freedomdaily--2020-06-05--Summer visitors to American parks choose safety first over freedom to roam

In a typical summer , millions of Americans head outdoors to national parks , hiking trails and rivers across the U.S .
This summer , because of COVID-19 precautions , getting outdoors will be different , although how different isn ’ t certain .
My colleagues and I are part of a research team at Pennsylvania State University that studies outdoor recreation and park management .
Our team recently conducted a national survey of more 1,000 outdoor enthusiasts across 47 states with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics .
The survey asked several key questions that included how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to outdoor recreation this summer and how parks might be managed for COVID-19 to ensure the safety and security of park users .
The responses to the survey suggested that this summer , we may be entering a new era of park management .
Outdoor recreationists not only say they want stricter enforcement of rules to keep people safe but that they welcome new guidelines and even limits to their freedoms so that all visitors can experience the benefits of nature without compromising their health due to COVID-19 .
The renowned naturalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tired , nerve-shaken , over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home ; that wildness is a necessity ; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers , but as fountains of life.
” The world has changed immensely since he wrote this in 1901 .
People , now more than ever , seek the benefits of nature regardless of whether they live in rural Colorado or Manhattan .
Experiencing the sights and sounds of nature has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better .
The desire to seek out those experiences is , perhaps , even biologically driven .
Today , there is a growing body of scientific evidence that shows the positive links between exposure to the natural world and humans ’ cognitive , physiological and social well-being .
Our survey , carried out in April and May , examined how outdoor recreation behaviors across all types of parks and protected areas may be changing in response to the pandemic and with it , expectations of park management .
Through their online list serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics served as potential respondents for this research .
This community consists largely of outdoor enthusiasts who are highly dependent on outdoor recreation as a form of leisure .
More than 1,800 surveys were completed in two phases and consisted of questions related to behavioral changes , making decisions about recreation and expectations for park management .
Findings from our research , “ Evaluating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to outdoor recreation and predicting long-term trends , ” suggest that not only are recreational behaviors shifting and affecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expectations of park management have changed , too .
Our survey reported that , in general , people are yearning to get back outside .
Nearly 85 % of those surveyed reported that they are very to extremely likely to return to public lands as soon as restrictions ease .
The survey also reported that outdoor enthusiasts support increased preventive health measures in the parks including limits on visitor capacities and strict social distancing .
Urban dwellers , who have faced the most barriers to accessing parks , have , on average , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by more than three days per week , while back-country travel has been reduced by nearly three miles .
This is likely due to heightened restrictions on travel outside the home and increased park closures in and around major cities .
As a result , the U.S. may be in for an overcorrection or rebound in activity once cities and states begin to relax safer-at-home orders and open their park systems .
It may be that urban dwellers return to their favorite activities and recreation areas at even higher rates than before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe , healthy experience in our parks while balancing the health risks of a pandemic ?
Not without sacrifice .
By definition , an outdoor enthusiast appreciates the lack of constraints to explore the natural world .
Outdoor enthusiasts are normally not keen on limiting their freedom to roam as they please .
Mandatory permit systems and capacity limits at popular recreation sites have long been the bane of the outdoor adventurer .
Our research shows that COVID-19 has changed this perspective , at least for the time being .
Our research shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rock climbers and mountain bikers are largely supportive of park and protected area agencies like the National Park Service or Bureau of Land Management keeping greater control over visitor volume on public lands and trails .
More than 75 % either completely or strongly agreed that parks should implement capacity limits in response to COVID-19 .
These increased rules , which may include limiting usage and allowing people to enter a trail or park at timed entry allotments , are designed to keep people safe and allow for physical distancing .
Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outdoor enthusiasts also want park and protected area staff to use personal protective equipment such as masks , encourage all visitors to wear masks and provide visitors with sanitary amenities like hand sanitizer .
Those who perceive themselves as being at higher risk of serious illness as a result of COVID-19 are significantly more supportive of heavier restrictions and increased safety measures .
Our research suggests that people will be guided by two things this summer when deciding whether or not to visit parks .
One , the importance of their physical and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recreation .
And two , guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the World Health Organization and federal and state agencies .
Above all , outdoor enthusiasts are eager to get back outside and do the things they love , safely .
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B. Derrick Taff receives funding for research from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics , the partnering non-profit organization on this research , through his academic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is affiliated with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics as a dues-paying member , and as a “ Master Educator ” .
Peter Newman receives funding from the National Park Service .
Peter Newman is a dues paying member of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics .
William L. Rice does not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article , and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .


freedomdaily--2020-06-05--A few superspreaders transmit the majority of coronavirus cases

The coronavirus has traveled the globe , infecting one person at a time .
Some sick people might not spread the virus much further , but some people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 are what epidemiologists call “ superspreaders.
” Elizabeth McGraw , the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Pennsylvania State University , explains the evidence and why superspreaders can be crucial to a disease ’ s transmission .
Early in the outbreak , researchers estimated that a person carrying SARS-CoV-2 would , on average , infect another two to three people .
More recent studies have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may actually be higher .
As early as January , though , there were reports out of Wuhan , China , of a single patient who infected 14 health care workers .
That qualifies him as a super spreader : someone who is responsible for infecting an especially large number of other people .
Since then , epidemiologists have tracked a number of other instances of SARS-CoV-2 superspreading .
In South Korea , around 40 people who attended a single church service were infected at the same time .
At a choir practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 32 attendees contracted confirmed COVID-19 and 20 more came down with probable cases .
In Chicago , before social distancing was in place , one person that attended a dinner , a funeral and then a birthday party was responsible for 15 new infections .
During any disease outbreak , epidemiologists want to quickly figure out whether superspreaders are part of the picture .
Their existence can accelerate the rate of new infections or substantially expand the geographic distribution of the disease .
What are the characteristics of a superspreader ?
Whether someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on some combination of the pathogen , the patient ’ s biology and their environment or behavior .
Some infected individuals might shed more virus into the environment than others if their immune system has trouble subduing the invader .
Additionally , asymptomatic individuals – up to 50 % of all those who get COVID-19 – will continue their normal activities , inadvertently infecting more people .
Even people who ultimately do show symptoms are capable of transmitting the virus during a pre-symptomatic phase .
A person ’ s behaviors , travel patterns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also contribute to superspreading .
An infected shopkeeper might come in contact with a large number of people and goods each day .
An international business traveler may crisscross the globe in a short period of time .
A sick health care worker might come in contact with large numbers of people who are especially susceptible , given the presence of other underlying illnesses .
Public protests – where it ’ s challenging to keep social distance and people might be raising their voices or coughing from tear gas – are conducive to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 are superspreaders ?
Several recent preprint studies , which haven ’ t yet been peer-reviewed , have shed light on the role of superspreading in COVID-19 ’ s dispersion around the globe .
Researchers in Hong Kong examined a number of disease clusters by using contact tracing to track down everyone with whom individual COVID-19 patients had interacted .
In the process , they identified multiple situations where a single person was responsible for as many as six or eight new infections .
The researchers estimated that only 20 % of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80 % of all local transmission .
Importantly , they also showed that these transmission events were associated with people who had more social contacts – beyond just family members – highlighting the need to rapidly isolate people as soon as they test positive or show symptoms .
Another study by researchers in Israel took a different approach .
They compared the genetic sequences of coronavirus samples from patients inside the country to those from other places .
Based on how different the genomes were , they could identify each time SARS-CoV-2 entered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestically .
These scientists estimated that 80 % of community transmission events – one person spreading the coronavirus to another – could be tracked back to just 1-10 % of sick individuals .
And when another research group modeled the variation in how many other SARS-CoV-2 infections a single infected person tends to cause , they also found there were occasionally individuals who were very infectious .
These people accounted for over 80 % of transmissions in a population .
When have superspreaders played a key role in an outbreak ?
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The most famous is Typhoid Mary , who in the early 20th century purportedly infected 51 people with typhoid through the food she prepared as a cook .
During the last two decades , superspreaders have started a number of measles outbreaks in the United States .
Sick , unvaccinated individuals visited densely crowded places like schools , hospitals , airplanes and theme parks where they infected many others .
Superspreaders have also played a key role in the outbreaks of other coronaviruses , including SARS in 2003 and MERS in 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superspreading mainly occurred in hospitals , with scores of people being infected at a time .
Can superspreading occur in all infectious diseases ?
Yes .
Researchers have identified superspreaders in outbreaks of diseases caused by bacteria , such as tuberculosis , as well as those caused by viruses , including measles and Ebola .
Just as appears to be the case with the coronavirus , some scientists estimate that in an outbreak of any given pathogen , 20 % of the population is usually responsible for causing over 80 % of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news is that the right control practices specific to how pathogens are transmitted – hand-washing , masks , quarantine , vaccination , reducing social contacts and so on – can slow the transmission rate and halt a pandemic .
This is an updated version of an article originally published on Jan. 30 , 2020 .
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Elizabeth McGraw does not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article , and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .

