Trump Team Testing ‘Off-the-Shelf’ Drugs to Cure Coronavirus

(Bloomberg) -- The Trump administration is testing existing “off-the-shelf” drugs to combat the coronavirus, a cabinet official said Saturday.A national lab in Tennessee recently made “an important discovery” involving existing drugs, Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland.“The scientists at our Oak Ridge National Laboratory were able to look at the protein strains and determine -- perhaps, it’s still early -- that we can find some off-the-shelf drugs that can help us not only cure the disease but stop the spread of the infection,” Brouillette said.Brouillette was responding to a question about what his agency is doing to help combat the virus, which has caused markets to plunge and killed nearly 3,000 people across the globe. In the U.S., where 22 cases have been reported, the virus has killed one person -- a woman from Washington state -- and more cases are likely, President Donald Trump said Saturday.In addition to the laboratory tests, Brouillette said he’s harnessing the power of his agency’s “super computers” as well as artificial intelligence capabilities to assist organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and the World Heath Organization to conduct modeling on the virus.“We want to know how far is this going to spread and at what point might it peak,” he said.To contact the reporter on this story: Ari Natter in Washington at anatter5@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net, Matthew G. Miller, Virginia Van NattaFor 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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Rejected by Jamaica, Caymans over virus fears, cruise ship docks in Mexico

A cruise ship turned away from Jamaica and the Cayman Islands after a crew member tested positive for flu has docked in Mexico and passengers will be allowed to disembark as long as "health standards" are met, the country's president said Thursday. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters that the Meraviglia, which has been anchored off Cozumel island in the Caribbean since Wednesday, "is being allowed to dock" and those aboard may be allowed off. The operator, MSC Cruises, lashed out at authorities for refusing to allow it to dock at its previous destinations for "acting out of fears" over the new coronavirus.

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Trump Nominates John Ratcliffe to Be Director of National Intelligence—Again

President Trump announced late Friday that he is nominating Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) to be his next director of national intelligence. That’s despite the former Texas prosecutor withdrawing his nomination last year.Ratcliffe, a large Trump donor, dropped out of the nomination process in July 2019, blaming unfair media coverage. But The Daily Beast reported that before Racliffe announced his withdrawal, an email revealing his alleged involvement in a contentious whistleblowing case made its way to the White House. On Friday, Trump tweeted that he “would have completed [the] process earlier” but “John wanted to wait until after IG Report was finished,” an apparent reference to the inspector general’s report on how the FBI handled its counterintelligence probe of Trump campaign associates.“John is an outstanding man of great talent!” he wrote.Just last week, Trump appointed U.S. Ambassador to Germany and longtime Trumpworld loyalist Richard Grenell, who has no intelligence experience, as his acting DNI. A former intelligence official told The Daily Beast at the time that the announcement “blindsided” career officials in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.Ratcliffe, who himself has little national security experience, is in for a rocky confirmation process. His nomination last year drew swift opposition from Senate Democrats and lukewarm support from key Republicans.Senate Intelligence chair Richard Burr told White House officials Ratcliffe, a outspoken supporter of the president, was too partisan, The New York Times reported. On the Senate floor, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called him “a three-term tea party congressman who, when he goes on television, appeals to the president’s sense of stridency and partisanship.”Even if there’s little chance Ratcliffe will be confirmed by the Senate, his nomination allows Grenell to continue to serve past March 11, University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck pointed out on Twitter. Federal law also stipulates that an acting DNI can stay in place for another 210 days after the Senate either rejects a nomination or the nominee withdraws.Grenell was brought in last week to replace acting DNI Joseph Maguire, whom Trump replaced over what he felt was disloyalty by one of Maguire’s aides, according to multiple reports. The aide had briefed the House Intelligence Committee that Russia was once again interfering in the election in Trump’s favor.After former DNI Dan Coats announced his resignation last summer, Trump tweeted that he intended to nominate Ratcliffe to replace him, a move that surprised White House aides, who had not vetted the congressman, The Washington Post reported. Ratcliffe, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, had been a vocal critic of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe and had seized on text messages between FBI agents Lisa Page and Peter Strzok as evidence of bias within the FBI. He even claimed to have seen texts between the pair that suggested the existence of a “secret society” working against Trump—an easily debunked conspiracy theory that he played a part in spreading far and wide.But Ratcliffe’s nomination fell apart in just a few weeks. An investigation by The Washington Post found he had embellished how many immigrants he rounded up in one day as a U.S. attorney. Another investigation found he’d embellished his national security credentials by claiming he’d prosecuted two major terrorism cases, despite court records showing he had no involvement.His July 2019 withdrawal prompted Trump to complain he was being treated unfairly.“Rather than going through months of slander and libel, I explained to John how miserable it would be for him and his family to deal with these people,” Trump said at the time. “John has therefore decided to stay in Congress where he has done such an outstanding job representing the people of Texas, and our Country.”Trump said last year it didn’t bother him that Ratcliffe lacked much national security expertise. “I think he would’ve picked it up very quickly,” he 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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South Carolina primary results in full – county by county

Get the results in the crucial early voting state * South Carolina Democrats vote as Biden looks for win to boost flagging campaign * Help us cover the critical issues of 2020. Consider making a contributionSouth Carolina is the first state in the deep south to cast its vote in the primary race, where African American voters form a majority of the electorate. Democrats and Republicans will be voting, but because Donald Trump faces no serious opposition, all eyes will be on the Democratic contest.default What is a primary?The primaries and caucuses are a series of contests, in all 50 US states plus Washington DC and US territories, by which the party selects its presidential nominee. Most US states hold primary elections, in which voters go to a polling place, mail in their ballots or otherwise vote remotely. A handful of states hold caucuses – complicated, hours-long meetings, which continue until one candidate emerges as victor. And the process is different for Democrats and Republicans. Why is the South Carolina primary important?The goal for the candidates is to amass a majority of pledged delegates whose job it is to nominate the candidate at the party’s convention. In all states, delegates are awarded proportionally among top winners.To become the Democratic presidential nominee, the candidate must secure 1,991 pledged delegates before the Democratic Party’s convention in Wisconsin in July. If there is no outright majority then so-called super delegates, unpledged senior party members, could decide who secures the presidential nomination.There are 54 delegates in play in South Carolina. Only 101 so far allotted after the first three primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. South Carolina serves as a launchpad for the vital Super Tuesday election in just three days time, when 16 states and territories will vote and over 1,300 delegates, around a third of the total in the entire election, will be up for grabs. Sanders so far leads the pack with 45 delegates. He is followed by former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg on 26, while Biden lags behind with 15. Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren holds 8 with Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar on 7.

