The United States government is doing more today to protect old statues honoring racists than it is to protect living human beings from coronavirus.

This just in, from the Department of Homeland Security. No, it's not a hoax.

DHS Announces New Task Force to Protect American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues

Release Date: July 1, 2020

WASHINGTON— Today, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Chad F. Wolf, announced the establishment of the DHS Protecting American Communities Task Force (PACT), a special task force to coordinate Departmental law enforcement agency assets in protecting our nation’s historic monuments, memorials, statues, and federal facilities.

“DHS is answering the President’s call to use our law enforcement personnel across the country to protect our historic landmarks,” said Acting Secretary Wolf. “We won’t stand idly by while violent anarchists and rioters seek not only to vandalize and destroy the symbols of our nation, but to disrupt law and order and sow chaos in our communities.”

On June 26th, President Trump issued an Executive Order to ensure that our historic monuments and statues will be protected. The Order, “Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Activity,” directs DHS, within its statutory authority, to provide personnel to assist with the protection of federal monuments, memorials, statues, or property.

As a result, DHS created the PACT, which will conduct ongoing assessments of potential civil unrest or destruction and allocate resources to protect people and property. This may involve potential surge activity to ensure the continuing protection of critical locations.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/07/01/dhs-announces-task-force-to.html

“This is my dog, belly-flopping from a dock.”

I love how he pauses and then kerplops right into the water at the end.

My dog, belly-flopping from a dock

[IMGUR] Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/07/01/dog-kerplops-into-water-off-a.html

Do you like holes? This perfectly unnerving image of two black holes merging in the accretion disk of another black hole is by Robert Hurt of NASA's Infrared Processing and Analysis Center. It illustrates a paper about energy flaring from merging singularities deep in space. (summarized by aps.org and Scientific American).

On 21 May 2019, gravitational-wave detectors from the LIGO/Virgo collaboration picked up a possible signal from the merger of two black holes. That candidate event—which has yet to be confirmed—may be connected with a brightening, or flaring, of a distant quasar, according to an astronomical team. Based on this association, the team claims that the black hole merger occurred within the gaseous disk around the quasar. The researchers predict that the merged object—presumed to be a black hole having a record-breaking mass of roughly 150 times that of the Sun—will plunge back into the disk in a year or so, creating a second flare. ...

The team’s model explains this brightening as a merger of two black holes within the quasar accretion disk. According to the model, the resulting black hole shot out of the collision at high speed, creating a shock front that heated the gas along its path. The flare was delayed by several weeks relative to the gravitational-wave signal because the light was slowed by scattering in the opaque disk. At some point, the fast-moving black hole escaped the disk, which would explain why the flare ended after about 40 days.

The researchers predict that the black hole will orbit around the quasar’s central supermassive black hole and come crashing back into the disk approximately 1.6

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/07/01/family-of-black-holes.html

Definitely not treasonous Trump tweeted today that the Russian bounty on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan story is a hoax.

It is not a hoax.

Tweeted the twaitor,

“No corroborating evidence to back reports.” Department of Defense. Do people still not understand that this is all a made up Fake News Media Hoax started to slander me & the Republican Party. I was never briefed because any info that they may have had did not rise to that level

There were a few more Trump tweets on the topic. Here's one. It's exhausting.

The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party. The secret source probably does not even exist, just like the story itself. If the discredited @nytimes has a source, reveal it. Just another HOAX!

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2020

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/07/01/trump-says-russian-bounty-stor.html

In 1925, Swiss schoolteacher Aim'e Tschiffely set out to prove the resilience of Argentina's criollo horses by riding two of them from Buenos Aires to New York City. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow Tschiffely's unprecedented journey, which has been called "the most exciting and influential equestrian travel tale of all time."

We'll also read an inscrutable cookbook and puzzle over a misbehaving coworker.

Show notes

Please support us on Patreon! Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/07/01/in-1925-aime-tschiffely-set-o.html

What they should really do is recruit Gritty as a full-time member for the next season. Gritty counts as a queer icon, right? Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/07/01/the-queer-eye-crew-gave-gritty.html

With all the website builders on the market, it can feel overwhelming to choose the best one for your needs. The most important things to look for are usability, flexibility and a professional look and feel. That’s why over 180 million people use Wix to create the website of their dreams.

