courthousenews--2020-08-29--Political Conventions Forced to Adapt to Ongoing Crises

( CN ) — As an unusual convention season marked by social distancing and protests for equality comes to a close , political scientists reflect on how the parties adapted to the multiple crises .
“ We are all learning what to expect from a Zoom convention , ” political scientist Chris Cooper told Courthouse News at the starting line of this year ’ s Republican National Convention .
Cooper , the head of the Department of Political Science & Public Affairs at Western Carolina University in North Carolina , said Monday ’ s program gave him something like mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speeches of stalwart Trump allies like Kimberly Guilfoyle clashed with clips like that of South Carolina ’ s U.S .
Senator Tim Scott , who spoke with softer appeals to reason , swift contradictions in tone and message seemed to fight over airwaves .
Zooming out to look at the week as a whole , however , shows “ moderate and extreme threads braided around each other , ” Cooper said , noting that the two threads were most likely aimed toward two different audiences .
Monday night of the RNC , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ a night to court black voters.
” To Cooper , portions of that night ’ s convention appeared to serve as an “ olive branch , ” but not one extended to black voters .
Rather , he said , moments of racial inclusion and toned-down speech during parts of the production appealed to “ moderate white voters who may not be comfortable with Trump ’ s divisive rhetoric ” or with racial ideas associated with the Republican Party .
In an interview , Steven Greene , a political science professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News a majority of the programming served to excite Trump ’ s base .
“ That said , there has been some effort to strike a more welcoming tone from the likes of notably non-white speakers such as Nikki Haley and Tim Scott , ” Greene said .
“ It ’ s hard to imagine this would bring through all that much given the overall base-service of the convention , but there does appear to be some effort to expand the coalition or at least reach out to wavering Republican-friendly voters.
” According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 , 66 % of Trump supporters say they support him “ strongly , ” while only 46 % of Biden supporters say the same about the Democratic candidate .
In that poll , 23 % of respondents who chose Trump said they support him “ moderately ” and another 11 % said they “ lean toward ” Trump .
Cooper said the risk of these voters completely switching over to Biden at this point is low but the demographic is more likely to skip out on Election Day .
“ The Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden vote is wide , ” Cooper said , “ The question is : ‘ How deep does the support for Biden run ?
’ ” At this point in the campaign cycle , there are far less swing voters than usual , which means viewers are more likely to be mobilized by the conventions than persuaded by them .
“ The Republican base loves Trump and by giving the convention far more of the actual nominee than is typical , that is their effort to appeal to their base in a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
When it comes to the spectacle , Greene said the RNC did not appear to attempt to outshine the Democrat ’ s earlier convention .
“ It ’ s almost like they ’ ve thrown in the towel on that score .
Consider the extremely well-reviewed Democrats ’ roll call of states versus the pallid parade of speakers in front of a generic background for Republicans .
Now , they ’ ve had their shiny moments , too , but , they largely all center almost entirely around President Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a political science professor at the University of North Carolina Charlotte , told Courthouse News he was interested to see how the two parties adapted their programming to the virtual format from the traditional arena-based rally .
“ The Democrats did a variety of things that tried to take advantage of the new format .
They had a variety of videos , music , ordinary people speaking from their homes , in addition to the traditional speeches from politicians , ” Heberlig said .
Some things worked well for the DNC , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic and Republican conventions ’ roll call nominations .
But he said some things worked less well for the Democrats like Biden ’ s moderating video-linked discussions .
When it came time for the Republicans to make their case , “ They constructed their visual backdrop around American flags and stirring ‘ movie music ’ to make patriotic emotional connections to the audience , ” Heberlig noted .
One key difference Heberlig saw this year was more reliance on ordinary people as speakers than politicians .
“ Typically , there are ordinary people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not used to speaking in front of arenas with thousands of people so don ’ t seem comfortable , ” he said , “ Having people speak from their homes as the Democratis did or just to the cameras as the Republicans did , seemed to allow the average citizens to speak more confidently and comfortably and thus I think they are likely to have connected better to the audience and been more persuasive.
” He added that those “ ordinary people ” have provided many of the emotional highpoints of both conventions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Minnesota mayor , a police officer from New Mexico , and a Wisconsin dairy farmer were among the “ ordinary people ” during the Republican convention to attribute their wellbeing to Trump and the policy changes and environmental overhauls he has implemented during his administration .
“ Part of the challenge of a convention is that the parties are trying to energize their hardcore supporters and to reach out to persuadable voters , how they balance this contradictory task , ” Heberlig said , echoing Cooper ’ s analysis .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to both audiences by having a variety of speakers , from former Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich , to other more liberal speakers such as Bernie Sanders all vouch for Biden .
“ They emphasized the threat they see in what they see as Trump ’ s authoritarian tendencies .
They also emphasized Biden ’ s character as an effective contrast with Trump and something that all Democrats can agree on , perhaps more than Democrats can agree on policy , ” Heberlig said .
Republicans used a variety of speakers , promoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ emphasized traditional themes of Americana , ” during their convention , according to Heberlig .
“ They have spoken to the base by painting the Democrats and the media as radical anti-speech socialists , ” he added .
Woven throughout praise over Trump ’ s handling of racial issues and his work to improve the criminal justice system by speakers last week , were strong promises of “ law and order ” — a phrase associated in recent history with politicians ’ support of mandatory sentencing laws , and other policies that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to appear tough on crime .
The American Civil Liberties Union calls Trump ’ s usage of the phrase “ a dog-whistle intended for his base.
” Trump has been criticized for his portrayal of equality protesters as anarchists .
Recent polling finds that Americans believe the president is doing little to improve race relations .
Trump allies commended the president ’ s stance on criminal justice reform , including his passage of The First Step Act , a bipartisan bill passed by Congress in 2018 to combat mass incarceration and its disproportionate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They lauded his “ law and order ” goals just days after a 17-year-old white Illinois resident allegedly shot and killed two Black Lives Matter protesters during a demonstration over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
“ Trump and his campaign can rage about ‘ law and order ’ all they want , but in the present circumstances , that strikes me as very unlikely to win him the election , ” Greene said , referring to the low percentage of voters who currently cite crime and violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. All three experts agreed the line between governing and campaigning was blurred during the RNC .
“ They have also used the prestige of the White House and the authority of the office to the advantage of their party , ” Heberlig said , citing the fact that Trump kicked off Tuesday night ’ s events issuing a pardon to a convicted bank robber named Jon Ponder who had started a nonprofit to help prisoners .
President Trump accepted his party ’ s nomination from the White House lawn on Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move violates the Hatch Act .
Greene pulled no punches in an earlier interview with Courthouse News on the topic .
“ This is not normal ; this is not okay .
Yes , the pandemic means that conventions have to scramble to do things a little differently this year , but you do not hold political rallies at the White House , ” Greene told Courthouse News over email Thursday night .
House Democrats on Tuesday said they will investigate Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s decision to speak during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies that forbid political activity in office .
In addition to the on-air pardon , the president during last week ’ s convention hosted a naturalization ceremony from the White House .
All of this , Heberlig said , “ despite the fact that a presidential nominating convention is a political party event not an official government event.
” As the whirlwind week came to an end , Heberlig said the Republicans achieved their goal with the convention .
“ They consistently touted President Trump ’ s accomplishments , particularly those they thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters , and simultaneously gave plenty of forceful appeals to their party base , made sure we saw the American flag , denounced China , and drew clear contrasts with Joe Biden , ” he said .
As political scientists , Greene said , “ while we may be able to look to overall themes and emphases of campaigns as making a difference , I have a very hard time imagining that a few nights of speeches really change very many minds at all.
” He added that the overwhelming body of research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaigns overall .
“ And while , yes , conventions are a highlight of campaigns , I think they end up being of far more interest to political science , professors , journalists , and strong partisans who have already very much made up their mind .
”

