| Trump turns to Pence to calm fears over coronavirus, but leaves many questions unanswered Posted: 26 Feb 2020 05:50 PM PST  President Trump announced that he was putting Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the U.S. response to coronavirus.
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| Man gets life for kidnapping stepdaughter, holding her captive for 19 years Posted: 27 Feb 2020 12:36 AM PST  Henri Michelle Piette kidnapped his victim in 1997 when she was 12 and subjected her to nearly 20 years of physical and sexual abuse before she escaped.
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| Iran Can’t Hide Its Coronavirus Explosion, But It’s Trying Hard—and Putting the World in Danger Posted: 27 Feb 2020 02:26 AM PST  Iran's deputy health minister was drenched in sweat at the press conference on Monday where he vehemently denied Tehran was covering up the extent of the coronavirus outbreak. He kept wiping his brow with his handkerchief and was in visible distress as he said quarantines were a "Stone Age" way to address the problem, and Iran doesn't need them. Then, sure enough, that night he tested positive for the virus himself and put himself in quarantine. The irony of Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi's case would be funny almost, were Iran's conspicuous bungling of the coronavirus threat not a menace to the whole region and, indeed, to the world. As The Daily Beast's partner publication, IranWire, revealed in an exclusive report Thursday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has tried to address the epidemic by telling doctors to shut up about it, much as Chinese authorities in Wuhan did, disastrously, when the disease was just starting to spread last December.The "official figures" from Iran give the game away. At last count, 16 people have died from COVID-19, but only 95 cases had been confirmed. As Wired UK points out, that would be a death rate of about 17 percent, when the data available from China, where there are huge numbers to work with, suggests the death rate is closer to 2 percent. The statistics don't add up. Canadian researchers cited by Wired suggest the Iran outbreak probably involves more than 18,000 people, and counting.* * *SILENCING THE DOCTORS* * *Following is the full IranWire article written by Aida Ghajar:IranWire can exclusively report that Iran's Revolutionary Guards have threatened Iranian medical specialists with reprisals if any of them were to disclose information regarding the spread of coronavirus in Iran.A group of specialist doctors met with Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi on Feb. 22, during which they reported on the latest findings regarding the spread of coronavirus in Tehran and other Iranian cities. But soon after the meeting, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) approached the doctors through the health ministry's security office and warned the doctors not to leak any information from their discussions. The doctors were told that, if any details did leak, they would be held responsible and would suffer the consequences.Despite these threats, the information received by IranWire shows the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak, especially in Tehran. The doctors who were present at the meeting offered Harirchi their assessment of the official news and figures and told him that the figures published by the government do not match the reality of the situation.As one of these doctors—whose name is withheld because of the threats from the Revolutionary Guards—told IranWire: "The statistics published by the government have nothing to do with reality of the situation and the number of infections is much higher than what the media reports. If things go on like this and if the Islamic Republic does not cooperate with the World Health Organization, we must expect a great disaster in the coming months and, only in Tehran, tens of thousands will be infected by coronavirus. This scientific estimate does not even include other epicenters like Qom. If we cannot come up with a framework to cooperate with the World Health Organization, our situation will become many times worse than in China."This doctor pointed out that, right now, a number of clinics in Tehran have been quarantined and the government's attempts to keep the reality of the situation a secret is a "crime" in the legal sense of the word."Refusing to divulge real information to Iranians and to the international community is officially a crime because it endangers the lives of people not only in Iran but in other countries as well."Donald Trump Takes Coronavirus So Seriously He Just Put Mike Pence in ChargeIn many countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Canada, Iraq, Turkey, and Lebanon, the first cases of coronavirus infections were brought in by Iranian citizens or by travelers who had visited Iran. This has led many countries to close their borders with Iran, in the air and on the ground.According to this doctor, the outbreak of coronavirus in Iran occurred just after the outbreak in China. "But the problem started when we did not recognize that this virus is the same as China's coronavirus," the doctor said. "We made a mistake when we identified it as a variant of influenza viruses.… But, after it became known that it had been a mistake, [officials] continued as before and did not disclose the facts."* * *THE GOVERNMENT IS CLUELESS* * *The doctor said Iran's government has no plans for containing the crisis. Officials have "no other choice except secrecy," he added. "This will disgrace the Islamic Republic, if it becomes known that its government is clueless. But this can lead to a humanitarian disaster."According to this doctor, after the meeting with the health minister was over, the Revolutionary Guards contacted each doctor who had been at the meeting. "They told us that we will be held responsible for even the smallest leak. But I could not keep silent anymore," he said.On Monday, two days after the meeting and after the doctors were threatened, Gen. Hossein Salami, the top commander of the Revolutionary Guards, called Health Minister Saeed Namaki and announced that the Guards were ready to provide any and all assistance in fighting coronavirus and preventing its spread.On Feb. 25, in a televised speech, President Hassan Rouhani asked people to trust only statements by the health ministry for information about coronavirus.The Iranian Cyber Police have meanwhile reported that they have arrested a number of "rumor-mongers" about coronavirus since Feb. 21. Gen. Hossein Rahimi, commander of Tehran's Cyber Police, announced the arrests."Persons who want to create trouble for the people by spreading rumors and lying in cyberspace must know that the police surveils their behavior and will act against them decisively," he said.Earlier on Feb. 21, Gholamreza Jalali, commander of Iran's Civil Defense Organization, accused foreign media of "creating panic" by publishing inaccurate or misleading figures about coronavirus infections. He emphasized that coronavirus must not be turned into a "political crisis."Jalali is the same official who, after floods had inundated many parts of Iran in early 2019, made strange statements about extreme weather, accusing Israel of "cloud stealing." He claimed that "joint committees of Turkey and Israel" had stolen moisture and snow from the clouds over Iran.With the Islamic Republic and the Revolutionary Guards turning the coronavirus outbreak into a security issue, by treating infection figures as state secrets, by arresting people for "rumor mongering" and, now by threatening doctors whose duty is to tell the truth about infectious diseases, it seems the experts may be proved right about the likelihood of a humanitarian disaster. If the Islamic Republic continues in this way, we must expect a much bigger disaster than what is happening in China—not only for Iranians but for the world.The Russian Models Instagramming From China's Coronavirus CapitalRead 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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| The US Navy orders ships in the Pacific to stay at sea at least 14 days between port calls over coronavirus concerns Posted: 27 Feb 2020 02:24 PM PST  Ships have been instructed to remain at sea for at least 14 days, the maximum incubation period for the coronavirus.
