mercurynews--2020-06-28--Honolulu to reopen campgrounds for first time in 3 months

By The Associated Press HONOLULU — The city of Honolulu has announced that campgrounds will reopen for the first time in three months with limited permits to ensure social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Hawaii News Now reported that the city will issue permits for just over 100 campsites across Oahu .
Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation Public Information Officer Nathan Serota says campsites were limited to physically distance .
Regular camp rules still apply .
The Bellows Beach campground northeast of Honolulu will remain closed through Sept. 4 for turtle nesting .
All the other campgrounds have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK : — U.S. citizens are unlikely to be among those allowed into Europe initially — U.S. states are reimposing virus restrictions and Asia is seeing new cases — A hard-hit tribe in Arizona is putting tougher restrictions in place to prevent further spread of the coronavirus in a state where infections are surging .
The White Mountain Apache Tribe has ordered residents to go on lockdown this weekend or risk fines .
— As cases surge in the US , rural areas are seeing increases as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ livestock outnumber people .
— Police in the English city of Liverpool have been given more powers to break up crowds after celebrations to mark Liverpool Football Club ’ s first league title in 30 years led to disorder .
— Bar and restaurant owners are worried as the virus surges in their workplaces , prompting some to close their doors again .
Follow all of AP ’ s pandemic coverage at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : ANAHEIM , Calif. — Data show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighborhoods that are more likely home to low-income residents in one California county .
Orange County health officials say residents living certain parts of Anaheim and Santa Ana are more likely to live in multi-generational or multifamily households and many of them hold jobs in stores and restaurants .
Cases and hospitalizations in the county have grown significantly in the last couple weeks , reflecting a statewide trend that prompted Gov .
Gavin Newsom this week to sound renewed alarm bells .
He urged Imperial County to reimpose a stay-at-home order to deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hospitalizations .
LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
— Arkansas on Saturday reported 570 more cases of the coronavirus and 10 more deaths .
The Arkansas Department of Health said that there are now 19,310 reported cases in the state .
The state ’ s total deaths from COVID-19 , the illness the coronavirus causes , is now at 259 .
OLYMPIA , Wash. — Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee says he ’ s pausing moving counties to the fourth phase of his reopening plan as coronavirus cases continue to increase .
Inslee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Health John Weisman .
Inslee says the rising number of COVID-19 cases across the state makes it impossible to move to phase four , which would have meant basically no restrictions .
A tally from Johns Hopkins University shows Washington had more than 30,800 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday .
More than 480 new cases were reported on Friday .
SPRINGFIELD , Mo .
— Tyson Foods has announced that 371 employees at its chicken processing plant in the far southwestern corner of Missouri have tested positive for COVID-19 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it tested 1,142 employees at the plant in Noel from June 17 to June 19 , and 291 tested positive for COVID-19 .
Of those 291 , Tyson said 249 , or 85 % , were asymptomatic .
Tyson said an additional 80 Noel employees tested positive for COVID-19 in separate tests that were performed by their health care providers or the state ’ s Department of Health and Senior Services .
The announcement confirms suspicions that the large spike in McDonald County ’ s reported COVID-19 numbers starting this past weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plant , the Springfield News-Leader reports .
BRASILIA , Brazil — The Brazilian government announced on Saturday an agreement with Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to produce a promising coronavirus vaccine that is undergoing tests .
Brazilian Health Ministry authorities said in a press conference that the country will pay $ 127 million and receive material to produce 30.4 million doses in two batches in December and January , which would allow it to quickly start inoculation efforts if the vaccine is certified to be safe and effective .
The total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a country of about 210 million residents .
It will be produced by local vaccine maker Fiocruz .
British researchers started testing the experimental shot in May aiming to immunize more than 10,000 people , including older people and children .
The vaccine is one of about a dozen in the early stages of human testing .
Brazil , where coronavirus infections are still on the rise , counts more than 1 million confirmed cases and more than 55,900 fatalities .
WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence is calling off a planned bus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump ’ s re-election as the state experiences a surge in confirmed coronavirus cases .
Pence is still traveling to the state , the White House confirmed , saying he will meet with Gov .
Ron DeSantis and his health care teams .
Pence said Friday during a briefing by the White House ’ s coronavirus task force that he would visit Florida , Texas and Arizona this week to receive a “ ground report ” on spiking cases of COVD-19 across the sunbelt .
Pence was to appear in Lake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group America First Policies billed as the “ Great American Comeback tour.
” The group announced that “ Out of an abundance of caution at this time , we are postponing the Great American Comeback tour stop in Florida .
We look forward to rescheduling soon.
” MIAMI — The state of Florida has set another record in daily confirmed coronavirus cases .
Florida health officials on Saturday reported more than 9,500 new COVID-19 cases , surpassing the previous day ’ s total by more than 600 confirmed cases .
The figures come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discourage bar gatherings .
Experts say the true figure is undoubtedly higher .
This is both because of incomplete testing and because it is becoming clearer to scientists that a significant number of people become infected with the virus but do not feel sick or show symptoms .
The state ’ s Department of Health said 24 more people have died with COVID-19 , raising the death toll to 3,390 .
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 also are ticking upward statewide .
Although they are not rising as dramatically as the reported number of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new admissions seen in April and May .
Miami-Dade County announced late Friday it would reclose beaches from July 3 to July 7 to prevent large gatherings and the spread of the new virus during Fourth of July celebrations in the state ’ s hardest hit area .
ROME — Italy has registered the lowest day-to-day tally of COVID-19 deaths on Saturday since March 1 , a week before the country went into nationwide lockdown .
According to Health Ministry data , there were eight deaths of infected patients since Friday , raising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic to 34,716 .
There were 175 new cases , bringing the overall count of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country where Europe ’ s outbreak first exploded to 240,136 .
Authorities have said since many people with mild symptoms don ’ t get tested , the actual number is certainly higher .
For the first time since the very early days of the outbreak , fewer than 100 infected patients were occupying intensive care unit beds nationwide .
In early April , more than 4,000 COVID-19 patients occupied ICU beds , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in northern Italy struggled to care for several thousand new cases each day .
BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel cautioned Saturday that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over , as regional outbreaks gave rise to fears of a second wave .
Merkel said in her weekly video podcast that getting Europe ’ s economy back on track is her primary goal as Germany takes over the rotating European Union presidency next week , but stressed that everyone shared a “ joint responsibility ” in following social distancing , mask and hygiene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German authorities renewed a lockdown in a western region of about 500,000 people in the past week after about 1,300 slaughterhouse workers tested positive for COVID-19 , in an attempt to prevent the outbreak from spreading across the area .
Germany has recorded nearly 195,000 coronavirus infections and only around 9,000 deaths , with more than 177,000 recoveries , according to a Johns Hopkins University tally .
BELGRADE , Serbia — The Serbian government says Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin has tested positive for the coronavirus .
The Defense Ministry says in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms of the virus and is feeling fine .
Vulin , known for his highly pro-Russian stance , was part of Serbia ’ s delegation led by President Aleksandar Vucic that attended a Victory Day parade this week in Moscow .
Vucic met face to face with Russian President Vladimir Putin , but it was not clear whether Vulin did so as well .
Maja Gojkovic , the speaker of Serbia ’ s parliament , also tested positive , according to the state Tanjug news agency on Saturday .
Serbia has seen a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown measures in May , allowing large gatherings without obligatory social distancing or masks .
Vucic has announced he will reintroduce the tough measures if the spike continues .
Serbia has so far registered more than 13,500 cases and 265 deaths from COVID-19 .
JOHANNESBURG — Britain ’ s Royal Air Force says the first in a series of flights taking coronavirus aid to Africa has departed for Ghana with materials for a field hospital with capacity for nearly 100 people .
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement that the U.K. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward with an aid flight after NATO agreed to support the United Nations ’ appeal for airlift assistance .
The pandemic and travel restrictions have severely affected flights to the African continent and the delivery of crucial cargo including medical supplies .
The U.K. says up to five flights are needed to deliver the field hospital to Accra .
Ghana has more than 15,000 confirmed virus cases .
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has announced a record increase in fuel prices days before the end of a fiscal year in which the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 68 years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
The hike , which ranges from 27 % to 66 % depending on the petroleum product , was announced Friday night .
It drew nationwide condemnation from people on social media Saturday .
The move comes two weeks after Islamabad said its GDP in the outgoing fiscal year ending on June 30 will shrink by 0.4 % , instead of an initially projected 2.4 % growth .
Pakistan ’ s economy has witnessed a steady decline since 2018 , when Prime Minister Imran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Its economy has been affected by the coronavirus since March , when Khan put the country under lockdown .
Restrictions were eased in May , causing a spike in coronavirus infections and deaths .
CAIRO — Egypt has lifted many of the restrictions put in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic , reopening cafes , clubs , gyms and theaters after more than three months of closure .
Authorities also allowed the reopening of mosques and churches .
The government has been eager to resuscitate the Egyptian economy , which was hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cairo , a sprawling and bustling metropolis of some 20 million people , coffee shops reopened Saturday to receive in-house customers for the first time since mid-March .
But the smoking of “ sheesha ” from hookah waterpipes is no longer offered due to sanitary concerns .
Cafes have been allowed to reopen at only 25 % seating capacity , according to Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly .
Mosques and churches will not be allowed to hold their weekly main services , when large crowds traditionally gather for worship .
The government has banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at churches , Madbouly said .
LONDON — Britain ’ s government is moving to make summer vacation travel possible as it moves to ease restrictions imposed amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The government is expected to scrap a 14-day quarantine requirement that forced people to self-isolate upon returning home from abroad .
It will be replaced with a traffic light system , with officials placing countries into green , amber and red categories based on the prevalence of the virus .
Only travelers returning to the U.K. from “ red ’ zones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 will be told to self-isolate .
A full list of countries is due to be published next week , but it is likely that Spain , Greece and France will be given a green light .
NEW DELHI — India ’ s confirmed coronavirus cases crossed half a million on Saturday with another record 24-hour jump of 18,552 infections .
The Health Ministry also reported 384 new deaths , raising the total to 15,685 .
The surge prompted authorities in the northeastern state of Assam to impose a two-week lockdown in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases were reported there in just four days .
Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the rest of Assam will be placed under a night curfew and weekend lockdowns .
He urged people to store essential goods and signaled a tighter lockdown where even grocery stores would be closed .
SEOUL , South Korea — South Korea has reported 51 more confirmed coronavirus cases as new clusters emerge in the densely populated Seoul area where people have been increasingly venturing out despite government warnings against complacency .
Thirty-five of the new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is at the center of a COVID-19 resurgence threatening to erase earlier gains against the virus .
Authorities are struggling to trace contacts and predict infection routes as new clusters pop up .
Hundreds of infections have been linked to nightspots , church gatherings , restaurants and low-income workers who couldn ’ t afford to stay home .
Officials are resisting calls to reimpose stronger social distancing guidelines , concerned about hurting the economy .
BEIJING — China has reported an uptick in new coronavirus cases a day after national health authorities said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be brought under control soon .
The National Health Commission said Saturday that 21 more cases had been confirmed nationwide in the latest 24-hour period , including 17 in the nation ’ s capital .
City officials have temporarily shut a huge wholesale food market where the virus spread widely , re-closed schools and locked down some neighborhoods .
Anyone leaving Beijing is required to have a negative virus test result within the previous seven days .
Many Chinese are traveling during a four-day holiday weekend that ends Sunday .
China has reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
It does not include in the numbers people who test positive but don ’ t show symptoms .
CANBERRA , Australia — Australian health officials are expecting more cases of COVID-19 as hundreds of nationals return from overseas to begin mandatory quarantine .
About 300 people are due to arrive in Adelaide this weekend from Mumbai , India , while hundreds are expected to follow from South America and Indonesia .
People in hotel quarantine will be tested for the coronavirus at the start and end of their 14-day isolation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ says he is preparing for about 5 % to 10 % of returnees being infected , as was the case when people arrived from Indonesia in other states .
Melbourne reported 30 new cases Friday , continuing a run of double-digit increases that has more than tripled Victoria state ’ s active cases to 183 in just over a week .
In all , Australia has had 104 COVID-19 deaths and nearly 7,600 confirmed cases .
AUSTIN , Texas — Texas has surpassed 5,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients for the first time as Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his aggressive reopening of America ’ s second-biggest state .
In Houston , county officials Friday elevated a public threat warning system to the highest level .
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said “ We never brought the curve all the way down .
We only flattened it.
” Hospitalizations in Texas , reported by state health officials , have now skyrocketed more than threefold over the past month .
New records are set daily , and Abbott has brought back a ban on elective surgeries to free up beds .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants dining rooms to scale back on seating customers .
RANCHO CORDOVA , Calif. — Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Friday that he wants an agricultural Southern California county to reimpose stay-home orders amid a surge in positive coronavirus tests there and through much of the state .
Imperial County , with a population of 175,000 people on the state ’ s border with Mexico , has been the slowest in the state to reopen amid continued high positivity rates , which have averaged 23 % in the last week , compared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which provides many of the vegetables in U.S. supermarkets in the winter , lies across the border from Mexicali , a sprawling industrial city of 1 million people that has enormous influence on its economy and culture .
Newsom said San Francisco is also pausing plans to reopen businesses that were expected to open Monday , such as hair salons , museums and outdoor bars .
NEW YORK — A federal judge has blocked New York state from enforcing coronavirus restrictions limiting indoor religious gatherings to 25 % capacity when other types @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Judge Gary Sharpe acted Friday to enjoin Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Attorney General Letitia James from enforcing some of the capacity restrictions put in place by executive order to contain the spread of the virus .
A spokesperson for Cuomo said the governor ’ s office will review the decision .
A spokesperson for the New York City law department said city lawyers would review the ruling as well .
NEW ORLEANS — The number of reported COVID-19 cases in Louisiana took another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 1,300 as the number of people hospitalized with the disease caused by the new coronavirus continued upward .
The state reported a total of 54,769 confirmed cases as of midday .
The death toll was 3,077 , up by 26 from Thursday .
Some of the growth in known case numbers can be attributed to increased testing .
However , the number of people sick enough to be hospitalized — considered a key indicator that the virus is spreading — went up to 700 .
The figure is down from nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low of 542 on June 13 .
The increasing numbers led Gov .
John Bel Edwards this week to delay plans to further lift restrictions on public gatherings and some business activity .
Edwards has promised stepped up enforcement on businesses that aren ’ t complying with virus-related restrictions on capacity and requirements that employees dealing with the public wear masks .
Friday marked Louisiana ’ s second one-day spike of more than 1,300 this week .
UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations is marking its 75th anniversary with a scaled-down event because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many challenges a deeply divided world must tackle along with poverty , inequality , discrimination and unending wars .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Friday ’ s virtual commemoration of the signing of the U.N. Charter that “ global pressures are spiraling up ” and “ today ’ s realities are as forbidding as ever.
” He said people continue to lose trust in political establishments and has spoken of rising populism threatening multilateralism and denounced xenophobia , racism and intolerance .
“ Today ’ s marches against racism were preceded by widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lack of opportunities all over the world – grievances that still need to be addressed , including with a renewed social contract , ” he said in a video address .
“ Meanwhile , ” Guterres said , “ other fundamental fragilities have only grown : the climate crisis , environmental degradation , cyberattacks , nuclear proliferation , a push-back on human rights and the risk of another pandemic.
” He stressed the urgent need for global cooperation .
“ One virus … has put us on our knees , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively , ” Guterres told reporters Thursday .
“ It ’ s spreading now everywhere .
There was no control , no effective coordination among member states .
We are divided in fighting COVID‑19 .
”

