House Dems Lay Out Roadmap for Cutting US Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Coronavirus Brings American Decline Out in the Open ; Nurses Allege Georgia Hospital Tried to Cover Up COVID Cases ; and More Picks 6/30

UN’s Michelle Bachelet Says Israel’s Annexation Plans ‘Illegal’ (Chris C.)

The author writes, “Just days before Israel intends to kick-start plans to annex its West Bank settlements and parts of the strategic Jordan Valley, Michelle Bachelet added her voice to the chorus urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to drop the proposal. ‘Annexation is illegal. Period,’ the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement. ‘Any annexation. Whether it is 30 percent of the West Bank, or 5 percent,’ she said, urging Israel to ‘listen to its own former senior officials and generals, as well as to the multitude of voices around the world, warning it not to proceed along this dangerous path.’”

Coronavirus Brings American Decline Out in the Open (Chris C.)

From Bloomberg: “The consequences of U.S. decline will far outlast coronavirus. With its high housing costs, poor infrastructure and transit, endemic gun violence, police brutality and bitter political and racial divisions, the U.S. will be a less appealing place for high-skilled workers to live. That means companies will find other countries in Europe, Asia and elsewhere a more attractive destination for investment, robbing the U.S. of jobs, depressing wages and draining away the local spending that powers the service economy. That in turn will exacerbate some of the worst trends of U.S. decline — less tax money means even more urban decay as infrastructure, education and social-welfare programs are forced to make big cuts.”

Nurses: Georgia Hospital Tried to Cover Up COVID Cases (Mili)

The author writes, “A group of nurses at a Georgia hospital have filed a lawsuit accusing their CEO of what they call a ‘COVID-19 coverup’ involving the improper collection of test samples to reduce positive test results for the virus and downplay its spread. Nurses employed or formerly employed at Landmark Hospital of Athens, a 42-bed long-term care hospital in northeast Georgia, told Georgia Health News that five of their patients tested positive for COVID-19 after showing symptoms. The hospital administrator then ordered retesting of those patients, intentionally collecting samples outside the proper protocols to increase the likelihood of a negative result, the nurses allege in the lawsuit.”

During LA George Floyd Protests, Police Calls Plunged (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “Calls for service handled by officers — incidents ranging from loud parties and fireworks to domestic disputes and traffic stops — declined nearly by half during the two-week demonstration period. That means each day there were 2,000 fewer calls for police compared with the department’s typical workload, according to a Times analysis of dispatch data.”

Sacramento School Board Votes to Sever Contract With City Police (Reader Steve)

From the Sacramento Bee: “Sacramento City Unified board members approved a 2020-2021 school district budget on Thursday, and did not include a contract with the Sacramento City Police Department, ultimately severing ties with the Student Resource Officer program. The current contract, which provides a sergeant and three non-school-site-based officers who rove among campuses throughout the year, expires on June 30. In lieu of a $600,000 contract, President Jessie Ryan directed Superintendent Jorge Aguilar to draft a resolution to create an Alternative School Safety Task Force that includes representatives from groups including the African American Achievement Task Force, Community Advisory Committee, labor groups, parents, staff and students.”

Renovations Reveal Maya Murals Hidden in Guatemalan Home (Mili)

The author writes, “The wall paintings may chart the decline of Spanish colonial influence and resurgence of indigenous culture.”

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