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| U.S. CDC aggressively evaluating whether coronavirus survives on surfaces: agency chief Posted: 27 Feb 2020 02:10 PM PST |
| Biden says he's not worried about Trump refusing to leave if defeated in November Posted: 27 Feb 2020 06:40 AM PST  Joe Biden says he isn't worried about the prospect of President Trump refusing to leave his post if he's defeated in November.
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| Warren thanks Cherokee Nation citizens for holding her 'accountable' for falsely identifying as Native American Posted: 26 Feb 2020 11:51 AM PST  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) again apologized Wednesday for previously incorrectly claiming tribal heritage and releasing DNA results that claimed to reveal she had Native American ancestry. The most recent apology was in response to a letter from several members of the Cherokee Nation, as well as members of other tribes standing in solidarity, calling on her to go beyond acknowledging her mistakes and do her part to dispel beliefs spread by white people claiming Native heritage.The letter asked Warren to unequivocally state she and her ancestors are white, explain that "only tribal affiliation and kinship determine Native identity," and that "Native people are the sole authority on who is — and who is not — Native."In a response letter, Warren affirmed she understood all three of those points, and thanked the Cherokee Nation for holding her "accountable," while also highlighting actions she has taken as a lawmaker as well as provisions she has included in her presidential campaign plans with tribal interests in mind.Warren did push back in one instance, however. The signatories of the letter said Warren's actions were part of a "long and violent history" of "white members of fake 'tribes'" being rewarded federal contracts "set aside for minority business owners." Warren said she "appreciated my incorrect identification as Native was loaded given the history," but distanced herself from the aforementioned cases because she "never benefited financially or professionally" from her claims. Read the Cherokee Nation's letter here and Warren's response here.More stories from theweek.com CPAC speaker instructs crowd to boo Mitt Romney 'every time his name is mentioned' Harvard scientist predicts coronavirus will infect up to 70 percent of humanity Trump freaks out about all the wrong things
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| Bloomberg offered running mate spot to Andrew Yang, report claims Posted: 27 Feb 2020 12:40 PM PST  Michael Bloomberg is reportedly trying to convince entreprenuer and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang to join his campaign as his running mate.According to individuals with knowledge of the discussion, aides working with the former New York City mayor reportedly reached out to Mr Yang to discuss how the businessmen could join forces in Mr Bloomberg's quest for the Democratic nomination.
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| Limbaugh and Trump fuel coronavirus conspiracy theories Posted: 26 Feb 2020 12:28 PM PST  Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is telling his listeners that the coronavirus is a plot to bring down President Trump and attacked the CDC official who warned on Tuesday that the virus will spread in the U.S.
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| Missing Mennonite woman, 27, found dead 250 miles from home Posted: 27 Feb 2020 08:09 AM PST  Authorities quickly found the missing woman's vehicle at a church near her home, but she was nowhere to be found.
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| Strike Fast! Japan Develops a Mach-5 Aircraft Carrier-Killer Missile Posted: 27 Feb 2020 02:33 AM PST  The Japanese military is considering developing a hypersonic anti-ship missile with a special warhead for penetrating the decks of Chinese aircraft carriers.
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| Betsy DeVos orders probe after USA TODAY finds college evidently without faculty, students Posted: 27 Feb 2020 10:29 AM PST  Betsy DeVos has launched an Education Department investigation after a USA TODAY report showed a college apparently had no faculty or students.
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| Arizona's most populous county becomes gun 'sanctuary' Posted: 26 Feb 2020 02:06 PM PST  Arizona's most populous county on Wednesday joined a growing national movement in which areas are declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries and proclaiming support for gun ownership rights. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted in Phoenix to declare one of the nation's fastest-growing counties a "Second Amendment Preservation County," following dozens of counties nationwide and four others in Arizona that have approved similar symbolic resolutions meant to stave off gun-control policies that could be seen as unconstitutional. The resolution in Maricopa County, which has about 4.4 million residents, simply says the board supports the right to own guns.
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| Nigeria's Islamists targeting Christians to provoke religious war, says minister Posted: 27 Feb 2020 09:20 AM PST  Islamist militant groups in Nigeria have begun targeting Christians in an attempt to provoke a religious war, the information minister said on Thursday. Islamist insurgents in Nigeria have killed around 35,000 people and displaced at least two million in the past decade, driven first by Boko Haram and more recently by its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). "They have started targeting Christians and Christian villages for a specific reason, which is to trigger a religious war and throw the nation into chaos," he told reporters.
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| People can get the coronavirus more than once, experts warn — recovering does not necessarily make you immune Posted: 27 Feb 2020 11:51 AM PST  People who have gotten the coronavirus before could still get it again. This happened to a tour guide in Japan.
