| Republicans block most aid to help states plan for presidential election amid coronavirus pandemic Posted: 25 Mar 2020 03:31 PM PDT  Voting reforms that would make it much easier to cast ballots by mail in the fall presidential election were left out of the $2 trillion rescue package that was unveiled Wednesday.
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| In coronavirus pandemic, Trump allies say they're ready to die for the economy Posted: 25 Mar 2020 08:54 AM PDT  Some conservatives are urging Americans to ignore the advice of public health experts and get back to work in order to avoid an extended market downturn.
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| U.S. files drug trafficking charges against Venezuelan president Posted: 26 Mar 2020 09:44 AM PDT  The U.S. and Maduro have long been at odds over the country's extensive corruption.
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| U.S. passes Italy, China as nation with the most confirmed cases of COVID-19 Posted: 26 Mar 2020 03:33 PM PDT  The U.S. surged past China and Italy to become the planet's most infected nation Thursday, a stark milestone in the coronavirus era - and a reminder of its deadly, culture-changing effects on American life.
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| The US government has a stockpile of 16,000 extra ventilators in case of an emergency like COVID-19. It isn't enough. Posted: 25 Mar 2020 01:37 PM PDT  Already, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says his state needs 30,000 more ventilators for the projected cases in the next two weeks.
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| Survivors of world conflicts offer perspective amid pandemic Posted: 24 Mar 2020 11:19 PM PDT  As Western countries reeling from the coronavirus pandemic awaken to a new reality of economic collapse, overwhelmed hospitals, grounded flights and home confinement, it's tempting to think the end of days is at hand. Few have more experience with lockdowns and closures than the Palestinians. During the uprising known as the Second Intifada in the early 2000s, Israel shut down parts of the occupied West Bank and Gaza for weeks on end, using checkpoints and curfews to try to quash it.
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| Exclusive: U.S. military to withhold some infection data over concern of adversary use Posted: 26 Mar 2020 07:23 AM PDT  The U.S. military has decided it will stop providing some of the more granular data about coronavirus infections within its ranks out of concern that the information might be used by adversaries as the virus spreads.
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| The college student who licked an airplane toilet said she'd 'pull up' and cough on Dr. Phil, who called her 'spoiled and entitled' Posted: 26 Mar 2020 09:04 AM PDT  Ava Louise, who said she'd "rather die hot than live ugly" and who posted a TikTok of herself licking an airplane toilet, also criticized boomers.
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| Russia thanks 'real friend' Jack Ma for gift of a million masks Posted: 26 Mar 2020 09:27 AM PDT  Russia has received more than a million masks and 200,000 coronavirus testing kits as a gift from Chinese billionaire businessman Jack Ma, its Defence Ministry said on Thursday. Calling Ma "a real friend", the ministry said in a statement that the co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba had spoken by telephone to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and told him how touched he had been by Moscow's own help for China. The foundations of Alibaba and Ma said on Wednesday they had sent medical equipment to Russia.
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| Sanders, AOC Threaten Delays on $2 Trillion Economic Stimulus Posted: 25 Mar 2020 02:10 PM PDT  Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) on Wednesday both threatened a possible delay in voting on the massive $2 trillion economic-stimulus package working its way through Congress.Sanders objected to an amendment proposed on Wednesday afternoon by Senators Ben Sasse (R., Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), and Tim Scott (R., S.C.) that would cap unemployment benefits at a worker's previous salary level."I cannot at the last minute allow some right-wing senators [to] try to undermine the needs of workers and think they are going to get away with that," Sanders told the New York Times. He added that he would vote for the stimulus if the group of Republicans dropped their proposed amendment, and called the current draft of the bill "far superior" to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell's (R., Ky.) original draft."The reason I know I'm right is that Bernie Sanders has just threatened me," Graham countered in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity. "This is Bernie Sanders on steroids. . . . He could not win at the ballot box, but he's winning in this bill."Sasse told National Review that the Republican senators worry the text of the bill allows workers to make more money "by being unemployed than if the employer-employee relationship were maintained."Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez said she may request a "recorded vote" on the stimulus in the House, which would force House members currently not in Washington, D.C., to return to vote in person. She has said she is worried the stimulus will favor large corporations at the expense of workers."With the health risks of travel, there is no easy choice here," Ocasio-Cortez told CNN. "But essential workers are showing up and putting their health at risk every day, and if the final text of a bill is set up to hurt them, [a recorded vote] may be something we have to do."House speaker Nancy Pelosi favors holding a vote by unanimous consent, in which case one House member could block the bill's passage by voting against.
