Top Wall Street analysts are betting on stocks like Tesla and Uber for the third quarter – CNBC

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View of the phone company QUALCOMM technology 5G in the Mobile World Congress.

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How to find compelling stocks primed to outperform during the third quarter of 2020? Here are a few of the names the best-performing Wall Street analysts are betting on right now.

With the stock market looking particularly volatile, it could make sense to follow the stock picks of analysts with a proven track record of success. On the one hand the U.S just added a surprisingly strong 4.8 million jobs in June. On the other hand, a renewed surge in coronavirus cases has left investors feeling jittery.

We usedTipRanksanalyst forecasting serviceto pinpoint Wall Street's best-performing analysts.These are the analysts with the highest success rate and average return measured on a one-year basis- and factoring in the number of ratings made by each analyst.

With that in mind, here are the best-performing analysts' six favorite stocks:

RBC Capital's Brian Abrahams has just selected Gilead Sciences as his top stock pick for the third quarter of 2020. This five-star analyst has a buy rating on GILD with a stock price forecast of $88, indicating 16% upside potential from current levels.

So far year-to-date, Gilead shares have soared 17%, boosted by optimism over the company's investigational coronavirus treatment remdesivir. However, Abrahams believes the company has much more to offer than just remdesivir. He highlights the underappreciated potential for Gilead's Biktarvy, a complete regimen for the treatment of HIV.

"We believe Biktarvy's strong profile and robust launch, along with favorable demographic and pricing dynamics, will underpin good HIV franchise sustainability through at least 2025" the analyst told investors on July 2. With nearer-term competitive threats overblown, he expects this to maintain a strong foundation for GILD's valuation going forward.

What's more, Abrahams sees the company's selective JAK1 inhibitor filgotinib for inflammatory diseases as a 'potential blockbuster' in the pipeline. "Overall, we expect sentiment to remain more positive, with continued strong commercial execution and pipeline diversification helping drive share appreciation" the RBC analyst concludes.

On July 1, Canaccord Genuity's Michael Walkley reiterated his Qualcomm buy rating while ramping up the stock price forecast from $102 to $115 (24% upside potential). This Top 100 analyst finds the current share price 'compelling' and sees multiple catalysts ahead.

With smartphone volumes starting to recover and expected to improve during the rest of the year, Walkley argues that Qualcomm is well-positioned to benefit from the long-term 5G investment cycle. "We anticipate recovering earnings in F2021 as 5G smartphones ramp, Apple re-enters the model for QCT shipments, and global demand for smartphones improves" the analyst explains.

In fact, Walkley believes that Qualcomm has a strong leadership position for 5G that should not only result in strong share gains with leading smartphone manufacturers but also provide an opportunity of up to 1.5x the dollar content of a similar 4G customer smartphone. According to the analyst, this is due to a combination of increased RF content and higher pricing for 5G basebands versus premium-tier 4G solutions.

Walkley is ranked #62 out of over 6,700 analysts tracked by TipRanks, and boasts an average return per rating of 19.9%. Shares in Qualcomm are up 5% year-to-date.

RBC Capital analyst Mark Mahaney is betting on transport giant Uber as his top stock pick for the third quarter. Indeed, Mahaney's $52 price target suggests investors could benefit from significant upside potential of 68%.

"We believe investors largely agree that Uber faces very large TAMs, has a leading competitive position, and benefits from an experienced management team" the analyst wrote in a July 2 report. The controversy for Uber is around profit potential following the largest loss profile of almost any initial public offering (~$3B EBITDA loss in 2019).

However, over the last three years, Mahaney notes that each of Uber's four operating expense lines have declined as a percentage of revenue (from 99% in 2016 to 66% in 2018), while driver and rider subsidies as a percentage of bookings have also decreased materially (from 13% to 9% in the same period).

Looking ahead the analyst sees four key paths to profitability: 1) Better competitive dynamics leading to fewer subsidies; 2) long-term pricing power; 3) insurance leverage from a shift in business to non-ridesharing verticals and international; and 4) expense leverage as the company scales.

Due to a strong 20.3% average return per rating, TipRanks places Mahaney at #93 out of over 6,700 tracked analysts.

Top Needham analyst Laura Martin is growing increasingly bullish on video game leader Activision Blizzard. "We believe video game play and viewing are beneficiaries of COVID-19 "shelter at home" rules, and that post-pandemic engagement levels will remain elevated compared to January 2020 (ie, pre-coronavirus) levels" cheers Martin.

She bumped up her 12-month ATVI stock price forecast from $75 to $90 while reiterating a buy rating on July 2. Given the stock's 31% year-to-date rally, Martin's new price target suggests 15% upside potential lies ahead.

Video game industry upside is being driven by mobile games, genre expansion (51% of "gamers" are now women), and esports (i.e., competitive gaming for money). For Martin, eSports is a key upside driver and ATVI has now launched its second pro league, based on its Call of Duty game (the first was Overwatch League).

"What we like most about ATVI's strategic position is that it owns all of its IP [intellectual property] and manages large, global, super-fan communities" she says. Additionally, it has diverse revenue streams with big barriers to entry based on hit franchises and 'outstanding' shooter games that attract a global audience.

Martin scores a five-star rating on TipRanks, with a ranking of #100 out of 6,742 analysts.

Five-star Oppenheimer analyst Colin Rusch has just reiterated his buy rating on Tesla after the company reported stellar second quarter vehicle delivery and production numbers. TSLA announced total 2Q deliveries of 90,650, ahead of FactSet consensus of 68,380. Meanwhile total production came in at 82,272 with 6,326 ModelS/X and 75,946 Model 3/Y.

"With TSLA posting deliveries well ahead of bull's hopeful possibilities, we believe there are two initial takeaways" the analyst commented on July 2. First, he notes that production re-ramp went as well as could be expected during the quarter. Second, delivery cycle times were much shorter than expected, leading Rusch to conclude: "We believe the company focused on customers near its factories to facilitate this result, but are still impressed."

The analyst now expects that investors will begin to focus on gross margin performance in the quarter, especially in China, to determine Tesla's long-term cost structure. And although depth of demand remains a question for bearish investors, Rusch believes TSLA is unlocking new customers and expanding pools of buyers, while making ongoing cost improvements.

Looking forward, the analyst recommends watching out for additional information on Tesla's advanced technology initiatives, notably battery/powertrain configuration and performance advantages as well as self-driving functionality and algorithm learning cycles.

Rusch, who is ranked at #89 out of over 6,700 analysts on TipRanks, has a $968 stock price forecast on the electric-vehicle company- which has seen shares explode a whopping 189% year-to-date.

Web developer Wix has just received the thumbs up from SunTrust Robinson analyst Naved Khan. With the stock more than doubling year-to-date, Khan boosted his price target from $215 to a Street-high $290 on June 29. Thanks to his strong stock picking record, Khan is ranked #150 out of over 6,700 analysts tracked by TipRanks.

"We're incrementally positive on Wix following conversations with several Web development agencies, including an expert call we hosted last week with an early Wix adopter" the analyst explained. Following several years of focused efforts, he believes Wix is finally gaining traction with agencies and professionals. According to the analyst, this can help unlock a potentially meaningful opportunity (5-8x TAM vs core).

Indeed, Khan notes that the company's Editor X (in beta) for agencies and designers is receiving favorable reviews and is likely to further drive agency adoption/usage, with premium pricing helping monetization.

At the same time, Wix has now launched an expanded e-commerce solution, with several 'must have features' including native payments processing using Wix Payments. "We are impressed by Wix's speed of innovation and believe that the latest move will also help drive usage with Web agencies for ecommerce site creation" Khan commented on June 30.

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Top Wall Street analysts are betting on stocks like Tesla and Uber for the third quarter - CNBC

James Packer caught in the middle of high seas drama – Fraser Coast Chronicle

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There has been drama on the high seas on James Packer's yacht IJE.

Confidential can reveal two of the billionaire's guests have separated and are getting divorced after a blow up on board the luxury cruiser.

Hollywood producer Adam Schroeder and Australian musician and songwriter James Maas were among Packer's inner-circle when they fell out on the three week trip off the coast of Mexico.

Tensions have long been high between Schroeder and Maas, who have been married for seven years.

It is understood the situation came to a head when Schroeder cut up Maas' clothes and threw them overboard, along with other personal effects.

The couple stayed in separate rooms for the next week. The American producer, behind films including Clueless, Zoolander, Sleepy Hollow, Shaft, The Truman Show and First Wives Club, is understood to have disembarked in the sea port of La Paz.