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| Seattle Is Socialism’s Laboratory, and It’s Not Pretty Posted: 27 Feb 2020 05:16 AM PST  Democratic socialists are in the middle of a hostile takeover of the Democratic Party. Led by the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign and the "squad" of newly elected congresswomen, the hard-left coalition has laid out an ambitious agenda to transform the United States into a democratic socialist nation. While many commentators have dismissed the rhetoric around the Green New Deal, Housing for All, and End Cash Bail as pie-in-the-sky abstraction, in Seattle, the socialist coalition is quickly translating this agenda into a political reality.After the socialist Left's stunning victory over business-backed moderates in last year's municipal elections, Seattle has effectively become the nation's laboratory for socialist policies. Since the beginning of the year, the socialist faction on the Seattle City Council has proposed a range of policies on taxes, housing, homelessness, and criminal justice that put into practice the national democratic-socialist agenda. In the most recent session, socialist councilwoman Kshama Sawant and her allies have proposed massive new taxes on corporations, unprecedented regulations on landlords (including rent control and a ban on "winter evictions"), the mandated construction of homeless encampments, and the gradual dismantling of the criminal justice system, beginning with the end of cash bail.Seattle's socialists have established a narrative that provides the rhetorical basis for their policies. They argue that the corporate-technological elite, led by companies such as Amazon, has hoarded the rewards of the digital economy and created widespread misery for workers, renters, and people of color. As Seattle-based commentator and Marxist theoretician Charles Mudede has written: "We are in the 21st century. We are in one of the richest cities on earth. And yet, the old war between those who employ labor and those who sell their labor is still very much with us."In the socialist vision, the "new class war" is now entering a more direct phase of conflict. They have launched a political campaign to dramatically curtail the power of corporations, landlords, and traditional neighborhood interests, and to build a coalition of socialists, progressives, unions, and the dispossessed that is capable of achieving power. In short, the solution to the class war is to win the class war.While conservatives and moderates have typically dismissed the socialist movement as a "big-city problem," the new socialist agenda is no longer confined to the municipal boundaries of places such as Seattle, San Francisco, and New York. Increasingly, the hard-left coalition has turned these cities into "laboratories for socialism," with the goal of eventually commercializing their policies through the national Democratic Party. Already, Bernie Sanders, the current front-runner in the Democratic primary, has proposed a nationalized version of the Seattle agenda: Tax Amazon, enact national rent control, construct public housing, and end cash bail.But Seattle's socialists have gone one step further. In order to consolidate their newfound power, the progressive-socialists have begun to manipulate the democratic process in their own favor: first, by providing all Seattle voters with $100 in taxpayer-funded "democracy vouchers," which are easily collected by unions, activists, and socialist groups; and second, by implementing a ban on corporate spending in local elections by companies like Amazon. At the same time, black-bloc activists and Antifa militants intimidate any potential opposition by disrupting events, vandalizing homes, and even orchestrating death threats against political adversaries.What can opponents of socialism do? First, recognize that it must be fought on all fronts. While the socialists form a small minority of the national electorate, they have demonstrated the capability of seizing power in America's major cities, which are home to much of the digital "means of production" in tech, media, advertising, entertainment, and research. The business sector in cities such as Seattle must recognize that the progressive-socialists are no longer interested in gaining reasonable concessions; they intend to overthrow capitalism itself.Over the past decade, the dominant corporate strategy has been to quietly advocate for neoliberal economic policies, while pandering to the cultural mandates of "diversity and inclusion." That era is now over. As the experience in Seattle reveals, the socialist Left cannot be appeased on cultural issues — they are fighting a war against capital and they intend to win it.If the business sector wants to protect its own interests, it must rapidly adapt to this new reality. It's no longer enough for local Chambers of Commerce to drop leaflets before local elections; they must build a permanent counterbalance to the progressive-socialists. They must begin by commissioning original policy research, funding local neighborhood groups, and building a political alliance of conservatives, moderates, and old-line liberals. In other words, they must reestablish a balance of power in America's cities.If nothing is done, the laboratories of socialism in America's cities will become a national problem. It's time to shut them down.
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| Bloomberg campaign reportedly trying to recruit Andrew Yang Posted: 27 Feb 2020 12:58 PM PST  Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg may be looking for a bump from the Yang Gang.The Bloomberg campaign has been seeking an endorsement from entrepreneur and former 2020 candidate Andrew Yang and even floated him as a potential running made, The Wall Street Journal reports. "Aides to the former New York City mayor reached out to discuss ways the two entrepreneurs-turned-politicians could work together as Mr. Bloomberg seeks the Democratic nomination," the Journal writes, although Yang reportedly "didn't commit to join forces."The Bloomberg campaign told the Journal that Yang isn't being seriously considered to be his running mate, and a senior Bloomberg aide denied to NBC's Josh Lederman that he never was. Since dropping out of the race, Yang has been a contributor for CNN. He recently took part in a CNN discussion about Bloomberg's debate debut, during which he said the former mayor came across as "lethargic and uninterested" and was not "properly prepared." Yang also theorized Bloomberg has no one on his team "who could be like, 'That was terrible. This is going to potentially damage your campaign to a very, very high degree.'" Meanwhile, Bloomberg in an interview with MSNBC on Thursday said he'd "consider everybody" to be his running mate should he win the Democratic nomination, but when asked who he's talked to, he shot back, "Why would I tell you?" More stories from theweek.com A new 'conspiracy theory' hints at intense Instagram feud between royal couples What it's like to be in Venice during coronavirus lockdown Harvard scientist predicts coronavirus will infect up to 70 percent of humanity
