Good morning.
Arizona Republicans are on the verge of nominating two of the US’s most outstanding election deniers for governor and secretary of state, the most recent in a sequence of main contests with severe penalties for American democracy.
Kari Lake, a former news anchor, and Mark Finchem, a state lawmaker, are working for governor and secretary of state respectively. Both have constructed their campaigns across the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. Both are frontrunners of their races and, if elected, would take over roles with appreciable energy over how elections are run and licensed in a key battleground state.
The Arizona main on Tuesday is the most recent in a sequence of contests the place candidates who’ve questioned the election outcomes stand a robust probability of successful the GOP nomination for statewide workplace. It is a development that’s deeply alarming, consultants say, and will pave the best way for Republicans to reject the results of a future election.
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What do the consultants say? “It’s a dangerous time for elections because you have a couple of people who are relying on people to vote for them but then will turn around and say the election system is rigged, despite the lack of any evidence as such. There’s no talk of policy or anything. It’s all looking backward to 2020,” stated Barrett Marson, a Republican advisor within the state.
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Grain ship leaves Ukraine port for first time since Russian blockade
A ship carrying Ukrainian grain left the port of Odesa on Monday morning destined for Lebanon, the primary departure for the reason that begin of the Russian invasion, in response to Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry.
The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, carrying 26,000 tonnes of corn, lastly set sail after weeks of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, led by Turkey and the United Nations. Russia has been blockading Ukraine’s ports since February, stoking a worldwide grain scarcity that has prompted the UN to warn of a looming starvation disaster.
Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s infrastructure minister, stated: “Ukraine, together with our partners, has taken another step today in preventing world hunger.” Kubrakov harassed that Ukraine had accomplished “everything” to revive the ports and stated the lifting of the blockade would give Ukraine’s financial system $1bn in international trade income.
Turkey’s protection ministry stated extra ships would observe.
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Why is that this so vital? Ukraine is likely one of the world’s largest grain producers. The blockade has prompted a worldwide grain scarcity and value rises, which pushed some international locations which might be reliant on grain imports, primarily within the Middle East and Africa, in direction of famine.
Slow response to monkeypox exposes ‘tired, overworked’ US well being companies
A “slow and bureaucratic” response that has led to monkeypox spreading quickly throughout the US – with greater than 1,000 circumstances in New York City alone – reveals simply how badly battered native well being companies have been for the reason that pandemic, advocates have stated.
Once a uncommon African virus, monkeypox has taken maintain throughout the ragged patchwork of metropolis, county, state and federal companies that make up the US public well being infrastructure.
David Harvey, the chief director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, stated: “Unfortunately, delayed actions mean monkeypox has spread within the gay community and among other men who have sex with men.
“This outbreak has grown to be a public health crisis in America. We are still in a very chaotic situation at the state and local level with an organized response.”
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What’s behind the chaos? Many observers level to how Covid-19 reshaped the panorama for public well being officers. Once thought of impartial arbiters of information, many well being officers had been politically attacked following masks and vaccination insurance policies.
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What else is contributing to the delays? The scenario was not helped as sources that had as soon as been dedicated to programmes, together with monitoring communicable illnesses, reminiscent of tuberculosis, and working routine vaccination clinics, had been all of the sudden diverted to Covid.
In different news …
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Nichelle Nichols, who performed the communications officer Lt Nyota Uhura within the authentic Star Trek sequence and helped create a brand new period for tv within the Sixties, has died at the age of 89. The US president, Joe Biden, paid tribute to Nichols, saying she “shattered stereotypes”.
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A wildfire in California grew to the most important the state has seen to this point this 12 months, as hearth crews brace for scorching, windy situations. The McKinney hearth was burning uncontrolled in Klamath nationwide forest, close to California’s border with Oregon, with anticipated thunderstorms an enormous concern.
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The Taliban’s prohibition of ladies finding out at excessive faculties will turn into a de facto ban on college levels for ladies if it stays in place, a Taliban spokesperson and college officers have stated. Girls is not going to have the paperwork wanted to enrol in increased schooling or the tutorial capability after almost a 12 months out of college.
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Ecstasy. Records tumbled, feelings raged and hearts burst with delight as England, because of a primary worldwide aim from Chloe Kelly, defeated eight-time champions Germany to safe a primary main trophy for the Lionesses and England’s first since 1966.
Don’t miss this: acquired the ick? When a sudden pang of disgust ruins your romance
This is the summer season of the ick. An ick is a degree at which your preliminary attraction to an individual flips into a sense of disgust. The causes are many and varied, however as soon as somebody provides you the ick, all want is killed. You solely wish to get away. You can’t ignore an ick, regardless of your higher judgment. It is an unconscious intestine response, selecting up on a mobile incompatibility, by which I don’t imply they’ve an Android cellphone. Rhik Samadder paperwork the historical past of the “ick” – a romantic intestine response – and what to do when it strikes. Plus, Philippa Perry explains its psychological which means.
… or this: when Beyoncé dropped the identical ableist slur as Lizzo on her new album, my coronary heart sank
“Six weeks ago, I called out American singer, Lizzo, on Twitter for her use of an ableist slur (“spaz”) in a brand new track,” writes Hannah Diviney. “That tweet of mine – which explained how the slur was connected to my disability, cerebral palsy went viral, landing on the front page of global news outlets including the BBC and the New York Times. Lizzo herself even took notice, changing the lyric and giving us all a masterclass in how to be a true and effective ally. Now Beyoncé has gone and done exactly the same thing. My heart sank.”
Climate test: whole breakdown can’t be stopped, says skilled
There is now no probability of us avoiding a deadly, all-pervasive local weather breakdown, says Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and local weather hazards at University College London. We have handed the purpose of no return and may count on a future during which deadly heatwaves and temperatures in extra of 50C (120F) are widespread within the tropics. “A child born in 2020 will face a far more hostile world that its grandparents did,” McGuire insists.
Last Thing: desert island resort in Maldives seeks barefoot bookseller
White sands, blue skies … and plenty of books. Applications have opened for what would possibly simply be one of the best job on the earth: working a bookshop on an island within the Maldives. Passionate lovers of books – who’re additionally adventurous, outgoing, inventive and don’t thoughts spending all day barefoot – are sought for the year-long contract, which begins in October and entails transferring to reside on the distant island of Kunfunadhoo within the Indian Ocean. The bookselling takes place barefoot, as a result of no footwear are allowed to be worn on the island.
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