| Yahoo News/YouGov poll: Most Americans deny Trump virus response is a 'success' — nearly half say Obama would be doing better Posted: 07 May 2020 06:43 AM PDT  The unfavorable comparison between the current president and his predecessor is one of the clearest signs to date of an emerging dynamic that will define the remainder of Trump's term and the presidential election.
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| Armed activists escort black lawmaker to Michigan's Capitol after coronavirus protest attended by white supremacists Posted: 07 May 2020 11:40 AM PDT  Rep. Sarah Anthony told Yahoo News that her security detail, made up of local black and Latino activists, came together because the armed protesters bearing white supremacist symbols represented a "different level of terror."
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| Neighbor of father and son arrested in Ahmaud Arbery killing is also under investigation Posted: 08 May 2020 11:07 AM PDT  The investigation into the fatal shooting in Brunswick, Georgia, will also look at a neighbor of suspects Gregory and Travis McMichael who recorded video of the incident, authorities said.
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| A 1996 court declaration written by Tara Reade's ex-husband shows she spoke of harassment in Biden's Senate office Posted: 07 May 2020 11:12 PM PDT  "It was obvious that this event had a very traumatic effect on (Reade), and that she is still sensitive and effected (sic) by it today," Dronen wrote.
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| EU agreed to Chinese censorship over coronavirus origins Posted: 07 May 2020 05:43 AM PDT  The European Union agreed to Chinese censorship of a public letter by its ambassadors that removed any mention of the fact the coronavirus pandemic originated in China, it has emerged. The EU's foreign affairs service agreed to cut out a reference to the "outbreak of the coronavirus in China" as a reason for a cancelled EU-China summit in the letter, which was published in the state-run China Daily newspaper. The European External Action Service (EEAS) excised the reference after coming under pressure from China's foreign ministry. Two weeks ago, the EEAS was forced to deny it had bowed to Beijing by watering down language in a report accusing China of a campaign of disinformation about the virus. It was revealed EU officials softened some of the language condemning China after repeated calls by Chinese officials. "It is of course regrettable to see that the sentence about the spread of the virus has been edited," said Nicolas Chapuis, the EU's ambassador to China, who co-signed the opinion piece with the 27 ambassadors to China of the bloc's member states.
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| Nearly one-third of Americans believe a coronavirus vaccine exists and is being withheld, survey finds Posted: 08 May 2020 01:49 PM PDT  The Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape Project found some misinformation about the coronavirus is more widespread that you might think.
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| 3 nurses strangled in Mexico; border mayor gets coronavirus Posted: 08 May 2020 02:00 PM PDT  Three sisters who worked in Mexico's government hospital system were found murdered by strangling, authorities in the northern border state of Coahuila announced Friday, stirring new alarm in a country where attacks on health care workers have occurred across the nation amid the coronavirus outbreak. Two of the sisters were nurses for the Mexican Social Security Institute and the third was a hospital administrator, but there was no immediate evidence the attack was related to their work. The National Union of Social Security Employees called the killings "outrageous and incomprehensible."
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| 1.4 million health-care workers lost their jobs due to the pandemic last month Posted: 08 May 2020 06:47 AM PDT  Friday's job report is difficult enough to wrap your head around, with a record 20.5 million jobs lost in April. But perhaps once of the most surprising details is that health care was one of the hardest-hit industries due to the pandemic.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that some 1.4 million health-care jobs were eliminated in April, lead by losses of dentists, physicians, and "offices of other health care practitioners." Nearly 135,000 of the health care jobs lost in April were in hospitals, NPR reports.The health care unemployment numbers reflect an increase from March, the first full month of the pandemic in the U.S., when just 42,000 healthcare jobs were lost. Additionally, health care spending in the United States dipped 18 percent in the first three months of the year as people have avoided emergency rooms, doctor offices, and elective surgeries and procedures."I was thinking maybe I would have to worry about when I was going to get a day off," Fae-Marie Donathan, a surgical ICU nurse at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who filed for unemployment last month, told NPR. "I was thinking totally the opposite, never ever suspecting that I would be sitting at home not getting any hours at work."Leisure and hospitality were the hardest-hit industries, with 7.7 million jobs lost in April. Retail was also hard hit, with a loss of 2.1 million jobs, and manufacturing, with 1.3 million.More stories from theweek.com Trump says he couldn't have exposed WWII vets to COVID-19 because the wind was blowing the wrong way Star Wars is reportedly bringing back Boba Fett Trump reportedly got 'lava level mad' over potential exposure to coronavirus
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| Panicked over 'murder hornets,' people are killing native bees we desperately need Posted: 08 May 2020 12:39 PM PDT  Asian giant hornets (a.k.a. murder hornets) have been spotted only in Washington state and Canada. Traps elsewhere are killing beneficial native wasps and bees.
