Around Ascension for July 22, 2020 | Ascension | theadvocate.com – The Advocate

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Ascension library closes after staffs test positive for coronavirus

After several staff members of the Ascension Parish Library System tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the library system has decided to temporarily close all of its locations.

A library news release said the decision "was made for the health and safety of both our staff and patrons."

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Curbside services, however, will continue and the book drops will remain open. No late fees will be issued during this time. The library is offering technology room access, including technology room access and reference help for one-hour appointments only, which can be made by calling to reserve a time slot.

Anyone entering the library must wear a mask.

For those without a library card, you can sign up for an eCard on the library's website at https://bit.ly/eCardSignUpAPL.

For more information, call library director Jennifer Patterson during operating hours at (225) 647-3955; visit http://www.myAPL.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@myAPLibrary).

Ascension Parish Clerk of Court Bridget Hanna has announced the dates for qualifying as a candidate for the Nov. 3 election. Qualifying will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.July 22-24 at the Clerks Office, 815 E. Worthey St., Gonzales, or 300 Houmas St., Donaldsonville.

Qualifying will be held for the following offices: 23rd Judicial District judges; 23rd Judicial district attorney; justices of the peace; constables; Donaldsonville Council members and mayor; and Gonzales mayor, chief of police and council members.

For information, call the Clerks Office at (225) 473-9866 or (225) 621-8400, ext. 223.

As part of efforts to fight litter and clean up Ascension Parish, President Clint Cointment announced that Ascension Parish is accepting white goods at the Recycling Center on Churchpoint Road.

We have contracted with a company to haul away scrap metal from our recycling center, Cointment said. And they pay us for the metal they take.

White goods are any large machines used in routine housekeeping, such as cooking, food preservation, or cleaning, whether in a household, institutional, commercial or industrial setting. White goods include refrigerators, freezers, stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers and water heaters.

Cointment said the parish has been accepting scrap metal and has a separate bin specifically designated for metals.

The Recycling Center is at the DPW headquarters, 42077 Churchpoint Road in Gonzales. Operating hours are Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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Around Ascension for July 22, 2020 | Ascension | theadvocate.com - The Advocate

Does the bus stand a chance in the era of COVID-19? Experts say yes – Detroit Free Press

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It's important to keep your car clean from bacteria. Here's what solutions you should use. USA TODAY

C. Mikel Oglesby doesnt think the end is nigh for public transportation.

Dire predictions have swirled about transits future as COVID-19 has upended the economy and kept commuters at home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested riding in a car alone is preferable to both ride sharing and public transportation, and ridership in general is down dramatically in many cities.

Its been about two months since Oglesby took the reins as Detroits executive director of transit, and its been an unprecedented period. Nothing in his 20 years in transit, he said last week,prepared him for a pandemic, but he said the Detroit Department of Transportation is working to meet the challenge.

Public transportation does have a future, Oglesby said, because of simple economics. New cars are expensive.

Residents exit and board the DDOT bus in front of Ascension St. John Hospital on Moross Road in Detroit on July 10, 2020. Fare collection has been temporarily suspended to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect essential bus drivers. Detroit Department of Transportation also provides surgical masks to all riders.(Photo: Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press)

Kelley Blue Book highlighted the affordability dilemma when it noted that the estimated average transaction price for a light vehicle in the United States last month was $38,530, up 3.1% from a year prior and 0.4% from May. This is also a time of high unemployment 11% in June and economic uncertainty.

A lot of people arent making a lot of money and you know they can take what they can afford. Hey, let me get on this bus, Oglesby said during a Transportation Riders United webinar, describing what a potential rider might say. All of a sudden they realize this isnt too bad. I should have been doing this a long time ago, and then boom you have a rider. We may lose some riders but gain others.

More: Retired DDOT union President Fred Westbrook Jr. dies of coronavirus

More: Detroit official to frustrated bus drivers: Sorry, but hazard pay will come a week late

Thats a rosy vision in a period of grim news. The developers of the popular Transit app, which helps transit users navigate their public transportation journeys, said on Thursday that transit demand was down 53% below normal. Demand was down in cities across the country. The San Francisco Bay Area, for example, was down a stunning 79% on Thursday. By comparison, Detroit saw a less dramatic but still significant decline in demand of 37% on the same day.

Theres no question the picture for transit and much else has changed from just a few months ago.

Downtowns like Detroits, which had seen dramatic, resurgent interest in recent years, are suddenly not the place to be, as many office workers explore what it means to truly telecommute, professional sports and artistic performances remain on hold, bars in this part of Michigan are closed and restaurants operate at partial capacity. That shift is clear in how Detroits transit systems have reacted, scaling back service even as they change how they handle the routes that they are maintaining, at least for now, withrear boarding, no fare collections and new bus cleaning protocols.

C. Mikel Oglesby.(Photo: City of Detroit)

And Detroits suburban bus system, SMART, has stopped its commuter routes, meaning that aside from three limited-stop, express routes on Woodward, Gratiot and Michigan, and an advance reservation service, Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation buses are not runningdowntown.

Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United, said people who have a choice will be slow to return to using transit and that some will be looking to work from home more. But right now, much remains unknown.

How fast transit is going to come back, there isnt a lot of data around that, she said.

Those with higher incomes havemore choices, and their future usage of public transportation is most in question.

Transit found in its data that more of those continuing to use public transportation in the pandemic are women, people of color, those with lower incomes and people who have been deemed essential workers.

An older woman waits for the bus in front of Ascension St. John Hospital on Moross Road in Detroit on July 10, 2020. Fare collection has been temporarily suspended to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect essential bus drivers. Detroit Department of Transportation also provides surgical masks to all riders.(Photo: Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press)

A lot of bus riders are essential workers that cant work from home, Owens said. Theres no doubt that transit ... will continue to be essential for those essential workers who are low income and dont have other choices and honestly may become more important as this economic crisis continues.

Owens also noted the pandemic has challenged the idea pushed by some transit opponents that ride sharing can replace public transportation. If there are fewer drivers available, service drops and prices rise. Scooters offer another example, Owens said, as many have been pulled off city streets in recent months.

In June, Rob Alberts, the executive director of the North American International Auto Show and the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, described to a virtual crowd during an Automotive Press Association event a new era for vehicle ownership following earlier predictions that it might disappear. Alberts said he doesnt envision ride sharing and crowded public transportation replacing personal mobility any time soon.

Because of what were going through in this pandemic, the pendulum is swinging back to owning and leasing vehicles. Just a few months ago ridesharing was being touted as the end all. It was only a year ago that an editorial in the New York Times said owning a car will soon be as quaint as owning a horse. The article went on to say that owning a car would be a hobby, a cool thing to take out for a spin on a weekend. Sometimes it takes something like what were going through to rekindle a love affair with what we have.

What were going through, the pandemic, is what prompted Kirk Sellke to cancel a planned trip to Colorado this summer. Instead, Sellke, his wife and their three children will be heading to northern lower Michigan from their home in Bloomfield Hills in August. Theylltravelto Colorado hopefully next year. Instead of flying, which was how Sellke planned to get there, Sellke now expects to drive.

Sellke, 45, is no transit opponent. When he lived and worked in Chicago early in his career, he regularly took the L, and he said he wouldnt be hesitant to get on a train or bus now. He reasons that he and his family are healthy and dont have compromised immune systems, and they take what precautions they can. He kept a car when he lived in Chicago, despite the hassles of parking and traffic congestion, because hed visit his parents in the suburbs, and it was simply faster to drive.

Kirk Sellke of Bloomfield Hills poses with his new Chevrolet Suburban and Silverado. Sellkes reaction to the pandemic was to opt for a larger vehicle when he traded in a Chevrolet Traverse for the Suburban in June.(Photo: Karen Sellke)

Rather than affecting his choices on transit, pandemic considerations affected something else for Sellke, who works for a cyber security firm.He signed a lease in June at Matick Chevrolet in Redfordfor a 2019 Chevrolet Suburban, trading in a Chevy Traverse, and a payment of about $757 per month.

Weve made a conscious choice to get a larger vehicle, so we have the opportunities to take family road trips. The pandemic kind of motivated that, Sellke said.

The Sellke family chose a larger vehicle in response to the pandemic, but they arent the only vehicle shoppers who have been influenced by the pandemic.

This is clearly on peoples minds, said Jenni Newman, editor in chief of Cars.com, which conducted a survey related to the pandemics impact on transportation choices and preferences. There are a lot of people looking for cars.

She noted that visits to the site were up 10% week over week in June.

The survey found that 67% of respondents 516 people accessing Cars.com in early June were randomly selected said the pandemic had increased their reliance on or need for a personal vehicle. That came, even as 70% said theyd experienced a reduction in commuting for work. Fourteen percent said their normal work commute had been permanently changed.

