News For Trend: April 2020

Thursday, 30 April 2020

Satellite images of luxury boats further suggest North Korea's Kim at favoured villa: experts

Satellite imagery showing recent movements of luxury boats often used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his entourage near Wonsan provide further indications he has been at the coastal resort, according to experts who monitor the reclusive regime. Speculation about Kim's health and location erupted after his unprecedented absence from April 15 celebrations to mark the birthday of his late grandfather and North Korea's founder, Kim Il Sung. On Tuesday, North Korea-monitoring website NK PRO reported commercial satellite imagery showed boats often used by Kim had made movements in patterns that suggested he or his entourage may be in the Wonsan area.

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A first-round QB?! Inside Packers' gamble on Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers

The Packers have been here before, but that doesn't make it any less complicated. Here's how they planned for the future while potentially straining a Hall of Fame present.

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Dota 2's The International delayed due to pandemic

One of the biggest esports events of the year will be delayed due to the coronavirus.

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A first-round QB?! Inside Packers' gamble on Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers

Dota 2's The International delayed due to pandemic

One of the biggest esports events of the year will be delayed due to the coronavirus.

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Most of U.S. House urges more diplomacy at U.N. to renew Iran arms embargo: sources

Nearly 90% of U.S. House of Representatives members have signed a letter urging the Trump administration to increase its diplomatic action at the United Nations to renew an arms embargo on Iran, congressional sources said on Thursday.

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COVID-19: More than one million infected in US - Al Jazeera English

COVID-19: More than one million infected in US Al Jazeera EnglishView Full Coverage on Google News

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Fortnite World Cup 2020 has been canceled - The Verge

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NFL Draft 2020: Did Giants find a gem in ‘Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on a football field'? - NJ.com

NFL Draft 2020: Did Giants find a gem in ‘Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on a football field'? NJ.com
2021 NFL draft QB class - Early look, eight names to know and potential landing spots ESPN
The ACC's Best Late-Round Picks Of The Last 10 Years ACC Digital Network
Community 2020 Rookie Rankings | fantasy football rookie rankings Dynasty League Football
Picking NFL draft steals: 10 underrated players who could turn into gems ESPN
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NASCAR announces revised May schedule as racing returns beginning at Darlington Raceway - NASCAR

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A first-round QB?! Inside Packers' gamble on Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers

Dota 2's The International delayed due to pandemic

One of the biggest esports events of the year will be delayed due to the coronavirus.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/3bUcXVM

A first-round QB?! Inside Packers' gamble on Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers

Dota 2's The International delayed due to pandemic

One of the biggest esports events of the year will be delayed due to the coronavirus.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/3bUcXVM

A first-round QB?! Inside Packers' gamble on Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers

Dota 2's The International delayed due to pandemic

One of the biggest esports events of the year will be delayed due to the coronavirus.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/3bUcXVM

Two Arrested in Killings of Transgender Women in Puerto Rico

By BY MICHAEL LEVENSON AND SANDRA E. GARCIA from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2YnU3CH

Peter Hunt, Who Directed the Broadway Hit ‘1776,’ Dies at 81

By BY NEIL GENZLINGER from NYT Theater https://ift.tt/2VR35Xb

Scrambling the Political Divide: ‘No Normal Recession’

By BY LISA LERER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2VQ3U2w

In a Crisis, True Leaders Stand Out

By BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2Wc5wTr

Amazon Sells More, but Warns of Much Higher Costs Ahead

By BY KAREN WEISE from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/2xrY3Hw

A first-round QB?! Inside Packers' gamble on Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers

Dota 2's The International delayed due to pandemic

One of the biggest esports events of the year will be delayed due to the coronavirus.

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Wednesday, 29 April 2020

Coronavirus: Mike Pence flouts rule on masks at hospital

In a deleted tweet, the Mayo Clinic said the US vice-president had been told of their mask rules.

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US 'hasn't seen' North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently, Mike Pompeo

The US secretary of state's comments come after speculation the North Korean leader might be ill.