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| Trump blasts 'human scum' who investigated his administration as Justice Department drops criminal case against Michael Flynn Posted: 07 May 2020 02:59 PM PDT  President Trump excoriated the administration of President Barack Obama as "human scum" who attempted to undermine him by "targeting" former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
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| Booze battle for Pakistan's drinkers during lockdown and Ramadan Posted: 08 May 2020 12:21 AM PDT  Drinking alcohol in Pakistan can be a complicated affair at the best of times, but for 25-year-old student Iram, the coronavirus pandemic has made getting a beer all but impossible. "There is no more beer!" lamented Iram, an Islamabad resident who asked AFP to use a pseudonym for fear of reprisals in this conservative country where drinking is illegal for Muslims, even though many people enjoy a tipple. The sum is equivalent to the monthly wage for many people, and Iram initially baulked at the price.
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| Before apparent video of Ahmaud Arbery shooting, there was a long wait for answers Posted: 07 May 2020 05:53 PM PDT  Community members say a lack of information and attitudes about privilege and race have tainted an emotional case that has grabbed national attention.
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| Coronavirus: Meat shortage leaves US farmers with 'mind-blowing' choice Posted: 07 May 2020 09:56 PM PDT  As the virus disrupts the food chain, millions of pigs could be put down without ever making it to table.
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| Man hit by plane, killed on Austin-Bergstrom airport runway, officials say Posted: 08 May 2020 04:03 AM PDT  A person died Thursday night after being hit by a plane as it was landing at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, according to airport officials.
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| Iran's president says an end to United Nations arms embargo is a 'right' Posted: 07 May 2020 11:22 AM PDT  The Iranian president said Wednesday that lifting a U.N. arms embargo on Tehran would be an "obvious right" and added a veiled warning of unspecified steps Iran could take if the embargo is extended, as the United States wants.
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| Brazil government warns of economic collapse in 30 days Posted: 08 May 2020 08:54 AM PDT  Brazil could face "economic collapse" in a month's time due to stay-at-home measures to stem the coronavirus outbreak, with food shortages and "social disorder," Economy Minister Paulo Guedes warned Thursday. Brazil, Latin America's biggest economy, is also the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the region. But far-right President Jair Bolsonaro - who appeared alongside Guedes, his free-market economics guru - opposes stay-at-home measures to slow the virus, saying they are unnecessarily damaging the economy. "Within about 30 days, there may start to be shortages on (store) shelves and production may become disorganized, leading to a system of economic collapse, of social disorder," Guedes said. "This is a serious alert." Bolsonaro, who has compared the new coronavirus to a "little flu," said he understood "the virus problem" and believed that "we must save lives." "But there is a problem that's worrying us more and more... and that's the issue of jobs, of the stalled economy," Bolsonaro added. "Fighting the virus shouldn't do more damage than the virus itself."
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| Relax Social Distancing? South Korea’s Giving It a Try—With Some Scary Results Posted: 08 May 2020 10:31 AM PDT  SEOUL—South Koreans may be proud of their record relegating coronavirus to the status of a relatively minor menace, but the kind of voluntary social distancing called for now is hard. If anyone doubted that, a new outbreak in one of Seoul's legendary nightclub districts provides an unsettling reminder.South Korea never locked down the way many other countries have, but it did enforce strict rules to keep people from getting so close to each other that the novel coronavirus could run rampant.The fresh outbreak that began last week started in gaudy clubs where the rules of common sense had been dissipating as the dangers of the coronavirus began to fade. No one was wearing masks, and social distancing had ceased to be a priority. Now the search is on to find everyone who might have been in close quarters with one person who was diagnosed as having had COVID-19.He was not identified publicly other than as the 29-year-old source of at least 18 cases, including three foreigners, in five clubs in Itaewon, which was once the stomping ground of American GIs near the former U.S. military headquarters in central Seoul. Officials feared the bug could spread among more than 1,500 people who'd been at those clubs renowned for noise, drinks, fast food at inflated prices, still more for hostesses at some of them. The clubs often are crowded late into the night.The sudden upsurge haunted Koreans just as the government this week was going through the motions of relaxing its strict guidelines, counting on everyone to observe "voluntary social distancing in daily life." Somewhat ambiguously after the incident, night club owners were advised to "restrict business" for one month, suggesting it would be a good idea to cool it—or maybe even close—voluntarily. They were also asked to write down the names of customers—invaluable for tracing future cases—and told everyone had to be wearing face masks. Oh, and, if more cases did break out, owners would have to pay medical expenses.By late Friday night, many owners and managers seemed to have gotten the idea. A lot of the bars were closed and the often crowded main drag through Itaewon was bereft of its usual weekend traffic. All of which supported the view of Son Young-rae, director of strategy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, that we should expect the virus "inevitably to come back in daily activities," though clearly he was not thinking so soon.Son, talking about removal of strict rules