BREAKING NEWS: February 2020

Saturday, 29 February 2020

Making Pitch to Voters, Bloomberg Peddles His Experience in a Crisis

By BY JEREMY W. PETERS AND MAGGIE HABERMAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/32Hvz7J

Soccer Star Chicharito Is Closer to Mexico. But Maybe Not Close Enough

By BY RAÚL VILCHIS from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/3aclzpA

Warren supporter in S.C. says: ‘I can hear me in that speech.’

By BY JOHN JETER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2PzXzET

Coronavirus Fears Reverberate Across Global Economy

By BY MICHAEL CORKERY from NYT Business https://ift.tt/2TmJ4FL

M.I.T. Researchers Cast Doubt on Bolivian Election Fraud

By BY JULIE TURKEWITZ from NYT World https://ift.tt/2PtFgkT

L.G.B.T.Q. group seeks apology following report of Bloomberg staffer’s remark.

By BY MATT STEVENS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2wdV18Q

At CPAC, It’s Now an All-Trump Show

By BY ANNIE KARNI from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2uFQ5cr

Klobuchar kicks off a Southern swing without South Carolina.

By BY NICK CORASANITI from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/38djaJH

Amid Protests, Roman Polanski Wins Best Director at France’s Oscars

By BY ALEX MARSHALL from NYT Movies https://ift.tt/2uIxWuw

पेत्रा क्वितोवा कतर ओपन के फाइनल में, विश्व की नंबर-1 खिलाड़ी बार्टी को हराया

चेक गणराज्य की पेत्रा क्वितोवा ने शुक्रवार को विश्व की नंबर एक टेनिस खिलाड़ी एश्ले बार्टी को सेमीफाइनल में हराकर कतर ओपन के फाइनल में पहुंच गईं हैं।

from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/2wY4VM7

I-League: मिरांडा, कात्सुमी के गोल से चेन्नई सिटी ने एरोज को हराया

फिटो मिरांडा और कात्सुमी युसा के गोल की मदद से चेन्नई सिटी ने आईलीग फुटबाल टूर्नामेंट के मैच में शुक्रवार को यहां इंडियन एरोज को 2-0 से हराकर तीन अंक हासिल किया।

from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/3ac6K6o

Coronavirus A "Once-In-A-Century" Pathogen, Says Bill Gates

Philanthropist Bill Gates on Friday urged wealthy nations to help low and middle-income countries strengthen their health systems in hopes of slowing the spread of the coronavirus, which Gates said...

from NDTV News - Topstories https://ift.tt/39bQulN

1 Killed In Clash During Meeting On Citizenship Law In Meghalaya

A member of the Khasi Students' Union or KSU was killed and several others were injured after clashes broke out on Friday between them and non-tribals in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills, 90 km from...

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New top story from Time: Take Two: Trump Re-Nominates Rep. Ratcliffe as Top Intelligence Official

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Friday picked Rep. John Ratcliffe again to be the nation’s top intelligence official, just months after abruptly ending an earlier effort to install him in the post amid bipartisan criticism that the Texas Republican was unqualified for the job.

Trump’s decision meant that once again the GOP-led Senate would have to decide whether to put the three-term lawmaker in charge of overseeing the 17 U.S. spy agencies that Trump has repeatedly scorned.

Trump initially named Ratcliffe last year, but in August withdrew his name before the Senate formally considered him. The president bowed to questions about Ratcliffe’s qualifications and bipartisan concerns that he had little experience in the field of intelligence.

Since then, Ratcliffe’s visibility has risen as an ardent defender of Trump during the House’s impeachment proceedings against him. “John is an outstanding man of great talent!” Trump said in announcing his choice in a tweet.

If confirmed by the Senate, Ratcliffe would replace Richard Grenell, a Trump loyalist who is currently serving as acting national intelligence director while keeping his title as U.S. ambassador to Germany.

Trump’s choice drew swift criticism from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “Replacing one highly partisan operative with another does nothing to keep our country safe,” Schumer said in a statement. “At a time when the Russians are interfering in our elections, we need a nonpartisan leader at the helm of the Intelligence Community who sees the world objectively and speaks truth to power.”

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has been in upheaval since Dan Coats, who had a fraught relationship with Trump, announced in July 2019 that he was stepping down. Sue Gordon, the principal deputy national intelligence director under Coats, left with him. Democrats accused Trump of pushing out two senior, dedicated intelligence professionals.

