| Iran killed 23 children during crackdown on protests, Amnesty International claims Posted: 03 Mar 2020 05:14 PM PST  Iranian security forces killed 23 children, mostly with live ammunition, during a crackdown on anti-government protests last November, Amnesty International claimed. Protests broke out in Iran on November 15 after the announcement of a petrol price rise. The authorities responded with aggressive tactics that the human rights group has said left 304 people dead, a figure vehemently disputed by Tehran. Amnesty said in its new report, released on Tuesday, that it had evidence that at least 23 children were killed, with 22 of them killed by the security forces "unlawfully firing live ammunition at unarmed protesters and bystanders." The group also claims that relatives of some of the children killed described being subjected to harassment and intimidation, including surveillance and interrogations by intelligence and security officials. The children killed included 22 boys, aged between 12 and 17, and a girl reportedly aged between eight and 12. Twelve of the 23 deaths - recorded in 13 cities in six provinces across the country - took place on November 16, a further eight on November 17, and three on November 18, the report claims.
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| US ambassador to UN makes visit to Syrian border, announces $108M of new aid Posted: 03 Mar 2020 04:19 PM PST  A high-level Trump administration official traveled up to the border with Syria's last rebel stronghold in a show of support for Turkey and its armed Syrian opposition groups' fight against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and to highlight relief efforts for the nearly 1 million people who have fled recent fighting. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft met with White Helmet rescue workers and announced a new injection of U.S. aid money for the humanitarian crisis unfolding just across the Turkish border in Idlib province on Tuesday.
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| Trump’s Cut to Chinese Media Points to Wider U.S. Strategy Shift Posted: 03 Mar 2020 04:01 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- The trade war may be on hold, but the U.S. and China's slide toward a new Cold War is only accelerating.The Trump administration's decision to effectively expel much of China's state-run media staff is the clearest sign yet of a fundamental shift in how Washington manages its relationship with Beijing. Starting March 13, four Chinese media companies will be allowed to employ a combined 100 Chinese citizens, a 40% cut from current levels, State Department officials told reporters Monday.The move casts aside long-held arguments that the U.S. could steer the Communist Party in a more liberal direction by setting an example on human rights issues, such as freedom of the press. Instead, the Trump administration has expanded its demands for "reciprocity" to cover a host of other facets of the relationship after reaching a preliminary trade deal with China in January."For a long time, it was a generally shared judgment that displaying our open society for Chinese reporters and news organizations outweighed the lack of reciprocity for U.S.," said James Green, a former American trade official in Beijing who's now a senior research fellow with Georgetown University's Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues. "With this decision, that calculation has changed."That's not just because Donald Trump is in the White House. Support for a more confrontational position toward China has been building over the past decade as Beijing increasingly challenged U.S. leadership on everything from the security of the South China Sea to global rule-making to human rights. The more assertive policies of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the open hostility of Trump's trade war have only lit a fire under that process.Major FlashpointThe media has always been a key point of friction, since the two societies have such divergent views on the press. Whereas American media companies are largely private and protected by the First Amendment, China's news organizations are either state run or closely censored. All are overseen by the party's Central Publicity Department, or the "Central Propaganda Department" in Chinese.The exceptions in China are the foreign correspondents, whose reports provide rare windows into the world's second-largest economy, especially during events that affect the world like the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Media organizations have complained of pressure from authorities, even as Chinese state media companies expanded their own footprints in the U.S. and elsewhere overseas.U.S.-China Bickering Threatens to Hobble World's Virus FightHu Xijin, editor of the Communist Party-backed Global Times newspaper, warned late Tuesday that China "is mulling countermeasures and is determined not to back off."Some 82% of Foreign Correspondents' Club of China members said they experienced interference, harassment or violence while reporting last year, according to the group's annual report. About one-fifth of respondents said they had difficulty securing visas due to issues related to their reporting.China rejected that assertion Tuesday, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian saying the country has never limited the number of U.S. media agencies. Zhao condemned the decision, which he said "shows how hypocritical the U.S. is while boasting of freedom of the press."Tensions over the press have escalated over the outbreak, which has killed more than 2,900 people in China and prompted a rare outpouring of criticism against the government on social media. On Feb. 3, Xi told a meeting of the Politburo's supreme Standing Committee that officials must do more to ensure the "the effectiveness of publicity work" during the crisis, which he described as a "major test of China's system and capacity for governance."On Feb. 20, China's foreign ministry took the unusual action of revoking the press credentials of three Wall Street Journal reporters, prompting their expulsion. While the immediate reason was an opinion piece calling published by another section of the U.S. newspaper that called China the "sick man of Asia," the timing underscored the growing risk of a tit-for-tat battle over journalist visas.U.S. Condemns China's Expulsion of Wall Street Journal ReportersA day earlier, the Trump administration had designated five Chinese media companies including the official Xinhua News Agency and state broadcaster China Global Television Network as "foreign missions," curbing their ability to acquire property and take other actions. The expulsion of the Wall Street Journal reporters prompted an intense debate in the White House over how to respond, Bloomberg News reported, citing officials familiar with discussions.Some including Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin argued for a more moderate approach, especially as the two sides seek to stem the coronavirus outbreak. Ultimately, the administration decided to cut foreign staff allowances for five Chinese companies, including Xinhua and CGTN.'In Line'"This is in line with Trump administration's China policy," said Zhou Qi, director of the Institute of American Studies at the state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "It's not surprising that the U.S. government rolled out this latest restriction on the Chinese media, especially in the bigger context of the U.S. designating China as its strategic rival and is growing wary of the Chinese presence on the ideological front."Chinese outlets such as Xinhua have long blurred the lines between journalism and diplomacy, with generations of Chinese leaders relying on state media reporters to track developments overseas. The Xinhua office served as China's de facto embassy in British Hong Kong and the agency's journalists have in the past filed secret reports to party leaders from secure rooms in embassies, according to one former Chinese diplomat.Xi's Response to Virus Foreshadows an Even Tighter Grip on ChinaWhile U.S. officials were aware of the ambiguous missions of such outlets, the view was that openness would encourage more transparency from China. Now, openness has given way to confrontation."It is clear that selective decoupling policies and measures from both countries will intensify over the medium to long term," said Shi Yinhong, an adviser to China's cabinet and also a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing. "The carrot is getting smaller and the stick, however, is growing bigger."To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Peter Martin in Beijing at pmartin138@bloomberg.net;Dandan Li in Beijing at dli395@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, ;Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Karen LeighFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UN: World's biggest humanitarian crisis in Syria northwest Posted: 03 Mar 2020 03:46 PM PST |
| 8% of Iran's parliament has the coronavirus, and it released 54,000 prisoners as the country descends into chaos Posted: 03 Mar 2020 03:02 PM PST  Iran appears to have the highest number of government officials infected with the novel coronavirus.
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| AP VoteCast: Many Democratic voters made last-minute picks Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:46 PM PST |
| A disconnect between Trump and health officials on virus Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:42 PM PST  Whom to believe on the coronavirus threat — the president saying one thing or the public health officials standing beside him and saying something a little different? President Donald Trump's breezy talk Tuesday of a virus that's "got the world aflutter" contrasts with the gravity and caution conveyed by federal scientists as Americans look to the government not just for reassurance, but for realism. No, the scientists say, a vaccine is not just around the corner, although Trump has repeatedly suggested it is.
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| Improved Humanitarian - Development Cooperation Urged at 2nd International Humanitarian Forum Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:26 PM PST  Eleven recommendations towards achieving this goal were adopted at the conclusion of the event, which was held over two days.Over two thousand delegates, including the directors of six United Nations agencies, gathered in the capital for this high-level event co-hosted with the United Nations.
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| Democrats: Judge extends Tennessee voting in storm-hit area Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:21 PM PST  A judge has extended voting hours in a Nashville-area county after four Democratic presidential candidates sued to keep Super Tuesday polls open after tornado damage there, a Democratic party spokeswoman said Tuesday. A Davidson County Chancery Court judge ruled that polling locations in the county whose seat is Nashville must remain open until 8 p.m. CST.Two so-called megasites, where anyone in the tornado-hit county can go to vote, will be open until 10 p.m. local time under the judge's ruling, Tennessee Democratic Party spokeswoman Emily Cupples said. The county is Tennessee's second-largest.
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| U.S. Death Toll Rises to 9; More Travel Curbs Seen: Virus Update Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:21 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- A Westchester County man has tested positive for the coronavirus, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said. Washington state reported two more deaths, bringing the number of fatalities in the U.S. to nine.The U.S. Federal Reserve delivered an emergency interest-rate cut, and the Group of Seven finance chiefs pledged to use all policy tools to support the global economy but no direct action was taken.JPMorgan Chase & Co. is asking thousands of U.S. employees to work from home, and Ford Motor Co. banned all business travel. The head of the World Health Organization said countries shouldn't be "waving a white flag" and should pursue aggressive containment strategies, even if they have no or few cases of the novel coronavirus.Infections rose again in South Korea and Iran, where more officials were diagnosed. The International Olympic Committee urged athletes to keep preparing for the Tokyo games amid concern the outbreak could quash that event.U.S. stocks declined and Treasuries surged as investors worried the Fed's emergency cut won't be enough to combat the economic impact of the coronavirus. The 10-year Treasury yield plunged below 1% for the first time ever.Click VRUS on the terminal for news and data on the coronavirus and here for maps and charts. For analysis of the impact from Bloomberg Economics, click here.Temple Congregants Ordered to Self-Quarantine (5:14 p.m. NY)The health department of Westchester County, New York, ordered Temple Young Israel in New Rochelle to halt all services immediately due to potential coronavirus exposure connected to a member of the congregation. The congregant, an attorney who tested positive for the virus Tuesday, was reported in serious condition at New York Presbyterian Hospital.Congregants who attended services on Feb. 22 and a funeral and a bat mitzvah on Feb. 23 must self-quarantine until at least March 8, Westchester health officials said. Those who don't comply will be required to do so, officials said.The synagogue has 380 member families, according to its website.Google Cancels Most Important Conference (4:40 p.m. NY)Google called off its flagship conference, the latest event cancellation as concern about the coronavirus grows among businesses.The May event, called I/O, brings together thousands of people from around the world who partner with or build apps and websites for Google's digital services. The company will refund participants and look for ways to hold sessions digitally instead, according to an email sent to participants that Bloomberg viewed. On Monday, Google made the same decision for its Cloud Next conference.More Travel Restrictions Coming, TSA Chief Says (4:20 p.m.)More travel restrictions will be announced soon to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, said Transportation Security Administration chief David Pekoske."There will be additional countries, I'm sure, as we continue to work with the task force, and I think those announcements will be relatively soon," Pekoske told the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee's homeland security panel on Tuesday.The comments underscore the potential for tougher limits on international trips as cases increase. The Trump administration has already placed restrictions on travelers who have been to China or Iran in the last 14 days. It has also issued advisories for travel to Italy and South Korea.North Carolina Case Tied to Washington Outbreak (4 p.m. NY)North Carolina officials reported the first presumptive case of the disease, and it appears to be linked to an elder-care facility on the other side of the country in Washington state, where several people have fallen ill and died.The infected person from North Carolina traveled to Washington and was exposed at the long-term care facility, according to a statement from the office of Governor Roy Cooper.Officials said it was an isolated case and that they're identifying close contacts of the infected person to contain the spread, according to the statement, which said the patient is "doing well and is in isolation at home."New Washington Deaths Bring U.S. Total to 9 (3:40 p.m. NY)Two deaths last week in the Seattle area are now confirmed to have been due to coronavirus, making them the earliest known cases in the U.S. as an outbreak spread unnoticed in a nursing home. That brings the total number of deaths in the U.S. and Washington state to nine -- eight in King County, which includes Seattle.On Feb. 24, a 54-year-old male patient was transferred to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center from the Life Care Center home in Kirkland, Washington. Two days later, the patient died of what is now known to be Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, the hospital and the county public health department said Tuesday.In the interim, the patient may have exposed some staff who were treating him in the intensive-care unit, Harborview said in a statement. Those workers have been contacted and are being monitored and screened daily. The hospital doesn't believe other patients were exposed. A second resident of Life Care, a woman in her 80s, died at her family home the same day from the virus.Ford Bans All Business Trips (3:05 p.m NY)Ford Motor Co. has banned all business travel after two of its employees in China contracted the coronavirus.The employees were quarantined after being diagnosed with the virus, and they're recovering, Anderson Chan, a Ford spokesman, said in an email. He declined to reveal the employees' location, gender, ages or whether they were factory or office workers.Effective Tuesday, Ford curbed all business travel -- both international and domestic -- until March 27. The U.S. automaker joins multinational companies including Nestle SA and L'Oreal SA in suspending business trips in hopes of curbing the spread of the virus that is slowing economies and sending markets into a tailspin.JPMorgan Tests U.S. Work-From-Home Plan (2:55 p.m. NY)JPMorgan Chase & Co. is asking thousands of U.S. employees to work from home as it tests a contingency plan for closing domestic offices should the coronavirus spread, according to people with knowledge of the matter.Managers requested that about 10% of staff across its consumer bank work remotely as part of the plan's resiliency testing, which has been code-named "Project