Monday, June 22, 2020

President Donald Trump slammed for using offensive, 'racist' remarks at Tulsa rally

John Fritze, Courtney Subramanian, Nicholas Wu and David Jackson, 
USA TODAY•June 21, 2020

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump drew fire from critics Saturday for sprinkling racially divisive stereotypes throughout his remarks at a high-profile campaign rally in Tulsa as the nation is grappling with racism and police misconduct.

Speaking after protests and unrest broke out in cities across the nation following the death of George Floyd last month, Trump described violent protesters he claimed had forced the cancellation of a separate outdoor campaign event in Tulsa as "thugs." He used the term "kung flu" to describe the coronavirus. And he blasted the removal of Confederate statues, arguing that a "left wing mob" wanted to "vandalize our history."

At one point during his remarks, as he sought to brush aside calls from some on the left to defund police departments, Trump painted a scene of a "tough hombre" who he described as "breaking into the window of a young woman whose husband is away."

"And you call 911 and they say, 'I'm sorry, this number is no longer working,'" Trump said.
President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., Saturday, June 20, 2020.

The president's remarks came as demonstrators continued to gather in many cities to protest the death of Floyd, a Black man whose neck was pinned under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer for nearly nine minutes. Violence erupted in many cities after Floyd's death, but protests were largely peaceful nationwide.

"Trump just completed the racism trifecta in a three-minute span," a Democratic National Committee social media account posted during the rally, the president's first return to the campaign trail since the coronavirus struck the nation in force this spring.

"121,000 Americans are dead," Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., tweeted after the rally.

"Donald Trump’s response is to make racist jokes."

The rally ran into trouble on racial issues before it even began. The campaign had to reschedule after it initially set the event for Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States. Trump has also faced a backlash for holding the rally in a city that was home to one of the worst racial attacks in U.S. history.

He then claimed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that "nobody had ever heard" of the Juneteenth holiday before the controversy erupted.

Trump never mentioned Floyd's name during his remarks Saturday night. Nor did he mention the Juneteenth holiday on Friday that prompted his campaign to reschedule its initial date for the rally. He also did not mention the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, in which a white mob killed an estimated 300 Black Americans while destroying homes and businesses in a once-thriving district known as the Black Wall Street.

Trump has drawn fire for many past comments on race, including when he said there were "fine people on both sides" at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, when he described members of the violent MS-13 gang as "animals" or reportedly called Haiti, El Salvador and African nations "shithole countries."

But Trump's remarks on Saturday fell at a particularly sensitive moment in the USA, when the Floyd killing has forced a reexamination not only of police use of force practices but also charges of underlying racism in the nation's criminal justice system.

Polls suggest the perception of police has fallen in recent weeks. Among white Americans – a group from which Trump enjoyed broad support in 2016 – those who had a very favorable or somewhat favorable view of police dropped to 61% from 72% the previous week in a survey from the Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape Project.

People wait for the arrival of President Donald Trump during a rally at the BOK in Tulsa, Okla., Saturday, June 20, 2020.

On the one hand, Trump argued Saturday that he is better positioned than presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden to pick up support from Black voters – opening up a new line of attack he is almost certain to repeat on the campaign trail. Trump said Americans should "not take lectures of racial justice" from Biden, adding that the former vice president "praised and partnered with segregationists," a reference to a controversy centered on other lawmakers with whom Biden worked with in Congress.

On the other hand, Trump offered little in the way of concrete policies he would pursue in a second term to benefit Black voters. And he repeatedly embraced language and themes that groups advocating for racial justice have decried.

"The unhinged left wing mob is trying to vandalize our history, desecrating our monuments, our beautiful monuments, tear down our statues and punish, cancel and persecute anyone who does not conform to their demands for absolute and total control, we're not conforming," Trump said Saturday about protesters forcibly removing statues and other symbols of the Confederacy.
Democrats and other critics on social media also blasted Trump for using the term "kung flu" to describe coronaviurs. White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway disputed reports this year that the term was used inside the West Wing. A CBS News reporter said an unnamed official used the phrase in her presence.

At the time, Conway described the term as "highly offensive," said "of course it's wrong" and asked reporters to identify who the official was. "I'd like to know who they are," Conway told reporters outside the White House in March. "You can't just say that and not name them. Tell us who it was."

