Tranding Video: June 2020

Tuesday, 30 June 2020

Corrections: July 1, 2020

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This Should Be Biden’s Bumper Sticker

By BY THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2NGuvdJ

New top story on Hacker News: Yann LeCun Quits Twitter Amid Acrimonious Exchanges on AI Bias

Yann LeCun Quits Twitter Amid Acrimonious Exchanges on AI Bias
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Governor signs historic bill to remove Confederate symbol from Mississippi flag

Lawmakers have seen increasing pressure to change the flag amid a nationwide reckoning with systematic racism

Mississippi has officially retired the last state flag in the US with the Confederate battle emblem, a racist symbol that has served as a source of division for generations.

Republican governor Tate Reeves signed a historic bill withdrawing the state’s 126-year-old flag on Tuesday.

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Facebook bans 'violent' Boogaloo-linked network

It said the group seeks violence and is loosely affiliated with the far-right Boogaloo movement

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Coronavirus: Joe Biden will not hold campaign rallies

"This is the most unusual campaign, I think, in modern history," the Democratic nominee said.

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Coronavirus: What's behind new US outbreaks?

Cases are rising in Texas, Florida, Arizona and California - here's a look at the data and the theories.

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China discovers new swine flu with pandemic potential

Chinese researchers have discovered a new type of virus in pigs that can infect humans and is capable of causing a pandemic, according to a new study. The disease, which researchers called the G4 virus, is genetically descended from the H1N1 swine flu.

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GOP Deny, Downplay Questions About Russian Bounty Scandal

One of the few remaining areas of broad bipartisan consensus on Capitol Hill has been a tough policy toward Russia— a topic that frequently creates a stark contrast to President Trump, who has maintained personally warm ties to its leader, Vladimir Putin, and has generally followed behind Congress on Russia counter-measures.But the cognitive dissonance between those things proved increasingly difficult to square on Tuesday for members of the GOP after reporting in the New York Times detailed that Trump was briefed on a Russian effort to place bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The report said that Trump was given response options in March but had not decided on one, instead appearing to let the issue fade.Senate Republicans, who have shown a willingness to break with the president on foreign policy and on Russia in particular, responded to the news on Tuesday with a range of responses—skepticism, brush-asides, diatribes against the media and leakers—but few seemed to treat the story as especially legitimate or worthy of all the fuss, or as a red flag regarding Trump’s posture toward Moscow. “I think it's fairly safe to say that a lot of the information in the New York Times article was completely false,” said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), a Trump ally who went to the White House on Tuesday morning for a briefing on the government’s intelligence surrounding the bounties. “Whether this should have been highlighted to the President, I certainly understand why it wasn’t. Listen, the president’s got a big job. He can't be made aware of every piece of unverified intelligence, okay?” Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) went a step further. “I think it's pretty well documented that the article in The New York Times was written in a way to try to embarrass the Republicans in Congress, and I think it's pretty well documented that The New York Times hates Republicans,” he told reporters. “And so I'd rather wait, and get all the facts.” On the other end of the GOP spectrum were other lawmakers who hadn’t yet seen the intelligence but acknowledged that, if the Russians actually were enticing Taliban soldiers to kill U.S. troops with bounties, it would in fact be a big deal. “If it happened, it’s very serious,” said Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), who added that it would certainly be warranted for Congress to consider additional sanctions.A group of House Democrats arriving at the Capitol from a White House briefing on Tuesday might as well have come from another universe. “Nothing in the briefing we just received led me to believe it’s a hoax,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the number two House Democrat, referring to Trump’s own assertion on the intel. “There may be different judgments as to the level of credibility… there was no assertion that the information we had was a hoax.”The discrepancy in those reactions figures to be a wrench in Congress’ ability to respond to what amounts to a shocking account of a Russian effort to target U.S. military personnel and one that would, in any other circumstance, likely prompt a severe and bipartisan response from Capitol Hill.While Democratic leaders push for additional briefings and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) vows to investigate the matter, some Republicans threw cold water on the idea of picking up the thread at all. “This is Democrats and the press. Again, the New York Times article, a lot of that is simply false—it’s a false leak, okay?” said Johnson, when asked by The Daily Beast if he wanted Congress to probe the intelligence further. “You're making a mountain out of a molehill here.”Indeed, some Senate Republicans, echoing language from White House officials, cast the real problem from the Times story as leaking from the administration. “I think the reporting was absolutely inaccurate,” said Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who went to the White House on Tuesday morning. Asked if she wanted to see Congress investigate further, Ernst responded, “I think we need to know where the leaks are coming from.”The GOP-led Senate has voted to approve bipartisan sanctions on Russia on several occasions in Trump’s presidency, including as a direct response to its efforts to meddle in the 2016 U.S. election. In January 2019, 11 Senate Republicans broke with their party to vote with Democrats on a measure to block the Trump administration from easing sanctions on Russian companies linked to Oleg Deripaska, an oligarch and Putin ally. The measure didn’t reach the 60-vote threshold required to pass, but the message was sent.Democrats said on Tuesday that placing bounties on U.S. soldiers would almost certainly justify a similar, if not tougher, response. Schiff said that Russia, as a starter, should not be invited back into the G7 group of leading economies due to this news. “We should be considering what sanctions are appropriate to further deter Russia's malign activities,” said Schiff, “not further ingratiating Russia into the community of civilized nations.”On that score, the Senate GOP leader, Mitch McConnell (R-KY), agreed. Asked on Tuesday if Russia should be invited back into the G7, he responded “absolutely not.”Range of opinion aside, it seems Congress will probe the Russia bounty intelligence, and any possible consequences, behind closed doors, at least for now. Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, for example, are slated to receive a private briefing from intelligence officials on the Russia bounty issue in the coming days.Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who is the acting chair of the panel, declined to comment on the specifics of the Times report, but told reporters it’s a “well established fact” that U.S. troops face threats from forces acting as proxies for other adversaries. But, said Rubio, “I think almost every report on reported intelligence information is inaccurate, not because reporters are wrong, but because it misunderstands the purpose of intelligence products. There's a big difference between analysis and raw intelligence, and it's a point that I think is often missed.”However, the senator added, “you’ve never had to convince me to sanction Vladimir Putin… there's no shortage of reasons why we should study more sanctions and more measures to punish 2016 and all over the world to this day.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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La familia que perdió cinco integrantes a causa del coronavirus quiere que sepas esto

