(Reuters) - Asian stocks struggled for headway on Wednesday as the second half of the year got underway, with improving economic data offset by worries that surging coronavirus cases in the United States could derail the world’s recovery before it properly begins.
FILE PHOTO: A security guard wearing a face mask stands near the Bund Financial Bull statue and a display showing an image of a medical worker following the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, on The Bund in Shanghai, China, March 18, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo
Following firm U.S. housing data and signs of a rebound in Europe’s economy, the latest boost to sentiment came from Chinese factory activity gathering steam in June, with the Caixin/Markit manufacturing PMI rising to 51.2 compared with expectations for 50.5.
But virus cases surged, too, with the U.S. recording 47,000 infections on Tuesday, its biggest single-day spike since the pandemic began.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.4%, led by gains in Korea and China.
Japan’s Nikkei slipped 0.2%, though, U.S. stock futures fell 0.3% and gold sat close to an eight-year peak, pointing to elevated caution.
The moves follow a strong finish to the quarter on Wall Street and also a loss of momentum in recent weeks as U.S. infection rates have surged, with some states reimposing restrictions on business and personal activity.
The S&P 500 index rose 1.5% for an almost 20% gain over the past three months, fuelled by unprecedented central bank stimulus and hopes for a swift pandemic recovery, but it rose only 1.8% in June.
Coronavirus cases more than doubled in 14 U.S. states last month, a Reuters analysis showed, and fears are growing that the caseload could prompt fresh lockdowns.
“Clearly we are not in total control right now,” the country’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, told a Senate committee on Tuesday, adding that cases could increase by as much as 100,000 daily if the outbreak is not contained.
The surge has prompted California, Texas and Florida to shut recently re-opened bars in the last few days, while Australia has locked-down parts of its second-biggest city, Melbourne, to try and stop a spike in cases there.
“The rise in COVID-19 infections is now triggering a reversal on the reopening strategy,” said Rodrigo Catril, senior FX strategist at National Australia Bank in Sydney.
“It remains to be seen if the U.S economy will continue to surprise over the coming month.”
The U.S. government bond market remains in a cautious mood. Yields on benchmark 10-year government debt rose overnight to 0.6774%, but finished the quarter steady.
UNWELCOME DEVELOPMENTS
On top of virus worries, China’s introduction of sweeping new laws to crack down on dissent in Hong Kong also has investors eying geopolitical tensions with trepidation.
The laws have already prompted Washington to begin dismantling Hong Kong’s special status under U.S. law.
“It has not taken people by surprise, but it’s an unwelcome development,” said Imre Speizer, a foreign exchange strategist at Westpac in Auckland. “It’s one of a number of geopolitical factors which is a negative for some asset classes now.”
Currency markets were in a holding pattern ahead of the next slew of data due to provide a snapshot of the U.S. recovery.
The dollar held gains against most majors and slipped on the safe-haven yen, last buying 107.68 yen and trading at $0.6909 per Australian dollar.
U.S. manufacturing activity data due later in the day,is forecast to show a recovery from a 11-year low in April while the non-farm payrolls report on Thursday is expected to show the economy added 3 million jobs in June.
Elsewhere sterling rebounded from near a one-month low on Tuesday and hung on to most of that ground at $1.2382.
Gold hovered near an 8-year high at $1780.64 an ounce. Brent crude rose 43 cents or 1% to $41.70 a barrel, while U.S. crude was up 1.3% at $39.76 a barrel.
Additional reporting by Imani Moise in New York and Scott Murdoch in Hong Kong; Editing by Sam Holmes and Kim Coghill
Newswise — Most of Asia has been in peace in the past four decades, since the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979. However, peace is not a given and cannot be taken for granted. Many threats remain or could emerge suddenly, like the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Today, the Asia Research Institute (ARI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) announced the launch of the Asian Peace Programme (APP), to initiate and support policy research that will work towards generating an enduring peace in Asia.
The APP is the brainchild of ARI Distinguished Fellow Mr Kishore Mahbubani, who will be spearheading the initiative. As Singapore’s former diplomat, serving twice as Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), including President of the UN Security Council, and as the Founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS, Mr Mahbubani is recognised internationally as an expert on Asian and international affairs, and was selected as one of Foreign Policy’s Top Global Thinkers in 2010 and 2011. He has authored numerous books, such as Has China won?, Has the West lost it?, and The ASEAN Miracle, and has shared many insights in key areas of public policy research, such as major powers and global governance, policy studies and public management, water and environment policy, competitiveness in Asia, and social policy in Asia.
Mr Mahbubani said, “While Asia has been developing well in the economic realm, many threats and challenges remain in the peace and security realm. The APP will therefore serve a useful purpose in providing suggestions for helping to defuse potentially painful and dangerous conflicts in the region. The recent flare-ups at the China-India border and on the Korean Peninsula demonstrate the urgency of such a programme.”
The APP aims to put forth implementable policy solutions that could ameliorate conflicts in Asia. It will be launching a monthly series of short, policy-relevant research papers that will throw new light on some of the difficult and unsettled conflicts in Asia. Globally renowned scholars from NUS and beyond in the field of peace studies, conflict resolution and international relations such as Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-large at the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the NUS Centre for International Law; Professor Kanti Bajpai, Director of Centre on Asia and Globalisation at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS; and Emeritus Professor Hugh White from the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at Australian National University, will contribute to these papers and study factors that could contribute to peace and how they intersect - political and economic, military and cultural, tangible and intangible, physical and psychological. They will seek to put forth policy measures that will provide significant recommendations towards resolving or ameliorating the conflict in question.
Professor Tim Bunnell, Director of ARI, said, “Peace cannot be taken for granted even in parts of Asia that have been free of major conflict for many decades. The APP involves Mr Kishore Mahbubani investing his wealth of experience in world affairs into the generation of research for sustainable peace in the region. Though starting small, the aim is to cultivate the programme as a focus and resource for peace studies within ARI, a leading centre for humanities and social science research on Asia.”
First policy paper on “China and India: A New Diplomacy”
In conjunction with its launch today, the APP published its first policy paper on “China and India: A New Diplomacy”, which was written by Professor Kanti Bajpai. The paper examined China-India relations which oft-late have seen tensions rising, in particular along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh which saw a recent military clash on 15 June 2020. Prof Bajpai noted that differences between the two nations have not been resolved over several decades, despite negotiations before and after the war in 1962 and stressed that the LAC must be stabilised. In his paper, he suggested that rather than pursuing a settlement of the border or insist on defining the LAC to the satisfaction of both parties, India and China should aim for a new structure of diplomacy. This, he noted, would rework the erstwhile diplomacy between both countries and tackle the problem of patrolling transgressions in fourteen key “pockets” where tensions tend to flare along the vast frontier.
(Reuters) - Asian stocks struggled for headway on Wednesday as the second half of the year got underway, with improving economic data offset by worries that surging coronavirus cases in the United States could derail the world’s recovery before it properly begins.
FILE PHOTO: An SGX sign is pictured at Singapore Stock Exchange July 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su
Following firm U.S. housing data and signs of a rebound in Europe’s economy, the latest boost to sentiment came from Chinese factory activity gathering steam in June, with the Caixin/Markit manufacturing PMI rising to 51.2 compared with expectations for 50.5.
