mercurynews--2020-06-19--Tennessee lawmakers pass 6-week abortion ban

Tennessee lawmakers passed one of the tightest abortion restrictions in the country on Friday , banning the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected at around six weeks , which is often before a woman realizes she is pregnant .
The “ heartbeat ” bill follows a wave of similar strict anti-abortion measures passed by Republican-majority legislatures in an effort to prompt the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade , the landmark 1973 case that guarantees a woman ’ s constitutional right to abortion .
In the last two years , federal judges have struck down “ fetal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks in several states on the grounds that they were unconstitutional .
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee , a Republican , applauded the passage of the bill , saying in a Twitter post on Friday it is “ the strongest pro-life law in our state ’ s history.
” The governor must sign the legislation for it to take effect .
The American Civil Liberties Union , the Center for Reproductive Rights and women ’ s health provider Planned Parenthood filed a joint lawsuit in federal court on Friday challenging the bill .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this dangerous , flatly unconstitutional bill is unacceptable , ” Hedy Weinberg , executive director of ACLU-Tennessee , said in a statement .
“ Politicians should not be deciding what is best for women and certainly not making reproductive health care decisions for them.
” The bill makes it a felony for health providers to perform abortions after six weeks .
It makes exceptions for life-saving abortions performed prior to six weeks , but does not exempt cases of rape or incest .
Abortion is one of the most polarizing issues in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the sanctity of life , while abortion rights activists say that restrictions rob women of control over their bodies and futures .

By Gabriella Borter | Reuters
Tennessee lawmakers passed one of the tightest abortion restrictions in the country on Friday, banning the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected at around six weeks, which is often before a woman realizes she is pregnant.
The “heartbeat” bill follows a wave of similar strict anti-abortion measures passed by Republican-majority legislatures in an effort to prompt the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that guarantees a woman’s constitutional right to abortion.
In the last two years, federal judges have struck down “fetal heartbeat” laws banning abortion after six weeks in several states on the grounds that they were unconstitutional.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, applauded the passage of the bill, saying in a Twitter post on Friday it is “the strongest pro-life law in our state’s history.”
The governor must sign the legislation for it to take effect.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Reproductive Rights and women’s health provider Planned Parenthood filed a joint lawsuit in federal court on Friday challenging the bill.
“The Tennessee General Assembly’s passage of this dangerous, flatly unconstitutional bill is unacceptable,” Hedy Weinberg, executive director of ACLU-Tennessee, said in a statement. “Politicians should not be deciding what is best for women and certainly not making reproductive health care decisions for them.”
The bill makes it a felony for health providers to perform abortions after six weeks. It makes exceptions for life-saving abortions performed prior to six weeks, but does not exempt cases of rape or incest.
Abortion is one of the most polarizing issues in U.S. society. Opponents cite religious beliefs about the sanctity of life, while abortion rights activists say that restrictions rob women of control over their bodies and futures.


mercurynews--2020-06-19--Oakland murder conviction reversed, appeals court rules trial judge’s decision hamstrung defense

OAKLAND — A California appeals court overturned a 2018 murder conviction for a man who was found guilty of a 2016 shooting death , ruling that the trial judge unfairly kept key evidence from the jury that may have changed the case ’ s outcome .
Anthony Paige , 34 , was convicted of killing 49-year-old Reginald Blackburn in a 2016 shooting that prosecutors contend was motivated by bad blood between the two .
The defense , though , claimed Paige ’ s cousin was the real killer and that police had arrested the wrong man .
In a 3-0 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s First Appellate District ruled that trial Judge C. Don Clay should have let the jury hear evidence that Paige ’ s cousin lied to a detective about his whereabouts during the shooting .
Knowing the cousin set himself up with a “ false alibi ” could have reasonably swayed the jury , the court ruled .
“ Coupled with the circumstance that the prosecution ’ s case was based on prosecution witnesses who gave testimony that was both exculpatory and inculpatory , and on the statement of Blackburn who was facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is reasonably probable that the false alibi evidence would have tipped at least one juror to entertain a reasonable doubt about defendant ’ s guilt , ” the justices wrote in their decision .
Paige ’ s cousin refused to testify and said he would invoke his Constitutional right to avoid self-incrimination if he was called to the stand .
Blackburn was shot in the back on Dec. 7 , 2016 , in the 1100 block of East 17th Street the day before his birthday .
He died seven days later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had gotten into a fight that night , after Paige hit Blackburn ’ s son earlier that day .
When Blackburn confronted Paige about the punch , the two got into a tussle , which ended with Blackburn being shot .
The prosecution used this to refute the cousin culpability theory , arguing that Paige ’ s cousin had “ zero ” motive to harm Blackburn and was simply trying to come up with a convenient scapegoat .
The appeals court ’ s decision means that prosecutors now have the option of retrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use that option , Paige will be transferred to county jail from the California Substance Abuse Treatment Center in Corcoran , where he is currently being held .
Paige was given a life sentence with no parole date for the first 60 years .

OAKLAND — A California appeals court overturned a 2018 murder conviction for a man who was found guilty of a 2016 shooting death, ruling that the trial judge unfairly kept key evidence from the jury that may have changed the case’s outcome.
Anthony Paige, 34, was convicted of killing 49-year-old Reginald Blackburn in a 2016 shooting that prosecutors contend was motivated by bad blood between the two. The defense, though, claimed Paige’s cousin was the real killer and that police had arrested the wrong man.
In a 3-0 ruling, the Third Division of California’s First Appellate District ruled that trial Judge C. Don Clay should have let the jury hear evidence that Paige’s cousin lied to a detective about his whereabouts during the shooting. Knowing the cousin set himself up with a “false alibi” could have reasonably swayed the jury, the court ruled.
“Coupled with the circumstance that the prosecution’s case was based on prosecution witnesses who gave testimony that was both exculpatory and inculpatory, and on the statement of Blackburn who was facing away from the person who shot him, it is reasonably probable that the false alibi evidence would have tipped at least one juror to entertain a reasonable doubt about defendant’s guilt,” the justices wrote in their decision.
Paige’s cousin refused to testify and said he would invoke his Constitutional right to avoid self-incrimination if he was called to the stand.
Blackburn was shot in the back on Dec. 7, 2016, in the 1100 block of East 17th Street the day before his birthday. He died seven days later at Highland Hospital.
Paige and Blackburn had gotten into a fight that night, after Paige hit Blackburn’s son earlier that day. When Blackburn confronted Paige about the punch, the two got into a tussle, which ended with Blackburn being shot. The prosecution used this to refute the cousin culpability theory, arguing that Paige’s cousin had “zero” motive to harm Blackburn and was simply trying to come up with a convenient scapegoat.
The appeals court’s decision means that prosecutors now have the option of retrying Paige for murder. If they elect to use that option, Paige will be transferred to county jail from the California Substance Abuse Treatment Center in Corcoran, where he is currently being held.
Paige was given a life sentence with no parole date for the first 60 years.


mercurynews--2020-06-19--Poll: Many Americans expect positive change from protests