"It was all pretty ugly and awkward," said a source. "James (Maas) was mortified at the scene in front of everyone."

Maas, who is close friends with both Packer and his ex wife Jodhi Meares, flew home to Los Angeles four days later on the billionaire's private jet.

Packer is now on the boat with his ex-wife, Erika Packer and their three children, Indigo, Jackson and Emmanuelle, after whom the $200 million 354-Foot Benetti Gigayacht is named.

The boat boasts 11 cabins and is five stories high with its own heated swimming pool, cinema, sauna, driving range and gym.

James Maas and his husband Adam Schroeder. Picture: Instagram

Maas with Packer on the IJE. Picture: Backgrid

Others to have been on the yacht over recent weeks include Packer's best mate, Ben Tilley.

Maas, 32, who grew up in Sydney's northern beaches, moved to Los Angeles nine years ago and was introduced to Schroeder through friends.

The Australian would not comment when contacted by The Daily Telegraph yesterday.

He and Packer have known each other for many years given Maas is close with Meares and are understood to have grown into their friendship over the past year.

Maas has also been seen holidaying in Aspen, Colorado, with Packer and his girlfriend Kylie Lim.

They have been photographed hanging out a number of times.

It was Maas who flew to Hawaii to be with Meares when she split from ex boyfriend, rocker Jon Stevens, back in 2015.

Maas was well connected when he lived in Sydney, and is understood to be friends with Alan Jones, Kyle Sandilands, John Ibrahim and Delta Goodrem.

Originally published as James Packer caught in the middle of high seas drama

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James Packer caught in the middle of high seas drama - Fraser Coast Chronicle

Siberian heat drives Arctic ice extent to record low for early July – Mongabay.com

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The record-setting heat wave that swept through Arctic Siberia in June has yielded a wide-range of deleterious effects in the expansive polar and sub-polar region, triggering raging wildfires, thawing permafrost, and now, spurring the rapid melt-out of Arctic sea ice.

Last month, Siberian temperatures spiked, reaching a record average more than 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than normal, according to recently released data from the European Union. The remote town of Verkhoyansk in northeast Siberia recorded a reading of more than 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) on June 17, the highest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle.

Under this metaphorical blow torch, ice extent in the seas that border Siberia has plummeted in recent days, pushing the Arctic region as a whole into the record books. Between July 2 and July 7, sea ice extent across the Arctic Ocean went from being at its fifth lowest extent for this time of year since satellite record-keeping began in 1979, melting into first place, slightly below even the calamitous year of 2012 which eventually saw sea ice hit a record low at the end of the summer melt season in September.

As of July 9, sea ice extent in the global Arctic sits at just 8.310 million square kilometers (3.2 million square miles). If that melting momentum carries forward (and nobody knows if it will), 2020 could nab the title of the lowest ice extent year come September with unknown long-term ramifications for the Arctic and the global climate.

An exceedingly abnormal spring and early summer in Siberia is thought to be largely responsible for 2020s sudden surge downward. The ice is opening up quite quickly and dramatically. Its now at a record low in the Laptev Sea off northern Siberia, says Walt Meier, a senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). At the end of June, sea ice extent in the Laptev Sea was more than 300,000 square kilometers (115,830 square miles) below the 40-year median for that time of year. On the North American side, its been closer to normal. In years past weve seen the waters quite open off the coast of Alaska, but were not seeing that as much this year.

A high-pressure system, bringing mostly cloudless weather, stalled over the Siberian Arctic throughout much of June, coinciding with the annual period when the High North observes 24 hours of daylight. The result: nearly continuous sunshine and record heat. Its quite a lot of energy hitting the ground, explains Meier. As Siberia warmed up, winds carried it out over the ocean, subsequently heating up Arctic waters and melting ice.

While air temperatures high above the Arctic Ocean were 1 to 4 degrees C (2 to 7 degrees F) warmer than average in June, things were a lot hotter along the Siberian coast. Air above the eastern edge of the Laptev Sea saw temps 8 degrees C (14 degrees F) higher, causing rapid melt. Meanwhile, the Kara Sea, off the Western Siberian coast, largely emptied of ice far sooner than normal.

This is kind of an exclamation point on the warming in Siberia, says Meier. The Arctic, as a whole, is warming two times faster than the rest of the world. Siberia is warming even faster.

In terms of how Siberia influences 2020s standing for this time of year, the damage is done, says Mark Serreze, director of the NSIDC. Already, sea surface temperatures are unusually high along the Siberian coast. This big head start to the melt season will yield more absorption of solar energy and more melting around Siberia. But just because things are bad there, that wont necessarily spell disaster for other parts of the Arctic.

Some years you get the big losses north of Siberia. Some years its around Alaska. It varies from year to year. This very much reflects weather patterns, explains Serreze. In recent years, the Bering Sea around Alaska has been the trouble spot. This year, the Siberian heat wave, which has waned for the moment, is hurting us big.

Avid ice bloggers point out that, in the record-breaking year of 2012, the biggest losses were also on the Siberian side of the Arctic, with a bit of exacerbated ice loss near Alaska.

But its still not possible to predict the future given the limitations of weather forecasting. Its looking like a warm year in the Arctic, says Meier. Its hard to say whether it will be a record-breaker for the sea ice. But the Siberian warming is an early indicator.

The heatwaves ill-effects arent confined to Siberias seas.

In mid-June, fiery infernos erupted in the regions boreal forests and tundra; the latter consists of permafrost soil that usually remains frozen but is now thawing due to escalating climate change. In fact, scientists speculate that some of 2020s tundra wildfires are actually leftover from last years fire season, silently burning within peat bogs throughout the winter, only to reemerge in spring eruptions dubbed zombie fires.

Last month, the EU Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite picked up a wildfire in the Anabar district of Siberia, not far from the Laptev Sea believed to be the northernmost Arctic fire of recent years. While fires are common at this time of year, record temperatures and strong winds are making the situation particularly worrying, read a statement from the EUs Earth Observation Program.

Wildfires are often measured in terms of their heat output, and so far, 2020 rivals 2019, another disastrous fire year. The Russian government believes millions of acres of native vegetation in eastern Siberia have already gone up in flames, releasing 59 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in June. Moreover, these fires are contributing to the thawing of the Arctic permafrost which, in some cases, can lead to sudden ground collapse.

The issue with fires in the Arctic is it burns above and below ground, explains Sue Natali, Arctic program director at Woods Hole Research Center. When surface soil rich in organic matter burns, it places the permafrost at risk which serves as an insulator against warm summer temperatures. In previously burned areas newly exposed to extreme summer heat events, it really pushes this system to the edge.

Ive seen this in Siberia in places that burned five years ago. You may get some vegetation coming back, but the ground is really vulnerable. When you get another warm year, theres extreme cracking of the ground and collapse, she says.

Natali is currently involved in a landmark research project using new elevation data and satellite imagery to map huge, mysterious craters some as much as 50 meters (164 feet) across first observed in the Siberian Arctic in July 2014.

It was something we had never seen before, says Natali, adding that researchers are unsure if theres a definitive link to climate change. Were trying to figure out whats causing these craters and where theyre going to happen next. The craters appear to form when thawed permafrost causes the ground to bubble up and explode, leaving deep depressions that then fill with water.

She notes that so far craters have only been observed in the Yamal and Gyda peninsulas near the Kara Sea. That is very likely because there are certain geologic conditions that may contribute to crater formation [subterranean] gas deposits and ground ice. That doesnt mean it cant happen anywhere.

Merritt Turetsky, director of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado Boulder, says, We know the fires burning in Siberia right now are in areas of continuous permafrost with high ice content. This is probably where well see rapid thaw in a couple years post-fires.

Permafrost thaw also puts the Arctic regions infrastructure and environment at risk. This was highlighted in late May by the devastating diesel spill at one of Russias Norilsk Nickel subsidiary power plants. A fuel tank suddenly collapsed and leaked 21,000 tons of diesel into the Ambarnaya and Dadylkan rivers, causing unprecedented damage to Arctic waterways. Russian officials have since traced the spill to thawing permafrost beneath the tank and ordered a full-scale review of infrastructure in vulnerable zones.

This was a huge disaster, says Natali, and it could be the first of many if precautions arent taken. In the permafrost zone, you have really important infrastructure like fuel storage tanks, buildings, sewage lagoons, dumps. All of these things can impact the health of those [people] who live on the permafrost.

