Week In Review
By Angela Peco Edited by Elissa D. Hecker
Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Media/Technology, and General News:
Entertainment
Adult Film Star Ron Jeremy Charged with 13 New Counts of Sexual Assault
The new charges bring the total number of alleged victims to 17.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/movies/ron-jeremy-sexual-assault-charges.html
Venice Film Festival Opens, Defiant but Socially Distant
Venice will host the first major international movie event since the beginning of the pandemic, with strict social distancing and masking measures. Certain seats will be left empty at theaters to facilitate distancing among spectators and the number of screenings has doubled to accommodate smaller crowds.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/movies/venice-film-festival-coronavirus.html
Arts
Theater Operator Sues Insurers That Denied It Coronavirus Payments
Jujamcyn Theaters, which operates five Broadway houses, is suing its insurance provider, claiming that it was wrongfully denied insurance coverage over losses suffered due to the pandemic. The insurance industry has denied a high number of claims for business income loss from all types of nonessential businesses that closed in March, generally using a two-pronged argument: "that its policies never promised this kind of coverage in the first place and that fulfilling all of these requests would bankrupt the industry." In its lawsuit, Jujamcyn argues that the pandemic did cause "direct physical loss or damage," which is needed to trigger payments, because the virus can adhere to surfaces and linger in buildings (even though there was no traditional building damage or shut down of the surrounding area by a civil authority).
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/27/theater/jujamcyn-theaters-insurance-lawsuit.html
2020 Art Basel Miami Beach is Cancelled
This year's event is being cancelled, with organizers citing coronavirus conditions in South Florida as the main reason for their decision.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/arts/design/art-basel-miami-beach-canceled.html
Actress Leaves the Actors' Union to Play Othello
Actor Jessika Williams has left Actors' Equity, the labor union representing performers and stage managers, in order to play the title role in "Othello". The union has barred its members from in-person performances (except for some performances in New England, where rates of infection are low). Williams and several other actors have signed a "isolation covenant" while working at the American Shakespeare Center in Virginia.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/theater/othello-jessika-williams.html?searchResultPosition=1
President Trump Ended 2018 France Trip Having Art Loaded on Air Force One
President Trump returned to the U.S. with a few pieces of art from the American ambassador's residence, including a painting, bust, and figurines, which are now on display at the White House. The art is reportedly worth about $750,000 and because it was U.S. government property, the move was deemed legal.
Banksy-Funded Rescue Vessel Evacuated After Distress Call
Nearly 150 migrants were rescued off a ship funded by the artist Banksy and moved to a humanitarian ship patrolling the Mediterranean. The vessel had too many people on board and could no longer steer.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/world/europe/banksy-rescue-boat-louise-michel.html
Sports
Congress Looks into Bias Claims in National Football League Concussion Settlement
Lawmakers are asking the National Football League (NFL) to explain the race-based benchmarks used in the landmark concussion settlement to determine whether retired football players suffering from dementia were eligible for payouts. The four senators have asked the NFL to outline what efforts it made to reduce any "embedded biases in the data" as players themselves ask the judge overseeing the settlement to have their neurocognitive exams recalculated using race-neutral scales and other metrics like education and age, to put them on an even footing with white players.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/sports/football/nfl-concussion-settlement-race-bias-congress.html
National Basketball Association's Head Coaching Diversity Under Scrutiny
The Brooklyn Nets' hiring of Steve Nash has once again raised questions about coaching diversity in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nash is a two-time Most Valuable Player, but a newcomer to the coaching world, even though he has worked extensively with the Canadian national basketball team as the program's general manager. Nash's lack of coaching experience and the fact that other well-regarded Black coaches either remain unemployed or are put in situations where it may be more difficult to succeed, raises new questions about the NBA's practices in hiring and retaining Black coaches.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/sports/basketball/nba-black-coaches-diversity.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/sports/basketball/steve-nash-hired-brooklyn-nets.html
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-nba-has-lost-ground-on-hiring-and-retaining-black-coaches/
NFL Takes Over Sexual Harassment Investigator of Washington Football Team
The move is in response to criticism from some of the women alleging discrimination that team owner Daniel Snyder hired the firm investigating the matter and would be controlling the response to its findings. The law firm conducting "an independent review of the team's culture, policies and allegations of workplace misconduct" will now report to NFL officials. Lawyers representing former team employees also called on the league to "publicly commit to taking action to remove Snyder as majority owner" if the results of the investigation warrant it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/sports/football/nfl-washington-sexual-harassment-snyder.html
U.S. Threat to Pull Funding from the World Anti-Doping Agency Could Leave Americans Out of the Olympics
Anti-doping leaders say American athletes could be banned from the Olympics if the U.S. follows through on its threat to pull funding from World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). WADA says that it has been approached by various countries to introduce legislation that would render the U.S. non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code. The International Olympic Committee requires compliance to allow nations to participate in the games.