Public health officials have discouraged terms that associate a pandemic with a place. Trump had frequently called the coronavirus the "Chinese virus" in the early weeks of the pandemic as a way to blame Beijing for its handling of the crisis there.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democrats, critics slam Trump for 'racist' remarks at Tulsa rally
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Sunday, June 21, 2020

2020 likely to be the warmest year on record globally

Jeff Berardelli,  CBS News•June 15, 2020

While the public's attention is consumed by concern over the global pandemic and protests against social injustices, the chronic condition of climate change continues to escalate. In fact, it's becoming more and more likely that 2020 will be the hottest year globally since records have been kept, dating back to the late 1800s.

Reviews of temperatures for May 2020 have now been reported by four standard-bearer climate data organizations including NASA, NOAA, Berkeley Earth and the European agency Copernicus. The unanimous conclusion: Last month was the warmest May on record globally, with the caveat from NOAA that it was a virtual tie with May 2016.

According to NOAA, one of the few places on Earth to be cooler than average in May was much of Canada and the eastern United States. But that did little to counteract 2020's overall warmth.

For the year to date, both NASA and Berkeley Earth rank 2020 as the second warmest globally, a shade behind 2016. This is particularly impressive considering in 2016 there was a Super El Niño. In El Niño years the tropical Pacific Ocean releases copious heat into the atmosphere and record warm years are expected. This year there is no El Niño.

In addition, we are currently at the bottom of the 11-year solar minimum, a time when incoming energy from the sun decreases. This is further proof that solar minimums don't have a substantial impact on climate.

Solar minimum is not so grand I guess. Jan-May is 2nd warmest period on record and Berkeley Earth says the chance of 2020 being the warmest year on record is almost 90%. pic.twitter.com/7RFYxaKoKy

— Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) June 13, 2020

To put this into perspective, the world's five warmest years on record have all occurred since 2015, with 2020 highly likely to continue that trend.

Climate scientist Ed Hawkins' now famous #WarmingStripes visualization provides a simple way to grasp the dramatic changes. At the request of CBS News, Hawkins generated this image below showing January through May temperature anomalies, from 1850 to 2020, with 1850 starting on the left. Each line represents one year, with blue for cooler than normal and red for warmer than normal — the reddest of which appear in 2016 and 2020.
 
jan-to-may-berkeleyearth-1850-2020.png

Warming Stripes visualization of January through May departure from average temperatures. Each line represents a year from 1850, at left, to 2020, at right. Blue = cool years; Red = warm years. Ed Hawkins

The visualization has become a worldwide symbol of climate change, inspiring art installations, the facade of a train station and even the logo for the U.S. House of Representatives' Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. In fact, to mark the summer solstice later this week, hundreds of thousands of social media users are expected to participate in this year's ShowYourStripes campaign Thursday, June 18, by displaying their city's local Warming Stripes.

Since the Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of the globe overall, the reddest set of stripes are likely to be found in cities in the far north. Global temperatures this May were given a big boost by astonishing warmth in western Siberia, where some locales were 18 degrees Fahrenheit above normal for the month. As a whole, western Siberia averaged 10 degrees above normal for May, obliterating anything previously experienced.

What's perhaps even more impressive is that this relative warmth has persisted since December, with average temperatures in western Siberia also 10 degrees Fahrenheit above normal — doubling the previous departure from average in 2016.
siberia-temps.jpg

As a postdoc in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, Zack Labe studies changes in the Arctic for a living. "The Siberian warmth is truly remarkable. It's not only the magnitude of warmth, but what is more striking is its persistence," says Labe.

To put the heat into perspective, on May 23 the Siberian town of Khatanga, far north of the Arctic Circle, hit 78 degrees Fahrenheit. This was 46 degrees above normal and shattered the previous record by a virtually unheard-of 22 degrees. Then on June 9, Nizhnyaya Pesha, an area 900 miles northeast of Moscow near the Arctic Ocean's Barents Sea, hit a sweltering 86 degrees Fahrenheit, a staggering 30 degrees above normal.

The average heat across Russia from January to May is so remarkable that it matches what's projected to be normal by the year 2100 if current trends in heat-trapping carbon emissions continue. In the image below, the data point for 2020 is almost off the charts and matches what climate models expect to be typical many decades from now.

