- American medical experts are urging political leaders to shut down the United States to contain the pandemic after the country surpassed 4 million Covid-19 cases.
- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US's top infectious disease expert, said the Center for Disease Control has put "a sound set of guidelines" on how to reopen schools safely this fall.
- Fast food outlets McDonald's and Chipotle will soon require customers in the US to wear masks or other face coverings as cases of Covid-19 surge nationwide.
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From CNN’s Danielle Wiener-Bronner People wear face masks outside a McDonald's in Brooklyn, New York, in late June. Noam Galai/Getty Images McDonald's and Chipotle announced they would soon require customers to wear masks or other face coverings as cases of Covid-19 surge across the United States.
McDonald's announced Friday that starting August 1, customers who walk into its restaurants will have to wear face coverings. Chipotle's mask requirement was effective Friday, and signage has been put up at restaurants to let people know about the policy, a spokesperson told CNN Business. The moves follow similar policies from major restaurant chains and retailers, including Starbucks, Panera, Walmart and Kroger. McDonald's said that about 80% of its restaurants are in areas that already require face coverings. But "it's important we protect the safety of all employees and customers," the company said in a statement. It's also anticipating that some customers might not like the new rule. "In those situations where a customer declines to wear a face covering, we'll put in place additional procedures to take care of them in a friendly, expedited way," McDonald's said, adding that that employees will be trained "to ensure they are prepared to address this new policy in a friendly and positive way." Customers who enter a McDonald's location without a mask will be offered one by an employee. If they refuse to wear it, they'll be asked to stand at a designated spot, away from other customers, where they'll receive their orders. McDonald's also said Friday that it is continuing its pause on reopening dining rooms for another 30 days. From CNN's Jacqueline Howard Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies at a Senate subcommittee hearing earlier this month. Graeme Jennings/Pool/Getty Images Guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on education and childcare during the coronavirus pandemic were put out with the intent to help schools reopen this fall, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said during a phone call with reporters on Friday.
"Recently, we issued our overall guidelines for reopening schools and what this is a series of additional resource documents and consideration documents to really help put some more granular detail to how administrators and parents can begin to think about operating and putting those guidelines into a practice plan," Redfield said. The CDC director continued: "They’re all put out with the intent to help facilitate, as was mentioned earlier, the reopening of schools for face-to-face learning. They’re not really put out there to be a rationale to somehow keep schools closed. But again, we're prepared to work with each jurisdiction." From CNN's Lauren Koenig and Alison Main Office of Mayor Bowser Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she is issuing a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine order for people returning from high-risk areas outside of the district.
Starting Monday, anyone coming into the district who is not traveling for essential activity will be required to quarantine for 14 days. DC health will publish a list of high-risk locations every two weeks. The order excludes Maryland and Virginia. High-risk areas are considered to be locations where the seven-day moving average of daily new Covid-19 cases is 10 or more per 100,000 people. The order will last until Oct. 9 when the current public health emergency declaration expires. Both can be extended or cut short depending on the need. Bowser said universities in Washington will be required to maintain lists of students who traveled from high-risk areas and these students must self-quarantine on campus or in off-campus housing when they return. On Friday, the district reported 78 new cases of Covid-19 and no new deaths related to the virus. From CNN’s Ganesh Setty Vermont Gov. Phil Scott holds a news conference on Friday. ORCA Media The state of Vermont will have a mask mandate starting Aug. 1 for both indoor and outdoor activities where social distancing is not possible, Republican Gov. Phil Scott announced during a news conference today.
Pointing to rising Covid-19 cases in the Sun Belt and data suggesting that the virus is inching toward the northeast again, the governor said he signed the order to protect the gains that the state had already made thus far. “I want to ensure you while these trends and projections are concerning, we’re still in very good shape as a state. But it is time to prepare. Rather than waiting like other states have, until it’s too late, I feel we need to act now to protect our gains, which has allowed us to protect our economy,” he said. The order applies to everyone above the age of two, with some exceptions for those eating or drinking, engaging in strenuous physical activity like exercise and for those who have medical condition complicated by facial coverings, said Scott. Those with a medical condition do not need to provide documentation due to privacy concerns, added the governor, conceding that the mandate will be difficult to enforce. Business will be required to notify customers of the policy through signage and will be allowed to refuse service to customers refusing to wear a mask, explained Scott. “Unfortunately this issue has become polarized, and I am still worried that a mandate will create conflict and resistance,” said Scott. From CNN International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain is pictured in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 22. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images The head of the Red Cross has warned in an interview with the AFP news agency that the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic could lead to huge new waves of migration.
