Evening Weather - April 1

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  • Lincoln Project’s new nickname for Ted Cruz goes viral

    ‘Fat Wolverine’ trends on Twitter after Texas senator blasts liberal Democrats for proposing to expand Supreme Court

  • Canada says COVID-19 cases could almost double soon unless stricter measures taken

    New daily cases of COVID-19 in Canada could almost double to more than 15,000 from 8,600 by the end of April unless stricter measures are taken as new coronavirus variants spread, health officials warned on Friday. The officials told a briefing that if people cut the number of personal contacts by 20%-30%, the number of cases could drop to around 4,500. "Elevated case counts and severe illness trends remind us we are still in a right race between vaccines and variants and our actions matter," said Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam.

  • Etihad is ditching its largest and swankiest jets including the popular Airbus A380 and Boeing 777

    One of the world's most luxurious airlines is continuing to shed its largest aircraft in favor of newer but smaller planes that are cheaper to fly.

  • Moderna CEO says world faces 2022 COVID vaccine production surplus

    Manufacturers should focus on producing as many vaccines as possible this year, but the world faces a potential surplus next year in capacity, Moderna's CEO said on Friday. Speaking at a virtual event on vaccine manufacturing, Stephane Bancel said that additional technology transfers might dent their ability to meet production targets. Moderna is on track to make up to 1 billion doses this year and 1.4 billion next year, he said.

  • A deadly fight 33 years ago shows just how destructive a war between the US and Iran could get

    Operation Praying Mantis, the largest US naval action since World War II, offers a glimpse of what a US-Iran war could look like now.

  • French fishermen stage Brexit protest

    Nearly a hundred French fishermen rallied at Boulogne-sur-Mer, Europe's largest seafood processing center, in northern France on Thursday.They say they've been denied the right to fish in UK waters, and started fires and blocked trucks carrying fish from the UK in protestOne sign read - "You want to keep your waters??? OK ... So, keep your fish!!!"Britain's post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union only allows the bloc's fishermen to access British waters with a license.French fisherman Bruno Margolle says those licenses were expected to be issued within days, only to drag on for months."On the evening of December 24, everyone was relieved that we had finally got a deal. On January 1, we had the assurance that within 48, 72 hours, everyone would get their licenses to operate within the UK's 6-12 mile zone. As of today, only 22 out of 120 boats have received their licenses."Margolle says many of those still struggling to obtain a license are unable to meet a British demand in the trade deal.That condition seeks proof that the skippers have fished in UK waters during the five years running up to Britain's 2016 referendum on EU membership.Britain claims it maintains an evidence-based approach to licensing EU vessels using information supplied by the European Commission.A British government spokesman called Thursday's protest "unjustified," and said it's raised those concerns with French authorities.Meanwhile the French government said late on Thursday that the European Commission must ensure Britain holds up its side of the deal, citing the "urgency of the situation."About two-thirds of fish from the UK are exported to the EU.French fishermen say the country's fish stocks might be depleted if they still cannot cross into British waters.

  • Australia resists calls for tougher climate targets

    The country remains out of step with other major nations by refusing to commit to deeper emissions cuts.

  • George W. Bush says he wrote in Condoleezza Rice for president in 2020 election

    Former President George W. Bush told People magazine that he wrote in Condoleezza Rice when he voted for president in the 2020 election.The big picture: Bush also clarified comments made earlier this week in which he called today's GOP "isolationist, protectionist and, to a certain extent, nativist." The former president told People that he "painted with too broad a brush" and excluded "a lot of Republicans who believe we can fix the problem."Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free"Really what I should have said — there's loud voices who are isolationists, protectionists and nativists, something, by the way, I talked about when I was president," he said in a wide-ranging interview for next week's issue about his new book of oil paintings, "Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants." What he's saying: Bush said Rice, who served as his secretary of state from 2005 to 2009, knew he wrote her name on his ballot. "But she told me she would refuse to accept the office," he added. Worth noting: While Bush has largely avoided talking about his successors, he said the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol siege by supporters of former President Trump "disgusted" and "really disturbed" him. "I was sick to my stomach ... to see our nation's Capitol being stormed by hostile forces," he told the Texas Tribune in February. Go deeper: George W. Bush wants "more respectful" tone on immigrationMore from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

  • An image of a woman carrying her dead son from hospital on a rickshaw has come to symbolize India's devastating virus surge

    Vinay Singh died at his mother's feet after being turned away from two hospitals who suspected he had COVID-19, according to his family.

