On Sunday, the Indian government of Narendra Modi revoked the semi-autonomous status of Kashmir, the Muslim-majority region on the border between India and Pakistan, and brought it under control of the Indian government. Imran Khan, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, condemned the move as another policy decision designed to promote Hindu supremacy in India. Outrage among Muslims in the region may also affect the ongoing peace talks between the United States and the Taliban in Afghanistan, where the capital, Kabul, was the target of a terrorist attack on Wednesday. Dexter Filkins joins Dorothy Wickenden to discuss the situation in Kashmir and its ramifications around the world.

Marianne Williamson, the self-help author associated with the New Age movement, has never held political office. But the race for the Presidency, she thinks, is less a battle of politics than a battle of souls. In her appearance in the July Democratic debates, she said that President Donald Trump is bringing up a “dark psychic force.” “The worst aspects of human character have been harnessed for political purposes,” she tells David Remnick. Williamson sees herself as a kind of spiritual counter to Trump, reshaping our moral trajectory. And she does have policies, which include repealing the 2017 tax cut and an ambitious plan for slavery reparations, and also tapping some surprising people for her Cabinet. Campaigning on her credentials hasn’t been easy: she’s had to debunk some myths and clarify some statements. She is not an anti-vaxxer, she insists—she apologizes for her earlier remarks on the subject—or a medical skeptic. “I’m Jewish,” she says, “I go to the doctor.” She does not, she says, even have a crystal in her home. “I know this sounds naïve,” she complains, but “I didn’t think the left was so mean. I didn’t think the left lied like this.” 

On Monday, at the Iowa caucuses, a new smartphone app was used to report the results from each precinct. The app proved faulty, leading to a catastrophic failure to collect and report vote totals. In theory, advances in voting technology make voting easier and more accessible. In practice, they have introduced new vulnerabilities that can be exploited to suppress or undermine the will of the voters. Sue Halpern joins Dorothy Wickenden to discuss the recent history of voter suppression and malfunctions at polling places and whether the 2020 election can be saved.

The last time a Democrat won the White House, he had enormous support from black voters; lower support from black voters was one of many reasons Hillary Clinton lost in 2016. Marcus Ferrell, a political organizer from Atlanta, tells Radio Hour about the importance of turning out “unlikely voters” in order to win an election, which, for him, means black men. Jelani Cobb, a New Yorker staff writer and historian, points out that the four Democratic front-runners, all of whom are white, may struggle to get the turnout they need. Cobb tells David Remnick that Joe Biden’s strong lead may begin to fall after his weak showing among largely white voters in Iowa; Pete Buttigieg has very low support among South Carolina voters, and even faces opposition from black constituents in his home town, South Bend. But Bernie Sanders, Cobb says, seems to have made inroads with at least younger black voters since 2016.

Donald Trump began his Presidential bid, in 2015, with an infamous speech, at Trump Tower, in which he said of Mexican immigrants, “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” But it was not until a former aide to Jeff Sessions joined Trump’s campaign that the nativist rhetoric coalesced into a policy platform—including the separation of children from their families at the border. Jonathan Blitzer, who writes about immigration for The New Yorker, has been reporting on Stephen Miller’s sway in the Trump Administration and his remarkable success in advancing an extremist agenda. “There has never been an American President who built his campaign around the issue of immigration and later won on that campaign on immigration. Trump was the first and only President really ever to do it,” Blitzer tells David Remnick. Despite this influence, Miller remains largely behind the scenes. Blitzer explains why: “He knows that the kiss of death in this Administration is to be identified as the brains behind the man. He can’t let on that he’s the one who effectively is manipulating Trump on these issues.” 

'God knows all about us. This is comforting and gives us security and the assurance that we are in His care.'

'Whenever we face a big problem, we also should recognize that our God is great enough to resolve even the most unsolvable challenges.'

'We show real faith when we pray to the Lord for what we want but trust Him to do what’s best for us, even if at the time we don’t understand what is happening or why.'

'Christ’s sacrifice in our behalf is our only hope. How should this help keep us humble and, even more important, make us more loving and forgiving of others?'

'How can we draw comfort from knowing that, in the end, God and His people will be victorious?'

'This week we will look at sola Scriptura in greater detail. We will learn that sola Scriptura implies some fundamental principles of biblical interpretation that are indispensable for a proper understanding of God’s Word.'