The U.S. is WADA's largest contributor, with $2.7 million in 2020. A recent report by the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy was very critical of WADA's governance model and its stance toward Russia and Russia's orchestration of a state-sponsored doping programme.
U.S. Justice Department Looking into FIFA for Possible Breaches of Antitrust Laws
The Justice Department's antitrust division has expressed concerns to soccer's governing body that any future rules prohibiting teams from playing regular-season games outside their home countries "could violate U.S. antitrust laws". The proposed rule is already the subject of litigation between American sports promoter Relevent Sports and FIFA and the U.S. Soccer Federation. Relevent has accused both organizations "of conspiring to block Relevent from bringing regular-season games from overseas leagues to North America."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/sports/soccer/fifa-antitrust-us.html
Two Athletes Are United in Search for Justice
Professional basketball players Natasha Cloud and Bradley Beal, of the Washington Mystics and Wizards, respectively, are fashioning their careers to include anti-racism activism in the nation's capital.
Hockey Series Briefly Suspends Hostilities in Response to Police Shooting
Players in the Golden Knights-Canucks series have resumed play after a two-day suspension of the postseason in solidarity with other professional leagues who were protesting police shootings and the broader issue of racial injustice.
Minor League Baseball to Undergo Major Changes When Major League Baseball Agreement Ends
In 2018, Congress passed legislation exempting minor league players from federal minimum wage or overtime entitlements. As minor league owners (who don't pay the players) had supported Major League Baseball (MLB) in getting the law passed, many felt betrayed when the MLB announced that it planned to reduce the number of minor league teams from 160 to 120.
That plan will soon come to fruition when the current agreement between the two leagues expires on September 30th. Under MLB's most recent proposal, Minor League Baseball (MiLB) will no longer operate as an independent entity, but will be brought under MLB's umbrella. MLB teams will get to "pick their affiliates - four apiece, with discretion to cull the minor league clubs that play in substandard facilities or are simply inconveniently located."
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29795127/why-mlb-minor-leagues-know-end-sept-30
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to Furlough All Indianapolis-Based Staff
The NCAA will furlough its entire staff of about 600 employees in a cost-cutting measure. All staff will be subjected to a mandatory three-week furlough, which for some can be extended to eight weeks. The NCAA also implemented salary freezes and announced that senior management would take a 20% pay cut.
Family Accuses College of Forcing Ailing Son to Play Football
The family of a University of New Mexico student who died by suicide last year is suing the school, athletics staff, and the NCAA, alleging that the student was forced to play football even though he had injuries and suffered from severe headaches and depression. They accuse the defendants of negligence and say that student athletes recovering from injuries at the school were treated differently on the basis of race.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/sports/ncaafootball/New-Mexico-football-wrongful-death-suit.html
Novak Djokovic Announces Proposal for Men's Player Union
Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil announced the beginning of a player-only association called the Professional Tennis Players Association. The self-proclaimed co-presidents said the group will be led by up to nine players and will focus on issues like "revenue sharing, disciplinary actions, player pensions, travel, insurance and amenities at tournaments." It is not clear what the distinction could be between this body and a players' union, which does not exist in tennis. Members of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Player Council, including Federer and Nadal, as well as the sport's governing bodies, spoke out against the plan. Andy Murray expressed concern about the male-only membership "policy," saying that there was value in having a group that represents both men and women.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/28/sports/tennis/tennis-union-men-djokovic.html
Advertisers Ask Networks for Flexibility Around NFL Buys in 2020
Concerned about the viability of the NFL season, ad buyers are pressing TV networks for flexibility when it comes to their spending commitments if games get cancelled. Verizon, for example, wants to be able to walk back commitments or cancel ads closer to their air dates.
