- U.S.Yahoo News
Former head of pandemic response team speaks out: 'I'm frankly scared'
The official who oversaw epidemic preparedness for the National Security Council under President Obama said the absence of public guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic leaves her “frankly scared” — and that eliminating her position weakened the American response to the coronavirus when it emerged 18 months later. Beth Cameron, who served as senior director for global health security and biodefense on the NSC until early 2017, was interviewed on the Yahoo News “Skullduggery” podcast. “I'm frankly scared that our CDC is not out in front talking about this,” Cameron said.
- U.S.NBC News
Missing Ohio high school senior Madison Bell found safe
Madison "Maddie" Bell, the Ohio high school senior who went missing Sunday, has been found safe, according to the Highland County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Donnie Barrera announced in a press release posted to Facebook Saturday that the 18-year-old had been located and that she was safe. A nationwide search for Maddie began this week after she told her mother she was going tanning around 10 a.m. on Sunday morning in Highland County, but never returned.
- WorldReuters
More than 40 diagnosed with COVID-19 after Frankfurt church service
More than 40 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus following a church service in Frankfurt, Germany's financial center, earlier this month, the head of the city's health department told a news agency on Saturday. The service took place on May 10 at a Baptist church, the department's deputy chief Antoni Walczok told local newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau. Churches in the German state of Hesse, where Frankfurt is located, have been able to hold services since May 1 provided they adhere to official social distancing and hygiene rules.
- U.S.USA TODAY
Is international travel allowed yet? See when Spain, Mexico, Iceland plan to reopen borders
Americans with a bad case of wanderlust may have to wait until later this summer to vacation abroad – and while some countries, including Spain, have announced target dates to reopen, the pickings will be slim for a while. Parts of Mexico and the Caribbean have targeted dates in early to mid-June for reopening from coronavirus restrictions, but Europe will lag, opening first to other citizens of European Union and Schengen Area countries before welcoming international visitors at a later date. At least one EU member nation has announced a target window, however: Spain's prime minister announced Saturday that his country will reopen to foreign tourists sometime in July, though he did not specify a date.
- ScienceThe Telegraph
SpaceX to 'capture flag' as prize for being first commercial company to launch humans into orbit
When Nasa astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken set foot on the International Space Station they will collect a small US flag that has acquired mythical status in space lore. The 12 inch by 8 inch banner will be brought back to Earth and presented to SpaceX as the prize for being the first commercial company to launch humans into orbit, winning a decade-long race with rivals including Boeing. Hurley, 53 and Behnken,49, are due to blast off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, watched by President Donald Trump.
WorldAFPNew Zealand PM unruffled as quake hits mid-interview
A moderate 5.6-magnitude earthquake rattled New Zealand's North Island early Monday but failed to crack Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's trademark composure as she conducted a live television interview. The quake struck just off the coast before 8:00 am local time (2000 Sunday GMT) at a depth of about 52 kilometres (32 miles) near Levin, about 90 kilometres north of Wellington, the US Geological Survey said. St John Ambulance and New Zealand Police both said there were no initial reports of injuries or damage.
- U.S.Associated Press
Former US Rep. Allen West recovering after Texas crash
Former U.S. Rep. Allen West of Florida was recovering Sunday after suffering a concussion, several fractured bones and cuts in a motorcycle crash in Texas, according to a post on his Facebook page. The post said West was driving back from a rally in Austin focused on reopening the state amid the coronavirus pandemic when the accident occurred Saturday. A post on his page later on Sunday said West, who was in stable condition, was expected to be released Monday and then plans to take a week off to recuperate.
- WorldBusiness Insider
Defiant protesters chanting 'liberate Hong Kong' flood the streets to oppose China's grab for control
REUTERS/Tyrone Siu Hong Kong police fired tear gas and pepper spray to disperse thousands of protesting on Sunday, against Beijing's plan to impose national security laws. China has launched new efforts to increase its control over Hong Kong after mass protests in 2019 hampered its efforts to roll back the city's autonomy. Critics fear the provisions of the law will lead to the end of Hong Kong's independence.
