| Trump is elevating judges who could gut the Voting Rights Act Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:51 AM PST  Fresh from handing President Trump a victory in his impeachment trial, the U.S. Senate has moved to install federal judges who have expressed disdain for the Voting Rights Act.
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| The coronavirus has reportedly spread to North Korea. Experts say the country isn't equipped to fight it. Posted: 13 Feb 2020 08:39 AM PST  Reports say the novel coronavirus has spread to North Korea. But the isolated country's "crumbling" healthcare system may not be equipped to fight it.
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| US woman wanted for husband's 2002 death arrested in Rome Posted: 13 Feb 2020 06:20 AM PST  An American woman wanted in the 2002 death of her husband, whose remains were so badly burned they weren't identified for more than a decade, was arrested in Rome after a multinational search, police said Thursday. Rome police arrested Beverly McCallum, 59, overnight after she and her teenage son checked into a Rome hotel on the northwest outskirts of the Italian capital. Italian hotels are required to register guests in an online system linked to a police database.
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| YouTube Removes Clip of Rand Paul Speaking on Senate Floor, Citing Concern He Named Ukraine Whistleblower Posted: 13 Feb 2020 05:08 AM PST  YouTube removed a clip of Senator Rand Paul (R., Ky.) speaking on the Senate floor, in which he asked why Chief Justice John Roberts had blocked a question of his, which some have speculated contained the name of the Ukraine whistleblower.Paul told Politico Playbook that the tech platform's decision was "dangerous and politically biased," and denied knowing who the whistleblower was. "Nowhere in my speech did I accuse anyone of being a whistleblower," he stated."It is a chilling and disturbing day in America when giant web companies such as YouTube decide to [censor] speech. Now, even protected speech, such as that of a senator on the Senate floor, can be blocked from getting to the American people," Paul added.YouTube told Politico that the decision was part of a larger effort to purge the name from the platform, and said that the company had already deleted "hundreds of videos and over ten thousand comments that contained the name.""Videos, comments, and other forms of content that mention the leaked whistleblower's name violate YouTube's Community Guidelines and will be removed from YouTube," YouTube spokeswoman Ivy Choi said. She added that uploaders had "the option" to edit the name out of their footage and re-upload.After Roberts — who was tasked with reading aloud questions submitted by senators during the impeachment trial — refused to read Paul's question on January 29, Paul submitted a second question the next day, and left the trial to hold an impromptu press conference after Roberts blocked the question a second time."It's very important whether or not a group of Democratic activists part of the Obama, Biden administration were working together for years looking for an opportunity to impeach the president," Paul said, claiming his question had nothing to do with the whistleblower.> Sen. @RandPaul: "It's very important whether or not a group of Democratic activists part of the Obama, Biden administration were working together for years looking for an opportunity to impeach the president." https://t.co/e0kl6NUKFH pic.twitter.com/TAnetrmc40> > -- The Hill (@thehill) January 30, 2020"I'm the biggest defender of the whistleblower statutes," Paul added, but argued that Democrats "shouldn't be able to use statutes to somehow make a whole part of the discussion over this impeachment go away."
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| Latinos gave over $23M in 2019 to Democrats in presidential race Posted: 13 Feb 2020 05:32 AM PST  The lion's share, $8.3 million, went to Bernie Sanders, who leads in Latino contributions in almost every state and city.
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| China's Hubei province reports 116 new coronavirus deaths on Feb. 13, with 4,823 new cases Posted: 13 Feb 2020 04:00 PM PST  The number of new deaths in China's central Hubei province from a coronavirus outbreak rose by 116 as of Thursday, the province's health commission said on its website on Friday. A further 4,823 cases had been detected in Hubei, the epicentre of the outbreak, taking the total in the province to 51,986.
