| Trump suspends travel from Europe for 30 days as coronavirus cases continue to grow Posted: 11 Mar 2020 06:43 PM PDT  President Trump announced Wednesday that he was set to suspend travel to the United States from Europe for a period of 30 days in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus.
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| Cough? Fever? Coronavirus symptoms are not enough, Americans find, as strict rules limit who gets tested Posted: 11 Mar 2020 11:47 AM PDT  McNamara told Yahoo News he doesn't intend to keep pushing health officials to be tested for COVID-19.
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| Sanders wins delegate-rich California, NBC News projects Posted: 12 Mar 2020 12:52 PM PDT  California, which voted on Super Tuesday, has 415 delegates at stake.
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| Chinese foreign ministry spokesman pushes coronavirus conspiracy theory that the US Army 'brought the epidemic to Wuhan' Posted: 12 Mar 2020 10:06 AM PDT  China has pushed the narrative that the virus might have originated somewhere else. Several conspiracy theories about its origin have emerged.
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| Doomsday Mom Lori Vallow Tries to Get Judge Booted From Case Posted: 12 Mar 2020 09:28 AM PDT  Doomsday mom Lori Vallow is trying to get an Idaho judge booted from her case while she sits in jail, unable to raise enough money to bail out.It's not clear why Vallow—who has refused to cooperate with the investigation into her missing children—wants Madison County Magistrate Judge Faren Eddins disqualified; her lawyer's filing didn't give a reason.She appeared before Eddins last week, requesting that her $5 million bail be lowered to $10,000. Eddins lowered it to $1 million, but Vallow hasn't been able to secure a bond.Bizarre Email Is Latest Clue in Saga of Doomsday Couple With Missing KidsA number of bondsmen have been in touch with Vallow, but none have been willing to take her on."It's not about the money. I told her I don't want to write the bond. I'd rather just have this go away if she would provide where the kids are located," Danielle Kingston told East Idaho News this week."If she could provide that assurance and proof of life, this goes away. But she has rights—including her right to bail."Vallow's 17-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old son J.J. have not been seen since September, and when police started making inquiries, she and husband Chad Daybell picked up and moved to Hawaii.She was ordered to return to Idaho and produce the kids. When she didn't, she was arrested on charges of child desertion, contempt of court, and promoting a criminal act and extradited from Hawaii.In addition to hunting for the kids—who police have said are in danger—authorities are also investigating the death of Vallow's last husband, Charles, who was shot dead by her brother, Alex Cox, who has also since died under mysterious circumstances.They are also looking into the death of Daybell's last wife, Tammy, whose body has been exhumed for an autopsy. Daybell, the author of novels about near-death experiences and the apocalypse, and Vallow, who is also obsessed with doomsday scenarios, got married weeks after Tammy's death from unknown causes.Vallow was supposed to make another court appearance next week, but both her attorney and the prosecutor have asked to postpone it until May because they are gathering more evidence.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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| Satellite images show Iran has built mass graves amid coronavirus outbreak Posted: 12 Mar 2020 02:52 PM PDT  Trenches in city of Qom confirm worst fears about extent of the epidemic and the government's subsequent cover-upSatellite images of mass graves in the city of Qom suggest Iran's coronavirus epidemic is even more serious than the authorities are admitting.The pictures, first published by the New York Times, show the excavation of a new section in a cemetery on the northern fringe of Iran's holy city in late February, and two long trenches dug, of a total length of 100 yards, by the end of the month.They confirm the worst fears about the extent of the epidemic and the government's subsequent cover-up. On 24 February, at the time the trenches were being dug, a legislator from Qom, 75 miles (120 km) south of Tehran, accused the health ministry of lying about the scale of the outbreak, saying there had already been 50 deaths in the city, at a time when the ministry was claiming only 12 people had died from the virus nationwide.The deputy health minister, Iraj Harirchi, held a press conference to "categorically deny" the allegations, but he was clearly sweating and coughing as he did so. The next day, Harirchi confirmed that he had tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.Since then, members of Iranian parliament, the Majlis, a former diplomat and a senior adviser to the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, have died. Another Khamenei adviser and one of the most powerful voices in Iranian foreign policy, Ali Akbar Velayati, was reported on Thursday to have been infected. The top ranks of Iran's clerical leadership are particularly vulnerable because of their advanced age.According to the latest health ministry figures, more than 10,000 Iranians have fallen ill from the virus and 429 have died.Amir Afkhami, who has written a history of Iran's experience of cholera epidemics, A Modern Contagion, said the mass graves add weight to suspicions the real mortality figures are much higher and are still being covered by the leadership."It doesn't surprise me that they are now trying to create mass graves and trying to hide the actual extent of the impact of the disease," Dr Afkhami, an associate professor at George Washington University, said.He added that the close trading partnership between Iran and China, and the government's fear of disrupting that partnership had contributed to the early and rapid spread of the disease."Because of China's status as the country's principal commercial partner, the Iranian government took inadequate cautionary measures to restrict and monitor travelers from China," Dr Afkhami said. "Then, later on, Tehran's lack of transparency and unwillingness to take robust measures such as social distancing and quarantine, particularly at the epicenter of the outbreak, helped spread the virus."