Yet most local governments dont have a good idea of the ground beneath their feet. You would think they would want to have these permafrost areas mapped so they wouldnt put things like highways over ice-rich permafrost, which is more prone to sudden collapse, says INSTAARs Turetsky. There have been some whopper mistakes where huge construction projects in the North have been built on sensitive permafrost. It sure seems like that was the situation with the diesel spill.

Vladimir Romanovsky, a geophysicist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, says this is especially concerning in Russia, where a huge amount of oil flows through pipelines crossing Siberias permafrost region. Any kind of interruption of this flow not only creates local emergencies and hazards for the environment, but can also impact global oil supply.

He adds that an overlooked concern is the rapid militarization of the Russian Arctic as the government strengthens its national security infrastructure in a region where the U.S. and Russian militaries eye each other suspiciously across the Arctic Sea.

How to keep this infrastructure in good shape in light of degrading permafrost is ultimately a matter of international security, concludes Romanovsky.

Banner image: Arctic sea ice in summer. Photo credit:NASA Goddard Photo and VideoonVisualHunt.com/CC BY

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Siberian heat drives Arctic ice extent to record low for early July - Mongabay.com

Ireland ‘will be left defenceless and with no navy in three years’, TD warns – Irish Mirror

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Ireland will be left defenceless and with no naval service in three years unless action is taken on the pay crisis in the Defence Forces.

Newly-elected TD and former army ranger doctor Cathal Berry delivers the stark warning today.

He also believes Irish waters are being thrown open to drug cartels, people smugglers and Brexit profiteers.

Deputy Berry stormed into the Dail on a campaign to fight for the defence forces in Februarys election.

He told the Irish Sunday Mirror: There is a feeling a sense in the Defence Forces that they are still regarded as cannon fodder, just to be lined up in broad daylight and walked into the enemy machine guns.

There wont be a naval service in two or three years time unless action is taken urgently.

What did Elvis say? A little less conversation, a little more action please. Thats what we need now.

In a wide-ranging assault on the shoddy treatment of the army, navy and air corps, the Kildare South representative also:

He said: If its business as usual the country is in trouble. We wont be neutral anymore we will be completely defenceless.

Fifty sailors have left the navy this year alone, the equivalent of a whole ships company have left during the Covid crisis. We know there is a recession coming and people are leaving because they cant afford to stay.

He added: Of the three services the navy are in the worst situation.

A third naval ship is going to be tied up in October unless immediate action is taken.

We have two ships in Cork harbour sitting there and no sailors to crew them.

If a third ship is tied up you will have about 100million worth of Irish hardware, assets, just sitting in Haulbowline rusting away, its an absolute scandal.

Its not a victimless issue because the countrys search and rescue capability is depleted.

Brexit is literally six months away and the UK will probably end their transition period on WTO [World Trade Organisation] terms which means the fisheries issue will be a massive problem.

You are going to have all the EU fishery fleets that used to fish in UK waters, fishing in Irish waters and there is going to be issues on the high seas in terms of monitoring and policing.

Deputy Berry added: Another big role of the defence forces is to deter and detect and to intercept drug runners that are coming across the Atlantic, coming up from the Azores.

The deterrent factor is gone. All the druggies know there is massive gaps in the defences at the moment.

And they can land whatever they want on the Wild Atlantic Way because the Wild Atlantic Way is a mecca for tourists but it is also a mecca for drug dealers.

You are looking at the smuggling of people, weapons, ammunition, drugs, we are absolutely wide open here and it is just not good enough.

Sailors are paid an allowance of 55 to go to sea for 24 hours the equivalent of one euro an hour after tax. Other public servants are paid more including marine institute personnel who get 270 or sea fisheries protection workers who get 105 tax free.

Deputy Berry said: There is that prevailing sense that nobody could give a monkeys about them. And the reason being they cant strike,

If that is sorted the problems in the navy will disappear overnight. Four million euro a year would solve the navy problem overnight. He also claimed the loss of army personnel could also be halted by addressing allowances.

He said: Retention is absolutely vital, particularly as it is more difficult to recruit people because of Covid.

All branches of the forces have been manning the Covid-19 frontline.

Three naval vessels were deployed in Cork, Dublin and Galway as support for community testing centres. The air corps were flying tests to Germany while army medics were in nursing homes swabbing staff and residents.

The army also established a test centre in Dublins Aviva Stadium.

Deputy Berry said: Our defence force paramedics were in the same vehicles as the national ambulance service guys comparing their allowances and going Wow.

Family men saying Why am I working for pittance when I can get a job on multiples of what Im on?

Why would you compromise your childrens education or your spouses quality of life for a Government department who couldnt give a rats about you? Theyve had enough.

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Ireland 'will be left defenceless and with no navy in three years', TD warns - Irish Mirror

Tough As Nails: Meet The Cast Of Hot New CBS Show | Screen Rant – Screen Rant

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Meet the 12 blue-collar workers getting their hands dirty for a $200,00 cash prize on CBS' newest reality series of the summer, Tough as Nails.

CBS' latest reality series, Tough as Nails, debuted July 8, rescuing the network's summer competition line-up as Big Brother and The Amazing Race are currently on hiatus. The new competition series follows 12 blue-collar Americans as they endure challenges that test both their physical and mental toughness to earn a $200,000 grand prize.

Host and executive producer Phil Keoghan scoured the nation along a six-stop, nationwide casting tour, handpicking the best of the best to put their strength to the challenges inspired by their back-breaking careers. Working in trades like fishery and firefighting, this show's contestants are no stranger to a hard day's work. Meet the contestants breaking away from their daily routine for a shot to make it big on screens across the country.

Related:The Amazing Race: 5 Reasons Why It Should Keep Going (& 5 Why It Needs To End Soon)

A firefighter from Virginia, Young An works long hours day in and day out to protect his community in times of need. Young's parents immigrated from South Korea to the states to provide their family with a better life, and their sacrifice and determination is the source of his strong work ethic. Using the teamsmanship, physical strength, and ability to perform under pressure garnered from his line of work, Young hopes to take home the cash prize, and use it to pay off is parent's debts as a thank you for the life they've given him.

Danny Moody is a third-generation drywaller, and is responsible for hanging and drying the drywall in houses during construction. Quick to describe himself as competitive, Danny entered the competition to prove that even a shorter guy like himself could be the toughest in a room. When he isn't pulling 12 hour shifts to provide for his family, Danny often volunteers his skills for Habitat for Humanity projects. His dedication to an honest, blue-collar lifestyle and endurance from hanging drywall will be useful talents in his fight for the title.

Farming runs in Melissa Burns' family, and she wouldn't want it any other way. She was raised on a farm, married a farmer, and plans to continue the tradition as long as she can keep up with the work. Proud to be the hands producing America's food, Melissa treasures her work, even if does force her to wake up at the crack of dawn. Relying on her farm-raised muscles and and get it done attitude to edge out the competition, she wants to show the nation how tough farmers (especially female farmers) can be.

Linnett Key's inspiring journey from homelessness to home-ownership already proves that she has a tough and resilient spirit. The welder and single mother of four works two jobs to provide for her three sons and daughter. No matter what challenges the show throws at her, Linnett said in the premiere that she wouldn't give up, hoping that her stubborn dedication to persevere will show her kids what true strength and heart looks like.

Kelly Murphy is the only military man on the cast, having recently retired from decades long service with the U.S. Marine Corps to spend more time with his family. Now, he heads theMilitaryand Veterans Center at the University of Central Missouri. His work hard, work together attitude proves that you can take the man out of the Marines, but you can't take the Marines out of the man. Even though he's one of the older competitors at 47, his muscles alone signal that he's a force to be reckoned with.

Linda Goodridge is a jack of all trades juggling three jobs: deputy sheriff jailer, wellness coach, and roofing company employee. Her daily routine always includes a good workout, the results of which are bound to come in handy when competing to be the toughest of all Americans. As a deputy sheriff jailer, Linda provides order and safety to female inmates, and despite the hardships that come along with the position, she said in the premiere that helping someone turn their life around makes it all worth it.

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Luis and his family relocated to the Bronx when he was in elementary school. His mother single-handedly provided for and raised Luis and his six siblings, instilling a strong work ethic in Luis from a young age. Despite his model-level looks, he currently works as a scaffolder, suspended tens of floors up on construction sites. Tough as Nails is yet another exhilarating experience for Luis, who hopes to bring home the win for his children.