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| Scientists discover 'baby giant' exoplanet already 10 times the mass of Jupiter Posted: 12 Feb 2020 11:39 AM PST  Scientists just discovered a "baby giant" planet closer to Earth than any other — a mere 330 light years away.The exoplanet — a planet beyond our solar system — was discovered by scientists at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the findings were published in Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society.Named 2MASS 1155-7919 b, the planet has an uncommonly wide orbit around its "parent" star — 600 times farther than the distance between Earth and the sun. The origin of systems so far from their parent star are the "subject of vigorous debate," according to the findings. Scientists are hoping to further study 2Mass 1155-7919 b to understand how giant planets can have such wide orbits, per a press release from RIT.The planet's parent star is just 5 million years old, making it 1,000 times younger than the sun, per the release.2Mass 1155-7919 b is an infant, so it's likely still in the process of forming, said Annie Dickson-Vandervelde, lead author of the paper. But it's already roughly 10 times the mass of Jupiter, one of the gas giants in our solar system. The new planet was discovered using data from the Gaia space observatory, which was launched in 2013 by the European Space Agency.More stories from theweek.com Andrew Yang asks his gang to support Democrats everywhere in DNC email blast The sidelining of Elizabeth Warren The Don seizes the Justice Department
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| The Littoral Combat Ship Is Getting A Makeover Into The Navy's Secret Weapon Posted: 12 Feb 2020 12:30 AM PST  With over-the-horizon missile weapons.
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| Marie Yovanovitch: Ousted Ukraine ambassador slams Trump administration and gets standing ovation at award ceremony Posted: 13 Feb 2020 09:00 AM PST  Marie Yovanovitch received a standing ovation from a crowd of diplomats while accepting an award at Georgetown University, where the ousted ambassador delivered a speech warning the State Department was "in trouble" under Donald Trump.The former US ambassador to Ukraine was removed from her post in April 2019 following a covert effort by the president's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and others to have her taken out of the State Department.
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| 'We can't change the rules midstream': DNC Chair Tom Perez defends commitment to diversity despite lack of it in Iowa debate Posted: 13 Feb 2020 09:04 AM PST  "I take a back seat to no one in my commitment to diversity and inclusion," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez.
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| $600,000 awarded to man involved in racial discrimination case Posted: 13 Feb 2020 04:15 AM PST  Michael Fesser was awarded $600,000 this week for his wrongful arrest years ago.
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| Prosecutors seek nearly 5 years for former Baltimore mayor Posted: 13 Feb 2020 12:54 PM PST  Federal prosecutors want the disgraced former mayor of Baltimore to be sentenced to nearly five years in prison for the scheme involving sales of her self-published "Healthy Holly" children's books. In a sentencing memorandum filed Thursday, prosecutors told a judge that a sentence of 57 months in prison would be an "adequate and just" punishment for Catherine Pugh's "longstanding pattern of criminal conduct" and would deter other politicians from breaking the public's trust. Pugh pleaded guilty in November to federal conspiracy and tax evasion charges in a deal with prosecutors.
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| Mexico says number of migrants in 'Remain in Mexico' program drops sharply Posted: 12 Feb 2020 08:46 AM PST  Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Wednesday that the number of migrants awaiting the outcome of their U.S. immigration cases in Mexico has fallen from 50,000 to about 2,500.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez congratulated Andrew Yang on running a 'great race' after he ended his presidential campaign Posted: 11 Feb 2020 06:58 PM PST  Both Ocasio-Cortez and Yang became political superstars by running grassroots campaigns centered around issues facing working-class people.
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| U.S. reports 15th coronavirus case; White House bashes China's response Posted: 13 Feb 2020 07:18 AM PST  A patient who was among the Americans evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan - the epicenter of the outbreak - and placed under quarantine at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, became the latest U.S. case, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. The person was the third evacuee and first at Lackland to test positive for the virus, the CDC said.
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| Airline passenger films man punching her economy seat after she reclines Posted: 13 Feb 2020 05:52 AM PST  "Here's a great jackhole! He was angry that I reclined my seat and punched it about 9 times — HARD," the passenger wrote on Twitter.
