to pound on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of three and their pets , and then used a garden hose on the fire until firefighters arrived .
All escaped without injuries .
Franklin Fire Marshal Andy King said video evidence showed the fire began around 10:20 p.m. , roughly an hour after the homeowner disposed of a consumer firework product next to his trash can and other combustibles .
Firefighters were dispatched to the home at 10:44 p.m .
According to King , the fire burned through a portion of the home 's exterior and spread to the attic above the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in damage .
The fire department reported that the woman who lived in the home that caught fire is a dog groomer and helped facilitate her neighbor 's adoption of Roux last year .

A Tennessee dog becomes Fourth of July hero, helps alert owner to a house fire next door
NASHVILLE — A dog in Franklin, Tennessee, became a hero on the Fourth of July by alerting her owner to a house fire next door — a blaze started by consumer fireworks, according to fire officials.
"Roux," a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, was barking frantically at owner Jeff LeCates’ front door just before 10:45 p.m. When LeCates opened the door to investigate, Roux burst out, according to the Franklin Fire Department.
LeCates then saw that his neighbor's house was on fire, prompting him to pound on their door. He woke the family of three and their pets, and then used a garden hose on the fire until firefighters arrived. All escaped without injuries.
Franklin Fire Marshal Andy King said video evidence showed the fire began around 10:20 p.m., roughly an hour after the homeowner disposed of a consumer firework product next to his trash can and other combustibles.
Consumer fireworks are prohibited in Franklin.
Firefighters were dispatched to the home at 10:44 p.m. According to King, the fire burned through a portion of the home's exterior and spread to the attic above the attached garage, causing roughly $50,000 in damage.
The fire department reported that the woman who lived in the home that caught fire is a dog groomer and helped facilitate her neighbor's adoption of Roux last year.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Follow Natalie Allison on Twitter: @natalie_allison.


usatoday--2020-07-06--Fourth of July fireworks show turns for the worse into massive explosion

A Fourth of July fireworks show in Brownwood , Texas went horribly wrong as the fireworks exploded and caused the @ @ @ @ @ .

Fourth of July fireworks show turns into fiery explosion
A Fourth of July fireworks show in Brownwood, Texas went horribly wrong as the fireworks exploded and caused the dock to catch on fire.
USA TODAY, Wochit


usatoday--2020-07-07--Coronavirus updates: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms tests positive; ICE may deport foreign stude

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms revealed she has tested positive for the coronavirus on day a high-ranking White House official defended President Donald Trump 's claim that 99 % of coronavirus cases are `` totally harmless '' as new U.S. infections surge by the day .
`` If you 're over 80 years of age or if you have three what they call co-morbidities – diabetes , hypertension , heart issues – then you need to be very , very careful , '' White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said on `` Fox and Friends . ''
`` Outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low , and the president is right . ''
Three MLB teams stopped workouts amid coronavirus concerns , causing doubt as baseball season nears .
Meanwhile , Ivy League schools Princeton and Harvard announced they 'll have 50 % or fewer undergraduate students on campus this fall and most or all teaching will be done remotely .
In New York , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said the state 's numbers were bucking the national trend by continuing to improve as the state slowly reopens .
And possibly more good news : Regeneron Pharmaceuticals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trials for a cocktail for treatment and prevention of COVID-19 .
Here are some recent developments : • The University of Washington announced Sunday that at least 112 fraternity students tested positive for the coronavirus , bringing the total up to 121 .
• Airbnb added new booking restrictions for renters under the age of 25 to prevent house parties as cases multiply across the country .
• Economists estimate a slow recovery despite a record of 4.8 million jobs added to the economy in June .
📈Today 's stats : The U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more than 130,000 deaths , according to John Hopkins University data .
Globally , there have been 11.5 million cases and more than 535,000 deaths .
📰 What we 're reading : Feeling whiplash over reopenings ?
You are n't alone .
At least 21 states have halted their plans to reopen as coronavirus cases surge across the U.S. Reopening , pausing , shutting down may be our new reality – and the frustration is real .
Our live blog will be updated throughout the day .
For first-in-the-morning updates , sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms , who has risen to prominence amid the Black Lives Matter protests in her city and the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks by an Atlanta Police Department officer , said on Twitter she has contracted the coronavirus .
Bottoms emphasized in the tweet that has not experienced any symptoms despite testing positive .
