Oklahoma City

Sanders and Bloomberg exchange blows as Democratic race heats up

The gloves continue to come off in the race for the Democratic nomination, with Bernie Sanders attacking the billionaire former New York City mayor’s record on race, and Bloomberg taking a swipe at the Vermont senator and his fervent supporters.

North Korea imported purebred horses from Russia as Kim Jong Un took snowy ride

MOSCOW/SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea, whose leader Kim Jong Un was filmed riding through the snow on a white stallion last year, has spent tens of thousands of dollars on 12 purebred horses from Russia, according to Russian customs data. Accompanied by senior North Korean figures, Kim took two well-publicized rides on the snowy slopes of the sacred Paektu Mountain in October and December. State media heralded the jaunts as important displays of strength in the face of international pressure and the photos of Kim astride a galloping white steed were seen around the world.

China reports 1,886 new virus cases, death toll up by 98

China reported 1,886 new virus cases and 98 more deaths in its update Tuesday on a disease outbreak that has caused mild illness in most people, an assessment that promoted guarded optimism from global health authorities. The update raised the number of deaths in mainland China to 1,868 and the total confirmed cases to 72,436. On Monday, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention published a study of earlier cases of the disease, finding that more than 80% of people infected had mild illness and the number of new infections seems to be falling since early this month.

'Historic, unprecedented' flooding swamps southern USA; Mississippi and Tennessee hardest hit

Weeks of heavy rain have inundated a large portion of the southern USA, bringing near-record flooding to Mississippi and Tennessee

German far right arrests reveal 'shocking' mosque attack plot

Members of a German extreme right group arrested last week were believed to have been plotting "shocking" large-scale attacks on mosques similar to the ones carried out in New Zealand last year, a government spokesman said Monday. Officials said that investigations into 12 men detained in police raids across Germany Friday had indicated they planned major attacks, following media reports over the weekend the group aimed to launch several simultaneous mass-casualty assaults on Muslims during prayers. "It's shocking what has been revealed here, that there are cells here that appear to have become radicalised in such a short space of time," interior ministry spokesman Bjoern Gruenewaelder told reporters at a Berlin press conference.

Hitler's Submarines Almost Launched A Missile Attack On America

In March, the Allies intercepted a message from German Admiral Godt dispatching seven Type IX long-range submarines to “attack targets in American coastal zone” as part of an attack group awesomely codenamed Seewolf.

New Mexico woman who was pregnant with third child still missing three years later

Elizabeth Brooks Hernandez, 29, was last seen by her boyfriend, Miguel Martinez, who told police he dropped her off at a welfare office in Albuquerque, New Mexico on November 16, 2017. Police suspect foul play, but no arrests have been made. The Albuquerque Police Department is investigating.

Why Xi's 'defensive' coronavirus speech could backfire

Chinese state media published an internal speech delivered by President Xi Jinping on Saturday in which he describes taking action on the coronavirus outbreak as early as Jan. 7.In the speech, which was given Feb. 3, Xi said he had "issued demands about the efforts to prevent and control" the virus during a meeting of the Communist Party's highest council, the Politburo Standing Committee, last month, and that he personally authorized the lockdown of the epicenter, Wuhan, beginning on Jan. 23. "I have at every moment monitored the spread of the epidemic and progress in efforts to curtail it," he said.Publishing the speech is viewed as an attempt to show Xi has been involved from the start since he's been criticized for remaining in the shadows. "The overall tone of the speech of appears to be defensive," Minxin Pei, a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, told The New York Times. "He wants to change the narrative, which until this point has been very unfavorable to the top leadership."But some analysts think it could backfire and lead to even more criticism about how the government kept the public in the dark for too long. "It seems like he's trying to indicate that 'we weren't asleep at the wheel,'" Jude Blanchette, the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Times. "But it comes off like 'we knew this was a problem, but we weren't sounding the alarm.'" Read more at The New York Times.More stories from theweek.com Federal judges association holding emergency meeting over DOJ interference in Stone case Why Bloomberg would be the cynical choice for Democrats The sidelining of Elizabeth Warren

Buttigieg: I won't 'take lectures on family values' from Rush Limbaugh

Pete Buttigieg had a simple response on Sunday when asked about talk show host Rush Limbaugh's questioning whether Americans are ready to back a gay candidate for president.

