| What’s next for Pete Buttigieg? Posted: 02 Mar 2020 03:50 PM PST  Pete Buttigieg went from relative unknown to one of the Democratic party's young stars over the course of his presidential campaign. What's next for him now that he's bowed out of the race?
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| China reports rise in imported virus cases Posted: 03 Mar 2020 03:41 AM PST  China reported an increase Tuesday in cases of the new coronavirus coming from abroad, as the country where the disease first emerged now worries about importing infections. In total there have been 13 confirmed cases of the virus being imported to the mainland -- all in Chinese nationals returning from overseas. The vast majority of cases are in China, but South Korea, Italy and Iran have emerged as the countries with the most cases outside the epicentre.
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| US prosecutors tie Honduras president to drug trafficker Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:57 AM PST  U.S. prosecutors said Tuesday that Honduras' president met a drug trafficker around 2013 and took $25,000 in exchange for protecting the trafficker from law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York issued a statement referring to President Juan Orlando Hernández only as a "high-ranking Honduran official" or as "CC-4," a co-conspirator. In previous filing, U.S. prosecutors have described "CC-4" as the winner of the 2013 presidential elections.
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| Ohio 911 call-taker suspended for neglecting to send help to man who died from stroke Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:55 AM PST  "The actions of this call-taker undermined the possibility of a positive outcome in this situation," City Manager Patrick Duhaney said.
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| Republican Sen. Johnson to issue first subpoena in Hunter Biden, Burisma probe Posted: 02 Mar 2020 04:24 PM PST  The Republican chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee plans to issue the first subpoena related to the committee's probe of Hunter Biden and Ukrainian energy Burisma Holdings.
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| Trump suggests using flu vaccine on coronavirus and is instantly corrected by health experts: ‘No’ Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:04 AM PST  Donald Trump asked medical experts if coronavirus could be treated with a flu vaccine that already exists at a meeting with pharmaceutical executives on Monday.The Trump administration called the meeting to discuss early work for developing a vaccine for the virus, which has killed more the 3,000 people and infected nearly 90,000 worldwide.
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| 8% of Iran's parliament has the coronavirus, and it released 54,000 prisoners as the country descends into chaos Posted: 03 Mar 2020 03:02 PM PST  Iran appears to have the highest number of government officials infected with the novel coronavirus.
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| Iran Wouldn't Mess With The Royal Navy If London Had More Ships Posted: 02 Mar 2020 11:00 PM PST  And Britain has taken notice.
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| California's rules for independent party voters could suppress the Bernie vote Posted: 02 Mar 2020 12:46 PM PST  The state's arcane and complex voting system could steal hundreds of thousands of votes from Bernie SandersIn February, California mailed 3.7m primary ballots that, to the astonishment of many who received them, excluded the presidential candidates. These ballots do have candidates for all other primary races, including for Congress, but not the race for president.Within this mountain of primary ballots, artifacts of California's arcane and complex voting system, lies the potential to cripple the campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders, the favored candidate among independent party voters.Particularly at risk of losing their vote are 18- to 24-year-olds and Latinx voters, groups that strongly favor "Tio Bernie". A quarter of independent voters, more than 1 million people, are Latinx, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.Even if Sanders, as expected, wins the plurality of California's votes, he could well be shorted out of hundreds of thousands of votes and scores of delegates. The other candidate at risk in California's odd, troubled balloting: Mike Bloomberg.How did this happen? While Californians, including independent voters, vote overwhelmingly for Democrats in general elections, 5.3 million Golden state voters register "NPP",: no party preference.These 5 million independents legally have the right to vote in the Democratic primary, but the Democratic party has created an inscrutable obstacle course for them to do so, one that amounts to another type of voter suppression.dividerThe