By Aaron Morrison and Hannah Fingerhut | Associated Press NEW YORK — Ahead of the Juneteenth holiday weekend ’ s demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality , more than 4 in 10 Americans say they expect recent protests around the country will bring positive change .
A majority say they approve of the protests .
Despite headline-making standoffs between law enforcement and protesters in cities nationwide , the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds a majority of Americans think law enforcement officers have generally responded to the protests appropriately .
Somewhat fewer say officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of peaceful protests and unrest in response to the death of George Floyd , a Black man who died pleading for air on May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes .
A dramatic change in public opinion on race and policing has followed , with more Americans today than five years ago calling police violence a very serious problem that unequally targets Black Americans .
Bill Ardren , a 75-year-old retired resident of Maple Grove , Minnesota , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protests .
He blames protesters and law enforcement equally for why some demonstrations turned into ugly clashes scarred by looting and arson .
“ People finally got fed up because of this last incident , ” said Ardren , referring to Floyd ’ s death , “ and it spread all over the country.
” The new poll finds 54 % of Americans say they approve of the protests , while 32 % disapprove .
Another 14 % say they hold neither opinion .
More think the protests will mostly change the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative change , 44 % to 21 % .
A third say they won ’ t make much difference .
An Associated Press tally of known arrests through June 4 found more than 10,000 people were arrested at demonstrations in the U.S. , many of which defied citywide curfews and some daytime orders to disperse .
The count grew by the hundreds each day , as protesters were met with overwhelming shows of force by local officers , state police and National Guard members .
Los Angeles had more than a quarter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the AP ’ s tally , followed by New York , Dallas and Philadelphia .
One of the nation ’ s largest demonstrations took place in Philadelphia on June 6 , when tens of thousands of people met near the Philadelphia Museum of Art and peacefully marched through Center City .
Kipp Gilmore-Clough , a resident of the city and associate pastor at Chestnut Hill United Church , joined that day ’ s protest and said that kind of response to police abuse was “ long overdue.
” “ I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the streets , because the systemic racism that has generated these protests is longstanding and deeply embedded , ” said Gilmore-Clough , who ’ s among those who believe the protests will have a positive impact .
“ My hope is that this persistence leads to results , changes of laws , changes of institutions and changes to our patterns that have normalized white supremacy.
” Seven percent of Americans say they ’ ve participated in a protest in the past few weeks .
While Black Americans were significantly more likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll found about half of those who said they protested were white .
The demonstrations have been noted as remarkably diverse compared with those seen as affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement that emerged nearly seven years ago .
About 8 in 10 Black Americans say they approve of the protests .
About half of white Americans approve , while about a third disapprove .
Overall , Americans are somewhat more likely to say the protests have been peaceful than violent , 27 % vs. 22 % , but 51 % think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both .
White Americans are more likely than Black Americans to call protests violent , 20 % to 7 % , though 54 % of white Americans say there has been a mix .
Gilmore-Clough said he was disappointed by law enforcement ’ s use of excessive force at the protests .
At times , police officers across the country were caught on video indiscriminately swinging batons , firing rubber bullets , deploying tear gas and pepper spray — even shoving people to the ground .
Officers in many other places joined protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A majority of Americans , 55 % , say law enforcement responded to recent protests appropriately , while fewer , 44 % , say they used excessive force .
And 54 % say President Donald Trump ’ s response to the recent unrest — he suggested sending the U.S. military into cities where local officials struggled to quell unrest , before later backing off the idea — made things worse .
Just 12 % say Trump made things better , while 33 % say his response had no impact .
Anne Oredeko @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice unit of the Legal Aid Society of New York , one of the nation ’ s largest public defender agencies , said the New York Police Department ’ s response to peaceful protests undermined civil rights .
Mass arrests also threatened public health during the coronavirus pandemic , making the idea that anyone believes the law enforcement response was appropriate troubling , she said .
“ There ’ s something deeply bankrupt about our inability to see the value of life , across color and ethnicity , ” Oredeko said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
If you understand the point that protesters are making , saying that there is a deep distrust of police and a need for systemic reforms , your response shouldn ’ t be to maim them.
” • Twins remove statue of former owner over racist remarks • Louisville moves to fire one officer involved in Breonna Taylor shooting • ‘ I ’ ve lost the trust ’ : Bay Area police chief abruptly announces retirement during town hall meeting on policing • Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben are going away .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 10 Black Americans said law enforcement officers responded to the protests with excessive force , about half as many white Americans said that .
Roughly 6 in 10 white Americans said law enforcement officers responded to protests appropriately .
Destiny Merrell , a 20-year-old Black college student from Unadilla , Georgia , said she has not participated in the protests out of fear she could be harmed by police or other demonstrators .
“ We matter , but we don ’ t matter to certain people , ” she said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 11-15 using a sample drawn from NORC ’ s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel , which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population .
The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points .

By Aaron Morrison and Hannah Fingerhut | Associated Press
NEW YORK — Ahead of the Juneteenth holiday weekend’s demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality, more than 4 in 10 Americans say they expect recent protests around the country will bring positive change. A majority say they approve of the protests.
Despite headline-making standoffs between law enforcement and protesters in cities nationwide, the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds a majority of Americans think law enforcement officers have generally responded to the protests appropriately. Somewhat fewer say officers used excessive force.
The findings follow weeks of peaceful protests and unrest in response to the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died pleading for air on May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes. A dramatic change in public opinion on race and policing has followed, with more Americans today than five years ago calling police violence a very serious problem that unequally targets Black Americans.
Bill Ardren, a 75-year-old retired resident of Maple Grove, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, said he supports the protests. He blames protesters and law enforcement equally for why some demonstrations turned into ugly clashes scarred by looting and arson.
“People finally got fed up because of this last incident,” said Ardren, referring to Floyd’s death, “and it spread all over the country.”
The new poll finds 54% of Americans say they approve of the protests, while 32% disapprove. Another 14% say they hold neither opinion.
More think the protests will mostly change the country for the better than bring about negative change, 44% to 21%. A third say they won’t make much difference.
An Associated Press tally of known arrests through June 4 found more than 10,000 people were arrested at demonstrations in the U.S., many of which defied citywide curfews and some daytime orders to disperse. The count grew by the hundreds each day, as protesters were met with overwhelming shows of force by local officers, state police and National Guard members. Los Angeles had more than a quarter of the nation’s arrests, according to the AP’s tally, followed by New York, Dallas and Philadelphia.
One of the nation’s largest demonstrations took place in Philadelphia on June 6, when tens of thousands of people met near the Philadelphia Museum of Art and peacefully marched through Center City. Kipp Gilmore-Clough, a resident of the city and associate pastor at Chestnut Hill United Church, joined that day’s protest and said that kind of response to police abuse was “long overdue.”
“I’ve been fairly heartened by the ongoing presence in the streets, because the systemic racism that has generated these protests is longstanding and deeply embedded,” said Gilmore-Clough, who’s among those who believe the protests will have a positive impact. “My hope is that this persistence leads to results, changes of laws, changes of institutions and changes to our patterns that have normalized white supremacy.”
Seven percent of Americans say they’ve participated in a protest in the past few weeks. While Black Americans were significantly more likely to say so than white Americans, the poll found about half of those who said they protested were white. The demonstrations have been noted as remarkably diverse compared with those seen as affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement that emerged nearly seven years ago.
About 8 in 10 Black Americans say they approve of the protests. About half of white Americans approve, while about a third disapprove.
Overall, Americans are somewhat more likely to say the protests have been peaceful than violent, 27% vs. 22%, but 51% think there’s been a mix of both. White Americans are more likely than Black Americans to call protests violent, 20% to 7%, though 54% of white Americans say there has been a mix.
Gilmore-Clough said he was disappointed by law enforcement’s use of excessive force at the protests. At times, police officers across the country were caught on video indiscriminately swinging batons, firing rubber bullets, deploying tear gas and pepper spray — even shoving people to the ground. Officers in many other places joined protesters, including some symbolically kneeling alongside demonstrators.
A majority of Americans, 55%, say law enforcement responded to recent protests appropriately, while fewer, 44%, say they used excessive force. And 54% say President Donald Trump’s response to the recent unrest — he suggested sending the U.S. military into cities where local officials struggled to quell unrest, before later backing off the idea — made things worse.
Just 12% say Trump made things better, while 33% say his response had no impact.
Anne Oredeko, a supervising attorney in the racial justice unit of the Legal Aid Society of New York, one of the nation’s largest public defender agencies, said the New York Police Department’s response to peaceful protests undermined civil rights. Mass arrests also threatened public health during the coronavirus pandemic, making the idea that anyone believes the law enforcement response was appropriate troubling, she said.
“There’s something deeply bankrupt about our inability to see the value of life, across color and ethnicity,” Oredeko said. “There’s something missing in this country. If you understand the point that protesters are making, saying that there is a deep distrust of police and a need for systemic reforms, your response shouldn’t be to maim them.”
Related Articles National News | Officer gets 4+ years for role in George Floyd killing
Officer gets 4+ years for role in George Floyd killing National News | San Jose: Federal excessive force lawsuit from George Floyd protests is greenlit for trial While 7 in 10 Black Americans said law enforcement officers responded to the protests with excessive force, about half as many white Americans said that. Roughly 6 in 10 white Americans said law enforcement officers responded to protests appropriately.
Destiny Merrell, a 20-year-old Black college student from Unadilla, Georgia, said she has not participated in the protests out of fear she could be harmed by police or other demonstrators.
“We matter, but we don’t matter to certain people,” she said.
The AP-NORC poll of 1,310 adults was conducted June 11-15 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.


mercurynews--2020-06-20--Word Game: June 20, 2020

Word Game: June 20, 2020

Can you find 51 or more words in CREDIBLE ?
The list will be published Monday .
To purchase the @ @ @ @ @ WordGameBooks.com .
Order it now for just $ 5 while supplies last !
1 .
@ @ @ @ @ or more letters .
2 .
Words that acquire four letters by the addition of @ @ @ @ @ as “ bats ” or “ dies , ” are not allowed .
3 .
@ @ @ @ @ a “ d ” or an “ s ” may not be used .
For @ @ @ @ @ ” is used , “ baked ” or “ bakes ” are not allowed , @ @ @ @ @ “ baking ” are admissible .
4 .
Proper nouns , slang words , or @ @ @ @ @ are not allowed .

TODAY’S WORD — CREDIBLE (CREDIBLE: KRED-ih-bul: Capable of being believed; plausible.)
Average mark 36 words
Time limit 60 minutes
Can you find 51 or more words in CREDIBLE? The list will be published Monday.
YESTERDAY’S WORD — TURBULENT tent turn true tube tuber tune tuner turn turtle
tutu untrue utter rebut rent rube ruble rule runlet runt belt bent blue bluer blunt blur
blurt brunet brunt brute bunt bunter burn burnt butler butt butte butter lent lune lure
lute nutlet
To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!
RULES OF THE GAME:
1. Words must be of four or more letters.
2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.
3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.
4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at kzsaxe@gmail.com.


mercurynews--2020-06-20--Horoscopes June 20, 2020: Nicole Kidman, make personal goals priorities this year.