But virus cases surged, too, with the U.S. recording 47,000 infections on Tuesday, its biggest single-day spike since the pandemic began.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.4%, led by gains in Korea and China.
Japan’s Nikkei slipped 0.2%, though, U.S. stock futures fell 0.3% and gold sat close to an eight-year peak, pointing to elevated caution.
The moves follow a strong finish to the quarter on Wall Street and also a loss of momentum in recent weeks as U.S. infection rates have surged, with some states reimposing restrictions on business and personal activity.
The S&P 500 index rose 1.5% for an almost 20% gain over the past three months, fuelled by unprecedented central bank stimulus and hopes for a swift pandemic recovery, but it rose only 1.8% in June.
Coronavirus cases more than doubled in 14 U.S. states last month, a Reuters analysis showed, and fears are growing that the caseload could prompt fresh lockdowns.
“Clearly we are not in total control right now,” the country’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, told a Senate committee on Tuesday, adding that cases could increase by as much as 100,000 daily if the outbreak is not contained.
The surge has prompted California, Texas and Florida to shut recently re-opened bars in the last few days, while Australia has locked-down parts of its second-biggest city, Melbourne, to try and stop a spike in cases there.
“The rise in COVID-19 infections is now triggering a reversal on the reopening strategy,” said Rodrigo Catril, senior FX strategist at National Australia Bank in Sydney.
“It remains to be seen if the U.S economy will continue to surprise over the coming month.”
The U.S. government bond market remains in a cautious mood. Yields on benchmark 10-year government debt rose overnight to 0.6774%, but finished the quarter steady. [US/]
UNWELCOME DEVELOPMENTS
On top of virus worries, China’s introduction of sweeping new laws to crack down on dissent in Hong Kong also has investors eying geopolitical tensions with trepidation.
The laws have already prompted Washington to begin dismantling Hong Kong’s special status under U.S. law.
“It has not taken people by surprise, but it’s an unwelcome development,” said Imre Speizer, a foreign exchange strategist at Westpac in Auckland. “It’s one of a number of geopolitical factors which is a negative for some asset classes now.”
Currency markets were in a holding pattern ahead of the next slew of data due to provide a snapshot of the U.S. recovery.
The dollar held gains against most majors and slipped on the safe-haven yen, last buying 107.68 yen and trading at $0.6909 per Australian dollar. [FRX/]
U.S. manufacturing activity data due later in the day,is forecast to show a recovery from a 11-year low in April while the non-farm payrolls report on Thursday is expected to show the economy added 3 million jobs in June.
Elsewhere sterling rebounded from near a one-month low on Tuesday and hung on to most of that ground at $1.2382.
Gold hovered near an 8-year high at $1780.64 an ounce. Brent crude rose 43 cents or 1% to $41.70 a barrel, while U.S. crude was up 1.3% at $39.76 a barrel.
Additional reporting by Imani Moise in New York and Scott Murdoch in Hong Kong; Editing by Sam Holmes and Kim Coghill
Karl Hanlon has been selected as the Democratic candidate for the Colorado Senate in District 8 election race. Courtesy photo
DILLON — Karl Hanlon easily defeated opponent Arn Menconi to win the Democratic primary for Senate District 8 with 57% of the vote as of 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Hanlon announced his run in early March for the Senate District 8 seat, which represents Garfield, Grand, Jackson, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt and Summit counties in the Colorado Legislature. Hanlon is an attorney and rancher who resides in Carbondale with his family. He is active in several District 8 communities, serving as a legal representative for the town of Silverthorne, the city of Glenwood Springs, the Aspen Fire Protection District and as general council for the Grand Junction Regional Airport.
In a June interview with the Summit Daily News, Hanlon said he is “fighting for rural Colorado” and listed climate change, health insurance options, workforce housing and the protection of public lands as some of the issues he wants to address in District 8. In addition, Hanlon listed helping working families, public health and reproductive freedom as priorities on his campaign website.
On Tuesday night, Hanlon said his next move is to get out and talk with people around the district, although the pandemic means that will happen in smaller groups. Hanlon said he enjoys going out and hearing people’s stories and connecting with people where they’re at.
“Something that most politicians don’t do is really understand where people are coming from and where they’re at in their lives,” Hanlon said. “And going out and having those conversations, I think, is the most rewarding part of this.”
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Hanlon said he wants to focus on looking forward and that he believes rural Colorado has been told to look back for too long. He said he thinks the diversity of opinions and thoughts is “what makes rural Colorado so great” and that he hopes to be inclusive in approaching people’s different viewpoints.
When asked what he would do first if elected, Hanlon said the current economic situation COVID-19 has created has highlighted that there needs to be reform to the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights amendment, which he said he would work to tackle. He said the revenue cap needs to be changed as it has decreased the amount of available reserves that could have helped with the crisis.
Colorado voters soundly rejected a ballot measure in November 2019 that would have let the state keep any tax revenue above the state spending cap — money that the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights currently guarantees as refunds to taxpayers. Democrats said it wasn’t a tax increase while Republicans argued it effectively was.
An opinion piece Hanlon submitted to the Summit Daily in June discussed the hardships rural Colorado communities and businesses are facing from the COVID-19 shutdown and subsequent revenue losses. Hanlon pointed out how towns and counties have worked to help residents through grants and funding, and he listed some of the funding provided at the federal level.
“While this is a start, to be blunt, it is not enough,” Hanlon said in the submitted piece. “What we need in our state senator is not someone rooted in the past, beholden to special interests and blind to creative solutions from tax reform to economic development. What we need is someone with deep roots in this district, real experience on the ground and the vision to see that the crisis we face today will not be solved by looking back, but instead by looking forward.”
Hanlon’s opponent Menconi carried only Summit County with 51% of the vote.
“I would like to thank all my supporters for the incredible movement we built in 2020,” Menconi wrote in a text message. “It’s clear the future wants the green new deal. Being outspent 4-to-1 in dollars, I am grateful for my volunteer team who delivered the difference with their values and passion for climate and social justice!”
Menconi declined to discuss the loss over the phone.
Hanlon will go on to face Republican incumbent Bob Rankin in the November general election.
“I’m really excited to be the nominee for the party and looking forward to what’s going to be a tough campaign, but I think one (where) there are a lot of really important issues out there to talk about in SD8 that aren’t getting addressed, and I think that’s going to become clear over the course of the campaign,” Hanlon said.
A Louisiana grand jury has accused eight police officers of using excessive force in arresting two men after a chase in January. A district attorney said Tuesday that a grand jury charged each officer on Monday with one count of malfeasance in office.
Prosecutors have dropped all charges against Chico Bell and Damon Robinson, the men who were arrested, because of unnecessary force, Attorney James Stewart Sr. said in a news release.
Shreveport Police Chief Ben Raymond said his office began investigating the incident the day of the arrest.
"All parties are innocent until proven guilty and in order to preserve the officers rights to due process I will not make any further comments at this time," he said in an emailed statement.
Mayor Adrian Perkins said, "The nation is going through a reckoning because, in the past, officers were too infrequently held accountable for bad policing," news outlets reported. He wrote that his administration expects to have body cameras for police by the end of the summer.
The eight officers have bonded out of jail, Stewart said. All are on leave, said Sgt. Angie Willhite, a police spokeswoman.