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Science of ‘Seinfeld’

It ’ s been 31 years since a groundbreaking show about nothing first hit the air and…yada yada yada .
What better time to revisit some memorable moments from “ Seinfeld ” that left viewers shouting , “ Get out !
” , and see what science has to say about the situation .
I was a biology graduate student when “ Seinfeld ” first hit the air .
The show not only provided a welcome reprieve from a tough day in the laboratory , but also fueled fun debates among us students as to whether the inane scenarios were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debates still swim in my head , better informed by the latest science relevant to them .
Can men grow breasts big enough to need ‘ the bro ’ ?
On season 6 , episode 18 ( S6 : E18 ) , it was revealed that George ’ s father , Frank , had something he wanted to get off his chest but couldn ’ t : man boobs .
After witnessing Frank ’ s condition , Kramer was inspired to make “ the bro , ” or “ mansiere , ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The development of enlarged breasts in men is nothing new : It is a rather common medical condition called gynecomastia .
Gynecomastia can arise when the body makes less testosterone relative to estrogen .
These fluctuations in sex hormones can happen as a newborn develops , during puberty or as a result of aging .
In the young , the situation usually resolves on its own as hormones balance out .
Certain medications , illegal drugs and alcohol can produce gynecomastia as well .
Men with this condition can opt for breast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Medications that reduce the effect of estrogen can also help .
Can someone die from licking envelopes ?
In the season 7 finale , George and Susan were finally tying the knot and George ’ s wallet was taking a beating .
When George was presented with the option to save a few bucks by purchasing old wedding invitations , he leaped at the opportunity .
As she licked the 200 envelopes , Susan became dizzy and , in a shocking twist , died at the hospital .
The doctor stated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toxic adhesive commonly found in very low-priced envelopes.
” Another outlandish plot line , or could this really happen ?
According to “ How It Works , ” envelope glue is made from gum arabic , which is a product of the hardened sap from acacia trees .
It is a nontoxic substance often used in candy to bind ingredients together .
Others state that dextrin , an edible carbohydrate produced from corn or potato starch , is used to make the adhesive .
Most importantly , as far as I can tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of someone dying from licking envelope glue .
If you ’ re still anxious about potential toxins in the adhesive , or simply don ’ t like the taste , moisten the glue strip with a damp sponge instead of your tongue .
The government has been experimenting with pigmen In S5 : E5 , Kramer wanders into the wrong hospital room and makes a disturbing discovery – a pigman : half man , half pig .
Kramer is further convinced of the existence of pigman when the next day ’ s newspaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conduct DNA research.
” In the end , we learn that the pigman was , of course , just a man who is about five feet , hairless , with a pink complexion .
Kramer might come across as a hipster doofus , but he ’ s not entirely wrong here .
Scientists have indeed been working on pig-human hybrids , of sorts , for decades .
Doctors have been using porcine heart valves to replace damaged ones in humans since the 1960s .
Since a pig ’ s internal organs are roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pigs are good candidate animals in which human organs for transplantation could be grown .
In 2017 , Dr. Jun Wu at the Salk Institute published the first report of human tissue being grown in a pig embryo .
Much more careful research lies ahead , but the pioneering study supports the idea that human organs could be manufactured in a pig .
Why does Newman hate broccoli so much ?
In S8 : E8 , Newman was challenged to eat broccoli but quickly gagged and demanded a honey mustard chaser to neutralize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call a “ supertaster , ” and he is not alone in hating broccoli .
Approximately 25 % of people are born with variations in genes like TAS2R38 , which build taste bud receptors .
Taste buds bind to chemicals in food and signal the flavor to the brain .
Many plants , including broccoli , evolved to produce bitter-tasting chemicals like thiourea to avoid being eaten .
Most humans don ’ t register these chemicals as intensely bitter , but supertasters do .
Supertasters are literally born with a tongue that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli , which tricks their brain into thinking that the food is poisonous .
Like a frightened turtle , why does it shrink ?
A trip out to the Hamptons is usually a pleasant outing , but in S5 : E21 , Jerry ’ s girlfriend accidentally walks in on George as he ’ s changing out of his swimsuit .
After catching a glimpse of his manhood , she says , “ I ’ m really sorry.
” George screams in self-defense , “ Shrinkage !
Shrinkage !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ George wasn ’ t lying .
Urologist Darius Paduch at Weill Cornell Medicine has stated that the penis can shrivel by about 50 % in length and 20 % to 30 % in girth in cold temperatures .
The human body operates at an optimal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit .
When we get cold , blood is redirected to our vital areas , namely our chest and head to keep our heart and brain functionally properly .
Consequently , this draws blood away from appendages like fingers , toes and , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rushes away from the penis , it shrinks .
The position of the testes is a reflex controlled by the cremaster muscle , which brings them closer to the body in colder temperatures to maintain the warmth needed for sperm production .
Everything in life is coming up roses after George has a chance encounter with a hand modeling agent in S5 : E2 .
Thanks to avoiding manual labor his whole life , George ’ s hands are exquisitely smooth and creamy , delicate yet masculine .
Appreciating that his extraordinary hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , George protects them by wearing oven mitts and warning his bickering parents that “ Stress is very damaging to the epidermis !
” It is tempting to assume that George is simply making excuses to get his parents to stop arguing , but science supports his assertion .
Stress causes all sorts of health issues in the body , and the skin — our largest organ — is no exception .
The body responds to stress by releasing hormones like cortisol , which cause inflammation .
In the skin , cortisol increases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause breakouts and exacerbate skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema .
Stress hormones negatively impact the immune system and epidermal defenses , making the skin more susceptible to infection .
Stress also causes some people to bite their nails , which could easily ruin a hand modeling gig .
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Bill Sullivan does not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .


freedomdaily--2020-06-07--After Murkowski Criticism, Trump Shores Up Senate GOP Support

President Donald Trump retweeted different Republican senators multiple times late Thursday and early Friday in an apparent show of mutual support .
The series of retweets , over 100 in total , and all in a row , comes less than a day after Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski publicly broke with Trump over his handling of protests in Washington , D.C. , earlier this week .
The far majority of the tweets highlighted the respective senators ’ recent accomplishments and statements , ranging from touting their work in passing the Paycheck Protection Program to media appearances with them calling for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the retweets were a clear indication of the president ’ s support for them going into what is projected to be a contentious election season , experts say .
While some of the senators that appeared on the president ’ s Twitter feed are heavy favorites to win their seat in November , not up for re-election or retiring altogether , a few are facing competitive races in states that could very well decide which party wins the presidency and the Senate .
In states like Arizona , North Carolina , and Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine line in attempting to maintain their support from the president without alienating moderate voters in their home states .
While Republican Arizona Sen. Martha McSally has maintained strong support from the president and the Republican base , she has begun to trail behind her Democratic challenger in polls .
The same can be said for Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and Republican Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner , both of whom are polling neck-and-neck , according to averages from RealClearPolitics and FiveThirtyEight , respectively , among voters who may likely decide whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to many election forecasters .
Gardner and GOP Maine Sen. Susan Collins are the only two Republican Senators running for re-election in states that Trump lost in 2016 .
Colorado went for 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by five points , and Gardner is widely considered to be the most vulnerable GOP senator .
Trump ’ s tweets in support of Republican senators are sure to help solidify their support among the president ’ s base , which could prove helpful since he is set to appear at the top of every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years voters have trended towards voting straight tickets , regardless of party affiliation .
As the 2020 election season begins to accelerate , more and more Republican senators have aligned themselves with the president , who holds a constant approval rating of over 90 percent among members of his party , in hopes that voters will award them both with an additional term .


freedomdaily--2020-06-07--De Blasio Rolls Out Plan Shifting Funds Away From NYPD Amid Calls To Defund The Police

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan to shift funding away from the city ’ s police department and toward youth programs Sunday , as activists push for defunding police departments .
De Blasio ’ s plan is part of a suggestion from the mayor ’ s task force on racial inclusion , which is chaired by his wife , activist Chirlane McCray .
Decisions about police funding must ensure New Yorkers ’ safety is a priority , the mayor said during a press briefing .
“ We will be moving funding from the NYPD to youth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blasio said during the hour-long press conference Sunday addressing potential police reforms .
De Blasio ’ s announcement comes after he was booed during a vigil for George Floyd , a black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled down on his neck for more than 8 minutes , video of the incident shows .
De Blasio added : “ The details will be worked out in the budget process in the weeks ahead .
But I want people to understand that we are committed to shifting resources to ensure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ This is a beginning .
I want it to be abundantly clear to all New Yorkers .
These are first steps to what will be 18 months of making intense change in this city .
The work of this task force is crucial , ” de Blasio said .
“ This is a transformative moment.
” Street vendor enforcement will also “ no longer be the responsibility of the NYPD , ” de Blasio added during the briefing .
A civilian agency will now be responsible for policing citizens ’ interactions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioning the agency .
Floyd ’ s death sparked nationwide protests , and resulted in second-degree murder and manslaughter charges being brought against the police officer , Derek Chauvin , who was immediately fired after the incident .
The NYPD arrested hundreds of protesters , rioters and looters during the protests in New York City .
A campaign emerged after his death to reduce police department funds across the country and redirect such resources to other services .
De Blasio Rolls Out Plan Shifting Funds Away From NYPD Amid Calls To Defund The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News – Where Americans go for news , current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News , Political Cartoons and more .


freedomdaily--2020-06-07--Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Deputy Killed In Alleged Ambush By Man With A Stockpile Of Bombs