before the news of the nightclub incident had gotten around, was confident, "When we have a second outbreak, the speed of the spread will be remarkably slow." Notice Son is not talking about if but when. A second surge is taken as a given.The outbreak in Itaewon may not be enough to warrant restoring rigid formal rules, but officials are wary. Son's superior, Kim Ganglip, vice health minister, said "when the social distancing campaign was in effect" an order on quarantine measures "was valid for nightlife establishments." Now "we will see if additional measures are needed."For now, while owners of nightclubs are expected to do as told, voluntarily or not, ordinary folks can decide for themselves whether to stand six feet apart or wear face masks. By next week, schools and libraries should be reopening, some faster than others. People can work out at fitness centers and go to theaters, and nobody's ordering them to line up six feet apart at cash registers in shops and restaurants.It's hoped that everyone knows enough to do that almost instinctively, even as a strict protocol remains in place for those entering the country from abroad.With at least half the new cases of the virus blamed on passengers off international flights, stringent testing remains in force at airports.The results of the test come back usually after one night at a government facility. The vast majority are negative, but new arrivals are still quarantined for two weeks with friends or relatives or, if on their own, in a spartan room for two weeks at a cost of nearly $100 a day, including meals deposited in carefully wrapped packages outside doors.The only exceptions are those on urgent business who plan to stay for just a few days. They can get a waiver from Korean embassies or consulates abroad after testing negative for the virus. So far only 200 people have gotten the waiver.No matter what, Son had to admit, "it is impossible to terminate or remove COVID-19." Rather, he said, "we can control the situation."At a virtual briefing for foreign correspondents for which they sent in questions, Son played up voluntary distancing even as coffee shops, stores, subways, and buses filled with rush hour crowds. The only sign that people were thinking seriously about COVID-19 was that most were wearing face masks.Some, however, chose to let them slip down below their noses and mouths while a few were no longer bothering to wear them at all.The Korean system, held up as an example before the world after the disease broke out in early February among members of a religious sect in Daegu, a major city 140 miles southeast of here, clearly has worked remarkably well. As of Friday, the Korean Center for Disease Control reported 10,822 cases, up 12 from the day before, including 256 deaths, no increase from the previous day. According to Worldometer calculations, COVID-19 has killed only five out of every 1 million people in South Korea. By comparison, there are 233 per million in the United States, where more than 76,000 people with the disease have died.As South Korea tries to relax restrictions, it is not counting on the population developing immunity any time soon. Son was realistic about the simple fact there's no cure yet for the virus and it's going to frighten Koreans, and the rest of the world, for at least another year or two, maybe longer."Until we have a vaccine or cure, we can have a reappearance," he said, citing the danger of the disease spreading from people who are asymptomatic—showing no signs of the illness and never tested. "It's very difficult to root out."Son spoke before Korean mayors and governors gathered in an emergency session to talk about new guidelines for the nightclubs that were going strong, at least until last weekend. Those who had visited the King Club, Club Queen, and Trunk Club, all places where the latest "super-spreader" had been, were advised to quarantine themselves.The possibility loomed of South Korea again imposing restrictions while Son and others defended the need for voluntary compliance rather than legal orders on social distancing and other common-sense strictures, including wearing face masks and washing hands.Kwon Jun-wook, deputy director general at the Korea Center for Disease Control, counted on what he said would be the "etiquette of people entirely participating" in "the Korean spirit" but acknowledged, "We all agree that the COVID-19 world is very different from the past."He portrayed Koreans as banding together against the disease and saw very little chance of many if any suffering from relapses, or recurrence of the bug once they've been tested as cured.On the basis of 300 cases so far in which tests have shown "reactivation of COVID-19," he said, "there has not been infection or contagion."Laboratory analyses on "whether there's a reactivated virus," he explained, showed that "reactivation was not clinically significant." In fact, while the virus was detected, there had "not been a single case" of anyone coming down with the disease that way.Kwon seemed somewhat less certain about the level of immunity as determined by tests for antibodies capable of fighting the virus, but did say "we have a detailed plan" that depends on cooperation from the Korean public, 70 percent of whom "usually agree to public health testing." One reason testing was readily accepted, he said, was a public health system in which all Koreans get extremely low-priced medical care.An important element in the battle is plasma from patients who are ill. "Plasma can be developed for finding a cure," he said, citing an ongoing "active investigation on developing plasma."Kwon was not optimistic, however, about coming up with the answer right away, or even this year or next. "We will have a concrete picture by next year," he said, but "the vaccine requires higher safety than the treatment"—often carried out in a life-or-death effort simply to save a patient by whatever means have a chance of working.Critical to Korea's success so far, in Kwon's view, was the decision to let people know what's going on, and to track down, via cellphone signals and other means, every place anyone diagnosed with the disease has been."Openness and transparency didn't just come alone," he said. Only