| How a bill co-sponsored by Elizabeth Warren and signed by Trump could reshape the next presidential transition Posted: 21 Mar 2020 02:00 AM PDT  In approximately 10 months, a new presidential administration will take shape. And how it does so could have great consequences in the years to come. That's why there's reason to cheer a bill that could ensure that the transition is conducted with the proper ethical strictures in place — the kinds of strictures that did not exist in 2016.
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| Shelter in place, stay at home, quarantine: What do coronavirus restrictions mean? Posted: 21 Mar 2020 07:50 AM PDT  In an effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic, governors in Connecticut, Illinois and New York announced executive orders on Friday requiring all nonessential workers to stay home as much as possible — a day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a similar order requiring all nonessential workers to stay home. In total, about 75 million Americans will be affected.
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| As hospitals plead for supplies, FEMA director has no answers on mask shipments Posted: 22 Mar 2020 07:36 AM PDT  A day after he was unable to deliver specifics at a White House briefing, FEMA Director Peter Gaynor again had no answers during multiple Sunday morning interviews.
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| Remains of missing Colorado boy, 11, found in Florida Posted: 20 Mar 2020 05:50 PM PDT  Investigators want to know if anyone saw suspect Leticia Staunch in the Panhandle in early February
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| Virus now in Gaza, Syria, raising fears in vulnerable areas Posted: 22 Mar 2020 12:47 AM PDT  The arrival of the coronavirus in the Gaza Strip, an impoverished enclave where the health care system has been gutted by years of conflict, and Syria, which has been devastated by nine years of civil war and sanctions, raised fears Sunday that the pandemic may soon prey on some of the most vulnerable populations in the world. Authorities in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007, confirmed its first two cases overnight, in returnees who had come from Pakistan. In Syria, where the civil war is grinding on through its 10th year, Health Minister Nizar Yazigi announced the first confirmed coronavirus case Sunday.
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| 'Coronavirus Self-Checker': A CDC Bot Named Clara Aims to Relieve Some Strain on Health Care Providers Posted: 22 Mar 2020 09:25 AM PDT  The bot intends to help people "make decisions about seeking appropriate medical care"
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| Federal law enforcement document reveals white supremacists discussed using coronavirus as a bioweapon Posted: 21 Mar 2020 02:20 PM PDT  White supremacists discussed plans to weaponize coronavirus via "saliva," a "spray bottle" or "laced items," according to a weekly intelligence brief distributed by a federal law enforcement division on Feb. 17.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls Justice Department emergency proposals 'abhorrent' Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:35 AM PDT  The coronavirus pandemic should not be an excuse for the suspension of civil rights, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Sunday. During an appearance on CNN's State of the Union, host Jake Tapper asked Ocasio-Cortez to respond to the emergency proposals submitted to Congress by the Justice Department, including one which would give Attorney General William Barr the power to ask chief district judges to pause court proceedings when the court is overwhelmed by an emergency like the ongoing pandemic.That has set off some alarms because of what it could mean for habeas corpus, Politico reports. People have the constitutional right to appear before a judge after arrest and ask for a release, but there are fears the emergency proposal would allow the court to detain people indefinitely without trial during times of crisis.Ocasio-Cortez told Tapper she finds the idea "abhorrent" and said there's a "long history" of governments using emergencies to strip away civil rights. She argued it's particularly important now to keep an eye out for increasingly authoritarian measures. > On CNNSOTU @AOC tells @jaketapper it is "abhorrent" that DOJ proposed to Congress limiting the right to a speedy trial during the coronavirus crisishttps://t.co/S3Q8liJNMD> > -- State of the Union (@CNNSotu) March 22, 2020More stories from theweek.com How bad will the coronavirus crash get? 5 uplifting cartoons about coronavirus heroes Rand Paul is the first senator to test positive for coronavirus
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| First coronavirus cases confirmed in the Palestinian Gaza Strip Posted: 21 Mar 2020 05:09 PM PDT  The first two cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the densely-populated Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials said on Sunday. Two Palestinians who had traveled from Pakistan and entered Gaza through Egypt had tested positive for the virus late on Saturday and have been in quarantine in Rafah, a town near the Egyptian border, since their arrival on Thursday, the Gaza health ministry said. Schools, public markets and event halls have all been shut in Gaza over the past two weeks to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission.