Kennedy," said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters. JPMorgan's consumer bank, which primarily operates in the U.S., has 127,137 employees, the most of any of the firm's divisions.Read the full story hereTesla Blames China Autopilot Issue on Supply Chain (1:45 p.m. NY)Some Tesla Inc. customers in China have complained they were sold locally assembled Model 3s with older Autopilot-related hardware. The electric-car maker responded by blaming supply-chain issues after a temporary virus-related shutdown of its factory near Shanghai.Tesla said in a post on the social media platform Weibo that it plans to gradually replace the hardware free of charge.WHO: Not Time to Wave a White Flag (12:15 p.m. NY)The head of the World Health Organization said countries shouldn't be "waving a white flag" and should pursue aggressive containment strategies, even if they have no or few cases of the novel coronavirus.China has managed to steadily reduce the number of new cases, which dropped to the lowest number since Jan. 20, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the group's daily briefing in Geneva Tuesday.In some people the coronavirus can cause much more serious illness than influenza, even if it doesn't spread as easily, Tedros said. Producers of medical gear need to boost supply 40% because each month the world will need 89 million medical masks, 76 million exam gloves and 1.6 million goggles, he said.Iran, the center of the outbreak in the Middle East, is in need of medical equipment including ventilators, and the large increases in new cases are a reflection of how medical authorities are being more aggressive in trying to detect the virus, Tedros said. "Things tend to look worse before they get better."FDA on Watch for Drug Shortages From India (11:10 a.m. NY)U.S. health regulators are watching for potential drug shortages after India restricted the export of some raw pharmaceutical ingredients, a move that has potential to disrupt the global supply chain of drugs manufactured around the world.Earlier Tuesday, India said it would limit export of some common medicines as concerns grow over shortages of chemical ingredients. Many manufacturers in China are shut due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.Though India is the source of about 20% of the world's generic-drug supply, the country is dependent on China for about 66% of the chemical components needed to make them. India wants to ensure that there are enough supplies at home for its citizens.Homeland Security Closes Field Office in Seattle (10:37 a.m. NY)The U.S. Department of Homeland Security closed a field office in Seattle after an employee was potentially exposed to coronavirus.An employee in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Seattle developed flu-like symptoms after visiting a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, where a cluster of coronavirus cases have been diagnosed, said Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli."The employee had been coming to work in the intervening days between the possible exposure (Feb. 22) and becoming ill (Feb. 26). In an effort to contain the threat of potential spread & out of an abundance of caution, the @USCIS Seattle Field Office was ordered closed," Cuccinelli tweeted.Fed Cuts Rates Half Point in Emergency Move (10:20 a.m. NY)The U.S. Federal Reserve delivered an emergency half-percentage point interest rate cut Tuesday in a bid to protect the longest-ever economic expansion."The coronavirus poses evolving risks to economic activity," the Fed said in a statement. "In light of these risks and in support of achieving its maximum employment and price stability goals, the Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/2 percentage point."Read the full story hereN.Y. Man in Westchester Tests Positive, Cuomo Says (9:40 a.m. NY)A 50-year-old man who works in Manhattan and lives in the New York suburb of Westchester County has been hospitalized and tested positive for the coronavirus.The man doesn't have a history of foreign travel and it wasn't immediately clear if he'd had contact with known cases in the U.S. Health authorities around the country are closely watching for coronavirus cases with unknown origins, a sign that the virus could be spreading from person-to-person.The man lives in Westchester with his family. A school in the Bronx attended by one of his children has been closed as a precaution, Cuomo said.There are also two families in Buffalo that are suspected of having the virus, the governor's office said in an email.New York City has at least one confirmed case so far, a Manhattan woman in her 30s who contracted the virus while traveling in Iran. She was isolated in her Manhattan apartment as of last weekend.Read the full story herePence Visited School Where Student Is in Quarantine (9:40 a.m. NY)A Florida student whose classmates shook hands last Friday with Vice President Mike Pence has been quarantined after his mother came into contact with a coronavirus patient.Some White House aides were aware of the case in Sarasota, Florida, but there was no blanket notification about it in the executive mansion, according to people familiar with the matter. Some advisers to the vice president were unaware of the quarantine as of Tuesday morning.Read full story hereNew York City High School Closes on Suspected Case (8:41 a.m. NY)A New York City high school is closed Tuesday after a suspected case of coronavirus in its community, Reuters reported, citing a statement.Italy's Business Lobby Sees GDP Contraction Worsening (8:07 a.m. NY)Italy's GDP was already expected to shrink in the first quarter and there's a high probability of a more significant contraction in the second quarter, Italy's business lobby Confindustria says in monthly economic survey. "In the absence of effective and timely economic policy measures -- not only in Italy -- the worst risk is that there is a spiral of supply and demand shocks capable of causing a strong and prolonged recession."G-7 Ready to Take Action, Including Fiscal Tools (7:44 a.m. NY)G-7 finance ministers "are ready to take actions, including fiscal measures where appropriate" in response to coronavirus threat, according to a joint statement released by the U.S. Treasury.Iran Supreme Leader Says 'Let's Not Exaggerate' Virus (6:53 a.m. NY)"The coronavirus won't affect the country for long & will leave," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Twitter on Tuesday. Iran, which has the second-highest number of fatalities from coronavirus, reported 835 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, taking the total to 2,336. The death toll climbed to 77 from 66, while 435 patients have recovered.Hedge Fund Winners Warn of Bull Trap (6:42 a.m. NY)Two of the best performing macro hedge funds of recent weeks have a tip for investors: buying the dip in stocks may not work this time. "This could become a textbook bull trap: the market rallies, you think it's over, mommy and daddy are going to intervene," said Quadriga Asset Managers's Diego Parrilla, referring to central banks and governments. "If this doesn't really play out, it's game over."BlackRock changed its recommendation on global equities to neutral.Satellite Data Suggest China Is Getting Back to Work (6:30 a.m. NY)Satellite data show economic activity in China could be picking up. Nitrogen dioxide levels rose across China's industrial heartland, according to the most recent Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service data compiled by Windy.Com.The reddish-brown gas mainly enters the air from burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. Levels plummeted in February after Chinese authorities locked down communities to contain the virus.Carney Sees 'Powerful' Global Response as G-7 Call Nears (6 a.m. NY)Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said international policy makers are crafting a "powerful and timely" defense of the world economy against the coronavirus as those from the Group of Seven nations prepared to hold an emergency conference call.French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire also said he wants G7 message to be "as powerful as possible." Le Maire said he's in close contact with G7 counterparts and spoke with ECB President Lagarde on Tuesday. "I can assure that you at the level of the G7 and the eurozone we will have a coordinated, strong and fast response to this crisis," he said.Under pressure from investors to match recent pledges of economic support with concrete action, G-7 finance ministers and central bankers including Carney and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, will discuss their virus response at about 7 a.m. Washington time. A statement is expected to be released afterward.Thermo to Buy Qiagen for $10 Billion (6 a.m. NY)U.S. laboratory equipment maker Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. agreed to buy Qiagen NV, a Dutch maker of tests for diseases including cancer and the new coronavirus, for about 9 billion euros ($10 billion) in the biggest health-care acquisition so far this year. When a new coronavirus emerged in China in January, Qiagen got to work on a test to detect the virus in bodily fluids. The test is now being evaluated at four hospitals in China and one in France. The test gives results in about an hour.Energy Aspects Cuts Oil Demand Growth Forecast Again (6:50 p.m. HK)Energy Aspects cut 2020 oil demand growth forecast to 500,000 barrels a day, a 200,000 b/d reduction from previous week's estimate, because of the impact of the coronavirus. Before the outbreak emerged in late January, EA was forecasting global oil demand growth of 1.1 million b/d this year.U.K. Firms Are Warned 20% of Staff Could Be Off Sick (6:36 p.m. HK)British businesses were warned as many as 20% of workers could be forced to take time off during peak periods of infection if the U.K. is hit by a widespread outbreak. The U.K. government published its plan for dealing with the disease, including an estimate that in a worst case scenario more than 6 million people could be absent. Such a peak period of infection would be likely to last around three weeks.Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a package of emergency measures to tackle coronavirus on Tuesday after he was criticized for not doing enough to prepare for the spread of the disease. He said he was ready to close schools and cancel public events and that the army was on standby to assist in the worst-case scenarioMerkel Ally Proposes Using Surplus to Offset Impact (6:20 p.m. HK)A top official in Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc proposed using Germany's budget surplus to help fund a stimulus package to offset any economic damage caused by the virus. Alexander Dobrindt, the co-head of Merkel's parliamentary caucus, told reporters in Berlin as much as 50 billion euros ($56 billion) could be available this year and the package will be discussed March 8 by the ruling coalition. He ruled out loosening rules that limit government borrowing.Indonesia Warns Against Hoarding (6:13 p.m. HK)President Joko Widodo warned against hoarding of food and other essential goods after the country's first cases of confirmed coronavirus sparked panic buying at supermarkets. The country is working on a second stimulus package, adding to the central bank's aggressive moves to counter the impact of the coronavirus on markets.Singapore to Bar Travelers From Iran, Italy, Korea (5:48 p.m. HK)Singapore will bar visitors who recently traveled to Iran, northern Italy or the Republic of Korea in the last 14 days, including transits. The measures will take effect from March 4.EDF Tracing Staff Close to Hinkley Point Worker (5:40 p.m. HK)EDF is tracing people who were in contact with a man working on the U.K. Hinkley Point C nuclear plant site last month to see if they have shown symptoms, according to a company memo seen by Bloomberg. A Chinese national who was on secondment at Hinkley Point fell ill with coronavirus on his return to China after working at the construction project in England between Feb. 15 and Feb. 27.Singapore to Include Swab Testing at Checkpoints (5:30 p.m. HK)Singapore will implement new screening mechanisms at checkpoints to tackle the coronavirus spread globally. Travelers entering the country and exhibiting fever or symptoms of respiratory illness but who do not meet coronavirus suspect case definitions will still be required to undergo a swab test.L'Oreal Freezes Headcount After Halting Business Trips (5:20 p.m. HK)L'Oreal plans to freeze headcount through June, the company told Bloomberg News in response to questions on Tuesday. The company had suspended business travel through March 31 last week as a precautionary measure.Confirmed German Cases Rise to 188 (5:17 p.m. HK)The number of confirmed cases in Germany has risen to 188 and the virus has spread to 13 of the country's 16 federal states, the Robert Koch Institute said on Tuesday. "We are seeing that the focus is moving away somewhat from China and the rest of the world is more and more affected," RKI Vice President Lars Schaade said. The threat level for Germany remains at "moderate," but this could quickly change and more cases are to be expected, Schaade added.Separately, Belgium's federal public health service said they had found five new cases after conducting tests the previous night. All of the patients had been traveling in the north of Italy.Gilead's Remdesivir May Be Used in South Korea (5:03 p.m.)Gilead's experimental antiviral drug remdesivir is expected to be used to treat patients infected with the coronavirus in South Korea as part of a trial, Yonhap reported. The company was given permission from local drug authorities to begin phase 3 clinical trials of remdesivir in adult patiences infected with the coronavirus.Separately, a medical report on the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases website said Teijin Ltd.'s asthma drug Alvesco helped treat three patients who contracted the coronavirus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Teijin shares rose as much as 8.2%, their biggest intraday gain in four years.Hon Hai Sees China Returning to Normal Soon (4:37 p.m. HK)Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Apple Inc.'s most important manufacturing partner, expects its Chinese plants to begin operating normally by the end of March after resolving severe labor shortages. The Taiwanese company, which assembles the majority of the world's iPhones from China, joins a growing number of corporations envisaging a return to normalcy in the world's No. 2 economy.Japan Says End of May Key Stage for Olympics Decision (4:30 p.m. HK)Japan's Olympics minister said the end of May would be an important point in making a decision on whether to hold the Tokyo Games starting on July 24 amid worries the coronavirus could cause the first cancellation since World War Two.Seiko Hashimoto said she was aware of the comments by International Olympic Committee senior member Dick Pound, who has said late May would be the latest a decision could be made.China Pledges More Cuts in Taxes, Fees (4:28 p.m. HK)China will further reduce taxes and fees to deal with the coronavirus situation and support the economy, Wang Jianfan, head of tax administration department at finance ministry, said.Pope Tests Negative (4:28 p.m. HK)Pope Francis has tested negative for the coronavirus after suffering a slight cold which led him to cancel several public gatherings, newspaper Il Messaggero reported on Tuesday.South Korea Total Exceeds 5,000 (4:15 p.m. HK)South Korea's health ministry reported 374 more cases of the novel coronavirus, taking the country's tally to 5,186. Yonhap News Agency said 31 people have died. The country is "at war" with the novel coronavirus, President Moon Jae-in said earlier, according to a pool report from a cabinet meeting.Separately, Philippines is lifting a travel ban to South Korea imposed barely a week ago, and citizens are now allowed to go to the country except for the North Gyeongsang province. The ban on foreigners coming from the same South Korean province remains in effect.Trump Says Fed Should 'Cut Rate Big' (2:39 p.m. HK)President Donald Trump, noting Australia's central bank rate cut, said the Federal Reserve's inaction thus far in the face of the coronavirus puts the U.S. at a "competitive disadvantage" and it "must be the other way around."Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Philip Lowe earlier reduced the cash rate by a quarter percentage point to 0.5%, a new record low, and said the central bank is prepared to ease monetary policy further to support the economy.\--With assistance from Adveith Nair, Jordan Fabian, David R. Baker, Kara Wetzel, Dominic Lau, Isabel Reynolds, John Follain, Iain Rogers, Shaji Mathew, Robert Hutton, Thomas Penny, Thomas Mulier, Michelle F. Davis, Keith Naughton, Dina Bass, Noah Buhayar, Michaela Ross and Gerrit De Vynck.To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Adveith Nair in London at anair29@bloomberg.net;Robert Langreth in New York at rlangreth@bloomberg.net;Michelle Fay Cortez in Minneapolis at mcortez@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Stuart Wallace at swallace6@bloomberg.net, ;Drew Armstrong at darmstrong17@bloomberg.net, Mark Schoifet, Stephen MerelmanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump sues Washington Post for libel over opinion piece alleging conspiracy with Russia Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:12 PM PST  President Trump said to expect more lawsuits after his campaign sued The New York Times last week, and he didn't disappoint.Trump's campaign on Tuesday sued The Washington Post for libel over two opinion articles it published last June declaring the campaign had attempted to conspire with Russia to influence the 2016 election. The suit is a concrete example of Trump's longstanding condemnation of the paper and every thing it writes about him, and echoes the exact wording of last week's suit against the Times.In one of the opinion articles Trump's suit mentions, the Post's Greg Sargent mentions Trump's campaign "tried to conspire with" Russia's "sweeping and systematic" attack on the 2016 election. In the other, the Post's Paul Waldman says the Trump campaign had "invited" Russia and North Korea "to offer their assistance" in influencing the election. Both of these statements, the suit alleges, are "false and defamatory."Promising to sue newspapers and cable networks was all but a campaign promise of Trump during and beyond the 2016 election, but last week's Times suit was one of the first times Trump has actually followed through. Trump has likely been resistant before because a suit would open him to a revealing discovery process — something "the Times has to be licking its lips thinking about," The Daily Beast's Harry Siegel tweeted last week.More stories from theweek.com The end of Chris Matthews Was Mike Pence exposed to coronavirus? The 3 most likely Super Tuesday outcomes