“ This is startling for me because we ’ ve been so very careful , '' Bottoms said on MSNBC .
`` But this is just a lesson to everyone that you have to take every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has made several national TV appearances amid the countrywide protest movement demanding racial equality and justice , and her name as been mentioned as a vice presidential candidate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
Bottoms joins the list of U.S. elected officials who have tested positive for the virus , including Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul .
To date , the most prominent world leader to test positive has been British Prime Minister Boris Johnson , who spent three days in the ICU of a London hospital .
Dr. Anthony Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start in late July Vaccines were high atop the list of topics discussed in a livestreamed conversation hosted Monday by Dr. Francis Collins , director of the National Institutes of Health , with the nation ’ s foremost infectious-disease expert , Dr. Anthony Fauci .
Fauci said the U.S. is involved in the development of coronavirus vaccine candidates that will enter Phase 3 trials for efficacy starting late this month – involving 30,000 test volunteers at several sites domestically and internationally – with the aim of learning by late this year or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and effective .
And to avoid a long lag time between that discovery and making a vaccine available , production will begin before there ’ s a conclusive answer to those questions , even though inevitably that will result in a large number of doses being discarded .
“ We are now working with the companies … to start making doses before we even know whether it works or not , so that when we get to the winter and the early part of 2021 , we will start to have a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to use , if it turns out to be safe and effective , ’ ’ Fauci said .
“ The big if.
’ ’ Mindful of those who oppose long-proven vaccines for safety reasons and figure to be even more wary of a new one without a track record , the specialists sought to allay any public concerns .
Collins pointed out he and Fauci have participated in several long discussions on the topic .
“ I want to assure everybody … that there will be no compromising on the principles of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , with Fauci in accord .
“ Whatever we come up with in a few months is going to be just as rigorously tested as any vaccine ever has been.
’ ’ ICE says it may deport foreign students if classes are only online International students may face deportation if the U.S. universities where they 're registered teach fully online , the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said Monday .
Several colleges , including the entire Cal State University System , have said instruction will be almost entirely remote in the fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes to the rules governing its Student and Exchange Visitor Program , ICE said foreign students may not take a full online course and stay in the U.S. , adding that they wo n't be granted visas or allowed to enter the country .
`` Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures , such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status , '' ICE said in a posting .
`` If not , they may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited to , the initiation of removal proceedings . ''
The decision could affect thousands of foreign students , who are often coveted by public universities partly because they pay higher out-of-state tuition .
Harvard , Princeton to allow 50 % or fewer students on campus Princeton and Harvard ’ s largest division will allow half the undergraduate students or fewer into campus in the fall , as universities continue to grapple with how to teach safely in the upcoming term amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Harvard ’ s Faculty of Arts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be welcome on campus to ease their transition to college life , but they may have to return home in the spring and learn remotely to make room for seniors if conditions for instruction are not back to normal .
The faculty expects up to 40 % of undergraduates will be on campus .
Princeton is taking a somewhat similar approach , bringing in freshmen and juniors in August , but then asking them to leave campus in the spring as sophomores and seniors are allowed in .
At both Ivy League universities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be taught remotely , even if students are allowed on campus .
“ As students consider their choices , they should bear in mind that the campus experience will be very different from an ordinary year , ’ ’ Princeton President Chris Eisgruber said in a statement .
“ Many activities will be unavailable , impermissible , or highly regulated .
Parties will be prohibited .
Masks will be required in indoor spaces.
’ ’ Major League Baseball 's problems with COVID-19 testing evolved into a crisis Monday when three of the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros , became the latest to cancel a workout due to delayed test results .
That brought up to six the number of teams altering their practice schedule because of the failure of MLB , its testing service and lab to furnish results in a timely manner .
MLB and the MLB Players ' Association had agreed that players are to be tested every other day and receive results within 24 to 48 hours .
Players reported to their stadiums last week for practices in preparation for resuming the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health and safety of our players , staff and their families , '' said Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo .
`` Without accurate and timely testing it is simply not safe for us to continue with Summer Camp . ''
Barring further delays , the 60-game season is scheduled to start July 23 .
An emergency order issued Monday by Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran puts the onus on schools to reopen for in-person teaching in the upcoming term and establishes requirements for remote learning .
Local health officials can override the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not safe to open schools due to COVID-19 , but Monday ’ s announcement makes it clear that districts have to prepare to open their doors .