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| 'He's an American hero': Trump confirms American FBI agent Robert Levinson likely dead in Iran Posted: 25 Mar 2020 04:23 PM PDT  Trump has admitted it is not "looking good" for retired FBI agent Robert Levinson, now presumed dead in Iran.In a coronavirus taskforce press conference on Wednesday evening, the president said that he assumed the American had died in custody.
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| Missouri man charged with licking items at Walmart to mock coronavirus fears Posted: 25 Mar 2020 01:34 PM PDT  Authorities say Cody Lee Pfister, 26, posted a video on social media of himself licking deodorants at a Walmart in Warrenton. He was charged with making a terrorist threat.
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| China cuts international flights, bars foreign residents Posted: 26 Mar 2020 05:06 PM PDT  China will drastically cut its international flight routes and bar entry to returning foreigners based in the country to stem the spread of the coronavirus, authorities said Thursday. Foreigners living in China with valid visas and resident permits will be blocked from returning to the country after midnight Saturday, the foreign ministry said in a statement. "The suspension is a temporary measure that China is compelled to take in light of the outbreak situation," it added.
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| The Best New Teapots, According to AD's Market Editor Posted: 25 Mar 2020 05:00 AM PDT |
| The coronavirus mutates more slowly than the flu — which means a vaccine will likely be effective long-term Posted: 25 Mar 2020 06:18 PM PDT  The mutation rate of the new coronavirus suggests a one-time vaccine would be sufficient to confer long-term immunity, according to experts.
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| Two Grand Princess cruise passengers with coronavirus die; 103 have tested positive for COVID-19 Posted: 25 Mar 2020 06:03 PM PDT  Two passengers who had been on Princess Cruises' Grand Princess, which docked in California, have died due to complications from the coronavirus.
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| Busch will give you a '3-month supply' of free beer if you adopt or foster a pup as shelters close Posted: 26 Mar 2020 09:41 AM PDT  Busch and Midwest Animal Rescue & Services have partnered to entice perspective dog owners to adopt or foster during the pandemic with free beer.
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| India's coronavirus cases tick up, immense lockdown holds Posted: 26 Mar 2020 12:50 AM PDT  India's death toll from the coronavirus rose by six to 16 in the last 24 hours, as the government sought on Thursday to improve basic services to 1.3 billion people locked indoors to slow the spread of the disease. Streets were silent across Indian cities and towns on the second day of a three-week, 24-hour shutdown, as people heeded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call not to step out of homes except in emergencies or to buy food and other necessities. Police have strictly enforced the lockdown even though Modi said essential services would be maintained.
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| Justice Department Charges Venezuela’s Maduro with Drug Trafficking, Offers $15 Million Reward Posted: 26 Mar 2020 09:08 AM PDT  Attorney General William Barr on Thursday announced charges against Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and senior members of his government.The Justice Department has charged Maduro and other officials with drug trafficking and offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest or conviction."While holding key positions in the Maduro regime, these individuals violated the public trust by facilitating shipments of narcotics from Venezuela, including control over planes that leave from a Venezuelan air base, as well as control of drug routes through the ports in Venezuela," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.The Justice Department alleges that the Venezuelan government has worked with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC), which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization, to traffic cocaine to the U.S."We estimate that somewhere between 200 and 250 metric tons of cocaine are shipped out of Venezuela. . . . Those 250 metric tons equates to 30 million lethal doses," the Justice Department said in its announcement.The indictment of a foreign head of state is unusual and comes during a time of increased tension between the U.S. and Venezuela. The U.S. currently recognizes Venezuelan opposition head Juan Guaido as the country's legitimate president and has accused Maduro's government of widespread human-rights abuses including torture, extrajudicial killings, and arbitrary arrest.
