As Spain enters the final phase of lifting its lockdown, the country is testing reopening part of its tourism sector before they officially reopen borders to Shengen Area tourism — referring to the border-free zone in Europe between 26 European countries — later this month. Spain and Germany have teamed up to test a one-week pilot program that’ll allow around 10,900 German tourists to visit Spain’s Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera.

Germany was chosen for the tourism test due to its epidemiological similarity with regards to COVID-19 to the islands (although Germany has a fairly low level of testing capability, even when compared to Spain). The program is called the “Safe Corridor” scheme and aims to analyze the risks of opening up the tourism sector and Spain’s ability to deal with an outbreak if it does occur.

The trips from Germany to Spain sold out in 36 hours when they went on sale just last week. Germans started arriving on 47 flights yesterday, June 15th, and have to stay at least five days. The program has some guidelines that’ll allow both countries to monitor the possibility of spreading COVID-19.

According to The Guardian, the German tourists will have to “fill out a public health form, have their temperature taken on arrival at the airport, and give the authorities their contact details and the address of their accommodation.” The Spanish authorities will not require a COVID-19 test before travel or observe the current, mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival to Spain. If someone falls ill, Spain has set up a special team to test for COVID and, if needed, isolate any ill person.

The Spanish government said they’re conducting this test “to see how the model for the lifting of temporary controls on internal borders and the return to freedom of movement is working.” The idea is to run a test before they officially reopen to international travel in July, allowing the authorities to figure out what they can handle in real-life and not just on paper.

Spain gets 12 percent of its GDP from the tourism sector alone. That can easily be dismissed as just a number, but in reality, that number has a massive effect on people who run everything from restaurants to hotels to tours to farms (and so much more) around the country. When you isolate the Balearic Islands, that number jumps to 35 percent.

Spain’s Canary Islands are planning on running a similar program in the second half of June that’ll see another 10,000 Germans arrive for a one-week holiday. This will serve as a similar test — to better judge the viability of actually reopening Spain’s international borders in July.

(Via The Guardian)

Even before HBO Max officially announced that it would “Release the Snyder Cut,” director Zack Snyder had been an open book when it comes to sharing his original vision for Justice League with fans, and he’s not showing signs of stopping anytime soon.

In a recent Q&A on Snyder’s preferred social media platform, Vero, he confirmed that the spray-painted Robin suit seen in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice actually belonged to Dick Grayson and not Jason Todd as most fans believed. For non-comic book readers, Dick Grayson is the first Robin who eventually grew out of being Batman’s sidekick and went out on his own as the superhero Nightwing. Jason Todd became his replacement, but he experienced a tragic end after DC Comics let fans call a telephone number deciding if he should die at the Joker’s hands. To the shock of DC Comics editors, fans chose “Yes,” and Jason was murdered by the Joker in the classic Batman story A Death in the Family. (Although, he did come back to life in the early aughts because comic books.)

While replying to a fan’s question about whether he planned to explore Dick Grayson’s death, Snyder said there would’ve been a “hint” in his version of Justice League, but he didn’t elaborate on what the hint would be or whether it could show up in the upcoming Snyder Cut.

In a later question, however, Heroic Hollywood reports that Snyder had a streamlined plan for depicting Robin in the DC Extended Universe. In addition to eschewing comic book canon and making Dick Grayson the dead Robin, Snyder revealed that he planned to jump straight to Carrie Kelley in future films. Carrie Kelley is the female Robin featured in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns where she fights alongside an elderly Batman at the end of his career.

Would Snyder’s fast and loose portrayal of the Dark Knight’s sidekicks have gone over well with fans? We’ll never know, but it’ll be interesting to see if any of his Bat-family plans make an appearance when the Snyder Cut hits HBO Max in 2021.

(Via Heroic Hollywood)

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The NBA’s plans for how the bubble at Disney in Orlando will function was revealed on Tuesday, with The Athletic’s Shams Charania offering a look at the various phases of the league’s restart plan as well as where players will be staying (hotels were seeded by record) and how the league plans to keep players occupied while stuck in the bubble for potentially three full months.

Keeping players entertained is important, given that there are significant repercussions for leaving the bubble — including the loss of checks for games missed while in quarantine. According to Charania, the league is looking to provide them with a number of amenities, from a “24-hour VIP concierge” to a players only lounge, but what is most notable for fans is the final point here.
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1273021293827444738

Players attending other games might make for some fascinating interactions and liven up the in-arena experience given there will otherwise be no fans at games. It would be tremendous to see LeBron James seated in the third row, socially distanced as best as possible, heckling Chris Paul while the Thunder play. Given that there will be regular testing and they’re all staying at the same hotel, it makes sense to allow them to pop in for games, but it is an added wrinkle that is never available to players in other playoff situations. Real-time scouting will be a unique opportunity, and might lead to some fun interactions.