Here are the top 3 reasons to build your website with Wix.

Wix caters to everyone, from beginners to professionals

Whether you’re creating your very first or your 100th website, Wix has a solution for you. If you’re a beginner, one option is to let Wix do the work for you with its advanced design intelligence (ADI) tool. Simply answer a few questions about the type of website you want to create and ADI will create it for you. The other option is to use Wix’s editor that lets you choose from hundreds of templates that you can customize yourself. If you have lots of experience creating websites, Corvid by Wix gives you the freedom to code and build your own advanced web applications.

Wix offers professional features for any kind of website

Wix has over 500 templates for a wide range of industries including eCommerce, health, beauty, fitness, hospitality, food, design, creative arts, and more. You can customize any template to fit the look and feel of your brand. In addition, Wix has an App Market with hundreds of Wix and third-party apps to meet your needs and enhance your business.

Wix helps you get site traffic

Building your website is only part of the process. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/07/01/top-3-reasons-to-build-a-websi.html

The coronavirus is thrilled to learn that a bar owner in Texas is organizing a 'Bar Lives Matter' concert to protest the state's restrictions to slow the COVID-19 outbreak.

Protesters are upset @GovAbbott shut down bars in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19. More than 30 bar owners are suing over the executive order. Protesters are demonstrating at the State Capitol and soon at the Governor’s Mansion. @KVUE pic.twitter.com/MaRSILqIxk

 Jenni Lee (@JenniL_KVUE) June 30, 2020

It's pretty nuts in Texas, where coronavirus infections and deaths are accelerating.

HAPPENING NOW: The “Texas Bars Fight Back” protest is happening outside the Texas Capitol to protest the closing the bars statewide. pic.twitter.com/NPLen0fFmF

 Kacey Bowen (@KaceyonFox7) June 30, 2020

There was apparently an organized protest by other bar owners today at the Texas Capitol.

'Bar lives matter' protesters descend on Texas capitol to oppose closures https://t.co/TeAMK1KDo0

 Newsweek (@Newsweek) June 30, 2020

From The Hill:

A Texas bar owner who is one of several currently suing Gov. Greg Abbott (R) over reimposed restrictions on bars organized a “Bar Lives Matter” concert and protest Sunday.

Tee Allen Parker, owner of The Machine Shed Bar & Grill in Kilgore, about two hours southeast of Dallas, hosted the gathering outside the bar Sunday. A second protest is planned on the steps of the capitol in Austin Tuesday, according to KLTV, a local ABC affiliate.

“You can’t tell me that my tiny little bar is the problem. He’s the problem,” Parker, who is one of multiple Texas bar owners who have banned the wearing of masks in their establishments, said of Abbott in an interview with The Washington Post.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/bar-lives-matter-concert-p.html

“This is a battle to save the Heritage, History, and Greatness of our Country! #MAGA2020” —Donald J. Trump, on June 30, 2020.

Donald Trump just tweeted a 14 word message that echoes the popular white supremacist slogan known as The 14 Words: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."

This is a battle to save the Heritage, History, and Greatness of our Country! #MAGA2020

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 30, 2020

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/trump-tweets-14-white-supremac.html

Weeks after feds said 'Boogaloo' group members used Facebook to plan the murder of a federal agent, Facebook says they have removed 220 Facebook Groups and 95 Instagram accounts associated with the extremist movement.

Facebook says 400 additional 'Boogaloo' related groups advocating armed violence that were tangentially associated with the movement would be taken down, too.

"Today we are designating a violent U.S.-based anti-government network as a dangerous organization and banning it from our apps. This network uses the term boogaloo but is distinct from the broader and loosely-affiliated boogaloo movement because it actively seeks to commit violence," a Facebook spokesperson wrote in a statement.

Read the June 30, 2020 Facebook statement: Banning a Violent Network in the US

Report Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny of NBC News,

In May, federal officials alleged that Steven Carrillo killed a federal security officer during protests in Oakland, California, against the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police. Carrillo allegedly plotted the attack with a man he met in a Boogaloo Facebook group and aimed to use protesters to "support our own cause" of a second Civil War.

