Latest news : February 2020

Saturday, 29 February 2020

New coronavirus case confirmed at Tenerife hotel on lockdown

An Italian national staying at a hotel in Tenerife which has been placed on lockdown after four cases of the coronavirus were detected has tested positive for the virus, regional health authorities confirmed on Saturday. The Italian national, part of the same group as the four original cases at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace Hotel, has been in isolation in a hotel room since Feb. 24 and will be taken to hospital, the Canary Islands' regional health authorities said, adding the Italian was "in good state of health". It brings the total number of active cases in the Canary Islands to six - five in Tenerife and one in La Gomera.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/386grBP
Feed

40% of Americans don't think the US government is prepared to handle coronavirus

Only 7% of Americans said they felt the US government is "extremely prepared" for coronavirus, while 12% said "very prepared."

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2wjaHI0
Feed

Ted Cruz tried to mock AOC's scientific knowledge – it didn't end well

The Texas senator tried to pick a fight after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called out Mike Pence’s coronavirus credentialsIf you were in search of a scientifically minded, steadying presence to guide the country through the potential fallout of the coronavirus, you could not do much worse than Vice-President Mike Pence.This being the Donald Trump administration, however, where qualifications and expertise are often seen as prohibitive factors for top jobs, that’s exactly who we’ve been given.Cutting to the heart of the matter with her characteristic bluntness, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez this week pointed out the absurdity of placing Pence in charge of a potentially looming health crisis.“Mike Pence literally does not believe in science,” the New York congresswoman tweeted on Wednesday. “It is utterly irresponsible to put him in charge of US coronavirus response as the world sits on the cusp of a pandemic. This decision could cost people their lives. Pence’s past decisions already have.”Ocasio-Cortez reminded people of Pence’s credentials. While he was governor of Indiana, he oversaw an HIV crisis so severe that at its peak, 20 new cases were diagnosed each week.“As governor, Pence’s science denial contributed to one of the worst HIV outbreaks in Indiana’s history,” she wrote. “He is not a medical doctor. He is not a health expert. He is not qualified nor positioned in any way to protect our public health.”Rushing to the defense of the administration the next day, Ted Cruz jumped into the fray.> As you are speaking as the oracle of science, tell us, what exactly is a Y chromosome? https://t.co/t4XVVzWr3A> > — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 27, 2020“As you are speaking as the oracle of science, tell us, what exactly is a Y chromosome?” Cruz responded on Twitter. “And at what age of gestation does science tell us that an unborn child feels physical pain?”He may have picked the wrong opponent – Ocasio-Cortez, it transpires, holds an award for microbiology from MIT.Despite reports in the past of the two lawmakers, surprisingly, finding common ground on other issues, Ocasio-Cortez did not let the slight go unaddressed. Touting her scientific bona fides and jabbing at Cruz, who, like Pence, gives primacy to his religious beliefs, she delivered an acerbic put-down.“I’m surprised you’re asking about chromosomes given that you don’t believe in evolution,” she said.> Sen. Cruz, while I understand you judge people’s intelligence by the lowest income they’ve had, I hold awards from MIT Lincoln Lab &others for accomplishments in microbiology. > > Secondly, I’m surprised you’re asking about chromosomes given that you don’t even believe in evolution. https://t.co/vOIwJhpl7q> > — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 28, 2020A few hours later, Cruz returned for another condescending jab. “Btw, congrats on the science fair,” he tweeted.“We see evolution every day: the Dem party is rapidly evolving into an angry, anti-science socialist ideology. You insulted Pence & I asked you 3 real Qs re science. You ignored all 3 & responded w/ your resume & ad hominem attacks. Instead of insults, address the substance.”The senator did not confirm whether or not he does, in fact, believe in the actual definition of evolution.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2vi6KTM
Feed

South Carolina exit polls: Black and moderate voters fuel Biden to victory

The former vice president won 60 percent of the black vote and received solid backing from moderate and religious voters Saturday.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/38a3reF
Feed

I've taken 6 flights in a month throughout Asia as the coronavirus spreads — here's how the outbreak forced me to change how I travel

In the last four weeks, I've taken six fights throughout Asia – half domestic, half international. Here is what I have learned.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2PyLTCj
Feed

Most Coronavirus Cases Are Mild. That's Good and Bad News.