“The Democrats did a variety of things that tried to take advantage of the new format. They had a variety of videos, music, ordinary people speaking from their homes, in addition to the traditional speeches from politicians,” Heberlig said.
Some things worked well for the DNC, he said, contrasting the visuals of the Democratic and Republican conventions’ roll call nominations. But he said some things worked less well for the Democrats like Biden's moderating video-linked discussions.
When it came time for the Republicans to make their case, “They constructed their visual backdrop around American flags and stirring ‘movie music’ to make patriotic emotional connections to the audience,” Heberlig noted.
One key difference Heberlig saw this year was more reliance on ordinary people as speakers than politicians.
“Typically, there are ordinary people who speak at conventions but they are not used to speaking in front of arenas with thousands of people so don't seem comfortable,” he said,
“Having people speak from their homes as the Democratis did or just to the cameras as the Republicans did, seemed to allow the average citizens to speak more confidently and comfortably and thus I think they are likely to have connected better to the audience and been more persuasive.”
He added that those “ordinary people” have provided many of the emotional highpoints of both conventions.
An eighth-generation lobster fisherman from Maine, a Minnesota mayor, a police officer from New Mexico, and a Wisconsin dairy farmer were among the “ordinary people” during the Republican convention to attribute their wellbeing to Trump and the policy changes and environmental overhauls he has implemented during his administration.
“Part of the challenge of a convention is that the parties are trying to energize their hardcore supporters and to reach out to persuadable voters, how they balance this contradictory task,” Heberlig said, echoing Cooper’s analysis.
Democrats, he said, attempted to speak to both audiences by having a variety of speakers, from former Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich, to other more liberal speakers such as Bernie Sanders all vouch for Biden.
“They emphasized the threat they see in what they see as Trump's authoritarian tendencies. They also emphasized Biden's character as an effective contrast with Trump and something that all Democrats can agree on, perhaps more than Democrats can agree on policy,” Heberlig said.
Republicans used a variety of speakers, promoted the Trump administration's accomplishments and “emphasized traditional themes of Americana,” during their convention, according to Heberlig.
“They have spoken to the base by painting the Democrats and the media as radical anti-speech socialists,” he added.
Woven throughout praise over Trump’s handling of racial issues and his work to improve the criminal justice system by speakers last week, were strong promises of “law and order” — a phrase associated in recent history with politicians’ support of mandatory sentencing laws, and other policies that disproportionately harm minority communities, in order to appear tough on crime.
The American Civil Liberties Union calls Trump’s usage of the phrase “a dog-whistle intended for his base.”
Trump has been criticized for his portrayal of equality protesters as anarchists. Recent polling finds that Americans believe the president is doing little to improve race relations.
Trump allies commended the president’s stance on criminal justice reform, including his passage of The First Step Act, a bipartisan bill passed by Congress in 2018 to combat mass incarceration and its disproportionate effects on Black and Latino Americans.
They lauded his “law and order” goals just days after a 17-year-old white Illinois resident allegedly shot and killed two Black Lives Matter protesters during a demonstration over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“Trump and his campaign can rage about ‘law and order’ all they want, but in the present circumstances, that strikes me as very unlikely to win him the election,” Greene said, referring to the low percentage of voters who currently cite crime and violence as the most important issue in the U.S.
All three experts agreed the line between governing and campaigning was blurred during the RNC.
“They have also used the prestige of the White House and the authority of the office to the advantage of their party,” Heberlig said, citing the fact that Trump kicked off Tuesday night’s events issuing a pardon to a convicted bank robber named Jon Ponder who had started a nonprofit to help prisoners.
President Trump accepted his party’s nomination from the White House lawn on Thursday, prompting criticism from those who say the move violates the Hatch Act.
Greene pulled no punches in an earlier interview with Courthouse News on the topic.
“This is not normal; this is not okay. Yes, the pandemic means that conventions have to scramble to do things a little differently this year, but you do not hold political rallies at the White House,” Greene told Courthouse News over email Thursday night.
House Democrats on Tuesday said they will investigate Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s decision to speak during the convention as a possible breach of anti-corruption policies that forbid political activity in office.
In addition to the on-air pardon, the president during last week’s convention hosted a naturalization ceremony from the White House.
All of this, Heberlig said, “despite the fact that a presidential nominating convention is a political party event not an official government event.”
As the whirlwind week came to an end, Heberlig said the Republicans achieved their goal with the convention.
“They consistently touted President Trump's accomplishments, particularly those they thought would appeal to African American and female voters, and simultaneously gave plenty of forceful appeals to their party base, made sure we saw the American flag, denounced China, and drew clear contrasts with Joe Biden,” he said.
As political scientists, Greene said, “while we may be able to look to overall themes and emphases of campaigns as making a difference, I have a very hard time imagining that a few nights of speeches really change very many minds at all.”
He added that the overwhelming body of research shows very modest effects of conventions for campaigns overall.
“And while, yes, conventions are a highlight of campaigns, I think they end up being of far more interest to political science, professors, journalists, and strong partisans who have already very much made up their mind.”


courthousenews--2020-08-29--Kennedy Name to Be Tested in Massachusetts Primary

BOSTON ( CN ) — Tuesday ’ s U.S. Senate primary in Massachusetts is a marquee battle for the soul of the Democratic Party between its traditional working-class wing and the younger progressive movement seeking to usurp it .
It features Joe Kennedy , the grandson of Robert Kennedy who is vying for the seat held by his grand-uncles John and Ted .
Kennedy comes from a line of wealthy patricians who have promised to help the working class achieve the American dream , a role recently infringed by President Trump .
In the other corner is Ed Markey , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Green New Deal along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
Markey appeals to a younger , wealthier and more educated flank who question the American dream itself and lean toward more socialist solutions .
If someone named Kennedy can no longer win in Massachusetts , there would appear to be no surer sign of the party ’ s transformation .
And that may well be the case .
Although Kennedy had a 17-point lead in an early poll last year , he was trailing Markey by 12 points in the latest survey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Opinion .
Another poll released this week showed Markey with an 8-point lead .
The Massachusetts race is an ironic reversal of recent primary challenges in which an establishment Democrat has been picked off by a more left-leaning challenger , in the model of Ocasio-Cortez .
Instead , the 74-year-old Markey — who spent 37 years in the House before winning a 2013 special election to replace Senator John Kerry when he became Secretary of State — is facing a challenge on the right from Kennedy , who at 39 is roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is split .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , who has had her own disagreements with Ocasio-Cortez , endorsed Kennedy , whom she selected in 2018 to deliver the Democratic response to Trump ’ s State of the Union address .
But former Vice President Al Gore has publicly backed Markey , as did the Boston Globe .
Kennedy has served in the House since 2012 , representing a district that stretches into the Boston suburbs but consists mostly of exurban areas bordering Rhode Island .
The race has galvanized the state .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already voted , surpassing the total for all presidential-year primaries since 1992 , according to Debra O ’ Malley at the Massachusetts Secretary of State ’ s Office .
And that ’ s true even though Massachusetts held its presidential primary earlier this year and there are no other statewide races on the ballot .
Votes are continuing to flood in , O ’ Malley said .
And despite the pandemic , she expects a healthy turnout on Election Day itself because the state has “ a pretty strong culture of voting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all absentee ballots required proof of an inability to get to the polls and many localities in the state operate via town meetings .
Kennedy has adjusted his rationale over the course of the campaign to reflect the changing nature of the party .
He initially billed himself as representing a generational change , reminiscent of President Kennedy ’ s promise in his nomination speech of “ a new generation of leadership.
” But he quickly realized that Markey ’ s progressive agenda and focus on climate change were popular with young people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a MassINC poll from October 2019 showed that 70 % of voters under age 30 had no opinion or had never heard of Markey , a recent UMass Amherst poll showed Markey leading among young people by an astonishing 51 percentage points .
And young people have been active in supporting Markey on social media .
Markey also leads by 24 points among voters with a six-figure family income and by 37 points among voters with a college degree .
Voters who didn ’ t go to college favor Kennedy by 15 points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work best with more mature voters .
Anne Quirk , who is on the Belmont Democratic Committee , said she ’ s voting for Kennedy because Markey would be 80 at the end of his term and she ’ s concerned about the “ gerontocracy ” in Congress .
But she added , “ I suspect my children are all voting for Markey.
” Perhaps to compete for younger voters , Kennedy has moved to the left , endorsing the Green New Deal and Medicare for All .
And he has begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and rural voters , claiming that Markey simply isn ’ t focused on them .
“ There is so much more that is needed at this moment than just someone who files the right bill and says that ’ s enough , ” Kennedy said .
Markey shot back at another debate , calling Kennedy “ a progressive in name only.
” But like former Vice President Joe Biden , Markey has evolved into a progressive over time .
Biden and Markey both opposed busing in the 1970s and voted for the Iraq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill .
Perhaps the most telling aspect of the race is that , 11 years after Ted Kennedy ’ s death , Markey feels comfortable using the Kennedy name and mystique against his opponent , including jokingly referring to his own modest home as his “ compound.
” In one campaign video Markey declared , “ We asked what we could do for our country .
We went out , we did it .
With all due respect , it ’ s time to start asking what your country can do for you.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ million views on Twitter in the first 24 hours .
Kennedy has acknowledged that , amazingly , his family name may have become a liability in his home state .
“ Literally my entire life , no matter what I ’ ve done , people have leveled the criticism of ‘ You ’ re doing this because you ’ re a Kennedy.
’ Literally everything , ” he told The Atlantic .
“ So I hear that .
That is up to me to disprove.
” Kennedy is giving up his House seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his district — which hasn ’ t voted for a Republican since World War II — is a free-for-all with nine candidates , all of whom have little name recognition .
A remarkable Data for Progress poll conducted August 10-14 showed that 45 % of voters were still undecided and no candidate was polling at more than 12 % .
The Boston Globe endorsed Newton city councilor and former Marine captain Jake Auchincloss , but the endorsement of a former Republican was internally unpopular and at least one Globe columnist published a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggesting that flying a Confederate flag is a free speech issue and for a 2010 Facebook post in which he said of burning the Quran , “ So we can ’ t burn their book , but they can burn our flag ?
” Auchincloss had 12 % in the Data for Progress poll and was tied for first place with Jesse Mermell , a former aide to Governor Deval Patrick who has been endorsed by Attorney General Maura Healey , Rep. Ayanna Pressley and more than 20 labor unions .

