The US could see a decline of two to three years in life expectancy in 2020 due to the coronavirus, the steepest drop since the second world war. Covid-19 is poised to become the third-leading cause of death in America, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Related: US Congress passes $900bn Covid-19 aid bill after months of gridlock
Continue reading...Cohen filed court papers contending he ‘could be eligible for release’ under the First Step Act that Trump signed into law in 2018
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, says he deserves early release from home confinement under Trump’s signature sentencing reform – but federal authorities refuse to credit him for good behavior and hundreds of hours of work and prison courses completed behind bars.
Related: Disloyal review: Michael Cohen's mob hit on Trump entertains – but will it shift votes?
Continue reading...Australian Competition and Consumer Commission concerned tech giant could harm competitors in wake of deal
Google faces a fine of up to $400m if it takes over Fitbit before the Australian competition regulator completes an investigation into the transaction.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Tuesday rejected an offer from Google to enter into a court-enforceable undertaking limiting the way it would use data gleaned from the wrist-worn fitness tracking devices.
Continue reading...From the pandemic, to the death of George Floyd, to America’s presidential elections, 2020 has been a year of distress – with moments of hope and endurance. These were some of the images that stood out
Continue reading...Anthony Fauci ‘extremely confident’ in vaccine; BioNTech’s CEO says tests being run on mutant strain. This blog is now closed. Follow our new blog below
We are closing this live blog now, but you can stay up to date with the latest on our new global blog, which you can find below.
Related: Coronavirus live news: US cases increase 14% in one week, France to reopen UK border
Tesco has introduced buying limits on items including toilet roll, eggs, rice, soap and handwash. Customers at the supermarket are now limited to one item per person of toilet roll, and up to three products of eggs, rice, soap and handwash.
It is understood the extra limits are pre-emptive measures to help smooth demand in the coming weeks, rather than a reaction to shortages or a change in buying behaviour. They are on top of a three-item limit on essential items such as flour, dried pasta and anti-bacterial wipes which has been in place for several months.
Related: Tesco limits purchases of toilet roll, eggs, rice, soap and handwash
Continue reading...Joe Biden received his first injected dose of the Covid-19 vaccine live on television on Monday, in an effort to boost confidence in its safety ahead of its distribution next year. 'I'm doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it's available to take the vaccine. There's nothing to worry about,' the US president-elect said. His wife, Jill Biden, who got the injection earlier in the day, stood nearby.
Continue reading...Biden thanks medical staff after taking first dose of Pfizer vaccine in front of cameras, in bid to show Americans vaccines are safe
Joe Biden received his first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine on live US television on Monday afternoon, in keeping with public officials’ efforts to show Americans such vaccines are safe.
Shortly after 3.20pm, Biden appeared before cameras at a medical facility. He rolled up his sleeve and said: “I’m ready.” After the jab, Biden thanked scientists and medical workers, saying their efforts were “just amazing”.
Continue reading...The US attorney general, William Barr, said on Monday he has no plans to appoint a special counsel to investigate claims of fraud around the US election, which have been baselessly made by Donald Trump and many of his political allies.
Continue reading...The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island erupts late on Sunday, shooting a steam cloud into the atmosphere for about an hour. The eruption happened in Halema’uma’u crater, the US Geological Survey said. Kilauea is in the Hawaii Volcanoes national park
Continue reading...In a last-ditch effort to stay alive, Dustin Higgs, a federal death row prisoner set to be put to death next month as part of the Trump administration’s flurry of executions in its final days in office, has petitioned the president for clemency.
Related: Trump administration has executed more Americans than all states combined, report finds
Continue reading...Step would allow Tehran to come back into compliance with deal, so long as US sanctions were lifted
EU foreign ministers have agreed not to set fresh preconditions on a revival of the Iran nuclear deal, believing Tehran and Washington should be able to come back into full compliance with the agreement without at this stage needing to accept to extend or strengthen it.
The step removes one of the potential roadblocks to Iran coming back into compliance with the existing deal, so long as the US lifts its sanctions and complies with UN resolutions.
Continue reading...Reporter Christie Smythe calls the ‘Pharma Bro’ her life partner, saying relationship developed while he serves prison sentence
The internet was set ablaze on Sunday night by a viral interview in which a former reporter for Bloomberg News described how she upended her “perfect little Brooklyn life” by falling in love with Martin Shkreli, a maverick hedge funder who rose to infamy before being sentenced to seven years in prison for fraud.
Related: Martin Shkreli pays price for arrogance – and 'egregious multitude of lies'
Continue reading...During it’s last eruption in 2018 Kilauea spewed lava for four months, destroying 700 homes
The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island has erupted.
The eruption began late on Sunday in the Halema’uma’u crater, according to the US Geological Survey. Kilauea is in the Hawaii Volcanoes national park.
Continue reading...Dr Nicholas Christakis says once pandemics end, often there is a period in which people seek out extensive social interactions
It is almost exactly one year since the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was identified by Chinese scientists as the source of a new, lethal respiratory illness.
Since, more than 1.5 million people have died globally, economies worldwide have shut down multiple times and societies have isolated in their homes and watched holidays pass without the closeness of family and friends. Ahead of us is a year undertaking the most logistically challenging public health campaign ever.
Continue reading...Instead of gathering around the holiday table, we’ll be gathering around our laptops for awkward silences and Zoom fatigue
Your laptop screen will be a window into your soul this holiday season, so take advantage of the opportunity to make your life appear under control. An upside to any global pandemic is that you don’t have to clean up for guests. When it comes to messes, it’s “out of screen, out of mind”. Meanwhile, you can create an idealized – and/or completely false – vision of your home life: fill the area behind you with thick volumes of poetry, or hardcore exercise equipment, or the only plant you have ever managed to keep alive for more than a week.
Continue reading...Since the killing of George Floyd, the industry has attempted to tackle racism, but has it gone far enough?
This month, fashion’s unofficial watchdog, Diet Prada, posted a “how it started versus how it’s going” meme on Instagram. Contrasting a past moment of hope with a current moment of reckoning, Diet Prada turned its attention to the US clothing and homeware store Anthropologie.
The first picture was a screengrab from the brand’s official Instagram account, showing a pledge to diversify its workforce, written after the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in the spring. A second screengrab showed the lineup for a series of Christmas virtual workshops – styling sessions, baking demonstrations and candle-making sessions run by blond, white women.
Continue reading...Top congressional leaders have announced agreement on a $900bn coronavirus aid package after late-night discussions on Sunday.
“We can finally report what our nation has needed to hear for a very long time: more help is on the way,” said Republican Senate leader Mitch MCConnell. “Moments ago, in consultation with our committees, the four leaders of the Senate and House finalised an agreement for another major rescue package for the American people.”
Continue reading...Workers began processing shipments of the second US Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday, but across the country the situation remained severe.
Related: Two authorized vaccines – here's what you need to know.
Continue reading...As president-elect Joe Biden weighed options to punish Russia for its suspected hacking of US government agencies and companies, one leading Republican accused Moscow of “acting with impunity” and others called for retaliatory strikes.
Related: Trump attempt to overturn election is 'nutty and loopy', Romney says
Continue reading...Donald Trump’s flirtation with declaring martial law in battleground states and appointing a conspiracy theorist as special counsel to help his attempt to overturn defeat by Joe Biden are “really sad” and “nutty and loopy”, Mitt Romney said on Sunday.
Related: Biden mulls punishments for Russia over suspected role in government hack
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