DJ techno/trance mixes - good. Swiss train driver pov videos - good. Swiss train driver pov videos set to techno mixes - double plus good! From Thomas H.

Last year, the City of Ann Arbor declared a "climate emergency." Now, the city aims to be carbon neutral by the year 2030. Missy Stults, City of Ann Arbor's Sustainability and Innovations Manager, provides further details on the plan with WEMU's David Fair in this week's "Issues of the Environment."

A number of Americans have difficulty paying their energy bills, which can be very dangerous to a person's health during the winter months. Dr. Tony Reames, an assistant professor at the U-M's School for Environment and Sustainability, is now researching ways to better understand the correlation between environmental health and income. Dr. Reames discusses his work with WEMU's David Fair for this week's "Issues of the Environment."

PFAS contamination continues to threaten Michigan's environment, as well as the health of its citizens. Over the past month, action at the state level has been taken to fight this problem. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," Rebecca Esselman, executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council, discusses progress and challenges with WEMU's David Fair.

A series of "energy freedom" bills, which would allow customers to diversify energy generation and usage is before the Michigan Legislature. For this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks with Ed Rivet, executive director of the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum, about a new strategy to move the measures forward.

Many aspects of daily life have been dramatically changed due to COVID-19, and public transportation is certainly no exception. Although services like the Ann Arbor Area Transportion Authority (AAATA) promote a cleaner environment, they still have financial obligations and public health matters to consider. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," AAATA CEO Matt Carpenter explains how his organization and other forms of public transit in Michigan are adapting to the pandemic in a conversation with WEMU's David Fair.

There's been lots of advice for partner board games and group social meetups and work meetings online but I feel like I'm in the vacuumest vacuum in which I've ever been. I've been at a contract job for 2 months and just got an extension until 4/30. However, I spent last Thursday and Friday on furlough (no pay) and my contract has been paused (no pay) for the next 2-3 weeks.

I have a regular Wednesday evening happy hour that we've turned into a video party but beyond that I have no social interactions and no real reason to get out of bed.

I tend to be pretty bad at self-care anyway so reminders to cook or clean or exercise more may not work.

I'm totally OK with sleeping through it all. There are online classes I can do, partly-finished projects, lots of cleaning that I could do but I just need a kick in the butt.

Mainly I need motivation from fellow lazy people - just lazy people - to figure out how to start and how to keep going.

For a (doctoral level) class I teach I do an activity where I hide a quarter on the quad (grassy open space the size of a soccer field, say) and a student has two minutes to find it. The student can recruit helpers, if they want, but has to split the fabulous 25 cent spoils evenly with each helper recruited.I'd like to do a similar activity in my now online class. For example, maybe it's a *very difficult* hidden picture or find one thing different in a field of similar images. I know a programmer could probably easily make a primitive game where you had to move your cursor over just the right pixel to find the quarter, but I'm not a programmer.

Can you think of an activity a person could do remotely (using zoom as a platform) where you would visually search for something but have relatively poor odds that you would actually find it in two minutes, and where having helpers to help you look would increase the odds of finding the thing in the time limit?

Can't wait to hear your ideas.

A slickly produced 26-minute video called Plandemic has exploded on social media in recent days, claiming to present a view of COVID-19 that differs from the "official" narrative. The video has been viewed millions of times on YouTube via links that are replaced as quickly as the video-sharing service can remove them for violating its policy against "COVID-19 misinformation." In it, filmmaker Mikki Willis conducts an uncritical interview with Judy Mikovits, who he says has been called "one of the most accomplished scientists of her generation." Never heard of her? You're not alone. Two prominent scientists with backgrounds in AIDS research and infectious diseases, who asked not to be identified over concerns of facing a backlash on social media, told NPR that they did not know who she was. If you were aware of Mikovits before this week, it is probably for two books she published with co-author Kent Heckenlively, one in 2017 and another last month. Heckenlively has also written a book

Meatpacking plants are hotspots for the coronavirus, with workers elbow-to-elbow as animals are processed on a conveyor belt. So, how can these factories be adapted to keep workers healthy?