Deanne Austin hasnt taken the bus in months, not since a DDOT shutdown over driver concerns. The 34-year-old academic interventionist working at a Detroit Public Schools high school was panicky, worrying about how she would get food and cat litter. It was stressful for the Detroit resident and transit advocate.

But Austin, who has never had a car, relying on family when she needs to, also had other worries about the virus because she has asthma.

So shes stayed off the bus, and she doesnt know when shell return.

Its the COVID disclaimer. I would be foolish to say everything will be back to normal. I definitely believe Ill be back on the bus, but it might be a bit later, Austin said. I always look to the guidelines. I do have to take health into consideration.

When she does return, Austin said shell look for routes with fewer transfers and once again blend a reliance on Uber and Lyft with public transportation. Those private services, however, are not cheap, and theyve become less so, she said, since the pandemic.

Ride share is expensive, and Im not a millionaire, she said.

Part of the reason rideshare has been in Austins life has been the state of the citys public transportation system, which, she said,had seen recent improvements but still left much to be desired for people who rely on it. Despite its nickname as the Motor City, Detroit has many households without vehicles, so Austins transportation choices arent unusual.

Kevin Watkins has been a bus driver for almost a quarter of a century, and recent months have tested his resolve.

I have like 24 years and 9 months and some days I feel like I can continue. Some days with this COVID-19 I feel like calling it quits, he said.

Detroit Department of Transportation bus driver Kevin Watkins, 54, of Harper Woods will have worked at DDOT for 25 years in August and says drivers are worried about their safety and health. Watkins is seen in the reflection on the windshield of his bus while making a stop at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit on July 10, 2020.(Photo: Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press)

Because of social distancing requirements, Watkins, 54, of Harper Woods has to pass up people who want to ride his bus. It makes it bad for the drivers and bad for those who have to wait longer. With much of the city opening back up, people get upset.

He said the city has stepped up its efforts to protect drivers, but still falls short on hazard pay, for instance, and not making sure all riders wear masks. He noted the death of driver Jason Hargrove, who died of COVID-19. That was after awoman had been coughing on Hargrove's bus and he posted a video exposing bus driver concerns.

Recently, Watkins had a run in with a rider, a woman in her 30s, one morning near 7 Mile and Ryan.

Passengers there were about a dozen on board were complaining because the woman was sneezing and coughing. She wore a mask, but one of the quirks Watkins has seen with other mask wearers is that when they sneeze or cough, they automatically pull the mask down, exposing their mouths.

Those are typically inadvertent, but this woman was doing it deliberately. Watkins said he tried to get her to stop, even asking her to get off the bus, but she refused.

More: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sees sales plummet as full coronavirus impact hits

Watkins stopped the bus and called for help. Instead of just getting off the bus, the woman walked to the front, pulled down the chain thats now used to separate the drivers area from the rest of the passengers DDOT and SMART are working to equip buses with sneeze guards and wiped her hands on the steering wheel and other areas before leaving.

It was a troubling situation, but Watkins saidmask wearing on buses has remainedoptional even if the department has beendistributing masks to riders.

It doesnt make sense to have social distancing on the coach if you dont require (riders) to wear masks, Watkins said.

Detroit Department of Transportation bus driver Kevin Watkins, 54, of Harper Woods will have worked at DDOT for 25 years in August and says drivers are worried about their safety and health. Watkins checks on his bus while making a stop at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit on July 10, 2020.(Photo: Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press)

But masks are only part of the picture. In an attempt to maintain social distancing, boardings must be limited, meaning at busy stops not everyone can get on.

Glenn Tolbert, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26, which represents DDOT drivers, said arguments will break out over those kinds of issues.

I dont want them to get in an altercation, he said of his drivers. Its a very tricky, slippery slope.

The system is also short on active drivers, many of whom are out because of COVID-19. That puts even more pressure on the system, which cant staff all of its runs.

Maybe by the end of the summer well be up to full capacity, Tolbert said.

Despite the issues, Tolbert said riders have been out in large numbers.

The citys back awake and alive, and people are back out, he said. We havent lost many riders, no not at all.

And since the system is not taking fares for the foreseeable future Its hard to open that fare box and still keep the workers safe plenty of people, including those who are homeless, are riding the bus, Tolbert said.

Looking beyond the pandemic, Tolbert said he sees a robust future for public transportation.

Everybodys not going to have a car. Everybody cant afford a car. Everybody cant maintain a car, Tolbert said. Public transportations a great way to get around if you make people feel safe and its clean and you can depend on it.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. Phoebe Wall Howard contributed to this report.

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Does the bus stand a chance in the era of COVID-19? Experts say yes - Detroit Free Press

As schools turn to offering virtual options, will it fuel an online education model in the future? – The Advocate

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As districts scramble to implement online learning platforms before school returns next month, virtual programs are seeing a huge increase in applications that some experts believe may shift the future of education.

Livingston Parish is one of the districts to announce plans to open a virtual academy. Though it was not prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, the proximity of its launch to the forced online learning environment of the 2020-21 year has led to a strong start. Since opening the phone lines and website applications in early July, the school has received more than 800 inquiries.

In Ascension Parish, the Apple Digital Academy, a virtual school thats been in operation since 2013, will usually average about 200 students enrolled from K-12. But applications for the 2020-21 school year has jumped tenfold.

Though the future of traditional classroom learning remains unclear amid the challenges of thecoronavirus, many Baton Rouge-area schools are

In the past it was typically used as an alternative program in addition to their regular program. It wasnt a true open enrollment where anybody could enroll, it was a recommendation by a principal or counselor, Ascension Parish Director of Secondary Schools Mia Edwards said. I do foresee this (pandemic) opening the door to us being more open and flexible with admissions.

As school leaders have spent the last several months crafting plans in an ever-changing public health environment, offering virtual classrooms was often a reluctant option.

In Livingston Parish, for example, officials told families in mid-July that K-5 students would return in person and the older grades would do a hybrid of face-to-face learning and online instruction, a plan they quickly expanded to allow for an online-only option for those fearing returning to school in-person.

These temporary online learning options as a result of a statewide crisis are a far cry from the environment of an established, full-time virtual school, experts say. Still, the taste test of the more flexible virtual learning model may be enough to sway some families long term.

Weve seen an uptick in applications; it especially started when we went back into reopening from Phase 1 to Phase 2, University View Academy communications director Michael Marsh said. Schools were closed, a lot of people were looking for options and since then weve seen a large increase. Its substantial.

University View services the entire state in K-12 virtual education, but it's capped by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to 3,480 students.

With the increased interest during the coronavirus pandemic, the school now has a waiting list exceeding 300 students.

Weve been at it a lot longer and this is right up our alley. People are stuck at home and schools arent open, so we expected an uptick and we got it, Marsh said. Schools are finding its not as easy as setting up a Zoom call and doing classes.

Louisiana Virtual Charter Academy, a similar statewide K-12 virtual model school, was expecting an influx but the 7,500 more inquiries and 1,900 more applicants than the previous year was still a surprise.

Our model does lend itself to flexibility, so I feel like a lot of parents are looking toward that type of education, LVCA Head of School Danielle Scott said. I do think once some families realize this is a real, valid option theyll take advantage of it.

Scott said the school historically has been populated with kids who may have medical conditions that require frequent appointments during the traditional school day, those for whom public schools arent to their liking or values, and those who are on a focused, self-motivated track.

Livingston Parish Assistant Superintendent Jody Purvis said the district has spent a lot of time in recent weeks explaining the distinction between the new online school, Livingston Virtual, and the temporary online learning option as a result of the pandemic.

Livingston Virtual students are there to work towards graduation, theyre not working to where the pandemic is over and theyre going back to school, Purvis said. The districts online school has been in the pipeline since 2018, when educators found a significant number of alternative learning students were leaving the district for charter or private virtual schools such as University View or LVCA down the road in Baton Rouge.

Livingston Virtual is not its own school but rather considered a program extension of the students brick-and-mortar school. Apple Digital Academy in Ascension Parish works the same way.

Students have a mix of traditional schooling and strictly virtual charter academies by studying academics at home, taking tests at the school buildings, and having the opportunity to graduate with a cohort, go to prom or try out for the football team.

Though its been around since 2013, Edwards said, Ascensions Apple Digital Academy and the new coronavirus-related online learning option will take some getting used to for new families. It takes an investment from parents to keep their children especially the K-5 age range motivated to self pace and stay on track. For teachers, it can be just as big of a transition.