Costa Rica seizes five tons of cocaine bound for Holland in largest ever drug bust

Police in Costa Rica seized more than 5 tons of cocaine bound for the Dutch port of Rotterdam in the country's largest ever drugs bust, officials said. The authorities on Saturday found the cocaine in Costa Rica's Caribbean port of Limon, stashed inside a shipping container of decorative canopy plants bound for the Netherlands. The drugs had an estimated street value of about 126 million euro ($136 million) in Holland, Costa Rica's Security Minister Michael Soto said late on Saturday.

US embassy in Baghdad attacked with rockets

Rockets have dropped near the US embassy in Iraq and a military base hosting American troops, according to officials.There have been no causalities reported following the strikes, which fell amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.

Tesla was ordered to stop work on its $4 billion Berlin Gigafactory over environmental concerns

In November 2019 Tesla announced plans for a new Gigafactory near Berlin, but has been met with fierce opposition from local environmentalists.

Rwandan dissident singer found dead in custody: police

Kizito Mihigo, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide whose songs angered the government of strongman President Paul Kagame, was found dead in a police cell in the capital Kigali around 5am (0200 GMT). Mihigo, who was sentenced to 10 years' jail in 2015 for conspiracy against the government but later released on pardon, was captured trying to cross the border in Rwanda's south. Police spokesperson John Bosco Kabera said he was visited by family members and his lawyer during his detention.

Coronavirus Proves One Thing: China's Rise Is Built on Quicksand

We may not build hospitals in 10 days with forced labor, but we are better able to create conditions where we don’t have to.

Gunmen kill 24 and injure 18 in attack on Burkina Faso church

Gunmen killed 24 people, including a pastor, in an attack on a church during Sunday Mass in northwestern Burkina Faso, four security sources told Reuters on Monday.

Warren: Sanders 'has a lot of questions to answer' about supporters' attacks

"That is not how we build an inclusive Democratic Party. ... We do not build on a foundation of hate," Warren says after threats were made to a union that criticized Sanders' health care plan.

Federal judges association holding emergency meeting over DOJ interference in Stone case

The Federal Judges Association will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss concerns members have over President Trump and top Justice Department officials intervening in the case of longtime Trump friend and adviser Roger Stone.The association has more than 1,000 members, and says it supports a "fair, impartial, and independent judiciary." The group's president, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, told USA Today that members decided they "could not wait" until the organization's spring conference to address the matter. "There are plenty of issues that we are concerned about," added Rufe, a George W. Bush appointee. "We'll talk all of this through."Stone was found guilty of lying to Congress and witness tampering, and last week, Trump complained about federal prosecutors recommending Stone receive a sentence of seven to nine years. Attorney General William Barr and other DOJ leaders quickly reversed course on the recommendation, which resulted in the four Stone prosecutors quitting the case. On Friday, it was reported that Barr has also appointed an outside prosecutor to review the criminal case of Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, but has since backtracked, claiming he was coerced.Since an open letter was released on Sunday night, more than 2,000 former Justice Department officials have signed on, calling on Barr to resign. The letter says it is "unheard of for the department's top leaders to overrule line prosecutors, who are following established policies, in order to give preferential treatment to a close associate of the president, as Attorney General Barr did in the Stone case."More stories from theweek.com Why Bloomberg would be the cynical choice for Democrats The sidelining of Elizabeth Warren The real potential of the electric vehicle revolution

Ocasio-Cortez faces 13 challengers – but can anyone unseat her?

