| Trump says he's taking 'high road' by not meeting with Democrats on coronavirus relief Posted: 07 Sep 2020 01:21 PM PDT  Talks between the Trump administration and Congress on a new round of aid for those hit hard by the pandemic have been stalled since late July.
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| Hong Kong police criticised over rough arrest of 12-year-old girl during protests Posted: 07 Sep 2020 02:20 AM PDT  Hong Kong police tackled a 12-year old girl to the ground and arrested her on Sunday amid a protests against delayed parliamentary elections. A video widely shared online shows riot police pushing the youngster to the ground as she tried to dash away. She was later charged for allegedly violating coronavirus social distancing rules, police said. But her mother told local media: "She was just trying to buy art supplies with her brother." The video has sparked outrage online, gathering over a million views on Twitter. On the local Reddit-like forum LIHKG, one commenter criticised the police for being "loud and impolite" as if a "mad dog chasing after people who run." In a statement on Facebook, the police said the girl was running in a "suspicious manner" that required officers to chase and subdue her with the use of "minimum force".
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| Majority of Young Adults in the U.S. Now Live With Their Parents: Report Posted: 06 Sep 2020 02:01 PM PDT  The number of 18 to 29 year olds living at home hit a low of 29% in 1960 and it has risen over the decades
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| California simmers while it burns, but no big power outages Posted: 06 Sep 2020 12:55 AM PDT  Rescuers in military helicopters airlifted 207 people to safety after an explosive wildfire trapped them in a popular camping area in California's Sierra National Forest, one of dozens of fires burning Sunday amid record-breaking temperatures that strained the state's electrical grid and for a time threatened power outages for millions. The California Office of Emergency Services said Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters were used for the rescues that began late Saturday and continued into Sunday morning at Mammoth Pool Reservoir. Two campers refused rescue and stayed behind, the Madera County Sheriff's Office said, and there was no immediate word on their fates.
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| Search Underway After Sailor Goes Missing from Carrier Nimitz Posted: 06 Sep 2020 01:27 PM PDT  Search-and-rescue efforts are underway in the North Arabian Sea,
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| A French man chased a fly around with an electric swatter and accidentally blew up his own house Posted: 07 Sep 2020 08:16 AM PDT  The man, in his 80s, was slightly burned and his home is uninhabitable. The fate of the fly is unknown.
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| Oregon rejects GOP voter statement, says it was submitted 29 seconds late Posted: 06 Sep 2020 10:15 AM PDT  The Oregon Republican Party's statement for the state voters' pamphlet arrived 29 seconds too late and will not appear in the guide mailed to voters for the November election, according to officials.
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| How we're developing a COVID-19 vaccine at 'Warp Speed': Alex Azar Posted: 07 Sep 2020 10:54 AM PDT  COVID-19 vaccines are in development and trials with Operation Warp Speed. Hopefully, in the months to come, there will be success.
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| Nigerian men arrested over German PPE 'scam' Posted: 07 Sep 2020 02:04 PM PDT  The men are accused of cloning the website of a Dutch company to obtain an order from a German state.
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| Anita Hill backs Biden, despite his 'mistakes' in handling her testimony during Clarence Thomas hearings Posted: 06 Sep 2020 03:15 PM PDT  "Notwithstanding all of his limitations in the past, and the mistakes that he made in the past," Hill said Biden "should be elected in November."
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| Wary Hong Kongers shun China-backed mass virus testing Posted: 06 Sep 2020 11:26 PM PDT  Hong Kong's plan to test every resident for the coronavirus is being hobbled by limited take-up as a wary public steer clear of the China-backed health scheme.
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| Three Somali special forces killed, U.S. officer wounded in car bomb, Somali official says Posted: 07 Sep 2020 03:56 AM PDT |
| California wildfire burns at least two dozen homes in small mountain town Posted: 07 Sep 2020 04:18 PM PDT  "Words cannot even begin to describe the devastation of this community," a resident said.