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Israel marks its Independence Day under coronavirus lockdown

Israelis celebrated their Independence Day at home Wednesday amid a nationwide lockdown aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The national holiday, which honors the creation of Israel after the end of the British Mandate in 1948, is usually a festive occasion, with people heading to the beach, hosting barbecues and watching fireworks. The Israeli air force devoted its annual fly-by to health workers, with four planes crisscrossing the nation and performing aerial acrobatics over hospitals and medical centers.

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The US is 'slightly' past its first peak, but expert says the pandemic is far from over

Dr. Tom Inglesby said some states are experiencing a decline in cases, while half of the country is still seeing a rise in daily numbers.

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LeBron backs primetime tribute for HS '20 class

LeBron James is helping to present a primetime special that will honor the high school class of 2020 with commencement addresses, celebrity cameos and more.

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LeBron backs primetime tribute for HS '20 class

China opposes international COVID-19 probe that presumes its guilt: vice foreign minister

China "resolutely opposes" any international inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic that presumes its guilt, said Yue Yucheng, a vice-foreign minister, in comments published on Thursday.

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Australia links coronavirus outbreak in remote south to Carnival Corp cruise ship

A coronavirus outbreak in Australia's remote southern island state of Tasmania likely originated from the Ruby Princess cruise ship, a government report published on Thursday concluded, as the national death toll rose to 91.

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LeBron backs primetime tribute for HS '20 class

Peru's leader says to propose comprehensive pension reform

Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra on Wednesday rejected a bill approved by Congress earlier this month that would have let people withdraw up to 25% of their holdings in private pension funds and vowed to send a full pension reform plan to lawmakers.

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First female federal inmate – who gave birth while on ventilator – dies of coronavirus - USA TODAY

First female federal inmate – who gave birth while on ventilator – dies of coronavirus USA TODAY
Inmate who gave birth on ventilator dies of Covid-19 BBC News
Terminal Island prison coronavirus outbreak worst in system Los Angeles Times
Federal inmate who gave birth while on ventilator dies from coronavirus NBC News
Coronavirus kills its first female federal inmate weeks after she had an emergency C-section Washington Post
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Navy opening full investigation of coronavirus outbreak on USS Theodore Roosevelt - The Washington Post

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Big banks temporarily shut out of small business loan portal, Treasury and SBA announce - CNBC

Big banks temporarily shut out of small business loan portal, Treasury and SBA announce CNBC
Treasury Vows to Recoup Virus Relief Aid Claimed by Big Companies The Loppy
Mnuchin Now Says All PPP Loan Recipients Will Face Audits pymnts.com
Congress was wrong to leave PPP disbursement up to banks American Banker
Many US restaurants ‘highly likely’ to return small business aid Financial Times
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LeBron backs primetime tribute for HS '20 class

Save $300 on the Roomba i7+ vacuum robot at Best Buy - Engadget

Save $300 on the Roomba i7+ vacuum robot at Best Buy Engadget
Roomba maker iRobot’s lawnmower bot is indefinitely delayed because of COVID-19 The Verge
8 Best Robot Mops of 2020 - Reviews of Mopping Robots GoodHousekeeping.com
Why iRobot Stock Fell Today Motley Fool
iRobot suspends plans to launch its robotic lawn mower Engadget
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Kristin Cavallari is still living with Jay Cutler despite being 'blindsided' by divorce filing - Daily Mail

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Sources: No Minor League Baseball in 2020; MLB Expanding Rosters Instead - Lookout Landing

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LeBron backs primetime tribute for HS '20 class

Delivering Food Under Coronavirus

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The Trump Administration’s Legal Moves to Prevent a Meat Shortage, Explained

By BY CHARLIE SAVAGE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2W43dl2

Trump Seeks Push to Speed Vaccine, Despite Safety Concerns

By BY DAVID E. SANGER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3bQeDjg

LeBron backs primetime tribute for HS '20 class

Tuesday, 28 April 2020

Can Jameis Winston revive career in audition to be Drew Brees' heir?

Teddy Bridgewater rebooted his career; can Winston do the same? The Saints are taking a flier to see if the former No. 1 pick can elevate his game.