The oldest competitor at 62, Michelle Kiddy is competing to fight against the sexism and ageism thrown towards mature women everywhere. A ray on sunshine on the cast and real life, Michelle does her best to ensure great customer service and safety for commuters an airport gate agent. Her position entails many duties, including passenger check-in, tagging bags, keeping track of crew and paperwork, and resolving client complaints. At a little over five feet, Michelle packs big fight into a small package.

Land Ho! Callie Cattle left the high seas to compete on soil against the best of the best (according to Phil Keoghan). She is a commercial fisherman and diver in Alaska, following her father in his line of work. Living without a shower and bathroom while at sea has enabled Callie to adapt to uncomfortable situations, and the teamwork necessary to keep the crew safe won't be wasted in Tough as Nails team challenges.

Myles Polk works as a forestry technician in Tuskegee, Alabama, patrolling the woods to monitor sapling growth, extinguish fires, and handle whatever else the great outdoors sends his way. He's certainly gained physical toughness from the active nature of his work and lifestyle, but Myles believes true toughness comes from the heart and mind. As afianc and father, Myles wants to bring home the $200,000 bacon to offer his family a better life.

Don't let Tara Davis' blonde hair and small frame fool you she came to win and leave everything on the field. Working as an iron worker, an industry with only 1% women, Tara is used to excelling past other's expectations. The long hours and demanding work coupled with raising four children, one of which being diagnosed with autism, has afforded Tara both the physical and mental fortitude necessary to be a real threat in the competition.

Lee Marshall, a roofer from St. Louis, claims to have installed over 10,000 roofs during his career, lugging hundreds to thousands of pounds of material in the average workday. Having always worked hard for his money, he is ready to shed blood, sweat, and tears during his tenure on Tough as Nails. Lee doesn't think his age, 61, will get in the way of winning the competition for his family back home. If anything, it gives decades of endurance and experience on the job gives him an edge over the younger contestants.

Next:Big Brother 22: 10 Former Houseguests That Are Likely To Return

Yolanda Hadid Accused Of Hiding Epstein's Ex Ghislaine Maxwell

Kennedy Hill is a pop culture writer whose first words are rumored to be "pass me the remote." An avid fan of all things Marvel, Real Housewives and whatever convoluted film Christopher Nolan releases, she writes about her TV obsessions from Los Angeles. She began writing about all things film as a college arts reporter (go bruins!) and has since spread her obsessive ramblings to various publications. When she isn't arguing about multiverse theories or the latest anime lineup, she fills her time with overpriced sushi and Schitt's Creek reruns.

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Tough As Nails: Meet The Cast Of Hot New CBS Show | Screen Rant - Screen Rant

Police have criminals on the back foot in war on drugs – The Christian Institute

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UK drug lords believe the police are winning the war on drugs, according to secret messages hacked by detectives.

It comes in sharp contrast to calls from politicians and police chiefs in favour of decriminalising illegal drugs, claiming the war has already been lost.

In an encrypted messaging system used by over 60,000 criminals worldwide, UK criminals complained the police are winning the war and that theyre getting everyone.

Efforts by the police to crack down on drug dealers and traffickers are having an effect with one crime boss secretly admitting he was considering leaving the UK because of his fear of the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Following the decryption of messages in April by French and Dutch law enforcement, the NCA monitored the live chats of 10,000 organised criminals in the UK between then and June, leading to significant progress.

Around 750 arrests have been made, two tonnes of drugs have been seized, along with 77 firearms and more than 54 million in cash.

During the same period the police also foiled more than 200 gangland murder plots or serious attacks.

The NCA has released unedited messages, including one criminal who said the serious crime agency was like M15 for our business.

Others described the NCA as scary and one said officers were getting too smart and that it was time to leave the UK.

Last year Parliaments Health and Social Care Committee said the UKs approach to drugs was clearly failing and called for a radical approach, saying possession of drugs for personal use should be made a civil matter rather than a criminal offence.

They also called for the expansion of so-called shooting galleries, where addicts can inject themselves without fear of arrest, but the Government said it has no plans to decriminalise drug possession.

Cannabis users told by police: Just say sorry and watch a video

Pro-cannabis prof: Ive changed my mind on legalisation

Myth buster: My doctor will be prescribing me cannabis joints

Going soft on cannabis

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Police have criminals on the back foot in war on drugs - The Christian Institute

The war on drugs does more harm than drugs – Effingham Daily News

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Protesters say Americas criminal justice system is unfair.

It is.

Courts are so jammed that innocent people plead guilty to avoid waiting years for a trial. Lawyers help rich people get special treatment. A jail stay is just as likely to teach you crime as it is to help you get a new start. Overcrowded prisons cost a fortune and increase suffering for both prisoners and guards.

Theres one simple solution to most of these problems: End the war on drugs.

Our government has spent trillions of dollars trying to stop drug use.

It hasnt worked. More people now use more drugs than before the war began.

What drug prohibition did do is exactly what alcohol prohibition did a hundred years ago: increase conflict between police and citizens.

It pitted police against the communities that they serve, says neuroscientist Dr. Carl Hart in my new video. Hart, former chair of Columbia Universitys Psychology department, grew up in a tough Miami neighborhood where he watched crack cocaine wreck lives. When he started researching drugs, he assumed that research would confirm the damage drugs did.

But one problem kept cropping up, he says in his soon-to-be-released book, Drug Use For Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear, the evidence did not support the hypothesis. No one elses evidence did either.

After 20 years of research, he concluded, I was wrong. Now, he says, our drug laws do more harm than drugs.

Because drug sales are illegal, profits from selling drugs are huge. Since sellers cant rely on law enforcement to protect their property, they buy guns and form gangs.

Cigarettes harm people, too, but there are no violent cigarette gangs no cigarette shootings even though nicotine is more addictive than heroin, says our government. Thats because tobacco is legal. Likewise, there are no longer violent liquor gangs. They vanished when prohibition ended.

But what about the opioid epidemic? Lots of Americans die from overdoses!

Hart blames the drug war for that, too. Yes, opioids are legal, but their sale is tightly restricted.

If drugs were over the counter, there would be fewer deaths? I asked.

Of course, he responds. People die from opioids because they get tainted opioids. ... That would go away if we didnt have this war on drugs. Imagine if the only subject of any conversation about driving automobiles was fatal car crashes. ... So it is with the opioid epidemic.

Drugs do harm many people, but in real life, replies Hart, I know tons of people who do drugs; they are public officials, captains of industry, and theyre doing well. Drugs, including nicotine and heroin, make people feel better. Thats why they are used.

President Eisenhower warned about the military-industrial complex. Americas drug war funds a prison-industrial complex. Hart says his years inside the well-funded research side of that complex showed him that any research not in support of the tough-on-drugs ideology is routinely dismissed to keep outrage stoked and funds coming in.

America locks up more than 2 million Americans. Thats a higher percentage of our citizens, disproportionately black citizens, than any other country in the world.

In every country with a more permissive drug regime, all outcomes are better, says Hart. Countries like Switzerland and Portugal, where drugs are decriminalized, dont have these problems that we have with drug overdoses.

In 2001, Portugal decriminalized all drug use. Instead of punishing drug users, they offer medical help. Deaths from overdoses dropped sharply. In 2017, Portugal had only 4 deaths per million people. The United States had 217 per million.

In a society, you will have people who misbehave, says Hart. But that doesnt mean you should punish all of us because someone cant handle this activity.

Hes right. Its time to end the drug war.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

John Stossel is author of Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media.

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The war on drugs does more harm than drugs - Effingham Daily News

Q&A: Preaching Harm Reduction – Open Society Foundations

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Tell us about the origin of the Naloxone Saves tours. Why did you start them, and what have they accomplished?

In 2004 I lost someone I love to an accidental overdose. It was the first in a long string of deaths. Unfortunately, the churches my loved ones were connected to were sources of shame instead of care, leaving people to feel separate from their community and separate from God.

Ten years later I decided to go to seminary to learn how to bury my dead with dignity, because nobody else ever had. But while I was there, I realized I didnt want to just bury my friends, I wanted to support them in living and living well. Naloxone Saves was born out of this desire. It started as an assignment for a worship class in seminary but has become an opportunity to lift up the sacred lives of people who use drugs and honor their leadership in resurrecting communities.

Through the service, and in partnership with grassroots harm reduction groups, we have distributed thousands of naloxone kits, allowing people to take what they need, no questions asked. But more than that we have corrected the place of people who use drugs in congregations, moving them from the shadows to the altar.

