| Why is Trump so restrained about the Biden sexual assault allegation? Posted: 24 May 2020 09:00 PM PDT  The president rarely misses a chance to sling mud but he has been uncharacteristically quiet about Tara Reade's claimSometimes Donald Trump portrays his election rival, Joe Biden, as a sleepy geriatric who should be in a care home because "he doesn't know he's alive". At others, the president speaks of Biden as a wily manipulator who conspired with the deep state and China.But in this scattergun approach, the US president has been uncharacteristically reluctant to use what, in normal times, would seem standard political ammunition: an allegation of sexual assault.It took more than a month after Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer, alleged on a podcast that Biden sexually assaulted her in a Capitol Hill basement in 1993, for Trump to publicly address the matter.Even then, the US president's comments on 30 April were unusually milquetoast. "I don't know anything about it," Trump said. "I don't know exactly – I think he should respond. You know, it could be false accusations. I know all about false accusations. I've been falsely charged numerous times. And there is such a thing."Then, speaking on Fox News's Fox & Friends, usually a comfort zone, he again declined to go for Biden's jugular. "Look, he's got to fight that battle," he said. "I've had battles, too, where I've had false accusations, many times. I've had many false accusations made, I can tell you that. Many. And maybe it is a false accusation. Frankly, I hope it is, for his sake."The first and most obvious explanation for the president's reticence is that he himself has been accused of assault and unwanted touching by a long list of women, some far more recently than Reade's account. He also denies the allegations. On the other hand, Trump has never allowed perceived double standards to get in the way of his scorched earth tactics in the past.Monika McDermott, a political science professor at Fordham University in New York, said: "It's surprising in a way because usually Trump doesn't pull back on things even when they do seem hypocritical or ironic or choose your adjective. Yet he is in this particular instance. I don't know if he's waiting for something to happen or whether he's waiting to see how it plays out before he does anything. He seems to be finding what seem to him more fruitful attack routes against Obama and other things and people than against Biden right now."In 2016 Trump's campaign was rocked by the release of an Access Hollywood tape in which he could heard bragging about using his fame to grab women's private parts. Instead of quitting, he went on the offensive against his rival Hillary Clinton by highlighting sexual assault allegations against her husband, former president Bill Clinton, and even inviting those accusers to a press conference before a presidential debate.But this November will witness the first presidential election since the rise of the MeToo movement, which has encouraged women to come forward with allegations of sexual assault against prominent men in politics, show business and other industries.Biden has committed to picking a woman as his running mate and frequently cites his work as lead sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act. Both candidates are keenly aware that suburban women could be a pivotal demographic in the final vote.While Trump remains taciturn, Republicans have instead focused much of their response on Brett Kavanaugh, the supreme court justice whose nomination was nearly derailed by sexual misconduct allegations. The Trump campaign pointed to statements made by Democrats during the Kavanaugh episode to portray them as hypocritical.Erin Perrine, principal deputy communications director at the Trump campaign, said: "During Justice Kavanaugh's hearings, Biden made clear that all women should be believed when they come forward with allegations of sexual assault. Biden's own work during the Obama administration lowered standards for such accusations on college campuses as to effectively institute a presumption of guilt. In a dramatic shift, Biden now says 'believe women' doesn't actually mean 'believe women.'"Trump himself, however, has preferred to take aim at other targets, seeking to implicate Biden in a so-called "Obamagate" conspiracy that many seen as an attempt to deflect attention from the coronavirus pandemic – likely to prove a more significant issue in November.Amid Democratic alarm that the Reade allegation could dent Biden's support among women, the former vice-president vehemently denied it in an interview on the MSNBC network on 1 May and repeated that position in a series of media appearances.The story has faded from prominence in recent days, especially after the PBS NewsHour interviewed 74 former Biden staffers, of whom 62 were women, and found none said that they had experienced sexual harassment, assault or misconduct by Biden, nor ever heard rumors or allegations to that effect.By pushing the case, Trump may have more to lose than to gain. Rich Galen, a former Republican strategist, said: "The case against Biden keeps getting thinner and thinner so I'm not sure that there's much there. And all the people who's accused Trump, it would be like listing the names of the people who died in Vietnam every night."Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, added: "Trump, if nothing else, knows how to read his audience: 'No, they're not going to buy anything I sell on this point.' There's no need to even open that Pandora's box because it's a Pandora's box for him, not Joe Biden. I think that's why the president has largely decided not to engage at that level."My sense is right now, despite what others in the campaign may want to do, there is no energy from the president himself to open up that door and go through it."
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| Feds looking at Ahmaud Arbery's death as a hate crime, attorneys say Posted: 25 May 2020 02:43 PM PDT  U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia said his office is looking into why Glynn County and the state of Georgia took so long to make arrests, Arbery's family's attorneys said.