On top of Charania’s list, Dan Woike of the LA Times reports the league is also working with Disney on opening up select portions of parks for players, among other entertainment ideas to try and keep players occupied.

Concerts and comedy are certainly interesting, but the logistics of getting an act into the bubble requires more testing and ensuring all parties are kept safe and healthy. That said, given the star power that will be in the bubble it’d be interesting to see what acts might be willing to drop by — and, if they’re tested, if they’d be allowed to pop in and watch a game.

An iPhone shortcut that lets you record an interaction with the police is gaining popularity in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder and ensuing protests.

The shortcut was first created by Robert Petersen in 2018 who shared his creation on Reddit.

“I just wanted a way for anyone to have proof of their version of events in the unlikely scenario that something unexpected happens during a police interaction,” said Petersen, according to CNN. “If 1 in 10,000 people find my shortcut useful at all I’d be glad.”

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After downloading and installing the shortcut, all the user has to do is say, “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over,” and the application kicks off a series of actions to help safely document your interaction with the police.

It pauses any music that may be playing on your phone, turns on Do Not Disturb, turns down the iPhone’s brightness and activates the camera to record video and audio of the interaction.

It also sends a text message to a person of your choosing who immediately knows you’re being pulled over and is alerted to your exact location via a pin dropped on a map. After the interaction, it will send video of the incident to your contact, as well.

“Once you stop the recording it sends a copy of the video to a contact you specify, puts volume and brightness back to where they were, turns off Do Not Disturb, and gives you the option to send to iCloud Drive or Dropbox,” according to a Reddit post by Petersen.

Petersen says it works best with a dash mount, so it can take stable video. That also gives you the option to angle the phone’s camera toward your window so the police officer can be seen on video as well.

Should you have to use the app, don’t worry about the legality of filming the police. It’s part of our First Amendment rights and is a powerful way to hold agents of the state accountable.

“In a public space, people are generally allowed to record on-duty police,” Quinnan Law says. “The only requirements are that the person filming is also legally allowed to be in the same public space, the activity being filmed is in plain view, and the recording is not being conducted in secret.”

One benefit of the app is that you can turn it on without using your hands. Police are often suspicious of the people they approach making sudden movements.

Here’s how to download it the shortcut:

Step 1: Go to the app store and download the “Shortcuts” app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Open the “Shortcuts” app and click “Gallery” on the bottom right corner.

Step 3: Next, go to your iPhone settings and scroll down to “Shortcuts.” It’ll be with all of your other apps.

Step 4: Open this link in Safari to download the “I’m getting pulled over” shortcut. Tap “Get Shortcut.”

Step 5: Once it opens, scroll down and tap “Add Untrusted Shortcut.”

Step 6: Choose a contact(s) for who you would like to send your location and a copy of the video recording to. Then tap done.

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In a press conference held at noon on Tuesday, President Trump announced the signing of a new executive order on police reform, the first of such reforms to come after the killing of George Floyd prompted Americans across all 50 states to take to the streets in protest. The executive order will seek to ban the use of chokeholds, establish new programs to help law enforcement when responding to issues involving mental illness, and create a National Registry to track police officers who repeatedly engage in excessive force.

According to Axios, the somewhat confusing executive order doesn’t outright ban chokeholds but will incentivize police departments to avoid the use of excessive force by only allowing access to federal funds to police departments that comply with criteria outlined by the Justice Department. Police may still use chokeholds if the officer is the target of deadly force.

The full executive order (obtained by CNN) indicates that officers will be retrained regarding their response to calls regarding mental illness and will “provide guidance regarding the development and implementation of co-responder programs, which involve social workers or other mental health professionals working alongside law enforcement officers so that they arrive and address situations together.” This is perhaps the most significant part of the President’s executive order, as according to the Treatment Advocacy Center, people with untreated mental illnesses are 16 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement.

The Executive order also seeks to create a national registry to track police officers who have a record of responding with excessive force, Derek Chauvin, the police officer who murdered George Floyd through his use of excessive force, reportedly had a record of misconduct complaints and a reputation for aggression. Whether or not a national registry would actually affect an officer’s ability to retain their job remains to be seen.

For those hoping the President would take steps toward defunding the police, Trump has indicated that he’s still positioning himself as a “Law and Order” president, addressing the movement that was now gaining popularity nationwide at Tuesday’s press conference.

“We have to find common ground,” he said. “But I strongly oppose the radical and dangerous efforts to defund, dismantle, and dissolve our police departments, especially now when we’ve achieved the lowest recorded crime rates in recent history.”