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| Biden reportedly says Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is in his 'top three' picks for VP Posted: 26 Mar 2020 02:58 PM PDT  While reportedly setting up video equipment in Delaware over four days, former Vice President Joe Biden was apparently mulling over possible running mates.Biden told former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) is one of his "top three" choices should he win the Democratic presidential nomination, Mediaite reported Thursday.Reid, who was also a longtime senator representing Nevada, is reportedly nudging Biden toward choosing Cortez Masto as his VP, and Biden's campaign apparently feels she would be a strong choice and could help expand Biden's popularity among Latinx voters. Biden publicly committed to choosing a woman as his vice president if nominated over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), sparking endless speculation over who that woman might be. CNBC says Biden's "business allies" are hoping for Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) or Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), two former presidential candidates themselves. The Washington Post, meanwhile, said Biden's shortlist probably included Cortez Masto, but also named more well-known Democrats like former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Biden's campaign declined to dispute Mediaite's reporting, simply saying he would vigorously vet candidates.New York magazine wrote that Biden is spending his "coronavirus bunker" time "thinking a lot" about a potential VP, and taking lots of calls from supporters and Democratic strategists who are pushing Biden to pick their candidate of choice. None of those calls, however, resulted in much reported information on whether Biden had narrowed his list.Biden told The View on Tuesday his "short" list was between "12 and 15" names, but if his reported statement to Reid is to be believed, he's done a lot of whittling in the past few days. Read more at Mediaite and New York.More stories from theweek.com Elton John to host 'Living Room Concert for America' with stars performing from home What Trump's coronavirus briefings are really about Evangeline Lilly apologizes for 'dismissive' coronavirus comments
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| Stimulus checks are coming — here's how to make sure you get yours quickly Posted: 26 Mar 2020 01:50 PM PDT  Spoiler alert: If you haven't filed your taxes since 2017, now is a good time to get that done.
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| Cho Ju-bin: South Korea chatroom sex abuse suspect named after outcry Posted: 25 Mar 2020 03:58 AM PDT  At least 10,000 people used the chatrooms, with some paying up to $1,200 (£1,000) for access.
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| Trump makes thinly veiled attack at AOC during coronavirus briefing after she suggests stimulus bill overly favours corporations Posted: 26 Mar 2020 02:41 PM PDT  Donald Trump took a veiled jab at New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, beloved by the far left, calling her a "little grandstander" over her threats to delay passage of a coronavirus economic aid package.Ms Ocasio-Cortez, known colloquially as "AOC," has complained that she is concerned the bipartisan measure, which cleared the Senate on a 96-0 vote, is too friendly to large corporations. She wants more provisions to help workers and those who have lost their jobs due to the super bug outbreak.
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| Spain, Europe's worst-hit country after Italy, says coronavirus tests it bought from China are failing to detect positive cases Posted: 26 Mar 2020 06:44 AM PDT  Spanish researchers found that the tests could identify cases only 30% of the time. Testing delays could hamper Spain's efforts to slow the virus.
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| Mexico's coronavirus fight has just begun. Doctors say they're already running out of masks Posted: 25 Mar 2020 02:07 PM PDT  As coronavirus cases rise, Mexican doctors are protesting over a lack of basic supplies that they say endangers them
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| FBI: Soldiers set up deadly robbery to fund foreign fighting Posted: 26 Mar 2020 07:19 AM PDT |
| Greta Thunberg says it's 'likely' she had coronavirus Posted: 25 Mar 2020 04:10 AM PDT  Teenage activist Greta Thunberg said it's "extremely likely" she had contracted the coronavirus. The Swedish climate campaigner wrote in an Instagram post that she'd experienced several symptoms following a trip to central Europe.
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| Erdogan says Turkey will overcome coronavirus in two-three weeks through measures Posted: 25 Mar 2020 12:12 PM PDT  Turkey will overcome the coronavirus outbreak in two to three weeks through good measures, with as little damage as possible, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, adding that he expected patience, understanding and support from Turks in the process. "We have preparations for every scenario," Erdogan told a televised address to the nation.
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| Biden Suggests Dems Push for ‘Green New Deal’ Provisions in Next Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Posted: 25 Mar 2020 12:37 PM PDT  Former vice president Joe Biden on Wednesday suggested passing climate-change legislation as part of economic aid packages amid the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic."We're going to have an opportunity, I believe, in the next round [of economic aid] here to use…my Green Deal to be able to generate both economic growth as consistent with the kind of infusion of monies we need into the system to keep it going," Biden said in a live-streamed briefing on the coronavirus crisis.Biden then advocated for investment in infrastructure-related jobs to offset the economic impact of the pandemic."We're going to need new infrastructure going down the road here, and it's a way to generate economic growth. That's going to be, I think, the next round we have to be looking at."Biden in January released a climate-change plan based in part on the "Green New Deal" floated in 2019 by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Senator Ed Markey (D., Mass.).Democrats have already attempted to add environmental legislation to the massive $2 trillion economic stimulus meant to offset the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation included measures requiring airlines receiving assistance to fully offset carbon emissions by 2025, as well as requiring airlines to report greenhouse gas emissions in order to display the results in a public database.On Monday, President Trump criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and congressional Democrats for the attempt to add the legislation."Nancy Pelosi came and put a lot of things in the deal that had nothing to do with workers -- that had to do with an agenda that they have been trying to get passed for 10 years," Trump said during a Fox News virtual town hall. "[The Democrats said] 'We want green energy, let's stop drilling oil' -- they had things in there that were terrible…Windmills all over the place and all sorts of credits for windmills -- they kill the birds and ruin the real estate. A lot of problems."
