After a four-month delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, Major League Baseball kicks off its regular season Thursday with a 60-game schedule set to be played solely in U.S. stadiums. While many fans are anticipating the return of the game nicknamed the national pastime, there are widespread concerns about the safety of resuming a major sports league at a time when the United States is in the midst of a surge in coronavirus infections with several of the hotspots home to multiple teams. Among the top ten states with the highest per-capita increases in new cases in the past week are Florida, Arizona, Georgia, Texas and California, which together host 11 of the 30 MLB teams. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is set to throw out the ceremonial first pitch in Washington as the defending World Series champion Nationals host the New York Yankees in the league’s opening game.  Fauci has been seen often in recent weeks wearing a Nationals mask. “Dr. Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career, so it is only fitting that we honor him as we kick off the 2020 season and defend our World Series Championship title,” the Nationals said in a statement. The Nationals had to get a waiver from the District of Columbia in order to be allowed to host games because local coronavirus restrictions would otherwise not allow such an event to take place. There will be no fans in the stands, something that will be a common sight throughout the league.Washington Nationals’ Trea Turner tries to steal second base against the Baltimore Orioles during an exhibition baseball game, July 20, 2020, in Baltimore. Turner was caught stealing by catcher Bryan Holaday.Major League Baseball’s sole Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays, is not being allowed to play its games at home, forcing it to search for a U.S. stadium for those games instead. Canadian Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino cited the frequent cross-border travel that would be involved with the neighboring United States. “We understand professional sports are important to the economy and to Canadians,” he said Saturday.  “At the same time, our government will continue to take decisions at the border on the basis of the advice of our health experts in order to protect the health and safety of all Canadians.” The Pittsburgh Pirates said Monday they were in talks with the Blue Jays about Toronto playing its home games in Pittsburgh this season.  Blue Jays General Manager Ross Atkins has said if the team is unable to secure another Major League park for its games, the most likely backup would be playing at its minor league affiliate stadium in Buffalo, New York. Unlike the National Basketball Association, which is housing all of its teams in Orlando, Florida for the rest of its season with strict rules about outside contacts, MLB teams will still travel to other cities to play and players are only being cautioned to practice social distancing and avoid situations that may increase their risk of coronavirus exposure. Players will be administered coronavirus tests every other day and temperature checks twice a day.  On the field, they are banned from spitting, celebrating with high-fives or similar contact, and any players who are unlikely to take part in that day’s game will have to sit in the stands spaced at least six feet apart instead of hanging out in the dugout. The 60-game schedule does feature mostly games within a team’s division, with the rest scheduled to take place in its geographic region in order to reduce overall travel.  For example, Washington will play all of its road games in eastern cities Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Tampa Bay and wherever Toronto ends up. Several high-profile players have chosen to use the opt-out rights in the agreement on return to play reached between team owners and the union that represents players. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jordan Hicks, Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis and Colorado Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond are among those who will not be playing.  The agreement also institutes a few changes to the games themselves.  Teams in the National League that typically have pitchers also participate on offense will instead utilize the designated hitter position that is already standard for American League teams. Also, when any regular season games go into extra innings, each team will begin its turn on offense with a player already on second base. The regular concludes September 27, followed by the league’s usual playoff format. 
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Former longtime Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is due to go on trial Tuesday in Khartoum for his role in the military coup which initially brought him to power three decades ago. The former head of state, who was ousted from power last year following nationwide anti-government protests, is already serving a two-year prison term for corruption. The 76-year-old al-Bashir and 16 others have been implicated in the 1989 military takeover of the government.  The trial comes as Sudan’s transitional government launches reforms, with the goal of regaining acceptance among the international community. Sudan has also promised to hand over al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court to face trial on war crimes and genocide charges related to the 2003 Darfur conflict, when rebels began an insurrection to protest the Sudanese government’s disregard for the non-Arab people in the western region. At least 300,000 people died during the conflict and millions of others were displaced. 
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European Union leaders reached an agreement early Tuesday on a $2.1 trillion budget and coronavirus relief package. The deal came after negotiations stretched on for four days and nights, well beyond what was expected, with various factions of member countries divided over the exact structure of the funding and whether it should include restrictions such as spending controls.European Union leaders during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, July 17, 2020.European Council President Charles Michel announced the finalization of the talks with a one-word tweet: “Deal!” EU nations have experienced 135,000 deaths from COVID-19, with Italy, France and Spain having among the highest death tolls in the world. The lockdown orders instituted by many governments to stop the spread of the virus have hurt the EU economy, with economists forecasting an 8.3% contraction this year. 
