| Trump defends 'Chinese virus' comments Posted: 18 Mar 2020 10:53 AM PDT  "It's not racist at all," the president said of his use of terms like "the Chinese virus" to refer to the coronavirus.
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| Iran furloughs imprisoned US Navy vet amid virus concerns Posted: 19 Mar 2020 04:20 PM PDT  Iran has granted a medical furlough to a U.S. Navy veteran who has been imprisoned in for more than a year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Thursday. Michael White of Imperial Beach, California, is now in the custody of the Swiss Embassy and must remain in Iran as a condition of his furlough, which was granted as the Islamic republic works to curb the spread of coronavirus. The U.S. government will seek his full release, Pompeo said, as he called on Iran to free other Americans who remain jailed there.
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| Africa talks tough against coronavirus but many wonder why Posted: 19 Mar 2020 12:18 AM PDT  A growing number of African countries are announcing increasingly restrictive measures to try to halt the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 200,000 people globally and killed nearly 9,000. On Wednesday, Uganda banned religious gatherings and weddings, despite not having a single coronavirus case. South Africa strongly encouraged restaurants and bars to provide take-out services only.
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| China says admonishing doctor and coronavirus whistleblower Li Wenliang was 'improper,' calls for punishing local officials Posted: 19 Mar 2020 10:29 AM PDT  An investigation into the death of the doctor found that local authorities mishandled the case and followed "improper" law-enforcement procedures.
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| Trump defends comments on China amid coronavirus outbreak Posted: 18 Mar 2020 10:30 AM PDT  During a White House press conference on Wednesday President Trump defended his comments on China amid the growing coronavirus outbreak in the United States.
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| A toilet paper shortage and increased cleaning might have caused a spike in raw sewage spills in California. Other regions are bracing for the same. Posted: 19 Mar 2020 01:57 PM PDT  The coronavirus pandemic has prompted some to panic buy toilet paper, leaving stores sold out. Flushing wipes and other items can cause sewage spills.
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| Father takes his own life in ICE family detention centre Posted: 19 Mar 2020 07:06 AM PDT  A 27-year-old Honduran father has taken his own life while being held in a family detention centre by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Texas.According to RAICES, a Texas nonprofit organisation providing legal services to immigrants, the man had been fighting for his family's freedom from custody. He had been detained at the Karnes detention centre, which has been through a series of chaotic changes since the Trump administration ramped up its programme of family detentions.
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| Is spring break over? Local Florida officials close beaches after gov refuses to. Posted: 19 Mar 2020 10:24 AM PDT  At the height of the spring break rush, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he would not order the beaches closed.
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| The Inevitable Shoe Drops: DOJ Dismisses Mueller’s Charges against Russian Businesses Posted: 19 Mar 2020 03:30 AM PDT  More than an investigation, the Mueller probe was the wellspring of a political narrative. That becomes clearer as time goes by and more information ekes out . . . such as new confirmation that, months before Mueller was appointed in May 2017, it was already well understood in Justice Department circles that there was no case of criminal "collusion" between the Trump campaign and Russia.Never was that made more obvious than by the Justice Department's quiet announcement late Monday, under the five-alarm noise of the coronavirus scare, that it has dropped the special counsel's indictment of Russian companies -- an outcome I predicted here at National Review nearly two years ago.A little refresher is in order.As detailed here many times, one of the biggest problems confronting those weaving the collusion tale was the inability to prove that Russia hacked the Democratic email accounts. As Ball of Collusion outlines, that's not the only fundamental problem. There is also the fact that the Democratic emails, in which Hillary Clinton was not an active correspondent, did not actually hurt her campaign at all -- certainly not the way her own email scandal did (a scandal for which there was no way to blame Moscow). There is also the dearth of evidence that the Trump campaign was even aware of, much less complicit in, Kremlin intelligence operations. Still, very basically, it would be impossible to prove that Trump had conspired in Russia's hacking unless prosecutors could first establish that Russia had done the hacking.Let me repeat something else I said several times: This is not to say that Russia is innocent. Again, I accept the intelligence agencies' conclusion on this point (though a number of others, including some former U.S. intelligence officials, do not). But the point is that Mueller could never have proved it beyond a reasonable doubt under courtroom due-process standards. Any competent defense lawyer would have had a field day with the Obama Justice Department's failure to have the FBI take possession and conduct its own forensic examination of the servers that were hacked. And what fun defense counsel would have had with DOJ's delegation of that rudimentary investigative task to a DNC contractor with close ties to the Clinton campaign. (Yes, the forensic conclusions blaming Russia were paid for by the same folks who brought you the famously dodgy Steele dossier.)Speaking of dodgy, recall that Team Mueller and the Justice Department dodged every case that would have called for proving Russia's cyber theft. Even when they indicted WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange, the very Ground Zero of "collusion," they resisted charging him with the Russian hacking scheme. Given that prosecutors and the FBI spent years investigating the president of the United States for this crime of the century, it should seem astonishing that they passed on charging the guy they've told us is the central conspirator with this crime. But you weren't astonished if you were reading National Review . . . because you knew they were not going to charge any crime that called for proving Russia's culpability in court. Their evidence is shaky and, if there were ever an acquittal, the Trump-Russia political narrative would be kaput, while the Putin regime celebrated a huge propaganda