By BY TRACEY TULLY from NYT en Español https://ift.tt/2ZtldXO

This file was published in error

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Can’t Request an Absentee Ballot Online? This Group Wants to Help

By BY NICK CORASANITI from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2ZpP0AH

Swift Charges Against Atlanta Officers Met With Relief and Skepticism

By BY RICHARD FAUSSET from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2ZqbdhX

U.S. Calls for Indefinite Arms Embargo of Iran, but Finds No Takers

By BY RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA, LARA JAKES AND FARNAZ FASSIHI from NYT World https://ift.tt/3gbCY4L

Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today

By BY JONATHAN WOLFE AND LARA TAKENAGA from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3gaVp9N

Pence Raised Nearly $500,000 From Donors to Pay Mueller Legal Defense

By BY KENNETH P. VOGEL AND BEN PROTESS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2YNWAGs

$1 Billion Is Shifted From N.Y.P.D. in a Budget That Pleases No One

By BY DANA RUBINSTEIN AND JEFFERY C. MAYS from NYT New York https://ift.tt/3gqe41B

New top story on Hacker News: Show HN: Timeshared Robots

Show HN: Timeshared Robots
10 by tlb | 1 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Braille, and the Evolution of Software Development

Braille, and the Evolution of Software Development
5 by brendt_gd | 0 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Lisp as the Maxwell’s Equations of Software (2012)

Lisp as the Maxwell’s Equations of Software (2012)
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Coronavirus live news: US buys nearly all global remdesivir stocks as Brazil deaths near 60,000

Three asylum seekers at camp near US border test positive for coronavirus; UN asks for nearly $10bn in aid for Syria; Greece faces ‘huge difficulties’ when flights resume. Follow the latest updates

1.04am BST

Here’s your weekly roundup of coronavirus news from the Pacific, with Dan McGarry in Port Vila and Tess Newton Cain:

The total number of cases of Covid-19 infection listed by the World Health Organization for the region stands at 382, an increase of 22 since last week.

12.45am BST

In less serious news from Brazil, municipal authorities in the city of Petropolis said they discovered a speakeasy masquerading as a pet shop.

Reuters reports:

The shutters were down, but the pub chatter in the midst of a coronavirus quarantine gave the game away: a crowded Brazilian bar under the cover of a pet shop with no pets.

Inspectors found 16 patrons drinking beer, none of them wearing a mandatory mask or keeping to social distancing rules.

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Gas explosion at Iran medical clinic kills 19

Gas leak at Sina At’har clinic in northern Tehran kills 15 women and four men, say fire officials

An explosion from a gas leak in a medical clinic in northern Tehran has killed 19 people, Iranian state TV has reported.

Video posted online appeared to show more than one explosion and thick black smoke rising from the Sina At’har clinic.

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Russia's Putin appeals to patriotism as key vote reaches climax

Russians have one more day to decide on key reforms, but opponents say the vote is a farce.

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Monday, 29 June 2020

New top story on Hacker News: Draftbit (YC W18) Is Hiring a Technical Product Lead – Build Apps Visually

Draftbit (YC W18) Is Hiring a Technical Product Lead – Build Apps Visually
1 by Brushfire | 0 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Guy Who Reverse-Engineered TikTok Reveals the Scary Things He Learned

Guy Who Reverse-Engineered TikTok Reveals the Scary Things He Learned
31 by ko3us | 5 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: A Spark of Insight into Neanderthal Behavior

A Spark of Insight into Neanderthal Behavior
7 by diodorus | 0 comments on Hacker News.

Cape Cod issues great white shark warning ahead of 4 July holiday

Sharks found in nearly every part of the cape, and are gathering there in summer in increasing numbers

Cape Cod’s beaches and towns may be quieter because of the coronavirus pandemic, but officials are reminding visitors ahead of the 4 July holiday that the famous Massachusetts destination remains a popular getaway for other summertime travellers: great white sharks.

