| Trump touts chloroquine for 'immediate' use treating coronavirus, but FDA wants to see the data first Posted: 19 Mar 2020 11:17 AM PDT  President Trump said Thursday that the antimalarial drug chloroquine had shown "very encouraging early results" treating COVID-19 and will be rolled out "almost immediately" to help fight the growing coronavirus outbreak. But FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn cautioned that chloroquine had not yet been approved for treating COVID-19.
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| New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces 'an explosion' of new coronavirus cases as city total hits 3,615 Posted: 19 Mar 2020 03:42 PM PDT  "We're seeing an explosion of cases here in New York City," de Blasio said, calling the number of infections "very, very painful."
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| Coronavirus ended any last hopes of a Bernie Sanders comeback Posted: 19 Mar 2020 06:53 AM PDT  It's been real, hasn't it? After 13 months of campaigning, during which time he was briefly but almost unanimously considered the frontrunner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, it looks as if Bernie Sanders is finally calling it quits. On Wednesday afternoon his staff shot down an erroneous report that he had formally dropped out; it looks as if he'll wait to make that announcement sometime before the next primaries three weeks from now. To many observers it has been unclear why the junior senator from Vermont remained in the race after losing Michigan and Washington state two weeks ago, a defeat he followed with kind words about his fellow candidates and half-hearted conciliatory gestures towards the DNC.The math for Sanders has looked all but impossible for a long time. The only hope that remained was some kind of mythical 1920s barnstorming campaign across the country — a final quixotic assault on the fortresses of the Democratic establishment. With this now out of the question and his only opportunities for shoring up his base and attempting to poach uneasy Biden supporters limited to YouTube, it is easy to understand why would finally give up. It is impossible to imagine terms more favorable to Sanders' only remaining opponent than a nation-wide ban on public appearances coupled with the directive that persons over the age of 60 keep to themselves.Plenty of words (though almost certainly not as many as there might have been if the de facto end of the primary season had not coincided with the coronavirus pandemic) will be written about Sanders's brief rise and more or less instantaneous fall. Some observers will insist that Sanders lost largely because party insiders conspired against him, something that is belied by his poor showing even in states that he won, in some cases handily, in 2016. Others will give the credit to coronavirus, even though Biden's post-Nevada comeback had been secured long before this disease had established itself at the forefront of the American public imagination.This is not to suggest that at the margins the DNC did not do everything in its power to prevent a Sanders nomination. The virtually unprecedented speed with which the remains of the largest field of technically plausible candidates in the history of these contests dropped out and endorsed Biden tells us everything we need to know about whom the party wanted at the top of the ticket. But this consolidation would not have taken place if the will of core Democratic primary voters, not just in the South but in states as far ranging as Massachusetts and Idaho, had not already been made clear.What will become of Sanders' movement now that his presidential aspirations have been forestalled once again? Does he really represent the future of the Democratic party? A somewhat lesser-noticed contest on Tuesday hints at an answer. Whatever her objections to the Green New Deal and Medicare-for-all, there is one issue that matters more to Nancy Pelosi than anything else: abortion. This was made clear on Tuesday when Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois, an eight-term socially conservative Democratic incumbent and product of the old Chicago political machine, lost his primary race to Marie Newman, a progressive challenger endorsed by Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and numerous other high-profile left-wing politicians. There may not be much room for radical economic views in the Democratic Party, but in the coming realignment there is none at all for folks like Lipinski, who received virtually no support from his party's establishment. If progressives want to make inroads with the DNC, they must do what Sanders did not in 2016 (and did only half-heartedly in 2020) and put social issues at the forefront of their messaging.This brings us to the other question about Sanders and his supporters: whether they will turn out for Biden in the fall. Here it is worth remembering that in some states (including Michigan) in 2016, the Green Party candidate Jill Stein won a share of the vote wider than Trump's eventual margin of victory. Sanders himself will almost certainly endorse Biden, just as he endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016. Will this make a difference? Who knows.November seems very remote, longer away, indeed, than it felt two months ago. While it is possible at this stage to talk about how the general election might go — the actual range of possibilities is not unlimited — there are more pressing questions to be answered. If the most pessimistic forecasts prove correct, it is likely that the political conventions scheduled by both of our major political parties for this summer will have to be canceled, postponed, or held in what would almost certainly be the largest, most feedback-laden video calls in the history of Google Hangouts. For this small unhoped-for mercy, Sanders' supporters should be grateful. The reality of Biden's victory will not be setting in for a while.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com America has one of the world's worst coronavirus responses FDA clarifies that no drugs are approved to treat COVID-19 after Trump names 2 contenders Lindsey Graham is reportedly trying to talk Trump out of coronavirus relief checks for Americans
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| Iran furloughs imprisoned U.S. Navy vet amid coronavirus concerns Posted: 19 Mar 2020 04:40 PM PDT  Iran has granted a medical furlough to a U.S. Navy veteran who has been imprisoned in Iran for more than a year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Thursday.
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| Father takes his own life in ICE family detention centre Posted: 19 Mar 2020 07:06 AM PDT  A 27-year-old Honduran father has taken his own life while being held in a family detention centre by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Texas.According to RAICES, a Texas nonprofit organisation providing legal services to immigrants, the man had been fighting for his family's freedom from custody. He had been detained at the Karnes detention centre, which has been through a series of chaotic changes since the Trump administration ramped up its programme of family detentions.
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| Trump announces U.S.-Mexico border closure to stem spread of coronavirus Posted: 20 Mar 2020 11:00 AM PDT  The U.S.-Mexico border will be closed to nonessential travel to further help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, President Donald Trump announced Friday.
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| Brazil coronavirus cases top 600, diplomatic spat with China bubbles Posted: 19 Mar 2020 09:38 AM PDT  Confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil surged past 600 on Thursday, more than doubling in two days, as a diplomatic spat over the disease's origins between President Jair Bolsonaro's son and the Chinese ambassador threatened relations with Brazil's top trading partner. The president sidestepped this and other controversies in his weekly Facebook broadcast on Thursday evening, saying that the coronavirus outbreak in Brazil should peak in three to four months, and the country will return to normal in six to seven months. After blaming the global spread of the virus on China, the son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, attempted to defuse the situation on Thursday, saying he stood by his criticism of the government in Beijing but did not intend to offend the Chinese people.