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| The Navy Hopes This New Weapon Will Solve China's Anti-Ship Missile Threat Posted: 11 Feb 2020 10:30 PM PST  U.S. Navy weapons developers are working closely with NATO allies to ensure the weapon is properly operational across the alliance of countries planning to deploy the weapon.
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| Rocket hits Iraq base hosting US troops: military Posted: 13 Feb 2020 12:57 PM PST  A rocket slammed into an Iraqi base where American troops are stationed in the remote province of Kirkuk, Iraq's military and a US security source told AFP on Thursday night. It was the latest in a string of nearly 20 rocket attacks since late October on US troops stationed across the country as well as on the American embassy in Baghdad. According to three separate Iraqi security sources, the Katyusha rocket hit an open area on the K1 base at around 8:45pm local time (1745 GMT).
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| AMLO Sells $80 Million of Raffle Tickets to Mexico’s Super Rich Posted: 13 Feb 2020 08:38 AM PST |
| Paediatrician reveals he faked vaccination records for anti-vaxxer parents in suicide note Posted: 13 Feb 2020 08:49 AM PST  An Illinois paediatrician who committed suicide left behind a note saying he faked records and lied about vaccinating children, according to reports.The note was written by Dr Van Koinis, 58, and detailed his regret for falsifying vaccination reports for his young patients, the Chicago Tribune reports. He led a practice in Evergreen Park near Chicago.
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| Blood evidence at forefront of Iowa cold case murder trial Posted: 13 Feb 2020 04:41 AM PST  A prosecutor told jurors on the opening day of a cold case murder trial that they were going on a journey back in time to learn about an Iowa high school girl who was slain more than 40 years ago. Testimony began Wednesday in the trial of Jerry Burns, 66, of Manchester, Iowa. In his opening statement, prosecutor Nick Maybanks revealed a few more details about the crime.
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| Don't look back, Bernie — Bloomberg is gaining on you Posted: 12 Feb 2020 01:54 PM PST  The problem with the argument that Bloomberg isn't running a real campaign with real supporters, however, is that it isn't true. And progressives — particularly those who want Sanders to win the Democratic nomination — ignore that at their peril.
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| China boasted that it built 2 new coronavirus hospitals in 12 days. But they're treating less than half the people they're supposed to. Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:59 PM PST  China grabbed the world's attention by planning, building, and opening two hospitals in under two weeks. But the reality is more complicated.
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| 'There will be dad and mum': Putin rules out Russia legalizing gay marriage Posted: 13 Feb 2020 09:07 AM PST  President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia would not legalize gay marriage as long as he was in the Kremlin. During his two decades in power, Putin has closely aligned himself with the Orthodox Church and sought to distance Russia from liberal Western values, including attitudes toward homosexuality and gender fluidity.
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| No One Is Prepared For China's H-20 Stealth Bomber Posted: 13 Feb 2020 12:30 AM PST  It could be a game-changer.
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| US offers to help virus efforts in N.Korea Posted: 13 Feb 2020 05:25 PM PST  The United States on Thursday promised to support aid work in North Korea to combat the new coronavirus, voicing alarm at the ill-equipped state's susceptibility. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said the United States was "deeply concerned" about the vulnerability of the North Korean people to COVID-19, which originated in neighboring China where it has killed more than 1,300 people. Ortagus said the United States supported efforts of aid groups to contain the spread of the virus in North Korea.
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| Here’s the US Army’s top 10 canceled and reduced programs in FY21 Posted: 13 Feb 2020 10:29 AM PST  The service has revealed where it is drawing $1.13 billion out of lower priority programs to inject into modernization priorities, but has not accounted for more than $1.2 billion in program changes and cuts it intends to make in FY21.
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| Reports: Trump donor accused of spying on Yovanovitch hands 'everything' to Congress Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:18 PM PST  A donor to President Trump who was accused of "stalking" the former ambassador to Ukraine at the behest of Rudy Giuliani's associates has provided documents to Congress as it opens its investigation into the ousting of Marie Yovanovitch, a crucial witness in the president's impeachment.