Each Thursday in the Disquiet Junto group, a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have just over four days to upload a track in response to the assignment. Membership in the Junto is open: just join and participate. (A SoundCloud account is helpful but not required.) There’s no pressure to […]

By Gary Gibbs

Ordained in 1989, Pastor Gary Gibbs serves as president of the Pennsylvania Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Before that, he served as the Chesapeake Conference Ministries Development director and as the vice president for the Hope Channel. Gibbs was also an integral part of the Amazing Facts ministry, including founding the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism. He is the author of several books, including The New Winsome Witnessing and Prophecies of Hope Bible study guides.

An article in the Financial Times hints at how global responses to the coronavirus pandemic could facilitate Revelation’s prophecies regarding the mark of the beast:

“Many short-term emergency measures will become a fixture of life. That is the nature of emergencies. They fast-forward historical processes. Decisions that in normal times could take years of deliberation are passed in a matter of hours. Immature and even dangerous technologies are pressed into service, because the risks of doing nothing are bigger.” ¹

While the author is not making a biblical point, the principle of “fast-forward” is central to how Bible prophecies are sometimes fulfilled. Many are even now wondering if this global pandemic is a prophetic fast-forwarding event leading us to the time described in Revelation 13, where people will be commanded to worship contrary to God’s law. 

Could the events we are currently experiencing be what one author predicted for the last days? “Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones.”² The answer may lie in two revelations being exposed by this pandemic.

They Are Watching

Multiple news sources have reported that our personal travel is being remotely monitored in order to understand the spread of the virus.³  That your movements can be constantly recorded is prophetically relevant, as such technology could be used to determine whether a person is obeying laws to “worship the beast.” A simple analysis of the tracking data could inform authorities whether you went to church or not (Revelation 13:12). The nanny government would either economically penalize violators or worse (Revelation 13:15).

Even now, countries are tracking compliance of pandemic stay-at-home orders. In the United States, 97 percent of the population has been ordered not to go anywhere except for the most essential reasons.  Disobedience can result in “civil or criminal penalties.”⁵  Violators in Western Australia face a fine of A$50,000 ($32,000 USD).⁶ Fellow citizens are incentivized to report non-complying neighbors.⁷ 

This pandemic demonstrates that authorities have the ability and will to legally prevent people moving around, buying and selling, or worshiping God in church.⁸ Clearly, the technology is in place to enable the enforcement predicted in Revelation 13.

Cashless Society

Combine this with a question posed in a recent Bloomberg Tax article, Why Going Cashless Has Added Value in Pandemic Age—“Do we still need cash?”⁹ This is not a new proposition. 

I recall President Ronald Reagan wrestling with how to stop the drug cartels. A secular financial newsletter that I subscribed to at the time reported that someone on Reagan’s cabinet suggested he could stop the illegal trade by removing cash from society. In reply, another cabinet member quipped, “Like the mark of the beast?” The room became eerily silent for a moment, then the president ignored the topic and pivoted to the next agenda item. [PQ-HERE]

Today, cashless transactions have grown from a frightening suggestion to a comfortable and convenient reality. In Sweden, considered the most cashless society in the world, 80 percent of purchases are made electronically.¹⁰ Even African countries use electronic currencies—more than 75 percent of adult Kenyans use a mobile-wallet service.¹¹ India, with the world’s second-largest population, recently pushed to eliminate cash by withdrawing the most popular bills from circulation. China’s central bank announced earlier this year that it is ready to test a digital currency.¹²  

Advocates for a cashless society see an opportunity in this pandemic. They point out that China’s central bank is removing money they suspect is contaminated.¹³ Perhaps, as Bloomberg Tax suggests, this pandemic will be a fast-forwarding catalyst. “Fear of contagion could accelerate the general trend to more digital payments, according to the Bank of International Settlements.”¹⁴

There are many practical reasons for society to go cashless that transcend this pandemic. “For governments, getting rid of cash would cut minting and distribution expenses and make it easier to crack down on tax evasion and drug trafficking. Stores could save on cash-handling costs, reduce theft and possibly earn more.”¹⁵

While eliminating cash may be a practical solution for banking and business concerns, even secular sources warn that a cashless society can easily lead to tyranny, just as is predicted for the mark of the beast. “Critics say that in a digital-only economy, governments and banks could take control of your financial life, leaving you penniless with a flick of a switch.”¹⁶

Is the End Here?

