Good Morning.
As Donald Trump continues to downplay or denigrate the advice of scientists from his own administration, more than 1,200 members of the US National Academy of Sciences have signed an open letter urging the President to “restore science-based policy in government”. The letter began in 2016 in response to Trump’s refusal to act on his warnings about the climate crisis, but new signatures have quickly accumulated amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The White House’s most recent affront to science is its attempt to prevent billions of dollars from being spent on crucial efforts to track and locate the coronavirus. On Sunday, when deaths in the US exceeded 140,000 and the numbers of confirmed cases inexorably moved to 4 million, Trump described the country’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, as “a bit alarming. “
Will Trump refuse to leave if he loses in November?
It was one of the most troubling moments in a shocking and unintentionally hilarious turn-based interview: Speaking to Fox News’s Chris Wallace on Sunday, Trump refused to agree to accept the election result if his rival, Joe Biden, wins the presidency in November. “I have to see,” said Trump. “I’m not going to say yes.”
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Kanye West launched his presidential campaign with a chaotic rally in South Carolina on Sunday, and a labyrinthine speech that led to abortion, Harriet Tubman and the terms of the rapper’s promotional deal with Adidas.
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The former red state of Arizona is now an electoral battleground, who could decide the outcome in 2020, as reported by Lauren Gambino and Maanvi Singh.
Portland Mayor Wants Trump’s ‘Shock Troops’ To Disappear
After more than 50 nights of anti-racist protest in Portland, Oregon, sparked by the death of George Floyd, the city is now patrolled by federal agents, parachuted in by the Trump administration, wearing camouflage clothing and driving unmarked vehicles. The city’s mayor has demanded their expulsion, saying “their presence is actually causing more violence and vandalism,” while the Oregon attorney general has promised to seek a restraining order against them.
These shock troops are there to wield power, intimidate dissidents, and intimidate Americans into giving up their first amendment protection, argues Francine Prose:
Government-funded thugs, who attack citizens, still conjure repellent images of Hitler’s brown shirts trampling on his German comrades, and the street kidnapping of civilians has been the hallmark of authoritarian dictatorships.
China’s ambassador to the UK denied abuse of Uighurs in Beijing
The British government is expected to suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in response to China’s security crackdown on the supposedly self-governing territory, as the UK finds itself engulfed in the dispute over Beijing’s serious human rights record. .
Over the weekend, the Chinese ambassador to the UK was confronted on a television show with images of hundreds of blindfolded and chained prisoners being led to trains in Xinjiang, amid widespread reports of large-scale persecution of the Uighur Muslim minority in the region. “The Uighurs enjoy a peaceful and harmonious coexistence with other ethnic groups,” said Liu Xiaoming.
In other news…
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The UAE has launched the first Arab world mission to Mars. The unmanned probe, called Al-Amal, or Hope, took off from Japan early Monday, joining the United States and China in the race to the red planet.
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John Lewis should be honored with a new voting rights bill, the House’s majority whip, James Clyburn, has argued. Clyburn also suggested renaming the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in honor of the late congressman who led famous civil rights protesters in 1965.
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Roger Stone used a racial slur during a radio interview with host Morris O’Kelly, who is black. The dirty veteran political cheat was being questioned by Trump’s controversial commutation of his prison sentence, when he could be heard muttering that he was “arguing with this nigger.”
Great readings
Haley Joel Osment: “Acting was like going to camp”
Haley Joel Osment was 10 years old when she did The Sixth Sense. Now, a successful character actor in his 30s, tells Elle Hunt why Hollywood child stardom doesn’t always lead to a blowout: “I think the percentage of people who have a positive experience working as kids is much higher than what most people imagine. “
How the coronavirus is reshaping Europe’s tourist spots
The main tourist cities in Europe have been almost deserted in the middle of the closure. But now that they can begin to welcome visitors, Venice and Prague also have a chance to rethink their model for deleterious mass tourism. Stephen Burgen and Angela Giuffrida report from Barcelona and Rome, respectively.
the Black creatives that have K-pop as their account
A surprising number of K-pop hits are written and produced by black Americans, and a significant percentage of America’s K-pop fans are black. But many of them are still waiting for the Korean music industry to develop a more sensitive and global understanding of the race, as Elizabeth de Luna writes.
Opinion: Biden has endorsed the entire green New Deal
Joe Biden has done what Democratic presidential candidates hardly ever do after winning the primaries: tacking left. His climate plans are the most ambitious proposed by a nominee, says Julian Brave NoiseCat. It’s the green New Deal in everything but the name.
Biden believes that workers, unions, and communities of color most affected by the fossil fuel economy and the potential shift away from it deserve special attention. In his opinion, climate action cannot be separated from economic, environmental and social justice.
Last thing: the accidental archaeologists of the running of the bulls
Many people became gardeners during the confinement. Some of those gardeners also became archaeologists. The British Museum says the period has seen a number of historical discoveries by people in the UK, who have unearthed coins, arrowheads and other ancient artifacts, while unearthing their own flower beds.
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