A remarkable event indeed. A taste of the average conditions at the end of the century under a high emission scenario (RCP 8.5) in the MPI climate model. https://t.co/iwPaB7bS07 pic.twitter.com/O8qBtV3bxe

— Flavio Lehner (@ClimateFlavors) June 14, 2020

This leads to the question, what is causing this extraordinary heat? Climate scientists are always quick to point out that individual events are not caused by climate change, but climate change acts as an amplifier. A good analogy is a subwoofer on a stereo — the sound already exists, but the amplifier magnifies the sound and blasts it out.

"Over the last few years we have observed remarkably extreme events in the Arctic due to warmer than average temperatures," explains Labe. Reflecting on the Arctic's record-warm May, he said, "While it is difficult to attribute this event, especially to understand all of the drivers, it is consistent with climate change within the Arctic."

While it doesn't explain everything, a commonly accepted explanation for areas in or near the Arctic experiencing these remarkable warm spells is the decline of sea ice, and in some cases snow cover, due to rapidly warming temperatures. The lack of white ice, and corresponding increase in dark ocean and land areas, means less light is reflected and more is absorbed, creating a feedback loop and heating the area disproportionately.

The below image is a month-by-month ranking produced by Labe showing all months since January of 1979 in the Arctic. Blue represents cooler than normal months, and red means warmer than normal. The number ranking for each month and year can be seen in each box, with May 2020 ranking at No. 1.
labe-temps.jpg

Zack Labe

The dramatic warming in the past few years is rapidly reshaping the Arctic. Over the past four decades, sea ice volume has decreased by 50%. Warming and drying of the landscape is leading to unprecedented Arctic fires, with the summer of 2019 being the worst fire season on record. Right now, what are being called zombie fires — fires that were never quite extinguished over the winter — are flaring back up.

Climate crisis: ‘Zombie fires’ return to warming Arctic, year after unprecedented blazes https://t.co/4KrWQ2fRcACritical peatland at risk, with region warming much faster than the rest of the planet pic.twitter.com/MN2nrjLBmF

— Svein T veitdal (@tveitdal) June 10, 2020

In some cases, the ground is literally giving way as a consequence of permafrost melting. This has resulted in the appearance of several huge craters in Siberia, which scientists are linking to Arctic amplification from human-caused climate change.

In fact, just weeks ago, in the Siberian city of Norilsk, it appears to have factored into the leak of more than 20,000 tons of diesel fuel from a reserve fuel tank at a power plant. The fuel accident — one of the biggest in modern Russian history — colored nearby rivers crimson red and prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to declare a state of emergency. Russian officials have blamed permafrost melt for the accident.

The persistence of the warm air in Siberia and the Arctic as a whole has led scientists at NASA and Berkeley Earth to increase their odds of 2020 being the warmest year on record. Even though 2020 is currently running second to 2016, Berkeley Earth is giving 2020 a 89% chance of ending up as the warmest year. NASA has also increased its estimate of the chances to 72%.

Gavin Schmidt, the director of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, says the reason confidence is growing that this year will turn out to be the warmest globally has to do with the lack of El Niño. "Normally, record years start out with a big El Niño event [like 2016] and the anomalies decline through the year," he said.

In other words, in El Niño years the relative warmth typically lessens as the year goes on. However, Schmidt explains, "This year is odd because we didn't start off with an El Niño, and so statistically we aren't expecting the anomalies to decline." This means the odds are temperatures will remain warm. Thus Schmidt surmises, "it's possible it will catch up to and outpace 2016 by the time we get to the end."

One added consideration is the recent decline in pollution due to the global pandemic lockdowns. Burning fossil fuels releases particulate matter like aerosols, which typically reflect sunlight back to space, keeping Earth a bit cooler than it would otherwise be. However, the dramatic short-term decrease in air pollutants may allow more sunlight in, warming the climate even more.

Schmidt says this has not yet been factored into forecasts, but it could tip the scales, "This will be a real effect. It's not going to be huge, but it could be the difference between a record or not."
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Summer Solstice 2020: When is the longest day of the year and how do people celebrate?

Sarah Young, Sabrina Barr The Independent 20 June 2020


William Toti/500pxMore

The start of the new season has officially arrived in the form of the summer solstice.

The longest day of the year is a cause of celebration for many, whether you feel a spiritual connection to the power of the sun or are simply relieved that the warm-weather months have finally arrived.

In astrological terms, the summer solstice marks the end of spring and start of summer for the northern hemisphere. It will end with the autumn equinox, which this year falls on Tuesday 22 September.

