No Hajj Pilgrimage this year?

Saudi Arabia halts travel to Islam’s holiest site over virus

By JON GAMBRELL54 minutes ago

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FILE - In this Aug. 13, 2019, file photo taken with a slow shutter speed, Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, during the hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020, halted travel to the holiest sites in Islam over fears of the global outbreak of the new coronavirus just months ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage, a move coming as the Mideast has over 220 confirmed cases of the illness. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia on Thursday halted travel to the holiest sites in Islam over fears about a new viral epidemic just months ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage, a move coming as the Mideast has over 220 confirmed cases of the illness.

The extraordinary decision by Saudi Arabia stops foreigners from reaching the holy city of Mecca and the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims pray toward five times a day. It also said travel was suspended to Prophet Muhammad’s mosque in Medina.

The decision showed the worry about the outbreak potentially spreading into Saudi Arabia, whose oil-rich monarchy stakes its legitimacy on protecting Islam’s holy sites. The epicenter in the Mideast’s most-affected country, Iran, appears to be in the holy Shiite city of Qom, where a shrine there sees the faithful reach out to kiss and touch it in reverence.

“Saudi Arabia renews its support for all international measures to limit the spread of this virus, and urges its citizens to exercise caution before traveling to countries experiencing coronavirus outbreaks,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement announcing the decision. “We ask God Almighty to spare all humanity from all harm.”

Disease outbreaks always have been a concern surrounding the hajj, required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life, especially as pilgrims come from all over the world. The earliest recorded outbreak came in 632 as pilgrims fought off malaria. A cholera outbreak in 1821 for instance killed an estimated 20,000 pilgrims. Another cholera outbreak in 1865 killed 15,000 pilgrims and then spread worldwide.

More recently, Saudi Arabia faced a danger from a related coronavirus that caused Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS. The kingdom increased its public health measures in 2012 and 2013, though no outbreak occurred.

While millions attend the 10-day hajj, this year set for late July into early August, millions more come during the rest of the year to the holy sites in the kingdom.

“It is unprecedented, at least in recent times, but given the worldwide spread of the virus and the global nature of the umrah, it makes sense from a public health and safety point of view,” said Kristian Ulrichsen, a research fellow at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. “Especially since the Iranian example illustrates how a religious crossroads can so quickly amplify the spread and reach of the virus.”

The virus that causes the illness named COVID-19 has infected more than 80,000 people globally, mainly in China. The hardest-hit nation in the Mideast is Iran, where Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 19 people have died among 139 confirmed cases.

Experts are concerned Iran may be underreporting cases and deaths, given the illness’s rapid spread from Iran across the Persian Gulf. For example, Iran still has not confirmed any cases in Mashhad, even though a number of cases reported in Kuwait are linked to the Iranian city.

In Bahrain, which confirmed 33 cases as of Thursday morning, authorities halted all flights to Iraq and Lebanon. It separately extended a 48-hour ban over flights from Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, through which infected travelers reached the island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said there were no immediate plans to quarantine cities but acknowledged it may take “one, two or three weeks” to get control of the virus in Iran.

As Iran’s 80 million people find themselves increasingly isolated in the region by the outbreak, the country’s sanctions-battered economy saw its currency slump to its lowest level against the U.S. dollar in a year on Wednesday.

Above is from:  https://apnews.com/99cd4d90efcfe62e0518dde701a0608d

Jury questioned by judge regarding influences on Stone Decision

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Stone judge calls back jurors to address misconduct claims

By COLLEEN LONGyesterday

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Roger Stone, center, departs federal court in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. President Donald Trump loyalist and ally, Roger Stone was sentenced to over three years in federal prison, following an extraordinary move by Attorney General William Barr to back off his Justice Department's original sentencing recommendation. The sentence came amid President Donald Trump's unrelenting defense of his longtime confidant that led to a mini-revolt inside the Justice Department and allegations the president interfered in the case. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday brought in nearly all members of the jury that convicted Trump ally Roger Stone on charges related to the Russia investigation in order to answer questions on allegations of juror misconduct.

The revelation by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson was another highly unusual twist in the Stone saga, which has included a barrage of tweets from President Donald Trump, threats by the attorney general to quit and the departure of the entire prosecution team following Justice Department leadership’s decision to back off its sentencing request.

Stone has claimed the jury forewoman was biased and requested a new trial; his first such request was denied.

During a trial, jurors are not allowed to read news accounts or social media posts about the case or discuss it with anyone until deliberations, but after their verdict is rendered, they are released from duty and can speak publicly if they wish.

Jackson told Stone’s lawyers that she had seen nothing to support his claim that something untoward occurred, but because of the unusual circumstances — including the president claiming both the judge and forewoman were biased — she was taking the extra step of questioning jurors.

