All World News Catch: July 2020

Friday 31 July 2020

Jim Jordan tries and fails to get Fauci to say protesters should be arrested for gathering during pandemic

Dr. Anthony Fauci wants to make it clear he's got nothing to do with the justice system.Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appeared before Congress on Friday for a hearing on the federal government's coronavirus response. That's where Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who's been skeptical of restrictions meant to stem the virus' spread, tried to get Fauci to distinguish between protests against racism in the U.S. and bans on businesses reopening amid the pandemic.Because science indicates crowds exacerbate the spread of coronavirus, Jordan asked Fauci on Friday if the government "should limit the protests." "I'm not in a position to determine what the government should do in a forceful way," Fauci responded. So Jordan kept pressing: "The government is stopping people from going to church," claiming that's something "the five liberals" on the Supreme Court had decided. But Fauci continued holding out, saying he does not "judge one crowd versus another crowd" and would not "opine on who should get arrested or not. That's not my position."Jordan then went so far as to claim Fauci had said "protests increase the spread" of coronavirus. "I said crowds, I didn't say specifically, I didn't say protests or anything, " Fauci firmly responded. "You're putting words in my mouth," Fauci continued before saying he had no data showing the nationwide protests had spread the virus. Watch the whole exchange below. > Rep. Jordan: So, you're allowed to protest, millions of people in crowds...but you try to run your business and you get arrested?> > Dr. Fauci: I don't understand what you're asking me, as a public health official, to opine on who should get arrested or not. That's not my position pic.twitter.com/fAZEqbLz5q> > -- CBS News (@CBSNews) July 31, 2020More stories from theweek.com The White House reportedly scrapped a national testing plan because the virus was mostly hitting blue states Josh Hawley's good idea to stop modern slavery New Lincoln Project video imagines what it's like to wake up from a coma in 2020

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EU sanctions Russian intelligence, North Korean and Chinese firms over alleged cyberattacks

The European Union on Thursday imposed travel and financial sanctions on a department of Russia’s military intelligence service and on firms from North Korea and China over their suspected participation in major cyberattacks across the world. In its first ever sanctions related to cybercrime, the EU targeted the department for special technologies of the Russian military intelligence service, known as Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, it said in a statement. The bloc accused the Russian service of having carried out two cyberattacks in June 2017, which hit several companies in Europe resulting in large financial losses. The service is also accused of two cyberattacks against Ukraine’s power grid in 2015 and 2016. Four individuals working for the Russian military intelligence service were also sanctioned for allegedly participating in an attempted cyberattack against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Netherlands in April 2018. North Korean company Chosun Expo was also sanctioned on suspicion of having supported the Lazarus Group, which is deemed responsible for a series of major attacks worldwide, including an $81 million (£61.74 million) heist against Bangladesh Bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2016, the world’s biggest cyber fraud. The company is also allegedly linked to an attack against Hollywood film studio Sony Pictures to prevent the release of a satirical movie about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2014. The U.S. Treasury last year imposed sanctions on the Lazarus Group and two other North Korean hacking groups for their alleged participation in the attacks on Sony Pictures and the central bank of Bangladesh, among others. It said North Korea’s main intelligence service was behind the hacking groups. North Korea has denied any involvement in cyberattacks. The EU sanctions also hit Chinese firm Haitai Technology Development, which is accused of having supported cyberattacks - known as Operation Cloud Hopper - aimed at stealing commercially sensitive data from multinationals across the world. Two Chinese individuals allegedly involved in the attacks were also sanctioned. Sanctions include travel bans and asset freezes. EU individuals, companies and other entities are forbidden from making funds available to those blacklisted. China’s diplomatic mission to the European Union said in a statement early on Friday that China “is a staunch defender of network security and one of the biggest victims of hacker attacks.” China wants global cyberspace security to be maintained through “dialogue and cooperation” and not by unilateral sanctions, the statement added.