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Sub-Saharan Africa just recorded its first coronavirus case. The WHO and Bill Gates have warned that Africa can't deal with an outbreak.

The World Health Organization fears Africa's "fragile healthcare systems" may not be able to cope with a serious outbreak of COVID-19.

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Number of coronavirus cases from unknown source growing in U.S.

Three new presumptive cases were reported Friday on the West Coast, with patients in Oregon, Washington and California, but it's not clear how they were infected.

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Coronavirus US: Quarantine across America is 'inevitable' top doctor warns as stocks take record plunge

As more cases of the flu-like respiratory illness are reported across the US, Mike Pence - recently appointed by Donald Trump to lead the administration's response - has insisted the government is in control of the virus despite thousands of people under medical monitoring and officials' scepticism of the vice president's abilities to handle the outbreak.Market analysts predict record lows for the Dow Jones, seeing one of its worst weeks since the financial crisis, amid fears of a global pandemic, as the president downplays the threat and his allies claim that criticism of the response has been "weaponised" to attack Trump.

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Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Biden wins South Carolina Democratic primary, Fox News projects, in crucial boost to campaign after early losses

02/29/20 4:01 PM

At CPAC, Trump Takes Aim at Rivals

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

Biden Wins in South Carolina, Adding New Life to His Candidacy

By BY JONATHAN MARTIN AND ALEXANDER BURNS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2I7NCdQ

Joe Biden wins South Carolina primary with overwhelming support.

By BY NICK CORASANITI from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2I5QPKK

After 12 hours, the polls in South Carolina have closed.

By BY LISA LERER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/388KTeQ

A crowd waits for Warren in Houston: ‘I just love her energy.’

By BY MICHAEL HARDY from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/32ER890

Looking to Super Tuesday, Buttigieg campaigns in Nashville.

By BY DANIEL JACKSON from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/32FTaWd

F.D.A. Expands Coronavirus Testing in the United States

By BY KNVUL SHEIKH from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3ascSYz

South Carolina primary: Joe Biden projected to win

It comes as a major boost to the former vice-president's flagging presidential campaign.

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Afghan conflict: What will Taliban do after signing US deal?

A sense of cautious optimism is rising, but Afghanistan's political future is yet to be decided.

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First coronavirus death in US confirmed - CNN

1. First coronavirus death in US confirmed  CNN
2. CDC erroneously identified first patient to die from coronavirus as female | TheHill  The Hill
3. CDC 'erroneously' identified first coronavirus patient to die in US as female  Washington Examiner
4. Specialist: Coronavirus could widely spread though US  CNN
5. Coronavirus Update: First Infected Person In U.S. Dies, Latest NYC Test Comes Back Negative As City Gets Cleared To Start Local Testing  Gothamist
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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More than 10K turn out for Bernie Sanders rally in Elizabeth Warren's backyard - USA TODAY

1. More than 10K turn out for Bernie Sanders rally in Elizabeth Warren's backyard  USA TODAY
2. Inside Cambridge, Massachusetts: Elizabeth Warren's Hometown  Los Angeles Times
3. House Ways and Means chair endorses Elizabeth Warren  POLITICO
4. Bernie Sanders goes for the campaign kill  The Boston Globe
5. A not-so-super Tuesday and other commentary  New York Post
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Person dies from coronavirus in Washington state, first in the US, health officials say - Fox News

Person dies from coronavirus in Washington state, first in the US, health officials say  Fox NewsView Full Coverage on Google News

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House approves bill to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes - Fox News

1. House approves bill to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes  Fox News
2. House approves bill banning flavored tobacco products | TheHill  The Hill
3. House Votes to Ban Flavors in Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes  The New York Times
4. Broad anti-tobacco bill narrowly passes House  POLITICO
5. House Democrats go full nanny state and pass overkill vape flavor ban  Washington Examiner
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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A neo-fascist party hopes for big gains in Slovakia's election - CNN

1. A neo-fascist party hopes for big gains in Slovakia's election  CNN
2. Slovakia election: Anti-corruption party wins most votes - exit poll  BBC News
3. Journalist’s Murder Puts a Tycoon, and a Nation, on Trial  The New York Times
4. Slovak opposition party OLANO takes lead in election: TV Markiza exit poll  Reuters
5. Slovakia election: Double murder haunts voters  BBC News
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China economic activity plunges as coronavirus hit intensifies - South China Morning Post

1. China economic activity plunges as coronavirus hit intensifies  South China Morning Post
2. China manufacturing plunges in February amid virus controls  Yahoo Finance
3. Coronavirus Update, Feb 29: Here's What You Need To Know Today  International Business Times
4. China factory activity shrank at its fastest rate on record in February  CNBC
5. China data portends more punishment for bruised stock markets  Yahoo Finance
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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A man convicted for killing his high school girlfriend was freed by decades-old DNA evidence. Now he's on a mission to find the real killer.

Leah Freeman's shoes were the only clue police had in her murder — and the only evidence that her high school boyfriend Nick McGuffin wasn't her killer.

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The Strange Tale of How British Commandos Attacked Hitler's Fish Oil Production

More important than you know.

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Mike Huckabee goes on bizarre rant about Trump 'sucking' coronavirus out of Americans' lungs

In Donald Trump’s America, very few national figures are as loyal to the president as Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and father of the former White House press secretary.And, as criticism has mounted regarding Mr Trump’s reaction to the deadly coronavirus, Mr Huckabee got a chance to display that obedience once again — and took the bait, hook line and sinker, by delivering a bizarre defence of the man.

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Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

President Trump holds a rally in North Charleston, S.C., 24 hours before the polls close in the state's Democratic primary. Watc

02/28/20 4:09 PM

Photo: Bernie Sanders high fives tiny supporter.

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

Why Bernie Scares Me

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

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

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

Who Will Care For Society’s Forgotten?