HONG KONG -- As a dangerous new coronavirus has ravaged China and spread throughout the rest of the world, the outbreak's toll has sown fear and anxiety. Nearly 3,000 deaths. More than 82,000 cases. Six continents infected.But government officials and medical experts, in their warnings about the epidemic, have also sounded a note of reassurance: Although the virus can be deadly, the vast majority of those infected so far have only mild symptoms and make full recoveries.It is an important factor to understand, medical experts said, both to avoid an unnecessary global panic and to get a clear picture of the likelihood of transmission."Many people are now panicking, and some actually are exaggerating the risks," said Dr. Jin Dongyan, a virology expert at the University of Hong Kong. "For governments, for public health professionals -- they also have to deal with these, because these will also be harmful."Much about the virus remains unknown, and the danger could intensify as it travels through the rest of the world. But based on existing information, here's what experts said about the severity of the virus.More than 80% of cases are mild, one large study in China found.Of the 44,672 coronavirus cases that were confirmed in China by Feb. 11, more than 36,000 -- or 81% -- were mild, according to a study published recently by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Cases were considered mild if they did not involve pneumonia, defined as infection of the lungs, or involved only mild pneumonia, the authors wrote in the study, which is among the largest to date of the new coronavirus.There were two other categories of cases, severe and critical. Severe cases featured shortness of breath, low blood oxygen saturation or other lung problems. Critical cases featured respiratory failure, septic shock or multiple organ dysfunction.Just under 14% of patients were severe and just under 5% critical.The overall fatality rate in China was 2.3%. But that number was inflated by the much higher fatality rate in Hubei province of 2.9%, compared with a rate of just 0.4% in the rest of the country. The seasonal flu, by comparison, has a mortality rate of about 0.1%.The true fatality rate could be even lower, given that many mild or asymptomatic cases may not have been reported to authorities.A mild case may look like the common cold.Mild cases are inherently difficult for scientists to describe because those with limited symptoms may not seek medical care. Scientists have also said that people can be infected but not show any symptoms at all.For many with mild infections, the coronavirus could be virtually indistinguishable from the common cold or seasonal flu, said Jin of the University of Hong Kong."Some of these patients, they just go unrecognized," he said. "It could be just as small as a sore throat. Then one day, two days, it's gone."Even among patients who do go see a doctor, "it could still be very mild, just like a flu," he added.As the Chinese Center for Disease Control's study showed, some mild cases may involve pneumonia. They may also include mild fatigue and low fever, according to a treatment plan released by the central Chinese government.A small study of 99 confirmed coronavirus patients in Wuhan, China, published in the medical journal The Lancet found that most of the patients had fever or cough when they were admitted to the hospital, and some had shortness of breath or muscle ache. The study did not distinguish between mild, severe and critical cases.Most people with mild infections recover.There is no doubt that the virus can be dangerous, especially for critical cases. Of those patients, 49% died, according the study by the Chinese Center for Disease Control.But critical cases made up just a tiny fraction of the total caseload in the study.By Thursday, of the 78,487 confirmed cases in China, 32,495, or 41%, had been discharged from the hospital, according to China's National Health Commission. About 8,300 of the remaining patients were in serious condition. More than 2,700 people have died in China.Many of the deaths have occurred in Hubei province, where the outbreak began and where the demand for care has overwhelmed medical staff. The high mortality rate there could have dangerous implications for developing countries. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, has warned repeatedly of the toll the virus could exact in places with weak health systems.But for mild cases, the virus is likely "self-limiting," Jin said, meaning that symptoms will go away on their own, as with the flu and common cold.But the plethora of mild cases can make containment more difficult.The number of mild cases, though, creates its own complications for curbing the virus's spread.Those with mild or no symptoms may not know they have contracted the virus or may pass it off as a seasonal cold. They may then continue in their daily lives -- traveling, kissing, coming into close contact with others -- and spread the virus without anyone knowing."In this manner, a virus that poses a low health threat on the individual level can pose a high risk on the population level, with the potential to cause disruptions of global public health systems and economic losses," a group of five scientists wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine last week.There are, broadly speaking, two possible outcomes of the current outbreak, Jin said. The new virus could, like SARS, another well-known coronavirus, become less and less transmissible as it spreads around the world, eventually dying out.Alternatively, the new coronavirus could become well established in humans, becoming a kind of recurring seasonal nuisance like the flu, Jin said. In that situation, people would learn to live with it and sometimes would contract illnesses from it, but the virus would most likely also lose some of its dangerousness as time went on. Experts could also develop a vaccine, Jin added.Even mild cases could provide immunity from future infection.Several medical experts have said that those who have been infected with the coronavirus will not become infected again, as their bodies will produce antibodies that provide immunity."As long as the virus doesn't evolve, there is no chance of being infected again," Dr. Lu Hongzhou, a public health professor in Shanghai, said Tuesday in an interview with Beijing News.And that immunity should extend even to those who had mild or even asymptomatic infections. "Anyone recovered from the infection should have useful antibodies," Jin said.The body's natural immune response is the reason Chinese authorities have asked recovered patients to donate blood plasma, in the hopes that their antibodies could be used to treat sick patients. The government has also prescribed antiviral drugs and traditional Chinese medicine as treatment methods.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39avZpH
Feed

After chemical attack and kidnapping, migrant mom tries again to enter U.S.

“They’re putting us at risk,” the asylum-seeker said. “After all we’ve been through.”

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2VwtLwF
Feed

A joke gone too far? Some police departments are offering to 'test' meth for coronavirus. Not everybody is laughing

Law enforcement agencies across the nation are jokingly encouraging meth users to bring their drugs in so they can be tested for coronavirus.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2TqALsv
Feed

Jackie Speier’s Question to DOJ on Epstein Raises Eyebrows in House Intel Committee

In a closed-door briefing to members of Congress about government surveillance, a senior Justice Department official was asked a surprising question. The question came when intelligence and national security officials gathered earlier this week to brief members of the House Intelligence Committee on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a law with some authorities that will expire in several weeks. Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat, prefaced her question by saying it was a bit off-topic. According to two sources with knowledge of the briefing, Speier then asked John Demers, the Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Division at the Justice Department, whether Jeffrey Epstein had ever worked as an undercover FBI asset. Then she pressed him on whether he had any personal knowledge of Epstein—a convicted pedophile who died in jail last August, awaiting trial—working with the FBI. Demers responded that he worked for the Justice Department, not the FBI, and that he had no knowledge of Epstein doing such work. The question raised eyebrows, as it appeared to be based on a theory that law enforcement officials may have turned a blind eye to the serial rapist because he helped them gather information. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment, and a spokesperson for Speier did not provide on-record comment. The Man Who Could Inherit Jeffrey Epstein’s MillionsThe Miami Herald reported in November 2018 that, as part of an extremely generous plea deal he received from then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta’s office in 2007, “Epstein provided what the government called ‘valuable consideration’ for unspecified information he supplied to federal investigators.” The Herald said it was unclear what information, if any, Epstein shared with law enforcement. And Vicky Ward reported for The Daily Beast last August that Acosta later told Trump transition team officials that Epstein’s case was connected to intelligence matters. He went on to become Secretary of Labor. “I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone,” Acosta privately told Trump transition team officials before his confirmation, per Ward’s story.On July 8, 2019, the Justice Department charged Epstein with sex trafficking of underage girls. In a lengthy press conference two days later, Acosta fielded a question about whether or not the sexual predator was an “intelligence asset.”“So, there has been reporting to that effect,” he said obliquely, per The Washington Examiner. “And let me say, there’s been report to a lot of effects in this case. Not just now but over the years. And again, I would, I would hesitate to take this reporting as fact.”Acosta’s efforts to explain his generous treatment of the serial rapist were not enough to save his job; after facing blistering criticism, he resigned from the Trump administration on July 19. Epstein was found dead in his prison cell less than a month later. The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office said the death was a suicide; a private pathologist hired by Epstein’s brother said it could have been a homicide, as The New York Times reported. Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department’s top watchdog was investigating the circumstances of Epstein’s death. Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislane Maxwell had countless powerful friends and acquaintances. In 2002, future President Donald Trump said Epstein liked “beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s notorious private jet numerous times. And Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg was photographed at a public event with Maxwell in 2013. Epstein’s connections even extended to literal royalty; Prince Andrew spent a significant amount of time with him before his death, and stepped back from his royal duties after giving a trainwreck interview to the BBC about his relationship with the serial child rapist. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2PDyYzg
Feed

