| A tale of two parks: Enjoying the sun in wealthy Manhattan, social distancing under police scrutiny in the Bronx Posted: 06 May 2020 01:03 PM PDT  Blogger Ed García Conde, who runs the Instagram page Welcome2TheBronx, captured contrasting park photos on May 2 that show differences in how the NYPD is enforcing social distancing.
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| End the coronavirus lockdowns, skeptical experts tell Congress Posted: 06 May 2020 04:25 PM PDT  Billed as a roundtable of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Wednesday's hearing included some of the nation's most prominent dissenters on mainstream measures like business closures, stay-at-home orders and calls for widespread testing.
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| Top Prosecutor Moves to Withdraw from Michael Flynn Case Posted: 07 May 2020 10:53 AM PDT  Prosecutor Brandon Van Grack on Thursday submitted a request to withdraw from the team prosecuting former national security adviser Michael Flynn.Lawyers for Flynn on April 24 claimed that Van Grack had made a "side deal" with Flynn's former defense team not to prosecute Flynn's son in order to pressure Flynn into pleading guilty to lying to FBI investigators.Van Grack's request comes after Flynn, who initially pleaded guilty in 2017, attempted to rescind his plea in January. Notes from FBI agents released by the Justice Department in late April showed one agent questioning whether the purpose of interviews with Flynn was "to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired."House Judiciary Committee Republicans on Tuesday demanded that FBI Director Christopher Wray make top officials connected with the Flynn case available to questioning by lawmakers."The American people continue to learn troubling details about the politicization and misconduct at the highest levels of the FBI during the Obama-Biden Administration," Representatives Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) and Mike Johnson (R., La.) wrote in a joint letter. "Even more concerning, we continue to learn these new details from litigation and investigations — not from you. It is well past time that you show the leadership necessary to bring the FBI past the abuses of the Obama-Biden era.Flynn was originally prosecuted over conversations with Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak, with the FBI claiming the adviser potentially violated the Logan Act of 1799, a law that has never been used to convict someone.
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| Ahmaud Arbery killing: man called 911 to report 'black male running' prior to shooting Posted: 07 May 2020 05:17 PM PDT  Recordings of 911 calls obtained by the Guardian provide details on the moments before a man was shot while jogging in GeorgiaAudio recordings of two 911 calls have shed further light on the final moments before Ahmaud Arbery was shot dead by two white men while jogging through a neighborhood just outside Brunswick, Georgia.The full recordings, obtained by the Guardian, come after new video footage showing Arbery's killing in February was released this week, prompting widespread outrage and raising questions over why no arrests have been made. Transcripts of the 911 calls have been previously reported by local media.Arbery had gone for a jog in Satilla Shores, near the Georgia coast, on the afternoon of Sunday 23 February. The 25-year-old was known around the neighborhood, and would sometimes wave to residents as he ran. But that day, a series of events unfolded that ended in his killing at the hands of Gregory McMichael, 64, and his 34-year-old son, Travis McMichael.Lawyers for Arbery's family have said his death was a "lynching" and requested it be investigated as a hate crime.In one call, made at 1.14pm, the dispatcher asks for the address and the reason for the call. An unidentified man's voice can be heard responding, "Uh, I'm out here at Satilla Shores. There's a black male running down the street," in an apparent reference Arbery.In an earlier call at 1.08pm, a different unidentified caller reports "a guy in a house right now, a house under construction". The dispatcher asks if the man is breaking into the property, to which the caller responds: "No, it's all open, it's under construction."The caller then says, "He's running right now, and there he goes right now," referring to Arbery, who was taking his usual jog around the neighborhood. The dispatcher asks: "OK, what is he doing?" The caller replies: "He's running down the street."A few second later, the dispatcher says: "I just need to know what he was doing wrong. Was he just on the premises and not supposed to be?"The beginning of his response is garbled, but when the background noise clears, there is no clear answer to the question. The dispatcher ends the calls shortly after, and says she will send someone by to check.At 1.14 pm, the second call is answered at the call center. Following the first exchange between the caller and the dispatcher, the caller