mercurynews--2020-05-31--The Latest: Colombia to shut down Bogota neighborhood

By The Associated Press The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic .
The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness or death .
— Greece won ’ t limit tourists but will do testing .
— Alaska to require COVID-19 testing for air travelers coming into the state .
— New York governor signs bill granting death benefits to families of health workers and other public servants who have died from COVID-19 .
— Istanbul ’ s Grand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lift restrictions .
BOGOTA , Colombia — The mayor of Colombia ’ s capital is planning to shut down one of the city ’ s largest neighborhoods as cases there continue to rise .
Mayor Claudia Lopez said Saturday that starting June 1st the working-class Kennedy area – home to nearly 1.5 million people – will be under a strict quarantine .
Police and military will enforce the lockdown and no one will be allowed out , except to seek food or medical care or in case of an emergency .
Businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operate will be ordered closed .
Lopez said that testing for the virus will be doubled .
The Kennedy area was inaugurated by late U.S. President John F. Kennedy , who visited Bogota in 1961 as part of the Alliance for Progress .
The area today has more nearly 2,500 cases and hospitals there are reaching maximum capacity .
Lopez said that in the rest of Bogota no new sectors of the economy will be allowed to reopen until at least the middle of June .
ATHENS — Greek officials said Saturday said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tourists to those from a list of 29 nations , but travelers from countries not on the list will be subject to mandatory testing on arrival and a period of quarantine depending on test results .
The policy will only be applied during the final two weeks of June , although Greek authorities left open the prospect of additional restrictions after that date .
The list announced Friday includes Albania , Australia , Austria , North Macedonia , Bulgaria , Germany , Denmark , Switzerland , Estonia , Japan , Israel , China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanon , New Zealand , Lithuania , Malta , Montenegro , Norway , South Korea , Hungary , Romania , Serbia , Slovakia , Slovenia , Czech Republic and Finland .
Arrivals from those countries will be tested randomly .
The list was drawn up based on a document from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency .
ANCHORAGE , Alaska — Republican Gov .
Mike Dunleavy says travelers to Alaska will have to be tested for COVID-19 before boarding a plane to the state , or submit to a 14-day quarantine upon arrival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proof of testing within 72 hours of boarding and fill out paperwork .
If either test results or paperwork are lost , travelers will be subjected to another test at the airport or quarantine for two weeks .
Dunleavy also extended the state ’ s 14-day quarantine rule until the new policy begins Friday .
Further policy changes are expected to be clarified Monday .
NEW YORK — New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo signed a bill Saturday granting death benefits to the families of police officers , public health workers and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
The bill passed by state lawmakers provides an accidental death benefit that is more substantial than the regular death benefit that public workers ’ families receive .
Dozens of police officers , public health workers , transit workers and paramedics have died of COVID-19 in the months since New York became the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States .
Cuomo said 67 people died of COVID-19 in the state on Friday , the same number as Thursday and a steep drop from the height of New York ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 700 people were dying of the disease daily .
ISTANBUL — Disinfection teams swept Istanbul ’ s Grand Bazaar and the resumption of domestic flights was announced Saturday as Turkey prepared to lift many remaining coronavirus restrictions .
Teams scrubbed the floors of the 15th century bazaar , which has been closed since March 23 , ahead of Monday ’ s return to business .
The chair of the bazaar ’ s board of directors said shoppers would have their temperatures checked on entry and visitor numbers would be restricted .
The transport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Istanbul , Ankara , Izmir , Antalya and Trabzon would restart Monday , with others following gradually .
On Saturday evening Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced 983 new cases of coronavirus over the previous 24 hours , taking Turkey ’ s total number of cases to 163,103 .
In a tweet , he said there had been 26 deaths from the virus over the same period , bringing the overall death toll to 4,515 .
A weekend lockdown was reimposed in 15 provinces , including Istanbul and Ankara .
A stay-at-home order for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also remained in place .
ROME — Italy added 111 new victims to the country ’ s official death toll from the new coronavirus and 416 new infections as it prepares to relax travel restrictions next week .
The increases bring the official death toll to 33,340 and are in line with recent daily tallies , suggesting the contagion is under control nearly four weeks after the country began gingerly loosening a strict lockdown in what has been the epicenter of the European pandemic .
On Friday , the Health Ministry said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no critical problems , giving the go-ahead for relaxation on travel starting Wednesday .
Some regional governors , however , are insisting on restrictions for visitors from hard-hit Lombardy , or for tourists to certify they are negative .
The regional affairs minister has said such measures are unconstitutional since the Italian constitution prevents any region from inhibiting the free circulation of people .
ATHENS — No new deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in the past 48 hours in Greece , and there have been just seven new infections since Friday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total number of confirmed infections is now 2,915 , with 175 fatalities .
There are 14 patients on ventilators , while 106 have exited intensive care units .
Authorities have tested 178,316 people for the new coronavirus .
BUCHAREST , Romania — Romania ’ s prime minister has paid fines totaling about $ 600 for smoking indoors and holding a meeting in a government building where several Cabinet ministers and other participants did not follow social distancing rules .
In a photograph published in Romanian media , Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottles of alcohol on a table .
No one in the photo wore a mask or maintained the required spacing .
Orban told the Mediafax news agency that the picture was taken on May 25 , his birthday .
The foreign minister and economy minister of Romania were among those attending .
SKOPJE , North Macedonia — North Macedonia has decided to extend a state of emergency for another two weeks because the coronavirus pandemic shows no sign of slowing down .
President Stevo Pendarovski announced the extension of on Saturday following a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The country ’ s health authorities reported five new deaths and 35 infections in the previous 24 hours , days after the government allowed bars , cafes and restaurants to reopen .
The government does not plan to make the establishments close again .
North Macedonia had a total of 2,146 confirmed virus cases as of Saturday , including 131 deaths .
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is reciting a special prayer for the end of the coronavirus pandemic surrounded by a representative sampling of people on the front lines .
Francis held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday evening .
He was joined in the Vatican Gardens by a doctor , a nurse , a hospital chaplain , a pharmacist , a journalist and a civil protection official .
A recovered COVID-19 patient , a person with a relative who died during Italy ’ s outbreak , and the parents of a baby born during the emergency also were among the pope ’ s more than 100 guests for the prayer at the grotto dedicated to the Virgin Mary .
In March , the Vatican followed Italy in locking down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the crowd on Saturday wore protective masks ; Francis didn ’ t .
The Marian prayer is celebrated each year at the end of the Catholic Church ’ s monthlong tribute to Mary in May .
This year , the Vatican said the pope ’ s recitation of the Rosary was being done simultaneously at more than 40 Marian shrines around the world .
NEW DELHI — India is extending its ongoing lockdown in designated coronavirus containment zones until June 30 but will allow all economic activities to restart in a phased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rise in its major cities .
India ’ s Home Ministry said in a directive issued Saturday that a reopening phase set to start Monday is called Unlock 1 .
The directive said religious sites and places of worship , hotels , restaurants and other hospitality services and shopping malls will be allowed to reopen outside all containment zones starting June 8 .
Subways , schools and colleges will remain shuttered nationwide and only be allowed to reopen after further assessment of the situation in July , according to the directive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , allowing shops to reopen , manufacturing to resume , some trains and domestic flights to operate .
The country , which has a population of 1.3 billion , has reported 173,763 confirmed virus cases , including more than 4,970 deaths .
PARIS — The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged the United States to “ reconsider ” its decision to break ties with the World Health Organization .
In a joint statement Vice-President Josep Borrell , von der Leyen says “ global cooperation and solidarity through multilateral efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win this battle the world is facing.
” She says the American decision to part ways with the United Nations health agency during the coronavirus crisis will “ weaken international results ” in fighting future pandemics .
Von der Leyen adds the European Union has already provided additional WHO funding .
For the WHO , to lead an international response in health emergencies , “ the participation and support of all is required and very much needed.
” ROME — Italy ’ s foreign minister is warning that the European Union will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like lepers over the coronavirus and “ black list ” Europe ’ s one-time virus epicenter during the summer tourism season .
Luigi Di Maio posted a blistering Facebook message Saturday after Greece excluded Italians — as well as nationals from Spain , Britain and other countries with high infection rates — from the list of foreign tourists it will welcome this summer .
Di Maio said competition for tourism is one thing , but he insisted that it be healthy and fair in demanding a European response to the reopening of EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ If you act differently and dislocated , the EU spirit will be lost .
And Europe will collapse.
” Di Maio praised French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian for making his first post-lockdown visit to Italy on Wednesday .
Di Maio said he would be traveling to Germany , Slovenia and Greece in the upcoming week to make the case that Italy is ready to receive foreign tourists .
Tourism and its related industries account for some 13 % of Italy ’ s GDP .
GAZA CITY , Gaza Strip — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Palestinian territories for the first time in two months for final exams .
The Education Ministry said Saturday that 78,400 12th-graders are taking the exams in the West Bank and Gaza Strip .
Schools have been closed since March as part of Palestinian efforts to contain the coronavirus .
In Gaza , police and paramedics took students ’ temperatures as they entered , and the students sat spaced apart in classrooms .
The Palestinian Authority , which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank , has reported more than 380 confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Authorities have reported 61 cases and one death in Gaza , which has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power in 2007 .
All the cases in Gaza have been detected inside quarantine facilities housing returnees from abroad .
MOSCOW — Russia has recorded nearly 9,000 new cases of the coronavirus , roughly consistent with the increases reported over the past two weeks .
The national coronavirus task force said Saturday that 4,555 Russians have died of COVID-19 and 396,575 infections have been confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared with other countries has prompted skepticism domestically and abroad .
In a bid to dispel suspicions that authorities are trying to lower the death toll for political reasons , Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova explained Friday that Russia ’ s count contains only those confirmed to have died of the infection , but she also gave figures for people who tested positive for the virus but died of other causes .
If all categories are counted as COVID-19 deaths , the nation ’ s total toll for April would stand at 2,713 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the previously announced number .
CAIRO — Egypt on Saturday ordered its people to wear face masks in public , when taking private transportation , and inside government offices as it eases the partial lockdown imposed during the weeklong Muslim holiday of Eid- el-Fitr .
Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly said violators will be fined .
He said the nationwide curfew will be 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for another two weeks .
Egypt , the Arab World ’ s most populous country , has seen a jump of daily reported infections in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 879 deaths among 22,082 confirmed cases .
The country of 100 million people has the highest announced deaths from COVID-19 in the Arab World .
Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