Having a camera in your classroom is different. Weve not experienced this before so even aspects like where to position the camera to see the smartboard and the teacher moving around but not seeing all the physical students is new, Edwards said.

When I first started teaching it was the chalkboard, then the dry erase, then the overhead, then we did everything on a computer," Edwards said. "Its a changing time and we adapt, and we always adapt well but our regular classroom teachers will have some growing pains.

For instance, behavioral management of a class thats either split between in-person and virtual or fully virtual can be difficult for educators who arent experienced in that style of teaching.

Online classes may be the only game in town for now, but what happens after the pandemic, said Marsh, with the online University View Academy.

How many of these kids are we going to retain once theres a COVID vaccine available and things go back to the way they were in 2019," Marsh noted. "We pride ourselves in flexibility and the classes we offer, but some may want to do the socialization or go back to playing sports we dont offer. We just dont know whats going to happen.

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As schools turn to offering virtual options, will it fuel an online education model in the future? - The Advocate

The Recorder – ‘Abortion is health care’ – The Recorder

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Published: 7/25/2020 5:51:30 AM

When it comes to health care access, I used to think of Massachusetts as progressive. We pioneered health care reform in 2006, are home to some of the nations top health care and public health organizations, and pride ourselves on our commonwealths work on health equity. Yet we remain embarrassingly behind when it comes to abortion access.

Medically unnecessary restrictions here in Massachusetts force young people to go to court or leave the state for access to care. That burden disproportionately harms young people of color the result of the racist policy that created barriers to care. Thats why the ROE Act, proactive legislation to improve access to care and remove these barriers, must pass before July 31.

On June 29, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down a medically unnecessary, politically motivated abortion restriction in Louisiana. I used to think that I didnt need to worry about things like that in my state and if I needed an abortion, I would be able to get one. Now I know thats not always true. If youre like I was and think our access is safe here know that far too many people in Massachusetts already dont have access to abortion because state law still enforces unjust, racist restrictions to abortion.

So while abortion may be safe and legal here, its not fully accessible and it never has been. Abortion is health care and until abortion is truly accessible to all, I cant consider our state to be progressive when it comes to health care access.

Sophie Howard

Turners Falls

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The Recorder - 'Abortion is health care' - The Recorder

It’s time to ‘refresh’ the healthcare provider-vendor relationship to ensure ongoing innovation – ModernHealthcare.com

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It didnt take long for COVID-19 to highlight some glaring issues in health information technology. Like most businesses globally, healthcare organizations were largely unprepared.

We werent adequately prepared to move workforces home; quickly shift to virtual care, and appropriately communicate with patients, families, care teams, and so many others who help deliver the services we provide. We did the best we could, though. We quickly cobbled together solutions and together made them work.

Less-than-ideal workarounds are nothing new to the health IT world. Healthcares mission is to help peopleand increasingly, to help lower costs for those we serve. Low healthcare margins dictate comparatively smaller technology budgets. So although most healthcare organizations have EHRs, we are still trying to solve big problems like unified communication and consumer engagement without the comprehensive solutions we really need. Many times, we lack the true collaboration necessary to solve our urgent challenges.

The truth is, great solutions are coming to healthcare at an astounding pace. Its hard to keep track of all the new technologies and companies. Even if they have not always lived up to their promises, health IT advances over the past two decades have been amazing.

Ever since the adoption of President Barack Obamas HITECH Act initiatives as part of the stimulus package during the Great Recession, health IT implementation and use have improved considerably. A sort of map guiding the implementation journey has been developed. Although COVID-19 created an abrupt detour, it also seems to have accelerated the pace of health IT, especially in the areas of telehealth, artificial intelligence and patient experience.

New health IT solutions may not always be perfect, but they are well on the way to being darn good. Something we healthcare professionals can do is to extend ourselves and to get our hands dirty helping the vendors of these tech solutions get to the finish line. Healthcare is a team sport, and we all need to play together to get the win.

As leaders in health organizations nationwide, we are the best source of feedback. Many times, our real-world experience can help refine health IT products to achieve the value that our organizationsand those we servedeserve.

There are many ways to bring your voice and ideas to vendors across the industry. I suggest a few to get started:

To be nimble and prepared for whatever new challenges come our way, we will need to collaborate with our vendor partners like never before. Our input can help us get better solutions and lower our overall technology costs. The result will be better partnerships, improved care outcomes, greater pricing transparency and options, and enhanced security and integration. We need these things now more than ever.

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It's time to 'refresh' the healthcare provider-vendor relationship to ensure ongoing innovation - ModernHealthcare.com

UPM Blandin donates 10000 protective face masks to local health care facilities – Herald Review

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The pandemic has increased the demand for facial masks to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus. UPM Blandin received 10,000 facial masks through the UPM Biofore Share and Care global project and distributed them locally this week.

Blandin supplied 6,000 Type 1 facial masks to Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital and 4,000 to Essentia Health. We are pleased to be able to provide facial masks during this critical time to help stop the further spread of Covid19 in our local community, says Scott Juidici, UPM Blandin General Manager. The health and safety of our employees, their families and the community where we operate has always been our top priority. We were also able to donate critical PPE equipment including N95 respirators and Tyvek suits earlier in March from our mill to Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital.

RN, Essentia Health Clinics Director, Nancy Buescher says, This is greatly appreciated as we are seeing more patients at our healthcare facilities in Grand Rapids and Deer River. There is still a shortage of critical PPE and these masks will be used by our staff who are required to wear Type 1 masks. We are committed to providing our staff and patients with the highest level of protection against Covid19.

UPM distributes 500,000 facial masks through the Biofore Share and Care program

This spring UPM was actively sourcing masks for the use of its employees and contractors and also provided its sourcing expertise. The company has offered each production site 10,000 masks to distribute to a local cause. In total, 500,000 masks are available for this purpose during this summer and autumn. The masks meet the requirements set for EN standard Type 1 products.

According to Paul Kampa, Patient Experience Coordinator at Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital, this donation is timely for their facility. As we start seeing more patients in the clinic, and performing more procedures, we are going through more masks. While we have been able to obtain masks, due to high demand, it is getting more difficult to get them from suppliers. This donation will not only help protect our patients, but also our staff as we seek to stop the spread of Covid19 in our community.

UPM is involved in many causes and community projects supporting sustainable development and the prosperity and welfare of the communities where we operate. The activities are coordinated through the Biofore Share and Care Program. During the Covid-19 pandemic the program has provided community support through sponsorships, donations, in-kind contributions and pro bono voluntary work.

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UPM Blandin donates 10000 protective face masks to local health care facilities - Herald Review

How is Nanotechnology Used in Soil Remediation? – AZoNano

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Image Credit:kram-9/Shutterstock.com

Engineered nanomaterials, as well as various nanotechnology devices and systems, offer innovative and improved solutions for the remediation of contaminated soil.

Soil is profoundly affected by environmental pollution, which is often referred to as the universal sink. Pollutants typically enter soil by sewage, waste, accidental discharge or as byproducts and residues released from the production of various materials. This contamination of soil can lead to undesirable changes in their physical, chemical and biological characteristics, all of which can contribute to alterations in the soils fertility and productivity levels.

Soil remediation is, therefore, considered to be one of the best approaches to preventing soil pollution.

The primary contaminants targeted by soil remediation techniques include heavy metals such as zinc, lead, arsenic and chromium, organic compounds, including pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as a wide range of combined contaminants.

The remediation of contaminated soil is typically achieved by one of four approaches, the first of which includes the restricted use of contaminated soil.

Contaminated soil can also undergo an encapsulation process, in which a water-resistant material is incorporated into the material that ultimately gets covered with a clean layer of topsoil.

When ex-situ methods cannot be used, the excavation and disposal of contaminated soil is another type of remediation approach that can be applied. The appropriate soil remediation approach is selected by first determining the type of soil and its physical properties, what contaminant is present and how feasibly it can be isolated and removed from the soil, as well as the handling intensity and related costs.

Click here to find out more about nanoparticle production systems.

Unfortunately, the soil-water interface is heterogeneous and complex, causing several technical and economic challenges to arise during the remediation of contaminated soil. More specifically, soil remediation professionals face difficulties in achieving efficient mixing and effective interactions between the target pollutants and remediation agents during in situ monitoring.

In addition to these challenges, many recently developed technologies such as sequestration, immobilization and bioremediation are both time and energy-consuming, economically insufficient and/or environmentally unfriendly, limiting their usefulness in soil remediation applications.

Comparatively, engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and nanotechnology are often associated with small size, high specific surface area and appropriate reactivity and versatility properties.