again did not respond to the dispatcher, instead yelling: "Stop. Stop that. Dammit. Stop."A moment later he shouts "Travis!" apparently addressing Travis McMichael.The dispatcher attempts to redirect the man's attention 27 seconds into the call, saying, "Sir, hello, sir," but does not receive an answer. The 911 call continues to record for nearly five minutes.Authorities have not released the identities of the callers. No one has been charged in the case.Two prosecutors have recused themselves, citing professional connections to Gregory McMichael. Documents and state records show the elder McMichael is a former police detective and district attorney investigator in Glynn county.The Guardian has contacted Gregory and Travis McMichael for comment.An outside prosecutor in charge of the case said he wants a grand jury to decide whether criminal charges are warranted. But that will not happen until at least mid-June, since Georgia courts remain largely closed because of the coronavirus.According to a police report from that day, the two men grabbed their weapons, a .357 Magnum revolver and a shotgun, jumped into a truck and began following Arbery after seeing him running.Gregory McMichael told police he and his adult son thought Arbery matched the description of someone caught on a security camera committing a recent break-in in the neighborhood. Arbery was not considered a suspect in any burglary.Gregory McMichael told police Arbery violently attacked his son. The video footage filmed by an anonymous individual and released this week contradicts that claim.Georgia law says a person can kill in self-defense "only if he or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury … or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony." The law also says a person who provokes an attack or acts as "the aggressor" can't claim self-defense.Arbery's family has called for immediate arrests after the video was released this week."I saw my son come into the world," Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, said. "And seeing him leave the world, it's not something that I'll want to see ever."The civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Arbery's father, said the video calls into question the claims made by the McMichaels in the police report."They are heartbroken," Crump said of the family. Of Arbery's father, he added: "It's just heart-wrenching for him that he has to look at his other son and daughter and try to make sense of it. He really thinks that his son was lynched."Crump said Arbery's parents, who are separated, want the public to see the video, even they cannot bring themselves to watch it themselves.Lee Merritt, an attorney for Arbery's mother, said the justice department should investigate the death as a hate crime."The FBI has said it's assisting," said Department of Justice spokesman Matt Lloyd, "and as is standard protocol we look forward to working with them should information come to light of a potential federal violation."Republican governor Brian Kemp late Tuesday threw his support behind that inquiry. He tweeted: "Georgians deserve answers. State law enforcement stands ready to ensure justice is served." He added on Thursday that the killing was "absolutely horrific".Also on Thursday afternoon, Donald Trump said: "I'm getting a full report on it this evening. My heart goes out to the parents and to the loved ones of the young gentleman. It's a very sad thing."The chairman of the House judiciary committee, Jerry Nadler, cited "clear probable cause for first-degree murder charges".> Nadler: "The cell phone footage of the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery would appear to present clear probable cause for first degree murder charges. Justice for Ahmaud requires a full investigation ... beginning with the arrest of all assailants ... [DOJ] must immediately investigate."> > — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 7, 2020Georgia attorney general Chris Carr said he was deeply concerned, adding: "I expect justice to be carried out as swiftly as possible."
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| What the Disney guest experience could look like when parks reopen in the US Posted: 07 May 2020 05:55 AM PDT  Capped visitor numbers, virtual queues and enhanced screening measures are among some of the changes that could be in store for guests of Disney theme parks and resorts in the age after COVID-19. The message was posted after Disney announced that its Shanghai resort will reopen on Monday, with enhanced health and safety measures. In her message, Dr. Pamela Hymel said she and her team are looking at a phased reopening of parks across the US.
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| Satellite images reveal North Korea is building a giant facility which could hold nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States Posted: 07 May 2020 05:10 AM PDT  Satellite images suggest North Korea has almost built a facility large enough to store all of its nuclear missiles.