The Boogaloo is a heavily armed, mostly conservative libertarian militia movement with extreme anti-government views that advocates for a violent uprising targeting mostly law enforcement. The movement, which has strong ties to current and former military members, grew to tens of thousands of followers since January, mostly in Facebook groups.

Several self-professed "boogaloo boys" have been arrested in recent months, charged with crimes including the murder of law enforcement officers and planning terror attacks at Black Lives Matter protests.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/facebook-says-they-removed-220.html

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/like-a-glory-hole-for-your-h.html

Rob Paulsen, the voice of many notable animated characters (Pinky on Pinky and the Brain), Carl Wheezer (Jimmy Neutron), Yakko Warner and Dr. Scratchnsniff (Animaniacs), and many others, critiques others doing impressions of his voices. This is a decent workshop in character voice overs for animation.

Image: YouTube Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/rob-paulsen-voice-of-pinky-on.html

Here's the original "Nations of the World" song, in case you aren't familiar with the seminally insane 90s kids cartoon Animaniacs.

Whatever TikTok user came up with this dance to the song has done a better job of teaching British history than most school systems do:

replace the entire British curriculum with this TikTok pic.twitter.com/z9xgKwUm5B

 R'ois'in Lanigan (@rosielanners) June 29, 2020

I'm genuinely surprised by how educational this was. Like Britain invading Iceland during World War II? And here I thought they were loosening their grip by then!

  Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/someone-made-a-dance-to-the.html

A screw with a stripped head can be difficult to remove.

There are a number of ways to remove screws with stripped heads. Lifehacker has a nice article on this subject.

My favorite method of removing a stuck/stripped screw is with a pair of screw removal pliers. They bite into the exposed sides of the screw head and you can twist the screw loose, then finish the job with a screwdriver. It's also a nice brute-force workaround for tamper-proof screw heads. This is the kind of tool you want to have in your toolbox now, instead of having to run out and buy one when it's needed.

If the screw is really stuck, you risk breaking the head off the screw. If that happens, all is not lost. You can try to drill a small hole into the center of the screw shaft and pull out the screw with a screw extractor. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/every-tool-box-needs-a-pair-of.html

In the last couple of weeks over 200 major advertisers, including Starbucks, Ford, GM, Clorox, Reebok, Adidas, Best Buy, Clif Bar, and Chobani have left Facebook, citing concerns over the social media platform's lack of meaningful action against voter suppression campaigns and hate speech that takes place there.

In a statement, Denny's said: "As America's diner, we offer an inclusive and welcoming environment where all people can enjoy a nice meal and we strongly oppose hate speech of any kind. It is our belief that Facebook has not done enough to address this important issue on its platform and we are calling on Facebook to make positive changes in its process for combatting hate speech and disinformation."

On Friday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced new policies he claimed would "crack down on voter suppression and fight hate speech." But according to Popular Information, critics said the policy was toothless and would do little to stop voter suppression and hate speech.

So now Facebook has enlisted the help of Nick Clegg, vice president for global affairs and communications (and former Deputy Prime Minister of the UK) to educate the media that Facebook is just a "mirror to society."

On CNN, host Brian Stelter asked Clegg what Facebook was doing to combat divisive speech on its platform. Clegg's response was there was nothing Facebook could do because the divisive content was merely a reflection of broader societal trends.

"Yes, and I'm afraid that in a highly polarized time in U.S. society, particularly in the run-up to this highly consequential election in November where, you know, people are shouting at each other from right and left, and where, of course, in some sense, Facebook is a mirror to society.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/in-a-panic-over-fleeing-advert.html

A survey of 2000 adults who exercise twice a week or more said they will never return to a gym. Only one-third said they will retain their gym membership, but said they will go less frequently than before the pandemic.

The covidiots among those surveyed were divided into two camps: 26% said that they will not go to any gym that requires face masks. Another 29% said they are against masks, but wear one if the gym requires it.

Image: Jumpstory / CC0 Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/25-of-gym-goers-say-they-will.html

A judge granted a temporary restraining order against the publication of Mary Trump's forthcoming book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man. Written by Donald Trump's niece, the book is a tell-all with unflattering details about Trump and his family. The book was due to be released on July 28th.