By The Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has confirmed 62 additional cases of the coronavirus over a 24-hour period as the Asian country continues to face new clusters of infections amid eased social distancing rules.
The additional cases reported Sunday took the country’s total to 12,715, with 282 deaths.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 40 of the newly reported cases were domestically infected, while the other 22 came from overseas. It says 26 of the 40 domestic cases were detected in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area.
South Korea has been struggling to suppress a spike in new cases since it eased up on its rigid social distancing rules in early May. Those new cases have been linked to nightclubs, church services, a huge e-commerce warehouse and low-income workers.
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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
— U.S. citizens are unlikely to be among those allowed into Europe initially
— U.S. states are reimposing virus restrictions and Asia is seeing new cases
— A hard-hit tribe in Arizona is putting tougher restrictions in place to prevent further spread of the coronavirus in a state where infections are surging. The White Mountain Apache Tribe has ordered residents to go on lockdown this weekend or risk fines.
— As cases surge in the US, rural areas are seeing increases as well, including in Kansas, where livestock outnumber people.
— Police in the English city of Liverpool have been given more powers to break up crowds after celebrations to mark Liverpool Football Club’s first league title in 30 years led to disorder.
— Bar and restaurant owners are worried as the virus surges in their workplaces, prompting some to close their doors again.
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Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
BEIJING — China is reporting 17 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, all but three of them from domestic transmission in Beijing, which has seen a recent spike in coronavirus infections.
But authorities in the Chinese capital say a campaign to conduct tests on employees at hair and beauty salons across the city has found no positive cases so far, in a further sign that the recent outbreak has been largely brought under control.
No new deaths were reported Sunday, leaving China’s reported total at 4,634 among 83,500 confirmed cases.
Tens of millions of Chinese traveled during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival that ended Saturday, but anti-crowding measures were in force nationwide. Tourist sites were required to cap visitor numbers at 30% of capacity.
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HONOLULU — The city of Honolulu has announced that campgrounds will reopen for the first time in three months with limited permits to ensure social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Hawaii News Now reported that the city will issue permits for just over 100 campsites across Oahu.
Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation Public Information Officer Nathan Serota says campsites were limited to physically distance. Regular camp rules still apply.
The Bellows Beach campground northeast of Honolulu will remain closed through Sept. 4 for turtle nesting. All the other campgrounds have reopened.
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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Data show hundreds of new infections in densely populated neighborhoods that are more likely home to low-income residents in one California county.
Orange County health officials say residents living certain parts of Anaheim and Santa Ana are more likely to live in multi-generational or multifamily households and many of them hold jobs in stores and restaurants.
Cases and hospitalizations in the county have grown significantly in the last couple weeks, reflecting a statewide trend that prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom this week to sound renewed alarm bells. He urged Imperial County to reimpose a stay-at-home order to deal with a high rate of positive cases and hospitalizations.
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas on Saturday reported 570 more cases of the coronavirus and 10 more deaths.
The Arkansas Department of Health said that there are now 19,310 reported cases in the state.
The state’s total deaths from COVID-19, the illness the coronavirus causes, is now at 259.
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OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says he’s pausing moving counties to the fourth phase of his reopening plan as coronavirus cases continue to increase.
Inslee made the announcement Saturday with state Secretary of Health John Weisman.
Inslee says the rising number of COVID-19 cases across the state makes it impossible to move to phase four, which would have meant basically no restrictions.
A tally from Johns Hopkins University shows Washington had more than 30,800 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. More than 480 new cases were reported on Friday.
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Tyson Foods has announced that 371 employees at its chicken processing plant in the far southwestern corner of Missouri have tested positive for COVID-19.
The company said in a news release Friday that it tested 1,142 employees at the plant in Noel from June 17 to June 19, and 291 tested positive for COVID-19. Of those 291, Tyson said 249, or 85%, were asymptomatic. Tyson said an additional 80 Noel employees tested positive for COVID-19 in separate tests that were performed by their health care providers or the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services.
The announcement confirms suspicions that the large spike in McDonald County’s reported COVID-19 numbers starting this past weekend was the result of large-scale testing at the plant, the Springfield News-Leader reports.
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BRASILIA, Brazil — The Brazilian government announced on Saturday an agreement with Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to produce a promising coronavirus vaccine that is undergoing tests.
Brazilian Health Ministry authorities said in a press conference that the country will pay $127 million and receive material to produce 30.4 million doses in two batches in December and January, which would allow it to quickly start inoculation efforts if the vaccine is certified to be safe and effective.
The total deal is for 100 million vaccines for a country of about 210 million residents. It will be produced by local vaccine maker Fiocruz.
British researchers started testing the experimental shot in May aiming to immunize more than 10,000 people, including older people and children. The vaccine is one of about a dozen in the early stages of human testing.
Brazil, where coronavirus infections are still on the rise, counts more than 1 million confirmed cases and more than 55,900 fatalities.
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WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence is calling off a planned bus tour in Florida to benefit his and President Donald Trump’s re-election as the state experiences a surge in confirmed coronavirus cases.
Pence is still traveling to the state, the White House confirmed, saying he will meet with Gov. Ron DeSantis and his health care teams.
Pence said Friday during a briefing by the White House’s coronavirus task force that he would visit Florida, Texas and Arizona this week to receive a “ground report” on spiking cases of COVD-19 across the sunbelt.
Pence was to appear in Lake Wales at an event organized by pro-Trump group America First Policies billed as the “Great American Comeback tour.” The group announced that “Out of an abundance of caution at this time, we are postponing the Great American Comeback tour stop in Florida. We look forward to rescheduling soon.”
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MIAMI — The state of Florida has set another record in daily confirmed coronavirus cases.
Florida health officials on Saturday reported more than 9,500 new COVID-19 cases, surpassing the previous day’s total by more than 600 confirmed cases. The figures come as officials move to reclose beaches and discourage bar gatherings.
Experts say the true figure is undoubtedly higher. This is both because of incomplete testing and because it is becoming clearer to scientists that a significant number of people become infected with the virus but do not feel sick or show symptoms.
The state’s Department of Health said 24 more people have died with COVID-19, raising the death toll to 3,390.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 also are ticking upward statewide. Although they are not rising as dramatically as the reported number of cases, they are approaching the levels of new admissions seen in April and May.
Miami-Dade County announced late Friday it would reclose beaches from July 3 to July 7 to prevent large gatherings and the spread of the new virus during Fourth of July celebrations in the state’s hardest hit area.
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ROME — Italy has registered the lowest day-to-day tally of COVID-19 deaths on Saturday since March 1, a week before the country went into nationwide lockdown.
According to Health Ministry data, there were eight deaths of infected patients since Friday, raising the nation’s known toll in the pandemic to 34,716.
There were 175 new cases, bringing the overall count of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country where Europe’s outbreak first exploded to 240,136.
Authorities have said since many people with mild symptoms don’t get tested, the actual number is certainly higher. For the first time since the very early days of the outbreak, fewer than 100 infected patients were occupying intensive care unit beds nationwide. In early April, more than 4,000 COVID-19 patients occupied ICU beds, as the nation’s health system in northern Italy struggled to care for several thousand new cases each day.
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BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel cautioned Saturday that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over, as regional outbreaks gave rise to fears of a second wave.
Merkel said in her weekly video podcast that getting Europe’s economy back on track is her primary goal as Germany takes over the rotating European Union presidency next week, but stressed that everyone shared a “joint responsibility” in following social distancing, mask and hygiene rules as lockdown rules are relaxed.
German authorities renewed a lockdown in a western region of about 500,000 people in the past week after about 1,300 slaughterhouse workers tested positive for COVID-19, in an attempt to prevent the outbreak from spreading across the area.
Germany has recorded nearly 195,000 coronavirus infections and only around 9,000 deaths, with more than 177,000 recoveries, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.
—-
BELGRADE, Serbia — The Serbian government says Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Defense Ministry says in a statement issued on Saturday that Vulin has no symptoms of the virus and is feeling fine.
Vulin, known for his highly pro-Russian stance, was part of Serbia’s delegation led by President Aleksandar Vucic that attended a Victory Day parade this week in Moscow. Vucic met face to face with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but it was not clear whether Vulin did so as well.
Maja Gojkovic, the speaker of Serbia’s parliament, also tested positive, according to the state Tanjug news agency on Saturday.
Serbia has seen a spike in coronavirus cases since lifting strict lockdown measures in May, allowing large gatherings without obligatory social distancing or masks.