Eleven of the 14 jurors turned up, and she permitted the lawyers to choose two for questioning on whether anything fishy had happened behind closed doors during trial. They chose a man and a woman, who were questioned by Jackson. The lawyers opted not to question the jurors themselves.

The man said nothing off occurred; they’d weighed the evidence and deliberated to reach a conclusion. The woman said no one brought in a social media post or news article about the case, and no one discussed news accounts during the trial. They both described the process of choosing a foreperson: Several jurors were nominated and the forewoman was chosen by secret ballot.

Jackson later questioned the forewoman, who confirmed she had posted articles critical of Trump’s policies online, but said she had done her job as a juror fairly and did not look at media during the trial. Stone’s attorneys grilled the forewoman on her social media posts.

Jackson said she would rule at a later date.

After Stone was convicted in November, one juror wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post, explaining why he felt they were right to convict. And the forewoman spoke about the case in a Facebook post.

Jackson said jurors had faced harassment even before they commented, and she worried for their continued safety. She detailed comments about jurors made by Trump in tweets, by Fox News commentator and Trump supporter Tucker Carlson and right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

The hearing was initially sealed, but Jackson agreed to open it as long as there was no identification of jurors who would testify.

“I think it’s without question then that this is a highly publicized case in a highly polarized political climate in which the president himself has shone a spotlight on the jury,” she said. “Individuals who are angry about Mr. Stone’s conviction may choose to take it out on them personally.”

Stone’s lawyers said they feel they were misled by the forewoman, even though they had her jury questionnaire and had a hired a jury consultant — who they said did no Google searches on potential jurors before the trial. They pointed to articles she sent online in posts made before the trial on Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, and other posts on the Russia investigation. Jackson asked why the posts suggest she misled them.

“It’s a question about did she lie?” Jackson asked. “I want to know what she lied about in this questionnaire.”

Jackson told Stone’s lawyers that it didn’t matter if she posted articles critical of Trump because that would not mean she could not render a fair verdict.

“It paints a picture that she cares about immigration, she cares about racial justice, that voice comes through,” Jackson said.

Stone was convicted on all seven counts of an indictment that accused him of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election.

He was the sixth Trump aide or adviser to be convicted on charges brought as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Before the Feb. 20 sentencing, the Justice Department leadership backed away from its initial recommendation just hours after Trump tweeted his displeasure at the recommendation of up to nine years in prison, saying it had been too harsh.

The decision was Jackson’s to make. She sentenced him to more than three years in prison plus two years’ probation and a $20,000 fine.

Attorney General William Barr defended the decision in an ABC News interview where he also said the president’s tweets involving the Justice Department were making it “impossible” for him to do his job. He asked the president to stop tweeting, but just hours later Trump was back at it, saying he had never asked Barr to open criminal investigations — but he had the authority to do so if he wished.

The continued spotlight, in turn, prompted Barr to consider quitting, an administration official told AP. The dust has settled a bit, but it’s not clear how Trump will take the most recent news of his longtime ally.

On Tuesday while on a trip to India, he tweeted again about the case. “There has rarely been a juror so tainted as the forewoman in the Roger Stone case,” he tweeted. “Look at her background. She never revealed her hatred of ‘Trump’ and Stone. She was totally biased, as is the judge,” he tweeted.

At Stone’s sentencing, Jackson said the evidence clearly showed that Stone testified falsely to Congress and repeatedly pressured a potential witness either to back up his lie or refuse to testify.

Near the end, her voice rose as she said that Stone’s entire defense strategy seemed to amount to “So What?” Stone did not testify and called no witnesses on his behalf.

“This is NOT campaign hijinks. This was not Roger being Roger. You lied to Congress,” she told Stone.

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Associated Press Writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report

Above is from:  https://apnews.com/e901f7ac56d9d9b29c5b52d4fe56e61e

Service Employees International Union standup against Trump

Labor union unveils $150M campaign to help defeat Trump

AP NEWS

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1. Labor union unveils $150M campaign to help defeat Trump

By STEVE PEOPLES6 minutes ago

President Donald Trump with members of the president's coronavirus task force speaks during a news conference at the Brady press briefing room of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the nation’s largest labor unions is unveiling plans to invest $150 million in a nationwide campaign to help defeat President Donald Trump, a sweeping effort focused on eight battleground states and voters of color who typically don’t vote.

The investment marks the largest voter engagement and turnout operation in the history of the Service Employees International Union,  which claims nearly 2 million members. The scope of the campaign, which quietly launched last month and will run through November’s general election, reflects the urgency of what union president Mary Kay Henry calls “a make-or-break” moment for working people in America under Trump’s leadership.

“He’s systematically unwinding and attacking unions. Federal workers rights have been totally eviscerated under his watch,” Henry said in an interview. “We are on fire about the rules being rigged against us and needing to elect people that are going to stand with workers.”