From The Daily Beast:

This decision is only preliminary, leaving the book’s ultimate fate up to a later decision on the merits of the lawsuit.

Mary Trump’s attorney, Theadore Boutrous Jr., told The Daily Beast in a statement, “The trial court’s temporary restraining order is only temporary but it still is a prior restraint on core political speech that flatly violates the First Amendment. We will immediately appeal.”

A person familiar with the matter told The Daily Beast the book, to be published by Simon and Schuster, is already on its third print run and the publishing giant are working to get the tome, which is currently Number Four on Amazon’s best-seller list, out to bookstores ahead of its July 28th release.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/judge-issues-temporary-restrai.html

Yesterday, Fox host Trace Gallagher questioned whether Trump would drop out of November's presidential race. And today, Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy has pushed for Trump to wear a mask in at least two different segments.

“More states every day are mandating people, their citizens to wear masks and I think that if the president wore one, it would just set a good example,” he said to RNC Chair and truth spinner Ronna McDaniel. “He would be a good role model. I don’t see any downside to the president wearing a mask in public.”

Steve Doocy: “I think that if the president wore [a mask], it would just set a good example. He’d be a good role model. I don’t see any downside to the president wearing a mask in public" pic.twitter.com/ko8gbts865

 Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) June 30, 2020

And when speaking to Rep. Kevin McCarthy, he asks, "What about the President? He's made it clear he doesn't want to wear a mask, but his Federal government says everyone should wear a mask. Don't you think it would be a powerful symbol [if he] would put on a mask...? and then adds, ""It's symbolic, obviously it's patriotic because you're not only protecting yourself, you're protecting other people. ... It would be a powerful symbol."

Steve Doocy presses Rep. Kevin McCarthy on Trump's hesitancy to be seen wearing a mask: "It's symbolic, obviously it's patriotic because you're not only protecting yourself, you're protecting other people. ... It would be a powerful symbol."

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/fox-host-steve-doocy-pushes-th.html

Currently, the United States is seeing about 40,000 new COVID-19 cases a day. Today, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he "would not be surprised" if the US started getting 100,000 new cases a day. But what's curious is that even though more people are becoming infected with the Coronavirus, a lower percentage of them are requiring ventilators.

A Medium article by Elad Simchayoff explores five possible reasons why this could be happening.

The least likely explanation is that the virus is becoming less lethal. A minority of experts think that Covid-19 is becoming weaker over time. It's also unlikely that hot weather and sunshine is causing the virus to decay. though some experts believe this is a reason. Testing has increased in recent weeks, which likely accounts for part of the reason why fewer people are requiring ventilators. "More people are reported sick, many of them in a very mild state, which makes the percentage of those in critical condition drop." Hospitals are starting to use treatments other than ventilators. "In some countries, the practice has now shifted considerably to no more early ventilating and efforts being made to avoid ventilators at almost any cost." Younger people are getting sick. For example, in Florida, the median age for infected people is 37, but in March it was 65. Younger people are less likely to become seriously ill from coronavirus, and as a result, do not require ventilators.

Photo by Javier Matheu on Unsplash Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/covid-cases-are-up-but-fewer-p.html

The National Park Service reports that a 72-year-old woman repeatedly came within ten feet of a bison Yellowstone National Park to take a photo, and was gored by the animal.

From a Park Service Statement:

After a 72-year-old woman from California approached within 10 feet of a bison multiple times to take its photo, the animal gored her. The incident occurred on the evening of June 25, 2020, at the female’s campsite at Bridge Bay Campground. Rangers provided immediate medical care to the woman who sustained multiple goring wounds. She was then flown via helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. “The series of events that led to the goring suggest the bison was threatened by being repeatedly approached to within 10 feet,” said Yellowstone’s Senior Bison Biologist Chris Geremia. “Bison are wild animals that respond to threats by displaying aggressive behaviors like pawing the ground, snorting, bobbing their head, bellowing, and raising their tail. If that doesn’t make the threat (in this instance it was a person) move away, a threatened bison may charge. To be safe around bison, stay at least 25 yards away, move away if they approach, and run away or find cover if they charge.”

Image: NPS / Jacob W. Frank Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/06/30/woman-gored-after-approaching.html