A federal judge has temporarily blocked the use of chokeholds, rubber bullets and chemical agents by Detroit police against protesters and legal observers.

In a  decision on Friday, District Court Judge Laurie Michelson partially granted a restraining order sought by an activist group, Reuters reported.

Detroit Will Breathe alleged officers violated demonstrators’ First and Fourth Amendment rights by responding to peaceful protests with “beatings, tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, sound cannons, flash grenades, chokeholds, and mass arrests without probable cause.”

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The motion focused primarily on demonstrations that took place between May 29 and June 2, as well as two more on July 10 and Aug. 22, according to Reuters. A Detroit officer was charged in July with attacking three credentialed journalists with rubber pellets in May as they covered a downtown protest.

“The Court finds that temporary injunctive relief is warranted and grants in part plaintiffs’ motion for a Temporary Restraining Order,” Michelson wrote, granting the restraining order for at least 14 days.

“This is a victory to be sure, but it is the first battle in what’s about to be a long war,” Detroit Will Breathe said in a statement.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig, meanwhile, told MLive that “nothing has changed” despite the order.

“Every time we’ve had to use less-than-lethal force, it’s been to address violence by protesters, resisting arrest, or when they’ve tried to take over an intersection in violation of the law,” he said in a statement.

Craig during a Fox News interview also accused the protesters of misrepresenting how peaceful they had been.

“When they refused to be arrested and then resisted arrest, yes, force was used, but just force that was necessary,” he told Fox News.

Detroit Police spokeswoman Sgt. Nicole Kirkwood told MLive that Craig “does not condone excessive force… period.”

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Experts say a second wave of COVID-19 cases will surge this fall, with the peak of the pandemic slated to hit after the Nov. 3 Election Day.

Doctors at Johns Hopkins University are looking into what they call “Surge 2.0,” where they envision a second major outbreak of the virus could potentially overwhelm medical facilities with COVID-19 patients, The Washington Post reported.

Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, an associate professor of medicine and infectious diseases, said despite the nearly 190,000 U.S. fatalities caused by the virus so far, more lives could be at risk in the event of another significant nationwide spike.

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“Even though we have had so many cases and we have had so many tragic deaths, we have the vast majority of people who are not immune to this virus,” Maragakis said. “Without a therapeutic or a vaccine, we are still in a position where the transmission of the virus depends heavily on our behaviors every day.”

Other experts from Hopkins predict the change in seasons from fall to winter will bring on the second wave, causing rising infections and clusters to cultivate and spread more quickly.

“My feeling is that there is a wave coming, and it’s not so much whether it’s coming but how big is it going to be,” said Eili Klein, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) published a new COVID-19 forecast Friday predicting “most likely” an average death toll of 1,907 infected patients on Election Day, which is double the current toll.

IHME’s forecast added that numbers would continue to rise until December, peaking at 2,800 daily fatalities.

Experts say the dominant force controlling the outcome curbing COVID-19’s spread is still in the hands of how sternly citizens follow local pandemic restrictions.

“People’s behavior is a dramatic determinant here,” said Christopher Murray, the director of IHME. “Look at what happened in Florida [after the spike in cases]. People got scared. They started wearing masks, they stopped going to bars.”

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The Sierra Club has endorsed Maine Speaker of the House Sara Gideon (D) in her race to unseat Sen. Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Major drilling projects among dozens fast-tracked after Trump order | UN discrimination committee questions impact of US Arctic drilling on Indigenous people | Democratic lawmakers demand climate questions in presidential debates Senators call on Pentagon to reinstate funding for Stars and Stripes newspaper Sierra Club endorses Collins’ competitor Gideon MORE (R).

“We are confident that Gideon will be a tireless environmental advocate standing up for the rights of Mainers to access clean air, clean water, and a livable climate,” the Sierra Club’s Maine chapter said in a release.

The endorsement is the latest move in an increasingly expensive race that threatens to unseat the four-term moderate Republican.