problem begins with a postcard.Last autumn, all 5 million NPP voters were mailed a postcard allowing them to request a ballot with the Democratic party presidential choices. However, as many states have learned, postcards with voter information largely look like junk mail and get thrown out.If the independents don't respond to the postcards, they get a ballot without presidential choices. But they have one more chance to vote for a candidate in the primaries: at the ballot box.At the polling station, though, things remain confusing. According to rules set by the national Democratic party, the independent voters have to bring in their NPP ballot to the polling station and request to exchange it for a "crossover Democratic" ballot that lists the candidates.However, if the voter fails to ask for the "crossover" ballot by its specific name, the poll worker is barred from suggesting it and they won't receive it.Jen Abreu, a poll worker, told me about the disaster this created in 2016: "If this NPP voter did not specifically ask for a Democratic crossover ballot, they were given an official NPP ballot, which did not list presidential candidates."There's another, new way NPP voters may obtain a presidential ballot: re-register from NPP to Democrat right at the polling station on election day and thereby get a presidential ballot.However, this same day registration option is little known, not advertised by the state – and I found not a single sign at the four voting centers I visited that mentioned the new option.dividerWhat's the impact of this labyrinthine ballot dance? A lot, according to the statistician Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data Inc, a private firm employed by both the Republican and Democratic parties.Mitchell recently completed a poll of 700 independent voters and found that while 61% wanted to vote in the Democratic primary, nearly half (45%) were clueless about how to get a Democratic ballot. Another third of NPP voters believed that they could not exchange their no-candidate ballots – though the law says they may.This year, hundreds of thousands of these voters have already mailed back the NPP ballot without presidential candidates because, according to Mitchell's polling, they assumed they had no ability to exchange it.This past week, Mitchell's pollsters also asked 300 NPP voters whom they'd vote for if they had obtained the correct ballot. About 26% preferred Sanders, which translates to 553,000 potential lost votes, by Mitchell's estimates. Mike Bloomberg, meanwhile, could come up 383,000 votes short.dividerThe Democratic National Committee chiefs, who created and uphold the rules, show little sympathy for the millions of non-Democrats who want to exercise their right to vote in their primary but refuse to register as Democrats.And that could be because they will continue to back only establishment candidates. Notably, Joe Biden is endorsed by the California official who directs this tragi-comic voting process, the secretary of state, Alex Padilla.By contrast, in Colorado, another vote-by-mail state, the secretary of state simply ignores the DNC, sending every independent voter both a Republican and a Democratic party primary ballot – providing an easy way to vote as they choose.Will California's voters choose the Democratic candidate ... or will the DNC obstacle course bend the outcome? * Greg Palast has investigated vote suppression for 20 years for the Guardian, Rolling Stone and the BBC's Newsnight
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| Putin proposes to enshrine God, heterosexual marriage in constitution Posted: 02 Mar 2020 08:38 AM PST  Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted to parliament a number of constitutional changes, including amendments that mention God and stipulate that marriage is a union of a man and woman. Shortly afterwards, the lower house unanimously approved the constitutional reform bill in a first reading after less than two hours of debate. Ahead of a second and key reading set for next week, Putin submitted 24 pages worth of new proposals, said State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.
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| Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed turns to UK Supreme Court in battle with ex-wife Posted: 03 Mar 2020 06:26 AM PST  Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum has applied to Britain's top court to try to stop publication of two judgments given in a legal battle with his former wife over the wardship of their two children. Mohammed has been involved in a dispute with Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, half-sister of Jordan's King Abdullah, over the welfare of their two children since last May. Andrew McFarlane, president of London's High Court Family Division, who has been overseeing the case, has issued two judgments and in January decided these should be made public.