Stewart said during an online news conference that cases involving the separate deaths of two Black men while in Shreveport Police custody are not yet ready to present to a grand jury, and he could not say when that would occur.
"We are playing catch-up on two months" without grand juries because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, he said.
A separate news release described the allegations against officers Aaron Jaudon, 29, D'Andre Jackson, 24, Mark Ordoyne, 25, William Isenhour, 23, Christopher McConnell, 35, Brandon Walker, 27, Treveion Brooks, 24, and David Francis, 45.
Brooks, who is African American, was investigated after shooting a man who ran when Brooks tried to arrest him for violating the city's saggy pants ordinance in February 2019. The coroner found that Anthony Childs shot himself in the chest, and the officer's bullets all caused superficial wounds. The city later revoked the saggy pants ordinance.
The district attorney's news release said officers intending to ticket the two men for seat belt violations tried to stop Bell's truck on Jan. 24. He drove off, prompting a chase that continued for several miles (kilometers), during which Bell threw some items out the window, according to authorities.
Dash camera video showed that once the truck stopped, both men "raised their hands, and then stuck both hands up out of the windows of the truck, in an apparent attempt to surrender without resistance." However, the statement said, Shreveport officers pulled Bell out through the driver's side window, "striking, kicking and tasing him." His injuries included a broken eye socket, the statement said.
One Shreveport officer punched Robinson several times through the open passenger's window while others held his hands, the news release said. It said the officers then took him to the ground, where one officer apparently hit his face with a flashlight even though Robinson's hands were behind his back. "Robinson's nose was broken in several places," the statement said.
He was arrested on a charge of resisting an officer.
Police found "very small amounts of ecstasy, cocaine and a stolen gun that was found the next day along the route of the chase," and Bell was arrested on charges of flight from an officer, illegal possession of drugs, obstruction of justice, cyberstalking and "a fugitive matter."
A Caddo Parish sheriff's deputy had joined the chase, and Sheriff Steve Prator asked Stewart to investigate because of "concerns based on the Caddo deputy's report, dash and body cam evidence and the excessive force being used during the stop," the statement said.
Stewart asked the public on June 2 for any video, witness accounts or other information about the deaths of Tommie McGlothen on April 5 and Wavey Austin on April 19, saying police files appeared incomplete.
He said Tuesday that he has received a great deal of additional information since, including 1,800 pages of medical records about McGlothen and multiple updates from police in each case.
Shreveport City Councilwoman LeVette Fuller, who was already calling for an external investigation of the department, said Monday's indictment shows why such an investigation is needed, The Times reported.
"I am deeply concerned that such a large group of officers could be acting independent of orders or, alternately, under advisement from supervisors," her statement said. "If these officers are culpable, how can leadership not also be culpable?"
Eight Orange County restaurants have closed temporarily to deep clean and sanitize, some after finding out that one or more employees have been infected with COVID-19.
Bluegold/LSXO, at Pacific City in Huntington Beach, posted a message Monday, June 29 on Instagram to its customers without saying whether it was because an employee was sick. “In efforts to demonstrate our commitment to staying safe and promoting health, Bluegold/LSXO will be closed Tuesday, June 30 to Thursday July 2 with plans to reopen Friday, July 3…”
The Dylan Brea also posted a note on Instagram that it was closed and will sanitize after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The restaurant was already shuttered by Wednesday, June 24 because it had some water damage from flooding inside that had occurred on Father’s Day.
“Our water damage has been significant and because of limited scheduling our closure will be about 2-3 months. Our water damage repair will include sanitization,” wrote Cynthia Vigil, owner at Toast Restaurant Group, in a follow up email to the Register. “As soon as the rest of our team comes back with negative results we will be reopening our other two restaurants, Toast in Whittier and The Benediction in City of Industry.”
Other closures include Cha for Tea, at the University Town Center in Irvine, which announced on Instagram that it will clean, sanitize and test more staff members after one employee tested positive, and Clancy’s in Seal Beach which announced a closure on Facebook without specifying whether any staff was infected, as well as Red O in Newport Beach which announced its closure for deep cleaning Tuesday, June 30 on Instagram without saying whether employees were ill.
A spokesperson for Stonefire Grill in Fountain Valley said that a few staff had tested positive for COVID-19. The restaurant reported the cases to the health department last week, identified close contacts for self-quarantine, closed the location “out of an abundance of caution,” and followed all CDC protocols before re-opening over the weekend. The restaurant was deep cleaned and has reopened for dinner service with dine-in, takeout and delivery.
Baja Fish Tacos in Santa Ana also closed for cleaning on Friday, June 19 because a staff member tested positive, then cleaned, sanitized and reopened the very next day. “We are very careful when it comes to that,” said office manager Arturo Silva, adding that all locations are doing takeout only. “We didn’t feel comfortable, so we shut down the dining area and we’re just doing to go.”
Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside county health departments will list COVID-19 restaurant closures online. The OC Health Care Agency has no plans to do so at this time and will not confirm or deny whether any specific closing is due to the novel coronavirus.
“For any worksite, including restaurants, if a case of COVID-19 is reported in a member of staff, our Public Health Services team reaches out to the facility to provide guidance based on the particular circumstances,” Dr. Clayton Chau, director of the agency, said in a statement. “If there is a cluster of cases, depending on the number of cases and the size of the facility, we may either mandate that all staff be tested and/or a facility close for a period of time until it is clearly safe to reopen.”
Hungry? Sign up for The Eat Index, our weekly food newsletter, and find out where to eat and get the latest restaurant happenings in Orange County. Subscribe here.
Of those restaurants closed because of COVID-19-infected employees mentioned in an article published on June 23 on ocregister.com, The Longboard Restaurant & Pub reopened on Friday, June 26.
Javier’s in Newport Beach, The Boiling Crab in Santa Ana and 2145 Pizza in Costa Mesa (which had announced it would reopen on Wednesday June, 17 but is still waiting on results of employee testing) have not reopened.
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A Louisiana grand jury has accused eight police officers of using excessive force when they arrested two men after a chase in January
By
JANET McCONNAUGHEY Associated Press
June 30, 2020, 6:22 PM
4 min read
4 min read
A Louisiana grand jury has accused eight police officers of using excessive force in arresting two men after a chase in January. A district attorney said Tuesday that a grand jury charged each officer on Monday with one count of malfeasance in office.
Prosecutors have dropped all charges against Chico Bell and Damon Robinson, the men who were arrested, because of the unnecessary use of force by Shreveport police, Attorney James Stewart Sr. said in a news release.
Shreveport Police Chief Ben Raymond said his office began investigating the incident the day of the arrest.
“All parties are innocent until proven guilty and in order to preserve the officers rights to due process I will not make any further comments at this time,” he said in an emailed statement.
The eight officers have bonded out of jail, Stewart said. All are on leave, said Sgt. Angie Willhite, a police spokeswoman.
Stewart said during an online news conference that cases involving the separate deaths of two Black men while in Shreveport Police custody are not yet ready to present to a grand jury, and he could not say when that would occur.
“We are playing catch-up on two months” without grand juries because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, he said.
A separate news release described the indictment against officers Aaron Jaudon, D’Andre Jackson, Mark Ordoyne, William Isenhour, Christopher McConnell, Brandon Walker, Treveion Brooks, and David Francis.