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

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

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

We Don’t Really Know How Many People Have Coronavirus

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

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

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

Celine: Fall 2020

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

Johnny Antonelli, Star Pitcher for the Giants, Dies at 89

By BY RICHARD GOLDSTEIN from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/32zWy5b

How Bad Could It Get? Companies Gauge the Coronavirus Impact

By BY PETER EAVIS from NYT Business https://ift.tt/3cs2CRQ

Photo: Bloomberg has a canine constituency.

By Unknown Author from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2VrZ8Zs

Walkout as Polanksi wins 'best director' at Césars

The Polish-French director is wanted in the US for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old in the 1970s.

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Latvia railway: Why I love living in an old train station

Milda Romanova's home is an old rail station, and at 88 she still loves all things trains.

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Pete Buttigieg draws a crowd in South Carolina ahead of primary - CBS News

1. Pete Buttigieg draws a crowd in South Carolina ahead of primary  CBS News
2. Pete Buttigieg, the Political Junkie Who Is Running for President  The New York Times
3. 'Help me get it.' Pete Buttigieg's black surrogates face a skeptical audience for the candidate in South Carolina  USA TODAY
4. Frank Bruni: The case for Pete Buttigieg  Salt Lake Tribune
5. Pete Buttigieg is no 'white Obama,' but merely a pale imitation  Washington Examiner
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Coronavirus in Iran prompts US to extend olive branch amid claim country's death toll far higher than reported - Fox News

1. Coronavirus in Iran prompts US to extend olive branch amid claim country's death toll far higher than reported  Fox News
2. As Iran's Leaders Contract Coronavirus, Doubts Emerge Over National Tally  Wall Street Journal
3. Iran Vice President Is One of 7 Officials to Contract Coronavirus  The New York Times
4. Coronavirus: Iran's deaths at least 210, hospital sources say  BBC News
5. How Iran Became a New Epicenter of the Coronavirus Outbreak  The New Yorker
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Powell Opens Door to Fed Rate Cut on ‘Evolving’ Risks From Virus - Bloomberg

1. Powell Opens Door to Fed Rate Cut on ‘Evolving’ Risks From Virus  Bloomberg
2. Fed's Powell warns coronavirus poses 'evolving risks' to economy, vows to support expansion  Fox Business
3. Fed opens door to rate cut after week of plunging stocks  POLITICO
4. Fed chief hints toward rate cut amid Wall Street coronavirus rout | TheHill  The Hill
5. Market getting ahead of itself, is dependent on Fed: Fisher  CNBC Television
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Google restricts travel as coronavirus outbreak spreads and employee in Switzerland tests positive - CNBC

1. Google restricts travel as coronavirus outbreak spreads and employee in Switzerland tests positive  CNBC
2. Report: A Google employee has tested positive for the coronavirus  9to5Google
3. Google employee diagnosed with coronavirus  Boing Boing
4. Google employee tests positive for coronavirus as company further restricts travel  msnNOW
5. Google Employee Tests Positive for Coronavirus  Yahoo Entertainment
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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SF tourism, gaming conference give attendees incomplete virus info - Business Insider - Business Insider

1. SF tourism, gaming conference give attendees incomplete virus info - Business Insider  Business Insider
2. GDC running out of time to cancel as Amazon, Blizzard join no-show list  Ars Technica
3. Amazon is the latest to pull out of GDC over coronavirus fears  Engadget
4. Amid coronavirus fears, tech companies pull out of California conferences  Los Angeles Times
5. Microsoft Drops Out Of GDC, Too [Update: And Epic]  Kotaku
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Henry Ruggs Separates Himself, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts Impress, More Combine Notes - Sports Illustrated

1. Henry Ruggs Separates Himself, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts Impress, More Combine Notes  Sports Illustrated
2. Alabama's Henry Ruggs runs 4.27 in 40-yard dash, short of John Ross' record  Yahoo Sports
3. Henry Ruggs runs the 40 in 4.27 seconds  NBCSports.com
4. NFL Scouting Combine Notebook: Is Henry Ruggs Too Fast for His Own Good?  Bleacher Report
5. Rewarding Moments In Redskins History: Montez Sweat Breaks A Combine Record With 4.41-Second 40-Yard Dash  Redskins.com
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Arlene Shechet Creates Beauty Out of Chaos

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

Philippines volcano: Residents allowed to visit island

Philippines residents briefly allowed to return to homes near the Taal volcano find haunting scenes.

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Leap years and why we need them

It's a leap year which means there's an extra day in the calendar - 29 February 2020. But why do we need it?

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Coronavirus: On the front line in Wuhan

The BBC speaks to a Chinese doctor who has been on the front line of fighting Coronavirus in Wuhan.

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Burst water main leaves drivers stranded

Flooding in Houston led to cars being submerged and people having to take refuge on their roofs.

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The US Navy orders ships in the Pacific to stay at sea at least 14 days between port calls over coronavirus concerns

Ships have been instructed to remain at sea at least 14 days, the maximum incubation period for the coronavirus.

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says it was 'horrifying' the debate didn't have any climate change questions. Bernie Sanders agrees.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) watched Tuesday night's Democratic debate, and one thing stood out to her."Not a single climate change question," she tweeted. "Horrifying." One of the participants, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), agreed, responding, "A disgrace." The Democratic candidates don't shy away from talking about climate change on the campaign trail; billionaire investor and environmentalist Tom Steyer told voters in South Carolina on Tuesday that climate change is his "No. 1 priority," and if elected, he will declare a climate emergency on his first day in office.Poll after poll has shown that climate change is a key issue for voters; last week, the Pew Research Center released a survey showing that for the first time in two decades, a majority of Americans believe that tackling climate change should be a main priority for the president and Congress.Another poll released last week by the nonpartisan nonprofit Climate Nexus found that for Democrats, climate change is one of the two most important issues facing the country right now. "This is the first time in American political history where climate change is not just a top-tier issue, it is the top-tier issue," Anthony Leiserowitz, a senior research scientist at Yale who helped conduct the poll, told The Atlantic.More stories from theweek.com Harvard scientist predicts coronavirus will infect up to 70 percent of humanity Naming Mike Pence coronavirus czar with 'zero experience in the medical area' is 'a total joke,' says 2014 Trump Israel is the first country to warn its citizens not to travel abroad over coronavirus fears

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Man gets life for kidnapping stepdaughter, holding her captive for 19 years

Henri Michelle Piette kidnapped his victim in 1997 when she was 12 and subjected her to nearly 20 years of physical and sexual abuse before she escaped.