Great whites have been coming to the Cape in greater numbers each summer to prey on the region’s large seal colonies. Most tend to favour the Atlantic ocean-facing beaches where seals tend to congregate, but researchers have found them off nearly every part of the Cape.

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China accuses Australia of mass espionage, peddling rumours and stoking confrontation

Foreign ministry in Beijing says evidence of Australia spying activities is ‘irrefutable’ but provides no new evidence

The Chinese government has labelled Australia a “fervent intelligence gatherer”, as it accuses Canberra of a mass scale espionage project that is “jeopardising others’ sovereignty and security”.

In a statement sent to Australian media on Tuesday morning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said a report in the Global Times which claims Australian spies in China are instigating defections, spying on Chinese students and feeding fake news to the media to hype up theories about Chinese spying, is only “the tip of the iceberg”.

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White House: 'Dissenting opinions' from intelligence community on Russian bounty reports – video

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says there are dissenting opinions within the intelligence community on reports Russia offered a bounty for attacks on coalition forces in Afghanistan. US President Donald Trump denied being briefed on the alleged bounty program from Russia, later adding intelligence officials told him the threat was not ‘credible’. He has since by contradicted by McEnany, who said there was no consensus among the intelligence community in a media briefing on Monday

White House briefs House Republicans on ‘Russian bounties’ intelligence

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Egypt seeks UN resolution on Nile dam ispute with Ethiopia

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‘It’s More Than a Seat at the Table’

By BY JENNIFER MEDINA from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3ioBZjI

A White Gatekeeper of Southern Food Faces Calls to Resign

By BY KIM SEVERSON from NYT Food https://ift.tt/2NJradC

Remote School Is a Nightmare. Few in Power Care.

By BY MICHELLE GOLDBERG from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2NFsmij

In Texas, Voting Reflects Partisan Split Over How to Deal With Virus

By BY J. DAVID GOODMAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2NHHmMI

Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today

By BY JONATHAN WOLFE AND LARA TAKENAGA from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3dLG6CS

‘Our Luck May Have Run Out’: California’s Case Count Explodes

By BY SHAWN HUBLER AND THOMAS FULLER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3ePoVl6

Three Hikers Are Missing on Mount Rainier

By BY SANDRA E. GARCIA from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2YKijir

New top story on Hacker News: Featherweight Java: A Minimal Core Calculus for Java and GJ (2002) [pdf]

Featherweight Java: A Minimal Core Calculus for Java and GJ (2002) [pdf]
6 by sendilkumarn | 1 comments on Hacker News.

Coronavirus live updates: WHO team to search for Covid-19 origin in China as chief says he fears 'worst to come'

UK locks down city of Leicester; wearing masks to be mandatory in Kansas; Iran reports record daily deaths. Follow the latest news

1.09am BST

Iran recorded its highest number of deaths from Covid-19 within a 24-hour period, official health ministry figures showed on Monday.

The 162 deaths reported on Monday exceed the previous record on 4 April, when the health ministry reported 158 deaths in a day.

The Islamic Republic has recorded a total of 10,670 deaths and 225,205 infections from the coronavirus, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said in a statement on state TV. There have been 186,180 recoveries, she said.

12.59am BST

Kansas governor Laura Kelly on Monday said that she will sign an executive order requiring that most state residents must wear a mask in public in an attempt to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Under the order that will go into effect on Friday, most Kansans must wear masks in stores and shops, and in any place where social distancing of 6 feet (1.83m) cannot be maintained, including outside, her office said in a statement.

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Seattle: one teen killed and another injured in shooting in police-free zone

Four people have been shot in Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone in 10 days, prompting officials to look at dismantling it

A 16-year-old is dead and a 14-year-old is in critical condition in the latest of a series of shootings inside Seattle’s self-proclaimed police-free zone, known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (Chop).

Initially home to hundreds of peaceful protesters, in the last 10 days, four other people were shot in the area, including a 19-year-old man who was killed. The violence has left some officials seriously questioning the safety of the encampment and looking to take steps to dismantle it.

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CPS secretly dropped 'weak' rape cases, say rights groups

Exclusive: unpublished evidence sent to government review into decline in prosecutions

Case studies: snapshot highlights challenges rape victims face

Rape cases where a woman was held at knife point, a film of an attack was found on a suspect’s phone and an alleged perpetrator admitted the offence in text messages are among those dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service, documents shared with the Guardian reveal.

The details have emerged in papers that are to be submitted to an ongoing government review of how rape is treated throughout the criminal justice system. They include statements from dozens of rape victims whose cases were not prosecuted and an account by a CPS whistleblower.

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Victoria, NSW and Queensland yet to sign on for homebuilder grants

Grants for eligible new homes and renovations delayed over concerns about administrative burden they place on states

The federal government is still to sign agreements with the bigger states to deliver its $25,000 homebuilder subsidy scheme nearly a month after its announcement.

