| Saudi Shooter at Florida Military Base Had Ties to al-Qaeda Posted: 18 May 2020 06:33 AM PDT  The Saudi military trainee who killed three and wounded several others in a shooting at the Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida last year had links to al-Qaeda, CNN reported on Monday.U.S. officials said investigators had found links to a suspected al-Qaeda operative on the phone of shooter Mohammed Alshamrani, a member of the Royal Saudi Air Force, who was killed by law enforcement during the attack. If confirmed, the incident would be the first deadly attack committed on American soil with the aid of al-Qaeda since the September 11, 2001, attacks.The reports come after investigators were able to decrypt Alshamrani's two iPhones. While investigators had initially suspected Alshamrani of jihadist and anti-American motives, the Justice Department had been unable to decrypt the trainee's two phones, and manufacturer Apple had refused to aid the DOJ citing potential damage to data security."We have always maintained there is no such thing as a backdoor just for the good guys," the company said in a January 14 statement after Attorney General William Barr criticized the company. "Backdoors can also be exploited by those who threaten our national security and the data security of our customers . . . We feel strongly encryption is vital to protecting our country and our users' data."Barr had earlier expressed frustration with Apple regarding the investigation."So far Apple has not given us any substantive assistance," Barr said at a press conference. "This situation perfectly illustrates why it is critical that investigators be able to get access to digital evidence once they have obtained a court order based on probable cause . . . We call on Apple and other technology companies to help us find a solution so that we can better protect the lives of Americans and prevent future attacks."
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| Tropical Storm Arthur forms off Florida, inches toward East Coast Posted: 17 May 2020 06:04 AM PDT  Forecasts say Arthur will stay well off Florida, Georgia and South Carolina on Sunday and then approach the North Carolina coast Monday.
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| 5 Iran tankers sailing to Venezuela amid US pressure tactics Posted: 17 May 2020 10:14 AM PDT  Five Iranian tankers likely carrying at least $45.5 million worth of gasoline and similar products are now sailing to Venezuela, part of a wider deal between the two U.S.-sanctioned nations amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington. The tankers' voyage came after Venezuela's socialist leader Nicolás Maduro already turned to Iran for help in flying in chemicals needed at an aging refinery amid a gasoline shortage, a symptom of the wider economic and political chaos gripping Latin America's one-time largest oil producer. For Iran, the tankers represent a way to bring money into its cash-starved Shiite theocracy and put its own pressure on the U.S., which under President Donald Trump has pursued maximalist campaigns against both nations.
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| Before Ahmaud Arbery's death, multiple people walked through construction site, report says Posted: 18 May 2020 08:56 AM PDT  Surveillance footage released to CNN shows multiple people at a construction site where Georgia jogger Ahmaud Arbery stopped before being gunned down.
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| Australia welcomes growing support for COVID-19 inquiry at WHO meeting Posted: 17 May 2020 11:58 PM PDT |
| A report circulating in Congress, which claims that China covered up a virus leak from a Wuhan lab, has been debunked Posted: 18 May 2020 04:03 AM PDT  The Sierra Nevada Corporation claimed a "hazardous event" occurred at the Wuhan Institute of Virology last year. The theory is popular but unverified.
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| First coronavirus case detected in Ecuador Amazon tribe Posted: 17 May 2020 08:13 PM PDT  The first case of the novel coronavirus has been detected in one of Ecuador's indigenous Amazon tribes, the health ministry said Sunday. Waorani organizations -- speaking through the GO Alliance for Human Rights in Ecuador (DDHH) -- warned COVID-19's spread could be "catastrophic and highly lethal" for their community, which is vulnerable to diseases. The first case reported in the Waorani tribe is a "pregnant woman, 17 years old, who began to show symptoms on May 4," the ministry said in a statement.
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| Jet doing flyover to salute frontline workers crashes, killing 1 Posted: 17 May 2020 06:27 PM PDT  Another person was seriously injured in the wreck, the Royal Canadian Air Force said.
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| Coronavirus: São Paulo's health system on brink of collapse Posted: 18 May 2020 01:36 AM PDT  The health system in Brazil's biggest city is on the brink of collapse, as its mayor says some residents are playing "Russian roulette" with their lives by ignoring social distancing measures and sending the city towards a full-blown lockdown. On Sunday, the municipal health secretary reported that 91 per cent of São Paulo's intensive care beds were currently filled by Covid-19 patients, and that the entire system would collapse within the next 15 days. São Paulo's municipal and state governments say they have a full-scale lockdown protocol ready to deploy if the city's social isolation rates do not increase. All non-essential businesses in the city are already closed, but adhesion to isolation measures hovers around 45 to 50 per cent, considerably below the 70 per cent target. Brazil overtook Spain and Italy to become the country with the fourth-largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world this weekend.