As a result of the intrinsic advantages of these technologies, researchers have found that the incorporation of ENMs into traditional in situ technologies can allow for the removal of multiple pollutants at once, enhancing the combined soil remediation approach. As a result, ENMs are ideal tools to remove stubborn contaminants from complex environmental media, such as soil.

One of the most widely used remedial applications includes the immobilization or adsorption process. Some of the most notable advantages associated with this type of remediation technique are its efficiency, low cost and environmentally friendly method for eliminating metal contaminants from soils.

Some of the different ENMs that have been used for the immobilization of soil contaminants include carbon nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), metal oxide nanomaterials like ferric oxide (Fe3O4) and titanium oxide (TiO2) and various nanocomposites. Fe3O4 nanomaterials, for example, are associated with an exceptional capacity to both absorb and immobilize heavy metals such as cadmium and arsenic from different media samples.

During the photocatalytic degradation of soil contaminants, nano-photocatalysts are used in conjunction with an ultraviolet (UV) light source, such as sunlight, to promote the degradation of organic materials, including PAHs, PCBs and pesticides.

The efficiency of this soil remediation method is primarily determined by the intrinsic properties of the contaminated soil samples and its acidity levels, as well as whether any organic matter is present.

One of the most common ENMs to be incorporated into the photocatalytic degradation process is TiO2, which has been shown to achieve degradation rates of up to 78% within five hours of treatment.

Read more: Current Developments in Nanotechnology for the Agricultural Sector

Despite the evident advantages associated with ENMs for soil remediation applications, certain environmental health and safety concerns should be considered.

The introduction of ENMs will inevitably change the indigenous soil ecosystem, and the potential effects of these materials on this natural environment can include alterations in the germination of plant seeds, how plant roots and shoots are developed, soil microorganism growth and metabolism, and even in the lives of individual invertebrate animals residing within the soil, such as snails, earthworms and other insects.

While the potential adverse effects of ENMs must be considered, it should be noted that under certain circumstances, the introduction of ENMs could provide beneficial effects to the soil ecosystem.

Carbon NMs, cellulose NMs and both metal and metal oxide NMs, for example, have all been shown to act as a nutrient stimulant or enhance the delivery of specific nutrients to the soil from seeds, roots and leaves.

As a result, these types of materials can improve crop yields and advance agricultural processes while simultaneously reducing the occurrence of unwanted soil contaminants.

Ashraf, M. A., Maah, M. J., & Yusoff, I. (2014). Soil Contamination, Risk Assessment and Remediation. In: Environmental Risk Assessment of Soil Contamination. doi:10.5772/57287.

Qian, Y., Qin, C., Chen, M., & Lin, S. (2020). Nanotechnology in soil remediation applications vs. implications. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 201. doi:10.1016/ecoenv.2020.110815.

Wang, A. N., Teng, Y., Hu, X., Wu, L., Huang, Y., et al. (2016). Diphenylarsinic acid contaminated soil remediation by titanium dioxide (P25) photocatalysis: Degradation pathway, optimization of operating parameters and effects of soil properties. Science of the Total Environment 541; 348-355. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.09.023.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditions of use of this website.

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How is Nanotechnology Used in Soil Remediation? - AZoNano

Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials Market 2020 COVID-19 Impact on Top Companies Altair Nanotechnologies, AMCOL International, BioDelivery Sciences,…

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Nanotechnology and nanomaterials are key enablers for a whole new generation of products and processes. New products with enhanced properties are coming onto the market from a broad range of players in consumer electronics, packaging, composites, biomedicine, healthcare and coatings.Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale. It refers to the projected ability to construct items from the initial stage, using modern tools to develop high-performance products. Upcoming nanomaterials such as graphene and nanocellulose are anticipated to witness significant growth opportunities in the global nanotechnology and nanomaterials market owing to economically viable and lucrative properties possessed by these nanomaterials. These nanomaterials have widespread applications across sectors including aerospace, automotive, coatings, composites, consumer goods, electronics, filtration, medical and life sciences, military, oil and energy, and sensors, which are also expected to contribute positively to market augmentation. Nanocellulose finds widespread usage in new applications such as scaffolds in tissue engineering, artificial skin and cartilage, wound healing and vessel substitutes, and biodegradable food packaging. This may also drive the nanotechnology and nanomaterials market growth over the coming years.

Access the PDF sample of the report @https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/2341945

In 2017, the global Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2018-2025.This report focuses on the global Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials development in United States, Europe and China.

The key players covered in this studyAltair NanotechnologiesAMCOL InternationalBioDelivery SciencesClariant InternationalCompetitive TechnologiesDendritic NanoTechnologiesEastman KodakFrontier CarbonHosokawa MicronHyperion CatalysisSun NanotechTeva Pharmaceutical IndustriesNanophase TechnologiesAbbott LaboratoriesNanodynamicsSuperior Micro ProductsNanoViricidesNanosysAccess PharmaceuticalsAlmatisEvident TechnologiesZyvexNanoOptoNanomatQuantum Dot

Make an enquiry of this report @https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/2341945

Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoAluminium Oxide NanoparticlesAntimony Tin Oxide NanoparticlesBismuth Oxide NanoparticlesCarbon NanotubesCerium Oxide NanoparticlesCobalt Oxide Nanoparticles

Market segment by Application, split intoAerospace and AviationAutomotiveBatteriesBiomedicine and HealthcareFood and AgricultureHousehold Care and Sanitary

Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaCentral & South America

Browse the complete report @https://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/global-nanotechnology-and-nanomaterials-market-size-status-and-forecast-2018-2025

The study objectives of this report are:To analyze global Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players.To present the Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials development in United States, Europe and China.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their development plan and strategies.To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market and key regions.

In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Report Overview

1.1 Study Scope

1.2 Key Market Segments

1.3 Players Covered

1.4 Market Analysis by Type

1.4.1 Global Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2013-2025)

1.4.2 Aluminium Oxide Nanoparticles

1.4.3 Antimony Tin Oxide Nanoparticles

1.4.4 Bismuth Oxide Nanoparticles

1.4.5 Carbon Nanotubes

1.4.6 Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles

1.4.7 Cobalt Oxide Nanoparticles

1.5 Market by Application

1.5.1 Global Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials Market Share by Application (2013-2025)

1.5.2 Aerospace and Aviation

1.5.3 Automotive

1.5.4 Batteries

1.5.5 Biomedicine and Healthcare

1.5.6 Food and Agriculture

1.5.7 Household Care and Sanitary

1.6 Study Objectives

1.7 Years Considered

Chapter Two: Global Growth Trends

2.1 Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials Market Size

2.2 Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials Growth Trends by Regions

2.2.1 Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials Market Size by Regions (2013-2025)

2.2.2 Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials Market Share by Regions (2013-2018)

2.3 Industry Trends

2.3.1 Market Top Trends

2.3.2 Market Drivers

2.3.3 Market Opportunities

Chapter Three: Market Share by Key Players

3.1 Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials Market Size by Manufacturers

Continued.

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Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials Market 2020 COVID-19 Impact on Top Companies Altair Nanotechnologies, AMCOL International, BioDelivery Sciences,...

Institute that has innovation as its hallmark – The Hindu

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The States first private self-financing professional college, Mar Athanasios College For Advanced Studies Thiruvalla (MACFAST), at Thukalasserry near Thiruvalla, is all set to spread its wings further and take students to the azure horizon of the corporates, exposing them to greater employment and research opportunities, soon.

Talking to The Hindu, Principal Cherian J.Kottayil, said that MACFAST would be introducing a unique corporate badging scheme in association with leading companies which could identify talented students with right kind of aptitude, interest and passion that suited well to the requirements of the industry concerned.

Under this programme, students will be provided with a corporate badge by companies that have selected them, acknowledging their aptitude and domain knowledge.

Those who were badged would virtually be part of that company which, in turn, would give them live projects and internships, Fr. Kottayil said.

According to him, many recent surveys indicate that a large per cent of graduates in India are unemployable. India Skills Report, 2019-20, says that only about 46.21 per cent students in the country were found employable, compared with that of 47.38 per cent in 2018.

In yet another historic achievement, MACFAST bagged eight out of the first 10 ranks in both the MBA and MCA examinations conducted by the Mahatma Gandhi University, this year.

Innovation has always been the hallmark of MACFAST that had launched the States first campus-based community radio service, Radio Macfast-90.4, 10 years ago and the popular Green and Clean City project in 2010.

MACFAST became States first solar-powered campus in 2011. The 130 kw solar power plant installed on the rooftop comfortably meets the annual power demand of the entire campus.

The innovative campus-based solar power plant was MACFASTs answer to our demand for Green Energy, says Metropolitan Archbishop of the Syro Malankara Catholic Church, Thomas Mar Koorilos, who is the patron and driving spirit of the institution.

