35 ways to keep your kids entertained and stimulated while learning remotely – New York Post

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While many parents in the U.S. have had their little ones home during normal school for months, many are preparing for their children to continue remote learning into the new school year. In fact, major school districts such as LA and San Diego have already made the decision to go fully-virtual this fall. Even schools that do open up for in-person teaching are likely to have strict social distancing guidelines and the elimination of traditional after-school activities.

To help you out during this time, we rounded up 35 ways to keep your kids entertained and stimulated while learning virtually.

Tangiplay: Tangible Coding Toys + Interactive Puzzles Solving Games for Kids, now on sale for $84.99 (14% off)

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Dragon X5 Bluetooth Gaming Controller, now on sale for $39.99 (29% off)

Pair this gamepad with the smartphone, tablet, or console of your choice to defy traditional controlling limitations.

H102 Velocity High-Speed Remote Control Boat, now on sale for $59.99 (14%)

This 13 boat can fly across pools and lakes at a whopping speed of 20mph.

SunFounder Robotic Arm Edge Kit for Arduino, now on sale for $54.99 (21% off)

Create your own functional robot arm with this DIY electronic kit.

DIY Robotic Art Kit for Ages 6 to 9, now on sale for $44.99 (34% off)

This introduction to STEM learning kit allows kids ages 6 to 9 to explore an infinite number of DIY projects.

Crowtail STEAM Educational Basic Starter Kit (with Microbit Board and Tutorial), now on sale for $65.99 (11% off)

Learn the ins and outs of programming by following along to any of the 12 included STEAM modules in this awesome kit.

ARCKIT Multi-Stadium Model Building Kit, now on sale for $149.99

This Architeizer A+ Award-Winning kit allows you to build your very own 3D sports stadium.

ARCKIT Architectural Scale Model Building Kit, now on sale for $99.95

Recommended for ages 14+, this A90 open-ended design tool allows you to build your own impressive structure up to 960 square feet.

DIY Coding Kit for Ages 8 to 12, now on sale for $79.99 (19% off)

Let your child learn how to code while having fun with this super STEAM kit and corresponding mobile app.

Glitzy Glamping Kit, now on sale for $54.99 (35% off)

From dress-up games to scavenger hunts, this glamping kit will keep your little one busy for hours on end.

Go Plus 2.0 Kids Architect Scale Model House Building Kit, now on sale for $59.99

This open-ended architecture kit allows you to explore vast building design possibilities such as curved floors and walls.

ArckitPLAY Cityscape Architect Building Kit for Kids, now on sale for $69.99

Empower your childs inner architect with this cityscape scale model miniature kit.

MAKERbuino Educational DIY Game Console (Standard Kit), now on sale for $69.99

Have your child build their very own gaming device with this DIY kit.

Go Colors 2.0 Architect Scale Model House Building Kit for Kids, now on sale for $59.99

Perfect for ages 8+, this kit allows your child to play with colors and shapes to create a 3D model miniature house.

Planetary System Set, now on sale for $109.95 (14% off)

Perfect for any kid obsessed with spacethese polished gemstones are cross-referenced with NASA satellite images to ensure they are accurate representations of their corresponding planets.

Little Architect Kids Model City-Building Kit, now on sale for $49.99

This open-ended little city building kit allows kids aged 4+ to create skyscrapers, roads, and parks.

Circuit Scribe: DIY Circuit Kits, now on sale for $32.99 (44% off)

This kit allows you to build exciting circuits using Circuit Scribes conductive ink pen, sweet magnetic modules, and plain old printer paper.

SparkMaker Original SLA 3D Printer Starter Bundle, now on sale for $259 (34% off)

This easy-to-use 3D printer creates high-resolution models using SLA and UV LCD resins.

Speech Blubs Language Therapy: Lifetime Subscription, now on sale for $59.99 (40% off)

Rated 4.4/5-stars on the Apple App Store, this app offers a variety of fun, educational activities that will boost your childs speech and social development.

Zubi Flyer: Hackable Frisbee, now on sale for $89 (10% off)

With 12 games and real coding, this frisbee combines STEM learning with physical activity.

Remote Control 2-Wheeled Jump Car Toy, now on sale for $119.99 (13% off)

This Jump Car, which features 360 rotation, 7Kph speed, and flexible wheels, packs enough fun for the entire family.

Crowtail Starter Kit For Micro:bit 2.0, now on sale for $89.99

This pocket-sized computer can be used to create everything from robots to musical instruments with just a little bit of coding.

Dancebot Dancing Robot, now on sale for $49.99 (37% off)

This super-cute, AI robot doubles as a Bluetooth speaker!

Mokuru Card Game, now on sale for $34.99 (25% off)

This card game can help sharpen your focus and improve your hand-eye coordination skills.

Ringo DIY Mobile Phone Kit + Tools, now on sale for $179.95 (7% off)

This Kickstarter-funded gadget allows your child to build their own mobile phone complete with apps and games.

3-in-1 Folding Wooden Chess Set, now on sale for $18.95 (24% off)

Stretch their minds while having fun with this 3-in-1 game set that includes the necessary pieces for chess, backgammon, and draughts.

3D VR Headset with Built-in Stereo Headphone, now on sale for $85 (15% off)

Immerse yourself in a virtual world with this 3D VR Headset.

Elecrow Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Kit, now on sale for $108.99

This kit includes everything you need in order to build a tiny gadget that can surf the web.

Bandai Kamen Rider Drive DX Ride Crosser, now on sale for $23.99 (23% off)

Start your engines! This four-wheel car is sure to keep your little ones entertained.

Arduino Automatic Smart Plant Watering Kit 2.0, now on sale for $69.99

Watch your plants grow with this DIY smart watering kit.

Papumba Fun Learning App for Kids: Lifetime Subscription, now on sale for $49.99 (86% off)

This app offers 500+ interactive games and learning activities that will give your kids a head start in STEAM skills.

Ninja Dragons Powerful 5G WiFi FPV Drone with 4K HD Camera, now on sale for $199 (20% off)

This palm-sized drone is not only fun to fly, but it can capture incredible ariel videos from above.

2.4Ghz Remote Control 4WD High-Speed Monster Truck, now on sale for $154.99 (22% off)

This Remote Control 4WD High-Speed Monster Truck lets you bring insane stunts to life.

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35 ways to keep your kids entertained and stimulated while learning remotely - New York Post

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Auburn forgoes freedom of speech for conservative values – The Auburn Plainsman

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Auburn University is choosing to align with conservative values over their usual rigid defense of freedom of speech. On Wednesday, July 23, Dr. Jesse Goldberg, a new lecturer at Auburn University tweeted some choice words about police brutality:

"F*ck every single cop, he wrote. Every single one. The only ethical choice for any cop to make at this point is to refuse to do their job and quit. The police do not protect people. They protect capital. They are instruments of violence on behalf of capital."

To which Auburn University official Brian Keeter responded,

"We find Mr. Goldbergs comments inexcusable and completely counter to Auburn values. Hate speech of any kind is simply wrong, adding, Auburn is fully committed to the fundamental right of free speech, but we do not support hateful words or actions that degrade, disrespect or exclude. Concluding, Auburn officials are considering options available to the university."

As an aside, hate speech is not just any expression of contempt. It is specifically defined as aggressive speech against people of a particular race, religion, or sexual orientation. One is not born a cop; it is a choice. Therefore, condemnation of those who choose to participate in this oppressive system cannot be considered hate speech. Regardless, I find this hard and fast response to what Keeter is calling "hate speech" out of character considering the context of Auburn's response to actual hate speech in the past.

Not even a year ago, the University refused to act on hate speech against the LGBTQ community when homophobic College of Education professor Bruce Murray made several posts to social media that denied the existence of transgender people, including a meme of a trans woman with the caption, Todays liberals are so dumb they think men can change into women. And so evil they will punish you for telling the truth.

I think it is important to note that hate speech like this fuels hate crimes against trans women, and in Alabama there are currently no protections against hate crimes for people of the LGBTQ community.

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In light of this incident, the University's response was markedly different. Auburn University issued an official statement citing freedom of speech, and the College of Education Associate Dean stated, His personal beliefs are really no concern of mine, as they are any other faculty member.

So, I want to know. Where does Auburn University draw the line on freedom of speech? The line is certainly not in a place concerned with protecting human lives. As of now, it appears to be the same line distinguishing liberal and conservative values.

Kayleigh Chalkowski is a Ph.D. student in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University.

Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.

Kayleigh Chalkowski | Student

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Auburn forgoes freedom of speech for conservative values - The Auburn Plainsman

Tech Giants Face Growing Calls for Tougher Regulatory Treatment – Yahoo Finance

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On July 29, in a congressional antitrust hearing, the CEOs of four of the worlds biggest tech companies endured a five-plus-hour cross-examination filled with combative and accusatory questioning. The livestreamed bipartisan grilling was aimed at making the case that the rich corporate quartet Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Alphabet have repeatedly abused their outsize economic clout.

The next day, the four companies collectively reported $28.6 billion in second-quarter net profits. Indeed, Big Tech has demonstrated its resilience amid the coronavirus-induced economic crisis that has trashed whole sectors of the U.S. economy, leading to a record 9.5% drop in the countrys GDP for the quarter.

The House antitrust subcommittee hearing last week was long on posturing and gotcha moments and short on remedies for reining in the tech giants behavior. The question, with the pivotal U.S. election looming in November, is when or whether anything will actually change in how the Big Four companies are policed.

The upshot, according to industry and legal experts: The tech backlash has definitely picked up steam, although what form that takes remains uncertain.

Momentum to regulate the tech stalwarts is starting to increase on both sides of the aisle, says Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives. The strong second-quarter results of the Silicon Valley titans feed into that call for action, he adds, noting: In the COVID environment, the strong have only gotten stronger.

In the quarter, Facebook punched up revenue by 11% and said that 2.7 billion people per month now use its flagship service, with the company netting about 200 million new users in the first half of 2020. Apple also posted an 11% top-line increase, with net profit up 12% to $11.25 billion. Alphabets total revenue actually declined for the first time ever, dropping 2% on weaker Google search ad sales, but still topped Wall Street forecasts.

And Amazon thundered to record quarterly sales of $88.9 billion, up 40% on pandemic buying, and turned in an all-time-high profit of $5.2 billion, as cooped-up consumers leaned harder on the e-commerce and web services giant for delivery of goods, groceries and entertainment. The results were simply jaw-dropping given the company is still not operating at full efficiency with the surge in demand, Pivotal Research Groups Michael Levine wrote in an analysis.

Until now, investors have seen political saber rattling about Big Tech and even huge fines like the Federal Trade Commissions $5 billion slap on Facebook over data privacy violations last year as so much background noise. But with a possible Joe Biden presidency and a Democrat-controlled Senate, theres the real prospect of the U.S. government enacting laws to restrict the operations of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple, or taking aggressive enforcement actions. If you get blue across the board in D.C., this goes from a negligible risk to something that becomes potentially a game changer, Ives says.

More than anything, the House hearing established the competitive harms of the industry very publicly and in detail, says Vanderbilt University professor Rebecca Allensworth, who specializes in antitrust law. For foes of Big Tech, it was successful in the sense that it built political will to take action, says Allensworth. Her takeaway: Courts and regulators will be emboldened to apply the Sherman Antitrust Act to the 21st centurys technology tycoons.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google,acknowledged that reality in comments on thecompanys July 30 earning call. I think thescrutiny is going to be here for a while, and so we are committed to working through it, he told analysts. Obviously, we will operate basedon the rules. And so to the extent there are any areas where we need to adapt, we will.

The House subcommittees most damning evidence of anticompetitive behavior by the four companies was contained in selection of documents it released in connection with the hearing (out of the more than 1 million documents it obtained during its investigation). Among those were communications from Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg in which he expressed a desire to neutralize rival startups. The company has done that by copying features of competitors or buying them outright, as Facebook did with its 2012 acquisition of Instagram for $1 billion, the documents revealed. In one email, Zuckerberg wrote, Instagram can hurt us meaningfully without becoming a huge business.

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House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., told the Facebook CEO: This is exactly the type of anticompetitive acquisition that the antitrust laws were designed to prevent.