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| Bernie Sanders Endorses Kim Foxx despite Smollett Baggage Posted: 13 Feb 2020 01:34 PM PST  Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) released a slew of endorsements for state attorneys on Thursday, including one for Kim Foxx, the Cook County state's attorney who was investigated for her decision to drop charges against former Empire actor Jussie Smollett."I am honored today to have the endorsement of Senator Sanders," Foxx told Politico. "When I first ran four years ago on a platform that included a holistic approach to criminal justice reform, it was different than what previous prosecutors had ever attempted. Since in office, we've implemented bond and cannabis reform, we're leading the country in vacating wrongful convictions and funneling more resources toward violent crimes to keep communities safe."Foxx admitted in announcing her reelection campaign in November that she "didn't handle" the Smollett case well. "I'm making changes in my office to make sure we do better," she said. "That's what reform is about."Foxx was slammed for her decision last March to drop all charges against Smollett, after he was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself by hiring two associates to attack him last January."This case was handled markedly different from any other case at 26th Street. No one knows why, and more importantly, no one can explain why our boss, the head prosecutor of all of Cook County, has decided to so demean and debase both our hard work, and our already tenuous relationship with the Chicago Police Department," an anonymous prosecutor in Foxx's office wrote after the announcement.Smollett was re-charged this week with a six-count indictment following an investigation by special prosecutor Dan Webb that began in August.
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| The number of coronavirus cases in China's Hubei province dramatically jumped by 15,000 overnight. Here's why. Posted: 13 Feb 2020 04:59 AM PST  Hubei province, where the virus originated, announced the spike in new cases and deaths after changing how it diagnoses people.
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| China Won't Make The Same Mistake That Japan Did At Pearl Harbor Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:00 AM PST  The Chinese military has done their homework.
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| Court rules Apple must pay California workers during bag checks Posted: 13 Feb 2020 05:07 PM PST  The California Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Apple must pay employees for time spent waiting for their bags and personal electronic devices to be searched when they leave work. The decision means that the tech giant will have to pay millions of dollars to more than 12,000 hourly workers at California retail stores who fall under the mandatory bag-search policy. According to court documents, Apple employees are required to clock out before submitting to an exit search which can take from five to 20 minutes.
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| Priest says abortion worse than pedophilia, which 'doesn't kill anyone' Posted: 13 Feb 2020 10:58 AM PST  Rev. Richard Bucci doubled down on his recent call to bar state lawmakers who supported an abortion rights bill from receiving communion at his church.
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| Right-Wing Backlash Greets Modest GOP Foray Into Climate Change Posted: 13 Feb 2020 07:17 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy had barely finished presenting his party's modest plan to fight climate change when conservatives began piling on in opposition.The free market-group American Energy Alliance dismissed it as a "Republican-led Green New Deal lite" that amounted to a "climate messaging exercise." The libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute called it "bad policy that will not bring any political relief." And the Club for Growth vowed to not endorse any candidate who backs what it called the "liberal" Republican climate plan."Besides hurting our economy, these measures will not make a single environmentalist vote for a Republican and only alienate conservatives across the country," said Club for Growth President David McIntosh.The blowback illustrates the challenges facing those trying to shed the Republican party's climate-denying reputation, which alienates many young voters and polls well for Democrats. The fierce criticism also illustrates the limits of pragmatism for a party long backed by groups that question climate change.GOP Edges Gingerly Toward Climate Plan After Sowing DoubtsMcCarthy unveiled the first of several planned climate initiatives on Wednesday with a package focused on carbon sequestration. It called for the expansion and permanent extension of a tax credit for oil companies and others that capture carbon dioxide and bury it in the ground; money for the development of carbon capture for natural-gas power plants; and support for a plan to plant 1 trillion trees around the world."Fighting for a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment" has been well-received during member meetings, including the party's full-member retreat in 2019 and a policy conference earlier this year, said Matt Sparks, a McCarthy spokesman. Among the members who participated in the unveiling of the climate plan on Wednesday was Representative David McKinley, a West Virginia Republican steeped in coal-country politics. "The participation of members across the ideological spectrum and