It said officers intending to ticket the two men for seat belt violations tried to stop Bell’s truck on Jan. 24. He drove off, prompting a chase that continued for several miles (kilometers), during which Bell threw some items out the window, according to authorities.
Dash camera video showed that once the truck stopped, both men “raised their hands, and then stuck both hands up out of the windows of the truck, in an apparent attempt to surrender without resistance.” However, the statement said, Shreveport officers pulled Bell out through the driver's side window, “striking, kicking and tasing him to the torso and other areas of his body.” His injuries included a broken eye socket, the statement said.
One Shreveport officer punched Robinson several times through the open passenger’s window while others held his hands, the news release said. It said the officers then took him to the ground, where one officer apparently hit his face with a flashlight even though Robinson’s hands were behind his back. “Robinson’s nose was broken in several places,” the statement said.
He was arrested on a charge of resisting an officer.
Police found “very small amounts of ecstasy, cocaine and a stolen gun that was found the next day along the route of the chase,” and Bell was arrested on charges of flight from an officer, illegal possession of drugs, obstruction of justice, cyberstalking and “a fugitive matter.”
A Caddo Parish sheriff’s deputy had joined the chase, and Sheriff Steve Prator asked Stewart to investigate because of “concerns based on the Caddo deputy’s report, dash and body cam evidence and the excessive force being used during the stop,” the statement said.
Stewart asked the public on June 2 for any video, witness accounts or other information about the deaths of Tommie McGlothen on April 5 and Wavey Austin on April 19, saying police files appeared incomplete.
He said Tuesday that he has received a great deal of additional information since, including 1,800 pages of medical records and multiple updates from police.
High school softball will be played in New Jersey in 2020, even as the spring season took a backseat to the coronavirus pandemic.
Somerset County is set to host a 2-day, 8-team county tournament, organized by Bernards coach Leslie O’Connor, August 10-11 as a way finally hit the diamond after a spring of uncertainty and, ultimately, no softball.
Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough, Manville and Watchung Hills makes up the first pool while Bernards, Montgomery, Ridge and Somerville rounds out the second pool. Teams will consist of their players and coaches with the exception of Manville, which will feature players from the school as well as any other interested players from county teams not playing in the tournament.
All games will be played at the North Bridge Street Fields in Bridgewater over the 2-day stretch.
Teams will be guaranteed at least three games with the top two teams in each pool advancing to the semifinals on the second day. The semifinals will be held at 6 p.m. August 11 on the two fields immediately followed by the finals, tentatively scheduled for 8 p.m.
ALBANY – New York, New Jersey and Connecticut added travelers from California, Tennessee and six other states to its quarantine list Tuesday morning, pushing the total to 16 states representing 48% of the U.S. population.
Travelers from the affected states will now have to isolate for 14 days upon arriving in the three northeastern states, doubling the original list of eight states included in the joint travel advisory issued last week.
"We've set metrics for community spread just as we've set metrics for everything the state does to fight COVID-19, and eight more states have reached the level of spread required to qualify for New York's travel advisory," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
New Jersey, New York and Connecticut are all requiring travelers from states with high COVID-19 infection rates to quarantine for two weeks, unless they are passing through for a short period of time.
That includes residents who travel to one of the high-COVID states and return home.
All three states are following the same criteria: Anyone coming from a state with at least 10 positive COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents or a 10% positive testing rate on a seven-day rolling average is included.
Enforcement, however, varies from state to state, with New York taking a hardline approach that includes monitoring flight logs and asking travelers to fill out questionnaires on airplanes.
On Tuesday morning, the New Jersey and Connecticut health departments added these eight states to its quarantine list:
California
Georgia
Iowa
Idaho
Louisiana
Mississippi
Nevada
Tennessee
They join the original eight states included in the travel order, all of which continue to qualify: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.
The newly added states matched a USA TODAY Network New York analysis of COVID-19 data, which showed they all surpassed 10 positive cases per 100,000 residents in the past 10 days.
More: New York asking airline passengers to fill out questionnaire as part of COVID-19 quarantine
Two of those states, Louisiana and Mississippi, seemed to benefit from technical glitches or corrections that excluded them from the original list.
On June 21, Louisiana's rolling seven-day average was 9.7 positive cases per 100,000 residents.
But that calculation included zero new cases on June 19, when the Louisiana Department of Health removed more than 1,600 duplicate positives, which made the state's cumulative case total fall that day and threw off the seven-day average.
Mississippi, meanwhile, showed only 5.4 positive cases per 100,000 residents for the week that ended June 21. That number was clearly suppressed: Technical issues had prevented Mississippi state officials from updating their daily case total for the four days prior.
More: 8 more states, including California, could be added to New York quarantine order
More: New York will 'randomly' check flight passengers to ensure they quarantine for COVID-19
More: Cuomo, Murphy, Lamont announce quarantine order for out-of-state travelers
Jon Campbell is a New York state government reporter for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at JCAMPBELL1@Gannett.com or on Twitter at @JonCampbellGAN.
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New research from NUI Galway and the University of Limerick has for the first time quantified the volume of plastic from European countries (EU, UK, Switzerland and Norway) that contributes to ocean littering from exported recycling.
While European countries have developed world-leading waste management infrastructure, 46% of European separated plastic waste is exported outside the country of origin. A large share of this plastic is transported thousands of kilometres to countries with poor waste management practices, largely located in Southeast Asia. Once in these countries, a large share of the waste is rejected from recycling streams into overstretched local waste management systems that have been found to contribute significantly to ocean littering.
This new research, published in the scientific journal Environment International, estimated the best-case, average, and worst-case scenarios of ocean debris pathways from exported recycling in 2017. The results estimated a range between 32,115 -- 180,558 tonnes, or 1 -- 7% of all exported European polyethylene, which ended up in the ocean. Polyethylene is one of the most common types of plastic in Europe, and the results showed that countries such as the UK, Slovenia, and Italy are exporting a higher share of plastic outside of Europe and see a higher share of their recyclable plastic waste end up as ocean debris.
Speaking today, George Bishop, lead author of the study said: "The results indicate an important and previously undocumented pathway of plastic debris entering the oceans, which will have considerable environmental and social impacts on marine ecosystems and coastal communities."
Using detailed international trade data and data on waste management in destination countries, the study modelled the fate of all polyethylene exported for recycling from Europe, accounting for different fates ranging from successful conversion into recycled resins, or ending up as landfill, incineration, or ocean debris.
Dr David Styles, a lecturer at the University of Limerick and co-author, explains, "Given that such a large share of waste destined for recycling is exported, with poor downstream traceability, this study suggests that 'true' recycling rates may deviate significantly from rates reported by municipalities and countries where the waste originates. In fact, our study found that up to 31% of the exported plastic wasn't actually recycled at all."
The study was part of the Science Foundation Ireland funded, 'Innovative Energy Technologies for Bioenergy, Biofuels and a Sustainable Irish Bioeconomy: IETSBIO3' led by Professor Piet Lens, Established Professor of New Energy Technologies at the National University of Ireland, Galway.