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| A TP tip: Some restaurants are now offering a side of toilet paper with food orders Posted: 19 Mar 2020 10:42 AM PDT  Restaurants are now offering a side of toilet paper with to-go orders after coronavirus panic-buying caused global shortages of the paper product.
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| It's the 'coronavirus,' not the 'Chinese virus,' but Trump is right: China made it worse Posted: 19 Mar 2020 03:42 PM PDT  President Trump has taken pains over the past week to link the coronavirus outbreak to China, calling it the "Chinese virus" at daily briefings over objections that doing so unfairly stigmatizes an entire nation, and might encourage hostility toward Asian-Americans.
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| Burr, other senators under fire for stock sell-offs amid coronavirus outbreak Posted: 20 Mar 2020 06:22 AM PDT  The North Carolina Republican dumped up to $1.6 million of his holdings in mid-February.
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| Lebanon FM summons US envoy over American being flown out Posted: 20 Mar 2020 09:01 AM PDT  Lebanon's foreign minister summoned the U.S. ambassador Friday after an American on trial in Beirut was taken out of the country by a U.S. warplane — a move that the powerful militant group Hezbollah called a "blatant violation" of Lebanese sovereignty and laws. The Lebanese-American man, Amer Fakhoury, was ordered released Monday by a judge in Lebanon because more than 10 years had passed since he allegedly tortured prisoners at a jail run by an Israel-backed Lebanese militia. Fakhoury has denied the charges.
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| State Department will reportedly tell Americans abroad to immediately return home Posted: 19 Mar 2020 08:17 AM PDT  The State Department reportedly wants every American out of the country to return home.As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the world and the U.S., the State Department is preparing to issue the strongest travel advisory it can, two individuals familiar with the decision told Politico Thursday. It'll tell Americans abroad to either return to the states or prepare to shelter in place — a Level 4 advisory, those sources said.China and Mongolia are currently the only countries subject to a State Department level 4 travel advisory due to spread of the new coronavirus. The rest of the world is under a level 3 global health advisory, which suggests travelers reconsider their plans. The escalated level would instruct Americans to halt all travel out of the country; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has approved the measure, Politico reported.A State Department official confirmed the forthcoming announcement, but the department's press office didn't respond to Politico's request for comment.More stories from theweek.com America has one of the world's worst coronavirus responses Goldman Sachs has a devastating revision for its GDP growth predictions Coronavirus is causing an overlooked crisis in assisted living care
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| A US Navy special warfare operator has tested positive for the coronavirus Posted: 20 Mar 2020 02:57 PM PDT  Fellow service members who were in contact with the sailor have been quarantined at the base "out of an abundance of caution."
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| The impact of the new coronavirus could lead to the longest flu season in decades Posted: 20 Mar 2020 11:50 AM PDT  Wes Thrift, with Roper St. Francis Healthcare, is reflected in a car window wearing a protective mask as he talks to a possible coronavirus patient at the hospital's North Charleston office Monday, March 16, 2020, in North Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith) The new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has created a third spike in influenza-like illness (ILI) activity across the United States, as researchers working with AccuWeather predicted, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."The COVID-19 outbreak unfolding in the United States may affect healthcare-seeking behavior, which, in turn, would impact [CDC flu] data," the CDC noted in its weekly update.COVID-19 has now spread to more than 160 countries or regions with more than 240,000 confirmed cases and at least 10,000 deaths. In the U.S., there have been more than 14,500 confirmed cases - up from 3,770 just last week - and at least 175 deaths.Visits to health care providers for ILI increased for the second straight week to 5.8 percent after it was 5.2 percent last week, according to the CDC. For comparison, the highest peak during all of last year's difficult flu season was just 5.1 percent. Source: CDC This season is on track to be the longest above-baseline flu season in at least 20 years of CDC records; it's the 18th straight week flu activity is above baseline normal (2.4 percent). ILI activity has had longer stretches just twice since 1999-2000, according to CDC records, and this season's third spike is just starting to ascend. The other years were 2018-19 (20 weeks) and 2014-15 (19 weeks); this year is now tied with the flu pandemic season of 2009-10.CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APPThe CDC estimates there have been at least 38 million flu illnesses, 390,000 hospitalizations and 23,000 deaths from the flu during the 2019-20 season. Laboratory-confirmed flu-related hospitalization rates overall for the U.S. remain moderate compared to recent seasons, but rates for children 0-4 and adults 18-49 are now the highest the CDC has on record for these age groups, surpassing rates reported during the 2009-10 pandemic.The quarantining and social-distancing efforts enacted throughout the U.S. should help reduce both ILI activity and COVID-19 transmission."We know with the flu that people can release viruses into the air just by breathing and talking, so it doesn't necessarily have to be coughing and sneezing," Linsey Marr, an air pollution and environmental engineering professor at Virginia Tech, told AccuWeather's Monica Danielle."But the reason for social distancing is because even for the [germs] floating around, they're much more concentrated when you're close to the person," Marr added. "So, if you imagine someone who is smoking and you're closer to them, you're right in that puff of smoke, but if you're farther away, the air is much more diluted." The number of jurisdictions experiencing high ILI activity decreased from 43 last week to 40 this week. (Source: CDC; bright red represents the highest level of ILI activity on a scale that goes from bright red, then to orange, yellow, light green and dark green reflects the least activity.) Despite those efforts, researchers point out that the major interruptions to daily life could last for several months."I think if anybody thinks we'll be doing this for two weeks and then we're done ... I don't think that's going to work out. We'll go right back where we started," Madhav Marathe, a director and distinguished professor of biocomplexity, told AccuWeather's Bill Waddell. "I strongly believe that all the state governments in the U.S. should actively start building temporary medical facilities. I think it's centrally important."Flu season typically begins in October, peaks between December and February and lasts well into March, although activity can last as late as May. Flu viruses are more stable in cold air and the low humidity allows the virus particles to remain in the air, according to Peter Palese, who was the lead author on a key flu study in 2007.Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios
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| Iran judicial authority says liaising with France over prisoner swap Posted: 20 Mar 2020 03:07 PM PDT  Iran's judicial authority said Friday Tehran was liaising with Paris over the release of a French prisoner held in the Islamic republic after France released an Iranian threatened with extradition to the US. The Iranian, Jallal Rohollahnejad, "has been freed today", the Iranian judiciary's news agency Mizan Online reported, without disclosing the identity of the French detainee. Iranian state TV later Friday said he was already on a flight back to Tehran.