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| Evicted state Senate hopeful charged with breaking into her old home, Georgia cops say Posted: 07 Sep 2020 10:20 AM PDT  Linda Pritchett told police her eviction was "improper."
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| Philippine leader pardons US Marine in transgender killing Posted: 07 Sep 2020 04:18 AM PDT  The Philippine president pardoned a U.S. Marine on Monday in a surprise move that will free him from imprisonment in the 2014 killing of a transgender Filipino woman that sparked anger in the former American colony. President Rodrigo Duterte said he decided to pardon Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton because the Marine was not treated fairly after opponents blocked his early release for good conduct in detention.
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| Louis DeJoy's GOP campaign donations scandal, explained Posted: 07 Sep 2020 08:15 AM PDT  President Trump's new postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, has been in hot water lately. First, the North Carolina businessman and Trump donor proposed sweeping policy changes within the USPS in the crucial months leading up to a presidential election that is expected to see unprecedented levels of mail-in voting. He suspended those changes after reports of delays and management problems within the postal service, but Democrats say he has yet to provide the House Oversight Committee with documents related to his proposed changes. He also apparently doesn't know how much it costs to mail a postcard.That's all bad, but it's not illegal. The latest scandal, unearthed by The Washington Post, regards DeJoy's financial contributions to GOP politicians. In short: "He may have violated campaign finance laws," says the Post's Paul Waldman.Five of DeJoy's former employees told the Post they were often encouraged or pressured to make contributions to Republicans running for office, for which they were reimbursed with bonus payments made through the company, New Breed. "[DeJoy] asked employees for money. We gave him the money, and then he reciprocated by giving us big bonuses," David Young, DeJoy's longtime director of human resources, told the Post. The paper tallied about $1 million in donations made by New Breed employees during DeJoy's tenure."With the facts presented, it's a run-of-the-mill but very illegal corporate straw donor scheme," Adav Noti, a former top lawyer with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and now with the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog, told the Post's Amber Phillips.If the allegations are true, what will happen to DeJoy? As Phillips explains, chief executives have faced prison time in similar circumstances, but that's unlikely in this case thanks to statute of limitations laws, and because the Justice Department "has a long-standing policy of not opening election-related investigations this close to an election."Read more about the allegations at The Washington Post.More stories from theweek.com Former FDA commissioner predicts the pandemic will soon slow — but there will be 'a lot of death and disease along the way' What would make me vote Republican again 5 scathingly funny cartoons about Nancy Pelosi's salon visit
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| Cardi B slams Candace Owens: ‘I’m not getting pimped out by White men’ Posted: 06 Sep 2020 06:22 PM PDT  Cardi B had time on her hands Sunday night when she posted a stinging video message to conservative personality Candace Owens. The Grammy award-winning performer, who refused to show her face on camera because she was under the weather, held nothing back in her address to Owens, who Cardi accused of harassing her online for her support of Democratic Party. Cardi B, real name Belcalis Almánzar, said that Trump supporters had been harassing her online due to her previous endorsement of Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primary and later of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
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| China stops renewing press credentials for foreign journalists at US news organisations Posted: 07 Sep 2020 02:22 AM PDT  China has refused to renew press credentials for foreign journalists working at US news organisations, the latest salvo in a fast-escalating diplomatic spat with Washington. The Chinese government has instead issued letters – rather than processing press cards – in a move that Beijing explicitly said is "reciprocal" to how the US government is handling visas for Chinese journalists, many of whom work for state media. So far, five journalists with four US news outlets have been impacted, including the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Bloomberg and Getty Images. Those affected include American and European journalists based in China, including at least one British citizen – Jeremy Page of the WSJ, who previously reported for the Times of London. Beijing and Washington have sparred over a wide range of issues, including trade, coronavirus, human rights and espionage. The two countries have also been at loggerheads over access and treatment of journalists. China has expelled 17 foreign journalists this year, including as punishment for those outlets' coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. The journalists forced out of China worked for the WSJ, New York Times and Washington Post. Though primarily American citizens, Australian and Singaporean nationals working for those outlets have also had their press credentials revoked. The US has also taken a series of actions this year, including mandating Chinese state media outlets to register as foreign agents. In response to Beijing issuing punitive short-term visas to American journalists in China in recent years, Washington in May began limiting visas for Chinese state media employees to 90 days. The initial period expired in August, though has been reportedly extended for an additional 90 days.