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| Biden plans to pick a female running mate. Would it make a difference if she's black? Posted: 17 May 2020 10:31 AM PDT  Analysis: The former vice president is undertaking a very public selection process.
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| Tropical Storm Arthur hits North Carolina coast with rain Posted: 18 May 2020 03:17 AM PDT  Tropical Storm Arthur brought heavy rain to North Carolina's coast on Monday as forecasters warned that the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season could also spread life-threatening surf and rip currents along U.S. East coast beaches in the days ahead. It's another early start for the Atlantic hurricane season: Arthur formed Saturday in waters off Florida, marking the sixth straight year that a named storm has developed before June 1. With Arthur's center passing off North Carolina, towns near the coast including Newport and Havelock recorded more than 4 inches (10 cm) of rain Monday morning as others approached that number, according to the National Weather Service.
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| Hong Kong: Lawmakers carried out during parliament mayhem Posted: 18 May 2020 01:19 AM PDT  Pro-democracy lawmakers were dragged out by guards during a row partly about the Chinese national anthem.
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| Pelosi sees negotiations on new $3 trillion coronavirus legislation: CBS Posted: 17 May 2020 08:21 AM PDT  U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Sunday there will be negotiations on the new $3 trillion coronavirus relief legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and that Democrats have "no red lines." Asked if there has been a Republican response or counteroffer to begin negotiations on the bill passed late on Friday, Pelosi said, "No bill that is proffered will become law without negotiations, so, yeah." The Democrats' measure, passed late on Friday, was likely to trigger new talks with congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump's administration, who have been talking about the need for new business liability protections in the age of coronavirus, or additional tax cuts.
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| Fired scientist Rick Bright says the US coronavirus response has been 'chaotic' and lacks a clear strategy Posted: 17 May 2020 10:09 PM PDT  "I am frustrated at a lack of leadership," Bright told "60 Minutes, adding that the US does not yet have a national strategy to respond to COVID-19.
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| Iran Warns U.S. Against Making Any Move Against Its Tankers Heading to Venezuela Posted: 18 May 2020 03:19 AM PDT  Iran's foreign ministry spokesman on Monday warned that the Islamic Republic will react if the United States government makes any move against its tankers heading to Venezuela.
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| 31 Best Low-Light Indoor Plants and How to Care for Them Posted: 18 May 2020 07:50 AM PDT |
| Canadian Air Force jet celebrating coronavirus workers crashes into home Posted: 17 May 2020 02:58 PM PDT  The flight was part of "Operation Inspiration," a nationwide mission aimed at saluting first responders and other essential workers.
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| More than 100 countries are calling for an independent investigation into the coronavirus crisis Posted: 18 May 2020 05:52 AM PDT  The two-day, virtual World Health Assembly meeting has begun as more than 100 countries back a resolution calling for a probe into the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.A resolution at the annual assembly calls for an investigation into the global response coordinated by the World Health Organization to the coronavirus crisis, per NBC News. A draft mentioning the need for an "impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of the response to COVID-19 is being supported by 116 countries out of 194, including Australia, Britain, Russia, and members of the European Union, Reuters reports. The European Union is presenting the resolution, which also mentions identifying "the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population."Chinese President Xi Jinping in a remote speech at the assembly on Monday claimed the country has acted "with openness and transparency" during the crisis, saying any investigation should only occur after the virus is under control, BBC News reports.President Trump last month announced funding to the World Health Organization would be put on hold "while its mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic is investigated," accusing the organization of having a "dangerous bias towards the Chinese government." When Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for a coronavirus inquiry last month, Axios notes that China "accused Australia of doing the United States' political bidding." The resolution that has the support of more than 100 countries, though, doesn't actually name China, The Washington Post notes.The United States, Reuters reports, appears likely to back the resolution at the World Health Assembly, with U.S. Ambassador Andrew Bremberg saying, "My hope is that we will be able to join consensus."More stories from theweek.com GOP Sen. Ben Sasse just gave 'the worst graduation speech of all time' It's almost time for pandemic apologies The conservative victimhood complex has made America impossible to govern
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| China warns US of 'all necessary measures' over Huawei rules Posted: 17 May 2020 03:46 AM PDT  China's commerce ministry says it will take "all necessary measures" in response to new U.S. restrictions on Chinese tech giant Huawei's ability to use American technology, calling the measures an abuse of state power and a violation of market principles. "The U.S. uses state power, under the so-called excuse of national security, and abuses export control measures to continuously oppress and contain specific enterprises of other countries," the statement said. China will "take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," it said.