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| UN envoy warns Iraq is being `pushed into the unknown' Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:05 PM PST |
| Previous coronavirus daily briefing updates, Feb. 27-29 Posted: 03 Mar 2020 01:43 PM PST  Current daily briefings on the coronavirus can be found here. Scroll below to read previous reports, listed in eastern time.Seattle and King County health officials announced three new presumptive positive cases of coronavirus COVID-19, which included the person who died.Two of the new cases are associated with the Life Care nursing facility, a long-term care facility, according to Dr. Jeffery Duchin, a Seattle and King County health official who works at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The center is located in Kirkland, a suburb of Seattle.The first case is a woman in her 40s who is a healthcare worker at the facility. She's in satisfactory condition at Over Lake Hospital.The second case is a woman in her 70s who is a resident at Life Care's long-term care facility. She is in serious condition at Evergreen Hospital. Neither of the two cases had traveled outside of the U.S.More than 50 people at the nursing facility are being tested for the virus, according to The Associated Press.The third case of the three announced was the man who died on Saturday.Duchin confirmed in a press conference that the person who died was a man in his 50s who had underlying health conditions. He was a patient at EvergreenHealth Medical Center, though he wasn't a resident of the long-term care facility.Duchin said that while COVID-19 is spreading globally, and the United States can expect to see increasing cases locally, not all cases are severe."It's very important for everyone to remember that 80% of the cases are mild. Patients frequently don't even need to seek healthcare. You can think of it as a bad influenza-like infection," Duchin said.Duchin said that if the U.S. sees more cases, it could possibly lead to a recommendation of social distancing to not spread the virus through face-to-face interactions."So there may be times when we ask people to avoid going to large gatherings, to avoid congregating in public settings such as sporting events, social events and so on," Duchin said. "But at this point, we do not have wide-spread, community-wide transmission locally. We have transmission that's associated with an outbreak at this long-term care facility."The National College Players Association (NCPA) has called on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in a statement to consider proceeding with March Madness without an audience present during the games."In the wake of the emerging coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA and its colleges should take precautions to protect athletes," the NCPA said in a statement. "In regard to the NCAA's March Madness Tournament and other athletic events, there should be a serious discussion about holding competitions without an audience present."On Saturday, France canceled all gatherings of 5,000 people or more in an effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak, according to AFP. This precaution came as the World Health Organization raised its risk alert to its highest level.There are 100 confirmed COVID-19 cases in France, and two reported deaths associated with the virus, according to John Hopkins University. * Total cases: 86,583 * Total deaths: 2,975 * Total recovered: 42,009Dr. Jeffery Duchin, a Seattle and King County health official who works at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, confirmed that the person who died was a man in his 50s, according to the Associated Press. The confirmation comes after a press conference and public confusion on the gender and age of the person.The White House held a press conference Saturday afternoon, releasing more details on the government's response to the first death in the U.S. associated with COVID-19.President Donald Trump identified the individual who had died as a woman in her late 50s and as a "medically high-risk patient." Washington Gov. Jay Inslee had earlier described the person as a man from Washington state. During the press conference, the statement released by Inslee was changed to reflect gender-neutral pronouns."Additional cases in the U.S. are likely, but healthy individuals should be able to fully recover," Trump added.Vice President Mike Pence took to the podium to announce the president had authorized action to add additional travel restrictions on Iran, expanding the existing travel restrictions to include any foreign national who has visited Iran within the last 14 days."We are going to increase to the highest level of advisory, which is level four, advising Americans Americans to not travel to specific regions in Italy and South Korea," Pence added."Our basic message in terms of the containment of this disease and the measures that we have taken and are today announcing is that we want to lower the amount of travel to and from the most impacted areas," Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said during the press conference. "The risk remains low... But this can change rapidly.""This is an all-hands-on-deck effort," Pence said.Shortly after the press conference, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency.Officials in Washington state have confirmed that a person has died of COVID-19. This is the first known death associated with the virus in the United States.State and King County health officials told the Associated Press that "new people (have been) identified with the infection, one of whom died."Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement Saturday that the person who had died was a man from Washington State."It is a sad day in our state as we learn that a Washingtonian has died from COVID-19," Inslee said. "Our hearts go out to his family and friends. We will continue to work toward a day where no one dies from this virus."> It is a sad day as we learn a Washingtonian has died from COVID-19. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. > > We are strengthening our preparedness and response efforts to keep Washingtonians healthy, safe and informed. > > Full statement: https://t.co/F3xn4afjG5 pic.twitter.com/yTG6omGcLI> > -- Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) February 29, 2020There are at least four US cases without any related travel history, health officials report.A woman in Santa Clara County in Oregon and a high school boy in Washington state are presumptive positives, and the other two mystery cases are in California, CNN says.Italy's tourism industry is suffering as hotel reservation cancellations have already reached about 90% in Rome, and bookings in Venice have plummeted, according to The Guardian.On Friday, the US government issued a level three advisory for Italy, and announced that the CDC had recommended avoiding non-essential travel to the country.According to Mayor Bill de Blasio, there is a new suspected case under investigation in New York City after the individual traveled to Italy recently. There is also another suspected case in Monmouth County, New Jersey, where the person is being treated in isolation at the hospital.Find the latest updated numbers from Johns Hopkins University below. * Total cases: 85,688 * Total deaths: 2,933 * Total recovered: 39,761Buying frenzy causes shortage of face masks around the world. People are stocking up on medical face masks, The Associated Press reported, to the point that many sellers have sold out of the masks, and others are limiting the amount a single customer can buy. Meanwhile, the CDC has cautioned that it does not recommend wearing a mask as an effective way of preventing contracting the virus.Two new "presumptive positives" cases have been announced by the Washington State Department of Health in King and Snohomish Counties.In Snohomish County, a high school student with no recent overseas travel is currently in home isolation. The student attends Jackson High School, where the superintendent has decided to close the high school on Monday to allow three days for deep cleaning.A woman in her 50s with confirmed travel to Daegu, South Korea is currently in home isolation in King County due to a presumptive positive."While the King County case is believed to be travel-related, we don't know how or where the new Snohomish County case was infected," The Washington State Department of Health said in a News Release.A presumptive positive is a test that comes back positive at the Public Health Laboratory but is pending confirmation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.) * Total cases: 85,409 * Total deaths: 2,933 * Total recovered: 39,692An estimated 2,700 recoveries were recorded throughout the day Friday with around 1,000 new cases. While the recoveries didn't reach the same amount as Thursday, Friday is the sixth consecutive day that recoveries have outpaced new cases by over a thousand.The bulk of the cases remain in eastern Asia, parts of the Middle East and western Europe. A few cases have been appearing throughout parts of Africa and the United States.One of the latest confirmed cases in the U.S. comes from Santa Clara County, California. The individual had no known exposure to the virus through travel or close contact with a known infected individual, according to the California Department of Public Health. This makes it the second possible case of COVID-19 community transmission in the state.Public Health Officials announced the first presumptive case of COVID-19 in an Oregon resident on Friday afternoon. The case is being considered as a likely community-transmitted case. The person is employed at Forest Hills Elementary School, and the school district is planning to close the school for public health officials to investigate, according to the Oregon Health Authority. * Total cases: 85,165 * Total deaths: 2,918 * Total recovered: 39,416"We should begin to see if the weather has a role -- and how big that role is -- over the next 30 to 60 days," AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel Myers said.Upon analysis, the intensity and amount of hours of sunshine, along with heat and humidity, have negatively impacted past viruses. With the approach of the March equinox, a stronger sun and increased hours of sunshine in the Northern Hemisphere may take a toll on the virus if it keeps to the trend, Myers said. Warmer weather could stall the rate of the outbreaks, giving researchers enough time to find a vaccine before colder weather rolls around once more.If the virus does hold true to the trend, it will most likely peak sometime in the next 60 days before falling to the warmer weather. Myers estimates that the chance that the virus differs from the trend to be less than 5%. With the arrival of springtime, answers on the Coronavirus will most likely follow."Until we see how the virus reacts, to sunlight, heat, and humidity increases over the next few months, we will not know for sure," Myers said.The CDC is aiming to have many state and local health departments conducting COVID-19 testing within a week's time. "Our goal is to have every state and local health department online, doing their own testing, by the end of next week," Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters Friday, according to The Guardian. The kits first sent out by the CDC didn't work right and concerns have mounted in recent days that there are unknown cases of people who are infected with the virus.Acting White House chief of staff says American schools will "probably" shut down due to coronavirus spread. Mick Mulvaney, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), tried to tamp down the concern surrounding the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., The Hill reported.But Mulvaney conceded: "Are you going to see some schools shut down? Probably. May you see impacts on public transportation? Sure." He added, "We know how to handle this."The CDC said it's not a case of if but when COVID-19 spreads across the U.S. Health experts say Americans should prepare now. Here's what you can do.WHO raises coronavirus threat assessment to "very high""We are on the highest level of alert or highest level of risk assessment in terms of spread and in terms of impact," said Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's health emergency program, according to CNBC. "This is a reality check for every government on the planet: Wake up. Get ready," he continued. "This virus may be on its way and you need to be ready. You have a duty to your citizens, you have a duty to the world to be ready."Here are the latest updated numbers from Johns Hopkin University. With at least 3,400 recoveries, Friday marks the second-best day for total recoveries and the 10th straight day with more recoveries than new cases. * Total cases: 83,867 * Total deaths: 2,867 * Total recovered: 36,686Major shutdowns continue around the world, as Iran follows in the footsteps of China and Japan by ordering all schools to shut down. The country had seen 338 cases and 34 fatalities from the virus, forcing the health minister to announce a temporary, three-day closure of all schools.The nation also decided to shutter all parliament operations indefinitely on Friday. One of Iran's vice presidents and the deputy health minister are among the infected. Two women jog with face masks on as others walk while enjoying their weekend afternoon at Pardisan Park in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Iranians in Tehran on Friday found time to enjoy their weekend, even as authorities canceled Friday prayers and closed universities, schools and parliament over fears about the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In Europe, the outbreak has continued ravaging more countries after initially breaking out in Italy, which has seen 655 confirmed cases and 17 deaths. Thursday evening also surfaced the first coronavirus death in the United Kingdom, after a woman traveled back to Northern Ireland from Italy as BBC News reported. Along with a first confirmed case in Wales, the U.K. has now seen a total of 19 cases.Countries continue to try to limit major gatherings, including Switzerland, which banned all public gatherings larger than 1,000 people. In South Korea, which has seen the second-most cases in the world, a Hyundai Motor factory shut down after a worker tested positive.An Italian man who arrived in Nigeria tested positive for the virus, marking the first case in the sub-Saharan region, according to The Guardian.In Hong Kong, a dog tested positive for coronavirus after contracting it from an infected owner. It is currently under quarantine.Heightened fears in Japan pushed officials to close all schools in the country for at least one month. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the decision was made to prioritize the safety and health of children, according to NBC News.The country saw an additional 705 cases come into the country from a quarantined cruise ship. Two visitors with masks and Minnie Mouse ear headbands leave Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu, near Tokyo, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. The amusement park will be closed from Saturday until March 15 in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) In Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters that "the world will soon enter a pandemic phase of the coronavirus." The country has seen 23 cases of the virus and extended its China travel ban through the first week of March.A Japanese woman tested positive for the coronavirus after already having been previously declared recovered. The woman, who reportedly works as a tour bus guide, was reinfected less than a month after being released from the hospital.CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APPThe virus has also greatly impacted religious rituals for millions of Muslims around the world. On Thursday, Saudi Arabia announced that travel to Mecca would be cut off for foreigners."We ask God Almighty to spare all humanity from all harm," the country's foreign ministry said in a statement.Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| Trump campaign sues Washington Post over opinion pieces, after suing NY Times Posted: 03 Mar 2020 01:12 PM PST  U.S. President Donald Trump's re-election campaign sued the Washington Post for libel on Tuesday over two opinion pieces that it said suggested improper ties between the campaign and Russia, North Korea or both. The campaign filed its lawsuit six days after filing a separate libel lawsuit against the New York Times, over an opinion piece it said falsely suggested a quid pro quo between Russian officials and Trump's 2016 campaign. Trump's campaign is seeking millions of dollars in damages in both lawsuits.