Happy Birthday : Make personal goals priorities this year .
Take a critical look at who you are , what you ’ ve accomplished and where you see yourself heading .
Update your skills , knowledge and image , and you ’ ll gain the confidence and momentum you need to turn your dream into reality .
Don ’ t settle for anything less than what you want .
Your numbers are 5 , 13 , 18 , 27 , 30 , 38 , 44 .
ARIES ( March 21-April 19 ) : Do something that makes you feel good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone you love , and share intentions .
Put a to-do list in place .
A positive turn of events is heading your way .
4 stars TAURUS ( April 20-May 20 ) : Don ’ t let anyone talk you into something that isn ’ t tried and true .
Get the facts , consider the ramifications and consider what ’ s right and best for you .
Take the path that calls your name , not the one that supports someone else ’ s dream .
3 stars GEMINI ( May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to collect accurate information before you make a decision you ’ ll have to live with for a long time .
Don ’ t let your emotions or temptation draw you into something that isn ’ t right for you .
Stay calm and don ’ t argue .
3 stars CANCER ( June 21-July 22 ) : Take on a task that will help you make room for a new project .
You need a change more than you realize , and the sooner you put things in order and organize your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get started .
3 stars LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22 ) : Make a difference .
How you use your skills and what you do to create a friendly environment will change the way others perceive you .
Leave nothing to chance , and you ’ ll avoid sending the wrong signal .
Change what ’ s necessary .
4 stars VIRGO ( Aug. 23-Sept. 22 ) : Consider your options , and follow the path that will make the best use of your attributes .
Jumping into a situation that requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it will exercise your mind and help you master new skills .
2 stars LIBRA ( Sept. 23-Oct. 22 ) : Set goals geared toward a positive lifestyle change .
Tidy up loose ends , and take more time to make physical and emotional improvements .
Question your motives before you dive into something costly .
Personal growth and enlightenment are encouraged .
5 stars SCORPIO ( Oct. 23-Nov. 21 ) : Spend more time working on a creative endeavor .
Explore the possibilities , and consider how best to proceed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ health .
Don ’ t take unnecessary risks that could lead to illness or injury .
3 stars SAGITTARIUS ( Nov. 22-Dec. 21 ) : You ’ ll face emotional turmoil if you let someone play with your feelings .
Be precise about the way you feel and what you expect .
It ’ s better to find out where you stand before you waste time and money on someone unworthy .
3 stars CAPRICORN ( Dec. 22-Jan. 19 ) : Changes will be beneficial .
Clear space to house a pursuit that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to be just what you need to lift your spirits .
A positive change will open up doors that were closed .
3 stars AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18 ) : Take an interest in family members and what they are doing .
Contributing to something that will bring you closer together is favored .
Taking better care of your physical and emotional well-being will lead to compliments that encourage you to do more .
5 stars PISCES ( Feb. 19-March 20 ) : Don ’ t neglect your duties or responsibilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move on to personal pastimes .
How you handle situations that are challenging will determine how much outside help you generate .
Be upfront and avoid conflict .
2 stars Birthday Baby : You are sensitive , mindful and persevering .
You are methodical and intelligent .

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Alisan Porter, 39; Nicole Kidman, 53; John Goodman, 68; Lionel Richie, 71.
Happy Birthday: Make personal goals priorities this year. Take a critical look at who you are, what you’ve accomplished and where you see yourself heading. Update your skills, knowledge and image, and you’ll gain the confidence and momentum you need to turn your dream into reality. Don’t settle for anything less than what you want. Your numbers are 5, 13, 18, 27, 30, 38, 44.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Do something that makes you feel good about your prospects. Make plans with someone you love, and share intentions. Put a to-do list in place. A positive turn of events is heading your way. 4 stars
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t let anyone talk you into something that isn’t tried and true. Get the facts, consider the ramifications and consider what’s right and best for you. Take the path that calls your name, not the one that supports someone else’s dream. 3 stars
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Take the time to collect accurate information before you make a decision you’ll have to live with for a long time. Don’t let your emotions or temptation draw you into something that isn’t right for you. Stay calm and don’t argue. 3 stars
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take on a task that will help you make room for a new project. You need a change more than you realize, and the sooner you put things in order and organize your space, the easier it will be to get started. 3 stars
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Make a difference. How you use your skills and what you do to create a friendly environment will change the way others perceive you. Leave nothing to chance, and you’ll avoid sending the wrong signal. Change what’s necessary. 4 stars
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Consider your options, and follow the path that will make the best use of your attributes. Jumping into a situation that requires constant change may not be ideal, but it will exercise your mind and help you master new skills. 2 stars
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Set goals geared toward a positive lifestyle change. Tidy up loose ends, and take more time to make physical and emotional improvements. Question your motives before you dive into something costly. Personal growth and enlightenment are encouraged. 5 stars
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Spend more time working on a creative endeavor. Explore the possibilities, and consider how best to proceed. Take better care of your finances and health. Don’t take unnecessary risks that could lead to illness or injury. 3 stars
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’ll face emotional turmoil if you let someone play with your feelings. Be precise about the way you feel and what you expect. It’s better to find out where you stand before you waste time and money on someone unworthy. 3 stars
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Changes will be beneficial. Clear space to house a pursuit that interests you, and it will turn out to be just what you need to lift your spirits. A positive change will open up doors that were closed. 3 stars
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take an interest in family members and what they are doing. Contributing to something that will bring you closer together is favored. Taking better care of your physical and emotional well-being will lead to compliments that encourage you to do more. 5 stars
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t neglect your duties or responsibilities. Take care of business before you move on to personal pastimes. How you handle situations that are challenging will determine how much outside help you generate. Be upfront and avoid conflict. 2 stars
Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, mindful and persevering. You are methodical and intelligent.
Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.


Bridge: June 20, 2020

“ Fifty-two percent of my class was good at math ; I was in the other thirty-eight percent.
” — graffiti You don ’ t need a math degree to play bridge well , but knowing basic percentages — how suits tend to break — is vital .
At five clubs , East takes two hearts and shifts to a spade .
South takes the ace and needs to set up dummy ’ s diamonds for two spade discards .
South might play for a 3-3 diamond break : He could draw trumps , take the K-A of diamonds and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be about 36 percent .
South ’ s best play for the contract , though it might result in down two , is to draw trumps and lead a diamond from dummy to his jack .
South can take the king , lead a trump to dummy , pitch a spade on the ace of diamonds and ruff a diamond .
He returns with a trump to discard his last spade on the good fifth diamond .
The finesse will win 50 percent of the time , and diamonds will break 3-3 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So the second play offers about a 42 percent chance .
You hold : S Q 9 6 H A K Q 8 3 D Q 10 9 6 C 4 .
The dealer , at your right , opens one club .
You overcall one heart , the next player bids two clubs and two passes follow .
What do you say ?
ANSWER : Your partner has some points ; if he had none , the opponents would have bid more .
“ Balance ” with a double .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two level is a losing approach .
Your double is for takeout .
You ask partner to bid a suit or show belated heart support .
4 C Pass 5 C All Pass

“Fifty-two percent of my class was good at math; I was in the other thirty-eight percent.” — graffiti
You don’t need a math degree to play bridge well, but knowing basic percentages — how suits tend to break — is vital.
At five clubs, East takes two hearts and shifts to a spade. South takes the ace and needs to set up dummy’s diamonds for two spade discards. South might play for a 3-3 diamond break: He could draw trumps, take the K-A of diamonds and ruff a diamond. His chances would be about 36 percent.
BEST PLAY
South’s best play for the contract, though it might result in down two, is to draw trumps and lead a diamond from dummy to his jack. South can take the king, lead a trump to dummy, pitch a spade on the ace of diamonds and ruff a diamond. He returns with a trump to discard his last spade on the good fifth diamond.
The finesse will win 50 percent of the time, and diamonds will break 3-3 or 4-2 about 84 percent of the time. So the second play offers about a 42 percent chance.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S Q 9 6 H A K Q 8 3 D Q 10 9 6 C 4. The dealer, at your right, opens one club. You overcall one heart, the next player bids two clubs and two passes follow. What do you say?
ANSWER: Your partner has some points; if he had none, the opponents would have bid more. “Balance” with a double. To let them play in their fit at the two level is a losing approach. Your double is for takeout. You ask partner to bid a suit or show belated heart support.
North dealer
Neither side vulnerable
NORTH
S 5 4
H J 7
D A 7 5 3 2
C A K J 9
WEST
S K 8 7 3 2
H 9 6 5 2
D 8 4
C 6 5
EAST
S Q 9 6
H A K Q 8 3
D Q 10 9 6
C 4
SOUTH
S A J 10
H 10 4
D K J
C Q 10 8 7 3 2
North East South West
1 D 1 H 2 C Pass
3 C Pass 3 S Pass
4 C Pass 5 C All Pass
Opening lead — H 2
(C)2020 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.


mercurynews--2020-06-20--Ask Amy: If the neighbors haven’t forgiven him, maybe his apology was flimsy