With barely a protest, more than a third of the world’s population was quickly put under lockdown.¹⁷ They gave up their civil rights to peaceably assemble, privacy, and even to earn a livelihood. If one were planning a Revelation-type event to bring people into line, it would probably look a lot like this. The only thing missing is a law commanding when people must worship. 

So… is this the end?

While this pandemic could be a fast-forwarding event, it unlikely spells the imminent end. Remember, the mark of the beast concerns forced worship. This is not an element in the current pandemic. However, Revelation does predict that things will dramatically change and that worship will be legislated someday. What fast-forwarding event will be the catalyst is anyone’s guess.

In a very practical sense, it’s not the future so much that we need to focus on, it’s the here and now. People are losing jobs, bills are stacking up, and this cruel virus is robbing us of loved ones. But even as an uncertain future anxiously overshadows us, we can reach for the hand of One who will safely see us through this storm. His reassuring voice says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:1, 2 NKJV).

2. White, Ellen. Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, page 11. (1909)

3. See for example: GOOGLE IS TRACKING PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Apple using Maps data to show if people are social distancing during coronavirus outbreak
Using Location Data to Map People’s Movements, Social Distancing Efforts, and the Spread of COVID-19
Google will release maps data ‘mobility reports’ to show people’s movements in coronavirus pandemic

4. Secon, Holly; Aylin Woodward. “About 95% of Americans have been ordered to stay at home.” Business Insider. (April 7, 2020).

5. Pearl, Betsy; Lee Hunter; Kenny Lo; Ed Chung. “The Enforcement of COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders”. American Progress. (April 2, 2020).   

6. BBC News. “Coronavirus: How are lockdowns and other measures being enforced?”. (March 17, 2020).

7. Ruiz, Michael. “De Blasio: New Yorkers can report social distancing violations by texting photos to authorities.” Fox News. (April 18, 2020).

8. Dallas, Kelsey. “Yes, the government can force churches to close. Here’s why”. Deseret News. (March 21, 2020).

9. Bloomberg Tax. “Why Going Cashless Has Added Value in Pandemic Age: QuickTake.” (April 15, 2020).

10. Sweden/Sverige. “Sweden—The First Cashless Society?” (September 11, 2019).

11. Horsley, Scott. “China to Test Digital Currency. Could It End Up Challenging the Dollar Globally?” NPR. (January 13, 2020).

12. Horsley, Scott. Ibid.

13. Yeung, Jessie. “China is disinfecting and destroying cash to contain the coronavirus.”  CNN. (February 17, 2020).

14. Bloomberg Tax. Ibid.

15. Bloomberg Tax. Ibid.

16. Bloomberg Tax. Ibid.

17. Buchholz, Katharina. “What Share of the World Population Is Already on COVID-19 Lockdown?” Statista. (April 3, 2020).

If you’ve ever wanted advanced Bible training to become a better disciple, a better soul-winner, and a better servant of Jesus—but money, distance, or schedule has stood in your way—your wait will soon be over!

June 1 marks the relaunch of AFCOE Online, featuring Internet-based, interactive courses specially designed by the team at the renowned Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism.

And when you sign up by August 31, you’ll have the opportunity to receive special discounted pricing. 

• If you’ve already signed up for Amazing Disciples or Amazing Doctrines, you’ll receive the other course for free. (And if you sign up for both, you'll get the same 2-for-1 deal!)
  
  
• And to sweeten the deal, every course purchase comes with a digital version of the Amazing Facts eCangelism resource, which will get you off to a running start when sharing your faith in your community and beyond! (Learn more at afbookstore.com)

Unfortunately, the onsite AFCOE Comprehensive program has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. But AFCOE’s flexible online course will be available anytime and anyplace and formatted for both desktop and mobile devices. Each AFCOE class is easily accessible and in-depth, delivering world-class Bible training at an amazing price.

Each course features video instruction by Pastor Doug Batchelor, Amazing Facts International president; Pastor Jëan Ross, vice president for evangelism; and Pastor Carlos Muñoz, AFCOE director, along with other gifted and experienced instructors. You’ll even interact with fellow students and have the opportunity to get your questions answered by AFCOE staff. Plus, weekly AFCOE Live sessions with the AFCOE team will occur throughout your course!