after the outbreak five years ago of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), in which 38 Koreans died, was a law passed that requires information sharing.One result has been not only the willingness to cooperate but also the means to pass along warnings as soon as possible. The words "emergency alert" show up on the screens of mobile devices whenever a case is discovered and diagnosed, as happened at least twice on Friday. The first notice did not give out the name of the person but did reveal where he or she lived and had been."COVID-19 developed with huge speed," said Son Young-rae from the health ministry. "It was very important to carry out diagnostic tests actively."By attacking the spread of the disease quickly and aggressively, however, South Korea never resorted to lockdowns and shutdowns as in the U.S. and Europe."We will keep monitoring and controlling the system," Son said. "If the numbers are increasing, we will go back to the system we had in the beginning": social distancing.Not long after he spoke, millions of cellphones buzzed with another "emergency alert." Anyone who had been in those nightclubs in Itaewon, the message advised, "should stay home."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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| As Trump returns to the road, some Democrats want to bust Biden out of his basement Posted: 08 May 2020 02:49 PM PDT  While President Donald Trump traveled to the battleground state of Arizona this week, his Democratic opponent for the White House, Joe Biden, campaigned from his basement as he has done throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The freeze on in-person campaigning during the outbreak has had an upside for Biden, giving the former vice president more time to court donors and shielding him from on-the-trail gaffes. "I personally would like to see him out more because he's in his element when he's meeting people," said Tom Sacks-Wilner, a fundraiser for Biden who is on the campaign's finance committee.
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| Troops deployed in Indian state as coronavirus cases surge Posted: 08 May 2020 07:01 AM PDT  Hundreds of paramilitary forces have been deployed in coronavirus-hotspot Gujarat state as India on Friday faced a surge in the number of deaths and infections from the outbreak. Official data show the deadly disease is taking a growing toll in the country of 1.3 billion people even as it begins to emerge from the world's largest lockdown. India had 56,000 cases including 1,886 fatalities as of Friday, official figures showed.
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| Off-duty officer body slams Walmart shopper irate over face mask rule Posted: 07 May 2020 07:28 PM PDT |
| A person was struck and killed by a Southwest plane as it landed on the runway at Austin international airport Posted: 08 May 2020 07:53 AM PDT  Austin-Bergstrom International Airport said it was "aware of an individual that was struck and killed on runway 17-R by a landing aircraft."
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| Indian migrant deaths: 16 sleeping workers run over by train Posted: 08 May 2020 01:02 AM PDT  The workers fell asleep on the tracks while trying to make their way home during India's lockdown.
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| Sen. Kennedy calls for immediate hearings on Mueller probe revelations Posted: 07 May 2020 06:23 AM PDT  Republican Sen. John Kennedy reacts to the release of the 'scope memo' on Robert Mueller's Russia probe.
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| White men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery won't face Georgia hate crime charges. Here's why. Posted: 08 May 2020 01:16 PM PDT  Gregory and Travis McMichael, who are accused of fatally shooting Ahmaud Arbery, a black man, will not face hate crime charges. Here's why.
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| Taliban founder's son appointed military chief of insurgents Posted: 07 May 2020 10:05 AM PDT  The son of the Afghan Taliban's late founder has been appointed as the insurgents' military chief in a political reshuffle to check the power of his predecessor, senior militant figures have said. Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob has been announced head of the military commission for the movement trying to overthrown the internationally-backed government in Afghanistan. His appointment was confirmed as the militants have significantly ramped up attacks following a withdrawal agreement with America. The appointment of the son of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the one-eyed founder of the Taliban, reins in the former military leader Sardar Ibrahim as the movement closes in on negotiations with the Afghan government. Mullah Yaqoob will keep his previous post as deputy to the movement's overall leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhunzada, but will now also oversee military operations. Mullah Omar died in 2013, though the insurgent movement continued to release statements in his name until it finally admitted he was dead in 2015. Two senior Taliban figures told the Telegraph that the decision had been made at the insistence of factions in the Taliban and among Pakistan's military who still have influence over the insurgents. Ibrahim had been considered too hostile to Pakistan and too close to Iran, the sources said. Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban, confirmed the appointment but would not comment on the reasons for it. The post of military chief has formally been vacant for several years, but Ibrahim has been de facto nationwide leader while officially deputy in charge of southern military operations. Ibrahim will remain as Mullah Yaqoob's deputy.
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| Catholic schools, ex-teachers clash in Supreme Court case Posted: 08 May 2020 11:04 AM PDT  First, Kristen Biel learned she had breast cancer. Then, after she told the Catholic school where she taught that she'd need time off for treatment, she learned her teaching contract wouldn't be renewed. Biel died last year at age 54 after a five-year battle with breast cancer.