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| COVID-19 Has Turned Paradise Into a Privacy Nightmare Posted: 25 May 2020 01:39 AM PDT  When Tara Trunfio stepped off her flight from Boulder to Maui, she didn't see the leis and grass skirts that so many visitors expect. Instead, the 23-year-old saw masked officials warning that visitors who don't comply with the islands' 14-day quarantine requirement would be arrested. A Hawaiian get-away sounds magical to the millions of cooped-up Americans who want to trade in their virtual beach background for the real thing. But a trip to the beach can quickly turn into a stay in jail. That's just what happened to Trunfio, who drew national attention this month after being arrested for allegedly violating quarantine.For years, Americans have debated the shape their national borders should take, but the newest border controls have increasingly been built on state lines. We're a long way off from Berlin Wall-style barricades along your local interstate, but in the COVID-19 era governors have issued quarantine orders for out-of-state residents and returning visitors. Rhode Island, Florida, and Texas have stopped out-of-state drivers (sometimes using the National Guard) to remind them of quarantine requirements and obtain a signed compliance agreement. But the most alarming restrictions come from a state that doesn't have to worry about people driving into town.She Tried to Escape Her Ex—but the Courthouse Was ClosedIn recent weeks, Hawaii has rolled out the so-called "Safe Travels System," giving officials information on how travelers comply with the state's 14-day quarantine requirement. On its face, the plan mirrors those imposed at a growing number of national borders—the U.S. included—in the face of the coronavirus outbreak. For jurisdictions with few COVID-19 cases, forcing newcomers to quarantine in hopes of containing the spread of a deadly illness can be a perfectly rational public policy.But as lockdowns show signs of easing in some states, the system in Hawaii is bringing the potential civil-liberties pitfalls of disease detective work into clearer—and more disturbing—focus.If you forget to register before you get on a plane to Hawaii right now, you're in for a show. If you refuse to register or provide a false contact number upon arrival, police can arrest you on the spot. Some authorities are going even further, searching property tax records to verify travelers' lodgings. Airport personnel roll mobile kiosks from gate to gate, checking phone numbers and addresses, making 7,600 phone calls in just the first 2 weeks to ensure numbers are legit and that people are staying put.But while Safe Travels may be a practical requirement to enter Hawaii, it's not a legal one. There's no law or regulation requiring travelers to use the app. Even the Safe Travels website couches things in voluntary terms: "All persons traveling to or within Hawaii are encouraged to register your trip into the Hawaii Safe Travels System to expedite your exit from the airport." But when a Washington man recently arrived in Honolulu without a confirmed address or proof he had funds to pay for a place to stay, he was sent back.For the travelers who do "volunteer" to use the Safe Travels System, it's not enough to just register with the site. For two weeks, travelers have to check in daily, reporting their health condition and address. Safe Travels will then use travelers' location data to confirm where travelers are. While Americans are being asked to give sensitive health and location data to Hawaii officials, those same officials are reluctant to share how that data is being used. (The Hawaii Department of Transportation and governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)Safe Travels' FAQ website claims that data is only shared with "authorized personnel responsible for quarantine monitoring and enforcement," but we have no way of knowing who those people are. And even if it's just law enforcement agencies— as opposed to private entities—enforcing quarantine, that is no reassurance at all. Effectively, Americans have no way of knowing how much data a state might collect on them, how long it is held, or if Tapiki, the private firm that co-developed Safe Travels, has access to the data. (Tapiki did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)If and when the app gets it wrong, there's reason to fear users of color will pay the price. As GPS signals are often less accurate in densely constructed urban areas, lower-income travelers might be at higher risk of a false alarm. And it's completely unclear how individuals will navigate Hawaii's requirements when they stay in locations without reliable internet or cell service. Many of those most at risk from COVID-19, such as the elderly and communities of color, also lack access to a smartphone. As a result, Hawaii is threatening to turn the digital divide into a criminal offense.The consequences are enormous. At a time when COVID-19 can easily turn detention into a death sentence, Hawaii authorities have already arrested approximately 20 people for violating quarantine, including a Florida man and an Illinois woman after witnesses saw them with shopping bags. A California man similarly was charged after allegedly traveling from his Hawaiian home to Costco. More recently, a second Colorado tourist was being sought after police learned she had canceled her reservation at the hostel where she registered to stay.Here's What Trump's Black Male Supporters Say They See in HimEven when this surveillance web paints an accurate picture of human behavior, it erodes public trust and cooperation at a time when they are needed most. In-state residents must quarantine at the address listed on their government-issued ID, creating an acute risk for many, such as survivors of