Vucic has announced he will reintroduce the tough measures if the spike continues. Serbia has so far registered more than 13,500 cases and 265 deaths from COVID-19.
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JOHANNESBURG — Britain’s Royal Air Force says the first in a series of flights taking coronavirus aid to Africa has departed for Ghana with materials for a field hospital with capacity for nearly 100 people.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement that the U.K. is the first NATO ally to come forward with an aid flight after NATO agreed to support the United Nations’ appeal for airlift assistance.
The pandemic and travel restrictions have severely affected flights to the African continent and the delivery of crucial cargo including medical supplies.
The U.K. says up to five flights are needed to deliver the field hospital to Accra. Ghana has more than 15,000 confirmed virus cases.
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ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has announced a record increase in fuel prices days before the end of a fiscal year in which the country’s economy contracted for the first time in 68 years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The hike, which ranges from 27% to 66% depending on the petroleum product, was announced Friday night. It drew nationwide condemnation from people on social media Saturday.
The move comes two weeks after Islamabad said its GDP in the outgoing fiscal year ending on June 30 will shrink by 0.4%, instead of an initially projected 2.4% growth.
Pakistan’s economy has witnessed a steady decline since 2018, when Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government came into power.
Its economy has been affected by the coronavirus since March, when Khan put the country under lockdown. Restrictions were eased in May, causing a spike in coronavirus infections and deaths.
Pakistan has confirmed 198,883 virus cases, including 4,035 deaths.
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CAIRO — Egypt has lifted many of the restrictions put in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic, reopening cafes, clubs, gyms and theaters after more than three months of closure. Authorities also allowed the reopening of mosques and churches.
The government has been eager to resuscitate the Egyptian economy, which was hit hard by the virus outbreak.
In Cairo, a sprawling and bustling metropolis of some 20 million people, coffee shops reopened Saturday to receive in-house customers for the first time since mid-March. But the smoking of “sheesha” from hookah waterpipes is no longer offered due to sanitary concerns.
Cafes have been allowed to reopen at only 25% seating capacity, according to Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly.
Mosques and churches will not be allowed to hold their weekly main services, when large crowds traditionally gather for worship. The government has banned Friday prayers at mosques and Sunday Masses at churches, Madbouly said.
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LONDON — Britain’s government is moving to make summer vacation travel possible as it moves to ease restrictions imposed amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The government is expected to scrap a 14-day quarantine requirement that forced people to self-isolate upon returning home from abroad. It will be replaced with a traffic light system, with officials placing countries into green, amber and red categories based on the prevalence of the virus.
Only travelers returning to the U.K. from “red’ zones or places with a high level of COVID-19 will be told to self-isolate.
A full list of countries is due to be published next week, but it is likely that Spain, Greece and France will be given a green light.
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NEW DELHI — India’s confirmed coronavirus cases crossed half a million on Saturday with another record 24-hour jump of 18,552 infections.
The Health Ministry also reported 384 new deaths, raising the total to 15,685.
The surge prompted authorities in the northeastern state of Assam to impose a two-week lockdown in the state capital of Gauhati. About 700 new cases were reported there in just four days.
Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the rest of Assam will be placed under a night curfew and weekend lockdowns.
He urged people to store essential goods and signaled a tighter lockdown where even grocery stores would be closed.
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SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has reported 51 more confirmed coronavirus cases as new clusters emerge in the densely populated Seoul area where people have been increasingly venturing out despite government warnings against complacency.
Thirty-five of the new cases are in the capital region, which is at the center of a COVID-19 resurgence threatening to erase earlier gains against the virus.
Authorities are struggling to trace contacts and predict infection routes as new clusters pop up. Hundreds of infections have been linked to nightspots, church gatherings, restaurants and low-income workers who couldn’t afford to stay home.
Officials are resisting calls to reimpose stronger social distancing guidelines, concerned about hurting the economy.
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BEIJING — China has reported an uptick in new coronavirus cases a day after national health authorities said they expected an outbreak in Beijing to be brought under control soon.
The National Health Commission said Saturday that 21 more cases had been confirmed nationwide in the latest 24-hour period, including 17 in the nation’s capital.
City officials have temporarily shut a huge wholesale food market where the virus spread widely, re-closed schools and locked down some neighborhoods. Anyone leaving Beijing is required to have a negative virus test result within the previous seven days. Many Chinese are traveling during a four-day holiday weekend that ends Sunday.
China has reported 83,483 cases and 4,634 deaths in the pandemic. It does not include in the numbers people who test positive but don’t show symptoms.
___
CANBERRA, Australia — Australian health officials are expecting more cases of COVID-19 as hundreds of nationals return from overseas to begin mandatory quarantine.
About 300 people are due to arrive in Adelaide this weekend from Mumbai, India, while hundreds are expected to follow from South America and Indonesia.
People in hotel quarantine will be tested for the coronavirus at the start and end of their 14-day isolation.
South Australia state Health Minister Stephen Wade says he is preparing for about 5% to 10% of returnees being infected, as was the case when people arrived from Indonesia in other states.
Melbourne reported 30 new cases Friday, continuing a run of double-digit increases that has more than tripled Victoria state’s active cases to 183 in just over a week.
In all, Australia has had 104 COVID-19 deaths and nearly 7,600 confirmed cases.
___
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas has surpassed 5,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients for the first time as Gov. Greg Abbott continues a dramatic retreat in his aggressive reopening of America’s second-biggest state.
In Houston, county officials Friday elevated a public threat warning system to the highest level. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said “We never brought the curve all the way down. We only flattened it.”
Hospitalizations in Texas, reported by state health officials, have now skyrocketed more than threefold over the past month. New records are set daily, and Abbott has brought back a ban on elective surgeries to free up beds.
His latest orders shuttered bars indefinitely and ordered restaurants dining rooms to scale back on seating customers.
___
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that he wants an agricultural Southern California county to reimpose stay-home orders amid a surge in positive coronavirus tests there and through much of the state.
Imperial County, with a population of 175,000 people on the state’s border with Mexico, has been the slowest in the state to reopen amid continued high positivity rates, which have averaged 23% in the last week, compared with 5.7% statewide.
The Imperial Valley, which provides many of the vegetables in U.S. supermarkets in the winter, lies across the border from Mexicali, a sprawling industrial city of 1 million people that has enormous influence on its economy and culture.
Newsom said San Francisco is also pausing plans to reopen businesses that were expected to open Monday, such as hair salons, museums and outdoor bars.
___
NEW YORK — A federal judge has blocked New York state from enforcing coronavirus restrictions limiting indoor religious gatherings to 25% capacity when other types of gatherings are limited to 50%.
Judge Gary Sharpe acted Friday to enjoin Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Attorney General Letitia James from enforcing some of the capacity restrictions put in place by executive order to contain the spread of the virus.
A spokesperson for Cuomo said the governor’s office will review the decision. A spokesperson for the New York City law department said city lawyers would review the ruling as well.
—-
NEW ORLEANS — The number of reported COVID-19 cases in Louisiana took another large one-day jump, increasing Friday by more than 1,300 as the number of people hospitalized with the disease caused by the new coronavirus continued upward.
The state reported a total of 54,769 confirmed cases as of midday. The death toll was 3,077, up by 26 from Thursday.
Some of the growth in known case numbers can be attributed to increased testing. However, the number of people sick enough to be hospitalized — considered a key indicator that the virus is spreading — went up to 700. The figure is down from nearly 2,000 in April but up from a low of 542 on June 13.
The increasing numbers led Gov. John Bel Edwards this week to delay plans to further lift restrictions on public gatherings and some business activity. Edwards has promised stepped up enforcement on businesses that aren’t complying with virus-related restrictions on capacity and requirements that employees dealing with the public wear masks.
Friday marked Louisiana’s second one-day spike of more than 1,300 this week.
___
UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations is marking its 75th anniversary with a scaled-down event because of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of many challenges a deeply divided world must tackle along with poverty, inequality, discrimination and unending wars.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Friday’s virtual commemoration of the signing of the U.N. Charter that “global pressures are spiraling up” and “today’s realities are as forbidding as ever.”
He said people continue to lose trust in political establishments and has spoken of rising populism threatening multilateralism and denounced xenophobia, racism and intolerance.
“Today’s marches against racism were preceded by widespread protests against inequality, discrimination, corruption and lack of opportunities all over the world – grievances that still need to be addressed, including with a renewed social contract,” he said in a video address.
“Meanwhile,” Guterres said, “other fundamental fragilities have only grown: the climate crisis, environmental degradation, cyberattacks, nuclear proliferation, a push-back on human rights and the risk of another pandemic.”
He stressed the urgent need for global cooperation.
“One virus … has put us on our knees, and we have not been able to fight it effectively,” Guterres told reporters Thursday. “It’s spreading now everywhere. There was no control, no effective coordination among member states. We are divided in fighting COVID‑19.”


