| Trump on coronavirus: The flu is worse Posted: 09 Mar 2020 09:23 AM PDT  President Trump on Monday attempted to downplay coronavirus fears with a misleading tweet comparing the virus causing the global health crisis to the seasonal flu.
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| Sniper Lee Malvo marries while serving life in prison Posted: 10 Mar 2020 02:10 PM PDT  Lee Boyd Malvo, who is serving life in prison for his role in the 2002 sniper spree that terrorized the nation's capital region, is now a married man. Carmeta Albarus, who has served as an adviser and mentor for Malvo since testifying at his 2003 trial, confirmed the wedding took place earlier this month. Malvo, now 35, was 17 when he and John Allen Muhammad embarked on a killing spree in October 2002 that left 10 people dead and three wounded in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
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| Russia reaches out to OPEC as Riyadh opens oil taps Posted: 10 Mar 2020 08:16 AM PDT  Russia said Tuesday it was open to renewing cooperation with the OPEC oil cartel even as kingpin Saudi Arabia escalated a price war with Moscow by announcing it would flood markets with new supplies. The oil price conflict broke out after OPEC and a group of non-member countries dominated by Russia -- the world's second largest oil producer -- on Friday failed to agree on production cuts.
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| Coronavirus: Sinister people are knocking on doors claiming to be part of official disease response, police warn Posted: 10 Mar 2020 10:11 AM PDT  Scammers are knocking on people's doors and claiming to be part of the official response to the coronavirus, police in New Jersey have warned.The people could then try and take advantage of anxiety around the spread of the disease to sell products at inflated price or otherwise try and scam anyone in the house, authorities warned.
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| A Chinese restaurant chain in California is checking customers' body temperatures and turning diners away amid coronavirus fears Posted: 09 Mar 2020 11:33 AM PDT  Sichuan Impression, a Chinese restaurant chain in California, is screening customers and employees for fevers before they enter any of its stores.
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| Olive Garden employee, 16, to file lawsuit after customer requested white server, reports say Posted: 09 Mar 2020 12:19 PM PDT  An Olive Garden customer reportedly requested a white server instead of the server already assigned to the table and the manager complied.
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| Hypersonic Missiles Just Aren't Accurate Posted: 10 Mar 2020 08:54 AM PDT  Everyone wants Mach 5-plus weapons, but they still have a long way to go.
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| Guatemalan migrant dies in U.S. custody after gallblader operation Posted: 09 Mar 2020 05:21 PM PDT  A Guatemalan migrant who had passed a key hurdle in her bid to win asylum in the United States has died in U.S. custody after a gallbladder operation, the Guatemalan government said on Monday. Maria Ochoa, 22, from the poor San Marcos region near Guatemala's border with Mexico, died on Sunday in a hospital in Houston, Texas, months after she was detained at the border by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in September. Ochoa, whose two brothers live in the United States, had an operation on her gallbladder in the neighboring state of Oklahoma on Feb. 7 and spent a week in hospital afterwards, Guatemala's foreign ministry said in a statement.
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| In coronavirus crisis, Trump's stock market advice keeps looking worse Posted: 09 Mar 2020 02:36 PM PDT  Almost forgotten in the rush of doom-and-gloom headlines about the spread of coronavirus and Monday's record-breaking stock market sell-off is President Trump's two-week old advice to would be investors to buy stocks.
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| US border officer charged with smuggling 17 kilos of cocaine Posted: 10 Mar 2020 01:03 PM PDT |
| 'I Didn’t Think We’d Get Out Like That.' Veterans Have Mixed Feelings As U.S. Withdraws Troops From Afghanistan Posted: 09 Mar 2020 07:03 PM PDT  Trump's embrace of the Taliban has landed like a gut punch to some of the men and women whose lives have been changed forever by the war
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| After testing delays, US coronavirus cases surge past 900 Posted: 10 Mar 2020 04:09 PM PDT  The number of US cases of the novel coronavirus surged to more than 900 on Tuesday, according to an AFP tally, after public health experts criticized authorities for downplaying the epidemic and lagging behind in testing efforts. The rise is linked to an expansion in testing as the bulk of diagnoses have shifted from federal to state laboratories. Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on Monday, academics from Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University said the failings had contributed to the virus taking root across the country.
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| Italy enters its first day of a nationwide coronavirus lockdown as it becomes the worst-hit country outside China Posted: 10 Mar 2020 02:00 AM PDT  The number of coronavirus cases in Italy surpassed 9,100 on Monday night, prompting the government to quarantine the whole nation.