domestic violence and those living with immunocompromised relatives or roommates. For undocumented Americans, the system creates yet another tool with which people could theoretically be tracked by ICE, coming just months after the Trump Administration reportedly purchased similar location data from commercial vendors.Hawaii's case is likely the most extreme to date, but it's far from unique. In Washington State, civil rights watchdogs expressed alarm that the state was implementing manual contact-tracing requirements without adequate safeguards. Under the state's effort, not only would 1,400 contact tracers be hired, but businesses would be required to keep a log of every customer they contacted. Across the country, New York City's top civil rights watchdog expressed similar alarm at the lack of safeguards for data collected by the city and state's combined contract tracing program, which may hire as many as 18,000 tracers. And at the same time, Silicon Valley's effort to get into the COVID-19 tracking business has seen sharp pushback from civil rights and immigrant justice groups, including our own.America stands at a crossroads in the COVID-19 fight, and the choices we make now may impact our society for generations. For those trying to fend off a loss of life unparalleled in modern history, the call for surveillance is increasingly urgent. But surveillance skeptics not only question the privacy costs of a public health dragnet, they fear new tracking tools will harm public health instead of helping. Without safeguards and public trust, surveillance measures might drive those on the margins of our society into the shadows, undermining the very contact tracing this technology is supposed to help. For states that erect new barriers, it may provide a temporary relief from the onslaught of new cases. But it will also deeply damage the sense of national unity that we will need for our long, unrelenting fights against disease and death.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Defiant Netanyahu goes on trial in Israel charged with corruption Posted: 23 May 2020 11:23 PM PDT  Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday became the first serving Israeli prime minister to go on trial, proclaiming his innocence in the corridor before walking into court to face charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The trial came a week after Israel's longest-serving leader was sworn in to a record fifth term, demonstrating his knack for survival by securing an unexpected power-sharing deal with his main opponent after three inconclusive elections in a year. In the courtroom, Netanyahu and the judges wore face masks because of the coronavirus crisis.
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| Venezuela celebrates docking of tanker with Iran gasoline Posted: 25 May 2020 08:44 AM PDT  Venezuelan authorities celebrated Monday as the first of five Iranian tankers loaded with gasoline docked in the South American country, delivering badly needed fuel to the crisis-stricken nation that sits atop the world's largest oil reserves. The gasoline shipments are arriving in defiance of stiff sanctions by the Trump administration against both nations, and they mark a new era in the burgeoning relationship between Venezuela and Iran, which is expanding its footprint in the Western Hemisphere. "We keep moving forward and winning," Venezuela's Minister of Energy Tareck El Aissami tweeted.
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| Italy to recruit army of 60,000 volunteers to enforce social distancing rules Posted: 25 May 2020 06:51 AM PDT  Italy wants to recruit an army of 60,000 volunteers to help enforce social distancing rules, amid fears that a second wave of infections could be looming. The volunteers would not have any policing powers but would patrol piazzas, parks, playgrounds, markets, bar areas and beaches, asking people not to congregate in large groups. They would be drawn from the ranks of the unemployed, those on income support and those who have been furloughed as a result of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. The "civic assistants", as they would be known, would monitor gatherings and pass on information to the police and the Civil Protection Agency. They would not be able to force people to disperse. They would work up to three days a week for a maximum of 16 hours. The scheme will be voluntary – they will not be paid but will be able to continue claiming unemployment and other benefits.
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| Six women prisoners murdered by inmates in Honduras Posted: 24 May 2020 02:12 PM PDT  Six women were killed by alleged gang members at a women's prison near the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa, the National Penitentiary Institute said on Sunday. The killers broke through gates and the roof of a building at the women's prison in Tamara, 10 kilometers to the north of Tegucigalpa, "to go to the gymnasium where six prisoners were staying and murdered them," said the INP. One prisoner had earlier caused a diversion by starting a fire in a dormitory where two inmates quarantined over the coronavirus pandemic were sleeping, in a building housing 1,300 prisoners.
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| Coronavirus: US suspends travel from Brazil for foreigners Posted: 25 May 2020 01:02 AM PDT  Brazil has recently become a new coronavirus hotspot with more than 300,000 known cases.
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| Russia records its highest daily death toll from the coronavirus as its number of new cases appears to decline Posted: 24 May 2020 07:31 PM PDT  Russia denies that it has manipulated coronavirus data and maintains that its mortality rate from the virus is among the lowest in the world.