Amazing Disciples Online Course

The foundational AFCOE Online course is Amazing Disciples, an intensive, 13-week online class presented by real experts in the field—Amazing Facts evangelists and teachers! This course is excellent for personal devotions and Bible study groups, as well as being the perfect tool for churches to use in training members for outreach. Its purpose is to provide affordable, convenient, and in-depth and empowering Bible and outreach training. See more at online.afcoe.org.

Amazing Doctrines Online Course

Amazing Doctrines is a 13-week course that will ground you in last-day doctrines so you can boldly teach others the vital truths of Scripture. This course delivers focused, trustworthy teachings about Scripture, salvation, the sanctuary, the afterlife, the Second Coming, the Sabbath, stewardship, health, and the Spirit of Prophecy. Each week-long lesson features an inspiring introduction, Scripture to memorize, an in-depth Bible study, reflection and group discussion questions, and more to help you stand firm on foundational scriptural truths and confidently teach others to do the same. See more at online.afcoe.org.

Coming Winter 2020: Amazing Sanctuary Online Course

The Amazing Sanctuary 13-week online course will be an eye-opening deep dive into the earthly and heavenly temples and their meaning for followers of Christ today—while offering an exciting picture of how God’s sanctuary message will play a vital role in these last days!

• If you’ve already signed up for both Amazing Disciples and Amazing Doctrines, you’ll receive Amazing Sanctuary at an awesome discount!

Don’t Wait!

These courses are a great way to learn more about your faith—and then be able to go out and share that faith. Right now, with so much of the world looking for spiritual answers in the face of multiple crises, studying with AFCOE Online can have a life-changing difference for you … and for all those you will reach with Bible truth!

Go to http://online.afcoe.org for more information and to sign up!

Companies often collect customer data with third parties to enable better products and growing engagement, as well as for safety reasons. But users expect—and deserve—that their information is handled with great care. In this course, instructor Nishant Bhajaria steps through how to create an architecture to manage data collection and measure risk, as well as afford privacy protections relative to that risk. This architecture—which is a combination of technology, techniques, and processes—can enable companies to be more disciplined with data while collecting and processing it. Nishant goes over the current privacy landscape, explains how classifying data can save you money in the long run, and shares what the data classification process should look like. He also takes a deep dive into the data inventory process, explaining how to best approach it and discern whether it is succeeding. Finally, Nishant provides context on executive communication on privacy governance.

Note: Want to continue learning how to strengthen your organization's privacy infrastructure? After wrapping up this course, check out the final installment in this series, Privacy: How to Share Data with Privacy Controls.

Statistics help us make sense of the world around us. These numbers help everyone from political pollsters to fantasy football aficionados make informed calls based on the mountains of data at their disposal. In this weekly series, learn how to decode the statistics that pop up on a daily basis. Eddie Davila explores a new eclectic, real-world topic each week. Learn how stats are used to find the average score on a test, how casinos use stats to ensure that the house will usually win, and more.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

Plastic has unique properties not shared by other materials. If you're designing something that will eventually be created in plastic, considering the complexities of manufacturing in your design process is critical. In this course, learn how to design parts for additive manufacturing in plastic using Autodesk Fusion 360—the affordable cloud-powered CAD and CAM tool that works like more expensive, industry-focused tools. Instructor Thom Tremblay explains how to create a form, complete and visualize your design, and set it up for 3D printing, all while designing a ready-to-manufacture part. Plus, learn a more complex alternative modeling processes for creating a solid from surfaces and subdividing a solid model.

Sometimes you need to experiment to grow as an artist. What better place to try out new design ideas than the Drawing Vector Graphics Laboratory? Every Wednesday, Von Glitschka introduces a new method, tool, or resource to stretch your creative muscle and explore a new artistic style. Each lesson pulls back the curtain on Von's design process—the good, the bad, and the ugly—to give beginners the self-confidence they need to start drawing and provide experts an inside look at a fellow professional's workflow.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

Wondering how you can help? Portland COVID-19 Mutual Aid is a great resource. You can fill out this form to offer support. If you are in need of food or other supplies, please fill out this form to request support. They are prioritizing assistance to folks who are sick, unhoused, disabled, quarantined without pay, elderly, undocumented, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, trans, and/or queer, including those displaced from Portland to the nearby areas. Follow @pdxcovid19mutualaid on Instagram for updates and reach out to pdxcovid19mutualaid@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Description is a copy-paste from Alberta Cooperative Grocery newsletter, the actual mutual aid is being organized by a neighbor of mine. As of yesterday, it had been up for 2 days and had 2000 offers and 100 requests. Good thing she is good at coordinating volunteer coordinators! Here is the more direct short link to both forms.

