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Showing posts from August, 2020

A Long History of Language That Incites and Demonizes

President Trump has employed provocative and sometimes incendiary words and images to focus attention on demonstrations and away from the human and economic costs of the pandemic. from NYT > Top Stories https://ift.tt/2EPa6lq via IFTTT

Facebook Could Block Sharing of News Stories in Australia

The move, a response to pressure to pay publishers when their stories are posted on the social network, could add to internet silos springing up around the world. from NYT > Top Stories https://ift.tt/3gLETNd via IFTTT

Biden Condemned Violence. Why Won’t Trump?

Only one candidate incites his supporters to mayhem. from NYT > Top Stories https://ift.tt/2EHgknC via IFTTT

American Intelligence Knows What Russia Is Doing

Congress needs to understand about foreign election meddling, too. from NYT > Top Stories https://ift.tt/31LDrGq via IFTTT

Unwitting Progressives for Trump

Does Joe Biden have the nerve to stand up to the far left? from NYT > Top Stories https://ift.tt/2Dh7gp1 via IFTTT

Woman found at Saltair was shot, police say

A 42-year-old woman found near Saltair over the weekend was shot, officials with the Unified Police Department said Monday, and her death is now considered a homicide. Akosita Kaufasi’s body was discovered by a jogger near the Great Saltair music venue, on Saturday. At that time, police said the circumstances surrounding her death were suspicious. “We have zero leads,” said Sgt. Melody Gray, the spokeswoman for UPD, “and we are hoping anyone who knows anything” will call 801-743-7000. Kaufasi, a Salt Lake City resident, has black hair and tattoos that say “Joseff” and “J Grinn,” police said. from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/2Z8LbRl via IFTTT

Samuel Shih: Is justice served with overwhelming fines?

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Trust in law enforcement and the justice system is at an all-time low , even as protests have started to die down. While most recognize the need for fundamental change in policing, other aspects of the justice system also need reform, including the courts. Most people’s interaction with the justice system comes in the form of a traffic stop. For the unlucky ones, they have to handle citations in Utah’s justice courts. These courts, which handle class B misdemeanors and below, are often viewed as nickeling and diming the citizenry. But are they? In most cases, no — but that’s not the perception. Whether they’re making extra money off fines and fees or not, to build trust in Utahns, all justice courts can take a simple yet effective step toward increased justice and fairness for all: Consider a person’s ability to pay. Throughout the nation, significant parts of certain city and town budgets (mostly in rural jurisdictions) are funded by fines and local court revenue. This appears to cr...

Facebook Could Block Sharing of News Stories in Australia

The move, a response to pressure to pay publishers when their stories are posted on the social network, could add to internet silos springing up around the world. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/3gLETNd via IFTTT

Despite state being coronavirus hot spot, Iowa State planning to have around 25,000 fans at home opener

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Iowa is one of the nation's hot spots for COVID-19. Despite that, Iowa State is still planning to host around 25,000 football fans for home opener.             from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/3luzsWy via IFTTT

Louisiana governor wary of COVID-19 spike as displaced Laura victims scatter across state

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Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said it could be at least three weeks before power is restored in the hardest hit areas of the storm.             from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/31I04vw via IFTTT

Loretta Lynn and Kid Rock got 'married' over the weekend: 'Sorry girls, he's taken now'

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Kid Rock and country icon Loretta Lynn have become close friends in recent years. The two got "married" in a surprise ceremony.             from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/2GgB9qA via IFTTT

MLB trade deadline winners and losers: Cubs, Blue Jays get better while Yankees, Braves strike out

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At the MLB trade deadline, some teams very clearly achieved their initiatives, while others fell well short             from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/3jrxPqI via IFTTT

Surprise! Niecy Nash reveals wedding to singer Jessica Betts and shares photo with fans

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Niecy Nash and singer Jessica Betts have a surprise announcement: They're married! Check out this adorable picture from their wedding.             from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/3lCXGOD via IFTTT

D.C. Mayor Bowser Blames Outside Agitators As Cause Of Weekend Violence

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Some 70% of those arrested in weekend unrest came from outside the District, police say. Bowser says the U.S. attorney's office has failed to prosecute those who have been arrested in violence. (Image credit: Patrick Semansky/AP) from News : NPR https://ift.tt/31LGJJM via IFTTT

Trump Fans Strife as Unrest Roils the U.S.