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| Democratic lawmakers call on Republicans to apologize for 'bigoted' coronavirus language Posted: 11 Mar 2020 08:34 AM PDT  Rep. Judy Chu said, "insisting on identifying the virus by region, as Leader McCarthy and Rep. Gosar have done, only creates fear and hostility."
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| Democratic debate loses moderator, moves locations over coronavirus Posted: 12 Mar 2020 10:39 AM PDT  The next Democratic debate is getting a location change, and losing a moderator, because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Democratic National Committee said on Thursday it would move this Sunday's presidential debate from Phoenix to CNN's studio in Washington, D.C. "out of an abundance of caution and in order to reduce cross-country travel," NBC News reports. Additionally, Univision's Jorge Ramos, who was set to moderate the debate, will no longer do so because he "was in proximity with someone who was in direct contact with a person that tested positive for coronavirus," per The New York Times. Ramos has been cleared by medical professionals, according to NBC. Ilia Calderón is set to take Ramos' place in the debate. The DNC previously announced that the debate, which will be a face-off between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), will happen without a live audience. More stories from theweek.com The entire country of Norway is 'shutting down' Disneyland has only closed unexpectedly 3 times. Now it's closing for the rest of the month. March Madness is canceled
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| National security adviser O'Brien blames China for coronavirus spread Posted: 11 Mar 2020 12:18 PM PDT  National security adviser Robert O'Brien defended President Trump's response to the coronavirus and blamed the Chinese government for covering up the initial outbreak of an illness the World Health Organization declared Wednesday is now a pandemic.
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| Putin Saw a World in Turmoil and Decided It Needs More Putin Posted: 12 Mar 2020 04:21 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Vladimir Putin changed his mind and backed a plan to allow him to run for two more presidential terms because of the current turbulent period in the world, his spokesman said, in the Kremlin's first public explanation of a move that would let him rule until 2036."The situation in the world has become less stable," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call Thursday. He cited the coronavirus pandemic, the risks of "global recession," numerous "acute regional conflicts" and western sanctions as among the factors that led to Putin's decision."In these difficult years, the stability of the authorities, the firmness and consistency of government have huge significance," he told reporters. "In such hard years, some countries have taken decisions to allow the incumbent president to remain on his path into the future."Putin has had a hand in some of the latest turmoil, setting off a price war in the oil market by refusing last week to agree to deepen output cuts in a deal with other major producers and fueling a crisis earlier this year with Turkey over the civil war in Syria. Peskov didn't explain why the Russian leader felt the current instability will continue to be a factor requiring his continued rule four or more years from now.Putin had previously said he would respect term limits, meaning he would have had to step down in 2024, even as he left the door open to take another role to retain control. But Tuesday he reversed himself and backed a constitutional amendment that would exempt him from the restrictions. While Putin had been widely expected to find a way to extend his 20-year rule, he had previously suggested he would likely step down as president.'Our Advantage is Putin'Under the new plan, Putin, 67, would be allowed to run for up to two more terms, opening the way for him to remain president until 2036, when he would be 83. Peskov said Putin hasn't yet announced whether he will run again in 2024."I doubt these arguments will be seen as convincing," said Mikhail Vinogradov, a St. Peterburg political analyst. "Now it's coronavirus, but there was a time when the Icelandic volcano erupted and they suspended air service. These things happen but it's no reason to change the constitution."The amendments were approved by parliament this week and are expected to go to a national vote next month after Putin signs them and the Constitutional Court signs off. They would take effect immediately."Today, with the challenges and threats that are out there in the world, it's not oil and gas that are our advantages," Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin told members of the State Duma Thursday. "Our advantage is Putin and we should defend him."Despite the apparent alarm about coronavirus, Peskov said the Kremlin isn't currently considering changes to its plans for the constitutional vote next month or the May 9 festivities to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. The government Wednesday recommended canceling public events because of the risk of spreading the virus."The Putin regime is a classic personalistic autocracy of the Latin American or Asian type, which always uses current circumstances to justify cracking down," said Andrei Kolesnikov, analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center. "They assume that an authoritarian system deals with crises more confidently."