| Nearly 200 people arrested, two shot during 'Go Topless Jeep Weekend' Posted: 19 May 2020 01:48 PM PDT  "I don't know why it's so hard for people just to show up and have fun these days," one resident said.
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| Republican-led Senate panel authorizes subpoena in Hunter Biden probe Posted: 20 May 2020 09:03 AM PDT  Wednesday's vote gives the committee's chairman, Ron Johnson, the authority to subpoena Blue Star Strategies.
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| US Navy issues new guidelines after close Iran encounters Posted: 19 May 2020 01:05 PM PDT  The U.S. Navy warned Tuesday it will take "lawful defensive measures" against vessels in the Mideast that come within 100 meters (yards) of its warships, offering specific guidelines after a recent close encounter with Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf. Defensive measures have typically included turning a ship away from the approaching vessel, sounding its horn, shooting off flares and ultimately firing warning shots to force the vessel away. "Our ships are conducting routine operations in international waters wherever international law allows and do not seek conflict," said Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a Bahrain-based 5th Fleet spokeswoman.
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| Weighing whether to travel this summer during the coronavirus pandemic? What to consider Posted: 20 May 2020 08:45 AM PDT  As coronavirus travel restrictions ease, you're probably wondering whether it's safe to travel this summer with your family. Here's what to know.
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| Andrew Cuomo is no hero. He's to blame for New York's coronavirus catastrophe Posted: 20 May 2020 03:10 AM PDT  His record was terrible before coronavirus, but his abysmal handling of the crisis should get him thrown out of officeAndrew Cuomo may be the most popular politician in the country. His approval ratings have hit all-time highs thanks to his Covid-19 response. Some Democrats have discussed him as a possible replacement for Joe Biden, due to Biden's perceived weakness as a nominee. And there have even been some unfortunate tributes to Cuomo's alleged sex appeal.All of which is bizarre, because Cuomo should be one of the most loathed officials in America right now. ProPublica recently released a report outlining catastrophic missteps by Cuomo and the New York City mayor, Bill de Blasio, which probably resulted in many thousands of needless coronavirus cases. ProPublica offers some appalling numbers contrasting what happened in New York with the outbreak in California. By mid-May, New York City alone had almost 20,000 deaths, while in San Francisco there had been only 35, and New York state as a whole suffered 10 times as many deaths as California.Federal failures played a role, of course, but this tragedy was absolutely due, in part, to decisions by the governor. Cuomo initially "reacted to De Blasio's idea for closing down New York City with derision", saying it "was dangerous" and "served only to scare people". He said the "seasonal flu was a graver worry". A spokesperson for Cuomo "refused to say if the governor had ever read the state's pandemic plan". Later, Cuomo would blame the press, including the New York Times for failing to say "Be careful, there's a virus in China that may be in the United States?" even though the Times wrote nearly 500 stories on the virus before the state acted. Experts told ProPublica that "had New York imposed its extreme social distancing measures a week or two earlier, the death toll might have been cut by half or more".But delay was not the only screw-up. Elderly prisoners have died of coronavirus because New York has failed to act on their medical parole requests. As Business Insider documented:"Testing was slow. Nonprofit social-service agencies that serve the most vulnerable couldn't get answers either. And medical experts like the former CDC director Tom Frieden said 'so many deaths could have been prevented' had New York issued its stay-at-home order just 'days earlier' than it did. On March 19, when New York's schools had already been closed, Cuomo said 'in many ways, the fear is more dangerous than the virus.'"The governor has failed to take responsibility for the obvious failures, consistently blaming others and at one point even saying "governors don't do pandemics". (Actually, some governors just don't read their state's pandemic plans.) But much of the press has ignored this, focusing instead on Cuomo's aesthetic presentation: his poise during press conferences, his dramatic statements about "taking responsibility" (even when he obviously hasn't), and his invisible good looks.