By The Associated Press
The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.
TOP OF THE HOUR:
— South Korea reports 27 new virus cases, including 21 from Seoul
— Colombia to shut down Bogota neighborhood amid rising virus cases
— Greece won’t limit tourists but will do testing.
— Alaska to require COVID-19 testing for air travelers coming into the state.
— New York governor signs bill granting death benefits to families of health workers and other public servants who have died from COVID-19.
___
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has reported 27 new cases of the coronavirus, including 21 from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where officials have been scrambling to stem transmissions linked to club-goers and warehouse workers.
The figures announced by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday brought national totals to 11,468 cases and 270 deaths. Twelve of the new cases were linked to international arrivals.
South Korea was reporting about 500 new cases per day in early March but had seemed to stabilize its outbreak with aggressive tracking and tracing, which allowed authorities to ease social distancing guidelines.
But cases in the greater capital area have been rising steadily again since May amid increased public activity, causing alarm as millions of children have begun returning to schools.
On Saturday, KCDC senior official Kwon Jun-wook said at least 108 infections were linked to workers or visitors at a warehouse of local e-commerce giant Coupang, which has seen orders spike amid the epidemic.
Around 270 other infections have been linked to nightclubs and other entertainment venues, which saw huge crowds in early May amid the relaxed atmosphere on social distancing.
___
BOGOTA, Colombia — The mayor of Colombia’s capital is planning to shut down one of the city’s largest neighborhoods as cases there continue to rise.
Mayor Claudia Lopez said Saturday that starting June 1st the working-class Kennedy area – home to nearly 1.5 million people – will be under a strict quarantine.
Police and military will enforce the lockdown and no one will be allowed out, except to seek food or medical care or in case of an emergency.
Businesses like manufacturing that had been allowed to operate will be ordered closed. Lopez said that testing for the virus will be doubled.
The Kennedy area was inaugurated by late U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who visited Bogota in 1961 as part of the Alliance for Progress.
The area today has more nearly 2,500 cases and hospitals there are reaching maximum capacity.
Lopez said that in the rest of Bogota no new sectors of the economy will be allowed to reopen until at least the middle of June.
___
ATHENS — Greek officials said Saturday said that the country will not limit incoming tourists to those from a list of 29 nations, but travelers from countries not on the list will be subject to mandatory testing on arrival and a period of quarantine depending on test results.
The policy will only be applied during the final two weeks of June, although Greek authorities left open the prospect of additional restrictions after that date.
The list announced Friday includes Albania, Australia, Austria, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, Israel, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lebanon, New Zealand, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, South Korea, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Finland.
Arrivals from those countries will be tested randomly.
The list was drawn up based on a document from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
___
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy says travelers to Alaska will have to be tested for COVID-19 before boarding a plane to the state, or submit to a 14-day quarantine upon arrival.
Out-of-state travelers will need to show proof of testing within 72 hours of boarding and fill out paperwork. If either test results or paperwork are lost, travelers will be subjected to another test at the airport or quarantine for two weeks.
Dunleavy also extended the state’s 14-day quarantine rule until the new policy begins Friday.
Further policy changes are expected to be clarified Monday.
___
NEW YORK — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill Saturday granting death benefits to the families of police officers, public health workers and other front-line workers who have died of the coronavirus.
The bill passed by state lawmakers provides an accidental death benefit that is more substantial than the regular death benefit that public workers’ families receive. Dozens of police officers, public health workers, transit workers and paramedics have died of COVID-19 in the months since New York became the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States.
Cuomo said 67 people died of COVID-19 in the state on Friday, the same number as Thursday and a steep drop from the height of New York’s outbreak in April, when more than 700 people were dying of the disease daily.
__
ISTANBUL — Disinfection teams swept Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar and the resumption of domestic flights was announced Saturday as Turkey prepared to lift many remaining coronavirus restrictions.
Teams scrubbed the floors of the 15th century bazaar, which has been closed since March 23, ahead of Monday’s return to business. The chair of the bazaar’s board of directors said shoppers would have their temperatures checked on entry and visitor numbers would be restricted.
The transport minister said the first air routes between Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya and Trabzon would restart Monday, with others following gradually.
On Saturday evening Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced 983 new cases of coronavirus over the previous 24 hours, taking Turkey’s total number of cases to 163,103. In a tweet, he said there had been 26 deaths from the virus over the same period, bringing the overall death toll to 4,515.
A weekend lockdown was reimposed in 15 provinces, including Istanbul and Ankara. A stay-at-home order for people aged 65 and older and minors also remained in place.
___
ROME — Italy added 111 new victims to the country’s official death toll from the new coronavirus and 416 new infections as it prepares to relax travel restrictions next week.
The increases bring the official death toll to 33,340 and are in line with recent daily tallies, suggesting the contagion is under control nearly four weeks after the country began gingerly loosening a strict lockdown in what has been the epicenter of the European pandemic.
On Friday, the Health Ministry said the crucial weeklong, region-by-region monitoring had shown no critical problems, giving the go-ahead for relaxation on travel starting Wednesday.
Some regional governors, however, are insisting on restrictions for visitors from hard-hit Lombardy, or for tourists to certify they are negative. The regional affairs minister has said such measures are unconstitutional since the Italian constitution prevents any region from inhibiting the free circulation of people.
___
ATHENS — No new deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in the past 48 hours in Greece, and there have been just seven new infections since Friday afternoon, health authorities said Saturday.
The total number of confirmed infections is now 2,915, with 175 fatalities.
There are 14 patients on ventilators, while 106 have exited intensive care units.
Authorities have tested 178,316 people for the new coronavirus.
___
BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania’s prime minister has paid fines totaling about $600 for smoking indoors and holding a meeting in a government building where several Cabinet ministers and other participants did not follow social distancing rules.
In a photograph published in Romanian media, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and others can be seen smoking with food and bottles of alcohol on a table. No one in the photo wore a mask or maintained the required spacing.
Orban told the Mediafax news agency that the picture was taken on May 25, his birthday. The foreign minister and economy minister of Romania were among those attending.
Romania has registered 19,133 confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,259 deaths.
___
SKOPJE, North Macedonia — North Macedonia has decided to extend a state of emergency for another two weeks because the coronavirus pandemic shows no sign of slowing down.
President Stevo Pendarovski announced the extension of on Saturday following a meeting of the National Security Council.
The country’s health authorities reported five new deaths and 35 infections in the previous 24 hours, days after the government allowed bars, cafes and restaurants to reopen.
The government does not plan to make the establishments close again.
North Macedonia had a total of 2,146 confirmed virus cases as of Saturday, including 131 deaths.
___
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is reciting a special prayer for the end of the coronavirus pandemic surrounded by a representative sampling of people on the front lines.
Francis held his biggest post-lockdown gathering by far on Saturday evening. He was joined in the Vatican Gardens by a doctor, a nurse, a hospital chaplain, a pharmacist, a journalist and a civil protection official.
A recovered COVID-19 patient, a person with a relative who died during Italy’s outbreak, and the parents of a baby born during the emergency also were among the pope’s more than 100 guests for the prayer at the grotto dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
In March, the Vatican followed Italy in locking down and halting all public worship. Many in the crowd on Saturday wore protective masks; Francis didn’t.
The Marian prayer is celebrated each year at the end of the Catholic Church’s monthlong tribute to Mary in May. This year, the Vatican said the pope’s recitation of the Rosary was being done simultaneously at more than 40 Marian shrines around the world.
___
NEW DELHI — India is extending its ongoing lockdown in designated coronavirus containment zones until June 30 but will allow all economic activities to restart in a phased manner outside those areas as cases continue to rise in its major cities.
India’s Home Ministry said in a directive issued Saturday that a reopening phase set to start Monday is called Unlock 1.
The directive said religious sites and places of worship, hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services and shopping malls will be allowed to reopen outside all containment zones starting June 8.
Subways, schools and colleges will remain shuttered nationwide and only be allowed to reopen after further assessment of the situation in July, according to the directive.
India started easing lockdown restrictions earlier this month, allowing shops to reopen, manufacturing to resume, some trains and domestic flights to operate.
The country, which has a population of 1.3 billion, has reported 173,763 confirmed virus cases, including more than 4,970 deaths.
___
PARIS — The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged the United States to “reconsider” its decision to break ties with the World Health Organization.
In a joint statement Vice-President Josep Borrell, von der Leyen says “global cooperation and solidarity through multilateral efforts are the only effective and viable avenues to win this battle the world is facing.”
She says the American decision to part ways with the United Nations health agency during the coronavirus crisis will “weaken international results” in fighting future pandemics.
Von der Leyen adds the European Union has already provided additional WHO funding.
For the WHO, to lead an international response in health emergencies, “the participation and support of all is required and very much needed.”
___
ROME — Italy’s foreign minister is warning that the European Union will “collapse” if governments treat Italians like lepers over the coronavirus and “black list” Europe’s one-time virus epicenter during the summer tourism season.
Luigi Di Maio posted a blistering Facebook message Saturday after Greece excluded Italians — as well as nationals from Spain, Britain and other countries with high infection rates — from the list of foreign tourists it will welcome this summer.
Di Maio said competition for tourism is one thing, but he insisted that it be healthy and fair in demanding a European response to the reopening of EU borders after virus lockdowns. He warned: “If you act differently and dislocated, the EU spirit will be lost. And Europe will collapse.”
Di Maio praised French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian for making his first post-lockdown visit to Italy on Wednesday. Di Maio said he would be traveling to Germany, Slovenia and Greece in the upcoming week to make the case that Italy is ready to receive foreign tourists. Tourism and its related industries account for some 13% of Italy’s GDP.
___
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Students are returning to high schools in the Palestinian territories for the first time in two months for final exams.
The Education Ministry said Saturday that 78,400 12th-graders are taking the exams in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Schools have been closed since March as part of Palestinian efforts to contain the coronavirus.
In Gaza, police and paramedics took students’ temperatures as they entered, and the students sat spaced apart in classrooms.
The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has reported more than 380 confirmed cases of the virus, including two deaths.
Authorities have reported 61 cases and one death in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power in 2007. All the cases in Gaza have been detected inside quarantine facilities housing returnees from abroad.
___
MOSCOW — Russia has recorded nearly 9,000 new cases of the coronavirus, roughly consistent with the increases reported over the past two weeks.
The national coronavirus task force said Saturday that 4,555 Russians have died of COVID-19 and 396,575 infections have been confirmed overall.
The relatively low mortality rate compared with other countries has prompted skepticism domestically and abroad. In a bid to dispel suspicions that authorities are trying to lower the death toll for political reasons, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova explained Friday that Russia’s count contains only those confirmed to have died of the infection, but she also gave figures for people who tested positive for the virus but died of other causes.
If all categories are counted as COVID-19 deaths, the nation’s total toll for April would stand at 2,713, or nearly 60% more than the previously announced number.
___
CAIRO — Egypt on Saturday ordered its people to wear face masks in public, when taking private transportation, and inside government offices as it eases the partial lockdown imposed during the weeklong Muslim holiday of Eid- el-Fitr.
Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly said violators will be fined. He said the nationwide curfew will be 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for another two weeks.
Egypt, the Arab World’s most populous country, has seen a jump of daily reported infections in the past week, with a total of 879 deaths among 22,082 confirmed cases. The country of 100 million people has the highest announced deaths from COVID-19 in the Arab World.
___
Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