A Santa Cruz County sheriff ’ s deputy was killed and other officers were injured after a man who was stockpiling an arsenal of bombs and guns opened fire on them Saturday , according to local media reports .
Sgt .
Damon Gutzwiller , 38 , was fatally shot after officers while responding to reports of a suspicious van near Ben Lamond , California , Sheriff Jim Hart told reporters Saturday night , according to ABC7 News .
The person who called in the report said they saw a cache of guns and bomb-making devices inside the van , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ express the pain we feel for Damon and his family , ” Hart said during a news conference , referring to Gutzwiller , who is survived by his wife and young child .
“ He was the kind of person we all hope to be .
Today , we lost a hero .
We are grateful to have known him and we mourn with his family.
” Gutzwiller and other officers followed the van and finally located it at a Ben Lamond home , Hart said .
Carrillo allegedly ambushed the officers shortly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Hart .
Gutzwiller was shot during and promptly transported to a hospital , where he was pronounced dead .
A second deputy was hit by a car as the suspect , identified as Steven Carrillo , was allegedly fleeing the scene , according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel .
Carrillo , a 32-year-old active-duty U.S. Air Force sergeant , was arrested and will face murder charges , among other felony counts , Hart said .
Carrillo was treated at a hospital Saturday night after being shot with return fire during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an ABC7 News investigation , Carrillo posted a Facebook meme on May 31 in which he wrote : “ I ’ ll never let racist white people make me forget about the dope white people I know exist .
I love y ’ all.
” The post included different colored fist emojis , with the white fists in the meme crossed out , the ABC7 investigation team reported .
Santa Cruz County ’ s sheriff ’ s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s request for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the heels of nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd , a 46-year-old black man who died May 25 after a police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes , video of the incident shows .
The police officer , Derek Chauvin , was immediately fired after the incident and faces second-degree murder and manslaughter charges .
Gutzwiller was shot and killed less than a week after retired St. Louis Police Department Captain David Dorn was fatally shot on June 2 trying to defend a local pawn from suspected looters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the street after suspected rioters shot him in the torso , reports show .
Santa Cruz Sheriff ’ s Deputy Killed In Alleged Ambush By Man With A Stockpile Of Bombs is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news , current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News , Political Cartoons and more .


freedomdaily--2020-06-08--President Trump to Resume ‘Keep America Great’ Rallies within 2 Weeks

The Trump Campaign announced Monday that President Donald Trump will resume his Keep America Great rallies within the next two weeks .
“ Americans are ready to get back to action and so is President Trump , ” Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale told Fox News .
“ The Great American Comeback is real and the rallies will be tremendous .
You ’ ll again see the kind of crowds and enthusiasm that Sleepy Joe Biden can only dream of.
” The rallies had been suspended during the shutdown of the American economy caused by an overreaction to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held massive anti-police protests and the media no longer seem concerned about social distancing , masks or large gatherings demonstrating how useless their lockdown hysteria has been and will make it difficult for them to force restrictions on Trump rallies .
The media , who has breathlessly called the recent unrest “ peaceful ” even as neighborhoods burned and people murdered , will no doubt call the rallies “ irresponsible ” , “ dangerous ” and “ stupid.
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freedomdaily--2020-06-08--Biden Campaign’s Statement On Defunding The Police Is ‘Weak’, Trump Camp Says

Topics in this post : Joe Biden the 2020 Election President Donald Trump ’ s re-election campaign on Monday called on former Vice President Joe Biden to personally fully explain his position on a budding movement to defund police forces around the country .
A statement opposing the defunding of police departments from the Biden campaign ’ s rapid response director Andrew Bates is not good enough , Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement Monday .
“ Joe Biden can not be let off the hook after his campaign issued a weak statement from a mid-level staffer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still haven ’ t heard from Joe Biden himself on the radical ‘ Defund the Police ’ movement in the Democrat Party.
” The former vice president needs to show that he is prepared to lead his party away from a campaign to defang police officers , according to Trump spokesman Murtaugh .
“ We have previously seen the Biden campaign say one thing on an issue right before their candidate says another , ” Murtaugh added .
“ Until Americans hear from Joe Biden himself , they have no way of knowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the leader of his party and he could single-handedly step in and steer elected Democrats away from this terrible policy.
” Bates released a statement Monday saying that Biden “ does not believe that police should be defunded.
” Biden “ hears and shares the deep grief and frustration of those calling out for change , and is driven to ensure that justice is done and that we put a stop to this terrible pain , ” Bates said , and does support police reforms that create more diversity within the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are many police departments across the country who are seeking to realize these kinds of changes , but haven ’ t had the resources to — and the Trump administration has in fact made obtaining those resources more difficult , ” Bates said .
The push to divert resources away from local police forces began amid demonstrations against the death of George Floyd , a black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for more than 8 minutes , video of the incident shows .
“ Defund the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among protesters and left-wing figures .
A “ veto-proof majority ” of the Minneapolis City Council pledged to eliminate the city ’ s police department on Sunday .
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freedomdaily--2020-06-08--Great Recovery: TSA Records Busiest Weekend In Months As Americans Start Traveling Again |

More than 400,000 Americans boarded flights Friday and Sunday marking the first time since March that number has been surpassed , the Transportation Security Administration said Monday .
A total of 441,255 people traveled in the air Sunday while 419,675 people traveled Friday , according to the TSA .
Sunday ’ s number of fliers marks the highest number of air travelers since March 22 .
The air travel milestone comes as states continue to open up following the coronavirus pandemic .
States around the country began imposing stay-at-home orders in March .
State restriction wreaked havoc on the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news for air travel , TSA ’ s figures still suggest there is a long way to go .
On the same day one year from Sunday , there were 2.6 million air travelers , according to TSA .
That ’ s an 83 % decrease in air traffic year-over-year .
The U.S. unexpectedly added 2.5 million jobs in May while the unemployment rate decreased , and the U.S. stock market rallied on the back of this news Friday .
President Donald Trump declared victory , saying Friday ’ s jobs report showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The stock market continued its rally Monday .
In response Trump tweeted , “ Jobs coming back FAST .
Next year will be our greatest ever !
” On Monday , 400,000 New Yorkers were expected to return to work as New York City began reopening .
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freedomdaily--2020-06-08--Trump Issues Federal Disaster Declaration After Cristobal Hits Louisiana, Weakens To A Tropical Depr

Trump Issues Federal Disaster Declaration After Cristobal Hits Louisiana, Weakens To A Tropical Depression

Cristobal weakened to a tropical depression Monday morning after smashing into Louisiana and other parts of the southern United States Saturday , bringing with it 50-mile per hour winds and heavy rainfall .
President Donald Trump granted Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards ’ request for financial assistance to pay for the state ’ s disaster response .
Edwards , a Democrat , declared a state of emergency Thursday ahead of the storm ’ s landfall , prompting many parishes to follow his lead .
“ We are continuing to work with our federal partners on those parts of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Edwards wrote in a tweet Sunday night .
“ Our citizens have weathered many storms , and I ’ m certain that they will this time as well.
” Cristobal arrived Saturday afternoon , landing between the Mississippi River and the barrier island resort community of Grand Isle , which was later evacuated , media reports show .
The storm ’ s trajectory takes it inland through Louisiana and Mississippi on its way to Arkansas and eastern Missouri Monday night and Tuesday before reaching Wisconsin by Wednesday .
The storm will continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hurricane Center in Miami said Monday .
Up to 12 inches of rain could fall in some areas of the South , with storm surges up to 5 feet , according to some forecasts .
The weather service warned that the rain would contribute to rivers flooding on the central Gulf Coast and up into the Mississippi Valley .
“ It ’ s very efficient , very tropical rainfall , ” National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said in a Facebook video .
“ It rains a whole bunch real quick .
”


freedomdaily--2020-06-08--Poll: 16% Americans Want To Defund The Police

Just 16 % of Americans support cutting funding for police departments , according to a YouGov poll .
The poll shows a contrast between what Americans want and what is being pushed by activists and politicians in response to the death of George Floyd .
Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25 after an officer knelt on his neck for over 8 minutes .
YouGov ’ s poll revealed a divide , however , between white and black Americans on the question of defunding police .
Seventy-five percent of white respondents oppose cutting funding compared to 36 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white respondents supported cutting funding versus 33 % of black respondents .
Meanwhile , a veto-proof majority of the Minneapolis City Council voted to dismantle the city ’ s police department over the weekend .
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was booed at a protest Saturday after not committing to abolish the city ’ s police force .
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota told protesters , “ we need to completely dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.
” Fellow Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said in a primary debate Friday that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of the New York Police Department ’ s budget , which she said was taking away from potential investment in housing .
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser wouldn ’ t answer questions Sunday about removing a “ defund the police ” inscription which activists painted on a D.C. street .
Bowser ’ s office had commissioned local artists and activists to paint “ Black Lives Matter ” on the street Friday .
Celebrities including Lizzo , Chris Martin , and John Legend have signed an online petition demanding divestment from police departments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police departments around the country , several leaders have come out against the idea echoing the views of most Americans .
“ I don ’ t believe that you should disband police departments , ” Democratic Rep. Karen Bass of California told CNN ’ s Jake Tapper Sunday .
Bass chairs the Congressional Black Caucus .
The YouGov poll was conducted with Yahoo News on May 29-30 .
The poll surveyed 1,060 U.S. adults .
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freedomdaily--2020-06-08--Social Distancing, Social Justice, Science, And More. Here’s How Experts Keep Getting It Wrong