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Children falling critically ill with new 'coronavirus-related syndrome' as NHS issues alert

Children are falling ill with a mystery ‘inflammatory syndrome’ thought to be linked to coronavirus, senior doctors have warned. NHS leaders have issued a nationwide alert after a sudden spike in children admitted to intensive care with rashes, kidney failure, and stomach problems. The young patients have been struck down by symptoms similar to toxic shock and Kawasaki syndrome, a rare condition that weakens the blood vessels and usually affects children under five. Some have been admitted to intensive care after their hearts became dangerously inflamed, while others have been put on ventilators, it is understood. On Monday night, Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said he had asked experts to examine "as a matter of urgency" whether a coronavirus-related syndrome among children may be emerging in the UK. "We have become aware in the last few days of reports of severe illness in children which might be a Kawasaki-like disease," he said. "Both Chris (Whitty) and I are aware of that, and we have asked our experts; I have asked the National Clinical Director for Children and Young People to look into this as a matter of urgency." He said that Public Health England (PHE) was also looking into the reports, adding: "We're not sure at the moment - it is really too early to say whether there is a link."

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Australia asks China to explain 'economic coercion' threat in coronavirus row

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Supreme Court Scraps Gun Case After New York Changes Law

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Catholic Church angry after Italian government refuses to lift ban on religious services

The Catholic Church in Italy is angry over the government’s refusal to allow the faithful to attend religious services, as the country edges towards a cautious relaxation of coronavirus lockdown rules. Under a new decree announced on Sunday night by the prime minister, businesses, factories and building sites will be allowed to restart on May 4 and people will be allowed out of their homes to exercise. Public parks will be reopened and children will be allowed out for fresh air and exercise, Giuseppe Conte said. But the government said churches and cathedrals would remain closed to congregations because there remained a high risk of the virus being spread. Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 and make up a high proportion of Italy’s dwindling churchgoers. "I understand that freedom of worship is a fundamental people's right," the prime minister said. "I understand your suffering. But we must continue discussing this further with the scientific committee." The Italian Bishops’ Conference accused the government of “arbitrarily” compromising religious freedom. The decree also exposed divisions within the government, with some ministers calling for congregations to be allowed to return to churches. "So, we can safely visit a museum but we can't celebrate a religious service? This decision is incomprehensible. It must be changed," tweeted Elena Bonetti, the equal opportunities minister. Catholic leaders said the Church was working hard to alleviate the suffering of the poor and the marginalised during the coronavirus emergency. “It should be clear to all that the commitment to serving the poor, [which is] so significant in this emergency, stems from a faith that must be nourished at its source, especially the sacramental life”, the bishops’ conference said.

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Kim Jong Un 'alive and well,' South Korean official says amid new reports North Korean leader is ill

Speculation about Kim's health began to swirl after the North Korea leader failed to attend the April 15 celebration of his grandfather's birthday.

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Coronavirus: What African countries are doing to help people to eat amid the lockdowns

What African countries are doing to help people to eat amid the lockdowns.

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Reversing course, House won't return to D.C. next week because of coronavirus threat

"We made a judgment that we will not come back next week," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said in a phone call with reporters.

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Pentagon releases three UFO videos taken by US Navy pilots

The Pentagon has released three declassified videos taken by US Navy pilots that appear to show unidentified flying objects (UFO).The black and white videos were recorded during training flights – one in November 2004 and two in January 2015 – and later leaked to the public, the Department of Defense said in a statement on Monday.

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Mitch McConnell wants to prevent a 'blue state bailout' of stimulus money. But Kentucky takes more from the federal government than almost any other state.

Kentucky has a bigger balance than 47 other states from the 2015 fiscal year through 2018, according to the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

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Scientists are perplexed by the low rate of coronavirus hospitalizations among smokers. Nicotine may hold the answer.

