upi--2020-02-16--Coronavirus: Cruise ship evacuations begin; detail toll rises to 1,670

Feb. 16 ( UPI ) -- The death toll from the coronavirus rose to 1,670 Sunday as evacuations began overnight from a cruise ship that had been quarantined in Japan with 356 confirmed cases of the infection .
The Chinese National Health Commission reported 1,665 deaths in mainland China , which is an increase of 142 deaths from the day before .
Taiwan reported its first death Saturday and the other fatalities were in Hong Kong , Japan , France and the Philippines .
The first death was reported on Jan. 11 in Wuhan , the epicenter of coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases , including 68,500 in mainland China .
Hubei Province , which includes Wuhan , had 56,249 cases .
On Jan. 25 , there were 1,985 cases in China .
The number of confirmed cases in the United States is 15 , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday .
The largest number of coronavirus cases outside mainland China are aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship , which has been docked off the Japanese port city of Yokohama , south of Tokyo , since Feb 3 .
About 3,600 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 confirmed cases were announced Saturday .
The quarantine period is scheduled to end Wednesday .
`` It 's like a prison sentence for something I did not do , '' Karey Mansicalco told CNN from her cabin .
`` They are holding us hostage for absolutely no reason . ''
Mansicalco is among 400 Americans without the infection who will be flown on planes chartered by the U.S. government with Kalitta Air .
Of the U.S. passengers , 46 have tested positive for the virus , and they will have to remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jets landed in Tokyo at Haneda Airport late Sunday .
American passenger Matthew Smith reported the evacuation process was underway at 9 p.m. local time with buses to take them to the airport .
Buses were escorted by a police convoy .
`` The fleet of coaches -- 11 in all it appears -- lined up to 'save ' the Americans , '' Smith posted on Twitter .
`` An American woman -- who last night could be heard shouting , 'Get me off this ship ' -- stands on her balcony chanting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in contravention of the rules of quarantine , she 's not wearing a face mask , & she 's talking with a passenger on the adjacent balcony well within 6 feet of each other .
We scurry back inside .
If there are secondary infections onboard , this is why : idiots who do n't know any better .
And you wanted me to get on a bus with her ? ''
On Saturday , the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo sent a notice to Americans on board the Diamond Princess that details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States , there will be another 14 days of mandatory quarantine at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield , Calif. , or Lackland Air Force Base near San Antoni .
Anyone who chose not to get on the flight would have to wait another 14 days in Japan .
Americans will not be charged for the charter flight but will be responsible for travel to their homes from the quarantine sites .
Immediate family members who are not U.S. citizens will also be accommodated on these flights .
On Wednesday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who remain on board for the virus .
`` From tragedy to comedy to farce , '' Smith earlier tweeted .
`` The US government instead wants to take us off without testing , fly us back to the US with a bunch of other untested people , and then stick us in 2 more weeks of quarantine ?
How does that make any sense at all ?
Other nations have announced plans to evacuate passengers .
On Saturday , Canada said it chartered a plane to evacuate its citizens from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left the ship , crew members face another 14-day quarantine .
Princess Cruises announced Sunday it would cancel voyages aboard the ship for three months .
`` Based on the prolonged quarantine period , and the anticipated time to prepare the ship to return to service , we unfortunately must cancel additional Diamond Princess voyages through the April 20 voyage , '' the cruise line posted on Twitter .
Another cruise ship had been docked in Cambodia because of coronavirus fears .
The company that owns the Westerdam cruise ship , which docked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its disembarked passengers has tested positive for the novel coronavirus .
On Monday , all 2,257 passengers and crew on board Westerdam were screened for illness and no individual was identified with an elevated temperature , Holland American cruise line said .
But on Sunday , the company acknowledged one of its disembarked passengers tested positive for the virus .
The Chinese agency reported 2,009 cases of confirmed infections , 1,918 cases of suspected infections and 219 new serious cases .
A total of 1,323 patients were released from hospitals after being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had close contact with infected patients were freed from medical observation .
So far , 529,418 people have been identified as having had close contact with infected patients with 158,764 under medical observation .
On Saturday , a 60-year-old man died of complications from pneumonia and septicaemia , Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said .
`` The man had not traveled abroad .
Because Singapore has reported quite a few examples of coronavirus with no travel history we decided to check if he was infected and found he tested positive for the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had worked as an unlicensed taxi driver , and his passengers were mostly from mainland China , Hong Kong and Macau , Chen said .
Authorities immediately traced people he had contacted , including his family and the medical personnel who treated him .
Only one of the man 's relatives had been infected , but he was showing no symptoms .
In all , Taiwan has 20 confirmed cases of the disease .
`` The guest departed Westerdam February 14 and later reported feeling ill at the Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter .
`` The guest was taken to the hospital and is reported to be in stable condition .
The guest 's traveling companion tested negative for COVID-19 . ''
On Saturday , about 400 Chinese citizens in Vietnam returned to China on three Vietnam Airlines flights , People 's Daily reported .
Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical has received approval to start selling favipiravir as a potential treatment for the virus , according to a filing Monday by the Chinese pharmaceutical company .
More than 70 patients have participated in the trial program , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guangdong 's Shenzhen city .
Toyama Chemical of Japan is developing the drug against RNA viruses .
Chloroquine diphosphate and remdesivir are also undergoing human trials in the country .

