mercurynews--2020-07-18--Miss Manners: I know this tactic is petty, but I can’t stand my partner’s laziness

DEAR MISS MANNERS : I ’ ve been with my partner for over five years , and it ’ s really starting to get to me how little effort they put into keeping our home clean .
They ’ ve always been a bit on the lazier side , but I feel like it ’ s gotten worse over time .
( I don ’ t want to immediately point to their increased cannabis consumption as the cause , but the thought has crossed my mind . )
I ’ m doing my best to keep our home clean , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in is next to none .
At most , they will occasionally tidy up the living room .
The rest of the chores have become solely my responsibility .
It ’ s gotten to the point — and I know this is petty — that I ’ m only washing my own dishes , just to see if they take the hint or even notice .
It ’ s been five days now : All of my dishes have been cleaned after I used them , while theirs are still in or around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know if they think I enjoy cleaning all the time ( I don ’ t ) , or if they ’ re just enjoying knowing they don ’ t have to clean because I ’ ll do it .
• Miss Manners : His egg-eating method sickens me .
He insists it ’ s perfectly acceptable .
• Miss Manners : I ’ m afraid she ’ ll find out I spoke against her • Miss Manners : How can I get her to stop without tattling to the boss ?
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Dad ’ s gauche comments to strangers ?
I know I need to speak up , but I just don ’ t know how .
In the past when I ’ ve made comments about cleaning , they get upset , tell me that they do their fair share ( it ’ s never been a fair share , but it used to be more ) , or that they ’ re trying to get better .
I know bringing it up will start an argument , and I hate having to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in that mood .
Knowing this , and knowing a conversation has to happen , how do I tell my partner to start helping out ?
GENTLE READER : Conversations like this are always difficult , but letting it build up to the point of ending the relationship and moving out without saying anything is infinitely more so .
Miss Manners noticed that you did not mention this ending the relationship as an option ( or perhaps , during the world ’ s current situation , it is not one ) , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still hope .
Her best advice is to ask for the advice of your partner : “ I don ’ t know what to do .
I am deeply unhappy about the cleaning situation , and I don ’ t seem to be able to talk to you about it .
I know that it is your position that we clean up equally , but I noticed that when I only did my own dishes for a few days , yours went untouched .
I am not trying to trick or test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wit ’ s end .
I want this relationship to work and to be free of resentment , but I am finding that particularly difficult right now.
” Your partner will either listen and change , or won ’ t — forcing you to make a bigger decision .
Either way , you will likely have a clear , less dish- and dust-laden path forward .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walnut St. , Kansas City , MO 64106 .

Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’ve been with my partner for over five years, and it’s really starting to get to me how little effort they put into keeping our home clean.
They’ve always been a bit on the lazier side, but I feel like it’s gotten worse over time. (I don’t want to immediately point to their increased cannabis consumption as the cause, but the thought has crossed my mind.)
I’m doing my best to keep our home clean, while the amount of effort they put in is next to none. At most, they will occasionally tidy up the living room. The rest of the chores have become solely my responsibility.
It’s gotten to the point — and I know this is petty — that I’m only washing my own dishes, just to see if they take the hint or even notice. It’s been five days now: All of my dishes have been cleaned after I used them, while theirs are still in or around the sink. I honestly don’t know if they think I enjoy cleaning all the time (I don’t), or if they’re just enjoying knowing they don’t have to clean because I’ll do it.
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Miss Manners: She wants to turn our music festival into a get-drunk weekend Advice | Miss Manners: My rule is no gift for a second wedding, no attendance for a third I know I need to speak up, but I just don’t know how. In the past when I’ve made comments about cleaning, they get upset, tell me that they do their fair share (it’s never been a fair share, but it used to be more), or that they’re trying to get better. I know bringing it up will start an argument, and I hate having to deal with them when they’re in that mood.
Knowing this, and knowing a conversation has to happen, how do I tell my partner to start helping out?
GENTLE READER: Conversations like this are always difficult, but letting it build up to the point of ending the relationship and moving out without saying anything is infinitely more so.
Miss Manners noticed that you did not mention this ending the relationship as an option (or perhaps, during the world’s current situation, it is not one), so she is happy to see that there is still hope. Her best advice is to ask for the advice of your partner:
“I don’t know what to do. I am deeply unhappy about the cleaning situation, and I don’t seem to be able to talk to you about it. I know that it is your position that we clean up equally, but I noticed that when I only did my own dishes for a few days, yours went untouched. I am not trying to trick or test you, but I am at my wit’s end. I want this relationship to work and to be free of resentment, but I am finding that particularly difficult right now.”
Your partner will either listen and change, or won’t — forcing you to make a bigger decision. Either way, you will likely have a clear, less dish- and dust-laden path forward.
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--2020-07-18--Dear Abby: Our neighbor damaged our house, and his wife won’t let him do the right thing

DEAR ABBY : We were friendly with our next-door neighbor , who owned a contracting company , and we hired him to renovate our bathroom .
At the time , we thought he did a wonderful job .
It looked beautiful .
Unfortunately , he didn ’ t set the tub correctly , and a slow leak was happening underneath it .
Three years later , our kitchen ceiling came down .
We had to pay $ 10,000 to repair the damage , and the entire tub and shower had to be removed and redone .
We talked with our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apologetic , but after speaking with his wife , who is a lawyer , he told us our options are to “ eat it ” or sue him .
We did sue him .
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• Dear Abby : I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like her mother does • Dear Abby : She was shocked by her mother ’ s divorce , and she blames me The case was dismissed prior to trial on a technicality , and the judge suggested we refile with a lawyer .
We had tried to represent ourselves in small claims court , and the judge said it ’ s difficult to do when the opposing side has a lawyer .
I have so much anger and resentment toward them that when I see them my heart pounds .
Our other neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say the couple will move , but if they don ’ t , can you give us any advice on how to deal with this if we choose not to refile a lawsuit ?
He knows he completed this part of the job wrong , but his wife won ’ t let him do the right thing .
I ’ m blown away by the lack of ethics from people we regarded as friends .
They have now cut ties with the entire circle of friends in our neighborhood over this .
THE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RIGHT THING : Do not blame only the wife for what happened ; her husband is her willing partner .
They are equally ethically challenged , not to mention shameless , so don ’ t count on them moving any time soon .
Because you are reluctant to incur the expense of hiring a lawyer to represent you in court , consider reporting the husband to the Better Business Bureau and the state contracting license board .
If you do , it may save another family from experiencing the frustration and monetary loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel like I do better on my own .
I don ’ t want kids , I don ’ t want a husband , and I don ’ t want commitment .
I have accepted that I ’ m better by myself , but my mother , who is religious , is still convinced that I will want a kid one day .
She feels she “ knows ” this , even though I have told her many times that I wouldn ’ t be able to handle a husband or children .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bear it , but I feel guilty for disappointing her by not fulfilling her fantasy about my having a breadwinner husband and being a trophy wife with perfect kids .
It ’ s not that she won ’ t get to be a grandmother .
She already is , but my sister isn ’ t perfect , and I don ’ t like that Mom wishes me to be what the rest of my siblings couldn ’ t be .
Also I can tell the idea of my being bisexual makes her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What can I do when she says things like she can ’ t wait until I have a husband or a kid of my own , or when she makes the same irritating face whenever anything about anyone ’ s sexual orientation is mentioned ?
DEAR LIKES IT : Because you have told your mother repeatedly that marriage and parenthood aren ’ t what you want , when she brings it up , change the subject .
Do not allow her to make you feel guilty for wanting to live your life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is your life , not hers , and you were not put on this earth to fulfill her fantasy or make up for your sister ’ s deficits .
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 .