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| Workers of color in the low-wage workforce taking major hit as the economy suffers Posted: 25 Mar 2020 12:30 PM PDT  People of color make up a disproportionate share of workers in the industries where layoffs are the most intense and only expected to get worse.
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| A Louisiana pastor defied state orders and held a service for hundreds of people. He says he has no plans of stopping. Posted: 25 Mar 2020 12:42 PM PDT  Pastor Tony Spell, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, held a service for 400 people on Tuesday. On Sunday, there were more than 1,000.
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| Rockets hit Iraq's Green Zone, US-led coalition leaves base Posted: 26 Mar 2020 08:57 AM PDT  Two rockets slammed into the Iraqi capital's high-security Green Zone early Thursday, hours before US-led forces were set to pull out of a second base in the country. Some 7,500 foreign troops are in Iraq as part of the US-led coalition helping local troops fight jihadist remnants, but those numbers are being significantly drawn down this month. Before dawn on Thursday, two rockets punched into an empty square near an Iraqi security headquarters in the Green Zone, where government buildings and foreign embassies are based, Iraqi security forces said in a statement.
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| North Korea is secretly asking for coronavirus aid from other countries while publicly denying that it has any cases Posted: 26 Mar 2020 04:09 AM PDT  Officials in the isolated country have been privately asking other countries and aid groups for supplies like masks and test kits, reports say.
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| Why are so few Germans dying from the coronavirus? Experts wonder Posted: 25 Mar 2020 09:06 AM PDT  "I would be happy if we can come back in two months' time and still be able to talk about what Germany did right," one expert said.
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| US couple, adopted daughter, caught in India virus lockdown Posted: 26 Mar 2020 03:23 PM PDT  A Georgia couple who traveled to India to adopt a child have had to delay bringing their new daughter back to the United States after Indian authorities locked down the country because of the coronavirus. India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on Tuesday announced a three-week lockdown in the country of 1.3 billion people, meaning that citizens and visitors alike may only leave their homes or hotels for food, medicine or other essential needs. The order is meant to keep the virus from surging and overwhelming an already strained health care system, but it has also left Mike and Whitney Saville of Auburn, Georgia, with little hope of getting back home with their daughter Grace anytime soon.
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| 'All my income is gone': Tenants, landlords voice coronavirus fears as rents come due Posted: 26 Mar 2020 12:53 PM PDT  Southern California tenants and landlords are bracing for missed rent payments in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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| New York sees glimmer of progress against coronavirus, New Orleans worsens Posted: 25 Mar 2020 05:32 AM PDT  The rate of hospitalizations in New York has slowed in recent days, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, with numbers he called "almost too good to be true." In an ominous sign he and other governors are preparing for the worst, the states of New York, North Carolina and Hawaii requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency send special mortuary teams that can be deployed for mass casualties, FEMA said on Wednesday. New Orleans, where large crowds celebrated Mardi Gras a month ago, was on track to become the next U.S. epicenter, as Louisiana's Gulf Coast metropolis recorded the world's highest growth rate in coronavirus cases.
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| Trump lashes out at journalist during White House coronavirus briefing Posted: 25 Mar 2020 04:02 PM PDT  President Trump on Wednesday lashed out at a journalist during the White House's coronavirus task force briefing.
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| Coronavirus: Mexicans demand crackdown on Americans crossing the border Posted: 26 Mar 2020 09:48 AM PDT  Wearing face masks, protesters blocked the US southern border, telling Americans to 'stay home'
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| Accused New Zealand mosque shooter shocks with switch to guilty plea Posted: 25 Mar 2020 04:13 PM PDT  An Australian man accused of killing 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand's worst mass shooting changed his plea to guilty in a surprise move on Thursday. Brenton Tarrant, who appeared by video link, admitted to 51 charges of murder, 40 charges of attempted murder and one charge of committing a terrorist act in a hastily called Christchurch High Court hearing. "The entry of guilty pleas represents a very significant step towards bringing finality to this criminal proceeding."
