| Coronavirus: Joe Biden emerges from quarantine on Memorial Day Posted: 25 May 2020 02:56 PM PDT  The US Democratic presidential candidate makes his first public appearance in more than two months.
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| Feds looking at Ahmaud Arbery's death as a hate crime, attorneys say Posted: 25 May 2020 02:43 PM PDT  U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia said his office is looking into why Glynn County and the state of Georgia took so long to make arrests, Arbery's family's attorneys said.
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| Gov. Cuomo: travelers from Europe 'brought the virus to New York' Posted: 24 May 2020 10:54 AM PDT  Cuomo said Trump's Europe travel ban — which initially excluded the UK and Ireland — triggered a rush of Americans who returned home with the virus.
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| Trump tweets from the golf course as U.S. virus death toll nears 100,000 Posted: 25 May 2020 08:39 AM PDT  As the American death toll from the coronavirus approached 100,000 on Sunday, President Trump was on the golf course in Virginia.
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| China says opposes all U.S. restrictions on Chinese airlines Posted: 25 May 2020 12:40 AM PDT  China said on Monday it opposes all U.S. restrictions imposed against Chinese airlines, responding to a report that the U.S. Transportation Department has demanded Chinese carriers file their schedules and other flight details by May 27. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said flight restrictions imposed by Beijing treated all airlines equally and were due to efforts to curb COVID-19 related risks. The U.S. government late on Friday accused the Chinese government of making it impossible for U.S. airlines to resume service to China.
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| Putin makes Kremlin appearance as virus restrictions ease Posted: 25 May 2020 08:43 AM PDT  President Vladimir Putin made a rare recent appearance in the Kremlin on Monday as Russia prepares to ease lockdown restrictions imposed over the coronavirus pandemic. The 67-year-old has worked remotely over the past few weeks from his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, chairing meetings with officials by video conference.
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| Trump administration promises 100 million coronavirus testing swabs by the end of 2020 Posted: 25 May 2020 07:57 AM PDT  The Trump administration sent Congress a national coronavirus testing strategy in time to meet a Sunday deadline, The Washington Post reports, citing a copy of the 80-page "COVID-19 Strategic Testing Plan" it obtained.The report delivered to Congress promises that the federal government will buy 100 million swabs by the end of 2020 and distribute them to states to help them expand testing. The document did not outline federal testing goals for each state; instead it listed testing targets states reported to federal officials for May. Public health officials say broader testing to determine who has been infected with the novel coronavirus and who might have immunity are key to curbing the spread of the outbreak and allowing the economy to fully reopen.The administration plan calls for every state to try to test at least 2 percent of its population in May and June. Read more at The Washington Post.More stories from theweek.com Trump still hasn't taken his annual physical and it's starting to get weird How social conservatives traded causes for clichés WHO temporarily pauses hydroxychloroquine study, citing safety concerns
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| New Zealand leader carries on with TV interview during quake Posted: 24 May 2020 03:47 PM PDT  New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern barely skipped a beat when an earthquake struck during a live television interview Monday morning. New Zealand sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is sometimes called the Shaky Isles for its frequent quakes. Ardern continued on with her interview, telling the host the shaking had stopped.