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| Police say man attacked married couple with machete because he was angry over coronavirus shutdowns Posted: 18 May 2020 06:17 AM PDT  Kelvin Edwards is charged with two counts of attempted murder after police say he attacked fellow customers at a storage facility.
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| White House adviser blames CDC for letting 'the country down' with early testing snags Posted: 17 May 2020 08:29 AM PDT  Trump trade adviser and Defense Production Act coordinator Peter Navarro also pushed for economic reopening, saying downturn is "going to kill more people than the virus."
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| Japan slips into recession, worst yet to come as pandemic wreaks havoc Posted: 17 May 2020 05:01 PM PDT  Japan's economy slipped into recession for the first time in 4-1/2 years, GDP data showed on Monday, putting the nation on course for its deepest postwar slump as the coronavirus crisis takes a heavy toll on businesses and consumers. The world's third-largest economy shrank for the second consecutive quarter in the three months to March, intensifying the challenge for policymakers battling a once-in-a-century pandemic that has already caused widespread disruptions. Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted an annualised 3.4% in the first quarter as private consumption, capital expenditure and exports fell, preliminary official data showed, following a revised 7.3 decline in the October-December period, meeting the technical definition of a recession.
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| Officials: Chinese ambassador to Israel found dead in home Posted: 17 May 2020 12:58 AM PDT  The Chinese ambassador to Israel was found dead in his home north of Tel Aviv on Sunday, Israel's Foreign Ministry said. Israeli Police Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the ambassador's death was believed to be from natural causes. Israel enjoys good relations with China.
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| 13 People Shot, With One in Critical Condition, at Louisiana Memorial Service Posted: 17 May 2020 11:18 AM PDT  The memorial service was apparently for Dominique James, who was recently murdered
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| New York might have avoided becoming the US epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak if Gov. Cuomo hadn't reportedly dismissed shelter-at-home advice Posted: 17 May 2020 12:28 PM PDT  Gov. Cuomo reportedly said 'shelter in place' sounded 'like it was in response to a nuclear apocalypse,' and he had no plan of locking down cities.
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| Researchers are learning to predict your chances of surviving COVID-19 Posted: 18 May 2020 03:59 AM PDT  Not everybody who gets COVID-19 has symptoms, and not all symptomatic patients get equally sick. Hospitalization rates have stabilized in hard-hit areas like northern Italy and New York City, but if the next wave is even bigger and more destructive — one of three scenarios envisioned by University of Minnesota epidemiologist Michael Osterholm and his colleagues — that "would absolutely take the health system down," Osterholm told Stat News. Two studies released last week offer tools that might help hospitals better triage patients.Researchers in China reported in the journal Nature Machine Learning that an analysis of blood samples taken from 485 coronavirus patients in Wuhan discovered there biomarkers that can predict whether a coronavirus patient will die within 10 days, with more than 90 percent accuracy, Business Insider reports. A computer model the researchers developed looks for high levels of the enzyme lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), linked to lung damage; lymphopenia, or low levels of infection-fighting white blood cells; and a rise in inflammation-signaling high-sensitivity C-reactive proteins (hs-CRP)."In crowded hospitals, and with shortages of medical resources, this simple model can help to quickly prioritize patients, especially during a pandemic when limited healthcare resources have to be allocated," the researchers report.A second paper published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association found 10 biomarkers they said could predict a COVID-19 patient's risk levels. They turned risk predictors — high LDH levels and low levels of lymphocytes plus history of cancer, age, shortness of breath, and other factors — into a coronavirus risk "calculator."More stories from theweek.com GOP Sen. Ben Sasse just gave 'the worst graduation speech of all time' It's almost time for pandemic apologies More than 100 countries are calling for an independent investigation into the coronavirus crisis
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| Xi defends China's virus response, offers vaccine when ready Posted: 18 May 2020 06:58 AM PDT  Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday Beijing has been "transparent" throughout the coronavirus crisis, and offered to share a vaccine as soon as one was available -- as well as $2 billion in aid. Governments including the US and Australia have called in recent weeks for an investigation into the origins of the virus, which has become a flashpoint in deteriorating tensions between Washington and Beijing. Both US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have accused China of a lack of transparency over the issue, and repeatedly pushed the theory that the virus leaked from a Chinese maximum-security laboratory.