coup.So why did Team Mueller publicly file an indictment against Russians?Because they figured it was a freebie. The prosecutors assumed that they would never have to . . . you know . . . prove the case. The Russian defendants were in Russia. There was no way Putin would ever extradite them for an American criminal trial. The prosecutors knew that. What they wrote was not meant to be a real indictment. It was meant to be a press release. It was meant to be what Team Mueller was best at: the spinning of a narrative. I explained it this way at the time:> When prosecutors are serious about nabbing law-breakers who are at large, they do not file an indictment publicly. That would just induce the offenders to flee to or remain in their safe havens. Instead, prosecutors file their indictment under seal, ask the court to issue arrest warrants, and quietly go about the business of locating and apprehending the defendants charged. In the Russia case, however, the indictment was filed publicly even though the defendants are at large. That is because the Justice Department and the special counsel know the Russians will stay safely in Russia. Mueller's allegations will never be tested in court. That makes his indictment more a political statement than a charging instrument. To the extent there are questions about whether Russia truly meddled in the election, the special counsel wants to end that discussion.It all seemed so well choreographed. The indictment was, of course, reported as gospel-truth by the anti-Trump media -- the same folks who tell you, whenever a Democrat is charged with a crime, that an indictment is merely an allegation, that nothing is proven until it's proven in court.Alas, Team Mueller made a mistake. A reckless bet, the kind made by people under the misimpression that they are playing with the house's money. To quote from my column nearly two years ago:> [Team Mueller] charged not only Russian individuals but three Russian businesses. A business doesn't have the same risks as a person. A business can't be thrown in jail. And while members of Mueller's prosecutorial stable have a history of putting real businesses out of business, a business that is run by a Putin crony and serves as a front for Kremlin operations is not too worried about that either.Since they had no concerns about being imprisoned or bankrupted by prosecution and fines, there was nothing to discourage these businesses from doing what Team Mueller blithely assumed no Russian defendant would ever do: retaining lawyers to show up in federal court, demanding the trial to which American law entitled the companies, and demanding all the discovery to which American due process guaranteed them access.It was a debacle.First, the prosecutors tried to get the case and all pretrial discovery postponed on the ground that the businesses in question, Concord Management and Concord Consulting (each controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a food-supply oligarch said to be a Putin crony), had not been properly served with the indictment. This was absurd. Service of process is the way you get a business to come to court; these businesses were already in court, demanding to proceed with the prosecution that Team Mueller had chosen to start.The businesses then pressed the government to provide them with all the evidence and other discovery the law requires prosecutors to disclose. Team Mueller countered that they couldn't do that because it would harm national security. That's ridiculous. Imagine if I were prosecuting a mafia hitman and refused to make discovery, reasoning that the mafia might find out what's in my files. The judge would hold me in contempt, or dismiss the case -- or both. As a prosecutor, if you're worried that the security implications of disclosure are too great a risk, you don't charge the case. But if you file charges, there is no getting around disclosure obligations.Being forced to make disclosure did not go well for Team Mueller and his Justice Department successors. As they had to concede, there was no evidence that the Russians who carried out the troll farm scheme were directed by the Russian government. Stopping short of such an allegation, the indictment claimed the defendants were backed by Prigozhin -- which was quite the comedown from the Justice Department's drum-beating about Russia's "information warfare."Moreover, as the trial judge groused, the troll-farm indictment was "difficult to follow." Team Mueller's evidence was not even strong enough to allege that the defendants were actual Russian agents. Prosecutors thus crafted, shall we say, a creative theory: The defendants had "defrauded the United States" by failing to disclose their Russian identities and affiliations, which purportedly undermined the ability of U.S. bureaucracies to maintain a registry of foreign agents and enforce the campaign-finance laws. Except . . . it was unclear that the defendants had a legal duty to report information in the first place. How do you establish the criminality of concealment if there is no requirement to disclose?Finally, despite all the huffing and puffing about Russia's purportedly massive effort to influence the election through social-media ads, the grudgingly surrendered discovery indicated that many of the ads violated no American laws and cost pennies. Assuming for argument's sake that at least some of the candidate ads and rallies fell under Federal Election Commission reporting requirements, the defense contended that total expenditures for such activities amounted to less than $5,000.With the judge trying to push the case to trial this spring, the possibility of humiliation loomed. This past Monday, when no one was watching, the Justice Department finally -- inevitably -- pulled the plug. The cases against the companies were dropped. The sympathetic New York Times reported the prosecutors' fig leaf: The defense was "weaponizing" the case "to gain access to delicate information." It's the kind of claim the Times would ridicule were the paper not so invested in the Trump-Russia narrative. In point of fact, the defendants were demanding the legal right to discovery that Mueller's prosecutors automatically (if unwittingly) triggered when they decided to file an indictment.Not to say, "I told you so" (of course not!), this is exactly what these columns said would happen. From nearly two years ago:> The surest way to put an end to this unwelcome turn of events would be to dismiss the indictment — or at least drop the charges against the three businesses so Prigozhin and the Kremlin can't use them to force Mueller's hand [i.e., to compel discovery]. Of course, that would be very embarrassing. But as all prosecutors are taught from their first day on the job: Never indict a case unless you are prepared to try the case.There is no exception for "indictments" that are really meant to be political theater.