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| Trump Gives Hill Dems the Middle Finger and There’s Little They Can Do About It Posted: 07 May 2020 01:36 AM PDT  Even a global pandemic and economic crisis isn't enough to break President Trump's perception of the Democratic House as a den of haters and losers who care more about hurting him than about helping the American public.Asked on Tuesday why he wasn't permitting members of his coronavirus task force to testify in front of the House, Trump responded that the chamber is a "set-up" that's full of "Trump haters." "They," said Trump, "frankly, want our situation to be unsuccessful, which means death."It was a remarkable bit of open political retaliation that not only undercut the White House's official line—that individuals like Dr. Anthony Fauci were too busy fighting the pandemic to spend hours before Congress—but also set up a situation where only the president's own party would be in charge of hearings into his conduct. Indeed, shortly after Trump spoke, the Republican-run Senate Health panel announced that Fauci would be testifying there next week."It's so political. I've never seen anything like it," said Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL), who serves as the House Democratic representative on the not-yet-functional panel to oversee COVID-19 spending. "I can't remember anyone preventing us from testifying in one house of Congress versus another… To not go to the People's House is just—it's stupid, and it's dangerous."Congressional oversight has always been an irritant to the occupant of the White House. But rarely has a president so blatantly disregarded it when the context has been so non-partisan and the stakes so high. Even before the emergence of COVID-19, Trump's defiance of Congress had prompted legal battles that promised to rearrange the long-term balance of federal power. But his insistence on continuing to snub the legislative branch in the midst of a pandemic has sparked an altogether new set of questions and frustrations. "The fact that the president of the United States has directed those responsible for the federal response to avoid appearing before Congress is shocking, irresponsible, and will result in more loss of life," said Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.). Democrats trying to understand the federal COVID-19 response, he said, are being "limited to what the president says" and what mid-level officials from the administration "tell us on a conference call."Lawmakers Know They Can't Keep Track of the $2.2T They Just Spent on Virus ReliefPrivately, Democrats have grumbled that the party should have anticipated this situation. Just a few months ago, the administration staved off subpoena and document requests as part of the impeachment inquiry. With resolution of those matters still in the courts, leadership—the argument goes—should have demanded stronger oversight structures be put in place before trillions of dollars went out the door to prop up an imploded economy. "[House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi has left Democrats largely invisible in negotiating COVID-19 legislative responses and sidelined at a moment that cries out for congressional oversight," said Jeff Hauser, the founder and director of the Revolving Door Project, a public interest group. "An unleashed House could also make sure Trump's systemic errors are well understood and beyond dispute for the 70 percent of Americans who are not willfully indoctrinated by Fox News. Such public education is necessary to make sure the federal government is never again so unprepared for a mass tragedy."Those criticisms have been amplified as it's become clearer that the oversight mechanisms in existence have been either undercut, brushed aside, or largely neglected.There was, for example, no creation of a centralized database to show who received so-called Paycheck Protection Program loans that were meant to aid small businesses but also found their way to boutique hotels and publicly traded restaurant chains. A Democratic aide said that the presumption was that the Small Business Administration would release such information under provisions in existing law. But, the aide conceded, "they aren't." The congressional panel tasked with tracking the trillions of dollars being lent out by the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department was authorized six weeks ago. But it still lacks a chair and the appointed members can't hire staff—rendering it basically non-functional.Meanwhile, the president has sidelined or sacked independent inspectors general who have surfaced damning information about the administration's COVID-19 response or were in a position to—while telling Congress he has the power to decide what lawmakers learn about the pandemic response, not a special IG assigned to the task.And, while administration officials involved in the COVID-19 response appeared before lawmakers in the early stages of the pandemic, they have since gone silent. None has testified since March 12, when there were fewer than 1,000 cases of the virus in the U.S. And House Democrats told The Daily Beast that direct engagement with top officials has been inconsistent. On April 15, for example, the administration cold-emailed a handful of Democratic lawmakers informing them they'd been selected to a congressional task force to advise Trump on reopening the economy. After an initial conference call the next day, no follow-up was scheduled until this week, when House members in the group were told there would be a second call with top Trump economic advisers Larry Kudlow and Kevin Hassett on Thursday. In the interim, administration officials instructed lawmakers to contact them with their three "best ideas" on economic responses—"like homework," recalled an aide. In the absence of traditional lines of oversight and cooperation, there has been improvising. Bharat Ramamurti, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer's appointee to the new congressional panel, said that he was leaning on friends and associates with expertise in his issue areas. And though he continues to encounter absurdly commonplace hurdles (on Tuesday, his computer ran out