DEAR ABBY: We were friendly with our next-door neighbor, who owned a contracting company, and we hired him to renovate our bathroom.
At the time, we thought he did a wonderful job. It looked beautiful. Unfortunately, he didn’t set the tub correctly, and a slow leak was happening underneath it.
Three years later, our kitchen ceiling came down. We had to pay $10,000 to repair the damage, and the entire tub and shower had to be removed and redone.
We talked with our neighbor about it, and he seemed apologetic, but after speaking with his wife, who is a lawyer, he told us our options are to “eat it” or sue him. We did sue him.
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I have so much anger and resentment toward them that when I see them my heart pounds.
Our other neighbors are on our side. They all say the couple will move, but if they don’t, can you give us any advice on how to deal with this if we choose not to refile a lawsuit? He knows he completed this part of the job wrong, but his wife won’t let him do the right thing.
I’m blown away by the lack of ethics from people we regarded as friends. They have now cut ties with the entire circle of friends in our neighborhood over this.
THE RIGHT THING IN THE EAST
DEAR THE RIGHT THING: Do not blame only the wife for what happened; her husband is her willing partner. They are equally ethically challenged, not to mention shameless, so don’t count on them moving any time soon.
Because you are reluctant to incur the expense of hiring a lawyer to represent you in court, consider reporting the husband to the Better Business Bureau and the state contracting license board. If you do, it may save another family from experiencing the frustration and monetary loss you have.
DEAR ABBY: I feel like I do better on my own. I don’t want kids, I don’t want a husband, and I don’t want commitment.
I have accepted that I’m better by myself, but my mother, who is religious, is still convinced that I will want a kid one day. She feels she “knows” this, even though I have told her many times that I wouldn’t be able to handle a husband or children. I have done my best to grin and bear it, but I feel guilty for disappointing her by not fulfilling her fantasy about my having a breadwinner husband and being a trophy wife with perfect kids.
It’s not that she won’t get to be a grandmother. She already is, but my sister isn’t perfect, and I don’t like that Mom wishes me to be what the rest of my siblings couldn’t be. Also I can tell the idea of my being bisexual makes her queasy. She is still in denial.
What can I do when she says things like she can’t wait until I have a husband or a kid of my own, or when she makes the same irritating face whenever anything about anyone’s sexual orientation is mentioned?
LIKES IT SOLO IN TEXAS
DEAR LIKES IT: Because you have told your mother repeatedly that marriage and parenthood aren’t what you want, when she brings it up, change the subject. Do not allow her to make you feel guilty for wanting to live your life the way you see fit. It is your life, not hers, and you were not put on this earth to fulfill her fantasy or make up for your sister’s deficits.
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--2020-07-18--Photos: Civil rights icon John Lewis through the years

< strong > < em > Click here if you are having trouble viewing the gallery on your mobile device.
@ @ @ @ @ > John Lewis , the civil rights icon and congressman , has died at the @ @ @ @ @ to the Associated Press .
Lewis played a major role in the civil rights movement @ @ @ @ @ Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr .
He was one of 600 protesters who took @ @ @ @ @ Sunday march across Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma , Alabama .
The protesters were beaten @ @ @ @ @ his life , the Atlanta Democrat won a U.S. House seat in 1986 and served @ @ @ @ @ part in numerous pieces of legislation .
The congressman died from pancreatic cancer , according @ @ @ @ @ gallery above shows some of the important moments in a full life .

FILE - In this March 2, 2020 file photo, Congressman John Lewis talks with media members after signing paperwork to qualify for reelection to his District 5 seat in Atlanta. Lewis said Thursday, June 4, that the video of George Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minnesota “made me cry.” “I kept saying to myself: How many more? How many young black men will be murdered?” the Georgia congressman said on CBS. (Bob Andres/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)


mercurynews--2020-07-18--Rep. John Lewis, civil rights era icon, has died

By Calvin Woodward and Desiree Seals | Associated Press ATLANTA — John Lewis , a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation , and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress , died .
He was 80 .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis ’ passing late Friday night , calling him “ one of the greatest heroes of American history.
” “ All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague , and are heartbroken by his passing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memory be an inspiration that moves us all to , in the face of injustice , make ‘ good trouble , necessary trouble.
’ ” Lewis ’ s announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer — “ I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now , ” he said — inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle , and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era .
Lewis was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Big Six civil rights activists , a group led by the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement .
He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma .
At age 25 — walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat — Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police .
His skull was fractured , and nationally televised images of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on racial oppression in the South .
Within days , King led more marches in the state , and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act .
The bill became law later that year , removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting .
“ John is an American hero who helped lead a movement and risked his life for our most fundamental rights ; he bears scars that attest to his indefatigable spirit and persistence , ” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said after Lewis announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington .
He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal “ I Have a Dream ” speech .
A 23-year-old firebrand , Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others , dropping a reference to a “ scorched earth ” march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy .
It was a potent speech nonetheless , in which he vowed : “ By the forces of our demands , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy.
” It was almost immediately , and forever , overshadowed by the words of King , the man who had inspired him to activism .
Lewis was born on Feb. 21 , 1940 , outside the town of Troy , in Pike County , Alabama .
He grew up on his family ’ s farm and attended segregated public schools .
As a boy , he wanted to be a minister and practiced his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a library card because of the color of his skin , he became an avid reader and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years .
He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio .
They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first Black student at Alabama ’ s segregated Troy State University .
He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville , Tennessee .
He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and arrests while traveling around the South to challenge segregation .
Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963 , making him one of the Big Six at a tender age .
The others , in addition to King , were Whitney Young of the National Urban League ; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council ; James L. Farmer Jr. , of the Congress of Racial Equality ; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP .
All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March on Washington .
The huge demonstration galvanized the movement , but success didn ’ t come quickly .
After extensive training in nonviolent protest , Lewis and the Rev .
Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles from Selma to Montgomery , Alabama ’ s capital , on March 7 , 1965 .
A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge .
Authorities shoved , then swung their truncheons , fired tear gas and charged on horseback , sending many to the hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King returned with thousands , completing the march to Montgomery before the end of the month .
Lewis turned to politics in 1981 when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council .
He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority .
After Democrats won control of the House in 2006 , Lewis became his party ’ s senior deputy whip , a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified .
In an early setback for Barack Obama ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination .
Lewis switched when it became clear Obama had overwhelming Black support .
Obama later honored Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom , and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack .
“ We have lost a giant .
John Lewis gave all he had to redeem America ’ s unmet promise of equality and justice for all , ” President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton said in a statement following his death .
“ Always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and his principles , John Lewis became the conscience of the nation.
” Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonian ’ s National Museum of African American History and Culture .
Humble and unfailingly friendly , Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill — but as one of the most liberal members of Congress , he often lost policy battles , from his effort to stop the Iraq War to his defense of young immigrants .
He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law , and it became once again what it was in his youth , a work in progress .
Later , when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy , Lewis made no effort to hide his pain .
Lewis refused to attend Trump ’ s inauguration , saying he didn ’ t consider him a “ legitimate president ” because Russians had conspired to get him elected .
When Trump later complained about immigrants from “ s—hole countries , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a racist … we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug.
” Lewis said he ’ d been arrested 40 times in the 1960s , five more as a congressman .
At 78 , he told a rally he ’ d do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration .
“ There can not be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ good trouble ” he got into protesting segregation as a young man .
“ If we fail to do it , history will not be kind to us , ” he shouted .
“ I will go to the border .
I ’ ll get arrested again .
If necessary , I ’ m prepared to go to jail.
” In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump , Lewis explained the importance of that vote .
“ When you see something that is not right , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a moral obligation to say something , to do something .
Our children and their children will ask us ‘ what did you do ?
what did you say ?
” While the vote would be hard for some , he said : “ We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.
” • Bolivians line up to buy fake – and toxic – coronavirus cure • Portland mayor to Trump : Get your troops out of the city Lewis ’ wife of four decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They had one son , John Miles Lewis .
Woodward reported from Washington .
Associated Press writer Michael Warren contributed to this report .

By Calvin Woodward and Desiree Seals | Associated Press
ATLANTA — John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, died. He was 80.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis’ passing late Friday night, calling him “one of the greatest heroes of American history.”
“All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing,” Pelosi said. “May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make ‘good trouble, necessary trouble.’”
Lewis’s announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer — “I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now,” he said — inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle, and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era.
Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.
At age 25 — walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat — Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the country’s attention on racial oppression in the South.
Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting.
“John is an American hero who helped lead a movement and risked his life for our most fundamental rights; he bears scars that attest to his indefatigable spirit and persistence,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said after Lewis announced his cancer diagnosis.
Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal “I Have a Dream” speech.
[vemba-video id=”us/2020/07/18/john-lewis-civil-rights-hero-savidge-obit-pkg-vpx.cnn”]
A 23-year-old firebrand, Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others, dropping a reference to a “scorched earth” march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy. It was a potent speech nonetheless, in which he vowed: “By the forces of our demands, our determination and our numbers, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy.”
It was almost immediately, and forever, overshadowed by the words of King, the man who had inspired him to activism.
Lewis was born on Feb. 21, 1940, outside the town of Troy, in Pike County, Alabama. He grew up on his family’s farm and attended segregated public schools.
As a boy, he wanted to be a minister and practiced his oratory on the family chickens. Denied a library card because of the color of his skin, he became an avid reader and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years. He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio. They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first Black student at Alabama’s segregated Troy State University.
He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider, enduring beatings and arrests while traveling around the South to challenge segregation.
Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963, making him one of the Big Six at a tender age. The others, in addition to King, were Whitney Young of the National Urban League; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council; James L. Farmer Jr., of the Congress of Racial Equality; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP. All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan and announce the March on Washington.
The huge demonstration galvanized the movement, but success didn’t come quickly. After extensive training in nonviolent protest, Lewis and the Rev. Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama’s capital, on March 7, 1965. A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge.
Authorities shoved, then swung their truncheons, fired tear gas and charged on horseback, sending many to the hospital and horrifying much of the nation. King returned with thousands, completing the march to Montgomery before the end of the month.
Lewis turned to politics in 1981 when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council.
He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority. After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Lewis became his party’s senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified.
In an early setback for Barack Obama’s 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Lewis endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination. Lewis switched when it became clear Obama had overwhelming Black support. Obama later honored Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack.
“We have lost a giant. John Lewis gave all he had to redeem America’s unmet promise of equality and justice for all,” President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton said in a statement following his death. “Always true to his word, his faith, and his principles, John Lewis became the conscience of the nation.”
Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Humble and unfailingly friendly, Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill — but as one of the most liberal members of Congress, he often lost policy battles, from his effort to stop the Iraq War to his defense of young immigrants.
He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act, but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law, and it became once again what it was in his youth, a work in progress. Later, when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy, Lewis made no effort to hide his pain.
Lewis refused to attend Trump’s inauguration, saying he didn’t consider him a “legitimate president” because Russians had conspired to get him elected. When Trump later complained about immigrants from “s—hole countries,” Lewis declared, “I think he is a racist … we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug.”
Lewis said he’d been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman. At 78, he told a rally he’d do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration.
“There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free,” Lewis said in June, recalling the “good trouble” he got into protesting segregation as a young man.
“If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us,” he shouted. “I will go to the border. I’ll get arrested again. If necessary, I’m prepared to go to jail.”
In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump, Lewis explained the importance of that vote.
“When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us ‘what did you do? what did you say?” While the vote would be hard for some, he said: “We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.”
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Woodward reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Michael Warren contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-07-18--Caltrain fatality reported south of San Francisco station