Here’s everything you need to know about the summer solstice 2020:
What is it?

The summer solstice – otherwise known as the estival solstice, midsummer or Litha – is the longest day of the year.

It occurs when the earth’s geographical pole on either the northern or southern hemisphere becomes most inclined towards the sun and officially marks the beginning of summer.

When the summer solstice takes place in the northern hemisphere this month, the sun will reach its highest possible altitude.

As a result, the day on which the summer solstice falls will have the longest period of daylight of the year.

In some cultures, such a paganism, the summer solstice is symbolic of fertility and the harvest.
When is it?

The summer solstice in the northern hemisphere occurs in June and in the southern hemisphere in December.

In the northern hemisphere, it will take place this year at exactly 22:43pm on Saturday 20 June.

The UK will be treated to 16 hours and 38 minutes of daylight in the day, with the sun rising at 4.43am and setting in the evening at 9.21pm.

After 20 June, the nights will begin to close in as the planet rotates with the northern hemisphere titling away further from the sun.
How is it celebrated?

According to Dictionary.com, the term solstice is derived from the Latin word solstitium. It’s made up of the Latin sol, “the sun,” and sistere, “to make stand, stand still”.

It’s believed by some that Stonehenge – the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England – was built as a kind of astronomical calendar.

On the day of the summer solstice, the rising sun lines up with the Heel stone and the Altar stone of the ancient site.

Thousands of people usually gather at Stonehenge to watch the spectacle and celebrate the start of summer.

However, this year's event has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, English Heritage will livestream the sunrise across its social media channels.

Many people also celebrate the summer solstice in other ways regardless of whether they feel a religious affiliation with the event or not.

Expect to see numerous summer picnics, bonfires and maybe even some Maypole dancing take place to mark the occasion.
Read more

Solar eclipse to coincide with Summer Solstice in 2020

How To Harness The Power Of This Year’s Summer Solstice

Refinery29 via Yahoo News· 2 days ago
“The summer solstice is also known as midsummer, and in pagan times this holiday was known as...
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SOLAR ECLIPSE  

FATHERS DAY

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Summer solstice brings opportunity to see unusual 'electric blue clouds'

Brian Lada, AccuWeather•June 17, 2020

The longest day of 2020 is about to unfold for the Northern Hemisphere, and after the sun finally sets, skywatchers in certain areas of the globe could spot a type of cloud that goes undetected throughout the rest of the year.

The summer solstice occurs every year between June 20 and June 22 in the Northern Hemisphere when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer. As the Earth orbits around the sun on its axis, the most direct rays from the sun migrate southward, eventually reaching the Tropic of Capricorn on the winter solstice between Dec. 20 and Dec. 22.

For the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite is true with the June solstice marking the start of winter and the December solstice marking the start of summer.




The changing of the seasons will officially occur on Saturday, June 20, at 5:43 p.m. EDT. This will also be the longest season of the year, lasting 93 days, 15 hours and 46 minutes, according to timeanddate.com.

Not only does the summer solstice feature the longest day of the year, but it also brings the opportunity to see a weather phenomenon high in Earth's atmosphere.

Noctilucent clouds, sometimes called "electric blue clouds" due to their color, are a type of cloud that is only visible to the naked eye a few weeks out of the year right around the summer solstice when the weather conditions and the sun angle are just right.

"These clouds form much higher than typical clouds. They form around 50 miles above the Earth's surface, nearly all other clouds form in the lowest 10 miles of the atmosphere," AccuWeather astronomy blogger Dave Samuhel said.

June and July offer the best opportunities to spot these high-altitude clouds in the Northern Hemisphere, while in the Southern Hemisphere, onlookers should keep an eye out for them in December and January.

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There is a catch for people trying to spot these shimmering clouds in the weeks surrounding the summer solstice - they are only visible in areas between 45 and 60 degrees latitude, according to EarthSky.

This includes areas in and around cities such as London, Paris, Berlin, Calgary, Montreal, Minneapolis and Seattle.

Some planning is also required to spot the elusive clouds as they can be seen only about one to two hours after sunset in the western sky and about one to two hours before sunrise in the eastern sky.

Noctilucent clouds are a part of Earth's atmosphere, but they have otherworldly origins.

"These clouds actually form around particles left behind by meteors," Samuhel said. "Super cold water droplets freeze on the meteor debris and form ice. These clouds are made purely of ice."

