Esper says NY to get army 'soonest;' China will test vaccine for human use; HUD to suspend foreclosures, evictions; US Embassy near Iraq 'Green Zone' strike; + 'Take a hike'
NewsHero - March 18, 2020 - Issue 57
Welcome to today’s edition of NewsHero for March 18, 2020.
For the next two weeks, our newsletter will be made fully accessible to all readers. We hope you’ll take advantage of the resources provided here as we all do our best to absorb the continually developing information on the coronavirus crisis. Also, we hope you enjoy our usual take on happenings from around the globe, and consider joining up with us in the near future.
At NewsHero we put the heroes in the headlines and give them the attention in our coverage that they deserve. Here you’ll find the same high priority news, but you’ll get it without clickbait and it won’t be driven by ad sales. You’ll also get it with the focus on those who are helping, not causing harm.
Our heroes are identified as follows:
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - the hero, hands down. - Meaning that it wasn’t even a close call.
🦸♀️🦸♀️ - the hero, but… - Meaning that in this situation the call needed to be looked at in a little more detail. For example, in this case, they did the right thing but there have been some questionable calls in the past.
🦸♀️ - the hero, but only here, and it was a close call. - Meaning that in this instance they did the right thing but it was either out of character or a maddeningly close call.
We love feedback. Whether it’s about our choice of hero or anything else, feel free to let us know what you think here.
As always, thank you for your support as we strive to grow as an independent news source so we can offer more for our readers.
Please share us with anyone you think might like what we do—or might need another perspective.
Wishing you health and safety!
This March 2020 photo provided by researcher Daniel J. Field shows him holding a life-size 3D print of the Asteriornis maastrichtensis "Wonderchicken" skull in Cambridge, England. (Courtesy Daniel J. Field/University of Cambridge via AP)
NewsHero Notes
Paleontologists and scientists learning more about our past - 🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️
A tiny fossil skull nicknamed “Wonderchicken” is giving scientists a rare glimpse at early ancestors of today’s birds. It may be the oldest known fossil from this group. With a face like those of today’s chicken-like birds and a back portion like that of living duck-like birds, Wonderchicken is “down near the bottom of the modern-bird family tree,” said Daniel Field of Cambridge University. He and others announced the find in a report released today by the journal Nature. They named the creature Asteriornis maastrichtensis, but we prefer Wonderchicken.
Emergency response personnel - 🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️
Utah Emergency Management spokesman Joe Dougherty said there were no injuries reported in a 5.7-magnitude earthquake that shook millions of people across metro Salt Lake City at 7:09 a.m. today, closing Salt Lake City International Airport and damaging a spire and statue atop the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ iconic Salt Lake Temple. Though severe damage wasn’t expected in most structures, Dougherty said: “We’re hearing of lights falling down, bookcases falling down, we’ve heard of water lines breaking inside of buildings.” Gov. Gary Herbert warned people to stay away from downtown Salt Lake City while officials assess damage.
Afternoon Brief
U.S. military - 🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️
At least three rockets struck Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone near the American Embassy late Tuesday, a day after an attack on a training base south of Baghdad where U.S.-led coalition troops and NATO trainers were present, Iraqi security officials said. It was the fourth such attack in the span of a week.
At least three rockets struck the Green Zone, the seat of Iraq’s government and home to several foreign embassies, two Iraqi security officials said. Myles Caggins, spokesman for the coalition, said the rockets fell at least 1.2 miles from the embassy.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Journalists, CPJ - 🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️
Committee to Protect Journalists said today it is calling on Chinese authorities to “immediately suspend efforts to expel American journalists, cease retaliatory measures against U.S. media operations, and resolve differences with the United States through negotiations rather than attacks on the press.”
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Tuesday that all U.S. citizens working as journalists at The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and TheWashington Post whose press credentials end in 2020 would be required to surrender those credentials within 10 days, effectively forcing them to leave the country, CPJ reports.
Human Rights Watch, Ogossagou villagers - 🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️
Human Rights Watch said today that the Malian Army and the United Nations could have prevented an ethnic militia’s February 14, 2020 massacre of more than 35 Ogossagou villagers. HRW reports that The killings in the village of Ogossagou occurred hours after village leaders alerted government officials that the Malian army had vacated a post created following the March 23, 2019 massacre of 150 people in the same village, and an hour after a United Nations peacekeeper convoy had passed through.
“Ethnic militias who apparently have no fear of being held to account have once again murdered and mutilated dozens of civilians,” said Corinne Dufka, Sahel director at Human Rights Watch. “The second massacre in Ogossagou was especially horrendous because the Malian army and UN peacekeepers might have prevented it.” Dufka added, “The Malian authorities and parliament as well as the United Nations should investigate the role of the Malian army and UN peacekeepers, and take appropriate disciplinary action against anyone who was negligent in their duty to protect civilians in Ogossagou.”
Defense Secretary Says NY Will Get Army Corps Of Engineers ‘Soonest’
China to begin human safety tests of coronavirus vaccine
Members of the National Guard at the opening of a coronavirus mobile testing center in New Rochelle, N.Y. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
NewsHero is continuing to offer a compilation of stories and resources that best represent the current state of the coronavirus pandemic, centered on those individuals, institutions, and organizations stepping up to end this crisis as quickly and effectively as possible. The public, too, has a duty. This includes staying responsibly informed and taking the situation seriously, while remaining as cool-headed and as isolated as possible. These are strange and difficult times, but we will endure.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper in a Tuesday phone call with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pledged to deploy the Army Corps of Engineers to his state the “soonest” to help combat the coronavirus crisis, reported the NY Post. The defense secretary told Fox News host Bret Baier that Cuomo expressed interest in “getting the Corps of Engineers engaged” in New York to address the anticipated shortage in hospital beds as the outbreak continues to grow. “I gave him my full commitment that we would get the Corps of Engineers up there soonest, to assess the problem and see how we can help out,” said Esper.