mercurynews--2020-05-30--Officials: Outsiders fueling rioting, looting, violence in Twin Cities; Walz fully mobilizing Nation

Officials: Outsiders fueling rioting, looting, violence in Twin Cities; Walz fully mobilizing National Guard

A number of outsiders are fueling the destruction and rioting that has built each night this week across the Twin Cities since the death of George Floyd , according to state officials who spoke during a Saturday morning press conference .
Gov .
Tim Walz said officials estimate that about 80 percent of the rioters Friday night were from outside Minnesota while 20 percent were Minnesotans .
As officials make arrests , they are investigating who those individuals are and whether they are associated with any groups , said Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington .
“ We have seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platforms about coming to Minnesota , ” Harrington said .
He added that officials are also looking into connections with organized crime .
However , a review of arrest records in Minneapolis and St. Paul show the majority of those cited to be from the Twin Cities .
Officials had said Saturday morning they would share evidence of outsiders instigating violence in the Twin Cities but as of Saturday evening had not provided any despite requests from the Pioneer Press .
A law enforcement force of more than 2,000 was assembled to deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was met by many more protesters .
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said his city had a relatively quiet evening .
But many of the arrests made in St. Paul Friday night and into the early morning were of people from out of state .
“ Those folks who are agitating and inciting are taking advantage of the pain , of the hurt , of the frustration , of the anger , of the very real and legitimate sadness that so many of our community members feel , to advocate for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Despite an 8 p.m. curfew and a heavier law enforcement force , Minneapolis had another night of rioting and looting Friday with more cases of arson .
Firefighters responding to burning buildings were targeted by rioters , officials said , making it hard for them to contain fires .
“ Our police officers , our firefighters are facing something they ’ ve never faced before , ” Carter said .
Walz also said there are cases of rioters stopping semi trucks on highways and looting their contents .
“ The situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way about the murder of George Floyd , ” Walz said .
“ It is about attacking civil society , instilling fear and disrupting our great cities.
” Officials have deployed a force that would have worked in any other civilian police operation , Walz said .
“ But this resembles more of a military operation now , ” he said .
“ Ring leaders are moving from place to place.
” State officials also said there have been incidents of shots fired at law enforcement and even improvised explosives used .
President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Minnesota to “ be tough ” in Minneapolis .
“ We have our military ready , willing and able if they ever want to call our military , and we can have troops on the ground every quickly , ” Trump said .
Pentagon officials have signaled they are ready to provide military support to quell unrest should Walz request it .
Meanwhile , state authorities asked residents to stay inside tonight and tell anyone they know who is participating in the riots to stay home as well .
Anyone who knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cities to participate in the riots should notify authorities , Walz said .
“ Let us know and we will execute warrants , ” he said .
Walz said he is taking the unprecedented action of fully mobilizing the National Guard .
There are currently about 13,000 members of the Minnesota National Guard , but not all are trained for use in suppressing riots , officials said .
Up to 2,500 Guardsmen are expected to be deployed by mid-day Saturday .
“ We ’ re gearing up , we ’ re getting bigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we are coming to stop it , ” Harrrington said .
A full activation could include between 7,000 to 10,000 members .
While there will be 2,500 members for missions Saturday evening , the rest will be available during coming days , according Guard officials .
“ The Minnesota National Guard is prepared to protect life , protect property and restore order , ” read a statement issued Saturday by Guard officials .
“ This includes patrols , manning control points , and assisting firefighters in accomplishing their life saving mission by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be a dangerous situation on the streets tonight , ” but officials will do everything in their power to restore order .
Meanwhile , two protests took place in South Minneapolis Saturday afternoon .
Several hundred people gathered in front of the Cup Foods convenience store at Chicago Avenue and 38th Street where Floyd was arrested by Minneapolis police on Monday .
And thousands were gathering at the Fifth Precinct in Minneapolis , which was a focal point of violence Friday night .
Also on Saturday , dozens of small business owners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Among them was Kore Grate , who owns a martial arts studio at 38th Street and Cedar Avneue .
Grate was getting help from a number of volunteers through University Rebuild , a group of theater professionals .
Since Friday the group had helped 140 business owners board up their doors and windows in both St. Paul and Minneapolis .
“ They are angels ” Grate said of the volunteers .
Grate , 65 , also owns a tattoo shop at Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue that was broken into and looted @ @ @ @