A similar phenomenon can happen when a rocket launch takes place just before daybreak or shortly after sunset.

On Saturday, June 13, 2020, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, before sunrise. As the rocket ascended through the atmosphere, it eventually reached sunlight which illumined its trail of exhaust to create a spectacular display.


SpaceX's predawn Starlink satellite launch looks simply stunning in these Twitter photos https://t.co/274J76kVp9 pic.twitter.com/kUVbd7qlrn

— SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom) June 14, 2020

Although the first night of summer may be the shortest of the year, it may still make for a good night of stargazing as onlookers will enjoy mild conditions and a moonless night.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

Electric blue clouds dazzle the night sky recently

By Staff,
WEATHER BLOGS Updated Jun. 14, 2019 
62262988_10156545801035679_6289742518502293504_o.jpg
Incredible shot of noctilucent clouds June 9th over Medford, Oregon. Image credit: Marc Spilde.
Every summer, northern latitudes are treated to an interesting phenomenon, noctilucent clouds. These clouds, also referred to as electric blue clouds have been unusually widespread so far this spring.
These clouds form much higher than typical clouds. The form around 50 miles above the Earth's surface, nearly all other clouds form in the lowest 10 miles of the atmosphere! They have been spotted much farther south than usual.
Screen Shot 2019-06-14 at 1.30.36 PM.png
Incredible shot of noctilucent clouds June 9th over Medford, Oregon. Image credit: Marc Spilde.
These clouds actually form around particles left behind by meteors! Super cold water droplets freeze on the meteor debris and form ice. These clouds are made purely of ice. Read more about how these clouds form.
The best time to see these clouds are about one hour after sunset. Look in the western sky, you can also look for them in the eastern sky in the hour before sunrise. The moon will becomes full this weekend, but it should not affect viewing of any noctilucent clouds.

If you want to see more pictures of the electric blue clouds, the Spaceweather.com Realtime NLC Gallery is a must see!
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Summer Solstice 2020: Best photos as Pagans celebrate the longest day of the year

Chelsea Ritschel The Independent Jun 20, 2020, 8:00 AM



The summer solstice is almost here, which means people in the northern hemisphere will soon enjoy the longest day of the year.

This year, the summer solstice, which Google is celebrating with a Doodle, takes place on Saturday 20 June, at which point the sun will reach its highest altitude.

In addition to marking the beginning of summer, the solstice also brings people out to enjoy the warm weather and celebrate the day.

For some, the arrival of the summer solstice is a time to celebrate the yearly journey through the seasons, while those who follow paganism consider the day a sacred holiday.

From gatherings at Stonehenge to bonfires and festivals, these are photos of past summer solstice celebrations.

 https://sports.yahoo.com/summer-solstice-2019-best-pictures-172813362.html

 STONEHENGE IS CLOSED FOR THE PANDEMIC UNTIL JULY
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Seven alternatives to Stonehenge for the summer solstice

Stonehenge is closed until July 4. We can’t sleep outdoors yet. But we should still celebrate the solstice at our local ancient wonders


Chris Moss The Telegraph20 June 2020


Machrie Moor

The late Aubrey Burl’s authoritative gazetteer, The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany (2000), lists 1,061 stone circles in the UK and a further 187 in Ireland, six in the Channel Isles and 49 in Brittany. A whopping 508 are found in Scotland. Even allowing that some are not very complete – or even very circular – that’s a lot of options when it comes to a spot of Druidic sun-worshipping.

Our most ancient circles date from as early as 3,000 BC. Some had an astronomical function, others were cemeteries or sacred sites. Some were absolutely keyed in to the solar calendar. With Stonehenge, Stanton Drew, the Ring of Brodgar and other famous sites closed this weekend, and camping not yet allowed, you can still do a dusk or dawn hike to see the sun rise of fall on some ancient stones. So abundant are they that you’ll almost certainly find one close to home. 