Eight Republicans and five Democrats are vying to take on AOC – but many voters in the district are voicing support for the congresswomanDemocratic leftist superstar Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has risen to national – and even global – fame from an unlikely position as a young first-time congresswoman from New York.But now she faces 13 different challengers, including from within her own party as well as Republicans, as she prepares for her first congressional re-election campaign. News of the multiple bids to unseat AOC, however, came as a surprise to many voters on the streets of her district in the Bronx last week.Some voters still had not heard of the progressive superstar. Others said they would weigh the merits of her rivals as the contests heat up over the summer. But most voiced support, arguing that almost two years since Ocasio-Cortez threw a grenade at the Democratic establishment by ousting incumbent Joe Crowley, her progressive agenda – touting universal healthcare and a Green New Deal – was only now taking hold in the nation’s political capital.“Give her a chance! We knew who she was when we sent her, that she’d make a noise, and making a noise was why we sent her,” said local businessman Abdul Abbas.“She’s done good things for the Bronx,” concurred Carol Heraldo. “I like how she presents herself as woman, that she’s firm, that she took what she believed and made it real. We don’t see a lot of young people accomplish a lot because they’re afraid – and she’s not afraid.”> We knew who she was when we sent her, that she’d make a noise, and making a noise was why we sent her> > Abdul AbbasThat’s not how all see it. The first-term congresswoman is facing eight Republican and five Democratic candidates aiming to unseat her. Some appear symbolic, with little fundraising potential or appetite for collecting the necessary 4,000 signatures to get on the ballot.At her first campaign rally on Saturday, Ocasio-Cortez said she hoped to multiply turnout by four, reaching 60,000 votes in the primary election. She declined to be drawn on the challengers that have lined up to contest her seat.“I think everyone has a right [to run]. I of course won my seat with a primary,” she told the New York Post. “I would never begrudge anyone trying to run in a primary.”Ocasio-Cortez’s Republican challengers certainly seem to have their work cut out for them. In 2018 she steamedrolled the Republican candidate by a margin of 78%.With about $3.4m in her campaigns re-election coffers in a solidly Democratic district, Ocasio-Cortez’s Republican challengers probably plan on merely damaging her or securing a bigger national media profile by taking on such a famed opponent.John Cummings, a former police officer, raised $425,000 in 10 weeks after announcing his candidacy for the Republican nomination on Fox & Friends. Jamaican immigrant Scherie Murray gave her first interview to Fox News’s Sean Hannity and raised a similar amount.But having led a campaign to prevent Amazon from establishing a headquarters in neighboring Long Island City, and established herself as a leading member of “the Squad”, the self-described group of progressive congresswomen that includes Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ocasio-Cortez is a political target.In a district that hasn’t voted Republican in half a century, the Republican candidates are tackling a candidate who has become a lightning rod for rightwing anger nationally.“Anything that indicates AOC is vulnerable would be godsend to people who don’t like her or are upset about the Amazon loss of 27,000 jobs in New York,” said veteran Democratic party strategist Hank Sheinkopf, warning: “Politics are unstable across the nation. Things are happening that we haven’t seen or thought about before.”Strategically speaking, a challenge to one of the most influential voices on the American left also could affect candidates in other, more marginal races. Within New York City, more than three dozen candidates promoting progressive, generational change are taking on congressional incumbents.In her own district, enthusiasm among supporters for Ocasio-Cortez is unwavering. The Working Families party “knows Ocasio-Cortez will beat any challengers who might arise because she’s fighting tirelessly for her district and her agenda speaks to the people of Queens and the Bronx”, the group said in a statement to the Guardian.But the Ocasio-Cortez campaign also knows that opposition to her remains deep within the Democratic party establishment. Open warfare broke out in July when the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, took aim at her and her close colleagues in the Squad. “All these people have is their public whatever and their Twitter world,” Pelosi said. “But they didn’t have any following. They’re four people and that’s how many votes they got.”In a tweeted response, Ocasio-Cortez said: “That public ‘whatever’ is called public sentiment. And wielding the power to shift it is how we actually achieve meaningful change in this country.”The progressive-moderate split could be clearly discerned, too, in the battle last year over the election of a new Queens district attorney when Tiffany Cabán, an Ocasio-Cortez-backed candidate running on a platform to reduce record levels of incarceration, initially declared victory with a margin of 1,100 votes.But establishment-backed candidate Melinda Katz demanded a recount and ultimately pulled ahead by 55 votes after a series of court challenges over voter eligibility.Ocasio-Cortez’s most coherent Democratic challenger to date is former longtime CNBC correspondent and anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera. Caruso-Cabrera, who published a book in 2011 called You Know I’m Right: More Prosperity, Less Government, is a skeptic of big government and a proponent of free markets.Caruso-Cabrera is a relatively recent Democratic party member who registered her candidacy last week, appear to be preparing a more serious challenge as she seeks to take on Ocasio-Cortez in the Democratic primary.“Caruso-Cabrero is as wild a card as AOC was two years ago,” said Sheinkopf. “Caruso-Cabrero is likely to lead a spirited challenge and could be very competitive.”She certainly fancies her chances.“I am the daughter and granddaughter of working-class Italian and Cuban immigrants,” Caruso-Cabrera said in a statement. “I am so lucky to have had such a wonderful career and I want everybody to have the opportunity that I’ve had. That’s why I’m running.”Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign declined to comment on the challenge. But people close to the campaign said Caruso-Cabrera could be AOC’s most potent opponent at least from the Democratic side, even though she represents a radically different vision of the party.“It’ll be interesting if she decides to hide her libertarian-conservative ideology,” one source said. “Certain conservatives are upset that AOC beat Crowley and over Amazon so there maybe certain Koch-type figures who have had some role in recruiting her. I don’t think [Caruso-Cabrera] is going to get young Democrats from around the country to work for her, but you could see young conservative activists in the district because they all spend so much time condemning her politics or lusting after her.”However, candidates on both sides will be looking to raise money from outside the relatively poor, racially diverse district. Ocasio-Cortez’s fame has long transcended the borders of her hardscrabble patch of the Bronx.“AOC can raise an awful lot of money throughout the country from all sorts of people, but within the district there’s not an awful lot of money to raise,” said Sheinkopf.