The college offers nine key post-graduate courses, that include rare subjects of Phyto Medical Science and Bio Nanotechnology.

Fr. Cherian said the college always stressed the importance of academia-industry collaboration.

Education sector is sure to witness tremendous changes in the post-COVID scenario and institutions can survive only if they keep abreast of the latest developments taking place in their respective domain, he says.

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Institute that has innovation as its hallmark - The Hindu

Researchers Warn: Common Food Additive Banned in France but Allowed in the U.S. Causes Adverse Health Effects in Mice – SciTechDaily

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University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers find titanium dioxide nanoparticles produce inflammation in colon.

A common food additive, recently banned in France but allowed in the U.S. and many other countries, was found to significantly alter gut microbiota in mice, causing inflammation in the colon and changes in protein expression in the liver, according to research led by a University of Massachusetts Amherst food scientist.

I think our results have a lot of implications in the food industry and on human health and nutrition, says lead author Hang Xiao, professor and Clydesdale Scholar of Food Science. The study confirmed a strong linkage between foodborne titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) and adverse health effects.

Along with colleagues at UMass Amherst and in China, Xiao published the research in Small, a weekly, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal that covers nanotechnology.

Gut microbiota, which refers to the diverse and complex community of microorganisms in the gut, plays a vital role in human health. An imbalance of gut microbiota has been associated with a range of health issues, including inflammatory bowel disease, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Human exposure to foodborne TiO2 NPs comes primarily from a food additive known as E171, which is made up of different-size particles of TiO2, including one-third or more that are nanoscale. E171, which makes products look whiter and more opaque, is found in such food as desserts, candy, beverages and gum. E171 exposure is two to four times higher in U.S. children than in adults, one study has found.

Smaller than 100 nanometers, foodborne nanoscale particles may have unique physiological properties that cause concern. The bigger particles wont be absorbed easily, but the smaller ones could get into the tissues and accumulate somewhere, Xiao says.

In their study, Xiao and his team fed either E171 or TiO2 NPs to two populations of mice as part of their daily diet. One population was fed a high-fat diet similar to that of many Americans, two-thirds of whom are obese or overweight; the other group of mice was fed a low-fat diet. The mice fed a high-fat diet eventually became obese, while the mice on the low-fat diet did not.

In both the non-obese mice and obese mice, the gut microbiota was disturbed by both E171 and TiO2 NPs, Xiao says. The nanosized particles caused more negative changes in both groups of mice. Moreover, the obese mice were more susceptible to the adverse effects of TiO2 NPs, causing more damage in obese mice than in non-obese ones.

The researchers found TiO2 NPs decreased cecal levels of short-chain fatty acids, which are essential for colon health, and increased pro-inflammatory immune cells and cytokines in the colon, indicating an inflammatory state.

To evaluate the direct health impact of gut microbiota disrupted by TiO2 NP, Xiao and colleagues conducted a fecal transplant study. They gave mice antibiotics to clear out their original gut microbiota and then transplanted fecal bacteria from the TiO2 NP-treated mice to the antibiotic-treated mice. The results support our hypothesis that including TiO2 NPs in the diet disrupts the homeostasis of the gut microbiota, Xiao says, which in turn leads to colonic inflammation in the mice.

The study also measured levels of TiO2 in human stool samples, finding a wide range. Xiao says further research is needed to determine the health effects of long-term such as life-long and multigenerational exposure to TiO2 NPs.

Reference: Foodborne Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Induce Stronger Adverse Effects in Obese Mice than NonObese Mice: Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis, Colonic Inflammation, and Proteome Alterations by Xiaoqiong Cao, Yanhui Han, Min Gu, Hengjun Du, Mingyue Song, Xiaoai Zhu, Gaoxing Ma, Che Pan, Weicang Wang, Ermin Zhao, Timothy Goulette, Biao Yuan, Guodong Zhang and Hang Xiao, 9 June 2020, Small.DOI: 10.1002/smll.202001858

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Researchers Warn: Common Food Additive Banned in France but Allowed in the U.S. Causes Adverse Health Effects in Mice - SciTechDaily

Antifa is a threat to the American way – The Star Beacon

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Watchman, Patriots, Minutemen awake from your slumber. Our country and our freedoms are at risk!

Antifa isa wing of the Communist Party. Their goal is to destroy the United States as we know it!

First destroy our history by tearing down statues of our founders and of Abraham Lincoln and U.S. Grant. They degrade our society and spread the lie that we were never that great. Let us remind them of the Greatest Generation, who saved us from fascism at a great loss and sacrifice of our citizens.

Its not amazing how much Antifa acts like Fascists. They wear all black akin to Mussolinis Black Shirts and Hitlers SS. We can stop Antifa because their only strength is mob violence and of overwhelming odds. This is also their weakness. They hide behind black masks and black hoodies. This youth think of themselvesas intellectuals;. They are hooligans and cowards as they hide.

Their greatest fear is to be identified by name, address and who their parents are and what university they attend.

We can unmask them without ever touching them, pinpoint their leaders and perhaps show very real Russian collusion. Once identified they will slink back, they will run fro cover with Mommy and Daddy, and find a rock to hide under.

We can stop this pestilence without violent confrontation. We can save the United States and work together to make improvements.

Awaken Watchman and bear witness to this assault. Patriots meet and choose to stop Antifa and Minutemen stand shoulder to shoulder to protect the United States.

God Bless America.

Thomas Broad

Conneaut

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Antifa is a threat to the American way - The Star Beacon

The FBI has not linked teachers to antifa – PolitiFact

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Social media posts that claim teachers make up the bulk of antifa activists need to get schooled.

In a July 20 text post, one Facebook user wrote: "Teachers are the number one occupation of the Antifa terrorist organization according to the FBI."

The post was flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) We reached out to the original poster for a comment, but they havent responded.

(Screenshot from Facebook)

Antifa stands for "anti-fascist." Its a broad, loosely affiliated coalition of left-wing activists thats been around for decades and had a resurgence since the election of President Donald Trump. Republicans have blamed antifa activists for the violent protests that erupted after the death of George Floyd in late May.

Versions of the Facebook post have been circulating since at least November 2019, according to the Associated Press. Theyve been shared widely in pro-Trump and conservative groups since June, according to CrowdTangle, a social media insights tool owned by Facebook.

We previously reported that antifa is not a designated terrorist organization. But has the FBI said the movement is popular with teachers?

No there is no evidence to support the Facebook post.

We could find no publicly available records from the FBI or other intelligence agencies that link antifa to teachers.

FBI Director Christopher Wray mentioned the movement in his June 4 remarks about civil unrest around the country, but he did not say anything about teachers. And its unclear to what extent antifa was involved in violent protests against police brutality.

We reached out to the FBI for a comment, but we havent heard back. The agency told the AP that its focus is "not on membership in particular groups but on individuals who commit violence."

There is evidence that, in general, teachers political views skew left. But we could find nothing to back up the claim that they are overrepresented in the antifa movement.

We rate the Facebook post Pants on Fire!

Continued here:

The FBI has not linked teachers to antifa - PolitiFact

SOFREP cartoon of the month – SOFREP

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And then theres this elephant in the room that most of the nation seems to be reluctant to point at and say elephant. It appears that the elephant is ANTIFA and BLM, who used the auspice of police brutality as a springboard to launch an all-out assault on persons of non-color. As a person of non-color, Im pointing right at ANTIFA and BLM and saying: Elephant.

How in the south-central highlands of tarnation did it go from the police are big meanies to hey, lets tear down these statues of Columbus and Jackson because well because theyre white? So when the attack on American history is complete, where does that leave us; whats next? I guess that leaves whitey himself as the last rung on that ladder.

Im a white boy. Thats a term used by persons of color to refer to a person of non-color, but persons of non-color are not permitted to use the term in kind to refer to the folk of color.

Its such a joke you know people of color steadily reinventing the title they want everyone to start addressing them by, something that makes them sound more sophisticated and important. Sure, but you can dress a thing in silk, and still, it is what it is.

Ima head out to town tomorrow and tear down the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. I really hate to do it because I truly admire the brother! But I have to make my point, that point being uh um well fuck it; Ima going ahead and just do it anyway BAAAAAAAAMMMMM!

The cartoon was inspired by this real-life incident.

By Almighty God and with honor,geo sends

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SOFREP cartoon of the month - SOFREP

Federal officer assaulted by Antifa while making arrest during Portland riot – The Post Millennial

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Portland rioters attacked a federal officer last night in the middle of an arrest outside the Hatfield Courthouse, allowing the suspect to escape.

This assault came after the arson attacks on the Portland Police Association last week.