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Buses with closed curtains arrive Sunday at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal where the Diamond Princess cruise ship is docked in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Franck Robichon/EPA-EFE
Feb. 16 (UPI) -- The death toll from the coronavirus rose to 1,670 Sunday as evacuations began overnight from a cruise ship that had been quarantined in Japan with 356 confirmed cases of the infection. The Chinese National Health Commission reported 1,665 deaths in mainland China, which is an increase of 142 deaths from the day before. Taiwan reported its first death Saturday and the other fatalities were in Hong Kong, Japan, France and the Philippines. Advertisement
The first death was reported on Jan. 11 in Wuhan, the epicenter of coronavirus.
In all, there have been 69,278 confirmed cases, including 68,500 in mainland China. Hubei Province, which includes Wuhan, had 56,249 cases. On Jan. 25, there were 1,985 cases in China.
The number of confirmed cases in the United States is 15, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
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The largest number of coronavirus cases outside mainland China are aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which has been docked off the Japanese port city of Yokohama, south of Tokyo, since Feb 3.
About 3,600 people were on the ship. An additional 70 confirmed cases were announced Saturday.
The quarantine period is scheduled to end Wednesday.
"It's like a prison sentence for something I did not do," Karey Mansicalco told CNN from her cabin. "They are holding us hostage for absolutely no reason."
Mansicalco is among 400 Americans without the infection who will be flown on planes chartered by the U.S. government with Kalitta Air. Of the U.S. passengers, 46 have tested positive for the virus, and they will have to remain on the ship.
Two Boeing 747 jets landed in Tokyo at Haneda Airport late Sunday.
American passenger Matthew Smith reported the evacuation process was underway at 9 p.m. local time with buses to take them to the airport. Buses were escorted by a police convoy.
"The fleet of coaches -- 11 in all it appears -- lined up to 'save' the Americans," Smith posted on Twitter. "An American woman -- who last night could be heard shouting, 'Get me off this ship' -- stands on her balcony chanting 'USA, USA.' Of course, in contravention of the rules of quarantine, she's not wearing a face mask, & she's talking with a passenger on the adjacent balcony well within 6 feet of each other. We scurry back inside. If there are secondary infections onboard, this is why: idiots who don't know any better. And you wanted me to get on a bus with her?"
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On Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo sent a notice to Americans on board the Diamond Princess that details the evacuation process.
Once in the United States, there will be another 14 days of mandatory quarantine at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Calif., or Lackland Air Force Base near San Antoni. Anyone who chose not to get on the flight would have to wait another 14 days in Japan.
Americans will not be charged for the charter flight but will be responsible for travel to their homes from the quarantine sites. Immediate family members who are not U.S. citizens will also be accommodated on these flights.
On Wednesday, the Japanese government plans to begin testing all those who remain on board for the virus.
"From tragedy to comedy to farce," Smith earlier tweeted. "The US government instead wants to take us off without testing, fly us back to the US with a bunch of other untested people, and then stick us in 2 more weeks of quarantine? How does that make any sense at all?
Other nations have announced plans to evacuate passengers. On Saturday, Canada said it chartered a plane to evacuate its citizens from the Diamond Princess.
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Once all passengers have left the ship, crew members face another 14-day quarantine.
Princess Cruises announced Sunday it would cancel voyages aboard the ship for three months.
"Based on the prolonged quarantine period, and the anticipated time to prepare the ship to return to service, we unfortunately must cancel additional Diamond Princess voyages through the April 20 voyage," the cruise line posted on Twitter.
Another cruise ship had been docked in Cambodia because of coronavirus fears.
The company that owns the Westerdam cruise ship has acknowledged that one of its disembarked passengers has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
On Monday, all 2,257 passengers and crew on board Westerdam were screened for illness and no individual was identified with an elevated temperature, Holland American cruise line said.
Malaysia's Ministry of Health Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah confirmed that an infected passenger is an 83-year-old American citizen.
The Chinese agency reported 2,009 cases of confirmed infections, 1,918 cases of suspected infections and 219 new serious cases. A total of 1,323 patients were released from hospitals after being cured. And 29,788 people who had had close contact with infected patients were freed from medical observation.
So far, 529,418 people have been identified as having had close contact with infected patients with 158,764 under medical observation.
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On Saturday, a 60-year-old man died of complications from pneumonia and septicaemia, Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said.
"The man had not traveled abroad. Because Singapore has reported quite a few examples of coronavirus with no travel history we decided to check if he was infected and found he tested positive for the virus," Chen said.
The man had worked as an unlicensed taxi driver, and his passengers were mostly from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, Chen said.
Authorities immediately traced people he had contacted, including his family and the medical personnel who treated him. Only one of the man's relatives had been infected, but he was showing no symptoms.
In all, Taiwan has 20 confirmed cases of the disease.
"The guest departed Westerdam February 14 and later reported feeling ill at the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, airport," Holland America posted on Twitter. "The guest was taken to the hospital and is reported to be in stable condition. The guest's traveling companion tested negative for COVID-19."
On Saturday, about 400 Chinese citizens in Vietnam returned to China on three Vietnam Airlines flights, People's Daily reported.
Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical has received approval to start selling favipiravir as a potential treatment for the virus, according to a filing Monday by the Chinese pharmaceutical company. More than 70 patients have participated in the trial program, including those receiving a placebo, in Guangdong's Shenzhen city. Toyama Chemical of Japan is developing the drug against RNA viruses.
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Chloroquine diphosphate and remdesivir are also undergoing human trials in the country.