“ All school boards and charter school governing boards must open brick and mortar schools in August at least five days per week for all students , ” the announcement said .
Chicago is following in New York 's footsteps , requiring visitors from 15 states with high COVID-19 infection rates to quarantine for 14 days , starting Monday .
Affected states include Alabama , Arkansas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia , Idaho , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina , Nevada , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas and Utah .
All 15 of those states are on the quarantine list issued by New York , New Jersey and Connecticut as well .
West Virginia Gov .
Jim Justice on Monday instituted a mandatory face mask order for indoor spaces after the state reported record numbers of new coronavirus cases over the weekend .
The Republican ’ s executive order , which goes into effect at midnight , requires everyone over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside buildings when social distancing isn ’ t possible .
Confirmed virus cases in the state have risen 30 % in the last two weeks .
State health officials have urged residents to wear masks , but Justice had said a mandate would be politically divisive and difficult to enforce .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo to Donald Trump : ‘ Just wear the mask ’ Daily new coronavirus cases , hospitalizations and deaths have continued their downward trend in New York as the state slowly reopens , a sharp contrast with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Florida , Texas , Arizona and other states .
New York , which once was reeling from up to 800 deaths per day , has reached single digits , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said Monday .
But he stressed caution , saying the New York State Fair will be canceled and the fate of schools in the fall has yet to be determined .
Cuomo also chastised President Donald Trump for blaming the nation 's boom in new cases on too much testing .
Cuomo said that , taking Trump 's logic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if people stopped getting mammograms , prostate exams and other tests .
“ Mr .
President , don ’ t be a co-conspirator of COVID , ” Cuomo said Monday .
“ Do one simple thing : acknowledge to the American people that COVID exists .
It is a major problem .
... ( Send ) that signal very simply .
Just wear the mask.
” Study provides guidance for states and their reopening plans Several Harvard institutes , along with the Rockefeller Foundation and other groups recently released repopening guidance for states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made their assessment based on the number of new infections per 100,000 residents .
States with fewer than 1 new infection per 100,000 residents can fully reopen , according to the guidance , though no state has yet reached that point .
In states with 10 to 25 new cases per 100,000 residents , the group advised stay-at home orders , and in states with more than 25 new cases per 100,000 , stay-at-home orders are necessary to bring the outbreak under control , according to the new guidelines .
According their calculations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be taking dramatic action to protect their residents from COVID-19 , while states in the northeast that were hard-hit early on in the pandemic can continue to relax their restrictions .
US racing ahead of EU in new cases Three states are now each adding far more coronavirus cases daily than the entirety of the European Union , which at about 450 million people has about a third more people than the entire U.S. Florida alone is adding more than 8,000 cases per day , double the current daily number for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows .
California and Texas surged past the European Union in late June .
Arizona has been closing in on the daily case count of the EU , which has about 60 times as many people .
Deaths in Florida , Arizona and Texas have been edging upward since late June , but holding fairly steady in California .
The European Union consists of 27 countries including hard-hit Italy , Spain and France .
Most of its nations have gotten coronavirus under control , while most American states are adding coronavirus cases at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in early April , the European Union added about 31,000 cases per day .
With fewer people , the United States is now recording about 48,000 cases per day .
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on Monday announced initiation of `` late-stage clinical trials '' for its cocktail for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 .
The Phase 3 trial , being run jointly with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , is being conducted at approximately 100 sites and is expected to enroll 2,000 patients in the U.S. , Regeneron said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cocktail on patients already being treated for the disease .
No timeline for possible release of the drug was provided .
`` We are pleased to collaborate with NIAID to study REGN-COV2 in our quest to further prevent the spread of the virus with an antiviral antibody cocktail that could be available much sooner than a vaccine , '' said George Yancopoulos , president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron .
At least 112 fraternity students at the University of Washington have tested positive for COVID-19 , bringing the total number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday .
The nine additional students who tested positive were close contacts of the students , but do not live in the Greek houses , the university and the Seattle and King County Public Health Department said in a joint statement .
The outbreak was first announced on June 30 with at least 38 confirmed cases of students living in 10 fraternity houses .
That number spiked to 89 positive cases on July 3 .
The school has a `` pop-up '' testing site near Greek Row that had conducted nearly 1,300 tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greek houses and others in the community have also sought testing at other nearby sites , the statement said .
More on the coronavirus from USA TODAY Where a face mask is required : Many governors are instituting or renewing orders requiring people to wear face coverings in public as cases continue to rise .