Jagan Chapagain, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said many people in poverty faced the desperate choice of risking exposure to the virus or going hungry. “Increasingly we are seeing in many countries the impacts on the livelihoods and the food situation,” he said in Geneva late Wednesday. “What we hear is that many people who are losing livelihoods, once the borders start opening, will feel compelled to move,” he said. “We should not be surprised if there is a massive impact on migration in the coming months and years.” Chapagain, from Nepal, told AFP that more migration driven by desperation could result in more tragedies, such as deaths at sea. He said there was an economic as well as moral imperative to help those most in need. “The cost of supporting the migrants, during the transit and of course when they reach the country of destination, is much more than supporting people in their livelihoods, education, health needs in their own country,” he said. He also warned that inequalities in access to healthcare could prompt further migration. “People could feel that there is a better chance of survival on the other side of the sea,” he said, adding that another major factor would be “the availability of vaccines.” “If people see that the vaccine is say, for example, available in Europe but not in Africa, what happens? People want to go to a place where vaccines are available,” Chapagain said. He condemned efforts by some countries to secure vaccine supplies for their own people first. “The virus crosses the border, so it is pretty short-sighted to think that I vaccinate my people but leave everybody else without vaccination, and we will still be safe,” he said. “It simply doesn’t make sense.” By Ben Westcott, Helen Regan, Laura Smith-Spark, Ed Upright and Meg Wagner, CNN Updated 8:32 AM ET, Fri July 24, 2020 What you need to know
China orders US to close Chengdu consulate in apparent retaliation for Houston shutdown order7/24/2020 Beijing had promised to retaliate over a US order that it close its Houston consulate China on Friday ordered the closure of the U.S. consulate in the western city of Chengdu in Sichuan Province, apparent retaliation for the Trump administration closing China’s Houston consulate over accusations of espionage. “The measure taken by China is a legitimate and necessary response to the unjustified act by the United States,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. “The current situation in Chinese-U.S. relations is not what China desires to see. The United States is responsible for all this,” the ministry said. “We once again urge the United States to immediately retract its wrong decision and create necessary conditions for bringing the bilateral relationship back on track.” The Trump administration says Chinese agents within the Texas consulate had been attempting to steal scientific data from facilities in the state, including the Texas A&M medical system. After the order to close the Houston consulate, a State Department spokesperson said the U.S. "will not tolerate the PRC’s violations of our sovereignty and intimidation of our people, just as we have not tolerated the PRC’s unfair trade practices, theft of American jobs, and other egregious behavior. President Trump insists on fairness and reciprocity in U.S.-China relations." The Chinese Embassy in Washington said in a statement: “The U.S. accusations are groundless fabrications,” according to The New York Times. Beijing on Wednesday promised to retaliate over the order to close its Houston consulate by the end of the week, calling the decision an “unprecedented escalation.” CHINA THREATENS RETALIATION AFTER US ORDERS CLOSURE OF HOUSTON CONSULATE “China demands the U.S. revoke the wrong decision. If the U.S. went ahead, China would take necessary countermeasures,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin gestures for questions during a daily briefing in Beijing Thursday, July 23, 2020. China ordered the United States on Friday, July 24, 2020 to close its consulate in the western city of Chengdu, ratcheting up a diplomatic conflict at a time when relations have sunk to their lowest level in decades. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) The consulate closures and spying accusations come amid heightened tensions between the two countries over trade, the coronavirus and Hong Kong.