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| California hiker dies as record heat wave and wildfires scorch state Posted: 06 Sep 2020 05:08 PM PDT  Temperatures reached 121 degrees in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Woodland Hills.
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| Living Vehicle unveiled its luxury new travel trailer RV with a convertible home office starting at almost $229,300 — take a look inside Posted: 06 Sep 2020 05:12 AM PDT  The trailer comes in three models ranging from $229,995 to $369,995, but the only difference is its power system.
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| Cyclist flashed his butt and assaulted pedestrians on Virginia trails, police say Posted: 07 Sep 2020 12:12 PM PDT  David Marlowe, 55, faces multiple charges.
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| Almost 300 Rohingya found on beach in Indonesia’s Aceh Posted: 06 Sep 2020 09:39 PM PDT  Almost 300 Rohingya Muslims were found on a beach in Indonesia's Aceh province on Monday after months at sea, officials said. Officials arrived and found that the Rohingya had dispersed into three groups after landing, Banda Sakti Subdistrict Military Commander Roni Mahendra said. Indrika Ratwatte, the director for Asia and the Pacific for UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, said the Rohingya had survived about seven months at sea in desperate conditions, with some needing medical treatment.
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| EU, Germany, Britain pressure Belarus on snatched opposition figure Posted: 07 Sep 2020 01:32 PM PDT  The European Union on Monday led calls for Belarus to immediately release over 600 people arrested for protesting against a controversial election that extended strongman Alexander Lukashenko's 26 years in power.
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| Fact check: Payroll taxes cut by executive action must be paid back Posted: 07 Sep 2020 11:55 AM PDT  Your paycheck might be bigger lately, but you'll have to pay back any payroll tax cuts being deferred during the rest of 2020.
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| Rival militias descend on Louisville at 'No justice, no Derby' Breonna Taylor protest Posted: 05 Sep 2020 08:08 PM PDT  Protesters march peacefully around Churchill Downs for Breonna Taylor, insisting "No justice, no Derby." Armed militias on both sides are also present.
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| Letter from Africa: Why journalists in Nigeria feel under attack Posted: 06 Sep 2020 04:01 PM PDT  A video of a tongue-lashing one reporter recently received comes as no surprise, writes Mannir Dan Ali.
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| German foreign minister raises spectre of Nord Stream 2 sanctions over Navalny poisoning Posted: 05 Sep 2020 09:55 PM PDT  Germany could drop the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as punishment for the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Berlin said for the first time on Sunday as it threatened the Kremlin with sanctions. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that "I hope... that the Russians do not force us to change our position on Nord Stream," in comments made to Bild newspaper. Mr Maas said that Berlin "would be compelled" to raise the issue of sanctions with its allies if Russia did not take steps towards investigating Mr Navalny's poisoning in the coming days. " If the Russians don't take part in solving the case then it is a further indication that they were involved," Mr Maas said. "If they don't go beyond smoke and mirrors we'll have to assume that Russia has something to hide." British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that "The use of chemical weapons in this kind of context is pure gangsterism and Russia does have responsibility never to use it as a government, and second of all to make sure no-one else can use it within its territory." Nord Stream 2 is a new pipeline that would allow more Russian gas to flow to Europe via Germany, and is of strategic importance to Russia. But cancelling the project would be an ultima ratio for Germany, given its own financial interest in seeing the project through. There is little over 100 kilometres of the multi-billion euro pipeline still to be laid, but nothing has happened on the project since the US - which is opposed to it - threatened the companies involved with severe sanctions last December. And since a German army laboratory confirmed on Wednesday that Mr Navalny had been the victim of an assassination attempt with the nerve gas Novichok, domestic pressure has grown on the German government to cancel the gas line. Even within the ruling Christian Democratic Union party, influential foreign policy expert Norbert Röttgen said that "if the project were to be completed that would give Putin the ultimate proof that he can carry on with his politics as normal. A European decision should be: stop Nord Stream 2." Mr Maas made clear though that he wanted to avoid hitting the gas line if at all possible. "Those calling for a stop need to know what the consequences are," he said. "There are more than 100 companies from 12 European countries involved, and roughly half of them are German." There are also indications that Chancellor Angela Merkel has shifted her stance after saying last week that the pipeline should remain "decoupled" from Navalny. The statement came in for criticism from sections of the media. Asked at Friday's press conference if she would repeat the statement, her spokesman, Stefan Seibert, declined to comment. Mr Navalny is currently lying in an artificially induced coma in Berlin's Charité hospital. Doctors say that his condition is improving but that he will have a long road to recovery.