Here is another view of the incident:

This comes after Oregon's Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum filed a suit on Friday against the Department of Homeland Security and the US Marshals Service for deploying federal agents in Portland to mitigate the violent riots. The basis is their "violation of the civil rights of Oregonians by seizing and detaining them without probable cause."

The complaint claimed that unidentified federal officers have grabbed civilians off Portland's streets "without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action."

Rosenblum is seeking a temporary restraining order to "immediately stop" the "unlawful" detainment by federal authorities.

"[T]he current escalation of fear and violence in downtown Portland is being driven by federal law enforcement tactics that are entirely unnecessary and out of character with the Oregon way," stated Rosenblum in a press release.

Rosenblum referenced the unmarked minivan incident involving alleged undercover federal agents who arrested Mark Pettibone, a protestor dressed in black walking on the sidewalk. He has since been released.

The Marshals Service denied that its agency was behind Pettibone's detainment, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.

"All United States Marshals Service arrestees have public records of arrest documenting their charges. Our agency did not arrest or detain Mark James Pettibone," the statement read.

DHS had affirmed that Portland is a cesspool of anarchists assaulting federal officers and federal buildings.

Rioters have launched watch rockets, injuring an officer, while others attempted to blind officers by targeting their eyes with laser weapons. Officers were barricaded inside the Hatfield Courthouse as rioters launched commercial grade explosive fireworks at building. Courthouse surveillance cameras were destroyed.

"This isnt a peaceful crowd. These are federal crimes," a DHS spokesperson tweeted yesterday.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf had further provided an extensive list of the rampant "lawless destruction and violence" ravaging Portland over the past several weeks since the end of May.

Oregon's US Representative Earl Blumenauer had claimed on the House floor today that Portland is not out of control, calling federal intervention "unwelcome," "unlawful," and "unprepared."

Blumenauer also introduced a bill today that "...would restrict the ability of the U.S. Marshals Service to deputize other law enforcement officers, such as Bureau of Prisons and Department of Homeland Security personnel, to perform the functions of a Deputy U.S. Marshal."

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Federal officer assaulted by Antifa while making arrest during Portland riot - The Post Millennial

Antifa-led riots clash with ‘Trump’s feds’ in Portland here’s why the media is STILL defending Antifa – TheBlaze

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In Portland, Oregon, protests many of which have devolved into violent riots have raged on for more than 50 consecutive days. The escalating unrest has prompted President Donald Trump to deploy federal officers to the city in an effort to calm the chaos.

Critics in the mainstream media continue to defend Antifa, claiming the protests are peaceful and blaming "Trump's feds" for causing any increase in violence and vandalism.

On this week's episode of "Slightly Offens*ve," BlazeTV's Elijah Schaffer exposed the origin story of Antifa to understand why they exist and why the mainstream media is still defending them.

"Don't let the media lie to you," Elijah said. "Why are the media defending Antifa? Who are they [Antifa], and what benefit do [the media] get for defending them?"

Watch the video below for more details:

Subscribe to Elijah's 'Slightly Offens*ve' channel on YouTube for FREE access to his man-on-the-street interviews, protest coverage and more craziness that happens everyday in the USA.

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Antifa-led riots clash with 'Trump's feds' in Portland here's why the media is STILL defending Antifa - TheBlaze

Leftists claim Portland police set their own building ablazebut Antifa proudly admitted to the crime – The Post Millennial

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Leftists on social media are reporting that police or right-wingers began the July 18 arson attack on the Portland Police Association building. They claim that those who set the building ablaze did it to frame Antifa. But Antifa has proudly admitted to committing the crime.

One conspirator compared the torching of the Portland Police Association to the 1933 Reichstag Fire in Berlin, in which Adolf Hitler used the fire as an excuse to arrest Nazi Party dissenters. Another agreed, calling the crime an "inside job."

Robert Evans of Bellingcat, who has been covering the riots and witnessed the fire in Portland, dispelled the false rumors from his position as a pro-Antifa advocate.

Those who claim the police are responsible for torching their own structures are disproven by activists who believe so fully in destruction that they are unashamed of their crimes.

Evans exalted the act of terrorism, glorifying the burning of the police union hall as an "intelligent, deliberate and successful action by well organized activists."

Moreover, the PPA was a "well chosen" and "valid target" and its burning a "justified act of protest," Evans claimed.

The emerging anti-police scapegoat narrative is being replaced by those Antifa participants who would rather take the credit for their destruction.

Yet, even The Oregonian upholds this narrative that the rioting, arson and mayhem are in some way peaceful.

Video footage emerging from the city of Portland overnight refutes this media portrayal.

Portland has seen over 50 days of rioting and the elected officials of that city have declined to take actions against the vandals, arsonists, criminals, looters, assaulters, and violent criminals that have kept the city under siege.

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Leftists claim Portland police set their own building ablazebut Antifa proudly admitted to the crime - The Post Millennial

Trump sends in the feds when mayors let Antifa riots fester, what did they think would happen? – RT

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Recently, the department of Homeland Security sent forces to Portland to stop rioters. With news breaking that theyll come to Chicago next, it shows Trump is stepping up where the mayors would not.

The riots that came after the death of George Floyd were unprecedented. Several big cities went ablaze and even smaller ones, such as my own, saw looting and break-ins. Many of these instances were escalated by the Marxist group known as Antifa, which stands for Anti-Fascist Action. As detailed in Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook, they are a loosely organized group that are by their nature militant. They believe in proactive self-defense against fascism. Granted they define fascism as anything that isnt Anarcho-Communism and proactive self-defense is just a fancier way of saying attack whoever isnt us.

Around the 18th of this month, the Department of Homeland Security here in America deployed an elite unit to Portland. This group, known as the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (or BORTAC for short) was brought in after President Trump signed an executive order to protect American monuments, memorials, statues, and federal property. However, the purpose of this unit is much less complicated than that. Its part of a larger effort to bring an end to the constant rioting and property damage that these Marxists have caused.

Now, this was an inevitability, once Trump signed that executive order, that some group would be moving in, but the DHS handles terrorism. On top of this, Attorney General William Barr has stated that hes already investigating members of Antifa. But why exactly have we reached this point where the Fed has to get involved? Its simple. The mayors of the biggest cities in the United States have been completely complacent about these crises.

Any mayor with a spine would have let their police force take care of the riots, and make sure that the people disperse. They didnt. In Minneapolis, a police department was completely overrun and nothing happened. Portland had over forty days of constant rioting. There is still property destruction going on. Theres so much that could be done by the police, or even the national guard, but nothing ever is. This is because the mayors of these cities are coddling people who want to set everything on fire.

I believe in Federalism. It is a good way to run a government. However, part of the reason that we have Federal law enforcement in the first place is to handle incredibly complex cases or to handle domestic terror cases. At the same time, Antifa isnt exactly the Weathermen. Similar philosophies, but the methods of destruction are different. There shouldnt need to be a federal presence at all. Local law enforcement, SWAT and riot police should be able to handle these issues. If not, the National Guard would be able to handle this. They have the tools at their disposal. The only reason this could have come to this is inaction.

The duty of the Government in the United States is to defend the inalienable rights of the citizen. Life, liberty, and property as outlined in our Constitution. Rioting by its nature encourages all of those to be violated. If the local government wont do enough or isnt enough, the state comes next. If the state doesnt do it, the Federal has to. As such, each of these cities has basically invited Trump to take care of it how he chooses. Beyond that, many people may remember this during the election.

In essence, the Leftists in our current government while trying to resist Donald Trump may as well have invited him to personally solve their problems, all while the nation sees him as a hero.

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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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Trump sends in the feds when mayors let Antifa riots fester, what did they think would happen? - RT

Proud Boys – Anti-Defamation League

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Background

The Proud Boys represent an unconventional strain of American right-wing extremism. While the group can be described as violent, nationalistic, Islamophobic, transphobic and misogynistic, its members represent a range of ethnic backgrounds, and its leaders vehemently protest any allegations of racism. Their founder, Gavin McInnes, went so far as to file a defamation lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Center when the SPLC designated the Proud Boys a hate group.

In McInnes own words, the Proud Boys are a pro-western fraternity, essentially a drinking club dedicated to male bonding, socializing and the celebration all things related to western culture. In reality, the Proud Boys bear many of the hallmarks of a gang, and its members have taken part in multiple acts of brutal violence and intimidation. While the Proud Boys insist that they only act in self-defense, several incidents including one in which two members of the group were convicted of attempted gang assault, attempted assault and riot belie their self-professed peaceful nature. Indeed, many members have criminal records for violent behavior and the organization actively pursues violence against their perceived enemies.