Twelve Apostles, near Ilkley, Yorkshire

Don’t go up here “baht ’at” – because Burley Moor can rival neighbouring Ilkley for its gusting winds. This splendid site, at over 1200 feet above sea level, has a circle of millstone grit stones possibly used for lunar observations; local historians say the site once comprised 20 stones and was known as the Druid’s Chair or Druidical Dial Circle.
Rollright Stones, Cotswolds

On the Oxfordshire/Warwickshire border this fine site comprises three separate elements in weathered limestone: The Kings Men ceremonial stone circle dating from around 2,500BC, the curiously-shaped King Stone, and the very ancient Whispering Knights dolmen (burial chamber). The private site is made accessible on a permissive basis, and visitors are asked to contribute £1 for each adult, 50p for children. rollrightstones.co.uk


Rollright StonesMore
Ballynoe Stone Circle, near Downpatrick, County Down

More than 50 closely spaced tall stones adorn this Northern Ireland beauty. During the Bronze Age, a burial mound was constructed within the main stone circle. Burl suggests that Ballynoe may have had trading or ritual connections with Swinside Stone Circle, across the Irish Sea in Cumbria.
Machrie Moor Standing Stones, Arran

Six stone circles stand proud at this popular site on the beautiful island of Arran, ideal for combining with an easy walk – with the pyramidal peak of Goat Fell in the distance. Fingal's Cauldron Seat is named after the legendary warrior-giant Fingal.


Machrie MoorMore


Druid's Circle, Penmaenmawr, North Wales

An hour’s steep climb out of the coastal town of Penmaenmawr leads to thirty stones, eleven of which are still standing. The circle lies close to a pre-historic trackway. Excavations in 1957 found the cremated remains of a child and a food vessel. The so-called Stone of Sacrifice has a ledge in the top – placing a child there is said to bring good luck.
Trippet Stones, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall

A moorland backdrop adds drama to any standing stones – and Bodmin Moor is magical under any light. Cattle roam freely around this 110-foot diameter circle and from a distance seem to be standing in for the fallen granite stones; they make use of the standing ones for a good scratch. Trippet is a folkloric reference to dancing, an activity associated with the names of many stone circles.
Nine Ladies, Stanton Moor, Derbyshire

English Heritage manage this early Bronze Age circle in the Peak District, said to depict nine ladies turned to stone as punishment for dancing on a Sunday. The site is part of a complex of ancient sandstone circles, standing stones and barrows (burial mounds) on Stanton Moor.


Nine Ladies
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Tom Petty Estate Issues Cease and Desist to Trump Campaign Over “I Won’t Back Down”
 “Trump was in no way authorized to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind.”

Tom Petty, June 2018 (Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images)






The estate of Tom Petty has issued a cease and desist to Donald Trump’s presidential re-election campaign. The campaign used Petty’s song “I Won’t Back Down” at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma held Saturday night (June 20). In a statement posted after the rally, Petty’s family wrote that they had issued an official cease and desist to the campaign, adding “Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate. He liked to bring people together.” Read the rest of the statement below.
Benmont Tench, a founding member of the Heartbreakers with Petty, added his own statement on Instagram. “I in no way approve of Trump even whistling any piece of music associated with our band,” he wrote.
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Divisions emerge on renaming military bases, reparations amid unrest: POLL

Two-thirds of Black Americans favor renaming Confederate bases,

By Kendall Karson 19 June 2020

As the country grapples with a widespread reckoning over the prevalence of racism, majorities of Americans are resistant to renaming U.S. military bases that carry the names of Confederate leaders, and are voicing particular opposition to providing descendants of slaves with reparations, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll released Friday.

While 56% are opposed to changing U.S. military bases named for Confederate leaders, which stand as a reminder of the nation’s complicated history with race, 42% of Americans support the move.

Nearly three-fourths of Americans believe that the federal government should not provide payments to black Americans whose ancestors were slaves to compensate for the toll of slavery. Only 26% of Americans are in favor of reparations.

MORE: Trump says admin 'will not even consider' renaming bases named after Confederate leaders, after Army signals openness

Beyond these topline divisions over handling the scars of America’s past, there are stark racial divides. Black Americans are far more likely to support renaming Confederate bases and reparations than both white Americans and Hispanics.

In the new poll, which was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using Ipsos’ Knowledge Panel, two-thirds of Black Americans favor renaming Confederate bases, which is more than double the support among white Americans (32%), and is 13-points higher than the approval among Hispanics (54%).



Do you think the federal government should or should not pay money to black Americans whose ancestors were slaves as compensation for that slavery?Do you think the federal government should or should not pay money to black Americans whose ancestors were slaves as compensation for that slavery?ABC News/Ipsos Poll

Black Americans (72%) are also more than five times as likely to back reparations than whites (14%) and over twice as likely than Hispanics (34%).