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| Here's what a 90-day 'stay home' order means for New Yorkers Posted: 20 Mar 2020 02:23 PM PDT  Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered all non-essential businesses to shut down and for people to remain indoorsGovernor Andrew Cuomo of New York has ordered the shutdown of all non-essential businesses in the state, as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases surged above 7,000. Except for essential services, all New Yorkers are now ordered to stay indoors for up to 90 days from 8pm Sunday evening.Cuomo called the new measures the "ultimate step" to curb the outbreak. "These provisions will be enforced. These are not helpful hints. This is not if you really want to be a great citizen. These are legal provisions," he said at a briefing on Friday morning in Albany, the state's capital. "We need everyone to be safe; otherwise, no one can be safe."> BREAKING: New York will implement a 90-day moratorium on evictions for residential and commercial tenants. > > We will do all we can to help those financially suffering because of the COVID19 pandemic.> > — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 20, 2020What does a 90-day quarantine mean for New York state's 19.5 million residents?Can New Yorkers go outside? Yes. Although New Yorkers are strongly encouraged to stay indoors and public gatherings are limited, they can still go to the grocery store, hospital or doctor's office, walk their dogs or even head to the laundromat. That's simply because state officials have determined these activities are essential.Although residents are still allowed to enjoy the outdoors, the governor reminded them to use common sense in maintaining social distance."Outdoor recreation is a solitary recreational exercise. It's running. It's hiking," he said. "It's not playing basketball with five other people."Only professionals in industries also deemed essential during the outbreak will be permitted to go back and forth from their jobs. Residents working in healthcare, sanitation, food services, law enforcement as well as gas stations and laundry mats won't see specific limitations on their movement.All non-essential businesses have been ordered closed, however, after state officials increasingly demanded staff reductions. Previously capped at groups of 50, non-essential gatherings of New Yorkers of any size, for any reason, are now banned.What happens if residents don't comply? Cuomo announced that the mandate applies to all individuals and business in the state. But it's important to note the measure stops short of being a so-called shelter-in-place order, which is intended for mass shootings.In contrast, California's governor, Gavin Newsom, issued an order mandating residents shelter-in-place earlier this week, although Cuomo on Friday said California was no longer officially using that term.However, unlike New York's regulations, California's mandate is enforceable as a misdemeanor crime, and demands sheriffs and police chiefs "ensure compliance with and enforce this order".In New York "the violation of any provision of its order constitutes an imminent threat and creates an immediate menace to public health", the mandate states.Any businesses violating the order would be fined and forced to close. However, Cuomo insisted the state does not plan to fine individuals who violate the regulations.What about transit? New York is home to the county's largest, and oldest, transportation system of subway trains and buses – the MTA in New York City. According to the order, mass transit will stay operational, but residents are strongly discouraged from using public transit unless it's absolutely necessary.Roads, gas stations and some auto repair services will stay open.In New York City, the mayor, Bill de Blasio, had pushed for a shelter-in-place order to limit even non-essential travel, such as by foot, bicycle or scooter. However, the state governor had repeatedly dismissed the idea, insisting New Yorkers would not be confined to their homes under a quarantine. The governor is the only official with the executive power to order a city or the entire state to, in effect, lock down. Donald Trump reiterated on Friday that the federal government was not ready to order a nationwide stay-at-home order.The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus soared by more than 1,000 in the city in just a matter of hours on Thursday. Under Cuomo's order announced on Friday, essential travel is categorized as traveling for necessary supplies, accessing healthcare or going to provide aid to family or friends. Air travel and taxis are still permitted, as is ride-sharing on a personal basis, excluding group rides.The new provisions will take effect on Sunday night.
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| Exhausted Dutch minister leading coronavirus fight quits Posted: 19 Mar 2020 09:33 AM PDT  Medical Care Minister Bruno Bruins, 56, fell to the floor in parliament on Wednesday while taking questions. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Bruins had quit because it was unclear how long it would take for him to recover. "The nature of the crisis is such that it demands a minister who can be ready to go full throttle immediately," Rutte said during a televised news conference.
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| Migrants fear getting stuck in Mexico as Trump hints at border restrictions Posted: 19 Mar 2020 10:16 AM PDT  The threat of shutting down access to the U.S. asylum process for thousands of migrants waiting in Mexico stoked anxiety in border communities.
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| Trump responds to question on coronavirus fears: 'I say that you're a terrible reporter' Posted: 20 Mar 2020 11:02 AM PDT  When a reporter asked President Trump "what do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?" he responded by saying "I say that you're a terrible reporter."
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| Senate GOP unveils massive coronavirus bill that includes checks for Americans Posted: 19 Mar 2020 06:09 PM PDT  The Republican proposal also includes emergency aid for small businesses and industries such as airline companies.