NBA 2K League Shows Signs of Viewership Growth
NBA's 2K League has shown signs of growth this year, especially as the NBA leaned on its e-sports arm during the pandemic to stage online tournaments and keep basketball content flowing even during the its shutdown. This year's games attracted 76% more viewers than last year and the NBA continues to develop the league, citing among other factors the sponsorship revenue that it generates.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/29/business/esports-nba-2k.html
The U.S. Open - An Experiment on Whether Big Events Can Return to New York
The U.S. Open has set in motion an "experiment that could show what international sports, as well as New York, might be capable of while navigating the public health threat." The tournament will provide public health experts and event planners with a new data set, considering that athletes were not required to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival in the U.S., but were required to undergo testing within the first 48 hours and every four days; to remain cloistered in a local hotel; and follow other preventative protocols while playing in empty stadiums.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/sports/tennis/coronavirus-us-open-bubble.html
The U.S. Open Descends into Pandemic Precaution Chaos
The U.S. Open instituted a series of rules changes for players who were exposed to Benoit Paire, a French player who tested positive for the virus. The precautions kept players confined to their hotel rooms and several matches were delayed or cancelled after different public health departments issued contradictory rulings on whether certain players should play following exposure. Nassau County's health department said two players who had direct contact with Paire, both on a women's doubles team, had to abide by the county's quarantine protocols, and were issued quarantine notices, which led to their withdrawal from the tournament.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/05/sports/the-us-open-virus-quarantine-chaos.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/sports/tennis/us-open-coronavirus.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/sports/tennis/us-open-coronavirus-contact-tracing.html
A Modified "My Old Kentucky Home" To Be Played at Derby
Churchill Downs says the 100-year tradition of playing the song at the track will be modified and preceded by a moment of silence and reflection. The song was originally an abolitionist song that lost its meaning and became "caught up in the 'imagery of the lost cause'". It was often sung at minstrel shows in blackface. Track representatives acknowledged the history of racism in horse racing and said that a discussion of social justice issues will be incorporated in its coverage of the Derby.
https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/lexington/news/2020/09/04/my-old-kentucky-home-remains-at-derby
Black Horse Owner Faces Pressure to Pull Out of the Kentucky Derby
The New York Times is reporting that Greg Harbut is being urged to follow the lead of professional athletes and boycott the Derby. Harbut, one of the industry's few African American owners, is adamant that the predominantly white sport must change, but says his participation in the race serves to "remind people ... that horse racing history here begins with African-Americans."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/sports/horse-racing/kentucky-derby-breonna-taylor-harbut.html
National Hockey League Could Temporarily Realign to Form Canadian Division
Though the National Hockey League (NHL) plans to start its 82-game season on December 1st, there is a possibility that it would create a Canadian Division for the 2020-21 season, in which the seven Canadian clubs "play exclusively against each other." The NHL could also revisit the hub concept, where players fly into a bubble city to play and fly back out.
https://nypost.com/2020/08/29/slap-shots-rangers-chris-drury-bows-out-of-panthers-gm-search/
English Premier League Terminates China TV Agreement
The soccer league said that it cancelled the broadcast contract, worth a reported $700 million, after it could not resolve a dispute with its Chinese partner, Suning Holdings. Suning failed to pay the league $200 million in fees on the first year of the three-year agreement. The Premier League has sustained huge financial damage due to the pandemic and lost a lucrative revenue stream when it resumed its season in front of empty stadiums. Politics has also come to bear on the relationship when Arsenal games were taken off the air in China after Mesut Ozil denounced China's treatment of its Muslim minority.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/sports/soccer/premier-league-china-contract-television.html
Media/Technology
Twitter and Facebook Warn of Russian Meddling in U.S. Elections
Both companies are warning that Russia is actively involved in campaigns of disinformation, using fake accounts and circulating conspiracy theories aimed at American social media users.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/technology/facebook-russia-disinformation-election.html
Why Facebook's Blocking of New Political Ads May Be Futile
Facebook will block new political ads starting on October 27th, but critics say there are other ways that voter misinformation can spread on the social network, including by way of messages users post and discussions in private Facebook groups.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/technology/facebooks-political-ads-block-election.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/technology/facebook-election-chaos-november.html