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| Bloomberg: Guns for Me, but Not for Thee Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:44 PM PST  'How do you justify pushing for more gun control when you have an armed security detail that is likely equipped with the same firearms and magazines you seek to ban the common citizen from owning? Does your life matter more than mine or my family's or these people's?" a Virginian named Clarke Chitty asked Democratic Party presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg during a recent Fox News town hall.It's an outstanding question. And Bloomberg's answer is pretty straightforward: Yes, his life is worth more than yours."Look, I probably get 40 or 50 threats every week, OK, and some of them are real. That just happens when you're the mayor of New York City or you're very wealthy and if you're campaigning for president of the United States," Bloomberg replied. "You get lots of threats. So, I have a security detail, I pay for it all myself, and . . . they're all retired police officers who are very well trained in firearms."In the United States, our rights aren't -- or shouldn't be -- meted out according to status. But you'll notice Bloomberg doesn't really answer the question, anyway. I suspect millions of Americans who aren't as famous or rich (very rich, in this case) live in situations in which their property and safety are threatened to the same extent. Not that it matters. Does Bloomberg propose that everyone undergo a government risk assessment before being allowed to practice constitutional rights?Probably, right?More importantly, Clarke Chitty, one suspects, has zero interest in stripping away Bloomberg's constitutional right to own a firearm, or to hire professional armed bodyguards to protect him from legitimate threats. The former mayor of New York City, on the other hand, has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in efforts to pass laws and regulations that would leave Americans like Clarke Chitty defenseless.It's this kind of arrogance that brought about District of Columbia v. Heller, the case affirming that the Second Amendment is an individual right. One of the first plaintiffs in that effort, Shelly Parker, was an African-American resident of Washington, D.C., who had gotten fed up with the crime near her Capitol Hill home. She attempted to rally her neighbors to clean up the neighborhood, provoking the ire of local drug dealers, who began vandalizing her property and threatening her life. "In the event that someone does get in my home," she explained, "I would have no defense, except maybe throw my paper towels at them." It would have been illegal for Parker, neither wealthy nor famous, to obtain a gun to protect herself. She was also in danger.Or take Otis McDonald, the retired 76-year-old of McDonald v. City of Chicago, a case that affirmed that the right of individual gun ownership extended to the states. By 2010, the neighborhood McDonald had lived in since 1971 had become infested with gangs, drug dealers, and widespread criminality. His home had been broken into on five separate occasions, so he had a legitimate reason to worry about his safety. Someone like Bloomberg might have suggested that Otis keep some paper towels handy, but McDonald wanted a handgun. At the time, Chicago had a handgun ban in place, ensuring that only criminals could own them. I suspect that McDonald was in as much jeopardy as Bloomberg.To top it off, Bloomberg then blatantly lied to the Fox crowd, claiming that "the Supreme Court said you can have reasonable restrictions, and the only restrictions which I am in favor of is to prevent us from selling guns to people with psychiatric problems, criminals, or people that are minors, OK?"Not really. If Bloomberg had any practical hope of overturning the Second Amendment, he would certainly do it. As it is, Bloomberg bankrolls major anti-gun efforts that go much further policy-wise than keeping guns out of the hands of children and people with serious psychiatric problems -- both of which are already illegal, and supported by nearly everyone.Bloomberg, the presidential candidate, supports banning "assault weapons," the most popular rifles in the country, which account for a sliver of the gun crimes in the country. Bloomberg supports stripping gun companies of "immunity" in civil lawsuits that would allow activists to hold manufacturers responsible for all criminality -- a blatant attempt to put them out of business. Bloomberg supports "red flag" laws, which strip away due process for gun owners. Bloomberg supports raising the age of gun ownership from 18 to 21. Bloomberg supports federal efforts requiring every gun buyer to obtain a permit. Bloomberg wants to create a positon for a federal gun czar to implement all these restrictions on the federal level. In other words, Bloomberg supports every single active effort to restrict gun ownership that exists.Well for you, not him.
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| Mile-wide asteroid to fly by Earth next month, according to Nasa tracking data Posted: 03 Mar 2020 03:35 PM PST  A large asteroid will fly close to but won't hit Earth next month, according to NASA data.CNN reports that the asteroid, predicted to be between 1.1 and 2.5 miles wide is scheduled to fly past Earth on 29 April at 4:56am ET.
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| China sees 'coming victory' over coronavirus as global alarm spreads Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:24 AM PST  The coronavirus that has tightened borders, led to massive disinfection programs and roiled global markets has been detected in at least 70 countries.
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| 'They are defeated': With U.S. deal, Taliban claim victory over America Posted: 03 Mar 2020 01:17 AM PST  "Even if we don't say that the U.S. is defeated in Afghanistan, it's an open secret now that they are," a member of the Taliban's Haqqani network said.
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| Polish Government Seeks Emergency Powers to Fight Coronavirus Posted: 02 Mar 2020 08:24 AM PST |
| Tornadoes kill at least 25 in Tennessee on Super Tuesday, crews search for missing Posted: 03 Mar 2020 08:35 AM PST  A string of tornadoes tore through Nashville, Tennessee, and surrounding counties early on Tuesday, killing at least 25 people, leaving others missing and reducing neighborhoods to rubble as voters across the state cast ballots in the Super Tuesday presidential primary. Governor William Lee told an afternoon news conference the death toll was expected to rise as search-and-rescue crews combed through collapsed buildings and rubble for missing people some 15 hours after the storms hit around 1 a.m. CST. Nineteen of the 25 fatalities were from Putnam County, east of Nashville.