SAN FRANCISCO – A person was hit and killed by a Caltrain in San Francisco on Friday night , officials @ @ @ @ @ south of the San Francisco station about 7:10 p.m. , said Caltrain spokesman Dan Lieberman @ @ @ @ @ among the train ’ s 15 passengers .
Trains were single-tracked through the area until @ @ @ @ @ delays up to 78 minutes .
The death marks Caltrain ’ s eighth fatality of @ @ @

SAN FRANCISCO – A person was hit and killed by a Caltrain in San Francisco on Friday night, officials said.
The collision occurred south of the San Francisco station about 7:10 p.m., said Caltrain spokesman Dan Lieberman.
No injuries were reported among the train’s 15 passengers.
Trains were single-tracked through the area until about 9 p.m. and experienced delays up to 78 minutes.
The death marks Caltrain’s eighth fatality of the year.
Check back for updates.


mercurynews--2020-07-19--The Latest: Mexico reports more than 7,600 new daily cases

By The Associated Press MEXICO CITY — Mexico continues to register near-record levels of confirmed coronavirus infections , frustrating plans to reopen the economy .
The Health Department reported 7,615 more cases Saturday and 578 more deaths .
That brings Mexico to a total of 38,888 confirmed COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began and 338 , 913 cases .
Those numbers are widely considered significant undercounts because Mexico has done so little testing .
Government labs have administered slightly more than 800,000 tests so far , or about one out of every 150 people in the country with a population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoped to begin a gradual reopening starting in June , but several states have had to reverse course , closing beaches and hotels again .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK : — Breathtaking virus numbers show normal life still far away — Talks into the night as EU leaders haggle over budget , virus — President Donald Trump has taken an increasingly hands-off approach to the coronavirus crisis in recent days even as COVID-19 cases and deaths surge .
— Doctors who survived COVID-19 are bewildered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society that appears to be blithely ignoring the safety precautions that experts have recommended to help stop the spread of COVID-19 — The U.N. secretary-general has made a sweeping call to end the global inequalities that sparked this year ’ s massive anti-racism protests and have been further exposed by the coronavirus pandemic .
Follow all of AP ’ s pandemic coverage at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : BEIJING — China on Sunday said another 13 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raising the total in the country ’ s most recent local outbreak to at least 30 .
An additional three cases were brought into the country from overseas , increasing China ’ s total number of confirmed cases to 83,660 with 4,634 reported deaths .
Despite the Urumqi outbreak , China has just 251 people remaining in treatment for COVID-19 , according to the National Health Commission .
Another 151 people were being monitored in isolation for showing signs of having the virus or for testing positive without showing symptoms .
At least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Urumqi , although China does not include those in the numbers of confirmed cases .
Urumqi has responded by reducing subway , bus and taxi service , closed off some residential communities and is now conducting tests on people city-wide , beginning with those in communities where cases had been reported , according to state media .
Some restrictions on people leaving the city have also been imposed , with the number of flights from the city reduced .
The Urumqi outbreak is the latest to pop up since China largely contained the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The largest was a recent outbreak in Beijing that infected more than 330 people , but local authorities on Saturday said commercial operations in the city have largely recovered .
The Chinese capital has gone 13 days without a domestically transmitted case , although business at many restaurants and shops remains poor .
Urumqi is the capital of the Xinjiang region , where China has been accused of human rights abuses among its native Muslim minority groups .
China has deployed a massive security presence in the region , which it says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE HAGUE , Netherlands — Authorities in Amsterdam are urging people not to visit the city ’ s famous red light district and have closed off some of the historic district ’ s narrow streets because they are too busy .
After months of coronavirus lockdown measures , sex workers in the Netherlands were allowed to resume work on July 1 and as other restrictions also have eased , the red light district has gotten busier again .
Late Saturday night , amid fears that visitors could not maintain social distancing , Amsterdam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the area and tweeting in Dutch and English : “ Don ’ t come to the red light district .
It is too busy.
” JOHANNESBURG — South Africa now ranks fifth in the world for confirmed coronavirus cases caseload as the African continent faces the pandemic ’ s first wave head-on .
South Africa on Saturday reported 13,285 new confirmed cases for a total of 350,879 .
That puts the country ahead of Peru and makes up roughly half the cases in Africa .
The only four countries with more confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Russia — all have far more people than South Africa ’ s 57 million .
The virus arrived on the continent a little later than elsewhere , giving officials more time to prepare , but Africa has fewer health care resources than any other region and South Africa ’ s public hospitals struggle to handle the growing number of patients .
Gauteng province , home to Johannesburg and the capital , Pretoria , is now Africa ’ s epicenter for the virus .
It has one-quarter of the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowded in township areas with inadequate access to clean water and sanitation .
South Africa has seen 4,948 reported virus deaths , but the South African Medical Research Council in its most recent report shows the country had 10,944 “ excess deaths ” between May 6 and July 7 .
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK , Calif. — No employee or resident has tested positive at Yosemite National Park ’ s health clinic , and no visitors have reported being sick since the park began reopening last month , but tests of the park ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus .
Dozens of people are believed to have been infected .
The public health officer for Mariposa County , who is overseeing coronavirus testing in the Yosemite area , said the emergence of the coronavirus will not likely lead to policy changes because the park is already following local and state restrictions .
Eric Sergienko said he believes the confirmed presence of the virus in Yosemite will make people more vigilant .
Yosemite , which typically attracts more than 4 million visitors each year , is cutting the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Visitor centers remain closed , while campgrounds , gift shops and hotels are limiting services to allow for physical distancing .
The World Health Organization is again posting a single-day record of new confirmed coronavirus cases .
It announced 259,848 new cases on Saturday .
The WHO on Friday posted more than 237,000 confirmed cases around the world .
The back-to-back records come as many nations struggle with new waves of infections after loosening lockdown restrictions .
Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University show more than 14 million cases worldwide since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 600,000 deaths .
PHOENIX — Arizona health officials reported a daily record of 147 deaths from the coronavirus and 2,742 new confirmed cases .
The Department of Health Services say the additional deaths included 106 newly attributed to COVID-19 after health officials ’ latest periodic reviews of death certificates .
It says the additional cases didn ’ t include figures from a laboratory that missed the reporting cutoff .
The department says the missing cases will be reported Sunday .
The additional deaths and cases reported Saturday increased the statewide confirmed totals to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Doug Ducey ’ s lifted stay-home orders and other restrictions in May .
Last month , he reversed course and authorized local governments to impose masking requirements .
Ducey ’ s recent messaging has promoted use of masks , social distancing and hand washing .
JEFFERSON CITY , Mo .