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| Trump insults Marine veteran Rep. Conor Lamb, calls him an 'American fraud' Posted: 25 May 2020 04:28 PM PDT  President Trump spent part of Memorial Day taking shots at Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Penn.), calling him an "American fraud," misrepresenting his voting record, and spelling his name wrong, all in one tweet.Lamb, a Marine Corps veteran, represents Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District. The state's primary is next week, and Trump took the opportunity to praise his opponent, Republican Army combat veteran Sean Parnell, while slamming Lamb. "Sean Parnell is an American Hero," Trump tweeted. "Connor Lamm has proven to be an American fraud, and a puppet for Crazy Nancy Pelosi. He said he would NOT vote for her for Speaker, and did. Will kill 2A. Voted to impeach (on nothing). A TOTAL & COMPLETE Sean Parnell Endorsement!"Lamb was one of more than a dozen Democrats to not vote for Pelosi as Speaker of the House in 2019. In response, Lamb tweeted that Trump and Republicans have been "lying about my record since the day I became a candidate. It hasn't stopped, and it won't stop, until we beat them at the ballot box in November."More stories from theweek.com Trump still hasn't taken his annual physical and it's starting to get weird How social conservatives traded causes for clichés WHO temporarily pauses hydroxychloroquine study, citing safety concerns
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| FBI investigating Ahmaud Arbery shooting as possible hate crime, lawyer says Posted: 25 May 2020 03:19 PM PDT  Attorney for family of black jogger shot by white men says federal authorities are looking into prosecutors and police in caseThe FBI is investigating the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a black jogger, by two white men as a possible hate crime, the Arbery family's attorney said Monday, claiming that federal authorities had launched a criminal inquiry into two district attorneys and the police department involved in the case.Lee Martin, who represents the family of Arbery, 25, whose 23 February killing in Brunswick, Georgia, was captured on a graphic video recording that sparked national outrage, said he met with officials from the Department of Justice last Thursday.Martin said they told him federal investigators were looking into potential "criminal and civil" violations by two officials who later recused themselves from the case. They are George Barnhill of the Waycross judicial district, who recommended no arrests, and Jackie Johnson of Glynn county, who has denied accusations she ordered police to make no arrests on the day the unarmed Arbery was shot.The Georgia chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has called on both Barnhill and Johnson to resign and face charges of obstruction of justice.Martin said the FBI was also looking into the actions of the Glynn county police department.The suspects Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis, 34, were finally arrested by the Georgia bureau of investigation (GBI) and charged with Arbery's murder on 8 May, three days after the video received national publicity, and 74 days after the shooting.The case took a further step forward last Thursday, when the GBI arrested the man who recorded the video, William Bryan Jr, and charged him with felony murder."This is a vast conspiracy at this point," Martin said in a four-and-a-half-minute video posted on Monday on TMZ. "They're spreading the net here. They said the GBI doesn't anticipate making any additional arrests, but the FBI very well may."Martin has been highly critical of the pace of the investigation into the shooting. He said he was told a further part of the FBI probe was whether the actions of anybody involved in the case breached Arbery's rights of equal protection under the US constitution and civil rights law."All citizens are entitled to the same protection under the law," he said. "This case makes it clear that all black citizens in south Georgia aren't getting the same protection because if you shoot anybody in the street in broad daylight, just in general you expect at least an arrest. There were no arrests made."Neither the Department of Justice nor the US attorney's office for the southern district of Georgia responded to the Guardian's request for comment on Monday, a federal holiday.But in an 11 May statement, a DOJ representative, Kerri Kupec, confirmed investigators were assessing evidence "to determine if federal hate crime charges are appropriate".Gregory McMichael, a former law enforcement officer, told detectives he suspected Arbery of burglary, and that Arbery had attacked his son before being shot. Police initially treated the shooting as a case of self-defense and allowed the McMichaels to go free, despite the video of the shooting suggesting a different story.
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| Kim Jong Un makes first public appearance in weeks Posted: 24 May 2020 01:50 PM PDT  It's his first public appearance since May 1, when state-run media reported he attended at a factory opening after rumors flew that he was gravely ill.
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| China says opposes all U.S. restrictions on Chinese airlines Posted: 25 May 2020 12:40 AM PDT  China said on Monday it opposes all U.S. restrictions imposed against Chinese airlines, responding to a report that the U.S. Transportation Department has demanded Chinese carriers file their schedules and other flight details by May 27. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said flight restrictions imposed by Beijing treated all airlines equally and were due to efforts to curb COVID-19 related risks. The U.S. government late on Friday accused the Chinese government of making it impossible for U.S. airlines to resume service to China.
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| Biden makes first in-person appearance in over 2 months Posted: 25 May 2020 01:04 PM PDT  Joe Biden made his first in-person appearance in over two months on Monday as he commemorated Memorial Day by laying a wreath at a veterans' park near his Delaware home.
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| Hong Kong police fire tear gas, water cannon at protesters Posted: 23 May 2020 11:03 PM PDT  Hong Kong police fired tear gas and a water cannon at protesters in a popular shopping district Sunday, as thousands took to the streets to march against China's move to impose national security legislation on the city. Pro-democracy supporters have sharply criticized a proposal, set to be approved by China's rubber-stamp parliament this week, that would ban secessionist and subversive activity, as well as foreign interference, in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. The pro-democracy camp says the proposal goes against the "one country, two systems" framework that promises Hong Kong freedoms not found in mainland China.