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| Trump Pardon Won’t Erase Arpaio’s Criminal Past in Comeback Bid Posted: 27 Feb 2020 11:47 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio will have to pursue his comeback with a guilty verdict on his resume.The U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Thursday refused to expunge the criminal contempt finding made against Arpaio for defying a judge's orders related to his crackdown on undocumented immigrants.The 87-year-old lawman -- once known as "America's toughest sheriff -- is again vying for the job that he held for 24 years in Maricopa County. He lost the 2016 election and was found guilty the following year. A month after the verdict, he became the first person to be pardoned by President Donald Trump.The three appellate judges, one who was appointed by Trump and two by George W. Bush, were unanimous that Arpaio's guilty verdict had no legal consequence because technically he was never convicted."Here, the issuing of a presidential pardon, and Arpaio's acceptance of the pardon, preempted his sentencing," the panel said. "Thus, there is no final judgment of conviction in this case."After he was pardoned, Arpaio asked the trial judge to set aside his guilty verdict. She refused -- a ruling that was upheld by the appeals court which said it could never be used against him in a future case.Arpaio's lawyer Jack Wilenchick declared victory, saying that has exactly the same effect as an order "vacating" the guilty finding."The court gave us exactly what we asked for, which is a finding that the guilty verdict is legally meaningless," Wilenchick said in a statement. "The trial judge's final order had said just the opposite; it had indicated that the guilty verdict may, or even should, be used against Arpaio in the future in a court of law."Arpaio made a name for himself targeting Latinos in the Phoenix area with traffic stops only on the suspicion they were undocumented immigrants. In 2017, a federal judge convicted him of criminal contempt of court for violating orders to stop.The case took an unusual turn after the U.S. Justice Department, which had started the proceedings against Arpaio under the Obama administration and secured his conviction, said it wouldn't fight Arpaio's appeal.That prompted groups of civil rights organizations, legal scholars and members of Congress to ask the court to appoint an independent prosecutor as well as to challenge the underlying validity of Arpaio's pardon.A judge found the pardon was valid, but Arpaio fought on to try to get his offense expunged from court records.Read More: 'America's Toughest Sheriff' Wants More From Trump PardonTo contact the reporter on this story: Edvard Pettersson in Los Angeles at epettersson@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Peter Blumberg at pblumberg1@bloomberg.net, Joe SchneiderFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Daughter of Mexico drug lord 'El Mencho' busted trying to see brother 'El Menchito' in court Posted: 27 Feb 2020 01:30 PM PST  Jessica Oseguera Gonzalez was arrested on the property of the federal courthouse in Washington on Wednesday, law enforcement officials told NBC News.
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| Coronavirus: latest developments worldwide Posted: 27 Feb 2020 12:54 PM PST  The list of countries hit by the coronavirus grows. Mecca suspends entry for pilgrims. Several countries close their schools, stock exchanges plunge.
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| Is Iran Giving the Houthis Plane-Killer Missiles? Posted: 27 Feb 2020 04:40 AM PST  More menacing munitions.
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| Republicans Break with Barr on FISA Renewal, Urge Reforms before Reauthorization Posted: 26 Feb 2020 12:57 PM PST  Republicans in both the House and the Senate are unhappy that attorney general William Barr wants a simple reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, with sources telling National Review that GOP critics of FISA are "adamant" that serious reforms must be implemented before the reauthorization.Barr reportedly told GOP senators during a lunch Tuesday that they should move to reauthorize the expiring portions of FISA's surveillance powers as he continues to implement internal reforms. The intelligence community also supports a clean reauthorization prior to the implementation of significant reforms.Barr's position is also backed by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), but other Republicans are more skeptical following inspector general Michael Horowitz's December report on "at least 17" abuses in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, which relied heavily on FISA warrants.House sources told National Review that "a long list" of Republicans support "significant reforms" to FISA before it is reauthorized."Given the tremendous abuses in 16-17, a clean reauthorization is totally unacceptable," one House aide said.Congressman Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) and Mark Meadows (R., N.C.) added their concerns on Wednesday, tweeting within four minutes of each other about how a reauthorization without reform was a mistake.> Comey's FBI misled the FISA Court 17 times.> > We can't simply reauthorize the system that allowed those lies and omissions to happen.> > Now is our chance to fix it.> > -- Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) February 26, 2020> Former FBI officials in 2016-17 gravely abused the FISA process and lied to the FISA court 17 times> > Now, some members of Congress want to do a clean reauthorization of FISA anyway> > Totally unacceptable. Should NEVER happen.> > -- Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) February 26, 2020Senator Mike Lee (R., Utah), an outspoken advocate for FISA reform, tweeted after the lunch that he had "made a long case against a simple reauthorization of the FISA program. Some are arguing the program needs no reform and that DOJ can put in place internal quality control mechanisms. That's not good enough."Lee's office told National Review in December that Republicans were planning "new legislation with major reforms to be introduced and hopefully incorporated into the program before it expires in March."Reached for comment Wednesday, Lee's communications director Conn Carroll confirmed that the Utah Republican had held conversations with other FISA critics among the GOP."Waiting to see how the House mark up finishes today before we strategize further," he told National Review in an email.The House Judiciary Committee postponed a meeting Wednesday to review markups to its FISA reform bill, after Representative Zoe Lofgren (D., Calif.) proposed last-minute amendments to strengthen reforms — which senior House Democrats dismissed as "poison pills" that would doom the legislation due to a lack of bipartisan support.House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D., N.Y.) told CNN Wednesday — before the delay — that he would not support a clean reauthorization of FISA, as his committee reviews mark-ups to legislation to renew the surveillance powers by its deadline.A Senate Republican aide suggested to National Review that House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) was behind the stalling on Nadler's bill."There was a decent reform bill that Nadler had that Schiff forced him to water down. No civil liberties group signed off on it. It is a Schiff wish list," the aide said. "Lofgren has been perfectly transparent about wanting amendments, amendments that have strong bipartisan support. Which is why Schiff doesn't want to vote on them."Conservative-libertarian advocacy group FreedomWorks condemned the decision to delay the bill's markup, saying in a statement that "the very idea that the Judiciary Committee might produce a bill that would address some of these problems was apparently too much for Chairman Schiff today.Last week, Representatives Doug Collins (R., Ga.) and Devin Nunes (R., Calif.) — ranking members of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees, respectively — sent a letter to Nadler urging serious reforms."The Democrats' bill does not address the serious issues in our FISA system, as highlighted by Inspector General Horowitz. I'm not at all surprised that all Republicans, and apparently even some Democrats, agree," Collins said in a statement after the news of the delay. "The status quo is unacceptable. We cannot reauthorize these counterterrorism provisions without instituting critical safeguards that protect the civil liberties of all Americans."The Trump administration remains divided over how best to approach FISA, which the president often criticizes due to its use in the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation into his 2016 campaign. Over the weekend, reports broke that the White House Domestic Policy Council was pushing for a serious overhaul of FISA, but faced opposition from the National Security Council."A lot will happen between now and March 15. We may do a placeholder and take it past March 15. We've got to get this right," Senator John Kennedy (R., La.) told Politico.