Americans have relied on experts to guide them and to provide factual , unbiased information throughout the coronavirus pandemic — but some experts have been proven wrong on multiple topics just this week .
Public health officials have urged Americans to social distance from one another since the coronavirus pandemic began .
Quarantines , social distancing orders , and lockdowns have kept Americans in their homes and away from friends and family .
Those who suggested that social distancing orders may have gone too far were publicly shamed .
In a viral Twitter thread , mother and commentator Bethany Mandel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an end to months of indefinite lockdowns .
“ You can call me a Grandma killer , ” Mandel tweeted May 6 .
“ I ’ m not sacrificing my home , food on the table , all of our docs and dentists , every form of pleasure ( museums , zoos , restaurants ) , all my kids ’ teachers in order to make other people comfortable .
If you want to stay locked down , do .
I ’ m not.
” Media and experts alike tore into Mandel for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a “ grandma killer , ” and much more .
“ You ’ re a grandma killer yes .
But you ’ re also a nurse killer , a doctor killer , a cop killer , a grocery clerk killer , a student killer , a 5 year old killer , a bus driver killer , a father killer who just had a child killer , a family killer , ” tweeted CNN analyst Joe Lockhart .
“ Good people take care of their community.
” A few weeks later , experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following the death of George Floyd .
Some health officials going so far as to say that the public health risks of racism are more dangerous than those of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ While I have voiced concerns that protests risk creating more outbreaks , the status quo wasn ’ t going to stop # covid19 either , ” he tweeted .
“ As much as this is a chapter in American racism , so too is it in the # covid19 response .
It ’ s beyond time for us in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff writer Connor Friedersdorf called on public health experts to “ strive to provide a neutral accounting of risk ” in the Thursday story : “ The Protesters Deserve the Truth About the Coronavirus.
” “ Public health experts who explicitly adopt an ideological double standard in talking points about the risk of spreading COVID19 at protests ill serve protesters themselves and undermine their credibility in ways that will do lasting damage , ” Friedersdorf tweeted .
Public health experts and media touted the results of studies in May showing damaging effects the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely-used blood pressure medications to treat COVID-19 patients .
Both experts and media mocked President Donald Trump for his praise of the treatment as well as his own use of the treatment himself as a precaution .
But only this week , serious questions posed by medical journals have emerged regarding both the studies .
Both The Lancet , which published the study on hydroxychloroquine , and The New England Journal of Medicine ( NEJM ) , which published a study on blood pressure medications , issued expressions of concern this week warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerged .
Major news networks that had criticized Trump over the medication did not cover the news regarding the studies , an examination by conservative blog Newsbusters found .
“ The evening newscasts of ABC , CBS , and NBC refused to give airtime to the revelation that a lauded scientific study , purporting to show anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was ineffective and deadly , was retracted Thursday because of questions surrounding its accuracy and ethics , ” Newsbuster ’ s Nicholas Fondacaro wrote .
“ That , even though all three had used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushing the drug and taking it himself.
” Economists ’ projections for the number of Americans unemployed during the month of May were wildly inaccurate .
Experts had predicted that the unemployment rate would be around 20 % and that about 8 million jobs would have been lost .
“ The forthcoming May jobs report will amount to a shocking sequel to the April horror story , ” a senior economic analyst for Bankrate Mark Hamrick had predicted to Politico .
“ It is likely to add further economic insult to the injury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
.
Millions more are expected to fall off of payrolls.
” Instead , the economy saw the largest monthly gain in new jobs since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking this data series in 1939 .
The May jobs report showed that U.S. economy gained 2.5 million jobs in May and that unemployment fell to 13.3 % , according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday .
“ The U.S. economy is more resilient than expected , ” chief strategist at Principal Global Investors Seema Shah told CNBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists who smugly informed us that the woke craziness and suppression of campus speech was being overhyped and it was just a few overzealous students , ” Brookings Institute Fellow Shadi Hamid tweeted Thursday .
“ They ’ ll never admit they ’ re wrong .
But they were very , very wrong.
” The tweet came the same day that the New York Times apologized for and removed an op-ed by Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton calling on Trump to end the violence , looting , and attacks on police officers that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times ultimately decided to remove the op-ed following outrage from the publication ’ s employees , who expressed outrage and anger that their publication would publish such sentiments .
“ We ’ ve examined the piece and the process leading up to its publication , ” a NYT spokeswoman said Thursday .
“ This review made clear that a rushed editorial process led to the publication of an Op-Ed that did not meet our standards .
As a result , we ’ re planning to examine both short term and long term changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation and reducing the number of Op-Eds we publish.
” Vox writer Matt Yglesias posted in a response to Hamid ’ s tweet Thursday that he has recently changed his mind about various topics “ thanks to a couple recent things ” that he did not discuss .
“ I was just saying in a Slack that I am going to have to admit I was wrong and the excesses are spreading , ” tweeted Vox ’ s Matt Yglesias in response to Hamid ’ s tweet .
“ I stand by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discourse of five years ago , ” he added , “ but I wrongly thought the most egregious excesses of campus activists would stay on campus when they have instead spread as people age into other roles.
” Senior editor of Reason Magazine Robby Soave predicted in 2019 that the so-called social justice warriors would not subside in going after free speech , but would in fact grow .
“ Social justice warriors are just getting started , ” Soave wrote in a May 2019 op-ed for the Washington Examiner .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outward from the campus culture where it originated , ” Soave wrote .
“ It was student activists who normalized the leftist idea that words are themselves a form of violence and they can inflict pain just as sticks and stones do .
”


freedomdaily--2020-06-08--HUH?: Biden Has Double-Digit Lead Over Trump In New CNN Poll

Democratic nominee Joe Biden has expanded his lead over President Donald Trump to 14 points , according to a CNN poll released Monday morning .
According to the new poll , which sampled approximately 1,250 people , 55 % indicated they would vote for Biden in the 2020 presidential election , while 41 % said that they would support Trump .
The CNN poll represents a notable change in the candidates ’ support from the previous CNN poll , which gave Biden a five-point advantage when it was released in early May .
The poll ’ s release coincides with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests that are entering their third straight week over the death of George Floyd , who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer who held his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for nearly nine minutes , video of the incident shows .
The president has received criticism for his administration ’ s handling of the respective tragedies , reflected by the poll which shows his approval rating at 38 % .
57 % of those sampled said they disapproved of the president , while 5 % said that they had no opinion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 31 % of voters approve of how Trump is handling race relations in the United States , with 63 % stating that they disapprove .
This comes a week after the president was criticized for his picture in front of St. John ’ s Church , shortly after peaceful protesters were removed from Lafayette Square by the park police .
The poll also comes on the heels of two similar polls released late last week .
The polls , from NPR and Emerson , showed Biden with a seven and six-point lead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ records and averages numerous electoral polls , Biden ’ s lead over Trump stands at just under eight points .


freedomdaily--2020-06-08--Fear of needles could be a hurdle to COVID-19 vaccination, but here are ways to overcome it