The Trump administration has also put restrictions on visas for some Chinese journalists and canceled visas for Chinese graduate students with ties to military schools. China also expelled U.S. journalists from three major newspapers earlier this year, according to The Times. Just hours before China ordered the closure, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a speech, “If we want to have a free 21st century and not the Chinese century of which Xi Jinping dreams, the old paradigm of blind engagement with China simply won’t get it done,” The Times reported. The U.S. Justice Department Thursday said it believes a Chinese researcher at the University of California, Davis, accused of hiding her ties to the military is taking refuge in the Chinese consulate in San Francisco. The department has announced criminal charges of visa fraud against Tang Juan and three other Chinese researchers. U.S. authorities this week announced criminal charges against two Chinese computer hackers who are accused of targeting companies that are working on vaccines for the coronavirus. The United States has an embassy in Beijing and consulates in five other mainland cities — Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenyang and Wuhan. It also has a consulate in Hong Kong, a Chinese territory. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Chris Fox, CP24.com Published Thursday, July 23, 2020 10:50AM EDT Last Updated Thursday, July 23, 2020 2:45PM EDT A ground-breaking ceremony for a new building planned for the city’s waterfront came to an abrupt end on Thursday morning after a group of protesters showed up and demanded that Mayor John Tory take immediate action to protect tenants from eviction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The province banned residential evictions at the outset of the pandemic in March but that prohibition is expected to come to an end once the provincial state of emergency expires later this month, causing some renters to worry that their landlords will quickly move to evict them over unpaid rent. On Thursday Tory was delivering remarks at an event to mark the beginning of construction on a new sustainable building near Queen’s Quay and Parliament Street when dozens of protesters carrying signs and a megaphone showed up and demanded that he use his emergency powers to implement a city-wide ban on residential evictions to replace the provincial order. A group of protesters are shown flanking Mayor John Tory during a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday morning Initially, Tory told the protesters that he would be happy to speak with them once he concluded his remarks but after they continued to interrupt the event, things got tense.
First one of the protesters made reference to Tory’s “million dollar condo,” prompting Tory to say “the longer you talk about this sort of thing the more you are going to lose credibility.” Then after they continued to interrupt him, he said that he would not allow them to “decide on the timing of when we speak to things” when he had already agreed to answer their questions and attempted to resume his remarks. When he was interrupted yet again, he accused the protesters of being the same group that attempted to force their way inside his Bloor Street condominium during another protest earlier this month and walked off the stage. Tory has previously said that he felt as though that demonstration crossed a line and left some of his neighbours “afraid” and “unnerved.” “You are people that come and engage in violent activity in front of my home. Violent activity in front of my home. Alright here we go,” Tory said before abruptly walking off without completing his remarks. Announcement planned for next week on what the coming school year could look like: LecceVolume 90%7/24/2020 Chris Fox, CP24.com Published Thursday, July 23, 2020 7:36AM EDT Last Updated Thursday, July 23, 2020 8:18PM EDT Education Minister Stephen Lecce says that the government is “finalizing the health protocols” for the resumption of school in September and that an announcement could be coming as soon as next week on what it will look like. Back in June the Ford government asked school boards to prepare three separate plans for the resumption of classes – online learning only, a hybrid model with children attending classes in-person on alternating days or weeks and the fulltime resumption of in-person instruction. The boards still have until Aug. 4 to submit those plans but Lecce revealed on Thursday that an announcement could be coming before then on the various regulations and rules that schools will have to follow. Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce speaks at press availability alongside Premier Doug Ford at a school in Brampton, Ont., on Thursday July 23, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young A spokesperson for the education minister later clarified to CP24 that the announcement will pertain to “consistent standards” that will be put in place at schools across Ontario on things like seating arrangements and the wearing of masks.