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| Miami Woman Says CDC Officials Refused to Test for Coronavirus Despite Doctors Saying She ‘Most Likely’ Has It Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:00 AM PST  A Miami woman said Monday that she was told by doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital that she "most likely" contracted coronavirus while traveling in Italy, but was not tested and was instead sent home to self-quarantine because state and federal health officials refused to authorize an official screening,The woman told a local CBS News affiliate that after she was admitted to the hospital, her "preliminary tests came back rather alarming because I tested positively for two strains of the previous coronavirus." She went to the hospital as her health steadily declined following a week in Northern Italy.After showing signs of infection, the woman claims her doctor said "that there was basically nothing he could do," because the Center for Disease Control and Prevention would not authorize a test in her case because she was not considered "high-risk" — being young and otherwise healthy. She would be the first known case of coronavirus in south Florida."The doctor himself told me that, you know, he thinks that the results of my tests mean that I most likely have the COVID-19, but that the Department of Health did not want to pursue it further," said the woman, who requested anonymity. "It was either the Department of Health or the CDC that decided not to further pursue the inquiry. But I was basically told that it is most likely that I have this virus and that I should self-quarantine."The U.S. has struggled to screen patients for coronavirus, in part because the CDC has been slow to roll out its coronavirus test for public health labs due to diagnostic problems. Politico reported Monday that the CDC tested less than 500 Americans in January and February for the virus, with the FDA finally granting local hospitals and other labs the authority to develop their own homegrown tests over the weekend — over six weeks after the first U.S. case of coronavirus was discovered.Last week, UC Davis Medical Center officials revealed that they had asked for a patient to be tested for days, but were denied by the CDC because "the patient did not fit the existing CDC criteria."
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| Hillary Clinton says Sanders wouldn't 'be our strongest nominee' Posted: 03 Mar 2020 01:52 PM PST  Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton still isn't feeling the Bern.After ripping into Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the Hulu documentary Hillary by saying that "nobody likes him," Clinton once again weighed in on her former 2016 Democratic primary rival in a Super Tuesday interview with ABC News, making clear she doesn't want him to win the nomination."I don't think he'd be our strongest nominee," Clinton told ABC News of Sanders.While Clinton stopped short of saying Sanders would definitely lose in the general election, she urged primary voters to keep in mind that "the most important issue is who can defeat Donald Trump." After her fierce criticism of Sanders in Hillary emerged in January, Clinton clarified she would support the Democratic nominee no matter who it is, but she told ABC she's "watching and hoping that we nominate whoever is the strongest candidate to take out the current incumbent." She has yet to make an endorsement. Asked to weigh in on Sanders' position that he should become the Democratic nominee if he receives a plurality of pledged delegates but not a majority, Clinton laughed out loud, telling ABC, "Let's follow the rules. We've got rules." And asked if she still feels, as she reportedly says in Hillary, that Sanders' 2016 campaign was "just baloney," Clinton responded that she does, indeed."That was my authentic opinion then," she said. "It's my authentic opinion now." > NEW: "I don't think he'd be our strongest nominee," Hillary Clinton tells @LinseyDavis on Bernie Sanders.> > "That's what this primary process is about. Let's see who emerges...The most important issue is who can defeat Donald Trump." https://t.co/B0TFr2i8ex pic.twitter.com/nqUS5wBomB> > -- ABC News (@ABC) March 3, 2020More stories from theweek.com The end of Chris Matthews Was Mike Pence exposed to coronavirus? The 3 most likely Super Tuesday outcomes
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| Donna Brazile tells RNC chair to ‘go to hell’ during Fox News interview Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:57 AM PST  Former interim Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile clapped back at Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel Tuesday, responding to her comment about the Democratic primary being "rigged" against Sen. Bernie Sanders.
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| Super Tuesday: Michael Bloomberg says he will eat at Chinese restaurant to show solidarity over coronavirus Posted: 03 Mar 2020 05:04 AM PST  Michael Bloomberg has said he will eat at a Chinese restaurant in the coming days to show solidarity with businesses who have been hit by public fears about coronavirus.The multi-billionaire and Democratic presidential candidate made the pledge during a Fox News town hall event in Virginia as he hopes to kickstart his 2020 campaign with a strong performance in Super Tuesday this week.