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NYPD Perfected Chilling Arrests Way Before Feds in Portland

It looked like one of the videos circulating from Portland, Oregon: Police officers surrounded a young woman and dragged her, kicking, into an unmarked van. But the footage, captured on Tuesday, wasn’t the feds. It was the New York City Police Department.Nikki Stone, an 18-year-old activist, was a well-known figure at recent racial justice protests, and at Occupy City Hall, a since-disbanded local protest camp geared at cutting police funding. A homeless transgender woman, she previously told Gothamist that the protest encampment was one of the first places she felt safe from police. That ended when plainclothes police pulled Stone into an unmarked vehicle. Her arrest wasn’t part of a federal insurgency but routine practice by NYPD, especially when used against the homeless and people of color, critics say. But now it was turned against an activist during protests specifically targeted at racism and police brutality.‘It’s Spooky Right Now’: Inside the Creepy Federal Crackdown on Portland Protesters“This is standard operating procedure for the warrant squad, as far as I know,” Eugene O’Donnell, a former NYPD officer, Brooklyn prosecutor, and current professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told The Daily Beast. He was referring to an NYPD division that seeks people with open warrants. “They would seek to make an arrest as quickly and as unobtrusively as possible. Therefore they use unmarked vehicles routinely.”The NYPD, which did not return a request for comment on Wednesday, announced that Stone had been arrested on charges of criminal mischief and vandalism. Specifically, she was accused of spray-painting graffiti and painting on four police cameras around the site of the former Occupy City Hall protest encampment. The department confirmed that the warrant squad was behind the arrest.Jennvine Wong, a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society’s Cop Accountability Project, said the aggressive arrest seemed out of step with the allegations against Stone.“It seems to me that they should be prioritizing more serious cases than criminal mischief and graffiti,” she told The Daily Beast.That said, arrests by plainclothes officers in unmarked cars—no matter their unit—are a fairly well-known phenomenon in New York City’s public defender circles, she said. “We have all had clients who had that experience,” Wong said. “It is something that is a well-known part of our practice. It may not happen every other day or every other week, but it is common enough to practitioners in the public defense world that they are familiar with these tactics. They know it happens and they have had more than one client it’s happened to.”Footage of Stone’s aggressive arrest drew national attention for its similarities to arrests by federal agents in Portland, who stormed the city in an initiative cheered by President Donald Trump. Those agents have led a weeks-long campaign against local unrest, arresting some demonstrators in unmarked vans and widely deploying less-lethal weapons against the crowds. Trump recently announced the deployment of federal agents to more cities, but State Senator Zellnor Myrie, who represents parts of Brooklyn, said his constituents were used to such incidents.“The video is incredibly disturbing and understandably inflames passions for those of us who want to see public safety done in a way that is compassionate,” Myrie told The Daily Beast. “But this is not uncommon. What happened was unfortunate and tragic, and because it was captured on video, more people will be able to witness it, but in Black and brown communities, this is the type of treatment that we have been crying out about for decades. This is the type of treatment, the rough handling, the lack of notice, the disrespect, the use of force, all these things have plagued the communities I represent.”Homeless people have also long been subject to arrest in unmarked NYPD vans, as Vice reported in 2015. A homeless man told the outlet NYPD sometimes entered homeless shelters late at night, seeking people with open warrants, and packed them into waiting vans with little notice. "You’re asking, ‘What’s going on?’ Then they crush you into the vans like sardines. And it’s a freezer in there,” he said.Myrie noted that marginalized communities also face raids from federal forces like immigration agencies—some of which were deployed against protesters in Portland. Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood, which he represents, has seen Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids on restaurants accused of hiring undocumented people. In nearby Gravesend, Brooklyn, plainclothes ICE agents shot a 26-year-old man in the face while attempting to arrest his mother’s boyfriend in February.Arrests like Stone’s are “not new. There are a lot of open questions about the warrant squad’s practices,” Myrie said, noting that NYPD claims it uses unmarked vans for safety reasons.In a crowd of protesters who already distrust police, however, the arrest could have an additional chilling effect, compelling activists to be even more on the lookout for law enforcement. Myrie noted a recent history of NYPD crackdowns at protests, where officers have deployed pepper spray, cuffed journalists, and driven SUVs into crowds. “You can’t expect the public to give you the benefit of the doubt when we see the type of aggressive environment and behavior that we believe is unwarranted,” he said.The specter of arrest in an unmarked van only makes matters worse.In a moment when “this president has sent unmarked vehicles and unidentified law enforcement officials into people’s protests, this warrants a very serious investigation and discussion,” Myrie said.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Israel says it arrested Hamas militant who fled strip by sea

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A key federal appeals court will reexamine case on Michael Flynn's guilty plea

The full panel of judges' decision to review Flynn's case could result in a reversal of a three-judge panel's decision to dismiss the case last month.