> Cuomo's record was shameful long before coronavirus beganThe mask mural is yet another publicity stunt mistaken by the press as a sign of leadership. On 29 April, Cuomo unveiled a wall of handmade cloth masks that had been sent to his office by concerned citizens all over America. He called it "a self-portrait of America. You know what that spells? It spells love." Since the arrangement of masks doesn't form words, the mural doesn't actually spell anything, but it is a perfect symbol of Cuomo's leadership failures. Handmade cloth face coverings are not as effective as N95 masks, of course, but if unsuitable for healthcare workers they would still have been perfectly appropriate to distribute to New Yorkers (some of whom have been brutally arrested for not wearing masks). But Cuomo, rather than putting the needs of New Yorkers first, chose to tack hundreds of cloth masks on a wall as a monument to himself.Cuomo's record was shameful long before coronavirus began. He enabled the IDC (Independent Democratic Conference), a group of conservative Democratic state lawmakers, in allying with the Republican minority to block progressive legislation. (Cuomo denies any role in the IDC, but that stretches credulity.) Before the pandemic, he pushed through Medicaid cuts which shut down necessary hospital space in the name of "efficiency" despite the warnings of medical professionals. And on 3 April, as 3,000 New Yorkers already lay dead from the virus and hospitals like Elmhurst in Queens were overwhelmed with cases, Cuomo forced through further Medicaid cuts, slashing $400m from hospital budgets.As the state now staggers to its feet, Cuomo has partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to "reimagine education" (which almost certainly means privatization), and with the ex-Google chief Eric Schmidt to – as Naomi Klein puts it – "permanently integrat[e] technology into every aspect of civic life". All of this has happened without the democratic input of New Yorkers, who would likely prefer that the progressive legislators they elected could govern without interference, that their hospitals have enough money to function and that billionaires don't infiltrate and control every element of civic life.There's something disturbing about Cuomo being hailed as the hero of the pandemic when he should rightly be one of the villains. As Business Insider notes, he is now only able to attain praise for his actions because his earlier failures made those actions necessary. He's lauded for addressing a problem that he himself partly caused. Of course, part of this is because Donald Trump has bungled the coronavirus response even more badly, so that Cuomo – by not being a complete buffoon – looks like a capable statesman by contrast. But this is the problem: for too long, Democrats have measured their politicians by "whether they are better than Republicans". This sets the bar very low indeed, and means that Democrats end up settling for incompetent and amoral leaders who betray progressive values again and again. * Lyta Gold is the managing editor and amusements editor of Current Affairs. Nathan Robinson is the editor of Current Affairs and a Guardian US columnist
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| Florida partygoers throw bottles at police at massive weekend event Posted: 19 May 2020 03:49 AM PDT  Florida partygoers began throwing bottles and barstools at police as they made arrests at a weekend event hosting an estimated 3,000 people, officials reported Monday.
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| China protests at support of U.S. and others for Taiwan at WHO Posted: 19 May 2020 06:41 AM PDT  The Chinese envoy to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday denounced the support shown by the United States and others to Taiwan during its annual ministerial assembly and said that was undermining the global response to the pandemic. Taiwan lobbied hard to be included as an observer at the two-day virtual meeting and received strong support from the United States, Japan and others, but says it was not invited due to opposition from China. "There are still a few countries determined to plead for Taiwan authorities, seriously violating relevant U.N. and WHO resolutions and undermining global anti-epidemic efforts," Chen Xu, the Chinese ambassador, told the virtual assembly.
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| Auschwitz renovation uncovers objects hidden by prisoners Posted: 19 May 2020 08:23 AM PDT  Renovation works at Auschwitz have turned up spoons, forks, cobbler's tools and other objects hidden beneath a chimney flue -- some that might have been used to plan escapes, a national fund said Tuesday. The objects, which also include knives, hooks, scissors, pieces of leather and parts of shoes, were found last month in block 17 of the main camp, Austria's National Fund for Victims of National Socialism said. The fund commissioned the renovation and restoration works in the block at the former concentration camp in Poland in preparation for an exhibition.
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| Carlos Ghosn: US ex-Green Beret and son arrested over escape from Japan Posted: 20 May 2020 08:31 AM PDT  The former soldier and his son are detained for allegedly helping the ex-Nissan boss flee Japan.
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| McConnell's GOP takes Trump's election-year cues Posted: 19 May 2020 03:26 PM PDT  Senate Republicans are embracing the president's most explosive attacks after previously sidestepping them.