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| Liberal media does 180 on FBI abuses after bureau goes after Trump team Posted: 18 May 2020 04:11 AM PDT  The liberal press used to denounce FBI abuses until the Trump administration; former deputy assistant director of the FBI's counterterrorism division Terry Turchie weighs in.
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| Tropical Storm Arthur sets its sights on North Carolina coast Posted: 17 May 2020 07:18 PM PDT  The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is two weeks away, but that hasn't stopped Tropical Storm Arthur from inching closer to the North Carolina coast.
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| ‘William Barr is not done’: experts raise concerns about attorney general’s legal reach Posted: 17 May 2020 03:00 AM PDT  Former justice department officials and legal experts have pointed to Barr's intervention in cases involving Trump associatesLegal experts and and alumnae of the US Department of Justice have begun sounding the alarm about Donald Trump's attorney general, William Barr.Recently Barr's justice department withdrew charges against Michael Flynn, the former Trump administration national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to federal law enforcement officials about his dealings with Russia's ambassador over sanctions, just before Trump took office.Barr's decision last week was a stunning reversal and spurred rare rebukes from a large swath of legal experts and former attorneys who worked at the justice department under both Democratic and Republican presidents. And speaking at a fundraiser with thousands of former officials from his administration and previous campaigns, Barack Obama issued a strong warning that the move jeopardized the "rule of law" in the country.Barr's decision highlighted ongoing anxiety about the lasting impact the current attorney general will have on the position of attorney general and the department of justice overall.On Monday, more than 1,900 former and current justice department officials reiterated their call for Barr to step down for having "once again assaulted the rule of law".The group that organized the letter collected more than 2,600 signatures for a similar letter in February after the justice department moved to reduce the sentence of Roger Stone, a former Trump administration aide who was convicted in cases that came out of special counsel Robert Mueller's Trump-Russia investigation. At the time, a number of prosecutors resigned in protest because of the proposed sentencing reductions."Speaking as somebody who has spent 19 years at the department of justice, the way I have seen William Barr serve as attorney general seems very different to me than the way attorneys general have behaved in the past," said Barbara McQuade, a former United States attorney during the Obama administration.She added: "Their job is to be the attorney for the people, to be independent of the White House and instead William Barr has conducted himself in ways that make him seem more like he is a lawyer for Donald Trump."Trump recently said of Stone "look at the horrible treatment he's got. He's going to be OK. He's going to be OK," which some federal prosecutors interpreted as a possible precursor to Barr doing more in Stone's case.The justice department has been a source of frustration for the president.Trump first appointed then-senator Jeff Sessions to the post. Sessions, a longtime US senator from Alabama, was the first member of his chamber to endorse Trump in the 2016 presidential election.Trump often complained that Sessions was not doing enough to "protect him". Trump eventually became dissatisfied with Sessions, particularly his decision to recuse himself from Mueller's Russia investigation, and replaced him briefly with Matthew Whitaker, a Trump loyalist, as acting attorney general.Since Barr succeeded Whitaker in February 2019, legal experts have pointed out the close alignment he's had with Trump. McQuade said Barr has often intervened in cases relating to Trump associates."Now we're seeing him interfere in cases that involve close associates of President Trump," McQuade said. "Certainly as the attorney general he has the authority to do anything he wants in any case. But he doesn't. He doesn't meddle in every case, he's only involved in these cases involving Trump's associates."Former justice department officials and legal experts have suggested that Barr is acting more like Trump's personal attorney rather than the top law enforcement official for the federal government. And since the conclusion of Mueller's Russia investigation and even since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic Trump has repeatedly ousted or sidelined critics within the federal government.McQuade wondered if Barr, with a sense of confidence from Trump, could try and go after higher-profile political figures in the future. Trump and his allies have vaguely been suggesting that Trump himself was the target of of a vague "Obamagate" scheme."Just looking a little further down the road, one concern is that William Barr is not done, that not only is he protecting Trump's friends, that he might use Trump's justice department not only as a shield but as a sword to go after Trump's enemies –[Joe] Biden, Jim Comey, Obama, Hillary Clinton," McQuade said. "Could he use the justice department to go after them?"One former federal prosecutor, who requested anonymity in order to speak more candidly, worried that Barr had "set a precedent" where the "next time DoJ could be used in the same political way".Meanwhile Elkan Abromowitz, one of the former justice department officials who signed the most recent alumni letter, said that the upcoming presidential election could strongly dictate the future role of the department.If Trump wins, Abromowitz said, Barr will likely keep his role. But if the former Vice President, Joe Biden, now the presumptive Democratic party nominee, wins, the attorney general and DoJ could undergo significant restructuring."What I think is going to happen is if Trump loses the election, there's probably going to be a major push to restructure the justice department out of the cabinet and make it like an independent agency like the Fed or the SEC where the attorney general would be given a 10-year term, pretty much like the FBI," Abromowitz said.Abromowitz added, "If Trump wins re-election? He'll probably keep Barr around for as long as he can."