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| Shiite Iran marks end of Ramadan on two different days in rare event Posted: 24 May 2020 06:01 AM PDT  Shiite Iranians in a rare event mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan this year on separate days -- Sunday or Monday -- depending on different religious authorities' edicts. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced Saturday evening on his official website that the Eid al-Fitr festival would fall on Sunday this year.
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| Coronavirus outbreak: Caribbean tourism struggles as visitors stay home Posted: 24 May 2020 05:11 PM PDT  Tourism is vital to the Caribbean but visitors are absent amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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| SpaceX to 'capture flag' as prize for being first commercial company to launch humans into orbit Posted: 23 May 2020 07:52 PM PDT  It will be the greatest game of "capture the flag" ever played. When Nasa astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken set foot on the International Space Station they will collect a small US flag that has acquired mythical status in space lore. The 12 inch by 8 inch banner will be brought back to Earth and presented to SpaceX as the prize for being the first commercial company to launch humans into orbit, winning a decade-long race with rivals including Boeing. Hurley, 53 and Behnken,49, are due to blast off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, watched by President Donald Trump. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule will lift off from launchpad 39A, the same one from which Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins departed to the moon on Apollo 11. It will be the first time astronauts have been launched into orbit from US soil since the end of the space shuttle programme in 2011, and the first time by the private sector.
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| Russian prosecutors seek 18 years for ex-US marine in spy trial Posted: 25 May 2020 08:24 AM PDT  Russian prosecutors on Monday called for a former US marine charged with spying to be sentenced to 18 years in prison, after a closed-door trial denounced by Washington and his family. Paul Whelan, 50, was detained in Moscow in December 2018 for allegedly receiving state secrets, but he insists he was framed when he took a USB drive from an acquaintance thinking it contained holiday photos. Whelan's lawyer told reporters that prosecutors had requested 18 years for his client in a strict-regime penal colony, just short of the maximum 20-year sentence.
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| Navajo Nation imposes 57-hour lockdown as virus death toll rises Posted: 25 May 2020 11:52 AM PDT  Even essential businesses must remain closed as the entire tribe enters a strict lockdown for Memorial Day weekend.
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| South African president says lockdown to ease from June 1 Posted: 24 May 2020 11:20 AM PDT  President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday a further easing of South Africa's coronavirus lockdown from June 1, allowing the vast majority of the economy to return to full capacity. Africa's most industrialised economy has been largely shut down since late March, when the government enforced severe restrictions to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus which has so far infected 22,583 people and killed 429. Ramaphosa, who has been under pressure from rival political parties and a variety of industries to ease the restrictions, said following broad consultations the cabinet had decided to move the country to "level three" of its five-level lockdown system.
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| Trump has busy Memorial Day schedule amid coronavirus crisis Posted: 25 May 2020 07:34 AM PDT  President Trump has a busy appearance schedule on Memorial Day amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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| China denies using virus to grow presence in South China Sea Posted: 24 May 2020 08:34 PM PDT  A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple territorial disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons. China's foreign minister is dismissing claims that the country is exploiting the coronavirus outbreak to expand its footprint in the South China Sea, labeling such accusations as "sheer nonsense." State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters at a news conference on Sunday that China was cooperating closely on anti-virus efforts with Southeast Asian countries, several of whom have overlapping territorial claims with China in the strategically vital waterway.