of batteries because electricity in his neighborhood was down and he couldn't venture elsewhere) he held out hope that the commission would soon have a chair and get its report done by May 9."The other unique thing about the oversight commission is all the members are appointed by the Congress," Ramamurti told The Daily Beast. "Our committee is the only one immune from tampering by the president, which is why it is really important to get the chair in place as soon as possible."Meanwhile, outside groups are trying to reverse-engineer oversight by starting from the broadest set of data points and working their way back to the administration. Accountable.US, a nonpartisan oversight group, has filed nearly 200 public records requests and skimmed through hundreds of federal filings to see if publicly traded companies have nabbed PPP loans.This still leaves gaping holes. And on those fronts, Democrats are scrambling to patch things up, with a group of lawmakers introducing legislation mandating disclosure of PPP loans and others calling for subpoenaing witnesses. "They're going to stonewall as much as they can," Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) told The Daily Beast. "We can't fold. We have to use the tools we have. We may have to issue subpoenas, and try every way we can to get the information we need."Some Democrats argue that the party's most effective mechanism for forcing the Trump administration to comply with congressional oversight would be through the purse. But few believe that Pelosi will, or even could, effectively deploy such hardball tactics if the economic situation in the country remains dire. And so, the last hope is that the public pressure will become so overbearing that members of the Trump administration will see it as in their political self-interest to comply. Already, one member—former BARDA program director Dr. Richard Bright—has agreed to testify before a House Democratic committee about a whistleblower complaint he filed detailing systematic missteps and misjudgements the administration made in the early stages of the pandemic. And it would not be unprecedented for the White House to eventually fold on others. In 2013, the Obama White House refused to make available for testimony key figures involved in the botched rollout of the Affordable Care Act on grounds that their time fixing the website was too valuable to spend on the Hill. Under threat of subpoena, top technology officer Todd Park eventually agreed to testify in front of the GOP-led House Oversight Committee. Two professors—Mark J. Rozell of George Mason University and Mitchel A. Sollenberger of the University of Michigan at Dearborn—praised the move at the time as a worthy mitigation of tension between the two branches. Reached by The Daily Beast, both said a similar step from Trump would be warranted now. "This is why you have a hierarchical organization," Sollenberger told The Daily Beast. "They're there to give voice to organizational needs, respond to Congress when it comes to the organizational issues at hand, the questions Congress has. This is how government works."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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| N. Korea lashes South as Kim praises China's Xi Posted: 07 May 2020 07:11 PM PDT  North Korea condemned the South Friday for holding military drills, saying the situation was returning to before the diplomatic rapprochement of 2018, as leader Kim Jong Un -- whose health was the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks -- reached out to traditional ally Beijing. Kim sent Chinese leader Xi Jinping a diplomatic communication congratulating him for China's "success" in controlling the novel coronavirus epidemic, the state news agency KCNA reported. Kim told Xi he was as pleased with China's successes as his own, KCNA reported, adding he "sent militant greetings to every member of the Communist Party of China".
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| Woman heartbroken by Smithfield Foods' response to grandfather's death from coronavirus Posted: 08 May 2020 01:42 PM PDT  "I want you to know he died in the hospital alone, isolated, and scared," she wrote in an Instagram message to Smithfield Foods.
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| Russia is fast becoming a coronavirus epicenter, with health workers still reporting PPE shortages. Putin is already thinking about reopening. Posted: 08 May 2020 04:19 AM PDT  On Thursday, the country reported its largest one-day increase in new cases of 11,231 — yet President Putin already has his eyes on reopening.
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| Scientists obtain 'lucky' image of Jupiter Posted: 08 May 2020 05:44 AM PDT  The Hawaii-based Gemini telescope produces a super-sharp picture of the gas giant in the infrared.
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| You Touch Public Surfaces All Day. Here's How to Stay Safe From Coronavirus. Posted: 08 May 2020 09:39 AM PDT  From the moment COVID-19 started spreading in the U.S., you probably heard recommendations to wash your hands after contact with what are called high-touch surfaces: elevator buttons, public fauc...
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| DNA samples lead to arrest in 1987 murder of 17-year-old Ohio girl: 'Great to see justice' Posted: 07 May 2020 01:28 PM PDT  Using DNA to track down 67-year-old James E. Zastawnik, police made an arrest in the 1987 murder of an Ohio girl.
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| Australia annoyed as U.S. pushes Wuhan lab COVID-19 theory Posted: 08 May 2020 01:40 AM PDT |
| Missing Idaho kids' uncle died of blood clot in Arizona Posted: 08 May 2020 03:14 PM PDT  A pulmonary blood clot killed the brother of an Idaho woman who's facing charges in the disappearance of her children — a case that attracted worldwide attention with revelations of her doomsday beliefs and connection to three mysterious deaths. Autopsy and toxicology reports were released Friday for Alex Cox, who died in Arizona in December. In July, Cox fatally shot his sister's estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in what he said was self-defense.