China has given the go-ahead for researchers to begin human safety tests of an experimental coronavirus vaccine in the race to develop a shot against the COVID-19 epidemic that has killed more than 7,000 people worldwide. Researchers at China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences,—affiliated to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)—received approval to launch early-stage clinical trials of the potential vaccine starting this week, the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily reported on Tuesday. Scientists in the U.S. said on Monday that clinical trials had begun for a vaccine developed by its National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the U.S. biotech firm Moderna.
In an ambitious international collaboration, researchers have “mapped” proteins in the coronavirus and identified 50 drugs to test against it, The New York Times reports. A team of hundreds of scientists has identified 50 drugs that may be effective treatments for people infected with the coronavirus. Many scientists are seeking drugs that attack the virus itself. But the Quantitative Biosciences Institute Coronavirus Research Group, based at the University of California, San Francisco, is testing an unusual new approach, looking for drugs that shield proteins in our own cells that the coronavirus depends on to thrive and reproduce.
The Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 response center. (Kristina Barker for The New York Times)
A story from ProPublica tells of professor Weihong Tan, 59, an “example of the intellectual firepower fleeing the U.S. as a result of a Trump administration crackdown on university researchers with ties to China.” Tan left Florida in 2019 and moved to Hunan University in China where he now conducts research to quickly develop an easy test for COVID-19.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended Tuesday that people suffering coronavirus symptoms avoid taking ibuprofen after French officials warned that anti-inflammatory drugs could worsen the effects of the virus. The warning by French Health Minister Olivier Veran followed a recent study in The Lancet medical journal that hypothesized that an enzyme boosted by anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen could facilitate and worsen COVID-19 infections. Asked about the study, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva the UN health agency's experts were “looking into this to give further guidance.”
Donald Trump said today that the Department of Housing and Urban Development will temporarily suspend “all foreclosures and evictions” amid the coronavirus crisis, according to CNBC. That “immediate relief” for renters and homeowners will last through the end of April, Trump said during a press briefing at the White House.
An article from The New York Times notes how governors are taking center stage in responding to the coronavirus: “Governors of both parties have taken a lead role in confronting the crisis, asserting themselves in ways that have only highlighted the initial lack of seriousness from the White House.”
Coronavirus survivor Chris Gough took to Twitter to share his day-by-day symptoms and eventual recovery, providing a thorough resource for what it is like for one individual to deal with the illness.
And, as we often do, we want to offer here the latest edition of the Corona Daily newsletter—it’s a good one to subscribe to if you’re interested.
Extra! Extra!
Yesterday here we were talking about what it might mean to different people to spend time at home wisely. An article from the Los Angeles Times was a good reminder that it doesn’t have to be all about the indoors.
“L.A. hiking trails are at their best right now and provide a healthy option for staying fit, refreshed and sane in these housebound times. With the recent rains, wildflowers will be popping, trails will be soft, even the creeks will be flowing,” the article said, adding “Medical experts give a thumbs-up to getting out there as long as COVID-19 precautions are followed.”
Depending on where you are and what the weather is like, consider getting some fresh air if you’re up for it. There aren’t a lot of wildflowers popping where we are (that we know of) but the weather is decent and the parks are rather quiet. Remember to keep your distance from others—the current recommendation is six feet apart.
“Dr. Russell Buhr, a pulmonary and critical care physician at UCLA Health, said that when it comes to hiking and biking outdoors, ‘the more space you put between yourself and others, the safer you are.’”
As for hiking, it’s suggested that you use wide roads and paths, tell others where you’re going, take water, carry a cell phone, and go out early or late to avoid the most interaction with others.
Sources:
Headline - Source/Link (Style Heading 6)
‘Wonderchicken’ fossil reveals ancestor of today’s birds - AP News
5.7-magnitude quake shakes Utah, Salt Lake airport closed - AP News
Iraqi officials say rockets strike Baghdad’s Green Zone - Politico
Baghdad's Green Zone hits with rockets near US Embassy, officials say - Fox News
Rockets strike Baghdad's Green Zone, fourth attack in days - Al Jazeera
China expels at least 13 US journalists in retaliatory move - CPJ
China to expel New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post reporters - CNN
China to expel American reporters after US curbs its media - AP News
Mali: Army, UN Fail to Stop Massacre - Human Rights Watch
Mali violence escalates as peace accords crumble - Financial Times
Mali army struggles against fastest-growing Islamist revolt - The Independent
Now that I am recovering from Covid-19 - Chris Gough, Twitter
China gives go-ahead for human trials of potential COVID-19 vaccine: state media - Reuters
WHO Now Officially Recommends to Avoid Taking Ibuprofen For COVID-19 Symptoms - Science Alert
Feds will deploy Army Corps of Engineers to NY first, Mark Esper says - NY Post
Once Political B-Listers, Governors Lead Nation’s Coronavirus Response - NY Times
Trump says HUD will suspend foreclosures and evictions until end of April amid coronavirus response - CNBC
Hundreds of Scientists Scramble to Find a Coronavirus Treatment - NY Times
The Trump Administration Drove Him Back to China, Where He Invented a Fast Coronavirus Test - ProPublica
In times like these - Jason Fried, Twitter
Together at home - Corona Daily
Is it safe to hike Runyon Canyon? Or work out at the gym? - LA Times
