Thursday, July 02, 2020

A 3-Minute Read > Global Epidemic.Org

 Information via a newsfeed email campaign from Fast Company
Do you live in a COVID-19 hotspot?
Harvard created a simple map that will tell you

The Harvard Global Health Institute was one of eight organizations that created a simple color-coded map to help you identify the risk in your area.
(Use the underlined link above)
___________________________________ 
at

From Fast Company > The Role of Art In Social Movements

With our daily lives completely disrupted by the current COVID-19 pandemic, we’re all having to adapt to a new way of working life. But, amidst the stressful news cycle, there are still beacons of positivity breaking through the noise. Fast Company presents Fast Break, a weekly podcast offering an informative and entertaining escape from the monotony of emails, Slack, and Zoom calls.
FAST BREAK | from Fast Company Podcasts
We’ll tell you about the people making a positive impact and innovating during this critical time. We’ll also break down some of the best pop culture moments and offer up practical tips to improve your work and personal life. The show will be a reliable weekly source of inspiration for the Fast Company community during this unreliable time.
 
AVAILABLE NOW:
This week, we look at the role art plays in social movements, how police violence and gun violence are related, and hear a few pop culture recommendations that help celebrate Pride Month.
 
Subscribe + Listen
 
— DIRECT LINKS —
 
APPLE PODCASTS
 
SPOTIFY
GOOGLE PODCASTS
 
STITCHER
 
at

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) May 2020 Trade Gap is $54.6 Billion

BEA News: U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, May 2020
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has issued the following news release today:
The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $54.6 billion in May, up $4.8 billion from $49.8 billion in April, revised. May exports were $144.5 billion, $6.6 billion less than April exports. May imports were $199.1 billion, $1.8 billion less than April imports.
The full text of the release on BEA's website can be found at: www.bea.gov/news/2020/us-international-trade-goods-and-services-may-2020 
________________________________________________________________________
May 2020 Trade Gap is $54.6 Billion    July 2, 2020      
The U.S. monthly international trade deficit increased in May 2020 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit increased from $49.8 billion in April (revised) to $54.6 billion in May, as exports decreased more than imports. The previously published April deficit was $49.4 billion. The goods deficit increased $4.2 billion in May to $76.1 billion. The services surplus decreased $0.6 billion in May to $21.5 billion.
intl trades goods 0702
Exports
Exports of goods and services decreased $6.6 billion, or 4.4 percent, in May to $144.5 billion. Exports of goods decreased $5.5 billion and exports of services decreased $1.1 billion.
  • The decrease in exports of goods reflected decreases in industrial supplies and materials ($3.9 billion) and in capital goods ($0.9 billion).
  • The decrease in exports of services reflected decreases in other business services ($0.6 billion), in financial services ($0.2 billion), and in charges for the use of intellectual property ($0.2 billion).
Imports
Imports of goods and services decreased $1.8 billion, or 0.9 percent, in May to $199.1 billion. Imports of goods decreased $1.3 billion and imports of services decreased $0.5 billion.
  • The decrease in imports of goods reflected decreases in automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($4.4 billion) and in capital goods ($0.6 billion). Increases in industrial supplies and materials ($2.3 billion) and in consumer goods ($1.9 billion) partly offset the decreases.
  • The decrease in imports of services reflected decreases in charges for the use of intellectual property ($0.2 billion), in other business services ($0.1 billion), in travel ($0.1 billion), and in financial services ($0.1 billion).
For more information, read the full report.
 
 
at

AZ Mirror Reporter Jeremy Duda Doubles-Down on Surveillance Drone Deployments by Arizona Police Departments..there's more to the story

A company called FLIR Surveilance Inc , Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND POLICING
What we know about police drones in Arizona and how they are used
LINK to the source: https://www.azmirror.com/2020/06/30 

 The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, which also has a drone program, was present at the protests, as well
The Mirror found FAA records for 17 drones owned by the “State of Arizona” bearing the address commonly used by DPS’s other aircraft. 
The majority of them are made by DJI, a popular brand of drone by both enthusiasts and law enforcement alike. 
DPS received the majority of their fleet in 2019 and consist mostly of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro.
A commercial for the higher end version of the Mavic 2 Pro, which DPS owns one of, includes members of the Mesa Fire Department. FAA records give no indication that Mesa Fire Department owns one of the higher end Mavic 2 Pro Enterprises. 
 