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“Mainers deserve a senator who will take action on climate change. As Speaker, I worked to protect our natural resources, invest in renewable energy, and reduce carbon emissions. I’m ready to bring that same leadership to Washington,” Gideon said on Twitter.

Collins has never scored an endorsement from Sierra Club, but she has been backed by other green groups in the past. The League of Conservation Voters endorsed her in 2014 but backed Gideon in this cycle,

The Environmental Defense Fund Action Fund also ran an ad in 2014 praising her for fighting climate change. She also received kudos from environmental groups for voting against both of President TrumpDonald John TrumpKenosha mayor lifts curfew citing several ‘peaceful’ nights MSNBC’s Joy Reid concedes ‘framing’ of Muslim comments ‘didn’t work’ Conway says even more ‘hidden, undercover’ Trump voters will help him win reelection MORE’s nominees to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.

The latest big ticket endorsement for Collins came from former President George W. Bush, who backed Collins in Kennebunkport with his first endorsement of the 2020 cycle.  

An August Bangor Daily News poll found Gideon 5 points ahead of Collins, just squeaking past the 4.4 percent margin of error.

Money has been pouring into the race, with Gideon drawing an astonishing $23 million so far this cycle, compared to $16.3 million for Collins. 

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Gideon has pledged to recommit to the U.S. to the Paris Climate Accord and transition to 100 percent clean energy.

In a letter to the Sierra Club, Collins touted her work co-sponsoring the Great American Outdoors Act, a major conservation bill signed by Trump this summer, fighting ocean acidification, and her status as the only Republican to vote against repealing the Obama-era Clean Power Plan. 

“Our campaign chose not to seek the endorsement of the Sierra Club because of some of the extreme positions the group has taken – such as advocating for defunding the police,” Collins campaign spokesman Kevin Kelley said by email.

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A U.S. soldier was wounded and three members of Somalia’s special forces were killed on Monday after a car bomb exploded in a small village.

Reuters reported that at least two other Somali soldiers were wounded in the blast, according to officials. The attack occurred about 40 miles away from Kismayu, a regional capital and major port city.

“Two soldiers of Danab [special] forces died and two others were wounded. A U.S. officer was seriously wounded,” a Jubaland official told Reuters.

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The bomb had apparently been placed outside of a military base operated by Somalia’s military, according to the official. A spokesperson for al Shabaab, a local Islamist militant group, reportedly claimed credit for the killings and claimed much higher casualty numbers in a statement also alleging that several armored vehicles were destroyed.

U.S. forces are working with Somalia’s military against ISIS-aligned militants in the region, including al Shabaab, and have carried out numerous strikes this year against militant forces in the country.

A strike in July near the town of Timirshe in the northeast of Somalia killed several militants, according to U.S. officials.

German officials on Sunday said the fate of a German-Russian gas pipeline project could be at stake if Moscow does not take seriously the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

“I hope the Russians won’t force us to change our position regarding the Nord Stream 2 [pipeline],” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.

“[I]f there won’t be an contributions from the Russian side regarding the investigation in the coming days, we will have to consult with our partners,” he added, according to The Associated Press.

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Maas would not rule out sanctions, but said that fully ending construction of the pipeline, which is nearly complete, would also harm European businesses.

“Whoever demands this has to be aware of the consequences,” he said. “More than 100 companies from 12 European countries are involved, about half of them from Germany.”

Navalny was hospitalized in late August and has been in a medically-induced coma in Berlin since Aug. 22. Chancellor Angela Merkel has denounced the poisoning as an attempted murder and called for a comprehensive probe.

German officials said tests indicate Navalny was poisoned with the same chemical nerve agent, from the Novichok group, that was used to target former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter two years ago.

“We have high expectations from the Russians to bring light into this severe crime,” Maas said, according to the AP. “If they have nothing to do with this attack, then it’s in their own interest to put the facts on the table.”

French officials also suggested sanctions are possible if Russia does not respond.