Tuesday’s U.S. Senate primary in Massachusetts is a marquee battle for the soul of the Democratic Party between its traditional working-class wing and the younger progressive movement seeking to usurp it.
BOSTON (CN) — Tuesday’s U.S. Senate primary in Massachusetts is a marquee battle for the soul of the Democratic Party between its traditional working-class wing and the younger progressive movement seeking to usurp it.
It features Joe Kennedy, the grandson of Robert Kennedy who is vying for the seat held by his grand-uncles John and Ted. Kennedy comes from a line of wealthy patricians who have promised to help the working class achieve the American dream, a role recently infringed by President Trump.
In the other corner is Ed Markey, a progressive who was the lead sponsor of the Green New Deal along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Markey appeals to a younger, wealthier and more educated flank who question the American dream itself and lean toward more socialist solutions.
If someone named Kennedy can no longer win in Massachusetts, there would appear to be no surer sign of the party’s transformation.
And that may well be the case. Although Kennedy had a 17-point lead in an early poll last year, he was trailing Markey by 12 points in the latest survey conducted by the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion. Another poll released this week showed Markey with an 8-point lead.
The Massachusetts race is an ironic reversal of recent primary challenges in which an establishment Democrat has been picked off by a more left-leaning challenger, in the model of Ocasio-Cortez.
Instead, the 74-year-old Markey — who spent 37 years in the House before winning a 2013 special election to replace Senator John Kerry when he became Secretary of State — is facing a challenge on the right from Kennedy, who at 39 is roughly half his age.
The party itself is split. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has had her own disagreements with Ocasio-Cortez, endorsed Kennedy, whom she selected in 2018 to deliver the Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union address. But former Vice President Al Gore has publicly backed Markey, as did the Boston Globe.
Kennedy has served in the House since 2012, representing a district that stretches into the Boston suburbs but consists mostly of exurban areas bordering Rhode Island.
The race has galvanized the state. As of last Wednesday some 650,000 people had already voted, surpassing the total for all presidential-year primaries since 1992, according to Debra O’Malley at the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Office.
And that’s true even though Massachusetts held its presidential primary earlier this year and there are no other statewide races on the ballot.
Votes are continuing to flood in, O’Malley said. And despite the pandemic, she expects a healthy turnout on Election Day itself because the state has “a pretty strong culture of voting in person.” Prior to this year, all absentee ballots required proof of an inability to get to the polls and many localities in the state operate via town meetings.
Kennedy has adjusted his rationale over the course of the campaign to reflect the changing nature of the party. He initially billed himself as representing a generational change, reminiscent of President Kennedy’s promise in his nomination speech of “a new generation of leadership.”
But he quickly realized that Markey’s progressive agenda and focus on climate change were popular with young people once they started paying attention.
Although a MassINC poll from October 2019 showed that 70% of voters under age 30 had no opinion or had never heard of Markey, a recent UMass Amherst poll showed Markey leading among young people by an astonishing 51 percentage points. And young people have been active in supporting Markey on social media.
Markey also leads by 24 points among voters with a six-figure family income and by 37 points among voters with a college degree. Voters who didn’t go to college favor Kennedy by 15 points.
The generational change argument ironically seems to work best with more mature voters. Anne Quirk, who is on the Belmont Democratic Committee, said she’s voting for Kennedy because Markey would be 80 at the end of his term and she’s concerned about the “gerontocracy” in Congress. But she added, “I suspect my children are all voting for Markey.”
Perhaps to compete for younger voters, Kennedy has moved to the left, endorsing the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. And he has begun aiming his pitch at lower-income, minority and rural voters, claiming that Markey simply isn’t focused on them.
“There is so much more that is needed at this moment than just someone who files the right bill and says that's enough,” Kennedy said.
Markey shot back at another debate, calling Kennedy “a progressive in name only.”
But like former Vice President Joe Biden, Markey has evolved into a progressive over time. Biden and Markey both opposed busing in the 1970s and voted for the Iraq War, NAFTA and the 1994 crime bill.
Perhaps the most telling aspect of the race is that, 11 years after Ted Kennedy’s death, Markey feels comfortable using the Kennedy name and mystique against his opponent, including jokingly referring to his own modest home as his “compound.”
In one campaign video Markey declared, “We asked what we could do for our country. We went out, we did it. With all due respect, it's time to start asking what your country can do for you.”
The video had more than 2.5 million views on Twitter in the first 24 hours.
Kennedy has acknowledged that, amazingly, his family name may have become a liability in his home state.
“Literally my entire life, no matter what I’ve done, people have leveled the criticism of ‘You’re doing this because you’re a Kennedy.’ Literally everything,” he told The Atlantic. “So I hear that. That is up to me to disprove.”
Kennedy is giving up his House seat and the Democratic primary to replace him in his district — which hasn’t voted for a Republican since World War II — is a free-for-all with nine candidates, all of whom have little name recognition.
A remarkable Data for Progress poll conducted August 10-14 showed that 45% of voters were still undecided and no candidate was polling at more than 12%.
The Boston Globe endorsed Newton city councilor and former Marine captain Jake Auchincloss, but the endorsement of a former Republican was internally unpopular and at least one Globe columnist published a rebuttal.
Auchincloss has been criticized for suggesting that flying a Confederate flag is a free speech issue and for a 2010 Facebook post in which he said of burning the Quran, “So we can't burn their book, but they can burn our flag?”
Auchincloss had 12% in the Data for Progress poll and was tied for first place with Jesse Mermell, a former aide to Governor Deval Patrick who has been endorsed by Attorney General Maura Healey, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and more than 20 labor unions.


courthousenews--2020-08-30--Wildfires Again Threaten Business in California Wine Country

HEALDSBURG , Calif. ( AP ) — With an early harvest already underway , a wildfire a few miles west of John Bucher ’ s ranch added new urgency to getting his pinot noir grapes off the vine .
If flames didn ’ t do any damage to the delicate fruit , ash and smoke certainly could .
Bucher hired an extra crew , and they finished the task before dawn Wednesday in the quaint wine country destination of Healdsburg , remarkably early in the year for a grape that is often not harvested until the end of September .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ get it done , ” Bucher said , his voice hoarse after three days of almost no sleep and working in occasionally smoky conditions .
Fire has been cruel to Northern California wine country lately .
Three of the past four years , major wildfires have burned in Napa and Sonoma counties , charring vineyards , burning down a historic winery and sending plumes of smoke above the neatly tended rows of vines rolling across scenic hills .
While the majority of vineyards , winemaking facilities and tasting rooms that lure tourists from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the perception of the area being on fire yet again has not helped business .
Add restrictions on tastings and dining during the coronavirus pandemic , and winemakers say they are reeling .
“ This year , you throw COVID on it , and what did we do to deserve this ?
” said Corey Beck , CEO and winemaking chief at Francis Ford Coppola Winery .
“ We really hurt more from the lack of tourists .
That has been our Achilles ’ heel during this time.
” Lightning-sparked wildfires west of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks ago coincided with the start of the harvest for some grape varieties .
That ’ s much earlier than devastating fires last year and in 2017 that erupted in October , when nearly all the grapes were off the vine and in the process of being converted to wine .
The early fires pose a threat if they persist and heavy smoke blankets the region for several days before grapes are picked .
That can lead to “ smoke taint , ” an undesirable burnt taste in wine made from grapes with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Sonoma counties produce only about 10 % of the state ’ s wine , they have an outsized influence on California ’ s position as the nation ’ s leading wine producer .
The neighboring counties have a combination of chic and rustic wineries — from chateau-style estates to those offering tastings in barns — and are the best known among California ’ s many wine regions .
The grapes grown there have the highest value .
Fires led to evacuation orders for some vineyards and closed down wineries that had pivoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet state regulations during the pandemic .
While fires in recent years hurt tourism as smoke cast a pall over the verdant valleys bisected by rivers and surrounded by forested hillsides , most tasting rooms remained open and tourists still came .
But the landscape changed this year .
“ You can ’ t sit inside because of the pandemic , and you can ’ t sit outside because of the smoke , ” said Janet Tupper of Napa , who runs Mercantile 12 , a wholesale business that sells wine country-themed gifts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tote bags and wine accessories , to gift shops and tasting rooms .
While large wine producers that sell to grocery chains and others with robust online sales have thrived during widespread business closures during the pandemic , wineries that sell high-end wines to restaurants and those that rely on tourists have suffered .
Given the large tourism losses since businesses shut down in March as COVID-19 spread , the impact of wildfires will be negligible in comparison , said James Lapsley , a researcher at the University of California ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vineyards have been largely resilient to fire because they generally don ’ t burn and serve as firebreaks , Lapsley said .
The bigger threat now is the possibility of smoke damage .
Some wineries that don ’ t have their own vineyards are opting out of buying some grapes this year because the risk is too great that a vintage could be spoiled by smoke , said Tawny Tesconi , executive director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau .
That creates a ripple effect in the economy that leads to fewer harvesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While crop insurance provides some protection for growers , it ’ s never enough to recoup the loss , Tesconi said .
Farmers , who are accustomed to coping with drought , flooding and labor shortages , now have to add wildfire to the challenges they face .
When the Walbridge Fire broke out two weeks ago , part of the LNU Lightning Complex of fires around wine country , the Farm Bureau was holding a fire training program for members .
“ It ’ s almost like we ’ ve accepted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Sonoma County , ” Tesconi said .
“ The devastation that wildfire can bring unexpectedly in a short period of time is more of a concern because you just have no control over it.
” Because of frost early in the year , cold temperatures in May and then extreme heat in August that threatened to shrivel grapes on the vine , Bucher had already begun to harvest his pinot noir fruit a few days before the fire ignited .
Bucher produces his own wine but also sells to 15 other winemakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and became concerned as the fire burned and sometimes sent heavy smoke over his vineyards .
With extra workers , they completed the harvest in 12 days instead of the typical three to four weeks .
Preliminary results show there is very little smoke taint , but he won ’ t know until he can taste the wine after fermentation .
Hours after the harvest , the fires still burned in the distance but the winds had shifted and Bucher ’ s ranch was under a clear sky .
It was unclear how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen in the weeks ahead when he has to harvest four more varieties of grapes .
By BRIAN MELLEY and ARON RANEN Associated Press