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| Group of Senate Republicans Urges Trump to Suspend ‘All Guest Worker Visas’ Until Unemployment Returns to ‘Normal Levels’ Posted: 07 May 2020 05:23 AM PDT  A group of GOP Senators is asking President Trump to ramp up his recent "pause" on immigration to include a prohibition on guest-worker visas, citing rising levels of American unemployment amid the coronavirus pandemic.Senator Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), joined by Senators Josh Hawley (R., Mo.), Ted Cruz (R., Texas), and Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) are requesting that the White House halt new guest-worker visas and all non-immigrant guest-worker visas, as well as a suspension of new non-immigrant guest-worker visas for 60 days or until American jobless numbers fall to "normal levels.""As we work toward recovery, we urge you to keep the American worker in mind and limit the number of unnecessary guest workers while American families and businesses get back on their feet," the senators write in the letter.While Trump announced a 60-day moratorium on immigration last month, the rule did not affect guest-worker programs, including EB-5 visas — which give immigrants green cards after a set amount of investment — H-2B visas for nonagricultural seasonal workers, H-1B visas for specialty occupation workers, and the country's Optional Practical Training (OTP) program, which allows foreign students to work in the U.S. for 1-3 years after graduation.The senators explain that EB-5 program "has long been plagued by scandal" and amounts to a "pay-for citizenship scheme in many cases." They also argue that suspensions to OTP, H-1B, and H-2B will help those citizens who recently graduated high school or college and have entered a tough job market."Given the extreme lack of available jobs for American job-seekers as portions of our economy begin to reopen, it defies common sense to admit additional foreign guest workers to compete for such limited employment," they explain.Last week, the Department of Labor reported 3.8 million new jobless claims, bringing the total number of American seeing unemployment benefits to 30 million, or 18 percent of the total work force.
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| Pence staffer who tested positive for coronavirus is Stephen Miller's wife Posted: 08 May 2020 12:33 PM PDT  The staffer of Vice President Mike Pence who tested positive for coronavirus is apparently his press secretary and the wife of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller.Reports emerged on Friday that a member of Pence's staff had tested positive for COVID-19, creating a delay in his flight to Iowa amid concern over who may have been exposed. Later in the day, Trump said the staffer is a "press person" named Katie.Politico reported he was referring to Katie Miller, Pence's press secretary and the wife of Stephen Miller. This report noted this raises the risk that "a large swath of the West Wing's senior aides may also have been exposed." She confirmed her positive diagnosis to NBC News, saying she does not have symptoms.Trump spilled the beans to reporters, saying Katie Miller "hasn't come into contact with me" but has "spent some time with the vice president." This news comes one day after a personal valet to Trump tested positive for COVID-19, which reportedly made the president "lava level mad." Pence and Trump are being tested for COVID-19 every day.Asked Friday if he's concerned about the potential spread of coronavirus in the White House, Trump said "I'm not worried, no," adding that "we've taken very strong precautions."More stories from theweek.com Trump says he couldn't have exposed WWII vets to COVID-19 because the wind was blowing the wrong way Star Wars is reportedly bringing back Boba Fett Trump reportedly got 'lava level mad' over potential exposure to coronavirus
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| Idaho governor appeals to Supreme Court to stop trans inmate's surgery Posted: 08 May 2020 03:03 PM PDT  A lower court had ruled that the prisoner's gender-affirming surgery is a medical necessity, and denying it constituted a violation of the Eighth Amendment.
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| More than 1.3 million people have recovered from the coronavirus — and are likely now immune. But painful symptoms may last far longer than people realize. Posted: 08 May 2020 05:23 PM PDT  Recovered COVID-19 patients may have residual cough or fatigue for weeks after the major symptoms disappear, and some could have lasting lung damage.
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| 'Amazingly good news': New York healthcare workers not testing positive for coronavirus at higher rate than general public Posted: 07 May 2020 08:16 AM PDT  New York has released more details into who has tested positive for the coronavirus in the state, and Governor Andrew Cuomo said the per cent of healthcare workers with Covid-19 is not higher than the general public."That is amazingly good news," Mr Cuomo said during his press briefing on Thursday.
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| Airline middle seats won't stay empty forever in the name of social distancing. Here's why Posted: 08 May 2020 05:00 AM PDT  Permanently blocking middle seats and limiting the number of passengers per flight is a costly move for airlines and would increase ticket prices.