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| Joe Biden forced to make his fundraisers fully virtual – bar the price tag Posted: 25 May 2020 03:00 AM PDT  The pandemic has led the presumptive Democratic nominee, like other politicians to take his high-dollar events onlineThe coronavirus pandemic may have driven Joe Biden into his basement and forced his campaign online, but one crucial factor is still the same: his run for the White House still needs to raise giant amounts of money.But, in these days of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, campaign fundraisers do not include the usual finger food and wine or fancy parked cars outside a posh home right out of the pages of Architectural Digest.Instead it has become normal to host a high-dollar fundraiser via online video conferencing services. The thing that hasn't changed? The hefty price tags of what can be tens of thousands of dollars that donors are charged for glorified Zoom meet-ups, or even one-on-one video chats with the candidate himself or his powerful surrogates."You don't get to go drink wine and eat cheap cheese, but the campaigns are still able to provide access to the candidate," said Democratic strategist Connor Farrell, a veteran Democratic fundraising consultant. "The campaigns are still able to provide access to the candidate in a different format. You can't pull someone aside and mention your favorite bill, but you still get face time with the candidates and that's ultimately the attraction of in-person events."So I think a lot of the draw is still there."According to a set of fundraising invitations for Biden's campaign, obtained by the Guardian, upcoming fundraisers featuring him or high-profile surrogates still include the fundraising levels one would expect for physical high-dollar gatherings.A Biden campaign event featuring the presumptive Democratic party nominee himself and moderated by the Sacramento mayor, Darrell Steinberg, and former California treasurer Phil Angelides starts out at the guest level of $500 and goes all the way up to a co-chair level at $41,100. A virtual reception on 27 May featuring the former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg starts out at $1,000 to be an "advocate", and goes up to $50,000 to be a co-chair.Events are still spotted with celebrities too. A "Rock out on a night in with Joe Biden" virtual fundraising event on 28 May includes performances by Sheryl Crow, Rufus Wainwright, David Crosby and Joe Walsh. Donations for that event start at $250 and go all the way to $100,000.The events are lucrative. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to headline at least two events between mid-May and June for Biden and the Democratic National Committee. The first event on Tuesday raised $2m.It's not just the Biden campaign and Democrats, though, or even just presidential candidates. In Iowa, an invitation for a fundraiser for the Republican senator Joni Ernst on 3 June has fundraising levels ranging from $500 to $5,000. The invitation, reported by Politico, is not contingent on being in person or virtual."If it is not possible to gather in person for this event, we will host a virtual meeting and plan an in-person gathering at a later date," the invitation read.A fundraising invite for a 14 May event for the New Hampshire Republican congressional candidate Matt Mowers featuring the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie starts at $250 for the "individual" level and goes all the way to $1,000 for the chair level."A web link for this exclusive video conference will be emailed prior to the event," the invitation read.
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| Arbery family lawyer: Feds looking into how case handled Posted: 25 May 2020 03:01 PM PDT  A lawyer for the family of Ahmaud Arbery said Monday that a federal prosecutor told the slain man's mother federal officials are investigating potential misconduct by local officials who handled the case. Lawyer Lee Merritt said U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine, whose jurisdiction includes southern Georgia, met with him and Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, on Thursday. Barry Paschal, a spokesman for Christine, declined to confirm or deny whether the meeting happened.
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| New York's one-day coronavirus death toll drops below 100 Posted: 24 May 2020 10:11 AM PDT  "Eighty-four is still a tragedy, no doubt," he said. "But the fact that it's down as low as it is is really, overall, good news."
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| Bayer says it makes progress in settlement talks over weedkiller Posted: 24 May 2020 11:49 PM PDT  Bayer said on Monday it had made progress seeking a settlement over claims its glyphosate-based Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, after Bloomberg reported the company reached a verbal agreement on about 50,000 to 85,000 cases. In April, Bayer's management regained shareholder support for its handling of the litigation process. Bloomberg cited people familiar with the negotiations as saying that the deals have yet to be signed and Bayer is likely to announce the settlements in June.
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| Coronavirus live updates: U.S. death toll nears 100,000 on muted Memorial Day weekend Posted: 24 May 2020 08:05 AM PDT  Here are the latest updates from around the world.
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| SpaceX ready to launch astronauts into space for the first time Posted: 23 May 2020 07:48 PM PDT  US President Donald Trump will be among the spectators at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to witness the launch, which has been given the green light despite months of shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. The general public, in a nod to virus restrictions, has been told to watch via a livestream as Crew Dragon is launched by a Falcon 9 rocket toward the International Space Station. NASA's Commercial Crew program, aimed at developing private spacecraft to transport American astronauts in to space, began under Barack Obama.
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| U.S. ambassador to Germany reportedly stepping down Posted: 24 May 2020 03:40 AM PDT  Richard Grenell will not return from Washington after an interim job as head of U.S. intelligence.
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| Russia records its highest daily death toll from the coronavirus as its number of new cases appears to decline Posted: 24 May 2020 07:31 PM PDT  Russia denies that it has manipulated coronavirus data and maintains that its mortality rate from the virus is among the lowest in the world.