upi--2020-02-16--Daytona 500 postponed until Monday afternoon due to rain

Feb. 16 ( UPI ) -- The 62nd running of the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach , Fla. , was postponed until Monday afternoon due to rain , NASCAR announced Sunday .
The Daytona 500 will resume Monday at 4 p.m. EST after rain ended Sunday 's race after only 20 laps .
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. , who started from the pole , was the race leader when the action was stopped .
The scheduled start at Daytona International Speedway was delayed 62 minutes because of a storm system that hit the track during the pace laps .
NASCAR made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cars about 6:30 p.m. EST , but another round of showers hit the area , preventing the race from continuing .
Before the start , President Donald Trump served as the grand marshal for the race , including taking a spin around the 2 1/2-mile track in his presidential limousine .
`` We love our country and it 's truly an honor to be with you , '' Trump said in front of the sold-out 100,000-seat grandstand and thousands more in the infield shortly after 3 p.m. accompanied by first lady Melania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Gentlemen : Start your engines . ''
Then , two presidential limousines participated in the pace lap with two official pace cars and the 40 race cars .
But the race was delayed by rain for more than one hour and drivers got out of their cars .
The green flag was waved at 4:19 p.m. , but 15 minutes later rain halted the race .
By then the president and his entourage were gone .
`` POTUS motorcade began rolling from the Daytona speedway at 3:41 pm , this time taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Michael Wilner , a reporter for the Jerusalem Post , wrote in a White House pool report .
Trump boarded Air Force One just before 4 p.m. and headed back to Washington , D.C .
The first lady was not with him , according to the pool report .
`` It was fantastic .
Incredible day .
Incredible people , '' he told Wilner .
Trump was the second sitting U.S. president to attend a Daytona 500 and the first to have a role in the prerace festivities .
Former President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 .
`` It is a patriotic type of thing , '' Trump said about Daytona 500 , which is known as the `` Great American Race , '' during an interview on Fox TV before the race .
`` We love NASCAR and the people of NASCAR . ''
The Trumps emerged from their limousine on the track .
They stood for God Bless America and the Star-Spangled Banner , which included a six F-16 flyover by the Air Force Thunderbirds .
The motorcade entered the track at 1:27 p.m. , making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greeters included Jim France and Lesa France Kennedy , co-owners of NASCAR .
Air Force 1 arrived at 1:04 p.m. at Daytona Beach International Airport , according to White House pool reports .
Guests aboard included Donald Trump Jr. and Brian France , former CEO of NASCAR , on the flight from West Palm Beach .
Trump had spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago private club in Palm Beach .
The plane performed a dramatic flyover , shown live on Fox , turning sharply over the speedway at a low altitude .
Later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 22,000-pound Cadillac , known as `` The Beast . ''
NASCAR announced Thursday that reserved tickets for the 62nd annual Daytona 500 were sold out for the fifth consecutive year .
The crowd might diminish somewhat with the postponement .
Reigning champion Denny Hamlin qualified 21st , but was the favorite .
`` We 've been very fortunate in the last eight to 10 years to be in contention for a lot of these Daytona 500s , '' Hamlin said of his team Wednesday at Daytona 500 media day .
`` Hopefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrecks ] again this year . ''
Stenhouse Jr. won the pole for the season-opening race , turning in a 194.582-mph lap on Sunday during qualifying .
Alex Bowman started next to him on the front row .
The order for the rest of the 20-row field was determined during two more qualifying races Thursday at Daytona International Speedway .
Joey Logano claimed the checkered flag at Bluegreen Vacations Duel No .
1 Thursday .
William Byron won Bluegreen Vacations Duel No .
2 .
Logano and Byron earned spots in the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Honestly , the goal is to win , '' Logano said .
`` There is really no other goal outside of that .
...
This is the biggest race of the year .
It means so much to win it .
There are so many crazy things that can happen Kyle Busch , in the eighth position , had five wins and 17 top-five finishes in 2019 .
Jimmie Johnson , 44 , raced in his last Daytona 500 in the sixth position .
He 's a two-time champion of the race and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prize money teams earn in races in 2016 , but Logano earned $ 1.58 million for winning the 2015 Daytona 500 .
Highlights from the 62nd running of the Daytona 500