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| Coronavirus is coming for the red states too Posted: 06 May 2020 09:43 AM PDT  The New York metro area's seven-day average has been declining for weeks. For the national daily case count to stay the same, other areas must be making up the difference. In other words, the virus isn't receding. It's relocating.
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| In a hurry to reopen state, Arizona governor disbands scientific panel that modeled outbreak Posted: 06 May 2020 11:07 AM PDT  Arizona's Republican Gov. Doug Ducey's administration disbanded a panel of university scientists who had warned that reopening the state now would be dangerous.
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| ‘It’s Wrong’: Biden Vows to Overturn DeVos’s Due Process Protections for Students Accused of Sexual Assault Posted: 07 May 2020 06:25 AM PDT  Former vice president Joe Biden promised on Wednesday that as president he would reverse new due process protections that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos put in place to protect university students accused of sexual assault, saying they "shame and silence survivors, and take away parents' peace of mind."Biden, who has recently been accused of sexual assault in 1993 by a woman who worked for him, said the new rules give colleges and universities a "green light to ignore sexual violence and strip survivors of their rights."The Title IX rule, issued on Wednesday, is intended to enhance due process for accused individuals on college campuses as well as in elementary and high schools. One part of the reforms ensures the right of the accused to "submit, cross-examine and challenge evidence at a live hearing." The rule protects alleged victims from having to physically face the person they say assaulted them or answer questions written personally by the accused, but it does allow the accused to ask questions through a surrogate as well as question other witnesses."Survivors deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and when they step forward they should be heard, not silenced." Biden's campaign said in a statement."It's wrong," Biden continued. "And, it will be put to a quick end in January 2021, because as president, I'll be right where I always have been throughout my career — on the side of survivors, who deserve to have their voices heard, their claims taken seriously and investigated, and their rights upheld."Tara Reade claims that Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993 when she worked for him as a Senate staffer. She alleges that she was told by a top staffer to bring Biden a duffel bag in a Senate building, and when she met with him he pinned her against a wall and penetrated her with his fingers while forcibly kissing her.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has also condemned the Education Department due process rules, said last month that she is "satisfied" with how Biden has responded to the allegation.
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| 'Amazingly good news': New York healthcare workers not testing positive for coronavirus at higher rate than general public Posted: 07 May 2020 08:16 AM PDT  New York has released more details into who has tested positive for the coronavirus in the state, and Governor Andrew Cuomo said the per cent of healthcare workers with Covid-19 is not higher than the general public."That is amazingly good news," Mr Cuomo said during his press briefing on Thursday.
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| 'There's absolutely nothing': locked-down Mexico grapples with national beer shortage Posted: 07 May 2020 02:00 AM PDT  Deemed 'non-essential', brewing was halted more than a month ago, leading to a thriving black marketMexicans sheltering in place during the Covid-19 crisis have endured crowded quarters and rising temperatures. Now they're enduring another challenge: a nationwide beer drought.Beer production in Mexico was halted more than a month ago as health officials declared brewing a "non-essential" activity.Since then, the country's stockpile has dwindled, fueling a robust black market in which speculators are demanding more than twice the pre-pandemic price."We're not producing a single beer," Karla Siquieiros, president of Cerverceros de México, told the newspaper el Universal.But some beer-makers have continued their operations. The country is the largest beer exporter in the world, and Constellation Brands – which produces Modelo, Corona and Pacifico in Mexico for US markets – is still brewing for export.Oxxo, Mexico's ubiquitous corner store chain, warned in late April that its beer supply would last just 10 days, prompting panic buying and long lines outside stores.Mexicans have greeted the domestic beer shortage with more bemusement than anger. Hashtags like LaÚltimaChela (the last beer) trended on Twitter, while users posted pictures of empty fridges.But retailers say the loss of sales is seriously harming