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| Latino workers face discrimination over spread of coronavirus in meat plants Posted: 25 May 2020 02:00 AM PDT  Reports of Latinos being refused service after more than 10,000 meatpacking workers, many Latino, contract Covid-19 in the USEthnic minorities have been the hardest-hit by the coronavirus in the US, and now Latino workers are facing fresh difficulty, as they and their communities suffer discrimination after contracting coronavirus in meat processing plants and warehouses.More than 10,000 meatpacking workers, many of them Latino, have contracted coronavirus in the US, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers union, and dozens have died.Latino advocates say workers are also now experiencing racism due to fears they have contracted the virus in the workplace."We've received reports that some workers at a plant were turned away from grocery stores and not allowed in, because they were presumed to have the coronavirus because they worked at the local meatpacking plant," said Domingo Garcia, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (Lulac)."We've also heard in Marshalltown [Iowa] people were being refused service because they thought they were positive for Covid-19 – just because they were Latino," Garcia added.Latino workers have been particularly hard-hit in some areas by their reliance on jobs in meat processing plants or large warehouses which have been kept open during the pandemic, despite reports of poor health and safety standards and a lack of protective equipment."Four out of every five Latinos are considered essential workers," Garcia said. "They're in construction, food processing, grocery stores, they're farm workers. So they don't have the luxury of being able to work from home, and therefore they're being exposed to Covid-19 in ways that many American workers are not.Compounding that, Garcia said, is the lack of health insurance among some Latino workers. Garcia said Lulac is investigating "multiple cases" of Latino employees complaining about workplace conditions "and then being fired".The outbreaks in meat plants have been shocking.In April an outbreak at the JBS meat processing plant in Colorado killed three workers, while many of Iowa's more than 8,000 coronavirus cases have been linked to plants including Tyson Foods, in Waterloo. Tyson Foods was forced to suspend operations at the end of April after 180 coronavirus infections were linked to the plant.There was a similar story in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, which became one of the worst-hit areas early on in the crisis. Health officials identified Cargill, a meat-processing plant, as one of the sources of the virus."The Cargill plant is upwards of 90% Latinx," said Jamie Longazel, an associate professor at John Jay College and author of Undocumented Fears: Immigration and the Politics of Divide and Conquer in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.With the Latino meat plant workers, some of whom are undocumented, frequently living paycheck to paycheck, they could not afford to not go to work – particularly as large plants tend not to offer sick pay."They were demonized because the workers were then spreading it to their family members, so it became that the Latinx community was more affected," Longazel said. Elsewhere in the US anti-Latino sentiment has come from officials. In Wisconsin, the supreme court chief justice, Patience Roggensack, was criticized in early May after she seemed to downplay a coronavirus outbreak among workers at a meatpacking facility in Brown county, where a large proportion of the workers are minorities and immigrants."[The surge in coronavirus cases] was due to the meatpacking – that's where Brown county got the flare," Roggensack said. "It wasn't just the regular folks in Brown county."Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of the Wisconsin-based Voces de la Frontera immigrant-rights group, criticized Roggensack's remarks as "elitist" and "racist", and told the Guardian that Latinos had been subjected to "legalized discrimination" through their work."Without a question they have been discriminated against, because they are disproportionately more vulnerable to exposure and to having them or their families or their community impacted by the Covid-19," Neumann-Ortiz said.If there is one positive, Neumann-Ortiz said, it's that the backlash could trigger a greater effort to change workplace conditions."It's forcing workplace organizing to happen, in a way that wasn't there before because the stakes are so high," Neumann-Ortiz said. In some cases workers have refused to go to work due to unsafe conditions, which has forced companies to temporarily close down facilities to deep-clean plants, or provide better PPE."There is a new struggle on the frontline and it's going to be here for a while to come," she said.
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| Baby gorilla injured at Seattle Zoo Posted: 25 May 2020 07:28 AM PDT  A baby gorilla was badly injured at a Seattle zoo on Saturday when he was caught in a skirmish between his family group members, zookeepers said.
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| Australia to outline economic recovery plans as lockdowns ease Posted: 25 May 2020 05:05 PM PDT  Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will on Tuesday outline his government's plans to revive the sputtering economy, but is expected to warn a recovery will take between three to five years. Australia has reported just over 7,100 COVID-19 infections, including 102 deaths. With Australia confident it has suppressed the spread of coronavirus, Morrison will on Tuesday turn to how to revive the country's economy as debt levels rise to about 30% of GDP.
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| Jeffrey Epstein: Up to 130 people claim they could be child of dead financier with £470m fortune Posted: 25 May 2020 04:15 AM PDT  More than 100 people claim they could be the offspring of the deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is thought to have had a personal fortune of around £470 million.A DNA company, which set up a website called epsteinheirs.com, said as many as 130 people had come forward – including a number of Britons – since the site's launch.