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Two women arrested for avoiding quarantine as Australia suffers worst day of coronavirus cases

Two Australian women with Covid-19 who returned to Brisbane from Melbourne via Sydney and avoided quarantine by concealing their point of origin had attended an illegal party in Victoria, it was revealed Thursday. They arrived in Queensland on 21 July, eight days before that state’s government banned arrivals from Greater Sydney. The news emerged as Victoria reported two grim records, with 13 Covid-19 deaths and 723 new cases in 24 hours. The 723 Victorian cases on their own broke the previous record for the entire country, and came alongside 19 new cases in New South Wales, where three outbreaks have been identified in Sydney. The women, aged 19 and 21, who attended work and a number of other sites after returning to Queensland but before testing positive, were at a gathering of at least 20 people in Melbourne which was shut down by police. Melbourne and neighbouring Mitchell Shire have been under a lockdown since June in response to Victoria’s surge in Covid-19 cases.

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Portland protests: Trump's homeland security chief says federal police will stay – for now

Federal police forces will remain in Portland until Trump administration officials determine the Oregon governor, a Democrat, has a plan that is working to quell protests and violence there, says Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf."Law enforcement officers that have been there over the past 60 days will remain there in Portland until we are assured that the plan that has been put in place by the governor and Oregon State Police will be effective night after night," Mr Wolf told Fox News on Friday morning.

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India police patrol ahead of construction of temple on bitterly contested site

Police have been ordered onto the streets of an Indian town where Hindu groups will next week begin building a temple on a site contested by Muslims for decades in a dispute that has sparked some of the country's most bloody communal violence. The Supreme Court of India ruled last year that Hindus, who believe the site in the northern town of Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram, a physical incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, be allowed to build a temple there. Hindus say the site was holy for them long before the Muslim Mughals, India's most prominent Islamic rulers, built the Babri Mosque there in 1528.

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DC releases police footage from 2018 deaths of 3 Black men

Under pressure from the D.C. Council, Washington's Metropolitan Police Department on Friday released long-sought body camera and security footage from the 2018 deaths of three young Black men in 2018. The release was compelled by an emergency police reform bill that Mayor Muriel Bowser criticized as rushed. “The council has determined that this is the statute, that’s the law of the land and we’re going to abide by it,” said MPD Chief Peter Newsham.

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Kamala Harris is reportedly losing favorite status in the tumultuous Biden veepstakes. Here's why.

Skepticism around Harris from Biden's inner circle of family and elder statesmen like Chris Dodd all goes back to her big debate moment.

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Litman: William Barr's a danger to democracy. He channels what the president wants

The attorney general knows what Trump wants and needs, no memo or Oval Office directive required.

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‘The Vow’ Trailer: HBO’s New Documentary Series Focuses on the Publicized Cult NXIVM

The Vow Trailer

There’s a chance that you might have already heard about the cult NXIVM. Smallville actress Allison Mack was charged with sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and forced labor conspiracy stemming from her participation in the organization’s nefarious activities. But soon you’ll get the full story about NXIVM thanks to The Vow, a new documentary series from HBO that aims to uncover exactly what this organization was all about. Watch The Vow trailer below to see for yourself.

The Vow Trailer

Under the guise of an American multi-level marketing company, NXIVM was a cult that has been accused of being a recruiting platform for a secret society known as “The Vow” (or sometimes “DOS”) in which women were branded and forced into sexual slavery. The group’s founder, Keith Raniere, was convicted in federal court of sex trafficking and racketeering last summer, and several more people associated with the cult, including Allison Mack, were arrested and indicted on federal charges related to NXIVM and have since plead guilty. The details that have emerged from these cases are disturbing to say the least.

Filmmakers Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer (The Great Hack, The Square, Control Room) will dive into NXIVM by talking to some of the cult’s participants. While many were victims of abuse and coercion, there are also apparently stories of “profound transformation” that make the story of NXIVM all the more perplexing and fascinating.

The Vow premieres on HBO starting on August 23, 2020. Here’s the official synopsis for the series:

From Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning directors Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer (The Great Hack, The Square, Control Room) comes The Vow, a documentary series following a number of people deeply involved in the self-improvement group NXIVM over the course of several years.

The series takes a deep, nuanced look at the organization faced with various charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, against its highest members – most notably founder Keith Raniere, who was convicted in June 2019 and is currently awaiting sentencing.

Amidst claims by NXIVM participants of both profound transformation and devastating abuse, the series, like Noujaim and Amer’s previous films, seeks to reveal the issues behind the headlines and explore the emotional toll of unfolding events on these individuals.