Treasury reported last week that it had received over 21,700 expressions of interest via its website by 12 June. This has since risen to 35,000.

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Coronavirus overwhelms Afghanistan’s war-ravaged hospitals

Corruption, medical supply shortages and militant attacks have deepened the country's health crisis.

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Coronavirus: How much does your boss need to know about you?

Firms are collecting a lot more information about staff as they try to contain coronavirus risks.

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World News Briefs -- June 29, 2020 (Evening Edition)

CNBC: Nearly half the U.S. population is without a job, showing how far the labor recovery has to go

* The employment-population ratio — the number of employed people as a percentage of the U.S. adult population — plunged to 52.8% in May, meaning 47.2% of Americans are jobless.
* As the coronavirus-induced shutdown tore through the labor market, the share of population employed dropped sharply from a recent high of 61.2% in January, farther away from a post-war record of 64.7% in 2000.
* “To get the employment-to-population ratio back to where it was at its peak in 2000 we need to create 30 million jobs,” said Torsten Slok, Deutsche Bank’s chief economist.
* Investors will look to this week’s June jobs report for an update on the pace of the labor market recovery.

Nearly half of the population is still out of a job showing just how far the U.S. labor market has to heal in the wake of the coronavirus.

The employment-population ratio — the number of employed people as a percentage of the U.S. adult population — plunged to 52.8% in May, meaning 47.2% of Americans are jobless, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. As the coronavirus-induced shutdowns tore through the labor market, the share of population employed dropped sharply from a recent high of 61.2% in January, farther away from a post-war record of 64.7% in 2000.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Syria faces mass starvation or mass exodus without more aid, WFP says.

Iraq frees pro-Iran fighters held over rocket fire.

Coalition denies Iraqi militia’s claim that it caused C-130 crash in Iraq.

Iran reports record 162 COVID-19 single-day death toll.

Iran issues arrest warrant for Trump over drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani.

Interpol says it can't act on Iran's request to arrest Trump for ordering the k.illing of General Soleimani.

Iran's currency plummets to lowest level against the US dollar.

Netanyahu’s annexation plan threatens Palestinian, Israeli economies already struggling after Covid-19.

Netanyahu’s annexation plan in disarray as Gantz calls for delay.

Lebanon top finance official resigns citing bad crisis management.

ASIA

U.S. begins to pare back Hong Kong's special status.

Civilians killed in rocket attack on Afghanistan cattle market.

China-India border rift simmers with reports of troop moves on both sides.

India bans dozens of Chinese apps including TikTok.

Coronavirus: India reports nearly 20,000 cases a day as it struggles to contain pandemic .

Pakistan: Several dead after gunmen attack stock exchange.

Hong Kong: 'Silent protest' march targets national security law.

Chinese state media accuses Australia of spying campaign, says agents were arrested in 2018.

Locusts overtake India's capital region.

More than a million hit by India monsoon floods.

AFRICA

IMF warns pandemic set to undo decade of progress in Africa.

Congo president vows not to accept judicial reforms that cause 'harm'.

Islamist militants abduct four aid workers in north-east Nigeria.

Libya: Haftar's forces mobilise mercenaries for Sirte battle.

Talks may lead to end of blockade of Libyan oilfields.

'It's my dam': Ethiopians unite around Nile River mega-project.

Ethiopia to begin filling Nile dam in 2 weeks.

Malawi opposition leader sworn in as president after repeat vote.

Somalia to delay elections by 13 months, says official.

Nigeria wants cancellation of African artifacts auction in Paris.

EUROPE

Kosovo president says he will resign if case goes ahead.

Coronavirus: EU to allow in visitors from 14 'safe' countries.

Macron and Merkel push Covid-19 recovery fund as Germany takes on EU presidency.

Irish Parliament elects Michael Martin as new prime minister.

Polish President Duda faces tough run-off vote July 12, according to exit polls.

The US Navy's top admiral in Europe says China is copying Russia's interference playbook there.

US says Putin seeking to stay in power for life.

Russia denies being behind a mysterious radiation leak making its way across Scandinavia.

Ukraine declassifies secret Soviet documents on Chernobyl explosion.

Low voter turnout in French local elections tells a tale of disillusionment.

AMERICAS

Facing criticism, White House to brief Democrats on reports Russia paid Taliban to kill U.S. troops.

White House says no intel consensus on Russia bounties.

Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana abortion restrictions.

US Supreme Court declines to take up federal inmates' execution appeal.

Trump pushes back on Biden criticism: 'Russia ate his and Obama's lunch'.

Protests target Bolsonaro after Brazil's worst coronavirus week.

Coronavirus worsens Cuba's economic woes.

Mexico launches raids after assassination attempt of police chief.

Argentina and Brazil crops threatened by locust swarm.

Canada over worst of coronavirus outbreak, U.S. spike a cause for concern: Trudeau.

Pandemic leads to rise in Canada fatal drug overdoses.

Nova Scotia gunman was paranoid survivalist – but not informer, say police.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Washington raises bounty on Daesh leader Mawla to $10 million amid reports of his death.

Pakistan a ‘safe haven’ for ‘terror groups’: U.S. State Department.