The decision as to which model a particular board follows will still be left with local public health officials, the spokesperson said. “We are finalizing the health protocols and working very closely with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and some of the best pediatric minds in the nation that are informing the plan,” Lecce said during a press conference in Brampton. “We believe we will be able to unveil it next week. That will include additional supports and resources to enable our boards to succeed.” Lecce initially said that individual school boards would be able to choose which plan they want to follow based on the risk posed by COVID-19 to their communities. Premier Doug Ford has since said that he wants students to return to school fulltime in September provided it is safe to do so. Yesterday, Ford said the public should be open to unorthodox ideas to keep kids safe, such as holding class outdoors. “The premier and the government continue to be focused on a safe, conventional, day-to-day return to school,” Lecce said Thursday. “Maybe a new conventional where kids still can go to school five days a week.” It should be noted that a number of school boards have previously said that any resumption of full-time classes, five days per week, will carry a cost due to the need to limit class sizes. The Toronto District School Board, for instance, says that if it were to cohort all elementary students in groups of 15 and keep days the same length as before it would need to hire nearly 2,500 new teachers at a cost of $249 million. In a statement provided to CP24 on Thursday afternoon, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association said that it has seen “no indication the government has any plan to make the significant investments that would be necessary for schools to reopen safely" in the fall. The association, which represents 45,000 education staff, said that there will need to be “smaller class sizes” not to mention “proper screening protocols” and “personal protective equipment for all students and staff.” "That has been a significant piece that's been missing as to how these processes are going to be protocols are going to be funded," OECTA President Liz Stuart said in an interview with CP24. "But not only that, it's providing that leadership that has been lacking and that clear direction about what is expected in terms of safety and health for students and staff, as we return to schools in September. That's been a little vague." It says that while the Ford government’s “agenda seems to change from day to day,” the thing that has remained constant is the lack of answers on those “pressing” issues. Meanwhile, in a separate statement the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario accused the Ford government of refusing to provide “sufficient emergency funding to ensure a safe return to school” in the fall. “Without this emergency funding, we are sending students and educators into a work and learning environment where safety is not assured. This scenario suggests that the government priorities for restarting the economy are greater than protecting the province’s children, educators, parents and their communities,” the statement reads. The Ford government has said in the past that it is already increasing the funding it gives to school boards with the TDSB in line to receive an additional $55 million this year. About $23 million of that is set aside to hire new teachers. A person makes their way into GoodLife Fitness in downtown Ottawa on Friday, July 17, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Codi Wilson, Web Content Writer, CP24 Published Friday, July 24, 2020 5:45AM EDT Last Updated Friday, July 24, 2020 6:37AM EDT Most regions in Ontario are entering the final stage of the province’s reopening plan today, including parts of the Greater Toronto Area.
The regions of York, Durham, and Halton are advancing to Stage 3 this morning, allowing municipalities to reopen many additional businesses, including gyms, spas, and movie theatres. Indoor dining can also now resume at bars and restaurants and the size of gatherings can increase to 50 indoors and 100 outdoors as part of Stage 3. Toronto and Peel Region will remain in Stage 2 until at least next week. While many are eager to see more businesses reopen, some GTA mayors have expressed concern over the risk associated with reopening of some indoor spaces. Toronto Mayor John Tory and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown have both called for stricter rules for bars and indoor dining, including earlier closing times and further capacity limits. The Ontario Medical Association has asked the province to reconsider reopening bars indefinitely due to the risk associated with transmission indoors as some cities have experienced clusters of infections associated with indoor dining. Premier Doug Ford has indicated that any additional measures for bars and restaurants would be the responsibility of local public health officials. Apartments and condos are seen in Toronto, Ont., on April 24, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Lars Hagberg Chris Fox, CP24.com Published Wednesday, July 22, 2020 4:56PM EDT Mayor John Tory says that he will have “no hesitation” to issue some sort of bylaw making masks mandatory in common areas of residential buildings if the city doesn’t get “adequate cooperation” from landlords.
Masks have been mandatory in all indoor public settings in Toronto since July 7 but the rules applying to private property are more haphazard. For instance, the bylaw adopted by the city earlier this month requires stores and other places that the public can access to enforce the requirement for masks but it does not apply to common areas within residential buildings, such as lobbies and elevators. Tory, however, has been trying to convince individual landlords to implement their own policies and wrote to the Greater Toronto Apartment Association earlier this week to make the request. Speaking with reporters during his biweekly briefing at city hall on Wednesday, Tory said that the city seems to be getting good cooperation from building owners so far but he said that he has not ruled out trying to implement some sort of bylaw if some buildings refuse to implement policies on mask use. “I think given the concern that I have heard expressed about this from tenants across the city and given the fact that we showed no hesitation after careful consideration to put a bylaw in place that deals with wearing face coverings on transit and in public indoor spaces then if we don’t see voluntary cooperation when it comes to private property (that we want), we will have no hesitation to move forward and do whatever we can by way of a bylaw,” he said. The city has already created signage that building operators can display in common areas to inform residents and visitors about the need to wear masks. It has also issued a formal recommendation that