Dear Amy : I wanted to add to your advice to “ Sad on the West Coast.
” This person was reflecting on a 2-year-old dispute , where her husband blew up at a neighbor .
She said her husband had apologized , but the matter was far from settled .
I ’ m a longtime member of Alcoholics Anonymous .
What I teach the people I sponsor about “ making amends ” ( Step 9 ) — and what I practice myself — is that there are three parts to a good amends : ( 1 ) tell them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , take responsibility for the harm ) ; ( 2 ) ask them if you left anything out , or if there is anything they want to say to you ( often , there is ) ; and ( 3 ) ask them how you can set things right and , if it is reasonable , do it .
I ’ ve had good success over the years using this process .
By the way , an apology ( saying “ I ’ m sorry ” ) may or may not be what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it just tells them how you feel about the situation but does not involve taking responsibility .
And , of course , we hear way too many “ I ’ m sorry if I hurt your feelings ” types of “ apologies.
” Dear D : This is so helpful .
Guided by lessons I ’ ve learned in this space , I recently took responsibility and apologized to someone for something I said , and , frankly , the person seemed stunned .
I was reminded of how powerful an apology ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be .
I believe that good apologies are actually relationship-builders , because they are personally challenging and convey vulnerability , humility , and intimacy .
Dear Amy : My husband and I are expecting our first baby , due in October .
This will be my only child due to my age , and also because the pregnancy has been medically complicated .
I was initially excited to have a baby shower , but now I ’ m concerned about the health of family and friends , as well as myself and my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members are much older and at higher risk for having serious complications from COVID-19 .
Some of them would not be willing to wear masks , and most of my family would not be computer-savvy enough to do a video-call-shower .
Maintaining proper etiquette is important to me .
Do you have any suggestions for how I can still enjoy this momentous event with a shower and keep everyone safe ?
I feel it would be terribly tacky to just send out information and/or links to my baby registry without a shower .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of missing out on spending time with my extended family .
We are a close-knit group .
Dear Expectant : You should definitely follow your judgment .
This is one of many important decisions you will make as a new parent .
Because you say etiquette is important to you , you should also understand that “ old-school ” rules dictate that you should not host this shower for yourself .
A friend or relative normally steps in to organize and host , timing it for the month before your due date .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” showers that seem to work out well – the basic concept is that you receive gifts that are shipped to you and then you start the shower at a prearranged time , with your guests joining you remotely as you and your husband open these gifts .
It might be fun for you ( or your host ) to send your special remote guests an invitation along with a tea cup ( or an inexpensive wine glass ) , with the directions to “ join ” you at a specific date and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The host of the shower would send directions for how to do this , as well as contact information for anyone with questions .
AARP.org offers an online tutorial on how to use this technology ; even people with landlines can join by phone , and although they might not get video , they could still participate .
Anyone who wants to send a gift would be instructed to have it shipped to your home in advance of the date .
Dear Amy : In response to the letter from “ Shylingual ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in high school .
A few years later , as a nurse , I knew enough words to evaluate my patients ’ basic needs , i.e .
toilet , pain , hunger , fear .
Over the years , I found that any attempt to communicate in a foreign language , albeit limited , was appreciated by persons who went about their work , frequently ignored because they didn ’ t speak English .
Dear Bilingual : Communicating the concept : “ I see you , ” is powerful .
You can email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send a letter to Ask Amy , P.O .
Box 194 , Freeville , NY 13068 .
You can also follow her on Twitter @ askingamy or Facebook .

Dear Amy: I wanted to add to your advice to “Sad on the West Coast.” This person was reflecting on a 2-year-old dispute, where her husband blew up at a neighbor. She said her husband had apologized, but the matter was far from settled.
I’m a longtime member of Alcoholics Anonymous. What I teach the people I sponsor about “making amends” (Step 9) — and what I practice myself — is that there are three parts to a good amends: (1) tell them what you did (in other words, take responsibility for the harm); (2) ask them if you left anything out, or if there is anything they want to say to you (often, there is); and (3) ask them how you can set things right and, if it is reasonable, do it.
I’ve had good success over the years using this process.
By the way, an apology (saying “I’m sorry”) may or may not be what someone wants to hear. Often, it just tells them how you feel about the situation but does not involve taking responsibility. And, of course, we hear way too many “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings” types of “apologies.”
D
Dear D: This is so helpful. Guided by lessons I’ve learned in this space, I recently took responsibility and apologized to someone for something I said, and, frankly, the person seemed stunned. I was reminded of how powerful an apology (even over a minor matter) can be.
I believe that good apologies are actually relationship-builders, because they are personally challenging and convey vulnerability, humility, and intimacy.
Dear Amy: My husband and I are expecting our first baby, due in October. This will be my only child due to my age, and also because the pregnancy has been medically complicated.
I was initially excited to have a baby shower, but now I’m concerned about the health of family and friends, as well as myself and my unborn child.
Many of my family members are much older and at higher risk for having serious complications from COVID-19. Some of them would not be willing to wear masks, and most of my family would not be computer-savvy enough to do a video-call-shower.
Maintaining proper etiquette is important to me. Do you have any suggestions for how I can still enjoy this momentous event with a shower and keep everyone safe?
I feel it would be terribly tacky to just send out information and/or links to my baby registry without a shower. I also feel sad at the prospect of missing out on spending time with my extended family. We are a close-knit group.
Expectant
Dear Expectant: You should definitely follow your judgment. This is one of many important decisions you will make as a new parent.
Because you say etiquette is important to you, you should also understand that “old-school” rules dictate that you should not host this shower for yourself. A friend or relative normally steps in to organize and host, timing it for the month before your due date.
I have heard of many “remote” showers that seem to work out well – the basic concept is that you receive gifts that are shipped to you and then you start the shower at a prearranged time, with your guests joining you remotely as you and your husband open these gifts.
It might be fun for you (or your host) to send your special remote guests an invitation along with a tea cup (or an inexpensive wine glass), with the directions to “join” you at a specific date and time via video conference or phone.
The host of the shower would send directions for how to do this, as well as contact information for anyone with questions.
AARP.org offers an online tutorial on how to use this technology; even people with landlines can join by phone, and although they might not get video, they could still participate. Anyone who wants to send a gift would be instructed to have it shipped to your home in advance of the date.
Dear Amy: In response to the letter from “Shylingual” — I had two years of Spanish in high school. A few years later, as a nurse, I knew enough words to evaluate my patients’ basic needs, i.e. toilet, pain, hunger, fear.
Over the years, I found that any attempt to communicate in a foreign language, albeit limited, was appreciated by persons who went about their work, frequently ignored because they didn’t speak English.
Barely Bilingual
Dear Bilingual: Communicating the concept: “I see you,” is powerful.
You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.


mercurynews--2020-06-20--Harriette Cole: My boss rolled his eyes at my mask and implied I’m overreacting

DEAR HARRIETTE : As two co-workers and I return to our five-person office during our state ’ s Phase 1 reopening , no one but me is complying with basic COVID-19 health safety recommendations for 6-foot social distancing and wearing masks .
( One other worker remains at home because she doesn ’ t have child care resources for her school-age children — a different , but all-too-common problem . )
The owner of the business worked alone in the office daily throughout the governor ’ s stay-at-home orders .
We have no interaction with the general public in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come in for meetings , and they don ’ t practice health safety measures either .
My manager and the owner also go out of the office to meet with clients without masks or keeping proper social distance .
My manager rolled his eyes at me when he saw me wearing a mask and using disinfectant on my desk on the first day back .
He has made it clear that we don ’ t have to worry about all of those measures in our small office , because he believes the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me that I can still stay home and work , but I don ’ t feel like I can , since my manager pretty much quit communicating with me and giving me work in the last two weeks while I was at home .
He said to the owner and me that I should be in the office because he is .
The owner then said nothing to counter that .
Is there anything I can do or say to my manager and our boss to have them respect my decision to comply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
I also want to encourage group compliance and acceptance .
I do need to keep my job , but I want to be safe !
• Harriette Cole : This job is beneath me , and that ’ s why I ’ m snippy • Harriette Cole : Someone keeps crashing into my door , and I don ’ t know who • Harriette Cole : It ’ s a simple rule , but my mom can ’ t seem to comply with it • Harriette Cole : I ’ m a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and this is why • Harriette Cole : I ’ m afraid every time my son goes outside DEAR WANT TO COMPLY : I am sorry that your boss and co-workers are not taking the COVID-19 threat seriously at your office .
Sadly , there are many people who do not think it is a health risk that could affect them .
At this point , rules are loosening up about wearing masks inside private offices .
You are right to disinfect your workspace each day .
You should continue to wear a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to you than 6 feet .
If you are safely separated , though , you aren ’ t required to wear a mask .
You should continue to follow safety protocols and keep your distance from your officemates , especially since they are not following the guidelines .
Don ’ t make a fuss about it since they don ’ t listen anyway .
Just keep your distance and keep clean .
DEAR HARRIETTE : My friend invited her manicurist to come to her house to do nails .
She invited three of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that we can get our nails done safely .
Do you think this is a good idea ?
DEAR MANICURE : If the manicurist , your friend , the two other people and you have been sheltering at home and following safety protocols , chances are , you will be safe .
You should wear a mask the entire time and be quiet .
The less you and the manicurist talk , the less chance of germs spreading .
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS , an initiative to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You can send questions to askharriette @ harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication , 1130 Walnut St. , Kansas City , MO 64106 .