— Missouri has set another record for daily increases of coronavirus cases with 958 .
The addition brought the state total to 32,248 confirmed cases and exceeded Missouri ’ s previous one-day high of 936 on Tuesday .
As of Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the state is 731 , up from 560 a week ago .
The number of deaths also increased by nine to 1,130 , according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services .
FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. — Florida reported more than 10,000 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 90 additional deaths .
Gov .
Ron DeSantis announced 30,000 vials of remdesivir were being shipped to the state after hospitals complained of shortages .
He says he worked with Vice President Mike Pence last week to expedite the shipments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly to hospitals in the next 48 to 72 hours and should treat about 5,000 patients .
He made the announcement at a St. Augustine hospital during a discussion with doctors .
The state reports Florida hospitals are treating more than 9,000 patients for coronavirus .
Overall , there have been nearly 338,000 confirmed cases and 5,002 deaths .
BARCELONA , Spain — Police in Barcelona are limiting access to some of the city ’ s beaches because sunbathers are ignoring regulations amid a resurgence of the coronavirus .
Police on Saturday impeded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked others to disperse .
Catalan health authorities reported over 1,200 new cases on Saturday from the preceding 24 hours .
The new outbreaks have forced regional officials to announce the prohibition of gatherings of over 10 people that went into effect Saturday .
Barcelona and other areas of the surrounding northeast Catalonia region have experienced the largest outbreaks in Spain since the European country ended a strict three-month nationwide lockdown .
The mandatory use of face masks is rapidly spreading across Spain as officials grapple with more than 180 active outbreaks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The coronavirus has resulted in at least 28,000 confirmed deaths in Spain .
ATHENS , Greece — Greek authorities announced 19 new cases of coronavirus and no new deaths over the past 24 hours .
Total confirmed cases since the outbreak of the epidemic are 3,983 , with 194 deaths .
Despite the relatively low number of cases , authorities are concerned about increasing evidence that social distancing guidelines aren ’ t being followed .
On Saturday , they extended mandatory wearing of masks to supermarket customers and are considering expanding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hawaii inmates housed at a private prison in southern Arizona are being monitored for coronavirus symptoms .
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported the Hawaii Department of Public Safety says 45 Hawaii inmates in the same unit at the Saguaro Correctional Center are in quarantine and being monitored for symptoms .
Another 28 Hawaii inmates who had contact with Nevada inmates will be quarantined for 14 days .
CoreCivic , which runs the correctional center , didn ’ t immediately respond to calls by the Associated Press on Saturday .
Corrections Corporation of America contracts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to house adult male inmates from Hawaii to ease prison overcrowding on the islands .
TIRANA , Albania — Albania has reported 4,008 confirmed coronavirus cases and 111 total deaths since the pandemic began in the country .
In the last month , daily numbers of new cases have ranged from 50 to 120 , at least double compared to the March-May period when the country was in a total lockdown .
Health ministry officials say people must wear masks , keep socially distant and wash hands .
Masks are mandatory in closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine for not wearing them in public or private places .
Health officials are checking businesses , cafes and restaurants , handing out larger fines for noncompliance .
Doctors are warning that relaxed measures may result in higher numbers in the upcoming months .
Albania has opened its tourist areas .
Most tourists are from neighboring Kosovo , which is experiencing an increase in coronavirus numbers .
LONDON — British scientists are dismissing Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s hope the country may emerge from coronavirus lockdown and return to normality by Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions , with people urged to return to public transit and workplaces .
He says sports fans should return to stadiums by October and remaining restrictions could be lifted from November , “ possibly in time for Christmas.
” But epidemiologist John Edmunds , a member of the government ’ s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies , says a return to pre-pandemic normality wouldn ’ t be possible until there ’ s a vaccine for the virus .
He says a world where people can “ go to work normally , travel on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday without restrictions , meet friends , shake hands , hug each other and so on — that ’ s a long way off , unfortunately.
” England ’ s Chief Medical Officer , Chris Whitty , also says social distancing rules would have to be in place for a “ prolonged period.
” Britain has registered more than 45,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths , the highest total in Europe .
NEW DELHI — A surge of 34,884 new coronavirus cases took India ’ s tally to 1,038,716 , as local governments reimpose focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Health Ministry on Saturday reported 671 confirmed deaths in the past 24 hours for a total of 26,273 .
The ministry says the recovery rate had slightly come down to 62.9 % .
The actual numbers , like elsewhere in the world , are likely far higher because of various reasons , including limited testing .
More than 300,000 samples are tested every day .
About a dozen states , including Maharashtra , Tamil Nadu , West Bengal and Assam , have put high-risk areas under lockdowns , only allowing essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gandhi , leader of the main opposition Congress party , urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to take concrete steps to contain the pandemic .
He warned the number of infections will double to 2 million by Aug. 10 at the current pace .
Experts say India is likely to witness a series of peaks as the infection spreads in rural areas .
Confirmed coronavirus cases around the world have topped 14 million and deaths have surpassed 600,000 , according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University on Saturday .
The World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new infections : over 237,000 .
Experts believe that the true numbers are even higher .
The United States , Brazil and India top the list with the highest number of cases .
India on Friday exceeded 1 million confirmed infections , and Brazil ’ s cases passed 2 million , including 76,000 deaths , on Thursday .
MELBOURNE , Australia — Australia ’ s Victoria state had a marked drop in new COVID-19 infections from Friday ’ s record high of 428 to 217 , a total Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s numbers.
” The Health Department says Saturday that two more Victorians , a man and a woman both in their 80s , had died , taking the state ’ s death toll to 34 and Australia ’ s national total to 118 .
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the latest numbers were encouraging but warned it was just one day .
He says “ we ’ d want to see a pattern where there ’ s stability and then a decrease.
” He urged residents in metropolitan Melbourne to remain diligent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bored is much better than being in intensive care.
” SEOUL , South Korea — Authorities in South Korea say most of the country ’ s new coronavirus cases are coming from abroad .
The officials have expressed optimism that the recent resurgence of infections is being brought under control .
They say imported cases are less threatening than local transmissions because South Korea is mandating testing and enforcing two-week quarantines on all people arriving from other nations .
South Korea ’ s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday that at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were tied to people arriving from abroad .
It says 18 others involved local transmission in the densely populated Seoul area , which was at the center of the virus resurgence that began in late May as people increased economic and social activities .
In all , South Korea has reported 13,711 confirmed cases during the pandemic , including 294 deaths .