New Yahoo News/YouGov poll: Who is strongest against Trump? Must-win states and swing voters show Biden holds edge over Sanders

A new Yahoo News/YouGov poll suggests that Sanders could be a riskier nominee than his supporters are willing to admit.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Tjgrcs
Feed

Coronavirus news: US records first death as patient dies in Washington state

Outbreak could leave one in 10 people in the UK in hospital Virus fears threatening to spark stockpiling and panic buying FAQ: Everything you need to know about coronavirus Fake news: 10 myths and conspiracies about the virus Subscribe to The Telegraph, free for 30 days Donald Trump reassured Americans that there was "no reason to panic" after the United States reported its first death from the coronavirus. Mr Trump said the victim in King County in Washington state was a "wonderful woman" in her late 50s who was "medically high risk". The president banned anyone who had visited Iran in the last 14 days from entering the US, and also advised Americans not to travel to affected areas of Italy and South Korea. Mr Trump said he was "very strongly" considering closing the US border with Mexico. He said the US had 43 million masks ready, and he would meet with the heads of pharmaceutical companies at the White House on Monday to discuss a possible vaccine. The president said: "Additional cases are likely but healthy individuals should be able to recover." Meanwhile back in Briton three more patients have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of UK cases to 23. Follow the latest here.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2VuJ9cW
Feed

Why the Navy's New Lrasm Missile Would Be a Real Ship-Killer

A very good idea.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2wUHhQx
Feed

Trump allies hope to ride anti-socialist rhetoric to election win

Conservative activists are enthusiastically taking up Republican President Donald Trump's re-election rallying cry that his Democratic adversaries are pursuing a radical socialist ideology that will ruin the United States. Conservative students, right-wing media personalities and pro-Trump fundraisers and fans have gathered just outside Washington this week for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that appears to have crystallized Republican messaging for the election. Its theme was "America vs. Socialism," taking aim at the candidates competing for the Democratic Party's nomination to challenge Trump in the Nov. 3 election, especially Senator Bernie Sanders, the current front-runner and a self-described democratic socialist.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2I6zhOO
Feed

Man whose son was found encased in cement sentenced to 72 years in prison

A Colorado man whose seven-year-old son was repeatedly abused before being found encased in concrete in a Denver storage unit has been sentenced to 72 years in prison for the death.Leland Pankey received the sentence on Friday, with one count of child abuse landing him 48 years in prison and 24 years for tampering with the body.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2TaIVX3
Feed

'I guess I wasn't arrested': Joe Biden reverses on claim of an arrest in South Africa

Joe Biden has previously told of being arrested in South Africa while traveling with black lawmakers. He reversed himself Friday in a CNN interview.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2VBZ6yl
Feed

Trump Team Testing ‘Off-the-Shelf’ Drugs to Cure Coronavirus

(Bloomberg) -- The Trump administration is testing existing “off-the-shelf” drugs to combat the coronavirus, a cabinet official said Saturday.A national lab in Tennessee recently made “an important discovery” involving existing drugs, Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland.“The scientists at our Oak Ridge National Laboratory were able to look at the protein strains and determine -- perhaps, it’s still early -- that we can find some off-the-shelf drugs that can help us not only cure the disease but stop the spread of the infection,” Brouillette said.Brouillette was responding to a question about what his agency is doing to help combat the virus, which has caused markets to plunge and killed nearly 3,000 people across the globe. In the U.S., where 22 cases have been reported, the virus has killed one person -- a woman from Washington state -- and more cases are likely, President Donald Trump said Saturday.In addition to the laboratory tests, Brouillette said he’s harnessing the power of his agency’s “super computers” as well as artificial intelligence capabilities to assist organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and the World Heath Organization to conduct modeling on the virus.“We want to know how far is this going to spread and at what point might it peak,” he said.To contact the reporter on this story: Ari Natter in Washington at anatter5@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net, Matthew G. Miller, Virginia Van NattaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2T8jmWq
Feed

Turkey raises migrant pressure on Europe over Syria conflict

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday threatened to let thousands of refugees cross into Europe and warned Damascus would "pay a price" after dozens of Turkish troops were killed inside Syria. Around 13,000 migrants have gathered along the Turkish-Greek border, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said as several thousand migrants were in skirmishes with Greek police firing tear gas across the frontier. The escalating tensions between Turkey and Russia, who back opposing forces in the Syria conflict, after an air strike killed the Turkish troops sparked fears of a broader war and a new migration crisis for Europe.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2PyDRcQ
Feed

South Koreans told to stay home as coronavirus infections surpass 3,100

South Korea urged citizens on Saturday to stay indoors as it warned of a "critical moment" in its battle on the coronavirus after recording the biggest daily jump in infections, as 813 new cases took the tally to 3,150. South Korea is grappling with the largest outbreak of the virus outside China, as a new death took the toll to 17, amid a record daily increase in infections since the country confirmed its first patient on Jan. 20. It was a "critical moment" in reining in the spread of the virus, he said, adding, "Please stay at home and refrain from going outside and minimize contact with other people."