representing every region of the country -- including coal country -- at today's event represent just how widespread the support is for House Republicans to reclaim the leadership position on the environment," Sparks said in an email.Republicans Plot Climate Strategy To Counter DemocratsDuring Wednesday's hour-long briefing, McCarthy and other Republican leaders, including Oregon Representative Greg Walden and Representative Garret Graves of Louisiana, made the case that their plan could protect the environment, as well the economy, without mandates embraced by Democrats.Future components are likely to focus on climate resilience, plastic pollution, and increasing energy from carbon-free sources such as nuclear and hydropower."House Republicans stand united against carbon taxes and burdensome regulations," said Graves, top Republican on a special select committee charged with coming up with solutions to climate change. "America leads the world because of free-market principles, innovation, and our abundant energy resources. We should double down on an America First strategy that enhances our global power and influence."While the Republican climate proposals were derided by some environmental organizations, they won praise from at least some right-leaning groups."Any debate on climate change must be rooted in political and technical realism, as well as economic competitiveness," said Rich Powell, executive director of ClearPath Action, which promotes energy innovation."It's a good strategy to focus on policies that facilitate breakthroughs relevant for the developing world, instead of divisive policies that would make traditional energy more expensive and only aid deployment of existing technologies," he said. (Updates with lawmaker comment in 10th paragraph)\--With assistance from Jennifer A. Dlouhy.To contact the reporter on this story: Ari Natter in Washington at anatter5@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth Wasserman, Ros KrasnyFor 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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| Deepwater Horizon disaster had much worse impact than believed, study finds Posted: 13 Feb 2020 09:27 AM PST  * Effects of 2010 BP oil spill were 30% larger than calculated * Satellite images unable to detect full extent of pollution in GulfThe environmental impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico a decade ago was much worse than previously believed, according to a new study.The 2010 rig explosion, which killed 11 workers and sent oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days, triggered one of the worst environmental disasters in US history. It released 206m gallons of oil from BP's Macondo well, according to US government estimates, affecting wildlife and water-quality along hundreds of miles of Gulf coastline.At its height, 88,522 sq miles of sea were closed to fishing because of the spill, according to a federal report.But a new study published on Thursday in the Science Advances journal says satellite surveillance at the time was unable to detect large areas of oil contamination.The study's authors found that the effects of the spill were 30% larger, reaching the Texas shore, the Florida Keys, the coast of Tampa and parts of the east coast of Florida. "The satellite footprint does not necessarily capture the entire oil spill extent," the study found.Using in-situ observations, oil spill transport modeling using three-dimensional computer simulations, as well as testing for oil concentration ranges in marine organisms, the paper claims that "that large areas of the GoM were exposed to invisible and toxic oil that extended beyond the boundaries of the satellite footprint and the fishery closures"."When the oil comes to the surface, it comes as a thick layer that you can easily see with a satellite," Claire Paris-Limouzy, one of the study's authors and a professor of ocean sciences at the University of Miami, told CNN.The discrepancy between their results and official estimates is because small concentrations of oil are often invisible to satellite imagery. "You can actually smell it but can't actually see it," Paris-Limouzy said.London-based BP, which leased the rig from Transocean, declined to comment on the study's findings.A Transocean report into the disaster largely blamed BP, claiming the company failed to properly assess, manage and communicate risk, and said cement contractor Halliburton and BP did not adequately test the cement slurry used to seal the well.BP's own internal report placed blame on a cascade of failures by multiple companies. A US government investigation also identified multiple sources for the accident.BP subsequently spent or committed tens of billions of dollars to clean up the mess and compensate victims, and ultimately sold off its US arm. Transocean reached a $211m settlement with businesses and individuals claiming damages, while Halliburton reached a $1bn settlement.A bipartisan investigatory commission appointed by the Obama administration pointed to crew and technical failures in the explosion, but cited overall safety shortcomings by regulators and the oil industry.But safeguards in place to prevent a similar accident in future have been progressively eased by the Trump administration's push to expand drilling off the country's coasts.The new assessment of the Macondo spill's extent is timely, the authors wrote, because "with a global increase in petroleum production–related activities, a careful assessment of oil spills' full extent is necessary to maximize environmental and public safety".