buildings implement policies with the support of Medical Officer of Health Eileen de Villa. On Wednesday, Tory said that he has been “hesitant” to implement a bylaw to date “because it is better if the people who own the property do that” but he said that it is always an option, even if the city’s “legislative options are somewhat more limited” when it comes to private property. Any bylaw, it should be noted, would have to be approved by city council. “If we don’t’ get adequate cooperation then certainly we will have the opportunity to look at a bylaw in this area,” Tory said. The Chinese consulate in San Francisco is harboring a biology researcher who falsely denied connections to the Chinese military to obtain a visa and gain access to the country, according to court documents filed by the FBI. The filing came as part of a document that cited a slew of other episodes in which Chinese nationals allegedly lied on their visa applications by hiding their military connections. Tang Juan, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, stated on her J-1 visa application that she "had never served in the military, but open source investigation revealed photographs of her in the uniform of the Civilian Cadre of the PLA [People's Liberation Army], and that she had been employed as a researcher at the Air Force Military Medical University, which is another name for FMMU [Fourth Military Medical University]," the FBI claimed. Then, during an interview with FBI agents on June 20, Tang "denied serving in the Chinese military, claimed she did not know the meaning of the insignia on her uniform, and that wearing a military uniform was required for attendance at FMMU because it was a military school." The FBI revealed it then executed a search warrant immediately at Tang's home and found additional evidence of Tang’s PLA affiliation. "The FBI assesses that, at some point following the search and interview of Tang on June 20, 2020, Tang went to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco, where the FBI assesses she has remained," the bureau announced. There existed evidence in at least one case "of a military scientist copying or stealing information from American institutions at the direction of military superiors in China," the bureau went on. The court documents contained similar evidence against several other Chinese scientists. Chen Song, for example, was an "active duty People's Liberation Army military scientist who lied to get into the United States, attempted to destroy evidence and lied extensively to the FBI when interviewed," the government wrote in charging documents. "Defendant’s case is not an isolated one, but instead appears to be part of a program conducted by the PLA—and specifically, FMMU or associated institutions—to send military scientists to the United States on false pretenses with false covers or false statements about their true employment," the FBI said, referring to Chen Song. Another case involves a suspected spy working for UCSF. Meanwhile, the United States ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, escalating tensions between the world’s largest economies as President Trump has ramped up punitive measures against China ahead of the November U.S. election. Beijing denounced the order Wednesday as "outrageous" and claimed it would draw a firm response if not reversed. The physical closure of the consulate, one of China's six missions in the United States, marked a dramatic step in increasingly contentious relations that have been strained not only by the coronavirus pandemic but also by disputes over trade, human rights, Hong Kong and Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. CHINA THREATENS RETALIATION AFTER U.S. CLOSES EMBASSY Previous Trump administration measures against Chinese officials, students and researchers have included travel bans, registration requirements and other steps intended to reduce the country's footprint in the United States. The administration also has announced its outright rejection of virtually all Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea. These actions have come as Trump has sought to blame China for the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., where cases have soared. Trump himself said more closures could be coming if China didn't change its behavior. "It's always possible," he told reporters at the White House. The Chinese Consulate General in Houston. Police and fire officials there responded to reports that documents were being burned in the courtyard of the consulate Tuesday night, according to the Houston Police Department. (AP Photo/John Mone) The State Department announced it ordered the consulate closed within 72 hours after alleging that Chinese agents have tried to steal data from facilities in Texas, including the Texas A&M medical system statewide and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
There were indications consulate staff were preparing to leave: Papers were being burned on the consulate grounds late Tuesday night — a common practice when a diplomatic post is being shuttered on short notice. Cai Wei, the Chinese consul general, told KTRK-TV in Houston the order to shut down was "quite wrong" and "very damaging" to U.S.-China relations. Asked about accusations of espionage and stealing data, Cai said, "You have to give some evidence, say something from the facts. ... Knowing Americans, you have the rule of law, you are not guilty until you are proved guilty." State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement that the closure was "to protect American intellectual property and Americans' private information." Despite accusations of human rights violations, Beijing is in charge of free speech appointments Despite long being under a cloud of controversy for its human rights record – from the treatment of ethnic minorities to the muzzling of critics, all of which was amplified in the past year – China continues to climb the ranks as a human rights leader in the United Nations. On April 1, it was no fool's trick that China scored a spot on the U.N.'s Human Rights Council panel, which is in charge of choosing human rights monitors globally. Then on April 27, in the throes of a controversy over its handling of the coronavirus and its questionable relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO), China was appointed chair for selecting the upcoming Special Rapporteur, or "U.N. expert on free speech." That selection was announced this week — the Chinese Communist Party named Bangladeshi-born attorney Irene Khan, who has become something of a controversial figure in recent years for her support of the Beijing leadership. Allee des Nations (Avenue of Nations) of the United Nations Palace in Geneva, with the flags of the member countries. Yet despite accusations of widespread human rights violations, China continues to ascend in the international body founded on principles of justice, peace and accountability.