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| Latino workers face discrimination over spread of coronavirus in meat plants Posted: 25 May 2020 02:00 AM PDT  Reports of Latinos being refused service after more than 10,000 meatpacking workers, many Latino, contract Covid-19 in the USEthnic minorities have been the hardest-hit by the coronavirus in the US, and now Latino workers are facing fresh difficulty, as they and their communities suffer discrimination after contracting coronavirus in meat processing plants and warehouses.More than 10,000 meatpacking workers, many of them Latino, have contracted coronavirus in the US, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers union, and dozens have died.Latino advocates say workers are also now experiencing racism due to fears they have contracted the virus in the workplace."We've received reports that some workers at a plant were turned away from grocery stores and not allowed in, because they were presumed to have the coronavirus because they worked at the local meatpacking plant," said Domingo Garcia, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (Lulac)."We've also heard in Marshalltown [Iowa] people were being refused service because they thought they were positive for Covid-19 – just because they were Latino," Garcia added.Latino workers have been particularly hard-hit in some areas by their reliance on jobs in meat processing plants or large warehouses which have been kept open during the pandemic, despite reports of poor health and safety standards and a lack of protective equipment."Four out of every five Latinos are considered essential workers," Garcia said. "They're in construction, food processing, grocery stores, they're farm workers. So they don't have the luxury of being able to work from home, and therefore they're being exposed to Covid-19 in ways that many American workers are not.Compounding that, Garcia said, is the lack of health insurance among some Latino workers. Garcia said Lulac is investigating "multiple cases" of Latino employees complaining about workplace conditions "and then being fired".The outbreaks in meat plants have been shocking.In April an outbreak at the JBS meat processing plant in Colorado killed three workers, while many of Iowa's more than 8,000 coronavirus cases have been linked to plants including Tyson Foods, in Waterloo. Tyson Foods was forced to suspend operations at the end of April after 180 coronavirus infections were linked to the plant.There was a similar story in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, which became one of the worst-hit areas early on in the crisis. Health officials identified Cargill, a meat-processing plant, as one of the sources of the virus."The Cargill plant is upwards of 90% Latinx," said Jamie Longazel, an associate professor at John Jay College and author of Undocumented Fears: Immigration and the Politics of Divide and Conquer in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.With the Latino meat plant workers, some of whom are undocumented, frequently living paycheck to paycheck, they could not afford to not go to work – particularly as large plants tend not to offer sick pay."They were demonized because the workers were then spreading it to their family members, so it became that the Latinx community was more affected," Longazel said. Elsewhere in the US anti-Latino sentiment has come from officials. In Wisconsin, the supreme court chief justice, Patience Roggensack, was criticized in early May after she seemed to downplay a coronavirus outbreak among workers at a meatpacking facility in Brown county, where a large proportion of the workers are minorities and immigrants."[The surge in coronavirus cases] was due to the meatpacking – that's where Brown county got the flare," Roggensack said. "It wasn't just the regular folks in Brown county."Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of the Wisconsin-based Voces de la Frontera immigrant-rights group, criticized Roggensack's remarks as "elitist" and "racist", and told the Guardian that Latinos had been subjected to "legalized discrimination" through their work."Without a question they have been discriminated against, because they are disproportionately more vulnerable to exposure and to having them or their families or their community impacted by the Covid-19," Neumann-Ortiz said.If there is one positive, Neumann-Ortiz said, it's that the backlash could trigger a greater effort to change workplace conditions."It's forcing workplace organizing to happen, in a way that wasn't there before because the stakes are so high," Neumann-Ortiz said. In some cases workers have refused to go to work due to unsafe conditions, which has forced companies to temporarily close down facilities to deep-clean plants, or provide better PPE."There is a new struggle on the frontline and it's going to be here for a while to come," she said.
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| Reckless Mount Hood Climbers Put Rescue Crews at Risk During Pandemic Posted: 24 May 2020 07:02 PM PDT  Apparently a global pandemic isn't enough danger for some people. Rescue crews had to save three people on Mount Hood this weekend, endangering their own health in the process.Portland Mountain Rescue said the first mission began late Friday night after a climber summited but got lost in whiteout conditions on the way back, with no water and a dying cellphone.By the time a team reached him early in the morning, he was hypothermic, and it took two teams 12 hours to bring him down from an elevation of 6,200 feet.The volunteer search-and-rescue organization said it was finishing up the first mission on Saturday when it got a call about a couple who triggered an avalanche on a challenging stretch of the mountain."They were swept all the way down the route onto the Reid Glacier and miraculously survived with limited injuries," PMR wrote on Facebook.The first mission required 30 rescuers and the second one needed 20, the group said, asking outdoor enthusiasts not to take chances that might put crews in danger—not just from the mountain conditions, but from COVID-19."We know you want to get out, but please, please be conservative in your choices," the group wrote. "Although we have conservative Covid protocols, it really is impossible to maintain them throughout a mission."PMR's Mark Morford told The Oregonian that Mount Hood was even more crowded than on previous Memorial Day weekends."I think there's a tremendous amount of pent up demand, people wanting to get out," he said. "It looked like a conga line going up Hogsback… What a circus."The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said that more than 200 climbers were on the mountain on Saturday despite a high avalanche danger caused by 10 inches of fresh snow amid warming temperatures.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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| U.S. ambassador to Germany reportedly stepping down Posted: 24 May 2020 03:40 AM PDT  Richard Grenell will not return from Washington after an interim job as head of U.S. intelligence.
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| Putin makes Kremlin appearance as virus restrictions ease Posted: 25 May 2020 08:43 AM PDT  President Vladimir Putin made a rare recent appearance in the Kremlin on Monday as Russia prepares to ease lockdown restrictions imposed over the coronavirus pandemic. The 67-year-old has worked remotely over the past few weeks from his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, chairing meetings with officials by video conference.