After withdrawing Ratcliffe’s name, Trump in August named Joseph Maguire, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, as acting national intelligence director. But earlier this month, Trump moved Maguire aside — before his tenure as acting director was set to expire on March 11 — and named Grenell as acting director.

Trump’s decision to bring in Grenell came amid controversy over a classified briefing on election security that intelligence officials gave members of the House intelligence committee.

That panel is chaired by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who led the House impeachment inquiry against Trump. There were conflicting accounts about what the U.S. election security officials told committee members during the closed-door briefing about Russian meddling in this year’s presidential election.

People familiar with the congressional briefing said election security officials indicated that the Kremlin was looking to help Trump win re-election, as it did in 2016. But a senior official with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said lawmakers were not told that Russia was actively aiding Trump’s campaign to boost his chances of a second term. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive information.

When asked if Maguire was moved out as part of an effort to purge administration officials seen as disloyal to Trump, the president said only that Maguire’s tenure as acting director was ending. He called Maguire an “excellent guy” and said he chose Grenell to replace him as acting director until he can announce a new nominee for the job.

Grenell said he would hold the post for just a few months until Trump nominated a replacement for Maguire. If Ratcliffe is not confirmed by the Senate, it’s possible that Grenell could serve in the post for a while.

Ratcliffe, who sits on the House intelligence, judiciary and ethics committees, is a fierce defender of the president. He was a member of Trump’s impeachment advisory team and strenuously questioned witnesses during the House impeachment hearings.

He also forcefully questioned former special counsel Robert Mueller when he testified before the House Judiciary Committee about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

After the Democratic-controlled House voted to impeach Trump, Ratcliffe said: “This is the thinnest, fastest and weakest impeachment our country has ever seen. … When voters go to the polls next November, I hope they’ll hold Democrats accountable for wasting countless hours and taxpayer dollars on this disgraceful impeachment hoax that was designed to control the outcome of the 2020 election.”

Before being elected to Congress in 2014, Ratcliffe was mayor of Health, Texas, and a U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Texas. Ratcliffe is the son of two school teachers and the youngest of six children. He attended the University of Notre Dame and earned a law degree from Southern Methodist University. He and his wife, Michele, have two daughters.

Photo: Bernie Sanders high fives tiny supporter.

By Unknown Author from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2VDbXQu

Why Bernie Scares Me

By BY BRET STEPHENS from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/399yGrj

Gerald Krone, a Negro Ensemble Company Founder, Dies at 86

By BY NEIL GENZLINGER from NYT Theater https://ift.tt/3aeeJjh

Who Will Care For Society’s Forgotten?

By BY THERESA BROWN AND LEAH NASH from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2weKSc1

Joe Biden Needs a Win in South Carolina. Will He Get It?

By BY NU WEXLER from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2weKQAV

We Don’t Really Know How Many People Have Coronavirus

By BY ELISABETH ROSENTHAL from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2Tcnghj

Tom Steyer showered South Carolina in political spending. Will it pay off?

By BY STEPHANIE SAUL AND KIM BARKER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2TcmYHf

Celine: Fall 2020

By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion https://ift.tt/397CDwY

New top story from Time: Second Case of Coronavirus Confirmed in Northern California

(VACAVILLE, Calif.) — Health officials on Friday confirmed another case of the novel coronavirus in Northern California, raising the tally a day after health officials revealed the first case in the U.S. believed to have been transmitted to a person who didn’t travel internationally or come in close contact with anyone who had it.

Santa Clara County Public Health Department spokesman Maury Kendall said the person is isolated at home and that other details would be provided later Friday.

A day earlier, state health officials had pegged the number of people in California with the virus at 33 after investigators announced that a woman hospitalized in Sacramento contracted it.

Residents of the community where the woman first went to the hospital, in Vacaville, are at the epicenter of what officials are calling a turning point in the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus.

As infectious disease experts fanned out in Vacaville, some residents in the city of 100,000 stocked up on supplies amid fears things could get worse despite official reassurances, while others took the news in stride.

Vacaville lies between San Francisco and Sacramento in Solano County, in the agricultural central valley and near California’s famous wine region.

It is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Travis Air Force Base, which has been used as a virus quarantine location. Public health officials said they can find no connection between the infected woman and passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship who were evacuated to the base when the ship was docked in Japan.

The case of the infected woman marks an escalation of the worldwide outbreak in the U.S. because it means the virus could spread beyond the reach of preventative measures like quarantines, though state health officials said that was inevitable and that the risk of widespread transmission remains low.