No experts are remotely advocating for people to take up smoking to prevent COVID-19, but some researchers have theorized nicotine may be playing some role in keeping the virus at bay, Vice reports. That's because there's a surprisingly low rate of smokers among coronavirus hospitalizations.In France, for example, 25 percent of the population smokes, but only 5.3 percent of coronavirus patients have been recorded as smokers, and studies have found low rates in China and New York City, as well.Greek cardiologist and tobacco harm-reduction specialist Konstantinos Farsalinos thinks nicotine (crucially, not tobacco) might be lessening the intensity of cytokine storms, an overreaction of the body's immune system which seems to be the cause of the most severe coronavirus symptoms. French researchers have a slightly altered theory that nicotine prevents the virus from entering cells (the difference lies in the type of receptors the virus latches onto), and they're hoping to test out nicotine patches on patients to see if they help fight off COVID-19. The French government suspended the online sale of patches to make sure people don't buy in bulk and try to treat themselves that way.The seemingly out-there theory has piqued the interest of scientists across the world, though many are urging caution. The lower rates could be a result of some other chemical in tobacco producing a protective effect, or it could be that the number of smokers is being underreported."Smokers who have developed chronic disease have likely quit because of their disease," Michael Siegel, a community health sciences professor at Boston University, said. "Many of the smokers who are continuing to smoke are doing so because they don't have disease yet. So this would be expected to skew the sample of hospitalized patients toward people who do not smoke." Read more at Vice.More stories from theweek.com Movies that debut on streaming and not in theaters can be eligible for the Oscars next year How Democrats blew up MeToo Pence refused a mask at Mayo Clinic because he wanted to thank workers by 'looking them in the eye'

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Can Jameis Winston revive career in audition to be Drew Brees' heir?

Teddy Bridgewater rebooted his career; can Winston do the same? The Saints are taking a flier to see if the former No. 1 pick can elevate his game.

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Sources: Overwatch League MVP Sinatraa to retire, join Sentinels VALORANT team

Jay "sinatraa" Won, who won an Overwatch League title with the San Francisco Shock, is leaving the organization and game to become a VALORANT pro.

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Stuck inside with: Call of Duty as a beginner

Since we're all stuck inside, we're exploring Call of Duty: Modern Warfare through the eyes of a first-time player.

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Can Jameis Winston revive career in audition to be Drew Brees' heir?

Teddy Bridgewater rebooted his career; can Winston do the same? The Saints are taking a flier to see if the former No. 1 pick can elevate his game.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/2YewdJO

Sources: Overwatch League MVP Sinatraa to retire, join Sentinels VALORANT team

Jay "sinatraa" Won, who won an Overwatch League title with the San Francisco Shock, is leaving the organization and game to become a VALORANT pro.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/2xhJlCJ

Stuck inside with: Call of Duty as a beginner

Since we're all stuck inside, we're exploring Call of Duty: Modern Warfare through the eyes of a first-time player.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/2xYXZzm

Nova Scotia gunman killed 9 of his 22 victims by setting fire to their houses, police say

Nine of the 22 victims killed in Canada's Nova Scotia province earlier this month in a weekend shooting rampage died in house fires set by the gunman, Canadian police told reporters on Tuesday.

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Sources: Overwatch League MVP Sinatraa to retire, join Sentinels VALORANT team

Jay "sinatraa" Won, who won an Overwatch League title with the San Francisco Shock, is leaving the organization and game to become a VALORANT pro.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/2xhJlCJ

Stuck inside with: Call of Duty as a beginner

Since we're all stuck inside, we're exploring Call of Duty: Modern Warfare through the eyes of a first-time player.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/2xYXZzm

Oklahoma and Utah Criticized Over Spending Millions on Malaria Drugs Touted by President Trump

OKLAHOMA CITY — Republican state leaders in Oklahoma and Utah are facing scrutiny for spending millions of dollars combined to purchase malaria drugs promoted by President Trump to treat COVID-19 patients that many other states obtained for free and that doctors warned shouldn’t be used without more testing.