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| Immigration chief on thin ice for adopting Obama’s stance during crisis Posted: 26 Mar 2020 11:40 AM PDT |
| There's been a coronavirus outbreak aboard a deployed US Navy aircraft carrier, and at least 8 sailors have it Posted: 25 Mar 2020 04:48 PM PDT  The Navy announced the first three cases on Tuesday. The next day, the number of cases jumped to eight as five more sailors tested positive.
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| This state rejected Medicaid expansion. Its uninsured residents now stare down a pandemic. Posted: 26 Mar 2020 07:13 AM PDT  "This outbreak is going to bring to light and highlight really strongly the types of disparities and the gaps in our health care system that leave people vulnerable," one expert said.
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| An influencer who licked a toilet seat says he's in the hospital with the coronavirus Posted: 26 Mar 2020 03:53 AM PDT  The TikToker, called Larz, said he took part in a bizarre "Coronavirus Challenge" and ended up with COVID-19.
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| The U.S.'s $13 Billion Aircraft Carrier Has a Toilet Problem Posted: 26 Mar 2020 07:28 AM PDT  It's yet another headache plaguing America's newest aircraft carrier.
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| Fox News Host Martha MacCallum Nails Kellyanne Conway for Rewriting Trump’s Coronavirus History Posted: 25 Mar 2020 07:31 PM PDT  White House counselor Kellyanne Conway was trashing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday night when Fox News host Martha MacCallum hit her with a rude awakening. Conway accused the mayor of "lying to America" when he said he's "been on top of" the coronavirus crisis from the beginning, pointing to tweets in which he encouraged New Yorkers to go out despite early warnings to the contrary from medical experts as well as his decision to visit his gym "one last time" as the state was being quarantined. "I think it shows you the contrast in leadership when you have feckless leaders," Conway said, referring to de Blasio, "or when you have a president, who's publicly facing every single day, giving people information engagement they need."Kellyanne Conway Spars With Reporters Over 'Kung-Flu' Coronavirus SlurAt that point, MacCallum interrupted, saying, "But Kellyanne…" While the host didn't disagree with Conway's characterization of de Blasio, MacCallum couldn't stand by as the Trump counselor erased the weeks and weeks that the president spent downplaying the deadly virus."In terms of the things that you're mentioning, you could probably match up, some of those early statements from him with also similarly optimistic statements from President Trump, although they've handled it very differently since then," MacCallum said, arguably giving the president more credit than he deserves given his recent reversals on the value of social distancing. "There's no comparison between the two leaders," Conway insisted. "There's no comparison." "In terms of get out and live your life and go ahead and do what you're doing, back in early March?" MacCallum asked. While Conway was able to provide evidence of others in the White House taking the pandemic seriously, she did not deny that Trump was vocally optimistic about the situation just a few weeks ago. Instead, she pivoted to touting his relatively good approval ratings as evidence that he's handling the pandemic well now, given that it "came out of nowhere." Samantha Bee on Making Comedy Amidst 'Unimaginable' TragedyRead 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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| Chinese State Media Falsely Claim U.S. Army Athlete Brought Coronavirus to China Posted: 26 Mar 2020 07:43 AM PDT  Chinese state-run media are citing an American conspiracy theorist to push claims that coronavirus was brought to China by a U.S. military athlete.The Global Times claimed in an article Wednesday that the coronavirus, which was first discovered in Wuhan, was in fact manufactured in a U.S. military lab and brought to China by a cyclist who took part in the World Military Games in Wuhan in October.The CCP-run paper cites known U.S. conspiracy theorist George Webb as the source for the claim, which it admits lacks "strong evidence" but still raises questions about the U.S. athletes who traveled to Wuhan.The Global Times also quotes Li Haidong, a professor of U.S. studies at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, who challenges the U.S. to release "relevant information regarding the athlete's health status and infection records to clear public doubts and help with the scientific study on the virus' origin."China has pushed propaganda to distance itself from blame for the spread of COVID-19, after suppressing initial reports of human-to-human transmission and silencing labs that discovered the novel virus resembled the deadly SARS virus of 2002-2003.On February 27, Zhong Nanshan, a primary pulmonologist said at a press conference, that "the coronavirus first appeared in China but may not have originated in China."The efforts have led to scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers, who have proposed holding China accountable for the coverup."Since day one, the Chinese Communist Party intentionally lied to the world about the origin of this pandemic. The CCP was aware of the reality of the virus as early as December but ordered laboratories to destroy samples and forced doctors to keep silent," Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) said in the release of a resolution calling for an international investigation to determine how the Chinese Communist Party directly contributed to the emerging global pandemic.Multiple mainstream outlets have been complicit in serving the interests of Chinese state media.The Global Times also used footage this week from U.S. mainstream media criticizing President Trump's use of the term "Chinese virus" to suggest any scrutiny of China's handling of the coronavirus is racist.> The US President's rhetoric in using "Chinese virus" to describe COVID19, has sparked fierce public criticism from all walks of life in the US. pic.twitter.com/RMljngN7P3> > -- Global Times (@globaltimesnews) March 23, 2020The Daily Caller reported Wednesday that The Daily Mail, the popular British tabloid, has also been pushing Chinese propaganda by publishing dozens of coronavirus-related stories originating from People's Daily, the communist party's official newspaper.The Economist is running advertorials — ads designed to look like news stories — from the state-backed Beijing Review in its print issues, The Washington Free Beacon reported Thursday.