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Doctors Inside Iran Believe Coronavirus Is More Serious Than Reported, and Getting Worse

Medical professionals inside the Islamic Republic tell TIME they believe the country is now grappling with an “epidemic”

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Biden says he's not worried about Trump refusing to leave if defeated in November

Joe Biden says he isn't worried about the prospect of President Trump refusing to leave his post if he’s defeated in November.

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Critic Says Trump Is 'Ignorant' and 'Incoherent' On Coronavirus. Others Call It 'Trump' Virus.

Can President Trump keep the American people prepared but not panicked?

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Seattle Is Socialism’s Laboratory, and It’s Not Pretty

Democratic socialists are in the middle of a hostile takeover of the Democratic Party. Led by the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign and the “squad” of newly elected congresswomen, the hard-left coalition has laid out an ambitious agenda to transform the United States into a democratic socialist nation. While many commentators have dismissed the rhetoric around the Green New Deal, Housing for All, and End Cash Bail as pie-in-the-sky abstraction, in Seattle, the socialist coalition is quickly translating this agenda into a political reality.After the socialist Left’s stunning victory over business-backed moderates in last year’s municipal elections, Seattle has effectively become the nation’s laboratory for socialist policies. Since the beginning of the year, the socialist faction on the Seattle City Council has proposed a range of policies on taxes, housing, homelessness, and criminal justice that put into practice the national democratic-socialist agenda. In the most recent session, socialist councilwoman Kshama Sawant and her allies have proposed massive new taxes on corporations, unprecedented regulations on landlords (including rent control and a ban on “winter evictions”), the mandated construction of homeless encampments, and the gradual dismantling of the criminal justice system, beginning with the end of cash bail.Seattle’s socialists have established a narrative that provides the rhetorical basis for their policies. They argue that the corporate-technological elite, led by companies such as Amazon, has hoarded the rewards of the digital economy and created widespread misery for workers, renters, and people of color. As Seattle-based commentator and Marxist theoretician Charles Mudede has written: “We are in the 21st century. We are in one of the richest cities on earth. And yet, the old war between those who employ labor and those who sell their labor is still very much with us.”In the socialist vision, the “new class war” is now entering a more direct phase of conflict. They have launched a political campaign to dramatically curtail the power of corporations, landlords, and traditional neighborhood interests, and to build a coalition of socialists, progressives, unions, and the dispossessed that is capable of achieving power. In short, the solution to the class war is to win the class war.While conservatives and moderates have typically dismissed the socialist movement as a “big-city problem,” the new socialist agenda is no longer confined to the municipal boundaries of places such as Seattle, San Francisco, and New York. Increasingly, the hard-left coalition has turned these cities into “laboratories for socialism,” with the goal of eventually commercializing their policies through the national Democratic Party. Already, Bernie Sanders, the current front-runner in the Democratic primary, has proposed a nationalized version of the Seattle agenda: Tax Amazon, enact national rent control, construct public housing, and end cash bail.But Seattle’s socialists have gone one step further. In order to consolidate their newfound power, the progressive-socialists have begun to manipulate the democratic process in their own favor: first, by providing all Seattle voters with $100 in taxpayer-funded “democracy vouchers,” which are easily collected by unions, activists, and socialist groups; and second, by implementing a ban on corporate spending in local elections by companies like Amazon. At the same time, black-bloc activists and Antifa militants intimidate any potential opposition by disrupting events, vandalizing homes, and even orchestrating death threats against political adversaries.What can opponents of socialism do? First, recognize that it must be fought on all fronts. While the socialists form a small minority of the national electorate, they have demonstrated the capability of seizing power in America’s major cities, which are home to much of the digital “means of production” in tech, media, advertising, entertainment, and research. The business sector in cities such as Seattle must recognize that the progressive-socialists are no longer interested in gaining reasonable concessions; they intend to overthrow capitalism itself.Over the past decade, the dominant corporate strategy has been to quietly advocate for neoliberal economic policies, while pandering to the cultural mandates of “diversity and inclusion.” That era is now over. As the experience in Seattle reveals, the socialist Left cannot be appeased on cultural issues — they are fighting a war against capital and they intend to win it.If the business sector wants to protect its own interests, it must rapidly adapt to this new reality. It’s no longer enough for local Chambers of Commerce to drop leaflets before local elections; they must build a permanent counterbalance to the progressive-socialists. They must begin by commissioning original policy research, funding local neighborhood groups, and building a political alliance of conservatives, moderates, and old-line liberals. In other words, they must reestablish a balance of power in America’s cities.If nothing is done, the laboratories of socialism in America’s cities will become a national problem. It’s time to shut them down.

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Japan woman tests positive for virus after 'recovery'

A woman in Japan who contracted the new coronavirus and was released from hospital after recovering has tested positive again, officials said Thursday. The case is the first time a patient apparently cleared of the virus has subsequently tested positive for it, a local official in Osaka said. The woman in her 40s was first confirmed as infected with the coronavirus on January 29.

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Obama demands TV stations stop airing 'despicable' anti-Biden ad from Pro-Trump PAC that misuses his words

The ad plays an audio passage from Obama's 1995 memoir, "Dreams from My Father," to allude that Biden supports  "plantation politics."

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Trump is furious with the CDC for doing its job

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention apparently enraged President Donald Trump by warning about the risks of a coronavirus outbreak.