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| Russian prosecutors seek 18 years for ex-US marine in spy trial Posted: 25 May 2020 08:24 AM PDT  Russian prosecutors on Monday called for a former US marine charged with spying to be sentenced to 18 years in prison, after a closed-door trial denounced by Washington and his family. Paul Whelan, 50, was detained in Moscow in December 2018 for allegedly receiving state secrets, but he insists he was framed when he took a USB drive from an acquaintance thinking it contained holiday photos. Whelan's lawyer told reporters that prosecutors had requested 18 years for his client in a strict-regime penal colony, just short of the maximum 20-year sentence.
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| A 'new Cold War?' China blames U.S. for growing tensions Posted: 25 May 2020 06:33 AM PDT  The ratcheting up of tensions comes as Beijing is hounded by questions over alleged missteps in its initial response to contain the virus.
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| Reports: Russian mediation reopens major highway in NE Syria Posted: 25 May 2020 05:22 AM PDT |
| Several high school students in Georgia tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a drive-through graduation parade Posted: 25 May 2020 02:51 PM PDT  The Lovett School in Atlanta did not disclose how many students had tested positive for COVID-19, but described the number as "several."
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| COVID-19 Has Turned Paradise Into a Privacy Nightmare Posted: 25 May 2020 01:39 AM PDT  When Tara Trunfio stepped off her flight from Boulder to Maui, she didn't see the leis and grass skirts that so many visitors expect. Instead, the 23-year-old saw masked officials warning that visitors who don't comply with the islands' 14-day quarantine requirement would be arrested. A Hawaiian get-away sounds magical to the millions of cooped-up Americans who want to trade in their virtual beach background for the real thing. But a trip to the beach can quickly turn into a stay in jail. That's just what happened to Trunfio, who drew national attention this month after being arrested for allegedly violating quarantine.For years, Americans have debated the shape their national borders should take, but the newest border controls have increasingly been built on state lines. We're a long way off from Berlin Wall-style barricades along your local interstate, but in the COVID-19 era governors have issued quarantine orders for out-of-state residents and returning visitors. Rhode Island, Florida, and Texas have stopped out-of-state drivers (sometimes using the National Guard) to remind them of quarantine requirements and obtain a signed compliance agreement. But the most alarming restrictions come from a state that doesn't have to worry about people driving into town.She Tried to Escape Her Ex—but the Courthouse Was ClosedIn recent weeks, Hawaii has rolled out the so-called "Safe Travels System," giving officials information on how travelers comply with the state's 14-day quarantine requirement. On its face, the plan mirrors those imposed at a growing number of national borders—the U.S. included—in the face of the coronavirus outbreak. For jurisdictions with few COVID-19 cases, forcing newcomers to quarantine in hopes of containing the spread of a deadly illness can be a perfectly rational public policy.But as lockdowns show signs of easing in some states, the system in Hawaii is bringing the potential civil-liberties pitfalls of disease detective work into clearer—and more disturbing—focus.If you forget to register before you get on a plane to Hawaii right now, you're in for a show. If you refuse to register or provide a false contact number upon arrival, police can arrest you on the spot. Some authorities are going even further, searching property tax records to verify travelers' lodgings. Airport personnel roll mobile kiosks from gate to gate, checking phone numbers and addresses, making 7,600 phone calls in just the first 2 weeks to ensure numbers are legit and that people are staying put.But while Safe Travels may be a practical requirement to enter Hawaii, it's not a legal one. There's no law or regulation requiring travelers to use the app. Even the Safe Travels website couches things in voluntary terms: "All persons traveling to or within Hawaii are encouraged to register your trip into the Hawaii Safe Travels System to expedite your exit from the airport." But when a Washington man recently arrived in Honolulu without a confirmed address or proof he had funds to pay for a place to stay, he was sent back.For the travelers who do "volunteer" to use the Safe Travels System, it's not enough to just register with the site. For two weeks, travelers have to check in daily, reporting their health condition and address. Safe Travels will then use travelers' location data to confirm where travelers are. While Americans are being asked to give sensitive health and location data to Hawaii officials, those same officials are reluctant to share how that data is being used. (The Hawaii Department of Transportation and governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)Safe Travels' FAQ website claims that data is only shared with "authorized personnel responsible for quarantine monitoring and enforcement," but we have no way of knowing who those people are. And even if it's just law enforcement agencies— as opposed