A number of outsiders are fueling the destruction and rioting that has built each night this week across the Twin Cities since the death of George Floyd, according to state officials who spoke during a Saturday morning press conference.
Gov. Tim Walz said officials estimate that about 80 percent of the rioters Friday night were from outside Minnesota while 20 percent were Minnesotans.
As officials make arrests, they are investigating who those individuals are and whether they are associated with any groups, said Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington.
“We have seen things like white supremacist organizers posting on platforms about coming to Minnesota,” Harrington said. He added that officials are also looking into connections with organized crime.
However, a review of arrest records in Minneapolis and St. Paul show the majority of those cited to be from the Twin Cities.
Officials had said Saturday morning they would share evidence of outsiders instigating violence in the Twin Cities but as of Saturday evening had not provided any despite requests from the Pioneer Press.
‘TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE PAIN’
A law enforcement force of more than 2,000 was assembled to deal with rioting Friday night but Harrington said it was met by many more protesters.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said his city had a relatively quiet evening. But many of the arrests made in St. Paul Friday night and into the early morning were of people from out of state.
“Those folks who are agitating and inciting are taking advantage of the pain, of the hurt, of the frustration, of the anger, of the very real and legitimate sadness that so many of our community members feel, to advocate for the destruction of our communities,” Carter said.
Despite an 8 p.m. curfew and a heavier law enforcement force, Minneapolis had another night of rioting and looting Friday with more cases of arson.
Firefighters responding to burning buildings were targeted by rioters, officials said, making it hard for them to contain fires.
“Our police officers, our firefighters are facing something they’ve never faced before,” Carter said.
‘MORE OF A MILITARY OPERATION NOW’
Walz also said there are cases of rioters stopping semi trucks on highways and looting their contents.
“The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd,” Walz said. “It is about attacking civil society, instilling fear and disrupting our great cities.”
Officials have deployed a force that would have worked in any other civilian police operation, Walz said.
“But this resembles more of a military operation now,” he said. “Ring leaders are moving from place to place.”
State officials also said there have been incidents of shots fired at law enforcement and even improvised explosives used.
MILITARY READY TO RESPOND
President Donald Trump urged Walz and other authorities in Minnesota to “be tough” in Minneapolis.
“We have our military ready, willing and able if they ever want to call our military, and we can have troops on the ground every quickly,” Trump said. Pentagon officials have signaled they are ready to provide military support to quell unrest should Walz request it.
Meanwhile, state authorities asked residents to stay inside tonight and tell anyone they know who is participating in the riots to stay home as well.
Anyone who knows of outsiders who came to the Twin Cities to participate in the riots should notify authorities, Walz said.
“Let us know and we will execute warrants,” he said.
‘WE’RE GEARING UP’
Walz said he is taking the unprecedented action of fully mobilizing the National Guard.
There are currently about 13,000 members of the Minnesota National Guard, but not all are trained for use in suppressing riots, officials said. Up to 2,500 Guardsmen are expected to be deployed by mid-day Saturday.
“We’re gearing up, we’re getting bigger, we’re changing our approach and we are coming to stop it,” Harrrington said.
A full activation could include between 7,000 to 10,000 members. While there will be 2,500 members for missions Saturday evening, the rest will be available during coming days, according Guard officials.
“The Minnesota National Guard is prepared to protect life, protect property and restore order,” read a statement issued Saturday by Guard officials. “This includes patrols, manning control points, and assisting firefighters in accomplishing their life saving mission by providing security.”
Walz said it “will be a dangerous situation on the streets tonight,” but officials will do everything in their power to restore order.
Meanwhile, two protests took place in South Minneapolis Saturday afternoon.
Several hundred people gathered in front of the Cup Foods convenience store at Chicago Avenue and 38th Street where Floyd was arrested by Minneapolis police on Monday.
And thousands were gathering at the Fifth Precinct in Minneapolis, which was a focal point of violence Friday night.
Also on Saturday, dozens of small business owners were still boarding up stores and shops. Among them was Kore Grate, who owns a martial arts studio at 38th Street and Cedar Avneue.
Grate was getting help from a number of volunteers through University Rebuild, a group of theater professionals. Since Friday the group had helped 140 business owners board up their doors and windows in both St. Paul and Minneapolis.
“They are angels” Grate said of the volunteers. Grate, 65, also owns a tattoo shop at Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue that was broken into and looted early Saturday morning.


mercurynews--2020-05-30--49ers negotiations with George Kittle might be tougher than anticipated

The agent for 49ers star George Kittle says he isn ’ t looking to make Kittle the highest-paid tight end in the NFL .
He ’ s looking for more .
“ I don ’ t care about the tight end market , ” Kittle ’ s agent , Jack Bechta , told NFL Network .
“ I ’ m being paid to do a George Kittle deal.
” Kittle was first-team All-Pro in 2019 , his third season in the league .
He caught 85 passes for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games .
It was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fifth-round pick out of Iowa .
In 2018 , he caught 88 passes for 1,377 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games .
Kittle , 26 , is entering the final year of his rookie contract , which will pay $ 735,000 in 2020 .
Among tight ends , Hunter Henry of the Chargers will make $ 10.6 million next season after being franchise-tagged .
Austin Hooper of the Cleveland Browns ( and Stanford via De La Salle ) , signed last month for four years and $ 42 million .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiations between the 49ers and Kittle in February , but there has been little , if any , talk the past couple of months .
The coronavirus pandemic could be a factor in that .
“ George isn ’ t going anywhere , ” 49ers GM John Lynch said last month .
“ George is going to be a part of the 49ers for a long , long time.
” • Ex-49ers coach Mike Singletary resigns high school job after one win in two years

The agent for 49ers star George Kittle says he isn’t looking to make Kittle the highest-paid tight end in the NFL.
He’s looking for more.
“I don’t care about the tight end market,” Kittle’s agent, Jack Bechta, told NFL Network. “I’m being paid to do a George Kittle deal.”
Kittle was first-team All-Pro in 2019, his third season in the league. He caught 85 passes for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games. It was the second banner season in a row for the fifth-round pick out of Iowa. In 2018, he caught 88 passes for 1,377 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games.
Kittle, 26, is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay $735,000 in 2020.
Among tight ends, Hunter Henry of the Chargers will make $10.6 million next season after being franchise-tagged. Austin Hooper of the Cleveland Browns (and Stanford via De La Salle), signed last month for four years and $42 million.
According to NFL Network, there were preliminary negotiations between the 49ers and Kittle in February, but there has been little, if any, talk the past couple of months. The coronavirus pandemic could be a factor in that.


mercurynews--2020-05-30--L.A. mayor announces 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew as 4th straight day of protests turns violent

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew in the city on Saturday , May 30 , as police cruisers burned in the Fairfax area during the fourth straight day of protests in the city .
The Los Angeles Police Department declared the Fairfax Avenue protest an unlawful assembly as some of the thousands of protesters there set cruisers on fire after smashing windows in other police vehicles .
Officers sprayed tear gas and shot beanbags into the crowd after threatening to arrest the thousands of demonstrators who had gathered to demand justice for George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a white officer kneeled on his neck in Minnesota .
The protesters shut down traffic at the intersection ; they were met with a couple dozen Los Angeles Police Officers blocking further access on Third Street .
As some officers attempted to leave the area , demonstrators blocked them in , in some cases yelling profanities and throwing water bottles at them .
Saturday ’ s protest came a day after the most chaotic night yet in the string of demonstrations in Los Angeles ; the local community is still reeling from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out Friday evening .
The demonstration started off peacefully in Pan Pacific Park shortly before noon , where hundreds of activists protested police brutality , carrying homemade signs that read , “ Black Lives Matter ” and “ I can ’ t breathe.
” They chanted familiar mantras like , “ No justice , no peace , ” and , “ Say their names.
” Andrew Masembe , a 35-year-old Burbank resident , said in Pan Pacific Park , before the march turned violent , that he felt the need to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You always think about these times in history and what you would do , ” he said .
“ So faced with that , I decided to show up .
It ’ s for black people to be heard .
For so long , we been silent.
” This story is developing and will be updated .

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew in the city on Saturday, May 30, as police cruisers burned in the Fairfax area during the fourth straight day of protests in the city.
We will always protect free speech and Angelenos’ right to live without fear of violence or vandalism. To increase safety for demonstrators, law enforcement and all citizens of Los Angeles, we are putting a curfew in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
https://t.co/vy3XM760qb — MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) May 30, 2020
Garcetti also called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to deploy as many as 700 National Guard troops to the region to assist as the protests became more violent.
The Los Angeles Police Department declared the Fairfax Avenue protest an unlawful assembly as some of the thousands of protesters there set cruisers on fire after smashing windows in other police vehicles.
Officers sprayed tear gas and shot beanbags into the crowd after threatening to arrest the thousands of demonstrators who had gathered to demand justice for George Floyd, an African-American man who died after a white officer kneeled on his neck in Minnesota.
The protesters shut down traffic at the intersection; they were met with a couple dozen Los Angeles Police Officers blocking further access on Third Street.
As some officers attempted to leave the area, demonstrators blocked them in, in some cases yelling profanities and throwing water bottles at them.
LAPD and #BlackLivesMatter protesters are in an intense stand off. At one point, people were throwing water bottles at them. @ladailynews pic.twitter.com/LvPC3Wa8ke — pierce singgih (@piercesinggih) May 30, 2020
Saturday’s protest came a day after the most chaotic night yet in the string of demonstrations in Los Angeles; the local community is still reeling from looting, fires and violence that broke out Friday evening.
The demonstration started off peacefully in Pan Pacific Park shortly before noon, where hundreds of activists protested police brutality, carrying homemade signs that read, “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe.”
Thousands of #BlackLivesMatter protesters were chanting, but they then took a moment of silence with fists in air. @ladailynews pic.twitter.com/BRujC6gVhQ — pierce singgih (@piercesinggih) May 30, 2020
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Andrew Masembe, a 35-year-old Burbank resident, said in Pan Pacific Park, before the march turned violent, that he felt the need to be a part of this chapter in history.
“You always think about these times in history and what you would do,” he said. “So faced with that, I decided to show up. It’s for black people to be heard. For so long, we been silent.”


mercurynews--2020-05-30--Sharks captain expresses support for Evander Kane, calls for change