By The Associated Press
Johns Hopkins University says the global death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 600,000.
The university’s tally as of Saturday night says the United States tops the list with 140,103 deaths. It is followed by 78,772 fatalities in Brazil and 45,358 in the United Kingdom.
The number of confirmed infections worldwide has passed 14.2 million, out of which 3.7 million are in the United States. There are over 2 million in Brazil and more than 1 million in India.
The World Health Organization again reported a single-day record of new infections with 259,848.
___
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
— Breathtaking virus numbers show normal life still far away
— Talks into the night as EU leaders haggle over budget, virus
— Police close down packed Barcelona beach amid virus spike
— President Donald Trump has taken an increasingly hands-off approach to the coronavirus crisis in recent days even as COVID-19 cases and deaths surge.
— Doctors who survived COVID-19 are bewildered by public disregard. They see a society that appears to be blithely ignoring the safety precautions that experts have recommended to help stop the spread of COVID-19
— The U.N. secretary-general has made a sweeping call to end the global inequalities that sparked this year’s massive anti-racism protests and have been further exposed by the coronavirus pandemic.
___
Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
___
HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has reported less than 40 additional cases of the coronavirus for a second straight day, as authorities struggle to suppress an uptick in local infections.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday it has reported 34 additional cases, raising the country’s total to 13,745 with 295 deaths.
The agency says 21 of the newly confirmed cases were domestically infected patients, all of them found in the densely populated Seoul area or two central cities. It says the rest 13 cases were from overseas.
Health authorities have said imported case of COVID-19 are less threatening than local transmissions because South Korea is mandating testing and enforcing two-week quarantines on all people arriving from abroad.
South Korea on Saturday recorded 39 new cases.
___
MEXICO CITY — Mexico continues to register near-record levels of confirmed coronavirus infections, frustrating plans to reopen the economy.
The Health Department reported 7,615 more cases Saturday and 578 more deaths. That brings Mexico to a total of 38,888 confirmed COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began and 338, 913 cases. Those numbers are widely considered significant undercounts because Mexico has done so little testing. Government labs have administered slightly more than 800,000 tests so far, or about one out of every 150 people in the country with a population of nearly 130 million.
Mexico had hoped to begin a gradual reopening starting in June, but several states have had to reverse course, closing beaches and hotels again.
___
BEIJING — China on Sunday said another 13 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in the northwestern city of Urumqi, raising the total in the country’s most recent local outbreak to at least 30.
An additional three cases were brought into the country from overseas, increasing China’s total number of confirmed cases to 83,660 with 4,634 reported deaths.
Despite the Urumqi outbreak, China has just 251 people remaining in treatment for COVID-19, according to the National Health Commission.
Another 151 people were being monitored in isolation for showing signs of having the virus or for testing positive without showing symptoms. At least 23 of those asymptomatic cases were in Urumqi, although China does not include those in the numbers of confirmed cases.
Urumqi has responded by reducing subway, bus and taxi service, closed off some residential communities and is now conducting tests on people city-wide, beginning with those in communities where cases had been reported, according to state media. Some restrictions on people leaving the city have also been imposed, with the number of flights from the city reduced.
The Urumqi outbreak is the latest to pop up since China largely contained the domestic spread of the virus in March. The largest was a recent outbreak in Beijing that infected more than 330 people, but local authorities on Saturday said commercial operations in the city have largely recovered. The Chinese capital has gone 13 days without a domestically transmitted case, although business at many restaurants and shops remains poor.
Urumqi is the capital of the Xinjiang region, where China has been accused of human rights abuses among its native Muslim minority groups. China has deployed a massive security presence in the region, which it says is needed to prevent terrorist activity.
___
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Authorities in Amsterdam are urging people not to visit the city’s famous red light district and have closed off some of the historic district’s narrow streets because they are too busy.
After months of coronavirus lockdown measures, sex workers in the Netherlands were allowed to resume work on July 1 and as other restrictions also have eased, the red light district has gotten busier again.
Late Saturday night, amid fears that visitors could not maintain social distancing, Amsterdam Municipality took action, closing roads in the area and tweeting in Dutch and English: “Don’t come to the red light district. It is too busy.”
___
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa now ranks fifth in the world for confirmed coronavirus cases caseload as the African continent faces the pandemic’s first wave head-on.
South Africa on Saturday reported 13,285 new confirmed cases for a total of 350,879. That puts the country ahead of Peru and makes up roughly half the cases in Africa. The only four countries with more confirmed cases — the U.S., Brazil, India, and Russia — all have far more people than South Africa’s 57 million.
The virus arrived on the continent a little later than elsewhere, giving officials more time to prepare, but Africa has fewer health care resources than any other region and South Africa’s public hospitals struggle to handle the growing number of patients.
Gauteng province, home to Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria, is now Africa’s epicenter for the virus. It has one-quarter of the country’s population and many of the poor are crowded in township areas with inadequate access to clean water and sanitation.
South Africa has seen 4,948 reported virus deaths, but the South African Medical Research Council in its most recent report shows the country had 10,944 “excess deaths” between May 6 and July 7.
___
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — No employee or resident has tested positive at Yosemite National Park’s health clinic, and no visitors have reported being sick since the park began reopening last month, but tests of the park’s raw sewage have confirmed the presence of the virus.
Dozens of people are believed to have been infected.
The public health officer for Mariposa County, who is overseeing coronavirus testing in the Yosemite area, said the emergence of the coronavirus will not likely lead to policy changes because the park is already following local and state restrictions. Eric Sergienko said he believes the confirmed presence of the virus in Yosemite will make people more vigilant.
Yosemite, which typically attracts more than 4 million visitors each year, is cutting the number of vehicle passes to the park by half. Visitor centers remain closed, while campgrounds, gift shops and hotels are limiting services to allow for physical distancing.
___
The World Health Organization is again posting a single-day record of new confirmed coronavirus cases. It announced 259,848 new cases on Saturday.
The WHO on Friday posted more than 237,000 confirmed cases around the world. The back-to-back records come as many nations struggle with new waves of infections after loosening lockdown restrictions.
Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University show more than 14 million cases worldwide since the start of the pandemic.
___
PHOENIX — Arizona health officials reported a daily record of 147 deaths from the coronavirus and 2,742 new confirmed cases.
The Department of Health Services say the additional deaths included 106 newly attributed to COVID-19 after health officials’ latest periodic reviews of death certificates. It says the additional cases didn’t include figures from a laboratory that missed the reporting cutoff. The department says the missing cases will be reported Sunday.
The additional deaths and cases reported Saturday increased the statewide confirmed totals to 2,730 deaths and 141,265 infections.
Gov. Doug Ducey’s lifted stay-home orders and other restrictions in May. Last month, he reversed course and authorized local governments to impose masking requirements. Ducey’s recent messaging has promoted use of masks, social distancing and hand washing.
___
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri has set another record for daily increases of coronavirus cases with 958.
The addition brought the state total to 32,248 confirmed cases and exceeded Missouri’s previous one-day high of 936 on Tuesday.
As of Saturday, the seven-day average of new cases reported by the state is 731, up from 560 a week ago.
The number of deaths also increased by nine to 1,130, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
___
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida reported more than 10,000 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 90 additional deaths.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced 30,000 vials of remdesivir were being shipped to the state after hospitals complained of shortages. He says he worked with Vice President Mike Pence last week to expedite the shipments.
DeSantis says the vials will be shipped directly to hospitals in the next 48 to 72 hours and should treat about 5,000 patients. He made the announcement at a St. Augustine hospital during a discussion with doctors.
The state reports Florida hospitals are treating more than 9,000 patients for coronavirus. Overall, there have been nearly 338,000 confirmed cases and 5,002 deaths.
___
BARCELONA, Spain — Police in Barcelona are limiting access to some of the city’s beaches because sunbathers are ignoring regulations amid a resurgence of the coronavirus.
Police on Saturday impeded more people for entering the beach and asked others to disperse.
Catalan health authorities reported over 1,200 new cases on Saturday from the preceding 24 hours. The new outbreaks have forced regional officials to announce the prohibition of gatherings of over 10 people that went into effect Saturday.
Barcelona and other areas of the surrounding northeast Catalonia region have experienced the largest outbreaks in Spain since the European country ended a strict three-month nationwide lockdown.
The mandatory use of face masks is rapidly spreading across Spain as officials grapple with more than 180 active outbreaks, most in Catalonia and neighboring Aragon regions.
The coronavirus has resulted in at least 28,000 confirmed deaths in Spain.
___
ATHENS, Greece — Greek authorities announced 19 new cases of coronavirus and no new deaths over the past 24 hours.
Total confirmed cases since the outbreak of the epidemic are 3,983, with 194 deaths.
Despite the relatively low number of cases, authorities are concerned about increasing evidence that social distancing guidelines aren’t being followed. On Saturday, they extended mandatory wearing of masks to supermarket customers and are considering expanding the mask requirement.
___
HONOLULU — Dozens of Hawaii inmates housed at a private prison in southern Arizona are being monitored for coronavirus symptoms.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported the Hawaii Department of Public Safety says 45 Hawaii inmates in the same unit at the Saguaro Correctional Center are in quarantine and being monitored for symptoms. Another 28 Hawaii inmates who had contact with Nevada inmates will be quarantined for 14 days.
CoreCivic, which runs the correctional center, didn’t immediately respond to calls by the Associated Press on Saturday. Corrections Corporation of America contracts with the Hawaii Department of Public Safety to house adult male inmates from Hawaii to ease prison overcrowding on the islands.
___
TIRANA, Albania — Albania has reported 4,008 confirmed coronavirus cases and 111 total deaths since the pandemic began in the country.
In the last month, daily numbers of new cases have ranged from 50 to 120, at least double compared to the March-May period when the country was in a total lockdown.
Health ministry officials say people must wear masks, keep socially distant and wash hands. Masks are mandatory in closed areas and individuals may receive a small fine for not wearing them in public or private places.
Health officials are checking businesses, cafes and restaurants, handing out larger fines for noncompliance.
Doctors are warning that relaxed measures may result in higher numbers in the upcoming months.
Albania has opened its tourist areas. Most tourists are from neighboring Kosovo, which is experiencing an increase in coronavirus numbers.
___
LONDON — British scientists are dismissing Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s hope the country may emerge from coronavirus lockdown and return to normality by Christmas.
Johnson has announced more easing of restrictions, with people urged to return to public transit and workplaces. He says sports fans should return to stadiums by October and remaining restrictions could be lifted from November, “possibly in time for Christmas.”
But epidemiologist John Edmunds, a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, says a return to pre-pandemic normality wouldn’t be possible until there’s a vaccine for the virus.
He says a world where people can “go to work normally, travel on the buses and trains, go on holiday without restrictions, meet friends, shake hands, hug each other and so on — that’s a long way off, unfortunately.”
England’s Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, also says social distancing rules would have to be in place for a “prolonged period.”
Britain has registered more than 45,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, the highest total in Europe.
___
NEW DELHI — A surge of 34,884 new coronavirus cases took India’s tally to 1,038,716, as local governments reimpose focused lockdowns in several parts of the country.
The Health Ministry on Saturday reported 671 confirmed deaths in the past 24 hours for a total of 26,273. The ministry says the recovery rate had slightly come down to 62.9%.
The actual numbers, like elsewhere in the world, are likely far higher because of various reasons, including limited testing. More than 300,000 samples are tested every day.
About a dozen states, including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam, have put high-risk areas under lockdowns, only allowing essential food supplies and health services.
Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to take concrete steps to contain the pandemic. He warned the number of infections will double to 2 million by Aug. 10 at the current pace.
Experts say India is likely to witness a series of peaks as the infection spreads in rural areas.
___
Confirmed coronavirus cases around the world have topped 14 million and deaths have surpassed 600,000, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University on Saturday.
The World Health Organization reported a single-day record of new infections: over 237,000. Experts believe that the true numbers are even higher.
The United States, Brazil and India top the list with the highest number of cases. India on Friday exceeded 1 million confirmed infections, and Brazil’s cases passed 2 million, including 76,000 deaths, on Thursday.
___
MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia’s Victoria state had a marked drop in new COVID-19 infections from Friday’s record high of 428 to 217, a total Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says was “a relief after yesterday’s numbers.”
The Health Department says Saturday that two more Victorians, a man and a woman both in their 80s, had died, taking the state’s death toll to 34 and Australia’s national total to 118.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the latest numbers were encouraging but warned it was just one day.
He says “we’d want to see a pattern where there’s stability and then a decrease.” He urged residents in metropolitan Melbourne to remain diligent during a six-week lockdown: “Being bored is much better than being in intensive care.”
___