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Inclement weather postponed the 62nd annual Daytona 500 on Sunday at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Photo by Mike Gentry/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 16 (UPI) -- The 62nd running of the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Fla., was postponed Sunday because of rain, putting a damper on a race day that included President Donald Trump taking a spin around the track in his limousine. The race will resume at 4 p.m. EST Monday after only 20 laps were run. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who started from the pole, was the race leader when the action was stopped. Advertisement
The scheduled start at Daytona International Speedway was delayed 62 minutes because of a storm system that hit the track during the pace laps. NASCAR made an attempt to bring drivers back to their cars about 6:30 p.m., but another round of showers hit the area, preventing the race from continuing.
NEWS: Today's 62nd running of the #DAYTONA500 has been postponed due to inclement weather. Advertisement The race will resume on Monday at 4 PM ET on FOX. pic.twitter.com/YqhxSJrOHD- NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 16, 2020
Trump served as the grand marshal for the race.
"We love our country and it's truly an honor to be with you," Trump said in front of the sold-out 100,000-seat grandstand and thousands more in the infield, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump.
And then he proclaimed: "Gentlemen: Start your engines."
Two presidential limousines participated in the 2 1/2-mile pace lap with two official pace cars and the 40 race cars. But the race was delayed by rain for more than one hour and drivers got out of their cars. The green flag was waved at 4:19 p.m., but 15 minutes later rain halted the race.
By then the president and his entourage were gone.
"POTUS motorcade began rolling from the Daytona speedway at 3:41 pm, this time taking a tunnel underneath the track to exit," Michael Wilner, a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, wrote in a White House pool report.
Trump boarded Air Force One just before 4 p.m. and headed back to Washington, D.C. The first lady was not with him, according to the pool report.
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"It was fantastic. Incredible day. Incredible people," he told Wilner.
Trump was the second sitting U.S. president to attend a Daytona 500 and the first to have a role in the prerace festivities. Former President George W. Bush attended the 2004 Daytona 500.
"It is a patriotic type of thing," Trump said about Daytona 500, which is known as the "Great American Race," during an interview on Fox TV before the race. "We love NASCAR and the people of NASCAR."
The Trumps emerged from their limousine on the track. They stood for God Bless America and the Star-Spangled Banner, which included a flyover six F-16s by the Air Force Thunderbirds.
The motorcade earlier entered the track, making roughly a quarter-lap before pulling aside. Greeters included Jim France and Lesa France Kennedy, co-owners of NASCAR.
Air Force One arrived at 1:04 p.m. at Daytona Beach International Airport, according to White House pool reports. Guests aboard included Donald Trump Jr. and Brian France, former CEO of NASCAR, on the flight from West Palm Beach. Trump had spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago private club in Palm Beach.
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The plane performed a dramatic flyover, shown live on Fox, turning sharply over the speedway at a low altitude. Later, the Trumps toured the track in a 22,000-pound Cadillac, known as "The Beast."
NASCAR announced Thursday that reserved tickets for the 62nd annual Daytona 500 were sold out for the fifth consecutive year. The crowd might diminish somewhat with the postponement.
Reigning champion Denny Hamlin qualified 21st, but was the favorite.
"We've been very fortunate in the last eight to 10 years to be in contention for a lot of these Daytona 500s," Hamlin said of his team Wednesday at Daytona 500 media day. "Hopefully, we are able to miss [wrecks] again this year."
Stenhouse Jr. won the pole for the season-opening race, turning in a 194.582-mph lap one week ago Sunday during qualifying. Alex Bowman started next to him on the front row.
The order for the rest of the 20-row field was determined during two more qualifying races Thursday at Daytona International Speedway.
Joey Logano claimed the checkered flag at Bluegreen Vacations Duel No. 1 Thursday. William Byron won Bluegreen Vacations Duel No. 2. Logano and Byron earned spots in the second row of the Daytona 500.
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"Honestly, the goal is to win," Logano said. "There is really no other goal outside of that. ... This is the biggest race of the year. It means so much to win it. There are so many crazy things that can happen
Kyle Busch, who qualified in the eighth position, had five wins and 17 top-five finishes in 2019.
Jimmie Johnson, 44, is racing in his last Daytona 500 with a sixth-place qualification. He's a two-time champion of the race and seven-time Cup Series champion
Highlights from the 62nd running of the Daytona 500
<< Show Caption >>


upi--2020-02-16--Repeating weather pattern to breed more snow across Great Lakes, New England