The president plans to visit to Kenosha, Wis., on Tuesday, unwelcome by officials in a state pivotal to the election, to condemn what he calls “left-wing mobs.” from NYT > Top Stories https://ift.tt/3lDY8Mj via IFTTT

A Coronavirus Second Wave Grips Spain

The coronavirus is spreading much faster in Spain than anywhere else in Europe. After a relative lull during the summer, experts fear it signals a new surge across the continent. from NYT > Top Stories https://ift.tt/2Djkx0i via IFTTT

House Panel to Subpoena DeJoy Over Mail Delays and Trump Communications

The chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee said the postmaster general had withheld requested documents, telling her panel his verbal testimony should suffice. from NYT > Top Stories https://ift.tt/3gKpSv6 via IFTTT

Scofield residents must boil tap water after bacteria found in rural system

Residents in the Carbon County town of Scofield were told to boil their tap water, after the system tested positive for two forms of bacteria. Town leaders issued a 72-hour boil order on Sunday, after traces of coliform and E. coli were found during a routine drinking water test, said Jared Mendenhall, spokesman for the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. “A sample came back that showed we needed to take a deeper looking at what was going on,” he said, “and make sure human health is protected.” On Monday, the source of the bacteria still had not been identified, Mendenhall said. Officials from the DEQ’s Division of Drinking Water along with local health leaders and the Rural Water Association of Utah are investigating “to see if one of the springs has an issue.” About 220 residents who live in the rural town near Price are affected and will likely have to boil tap water — or use bottled water — until at least Wednesday, Mendenhall said. Residents should boil all tap water fo...

Jamal Murray could set a record for points in a playoff series. Do the Jazz have a way to stop him?

Jamal Murray could very well score more points than any player has ever scored in a playoff series before this season. Right now, he has 204 total points. LeBron James has the record with 241, so if Murray scores 38, he’ll surpass him. And after three straight games with 40 points or more, it certainly looks possible for Murray to get that total. (Donovan Mitchell, by the way, has 232 points in the series — already second all time . Both players have been lights out.) But Murray’s performance has also needed a full team of individual defensive failures. Royce O’Neale, a man given a four-year extension for his defensive prowess on the ball, has shrunk from the moment. Joe Ingles, who once slowed All-NBA wing Paul George to the point of embarrassment, hasn’t had a prayer of staying with the shifty Murray. Donovan Mitchell can’t stay within touching distance, and Mike Conley is so small the Jazz haven’t even tried him, even though both are nominally the point guards for their teams. Th...

Portable, point-of-care COVID-19 test could bypass the lab, study finds

Researchers have demonstrated a prototype of a rapid COVID-19 molecular test and a simple-to-use, portable instrument for reading the results with a smartphone in 30 minutes, which could enable point-of-care diagnosis without needing to send samples to a lab. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3gLSAvu via IFTTT

People with less body response to stress task had more PTSD signs after COVID-19 began

People who did not have a large heart rate response to a stress task surprised researchers later -- after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic -- when they showed more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder related to the crisis than others who also did the stress task and COVID-19 stress ratings. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2EP6qjB via IFTTT

Improving FDA's COVID-19 vaccine authorization and approval process: Lessons from hydroxychloroquine

In a new article, researchers propose reforms that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could implement to improve the emergency use authorization process and drug approvals during public health crises, which could increase the FDA's credibility and the public's trust in it. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2EH10r6 via IFTTT

Zoom Turns Record Profit Thanks To Coronavirus Shutdowns

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The videoconferencing company is seeing surging demand — and profit — as so much of daily life goes virtual during the coronavirus pandemic. (Image credit: Sam Wasson/Getty Images) from Technology : NPR https://ift.tt/32KaSZc via IFTTT

Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon under scrutiny after Beirut explosion

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Beirut • Sara Jaafar joined a group of political activists gathered on Aug. 4 to discuss strategies to challenge Lebanon’s entrenched rulers when their building was shaken and the windows blasted out by the giant explosion that rocked Beirut. She took cover from the flying debris, thoughts rushing through her head of past political assassinations in Lebanon. Her immediate reaction was that Hezbollah, the militant group that dominates power here, was targeting the dissidents’ meeting. The blast was in fact at the port of Beirut, caused by a stockpile of ammonium nitrate stored there for years. So far, it appears to be a result of longtime government mismanagement. No direct connection to Hezbollah has emerged in the explosion that wreaked destruction across the city and killed at least 190 people. Theories abound about what triggered the explosion, including even a possible Israeli strike against Hezbollah. Jaafar’s initial reaction reflected the fear Hezbollah has instilled among m...

Letter: There’s a bright future for nuclear energy

The Aug. 25 commentary by Erik B. Olson on the topic of nuclear power was informative and timely. Storms are upon us, and we need solutions. Olson reiterated the dangers of continued use of fossil fuels and exposed insidious political attacks against viable solutions. After reading the book “A Bright Future,” I was persuaded that nuclear power must be part of our agenda. Only now, inspired by Olson and by the support of Utahns for UAMPS project, have I dared voice that opinion. The implications of pursuing this energy source to accompany wind and solar avenues hold promise for Utah and extend beyond our state to national and global significance. Mary Rhodes, Bountiful Submit a letter to the editor from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/34MuSgt via IFTTT

I’m Still Reading Andrew Sullivan. But I Can’t Defend Him.

He’s one of the most influential journalists of the last three decades, but he’s shadowed by a 1994 magazine cover story that claimed to show a link between race and I.Q. from NYT > Top Stories https://ift.tt/2QG8TiW via IFTTT

Letter: BLM doesn’t protect public lands

Typical of Americans who embrace their public lands , my wife and I frequent beautiful Utah destinations. We’re in awe of our state’s public lands and spectacular vistas, often covered with sagebrush, pinyon pines and juniper trees. However, when we encounter thousands of acres denuded of vegetation as a result of Bureau of Land Management-approved “vegetation treatment projects” we, like most, are of the mind that Utah is not better for it. The agency is now fast-tracking and ignoring both science and public input on these enormous projects. How can such clear-cutting be allowed in the 21st century? Chaining and mass mulching of native forests should have been abandoned years ago. With a state economy dependent on the service industry, high tech and beautiful public land vistas that draw all those good jobs, it’s backward-looking management that goes into approving such destruction. BLM claims mastication increases cattle forage and huntable wildlife, and restores watersheds. Yet t...

MTV VMAs honor Chadwick Boseman; The Weeknd and DaBaby perform

New York • The 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, a night highlighting music and pop culture, kicked off with heartfelt words in memory of Chadwick Boseman, as host Keke Palmer told viewers the event was dedicated to the “Black Panther” icon. “We dedicate tonight’s show to a man whose spirit touched so many. He’s a true hero, not just on-screen,” Palmer said. “His impact lives forever.” At just 43 years old, Boseman died Friday after privately battling colon cancer for four years. Moments after, the Weeknd brought his “Blinding Lights” music video — where he is bruised and blooded in a red suit — to life. He performed the upbeat No. 1 hit on the side of the New York high-rise building. DaBaby, backed by the dance crew Jabbawockeez, also performed, running through several of his hits, including “Rock Star.” During the latter track, he rapped while jumping on top of a police car, as a city burning down behind was his backdrop. The first televised award for the night — best collaboration —...

VMAs 2020: Must-see photos of Lady Gaga, BTS, Miley Cyrus and more

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Keke Palmer hosted the first-ever virtual VMAs, where Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande led the nominations and K-pop stars BTS performed 'Dynamite'.             from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/3b99svj via IFTTT