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| 4 Modern Places of Worship That Elevate Architecture Posted: 19 May 2020 12:17 PM PDT |
| Thousands evacuated as river dams break in central Michigan Posted: 20 May 2020 03:53 AM PDT  Rapidly rising water has overtaken dams and forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people from flooded communities in central Michigan, and the governor warned that one city could end up "under approximately 9 feet of water" Wednesday. For the second time in less than 24 hours, families living along the Tittabawassee River and connected lakes in Midland County were ordered to leave home Tuesday evening. On Wednesday morning, the river topped a previous record reading of 33.9 feet (10.3 meters) set during flooding in 1986, the National Weather Service said.
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| Venezuelans clamor for gasoline as U.S. weighs response to Iran fuel shipment Posted: 19 May 2020 02:07 PM PDT  With the United States weighing a response to a gasoline shipment from Iran to Venezuela, people waiting in line outside service stations in the country's capital said they were eager to fill their tanks, regardless of how the fuel arrived. OPEC members Venezuela and Iran both are U.S. adversaries. A Trump administration official said last week the shipment via five tankers - which are still underway to fuel-starved Venezuela - was "unwelcome."
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| Newly declassified email shows FBI's Comey worried about Flynn's frequent talks with Russia's ambassador Posted: 19 May 2020 11:33 PM PDT  Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell fully declassified Tuesday a January 2017 email Susan Rice, then President Barack Obama's national security adviser, sent to herself about a brief Jan. 5 meeting about incoming National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. This is the second document related to Flynn that Grenell has declassified in the past week, as Attorney General William Barr seeks to drop the criminal case again Flynn for his lies to FBI agents about his undisclosed number of conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Kislyak's calls were monitored.Those conversations were a focus of the Jan. 5 meeting memorialized by Rice.Declassified Susan Rice EmailObama insisted "every aspect of this issue" be handled "by the book," and "stressed that he is not asking about, initiating, or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective," Rice wrote. "From a national security perspective, however, President Obama said he wants to be sure that, as we engage with the incoming team, we are mindful to ascertain if there is any reason that we cannot share information fully as it relates to Russia."FBI Director James Comey "affirmed that he is proceeding 'by the book' as it relates to law enforcement," Rice writes, but "he does have some concerns that incoming NSA Flynn is speaking frequently with Russian Ambassador Kislyak." Comey noted later that "the level of communication is unusual," Rice said, and Obama asked Comey to tell him "if anything changes in the next few weeks that should affect how we share classified information with the incoming team."A spokeswoman for Rice said "the email makes clear that the Obama administration did not change the way it briefed Michael Flynn," adding: "In the interest of transparency, Ambassador Rice again calls upon the director of national intelligence to release the unredacted transcripts of all Kislyak-Flynn calls. The American people deserve the full transcripts so they can judge for themselves Michael Flynn's conduct."Neither of the newly declassified emails show any misconduct, but some Trump allies argue "that in warning Comey to proceed 'by the book,' Obama was implying that top law enforcement officials had done the opposite," Politico reports. "It would be smarter for the Trump team to do more heavy breathing, less actual declassifying," David Frum advised. "Reading the records only confirms that the outgoing administration was struggling to do the right thing in the face of a deeply corrupt and compromised incoming team."More stories from theweek.com Taxpayers paid for food, a harpist, and goody bags for Pompeo's frequent 500-guest formal dinners 2 new studies offer optimism that coronavirus antibodies provide immunity The start-up economy is fundamentally broken. The virus will make it worse.
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| One church's large coronavirus outbreak was traced back to a pastor and his wife who attended a service before they developed symptoms, CDC says Posted: 19 May 2020 10:52 AM PDT  4 people died and 35 members of the congregation got sick, as did 26 other people who came into contact with them, according to a new CDC report.
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| ‘They Came to Kill the Mothers.’ After a Devastating Attack on a Kabul Maternity Ward, Afghan Women Face Increased Dangers Posted: 19 May 2020 09:03 AM PDT  A deadly maternity ward attack and the outbreak of the coronavirus have hindered internationally-backed efforts to support women's health in Afghanistan.
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| ‘Almost hard to believe’: Joe Biden attacks antisemitism on the left in US and UK Posted: 20 May 2020 05:47 AM PDT  Joe Biden has issued criticism against those whose condemnation of Israeli politics veered towards antisemitism."Criticism of Israel's policy is not antisemitism," the presumptive Democratic nominee for president told donors on Tuesday. "But too often that criticism from the left morphs into antisemitism."