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AP fact check dings Democrats for false coronavirus claims - Fox News

1. AP fact check dings Democrats for false coronavirus claims  Fox News
2. Trump defends huge cuts to the CDC's budget by saying the government can hire more doctors 'when we need ..  Business Insider Nordic
3. AP FACT CHECK: Democrats distort coronavirus readiness  ABC News
4. President Trump gives update on coronavrius with CDC officials  ABC News
5. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Lake-effect snowstorm could dump 40 inches in parts of New York, unusually late in the winter - The Washington Post

1. Lake-effect snowstorm could dump 40 inches in parts of New York, unusually late in the winter  The Washington Post
2. 20-foot waves may be coming to the Great Lakes  CNN
3. Blizzard may hit northern Oneida County  Rome Sentinel
4. Howling winds and lake-effect snow set to hammer parts of Northeast and New England  NBC News
5. 14 foot waves may be coming to the Great Lakes  WNEM Saginaw
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Coronavirus: Outbreak at 'decisive point' as WHO urges action - BBC News

1. Coronavirus: Outbreak at 'decisive point' as WHO urges action  BBC News
2. 'Fatal mistake' for countries to assume they won't get coronavirus - WHO chief  AOL
3. China no longer world's 'greatest concern' amid coronavirus crisis, WHO says  New York Post
4. Coronavirus threatens global economy as experts warn no country will be spared  Reuters
5. World battles virus as new cases outside China top those within  Al Jazeera English
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Arctic drilling operators can’t accurately pinpoint polar bear dens — which means they can’t avoid destroying them - The Washington Post

1. Arctic drilling operators can’t accurately pinpoint polar bear dens — which means they can’t avoid destroying them  The Washington Post
2. Oil Industry Tool to Spare Polar Bears Is More Miss Than Hit  The New York Times
3. 6 Simple Ways to Protect Polar Bears from Climate Change on Polar Bear Day and All Year Round  PEOPLE.com
4. Polar bears are being forced into CANNIBALISM by climate change and humans, scientist reveals  Daily Mail
5. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Beyond Meat earnings: Shares rise, then fall, on mixed results - MarketWatch

1. Beyond Meat earnings: Shares rise, then fall, on mixed results  MarketWatch
2. Beyond Meat beats on Q4 earnings, founder says 'we would be crazy not to invest in growth right now'  Yahoo Finance
3. Beyond Meat revenue tripled, but shares fall as losses return  CNBC
4. Beyond Meat posts profit miss, dragged by investment, marketing costs; shares fall  Reuters
5. Beyond Meat narrows 4Q loss as plant-based meat sales jump  The Associated Press
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Why I regret waiting to save for retirement until after student loans - Business Insider

1. Why I regret waiting to save for retirement until after student loans  Business Insider
2. This Common Piece of Social Security Advice Could Backfire  msnNOW
3. Things Small Business Owners Need to Know About the SECURE Act  Small Business Trends
4. Opinion: Social security is vital for everyone  The Detroit News
5. Nearly half of 40-somethings make a huge mistake with their retirement plans, survey says  USA TODAY
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Amid coronavirus fears, tech companies pull out of California conferences - Los Angeles Times

1. Amid coronavirus fears, tech companies pull out of California conferences  Los Angeles Times
2. Microsoft Drops Out Of GDC, Too [Update: And Epic]  Kotaku
3. Microsoft drops out of gaming conference because of coronavirus concerns  MarketWatch
4. Coronavirus: Microsoft, Sony withdraws from game developers conference in SF  KTVU San Francisco
5. Microsoft won't be at GDC because of coronavirus  Engadget
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Sofia Vergara Joins ‘America’s Got Talent’ As New Judge, Heidi Klum Returns To Mothership Series - Deadline

1. Sofia Vergara Joins ‘America’s Got Talent’ As New Judge, Heidi Klum Returns To Mothership Series  Deadline
2. Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum Set as ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 15 Judges  Yahoo Entertainment
3. Sofia Vergara Joins AGT as New Judge After Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough's Exits  PEOPLE.com
4. America's Got Talent: Sofia Vergara Confirmed as New Judge for Season 15; Heidi Klum Returning to the Panel  TVLine
5. ‘America’s Got Talent’ Sets Sofia Vergara as New Judge, Heidi Klum to Return  Yahoo Entertainment
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Australian Rules Football Confronts C.T.E.

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2HVri7d

Obama denounces a Republican super PAC’s deceptive anti-Biden ad.

By BY MAGGIE ASTOR from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2T1wWuC

The 2020 Democratic Primary Is Giving Some Republicans Déjà Vu

By BY NICK CORASANITI AND JEREMY W. PETERS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3abwcJs

Weinstein Was Convicted. Can D.A. Vance Now Win Over His Critics?

By BY JAN RANSOM from NYT New York https://ift.tt/381lkfD

'Scent of terror' created in protest against Moscow perfume store

A team in Moscow has created the putrid scent, in a protest against plans for a perfume store in a historic building with a terrible past.

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Bernie Sanders says he regrets vote protecting gun manufacturers from liability

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), like everyone else, has some regrets.He let the country know about about one during Tuesday's Democratic primary debate in Charleston, South Carolina. Former Vice President Joe Biden went after Sanders for his past gun control record, which Biden doesn't think is strong enough.Sanders was then asked about previously voting for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act which shields gun manufacturers from liability in shootings. Instead of immediately pushing back, he admitted he considers that one of the bad votes among the thousands of his votes he's cast during his time in Congress, adding that he now has a D-minus rating from the National Rifle Association.> Sanders, on his past record supporting gun rights: 'I have cast thousands of votes, including bad votes. That was a bad vote. I have today a D- rating from the NRA...30 years ago I supported a ban on assault weapons.' DemDebate pic.twitter.com/R5f5RE8iyK> > — NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 26, 2020He then went on to point out that Biden also has what he considers bad votes under his belt, like his support for the Iraq War, which Sanders didn't back.More stories from theweek.com Rush Limbaugh is fueling a coronavirus conspiracy theory about Rod Rosenstein's sister Harvard scientist predicts coronavirus will infect up to 70 percent of humanity Trump's coronavirus response is worse than incompetent

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ABC News suspends veteran correspondent over comments captured in undercover Project Veritas video

ABC News said it suspended veteran correspondent David Wright because his comments hurt the network's "reputation for fairness and impartiality."

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Pete Buttigieg called Mike Bloomberg's stop-and-frisk record 'racist' before admitting he had a 'lot of issues' with policing in South Bend

The two candidates have faced scrutiny over their records on policing and racial bias as mayors of New York and South Bend, Indiana.

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A record high: 1 in 10 eligible American voters are immigrants

The number of immigrants eligible to vote has risen 93 percent — from 12 million in 2000 to 23.2 million in 2020.