Sharks captain Logan Couture expressed his support for teammate Evander Kane on Saturday , saying the sport of hockey and society at large needs to do much more to combat racism .
“ First of all , I applaud Evander for speaking the truth , ” Couture wrote in a message posted to his Twitter account .
“ Racism exists in society , it also exists in hockey , That ’ s a fact .
“ Growing up in this game is a privilege .
At times I think most of us have turned a blind eye when it comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Appearing on ESPN on Friday , Kane expressed his horror at the way George Floyd was killed earlier this week in Minneapolis , dying after he was pinned to the ground by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin , who had his knee on Floyd ’ s neck .
Kane called on more high profile white athletes to speak out about the incident and about racism in society , saying in part that they need to have , “ the same amount of outrage that I have inside , and using that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their frustration .
Because that ’ s the only way it ’ s going to change.
” Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news , commentary and conversation .
Couture , 31 , grew up in southern Ontario in Canada and just finished his 11th season with the Sharks and his first as captain .
Kane was acquired by the Sharks in 2018 and is one of a handful of minorities that have played for the team in the last decade , including Jamal Mayers , Scott Gomez and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow us on Flipboard .
“ I ’ ve had the opportunity to to play with some incredible teammates .
Black , white , all colors , ” Couture write .
“ Getting to listen to them about things they have gone though in hockey/life is eye opening .
As a society and as hockey players we are only scraping the surface in fixing what desperately needs fixing.
” In an riveting article he posted on The Players ’ Tribune on May 19 , former NHL player Akim Aliu detailed the taunting and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ player in Windsor , Ontario in 2005 .
In the article , titled , “ Hockey Is Not for Everyone , ” Aliu wrote about how when he was 16 , he refused to “ strip naked and get in a bathroom in the back of the team bus with three other rookies ” as part of a hazing ritual .
As retribution , Aliu wrote that a Windsor teammate , Steve Downie , who was two years older , “ tapped me on the shoulder during a practice .
I turned , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my mouth .
I lost seven teeth in half a second .
Blood gushing down my chest into my pants.
” Aliu also detailed his 2009 incident in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs , coached by Bill Peters .
Aliu wrote that Peters used the n-word , “ over and over in front of me and my teammates just because he didn ’ t like my choice of music.
” Days after Aliu ’ s article was published , Kane appeared in a video produced by TSN to discuss how racism can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Myles Douglas , an African-American who grew up in North Carolina before he moved to Toronto , where he now a forward with the North York Rangers AAA U18 team .
Douglas said this past season , he was the target of racist remark in about half of the games he played .
“ Not surprised , ” Kane said after hearing Douglas ’ story .
“ It ’ s something that people don ’ t want to admit happens today , they want to turn a blind eye , they want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Kane mentioned how when the Sharks played in Colorado against the Avalanche in the second round of the 2019 playoffs , a fan yelled slurs toward him .
Kane said he told an official and “ nothing was done.
” • On this date , 2016 : Sharks lose their first Stanley Cup Finals game • Evander Kane calls on more high profile athletes to speak out ; Sharks owner shows his support • Will the Sharks give Bob Boughner a second chance ?
• San Jose Sharks hope to show dismal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Doug Wilson talks NHL draft , and why he expects Erik Karlsson to bounce back “ I understand it .
I ’ ve been on the receiving end of it , ” Kane said , “ and I know a lot of players that look like me and ( Douglas ) have been.
” Kane also said Friday his Sharks teammates have been supportive for what he stands for , adding , though , that , “ I think hockey , unfortunately , has a different culture than some of the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using your voice and speaking your mind.
” Couture concluded his message by saying , “ Thanks for Akim and Evander speaking so loudly about the issue .
We all need to learn , we need to love each other regardless of skin color .
”

Sharks captain Logan Couture expressed his support for teammate Evander Kane on Saturday, saying the sport of hockey and society at large needs to do much more to combat racism.
“First of all, I applaud Evander for speaking the truth,” Couture wrote in a message posted to his Twitter account. “Racism exists in society, it also exists in hockey, That’s a fact.
“Growing up in this game is a privilege. At times I think most of us have turned a blind eye when it comes to racism. It cannot continue.”
Appearing on ESPN on Friday, Kane expressed his horror at the way George Floyd was killed earlier this week in Minneapolis, dying after he was pinned to the ground by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd’s neck.
Kane called on more high profile white athletes to speak out about the incident and about racism in society, saying in part that they need to have, “the same amount of outrage that I have inside, and using that to voice their opinion, to voice their frustration. Because that’s the only way it’s going to change.”
Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation.
Couture, 31, grew up in southern Ontario in Canada and just finished his 11th season with the Sharks and his first as captain.
Kane was acquired by the Sharks in 2018 and is one of a handful of minorities that have played for the team in the last decade, including Jamal Mayers, Scott Gomez and Joel Ward.
For complete Sharks coverage
follow us on Flipboard.
“I’ve had the opportunity to to play with some incredible teammates. Black, white, all colors,” Couture write. “Getting to listen to them about things they have gone though in hockey/life is eye opening. As a society and as hockey players we are only scraping the surface in fixing what desperately needs fixing.”
My thoughts. Sorry if this offends anyone. All love ❤ pic.twitter.com/9BbktIrxqd — Logan Couture (@Logancouture) May 30, 2020
In an riveting article he posted on The Players’ Tribune on May 19, former NHL player Akim Aliu detailed the taunting and abuse he endured as a junior hockey player in Windsor, Ontario in 2005.
In the article, titled, “Hockey Is Not for Everyone,” Aliu wrote about how when he was 16, he refused to “strip naked and get in a bathroom in the back of the team bus with three other rookies” as part of a hazing ritual.
As retribution, Aliu wrote that a Windsor teammate, Steve Downie, who was two years older, “tapped me on the shoulder during a practice. I turned, and he shoved his fiberglass stick through my mouth. I lost seven teeth in half a second. Blood gushing down my chest into my pants.”
Aliu also detailed his 2009 incident in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs, coached by Bill Peters. Aliu wrote that Peters used the n-word, “over and over in front of me and my teammates just because he didn’t like my choice of music.”
Days after Aliu’s article was published, Kane appeared in a video produced by TSN to discuss how racism can permeate hockey culture.
Kane appeared with Myles Douglas, an African-American who grew up in North Carolina before he moved to Toronto, where he now a forward with the North York Rangers AAA U18 team. Douglas said this past season, he was the target of racist remark in about half of the games he played.
“Not surprised,” Kane said after hearing Douglas’ story. “It’s something that people don’t want to admit happens today, they want to turn a blind eye, they want to pull the curtain to cover it up.”
Kane mentioned how when the Sharks played in Colorado against the Avalanche in the second round of the 2019 playoffs, a fan yelled slurs toward him. Kane said he told an official and “nothing was done.”
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Karlsson traded to Penguins, ending uneven era with San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks | Why the Sharks’ ongoing Erik Karlsson situation could be clarified soon “I understand it. I’ve been on the receiving end of it,” Kane said, “and I know a lot of players that look like me and (Douglas) have been.”
Kane also said Friday his Sharks teammates have been supportive for what he stands for, adding, though, that, “I think hockey, unfortunately, has a different culture than some of the other sports in terms of speaking out and using your voice and speaking your mind.”
Couture concluded his message by saying, “Thanks for Akim and Evander speaking so loudly about the issue. We all need to learn, we need to love each other regardless of skin color.”


mercurynews--2020-05-30--US Open plan in works, including group flights, COVID tests

Charter flights to ferry U.S. Open tennis players and limited entourages from Europe , South America and the Middle East to New York .
Negative COVID-19 tests before traveling .
Centralized housing .
Daily temperature checks .
No spectators .
Fewer on-court officials .
No locker-room access on practice days .
All are among the scenarios being considered for the 2020 U.S. Open — if it is held at all amid the coronavirus pandemic — and described to The Associated Press by a high-ranking official at the Grand Slam tournament .
“ All of this is still fluid , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s chief executive for professional tennis , said in a telephone interview Saturday .
“ We have made no decisions at all.
” With that caveat , Allaster added that if the USTA board does decide to go forward with the Open , she expects it to be held at its usual site and in its usual spot on the calendar .
The main draw is scheduled to start Aug. 31 .
“ We continue to be , I would say , 150 % focused on staging a safe environment for conducting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King National Tennis Center in New York on our dates .
It ’ s all I wake up — our team wakes up — thinking about , ” Allaster said .
“ The idea of an alternative venue , an alternative date … we ’ ve got a responsibility to explore it , but it doesn ’ t have a lot of momentum.
” An announcement should come from “ mid-June to end of June , ” Allaster said .
All sanctioned competition has been suspended by the ATP , WTA and International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold until late July .
The French Open was postponed from May to September ; Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since 1945 .
There is no established COVID-19 protocol for tennis , a global sport with several governing bodies .
“ Everybody would agree to the fundamental principles , I ’ m sure : protecting the health of participants , following the local laws and minimizing the risk of the transmission of the virus , ” said Stuart Miller , who is overseeing the ITF ’ s return-to-tennis policy .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the specific details.
” One such detail : The USTA wants to add locker rooms — including at indoor courts that housed hundreds of temporary hospital beds at the height of New York ’ s coronavirus outbreak — and improve air filtration in existing spaces .
Also being considered : no locker-room access until just before a match .
So if anyone goes to Flushing Meadows just to train , Allaster said , “ You come , you practice , and return to the hotel.
” The USTA presented its operational plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now that will be discussed with city , state and federal government officials .
“ The fundamental goal here is to mitigate risk , ” Allaster said .
Governors around the country , such as New York ’ s Andrew Cuomo , who are open to allowing professional sports resume say that should be without fans .
“ We are spending a lot of time and energy on all the models , including no fans on site , ” Allaster said .
“ The government will help guide us.
” In 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site from the week before the main draw through the finals .
Lew Sherr , the USTA ’ s chief revenue officer , told the AP it is “ less and less likely ” spectators would be at the U.S. Open this year .
That , Sherr said , means “ forgoing ticketing revenue , forgoing hospitality revenue , forgoing a portion of your sponsorship revenue.
” But TV and digital rights fees , plus remaining sponsorship dollars , are “ significant enough that it ’ s still worth it to go forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Having best-of-three-set matches in men ’ s singles “ has hardly been discussed , ” she said .
“ If the players came to us and said , ‘ That is something we want to do , ’ we would consider it .
But we will not make a unilateral decision on that without player input.
” Before traveling to New York , players would need proof of a negative COVID-19 test .
“ Once they come into our , let ’ s say , ‘ U.S .
Open world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there will be a combination of daily health questionnaires , daily temperature checks and … some nasal or saliva or antibody testing.
” Paris , Vienna , Frankfurt , Buenos Aires and Dubai are among the cities where players could catch a flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport on an airline that is a tournament partner .
Afterward , players might be taken to where they play next ; tournament sites in later September could include Paris , Madrid or Rome .
“ A player coming with an entourage of five , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something that ’ s in the plan , ” Allater said .
One possibility : Tournaments could provide physiotherapists and masseuses so players don ’ t bring their own .
Matches could use fewer line judges than usual , with more reliance on line-calling technology .
“ It ’ s a hard one , ” Allaster said .
“ Obviously , we want to ensure that we have the highest level of integrity.
” The current plan is to have them — only adults , no kids .