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| Belarus leader says nation being forced to merge with Russia Posted: 27 Feb 2020 04:26 AM PST  The president of Belarus said Thursday that his country is "being forced into integration" with Russia and insisted that real integration of the two countries' economies implied "sovereignty and independence" for Belarus. "We remain committed, as always, to real integration without being forced into integration," President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with Mikhail Myasnikovich, chair of the Eurasian Economic Commission.
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| A tour guide in Japan tested positive for the coronavirus for a 2nd time, less than a month after recovering Posted: 27 Feb 2020 02:22 AM PST  How this woman in her 40s contracted the virus again is not yet known. Experts say it is possible that humans can get sick from it more than once.
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| The Senate Sits on Commonsense Gun Reform While Americans Die Posted: 27 Feb 2020 10:57 AM PST  An estimated 38,000 Americans have died in gun related deaths since the House passed a bill on gun reform. Why won't the Senate act?
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| Mexican state oil firm Pemex losses $18.3 bn in 2019 Posted: 27 Feb 2020 01:42 PM PST  Mexico's state oil company Pemex on Thursday reported losses of 346 billion pesos ($18.3 billion) for 2019, a 92 percent increase on last year's deficit. Pemex said the results were due to the burden of $105 billion in debt, a drop in crude sales and an increase in tax payments. "The most important variables that explain this situation are the fall in the price of the Mexican (crude) mix for export; lower reference prices for petrol and diesel; and the reduction in the volume of sales both nationally and for export," Pemex said in a statement.
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| Bloomberg unveils TV ad slamming Trump for coronavirus response Posted: 25 Feb 2020 10:25 PM PST  The new 30-second ad highlights Bloomberg's managerial experience as mayor of New York City.
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| AOC says she feels unsafe because Trump’s 'wack job' tweet with her is fueling white supremacist threats Posted: 26 Feb 2020 04:14 PM PST  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has admitted she feels unsafe in Washington D.C. over her home in the Bronx, New York — which is fueled, in part, by the threats she's received after President Trump tweeted against her.
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| Grandfather of toddler who died in cruise ship fall to plead guilty Posted: 26 Feb 2020 06:44 AM PST  Salvatore Anello, Chloe Wiegand's grandfather, will change his plea in a deal to avoid jail time, a family attorney told NBC News.
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| Turkish official: Airstrike in Syria kills 29 Turkish soldiers Posted: 27 Feb 2020 04:03 PM PST  A Syrian government airstrike Thursday in the country's Idlib province killed at least 29 Turkish soldiers, a Turkish official said.Rahmi Dogan, the governor of Turkey's Hatay province, said additional troops were injured, while the monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the death toll higher, at 34. Local media reports that after the airstrike, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called an emergency meeting of his top security officials.Syrian rebels backed by Turkey have control of some territory in Idlib, and the Syrian government, with the support of Russia, is trying to retake those areas. Turkey began sending more troops to Idlib earlier this month, in an attempt to slow down the Syrian army's advance across the province. The intense fighting has sparked Syria's latest humanitarian crisis, as hundreds of thousands of displaced people are now fleeing toward the Turkish border.More stories from theweek.com A new 'conspiracy theory' hints at intense Instagram feud between royal couples What it's like to be in Venice during coronavirus lockdown Harvard scientist predicts coronavirus will infect up to 70 percent of humanity
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| All Eyes on Malaysia’s King With Power Hanging in the Balance Posted: 26 Feb 2020 08:53 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's monarchy is taking center stage as the country awaits a resolution to a four-day power struggle pitting Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad against long-time rival Anwar Ibrahim.The king, known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, has spent the past two days speaking to lawmakers to determine who has the support of the majority after Mahathir's resignation on Monday due to bickering in the coalition. The monarch could announce the name of Malaysia's next prime minister as soon as Thursday or decide to push for an election. Mahathir was expected to meet the king at noon.The spotlight on the king is unusual. The Malay rulers usually stay on the sidelines, stepping in only to perform ceremonial functions like swearing in ministers or pardoning criminal convicts. After Mahathir's shock election win in May 2018, the then-king made him wait nearly an entire day to be sworn in as prime minister.This time, the uncertainty is worsened by shifting alliances among a range of political parties divided largely on racial and religious lines.Mahathir said Wednesday he would return to power if enough lawmakers back him. The former ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition, which now commands 41% of seats in parliament after Mahathir's party left, announced it would back Anwar as premier.Rotational MonarchyOn Thursday, opposition parties United Malays National Organisation and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, making up more than a quarter of the house, denied a report they would back Muhyiddin Yassin -- an ally of Mahathir -- as prime minister. A few regional parties who could shift the balance of power haven't stated publicly who they would support.Malaysia's rotational monarchy dates back to the British colonial era when the Conference of Rulers were set up to be composed of the rulers of nine Malay states. The position of the king is passed among the rulers, with each term lasting five years.The current king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad, ascended the throne last year after the previous monarch stepped down in an unprecedented abdication. Sultan Abdullah is the ruler of Pahang state, the birth place of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is facing corruption charges he denies.Mahathir clashed with the royalty when he ran the country in the 1990s, removing their legal immunity and scrapping laws barring people from criticizing the king. Anwar appears to have warmer ties with the royalty. The former king pardoned him a week after Mahathir's election win in 2018, and asked his wife, then-Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, if she wanted to become the premier.(Updates with parties denying reports on Muhyiddin)\--With assistance from Hadi Azmi.To contact the reporters on this story: Anisah Shukry in Kuala Lumpur at ashukry2@bloomberg.net;Yantoultra Ngui in Kuala Lumpur at yngui@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| One of Iran's vice presidents has been infected with coronavirus Posted: 27 Feb 2020 10:20 AM PST  Ebtekar, one of Iran's vice presidents, was the English-language spokesperson known to the media as "Mary" during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis.