their livelihoods in an economy that is already tough."Mexicans like to drink beer," said Cuauhtémoc Rivera, director the National Alliance of Small Merchants, Anpec, which represents thousands of mom-and-pop stores.Most such businesses are run by families, and during hot weather, beer sales make up about 40% of sales, Rivera said."This is a big money-maker for small stores," said Rivera.Anpec had lobbied for brewing to be declared an essential activity, arguing that it would help people cope with coronavirus lockdowns."States of anxiety, desperation and fears that could end in episodes of irascibility and intolerance" were inevitable during quarantine, the organisation argued, adding: "The consumption of beer at home operates as relaxant, which helps with enduring a difficult trial."Many municipalities have banned the sale of alcohol for the duration of Covid-19 quarantines. Some analysts say that such measures can help reduce domestic violence – at a time when domestic abuse under lockdown is on rise around the world.But others said such laws conform to a familiar pattern in which Mexican authorities feel the need to take action – any action – in times of crisis."Lots of authority figures love it," said Xavier Tello, a healthcare consultant. "The authorities can show that they're acting like authorities by imposing dry laws … as if it solved anything."As temperatures climb, some beer drinkers continue to hunt for Mexico's last few beers. But it can be a frustrating pursuit.Last weekend, Johnny, an engineer in the border city of Reynosa, visited eight stores in three neighbourhoods but came away empty-handed."There is absolutely nothing," he said of the stores in Reynosa. "There's liquor, but not everybody wants that. And it's dwindling too."He did find beer for sale on the black market, but the asking price was triple the normal.In the end, Johnny crossed the border to buy a six-pack of Corona in Texas.
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| New evidence suggests the coronavirus was likely spreading in the US and France as early as December Posted: 07 May 2020 08:45 AM PDT  The coronavirus seems to have been spreading through Florida by January. A December patient who coughed up blood in France later tested positive.
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| 20,000 migrants have been expelled along border under coronavirus order Posted: 07 May 2020 02:19 PM PDT  More than 90% of the families, children and single adults that Border Patrol encountered in April were swiftly expelled under a public health order.
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| Pompeo says US to use 'every tool' to free Americans in Venezuela Posted: 06 May 2020 09:08 AM PDT  The United States will use all options to free two Americans said to be detained in a failed mercenary attack in Venezuela, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday. "If the Maduro regime decides to hold them, we will use every tool that we have available to try to get them back," Pompeo told reporters. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom the United States has been seeking to topple for more than a year, on Monday displayed the passports of two Americans he said were arrested in a plot to bring him down.
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| Wildfires spread across the Florida Panhandle Posted: 07 May 2020 04:32 AM PDT  Hundreds have been evacuated as wildfires continue to rage across the Florida Panhandle, authorities said.
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| EU agreed to Chinese censorship over coronavirus origins Posted: 07 May 2020 05:43 AM PDT  The European Union agreed to Chinese censorship of a public letter by its ambassadors that removed any mention of the fact the coronavirus pandemic originated in China, it has emerged. The EU's foreign affairs service agreed to cut out a reference to the "outbreak of the coronavirus in China" as a reason for a cancelled EU-China summit in the letter, which was published in the state-run China Daily newspaper. The European External Action Service (EEAS) excised the reference after coming under pressure from China's foreign ministry. Two weeks ago, the EEAS was forced to deny it had bowed to Beijing by watering down language in a report accusing China of a campaign of disinformation about the virus. It was revealed EU officials softened some of the language condemning China after repeated calls by Chinese officials. "It is of course regrettable to see that the sentence about the spread of the virus has been edited," said Nicolas Chapuis, the EU's ambassador to China, who co-signed the opinion piece with the 27 ambassadors to China of the bloc's member states.
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| 77 cell phone towers have been set on fire so far due to a weird coronavirus 5G conspiracy theory Posted: 06 May 2020 07:26 AM PDT  Engineers have also had cars driven at them, and one was stabbed and hospitalised per the CEO of BT.