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| China's first reusable spacecraft lands after 2-days in orbit Posted: 06 Sep 2020 05:49 AM PDT |
| Another popular Boeing plane is reportedly being investigated by the FAA after newly discovered production errors ground 8 aircraft Posted: 07 Sep 2020 05:23 PM PDT  Eight Boeing 787 Dreamliners were grounded after a potentially unsafe combination of two issues stemming from production errors was discovered.
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| Bond denied for Georgia trooper charged in fatal shooting of Black motorist Posted: 06 Sep 2020 08:30 AM PDT  A Georgia judge has denied bond for a former Georgia State Patrol trooper accused of murder in the August shooting death of a 60-year-old Black man who refused to stop for a broken tail light. Screven County Judge F. Gates Peed on Friday ruled that it "would be inappropriate" to grant bond at the moment for Jacob Gordon Thompson, given the facts of the case. Thompson, who is white, briefly chased Julian Lewis on Aug. 7 before forcing Lewis' car into a ditch and fatally shooting Lewis in the head.
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| Vietnam begins trial of 29 villagers in deadly land dispute Posted: 07 Sep 2020 06:22 AM PDT |
| Costa Rica is Open to (Some) Americans. Here's What You Need to Know Posted: 07 Sep 2020 02:02 AM PDT  Shutdowns. Border closings. Fourteen-day quarantines. From the start of the pandemic, restrictions threw travel plans, lives, and industries into chaos. The world then tried to reopen as the COVID-19 numbers dropped. Hoping to salvage some of the tourist season, Europe, for instance, reopened to Europeans and those from select countries. Citizens in the "land of the free," however, have largely found themselves ironically locked in U.S. borders, due to a continuing high number of cases and inconsistent state approaches. With the exceptions of Mexico, Croatia, and Turkey, U.S. travelers have been essentially persona non grata to major tourist destinations. Costa Rica, however, is changing this with a new, finely nuanced travel policy that aims to recover their tourism economy and welcome Americans back—just not all of them. Costa Rican tourism offices revealed last month that it was opening its borders to select U.S. states. As of Sept. 1, the first eight states (and Washington, D.C.) were Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Maryland, and Virginia. On Sept. 15, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania will join the list.The move to carefully re-open was with the hope of incrementally restoring Costa Rica's tourism economy, which accounts for 8.2 percent of the country's GDP, generating 211,000 jobs that make up 8.8 percent of employment, according to Tourism Minister Gustavo Segura."Costa Rica's tourism industry is essential to the country's economic growth and development," Segura tells The Daily Beast. "In 2019, more than 3.14 million international travelers visited the country, of which more than 1.3 million were U.S. travelers."The country's best known as a place for ecotourism, providing opportunities to see one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet. Preserved land offers the possibility for tours through pristine dense jungles and to visit amazing geological features, like the popular Arenal Volcano, or kayak through their mangroves. The natural world is the country's best economic asset, and Costa Ricans knows it, which has incentivized their efforts in sustainability and renewable energy. In other words, Costa Rica needs a sustainable and environmentally sound approach to its resources to not only protect its greatest assets, but also to bring in tourists. It also needs tourists to bring in the money to make this happen—pandemics tend to complicate a climate friendly economic ecosystem.By letting some states in, the Costa Ricans are hoping to find some balance during what everyone can't help but now call "these unprecedented times." Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica, for example, is a heavily forested, emerald-colored isthmus, outlined by sandy beaches and blue water. It is the location of one of the last tropical dry forests protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also home to 7,000 plant species, 900 vertebrate species, 500 types of birds, and 8,000 species of butterflies and moths.A popular getaway on a private peninsula, Papagayo draws in tourists seeking sustainable luxury travel. "We are so fortunate to be located in one of the most beautiful places on earth," Michael Mestraud, general manager for Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo and vice-president for their Regional Residential Operations-Americas, told The Daily Beast. The operation is described by Mestraud as "part sophisticated resort, part primitive playground," a "heaven on earth for surfers, divers, hikers, bikers, nature lovers, and anyone who feels happiest in the outdoors."Due to the pandemic, the resort has been closed, but they are projecting reopening on Nov. 12, to take advantage of Thanksgiving and Festive events. Mestraud sees the reopening of Costa Rica as a welcome change, especially since Americans are an important source for business. They are working with experts on COVID-19 for their Leading with Care program, focused on creating enhanced safety for employees, guests, and residents. "The Four Seasons experience may look different in this new environment," insists Mestraud, "but it will feel the same; ultimately, it will still be our people delivering the same attention to detail, intuitive service, and personalized care."The universal message of Costa Rica's tourism appears to be one of nuanced caution and vigilance. The list of U.S. states, for example, is not set in stone and it can grow or shrink, depending on the numbers. The current list of states have "an epidemiological condition with similar or lower levels of contagion than those of Costa Rica," said Tourism Minister Segura. Americans have to supply proof of residency for their state, which can be done by a driver's licence or state ID. Children are exempt. Other requirements are the same for all international travelers. Every traveler must complete the digital epidemiological Health Pass form, and have a negative COVID-19 PCR test done within 72 hours before leaving (12 years old and up). They will not accept rapid, serological, or immunity tests. Travel insurance that covers medical expenses and a potentially longer stay due to quarantine is also required. If your travel insurance is international, they require a certification (in English or Spanish) to verify coverage: for example, does it cover Costa Rica travel, will it cover COVID-19 for upwards of $50,000 for medical, and $2000 for lodging?It is also important to remember that with constantly changing coronavirus numbers, anyone returning home to the U.S. after traveling abroad should check on current re-entry requirements. You may be given a quarantine order upon arrival, and that may mean extending your time off from work.Traveling globally has never been a simple process, and having a potentially shifting list of states for Americans may complicate things for long-term vacation planning. And yet, Costa Rica's move seems to be working. "Yes, we've had many requests from people in the 12 states wanting to travel to Costa Rica," Eric Hubrant, CEO and founder of CIRE Travel in New York told The Daily Beast. He notes that vacation requests are currently ranging from five to 12 days. "People are itching to get away and Costa Rica is a destination that has it all—beaches, mountains, spiritual getaways.""It's been a challenging year, but overall business is strong," said Hubrant, noting the impact of the pandemic. "March and April had zero new bookings (only changes to existing bookings), but in May things started to pick up for both business and vacation travel. July and August were good months, all things considered."CIRE Travel's digital marketing team will be pushing Costa Rica trips this week, hoping to help make stranded Americans aware of their options. The total impact of Costa Rica's new move, of course, is yet to be known. "We anticipate seeing a slow recovery for the tourism sector and local economies in Costa Rica," said Tourism Minister Segura, "however, we are hopeful that due to the careful health and safety measures we have taken, Costa Rica will bounce back." Last month, the country did a "staggered reopening of tourism businesses," with new restrictions and health protocols related to COVID-19 in place and focused on domestic travel. Closed from March 18 to August 1, it began welcoming visitors from the "United Kingdom, the Schengen Area, and Canada, and select countries within the European Union." If all goes well, it is possible for Costa Rica to not only model environmentally sustainable policies, but also to provide a delicate roadmap for tourism in other countries wanting American travelers. It will still be awhile before that outcome is known. "This type of reopening could serve as a model for other countries," Segura agrees cautiously, "however, we have not yet seen and evaluated the results of our efforts...All of the health and safety decisions that the Costa Rican government has made throughout the pandemic have been backed by experts at the Ministry of Health and have considered guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO). We are hopeful that these careful measures will aid Costa Rica's recovery."But for now, U.S. governors have another incentive to get their COVID-19 numbers under control—a chance for their citizens to see the world again.