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2wd5ily
Feed

Stock markets are headed for a 40 percent plunge, says economist who predicted financial crisis

The end of a very rough week for U.S. markets brought a worrying prediction.While one expert warned fallout from the global coronavirus outbreak could be "worse than the financial crisis" of 2008, the economist who correctly predicted that very crisis is now saying the idea of a major global recession "doesn't sound too farfetched."Nouriel Roubini, a New York University business professor and market prognosticator who foretold the housing bubble burst, told Yahoo Finance on Friday to expect "severe" consequences as the coronavirus continues to rattle markets. How severe? He told Der Spiegel it could be worse than investors even believe at this point, predicting "global equities to tank by 30 to 40 percent this year."He said people "prefer to believe in miracles," (not necessarily referencing President Trump's prediction the coronavirus will "disappear ... like a miracle,") and don't realize the "simple math" tells us that realistically, a squeezed Chinese economy will mean downturns around the globe. "This crisis will spill over and result in a disaster," said Roubini.Roubini, who is often nicknamed Dr. Doom for his frequent pessimistic predictions, also saw doom and gloom for Trump's future as president as a result of any economic strife. Asked by Der Spiegel, Roubini said Trump would likely try to benefit politically from the outbreak, but "will lose the election, that's for sure." Pointing to past incumbent presidents getting ousted amid geopolitical tensions that damaged the economy, he said "The Democratic field is poor, but Trump is dead. Quote me on that!"Though the week just saw a 3,500-point drop for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Roubini warned: "It is far from being over." Read more at Der Spiegel.More stories from theweek.com Trump mocks Bloomberg's height, Biden's age in wild CPAC speech The growing viral threat A coronavirus recession would likely end Trump's presidency

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/388otKw
Feed

Pete Buttigieg is Not Optimistic About South Carolina. But He's Pushing On.

Saturday’s contest in South Carolina is not anticipated to be a good day for Pete Buttigieg

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39b4In9
Feed

Barclays bankers acquitted over fraud charges in Qatar deal

Three former Barclays bankers were cleared Friday of fraud over a 4 billion-pound ($5.2 billion) investment deal with Qatar at the height of the global financial crisis in 2008. The three men — Roger Jenkins, Thomas Kalaris and Richard Boath — were acquitted after a five-month trial at London's Old Bailey. The case was brought by Britain's Serious Fraud Office, which had accused the three men of hiding the true nature of the fundraising plan with Qatar from authorities and other shareholders.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/32ETt3U
Feed

Tom Steyer: Billionaire Democrat dances to ‘Back That Azz Up’ on stage with rapper in embarrassing rally stunt

Presidential hopeful and billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, 62, found an eye-catching way to end his final rally before the South Carolina primary -- twerking on stage with the rapper Juvenile.In an enthusiastic display of dad-dancing, the former hedge fund manager worked up a sweat dancing to Back That Azz Up.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2PzBypW
Feed

F.D.A. Expands Coronavirus Testing in the United States

By BY KNVUL SHEIKH from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3ascSYz

Friday, 28 February 2020

'I guess I wasn't arrested': Joe Biden reverses on claim of an arrest in South Africa

Joe Biden has previously told of being arrested in South Africa while traveling with black lawmakers. He reversed himself Friday in a CNN interview.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2VBZ6yl
Feed

Google employee tests positive for the coronavirus as the company further restricts employee travel

The Google employee had been in the Zurich office days before displaying symptoms, the company told employees by email on Friday.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2vhytE6
Feed

Mexico Has Two Coronavirus Cases, Health Officials Say

(Bloomberg) -- A 35-year-old man was confirmed as the first coronavirus case in Mexico, the country’s deputy health minister said on Friday. A second case was verified by a state health official.The first patient has a mild case and has been put in quarantine along with family members in the country’s Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference for further testing, deputy health minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said at the National Palace.The man is a resident of Mexico City who took a trip to Italy in February. The case is Mexico’s first, and the second known instance in Latin America after Brazil confirmed a case on Wednesday.“We have the capacity to deal with the situation,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said at his morning press conference.The man traveled to Bergamo, Italy, for a conference, where he had direct contact with an infected Italian national who normally lives in Malaysia.The second case, in the northern border state of Sinaloa, is a 41-year-old man who also traveled to Italy, said Efren Encinas Torres, the state’s health minister in an interview on Radio Formula. That patient is in isolation, as is a colleague he traveled with, who has not presented any symptoms.Local health officials sent details to the national agency for confirmation.“We see the state laboratory’s confirmation as valid, but nevertheless we will verify it in our own laboratory,” Lopez-Gatell said.Separately, Lopez-Gatell said that a cruise ship that had been stopped in Cozumel on suspicion of possible infection had no cases aboard and that passengers would be allowed to disembark.Worldwide, more than 83,000 cases have been confirmed and deaths from the virus have topped 2,800 people. On Friday, Iran, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the U.K. all reported new infections. Nigeria confirmed the first infection south of the Sahara desert.The Mexican peso fell 0.7% to end the day at 19.6437 per dollar, its weakest close since October 2019. Mexico’s benchmark Mexbol stock index plunged 2.6% after the coronavirus news.(Adds details about second case in lead and sixth paragraph. A previous version added case details, worldwide numbers and stock move.)To contact the reporters on this story: Justin Villamil in Mexico City at jvillamil18@bloomberg.net;Lorena Rios in Mexico City at lriost@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Carolina Wilson at cwilson166@bloomberg.net, Nacha Cattan, Dale QuinnFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2TruzjZ
Feed

Trump complains Democrats are blaming him for coronavirus

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2uDmKzb
Feed

Defense moves delay sentencing for 'Boy Next Door Killer'

Sentencing for a man convicted of two murders who prosecutors dubbed “The Boy Next Door Killer” was delayed Friday over a defense motion that seeks a new trial because the prosecution failed to share information that would have compromised the credibility of a detective who was a key witness in the case. A jury recommended the death penalty for 44-year-old Michael Thomas Gargiulo, who was found guilty in August of the home-invasion murders of two women, one of whom was about to go on a date with actor Ashton Kutcher.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3cjYd3l
Feed

California bracing for spread of coronavirus

California said Thursday it was monitoring some 8,400 people for the new coronavirus, after officials confirmed a woman had contracted the disease without traveling to outbreak-hit regions. Governor Gavin Newsom said travelers arriving from affected areas were being monitored and sought to reassure the public that the risk of contracting the virus remains low.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3ceNwid
Feed

Trump wears a surgical mask over his eyes in next week's coronavirus-themed New Yorker cover

The illustration is titled "Under Control," and references some comments that the president made at a coronavirus press conference this week.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ToMYOh
Feed