DEAR HARRIETTE: As two co-workers and I return to our five-person office during our state’s Phase 1 reopening, no one but me is complying with basic COVID-19 health safety recommendations for 6-foot social distancing and wearing masks. (One other worker remains at home because she doesn’t have child care resources for her school-age children — a different, but all-too-common problem.)
The owner of the business worked alone in the office daily throughout the governor’s stay-at-home orders.
We have no interaction with the general public in our open-floor-plan office, but clients do occasionally come in for meetings, and they don’t practice health safety measures either. My manager and the owner also go out of the office to meet with clients without masks or keeping proper social distance.
My manager rolled his eyes at me when he saw me wearing a mask and using disinfectant on my desk on the first day back. He has made it clear that we don’t have to worry about all of those measures in our small office, because he believes the pandemic risk is overblown.
The owner told me that I can still stay home and work, but I don’t feel like I can, since my manager pretty much quit communicating with me and giving me work in the last two weeks while I was at home. He said to the owner and me that I should be in the office because he is. The owner then said nothing to counter that.
Is there anything I can do or say to my manager and our boss to have them respect my decision to comply with safety protocols while in the office? I also want to encourage group compliance and acceptance. I do need to keep my job, but I want to be safe!
Want To Comply
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Harriette Cole: I’m ashamed to tell people I forgave my childhood friend Advice | Harriette Cole: I’ve worked hard, and my poor siblings resent my success DEAR WANT TO COMPLY: I am sorry that your boss and co-workers are not taking the COVID-19 threat seriously at your office. Sadly, there are many people who do not think it is a health risk that could affect them. At this point, rules are loosening up about wearing masks inside private offices.
You are right to disinfect your workspace each day. You should continue to wear a mask if your co-workers are typically closer to you than 6 feet. If you are safely separated, though, you aren’t required to wear a mask. You should continue to follow safety protocols and keep your distance from your officemates, especially since they are not following the guidelines. Don’t make a fuss about it since they don’t listen anyway. Just keep your distance and keep clean.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend invited her manicurist to come to her house to do nails. She invited three of her friends to come at different times so that we can get our nails done safely. Do you think this is a good idea?
Manicure
DEAR MANICURE: If the manicurist, your friend, the two other people and you have been sheltering at home and following safety protocols, chances are, you will be safe. You should wear a mask the entire time and be quiet. The less you and the manicurist talk, the less chance of germs spreading.
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.


mercurynews--2020-06-20--Miss Manners: This rude parent told my kid he’s ‘really big’

DEAR MISS MANNERS : What can I say to parents who comment on a child ’ s size ?
My child was asked , “ How old are you , 7 ?
” “ Five , ” he answered , to which she responded , “ Oh !
You ’ re really big for a 5-year-old.
” We would never dream of telling someone “ Gosh , you ’ re really short for being 47 , ” or “ Golly , you ’ re very fat for being 28 , ” so I don ’ t know why it seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about children .
I ’ d like your help with a polite response I could make .
GENTLE READER : “ Thanks so much for noticing .
We ’ re hoping that by the time he turns 8 , he ’ ll be big enough to drive.
” DEAR MISS MANNERS : I was having a disagreement with a friend about her 9-year-old daughter .
• Miss Manners : Is it OK to sneak ingredients into someone else ’ s food ?
• Miss Manners : Does it look like I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miss Manners : Am I allowed to discipline this mouthy kid if he ’ s in my house ?
• Miss Manners : She tied my drapes in knots and gave this lame excuse • Miss Manners : Everyone saw the ambulance .
Should I not tell what I know ?
She thinks it ’ s OK for her child to correct adults as long as she ’ s right .
I feel it ’ s totally disrespectful to correct your elders .
Especially at 9 years old !
!
!
What is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : By that logic , you had better make sure that you are the elder in this relationship — since Miss Manners notices that you are freely correcting your friend ’ s parenting .
But yes , as a general rule , it is unseemly for children to go around reprimanding adults , no matter that they are often undoubtedly right .
But neither is it proper for anyone to issue citations without using tact , and that rule has been roundly violated here .
However , to the larger question : How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without creating offense — a skill that will help them later in life , especially in their early careers .
It must be done with humility .
As in , “ Oh !
I always heard that the Earth rotated from west to east , but I must have heard wrong .
I will have to check my sources ” — thus helpfully prompting them to check theirs .
DEAR MISS MANNERS : I am not a member of any social media , which seem to be the rage these days .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting to have children and announce the births there , instead of sending out the birth announcements that I have always depended on for vital information such as the name of the child and the date of birth .
My husband does communicate through social media with these relatives but has never felt it necessary to convey this information to me .
When asked , he is vague about the details , since he does not feel it necessary to give presents for any reason , birthdays and Christmas included .
Since I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presents and am in ignorance of the relevant information , I have chosen not to send presents .
Am I incorrect ?
GENTLE READER : You can not send presents to people whose events you are not aware of , or whose names you do not know .
Miss Manners feels certain that once these young relatives are tipped off to this idea — and the presents and good wishes start dwindling — they will recommence sending announcements through the proper channels .
In the meantime , consider that you have a temporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miss Manners at her website , www.missmanners.com ; to her email , dearmissmanners @ gmail.com ; or through postal mail to Miss Manners , Andrews McMeel Syndication , 1130 Walnut St. , Kansas City , MO 64106 .

Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What can I say to parents who comment on a child’s size?
My child was asked, “How old are you, 7?” “Five,” he answered, to which she responded, “Oh! You’re really big for a 5-year-old.”
We would never dream of telling someone “Gosh, you’re really short for being 47,” or “Golly, you’re very fat for being 28,” so I don’t know why it seems OK to speak this way to and about children. I’d like your help with a polite response I could make.
GENTLE READER: “Thanks so much for noticing. We’re hoping that by the time he turns 8, he’ll be big enough to drive.”
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was having a disagreement with a friend about her 9-year-old daughter.
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GENTLE READER: By that logic, you had better make sure that you are the elder in this relationship — since Miss Manners notices that you are freely correcting your friend’s parenting.
But yes, as a general rule, it is unseemly for children to go around reprimanding adults, no matter that they are often undoubtedly right. But neither is it proper for anyone to issue citations without using tact, and that rule has been roundly violated here.
However, to the larger question: How to properly guide children to correct misinformation without creating offense — a skill that will help them later in life, especially in their early careers.
It must be done with humility. As in, “Oh! I always heard that the Earth rotated from west to east, but I must have heard wrong. I will have to check my sources” — thus helpfully prompting them to check theirs.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am not a member of any social media, which seem to be the rage these days.
My husband’s younger relatives are now starting to have children and announce the births there, instead of sending out the birth announcements that I have always depended on for vital information such as the name of the child and the date of birth.
My husband does communicate through social media with these relatives but has never felt it necessary to convey this information to me. When asked, he is vague about the details, since he does not feel it necessary to give presents for any reason, birthdays and Christmas included.
Since I have always handled the giving of such presents and am in ignorance of the relevant information, I have chosen not to send presents. Am I incorrect?
GENTLE READER: You cannot send presents to people whose events you are not aware of, or whose names you do not know.
Miss Manners feels certain that once these young relatives are tipped off to this idea — and the presents and good wishes start dwindling — they will recommence sending announcements through the proper channels. In the meantime, consider that you have a temporary reprieve.
Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.


mercurynews--2020-06-20--Dear Abby: After a year of marriage, I realized I’m gay. How do I tell my wife?

DEAR ABBY : My wife and I have been married for a year .
Recently , I have been questioning my sexuality and have realized that I am gay .
I have been trying to think of different ways of telling her , but I don ’ t want to hurt her .
Please help .
DEAR COMING OUT : You are right : You must tell your wife , and the sooner , the better .
She may — or may not — be shocked and possibly angry .
During the talk , make clear that this has nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or femininity .
Afterward , suggest she contact the Straight Spouse Network for support if she feels the need .
It ’ s an organization founded many years ago by Amity Pierce Buxton , Ph.D. , to support heterosexual spouses of LGBTQ mates .
Your wife can find it online at straightspouse.org , and I highly recommend it .
• Dear Abby : It bugs me that he doesn ’ t pay attention to my TV shows • Dear Abby : I am an exemplary daughter , but my dad accused me of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : I was blindsided by my husband ’ s fetish • Dear Abby : My wife stopped talking to me , and I don ’ t know why • Dear Abby : I ’ m hurt by how these ‘ friends ’ reacted to my baby DEAR ABBY : My son has been married three times .
After each divorce , he has expected me to distance myself from the ex ’ s children .
I have been Grandma to them , and this is driving us apart .
My son says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m heartbroken and want to maintain a relationship with both .
Help !
DEAR GRANDMA : That your son would deny his stepchildren contact with a loving grandmother because he ’ s angry with their mother is terrible .
You may wish to maintain a relationship with them , but because of your son ’ s current mindset , it may not be possible .
Since you asked me to weigh in , my advice is to stop sitting on the fence .
Maintain a relationship with them regardless of their “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They need the validation that they are loved , which you can provide .
As to your inflexible son , I can see why he has such terrible luck with women .
It appears he still has a lot of growing up to do .
DEAR ABBY : I am an introvert , which may be hard to believe since I am the sixth child in a family of 10 .
I enjoy talking with my siblings .
My problem is how to handle people who call and think I should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me .
During the pandemic this has become a major problem .
DEAR NOT INTERESTED : Your problem isn ’ t unique .
During this period of social isolation , social contact can be crucial in combatting depression .
I ’ m hearing from people who say , “ Every day is exactly the same as the last one .
I have nothing to say to my spouse , my children , my friends , etc .
I ’ m bored stiff , and I have become a boring person.
” It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those who are reaching out , but it doesn ’ t mean you must be a prisoner to long conversations .
Tell the caller you ’ re glad they are adjusting and maintaining their sanity .
If you see something noteworthy on television , in your online research or a book you are reading , share it .
But no law says you must remain on these phone calls for long periods or participate in them every day .
Consider rationing them instead .
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was founded by her mother , Pauline Phillips .
Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O .
Box 69440 , Los Angeles , CA 90069 .