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| A member of the inner circle of Iran's Supreme Leader died of the coronavirus, as the country records more deaths than anywhere outside China Posted: 02 Mar 2020 02:41 AM PST  Iran is accused of hiding the true number of coronavirus cases. Some researchers estimate there could be 23 times more infections than stated.
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| Virus news fuels return of forlorn White House briefing room Posted: 02 Mar 2020 09:15 PM PST  The White House briefing room is back in business. The historic White House setting had fallen into something of a state of neglect during the era of President Donald Trump, who prefers to act as his own spokesman rather than send out his press secretary to brief reporters in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. Press secretaries appeared there to shape the message that administrations wanted to convey on important topics on the day.
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| Remain in Mexico: asylum seekers at border see hopes raised then dashed Posted: 02 Mar 2020 02:15 AM PST  Many hoping to enter the US but kept out by Trump policy remain stuck in squalid and dangerous conditionsEsmeralda Martínez got the news via a WhatsApp message: a court had invalidated the US "remain in Mexico" program, which had obliged her to stay put south of the border while her asylum claim was heard.It had been six months since she fled Guatemala after the murder of her husband. For a brief moment, it seemed she and her 13-year-old daughter Jazmín might be able to move on from the dismal frontier encampment where they have been stranded.She packed her court papers in a black and yellow backpack, stuffed her clothes into a suitcase and prepared to move on.But just hours after Friday's ruling, the same three-judge panel suspended its own order pending fresh arguments, leaving the policy formally known as migrant protection protocols (MPP) in full effect.Despite the confusion, the temporary invalidation of MPP offered rare hope for about 2,500 migrants living in the insecure and insalubrious tent city along the Rio Grande in the city of Matamoros, a stronghold of the notorious Gulf cartel.Dozens of asylum seekers, some clutching printed copies of the 57-page court decision, headed straight to the bridge separating Matamoros and Brownsville, Texas. They were turned back by US border guards."We were all hoping for this inhumane and macabre program to be invalidated," said Joel Fernández, 51, a Cuban asylum seeker who also had his bags packed.MPP has forced more than 60,000 migrants to wait in some of Mexico's most dangerous cities. The Mexican government pledged to provide work permits and access to healthcare, housing and educational opportunities, but those promises have largely gone unfulfilled.And as they wait, the migrants are easy targets for criminal gangs.In one month last year, three-quarters of asylum seekers seen by physicians working for Doctors Without Borders in the city of Nuevo Laredo reported having been kidnapped for ransom."It's tough living here," said Martínez, 30, as a pot of beans boiled over an open fire outside her tent. "It's cold. It's unsafe. We've been followed three times [by the gangs]".Over the weekend, immigration lawyers attempted to clear the confusion, convening scrums of migrants and trying to answer their questions."There's good news and bad news," said Jodi Goodwin, a Brownsville immigration attorney. "Everyone must continue preparing their cases; you need to continue going to court."She also cautioned against illegal entry to the US."The risks if you jump the river are one these consequences: you go to prison or you go to Guatemala [where the US is now sending asylum seekers] or you'll face expedited expulsion," she said.The number of asylum claims in cities like Brownsville has been declining. A crackdown by Mexican authorities has choked the migrant flow, while expedited expulsion and the new policy of sending migrants to Guatemala has reduced the numbers of people waiting for an asylum decision."We're seeing dramatically lower numbers in Brownsville," said Charlene D'Cruz, a border fellow for Lawyers for Good Government's Project Corazon.MPP "worked" as proponents hoped, D'Cruz said, because "it took 60,000 people out" of the traditional asylum process. "But what do we mean by success? Humanity-wise, we have completely failed as a people."As the number of asylum seekers from Central America and further afield slowly dwindles in Matamoros, a new group has replaced them: Mexicans fleeing rampant violence in central and southern states.Mariana came to the camp with her family six weeks ago from Veracruz state, where she says a drug cartel tried to forcibly recruit her teenage son.Her turn to apply for asylum was fast approaching – and couldn't come fast enough."We've gone hungry. We've been cold. We've had to bathe in the river," she said as she cooked eggs and chilies for her children. "This is a desperate place."