Zuckerberg, who appeared via teleconference as did the other CEOs socially distanced thousands of miles away, couldnt contradict the record. His defense: Ive always been clear that we viewed Instagram as both a competitor and as a complement to our services. Zuckerberg also argued that the Instagram acquisition represents an American success story, in that Facebook invested in Instagrams growth. And, he noted, the FTC had access to the same documents and approved the deal eight years ago which pundits say is more of an indictment of the agencys inaction.

I would emphasize that theres often a fine line between a very competitive, hard-nosed business practice and a legal violation, says USC law professor and antitrust expert Jonathan Barnett. And so, absent an intellectual property issue, imitating a competitors product or service is not in and of itself something that could be the basis of an antitrust violation. But he added that the July 29 hearing built on the increasing reports of practices of imitating or copying products, and I think that would be of concern.

Another set of documents exposed a 2016 exchange between Amazons Jeff Bezos and Apple senior VP Eddy Cue about a deal to get Prime Videos app on Apple TV in which Cue agreed that Apple would take only 15% of app revenue (versus the standard 30% commission) with the understanding that Amazon would, in return, start reselling Apple products. That contradicted Apple chief Tim Cooks testimony during the hearing in which he claimed that we treat every developer the same.

During the hearing, Bezos was challenged to explain whether Amazon was using its status as a gatekeeper to demand WarnerMedia supply content in return for agreeing to offer HBO Max on Fire TV (which still does not carry HBO Max more than two months after launch). Bezos professed ignorance of the negotiations but said he thought the companies eventually would reach a deal. Asked if he thought it was OK in general for Amazon to employ such a bargaining tactic, Bezos was noncommittal: There could be scenarios where it could be inappropriate and scenarios where it would be very normal business and very appropriate.

Given the state of Big Techs entrenched power, what are the fixes?

The odds are now higher that U.S. regulators will explore post-merger tech breakups, says Vanderbilts Allensworth, with Facebook the most vulnerable to the possibility perhaps being forced to divest Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC, the Department of Justice and several states attorneys are conducting their own antitrust inquiries into the large tech companies, and those may result in new rules designed to stop anticompetitive conduct.

But a breakup of the major tech companies is unlikely, says USCs Barnett. Less dramatic options are available, ranging from behavioral remedies, which leave the corporate structures in place but offer limitations, to deeper structural remedies.

The question with respect to Amazon and each of these companies is not whether theyre too big because big in and of itself cannot be the basis for an antitrust claim but whether Amazon and others are doing something now to perpetuate themselves in a way thats not whats called competition on the merits, says Barnett.

Congress, particularly under a Democratic regime, could move forward on the legislative front. One idea circulating in antitrust circles is a law that would require separation between platforms and commerce, as outlined in a 2019 article by Columbia Law School scholar Lina Khan. That would prohibit dominant tech corporations from operating businesses that compete directly with those of companies that depend on their platforms. The thorny issue here is how to define the boundaries: Would Amazon be barred from offering both Prime Video and third-party video apps? The devils in the details, Allensworth says. Regardless, any such law would probably face a legal challenge.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek says the industry has long needed a legal framework governing app stores akin to the concept of network neutrality (forbidding internet service providers from discriminating against content providers). Spotifys 2019 complaint with the European Union about Apples App Store policies, including the 30% tax on app sales, led the EU to launch an antitrust probe into the tech company in June.

Our view is that we need some real platform principles that enable these platforms to be open, Ek tells Variety. Government intervention is necessary, he says, so that we can have a thriving marketplace.

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Tech Giants Face Growing Calls for Tougher Regulatory Treatment - Yahoo Finance

Tech Giant CEOs Grilled By Congress Over Shady Business Practices – The Ring of Fire Network – The Ring of Fire Network

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Via Americas Lawyer: Big tech leaders from Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google appear at the center of congressional hearings focused on whether these companies are stifling competition and free speech. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss.

Transcript:

*This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos.

Mike Papantonio: Last week CEOs from Amazon, Facebook and several other tech giants appeared before a House panel to defend their business practices and answer some really tough questions. Joining me to talk about that is Farron Cousins from trial lawyer magazine. Farron, you know, as I watched this, I was surprised at one thing. It was almost, it was almost a bilateral kind of attack on these folks, wasnt it?

Farron Cousins: It was and, you know, occasionally, it is nice to see them actually working together, especially against this particular industry. This is one that Congress, you know, the federal government at every level has allowed to run rampant for, for 20 years almost when a lot of these companies were first getting started. And now theyre trying to play catch up. And I think thats part of the reason we see Congress kind of uniting together against this because they let these, these giants now, grow and grow and grow and absorb every piece of competition along the way, or crush every piece of competition along the way. And now suddenly theyre staring down these behemoths because they didnt address it at the time.

Mike Papantonio: Okay. So weve got a $5 trillion business. Thats what, this is $5 trillion. Youve got whats been described as a digital railroad problem. What that means is weve always handled antitrust cases against the railroad, against the steel industry. Were not afraid to go, in the past, we have not been afraid to go after antitrust cases. This department of justice has failed to do it and the reason is these folks are spending so much. Theyre, theyre just spreading so much money around. You know, the easiest thing to me is to go after them on, just absolutely say, look, your 230 right, your chapter 230 right is gone. Take it from there.

Farron Cousins: Yeah, absolutely. And for anybody whos not familiar with the 230 protection, says that any of these giants specifically, really though the social media ones, Facebooks, Twitter, LinkedIns, theyre not responsible for anything that gets posted on their website. So if you go on there and you say something horrible, you issue threats, the platform itself faces no liability over allowing you to say that. And this is actually, this goes back to Bill Clintons telecommunications act. They included that as part of the telecommunications act that Bill Clinton signed into law. And a lot of what were seeing right now.

Mike Papantonio: It was a gift.

Farron Cousins: Right.

Mike Papantonio: It was take care of me, Im Bill Clinton and Im going to give this to you, which is crazy.

Farron Cousins: Well, and thats a lot of the problems we see with these giants does stem from the Clinton administration. When he deregulated further the media industry, it included these soon to be giants.

Mike Papantonio: Okay, lets talk about that just a second. Clinton comes in, I swear to you, it was about Clinton and the Democrats, and were going to get all this favorable press if we do these things. So what did they do? And go back to 19, what was it, 1980. I think there were almost sixty different independent news medias that, that covered the entire country. Now its down to three. Okay. Thats where it led us. So this is, theyre looking at the same thing here. Youre looking at this, this, at this machine that appears to be above the law. I mean, we can, they can just do whatever they, they create this nanny, you know, we now have this new nanny momentum. Were going to decide what you can read and what you cant read. If we find it offensive, you cant read it. Were going to censor it. This is out of control. And I was shocked not to see warm and fuzzy Jack from Twitter, not on that, werent you?

Farron Cousins: Well, I think Twitter, since theyre not necessarily gobbling up as many of their competitors as some of these other folks and they are, I believe for the most part, kind of strictly in the Twitter business, they have issues that have to be addressed. But I think thats why they were probably excluded from this. Because with Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple, of course, they also do other pieces of industry. And this was, I think the primary focus on the antitrust, which is, which is huge. Amazon, Amazon owns everything. You know, Amazon has security cameras for your home. Amazon has cloud computing. Amazon makes their own products and sells them, giving those priority over competition who also sells on their website. This, this shouldnt be allowed and technically legally, its not.

Mike Papantonio: Okay.

Farron Cousins: But we didnt stop it.

Mike Papantonio: Think about this. Okay. Bezos comes in, puts mom and pop operations out of business all over the country. Now thats not enough for Bezos. Bezos now says, well, Im going to see whats selling really well. Were going to look at our, at our metrics, what sells real well, then were going to build the same thing and make it cheaper. You understand? So hes put, hes put thousands and thousands of businesses out of business. Now its not, thats not enough for him. Now even the people that ship directly that make these products, he says, Im going to copy what you do and Im going to sell it cheaper on Amazon. This guy is a machine that has got to be stopped and the DOJ needs to man up and say, look, weve done it on railroads. Weve done it on steel. Weve done time after time, banking, weve done it a lot of different ways. We got to stop this.

Farron Cousins: Well, and its funny too, because these companies all tried to use the same defense during the hearing and say, listen, but were American. Were American companies. Dont we want to make stuff in America? Dont we want to prevent the Chinese, they said from, from taking over? I mean, they really dug their heels in on trying to claim to be the most American of Americans. But, but really a lot of the stuff they make, a lot of the stuff they sell, it is in fact not coming from America at all.

Mike Papantonio: Let me run this by you. I, it was almost a laughable moment. They, the, you know, CEO, CEO of Google, sir, look, let, let me talk to you about your censorship. Let me talk to you about what youve done to the left and to the right. Let me talk about how ridiculous your censorship is. The guy comes back and he says, oh no, its a coincidence. These are just algorithm mishaps. Did you hear that? Its algorithm mishaps. Oh, theres nobody over at, look, its happened to us, hasnt it?

Farron Cousins: Yes.

Mike Papantonio: Talk about Saudi, Saudi Arabia, right? We did a story on Saudi Arabia. You did it. I did it. Talk about that.

Farron Cousins: Right. We, we had a good segment. We were talking about arms deals to Saudi Arabia. Google would not let it show up. YouTube pulled it, which YouTube is owned by Google.

Mike Papantonio: Right.

Farron Cousins: Because they said it was hate speech.

Mike Papantonio: Yeah.

Farron Cousins: It was hate speech. News of the day they said was hate speech.

Mike Papantonio: Well, thats not the only theyve done it to us.

Farron Cousins: Oh right.

Mike Papantonio: Weve had, of course, Sam Seder is a dear friend of ours. We know who theyre doing this to and theyre doing it, it is, it is the new nanny culture. And this guy with, with, with Google, hes the nanny and hes decides whats acceptable and whats not. Its got to end. I hope theyll keep pressure on here.

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Tech Giant CEOs Grilled By Congress Over Shady Business Practices - The Ring of Fire Network - The Ring of Fire Network

The one theology question nagging all others throughout history – Patheos

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This will only take a few seconds to absorb.

But fully appreciating its massive implications might take longer.

It is an important question only rarely asked (if ever) by theologians among themselves:

What if were mistaken about all of it?

This embedded Snoopy cartoon puts it a little differently: Has it ever occurred to you that you might be wrong? the fictional title of a book the canine character is supposedly writing about theology.

Has it, indeed.

Throughout the history of Christianity, at least, it is quite evident that if serious theologians (not to mention the great kneeling masses) ever wondered whether the being they worshipped existed at all, they didnt stay there for long.

In fact, especially in the Middle Ages, such thoughts if expressed publicly and not ultimately recanted could get you burned at the stake, sometimes after you were eviscerated and your tongue pulled out by glowing, red-hot tongs.

The medieval Catholic and later Protestant ecclesiastic establishments clearly frowned, shall we gently say, on heresy of any kind, much less atheism (which at the time was actually inconceivable to most folks, so worshipful were Western Europeans of the day). Medieval Muslim imams in the exotic East were slightly less rapacious but not much less as time passed.

Christianity in particular has a very long history of aggressively not considering the possibility that its supernatural dogma is may just be invented nonsense. In fact, venerated church fathers such as Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinus and Protestant Reformation firebrand Martin Luther all subscribed to the idea that it was a sin to too closely investigate nature because it might cause doubt in the divine and was thus dangerously useless. All anyone needed to think about or consider in existence was the will of God, as portrayed in the Bible, they preached.

Science? Puh!

Its not so different today except perhaps for the stake burnings. The current Republican moment is characterized by a belligerent, anti-science religiosity, in which an imagined militant secularism is demonized and fundamentalist Christianity is embraced. Atheists are godless bogeymen to the Christian Right, as is anyone who couldnt give a fig about religion.

What makes all this so disturbing, as it has been for centuries to doubters and heathens, is that not only have the faithful never been able to materially prove the tenets of their faith, they demonize anyone who might try.

So the most likely answer to the question above Has it ever occurred to you that you might be wrong? would seem to be no or only briefly.

Apparently, for true believers, its better not to question the question too closely, with too much reason.

But thats exactly how hazardous religious fantasies perpetuate as truths.

Even today, I am shocked to meet people who are clearly still shocked that I dont believe in a supreme divine, or that anyone doesnt, in fact.