India seeks extradition of Mumbai attacks suspected mastermind Sajid Mir.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Wall Street stocks claw back a chunk of last week’s losses.

Coronavirus: UK hardest hit by virus among leading G7 nations.

US to join summit on global green recovery from Covid-19 crisis.

Cirque du Soleil files for bankruptcy protection, terminates 3,500.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- June 29, 2020

LIBYAN MILITARY commander Khalifa Haftar (left) walks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo in April 2019. (photo credit: REUTERS)

Judah Waxelbaum, Jerusalem Post: Egypt is prepared to go to war in Libya

Egypt is hellbent on ensuring any remnants of the Arab Spring come nowhere near their borders.

After a fourteen-month campaign on Tripoli, forces loyal to the Libyan National Army are in retreat. To those who support the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, this should serve as great news. Since 2012, a power vacuum has consumed Libya following the fall of longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Both sides of the civil war view themselves as the true leaders of Libya. The Government of National Accord is the product of a 2015 UN-brokered agreement, known as the Libyan Political Agreement. This agreement was deemed unacceptable by neighboring Egypt, which originates from their political history with those who make up the GNA.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- June 29, 2020

What's going on between Russia, US and Afghanistan? -- Jonathan Marcus, BBC

All you need to know about Iran's arrest warrant for Trump -- Al Jazeera

Japan’s False Hopes of Courting Russia -- Anna Borshchevskaya, Japan Times

India-Japan naval exercises: a message for China? -- Kunal Purohit, SCMP

China is so fixed on the US, it may lose India -- Zhiqun Zhu, Al Jazeera

Modi vs Xi: Battle of Nationalist Strongmen -- Kevin Brown, The American Conservative

Does Russia-India-China Trilateral Still Matter? -- Aleksei Zakharov, The Diplomat

What is behind the dispute over Africa's largest dam project? -- Al Jazeera

COVID-19 and the Global Safety Net -- Stephanie Segal & Dylan Gerstel, CSIS

Prioritizing the Pentagon in a Pandemic -- Mandy Smithberger, TomDispatch

A Facebook ad boycott has cost Mark Zuckerberg $72 billion. But will it make any difference? -- Emily Sakzewski, DW

Could a boycott kill Facebook? -- James Clayton, BBC

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Sunday, 28 June 2020

Patriots Sign Cam Newton to One-Year Deal

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2BiHXln

Defenders of Roosevelt Statue Converge on Natural History Museum

By BY ZACHARY SMALL from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2YGh9o5

Three Words. 70 Cases. The Tragic History of ‘I Can’t Breathe.’

By BY MIKE BAKER, JENNIFER VALENTINO-DEVRIES, MANNY FERNANDEZ AND MICHAEL LAFORGIA from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/386Jqr0

New top story on Hacker News: Show HN: 8-bit CPU simulator in C

Show HN: 8-bit CPU simulator in C
9 by rzach | 2 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Parallax effect in browser using web-camera

Parallax effect in browser using web-camera
8 by munrocket | 5 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Pareto Front Sort for Python

Pareto Front Sort for Python
5 by kummappp | 1 comments on Hacker News.

Dozens arrested during Hong Kong peaceful protest against national security laws

Silent protest ends in scuffles with police as Beijing prepares to approve controversial legislation

Hong Kong police have arrested at least 53 people after scuffles erupted during a relatively peaceful protest against planned national security legislation to be implemented by the mainland Chinese government.

Armed riot police were present as a crowd of several hundred moved from Jordan to Mong Kok in the Kowloon district on Sunday, staging what was intended as a “silent protest” against the planned law.

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How the world celebrated 50 years of Pride - despite the pandemic

Most LGBT Pride events were cancelled or moved online because of coronavirus, but not all.

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Russia Just Opened A Massive Cathedral In Honor Of Its Armed Forces

Business Insider: Russia just opened a massive cathedral in honour of its armed forces, with steps rumoured to be made from melted Nazi tanks

* Russia has just opened a massive cathedral in honour of its military, a major project favoured by President Vladimir Putin.
* The cathedral serves the Russian Orthodox faith. Its military connection is no coincidence.
* Putin has made the glorification of the military a major part of his appeal to Russian voters throughout his 20-year leadership.
* The opening of the cathedral overlaps with a referendum that could see Putin remain as president until 2036.
* When the project was announced, Russia's defense minister promised the steps would be poured from "German trophy hardware" — rumored to be a reference to melted-down Nazi tanks.
* The building is filled with symbolism in honour of Russia's military history — but also caused controversy with a planned mosaic of Putin that was ultimately cancelled.

Read more ....

Update #1: Putin Hails Russian War Dead at Giant New Army Cathedral -- Moscow Times/AFP
Update #2: Russia Consecrates Grandiose Armed Forces Cathedral -- Moscow Times

WNU Editor: That is one hell of a huge cathedral. Thank God that a planned mosaic of Putin and Stalin was cancelled. And yes. The iron of melted Nazi tanks and some items that belonged to Adolf Hitler were used in the construction .... A giant BLACK cathedral from remelted weapons appears in Russia (PHOTOS) (Russia Beyond).