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| Air Force F-35 Crashes at Eglin; Pilot Ejects Safely Posted: 20 May 2020 06:49 AM PDT  The F-35 mishap marks the second accident at Eglin in a week's time.
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| VW pulls car ad after outcry, apologizes for racist overtone Posted: 20 May 2020 06:07 AM PDT  Germany's Volkswagen has pulled a social media ad for a new car and apologized after an outcry over its racist overtones. The ten-second spot posted on Instagram and Twitter shows a massive white hand pushing a black man away from beside a new yellow Volkswagen Golf parked on the street, then moving him to an open doorway and flicking him inside a French cafe. Commentators on social media also noted that as the German-language slogan "Der Neue Golf" - "The New Golf" - fades into view, the jumble of letters can be read as a racial slur for a brief moment.
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| Michigan floods: Evacuations after Edenville and Sanford dams breached Posted: 20 May 2020 10:59 AM PDT  "To go through this in the midst of a global pandemic is almost unthinkable," says the governor.
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| Israel honours dead Chinese envoy ahead of repatriation Posted: 20 May 2020 03:19 AM PDT  The body of China's ambassador to Israel, who died earlier this week, was handed to Chinese authorities in a ceremony at Israel's Ben Gurion international airport on Wednesday. The coffin was placed on a black altar surrounded by white wreaths of flowers ahead of the body's repatriation to China.
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| Florida authorities released footage of a block party with 3,000 people that ended with arrests Posted: 19 May 2020 04:45 PM PDT  In a press conference, the local police chief noted that the public has been urged to avoid large gatherings due to the risk of spreading coronavirus.
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| Trump administration 'indefinitely' extends border restrictions that prevent asylum seekers from entering US Posted: 19 May 2020 03:27 PM PDT  Donald Trump's administration plans to "indefinitely" extend border restrictions that prevent asylum seekers and other immigrants from entering the US during the coronavirus pandemic, or until administration officials determine that the restrictions are "no longer necessary".The extension follows a March order from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention that imposed a 30-day closure along the US-Mexico and Canada borders, but the agency extended the measure in April for another month. The latest move keeps the restrictions in place through at least June — preventing asylum seekers and other immigrants from entering the US under the guise of a public health issue during the coronavirus crisis.
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| Hong Kong's Public Broadcaster Suspends Satirical TV Show After Complaints Over Police Portrayal Posted: 20 May 2020 02:02 AM PDT  A government body says that the program denigrated and insulted the police
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| Evangelist who built global ministry dies in Atlanta at 74 Posted: 19 May 2020 07:26 AM PDT |
| Venezuela files legal claim with Bank of England over gold Posted: 20 May 2020 05:44 AM PDT  The Central Bank of Venezuela says the gold's value could be used to tackle coronavirus.
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| India's coronavirus outbreak may soon trigger an unprecedented recession as millions of migrant workers travel from packed cities to rural villages Posted: 18 May 2020 12:54 PM PDT  Social distancing is nearly impossible in packed, unhygienic slums at the center of the country's outbreaks.
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| Bolsonaro says Brazil to issue new chloroquine protocol on Wednesday Posted: 19 May 2020 04:13 PM PDT  Brazil's Health Ministry will issue new guidelines on Wednesday expanding the recommended use of chloroquine for treating the novel coronavirus, President Jair Bolsonaro said, days after the health minister quit under pressure to sign the new guidelines. Interim Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello, an active duty army general, will sign the new protocol and stay in the top job for now, the president said in an online interview on Tuesday evening. Bolsonaro said he kept a box of the anti-malarial drug in case his 93-year-old mother needed it, noting U.S. President Donald Trump said he was taking it preventively.
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| Climate change is turning Antarctica green, study finds Posted: 20 May 2020 02:16 AM PDT  Parts of the Antarctic Peninsula will change colour as "green snow" caused by blooming algae is expected to spread with increases in global temperatures, research showed Wednesday. Although often considered devoid of plant life, Antarctica is home to several types of algae, which grow on slushy snow and suck carbon dioxide from the air. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey combined satellite imagery with on-the-ground observations to detect the current extent of green algae in the world's most barren continent.