To paraphrase American author William Faulkner, the Middle Ages isnt dead, it isnt even past.

Buy either book on Amazon, here (paperback or ebook editions)

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The one theology question nagging all others throughout history - Patheos

History column: The church window | The Westmorland Gazette – The Westmorland Gazette

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ONE of Milnthorpe's most popular artistic features is the parish church's east window.

But, gallingly, it was described as 'bad' in Pevsner's 'Buildings of England' 1960 guide to Westmorland, and as 'quite bad' in the 2005 revised edition.

No doubt the distinguished German professor was taken aback by the dozen or so stereotypical children's Bible-type scenes of the life and death of Jesus, one of which shows the risen Lord with a spiky halo sprouting from each side of his body, suggesting that he was standing in the middle of a circular saw.

Yet, altogether, the rich purples, bright reds and royal blue hues enlivened the church when it needed decorating, and go well with recent, more tasteful, decor.

Historically, the window has an odd history. It was the gift, in 1872, of the Whittaker family, who had made a fortune by importing guano manure through the port of Milnthorpe.

It was designed by a local artist - Frederick Burrow, of Sandside.

His stained glass is set in Milnthorpe's two almshouses and in private homes such as Owlett Ash House.

Despite his work being displayed in many local churches, including Arnside, Heversham and Holme, it came as a surprise when his obituary stated that his views 'tended towards atheism'.

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History column: The church window | The Westmorland Gazette - The Westmorland Gazette

NASA is changing some insensitive space terminology – heres why – Linlithgow Journal and Gazette

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(Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

NASA has announced it will be reviewing and changing a number of unofficial but potentially culturally insensitive nicknames of cosmic objects.

Distant objects like planets, galaxies and nebulae are usually given official names, made up of letters and numbers. For the non-astronomical public, unofficial nicknames are often used for reference.

In a statement, NASA said that as the scientific community "works to identify and address systemic discrimination and inequality in all aspects of the field, it has become clear that certain cosmic nicknames are not only insensitive, but can be actively harmful."

Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

The space agency announced that it is examining its use of unofficial terminology for cosmic objects as part of its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

I support our ongoing reevaluation of the names by which we refer to astronomical objects, said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASAs Science Mission Directorate at Headquarters, Washington.

Our goal is that all names are aligned with our values of diversity and inclusion, and well proactively work with the scientific community to help ensure that.

"Science is for everyone, and every facet of our work needs to reflect that value.

Which names will be changed?

NASA gave several examples of objects which will no longer be referred to by their objectionable nicknames.

NGC 2392, a glowing remains of a Sun-like star that is blowing off its outer layers at the end of its life, will no longer be referred to as the Eskimo Nebula.

Likewise, NGC 4567 and NGC 4568 - a pair of spiral galaxies found in the Virgo Galaxy Cluster - will no longer be referred to as the Siamese Twins Galaxy.

Moving forward, NASA will use only the official, International Astronomical Union designations in cases where nicknames are inappropriate.

Are these nicknames really harmful?

These cosmic nicknames are useful in making astronomy more approachable and public-friendly. More often than not, they simply reflect an object's appearance.

For example, Barnard 33s nickname of the Horsehead Nebula invokes its appearance.

But others, often labelling objects discovered during less educated times, can include offensive and outdated terminology.

"These nicknames and terms may have historical or cultural connotations that are objectionable or unwelcoming, and NASA is strongly committed to addressing them," said Stephen T Shih, Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity at NASA Headquarters.

"Science depends on diverse contributions, and benefits everyone, so this means we must make it inclusive.

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NASA is changing some insensitive space terminology - heres why - Linlithgow Journal and Gazette

The Science of It: Space Travel – WESH 2 Orlando

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The Science of It: Space Travel

Updated: 10:36 AM EDT Aug 4, 2020

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JAZMIN: WE ARE BACK WITH ANOTHER SEGMENT OF "THE SCIENCE OF IT." IN HONOR OF THE ASTRONAUTS WHO JUST CAME BACK FROM SPACE, WERE LEARNING MORE ABOUT WHAT SPACE TRAVEL DOES TO THE BODY. ADRIAN: SPECIFICALLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU ARE NOT SEALED IN HERMETICALLY. AT THE ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER, I GOT TO EXPERIMENT WITH PEEPS. WE ARE BACK AT THE ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER INSIDE THE DIGITAL THEATER WITH OUR FRIEND SPENCER. TODAY, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS YOU NEVER WANT TO EXPERIENCE IN SPACE. >> YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT SPACE IS BAD FOR THE HUMAN BODY. ONE IS THE OBVIOUS REASON. SPACE IS COLD. PEOPLE MIGHT NOT THINK ABOUT THE VACUUM AND THE RADIATION. THERE IS TONS OF RADIATION COMING FROM THE SUN AND STARS THAT CAN MELT STUFF. WE HAVE TO PROTECT THEIR SPACESHIPS AND ASTRONAUTS AS WE PUT THEM UP THERE. WE WILL TEST THIS ON PEEPS. YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THESE AROUND EASTER. THEY PUT THESE ON SALE AFTERWARDS. ADRIAN: BECAUSE NO ONE IS BUYING THEM. >> YES. WE PUT THE PEEPS UNDER THREE DIFFERENT DANGEROUS THINGS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO AN ASTRONAUT IF THEY WERE NOT PROTECTED -- RADIATION, COLD. I WILL PUT THE PEEP IN THE MICROWAVE. THEY -- MICROWAVES ARE A TYPE OF RADIATION. RADIATION COMES IN DIFFERENT FORMS, BUT THE MICROWAVES HERE WILL EXPAND OUR PEEP. THIS IS NOT EXACTLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO A HUMAN, BUT RADIATION IS STILL BAD FOR HUMANS. ADRIAN: WHAT IS HAPPENING? WHY IS IT DOING THIS TO THE PEOPLE? -- TO THE PEEP? >> RADIATION CAN TURN MOLECULES MORE ENERGETIC. THE REASON WATER HEATS UP IN THE MICROWAVE IS BECAUSE THEY INTERACT WITH WATER. A SIMILAR THING IS HAPPENING HERE. AS WE PULL THEM OUT, YOU CAN SEE THAT PEEP HAS BEEN BETTER. ADRIAN: THAT PEEP DID NOT LIKE THE MICROWAVE. >> ITS ENTIRE BODY IS MELTED. THAT IS OK. ADRIAN: WE HAVE MADE IT THROUGH RADIATION. >> NOW WE WILL TEST THE VACUUM SEAL. I WILL THROW THESE PEEPS INTO THE BEAKER. THIS IS A STRONG VACUUM. A VACUUM IS BASICALLY THE ABSENCE OF AIR. ON EARTH, WE LOVE AIR. I AM A BIG FAN. ADRIAN: IT IS A NECESSITY. >> IT IS IMPORTANT FOR BREATHING AND FOR KEEPING OUR BODIES INTACT. WE ARE FULL OF AIR INSIDE. THAT PRESSURE KEEPS US HUMAN SHAPED. THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING WITH THE PEEPS. WE WILL TAKE THAT AIR AWAY TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. WE WILL PUT OUR GLASS DOME ON TOP SO WE CAN GET A GOOD VACUUM SEAL. LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE TURN OUR VACUUM ON. ALL RIGHT. YOU CAN SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING. THE AIR IS LEAVING THAT CONTAINER. THE AIR INSIDE THE PEEPS IS PUSHING OUTWARDS, CAUSING THEM TO EXPAND. THEN WHEN I TURN MY VACUUM BACK OFF, WE WILL SEE THEY SHRINK BACK DOWN. THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE THE AIR LEFT THE PEEPS. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO PUSH OUTWARDS. IT COMPRESSES THEM BACK DOWN TO THEIR SHAPE. ADRIAN: EVEN SMALLER THAN THEY WERE BEFORE. >> EXACTLY, BECAUSE WE GOT ALL THE AIR THAT WAS INSIDE OUT. I RECOMMEND WEARING A SPACESUIT IF YOU DO GO TO SPACE. ADRIAN: OUR THIRD PERIL. >> SUPERCOLD. SPACE GETS INCREDIBLY COLD. IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED, BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN. WE WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT WITH THE PEEPS. WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED LIQUID NITROGEN. IT IS SUPER, SUPER, SUPER, SUPERCOLD. ANYTHING YOU PUT INSIDE WILL GET YOU COOLLY COLD -- WILL GET EQUALLY COLD. . WE ARE GOING TO POUR SOME OF THIS NITROGEN INTO MY BEAKER. WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT IT IMMEDIATELY STARTS BOILING. FOGGING UP. IT IS FREEZING THE AIR MOLECULES. A LOT OF WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS LITERALLY A CLOUD, WATER FROM THE AIR CONDENSING AND FORMING A CLOUD. YOU CAN SEE THE NITROGEN IS BOILING RIGHT THERE. HUMANS, BUT TO NITROGEN IT FEELS LIKE A BOILING OVEN IN HERE, SUPERCOLD. WE WILL EXPOSE THE PEEPS TO THIS TEMPERATURE. BASICALLY, I WILL PLOP THEM IN THEIR. GET THEM COLD. WE WILL GO AND USE OUR TONGS TO GET THEM IN THERE REALLY DEEP. THEY DO NOT CHANGE TOO MUCH ON THE OUTSIDE RIGHT AWAY, BUT WILL YOU WILL -- WHAT WE WILL DO TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY HAVE FROZEN IS SMASH THEM WITH A HAMMER. I WILL ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT PROBABLY DONE THIS IN YOUR LIFE. ADRIAN: I HAVE NOT. >> NEVER ONCE. THAT IS STRANGE. I AM GOING TO PLACE THESE PEEPS ON OUR CUTTING BOARD. YOU WILL TAKE THE HAMMER AND SMASH AWAY. READY? LETS DO TWO AT THE START. SMASH. ADRIAN: THAT IS FUN. >> LETS SEE IF WE CAN DO A COUPLE MORE. ONE PEEP, TWO PEOPLE. -- TWO PEEP. ANYMORE? THERE ARE NO LONGER PEEPS. FANTASTIC. JAZMIN: WE HAVE MADE IT -- ADRIAN: WE HAVE MADE IT THROUGH THE 3 -- >> MOST DANGEROUS ASPECTS OF SPACE. MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT A WHEN YOU GO TO SPACE. ADRIAN: SPENCER WITH THE ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER, THANK YOU. WHERE CAN THE KIDS AND THE FAMILY LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE EXPERIMENTS? >> WE HAVE BOSS AND STUFF GOING ON AT THE SCIENCE CENTER -- WE HAVE AWESOME STUFF GOING ON AT THE SCIENCE CENTER. ALL THE TIME. WE HAVE A WEBSITE TOO, OSC.ORG, ALL KINDS OF STUFF YOU CAN DO A HOME. ADRIAN: THANKS. SO MUCH FUN TO SMASH PEEPS. IT IS CATHARTIC. IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT OTHER COOL STUFF IS HAPPENING, IT IS OPEN THURSDAY TROUGH TUESDAY. THEY GO THROUGH A THOROUGH CLEANING PROCESS EACH NIGHT. WEDNESDAYS, THEY ARE CLOSED OR DEEP CLEANING. THEY ARE OFFERING A WEEKLY SCIENCE CAMP FOR KIDS. AND IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT THEYRE CREATING FOR AT-HOME SCIENTISTS, THEYVE GOT A NEWSLETTER YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR ON THEIR WEBSITE. WE DID A COUPLE MORE EXPERIMENTS WITH THEM. I WILL TELL YOU THIS ONE IS AWESOME. THEY ARE JUST RAMPING IT UP. JAZMIN: SMASHING PEEPS, LIKE TAKING KIDS TO A RAGE

The Science of It: Space Travel

Updated: 10:36 AM EDT Aug 4, 2020

Today's edition of The Science of It is all about space travel.In honor of the astronauts who just returned to Earth from space, we're learning about how space travel affects the human body.Check out the demonstration above to learn about radiation, cold temperatures in space, liquid nitrogen and more!

Today's edition of The Science of It is all about space travel.

In honor of the astronauts who just returned to Earth from space, we're learning about how space travel affects the human body.

Check out the demonstration above to learn about radiation, cold temperatures in space, liquid nitrogen and more!