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| The Sinister Sanders Child-Care Plan Posted: 27 Feb 2020 12:35 PM PST  Bernie Sanders announced a "universal child care" proposal at the end of his wide-ranging 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper. The plan would guarantee "every child in America free full-day, full-week, high-quality child care from infancy through age three," and the campaign estimates that it would cost taxpayers 1.5 trillion dollars over ten years. But aside from being prohibitively expensive and distressingly vague, the plan looks an awful lot like social engineering.Start with the price tag. After failing to explain how he would pay for his expansive agenda — "I can't rattle off to you every nickel and every dime," Sanders told Anderson Cooper in a disastrous moment of candor — the Sanders campaign released a partial list of pay-fors the day after the interview, laying out the cost of the senator's major proposals alongside the tax hikes a Sanders administration would pursue to finance its domestic agenda. The campaign pegged the child-care proposal at a $150 billion annual price tag, more expensive than current federal outlays on unemployment insurance and the SNAP program combined.Add the child-care initiative to the bevy of programs Sanders has already promised to enact as president, and the fiscal feasibility of a child-care proposal grows more uncertain.The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released their analysis of Sanders's universal child-care plan yesterday, and raised concerns that the Sanders campaign was overestimating federal receipts from its proposed "tax on extreme wealth":> Based on the work of economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, the Sanders campaign estimates this wealth tax would raise $4.35 trillion. This would be enough to finance Senator Sanders's $1.5 trillion universal child care and pre-K plan, his $2.5 trillion housing plan, and $350 billion of his Medicare for All plan (note that our analysis previously assumed he would dedicate $800 billion, not $350 billion, to Medicare for All).> > In our assessment, however, Senators Sanders's wealth tax is likely to raise significantly less than advertised due to high levels of tax avoidance and the erosion of taxable wealth over time. We believe the wealth tax is likely to raise roughly $3.3 trillion. Assuming the proceeds are distributed evenly, that would leave the universal child care and pre-K plan nearly $400 billion short.As a point of reference, that $400 billion shortfall is larger than the sum total currently allotted to all federal welfare programs combined.While Sanders's innumeracy was perhaps to be expected, the senator's defense of the child-care plan on the merits was surprising. For a candidate with well-documented disdain for corporate America, it was strange to see how much of Sanders's child-care proposal was concerned with the "career outcomes" of "mothers" who — heaven forfend — make "career sacrifices in order to care for their children." The Sanders campaign presents female labor participation growth as one of the central selling points for its child-care scheme: "Mothers," the campaign proclaims, "are 40 percent more likely than fathers to report a negative impact on their career outcomes due to child care considerations," making the institution of a government-funded child-care scheme a "moral responsibility." The campaign presents the welfare of the children whose stay-at-home parents enter the workforce as an ancillary concern.The Sanders campaign hardly seemed to consider — or, worse, seemed to have considered and proceeded to ignore — the possibility that those mothers making "career sacrifices" might want to raise their own children. As a 2015 Gallup poll found, 56 percent of mothers with children under the age of 18 said they would rather remain at home than enter the workforce, if given the choice. Instead, the socialist appears eager to incentivize more mothers to join the workforce, whereupon they will be presumably "exploited" by the "greedy" corporations the senator has spent a lifetime deriding.Most alarming is the power the senator's plan vests in the federal government to insert itself into the child-rearing process. Sanders proposes a one-size-fits-all, government-funded child-care model, with no provision for those parents who wish to remain at home. If the Sanders campaign were simply concerned about the costs associated with raising children — both in the home and at a day-care center — it could have proposed a subsidy that also conferred benefits to stay-at-home parents or to relatives providing child care. But the social-engineering component of the plan is unmistakable, as Sanders would essentially create a scheme to augment the "career outcomes" of mothers who might otherwise raise their children at home, thereby boosting enrollment in government-funded child-care centers. Of course, all of those child-care centers will be subject to "quality standards" concocted in Washington.The implications of Sanders's child-care agenda are clear enough. Right in the heart of the proposal, the Sanders campaign acknowledges that "ages 0 through 4 are the most important years of human life intellectually and emotionally." Parents ought to be the ones to impart their values to their children in such a formative window, not a Sanders-administration functionary.
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| Moscow rounds up stray animals, kills rats over coronavirus fears Posted: 27 Feb 2020 03:48 AM PST  Moscow authorities are rounding up stray animals and exterminating rats as a precaution against the new coronavirus, actions that animal rights campaigners decried as cruel and scientifically groundless. Russia has imposed an array of measures to stop the virus gaining a foothold in Russia, ranging from restrictions on flights to China and South Korea to visa curbs for Iranian and Chinese citizens. "We are currently carrying out a large-scale complex (of measures) for the total deratization of the city, catching wild animals, strays," Elena Andreeva, the Moscow head of the Rospotrepnadzor consumer health watchdog, was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency.
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| CDC confirms first 'unknown' coronavirus case in California that could raise concerns about the threat of the virus Posted: 27 Feb 2020 11:08 AM PST  The CDC on Wednesday confirmed an infection in California that would represent the first U.S. person to contract the virus from an "unknown" origin.