mercurynews--2020-07-19--‘One of the giants’: Bay Area mourns death of civil rights leader John Lewis

Bay Area politicians are mourning the passing of Congressman John Lewis , calling him a “ titan ” and “ giant ” of the civil rights movement .
Flags at Oakland and San Francisco city halls were lowered Saturday in honor of Lewis , who died at the age of 80 on Friday .
Rep. Barbara Lee , D-Oakland , called him a “ dear friend ” and “ personal hero ” in a tweet .
“ One of the giants of the Civil Rights Movement in his youth , his leadership and courage continued as an extraordinary congressional leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , born to sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South in Georgia , was the last surviving speaker from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom .
Lewis led the peaceful 1965 march in Selma for equal voting rights across the Edmund Pettus Bridge , blocked by state troopers in riot gear .
Lewis ’ skull was cracked by a trooper ’ s club , in what became known as Bloody Sunday .
Battling pancreatic cancer since late December , Lewis offered his support to widespread national protests and demonstrations over police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd .
“ How fitting it is that even in his last weeks of his battle with cancer , John summoned the strength to visit the peaceful protests where the newest generation of Americans had poured into the streets to take up the unfinished work of racial justice , ” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement .
“ In the Congress , John Lewis was revered and beloved on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol , ” Pelosi wrote .
“ All of us were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and are heartbroken by his passing .
May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to , in the face of injustice , make ‘ good trouble , necessary trouble.
’ God truly blessed America with the life and leadership of John Lewis.
” “ The superlative words that will be used to describe him over the next weeks and months will not do justice to this man .
I believe he is the greatest member of Congress to cross the threshold of the House chamber , ” Speier wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Councilman Larry Reid held Lewis up as one of his heroes , along with Martin Luther King Jr. , John and Robert Kennedy .
While working on the 1984 Walter Mondale campaign , Reid met Lewis , former Atlanta mayors Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young and Julian Bond , who helped establish the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee .
“ Those are individuals you read about and never think you ’ ll have an opportunity to meet .
It ’ s something you dream about to be able to interact , to hear them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance to hear them all , ” Reid said Saturday .
“ I have always held him in high esteem , as someone who fought the struggle and battles for African Americans to be able to vote , and for justice and equality , ” Reid said Saturday .
Barbara Lee ended her series of tweets with a quote from Lewis : “ Every generation leaves behind a legacy .
What that legacy will be is determined by the people of that generation .
What legacy do you want to leave behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Congress and his legacy in our continuous fight for justice will be deeply missed .
”

Bay Area politicians are mourning the passing of Congressman John Lewis, calling him a “titan” and “giant” of the civil rights movement.
Flags at Oakland and San Francisco city halls were lowered Saturday in honor of Lewis, who died at the age of 80 on Friday. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, called him a “dear friend” and “personal hero” in a tweet.
“One of the giants of the Civil Rights Movement in his youth, his leadership and courage continued as an extraordinary congressional leader,” the congresswoman tweeted.
I am deeply saddened by the news that my dear friend, colleague, and personal hero, John Lewis, has passed away. One of the giants of the Civil Rights Movement in his youth, his leadership and courage continued as an extraordinary congressional leader. pic.twitter.com/PKznii17nj — Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) July 18, 2020
Lewis, born to sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South in Alabama, was the last surviving speaker from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Lewis led the peaceful 1965 march in Selma for equal voting rights across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, blocked by state troopers in riot gear. Lewis’ skull was cracked by a trooper’s club, in what became known as Bloody Sunday.
Battling pancreatic cancer since late December, Lewis offered his support to widespread national protests and demonstrations over police brutality after Minneapolis police in May killed George Floyd.
“How fitting it is that even in his last weeks of his battle with cancer, John summoned the strength to visit the peaceful protests where the newest generation of Americans had poured into the streets to take up the unfinished work of racial justice,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.
“In the Congress, John Lewis was revered and beloved on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol,” Pelosi wrote. “All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing. May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make ‘good trouble, necessary trouble.’ God truly blessed America with the life and leadership of John Lewis.”
.@RepJohnLewis: hero, champion & challenge to conscience of the nation. Your visit with the newest voices for justice at the Black Lives Matter mural with @MayorBowser was wonderful & iconic. Thank you for that final public statement in furtherance of a more perfect union. pic.twitter.com/Us1tCmsYYd — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 18, 2020
Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, said she “loved John Lewis.”
“The superlative words that will be used to describe him over the next weeks and months will not do justice to this man. I believe he is the greatest member of Congress to cross the threshold of the House chamber,” Speier wrote in a Twitter post.
Longtime Oakland Councilman Larry Reid held Lewis up as one of his heroes, along with Martin Luther King Jr., John and Robert Kennedy. While working on the 1984 Walter Mondale campaign, Reid met Lewis, former Atlanta mayors Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young and Julian Bond, who helped establish the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
“Those are individuals you read about and never think you’ll have an opportunity to meet. It’s something you dream about to be able to interact, to hear them speak one on one. I had a chance to hear them all,” Reid said Saturday. “I have always held him in high esteem, as someone who fought the struggle and battles for African Americans to be able to vote, and for justice and equality,” Reid said Saturday.
Barbara Lee ended her series of tweets with a quote from Lewis: “Every generation leaves behind a legacy. What that legacy will be is determined by the people of that generation. What legacy do you want to leave behind?
“His presence in the halls of Congress and his legacy in our continuous fight for justice will be deeply missed,” Lee said.


mercurynews--2020-07-19--Photos: Stargazing and searching for the comet Neowise

Click here if you ’ re having trouble viewing this gallery on a mobile device If you look up at @ @ @ @ @ , you can catch a once-in-a-lifetime show .
The comet Neowise is making its way @ @ @ @ @ for the first time in 6,800 years and will be visible in the Bay Area @ @ @ @ @ clouds , light pollution and the marine layer made it extremely difficult to see the @ @ @ @ @ Fajardo to drive two hours north to the town of Geyserville .
Once there he @ @ @ @ @ hills for a better view .
The celestial object is nicknamed Neowise because it was @ @ @ @ @ Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey , and it measures three miles across , according to @ @ @ @ @ is the brightest objects of its kind seen in the sky since Comet Hale-Bopp in @ @ @ @ @ said comet Neowise is “ one of the few comets visible to the unaided eye @ @ @ @ @ is recommended that viewers use binoculars to see it .

Click here if you’re having trouble viewing this gallery on a mobile device
If you look up at the night sky this week, you can catch a once-in-a-lifetime show. The comet Neowise is making its way into the inner solar system for the first time in 6,800 years and will be visible in the Bay Area in the evenings.
Scattered clouds, light pollution and the marine layer made it extremely difficult to see the comet forcing staff photographer Jose Fajardo to drive two hours north to the town of Geyserville. Once there he made his way up the hills for a better view.
The celestial object is nicknamed Neowise because it was discovered by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey, and it measures three miles across, according to the Associated Press. It is the brightest objects of its kind seen in the sky since Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. The Chabot Center said comet Neowise is “one of the few comets visible to the unaided eye this century” but it is recommended that viewers use binoculars to see it.


mercurynews--2020-07-18--2 injured in Daly City duplex fire

2 injured in Daly City duplex fire

DALY CITY — Two people were rushed to the hospital Saturday morning after they were found unconscious in a smoke-filled @ @ @ @ @ Just after 8 a.m. , firefighters were called to Bismarck Street in Daly City just @ @ @ @ @ a report of a building fire , according to North County Fire Authority Safety Inspector @ @ @ @ @ arrived , firefighters forced their way into the bottom floor of a two-story duplex that @ @ @ @ @ Flames had erupted in the kitchen , Preston said .
As they searched the duplex @ @ @ @ @ of the unit found an unconscious man and child , who were transported to a @ @ @ @ @ Crews contained the blaze to the kitchen while the rest of the unit sustained smoke @ @ @ @ @ scene for about four hours to mop up the flames and prevent any further spread @ @ @ @ @ fire remains under investigation .
An update on the condition of the victims was not @ @ @

DALY CITY — Two people were rushed to the hospital Saturday morning after they were found unconscious in a smoke-filled duplex, authorities said.
Just after 8 a.m., firefighters were called to Bismarck Street in Daly City just off of Mission Street for a report of a building fire, according to North County Fire Authority Safety Inspector Clyde Preston. When they arrived, firefighters forced their way into the bottom floor of a two-story duplex that was thick with smoke.
Flames had erupted in the kitchen, Preston said. As they searched the duplex, firefighters in the back of the unit found an unconscious man and child, who were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Crews contained the blaze to the kitchen while the rest of the unit sustained smoke damage. Firefighters remained on scene for about four hours to mop up the flames and prevent any further spread.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. An update on the condition of the victims was not available on Sunday.