Chancellor Hopefuls Clash in Duel for Post-Merkel Germany

(Bloomberg) -- Emotions were running high in an old brewery in the region where Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party stumbled into its worst crisis in decades.In the town of Apolda in the eastern German state of Thuringia, supporters of the Christian Democratic Union shouted down local media, claiming reporters smeared the state chapter. With beer flowing freely, that anger quickly turned to wild cheers when Friedrich Merz appeared before some 1,300 sympathizers, a day after the race to lead Germany’s most powerful party started.For the bulk in attendance, Merkel -- and not a rogue decision by local CDU lawmakers to ally with the far-right Alternative for Germany -- was the problem, and Merz is the answer.The long-time Merkel antagonist “is the only one in the CDU right now who has the courage” to stand up to the German leader, party member Bernhard Koegel said between speeches and folk music in Apolda. “He is the only one who will be able to stop Merkel.”Crowd SizeAbout 170 miles west of Apolda, a crowd of about half the size of Merz’s gathered to hear Armin Laschet, a moderate in Merkel’s mold who’s considered the clear front-runner. After officially announcing their respective candidacies to lead the CDU on Tuesday in Berlin, the two events were the first stops to woo the base.The eight-week contest will culminate in a special convention on April 25. The winner will have the inside track to succeed Merkel and set the trajectory for Europe’s most powerful economy for years to come. The stakes are high for Germany and its partners.Merz has accused Laschet of representing “continuity,” while pledging to be the only candidate who can take the CDU forward into a post-Merkel era.Health Minister Jens Spahn, who this week set aside his own leadership ambitions to back Laschet, took issue with Merz’s accusation in a Wednesday night television interview. Spahn’s decision not to run was a bid to unite his more conservative faction with Laschet’s centrist backers and dealt a blow to Merz’s chances.“I also have a bit of change in me, certainly compared to Friedrich Merz,” said the 39-year-old Spahn, who would be Laschet’s deputy if he wins. He has repeatedly lamented the CDU’s deepest-ever crisis and urged the party to reach out to voters leaked to the Greens and the AfD.At a barn-like clubhouse of a local rifle association in the remote village of Lennestadt-Kirchveischede, the contrast between the contenders was clear. It was Merz’s fervor and promise of change versus Laschet’s stability and his standing as head of Germany’s largest state.At the Laschet event, Martin Solbach acknowledged that Merz still has strong support in the rolling hills of rural western Germany even after his long hiatus from politics. But the CDU councilman in the nearby town of Wenden said he supports the state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia.Laschet “can show he has done a lot, which is saying more than his opponent,” who went into business after losing out in a power struggle with Merkel a decade ago, Solbach, 61, said as a traditional brass band played. “Laschet is closer to the base, but he needs to become a little more aggressive.”In his first speech since announcing his candidacy, Laschet pulled his punches when it came to his CDU political rivals. At best, he indirectly took issue with Merz’s criticism of Merkel’s energy policy, saying any approach in the age of climate change is fraught.Political TraditionThe performance was unusually tepid for an Ash Wednesday speech, a tradition in German politics. The events, often held in locations off the beaten path, typically offer politicians a platform to address issues in a more emotional way, a departure from staid stump speeches.Accompanied by a traditional brass band, Laschet took to the stage amid moderate applause from the beer-drinking CDU locals spilled out over benches. Most of Laschet’s attacks were reserved for the far-right AfD, who he said are trying to “break” the country and represent “everything the CDU is against.”He also took aim at the Greens, criticizing the environmental party for seeking growth-sapping regulations and demonizing Germany’s auto industry.“Nobody would treat a key industry like the Germans do,” Laschet said. He acknowledged the damage inflicted by the 2015 diesel-cheating scandal, “but that’s not a reason to bad talk a whole industry.”As a leader, Laschet said he wanted to talk less and deal less with regulation. “I just want to do it,” he said to loud applause.Merz’s TurfThe most aggressive aspect of the performance was its location in the rolling hills of Sauerland -- a traditional CDU stronghold that also happens to be where Merz is from.The former CDU caucus leader, meanwhile, went straight to the heart of the crisis in Thuringia. Cow bells rang, and the band played a march as Merz shook the hand of the leader of the state chapter, who’s decision sparked national outrage. The gesture went over well, as did Merz’s combative style.“Things can’t stay as they are,” said Merz to the raucous crowd. “We have to transfer the enthusiasm here to the outside,” he said, adding that he would welcome having Laschet part of his team.(Updates with Spahn comments from seventh paragraph)\--With assistance from Iain Rogers.To contact the reporters on this story: Arne Delfs in Apolda, Germany at adelfs@bloomberg.net;Patrick Donahue in Lennestadt-Kirchveischede, Germany at pdonahue1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Chris Reiter, Chad ThomasFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2TiruTl
Feed

Libya officials: 21 civilians killed in Tripoli since Jan. 9

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3c6H9xs
Feed

The 6 largest coronavirus outbreaks outside of China

More new coronavirus cases were reported outside of China than inside the country on Wednesday — the first time since global health officials began tracking the virus.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Thk8iR
Feed

Map: Confirmed coronavirus cases, worldwide

More than 81,000 people have been sickened by a coronavirus, mostly in China. This map is updated daily.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2uxBlw0
Feed