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| U.S. Supreme Court heaps more damages on Sudan in embassy bombing cases Posted: 18 May 2020 07:21 AM PDT  The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a legal setback to Sudan on Monday, ruling that the African nation cannot avoid punitive damages in lawsuits accusing it of complicity in the 1998 al Qaeda bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 people. Siding with hundreds of people hurt and relatives of people killed in the bombings, the justices ruled 8-0 to throw out a lower court's 2017 decision that had freed Sudan from punitive damages awarded in the litigation in addition to about $6 billion in compensatory damages. Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not participate in the case.
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| WHO bows to calls from countries for independent virus probe Posted: 18 May 2020 02:48 AM PDT  The World Health Organization bowed to calls Monday from most of its member states to launch an independent evaluation of how it managed the international response to the coronavirus, which has been clouded by finger-pointing between the U.S. and China over a pandemic that has killed over 300,000 people and leveled the global economy. The "comprehensive evaluation," sought by a coalition of African, European and other countries, is intended to review "lessons learned" from WHO's coordination of the global response to COVID-19, but would stop short of looking into contentious issues such as the origins of the new coronavirus. U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed he has proof suggesting the coronavirus originated in a lab in China while the scientific community has insisted all evidence to date shows the virus likely jumped into humans from an animal.
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| Burkina Faso unveils 'corrected' Thomas Sankara statue Posted: 18 May 2020 05:02 AM PDT  A new monument to the African nationalist hero is unveiled after parts of the original "melted".
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| Harry Dunn's mother says UK must 'stand up to US' and refuse extradition requests Posted: 17 May 2020 05:24 AM PDT  The mother of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn has urged the British government to "stand up to" the US amid a continuing diplomatic row.Donald Trump's administration has refused to extradite suspect Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a US intelligence official, for prosecution over Mr Dunn's death.
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| US ramps up military pressure on Beijing Posted: 16 May 2020 03:14 PM PDT  Gen. Jack Keane joins Arthel Neville to discuss U.S. military pressure on Beijing amid tensions in the South China Sea.
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| Beaches in N.Y., N.J., Connecticut, Delaware to open Memorial Day weekend Posted: 17 May 2020 05:46 PM PDT  They will open on the Friday before Memorial Day, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
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| Donald Trump will tour Ford plant in Michigan that makes ventilators for coronavirus response Posted: 17 May 2020 06:30 PM PDT  Donald Trump will travel to Michigan for the latest stop on his campaign to showcase companies making supplies needed to battle coronavirus.
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| Macron, Merkel to announce new 'Franco-German initiative' on Monday Posted: 18 May 2020 12:55 AM PDT  French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will present a new Franco-German initiative later on Monday, Macron's office said in a surprise statement. It gave no details on what the new initiative might entail, but a source close to Macron told Reuters it would touch on public health, economic recovery, green and digital transition, and industrial sovereignty. France and Germany have struggled to present a united front in the coronavirus crisis, with France leading a push by mostly southern European countries to convince fiscally conservative countries like Germany to issue joint European debt to help them weather the economic impact.
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| Asia Today: India cases surge, Beijing petition offices shut Posted: 17 May 2020 07:25 PM PDT  India recorded its biggest single-day surge in coronavirus cases on Monday, attributed largely to migrant workers returning home after losing their jobs in India's population centers. Authorities are largely blaming the surge in infections to the return of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers to India's villages, which have weaker health infrastructure. India eased its lockdown rules on May 4 and allowed migrant workers to travel back to their homes, a decision that has resulted in millions of people being on the move for the last two weeks.