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| Tariffs, coronavirus fears threaten wine show buzz Posted: 03 Mar 2020 01:07 PM PST  The wine business dodged a bullet last month when the Trump administration held off on draconian European wine tariffs, but at a New York trade fair, the industry was not exactly celebrating. The spreading coronavirus joined the fog of US commerce policy, the murkiness of the British market post-Brexit and a glut of California wine among the leading buzz-kills at the Vinexpo. "There's so much uncertainty," said Philippe Chainier, who, with the industry facing a confusing series of trade actions and threats by the United States against Europe, has taken heart from his father's success at navigating the family's Loire Valley domaine through earlier crises.
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| OFAC, Treasury and State to speak at ACI's 13th Flagship Conference on Economic Sanctions taking place April 29-30, 2020 in Washington, DC Posted: 03 Mar 2020 12:41 PM PST  American Conference Institute (ACI) will host a two-day country specific analysis on the most pressing issues affecting financial services and global exporters on RUSSIA, IRAN, CUBA and VENEZUELA economic sanctions enforcement and compliance.
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| U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Keep Climbing. So Do Fears of Spread. Posted: 03 Mar 2020 12:33 PM PST  The revelation on Tuesday of two new deaths tied to the 2019 novel coronavirus, including a man who died six days ago in Washington state, bolstered fears that the infection had been spreading inside the United States before authorities were fully aware.There were at least 108 novel coronavirus cases in the U.S. as of Tuesday afternoon, with 60 picked up through the American health system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 22 of those were travel-related, 11 were community spread, or of unknown origin, and the rest were still under investigation. Another 48 cases were in quarantined patients from the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan or individuals who had been repatriated from the virus' epicenter in China, according to the CDC. Both Florida and Washington declared public health emergencies over the outbreak on Monday, as did Bexar County, Texas, where a quarantined patient was prematurely released in San Antonio before a third test came back positive for the virus.Nine deaths have been reported in Washington state since Saturday, eight of which were in King County, with another in Snohomish County, officials said. The Surreal Scene Inside America's Coronavirus Hot ZoneHealth experts have repeatedly warned that nursing homes and other assisted living facilities are especially vulnerable because of their confined spaces and elderly residents. Many of the residents have underlying health conditions that make them more likely to contract not just the coronavirus, but a severe infection.As those experts predicted, the most concerning outbreak on American soil has erupted at Life Care Center, a Kirkland, Washington long-term care facility connected to most of the King County deaths. Health authorities in Washington have said about 50 residents and staff members have exhibited symptoms and will be monitored or tested. Of the 27 total cases in Washington state, at least nine have been linked to Life Care, The Seattle Times reported. Four patients in the Seattle area remained in critical condition on Tuesday, officials said."This is a very fluid, fast-moving situation as we aggressively respond to this outbreak," said a statement from Dr. Jeff Duchin, the health officer for Public Health–Seattle & King County.A physician who attended patients at Life Care Center, who requested anonymity for fear of professional repercussions, told The Daily Beast on Tuesday that he was at the facility on Thursday, when the outbreak began to reveal itself."It started to become evident" on Thursday of last week, he said, when "a bunch of patients" developed fevers."It was like a bolt out of the blue," the physician added.A genetic analysis of the virus' spread in Washington suggests that it may have been transmitted within the community for as long as six weeks before the first case was detected. That analysis looked all the more valid on Tuesday when authorities announced a new death that actually happened six days ago. Officials only realized after the fact that the patient, a resident of Life Care, had contracted the coronavirus. The individual was first brought to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Feb. 24, where they died on Wednesday. Test samples came back positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus on Tuesday, and a spokeswoman for the hospital, Susan Gregg, has said that "some staff may have been exposed while working in an intensive care unit where the patient had been treated."Even with all of the warnings, the doctor who worked at Life Care told The Daily Beast on Tuesday that "nobody was expecting that there'd be this huge outbreak in the facility." "I'm there seeing a new patient on Thursday morning," he explained. "I notice all these nurses coming down the hall, one after the other saying, 'Fever in this room.' By about the sixth patient, we all said, 'Holy shit, what's going on?'"He said it was when those feverish patients tested negative for influenza that he got "this feeling in the back of my mind—this was not ordinary, this was something unusual."Ellie Basham, the center's executive director, said in a press release on Monday that there were "several confirmed cases" of the virus and that the facility was expressly following all recommendations from the CDC and the state health department, in addition to banning family, volunteer, and vendor visits to the facility."Current residents and associates continue to be monitored closely, specifically for an elevated temperature, cough, and/or shortness of breath. Any resident displaying these symptoms is placed in isolation," said Basham. "Associates are screened prior to beginning work and upon leaving. We are also following infection control recommendations, including proper hand-washing techniques and wearing masks, gowns, and gloves when caring for any symptomatic patients."Since worried family members have been banned from visiting their relatives, they've stood outside the windows, holding signs for moral support, said the doctor who worked there."It's heart-rending," he added. "This is community outbreak. It's completely a shift in the paradigm and nobody was prepared for looking it from that perspective."Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, said on Tuesday that new cases in the U.S. span 12 states, including those on the east coast like Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and New York.New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday that a second New York resident—a man in his 50s who lives in Westchester County, works in Manhattan, and had recently traveled to Miami-Dade—had contracted the illness, most likely through "community spread." Two New York City high schools also announced on Tuesday that they would be closed as precautionary measures after a suspected case of the virus in the community. The first case, which Cuomo announced on Monday, involved a 39-year-old woman in Manhattan who had recently visited Iran and self-isolated before she even developed symptoms over fear that she might be sick.Messonnier also confirmed on Tuesday that the agency had removed a tally on its website of how many people in the country had been tested or were suspected to have the virus, a move that has been criticized by citizens and politicians alike over the past 24 hours. The CDC's site, as of Tuesday, only displayed the number of confirmed cases. Messonnier told reporters during Tuesday's telebriefing that a study out of China indicates that only about 16 percent of cases result in serious illness, a statistic she said should reassure communities who are worried about infection or death."With the global increase in cases and the spread here in the United States, there have been a lot of questions about what might happen to us," she added. "I wish I could give you that answer. Unfortunately, I cannot.""Individual actions can have an important impact," she said.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Ukraine’s Prime Minister Is the Fall Guy as Zelenskiy’s Star Fades Posted: 03 Mar 2020 12:08 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's popularity has taken a hit, but it's his prime minister who's paying the price.Premier Oleksiy Honcharuk is the chief casualty of a cabinet reshuffle revealed Tuesday evening by ruling-party lawmakers. The finance minister will also depart. Parliament will meet Wednesday to approve the personnel changes, which include promoting Honcharuk's deputy, Denys Shmyhal, to lead the cabinet.The shakeup marks a change of tack for Zelenskiy less than a year after he picked a government stacked with fresh faces to break free from the ex-Soviet republic's notoriously corrupt politics. Honcharuk, 35, was installed as Ukraine's youngest-ever prime minister to oversee an ambitious economic reboot.Things haven't gone according to plan, however. Economic expansion has plunged and billions of dollars in international aid have been held up, with the government's poor performance dragging down Zelenskiy's own ratings.That's compounded a baptism of fire for the former TV comic, who months into his presidency found himself center stage in Donald Trump's impeachment and negotiating face-to-face with Vladimir Putin over the Kremlin-backed war in Ukraine's east.The president is a "mirror of public opinion," said Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Penta research institute in Kyiv. "He feels the discontent. He understands that, unfortunately, his bet on rookie politicians unlike their predecessors hasn't yielded results."Zelenskiy can't blame everything on the government.It's his own ties to billionaire Igor Kolomoisky that have raised eyebrows among investors. Weighing a now long-delayed $5.5 billion loan, the International Monetary Fund frets about the tycoon's efforts to undo the nationalization of Ukraine's biggest bank, which he used to own.Criminal charges for the alleged fraud that prompted the state's takeover are yet to arrive.And the fear is that in turning to old-guard politicians -- Ihor Umanskyi, the proposed replacement for respected Finance Minister Oksana Markarova, served in governments in 2009 and 2014-2015 -- Zelenskiy is extinguishing voters' hopes of a new start.Oleksandr Kornienko, the president's party chief, said before the changes were announced that the reshuffle won't mark the end of the "new faces philosophy." Incoming officials, though, will need experience managing state-run or private businesses."Trust in the president remains, and there's trust in his economic and social program," he said. "We have very nice goals for the government but in some spheres it's been chaotic."In the end, Honcharuk's missteps -- which also include an unpopular farmland reform and a failure to bring down household utility costs -- were too much. Economic growth is less than a third of Zelenskiy's 5% target and risks abound, most recently from the first case of coronavirus.Having rejected a previous request by Honcharuk to resign, Zelenskiy hasn't been so forgiving this time round.To contact the reporters on this story: Daryna Krasnolutska in Kyiv at dkrasnolutsk@bloomberg.net;Volodymyr Verbyany in Kiev at vverbyany1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrea Dudik at adudik@bloomberg.net, Andrew LangleyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| China Cargo Flows Rapidly Return To Pre-Coronavirus Levels Posted: 03 Mar 2020 12:00 PM PST  Finally, some good news about the coronavirus and global supply chains: Cargo volumes and ship calls have swiftly rebounded at Chinese ports, confirming that the cogs of global trade are grinding back into motion.The caveat is that this was to be expected as Chinese port workers and truckers returned after an extended Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday. Inbound and outbound cargo delayed during the post-CNY period was already en route or contracted for transport.The question ahead — which is pivotal to U.S. transportation companies — is whether volumes will sink back again if there are manufacturing disruptions and reduced demand, or alternatively, whether volumes will increase if China pursues a stimulus program. Following is the latest data on Chinese activity from CargoMetrics, Clarksons Platou Securities and Sea-Intelligence:CargoMetrics Boston-based big-data company CargoMetrics has spent the past decade amassing and analyzing ship-movement data and using quantitative predictive algorithms to gauge global trade. In February, it released data showing that Chinese imports and exports had fallen sharply compared with levels in 2012-19.CargoMetrics has just released updated indices showing that both import and export cargo flows (measured in terms of the mass transferred on and off ships) have reverted to historical norms."The bottom for Chinese imports and exports across pretty much all shipping sectors was on Feb. 15," said Dan Brutlag, Cargometrics' head of trading signal and data products, in an interview with FreightWaves on Tuesday.On the import side, the decline prior to that date was driven by dry bulk. Since then, he said, "dry bulk has mostly recovered, energy has completely recovered and container imports may be higher than they were before Chinese New Year," with imports overall recovering "less than a week" after the low was hit.Chart credit: CargoMetricsOn the export front, Chinese declines through Feb. 15 were driven by the container sector. Since then, cargo categories including containers have rebounded. "The recovery in exports was a little slower to materialize but exports did return to the seasonally expected range by the end of the month [February]," said Brutlag.Chart credit: CargoMetricsHe also noted that CargoMetrics is now analyzing the import and export flows of other coronavirus hotspots including South Korea, Italy and Iran. More good news: So far, "we haven't seen any unusual trends," he reported.According to CargoMetrics CEO Scott Borgerson, "We're seeing improvements across the board. We're seeing a complete rebound in every segment — it's all back. We don't project our views onto the data. We let the data talk to us. And what this data is saying is 'keep calm and carry on.' Supply chains have reverted back to the mean. Things are moving. So, people should just take a deep breath and they should not get super-excited about what they read on the internet — with the exception of what they read in FreightWaves."Clarksons Platou Securities "We have begun to see Chinese industrial activity increase after the slowdown brought on by the combined impacts of the Chinese New Year and COVID-19," said Frode Mørkedal, managing director of research at Clarksons Platou Securities, in a client report published on Monday."The initial disruptions to these markets have begun to give way to a growing sense of improvement, though unfortunately the uncertainty is spreading more globally," he continued."Data tracking Chinese port calls shows a remarkable recovery over the last week. This could be due to reductions to port congestion and further data is needed to see if this trend is sustainable, or if there is a second dip once the initial backlogs are cleared," he said. On the negative side, Clarksons data does not yet show a recovery in VLCC (very large crude carrier) contracts to China.Chart credit: Clarksons Research, Clarksons Platou SecuritiesAccording to Mørkedal, "Questions regarding overall GDP growth as well as energy demand, consumer purchases, industrial activity, etc. remain to be answered. While there is a clear impact on energy consumption and consumer purchasing in the near term, these effects appear to be temporary in nature, while industrial activity seems likely to be facing delays as opposed to erosion. The apparent improvement that is currently underway in China at least paints a hopeful picture for other countries' ability to control the crisis."Sea-Intelligence "The impact of the COVID-19 virus outbreak on container shipping continues to grow, albeit at a slower pace," said Alan Murphy, CEO and founder of Copenhagen-based Sea-Intelligence, in a release issued on Monday.The number of blank (cancelled) sailings has increased to 111 on the China-U.S. route (48 due to COVID-19, 63 due to CNY) and to 75 on the China-Europe route (29 due to COVID-19, 46 due to CNY).Charts credit: Sea-IntelligenceAccording to Murphy, "The volume loss [due to blank sailings] has now increased to 1.9 million TEU [twenty-foot equivalent units]. At a rough average freight rate of $1,000 per TEU, this equals a revenue loss of $1.9 billion for the carriers."On a positive note, he explained that "we appear to be seeing a stabilization. Even though the carriers have announced seven more blank sailings over the past week, which corresponds to an additional 7% removal of capacity, the pace of new blank sailings has clearly declined, suggesting a belief from the carriers that volumes will slowly be brought back to normal levels."This, however, does not mean the ripple effects are over — far from it," he cautioned, pointing to the negative effect of fronthaul blank sailings on capacity and equipment availability for backhaul cargoes from the U.S. and Europe to Asia. "For some backhaul shippers, the coming weeks might well be a matter of whether they can get their cargo moved at all, almost irrespective of the price they are willing to pay." warned Murphy.More FreightWaves/American Shipper articles by Greg MillerImage Sourced from PixabaySee more from Benzinga * What Will Spur Electric Vehicle Adoption? DTNA's Sean Waters Has An Idea * Freight Futures Daily Curve: 3/3 * "Nuclear Verdict" Forces Arkansas Carrier To Cease Operations After 19 Years(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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| Tensions rise as US death toll from coronavirus reaches 9 Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:30 AM PST  Tensions over how to contain the coronavirus escalated Tuesday in the United States as the death toll climbed to nine and lawmakers expressed doubts about the government's ability to ramp up testing fast enough to deal with the crisis. All of the deaths have occurred in Washington state, and most were residents of a nursing home in suburban Seattle. The number of infections in the U.S. overall climbed past 100, scattered across at least 15 states, with 27 cases in Washington alone.