Feb. 16 ( UPI ) -- Just as many storms have done this winter , a new system will track from the Plains into the Great Lakes and northern New England early this week and produce another swath of snow .
The storm will first take aim at the Rockies , whitening the ground in Denver on Monday night and producing upwards of a foot of snow in the highest elevations of central Colorado .
The weather pattern feels like the movie Groundhog Day as Mother Nature seems to be exercising from muscle memory , according to forecasters .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and into the Plains on Monday , it will tap into Gulf of Mexico moisture , and snowfall rates are likely to ramp up once again by Monday evening in the Upper Midwest .
A swath of snow will start in the Northern Plains on Sunday night but intensify as it moves eastward through Monday and Tuesday .
On the southern side of the storm , rainfall will hit already flood-ravaged areas of the South , while snow spreads through the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River Valley .
Snowfall is likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa and Minnesota to a general 3-6 inches over parts of central and northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan from later Monday night through Tuesday .
In the swath from Chicago to Detroit , temperatures are expected to remain too warm for any snow accumulation , even on grassy surfaces .
At this time , mainly rain is forecast in these two metro areas with more snow to the north .
If it were not for a reinforcing bubble of cold air expected to skip across the Great Lakes region from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rain and snow would likely be much farther to the north as the coldest air from the Valentine 's Day week Arctic outbreak will ease up through Sunday and give way to much milder air .
As the storm crosses the Canadian border into the northeastern U.S. on Tuesday and Tuesday night , it will encounter significant cold air and moisture with a large swath of 6-12 inches of snow forecast from central Ontario to southern Quebec and northern Maine .
In these eastern areas , an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 16 inches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1-3 inches and 3-6 inches of snowfall for New York state and central and northern New England from the storm are likely to be followed by a wintry mix and perhaps even a change to plain rain .
Another sweep of Arctic air will follow the storm this week .
The air this week is not expected to pack as much of a punch as the blast that spread from the northern Plains to the Eastern states last week .
However , it is likely to be a larger and longer-lasting dose of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in the primary form of precipitation for any storm that comes along prior to the end of the month and could perhaps even lead to wintry precipitation in parts of the South .
Much of this winter , an area of high pressure has been a fairly permanent feature over the western Atlantic , and the jet stream has taken on a pattern to allow storms to move swiftly across the country .
`` The combination of the warm and persistent western Atlantic high and the lack of a persistent area of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major roles in the track of most storms this winter , '' AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said .
When a persistent area of cold high pressure near Greenland , referred to as a `` Greenland Block , '' is present , it causes a buckle in the jet stream and tends to slow the forward speed of storms as they approach the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada .
`` The persistent high off the Florida coast has not only helped to pump warm air into the Southeast but has also forced storms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central Rockies toward the Upper Midwest , '' Anderson added .
`` Since there has been no Greenland block , cold air ca n't linger for very long in the Northeast , and storms ca n't take a more southern track , slow down and strengthen along or just off the coast . ''
It is possible the pattern changes enough to allow the cold air to stick around and provide an opportunity for snow and force a late-month storm to take a more southerly track over the Eastern states .
Time will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 45.2 inches of snow so far this winter season , more than the city 's normal season-to-date snowfall by about a foot as storms have pushed inland over the West .
Snowfall has been within a few inches of average in Minneapolis [ 40.9 inches ] and Burlington , Va. [ 58.8 inches ] .
However , snowfall is well behind the typical pace in the swath from Washington , D.C. , to New York City and Boston .
Snow in part of the Interstate-95 corridor has been practically non-existent with only 0.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matches the total snow so far this winter for Muscle Shoals , Alabama , located in the northern part of the state and typically gets only a trace of snow each winter .

Motorist Julie French uses a snow brush to clear her windows during a snow storm in St. Louis on December 16, 2019. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Just as many storms have done this winter, a new system will track from the Plains into the Great Lakes and northern New England early this week and produce another swath of snow. The storm will first take aim at the Rockies, whitening the ground in Denver on Monday night and producing upwards of a foot of snow in the highest elevations of central Colorado. Advertisement
The weather pattern feels like the movie Groundhog Day as Mother Nature seems to be exercising from muscle memory, according to forecasters.
As the storm moves out of the Rockies and into the Plains on Monday, it will tap into Gulf of Mexico moisture, and snowfall rates are likely to ramp up once again by Monday evening in the Upper Midwest.
A swath of snow will start in the Northern Plains on Sunday night but intensify as it moves eastward through Monday and Tuesday.
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On the southern side of the storm, rainfall will hit already flood-ravaged areas of the South, while snow spreads through the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River Valley.
Snowfall is likely to trend from 1-3 inches over northeastern Iowa and Minnesota to a general 3-6 inches over parts of central and northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan from later Monday night through Tuesday.
In the swath from Chicago to Detroit, temperatures are expected to remain too warm for any snow accumulation, even on grassy surfaces. At this time, mainly rain is forecast in these two metro areas with more snow to the north.
If it were not for a reinforcing bubble of cold air expected to skip across the Great Lakes region from Sunday to Monday, the boundary between rain and snow would likely be much farther to the north as the coldest air from the Valentine's Day week Arctic outbreak will ease up through Sunday and give way to much milder air.
As the storm crosses the Canadian border into the northeastern U.S. on Tuesday and Tuesday night, it will encounter significant cold air and moisture with a large swath of 6-12 inches of snow forecast from central Ontario to southern Quebec and northern Maine. In these eastern areas, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 16 inches is projected.
Advertisement
The early predictions of 1-3 inches and 3-6 inches of snowfall for New York state and central and northern New England from the storm are likely to be followed by a wintry mix and perhaps even a change to plain rain.
Another sweep of Arctic air will follow the storm this week.
The air this week is not expected to pack as much of a punch as the blast that spread from the northern Plains to the Eastern states last week. However, it is likely to be a larger and longer-lasting dose of cold air. It could play a role in the primary form of precipitation for any storm that comes along prior to the end of the month and could perhaps even lead to wintry precipitation in parts of the South.
Much of this winter, an area of high pressure has been a fairly permanent feature over the western Atlantic, and the jet stream has taken on a pattern to allow storms to move swiftly across the country.
"The combination of the warm and persistent western Atlantic high and the lack of a persistent area of cold high pressure near Greenland have played major roles in the track of most storms this winter," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
Advertisement
When a persistent area of cold high pressure near Greenland, referred to as a "Greenland Block," is present, it causes a buckle in the jet stream and tends to slow the forward speed of storms as they approach the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada.
"The persistent high off the Florida coast has not only helped to pump warm air into the Southeast but has also forced storms to travel from the southern Plains and central Rockies toward the Upper Midwest," Anderson added. "Since there has been no Greenland block, cold air can't linger for very long in the Northeast, and storms can't take a more southern track, slow down and strengthen along or just off the coast."
It is possible the pattern changes enough to allow the cold air to stick around and provide an opportunity for snow and force a late-month storm to take a more southerly track over the Eastern states. Time will tell.
Denver has been buried under 45.2 inches of snow so far this winter season, more than the city's normal season-to-date snowfall by about a foot as storms have pushed inland over the West. Snowfall has been within a few inches of average in Minneapolis [40.9 inches] and Burlington, Va. [58.8 inches].
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However, snowfall is well behind the typical pace in the swath from Washington, D.C., to New York City and Boston. Snow in part of the Interstate-95 corridor has been practically non-existent with only 0.3 of an inch in Philadelphia, which matches the total snow so far this winter for Muscle Shoals, Alabama, located in the northern part of the state and typically gets only a trace of snow each winter.