By HOWARD FENDRICH | The Associated Press
Charter flights to ferry U.S. Open tennis players and limited entourages from Europe, South America and the Middle East to New York. Negative COVID-19 tests before traveling. Centralized housing. Daily temperature checks.
No spectators. Fewer on-court officials. No locker-room access on practice days.
All are among the scenarios being considered for the 2020 U.S. Open — if it is held at all amid the coronavirus pandemic — and described to The Associated Press by a high-ranking official at the Grand Slam tournament.
“All of this is still fluid,” Stacey Allaster, the U.S. Tennis Association’s chief executive for professional tennis, said in a telephone interview Saturday. “We have made no decisions at all.”
With that caveat, Allaster added that if the USTA board does decide to go forward with the Open, she expects it to be held at its usual site and in its usual spot on the calendar. The main draw is scheduled to start Aug. 31.
“We continue to be, I would say, 150% focused on staging a safe environment for conducting a U.S. Open at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on our dates. It’s all I wake up — our team wakes up — thinking about,” Allaster said. “The idea of an alternative venue, an alternative date … we’ve got a responsibility to explore it, but it doesn’t have a lot of momentum.”
An announcement should come from “mid-June to end of June,” Allaster said.
All sanctioned competition has been suspended by the ATP, WTA and International Tennis Federation since March and is on hold until late July.
The French Open was postponed from May to September; Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since 1945.
There is no established COVID-19 protocol for tennis, a global sport with several governing bodies.
“Everybody would agree to the fundamental principles, I’m sure: protecting the health of participants, following the local laws and minimizing the risk of the transmission of the virus,” said Stuart Miller, who is overseeing the ITF’s return-to-tennis policy. “But then you have to get down into the specific details.”
One such detail: The USTA wants to add locker rooms — including at indoor courts that housed hundreds of temporary hospital beds at the height of New York’s coronavirus outbreak — and improve air filtration in existing spaces. Also being considered: no locker-room access until just before a match. So if anyone goes to Flushing Meadows just to train, Allaster said, “You come, you practice, and return to the hotel.”
The USTA presented its operational plan to a medical advisory group Friday; now that will be discussed with city, state and federal government officials.
“The fundamental goal here is to mitigate risk,” Allaster said.
Governors around the country, such as New York’s Andrew Cuomo, who are open to allowing professional sports resume say that should be without fans.
“We are spending a lot of time and energy on all the models, including no fans on site,” Allaster said. “The government will help guide us.”
In 2019, about 850,000 people attended the U.S. Open site from the week before the main draw through the finals.
Lew Sherr, the USTA’s chief revenue officer, told the AP it is “less and less likely” spectators would be at the U.S. Open this year.
That, Sherr said, means “forgoing ticketing revenue, forgoing hospitality revenue, forgoing a portion of your sponsorship revenue.” But TV and digital rights fees, plus remaining sponsorship dollars, are “significant enough that it’s still worth it to go forward with a no-fans-on-site U.S. Open,” he said.
Other areas Allaster addressed:
SCORING
Having best-of-three-set matches in men’s singles “has hardly been discussed,” she said. “If the players came to us and said, ‘That is something we want to do,’ we would consider it. But we will not make a unilateral decision on that without player input.”
TESTING
Before traveling to New York, players would need proof of a negative COVID-19 test. “Once they come into our, let’s say, ‘U.S. Open world,’” Allaster said, “there will be a combination of daily health questionnaires, daily temperature checks and … some nasal or saliva or antibody testing.”
CHARTERS
Paris, Vienna, Frankfurt, Buenos Aires and Dubai are among the cities where players could catch a flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport on an airline that is a tournament partner. Afterward, players might be taken to where they play next; tournament sites in later September could include Paris, Madrid or Rome.
ENTOURAGES
“A player coming with an entourage of five, six, seven, eight is not something that’s in the plan,” Allater said. One possibility: Tournaments could provide physiotherapists and masseuses so players don’t bring their own.
OFFICIATING
Matches could use fewer line judges than usual, with more reliance on line-calling technology. “It’s a hard one,” Allaster said. “Obviously, we want to ensure that we have the highest level of integrity.”
BALL PERSONS
The current plan is to have them — only adults, no kids.
___
Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HowardFendrich
___
More AP Tennis coverage: https://www.apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


mercurynews--2020-05-30--Coronavirus: Monterey County restaurants, other services get the all clear

MONTEREY — With some modifications , dine-in restaurants , hair salons and barbershops , as well as schools , can now open in Monterey County , the county Health Department announced Saturday afternoon .
The state Department of Public Health has approved the Monterey County COVID-19 County Variance Attestation Form , the county Health Department reported , allowing the county to advance into expanded Stage 2 reopening , which includes restaurants and hair salons .
“ This is very exciting news , ” said local restaurateur Chris Shake , noting that his family had been preparing to open three of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awaiting the state approval .
“ We ’ re regrouping now and trying to get re-opened ( Sunday ) or Monday , ” Shake said of the Old Fisherman ’ s Grotto and Scales on Fisherman ’ s Wharf and The Fish Hopper in Monterey .
A new shelter-in-place order had been released Friday in anticipation of the state approval that outlines some of the changes businesses must make to reopen .
Tuesday , the Board of Supervisors had unanimously agreed to send a variance attestation report to the state Department of Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow additional business re-openings under the state ’ s expanded Stage 2 criteria and also approved a letter of support for the report .
In anticipation of approval of the report , Shake had said his restaurants were following state COVID-19 guidelines published by the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration .
They include providing patrons with hand sanitizers and wipes to dispensing disposable menus and suspending use of shared food items such as condiment bottles , salt and pepper shakers .
Instead , condiments will be provided in single-use containers or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the restaurants are implementing 6-foot table spacing , requiring that employees wear masks and gloves , and cleaning and disinfecting the tables , chairs and booths after each guest turnover .
Earlier this week , the Governor announced that places of worship and shopping malls would be allowed under early stage 2 .
In its announcement , the county Health Department noted travel for non-essential activities is still not allowed and , apart from worship services , gatherings of people not from your household are not permitted .
• Letter : We don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protest • Why college athletes are most vulnerable in a post-pandemic return • Which international destinations are reopening to tourists ?
Stage 3 , the next stage in reopening , includes hotels for tourism , entertainment venues , museums and libraries .