Professor Lens added: "To successfully move towards a more circular economy, European municipalities and waste management companies need to be held accountable for the final fate of "recycled" waste. Our study highlights the lack of available data on plastic waste and the need to consider extended audit trails, or "on-shoring" of recycling activities as part of emerging regulations around trade in plastic waste."
The authors caution that these findings should not discourage people to recycle as it remains the best waste management treatment, environmentally speaking. However, there is considerable work to be done to improve aspects of these plastic recycling chains, to reduce the 'leakage' of these systems.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Eight Tennessee communities are receiving a total of $2.3 million in grants under a program that helps develop industrial sites for business investment, state officials said.
The new Site Development Grants was announced in a news release from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
The grants help communities invest in infrastructure and engineering improvements on sites ready for economic development, officials said.
Grants range from $100,00 to $500,000. They have been awarded to projects in Coffee, Decatur, Fentress, Hawkins and Lawrence counties, and the cities of Bristol, Clarksville and Lexington.
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Applications were reviewed by a committee made up of Austin Consulting, the Tennessee Valley Authority, USDA Rural Development, and the state departments of transportation, economic development and environmental conservation, officials said Thursday.
China may have passed a security law on Hong Kong that rights advocates have condemned, while the United States started eliminating the territory's special status, but none of that appears to have dented investor demand for Hong Kong stocks on Tuesday.
Along with the rest of Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index jumped 1.18 percent even after China's parliament passed controversial national security legislation that Beijing says is necessary to deal with issues of terrorism, subversion and foreign interference in Hong Kong. Critics say the new rules will outlaw dissent and destroy the autonomy and freedoms promised when the territory was returned to China in 1997.
Earlier, the US said it was halting defence exports and restricting the territory's access to hi-tech products in an attempt to block Beijing from making its move.
Investors say the new regulations by Beijing will not do much to harm Hong Kong's status as a key financial and trading transit point between mainland China and the rest of the world.
"The removal of the special status should not have much impact on investment by US companies in Hong Kong unless there is retaliation in terms of sanctions from Mainland China on US entities based in Hong Kong, which is unlikely," Iris Pang, chief economist for Greater China at Dutch bank ING, said in a research note sent to Al Jazeera.
Hong Kong stocks received a boost along with other Asian markets after data showed China's manufacturing sector grew more than expected in June, a hopeful sign for a global economy still struggling to recover from the sweeping impact of the coronavirus crisis.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.9 percent, while US stock futures, the S&P 500 e-minis, advanced 0.23 percent.
Sentiment in the region, which got a boost from overnight gains on Wall Street thanks to strong housing data, got a further lift from a survey in China showing a quickening in activity in its vast factory sector.
The stock market in Australia, which has crucial economic links with China, rose 1.59 percent, while shares in China gained 0.72 percent.
The Nikkei rose 2 percent, shrugging off a larger-than-expected decline in Japanese industrial production.
Overall, however, Asian shares are still on course for a 7 percent decline over the first half of this year, underscoring the severity of the pandemic-sparked losses and the challenges facing investors as global infections continue to rise in a blow to hopes of a quick recovery.
"Overnight moves in markets were not large but one does get the distinct impression that markets have got it both ways - with equities rallying on rebounding data and bonds rallying on dismal COVID-19 news," said ANZ Research analyst Rahul Khare.
Indeed, for the second quarter, shares of Asian firms outside Japan were on course for a 17.8 percent gain, which would be the biggest quarterly increase since the third quarter of 2009.
On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.32 percent, the S&P 500 gained 1.47 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.2 percent.
China's factories pick up steam, slowly
China's official purchasing managers' index (PMI), released on Tuesday, showed that factory activity in the world's second-largest economy grew for a fourth straight month in June. China's services sector PMI also expanded at a faster pace compared with the previous month.
"The latest survey data suggest that economic growth accelerated in June thanks to a faster recovery in manufacturing and services, alongside continued strength in construction activity," Julian Evans-Pritchard, senior China economist at research firm Capital Economics, said in a research note sent to Al Jazeera.
"The recovery should remain robust in the coming months as strong infrastructure spending offsets external weakness," he added.
Overseas demand for Chinese goods is expanding, but at a slow pace, according to the latest purchasing managers' index data [Bloomberg]
But a recent resurgence in coronavirus infections had led some investors to question the strength of a rebound in global economic activity.
US crude oil futures fell 0.48 percent to $39.51 a barrel, while Brent crude slipped 0.31 percent to $41.58 per barrel, weighed by concerns about oversupply after Libya cited progress in resuming oil exports while global demand for oil remains weak.
The swing in sentiment between hopes and fears has kept markets on edge.
The yield on benchmark 10-year US Treasury notes was little changed at 0.6348 percent in Asia as traders braced for US non-farm payrolls data on Thursday, which is forecast to show an improving labour market.
US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said on Monday that the outlook for the world's biggest economy is "extraordinarily uncertain" and signalled more monetary stimulus might be necessary, which could limit gain in yields.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide rose past 10 million, and deaths surpassed 500,000 in the past week.
The bulk of new cases were reported in the US and Latin America, stoking fears that the outbreak could stall economic recoveries just as lockdowns begin to ease.
In currency markets, the dollar held onto gains against the yen and the Swiss franc as the recent increase in coronavirus infections supported safe-haven demand for the greenback.
In the onshore Chinese market, the yuan rose slightly to 7.0685 against the dollar.
China's buying spree wanes on high stockpile, slow draw down
Sinopec Zhenhai to return from maintenance soon
NDRTC lifts retail ceiling price for gasoline
Singapore — The Asian toluene market, having basked in the warmth of China's buying spree over the past two months despite the demand destruction caused by the coronavirus to other markets, may see this respite end quicker than the onslaught of the second wave of COVID-19 infections.
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Over March to late May, China had ramped up its toluene imports as the price of the blendstock had slumped to attractive lows, incentivizing refiners to import octanes.
At end-February, China's toluene stockpile stood at 35,500 mt, but by early June, China had accumulated nearly double that with the weekly average at eastern ports at 60,375 mt, alleviating several Asian producers of their supply glut.
Nonetheless, the slow draw down of China's domestic stocks, together with the growing logistical constrains of bringing in toluene cargoes, and the return of refineries from maintenance could throttle China's new found affection for toluene.
Of late, especially along the eastern ports of China, local importers risk being slapped with demurrage charges by shipowners as they attempt to bring in toluene. Besides the widely known congestion, local traders said the draw down of toluene in storage has been slowing despite a spike in gasoline blending within China. A handful of toluene cargoes that were previously meant for May arrival had been postponed for delivery next month.
"Changjiang port is now inundated with a few thousand tons of toluene. We should monitor whether the situation can be relieved in July," an end-user in China said.
Chinese traders are only willing to consider buying toluene that can arrive from August onwards, in view of the steep contango in China's domestic market, suggesting that there may be intense competition locally.
Spot toluene parcels from tanks in East China's domestic market were negotiated at around Yuan 3,450/mt, but H2 August supplies were discussed between Yuan 3,660-3,670/mt, signalling a wide H2 June/H2 August contango of at least $25/mt during Asian morning trade June 30. Bids and offers for CFR China cargoes have been locked in a $430/mt-$440/mt stalemate in most trade sessions over June 19-June 29.
Furthermore, China's state planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, said in a statement that retail ceiling prices for gasoline will rise by Yuan 120/mt ($2/b) effective June 29.