to private entities—enforcing quarantine, that is no reassurance at all. Effectively, Americans have no way of knowing how much data a state might collect on them, how long it is held, or if Tapiki, the private firm that co-developed Safe Travels, has access to the data. (Tapiki did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)If and when the app gets it wrong, there's reason to fear users of color will pay the price. As GPS signals are often less accurate in densely constructed urban areas, lower-income travelers might be at higher risk of a false alarm. And it's completely unclear how individuals will navigate Hawaii's requirements when they stay in locations without reliable internet or cell service. Many of those most at risk from COVID-19, such as the elderly and communities of color, also lack access to a smartphone. As a result, Hawaii is threatening to turn the digital divide into a criminal offense.The consequences are enormous. At a time when COVID-19 can easily turn detention into a death sentence, Hawaii authorities have already arrested approximately 20 people for violating quarantine, including a Florida man and an Illinois woman after witnesses saw them with shopping bags. A California man similarly was charged after allegedly traveling from his Hawaiian home to Costco. More recently, a second Colorado tourist was being sought after police learned she had canceled her reservation at the hostel where she registered to stay.Here's What Trump's Black Male Supporters Say They See in HimEven when this surveillance web paints an accurate picture of human behavior, it erodes public trust and cooperation at a time when they are needed most. In-state residents must quarantine at the address listed on their government-issued ID, creating an acute risk for many, such as survivors of domestic violence and those living with immunocompromised relatives or roommates. For undocumented Americans, the system creates yet another tool with which people could theoretically be tracked by ICE, coming just months after the Trump Administration reportedly purchased similar location data from commercial vendors.Hawaii's case is likely the most extreme to date, but it's far from unique. In Washington State, civil rights watchdogs expressed alarm that the state was implementing manual contact-tracing requirements without adequate safeguards. Under the state's effort, not only would 1,400 contact tracers be hired, but businesses would be required to keep a log of every customer they contacted. Across the country, New York City's top civil rights watchdog expressed similar alarm at the lack of safeguards for data collected by the city and state's combined contract tracing program, which may hire as many as 18,000 tracers. And at the same time, Silicon Valley's effort to get into the COVID-19 tracking business has seen sharp pushback from civil rights and immigrant justice groups, including our own.America stands at a crossroads in the COVID-19 fight, and the choices we make now may impact our society for generations. For those trying to fend off a loss of life unparalleled in modern history, the call for surveillance is increasingly urgent. But surveillance skeptics not only question the privacy costs of a public health dragnet, they fear new tracking tools will harm public health instead of helping. Without safeguards and public trust, surveillance measures might drive those on the margins of our society into the shadows, undermining the very contact tracing this technology is supposed to help. For states that erect new barriers, it may provide a temporary relief from the onslaught of new cases. But it will also deeply damage the sense of national unity that we will need for our long, unrelenting fights against disease and death.Read 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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| Brazil's Bolsonaro says he expects top court to end probe into his conduct over police Posted: 25 May 2020 02:59 PM PDT  Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro expects the Supreme Court to find no wrongdoing and end an investigation into potential political interference in the federal police, according to a statement from the presidential palace on Monday. An allegation by former Justice Minister Sergio Moro, a popular anti-graft crusader, that Bolsonaro aimed to interfere in police investigations has become a political scandal adding to the public health crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
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| German government takes controls at Lufthansa with bailout Posted: 25 May 2020 08:41 AM PDT  The largest aviation rescue in Europe is going to have to be approved by Brussels.
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| US urges probe into alleged ethics breach at African Development Bank Posted: 25 May 2020 10:02 AM PDT  The US Department of the Treasury has called on the African Development Bank (AfDB) to carry out an independent probe into alleged ethics breaches by its president, Akinwumi Adesina. In a letter obtained by AFP on Monday, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed "deep reservations" about the outcome of an internal inquiry clearing Adesina, and urged the appointment of an independent outside investigator. The letter, dated May 22, was sent to the chair of the AfDB's board, Ivorian Planning and Development Minister Niale Kaba.