While governments in at least 20 other states obtained more than 30 million doses of the drug through donations from the federal reserve or private companies, Oklahoma and Utah instead bought them from private pharmaceutical companies.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday defended the state’s $2 million purchase, saying the drug was showing some promise. His health secretary attributed buying the 1.2 million hydroxychloroquine pills to something that happens in the “fog of war.”

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert at first defended the state’s $800,000 purchase of 20,000 packets of hydroxychloroquine compounded with zinc, but has since ordered an investigation of a no-bid contract with a local company that had been promoting the drugs. Herbert, a Republican, also canceled an additional plan to spend $8 million more to buy 200,000 additional treatments from the same company.

A left-leaning nonprofit group in Utah filed a price gouging complaint Tuesday with state regulators, arguing the $40 per pack drug was grossly overpriced.

Oklahoma’s attorney general requested an investigative audit on Tuesday of its Department of Health over spending and warned the agency about retaliating against employees who report wrongful government activities under the state’s Whistleblower Act. A spokesman for Attorney General Mike Hunter declined to comment on whether the request was related to the $2 million spent on the drug.

Doctors can already prescribe the malaria drug to patients with COVID-19, a practice known as off-label prescribing, and many do. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned doctors against prescribing hydroxychloroquine for treating the coronavirus outside of hospitals or research settings because of reports of serious side effects, including irregular heart rhythms and death among patients.

Preliminary results from a recent study done on coronavirus patients at U.S. veterans hospitals showed no benefit, casting more doubt on the drug’s efficacy during the pandemic.

Those were the latest admonitions against the drug that Trump has regularly promoted in public appearances, touting its potential despite his own health advisors telling him it is unproven.

Oklahoma acquired 1.2 million pills, or about 100,000 doses, on April 4 from FFF Enterprises, a California-based medical supply wholesaler, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

Oklahoma state Rep. Melissa Provenzano, a Democrat from Tulsa, said the state’s purchase shows that Gov. Stitt’s actions don’t follow his claim that he relies on data to drive his decisions.

“Two million dollars is a lot of money to waste, especially when we have unemployment claims approved yet going unpaid, health care professionals without proper protective equipment, and diagnosed cases and deaths continuing to rise,” Provenzano said.

Stitt, a first-term Republican, said hydroxychloroquine was showing some promise as a treatment in early March, and he didn’t want Oklahoma to miss out on an opportunity to acquire it.

“Now there’s some evidence the chloroquine may not be as effective, but I was being proactive to try and protect Oklahomans,” Stitt said Tuesday when asked about the purchase. “That’s always going to be my first instinct, to get the equipment and things we need that I’m seeing in the future would help Oklahomans.”

Oklahoma’s Secretary of Health Jerome Loughridge said several physicians, including some in Oklahoma, were previously optimistic about the drug’s promise in treating COVID-19. He added that the drug is also useful for treating lupus and some other auto-immune diseases, so the state’s supply “will not have gone to waste.”

“When we were battling sort of the fog of war at that point, we certainly acquired it on the potential that it would have utility,” Loughridge said.

Doctors in Oklahoma have been using the drug to treat patients with COVID-19, often in conjunction with a second drug, azithromiocin, but the results “just are not that promising,” said Dr. Douglas Drevets, chief of infectious diseases at University of Oklahoma Medicine.

FFF Enterprises said it’s the company’s policy not to comment on transactions with customers.

Utah gave a local company called Meds in Motion the $800,000 contract without taking bids from other companies under emergency procurement rules, said Christopher Hughes, director of Utah’s division of purchasing. State officials haven’t explained why they didn’t seek to get the drugs for free.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Saturday it has sent out 28.6 million tablets of hydroxychloroquine sulfate free of cost to states around the country. Several states including New York, Connecticut and Texas received donations of the medication from a private company based in New Jersey called Amneal Pharmaceutical, according to information compiled by The Associated Press.

Utah taxpayers deserve to know what happened to allow a purchase that seems like a company taking advantage of the early, chaotic days of the pandemic said Chase Thomas, executive director of the group called Alliance for a Better Utah that submitted the price gouging complaint. The complaint alleges Utah paid at least double the common price for the medication.