With an early harvest already underway, a wildfire a few miles west of John Bucher's ranch added new urgency to getting his pinot noir grapes off the vine. If flames didn't do any damage to the delicate fruit, ash and smoke certainly could.
HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — With an early harvest already underway, a wildfire a few miles west of John Bucher's ranch added new urgency to getting his pinot noir grapes off the vine. If flames didn't do any damage to the delicate fruit, ash and smoke certainly could.
Bucher hired an extra crew, and they finished the task before dawn Wednesday in the quaint wine country destination of Healdsburg, remarkably early in the year for a grape that is often not harvested until the end of September.
"It was just a race to get it done," Bucher said, his voice hoarse after three days of almost no sleep and working in occasionally smoky conditions.
Fire has been cruel to Northern California wine country lately.
Three of the past four years, major wildfires have burned in Napa and Sonoma counties, charring vineyards, burning down a historic winery and sending plumes of smoke above the neatly tended rows of vines rolling across scenic hills.
While the majority of vineyards, winemaking facilities and tasting rooms that lure tourists from around the world have escaped damage, the perception of the area being on fire yet again has not helped business. Add restrictions on tastings and dining during the coronavirus pandemic, and winemakers say they are reeling.
"This year, you throw COVID on it, and what did we do to deserve this?" said Corey Beck, CEO and winemaking chief at Francis Ford Coppola Winery. "We really hurt more from the lack of tourists. That has been our Achilles' heel during this time."
Lightning-sparked wildfires west of Sonoma County and east of Napa two weeks ago coincided with the start of the harvest for some grape varieties. That's much earlier than devastating fires last year and in 2017 that erupted in October, when nearly all the grapes were off the vine and in the process of being converted to wine.
The early fires pose a threat if they persist and heavy smoke blankets the region for several days before grapes are picked. That can lead to "smoke taint," an undesirable burnt taste in wine made from grapes with skins permeated by smoke.
While Napa and Sonoma counties produce only about 10% of the state's wine, they have an outsized influence on California's position as the nation's leading wine producer. The neighboring counties have a combination of chic and rustic wineries — from chateau-style estates to those offering tastings in barns — and are the best known among California's many wine regions. The grapes grown there have the highest value.
Fires led to evacuation orders for some vineyards and closed down wineries that had pivoted to offering outdoor tastings and dining to meet state regulations during the pandemic.
While fires in recent years hurt tourism as smoke cast a pall over the verdant valleys bisected by rivers and surrounded by forested hillsides, most tasting rooms remained open and tourists still came.
But the landscape changed this year.
"You can't sit inside because of the pandemic, and you can't sit outside because of the smoke," said Janet Tupper of Napa, who runs Mercantile 12, a wholesale business that sells wine country-themed gifts, such as T-shirts, tea towels, tote bags and wine accessories, to gift shops and tasting rooms.
While large wine producers that sell to grocery chains and others with robust online sales have thrived during widespread business closures during the pandemic, wineries that sell high-end wines to restaurants and those that rely on tourists have suffered.
Given the large tourism losses since businesses shut down in March as COVID-19 spread, the impact of wildfires will be negligible in comparison, said James Lapsley, a researcher at the University of California's Agricultural Issues Center and a winemaker.
Vineyards have been largely resilient to fire because they generally don't burn and serve as firebreaks, Lapsley said. The bigger threat now is the possibility of smoke damage.
Some wineries that don't have their own vineyards are opting out of buying some grapes this year because the risk is too great that a vintage could be spoiled by smoke, said Tawny Tesconi, executive director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
That creates a ripple effect in the economy that leads to fewer harvesting jobs and less wine to sell. While crop insurance provides some protection for growers, it's never enough to recoup the loss, Tesconi said.
Farmers, who are accustomed to coping with drought, flooding and labor shortages, now have to add wildfire to the challenges they face. When the Walbridge Fire broke out two weeks ago, part of the LNU Lightning Complex of fires around wine country, the Farm Bureau was holding a fire training program for members.
"It's almost like we've accepted that these situations are happening way too often in Sonoma County," Tesconi said. "The devastation that wildfire can bring unexpectedly in a short period of time is more of a concern because you just have no control over it."
Because of frost early in the year, cold temperatures in May and then extreme heat in August that threatened to shrivel grapes on the vine, Bucher had already begun to harvest his pinot noir fruit a few days before the fire ignited.
Bucher produces his own wine but also sells to 15 other winemakers. They were relying on his crop and became concerned as the fire burned and sometimes sent heavy smoke over his vineyards.
With extra workers, they completed the harvest in 12 days instead of the typical three to four weeks. Preliminary results show there is very little smoke taint, but he won't know until he can taste the wine after fermentation.
Hours after the harvest, the fires still burned in the distance but the winds had shifted and Bucher's ranch was under a clear sky. It was unclear how long it would last and what would happen in the weeks ahead when he has to harvest four more varieties of grapes.
By BRIAN MELLEY and ARON RANEN Associated Press


courthousenews--2020-08-30--Patriot Prayer Founder: Dead Man in Portland Was a Supporter

PORTLAND , Ore. ( AP ) — A man who was fatally shot after supporters of President Donald Trump clashed with left-wing protesters on the streets of Portland , Oregon , was a supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer , its founder said Sunday .
Joey Gibson , head of the group based in Washington state , told The Associated Press the man who was shot to death Saturday night was a “ good friend , ” although he did not identify him .
Gibson said he was also in Portland on Saturday night when the Trump supporters clashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gibson arrived at the scene of the shooting shortly after it happened and video from the scene showed he was briefly corralled in a nearby gas station by angry protesters .
“ I can ’ t say much right now .
All I can do is verify that he was a good friend and a supporter of Patriot Prayer , ” Gibson said of the shooting victim in a text exchange .
He said he would make a fuller statement later Sunday .
Police issued a plea for any information related to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eyewitness accounts .
The shooting happened about 15 minutes after a caravan of about 600 vehicles that were part of a pro-Trump rally left downtown .
It wasn ’ t clear if the shooting was related to the clashes between Trump supporters and counterprotesters in Portland , which has become a flashpoint in the national Black Lives Matter protests since George Floyd was killed in May and an increasing centerpiece in Trump ’ s law-and-order re-election campaign theme .
Police have not released any information about the case but said they were aware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shooting .
“ It is still early in this investigation , and I ask everyone to give the detectives time to do their important work before drawing conclusions about what took place , ” said Police Chief Chuck Lovell .
“ If anyone can provide information about this case , I ask them to please reach out to our detectives .
This violence is completely unacceptable and we are working diligently to find and apprehend the individual or individuals responsible.
” An Associated Press freelance photographer heard three gunshots and then saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who appeared to be a white man .
The freelancer said the man was wearing a hat bearing the insignia of Patriot Prayer .
Police said the man was shot in the chest .
He was not immediately identified .
It ’ s unclear who shot him .
Portland has been the site of nightly protests for more than three months since the police killing of Floyd in Minneapolis .
Many of them end in vandalism and violence , and hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested by local and federal law enforcement since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following the shooting , protesters gathered downtown and there was sporadic fighting and vandalism , police said .
Ten people were arrested , police said .
The caravan had arrived downtown just as a planned protest was getting underway .
The chaotic scene came two days after Trump invoked Portland as a liberal city overrun with violence in a speech at the Republican National Convention .
The caravan marked the third Saturday in a row that Trump supporters have rallied in the city .
The right-wing group Patriot Prayer has a history in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-Trump rallies beginning in 2017 .
The group was founded by Joey Gibson and is based in Washington state ; supporters periodically cross into Oregon for rallies and marches .
Counterprotesters have squared off with Patriot Prayer and other right-wing groups such as the Proud Boys and the Three Percenters multiple times in the city since Trump ’ s election .
Photos and videos taken late Saturday show Gibson arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting , but it wasn ’ t immediately clear why he did so .
On Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retweets including several that blamed Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler for the death and one in which the president appeared to be encouraging his supporters to move into Portland .
“ GREAT PATRIOTS !
” Trump wrote as he shared video of his supporters driving into Portland to confront the protesters .
“ I ’ m asking Portland officials , so that ’ s the mayor , that ’ s the governor and that ’ s local law enforcement , to do their job to address any violent activity that is occurring in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Face the Nation.
” Wolf said the federal government was prepared to send agents to Portland and other cities to protect federal buildings and assist police .
Wheeler also came under fire Sunday from some in his own city who have been angered by comments he made earlier this month criticizing violent demonstrators and saying they were helping Trump with his re-election .
The mayor , who is also the police commissioner , has also been faulted for letting Portland police use tear gas on multiple occasions .
Several civil rights groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resign .
He is currently running for a second term .
“ This could all have been prevented and there were 100 different decisions that could have led us on a different path , ” said Bobbin Singh , executive director of the Oregon Justice Resource Center .
Wheeler was expected to hold a news conference with Lovell , the police chief , at 1 p.m. PDT ( 4 p.m. EDT ) on Sunday .
When federal agents increased their presence in downtown Portland in July , the city saw some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of people turning out nightly .
The crowds dissipated after the agents withdrew and State Police agreed to protect federal buildings for a two-week period .
Trump and other speakers at last week ’ s Republican convention evoked a violent , dystopian future if Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden wins in November and pointed to Portland as a cautionary tale for what would be in store for Americans .
The pro-Trump rally ’ s organizer , who recently coordinated a similar caravan in Boise , Idaho , said in a video posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carry concealed weapons and the route was being kept secret for safety reasons .
The caravan had gathered earlier in the day at a suburban mall and drove as a group to the heart of Portland .
As they arrived in the city , protesters tried to stop them by standing in the street and blocking bridges .
Video from the scene showed sporadic fighting , as well as Trump supporters firing paintball pellets at opponents and using bear spray as counter-protesters threw things at the Trump caravan .
The Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buildings .
Some protesters have called for reductions in police budgets while the city ’ s mayor and some in the Black community have decried the violence .