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| Mom Enlisted Son to Murder Husband, Daughter for Insurance Money: Prosecutors Posted: 27 Feb 2020 01:08 PM PST  A New Jersey woman faces murder charges after allegedly enlisting her son and his friend to brutally kill her daughter and husband 25 years ago by promising them a cut of his life-insurance policy. Dolores Morgan, 66, and her 47-year-old son, Ted Connors, were indicted by a grand jury Wednesday evening on seven counts, including murder and conspiracy, in relation to the 1994 stabbing death of Ana Mejia and the fatal shooting of Nicholas Connors in May 1995, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office told The Daily Beast.Prosecutors allege that while Connors murdered his father and sister with his best friend, Jose Carrero, Morgan was the true mastermind behind the scheme. After her husband was killed, Morgan allegedly collected a $200,000 life-insurance policy and moved to Florida with her son.Suspect in New Jersey Family's Torching Is Brother and Business Partner to Victim"Killing for money and drugs, the state's position, you cannot get more violent," prosecutor Meghan Doyle said at the pair's detention hearing after their original arrest in January. "[Morgan] has done nothing but hide her involvement and manipulate the system to ensure she was protected."Last week, Carrero, 48, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, admitting that both murder plots were hatched on Morgan's New Jersey kitchen table and that he had witnessed both of the slayings. He is expected to be sentenced to up to 20 years in state prison for his role in the gruesome schemes and has agreed to testify against his former accomplices.Carrero told Superior Court Judge Ellen Torregrossa-O'Connor in February that Morgan offered him up to $3,000 to kill her daughter, Meija, because she believed the 24-year-old had alerted police about her drug dealing, according to the Asbury Park Press. The 48-year-old admitted he held Mejia down and covered her face with his hand, while Connors stabbed his sister to death. Her two children, ages 3 and 1 at the time, were present at the apartment but were left unharmed.Mejia, 24, was found dead inside her Long Branch apartment on Dec. 8, 1994, where she had been stabbed 23 times, authorities said. A white substance was found smeared across her mouth and nose—which was eventually determined to be baby formula, prosecutors said.Estranged Husband, Girlfriend of Missing NYC Teacher Charged With MurderFive months later, Carrero said Morgan asked for his help again: to help her son murder her husband so they collect his life-insurance policy. Prosecutors said that Nicolas Connors, 51, was found dead on a sofa in his Long Branch home with "multiple gunshot wounds to the head" on May 14, 1995. According to Carrero, Conners retrieved a gun and cut a hole through the screen door to make the crime look like a robbery gone wrong. "Dolores Connors wanted him killed for insurance purposes,"' Carrero said.After the murder, Morgan allegedly cashed the $200,000 insurance policy—which Carrero said she originally believed was worth $1 million—and moved with her son to Florida. Morgan, Connors, and his then-girlfriend traveled to the Dominican Republic after the second murder, prosecutors said. During the trip, Connors' ex-girlfriend told authorities that Morgan said, "We already have two deaths on our hands. We can't afford another. We can't afford the police snooping around our house again."Morgan's attorney, Jason Seidman, told The Daily Beast on Thursday his client has been cooperative with police "to help capture the killer or killers who took her husband and daughter" and maintains "her innocence as she has for over 25 years.""She has waited for 25 years to have those responsible brought to justice," he said, noting that while he normally does not comment on ongoing cases, the state's decision to put "every moment of this case before the media thus far" has compelled him to speak out. Seidman insisted that Carrero's "completely inconsistent" confession does not accurately state the chain of events."They have chosen to run with his story, and turn a blind eye to facts and reason," he said. "There are no less than 8 people who had either greater motive or better opportunity to commit these murders, including several drug dealers who were out large amounts of money or drugs, based upon the actions of the victim and her boyfriend one week prior to her murder." 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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| US Army, Marines want to make the Hellfire missile replacement more deadly at sea Posted: 27 Feb 2020 01:45 PM PST  After working out kinks related to the Hellfire missile replacement's lethality in a maritime environment, the Army and Marine Corps are heading into more tests of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile against targets at sea.
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| 'He fought us every single step of the way': How Bloomberg embraced stop-and-frisk as mayor Posted: 27 Feb 2020 12:50 PM PST  "He dug in and fought us all the way to his last day in office," an activist who opposed stop-and-frisk recalled.
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| Here's what life is like in Rikers Island, where Harvey Weinstein is set to go as he awaits sentencing for his rape conviction Posted: 26 Feb 2020 11:55 AM PST  Harvey Weinstein is headed to Rikers Island as inmate No. 06581138Z, where he'll likely stay in the medical unit.
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| CPAC speaker instructs crowd to boo Mitt Romney 'every time his name is mentioned' Posted: 27 Feb 2020 10:10 AM PST  Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) isn't getting the warmest of receptions at the Conservative Political Action Conference he was specifically not invited to.The 2012 Republican presidential nominee's name was mentioned during Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk's CPAC speech on Thursday, at which point the crowd booed and Kirk encouraged this as the proper response."Correct," Kirk said. "Every time his name is mentioned, you should respond that way."Kirk went on to rage that Romney "lied to every single person in this room" and voted "for that sham, unconstitutional impeachment." Romney was the only Republican senator to vote in favor of convicting President Trump in his impeachment trial, as well as the only senator in U.S. history to vote to remove a president of his party.After his vote to call additional witnesses in the impeachment trial, CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp said Romney was not invited to the event, with Schlapp later saying, "I'd actually be afraid for his physical safety" because "people are so mad at him." This type of backlash is something Romney clearly expected, saying in an interview the day of his impeachment vote, "the personal consequences, the political consequences that fall on me as a result of that are going to be extraordinary." > Charlie Kirk sets the tone, telling CPAC crowd that booing is the appropriate response to Mitt Romney's name. pic.twitter.com/eFCJXc8yqT> > -- Anthony L. Fisher (@anthonyLfisher) February 27, 2020More stories from theweek.com A new 'conspiracy theory' hints at intense Instagram feud between royal couples What it's like to be in Venice during coronavirus lockdown Harvard scientist predicts coronavirus will infect up to 70 percent of humanity
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| Louisiana governor: Judge should resign after racial slurs in text messages Posted: 27 Feb 2020 09:00 AM PST  Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards called Wednesday for a judge to step down after she admitted to using racial slurs in angry text messages. The Democratic governor said the "state deserves better."