- PoliticsThe Daily Beast
Charlamagne Tha God Reacts to Joe Biden’s ‘You Ain’t Black’ Apology
MSNBC's Joy Reid opened her interview with Charlamagne Tha God on Sunday morning by congratulating him on his interview this past week with former Vice President Joe Biden—even if all anyone wants to talk about are the final few seconds. “You've got more questions?” Biden asked. Shortly after that interview, Biden apologized for his remarks on a conference call with the Black Chamber of Commerce.
- PoliticsReuters
U.S. hopes for in-person G7 summit end of June: White House
Any in-person meeting of Group of Seven leaders will take place at the end of June, White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien said on Sunday. President Donald Trump in March canceled the G7 meeting scheduled for June 10 as the coronavirus outbreak was spreading around the world and international travel was curtailed. Trump on Wednesday said he may seek to revive the idea of a face-to-face meeting of G7 leaders near Washington, saying it would send a message that the world is heading back to normal.
- WorldThe Independent
Expletive-filled video of Bolsonaro swearing at cabinet meeting released by Brazil's Supreme Court
The populist president, who has faced sustained criticism over his approach to the coronavirus emergency as Brazil's death toll surges to over 20,000, is at the centre of a criminal investigation into claims he sought to replace top federal police officials. Sergio Moro, the ex Justice Minister, alleges Mr Bolsonaro sacked the federal police chief as he wanted someone in the position who would feed him police intelligence. Mr Moro, who headed up a major corruption clampdown, handed in his notice last month after Mr Bolsonaro sacked the federal police director-general without conferring with him.
- U.S.NBC News
Two dead in severe storms in Carolinas; thousands without power
Heavy rains and strong winds knocked down trees and power lines, leaving over 45,000 homes and businesses without power on Saturday morning. Emergency workers also responded to a deadly crash in Lancaster County, South Carolina, where strong winds uprooted a tree and utility pole that fell onto a pickup truck, killing the driver. Authorities identified the deceased driver as 57-year-old Joe Dale Humphries.
- WorldBBC
South African President Ramaphosa says outbreak will get worse
The president of South Africa has warned that the country's coronavirus outbreak is going to get much worse, while announcing that lockdown measures are to be eased. Cyril Ramaphosa said a third of the country's more than 22,000 cases had been recorded in the last week. Mr Ramaphosa was speaking after a mining company in South Africa said 164 workers at a gold mine near Johannesburg had tested positive for coronavirus.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Police say Dominic Cummings controversy will make lockdown impossible to enforce
The police will no longer be able to enforce lockdown because Dominic Cummings' actions have completely undermined their authority with the public, it was claimed last night. Senior policing figures and frontline officers said they feared people would no longer be willing to adhere to the Government's guidance, making their job virtually impossible. Many senior officers had already admitted they were struggling to explain the rules to an increasingly confused public.
WorldYahoo News VideoFormer head of pandemic response team at the NSC speaks out: 'I'm frankly scared'
The official who oversaw epidemic preparedness for the National Security Council under President Obama said the absence of public guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic leaves her “frankly scared. She also believes and that eliminating her position weakened the American response to the coronavirus when it emerged 18 months later.
- WorldAssociated Press
Turbulence, warnings before Pakistan plane crash killed 97
When the plane jolted violently, Mohammad Zubair thought it was turbulence. Moments later, the Pakistan International Airlines flight crashed into a crowded neighborhood near Karachi's international airport, killing 97 people, all of whom are believed to be passengers and crew members. Meeran Yousaf, the provincial Health Department spokeswoman, said only 21 of the bodies from Friday's crash have been identified and that most of the bodies were badly burned.
- WorldBusiness Insider
Oxford scientists working on a coronavirus vaccine say there is now only a 50% chance of success because the number of UK cases is falling too quickly
YouTube/University of Oxford Oxford scientists working on a coronavirus vaccine say the chances of success are now 50%. They say that's because the number of people with the virus in the UK is falling too quickly. "At the moment, there's a 50% chance that we get no result at all," scientist Adam Hill said this weekend.