"The U.N. is often an upside-down parallel universe. The election process and governance structure of organizations like the Human Rights Council make it easily susceptible to exploitation by China and other U.S. adversaries," Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) told Fox News. "We need a proactive diplomatic campaign to delegitimize and degrade the organization while establishing credible, alternative mechanisms to hold human rights abusers accountable." POMPEO SAYS UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL HITS 'NEW LOW' WITH ANTI-US RESOLUTION ON RACE, POLICE According to Hillel Neuer, the executive director of the Geneva-based, independent human rights organization U.N. Watch, Khan "enjoys close ties with the Communist regime" and has "showered praise for the Chinese regime" and its Belt and Road Initiative, which is considered one of the factors fueling the persecution of minorities like the Uighurs. In addition, Khan is said to have lauded China's "contribution to global sustainable development" through a $1 trillion infrastructure program tailored to increase its reach and ownership of strategic places and organizations in at least 70 countries. Khan – whose appointment as Special Rapporteur will go into effect next month – served as Secretary-General of Amnesty International from 2001 to 2009, and left under unclear circumstances. Throughout her tenure, critics accused Khan of redirecting the human rights watchdog into fighting poverty and away from its original mandate centered on advocacy for prisoners of conscience. In 2011, she went on to become director-general of the Rome-based International Development Law Organization, which focuses on the rule of law and sustainable development, of which China is one of the eight state financiers. "[Khan] has a record of being a supporter of economic and social rights over political and civil liberties," noted Sean Roberts, director and associate professor of International Development Studies at the George Washington University. "As such, it is likely that China is banking on the idea that she will continue this legacy at the U.N. and avoid highlighting freedom of speech issues related to the internal politics of any given country, including China." As chair of the five-nation Human Rights Council, which the U.S. withdrew from in 2018 at the behest of then-Ambassador Nikki Haley, China vetted and picked Khan out of 48 applicants to serve as the United Nations Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression and opinion, becoming the first woman to hold such a title. "The Chinese government has been working hard to be a participant in as many of the U.N.'s initiatives as possible, both in terms of funding and engagement. At the same time, the United States is increasingly stepping back from the U.N., allowing China to take on an even greater role," Roberts underscored. "And China's soft power globally, especially in the developing world, is on the rise at the same time as that of the U.S. is on the wane. Thus, China is able to get support from a lot of other U.N. member states to achieve its goals of more authority in the U.N." Roberts cautioned that while the U.N. "has never been effective enough to live up to its lofty mission," it remains a dominant force in global politics. "If the U.S. continues to retreat from its role in the organization and allows China to expand its power there, China's position as a global leader will inevitably be enhanced regardless of its respect for human rights," he said. "Most of all, this threatens to deteriorate any power that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights still holds in the world." The State Department said the directive was issued 'to protect American intellectual property' China on Wednesday condemned what it called an “unprecedented escalation" by the United States and threatened to retaliate after it was ordered to close the Chinese consulate in Houston. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a daily news briefing that the government had been told without warning Tuesday to close the consulate. He said the consulate had been operating normally Tuesday and called the reported move an “unprecedented escalation," the South China Morning Post reported. “China demands the U.S. revoke the wrong decision. If the U.S. went ahead, China would take necessary countermeasures,” Wang said. A firetruck is positioned outside the Chinese Consulate Wednesday, July 22, 2020, in Houston. Authorities responded to reports of a fire at the consulate. Witnesses said that people were burning paper in what appeared to be trash cans, according to police. China says the U.S. has ordered it to close its consulate in Houston in what it called a provocation that violates international law. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) In a statement sent to Fox News, State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus confirmed the directive and said it was issued "to protect American intellectual property and Americans' private information.”