“Whether they were buying drugs we didn’t need or paying too much for it when they could have gotten them for free, there just needed to be a lot more thought going into this,” Thomas said.

Meds in Motion didn’t answer an email seeking comment about the allegations.

Herbert declined to provide an update Tuesday about the investigation of the purchase. He said Friday the state’s legal counsel would aim to find out what, how and why it happened. He said he believed state officials acted in good faith as they scrambled to slow the spread of coronavirus, but acknowledged a mistake may have been made.

“I have some questions about how it came about,” Herbert said Friday. “Bottom line is, we’re not purchasing any more of this drug.”

___

McCombs and Whitehurst reported from Salt Lake City.

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Sources: Overwatch League MVP Sinatraa to retire, join Sentinels VALORANT team

Jay "sinatraa" Won, who won an Overwatch League title with the San Francisco Shock, is leaving the organization and game to become a VALORANT pro.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/2xhJlCJ

Stuck inside with: Call of Duty as a beginner

Since we're all stuck inside, we're exploring Call of Duty: Modern Warfare through the eyes of a first-time player.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/2xYXZzm

Monday, 27 April 2020

Dutch students complete Atlantic crossing forced by virus

Greeted by relieved parents, pet dogs, flares and a cloud of orange smoke, a group of 25 Dutch high school students with very little sailing experience ended a trans-Atlantic voyage Sunday that was forced on them by coronavirus restrictions. The children, ages 14 to 17, watched over by 12 experienced crew members and three teachers, were on an educational cruise of the Caribbean when the pandemic forced them to radically change their plans for returning home in March. Instead of flying back from Cuba as originally planned, the crew and students stocked up on supplies and warm clothes and set sail for the northern Dutch port of Harlingen, a five-week voyage of nearly 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles), on board the 60-meter (200-foot) top sail schooner Wylde Swan.

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North Korea's Kim 'alive and well': Seoul

Conjecture over Kim has grown since his conspicuous no-show at April 15 celebrations for the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung, the North's founder -- the most important day in the country's political calendar. "Our government position is firm," said Moon's special adviser on national security Moon Chung-in, in an interview with CNN on Sunday. "Kim Jong Un is alive and well."

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Stacey Abrams: ‘I would be willing to serve’ if asked to be Biden’s VP

The Georgia Democrat is actively seeking the No. 2 spot on the Democratic ticket.

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Mexico all but empties official migrant centers in bid to contain coronavirus

Mexico has almost entirely cleared out government migrant centers over the past five weeks to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, returning most of the occupants to their countries of origin, official data showed on Sunday. In a statement, the National Migration Institute (INM) said that since March 21, in order to comply with health and safety guidelines, it had been removing migrants from its 65 migrant facilities, which held 3,759 people last month. In the intervening weeks, Mexico has returned 3,653 migrants to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador by road and air, with the result that only 106 people remain in the centers, it said.

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Malaysia Says Lockdown Has Succeeded in Flattening Virus Curve

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China envoy threatens Australia boycott over virus inquest demand

China's ambassador in Australia has warned that demands for a probe into the spread of the coronavirus could lead to a consumer boycott of Aussie wine or trips Down Under. Australia has joined the United States in calling for a thorough investigation of how the virus transformed from a localised epidemic in central China into a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people, forced billions into isolation and torpedoed the global economy. In a thinly veiled threat, ambassador Cheng Jingye warned the push for an independent inquest into the origins of the outbreak was "dangerous".

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US was warned of threat from anti-vaxxers in event of pandemic