Tucker Carlson Turns to AOC Creepshot Guy for Coronavirus Expertise

Amid growing fears of a coronavirus outbreak and U.S. financial markets hitting a record drop on Thursday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson turned to a conservative columnist best known for taking creepy photos of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) as his expert on the crisis on Thursday night.It should perhaps come as no surprise that Carlson’s guest, Washington Examiner columnist Eddie Scarry, used his primetime cable news appearance to talk about the “Commie cough” and to claim that Chinese people eating skunks are responsible for the rise of the virus.In kicking off his Fox News program, Carlson argued that it is liberals’ “attitude” towards diversity that has “left us vulnerable to the coronavirus” before welcoming on Scarry to enlighten viewers on the health crisis horrors caused by political correctness. “You spent a lot of time thinking about this mindset,” the Fox News host asked Scarry. “Here we are facing what could become a pandemic. Thousands have died. Yet a certain segment of well-educated America is more concerned that people might say insensitive things. Explain the mindset.”Scarry, who is hawking a new book that argues rape victims and trans people are the most privileged in American society, went on to praise Carlson for his monologue before saying the left cares “more about ideology” than what’s happening with the virus.“It turns out most people in America, even the Chinese, don’t want the Commie cough but all we’re hearing about who is the privileged and who is the victim,” Scarry asserted. “In this case it’s supposed to be — the victims are everyone else who is spreading this disease, where it’s coming from, coming from China obviously. But we’re the privileged so we’re just supposed to accept it, we’re just supposed to be okay with what’s going on.”Carlson, meanwhile, told Scarry that “everything” he said “is true,” further asking him if he is surprised to see this attitude from liberals even when “facing a question of life and death.” Scarry took that opportunity to bemoan Democrats calling on Americans to not “perpetuate racist stereotypes” amid coronavirus fears.“We’re worried about the racial implications of blaming this on anybody,” the right-wing provocateur stated. “Well, no, I’m sorry. If it turns out, which I did read this time in The New York Times no less, this may have come from eating skunks in China. Maybe we should consider the idea that, all right, either food or something or somebody should not be coming from China.”The Daily Beast was unable to find any reference in The New York Times to the disease being linked to Chinese people eating skunks. It would appear, however, that Scarry likely got his information from a fellow Examiner columnist’s piece that cited a former Trump official’s tweet claiming civet cats in China are skunks. (The Times’ Maggie Haberman tweeted on Thursday that a top U.S. health official said the disease jumped from bats to civet cats, which are eaten by Chinese at feasts.)Scarry’s primetime appearance appears to mark his first major return to the limelight after he sparked backlash and gained a reputation as a “creep” in Nov. 2018 after tweeting out a surreptitiously shot photo of Ocasio-Cortez. Scarry was moved from his position as media reporter to commentary by the Examiner. The paper claimed at the time that the move had been in the works prior to the infamous tweet.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/32xiMVg
Feed

Airlines in China are selling tickets for as low as $4 during the coronavirus outbreak

About two-thirds of the flights in China have been canceled because of the outbreak, but some are still running.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Tl97x0
Feed

Police rescue 24 babies, pregnant teens from Nigerian 'baby factory'

Nigerian police have rescued 24 babies and four expectant mothers from an illegal maternity home in the southern oil city of Port Harcourt, a spokesman said Thursday.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2TmizAi
Feed

Trump’s Crisis Management Put to the Test

(Bloomberg) -- This time, Donald Trump is facing a crisis not of his own making.The coronavirus’s spread has foisted a fresh challenge upon the U.S. president eight months out from the elections.Trump — back yesterday from an at-times rock-star-like tour of India — is seeking to close ranks within his administration about his government's plans to stop the virus’s spread.The focus follows mixed messages from Trump and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the threat posed to public health that rattled Wall Street and sparked an uproar in Washington. One Republican senator publicly demanded “some straight answers” from Trump’s team. Investors anxious about the virus’s spread from China have driven five consecutive days of losses in U.S. markets.Flanked by public health officials, Trump addressed the nation last night from the White House briefing room for only the second time in his presidency. The message was that while a broader outbreak in the U.S. is possible, the risk to average Americans is low.“There’s a chance it could get worse. There’s a chance it could get fairly, substantially worse,” Trump said. “But nothing’s inevitable.”While he put Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the government’s response, that might not be enough to shield Trump from the political risks.He faces an unpredictable crisis that could threaten the stability of the world’s largest economy and his own political future at November’s elections, where the competence of his response may become a key issue.Global HeadlinesAlliance frictions | NATO has survived for more than 70 years as the security umbrella for Europe, despite periodic differences between its members. But increasingly the U.S. under Trump is dragging it into broader trans-Atlantic tensions over trade and China’s Huawei which, as one analyst warns, risks European allies feeling they are “being coerced on some fairly key foreign policy issues.”Italy’s disappointment | The Italian government took a gamble when it became the first Group of Seven nation to sign up to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. One year and another government later, Rome has yet to see any tangible benefits, Alan Crawford reports. Instead, economic disappointment is being compounded by tensions over the coronavirus.Race begins | The top candidates to become leader of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling Christian Democratic Union kicked off their campaigns as they vie for momentum before a party convention on April 25. Long-time Merkel foe Friedrich Merz is facing off with front-runner Armin Laschet, a moderate in Merkel’s mold, for a chance to set the trajectory for Europe’s most powerful economy for years to come.India carnage | Families wept as they collected bodies wrapped in white shrouds from a hospital mortuary in Delhi as the death toll rises from some of the worst religious riots India’s capital has seen in decades. Relatives blamed the government and police for letting the violence spin out of control, Muneeza Naqvi reports, after Hindu groups attacked mostly Muslim protesters demonstrating against the country’s new religion-based citizenship law.Missing ingredient? | Pete Buttigieg executed his strategy almost perfectly. He won in Iowa and finished in a closer-than-expected second place in New Hampshire. But, as Tyler Pager reports, those early successes have failed to make him a front runner. Now, Buttigieg faces his most serious test as the race for the Democratic presidential nomination turns national.A brewing fight about which country has the right to tax some of the world’s most profitable companies, including Facebook and Google, could devolve into a multi-front trade war, regardless of whether Trump wins a second term.What to WatchTunisia’s prime minister-designate, Elyes Fakhfakh, won parliamentary support for his proposed administration, breaking four months of deadlock that’s delayed much-needed economic reforms in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the U.K. on a collision course with the European Union, telling the bloc he'll walk away from the negotiating table in June if it's not clear he'll get a Canada-style free-trade agreement.Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said parliament will meet on March 2 to decide who becomes the next premier, after telling reporters the king couldn’t find anyone with a distinct majority.The credibility of South Africa’s proposals to curb debt and save its sole investment-grade credit rating will be put to the test by powerful unions outraged by plans to pare back the government's wage bill.Tell us how we’re doing or what we’re missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net.And finally … Saudi Arabia temporarily halted religious visits to Mecca and Medina, the Islamic world’s holiest cities, which draw millions of people each year, to help halt the coronavirus. While Saudi authorities have reported no infections so far, neighboring countries including Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates have flagged dozens of cases. In the Iranian city of Qom, the epicenter of that country’s outbreak, faithful continue to visit one of Shiite Islam’s holiest shrines even after officials banned religious ceremonies. \--With assistance from Karl Maier, Rosalind Mathieson and Alan Crawford.To contact the author of this story: Kathleen Hunter in London at khunter9@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Halpin at thalpin5@bloomberg.net, Michael WinfreyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3a8Kla3
Feed