U.S. Preparing Antitrust Case Against Google
As the Justice Department builds its antitrust case against Google, there is reportedly some tension between attorney general William Barr and career prosecutors who say they need more time to build the case. The Justice Department has reportedly told lawyers to wrap up their work by the end of September, which the lawyers see as an arbitrary, and possible politically-motivated, deadline.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/us/politics/google-antitrust-justice-department.html
Journalist Quits Kenosha Paper in Protest of Its Jacob Blake Rally Coverage
Editor Daniel Thompson resigned over the paper's coverage of a rally in support of the Black man shot by a Kenosha police officer. Thompson took issue with a headline that focused on the words of a Black protestors who said, "If you kill one of us, it's time for us to kill one of yours," a remark that he said did not accurately sum up the article or the tone of the protests.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/business/media/kenosha-newspaper-editor-quits.html
Twitter to Add New Context Feature to Trending Topics
Despite calls to remove the Trending Topics feature altogether, the company has decided to include explanatory tweets and descriptions to show why a subject is trending in response to criticism that the feature allows for the spread of false or hateful information.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/technology/twitter-trending-topics.html
Another Teenager Linked to July Twitter Hack
A search warrant was recently executed at the home of a Massachusetts teenager who is thought to be partly responsible for planning the breach and carrying out some of the cyberattacks. So far, three people have been arrested in the hack.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/technology/twitter-hack.html
Time Off for Parenting Angers Nonparents in Tech Industry
Work policies at major tech companies have caused a rift between employees who are parents and those who are not. Facebook employees, for instance, took issue with policies that were extended to and primarily benefited parents. As a result of more flexible paid time off policies, some employees feel they are being asked to carry a heavier workload.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/05/technology/parents-time-off-backlash.html
Facebook Could Block Sharing of News Stories in Australia
The response comes after a bill in Australia would require companies to pay media publishers when their content is posted on the social network. The draft legislation is supported by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and is aimed at addressing the "power imbalances between news publishers struggling with the collapse of traditional media and conglomerates with thriving online ad businesses."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/technology/facebook-block-news-stories-australia.html
BBC Loses Battle Over Lyrics of British Songs
The British broadcaster reversed its decision to strip the lyrics from two patriotic songs that are set to be performed at a televised concert. Critics say the lyrics of "Rule, Britannia!" and "Land of Hope and Glory" evoke a British colonial, imperialist past.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/world/europe/bbc-proms-johnson.html
Charlie Hebdo Trial Reopens in Paris
While the two men responsible for carrying out the Charlie Hebdo attack died in a shootout with police, this trial will focus on individuals accused of aiding the 2015 attack on the magazine's offices and another attack on a kosher supermarket in Paris. The attack killed 17 people and was followed by a number of jihadist attacks in the city that killed another 130 people.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/world/europe/charlie-hebdo-trial-france.html
French Magazine Sparks Outrage Over Depiction of Black Lawmaker as Enslaved African
The racist portrayal of Daniele Obono came by way of a fictional narrative and illustration published in conservative French magazine Valeurs Actuelles. Among the images was one portraying the lawmaker with chains around her neck. The narrative was part of a series in which contemporary politicians are depicted in earlier historical periods and drew widespread condemnation across the political spectrum.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/world/europe/french-magazine-racist-daniele-obono.html
China Detains Australian Host for Chinese State TV
Australian journalist Cheng Lei was a host on Chinese state-run television. The government has not commented publicly on the case nor given reasons for her detention. The move has the potential to become another irritant in the country's relations with Australia, already strained due to the earlier detention of another Australian writer and businessman of Chinese heritage in 2019.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/world/asia/china-australia-journalist.html
General News
Court Approves Warrantless Surveillance Rules
A declassified ruling issued in December of last year signed off on another year of the surveillance program while still noting that the FBI had committed "widespread violations" of privacy rules when its analysts searched through emails obtained from American companies without a warrant under a 2008 law known as Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act.