Is your state on the list ?
See it here .
Coronavirus Watch : We have a few ways for you to stay informed .
Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here , and come together and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coping with lifestyle changes and more by joining our Facebook group .
Where are states on reopening ?
Some are taking preemptive measures to postpone further phases of their reopening , while others have rolled back their phases to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
See the list .

Jorge L. Ortiz and John Bacon, USA TODAY

Coronavirus updates: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms tests positive; ICE may deport foreign students; MLB's testing struggles
Show Caption Hide Caption Your ultimate guide to proper hand-washing When people ask how to protect themselves against the spread of COVID-19, one of the first suggestions from doctors is washing your hands. Here are the do's and don'ts. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms revealed she has tested positive for the coronavirus on day a high-ranking White House official defended President Donald Trump's claim that 99% of coronavirus cases are "totally harmless" as new U.S. infections surge by the day.
"If you're over 80 years of age or if you have three what they call co-morbidities – diabetes, hypertension, heart issues – then you need to be very, very careful," White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said on "Fox and Friends." "Outside of that, the risks are extremely low, and the president is right."
Three MLB teams stopped workouts amid coronavirus concerns, causing doubt as baseball season nears. Meanwhile, Ivy League schools Princeton and Harvard announced they'll have 50% or fewer undergraduate students on campus this fall and most or all teaching will be done remotely.
In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state's numbers were bucking the national trend by continuing to improve as the state slowly reopens. And possibly more good news: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said it was beginning "late-stage" trials for a cocktail for treatment and prevention of COVID-19.
Here are some recent developments:
The University of Washington announced Sunday that at least 112 fraternity students tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total up to 121.
Airbnb added new booking restrictions for renters under the age of 25 to prevent house parties as cases multiply across the country.
Economists estimate a slow recovery despite a record of 4.8 million jobs added to the economy in June.
📈Today's stats: The U.S. has seen almost 2.9 million confirmed cases and more than 130,000 deaths, according to John Hopkins University data. Globally, there have been 11.5 million cases and more than 535,000 deaths.
📰 What we're reading: Feeling whiplash over reopenings? You aren't alone. At least 21 states have halted their plans to reopen as coronavirus cases surge across the U.S. Reopening, pausing, shutting down may be our new reality – and the frustration is real.
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Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announces positive coronavirus test
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has risen to prominence amid the Black Lives Matter protests in her city and the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks by an Atlanta Police Department officer, said on Twitter she has contracted the coronavirus.
Bottoms emphasized in the tweet that has not experienced any symptoms despite testing positive.
COVID-19 has literally hit home. I have had NO symptoms and have tested positive. — Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) July 6, 2020
“This is startling for me because we’ve been so very careful,'' Bottoms said on MSNBC. "But this is just a lesson to everyone that you have to take every single symptom seriously.”
Bottoms, 50, has made several national TV appearances amid the countrywide protest movement demanding racial equality and justice, and her name as been mentioned as a vice presidential candidate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Bottoms joins the list of U.S. elected officials who have tested positive for the virus, including Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. To date, the most prominent world leader to test positive has been British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who spent three days in the ICU of a London hospital.
Dr. Anthony Fauci: Phase 3 trials of vaccine candidates to start in late July
Vaccines were high atop the list of topics discussed in a livestreamed conversation hosted Monday by Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, with the nation’s foremost infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Fauci said the U.S. is involved in the development of coronavirus vaccine candidates that will enter Phase 3 trials for efficacy starting late this month – involving 30,000 test volunteers at several sites domestically and internationally – with the aim of learning by late this year or early in 2021 whether they are safe and effective.
And to avoid a long lag time between that discovery and making a vaccine available, production will begin before there’s a conclusive answer to those questions, even though inevitably that will result in a large number of doses being discarded.
“We are now working with the companies … to start making doses before we even know whether it works or not, so that when we get to the winter and the early part of 2021, we will start to have a large number of doses that people will be able to use, if it turns out to be safe and effective,’’ Fauci said. “The big if.’’
Mindful of those who oppose long-proven vaccines for safety reasons and figure to be even more wary of a new one without a track record, the specialists sought to allay any public concerns. Collins pointed out he and Fauci have participated in several long discussions on the topic.
“I want to assure everybody … that there will be no compromising on the principles of safety and efficacy,’’ Collins said, with Fauci in accord. “Whatever we come up with in a few months is going to be just as rigorously tested as any vaccine ever has been.’’