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| 22-year-old Guatemalan asylum-seeker dies in ICE custody Posted: 09 Mar 2020 06:41 PM PDT  Maria Celéste Ochoa Yoc de Ramírez died after six months in ICE custody.
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| 'You're full of s***': Joe Biden gets in heated gun control debate with Detroit plant worker Posted: 10 Mar 2020 03:17 PM PDT  The worker, among a group surrounding Biden at the Fiat Chrysler plant, accused Biden of "actively trying to end our Second Amendment right."
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| New poll shows Biden crushing Sanders in battleground states Posted: 09 Mar 2020 11:34 AM PDT  To have any hope of catching up to Joe Biden after the former vice president's dominant performance on Super Tuesday, Bernie Sanders needs to win Tuesday's Democratic presidential primary in Michigan — a state where the Vermont senator upset rival Hillary Clinton in 2016.
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| Nazi salutes, Molotov cocktails rock massive Mexico women's march Posted: 08 Mar 2020 11:38 PM PDT  A group of women outside Mexico City's main cathedral clashed on Sunday with men protesting abortion who made Nazi salutes, among scuffles that left dozens injured during a protest of tens of thousands of people on International Women's Day. The incidents reflected an undercurrent of anger throughout the day, in which the city government said 80,000 people marched through Mexico City's historic core to the public square fronting the cathedral and National Palace. Wearing green bandanas symbolizing support for abortion rights, at least a dozen women ripped down banners describing abortion as femicide and set them on fire.
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| Inmate reported as escaping did not flee prison Posted: 10 Mar 2020 06:06 AM PDT  A convicted murderer did not escape from an Alabama prison despite the corrections system initially reporting that he did, state officials said Tuesday. The Alabama Department of Corrections said the inmate reported as escaping in fact never left the prison. An escape notice was sent out as a precautionary matter when the inmate was not at his assigned location at St. Clair Correctional Facility.
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| Fox News Host: 2 People Died in Florida From Coronavirus, but They Were Old So No Biggie Posted: 10 Mar 2020 09:59 AM PDT  Fox News anchor Ed Henry appeared a bit cavalier when discussing recent deaths from the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, highlighting how two people who died in Florida were both elderly and had recently traveled abroad so, in the end, it's nothing "scary" for viewers at home.Speaking with Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) on America's Newsroom, Henry noted at the outset that Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis had recently declared a state of emergency to deal with the viral outbreak.Pointing out that Scott himself is a former governor, Henry said that people may tend to "have fear" when they hear the term "state of emergency" but it is sometimes just about a governor "asserting power so they can respond quickly."Henry, meanwhile, said he needed to add some "important context" having Scott discuss the emergency action in Florida."There have been 18 cases of COVID-19, two people, sadly, have died, but both of those residents were elderly and had traveled internationally," the anchor declared. "So when you hear the context, it's not quite as scary."White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham Promises 'Healthy' Trump Will Be 'Just Fine'The notion of a Fox News host shrugging off deaths of coronavirus victims because of their age wasn't lost on critics of the network who have observed that many Fox personalities have downplayed the growing crisis or blamed it on Democrats playing politics. Henry's dismissiveness also rings as tone-deaf considering the Fox audience's median age is 65—part of an age group that is at the highest risk of complications from the virus."Dear old folks watching this show, (which is essentially everyone watching this show) don't worry, the coronavirus is only coming for you," Media Matters reporter Lis Power, who first spotted the moment, mocked in response on Twitter. "Sincerely, Ed."But it isn't just liberal detractors who have taken issue with the way President Donald Trump and Fox News have soft-pedaled the virus outbreak. During his Monday night monologue, Fox News host Tucker Carlson took aim at those who have been "minimizing what is clearly a very serious problem."Stephen Colbert Unloads on Trump Over Coronavirus: 'You're a Monster'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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| Thousands of people in Italy panicked and tried to flee its 16-million-person coronavirus quarantine after the plan leaked Posted: 09 Mar 2020 04:37 AM PDT  "Some of those who fled will be infected with the disease," said one virus expert — increasing the risk it will spread further.