Election Officials Push Back Against Trump: Voting Twice is Illegal
Election officials say the president is sowing confusion by calling into question a system that already has robust checks against fraud, including against people voting twice. This, after the president encouraged North Carolina voters to test the integrity of the elections system by voting by both mail and in-person ballots. In some states, even soliciting someone to vote twice in an election is illegal. In terms of the precautions available to prevent people from voting twice or to detect double voting, states like North Carolina have electronic poll books at polling centers that are updated regularly with information about who has already voted, excluding the names of those who have already voted absentee.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/us/politics/people-voting-twice-trump.html
Former Officials Say Justice Department Did Not Fully Examine Trump's Ties to Russia
According to former law enforcement officials, former deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein took steps to narrow a Justice Department inquiry into whether Trump's financial and personal ties to Russia posed a national security threat. The article reports that Rosenstein had a number of reasons for curtailing the investigation - he believed the FBI lacked sufficient reason to conduct an investigation and that the acting head of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, who had approved the opening of the inquiry, had conflicts of interest.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/us/politics/trump-russia-justice-department.html
Department of Homeland Security Blocked Warnings of Russian Campaign Against Biden
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declined to publish an intelligence document that warned of Russian attempts to undermine Biden's campaign by questioning his health in posts of Russian state media agencies. The acting secretary of DHS said the department's intelligence office questioned the quality of the report.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/us/politics/trump-biden-russia-election.html
Promise to Fight Domestic Terrorism Remained Unfulfilled
Despite its commitment to address domestic terrorism and white nationalist threat, it is still unclear how the DHS intends to follow up on that promise. The article argues that leadership at the DHS appears to be doing the opposite of what it promised, especially in the context of recent protests, by refusing to cooperate with local governments to combat domestic unrest and deploying federal teams to maintain order, against the wishes of local governments.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/us/politics/trump-homeland-security-extremism.html
Barr Imposes Limits on FBI Surveillance of Political Candidates
In a memo issued this week, Attorney General Barr said that before seeking a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to monitor communications, the Justice Department and the FBI should warn elected officials or political candidates that they may be targets of foreign governments. There is also a requirement for the FBI to explain why it departed from this practice where no warning is given.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/us/politics/barr-elections-fbi-surveillance.html
One Million Primary Ballots Were Mailed Late
According to an internal Postal Service audit, more than one million mail-in ballots were sent late - i.e. during the final week of the primary elections, putting absentee voters at risk of not having their votes back in time to be counted.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/us/politics/postal-service-late-ballots.html
House Panel to Subpoena DeJoy Over Mail Delays and Trump Communications
The House Oversight Committee intends to subpoena DeJoy for documents it says were withheld from Congress related to mail delays and communications with the Trump campaign. House Democrats have accused DeJoy of sowing confusion through a set of cost-cutting changes he introduced at the U.S. Postal Service that have resulted in slower delivery times and that could impact the upcoming election.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/us/postal-service-dejoy-subpoena.html
Postal Service Paid Firm Tied to Postmaster General DeJoy $286 Million Since 2013
Documents obtained through a public records request show that the U.S. Postal Service paid the Postmaster General's former employer, XPO Logistics, $33-45 million annually since 2014 "for services that include managing transportation and providing support during peak time." More significantly, they show a surge in revenue for XPO from the Postal Service since DeJoy joined the Postal Service in June.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/us/politics/louis-dejoy-usps-paid.html?searchResultPosition=1
Trump Intends to Cut Federal Funding from Cities He Deems "Lawless"
President Trump has directed officials to identify "anarchist jurisdictions" and withhold federal funding from them. Most are cities controlled by Democrats and that have recently experienced a wave of protests and violence over systemic racism in policing. The president's memo targets New York and specifically mentions the recent rise in crime in the city, as well as the agreement to cut $1 billion in funding from the city's police department.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/us/politics/trump-funding-cities.html
Federal Appeals Panel Says Trump Not Required to Turn Over Tax Returns While Matter is Being Appealed
According to the ruling, Trump is not required to turn over tax records to the Manhattan district attorney's office until a decision is issued in his appeal where he argues that the request for records is overbroad and politically motivated.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/nyregion/trump-taxes-vance-lawsuit.html