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| A police officer tried to use stun gun on Ahmaud Arbery in 2017 Posted: 19 May 2020 10:29 AM PDT  A video shows officers questioning Arbery on why he was sitting in his car at a park. "I'm trying to chill on my day off. I'm up early in the morning trying to chill," he said.
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| The US birth rate has fallen to the lowest in 35 years, and experts worry we could face a 'demographic time bomb' Posted: 20 May 2020 09:58 AM PDT  The number of babies born in the US in 2019 was the lowest in 35 years, leading again to fears the country could experience a 'demographic time bomb.'
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| Biden responds to President Trump's 'Obamagate' tweets Posted: 19 May 2020 05:09 PM PDT  Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday during a Yahoo News virtual town hall responded to President Trump's "Obamagate" tweets.
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| Trump’s Been Playing a Ventilator Shell Game With Russia—and Moscow Mocks Him Posted: 19 May 2020 12:31 AM PDT  Back in April, Russia sent a shipment of medical equipment and supplies to the United States under the guise of "humanitarian aid." The shipment was not a gift. Russia billed the American taxpayer $660,000 for 45 ventilators and other medical items at a moment when the full horror of the COVID-19 pandemic had hit U.S. hospitals. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, said Americans were footing half the total bill, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) paid for the other half.Of course it did.The whole operation was a cynical shell game. The propaganda value was obvious, and most of the ventilators sent by Russia were manufactured by a subsidiary of a company that is currently under U.S. sanctions, so shipping them to the U.S. set a potentially useful precedent for the Kremlin.Adding possible injury to this insult, the Russian ventilators turned out to be unusable. The Russian-made equipment was sent to the states of New York and New Jersey, but it was incompatible with the American electrical system. U.S. appliances run on 110-volt electricity, whereas Russian equipment is designed to operate on a 220-volt system. After storing the unused ventilators in warehouses, both states returned them to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which originally received the delivery.Trump's Confident He's Wrapping Up the 'Russia Hoax,' and Russia's Confident He's in Their PocketThe electrical incompatibility might have been a blessing in disguise, since the ventilators of the same make and model have caused fires in at least two Russian hospitals. Kremlin-controlled state media outlet Sputnik resorted to outright lies to try to conceal this deadly embarrassment, falsely claiming that the lethal machines were made in Germany. But the Russian government agency Roszdravnadzor previously acknowledged that the incendiary Aventa-M ventilators were made in Russia by the Urals Instrument-Engineering Plant (UPZ).FEMA says it is now awaiting "the conclusion of the investigation being conducted by the Russian authorities into the fire in St. Petersburg" which "will help inform our decision regarding any future use of the ventilators." The Aventa-Ms bought by the United States will most likely never be used, $660,000 of tax dollars down the drain. Russian President Vladimir Putin's favor to Americans had been no favor at all, but Trump still wanted to act as if it was, and decided to send 200 made-in-USA ventilators to Russia—machines that may well be needed in American hospitals if, as many scientists expect, there is a second massive wave of the pandemic in the months ahead. Note that unlike Vladimir Putin's expensive "gift" to the United States, the U.S. government is donating the ventilators, their start-up components and delivery expenses, at no cost to the Kremlin. American taxpayers will again pony up the bill, to the tune of $4.7 million.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Washington Examiner over the weekend that U.S. President Donald J. Trump decided to provide "significant assistance" to Russia and said that the U.S. equipment is already on its way there. Pompeo said, "We're excited about our ability to try and help them work their way through this virus," and added: "I have been working with Russia since I was Director of the CIA," citing mutual cooperation in the fight against terrorism.Russia is suffering now, at least in part, because Putin—almost as egregiously as Trump in the United States—tried to convince his people and perhaps himself that he was on top of the situation. Now Putin has instructed Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Health to ensure that every hospital bed in the medical facilities treating coronavirus patients is equipped with a ventilator. Without specifically mentioning the United States, the Russian president said that such enhanced capabilities would be made possible with the infusion of ventilators that "will soon arrive in Russia from its partners abroad."It would be foolish to expect expressions of gratitude from the Kremlin. To the contrary, Vesti Nedeli—the most popular Sunday news show in Russia—devoted much of its program to roasting Donald Trump and the American health care system for the disastrous spread of the coronavirus, and high death rates in the U.S.. Vesti Nedeli described the Oval Office as