As progress continues toward finding a vaccine that prevents COVID-19 , millions of Americans are frightened at even the notion of getting a shot : Studies suggest 63 % of young adults – those born in 2000 or later – fear needles .
As a physician trained in pediatrics , I think we found the answer for the huge rise in needle phobia .
Now – and even more critical : What might alleviate needle pain and fear ?
A landmark 1995 study on needle phobia reported that 10 % of adults and 25 % of children were afraid of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically caused their fear : a “ needle event ” around five years of age .
In 2010 , our team conducted a study of vaccination pain in preteens .
Of the 120 children screened , 114 said they had needle anxiety .
This really surprised us .
As with the earlier study , we thought perhaps 25 % would be afraid ; instead , it was 95 % .
( Incidentally , some of the parents were annoyed – not a few called their children out for being “ wimps.
” ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this new anxiety .
So we looked at the vaccination records of the group since birth .
Maybe then we could find patterns that caused this abrupt rise in fear .
Turned out it was the needles .
Over the past 40 years , we have added 30 injections to a child ’ s vaccine schedule .
This is a good thing : Today in the U.S. , kids almost never die from a childhood infectious disease .
But needle fear has blossomed .
The number of infant vaccines were fine .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got all their preschool boosters on one day – that ’ s four or five injections at once – were in the highest quartile of fear five years later .
Worth noting : Over the next three years , this group was two-and-a-half times less likely to get the HPV vaccine .
But none of the kids who got only a single shot each visit over the full four- to six-year window was fearful .
Perhaps they became resilient , capable of coping with one quick poke .
Maybe five injections per visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re old enough to remember them .
Experts in the field – like Dr. Anna Taddio of the University of Toronto – realized needle fear could impact vaccination rates .
She and other Canadian scientists created guidelines to reduce vaccination pain .
Issued in 2015 , those guidelines suggested that interventions , occurring while preparing for and receiving the shot , would help .
Interventions can mean distractions .
For young children , fear might be reduced by letting them blow their breath on a toy pinwheel .
For an older child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or listening to music .
For pain , topical anesthetics help numb the skin .
So does numbing the muscle with “ Buzzy , ” the vibrating cold device we tested in preteens .
Pain is reduced when placed on the shot area for a minute , then moved near the area while the injection takes place .
Two meta-analyses showed Buzzy provided significant pain and fear relief – a 40 % to 74 % decrease for children , and a better experience for adults when receiving an flu shot .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anesthetics and Shotblocker – a horseshoe-shaped device placed near the area of the shot – have been studied for adult injections .
Compared to no intervention , they helped reduce pain .
And in studies looking at blood donation , reducing anxiety and pain can lead to lower rates of the “ passing out ” feelings in adults .
Using vibration combined with cold can also help adults who are fearful .
New guidelines could come out later this year .
This too will be helpful ; our knowledge of vaccine pain has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many of the 2015 recommendations were speculative and extrapolated from studies of IV insertions , which do not directly correlate to pain interventions for shots .
In addition , many studies evaluating distractions from blowing bubbles to wearing virtual reality goggles are from lab draws .
Reliable data on immunizations is relatively scant .
Use multiple distractions , go in with a plan Yet all the suggested interventions have a commonality .
They address pain , fear and the frightening memories of past events by changing the patient ’ s focus during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine pain concluded that interventions should have cold and vibration , plus distraction elements – for instance , using Buzzy as the patient watches a video or listens to music .
The patient should choose the activity , and then remain engaged as the shot is prepared and administered .
If you ’ re facing a needle – a vaccination , lab draw or blood donation – the best strategy is to have a plan beforehand .
Discuss the procedure with the clinician ; bring a friend along .
Have a game you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening – that way , the brain is too busy to be afraid , and pain perception goes down .
Any smartphone app involving touch and skill is a great place to start .
Maybe it ’ s time to play Pokemon Go again .
A physical intervention during the procedure – pointing , touching , coughing – can help .
Or combine rote performance and visual identification .
During the poke , look at something on the wall with writing on it ; focus on one sentence and count the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , there are two in “ holes ” ) .
This engages the part of the brain responsible for analyzing risk .
Needle phobia is a direct threat to public health .
Those who are afraid of shots may not get them .
With COVID-19 upon us , addressing needle fear becomes more than making a doctor ’ s visit more pleasant .
Now , it ’ s truly a lifesaving endeavor .
[ You ’ re smart and curious about the world .
So are The Conversation ’ s authors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each weekend . ]
Amy Baxter founded and works for Pain Care Labs , a dba of MMJ Labs which manufactures and researches neuromodulation pain products Buzzy , VibraCool , and DistrAction cards .
She has received funding from NICHD to develop and test Buzzy for vaccine-related pain reduction , and from NIDA to research frequencies and modalities to reduce opioid use resulting from low back pain .


freedomdaily--2020-06-08--Vibrators had a long history as medical quackery before feminists rebranded them as sex toys

In the contemporary moment of sex-positive feminism , praises for the orgasmic capacity of the vibrator abound .
“ They ’ re all-encompassing , a blanket of electricity , that ’ ll course through your veins , producing orgasms you didn ’ t know you were physically capable of having , ” wrote Erica Moen in her web comic “ Oh Joy Sex Toy.
” Vibrators today go hand in hand with masturbation and female sexuality .
Yet for American housewives in the 1930s , the vibrator looked like any other household appliance : a nonsexual new electric technology that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as their kitchen mixers and vacuum cleaners .
Before small motors became cheap to produce , manufacturers sold a single motor base with separate attachments for a range of household activities , from sanding wood to drying hair , or healing the body with electrical vibrations .
In my research on the medical history of electricity , vibrators appear alongside galvanic battery belts and quack electrotherapies as one of many quirky home cures of the early 20th century .
The first electro-mechanical vibrator was a device called a “ percuteur ” invented by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late 1870s or early 1880s .
Granville thought that vibration powered the human nervous system , and he developed the percuteur as a medical device for stimulating ailing nerves .
Current medical opinion held that hysteria was a nervous disease , yet Granville refused to treat female patients , “ simply because I do not want to be hoodwinked… by the vagaries of the hysterical state.
” The vibrator began as a therapy for men only .
It then quickly left the sphere of mainstream medical practice .
By the early 20th century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electric household appliances .
The merits of electricity in the home were not as obvious then as they are today : Electricity was dangerous and expensive , but it promised excitement and modernity .
Electric commodities , like sewing and washing machines , became the hallmarks of the rising middle class .
Vibrators were another shiny new technology , used to sell consumers on the prospect of modern electric living .
Just as banks handed out free toasters for opening checking accounts in the 1960s , in the 1940s the Rural Electrification Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electrify their homes .
These modern electric devices were not thought of as sex toys .
In what may sound surprising to 21st-century readers , these appliances promised relief of a nonsexual variety .
Users of all ages vibrated just about every body part , without sexual intent .
Vibrators made housework easier by soothing the pains of tired housewives , calming the cries of sick children and invigorating the bodies of modern working men .
They were applied to tired backs and sore feet , but also the throat , to cure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sinus pressure ; and everything in between .
Vibration promised to calm the stomachs of colicky babies , and to stimulate hair growth in balding men .
It was even thought to help heal broken bones .
A 1910 advertisement in the New York Tribune declared that “ Vibration Banishes Disease As the Sun Banishes Mist.
” In 1912 , the Hamilton Beach “ New-Life ” vibrator came with a 300-page instructional guide titled “ Health and How to Get It , ” offering a cure for everything from obesity and appendicitis to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest , vibrators were not standard medical treatments , but medical quackery , alternative medicine that didn ’ t deliver on their promises .
Yet the electrical cure-alls sold by the millions .
The classic form of medical quackery in the U.S. market was patent medicine – basically useless concoctions made mainly of alcohol and morphine , sometimes containing downright damaging ingredients like lead and arsenic .
After the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906 , the federal government began regulating the sale of patent medicines .
Vibrators and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new law , so they took up the market share of older medical concoctions .
The White Cross Vibrator replaced Mrs. Winslow ’ s Soothing Syrup as a popular home cure rejected by the medical establishment .
In 1915 , the Journal of the American Medical Association wrote that the “ vibrator business is a delusion and a snare .
If it has any effect it is psychology.
” The business was dangerous not because it was obscene , but because it was bad medicine .
The potential , acknowledged by doctors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masturbation was just further evidence of its quackery .
Sex toy scholar Hallie Lieberman points out that nearly every vibrator company in the early 20th century offered phallic attachments that “ would have been considered obscene if sold as dildos.
” Presented instead as rectal or vaginal dilators , these devices were supposed to cure hemorrhoids , constipation , vaginitis , cervicitis and other illnesses localized to the genitals and the anus .
Hamilton Beach , for example , offered a “ special rectal applicator ” for “ an additional cost of $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the treatment of “ Impotence , ” “ Piles—Hemorrhoids ” and “ Rectal Diseases.
” The two most prominent scholars of vibrator history , Rachel Maines and Hallie Lieberman , argue that vibrators were always secretly sexual , but I disagree .
Vibrators were popular medical devices .
One of many medical uses of the vibrator was to cure diseases of sexual dysfunction .
And this use was a selling point , not a secret , during an era of anti-masturbatory rhetoric .
Special vibrator attachments like the rectal applicator offered dubious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ailments purportedly caused by “ ruinous and prevalent masturbation.
” Masturbation was thought to cause diseases like impotence in men and hysteria in women .
Masturbatory illness was a pretty standard idea in the early 20th century .
One of its surviving formulations is the idea that masturbating will make you go blind .
There ’ s no way to really know how people were using vibrators .
But the evidence suggests that they signified medical treatment , not sinful masturbation , regardless of the use .
Even if users were doing physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masturbation , they didn ’ t understand themselves to be masturbating , and therefore they weren ’ t masturbating .
For most of the 20th century , vibrators remained innocuous quackery .
Good Housekeeping even bestowed its seal of approval on some models in the 1950s .
When the sexual revolution hit America in the 1960s , vibrators were largely forgotten , outdated appliances .
In the 1970s radical feminists transformed the vibrator from a relic of bygone domesticity to a tool of female sexual liberation .
At Betty Dodson ’ s bodysex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of guilt about masturbation to feelings of celebration so that masturbation became an act of self-love.
” She and her sisters embraced vibrators as a political technology that could convert frigid anorgasmic housewives into powerful sexual beings capable both of having multiple orgasms and destroying the patriarchy .
This masturbatory revolt erased the vibrator ’ s fading reputation as a cure for masturbatory illness and replaced it with a specific , powerful , public and lasting linkage between the vibrator and female masturbatory practice .
[ Insight , in your inbox each day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conversation ’ s email newsletter . ]
Kim Adams has received funding from Henry M. MacCracken Fellowship and Center for the Humanities at New York University .


freedomdaily--2020-06-09--NJ Gov ‘Can’t Imagine’ Telling Protesters To Stay Home During Coronavirus