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| Democratic VP contender Demings slams Trump 'gall' over Biden black voters gaffe Posted: 24 May 2020 10:40 AM PDT  * Congresswoman offers glimpse of running mate role * Opinion: Black Americans are in an abusive relationship * US politics live – rolling reportVal Demings, a Democratic representative from Florida among contenders to be Joe Biden's presidential running mate, has castigated Donald Trump for having the "gall and nerve" to use a gaffe by Biden as a weapon on the campaign trail.Biden apologised on Friday, for saying that if African Americans "have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black".The remark prompted gleeful tweets from Trump, fierce attacks from supporters of the president and criticism from Biden's own backers."The vice-president shouldn't have said it," Demings told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday."But I really think the gall and the nerve of President Trump to try to use this in his campaign, he who has since day one done everything in his power, supported by his enablers, to divide this country, particularly along racial lines …"Look, let's talk about race because we definitely need to, we see it in housing, we see it in voting rights, we see it in healthcare, we see it in education. Mr President, let's do have a serious conversation about race in America and how about working for all people that you are supposed to represent, not just the privileged few."It was the kind of fiery defence Biden would expect from someone talked about as a possible running mate.The former vice-president and presumptive Democratic nominee to face Trump in November has committed to choosing a woman. Many – including the interviewer who elicited the controversial comment on Friday, radio host Charlamagne tha God – think the running mate should also be African American."I don't even care about the words," Charlamagne told MSNBC's AM Joy on Sunday, "and the lip service and the apology is cool, but the best apology is actually a black agenda. They got to make some real policy commitments to black people."California senator Kamala Harris and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams – a target of retweets in dubious taste from Trump on Saturday night – are thought to be the most likely running mate picks.But Demings, a former Orlando police chief, delivered a decent mini-audition for a traditional running mate role by going firmly on the offensive.Asked about expressions of outrage from the Republican South Carolina senator Tim Scott and former Utah representative Mia Love, Demings said: "I think it's interesting that the president searched high and low to find [an] African American member of the Senate and a former member of Congress to speak out on this issue."It'd be nice to hear other Republicans, male or female, speak out."In fact many did, including former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who is of Indian heritage and who many think is lining up a White House run of her own in 2024, or could even be considered as a replacement for Mike Pence as Trump's own pick for VP.Haley called Biden's remark "gut wrenchingly condescending"."Regardless of color, gender, or class, to label any individual with what he or she is expected to think, believe, and vote is demeaning and disrespectful," she said. "Not to mention arrogant and entitled."On Sunday, CNN host Dana Bash asked directly if Demings wanted to be vice-president. She did not answer directly, but made it clear she would serve if asked.
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| Murder suspect with 'strong ties' to Newtown, Connecticut, is manhunt subject Posted: 24 May 2020 01:51 PM PDT  Peter Manfredonia, 23, is being sought in a Friday attack that left one dead and one injured, as well as the death of an acquaintance.
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| Dutch PM Mark Rutte didn't see mother before her death because he followed virus lockdown rules Posted: 25 May 2020 12:26 PM PDT  Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was unable to visit his dying mother in her final weeks because he obeyed coronavirus restrictions against visiting care homes, his office said on Monday. Mr Rutte on Monday announced the death of 96-year-old Mieke Rutte-Dilling in a home in The Hague on May 13, nearly two months after the government shut all such institutions to the public on March 20. "The prime minister has complied with all directives," Mr Rutte's spokesman told AFP when asked about reports that the premier had stuck to the rules and so not seen his mother before she died. His mother did not die of coronavirus although there had earlier been an outbreak of the disease in the home where she was living, Dutch media reported. Mr Rutte earlier announced his mother's death, saying that "in addition to the great sadness and all fond memories, my family and I also have a feeling of gratitude that we were allowed to have her with us for so long." "We have now said goodbye to her in a family circle and hope to be able to deal with this great loss in peace in the near future," he added. Dutch authorities allowed individual visits to some care homes from Monday, a measure that will be extended to all of them on June 15. The Netherlands - which has imposed an "intelligent lockdown" with less strict conditions than many other European countries - has so far recorded 5,830 coronavirus deaths and 45,445 infections.
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| Hundreds take part in parade to mark first birthday of boy who lost both parents in El Paso shooting Posted: 25 May 2020 08:11 AM PDT  A boy who lost both of his parents in a mass shooting at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart last year has celebrated his first birthday – and he did not celebrate it alone.Paul Gilbert Anchondo was only two months old when his parents were killed while protecting him from a mass shooter.
