First Thing: American scientists wade into politics with a Trump rebuke – The Guardian

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As Donald Trump continues to downplay or denigrate the advice of his own administrations scientists, more than 1,200 members of the US National Academy of Sciences have now signed an open letter urging the president to restore science-based policy in government. The letter began in 2016 as a response to Trumps refusal to act on their warnings over the climate crisis, but it has rapidly accumulated fresh signatures amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The White Houses most recent affront to science is its bid to prevent billions of dollars being spent on crucial coronavirus track-and-trace efforts. On Sunday, with US deaths surpassing 140,000 and confirmed case numbers moving inexorably towards 4 million, Trump described the nations top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, as a little bit of an alarmist.

It was one of the most troubling moments in an interview that was by turns shocking and unintentionally hilarious: speaking to Chris Wallace of Fox News on Sunday, Trump refused to commit to accepting the election result if his rival, Joe Biden, wins the presidency in November. I have to see, Trump said. Im not going to just say yes.

Kanye West launched his presidential campaign with a chaotic rally in South Carolina on Sunday, and a rambling speech that took in abortion, Harriet Tubman and the terms of the rappers promotional deal with Adidas.

The former red state of Arizona is now an electoral battleground, which could decide the result in 2020, as Lauren Gambino and Maanvi Singh report.

After more than 50 nights of anti-racist protest in Portland, Oregon, sparked by the death of George Floyd, the city is now patrolled by federal agents, parachuted in by the Trump administration, wearing camouflage gear and driving unmarked vehicles. The citys mayor has demanded they be removed, saying their presence is actually leading to more violence and vandalism, while Oregons attorney general has vowed to seek a restraining order against them.

These shock troops are there to exert power, bully dissenters and intimidate Americans into giving up their first amendment protections, argues Francine Prose:

Government-funded thugs, assaulting citizens, still conjure up repellent images of Hitlers brown shirts stomping their fellow Germans, and the street kidnapping of civilians has been the hallmark of authoritarian dictatorships.

The British government is expected to suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in response to Chinas security crackdown on the supposedly autonomous territory, as the UK is drawn further into the dispute over Beijings dire human rights record.

Over the weekend, the Chinese ambassador to the UK was confronted on a TV news show with drone footage of hundreds of blindfolded, shackled prisoners being herded on to trains in Xinjiang, amid widespread reports of large-scale persecution of the regions Muslim Uighur minority. Uighur people enjoy peaceful, harmonious coexistence with other ethnic groups, Liu Xiaoming insisted.

The UAE has launched the Arab worlds first mission to Mars. The unmanned probe called Al-Amal, or Hope took off from Japan early on Monday, joining the US and China in the race to the red planet.

John Lewis should be honoured with a new voting rights bill, the House majority whip James Clyburn has argued. Clyburn also suggested the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, be renamed in honour of the late congressman who famously led civil rights marchers across it in 1965.

Roger Stone used a racial slur during a radio interview with host Morris OKelly, who is black. The veteran political dirty trickster was being grilled on Trumps controversial commutation of his prison sentence, when he could be heard to mutter that he was arguing with this negro.

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How coronavirus is reshaping Europes tourist hotspots

Europes major tourist cities have been near-deserted amid the lockdown. But now that they can begin to welcome visitors back, the likes of Venice and Prague also have an opportunity to rethink their model for deleterious mass tourism. Stephen Burgen and Angela Giuffrida report from Barcelona and Rome respectively.

The black creatives holding K-pop to account

A striking number of K-pop hits are written and produced by black Americans and a significant percentage of Americas K-pop fans are black. But many of them are still waiting for Koreas music industry to develop a more sensitive and global understanding of race, as Elizabeth de Luna writes.

Joe Biden has done what Democratic presidential candidates almost never do after winning the primary: tack to the left. His climate plans are the most ambitious ever proposed by a nominee, says Julian Brave NoiseCat. Its the Green New Deal in all but name.

Biden views the workers, unions and communities of color most impacted by the fossil fuel economy and the potential shift away from it as deserving special attention. In his view, climate action cannot be separated from economic, environmental and social justice.

Many people became gardeners during lockdown. A few of those gardeners also became archaeologists. The British Museum says the period has seen a spate of historical discoveries by people in the UK, who have unearthed coins, arrowheads and other ancient artefacts, all while digging up their own flowerbeds.

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First Thing: American scientists wade into politics with a Trump rebuke - The Guardian