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| North Dakota Governor Chokes Up as He Calls on State Residents to Avoid 'Mask Shaming' Posted: 24 May 2020 09:51 AM PDT  Mask orders have been met with threats and videos have surfaced of crowds ridiculing people for choosing to wear face coverings
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| Bayer says it makes progress in settlement talks over weedkiller Posted: 24 May 2020 11:49 PM PDT  Bayer said on Monday it had made progress seeking a settlement over claims its glyphosate-based Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, after Bloomberg reported the company reached a verbal agreement on about 50,000 to 85,000 cases. In April, Bayer's management regained shareholder support for its handling of the litigation process. Bloomberg cited people familiar with the negotiations as saying that the deals have yet to be signed and Bayer is likely to announce the settlements in June.
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| Jeffrey Epstein: Up to 130 people claim they could be child of dead financier with £470m fortune Posted: 25 May 2020 04:15 AM PDT  More than 100 people claim they could be the offspring of the deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is thought to have had a personal fortune of around £470 million.A DNA company, which set up a website called epsteinheirs.com, said as many as 130 people had come forward – including a number of Britons – since the site's launch.
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| Arbery family lawyer: Feds looking into how case handled Posted: 25 May 2020 03:01 PM PDT  A lawyer for the family of Ahmaud Arbery said Monday that a federal prosecutor told the slain man's mother federal officials are investigating potential misconduct by local officials who handled the case. Lawyer Lee Merritt said U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine, whose jurisdiction includes southern Georgia, met with him and Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, on Thursday. Barry Paschal, a spokesman for Christine, declined to confirm or deny whether the meeting happened.
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| Several high school students in Georgia tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a drive-through graduation parade Posted: 25 May 2020 02:51 PM PDT  The Lovett School in Atlanta did not disclose how many students had tested positive for COVID-19, but described the number as "several."
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| Joe Biden attacks Trump for playing golf over Memorial Day weekend as death toll heads toward 100,000 in new ad Posted: 24 May 2020 02:38 AM PDT  Joe Biden has hit out at Donald Trump for playing golf on Memorial Day weekend as the coronavirus death toll continues to rise in the US to almost 100,000.The former vice president unveiled a 30-second clip displaying Mr Trump playing a round of golf at his Virginia club on Saturday.
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| US urges probe into alleged ethics breach at African Development Bank Posted: 25 May 2020 10:02 AM PDT  The US Department of the Treasury has called on the African Development Bank (AfDB) to carry out an independent probe into alleged ethics breaches by its president, Akinwumi Adesina. In a letter obtained by AFP on Monday, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed "deep reservations" about the outcome of an internal inquiry clearing Adesina, and urged the appointment of an independent outside investigator. The letter, dated May 22, was sent to the chair of the AfDB's board, Ivorian Planning and Development Minister Niale Kaba.
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| The private jet version of the Boeing 787 can cost more than $200 million and fly over 18 hours. Take a look at some its most luxurious designs. Posted: 25 May 2020 05:43 AM PDT  The BBJ 787 Dreamliner is like the hybrid of private jets costing over $200 million. The jet can fly over 18 hours with a bedroom and shower onboard.
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| Brazil's Bolsonaro says he expects top court to end probe into his conduct over police Posted: 25 May 2020 02:59 PM PDT  Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro expects the Supreme Court to find no wrongdoing and end an investigation into potential political interference in the federal police, according to a statement from the presidential palace on Monday. An allegation by former Justice Minister Sergio Moro, a popular anti-graft crusader, that Bolsonaro aimed to interfere in police investigations has become a political scandal adding to the public health crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
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| Former FDA commissioner expects people can 'enjoy some semblance' of normal life in summer months Posted: 24 May 2020 09:15 AM PDT  Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Sunday that the coronavirus outbreak hasn't been "contained yet," but he did tell CBS's Margaret Brennan that he believes there will be a "seasonal effect" that may allow Americans to "enjoy some semblance of the lives they want to enjoy" particularly in the summer months of July and August as cases go down. Of course, people will need to continue practicing good hygiene and modified social distancing.That said, he also anticipates that the virus will continue to circulate and eventually present a risk of causing epidemics in certain places in the U.S. during the fall and winter, so whatever reprieve comes in the summer may be short-lived.> "We should still be careful," @ScottGottliebMD tells @margbrennan. He says Americans can resume some normal activity in the summer, but urges caution like "narrowing your circle of friends" as the country faces a "renewed risk" in the fall pic.twitter.com/cUnZM8SyzH> > -- Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 24, 2020As for what happens during that potential resurgence in the fall? Dr. Deborah Birx, one of the prominent members of the White House coronavirus task force, said it's "difficult to tell" if the U.S. economy will have to shut down again, but she said the government is trying to learn how to keeping things open safely. She said that "proactive" testing, including testing asymptomatic people, will prove key in developing a coherent strategy. > Asked about Trump's comments that if there is a COVID-19 second wave, the U.S. will stay open, Dr. Deborah Birx says they are "trying to learn" how to "reopen safely."> > "It's difficult to tell," Birx says when asked if she sees the country closing again. https://t.co/27wiSnRlJE pic.twitter.com/IchVQ7Kzfx> > -- This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 24, 2020More stories from theweek.com Trump still hasn't taken his annual physical and it's starting to get weird How social conservatives traded causes for clichés WHO temporarily pauses hydroxychloroquine study, citing safety concerns
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| New Zealand leader carries on with TV interview during quake Posted: 24 May 2020 03:47 PM PDT  New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern barely skipped a beat when an earthquake struck during a live television interview Monday morning. New Zealand sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is sometimes called the Shaky Isles for its frequent quakes. Ardern continued on with her interview, telling the host the shaking had stopped.