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| Nikki Haley Is Planning Her Future—And It May Include a Presidential Run Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:25 AM PST  The former governor of South Carolina and U.S. rep to the United Nations tantalized the crowd at the College of Charleston's first Women for Women Summit.The post Nikki Haley Is Planning Her Future—And It May Include a Presidential Run appeared first on Worth.
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| Trump says he spoke to a Taliban leader, had 'good talk' Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:16 AM PST  President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that he spoke on the phone to a Taliban leader, making him the first U.S. president believed to ever speak directly with the militant group that harbored al-Qaida before the 9/11 attacks and is responsible for the deaths of thousands of U.S. troops in nearly 19 years of fighting in Afghanistan. Tuesday's call, which the Taliban said lasted 35 minutes, came days after the United States and the Taliban signed an agreement calling for the withdrawal of American troops — allowing Trump to make progress on a key campaign pledge to extract the U.S. from what he calls "endless wars" and paving the way for all-Afghan talks to begin on Tuesday.
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| IAEA chief demands 'clarifications' on Iran's nuclear programme Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:10 AM PST  The head of the UN's atomic watchdog on Tuesday sounded the alarm at Iran's cooperation with the agency and demanded "clarifications" over an undeclared site in Tehran where uranium particles were found late last year. It comes on the same day as the IAEA issued two reports, one on Iran's current nuclear programme and the other detailing its denial of access to two sites the agency wanted to visit. Rafael Grossi, the new head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who was in Paris to meet President Emmanuel Macron, told AFP: "Iran must decide to cooperate in a clearer manner with the agency to give the necessary clarifications."
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| Biden and Sanders yearn for a bygone world Posted: 03 Mar 2020 10:58 AM PST  After today, the Democratic contest may well be a two-man race between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. While Elizabeth Warren may and Michael Bloomberg certainly will have the resources to press on to the convention should they so choose, any dreams that an inconclusive first ballot would lead to one or the other being anointed by the party over the two delegate leaders are unlikely to survive contact with political reality. Unless one or both front-runners falter badly, and Warren and/or Bloomberg significantly exceed expectations for winning delegates, for the rest of the race they might as well be on the sidelines.The choice between Biden and Sanders appears to be extremely stark. In no area is that clearer than in foreign policy, where the president has the most personal latitude, but which frequently factors only peripherally and superficially into clashes between candidates and into the voters' own decision-making.And yet, looking below the surface, there is a deep common assumption between the two men, one that grows less and less valid as the world continues to change. That assumption is the centrality of American power.The differences between Biden and Sanders are blatant and obvious. Biden is a paid-up member of the American establishment and has been deeply involved in every major foreign policy decision for the past 30 years. Sanders, by contrast, has been a vociferous critic of American foreign policy for the same period, and has rarely if ever been in the room where key decisions are made. Most notably, Biden strongly supported the Iraq War, while Sanders strongly opposed it.But Biden is not the across-the-board liberal hawk that he is sometimes caricatured as. Biden supported the Iraq War — but he opposed the first Gulf War, opposed Bush's surge of troops to stabilize the country, and during his years as vice president led the effort to extricate America from the Iraqi morass on the best terms possible. Biden supported the Afghan War, but counseled President Obama against sending more troops to that country to try to win a counterinsurgency campaign. He was a fierce proponent of humanitarian intervention by NATO in the Balkans, even though the campaign had no authorization under international law — but within the Obama administration he opposed the intervention in Libya, though that adventure had similar premises. He can be rightly described as both an idealist and a realist: someone who believes in using American power to make the world a better place, but who is skeptical that every applications of it will work (though perhaps less-skeptical than he should be of his own brainstorms, like partitioning Iraq in three).Biden, in other words, does not harbor the illusion that America can shape the world as we see fit by a simple act of will. He recognizes that power has limits. But he does still view America as the single global superpower, with a responsibility to improve the world wherever it reasonably can.That is his fundamental commonality with Sanders, who is not quite the advocate of "come home, America." Sanders is far more skeptical that America has actually deployed its power to make the world a better place, not only in practice but also in intent, particularly when it involves the use of force. In his view, we haven't just made mistakes, but have committed grave crimes and placed ourselves on the side and in the service of some of the most despicable regimes on the planet. There's a reason why Sanders has been a stalwart leader in opposing America's support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. He strongly opposes America's militarized foreign policy, our alliances with countries like Saudi Arabia, our confrontational policies toward countries like Iran, and our dereliction in the fight against nuclear weapons.In principle, though, Sanders can imagine an America that lives up to a tougher moral standard. And when he thinks it is doing so, he hasn't been opposed to using American power for moral ends. The lone opponent of the Afghan war was not named Bernie Sanders. Like Biden, though far less-influentially, Sanders supported intervention in the Balkans. And while he opposed military action to depose Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, he went on record to call for regime change by non-military means. Most importantly, Sanders regularly expresses confidence that the world could be made a more peaceful and harmonious place if America were more committed to international cooperation and global institutions. Biden is a big believer in those institutions as well, and has been his entire career.I do not mean to minimize the differences between the two men. But I want to highlight what they do have in common to point out what their perspective leaves out. What if the key foreign policy question of our era isn't how best to use American power for the world's good? What if the question is how to handle a world in which American power is in serious relative decline?There is ample evidence that this is the case. China's economy is already larger than America's in Purchasing Power Parity terms, and it is rapidly achieving peer competitor status or even dominance in certain high technology fields. China's importance has already driven a wedge between America and its allies, as can be seen from the pushback in Europe against the Trump administration's efforts to keep Huawei's 5G technology out of American-allied countries. Meanwhile, the credibility of our NATO security guarantees wears thinner and thinner, not only because of Trump's evident disdain for the alliance, but precisely because America has bigger fish to fry in the East. Last but far from least, it's less and less clear that America could win a major conventional war against China in Asia.The Trump administration's response to these developments is encapsulated in his call to "Make America Great Again," and instantiated in his military buildup, his trade war with China, his cozying up to India, and his efforts to woo North Korea. In none of these areas have his efforts born notable fruit. But they are responses within a framework that prioritizes addressing decline.What about Biden and Sanders? While unquestionably cognizant of the scope of China's rise, Biden has repeatedly mocked those who call China a potential peer competitor. He continues to view the world through the lens of natural American leadership that needs to be exercised responsibly, with powers like China and Russia brought to accept the rules of an American-ordered system for both trade and security. Sanders' views on China focus on the potential harm from free trade to American workers — a vital topic — but doesn't grapple fully with the fact that the damage from granting Permanent Normal Trading Relations status to China has been done and that we now face a fundamentally much more competitive environment. His views on where to take our Asian alliance system are largely unknown.As a consequence, when they confront Trump in the general election, Biden and Sanders each face a very real risk of sounding like echoes of a bygone era.Democrats don't have to ape Trump's aimlessly jingoist puffery to engage the era that we are actually in. Ironically, the third and fourth candidates in the race — Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bloomberg — have, in very different ways, done a better job than either Biden or Sanders of grappling with the meaning of our era.Warren's call for economic patriotism and her determination to use the battle against climate change for competitive economic advantage are two pillars of her approach, which is as much about building up American strength and independence as it is about restoring equality. Bloomberg is clear-eyed in a different way; his determination not to call Xi Jinping a dictator, and his accurate emphasis that China is going to be the dominant player in any fight against climate change can be understood as rational accommodations to a world where China is a peer competitor, and America has to treat it as such.The point is not that America shouldn't try to improve the world — of course we should. But any foreign policy worth promoting must be based in reality. The core reality of our era is America's relative decline. We can take steps to slow it, to compensate for it, and to adapt to it. But first we have to recognize that it is happening, and the ways in which it renders the debates of the past 30 years obsolete, regardless of who was right.It would be helpful if, going forward, the two frontrunners for the nomination debated their differences with that in mind, rather than living in the past.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com The end of Chris Matthews Was Mike Pence exposed to coronavirus? The 3 most likely Super Tuesday outcomes
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| Iran's military on alert as virus kills 77, sickens leaders Posted: 03 Mar 2020 10:34 AM PST  Iran put its armed forces on alert Tuesday to assist health officials in battling the new coronavirus that's killed at least 77 people, an outbreak that has sickened top officials and pushed even its supreme leader into wearing disposable gloves while trying to reassure the nation. A top emergency official and at least 23 members of parliament reportedly contracted the virus and now suffer from the COVID-19 illness it causes. There are now over 2,540 cases of the new virus across the Mideast, with 2,336 in Iran alone.
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| Cyprus sees surge in migrants after Turkey opens border Posted: 03 Mar 2020 10:15 AM PST  Cyprus is seeing a surge of migrants after Turkey's president made good on a threat to stop intercepting people trying to reach Europe. Cyprus, a member of the European Union, is a mere 51 miles (83 kilometers) away from Turkey at its nearest point. Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said 223 migrants reached the island's south in the last 72 hours, 153 of them arriving Tuesday.
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| High court debates presidential power on Super Tuesday Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:37 AM PST  The Supreme Court wrestled Tuesday with how much power the president should have to fire the head of an independent agency, a question important to future presidents of both parties. The high court heard arguments in a case involving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the agency Congress created in response to the 2008 financial crisis. The agency was the brainchild of Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, and arguments took place as voters in 14 states were deciding whom they want to nominate to take on President Donald Trump in the next presidential election.
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| Mississippi seeks abortion ban for race, sex, genetic error Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:28 AM PST  Mississippi's Republican-led Legislature is trying to restrict the reasons women may seek abortion, after federal courts blocked time limitations that the state tried to put on the procedure the past two years. Abortion would be prohibited if a woman is seeking one because of the race, sex or genetic abnormality of the fetus, under a bill that passed a state House committee Tuesday. Other states have been sued over similar laws, and opponents questioned whether Mississippi is inviting another lawsuit over abortion.