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| Senate GOP prioritizes business tax cuts in coronavirus stimulus package Posted: 19 Mar 2020 02:47 PM PDT  Senate Republicans released their "phase three" coronavirus economic stimulus package on Thursday in a follow-up to Wednesday's package.The Senate passed an initial package on Wednesday, which originated in the Democrat-led House and included paid sick leave, unemployment benefits, free COVID-19 testing, and other food and medical aid. But Thursday's proposal walks back some of those actions by putting stricter limits on who can use that paid leave. It also includes loans for small businesses of up to $10 million, a lift on excise taxes for airlines, and a variety of tax cuts and adjustments for businesses.The bill promises up to $1,200 in "recovery rebates" to individual Americans who made no more than $75,000 and $2,400 to joint filers who made no more than $150,000 as of their 2018 tax return. For every $100 a person makes over those limits, $5 will be deducted from that amount. GOP negotiators, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), had held firm on the $75,000 threshold as of Thursday.> GOP bill on immediate checks:> > \-- $1,200 per person ($2,400 if filing jointly) > \-- $500 per kid > \-- Begins to phase out above $75K > \-- Phases out completely above $99K > \-- Much smaller benefit, of $600, for millions w/o federal tax liability pic.twitter.com/mPggn8eepS> > — Jeffrey Stein (@JStein_WaPo) March 19, 2020Democrats will still have a chance to negotiate to modify the deal, but it'll likely have President Trump's support. By the end of Thursday, the U.S. had reported 11,200 cases of coronavirus and at least 166 deaths, ABC News reports.More stories from theweek.com Top coronavirus doctor puts head in hands when Trump mentions 'Deep State Department' at briefing America has one of the world's worst coronavirus responses Bloomberg's last FEC filing shows he spent nearly $1 billion on his failed presidential run
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| The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of an infant and a teenager Posted: 19 Mar 2020 04:00 AM PDT  The coronavirus outbreak has largely spared children, but two new medical reports document the first infant and first teenager to die of COVID-19.
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| Cigarette Butt Leads Cops to Killer in 1985 Slaying of Young Mom: Police Posted: 19 Mar 2020 11:29 AM PDT  For 35 years, the family of Tonya Ethridge McKinley anxiously waited for authorities to track down the man who murdered the gregarious 23-year-old, dumping her body on the side of a Florida highway.On Wednesday evening, that day finally arrived with the arrest of Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, who was tied to the young woman's 1985 slaying thanks to DNA recovered from the butt of his cigarette. His arrest marks the beginning of the end of the oldest cold case in Pensacola history."She was the best sister a girl could ask for," her older sister, Renee Ethridge, told The Daily Beast. "God is good. I can't believe this day has finally arrived."Wells was charged Wednesday evening with first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery for the January 1, 1985, murder of McKinley, according to the Pensacola Police Department. He is currently being held without bond at Escambia County Jail. Police Arrest Two Louisiana Men in 39-Year-Old Cold Case Murder of TeenMcKinley was last seen alive celebrating New Year's Eve around 1:30 a.m. at Darryl's Bar & Grille in Pensacola, while her 18-month-old son was waiting for her at home. Four hours later, a family taking their dog to the vet found her body in an empty lot a block from a highway. The 23-year-old, who was found only partially clothed, had been strangled and sexually assaulted, police said. Investigators collected physical evidence at the scene and on McKinley's body—including semen and hair—but they were never able to identify a suspect or make any arrests in the case. They also failed to match DNA found at the scene with samples from a national database."Despite having a good bit of physical evidence and dozens of interviews, over time, the trail went cold," the Pensacola Police Department said in an emotional statement posted on Facebook Thursday. "In the meantime, a baby boy grew up without a mother, parents buried their daughter without knowing justice, and a killer was walking around free."Her case went cold, but Pensacola police remained committed to catching McKinley's killer, and her case was passed around to several detectives over the last 30 years.Police May Have Solved the 1999 Cold-Case Murder of Kassie Federer. And the Suspect Is Already on Death Row."It seems that every couple of years a new lead would pop up and we would drop everything to run it down. We did this time and time again," the department said in their statement. "When detectives retired, Tonya's case was passed along to the next generation again and again. As technology advanced, the case was brought back to the forefront. Detectives laid fresh eyes on all of the evidence, new theories were presented, and hopes of catching Tonya's killer were renewed."Over the last couple of years, police have been comparing DNA profiles left behind at old murder scenes with open-source genealogy databases that have become popular among families hoping to find long-lost relatives. Using a database, Pensacola authorities were able to match DNA evidence found near McKinley's body with several different people believed to be Wells' distant cousins. After the hit, authorities constructed a family tree, starting with the distant relatives to determine possible offenders. Eventually, authorities said, the tree led them to identify Wells as a suspect. The Pensacola Police Department said they followed Wells and were ultimately able to match DNA from a cigarette butt he'd discarded to the evidence they'd collected 35 years ago. 5-Year-Old A.J. Freund Died From Repeated Blows to the Head in Fatal Beating, Coroner Says"Today, the evil that took Tonya from her friends and family was arrested for her brutal murder," the department said. "The reasons why this happened, how evil crossed Tonya's path, may never be answered and in the end may not be important. What is important is that no one forgot Tonya."According to court records obtained by the Pensacola News Journal, Wells has had previous run-ins with Pensacola authorities, including a 1987 arrest for alleged battery and witness tampering. He pleaded no contest to the first charge, and the second was eventually dropped. A year later, Wells was arrested for alleged solicitation of prostitution, but it's unclear how the case ended.Timothy Davidson Jr., McKinley's 35-year-old son, told The Daily Beast that while he is grateful for the arrest, he will only feel "complete when there is a conviction and justice has been served.""It's still kind of unbelievable—like I'm dreaming," Davidson Jr. said, adding that his mother "can finally Rest in Peace."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet 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.
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| Pompeo says U.S. citizen detained in Iran since 2018 released on medical furlough Posted: 19 Mar 2020 08:51 AM PDT  U.S. citizen Michael White who has been detained in Iran since 2018 has been released on Thursday on medical furlough, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, adding that the U.S. navy veteran was currently under the custody of the Swiss government. On Tuesday, Pompeo in a press conference said Tehran was considering freeing some U.S. citizens and urged them to do so as a humanitarian gesture because of coronavirus.
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| 'To All the Boys' star Lana Candor appears to call out Trump after he refuses to stop saying 'Chinese virus' when referring to the coronavirus Posted: 19 Mar 2020 10:51 AM PDT  "You simply cannot even fathom the danger you are putting our community in," Candor said in a seeming response to President Donald Trump.
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| Goldman, Credit Suisse Forecast Recession for Latin America Posted: 19 Mar 2020 08:29 AM PDT |
| Bloomberg makes massive $18M transfer from campaign to DNC Posted: 20 Mar 2020 08:00 AM PDT  The billionaire former presidential candidate will be supporting existing groups instead of running his own 2020 super PAC.