ICE says it may deport foreign students if classes are only online
International students may face deportation if the U.S. universities where they're registered teach fully online, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said Monday. Several colleges, including the entire Cal State University System, have said instruction will be almost entirely remote in the fall because of the coronavirus.
In announcing changes to the rules governing its Student and Exchange Visitor Program, ICE said foreign students may not take a full online course and stay in the U.S., adding that they won't be granted visas or allowed to enter the country.
"Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status,'' ICE said in a posting. "If not, they may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings.''
The decision could affect thousands of foreign students, who are often coveted by public universities partly because they pay higher out-of-state tuition.
Harvard, Princeton to allow 50% or fewer students on campus
Princeton and Harvard’s largest division will allow half the undergraduate students or fewer into campus in the fall, as universities continue to grapple with how to teach safely in the upcoming term amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences said Monday all first-year students will be welcome on campus to ease their transition to college life, but they may have to return home in the spring and learn remotely to make room for seniors if conditions for instruction are not back to normal. The faculty expects up to 40% of undergraduates will be on campus.
Princeton is taking a somewhat similar approach, bringing in freshmen and juniors in August, but then asking them to leave campus in the spring as sophomores and seniors are allowed in.
At both Ivy League universities, most or all the classes will be taught remotely, even if students are allowed on campus.
“As students consider their choices, they should bear in mind that the campus experience will be very different from an ordinary year,’’ Princeton President Chris Eisgruber said in a statement. “Many activities will be unavailable, impermissible, or highly regulated. Parties will be prohibited. Masks will be required in indoor spaces.’’
Major League Baseball struggling with COVID-19 testing
Major League Baseball's problems with COVID-19 testing evolved into a crisis Monday when three of the top teams, the Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros, became the latest to cancel a workout due to delayed test results. That brought up to six the number of teams altering their practice schedule because of the failure of MLB, its testing service and lab to furnish results in a timely manner.
MLB and the MLB Players' Association had agreed that players are to be tested every other day and receive results within 24 to 48 hours. Players reported to their stadiums last week for practices in preparation for resuming the season.
"We will not sacrifice the health and safety of our players, staff and their families," said Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo. "Without accurate and timely testing it is simply not safe for us to continue with Summer Camp."
Barring further delays, the 60-game season is scheduled to start July 23.
– Gabe Lacques
Florida schools must reopen in August
An emergency order issued Monday by Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran puts the onus on schools to reopen for in-person teaching in the upcoming term and establishes requirements for remote learning.
Local health officials can override the commissioner’s directive if it is not safe to open schools due to COVID-19, but Monday’s announcement makes it clear that districts have to prepare to open their doors.
“All school boards and charter school governing boards must open brick and mortar schools in August at least five days per week for all students,” the announcement said.
– Ryan McKinnon, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Chicago requires quarantine for visitors from 15 states
Chicago is following in New York's footsteps, requiring visitors from 15 states with high COVID-19 infection rates to quarantine for 14 days, starting Monday.
Affected states include Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. All 15 of those states are on the quarantine list issued by New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as well.
– Jayme Deerwester
West Virginia requires face masks indoors, effective midnight Monday
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice on Monday instituted a mandatory face mask order for indoor spaces after the state reported record numbers of new coronavirus cases over the weekend.
The Republican’s executive order, which goes into effect at midnight, requires everyone over the age of 9 to wear face coverings inside buildings when social distancing isn’t possible. Confirmed virus cases in the state have risen 30% in the last two weeks.
State health officials have urged residents to wear masks, but Justice had said a mandate would be politically divisive and difficult to enforce.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to Donald Trump: ‘Just wear the mask’
Daily new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths have continued their downward trend in New York as the state slowly reopens, a sharp contrast with the struggles being faced by reopening efforts in Florida, Texas, Arizona and other states. New York, which once was reeling from up to 800 deaths per day, has reached single digits, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.
But he stressed caution, saying the New York State Fair will be canceled and the fate of schools in the fall has yet to be determined.
Cuomo also chastised President Donald Trump for blaming the nation's boom in new cases on too much testing. Cuomo said that, taking Trump's logic further, cancer could be wiped out if people stopped getting mammograms, prostate exams and other tests.