A man who was fatally shot after supporters of President Donald Trump clashed with left-wing protesters on the streets of Portland, Oregon, was a supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer, its founder said Sunday.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A man who was fatally shot after supporters of President Donald Trump clashed with left-wing protesters on the streets of Portland, Oregon, was a supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer, its founder said Sunday.
Joey Gibson, head of the group based in Washington state, told The Associated Press the man who was shot to death Saturday night was a "good friend," although he did not identify him.
Gibson said he was also in Portland on Saturday night when the Trump supporters clashed with Black Lives Matter protesters downtown. Gibson arrived at the scene of the shooting shortly after it happened and video from the scene showed he was briefly corralled in a nearby gas station by angry protesters.
"I can't say much right now. All I can do is verify that he was a good friend and a supporter of Patriot Prayer," Gibson said of the shooting victim in a text exchange. He said he would make a fuller statement later Sunday.
Police issued a plea for any information related to the killing, including videos, photos or eyewitness accounts. The shooting happened about 15 minutes after a caravan of about 600 vehicles that were part of a pro-Trump rally left downtown.
It wasn't clear if the shooting was related to the clashes between Trump supporters and counterprotesters in Portland, which has become a flashpoint in the national Black Lives Matter protests since George Floyd was killed in May and an increasing centerpiece in Trump's law-and-order re-election campaign theme.
Police have not released any information about the case but said they were aware of videos on social media that showed the shooting.
"It is still early in this investigation, and I ask everyone to give the detectives time to do their important work before drawing conclusions about what took place," said Police Chief Chuck Lovell.
"If anyone can provide information about this case, I ask them to please reach out to our detectives. This violence is completely unacceptable and we are working diligently to find and apprehend the individual or individuals responsible."
An Associated Press freelance photographer heard three gunshots and then saw police medics attending to the victim, who appeared to be a white man. The freelancer said the man was wearing a hat bearing the insignia of Patriot Prayer.
Police said the man was shot in the chest. He was not immediately identified. It's unclear who shot him.
Portland has been the site of nightly protests for more than three months since the police killing of Floyd in Minneapolis. Many of them end in vandalism and violence, and hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested by local and federal law enforcement since late May.
In the two hours following the shooting, protesters gathered downtown and there was sporadic fighting and vandalism, police said. Ten people were arrested, police said.
The caravan had arrived downtown just as a planned protest was getting underway. The chaotic scene came two days after Trump invoked Portland as a liberal city overrun with violence in a speech at the Republican National Convention. The caravan marked the third Saturday in a row that Trump supporters have rallied in the city.
The right-wing group Patriot Prayer has a history in Portland and has repeatedly rallied supporters for pro-Trump rallies beginning in 2017. The group was founded by Joey Gibson and is based in Washington state; supporters periodically cross into Oregon for rallies and marches.
Counterprotesters have squared off with Patriot Prayer and other right-wing groups such as the Proud Boys and the Three Percenters multiple times in the city since Trump's election.
Photos and videos taken late Saturday show Gibson arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting, but it wasn't immediately clear why he did so.
On Sunday, Trump issued a flurry of tweets and retweets including several that blamed Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler for the death and one in which the president appeared to be encouraging his supporters to move into Portland.
"GREAT PATRIOTS!" Trump wrote as he shared video of his supporters driving into Portland to confront the protesters.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blamed local officials for failing "to protect their communities."
"I'm asking Portland officials, so that's the mayor, that's the governor and that's local law enforcement, to do their job to address any violent activity that is occurring in their streets," Wolf told CBS' "Face the Nation."
Wolf said the federal government was prepared to send agents to Portland and other cities to protect federal buildings and assist police.
Wheeler also came under fire Sunday from some in his own city who have been angered by comments he made earlier this month criticizing violent demonstrators and saying they were helping Trump with his re-election. The mayor, who is also the police commissioner, has also been faulted for letting Portland police use tear gas on multiple occasions.
Several civil rights groups and protest coalitions called on Wheeler to resign. He is currently running for a second term.
"This could all have been prevented and there were 100 different decisions that could have led us on a different path," said Bobbin Singh, executive director of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.
Wheeler was expected to hold a news conference with Lovell, the police chief, at 1 p.m. PDT (4 p.m. EDT) on Sunday.
When federal agents increased their presence in downtown Portland in July, the city saw some of the largest protests of the summer, with thousands of people turning out nightly. The crowds dissipated after the agents withdrew and State Police agreed to protect federal buildings for a two-week period.
Trump and other speakers at last week's Republican convention evoked a violent, dystopian future if Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden wins in November and pointed to Portland as a cautionary tale for what would be in store for Americans.
The pro-Trump rally's organizer, who recently coordinated a similar caravan in Boise, Idaho, said in a video posted Saturday on Twitter that attendees should only carry concealed weapons and the route was being kept secret for safety reasons.
The caravan had gathered earlier in the day at a suburban mall and drove as a group to the heart of Portland. As they arrived in the city, protesters tried to stop them by standing in the street and blocking bridges.
Video from the scene showed sporadic fighting, as well as Trump supporters firing paintball pellets at opponents and using bear spray as counter-protesters threw things at the Trump caravan.
The Black Lives Matter demonstrations usually target police buildings and federal buildings. Some protesters have called for reductions in police budgets while the city's mayor and some in the Black community have decried the violence.
By GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press


courthousenews--2020-08-30--French Virus Surge Threatens Nationwide Back-to-School Plan