(Updates with parliament speaker quote in ninth paragraph)To contact the reporters on this story: Andrey Biryukov in Moscow at abiryukov5@bloomberg.net;Evgenia Pismennaya in Moscow at epismennaya@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Gregory L. White at gwhite64@bloomberg.net, Tony HalpinFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Cory Booker Could Have Been the Nominee Posted: 12 Mar 2020 08:50 AM PDT  With decisive victories in Michigan and Missouri on Tuesday, Joe Biden widened his lead over Bernie Sanders in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. With looming primary contests in Biden-friendly, delegate-rich Florida, Ohio, and Illinois, Sanders could be forced to concede sooner than he'd like.A number of factors have aided Biden's ascent. The dearth of debates before the Super Tuesday primaries helped to shield him from voters. Moderate Democrats and the party establishment coalesced around him after South Carolina, fearful of losing the House with a Sanders-led ticket. And as the race narrowed, Sanders struggled to win votes outside his base of young progressive supporters.One move that almost certainly had no bearing on Biden's step to the cusp of the nomination Tuesday? New Jersey senator Cory Booker's endorsement, which he offered Monday over Twitter.In one sense, the contrast between Booker and Biden could not be clearer. Booker, for all of his insipid theatrics as a senator — from the "I am Spartacus" gambit to the "tears of rage" performance — is a young, capable politician in control of his faculties. He is also a black man in a party eager to project diversity. Biden, by contrast, is an old white man who can hardly finish a paragraph without slurring his speech or succumbing to some cringe-inducing gaffe that betrays his cognitive decline.In another sense, though, both Booker and Biden are ostensible "moderates" at a moment in which — if recent electoral results are to be believed — a significant faction of Democratic voters are hankering for a centrist figurehead.Why did Booker fail where Biden succeeded? The Occam's-razor explanation is probably the right one: Biden was Barack Obama's vice president, while Booker has been an unremarkable senator with few legislative achievements.But even with his inherent advantages, the former vice president's vulnerabilities would be insurmountable in a normal primary cycle. His mental lapses — mistakenly declaring his candidacy for the Senate, calling the most popular rifle in America the "AR-14," failing to remember the preamble to the Declaration of Independence — are less anomalous mistakes than a window into a receding mind, one that is poorly equipped to lead the free world, the current president's relative fitness (or lack thereof) notwithstanding.If Biden was eminently beatable, could Booker have beaten him? On paper, the New Jersey senator figured to be well primed to challenge Biden for the "moderate" vote. His heterodox views on school choice and relatively pro-business Senate record could have enamored him to centrist Democrats, who were resigned to a choice between an enfeebled septuagenarian, a small-time mayor, and a lamp-throwing senator with narrow appeal. But Booker, no doubt wary of being attacked as a moderate, Wall Street–friendly candidate in a field whose progressive wing included class warriors such as Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, chose to tack left, taking positions that made him appear unelectable to lunch-bucket Democrats more interested in lowering health-care costs than in upending the patriarchy.Last year Booker wrote "An Open Letter to Men on Abortion" for GQ, exhorting men "to acknowledge that they benefit from abortion rights and reproductive health care" and waxing poetic about his efforts "to be the best ally and partner I can be" in the fight for legal abortion. Normal people — whose votes Booker, even in a Democratic primary, would presumably need — do not use the word "ally" that way. They almost certainly never make consecutive use of the words "reproductive health care" in casual conversation. That language appeals to Wesleyan professors and wine-track moms in the suburbs, sure. But Elizabeth Warren already had a stranglehold on such voters, who in any event, are not the ones fueling Biden's rise. Meanwhile, the voters who did eventually flock to Biden were likely also put off by Booker's proposal to decriminalize unauthorized border crossings into the United States, an idea that polls terribly across almost every demographic in America, including self-described moderate Democrats.In short, Booker ran as a progressive and willingly forfeited the moderate voters he needed to win the nomination. The shame for Democrats it that unlike Biden, he is lucid and presentable. Had he focused his campaign on winning over Biden voters — "O'Biden-Bama" Democrats, as the former vice president has called them — he could well have been standing in the position of the doddering old warhorse he just endorsed.