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| Teenager Ran Away to Be With Boy She Met on Dating Site. A Week Later She Was Dead. Posted: 08 May 2020 11:14 AM PDT  A South Dakota teenager has admitted to slaying a 16-year-old girl who "ran away" from home to live with him after they met on an online dating website, authorities said.Michael Campbell, 17, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on Thursday for the death of Shayna Ritthaler, a 16-year-old from Moorcroft, Wyoming, who was reported missing from a local coffee shop on Oct. 3. Less than a week later, her body was found in the basement bedroom of Campbell's home."We got into an argument and then I shot her," Campbell said during a change-of-plea hearing on Thursday, before referring to the teenager as his girlfriend, according to the Associated Press. "I shot her in the head."Meade County State's Attorney Michele Bordewyk said in court that the two teenagers met on an online chat and dating website, Badoo. After weeks of talking online, the pair eventually planned for Campbell to drive to Wyoming so Ritthaler could "run away and live with him in his house," prosecutors said in court on Thursday, the Argus Leader reported.On Oct. 3, Ritthaler was seen getting into Campbell's car at a coffee shop about four hours outside of Cheyenne. Prosecutors say the 17-year-old then drove her back to his home in Sturgis, South Dakota, about an hour away.But back at Campbell's home that he shared with his mother, the teenagers got into an argument. While Bordewyk said it wasn't clear what sparked the argument, it escalated when Campbell grabbed a gun and shot Ritthaler once in the head. The 17-year-old shot her "without the design to cause her death," Bordewyk said, according to AP. When asked by Judge Kevin Krull if he had any justification for killing Ritthaler, Campbell replied: "No."On October 6, authorities found Campbell's car and questioned him. The next day, Ritthaler's body was found in his basement and the 17-year-old was arrested immediately.Many details surrounding the shooting remain unclear because a Meade County judge sealed the case's affidavit on Oct. 10 at the request of the county prosecutor who cited the "potential publicity" of a case that had a "sensitive nature."After his arrest in October, Campbell pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity with first and second-degree murder but changed his plea in Meade County Court as part of an agreement with prosecutors. The plea agreement dismissed the murder charges and recommended a 55-year prison sentence. He will be sentenced on July 10. Steven Titus, the teenager's defense lawyer, said Thursday that the killing was unplanned and said drugs and alcohol were involved. Krull also said that Campbell suffers from PTSD, but Titus said he would wait until sentencing to discuss his client's mental state.Titus said he planned to make a "compelling case" as to why the plea deal and the 55-year sentence was fair, while Bordewyk said three of Ritthaler's family members will make victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing. Campbell was being held on a $1 million bond at a juvenile jail in Rapid City. As part of his change of plea on Thursday, Krull told the teenager he was barred from making contact with the Ritthaler family for the rest of his life and he owed them more than $83,000 in restitution. 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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| US prevents UN Council vote on pandemic truce: diplomats Posted: 08 May 2020 01:26 PM PDT  The United States on Friday prevented a vote in the UN Security Council on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in various countries around the world so they can better fight the coronavirus pandemic, diplomats said. "The United States cannot support the current draft," the country's delegation told the 14 other stunned members of the Security Council. When asked for an explanation of the US move, a State Department official told AFP that China had "repeatedly blocked compromises that would have allowed the Council to move forward."
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| Venezuela orders arrest of 3 in US for role in failed plot Posted: 08 May 2020 11:16 AM PDT  Venezuela's chief prosecutor ordered the arrest Friday of a former Green Beret and two opposition figures living in the United States for their purported role in a botched operation aimed at removing Nicolás Maduro from power. Tarek William Saab said Venezuela will seek the capture of Jordan Goudreau, a military veteran who has claimed responsibility for the attack, as well as Juan José Rendón and Sergio Vergara, two U.S.-based advisers to opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
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| Should Schiff step down from House Intelligence Committee after release of Russia docs? Posted: 07 May 2020 10:41 AM PDT  Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff is reportedly in 'panic mode' as House transcripts appear to contradict claims on collusion evidence in the Russia probe; Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe and former D.C. Democrat Party Chair Scott Bolden debate.
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| Report says cellphone data suggests October shutdown at Wuhan lab, but experts are skeptical Posted: 08 May 2020 05:12 PM PDT  U.S. and U.K. intel agencies are reviewing the private report, but intel analysts examined and couldn't confirm a similar theory previously.
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| The coronavirus can be found in semen, raising questions of whether it can be sexually transmitted, new research says Posted: 07 May 2020 08:00 AM PDT  New research found that 16% of male patients studied had coronavirus particles in their semen, but it's unclear if it can be sexually transmitted.
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| Sensex, Nifty rise on Reliance boost, but end week sharply lower Posted: 06 May 2020 09:18 PM PDT  Gains in Reliance Industries boosted Indian shares on Friday, but they ended the week sharply lower as coronavirus cases continued to spiral and markets awaited an economic stimulus. The NSE Nifty 50 nearly halved its gains from the morning session to settle 0.57% higher at 9,251.50 on Friday. The S&P BSE Sensex closed 0.63% higher at 31,642.70.
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