Solano County Public Health Officer Dr. Bela Matyas said public health officials have identified dozens of people — but less than 100 — who had close contact with the woman. They are quarantined in their homes and a few who have shown symptoms are in isolation, Matyas said.

Officials are not too worried, for now, about casual contact, because federal officials think the coronavirus is spread only through “close contact, being within six feet of somebody for what they’re calling a prolonged period of time,” said Dr. James Watt, interim state epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health.

The virus can cause fever, coughing, wheezing and pneumonia. Health officials think it spreads mainly from droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how the flu spreads.

Several Vacaville residents said they will try to avoid crowded places for now, while taking other routine and recommended precautions like frequent and thorough hand-washing. But others plan to do more.

“I’m definitely going to wear my mask and gloves at work, because I’m a server,” said bowling alley worker Denise Arriaga, who said she doesn’t care if she’s criticized for the extra precautions. “At the end of the day, it’s my life,” she said.

The case raised questions about how quickly public health officials are moving to diagnose and treat new cases. State and federal health officials disagreed about when doctors first requested the woman be tested.

Doctors at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento said they asked the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to test the woman for the virus on Feb. 19. But they said the CDC did not approve the testing until Sunday “since the patient did not fit the existing CDC criteria” for the virus, according to a memo posted to the hospital’s website.

The woman first sought treatment at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville, before her condition worsened and she was transferred to the medical center.

CDC spokesman Richard Quartarone said a preliminary review of agency records indicates the agency did not know about the woman until Sunday, the same day she was first tested.

That’s the kind of confusion that concerns McKinsey Paz, who works at a private security firm in Vacaville. The company has already stockpiled 450 face masks and is scrambling for more “since they’re hard to come by.” The company’s owner bought enough cleaning and disinfectant supplies to both scrub down the office and send home with employees.

But they appeared to be at the extreme for preparations.

Virus Outbreak California — Don Thompson—APEugenia Kendall wears a mask outside of the Vacaville City Hall while standing with her husband Ivan on Feb. 27, 2020, in Vacaville, Calif. Eugenia Kendall says she wears a mask because her immune system has been weakened from the chemotherapy she receives for ovarian cancer. Ivan Kendall says the they are not paranoid, just being practical.

Eugenia Kendall was wearing a face mask, but in fear of anything including the common cold. Her immune system is impaired because she is undergoing chemotherapy, and she has long been taking such precautions.

“We’re not paranoid. We’re just trying to be practical,” said her husband of 31 years, Ivan Kendall. “We wipe the shopping carts if they have them, and when I get back in the car I wipe my hands — and just hope for the best.”

In their investigation of the movements of the hospitalized woman, officials were trying to figure out how she got it and who else she may have unwittingly infected.

They are interviewing immediate family members and expanding their net to include more distant family members who may have been in contact, social gatherings like church that the patient may have attended and any possible time spent at work or events like a concert.

Besides the woman, all the 59 other cases in the U.S. have been for people who traveled abroad or had close contact with others who traveled.

Earlier U.S. cases included 14 in people who returned from outbreak areas in China, or their spouses; three people who were evacuated from the central China city of Wuhan; and 42 American passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

The global count of those sickened by the virus hovered Friday around 83,000 and caused more than 2,800 deaths, most of them in China.

Friday, 28 February 2020

At a Biden event, Michelle Obama’s name brings cheers.

By BY KATIE GLUECK from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2I18svl

Iowa is sort of, maybe, actually over.

By BY MAGGIE ASTOR from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Tnlb0D

In Syria and Libya, Trump Is Torn Over 2 Wars, and 2 Strongmen

By BY LARA JAKES AND MICHAEL CROWLEY from NYT World https://ift.tt/2TpTV1F

Europe, US Markets Slump On Virus Fears, Global Slowdown Threat Looms

European and US stock markets slumped painfully again Thursday as new coronavirus infections spread outside China, exacerbating fears of a global slowdown.

from NDTV News - Topstories https://ift.tt/32zPdCC

"Democratic Traditions Unite Us": US On Trump's First India Visit

US President Donald Trump's just-concluded India trip demonstrated the value the United Stated placed on its ties with New Delhi, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday.

from NDTV News - Topstories https://ift.tt/38cfkko

Coronavirus in California: What You Need to Know

By BY RICK ROJAS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2I2ZxK4

Tired of Chasing Astros, A’s Look Forward to a ‘Level’ Playing Field

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/395SBrb

Bloomberg campaign reached out to Yang and discussed an endorsement.