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married for a year. Recently, I have been questioning my sexuality and have realized that I am gay.
I have been trying to think of different ways of telling her, but I don’t want to hurt her. Please help.
COMING OUT IN OHIO
DEAR COMING OUT: You are right: You must tell your wife, and the sooner, the better.
She may — or may not — be shocked and possibly angry. During the talk, make clear that this has nothing to do with her, her attractiveness or femininity. Afterward, suggest she contact the Straight Spouse Network for support if she feels the need. It’s an organization founded many years ago by Amity Pierce Buxton, Ph.D., to support heterosexual spouses of LGBTQ mates. Your wife can find it online at straightspouse.org, and I highly recommend it.
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FOREVER GRANDMA
DEAR GRANDMA: That your son would deny his stepchildren contact with a loving grandmother because he’s angry with their mother is terrible. You may wish to maintain a relationship with them, but because of your son’s current mindset, it may not be possible.
Since you asked me to weigh in, my advice is to stop sitting on the fence. Maintain a relationship with them regardless of their “step” status. They need you. They need the validation that they are loved, which you can provide. As to your inflexible son, I can see why he has such terrible luck with women. It appears he still has a lot of growing up to do.
DEAR ABBY: I am an introvert, which may be hard to believe since I am the sixth child in a family of 10. I enjoy talking with my siblings. My problem is how to handle people who call and think I should be happy to chat about nothing of interest to me. During the pandemic this has become a major problem.
NOT INTERESTED IN VIRGINIA
DEAR NOT INTERESTED: Your problem isn’t unique. During this period of social isolation, social contact can be crucial in combatting depression. I’m hearing from people who say, “Every day is exactly the same as the last one. I have nothing to say to my spouse, my children, my friends, etc. I’m bored stiff, and I have become a boring person.”
It is important that you allot some time to those who are reaching out, but it doesn’t mean you must be a prisoner to long conversations. Tell the caller you’re glad they are adjusting and maintaining their sanity. If you see something noteworthy on television, in your online research or a book you are reading, share it. But no law says you must remain on these phone calls for long periods or participate in them every day. Consider rationing them instead.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.


mercurynews--2020-06-20--Junipero Serra statue toppled at Golden Gate Park

SAN FRANCISCO – Statues of Fr .
Junipero Serra , Francis Scott Key and Ulysses S. Grant were toppled at Golden Gate Park on Friday .
A group of roughly 100 people pulled down the statues about 8 or 9 p.m. , an eyewitness said .
One video posted to Twitter showed the group using a strap to topple the statue of Serra .
The statue , according to the University of California , was first unveiled in 1907 .
Serra ’ s legacy is complicated .
The mission system he founded and led played a role in the founding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans blame him for the destruction of their culture and the decimation of their ancestors from European diseases , as well as for the brutal punishment he inflicted on those who tried to run away .
For those reasons , Stanford University in 2018 scrubbed Serra ’ s name from many of its buildings .
The toppling of the statues coincided with Juneteenth , which commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved Americans in Texas learned of the Emancipation Proclamation , which had set them free two years prior .
Key and Grant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment Friday .

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SAN FRANCISCO – Protesters in Golden Gate Park toppled statues of Fr. Junipero Serra, Francis Scott Key and President Ulysses S. Grant on Friday night, spurring a national debate over the complex legacies of those historical figures amid a broader movement to remove what critics say are monuments to white supremacy.
A group of roughly 100 people pulled down the monuments displayed in the park’s Music Concourse near the de Young Museum and California Academy of Sciences, an eyewitness said. Police were called to the area just after 8 p.m., and said people in the group threw objects at the officers. The crowd dispersed around 9:30 with no arrests or reports of injuries.
One video posted to Twitter showed the group using a strap to topple the statue of Serra. Photos also showed people vandalized a monument to Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes, the author of “Don Quixote.” And parks officials said the group vandalized several other features in the Music Concourse as well, including sculptures, benches and a fountain.
The toppled statues were removed by park crews late Friday night and are now being kept in storage, a San Francisco Recreation and Park Department spokesperson said.
By Saturday morning, city workers were busy power-washing the statues’ granite pedestals, with some still showing anti-police messages. The base for Serra’s statue identified it as Ohlone land. Just a few drops of paint remained on a statue depicting the fictional characters Don Quixote and his sidekick Sancho Panza looking up to the bust of Cervantes.
Activists just toppled the Junipero Serra statue in Golden Gate Park here in San Francisco Now they’re onto Francis Scott Key, slave owner and writer of the Star Spangled Banner pic.twitter.com/Ykv0hFMZvK — Joe Rivano Barros (@jrivanob) June 20, 2020
Serra is known as the founder and leader of the mission system that helped create modern California. Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” and Grant led the Union Army to victory in the Civil War before becoming president.
But the subjugation of Black slaves, in Key’s case; of Native Americans, in Serra’s; and Grant’s seesaw history with both, is another piece of each man’s legacy pointing to why they were targeted Friday night.
In a statement Saturday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said she understood the “very real pain in this country rooted in our history of slavery and oppression.” But Breed did not weigh in on the debate over memorializing Serra, Key and Grant, focusing instead on the broader destruction at the park.
“Every dollar we spend cleaning up this vandalism takes funding away from actually supporting our community, including our African-American community,” Breed said. “I say this not to defend any particular statue or what it represents, but to recognize that when people take action in the name of my community, they should actually involve us.”
Breed continued, “I have asked the Arts Commission, the Human Rights Commission, and the Recreation and Parks Department to work with the community to evaluate our public art and its intersection with our country’s racist history.”
Many Native Americans blame Serra for the destruction of their culture and the decimation of their ancestors from European diseases, as well as for the brutal punishment he inflicted on those who tried to run away from California’s Missions.
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Biotech firm settles with family over cells for research California News | Opinion: Reparations to Black Californians is now up to Newsom For those reasons, Stanford University in 2018 scrubbed Serra’s name from many of its buildings.
On Saturday afternoon, videos posted to Twitter showed demonstrators in Los Angeles had torn down another statue of Serra, in a park named for him near Union Station.
Pausing on a run through Golden Gate Park on Saturday, San Francisco resident Stefan Hastrup said he has often thought about the significance of the statues in the area.
“I realize these are people who lived in a context, I get that,” Hastrup said. “But putting up statues makes them heroes.”
He pointed out there are no equivalent statues of Native Americans that suffered under Serra, for example.
“These statues signal the endorsement of who matters,” he said. “I’m not sad.”
The toppling of the statues coincided with Juneteenth, which commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved Americans in Texas learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, which had set them free two years prior.
Key owned several slaves, and as a lawyer, Smithsonian Magazine wrote, “Key used his office as the District Attorney for the City of Washington from 1833 to 1840 to defend slavery, attacking the abolitionist movement in several high-profile cases.”
The years-long debate over monuments and school names that honor Confederate generals, slave-owning founding fathers and colonists such as Christopher Columbus has ratcheted up this spring amid the national Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality and racism.
Statues across the country and abroad have been removed and destroyed — in some cases by activists and in others by local governments. On Thursday, city of San Francisco workers removed a statue of Columbus near Coit Tower that had previously been targeted by protesters.
President Trump and many conservatives, meanwhile, have sought to protect the monuments, saying they are part of American history.
With that backdrop, the toppling of Grant’s bust in particular had by Saturday morning garnered national attention, with even some who supported removal of Confederate monuments questioning whether it was appropriate to do the same with Grant. As president, Grant supported the 15th Amendment giving Black Americans the right to vote — though that right could not be exercised in many Southern states for nearly another century — as well as other pieces of Reconstruction-era legislation meant to stop the white supremacist terrorism that followed the Civil War.
Grant did briefly own one slave he freed years before the war; but as a general he smashed the Confederacy, and as president he crushed the Klan. He presided over the ratification of the 15th Amendment. People going after Grant probably just want to break things. https://t.co/rVtPOcvyAN — Adam Serwer🍝 (@AdamSerwer) June 20, 2020
But before the war, Grant had married into a slave-holding family and briefly owned a man named William Jones, who Grant emancipated in 1859, according to the American Civil War Museum.
Assessing Grant’s legacy toward Native Americans in 2016, the news site Indian Country Today wrote that his policies “fell far short of what he promised,” noting that “some of the worst massacres and grossest injustices in history” occurred during his administration. Grant signed legislation that promoted white Americans’ westward expansion onto Native lands, according to the site, as well as the establishment of reservations, schools and churches blamed for the destruction of Indigenous culture.


mercurynews--2020-06-20--Novato police arrest three men on child pornography charges

NOVATO — An investigation of several months stemming from notifications sent by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to the arrests of three Novato men for possession of child pornography , police said Friday .
Oscar Argueta Osorio , 18 ; Curtis Scott , 54 ; and Curtis McCutcheon , 59 were arrested following three separate investigations after the department was notified of instances where possible child pornography images or videos were being uploaded online .
Detectives acting on the notifications obtained search warrants that led to locations where files were uploaded and information on possible suspects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ search warrants June 18 in the 800 block of McClay Road , the 900 block of George St. and the 400 block of Entrada Drive in Novato .
They seized electronic devices as evidence and found evidence of child pornography at each address .
When the investigation was concluded Osorio , Scott and McCutcheon were booked into the Marin County Jail for child pornography possession .
Scott and McCutcheon were already required to register with the Novato Police Department on an annual basis as sexual offenders and have been in compliance with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we do not believe nor have any current information suggesting that any of the victims shown in the images possessed by the suspects are from Marin County , ” Novato police said in an announcement .
• Man who crashed into Concord police car during high speed chase gets two years in federal prison • Hundreds gather to mourn Oakland federal officer gunned down in alleged assassination plot • East Bay man found with 500 pounds of illegal fireworks during I-80 traffic stop Detectives conducted the investigation in coordination with the Silicon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in San Jose and were assisted by the Contra Costa County Sheriff ’ s Department , the Contra Costa District Attorney ’ s Office , the Department of Homeland Security and the San Francisco Police Department .