Thu April 30 at 8:00 PM, Everywhere

Hey, guys. Struck me this morning that it's a good idea for MeFites in town to know where everyone is, what potential needs folks have, and how to help if things get much worse. I'm setting this one as a proposed meetup in Austin in the hopes of getting emails out to folks in town, but right now I have no intention of meeting in-person--just organizing folks in town so that we can set up a network we can use to help one another and familiarize ourselves with anyone who's local on the site. Anyway, here's a space. Thoughts?

People are getting out and biking more these days. Are you one of them, or do you want to be? I've been biking the streets of Portland for 7 years. I can look at Portland's bike maps with you and help you figure out the BEST route that will get you where you want to go.

time/date flexible

Mon May 11 at 8:00 PM,

These tough, fuss-free perennials and grasses have adapted to North American climates and lend to the rustic prairie charm

Balaam's name appears over 60 times in the Bible. He is an interesting character with a somewhat tragic story but there are good and positive things we can learn about God and the choices we make.

As Christians we need to have both a practical and a biblical perspective on what is going on in the world. Most importantly, God does not want us to live in fear. We have an unprecedented opportunity to show people where to find peace and the Prince of Peace.

God is our safe shelter in the last days. We don't have to be afraid. God loves us and He will welcome us and protect us.

In unschöner Regelmäßigkeit beklagt Werder Bremen Wettbewerbsnachteile. Auch beim Re-Start der Bundesliga melden sich Bedenkenträger wie Baumann und Bode zu Wort. Dabei könnte der Klub durchaus stolz auf das Erreichte sein.

Brasilien leidet schwer unter der Corona-Pandemie. Die Zahl der Infizierten steigt nach wie vor stark. Beim Topklub Flamengo, Meister und Copa-Libertadores-Sieger, gib es nun besorgniserregend viele Fälle.

Farid El Melali onanierte vor dem Fenster einer Nachbarin. Kurz zuvor hatte er seinen Vertrag beim französischen Erstligisten SCO Angers unterschrieben. Seine Entschuldigung ist wenig überzeugend. Es war nicht seine erste Tat.

Am nächsten Wochenende setzt die Fußball-Bundesliga ihre Mitte März unterbrochene Saison fort. Für den Torjubel und auch andere Abläufe im und vor dem Spiel gibt es von der Deutschen Fußball Liga exakte Vorschriften.

Bei Olympia 2016 avancierte Schwimmerin Yusra Mardini zum Gesicht des Flüchtlingsteams. Die junge Syrerin war übers Mittelmeer geflüchtet – ihre neue Heimat damals: Berlin. Wie sie nach dem Krieg die Krise erlebt.

President Trump's depiction of urban life in America is often grim, and the tension between the president and big city mayors is often filled with name-calling and lawsuits. For many mayors who end up in the president's crosshairs, it's a balancing act as they try to determine how to ward off criticism, as well as Trump administration policies they think may be harmful, while not jeopardizing federal funds earmarked for city projects. For example, Trump raised plenty of hackles with his recent comments about the homeless in California hurting the prestige of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Darrell Steinberg, chairperson of California's State Commission on Homelessness and Supportive Housing, calls the president's statements hypocritical. "This is a president who is calling for the elimination of the Community Development Block Grant Program, which is a primary source of funding for affordable housing," says Steinberg, who is also the mayor of Sacramento. Last week, Steinberg signed a

The nearly four-minute campaign ad begins with scenery of a small town sheriff's race in the South. A camouflage fishing boat winds down a picturesque waterway. The talk from a front porch rocking chair is of hunting, Christian values and guns. Then, more than halfway through the video, Craig Stivender, a Republican candidate for sheriff in Colleton County, S.C., reveals a picture of himself in blackface with his arm around an African American woman. "To those of you who may be upset, I understand your disappointment," he says in the video. Stivender, who is currently a fireman in the rural community just west of Charleston, goes on to explain the photograph was taken at a Halloween party for law enforcement nearly a decade ago. He says he released the picture to begin his campaign with full transparency. The election is in November 2020. "Basically if I'm going to run on honesty and integrity, I'm willing to put out things bad about me," he said in a telephone interview. Stivender