mercurynews--2020-06-27--Thousands gather in Colorado to protest Elijah’s McClain’s death

Thousands of people filled Aurora ’ s municipal center and shut down an Interstate , marching and chanting , crying and screaming for justice for Elijah McClain , the 23-year-old who died after an encounter with officers last August .
The passionate response culminated a week in which Gov .
Jared Polis ordered the state attorney general to investigate the case .
Both directions of the Interstate 225 highway were shut down around 3 p.m , according to a tweet from Aurora police .
The initial highway closure was between 6th and Mississippi avenues , CDOT said .
Prior to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into multiple groups , with Denver school board member Tay Anderson offering a mea culpa for splitting the crowd and causing confusion .
Sheneen McClain , McClain ’ s mother , Denver School Board member Tay Anderson and Colorado State Representative Leslie Herod all spoke on the steps of City Hall , with the crowd seated , listening intently and responding when prompted .
Naomi McClain , Elijah ’ s sister , stood under a tree listening to speakers .
She said it was good to see so many people out to remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for my brother .
He was special .
He was gentle .
He walked away from arguments , ” she said .
Her hope is that those responsible for his death are arrested .
Another , more agitated crowd gathered in front of the police headquarters , chanting and yelling at officers .
At one point the officers donned riot gear and moved closer to the barricades , prompting protesters to scream epithets and ask why the escalation .
Yasmeen Hernandez , 27 , said it was “ pretty alarming ” to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it was disappointing to see two separate rallies chanting over each other .
McClain ’ s family member tried to say a poem but it was drowned out by the other nearby group .
Anderson apologized on Twitter , saying when he arrived at the march , he noticed “ Black women were frustrated that non-Black folks were leading chants and speaking.
” “ I acknowledge my mistake in not going to the source and trying to help be a mediator , instead , with the permission of Black women organizers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s families , I led a divide between groups , ” he tweeted .
“ I stepped out of my lane.
” Marshall was killed by Denver sheriff ’ s deputies at the jail in 2015 .
Just before 4 p.m. Aurora police tweeted that there had been no reported injuries or arrests and thanked the demonstrators for remaining peaceful .
Chants of “ Say his name , Elijah McClain ” and “ No justice , no peace , no racist police , ” emanated from the crowd throughout the day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matter and “ I Can ’ t Breathe ” emblazoned on the front .
“ The only way anything will happen for Elijah and his family is if we stay out here !
” one unidentified speaker told a cheering crowd during the rally .
Franklin Williams , 25 , said he came out to show support and make sure the issue of police brutality remains on people ’ s minds .
He lamented that after Trayvon Martin and other Black deaths , the energy eventually faded .
“ This shouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resident said .
“ This should be a movement.
” Before the protest began , Aurora police issued a statement in support of peaceful protest and warned of “ outsiders ” whose goal , police say , is to be destructive .
All government buildings boarded up before the gathering , and police sat atop the library and City Hall observing the protest .
The day of demonstrations , organized by the Denver chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation , began with a 1 p.m. rally and march .
A 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an 8:30 p.m. violin vigil at Aurora City Center Park were to follow .
McClain ’ s death prompted a handful of small protests over the past 10 months but he has recently become known across the country in the wake of massive protests following the death of George Floyd .
The renewed attention and relentless activism prompted Gov .
Jared Polis this week to appoint Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser as a special prosecutor to investigate McClain ’ s death , and , potentially , file charges .
Dave Young , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring charges against the three officers involved in McClain ’ s encounter , which was prompted by a call for a suspicious person .
Young defended his decision this week , saying , “ Ultimately , while I may share the vast public opinion that Elijah McClain ’ s death could have been avoided , it is not my role to file criminal charges based on opinion , but , rather , on the evidence revealed from the investigation and applicable Colorado law.
” Police said McClain refused to stop walking when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage showed an officer got close to McClain , touched him and told him to “ stop tensing up.
” McClain replied : “ I am going home .
… Leave me alone , ” and “ Let me go .
No , let me go .
I am an introvert .
Please respect my boundaries that I am speaking.
” After a struggle , McClain was handcuffed .
Aurora Fire Rescue later injected him with ketamine in an attempt to sedate him , police said .
He suffered cardiac arrest during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The three officers — Nathan Woodyard , Jason Rosenblatt and Randy Roedema — were taken off street duty this month for their own safety , an Aurora spokesperson confirmed .
As celebrities have tweeted their outrage about her son ’ s death and national media outlets report on his story , Sheneen McClain wonders what took so long .
Protest organizers accused the department of trying to intimidate protesters in the lead up to the event “ The Aurora Police Department has responded by circulating rumors of a ‘ violent threat ’ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to justify mobilizing a militarized police response to crack down on protesters , ” the Party for Socialism and Liberation said in a statement posted to Facebook .
“ APD has zeroed in particularly on the student protest leaders ; perhaps the cops believe that , because of their youth , these organizers can be most easily intimidated .
APD tracked down the identities of the student organizers , found their parents ’ phone numbers , and called them to insinuate that they would be personally liable if injury or damage is caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Aurora police spokeswoman , said in an email that police “ reached out to one student protestor and voiced concerns that the protest scheduled before theirs may become unfriendly and spill over into their event .
APD did not communicate to them that they would be held liable for damage or injuries .
”