Democratic New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy said he “ can ’ t imagine ” telling protestors to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic during a press conference Monday , Politico reported .
The governor , who along with other leaders have warned residents to avoid large gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19 , said he could not advise protestors to “ ignore systemic racism ” and stay in their homes .
“ I can ’ t imagine what it would look like if we said to people , ‘ Actually , you have to stay in .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m sorry , just ignore it .
Stay in , ’ ” the governor said , according to Politico .
“ I can ’ t imagine what that looks like as it relates to public safety.
” The coronavirus has hit New Jersey harder than any state except New York , the publication reported .
More than 12,200 residents of New Jersey have died due to the virus since March 4 .
The state will enter Phase Two of the governor ’ s reopening plan on June 15 .
Phase Two will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person services on June 15 but prevent hair salons and barber shops from opening until June 22 .
“ We are ready to move to Stage Two of our restart and recovery , ” Murphy said June 1 .
“ And , assuming we do not see a precipitous backslide which would put the brakes to our plans — and we reserve that right — we will enter Stage Two on Monday , June 15 , ” Murphy said during his daily coronavirus press briefing in Trenton .
Many New Jersey businesses have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s executive orders , Politico reported , while at least two protests against the lockdown have been charged with violating New Jersey ’ s stay-at-home order .
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freedomdaily--2020-06-09--Man Charged With Killing David Dorn Previously Convicted For A Felony. He Didn’t Serve A Single Day

The man who allegedly killed former St. Louis Police captain David Dorn was convicted of a felony , but he never served a single day behind bars , court records show .
24-year-old Stephan Cannon was supposed to be locked up for seven years following a 2014 robbery conviction , instead he received a suspended execution of sentence and was let loose .
The felon also violated his parole after his release on two separate occasions and was still not sent to jail , according to a Fox 2 report .
He was charged with first-degree murder in Dorn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been behind bars until 2021 if he was incarcerated originally , the local outlet reports .
“ Captain Dorn was amongst other police officers that I had an opportunity to run into before even getting the opportunity to work in law enforcement , ” St. Louis police officer Robert Howard told Fox 2 .
“ Those were the individuals I looked up to .
They wore the uniform with pride.
” Canon allegedly shot and killed Dorn on June 2 as the former captain stood watch over a close friend ’ s business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The beloved community member was left to die on the street as an armed group ransacked the small business .
St. Louis was a hotbed for riots at the time of Dorn ’ s death .
Four uniformed police officers were also hit with gunfire after demonstrators took to the streets following the death of George Floyd , who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for more 8 minutes , according to U.S. News and World Report .
President Trump extended his “ highest respect ” for the family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following his untimely death .
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freedomdaily--2020-06-09--‘People Are Just F***ing Lawless Right Now’: Chicago Aldermen Got Heated In Call With Chicago Mayor

‘People Are Just F***ing Lawless Right Now’: Chicago Aldermen Got Heated In Call With Chicago Mayor During Protests

Aldermen begged , cried and cursed at Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot over the city ’ s response to protests during a heated conference call June , according to a recording obtained by WTTW News .
Lightfoot received criticism from members of Chicago City Council ’ s Black Caucus who accused her during a June 1 conference call of deploying 375 members of the Illinois National Guard to block off the central business district , PBS affiliate WTTW News reported .
Lightfoot denied the accusation , but aldermen said the business corridors to the south and west were easy targets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same level of protection as other places , according to an audio recording of the online conference call , obtained WTTW News , with the mayor and 50 aldermen to discuss the city ’ s response .
Democratic 10th Ward Alderman Susan Sadlowski-Garza was emotional while asking for Lightfoot ’ s help .
“ My ward is a shit show .
They are shooting at the police , ” Sadlowski-Garza said .
Sadlowski-Garza told Lightfoot that some shop owners were standing guard with shotguns while others had been destroyed , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is a massive , massive problem , ” Sadlowski-Garza said .
“ People are just fucking lawless right now.
” Lightfoot told the aldermen that the city was actively responding to the situation .
“ We ’ ve been working our ass off .
It is all over the city , ” Lightfoot said , WTTW reported .
It took three hours for law enforcement officers to clear an area near Madison Street and Pulaski Road , according to WTTW .
After officers “ gassed [ the crowd ] with pepper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give a shit , ” Lightfoot said .
She said officers on the West side engaged in “ armed combat ” and only made progress after turning to “ heavy equipment and stronger pepper spray.
” “ I don ’ t know about you , but I haven ’ t seen shit like this before , not in Chicago , ” Lightfoot said .
Democratic 15th Ward Alderman Raymond Lopez , a frequent critic of Lightfoot , indicated that businesses in his ward had also been subject to arson and looting during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this destruction…We have seen where , in other cities , this has gone on for days ; and we need to come up with a better plan for days , at least for the next five days , to try and stabilize our communities.
” Lopez referred to his southwest side ward as a “ virtual warzone ” after “ gang bangers ” equipped with AK-47 ’ s threatened to shoot African Americans , WTTW reported .
“ Once they ’ re done looting and rioting , and whatever ’ s going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what happens when they start going after residents ?
Going into the neighborhoods ?
Once they start trying to break down people ’ s doors if they think they ’ ve got something , ” he told Lightfoot , WTTW reported .
Lightfoot dismissed Lopez ’ s concerns , to which he responded , “ it ’ s not something you ignore .
This is a question that I have , ” news outlet Breitbart reported .
“ I think you ’ re 100 % full of shit , is what I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offense — Fuck you , then .
Who are you to tell me I ’ m full of shit ?
Maybe you should come out here and see what ’ s going on , ” Lopez told Lightfoot , according to the recording WTTW reported .
Lightfoot refuted Lopez ’ s claim that she left neighborhoods outside of the city center unprotected .
“ If you think we ’ re not ready , and we stood by and let the neighborhoods go up , there ’ s nothing intelligent that I could say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard .
I understand you want to preen… ” Lopez cut off Lightfoot and said , “ Mayor , you need to check your fucking attitude .
That ’ s what you need to do , ” Lopez interjected , ending their confrontation .


freedomdaily--2020-06-09--Virginia Judge Temporarily Blocks Removal Of Robert E Lee Statue

Topics in this post : The War on Statues Virginia A judge temporarily blocked the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from downtown Richmond on Monday .
Richmond Circuit Court Judge Bradley Cavedo granted a 10-day injunction originally sought by William Gregory , the great-grandson of the couple who originally signed the deed that allowed for the transfer of the land to the state of Virginia , according to the suit .
Gregory contended that Virginia promised to “ affectionately protect ” the statue when it originally annexed the land on which the statue stands .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on June 4 to remove the Richmond statue , which has stood for 130 years , amid protests throughout Virginia and across the country over the death of George Floyd , who died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for nearly nine minutes , video of the incident shows .
While Northam ’ s administration is in the process of reviewing Gregory ’ s claim and the recent injunction , it remains “ committed to removing this divisive symbol from Virginia ’ s capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky said in a statement to the Washington Post .
Calls for the statue to be removed have been frequent since the deadly white-supremacist rally that occurred in Charlottesville , Virginia , in 2017 , though Northam often deferred to local authorities instead of moving to remove the statue himself .
Confederate monuments across the country have been thrown into the national spotlight in recent years .
Americans urging for their removal have argued that the monuments glorify traitors and are reminders racism and slavery , while Americans arguing against their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ importance .
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freedomdaily--2020-06-09--Ketamine Laced Pictures of Jesus Seized by CBP Officers

U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) Officers in Louisville intercepted almost 10 pounds of ketamine concealed inside framed pictures .
On June 3 , CBP Officers seized a shipment containing 9.13 pounds of ketamine concealed inside the frames of six pictures depicting Jesus .
CBP Officers extracted a white powdery substance from the frames .
The substance was tested using a handheld chemical analyzer and determined to be ketamine .
Chief Customs and Border Protection officer Brian Lick said , “ The use of religious articles to conceal narcotics and other illicit materials is a common practice used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ articles will be looked at with less scrutiny by CBP Officers , however ; our officers are very experienced and remain diligent and thorough in their examination regardless of the nature of the item.
” Like many anesthetics , ketamine has a legitimate use , and is commonly used for starting and maintaining anesthesia .
It induces a trance-like state while providing pain relief , sedation , and memory loss .
Other uses include sedation in intensive care and treatment of pain and depression .
Abuse of ketamine is common for its dissociative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes known as a “ date rape drug ” due to being used to facilitate sexual assault .
Ketamine abuse typically occurs at raves and nightclubs .
A structural analog of phencyclidine ( PCP ) , ketamine distorts perceptions , causes temporary paralysis and dangerously slowed breathing , and overdose can be deadly by shutting down bodily systems leading to cardiac or respiratory failure .
It is a Schedule III non-narcotic drug regulated under the Controlled Substances Act .
CBP conducts operations at ports of entry throughout the United States , and regularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narcotics , weapons , and other restricted or prohibited products .
CBP strives to serve as the premier law enforcement agency enhancing the Nation ’ s safety , security , and prosperity through collaboration , innovation , and integration .
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freedomdaily--2020-06-09--Minneapolis Police Defend ‘Strategically’ Slashing Tires During Protests

The Minneapolis Police Department Monday acknowledged video that emerged showing officers slashing protesters ’ tires on May 30 , but defended their actions , according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune , which originally reported the incident .
“ State patrol troopers strategically deflated tires… in order to stop behaviors such as vehicles driving dangerously and at high speeds in and around protesters and law enforcement , ” Minnesota Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bruce Gordon said .
“ While not a typical tactic , vehicles were being used as dangerous weapons and inhibited our ability to clear areas and keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As in all operations of this size , there will be a review about how these decisions were made.
” Minneapolis police officers were seen slashing the tires of unoccupied cars amid widespread protests , video posted June 8 by Mother Jones shows .
Photos and videos of the incident show officers equipped with military-style gear repeatedly stabbing the tires of the unoccupied cars .
The incident took place as protests stemming from the death of George Floyd have continued in Minneapolis and across the country .
Protesters were not the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handful of officers .
Andrew Kimmel , a documentary producer for the Los Angeles Times , said that the tires of his rental car were slashed while sitting unoccupied in a Kmart parking lot .
A video he posted to Twitter has been viewed more than 1.3 million times .
“ I ’ ve never seen the tire slashing before , particularly in a parking lot , ” Kimmel said .
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freedomdaily--2020-06-09--Following Minneapolis Police Department’s Lead, Seattle Police Abandon East Precinct