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| Nigeria sweats after coronavirus sparks oil fall Posted: 09 Mar 2020 05:34 PM PDT  Nigeria has reported only two confirmed coronavirus cases, but there are fears the fallout from the global outbreak could debilitate Africa's biggest economy. The finance minister in the continent's largest oil producer said on Monday the government would scale back its budget after crude prices plunged far below the level it had envisioned. "It is very clear that we will have to revisit crude oil benchmark price that we have of $57," Zainab Ahmed said after a hastily convened meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
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| Iran to call dead medical staff 'martrys' as virus kills 291 Posted: 10 Mar 2020 03:59 AM PDT  Iran will recognize doctors and nurses who die combating the new coronavirus as "martyrs" like slain soldiers, the country's supreme leader announced Tuesday as the outbreak killed 54 more people and pushed the nation's death toll to 291. The decision by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei comes amid a propaganda campaign already trying to link the fight against the virus to Iran's long, bloody 1980s war with Iraq. The rising casualty figures each day in Iran suggest the fight against the new coronavirus is far from over, even as more people die from drinking methanol in the false belief it kills the virus.
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| Exclusive: Afghan government to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners from jails - decree Posted: 10 Mar 2020 01:54 PM PDT  Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is set to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners in coming days to pave the way for direct talks with the insurgent group aimed at ending the 18-year-long war in Afghanistan, according to a copy of the decree seen by Reuters. The two-page decree - which was signed by Ghani and will be made public later by his office - said that all released Taliban prisoners will have to provide "a written guarantee to not return to the battlefield." The decree lays out details about how the prisoners will be released in a systematic manner, a process that it says will begin in four days.
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| Republicans face backlash over racist labeling of coronavirus Posted: 10 Mar 2020 10:02 AM PDT  China says US politicians are stigmatizing the country with 'despicable' practice of calling the virus 'Wuhan coronavirus' and 'China coronavirus' * Follow live updates on the coronavirusSenior Republican figures are facing backlash over an apparent effort to label Covid-19 as "Chinese coronavirus" – as China accused some US politicians of "disrespecting science" in order to "stigmatize" the country.Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, and Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, are among those to add a geographical marker to the coronavirus in recent days.Pompeo called the virus the "Wuhan coronavirus" on Friday, referring to the Chinese city where the outbreak started, and McCarthy used the term "Chinese coronavirus" on Monday, when he tweeted out a link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal agency that has led the US effort to fight the virus.The CDC website specifically avoids the phrase when talking about Covid-19, the novel strain of coronavirus at the heart of the global outbreak.Other Republicans, including Senator Tom Cotton and Representative Paul Gosar – who is in self-quarantine – have used similar terms.China reacted furiously on Monday, with a spokesman for the foreign ministry criticizing US elected officials."Despite the fact that the WHO [World Health Organization] has officially named this novel type of coronavirus, certain American politician[s], disrespecting science and the WHO decision, jumped at the first chance to stigmatize China and Wuhan with it. We condemn this despicable practice," said Geng Shuang.Republicans' attempts to associate Covid-19 overtly with China repeats a common theme of associating epidemics with certain countries, such as 1918 influenza pandemic being branded "Spanish flu".Academics have warned the practice leads to stigma and racism, and the World Health Organization sent a memo to governments and media organizations at the end of February, urging people not to use the terms "Wuhan Virus", "Chinese Virus" or "Asian Virus"."Governments, citizens, media, key influencers and communities have an important role to play in preventing and stopping stigma surrounding people from China and Asia in general," the WHO said.The branding fits neatly with Donald Trump's anti-China rhetoric and ongoing trade war, however – as Democratic congressman Ted Lieu pointed out in a tweet, referring to Trump as Potus, the president of the United States."One reason @POTUS & his enablers failed to contain COVID2019 is due to the myopic focus on China. The virus was also carried into the US from other countries & US travelers. Calling it Chinese coronavirus is scientifically wrong & as stupid as calling it the Italian coronavirus."
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| New Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows Biden crushing Sanders in Michigan and other battleground states ahead of Tuesday's primary Posted: 09 Mar 2020 11:03 AM PDT  Biden leads Sanders by 13 percentage points in Michigan, 11 points in Wisconsin and 28 points in Pennsylvania.
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| Why Is Italy's Coronavirus Outbreak So Bad? Posted: 10 Mar 2020 11:18 AM PDT  In less than a month, Italy has gone from having only three cases of the coronavirus to having the highest number of cases and deaths outside of China
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| As the coronavirus epidemic spreads, the CDC says 136 kids have died from the flu this season — the highest on record in a decade Posted: 10 Mar 2020 10:07 AM PDT  The CDC said in a report published last week that there had been about 20,000 reported deaths in the 2019-2020 flu season, 136 of which were children.