St. Louis' first black prosecutor, Kim Gardner, has sued the city, its police union and five others for what she calls a racist effort to block her reform agenda. "Gardner was elected in 2016 on a promise to redress the scourge of historical inequality and rebuild trust in the criminal justice system among communities of color," reads the lawsuit filed Monday in federal court. "Unfortunately, entrenched interests in St. Louis ... have mobilized to thwart these efforts through a broad campaign of collusive conduct" to protect the status quo and remove Gardner from office. Jacob Long, a spokesman for Mayor Lyda Krewson, said the city "vehemently denied what it considers to be meritless allegations levied against it" and expected to be "fully vindicated." Jeff Roorda, a police union official named in the suit, called it "the last act of a desperate woman." The suit has its roots in the 2018 prosecution of then-Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens. Gardner hired an outside investigator to look into

In more than 30 states, it is illegal for someone with HIV to have sex without first disclosing their status. Some are now pushing to change that, arguing that the laws are actually endangering public health. More than 1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV, and their HIV status could conceivably put them behind bars. That's what happened to Michael Holder. "I served 8 1/2 years in prison and three years after on parole," Holder says. Back in 2000, Holder's ex-girlfriend testified that he didn't disclose his HIV status before they had sex. That's a crime in Michigan and in most states in the country. He says the day after she said that, she came in and recanted. "She testified the truth and said that she had lied and said that she was jealous, and she loved me and that I had told her just like I had testified and said I'd told her," Holder says. "And she told the truth, but it was too late." Holder couldn't prove that he told her. Public health experts say that's one of many

Uber is testing a new feature in California that allows some drivers to set their own rates. The move comes in response to a new state law that requires more companies to convert their contract workers to employees, which means offering them benefits and added protections. Companies including Uber, Lyft and delivery app Postmates argue that doing so would upend their business model and eliminate the flexibility inherent to the gig economy. Uber is currently testing a feature at airports in Sacramento, Palm Springs and Santa Barbara that allows drivers to increase fares in 10% increments, up to five times the base rate. Riders are then matched with the lowest fare. In the coming days, Uber says it will also allow drivers to decrease their prices below the base rate and opt out of surge pricing. It's part of an effort to give drivers more control — and bolster the argument that they're truly contractors rather than employees. The company acknowledges the experiment could have unexpected

A powerful Senate Democrat is asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Zoom for deceptive practices, adding to the growing chorus of concerns over the popular video chat software's privacy and security flaws . Several state attorneys general are also probing Zoom, after users, including government officials, reported harassment, known as "Zoombombing," on the platform. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, the ranking member of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, sent a letter Friday to the FTC. In the letter , obtained by NPR, Brown said Zoom had made "deceptive" claims to users that their communications would remain private. Brown said Zoom incorrectly suggested its service offered end-to-end data encryption, which means that communications couldn't be accessed by anyone other than the sender and the recipient at any point. Zoom walked back on Wednesday its claim of end-to-end encryption. In a statement, it said, "While we never intended to deceive any of our customers, we

Indian police have the unenviable task of enforcing the world's biggest coronavirus lockdown . But last weekend, they handed down a punishment more common in a middle-school classroom than a police station. Ten foreign tourists caught flouting India's coronavirus restrictions Saturday were made to write the phrase "I did not follow the rules of lockdown. I am very sorry" 500 times and submit the paper to police. The incident happened at a sandy beach along the Ganges River near Rishikesh, a tourist hub in northern India famous for yoga retreats and hippie hangouts. It's where the Beatles made a spiritual pilgrimage in 1968. An officer who answered the phone Monday at the Muni Ki Reti police station near Rishikesh confirmed details to NPR, but declined an interview. The tourists were reportedly from Israel, Mexico, Australia and Austria, and were walking along the river when Indian police intervened. Under India's lockdown, all nonessential outings are banned. Video shared online by

Die EZB justiert bei den bisherigen Hilfen nach, verzichtet aber auf grundlegend neue Maßnahmen – trotz eines „beispiellosen Schrumpfens der Wirtschaft“, sagte EZB-Chefin Lagarde. Neu ist ab Mai ein Programm für Banken.