U.S. flies 338 Americans home from cruise ship, including 14 with coronavirus

The Diamond Princess cruise ship held by far the largest cluster of cases outside China, with more than 400 people infected out of some 3,700 on board. The coronavirus outbreak has killed 1,770 people in China and five elsewhere, with Chinese officials reporting another 2,048 cases on Monday, raising the total to 70,548. Washington previously flew hundreds of Americans from China to military bases in the United States, and then arranged to bring back the 338 cruise ship passengers once their 14-day quarantines on board had expired.

South Korean President Calls for ‘Extraordinary Steps’ to Combat Virus

(Bloomberg) -- President Moon Jae-in called for “extraordinary” steps to minimize the impact of the coronavirus on South Korea’s economy, hinting at the possibility of extra spending to support growth by a government looking to protect a fragile recovery.“An emergency situation warrants an emergency prescription,” Moon told his Cabinet on Tuesday, warning that the virus’s impact could be bigger and longer-lasting than a 2015 epidemic that killed 38 people in South Korea and hit growth. Back then, the government put together a 11.6 trillion won ($9.8 billion) extra budget and the central bank cut interest rates.Moon’s remarks ramp up the likelihood that the government may soon reveal extra spending measures, though it remains unclear if the government would match or go beyond the action it took during the crisis over the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2015.Still, the fact that Moon is calling so publicly for action indicates there may be something substantial in the pipeline, according to Moon Hong-cheol, an analyst at DB Financial Investment.“It does feel a bit early and elections are near, but it’s also true that the president and the ruling party can’t afford to let the economic recovery slip after last year’s slump,” the analyst said.So far, there have been no deaths in South Korea from the virus, while infections have been limited to 31 people. Still, there is increasing concern that the economic recovery will be derailed for some time if a prolonged outbreak slams supply chains and cuts shipments to China, the country’s biggest export market.Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki already said last week that the government was considering a package of measures to boost exports and domestic consumption after a meeting with BOK Governor Lee Ju-yeol. For his part, Lee tried to tamp down speculation over a possible rate cut at the BOK’s meeting next week, saying it was too early to decide whether further action was necessary.President Moon offered no specifics on measures he’s considering to protect the economy in his remarks Tuesday, but he said that “every kind of step that can be taken by the government” should be carried out.Should South Korea decide to draw up an extra budget, it could set aside as much as 15 trillion won, roughly 0.7% of its gross domestic output, DB Financial Investment’s Moon said separately in a report earlier in the day. In 2015, during the MERS crisis, extra money was used to build infrastructure and support small businesses.Any attempt to pass a sizable spending package would likely face fierce criticism from opposition parties before April’s parliamentary elections, according to economist Oh Suk-tae at SG Securities.“It’s too early to shift the entire macro policy over the virus outbreak, but we may see some micro steps to tide the economy over,” he said.(Adds economist’s comment.)To contact the reporter on this story: Sam Kim in Seoul at skim609@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Malcolm Scott at mscott23@bloomberg.net, Jason Clenfield, Paul JacksonFor 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.

