Friday, July 10, 2020

In the news, Tuesday, June 30, 2020


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JUN 29      INDEX      JUL 01
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from American Greatness
RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, American Politics blog

The Hubbub About ‘The Boogaloo’ Is the Worst Kind of Fake News
As self-described Marxists and anarchists rampage through American cities, threaten lives, destroy historic monuments, burn churches, and terrorize the public, the Department of Homeland Security’s crack analysts have emphasized the real threat: Hawaiian shirts and cartoon frogs. Politico reports that the National Capital Region Threat Intelligence Consortium (NTIC), a DHS Fusion Center for Washington D.C. and the surrounding area, warned of the threat of “Violent adherents of the boogaloo” ideology, which the outlet headlined as “far-right extremists.” That headline caused the Department of Homeland Security to object to Politico’s mischaracterization of its sharp intelligence assessment.

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from Asia Times
LEAST BIASED, HIGH;  News & Media Website based in Hong Kong

WHO says the pandemic is ‘not even close’ to over
The coronavirus pandemic is “not even close to being over,” the WHO warned Monday, as the global death toll passed half a million and cases surged in Latin America and the United States. In another grim milestone, the number of infections recorded worldwide topped 10 million, while some authorities reimposed lockdown measures that have crippled the economies worldwide.

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from BBC News (UK)

Belgian king expresses 'deepest regrets' for DR Congo colonial abuses
Belgium's King Philippe has expressed his "deepest regrets" to the Democratic Republic of Congo for his country's colonial abuses. The reigning monarch made the comments in a letter to President Félix Tshisekedi on the 60th anniversary of DR Congo's independence. Belgium controlled the central African country from the 19th Century until it won its independence in 1960. Millions of Africans died during Belgium's bloody colonial rule.

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from Cronkite News
a news division of Arizona PBS

COVID-19 in Arizona: Navajo will not ease restrictions, despite improving numbers
The number of new COVID-19 cases on the Navajo Nation is on a downward trend, but tribal leaders said Tuesday that does not mean they are ready to ease up on health restrictions. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in a Facebook live town hall that the tribe will continue its 57-hour weekend lockdown for the next three weeks, meaning most businesses will be closed, people will be encouraged to stay home and visitors will be discouraged. Closure of tribal government offices will also continue.

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from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

People Resent Businesses More In Highly-Regulated Industries
There is a positive relationship between the amount of governmental interference in an economic arena, and the abuse and invective heaped upon the businessmen serving that arena.

Blue States Have Been Hit Much Harder by COVID-19. Why?
Eleven of the 12 states (including the District of Columbia) with the highest COVID-19 fatality rates are traditional blue states.

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from Forbes

A National Mask Mandate Could Save The U.S. Economy $1 Trillion, Goldman Sachs Says
As mask-wearing becomes a political flashpoint—despite coronavirus cases spiking to record levels across the country—new research from Goldman Sachs suggests a national mask mandate would slow the growth rate of new coronavirus infections and prevent a 5% GDP loss caused by additional lockdown measures. “If a face mask mandate meaningfully lowers coronavirus infections, it could be valuable not only from a public health perspective but also from an economic perspective because it could substitute for renewed lockdowns that would otherwise hit GDP,” the researchers wrote.

Rand Paul Introduces Bill To Abolish “Nonjudicial” Civil Forfeiture
Amid the surge of interest in police reform following the killing of George Floyd, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) reintroduced the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration (FAIR) Act last week, which would enact a sweeping overhaul of federal civil forfeiture laws. Among its many critical reforms, the FAIR Act (S. 4074) would redress many of the problems with civil forfeiture and abolish its most abusive form. Under “nonjudicial” or “administrative” civil forfeiture, not only can the federal government confiscate property without filing criminal charges, owners can permanently lose their property without a judge ever hearing their case. Instead of impartial judicial review, the fate of a seized property is decided by the seizing agency itself. Worse, agencies have a direct financial incentive to forfeit property: Under federal law, they can keep up to 100% of the forfeiture proceeds.

Why Are U.S. Taxpayers Providing Public Pensions To Millionaire Members Of Congress?
Membership in the U.S. Congress is an exclusive club that comes with lucrative, taxpayer-funded privileges. Retirement perks include a lifetime pension and a taxpayer-matched savings plan with taxpayer-paid contributions of up to five percent of salary. Critics question the necessity of such a system. Why are U.S. taxpayers providing public pensions to millionaire members of Congress on top of a 401(k)-style plan? (The median net worth for a member recently exceeded $1.1 million.)

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from The National WWII Museum

Mary McLeod Bethune was a passionate educator and presidential advisor. In her long career of public service, she became one of the earliest black female activists that helped lay the foundation to the modern civil rights movement.

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from ScienceAlert
PRO-SCIENCE, HIGH, science news website in Australia

A New Swine Flu Strain With 'Pandemic Potential' Has Been Identified in China
Researchers in China have discovered a new type of swine flu that is capable of triggering a pandemic, according to a study published Monday in the US science journal PNAS. Named G4, it is genetically descended from the H1N1 strain that caused a pandemic in 2009.

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from South China Morning Post
LEFT-CENTER BIAS, MIXED, Media/News Company in Hong Kong

National security law: tough new reality for Hong Kong as offenders face maximum sentence of life in jail
The four offences under the new law, adopted at 11pm on Tuesday, carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Xi Jinping signed legislation just over a month after the bill was first introduced by the central government.

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from The Spokesman-Review
Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

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from TMZ (Thirty Mile Zone)
Entertainment News Website in Los Angeles, California

CARL REINER DEAD AT 98
Carl Reiner, one of the most prolific entertainers in the history of show business has died ... TMZ has learned. We're told Reiner died Monday night at his Beverly Hills home.  We're told his family was with him when he passed. Reiner was a producer. He was also a director. He was also an actor. He was also a Grammy winner. He won 9 Emmys in over 7 decades. He has more than 400 credits.

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from Washington Policy Center
Educational Research Center in Seattle, Washington

Landmark Court ruling opens up education options for WA parents
Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue that families can use tax credit scholarships to send their children to private religious schools. This decision reaffirms the constitutionality of school choice programs, and raises the hopes of families who want better schools for their children. In 2015, the Montana legislature passed a scholarship program funded by tax credits to help families pay private school tuition to educate their children. By administrative rule, Montana blocked families from using these $500 scholarships at private religious schools. Three mothers sued the state of Montana. In December of 2018, the Montana supreme court ruled against them, relying on the “no-aid” clause in their constitution prohibiting aid to religious schools. The mothers appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Today they won. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that by preventing these families from using tax credit scholarships at a private religious school, the state of Montana violated their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion. Today’s ruling invalidates Montana’s “no-aid” clause and the Blaine Amendments of 37 states, including the Blaine Amendment in Washington state’s constitution.

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