Link:

The Science of It: Space Travel - WESH 2 Orlando

The Science Books We’re Reading in Fall 2020 – Discover Magazine

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This story appeared in the September/October 2020 of Discover magazine as "What We're Reading." We hope youll subscribe toDiscoverand help support science journalism at a time when its needed the most.

By Steve Olson

On Aug. 9, 1945, an atomic bomb carrying 13 pounds of plutonium was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. Six days later, Japan surrendered, ending World War II. Science writer Olson builds a gripping story around the oft-forgotten factory where that plutonium was produced: the Hanford nuclear production complex in Washington state. The plutonium made at Hanford didnt just bring the war to a close, Olson argues it forever changed the world we live in.

When certain types of atoms are split apart, it creates a chain reaction that generates the massive amounts of energy needed to power an atomic bomb. Its only fitting, then, that the books narrative is itself a chain reaction, tracing a line from the race to weaponize atomic energy to the construction of Hanfords sprawling production facilities to the stockpiling of the U.S. nuclear arsenal during the Cold War. Through that sequence of events, the thrill of discovering plutonium is inexorably linked to Olsons depiction of human tragedy in Nagasaki.

Olsons explosive cocktail of basic physics and wartime drama had me, both a science nerd and a history buff, drinking deep from every page. Admittedly, a book titled The Apocalypse Factory might not be the lightest reading material during a pandemic. But as I became invested in this riveting tale of brilliant minds working together amid a global crisis, the promise and peril of scientific achievement resonated deeply.

By Terry Virts

What would it really be like to don a spacesuit and launch into the cosmos? In this collection of essays about spaceflight, NASA astronaut Virts takes the guesswork out of the question. Whether hes musing about floating in zero gravity, an astronauts diet or the psychological toll of space travel, Virts firsthand accounts are richly detailed and often snort-milk-out-of-your-nose hilarious. Take the chapter on whether anyone has ever, uh, you know, in space aptly titled, It Was a Long 200 Days.

By Rebecca Giggs

You might think you know a thing or two about whales, but Giggs shows just how much these animals have to teach us like that whales might be able to sense Earths magnetic fields to navigate the oceans inky darkness. Nor does she limit herself to biology, detailing whales carved in stone, depicted in literature and even heard on vinyl records. Blending scientific precision with lyrical prose, Giggs makes you feel like youre seeing a whale for the very first time.

By David Eagleman

As neuroscientist Eagleman argues, the brains neural circuitry isnt set in stone rather, it is constantly being reshaped by our experiences in the world. Unraveling decades of research, Eagleman explores heady topics like how brains grow, why we dream and why thousands of people in the 1980s and only then saw book pages as tinted pink.

By Chip Jones

In 1968, after black factory worker Bruce Tucker suffered a severe head injury, surgeons at the Medical College of Virginia transplanted his heart into a white businessman without notifying Tuckers family of his hospitalization, much less the transplant. As journalist Jones weaves a rigorously researched story of race and medical mistreatment, he reveals how human rights can be eroded in the pursuit of scientific progress.

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The Science Books We're Reading in Fall 2020 - Discover Magazine

Bitcoin Price Seals Best Weekly Close in 2.5 Years: 5 Things to Know – Cointelegraph

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Bitcoin (BTC) greets another week with a push to $12,000 and its highest weekly close since after it hit $20,000 will it return?

Cointelegraph takes a look at five things that stand to impact BTC price performance in the coming five days.

Bitcoin hitting $12,000 again early Monday was more than just a boon for traders in doing so, BTC/USD sealed its highest close on weekly time frames since January 2018.

This means that no single week of price action ended at such high levels since, including during the height of last years bull market.

Having pleased analysts for several months in the short term, Bitcoin thus followed through on longer timeframes a crucial move to cement the upward trajectory.

Now, investors seeking confirmation that the bull market will continue may well have received it versus daily and hourly developments, a multi-year high weekly close is significant.

BTC/USD was thus up 2.4% on the day, with weekly gains sitting at 7% and monthly returns at over 30%.

Price-wise, $12,000 represents the highest that Bitcoin has reached since June 2019, three months after a Q2 bull market took the cryptocurrency from $4,000 to $13,800 a level which this cycle has yet to reach.

BTC/USD 7-day price chart. Source: Coin360

Bitcoins price surge comes the week after United States president Donald Trump added to existing geopolitical tensions by banning Chinese social media platform TikTok.

The resulting escalation of ties with Beijing adds to existing weakness in the U.S. dollar and ongoing concerns over Coronavirus a perfect storm for a flight to safe haven assets.

At the same time, Trump signed a series of executive orders on Coronavirus stimulus, something which now has a curious impact on markets which are already subject to heavy intervention from the Federal Reserve.

This time around, however, the measures will have a smaller direct effect on the average American. A payroll tax delay, for example, does not go far enough in the eyes of critics.

This fake tax cut would also be a big shock to workers who thought they were getting a tax cut when it was only a delay, Bloomberg quoted Democratic Senator Ron Wyden as saying in a statement.

These workers would be hit with much bigger payments down the road.

It is this delaying the inevitable financial cost to personal wealth, which lies at the heart of the pro-Bitcoin argument high-time-preference economic behavior ultimately costs much more in the long term than the immediate benefit to the target audience.

Where Bitcoin might head in the short term is now less clear cut when considering its historical performance versus other macro assets.

The period since March, which saw a cross-asset crash, was marked first by a correlation to stock markets, and then to safe havens and specifically gold.

Gold hit its all-time highs in U.S. dollar terms weeks before Bitcoin began significantly gaining, and its run has continued until now.

A slight correction took XAU/USD to $2,030 from highs of near $2,075 should the trend continue, Bitcoin may likewise cool off from its upward momentum.

Nonetheless, as Cointelegraph reported, incoming action from the Fed looks set to buoy the precious metal further in a wildly bullish policy shift to expanding inflation way beyond its current rate of 0.6%.

Stocks were likewise looking less stable analysts were warning over fallout for developing markets thanks to Turkeys currency crisis, and China sanctioning U.S. officials over Hong Kong added to pressure.

Bitcoin up as tensions rise in Asia. Capital flight out of Asia taking the Bitcoin express, RT host Max Keiser summarized, adding:

You cant take it with you, unless its Bitcoin - then you can take IT ALL with you (Something near impossible with Gold).

Another volatile weekend has opened up a classic feature for short-term Bitcoin price forecasting a gap in CME Bitcoin futures markets.

The weekends volatility means that futures finished Friday at $11,680 and began again at $11,750. The resulting void provides a key price target, with Bitcoin historically filling such gaps within days or even hours.

Last week saw just such a setup emerge, with volatility aiding the trend after weeks of flat price action removed gaps from the market altogether.

Another gap lower down at $9,700 still remains from July.

CME Bitcoin futures chart showing recent latest gaps. Source: TradingView

For quant analyst PlanB, creator of Bitcoins stock-to-flow price forecasting model, the bullish action of the past weeks is exactly to be expected.

Earlier in August, PlanB noted that BTC/USD was filling out the stock-to-flow chart according to historical precedent since Mays block subsidy halving, dots have confirmed that current behavior falls within the rules.

Bitcoin stock-to-flow chart as of August 10. Source: Digitalik

On the topic of major players flipping bullish, meanwhile, he added last week that when bitcoin was $4k in 2019, lot of big accounts were bearish, predicting $1k.

Behind the scenes, however, signs were that if $6,000 appeared, the mood would change to favor the bulls.

That actually happened, we shot through $6k. Now many were bearish at $9k .. $13.5k will be interesting, PlanB wrote.

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Bitcoin Price Seals Best Weekly Close in 2.5 Years: 5 Things to Know - Cointelegraph

U.S. Congressman: Coronavirus Crisis Will Make Bitcoin More Important And Stronger – Forbes

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The coronavirus pandemic has caused an unprecedented global economic crisis, not unlike the 2008 global financial crisis that led to bitcoin's creation.

A number of investors have turned to bitcoin in recent months to combat the inflation they see coming as a result of the unprecedented coronavirus stimulus measures the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks have pumped into the system.

Now, with the bitcoin price following other so-called safe-haven assets like gold higher over the last week, U.S. Congressman Tom Emmer has said he expects bitcoin to "get stronger" as the world emerges from the coronavirus crisis.

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., is a long-time advocate of bitcoin, cryptocurrencies and blockchain and ... [+] thinks bitcoin will be strengthened once the world emerges from the economic chaos caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

"As we come out of the crisis, bitcoin isn't going away," U.S. representative Tom Emmer (R-MN) told bitcoin and crypto investor Anthony Pompliano, speaking during an interview on Pompliano's popular podcast, adding bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are going to "continue to become more and more important."

"[Bitcoin is] going to get stronger. You just watch, it has value, when something has value, people are going to take risks and its going to advance."

Emmer pointed to recent developments, including U.S. regulators last week authorizing banks to provide custody for cryptocurrencies, as the kind of progress that will bring bitcoin and crypto into the mainstream.

Emmer also criticized modern centralized monetary systems, going back to the U.S. departure from the gold standard in the 1970s.

"There are things happening that are going to disrupt the centralized nature of our society. We're about to blow that whole thing up, because of the pandemic, I believe," Emmer said.

Bitcoin is powered by decentralized blockchain technology that replaces centralized authority with a distributed network. Using blockchain, some think governments will be able to move away from top-down, centralized systems.

"I think were just moving into that next phase, which is why crypto, the area, excites me."

After crashing in March, the bitcoin price has strongly rebounded, climbing back above the ... [+] psychological $10,000 per bitcoin level last month.

Emmer has advocated for decentralized and blockchain-powered innovation in the past, calling for the U.S. government to take advantage of cryptocurrency technology.

Just this week, he co-signed a letter to the IRS, requesting the U.S. tax agency create a policy that supports the protocols used to create some cryptocurrencies, known as proof-of-stake.

Earlier this year, he raised concerns that regulation could ultimately smother innovation and called on the U.S. government to provide more regulatory clarity for the crypto industry.

"We're not going backward when it comes to the internet superhighway," Emmer told Pompliano. "We've got to go forward."

Emmer also used the recent Twitter hack, where high-profile Twitter accounts were hijacked and used to promote a bitcoin scam, to lend his support to bitcoin.

"Bitcoin isn't the problem," he tweeted in the wake of the attack. "Centralized control is."

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U.S. Congressman: Coronavirus Crisis Will Make Bitcoin More Important And Stronger - Forbes

Bitcoin and Ripples XRP Weekly Technical Analysis August 10th, 2020 – Yahoo Finance

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Bitcoin

Bitcoin rose by 5.57% in the week ending 9th August. Following on from an 11.11% rally from the previous week, Bitcoin ended the week at $11,675.3.

It was a bullish week for Bitcoin and the broader market. Bitcoin slipped to a Monday intraweek low $10,943.0 before making a move.

Steering clear of the first major support level at $9,967, Bitcoin rallied to a Friday intraweek high $11,900.

Falling short of the weeks first major resistance level at $12,119, Bitcoin fell back to $11,500 levels before finding support.

5 days in the green that included a 4.93% rally on Wednesday delivered the upside for the week.

Bitcoin would need to avoid a fall through $11,506 pivot to support another run the first major resistance level at $12,069 into play.

Support from the broader market would be needed for Bitcoin to break out from the current week high $12,060.

Barring another extended crypto rally, the first major resistance level would likely cap any upside.

In the event of a breakout, Bitcoin could break out from the second major resistance level at $12,463 to target $13,000 levels.

A fall through the $11,506 pivot would bring the first major support level at $11,112 into play.

Barring an extended sell-off, Bitcoin should avoid sub-$11,000 levels and the second major support level at $10,549.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was up by 2.80% to $12,002.0. A bullish start to the week saw Bitcoin rise from an early morning low $11,675.3 to a high $12,060 on Monday.

Bitcoin tested the first major resistance level at $12,069 at the start of the week.

Ripples XRP slipped by 0.04% in the week ending 9th August. Following the previous weeks 33.50% breakout, Ripples XRP ended the week at $0.28781.

A bullish start to the week saw Ripples XRP rally to a Monday intraweek high $0.31950 before hitting reverse.

Falling short of the first major resistance level at $0.3395, Ripples XRP slid to a Friday intraweek low $0.27742.