the "science fiction department," mocking Trump's Space Force, his claims about "super-duper missiles" and the alleged development of the coronavirus vaccine "at warp speed." Vesti Nedeli reporter Valentin Bogdanov sarcastically pointed out that no one had seen "the secret military virologists" developing coronavirus vaccines in the United States, but everyone saw American nurses wearing trash bags in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic.The mockery of President Trump continued across various Russian state media programs. Vladimir Soloviev, the host of the state TV show Sunday Evening with Vladimir Soloviev, who is notoriously close to Putin, laughed uncontrollably as he recounted Trump's claims about the creation of a "super-duper missile" (translated as "super-pooper"). Soloviev aired the modified Independence Day video clip that was showcased on Trump's Twitter feed and again burst out laughing at the American president's infantile tactics. "American statistics are fake," exclaimed the host of Vesti Nedeli, Dmitry Kiselyov, concluding that the real number of coronavirus deaths in the U.S. is undoubtedly higher than reported. He pondered: "If the United States was the best economy in the history of the world just two months ago, then why is the American health care system producing the worst outcomes in the world? Why is the death toll from the coronavirus in the United States in May expected to be two times higher than the country's decade-long losses in the Vietnam War? Why are such unprecedented human sacrifices in peacetime considered acceptable? On what kind of morality does Trump intend to 'build a country'? Who needs that kind of an economy if the human life is so devalued?"One might note that Russia's numbers are extremely dubious, despite Kremlin insistence they are "exceptionally precise," according to several reports by independent Russian media and foreign journalists. "One thing is clear: The number of COVID-19 victims is possibly almost three times higher than the official toll," Tatiana N. Mikhailova, a senior researcher at the Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration in Moscow, told the New York Times.Kiselyov praised Russia's "moral leadership" in the fight against the pandemic and said that by comparison, it puts Western leaders to shame. The Russian state media host proudly boasted that Russia has more ventilators per capita than the United States, which flies directly in the face of Trump's supposed rationale for giving ventilators away.Having trashed the Trump administration throughout the program, Vesti Nedeli was nonetheless pleased with the U.S. president in one respect that had nothing to do with the coronavirus or the ventilators gifted to Russia. President Trump received high marks from the Russian propagandists for inventing and touting the so-called "Obamagate" scandal, which they hope will unravel the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and discredit his findings of Russian interference in U.S. elections. The consequence of such an unlikely outcome could result in sanctions relief for Russia. Indeed, that might be the only kind of highly coveted "aid" that would earn high praise from the Kremlin.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Israeli court orders Netanyahu to appear at trial's opening Posted: 20 May 2020 06:20 AM PDT  An Israeli court Wednesday ordered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to appear for the opening of his criminal trial in Jerusalem, setting the stage for a dramatic scene on Sunday. Netanyahu will enter the Jerusalem District Court surrounded by a phalanx of security as he becomes the first sitting Israeli prime minister to go on trial. In its decision, the court rejected the request, saying that Netanyahu "must, like all other accused, appear and give his statement before the court."
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| Letters to the Editor: The U.S. created most of Iraq's problems. Why should we be trusted to solve them? Posted: 20 May 2020 03:00 AM PDT  If Iraq needs the United States, it's only because invasion in 2003 and subsequent influence created many of the problems that now need solving.
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| In Mexico City, doctors cited coronavirus as a 'possible or probable' cause of death on 4,577 death certificates — 3 times as many as the official death count of 1,332 Posted: 20 May 2020 12:05 AM PDT  "We are way underestimating the magnitude of the epidemic," Fernando Alarid-Escuder told The New York Times.
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| Missouri carries out first US execution since pandemic began Posted: 19 May 2020 06:26 PM PDT  A death row inmate who maintained his innocence until the end was executed Tuesday night in the state of Missouri, the first execution in the United States after a two-and-a-half-month hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. Walter Barton, 64, was executed by lethal injection in the Bonne Terre prison. Earlier Tuesday, Barton's lawyers filed a last-minute appeal for a stay of execution with the US Supreme Court, but the court denied the application without comment.
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| Michigan declares an emergency after 2 dams collapse threatening a town with 9 feet of flooding Posted: 19 May 2020 08:19 PM PDT  Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency Tuesday evening and deployed the National Guard.