Virginia lawmakers reject assault weapons ban

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's push to ban the sale of assault weapons failed on Monday after some of his fellow Democrats balked at the proposal.

Cameroon army blames accident for village 'massacre'

Yaoundé (AFP) - Cameroon's army on Monday denied opposition charges that it had massacred villagers in a troubled English-speaking region, blaming instead an "unfortunate accident" caused by an explosion of fuel during a firefight. Up to 22 civilians, 14 of them children, died in the incident on Friday, according to the United Nations -- deaths which opposition parties blamed on members of the armed forces. Five civilians -- a woman and four children -- died, and "seven terrorists" were "neutralised", Atonfack told AFP in Libreville by phone.

Meet China's New JH-7A 'Flying Leopard' Supersonic Fighter Bomber

Do you feel scared?

Police allegedly held a black student at gunpoint. Now the governor wants an investigation

The governor of Illinois on Thursday urged police to investigate the alleged wrongful arrest of Jaylan Butler, a black college student swimmer.

Man who left puppy to drown in cage sentenced to 1 year for animal cruelty

The 36-year-old New Jersey man left the puppy in a cage along the rising tide of Sandy Hook Bay after a fight with his ex-girlfriend.

Milepost: The Paul Manafort sentence – justice served?

On Thursday the former Trump campaign chairman was sentenced to 47 months in prison on charges of bank fraud, tax fraud, and failure to report foreign assets

Over 1,100 former Justice Department officials call for William Barr's resignation after his handling of Roger Stone's sentencing

"Mr. Barr's actions in doing the President's personal bidding unfortunately speak louder than his words," the former DOJ officials wrote.

Bloomberg trails Sanders and other Democratic candidates in string of 2020 polls

Mike Bloomberg trails his Democratic rival Bernie Sanders in both head-to-head and values-based measures of support, polls have found.The billionaire came last, behind even Donald Trump, in a survey that asked potential voters whether candidates shared their values.

Israel says Hamas used 'attractive' women in thwarted cyberattack

Israel's military said on Sunday it had thwarted an attempted malware attack by Hamas that sought to gain access to soldiers' mobile phones by using seductive pictures of young women. The phones of a few dozen soldiers were affected, but the military "does not assess that there has been a substantial breach of information", said Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, an army spokesman. Conricus said this was the third attempted malware attack by Hamas in less than four years, but that the latest effort indicated the Islamist group, which controls the Gaza Strip, had improved their capacity to wage cyber-warfare.

India women facing sedition charges over school play get bail

Two women held for two weeks by Indian police on sedition charges over a school play which allegedly criticised a contentious citizenship law have been granted bail, officials said Sunday. Teacher Fareeda Begum, 50, and parent Nazbunnisa, 36, were arrested on January 30 for helping the children stage the play at Shaheen Public School in Karnataka state. The play depicted a worried family talking about how they feared the government would ask millions of Muslims to prove their nationality or be expelled from India.