Seattle police officers have abandoned their East Precinct building as riots continue throughout the Pacific Northwest .
Video footage of the Seattle Police Department ’ s East Precinct shows that the building , surrounded by masked protestors , is boarded up .
No police officers are present in the video .
The New York Times reports that the precinct has been the center of demonstrations in Seattle , and that police officers have abandoned the building .
The move comes after the Minneapolis Police Department abandoned the 3rd Police Precinct to rioters May 28 .
Rioters proceeded to set the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10:00 pm tonight , in the interest of the safety of our personnel , the Minneapolis Police Department evacuated the 3rd Precinct of its staff , ” the Minneapolis police confirmed in a May 28 statement .
“ Protesters forcibly entered the building and have ignited several fires .
No further information is available.
” Police abandoning the precincts comes as riots and protests continue throughout Oregon and Washington , prompting changes within both police departments and political leadership .
At least two city council members in Seattle have asked Seattle Mayor Jenny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Protestors in Portland , Oregon shut down Interstate 84 on Monday and other Seattle protestors moved barricades to make a protected space in the Seattle Capitol Hill neighborhood , according to the Times .
Portland Police Chief Jami Resch said Monday that she will be stepping down from her position and has asked black lieutenant Chuck Lovell to replace her .
“ I have asked Chuck Lovell to step into the role as chief of the Police Bureau , ” she said at a Monday news conference , according to Oregon Live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right person at the exact right moment.
” “ I ’ ve asked our community time and time again , what do we need to do , ” Resch said .
“ The Portland Police Bureau has made change … but in the words of Mr. Hopson , those are changes but they are not the change .
What the Portland Police Bureau has not done is stand up and say , ‘ We will be the change.
’ ” ‘


freedomdaily--2020-06-09--Chinese Propaganda Outlet Has Paid US Newspapers $19 Million For Advertising, Printing

One of China ’ s main propaganda outlets has paid American newspapers nearly $ 19 million for advertising and printing expenses over the past four years , according to documents filed with the Justice Department .
China Daily , an English-language newspaper controlled by the Chinese Communist Party , has paid more than $ 4.6 million to The Washington Post and nearly $ 6 million to The Wall Street Journal since November 2016 , the records show .
Both newspapers have published paid supplements that China Daily produces called “ China Watch.
” The inserts are designed to look like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contain a pro-Beijing spin on contemporary news events .
One insert from September 2018 touted an initiative pushed by Chinese President Xi Jinping with the headline : “ Belt and Road aligns with African nations.
” The same insert ran a story titled “ Tariffs to take toll on U.S. homebuyers ” that asserted that U.S. tariffs on Chinese lumber would raise the cost of building homes in the U.S. China Daily also paid for advertising in several other newspapers : The New York Times ( $ 50,000 ) , Foreign Policy ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Register ( $ 34,600 ) and CQ-Roll Call ( $ 76,000 ) .
It spent a total of $ 11,002,628 on advertising in U.S. newspapers , and another $ 265,822 on advertising with Twitter .
The Justice Department filings show that China Daily has also paid out more than $ 7.6 million to newspapers and printing companies its newspaper for U.S.-based readers .
The Los Angeles Times , The Seattle Times , The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , The Chicago Tribune , The Houston Chronicle and The Boston Globe are all listed as clients of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Los Angeles Times $ 657,523 for printing services , according to the FARA filings .
The Justice Department has for years required China Daily to disclose its activities semi-annually under the Foreign Agents Registration Act ( FARA ) .
The most recent filing , which China Daily submitted on June 1 , is the first to include detailed breakdowns of payments to American news outlets .
The outlet disclosed those expenditures for the period between November 2016 and April 2020 .
It is unclear if China Daily submitted the more detailed filings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its own .
Pro-democracy groups have long warned about the Chinese government ’ s attempts to push propaganda through American news outlets .
Freedom House and the Hoover Institution have both drawn attention to China Daily ’ s paid inserts in reports on the Chinese government ’ s efforts to influence the media .
China Daily and other Beijing-controlled propaganda mills have come under intense scrutiny amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Chinese government officials have tried to divert blame for the spread of the virus to the United States and other Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including China Daily , have echoed the communist leaders ’ talking points .
The filings show that China Daily has slowed its advertising expenditures in recent months .
China Daily last paid The Washington Post for advertising in December 2019 .
Its payments to The Wall Street Journal have been less than half their average amount since February 2020 , the documents show .
China Daily did not respond to a request for comment .


freedomdaily--2020-06-09--$1 Million Bail Set For Officer Charged With Floyd’s Death

A judge ruled to keep bail at $ 1 million for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin , who has been charged with second-degree murder in the case of George Floyd , who died while in police custody .
Chauvin appeared via closed-circuit television before Hennepin County Judge Jeannice M. Reding for an 11-minute hearing from Minnesota ’ s maximum-security prison Monday , The Associated Press reported .
The hearing gave Chauvin an opportunity to argue the raised bail , however his attorney Eric Nelson did not challenge the bail and did not address the charges .
Floyd died on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neck for almost nine minutes , video showed , as Floyd expressed that he couldn ’ t breathe .
Floyd ’ s death sparked protests and riots across the nation .
Chauvin and the three rookie officers were fired the day after his death .
Chauvin faces charges of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and has not entered a plea , the AP reported .
His next appearance is set for June 29 at 1:30 p.m. , according to the AP .
The three other officers who were at the scene , J.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and with aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter , according to the AP .
The attorneys for two of the three ex-officers charged said at individual first appearances that the rookie ex-officers attempted to “ verbally help Floyd , ” but were required to defer to Chauvin because he was the most senior officer at the scene .
The ex-rookie officers are held on $ 750,000 bails at the Hennepin County Jail , the AP reported .
If convicted , the ex-officers would face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in prison , the same as Chauvin .
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freedomdaily--2020-06-09--COVID-19’s deadliness for men is revealing why researchers should have been studying immune system s

COVID-19’s deadliness for men is revealing why researchers should have been studying immune system sex differences years ago

When it comes to surviving critical cases of COVID-19 , it appears that men draw the short straw .
Initial reports from China revealed the early evidence of increased male mortality associated with COVID .
According to the Global Health 50/50 research initiative , nearly every country is now reporting significantly higher COVID-19-related mortality rates in males than in females as of June 4 .
Yet , current data suggest similar infection rates for men and women .
In other words , while men and women are being infected with COVID-19 at similar rates , a significantly higher proportion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , across groups of similar age .
Why is it then that more men are dying from COVID-19 ?
Or rather , should we be asking why are more women surviving ?
I am an immunologist , and I explore how stress and biological sex can impact a person ’ s vulnerability to immune-mediated disease .
I study a specific immune cell called the mast cell .
Mast cells play a pivotal role in our immune systems as they act as first responders to pathogens and orchestrate immune responses that help clear the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mast cells from females are able to initiate a more active immune response , which may help females fight off infectious diseases better than men .
But the trade-off may be that women are at higher risk for allergic and inflammatory diseases .
Recent evidence indicates that mast cells are activated by SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19 .
Some clues to why females have higher survival rates may be found in our current understanding of differences in the immune systems of men versus women .
In general , females have a more robust immune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight off infections better than males .
This could be a result of genetic factors or sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone .
Biological females have two copies of the X chromosome , which contains more immune genes .
While the genes on one X chromosome are mostly inactive , some immune genes can escape this inactivation , leading to double the number of immune-related genes and thus double the quantity of certain immune proteins compared with biological men who have only one X chromosome .
Sex hormones such as estrogen and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In one study , researchers showed that activating the estrogen receptor in female mice provided them protection against SARS-CoV .
And there is an approved clinical trial that will examine the effects of estrogen patches on the severity of COVID-19 symptoms .
It is , however , interesting that the current data showing that women have better survival rates than men applies to even men and women in the 80-plus age group , when hormone levels in both sexes equalize .
This suggests that factors other than adult sex hormone levels are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Androgens , a group of hormones – including testosterone – that are best known to stimulate the development of male characteristics and can cause hair loss , have also received recent attention as a risk factor for COVID-19 in males .
In a study conducted in Italy , prostate cancer diagnosis increased the risk for COVID-19 .
However , prostate cancer patients who were receiving androgen-deprivation therapy ( ADT ) , a treatment that suppresses the production of androgens which fuels prostate cancer cell growth , had a significantly lower risk for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ androgens in men was protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection .
It is unknown how ADT works to reduce infection rates in men and whether this has been shown in other countries has yet to be determined .
Testosterone , which is an androgen hormone has immune-suppressive effects so one explanation could be that ADT might boost the immune system to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection .
There is also evidence that males and females have different quantities of certain receptors that recognize pathogens or that serve as an invasion point for viruses like SARS-CoV-2 .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enzyme 2 ( ACE2 ) receptors , which SARS-CoV-2 binds to in order to infect cells .
While there is currently no conclusive evidence for a role of ACE2 receptors impacting sex differences and the severity of COVID-19 disease , it remains a potential contributing factor .
A number of factors can interact with biological sex to increase or decrease one ’ s susceptibility to COVID-19 .
Another major factor is gender , which refers to social behaviors or cultural norms that society deems appropriate .
Males may be at increased risk for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they tend to smoke and drink more , wash their hands less frequently and often delay seeking medical attention .
All of these gender specific behaviors may put men at higher risk .
While there is no current data yet on how gender plays a role in COVID-19 , it will be a critically important factor to account for in order to understand sex differences in mortality .
Age , psychological stress level , coexisting conditions such as obesity , diabetes and cardiovascular disease can also interact with biological sex to increase disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biological sex in disease risk , sex biases in disease in general is not a new concept .
COVID-19 is just another example of a disease that will be added to the growing list of diseases for which males or females are at increased risk .
You might be wondering that if biological sex is so important , then why don ’ t we know what is causing disparities in disease prevalence between the sexes and why are there no sex-specific therapies ?
One major reason is when it comes to being included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ males who have been studied .
This disparity between biological sex differences in research has only recently been remedied .
It has only been in the last five years that the National Institutes of Health has required sex difference data to be collected for all newly funded preclinical research grants .
While there may be several reasons for choosing one sex over the other in research , the huge disparity that now exists is likely a major reason why we still know relatively little about sex differences in immunity , including the current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advancement of women ’ s health , but also has negative consequences for men ’ s health .
For example , given the biological differences between the sexes , it is very possible that drugs and therapies will have different effects in females than males .
Biological sex is clearly a major factor determining disease outcomes in COVID-19 .
Precisely how your biological sex makes you more or less resilient to diseases such as COVID-19 remains to be elucidated .
Future basic research with animals and clinical trials in people need to consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gender as an important variable .
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Adam Moeser receives funding from The National Institutes of Health