Court Denies Flynn's Request to End Case
In an en banc decision, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled that a federal judge could proceed with his plans to scrutinize the Justice Department's request to dismiss its case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/us/politics/michael-flynn-appeals-court.html
New York Times Editorial Board: Punish Congressman for Video Fraud
The paper's editorial board is calling on Congress to take a stand against Representative Steve Scalise, who shared a doctored and misleading video featuring Joe Biden. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee filed a complaint against Scalise with the Office of Congressional Ethics, which reviews allegations of congressional misconduct and can refer complaints to the House Ethics Committee.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/opinion/steve-scalise-ady-barkan-video.html?searchResultPosition=1
Trump Drawing on Campaign Funds to Pay Legal Bills
President Trump appears to have drawn on campaign donations to pay legal fees to a much greater extent than his predecessors. Trump "and his affiliated political entities have spent at least $58.4 million in donations on legal and compliance work since 2015," compared to Obama who spent $10.7. However, Trump has also taken a non-traditional approach by using campaign funds to cover legal costs related to cases in which he has a personal stake, including enforcing nondisclosure agreements with former staff.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/05/us/politics/trump-campaign-funds-legal-bills.html?searchResultPosition=1
Federal Borrowing Amid Pandemic Will Soon Exceed Annual Economy
Federal debt, as a share of the economy, is currently at 98% and set to exceed the size of the economy by 2021, putting government borrowing on the path to exceed that during World War II.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/business/us-federal-debt.html
President Trump Denies Making Remarks Disparaging Fallen Soldiers
A recent report in The Atlantic says the president has repeatedly disparaged the intelligence of service members and has privately called soldiers killed in combat "losers" and "suckers." According to the article, he has also asked that wounded veterans be kept out of military parades. The president denied ever making those remarks and repeatedly called the report a fake story.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/us/politics/trump-veterans-losers.html?searchResultPosition=1
The Conspiracy Theories in President Trump's Fox News Interview
The article addresses several comments made by President Trump, including that a plane "loaded with thugs" is headed to the Republican convention; rich people are bankrolling racial justice protests against the U.S.; and that Biden is controlled by individuals exercising secret power.
https://www.nytimes.com/article/trump-conspiracy-theories.html
Trump-Biden Presidential Debates Will Have Solo Moderators
All three televised debates will be hosted by a single moderator, in the following order: Chris Wallace of Fox News, Steve Scully of C-SPAN and Kristen Welker of NBC News. Susan Page of USA Today will moderate the vice-presidential debate. Candidates are selected by the non-partisan debate commission and cannot be vetoes by the candidates.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/business/media/trump-biden-debate-moderators.html
Biden Declares Himself an Ally of the Protesters
The Democratic candidate traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin after days of protests over the shooting of a black man by police and made the case for unity in the face of racial injustice.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/us/politics/joe-biden-kenosha.html?searchResultPosition=1
Charges Dropped Against Curtis Flowers, After Six Murder Trials and 24 Years
Prosecutors dropped murder charges against a man who was tried six times in the quadruple-murder case in Mississippi. All six trials before mostly-white juries resulted either in mistrials or convictions that were later overturned. His latest conviction was thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court after it found that the prosecutor had violated Flowers' constitutional rights by seeking to disqualify black jurors during the jury selection process.
Seven Rochester Police Officers Suspended in Death of Black Man
The man died of suffocation in March, a week after his encounter with the police. Police body camera footage shows the officers putting a mesh hood over the man's head, at one point pushing his head to the pavement and holding him down for two minutes. His family says Daniel Prude was having a psychotic episode and acting erratically before the police encounter. Prude's death was ruled a homicide caused by "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/nyregion/daniel-prude-police-rochester.html
Protests Continue in Portland; Fatal Shooting Inflames Debate on Urban Strife
Protests in Portland turned violent this week after a man affiliated with a right-wing group was shot and killed in the city. Those present at the demonstrations also reported tension after supporters of President Trump drove through the downtown area and clashed with protestors.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/us/portland-shooting-protests.html
New York City Will Pay $5.9 Million to Settle Suit in Death of Transgender Woman at Rikers
This is the largest settlement recorded over an inmate's death at Rikers Island. It resolves a 2019 civil rights lawsuit brought by the inmate's family after the 27-year-old transgender woman died in custody after having an epileptic seizure while placed in solitary confinement.