More than 30,000 pounds of yogurt spilled on New York highway after accident

A tractor trailer carrying more than 30,000 pounds of yogurt in western New York jackknifed on a highway Thursday afternoon.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39b4Cfd
Feed

Millions of uninsured Americans like me are a coronavirus timebomb

I haven’t gone to the doctor since 2013. When you multiply my situation by 27.5 million, that’s a scary prospectLike 27.5 million other Americans, I don’t have health insurance. It’s not for a lack of trying – I make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to buy a private health insurance plan on the Affordable Care Act exchanges. Since I can’t afford to see a doctor, my healthcare strategy as a 32-year-old uninsured American has been simply to sleep eight hours, eat vegetables, and get daily exercise. But now that there are confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States, the deadly virus could spread rapidly, thanks to others like me who have no feasible way to get the care we need if we start exhibiting symptoms.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are confirmed coronavirus cases in at least 50 countries on six continents, and more than 2,800 patients have died from the virus. This certainly qualifies as a pandemic under the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of the term, which, under a typical presidency, should necessitate a swift response from US health officials. However, the Trump administration appears to still be prioritizing the profit margin of the healthcare industry over preventing the spread of a deadly pandemic.Earlier this week, the Department of Health and Human Services secretary, Alex Azar, (a former senior executive at pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly) refused to commit to implementing price controls on a coronavirus vaccine “because we need the private sector to invest … price controls won’t get us there”. Even the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, notably didn’t use the word “free” when referring to a coronavirus vaccine, and instead used the word “affordable”. What may be considered affordable for the third-most powerful person in the US government with an estimated net worth of $16m may not be affordable for someone who can’t afford a basic private health insurance plan that still requires a patient to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket.Given the high cost of healthcare in the US, I haven’t seen a doctor since 2013, when I visited an emergency room after being run off the road while riding my bike. After waiting for four hours, the doctor put my arm in a sling, prescribed pain medication and sent me home. That visit cost more than $4,000, and the unpaid balance eventually went to collections and still haunts my credit to this day, making it needlessly difficult to rent an apartment or buy a car. But even a low-premium bronze plan on the exchange comes with a sky-high deductible in the thousands of dollars, meaning even if I was insured, I’d have still paid for that ER visit entirely out of pocket.> When you multiply my situation by 27.5 million, you end up with a country full of people who won’t see a doctor unless they’re extremely sickThis system is exactly why a 2018 West Health Institute/NORC at the University of Chicago national poll found that 44% of Americans declined to see a doctor due to cost, and why nearly a third of Americans polled said they didn’t get their prescriptions filled due to the high cost of their medicine. This is the same system that killed 38-year-old Texas public school teacher Heather Holland, who couldn’t afford the $116 co-pay for her flu medication and later died from flu complications. It’s the same system that Guardian contributor Luke O’Neil refers to as “Go viral or die trying”, in which Americans who can’t afford life-saving healthcare procedures are forced to become their own advocate and PR agency by launching a viral GoFundMe campaign to ask strangers on the internet to save their lives.When you multiply my situation by 27.5 million, you end up with a country full of people who won’t see a doctor unless they’re extremely sick. And when you combine a for-profit healthcare system – in which only those wealthy enough to get care actually receive it – with a global pandemic, the only outcome will be unmitigated disaster. This could be somewhat remedied if the US had a single-payer, universal healthcare system, like every other industrialized nation. And as a team of Yale epidemiologists discovered in a study recently published in the Lancet, a single-payer healthcare system in the US could simultaneously save 68,000 lives and $450bn in taxpayer dollars each year.Yes, countries with single-payer systems still have coronavirus cases, Italy and Japan. But the spread of the virus in those countries would likely pale in comparison to the potential spread of coronavirus in the US, in which a significant portion of the population simply won’t go to the doctor if they’re sick. Coronavirus is a worldwide public health emergency, and massive profits for health insurers and pharmaceutical manufacturers shouldn’t come before the basic health and safety of human beings. * Carl Gibson is an independent journalist whose work has been published in CNN, the Guardian, the Washington Post, the Houston Chronicle and NPR, among others

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/32AgjJP
Feed

AOC says Bloomberg would lead to an 'even worse' version of Trump in the future

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has warned that electing former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg as president would set the stage for a candidate “even worse” than Donald Trump in the future.Ms Ocasio-Cortez is fully against nominating Mr Bloomberg as candidate for the 2020 election.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3cb8EGa
Feed

Coronavirus hits tech companies: Google employee tests positive

The Google employee who tested positive for coronavirus was in the company's Zurich office "for a limited time," Google said in a statement.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3cfGBW9
Feed

Trump asks White House chief of staff if he will be impeached again

President Trump asked his top aides whether he is likely to get impeached during a possible second term, said acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who accused the media of trying to use the coronavirus to “bring down” his boss.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2I78cLg
Feed

Police identify victims, shooter in Milwaukee brewery shooting rampage

Police in Milwaukee on Thursday identified the five brewery employees shot and killed by a co-worker who later took his own life in the latest spasm of gun violence plaguing U.S. workplaces and schools. The motive for the carnage was unclear a day after the shooting at the landmark Molson Coors Beverage Co complex shook Wisconsin's largest city. "Reasons for this are still under investigation," Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales said.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2HXGtMX
Feed

Belarus leader says nation being forced to merge with Russia

The president of Belarus said Thursday that his country is "being forced into integration” with Russia and insisted that real integration of the two countries' economies implied “sovereignty and independence” for Belarus. “We remain committed, as always, to real integration without being forced into integration,” President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with Mikhail Myasnikovich, chair of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/32vclSN
Feed

Central Park Five's Kevin Richardson slams Bloomberg campaign

Kevin Richardson, a member of the Central Park Five, has hit out at Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s presidential run and his blocking of a multimillion-dollar settlement over the group’s wrongful persecution.Mr Richardson, one of the five teenagers wrongfully convicted for the shocking assault of Trishia Meili in 1989, was reported to have criticised Mr Bloomberg at an event outside his campaign office in Manhattan.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3cjCXdJ
Feed