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. 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| Exclusive: More Americans predict Trump will win the presidential debates than Biden, USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll shows Posted: 07 Sep 2020 09:55 AM PDT  Respondents to a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll were more likely to give President Donald Trump the advantage in upcoming debates with Joe Biden.
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| 13,000 chairs outside German parliament in Greek migrant camps protest Posted: 07 Sep 2020 01:47 PM PDT  Campaigners placed 13,000 chairs outside the German parliament building in Berlin on Monday, in a symbolic protest calling for the overcrowded migrants camps in Greek islands to be shut down.
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| Chinese chip giant SMIC 'in shock' after US trade ban threat Posted: 07 Sep 2020 06:05 AM PDT  SMIC's Hong Kong shares sank 23% after the Pentagon said it could be added to a trade blacklist.
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| Belarus crowds defy heavy military presence to demand end to Lukashenko's rule Posted: 06 Sep 2020 02:05 PM PDT  Huge crowds of protesters on Sunday flooded the Belarusian capital of Minsk, braving a massive deployment of forces to urge strongman Alexander Lukashenko to quit power. More than 100,000 people are estimated to have taken to the streets over the past three weekends and Sunday's event may have been larger still. Troops, water cannon, armoured personnel carriers and armoured reconnaissance vehicles were deployed to the city centre but protesters from all walks of life - from parents with children to students and even priests - rallied in a show of defiance. Authorities said at least 100 protesters were detained. Unprecedented demonstrations broke out after Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet state for 26 years, claimed re-election with 80 per cent of the vote on August 9. Opposition rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya says she won the vote but Lukashenko's security forces have detained thousands of protesters, many of whom accuse police of beatings and torture. Several people have died in the crackdown. Buoyed by a show of support from Russia, Lukashenko has rejected calls for new elections. Western countries fear a loud show of support for protesters could provoke a Russian military intervention at a moment when Europe is also weighing how to respond to the suspected poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny. In an interview with the Financial Times, Lithuania's foreign minister urged the European Union to impose sanctions on Belarus and counter Russia's influence. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have imposed travel bans on Lukashenko and 29 other Belarusian officials without waiting for the rest of the EU to act, signalling impatience with the bloc's cautious approach. On Sunday, the protesters marched towards Lukashenko's residence at the Independence Palace where they chanted "Tribunal" and "How much are you getting paid?" Many say they will keep taking to the streets until he quits. "Lukashenko must go," said Nikolai Dyatlov, a 32-year-old protester. "Why is our legitimately elected president located in a different country?" he asked, referring to Tikhanovskaya. Another protester, 40-year-old Anastasia Bazarevich, said: "Half of the village where my grandma lives comes out and protests every night." Russia has said it will respond to any Western attempts to "sway the situation". Putin is keen to unify Russia and Belarus, and Moscow has accompanied its recent offers of military aid with calls for tighter integration. Lukashenko has in the past ruled out outright unification and sought to play Moscow off against the West but his options are now limited. On Thursday, Lukashenko hosted Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and said the two countries had managed to agree on issues they "could not agree earlier," and that he planned to "dot all the i's" with Putin in Moscow in the next few weeks.