Apart from the drones in DPS’s fleet that are commonly used by law enforcement, the department also has some more interesting ones, among them the DJI Spark and the Aeryon Labs Inc Skyranger. 
The Aeryon Labs Inc Skyranger is noteworthy because it is capable of infrared technology. 
FLIR, the leading manufacturer of infrared camera technology, acquired Aeryon in 2019, but it is unknown exactly what type of camera system is onboard the Skyranger that DPS owns.  
_________________________________________________________________________
BLOGGER INSERTS:
 

2 Small Unmanned Aerial System Adversary Capabilities | RAND
www.rand.org › pubs › research_reports
www.rand.org › pubs › research_reports
Overall, the commercial sUAS market has been moving toward smaller, lighter, and more-difficult-to-detect systems. There have also been notable increases in ...
by B Wilson - ‎2020
 

3 VTOL UAVs | Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) for ...
www.unmannedsystemstechnology.com › aeryon-labs-inc
www.unmannedsystemstechnology.com › aeryon-labs-inc
Aeryon Labs provide high-performance small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) for Military, Public Safety & Commercial applications. Vertical Take-off and
 


_________________________________________________________________________
One agency did inform the Mirror that one of its does have a FLIR camera. 
“The Scottsdale Police Department drone program began in 2015 with the purchase of a DJI Inspire 1 aircraft,” Sgt. A.J. George, with the department’s Technical Operations Unit, told the Mirror. “The intended purpose at the time was for tactical overwatch on search warrants, barricades or other high risk tactical operations.”
...“Peoria PD Policy mandates any use of sUAS (small unmanned aerial system) be in strict accordance with constitutional and privacy rights, as well as state and Federal FAA regulations,” Peoria Police spokesman Ofc. Brandon Sheffert said. “Any use of sUAS first requires supervisory approval.”
“When Peoria PD utilizes sUAS there is usually several marked police vehicles on scene,” Sheffert added. “Any video or images utilized as evidence are stored in accordance with Department policy.”
 
at

Wednesday, July 01, 2020

Press Release City of Mesa Newsroom: Retirement "Happy Talk"



Presiding City Magistrate Judge Matias Tafoya retiring June 30
June 29, 2020 at 4:34 pm
After 17 years on the bench as the Presiding City Magistrate, Judge Matias (Matt) Tafoya will be retiring from the City of Mesa Municipal Court on June 30.A graduate of Arizona State University’s College of Law, Tafoya came to Mesa in 2003 after 19 years as a judge with Phoenix Municipal Court. He also spent time as a Deputy County Attorney for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, Assistant City Prosecutor for the Phoenix City Prosecutor's Office as well as in private practice.
"Judge Tafoya's leadership brought innovative programs like Veteran's Court and Community Court to the City of Mesa," Mayor John Giles said.
"These programs combine compassion with justice and give clients the opportunity to change their lives with the assistance of support services rather than incarceration. I appreciate his commitment to creating lasting change in our community and wish him the best on his retirement."
"I am truly thankful for a dream come true to serve as Presiding Judge for our Municipal Court," Judge Tafoya said.
"I want to commend the Mayor and City Council for supporting not only the neutrality of the court in serving the Prosecution and Defense in adversarial proceedings but in supporting the specialty courts whose focus is the humane treatment of Veterans, the mentally ill, and the social issues that plague the homeless all weighing the cost-benefit analysis in what is best for our community."
During his more than 35 years on the bench Judge Tafoya has been a member of many professional organizations and has served on several Supreme Court committees to improve the administration of justice.
He has been a member of the Arizona State Bar since 1975, the Los Abogados Hispanic Lawyers Association since 1976 and a member of the Arizona Asian American Bar Association since 2001. He is also a founding member of the Minority Judges Caucus.
The Mesa City Council will appoint a new City Magistrate at a future City Council meeting
_________________________________________________________________________
BLOGGER NOTES >RELATED CONTENT
File #: 20-0616   
Type: Ordinance Status: Agenda Ready
In control: City Council
On agenda: 6/1/2020
Title: Repealing and replacing Title 1, Chapter 7 of the Mesa City Code pertaining to City Magistrates to formalize the term of office for the Presiding City Magistrate and clarify the term of office for City Magistrates, and
amending Title 2, Chapter 3 of the Mesa City Code pertaining to the Judicial Advisory Board to
  • formalize the appointment and reappointment process for the Presiding City Magistrate,
  • clarify the appointment and reappointment process for City Magistrates, and
  • clarify the Presiding City Magistrate’s authority to appoint Magistrates Pro Tem. (Citywide)
Attachments: 1. Council Memo, 2. Ordinance
_________________________________________________________________________
COUNCIL REPORT
To:  Mayor and City Council
From:  Sarah Staudinger, Assistant City Attorney 
Through: Jim Smith, City Attorney
Date: 
June 1, 2020
Subject: Ordinance formalizing the position and process of appointing the Presiding City Magistrate 
The City Code does not currently define or refer to the position of Presiding City Magistrate and does not formalize the procedures to appoint and reappoint the Presiding City Magistrate.  The proposed ordinance formalizes this position and the processes for appointment and reappointment and provides further clarifications to these sections of the City Code.  
These changes are made in two areas of the City Code related to City Magistrates
  • (Title 1, Chapter 7) and
  • The Judicial Advisory Board (Title 2, Chapter 3).   
The new Title 1, Chapter 7, “City Magistrates and the Presiding City Magistrate,” will formalize Council’s duty to appoint a Presiding City Magistrate and the term of office of the Presiding City Magistrate and will further clarify the term of office served by City Magistrates. 
The term of office for the Presiding City Magistrate will be the same as the term of office for other City Magistrates. 
The terms of office will remain two-year terms for the first two terms served, followed by four-year terms for any subsequent terms served.       
 