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| Global Warming Meets Indoor Agriculture: Can Cannabis Be Environmentally Sustainable? Posted: 03 Mar 2020 08:25 AM PST  As California policy makers work out details for new legal regulations as part of a new Title 24 for controlled environment agriculture (CEA) with goals of reducing grower cost and energy consumption, the Resource Innovation Institute (RII/ ResourceInnovation.org.) convened the inaugural Indoor Agriculture Energy Solutions (IAES) Conference in San Diego.The new regulations will affect lives and cause ripples for countries and states which consider California policies as a model for their own legislation. RII, is a non-profit formed to advance cannabis resource efficiency and has expertise in industry data and policy assessing environmental impacts and best practices associated with cultivation resource issues. It has also developed an energy efficiency template to provide states and federal governments regulatory options to reduce the energy intensity of cannabis cultivation.Founded in 2016 in Portland, Oregon, its distinguished Board of Directors includes the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, a former Energy Policy Advisor to two Oregon governors, a former board member of the US Green Building Council and leading cannabis industry players. It's proprietary 'Cannabis PowerScore' benchmarking survey is built on the foundation of the world's largest dataset on cannabis energy use.Why Indoor? While Californians and residents of other temperate climates may wonder 'why indoor?', for the rest of our planet, indoor agriculture represents a solution to complex challenges including population growth and availability of arable land.The event arrived at a critical moment for CEA. The urban and vertical farming sector is scaling rapidly for a diverse range of crops and is being accelerated by cannabis legalization across North America. Additionally, urban areas and food deserts are evaluating indoor farming as a way to access locally grown produce efficiently and cost effectively. Key considerations are the carbon and energy implications of indoor controlled environments. Drawing from the experiences of early models, the conference objective was to explore energy solutions for all forms of indoor agriculture but a core focus for good reason was on the exponentially growing cannabis sector and the implications of increased energy demands and use. Growing indoors introduces the ability to a material extent, to have power over nature, and allows for cultivation anywhere, anytime. It allows for the control of climate, lighting and other variables. Control of such factors can provide consistent crop quality, high crop densities, increased yield and rate of growth, a fractionally smaller footprint (one square foot vertical can represent up to four square feet horizontal), easier management of pests and more efficient use of water, all of which can reduce waste. In effect, outputs are maximized, with inputs minimized.The players in this relatively new area include the three-legged stool of grower, consumer and government. Indoor agriculture is dependent upon creative and efficient horticulture approaches and the evolution and role of greenhouses and environmental control strategies. Technological developments have ranged from vertical stacking in warehouses to green roofs and walls in urban communities.A Brief Background We have come a long way from the days of hunter-gathers in prehistoric times collecting wild fruits and nuts in autumn and root and leafy vegetables in the spring. Approximately 10,000 years ago, agriculture was introduced and enabled for the first time a method and ability to select and expand food choices. Primitive methods of protecting crops began in the early twentieth century with small boxes having a glass top placed over crops, which evolved into the 'smart' greenhouses of today.Scientists then started experimenting with variables that could be controlled such as temperature, soil replacement and carbon dioxide introduction. Advances in plant science led to realizations that control of the environment was more sustainable and realistic than controlling the plants themselves in a natural environment. It is believed that the beginning of modern indoor farming occurred in Syracuse, New York on a General Electric hydroponic farm funded by the US Department of Defense.Challenges, Hurdles And Complexities... It should not be surprising that the challenges of moving nature inside are multiple and complex. One of those greatest challenges is environmental: light, water, atmosphere, temperature, substrate, space, power and sensors. Equally important is the production-related challenges involving: labor, pruning, harvesting, trimming, drying, grinding and extraction.The greatest governmental hurdle is creating legal codes involving multiple stakeholder input that represents minimum efficiency requirements for plants instead of people. The US Department of Energy estimates that between 2010-2040 there will be an estimated $126 billion in in savings achieved as a result of these types of building codes. In practical terms this represents the energy equivalent of 245 coal-fired energy plants. Federal illegalization of cannabis has made the issue of sustainable agriculture with respect to cannabis increasingly challenging, as states and localities are put in the position of sole environmental oversight instead of having the federal government playing a patriarchal role of oversight as would occur in normalized circumstances relating to other plants. Core issues swirl around sustainability, climate change and utility programs.The conference connected policy makers, utility program managers, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, researchers, manufacturers, cultivators and investors for the purpose of taking part in the shaping of energy policies and utility programs. IAES's objective was to elevate innovative solutions related to energy access, efficiency and sustainability and to help shape the future of indoor agriculture. "We have the opportunity to take the lessons learned from initial government, utility and non-profit responses addressing the energy and carbon impacts of regulated cannabis and apply them to the broader world of controlled environment agriculture," said Derek Smith, Executive Director of RII. "These lessons will inform controlled environment agriculture broadly. Its time, Mr. Smith profoundly stated, for a "Leeds for Weeds". Senator Jeffrey Markley of Oregon commended those playing a role in building a sustainable future for American agriculture in an opening statement: "Not only does the climate crisis pose tremendous risks to the health, safety and security of our nation and global community, it also jeopardizes access to critical resources, like water that are vital to the agriculture industry. Agriculture is the lifeblood of countless rural economies and a reason I work to put innovative, sustainable technologies within reach. I am committed to fighting for the de-scheduling of cannabis to support communities and appreciate all the efforts being made on issues of agricultural sustainability".A Plethora Of Energy Thought Leadership Notable speakers and topics included: * Lindsay Robinson, the Executive Director of the California Cannabis Industry Association presented a lively introductory panel focusing on federal drug policy a la "the war on drugs" and how it led to illicit indoor production with consequential adverse effects. Those effects included emissions and the misuse and waste of natural resources. Executive Director Robinson concluded with a powerful quote from Christiana Figueres, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: "10 years from now in 2030 we will either have written a positive story or be destined for self-destruction". * Bryan Jungers a leading policy consultant, noted that information on the energy and carbon impacts of indoor cannabis cultivation, as a relatively new science with limited data, borders on end-of-world theories predicated on the work of Evan Mills whose 2012 study served as the industry's first call to action. Mills analyzed the carbon footprint of indoor cannabis production and his gloomy overview resulted in media frenzy. A new unreleased chapter of a new Mills edition provides even greater prediction of gloom and doom than the original emphasized by its title: "Inconvenient Truths for Producers, Consumers and Policy Makers: Outside or bust..." * Prof. Ted Grantham of the Berkeley Cannabis Research Center provided an overview of water use and the deleterious effects of illegal diversion based on the 2015 research of Scott Bauer, who examined the impacts on aquatic habitats in four northwestern watersheds. It recognized seasonal patterns in water demand with the unfortunate environmental consequence demonstrating most growers lacked sufficient storage for the spring through winter months contrary to compliance requirements. * Massachusetts Cannabis Commissioner Kaye Doyle explained the critical role of sustainability, which has made Massachusetts the envy of other states and the national environmental ratings leader. It created the world's first comprehensive law focused on managing energy use within indoor grow environments. The Massachusetts Model is a blend of "carrot and sticks" focusing on the regulatory themes of efficiency, renewables and demand. * Southern California Edison's Gary Corlett examined lessons learned from early, regulated markets, including limited and outdated infrastructure in many newly regulated cities. The most compelling lesson revealed the eyebrow-raising enormity of cannabis facility power which usage averages between one to five megawatts. That same amount of power is capable of providing power to 750 homes or three coal-powered plants, and reflects the dystopian stressors of power, traffic and combustion, to name a few, caused by putting agriculture in metropolitan manufacturing environments versus traditional rural areas. * Kaitlin Urso, an environmental protection specialist at Colorado's Department of Public Health & Environment, summarized what she believes to be the six core environmental impacts: energy required for lighting and HVAC; water issues including treatment, diversion, irrigation, run-off, erosion, and effluent; waste including plant, universal and hazardous, chemicals including pesticides, fertilizers and solvents; air emissions, especially terpenes (which as volatile organic chemicals (VOC's) react with nitrogen oxide in sunlight to create ground level ozone and ozone pre-cursers); processing: solvents (which also contribute to VOC's and carbon dioxide releases), cleaning products, and waste (both hazardous and plant); * Dr. Nadia Sabeh, a passionate and leading energy efficiency expert known as Dr. Greenhouse, discussed climate-based optimization of grow facilities in any location. Her findings were in support of the general rule that with each one percent greater amount of light results in an equivalent one percent increase in yield, an overview of how air is the most important energy factor (HVAC uses 33%, air handling 15% and carbon dioxide burner 33%), and the efficiency and optimization of greenhouse glazing.An Example Where Great Minds Lead To Great Solutions A fascinating Colorado Project recently demonstrated how creativity can create a dramatic paradigm shift. In this particular example, worthless waste (actually, costly waste due to expense required for disposal) was converted into a valued commodity. A team of scientists from Earthly Labs collaborated with The Clinic cannabis company, Kaitlin Urso, and The Denver Beer Company (DBC and Colorado's 7th largest brewery) supported (academically and not financially) by the State of Colorado. The combined team was able to capture and compress excess carbon dioxide created from the brewery's beer fermentation process. After doing so, it was transported and successfully released into The Clinic's cannabis cultivation areas as a valuable input for photosynthesis. The transferred carbon dioxide was cleaner than carbon dioxide previously purchased from outside manufacturing sources. DBC has delivered an amazing five hundred pounds per week of excess carbon dioxide which otherwise would have been vented into the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide was used by The Clinic in both vegetation and flower rooms housing a combined 2,500 plants. Commenting upon the success and ingenuity of this thoughtful project, Colorado's Governor Jared Polis stated, "the project has great potential to scale; with a thriving craft beer and cannabis industry in Colorado, this could be an economic win and serve to help climate issues."In the world of controlled agriculture, "in" and "up" are the new buzzwords. While an ongoing work in process with multiple stakeholders contributing time, resources and talent, it is refreshing to see the desire and commitment of industry professionals engaged to create innovative environmentally sustainable solutions. Who could have imagined that beer and cannabis could be one of the ways to save our planet?The preceding article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.See more from Benzinga * Cresco Labs President Joe Caltabiano Resigns, Stock Trades Down * Weekly Fuel Report: March 3, 2020 * Tech Investments Improve Delta Cargo's Business – FWLive(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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| US Central Command wants $21 million to expand a vital Middle East port to help counter Iran Posted: 03 Mar 2020 08:15 AM PST  Amid tension with Iran and growing competition with China, the top US commander in the Middle East wants to increase the US footprint in Oman.
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| Celia and Fidel: why the timing is perfect for a new play about Castro Posted: 03 Mar 2020 08:07 AM PST  Playwright Eduardo Machado discusses his revealing new play that looks at the relationship between the Cuban revolutionary and Celia SánchezFidel Castro is back in the news. Bernie Sanders, favourite for the Democratic nomination for US president, recently noted that when the Cuban revolutionary gained power in 1959, he launched a massive literacy programme. "Is that a bad thing, even if Fidel Castro did it?" he asked.The political backlash was swift and uncompromising. Rival candidate Mike Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, wrote on Twitter: "Fidel Castro left a dark legacy of forced labor camps, religious repression, widespread poverty, firing squads, and the murder of thousands of his own people. But sure, Bernie, let's talk about his literacy program."Social media seems ill-equipped for nuance and the notion that a political leader can be both heroic and despotic. Theatre, however, invites and revels in the possibility that opposing viewpoints can coexist truthfully at the same time. Castro, who died four years ago, offers the dramatist a Shakespearean bundle of contradictions.Eduardo Machado, 66, a Cuban playwright based in the US, says: "He's a genius, he's a totalitarian, he's an egomaniac. There's a part of the Cuban revolution that's more humanitarian than, say, the eastern bloc. He was sexy. So he's a mess because every time you think you've come to a decision about him, you get evidence that goes, no."It's been the story of my life from worshipping him to hating him to thinking, 'Oh, he had to do it and I'm proud that he did it,' because we are not the whores of the United States, to then seeing how the people live, part of which is wonderful and part of which is really oppressive. And seeing all that at once, constantly when I'm in Cuba, it's like I'm changing my mind every five minutes."Machado is speaking at the Arena Stage theater in Washington, which in recent years has brought to life political figures such as John Quincy Adams, Lyndon Johnson and Vladimir Putin. It is now producing the world premiere of Machado's latest work, Celia and Fidel, which shines a light on Cuba's most influential female revolutionary, Celia Sánchez, who was Castro's political partner and most trusted confidant.Yet Sánchez remains relatively little known internationally. Today, foreign tourists who flock to Havana's Revolution Square, where Castro made many speeches, find vintage car tours on offer and see giant steel profiles of heroes Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos.Machado, the author of 53 plays, says: "Celia was more important than Che. She's not written out of history in Cuba but in the rest of the world they never considered how much power she actually had, which I find interesting. She had a lot more power than Che. Che left early on in the revolution and she helped shape how the revolution treated its citizens much more than anybody else."Castro said little about the nature of their personal relationship. Machado comments: "They were most likely lovers but he married other people and they were very close. Someone in Cuba told me there was no Fidel without Celia and no Celia without Fidel."She never got married. He was her life and they had offices next to each other and they saw each other every day and very much ran the government together. And then there's Raul, his brother, who also had big influence, and a doctor that Fidel had that was also very influential, but mostly it was Celia even before his brother."Sánchez was a positive influence on Castro, the writer believes, until her death from lung cancer removed a crucial guardrail that would prove a major loss for the people. "They disagreed on a lot of things. Unfortunately, she died in 1980 and the revolution took a twist after that."The revolution had overthrown Fulgencio Batista, a dictator backed by the US – part of a long, hypocritical history of Washington meddling in its own backyard. Staged just a couple of miles from the White House, Celia and Fidel promises a revealing, disquieting insight into how Cubans view America."All of Latin America sees America as imperialists that have tried to control their governments and their fate, and certainly Cubans see that more than anybody else," Machado says. "So it's about the oppression we lived under because we live 99 miles away from the biggest power in the world."Before Teddy Roosevelt went into Cuba and 'liberated' it, Cuba was shown in drawings as a white woman that was about to get raped by the natives and the only people that could save her were the Americans. I think that's still the attitude that's ingrained."Machado's family at first embraced the revolution. One day he went with them to a local bar and came face to face with Castro, Guevara and Cienfuegos. What does he remember of that experience? "Aww," he chuckles. "I thought they were our saviours and I was seven and impressionable."My family was for Castro and fought to to get him there and we hated Batista, something they don't remember any more, and we thought he was gonna save us. He saved some people, but not us because we owned a bus company and that's the first thing they nationalised. So we got out of there quickly after that."Another, "horrifying" childhood memory was watching televised executions. He recalls: "I think assassinating people against the wall, which I watched on TV when I was a little kid, was the final straw that turned a lot of people against him, because that's what Batista did and he didn't do it on television."Interestingly enough, like Trump, Fidel always thought if you show everything, nobody's going to say anything. He had trials on television, too, and then you would see them go off to the firing squad and you would see them die."Machado, who was eight, and his five-year-old brother left Cuba in Operation Peter Pan, a US government programme designed to protect children from communist indoctrination. "It was chaotic. We went to the airport five times before I ever got on a plane. There were masses of kids but the Cuban government approved it."The boys started their new life in Miami. Their parents arrived eight months later and the family settled in Los Angeles.Machado adds: "I didn't learn to speak English until I was 11. When I was young, I thought if I want to understand America, I have to understand English people. So I started reading all the biographies of English kings and queens and then I read Shakespeare at 13 and actually understood it. That's sort of what got me into plays and playwriting. So it was Shakespeare's fault."Asked if Castro reminds him of any Shakespearean characters, the writer, who has returned to Cuba often over the past 20 years, names Richard III. "The same can be said about Trump," he muses, "and that's what's interesting about doing the play right now". * Celia and Fidel is at Arena Stage in Washington, DC until 12 April
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| (IFAW) 15-Year old Named Winner of World Wildlife Day 2020 International Youth Art Contest Posted: 03 Mar 2020 08:00 AM PST  Comprised of the CITES Secretariat, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the jury announced the winner at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, as part of the World Wildlife Day celebrations on 3 March.", Tiarn's work depicted a koala on the foreground, clinging to a lone branch as a not-so-distant bushfire ravages a forest in the background.
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| Medication fog can mimic or worsen dementia in the elderly Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:44 AM PST  Claire Dinneen's daughters thought that worsening dementia was causing her growing confusion, but her doctor suspected something else. Dr. Pei Chen asked them to round up medicines in the 89-year-old woman's home and they returned with a huge haul. To her daughters' surprise, Dinneen got better, able to remember more things and to offer advice on what to wear and how to raise their kids.