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| South Korean president declares war on coronavirus as sect leader tests negative Posted: 02 Mar 2020 05:28 PM PST  South Korea's president declared war on the coronavirus on Tuesday, ordering additional hospital beds and more face masks to be made available as the number of cases rose by 974 in the worst epidemic of any nation outside China. President Moon Jae-in apologized for shortages of face masks and promised support for virus-hit small businesses in Asia's fourth-biggest economy, which has now reported 5,186 cases of the flu-like disease and 34 deaths. "The entire country has entered war against the infectious disease as the crisis in Daegu and Gyeongbuk province has reached the highest point," he told a cabinet meeting, referring to the hardest-hit parts of the country.
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| Baby dinosaur skull held ‘evidence of DNA’ from 75 million years ago, NC State says Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:48 AM PST  Sounds like "Jurassic Park," but we're far from cloning dinosaurs
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| Super Tuesday: Biden wins big in Southern states, Sanders takes Vermont, NBC News projects Posted: 03 Mar 2020 03:13 PM PST  A total of 1,344 pledged delegates are at stake on Super Tuesday — and how they are eventually awarded may determine the party's nominee.
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| Coronavirus is making some Republicans reconsider the merits of free health care Posted: 03 Mar 2020 05:38 PM PST  Coronavirus has a lot of people re-thinking things. That apparently includes Republicans and government-funded health care.With the possibility of an outbreak of the respiratory virus in the United States looming, the government is still trying to piece together its response. And it sounds like free testing could be on the table. Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), at least, thinks it's really the only option. Yoho is normally known for opposing the Affordable Care Act, and certainly doesn't seem likely to advocate for Medicare-for-All anytime soon. But he's willing to blur the lines when an unforeseen circumstance like coronavirus comes to town and is even ok if you want call it "socialized medicine."> Truly stunning to hear some Republicans advocate for free Coronavirus testing and treatment for the uninsured.> > Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), one of the most anti-ACA members:> > "You can look at it as socialized medicine, but in the face of an outbreak, a pandemic, what's your options?"> > — Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) March 3, 2020The Trump administration, meanwhile, is contemplating funding doctors and hospitals so they can care for people who don't have insurance should they become infected with the virus, a person familiar with the conversation told The Wall Street Journal. Read more at The Wall Street Journal.More stories from theweek.com The end of Chris Matthews Was Mike Pence exposed to coronavirus? The 3 most likely Super Tuesday outcomes
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| Chris Matthews: High profile hosts come out in support of disgraced commentator after sexual harassment allegations Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:45 PM PST  Some women in media who know or have worked with the now-former host of MSNBC's Hardball, Chris Matthews, have come to his defence since his abrupt retirement from the network over sexual harassment allegations.Mr Matthews resigned on air Monday night. He opened the show, announced his retirement, and when the show went to commercial and returned, Mr Matthews was no longer behind the desk.
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| Nearly 10% of Iranian lawmakers infected with coronavirus, state media reports Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:13 AM PST  The prevalence of coronavirus among Iran's political leadership appears to be a unique example of the virus' deep impact on the nation's authorities.
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| Trump Homeland Security's 'Main Mission' For Coronavirus Is Keeping Sick People Out: Chad Wolf Posted: 02 Mar 2020 05:26 PM PST  What comes next?
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| What's Happening: Virus empties public spaces, spreads in US Posted: 02 Mar 2020 04:21 AM PST  The new coronavirus is entering additional territories, from megacities to seaside villages, and casting a fast-growing shadow over the world economy. Japanese parents are struggling to find child care after the government recommended school closures for four weeks. As the virus spreads around the world, emptying stadiums, museums and beaches, China is seeing signs of relief. The World Health Organization said nine times more cases were reported outside the country than inside it over the past 24 hours.
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| Coronavirus deals shattering blow to Asian factories Posted: 01 Mar 2020 10:13 PM PST  Asia's factories took a beating in February from the coronavirus outbreak with activity in China shrinking at a record pace, surveys showed on Monday, raising the prospect of a co-ordinated policy response by central banks to prevent a global recession. China's factory activity suffered the sharpest contraction on record in February, the Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) showed, underlining the crippling effects of tough travel curbs and public health measures taken to contain the outbreak.
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| 4 US airlines are canceling flights to global destinations outside of China as coronavirus spreads — here's the list Posted: 02 Mar 2020 06:38 AM PST  US airlines are axing flights to numerous destinations in South Korea, Italy, and Japan as coronavirus continues to spread around the world.
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| Millions voted early, and many wasted their ballots Posted: 03 Mar 2020 03:47 PM PST  In several big states, early and absentee ballots are expected to be at least half the total vote.