The U.S. "will not tolerate the PRC’s violations of our sovereignty and intimidation of our people, just as we have not tolerated the PRC’s unfair trade practices, theft of American jobs, and other egregious behavior," she added. "President Trump insists on fairness and reciprocity in U.S.-China relations." Documents were burned inside the consulate’s courtyard Tuesday evening, KPRC-TV in Houston reported. "You could just smell the paper burning,” a witness told the station. “But, all the firefighters were just surrounding the building. They couldn’t go inside.” "The US asked China to close Consulate General in Houston in 72 hours. This is a crazy move," Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times wrote on Twitter. KPRC reported that the consulate was ordered to close by Friday along with a compound where many consulate employees live, citing police sources. Beijing called the eviction a violation of international law, according to Reuters. The Associated Press contributed to this report. China flooding leaves thousands trapped after levees fail, another dam at risk of breaking7/23/2020 At least 141 people have died or are missing in flooding since the beginning of June More than 10,000 people are trapped in a town in eastern China as flooding across much of the country renews pressure on dams. The provincial government in Anhui province said online that on Sunday floodwaters breached levees protecting the town of Guzen and left area residents trapped. Wang Qingjun, Guzhen’s Communist Party secretary, told the official Xinhua News Agency that floodwater rose as high as 10 feet in the region. CHINA FLOODING DEATH TOLL RISES AS SURGING WATERS TRIGGER NEW ALERTS, DAM BLASTED State media outlets reported that around 1,500 firefighters rushed to rescue those in the province, where weeks of heavy rain have disrupted the lives of more than 3 million people. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, an aerial photo shows the extent of flooding in Guzhen Town of Lu'an City in eastern China's Anhui Province on July 20. (Tang Yang/Xinhua via AP) In central China's Hubei Province, local governments urged residents to prepare for evacuations due to a growing risk of dams that may break.
The Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture government said a landslide along the Qingjiang River increased the threat of dam failure there, according to the Global Times. China’s Meteorological Administration warned that more heavy rain along the Yellow River and Huai River is expected over the next three days. In Jiangxi province, 45-year-old Xu Yongxiang told China Youth Daily his village of Liufang had been without running water or electricity for almost a week. “We do not have 1 inch of dry ground. It has all been flooded," he said online. DEVASTATING CHINA FLOODING PUTS CONTROVERSIAL THREE GORGES DAM UNDER NEW SCRUTINY Last week, the controversial Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze opened three floodgates as the water level behind the massive dam rose more than 50 feet above flood level. Additional rainfall is putting renewed pressure on the dam, which straddles the mighty Yangtze River. From CNN's Stefano Pozzebon in Bogota, Colombia Dr. Adriana Coronel attends to a Covid-19 patient at the Eurnekian Ezeiza Hospital on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Tuesday, July 14. Natacha Pisarenko/AP Argentina saw another record daily increase of new coronavirus cases Wednesday, according to its Health Ministry.
The ministry reported 5,782 newly confirmed cases, topping Tuesday's record of 5,344 new cases. Argentina's total confirmed cases stands at 141,900. The ministry also reported 98 new deaths from the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing its death toll to 2,588. From journalist Karol Suarez in Mexico City A laboratory worker takes a sample of a person at a Covid-19 drive-thru test center in Tijuana, Baja California State, Mexico, on July 21. Guillermo Arias/AFP/Getty Images Mexico's Health Ministry reported 6,019 new Covid-19 cases Wednesday, bringing the country's total to 362,274.
Mexico has consistently reported 5,000 cases or more every day for the past eight days. The ministry also reported 790 new deaths from the virus, bringing its death toll to 41,190. Mexico holds the fourth highest death toll from the virus worldwide, trailing the UK where the death toll is 45,586, according to Johns Hopkins University. By Ben Westcott, Brad Lendon, Zamira Rahim and Ed Upright, CNN Updated 5:39 AM ET, Thu July 23, 2020 What you need to know
From CNN Health’s Naomi Thomas Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar listens during a Covid-19 media conference in Rockville, Maryland, on June 30. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Any Covid-19 vaccine that is sponsored by the government will be free or affordable for Americans, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on CNBC Wednesday.
“For any vaccine that we have bought – so for instance the Pfizer vaccine – those hundred million doses would actually be acquired by the US government, then given for free to Americans,” Azar said. He said it was the same with the AstraZeneca and the Novovax vaccine, and they continue to be in discussion about the others. “We will ensure that any vaccine that we’re involved in sponsoring is either free to the American people or is affordable,” Azar said. |
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