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| What's the purpose of the phrase 'Chinese virus'? Posted: 21 Mar 2020 11:20 AM PDT  President Trump and other conservatives have begun referring to coronavirus as the "Chinese virus," saying they want to ensure that China's government is held accountable. The change in word choice has raised accusations of racism.
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| New York's governor just warned that coronavirus closures could last for as long as 9 months, and up to 80% of the population might get the virus Posted: 22 Mar 2020 01:07 PM PDT  "This is not a short term situation," Cuomo said. "It is going to be, four months, six months, nine months."
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| State Department charters flights to evacuate Americans stranded in Guatemala by coronavirus pandemic Posted: 22 Mar 2020 04:33 PM PDT  U.S. State Department has chartered flights to evacuate hundreds of Americans stranded in Guatemala after airport closes amid coronavirus outbreak.
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| A group of Florida college students traveling together on spring break have tested positive for the novel coronavirus Posted: 22 Mar 2020 01:04 PM PDT  Four of the students are self-isolating on campus, and two others are self-isolating elsewhere, the University of Tampa said.
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| American Federation of Teachers backs Biden for president Posted: 22 Mar 2020 11:18 AM PDT  Joe Biden has secured endorsements from both of the nation's major teacher unions after the American Federation of Teachers on Sunday voted to back his presidential campaign. The AFT's executive council voted to support Biden after months of town halls and candidate interviews that drew thousands of its 1.7 million members. Recent polling done for the union found that its members prefer Biden by a wide margin, with 60% favoring the former vice president and 30% favoring Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
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| Russian army sends coronavirus help to Italy after Putin phone call Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:21 AM PDT  The Russian military will start sending medical help to Italy on Sunday to help it battle the coronavirus after receiving an order from President Vladimir Putin, Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement.
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| Iran's Khamenei rejects U.S. help offer, vows to defeat coronavirus Posted: 22 Mar 2020 12:57 AM PDT  The United States' offer to help Iran in its fight against the new coronavirus pandemic is strange, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech on Sunday, describing U.S. leaders as "charlatans and liars". Tensions between the two countries have been running high since 2018, when U.S. President Donald Trump exited Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy.
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| Rand Paul's coronavirus infection sends shockwaves through Senate during major stimulus debate Posted: 22 Mar 2020 03:17 PM PDT  The diagnosis comes as the Senate prepares to move forward on a massive coronavirus stimulus aid package.
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| Coronavirus: New York warns of major medical shortages in 10 days Posted: 22 Mar 2020 03:47 PM PDT  New York's mayor issues a stark warning as the state struggles to slow the spread of coronavirus.
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| CNN anchor denounces 'stupid and racist' behavior after a passerby hurled a racial slur at Asian-American colleague Posted: 22 Mar 2020 01:06 PM PDT  He "should be self-quarantined from society anyway," CNN anchor Jake Tapper said, defending Kyung Lah, an Asian-American who grew up in Chicago.
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| A coronavirus vaccine is the only thing that can make life 'perfectly normal' again, former FDA commissioner says Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:10 AM PDT  The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus may slow down in the United States in the not-so-distant future, but that doesn't mean life will go back to normal.In an appearance on Sunday's edition of Face the Nation, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CBS' Margaret Brennan he expects a "slow transition" for society even if the epidemic peaks, as he expects, in late April and peters off in June. That's because it could come back in the fall, so until there's a vaccine "life's never going to be perfectly normal."In the meantime, he said some antiviral drugs currently in trial look like they could be effective in combatting the virus, but he wasn't ready to say that there's any single development that's been overwhelmingly convincing.> NEWS: @ScottGottliebMD says there's no antiviral drug that is in proper trials that's proven effective in preventing the coronavirus> > "Right now, there is no drug that looks like it's proven so overwhelming in early stage clinical trials that we can say it's highly promising. " pic.twitter.com/CRzwVDaZZb> > -- Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 22, 2020New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who has been at the forefront of the pandemic, shared Gottlieb's prediction that life will revert back to the way it was anytime soon. He rattled off a wide range of time, suggesting things may be altered for anywhere between nine and 12 months. > Cuomo during his daily preser. How long will this last? > "It's gonna be 4 months, 5 months, 9 months....we're in that range." > "Start planning accordingly." > "Life is going to go. Different. But life is going to go on." > Stop hoarding. "The toilet paper is going to be there."> > -- Michael Barbaro (@mikiebarb) March 22, 2020More stories from theweek.com How bad will the coronavirus crash get? 5 uplifting cartoons about coronavirus heroes Rand Paul is the first senator to test positive for coronavirus
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| Millions ordered into lockdown in India over virus fears Posted: 22 Mar 2020 03:09 PM PDT  Hundreds of millions of Indians were ordered into lockdowns Sunday in the world's second-most populous nation, which stepped up measures to halt the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus. The raft of state shutdowns in the nation of 1.3 billion people came during a 14-hour voluntary curfew that Prime Minister Narendra Modi said would test India's ability to fight the pandemic. "This is the start of a long fight," Modi tweeted as the curfew came to an end.