upi--2020-02-16--Traumatic brain injuries raise risk of psychiatric ills in soldiers

U.S. soldiers who suffer a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury are more likely to suffer other mental health woes than those with other serious injuries , a new study finds .
It also showed that the rate of mental health disorders among seriously injured soldiers is much higher than previously reported .
`` A central takeaway is that severe TBI is associated with a greater risk of mental health conditions -- not just PTSD [ post-traumatic stress disorder ] , '' said lead investigator David Chin , an assistant professor of health policy and management at University of Massachusetts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients who are critically injured in combat and sustain severe TBIs have particularly high rates of mental health disorders , '' Chin said in a university news release .
He and his colleagues analyzed the records of nearly 5,000 U.S. military members -- mostly from the Army or Marines -- who were severely injured during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2002 and 2011 .
Nearly a third suffered moderate or severe TBIs .
Overall , 71 percent of the severely injured soldiers in the study were later diagnosed with at least one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stress disorder , anxiety and mood disorders , adjustment reactions , schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders , and cognitive disorders .
While previous research concluded that far fewer seriously injured combat soldiers were later diagnosed with mental health disorders , 42 percent , Chin noted that this study defined mental health diagnoses more narrowly .
Diagnoses for all five mental health conditions were higher among soldiers with TBI than among those with other severe injuries , according to the findings .
The new study also found that the rate of PTSD is higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not lower as reported in previous research .
`` There was a common belief that having a severe TBI resulted in an amnestic effect on PTSD -- the injuries were so severe that the patients have no memory of the event and that put them at lower risk of having mental health outcomes .
This data showed to the contrary , '' Chin noted .
The findings were published recently in the journal Military Medicine .
The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more on traumatic brain injury .

A study found U.S. soldiers who suffer a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury are more likely to suffer other mental health woes than those with other serious injuries. Photo by KeithJJ/Pixabay
U.S. soldiers who suffer a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury are more likely to suffer other mental health woes than those with other serious injuries, a new study finds. It also showed that the rate of mental health disorders among seriously injured soldiers is much higher than previously reported. Advertisement
"A central takeaway is that severe TBI is associated with a greater risk of mental health conditions -- not just PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]," said lead investigator David Chin, an assistant professor of health policy and management at University of Massachusetts Amherst.
"Our findings suggest that patients who are critically injured in combat and sustain severe TBIs have particularly high rates of mental health disorders," Chin said in a university news release.
He and his colleagues analyzed the records of nearly 5,000 U.S. military members -- mostly from the Army or Marines -- who were severely injured during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2002 and 2011. Nearly a third suffered moderate or severe TBIs.
Overall, 71 percent of the severely injured soldiers in the study were later diagnosed with at least one of five mental health conditions: post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and mood disorders, adjustment reactions, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, and cognitive disorders.
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While previous research concluded that far fewer seriously injured combat soldiers were later diagnosed with mental health disorders, 42 percent, Chin noted that this study defined mental health diagnoses more narrowly.
Diagnoses for all five mental health conditions were higher among soldiers with TBI than among those with other severe injuries, according to the findings. The new study also found that the rate of PTSD is higher among soldiers with more severe TBI, not lower as reported in previous research.
"There was a common belief that having a severe TBI resulted in an amnestic effect on PTSD -- the injuries were so severe that the patients have no memory of the event and that put them at lower risk of having mental health outcomes. This data showed to the contrary," Chin noted. The findings were published recently in the journal Military Medicine.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more on traumatic brain injury.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-02-16--Famous birthdays for Feb. 16: The Weeknd, Ava Max

Feb. 16 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Aquarius .
-- Singer @ @ @ @ @ Sisters in 1918 -- Singer and U.S. Rep. Sonny Bono , R-Calif. , in 1935

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The Weeknd appears backstage with his eight awards during the annual Billboard Music Awards held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on May 22, 2016. The musician turns 30 on February 16. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Aquarius. They include: Advertisement
-- Historian Henry Brooks Adams in 1838
-- Actor Chester Morris in 1901
-- Actor James Baskett in 1904
-- Singer Patty Andrews of the Andrews Sisters in 1918
-- Actor Vera-Ellen in 1921
-- Singer and U.S. Rep. Sonny Bono, R-Calif., in 1935
UPI File Photo
-- Businessman Carl Icahn in 1936 (age 84)
-- Former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in 1941
-- Writer Richard Ford in 1944 (age 76)
-- Actor William Katt in 1951 (age 69)
-- Model/actor Margaux Hemingway in 1954
-- Actor/director LeVar Burton in 1957 (age 63)
-- Actor/rapper Ice-T, born Tracy Marrow, in 1958 (age 62)
-- Tennis Hall of Fame member John McEnroe in 1959 (age 61)
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
-- Actor Christopher Eccleston in 1964 (age 56)
-- Rapper Lupe Fiasco, born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, in 1982 (age 38)
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-- Actor Elizabeth Olsen in 1989 (age 31)
-- Singer/songwriter The Weeknd, born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, in 1990 (age 30)
-- Singer Ava Max, born Amanda Ava Koci, in 1993 (age 27)