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| Republican senator: It's time to hold China 'accountable' for the coronavirus Posted: 12 Mar 2020 11:31 AM PDT  Sen. Tom Cotton has suggested the US investigate the highly unlikely theory coronavirus was developed in a Chinese "superlaboratory."
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| House Speaker Pelosi to unveil coronavirus aid package for workers Posted: 11 Mar 2020 12:18 PM PDT  Speaker Nancy Pelosi is moving swiftly toward House passage of a coronavirus aid package possibly this week as Congress rebuffs President Trump's proposed payroll tax break and focuses instead on sick pay and other resources to more immediately help workers hit by the crisis.
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| Wisconsin voter purge case appealed to state Supreme Court Posted: 11 Mar 2020 10:00 AM PDT |
| Weinstein defiant at sentencing: 'I wasn't about power. I was about making great movies.' Posted: 11 Mar 2020 01:30 PM PDT  Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison and addressed the court for the first time.
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| Cuomo says after U.S. blunders on coronavirus tests, New York will do its own Posted: 11 Mar 2020 01:18 PM PDT  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo expressed his frustration Wednesday with the Trump administration's failure to provide adequate testing for the coronavirus and said his state would begin contracting with private labs.
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| Iran’s Khamenei Says Virus Outbreak May Be ‘Biological Attack’ Posted: 12 Mar 2020 10:53 AM PDT |
| Fox News Host Shuts Down Guests for Politicizing Biden’s Coronavirus Speech Posted: 12 Mar 2020 11:32 AM PDT  If Fox News didn't want to have a "political" conversation about former Vice President Joe Biden's speech about the coronavirus response Thursday afternoon, they probably should not have invited two ideologically opposed pundits to debate it. After showing viewers Biden's address in full, Fox News host Harris Faulkner welcomed her "power panel" with a warning. "Politics aside, and we're going to have to do that with COVID-19, we just are," she began, "what would you say is the main takeaway from what the administration that Joe Biden says he would do?" Without missing a beat, conservative talk radio host Chris Plante started attacking Biden for what he called "throwing money at the problem," He called Biden's address an "extremely political speech, a very polarizing speech" before proceeding to criticize the Obama administration's response to the H1N1 swine flu outbreak. "And Joe Biden lecturing people about the use of the word China, the use of the word Wuhan is laughable also," he added. Trump Campaign Spox Grilled by Fox Host on Refusal to Cancel RalliesFrom there, Plante and his left-leaning counterpart Ethan Bearman started shouting over each other, accusing each other of telling lies and generally devolving into a typical cable news food fight argument. But this time was different. "Gentlemen, please!" Faulkner exclaimed. "You know what, I don't find this helpful right now," she said calmly and the two men continued to spiral out of control. "COVID-19 on the horizon, that's what we're focused on right now," Faulkner said. "And I want both of you to focus in." As they both chuckled uncomfortably, she continued, "I understand that politics are the game, but the bigger umbrella here is that people are watching for answers." Faulkner tried once more to give her guests a chance to discuss the differences in approach by Trump and Biden in a reasonable manner, saying that the American people will have to decide for themselves "what is best when they go to the polls in November." But they just couldn't do it. "I'm going to step in," she said. "I think you gentlemen got about equal time, we've had a lot of breaking news this hour so I've got to scoot." 'Pandumbic': 'Daily Show' Gives Trump the Disaster Movie TreatmentRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Bernie Sanders supporter ‘put in headlock’ after confronting MSNBC anchor over coverage Posted: 11 Mar 2020 06:51 AM PDT  A podcaster and radio host who supports Bernie Sanders says he intends to press charges after a filmed confrontation with an MSNBC anchor, during which he claims he was put in a headlock.Jack Allison, who co-hosts morning show JackAM and pop culture podcast Struggle Session, approached journalist Chris Jansing on 10 March while filming on his phone, asking her: "Why did your network not find it newsworthy to report on an anti-semitic attack at the Jewish candidate's rally on Friday?"