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| Exclusive: U.S. axed CDC expert job in China months before virus outbreak Posted: 22 Mar 2020 03:14 PM PDT  Several months before the coronavirus pandemic began, the Trump administration eliminated a key American public health position in Beijing intended to help detect disease outbreaks in China, Reuters has learned. The American disease expert, a medical epidemiologist embedded in China's disease control agency, left her post in July, according to four sources with knowledge of the issue. The first cases of the new coronavirus may have emerged as early as November, and as cases exploded, the Trump administration in February chastised China for censoring information about the outbreak and keeping U.S. experts from entering the country to help.
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| US raps France for prisoner swap with Iran Posted: 22 Mar 2020 05:50 AM PDT  The Trump administration on Sunday harshly criticized France for releasing an Iranian man wanted for prosecution by the United States in an apparent prisoner swap with Iran. The State Department said it "deeply regrets" the "unilateral" French decision to release Jalal Rohollahnejad, who was the subject of a U.S. extradition request on charges of violating American sanctions on Iran. Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement that France had failed to uphold its obligations under a joint extradition treaty and harmed the cause of justice.
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| Op-Ed: Can Democrats take back the Senate? Possibly. Here's how Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:00 AM PDT  To oust Republicans from Senate control, Democrats need to focus their efforts on a handful of key states.
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| Fact check: Did Bill Gates predict the coronavirus in 2015? Posted: 22 Mar 2020 08:38 AM PDT  A TED Talk video of Bill Gates has resurfaced amid the coronavirus pandemic. Social media posts claim Gates predicted the COVID-19 outbreak in 2015.
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| White supremacists discussed using the coronavirus as a bioweapon, explosive internal document reveals Posted: 22 Mar 2020 07:17 AM PDT  They suggested leaving "saliva on door handles" at FBI offices, spitting on elevator buttons, and spreading the virus in "nonwhite neighborhoods."
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| Romania bars foreigners in coronavirus fight Posted: 22 Mar 2020 02:55 AM PDT  Romania's government barred most foreigners from entering the country on Saturday and tightened restrictions on movement inside the country to try to limit the spread of the new coronavirus. "Foreign citizens and stateless persons are banned from entering Romania through all border points," Interior Minister Marcel Vela said during a national address. Exceptions would be allowed for those transiting through Romania using corridors to be agreed with neighbouring states, he added.
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| Coronavirus: Four members of New Jersey family die Posted: 21 Mar 2020 02:35 PM PDT  The death of Grace Fusco and three of her adult children is an "unbearable tragedy", relatives say.
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| Dozens test positive for coronavirus after attending wedding Posted: 21 Mar 2020 07:06 PM PDT  "It's a very serious situation and our main priority is the health and safety of our guests and the broader community," the bride, Emma Metcalf, said.
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| For some Americans, Trump's 'Chinese virus' has dark echoes Posted: 21 Mar 2020 06:29 PM PDT  President Donald Trump's insistence on speaking of a "Chinese virus" has a dark historical precedent for some Asian Americans, who say his word choice is fueling an at times violent backlash. Speaking daily on the global coronavirus pandemic, Trump has incessantly called COVID-19 the "Chinese virus," with one photo even showing his notes in which he had crossed out clinical terms preferred by health professionals. Asian American advocates say that such language plays into centuries-old stereotypes of the community as perpetually foreign and unclean -- and signals, incorrectly, that individuals of one ethnicity are responsible for spreading illness.