While the upward revision will aid the absorption of refinery throughput, it will also result in the resumption of refining activity among local refiners.
China's Sinopec Zhenhai Refining & Chemical will soon return from the maintenance of its 10 million mt/year CDU at its mega integrated complex by July or August. The complex has a 1 million mt/year aromatics facility that includes a toluene plant of at least 410,000 mt/year capacity.
SHORT SUMMER FOR GASOLINE
Several toluene producers in the Far East had pinned their hopes on China to sweep up excess barrels as solvent requirements within India and Southeast Asia have shown signs of prolonged sluggishness.
Thailand alone exported 40,295 mt of toluene in May, more than double the 18,517 mt in April, statistics from the Thai Customs Department showed. In the same month, South Korea shipped its largest monthly volume of toluene at 48,956 mt. Most of the toluene from both these countries ended up in China, sources said.
With August delivery laycans fast approaching, the window to move toluene for gasoline blending during the summer driving peak is drawing to a close, and the Asian toluene market may be heading to a lull amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"I can't even move [toluene]," a regional trader said, when asked to comment on the current state of the Asian toluene market.
"I am concerned of [COVID-19] second wave [but] July is super long," a second trader said, adding that it will be tough for the Asian toluene market to keep its head above water over July-August.
TOKYO/NEW YORK: Asian shares rose on Tuesday after data showed China's manufacturing sector grew more than expected in June, a hopeful sign for a global economy still struggling to recover from the sweeping impact of the coronavirus crisis.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.9%, while U.S. stock futures, the S&P 500 e-minis, advanced 0.23%.
Sentiment in the region, which got a boost from overnight gains on Wall Street thanks to strong housing data, got a further lift from a survey in China showing a quickening in activity in its vast factory sector.
The stock market in Australia, which has crucial economic links with China, rose 1.59%, while shares in China gained 0.72%.
Hong Kong stocks jumped 1.18%, undeterred by the Chinese parliament's passage of a security law that will increase Beijing's control over the former British colony.
The Nikkei rose 2%, shrugging off a larger-than-expected decline in Japanese industrial production.
Overall, however, Asian shares are still on course for a 7% decline over the first half of this year, underscoring the severity of the pandemic-sparked losses and the challenges facing investors as global infections continue to rise in a blow to hopes of a quick recovery.
"Overnight moves in markets were not large but one does get the distinct impression that markets have got it both ways – with equities rallying on rebounding data and bonds rallying on dismal COVID-19 news," said ANZ Research analyst Rahul Khare.
Indeed, for the second quarter Asia ex-Japan shares were on course for a 17.8% gain, which would be the biggest quarterly increase since the third quarter of 2009. Stocks appear to have received an added boost on Tuesday as some investors adjusted positions on the last trading day of the quarter.
On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.32%, the S&P 500 gained 1.47% and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.2%.
China's official purchasing managers' index (PMI) released Tuesday showed factory activity in the world's second-largest economy grew for a fourth straight month in June. China's services sector PMI also expanded at a faster pace compared to the previous month.
A recent resurgence in coronavirus infections had led some investors to question the strength of a rebound in global economic activity.
The swing in sentiment between hopes and fears has kept markets on edge.
The yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes was little changed at 0.6348% in Asia as traders braced for U.S. non-farm payrolls data on Thursday, which is forecast to show an improving labour market.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Monday said the outlook for the world's biggest economy is "extraordinarily uncertain" and signalled more monetary stimulus may be necessary, which could limit gain in yields.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide rose past 10 million and deaths surpassed 500,000 on over the weekend.
The bulk of new cases were reported in the United States and Latin America, stoking fears that the outbreak could stall economic recoveries just as lockdowns begin to ease.
In currency markets, the dollar held onto gains against the yen and the Swiss franc as the recent increase in coronavirus infections supported safe-haven demand for the greenback.
In the onshore market, the yuan rose slightly to 7.0685 against the dollar.
U.S. crude fell 0.48% to $39.51 a barrel, while Brent crude slipped 0.31% to $41.58 per barrel, weighed by concerns about oversupply after Libya cited progress in resuming oil exports.
TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are rising, cheered by a rally on Wally Street reflecting some optimism over stronger than expected housing data, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Benchmarks in Japan, South Korea, Australia and China gained across the board on Tuesday. On Wall Street, shares drove decisively higher as the much healthier-than-expected report on the housing market boosted optimism over the economy. Among big-name companies, Boeing and Apple did especially well. Analysts say questions remain on how the global economy will hold up as coronavirus outbreaks expand. Japan’s economy has been gradually reopening with social distancing restrictions.
Stocks in Asia Pacific rose in Tuesday morning trade as China's official manufacturing Purchasing Manager's Index for June came in above expectations.
The Nikkei 225 in Japan rose 1.84% in morning trade, following its more than 2% slide on Monday. The Topix index also added 1.29%. In South Korea, the Kospi gained 1.6%.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index advanced 1.06%. Mainland Chinese stocks were also higher, with the Shanghai composite up around 0.3% while the
Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia added 1.41%.
Overall, the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index traded 0.92% higher.
In May, the official manufacturing PMI was at 50.6, according to the NBS.
Meanwhile, Japan's industrial production in May dropped 8.4% month-on-month, according to data released Tuesday in a preliminary report by the country's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. That was a larger decline than a median market forecast of a 5.6% fall by economists in a Reuters poll.
Developments surrounding the coronavirus pandemic will also continue to be watched, with World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu warning Monday that "the worst is yet to come."
"Although many countries have made some progress, globally, the pandemic is actually speeding up," he said during a virtual news conference from the agency's Geneva headquarters. "We all want this to be over. We all want to get on with our lives, but the hard reality is that this is not even close to being over."
The Tuesday moves in Asia Pacific followed an overnight surge for stocks on Wall Street that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing more than 500 points higher.
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 97.484 after earlier touching a low of 97.389.
The Japanese yen traded at 107.69 per dollar after weakening sharply from levels below 107.5 yesterday. The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.6871 after dipping to levels around $0.685 yesterday.
Oil prices declined in the morning of Asian trading hours on Tuesday, with international benchmark Brent crude futures down 0.62% to $41.45 per barrel. U.S. crude futures also shed 0.73% to $39.41 per barrel.
— CNBC's William Feuer, Jasmine Kim and Huileng Tan contributed to this report.
On April 29, as his statewide stay-at-home order approached its expiration date, Gov. Doug Ducey touted the state's "hard-fought gains" during the pandemic and promised a careful, gradual reopening.
"It would be irresponsible for me to make decisions to reopen with a chance that I would have to come back because we didn't have the proper guidance or data and ask people to do this again," the Republican leader said.
On Monday, he found himself asking just that — at least for bars, gyms, theaters, water parks and inner-tubing. Facing mounting pressure to respond to the ballooning COVID-19 numbers that followed his revised, accelerated reopening plan, he issued an executive order giving those entities until 8 p.m. to shut down.
The directive also caps swimming pool crowds at 10 and public gatherings at 50, allowing local governments to enforce closures and restrictions through July 27.
"Arizonans have been, by and large, terrific, fantastic and responsible," the governor said during his afternoon news briefing.