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| No Income. Major Medical Bills. What Life Is Like for Millions of Americans Facing Financial Ruin Because of the Pandemic Posted: 07 May 2020 03:21 AM PDT  The coronavirus has exposed the fragility of America's safety net
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| Biden pledged to put a black woman on the Supreme Court. Here's what he might have to do. Posted: 06 May 2020 06:12 AM PDT  There are few black women serving on the federal judiciary, and none younger than age 67 in appeals courts, the usual stepping stone to the high court.
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| Sen. Chris Murphy calls Trump comments about Democrats "disgusting" Posted: 06 May 2020 08:28 AM PDT  "The House is a bunch of Trump haters. They frankly want our situation to be unsuccessful, which means death. They want us to fail so they can win an election," Trump said Tuesday of House Democrats.
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| Are travelers starting to fly again? Spirit, JetBlue say yes, with an asterisk Posted: 07 May 2020 11:32 AM PDT  JetBlue and Spirit airlines says the first travelers to return as stay-at-home restrictions are eased will be those visiting family and friends again.
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| More than 700 released from immigration detention centres as coronavirus prevents deportation Posted: 07 May 2020 10:11 AM PDT  More than 700 detainees including convicted criminals have been released by the Home Office from immigration detention centres because the coronavirus pandemic means they cannot be deported. The Home Office was forced to release at least 50 of them by judicial tribunals despite warning that they could pose a risk to the public. The Government has had to free them because by law they can only detain them if they can remove them from the UK "within a reasonable time." More than 40 countries to which the Home Office planned to remove them have either closed their borders or imposed travel restrictions, making deportation impossible and requiring the detainees to be released. A further 370 - described as largely convicted foreign offenders by the Home Office - are still being held in immigration detention centres The release follows legal action begun in March by Detention Action, which claimed a "significant proportion" of the 1,500 held in immigration detention centres had serious underlying health conditions which left them facing a "significant risk of serious harm or death" from coronavirus. It warned their continued detention was unlawful given the lack of flights in which to remove them within a "reasonable period of time." The Government challenged the release of 58 of the immigrants who had appealed their detention, saying it was reasonable "in light of their particular situation, the likelihood of their absconding if released, and the level of risk they pose to the public." The 700 include those who have overstayed their visas, asylum seekers, illegal migrants and people with convictions. Detention Action is now considering further legal action to force the release of the remaining 370 to protect them from the deadly coronavirus. Bella Sankey, director of Detention Action, said any foreign offenders released would have served their time and be subject to the same conditions as British offenders including probation and licence restrictions. "We are thinking about options that I think will involve some future litigation because we don't think the response so far is adequate," she said. Meanwhile, Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, said a spike in migrant boats making the dangerous crossing of the English Channel is linked to lockdown restrictions on road and train crossings.
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| An NYC man tried to forcibly remove Asian-American nurse from the subway, police say Posted: 06 May 2020 12:05 PM PDT  He made anti-Asian statements and tried to remove the nurse from the train by grabbing his wrist and shoulder, police said.
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| Africa disease centre rejects Tanzania's allegation that its coronavirus tests faulty Posted: 07 May 2020 02:51 AM PDT  The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday rejected an assertion by Tanzania's president that coronavirus tests it supplied are faulty. Tanzania's government spokesman said a team was conducting investigations on the laboratory that conducted the tests, and the outcome will be made public once complete. The World Health Organization expressed confidence in the tests.
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| Life of luxury: Dubai's huge service sector faces unsure future Posted: 06 May 2020 08:05 PM PDT  In Dubai's ritzy Marina district, white yachts are tethered to docks, standing idle -- like many companies behind a luxury lifestyle industry battered by the coronavirus crisis. "Nearly 95 percent, if not 100 percent, of turnover has been lost," the manager of a yacht charter company told AFP. When the United Arab Emirates halted all commercial flights and enforced a strict curfew to stem the spread of the disease, fishing trips and sightseeing excursions dried up "without warning", the young Frenchman said.