MONTEREY — With some modifications, dine-in restaurants, hair salons and barbershops, as well as schools, can now open in Monterey County, the county Health Department announced Saturday afternoon.
The state Department of Public Health has approved the Monterey County COVID-19 County Variance Attestation Form, the county Health Department reported, allowing the county to advance into expanded Stage 2 reopening, which includes restaurants and hair salons.
“This is very exciting news,” said local restaurateur Chris Shake, noting that his family had been preparing to open three of their restaurants on Saturday, but were awaiting the state approval.
“We’re regrouping now and trying to get re-opened (Sunday) or Monday,” Shake said of the Old Fisherman’s Grotto and Scales on Fisherman’s Wharf and The Fish Hopper in Monterey.
A new shelter-in-place order had been released Friday in anticipation of the state approval that outlines some of the changes businesses must make to reopen.
Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors had unanimously agreed to send a variance attestation report to the state Department of Public Health outlining the county’s readiness to allow additional business re-openings under the state’s expanded Stage 2 criteria and also approved a letter of support for the report.
In anticipation of approval of the report, Shake had said his restaurants were following state COVID-19 guidelines published by the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They include providing patrons with hand sanitizers and wipes to dispensing disposable menus and suspending use of shared food items such as condiment bottles, salt and pepper shakers. Instead, condiments will be provided in single-use containers or sanitized after each use.
Shake said the restaurants are implementing 6-foot table spacing, requiring that employees wear masks and gloves, and cleaning and disinfecting the tables, chairs and booths after each guest turnover.
Earlier this week, the Governor announced that places of worship and shopping malls would be allowed under early stage 2.
In its announcement, the county Health Department noted travel for non-essential activities is still not allowed and, apart from worship services, gatherings of people not from your household are not permitted.


mercurynews--2020-05-30--Man’s death at East Oakland home being investigated as homicide, roommate arrested

OAKLAND — The death of a 53-year-old man Saturday morning at an East Oakland home is being investigated as a @ @ @ @ @ been arrested in the killing , autorities said .
The name of the man killed @ @ @ @ @ nor has the suspect ’ s who authorities said is a 51-year-old man The victim @ @ @ @ @ a.m. Saturday at a home in the 9900 block of C Street .
Police said @ @ @ @ @ man ’ s body but an autopsy will determine the exact cause of death .
@ @ @ @ @ as a homicide , police said .
The suspect was arrested at the scene .
@ @ @ @ @ how long the men had lived at the home .
Police are trying to determine @ @ @ @ @ .

OAKLAND — The death of a 63-year-old man Saturday morning at an East Oakland home is being investigated as a homicide and his roommate has been arrested in the killing, authorities said.
The name of the man killed has not been released, nor has the suspect’s who authorities said is a 61-year-old man
The victim was found dead about 9:30 a.m. Saturday at a home in the 9900 block of C Street.
Police said there was trauma to the man’s body but an autopsy will determine the exact cause of death. The case is being investigated as a homicide, police said.
The suspect was arrested at the scene.
It was not immediately known how long the men had lived at the home.
Police are trying to determine a motive fot the killing.
Check back for updates.


mercurynews--2020-05-30--Whicker: As good as the games are, they can’t heal what ails us now

At times like this we hear about the “ healing power of sports.
” They do not bring a cure .
They bring a tourniquet .
They can relieve pain .
They do not mend fractures that stretch 3,000 miles and damage every star and stripe .
When George W. Bush brazenly walked into Yankee Stadium and threw the first pitch of World Series Game 3 in 2001 , a month and a half after the planes hit , he made people jump and cheer and cry .
But all he could do was inspire .
After the balls and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went back to burying its cops and firemen .
When Cathy Freeman made the final turn at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney , her fans found an eerie new octave .
Their noise sounded like souls that had been freed from bodies , a strange new language of sound .
Freeman won the gold medal in the 400 as an indigenous Aussie .
Whatever hope she sowed is a wilted memory .
Her people live 10 fewer years than the average Australian , and only 48 percent of those of working age have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ River Styx , a disabled nation must heal itself .
Some of us cry for spectator sports , which have been removed by COVID-19 .
Our games have been replaced by pandemic information and , lately , dispatches from paved , downtown battlefields .
Wouldn ’ t we prefer the ibuprofen of a 4-for-4 from the bat of Mike Trout ?
Sure .
But numbing isn ’ t healing .
In fact , sports have rarely seemed as extraneous and bizarre as they do now , after three-and-a-half months in exile .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives , and counting , and yet another policeman ’ s panic and fear cost yet another African American man his life .
It takes a mighty set of headphones to block out the world and pretend that your latest list of Top 10 Poulan Weed-Eater Bowls really matters , much less another cheerless Angels-Mariners game to determine draft position .
There will not be a 2020 Final Four champion , nor a Wimbledon winner , nor a Champion Golfer of the Year .
Hockey and basketball are so desperate to avoid such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ herding players into unfamiliar cities , away from family and fans .
The colleges seem bent on using their student-athletes even though many of their students will be home , online .
Baseball , the supposed balm of Gilead , is stuck in a coin-throwing fight between herds of fatted calves .
Ten owners are worth more than $ 1.5 billion , including John Fisher , who was born into The Gap fortune and owns the Oakland Athletics .
After the A ’ s blew a rent payment , they cut off a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players , and , like Arte Moreno ’ s Angels , furloughed their scouts as if there isn ’ t going to be an MLB draft .
Every sport has had work stoppages , and every sport has watched fans return like lemmings .
This time could be different , because the games will proceed without fans at first , and with limited audiences after that .
Maybe a reprieve from sports will become habit-forming , too .
The 1941 season ended a few weeks before Pearl Harbor and drew 9.6 million .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ II by no means in the bag , baseball drew 7.4 million .
The war ended in 1945 , when attendance was 10.9 million .
Then 18.5 million fans stormed the ballparks in 1946 .
This is the most uncertain year , in terms of shared fate , since then .
When the gates swing open , the appetite for $ 14 beers and $ 20 parking might not be there to greet them .
If sports could really heal , they would have done so .
Someone would have learned something from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founded , and the scholarships he got for his students .
If sports could hold us to a higher standard , they would have done so .
Pharmaceutical companies get busted for flooding society with opioids and the nation shrugs .
The Astros set up an espionage system that a high school team could have disrupted , and mothers hide their children ’ s eyes .
But we do need to listen to our athletes .
Even they feel a hammerlock of dread when a flashing blue light comes up from behind them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until proven guilty ” is a fairy tale in many neighborhoods .
Carson Wentz is the Eagles ’ quarterback from Bismarck , N.D. , and Trevor Lawrence is Clemson ’ s quarterback from Cartersville , Ga .
Neither pretends to know the black experience .
Both expressed their grief and disbelief over George Floyd .
The games needn ’ t start again until we reach a medical truce and a refresher course on all men created equal .
Then they can return to where they always should have been , somewhere between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiations with George Kittle might be tougher than anticipated • A bad week for Oakland A ’ s baseball : What sweeping cost cuts will mean for team • Why college athletes are most vulnerable in a post-pandemic return • Why the death of George Floyd has resonated throughout the NBA

At times like this we hear about the “healing power of sports.”
They do not bring a cure. They bring a tourniquet. They can relieve pain. They do not mend fractures that stretch 3,000 miles and damage every star and stripe.
When George W. Bush brazenly walked into Yankee Stadium and threw the first pitch of World Series Game 3 in 2001, a month and a half after the planes hit, he made people jump and cheer and cry. But all he could do was inspire. After the balls and bats were put away, New York went back to burying its cops and firemen.
When Cathy Freeman made the final turn at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, her fans found an eerie new octave. Their noise sounded like souls that had been freed from bodies, a strange new language of sound. Freeman won the gold medal in the 400 as an indigenous Aussie. Whatever hope she sowed is a wilted memory. Her people live 10 fewer years than the average Australian, and only 48 percent of those of working age have jobs.
As 2020 plunges past the River Styx, a disabled nation must heal itself.
Some of us cry for spectator sports, which have been removed by COVID-19. Our games have been replaced by pandemic information and, lately, dispatches from paved, downtown battlefields.
Wouldn’t we prefer the ibuprofen of a 4-for-4 from the bat of Mike Trout? Sure. But numbing isn’t healing.
In fact, sports have rarely seemed as extraneous and bizarre as they do now, after three-and-a-half months in exile.
That was before a plague removed 100,000 American lives, and counting, and yet another policeman’s panic and fear cost yet another African American man his life.
It takes a mighty set of headphones to block out the world and pretend that your latest list of Top 10 Poulan Weed-Eater Bowls really matters, much less another cheerless Angels-Mariners game to determine draft position.
There will not be a 2020 Final Four champion, nor a Wimbledon winner, nor a Champion Golfer of the Year. Hockey and basketball are so desperate to avoid such a blank space that they’re herding players into unfamiliar cities, away from family and fans.
The colleges seem bent on using their student-athletes even though many of their students will be home, online.
Baseball, the supposed balm of Gilead, is stuck in a coin-throwing fight between herds of fatted calves. Ten owners are worth more than $1.5 billion, including John Fisher, who was born into The Gap fortune and owns the Oakland Athletics. After the A’s blew a rent payment, they cut off a $400-per-week stipend to their minor league players, and, like Arte Moreno’s Angels, furloughed their scouts as if there isn’t going to be an MLB draft.
Every sport has had work stoppages, and every sport has watched fans return like lemmings. This time could be different, because the games will proceed without fans at first, and with limited audiences after that. Maybe a reprieve from sports will become habit-forming, too.
The 1941 season ended a few weeks before Pearl Harbor and drew 9.6 million. Two years later, with World War II by no means in the bag, baseball drew 7.4 million. The war ended in 1945, when attendance was 10.9 million. Then 18.5 million fans stormed the ballparks in 1946.
This is the most uncertain year, in terms of shared fate, since then. When the gates swing open, the appetite for $14 beers and $20 parking might not be there to greet them.
If sports could really heal, they would have done so. Someone would have learned something from LeBron James, and the school he founded, and the scholarships he got for his students.
If sports could hold us to a higher standard, they would have done so. Pharmaceutical companies get busted for flooding society with opioids and the nation shrugs. The Astros set up an espionage system that a high school team could have disrupted, and mothers hide their children’s eyes.
But we do need to listen to our athletes. Even they feel a hammerlock of dread when a flashing blue light comes up from behind them. Even they realize that “innocent until proven guilty” is a fairy tale in many neighborhoods.
Carson Wentz is the Eagles’ quarterback from Bismarck, N.D., and Trevor Lawrence is Clemson’s quarterback from Cartersville, Ga. Neither pretends to know the black experience. Both expressed their grief and disbelief over George Floyd.
The games needn’t start again until we reach a medical truce and a refresher course on all men created equal.
Then they can return to where they always should have been, somewhere between the cure and the disease.