"But, we have found some situations in categories where we need to take more aggressive actions, and that's what we're going to do today."
'Brutal' trends in the state's numbers
Indeed, the order followed another weekend full of packed bars, clubs and pools in metropolitan Phoenix — despite the state experiencing one of the worst COVID-19 spikes in the country.
Arizona has confirmed more than 74,000 cases, with 3,000-plus new cases reported on five of the past seven days.
The new order appears to close a previous loophole that allowed bars and clubs with food service to open earlier than White House guidelines recommended.
"I think we saw the photos and videos of some of the things that were happening around our state this weekend, and the result of that (type of activity) has been an increase in the spread," Ducey said. "With this targeted approach, we know that we can pump the brakes."
Ducey said the state Department of Liquor Licenses and Control would temporarily stop issuing special event and festival licenses in response to the new gathering limits. Local governments can still choose to approve certain gatherings where social distancing and other safety precautions will be implemented, he said.
Ducey also said the order's July 27 expiration date was an "aspirational goal" and would depend on how the state's spiking COVID-19 numbers and hospitalizations evolved, calling the state's recent numbers "brutal."
In addition to the state's 1,588 known COVID-19 deaths, 84% of current inpatient beds and 88% of ICU beds are occupied. Those numbers are expected to get worse, and doctors are preparing for triage situations where those with the best chance of surviving would receive the most comprehensive treatment.
'Whatever is necessary'
In the days leading up to Monday's announcements, critics had urged the governor to take more aggressive, concrete policy steps in response to the COVID-19 surge, such as implementing a statewide mask mandate.
“The virus does not yield to polite requests or expressions of grave concern,” Senate Minority Leader David Bradley, D-Tucson, wrote in a letter to the governor on Monday, prior to the press conference.
“You need to make the tough choices necessary to protect the health and lives of Arizonans. You need to act regardless of cost."
By Monday — four days after he'd stressed "personal responsibility" as a solution — Ducey agreed, saying "additional actions" were needed to get the state "back on track."
In addition to the closures and gathering limits, he issued a separate order delaying the start of in-person instruction for K-12 schools until at least Aug. 17. And he announced the state would outfit all people employed or incarcerated in state correctional facilities with masks.
"It will take several weeks for the mitigations that we have put in place and are putting in place to take effect," Ducey said, later referencing the mask mandates recently imposed by cities and counties. "But, they will take effect."
Pressed on why he didn't revive his stay-at-home order or implement more sweeping closures Monday — his order doesn't apply to churches or restaurants — the governor said he'd "talked to health care leaders from around the state … about different options that were in front of us" and adopted a narrow approach.
Going forward, he said he would do "whatever is necessary to protect the lives and livelihoods of Arizonans."
"This is a dangerous virus," he said. "We need to slow it down and contain it."
Reach the reporter at maria.polletta@arizonarepublic.com or 602-653-6807. Follow her on Twitter @mpolletta.
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Last week, the NBA announced the full schedule for all 88 “seeding games” to take place between the 22 teams partaking in the league’s restart at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Each team, including the Wizards, will play eight seeding games to wrap up the regular season and set the 16-team playoff field. At the conclusion of the seeding game period, any team within four games of the eighth seed in either conference will enter into a double-elimination play-in series for the final spot.
Yesterday, in the first part of a two-part series, we broke down the Wizards’ first four seeding games – matchups against the Suns, Nets, Pacers and Sixers. Today, we take a look at their final four games of the seeding period. Washington faces a tough stretch to close the seeding games, facing off against the Pelicans and Thunder before a pair of games with two of the East’s best: the Bucks and Celtics.
The Pelicans were the only team in the league the Wizards had yet to play prior to the season’s suspension as both matchups were scheduled to take place in the month of April.
Where they left off:
A stretch of six wins in eight games from late January to early February propelled the Pelicans back into serious playoff conversation. In that time, Brandon Ingram (22.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game) and Zion Williamson (21.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game) led the way as the team ripped off wins of 15, 14, 28, six, seven and 21 points, respectively. Their two losses in that stretch came against the league-best Bucks and the Rockets.
In the team’s five games played in the month of March, New Orleans is getting production all across the rotation. Three players are averaging 20-plus points, six players averaging over five-plus rebounds and the team’s backcourt duo of Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday are each registering over 7.5 assists per game.
Entering the hiatus, the Pelicans had won two straight and were 5-5 in their last 10. At 28-36 on the season, New Orleans currently sits at 10 in the Westerns Conference standings.
Player to watch: Zion Williamson
Williamson, the number one pick win the 2019 NBA Draft, billed as one of the league’s next stars, made his debut for the Pelicans on January 22 against the Spurs after missing the first 44 games of the season with a knee injury. Including his debut, Williamson played in 19 of New Orleans’ last 20 games leading into the suspension of the season, averaging 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Williamson’s rebounding average, through accumulated over a small sample size of games, tops the rookie class and is 0.8 more boards per game than the second place Rui Hachimura.
Williamson does most of his damage in the paint, using his strength to bully opponents regardless of their position and his athleticism – uncanny for someone of his 285-pound build – to get to the rim with ease. In his debut against San Antonio, he announced his arrival with four 3-pointers made in a span of 2:34 early in the third quarter, but the sequence has since proved to be an anomaly. In 19 games, 95.4% of the rookie’s field goal attempts come from within the arc and over 92 percent from within 10 feet of the rim. Williamson is shooting nearly 59.5% from two-point range this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Previous matchups:
October 25, 2019: Wizards 97, Thunder 85 (BOX SCORE)
Washington and Oklahoma City’s only prior matchup this season came in the Wizards’ second game of the year, way back on October 25, 2019. With what will be nearly 9.5 months between matchups, there is only so much to take from the first game, though there are some positives for the Wizards to try and replicate.
The Wizards’ defense in 2019-20, while showing signs of improvement in the second half of the season, has been a weak spot. The unit’s showing against the Thunder, however, was among their best of the year. Washington won the game 97-85, holding Oklahoma City to just 15 points in fourth quarter. Chris Paul and Steven Adams, each of whom are among the top five scorers on the team, combined for just 13 points against the Wizards. Bradley Beal struggled from the field, hitting just 7-22 (.318) shots, but came up big in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points on 3-5 (.600) and 2-2 (1.000) from deep. Five Wizards scored in double figures, led by a 21-point, 11-rebound performance from Thomas Bryant.
Where they left off:
Bucking preseason predictions from around the NBA world, the Thunder have been one of the surprise teams of the 2019-20 NBA season. After trading away franchise stalwart Russell Westbrook to Houston, expectations sank, but the team’s performance this season – 40-24 pre-hiatus and fifth in the Western Conference – has Oklahoma City fans as optimistic as they have been since the team’s prime in the early-to-mid 2010s.
After a so-so start to the season, the Thunder got going around mid-December. A win over the Hornets on December 16 marked the start of a 21-6 stretch over the course of nearly two months that propelled them into the uber-competitive second tier of the Western Conference, well ahead of expectations for the season. The Thunder stayed hot heading into the hiatus, winning eight of their last 10 games, including wins over the Pelicans, Nuggets, Spurs, Kings and Celtics. Their only two losses in that time came to the Bucks and Clippers, two of the best teams in the league.