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| Some Uber drivers are refusing to pick up airport passengers because of coronavirus fears Posted: 27 Feb 2020 02:37 PM PST  Some Uber drivers, anxious about an outbreak and left in the dark by Uber, say they've taken matters into their own hands to avoid exposure
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| Coronavirus: How Fox News and other right-wing media endanger our health Posted: 27 Feb 2020 04:04 PM PST  Despite steady warnings from health organizations worldwide, right-wing media are clogging airwaves with conspiracy theories and inaccurate reporting.
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| Australian and Israeli leaders discuss extradition wrangle Posted: 25 Feb 2020 09:19 PM PST  Australia's prime minister and Israel's president on Wednesday discussed an extradition request for a former school principal whose alleged abuse of dozens of Australian schoolgirls has cast a shadow over the Israeli leader's visit. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and President Reuven Rivlin discussed their "strong commitment to seeing justice" in the case of the former principal, Malka Leifer, during a meeting at Parliament House, officials said. An opposition lawmaker said Rivlin had offered to personally intervene in the case if progress is not made in court this week.
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| No, Michael Mann, You Aren’t Going to ‘Ruin’ this ‘Filthy Organization’ Posted: 27 Feb 2020 12:48 PM PST  A few days before launching his lawsuit against what he called "this filthy organization," Michael Mann wrote that there "is a possibility that I can ruin National Review." Nearly a decade later, we are still fighting his attempt to do precisely that.From the beginning of this affair, National Review has maintained that the case that Mann filed is frivolous, malicious, corrupt, and lacking entirely in legal justification. We maintain that still. The Supreme Court has ruled that the First Amendment is predicated upon "a profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open," and that matters of political dispute are in consequence exempt from superintendence. By attempting to litigate against his critics, Michael Mann has chosen to stand firmly on the other side of that national commitment. Were he to prevail, he would set a host of terrible precedents against free inquiry and open argument, and in favor of censorship.That this case has been open-and-shut from the start was obvious not only to National Review, but to all who believe in the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press — which is why the amicus briefs that have been filed in our behalf range so widely across the political spectrum.We've said we'd use every tool and argument at our disposal to defeat Mann, and that's what we've done. Mark Steyn posted the blog item in dispute in July of 2012. Mann sued in October of that year, and we filed our first motion to dismiss in December of 2012.When that was denied by the trial court, we filed a motion to reconsider. When that, too, was denied, we appealed to the D.C. Court of Appeals — twice. This brings us to 2014. After oral arguments, the Court of Appeals sat on the case for two years. Then, the court denied our appeal. This was in December of 2016. Because the opinion had myriad obvious flaws, we petitioned for a rehearing. Incredibly enough, the court then delayed for yet another two years. When the court finally issued an amended opinion, all it did was add one footnote and amend another.Because the amended opinion didn't fix any of the flaws of the original opinion, we petitioned for a rehearing yet again. This, too, was denied. Then, last May, we filed a cert petition before the U.S. Supreme Court. All indications are that the court seriously considered it, before denying the petition (with Justice Alito issuing a strong dissent).Now, we are back in the trial court, with expensive and time-consuming discovery underway.Mann's plan to "ruin" us, as he put it in an email produced under discovery, is plainly to get to a trial with a politically sympathetic D.C. jury and hope that the finer points of the law and the First Amendment are lost. (Short of that, he is surely happy for the case to drag out further, draining us of energy and resources.)But it's clear that the case should never get to that point — hence our latest motion. Under the First Amendment, Mann has to prove that National Review published the Corner post with "actual malice." That would require him to show that National Review actually believed that the post was "false" (or likely false) at the time of publication. That is absurd for a number of reasons, including -- given the nature of The Corner -- we didn't even know about the post until after it was published. The case against National Review is thus nonsensical at its core. It is also barred by a federal statute, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects online publishers for hosting content posted by outside contributors.To be clear, the content of the post itself is also plainly protected First Amendment speech, as we have argued consistently and at length from the first letter our lawyers wrote in response to Mann's initial legal threat to our brief before the Supreme Court.So far, the courts have, to quote Churchill, elected to "go on in strange paradox, decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all-powerful to be impotent." They brushed past the anti-SLAPP statute that was designed to prevent this from happening. Our hope is that the same won't happen with Section 230, which is also meant to protect the free-speech rights of online publishers.It is a matter of considerable irony that the only "malice" that the discovery process has uncovered is that exhibited by Michael Mann. When planning his suit, Mann described National Review as a "threat to our children," beholden to "greedy fat cat corporate masters." His stated intention was to bring us "down for good." Needless to say, this is not how a country with a First Amendment or a culture of free speech is supposed to work. It's past time that this suit is dismissed as incompatible with both, and a failure on the facts and the law.
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| Japan says China leader Xi's visit still on despite coronavirus Posted: 27 Feb 2020 01:01 AM PST  Japan said on Thursday that preparations for a rare state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping planned for April were going ahead, even as it called for sports and cultural events to be scaled down to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. "Things are on track for President Xi Jinping's visit to Japan, and we are proceeding as usual with preparations," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi spoke by telephone on Wednesday evening to confirm the visit would go ahead, Japan said.
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