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| Coronavirus doesn't stop Purim party for Israel's haredi Jews Posted: 10 Mar 2020 09:34 AM PDT  Israel has imposed some of the world's tightest restrictions to contain coronavirus, but that did not stop ultra-Orthodox Jews from hitting the streets Tuesday to celebrate a treasured religious custom: drinking on Purim. Sometimes dubbed the "fun" Jewish holiday, Purim typically includes costumes and boisterous public celebrations marking a story dating from fourth-century Persia that saw Jews defeat a murderous plot against them. One verse in the Megillah text that recounts the story and laws of the holiday instructs Jews to "drink on Purim until you cannot distinguish between cursing Haman and blessing Mordechai," referring to the villain and a hero of the story.
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| Coronavirus in US: Head of New York Port Authority tests positive as MTA urges riders to avoid subways if possible Posted: 09 Mar 2020 09:02 AM PDT  The head of the New York and New Jersey Port Authority has tested positive for Wuhan coronavirus and is being quarantined, along with senior members of his team, according to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.During a news conference on Monday, the governor said Port Authority chief Rick Cotton has "been at the airports obviously when many people have been coming back with the virus".
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| World Health Organization: Threat of Wuhan Coronavirus Becoming a Pandemic ‘Very Real’ Posted: 09 Mar 2020 10:30 AM PDT  The World Health Organization warned on Monday that the threat of a Wuhan coronavirus pandemic is now "very real.""Now that the virus has a foothold in so many countries, the threat of a pandemic has become very real," WHO General Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference. "But, it would be the first pandemic in history that could be controlled. The bottom line is we are not at the mercy of this virus."Tedros also noted that most confirmed patients in China, where the coronavirus originated, have recovered."We need to remember that with decisive, early action, we can slow down the coronavirus and prevent infections. Among those who are infected, most will recover," Tedros said. "Of the 80,000 reported COVID-19 cases in China, more than 70 percent have recovered."China has confirmed 80,734 cases of the coronavirus, with 3,119 deaths. After China, the countries hardest-hit by the outbreak are South Korea (7,478 cases, 53 deaths), Italy (7,375 cases, 366 deaths), and Iran (6,566 cases, 194 deaths), although the epidemic in Iran may be much worse than the country's authorities currently report. The U.S. has confirmed 545 cases and 22 deaths.Chinese authorities have taken drastic measures to curb the outbreak since it spread from the city of Wuhan, imposing quarantines on entire cities and severely restricting movement within Hubei Province, where Wuhan is located. However, it is so far unclear if these measures have stopped the coronavirus entirely or if its spread could restart if quarantines are lifted."I think they did an amazing job of knocking the virus down," Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told the New York Times on Saturday. "But I don't know if it's sustainable. What have the Chinese really accomplished? Have they really contained the virus? Or have they just suppressed it?"
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| Oil price war, Mecca ban are latest risks by Saudi crown prince Posted: 09 Mar 2020 04:50 PM PDT  Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is behind the kingdom's boldest and riskiest moves in decades, most recently shutting down Islam's holiest sites to pilgrims to stymie the spread of a new virus and the government's decision to slash oil prices in what analysts say has sparked a price war with major producer Russia.
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| Saudi Arabia, Russia raise stakes in oil standoff Posted: 10 Mar 2020 05:31 AM PDT  DUBAI/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will raise its crude supply to a record high in April, the kingdom announced on Tuesday, as it ratcheted up a standoff with Moscow over market share and appeared to reject Russian overtures for new talks. The clash of oil titans Saudi Arabia and Russia sparked a 25% slump in crude prices on Monday, triggering panic selling and heavy losses on Wall Street's main stock indexes, already hit badly by the coronavirus outbreak. U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a call on Monday to discuss global energy markets, the White House said on Tuesday.