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| Why this Nobel laureate predicts a quicker coronavirus recovery: 'We're going to be fine' Posted: 22 Mar 2020 02:03 PM PDT  A Nobel laureate predicted China's recovery weeks before it happened. Analyzing the numbers, he sees a much brighter global outcome than many experts.
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| Canada coronavirus death toll jumps, officials could punish those ignoring precautions Posted: 22 Mar 2020 08:22 AM PDT  The Canadian death toll from the coronavirus outbreak jumped by more than 50% on Sunday, and impatient officials threatened to punish people refusing to take precautions to fight the spread of the highly contagious illness. The number of deaths from the respiratory disease rose to 20 by 6 p.m. (2200 GMT) on Sunday from 13 the previous day, Ottawa said, while the number of confirmed cases jumped to 1,430 from 1,099. There are coronavirus cases in all 10 Canadian provinces.
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| Africa's mountain gorillas also at risk from coronavirus Posted: 22 Mar 2020 04:11 AM PDT  As the coronavirus infects more people around the world, conservationists are warning of the risk to another vulnerable species: Africa's endangered mountain gorilla. Congo's Virunga National Park, home to about a third of the world's mountain gorillas, is barring visitors until June 1, citing "advice from scientific experts indicating that primates, including mountain gorillas, are likely susceptible to complications arising from the COVID-19 virus."
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| Purell maker made 'misleading' claims to customers about killing germs, new suit says Posted: 22 Mar 2020 12:16 PM PDT  The manufacturers of Purell hand sanitizer is facing a new class-action lawsuit accusing them of "false and misleading" claims.
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| Trump official: U.S. coronavirus lockdown to last 10-12 weeks Posted: 22 Mar 2020 08:32 AM PDT  The lockdown affecting large segments of the American public to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus is likely to last 10 to 12 weeks, or until early June, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Sunday.
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| Democrats are divided over how Joe Biden should react to Trump amid pandemic Posted: 21 Mar 2020 09:50 AM PDT  It's clear the coronavirus pandemic is now overshadowing the 2020 election, and that's left former Vice President Joe Biden, the favorite for the Democratic nomination, in a tough place. Democrats are split on how he should get out of it, Politico reports.Jeff Hauser, the head of executive branch appointee watchdog Revolving Door Project, thinks Biden needs to make himself more visible and go after the Trump administration. "Biden is only in limbo if he keeps himself there," Hauser told Politico. "He's only in a predicament to the degree he chooses to view himself in one." In other words, Hauser is saying the vice president can either complain about a lack of media coverage or go out there and seize the coverage himself. "He needs to offer an alternative and offer a running play-by-play critique of the failings of this administration," he said.Joe Lockhart, the former White House spokesman for the Clinton administration, isn't so sure that's the best path, however. "It's very tricky," he said. "When you're in a crisis, there can only be one president. Just attacking him every day is a bad strategy." Read more at Politico.More stories from theweek.com How bad will the coronavirus crash get? 5 uplifting cartoons about coronavirus heroes Rand Paul is the first senator to test positive for coronavirus
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| The UK has just 2 weeks to stop a coronavirus outbreak as bad as Italy's. Why time's running out. Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:10 AM PDT  The coronavirus outbreak in the UK could soon be at levels even worse than what we have seen in Italy.
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| Greece to impose nationwide lockdown Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:16 AM PDT  Greece will impose a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus, limiting people to their homes except for essential outings, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Sunday. "I have given orders that all appropriate action be taken to enforce the ban on all unnecessary movement across the country," Mitsotakis said in a televised address to the nation.
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| Trump's coronavirus eviction freeze won't keep a roof over our heads, advocates say Posted: 21 Mar 2020 10:22 AM PDT  Tens of millions of renters will get little relief from the administration's plan at a time when people are losing their jobs.