The post ‘The Vow’ Trailer: HBO’s New Documentary Series Focuses on the Publicized Cult NXIVM appeared first on /Film.

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Scream 5 Adds Another Original Cast Member

Animal Crossing: How To Back Up Your Save Data

Animal Crossing: New Horizons' second summer update has arrived, and it adds a handful of new features to the game, including a weekly summer fireworks festival, the ability to fall on your face, and save backups. You'll need to have a paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription to take advantage of the latter, and it works a little bit differently than the typical cloud saves offered through the service. If you're unsure how the process works, here's how to back up your Animal Crossing save data.

How To Back Up Your Save Data

After installing New Horizons' 1.4.0 update, you'll see Backups - Not Set beneath the Settings option in the lower lefthand corner of the title screen. Press the Minus button to access the Settings menu, then select Island Backup from the list of options that Tom Nook presents you to begin the backup process.

Once Island Backup has been selected, Nook will emphasize that this backup function is only intended to be used if your Nintendo Switch is lost or has been damaged. He'll then present you with options to Enable island backup or Listen to explanation. Select the former to enable save backups; select the latter to learn more about the process and its requirements.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

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Why a new generation of Thais are protesting against the government

A new political divide in Thailand has emerged between the country's youth and its older generation.

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US election 2020: The war hero who could be Biden's running mate

Senator Tammy Duckworth is an Iraq war veteran and the first Thai-American woman elected to Congress.

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India coronavirus: Gold rush as pandemic roils country's economy

As Covid-19 worsens the economic slump, Indians are returning to a trusted asset: gold.

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Belarus: The mother challenging an authoritarian president

Political novice Svetlana Tikhanovskaya rallies protesters in a battle with Alexander Lukashenko.

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Job-hunting: 'I apply everywhere - few firms reply'

The pandemic has created a desperate hunt for jobs in an increasingly competitive market.

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Jet2 to refund customers returning early from Spain

The airline says it will refund cancelled return flights from Spain and unused holiday dates.

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‘The Vow’ Trailer: HBO’s New Documentary Series Focuses on the Publicized Cult NXIVM

The Vow Trailer

The Vow premieres on HBO starting on August 23, 2020. Here’s the official synopsis for the series:

From Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning directors Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer (The Great Hack, The Square, Control Room) comes The Vow, a documentary series following a number of people deeply involved in the self-improvement group NXIVM over the course of several years.

The series takes a deep, nuanced look at the organization faced with various charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, against its highest members – most notably founder Keith Raniere, who was convicted in June 2019 and is currently awaiting sentencing.

Amidst claims by NXIVM participants of both profound transformation and devastating abuse, the series, like Noujaim and Amer’s previous films, seeks to reveal the issues behind the headlines and explore the emotional toll of unfolding events on these individuals.

The post ‘The Vow’ Trailer: HBO’s New Documentary Series Focuses on the Publicized Cult NXIVM appeared first on /Film.

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New Video Shows Off More ‘Mandalorian’-Style Filmmaking and It’s Still Mind-Blowing

Disney and Lucasfilm have been pulling back the curtain on the making of The Mandalorian and it never ceases to be impressive. The show’s “stagecraft” technology, where a rear-projected LED screen creates a reactive real-time environment for a film scene, is nothing short of mind-blowing, representing a whole new avenue for filmmaking in the years ahead. But this tech is not limited to major corporations and major productions like the first live-action Star Wars TV series. A new video shows the tech in action on a smaller scale, and it’s equally impressive.

Cinematographer Eben Bolter, whose credits include HBO’s Avenue 5 and the BBC’s The Woman in White, shared a video showing this new technology at work. Filmed at the U.K.’s Rebellion Studios, the video finds a small crew simulating a scene where a man walks through a subway car using only a screen projecting a live CG background. Honestly, it’s probably better for you to click play on the video below rather than listen to me try to explain it.

Illuminating day playing with mandalorian style tech at the new Rebellion Studios. Live CG 3D backgrounds with active parallax etc. Future now ? pic.twitter.com/L0MZQb2MGe

— Eben Bolter BSC (@ebenbolter) July 30, 2020

This is filmed on a much smaller scale than The Mandalorian, which uses massive screens inside a giant studio space to create its sci-fi locations. However, this small crew and that mobile screen suggest that this isn’t solely the tool of massive film and TV productions. Are we looking at a future where television shows, commercials, and even small films can use this tech to create worlds and locations previously thought impossible on a more modest budget? It certainly seems that way.