Thousands of people filled Aurora’s municipal center and shut down an Interstate, marching and chanting, crying and screaming for justice for Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old who died after an encounter with officers last August.
The passionate response culminated a week in which Gov. Jared Polis ordered the state attorney general to investigate the case.
Both directions of the Interstate 225 highway were shut down around 3 p.m, according to a tweet from Aurora police. The initial highway closure was between 6th and Mississippi avenues, CDOT said.
Prior to the march, the afternoon rally splintered into multiple groups, with Denver school board member Tay Anderson offering a mea culpa for splitting the crowd and causing confusion.
Sheneen McClain, McClain’s mother, Denver School Board member Tay Anderson and Colorado State Representative Leslie Herod all spoke on the steps of City Hall, with the crowd seated, listening intently and responding when prompted.
Naomi McClain, Elijah’s sister, stood under a tree listening to speakers. She said it was good to see so many people out to remember Elijah. “I’m here for my brother. He was special. He was gentle. He walked away from arguments,” she said. Her hope is that those responsible for his death are arrested.
Another, more agitated crowd gathered in front of the police headquarters, chanting and yelling at officers. At one point the officers donned riot gear and moved closer to the barricades, prompting protesters to scream epithets and ask why the escalation.
Yasmeen Hernandez, 27, said it was “pretty alarming” to see cops don riot gear. She added that it was disappointing to see two separate rallies chanting over each other. McClain’s family member tried to say a poem but it was drowned out by the other nearby group.
Anderson apologized on Twitter, saying when he arrived at the march, he noticed “Black women were frustrated that non-Black folks were leading chants and speaking.”
“I acknowledge my mistake in not going to the source and trying to help be a mediator, instead, with the permission of Black women organizers, members of Elijah McClain and Michael Marshall’s families, I led a divide between groups,” he tweeted. “I stepped out of my lane.” Marshall was killed by Denver sheriff’s deputies at the jail in 2015.
Just before 4 p.m. Aurora police tweeted that there had been no reported injuries or arrests and thanked the demonstrators for remaining peaceful.
Chants of “Say his name, Elijah McClain” and “No justice, no peace, no racist police,” emanated from the crowd throughout the day. Organizers sold T-shirts with “Black Lives Matter and “I Can’t Breathe” emblazoned on the front.
“The only way anything will happen for Elijah and his family is if we stay out here!” one unidentified speaker told a cheering crowd during the rally.
Franklin Williams, 25, said he came out to show support and make sure the issue of police brutality remains on people’s minds. He lamented that after Trayvon Martin and other Black deaths, the energy eventually faded.
“This shouldn’t be a moment,” the Aurora resident said. “This should be a movement.”
Before the protest began, Aurora police issued a statement in support of peaceful protest and warned of “outsiders” whose goal, police say, is to be destructive. All government buildings boarded up before the gathering, and police sat atop the library and City Hall observing the protest.
The day of demonstrations, organized by the Denver chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, began with a 1 p.m. rally and march. A 4 p.m. youth-led protest at the Municipal Center and an 8:30 p.m. violin vigil at Aurora City Center Park were to follow.
McClain’s death prompted a handful of small protests over the past 10 months but he has recently become known across the country in the wake of massive protests following the death of George Floyd.
The renewed attention and relentless activism prompted Gov. Jared Polis this week to appoint Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser as a special prosecutor to investigate McClain’s death, and, potentially, file charges.
Dave Young, the 17th Judicial District Attorney, declined to bring charges against the three officers involved in McClain’s encounter, which was prompted by a call for a suspicious person. Young defended his decision this week, saying, “Ultimately, while I may share the vast public opinion that Elijah McClain’s death could have been avoided, it is not my role to file criminal charges based on opinion, but, rather, on the evidence revealed from the investigation and applicable Colorado law.”
Police said McClain refused to stop walking when they asked him to. Body cam footage showed an officer got close to McClain, touched him and told him to “stop tensing up.” McClain replied: “I am going home. … Leave me alone,” and “Let me go. No, let me go. I am an introvert. Please respect my boundaries that I am speaking.”
After a struggle, McClain was handcuffed. Aurora Fire Rescue later injected him with ketamine in an attempt to sedate him, police said. He suffered cardiac arrest during the ambulance ride to a nearby hospital.
The three officers — Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt and Randy Roedema — were taken off street duty this month for their own safety, an Aurora spokesperson confirmed.
As celebrities have tweeted their outrage about her son’s death and national media outlets report on his story, Sheneen McClain wonders what took so long.
Protest organizers accused the department of trying to intimidate protesters in the lead up to the event
“The Aurora Police Department has responded by circulating rumors of a ‘violent threat’ in order to intimidate organizers and attendees and to justify mobilizing a militarized police response to crack down on protesters,” the Party for Socialism and Liberation said in a statement posted to Facebook. “APD has zeroed in particularly on the student protest leaders; perhaps the cops believe that, because of their youth, these organizers can be most easily intimidated. APD tracked down the identities of the student organizers, found their parents’ phone numbers, and called them to insinuate that they would be personally liable if injury or damage is caused at the protests.”
Faith Goodrich, an Aurora police spokeswoman, said in an email that police “reached out to one student protestor and voiced concerns that the protest scheduled before theirs may become unfriendly and spill over into their event. APD did not communicate to them that they would be held liable for damage or injuries.”


mercurynews--2020-06-27--Front-yard swastika display angers El Sobrante residents again

It ’ s beginning to feel a bit like deja vu for El Sobrante residents who say they are in no mood for hate symbols in their neighborhood .
But Steven Johnson ’ s creation — a stone garden in the shape of a Nazi swastika — is back to being displayed prominently in the front yard of his home on Lindell Drive .
Now , barely a year after neighbors organized to call for Johnson to remove the concrete swastika , they ’ re doing so again .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s ever not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Erdmann said Friday .
“ It ’ s just amplified that much more now .
That ’ s why circling back on this is so important .
It ’ s always been the symbol of the Holocaust , and now it ’ s a prominent symbol for white supremacy .
So in our opinion , it has no place here.
” As a result , a petition created last year by neighbors calling for Johnson to remove the stone garden had gathered nearly 48,000 signatures by Saturday morning .
Johnson found himself in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrath last June , when aerial footage first captured the swastika , which measures about 10 feet by 10 feet .
He defended his decision to build the stone garden then , calling the design a “ Tibetan symbol ” of “ peace , tranquility and harmony.
” “ I like swastikas , ” he said then .
“ I think they look cool .
… I didn ’ t do it to get attention .
I ’ m not a worshiper of Nazis .
I just thought it ’ d be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Days later , after the community outrage , he covered up the garden in an apparent act of contrition .
On Friday , it was on full display on the right hand side of his front yard when Johnson refused to speak with a reporter who showed up at his home to discuss the symbol .
He did address the controversy in a thread on Nextdoor , a social networking app for neighborhoods .
“ Haven ’ t you people got a life ?
” he asked in the thread .
“ Did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the air ?
Whatever is in my front yard is my business .
And if you don ’ t like it , don ’ t look .
You don ’ t live on this street , and it ’ s a dead end , so there ’ s no reason to be on it .
So stay on your own terf [ sic ] and we ’ ll be fine .
… It ’ s part of my liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
” That pursuit is causing great unhappiness among other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think we should be staying silent about this issue , ” said resident Simr Mahal , a 27-year-old who studied peace and conflict resolution at UC Berkeley and is now studying for his law school admissions test .
“ If a person has a swastika and nobody says anything , it could lead to others turning up .
I would rather have the bigots fear the reaction of the community then have them think it ’ s smooth sailing.
” Chelsea Leland , a resident of the neighborhood and registered nurse in Contra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ garden is especially offensive within the context of the Black Lives Matter movement .
“ As a health care provider in this community , caring for all races , ethnicities , cultures and socioecomic status , it breaks my heart that a neighbor of mine would not only feel this way , but also be confident enough to display such a blatant symbol of hate in their front yard , ” she said .
Authorities have said that legally , Johnson is not violating any laws .
As such , neighbors said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to re-think the decision again .
“ I ’ m committing to do something to fight racism everyday , ” Erdmann said .
“ This is a situation where the actions of the community can really speak loudly and powerfully , and hopefully they will .
”

It’s beginning to feel a bit like deja vu for El Sobrante residents who say they are in no mood for hate symbols in their neighborhood.
But Steven Johnson’s creation — a stone garden in the shape of a Nazi swastika — is back to being displayed prominently in the front yard of his home on Lindell Drive. Now, barely a year after neighbors organized to call for Johnson to remove the concrete swastika, they’re doing so again.
“I don’t think it’s ever not been offensive,” area resident Charles Erdmann said Friday. “It’s just amplified that much more now. That’s why circling back on this is so important. It’s always been the symbol of the Holocaust, and now it’s a prominent symbol for white supremacy. So in our opinion, it has no place here.”
As a result, a petition created last year by neighbors calling for Johnson to remove the stone garden had gathered nearly 48,000 signatures by Saturday morning.
Johnson found himself in the eye of the people’s wrath last June, when aerial footage first captured the swastika, which measures about 10 feet by 10 feet. He defended his decision to build the stone garden then, calling the design a “Tibetan symbol” of “peace, tranquility and harmony.”
“I like swastikas,” he said then. “I think they look cool. … I didn’t do it to get attention. I’m not a worshiper of Nazis. I just thought it’d be a cool thing to put in there.”
Days later, after the community outrage, he covered up the garden in an apparent act of contrition.
On Friday, it was on full display on the right hand side of his front yard when Johnson refused to speak with a reporter who showed up at his home to discuss the symbol.
He did address the controversy in a thread on Nextdoor, a social networking app for neighborhoods.
“Haven’t you people got a life?” he asked in the thread. “Did your soap opera’s go off the air? Whatever is in my front yard is my business. And if you don’t like it, don’t look. You don’t live on this street, and it’s a dead end, so there’s no reason to be on it. So stay on your own terf [sic] and we’ll be fine. … It’s part of my liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
That pursuit is causing great unhappiness among other residents.
“I don’t think we should be staying silent about this issue,” said resident Simr Mahal, a 27-year-old who studied peace and conflict resolution at UC Berkeley and is now studying for his law school admissions test. “If a person has a swastika and nobody says anything, it could lead to others turning up. I would rather have the bigots fear the reaction of the community then have them think it’s smooth sailing.”
Chelsea Leland, a resident of the neighborhood and registered nurse in Contra Costa County, said Johnson’s garden is especially offensive within the context of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“As a health care provider in this community, caring for all races, ethnicities, cultures and socioecomic status, it breaks my heart that a neighbor of mine would not only feel this way, but also be confident enough to display such a blatant symbol of hate in their front yard,” she said.
Authorities have said that legally, Johnson is not violating any laws. As such, neighbors said they hope that community pressure will cause him to re-think the decision again.
“I’m committing to do something to fight racism everyday,” Erdmann said. “This is a situation where the actions of the community can really speak loudly and powerfully, and hopefully they will.”