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| NJ Teens Charged After Viral TikTok ‘Skull Breaker’ Challenge Goes Predictably Wrong Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:45 AM PST  Two New Jersey teenagers have been charged after a failed attempt at the viral "skull breaker" challenge resulted in the hospitalization of a seventh-grader with a serious head injury and a seizure, prosecutors and family members said.The two students, who have not been identified because of their age, were both charged with third-degree aggravated assault and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child after the January incident spurred by the internet craze, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office told The Daily Beast. While prosecutors wouldn't provide details about the incident, the parents of the 13-year-old boy told local media outlets that their son, from Cherry Hill, suffered a concussion and subsequent seizure from the prank."He's doing better, but he feels like he's being punished because he can't do the things he likes to do," Stacy Shenker told Patch.com, noting her son still has concussion symptoms. "We need to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. They're 13-year-old boys, and they just don't think."The injury is the latest in a series of mishaps spurred by the challenge, which is popular on the social media platform TikTok. It has prompted several local police stations across the nation to issue warnings against participating in the new craze. Originally from Spain, the prank involves three people standing next to each other under the guise of learning a new dance move or to jump in a social media video. Instead, two or more people trick a third into jumping into the air—before kicking their feet out from under them and causing them to fall headfirst."The safety and well-being of our users is a top priority at TikTok and we do not allow content that encourages or replicates dangerous challenges that might lead to injury," a spokesperson for TikTok told The Daily Beast in a statement, stressing that the video app did not inspire the challenge. "The behavior in question is a violation of our Community Guidelines and we will continue to remove this content from our platform. We encourage everyone to exercise caution in their behavior whether online or off."Last month, a 12-year-old Alabama boy broke his wrist after participating in the challenge at the Ozark Boys and Girls Club, his mother, Teri Smith, wrote on Facebook. Smith said her son was not an avid TikTok user and was "not prepared" when his friends asked him to stand in a line and take turns jumping on Feb.13. He was then knocked onto the gym floor and landed on his arm."All these little games they see on the internet, it's not always fun. It can be dangerous. You have to think about what could happen. Kids are not going to think about that. That's where the parents and teachers and adults have to think about that and try to educate the kids," she later told WTVY.Influencers Tell TikTok to Stop Purging Their VideosJust over a week later, Ke'Avion Hearn was approached by a couple of classmates at Southeast Arkansas Preparatory High School who said, "all you got to do is jump.""I jumped, they kind of kicked me out under my legs so I can't land. All I remember is being on the floor," the teenager told KARK, who was hospitalized for a concussion after the incident. An Arizona mother also wrote on Facebook earlier this month that her son was left with serious head and facial injuries after two classmates kicked him "as hard as they could" and laughed as "his stiff unconscious body lay on the asphalt." Injuries have also been reported in Pennsylvania and Florida.Dr. Sabrina Sykes, a psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says despite the known risks, children will continue to take part in these types of challenges because of the "wow factor.""New online challenges routinely spring up and rapidly spread over social media, particularly among adolescents and young adults," Sykes explained in a blog post about the appeal of online challenges. "Social media, in turn, offers instant popularity among peers in the form of 'likes' and 'followers,' providing peer acceptance, buoying the teen's self-concept and, therefore, enhancing the draw to participate in these challenges."Teens Are Now Claiming They Have Coronavirus for Tik Tok CloutCiting the still-developing prefrontal cortex for many teen's inabilities to manage their impulses—combined with the fear of missing out—Sykes says the need to participate in the trend may cause teenagers to make irresponsible decisions and "gravitate toward thrill-seeking, without focusing on potential risks or consequences."But despite the dangerous trend that rivals the Tide Pod and Bird Box challenge, the charges against the two New Jersey teenagers are the first legal action taken against students participating in the craze. In a letter to parents obtained by The Daily Beast, the Westfield Public School District issued a warning to parents in February about the dangerous social media challenge, noting the student injured in the replicated "prank" suffered "physically and emotionally.""Often, children act impulsively and without considering the consequence of their actions. If your child has an electronic device, ask them to share what apps they are viewing and using. Help them to understand the extreme unintended outcomes that may occur because of a fleeting moment of making a bad choice," Dr. Joseph Meloche, Cherry Hill Superintendent of Schools said in the Feb. 27 letter.Shenker, who has had a meeting with Meloche about the incident and has suggested an assembly to warn students about the consequences of these dangerous videos, told Patch.com they are still waiting to see the long-term effects the prank will have on their child. "We don't know what the long-term effects will be," Shenker said. "If he's still lethargic in six to eight months, then we'll know, but as with any brain injury, you just can't predict what's going to happen. We just don't want to see any more kids get injured."