Although we have seen large changes in opinion on a wide variety of issues revolving around race in America, there has been only a slight change in attitudes about reparations over the last 20 years. An ABC News/Washington Post poll from June 1997 found that only 19% of Americans backed providing black Americans whose ancestors were slaves with payments, while 77% opposed it.

In 1997, 65% of blacks and a meager 10% of whites supported reparations, a split that is about the same as this week’s poll.

The survey also finds sharp partisan divisions over both giving military bases new names and paying reparations to descendants of slaves: 71% of Democrats support changing the names of bases compared to only 13% of Republicans and 40% of independents.

Democrats are more divided in their support for reparations than they are in their approval of renaming bases, with only 54% backing the federal government paying black Americans compensation for slavery, while 45% oppose. Meanwhile, Republicans (94%) and independents (82%) are overwhelming against such a decision.
This week, another poll, asking a similar question on military bases, was released by Quinnipiac, showed a slightly different result.

In the Quinnipiac poll, voters were split, 47%-47%, over renaming Confederate bases. The Quinnipiac poll had slightly more Democrats in its poll. The difference in attitudes on changing the names of bases in the two polls is a function of differences in the attitudes of independents. Independents were more likely to support renaming Confederate bases in the Quinnipiac poll and slightly more likely to oppose it in the ABC News/Ipsos poll. Partisans had similar attitudes in the two polls.
Younger Americans, too, are more likely to back renaming military bases than their older counterparts, with 55% of 18-29-year-olds supporting the move, compared to 32% among those over the age of 65.

Americans over the age of 65 are overwhelmingly against such a change, with 65% opposing renaming military sites.

MORE: Senators move to change names of military bases, set stage for showdown with Trump

The poll comes as the country marks the anniversary of Juneteenth, which commemorates when the last people who were still enslaved were told they were freed, more than two years after slavery ended, and amid ongoing unrest across the country over racial injustice, further renewed by the killing of Rayshard Brooks at the hands of a white police officer in Atlanta.

It also comes the same week that a coalition of some 50 progressive groups, including some associated with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pushed presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden to adopt a more progressive approach to reforming policing and criminal justice.

"You cannot win the election without the enthusiastic support of Black voters, and how you act in this moment of crisis will play a big role in determining how Black voters – and all voters concerned with racial justice – respond to your candidacy," the letter to Biden from the organizations read.

The letter also calls on Biden to support policies outlined by The Movement for Black Lives, which includes supporting reparations for black Americans, something Biden has hesitated to embrace. He, instead, says he backs studying the feasibility of reparations.

Last week, President Donald Trump said his administration "will not even consider" renaming military bases originally named after Confederate leaders, a day after the Army issued a statement saying top military leaders were "open" to the discussion.




Do you support or oppose banning the use of chokeholds by police officers?Do you support or oppose banning the use of chokeholds by police officers?ABC News/Ipsos Poll
The only issue in the poll that finds near-universal approval across racial and political lines is banning the use of chokeholds by police officers, with majorities of black Americans (71%), white Americans (63%), Hispanics (56%), Democrats (71%), Republicans (51%), and independents (63%) all backing such a step. And overall, 63% of Americans support banning chokeholds.
This ABC News/Ipsos poll was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs‘ KnowledgePanel® June 17-18, 2020, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 727 adults, with oversamples of black and Hispanic respondents. Results have a margin of sampling error of 4.1 points, including the design effect. See the poll’s topline results and details on the methodology here.
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Approval of Trump's coronavirus response underwater, as he returns to campaign trail: POLL
KENDALL KARSON, ABC News•June 21, 2020

A solid majority of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus, even as he returned to the campaign trail with a rally Saturday night that marked his first major event since the pandemic began, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday finds.

His approval now stands at 41%, similar to the 39% approval rating he received the last time the question was asked in a poll two weeks ago. Trump's disapproval now stands at 58%, compared to 60% last time.

MORE: 6 Trump campaign staffers test positive for COVID-19 ahead of Tulsa rally

For more than two months, Trump's approval for his response to the outbreak has been underwater, with disapproval consistently hovering in a narrow band from 57% to 60% since the end of April.