upi--2020-02-16--On This Day, Feb. 16: NHL cancels season after lockout

Feb. 16 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1923 , archaeologists opened the treasure-laden inner tomb of Tutankhamen , `` King Tut , '' in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings .
In 1933 , a patent for the synthetic fiber nylon was awarded to the DuPont Co .
In 1959 , Fidel Castro was sworn in as Cuba 's leader and set up a Communist regime .
In 1983 , roaring summer brush fires fanned by 50 mph winds swept southern Australia , killing dozens of people and destroying at least 100 homes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ first American male downhill skier to win an Olympic gold medal .
His mother , D.B .
Johnson , told UPI , `` I 'm just so proud of him I could just burst . ''
In 1986 , Mario Soares was elected Portugal 's first civilian head of state in 60 years .
In 1992 , the Los Angeles Lakers retired Magic Johnson 's No .
32 jersey during a tearful ceremony .
In 1999 , Germany announced $ 1.7 billion would be set aside to compensate victims of the Holocaust .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the National Hockey League canceled its entire 2004-05 season .
In 2009 , Japan reported its domestic product fell at a 12.7 percent annual rate in the last quarter of 2008 , plunging the country into what experts say was its worst financial crisis since World War II .
In 2011 , Borders , the 40-year-old retail book superstore chain that began as a used book shop in Ann Arbor , Mich. , and rapidly expanded in the 1990s with 650 locations and 19,500 employees , filed for bankruptcy .
In 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threw rocks at police cars and set fires in the streets after a bomb attack in a Shiite neighborhood killed more than 80 people and injured about 175 .
In 2019 , the Vatican said it defrocked former cardinal of Washington , D.C. , Theodore McCarrick , after finding him guilty of sex abuse .

1/4
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman meets the New York media on February 16, 2005, to announce the cancellation of the 2004-05 hockey season. File Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 16 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1923, archaeologists opened the treasure-laden inner tomb of Tutankhamen, "King Tut," in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. Advertisement
In 1933, a patent for the synthetic fiber nylon was awarded to the DuPont Co.
In 1959, Fidel Castro was sworn in as Cuba's leader and set up a Communist regime.
In 1983, roaring summer brush fires fanned by 50 mph winds swept southern Australia, killing dozens of people and destroying at least 100 homes.
In 1984, Bill Johnson became the first American male downhill skier to win an Olympic gold medal. His mother, D.B. Johnson, told UPI, "I'm just so proud of him I could just burst."
In 1986, Mario Soares was elected Portugal's first civilian head of state in 60 years.
In 1992, the Los Angeles Lakers retired Magic Johnson's No. 32 jersey during a tearful ceremony.
File Photo by Steve Grayson/UPI
In 1999, Germany announced $1.7 billion would be set aside to compensate victims of the Holocaust.
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In 2005, after a five-month lockout, the National Hockey League canceled its entire 2004-05 season.
In 2009, Japan reported its domestic product fell at a 12.7 percent annual rate in the last quarter of 2008, plunging the country into what experts say was its worst financial crisis since World War II.
In 2011, Borders, the 40-year-old retail book superstore chain that began as a used book shop in Ann Arbor, Mich., and rapidly expanded in the 1990s with 650 locations and 19,500 employees, filed for bankruptcy.
File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
In 2013, protesters in Quetta, Pakistan, threw rocks at police cars and set fires in the streets after a bomb attack in a Shiite neighborhood killed more than 80 people and injured about 175.
In 2019, the Vatican said it defrocked former cardinal of Washington, D.C., Theodore McCarrick, after finding him guilty of sex abuse.
File Photo by Patrick D. McDermott/UPI


upi--2020-02-16--Rockets fired at southern Israel near Gaza Strip

Feb. 15 ( UPI ) -- Two rockets were fired Saturday from the Gaza strip at southern Israel , Israel 's military said Saturday .
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in the incident , which comes after a few days of relative quiet , though cross-fire attacks have increased overall in recent weeks .
According to the Times of Israel , resident outside the Kibbutz Kissufim community , just east of the Gaza border , reported hearing the sound of an explosion , prompting security forces to begin searching for impact sites .
The army later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 500 permits allowing business owners to leave Gaza , since those retaliatory sanctions were only to be lifted in exchange for the cessation of attacks .
`` The last thing I want is to send troops to Gaza ... but if they do n't stop , they 'll have a very painful spring , '' Israeli defense minister Naftali Bennett told an Israeli TV station , referring to Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza .
According to Israeli media , moments before the attack , Bennett had lauded a `` dramatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took office in November , saying there was an 80 percent drop between the last three months before he took office and the first three months of his term .
The Times of Israel said it was not clear how he calculated that drop , as statistics from the Shin Bet security service said Bennett 's first two days in office saw hundreds of rockets fired at Israel , versus 13 rockets and mortar shells in the three months prior .
Earlier this week senior officials of the Palestinian Authority were targeted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ originated from the Gaza Strip .
On Feb. 8 , Israeli tanks shelled two Hamas military posts in the northern Gaza Strip in what Israeli defense forces described as retaliation for a rocket launched toward Israel from Gaza .