mercurynews--2020-07-18--Bob Melvin reveals A’s Opening Day starter, rotation

Frankie Montas will be the Oakland A ’ s starter for Opening Day against the Los Angeles Angels on July 24 , manager Bob Melvin announced .
Montas , 27 , has a permanent smile on his face , but he grinned a little wider when Melvin broke the news to him on Friday afternoon .
“ He can count , ” Melvin said .
“ So he kind of knew he was going to start anyway.
” How does the rest of the rotation shake out ?
Where do other arms on the pitching staff stand ?
How will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break it down .
During the 2020 hiatus , Montas kept his arm strength up and faced live hitting .
He returned to Oakland for summer camp feeling stretched out enough to go four , even five innings — at least , according to Montas .
What ’ s fueled Montas ’ fire coming into 2020 is a hunger to prove that his 2019 season — a 2.70 ERA year cut short by a PED suspension — wasn ’ t a fluke .
During the hiatus , Montas nudged us with some reminders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s been putting in the grunt work .
He showed up to Oakland on July 4 game ready .
“ Frankie Montas ’ first pitch to Marcus Semien was 98 mph , ” pitching coach Scott Emerson said .
“ Some of these guys want to be king of the clubhouse.
” The honor bestowed on an Opening Day starter nod is mostly symbolic .
Despite Montas ’ indiscretions , despite the low point he hit , the A ’ s can ’ t deny he ’ s reached a perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s always had the high-90s fastball , the potential to deliver a nasty breaking ball .
Mastery of his splitter allowed him the space to experiment with timing and slider variations .
“ He ’ s conditioned for it , ” Melvin said .
“ He ’ s a good guy to lead off with.
” Manaea , 28 , will follow Montas in the rotation , Melvin announced .
Even when Jesús Luzardo returns , Manaea should hold his spot in the top part of the rotation .
Manaea ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to forget : Yandy Diaz and the Tampa Bay Rays leapt on his fastball early on in that Wild Card loss last October .
He shouldered the blame for that 97-win season ’ s end , but he ’ d impressed with a 1.21 ERA , 30 strikeouts and seven walks in five starts upon his return from shoulder surgery that sidelined him for a year .
Manaea ’ s fastball velocity was a tick lower than his low-90s sweet spot when he returned , which should be something to watch as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a solid slider and changeup , the deception in his delivery kept hitters on their toes .
Third in the rotation will be right-handed veteran Fiers .
Fiers offseason was colored by controversy ; he blew the whistle on the Houston Astros ’ ‘ banging scheme ’ cheating method .
Remember that ?
A global pandemic and sports ’ shutdown dwarfed that controversy a bit , but there ’ s no doubt that tension will rise again when he faces his former team in this 60-game season .
As it stands now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Houston when the visit on Aug. 7-9 , if the rotation stands , the most likely scenario has Fiers pitching against them at home in September .
Since Fiers had been in close contact with Jesús Luzardo , he missed the first few days of camp .
But his work during the hiatus helped him catch up to speed .
Fiers was the most consistent starter in last season ’ s rotation , he threw a no-hitter and had a 3.90 ERA buoyed a four-month span ( May , June , July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sub-3 ERAs .
Bassitt will be slotted into the rotation ’ s fourth spot .
The right-hander was a step behind most pitchers heading into camp , saying back on July 4 that there was “ no way ” he could pitch six innings out of the gate .
He ’ d thrown long toss with a college pitcher back in Washington , N.C. No live hitters like the rest of the rotation .
Bassitt has since caught up in his simulation game outings .
“ His last outing was terrific , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was going , ball was moving , velocity picked up…He got up to speed real quickly in his last outing , so I was glad to see that.
” Puk is the newest addition to the A ’ s rotation , a role the A ’ s 2016 first-round pick has been steadily climbing toward despite major injury bumps along the way .
The A ’ s were cautious with their tall left-hander for his big league debut in 2019 .
A year following his Tommy John surgery , Puk was asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curveball and only threw his plus fastball and slider in odd outings out of the bullpen .
He had a 3.18 ERA in 11 innings , finding smoother outings as the season went on .
The A ’ s No .
2 prospect is finally where the team wants him .
Even in this unprecedented season .
“ We saw a guy in spring training that was more comfortable , who can throw a lot of innings and pitches now , ” Melvin said “ Last year it was an unfamiliar role for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leagues now , I see a guy who is not only more comfortable around everyone but more comfortable in how he will perform.
” Luzardo needs to get stretched out to three innings out of the bullpen before he can get back into the rotation .
Where he might slot in will depend on how individual performances go early in the season .
Bassitt makes most sense — he can fall back into a swingman role he ’ s embraced — but numbers or injuries might dictate otherwise .
Luzardo ’ s arm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before this ( coronavirus ) happened ” in a 30-pitch bullpen he threw on Friday afternoon .
Will the A ’ s piggyback to start ?
After the exhibition series against the San Francisco Giants , Melvin said there are no plans to piggyback right now .
“ It ’ ll be a day-to-day proposition in terms of who is available and what role , ” Melvin said .
“ At this point we don ’ t have any piggybacking scenarios .
”

Frankie Montas will be the Oakland A’s starter for Opening Day against the Los Angeles Angels on July 24, manager Bob Melvin announced.
Montas, 27, has a permanent smile on his face, but he grinned a little wider when Melvin broke the news to him on Friday afternoon. Even if Sean Manaea, Mike Fiers and Chris Bassitt’s scheduled appearances in the exhibition games against the San Francisco Giants on Monday and Tuesday was big hint enough.
“He can count,” Melvin said. “So he kind of knew he was going to start anyway.”
Montas isn’t one to hid his joy, though. He called his wife, Nicolette, first then his parents in the Dominican Republic with the news.
“Every pitcher wants that,” Montas said. “That’s huge for me. I’m really happy about it.”
How does the rotation shake out? Where do other arms on the pitching staff stand? How will pitching be deployed? Let’s break it down.
Frankie Montas:
During the 2020 hiatus, Montas kept his arm strength up and faced live hitting. He returned to Oakland for summer camp feeling stretched out enough to go four, even five innings — at least, according to Montas.
What’s fueled Montas’ fire coming into 2020 is a hunger to prove that his 2019 season — a 2.70 ERA year cut short by a PED suspension — was for real. During the hiatus, Montas nudged us with some reminders: he can throw 100 mph, he’s been putting in the grunt work. He showed up to Oakland on July 4 game ready.
“Frankie Montas’ first pitch to Marcus Semien was 98 mph,” pitching coach Scott Emerson said. “Some of these guys want to be king of the clubhouse.”
The honor bestowed on an Opening Day starter nod is mostly symbolic. Despite Montas’ low point last year, the A’s can’t deny he’s reached a perfect confluence of confidence and ability. He’s always had the high-90s fastball, the potential to deliver a nasty breaking ball. Mastery of his splitter in 2019 has allowed him the space to experiment with timing and slider variations.
“I learned a lot about the game last year, about how to pitch and face good hitters,” he said. “I feel like I’m a little more mature. I understand the game and I’m able to just go out and not panic. I can just go out there and have fun.”
He’s had the stuff.
“Now it’s about arm stamina,” Emerson said.
“He’s conditioned for it,” Melvin said. “He’s a good guy to lead off with.”
Sean Manaea
Manaea, 28, will follow Montas in the rotation, Melvin announced. Even when Jesús Luzardo returns, Manaea should hold his spot in the top part of the rotation.
Manaea’s last meaningful start was one he probably wants to forget: Yandy Diaz and the Tampa Bay Rays leapt on his offerings early on in that Wild Card loss last October. He shouldered the blame for that 97-win season’s end, but he’d impressed with a 1.21 ERA, 30 strikeouts and seven walks in five starts upon his return from shoulder surgery that sidelined him for a year.
Manaea’s fastball velocity was a tick lower than his low-90s sweet spot when he returned, which should be something to watch as the 2020 season begins. But, with a solid slider and changeup, the deception in his delivery kept hitters on their toes.
Mike Fiers
Third in the rotation will be right-handed veteran Fiers.
Fiers offseason was colored by controversy; he blew the whistle on the Houston Astros’ ‘banging scheme’ cheating method. Remember that? A global pandemic and sports’ shutdown dwarfed that controversy a bit, but there’s no doubt that tension will rise again when he faces his former team in this 60-game season. As it stands now, Fiers likely won’t face Houston when they visit on Aug. 7-9. If the rotation stands, the most likely scenario has Fiers pitching against them at home in September.
Since Fiers had been in close contact with Jesús Luzardo, who tested positive for the coronavirus, he missed the first few days of camp. But his work during the hiatus helped him catch up to speed. Fiers was the most consistent starter in last season’s rotation, he threw a no-hitter and a 3.90 ERA buoyed by a four-month span (May, June, July, August) in which he put up sub-3 ERAs.
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Bassitt will be slotted into the rotation’s fourth spot.
The right-hander was a step behind most pitchers heading into camp, saying back on July 4 that there was “no way” he could pitch six innings out of the gate. He’d thrown long toss with a college pitcher back in Washington, N.C. No live hitters, something the rest of the rotation could do.
Bassitt has since caught up in his simulation game outings.
“His last outing was terrific,” Melvin said. “He knew where it was going, ball was moving, velocity picked up…He got up to speed real quickly in his last outing, so I was glad to see that.”
A.J. Puk
Puk is the newest addition to the A’s rotation, a role the A’s 2016 first-round pick has been steadily climbing toward despite major injury bumps along the way.
The A’s were cautious with their tall left-hander for his big league debut in 2019. A year following his Tommy John surgery, Puk was asked to hold back on his changeup and curveball and only threw his plus fastball and slider in odd outings out of the bullpen. He had a 3.18 ERA in 11 innings, finding smoother outings as the season went on.
The A’s No. 2 prospect is finally where the team wants him. Even if his rise will come in this unprecedented season.
“We saw a guy in spring training that was more comfortable, who can throw a lot of innings and pitches now,” Melvin said “Last year it was an unfamiliar role for him. Having pitched in the big leagues now, I see a guy who is not only more comfortable around everyone but more comfortable in how he will perform.”
What about Jesús Luzardo?
Luzardo needs to get stretched out to three innings out of the bullpen before he can get back into the rotation. Where he might slot in will depend on how individual performances go early in the season. Bassitt makes most sense — he can fall back into a swingman role he’s embraced — but numbers or injuries might dictate otherwise.
Luzardo’s arm felt “just like it did right before this (coronavirus) happened” in a 30-pitch bullpen he threw on Friday afternoon.
Will the A’s piggyback to start?
After the exhibition series against the San Francisco Giants, Melvin said there are no plans to piggyback right now.
“It’ll be a day-to-day proposition in terms of who is available and what role,” Melvin said. “At this point we don’t have any piggybacking scenarios.”