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President Donald Trump has “turned his back on the problem,” Joe Biden said, adding that the United States is “plainly a nation in crisis” because of the coronavirus pandemic. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee called Trump’s handling of the outbreak “inept” as he called on Congress to make sure people have the support they need to “keep their heads above water.”  Lawmakers returned to Washington Monday to negotiate with the Trump administration over the scope of a new funding package to counter the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the United States.Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro greets supporters during a ceremony of lowering the national flag for the night, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, July 18, 2020.Citizenship Minister Onyx Lorenzoni said his symptoms are mild and he credited the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, along with two other medications, for making him feel better.  Brazil’s newly appointed education minister, Milton Ribeiro, like Lorenzoni, announced his diagnosis and quarantine measures on social media. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has also come down with COVID-19, and, along with Trump, has touted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment, despite medical experts’ warnings that is ineffective and has possibly deadly side effects. Bolsonaro is also in quarantine. He appeared in a video Sunday, standing in front of a group of supporters who cheered as he held a box of hydroxychloroquine over his head. Brazil, with 2.1 million cases and 80,000 deaths, trails only the U.S. in both coronavirus counts.  Spain said its number of COVID-19 cases has risen threefold over the past three weeks, since it started easing restrictions and mandatory lockdowns.   “Where measures have been relaxed is where these clusters appear,” Health Minister Salvador Illa said Monday. “We’re talking about gatherings of extended family and spaces associated with nightlife.” The Catalan regional government is urging people to stay at home again, and bars and restaurants are ordered to limit the number of customers. The Israeli parliament voted Monday to let the domestic intelligence agency track the cellphones of COVID-19 carriers for the rest of 2020. Privacy advocates said this endangers civil liberties. But Israel reported 1,500 new cases Monday with health officials fearing a second wave since schools and businesses were reopened in May.  The top U.S. infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch when the Washington Nationals host the New York Yankees Thursday to open the coronavirus pandemic-shortened Major League Baseball season.  The usual 162-game season has been reduced to 60 games and no fans will be allowed at the ballparks, at least for meantime.  “Dr. Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career, so it is only fitting that we honor him as we kick off the 2020 season and defend our World Series Championship title,” the Nationals said in a statement released Monday. 
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A key group of lawmakers is warning that the U.S. Congress may be the target of a campaign by foreign actors to interfere in the upcoming presidential election. The warning from Democratic members of the so-called Gang of Eight, which includes the Speaker of the House, the Senate Minority Leader and the top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees, comes in a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, demanding a briefing for all lawmakers by the end of the month. “We are gravely concerned, in particular, that Congress appears to be the target of a concerted foreign interference campaign, which seeks to launder and amplify disinformation in order to influence congressional activity, public debate, and the presidential election in November,” the lawmakers wrote in the July 13 letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray.  The letter shares few other details but cites “the seriousness and specificity of these threats,” as a reason for the urgent, classified briefing. The FBI told VOA it received the letter but declined further comment. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which announced in May that it would lead “all intelligence-based threat briefings to candidates, campaigns and political organizations,” also declined to comment on the concerns. NEW: @ODNIgov acting Dir @RichardGrenell announcing changes to way election-related threat information is shared w/candidates/campaigns/political organizations
“The US Intelligence Community (IC) will lead all intelligence-based threat briefings” per statement pic.twitter.com/i9WZj0Jvjp
— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) May 15, 2020But a spokesperson noted that officials have continued to brief lawmakers on election security threats. It remains unclear whether key Republican leaders in Congress supported the call for an urgent counterintelligence briefing. VOA requests to the top Republican lawmakers on the House and Senate intelligence committees went unanswered. Fears about efforts by U.S. adversaries, including Russia and China, trying to meddle in the U.S. presidential election in November are not new. In a statement ahead of key primary elections this past March, multiple government agencies, including the FBI, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and ODNI warned that voters must “remain aware that foreign actors continue to try to influence public sentiment and shape voter perceptions.” JUST IN: #SuperTuesday2020 statement from @StateDept@DeptofDefense@DHSgov@CISAgov@ODNIgov@NSAGov@FBI
Voters must “remain aware that foreign actors continue to try to influence public sentiment and shape voter perceptions” pic.twitter.com/uOsAXFLiiA
— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) March 2, 2020More recently, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, said he was warned about Russian and Chinese efforts. “We know from before — and I guarantee you I know now, because now I get briefings again — the Russians are still engaged in trying to delegitimize our electoral process,” he told supporters during an online fundraiser last week. “China and others are engaged, as well, in activities that are designed for us to lose confidence in the outcome,” Biden said. Other Democrats have also raised concerns. The ranking Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security and Finance committees sent a letter to their Republican counterparts last week asking for a briefing from the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force and other relevant intelligence officials. The letter, which cited reporting by The Washington Post, expressed concerns about pro-Russian Ukrainian operatives and material they may have offered the two committees in connection with an investigation into Biden’s son, Hunter.   Despite such concerns, U.S. officials have sought to assure Americans that the vote itself will be secure when they head to the polls in a little less than three and a half months. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — the 2020 election will be the most secure election in modern history,” Chris Krebs, director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said this last Friday. US Officials Promising ‘Most Secure Election in Modern History’The officials say while the November presidential election will not be risk free, defense and back-up systems should guarantee a free and fair resultHe added that there are no indications that Russia, China or anyone else is actively trying to interfere with U.S. election systems. “We’re not seeing that level of coordinated, determined cyberactivity,” Krebs said. Other top officials are promising that any interference from a potential cyberattack to a disinformation campaign will be met by a strong response. “We’re going to act,” General Paul Nakasone, commander of U.S. Cybercommand, said during a webinar Monday. “We’re going to act when we see adversaries attempting to interfere in our elections,” he said. “Our No. 1 goal, our No. 1 objective at the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command — a safe, secure and legitimate 2020 election.” White House Bureau Chief Steve Herman contributed to this report.
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Top U.S. infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci will throw out the first pitch at Major League Baseball’s Opening Day game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees on Thursday. A diehard Nationals fan, Fauci will kick off an unusual MLB season that has been shortened to 60 games and will start without fans in attendance, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. “Dr. Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career, so it is only fitting that we honor him as we kick off the 2020 season,” the reigning World Series champion Nationals said in a statement. Fauci, who sported the team’s logo on his face mask at a Senate committee hearing last month, has previously endorsed the idea of bringing professional sports back without fans and with rigorous testing in place. MLB is among a handful of prominent North American leagues that will soon return to action, with the WNBA set to kick off its season on Saturday, and the NBA and NHL resuming games next week. 
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