PARIS ( AP ) — Not all French classrooms can safely reopen Tuesday , the country ’ s education minister acknowledged Sunday , as a persistent rise in coronavirus infections jeopardizes the government ’ s push to get France ’ s 12.9 million schoolchildren back into class this week .
Like many governments around the world , France and Britain want to reopen schools starting Tuesday to reduce the learning gaps between rich and poor students that were worsened by the virus lockdown this spring , and to get parents back to work and revive the ailing economy .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France every day , Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper that some classes will remain closed when the nationwide reopening begins Tuesday , but “ as few as possible.
” With less than 48 hours to go before the first French school bells ring , he said openings and closures were “ being decided by a day-by-day analysis based on the health situation of each territory.
” French doctors published an appeal Saturday saying that the government ’ s anti-virus measures for schools aren ’ t strict enough .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as six and a mix of online and in-person schooling .
Currently French schools are set to resume largely as normal , but with masks required all day for everyone 11 and over and some restrictions on movements and gatherings .
In contrast , other European countries like Denmark and many school districts in the U.S. are undergoing a full school day revamp that includes smaller classes , more teachers , more separation between students and classes and a mix of in-class and online learning .
Teacher Cécile Cluchier is bracing to face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paris suburb of Antony .
“ Let ’ s not fool ourselves , ” she said .
“ We know that with 25 pupils , we won ’ t always be able to keep an eye on each of them , ” and ensure that every young child washes their hands constantly and keeps a proper distance from others .
She also wonders how she ’ ll be able to teach early language skills and defuse tensions with her face hidden behind a mask .
“ In preschool and in this underprivileged area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ But now , they can ’ t see my smile.
” France reported 5,453 new daily infections Saturday , compared to several hundred a day in May and June .
The national health service says the growth of COVID-19 cases is now exponential , and neighboring countries have imposed quarantines or testing requirements for people coming in from France .
The infections are also threatening the Tour de France , which kicked off Saturday amid unprecedented restrictions and worries that the world ’ s premier cycling event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finish line in Paris in three weeks if the virus keeps spreading so fast .
In Britain , officials sought Sunday to reassure parents that schools can safely reopen .
In an open letter , Education Secretary Gavin Williamson stressed the importance of having all children back in classrooms for the new school year .
“ If a child is not in school , they stand to lose far more than just a few months of learning .
It could well put a huge dent in their future life chances , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College Union , which represents academic staff in Britain , warned Sunday that the movement of an expected 1 million college students has they return to universities in the coming weeks could spark “ a public health crisis.
” Union general secretary Jo Grady told the BBC that tens of thousands of students will be arriving at cities like Manchester , Birmingham and Leicester — cities that have recently seen increased restrictions because of a spike in coronavirus cases .
“ The very people who are increasingly getting infected by this virus are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all around the country and congregate and live together , ” she said .
The union wants college students to avoid campuses and face-to-face teaching until at least Christmas , unless a robust testing plan is in place .
Britain ’ s Conservative government has been sharply criticized for its handling of the virus , which has left the country with Europe ’ s highest confirmed virus toll of nearly 41,600 dead .
France has the continent ’ s third-highest death toll at over 30,600 .
Experts say all confirmed figures understate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited testing and other factors .
In Germany , North Rhine-Westphalia , the only state to have required students in secondary schools to wear face masks during lessons , is ending that practice Tuesday .
Students will still have to wear masks at school outside of class .
By ANGELA CHARLTON and SYLVIA HUI Associated Press

Not all French classrooms can safely reopen Tuesday, the country's education minister acknowledged Sunday, as a persistent rise in coronavirus infections jeopardizes the government's push to get France's 12.9 million schoolchildren back into class this week.
PARIS (AP) — Not all French classrooms can safely reopen Tuesday, the country's education minister acknowledged Sunday, as a persistent rise in coronavirus infections jeopardizes the government's push to get France's 12.9 million schoolchildren back into class this week.
Like many governments around the world, France and Britain want to reopen schools starting Tuesday to reduce the learning gaps between rich and poor students that were worsened by the virus lockdown this spring, and to get parents back to work and revive the ailing economy.
With several thousand new infections now reported in France every day, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper that some classes will remain closed when the nationwide reopening begins Tuesday, but "as few as possible."
With less than 48 hours to go before the first French school bells ring, he said openings and closures were "being decided by a day-by-day analysis based on the health situation of each territory."
French doctors published an appeal Saturday saying that the government's anti-virus measures for schools aren't strict enough. They urged masks for children as young as six and a mix of online and in-person schooling.
Currently French schools are set to resume largely as normal, but with masks required all day for everyone 11 and over and some restrictions on movements and gatherings. In contrast, other European countries like Denmark and many school districts in the U.S. are undergoing a full school day revamp that includes smaller classes, more teachers, more separation between students and classes and a mix of in-class and online learning.
Teacher Cécile Cluchier is bracing to face the challenges in her preschool in the Paris suburb of Antony.
"Let's not fool ourselves," she said. "We know that with 25 pupils, we won't always be able to keep an eye on each of them," and ensure that every young child washes their hands constantly and keeps a proper distance from others.
She also wonders how she'll be able to teach early language skills and defuse tensions with her face hidden behind a mask.
"In preschool and in this underprivileged area, welcoming kids properly is very important," she said. "But now, they can't see my smile."
France reported 5,453 new daily infections Saturday, compared to several hundred a day in May and June. The national health service says the growth of COVID-19 cases is now exponential, and neighboring countries have imposed quarantines or testing requirements for people coming in from France.
The infections are also threatening the Tour de France, which kicked off Saturday amid unprecedented restrictions and worries that the world's premier cycling event won't make it to the finish line in Paris in three weeks if the virus keeps spreading so fast.
In Britain, officials sought Sunday to reassure parents that schools can safely reopen. In an open letter, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson stressed the importance of having all children back in classrooms for the new school year.
"If a child is not in school, they stand to lose far more than just a few months of learning. It could well put a huge dent in their future life chances," he said.
Meanwhile, the University and College Union, which represents academic staff in Britain, warned Sunday that the movement of an expected 1 million college students has they return to universities in the coming weeks could spark "a public health crisis."
Union general secretary Jo Grady told the BBC that tens of thousands of students will be arriving at cities like Manchester, Birmingham and Leicester — cities that have recently seen increased restrictions because of a spike in coronavirus cases.
"The very people who are increasingly getting infected by this virus are being encouraged in mass numbers to move all around the country and congregate and live together," she said.
The union wants college students to avoid campuses and face-to-face teaching until at least Christmas, unless a robust testing plan is in place.
Britain's Conservative government has been sharply criticized for its handling of the virus, which has left the country with Europe's highest confirmed virus toll of nearly 41,600 dead. France has the continent's third-highest death toll at over 30,600. Experts say all confirmed figures understate the true toll of the pandemic due to limited testing and other factors.
In Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, the only state to have required students in secondary schools to wear face masks during lessons, is ending that practice Tuesday. Students will still have to wear masks at school outside of class.
By ANGELA CHARLTON and SYLVIA HUI Associated Press


courthousenews--2020-09-01--Judge Declines to Block California Open-Carry Gun Restrictions

( CN ) — Two California men fighting California ’ s longstanding open-carry gun laws failed in their bid to have the rules preliminarily overturned — though a federal judge did say Monday that they made a good case his Second Amendment rights might be violated .
The Golden State ’ s rules allow counties with fewer than 200,000 residents to issue open-carry permits in the same way concealed-carry permits are issued .
The law leaves the decision on who qualifies for the permits to local police chiefs and sheriffs .
Two men from rural Northern California counties say they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even start the application process because they can ’ t show “ good cause ” for why they should be granted open-carry permits .
They say that condition amounts to a de facto ban .
Mark Baird of Siskiyou County and Richard Gallardo of Shasta County sued California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in April 2019 , arguing the state ’ s rules on open-carry violate the Second , Fourth and Fourteenth amendments .
According to the men , the population requirement is unfair , and the law gives local law enforcement too much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court cases define the “ core component ” of the Second Amendment right as “ self-defense ” and the right to openly carry a firearm in self-defense is protected .
And because the Second Amendment does not protect concealed-carry , the plaintiffs argue open-carry must be protected and any law that burdens that right must be strictly scrutinized by courts .
On Monday , U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller found the men may have a point — but the point wasn ’ t enough to warrant a preliminary injunction of California ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Barack Obama appointee , noted a Ninth Circuit panel ruled in 2018 ’ s Young v. Hawaii that the Second Amendment “ encompasses a right to carry a firearm openly in public for self-defense ” and the right is “ core ” to the Second Amendment .
However , since Young will now be heard by an en banc Ninth Circuit , Mueller is not currently bound by the original ruling .
“ Thus , no controlling authority has held that the Second Amendment right protects an individual ’ s right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult legal questions require more deliberate investigation , ’ the court may grant a preliminary injunction to preserve the status quo so long as plaintiff demonstrates ‘ that serious questions going to the merits were raised , ’ ‘ the balance of the hardships tips sharply in the plaintiff ’ s favor , ’ and plaintiff meets the other requirements , ” Mueller wrote .
Mueller agreed the men raise “ serious questions ” regarding their Second Amendment claims that require further consideration .
But since then Ninth Circuit is likely to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Second Amendment in the near future — as Mueller noted , Second Amendment law is evolving — the men have “ a chance if not a ‘ fair chance of success on the merits.
’ ” Even so , Mueller said the harm the men may face from not being able to carry their guns openly is neither imminent nor life-threatening since they ’ ve not had the ability to do so since California ’ s open-carry law was repealed in 1967 .
And unlike other gun laws on the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-capacity magazines , the men don ’ t face criminal sanctions “ for failure to act ” since there ’ s nothing for them to get rid of in this case .
Because the balance of hardships does not tip sharply in the men ’ s favor given their “ available options for self-defense ” and the potential harm to the state and public interest is significant , Mueller rejected their request for a preliminary injunction of the open-carry laws .
She did so without prejudice should the en banc Ninth Circuit rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s claims .
But Mueller also dismissed the bulk of their claims , finding only their procedural due process claim warrants a deeper look .
“ Given that whether plaintiffs have a constitutionally protected right to open carry is still an open question , the court assumes without deciding that plaintiffs have adequately alleged a deprivation of a constitutionally protected liberty or property interest for the purpose of a procedural due process claim , and finds plaintiffs have adequately pled ‘ a denial of adequate procedural protections , ’ ” Mueller wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to file an amended complaint .
An email sent to the plaintiffs ’ attorneys for comment was not immediately answered .