NOVATO — An investigation of several months stemming from notifications sent by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to the arrests of three Novato men for possession of child pornography, police said Friday.
Oscar Argueta Osorio, 18; Curtis Scott, 54; and Curtis McCutcheon, 59 were arrested following three separate investigations after the department was notified of instances where possible child pornography images or videos were being uploaded online.
Detectives acting on the notifications obtained search warrants that led to locations where files were uploaded and information on possible suspects.
Novato police detectives and officers executed search warrants June 18 in the 800 block of McClay Road, the 900 block of George St. and the 400 block of Entrada Drive in Novato.
They seized electronic devices as evidence and found evidence of child pornography at each address.
When the investigation was concluded Osorio, Scott and McCutcheon were booked into the Marin County Jail for child pornography possession.
Scott and McCutcheon were already required to register with the Novato Police Department on an annual basis as sexual offenders and have been in compliance with their requirements.
“Based on this investigation, we do not believe nor have any current information suggesting that any of the victims shown in the images possessed by the suspects are from Marin County,” Novato police said in an announcement.


mercurynews--2020-06-20--Santa Clara to be sprayed after mosquitoes test positive for West Nile Virus

SANTA CLARA – A swath of Santa Clara is set to be sprayed after mosquitoes there tested positive for West Nile Virus .
The infected insects were collected from portions of the 95054 , 95051 and 95050 ZIP code areas , the Santa Clara County Vector Control District said in a news release .
The district said the target zone is largely industrial and commercial , with about 10 percent residential .
It is bounded by Montague Expressway and Walsh Avenue to the north , De La Cruz Boulevard and West Trimble Road to the east , Warburton Avenue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ west .
The spraying operation is slated to begin at 10 p.m. Tuesday and will take three hours to complete .
While residents do not need to relocate , they can minimize their exposure by closing windows and remaining inside .
The district said West Nile Virus has infected 7,024 people and killed 309 since it arrived in California in 2003 .
In 2015 , a record-breaking 53 people died of the disease .
Infections can cause fever , headaches , body aches and , in severe cases , significant neurological damage or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 and those with certain conditions such as diabetes , high blood pressure , kidney disease and cancer are most at risk for serious complications .
Residents can help prevent the spread of the virus by draining or dumping standing water and limiting outdoor activity during dusk and dawn , when mosquitoes are most active .
District employees are available to answer any questions from the public , Monday through Friday , at 408-282-3114 , from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m .
Questions can also be sent to vectorinfo @ cep.sccgov.org .

SANTA CLARA – A swath of Santa Clara is set to be sprayed after mosquitoes there tested positive for West Nile Virus.
The infected insects were collected from portions of the 95054, 95051 and 95050 ZIP code areas, the Santa Clara County Vector Control District said in a news release.
The district said the target zone is largely industrial and commercial, with about 10 percent residential. It is bounded by Montague Expressway and Walsh Avenue to the north, De La Cruz Boulevard and West Trimble Road to the east, Warburton Avenue to the south and Bowers Avenue to the west.
The spraying operation is slated to begin at 10 p.m. Tuesday and will take three hours to complete.
While residents do not need to relocate, they can minimize their exposure by closing windows and remaining inside.
The district said West Nile Virus has infected 7,024 people and killed 309 since it arrived in California in 2003. In 2015, a record-breaking 53 people died of the disease.
Infections can cause fever, headaches, body aches and, in severe cases, significant neurological damage or death. Adults over the age of 50 and those with certain conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease and cancer are most at risk for serious complications.
Residents can help prevent the spread of the virus by draining or dumping standing water and limiting outdoor activity during dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
District employees are available to answer any questions from the public, Monday through Friday, at 408-282-3114, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Questions can also be sent to vectorinfo@cep.sccgov.org.


mercurynews--2020-06-21--Trump comeback rally features empty seats, staff infections

President Donald Trump pressed ahead Saturday with a comeback rally amid a pandemic by declaring “ the silent majority is stronger than ever before , ” but what was meant to be a show of political force was instead met with thousands of empty seats and new coronavirus cases on his campaign staff .
Ignoring health warnings , Trump scheduled the rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
It was intended to be the largest indoor gathering in the world during the outbreak that has killed more than 120,000 Americans , put 40 million more out of work and upended Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hours before the event , crowds seemed significantly lighter than expected .
Campaign officials scrapped plans for Trump to first address an overflow space .
Trump tried to explain away the crowd size , blaming it on the media for declaring “ don ’ t go , don ’ t come , don ’ t do anything ” while insisting there were protesters outside “ doing bad things , ” though the small crowds of prerally demonstrators were largely peaceful .
“ We begin our campaign , ” Trump thundered .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before.
” But huge swaths of empty seats remained in the downtown arena before Trump was to take the stage .
And that came on the heels of the campaign revealing that six staff members who were helping set up for the event had tested positive for the virus .
Campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said that “ quarantine procedures were immediately implemented , ” and that neither the affected staffers nor anyone who was in immediate contact with them would attend the event .
News of the infections came just a short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the president raged to aides that it was made public , according to two White House and campaign officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren ’ t authorized to speak publicly about private conversations .
Large gatherings in the United States were shut down in March because of the coronavirus .
The rally was scheduled over the protests of local health officials as COVID-19 cases spike in many states , while the choice of host city and date — it was originally set for Friday , Juneteenth , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger amid a national wave of protests against racial injustice .
But Trump and his advisers forged forward , believing that a return to the rally stage would reenergize the president , who is furious that he has fallen behind Democrat Joe Biden in polls , and reassure Republicans growing anxious about the state of the presidential race and their ability to hold onto the Senate .
But the smaller-than-expected crowds may only increase GOP worries .
The president ’ s campaign tried to point fingers elsewhere , but the protests outside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected , remain largely peaceful in the hours before the event .
“ Sadly , protestors interfered with supporters , even blocking access to the metal detectors , which prevented people from entering the rally , ” Murtaugh said in a statement .
“ Radical protestors , coupled with a relentless onslaught from the media , attempted to frighten off the President ’ s supporters .
We are proud of the thousands who stuck it out.
” In the minutes before the president arrived at the downtown arena , Trump supporters who signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to show up , declaring , “ There ’ s still space !
” It ’ s been more than three months since the nation last saw a Trump rally .
The unemployment rate stood at about 3.5 % that March 2 .
The number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. was estimated at 91 .
Now , the unemployment rate stands at 13.3 % , based on the most recent monthly report .
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has soared to about 2.2 million .
The number of deaths reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Outrage over the criminal justice system ’ s treatment of minorities following the death of George Floyd and other African Americans has spawned protests around the nation .
Only about a quarter of Americans say the country is headed in the right direction .
Trump was determined to return to his signature campaign events .
He dismissed complaints that bringing together throngs for an indoor rally risked spreading the coronavirus as nothing more than politics .
Trump ’ s visit also raised fears of clashes between protesters and Trump supporters , and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crowds were not materializing despite the president ’ s bravado .
“ Big crowds and lines already forming in Tulsa .
My campaign hasn ’ t started yet .
It starts on Saturday night in Oklahoma !
” Trump tweeted Friday .
City officials had expected a crowd of 100,000 people or more in downtown Tulsa .
Trump ’ s campaign , for its part , declared that it had received over a million ticket requests .
The crowd that gathered was far less than that , though the rally , being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters in battleground states such as Pennsylvania , North Carolina and Florida .
The campaign said it would hand out masks and hand sanitizer , but there was no requirement that participants use them .
Participants were also to undergo a temperature check .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s anything worse than the flu , ” said Brian Bernard , 54 , a retired IT worker from Baton Rouge , Louisiana , who sported a Trump 2020 hat .
“ I haven ’ t caught a cold or a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if I haven ’ t caught a cold or flu yet , I don ’ t think I ’ m gon na catch COVID.
” Trump has generally held his campaign rallies in swing states or in Democratic-leaning states such as Colorado or New Mexico that he hopes to flip this November .
Oklahoma fits none of those categories .
The last Democratic candidate to emerge victorious there in a presidential election was Lyndon Johnson in 1964 .
Trump won the state with more than 65 % of the vote in the 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more assurance that he ’ ll face little resistance to his efforts from top state officials .
The rally was originally scheduled for Friday , but it was moved back a day following an uproar that it otherwise would have happened on Juneteenth , and in a city where a 1921 white-on-Black attack killed as many as 300 people .
Lemire reported from New York .
Associated Press writers John Mone and Ellen Knickmeyer in Tulsa , Okla. , contributed to this report .