“It’s a serious situation. It’s serious firstly because it’s the poisoning of another opposition figure. And it’s serious because the substance that was used, Novichok, is banned,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on France Inter radio.

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Democratic presidential candidate Pete ButtigiegPete ButtigiegScaled-back Pride Month poses challenges for fundraising, outreach Biden hopes to pick VP by Aug. 1 It’s as if a Trump operative infiltrated the Democratic primary process MORE said he “can’t imagine” that God sent President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE to the White House. 

“I think it’s also important that we stop seeing religion used as a kind-of cudgel, as if God belonged to a political party,” the South Bend, Ind., mayor told “Today.”

“And if he did, I can’t imagine it would be the one that sent the current president into the White House,” added Buttigieg, who has been outspoken about his Episcopalian faith on the campaign trail. 

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His remarks echo a statement during a CNN town hall in which he asserted that God does not have a political party. 

“I get that one of the things about scripture is different people see different things in it,” he said last month. “But, at the very least we should be able to establish that God does not have a political party.”

Buttigieg has also accused evangelical Christians who support Trump of “hypocrisy.”

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“Here you have somebody who not only acts in a way that is not consistent with anything that I hear in scripture or in church, where it’s about lifting up the least among us and taking care of strangers, which is another word for immigrants, and making sure that you’re focusing your effort on the poor,” he said in April. 

He has also feuded with Vice President Pence over religion, particularly relating to Pence’s anti-gay stances. 

“The vice president is entitled to his religious beliefs,” said Buttigieg, who is gay. “My problem is when those religious beliefs are used as an excuse to harm other people.” 

Buttigieg is among more than 20 people competing for the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination. Once a long-shot candidate, he has recently risen in the crowded field. 

Former Democratic National Committee Chairman and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is reportedly giving serious consideration to running for a second gubernatorial term. 

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Six people close to McAuliffe, who left the governor’s mansion last year, told Politico that he strongly considering a bid to return, and that Democrats in the state are working as if he is running. 

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“Among Democratic functionaries and party officials and people who follow this, it would not be a surprise,” Democratic state Sen. Chap Petersen said.

The news come as Virginia’s top Democratic leaders are embroiled in scandal. 

Earlier this year, a picture from Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D) medical school yearbook page surfaced, showing a man in blackface and another dressed as a Ku Klux Klan member. Northam denied being either man, but did say he once darkened his skin to dress like Michael Jackson. The state’s attorney general also admitted to dressing in blackface as a teen. 

Two women, meanwhile, have accused Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) of sexual misconduct. 

All three men have rejected calls to resign, and party officials reportedly fear backlash at the ballot box. Virginia is one of the few states to hold statewide elections in off years such as 2019, but Northam’s term isn’t up until 2022.

McAuliffe is reportedly having strategy sessions with state Democrats and also thinking about crating a PAC. 

As Democrats try to take back the state legislature, McAuliffe adviser Josh Schwerin told Politico that the close Clinton family ally is focused on helping the Democrats in November, but that he also very much enjoyed his time as governor. 

“Being governor of Virginia was the highlight of his life and I’m sure he’d love it again,” he said. 

Virginia does not allow governors to have consecutive terms, but does not prohibit a governor from leaving office and then running again. 

Others told Politico, however, that McAuliffe might prefer a national Cabinet or ambassador position if a Democrat wins the White House in 2020. 

“Terry McAuliffe has a lot of options of what he can do in life,” said state Democratic Party Chairwoman Susan Swecker, a friend of the former governor.  

The Trump administration on Friday released the first comprehensive policy outlining ways to secure outer space technologies against cyberattacks.

The space policy directive released by the White House establishes five key cybersecurity principles for outer space systems. These include ensuring that space systems and supporting software are developed with strong cybersecurity protocols in mind, cybersecurity should be integrated into systems, and owners and operators should promote best practices around cybersecurity.

“Agencies are directed to work with the commercial space industry and other non-government space operators, consistent with these principles and with applicable law, to further define best practices, establish cybersecurity-informed norms, and promote improved cybersecurity behaviors throughout the Nation’s industrial base for space systems,” the White House wrote in the directive. 