Steering well clear of the first major support level at $0.22249, Ripples XRP revisited $0.29 levels before slipping back to sub-$0.29 levels and into the red.

3-days in the red reversed Mondays 7.68% rally to leave Ripples XRP in the red for the week.

Ripples XRP would need to avoid a fall through the $0.29491 pivot to support a run at the first major resistance level at $0.31240.

Support from the broader market would be needed, however, for Ripples XRP to break back through to $0.31 levels.

Barring an extended crypto rally, the first major resistance level would likely cap any upside.

In the event of another breakout, 23.6% FIB of $0.3134 and the second major resistance level at $0.33699 could come into play.

A fall through the $0.29491 pivot would bring the first major support level at $0.27032 into play.

Barring an extended broader-market sell-off, however, Ripples XRP should steer well clear of the second major support level at $0.25283.

At the time of writing, Ripples XRP was up by 2.62% to $0.29536. A bullish start to the week saw Ripples XRP rise from an early Monday low $0.28821 to a high $0.29550.

Ripples XRP left the major support and resistance levels untested at the start of the week.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

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Bitcoin and Ripples XRP Weekly Technical Analysis August 10th, 2020 - Yahoo Finance

BTC Breaks $12k on the Eve of Grayscale’s Bitcoin TV Ad Campaign – Ethereum World News

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Quick take:

Just yesterday, crypto traders and enthusiasts were optimistic that Bitcoin (BTC) would close the week above the $11,500 support zone. As it so happens, Bitcoin did more than close above the preferred value of $11,500 but went as far as to retest the $12k ceiling and print a daily peak of $12,077 Binance rate.

The move up by Bitcoin to $12k levels has been attributed to Grayscales national ad campaign that starts today, August 10th. According to Barry Silbert, the founder of Grayscale, the campaign ads will be on the major US TV stations of CNBC, MSNBC, FOX and Fox Business. Mr. Silbert also added that the goal of the ad campaign is to bring crypto to the masses. His comments can be found in the following Tweet.

The Managing Director of Grayscale, Michael Sonnenshein, went further and announced that the first ad will be aired on CNBC at 7 am ET. Below is his Tweet making the announcement.

As earlier mentioned, Bitcoin bulls were optimistic that BTC would close the week at a value above $11,500. The last time Bitcoin closed the week above this price level was in January 2018. Therefore, by achieving this feat only hours ago, Bitcoin has confirmed that it is still in bullish territory. Furthermore, it also indicates that the value of BTC has more room to grow.

What remains to be seen in the hours or days to follow, is whether Bitcoin successfully turns the $12k price area into a support zone. At the time of writing, trade volume is in the green and the 6-hour MACD is about to cross in a bullish manner pointing to a possible second drive up for Bitcoin as it attempts to permanently claim $12k.

As with all analyses of Bitcoin, traders and investors are advised to use adequate stop losses as well as low leverage to protect trading capital.

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BTC Breaks $12k on the Eve of Grayscale's Bitcoin TV Ad Campaign - Ethereum World News

Conservation officer rescues two men stranded offshore of Drummond Island – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

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Two stranded men from Chicago repeatedly expressed their gratitude to Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Todd Sumbera after he rescued them from rough water near Drummond Island Friday afternoon.

Sumbera was conducting marine patrol offshore in Chippewa County, north of Drummond Island, west of Harbor Island, at approximately 1:43 p.m. when he saw two people in the water clinging to an overturned personal watercraft.

As Sumbera approached, he identified himself as a conservation officer there to help. The younger of the two, a 41-year-old man who didn't know how to swim, was panicked and exhausted, saying, "Thank God." Both men were improperly wearing torn life jackets and had been in the water for about 10 minutes.

"Im happy that Sumbera safely returned the men to shore in what could have been a much worse situation had the men not been wearing life jackets," said Chief Gary Hagler, DNR Law Enforcement Division. "This is an example of how wearing a life jacket can save a life."

After Sumbera helped the men onto his patrol vessel, he determined both to be in stable condition.

The older man, 64, told Sumbera that they had never operated a personal watercraft before and the high winds and rough water "swamped them extremely fast" when they put the watercraft in reverse.

Sumbera towed the waterlogged watercraft back to the Drummond Island Yacht Haven and returned the two men to shore. He advised the men to obtain and use properly fitting, well-maintained life jackets before their next adventure.

There have been several drownings and near-drownings in Michigan this summer. If your plans include time on the water, please refer to the DNR website for important tips on boating and Great Lakes beach safety.

Michigan conservation officers are fully commissioned state peace officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety and protect residents by providing general law enforcement duties and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve. Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers.

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Conservation officer rescues two men stranded offshore of Drummond Island - Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

A Research Retrospective: Offshore Fault Mapping of the San Andreas – United States Geological Survey

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In the early morning hours of April 18th,1906, an alarming shake and rumble underfoot along the coastal areas of northern California gave way to a living nightmare of unprecedented devastation. At 5:12am, what would be considered one of the most devastating earthquake events in U.S. history wreaked unimaginable havoc on the burgeoning city of San Francisco.

This photograph, taken by George Lawrence from a series of kites five weeks after the great earthquake of April 18, 1906, shows the devastation brought on the city of San Francisco by the quake and subsequent fire. The view is looking over Nob Hill toward business district, South of the Slot, and the distant Mission. The Fairmont Hotel, far left. dwarfs the Call Building. (photo courtesy of Harry Myers).

(Credit: George Lawrence. Public domain.)

This California earthquake ranks as one of the most well-known and impactful of all time. Today, its importance stems not only from the sheer magnitude of the quake (7.7-7.9), but also from the wealth of scientific knowledge derived from studying the event. Rupturing the northernmost 477 kilometers (296 miles) of the San Andreas fault from northwest of San Juan Bautista to the triple junction at Cape Mendocino, the earthquake confounded geologists with its large, horizontal movement and the massive length of the fault rupture.

Enechalon fractures from The Great 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

(Public domain.)

The full scope of the fault and how much it had shifted would not be fully appreciated until the advent of plate tectonics more than half a century later; in fact, study of this 1906 event ushered in the dawn of a seismic scientific revolution and the creation of a preeminent report on such events, the Lawson Report of 1908.

In early 2019, Samuel Johnson of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Jeffrey Beeson of Fugro USA Marine Inc., for the first time mapped a 35-kilometer-long offshore section of the fault between Tomales Point and Fort Ross, California.

Staff image of Dr. Samuel Johnson, retired from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

(Photo courtesy of Dr. Samuel Johnson)

Using high-resolution surface and subsurface mapping data collected with high-tech acoustic instruments, Johnson and Beeson created highly detailed maps of the area, which resulted in some significant new findings: (1) two large zones (each ~ 5 km2) of sediment failure on the sloping seafloor offshore of the Russian River, lobes that appear to have formed when the intense shaking from the 1906 earthquake resulted in sand liquefaction, were documented; (2) the strike of the fault on both a local and regional scale was found to impact both the offshore and the adjacent onshore landscapes, including basins, uplifted marine terraces, beaches, and coastal sand dunes; and (3) two active strands of the fault were mapped within the northern part of Bodega Bay, each of which has moved tens of meters within the past 10,000 years, which is an incredibly far distance in terms of geologic movement.

The Seismological Society of America (SSA) published this new report in April of 2019. In SSAs press release of the report, Dr. Johnson offered his perspective on the project: Its a major geoscience oversight that these northern areas have not been studied before, said Johnson. But we have been waiting for the technology to advance, allowing us to look at these areas in high resolution.

Shadedrelief image of the region between RR and Tomales Bay (TB). Labels near black arrows show rates (mm/yr) of marine terrace uplift in RR and Bodega isthmus (BI) areas. Yellow arrows show direction of littoral drift in the RR and Bodega Bay (BB) littoral cells. The two littoral cells terminate in large coastal sand dune fields (yellow shading) at the Bodega isthmus and Dillon Beach (DB). Gray area shows highresolution bathymetry in Californias State Waters. B, Bodega Harbor; BB, Bodega Bay; BH, Bodega Head; D, Duncans Point; EA, Estero Americano; SC, Salmon Creek; SCB, South Salmon Creek beach; TP, Tomales Point.

(Image courtesy of Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 2019;109(3):833-854. doi:10.1785/0120180158)

For the offshore work, geologists use acoustic mapping tools deployed from a slow-moving boat on a tight grid for complete water depth and seafloor mapping coverage. Comparable topographic mapping data on land are collected from an airplane using LIDAR (a pulsed laser instrument), producing data that allow geologists to examine and analyze a fault zone. However, it is virtually impossible to collect on-land subsurface acoustic data that is comparable to offshore data quality and density. Fault mapping in the oceans thus produces different but highly complementary data compared with on-land fault mapping.

Shaded relief image showing location of shoreline (purple line at outer edge of yellow shaded area) at 30m lower than present. Sea level was lower than 30m for about 85% of the last 100,000yr, during which time the TomalesBodega valley (in orange) was an 50kmlong and 12kmwide subaerial valley, separated from the Pacific Ocean by Point Reyes (PR) and the continuous, narrow TomalesBodega ridge between Bodega head (B) and Tomales Point (T). Blue lines show some drainages including RR; red dashed line shows NSAF northwest and southeast of the TomalesBodega Valley. Dark gray shows available highresolution bathymetry.

(Image courtesy of Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 2019;109(3):833-854. doi:10.1785/0120180158)

As the technology to chart underwater faults progressed, mapping this poorly known section of the northern San Andreas Fault became possible. The maps revealed signs of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which may hold clues as to how the fault might rupture again in the future.

Normally if you were studying a fault zone on land and found a prominent fault strand, you would probably assume that was the strand that has most recently ruptured, Dr. Johnson explained in April of 2019. Because we found two strands here, its a cautionary tale for earthquake geologists to comprehensively map fault zones. You may only capture part of the earthquake history or slip rate along a fault if you only know about one strand in a multi-strand zone.

Without a comprehensive picture of fault zones, critical information about the characteristics of active faults and how they interact with each other could be missed information that ultimately helps predict future quakes and protect people from their impacts. Looking back at the study more than a year later, Dr. Johnson imparted just how important having the full picture of fault dynamics is to communities along fault zones:

These data directly contribute to federal and state earthquake hazard assessments, most notably the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps and the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast. California is earthquake country, and the safety and viability of the built relies on accurate earthquake hazard assessments. Hazard assessments have enormous economic impact as they are used in seismic provisions for building codes, insurance rate structures, risk assessments, land-useplanning, and other public policy. This section of the San Andreas fault ruptured in the 1906 M~7.9 San Francisco earthquake, with similar events thought to have a recurrence interval of about 250 years. It is important to understand recent earthquake effects in order to prepare for the inevitable next San Andreas fault earthquake.

Index map of northern California showing northern San Andreas fault (NSAF), regional faults (U.S. Geological Survey and California Geological Survey, 2010), and area of this investigation (Fig.2, box). NSAF is the transform fault boundary between the Pacific plate and the Sierra NevadaGreat Valley microplate (relative plate motion of 39mm/yr).

(Image courtesy of Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 2019;109(3):833-854. doi:10.1785/0120180158)

Dr. Johnson retired from the USGS in June 2019, but remains an emeritus research geologist, still working out of the same lab at the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) in Santa Cruz, California. In his emeritus position, he remains actively engaged in work on the San Andreas and other fault networks in the region.

Staff of the USGS PCMSC Geohazards project are now conducting similar geophysical mapping of the Cascadia subduction zone offshore of the U.S. Pacific Northwest, he said during an online interview recently. Additionally, comparable geophysical mapping work is now also occurring offshore in central California. It is an area of research that continues to provide ample opportunity to learn how earthquakes behave and how they can impact communities.

I continue to be fascinated by how the trend of the [San Andreas] fault has so much control on adjacent landscape geomorphology at both the local and regional scale. In fact, earlier this year, we published a study on how active faults, combined with sea-level rise and sediment supply, control offshore sediment distribution along a ~800-km-long section of the California coast. Documentation and synthesis of the many ways that faults control the landscape, including offshore sediment distribution, is fascinating.