The post New Video Shows Off More ‘Mandalorian’-Style Filmmaking and It’s Still Mind-Blowing appeared first on /Film.

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Thursday 30 July 2020

'Umbrella Man' who broke windows in initial George Floyd protests a white supremacist, police say

The man, police said, “wanted to sow discord and racial unrest by breaking out the windows." His identity has not been released.

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Father, son with COVID-19 forced to quarantine in Hawaii

Hawaii's public health director said a rarely used special health order was used to force them into isolation.

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My wife was detained, released, and disappeared again in China. Here's my message on behalf of my people, the Uighurs.

The author, Mamutjan Abdurehim, is a Uighur father from Xinjiang — the Chinese region synonymous with surveillance, detentions, and forced labor.

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FBI says errors uncovered in wiretap applications were mostly 'non-material'

The FBI said on Thursday that the errors and sloppy record-keeping identified in connection with 29 of its applications submitted to a federal court to obtain wiretaps to monitor U.S. citizens were "non-material" and did not undermine their legal validity. The FBI's statement on Thursday came several months after Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz released an audit faulting the FBI for failing to follow procedures designed to minimize factual inaccuracies in applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

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Republican says he will take Trump-promoted Covid-19 treatment after implying he contracted coronavirus by wearing a mask

A Texas Republican who tested positive for Covid-19 wrongly suggested he may have contracted the novel coronavirus by wearing a face mask — and said he would be taking an unproven treatment touted by Donald Trump.Louie Gohmert (R—Tx) tested positive on Wednesday during a White House procedural screening just before he was set to fly with the president to Texas on Air Force One.

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US warns of 'consequences' if Brazil picks Huawei 5G

The US ambassador in Brasilia warned of "consequences" if Brazil chooses Chinese telecoms company Huawei to develop its 5G network, in an interview published Wednesday. "I wouldn't say there would be retaliation, but there would be consequences" if Brazil goes against US advice and picks the Chinese firm, Ambassador Todd Chapman told newspaper Globo. Brazil is due to launch a tender next year for the project to develop the next generation of telecommunications technology in Latin America's most populous country, home to 212 million people.

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British Airways is auctioning millions of dollars worth of lounge art in a hasty attempt to raise cash – see the extravagant collection

The entire collection was valued by auction house Sotheby's at around $1.7 million but one piece auctioned so far fetched more than that by itself.

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Joe Biden's running mate - none will satisfy all sections of the party