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| Trump Surprised Staff With Promise of Stimulus Details by Today Posted: 10 Mar 2020 05:42 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump surprised members of his administration by promising details of an economic package to be unveiled Tuesday in response to markets that have been battered by the coronavirus outbreak, according to people familiar with the matter.As outlined by Trump in remarks Monday, the proposal will likely include a payroll tax cut and a short-term expansion of paid sick leave, according to the people, who described the proposal on condition of anonymity ahead of its planned release.Trump's administration had been working on potential stimulus measures for about 10 days but were unprepared to provide details this quickly, the people said.Trump is under increased pressure to act after days of steep losses in global markets touched off by concerns that the new coronavirus could spark a recession. U.S. stocks plunged more than 7.5% on Monday -- the worst day on Wall Street since the financial crisis -- as a full-blown oil price war rattled investors already on edge over the outbreak.While Trump has been pointing to the Federal Reserve as the front line, economists have stressed that the crisis will require amulti-faceted response from governments, health-care professionals, central bankers and others to stem the human and economic damage.To contact the reporters on this story: Jennifer Jacobs in Washington at jjacobs68@bloomberg.net;Saleha Mohsin in Washington at smohsin2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Kathleen Hunter, Elizabeth WassermanFor 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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| Trevor Noah Accuses Kamala Harris of ‘Gaslighting’ Voters With Biden Endorsement Posted: 09 Mar 2020 10:05 PM PDT  On the eve of what some cable news networks are calling "Super Tuesday 2," Trevor Noah dubbed the Democratic presidential primary race "2 Old, 2 Furious." And as Joe Biden looks to extend his delegate lead over Bernie Sanders, The Daily Show host examined the "hostage-style" video endorsement the former vice president's received from Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA)."Now please send $10,000 in unmarked bills so that my family can see me again," Noah said, imitating Harris. "I'm very happy to be here." The host went on to joke that "even the Taliban is looking at this video like, 'we had better lighting and we were in a cave!'" As an outsider to American politics, Noah said he found the whole thing "a little strange." Stephen Colbert Unloads on Trump Over Coronavirus: 'You're a Monster'Bill Maher Goes Full Sexist, Defends Chris Matthews and Mocks His Sexual Harassment Accuser"How is Kamala gonna endorse Joe Biden and not acknowledge that she once called him a friend of racists who opposed integrated public schools?" he asked, accusing Harris of "gaslighting" voters by pretending their infamous debate confrontation never happened. "For me, you have to at least say, 'Look, we've had our differences, but—' or something like that," Noah said. "Otherwise, you make it seem like we're crazy." For more, listen to Jordan Klepper on The Last Laugh podcast. 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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| Police recording: California killings defendant cites racism Posted: 10 Mar 2020 10:33 AM PDT |
| Italians have been told they won't have to pay their mortgage payments while the country goes into coronavirus lockdown Posted: 10 Mar 2020 05:30 AM PDT  Italy's population has been locked down because of the coronavirus outbreak. Italy has reported more than 9,000 infections and more than 460 deaths.
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| Mexican stock exchange and peso crash amidst coronavirus, oil fears Posted: 09 Mar 2020 03:57 PM PDT  Mexico's stock exchange on Monday suffered its largest single-day crash since 2008 as the peso dropped to its lowest exchange rate compared to the US dollar in three years. The falls come amidst global fears over the new coronavirus and plummeting oil prices. The stock exchange plunged 6.42 percent to close at 38,730.56 points.
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| Man who threatened to kill Ilhan Omar given lighter sentence after she asks for compassion Posted: 09 Mar 2020 09:57 AM PDT  A man who threatened the life of Rep. Ilhan Omar has been given a lighter sentence after the politician asked for leniency.Patrick Carlineo Jr. was sentenced on Friday to 12 months and one day in prison alongside three years of supervised release for threatening to assault and murder a United States official, and for being a felon in possession of firearms, according to The Department of Justice.
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| Turkey used a new weapon in Syria that was so effective it looks like Russia won't dare confront Turkey directly Posted: 10 Mar 2020 10:44 AM PDT  Apparently, there are some wars Russia is not willing to fight.
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| Couple Quarantined on Grand Princess Sue Cruise Line for $1 Million Posted: 10 Mar 2020 08:34 AM PDT  A couple stuck aboard the Grand Princess — where 21 cases of the coronavirus have been diagnosed — is suing the cruise line for $1 million.
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| The Latest: UN: China air quality better amid outbreak Posted: 09 Mar 2020 10:04 PM PDT  The head of the U.N. weather agency says decreased energy use due to the coronavirus is improving air quality in China and demonstrates the impact that human emissions are having. World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas made the comment at a U.N. briefing Tuesday, where he showed satellite pictures of the much cleaner air quality over China on Jan. 30, 2020 compared to January 2019. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the virus is expected to be temporary while climate change will remain for decades and requires constant action.
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