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| Legally Embattled Netanyahu Close to Victory in Third Race Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:32 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared within striking distance of forming Israel's next government, after plunging his country into a yearlong political crisis while he maneuvered to stay in power and postpone his corruption trial.Recently indicted in three graft cases, Netanyahu had gambled on repeat elections to win a majority in parliament and possibly keep himself out of jail. In the third election in less than a year on Monday, the strategy seemed close to paying off.Israel Heads to 3rd Election in Year as Dysfunction Persists (1)With 97% of votes counted Tuesday, Netanyahu's Likud party and its religious and nationalist allies defeated the opposing camp led by former military chief Benny Gantz. The Netanyahu-led alliance stood to capture 59 of parliament's 120 seats, following a four-seat gain by Likud, versus 54 for the general's camp, according to Israel's Channel 13.The prime minister would need at least 60 seats to rule, and has already hinted he'd be able to strengthen his position with defectors from Gantz's Blue and White. He met on Tuesday with leaders of other factions in his camp."Tonight delivered a tremendous victory," Netanyahu told a cheering crowd waving Israeli and Likud flags on Monday night after exit polls showed his bloc in a stronger position. Some in the crowd chanted, "Mandelblit, go home," a reference to Attorney General Avihai Mandelblit, who indicted the prime minister in November.The Central Elections Committee said final results would be delayed until late afternoon Wednesday while it confirmed them and investigated any irregularities.Stocks and the shekel opened strong on Tuesday, largely due to the global rally a day earlier, traders said. The benchmark TA-35 index surged as much as 2.8% and the currency rallied the most against the dollar since December.With Netanyahu edging closer to forming a coalition, the Movement for Quality in Government petitioned the High Court of Justice on Tuesday to rule on whether someone charged with serious crimes of the kind Netanyahu faces can serve as prime minister. Netanyahu has been indicted in three cases, charged with bribery and fraud. The petition argues that under these circumstances, Netanyahu is unfit to serve.Narrow GovernmentA narrow government would set the stage for a potentially rocky term where Netanyahu would have to navigate his legal woes, confrontations with Iran and its proxies, and President Donald Trump's proposal for Middle East peace. That blueprint heavily favors Israel, which can start annexing large chunks of West Bank territory over the objections of the Palestinians, who want the territory for their hoped-for state and have rejected the Trump plan.But some of Netanyahu's nationalist allies will resist the plan's call for Palestinian statehood, no matter how limited. One of his prospective coalition partners, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, has said his New Right party would not agree to transfer an inch of land to "the Arabs."Trump Offers Mideast Plan That Palestinians Say Is Non-StarterPalestinians, who saw some of their worst fears confirmed with the release of the Trump plan in January, were dismayed by the election's outcome."It is obvious that settlement, occupation and apartheid have won the Israeli elections," Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said on Twitter. "Netanyahu's campaign was about the continuation of the occupation and conflict. Which will force the people of the region to live by the sword: continuation of violence, extremism and chaos."Meet the Man Who Brought Israel's Netanyahu to His KneesThe results take Israel nearly back to where it was in May 2019, when Netanyahu could have formed an unstable, 60-seat government after the April ballot. Instead he disbanded parliament and engineered the September re-vote, which delivered another inconclusive result.While Israel lurched from election to election, its political uncertainty spooled out across a year of confrontations with Iran-backed militants in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria. Decisive action has been put off on multiple fronts, and while the economy has been robust, risks are piling up.A conclusive win would allow Netanyahu to draft a long-delayed budget, reassure investors and credit rating companies, and prepare a response to a possible economic downturn.The economy expanded at a faster-than-expected 3.5% rate last year, but Israel is "the only country that is uniformly exposed to risks emanating from China, the Euro Area and the U.S., which makes it relatively vulnerable," analysts at Deutsche Bank wrote in a Feb. 28 report. A larger-than-expected slowdown in global growth could push the Israeli economy toward recession and prompt authorities to consider quantitative easing, they said.Isolated StationsIn a sign of the times, isolated voting stations were set up in parking lots to accommodate the roughly 5,700 Israelis under house quarantine after they were potentially exposed to the coronavirus.Israel's longest-serving leader will be eager to wrap up coalition talks quickly and get back to business that was interrupted after he called early elections in December 2018 and set Israel on the path of political gridlock. He's given inconsistent answers when asked if he'll try to push through legislation that would shield him from prosecution as long as he remains in office.Channel 13 TV reported that his lawyers will ask for a delay in the start of his trial, due to begin March 17."Israelis voiced their support for the man they perceive to have bringing them security and prosperity," said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute research center. "At the same time, the country is heading toward constitutional uncertainty. On March 17th the prime minister's trial will begin and the country will find itself in the unprecedented situation in which the man in charge of institutions of law and order will begin his fight to clear his name in court."Turning NastyCritics have alleged that Netanyahu's ability to attend to affairs of state will be severely hampered by his court case. The prime minister has dismissed those concerns, and maintains the bribery and fraud charges are baseless allegations cooked up by left-wing opponents who want to drive him from power because they deplore his nationalist agenda.Understanding the Charges Clouding Netanyahu's Future: QuickTakeThe Israeli leader is accused of accepting about $290,000 in gifts over a decade from wealthy friends, and scheming to win sympathetic press coverage by benefiting media moguls.Netanyahu had consistently trailed Gantz in polls throughout the campaign until the last leg, when the discourse turned nastier and more personal. The prime minister insinuated that the former military chief was unstable, and his campaign was hurt by a leaked tape of a Gantz adviser calling his boss a "danger" to the people of Israel.A close Netanyahu aide was heard in a leaked recording as saying "hate is what unites" the right-wing camp. The prime minister called the comments "unacceptable."(Updates with right-wing bloc meeting in fourth paragraph)\--With assistance from Ivan Levingston, Alisa Odenheimer, Gwen Ackerman, Yaacov Benmeleh and Fadwa Hodali.To contact the reporter on this story: Amy Teibel in Jerusalem at ateibel@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Benjamin Harvey at bharvey11@bloomberg.net, Michael GunnFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Even Netanyahu’s Dirty Tricks Couldn’t Quite Win Him a Majority Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:12 AM PST  JERUSALEM—Benjamin Netanyahu hasn't held anything back.Over the last year he's flashed Israelis with racist taunts, and he's heaped contempt on the system that made him and kept him in power for longer than any other Israeli prime minister. Like Donald Trump, he's mocked his opponents with schoolyard nicknames.Revealed at Last: Trump's Israeli-Palestinian Peace Deal to End All PeaceIndeed, Netanyahu often is compared to President Trump, with whom he shares a deep affinity and a close alliance. But "Bibi," as he is known from Teaneck to Tel Aviv, more closely resembles Richard Nixon, he of the dark obsessions, mistrust, and electoral tricks.Netanyahu seems to salivate over the imagined sexual peccadilloes of his rivals. He connived with a rabbi to make public the rabbi's recordings of a private conversation with a troubled supplicant, who happened to be an adviser to Benny Gantz, Netanyahu's top rival. Israel Bachar, the adviser, who faced a knot of personal problems, engaged in a long and winding discussion with Rabbi Guy Havura, whom he considered a confidant, occasionally veering toward politics. At one juncture, prodded by Havura, who was secretly recording the meeting, Bachar said Gantz "hasn't got the courage to attack Iran."Netanyahu shrugged off any suggestion of impropriety connected to the release of the tape. When Netanyahu was caught cheating and stealing, Netanyahu accused his accusers of attempting a coup d'état. He grinned and defied army commanders who gravely warned him about the dangers of annexing the West Bank—one of his campaign promises—and lied, naturally and often, to his citizens.On election day, Netanyahu posted a doctored video of Gantz seeming to speak nonsense. All in good fun! And no one cared when, hours later, Israel's Electoral Commission ordered the fabricated video deleted and fined Netanyahu's Likud party $2,000.He has now led his country into two fruitless electoral campaigns that failed to result in governments because, like Tarzan hanging from a vine, Netanyahu simply can't let go.Netanyahu at 70 already is Israel's longest-serving prime minister. Had he relinquished power at any point in the past 15 months, since he first announced elections, Israel would have plodded on, led by one or another of his less showy successors.But with a stranglehold on the Likud, the party he's now led for almost three decades, and with an uncanny ability to exploit the weak points of Israel's disorderly parliamentary democracy, Bibi endures.On Monday night, the bad boy who mesmerizes Israelis did it again, manfully striding across the stage of his party's election night event like a Levantine Juan Domingo Perón, lifting his arms in the air and exulting in what he called the "greatest victory of my life."It is the third time Netanyahu has declared victory in under 11 months, and the third time his party faithful loyally whip huge flags in front of the television cameras, while dutifully bellowing some new version of the Likud party's anthem.But by Tuesday morning the stark fact emerged that for now—as in both of the previous elections—Netanyahu has yet to secure a governing majority.That didn't prevent the radiant Bibi of Monday night from listing some of the schemes he hopes to enact in his first few days in office as the crowd responded by calling back, "Mandelblit go home!" Avichai Mandelblit is Israel's attorney general, who concluded last November after two years of police investigations that he had to indict Netanyahu on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate criminal cases involving his attempts to influence the media and sway policy on behalf of powerful friends in exchange for prohibited gifts and benefits.An enraged Netanyahu responded at the time that Mandelblit, whom he had appointed, was spearheading an illegal rebellion aimed at overthrowing his legitimately elected right-wing régime.Of course, Netanyahu's raw, livid performance left a greater imprint on Israelis than had Mandelblit's measured announcement of what he called "crimes without precedence for an Israeli prime minister." At this point, who knows if Netanyahu is "the prime minister-elect," as his aides keep calling him in riposte to all those who insisted on referring to him over the past year as "the outgoing prime minister"?But what's certain is that the campaign's final days provided rapt Israelis with a line-up of Broadway-worthy cabarets night after night.Last week, Yair Netanyahu the prime minister's 28-year-old son, a quasi-professional troll, tweeted out what he called the "crazy revelation" that Iran hacked the smartphone of his father's rival, Benny Gantz, a centrist who is a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces.Iran, Yair wrote, has "videos he sent to his mistress in America, of him pleasuring himself... that could be used to blackmail Gantz & the State of Israel if he's elected Prime Minister."The masturbatory theme was immediately picked up by Netanyahu, the prime minister, who spent a day warning Israelis that "you cannot be prime minister if you're in the position to be blackmailed by Iran."While claiming that he had no interest in the personal life of any candidate, Bibi said, "The Israeli prime minister faces great pressure—and Gantz can't face the pressure of a debate. The Israeli prime minister cannot be subject to Iranian blackmail. It's worth asking Gantz what's out there."There is, of course, no evidence that Gantz, his smartphone, or his sex life have been compromised in any way, but the question, and the image, had been firmly implanted in Israel's collective imagination.It's a common maneuver for Netanyahu père et fils, who often work in tandem. In October, Yair referred to the only man who dared run against his father in a Likud primary as "a rapist"; called his parents' former spokesman, who turned state's witness against Netanyahu when he was implicated in the corruption cases, "scum who murdered a soldier"; and said the Israeli police, who investigated his father, are "a gestapo."Last week, while Yair Netanyahu was tweeting out the picture of a young animals rights activist, Dana Cassidy, implying she was Benny Gantz's lover, drawing thousands of rabid alt-right internet attacks against her, Benjamin Netanyahu was busy cooking up a different scheme, with the rabbi, whose bombshell recordings were revealed on Thursday.On Friday, in more than a dozen interviews, Netanyahu denied having any contact with Havura. "No way! No way! What nonsense!" he erupted at Moran Azoulay, one of the reporters who asked.On Sunday, when yet another leaked recording revealed Netanyahu's low baritone approving Havura's plans to release the tapes, "with the voice undisguised," the Israeli public seems to have been too confused, or too enthralled by Netanyahu's blazing audacity, to care.On Monday night, Netanyahu promised his supporters that he'd move efficiently to "impose sovereignty over our homeland in Judea and Samaria"—the biblical term for the West Bank—"eliminate the Iranian threat, safeguard the defense alliance with the United States, and establish peace with Arab states."Basking in his own success, he said "this is a time for reconciliation," without specifying with whom.But the portion of the public calling out for Mandelblit to go home knows, and approves, of Netanyahu's real priority: to make every effort to scuttle his trial, which is scheduled to open on March 17 in Jerusalem's old District Court.In recent days, Netanyahu said he has "uncovered many problematic facts about Mandelblit," who Netanyahu is expected to fire as a first measure if he secures a majority. Two of Netanyahu's ministers already have outlined more radical attempts to help Netanyahu evade the legal maw he is about to enter. First, a law securing retroactive immunity by prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting head of government. Second, and more radical, the passage of a law granting the Knesset, Israel's parliament, the ability to override supreme court decisions, thus, in effect, granting any leader who sits atop 61 out of the Knesset's 120 seats, something approaching unchecked power. In that, he may well resemble Trump.As of late Tuesday, Netanyahu remained more or less where he's been for the past year: two seats away from that goal.President Reuven Rivlin's office says he should receive official election results by March 10, then: "The president has seven days to hold consultations and to arrive at a decision, no later than 17 March 2020"—the very day Netanyahu's corruption trial opens.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. 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| Black voters seek to flex political power on Super Tuesday Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:03 AM PST  Martha Whiting-Goddard believes there's power in voting — she's seen it firsthand. The church has historically helped shape the city's political discourse, ushering powerful African American political leaders through its doors such as Booker T. Washington and women's suffrage movement organizers. Parishioners here are planning to band together again Tuesday to shape the course of American history.