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A Research Retrospective: Offshore Fault Mapping of the San Andreas - United States Geological Survey

Heres why you cant bet on the outcome of the November election in Nevada – Las Vegas Review-Journal

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Shark migration patterns. The winner of the 2020 presidential election. The color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach at the Super Bowl.

All are fun, unique betting opportunities none of which is legal in Nevada.

As legal sports betting expands across the country, many bettors have turned their back on illegal bookies. But offshore online sportsbooks which arent hampered by the U.S. legal markets restrictions continue to grow.

I think (bettors are) partially attracted to unique bets, said Casey Clark, senior vice president of strategic communications for the American Gaming Association, which represents the $261 billion U.S. casino industry. (But) theres no way to regulate (the illegal, offshore) marketplace.

Its all about patron safety

Illegal offshore books can offer compelling wagers, but Clark said there is no guarantee that bettors will get paid out if they win.

Theres no structure in place to hold anyone accountable, Clark said.

According to a July 21 statement from AGA, these operators continue to draw business from American consumers.

This only worsened during the sports shutdown, with unregulated bookmakers offering odds on everything from the weather to whether your friends marriage will survive the pandemic, said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller in the statement.

While the spread of legalized gambling across the U.S. seems to have drawn some money away from the illegal market, offshore sportsbooks are still growing. Spend from bettors in legal states on illegal bookies dropped 25 percent last year but grew 3 percent for illegal, offshore online sportsbooks, according to a July AGA report.

In Nevada, the states Gaming Control Board has laid out sports betting rules meant to protect bettors.

These regulating bodies help give safety and confidence that no one has an unfair advantage or any insider information, said Tony Alamo, former chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission. Its all about patron safety.

The statutes allow wagers on events sanctioned by a governing body, such as a sports league or the International Olympic Committee. They also prohibit certain bets, like the outcome of public office elections.

Sportsbook operators can get permission to offer wagers not laid out in the statutes, but they must be approved by the Nevada Control Board.

Alamo said the restrictions are meant to hold legal licensees to a high standard.

(With legal sportsbooks,) the patron is protected, thats the key to what Nevada does, he said. Every person who participates in some type of gaming must feel the confidence that theres nothing rigged or inappropriate.

He added that the legal market helps pay for problem gambling initiatives, and taxes go toward programs on everything from infrastructure to education.

A cautious approach

Local sportsbook operators say they understand the appeal of some of the bets found offshore.

As far as some of the offshore markets, they do a tremendous job out there, said Jay Kornegay, the director of Westgates sportsbook.

He pointed to wagers such as how many times Jerry Jones, billionaire owner of the Dallas Cowboys, is shown on screen during a game. Kornegay said the bet wouldnt be allowed in Nevada because there is no regulatory body that could provide an official count.

Theres no official results on how many times they show Jerry Jones on screen. We know hes in his suite, so if they show a panoramic view of the stadium, does that count? If its in the background, does that count? Kornegay said.

He added that wagers such as which team LeBron James will play for remain illegal in Nevada.

We shouldnt accept wages on anything a few people know the answer to, Kornegay said.

Kornegay has seen Nevada sports betting regulations ease in recent years allowing bets on MVP picks, for example but believes certain rules can be further relaxed.

(Nevada regulators) have always taken a cautious approach, which is understandable, he said. (But other markets) have now allowed wagers wed like to accept wagers on.

The Academy Awards is one example: Bets can be placed on winners in New Jersey and Indiana, but not Nevada. The countrys presidential election which is legal in the U.K. but not the U.S. is another.

Those bets could be lucrative for sportsbooks, which run on thin margins.

Kornegay said offshore operators have said the U.S. presidential election is by far their most popular bet, handling 10 times the amount of wagers as the Super Bowl, which earned Nevadas 190 books $18.8 million in February.

But there are hurdles. Kornegay said the academys reluctance to share their process for counting votes has made Nevada hesitate to allow wagers: We cant figure out when they start accepting (votes), when they start counting them, he said. And there are concerns that releasing odds on presidential candidates could influence election results.

Kornegay expects to see restrictions loosen up down the road, but Alamo said some of the bets found offshore probably will never make it to legal sportsbooks in Nevada.

The last thing a sportsbook operator wants to do is mimic an illegal bookmaking operation, he said. Operators must ask themselves, is it worth them taking a chance on a special event that would have a very small handle thus small profit that could put them in harms way with gaming regulators?

Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0233. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.

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Heres why you cant bet on the outcome of the November election in Nevada - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Industry Heavyweights To Invest In UMaine Offshore Wind Project Near Monhegan Island – mainepublic.org

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Industry Heavyweights To Invest In UMaine Offshore Wind Project Near Monhegan Island

The University of Maine's effort to pioneer floating offshore wind technology took a $100 million leap forward Wednesday with the announcement that two industry heavyweights are going to invest in development of the project near Monhegan Island.

A subsidiary of the Mitsubishi company, called Diamond Offshore Wind, is joining with RWE Renewables to invest the $100 million to build and deploy a full-scale, floating wind farm at the site, about 14 miles off Maine's coast. The new company, called New England Aqua-Ventus, will collaborate with the University of Maine composites program that was the incubator for the project's unique floating-platform technology.

"It's a big endeavor, says Chris Wisseman, a long time executive in the offshore wind industry who will lead the new company. It will take a couple years really, to get this off the ground right. To prove that we can build it with Mainers, deploy it safely and really use it as a laboratory for everybody to learn from."

The investment signals the full rehabilitation of an effort that had withered during the governorship of Republican Paul LePage, a fierce opponent of renewable energy projects he characterized as over-dependent on consumer subsidies. Two years ago, his appointees to the state Public Utilities Commission put a hold on a power contract vital to taking the Aqua-Ventus technology beyond the scale-model prototype that was deployed off Castine in 2013.

But last year the Legislature passed a law signed by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, directing the Commission to award a power contract to the project.

"That set the foundation for this project to take off, says Wisseman. So we come in as developer, we are essentially restarting development, selecting the final turbines, we are working on all the engineering details, and so the collaboration with the University is to finish that development, and now get it ready for construction."

The full-scale project will feature a giant turbine on a floating, concrete hull made from concrete. Maine-based Cianbro will construct the modular platform segments in Brewer and barge them down the Penobscot River to Searsport, where they will be con-joined with the turbine and tower and then taken out to sea.

The design was innovated at the University of Maine's Advanced Structures and Composites program, and it aims to allow economically competitive wind energy development in waters deeper than is practical for traditional fixed-platform systems. Backers say it will be the first full-scale floating wind platform in North America, giving Maine a prominent role in a potentially lucrative technology of the future.

"It's a big technology play from our perspective, and the university now has 43 patents," says Dr. Habib Dagher, who leads the university program.

The technology was also designed specifically so it can be built locally to create local jobs. That's really a big distinction between this technology and many others. We don't have to import the hulls from anywhere else. We're going to make them right here in Maine.

The project is expected to create 350 jobs during construction and could be completed by 2023. It has yet to receive any permits though, and is likely to run into some opposition from fishermen and others worried about offshore wind projects potential effects on marine life.

The new company is hiring Genevieve McDonald, a Stonington lobsterman and member of the Legislature, to be its liaison with maritime communities.

One outside observer who recently authored a federal report on the project, Walter Musial of the National Renewable Energy Laboratories, says the investors have deep pockets. Walter Musial says that allows them to play the long game.

Originally published at 5:46 p.m. Aug. 5, 2020.

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Industry Heavyweights To Invest In UMaine Offshore Wind Project Near Monhegan Island - mainepublic.org

Coronavirus live updates: 97,000 kids tested positive the last two weeks of July; college football faces decision time on fall season – USA TODAY

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Dr. Larry Brilliant, known for his role in helping to eradicate smallpox, says we can defeat COVID-19 if we can get our wits about us. USA TODAY

As the U.S. reached another bleak milestone on Sunday,a glimmer of hope from New York: The Empire State reported its lowest positivityrate since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

New York, for weeks the epicenter of the U.S.outbreak,reportedthe rate the average number of positive results for every 100 tests hit a record low 0.78% on Saturday. That figure once reached nearly 47% in early April, although testing was much more limited at the time. The rate had been around 1% since early June.

Meanwhile, the U.S. hit 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, just 17 days after reaching 4 million cases but experts agree the number of cases is actually much greater potentially 10 times higher than what's been reported,according to federal data.

The U.S. remains the most infected country, with about 25% of the worldwide cases.

Here are some significant developments:

Today's numbers:The U.S. has recorded more than 162,000 deaths and 5 million cases of COVID-19, according toJohns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 731,000 deaths and 19.8 million cases.

What we're reading:Without a national plan on how to best allocate hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 tests each day, there'snot enough capacity now to screen Americans who might unwittingly pass the virus to others.

Disney World reopened nearly a month ago, and most Disney theme parks around the globe have also reopened after closing due to the coronavirus pandemic.One that hasn't: Disneyland.

And it's unlikely that the Anaheim, California, park will reopen anytime soon. California leads the nation in coronavirus cases more than 550,000 on Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins data and state officials aren't ready to let theme parks reopen.

Disneyland is waiting on guidance from state officials, and the company did not offer additional details.

Also in California, the state'stop public health official,Dr. Sonia Angell,resigned Sunday. Angell's departure comes as California announced a fix for a glitch that caused a lag in reporting coronavirus test results used to make decisions about reopening businesses and schools.

Curtis Tate

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero tested positive for COVID-19, Guam'sgovernment said in a statement Monday.

Leon Guerrero said she had been in contact with a close relative who had tested positive and she later tested positive after experiencing symptoms. "I remain in good health despite exhibiting moderate symptoms of the virus,"Leon Guerrero added.

Pacific Daily News staff

Officials at theWuhan Institute of Virology shot down the claim that the new coronavirus originated at their lab before eventually spreading around the world as NBC News provided an inside look at the facility.

In the first report by a foreign news organization from inside the lab, NBC News met with scientists who said they have been unfairlyscapegoated as they continue to research the origins of the virus.

"Any person would inevitably feel very angry or misunderstood being subject to unwarranted or malicious accusations while carrying out research and related work in the fight against the virus,"Wang Yanyi, director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, told NBC News.

President Donald Trump and other administration officials have claimed without evidence that the virus originated in the Wuhan facility. The lab is equipped to study coronaviruses and other dangerous diseases.Yuan Zhiming, vice director of the institute, told NBC News that it first receivedsamples of the viruson Dec. 30, but the news outlet could not verify the claim.

Fitted N95 masksare the most effective atfiltering respiratory droplets from the mask's wearer while neck fleeces offer little protection compared to others, a team of Duke University researchers found.

Using 14commonly available masks as well as a professional fit-tested N95 and apatch of mask material, the researchers set up an experiment using a laser light and camera to show how many respiratory droplets are emitted when a person wearing each kind of mask speaks for 10 seconds.

Each mask was tested 10 times, and the results show that in addition to fitted N95 masks, surgical and cotton masks are also most effective at filtering droplets. Knitted masks andbandannas, similar to neck fleeces, offered little protection.

After theMid-American Conference canceled its football season,college football finds itself in a confusing place.In conversations with more than a dozen college sports officials over the weekend, the witching hour has brought to campuses and college presidents a more clear-eyed reality about what they dont know related to COVID-19 and the potential liabilities surrounding a virus whose long-term impact on the body is unclear.

The problem is, nobody wants to be the one to say what the majority of college athletics now instinctively knows: Rushing to play football right now just isnt a very good idea.

ESPN reported thatthe Power 5 conferences held an emergency meeting Sunday. While no decision was made,Big Ten presidents were ready to postpone their seasons and wanted to gauge whether top officials at schools in the other conferences would do the same, ESPN reported.

The overriding piece of this is its just not clearing up like we all hoped, said one athletics director, who spoke to USA TODAY Sportson the condition of anonymity. This is just too difficult for us to really believe that its right for us to go forward at the moment. It feels like were heading for a pause.

Dan Wolken

As three statesset records for new cases in a week and three othershad a record number of deaths, Americans are stillsearching for domestic vacation destinations that include places where COVID-19 case counts are rising, USA TODAY analyses show.

According to aUSA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Sunday, new case records were set in Hawaii, Indiana and North Dakota while record numbers of deaths were reported in Arkansas, Nevada and West Virginia, and also Puerto Rico.