The amended Title 2, Chapter 3, “Judicial Advisory Board,” will formalize the process of appointing and reappointing a Presiding City Magistrate and will provide increased flexibility for Council during that process.
Council will have the opportunity to appoint and reappoint the Presiding City Magistrate either through Council’s own process or may elect to have the Judicial Advisory Board review and recommend a person for the position of Presiding City Magistrate.
The amended Code will also clarify that the Presiding City Magistrate, with approval of the City Manager, may appoint Magistrates Pro Tem on an as-needed basis.
The appointment and reappointment process for City Magistrates will be unchanged other than minor clarifications.        
__________________________________________________________________________
NEW APPOINTMENTS TO THE CITY'S JUDICIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Judicial Advisory Board – Seven-member board including new appointments

New Appointments: Carolyn Finley, District 2. 
Ms. Finley is a Clinical Case Manager at Mercy Health Plan and a registered nurse with nearly 15 years of experience in direct patient care and management.
She is a volunteer with the March of Dimes and was the Clinical Coordinator for the Phoenix March for Babies for several years.
She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Innovation from Arizona State University.
Her term expires June 30, 2023. 

New Appointments: Kent Cattani. 
Judge Cattani was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals in 2013.
Prior to his appointment, he represented the State of Arizona for more than 20 years.
He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley.
He is currently Vice-Chair of the Division One Arizona Court of Appeals and Vice-Chair of Arizona’s Forensic Advisory Committee.
His term expires June 30, 2023. 
 
 
at

“That’s crazy, right?” ADD the chronic, long-term effects of exposure to smoke from wildfires

Where there's smoke there's fire - and vice versa.
Add that to the Phoenix Metro Area and Maricopa County's decades-old drought and consistent violation of federal Clean Air Standards, more than 100 days of temperatures in excess of 100 degrees, and some of the fastest unsustainable growth in the entire nation.
Yes Arizona - Expect More! 
A toxic contaminated man-made triple-whammy: threat, hazard and risk to public health and well-being
_________________________________________________________________________
Wildfire smoke now makes up almost half of people’s exposure to PM2.5 in Western states, up from less than 20% a decade ago . . .
The federal government currently exempts some states from including smoke from wildfires in their tallies of PM2.5 pollution. Whether that should change constitutes a “key policy question” lawmakers have yet to face.
As wildfires become more frequent due to climate change, the researchers found, the increasing amounts of smoke may harm Americans nearly as much as rising temperatures. “That’s crazy, right?” Burke says.
“We hadn’t even though of that as a key part of the climate impact in this country.”
_______________________________________
READ MORE:
Energy & Science
Wildfires Are Taking an Unexpectedly Huge Toll on America’s Lungs
A new approach to tracking harmful smoke shows it may cause as much damage as rising temperatures.
By     
 
at

Q3 2020: GDP contraction for 2020 in the 8% to 12% range

Hold that headline and take a pause > Inhale
and then exhale - there is more,
". . . Moreover, the recovery of lost output would not be completed in 2021. And the uncertainty surrounding these predictions would notably increase, with the balance of risk tilted to the downside.
SOURCE: Bloomberg Economics/Opinion
Sunny Third-Quarter Economic Outlook Turns Cloudier
Confidence is waning in economic improvement as the Covid-19 situation worsens in several states.
By     
Such a diminished outlook would worsen the already-concerning inequality trifecta of income, wealth and opportunity at a time of greater recognition and heightened sensitivity to long-standing social injustices.
  • It would also undermine the type of synchronized global recovery in which external demand reinforces domestic economic improvements.
  • It would increase the likelihood of more protectionism and faster deglobalization.
  • And it would risk pulling down longer-term economic growth and prosperity.
The answer is not to roll back health measures aimed at regaining control of what is a worrisome acceleration of infections. Rather, it is to ensure changes in behavior and policy that allow for healthier and sustainable economic reopenings during this tricky period of living with Covid-19. . . "
THERE IS MORE
_________________________________________________________________________________
BLOOMBERG EDITOR'S NOTE: This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
To contact the author of this story:
Mohamed A. El-Erian at melerian@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Daniel Niemi at
dniemi1@bloomberg.net 
at
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)

Cartoon Carousel The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics | By POLITICO STAFF 01/23/2026 05:00 AM EST

Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills to capture the fo...