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| "It's tremendously exciting": Astronauts count down to historic launch Posted: 25 May 2020 01:39 PM PDT  The first launch of astronauts from U.S. soil since 2011 marks a milestone for NASA — and private sector space travel.
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| U.S. CDC reports total of 1.6 million coronavirus cases and 97,049 deaths Posted: 24 May 2020 11:02 AM PDT  The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on May 23, compared with its count a day earlier. The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.
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| North Korea's Kim holds meeting on bolstering nuclear forces Posted: 23 May 2020 09:43 PM PDT  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un convened a key military meeting to discuss bolstering the country's nuclear arsenal and putting its armed forces on high alert, state media reported Sunday, in Kim's first known public appearance in about 20 days. Kim earlier this month quelled intense rumors about his health by attending a ceremony marking the completion of a fertilizer factory in what at the time was his first public appearance in 20 days.
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| ‘Something isn’t right’: U.S. probes soaring beef prices Posted: 25 May 2020 03:30 PM PDT |
| Why is Trump so restrained about the Biden sexual assault allegation? Posted: 24 May 2020 09:00 PM PDT  The president rarely misses a chance to sling mud but he has been uncharacteristically quiet about Tara Reade's claimSometimes Donald Trump portrays his election rival, Joe Biden, as a sleepy geriatric who should be in a care home because "he doesn't know he's alive". At others, the president speaks of Biden as a wily manipulator who conspired with the deep state and China.But in this scattergun approach, the US president has been uncharacteristically reluctant to use what, in normal times, would seem standard political ammunition: an allegation of sexual assault.It took more than a month after Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer, alleged on a podcast that Biden sexually assaulted her in a Capitol Hill basement in 1993, for Trump to publicly address the matter.Even then, the US president's comments on 30 April were unusually milquetoast. "I don't know anything about it," Trump said. "I don't know exactly – I think he should respond. You know, it could be false accusations. I know all about false accusations. I've been falsely charged numerous times. And there is such a thing."Then, speaking on Fox News's Fox & Friends, usually a comfort zone, he again declined to go for Biden's jugular. "Look, he's got to fight that battle," he said. "I've had battles, too, where I've had false accusations, many times. I've had many false accusations made, I can tell you that. Many. And maybe it is a false accusation. Frankly, I hope it is, for his sake."The first and most obvious explanation for the president's reticence is that he himself has been accused of assault and unwanted touching by a long list of women, some far more recently than Reade's account. He also denies the allegations. On the other hand, Trump has never allowed perceived double standards to get in the way of his scorched earth tactics in the past.Monika McDermott, a political science professor at Fordham University in New York, said: "It's surprising in a way because usually Trump doesn't pull back on things even when they do seem hypocritical or ironic or choose your adjective. Yet he is in this particular instance. I don't know if he's waiting for something to happen or whether he's waiting to see how it plays out before he does anything. He seems to be finding what seem to him more fruitful attack routes against Obama and other things and people than against Biden right now."In 2016 Trump's campaign was rocked by the release of an Access Hollywood tape in which he could heard bragging about using his fame to grab women's private parts. Instead of quitting, he went on the offensive against his rival Hillary Clinton by highlighting sexual assault allegations against her husband, former president Bill Clinton, and even inviting those accusers to a press conference before a presidential debate.But this November will witness the first presidential election since the rise of the MeToo movement, which has encouraged women to come forward with allegations of sexual assault against prominent men in politics, show business and other industries.Biden has committed to picking a woman as his running mate and frequently cites his work as lead sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act. Both candidates are keenly aware that suburban women could be a pivotal demographic in the final vote.While Trump remains taciturn, Republicans have instead focused much of their response on Brett Kavanaugh, the supreme court justice whose nomination was nearly derailed by sexual misconduct allegations. The Trump campaign pointed to statements made by Democrats during the Kavanaugh episode to portray them as hypocritical.Erin Perrine, principal deputy communications director at the Trump campaign, said: "During Justice Kavanaugh's hearings, Biden made clear that all women should be believed when they come forward with allegations of sexual assault. Biden's own work during the Obama administration lowered standards for such accusations on college campuses as to effectively institute a presumption of guilt. In a dramatic shift, Biden now says 'believe women' doesn't actually mean 'believe women.'"Trump himself, however, has preferred to take aim at other targets, seeking to implicate Biden in a so-called "Obamagate" conspiracy that many seen as an attempt to deflect attention from the coronavirus pandemic – likely to prove a more significant issue in November.Amid Democratic alarm that the Reade allegation could dent Biden's support among women, the former vice-president vehemently denied it in an interview on the MSNBC network on 1 May and repeated that position in a series of media appearances.The story has faded from prominence in recent days, especially after the PBS NewsHour interviewed 74 former Biden staffers, of whom 62 were women, and found none said that they had experienced sexual harassment, assault or misconduct by Biden, nor ever heard rumors or allegations to that effect.By pushing the case, Trump may have more to lose than to gain. Rich Galen, a former Republican strategist, said: "The case against Biden keeps getting thinner and thinner so I'm not sure that there's much there. And all the people who's accused Trump, it would be like listing the names of the people who died in Vietnam every night."Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, added: "Trump, if nothing else, knows how to read his audience: 'No, they're not going to buy anything I sell on this point.' There's no need to even open that Pandora's box because it's a Pandora's box for him, not Joe Biden. I think that's why the president has largely decided not to engage at that level."My sense is right now, despite what others in the campaign may want to do, there is no energy from the president himself to open up that door and go through it."