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| COVID-19 hit South Korea and the U.S. on the same day. Here's what Korea did right. Posted: 18 Mar 2020 10:25 PM PDT  The U.S. and South Korea both confirmed their first cases of new coronavirus on Jan. 21. South Korea's epidemic seems to have already peaked, while the U.S. is girding for public health, financial, and social crises. The key to South Korea's relative success is testing, and South Korea's aggressive testing regime — "South Korea as of Tuesday was testing up to 20,000 patients a day, more than half the total of U.S. patients who have been tested since the outbreak began," The Wall Street Journal notes — was not an accident.On Jan. 27, with four confirmed cases in the country, "South Korean health officials summoned representatives from more than 20 medical companies from their lunar New Year celebrations to a conference room tucked inside Seoul's busy train station," where a top infectious disease official "delivered an urgent message: South Korea needed an effective test immediately to detect the novel coronavirus," Reuters reports. "He promised the companies swift regulatory approval." A week later, South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved one company's diagnostic test and gave the green light to another company's test on Feb. 12.South Korea has tested more than 290,000 people; the U.S., with about 321 million more people, has tested just 71,000, according to the COVID Tracking Project. "South Korea took a risk, releasing briskly vetted tests, then circling back later to spot check their effectiveness," Reuters reports. "With many more tests in hand, health officials were well armed to attack a fast-moving virus and aggressively track down people who may have been exposed. This testing-backed offensive helped South Korea reduce the number of new cases over a matter of weeks, serving as a model for other countries grappling with the pandemic."In the U.S., the CDC had the only tests approved by the Food and Drug Administration until the FDA loosened its criteria on Feb. 29, and the CDC's first test was faulty. The FDA is now considering approving the South Korean tests as the U.S. struggles to meet demand.South Korea's response is a testament to leadership and foresight, but it was hard-won. South Korea was hit badly by MERS in 2015 — 186 cases, more than anywhere outside the Middle East — and the government was criticized for its slow, secretive response. "We can't ever forget the incident," Lee Sang-won at South Korea's CDC told Reuters. "It is engraved in our mind."More stories from theweek.com Lindsey Graham is reportedly trying to talk Trump out of coronavirus relief checks for Americans FDA clarifies that no drugs are approved to treat COVID-19 after Trump names 2 contenders Trump administration asks states to delay releasing unemployment numbers
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| World Feared China Over Coronavirus. Now the Tables Are Turned. Posted: 19 Mar 2020 11:52 AM PDT  The fear and suspicion directed at China in the devastating early days of the coronavirus outbreak have made a 180-degree turn: It is the West that now frightens Asia and the rest of the world.With Italy, Spain and the United States surging in contagion, many countries in Asia that suffered through the pandemic first seem to have wrestled it into submission, particularly China, and are now fighting to protect against a new wave of infection from outside.Across Asia, travelers from Europe and the United States are being barred or forced into quarantine. Gyms, private clinics and restaurants in Hong Kong warn them to stay away. Even Chinese parents who proudly sent their children to study in New York or London are now mailing them masks and sanitizer or rushing them home on flights that can cost $25,000."We came back because we think going back to China is safer than staying in New York," said Farrah Lyu, a 24-year-old recent college graduate who flew home to eastern China with her roommate this month.The reversal of fortune would have been unimaginable a few weeks ago. At the time, China was the outbreak's global epicenter, with people dying by the hundreds each day.But Thursday, it reported no new local cases for the first time since the outbreak began. Its uncompromising response -- locking down cities, shutting factories, testing thousands -- seems to have brought China's contagion under control.Now the pandemic that originated in China is migrating and starting to recirculate. Across Asia, where Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea successfully grappled with the virus early, alongside China, there is a growing sense of fear and dismay. Much of the region looks west and asks: We're getting it right -- why can't you?For President Donald Trump, the answer has been deflection. Facing a torrent of criticism for playing down the epidemic in its crucial early stages, he has been trying to push blame back to China, worsening existing tensions between the two superpowers. Despite warnings that he is encouraging xenophobia, Trump has repeatedly used the term "China virus" in what critics see as an effort to distance himself from the problem.Beijing has retaliated by falsely suggesting that the virus started with U.S. troops, while portraying itself as a heroic warrior against the contagion and a model for the world.Especially in China and the Chinese diaspora, there is a growing demand for recognition of the hard work and sacrifices that tamed the outbreak, and a desire to tell the world what has gone right and wrong, and why."People in Western countries said China's response was too authoritarian, didn't respect people's democracy and freedom enough," said Yin Choi Lam, a Vietnamese-Chinese restaurant owner in Melbourne, Australia. "Now compare it to places like Italy, where the death rate is so high, or America, where no one knows how many people are sick. Would you rather have freedom or keep your life?"Similar arguments are flooding Chinese social media. One popular comic shows China sick as the world watches behind a glass barrier, followed by a panel with an angry, healthy China behind the glass as other countries play and tussle without masks like unruly children.Some of the heaviest scorn, however, has been saved for those who return to China and question the country's harsh approach. A video that went viral this week showed a Chinese-Australian woman being confronted by police in Beijing after she evaded quarantine in order to exercise.Users of the microblogging platform Weibo called for her to be sent back to Australia.Critics both inside and outside China note that the country's authoritarian response is not the only or the best way to fight an epidemic. Officials kept the virus secret for weeks, allowing it to spread uncontrolled in central China, then forced people to remain in overwhelmed cities.By contrast, South Korea, a vibrant capitalist democracy, along with Taiwan and Singapore, have managed the virus with transparency, efficiency and solidarity, while preserving freedom of movement.Part of what has set some Asian countries apart is experience, said Leighanne Yuh, a historian at Korea University."From the outset of the epidemic, South Koreans took the situation very seriously, perhaps because of their previous experiences with SARS and MERS," she said. "Wearing masks, washing our hands, social distancing -- these were all familiar actions."In the United States and Europe, there was more hesitation. And now they are hubs of infection sending disease across the globe. In Australia, the United States is now the leading source of coronavirus cases, followed by Italy, then China.Infections in China are also coming from outside. Officials said Thursday that 34 new cases had been confirmed among people who had arrived from elsewhere.Many people in China now want their government to completely block access from the United States and other hot spots in the same way other countries suspended arrivals from China."I hope China can tighten its national borders and