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| Senate GOP blocks emergency paid sick leave bill from moving forward Posted: 12 Mar 2020 09:59 AM PDT  A Republican lawmaker has blocked an attempt by Senate Democrats to pass legislation that would require employers to provide paid sick leave, in light of the coronavirus.
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| A JetBlue ad joked about $39 flights for 'remote work or study' as news broke that one of its passengers tested positive for coronavirus Posted: 12 Mar 2020 08:32 AM PDT  "As if you needed another excuse to work or study remotely," JetBlue wrote in its email announcing the extended sale on flights.
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| Sister of executed man to governor: 'You killed my brother' Posted: 12 Mar 2020 03:12 PM PDT  The sister of an executed inmate, whose case drew national scrutiny because he was not the gunman, confronted Alabama's governor on Thursday for not stopping the lethal injection. The sister of Nathaniel Woods approached Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey as she spoke with reporters about the U.S. Census, WSFA reported. Woods was put to death March 5 by lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court and the governor both declined to intervene.
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| Italy death toll jumps past 1,000 as Milan bourse nosedives Posted: 12 Mar 2020 08:15 AM PDT  Italy's death toll from the coronavirus epidemic shot past 1,000 on Thursday as the economic impact worsened, with much of the country at a standstill and the Milan bourse posting its largest ever one-day fall. Looking to halt the spread of the disease, the government introduced yet more restrictions on Italians, ordering the blanket, nationwide closure of restaurants, bars and almost all shops except for food stores and chemists. Most Italians were stoical in the face of the unprecedented disruption.
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| Man in car with daughter, 2, was approached by police, drove into river Posted: 12 Mar 2020 10:12 AM PDT  The man was found dead in the water, and the girl is missing in what police called "a very tragic event."
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| Pentagon warns 'all options on the table' after Americans killed in Iraq Posted: 12 Mar 2020 10:10 AM PDT  US Defense Secretary Mark Esper warned Thursday "all options are on the table" a day after three US coalition members, including two US troops, were killed in a rocket attack in Iraq. Esper told reporters President Donald Trump had given him "the authority to do what we need to do," when they discussed the situation Wednesday night. Esper blamed the attack -- a barrage of rockets that struck the Taji air base, killing two US soldiers and a member of the British Royal Army Medical Corps -- on Iranian-backed Shia militia groups.
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| Dem Senator Calls for Probe into Agencies’ Cooperation with GOP Hunter Biden Requests, Suggests Political Bias Posted: 11 Mar 2020 06:51 AM PDT  Senator Chris Murphy is seeking an investigation into several federal agencies over concerns they acted with political bias in acquiescing to Republican requests involving Hunter Biden and Burisma, the Ukrainian gas company where he was a board member.Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, voiced concerns that the agencies are cooperating with GOP investigations into Democratic 2020 presidential front runner Joe Biden's son and Ukrainian energy company, Burisma Holdings in a letter to be sent Wednesday to inspectors general for the State Department, Treasury Department, Department of Homeland Security and the National Archives. He has asked for a response by March 23."These agencies said 'no' to every document request related to the investigation of President Trump, but they may be willing to cough up anything that Senate Republicans are asking them to produce on the Biden family," Murphy told Politico, adding that it appears to be a "really concerning double standard.""Our responsibility is to make sure that the official letters of the government aren't used to destroy people's political opponents — that seems to be a theme in this administration," Murphy continued. "I expect Democrats are going to have to spend time explaining why it's illegitimate for Senate Republicans to use their position to try to destroy the Bidens."Earlier this month, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson the Republican chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee announced plans to issue the first subpoena related to the committee's probe of Hunter Biden and his position on the board of Burisma, which paid him up to $50,000 a month. The younger Biden obtained the lucrative position in 2014 while his father was vice president and in charge of tackling Ukrainian corruption and left the board in April of last year.The committee is scheduled to vote Wednesday on whether to subpoena former Ukrainian embassy official Andrii Telizhenko, who worked as a consultant for the Washington-based Blue Star Strategies, a firm Burisma hired to combat accusations of corruption within the energy company.Internal State Department email exchanges reported last year showed that Blue Star leveraged the Biden name to secure a meeting between the gas company and State Department officials and then brought his name up again during that meeting. The meetings were part of a longstanding campaign to rehabilitate Burisma's reputation in Washington following a corruption probe.Along with Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Johnson have also asked the State Department to release any records on Hunter Biden, and the Secret Service has already turned over travel documents from Biden's time as vice president. The chairmen have also asked the National Archives and Records Administration for records related to probing Ukraine's involvement in the 2016 election.