Kamala Harris? Val Demings? Democrats speculate but no single candidate will be able to satisfy all the interest groups and sectors of the partyIt doesn’t matter who Joe Biden picks as his running mate – somebody will be disappointed.The former vice-president and de facto Democratic presidential nominee on Tuesday said he would make a selection in the first week of August.The selection process has largely been kept secret with as many as two dozen names floating around as potential running mates.Vice-presidential nominees rarely decide elections and the common rule among political operatives is that a candidate should pick someone who does no harm. But in the 2020 presidential cycle, Biden’s selection has added importance. If he wins the 2020 presidential election, Biden has indicated that he may not run for re-election, immediately putting his vice-president into contention for 2024.Biden’s public criteria for the role are that it be someone he feels “simpatico” with, and it be a woman. He recently said there were “four Black women” he was considering picking. Democrats close to Biden’s inner circle believe Biden has narrowed his pool down to about six names but he is still very much undecided.But among the many candidates mentioned by Biden himself, or anonymous Democratic operatives in articles gaming out his choices, or pundits, there is no single person who would satisfy all the interest groups and sectors of the Democratic party, each of which has its favorites.Democrats hoping to elevate someone with law enforcement credentials would like to see the Florida congresswoman Val Demings, a former chief of the Orlando police department.But progressives and their affiliated groups have pushed for someone like the Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams or Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren.“The campaign needs to show progressives across this country that he recognizes that the future of the party is with progressives and the only way to do that is by choosing a really strong progressive to be his vice-presidential candidate,” said Charles Chamberlain, the executive director of the progressive Democracy for America outside group.At one point centrists in the party were hoping for the Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar before Klobuchar took herself out of the running. Meanwhile, mayors across the country would like to see one of their own get the nod – someone like Atlanta’s Keisha Lance Bottoms.Democrats who think executive experience and a history of winning statewide elections want someone like the Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, or the New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Others who think a military background would help Biden oust Donald Trump have pushed for the Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth.And in recent days the former Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice has been a hot topic of political articles about Biden’s potential running mate.But no single candidate fits the bill for everyone.Dorian Warren, the president of the progressive organizing group Community Change, who wants Biden to pick Abrams and said she would be disappointed if she were overlooked. “But it depends on who the pick ultimately is. But there would be disappointment, for sure. I think, second, is what could the Biden team imagine the next best use of [Stacey Abrams]?”The Abrams team have been aggressive in putting forward her candidacy. They eagerly set up interviews with reporters and Abrams surrogates like Warren. Abrams has also appeared at multiple fundraising events for Biden.Other groups have also been active in support of their choices. The Democratic veterans group VoteVets have released ads pushing for Duckworth.“Tammy was kind of the only veteran out there that they were looking at,” said Jon Soltz, the chairman of VoteVets. “The point of what we were trying to do was show what that would look like and that she should be considered.”Mayors across the country enjoy a tight community. One of the more prominent mayors, Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, is on the committee charged with helping Biden make his pick. His counterparts in other cities have expressed their support for Bottoms or Demings.“The Florida mayors particularly have been pushing for Demings,” said the maor of Dayton, Ohio, Nan Whaley. “We have Keisha in the mix too which we’re excited about as a mayor.”It’s possible Biden will infuriate varying sectors of the Democratic party depending on who he picks. If he picks a Caucasian women, Biden risks disappointing the African American community. If Biden picks a centrist he could disappoint the progressive wing of the party and depress turnout among activists in that wing. If Biden picks a progressive, he might turn off moderates and Republicans the campaign and its allies have been working to woo.If he picks a member of Congress, that could give pause to voters eager to see an executive join the former vice-president. A recent poll conducted for the liberal thinktank Data for Progress found that independent voters want Biden to put an emphasis on “governing effectiveness” in picking a running mate.And if he picks someone like Rice or Abrams, that could worry Democrats who think Biden’s running mate needs a record of winning elections statewide. Neither Abrams or Rice have ever won elections statewide. And Rice has never run a federal campaign, although she took a serious look about challenging the Republican senator Susan Collins in Maine.In recent days a set of donors have warned Biden against picking Harris, according to a CNBC report. But Biden’s peril only extends so far. More so than in past cycles, Democrats across the party say they just want to see Biden beat Trump.“I would say that if Biden picks someone besides Tammy Duckworth we’re still going to enthusiastically attack Donald Trump,” Soltz said.

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TV Bits: ‘The Great British Bake Off’, The Return of G4, ‘Empire’ Spinoff, ‘NCIS’, and More

In today’s edition of TV Bits:

The Great British Bake Off is already filming again
Video game-centric television network G4 is rising from the grave
The great Stanley Tucci has just locked down a new TV gig
Amy Schumer Learns to Cook season 2 has a trailer
Seven popular classic Black sitcoms are coming to Netflix
Oprah Winfrey continues her collaboration with AppleTV+ with a new show
And more!

Time to pop bottles??
The following classic shows are coming to @Netflix (US)

Moesha – Aug 1
The Game S1-3 – Aug 15
Sister Sister – Sept 1
Girlfriends – Sept 11
The Parkers – Oct 1
Half & Half – Oct 15
One on One – Oct 15

To celebrate, here's a message from your faves: pic.twitter.com/zohNPEo0rz

— Strong Black Lead (@strongblacklead) July 29, 2020

Here’s a cool video message from the people behind Moesha, The Game, Sister Sister, Girlfriends, The Parkers, Half & Half, and One on One, all celebrating the news that their shows are soon going to be available on Netflix. It’s unclear if they’re just being nice when they say that the number of fan requests actually contributed to this deal getting done or if that’s actually how this went down, but if one of your favorite shows isn’t available on the service, I guess it can’t hurt to tweet at Netflix every once in a while and ask about them acquiring it.

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Still a raging pandemic so you know what that means?? A strong plan of action from the government? NO! Season 2 emmy EMMY NOMINATED ? #amyschumerlearnstocook ? August 17 @foodnetwork

A post shared by @ amyschumer on Jul 28, 2020 at 6:28am PDT

The acclaimed cooking series Amy Schumer Learns to Cook, which sees the talented comedian and her famous chef husband team up on screen, is coming back to Food Network on August 17 for its second season. Seems like the type of show that you can relax and throw on as a nice way to take the edge off after a long day.