significantly reduce the number of people entering the country," said Tang Xiaozhao, a plastic surgery manager in Shanghai. "Governments and people of most countries disappoint me."In Hong Kong, a semiautonomous Chinese territory has often acted as a bridge between China and the West, the shifting sense of angst can be seen in warnings from businesses where people gather.One online warning, posted by a pub called Hemingway's DB, tells expats that they will be reported to the police if they violate a new official requirement for 14 days of self-isolation upon returning from overseas. And a large fitness chain emailed customers to tell anyone who has returned from abroad since March 10, or lives with someone who did: "Kindly do not visit."For those with family members in the United States or Europe, there is also a frantic rush to help. On Wednesday at Hong Kong's main post office, people lined up to send boxes of masks and alcohol wipes."During SARS, my mother drove from Canada to the United States to buy masks, so I had to send some back to her," said Eric Chan, 45, a financier.He was down to his last box in Hong Kong but had gone from pharmacy to pharmacy until he snagged a few boxes for his mother and siblings at inflated prices.His own face was covered -- most people in Hong Kong are still wearing masks.The city, with a population of 7 million, has avoided total shutdowns, even as the virus peaked in mainland China. But this week Hong Kong moved to tighten its borders as it recorded a significant uptick in infections, most of them imported. Authorities are investigating five cases linked to Lan Kwai Fong, a night life area that is thronged with expatriates on weekends.Many of those who recently returned to China might have predicted just such a cluster. They see in the United States and Europe a greater urge to go it alone -- and studies have found that Americans and Europeans tend to focus on the individual rather than what's interconnected.Lyu, 24, and her roommate in New York, Tianran Qian, 23 -- who flew back to their homes in Hangzhou, in eastern China -- said they found the U.S. response disorienting. They had both been reading about outbreak clusters around the world for weeks, and for a time they stayed inside and wore masks as they would have at home.But their American friends continued to socialize, describing the virus as little more than the flu."On your phone, you see what's happening around the world, in Japan and Korea, and when you go into real life, people act as if it's a normal day," Lyu said, describing what it was like in New York before she left."They either don't get it or they just ignore it," Qian said. "People were so indifferent."At home in China, they said, they felt safer. They self-quarantined in their rooms, with their parents leaving food and novels at their bedroom doors.Their groceries were delivered and even their trash was collected and treated by hospital employees in hazmat suits."Everything was planned," Lyu said. "We don't have to worry about everything."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company
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| Harrowing video from a hospital at the center of Italy's coronavirus outbreak shows doctors overwhelmed by critical patients Posted: 20 Mar 2020 03:14 AM PDT  More have died from the coronavirus in Italy than anywhere else, and Bergamo is the hardest-hit city. Some may find this video distressing to watch.
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| India hangs four over 2012 Delhi bus gang-rape Posted: 20 Mar 2020 04:32 AM PDT  India executed four men on Friday for the gang-rape and murder of a woman on a Delhi bus in 2012 that sparked huge nationwide protests and international revulsion. The brutal attack on Jyoti Singh sparked weeks of demonstrations and shone a spotlight on the alarming rates of sexual violence and the plight of women in India, where around 95 rapes are reported daily. "Today all Indian women received justice," Delhi resident Meena Sharma told AFP, clutching an Indian flag.
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| Hundreds of U.S. flights canceled after air traffic coronavirus cases Posted: 20 Mar 2020 07:26 AM PDT  U.S. airlines have canceled hundreds of flights at three major U.S. airports this week after a series of coronavirus cases involving air traffic control personnel. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily closed the air traffic control tower at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York early Friday before reopening it around 11:30 a.m. ET (1530 GMT). The FAA also shuttered part of the Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center for cleaning after workers tested positive for the coronavirus.
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| Hawley, Romney Criticize GOP’s Coronavirus Cash Payment Plan: ‘Lower-Income Families Shouldn’t Be Penalized’ Posted: 20 Mar 2020 05:06 AM PDT  Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) spoke out against the Senate GOP's plan for direct payments to Americans as part of its phase-three coronavirus relief package, calling it "regressive" and saying the structure of the plan "needs to be fixed.""Relief to families in this emergency shouldn't be regressive. Lower-income families shouldn't be penalized," Hawley tweeted Thursday night after Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R., Ky.) dropped the plan.> Relief to families in this emergency shouldn't be regressive. Lower-income families shouldn't be penalized> > -- Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 19, 2020The Missouri Republican clarified that he was speaking directly about the bill in a later tweet, adding that it "needs to be fixed."> I mean the GOP bill that just got introduced in the Senate needs to be fixed https://t.co/yzEvgaXYtd> > -- Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 19, 2020The plan, which McConnell said Thursday creates "money for people, from the middle class down, period," includes direct payments of $1,200 per person and $2,400 for couples to help offset economic losses amid the growing pandemic. But the provision that Hawley labeled "regressive" states that size of the checks will be halved for Americans with no federal income tax liability. While the Senate Finance Committee said the bill "ensures relief gets to low-income seniors and disabled veterans," the plan will also affect poor Americans.Earlier this week, Hawley released his own plan targeted at all single parents making less than $50,000, and all married parents making less than $100,000, to assist working families with cash payments — a proposal enthusiastically endorsed by Quinton Lucas, Democratic mayor of Kansas City, Missouri."Let's not overthink this. These families need relief — now — to pay bills that are coming due, make those emergency grocery runs, and get ready for potential medical bills. Let's get it to them," Hawley said in a press release announcing the plan.Senator Mitt Romney (R., Utah), who released his own proposal for a one-time $1,000 payment to every American, also criticized the final plan's payment structure."The current bill has promise but it shouldn't give lower earners smaller checks —that's directly contrary to my proposal. We need to fix this to ensure lower earners get equal payments," Romney tweeted on Thursday night.> Americans urgently need cash to meet immediate needs, that's been my goal from the start. The current bill has promise but it shouldn't give lower earners smaller checks —that's directly contrary to my proposal. We need to fix this to ensure lower earners get equal payments.> > -- Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) March 20, 2020
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| Trump and Fauci differ in tone on possible drug treatment for coronavirus Posted: 20 Mar 2020 12:01 PM PDT  At Friday's White House coronavirus task force briefing, President Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, differed on their expectations about the use of chloroquine to treat the virus.