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| Israel court convicts settler of Palestinian arson murders Posted: 18 May 2020 08:14 AM PDT  An Israeli court Monday found a Jewish settler guilty of three murders in an arson attack that killed a Palestinian toddler and his parents -- a verdict that did little to ease the bereaved family's pain. Amiram Ben-Uliel, 25, from the West Bank settlement of Shilo, was also convicted of two counts each of attempted murder and arson, along with conspiracy to commit a hate crime in the 2015 attack. Hours after the verdict, the Palestinian family devastated by the attack told AFP that justice was incomplete, having long insisted that there were several attackers.
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| Coronavirus: Why Africans should take part in vaccine trials Posted: 17 May 2020 04:51 PM PDT  Scientists in Africa explain that any trials would be properly regulated and so the scare stories should be ignored.
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| Texas' coronavirus confinement enforcement was reportedly more strict in border cities than elsewhere Posted: 18 May 2020 07:22 AM PDT  While Texas GOP leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, openly railed against local officials for fining or even jailing (which is now forbidden) residents for breaching the state's stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus pandemic, The Dallas Morning News reports that their criticism seems to have been disproportionately directed at the state's largest counties, while the order was more strictly enforced in border cities.The Morning News analyzed data from eight counties and nine cities across the state, finding that the most populous areas mostly relied on voluntary compliance with the order, while local authorities in just three border counties issued at least 2,600 citations and made 200 arrests for violations such as not wearing a face mask, having too many people in the same car, or breaking curfew.The city of Laredo, situated on the border, issued almost six times as many citations as Texas' five most populous cities — Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, and Fort Worth — combined.But, the Morning News notes, it appears those incidents mostly flew under the radar. "The elephant in the room is it wasn't until a blonde-haired Caucasian woman got involved that the interests of our political leaders were piqued," Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said, referring to the criticism of the jailing of Shelley Luther, who opened her Dallas salon in defiance of the order.Two Laredo women, Ana Isabel Castro-Garcia and Brenda Stephanie Mata, were arrested before Luther for offering cosmetic services, but it was Luther's arrest that sparked a change.Republicans pushed back against the idea that their criticism, or lack thereof, was racially motivated; Lt. Government Dan Patrick said government overreach was "egregious" wherever it occurred, while Matt Mackowiak, a Republican consultant, said the geography-based backlash was natural, since Dallas gets "a lot more attention than Laredo." Read more at The Dallas Morning News.More stories from theweek.com GOP Sen. Ben Sasse just gave 'the worst graduation speech of all time' It's almost time for pandemic apologies More than 100 countries are calling for an independent investigation into the coronavirus crisis
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| US Presses Forward with Afghan Withdrawal Plan Despite Spate of Horrific Attacks Posted: 18 May 2020 05:50 AM PDT  The U.S. still plans to draw down 8,600 troops in Afghanistan by July.
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| Pompeo Slams ‘Abject Failure’ of WHO COVID Response: ‘It Had One Job . . . and It Didn’t Get It Done’ Posted: 18 May 2020 07:19 AM PDT  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo singled out the World Health Organization (WHO) for being unable to halt the coronavirus global pandemic, saying "it had one job, to protect the world from a pandemic, and it didn't get it done."Pompeo, speaking to the Washington Examiner, called the WHO's response an "abject failure" and said the virus "makes clear that international organizations aren't necessarily good just because they're a multilateral organization." He pointed to how the Chinese Communist Party had coerced the WHO "to be quiet about the scope and nature of this pandemic."Earlier this month, Pompeo urged WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom to include Taiwan in this week's World Health Assembly (WHA), but the WHO said it could not because of "divergent views," after China said it "deplores and opposes" including Taipei in the gathering. Taiwan said in March that the WHO had ignored its December warnings that human-to-human transmission of coronavirus was possible.WHO officials, including Tedros, have previously praised China for its response to the virus. "China is doing the right things, and China is responding in a massive way," Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, said in late January. "We've seen no obvious lack of transparency."But President Trump has slammed the WHO for being "very China centric," and halted U.S. funding to the WHO last month. On Sunday, Axios reported that Trump intended to make the total funding cut permanent, after being on the verge of announcing that the U.S. would "agree to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions" to the WHO. Fox News's Tucker Carlson, who broke news Friday of the potential reinstatement, slammed the move.Tedros said in April that "the world should have listened to the WHO" about coronavirus, adding that "we advised the whole world to implement a comprehensive public health approach — find, test, contact tracing and so on. The countries who followed that are in a better position than others."
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| Coronavirus live updates: U.S. death toll tops 90,000 as number of cases reaches 1.5 million Posted: 18 May 2020 01:16 AM PDT  Here are the latest coronavirus updates from around the world.
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