The union’s campaign will span 40 states and target 6 million voters focused largely in Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin, according to details of the plan shared with The Associated Press. The union and its local members will pay particular attention to two key urban battlegrounds they believe will play a defining role in the 2020 general election: Detroit and Milwaukee. There may be some television advertising, but the investment will focus primarily on direct contact and online advertising targeting minority men and women who typically don’t vote.

Few groups of voters will be more important in the 2020 general election. Trump won the presidency four years ago largely because of his popularity with working-class whites and a drop-off in turnout from minority voters.

The union’s political director, Maria Peralta, noted that Trump’s campaign has been working effectively in recent months to win over some minority voters, particularly men, who have traditionally voted Democratic.

“He’s going after our communities in ways that are pervasive. We’re deeply aware of that,” Peralta said. “They’re talking about the strength of the economy.”

The Service Employees International Union, like the Democratic Party and its allies across the nation, faces significant headwinds in its fight to deny Trump a second term. Voters who may dislike his overall job performance are generally pleased with his leadership on the economy, and unemployment for black Americans has hit record lows in recent months.

At the same time, Trump’s campaign is far ahead of where it was four years ago, when it had little national organization.

On Wednesday, the Trump campaign announced plans to open 15 “Black Voices for Trump Community Centers” in battleground states and major cities, including Michigan and Wisconsin. The offices will feature a line of campaign swag adopting the “woke” label, and videos of prominent Trump surrogates like online stars Diamond and Silk explaining their support for the president and pamphlets outlining the president’s record.

SEIU is the most diverse union in the United States. The union’s membership features those who work in health care, food service, janitorial services and state and local government workers, among others. Half its members are people of color, and more than half make less than $15 an hour.

The 2020 investment is designed to benefit Democrats up and down the ballot this fall, though defeating Trump stands as a primary goal.

That said, SEIU’s political team has determined that a message simply attacking Trump isn’t effective with its target audience, which includes a significant number of conservatives.

“We don’t want to get too caught up in the Trump bashing,” Peralta said. “Data shows people care about wages, and they care about health care across the board.”

The union also determined that it’s particularly effective to highlight Trump’s work to weaken labor unions and conditions for working-class Americans.

After campaigning for a higher minimum wage, Trump has done little to raise the federal minimum wage, which has been stuck at $7.25 for more than a decade. His administration has also taken steps to make it harder for new groups of workers to form unions. And labor officials have decried his appointments to the National Labor Relations Board and the Supreme Court, which dealt a huge blow to labor in 2018 by ruling that government workers no longer could be required to pay union fees.

When asked, Henry had little to say about the specific Democratic presidential contenders fighting for the chance to take on Trump. SEIU may endorse a candidate in the coming months, she said, but it has decided to stay out of the messy nomination fight for now.

“We’re trying to figure out, inside our union as we walk through Super Tuesday and through March, what do working people and our members think about the choice in the field,” Henry said.

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Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, “Ground Game.”

Above is from:  https://apnews.com/e3645cd1d3ac6d179e2defbc9542cbb4

Is Coronavirus a pandemic?

What Is a Pandemic? And Is the Coronavirus About to Become One?

Health officials have warned the globe to prepare for a pandemic after a spike in cases outside of China in Iran, Italy and South Korea.

By Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder, Staff Writer Feb. 26, 2020, at 3:44 p.m.

What Would a Coronavirus Pandemic Mean?

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A disinfection worker wearing protective gear and preparing to disinfect against the novel coronavirus in Daerim Central Market, a neighborhood with one of the largest Chinese populations, Feb. 5, 2020, in Seoul, South Korea.(CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAGES)

AN UPTICK IN coronavirus cases outside of China has health officials warning about the potential for it to become a pandemic.

Though World Health Organization officials on Monday assured the public that the virus – which causes a disease officially named COVID-19 – has not yet reached this level, many are wondering if the situation is close – and what it could mean.

What is a pandemic?

WHO defines a pandemic as the worldwide spread of a new disease. A determination of whether it has become one is based on a geographical distribution of the virus, the severity of the disease it causes and the impact it has on the whole society, according to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Photos: The Epicenter of Coronavirus

"For the moment, we are not witnessing the uncontained global spread of this virus, and we are not witnessing large scale severe disease or deaths," Tedros said.

The term "pandemic" comes from the Greek word "pandemos," which means "all of the people."

"So 'pandemos' is a concept where there's a belief that the whole world's population will likely be exposed to this infection and potentially a proportion of them fall sick," Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's health emergencies program, said Monday.

Health officials at this time are still calling the coronavirus an epidemic, which WHO defines as "the occurrence in a community or region of cases of an illness, specific health-related behaviour, or other health-related events clearly in excess of normal expectancy."