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| Palestinian government ends coronavirus lockdown Posted: 24 May 2020 05:09 PM PDT  The Palestinian government is ending its two-month coronavirus lockdown in the occupied West Bank, prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh announced Monday after a steady decline in new cases. Shops and businesses will operate as normal from Tuesday, while government employees will return to work after the Eid holiday on Wednesday, Shtayyeh told a press conference. Mosques, churches and public parks will also reopen, though with social distancing measures.
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| Trump has busy Memorial Day schedule amid coronavirus crisis Posted: 25 May 2020 07:34 AM PDT  President Trump has a busy appearance schedule on Memorial Day amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Police say Dominic Cummings controversy will make lockdown impossible to enforce Posted: 24 May 2020 05:43 AM PDT  The police will no longer be able to enforce lockdown because Dominic Cummings' actions have completely undermined their authority with the public, it was claimed last night. Senior policing figures and frontline officers said they feared people would no longer be willing to adhere to the Government's guidance, making their job virtually impossible. Many senior officers had already admitted they were struggling to explain the rules to an increasingly confused public. But after the Prime Minister's most senior aide travelled 260 miles from London to Durham to self-isolate at his parents' home, one former Chief Constable said the Government's guidelines were dead in the water. Mike Barton, the former Chief Constable of Durham Police, told the Telegraph: "How on earth are the police supposed to enforce the rules now? What has happened has completely holed the legislation that was introduced to keep people safe, below the waterline. It is dead in the water. "It was already difficult for the police to get right because there were these strident messages coming from the Government. In a few minor cases some forces made a few mistakes, but generally the public was very receptive to the message. That has now gone." Brian Booth, West Yorkshire Police Federation Rep, also said enforcement would now become impossible. He said: "Throughout the lockdown the vast majority of the public have abided by the rules for the greater good. For many it has come at great personal sacrifice. "But when they see a senior government aide appearing to breach the lockdown what are they supposed to think? "It really does undermine what we are trying to achieve. We already have it hard with smart alecs who think they know the law better than us and this just plays into their hands. "It is not the Government who will be left picking up the pieces from this, but all the frontline officers who are trying to keep the public safe."
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| Second immigrant dies of COVID-19 while in ICE custody Posted: 25 May 2020 12:32 PM PDT  Santiago Baten-Oxlag, of Guatemala, is the second known immigrant to die of coronavirus complications while detained by U.S. immigration authorities.
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| A last resort to save tourist season: 'Travel bubbles' emerge as solution to Europe's summer woes Posted: 25 May 2020 01:40 AM PDT  Facing the loss of a significant part of their economies, some countries in Europe are banding together to ease travel restrictions and avoid quarantines.
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| India air travel restart hits chaos and cancellations Posted: 25 May 2020 01:09 AM PDT  Airlines' plans to resume air travel in India were in disarray on Monday after some states restricted the number of flights hours before departure, causing last-minute cancellations and leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. Airlines, including IndiGo, India's biggest carrier, SpiceJet and Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, had been preparing to resume operations from Monday with about a third of their capacity amid strict rules. IndiGo had planned to start with about 430 daily flights while its low-cost rival SpiceJet said it would operate 204 flights a day and AirAsia India would start with 77 flights.
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