The Great British Bake Off (A.K.A. The Great British Baking Show) had to take a filming break due to the global pandemic, but the series has been back in production for weeks now, and there’s even better news: one of the executives at Sky Studios revealed that the next season will be released at some point this year.

Say goodbye to Jacqueline “Jack” Sloane. According to TVLine, actress Maria Bello is leaving NCIS after a three-year stint on the popular procedural series. She’ll appear for the first eight episodes of the upcoming eighteenth season and then bounce, so be sure to give your parents a heads up that one of their new favorite characters will be leaving soon.

Empire Series Finale

We haven’t seen the last of Cookie Lyon. Taraji P. Henson is returning to reprise her role in an Empire spinoff series centered on Cookie as she moves to Los Angeles – and a few of her family members could end up coming back as well. Empire co-creator Danny Strong will serve as one of three showrunners alongside fellow Empire veterans Yolanda Lawrence and Stacy A. Littlejohn. The project isn’t a done deal quite yet, but it’s in development at Fox and seems like as close to a sure thing as it comes these days.

Arguably one of the biggest announcements to come out of Comic-Con 2020 was the return of G4, the nerd-friendly network that was famous for series like X-Play and Attack of the Show! When exactly will it come back, and in what form? We don’t know – all we know is that it’ll happen sometime in 2021.

The Oprah Conversation, a new interview show which will be filmed remotely and incorporate audience engagement, will feature the longtime talk show host exploring impactful and relevant topics with “fascinating thought leaders from all over the world.” Oprah is one of the most famous TV personalities in the world for a reason, so I guess if the formula ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The show premieres on July 30, 2020 on AppleTV+.

Stanley Tucci in Transformers The Last Knight

Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games) is set to star in Oscar-winner Alejandro Amenábar‘s first TV series, a graphic novel adaptation called La Fortuna. “The story centers on young diplomat Alex Ventura who teams with a combative public official and a brilliant American lawyer to recover treasure stolen by Frank Wild, who travels the world plundering historic items from the ocean,” and you bet your ass Tucci is playing the plundering scavenger. The show will premiere on AMC in 2021.

Workaholics Episaode with aChris D'Elia

Netflix has canceled plans to make a prank series with comedians Chris D’Elia and Bryan Callen in the wake of several sexual misconduct allegations that have been made against D’Elia. The comedian has been dropped by his representation teams since the accusations came to light, and if this is the first you’re hearing about it, you can get more details about that situation here.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Dev Warns Of Beta Scams

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has warned users about beta scams related to the much-anticipated role-playing game. Writing on Twitter, the Polish studio said it's aware that bad actors are trying to scam people with fake emails containing codes for a Cyberpunk 2077 beta.

"If you recently received an email claiming to be granting you beta access to Cyberpunk 2077, it's not from us," CD Projekt Red said. "Unfortunately, there have been more of these being sent out over the past few weeks. When we contact you via email, it'll always come from @ cdprojektred com address."

The studio further advised people to stay vigilant about any third-party emails they see claiming to have information about Cyberpunk 2077.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

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The Great British Bake Off is already filming again
Video game-centric television network G4 is rising from the grave
The great Stanley Tucci has just locked down a new TV gig
Amy Schumer Learns to Cook season 2 has a trailer
Seven popular classic Black sitcoms are coming to Netflix
Oprah Winfrey continues her collaboration with AppleTV+ with a new show
And more!

Time to pop bottles??
The following classic shows are coming to @Netflix (US)

Moesha – Aug 1
The Game S1-3 – Aug 15
Sister Sister – Sept 1
Girlfriends – Sept 11
The Parkers – Oct 1
Half & Half – Oct 15
One on One – Oct 15

To celebrate, here's a message from your faves: pic.twitter.com/zohNPEo0rz

— Strong Black Lead (@strongblacklead) July 29, 2020

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Still a raging pandemic so you know what that means?? A strong plan of action from the government? NO! Season 2 emmy EMMY NOMINATED ? #amyschumerlearnstocook ? August 17 @foodnetwork

A post shared by @ amyschumer on Jul 28, 2020 at 6:28am PDT

Empire Series Finale

Stanley Tucci in Transformers The Last Knight

Workaholics Episaode with aChris D'Elia

The post TV Bits: ‘The Great British Bake Off’, The Return of G4, ‘Empire’ Spinoff, ‘NCIS’, and More appeared first on /Film.

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