  • Coronavirus latest news: Mask-free summer ahead, say government advisers

    Owners warned against cuddling cats due to Covid Covid test firms that overcharge holidaymakers could be named and shamed Covid pandemic is over in Britain, experts say Risk of serious blood clot after AZ jab doubles in fortnight Biggest deficit since Second World War as borrowing hits £300bn Subscribe to The Telegraph for a month-long free trial The public should be able to ditch face masks over the summer as vaccines do the heavy lifting in controlling Covid-19, Government scientific advisers believe. Step four of the Government's road map for England currently states that all legal limits on social contact will be removed by June 21 at the earliest, when restrictions on large events such as festivals are also expected to ease. Scientists advising the Government say there is nothing currently in the data to suggest that people will not be able to enjoy a relatively normal summer, though coronavirus cases may well rise as the autumn approaches. Asked about mask-wearing in the coming months, one source said that vaccines are working so well, and there is such good vaccine uptake among members of the public, that things will return to much more like normal life over the summer months, with cases dropping very low, particularly in May. However, masks and possibly other measures may be needed next autumn and winter if cases surge, they said. Follow the latest updates below.

  • One dose of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine provides protection against COVID-19 that lasts at least 10 weeks, study finds

    One dose of a Pfizer-BioNTech or AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine reduced COVID-19 infections by 65% in a study. Two doses of Pfizer's shot did so by 90%.

  • A COVID triple-mutant found in India could be much more deadly, and may be resistant to existing vaccines

    Researchers are describing it as an "immune escape variant," as vaccinated people who were previously infected with COVID can be infected.

  • Chrissy Teigen, John Legend cut price of posh California mansion by $6M. Take a look

    The famous couple originally listed the mansion in August for $23.95 million.

  • Video captures US military aircraft accidentally wrecking a UK hospital helipad during a training exercise

    Emergency medical flights had to be temporarily redirected to a nearby airport after the helipad at the hospital was damaged.

  • Greta Thunberg criticizes "loopholes" in climate commitments at Biden summit

    Climate activist Greta Thunberg released a video Thursday denouncing world leaders for the "hypothetical targets" announced at President Biden's virtual climate summit this week.Why it matters: The virtual summit came hours before Thunberg urged U.S. lawmakers "to listen to and act on the science" in testimony before a House Oversight Committee panel. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free."These targets could be a great start," Thunberg said in the four-minute-long clip, "if it wasn't for the fact that they're full of gaps and loopholes." Thunberg lambasted the leaders for "leaving out emissions from consumption of imported goods, as well as international aviation, shipping and the burning of biomass; using baseline manipulation; excluding most tipping points and feedback loops; and ignoring global aspects of equity and historic emissions.""They will call these hypothetical targets ambitious. But when you compare our insufficient targets with the overall current best available science, you clearly see that there's a gap. There are decades missing." The Swedish activist said the goals are "reliant on future, fantasy-scaled, currently barely-existing negative emissions technologies." State of play: Biden announced on Thursday the U.S. would seek to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50%-52% by 2030 relative to 2005 levels — about twice as ambitious as a goal set during the Obama administration. Leaders in Brazil, Canada and Japan also announced new targets at the summit. The bottom line: "The point ... is that we can keep cheating in order to pretend that these targets are in line with what is needed," Thunberg said. "But while we can others and even ourselves, we cannot fool nature and physics." "The emissions are still there, whether we choose to count them or not." Go deeper: All the new emissions targets announced at Biden’s climate summitMore from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

  • Kevin Spacey apparently 'performed a song-and-dance number' during a bizarre deposition

    Thought nothing could be weirder than Kevin Spacey's bizarre Christmas Eve videos? Think again. A new report in The Hollywood Reporter runs through the legal issues the disgraced actor is facing more than three years after allegations of sexual harassment and assault were leveled against him. Among these is a battle between Spacey and House of Cards production company Media Rights Capital. MRC is reportedly seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages it says it suffered because of the scandal, which "diminished" the Netflix's show value. Spacey, meanwhile, has reportedly brought a counterclaim against MRC. Part of this fight, the Reporter describes, is an allegation that Spacey groped a House of Cards production assistant in 2012, as Spacey is arguing that MRC wasn't "blindsided" by the scandal after previously signing off on a settlement with the PA. This case was reportedly submitted to an arbitrator last year — and it sounds like a subsequent proceeding got a bit strange. "Like everything in the new bizarre world of Spacey, this legal proceeding turned surreal quickly," the Reporter writes. "At one point during his deposition, Spacey sprung up from his seat and performed a song-and-dance number in the conference room." Spacey might want to take this case a bit more seriously than that, especially considering the Reporter points out it "may have the biggest monetary stakes" for him. He's also facing the possibility of criminal charges in London, according to the report, not to mention an ongoing civil lawsuit from a sexual assault accuser. Spacey has mostly dropped off the map since his scandal, though he's been releasing bizarre videos every Christmas Eve, two of which feature him in character as House of Cards' sinister Frank Underwood. As far as whether Spacey could ever make a return to acting, the Reporter arrives at essentially the answer you'd expect to that question, noting that there is "little appetite in Hollywood to bring Spacey back." More stories from theweek.comCNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta says vaccinated people can generally go maskless outdoors, with some caveats7 cartoons about Derek Chauvin being found guiltyJoe Manchin lives on a boat in Washington — and protesters are reportedly headed there

  • India's COVID tsunami is the worst in the world. Why that should concern Americans.