As Christians we are called to cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers of our own making, and cast out the demons of shame and stigma. This is harm reduction work. This is the gospel.

For me, they share an obvious connection: unconditional love and a commitment to justice. Harm reduction is not contrary to the Christian faith. Harm reduction calls us to deepen our faith. People who use drugs matter to God. And people who use drugs are doing Gods work. They deserve our respect and support, not our judgement.

Where I live, in Ohio, we have seen overdose spikes almost every weekend for the first two months of quarantine. Isolation, financial instability, and racist practices in policing and health care continue to drive up our death rates.

This pandemic has also clearly shown us that naloxone is not enough to save our communities. We need housing, living wages, competent health care, and freedom from policing in order to survive both the pandemic and the drug war.

People are struggling to get what they need to live, and we must be comprehensively concerned about that. This includes naloxone, yes; but it also includes freedom from prisons, where COVID is rapidly spreading and many people are being held on immoral and racialized drug charges.

Faith In Public Life has been working with faith communities and harm reduction leaders to ensure that people have access to naloxone during this time of increased isolation.

We have also joined a coalition focused on statewide de-carceration efforts.We know that the racist war on drugs has fueled the racist policing that fills racist prisons.It is white supremacy that has fueled an increase of both overdose deaths and deaths from COVID-19 in Black communities. These issues are deeply connected.

As harm reductionists, we have watched millions of dollars pour into police departments in the name of overdose preventionall while grassroots programs, which are far more effective, have been left to scrape things together, just as they always have. This has left communities vulnerable to the devastating impacts of COVID-19 and increased policing.

When the most effective harm reduction programs rely on an individual paying for supplies out of pocket, it leaves entire communities at risk. What happens when that person loses their job? Or falls ill? Or cant do outreach because they have a compromised immune system?

Part of how we are responding to the pandemic is by supporting the Movement for Black Lives and by lifting up the demands of local Black leaders. We know that Black lives matter to God and that defunding the police will result in fewer overdose deaths.

This is a time when we must deepen our moral imagination and dream up new possibilities. We must meet people where they are, but we cannot leave them there. We cannot leave our loved ones in prison, we cannot leave our loved ones without housing, we cannot leave our loved ones in isolation.

As harm reductionists we must first meet people where they are and offer the supplies and solidarity that are needed. But we must also join a broader movement to fight for the sanctity and protection of all life by defunding the police and reallocating funds to communities that are desperately in need.

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Q&A: Preaching Harm Reduction - Open Society Foundations

Don’t Blame the Wave of Overdose Deaths on Coronavirus LockdownBlame Them On the War On Drugs – Yahoo News

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White House drug czar Jim Carroll toldPoliticoearlier this week that an Office of National Drug Control Policy analysis findsan 11.4 percent yearoveryear increase in opioidrelated overdose deaths during the first four months of 2020. Kentucky has seen a25 percent increase in overdose deaths during the first four months of this year, and West Virginia saw a50 percent increase in deaths since the beginning of the year. The data are incomplete at this point, and not all states have reported in.

Mr. Carroll attributed much of the increase in the overdose rate to anxiety, social isolation, and depression resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. But he also noted that, after aoneyear pause in 2017, the overdose death rate resumed its climb inlate 2018 and 2019. And methamphetaminerelated deaths have been surging for the past few years.

Researchhas shown that overdose deaths from the nonmedical use of licit or illicit drugs have been on asteady exponential increase since at least the late 1970swith different drugs predominating at different periods. And there is no evidence the trend is slowing.

While it remains popular to attribute the opioidrelated overdose crisis to doctors prescribing pain relievers to patients, the evidenceshowsthere is no correlation between prescription volume and the nonmedical opioid use or opioid use disorder.

To be sure, the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the situation. People with substance use disorder need to feel connectedness with others as well as themselves to overcome the problem.Isolation, loneliness, and the anxiety and depressionassociated with quarantines, lockdowns, and the resultant economic dislocations are the opposite of what people suffering from addiction require.

Add to that the fact that the pandemic response hashampered the smooth operation of harm reduction programs, despite efforts to mitigate the disruption with the temporaryrelaxationof many federal regulations. And the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrationreportsthe sobering fact that many first responders are reluctant to respond to overdose calls with the antidote naloxone, fearing they may contract COVID-19 during the resuscitative process. Of course, this is yet another argument for having the Food and Drug Administration reclassify naloxone asover the counter.

Story continues

But it should not go without notice that many chronic pain patients have been unable to follow up with their physicians, whose offices have been closed (or office hours restricted) in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. And many elective procedures to treat or eliminate these painful conditions have been postponed or cancelled because of blanket bans on elective procedures. This was discussed at aCato onlineeventin May. In desperation, many patients might be seeking relief in the dangerous black market fueled by drug prohibition.

Speaking of prohibition, the drug czar told Politico that the pandemic response has caused Customs and Border Patrol agents to reduce screening for drugs smuggled across the border.

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on substance use, substance use disorder, and overdose deaths must not be ignored or underemphasized. But, at the end of the day, thedriving forcebehind overdose deaths has always beendrug prohibition. Andso it will remain, until it is repealed.

This article by Jeffrey A. Singer firstappearedinCATOon July 1, 2020.

Image: Reuters.

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Don't Blame the Wave of Overdose Deaths on Coronavirus LockdownBlame Them On the War On Drugs - Yahoo News

Cato and the ACLU Join Forces to Protect Philadelphia’s Supervised Injection Site – Cato Institute

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The first major federal drug law, the Harrison Narcotics Act, went into effect in 1915. As the federal drug war moves into its second century, we are still faced with an unprecedented opioid crisis that is getting worse during the current pandemic. Yet while other countries such as Portugal and Switzerland are approaching the problem with new, more humane ideas, the federal government is stuck in the prohibitionist mindset of the past, which not only doesnt work but makes the problem worse.

Safehouse is anonprofit publichealth organization that seeks to mitigate the harms of the opioid crisis in many ways. First and foremost, Safehouse wants to provide asupervised injection site (SIS) for compulsive opioid users. SISs do not provide any drugs to users but offer aplace where the drugs can be tested and medical professionals are available in the event of an overdose. In addition, Safehouse will offer counseling and recovery treatment.

SIS model has been used with great success elsewhere, especially in Vancouvers Downtown Eastside, which was an epicenter of overdoses before Insite opened in 2003. Despite those successes, the federal government is trying to block Safehouse by invoking a1980s crackhouse law that makes it acrime to provide aplace to take illicit drugs, even without compensation. Safehouse won the first round when afederal district court ruled that the Department of Justice couldnt stretch the crackhouse statute to cover Safehouses lifesaving SIS.

Now on appeal to the Third Circuit, Cato, joined bythe ACLU and the ACLU of Pennsylvania, hasfiledabrief supporting Safehouse. We argue that the Constitutions federal structure was designed to allow for states to experiment with different policies, especially when it comes to protecting the health and welfare of citizens. No one knows how to solve the opioid crisis, and it is bad form, at the very least, for the federal government to try to block SISs with a30yearold law that was passed during the height of the War on Drugs. The idea that prohibition and arrests is the best way to solve the opioid crisis should be left in the past.

Moreover, the federal government is largely responsible for the current overdose crisis. Over the past decade, the synthetic opioid fentanyl has become the biggest source of overdoses, with over 31,000 dying in 2018. Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin, and the lethal dose is 2or 3milligrams, which is equivalent to about 4grains of salt. Compulsive heroin users are increasingly finding fentanyl in their heroin, often unknowingly. They shoot up the same amount as usual, and they die.

Why is such adeadly drug polluting the drug supply? Because of the iron law of prohibition. When college kids sneak alcohol into afootball game, they dont sneak beer, they prefer the more compact and potent stuff. Similarly, during alcohol Prohibition, beer and wine essentially disappeared and were replaced by hard spirits. For the same reasons, drug traffickers prefer highpotency opioids like fentanyl even when the users are not demanding it.

Finally, we argue that the DOJs attempt to apply the crackhouse law to Safehouses SIS is an unconstitutional extension of the Commerce and Necessary and Proper Clauses. Under the governments argument, parents that let their son shoot up in the bathroom so they can monitor him would be violating the same statute. Yet the Commerce and Necessary and Proper Clauses do not let Congress regulate intrastate, noneconomic activity such as this. While Congress has broad power under current precedents, it doesnt have the power to control everything that happens around illicit drugs.