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| Florida COVID-19 data chief says she was removed from post after refusing to censor data Posted: 18 May 2020 09:02 PM PDT  Rebekah Jones, the architect and onetime manager of Florida's COVID-19 dashboard, said on Monday she was removed from her post after she would not censor data.In an email to CBS12 News, Jones said she refused to "manually change data to drum up support" for Florida's plan to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. The dashboard shares data on coronavirus cases, testing, and deaths by county and ZIP code, and is used by the public and academic and private researchers working on coronavirus models. Jones led a team of Florida Department of Health data scientists and public health officials to create the dashboard, which was praised last month by Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force.Earlier Monday, Florida Today reported that on May 5, Jones sent an email to researchers letting them know that she had been removed from her position, and for "reasons beyond my division's control," they would no longer be publishing or fixing data. Jones wrote that she did not know "what data they are now restricting," and "as a word of caution, I would not expect the new team to continue the same level of accessibility and transparency that I made central to the process during the first two months."Over the last few weeks, the dashboard has gone offline, data has disappeared without explanation, and it's been difficult to gain access to underlying data sheets, Florida Today reports. The Florida Department of Health did not respond to requests for comment on the data and Jones' removal from her position.More stories from theweek.com Trump spent hours retweeting, slamming Fox News, including profane attacks on host Neil Cavuto Newly declassified email shows FBI's Comey worried about Flynn's frequent talks with Russia's ambassador Trump's press secretary says with any other president, 'the media would take him at his word'
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| Republican-led U.S. Senate panel backs subpoena in Hunter Biden probe Posted: 20 May 2020 09:28 AM PDT  A Republican-led U.S. Senate committee authorized a subpoena on Wednesday for information in an investigation related to Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden, President Donald Trump's main rival as he runs for re-election in November. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted 8-6, with every Republican voting yes, and every Democrat voting no, to approve a subpoena for documents related to work the younger Biden did for the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. The subpoena was requested by the panel's chairman, Senator Ron Johnson, for information from Blue Star Strategies, a public affairs firm that worked with Burisma.
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| Carlos Ghosn’s Suspected Escape Accomplices Arrested in Boston Posted: 20 May 2020 07:02 AM PDT  U.S. authorities have arrested two Americans—one a former Green Beret—for their alleged roles in helping former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn flee Japan by stowing him away in a large musical instrument case.Federal agents are reported to have arrested Peter Taylor, 59, and his son Michael Taylor, 26, early Wednesday in Massachusetts at the request of Japan, where the two were charged alongside a third American man earlier this year with allegedly enabling Ghosn's daring escape out of the country back in late December.The arrests were first revealed by Seamus Hughes from the Program on Extremism at George Washington University and a Daily Beast contributor.Ghosn shocked the world, and humiliated Japanese authorities, when he managed to slip out of his home in Tokyo, where he was awaiting trial on charges of financial wrongdoing. In January, Japanese prosecutors issued arrest warrants for the three Americans, including the Taylors, for allegedly helping Ghosn avoid immigration checks and board a private jet that flew him out the country.The court documents offer further details on how the alleged escape plot unfolded and state that Peter Taylor met Ghosn at least seven times in the months ahead of the daring operation.On the final occasion, on Dec. 28, Michael Taylor and the third American suspect, George Antoine Zayek, arrived in Japan via a private jet carrying "large black boxes." They allegedly told Japanese authorities that they were musicians and the boxes were intended to carry their equipment.The documents state that Michael Taylor and Zayek then picked up Ghosn from a Tokyo hotel and the three traveled by taxi and train to the hotel where the big boxes were being stored. After the three walked up to their booked room together, Michael Taylor and Zayak are said to have left around an hour later; there is no footage of Ghosn leaving the room.That's because, as the documents allege: "Ghosn was hiding in one of the two large black boxes being carried by Michael Taylor and Zayek."The three are then said to have traveled to Kansai International Airport and managed to get their luggage onto the private jet without a security check. They departed for Turkey that night; Ghosn made his startling public appearance in Lebanon a day later.Ghosn has maintained his innocence and defended his decision to escape Japan, saying that he wouldn't get a fair trial in the country.The Taylors are expected to appear by video conference before a federal judge in Massachusetts later Wednesday afternoon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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