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| A 7-Eleven owner has been charged after selling bootleg hand sanitizer that chemically burned at least 4 children, police say Posted: 11 Mar 2020 01:20 PM PDT  The 7-Eleven owner created the bootleg sanitizer by mixing commercial sanitizer with water. It burned four children.
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| Photos show one of the first drive-through coronavirus testing stations in the US, where people with a doctor's note get tested for free Posted: 12 Mar 2020 11:53 AM PDT  Free coronavirus testing is available to patients with a doctor's note at Colorado's first drive-through virus test station in Denver.
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| Pregnant 19-year-old dies trying to climb US border wall Posted: 12 Mar 2020 10:54 AM PDT  A 19-year-old pregnant woman from Guatemala died this week from injuries suffered when she fell trying to climb the U.S. border wall near El Paso, Texas, U.S. and Guatemalan authorities said Thursday. Guatemala identified the woman as Mirian Stephany Girón Luna. The U.S. said Girón was eight months pregnant, while Guatemalan authorities said she was at seven months.
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| Philippines' Duterte announces 'lockdown' of Manila to fight coronavirus Posted: 12 Mar 2020 06:29 AM PDT  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday announced a halt on domestic land, sea and air travel to and from Manila, as well as community quarantine measures, in what he called a "lockdown" of the capital to arrest the spread of coronavirus. Duterte approved a resolution to allow a raft of containment measures including bans on mass gatherings, a month of school closures and quarantining in communities where cases are detected, as well as stopping domestic travel in and out of Manila.
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| Body found is missing toddler Evelyn Boswell, Tennessee authorities confirm Posted: 12 Mar 2020 12:26 PM PDT  Evelyn's body, dressed in the "exact clothing" she was described as wearing when reported missing, was discovered on the Boswell family's property.
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| Saudi Arabia's crown prince responds to coronavirus by getting rid of enemies Posted: 12 Mar 2020 01:32 AM PDT  What has allowed the prince such a free hand? Certainly he has benefited from the unalloyed support of his father, but he also has innumerable enablers.
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| India reports first coronavirus death amid new restrictions Posted: 12 Mar 2020 11:59 AM PDT  India on Thursday reported its first coronavirus death as authorities ordered schools, theatres and cinemas closed in New Delhi for the rest of the month in a bid to keep the pandemic at bay. India with its 1.3 billion population and proximity to China has so far come through the global virus crisis, that has killed more than 4,600 people, relatively unscathed. The death was announced, however, only hours after India suspended all visas for incoming tourists from Friday and ordered the closure of most border points with neighbouring Bangladesh and Myanmar.
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| U.S. strikes back at militia group after 2 American troops killed in Iraq Posted: 12 Mar 2020 03:50 PM PDT  The strikes come just hours after Pentagon leaders warned that the United States would respond to the deadly attack, which they said was launched by Iranian-backed Shia militia groups in Iraq.