By BY MATT STEVENS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2wa6q9y

Cellphone Carriers May Face $200 Million in Fines for Selling Location Data

By BY JENNIFER VALENTINO-DEVRIES from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/2VxpCZt

When a Pandemic Meets a Personality Cult

By BY PAUL KRUGMAN from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2VvMVCP

Pelosi, Trying to Save House Majority, Fends Off Angst Over Sanders

By BY SHERYL GAY STOLBERG AND NICHOLAS FANDOS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/32wGhha

The Superdelegates Are Nervous

By BY LISA LERER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2ThcFAk

More Pain for N.J. Commuters: Tunnel Repairs Could Cause Big Delays

By BY PATRICK MCGEEHAN from NYT New York https://ift.tt/2TlsDJR

Dangerous Numbers? Teaching About Data and Statistics Using the Coronavirus Outbreak

By BY PATRICK HONNER from NYT The Learning Network https://ift.tt/2T6JRf5

Getting a food tour in San Antonio.

By Unknown Author from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/32yUtpU

DeVos Orders U.S.C. to Address ‘Systemic Failures’ Over Arrested Gynecologist

By BY ERICA L. GREEN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/32zJGMm

How Concerned Are You About the Coronavirus Outbreak?

By BY JEREMY ENGLE from NYT The Learning Network https://ift.tt/2Tnqu0c

Immigrants Could Face Nearly $1,000 Charge to Appeal Deportation Orders

By BY VANESSA SWALES from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3ag4zil

Democrats thrive in the shadow of a Whole Foods. Here’s why that may be trouble.

By BY DAVID WASSERMAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/32AjKQU

No, Not Sanders, Not Ever

By BY DAVID BROOKS from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2I3EIy0

With a Rebel Yell, New York Revs Up Its War on Idling Vehicles

By BY JEFFERY C. MAYS from NYT New York https://ift.tt/3cby1HY

Bloomberg’s claim of persuading lawmakers to legalize gay marriage is ‘demonstrably false,’ Cuomo says.

By BY THOMAS KAPLAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/398O8nA

Arlene Shechet Creates Beauty Out of Chaos

By BY MERRELL HAMBLETON from NYT T Magazine https://ift.tt/3acBkN8

Thursday, 27 February 2020

Push for More Privacy Protections Throws Surveillance Bill Talks Into Disarray

By BY NICHOLAS FANDOS AND CHARLIE SAVAGE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Vo1msC

New top story from Time: Trump Campaign Sues The New York Times for Defamation Over Putin

NEW YORK — The campaign to reelect President Donald Trump sued The New York Times for defamation Wednesday, saying it was responsible for an essay by a former executive editor for the newspaper that claimed the campaign made a deal with Russian officials to defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

In the lawsuit in state court in New York, Donald J. Trump for President Inc. said the newspaper knowingly published false and defamatory statements when the Op-Ed piece claimed the campaign had an “overarching deal” with “Vladimir Putin’s oligarchy” to defeat the Democratic candidate.

The lawsuit blamed the newspaper for the essay, saying the March 2019 article headlined “The Real Trump-Russia Quid Pro Quo,” by Max Frankel, said the deal called for “the quid of help in the campaign against Hillary Clinton for the quo of a new pro-Russian foreign policy.”

Frankel was executive editor of the Times from 1986 to 1994.

The lawsuit said Times reporters had confirmed the falsity of the statements, but the newspaper published them anyway because of its “extreme bias against and animosity toward the Campaign, and The Times’ exuberance to improperly influence the presidential election in November 2020.”

According to the lawsuit, the campaign sued to recover unspecified damages, publicly establish the truth, properly inform the newspaper’s readers and the rest of the world and to seek appropriate remedies for the harm.

While briefing the media on the COVID-19 virus Wednesday evening, Trump fielded a question about the lawsuit and said the Times piece was beyond an opinion.

Eileen Murphy, a spokeswoman for the Times, said in a statement that the Trump campaign “has turned to the courts to try to punish an opinion writer for having an opinion they find unacceptable. Fortunately, the law protects the right of Americans to express their judgments and conclusions, especially about events of public importance. We look forward to vindicating that right in this case.”

Brian Hauss, staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union who specializes in free speech, privacy and technology, said the lawsuit was “completely meritless.”

“A publisher cannot be held liable for commentary based on public facts. If the law were any different, President Trump himself could be held liable for asserting that the Democrats colluded with Russia,” he said in a statement.

Samsung Budget Phones

Saturday, 29 February 2020

Friday, 28 February 2020

Thursday, 27 February 2020

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