Thursday, 27 February 2020

Republicans Break with Barr on FISA Renewal, Urge Reforms before Reauthorization

Republicans in both the House and the Senate are unhappy that attorney general William Barr wants a simple reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, with sources telling National Review that GOP critics of FISA are "adamant" that serious reforms must be implemented before the reauthorization.Barr reportedly told GOP senators during a lunch Tuesday that they should move to reauthorize the expiring portions of FISA's surveillance powers as he continues to implement internal reforms. The intelligence community also supports a clean reauthorization prior to the implementation of significant reforms.Barr’s position is also backed by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), but other Republicans are more skeptical following inspector general Michael Horowitz’s December report on “at least 17” abuses in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, which relied heavily on FISA warrants.House sources told National Review that "a long list" of Republicans support “significant reforms” to FISA before it is reauthorized."Given the tremendous abuses in 16-17, a clean reauthorization is totally unacceptable," one House aide said.Congressman Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) and Mark Meadows (R., N.C.) added their concerns on Wednesday, tweeting within four minutes of each other about how a reauthorization without reform was a mistake.> Comey’s FBI misled the FISA Court 17 times.> > We can’t simply reauthorize the system that allowed those lies and omissions to happen.> > Now is our chance to fix it.> > -- Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) February 26, 2020> Former FBI officials in 2016-17 gravely abused the FISA process and lied to the FISA court 17 times> > Now, some members of Congress want to do a clean reauthorization of FISA anyway> > Totally unacceptable. Should NEVER happen.> > -- Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) February 26, 2020Senator Mike Lee (R., Utah), an outspoken advocate for FISA reform, tweeted after the lunch that he had “made a long case against a simple reauthorization of the FISA program. Some are arguing the program needs no reform and that DOJ can put in place internal quality control mechanisms. That’s not good enough.”Lee’s office told National Review in December that Republicans were planning “new legislation with major reforms to be introduced and hopefully incorporated into the program before it expires in March.”Reached for comment Wednesday, Lee's communications director Conn Carroll confirmed that the Utah Republican had held conversations with other FISA critics among the GOP.“Waiting to see how the House mark up finishes today before we strategize further," he told National Review in an email.The House Judiciary Committee postponed a meeting Wednesday to review markups to its FISA reform bill, after Representative Zoe Lofgren (D., Calif.) proposed last-minute amendments to strengthen reforms — which senior House Democrats dismissed as "poison pills" that would doom the legislation due to a lack of bipartisan support.House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D., N.Y.) told CNN Wednesday — before the delay — that he would not support a clean reauthorization of FISA, as his committee reviews mark-ups to legislation to renew the surveillance powers by its deadline.A Senate Republican aide suggested to National Review that House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) was behind the stalling on Nadler’s bill."There was a decent reform bill that Nadler had that Schiff forced him to water down. No civil liberties group signed off on it. It is a Schiff wish list," the aide said. "Lofgren has been perfectly transparent about wanting amendments, amendments that have strong bipartisan support. Which is why Schiff doesn’t want to vote on them."Conservative-libertarian advocacy group FreedomWorks condemned the decision to delay the bill's markup, saying in a statement that "the very idea that the Judiciary Committee might produce a bill that would address some of these problems was apparently too much for Chairman Schiff today.Last week, Representatives Doug Collins (R., Ga.) and Devin Nunes (R., Calif.) — ranking members of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees, respectively — sent a letter to Nadler urging serious reforms."The Democrats’ bill does not address the serious issues in our FISA system, as highlighted by Inspector General Horowitz. I’m not at all surprised that all Republicans, and apparently even some Democrats, agree," Collins said in a statement after the news of the delay. "The status quo is unacceptable. We cannot reauthorize these counterterrorism provisions without instituting critical safeguards that protect the civil liberties of all Americans."The Trump administration remains divided over how best to approach FISA, which the president often criticizes due to its use in the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation into his 2016 campaign. Over the weekend, reports broke that the White House Domestic Policy Council was pushing for a serious overhaul of FISA, but faced opposition from the National Security Council.“A lot will happen between now and March 15. We may do a placeholder and take it past March 15. We’ve got to get this right,” Senator John Kennedy (R., La.) told Politico.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Tlhg4q
Feed

South Africa Raises Funds for State Airline to $1.1 Billion

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2PwgT5W
Feed

Trump news — live: President's coronavirus response slammed as 'shameful' as he spends morning picking apart 'crazy' Democrat debate

Donald Trump’s White House is facing criticism for its “insane and depressing” decision to hire 23-year-old college James Bacon for a post in its powerful Presidential Personnel Office under new director John McEntee.The president has just returned from his two-day visit to India where he set in place a lucrative arms deal with Narendra Modi and toured the country’s beauty spots while being shielded from the outbreak of anti-Muslim riots, which left at least 20 people dead in New Dehli.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3a3MNi7
Feed

West Midlands to get access to ultrafast home broadband

The West Midlands gigabit switch-on is the largest in the UK, says Virgin Media, but comes at a price.

from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/3anhCyD
v

Protecting whales from the noise people make in the ocean

Oil drilling and construction is creating a din for sealife - new tech is hoping to turn the volume down.

from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/389xJy2
v

The US Navy orders ships in the Pacific to stay at sea at least 14 days between port calls over coronavirus concerns

Ships have been instructed to remain at sea for at least 14 days, the maximum incubation period for the coronavirus.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/398xEvP
Feed

Fourth Diamond Princess passenger dies; MSC cruise ship awaits health inspectors in Mexico

MSC Cruises' Meraviglia has docked in Cozumel after being turned away from ports in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3916SWk
Feed

Canada to stop providing security for Harry and Meghan

Canada will no longer provide security for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Canadian government said on Thursday, once the couple are no longer working members of the British royal family in the coming weeks. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have been assisting London's Metropolitan Police with security for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex "intermittently" since November, when the couple began a six-week holiday in Canada, according to a statement from the federal Office of the Minister of Public Safety.