By KEVIN FREKING and JONATHAN LEMIRE
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — President Donald Trump launched his comeback rally Saturday by defining the upcoming election as a stark choice between national heritage and left-wing radicalism. But his intended show of political force amid a pandemic featured thousands of empty seats and new coronavirus cases on his own campaign staff.
Trump ignored health warnings to hold his first rally in 110 days — one of the largest indoor gatherings in the world during a coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 120,000 Americans and put 40 million out of work. The rally was meant to restart his reelection effort less than five months before the president faces voters again.
“The choice in 2020 is very simple,” Trump said. “Do you want to bow before the left-wing mob, or do you want to stand up tall and proud as Americans?”
Trump unleashed months of pent-up grievances about the coronavirus, which he dubbed the “Kung flu,” a racist term for COVID-19, which originated in China. He also tried to defend his handling of the pandemic, even as cases continue to surge in many states, including Oklahoma.
He complained that robust coronavirus testing was making his record look bad — and suggested the testing effort should slow down.
“Here’s the bad part. When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more cases,” he said. “So I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down.’ They test and they test.”
“Speed up the testing,” Trump’s Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, tweeted later.
In the hours before the rally, crowds were significantly lighter than expected, and campaign officials scrapped plans for Trump to address an overflow space outdoors. When Trump thundered that “the silent majority is stronger than ever before,” about a third of the seats at his indoor rally were empty.
Trump tried to explain away the crowd size by blaming the media for scaring people and by insisting there were protesters outside who were “doing bad things.” But the small crowds of pre-rally demonstrators were largely peaceful, and Tulsa police reported just one arrest Saturday afternoon.
Before the rally, Trump’s campaign revealed that six staff members who were helping set up for the event had tested positive for the coronavirus. Campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said neither the affected staffers nor anyone who was in immediate contact with them would attend the event.
The president raged to aides that the staffers’ positive cases had been made public, according to two White House and campaign officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.
Trump devoted more than 10 minutes of his 105-minute rally — with the crowd laughing along — trying to explain away a pair of odd images from his speech last weekend at West Point, blaming his slippery leather-soled shoes for video of him walking awkwardly down a ramp as he left the podium. And then he declared that he used two hands to drink a cup of water that day because he didn’t want to spill water on his tie — and proceeded to this time drink with just one hand.
But Trump also leaned in hard on cultural issues, including the push to tear down statue s and rename military bases honoring Confederate generals following nationwide protests about racial injustice.
“The unhinged left-wing mob is trying to vandalize our history, desecrate our monuments, our beautiful monuments,” Trump said. “They want to demolish our heritage so they can impose their new repressive regime in its place.”
Trump also floated the idea of a one-year prison sentence for anyone convicted of burning an American flag, an act of protest protected by the First Amendment. And he revived his attacks on Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who emigrated from Somalia as a child, claiming she would want “to make the government of our country just like the country from where she came, Somalia: no government, no safety, no police, no nothing — just anarchy.”
“And now she’s telling us how to run our country,” Trump continued. “No, thank you.”
After a three-month break from rallies, Trump spent the evening reviving his greatest hits, including boasts about the pre-pandemic economy and complaints about the media. But his scattershot remarks made no mention of some of the flashpoints roiling the nation, including the abrupt firing of a U.S. attorney in Manhattan, the damaging new book from his former national security adviser or the killing of George Floyd..
Large gatherings in the United States were shut down in March because of the coronavirus. The rally was scheduled over the protests of local health officials as COVID-19 cases spike in many states, while the choice of host city and date — it was originally set for Friday, Juneteenth, in a city where a 1921 racist attack killed as many as 300 people — prompted anger amid a national wave of protests against racial injustice.
But Trump and his advisers forged forward, believing that a return to the rally stage would reenergize the president, who is furious that he has fallen behind Biden in polls, and reassure increasingly anxious Republicans.
But Trump has struggled to land effective attacks against Biden, and his broadsides against the former vice president did not draw nearly the applause as did his digs at his 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton.
City officials had expected a crowd of 100,000 people or more in downtown Tulsa. Trump’s campaign, for its part, declared that it had received over a million ticket requests. The crowd that gathered was far less than that, though the rally, being broadcast on cable, also targeted voters in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida.
The president’s campaign tried to point fingers elsewhere over the smaller-than-expected crowds, accusing protesters of blocking access to metal detectors and preventing people from entering the rally. Three Associated Press journalists reporting in Tulsa for several hours leading up to the president’s speaking did not see protesters block entry to the area where the rally was held.
The campaign handed out masks and hand sanitizer, but there was no requirement that participants use them and few did. Participants also underwent a temperature check.
“I don’t think it’s anything worse than the flu,” said Brian Bernard, 54, a retired IT worker from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who sported a Trump 2020 hat. “I haven’t caught a cold or a flu in probably 15 years, and if I haven’t caught a cold or flu yet, I don’t think I’m gonna catch COVID.”
___
Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writers John Mone and Ellen Knickmeyer in Tulsa, Okla., contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-06-21--Report: Trump administration expected to suspend H-1B visas for the rest of the year

President Donald Trump is expected to suspend H-1B visas for highly skilled workers , among others , until the end of the year , with an order anticipated as soon today , according to NPR .
The order , which would not affect anyone already in the country , could have a significant impact on Bay Area technology companies and IT staffing firms that have long relied on the visas to meet what company advocates say is a critical skilled worker shortage .
But the visa has long been controversial , with some tech workers and groups that push for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way for tech companies to bring in lower-paid workers to undercut U.S.-based employees .
The announcement comes on the heels of a defeat in the Supreme Court of the Trump Administration ’ s efforts to end the DACA program , which provides protection from deportation and work permits for immigrants who arrived to the U.S. as children without documentation .
Earlier this year the administration also temporarily halted the issuance of new green cards .
The order would also come just weeks after the federal government announced it would resume premium processing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NPR , the executive order over the visas , which also affects J-1 visas for scholars , professors and others , as well as H-2B visas for seasonal workers , is still being negotiated .
Among the points of contention is whether au pairs — live-in foreign caretakers — will be included , the news organization reported .
The order also includes exemptions for travel , to be approved by the U.S. State Department on a case-by-case basis , and does not apply to H-2A agricultural workers , NPR reported .
• Melania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ‘ chain migration ’ detailed in new book • H-1B visa : Premium processing for applications to resume next month • H-1B visa : Outsourcers and IT staffing companies score big win with government settlement Long seen as tech ’ s favorite visa , it is used every year to bring thousands of high-skilled workers to Silicon Valley .
The visas have to be sponsored by an employer in the U.S. and can cost thousands of dollars in attorney and filing fees .
They last for three years and can be extended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far in 2020 , Facebook has been approved for 666 new and extended visas for its Menlo Park office and Google has been approved for 824 new and extended visas for its Mountain View offices , according to data from U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services .
Tech giant Apple was approved for 670 new and extended visas for its Cupertino offices , and electric car manufacturer Tesla received 186 new and extended visas for its offices in Palo Alto and its Fremont factory .
The visas are also popular at universities — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year and the University of California , Berkeley for 39 .

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President Donald Trump is expected to suspend H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, among others, until the end of the year, according to NPR.
The order, which would not affect anyone already in the country, could have a significant impact on Bay Area technology companies and IT staffing firms that have long relied on the visas to meet what company advocates say is a critical skilled worker shortage.
But the visa has long been controversial, with some tech workers and groups that push for limits on immigration decrying it as a way for tech companies to bring in lower-paid workers to undercut U.S.-based employees.
The announcement comes on the heels of a defeat in the Supreme Court of the Trump Administration’s efforts to end the DACA program, which provides protection from deportation and work permits for immigrants who arrived to the U.S. as children without documentation. Earlier this year the administration also temporarily halted the issuance of new green cards. The order would also come just weeks after the federal government announced it would resume premium processing of H-1B visas in June.
According to NPR, the executive order over the visas, which also affects J-1 visas for scholars, professors and others, as well as H-2B visas for seasonal workers, is still being negotiated. Among the points of contention is whether au pairs — live-in foreign caretakers — will be included, the news organization reported.
The order also includes exemptions for travel, to be approved by the U.S. State Department on a case-by-case basis, and does not apply to H-2A agricultural workers, NPR reported.
Long seen as tech’s favorite visa, it is used every year to bring thousands of high-skilled workers to Silicon Valley. The visas have to be sponsored by an employer in the U.S. and can cost thousands of dollars in attorney and filing fees. They last for three years and can be extended for up to six years.
So far in 2020, Facebook has been approved for 666 new and extended visas for its Menlo Park office and Google has been approved for 824 new and extended visas for its Mountain View offices, according to data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Tech giant Apple was approved for 670 new and extended visas for its Cupertino offices, and electric car manufacturer Tesla received 186 new and extended visas for its offices in Palo Alto and its Fremont factory.
The visas are also popular at universities — Stanford University was approved for 94 visas this year and the University of California, Berkeley for 39.