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The directive emphasized the importance placed on the security of outer space and near space systems. 

“Space systems enable key functions such as global communications; positioning, navigation, and timing; scientific observation; exploration; weather monitoring; and multiple vital national security applications,” the White House wrote. “Therefore, it is essential to protect space systems from cyber incidents in order to prevent disruptions to their ability to provide reliable and efficient contributions to the operations of the Nation’s critical infrastructure.”

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad WolfChad WolfTrump administration rolls out policy to secure outer space technologies against cyberattacks Russia ‘amplifying’ concerns around mail-in voting to undermine election: report Oversight Democrats press for probe into possible Hatch Act violations MORE said in a statement that the policies were part of President TrumpDonald John TrumpDHS to label white supremacists as the ‘most persistent and lethal threat’ to the US: report Buttigieg slams Trump over comments on fallen soldiers: ‘He must think we’re all suckers’ White House tells federal agencies to cancel ‘divisive’ racial sensitivity training: report MORE’s efforts to “empower the Department of Homeland Security to defend the nation against evolving cyber-threats.”

“The security of the homeland depends upon the security of our space systems, interests and freedom of action in space,” Wolf said. “The policy unveiled today is a critical step in establishing a baseline standard for cybersecurity as America leads in space and cyberspace alike.” 

Vaccine scientist Peter Hotez on Monday called a safety pledge by pharmaceutical companies for the development of a coronavirus vaccine “smart business.”

“They want this vaccine to work and they want people to trust their pharmaceutical company,” Hotez, the dean of Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine, told CNN.

“What they’re doing is a smart business practice to make certain they’re releasing a vaccine that’s both safe and effective, because they know that if there’s a mistake, and if things don’t go well, it could bring down the entire company,” he added.

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“The fact that we’re seeing pharmaceutical companies sort of protecting the U.S. population from the government is something we’ve never seen before,” he said.

Hotez also cast doubt on the most optimistic projections of a vaccine being made available before the presidential election.

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“I don’t see a single way by which we could have vaccines released to the public before the election,” he said. “We know from the Phase 1, Phase 2 trials that you need at least two doses of these vaccines in order to induce an immune response that is likely to be protective… it’s going to take at least two months to fully immunize all of the human volunteers.”

In a joint statement last week, several companies working on coronavirus vaccines committed to ensuring their safety before making them widely available.

“We believe this pledge will help ensure public confidence in the Covid-19 vaccines that may ultimately be approved and adherence to the rigorous scientific and regulatory process by which they are evaluated,” the draft statement says.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in remarks released ahead of an address Monday that the country will exit the European Union (EU) without a deal if EU negotiators and his government cannot reach a deal for a free trade agreement before Oct. 15.

The Associated Press reported that Johnson’s office released remarks Sunday urging EU negotiators to “rethink their current positions,” while his top negotiator said the country would not budge on demands it feels the body is not making of other nations with which the EU has trade agreements.

“If we can’t agree by then, then I do not see that there will be a free trade agreement between us, and we should both accept that and move on,” Johnson said of the EU summit scheduled for mid-October.

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His comments came the same day his top negotiator, David Frost, told a British tabloid that the U.K. wouldn’t “accept level playing field provisions that lock us in to the way the EU do things,” according to the AP.

The U.K. and EU have been negotiating the specifics of a free trade agreement for months after the U.K. exited the body’s political structure at the beginning of 2020. The economic relationship currently held in place by an 11-month transition period is set to end on Dec. 31, after which the U.K. will leave the EU’s single market and customs union.

Leaving without a deal could have dire implications for the U.K.’s economy, which could be affected by major backups at trading ports due to the changes brought on by Brexit, as well as the U.K.’s border with Ireland, which was to remain open under terms dictated by an agreement between the EU and U.K. last year.

“This would be a very unwise way to proceed,” Ireland’s minister of foreign affairs said Sunday.

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