National Rifle Association's Former No. 2 Calls for Gun Control
The former chief of staff for the National Rifle Association's (NRA) executive director, Wayne LaPierre, has come out in favor of universal background checks and red flag laws. In his new book, he also characterizes LaPierre as an inept manager but a skilled lobbyist. Both executives were recently named as defendants in a law suit brought by the attorney general of New York seeking millions of dollars in restitution.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/us/politics/nra-book-wayne-lapierre.html
Bar and Medical Licensing Exam Delays Keep Graduates in Limbo
Widespread disruptions in the administration of licensing exams for law and medical school graduates have left them unable to start their careers. Some remote tests were plagued by scheduling and technical problems, causing further confusion and prompting calls to eliminate licensing exams altogether, which many see as unnecessary and antiquated.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/us/bar-exam-coronavirus.html
52 Former Franchisees Sue McDonald's for Discrimination
Over 50 Black franchise owners have sued the company, arguing that McDonald's steered them to less-profitable restaurants and did not provide them with the same support as white franchisees. As an example, Black franchisees would be asked to rebuild or remodel a store within a shorter period of time than white franchisees without the financial support often available to the latter. The plaintiffs seek compensation of $4 to $5 million per store.
https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/09/01/business/ap-us-mcdonalds-discrimination.html
Columbia University Removes Name of Slave Owner from Dorm
The university announced that Bard Hall, a Columbia medical school dormitory, will be renamed in the fall. The building bears the name of Samuel Bard, George Washington's doctor and a founder of Columbia's medical school and someone professors call a "significant slave owner by New York standards." The push to remove the name began with the university's broader research into its connections to slavery and how slave-trade profits had funded the school.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/29/nyregion/columbia-university-slavery-samuel-bard.html
Indian Court Hands Down Symbolic Sentence for Outspoken Lawyer
The case was seen as a test of free expression in the country and involved a public interest lawyer who had posted critical tweets of the country's Supreme Court and its chief justice. Prashant Bhushan was ordered to pay a 1 rupee fine and a failure to do so would result in three months jailtime and disbarment. Justice critics in the country noted that had the lawyer been sentenced to prison, it would marked "the court's turn from independent arbiter to political tool".
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/world/asia/india-bhushan-supreme-court.html
Big Oil Pivots to Plastics and Eyes Africa
Faced with plunging profits and global focus on climate change, the fossil fuel industry is pushing U.S. trade negotiators to demand a reversal of Kenya's strict limits on plastics, which will limit its ability to import foreign plastic garbage into the country. The trade group sees Kenya as a future "hub for supplying U.S.-made chemicals and plastics to other markets in Africa" through a trade deal with the U.S.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/climate/oil-kenya-africa-plastics-trade.html
Decades of Success Wiped Out in Latin America
The article describes the impact of the pandemic on Latin American students whose plans to study at various universities have been derailed due to the virus, plunging some back in poverty, unable to cover tuition or participate by virtual means.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/world/americas/latin-america-education.html
Germany Says Putin Critic Alex Navalny Poisoned with Novichok Nerve Agent
Navalny is still in intensive care in Germany after being poisoned with a nerve agent on a domestic Russian flight last month. Moscow denies involvement.
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/09/02/world/europe/02reuters-russia-politics-navalny-germany.html
Saudi Arabia Opens Airspace to Israeli Flights
Following an earlier announcement that Saudi Arabia and Israel have begun normalizing relations, Saudi Arabia has now opened its airspace to Israeli flights for the first time. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that these developments will make flights cheaper and shorter and develop tourism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/world/middleeast/saudi-airspace-israel-uae.html
Afghan Women Celebrate a Small Victory
Mother's names will now be printed on Afghan citizens' national identification cards, which had previously only included their fathers' name. Activists see the move as a small boost for women's rights and a step toward normalizing women's presence in public spaces.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/world/asia/afghanistan-id-mothers-names.html
Coronavirus Update
Untangling the Paycheck Protection Program Fraud
While investigators have already found $62 million in alleged Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud (funding often secured through forged documents and stolen identities), they are also looking for more insidious schemes to defraud the federal government's coronavirus relief program for small businesses. These cases will likely involve business owners who tried to exploit gray areas in the administration of the program, including those who found ways to spend the funds within eight weeks in order to have the loans forgiven, but then asked their employees to pay back a portion of their earning or to work for free in the future.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/28/business/ppp-small-business-fraud-coronavirus.html
Small-Business Failures Loom as Federal Aid Dries Up
With the PPP lapsing in August and no deal on a new aid package, many businesses, including those who were well-established and financially sound before the pandemic-related closures, face tough choices. Economists warn that without a large-scale program, the current situation "could accelerate corporate consolidation and the dominance of the biggest companies," in addition to more closures.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/business/economy/small-businesses-coronavirus.html