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A Look At The US Navy's Newest Frigate

An artist rendering of the guided-missile frigate FFG(X). Marinette Marine Corp.

Business Insider: Trump jokes that he helped design US Navy's newest 'yacht with missiles'

* President Donald Trump jokingly accepted responsibility for the aesthetic design of the US Navy's latest series of guided-missile ships.
* "The ships that they were building, they look terrible," Trump said. "I would change designs, I looked at it. I said, 'That's a terrible-looking ship, let's make it beautiful. It'll cost you the same, and maybe less.'"
* "It's like a yacht with missiles on it," he added.

President Donald Trump jokingly accepted responsibility for the aesthetic design of the US Navy's latest series of guided-missile ships.

"The ships that they were building, they look terrible," Trump said in a Thursday speech at the shipyard in Wisconsin where these warships are built. "I would change designs, I looked at it. I said, 'That's a terrible-looking ship, let's make it beautiful. It'll cost you the same, and maybe less.'"

"You know, sometimes, you can make it look great for less money," Trump added. "I said, 'This is not a good-looking ship. Let's change the design of it.' And I got people in, and we looked at different designs, and as long as we're going to do it and ... how beautiful it is, they gave me a beautiful model that's absolutely, it's like a yacht with missiles on it."

Read more ....

Update: This Is Donald Trump’s ‘Beautiful’ New Missile Frigate (Forbes)

WNU Editor: This $5.5-billion contract calls for 10-ships.

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Trump skewered by conservative critics over report of Russia paying bounty for killing U.S. troops

A #NeverTrump Republican group skewered the president for his inaction in the face of intelligence reports that Russia paid cash bounties to Islamic militants for killing American troops. The new ad from the conservative Lincoln Project accuses Trump of looking the other way from the damaging report to protect his cozy relationship with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. “Putin paid a bounty to kill American soldiers,” the group said in a tweet.

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Mask Exemption Cards From the ‘Freedom to Breathe Agency’? They’re Fake

By BY CHRISTINA MORALES from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/31rMzAq

New top story on Hacker News: Many Covid Patients Have Terrifying Hallucinations and Delirium

Many Covid Patients Have Terrifying Hallucinations and Delirium
17 by samspenc | 0 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: India Debates Skin-Tone Bias as Beauty Companies Alter Ads

India Debates Skin-Tone Bias as Beauty Companies Alter Ads
20 by pseudolus | 0 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: USPS sells nearly $20B worth of money orders a year

USPS sells nearly $20B worth of money orders a year
34 by saadalem | 31 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Finishing a side project

Finishing a side project
25 by hugozap | 8 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: A principled approach to GraphQL query cost analysis

A principled approach to GraphQL query cost analysis
8 by davisjam314 | 1 comments on Hacker News.

Chesapeake Energy, fracking pioneer, files for bankruptcy owing $9bn

The Oklahoma City-based company helped turn the US into a global energy powerhouse but ran up huge debts in the process

Chesapeake Energy, the shale gas drilling pioneer that helped to turn the United States into a global energy powerhouse, has filed for bankruptcy protection.

The Oklahoma City-based company said on Sunday that it had been forced to enter chapter 11 protection because its debts of $9bn were unmanageable.

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Coronavirus Victoria: everything we know about Melbourne's Covid-19 clusters

The city is on a 10-day suburban testing blitz after premier Daniel Andrews revealed hotspots were largely caused by extended families

Melbourne has embarked on a 10-day testing blitz, aiming to test at least 50% of people in 10 suburbs.

This is due to problematic rates of community transmission of coronavirus in these areas, as well as persistent outbreaks and clusters.

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Coronavirus: Where are global cases rising and falling?

As the world hits the grim milestone of 10 million confirmed cases, which countries are seeing the biggest rises, and what might be behind them?

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'How George Floyd's death changed my Chinese students'

Some students at Jasmine Cochrane's school in China found it hard to trust a black teacher. George Floyd's death made a huge difference.

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This U.S. Navy Ship That Was Made In The Soviet Union

#DYK, the @MSCSealift USNS Lance Cpl. Roy M. Wheat is a Maritime Prepositioning Force Ship named to honor @USMC Marine and Medal of Honor recipient LCPL Roy Wheat who smothered a mine with his body to save fellow Marines during the Vietnam War. #MeettheFleet #Togetherwedeliver pic.twitter.com/9cgekGX1zi
— USTRANSCOM (@US_TRANSCOM) June 26, 2020

Forbes: Meet The U.S. Navy Ship That Was Made In The Soviet Union

As a rule, the Navy’s ships are built in American shipyards, but there’s one notable exception. U.S. Transport Command recently showcased a Soviet ship now serving in the U.S. Navy on its official Twitter account.

The tweet is part of a ‘meet the fleet’ effort to raise awareness of the less well-known ships in the U.S. Navy. And the 15,804-ton Maritime Prepositioning Force Ship USNS Lance Cpl. Roy M. Wheat and other transport ships do deserve more attention. This ship has a unique back story because it was built at a time and place which put it on the other side during the Cold War: in the U.S.S.R.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This ship is the only exception to the rule that the Navy’s ships are built in American shipyards. Hmmmm .... maybe they should make a few more exceptions.