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U.S. targets individuals, entities linked to Lebanon's Martyrs Foundation

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Iran’s Incompetent Response to Coronavirus Threatens the Middle East and the World

The Iranian government has covered up an outbreak of coronavirus that now threatens the Middle East and has led to border closures and hospitalizations in five countries. Over the weekend of February 21, president Hassan Rouhani and other Iranian officials downplayed the growing crises as Iran’s death toll from the virus climbed. It is now apparent that the regime, which has threatened the region with ballistic missiles, drones, naval mines, and militias over the last few years, has become a health threat as well, as it incubates a potential pandemic. The coronavirus has likely traveled from China to Iran’s city of Qom along the same route that pilgrims and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps uses to travel, illustrating the regime’s disregard for its own citizens and neighbors.It all began with Iran’s wanting to show the world it had higher turnout at recent elections. Iranian member of parliament Mahmoud Sadeghi called on officials to take the coronavirus seriously during elections, and alleged that the government was hiding the outbreak of the contagious virus last week. Instead, Iran’s regime kept the extent of the spread of the virus under wraps, keeping it off the homepages of major local media. Turkish officials also warned last week that there were 750 coronavirus cases in Iran, and that it had spread from the religious city of Qom to other regions. Yet Iran’s deputy health minister Iraj Harirchi downplayed fears on Monday, claiming rumors of 50 deaths were false. Now Haririchi and Sadeghi are both sick, and Iran’s death toll is the second-worst for the virus, after China itself.Iran’s failure to confront the health crises is not just due to the regime’s authoritarianism. China has fought the virus with authoritarian quarantining of Wuhan. Instead, it is the regime’s preexisting arrogance, conspiracy-minded behavior, and siege mentality that led to its discounting an emerging crisis and enabled Shi’ite pilgrims traveling to Qom from all over the world to continue praying together and traveling without checks, becoming incubators of the virus. People returning from Iran have spread the virus across the Gulf to Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. They have returned to Najaf, a holy city in Iraq, where dozens are now under observation.Iran couldn’t have chosen a worse time in the Middle East to do this. Countries such as Iraq are beset by protests and uncertainty, with Iraq specifically lacking a new government and threatened by ISIS resurgence. The Gulf already has one crisis between Saudi Arabia and Qatar and is economically on edge due to serving as a transport hub linked to global trade amid all this. China’s coronavirus has spooked markets, and Iran is adding to the disaster.The Iranian regime has mocked coronavirus as similar to the flu in recent comments. And it has weaponized the tragedy to use it against U.S. sanctions by claiming that, like the sanctions, it is overrated. Iran’s government is using the Iranian people as a human shield, and their alleged lack of suffering from the virus as a propaganda tool. Yet ultimately, the virus may be more of a threat to Rouhani’s government than he realizes. With officials sick, schools closed, and the military, police, and IRGC mobilized, the regime may find that propaganda won’t cure this crisis. Iran’s regime has survived using brutality, killing protesters last year, shooting down an airline this year, and blaming others for its problems while it seeks to attack Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. But Iran was unprepared for an epidemic, and its normal arsenal won’t save it.Unfortunately for the Gulf, Iraq, and other countries, Iran’s incubation is a threat to the world now. Its airlines, such as Mahan Air, have likely spread the virus to Lebanon and brought it from China. Mahan Air and other Iranian IRGC-linked firms have transported arms and operatives throughout the region. It wouldn’t be a surprise if a similar route enabled the virus to spread unchecked. The regime’s toxic blend of religion, militancy, and authoritarianism have come together in the worst possible way at the worst time in a fragile region.

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New cases of coronavirus in other countries exceeded those in China for the first time on Tuesday

The coronavirus may be slowing down in China, but World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that it's no time for complacency.In a weekly briefing, Gehbreyesus had some good news about China, especially beyond the Hubei province, where the virus originated. There were reportedly only 10 new cases detected outside of Hubei on Tuesday. On the other hand, Tuesday was the first day in which the number of new cases in other countries exceeded the number in China, in large part because of rapid increases in countries like Iran, Italy, and South Korea. Outside of China, there are now 2,790 reported cases in 37 countries, and 44 deaths.Still, Gehbreyesus pointed out there's been progress in containing the virus' spread, as 14 of those countries haven't reported a new case in more than a week and nine haven't reported a new case in more than two weeks. Of course, that doesn't mean those countries are out of the woods, since more cases could eventually seep their way in, but it does signal the cases that had already made it to those countries have been contained. Read the rest of Gehbreyesus' address here.More stories from theweek.com Rush Limbaugh is fueling a coronavirus conspiracy theory about Rod Rosenstein's sister Harvard scientist predicts coronavirus will infect up to 70 percent of humanity Trump's coronavirus response is worse than incompetent