mercurynews--2020-06-27--Calls for councilman to resign mark 5th weekend of Southern California protests

Calls for a Santa Clarita councilman to resign .
A Junípero Serra statue shrouded and chained by demonstrators .
And dance circles in North Hollywood Park .
Those were just a few of the actions taken by protesters throughout Los Angeles County on Friday , June 26 , and Saturday , June 27 , marking the fifth straight weekend of demonstrations against racial injustice and police brutality .
The protests began the week of Memorial Day , when George Floyd , a Black man in Minnesota , died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County kicked off Friday afternoon when about 75 people marched to the Sheriff ’ s Department ’ s Santa Clarita Station , where they demanded the resignation of City Councilman Bob Kellar , who in 2010 called himself a “ proud racist ” at a rally against illegal immigration .
Kellar stood by his remarks at the time , saying they reflected his frustration with illegal immigration , but weren ’ t intended to express animosity against nonwhites .
“ It doesn ’ t mean I ’ m going to saddle up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then .
Kellar has announced his plans to retire and will not run for re-election this year , but protesters on Friday said he should resign before the November election .
“ The young people are coming out here in Santa Clarita , ” protester Sedastian Cezaren said , “ and saying we ’ re not tolerating racism and bigotry , and we ’ re calling out our community and the people who are in power.
” On Saturday , about 50 people protested at the Mission San Fernando Rey de España in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statue of Junípero Serra — an 18th-century Spanish priest who founded several missions throughout modern-day California — with plastic tarps and chains around its neck .
On its face , a sign was taped calling Serra the “ Father of Genocide.
” Speakers at the event called Serra an invader of indigenous land and likened the mission to a “ concentration camp.
” “ We felt the necessity to come out here today , ” said Cozkacuauhtli Huitzilzenteotl , 48 , of Pacoima .
“ We saw the urgency .
This invader here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first mission was in 1769 , and they built them all the way until 1823 , and that ’ s genocide .
“ Before this was the U.S. , it was Mexico .
Before it was Mexico , it was indigenous lands.
” But a handful of people also showed up to defend Serra and the mission .
“ I know Father Junípero Serra has been slighted by the Native/indigenous that he was a bad man , ” said Johnny Romero , 54 , of San Fernando .
“ I think that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlight things , and they exaggerate things , and they make him out to be 10 times worse than he actually was , ” Romero added .
“ He ( did ) a lot of good things.
” Dozens of other demonstrations unfolded Saturday , including a roller-skating protest in Encino and a Black joy rally and dance in North Hollywood .
At the Black joy rally , the tone was markedly different from that of other demonstrations .
Attendees danced and clapped to upbeat music .
“ There ’ s a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our lives , and we felt we needed to uplift our people in the best way we know how , which is through dance and music and the arts , ” Daisha Graf , one of the organizers , said .
“ So we ’ re out here to heal and fill our cups so we can keep pushing forward .
“ It ’ s really exciting to see people coming together , ” she added , “ in a way I ’ ve never seen before .
”

Calls for a Santa Clarita councilman to resign. A Junípero Serra statue shrouded and chained by demonstrators. And dance circles in North Hollywood Park.
Those were just a few of the actions taken by protesters throughout Los Angeles County on Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27, marking the fifth straight weekend of demonstrations against racial injustice and police brutality.
The protests began the week of Memorial Day, when George Floyd, a Black man in Minnesota, died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes.
The most recent demonstrations in LA County kicked off Friday afternoon when about 75 people marched to the Sheriff’s Department’s Santa Clarita Station, where they demanded the resignation of City Councilman Bob Kellar, who in 2010 called himself a “proud racist” at a rally against illegal immigration.
Kellar stood by his remarks at the time, saying they reflected his frustration with illegal immigration, but weren’t intended to express animosity against nonwhites.
“It doesn’t mean I’m going to saddle up the horses at midnight,” he said then.
Kellar has announced his plans to retire and will not run for re-election this year, but protesters on Friday said he should resign before the November election.
“The young people are coming out here in Santa Clarita,” protester Sedastian Cezaren said, “and saying we’re not tolerating racism and bigotry, and we’re calling out our community and the people who are in power.”
On Saturday, about 50 people protested at the Mission San Fernando Rey de España in Mission Hills, where demonstrators covered a statue of Junípero Serra — an 18th-century Spanish priest who founded several missions throughout modern-day California — with plastic tarps and chains around its neck. On its face, a sign was taped calling Serra the “Father of Genocide.”
Speakers at the event called Serra an invader of indigenous land and likened the mission to a “concentration camp.”
“We felt the necessity to come out here today,” said Cozkacuauhtli Huitzilzenteotl, 48, of Pacoima. “We saw the urgency. This invader here before us — Junípero Serra — the first mission was in 1769, and they built them all the way until 1823, and that’s genocide.
“Before this was the U.S., it was Mexico. Before it was Mexico, it was indigenous lands.”
But a handful of people also showed up to defend Serra and the mission.
“I know Father Junípero Serra has been slighted by the Native/indigenous that he was a bad man,” said Johnny Romero, 54, of San Fernando. “I think that’s completely revisionist history.
“They highlight things, and they exaggerate things, and they make him out to be 10 times worse than he actually was,” Romero added. “He (did) a lot of good things.”
Dozens of other demonstrations unfolded Saturday, including a roller-skating protest in Encino and a Black joy rally and dance in North Hollywood.
At the Black joy rally, the tone was markedly different from that of other demonstrations. Attendees danced and clapped to upbeat music.
“There’s a lot of sadness, a lot of heaviness in our lives, and we felt we needed to uplift our people in the best way we know how, which is through dance and music and the arts,” Daisha Graf, one of the organizers, said. “So we’re out here to heal and fill our cups so we can keep pushing forward.
“It’s really exciting to see people coming together,” she added, “in a way I’ve never seen before.”
City News Service contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-06-27--Fremont: Graffiti being investigated as a hate crime

FREMONT — Police are treating as a hate crime graffiti that was found this week in the Centerville neighborhood .
@ @ @ @ @ occasion since February that officers have taken reports about graffiti depicting racist and offensive terms @ @ @ @ @ site at an apartment complex in the area of Moraine Street and Bonde way , @ @ @ @ @ the graffiti has been found on construction equipment and supplies .
Detectives have been assigned @ @ @ @ @ case .
But in a community alert issued Friday investigators also said they currently have @ @ @ @ @ .
Anyone with information can contact the police department ’ s investigative unit at 510-790-6900 @

FREMONT — Police are treating as a hate crime graffiti that was found this week in the Centerville neighborhood.
The incident marks the third occasion since February that officers have taken reports about graffiti depicting racist and offensive terms and symbols at a construction site at an apartment complex in the area of Moraine Street and Bonde way, police said.
All of the graffiti has been found on construction equipment and supplies.
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Ex-Mississippi police officers plead guilty to torturing Black men Crime and Public Safety | Hair relaxers have been linked to cancer among Black women, litigation says. ‘Nobody cares except us.’
Hair relaxers have been linked to cancer among Black women, litigation says. ‘Nobody cares except us.’ Crime and Public Safety | Contra Costa DA attempts to block publicization of new racist texts by Antioch cops Detectives have been assigned and are actively investigating the case. But in a community alert issued Friday investigators also said they currently have no suspect information or leads.
Anyone with information can contact the police department’s investigative unit at 510-790-6900.


mercurynews--2020-06-27--San Jose lowriders bring coronavirus relief to Gilroy farmworkers

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Dozens of lowriders in Chevrolet Bel Airs and El Caminos and Plymouth convertibles led a car caravan from San Jose to Gilroy to deliver food , masks and other household goods to farmworkers in Gilroy on Saturday morning .
The caravan , joined by cars decorated with signs thanking agricultural workers , wove through orchards and fields growing corn , onions and Gilroy ’ s famed garlic .
For the lowriders , part of a rich Latinx car culture , it was important to honor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Going through the fields and being Chicano , being born and raised in California … we all come from the field one way or another , ” said David Polanco , president of the United Lowrider Council of San Jose .
“ It ’ s just another generation .
It ’ s humbling in a way.
” He led the drive in his turquoise 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air with the name of his individual lowrider club , Tu Sabes ( You Know ) , in a plaque above the back seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cherry red Plymouth Valiant Signet 200 and a green custom 1936 Ford convertible .
Darlene Tenes , who worked in event planning for her company , CasaQ , before the pandemic , organized the caravan , her third so far .
She ’ d earlier planned drives to Salinas and to San Juan Bautista .
“ It ’ s an extinct career , so I might as well use my skills for something good , ” she said .
The event was organized with the San Jose Woman ’ s Club and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charities of Santa Clara County , which brought volunteers to the parking lot of St. Mary ’ s Church in Gilroy where families could come by to pick up the donated goods .
Tenes said it ’ s critical to bring aid to farmworkers , who have been essential workers throughout the pandemic , because they are at high risk of contracting COVID-19 .
Many live in crowded housing and are packed into buses on the way to and from fields .
For their backbreaking work , Tenes said they ’ re often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 15,000 a year .
Recently , photos have gone viral online showing unharvested fruits and vegetables rotting in fields , Tenes said .
“ It ’ s because farmworkers are getting sick , ” she said .
“ Even though there ’ s tens of millions of people unemployed , they don ’ t want to work the fields.
” Although farmworkers are essential workers , Tenes said she had a hard time collecting donations from foundations and nonprofits set to help at-risk workers .
Most turned her away , saying they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grow and harvest all the food in grocery stores and restaurants to be frontline workers .
Besides the risk of infection , farmworkers in Gilroy have also been heavily affected by the economic crisis , according to the Rev .
Michael Hendrickson .
He ’ s the pastor at St. Mary ’ s , where it ’ s not unusual to see a couple of lowriders parked in the church lot during Mass .
“ Between unemployment and cut-back hours , it ’ s been devastating , ” he said .
Leticia Garcia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 years , most recently as a sorter .
Her arms and feet hurt after standing for eight hours at a time , she said .
With the coronavirus , her hours have been cut , she said .
Her pay , $ 15 an hour , is barely enough for her rent , which is $ 2,000 a month but often goes up twice a year .
“ It ’ s not enough for everything else , ” she said .
“ It ’ s a lot of bills.
” She was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which besides staples such as rice , pasta and fruits and vegetables included female hygienic products , masks , sanitizer and even straw hats for farmworkers .
“ It ’ s a lot of help because what we get here , we don ’ t need to buy , ” Garcia said .
A nonprofit set up on the church grounds has been feeding about 3,000 families a week , according to Hendrickson , who said that it can be hard to get aid specifically to farmworkers because they are often busy working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardest to keep us fed , they themselves are at risk of hunger , ” Hendrickson said .
“ This is long overdue .
”