WorldAFPN. Korea discusses new policies for increasing 'nuclear war deterrence': KCNA
North Korea discussed new policies for increasing its "nuclear war deterrence" during a military meeting presided over by leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported Sunday. The meeting was Kim's first reported public appearance in more than three weeks and came after US media said Friday that the Trump administration had discussed holding the first US nuclear test in decades. Set forth at the meeting of the Central Military Commission were "new policies for further increasing the nuclear war deterrence of the country," the North's official KCNA news agency said, without giving further details.
- PoliticsReuters
U.S. limits travel from Brazil amid worsening coronavirus outbreak
The White House on Sunday said it was restricting travel from Brazil to the United States, two days after the South American nation became the world's No. 2 hotspot for coronavirus cases. The travel ban was a blow to right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has followed the example of U.S. President Donald Trump in addressing the pandemic, fighting calls for social distancing and touting unproven drugs. "The U.S. maintains a strong partnership with Brazil and we work closely to mitigate the socioeconomic and health impacts of COVID-19 in Brazil," the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia said in a statement.
- BusinessThe Daily Beast
How the Restaurant Industry Viciously Exploits Its Workers, From Wage Theft to Sexual Abuse
This NRA “represent[s] and advocate[s] on behalf of more than 500,000 restaurant businesses,” including some of the biggest chains in the country. For decades, this has meant keeping tipped workers earning a minimum of $2.13 an hour in 43 states (in California, where I live, tipped workers must earn at least the state-wide minimum wage of $12.00 per hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees and $13.00 per hour for employers with more than 25 employees). The so-called logic behind this $2.13 tipped worker minimum wage is that tips will meet or exceed the federal minimum wage of $7.25 and, legally speaking, when they don't, employers must make up the difference.
- WorldNBC News
Taliban leverages pandemic to burnish image as violence in Afghanistan surges
A perfect storm has gathered over one of the world's most benighted nations, Afghanistan, where ordinary citizens are facing a fresh form of misery. Taliban militants have announced they will keep fighting since they say there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in areas under the group's control, a senior militant in the province of Ghazni has told NBC News. An exception to the ongoing tensions will be a three-day Eid ceasefire starting Sunday, the Taliban announced in a tweet Saturday.
- BusinessCBS News
Why minority business owners are struggling with PPP loans
African American and Latino small business owners have faced an uphill battle trying to get relief amid the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. government's PPP loan program, meant to help business owners across the country, has been fraught with challenges and complaints that it is not working the way it is supposed to, hitting minority businesses particularly hard. A fundamental challenge is that a number of large banks do not have branches in majority-black or Latino neighborhoods, said Robert Smith, CEO and founder of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity and venture capital firm.
PoliticsYahoo News VideoBiden wins Hawaii presidential primary delayed by coronavirus
Former Vice President Joe Biden won the Hawaii Democratic residential primary on Saturday, which was delayed by more than a month because of the coronavirus. Biden defeated Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, 63% to 37%.
- U.S.USA TODAY
Memorial Day weekend pool party in Ozarks draws national attention
In a 16-second video clip, dozens are seen in swim wear, eating and, overall, looking like they're having a good time at a pool party in Lake of the Ozarks on Memorial Day weekend. No one appears to be social distancing or wearing face masks, and, in this time of coronavirus, that's grabbed national attention. The video was posted to Twitter by Scott Pasmore, an Arizona anchor for KTVK-3TV, with the caption: "No covid concerns at the lake of the ozarks."
- WorldAssociated Press
US Muslims try to balance Eid rituals with virus concerns
With no congregational prayers or family gatherings, Salsabiel Mujovic has been worried that this year's Eid al-Fitr celebration will pale. Still, she's determined to bring home holiday cheer amid the coronavirus gloom. Her family can't go to the mosque, but the 29-year-old New Jersey resident bought new outfits for herself and her daughters.