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| Where's my check? Answers to common relief payment questions Posted: 05 May 2020 10:12 PM PDT  Where is my payment? Why am I getting error messages? If a deceased relative got a payment, do I have to pay it back? Some answers on the relief payments.
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| ‘A Major Disinformation Campaign’: U.S. Denies Involvement in Alleged Venezuelan Coup Posted: 06 May 2020 08:14 AM PDT  The U.S. government has denied involvement in a failed coup against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro that resulted in the capture of a pair of former U.S. Special Forces soldiers."The United States government is fully and completely involved in this defeated raid," Maduro said at a press conference following the raid, in which he brandished the U.S. passport of Luke Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, who were captured with six other men.President Trump said Tuesday that the attack "has nothing to do with our government," and a State department spokesperson elaborated further, saying Maduro's claims were part of a "major disinformation campaign.""The record of falsehoods and manipulation by Maduro and his accomplices, as well as their highly questionable representation of the details, argues that nothing should be taken at face value when we see the distorting of facts," the spokesperson said.Former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau claimed responsibility for orchestrating the raid, called "Operation Gideon," with just 60 fighters, including Denman and Berry."A daring amphibious raid was launched from the border of Colombia deep into the heart of Caracas," Goudreau, who runs his own private security company, Silvercorp USA, told Miami-based journalist Patricia Poleo. He said that his mission had been initially backed by Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó, and provided an alleged "general services" contract signed by Guaidó and two political advisers in Miami in October for $213 million. But Goudreau said Guaidó — who denied involvement — abandoned the effort, and he elected to forge ahead with the plan.The United States has ramped up pressure on Maduro in recent weeks, including indicting the socialist leader as a narco-trafficker in March and offering a $15 million reward for his arrest, while also increasing sanctions to stifle Venezuela's oil sector.
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| Regulators waive $200M fine on PG&E for causing deadly fires Posted: 07 May 2020 01:58 PM PDT  California regulators on Thursday suspended a $200 million fine against Pacific Gas & Electric as punishment for the utility's neglect of electrical equipment that ignited a series of deadly wildfires in Northern California. The waiver approved in a unanimous vote by California's Public Utilities Commission will deprive the state coffers of money to help offset losses income and sales taxes as the coronavirus pandemic pushes the state into a $54 billion budget deficit. PG&E resisted the fine on the grounds that it would threaten its ability to raise the tens of billions of dollars needed to finance its complex plan to emerge from bankruptcy by a June 30 deadline.
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| Scared to Return to Work Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic? These Federal Laws Could Grant You Some Protections Posted: 06 May 2020 02:01 PM PDT  Federal labor laws also offer protections to American workers who feel unsafe. Here's what to know about those rights
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| Salon owner who illegally reopened out of jail on Texas Supreme Court’s order Posted: 07 May 2020 02:49 PM PDT  Shelley Luther was sentenced to a week in jail after violating an order to close her salon. The Texas Supreme Court ordered her release.
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| Supreme Court overturns convictions in New Jersey "Bridgegate" case Posted: 07 May 2020 02:17 PM PDT  The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in the case involving Bridget Kelly and William Baroni, who worked for Christie.
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| Russia overtakes Germany, France after record rise in coronavirus cases Posted: 07 May 2020 12:58 AM PDT  Russia's coronavirus cases overtook France and Germany on Thursday to become the fifth highest number in the world after a record daily rise, and Moscow's mayor said the real figure, not captured by official statistics, was much higher. The official tally surged to 177,160, meaning Russia now has more registered cases than Germany or France, as the number of new cases of the novel coronavirus jumped by 11,231 in the past 24 hours.
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| Astronomers locate black hole close to Earth Posted: 06 May 2020 09:04 AM PDT  European astronomers have found the closest black hole to Earth yet, so near that the two stars dancing with it can be seen by the naked eye.
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| China warns the UK against a new 'cold war' as it accuses British politicians of poisoning relations with Beijing Posted: 06 May 2020 04:48 AM PDT  Liu Xiaoming said that UK MPs who were critical of China were not in step with Boris Johnson or the UK Parliament.