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Egypt Wants A Lot Of Tanks? 500 Russian T-90MS To Be Exact

Defence-Blog: Egypt reportedly signed contract for 500 T-90MS main battle tanks

The Egyptian Ministry of Defence and Military Production concluded an agreement with Russia’s Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) corporation and arms export agency Rosoboronexport to license-build 500 T-90MS main battle tanks, local media reported on Saturday, citing sources in the defense industry.

According to the sources in the Russian defense industry, Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) corporation will build a facility to assemble T-90MS tanks under license in Egypt.

Complete localization of T-90MS tanks in Egypt is not anticipated, as a large number of parts of T-90MS tanks will be imported from Russia.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Civil war in neighbouring Libya. Internal unrest. Battling ISIS and other militant groups in the Sinai. Deteriorating relations with Ethiopia over their Nile dam. I can understand why Egypt wants a lot of battle tanks.

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Saturday, 27 June 2020

New top story on Hacker News: UCSF admits it paid NetWalker more than $1M ransom

UCSF admits it paid NetWalker more than $1M ransom
15 by hakh | 5 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Deep Learning – The “Why” Question (2018)

Deep Learning – The “Why” Question (2018)
12 by YeGoblynQueenne | 1 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: It's time to take alternatives to dark matter seriously

It's time to take alternatives to dark matter seriously
34 by starmftronajoll | 3 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: The Diamond-Square Algorithm

The Diamond-Square Algorithm
5 by _fourzerofour | 0 comments on Hacker News.

U.S. Intelligence Warns There Will Be Major Pharmaceutical Shortages If The Pandemic Continues

An employee inspects tablets as they move along the production line at a pharmaceutical plant of Lupin, India's No. 2 drugmaker, in Verna, in the western state of Goa, India, June 9, 2017.Danish Siddiqui/Reuters, File

ABC News: US 'likely' to see shortage of pharmaceutical drugs if coronavirus outbreak continues, intelligence report finds

A decrease in generic drugs would hurt low-income and unemployed Americans.

With coronavirus outbreaks continuing to spread across the world, the United States is "likely" to see a shortage of generic pharmaceutical drugs, according to a new federal intelligence report obtained by ABC News.

The report, prepared by the Department of Homeland Security and distributed Thursday to law enforcement and government agencies around the country, warned that the U.S. is already seeing shortages of more than 200 drugs and medical supplies due to strains on the supply chain caused by international shutdowns early on in the pandemic.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: There will be a shortage in generic drugs. Non-generic drugs will be available. The problem will be the high cost in buying them.

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Global coronavirus death toll nears 500,000: Live updates

Brazil to produce 30.4 million doses of vaccine by January while Italy reports lowest day-to-day deaths since March 1.

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Mississippi Votes to Remove Confederate Emblem from State Flag

By Unknown Author from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2B6xt8J

Gunfire at Walmart Distribution Center in California, Worker Says

By BY JENNY GROSS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3i8UHvC

Biden Campaign Says Just Over a Third of 2020 Staff Members Are People of Color

By BY SHANE GOLDMACHER AND THOMAS KAPLAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2B9KRce

New top story on Hacker News: A Treatise on Font Rasterisation (2010)

A Treatise on Font Rasterisation (2010)
6 by threeme3 | 0 comments on Hacker News.

'Escape the pandemic in paradise': Fiji opens its borders seeking billionaires

Prime minister looks to attract ‘VIPs’ to help restore country’s battered economy which is heavily dependent on tourism

After months of strict Covid-19 lockdowns and resolutely closed borders, Fiji is open – for billionaires.

The prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, has announced the country is looking to attract “VIPs” to help restore Fiji’s paralysed tourism-dependent economy.

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Coronavirus live news: global deaths near 500,000 as Australian state of Victoria steps up efforts to fight outbreak

Cases approach 10m; new Covid-19 clusters across world spark fear of second wave; UK NHS will take four years to recover. Follow the latest updates

1.15am BST

After months of strict Covid-19 lockdowns and resolutely closed borders, Fiji is open – for billionaires.

The prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, has announced the country is looking to attract “VIPs” to help restore Fiji’s paralysed tourism-dependent economy.

1.05am BST

Video has emerged of Trump campaign volunteers apparently removing social distancing stickers from seats in the arena where the US president gave a campaign rally that many public health experts had warned against because of the still-surging coronavirus pandemic.

Washington Post: The Trump campaign removed thousands of “Do Not Sit Here, Please!” social distancing stickers before his poorly attended Tulsa rally.

The removal violated specific instructions from the BOK Center.

@StevenReyCristo pic.twitter.com/KjgKh6KVtK

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Afghanistan war: Russia denies paying militants to kill US troops

US reports say a Russian intelligence unit offered rewards for killing US and allied troops.

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Rolling Stones warn Trump not to use their songs - or face legal action

The president's campaign could face legal action if it ignores "cease and desist directives".