Player to watch: Chris Paul
Chris Paul, acquired by Oklahoma City in the aforementioned Russell Westbrook trade, has been the team’s rock this season. With 14 years of experience, Paul is the grizzled veteran among a group with just two players, Paul included, that have more than six years of experience in the league. Paul, a 10-time All-Star, nine-time member of the All-Defensive team, eight-time member of the All-NBA team, and touted for his basketball IQ, is well-equipped to lead a young, developing roster like the Thunder’s.
Paul ranks just fourth on the team in scoring with 17.7 points per game, ceding most of those duties to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and Dennis Schroeder who each average over 19.0 points per game. Paul, instead, masters the little things. Paul leads the team and ranks seventh in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio among players averaging at least 25.0 minutes per game (3.11). He leads the team in steals (1.6) and assists (6.8) per game and is first on the team in net rating (6.8). Paul is shooting only 12.8 times per game, but is making the most of each one. He ranks first among guards on the team with a 55.2% effective field goal percentage.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Previous matchups:
January 28, 2020: Wizards 131, Bucks 151 (BOX SCORE)
February 24, 2020: Wizards 134, Bucks 137 (BOX SCORE)
Prior to the NBA’s suspension of the season, the Wizards and Bucks met twice with two more matchups scheduled for late March. In each of the teams’ two meetings so far, offenses thrived, averaging 276.5 combined points. Washington fell in both matchups, but the scoring itself was a point of success given Milwaukee’s league-best 101.9 defensive rating this season, specifically that of Bradley Beal, who averaged 51.0 points in the two games.
The Wizards and Bucks met first on January 28, a 20-point home win for Milwaukee despite playing without reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. All-Star Khris Middleton led the way for the Bucks with 51 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while Eric Bledsoe scored 34 points of his own and dished out 10 assists. Beal, who scored 47 points in the game, led a third-quarter comeback to bring the Wizards back within reach, but the Bucks’ early lead behind an 88-point first half was too much to overcome.
On February 24, the Bucks and Wizards met again – this time in D.C. Antetokounmpo suited up, but it was again a scoring duel between Beal and Middleton. Beal, coming off a 53-point performance the night before in Chicago, scored 55 points against the Bucks, becoming the first player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to score 50 points on back-to-back nights. Most of Beal’s production came in the second half, helping overcome a 17-point Milwaukee lead in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Middleton took control in overtime, however, and finished with 40 points to lead the Bucks to a three-point win.
Where they left off:
Statistically, the Bucks have been the best team in the league all season. Milwaukee went into the league’s hiatus with a record of 53-12 and a three-game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers for the best record in the NBA. The Bucks were a dominant 28-3 at home, but had no trouble on the road either, going 25-9 away from Fiserv Forum, the second-best road winning percentage in the league. Their per game point differential (+11.2) is nearly four points higher than the next-best team and ranks fifth in NBA history.
Milwaukee, though, was on a bit of a slide heading into the suspension. After a 20-2 stretch from January 8-March 1, the Bucks dropped four of five and lost three straight games before the hiatus.
Player to watch: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Coming off an MVP award in 2018-19, Antetokounmpo hasn’t missed a beat. He’s averaging career highs in points (29.6), rebounds (13.7) and free throw attempts (10.0) per game despite playing the fewest minutes per game since his rookie season (30.9). Antetokounmpo has scored 30-plus points in 33 of his 57 games this season and has recorded a double-double in all but five games, three of which he finished with nine rebounds.
Antetokounmpo thrust himself into the “best player in the league” conversation, averaging at least 26.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steaks in each of the last three seasons. Nearly everything Milwaukee does runs through his hands – and for good reason. At 6’11,” Antetokounmpo has the build to beat big men on each end of the court and the skills to handle the ball like a point guard and facilitate most of Milwaukee’s offense. Antetokounmpo is not only likely to repeat as MVP, but is a leading to candidate to take home his first Defensive Player of the Year award whenever awards are announced.
BOSTON CELTICS
Previous matchups:
November 13, 2019: Wizards 133, Celtics 140 (BOX SCORE)
January 6, 2020: Wizards 99, Celtics 94 (BOX SCORE)
The Wizards and Celtics have met twice this season with vastly different outcomes. In their first matchup, a November 13 game in Boston, the Wizards fell, 140-133, despite 44 points, six assists and five rebounds from Bradley Beal. The Celtics were led by Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who each scored 20-plus points. Both teams shot over 50.0% from the field in a shootout that included 10 lead changes and 11 ties.
In their second meeting, defense – and the Wizards – prevailed. Washington won, 99-94, holding the Celtics to 34.7% from the field. The Wizards, playing without Beal, Thomas Bryant, Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura and Moritz Wagner, were led by 27 points off the bench by Ish Smith. Smith did most of his damage late, playing the final 13:17 of the game to help seal the Wizards’ win. In the fourth quarter, Smith scored 14 of his 27 points on 6-8 (.750) from the field and accounted for all but three of Washington’s field goals in that time.
Where they left off:
The Celtics 43-21 record is good for third in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the NBA overall, thanks mostly to a 10-1 start to the season and a 12-2 stretch between January and February. Boston has been one of the league’s best teams all season long despite battling injuries to a number of top-line players. The Celtics slid into the hiatus, going 2-4 in their final six games, though all four losses came against teams that have qualified to play in Orlando and their last game, a three-point win, came against a Pacers team not far behind them in the Eastern Conference standings.
While the Celtics’ record depicts them as part of the larger group of contending teams looking to make noise in Orlando, the advanced numbers are even more complimentary of the Boston’s performance. The Celtics, Clippers and Lakers are the only three teams to rank in the top five net rating, offensive rating and defensive rating this season. From an individual perspective, Jayson Tatum (23.6), Kemba Walker (21.2) and Jaylen Brown (20.4) lead the way for Boston on the offensive end and are the only trio of teammates averaging over 20.0 points per game this season.
Player to watch: Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum, one of the league’s brightest young stars, playing in his third season in the league, made what many often refer to as “the jump” around the middle of the season. Elevating his game to new heights, Tatum helped sustain team success through a series of injuries to key contributors such as Gordon Heyward, Kemba Walker and fellow young wing Jaylen Brown. This season, Tatum is averaging career highs almost entirely across the board. He’s seen jumps in rebounds, assists and free throw attempts per game – but most notably in scoring. After averaging 13.9 and 15.7 points in his first two years in the NBA, Tatum is scoring 23.6 per game this year – and 29.6 points per game since February 5. Tatum’s leap put the Celtics back on the map in terms of title contention this season and has rewritten most experts’ expectations of where his career can go from here.
At his best, Tatum is a pure scorer. Getting to the basket, scoring from mid-range and hitting from deep are all well within his comfort zone. Scoring off the dribble, in pick-and-roll situations and as a catch-and-shoot threat, Tatum can do it all when it comes to putting the ball in the basket.
The Wizards, though, have done well against Tatum this season, holding him to just 20.0 points per game in their two meetings. Washington’s success against Tatum is due mostly to their ability to keep him in check from distance. In those two games, he is shooting just 22.2% from 3-point range.
![China June 2020 PMI chart [Bloomberg]](https://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2020/6/30/ba6fca6c02cb4822a8f6a7aa376a694e_18.jpg "China June 2020 PMI chart [Bloomberg]")