North Korea vs. South Korea: Who Wins a War Straight-Up?

Quality vs. quantity?

American woman, 83, tests positive for coronavirus after disembarking Holland America ship

An 83-year-old American who disembarked from Holland America's MS Westerdam in Cambodia has tested positive for coronavirus in Malaysia.

Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy

The venerable non-profit is following the lead of the scandal-wracked Roman Catholic Church.

Trump reportedly urged the CIA to hunt and kill Osama bin Laden's son instead of more pressing terrorist threats

Intelligence officials would reportedly give President Donald Trump lists of top terror targets, but Hamza bin Laden's name was the only one he knew.

Eccentric millionaire Durst faces trial in friend's killing

There is almost no physical evidence connecting New York real estate heir Robert Durst to the slaying of his best friend in Los Angeles 20 years ago. The slip of paper intended to lead authorities to her lifeless body in December 2000 was penned by Durst. Durst himself has said more than once that only the killer or someone involved in the shooting could have written it.

Far-right Proud Boys members wearing MAGA hats 'infiltrate Bernie Sanders rally'

A Denver rally organised to consolidate Bernie Sanders’ early gains in the race for the Democratic nomination was infiltrated by a group who appeared to support far-right neofascist organisation the Proud Boys.Led by Louis Huey, a vocal supporter of the right-wing organisation in the state of Colorado, the group made their way into the crowd, which they described as “communists”, in live streamed footage of the event.

Cuba burning tires to power factory as US oil sanctions bite

The Cuban government has ordered a cement factory to burn old tires to power its operations and save on oil, amid a worsening fuel shortage brought on by US sanctions on the Communist island. On orders of President Miguel Diaz-Canel, the firm Cementos Cienfuegos, located in the center of the country, will receive an increasing supply of used tires to burn, the official daily Granma said Monday. Cuba has been suffering oil shortages since last September, when the administration of President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on ships carrying petroleum to the island from its main fuel supplier Venezuela.

New Secrets from the Most Distant Object We've Ever Visited

Somewhere in a frozen corner of our solar system lies Arrokoth, a relic from a mysterious time in the universe's history.

Watch Russia Test A New Weapon That Can Kill Missiles

We've got the video.

An invasion of propaganda: Experts warn that white supremacist messages are seeping into mainstream

White supremacy propaganda is on the rise, and experts say mainstreaming of that ideology contributes to acts of domestic terrorism.

6-year-old girl attacked by mountain lion

One of the adults the girl was with pushed the mountain lion off of her and into the bushes, a ranger with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District said.

Mississippi floods appear to hit peak with parts of Jackson under water

The Pearl River rose to its third-highest point in recorded history after heavy rains last week filled the Ross Barnett Reservoir to capacity, forcing managers on Saturday to begin releasing water into the river just upstream from Jackson. The floods submerged streets in low-lying areas, prompting 16 search-and-rescue operations to pluck stranded people from their homes, Governor Tate Reeves said. Reeves declared a state of emergency on Saturday, one day after the city of Jackson issued a seven-day mandatory evacuation order for low-lying areas.

China is considering postponing the central event of its political calendar, an embarrassing admission that it has lost control of the coronavirus

China delayed its annual "two sessions" parliamentary meeting, suggesting the extent of the coronavirus threat on the 8,000-strong meeting.

Trump attends wedding of White House aides

President Trump went from the Daytona 500 on Sunday to attending the wedding of two top members of his administration, senior adviser Stephen Miller and Katie Waldman, press secretary for Vice President Mike Pence.

Japan suffers worst economic slump in five years

Japan has suffered its worst quarterly GDP contraction in more than five years, with a tax hike and a deadly typhoon taking a toll on the world's third-largest economy. The nation's gross domestic product in the three months to December shrank 1.6 percent from the previous quarter, even before the novel coronavirus outbreak in China hit Japan, according to official data published on Monday. The quarter was marked by a rise in consumption tax from eight percent to 10 percent, as well as Typhoon Hagibis, which killed more than 100 people and caused widespread flooding.