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| 'Well-connected' go first on coronavirus tests, Trump acknowledges: 'That's been the story of life' Posted: 18 Mar 2020 12:02 PM PDT  Amid a federal shortage of tests for the coronavirus, President Trump acknowledged the apparent unfairness in who had been able to receive them so far, saying, "That's been the story of life."
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| Detained US veteran released on medical furlough in Iran: Pompeo Posted: 19 Mar 2020 09:37 AM PDT  A US military veteran imprisoned in Iran was freed Thursday for medical reasons on condition that he stay in the country, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. Michael White has been transferred for medical examinations to the Swiss embassy, which represents US interests in Tehran in the absence of diplomatic relations, Pompeo said. "The United States will continue to work for Michael's full release as well as the release of all wrongfully detained Americans in Iran," he added.
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| Joe Biden, nominee-in-waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Posted: 19 Mar 2020 01:33 PM PDT  In the three weeks since his blowout win in the South Carolina primary, Joe Biden has emerged as the Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting. Biden holds an essentially insurmountable delegate lead over his last remaining rival, Bernie Sanders, yet the Vermont senator remains in the race. "Three weeks ago, we were on the verge of collapse as a campaign, so this is a very recent phenomenon," said Biden senior adviser Anita Dunn, insisting that the 77-year-old candidate remains focused on playing a productive role in the coronavirus response and sewing up a nominating fight that he doesn't see as finished.
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| Some children develop severe infections from coronavirus, and the youngest ones have the highest risk, study says Posted: 18 Mar 2020 12:38 PM PDT  A peer-reviewed study on 2,000 children who had COVID-19 in China found 6% developed severe or critical infections. The risk was highest for infants.
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| Senate GOP prioritizes business tax cuts in coronavirus stimulus package Posted: 19 Mar 2020 02:47 PM PDT  Senate Republicans released their "phase three" coronavirus economic stimulus package on Thursday in a follow-up to Wednesday's package.The Senate passed an initial package on Wednesday, which originated in the Democrat-led House and included paid sick leave, unemployment benefits, free COVID-19 testing, and other food and medical aid. But Thursday's proposal walks back some of those actions by putting stricter limits on who can use that paid leave. It also includes loans for small businesses of up to $10 million, a lift on excise taxes for airlines, and a variety of tax cuts and adjustments for businesses.The bill promises up to $1,200 in "recovery rebates" to individual Americans who made no more than $75,000 and $2,400 to joint filers who made no more than $150,000 as of their 2018 tax return. For every $100 a person makes over those limits, $5 will be deducted from that amount. GOP negotiators, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), had held firm on the $75,000 threshold as of Thursday.> GOP bill on immediate checks:> > \-- $1,200 per person ($2,400 if filing jointly) > \-- $500 per kid > \-- Begins to phase out above $75K > \-- Phases out completely above $99K > \-- Much smaller benefit, of $600, for millions w/o federal tax liability pic.twitter.com/mPggn8eepS> > — Jeffrey Stein (@JStein_WaPo) March 19, 2020Democrats will still have a chance to negotiate to modify the deal, but it'll likely have President Trump's support. By the end of Thursday, the U.S. had reported 11,200 cases of coronavirus and at least 166 deaths, ABC News reports.More stories from theweek.com Lindsey Graham is reportedly trying to talk Trump out of coronavirus relief checks for Americans 7 funny cartoons about coronavirus hoarding Trump briefing notes show he replaced 'coronavirus' with 'Chinese virus' in Sharpie
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| Spring breakers vacationing in Miami are taking the coronavirus outbreak lightly, saying they won't let it 'stop me from partying' Posted: 19 Mar 2020 02:12 PM PDT  "If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I'm not going to let it stop me from partying," one partier said in a widely viewed video.
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| In images: effects of COVID-19 on landmarks around the world Posted: 19 Mar 2020 03:04 AM PDT |
| China reports no new coronavirus cases, offers medical aid overseas Posted: 19 Mar 2020 08:09 AM PDT  Beijing is championing its expertise in managing the disease by offering doctors and experts in traditional medicine to other hard-hit nations.
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| Coronavirus: Bangladesh mass prayer event prompts alarm Posted: 19 Mar 2020 05:20 PM PDT  The religious leader who organised the event said it would offer people protection from the virus.
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| Hannity, With a Straight Face, Claims He Has ‘Always Taken the Coronavirus Seriously’ Posted: 18 Mar 2020 07:41 PM PDT  After spending weeks downplaying and minimizing the threat of the new coronavirus that has now resulted in a worldwide pandemic, Fox News host Sean Hannity declared on Wednesday night that he has "always taken the coronavirus seriously" and never referred to it as a "hoax."Hannity, who recently changed his tune on the viral outbreak once President Donald Trump began exhibiting a sense of urgency about the crisis, complained about the amount of criticism the media has thrown at him and Fox News over their earlier COVID-19 coverage. Taking aim at his critics, the pro-Trump host insisted they were "politicizing" the pandemic with their "hysteria" and "neverending" lies about the president.After playing a montage of cable news rivals blasting Fox News and Trump, with one commentator stating that Fox has "been getting people killed for years," Hannity mockingly retorted: "We've been getting people killed for years, I had no idea I was doing that.""You know what, if it wasn't so serious, it was pretty sick and you could probably laugh at it but nothing to laugh at here," he continued. "By the way, this program has always taken the coronavirus seriously and we have never called the virus a hoax."Hannity went on to say that "we call what they're doing—trying to bludgeon the president—out," apparently addressing comments he made nine days prior on his show. While hosting Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) on March 9, who had at that time self-quarantined after coming in contact with an infected individual, Hannity groused about fears of the virus being overblown."We gotta be very real with the American people, I don't like how we're scaring people unnecessarily," he said. "And that is that unless you have an immune system that is compromised, and you are older, and you have other underlying health issues you're not going to die 99% from this virus, correct?""I mean they're scaring the living hell out of people," Hannity added. "And I see them again as like oh, okay, let's bludgeon Trump with this new hoax."Last week, amid mass cancellations and tanking stock markets but before the president shifted his tone on COVID-19, Hannity cited a far-right QAnon conspiracist to suggest that perhaps the "deep state" was using the virus to hurt the economy and push "mandated medicines." The Fox host also spent weeks comparing coronavirus to the seasonal flu. That is until top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci schooled him on the dangers of COVID-19 and said Hannity had to "make sure" his audience knew the mortality rate for coronavirus was at least 10 times greater than the flu. Kellyanne Conway Spars With Reporters Over 'Kung-Flu' Coronavirus SlurRead 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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| 25 Best Cleaning Products and Supplies to Keep Your Home Clean As Can Be Posted: 19 Mar 2020 03:00 PM PDT |
| Aides to Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden are trading ideas on coronavirus responses as Sanders signals he'll drop out Posted: 19 Mar 2020 08:14 AM PDT  "They are working together to try to promote the health and safety of their teams, those who interact with the campaigns, and the American people."
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| McConnell Drops Phase-Three Coronavirus Relief Plan, Includes Cash Payments for Americans Posted: 19 Mar 2020 03:32 PM PDT  Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and Senate Republicans released the text for their massive phase-three coronavirus relief package Thursday, outlining a trillion-dollar plan that includes direct payments of $1,200 per person and $2,400 for couples to help offset economic losses amid the growing pandemic.McConnell said the "Coronavirus Aid, Relief, & Economic Security Act" is focused on "four urgent priorities": directly assisting Americans, providing relief for small businesses, stabilizing the economy, and supporting America's healthcare professionals and patients during the outbreak."The Senate is not going anywhere until we act. Senate Republicans are here and ready to work with our Democratic colleagues and the Administration to get results as soon as possible. Let's get this done for the country," McConnell tweeted to announce the bill.> The Senate is not going anywhere until we act. Senate Republicans are here and ready to work with our Democratic colleagues and the Administration to get results as soon as possible.> > Let's get this done for the country. https://t.co/E8ZSyDrISN> > -- Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) March 19, 2020Earlier Thursday, he said in a speech on the Senate floor that "Senate Republicans want to put cash in the hands of the American people.McConnell and the White House warmed to the idea of cash payments after proposals from Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) — who called for monthly payments to working families below a certain income bracket — and Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) and Mitt Romney (R., Utah), who both proposed direct cash payments of a fixed amount."Americans need cash now and the president wants to get cash now," Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who recently has been involved heavily in negotiations on the Hill, said at a White House press conference on Tuesday."We're going to get out of this quickly," Mnuchin told FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo on Thursday. He revealed the goal was to get the money out in three weeks, with another round of checks coming in six weeks if the crisis is still ongoing.Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) had been opposed to the measure, but told reporters he could support "a check as a gap-filler."The bill reveals that the size of the checks, which will be based on 2018 tax returns, gradually diminishes for those earning more than $75,000, and phase out completely for those earning over $99,000.Individuals with no federal income tax liability, would see smaller benefits of a minimum of $600 for individuals and $1,200 for married couples, which the Senate Finance Committee said "ensures relief gets to low-income seniors and disabled veterans."McConnell's plan also creates $208 billion in loans and loan guarantees to at-risk industries, including $50 billion for commercial airlines and $8 billion for air cargo carriers, as well as $150 billion for other eligible businesses.
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| What's Happening: Hope in Wuhan, unequal access to US tests Posted: 19 Mar 2020 05:34 AM PDT  The Chinese city of Wuhan, the original epicenter of the new coronavirus, reported no new homegrown infections on Thursday, in what was a sign of hope for the world and a lesson in the strict measures needed to halt its spread. The two milestones were a dramatic illustration of how much the global outbreak has pivoted toward Europe and the United States. Factories in China, struggling to reopen after the coronavirus shut down the economy, face a new threat from U.S. anti-disease controls that might disrupt the flow of microchips and other components they need.
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| For the 1st time since coronavirus outbreak began, China reports no new local infections Posted: 18 Mar 2020 08:01 PM PDT  On Thursday, China announced that there were no local COVID-19 coronavirus infections reported in the country on Wednesday, for the first time since the outbreak started late last year.There were 34 infections diagnosed, but all involved people who came to China from other countries, China's National Health Commission said. Of those infections, 21 cases were in Beijing.After originally mismanaging the outbreak — residents complained of food shortages and a lack of hospital beds and test kits — and even punishing doctors who tried to spread the word, China enforced quarantines, shut down factories, and kept people out of cities they didn't live in. There are 80,928 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in mainland China, with the death toll at 3,245.More stories from theweek.com Lindsey Graham is reportedly trying to talk Trump out of coronavirus relief checks for Americans 7 funny cartoons about coronavirus hoarding Senate GOP prioritizes business tax cuts in coronavirus stimulus package
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| Sharp increase in Moscow pneumonia cases fuels fears over coronavirus statistics Posted: 19 Mar 2020 09:18 AM PDT |
| FDA Urges Caution After Trump Says Malaria Drug Will Be Available to Coronavirus Patients ‘Almost Immediately’ Posted: 19 Mar 2020 08:50 AM PDT  An anti-malaria drug has been approved for use in treating coronavirus symptoms, President Donald Trump said Thursday—however, officials immediately cautioned that approval for widespread use was still a long way off.The drug Hydroxychloroquine, used on malaria and arthritis patients, will be made available "almost immediately" to coronavirus patients with a prescription, Trump said during the administration's coronavirus task force briefing on Thursday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has slashed red tape so they could fast track the approval of the drug's new use, he added. It has had "very encouraging early results" in tests on COVID-19, he said, adding that the coronavirus pandemic was now a "medical war."Trump said people would be trying the drug "literally within a few days." Almost immediately, however, the FDA cautioned a more measured approach.Stephan Hahn, head of the FDA, said he would not confirm a timeline but, given that the drug was already approved for other usages, researchers had information about possible side effects. He said the initial approval phase was done quickly, but the testing phase was only now getting underway."I want to assure you we're working as quickly as we can, I don't want to speculate about a timeline," he said, adding that the FDA was "looking at everything that's coming across our desks as possible treatment options for coronavirus." Hahn said the drug would be initially used under "compassionate use," which means doctors can ask to use the experimental drug on patients. The FDA can then gather data on its safety and efficacy from doctors ahead of a full-scale approval. "We are working expeditiously," he said.He said the president had directed the agency to take a closer look at whether the use of chloroquine could be expanded more widely beyond compassionate use."And again, we want to do that in the setting of a clinical trial," he said, "a large, pragmatic clinical trial to actually gather that information and answer the question that needs to be asked and answered."After Trump's comments, Bloomberg reported that an FDA spokesperson told the news organization that hydroxychloroquine had not yet been specifically approved to help people diagnosed with COVID-19.In a statement posted online Thursday, the FDA said there are "no FDA-approved therapeutics or drugs to treat, cure or prevent COVID-19, there are several FDA-approved treatments that may help ease the symptoms from a supportive care perspective."Studies are underway to determine the efficacy of using chloroquine to treat patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 to "potentially reduce the duration of symptoms, as well as viral shedding, which can help prevent the spread of disease," the agency said.A study published by Nature on Tuesday found that Hydroxychloroquine, a less toxic derivative of chloroquine, was effective in stopping a COVID-19 infection in vitro."There's promising information to say that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine may work based on laboratory studies, but that needs to be confirmed with human studies," Dr. Timothy Brewer, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at UCLA, told The Daily Beast on Thursday."I think the FDA is correct in saying we clearly should study this but we should do it in the setting of a clinical trial to figure out, is this actually working or not in people?"Hahn said on Thursday a second drug called remdesivir, made by Gilead Sciences, was also in a clinical trial in the U.S. and had been approved for "compassionate use" by doctors with suitable patients. Gilead said in February that they were expanding clinical trials of the anti-viral drug's possible usage on COVID-19 patients.In a statement, the FDA said innovators were looking into anti-viral drugs that might treat the virus, as well as host targets that may be helpful in reducing lung inflammation and improving lung function in COVID-19 patients. The agency said one drug company had started a clinical trial of an antibody drug and there was interest in evaluating the use of convalescent plasma and hyperimmune globulin, antibody-rich blood products that are taken from blood donated by people who have recovered from COVID-19 and could possibly treat the illness in others.The U.S. has confirmed at least 7,701 COVID-19 cases and 118 deaths, according to the Associated Press' latest figures.During Thursday's press conference, Vice President Mike Pence said he had visited manufacturers to ensure that millions of N95 masks and other equipment were in production.Towards the end of the briefing, however, Trump gave into one of his favorite pastimes of complaining about press coverage, reporters, and "fake news."It started when a reporter for One America News Network asked the president a question about whether he "considers the term Chinese food racist."Before answering, the president complimented OAN for treating him "very nicely."The moment became more surreal as the OAN reporter derided "major left wing news media," for describing Trump as racist because of his decision to call the coronavirus the "Chinese Virus."The moment allowed Trump to return to familiar newspaper complaints about The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post as health fears and the pandemic continue to plague the nation. "There's no chaos in the White House," Trump said. "We have unbelievable professionals."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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| Coronavirus: US doctors demand immediate release of prisoners and detainees to avert disaster Posted: 19 Mar 2020 02:39 AM PDT  As doctors and medical workers across the US raise the alarm about the coronavirus's risk to prison populations, thousands of medics have signed an open letter calling upon the immigration authorities to release individuals and families from detention.The letter, which at the time of writing had been signed by more than 3,000 people, is addressed to the director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In it, the undersigned medics implore the ICE "to release individuals and families from immigration detention while their legal cases are being processed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the harm of an outbreak".
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| Delhi bus gang-rapists to hang on Friday: lawyer Posted: 19 Mar 2020 04:57 AM PDT  Four men convicted of the 2012 gang-rape and murder of a New Delhi student will be executed on Friday, the victim's lawyer said after a court dismissed a final last-minute petition to delay the hangings. The brutal attack on Jyoti Singh aboard a city bus sparked nationwide demonstrations and shone a spotlight on the alarming rates of sexual violence in India. A trial court in Delhi, which had already postponed the hangings three times, on Thursday dismissed another plea to delay the executions scheduled for 5:30 am (0000 GMT) Friday.
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| Senate GOP unveils massive coronavirus bill that includes checks for Americans Posted: 19 Mar 2020 05:42 PM PDT  The Republican proposal also includes emergency aid for small businesses and industries such as airline companies.
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| US jails begin releasing prisoners to stem Covid-19 infections Posted: 19 Mar 2020 12:43 PM PDT  High profile inmates like ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen are among those who have asked for early release.
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| In Mexico, a cartel is taking over: Jalisco New Generation Posted: 17 Mar 2020 10:02 PM PDT  Mexico's fastest-rising cartel, the Jalisco New Generation gang, has a reputation for ruthlessness and violence unlike any since the fall of the old Zetas cartel. In parts of the country it is fighting medieval-style battles, complete with fortified redoubts, to expand nationwide, from the outskirts of Mexico City, into the tourist resorts around Cancun, and along the northern border. It is a promise that cartels in Mexico have long made, and always broken.
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| Italy’s Coronavirus Death Toll Surpasses That of China Posted: 19 Mar 2020 10:57 AM PDT  The death toll from Wuhan coronavirus in Italy has surpassed the number of reported deaths in China, marking a new milestone in the coronavirus pandemic.Italy reported 427 new deaths from the coronavirus on Thursday, with a total of 3,405 to China's 3,245, according to Reuters.Italy now has 41,035 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The country remains on lockdown with travel restrictions between provinces as authorities struggle to contain the spread of the illness.Most of Italy's cases are centered in the country's northern Lombardy region, home to the city of Milan. Videos shot by townspeople in Bergamo, near Milan, showed Italian soldiers arriving in a column of military vehicles to remove the bodies of coronavirus victims. Bergamo's cemeteries did not have the capacity for all the bodies.Italy's government is considering further measures to reduce the amount of time spent outside their homes."I hope there will soon be measures to restrict people jogging or going out for walks," said Luca Zaia, the governor of the Veneto region neighboring Lombardy. "I'm sorry about that but the alternative is intensive care, hospitalization and contagion."Meanwhile, China on Thursday reported zero new cases of the coronavirus in the outbreak's epicenter of Wuhan. However, the country's number of reported cases has come under scrutiny as the Chinese Communist Party has restricted foreign and domestic journalists in their coverage of the outbreak.On Wednesday China announced the expulsion of all American reporters for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. The U.S. National Security Council slammed the move."The Chinese Communist Party's decision to expel journalists from China and Hong Kong is yet another step toward depriving the Chinese people and the world of access to true information about China," the NSC said in a statment posted on Twitter. "The United States calls on China's leaders to refocus their efforts from expelling journalists and spreading disinformation to joining all nations in stopping the Wuhan coronavirus."
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| OAN Reporter Asks Incredibly Bonkers Softball Question at Trump Coronavirus Presser Posted: 19 Mar 2020 10:44 AM PDT  Towards the end of President Donald Trump's coronavirus press conference on Thursday, the president took some truly ridiculous questions from far-right cable news channel One America News that allowed him to rant against the media and suggest news outlets are doing "state propaganda" for China.Over the past couple of days, the president has taken to calling COVID-19 the "Chinese Virus," sparking outrage that he may be encouraging the racist targeting of Asian-Americans. Trump, meanwhile, has insisted he uses the term to retaliate against some Chinese officials blaming the U.S. military for the viral outbreak.OANN White House correspondent Chanel Rion, therefore, on Thursday decided to set the president up with a ridiculous question to give him a path to rant about the media and claim he's not encouraging racism.Kellyanne Conway Spars With Reporters Over 'Kung-Flu' Coronavirus Slur"Mr. President, do you consider the term 'Chinese food' to be racist because it is food that originated from China?" Rion leadingly asked."I don't think that's racist at all," Trump gleefully responded."On that note, major left-wing media, even in this room, have teamed up with Chinese communist party narratives, and they are claiming you are racist for making these claims about 'Chinese virus,'" Rion continued, before serving up a truly bonkers question: "Is it alarming that major media players, just to oppose you, are siding with foreign state propaganda, Islamic radicals, and Latin gangs and cartels and they work right here out of the White House with direct access to you and your team?""It amazes me when I read the things that I read," Trump replied with a grin, before going on a tirade about all the media outlets he feels have been critical of him."I don't think anybody has done as much as I have done in three years," he noted at one point. "This administration has done a great job. But the press is very dishonest."Rion, meanwhile, interjected to exclaim that "they are siding with state propaganda," prompting Trump to agree that "they are siding with China."It should be noted that many of the outlets that Trump claimed are "siding with China"—such as the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times—have recently had their press credentials revoked by China and their reporters booted out of the country.Rion, who was recently promoted as the network's chief White House correspondent, has a history of conspiracy-mongering and over-the-top Trump sycophancy. Besides being a Seth Rich truther and helping to peddle Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani's most insane Ukraine narratives, Rion recently helped push a wild conspiracy theory that the coronavirus was created in a North Carolina lab.Trevor Noah Destroys Trump Admin's 'Kung-Flu' Coronavirus Racism From His CouchRead 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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| A New York neurosurgeon has coronavirus. This is what he wants people to know. Posted: 19 Mar 2020 09:34 AM PDT  Ezriel Kornel, a neurosurgeon in New York, doesn't know where he got coronavirus from, but he knows what it feels like in the early stages.
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| Bernie Sanders staffers speak out after another trio of losses Posted: 18 Mar 2020 03:44 AM PDT  With three losses on Tuesday night, Bernie Sanders's chances of winning the Democratic presidential nomination became even slimmer.
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| California governor tells the state's National Guard to prepare as coronavirus cases in the state hit 740 Posted: 18 Mar 2020 08:10 AM PDT  The action is not a mobilization order but instead directs troops to prepare in case of activation into local communities.
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| Senate GOP's coronavirus bill includes checks up to $1,200 Posted: 19 Mar 2020 03:16 AM PDT  The "phase three" bill unveiled by Senate Republicans includes direct payments of $1,200 for most individuals taxpayers.
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| India political activist arrested for selling cow urine to combat virus Posted: 18 Mar 2020 05:06 PM PDT  An activist with India's ruling party has been arrested after a volunteer fell ill from drinking cow urine at a party to combat the novel coronavirus, police said Wednesday, as interest grows in home remedies amid the pandemic. Narayan Chatterjee, a Bharatiya Janata Party activist, was arrested by West Bengal state police late Tuesday for "organising the cow urine consumption event and compelling a civic volunteer to drink cow urine", Kolkata police chief Anuj Sharma told AFP. Many in the Hindu-majority nation of 1.3 billion consider cows sacred and believe drinking cow urine is a panacea for all manner of ailments, from arthritis and asthma to cancer and diabetes.
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| Police use DNA, genealogy to arrest suspect in 1985 slaying Posted: 19 Mar 2020 08:21 AM PDT |
| Italy reports 475 new coronavirus deaths in just 1 day Posted: 18 Mar 2020 07:16 PM PDT  Wednesday saw the biggest increase in coronavirus deaths in Italy, with 475 infected people dying.Nearly 3,000 people have died in the country since the first cases of COVID-19 coronavirus were reported there in late January. There are now 35,713 confirmed cases, and Italian health officials say more than 4,000 patients have fully recovered, BBC News reports.Italy is the hardest-hit country after China, where 3,245 people have officially died from the virus since the outbreak began in December; globally, at least 8,758 people are dead from COVID-19. To combat the spread of the new coronavirus, Italy has been on lockdown for close to two weeks, with people told they can only leave their homes if they must go to work, see a doctor, or get groceries.Restaurants, shops, bars, and gyms are all closed, and police are stopping people they see on the streets; so far, authorities have charged more than 40,000 people with violating lockdown, including a priest who was performing a funeral.More stories from theweek.com Lindsey Graham is reportedly trying to talk Trump out of coronavirus relief checks for Americans 7 funny cartoons about coronavirus hoarding Senate GOP prioritizes business tax cuts in coronavirus stimulus package
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| Trump brushes off 'kung-flu' remark and claims Asian Americans would agree with calling it the 'Chinese coronavirus' Posted: 18 Mar 2020 11:34 AM PDT  Trump said he didn't believe the term "kung-flu" would put Asian Americans at risk of xenophobic attacks amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Greek anti-terrorism squad finds artillery, secret tunnel Posted: 19 Mar 2020 06:07 AM PDT |
| Elizabeth Warren still won't endorse anyone for president: 'I've been focused on this crisis' Posted: 19 Mar 2020 02:14 PM PDT  Elizabeth Warren said Thursday she thinks Bernie Sanders "needs space." She didn't say whether she'll make an endorsement.
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| Florida governor refuses to shut down beaches amid spread of coronavirus Posted: 18 Mar 2020 01:42 PM PDT  Gov. Ron DeSantis said it's "not uniform throughout the state that you're seeing massive crowds at beaches," despite videos of gatherings in Tampa Bay.
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| Teen Cowgirl Found Dead After Disappearing With Mystery Man Posted: 19 Mar 2020 11:04 AM PDT  Britney Ujlaky picked flowers for friends if they'd had a bad day. She loved listening to any music she could dance to, and dreamed of becoming a makeup artist. In her rural Nevada community, the 16-year-old volunteered at the 2U Ranch, riding and grooming horses, and helping with cattle drives."She had the personality you can't really forget—she was so goofy and fun," said one close friend, Cheyenne Fry, 18. "You would be having the worst day of your life, but her laugh would put you in a good mood." Britney often talked about wanting to someday win the title of local Rodeo Queen, Fry said."She was always helping people out," Fry told The Daily Beast. "If it was house-sitting, babysitting, grooming their horses. Everyone knew her and loved her so much."But on the afternoon of Sunday, March 8, Britney disappeared and the nightmare began. That evening, her mother shared a desperate plea on Facebook: "My daughter is missing!!!!!!! Police have been notified. Please please share!!!!!!!!"America's 'Most Beautiful Small Town' Is Murder, U.S.A.Britney was last seen hopping into a green Ford F-150 pickup truck in front of Spring Creek High School. According to one Facebook group sanctioned by Britney's family, that truck was driven by a young man in a cowboy hat whose identity is unknown. Three days after Britney vanished, she was discovered dead near the Burner Basin area of Spring Creek, about 6.5 miles north of the high school. On Monday, police announced the identification of Britney's body and provided the number for a tip line for their investigation."At this time, Britney's death is being investigated as a homicide," the Elko County Sheriff's Office stated. "While investigators have been working around the clock following up on leads and tips, a suspect has not been identified.""Currently there has been no information to indicate danger to the public," the agency added, before requesting that "citizens refrain from posting rumors and tips on social media sites." (The sheriff did not return messages left on Tuesday.)The loss has devastated Britney's family, who are seeking answers on what might have happened to the high-schooler. They say they're certain of one thing, however: Britney was not trying to run away from home. "She adored her family and friends and blended so well with others," said Leslie Tolhurst-Grayson, a cousin who was very close to Britney and her mom, Alisha. "When she went missing, it was looked at as a runaway but we all knew she would never run away from her family."On Tuesday, in the hours before a candlelight vigil, Britney's family shared her obituary. "She loved to ride and did so as often as possible," the memorial read. "Britney was most happy when participating in some sort of cowgirl work." At the 2U Ranch, "she was always the first one saddled and ready to go."Britney was born Gabrielle Lynn Ujlaky, but when her parents took her home, they felt she was more of a Britney. Tolhurst-Grayson said everyone had a nickname for her: Brit, Brit Brit, Goose, or Woman Bear.Police have released little information on Britney's last movements. In her mother's social media post seeking help, she indicated Britney's phone last pinged at 5:30 p.m. on Boyd-Kennedy Road near the high school.A missing person flyer shared online by relatives and supporters said the F-150 truck Britney got into was an older model from the early 2000s. The driver was described as a "white male wearing a cowboy hat in his late teens [or] early twenties."Another flyer said, "He went by JT," and added, "She was found deceased and alone. We need to find this JT. He could be anywhere."It's unclear who this man was, or how Britney knew him."One never thinks something so tragic could happen to your family," Tolhurst-Grayson told The Daily Beast. "It's something you only see in movies."Fry said she last spoke to Britney hours before she went missing. The friends spoke to each other every day on the Facetime app, and they'd go to the gym together on Sundays. "She called me and asked if I wanted to go to the gym," Fry recalled. "I told her to give me an hour." That call, Fry says, came around 1 p.m. after she'd gotten out of church.At the time of the call, Fry says, Britney was hanging out with a mutual friend. Within a few hours, that mutual friend dropped Britney off at the high school. "She said her dad was picking her up," Fry told The Daily Beast."I wish she would have said something to me about this guy," Fry said of the mystery driver. "She said this was one of her new friends. I wish I had more answers but I don't."Another friend, Brin Wilson, said she texted Britney around 4:37 p.m. on the day she vanished, asking if she wanted to come over for pizza. Brin never heard back and knew something was amiss later when the phone went straight to voicemail. "She would never let her phone die or be without it," Wilson said.Wilson often went horseback riding with Britney. They'd cover miles with no destination and "joke about all the crazy stuff we did." Wilson said, "She was the kindest soul I knew. She looked up to me. Every day she would always check up on me."Fry said Britney often put others before herself. "She wasn't afraid to go do things, to talk to someone. She had no fear," Fry added. "She was the most fearless girl I ever met." Despite her loving demeanor, Britney was also dealing with online bullies, whom she eventually had to block on Snapchat, Fry said."She got bullied. Every teenager goes through that. That's what made our friendship so strong. We were always there standing up for each other," Fry said.Mourners planned a candlelight vigil to honor Britney on Tuesday evening. RL Dakin, an administrator for the "JUSTICE FOR BRITNEY UJLAKY" Facebook group, said the event would be livestreamed because of COVID-19 fears.Dakin, who is based in Canada, has set up more than 50 Facebook groups for families with missing persons. "Typically, in any group, we are looking for the missing person along with any vehicles associated with their disappearance but in Britney's heartbreaking circumstance, she had been found—we didn't need to look for Britney anymore," she said. "So, we focused on the vehicle that she was believed to have gotten into." Dakin's group has pushed for people in the area to review security footage, dashcam video, or trail and wildlife cameras for clues."My heart aches for Britney and her family," Dakin added. "Her group will transition over to her family and friends when they are ready to take that on. Hopefully, it will remain in place to support this family through the criminal investigation, possibly a trial—all the nightmares that still await them."Fry said she hopes justice is served sooner than later."You just want to ask yourself why. Why did it have to be her?" Fry told The Daily Beast. "Why now? Why so young? And you won't get those answers because no one really knows. For me, it's been hard. I still haven't fully accepted it—that my best friend is gone."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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