Category Archives: US News

Coronavirus live news: experts reject Trump’s ‘disinfectant’ theory as Russia reports 5,849 new cases

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Doctors call president’s comments ‘jaw-dropping’ and dangerous; Algeria, Egypt, UAE shorten ease restrictions for Ramadan, Indonesia increases them; Follow the latest updates

Iran has reported 1,168 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 88,194. There have been 93 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 5,574.

The Taliban have rejected appeals for a cease fire from Afghanistan’s president, as the country records its biggest daily rise in new coronavirus cases, reports my colleague Akhtar Mohammad Makoii.

The country recorded 95 new cases, bringing the overall total to 1,330, it recorded 2 new deaths bringing the overall number of deaths to 43.

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Taylor Swift disowns new live album, calling it ‘shameless greed’

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Singer complains of ‘tasteless’ release amid coronavirus crisis by former label Big Machine, owned by frequent adversary Scooter Braun

Taylor Swift has disowned a new live album released under her name, calling it tasteless and “shameless greed” amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The album, Live from Clear Channel Stripped 2008, was recorded when Swift was 18, around the release of her Grammy-winning second album, Fearless. The live album has been released by Big Machine, Swift’s former label that was bought by music manager Scooter Braun from its founder, Scott Borchetta. Swift has frequently criticised Braun and Borchetta – leading Braun to allege death threats from fans to his family – and is planning to rerecord and rerelease her six albums put out by Big Machine to regain some control over her back catalogue.

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Coronavirus: medical experts denounce Trump’s latest ‘dangerous’ treatment suggestion

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Doctors warn president’s musings on disinfectant as a cure for coronavirus could lead to death

Donald Trump has stunned viewers by suggesting that people could receive injections of disinfectant to cure the coronavirus, a notion one medical expert described as “jaw-dropping”.

At Thursday’s White House coronavirus task force briefing, the US president discussed new government research on how the virus reacts to different temperatures, climates and surfaces.

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Beyoncé gives $6m to coronavirus relief, including mental health causes

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Pop star unites with Twitter founder Jack Dorsey to support charities working with ‘communities of colour’

Beyoncé has announced a donation of $6m for mental health and other initiatives during the coronavirus outbreak.

The singer teamed up with Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s relief fund #startsmall to make the donation to the National Alliance in Mental Health, University of California Los Angeles, and local community-based organisations working to improve mental health. In a statement on her website, Beyoncé said mental burdens were accelerating for people who can’t access basic necessities during the crisis.

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Ramadan begins amid coronavirus restrictions as Trump ‘disinfectant’ theory dismissed

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Countries with Muslim populations wrestle with best way to observe holy month amid outcry over US president’s latest suggestion

The governments of nations with large Muslim populations were divided on coronavirus restrictions as Ramadan began, with with some easing lockdowns while others enacted travel bans.

As the Muslim holy month was set to begin, US health experts rushed to warn against Donald Trump’s suggestion of exploring the use of UV light on people and injecting disinfectant as a way of combatting coronavirus.

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US House passes $484bn coronavirus relief bill to fund small businesses and hospitals

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Measure heads to Donald Trump’s desk after passing House by vote of 388-5, as lawmakers meet for first time in weeks

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a $484bn coronavirus relief bill on Thursday, funding small businesses and hospitals and pushing the total spending response to the crisis to an unprecedented near $3tn.

The measure passed the Democratic-led House by a vote of 388-5, with one member voting present. House members were meeting for the first time in weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Zoom releases security updates in response to ‘Zoom-bombings’

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Company has struggled to meet security needs as user base has risen sharply amid coronavirus lockdown

The video-conferencing platform Zoom has released a new update this week in an effort to address an onslaught of security concerns surrounding the service.

Zoom says the newest version of its app, Zoom 5.0, includes encryption and new privacy controls, updates that are part of a 90-day plan to improve security and privacy on the platform.

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Coronavirus US live: Andrew Cuomo slams Senate leader Mitch McConnell over ‘reckless’ state bankruptcy proposal

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Dr Deborah Birx reportedly had to convince Trump to come out against Georgia’s plan to start reopening non-essential businesses this Friday.

Trump said during yesterday’s press conference that he disagreed “strongly” with Georgia governor Brian Kemp’s reopening plan, which many public health experts have warned is dangerously hasty.

At a meeting before Wednesday’s briefing, task force members discussed the likelihood of being asked about [Kemp’s] controversial move to open up many businesses such as nail salons and bowling alleys, [a White House] source added. ...

During the meeting, Dr. Anthony Fauci and other task force members said if the scientists were not in agreement with Trump on the Georgia issue during the news conference it would pose a problem.

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer said she would likely extend the state’s stay-at-home order while looking at allowing some activties with restrictions in place, emphasizing that the state’s reopening would take place in waves.