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| Enslaved labor built these universities. Now they are starting to repay the debt Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:17 PM PST  Eastern universities are researching their pasts, educating themselves and others about their role in perpetuating slavery.
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| Striking photo shows a wall of traders on an auction floor in China working with masks on amid spread of coronavirus Posted: 12 Feb 2020 03:04 PM PST  Close to 100 traders at a flower auction in China were seen working while wearing masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus.
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| Chuck Todd: ‘I Don’t Understand How Bernie’s Considered a Frontrunner’ Posted: 12 Feb 2020 03:51 PM PST  If MSNBC wanted to tamp down criticism that its coverage has been skewed against Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), anchor Chuck Todd's comments on Wednesday aren't going to help.Discussing the results of Tuesday night's New Hampshire primary on MTP Daily, Democratic strategist Cornell Belcher argued that the early presidential primaries and caucuses don't mean what they did a decade ago, prompting Todd to contend this year's Iowa results had "an impact on Pete Buttigieg.""Well, did it?" Belcher wondered aloud. "Who is the frontrunner? Is he the frontrunner? He should not get the press of the frontrunner."With Belcher implying that Sanders—who won the popular vote in Iowa and finished first in the New Hampshire primary—was the leader of the Democratic field, Todd immediately jumped in."I don't understand how Bernie is considered a frontrunner," Todd exclaimed while shaking his head. "This is a guy that—more people showed up to the polls, highest turnout ever—and his percentage went down, not up. His total number went down, not up.""The new voters actually voted for Buttigieg and [Amy] Klobuchar," former Hillary Clinton adviser Neera Tanden added, name-checking the second- and third-place finishers.The MSNBC host was, for the record, comparing Sanders' vote total during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, when it was a two-person race, to Tuesday's election, which featured at 10 Democratic candidates on the ballot.MSNBC has come under fire recently over a perceived anti-Sanders bent to its coverage. Todd himself was condemned by Sanders staffers earlier this week for citing a column by a conservative publication that compared the senator's supporters to "brown shirts." One undecided New Hampshire Democratic voter, meanwhile, told MSNBC that she specifically voted for Sanders on Tuesday because of the network's "completely cynical" coverage of him.Samantha Bee Embarrasses Chuck Todd for Terrible Election TakeRead 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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| Meet the 'Napoleon Gun': The Artillery Piece That Saved the Union Posted: 12 Feb 2020 08:30 PM PST  She served honorably at Gettysburg.
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| Soviet spy hailed by Russia for 'saving Krakow' dies at 103 Posted: 12 Feb 2020 04:37 PM PST  Russia on Thursday announced the death at 103 of veteran Soviet spy Alexei Botyan, whom it hailed as a hero for "saving" the Polish city of Krakow from the Nazis, although Poland disputes Moscow's version of events. Russia's SVR military intelligence agency said Botyan, who lived in Moscow, had died after turning 103 on Monday.
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| Leaked photos of woman's murder by partner with 'It was cupid’s fault' headline spark outrage in Mexico Posted: 12 Feb 2020 06:15 AM PST  The brutal murder of a young woman, who was allegedly stabbed to death by her partner, has sparked mass outrage in Mexico after photos of her mutilated body were leaked to the press.Ingrid Escamilla had her organs and skin removed, in what is believed to have been an attempt to hide evidence of her grisly murder.
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| Trump accuses John Kelly of 'missing the action' after scathing criticism Posted: 13 Feb 2020 08:56 AM PST  "He knew full well that he was way over his head," the president said about his former chief of staff.
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