    The deepening disparities between two of the world’s largest countries should remind optimistic Americans that with light at the end of their own tunnel, it’s probably time for the U.S. to start thinking about how it can help end the pandemic elsewhere too.

  • Leonardo DiCaprio spent 5 months tweaking Netflix's 'Don't Look Up' script before signing on

    "It's no surprise he's fabulous in the movie," director Adam McKay said recently of DiCaprio. "He's really funny; really grounded."

  • Indian Super Rich Flee World’s Worst COVID Outbreak on Private Jets

    BENOIT TESSIEREight private jets carrying India’s super wealthy—and potentially the coronavirus—landed in London ahead of the U.K.’s 4 a.m. ban on travel from India, according to the London Times. The U.K. added India to its “red list” of pandemic-stricken countries. As of Friday, any Britons returning from India must quarantine for ten days in a government-approved hotel. All non-British or non-Irish citizens will be banned entirely from entering the country if they have been in India in the previous 10 days. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had to cancel his own state visit to India scheduled for next week as a “precautionary measure.”The last of the luxury airliners to arrive, VistaJet Bombardier Global 6000, which left Dubai Thursday to collect passengers in Mumbai, landed at 3:15 a.m., just 44 minutes before the restrictions took place.The private jet passengers were fleeing unimaginable horror back home. At least 14 COVID-19 patients perished in a devastating fire that ripped through an ICU ward in one of India’s overcrowded hospitals about 70 miles outside Mumbai. The fire that broke out around 3 a.m. Friday morning was contained and extinguished, but not before 14 patients—many who were intubated and hard to evacuate—had died. “Around 90 patients were admitted to the hospital at the time of the incident,” Dilip Shah, the head of the Vijay Vallabh Hospital where it happened said in a statement Friday. Black Market Hospital Beds and Price-Gouged COVID Drugs Selling on Indian TwitterOne eyewitness, Avinash Patil, told reporters outside the hospital that no doctors were present at the time. “I got a call at around 3 am from a friend whose mother-in-law was admitted to the hospital,” he said. “As I reached the hospital, I saw fire engines outside. The ICU on the second floor was engulfed in smoke. Only two nurses were there, and I couldn’t see a doctor. It took firefighters about half an hour to put out the flames. We could see eight-ten bodies there.”Shah, the hospital chief, insisted all safety norms were followed and that “doctors were present,” according to local media reports. Earlier in the week, an oxygen leak in Maharashtra state, near where the fire broke out, resulted in the death of 24 COVID-19 patients who were on ventilators.To make terrible matters even worse, India reported its highest one-day number of cases, recording 332,730 new infections in a 24-hour period. In the same period, 2,263 people died with COVID-19.India has been overwhelmed by new cases coupled with a critical shortage of oxygen, hospital beds and now ventilators. Many desperate families have been forced to turn to black market price gougers who have been able to buy hospital space from corrupt administrators.The spike in cases comes as political rallies are still being held and after a month-long religious ceremony continues to bring millions of people to the Ganges River.India Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticized for not calling a national lockdown to try to mitigate the spread and for hosting rallies ahead of elections in May. Government officials have said the previous lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic was economically devastating to many manual laborers who then traveled by foot from home cities to their villages, carrying the virus with them. The fire at a COVID-19 hospital in Virar is tragic. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon: PM @narendramodi— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 23, 2021 Modi called the ICU fire “tragic” and offered condolences over Twitter. Many of the comments on his tweet begged him to call a national lockdown to try to save lives. In a shocking expose published in Time magazine, Indian journalist Rana Ayyub paints a horrific picture from the ground, writing about states essentially hijacking oxygen trucks and stealing supplies for their own hospitals, and disturbing allegations of underreporting deaths. Ayyub lays the blame for the debacle squarely on Modi’s shoulders, accusing him of ignoring the fact that his Trump-style rallies are super-spreader events, and for letting the ball drop on vaccines.“Why was India caught unprepared as the second wave ravaged a cross-section of Indian society?” Ayyub writes. “The responsibility lies with a strongman regime that has ignored all caution.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • Seth Rogen says it's not a 'coincidence' that he hasn't directed a movie since 'The Interview' and the subsequent Sony hack

    The actor also admits to The New York Times that he was "gun shy" after all the controversy that surrounded the release of his 2014 comedy.