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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| Bloomberg advisers reportedly urged him to drop out and back Biden before Super Tuesday Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:47 PM PST  Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's presence in the 2020 race is reportedly frustrating some of his own campaign advisers.Bloomberg campaign advisers urged him after the recent South Carolina Democratic primary to drop out of the race and endorse former Vice President Joe Biden prior to Super Tuesday, Vanity Fair reports. Among those who reportedly pushed for Bloomberg to get out and back Biden was his own campaign manager, Kevin Sheekey."There is a prevailing view Mike should drop out," a Bloomberg adviser told Vanity Fair, while another adviser said that after Biden trounced his opponents in South Carolina, "the dynamic of the race clearly changed."Bloomberg ultimately stayed in the race for Super Tuesday, and "campaign officials are privately frustrated" that he ignored their advice to drop out and back Biden, Vanity Fair reports.On Tuesday, Bloomberg admitted he was eying a contested convention as his path to the nomination, saying, "I don't think I can win any other way." But asked about the possibility of dropping out, Bloomberg said, "We're in it to win it."More stories from theweek.com The end of Chris Matthews Was Mike Pence exposed to coronavirus? The 3 most likely Super Tuesday outcomes
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| A vegan woman was left 'traumatized' after being served a chicken burger at KFC Posted: 02 Mar 2020 10:12 AM PST  Vanessa Franco recently visited a KFC in Colliers Wood, London to try their new vegan burger, but got a chicken burger instead.
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| Iran And Israel Teamed Up To Destroy This Country's Nuclear Weapons Program Posted: 03 Mar 2020 12:30 AM PST  And the region was better off.
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| North Korean swagger may conceal brewing virus disaster Posted: 03 Mar 2020 01:05 AM PST  In these days of infection and fear, a recent propaganda photo sums up the image North Korea wants to show the world, as well as its people: Soldiers with black surgical masks surround leader Kim Jong Un, ensconced in a leather overcoat and without a mask as he oversees a defiant military drill. As a new and frightening virus closes in around it, North Korea presents itself as a fortress, tightening its borders as cadres of health officials stage a monumental disinfection and monitoring program. North Korea, which has what experts call a horrendous medical infrastructure in the best of times, shares a porous, nearly 1,450-kilometer (900-mile) border with China, where the disease originated and has since rapidly spread around the world.
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| U.S. Supreme Court lets states prosecute immigrants for identity theft Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:28 AM PST |
| Ireland's national airline just completed giving its planes and staff uniforms a completely new look. Take a look at before and after. Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:42 AM PST  Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus began its rebranding campaign in 2018 to transform the airline into a major European player in the airline industry.
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| Trump Admin Orders Chinese State Media to Reduce U.S. Footprint Following WSJ Reporter Expulsions Posted: 02 Mar 2020 10:53 AM PST  The State Department on Monday announced it would order five Chinese state media outlets to reduce the number of personnel stationed in the U.S. by 40 percent.The outlets Xinhua News Agency, China Radio International, China Global Television Network, China Daily and the People's Daily, will be required to reduce personnel from 160 to 100 by March 13. The U.S. announced last month that each of those outlets would be treated as foreign missions, effectively requiring the agencies to report information on all employees to the State Department, including names, addresses and any property owned. Each outlet regularly broadcasts Chinese state propaganda.Additionally, the U.S. will place various durations of stay on all Chinese journalists in the country on visas. There are currently around 3,000 such journalists in the U.S., while American journalists in China number in the dozens.In Monday's announcement, State Department officials cited a "longstanding, negative trend" in Beijing's treatment of foreign reporters. The officials did not explicitly connect the decision to the expulsion of three Wall Street Journal reporters on February 19.In that incident, China notified the reporters they had five days to leave the country after the Journal refused to apologize for an opinion column headline the Chinese government deemed "racist." Publisher William Lewis subsequently expressed "regret" that China was offended by the headline, "China is the Real Sick Man of Asia," but did not issue a formal apology, despite the urging of dozens of reporters at the Journal's China bureau.
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