FBI-connected researchers suggested biggest threat in controlling outbreak was from ‘those who categorically reject vaccination’America’s “anti-vaxxer movement” would pose a threat to national security in the event of a “pandemic with a novel organism”, an FBI-connected non-profit research group warned last year, just months before the global coronavirus pandemic began.In a research paper put out by the little-known in-house journal of InfraGard – a national security group affiliated with the FBI – experts warned the US anti-vaccine movement would also be connected with “social media misinformation and propaganda campaigns” orchestrated by the Russian government.Since the virus hit America, anti-vaccination activists and some sympathetic legislators around the country have led or participated in protests against stay-at-home orders designed to slow the spread of the deadly virus. More than 50,000 people have died in the US.On its website, InfraGard says it is an “FBI-affiliated nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening national security” with a mission to protect “United States critical infrastructure”. It says it consists of local chapters and that “an FBI special agent from each field office is assigned to serve as a private sector coordinator”.The paper, jointly written by a security consultant and a senior doctor in New York State’s largest hospital network, warned: “The biggest threat in controlling an outbreak comes from those who categorically reject vaccination.”The paper, entitled The Anti-Vaxxers Movement and National Security, was co-written by Dr Mark Jarrett, the chief quality officer, senior vice-president and associate chief medical officer at Northwell Health; and Christine Sublett, a health industry-focused cybersecurity consultant.It lays out a pandemic scenario remarkably similar to the one now afflicting the US along with most of the world, including that “social distancing and isolation have impacts that include loss of manufactured goods, reduced food supply, and other disruptions to the supply chain”.The article then turns to the anti-vaccine movement, arguing that sufficient resistance to vaccination would hobble the chances of reaching herd immunity to a highly infectious pathogen.The paper also says that such movements have received a boost in recent years due to their “alignment with other conspiracy movements including the far right … and social media misinformation and propaganda campaigns by many foreign and domestic actors. Included among these actors is the Internet Research Agency, the Russian government–aligned organization.”Ben Harris-Roxas at the University of New South Wales, an expert on public health, endorsed the epidemiological reasoning in the paper.“Vaccine hesitancy represents a significant threat – not just for any Covid-19 vaccine that might be developed, but also to measures that might assist people and health services now, such as people getting flu vaccinations,” he said.Others expressed concerns about the implications of a paper defining a specific group as a national security threat being published under the imprimatur of the FBI.Michael German, a Brennan Center fellow and former FBI agent and whistleblower, said he was worried about the unintended consequences of defining a group as a national security threat based on their beliefs, and how that might feed into both policy and law enforcement decisions.“You can imagine some young police officer who’s trying to do a good job protecting his or her community. And all of a sudden he’s told that anti-vaxxers are Russian agents.”German added that “the lack of proper government preparation and stockpiles of medical materials to respond to a pandemic was a much more serious problem than the influence of a relatively small group of anti-vaxxers could ever be, but it is hard to argue with the need for a science-based policy approach”.InfraGard has been criticized by civil liberties groups from its origins as a security national entity and links to the FBI. An FBI spokesperson said: “InfraGard is a non-profit organization serving as a public-private partnership among US businesses, individuals, and the FBI.”The spokesperson added, “It is important to distinguish among the statements, views, and comments made by official FBI representatives and InfraGard Members”, and declined further comment.InfraGard Journal’s editor, Dr Ryan Williams, said in a telephone conversation that the journal was peer-reviewed, but received an additional layer of oversight from InfraGard’s board, which includes senior FBI officials and representatives from other partner groups.Dr Jarrett said the paper had been inspired by the experience of the measles outbreak of early 2019, and its predictions were being borne out in the current crisis.“Take the pandemic now,” he said. “If they come out with a vaccine and you have 15% of people saying, ‘I don’t want to take it, I don’t believe in it, it’s going to cause harm’, you’re never going to get up to the level of herd immunity to really shut off the process.”

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Tyson warns of U.S. meat shortages as coronavirus shuts livestock plants

Millions of pounds of beef, pork and chicken will vanish from U.S. grocery stores as livestock and poultry processing plants have been shuttered by coronavirus outbreaks among workers, the chairman of Tyson Foods Inc said. John Tyson warned that the U.S. "food supply chain is breaking" as a growing number of plant closures have left farmers with fewer options to market and process livestock. Tyson Foods announced last week that it would shutter two pork processing plants, including its largest in the United States, and a beef facility to contain the spread of the virus.

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El Paso Walmart shooting victim dies, raising death toll to 23

A hospital official said Guillermo "Memo" Garcia died after a nine-month fight.

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