“Mr. President, don’t be a co-conspirator of COVID,” Cuomo said Monday. “Do one simple thing: acknowledge to the American people that COVID exists. It is a major problem. ... (Send) that signal very simply. Just wear the mask.”
– Lorenzo Reyes
Study provides guidance for states and their reopening plans
Several Harvard institutes, along with the Rockefeller Foundation and other groups recently released repopening guidance for states dealing with the coronavirus.
The groups made their assessment based on the number of new infections per 100,000 residents. States with fewer than 1 new infection per 100,000 residents can fully reopen, according to the guidance, though no state has yet reached that point.
In states with 10 to 25 new cases per 100,000 residents, the group advised stay-at home orders, and in states with more than 25 new cases per 100,000, stay-at-home orders are necessary to bring the outbreak under control, according to the new guidelines.
According their calculations, states like Arizona and Texas need to be taking dramatic action to protect their residents from COVID-19, while states in the northeast that were hard-hit early on in the pandemic can continue to relax their restrictions.
– Karen Weintraub
US racing ahead of EU in new cases
Three states are now each adding far more coronavirus cases daily than the entirety of the European Union, which at about 450 million people has about a third more people than the entire U.S. Florida alone is adding more than 8,000 cases per day, double the current daily number for the EU, data from Johns Hopkins University shows.
California and Texas surged past the European Union in late June. Arizona has been closing in on the daily case count of the EU, which has about 60 times as many people. Deaths in Florida, Arizona and Texas have been edging upward since late June, but holding fairly steady in California.
The European Union consists of 27 countries including hard-hit Italy, Spain and France. Most of its nations have gotten coronavirus under control, while most American states are adding coronavirus cases at a faster rate. At its peak in early April, the European Union added about 31,000 cases per day. With fewer people, the United States is now recording about 48,000 cases per day.
– Mike Stucka
Regeneron 'antibody cocktail' enters Phase 3 trials
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on Monday announced initiation of "late-stage clinical trials" for its cocktail for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. The Phase 3 trial, being run jointly with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is being conducted at approximately 100 sites and is expected to enroll 2,000 patients in the U.S., Regeneron said in a statement. A separate trial is testing the cocktail on patients already being treated for the disease. No timeline for possible release of the drug was provided.
"We are pleased to collaborate with NIAID to study REGN-COV2 in our quest to further prevent the spread of the virus with an antiviral antibody cocktail that could be available much sooner than a vaccine," said George Yancopoulos, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron.
Greek Row outbreak': 112 students in Seattle infected with coronavirus
At least 112 fraternity students at the University of Washington have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of students infected to 121, officials announced Sunday. The nine additional students who tested positive were close contacts of the students, but do not live in the Greek houses, the university and the Seattle and King County Public Health Department said in a joint statement. The outbreak was first announced on June 30 with at least 38 confirmed cases of students living in 10 fraternity houses. That number spiked to 89 positive cases on July 3.
The school has a "pop-up" testing site near Greek Row that had conducted nearly 1,300 tests as of the weekend. Residents of Greek houses and others in the community have also sought testing at other nearby sites, the statement said.
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More on the coronavirus from USA TODAY
Where a face mask is required: Many governors are instituting or renewing orders requiring people to wear face coverings in public as cases continue to rise. Is your state on the list? See it here.
Coronavirus Watch: We have a few ways for you to stay informed. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here, and come together and share the latest information about coronavirus, coping with lifestyle changes and more by joining our Facebook group.
Where are states on reopening? Some are taking preemptive measures to postpone further phases of their reopening, while others have rolled back their phases to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. See the list.
Contributing: The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-07-06--Amy Cooper, white woman who called police on Black bird-watcher in NYC, has been charged

Amy Cooper , the white woman who called 911 on a Black man who asked that she leash her dog in Central Park , is facing a misdemeanor charge of filing a false report , Manhattan 's district attorney announced Monday .
The incident went viral after a video of Cooper emerged showing the 41-year-old woman frantically calling police when Christian Cooper , a Black man who was bird-watching , told her to leash her dog in the area of the park where leashes are required .
`` Today our Office initiated a prosecution of Amy Cooper for Falsely Reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. said in a statement .
More on NYC incident : White woman fired after calling police on Black man who asked her to leash her dog Charging documents were not immediately available .
Amy Cooper , who lost her job after the video garnered mass media attention , is scheduled to appear in court in October .
The charge is a class A misdemeanor , which can carry up to a year in prison , according to New York law .