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| Mississippi delays a GOP primary runoff amid pandemic Posted: 20 Mar 2020 10:42 AM PDT  Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced Friday that he is postponing the March 31 Republican primary runoff in the state's 2nd Congressional District because of the coronavirus. Mississippi joins a number of other states that have postponed elections amid the global pandemic. The Republican runoff is between Thomas L. Carey and Brian Flowers, who are running low-budget campaigns.
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| As deliveries soar, UPS drivers say company's coronavirus precautions may not keep them or customers safe Posted: 20 Mar 2020 06:59 AM PDT  "I got 160 stops, 300 packages," one UPS driver said. "I deliver to doctors' offices, urgent cares. The potential for bad things to happen is crazy."
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| Nearly half of U.S. coronavirus patients in intensive care are under 65, CDC reports Posted: 18 Mar 2020 11:34 PM PDT  Older Americans are still at greater risk of death from the new COVID-19 coronavirus, but 38 percent of the U.S. patients known to have been hospitalized for COVID-19 were between age 20 and 54, and nearly half of those admitted to the intensive care unit were adults under 65, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday. The report looked at 508 of the first 2,449 coronavirus patients in the U.S. The high rate of hospitalization for younger adults matches the statistics reported from France and Italy.The report showed that adults of all ages are at risk of getting sick from the coronavirus — of the 2,449 patients examined, 6 percent were 85 and older, 25 percent were 65 to 84, 29 percent were 20 to 44, and 5 percent were 19 and younger, the CDC said. People 20 to 44 — the millennial generation — accounted for 20 percent of those hospitalized and 12 percent of ICU patients."I think everyone should be paying attention to this," Columbia University epidemiologist Stephen S. Morse tells The New York Times. "It's not just going to be the elderly. There will be people age 20 and up. They do have to be careful, even if they think that they're young and healthy." And it's not just the health of younger people that has experts worried, adds Dr. Christopher Carlsten, the head of respiratory medicine at the University of British Columbia. "If that many younger people are being hospitalized, that means that there are a lot of young people in the community that are walking around with the infection," putting older and sicker people at risk.More stories from theweek.com Lindsey Graham is reportedly trying to talk Trump out of coronavirus relief checks for Americans FDA clarifies that no drugs are approved to treat COVID-19 after Trump names 2 contenders Trump administration asks states to delay releasing unemployment numbers
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| Mexico's deadly toll of environment and land defenders catalogued in report Posted: 20 Mar 2020 03:00 AM PDT  At least 83 murdered in 2012-2019, with a third of attacks targeting opponents of energy mega-projectsAt least 83 Mexican land and environment defenders were murdered between 2012 and 2019, while hundreds more were threatened, beaten and criminalized, according to a new report.Latin America is the most dangerous continent in the world to defend environmental, land and human rights, with Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala ranking worst.In Mexico, this targeted violence has taken hold in the context of widespread impunity and escalating generalized violence since the ill-fated war on drugs was launched in 2006.Calderón sends in the armyMexico's "war on drugs" began in late 2006 when the president at the time, Felipe Calderón, ordered thousands of troops onto the streets in response to an explosion of horrific violence in his native state of Michoacán.Calderón hoped to smash the drug cartels with his heavily militarized onslaught but the approach was counter-productive and exacted a catastrophic human toll. As Mexico's military went on the offensive, the body count sky-rocketed to new heights and tens of thousands were forced from their homes, disappeared or killed.Kingpin strategySimultaneously Calderón also began pursuing the so-called "kingpin strategy" by which authorities sought to decapitate the cartels by targeting their leaders.That policy resulted in some high-profile scalps – notably Arturo Beltrán Leyva who was gunned down by Mexican marines in 2009 – but also did little to bring peace. In fact, many believe such tactics served only to pulverize the world of organized crime, creating even more violence as new, less predictable factions squabbled for their piece of the pie.Under Calderón's successor, Enrique Peña Nieto, the government's rhetoric on crime softened as Mexico sought to shed its reputation as the headquarters of some the world's most murderous mafia groups.But Calderón's policies largely survived, with authorities targeting prominent cartel leaders such as Sinaloa's Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.When "El Chapo" was arrested in early 2016, Mexico's president bragged: "Mission accomplished". But the violence went on. By the time Peña Nieto left office in 2018, Mexico had suffered another record year of murders, with nearly 36,000 people slain."Hugs not bullets"The leftwing populist Andrés Manuel López Obrador took power in December, promising a dramatic change in tactics. López Obrador, or Amlo as most call him, vowed to attack the social roots of crime, offering vocational training to more than 2.3 million disadvantaged young people at risk of being ensnared by the cartels. "It will be virtually impossible to achieve peace without justice and [social] welfare," Amlo said, promising to slash the murder rate from an average of 89 killings per day with his "hugs not bullets" doctrine.Amlo also pledged to chair daily 6am security meetings and create a 60,000 strong "National Guard". But those measures have yet to pay off, with the new security force used mostly to hunt Central American migrants.Mexico now suffers an average of about 96 murders per day, with nearly 29,000 people killed since Amlo took office.The situation for defenders was exacerbated by energy reforms in 2013, since when scores of renewable energy mega-projects have been imposed on rural and indigenous communities without adequate consultation or compensation.Almost one in three attacks since 2012 targeted defenders opposing energy projects, especially wind and hydroelectric power, according to the Mexican Centre for Environmental Rights (known by its Spanish acronym, Cemed)."The data shows persistent structural violence against defenders of environmental rights in our country, which prevents them having the freedom and security to exercise their right to defend human rights," said a spokesperson for Cemed, which tracks attacks against communities opposing projects threatening forests, water sources and land rights.The violence is spread across the country, but defenders in the southern state of Oaxaca have faced most attacks over the past eight years.Oaxaca, one of the country's poorest states with the highest proportion of indigenous peoples, is rich in natural resources such as minerals, rivers, forests and natural gas. The violence has been particularly marked in the biodiverse isthmus of Tehuantepec – a narrow land mass between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean where 28 mega wind farms now generate electricity.The overall number of attacks in 2019 was the lowest since 2012. Nevertheless, 15 defenders were murdered and at least 25 others were threatened, harassed or subjected to smear campaigns.This included the double murder of the indigenous Tarahumara defender Otilia Martínez Cruz and his son Chaparro Cruz, who were shot dead on 1 May 2019 – a year after another family member, Julián Carrillo, was killed.More than a dozen Tarahumara defenders have been killed in recent years for trying to stop the illegal deforestation of their ancestral land in the Sierra Madre, a biodiverse mountain range in northern Mexico. They include Isidro Baldenegro López, winner of the prestigious Goldman environmental prize, who was shot dead in 2017. The forests have long been targeted by illegal loggers abetted by corrupt officials and landowners.In 2019, state officials such as police officers, national guard and local prosecutors, were responsible for 40% of incidents registered by Cemed.