Since ABC News/Ipsos began polling on the coronavirus in mid-March, Trump's approval has mostly held steady, except for one week in March, when it was above water, at 55%, and his disapproval landed at 43%. The new poll was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using Ipsos' Knowledge Panel.
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19)? (ABC News/Ipsos Poll)
Despite the low marks, the president moved forward with his first in-person rally since March, which he said he viewed as the relaunch of his reelection campaign that was ground to a halt by the deadly virus.

Throughout the rally inside the BOK Center, where social distancing guidelines were not followed, Trump frequently brought up the coronavirus, giving himself high praise for his administration's response to the crisis.

"COVID-19," Trump said, "that name gets further and further away from China as opposed to calling it the Chinese virus. And despite the fact that we -- I have done a phenomenal job with it. ... We saved hundreds of thousands of lives, and all we do is get hit on like we're terrible."

MORE: Trump refers to COVID as 'Chinese virus,' 'kung flu' at Tulsa rally

In the United States, confirmed cases of the virus top 2.2 million and the death toll stands at nearly 120,000.

Trump's decision to hold a massive rally in Oklahoma came as multiple health officials warn that a packed event in an indoor arena that seats up to 19,000 could supercharge the spread of the coronavirus in an area that's already seeing cases on the rise.

MORE: Divisions emerge on renaming military bases, reparations amid unrest: POLL

The daily number of coronavirus cases statewide have increased over the last week, while the number of tests conducted each day has declined slightly, according to the state's health department. The number of daily cases in the Tulsa area has also trended upward over the past two weeks, while the rate of testing has remained about the same, according to Tulsa County's health department.

On the same day of the rally, Tulsa County reported it's highest one-day increase in coronavirus cases so far, with 136 new positive cases.

The campaign required supporters to sign a waiver saying they assume all risks if they are exposed to COVID-19 at the event, an effort to prevent any lawsuits.
PHOTO: President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he enters his first re-election campaign rally in several months in the midst of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, June 20, 2020. (Leah Millis/Reuters)More

Around the perimeter of the event, health care workers in personal protective equipment were on hand to check the temperatures of the attendees with hand scanners and kiosk temperature scanners before they entered the arena. There were also stations filled with face masks and hand sanitizer for the attendees.

The new survey comes just days after Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl on the "Powerhouse Politics" podcast, that his advice for people who want to attend Trump's rallies is the same for anti-Trump protestors - any large group is "a danger" and "risky." For anyone who insists on attending, he said, they should wear a mask.

MORE: Indoors, yelling and packed crowds: Experts sound alarm ahead of Trump's Tulsa rally amid coronavirus

Fauci, who said he personally would not attend the rally, has long been the leading scientific voice on the nation's response to the coronavirus, and a key member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which is charged with overseeing the administration's efforts to control and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

But in recent weeks, the task force has faded in prominence, and earlier this week, Fauci told NPR's 1A program that he last spoke to Trump "two weeks ago."
PHOTO: President Donald Trump supporters cheer Eric Trump, the son of President Donald Trump, not pictured, before a Trump campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., June 20, 2020. (Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo)

Less than five months until the November general election, Trump's approval for his management of the coronavirus, which is likely to be a mainstay issue of the election, continues to fall sharply along partisan lines.

Among Democrats, only 6% approve of the president's stewardship through the crisis, with an overwhelming 94% disapproving. Republicans, on the other hand, are a near mirror image, with 90% approving of the president's coronavirus response, and 10% disapproving.

MORE: Fauci tells ABC's 'Powerhouse Politics' that attending rallies, protests is 'risky'

Independents again trace the attitudes of the country, with 59% disapproving and 40% approving.

Trump is also struggling more with women than men on this issue, with 62% of female respondents disapproving of his handling of the pandemic, compared to 54% of men. Just over one-third of women approve of the president's leadership, compared to 46% of men.

Racial groups, too, show division. White Americans (50%) are nearly four times as likely as black Americans (13%) and twice as likely as Hispanics (25%) to approve of Trump's coronavirus response. Overwhelming majorities of black Americans (85%) and Hispanics (74%) disapprove of the president on this issue, with 49% of white Americans feeling the same.

This ABC News/Ipsos poll was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs' KnowledgePanel® June 17-18, 2020, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 727 adults, with oversamples of black and Hispanic respondents. Results have a margin of sampling error of 4.1 points, including the design effect. See the poll's topline results and details on the methodology here.

ABC News' Will Steakin and Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.

Approval of Trump's coronavirus response underwater, as he returns to campaign trail: POLL originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
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