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| Gilead puts emergency access to experimental coronavirus drug on hold amid surging demand Posted: 22 Mar 2020 03:07 PM PDT  Gilead Sciences Inc said on Sunday it was temporarily putting new emergency access to its experimental coronavirus drug remdesivir on hold due to overwhelming demand and that it wanted most people receiving the drug to participate in a clinical trial to prove if it is safe and effective. The spread of the virus in Europe and the United States has "flooded an emergency treatment access system that was set up for very limited access to investigational medicines and never intended for use in response to a pandemic," it said. Gilead said it would keep processing previously approved requests.
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| Mexico navy copter down in police operation; 1 dead, 10 hurt Posted: 21 Mar 2020 07:01 PM PDT |
| Costa cruise resumes disembarking passengers in Italy; Ruby Princess guests to quarantine Posted: 21 Mar 2020 06:17 PM PDT  Costa Luminosa continued its disembarkation process in Savona, Italy Saturday. The ship was allowed to dock despite the country being under lockdown.
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| Strongest earthquake in 140 years rattles Croatia's capital, at least 1 dead Posted: 21 Mar 2020 11:41 PM PDT  The star marks the epicenter of a strong earthquake that rattled Croatia on Sunday morning, local time. (USGS) A strong earthquake rattled Zagreb on Sunday morning, local time, killing at least one person and littering the streets with debris.The temblor, which struck 5.7 miles (9.2 km) to the north of Zagreb and had a depth of 6.2 miles (10 km), was rated a magnitude 5.4, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).There has been at least one strong aftershock thus far with a magnitude of 4.6.> Zagreb hit by 5.3 magnitude earthquake ~30 minutes ago just as full lockdown started. Now everyone's outside grouped in front of their buildings. This won't help. pic.twitter.com/QPzAIqUSkM> > -- Filip Radelic (@fichek) March 22, 2020A teenage boy has reportedly died after a roof collapse in Zagreb."We received a report of the collapse of the building at Djordjiceva 13. An ambulance team took to the field and found a seriously injured child who showed no signs of life," said Zarko Rasic, director of the Zagreb Institute of Emergency Medicine, via a local news outlet. The boy's death was confirmed at a nearby hospital.People across the capital shared images on Twitter of debris from damaged buildings littering the streets, including the Croatian Parliament building. Vehicles were also seen nearly completely crumpled.The historic Zagreb Cathedral also suffered damage, with the top of one of the spires being broken off. The cathedral was severely damaged in 1880 when a significant earthquake shook the city.> Zagreb Cathedral tower is damaged pic.twitter.com/Pazq7ghNOp> > -- Ankica Zovko (@anacasey17) March 22, 2020"It felt like a train was coming through my apartment, in all my time in the city I have never felt anything like that before," a resident told The Dubrovnik Times.Electricity has been cut in parts of the capital, the news agency reported.All occupants at Zagreb's airport were evacuated from the building after the earthquake. No infrastructure or runway damage was found and the airport is now operating on a normal schedule.CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APPPrior to the earthquake, a lockdown was put in place in Zagreb and elsewhere across Croatia to combat the spread of coronavirus."Now everyone's outside grouped in front of their buildings. This won't help," wrote one person on Twitter after the earthquake struck."This was the strongest earthquake in Zagreb in the last 140 years, but there is no need to panic and go to gas stations in large numbers," government officials stated on Twitter. "Regardless of the situation, we emphasize once again the importance of keeping a distance and following the instructions to combat COVID ー 19!"By Sunday afternoon, local time, the Office of Emergency Management announced that they would provide meals and shelter for residents who cannot return to their homes.It was also announced that no major damage has been reported to the hospitals in Zagreb.For cleanup and recovery efforts in the coming days, AccuWeather meteorologists expect a storm to move into the area with snow by Tuesday.> Zagreb earthquake pic.twitter.com/vLaDbaAaNz> > -- Dante Buu (@DanteBuu) March 22, 2020> Ovo je jezivo u Zagrebu sa zemljotresom sta se desilo. Usred sranja sa koronom. zagreb zemljotres pic.twitter.com/qp9mapMpbV> > -- Sale (@SaleVieDub) March 22, 2020
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| Trump approves major disaster declarations in N.Y. and Washington Posted: 22 Mar 2020 04:11 AM PDT  The National Guard has been activated across New York, California, Washington state as the death toll rises from the coronavirus pandemic.
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