Amy Cooper falsely said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her dog .
In the video , Amy Cooper refused to leash her dog and called 911 , telling the operator that `` there is an African American man .
I am in Central Park .
He is recording me and threatening myself and my dog . ''
At one point , Cooper shouts to the operator , `` Please send the cops immediately . ''
Christian Cooper said he often experiences dog owners who do not leash their pets so he pulled out dog treats that he carries in an attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animal .
He told CNN that he carries them because he knows dog owners often do n't want a stranger to feed their dogs so they immediately restrain it .
The incident was one of multiple viral examples in recent years of a white person calling the police on a Black person who was not threatening them nor breaking any law .
Christian Cooper told NBC New York that he filmed the incident because `` We live in an age of Ahmaud Arbery where Black men are gunned down because of assumptions people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I ’ m just not going to participate in that . ''
In Monday 's statement , Vance also encouraged `` anyone who has been the target of false reporting '' to contact the district attorney 's office .
The New York Police Department said officers responded to the Ramble , a wooded area of Central Park , around 8 a.m. on May 25 .
No arrests were made .
The video quickly drew reactions online and Amy Cooper apologized , saying in a statement she `` reacted emotionally and made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her employer , asset management firm Franklin Templeton , swiftly fired her the next day .
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the video exemplified hatred that has `` no place in our city . ''
Christian Cooper , though , showed empathy for the stranger with whom he shares a last name .
“ It ’ s a little bit of a frenzy , and I am uncomfortable with that , ” he told the New York Times in May .
“ If our goal is to change the underlying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this young woman having her life completely torn apart serves that goal .
”

Amy Cooper, white woman who called police on Black bird-watcher in NYC, has been charged
Show Caption Hide Caption Woman fired after park confrontation backlash A white woman has been fired from her job and denies accusations of racism. Christian Cooper recorded Amy Cooper in New York City's Central Park, calling police to report that she was being threatened by “an African-American man." (May 27) AP
Amy Cooper, the white woman who called 911 on a Black man who asked that she leash her dog in Central Park, is facing a misdemeanor charge of filing a false report, Manhattan's district attorney announced Monday.
The incident went viral after a video of Cooper emerged showing the 41-year-old woman frantically calling police when Christian Cooper, a Black man who was bird-watching, told her to leash her dog in the area of the park where leashes are required.
"Today our Office initiated a prosecution of Amy Cooper for Falsely Reporting an Incident in the Third Degree," Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. said in a statement.
More on NYC incident: White woman fired after calling police on Black man who asked her to leash her dog
Charging documents were not immediately available. Amy Cooper, who lost her job after the video garnered mass media attention, is scheduled to appear in court in October.
The charge is a class A misdemeanor, which can carry up to a year in prison, according to New York law.
Amy Cooper falsely said that Christian Cooper was "threatening" her and her dog.
In the video, Amy Cooper refused to leash her dog and called 911, telling the operator that "there is an African American man. I am in Central Park. He is recording me and threatening myself and my dog." At one point, Cooper shouts to the operator, "Please send the cops immediately."
Christian Cooper said he often experiences dog owners who do not leash their pets so he pulled out dog treats that he carries in an attempt to get Amy Cooper to restrain the animal. He told CNN that he carries them because he knows dog owners often don't want a stranger to feed their dogs so they immediately restrain it.
The incident was one of multiple viral examples in recent years of a white person calling the police on a Black person who was not threatening them nor breaking any law.
Christian Cooper told NBC New York that he filmed the incident because "We live in an age of Ahmaud Arbery where Black men are gunned down because of assumptions people make about Black men, Black people, and I’m just not going to participate in that."
In Monday's statement, Vance also encouraged "anyone who has been the target of false reporting" to contact the district attorney's office.
The New York Police Department said officers responded to the Ramble, a wooded area of Central Park, around 8 a.m. on May 25. No arrests were made.
The video quickly drew reactions online and Amy Cooper apologized, saying in a statement she "reacted emotionally and made false assumptions about his intentions."
Her employer, asset management firm Franklin Templeton, swiftly fired her the next day.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the video exemplified hatred that has "no place in our city."
Christian Cooper, though, showed empathy for the stranger with whom he shares a last name.
“It’s a little bit of a frenzy, and I am uncomfortable with that,” he told the New York Times in May. “If our goal is to change the underlying factors, I am not sure that this young woman having her life completely torn apart serves that goal.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller