| White House misses congressional deadline to explain intelligence watchdog's firing Posted: 14 Apr 2020 02:50 PM PDT  The White House is still refusing to give Congress a reason for firing Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, as required by law, missing a deadline set by a bipartisan group of senators.
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| NHL player Colby Cave's widow says he complained of a headache days before dying Posted: 14 Apr 2020 09:53 AM PDT  Emily Cave shared a heartbreaking video of their wedding vows and said the Edmonton Oilers player complained of a headache just days before dying of a brain bleed.
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| Obama endorses Biden as the best leader for 'darkest times' Posted: 14 Apr 2020 07:29 AM PDT  Former President Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden on Tuesday, giving the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee a boost from the party's biggest fundraiser and one of its most popular figures. "Joe has the character and the experience to guide us through one of our darkest times and heal us through a long recovery," Obama said in a 12-minute video in which he argued the coronavirus pandemic reinforced the need for better leadership. The endorsement marked Obama's return to presidential politics more than three years after leaving the White House.
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| Chicago man charged with murder after pushing Marine veteran into passing train, police say Posted: 14 Apr 2020 10:07 AM PDT  Ryan Munn of Chicago was charged with first-degree murder after pushing a Marine veteran into the path of a passing train, according to police.
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| Here are the instructions for a better-fitting homemade mask that can filter particles 2x better than cotton, created by three clothing designers Posted: 13 Apr 2020 12:57 PM PDT  The fashion designers that created a new blue-shop-towel surgical style mask are giving their design away for free.
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| Pelosi, Schumer say they're not backing down on coronavirus relief demands Posted: 13 Apr 2020 06:30 AM PDT  Schumer and Pelosi said in their statement Monday that Republicans must stop their "political posturing" in offering legislation that they know won't pass either chamber.
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| N. Korea fires suspected missiles day before key anniversary Posted: 14 Apr 2020 03:32 PM PDT  North Korea fired several suspected cruise missiles towards the sea on Tuesday, the South's military said, in what analysts saw as a demonstration by Pyongyang of the breadth of its arsenal. The "multiple projectiles" fired from Munchon in the east of the country were believed to be "short-range cruise missiles," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The test came a day before Wednesday's parliamentary elections in South Korea, and while the world's attention has been largely focused on the coronavirus pandemic -- which Pyongyang insists it has so far escaped.
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| China Vows Equal Treatment for Africans After Abuse Reports Posted: 13 Apr 2020 08:47 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- China pledged to ease health measures on Africans in the southern city of Guangzhou, as the country sought to resolve a dispute that could set back Beijing's diplomatic outreach during the coronavirus pandemic.The government has treated foreigners equally and attaches great importance to their life and health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian said in a statement posted late Sunday. "We reject differential treatment, and we have zero tolerance for discrimination," Zhao said. African leaders alleged discrimination against their citizens by city authorities in measures to stem the spread of imported coronavirus cases, saying Africans were mistreated, evicted from hotels, and forcefully tested for the virus. Meanwhile, McDonalds China apologized Monday after one of the chain's Guangzhou restaurants refused to serve black customers.African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed "extreme concern" to Chinese Ambassador Liu Yuxi about "allegations of maltreatment of Africans" in Guangzhou. In a tweet Saturday, he said the African Group in Beijing was engaging with the Chinese government.South Africa, the current African Union chair, separately expressed concern about "alleged ill-treatment of African nationals in China, including the forceful testing, quarantining for COVID-19, and other inhuman treatment." The country called for an investigation into the matter, according to a statement from the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation.McDonald's China said that it had closed a restaurant in Guangzhou for a half day of diversity and inclusion training Sunday after an investigation confirmed social media reports that it was barring black customers. "We apologize unreservedly to the individual and our customers. The restaurant has been ordered to stop immediately such actions," McDonald's China said Monday.The episode underscores the complexity of Beijing's challenge to manage the fallout from a disease first discovered in December in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. China has dispatched medical supplies and shared expert advice to assist Africa, where Beijing's fiscal and infrastructure support has long been a source of both praise and criticism.Assistant Chinese Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong told more than 20 ambassadors from African countries Monday that authorities in Guangdong would ease "health management" measures -- an apparent reference to quarantines -- of Africans. The province planned to gradually remove the restrictions, except for confirmed patients, suspected patients and others with close contacts, Chen said, according to a statement posted on the ministry's website late Monday. Zhao, the foreign ministry spokesman, separately hit back Monday at the U.S. State Department for a statement Saturday saying that the incidents involving Africans in China were "a sad reminder of how hollow" Beijing's ties to the continent were. "The U.S. is immoral and irresponsible to sensationalize the situation and it won't succeed in sabotaging China-Africa relations," Zhao told a regular briefing Monday in Beijing.Guangzhou has confirmed a total of 119 imported cases of Covid-19, with 25 being foreign nationals, Mayor Wen Guohui told a news conference Sunday. Wen said the Guangzhou government has treated all foreigners equally."Guangzhou is an open-minded metropolis," he said. "It's our consistent principle to have zero tolerance for discriminatory comments and behavior."(Updates with Chinese response in first and eighth paragraphs.)For 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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| Trump claims 'total' authority, uses coronavirus briefing to try to prove 'everything we did was right' Posted: 13 Apr 2020 05:11 PM PDT  President Trump devoted Monday's briefing of the coronavirus task force to countering the growing public perception that his administration was slow to respond to the virus that has sickened more than 572,000 Americans and killed more than 23,000.
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| Putin says Russia has 'a lot of problems' and 'certainly can't relax' when it comes to coronavirus Posted: 13 Apr 2020 07:51 PM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday gave a blunt assessment of how his country is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.During a televised video conference with senior government officials, Putin said Russia has "a lot of problems, and we don't have much to brag about, nor reason to, and we certainly can't relax. We are not past the peak of the epidemic, not even in Moscow." As of Monday night, there are 18,328 confirmed COVID-19 coronavirus cases in Russia, double the number five days ago, The New York Times reports. The death toll stands at 148.About two-thirds of all COVID-19 cases are in Moscow, where state media reports people suspected of having coronavirus are waiting in ambulances for hours before being moved into hospitals. There are shortages of personal protective equipment, ventilators, and medicine across the country, and Putin said "all scenarios of how the situation could develop must be taken into account, including the most difficult and extraordinary ones."More stories from theweek.com Trump's frightening claim of 'total' authority California Gov. Gavin Newsom says expect 'new normal' after stay-at-home order is eased: 'Normal it will not be' The world's dominant ideology is breaking. What will replace it?
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| Chinese ship returns to waters off Vietnam amid virus 'distraction' charges Posted: 13 Apr 2020 09:27 PM PDT |
| 21 Products to Set Up Your Bathroom Sanctuary Posted: 14 Apr 2020 03:07 PM PDT |
| Navy secretary sought OK for $243,000 flight to COVID-stricken ship after returning from Guam Posted: 14 Apr 2020 04:28 PM PDT  Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly's urgent request to fly to Guam was OK'd by the Pentagon the day after he returned. The trip cost $243,000.
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| Unrest fears rise as Nigeria's Lagos extends lockdown Posted: 14 Apr 2020 08:54 AM PDT  Bus driver Christian did not sleep at all last night after Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari ordered an extension to the lockdown in his sprawling home city Lagos to halt the coronavirus. The authorities insist that extending the shutdown in Africa's biggest city to one month is vital to stop a virus that has so far caused 343 confirmed infections and 10 deaths in Nigeria. In recent days, inhabitants in a string of districts across Lagos and neighbouring Ogun state have reported a surge in gang attacks.
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| Former Senate staffer accuses Joe Biden of sexual assault Posted: 12 Apr 2020 07:29 PM PDT  A former aide to Joe Biden is accusing the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee of sexually assaulting her during the early 1990s when he was a senator. In two recent interviews with The Associated Press, Tara Reade alleged the assault occurred in the basement of a Capitol Hill office building in the spring of 1993. It's not the first time Reade has made an accusation against the former vice president.
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| Fox News Anchor: ‘Conservatives’ Heads Would've Exploded’ if Obama Claimed ‘Total’ Authority Posted: 14 Apr 2020 11:57 AM PDT  Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Tuesday called out conservatives for exhibiting some hypocrisy over President Donald Trump asserting he had "total" authority over states' decisions, pointing out that their "heads would've exploded" if the previous president made similar remarks.During an unhinged coronavirus briefing on Monday, the president insisted that he had absolute power when it comes to states' social-distancing guidelines, claiming that he has authority over governors to decide when states should reopen amid the pandemic. Despite legal experts rebutting his assertion, the president doubled down on Tuesday and likened Democratic governors to mutineers. Appearing on Fox News' The Daily Briefing on Tuesday, Baier was asked by host Dana Perino to react to the growing back-and-forth between Trump and governors, especially with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo firing back at president's claims."First of all, the Constitution is pretty clear," Fox News' chief political anchor replied. "Constitutional scholars will say that this is not the president flicking on the switch, it's the governors and the local authorities that have that going forward.""I think that there's hypocrisy here in that, one, if President Obama had said those words that you heard from President Trump, that the authority is total with the presidency, conservatives' heads would've exploded across the board," he continued.Andrew Cuomo Slams Trump Briefings: Governors 'Should Not Watch That' At the same time, Baier felt that both sides have been hypocritical, noting that recently there was "a lot of coverage" asking why the president wasn't calling for a national stay-at-home order."But now it's, 'No, he can't open up,'" he added."The bottom line is that the president can really influence these governors and work with them," Baier concluded. "As far as the top-down order, by the Constitution, you can't do that. So it's working with these governors to open it up in a rolling kind of open is what I imagine would happen."Baier calling out the right's hypocrisy on Trump's remarks came as one of his colleagues, Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume, brushed off the president's declaration of absolute power as just "another of his serial exaggerations" that the media is giving too much attention to.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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| IRS to roll out an official tool for tracking stimulus checks Posted: 14 Apr 2020 07:10 AM PDT  The IRS is set to launch a tool that will enable US taxpayers to track their stimulus payments and update their direct deposit information in the coming days. With the first stimulus checks, also known as economic impact payments, intended to jumpstart the US economy having been sent out to taxpayers over the weekend, the IRS will be launching a tool this week called "Get My Payment," which is expected to be available by Friday, April 17, according to a report by CNBC. Get My Payment is a tracking tool that will not only allow check recipients to follow the status of their funds but will also let people update their deposit information directly with the IRS.
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| After Putin's bravado, COVID-19 is starting to hit Russia hard Posted: 14 Apr 2020 12:06 PM PDT  A month after Putin declared the situation "under control," Moscow's hospitals are running out of beds and ambulances are waiting hours to deposit the sick.
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| Taiwan's largest airline in the spotlight over China name confusion Posted: 14 Apr 2020 12:18 AM PDT |
| California Gov. Gavin Newsom said a regional West Coast reopening plan is in the works for California, Washington, and Oregon Posted: 13 Apr 2020 03:38 PM PDT  State leaders of California, Washington, and Oregon said the rate of the virus spread will need to decline before a large-scale reopening could occur.
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| As deaths mount, delivery workers say they're kept in the dark over who's sick Posted: 14 Apr 2020 03:00 AM PDT  "How are any of us supposed to get ahead of a virus when we don't even know who's sick?" asked one UPS employee.
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| Republicans warn coronavirus aid program running out of cash Posted: 14 Apr 2020 07:38 AM PDT  Republicans in the U.S. Senate and the Trump administration on Tuesday warned that a key program to help small businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic was running out of money, pressuring Democrats to agree on an emergency infusion of aid. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warned that the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program could run out of money this week unless Democrats agree to let a Republican bill adding $250 billion in forgivable loans pass by unanimous consent. Republicans oppose the Democratic measure.
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| Haftar forces pound Libya capital after losing towns Posted: 14 Apr 2020 12:37 AM PDT  The forces of Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar rained rockets on the capital Tripoli early Tuesday after being ousted by government loyalists from a string of towns to its west. Salvo after salvo of rockets caused loud explosions throughout the night, AFP correspondents reported. Several homes were hit around Mitiga airbase in the eastern suburbs, the capital's sole if intermittently functioning airport.
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| Nigeria Renews Lockdown Restrictions on Two Major Cities Posted: 13 Apr 2020 11:27 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Nigeria extended a lockdown in the country's two main cities, Lagos and Abuja, by at least two weeks.President Muhammadu Buhari renewed restrictions on the movement of people and operations of businesses in a speech on state television Monday evening just hours before the measures, imposed for an initial 14 days, were set to expire. The first country in sub-Saharan Africa to identify a person who tested positive for the illness, Nigeria now has 343 confirmed cases – more than 70% of them in Lagos and Abuja."It has become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement for another 14 days," Buhari said, prolonging the measures in the two cities as well as Ogun state, which neighbors Lagos.Lagos, Africa's largest city, is a sprawling metropolis of around 20 million people, most of which live in cramped conditions where social distancing is difficult. Abuja, the capital, is home to several million more.A large proportion of new infections are now occurring in communities, through person-to-person contacts, Buhari said."I am fully aware of the great difficulties experienced especially by those who earn a daily wage such as traders, day-workers, artisans and manual workers. Despite these realities we must not change the restrictions," he said.The Nigeria Police is deploying more personnel to Lagos and Ogun states to quell increased criminal activities linked to the lockdown, its police chief said by email. Africa's most populous country also has the highest number of people globally living in extreme poverty.Nigeria has already closed its borders and shut its international airports, while most domestic carriers have grounded their fleets. In addition to Buhari's targeted directives, some of Nigeria's 36 state governors have introduced their own restrictions in the territories they control.(Updates number of confirmed cases in second paragraph)For 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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| For Some on the Right, No Rumor Is Too Outlandish About Michigan Gov. Gretcher Whitmer Posted: 14 Apr 2020 01:48 AM PDT  As governors across the country face mounting criticism from economy-minded conservatives for enacting stringent stay-at-home orders to prevent the further spread of the novel coronavirus, one governor in particular is drawing disproportionate fire from high-ranking Republicans, conservative media outlets, and talking heads—in part, some allies fear, because she has been increasingly floated as a potential running mate for former Vice President Joe Biden.On March 23, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the first-term governor of Michigan, issued one of the most stringent executive orders in the country to combat the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit the state harder than any other outside of the Northeast. The order, which Whitmer last week extended through the end of April, banned public and private gatherings outside of a family home and closed businesses deemed non-essential to functioning during a state of emergency; it was later strengthened to restrict purchases at big-box stores for non-essential items.That last provision, as well as bans on boating, the closure of public golf courses, and restrictions on interstate travel, has proven deeply unpopular with some Michiganders, for the same reason that this entire experience is unpopular with everyone—it is lame to be stuck at home and unable to buy things you like, hang out with friends, or, if the option is available, ride on a boat."People always say: 'Conservatives never protest because they are too busy working.' Well, guess what, you're not working—so it's time to PROTEST," reads an invitation to "Operation Gridlock," an auto-based protest scheduled for April 15 at the Michigan Capitol Building that urges conservatives outraged over the executive order to circle the complex in their cars, horns honking and lights flashing."Come prepared for a traffic jam in Lansing!" the invitation for the event, organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and the Michigan Freedom Fund, an anti-Whitmer nonprofit backed by the wealthy DeVos family. "We WANT gridlock."Conservative frustrations with the perceived overreach of state and local governments that have enacted social-distancing measures are not new—on Monday, President Donald Trump erroneously declared that he can supersede stay-at-home orders in order to "reopen" the country whenever he chooses. But an online misinformation campaign targeting Whitmer's order has scattered increasingly deranged theories to the wind, with senior Republican officials and right-wing commentators amplifying the message.On Sunday, conservative columnist Andrew Malcolm tweeted an image of Whitmer that, he said, showed her signing the executive order—which orders fines of up to $1,000 for violations of social-distancing orders—while surrounded by nearly a dozen people. The tweet went viral, despite the image in question being a file photo of an unrelated signing ceremony in January 2019.Among those who retweeted the image was Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who concluded from the group's size that "that's $11k right there...." Cruz later deleted the tweet, blaming it on an "MSM error."Fellow Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said in a Monday appearance on Fox & Friends that Whitmer's "ignorance and her hatred of Donald Trump" was her motivation for a since-reversed warning in a letter from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs that threatened "administrative action" against doctors who prescribed experimental antimalarial drugs to COVID-19 patients.Meghan McCain, the token right-wing panelist on The View, retweeted another viral image—this one posted by the former campaign manager for 2018 Republican Senate candidate John James—claiming that Michiganders were forbidden from buying car seats for infants."Guess it's good I don't live in Michigan—otherwise how would I transport my child home from the hospital @GovWhitmer?" tweeted McCain. "Are you going to ban cribs next? Being pregnant during this time is insanely stressful—we are all doing our best. Shame on you for doing this @GovWhitmer."Far-right conspiracy site Gateway Pundit went a step further Monday, accusing Whitmer of banning the sale of American flags and alleging that limitations on selling gardening supplies meant that the governor intended to starve constituents.Whitmer tweeted cheery notes in response to the misinformation, linking both Cruz and McCain to a FAQ page outlining the executive order (Cruz deleted his tweet; McCain, characteristically, refused)."There's a lot of false information that is being disseminated, and I think you have to always discern if there is political posturing going on as opposed to sharing facts," Whitmer told reporters during a Monday briefing on the coronavirus outbreak in Michigan, in which she said that the measures appear to be flattening the infection curve in the state. "Don't prey on other people's anxieties. Think about the 1,602 [Michiganders] who have died from COVID-19—each one of these people had a story. While some of us are grieving the loss of our freedom, they are grieving the loss of their loved ones."Sources close to Whitmer told The Daily Beast that they suspect that the increased scrutiny—particularly compared to other high-profile governors of states that have implemented strict measures to prevent the spread of the virus, including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy—is due to Whitmer's inclusion on Biden's short list of potential running mates."Republicans see a female governor of a state that's at the forefront of the biggest political issue facing the nation—and a state that they're desperate to keep," an aide to Whitmer told The Daily Beast. "But if you're going to try and take shots against the governor for political purposes, you have to do better than Gateway Pundit."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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| About 25% of Marriott hotels shuttered worldwide due to coronavirus Posted: 14 Apr 2020 12:42 PM PDT  About 25% of Marriott's 7,300 hotels around the world are temporarily closed as a result of the new coronavirus, according to the company.
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| New York City revises coronavirus death toll to add 3,700 more deaths Posted: 14 Apr 2020 01:53 PM PDT  New York City has made a devastating revision to its already massive coronavirus death toll.On Tuesday, the city's health department released a revised COVID-19 death count that included those who were not tested but were presumed to have died from the disease. That added an additional 3,700 people, bumping the city's total count well over 10,000 coronavirus fatalities.New York City was already the epicenter of coronavirus spread both in the U.S. and the world, reporting well over 7,000 verified COVID-19 deaths on Monday. These 3,700 additional deaths mark a massive 17 percent increase to the national death toll, putting it over 26,000, The New York Times notes.The previous death count only included people who had tested positive for COVID-19, but New York City's health department had been recording presumptive cases, the Times reports. "In the heat of battle, our primary focus has been on saving lives," Mayor Bill de Blasio's press secretary said, but de Blasio moved to release the additional data after a series of weekend briefings. Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Ohio have all recently moved to start reporting presumptive COVID-19 deaths.More stories from theweek.com Trump's frightening claim of 'total' authority California Gov. Gavin Newsom says expect 'new normal' after stay-at-home order is eased: 'Normal it will not be' The world's dominant ideology is breaking. What will replace it?
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| Florida man charged with murder after wife disappears amid suspicious coronavirus messages Posted: 13 Apr 2020 02:45 PM PDT  Texts from Gretchen Anthony's cell phone said she had COVID-19 but there's no medical record of it
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| Zimbabwe president threatens 20 years jail over fake lockdown statement Posted: 14 Apr 2020 04:46 AM PDT  Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday threatened 20 years in jail to the author of a statement purporting to bear his signature that said the lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak had been extended. Mnangagwa, who was speaking at his farm after touring Gweru city in central Zimbabwe, told state broadcaster ZBC he had not extended the 21-day lockdown. National police spokesman Paul Nyathi said more than 5,000 people had been arrested for venturing outside their homes without permission but denied security forces had abused residents.
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| Has Trump finally met his match? The female reporters setting him straight Posted: 14 Apr 2020 11:23 AM PDT  During Monday's coronavirus briefing, the president talked over reporter Paula Reid – a pattern he seems to follow when talking to female journalists * Coronavirus – live US updates * Live global updates * See all our coronavirus coverageDonald Trump seems to have misplaced an entire six weeks recently: he is yet to account for what he did in the first six weeks after the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the US.Yesterday, the CBS reporter Paula Reid was determined to ask him about it at a White House press conference. "How do you close down the greatest economy in the history of the world when, on January 17, you have no cases [of Covid-19 in the US] and no deaths?" he replied. "On January 21, you have one case and no deaths. Think of that, we're supposed to close down the country?"In the exchange, the president highlights his decision to close US borders to China, and suggests that Democrats, in particular Joe Biden, accused him of xenophobia at the time.But Reid was not convinced. "The argument is that you bought yourself some time. But what did you do with that time? You didn't use it to prepare hospitals, you didn't use it to ramp up testing. Right now, nearly 20 million are unemployed, tens of thousands of Americans are dead," says Reid.In the ensuing debacle, Trump talks over her, raising his voice and calling Reid disgraceful – a pattern he seems to follow when talking to female journalists, and female journalists of color particularly. Earlier this month, the PBS journalist Yamiche Alcindor had a similar interaction with Trump, during which he told her to "be nice". Alcindor stood her ground and held her line of questioning.Trump continuously looks down during Reid's questioning, but if it's a script he is consulting, it doesn't seem very versatile. "What do you do when you have no cases in the whole United States –" he begins, before Reid interjects: "You had cases in February."Reid does what all journalists who are facing Donald Trump should do: she demands an answer, she holds him to account, and she remains steadfast and unfazed while he ignores her questions and insults her instead."Look, look, you know you're a fake. You know that, your whole network, the way that you cover it is fake," responds Trump. He goes on to ask about Joe Biden apologizing for closing the borders."There are thousands of Americans dead right now, we don't care about why Joe Biden didn't apologize to you," responds Reid.Trump continues to give himself credit for closing borders in January. But still, nobody knows what happened in February.
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| China denies seeking virus praise from Germany Posted: 13 Apr 2020 06:06 AM PDT  Beijing denied Monday that it was soliciting praise for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic following a report that Chinese representatives tried to earn kudos from German officials. China has faced criticism abroad -- notably in the United States -- over the outbreak that first emerged in the central city of Wuhan late last year. It has sent aid to European countries in recent weeks, a move seen as a charm offensive to deflect blame for the pandemic.
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| 'A slap in the face': Furious Michiganders are planning to protest their governor's travel crackdowns in the state capital Posted: 13 Apr 2020 10:47 AM PDT  On social media and in nearly 1,200 emails to Insider, Michigan residents expressed anger at every aspect of the governor's executive order.
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| Taliban say US bombing insurgents at home contrary to deal Posted: 14 Apr 2020 11:15 AM PDT  Washington peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with Pakistan's military chief Tuesday, a day after discussing the lagging U.S.-Taliban peace deal in Afghanistan with the chief negotiator for the insurgent movement. The meetings included Gen. Scott Miller, head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Statements from the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the U.S. military in Kabul said Washington was engaged in "ongoing efforts" to find a sustainable peace after decades of relentless war but the U.S. officials released no details.
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| The rich have fled New York City. I’m sick of being told that I need to stay, because I want to escape too. Posted: 14 Apr 2020 12:03 PM PDT  People with second homes and with funds to spare left NYC when the coronavirus hit. Those who couldn't afford to go are being lectured to stay put.
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| It’s Time to Rectify Taiwan’s Shameful Treatment on the International Stage Posted: 14 Apr 2020 09:56 AM PDT  'Will the WHO reconsider Taiwan's membership?" The question — asked by Radio Television Hong Kong's Yvonne Tong — caused Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior advisor to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and a leader in its response to the coronavirus, to put on quite the show. Initially, Aylward feigned as if he had not heard. When Tong offered to repeat her query, Aylward insisted it was "OK" and suggested that they "move on to another one." For a third time, Tong pressed the issue, only to have Aylward reach forward and hang up on the stunned journalist. In a follow-up call, Tong again raised the topic of Taiwan. Aylward demurred that they had already discussed "China."Incidents like this one clarify the corrupting threat that the People's Republic of China (PRC) represents to international institutions — to say nothing of its threat to the United States and to the broader project of human freedom and flourishing. The PRC's population of nearly one and half billion people, and the control that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) exerts over that population, afford it significant economic leverage that it uses to bully feckless individuals, organizations, and nation-states into ignoring and even defending its atrocious record on human rights and indefensible postures toward Hong Kong and Taiwan.Even in the U.S. — the PRC's chief competitor both economically and ideologically — we have borne witness to this frightening power. When Daryl Morey, the general manager of the NBA's Houston Rockets, tweeted out a message of support for Hong Kong's protesters last October, the league issued a statement condemning Morey's tweet as "regrettable" and "offensive." Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James blathered on about Morey and the public's need to be better "educated." Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr chastised Americans for worrying about China while gun violence remained an issue in the U.S.This inclination of international and American institutions to cower in the face of the PRC's economic power is unnerving. As it continues to flex its geopolitical muscles, crack down on protesters in Hong Kong, and commit an appalling cultural genocide against the Uyghurs in the province of Xinjiang, the prospect of anyone's standing up to the PRC seems decreasingly likely, even as the repercussions of acquiescence become increasingly apparent in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Recently, apologists have taken to praising the PRC for its global leadership in combating the coronavirus instead of shining a spotlight on how its deception led to the pandemic's proliferation.But the U.S. can work to reverse this trend with an important symbolic measure: recognizing that Taiwan is and ought to be a free and independent state. This would be a fitting move for President Trump to make. He ran for office as a China hawk, denouncing past administrations for allowing the PRC to bully us in the international marketplace, steal our intellectual property, and endanger American jobs. But recognizing Taiwan would represent an even more important stand: a moral one.Taiwan, the small island off the southern coast of the PRC to which Chiang Kai-shek and his followers fled after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War, has turned into a model of democracy, freedom, and human flourishing. It has its own distinct culture and does not consider itself subject to President Xi Jinping's will or state-imposed Thought. Without the CCP running the show, Taiwan has thrived economically. As one of the four "Asian Tigers," it has achieved a GDP per capita of over $25,000 USD. The PRC manages to crack just $10,000. Its people enjoy broad free-speech rights and are not persecuted for the practice of their respective religions. In other words, it is not the PRC, and the time has come to dispel the fiction that Taiwan belongs to it.President-elect Trump took a step in this direction when he accepted a phone call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in December 2016. The decision was criticized sharply by many in the foreign-policy establishment as a breach of protocol and a break with the U.S.'s "One China Policy." For those of us horrified by the world's persistent acquiescence to the PRC, it was a breath of fresh air. Today, with the brutality of Xi Jinping's regime made plain by its treatment of the Uyghurs and Hong Kong protesters, and the dangers of its long reach laid bare by the coronavirus crisis and the WHO's pathetic efforts to cover for the PRC's role in its spread, the time has come to take the next step. While the U.S. can and should continue to reprimand the Chinese for their actions in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, these lectures do little to deter the PRC, or inspire anyone to stand up to it. Recognizing Taiwan while still acknowledging the PRC's claim to the mainland, on the other hand, would represent a significant blow to the PRC and send a signal to the rest of the world that the days of pretending that the world is as the CCP says it is are over. Xi Jinping has said that Taiwan "must and will" be reunited with the PRC. The U.S. should say that it will remain an independent nation — and a beacon of hope to those suffering under authoritarian rule.Recognizing Taiwan would not come without assured consequences and the assumption of significant risks. The PRC would condemn the U.S. and attempt to use its economic power to get others around the globe to do the same. But the U.S is no stranger to being among a righteous remnant on issues of international importance — our hardline on Iran, support of Israel, etc. — and facing down the PRC and its influence would be the very point of such a move. Moreover, forecasts of graver ramifications, including the PRC's running away from the negotiating table on trade and intellectual property issues, becoming uncooperative in the effort to contain and control North Korea, or perhaps even taking military action against Taiwan are overstated. It is doubtful that the PRC will, in its current incarnation, truly commit either to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula or to pursuing a reciprocal trade relationship with the U.S. as it is. And were the PRC — amidst a global pandemic of their own creation — to invade or lob missiles at Taiwan, it would bring about the end of its legitimacy and influence around the world. It is time to weigh the consequences of continuing to play ball with the CCP and allowing the world's geopolitical reality to be shaped by Xi Jinping the rest of his Politburo alongside the risks of recognizing Taiwan. If the most powerful man in the most powerful country on the face of the planet cannot speak truth to the PRC, nobody else will.Ronald Reagan, for all of his many successes, will forever be known best for his call to tear down the Berlin Wall. In Taiwan, President Trump has an opportunity to be remembered as the world leader who finally said "enough" to the PRC, and galvanized those who enable it to do the same. He should take it.
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| More Americans OK with businesses not serving gays based on religion, survey finds Posted: 14 Apr 2020 02:40 PM PDT  Solid majorities of all age groups and parties support same-sex marriage and prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination.
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| Poll: Trump approval rating rises, but more Americans support Biden for president Posted: 14 Apr 2020 04:34 PM PDT  The number of Americans who approve of President Trump rose by 5 percentage points over the past week, but registered voters still favored Democrat Joe Biden for president by a small margin, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday.
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| Russia says it's ready for hypersonic missile talks with U.S. Posted: 14 Apr 2020 02:52 AM PDT  Russia is ready to discuss hypersonic missiles and other arms control issues with the United States as part of wider discussions about strategic stability, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday. Cold War-era arms control agreements have been in jeopardy as Russia's relations with the West have soured in recent years. In August 2019, the United States pulled out of a landmark strategic arms accord, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), citing Russian non-compliance.
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| Trump Negotiating to Lease Oil Storage Space to Nine Companies Posted: 14 Apr 2020 05:00 AM PDT |
| McDonald's apologises after China store bans black people Posted: 14 Apr 2020 04:53 AM PDT  US chain McDonald's has apologised after a sign telling black people they were banned from entering a branch in southern China prompted outrage online, following reports of discriminatory treatment towards Africans in the city. Tensions have flared between police and Africans in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou after local officials announced a cluster of COVID-19 cases in a neighbourhood with a large migrant population. As the row escalated, posts widely shared online showed a sign at fast food chain McDonald's saying black people were not allowed to enter the restaurant.
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| Mitch McConnell tried to gut a CDC program directed at detecting and responding to infectious-disease outbreaks Posted: 13 Apr 2020 08:16 AM PDT  McConnell and other Republicans have repeatedly tried to gut the CDC's program, but most of it ultimately survived.
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| Should passengers return to cruise ships after the pandemic? No Posted: 14 Apr 2020 05:56 AM PDT  Cruise ships have become floating dungeons where the unlucky have been confined – ideal incubators of infectious diseases * Coronavirus – live US updates * Live global updates * See all our coronavirus coverageSince the coronavirus outbreak, cruise ships have transformed from (polarizing) sites of pleasure to floating dungeons where the extremely unlucky have been, or continue to be, confined. The Guardian recently reported that, as of last Friday, more than 6,300 people – crew and passengers alike – were still stranded on cruise ships.Those stuck aboard are understandably frightened and uncertain. The sick are unable to receive long-term care, and the threat of contagion is omnipresent. A wave of would-be vacationers who have returned to dry land are launching lawsuits against cruise companies; some have accused cruise operators of endangering passengers by covering up cases of coronavirus onboard. Indeed, cruise companies – despite claiming to have been blindsided by the speed and severity of the coronavirus outbreak – continued to launch voyages even after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic.Between cruise operators' disastrous pandemic response and the economic effects of the pandemic, the future of the cruise industry is uncertain. Cruise operators are no doubt wondering when – or if - passengers will return. But the better question is: Should passengers return?There are plenty of reasons for the answer to be no.For many tourists, cruises are the ideal vacation – a chance to see the world with limited hassle and unlimited buffets. But, as Covid-19 has emphasized, in addition to convenience and luxury, cruises also provide a golden opportunity to get sick. Even in the absence of a global pandemic, cruise ships are ideal incubators of infectious diseases.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigates about 13 outbreaks of gastrointestinal bugs like E coli and norovirus aboard cruise ships a year; influenza and chickenpox are also fairly common. Last May, measles broke out aboard a Scientology cruise. Yes, you can get sick anywhere, but according to Tara C Smith, professor of epidemiology at Kent State University, cruise ships genuinely amplify the risk of infection – in part because of the close quarters onboard, and in part because passengers are at the mercy of companies' hygienic standards. In 2019, Carnival Cruises failed sanitation inspections for offenses including "brown water" discharge from showers in the medical center and unclean food service utensils. Moreover, when you fall ill on a cruise you are dependent on contractor physicians who charge high fees regular health insurance is unlikely to cover.> A passenger's carbon footprint triples in size when taking a cruiseAfter investigating air quality on cruises, the Johns Hopkins University professor Ryan David Kennedy told CNN their onboard air pollution was "comparable to concentrations measured in polluted cities, including Beijing and Santiago". Yet the health risks posed by cruise ship emissions do not only affect their passengers. As Forbes reports, a single cruise ship emits daily pollution equal to a million cars. A passenger's carbon footprint triples in size when taking a cruise. The Royal College of Physicians estimates that the premature deaths of about 40,000 Britons every year are linked to air pollution, with the cruise and shipping industry being major contributors.Then, there's the fact that cruises expel enormous quantities of hideous discharge into the ocean. Cruises are notorious for covering up the fact that they illegally dump sewage, garbage and sulfurous fuel waste – sometimes even in the protected waters of national parks. Carnival Corp's environmental violations date back to 1993 and they still haven't cleaned up their act.Then again, why would they? Even massive fines – such as the $40m US Carnival was charged in 2016 for illegally dumping oily water off the coast of England and trying to cover up the crime – hardly matter when some cruise companies earn revenues of almost $19bn annually, essentially tax-free. Cruise companies are able to exploit a loophole to avoid most US taxes and labor regulations; three major companies make up 70% of the global cruise market, all of which are incorporated in countries with tax and labor laws very different from those of the US.Yes, many people who work on cruises are currently losing their jobs, and that is rightly sad. But bear in mind that the cruise industry's economic model is built around hiring people from poor countries whose economic prospects are so bad they are willing to endure exploitation and mistreatment. Despite the industry's massive profits, cruises pay employees as little as $600 a month.Additionally, cruises further the misguided notion that vacationers should be entitled to travel anywhere, no matter how culturally and ecologically sensitive. Case in point: as sea ice dwindles, the Arctic has emerged as a chic destination, allowing cruise passengers to observe the effects of climate change while actively contributing to it.It's comforting to believe that our vacations benefit local communities – but that's not always true, especially in the case of cruise tourism. Residents of Nunavut, Canada, have expressed concerns that cruise ships disrupt wildlife and threaten their culture. Investigations have also found that the sunny economic impact figures provided by the cruise industry may overstate the revenue their business actually brings to local communities.When cruise lines are able to sail again, they will do their best to lure customers back with cheaper prices. Hopefully, the debacle of the cruise industry's botched pandemic response has shown consumers what industry watchdogs have known for decades: the cruise industry is an ethical disaster that shirks accountability at every turn. It is not worth keeping afloat. * Adrienne Matei is a journalist who writes about technology and culture
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| GOP Sen. Josh Hawley introduces legislation targeting China for withholding coronavirus info Posted: 14 Apr 2020 11:03 AM PDT  Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced new legislation Tuesday targeting the Chinese Communist Party for its role in the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.> Today I'm announcing legislation to hold China accountable. My bill would strip China of its immunity in US courts and create a private right of action against the Chinese Communist Party for silencing whistleblowers & withholding critical information about COVID19> > -- Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 14, 2020From Hawley's perspective, Beijing needs to pay up -- figuratively and literally -- for not alerting the rest of the world in a truthful and timely manner about the virus during the early stages of its spread after it originated in the city of Wuhan. The bill, which is called the Justice for Victims of COVID-19 Act, would strip the Chinese government of sovereign immunity so Americans can sue "for any reckless actions it took that caused the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States."It would also establish a task force dedicated to investigating how Beijing's "decisions to distort and conceal" information about COVID-19 led to the pandemic, as well as securing compensation from the CCP.Unsurprisingly Hawley and some of his colleagues, like Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), have received pushback from Beijing over their criticism of the party, but some analysts in the U.S. have also expressed concern that their efforts to shift the blame to China are obscuring Washington's own failures. > It's easy to dismiss this as crazy, but the easiest way for the GOP to shift responsibility for their poor coronavirus choice is to whip up nationalism and blame China. > > This should scare you. https://t.co/p46dNRyhoG> > -- Emma Ashford (@EmmaMAshford) April 12, 2020More stories from theweek.com Trump's frightening claim of 'total' authority California Gov. Gavin Newsom says expect 'new normal' after stay-at-home order is eased: 'Normal it will not be' The world's dominant ideology is breaking. What will replace it?
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