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| Murder suspect with 'strong ties' to Newtown, Connecticut, is manhunt subject Posted: 24 May 2020 01:51 PM PDT  Peter Manfredonia, 23, is being sought in a Friday attack that left one dead and one injured, as well as the death of an acquaintance.
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| Hong Kong Restaurants Are Going to Great Lengths to Protect Diners From Coronavirus. Here’s What They Could Teach the U.S. Posted: 25 May 2020 04:14 AM PDT  Hong Kong hasn't recorded a cluster of coronavirus cases related to restaurants since late March. Here's how eateries are protecting customers
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| Second immigrant dies of COVID-19 while in ICE custody Posted: 25 May 2020 12:32 PM PDT  Santiago Baten-Oxlag, of Guatemala, is the second known immigrant to die of coronavirus complications while detained by U.S. immigration authorities.
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| 2020 election: Trump falsely claims 'thousands' of forgeries on mail-in ballots, despite his own commission not finding a single case of fraud Posted: 24 May 2020 09:11 AM PDT  Donald Trump continued to voice his opposition to expanded mail-in voting with a tweet on Sunday spreading falsehoods about the prevalence of fraud in the process, even though confirmed cases of voter fraud have been in the single digits in past presidential elections."The United States cannot have all Mail In Ballots. It will be the greatest Rigged Election in history," Mr Trump tweeted, the latest in a recent uptick of attacks on Democrats' — and even many Republicans' — desire to expand mail-in voting to mitigate health risks during the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Dutch PM Mark Rutte didn't see mother before her death because he followed virus lockdown rules Posted: 25 May 2020 12:26 PM PDT  Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was unable to visit his dying mother in her final weeks because he obeyed coronavirus restrictions against visiting care homes, his office said on Monday. Mr Rutte on Monday announced the death of 96-year-old Mieke Rutte-Dilling in a home in The Hague on May 13, nearly two months after the government shut all such institutions to the public on March 20. "The prime minister has complied with all directives," Mr Rutte's spokesman told AFP when asked about reports that the premier had stuck to the rules and so not seen his mother before she died. His mother did not die of coronavirus although there had earlier been an outbreak of the disease in the home where she was living, Dutch media reported. Mr Rutte earlier announced his mother's death, saying that "in addition to the great sadness and all fond memories, my family and I also have a feeling of gratitude that we were allowed to have her with us for so long." "We have now said goodbye to her in a family circle and hope to be able to deal with this great loss in peace in the near future," he added. Dutch authorities allowed individual visits to some care homes from Monday, a measure that will be extended to all of them on June 15. The Netherlands - which has imposed an "intelligent lockdown" with less strict conditions than many other European countries - has so far recorded 5,830 coronavirus deaths and 45,445 infections.
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| What superyachts will look like in a post-pandemic world Posted: 24 May 2020 06:53 AM PDT  The ultrawealthy want superyachts well-equipped for both adventure and self-sufficiency, so they can escape from the world in a future pandemic.
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| India air travel restart hits chaos and cancellations Posted: 25 May 2020 01:09 AM PDT  Airlines' plans to resume air travel in India were in disarray on Monday after some states restricted the number of flights hours before departure, causing last-minute cancellations and leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. Airlines, including IndiGo, India's biggest carrier, SpiceJet and Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, had been preparing to resume operations from Monday with about a third of their capacity amid strict rules. IndiGo had planned to start with about 430 daily flights while its low-cost rival SpiceJet said it would operate 204 flights a day and AirAsia India would start with 77 flights.
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| Baby gorilla injured at Seattle Zoo Posted: 25 May 2020 07:28 AM PDT  A baby gorilla was badly injured at a Seattle zoo on Saturday when he was caught in a skirmish between his family group members, zookeepers said.
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