DOWNTOWN Madison, capital of Wisconsin (Flickr/John Benson).

At the same time that the U.S. Senate wrestled over a police reform bill, the governor of Wisconsin has activated the state National Guard over continuing violence in the state capital of Madison.

Senate Democrats blocked a vote on a bill advanced by Republicans on use of force and other law enforcement issues, claiming it did not go far enough. Democrats wanted a ban on chokeholds and claimed it didn’t sufficiently restrict “qualified immunity” for police officers accused of misconduct.
Republicans replied that the 55-45 vote – which required 60 votes to pass – would simply delay “overdue police reform.”

In Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evans activated the Guard after an attack on a state senator, the breaking of windows, the use of a “Molotov cocktail” incendiary device and the tearing down of two statues. Others sought to break into the state Capitol building.

According to the Associated Press, the violence was triggered by the arrest of a black man who walked around the outdoor patio of a restaurant, speaking through a megaphone and carrying a baseball bat.

State Senator Tim Carpenter was attacked while taking a cell phone video of the protestors. He was kicked and punched in the head, neck and ribs, he told the AP.

Reopening of Disneyland is delayed

The plan to reopen Anaheim’s Disneyland Resort by July 17 has been shelved. In a statement on Wednesday, Disney Parks stated that the State of California is yet to give its approval to open the gates, and that state guidelines won’t be available until after July 4, according to a tweet posted this afternoon.

The original Disney park – along with Disney’s California Adventure – closed on March 15 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The closure of Disneyland has been a blow to hotels and restaurants in the Harbor Boulevard both in Garden Grove and Anaheim and many remain closed.

Baseball’s back as of a month from now

After much public wrangling between the owners and the players, Major League Baseball will return for a 60-game season to start on either July 23 or 24. Players are to report to a camp by July 1, according to United Press International.

BASEBALL IS back in July.

The owners and the players’ association finalized the details of health and safety measures in the face of the coronavirus pandemic which will carve at least 100 or so games off the 2020 season.

Players will receive a pro-rated portion of their salaries, and 10 teams will qualify for the post-season. Details on how and where the games will be played have not been determined or been announced.

Some states – including California – have had bans on large gatherings, including athletic events, or will require social distancing and other safeguards against spreading the COVID-19 infection.

Daily case count, death toll worldwide still rising

Another 6,506 people worldwide have died from the coronavirus, according to statistics compiled by Johns Hopkins University and available today (Wednesday). The total dead is estimated at 481,078. For the United States, the latest total is 121,932, an increase of 775 from Tuesday’s tally.

The total confirmed cases worldwide are now at 9,394,558, an increase of 211,333 infections. For the U.S., the total cases are at 2,378,648, an increase of 37,016. The number of new cases in America has risen 40 percent over the last 14 days.

Coronavirus spooks the markets

Reports of rapid rises in new coronavirus cases across the nation are blamed for driving stocks down on Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrials skidded 710.16 points to 25,445.94, a decline of 2.72 percent. The S&P 500 fell 90.96 points to 3,050.33, a drop of 2.59 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq saw a drop of 222.20 points to 9,909.17 (2.19 percent).

Gold was also down by 2.80 and oil declined by 0.10.

Cool weather … you will miss it when it’s gone

The National Weather Service continues to forecast cool, cloudy mornings giving way to sunny and warmer temperatures in the 70s each afternoon for West Orange County. These conditions are expected to continue for at least another week. Highs will be five to seven degrees lower near the coast.

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