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| Iran's supreme leader is trying to spin coronavirus as a good thing Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:02 AM PST  Iran's supreme leader just lost one of his top advisers to the coronavirus, but he's apparently not bothered.Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's adviser Mohammad Mirmohammadi's death was reported Monday after he contracted the virus that's becoming particularly deadly in Iran. A full tenth of Iran's parliament has also tested positive for the disease, BuzzFeed News reports via state television, but in a series of tweets on Tuesday, Khamenei said the virus was "not such a big tragedy" at all.In his message, Khamenei insisted the COVIS-19 virus "is not such a big tragedy and this country has overcome graver ones." "I don't want to say it's unimportant, but let's not exaggerate it either," Khamenei continued. The virus "will leave" but "the experience it brings" for the government and people of Iran "will remain as an achievement," Khamenei insisted.> The Covid_19 is not such a big tragedy & this country has overcome graver ones. However, beseeching God, seeking intercession from the Prophet & the AhlulBayt, & the prayers of the pure youth and pious are very effective in repelling major tragedies.> > — Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) March 3, 2020> I don't want to say it's unimportant, but let's not exaggerate it either. The Coronavirus won't affect the country for long & will leave. But the experience it brings, & the actions of the people & the govt sectors are like a PublicExercise that will remain as an achievement.> > — Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) March 3, 2020Iran has reported 77 deaths and 2,336 infections from the virus. That number includes 23 Iranian MPs and some other government officials.More stories from theweek.com The end of Chris Matthews Was Mike Pence exposed to coronavirus? The 3 most likely Super Tuesday outcomes
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| Red Shoe Movement Announces its 3rd Gender Equality Global Initiative, "Ring the Bell on the 7 Seas" Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:00 AM PST  This March, the Red Shoe Movement (RSM,) an innovative global women leadership platform, celebrates with bell-ringing ceremonies that not only raise awareness and urgency on the importance of advancing women in executive positions, but also amplify the work of organizations such as the United Nations. Since its inception, the RSM's initiative has been one of the top worldwide contributors in social media on International Women's Day.
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| German conservatives quarrel over stimulus package to counter coronavirus Posted: 03 Mar 2020 06:59 AM PST |
| Merkel Coalition at Odds on Stimulus to Offset Virus Impact Posted: 03 Mar 2020 06:53 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Divisions within Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition were laid bare Tuesday when top officials disagreed publicly about the need for a stimulus package to offset potential economic damage from the coronavirus.Ralph Brinkhaus, the head of Merkel's parliamentary caucus, said it's "much too soon to talk about a crisis" and warned against talking down the economy. That came just hours after Alexander Dobrindt, the deputy caucus leader and a member of the Bavarian branch of Merkel's bloc, proposed using Germany's budget surplus to fund a stimulus package."We have to be in a position to act, for example on the issue of cash for short-term work" in case factories are forced to halt because of disruptions to supply chains, Brinkhaus told reporters in Berlin before a meeting of the CDU/CSU caucus. "It's much too soon to talk about being in a crisis. You can talk such crises into happening. We have a strong economy in Germany, and we're counting on it."The comments added to the sense of confusion about the government's response to the coronavirus, which threatens Germany's export-reliant economy at a time when it's already mired in a manufacturing slump. Discussions around a boost in spending have gathered pace in recent months after Germany narrowly avoided recession last year.Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, a member of Merkel's Social Democratic coalition partners, has resisted calls for a spending boost, while saying the money is there if needed. Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, a member of the chancellor's CDU party, on Monday reiterated that he wants to discuss stimulus measures with Scholz, including possible corporate tax relief.Dobrindt raised the prospect of making as much as 50 billion euros ($56 billion) available this year and said measures will be discussed this Sunday by the ruling coalition. He backed Scholz in ruling out a loosening of rules that limit government borrowing.Rolf Muetzenich, the head of the SPD caucus, suggested bringing forward the abolition of a levy to help fund the rebuilding of the former Communist eastern states, the so-called "Solidarity Tax.""That's a simple measure and could offset any dip that we'll have in growth," he told reporters, repeating SPD demands for a significant increase in spending."We want very strong investment that on the one hand has an impact on the economy, but especially puts the regions and the local authorities in a position to invest," he said.To contact the reporters on this story: Arne Delfs in Berlin at adelfs@bloomberg.net;Iain Rogers in Berlin at irogers11@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Chris ReiterFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Super Tuesday voters in some states brave severe weather Posted: 03 Mar 2020 06:46 AM PST  As Super Tuesday voting got underway, deadly storms that spawned tornadoes and heavy rains left treacherous conditions in at least two of the 14 states where residents were voting. Nashville Mayor John Cooper said alternate sites were arranged for 15 polling places out of the 169 precincts in Nashville's combined city-county area. Davidson County Administrator of Elections Jeff Roberts said voters from anywhere in the county can go to two so called "supersites" to cast their ballots.
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| Iran virus deaths now 77 as emergency services chief infected Posted: 03 Mar 2020 06:44 AM PST  Coronavirus has claimed 77 lives in Iran, officials said Tuesday, as the emergency services chief became the latest high-ranking official to be infected in the deadliest outbreak outside China. Iran has scrambled to halt the rapid spread of the virus, shutting schools and universities, suspending major cultural and sporting events, and cutting back on work hours. "According to the latest figures, 835 new patients have been added" to the overall number of infections, Iran's stand-in deputy health minister Alireza Raisi said.
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| Vauxhall Owner PSA Warns on Future of Ellesmere Plant in England Posted: 03 Mar 2020 06:29 AM PST |
| Report says China internet firms censored coronavirus terms, criticism early in outbreak Posted: 03 Mar 2020 06:00 AM PST |
| U.N. nuclear watchdog admonishes Iran for denying access to two sites Posted: 03 Mar 2020 05:45 AM PST |
| The Latest: Bloomberg campaigns in Florida as votes roll in Posted: 03 Mar 2020 05:07 AM PST  Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is focusing on the key swing state of Florida, even as the votes in Super Tuesday's contests are still being cast and counted. The billionaire who avoided the early nominating contests tells an enthusiastic crowd in West Palm Beach, "Winning in November starts with Florida." Bloomberg scored a victory in American Samoa on Tuesday, though he has yet to win any states.
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| Imprisoned for life as a teen, Myon Burrell finds his voice Posted: 03 Mar 2020 05:00 AM PST  When he was just a teenager, Myon Burrell lost his identity, his voice and even his name. Sentenced to life after a young black girl was killed by a stray bullet, Burrell's story has been told -- and told again -- by Sen. Amy Klobuchar while trumpeting her tough-on-crime record as a top Minneapolis prosecutor. On Sunday, Klobuchar cancelled a presidential rally in her home state two days before the Democratic primary election there after dozens of protesters waved signs and shouted "Free Myon!" Less than 24 hours later, she dropped out of the presidential race, saying she was throwing her support behind former Vice President Joe Biden.
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| Kremlin critic Navalny says bank accounts frozen Posted: 03 Mar 2020 03:52 AM PST  Russia's main opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Tuesday that authorities had frozen all of his bank accounts and those of his family, including his elderly parents. The 43-year-old anti-corruption blogger, who has emerged as President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic, accused the Russian authorities of seeking to strangle him financially at a time when the Kremlin appears to be seeking to consolidate power during a sensitive transition period. "All accounts have been blocked," Navalny said on Twitter.
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| US Indicts Two Chinese Nationals For Laundering Cryptocurrency Allegedly Stolen In North Korean Hack Posted: 03 Mar 2020 03:13 AM PST  Two Chinese nationals have been indicted in the District of Columbia on two counts related to operating a money laundering business, the United States Department of Justice announced Monday.What Happened The individuals, Tian Yinyin and Li Jiadong, helped convert the cryptocurrency stolen by North Korean hackers in a $250 million alleged exchange desk hack, according to the Justice Department.The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control has also sanctioned the two individuals, it said in a separate announcement on Monday.The accused laundered over $100 million for the North Korean hackers between December 2017 and April 2019, the authorities have alleged. Among other ways, the accused transferred about $1.4 billion worth of Bitcoin (BTC) to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) gift cards for iTunes, per the Treasury Department.Why It Matters The authorities noted that the actions of the Chinese nations put the "security and integrity of the global financial systems at risk" as the cryptocurrency in the hand of North Korea poses a particular threat."North Korea continues to attack the growing worldwide ecosystem of virtual currency as a means to bypass the sanctions imposed on it by the United States and the United Nations Security Council," Don Fort, chief of the criminal investigation branch of the Internal Revenue Service, said in a statement.The Treasury Department noted that the North Korean hackers were said to have attempted to steal as much as $2 billion, according to the United Nations Security Council report. Out of this, $571 million is attributed to theft in cryptocurrencies. "This revenue allows the North Korean regime to continue to invest in its illicit ballistic missile and nuclear programs."The U.S. government in January indicted an Ethereum developer Virgin Griffith for allegedly sharing his expertise on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology with the North Korean government.The Justice Department also charged four Chinese military officials in February for their role in the Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) data breach of 2017.Price Action Bitcoin (BTC) traded 1.58% higher at $8,794.16 at press time on Tuesday. Other cryptocurrencies, similarly, extended gains, with the exception of Tezos (XTZ), which traded 0.46% lower at $2.71.See more from Benzinga * SoftBank CEO Talks To Investors, Promises To Be More 'Careful' * Robinhood Trading Platform Resumes Trading After Shutdown For Entire Day * 'He Has A Good Heart': Elon Musk Expresses Support For Dorsey To Continue As Twitter CEO(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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| Biden’s Pre-Super Tuesday Boost May Fall Short Posted: 03 Mar 2020 02:50 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Suddenly, everything's coming up Biden.Joe Biden heads into Super Tuesday's 14 state primaries after a banner 24 hours that saw the Democratic Party establishment coalesce around him in the presidential nominating race. But, as Justin Sink writes, it might not be enough to thwart Bernie Sanders.Sanders, the self-described democratic socialist who party moderates fear couldn't stop President Donald Trump returning to the White House in November, holds the advantage in delegate-rich states like Texas and California.The key question for Biden and his supporters is whether the exit of Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar — who've now thrown their support behind the former vice president — proves to be too little, too late.Sanders, who defied but didn't silence doubters with a strong win in Nevada 10 days ago, is positioned to emerge with the most delegates, with Biden leading polls in only North Carolina.Biden's challenge is to harness the power of his recent endorsements to replicate his decisive win Saturday in South Carolina's primary across a group of Southern states with significant African-American populations and more moderate Democratic voters likely to eye Sanders with skepticism.Further complicating Biden's efforts is former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. His unconventional strategy faces its first electoral test today on whether he has outsmarted the traditional primary process or if more than a half-billion dollars in campaign advertising has been for naught.And Elizabeth Warren, who has trailed in early contests, faces a key hurdle in her home state of Massachusetts, where a loss to Sanders could prove fatal to her campaign.The stakes couldn't be higher for a party weighing diametrically opposite approaches to winning back the White House.(Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)Global HeadlinesWatch this space | While the focus has been on the Turkey-Greece border amid President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's threats to send floods of Syrian migrants into Europe, the real place to watch is the Syria-Turkey frontier. The risk is the battle for the last rebel holdout in Syria unlocks a wave of new refugees who pass through Turkey and onward, turning Erdogan's warnings into reality.Erdogan claimed Greek security forces killed two migrants, a charge Greece denied. ICYMI, here's our story from reporters on the ground at the Greek-Turkey border.Slim margin | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears poised to form Israel's next government, after plunging his country into a yearlong political crisis while he maneuvered to stay in power and postpone his corruption trial. His control of parliament looks like it will be shaky, though, setting the stage for a potentially rocky term where he'd have to navigate his legal woes, confrontations with Iran and its proxies, and the Trump administration's proposal for Middle East peace.Virus vigor | Group of Seven finance chiefs, including U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, will hold a rare conference call today under pressure from investors to take action to shield the world economy from the coronavirus. Governments from Japan to the U.K. are preparing emergency measures or economic packages to fight the spread.Trump sought to show his personal engagement to combat the disease by meeting with heads of drug companies to elicit promises of new medicines and announcing he'll visit federal health agencies later this week.Hitting back | The Trump administration ordered four Chinese state-owned news outlets to slash staff working in the U.S., a response to Beijing's restrictions on American journalists, including its expulsion of three Wall Street Journal reporters last month. The move risks further tit-for-tat measures as the world's biggest economies battle for influence, even after reaching a phase-one trade deal earlier this year.Falling support | Unchecked violence in Mexico is starting to dent President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's approval ratings, with opinion polls showing his support is slipping. AMLO, as the president is known, is beginning to feel the impact from a record number of homicides and a stagnant economy.What to WatchThe U.S. is suing to gain control of cryptocurrency accounts North Korea allegedly used to steal more than $250 million from Bitcoin and Ether exchanges in 2018. South Africa's economy slumped into a second recession since President Cyril Ramaphosa came to power two years ago. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has called for early parliamentary elections in a bid to consolidate power and push his economic agenda. The snap poll is expected on April 25.Tell us how we're doing or what we're missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net.And finally ... It reads like the plot from a spy novel, with illicit recordings from a bugged timepiece, an encrypted disk full of secrets and the ouster of one of Europe's longest-serving leaders. The 2013 events took place in Luxembourg, with revelations of an out-of-control secret service triggering the end of Jean-Claude Juncker's career as prime minister. Seven years later, Juncker, who just finished his term as European Commission president, must relive the scandal as three former spies stand trial in hearings starting today. \--With assistance from Karl Maier.To contact the author of this story: Kathleen Hunter in London at khunter9@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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