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| Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Jimmy Kimmel, and Bernie Sanders preview the future of Bernie vs. Biden Posted: 12 Mar 2020 05:50 AM PDT  "Last night was a pivotal moment for Democrats: Who would they choose to return America to stability, steadiness, and calm?" Stephen Colbert said on Wednesday's Late Show. "The overwhelming answer: The old man who threatened to slap an autoworker." Joe Biden "had another huge night, winning Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, and Michigan," he said. "That's a huge blow for Bernie." Sanders even lost voters he won in 2016, Colbert noted. "Apparently in 2016, a lot of white voters were less committed to Bernie than they were committed to not voting for a woman. And you can read all about that in Elizabeth Warren's new book, You Don't Say!""There have already been calls for Bernie Sanders to step aside and let the slightly younger generation take over," Trevor Noah said at The Daily Show. But "if you think a little turbulence is going to shake Bernie Sanders out of the race, you need to think again." Instead of seeking to "burn the party to the ground," though, "it seems like Bernie wants to push Biden toward a more progressive platform," Noah said, but "I think Joe Biden is ready for the fight -- and I say that because yesterday, a video came out of Biden going toe-to-tow with a factory worker in Michigan, and he was fired up." Lots of Democrats were aghast, he added, but "I'm hoping that this straight-talking, 'You're full of s--t' Biden becomes his new thing.""Many are giving credit for Biden's victory to his new campaign strategy of grabbing voters by the arm and shouting: 'Look here, Jack, you're a jerk who can go to hell!'" Jimmy Kimmel joked on Kimmel Live. "You remember when that guy Nik Wallenda walked on a tightrope across that active volcano? That's what it's going to feel like watching Joe Biden open his mouth every day between now and November."Sanders told The Tonight Show's Jimmy Fallon he "could feel better" about Tuesday's results, but "people today think that Joe is more electable than I am." "Do you think Biden can beat Trump?" Fallon asked. "I do," Sanders said. "I think even, you know, Republicans and moderates are gonna say, 'You know what, we can't have four more years of this guy.' So do I think Joe can beat him? I do -- I mean, between you and me, don't tell anybody. We're the stronger campaign to do that." More stories from theweek.com The entire country of Norway is 'shutting down' Disneyland has only closed unexpectedly 3 times. Now it's closing for the rest of the month. March Madness is canceled
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| House Republicans, White House Oppose Democrats’ Coronavirus Bill Posted: 12 Mar 2020 07:55 AM PDT  House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) on Thursday told Republican lawmakers the party would oppose Democrats' emergency aid package meant to combat the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak."The legislation that Speaker Pelosi introduced at 11pm last night — written by her staff and her staff alone — and plans to vote on just 12 hours later is not only completely partisan. It is unworkable," McCarthy wrote on Twitter.Republicans and Democrats disagree over certain aspects of the aid package, sponsored by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), including the specifics of a paid-leave proposal and the inclusion of tax-related provisions. The White House wants to delay tax-payment deadlines, while Democrats would like to deal with tax issues in a separate bill."We continue to want to work with the Speaker, but if she's choosing to pass a partisan bill then everyone needs to face that fact and what that means," a senior White House official told Politico.Lawmakers are scrambling to pass the aid package on Thursday, the last day before a week-long congressional recess. With the Wuhan coronavirus spreading, lawmakers are hoping to return to their districts to help organize a response.The aid package was written up in less than three days, catching even Democrats by surprise."This is about as far from regular order" as it gets, Representative Ed Perlmutter (D, Col.) told House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone (D., N.J.) at a meeting early Thursday morning. Perlmutter said he did not understand why the vote was being rushed through, without time for lawmakers to examine its contents fully.The U.S. government and health system have struggled to coordinate a response to the outbreak and subsequent economic fallout. President Trump on Wednesday announced a series of measures meant to curb the outbreak, including a 30-day travel ban on foreign nationals from Europe.However, stocks again fell sharply on Thursday morning, causing Wall Street to suspend trading for the second time in a week.
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| Coronavirus: Senate Republicans block emergency sick leave bill as outbreak spreads across US Posted: 11 Mar 2020 01:31 PM PDT  Senate Republicans have blocked an emergency paid sick leave bill aimed at helping deal with complications stemming from the coronavirus outbreak, arguing that the federal government should not foot the bill for the measure that Democrats claim is a public health imperative.The Republican resistance to paid sick leave for employees in the United States comes as the deadly virus continues to spread throughout the country, which has led state governments to consider their paid leave policies and how those might impact worker safety.
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| Iran asks for billions in loans as virus death toll climbs Posted: 12 Mar 2020 02:14 AM PDT  Iran said Thursday it asked the International Monetary Fund for a $5 billion loan to fight the coronavirus, the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that it has sought such assistance, in a staggering admission of how fragile its economy has become amid the epidemic and punishing U.S. sanctions. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that the Washington-based IMF should "stand on right side of history & act responsibly" by releasing the funds. Iran's Central Bank chief Abdolnasser Hemmati said he asked for the $5 billion loan last week in a letter to IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva.