freedomdaily--2020-06-10--COVID-19 is deadlier for black Brazilians, a legacy of structural racism that dates back to slavery

The United States and Brazil have much in common when it comes to the coronavirus .
Both are among the world ’ s hardest-hit countries , where hundreds die daily .
Their like-minded presidents , Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro , have both been widely criticized for their poor handling of the pandemic .
And in both countries the virus is disproportionately affecting black people , the result of structural racism that dates back to slavery .
Brazil forcibly brought some 4 million enslaved Africans into the country over three centuries , more than anywhere else in the Americas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ black – the world ’ s second largest African-descendant population after Nigeria .
Modern Brazil never had legalized racial discrimination like Jim Crow , but race-based inequalities are deeply entrenched .
Despite a persistent myth of Brazil as an integrated “ racial democracy , ” employment discrimination and residential segregation limit opportunity for black people .
These and other factors translate into lower life expectancy , education and standards of living for Afro-Brazilians .
Black Brazilians live , on average , 73 years – three years less than white Brazilians , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. has a nearly identical life expectancy gap between races .
Because government data in Brazil is not automatically collected by race or ethnicity , though , the health impacts of racism can be hard to measure .
Bolsonaro ’ s administration did not require the collection of COVID-19 racial data until late April , well into the pandemic , after much pressure .
It has yet to release that information .
Regardless , by April the Brazilian Health Ministry had already flagged high COVID-19 death rates among Afro-Brazilians , a category that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” or “ brown ” in the census .
Officials in hard-hit São Paulo had also announced that mortality rates among COVID-19 patients were higher among black residents .
Now , data collected in May by outside researchers for over 5,500 municipalities shows that 55 % of Afro-Brazilian patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 died , compared to 34 % of white COVID-19 patients .
We are health researchers – one American , one Brazilian – who for many years have studied how racial disparities in Brazil affect black people , looking at everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Our research over the past two months finds structural racism – in the form of high-risk working conditions , unequal access to health and worse housing conditions – is a major factor shaping Brazil ’ s COVID-19 pandemic .
For over a decade , black activists and public health researchers have been pointing out that institutional racism creates worse health outcomes for Brazil ’ s black population .
Black Brazilians experience higher rates of chronic illnesses like diabetes , high blood pressure , and respiratory and kidney problems due to food insecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prescriptions .
Racism itself also takes a severe physical toll on black people .
Studies in the United States demonstrate that daily experiences of racism and discrimination can lead to dangerously high stress hormones and diminish the body ’ s ability to fight disease .
Racial bias from medical professionals then compounds poor outcomes for black patients .
Unlike the U.S. , Brazil has free , universal health care .
But its public hospitals have been woefully underfunded since a deep recession that began in 2015 .
Intensive care beds are now in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities fighting coronavirus outbreaks .
This is especially detrimental to black COVID-19 patients , since Afro-Brazilians rely more heavily on the public health system than white Brazilians , who often have private health insurance through their jobs .
Extreme economic inequality is another critical factor shaping the general health of Afro-Brazilians .
With the top 10 % of the population earning 55 % of domestic income , Brazil trails only Qatar in concentration of wealth , according to a 2019 United Nations report .
Few , if any , Afro-Brazilians rank among Brazil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data shows that black and brown Brazilians make far less money than white Brazilians , even with equivalent educational background .
The racial wage gap in Brazil actually outweighs the gender wage gap : White women earn up to 74 % more than black men .
Generally speaking , the higher the salary , the less likely Afro-Brazilians are to have a job .
Many work in the informal and service sectors , as house cleaners or street vendors .
Others are self-employed or unemployed .
During the pandemic , this economic insecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance and makes them highly dependent on staying in their jobs despite the health threat .
Maids , for example – most of whom are black women – are proving to be a high-risk group .
Domestic workers were among Brazil ’ s first COVID-19 deaths .
Brazil ’ s coronavirus outbreak originated in wealthy neighborhoods whose residents had traveled to Europe , but the disease is now spreading fastest in its poor , dense , long-neglected urban neighborhoods .
Just over 12 million Brazilians , most of them black , live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de Janeiro ’ s favelas to the “ peripheries ” of São Paulo .
These areas have inadequate access to water and sanitation , making it difficult to follow basic hygiene recommendations like washing one ’ s hands with soap .
So while the disparate impact of COVID-19 on black Brazilians was not inevitable , our research explains why it ’ s unsurprising .
The racism that pervades nearly every facet of Brazilian society increases black people ’ s exposure to the virus – then reduces their ability to get to quality care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic , and we can help .
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The authors do not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article , and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .


freedomdaily--2020-06-10--Seattle Has Fallen: City Leaders Surrender to AntiFa, BLM

Just a day after Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan forced the city police to surrender the East Precinct police station to Antifa , City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant unlocked City Hall so that the domestic terrorists could take that as well and now , the city ’ s leadership has allowed the group of militant miscreants to keep a 6-block area near the East Precinct station as their own .
Early on June 9th , Durkan ordered the police to surrender the station to rioters .
And early Wednesday , Sawant unlocked City Hall for the group .
And later on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matter took over an entire section of Seattle , named it the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone ( CHAZ ? )
, and started to organize an armed defense of the surrounding barricades – a stunning reversal to the left ’ s usual anti-gun , anti-border wall stances .
Sawant , a vehement anti-capitalist , has spoken out against city police using crowd control tactics like mace and tear gas on rioters .
“ The police have inflicted tear gas , mace , rubber bullets , flash-bang grenades , curfews , arrests and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — including children — in an attempt to bully and silence the protest movement , ” she said .
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freedomdaily--2020-06-10--Barr Provides Updates On Durham Probe, Hits Media For Advancing ‘Sensational’ Collusion Narrative

Attorney General William Barr said in an interview that aired Tuesday that he is “ very troubled ” by revelations from an investigation that U.S. Attorney John Durham is conducting into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe .
Barr also told Fox News in the interview that many many outlets “ drove ” some of the “ sensational ” allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian government .
Barr ’ s interview was largely an update of Durham ’ s probe , which began as an examination of the FBI ’ s “ Crossfire Hurricane ” investigation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ inquiry .
Barr said that the goal of Durham ’ s investigation is to bring charges for any criminal wrongdoing , but that he expects there to be “ public disclosure ” in the form of a report .
Barr declined to say whether he has seen evidence of criminal wrongdoing , but he said he is “ very troubled by what is been called to my attention so far.
” “ The Durham team has been working very aggressively to move forward and as I ’ ve also said this isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are trying to get to a point where we can hold accountable anyone who crossed the line and committed a criminal violation.
” Barr said he is concerned that the FBI continued its investigation of the Trump campaign — which started in July 2016 — even after discovering that “ there wasn ’ t really much there ” regarding coordination between the Trump campaign and Kremlin .
“ It ’ s very hard to understand why they continued to push and even make public in testimony that they had an investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or should have been obvious to anyone , that there was nothing there , ” Barr said .
Barr reiterated his previous comments that he does not expect that President Barack Obama or Vice President Joe Biden will be implicated in the investigation , but he said that “ some ” of those targeted in the probe are names that are familiar to the American public .
“ For the first time in American history , police organizations or national security organizations were used to spy on a campaign , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media , saying that news outlets “ largely drove…all kinds of sensational claims.
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