Yet an analysis of data from Trivago, a platform for searching and booking hotels, showsAmericans'intention to travel is beginning to tick up again.

Trivago measures hotel search volume, which reflects travel requests and booking queries based on users link clicks. Last months volume was off 73% from the same time in 2019. And while it'sbeen up and down for months, Florida remained the countrys most-searched domestic travel destination, followed by California and Nevada.

Dian Zhang, David Oliver and Mike Stucka

At least 97,000 children in the United States tested positive for the coronavirus in the last two weeks of July alone, according toa new reportfrom the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Childrens Hospital Association.

All told, more than338,000 children have been infected since the pandemic began, according to data from the report,which relied on data from 49 states along with Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam.

Whether President Donald

announced an executive order Saturday that extends additional unemployment payments of up to $400 a week. Congress had approved payments of $600 a week at the outset of the coronavirus outbreak, but those benefits expired Aug. 1 and Congress has been unable to agree on an extension.

But under Trumps plan, the $400 a week requires a state to commit to providing $100.

Asked at a news conference how many governors had signed on to participate, Trump answered: If they dont, they dont. Thats up to them.

Trump expressed a different view on Sunday night, following a day of state officials questioning how they could afford even $100 per person in additional weekly payments. He told reporters as he returned to Washington that states could make application to have the federal government provide all or part of the $400 payments. Decisions would be made state by state, he said.

Brittany Goddards final semester at Howard University isnt the dream ending she imagined in Washington, D.C.

When the coronavirus pandemic shut down the U.S. economy in March,she scrambled to pack up her belongings, lost her part-time job and had her study abroad plans upended.And with just weeks to go before the fall semester begins, shes worried about how shell pay the remaining balance of her tuition and fees roughly $9,000 since her financial aid wont cover it at the private school.

Its heartbreaking. Im a low-income student. I can't afford tuition, says Goddard,who created a GoFundMe page to raise money since her mother doesnt have the means to take out another Parent PLUS Loan, a federal student loan available to parents of dependent undergraduate students.

Millions of students across the country, like Goddard, face financial strains and health fears as they decide whether to return to colleges and universities this fall.

Jessica Menton

New York took another major step in its recovery Sunday when the state reported its lowest positivity rate since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the rate the average number of positive results for every 100 tests hit a record low 0.78% on Saturday.Both the state and New York City have been at some version of the final stage of reopening for at least 20 days, and Cuomo said the current number of ICU patients 131 was the state's lowest since March 16.

The St. Louis Cardinals, who have played a major league-low five games because of a coronavirus outbreak in their ranks, won't get back on the field until at least Thursday.

MLB has postponed their three-game seriesagainst the Pittsburgh Pirates, which was supposed to start Monday, meaning the Cardinals will go at least15 days between games and will have just 46 days to play the remaining 55 games on the schedule.

The Cardinals have had at least nine players and seven staff members test positive for COVID-19, and manager Mike Shildt said that has led to a "few visits to the ER." St. Louis has had 15 games suspended.

Jesse Yomtov

New Zealand marked 100 days with a local transmission of COVID-19 on Sunday, the country's Ministry of Health said.

Achieving 100 days without community transmission is a significant milestone, however, as we all know, we cant afford to be complacent, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said.

We have seen overseas how quickly the virus can re-emerge and spread in places where it was previously under control, and we need to be prepared to quickly stamp out any future cases in New Zealand, he said.

There are still 23 active cases of COVID-19 in managed isolation facilities, the Ministry's news release said.

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The U.S. hit 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 Sunday, just17 days after reaching 4 million cases.The nation now has about 25% of cases reported worldwide.

Last week, President Donald Trump once again said the U.S. has the virus "under control," describing his administration's response to the pandemic as "incredible" in aninterview with Axios aired Aug. 3 on HBO. This despite an average daily death toll hovering around 1,000, with almost 60,000 new cases being reported daily.Alabama has just hit 100,000 cases. South Carolina is 540 shy and Virgina is 811 short. Texas is about closing in on500,000.

Trump's recurring theme has been to blame the high number of cases in the U.S.on the high rate of testing. Ominous hospitalization and death rates, however, are not a function of testing.

Khrysgiana Pineda and Mike Stucka

Several students and staff members at Atlanta-area schools that drew attention for crowding and scarce use of masks have tested positive for the coronavirus after the first week of classes, and now one of those schools is going online.

North Paudling High School west of Atlanta will switch to digital learning at least for Monday and Tuesday as its facilities are sanitized after nine students and staff members tested positive for the virus the first week of in-person classes.North Paulding had made headlines soon after students returned to school Aug. 3 when photos posted on social media showed hallways crowded with students, many of them not wearing masks.

And after only one week of school, more than 250 students and teachers from one Georgia school district will be asked to quarantine for two weeks after several teachers and students tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Cherokee County School District's website.

Doug Stanglin and Joel Shannon

On Facebook:There's still a lot unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we're sharing with you.Join our Facebook group,Coronavirus Watch,to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19.

In your inbox:Stay up-to-date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network.Sign up for thedailyCoronavirus Watchnewsletter here.

Tips for coping:Every Saturday and Tuesday we'll be in your inbox, offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times.Sign up forStaying Apart, Togetherhere.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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Coronavirus live updates: 97,000 kids tested positive the last two weeks of July; college football faces decision time on fall season - USA TODAY

Brazil Reaches Milestone of More Than 100,000 Covid-19 Deaths and 3 Million Cases – The New York Times

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At 5 million cases, the U.S. has passed another coronavirus milestone.

While politicians wrangled over a pandemic relief package and schools struggled over whether to open their doors to students, the United States passed another milestone on Saturday: more than five million known coronavirus infections.

No other country has reported as many cases. Brazil ranks second, with more than three million, and India is third with two million. (In cases per capita, the United States ranks eighth, between Oman and Peru.)

The data, from a New York Times database, is based on reports of known cases from federal, state and local officials. Public health experts have warned that the actual number of people infected is far greater.

Cases are trending upward in seven states, as well as in Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and decreasing in 17, according to The Times database. In the past week, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida had the most new cases relative to population.

The United States reported its millionth case on April 28, more than three months after the first reported case. The country passed two million cases on June 10, three million on July 7 and four million on July 23.

The United States now tests roughly 720,000 people a day, according to data from the Covid Tracking Project.

The number of new coronavirus cases daily peaked on July 16, with 75,697. It has been slowly tapering off since then, to a seven-day average of around 54,000 per day.

At least 161,000 people have died since the pandemic began. The seven-day average daily death toll is hovering around 1,000. That is down from a peak of more than 2,200 on a single day in mid-April, when bigger cities like New York and Seattle were hit the hardest. (The most deadly single day was April 15, with 2,752.)

But the seven-day average daily death toll is now significantly higher than it was in early July, when it was around 500. Cases have surged since then particularly in the Sun Belt states and in communities where officials moved quickly to reopen. Many of the places with the most cases per capita have been smaller cities and rural communities in the South and the Midwest.

President Trump took executive action on Saturday to circumvent Congress and try to extend an array of federal pandemic relief, resorting to a legally dubious set of edicts whose impact was unclear, as negotiations over an economic recovery package appeared on the brink of collapse.

It was not clear what authority Mr. Trump had to act on his own on the measures or what immediate effect, if any, they would have, given that Congress controls federal spending. But his decision to sign the measures billed as a federal eviction ban, a payroll tax suspension, and relief for student borrowers and the unemployed reflected the failure of two weeks of talks between White House officials and top congressional Democrats to strike a deal on a broad relief plan as crucial benefits have expired with no resolution in sight.

Mr. Trumps move also illustrated the heightened concern of a president staring down re-election in the middle of a historic recession and a pandemic, and determined to show voters that he was doing something to address the crises. But despite Mr. Trumps assertions on Saturday that his actions will take care of this entire situation, the orders also leave a number of critical bipartisan funding proposals unaddressed, including providing assistance to small businesses, billions of dollars to schools ahead of the new school year, aid to states and cities and a second round of $1,200 stimulus checks to Americans.

Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have chosen to hold this vital assistance hostage, Mr. Trump said, savaging the two top Democrats during a news conference at his private golf club in New Jersey, his second in two days. A few dozen club guests were in attendance, and the president appeared to revel in their laughter at his jokes denouncing his political rivals.

Brazil surpasses 100,000 virus deaths a month earlier than health officials predicted.

Five months after its first case of Covid-19, Brazil on Saturday passed the bleak milestones of 100,000 deaths and three million cases, according to a New York Times database.

President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied the severity of Brazils coronavirus crisis even as the death count has risen more quickly than the government anticipated.

Mr. Bolsonaros refusal to support social distancing measures pushed two health ministers out, leaving the countrys response to the virus to be led by a general with no experience in public health.

The ministry has yet to reach an agreement with city and state officials, who have been scrambling to respond with varying levels of success, on how to combat the pandemic.

In early March, officials at Brazils Ministry of Health predicted the virus would kill at least 100,000 of the countrys citizens. But they estimated that number would only be reached in September, said Julio Croda, who then headed the ministrys department overseeing immunization and transmissible diseases.

The presidency wouldnt believe in these numbers, he said. Its one month ahead of schedule because the social distancing measures fell.

Since June, Brazil has frequently reported more than 1,000 new deaths a day, as the number of new infections and deaths plateaued at a high level. Dr. Croda believes the country will continue on this trajectory for some weeks, adding tens of thousands of deaths to its toll in the coming months.

The numbers, he believes, will eventually fall as they have begun to do in severely hit states such as Amazonas when a large number of Brazilians acquire immunity to the virus.

But that has nothing to do with the government, Dr. Croda said. It is a consequence of tragedy.

The usual parental worries about college-bound children whether they will be happy, or productive, or find a suitable major leading to a stable career are getting sidelined this fall by one overwhelming concern: With coronavirus cases spiking in many parts of the country, will students be safe at school?

More than a quarter of U.S. colleges plan to begin fall instruction fully or mostly online, but many are still opening up their dorms. And at many schools, upperclassmen are returning to off-campus apartments, or fraternity or sorority houses. That leaves parents with the choice of forcing their 20-year-olds to stay home against their will, or allowing them to leave and join their friends, knowing the infection data may not be in their favor.

This is a situation where you have to pray for the best and be ready for the worst, said Kelly Hutchison, a retired firefighter and single father in Chicago whose daughter, Katelyn, is a student at Ithaca College.

Some parents are still debating whether their child should take the year off entirely. For schools on the semester system, tuition bills for thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars, are due this month. But up until those due dates, colleges are trying to be flexible. In many cases, you can defer admission, or you can take an academic leave, and theyll allow you to come back, said Lynn Pasquerella, the president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Taking such a break, however, may not be realistic, said Jill Schwitzgebel, a college counselor in Celebration, Fla. What is your child going to do with a gap year? she said. Getting a job is tough. Flying overseas is not happening.

Other updates from around the U.S.:

Princeton announced Friday that all undergraduate classes would be held online during the fall semester. In a statement, the universitys president said that the pandemic prevents a genuinely meaningful on-campus experience for undergraduates. On Monday, the university also said it would cut tuition by 10 percent for all undergraduates during the 2020-21 school year.

Johns Hopkins University made a similar announcement on Thursday, moving to remote learning and reducing undergraduate tuition by 10 percent for the fall term.

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California released guidance on Friday for colleges and universities that plan to reopen. For schools in counties that are flagged by the state for elevated transmission for three consecutive days, the guidance would prohibit indoor classes. Many of the campuses of California State University, the nations largest four-year public university system, have already committed to remote learning for the fall.

On Thursday, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst backtracked on a previous plan to let students enrolled in online classes live on campus. Just weeks before the semester is scheduled to begin, the university said only a small subset of students enrolled in essential face-to-face classes would be allowed into dorms and dining halls.

Officials at Harvard said on Thursday that they planned to allow up to 40 percent of undergraduates, including the entire freshman class, to return to campus for the fall, but that all instruction would be delivered online. The university has not offered discounted tuition.

At least nine killed in a fire at a makeshift virus clinic in India.

At least nine people were killed after a fire broke out on Sunday at a hotel in southern India that was being used as a makeshift Covid-19 facility, officials said.

The fire, in the city of Vijayawada, occurred at the Swarna Palace hotel, which was being used to shelter and treat patients who had tested positive for the coronavirus.