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/31oZeEg

Li Zhensheng: Photographer of China's cultural revolution

Li Zhensheng captured a time when China was plunged into a decade of chaos and turmoil.

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'The love letter to my neighbourhood that helped me flee my country'

José Gregorio Márquez was ashamed of the place he grew up, but he came to love it before leaving it forever.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2CO3TFr

Mahmoud Dicko: Mali imam challenges President Keïta

Mahmoud Dicko is spearheading mass protests against the West African state's embattled president.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/384vygW

To Italy with Love: Postcards from a Covid-America

An Italian student in Ohio watched her country reel from the coronavirus pandemic.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3dHfB1j

How prosthetics transformed a circus performer's art

Circus performer Erin Ball thought her career was over when she lost her feet in an accident in 2014.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3eGHIPk

Coronavirus: How coming-of-age rituals were interrupted - and reinvented

How coming-of-age rituals were interrupted - and reinvented - amid the coronavirus pandemic.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2YWhq5a

Zimbabwe's Cook Off: How an $8,000 romcom made it to Netflix

Zimbabwe's first film to be featured on the streaming service is a tale of hope in a chaotic country.

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Coronavirus: Cut negatives capture the isolation of lockdown

Photographer Aletheia Casey talks about her series To Dance With Shadows, made during the pandemic.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/319Je8R

Unknown Radioactivity Spike Detected Over Baltic Sea

CTBTO chief Lassina Zerbo said in a tweet which included a map of the affected region that the levels detected were higher than usual but 'not harmful for human health'

RFE: Elevated But 'Not Harmful' Radioactivity Detected In Baltic Sea

A global monitoring network this week detected unexplained "higher than usual levels" of radioactive isotopes at a station in Sweden that likely came from somewhere around the Baltic Sea.

But the group also said late on June 26 that the levels it saw were "not harmful for human health."

The head of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Lassina Zerbo, tweeted that the elevated levels of three radionuclides generally associated with civil nuclear activities -- caesium-134, caesium-137, and ruthenium-103 -- had been detected on June 22-23.

He highlighted an area including stretches of western Russia, seemingly including St. Petersburg, Estonia, southern Finland, and Sweden as a "possible source" of the radioactive particles at any point in the preceding 72 hours.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: There are a number of military research centers located outside of Saint Petersburg. I know because one of my uncles worked at one of these places when the Soviet Union was around. As for this case. It looks like someone is conducting tests using certain isotopes associated with civil nuclear activities. At least I hope it is test and not something going wrong.

More News On An Unknown Radioactivity Spike Being Detected Over The Baltic Sea

Nuclear weapons test sensors in Sweden detect unexplained rise in radiation coming from region including Russian city of St Petersburg -- Daily Mail
'Mystery' rise in nuclear particles from 'weapons test' detected by fission sensors -- Daily Star
Europe On Alert After Unknown Radioactivity Spike Detected Over Baltic Sea -- Zero Hedge

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Friday, 26 June 2020

Judge Orders Roger Stone to Report to Prison Next Month

By BY SHARON LAFRANIERE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2NutuW2

A Bit of Relief: The Long Distance Chorus

By Unknown Author from NYT Podcasts https://ift.tt/2NuNMP4

7 Killed in Crash in El Paso After Border Patrol Tried to Stop Car

By BY JENNY GROSS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/31oi6mC

White Actors Leaving Nonwhite Roles at ‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Family Guy’

By BY DAVE ITZKOFF from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2VnhNog

New top story on Hacker News: KiwiCo Eureka Crate: Monthly Science Kit Subscription

KiwiCo Eureka Crate: Monthly Science Kit Subscription
8 by paulchap | 1 comments on Hacker News.

Pence claims ‘remarkable progress’ as Covid-19 cases hit new record in US

US reports 40,000 new coronavirus cases in previous 24 hours, the highest daily total of the pandemic

Mike Pence on Friday hailed “truly remarkable progress” in America’s battle with the coronavirus pandemic, despite the US reporting a record 40,000 new cases in the previous 24 hours, the highest daily total of the outbreak.

With new cases rising in a majority of states in the last few days after swift moves to reopen for business, especially across the south and west, the vice-president sought to deliver encouraging news as the head of the White House coronavirus taskforce as the body offered its first public briefing in two months.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3eBWAif

Coronavirus live news: US hits record daily case rise as Australia's testing blitz of clusters continues

Brazil records nearly 47,000 new cases; EU set to ban travellers from US; Covid cases with unknown source rise in Melbourne. Follow the latest

2.14am BST

New Zealand has recorded another two Covid cases, among people who are in managed isolation facilities.

The NZ Herald reports that one of the new cases was a woman in her 20s who arrived from India on 18 June.

1.58am BST

Almost 5,000 thermometers are being shipped to Victorian holiday spots as the state nervously enters the school holidays amid a resurgent coronavirus crisis.

The state government is distributing about 4,800 of the infrared thermometers while testing clinics will be set up on the Great Ocean Road and in the Victorian Alps to coincide with the holidays, AAP reported.

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