The Third Circuit should stop the federal governments cruel and counterproductive attempt to block an institution that will undoubtedly save lives.

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Cato and the ACLU Join Forces to Protect Philadelphia's Supervised Injection Site - Cato Institute

Statement in support of OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media – PEN America

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JOINT STATEMENT

Statement in support of the mandate of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

We, the undersigned organizations, are deeply concerned by the decision of the representatives of Azerbaijan and Tajikistan to block the renewal of the mandate of Harlem Dsir, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFOM).

We respect the need for a consensus vote of all member states of the OSCE on the mandate renewal as an important commitment of all OSCE participating States to abide by their commitments to freedom of expression and free media. We understand the move by Azerbaijan and Tajikistan is an attempt to weaken the essential watchdog function of the mandate.

Our organizations have worked closely with current and past RFOMs over the years and supported them in promoting media freedom in the OSCE region. We are looking forward to further collaboration with the mandate which was due to be renewed on 19 July.

The RFOM is a critical institution in safeguarding and promoting media freedom across the OSCE region. In particular, we value assistance that the RFOM provided to the OSCE participating States on relevant issues related to the promotion and protection of the media and freedom of expression and in shaping their policies and legislation in line with international standards and OSCE commitments. We also highlight crucial support that the mandate has been providing to journalists and media organizations and to our own organizations mission in defending and promoting press freedom within the OSCE region and beyond.

As the COVID-19 pandemic showed, ensuring media freedom is more important now than ever. We believe that the renewal of his mandate is an important opportunity for OSCE participating States to confirm their commitment to media freedom at a time when it is threatened and pledge further support towards this important mandate.

Therefore, we urge the Governments of Azerbaijan and Tajikistan and all OSCE participating States to uphold their international commitments and to support the renewal of the mandate of Mr. Dsir before it expires on 19 July.

ARTICLE 19: Global Campaign for Free Expression

Belarusian Association of Journalists

Center for Independent Journalism Romania

Committee to Protect Journalists

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)

European Federation of Journalists

Free Press Unlimited

Freedom House

Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)

Globe International Center

Hungarian Civil Liberties Union

Index on Censorship

Initiative for Freedom of Expression Turkey

International Federation of Journalists

International Media Support (IMS)

International Press Institute (IPI)

Metamorphosis Foundation

Norwegian PEN

Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)

Ossigeno

P24 Platform for Independent Journalism

PEN America

PEN International

Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA)

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Rory Peck Trust

South East Europe Media Organization

South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM)

World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers

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Statement in support of OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media - PEN America

Celebrate the sounds of freedom | News, Sports, Jobs – Alpena News

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Because freedom comes with a cost, those who defend it never rest.

As a result, northern Michigan residents will play host again this month to Northern Strike, a very practical and useful training exercise for various National Guard units, law enforcement agencies, and active military servicemembers from around the world.

Being ever-mindful of coronavirus concerns, this years training exercise will be substantially smaller.

While, usually, the training pulls in about 6,000 military members, this year, fewer than half only 2,300 will participate.

To ensure social distancing and follow other safe practices related to COVID-19, military personnel opted for the smaller training numbers this summer.

As in years past, the Guard will use facilities at both the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center and Camp Grayling. This years exercise will take place July 19 to 31.

Guard units from several states including Maine, California, New York and others as well as NATO partners Latvia and Lithuania, are expected to participate in Northern Strike in a few weeks.

Activity the end of the month certainly will pick up around here.

And, remember, the sound of the jets overhead is the sound of freedom.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)

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Azerbaijan and Tajikistan block renewal of OSCE media freedom representative – The Shift News

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Harlem Dsir, an influential figure who has worked fearlessly for the protection of the free press, will no longer serve as Representative on Freedom of the Media at OSCE after Azerbaijan and Tajikistan blocked the renewal of his mandate.

Dsir has been an outspoken representative at the OSCE (Organisation for the Security and Cooperation in Europe), a position he occupied for the past three years. His reappointment has now been blocked by two of the worst countries with world press freedom records.

International press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said this was the most disruptive behaviour yet from Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.

The work of the Representative on Freedom of Media is absolutely crucial to the protection of media freedom across the OSCEs 57 Member States, especially in the worst offenders, including the two States that have now blocked Harlem Dsirs reappointment. They can now effectively evade OSCE scrutiny, RSFs Director of International Campaigns, Rebecca Vincent, said.

The blocking of Dsir by the two States raises the question of whether countries that have a tragic record in protecting journalists and the free press should be allowed to have such power in international fora.

Azerbaijan has form for this, having behaved similarly disruptively at the Council of Europe for years. How long will these institutions allow themselves to be hijacked by States that dont share their values? RSF added.

A number of international press freedom organisations, include the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, Article 19 and the European Federation of Journalists, that echoed the condemnation and called on OSCE participating States to uphold their international commitments and to support the renewal of Dsir mandate before it expires on 19 July.

The European Federation of Journalists issued a statement signed by 29 other free press organisations, expressing their concern about the blocking of Dsirs renewal.

We understand the move by Azerbaijan and Tajikistan is an attempt to weaken the essential watchdog function of the mandate. The organisations highlighted the crucial support that Dsir has been providing to journalists and media organisations.

Dsir has thanked every single organisation that expressed its disappointment at his departure. The impact of his loss on press freedom work around the world is immeasurable.

Dsir has been closely monitoring the situation in Malta following the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. He visited Malta to attend the journalists funeral and had addressed the conference organised by The Shift and RSF on the second anniversary of her brutal killing.

In an interview with The Shift, Dsir had insisted that there can be no mercy for those responsible for the journalists assassination.

Dsir had harsh words for Konrad Mizzis nomination as Head of the Maltese delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE. Speaking to The Shift, Dsir had said that Mizzis nomination was simply incomprehensible and disturbing.

The attempts by the Azerbaijani regime to stifle media freedom have been the subject of numerous discussions and investigations. Blocking Dsirs mandate is just the most recent of tactics on international platforms.

OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) had revealed how a number of MEPs including Spain, Germany and Belgium, had received bribes from the Azerbaijani lobbyists.

Through four shell companies registered in the UK, the Azerbaijani regime was found to be laundering money that was then used to pay off European politicians over a two-year period.

It was revealed that a German MEP had received the money while she was serving as a member of the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly for the Council of Europe) when it voted down a key resolution on politically motivated imprisonment by Azerbaijan.

Malta has a cosy relationship with Azerbaijan, with members of the ruling elite involved with the now-defunct Pilatus Bank in Malta and disgraced former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat joining the Presidents think-tank to promote the countrys culture and values around the world a typical tactic used by dictators around the world.

Originally posted here:

Azerbaijan and Tajikistan block renewal of OSCE media freedom representative - The Shift News

Oprah Winfrey and BFF Gayle King Reunite for "Freedom Dinner" After Negative Coronavirus Tests – E! NEWS

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Best friends back together again!

Gayle King may have flown from New York to her BFF Oprah Winfrey's Santa Barbara, Calif. home at the end of June, but it wasn't until Thursday night that the two were finally reunited.

In videos shared to Instagram by the longtime pals,Winfrey greetedKing at her front door with her arms wide openfor a big hug.

"After 13 and a half days quarantined in my guest house, @gayleking and her @cbsthismorning team released from Covid quarantine," Oprah captioned her post.

King's post revealed that she andher CBS This Morning teamwho have been staying and filmingin Winfrey's guest housewere all tested for COVID-19 after therecommended two weeks were up, and everyone's results came back negative.

"Quarantine 'ovah'!" she wrote. "We got our covid results & @Oprah had us over for a 'freedom dinner' a good time was had by all."

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Oprah Winfrey and BFF Gayle King Reunite for "Freedom Dinner" After Negative Coronavirus Tests - E! NEWS

Opinion: Freedom comes with the burden of responsibility – easternnewmexiconews.com

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Does the governor have the right to make us wear facemasks, stay 6 feet apart and avoid crowds because some people are getting sick and dying from a contagious disease?

Its a fair question. But probably not the most pressing question we should be considering today.

A better one is whether we should wear facemasks, stay 6 feet apart, and follow other safe practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

Ultimately, we each get to decide the answers to those questions. Just ask Curry County Commissioner Seth Martin.

I have yet to wear a mask, and I have no intention of wearing a mask, Martin said at last weeks commission meeting.

Yes, there may be consequences in disobeying state laws or mandates or orders or whatever theyre calling these new pandemic-era rules. But thats always been the case with government and the rabble us it seeks to control.