The police attributed the accident to a short circuit in an air-conditioner on the ground floor. After the blaze broke out early Sunday morning, panicked patients jumped from balconies on the upper floors and several were injured, according to local media outlets.

After most of Indias coronavirus restrictions were lifted in recent weeks, infections have surged, leading some states to move patients into hotels and other makeshift health facilities. As of Sunday, Indias health ministry had reported more than two million total infections and nearly 45,000 deaths.

Tens of thousands of motorcyclists swarmed the streets of Sturgis, S.D., on Saturday for an annual rally despite objections from residents and with little regard for the coronavirus.

The herds of people driving recreational vehicles, bikes and classic cars overran every street in town, making no effort to keep six feet apart. Few masks could be seen, and free bandannas being passed out were mostly folded, or wrapped around peoples heads.

With temperatures in the low 80s and not much cloud cover, many people crowded under shopping tents where Screw Covid shirts were sold, seeking shade.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, a 10-day affair that began Friday, is expected to attract roughly 250,000 enthusiasts this year about half the number who attended last year, but a figure that puts it on track to be among the countrys largest public gatherings since the first coronavirus cases emerged.

South Dakota is one of several states that did not impose a lockdown, and state officials have not required residents to wear masks.

Health experts say the coronavirus is less likely to spread outdoors, especially when people wear masks and socially distance. But large gatherings like the motorcycle rally also increase the number of visitors inside restaurants and stores.

A few businesses in Sturgis put up signs limiting the number of customers who could enter, but most did not.

Over the past week, South Dakota has reported an average of 87 coronavirus cases per day. At least two new virus deaths and 106 new cases were reported on Saturday.

Parents in the U.S. are suing schools, demanding they teach children in person.

Two parents sued the school board and health department in Franklin County, Ohio, this week demanding that their sons high school provide in-person classes to start the school year later this month. The lawsuit claims that remote learning, which the district plans to provide to all students until at least Sept. 21, does not meet their sons educational needs.

Similar lawsuits have been filed in other parts of the country, including Springfield, Mo., where three families are demanding five days a week of in-person classes, and California, where more than a dozen parents are seeking to overturn an order by Gov. Gavin Newsom that prevents schools from immediately reopening classrooms in most of the state.

Parents of private school students in Maryland also sued this week to block a Montgomery County order requiring private schools to teach remotely. The order was rescinded on Friday after a battle of authority between the county and the governor.

Distance learning has been proved to be largely ineffective, said Rex Elliott, the lawyer representing the Ohio parents suing the Upper Arlington Board of Education and the Franklin County Health Department. That is devastating to their educational growth in the face of a virus that, in this age group, simply is not a dangerous or lethal concern.

Public health experts continue to debate the evidence over how easily children contract or spread the virus. It is also unclear how often they develop a rare inflammatory condition that has been linked to Covid-19.

Hundreds of children in America, most of them previously healthy, have experienced an inflammatory syndrome associated with Covid-19, and most became so ill that they needed intensive care, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The syndrome, which can be deadly, has rattled parents and education officials as schools across the United States struggle with the prospect of reopening in the fall and the coronavirus continues its spread.

The researchers said that from early March to late July, the C.D.C. received reports of 570 young people ranging from infants to age 20 who met the definition of the new condition, called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children or MIS-C. The reports came from health departments in 40 states, as well as New York City and Washington, D.C.

The patients were disproportionately people of color, echoing a pattern in adults who have been struck by the respiratory disease caused by the virus. About 40 percent were Hispanic or Latino, 33 percent were Black and 13 percent were white, the report said. The median age was 8. About 25 percent of the patients had obesity before becoming sick.

MIS-C was first recognized in May as a condition linked to Covid-19 that appears to occur in children and young people who often had not developed any of the respiratory symptoms that are the primary way the virus attacks adults.

The syndrome, which can include a fever, rash, pinkeye, stomach distress, confusion, bluish lips, muscle weakness, racing heart rate and cardiac shock, appears to emerge days or weeks after the initial viral infection, and experts believe it may be the result of a revved-up immune system response to defeating the viruss first assault.

The C.D.C. reported that about two-thirds of the patients had no previous underlying medical conditions, and most experienced complications that involved four or more organ systems, especially the heart. Ten died. Nearly two-thirds were admitted to intensive care units for a median of five days.

The blockaded Gaza Strip might be among the few places in the world where no cases of community transmission of the coronavirus have been recorded a phenomenon attributed to the coastal enclaves isolation as well as to swift measures taken by its militant Hamas rulers.

But the pandemic has not left Gaza untouched.

Citing a need to combat the virus, the authorities that control Gazas borders have imposed new restrictions on movement outside the territory. That has exacerbated an already challenging situation for Palestinians who say they urgently need to travel to Israel and the West Bank.

Updated August 6, 2020

In March, fearing an outbreak in Gaza, the Hamas authorities ordered all travelers returning to the territory by way of Israel and Egypt to enter quarantine facilities for three weeks. They could not leave quarantine until they had passed two virus tests.

The system seems to have succeeded. All 78 known infections in the territory were detected at quarantine facilities.

Still, experts did not rule out the possibility of the pandemic penetrating into the areas densely populated cities and towns.

All it takes is one small mistake, said Gerald Rockenschaub, the head of the World Health Organizations mission to the Palestinians. Theres no guarantee the virus wont get inside.

Mr. Rockenschaub warned that Gaza lacked the resources to deal with a widespread outbreak, noting that medical institutions had only about 100 adult ventilators, most of which were already in use.

Low-wage and unemployed workers find themselves in limbo as stimulus measures expire.

Before the coronavirus hobbled the U.S. economy, many low-wage workers were already struggling to make ends meet.

After mass layoffs and a deep recession followed in the early months of the pandemic, millions of workers found themselves faced with evictions, late car payments, and crushing medical bills. For many, the main solace through the worst months of the crisis was a broad range of stimulus measures, including $600 per week in extra unemployment benefits.

But with those measures expiring, and no clear indication of whether new ones will replace them, many unemployed workers now find themselves in limbo, struggling to find work in an economy that remains significantly weakened.

Eviction moratoriums are expiring or have expired in much of the country, and a report released Friday warned that 30 million to 40 million tenants risk losing their homes in the coming months. The Paycheck Protection Program, which helped thousands of small businesses to retain workers, also ends this week.

Research from the last recession found that when unemployment benefits ran out, people cut their spending on food, medicine and other necessities, suggesting they were able to do little to prepare for the drop in income.

While wealthier families may be able to draw on savings to get by until Congress strikes a deal to prolong the stimulus, lower-income households face serious long-term consequences from even a temporary lapse in income. An eviction can make it hard to rent in the future. Having a car repossessed can make it hard to find another job. And for children, periods of hunger, homelessness and stress can have long-term effects on development and learning.

While the U.S. economy has slowly added back some jobs that vanished at the beginning of the pandemic, the unemployment rate still stands at over 10 percent. For those who may not return to work for some time, the loss of protections has only added to uncertainty about the future.

Heres how to regulate indoor air when summer weather coincides with a pandemic.

Even as the virus continues to spread widely, and public health officials have urged people to move activities outside as much as possible, the summer heat still tends to demand a great deal of time spent indoors.

For those who regularly share home or office spaces with others for extended periods, this may raise questions about indoor air quality. A growing number of scientists are convinced that significant virus transmission can occur through the air indoors, and that poor ventilation magnifies the risk. But the options available for increasing airflow or filtering out are not all created equal.

Experts have a few recommendations.

If the temperature outside is tolerable, consider opening a few windows to let outdoor air in.

The more outside air you have, the more you dilute the virus, said Jose-Luis Jimenez, an aerosol scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder.

In hotter climates, some air-conditioners can be used safely if they cool and circulate both outdoor and indoor air. But be wary of certain models that only recirculate the air inside.

Those looking to be especially cautious may consider using air filters. But as with air-conditioners, to derive any real benefit consumers should look to those that meet specifications to filter out virus particles that are far smaller than other airborne particles like dust or pollen.

Above all, experts caution that airflow patterns are difficult to predict. The best way to prevent spreading the virus inside may be to avoid holding indoor gatherings altogether.

The political parties in Belgium miss another deadline to form a government, and virus cases are increasing.

Even a pandemic could not bring Belgiums fractious political parties together.

Party leaders blew through a Saturday afternoon deadline to form a new government, more than a year and a half after the last one collapsed. The country has been operating with an emergency minority coalition throughout the coronavirus epidemic.

But the crisis has exposed the weaknesses in a bureaucratic political system it has among the highest Covid-19 death rates in the world. Belgium has nine health ministers who answer to six parliaments. Officials have acknowledged being slow to respond to the outbreak as they haggled over who was responsible for what.

Making ambitious change to the political system or taking up an aggressive economic stimulus package would most likely require a full-fledged majority government, something that has eluded Belgium since December 2018. Leaders of the two largest parties the conservative Flemish separatist party known as the N-VA and the French-speaking Socialists are seeking a majority coalition with smaller parties.

But party leaders said Saturday that they were unable to meet the deadline set by King Philippe, the Belgian head of state. The king extended the deadline, once again, to Aug. 17.

The country is polarized along regional and linguistic lines, making governing perpetually difficult. This is now the longest period without a formal government in Belgian history.

I hope to form a government as soon as possible, said Paul Magnette, the head of the French-speaking Socialists. Our country needs it to effectively combat the epidemic, which sadly is rising again.

New Yorkers, by and large, have adhered to rules mandating social distancing and mask wearing. The diligence has helped keep the coronavirus under control in the city even as outbreaks have raged across the United States, primarily in the South and the West.

As the summer wears on, however, mounting reports of parties, concerts and other social events, like a recent rave under the Kosciuszko Bridge, are raising fears that New Yorks hard-earned stability may be tenuous.

Over the last few weeks, videos and photos posted on social media have shown densely packed, mask-free crowds.

Its illegal, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said at a recent news conference, referring to the partying. It not only violates public health, but it violates human decency.

The images contrast sharply with the memories of a brutal spring in New York that left tens of thousands dead, disproportionately ravaging low-income communities and neighborhoods with high numbers of Black and Latino people.

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Brazil Reaches Milestone of More Than 100,000 Covid-19 Deaths and 3 Million Cases - The New York Times

August 9 update: The latest on the coronavirus and Maine – Bangor Daily News

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Another 17 cases of the new coronavirus have been detected in Maine, health officials said Sunday.

Sundays report brings the total coronavirus cases in Maine to 4,042. Of those, 3,625 have been confirmed positive, while 417 were classified as probable cases, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

No new deaths were reported Sunday, leaving the statewide death toll at 125. Nearly all deaths have been in Mainers over age 60.

Heres a roundup of the latest news on the coronavirus and its impact in Maine:

The wedding industry has become a nearly billion-dollar part of Maines economy, supporting everything from venues, hotels and rental businesses, to caterers, photographers and DJs as Maine has become an increasingly popular destination wedding location. Though most people planning weddings have rescheduled their events for 2021, a dramatically smaller 2020 season puts many of the businesses that support that industry in jeopardy. Emily Burnham, BDN

President Donald Trump on Saturday bypassed the nations lawmakers as he claimed the authority to defer payroll taxes and replace an expired unemployment benefit with a lower amount after negotiations with Congress on a new coronavirus rescue package collapsed. Jonathan Lemire and Zeke Miller, The Associated Press

The Postal Service already was facing questions over how it would handle the expected spike of mail-in ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic, but several operational changes imposed by its new leader have led to mail backlogs across the United States as rumors of additional cutbacks swirl, fueling worries about the November vote. Anthony Izaguirre and Matthew Daly, The Associated Press

With confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. hitting 5 million Sunday, by far the highest of any country, the failure of the most powerful nation in the world to contain the scourge has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe. Nicole Winfield and Lisa Marie Pane, The Associated Press

As the new academic year arrives, school systems across the United States are struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Roman Catholic educators have an extra challenge trying to forestall a relentless wave of closures of their schools that has no end in sight. David Crary, The Associated Press

As of Sunday afternoon, the coronavirus has sickened 5,024,088 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 162,707 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

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August 9 update: The latest on the coronavirus and Maine - Bangor Daily News