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| Asian American woman harassed by self-identified Trump supporter thanks bystanders Posted: 06 May 2020 02:08 PM PDT  "Americans said we don't want you here," the harasser said in a video. "That's why we elected President Trump."
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| Deadly pandemics usually feature denial from leaders, often prioritizing money, historians say Posted: 07 May 2020 12:49 AM PDT  The COVID-19 "plague," as President Trump likes to call it, is caused by a new coronavirus. But viral pandemics and deadly plagues aren't new. And neither is initially pretending the disease won't affect your region, or prematurely declaring victory."A century ago, the Spanish flu epidemic's second wave was far deadlier than its first, in part because authorities allowed mass gatherings from Philadelphia to San Francisco," The Associated Press reports in an article about the "growing dread" health experts feel about "an all-but-certain second wave of deaths and infections that could force governments to clamp back down." In the U.S., the first wave hasn't yet crested."Almost every epidemic you can think of, the first reaction of any government is to say, 'No, no, it's not here. We haven't got it,'" British historian and pandemic researcher Richard Evans tells NPR. "Or 'it's only mild' or 'it's not going to have a big effect.'" In nearly every case, the government was dead wrong, Evans said. NPR looked at the example he laid out in his 1987 book about the 1892 cholera outbreak in Hamburg, Germany, which killed about 10,000 of the port city's 800,000 residents. NPR summarized some key points:> The German city-state was run by merchant families who put trade and economy above residents' welfare. ... Hamburg's leaders claimed cholera was spread by an invisible vapor no government could hope to prevent. But in August 1892, the excrement of a Russian migrant ill with cholera ended up in the Elbe River, which the city drew on for its municipal water. ...> > Hamburg's government waited six days after discovering that people were dying from cholera to tell anyone. By then, thousands were ill. ... A year after the cholera outbreak, Hamburg's fed-up citizenry voted their incompetent businessmen leaders out of office. They replaced the merchants with leaders who belonged to the Social Democrats, a working-class party that prioritized science and health over profit. [NPR]Merchants were also blamed in the Great Plague of Marseille, the last major outbreak of the bubonic plague in Western Europe> In 1720 Marseille allowed a ship from plague-ridden Cyprus into port, under pressure from merchants who wanted the goods and didn't want to wait for the usual quarantine. More than half the population of Marseille died in the next two years. https://t.co/IDapJhFhzM pic.twitter.com/vovtuQ1s7o> > — Tim Stearns (@StearnsLab) April 25, 2020Luckily, science has come a long way in the past 130 years. Politics? Maybe not.More stories from theweek.com Did we just witness one of the nuttiest foreign policy blunders in American history? Trump reportedly got 'lava level mad' over potential exposure to coronavirus Trump cryptically tells reporters 'a lot of things' might happen soon following call with Putin
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| Broadcaster shutdown crosses dangerous line for Philippines Posted: 05 May 2020 11:31 PM PDT  The shutting down of the Philippines' top broadcaster crosses a dangerous line in eroding the nation's democracy and sends a warning to those who risk angering President Rodrigo Duterte, watchdogs said. Since rising to power in 2016, Duterte has steadily tightened his grip on the nation's key institutions and jailed or sidelined his loudest detractors, but until now his worst threats against critical media had not been fully realised. Tuesday's halting of broadcasting giant ABS-CBN's operations marks the first time a major, independent outlet was shut down since Duterte took office in a step that echoes the country's grim authoritarian past.
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| An entire town in New York is being put on a diet to prevent obesity-related coronavirus complications Posted: 07 May 2020 08:47 AM PDT  A New York town has launched a diet and exercise program to help residents lose weight to prevent reported risks of obesity and coronavirus outcomes.
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| Texas governor amends lockdown and orders salon owner freed from jail Posted: 07 May 2020 01:10 PM PDT  The governor's order names the Dallas hairdresser who was jailed on Tuesday for staying open.
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