CLICK HERE if you are having trouble viewing the gallery on your mobile device.
Dozens of lowriders in Chevrolet Bel Airs and El Caminos and Plymouth convertibles led a car caravan from San Jose to Gilroy to deliver food, masks and other household goods to farmworkers in Gilroy on Saturday morning.
The caravan, joined by cars decorated with signs thanking agricultural workers, wove through orchards and fields growing corn, onions and Gilroy’s famed garlic. For the lowriders, part of a rich Latinx car culture, it was important to honor and support the heavily Latinx immigrant farmworkers.
“Going through the fields and being Chicano, being born and raised in California … we all come from the field one way or another,” said David Polanco, president of the United Lowrider Council of San Jose. “It’s just another generation. It’s humbling in a way.”
He led the drive in his turquoise 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air with the name of his individual lowrider club, Tu Sabes (You Know), in a plaque above the back seat. Among the cars following was a cherry red Plymouth Valiant Signet 200 and a green custom 1936 Ford convertible.
Darlene Tenes, who worked in event planning for her company, CasaQ, before the pandemic, organized the caravan, her third so far. She’d earlier planned drives to Salinas and to San Juan Bautista.
“It’s an extinct career, so I might as well use my skills for something good,” she said.
The event was organized with the San Jose Woman’s Club and the lowrider council, as well as Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, which brought volunteers to the parking lot of St. Mary’s Church in Gilroy where families could come by to pick up the donated goods.
Tenes said it’s critical to bring aid to farmworkers, who have been essential workers throughout the pandemic, because they are at high risk of contracting COVID-19. Many live in crowded housing and are packed into buses on the way to and from fields. For their backbreaking work, Tenes said they’re often paid as little as $12,000 to $15,000 a year.
Recently, photos have gone viral online showing unharvested fruits and vegetables rotting in fields, Tenes said.
“It’s because farmworkers are getting sick,” she said. “Even though there’s tens of millions of people unemployed, they don’t want to work the fields.”
Although farmworkers are essential workers, Tenes said she had a hard time collecting donations from foundations and nonprofits set to help at-risk workers. Most turned her away, saying they didn’t consider the farmworkers who grow and harvest all the food in grocery stores and restaurants to be frontline workers.
Besides the risk of infection, farmworkers in Gilroy have also been heavily affected by the economic crisis, according to the Rev. Michael Hendrickson. He’s the pastor at St. Mary’s, where it’s not unusual to see a couple of lowriders parked in the church lot during Mass.
“Between unemployment and cut-back hours, it’s been devastating,” he said.
Leticia Garcia has worked in the garlic fields for 13 years, most recently as a sorter. Her arms and feet hurt after standing for eight hours at a time, she said. With the coronavirus, her hours have been cut, she said. Her pay, $15 an hour, is barely enough for her rent, which is $2,000 a month but often goes up twice a year.
“It’s not enough for everything else,” she said. “It’s a lot of bills.”
She was thankful for the goods being donated, which besides staples such as rice, pasta and fruits and vegetables included female hygienic products, masks, sanitizer and even straw hats for farmworkers.
“It’s a lot of help because what we get here, we don’t need to buy,” Garcia said.
A nonprofit set up on the church grounds has been feeding about 3,000 families a week, according to Hendrickson, who said that it can be hard to get aid specifically to farmworkers because they are often busy working long hours.
“Those who work hardest to keep us fed, they themselves are at risk of hunger,” Hendrickson said. “This is long overdue.”


mercurynews--2020-06-27--Highway 1 collision near Monterey kills one driver

The cause of a collision that killed a driver Friday afternoon on state Highway 1 in the Monterey area is @ @ @ @ @ Highway Patrol .
The CHP responded just after 3 p.m. to the crash scene on @ @ @ @ @ Highway 156 , where a blue 2013 VW Tiguan slowed down for unknown reasons and @ @ @ @ @ a white 2019 Ford F250 .
The driver of the VW was taken to Natividad @ @ @ @ @ dead .
The Monterey County Coroner ’ s Office will notify next of kin before @ @ @ @ @ driver .
The driver of the pickup , Kevin Johnson , 49 , of Ellijay @ @ @ @ @ .
• Still in her wedding dress , a new bride calms accident victim • @ @ @ @ @ died in Lucky store confrontation had methamphetamine in his system • 3 dead after being @ @ @ @ @ beach Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be factors in the crash , the @ @ @

By Bay City News Service
The cause of a collision that killed a driver Friday afternoon on state Highway 1 in the Monterey area is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP responded just after 3 p.m. to the crash scene on northbound Highway 1 past state Highway 156, where a blue 2013 VW Tiguan
slowed down for unknown reasons and was struck from behind by a white 2019 Ford F250.
The driver of the VW was taken to Natividad Medical Center and was pronounced dead. The Monterey County Coroner’s Office will notify next of kin before releasing the identity of the driver.
The driver of the pickup, Kevin Johnson, 49, of Ellijay, Georgia, was uninjured.


mercurynews--2020-06-27--Princeton will remove Woodrow Wilson’s name from school

Princeton University will remove Woodrow Wilson ’ s name from its public policy school and one of its residential colleges , the university ’ s president said Saturday .
The university ’ s board of trustees found that Wilson ’ s “ racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school or college whose scholars , students , and alumni must stand firmly against racism in all its forms , ” Princeton ’ s president , Christopher Eisgruber , said in a statement .
“ Wilson ’ s racism was significant and consequential even by the standards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Wilson was the university ’ s president from 1902 to 1910 .
Monmouth University , also in New Jersey , said last week that it would remove Wilson ’ s name from its marquee building after administrators , professors and students said that the former president held abhorrent views on race and reinstituted segregation in the federal workforce .
The decision contrasted with a vote by Princeton ’ s trustees in 2016 to keep Wilson ’ s name on campus buildings and programs , despite student protests that led to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs sent a letter dated June 22 to the university ’ s administration asking for the school ’ s name to be changed , among a list of other demands .
Renaming the school is “ the most basic step the university could have taken , ” said Ally McGowen , a rising senior at the public policy school , who is Black .
The students behind the letter said the university had not consulted with them before its announcement Saturday .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McGowen said .
The students had asked that the university underwrite research into reparations and that the public policy school ’ s faculty and curriculum be diversified .
The students noted their demands are “ nothing new , ” having been raised in 2015 by students in the Black Justice League at the university .
The discomfort over the school ’ s name was widespread , said Ananya Agustin Malhotra , a 2020 graduate of the policy school .
Princeton had already planned to retire the former president ’ s name from Wilson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,000 students that includes dormitories , dining facilities and extracurricular programming .
But rather than asking students “ to identify with the name of a racist president for the next two years , ” Princeton will “ accelerate ” the retiring of the name , Eisgruber said .
The community will be renamed First College , acknowledging its history as one of the first residential colleges at Princeton , AnneMarie Luijendijk , head of the college and a professor of religion , said in a note to students .
Luijendijk said she “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students to “ cheer for Wilson ” during intramural sporting events .
The renaming is an important step , she said , adding that students often struggled with the “ constant reminder ” of Wilson ’ s actions .
Julia Chaffers , a Black Princeton student who resided in the college , wrote in a 2018 opinion piece for the university ’ s newspaper that upon entering Princeton , she “ felt a mix of excitement for the coming adventures but also a discomfort with the name I would now be adopting as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residential college after Wilson , while ignoring the fact that he did not believe white and Black people belonged on equal terms in the same spaces , is ridiculous , ” Chaffers wrote .
• Calls for councilman to resign mark 5th weekend of Southern California protests • NWSL players take a knee during national anthem as Courage prevail The college is not affiliated with the Pennsylvania liberal arts college of the same name .