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| West Virginia University suspending in-person undergrad classes amid COVID-19 spike Posted: 07 Sep 2020 02:52 PM PDT  "This pause in face-to-face undergraduate instruction will give us time to monitor the steadily climbing cases of COVID-19," a university official said.
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| Cheap flights spur Labor Day tourists to Miami Beach. They didn’t expect the curfew Posted: 07 Sep 2020 03:38 PM PDT  The streets of South Beach were mostly quiet on an overcast Labor Day, capping off the holiday weekend and the unofficial end to summer on an eerie note.
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| A new single-engine plane was designed to be so efficient it can make flying private cost the same as a commercial airline – see the Celera 500L Posted: 07 Sep 2020 05:50 AM PDT  Otto Aviation's Celera 500L aims to make private aviation cheaper with far cheaper operating costs than a private jet.
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| 4 Oklahoma family members die in Arkansas small plane crash Posted: 07 Sep 2020 09:58 AM PDT |
| CBS News Battleground Tracker: National, Wisconsin contests steady amid protests Posted: 06 Sep 2020 07:30 AM PDT  New CBS News poll finds Biden's margins over Trump are the same nationwide and in battleground state of Wisconsin.
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| In sign of COVID-19's impact on New York tourism, Hilton to close Times Square hotel Posted: 07 Sep 2020 09:09 AM PDT  Hilton is closing its 478-room hotel in Times Square on Oct. 1, according to a document it filed with state regulators this week, citing the pandemic.
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| The woman trying to save India's tortured temple elephants Posted: 06 Sep 2020 04:12 PM PDT  Activist Sangita Iyer is on a mission to end the agony of ceremonial elephants.
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| Tens of thousands rally against Belarus strongman Posted: 06 Sep 2020 11:51 AM PDT  Huge crowds of Belarusian protesters on Sunday flooded the capital Minsk, urging strongman Alexander Lukashenko to quit power, defying the threat of arrest and a massive deployment of forces.
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| COVID-19 Update: Positivity rate drops, East Bay mall reopens, some indoor services resume in Alameda County Posted: 06 Sep 2020 10:20 AM PDT  California has a total of 727,239 cases of COVID-19, according to latest data released Saturday morning.
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| Sudan declares state of emergency amid flooding as River Nile swells to highest level in almost a century Posted: 06 Sep 2020 06:20 AM PDT  A three-month state of emergency has been declared in Sudan as it is engulfed by deadly floods that are quickly spelling out a humanitarian disaster. The heavy rainfall, which started at the end of July, has already killed almost 100 people and caused the total or partial collapse of over 100,000 homes, according to the state news agency. With above-average rainfall forecast to continue until the end of the month, UN agencies are warning of catastrophic consequences. Much of the flooding is caused by heavy seasonal rains in neighbouring Ethiopia, which cause the River Nile to rise. By late August the Nile had risen around 17.5 metres, the highest in almost a century. The floods have already contaminated or put out of use over 2,000 water sources, according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, leading to concerns over the ability to enact coronavirus prevention measures. Sudan has more than 13,000 coronavirus infections, including 833 deaths. The agency also warned that Sudan's aid stocks have been "rapidly depleted" and that its humanitarian plan for the country is less than 44 per cent funded. The rates of floods and rain this year are already higher than the 1988 record which saw over a million people displaced from their homes, according to the Sudanese Irrigation Ministry. The UN's refugee agency also raised concerns with an estimated 125,000 refugees and internally displaced people affected. In North Darfur, in particular, 15 people have so far died and a further 23 are missing. Lina Al-Sheikh, the Labor and Social Development Minister said that more than 500,000 people across the country had so far been affected.
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