Ultimately, the President’s executive order won’t do much to quell the justifiable anger that continues to bring so many thousands into the streets now three weeks after George Floyd’s death, especially considering the order does little to address the systemic racism and racial profiling that many believe has led to police to disproportionally target African Americans. The executive order also fails to address the “qualified immunity” enjoyed by police officers, a doctrine that often shields police officers from lawsuits over their conduct. However, the move does signal to lawmakers on Capitol Hill that the President may be willing to play ball on more substantive legislative reform.

According to CNN, Democrats and Republicans in Congress are currently working on two separate police reform bills, though it’s unlikely anything will be passed before the Senate enters its two-week Fourth of July recess.

One of the questions that still exists about the NBA’s proposed bubble league in Orlando is the ability that those on the inside will have to leave. While there have been reports that individuals can move freely within the bubble and do things like golf and dine at Disney properties, staying confined to one area for several months has the potential to get pretty old, pretty quickly as we all have learned recently.

As such, there is a concern that exists about what happens if a player/coach leaves the bubble, especially if it is under circumstances that are not approved by the team. Shams Charania of The Athletic gave some insight into what will happen if someone leaves without prior approval, and as it turns out, it’ll cost them some money.

The reported self-quarantine isn’t new, as it has been reported in the past that 10 days and a pair of negative tests will be required. Losing out on money, however, is a new one, and it seems like the goal is for that to deter players from wanting to leave without permission. The testing is a matter of how invasive the tests will be, as the ones Charania laid out here for those that leave would go far back in a person’s nose to swab for the virus, as opposed to less invasive testing the league is exploring as options for the regular testing.

It is unclear what sort of circumstances will lead to a player getting permission to leave the bubble, unless going to other Disney properties counts as leaving. Regardless, this is all a start and shines some light on one of the major questions hanging over the NBA’s proposed restart.

When it was announced back in March that Christopher Meloni would return to the Law and Order fold in a new series focusing on his SVU character Elliot Stabler, it seemed like a home run for the Dick Wolk franchise. Meloni coming back as Stabler after almost a decade was clearly a hit with fans.

But following the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, the spinoff series, as well as the entire Law and Order franchise, found itself under fire as criticisms began to arise around the seemingly overwhelming prevalence of police procedurals. It also doesn’t help that Meloni’s Stabler is known for his hot temper, which isn’t exactly the best look in the current climate.

In response, Law and Order producers have been moving quickly to address concerns and promise to make sure that its shows will grapple with the current “reckoning” occurring in law enforcement. This initiative includes Organized Crime, which sees Stabler returning to the NYPD after a “devastating personal loss.” Via E! News:

“However, the city and police department have changed dramatically in the decade he’s been away, and he must adapt to a criminal justice system in the midst of its own moment of reckoning. Throughout the series, we will follow Stabler’s journey to find absolution and rebuild his life, while leading a new elite task force that is taking apart the city’s most powerful criminal syndicates one by one.”

The Stabler spinoff seems to be a lightning rod for controversy though. During the Floyd protests in Los Angeles, writer Craig Gore posted a photo of himself holding a firearm and threatening to “light motherf***ers up.” Gore was immediately fired by Dick Wolf while Meloni tweeted that he doesn’t even know who Gore is after the writer falsely claimed that he was the new showrunner for Organized Crime. “I have no idea who this person is or what they do,” Meloni wrote.

(Via E! News)

The NBA and NBPA are currently working out the finer details of the return to play plan the two sides nearly unanimously agreed upon that will send 22 teams to Orlando to play in an 8-game race to the playoffs (which will be played in their entirety) at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.

As more details come out, there’s also still plenty of confusion and concern among some players about the safety of the bubble, as well as whether the NBA’s return would serve as a distraction to the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of massive protests of police brutality and systemic racism that continue nationwide. Kyrie Irving and others have started a coalition to voice these concerns, and others like John Wall have given their support to those that aren’t keen on returning to the court.

Any player that chooses not to play in the bubble will not face any disciplinary action from the league, but the timeline for them to make a decision on coming back to play or sitting out must be made within the next week. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, players will need to inform their team they will not be reporting by June 24, and will miss out on 1/92.6 of their paycheck for each game missed — so, at least 8.6 percent for the eight-game restart.

Players that are excused from going to the bubble will not have their salary reduced and have until June 25 to notify teams, including those who are deemed at high risk.

That June 24 deadline would be next Wednesday, and that means it is incumbent on the league to have answers to players who have concerns, either about health or activism, before then for them to have all the necessary information to make such an important decision. The expectation is that the number of players that take this option will be relatively low, but as more players speak out to present their thoughts on the restart, it’s up to the league to alleviate those concerns by giving the players more firm information and a plan on how they will protect them as best as possible from the coronavirus as well as how they’ll ensure the league and players are able to advance the Black Lives Matter movement, have an impact on the community and address issues of racism.