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CDC Issues Warnings on Virus; Markets Take Hit: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans to prepare for a coronavirus outbreak at home that could lead to significant disruptions of daily life, though the warnings were downplayed by the White House. Congress was told that there’s shortage of masks needed for health workers if one occurs.New cases were reported in Europe, prompting worries of a widening outbreak there. Iran reported a total of 15 deaths, the most fatalities outside China, and a top health official tested positive. Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country was confident of limiting the impact, though new cases continue to be identified elsewhere in Asia.Stocks fell and bonds rose as worries mounted in the market over the virus. Airline stocks were hit particularly hard.Key DevelopmentsChina death toll 2,663, up 71; total mainland cases at 77,658Italy cases rise to 322; Austria reports two infectionsUnited Air abandons profit goal, Mastercard cuts forecastU.S. stocks head for a fourth straight decline; bond yields fallClick 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.Airline Stocks Fall Over Concerns on Travel Impact (4 p.m. NY)U.S. airlines posted the biggest two-day drop since 2016 on worsening fears that the spread of the coronavirus will further stymie travel.American Airlines Group Inc. led the decline, tumbling to the lowest since its 2013 merger with US Airways. President Donald Trump’s administration is considering whether to adopt more restrictions on air travel because of the outbreak, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Tuesday.Read the full story here.Kudlow Urges Calm After CDC Virus Warning (1:40 p.m. NY)White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow called for calm after U.S. health officials said that an outbreak inside the U.S. could cause significant disruptions to daily life if emergency plans were put into place.“I think people should be as calm as possible in assessing this,” Kudlow said at the White House. “Emergency plans don’t necessarily mean they’ll have to be put into place.”There have been fewer than 20 coronavirus cases diagnosed in the U.S., though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said it expects the pathogen to eventually spread locally.“We have contained this, I won’t say airtight, but pretty close to airtight,” Kudlow said. He called it a human tragedy because of the toll in China, but said it was not an economic one.Cases Grow in Italy and Across Europe (1:02 p.m. NY)Italy saw its 10th casualty from the coronavirus outbreak, with 322 confirmed cases nationwide, as the infection began to appear across Europe and threatened to further disrupt tourism and business. Health ministers in Germany, France, Italy and other neighboring countries vowed to keep Europe’s borders open and to improve information-sharing about travelers to and from areas with infections.Spain’s authorities held about 1,000 guests and workers at a seaside hotel on Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, after an Italian tourist there initially tested positive for the virus. Croatia and Switzerland reported their first cases, and Austria confirmed two more. All the patients had links to Italy.CDC Warns Americans to Prepare for Outbreak (12:53 p.m. NY)The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Americans should prepare for school closings, cancellations of sporting events, concerts and business meetings if the coronavirus spreads in the U.S.“We expect we will see community spread in this country,” Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said on a call with reporters Tuesday. “It is not a matter of if, but a question of when, this will exactly happen.”The outbreak is “rapidly evolving and expanding,” she said. “Now is the time” for businesses, schools and hospitals to begin preparing. She said that Americans should prepare for the coronavirus epidemic on our shores and to assume it will be bad.U.S. Is Short on Masks in Case of American Outbreak (11:30 a.m. NY)The U.S. has far fewer protective masks than it would need in the case of a major outbreak of the coronavirus in the country, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told Congress Tuesday.The U.S. has about 30 million stockpiled N95 masks that can help stop a person from inhaling infective particles, Azar said, but would need as much as 300 million for health workers in an outbreak. U.S. health officials have said they’re preparing for the coronavirus to eventually begin spreading locally.Gilead Drug Being Tested on Evacuees in Nebraska (11:20 a.m. NY)Gilead’s antiviral drug remdesivir will be tested on coronavirus patients at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which is housing people who were evacuated from a virus-infested cruise ship in Japan, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said.Although remdesivir has been administered to some patients with the virus, “we do not have solid data to indicate it can improve clinical outcomes,” said Anthony S. Fauci, director of the institute, said in a statement.The first trial participant is an American who was repatriated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that docked in Japan. So far, 11 of the 13 patients who were repatriated from the ship to the Nebraska hospital have been confirmed to have the coronavirus.Remdesivir is also being tested in trials in China and Japan, said U.S. Heath and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar at a Senate hearing Tuesday.Pompeo Criticizes China, Iran Reponse (10 a.m. NY)U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo criticized China and Iran’s response to the coronavirus, saying that suppression of information about the infection may have made the outbreak worse or put other countries on the back foot.“The United States is deeply concerned that the Iranian regime may have suppressed vital details about the outbreak in that country,” Pompeo said at a press conference in Washington. At least 15 people in Iran are dead, authorities there have said, though there are reports of higher numbers and hundreds of potential cases.Pompeo also criticized Chinese authorities, after the government said it would expel three Wall Street Journal reporters. In the province of Hubei, where the outbreak began, some early warnings of a new virus were initially suppressed.“Expelling our journalists exposes once again the government’s issue that led to SARS, and now the coronavirus -- namely censorship. It can have deadly consequences. Had China permitted its own and foreign journalists and medical personnel to speak and investigate freely, Chinese officials and other nations would have been far better prepared to address the challenge.”Senators Say Administration May Request More Virus Funds (9:45 a.m. NY)Several U.S. senators emerging from a classified briefing on Capitol Hill Tuesday said they expected the Trump administration to ask for more money to combat a potential coronavirus outbreak, depending on how the situation plays out in the U.S.Senators were told, “Let’s see how it evolves and then we can put more dollars in,” said Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana. The administration has requested $2.5 billion -- half new money, half repurposed from other efforts -- from Congress to deal with the virus.U.S. Will Test Experimental Gilead Drug in NIH Trial (8:44 a.m. NY)The U.S. government will oversee an international trial of Gilead Sciences Inc.’s experimental drug remdesivir, which is already being tested in China as a potential treatment for the coronavirus there.The trial is being run by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, and seeks to sign up about 400 people in the U.S. and at foreign sites. It’s expected to be completed by April 1, according to information about the trial posted on the ClinicalTrials.gov registry.Drugmakers and governments are working on vaccines and therapies to use against the virus. On Tuesday, the U.S. drug developer Vir Biotechnology Inc. and Shanghai-based WuXi Biologics announced they would work together to find other potential new therapies.China Pledges Cheap Credit, Tax Cuts to Aid Small Firms (7:50 a.m. NY)The People’s Bank of China will offer $71.2 billion of relending and rediscounting funding to commercial lenders for loans to small companies and the agricultural sector, Central China Television reported.Catastrophe Bonds Signal Virus Nearing Pandemic Status (7:49 a.m. NY)The World Health Organization says the coronavirus isn’t yet a global pandemic. Bonds that insure against just such a catastrophe say that it probably is. The bonds, sold in 2017 by the World Bank to raise money for poor countries in a global pandemic, are quoted as much as 40% below their face value following coronavirus outbreaks