Two California men fighting California’s longstanding open-carry gun laws failed in their bid to have the rules preliminarily overturned — though a federal judge did say Monday that they made a good case his Second Amendment rights might be violated.
Photo via Wikipedia Commons
(CN) — Two California men fighting California’s longstanding open-carry gun laws failed in their bid to have the rules preliminarily overturned — though a federal judge did say Monday that they made a good case his Second Amendment rights might be violated.
The Golden State’s rules allow counties with fewer than 200,000 residents to issue open-carry permits in the same way concealed-carry permits are issued. The law leaves the decision on who qualifies for the permits to local police chiefs and sheriffs.
Two men from rural Northern California counties say they’ve been denied the chance to even start the application process because they can’t show “good cause” for why they should be granted open-carry permits. They say that condition amounts to a de facto ban.
Mark Baird of Siskiyou County and Richard Gallardo of Shasta County sued California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in April 2019, arguing the state’s rules on open-carry violate the Second, Fourth and Fourteenth amendments.
According to the men, the population requirement is unfair, and the law gives local law enforcement too much discretion. They also argue that previous Supreme Court cases define the “core component” of the Second Amendment right as “self-defense” and the right to openly carry a firearm in self-defense is protected.
And because the Second Amendment does not protect concealed-carry, the plaintiffs argue open-carry must be protected and any law that burdens that right must be strictly scrutinized by courts.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller found the men may have a point — but the point wasn’t enough to warrant a preliminary injunction of California’s open-carry permit scheme.
Mueller, a Barack Obama appointee, noted a Ninth Circuit panel ruled in 2018’s Young v. Hawaii that the Second Amendment “encompasses a right to carry a firearm openly in public for self-defense” and the right is “core” to the Second Amendment. However, since Young will now be heard by an en banc Ninth Circuit, Mueller is not currently bound by the original ruling.
“Thus, no controlling authority has held that the Second Amendment right protects an individual’s right to open carry. However, where ‘difficult legal questions require more deliberate investigation,’ the court may grant a preliminary injunction to preserve the status quo so long as plaintiff demonstrates ‘that serious questions going to the merits were raised,’ ‘the balance of the hardships tips sharply in the plaintiff’s favor,’ and plaintiff meets the other requirements,” Mueller wrote.
Mueller agreed the men raise “serious questions” regarding their Second Amendment claims that require further consideration. But since then Ninth Circuit is likely to bring more clarity to the scope of the Second Amendment in the near future — as Mueller noted, Second Amendment law is evolving — the men have “a chance if not a ‘fair chance of success on the merits.’”
Even so, Mueller said the harm the men may face from not being able to carry their guns openly is neither imminent nor life-threatening since they’ve not had the ability to do so since California’s open-carry law was repealed in 1967. And unlike other gun laws on the state’s books including the recently overturned ban of high-capacity magazines, the men don’t face criminal sanctions “for failure to act” since there’s nothing for them to get rid of in this case.
Because the balance of hardships does not tip sharply in the men’s favor given their “available options for self-defense” and the potential harm to the state and public interest is significant, Mueller rejected their request for a preliminary injunction of the open-carry laws.
She did so without prejudice should the en banc Ninth Circuit rule in a way that bolsters the men’s claims.
But Mueller also dismissed the bulk of their claims, finding only their procedural due process claim warrants a deeper look.
“Given that whether plaintiffs have a constitutionally protected right to open carry is still an open question, the court assumes without deciding that plaintiffs have adequately alleged a deprivation of a constitutionally protected liberty or property interest for the purpose of a procedural due process claim, and finds plaintiffs have adequately pled ‘a denial of adequate procedural protections,’” Mueller wrote.
She gave the men 21 days to file an amended complaint.
The plaintiff’s attorney said via email they are considering an appeal. Baird’s and Gallardo’s attorney, Amy Bellantoni, said that the Ninth Circuit took up the issue of whether a state’s open-carry permits could be invalid if they burdened the right to bear arms outside the home.
“I am hopeful that the Ninth Circuit’s en banc consideration of Young will yield an intellectually honest decision,” said Bellantoni in an email. “My clients’ Second and Fourteenth Amendment claims remain, and we will be moving forward accordingly.”


Top Eight

Your Monday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News Top eight CNS stories for today including national and state Democratic Party leaders joined the battle in Iowa over absentee ballot request forms that appeared to have been won by the Trump campaign and Republicans ; The California Legislature is cramming to pass police reforms , prevent evictions and curb the newspaper industry ’ s demise ; The full D.C .
Circuit kept the prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn alive , and more .
Sign up for CNS Top Eight , a roundup of the day ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email Monday through Friday .
1 . )
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden laid into President Donald Trump on the campaign trail Monday afternoon , accusing him of stoking the flames of hate and division across the country in order to hold onto power .
2 . )
The Second Circuit blocked the Trump administration on Monday from rolling back Obama-era monetary penalties on automakers that violate fuel-efficiency standards .
3 . )
Keeping the prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn still alive , the full D.C .
Circuit sided Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguments on the Justice Department ’ s bid for dismissal .
4 . )
House Democrats can not use the courts to enforce subpoenas , the D.C .
Circuit ruled Monday , dealing a critical blow to an investigation of President Donald Trump from the chamber .
5 . )
National and state Democratic Party leaders on Monday joined the battle in Iowa over absentee ballot request forms that appeared to have been won by the Trump campaign and Republicans in two state court rulings last week .
6 . )
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the coronavirus pandemic , the California Legislature is cramming to pass police reforms , prevent evictions and curb the newspaper industry ’ s demise into Monday ’ s agenda .
7 . )
The trial of four men accused of downing Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 six years ago resumed Monday to hear from lawyers for relatives of the victims , who argued the suspects should have to pay damages to family members .
8 . )
The latest legal battle over a 2017 blockade of Qatar by its neighbors in the Persian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest court on Monday with arguments from the United Arab Emirates .

Top eight CNS stories for today including national and state Democratic Party leaders joined the battle in Iowa over absentee ballot request forms that appeared to have been won by the Trump campaign and Republicans; The California Legislature is cramming to pass police reforms, prevent evictions and curb the newspaper industry’s demise; The full D.C. Circuit issued a ruling keeping the prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn alive, and more.
Your Monday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News
Top eight CNS stories for today including national and state Democratic Party leaders joined the battle in Iowa over absentee ballot request forms that appeared to have been won by the Trump campaign and Republicans; The California Legislature is cramming to pass police reforms, prevent evictions and curb the newspaper industry’s demise; The full D.C. Circuit kept the prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn alive, and more.
Sign up for CNS Top Eight, a roundup of the day’s top stories delivered directly to your email Monday through Friday.
National
1.) Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden laid into President Donald Trump on the campaign trail Monday afternoon, accusing him of stoking the flames of hate and division across the country in order to hold onto power.
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden arrives at the Allegheny County Airport, en route to speak at a campaign event in Pittsburgh, Pa., Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
2.) The Second Circuit blocked the Trump administration on Monday from rolling back Obama-era monetary penalties on automakers that violate fuel-efficiency standards.
Traffic is backed up heading South on Highway 101 during mandatory evacuations due to predicted danger from the Kincade Fire, in Windsor, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019. The entire communities of Healdsburg and Windsor were ordered to evacuate ahead of strong winds that could lead to erratic fire behavior near the blaze burning in wine country. (Darryl Bush/The Press Democrat via AP)
3.) Keeping the prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn still alive, the full D.C. Circuit sided Monday with the judge who wants to hold arguments on the Justice Department’s bid for dismissal.
FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2019, file photo Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, leaves the federal court following a status conference with Judge Emmet Sullivan, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
4.) House Democrats cannot use the courts to enforce subpoenas, the D.C. Circuit ruled Monday, dealing a critical blow to an investigation of President Donald Trump from the chamber.
FILE - In this Sept. 4, 2018 file photo, White House counsel Don McGahn, listens as he attends a confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. A federal appeals court in Washington has revived House Democrats’ lawsuit to force former White House counsel Don McGahn to appear before a congressional committee. But the court's action Friday left other legal issues unresolved with time growing short in the current Congress. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Regional
5.) National and state Democratic Party leaders on Monday joined the battle in Iowa over absentee ballot request forms that appeared to have been won by the Trump campaign and Republicans in two state court rulings last week.
FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020, file photo vote-by-mail ballots are shown in U.S. Postal service sorting trays the King County Elections headquarters in Renton, Wash., south of Seattle. The U.S. Postal Service has sent letters to 46 states and the District of Columbia, warning it cannot guarantee all ballots cast by mail for the November election will arrive in time to be counted, The Washington Post reported Friday, Aug. 14. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
6.) In the final hours of an extraordinary session bottlenecked by the coronavirus pandemic, the California Legislature is cramming to pass police reforms, prevent evictions and curb the newspaper industry’s demise into Monday’s agenda.
The California Capitol building in Sacramento. (William Dotinga/Courthouse News)
International
7.) The trial of four men accused of downing Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 six years ago resumed Monday to hear from lawyers for relatives of the victims, who argued the suspects should have to pay damages to family members.
Presiding judge Hendrik Steenhuis, rear center, opens the court session as the trial resumed for three Russians and a Ukrainian charged with crimes including murder for their alleged roles in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014, at the high security court building at Schiphol Airport, near Amsterdam, Monday, August 31, 2020. Judges and lawyers representing relatives of the 298 people killed are expected to discuss the issue of compensation. (Piroschka van de Wouw/Pool photo via AP)
8.) The latest legal battle over a 2017 blockade of Qatar by its neighbors in the Persian Gulf opened before the United Nations’ highest court on Monday with arguments from the United Arab Emirates.