Does the government have the right to make us wear seatbelts, stop at red lights, drive on the right side of the road at regulated speeds? We get to make those decisions as well ... with a potential for consequences, including fines from the government and the deaths of others.

Because freedom, right?

The city of Portales implemented a rarely used rule last week residents can only water their lawns on specific days at specific times. Does City Hall really have the authority to tell you when or if you can water your grass? Dont you have the right to use all the water you want, since youre paying to use that water?

Its a fair question. Again, probably the better question is should we be watering the grass every day amidst warnings the entire city could be without water if were not careful.

Most of us agree laws should be debated and voted on, with our voices heard throughout that process, before theyre implemented. At least thats how the Portales water conservation resolution, approved by the City Council in 2014, and our nations traffic laws have evolved.

But these executive orders related to COVID-19 are for dictators, not for leaders of free countries, right?

Some of us think we have far too many laws anyway, that one size does not fit all, that individual liberty should always trump majority rules.

Let freedom ring, we say.

Some of us also think freedom comes with a heavy burden of responsibility to ensure freedom for all. You are not free to harm someone else. And you should help others when you can.

Ultimately, our courts will decide whether these virus laws created on a whim by illogical politicians are unconstitutional. Even if they hold up, we will always have the option of ignoring them, risking fines and the lives of others, and fighting for our freedom as we understand it.

Thats the position taken by Commissioner Martin.

If youre fearful of (COVID-19), he said, I encourage you to wear your mask to protect yourself from me because Im not going to protect you from myself.

Martin went on to say he wants everyone to stay healthy, so dont think hes a bad guy. Maybe he heard somewhere that the coronavirus is a hoax or maybe his medical advisors told him its only spread through the Internet, or maybe hes just resigned to the fact that were all going to die anyway, from something.

But some of us would argue Martin is taking advantage of freedom without worrying about the burden of its responsibility.

God bless America.

And watch out for people who dont stop at red lights.

David Stevens

Publisher

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Opinion: Freedom comes with the burden of responsibility - easternnewmexiconews.com

‘Give Me Freedom or Give Me Death’: 13 Years Without Trial at Guantanamo, My Hunger Strike Is All I Have Left – Common Dreams

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I am an expert hunger striker now. I have been going for almost nine weeks and have lost thirty pounds. I now weigh now 115 poundsI checked this morning.

The first three days were hard but after that, my stomach shrank and I was no longer hungry. I drink water because otherwise I would soon die, but I am not feeling thirsty. I am feeling very weak, though.

The new Senior Medical Officer is a decent guy. He comes by to check on me, and says he is sympathetic. He asks if I am going to harm myself or anyone else. I say no, it is just a peaceful protest.

"I don't want to just sit patiently in my cell until I die here. I do not want to die here at all, but I have to do something."

"Give me freedom or give me death." This principle is very important to me. I don't want to just sit patiently in my cell until I die here. I do not want to die here at all, but I have to do something.

I thought of a phrase I learned in English: "It's a dog eat dog world." For now, I am the cannibal, because my body is eating itself. It has nowhere else to go for nutrition.

They still bring the food at every meal. I asked the guards not to but they insist they are under orders to offer me something to eat, so they just leave it there. It is quite torturous, though I have no appetite now.

I find myself slipping away. My immune system is sinking slowly. When I lie down it is hard to stand up. I have trouble focusing. My memory is bad. I forget the names of my family and close friends. I have forgotten parts of the Holy Qur'an that I had memorised. When I pray, I find that I cannot remember my prayers.

If I try to send a letter to my family, I find myself writing the same sentence over and over. They are very important to me, and I am desperately worried about them. Afghanistan is a poor country, without the resources to fight Covid-19, and they live in a crowded refugee camp. I want nothing more than to put food on the table and share it with them.

I have nightmares. They repeat and repeat. I am in a very dirty area. I try to avoid stepping, bare foot, in feces, though it turns out to be a land mine. Sometimes there are snakes, and I must find a path through them. I wake up suddenly, feeling cold, with my heart beating very fast.

"After thirteen years detained without trial, it is the only form of protest left to methe only way to assert my humanity."

Maybe they will start force feeding me if I go under 110 lbs. They did it to me in 2013. They force you to take liquid nutrient. The nicer guards allow you to drink it in front of them but normally they put a 110 centimeter pipe up your nose. It is very painful. As it goes in you feel you must throw up and become desperate to take it out. It is more painful for me than when I was thrown out of the bus and my bones were broken. And this is every day. It can take an hour and a half but they cheat and do it quicker, which is actually more painful. All this time you are sitting in the Torture Chair, strapped down tightly.

One day a woman tried to put it in and couldn't. She tried for five or ten minutes. She just did not know what she was doing. It was excruciating.

I am prepared to die, if it comes to it. I look ahead, and all I see is suffering. But what is the point of good health in life, if I cannot be home? My daughter was three months old when I last saw her. She is now thirteen, growing up without a father in a refugee camp where school has been closed for five months now because of the virus. If I was there I could help to teach her. I could even teach her the English I have learned here in Guantnamo.

I am not hunger striking to make the military administration unhappy. After thirteen years detained without trial, it is the only form of protest left to methe only way to assert my humanity. Guantnamo strips us of every human right but the right to life. Perhaps as my life ebbs away, the U.S. will at least be confronted with the pointless cruelty of keeping me here.

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'Give Me Freedom or Give Me Death': 13 Years Without Trial at Guantanamo, My Hunger Strike Is All I Have Left - Common Dreams

Congress’ decision seen as a slap to freedom of press – The Star Online

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Unless the House of Representatives can prove that the decision to deny media giant ABS-CBN a new franchise was based on a fair review, it sends a chilling effect on the freedom of the press, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said.

Unless Congress can disabuse the minds of the public that its decision was not based on a fair review and was devoid of any political consideration, the denial of the franchise, gives a chilling effect on the freedom of the press, the CHR said in a statement yesterday.

CHR continues to stress the importance of timely, credible information in pushing everyone towards the correct direction in responding especially to a pandemic, it added.

The loss of a major network has inevitably left millions of Filipinos in the dark, especially those in far-flung areas with no access to the Internet as an alternative.

After 13 hearings, the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Franchises adopted a recommendation of the technical working group to deny the media giant a new franchise.

ABS-CBN has been off the air since May 5, after the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) issued cease and desist order against the network.

The human rights commission said that the decision of lawmakers to deny ABS-CBN its franchise impacts greatly on the work of media as purveyor of free speech and information.

The denial of the franchise of ABS-CBN affects greatly public interest given the reach of its broadcast which extends to all corners of the country, the CHR said.

It further said that the networks supposed violations should have been dealt in accordance with existing laws.

And the same standard that was used for ABS-CBN should have been consistent with the rest of the franchise applications. Otherwise, this puts in question the rule of law fundamental in protecting rights and instead shows a rule by law devoid of fairness and justice, the CHR said. Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN

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Congress' decision seen as a slap to freedom of press - The Star Online

Post-lockdown camping: ‘It’s a taste of freedom’ – The Guardian

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We arrived at our yurt and said hello to our next-door neighbour, who was stretched out on a deckchair. He replied with a grin and one word: Freedom!

It was Saturday 4 July, the first day that campsites were allowed to open in England after lockdown. My partner and I had left our homes for the first time in nearly four months and driven to the Waveney River Centre in Norfolk, a campsite and marina, to find out what the new normal means for campers.

We were greeted by a battalion of beaming staff, all happy to get the summer season going at last. The first of many hand-sanitiser points was outside reception, which had a one-in, one-out policy and social-distancing markers. Other than that, check-in proceeded as normal. We were staying in one of seven yurts, all fully booked for the weekend, as were the 14 caravan pitches and six camping pods. Only the 45 tent pitches had deliberately not all been filled, to keep numbers at a manageable level. (There are also 35 self-catering lodges on the site.)

As is the case at many campsites, most of the facilities were open, but with some alterations. In the toilet block, alternating cubicles and sinks were taped up so people couldnt get too close. Staff were stationed at the showers all day, ready to clean them after each use. The main shop was closed, but basic items had been moved to the ice-cream kiosk. The play area was open, but the indoor pool was sadly shut, as per (baffling) government guidance.

Liam Holmes, Waveneys general manager, said early feedback from guests had been positive, with people feeling particularly reassured by the visible extra cleaning.