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| Bernard Madoff wants to make 'dying, personal plea' for freedom Posted: 12 Mar 2020 07:06 AM PDT  A dying Bernard Madoff wants to tell the U.S. judge who will decide whether to free him from prison that he has accepted responsibility for his massive Ponzi scheme, and is sincerely remorseful for his crimes and their impact on victims. In court papers filed late Wednesday and early Thursday, Madoff's lawyer Brandon Sample asked Circuit Judge Denny Chin to schedule a hearing in Manhattan where the 81-year-old Madoff could speak by phone from his prison in Butner, North Carolina, where he has served nearly 11 years of his 150-year term. A hearing would "likely to be the last proceeding in this case before Mr Madoff's death," expected within 18 months, Sample said.
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| 'Big concerns' about Nashville: Severe storms, tornadoes forecast in central, southern US Posted: 12 Mar 2020 03:07 PM PDT  Cities at risk include the tornado-ravaged Nashville area, which is still reeling from a violent outbreak just over a week ago.
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| Hannity: Might ‘Be True’ That ‘Deep State’ Is Using Coronavirus to Hurt Economy Posted: 11 Mar 2020 02:32 PM PDT  Fox News host Sean Hannity took to his radio show Wednesday to once again downplay concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, this time citing a Twitter crank to credulously claim that it might "be true" that the "deep state" is using the pandemic to hurt the economy and push "mandated medicines."Hannity, who also serves as an informal adviser to President Donald Trump and is sometimes referred to as the White House chief of staff, first pointed to a far-right blog to insist that the American public is approving of the president's response to the coronavirus."Gateway Pundit points out that, as of yesterday, that the president's approval rating is fine, and he's getting pretty good grades on everything else," Hannity boasted during his afternoon radio program, as first spotlighted by Media Matters.A Quinnipiac poll released earlier this week, however, shows Trump's approval rating has dropped to 41 percent amid fears of the coronavirus crisis worsening. A plurality of respondents also disapproves of the president's response to the outbreak, compared to just 43 percent who approve.Trump Campaign Spox Grilled by Fox Host on Refusal to Cancel Rallies"There's an MIT guy I noticed on Twitter, and you know he's saying pretty much the same thing he does research nearly every single day on immune systems he said quote 'coronavirus fear-mongering by the deep state will go down in history as one of the biggest frauds to manipulate economies, suppress dissent, and push mandated medicines,'" Hannity said, adding, "May be true."The person whom the pro-Trump host cited, Shiva Ayyadurai, is a right-wing provocateur who has promoted the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon. He also ran for the Senate in 2018 against Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and repeatedly called her a "Fake Indian," "fascist," and "scumbag" during his disastrous campaign.With COVID-19 having now resulted in dozens of American deaths, tanking stock markets and causing mass cancellations across the nation, Hannity has continued to minimize and downplay the dangers of the disease. The nation's top expert on infectious disease, however, pointed out to Hannity's viewers on Tuesday night that he's "gotta make sure" they understand that coronavirus is at least 10 times as lethal as the seasonal flu, which Hannity and Trump have regularly compared this outbreak to.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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| Should you get a soundbar for your TV? Posted: 12 Mar 2020 01:55 PM PDT  A soundbar is virtually always going to be better than your TV's built-in speakers. Here's how to find the best soundbar for your setup.
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| Senator says Trump administration mulling use of oil reserve to help crude producers Posted: 11 Mar 2020 11:27 AM PDT  Sen. John Thune said on Wednesday he believes the Trump administration is evaluating use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and other measures, to help oil producers deal with the plunge in crude prices due to the coronavirus and a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia.
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| Philippine president orders virus lockdown of capital Posted: 12 Mar 2020 09:46 AM PDT  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced plans Thursday for a sweeping lockdown of the capital's 12 million people, including a halt to domestic travel, in a bid to contain the deadly new coronavirus. During a nationally televised address, Duterte also announced a month of school closures, ban on mass gatherings and a prohibition on the entry of foreigners from places where the contagion is spreading. It was not immediately clear when all the measures would take effect but Duterte said the prohibition on domestic sea, air and land traffic in and out of Manila would start Sunday.
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| The UK government said it would like to exclude Huawei from its 5G networks, but admitted it's too inconvenient Posted: 11 Mar 2020 05:29 AM PDT  Digital minister Oliver Dowden said ideally the UK would exclude Huawei, but that was impossible given its dominant market position.
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