For example, WHO also considered the Ebola crisis across Western Africa from 2014-2016 an epidemic. More than 11,000 deaths were reported from Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, but that situation largely remained localized.

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The coronavirus is interchangeably called an outbreak, which is defined by WHO as "the occurrence of disease cases in excess of normal expectancy." That term is the same one WHO uses to describe the ongoing outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Is a coronavirus pandemic possible?

Despite the fact that the virus has spread to 37 countries, WHO officials have not said it is a pandemic yet. The organization previously declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. But it has stopped short of elevating the threat level and has been mindful about spreading panic.

"Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may cause fear," Tedros said, adding that it is "not the time to focus on what word we use."

Declaring a pandemic does not open up any funds or additional powers for WHO, which has said finance is low to fight the virus.

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"That will not prevent a single infection today or save a single life today," Tedros said.

The last time WHO declared a pandemic was in 2009 due to swine flu, which was estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of people.

What would a pandemic mean for Americans?

U.S. health officials said a pandemic is likely in the coronavirus' future.

"Current global circumstances suggest it's likely this virus will cause a pandemic," said Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC on Tuesday told Americans to prepare for "severe disruptions" to their daily lives because of the virus.

"It's not so much a question of if this will happen anymore but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness," said Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

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Meanwhile, cases outside of China in Iran, Italy and South Korea are rapidly increasing.

The coronavirus has killed more than 2,700 people and infected over 81,000 more. According to WHO, it has a 2-4% mortality rate in Wuhan, where the virus was first reported, and a 0.7% mortality rate outside of Wuhan.

WHO has maintained that the virus can still be contained if countries take the outbreak seriously.

"But if some fail, if some do not do everything that is needed, this can still become out of control with dramatic consequences in global health and in the global economy," United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday.

Above is from:  https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2020-02-26/what-is-a-pandemic-and-is-the-coronavirus-about-to-become-one

Question of police misconduct comes to Belvidere City Hall

13 Investigates report on alleged police misconduct in Belvidere sparks heated debate at city council

February 25, 202011:16 pm

Kristin Crowley13 INVESTIGATES,TOP STORIES

BELVIDERE (WREX) — Dozens of people showed up to Belvidere City Hall Monday night in response to a recent 13 Investigates special report.

That report detailed allegations of excessive force and misconduct within the police department. Two groups organized a demonstration for the city meeting, some in a show of support for officers, others in a show of support for alleged victims of police misconduct.

Those in support of police wore blue to show solidarity with the force. They filled nearly every seat in council chambers. Meanwhile, the other group filled the hallway, waiting to share their stores of alleged abuse at the hands of police.

"The physical abuse, the verbal abuse, All because of the way I look," said Antonio Sanchez.

"I have family here, I have a daughter here. I would just like peace of mind that the police are here to protect and serve me. Not harass me. Not make me feel scared," said Anthony Urban.

13 News asked multiple people who came out in support of police if they'd like to comment on camera. One person agreed.

"We need to join together and it makes me sad because Belvidere is a great town, and for you guys to feel hate or sadness or broken, it breaks my heart," said Magnolia Escamilla, who came to support Belvidere police.

With no plan on the agenda to talk about the police department, both sides came to a head outside council chambers. For hours they debated and argued a until Belvidere Police Chief Shane Woody stepped in.

"You wouldn't still be here if you didn't want to still have this conversation. Let's go back and have an open dialogue," said Woody.

While more than a dozen people had already left City Hall by this time, a large group still filled council chambers. And for the first time on camera, Chief Woody and Mayor Mike Chamberlain addressed the 13 Investigates report. Mayor Chamberlain said he completely supports the police department.

"We don't beat up people. We subdue them and take them to the ground so we can control the situation," he said.

"People believe they have rights to resist, to not comply. When that truly just isn't the case. That makes it more dangerous for you, for us," said Woody.

Chief Woody said he is committed to serving the people of Belvidere and listening to those who have problems with the force.

"I'm not the type of person that shies away from the knowledge that we may not be doing everything exactly the way we want to. And that's how you grow. That's how you get better," said Woody.

The nearly four-hour night ended civilly, even with a few hugs between both groups. But a solution to the issue dividing the groups is still unknown, and the question remains over what the next step is.

A Belvidere alderwoman said she was disturbed by what she saw in our 13 Investigates report. She wants the matter added to the city council agenda next week for formal discussion.

Kristin Crowley

Evening News Anchor
Kristin Crowley anchors the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. news. She is also a reporter for 13 Investigates. She brings more than a decade of experience to the newsroom. Her work at WREX has earned her multiple awards including a regional Edward R. Murrow for Investigative Journalism and three regional Emmys.

Above is from:  https://wrex.com/2020/02/25/13-investigates-report-on-alleged-police-misconduct-in-belvidere-sparks-heated-debate-at-city-council/