mercurynews--2020-07-18--Breathtaking virus numbers show normal life still far away

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa on Saturday became one of the top five worst-hit countries in the coronavirus pandemic , as breathtaking new infection numbers around the world were a reminder that a return to normal life is still far from sight .
The country ’ s 350,879 cases make up roughly half of all confirmed infections on the African continent and its struggles are a sign of trouble to come for nations with fewer health care resources .
South Africa now trails the U.S. , Brazil , India and Russia in the number of infections , surpassing Peru , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The simple fact is that many South Africans are sitting ducks because they can not comply with World Health Organization protocols on improved hygiene and social distancing , ” the foundation of former South African archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu and his wife , Leah , warned in a statement .
The development comes a day after the World Health Organization reported a single-day record of new infections at over 237,000 .
Daily death tolls have been reaching new highs in several U.S. states and India ’ s infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the true numbers around the world are higher because of testing shortages and data collection issues in some nations .
The world on Saturday marked Mandela Day , remembering Nelson Mandela , South Africa ’ s first Black president — another Nobel Peace Prize winner — and his legacy of fighting inequality .
The country , however , remains the world ’ s most unequal , and health officials have warned that the pandemic will lay that bare .
South Africa ’ s new coronavirus epicenter , Gauteng province , hosts the cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s population , with many poor people living in crowded conditions in the middle of a frosty Southern Hemisphere winter .
Mandela ’ s message is “ more relevant than ever , ” WHO Africa chief Matshidiso Moeti said , calling for equitable access to care .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres , who delivered the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture , said “ COVID-19 has been likened to an X-ray , revealing fractures in the fragile skeleton of the societies we have built , ” adding that developed countries have “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help the developing world through these dangerous times.
” Confirmed virus cases worldwide have topped 14.1 million and deaths are nearing 600,000 , according to Johns Hopkins University data .
Infections are soaring in U.S. states like Florida , Texas , Arizona , fueled by the haphazard lifting of coronavirus lockdowns and the resistance of some Americans to wearing masks .
In the U.S. , teams of military medics have been deployed in Texas and California to help hospitals deluged by patients .
The surge of infections means that millions of American children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in the fall .
In India , a surge of 34,884 new cases was reported as local governments continue to re-impose focused lockdowns in several parts of the country .
In Iran , the president made the startling announcement that as many as 25 million Iranians could have been infected , the state-run IRNA news agency reported .
Hassan Rouhani cited a new Health Ministry study that has not been made public .
Iran has the Middle East ’ s worst outbreak with more than 270,000 confirmed cases .
In Bangladesh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number is much higher as the country lacks adequate labs for testing .
Most people in rural areas have stopped wearing masks and are thronging shopping centers ahead of the Islamic festival Eid al-Adha this month .
Scientists , meanwhile , poured cold water on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s hope that the country may return to normal by Christmas .
• Talks into the night as EU leaders haggle over budget , virus • Life beyond coronavirus seclusion : Seniors see challenges and change ahead • NFL opens the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local health officials must approve • At least 40 Alameda County sheriff ’ s deputies , staff test positive for COVID-19 A world where people can “ go to work normally , travel on the buses and trains , go on holiday without restrictions , meet friends , shake hands , hug each other and so on — that ’ s a long way off , unfortunately , ” without a vaccine , said epidemiologist John Edmunds , a member of the government ’ s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies .
Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @

By Cara Anna | Associated Press
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa on Saturday became one of the top five worst-hit countries in the coronavirus pandemic, as breathtaking new infection numbers around the world were a reminder that a return to normal life is still far from sight.
The country’s 350,879 cases make up roughly half of all confirmed infections on the African continent and its struggles are a sign of trouble to come for nations with fewer health care resources. South Africa now trails the U.S., Brazil, India and Russia in the number of infections, surpassing Peru, after health authorities announced 13,285 new cases.
“The simple fact is that many South Africans are sitting ducks because they cannot comply with World Health Organization protocols on improved hygiene and social distancing,” the foundation of former South African archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu and his wife, Leah, warned in a statement.
The development comes a day after the World Health Organization reported a single-day record of new infections at over 237,000. Daily death tolls have been reaching new highs in several U.S. states and India’s infections are over 1 million. Experts believe the true numbers around the world are higher because of testing shortages and data collection issues in some nations.
The world on Saturday marked Mandela Day, remembering Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first Black president — another Nobel Peace Prize winner — and his legacy of fighting inequality. The country, however, remains the world’s most unequal, and health officials have warned that the pandemic will lay that bare.
South Africa’s new coronavirus epicenter, Gauteng province, hosts the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria and one-quarter of the country’s population, with many poor people living in crowded conditions in the middle of a frosty Southern Hemisphere winter.
Mandela’s message is “more relevant than ever,” WHO Africa chief Matshidiso Moeti said, calling for equitable access to care.
[vemba-video id=”health/2020/07/18/florida-miami-mask-coronavirus-flores-wkdnr-vpx.cnn”]
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who delivered the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture, said “COVID-19 has been likened to an X-ray, revealing fractures in the fragile skeleton of the societies we have built,” adding that developed countries have “failed to deliver the support needed to help the developing world through these dangerous times.”
Confirmed virus cases worldwide have topped 14.1 million and deaths are nearing 600,000, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Infections are soaring in U.S. states like Florida, Texas, Arizona, fueled by the haphazard lifting of coronavirus lockdowns and the resistance of some Americans to wearing masks.
In the U.S., teams of military medics have been deployed in Texas and California to help hospitals deluged by patients. The surge of infections means that millions of American children are unlikely to return to classrooms full time in the fall.
In India, a surge of 34,884 new cases was reported as local governments continue to re-impose focused lockdowns in several parts of the country.
In Iran, the president made the startling announcement that as many as 25 million Iranians could have been infected, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. Hassan Rouhani cited a new Health Ministry study that has not been made public. Iran has the Middle East’s worst outbreak with more than 270,000 confirmed cases.
In Bangladesh, confirmed cases surpassed 200,000 but experts say the number is much higher as the country lacks adequate labs for testing. Most people in rural areas have stopped wearing masks and are thronging shopping centers ahead of the Islamic festival Eid al-Adha this month.
Scientists, meanwhile, poured cold water on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s hope that the country may return to normal by Christmas.
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Long Covid cases in US adults are on the decline, but many continue to struggle with symptoms Health | California COVID cases are rising. Here’s why and where health experts are masking A world where people can “go to work normally, travel on the buses and trains, go on holiday without restrictions, meet friends, shake hands, hug each other and so on — that’s a long way off, unfortunately,” without a vaccine, said epidemiologist John Edmunds, a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.
Associated Press writers around the world contributed.