mercurynews--2020-05-30--George Floyd protests: San Francisco demonstrations kick off Saturday

SAN FRANCISCO — Several hundred people gathered in front of San Francisco City Hall on Saturday to help kick off the latest series of protests to continue a national outcry over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis , which has drawn condemnation from all corners of the country , including a new chorus of police leaders .
Starting around noon , a mostly young and diverse crowd holding signs emblazoned with messages like “ Black Lives Matters , ” “ Blue Lives Kill , ” and “ White Silence is Violence ” listened to speakers on the steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court was Reiko Redmonde , owner of Berkeley ’ s Revolution Books .
“ When the police in Oakland killed Oscar Grant in 2009 , they were teaching you something , ” she said , alluding to Grant ’ s infamous shooting death at the hands of BART officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale transit station .
“ This isn ’ t one bad cop , this isn ’ t a bunch of bad cops , ” Redmonde said .
“ It ’ s the whole f—ing system.
” Frank Martin del Campo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , led a chant of “ Justice for George Floyd.
” By 2 p.m. , with their ranks swelling to a few thousand , they marching down Market Street with police following in motorcycles and blocking side streets .
Protesters buoyed themselves with chants of “ Say his name , George Floyd ” and “ No KKK , no fascist USA , no Trump.
” The new day of demonstrations follow several chaotic confrontations that took place across the country Friday , as protesters came out to the streets by the thousands to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an African-American man , by police officers in Minneapolis earlier this week .
Derek Chauvin , the officer who notoriously subdued Floyd by pressing his knee against Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes , causing his death , was subsequently fired and now faces a murder charge .
Protests that began at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland devolved into looting , with demonstrators breaking the windows of businesses and making off with armloads of merchandise .
Another group of protesters also shut down traffic on the upper deck of the Bay Bridge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In San Jose , demonstrators from across the Bay Area stopped traffic in both directions on Highway 101 and on city streets Friday afternoon .
Some vented their frustration by lighting small fires and cracking windows in the city ’ s downtown core , but the majority of the protesters were peaceful .
In assorted clashes that followed , officers held off protesters with batons , before escalating to tear gas , rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades .
Demonstrators threw water bottles and other objects , and one protester was captured on video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In one of the most violent instances from the night , a sheriff ’ s deputy fired at an SUV that fled after plowing into a group of protesters .
As the afternoon came to an end in San Francisco , in contrast , law enforcement managed to keep people off the freeway and didn ’ t force confrontations , despite the presence of officers with visible tear gas canisters .
Flanked by police on both sides , the group marched down 16th Street in the Mission District on bikes , scooters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and waving .
Cooped-up families meanwhile leaned out of windows , cheering or simply recording on their phones , as demonstrators passed by .
Check back later for updates to this story .

OAKLAND — Clashes between protesters and police across the Bay Area returned for a second night Saturday, with frenzied vandals taking over as the night wore on, wreaking havoc on the high-end shops of San Francisco’s Union Square, including Saks Fifth Avenue, and looting the Powell Street Center in Emeryville.
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As cities across the country tried to quell another night of violence in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a curfew Saturday night and asked for the National Guard to help restore order. Iconic Union Square became an epicenter of unrest, with looters ransacking the Coach store of leather bags and Salvatore Ferragamo of shoes. Bras from Victoria’s Secret and cushioned jewelry boxes from the Swarovski store littered the sidewalks as police pushed protesters from block to block amid the sting of tear gas.
“What we are seeing tonight, the violence, the vandalism, the crimes that are committed in our city, not just against property but against other people, that’s something we will not tolerate,” Breed said Saturday night. “When it crosses the line we have to protect our city and we will do what we need to do to do just that.”
She imposed the curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., and said she had been in touch with Gov. Gavin Newsom about putting the National Guard on standby. “This is the last thing that I want to do as mayor,” she said. “I want peace. I want protest. But I don’t want the kind of violence and crime we are seeing play itself out across the city.”
The new day of demonstrations followed several chaotic confrontations that took place across the country Friday, as protesters came out to the streets by the thousands to denounce the killing of Floyd, an African-American man, by police officers in Minneapolis earlier this week. Derek Chauvin, the officer who notoriously subdued Floyd by pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for several minutes, was subsequently fired and now faces a murder charge.
Floyd’s death has drawn condemnation from all corners of the country, including a chorus of police leaders. But clashes between protesters and police continued to escalate Saturday from Washington, D.C., to Las Vegas to Seattle despite curfews in a number of cities, including Los Angeles, and the presence of the National Guard in other states. Videos of burning police cars and swirling tear gas covered social media.
In Emeryville, dozens of looters stormed the Best Buy on Shellmound, many stuffing TVs into their trunks or holding onto boxes of merchandise balanced on the tops of their cars. They moved to the Powell Street Center nearby, breaking into Ross, Men’s Wearhouse, Chase bank, Metro PCS and Starbucks. People ran from BevMo, their arms full of bottles. Broken glass covered the ground. Looting continued for at least an hour before police arrived around 10:15. Police handcuffed several people, but most had already fled. Guitar Center and Urban Outfitters on Shellmound were also hit.
To keep its employees safe during protests, Target announced the closure of several stores across the Bay Area, from Alameda and Walnut Creek to San Francisco and San Jose.
In San Jose, the atmosphere near City Hall felt calmer than Friday’s hours-long protests, with some people sharing Slim Jims and granola bars and another strumming a guitar. “Today is a little more peaceful than it was yesterday,” said Erin Thompson, 24, who left Friday’s protest when rubber bullets and tear gas started raining down. “Man, it’s a wonderful thing to see.”
That calm shattered within moments when a single water bottle sailed past the police line. Immediately, police fired several canisters of tear gas and a slew of rubber bullets down 4th Street. Protesters screamed and sprinted en masse down the street to hide behind cars and pillars before turning back toward police, beginning a cat-and-mouse that lasted for the next few hours.
At 14th and Broadway in Oakland, where broken glass from windows smashed Friday at Walgreens were still scattered across the sidewalk, protesters chanted “no justice, no peace, no racist police.”
“I’m out here because I don’t want my daughter to die,” said Lisa Cardoso, 41, of Oakland, who brought her 10-year-old daughter, Tianna Jackson, who is black, to her first protest. “I want her to live.”
Protests started peacefully earlier Saturday in San Francisco. A mostly young and diverse crowd held signs emblazoned with messages like “Black Lives Matters,” “Blue Lives Kill,” and “White Silence is Violence,” listening to speakers on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall.
“When the police in Oakland killed Oscar Grant in 2009, they were teaching you something,” said Reiko Redmonde, owner of Berkeley’s Revolution Books, alluding to Grant’s infamous shooting death at the hands of BART officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale transit station. “This isn’t one bad cop, this isn’t a bunch of bad cops. It’s the whole f—ing system.”
Although law enforcement managed to keep people off the freeway in San Francisco earlier Saturday, after dark, looters picked clean a Swarovski jewelry and looted a Walgreens at Hayes and Market. At a CVS drug store on Geary and Mason, alarms sounded as people jumped out of broken windows carrying bags of merchandise. In Union Square, police quickly crowded the Saks Fifth Avenue where looters had broken in.
In Oakland, BART announced that civil disturbances forced the closures of the stations at Powell Street, Civic Center and 12th Street Oakland and 19th Street. Early in the evening, protesters were outnumbered by dozens of police officers who stood by, watching them from both sides of the street. Hundreds of protesters marched near Lake Merritt.
Tristan Becerra, 23, came up from Redwood City to participate.“I understand black people’s frustration, brown people’s frustration. I’m just here to show support,” he said.
Just before midnight Saturday, police blanketed Telegraph Avenue in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood with tear gas to disperse the crowd of rowdy protesters still carousing in the street. One canister after another went off, filling the air with thick smoke that left people choking, sobbing and scrambling to escape. A woman lay on the ground, not moving, while people around her yelled for help. Overhead, a California Highway Patrol helicopter called down to people to disperse.
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Israel’s Netanyahu released from hospital ahead of key vote on legal overhaul California News | Protesters try to storm Baghdad’s Green Zone over the burning of Quran and Iraqi flag in Denmark On Friday, protests that began at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland also devolved into looting, with demonstrators breaking the windows of businesses and making off with armloads of merchandise. Another group of protesters also shut down traffic on the upper deck of the Bay Bridge for a portion of the evening.
In San Jose on Friday, demonstrators stopped traffic in both directions on Highway 101 and vented their frustration by lighting small fires and cracking windows in the city’s downtown core. One protester was captured on video punching a police officer in the face. In one of the most violent instances from the night, a sheriff’s deputy fired at an SUV that fled after plowing into a group of protesters.
Robert Salonga and Peter Hegarty contributed to this article. Check back later for updates to this story.