“It will permit some activity if our numbers continue to go down and our testing continues to go up,” the Democratic governor told MSNBC this morning. “But It’s too early to say precisely what each wave looks like and when it happens.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says reopening has to be "strategic and thoughtful": "I've heard governors across the country, on both sides of the aisle, say it's not going to be like flipping a light switch, we're not just going to go back to pre-Covid 19 posture" pic.twitter.com/6gGHbUkFPC

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‘Just dumb’: Cuomo slams Mitch McConnell over ‘reckless’ state bankruptcy proposal – video

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The New York governor on Thursday fiercely criticised Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell for suggesting states should declare bankruptcy instead of receiving more federal aid. Andrew Cuomo described McConnell’s suggestion as ‘one of the really dumb ideas of all time’ and said the warning against ‘bailouts’ for Democrat states was ‘irresponsible and reckless’

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Tornadoes rip through US south leaving trail of devastation and killing dozens

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  • More than two dozen tornadoes reported in four states
  • Louisiana sheriff reports ‘extreme flooding’ seen rarely ‘if ever’

At least six people were killed after severe storms tore through a number of southern states late on Wednesday, adding to weeks of extreme weather that had already killed more than two dozen people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

Related: Tornadoes and storms hit US south as six killed in Mississippi

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Greenland wary of US plans for aid projects in its territory

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Politicians say expected announcement of $12m must not have conditions attached

Greenlanders have welcomed reports that the US wants to invest in their island, but said the money had to come without conditions.

The US administration is expected to announce the opening of an Agency for International Development office at the new US consulate in the capital, Nuuk, and at least $12m (£9.7m) in aid projects.

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Coronavirus live news: US may never restore funding to World Health Organization, says Mike Pompeo

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Unemployment in US up by 4.4 million to a total of over 26 million; world has ‘a long way to go’, warns WHO chief; Iran reports lowest new daily infections for a month

Peru’s reported coronavirus cases have rapidly increased this week, reaching 20,914 on Thursday. The country has the second highest number of cases in South America after Brazil despite introducing tough lockdown measures.

The health ministry says it expects patient numbers to peak within the following week, as hospitals strain to deal with the sharp rise in infections. Reuters reports cases of bodies being kept in hallways, masks being reused, and protests from medical workers concerned about their safety.

Hello, I’ll be taking over the live blog for the next few hours. As always, tips and suggestions are most welcome. You can reach me via Twitter DM @cleaskopeliti or by email at clea.skopeliti.casual@guardian.co.uk. Thanks in advance.

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Coronavirus US live: Trump says he’s signed order restricting immigration – as it happened

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America’s addiction to mass incarceration could almost double its number of deaths from coronavirus, with jails acting as incubators of the disease and spreading a further 100,000 fatalities across the US.

The startling warning comes from groundbreaking modeling by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and academic researchers, released on Wednesday.

Related: Mass incarceration could add 100,000 deaths to US coronavirus toll, study finds

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Iran reportedly launches first military satellite as Trump makes threats

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The Noor was launched by a three-stage rocket and, according to Iran officials, had reached a 425 km high orbit

Iran has claimed it has put its first military satellite into orbit, further raising tensions with the US at a time the two countries are already facing off in the Persian Gulf.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said the satellite “Noor” (Light) was in a 425km (264 miles) high orbit, after a successful launch. Iran launched its first civilian satellite in 2009.

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Cuomo: I will not be pressured into reopening New York – video

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Andrew Cuomo has said he would not allow political pressure to determine the timetable on when to lift the state's lockdown. The New York governor acknowledged the current situation is 'unsustainable', but added: 'I also know more people will die if we are not smart.'

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Coronavirus was killing Americans weeks earlier than originally thought

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Officials say two people in northern California died from the virus in early February before the first reported death in the US

The coronavirus was killing Americans in the US weeks before health officials, doctors or the government realized, it emerged early on Wednesday.

Health officials now say two people died from Covid-19 in California in early February before the first reported death from the disease in the United States.

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Record rain triggered 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruptions, says study

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Research on events in Hawaii suggests climate crisis could increase eruptions around world

The spectacular eruptions of the Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii in 2018 were triggered by extreme rainfall in the preceding months, research suggests.

Scientists say the finding raises the possibility that climate breakdown, which is causing more extreme weather, could lead to an increase in eruptions around the world.

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Fortnite owner gives up battle against Google Play store

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Epic makes its blockbuster game available in store, an embarrassing climbdown

Fortnite for Android is available through the Google Play store for the first time, almost 18 months after owners Epic Games tried to use the game’s popularity to break the app store duopoly.

The release is an embarrassing climbdown for Epic, which has sunk significant resources into building its own independent games service, and is sure to reignite accusations of anti-competitive behaviour on the parts of both Apple and Google.

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Mass incarceration could add 100,000 deaths to US coronavirus toll, study finds

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Jails could act as incubators for disease to be spread widely both inside and in local communities, ACLU says

America’s addiction to mass incarceration could almost double its number of deaths from coronavirus, with jails acting as incubators of the disease and spreading a further 100,000 fatalities across the US.

The startling warning comes from groundbreaking modeling by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and academic researchers, released on Wednesday.

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Top economist: US coronavirus response is like ‘third world’ country

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Joseph Stiglitz attacks Donald Trump, saying US on course for second Great Depression

Donald Trump’s botched handling of the Covid-19 crisis has left the US looking like a “third world” country and on course for a second Great Depression, one of the world’s leading economists has warned.

In a withering attack on the president, Joseph Stiglitz said millions of people were turning to food banks, turning up for work due to a lack of sick pay and dying because of health inequalities.

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