During the last three years, the Proud Boys have established themselves as a dominant force withinthe alt lite. Easily recognizable, thanks to their black and yellow Fred Perry polo shirts and red Make America Great Again baseball caps, members are regulars at far-right demonstrations and Trump rallies. After several years of forging alliances with members of the Republican political establishment, the Proud Boys have carved out a niche for themselves as both a right-wing fight club and a volunteer security force for the GOP. Despite their associations with mainstream politicians, Proud Boys actions and statements repeatedly land them in the company of white supremacists and right-wing extremists. Jason Kessler, the primary organizer of the deadly 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, is a former Proud Boy. Several members attended the violent August 12, 2017 demonstration that ended in the death of counter-protestor Heather Heyer.

During an October 2018 brawl outside the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan, for which two Proud Boys members were convicted and sentenced to substantial prison terms, and seven others pled guilty, the Proud Boys were joined by the 211 Bootboys, an ultra-nationalist and violent skinhead gang based in New York City. In October 2019, members of the Denver chapter of the Proud Boys marched with members of Patriot Front and former members of the now-defunctneo-Nazi group Traditionalist Worker Party. These relationships show the Proud Boys to be less a pro-western drinking club and more an extreme, right-wing gang. Ideologically, members subscribe to a scattershot array of libertarian and nationalist tropes, referring to themselves as anti-communist and anti-political correctness, but in favor of free speech and free markets.

History

The Proud Boys was formed in 2016 by VICE Media co-founder, Gavin McInnes. In an op-ed in the far-right outlet Takis Magazinenotorious for its regular contributors, which included white supremacist Jared TaylorMcInnes announced the foundation of the group, describing its members as Western chauvinists who refuse to apologise [sic] for creating the modern world, and who long for the days when girls were girls and men were men. According to McInnes, the Proud Boys, whose name is taken from a song in the musical Aladdin, are a response and opposition to politically correct culture.

McInnes, whose VICE magazine built its reputation on publishing juvenile and often offensive material, had been trying to establish himself for years as a professional provocateur, making wildly racist statements and claiming it was all ironic, or tongue-in-cheek. In 2002, he said, We seem really racist and homophobic because we hang around with fags and niggers so much. It just becomes part of our vernacular.

At the same time, McInnes was becoming increasingly overt in his xenophobia and racism, telling the New York Times in 2003 that, I love being white and I think it's something to be very proud of. I don't want our culture diluted. We need to close the borders now and let everyone assimilate to a Western, white, English-speaking way of life.

According to McInnes plan, the roughly 1,000 Proud Boys would be organized into chapters nationwide. Membership would be divided into ranks from one to four.

To attain level one, an initiate must publicly state: I am a proud Western chauvinist, I refuse to apologize for creating the modern world.

To reach level two, the initiate must endure a beating by his comrades while reciting the names of five breakfast cereals. This is ostensibly to demonstrate adrenaline control; leaked online videos show the ritual to be far less violent than what McInnes described. Initiates are told to limit masturbation to once per month. The idea behind this ban -- that porn is making men weak and keeping them from forming real relationships with women -- is common throughout the right-wing extremist movement. In his op-ed, McInnes wrote: Though sexual intercourse is encouraged, Proud Boys have an endgame and it is to settle down and have kids. They have absolutely no respect for feminists but venerate the housewife so much, they are actually becoming quite popular with women.

To achieve the third level, an initiate must get a Proud Boys tattoo. Common variations are Proud Boy, POYB (acronym for Proud of Your Boy) and Uhuru, a Swahili word for freedom that the Proud Boys have appropriated as their battle cry.

Finally, the fourth level, which McInnes did not describe in the foundational document, is an honorary degree awarded for a material sacrifice or service by a brother. McInnes said in an interview that the fourth degree is awarded for a major fight for the cause. You get beat up, kick the crap out of an antifa," but he later backpedaled, saying it obviously doesnt mean you go to someones house or even pick a fight with one at a rally. Fourth degree is a consolation prize for being thrust into a shitty situation and surviving.

In October 2018, as law enforcement sought members of the Proud Boys for their role in the fight outside the Metropolitan Club, Proud Boys leadership released a clarified set of bylaws that seemed to contradict their prior, violent rhetoric. The new language reads: Any requirement that a brother commit a violent or illegal act as a condition precedent to receiving a fourth degree is, by this bylaw, abolished.

In early 2019, before Proud Boys John Kinsman and Maxwell Hare were convicted for their role in the 2018 fight, McInnes announced that he would no longer be formally involved with the Proud Boys. Leadership was assumed briefly by disgraced Texas attorney, Jason van Dyke, before he was replaced by Enrique Tarrio, a Cuban-American from Miami. Tarrio, the current chairman, is also running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020.

Violence

Violence has been a key component of the Proud Boys since the groups creation. McInnes has repeatedly advocated brutal tactics when dealing with the Proud Boys sworn enemies -- anti-fascist counter protestors, otherwise known as antifa -- and leaked chats from social messaging app Telegram reveal a clear pattern of inciting violence. In a June 2016 episode of the Gavin McInnes Show, McInnes warned his enemies, We will kill you. Thats the Proud Boys in a nutshell. We will kill you.

And yet, the groups leaders have repeatedly attempted to distance themselves from violence, both threatened and actual. In the aftermath of the 2018 brawl in Manhattan, McInnes stated in an interview with NewsmaxTV that he does not control these guys and described himself as the founder, not the leader. Similarly, Tarrio has repeatedly insisted that the Proud Boys organization is nonviolent.

Again, real world events belie the claims made by various Proud Boys leaders. Not only have there been several instances where Proud Boys have engaged in unprovoked violence, their social media conversations also demonstrate how inciting violence and responding to small slights with brutal force is key to the Proud Boys strategy. In fact, while the Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights (FOAK) was formed to serve as a tactical defense arm (italics ours) of the Proud Boys, its leader, Kyle Chapman AKA Based Stickman, is a violent felon who has repeatedly encouraged violence against anti-fascist activists, and whose persona stems from his history of threatening counter-protestors with a heavy iron stick. Similarly, Proud Boys and their allies purposefully organize and act in a manner that will all but guarantee violence. In advance of the August 2019 End Domestic Terrorism rally in Portland, Oregon, organizer and outspoken Proud Boys ally, Joe Biggs, posted videos of himself holding a spiked baseball bat with the words Make America Great Again emblazoned on it, telling the camera that Were going to put this to good use. He also posed wearing t-shirts reading, Im Just Here for the Violence and Death to Antifa.

Screen shots of conversations on Telegram reveal how members of the Proud Boys consider any provocation to be a direct assault that legitimizes any use of force as acceptable retaliation. In advance of an April 2019 rally in Rhode Island, a poster wrote, If any contact is made with you, thats assault. If they take your hat, spray you with silly string, spit, push Its assault. We need to have all our guys there before we retaliate though if we can. The cops arent going to let us fight long. We need to inflict as much damage as possible in the time we have. In the same chat room, a Proud Boy member using the name Jason Cardona posed with a hatchet, writing, Group, meet Kindness. Later he posed with a large knife and wrote, If they want to meet wisdom all they have to do is ask. Poster Col. Kish wrote, Its a prior service Marines [sic] to get out and continue beating the fuck out of communists, semper Fi ooh ra.

At the rally in Rhode Island, among others, there have been instances of Proud Boys engaging in unprovoked attacks, as well as groups of Proud Boys attacking single counter-protestors.

In January 2020, Proud Boy member, Tusitala Tiny Toese, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge for an attack on a man in Portland. Fellow Proud Boy, Donovon Flippo, had earlier pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault for the same incident.

In August, 2019, former Patriot Prayer member and current Proud Boy member, Russell Schultz, along with five others, was indicted for rioting following a fight outside the Cider Riot bar in Portland.

On January 6, 2019, self-proclaimed Proud Boy Buckey Wolfe allegedly murdered his brother with a samurai-style sword, claiming that God told me he was a lizard. The Proud Boys released a statement saying that Wolfe had never been approved as a member, but according to the Daily Beast, Buckeys Facebook profile included pictures of him with other members of the group. At the time of the murder, Buckey reportedly subscribed to the QAnon conspiracy theory. Prosecutors say that Buckey demonstratedsigns of mental illness.

Links to the political mainstream

On February 21, 2018, a new video appeared on the Proud Boys YouTube channel, showing Roger Stone, convicted felon and longtime advisor to President Trump, staring into the camera and reciting the Proud Boys initiation: Hi. Im Roger Stone. Im a western chauvinist, and I refuse to apologize for creating the modern world. Stone has had a long relationship with the Proud Boys, posing in countless pictures with various members, appearing in videos, receiving support from the group during his 2019 trial and even using them as private security at events. But Stone is not the only link between the Proud Boys and the political establishment.