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| Dakota access pipeline: court strikes down permits in victory for Standing Rock Sioux Posted: 25 Mar 2020 05:02 PM PDT  Army corps of engineers ordered to conduct full environmental review, which could take yearsThe future of the controversial Dakota Access pipeline has been thrown into question after a federal court on Wednesday struck down its permits and ordered a comprehensive environmental review.The US army corps of engineers was ordered to conduct a full environmental impact statement (EIS), after the Washington DC court ruled that existing permits violated the National Environmental Policy Act (Nepa).The ruling is a huge victory for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of North Dakota, which rallied support from across the world and sued the US government in a campaign to stop the environmentally risky pipeline being built on tribal lands."After years of commitment to defending our water and earth, we welcome this news of a significant legal win," said the tribal chairman, Mike Faith. "It's humbling to see how actions we took to defend our ancestral homeland continue to inspire national conversations about how our choices ultimately affect this planet."In December 2016, the Obama administration denied permits for the pipeline to cross the Missouri river and ordered a full EIS to analyze alternative routes and the impact on the tribe's treaty rights.In his first week in office, Donald Trump signed an executive order to expedite construction. Construction of the 1,200-mile pipeline was completed in June 2017.The tribe challenged the permits – and won. As a result, the corps was ordered to redo its environmental analysis, which it did without taking into consideration tribal concerns or expert analysis.The pipeline continued to transport oil from North Dakota to Illinois. The tribe and EarthJustice, an environmental law not-for-profit group, sued again.In his ruling on Wednesday, the federal judge James Boasberg, an Obama appointee, said the environmental analysis by both the companies behind the pipeline and the corps was severely lacking.The abysmal safety record of the pipeline parent company, Sunoco, "does not inspire confidence", he added.The court-mandated EIS will be more in depth than the assessment already completed by the corps – and could take years. The court will next decide if the pipeline should be shut down until the EIS is done.The corps did not respond to a request for comment."This validates everything the tribe has been saying all along about the risk of oil spills to the people of Standing Rock," said Jan Hasselman, an EarthJustice attorney. "The Obama administration had it right when it moved to deny the permits in 2016."The setback for the pipeline comes as the Trump administration moves to severely curtail Nepa, the 1969 legislation which is widely considered the cornerstone of US environmental protection. Trump has repeatedly blamed Nepa for blocking fossil fuel projects.
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| Italy suffers setback to hopes its coronavirus epidemic might be in retreat Posted: 26 Mar 2020 10:27 AM PDT  Hopes that Italy's coronavirus epidemic might be in retreat suffered a setback on Thursday when data showed that both the number of new cases and deaths had ticked higher, underscoring how hard it is to halt the disease. Officials said 712 people died of the illness in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally to 8,215, well over double that seen in anywhere else in the world, while new infections rose by 6,153 to 80,539. The number of cases is nudging close to the more than 81,000 infections recorded in China where the pandemic began.
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| Israel's Netanyahu and rival Gantz move closer to unity government Posted: 26 Mar 2020 02:35 AM PDT  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main rival, Benny Gantz, was elected parliamentary speaker on Thursday in a surprise manoeuvre that could herald a unity government keeping the veteran leader in power. With the support of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud and allied parties, former general Gantz left many of his own political allies fuming over the smoothing of a path to partnership with a prime minister under criminal indictment. The surprise twist in 48 hours of political drama plunged Gantz's Blue and White Party into disarray just 13 months after it came into existence as a coalition of centrist Netanyahu opponents intent on bringing down the 70-year-old right-winger who is Israel's longest-serving prime minister.
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