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tells States to Prepare for COVID-19 Vaccine by Early November
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have outlined several scenarios for state public health officials, one of which includes a plan to distribute a vaccine to health care workers and high-risk groups as soon as late October or early November. This is in line with statements made by both the head of the Food and Drug Administration and Dr. Anthony Fauci, that certain groups may receive the vaccine even before clinical trials are complete.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/health/covid-19-vaccine-cdc-plans.html
Pharma Companies Plan to Issue Joint Pledge on Vaccine Safety
Drug companies working on developing coronavirus vaccines are expected to issue a pledge next week that they will not release any vaccines that do not meet safety standards and that have not undergone rigorous testing, countering any suggestion that they will be politically pressured to seek premature approval of a vaccine.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/science/covid-vaccine-pharma-pledge.html
Race for Coronavirus Vaccine Pits Spy Against Spy
According to intelligence officials, China also used its influential position in the World Health Organization to access information about vaccine work in order to guide its hacking attempts. Russian efforts to hack American, Canadian and British research institutes and companies have also intensified to give the country an edge on vaccine research.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/05/us/politics/coronavirus-vaccine-espionage.html
New Coronavirus Adviser Roils White House with Unorthodox Ideas
The article profiles Dr. Scott Atlas, the new addition to the White House coronavirus taskforce. Atlas, whose views on the pandemic are often at odds with those of top government doctors and scientists, brings a "libertarian-style approach to disease management," where the government focuses on at-risk groups but minimizes restrictions on the rest of the population.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/us/politics/trump-scott-atlas-coronavirus.html
Quick Testing Available If You Are Willing to Pay
Concierge services and small laboratories are giving wealthier New Yorkers the ability to get test results within 24 hours, while standard tests can take several days. Annual individual membership at these medical laboratories can cost $5,000. Companies needing quick turnaround testing, including movie production companies and banks, have also turned to small labs. The pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities in access to health care, beginning with access to tests and now with access to faster test results.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/nyregion/rapid-coronavirus-test.html
New Eviction Moratorium for Renters Financially Impacted by Coronavirus
The Trump administration has issued an order suspending evictions until December 31st. Renters must meet a five-pronged test that, among other factors, requires renters to have made best efforts to obtain government rental assistance; to show a substantial loss of household income; and to be making partial payments on rent. While renters receive some relief if they are eligible under this order, many are still calling on Congress to adopt a new aid package that includes broad rent relief to keep not only renters but also landlords afloat.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/upshot/eviction-moratarium-rent-crisis.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/your-money/eviction-moratorium-covid.html
Data Suggests Infections in American Children Are Rising Fast
Data compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics show that in the last four months, case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19 have increased at a faster rate in children and teenagers than among the general public.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/31/us/coronavirus-cases-children.html
U.S. Will Revive Global Virus-Hunting Effort That Ended in 2019
The new $100-million-program called Stop Spillover will begin in October but will have a similar purpose to the program run by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) whose funding ran out right before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The previous program searched for dangerous new animal viruses in bat caves, wet markets and wildlife-smuggling routes.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/health/predict-pandemic-usaid.html
SUNY Oneanta Campus Ends In-Person Classes
The entire campus at the State University of New York, Oneonta, shut down after more than 500 students tested positive for the coronavirus. In-person classes began in August and students began organizing parties soon thereafter, leading to a number of suspensions, an out of control outbreak, and cancellation of all in-person classes for the fall semester.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/nyregion/new-york-suny-oneonta-coronavirus.html
New York City Delays Opening Schools
The city's schools will now open on September 21st, 10 days than originally scheduled. As a result of a recent round of negotiations with the teachers' union, the city will require monthly random testing of students and staff attending in-person classes.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/nyregion/schools-open-coronavirus-nyc.html?searchResultPosition=1
Motorcycle Rider Who Attended Sturgis Rally Dies of COVID-19
A man in his 60s who attended the motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota in August has died of COVID-19. Infections associated with the Sturgis rally now number 50.
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/09/02/us/02reuters-health-coronavirus-usa.html
Fear in Europe as Virus Spikes in Spain Again
A second wave of the coronavirus is impacting Spain, where the virus is spreading faster than anywhere else in Europe and may be a sign of the pandemic's resurgence in Europe.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/world/europe/coronavirus-covid-spain-second-wave.html