The New York Times News Service Syndicate

Princeton University will remove Woodrow Wilson’s name from its public policy school and one of its residential colleges, the university’s president said Saturday.
The university’s board of trustees found that Wilson’s “racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school or college whose scholars, students, and alumni must stand firmly against racism in all its forms,” Princeton’s president, Christopher Eisgruber, said in a statement.
“Wilson’s racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time,” Eisgruber said. Wilson was the university’s president from 1902 to 1910.
Monmouth University, also in New Jersey, said last week that it would remove Wilson’s name from its marquee building after administrators, professors and students said that the former president held abhorrent views on race and reinstituted segregation in the federal workforce.
The decision contrasted with a vote by Princeton’s trustees in 2016 to keep Wilson’s name on campus buildings and programs, despite student protests that led to a review of his legacy there.
Students in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs sent a letter dated June 22 to the university’s administration asking for the school’s name to be changed, among a list of other demands.
Renaming the school is “the most basic step the university could have taken,” said Ally McGowen, a rising senior at the public policy school, who is Black. The students behind the letter said the university had not consulted with them before its announcement Saturday.
“This is more than a name,” McGowen said. The students had asked that the university underwrite research into reparations and that the public policy school’s faculty and curriculum be diversified. The students noted their demands are “nothing new,” having been raised in 2015 by students in the Black Justice League at the university.
[vemba-video id=”us/2020/06/27/princeton-university-woodrow-wilson-name-building-sot-vpx-nr.cnn”]
The discomfort over the school’s name was widespread, said Ananya Agustin Malhotra, a 2020 graduate of the policy school.
Princeton had already planned to retire the former president’s name from Wilson College, a residential community of about 1,000 students that includes dormitories, dining facilities and extracurricular programming. But rather than asking students “to identify with the name of a racist president for the next two years,” Princeton will “accelerate” the retiring of the name, Eisgruber said.
The community will be renamed First College, acknowledging its history as one of the first residential colleges at Princeton, AnneMarie Luijendijk, head of the college and a professor of religion, said in a note to students.
Luijendijk said she “always found it hard” to ask students to “cheer for Wilson” during intramural sporting events. The renaming is an important step, she said, adding that students often struggled with the “constant reminder” of Wilson’s actions.
Julia Chaffers, a Black Princeton student who resided in the college, wrote in a 2018 opinion piece for the university’s newspaper that upon entering Princeton, she “felt a mix of excitement for the coming adventures but also a discomfort with the name I would now be adopting as my home.”
“To name a residential college after Wilson, while ignoring the fact that he did not believe white and Black people belonged on equal terms in the same spaces, is ridiculous,” Chaffers wrote.


mercurynews--2020-06-27--NWSL players take a knee during national anthem as Courage prevail

Every player from the North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns took a knee during the U.S. national anthem and wore t-shirts with the slogan “ Black Lives Matter ” prior to their National Women ’ s Soccer League ( NWSL ) match on Saturday .
In a joint statement , the players said they did so to protest racial injustice , police brutality and systemic racism against Black people and other people of color in America .
“ We love our country and we have taken this opportunity to hold it to a higher standard , ” the players said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand that the liberties and freedoms this nation was founded upon are extended to everyone.
” The protest was popularized by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016 and the gesture has again gained steam following the death of George Floyd , a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis last month .
Saturday ’ s match in suburban Salt Lake City , Utah , marked the first time a major North American league has returned to action since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak , which upended the sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevailed 2-1 over the Thorns after Lynn Williams headed in the game-winner in stoppage time to kick off the month-long Challenge Cup tournament .
“ I think we have things to work on , ” Williams said .
“ I have to work on my finishing , there ’ s some rust in there , but overall I couldn ’ t ask for anything better than to come out with a win.
” Later on Saturday the Washington Spirit will take on the Chicago Red Stars .
Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Reuters
Every player from the North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns took a knee during the U.S. national anthem and wore t-shirts with the slogan “Black Lives Matter” prior to their National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) match on Saturday.
In a joint statement, the players said they did so to protest racial injustice, police brutality and systemic racism against Black people and other people of color in America.
“We love our country and we have taken this opportunity to hold it to a higher standard,” the players said.
“It is our duty to demand that the liberties and freedoms this nation was founded upon are extended to everyone.”
The protest was popularized by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016 and the gesture has again gained steam following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis last month.
Saturday’s match in suburban Salt Lake City, Utah, marked the first time a major North American league has returned to action since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, which upended the sports calendar in March.
The favored Courage prevailed 2-1 over the Thorns after Lynn Williams headed in the game-winner in stoppage time to kick off the month-long Challenge Cup tournament.
“I think we have things to work on,” Williams said.
“I have to work on my finishing, there’s some rust in there, but overall I couldn’t ask for anything better than to come out with a win.”
Later on Saturday the Washington Spirit will take on the Chicago Red Stars.
Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; editing by Pritha Sarkar.


mercurynews--2020-06-28--Pitts: Suddenly, America is the nation that can’t vote straight

This is an emergency .
Election Day is little more than four months off , voters facing their most important choice since 1860 : Donald Trump or America ?
It ’ s a decision that will define the future .
And millions of us wonder if we ’ ll get to have our say .
Such is the state of things seven years almost to the day since the Supreme Court disemboweled The Voting Rights Act of 1965 , specifically the section requiring states and municipalities with histories of voting discrimination to obtain federal approval before changing their balloting procedures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice John Roberts justified the ruling by pointing out that the racial disparities in voter registration and turnout that existed in 1965 no longer did .
In other words , the fact that the Act worked proved it was no longer needed .
The ensuing years have made him look like a fool .
With the Act out of the way , Republicans have unleashed an explosion of measures — purges , shutdown of early voting , attacks on absentee ballots , closure of polling places — all putatively to fight voter fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t exist , the GOP , not accidentally , created one that is very real , making voting an endurance test for people of color .
African Americans now wait longer to vote , have fewer places to do so and face more obstacles along the way than they have in 55 years .
And suddenly America is the nation that can ’ t vote straight , every Election Day yielding fresh embarrassments .
Georgia ’ s recent primary , for instance , was a nightmare of closed polling places , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one observer to dub it “ a hot , flaming f— mess.
” Kentucky was never covered by the Act , but perhaps should have been based on its recent primary .
The state closed almost all of its nearly 3,700 polling places , leaving voters with just 170 , supposedly because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Louisville , a city of 620,000 people , nearly one in four of them black , had just one polling place .
This sort of thing is incompatible with representative democracy .
It gives the lie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And it makes clear that restoring the Voting Rights Act will not be enough .
It ’ s time for a new Voting Rights Act , one that in addition to its previous protections , also enshrines the right of voting by mail , restores to ex-felons the right to register and vote , removes the power to draw district lines from politicians and places it with nonpartisan commissions , invalidates photo ID laws and requires that a reasonable number of polling stations and working polling machines be made available .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this would be controversial .
In this democracy , the seven years since the Voting Rights Act fell have been met mostly with congressional silence .
The Democrats have said little , the Republicans less .
The GOP ’ s odds of victory rise as the participation of black voters declines , so their silence makes a certain sense .
But Democrats have no excuse .
If the party takes control of Congress in November , there will be an understandable push to prioritize issues like police reform or health care .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing is more critical than passage of a new Voting Rights Act .
Seven years ago , Rep. John Lewis , one of the heroes of the 1965 campaign , surveyed the damage the court had done and asked plaintively , “ Can history repeat itself ?
” The answer is yes .
The struggle of 55 years ago tells us that ’ s a reason to despair .
And paradoxically , also a reason to hope .

This is an emergency.
Election Day is little more than four months off, voters facing their most important choice since 1860: Donald Trump or America? It’s a decision that will define the future.
And millions of us wonder if we’ll get to have our say.
Such is the state of things seven years almost to the day since the Supreme Court disemboweled The Voting Rights Act of 1965, specifically the section requiring states and municipalities with histories of voting discrimination to obtain federal approval before changing their balloting procedures.
Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts justified the ruling by pointing out that the racial disparities in voter registration and turnout that existed in 1965 no longer did. In other words, the fact that the Act worked proved it was no longer needed. The ensuing years have made him look like a fool.
With the Act out of the way, Republicans have unleashed an explosion of measures — purges, shutdown of early voting, attacks on absentee ballots, closure of polling places — all putatively to fight voter fraud. But in fixing a problem that doesn’t exist, the GOP, not accidentally, created one that is very real, making voting an endurance test for people of color. African Americans now wait longer to vote, have fewer places to do so and face more obstacles along the way than they have in 55 years.
And suddenly America is the nation that can’t vote straight, every Election Day yielding fresh embarrassments. Georgia’s recent primary, for instance, was a nightmare of closed polling places, broken machines and long lines, prompting one observer to dub it “a hot, flaming f— mess.” Kentucky was never covered by the Act, but perhaps should have been based on its recent primary. The state closed almost all of its nearly 3,700 polling places, leaving voters with just 170, supposedly because of the coronavirus pandemic. Louisville, a city of 620,000 people, nearly one in four of them black, had just one polling place.
Enough.
This sort of thing is incompatible with representative democracy. It gives the lie to everything America claims to be. And it makes clear that restoring the Voting Rights Act will not be enough. It’s time for a new Voting Rights Act, one that in addition to its previous protections, also enshrines the right of voting by mail, restores to ex-felons the right to register and vote, removes the power to draw district lines from politicians and places it with nonpartisan commissions, invalidates photo ID laws and requires that a reasonable number of polling stations and working polling machines be made available.
In a democracy that took democracy seriously, none of this would be controversial. In this democracy, the seven years since the Voting Rights Act fell have been met mostly with congressional silence. The Democrats have said little, the Republicans less. The GOP’s odds of victory rise as the participation of black voters declines, so their silence makes a certain sense. But Democrats have no excuse.
If the party takes control of Congress in November, there will be an understandable push to prioritize issues like police reform or health care. And these things are critical. But nothing is more critical than passage of a new Voting Rights Act.
Seven years ago, Rep. John Lewis, one of the heroes of the 1965 campaign, surveyed the damage the court had done and asked plaintively, “Can history repeat itself?” The answer is yes. The struggle of 55 years ago tells us that’s a reason to despair.
And paradoxically, also a reason to hope.
Leonard Pitts Jr. is a Miami Herald columnist.