in countries such as Iran and Italy, according to investors who own the securities.Moderna Rallies on Quick Vaccine Turnaround (7:33 a.m. NY)Moderna Inc., the biotechnology company developing an experimental coronavirus vaccine in collaboration with the U.S. government, said it shipped a first batch of the inoculation to begin human testing. The stock jumped as much as 25%.The experimental vaccine was sent to the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is to be used in an early stage study to test its safety. It will likely take months of testing to determine whether or not the vaccine can successfully stop infections, and more time to roll it out if it does work.Top Iranian Health Official Tests Positive (7:32 a.m. NY)A top Iranian health official has been diagnosed with coronavirus in another sign the disease may be spiraling out of control in the country. Iraj Harirchi, a deputy health minister who has been the face of the government’s campaign against the virus, said he tested positive for it late Monday, the day he gave a press briefing on efforts to combat the outbreak.Separately, Tehran lawmaker Mahmoud Sadeghi tweeted that he had tested positive. Sadeghi is a prominent reformist who was barred from participating in the latest parliamentary elections.Earlier on Tuesday, Iran reported 34 new cases, with the death toll rising to 15. Bahrain reported nine new cases, while Kuwait has an additional three and Oman another two. So far, there are about 140 confirmed cases in the Middle East, all of them linked to Iran.The U.A.E. has banned travel to all cities in Iran and has already suspended all flights to and from China, except Beijing. Kuwait, which has already stopped flights to Iran, on Monday suspended travel to South Korea, Thailand, Italy and Iraq. Separately, a Turkish Airlines flight from Tehran bound for Istanbul made an unscheduled landing in Ankara, according to Turkey’s Haberturk television.Italy Infections Rise, Austria Reports Two Cases (7:00 a.m. NY)Italy reported 283 cases, up from 229. The death toll was unchanged at seven.Separately, Austria confirmed two cases, APA said. Croatia reported its first case earlier on Tuesday -- a man who recently returned from Milan in Italy has mild symptoms and was hospitalized in Zagreb.Tenerife Hotel in Lockdown (6:25 a.m. NY)An Italian staying on the Spanish island of Tenerife tested positive for the virus and a second test to confirm the case will be carried out in Madrid, the government said. The case would be Spain’s third and the first on the island. Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, attracted more than 5.7 million tourists last year.The tourist, a doctor, had come from Lombardy, a region of northern Italy that is a focus of an outbreak of the virus, Efe news service reported. Spain’s two previously confirmed patients no longer have the infection.About 1,000 guests and hotel workers won’t be able to leave pending definitive results of the test expected later on Tuesday, a person familiar with the situation said.Luxury Sales Could Drop by $44 Billion (6:20 a.m. NY)A survey showed that industry executives expect a severe fallout from the coronavirus. The impact of the outbreak is likely to reduce industry sales by as much as 40 billion euros ($43.5 billion) in 2020, according to the survey of 28 top executives undertaken by Boston Consulting Group and Sanford C. Bernstein. China is a key market for most luxury firms, and signs that the virus has been spreading more widely are causing jitters to increase.Sino Biopharm Drug Included in China Guidelines to Treat Virus (6 a.m. NY)A drug developed by a subsidiary of Sino Biopharmaceutical was put in Chinese government guidelines as a supportive treatment for mild and common cases of coronavirus infection. The drug, Magnesium Isoglycyrrhizinate, has the brand name Tianqingganmei.Singapore to Ban Visitors from Daegu, Cheongdo (6:41 p.m. HK)Singapore will ban all short-term visitors with recent travel history to Cheongdo county and Daegu city, which are central to the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea, effective Feb. 26.Earlier, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans to avoid all non-essential travel to South Korea. The level 3 warning, the CDC’s highest, matches the caution it previously placed on China. The CDC previously issued lower-level alerts for Italy, Iran and Japan, telling travelers to take extra care and consider postponing non-essential travel.Beijing ‘Getting it Under Control,’ Trump Says (6:29 p.m. HK)President Donald Trump said U.S. markets “took a hit yesterday” because of concerns surrounding the coronavirus, but said Beijing was “getting it under control more and more.”Trump, said he believed things would “work out fine” in the U.S. and that his administration was “spending a tremendous amount of money” to prevent the spread of the disease and assist other countries. He noted the White House had requested $2.5 billion in supplemental funds to fight the virus.Chinese Cities Curb Travel From Other Countries (6:28 p.m. HK)Some Chinese cities have begun to restrict arrivals from overseas, as growing outbreaks elsewhere prompt the country to enact curbs similar to those facing its own travelers. The moves signal that the epidemic’s momentum has shifted outside of China.The coastal city of Weihai said all people arriving from Japan and South Korea would be required to undergo 14-day quarantines in designated hotels. The adjacent city of Yantai said those who’ve entered China for short-term business and tourism visits would be required to stay in selected hotels.China customs is closely monitoring the coronavirus epidemic in other countries.HK Leader’s Approval Rating Plunges (6:16 p.m. HK)Carrie Lam’s approval rating has sunk to a new low of just 9.1% as her government faces criticism over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The government has come under fire from some groups for not doing enough to ward off a public health crisis as the number of confirmed virus cases continues to climb. The virus first emerged in central China in December, piling pressure on Lam after months of often-violent demonstrations in Hong Kong.Singapore Eases Rules for Chinese Workers in More Sectors (6 p.m. HK)Singapore will loosen restrictions on Chinese work-permit holders in the country to help businesses in manufacturing and services industries that have been hit by labor disruptions during the coronavirus outbreak.For six months beginning March 2, the Ministry of Manpower will allow companies in those sectors to hire Chinese workers who are already in the country, with the agreement of their existing employers. Currently, businesses can only hire Chinese work-permit holders once they have left Singapore.Thailand’s Tourism Income Tumbled in January (5:55 p.m. HK)A slump in Thailand’s foreign tourism income underlines the damage being inflicted on its economy. Receipts tumbled 3.6% in January from a year earlier to $6 billion), dragged down by a 10% slide in outlays by Chinese visitors.HK Exports Slid Most in Decade in Jan. Ahead of Virus (5:26 p.m. HK)Hong Kong’s exports plummeted the most in more than a decade in January, as the government warned of further weakness in the coming months with the full force of disruptions from the coronavirus outbreak still ahead. Exports sank 22.7% in January from year-ago levels to HK$269.4 billion ($34.6 billion), the most since February 2009.European Corporate Bond Market in Deep Freeze (4:50 p.m. HK)Global borrowers shunned Europe’s corporate debt market for a second day as a cluster of new coronavirus cases in Italy sent yields sharply higher, bringing sales of new bonds to a near standstill.ING Groep’s downsized debt offering is the only deal priced so far this week, which had been expected to deliver more than 20 billion euros ($22 billion) of sales, according to a Bloomberg News survey. Non-financial borrowers are nowhere to be seen, with Spain the only sovereign issuer braving the market so far on Tuesday.Gilead’s Drug Leads Global Race for Treatment (3:40 p.m. H.K.)China will release results on April 27 of a clinical trial of Gilead Sciences’s remdesivir drug that the World Health Organization said may be the only effective treatment so far for the disease. The trials of the experimental medication involved 761 patients in Wuhan, the city where the virus originated.\--With assistance from Yasna Haghdoost, Daniel Flatley, Bill Faries, Nick Wadhams and Robert Langreth.To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Adveith Nair in London at anair29@bloomberg.net;Drew Armstrong in New York at darmstrong17@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Stuart Wallace at swallace6@bloomberg.net, Adveith Nair, Mark SchoifetFor 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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