courthousenews--2020-08-31--Human Relics Dated Back to Bronze Age

Human Relics Dated Back to Bronze Age

( CN ) — Researchers have dated human remains and tools , including a femur that was fashioned into a musical instrument , to the Bronze Age , providing insight on ancient humans ’ funerary and memorialization practices .
“ Although fragments of human bone were included as grave goods with the dead , they were also kept in the homes of the living , buried under house floors and even placed on display , ” said Joanna Brück , University of Bristol archaeologist and the project ’ s principal investigator , in a statement .
“ This suggests that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains with the sense of horror or disgust that we might feel today.
” Brück worked with lead author Thomas Booth , a chemist at the Francis Crick Institute , to use radiocarbon dating and CT scanning technology to date the remains — found in the early 20th century across the British mainland — to 4,500 years ago , during Britain ’ s Bronze Age .
According to Booth , this period lasted from roughly 2,500 B.C .
to about 800 B.C .
in Britain , and features the first evidence of humans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At one burial site , a man was found buried with a dual-pronged bronze object , a stone battle axe , a bone plate , a boar tusk and — most strikingly — a musical instrument fashioned from a human femur .
“ The bone was worked into a musical instrument , and eventually it was buried as a ‘ grave good ’ with an adult male individual underneath a round barrow that was quite close to Stonehenge , about three kilometers away , ” Booth said in an interview with Courthouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best account that we have of a broader practice where it seems that human remains were being kept , not for really long periods of time but still decades , and maybe turned into objects that could have been used in rituals or ceremonies.
” The instrument is broken , but Booth says it was likely played as a wind instrument ; it is hollowed out , with grooves and holes added that could have changed the pitch of air whistling through it .
“ The radiocarbon dating suggests that the person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the same time as the person it was buried with .
They would have known one another , or at least not been too distant from one another in time .
The significance of the use of that femur becomes something to do with the identity of that individual when they were alive .
It could be that they were related familially , ” Booth said .
“ It could be that they were a particularly skilled musician … a ritual specialist , perhaps.
” Booth and Brück also examined a woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by skulls and long limb bones from at least three other individuals — who all died between 60 and 170 years before the buried woman did .
These are but a few examples of how different Bronze Age Britain ’ s “ funerary landscape ” was to our own .
“ It ’ s known that during this period , they had put perforations in [ remains ] , which suggests this is the result of potentially being hung or displayed in houses , ” Booth said .
“ It all points to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the living , being viewed by the living people , aboveground.
” To verify the age of the remains and relics , Booth used a method known as radiocarbon dating .
Bones preserve their collagen proteins very well , and these proteins contain carbon isotopes .
Humans are constantly taking carbon-14 in , but upon death the carbon-14 begins to steadily decay into carbon-12 .
By examining the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 in a bone ’ s collagen , scientists can find the age of human remains .
The scientists also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London to use microcomputed tomography to examine how microscopic bacteria changed the bone , which provides insight to how the decomposing bodies were treated .
Booth explained that the bacteria in our bones will alter them differently after death depending on how the body was treated : a butchered animal may have very little bacteria , whereas a fully articulated corpse would see high levels of bacteria “ attack.
” Similarly , human corpses buried near the surface of the ground will quickly be eaten by insects and scavenging animals , whereas mummification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The micro-CT scans helped Booth and Brück make educated guesses as to how the bodies were treated upon death .
As it turns out , there was no one common funerary rite .
This was unsurprising , Booth explained ; during the Bronze Age , burial and funeral practices varied widely .
Trends came and went .
“ There was no one funerary rite at any point in the Bronze Age .
There ’ s several that are happening at once , and then the popularity of them shifts .
At any one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , excarnated , sometimes essentially mummified to some extent — although not in the same way that Egyptian people mummified people , just people being put in a box for a while to preserve them , ” Booth said .
“ You have all these funerary rites happening at the same time through time.
” The pair ’ s research was published Monday in the journal Antiquity .
As for future research , Booth says that he looks forward to conducting DNA analyses on some of the remains , as well as investigating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during other archaeological work .

Researchers have dated human remains and tools, including a femur that was fashioned into a musical instrument, to the Bronze Age, providing insight on ancient humans’ funerary and memorialization practices.
(CN) — Researchers have dated human remains and tools, including a femur that was fashioned into a musical instrument, to the Bronze Age, providing insight on ancient humans’ funerary and memorialization practices.
“Although fragments of human bone were included as grave goods with the dead, they were also kept in the homes of the living, buried under house floors and even placed on display,” said Joanna Brück, University of Bristol archaeologist and the project’s principal investigator, in a statement. “This suggests that Bronze Age people did not view human remains with the sense of horror or disgust that we might feel today.”
Brück worked with lead author Thomas Booth, a chemist at the Francis Crick Institute, to use radiocarbon dating and CT scanning technology to date the remains — found in the early 20th century across the British mainland — to 4,500 years ago, during Britain’s Bronze Age.
According to Booth, this period lasted from roughly 2,500 B.C. to about 800 B.C. in Britain, and features the first evidence of humans working copper and tin into bronze alloys.
At one burial site, a man was found buried with a dual-pronged bronze object, a stone battle axe, a bone plate, a boar tusk and — most strikingly — a musical instrument fashioned from a human femur.
“The bone was worked into a musical instrument, and eventually it was buried as a ‘grave good’ with an adult male individual underneath a round barrow that was quite close to Stonehenge, about three kilometers away,” Booth said in an interview with Courthouse News. “The musical instrument is the best account that we have of a broader practice where it seems that human remains were being kept, not for really long periods of time but still decades, and maybe turned into objects that could have been used in rituals or ceremonies.”
The instrument is broken, but Booth says it was likely played as a wind instrument; it is hollowed out, with grooves and holes added that could have changed the pitch of air whistling through it.
“The radiocarbon dating suggests that the person that the femur came from likely lived at the same time as the person it was buried with. They would have known one another, or at least not been too distant from one another in time. The significance of the use of that femur becomes something to do with the identity of that individual when they were alive. It could be that they were related familially,” Booth said. “It could be that they were a particularly skilled musician … a ritual specialist, perhaps.”
Booth and Brück also examined a woman buried in Windmill Fields, curiously accompanied by skulls and long limb bones from at least three other individuals — who all died between 60 and 170 years before the buried woman did.
These are but a few examples of how different Bronze Age Britain’s “funerary landscape” was to our own.
“It’s known that during this period, they had put perforations in [remains], which suggests this is the result of potentially being hung or displayed in houses,” Booth said. “It all points to [the dead] being quite present among the living, being viewed by the living people, aboveground.”
To verify the age of the remains and relics, Booth used a method known as radiocarbon dating. Bones preserve their collagen proteins very well, and these proteins contain carbon isotopes. Humans are constantly taking carbon-14 in, but upon death the carbon-14 begins to steadily decay into carbon-12. By examining the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 in a bone’s collagen, scientists can find the age of human remains.
The scientists also took to the Natural History Museum in London to use microcomputed tomography to examine how microscopic bacteria changed the bone, which provides insight to how the decomposing bodies were treated.
Booth explained that the bacteria in our bones will alter them differently after death depending on how the body was treated: a butchered animal may have very little bacteria, whereas a fully articulated corpse would see high levels of bacteria “attack.”
Similarly, human corpses buried near the surface of the ground will quickly be eaten by insects and scavenging animals, whereas mummification will leave more for the bacteria. The micro-CT scans helped Booth and Brück make educated guesses as to how the bodies were treated upon death.
As it turns out, there was no one common funerary rite. This was unsurprising, Booth explained; during the Bronze Age, burial and funeral practices varied widely. Trends came and went.
“There was no one funerary rite at any point in the Bronze Age. There’s several that are happening at once, and then the popularity of them shifts. At any one time you have people buried, cremated, excarnated, sometimes essentially mummified to some extent — although not in the same way that Egyptian people mummified people, just people being put in a box for a while to preserve them,” Booth said. “You have all these funerary rites happening at the same time through time.”
The pair’s research was published Monday in the journal Antiquity. As for future research, Booth says that he looks forward to conducting DNA analyses on some of the remains, as well as investigating an Iron Age skeleton that was discovered during other archaeological work.