We were greeted by a battalion of beaming staff, all happy to get the summer season going at last

The campsite borders the River Waveney, and we were the first passengers on the newly reopened foot ferry. The service, which dates from the 19th century and was revived in 2012, originally carried south Norfolk villagers to Lowestoft fish market. These days, it takes visitors to Carlton Marshes nature reserve, just across the Suffolk border. We wandered around the marshes, meadows and pools, and spotted birds including a little egret and a marsh harrier. The wide-open space was a balm after so many weeks spent in my tiny London garden.

Back at the campsite, we exercised another regained right and went to the pub. The Waveney Inn had a one-way system with separate entrance and exit, and we had to give our details for contact-tracing purposes. It was table-service only, with contactless payment for our Southwold bitter, fish and chips and ploughmans salad. No one seem deterred by the new measures: the pub was full of families enjoying themselves.

A cold wind had whipped up by bedtime, which gave us a good excuse to light the woodburner in our yurt. The yurt smelled freshly sanitised (the particular antiviral spray used is specified on the website) and was comfortable, with double bed, sofa and electric lamps; guests bring their own bedding.

The next day, we hired a day cruiser from the on-site marina to explored this section of the Broads. Several campers were doing the same there was a queue for the boats. Again, social-distancing measures were in place, with customers fitting their own lifejackets and staff issuing instructions from the bank, rather than boarding boats.

We went as far as Reedham, a riverside village about two-and-a-half hours away, for a pint at the Ship Inn, then stopped halfway back at the Bell Inn at St Olaves for lunch (a generous seafood platter). Staff at both pubs were cheerful and welcoming, and the manager of the Bell Broadlands oldest recorded inn thanked us for supporting them. After months of nothing more exciting than a daily walk, a days boating on the Broads seemed like a real adventure.

Back at the marina, we handed the cruiser keys back and walked a few minutes up the lane to St Marys church, which has a thatched roof and a ziggurat-style tower. More substantial walks include one to Oulton Broad, via the foot ferry, and on to the sandy beach at Lowestoft. More beaches are a short drive away at Great Yarmouth and Southwold.

We ended the day with a barbecue on the deck outside our yurt. By the time we were ready for bed, a low moon was hanging over the river and the sky was full of stars. Our neighbour was right this was a taste of freedom, and it felt fantastic.

Accommodation at Waveney River Centre was provided by Campsites.co.uk, camping from 11 a night, yurts from 48 a night

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Post-lockdown camping: 'It's a taste of freedom' - The Guardian

With Artemis mission, NASA aims to put first woman on the moon soon – The Indian Express

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By: Tech Desk | Updated: July 6, 2020 1:12:49 pm Artemis will help scientists explore the South Pole of the moon (Image source: NASA File)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aims to put the first woman on the Moon or next man by 2024. The mission is under NASAs Artemis program which will help in exploring Moons surface as much as possible and create sustainable missions to the Moon by 2028. The research attained from the Moon will work as a building block to explore Mars in the future.

The program is an attempt to put human presence on the moon and revive the American space program. The Artemis mission is named after the twin sister (goddess of the Moon) of Apollo, the mission that put Neil Armstrong on the moon.

During the program, scientists will use the Moons surface as an engineering field of study and practice living in space before taking one step closer to Mars. A few of the main findings of the research will be how the human body reacts to the long durations of spaceflight, creating habitat and living on surfaces foreign to us.

The Artemis program will be carried out in two parts. First, Artemis I will be launched without a crew. This will be done to test the Space Rocket and Orion spacecraft together. Artemis II will be a test flight with a crew ahead of the final launch Artemis III which will put the first woman or the next man on the Moon by 2024.

Another mission of the space program is to understand the water history on the moon. For that, scientists aim to explore the South Pole of the moon.

Earlier, NASA called out the inventors all over the world to develop a toilet that can work on future lunar lander spacecraft and not just in microgravity. The winner of the best-designed toilet for moon will receive a whopping 20,000 dollars.

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With Artemis mission, NASA aims to put first woman on the moon soon - The Indian Express

From floating guts to ‘sticky’ blood here’s how to do surgery in space – The Conversation UK

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Earlier this year, it was reported that an astronaut in space had developed a potentially life-threatening blood clot in the neck. This was successfully treated with medication by doctors on Earth, avoiding surgery. But given that space agencies and private spaceflight companies have committed to landing humans on Mars in the coming decades, we may not be so lucky next time.

Surgical emergencies are in fact one of the main challenges when it comes to human space travel. But over the last few years, space medicine researchers have come up with a number of ideas that could help, from surgical robots to 3D printers.

Mars is a whopping 54.6 million kilometres (33.9 million miles) away from Earth, when closest. In comparison, the International Space Agency (ISS) orbits just 400 kilometres above Earth. For surgical emergencies on the ISS, the procedure is to stabilise the patient and transport them back to Earth, aided by telecommunication in real time. This wont work on Mars missions, where evacuation would take months or years, and there may be a latency in communications of over twenty minutes.

As well as distance, the extreme environment faced during transit to and on Mars includes microgravity, high radiation levels and an enclosed pressurised cabin or suit. This is tough on astronauts bodies and takes time getting used to.

We already know that space travel changes astronauts cells, blood pressure regulation and heart performance. It also affects the bodys fluid distribution and weakens its bones and muscles. Space travellers may also more easily develop infections. So in terms of fitness for surgery, an injured or unwell astronaut will be already at a physiological disadvantage.

But how likely is it that an astronaut will actually need surgery? For a crew of seven people, researchers estimate that there will be an average of one surgical emergency every 2.4 years during a Mars mission. The main causes include injury, appendicitis, gallbladder inflammation or cancer. Astronauts are screened extensively when they are selected, but surgical emergencies can occur in healthy people and may be exacerbated in the extreme environment of space.

Surgery in microgravity is possible and has already been been carried out, albeit not on humans yet. For example, astronauts have managed to repair rat tails and perform laparoscopy a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to examine and repair the organs inside the abdomen on animals, while in microgravity.

These surgeries have led to new innovations and improvements such as magnetising surgical tools so they stick to the table, and restraining the surgeonaut too.

One problem was that, during open surgery, the intestines would float around, obscuring view of the surgical field. To deal with this, space travellers should opt for minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as keyhole surgery, ideally occurring within patients internal cavities through small incisions using a camera and instruments.

A laparoscopy was recently carried out on fake abdomens during a parabolic zero gravity flight, with surgeons successfully stemming traumatic bleeding. But they warned that it would be psychologically hard to carry out such a procedure on a crew mate.

Bodily fluids will also behave differently in space and on Mars. The blood in our veins may stick to instruments because of surface tension. Floating droplets may also form streams that could restrict the surgeons view, which is not ideal. The circulating air of an enclosed cabin may also be an infection risk. Surgical bubbles and blood-repelling surgical tools could be the solution.

Researchers have already developed and tested various surgical enclosures in microgravity environments. For example, NASA evaluated a closed system comprising a surgical clear plastic overhead canopy with arm ports, aiming to prevent contamination.

When orbiting or settled on Mars, however, we would ideally need a hypothetical traumapod, with radiation shielding, surgical robots, advanced life support and restraints. This would be a dedicated module with filtered air supply and a computer to aid in diagnosis and treatment.

The surgeries carried out in space so far have revealed that a large amount of support equipment is essential. This is a luxury the crew may not have on a virgin voyage to Mars. You cannot take much equipment on a rocket. It has therefore been suggested that a 3D printer could use materials from Mars itself to develop surgical tools.

Tools that have been 3D printed have been successfully tested by crew with no prior surgical experience, performing a task similar to surgery simply by cutting and suturing materials (rather than a body). There was no substantial difference in time to completion with 3D printed instruments such as towel clamps, scalpel handles and toothed forceps.

Robotic surgery is another option that has been used routinely on Earth, and tested for planetary excursions. During NEEMO 7, a series of missions in the underwater habitat Aquarius in Florida Keys by NASA, surgery by a robot controlled from another lab was successfully used to remove a fake gallbladder and kidney stone from a fake body. However, the lag in communications in space will make remote control a problem. Ideally, surgical robots would need to be autonomous.

There is a wealth of research and preparation for the possible event of a surgical emergency during a Mars mission, but there are many unknowns, especially when it comes to diagnostics and anaesthesia. Ultimately, prevention is better than surgery. So selecting healthy crew and developing the engineering solutions needed to protect them will be crucial.

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From floating guts to 'sticky' blood here's how to do surgery in space - The Conversation UK