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| A 39-year-old coronavirus patient, who could hardly breathe, posted a stark video from the ICU to warn people who think it won't happen to them Posted: 20 Mar 2020 05:20 AM PDT  A 39-year-old woman, who is said to have been otherwise healthy, posted harrowing footage of what the coronavirus can do to even a young patient.
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| How long will the coronavirus outbreak last in the U.S.? Posted: 20 Mar 2020 04:50 AM PDT  A quick timeline would mirror the timeline in China, where the coronavirus outbreak began, Dr. Deborah Birx said.
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| Progressives Call on Pelosi to Negotiate Bigger Cash Payments for Americans Posted: 19 Mar 2020 02:44 PM PDT  As Congress negotiates a sweeping stimulus bill to respond to the devastating economic effects of the coronavirus outbreak, a nearly 100-member bloc of House progressives is laying down a policy marker for what they want to see in the legislation, from big cash payments for all to broadly expanded sick leave provisions.In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reviewed by The Daily Beast, the co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Mark Pocan (D-WI), outline a dozen "top priorities" that the group has for the stimulus bill. At the top of their list is progressives' benchmark on the issue of direct cash payments to Americans to help them cope with the economic slowdown—one that has broad buy-in from Democrats and Republicans but disagreement on key details. The progressives are calling for guaranteeing monthly cash payments of up to $2,000 for each adult in the U.S., and up to $1,000 more for families with children, for the next six months—with needier families able to extend for another six months. That proposal is far more generous and expansive than the $1,200 individual tax rebate—and $2,400 family rebate—that Senate Republicans proposed on Thursday for households making less than $150,000.As Republicans consider targeted relief to the industries hardest-hit by the downturn—particularly travel and hospitality—the progressives say any assistance must be conditioned on companies keeping checks flowing to workers and blocking any money from flowing to executive bonuses or stock buybacks, provisions championed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in a "litmus test" she released earlier this week. The caucus also calls on Democratic leadership to consider a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, a moratorium on negative credit score reporting, and implementing debt forgiveness and loan forbearance during the crisis.As the outbreak disrupts state primaries, the list of priorities also includes implementing "nationwide no-excuse absentee voting" and proposes a $500 million grant for states to establish vote-by-mail programs.The Progressive Caucus letter comes as Pelosi and House Democratic leadership are under increased pressure from the party's left flank to consider more progressive proposals than the ones that were in the legislation the speaker negotiated with the White House last week. In particular, Pelosi has been criticized by progressives for an emphasis on tax credits as a way of getting financial assistance to struggling Americans. In an interview with The Atlantic published Thursday, Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), a leading progressive, criticized Pelosi, saying "The fact that the speaker's talking about refundable tax credits … Who has time to wait to do their taxes and see what they get a year from now?"The last relief bill's provision on sick leave was considered by many in the caucus as woefully inadequate; the caucus' letter notably calls to "reinstate protections for frontline workers including medical staff and domestic workers" and "provide full wage replacement for workers who are unable to work."Currently, the Senate is moving quickly to pass what could be a trillion-dollar stimulus bill, with Republicans eager to own this round of legislation after Pelosi was in the driver's seat on the last. However, any bill that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) comes up with will have to pass in the Democratic House, where progressives make up a significant bloc of the majority and could leave an influential mark on whatever legislation does pass the chamber.Trump's China Hawk Is Trying to Commandeer the Coronavirus Stimulus and Others in the White House Are AlarmedRead 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.
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| Kremlin says Putin does not need a coronavirus test as he has no symptoms Posted: 20 Mar 2020 03:15 AM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been tested for the new coronavirus and does not need to undergo such a test because he is healthy and has no symptoms, the Kremlin said on Friday. Russia has reported 199 coronavirus cases so far, fewer than in many other European countries. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that everyone involved in events with Putin, 67, is tested in advance for the virus and that people in Crimea who received state awards from him this week were screened.
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| Russia deports Chinese for violating self-quarantine rules Posted: 20 Mar 2020 06:21 AM PDT  Authorities in Moscow are detaining and deporting Chinese nationals for violating quarantine procedures the city government mandated in response to the coronavirus, according to court filings and a lawyer working on at least 15 cases. Since the beginning of the year, as many as 79 Chinese people have been taken into custody and fined for leaving their place of residence during the 14-day self-quarantine period they were ordered to observe after returning from China, defense lawyer Sergei Malik told The Associated Press. The majority have been deported from Russia, while 27 remain at Moscow's migrant detention facility awaiting deportation or rulings on appeals arguing the detentions were arbitrary, Malik said.
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| Pentagon successfully tests hypersonic missile Posted: 20 Mar 2020 04:43 PM PDT  The United States announced Friday it has successfully tested an unarmed prototype of a hypersonic missile, a nuclear-capable weapon that could accelerate the arms race between superpowers. The Pentagon said a test glide vehicle flew at hypersonic speeds -- more than five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5 -- to a designated impact point. The test followed the first joint US Army and Navy flight experiment in October 2017, when the prototype missile demonstrated it could glide in the direction of a target at hypersonic speed.
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