After Gavin McInnes speech at the Metropolitan Club in 2018, conservative commentator Ann Coulter tweeted, Get a Proud Boys wristband to defend the men who defend you. Several Metropolitan Club members defended the decision to host the Proud Boys leader, and Alan Bialeck, a Club board member, told BuzzFeed News that he believes McInnes was merely expressing his right to free speech.

In October 2019, Donald Trump, Jr. posed for a photo with Proud Boy member Luke Rohlfing. It is unclear whether Trump Jr. was aware of Rohlfings political views, but the photo is part of a long-term Proud Boys strategy: posting alongside high-level Republicans in hopes of gaining legitimacy.

Both U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Texas Gov. Rick Scott have been photographed alongside Proud Boys, as have U.S. Reps Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25) and Devin Nunes (CA-22).

Sen. Cruz took his support a step farther, backing a non-binding resolution that would have defined anti-fascist activists as domestic terrorists after Enrique Tarrio launched a petition in favor of the bill. Even President Trump took notice and tweeted that Major consideration is being given to naming ANTIFA an ORGANIZATION OF TERROR.

The Proud Boys have also been embraced by a number of Fox News hosts; McInnes has appeared on Sean Hannitys Fox News program more than 24 times, and Tucker Carlson has appeared on McInnes show.

Racism:

While the Proud Boys often publicly denounce white supremacy, their activity has attracted white supremacists who share the groups opposition to progressive politics and proclivity for violence. The Proud Boys participated in the 2017 protests at the University of California-Berkeley, alongside a variety of white supremacist groups, including Rise Above Movement (R.A.M),Identity Evropa (now the American Identity Movement, or AIM) and theTraditionalist Worker Party (TWP).Similarly, members of Identity Evropa/AIM and TWP have joined Proud Boys and fellow right-wing group Patriot Prayer events in Portland. One man, wearing a patch for the Proud Boys-associated Fraternal Order of Alt Knights (FOAK), attended the October 2017 neo-Nazi White Lives Matter rally in Shelbyville, Tennessee. During the rally, he taunted the counter-protesters by destroying an antifa flag. Members of the Proud Boys also attended the violent August 2017 Unite the Right white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. They later circulated an image of themselves in a celebratory pose with a flag they captured from antifa. In October 2018, Proud Boys posed with members of the 211 Bootboys, an ultranationalist skinhead group, after McInnes speech at the Metropolitan Republican Club in New York City.

McInnes also has a long history with racism not confined to his repeated use of the N-word. He once called African-American actress Jada Pinkett Smith that monkey actress, and on an episode of the Gavin McInnes Show on Compound Media he said that Were the new n***ers. MAGA is the new black." McInnes declared on March 8, 2017, If you like Trump, you are a black man in 1945 trying to have water at a liberal fountain.

Misogyny:

The Proud boys claim that they venerate the housewife, but McInnes has said that women are lazy and less ambitious than men, and that the pay gap between women and men is due to the fact a woman would rather go to [her] daughters piano recital than work. He has said that women are magical and that birth is a magical thing, and that the U.S. should have enforced monogamy because women are colostomy bags for various strangers semen when they have sex outside of marriage. He has described feminism as a cancer that makes women ugly. Joe Biggs, a frequent Proud Boys rally-planning partner, close friend of Enrique Tarrio and former InfoWars contributor, has a long history of explicit misogyny and support for rape.

Islamophobia:

Within the Proud Boys creed The West is the Best lies an implicit anti-Eastern bias common among right-wing extremists and white supremacists. McInnes has called the idea of a Muslim American president insane and compared it to electing a German president in 1942 in America. In a talk show on Fox News, he said there was a huge problem with inbreeding within the Muslim community, and alleged that they [Muslims] hate all non-Muslims. There are also close ties between the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio in particular, and virulent anti-Islam activist, Laura Loomer.

Anti-Semitism:

Although McInneshas decried racism and anti-Semitism, his past statements tell a different story.Hehas posted videos of himself giving the Nazi salute and repeatedly saying Heil Hitler. He was accused of anti-Semitism in March 2017 when he posted a video on Rebel Media called Ten Things I Hate about Jews, which was later retitled Ten Things I HateAboutIsrael.

McInnes has made a number of contradictory statements about Zionism. Prior to his spring 2017 trip to Israel, McInnes appeared in a Rebel Media video in which he asked people to crowdfund his trip to Israel so he could see what the country was like for himself; however, in that same video, he referenced both The Culture of Critique, by white supremacist Kevin MacDonald, and David Dukes book Jewish Supremacism. It was during this trip that McInnes appears to have had somewhat of an anti-Semitic awakening. On his show on March 8, 2017, McInnes muses that Jews were somehow responsible for World War II because the Treaty of Versailles, wasnt that disproportionately influenced by Jewish intellectuals? He also defended Holocaust deniers and neo-Nazis, saying, Like at one point, the tour guide goes, You know, and there are people who think that this didnt happen. And I felt myself defending the super-far-right Nazis, just because I was sick of so much brainwashing. AndI felt like going, Well, they never said it didnt happen. What theyre saying is that it was much less than six million and that they starved to death and they werent gassed. Then he finishes his train of thought with some thoughts about Jews obsession with the Holocaust. God, theyre so obsessed with the Holocaust. I dont know if its healthy to dwell.

At another point McInnes said: Jews: If you dont want to get people mad, dont be annoying.

Transphobia:

In 2014, McInnes wrote a controversial article for the blog Thought Catalog titled, Transphobia is Perfectly Natural, which included the passage, Havent you seen all the totally functional, happily married, normal trannies walking around? They arent all dead, you knowTheyre non-heteronormative. In fact, the only thing more normal than castrating yourself and taking tons of hormones to grow tits is chopping them off.

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Proud Boys - Anti-Defamation League

Michale Graves says he is a "proud western chauvinist" and a "proud boy" – Punknews.org

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In the past, Michale Graves, singer for the '90s version of The Misfits, has made it clear that he is both a punk and a conservative. To that end, he even appeared on the Daily Show and spoke about his views. It appears that Graves is now moving farther to the right. Yesterday, on his twitter account, Graves stated (in all caps): "I AM A PROUD WESTERN CHAUVINIST AND I REFUSE TO APOLOGIZE FOR BUILDING THE MODERN WORLD." Included in the post was an image of Graves flashing the "OK" sign, which, in recent years, has come to be a symbol of various far right groups. Graves then followed the statement with a series of hashtags that appeared to assert that Graves is a "proud boy" and supports Trump as well as Inforwars.

In earlier posts, Graves appeared to show support for Mel Gibson and Alex Jones; he also posted a brief statement that appeared to talk about mass killings by Stalin while including a image of the Black Lives Matter movement. As you probably know, Graves left the Misfits in 2000 and has not been connected with the band since.

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Michale Graves says he is a "proud western chauvinist" and a "proud boy" - Punknews.org

Another night of gunfire at 23rd and Cherry sends at least two to hospital UPDATE – CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News

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Reports of at least two people taken to nearby hospitals with gunshot wounds followed reports of a massive bout of gunfire in the Central District Tuesday night.

The shooting scene appeared to be spread out around the gas station at 23rd and Cherry where a shooting happened Monday night that sent multiple people to the hospital and left one dead.

UPDATE 7/23/20 2:20 PM: SPD announced Thursday that a 18-year-old hit in Tuesdays shooting has now died. The victim has not yet been publicly identified.

Witnesses reported hearing dozens of shots just before 10:45 PM involving multiple weapons. Seattle Police reported the shooting took place in the 2200 block of E Cherry and left at least one injured.

UPDATE 11:55 PM: SPD posted a brief on the shooting:

Detectives are investigating after two men were shot in the 2200 block of East Cherry Street Tuesday night. Officers were dispatched to investigate shots fired at the intersection of 22nd Avenue and East Cherry Street just around 10:45PM. As officers were arriving in the area, a man was dropped off at Sweedish Cherry Hill Hospital with a gunshot wound. A short while later a second victim arrived at Harborview Medical Center with a gunshot wound. Detectives are now working with the victims and possible witnesses to determine what led up to the shooting. If you have any information in this case please call detectives at (206)233-5000.

There were reports of at least one person dropped off at the Swedish Cherry Hill emergency room and a second person dropped off with a reported gunshot wound to the chest according to East Precinct radio updates.

Police were again collecting shell casings from the area near the AMPM store and ARCO service station and reported at least one vehicle with bullet holes and scattered shell casings. The streets were closed in the area as evidence was being collected.

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Another night of gunfire at 23rd and Cherry sends at least two to hospital UPDATE - CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News