A Palestinian refugee girl plays on a street during cold weather in al Shatea-a refugee camp in Gaza City on Feb. 9. On Saturday Israeli officials reported two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip. Photo by Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE
Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Two rockets were fired Saturday from the Gaza strip at southern Israel, Israel's military said Saturday. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in the incident, which comes after a few days of relative quiet, though cross-fire attacks have increased overall in recent weeks. Advertisement
According to the Times of Israel, resident outside the Kibbutz Kissufim community, just east of the Gaza border, reported hearing the sound of an explosion, prompting security forces to begin searching for impact sites.
The army later announced it had cancelled the revocation of about 500 permits allowing business owners to leave Gaza, since those retaliatory sanctions were only to be lifted in exchange for the cessation of attacks.
"The last thing I want is to send troops to Gaza ... but if they don't stop, they'll have a very painful spring," Israeli defense minister Naftali Bennett told an Israeli TV station, referring to Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
According to Israeli media, moments before the attack, Bennett had lauded a "dramatic decline" in rocket attacks since he took office in November, saying there was an 80 percent drop between the last three months before he took office and the first three months of his term.
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The Times of Israel said it was not clear how he calculated that drop, as statistics from the Shin Bet security service said Bennett's first two days in office saw hundreds of rockets fired at Israel, versus 13 rockets and mortar shells in the three months prior.
Earlier this week senior officials of the Palestinian Authority were targeted by a series of cyberattacks believed to have originated from the Gaza Strip.
On Feb. 8, Israeli tanks shelled two Hamas military posts in the northern Gaza Strip in what Israeli defense forces described as retaliation for a rocket launched toward Israel from Gaza.


upi--2020-02-15--Kolby Crum, third runner dies after being hit by a truck with track teammates

Feb. 15 ( UPI ) -- A third member of an Oklahoma track and cross country team has died after @ @ @ @ @ that hit several of his teammates earlier in February .
Family and friends announced via @ @ @ @ @ , a senior at Moore High School in Moore , Okla. , had died to @ @ @ @ @ truck crashed into six members of the team Feb. 3 .
Moore High School senior @ @ @ @ @ scene and sophomore Yuridia Martinez died Feb. 4 .
Three other students -- Shiloh Hutchinson @ @ @ @ @ White -- are recovering from their injurieswere injured in the crash .
Baza was released @ @ @ @ @ , and Hutchinson and White were released Feb. 6 .
All sustained multiple injuries .
@ @ @ @ @ Max Townsend , is charged with 13 counts related to the collision , including first-degree @ @ @ @ @ influence .
Officials said Townsend 's son , Cody , died in an unrelated car @ @ @ @ @ incident .

A high school senior from Moore, Okla., died Saturday of injuries sustained when the driver of a pickup truck crashed into a group of cross-country athletes, killing three and injuring three others. Photo via Prayers for Kolby /Facebook
Feb. 15 (UPI) -- A third member of an Oklahoma track and cross country team has died after being struck by a truck that hit several of his teammates earlier in February. Family and friends announced via Facebook Saturday that Kolby Crum, a senior at Moore High School in Moore, Okla., had died to injuries sustained when a pickup truck crashed into six members of the team Feb. 3. Advertisement
Moore High School senior Rachel Freeman died at the scene and sophomore Yuridia Martinez died Feb. 4.
Three other students -- Shiloh Hutchinson, Ashton Baza and Joseph White -- are recovering from their injurieswere injured in the crash.
Baza was released from the hospital Feb. 3, and Hutchinson and White were released Feb. 6. All sustained multiple injuries.
The driver involved, 57-year-old Max Townsend, is charged with 13 counts related to the collision, including first-degree manslaughter and driving under the influence.
Officials said Townsend's son, Cody, died in an unrelated car crash the day before the incident.


upi--2020-02-15--Saudi plane goes down in Yemen; Houthi leader says rebels shot it down

Feb. 15 ( UPI ) -- The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen has confirmed that one of its @ @ @ @ @ northern province of al-Jawf .
A coalition spokesman said the Saudi Tornado fighter jet had @ @ @ @ @ support mission near Yemeni army units .
That statement came after Houthi rebels claimed credit @ @ @ @ @ jet belonging to `` enemy forces . ''
Houthi military spokesperson said the aircraft was @ @ @ @ @ air-to-ground missile .
According to the United Nations , 31 civilians were killed in Saudi @ @ @ @ @ Saturday and 12 others were injured .
The coalition , led by Saudi Arabia and @ @ @ @ @ has been fighting Yemen 's Houthi movement since 2015 , when the Houthis ousted the @ @ @ @ @ capital Sanaa .
In January the U.N. reported that at least 80 Yemeni soldiers were @ @ @ @ @ a military camp , and as many as 130 others were injured in the same @ @

Yemenis walk through a popular market in the old quarter of Sanaa Saturday. Saudi and Houthi forces both confirmed that a Saudi plane went down in Yemen Saturday, with Houthi officials claiming credit for shooting it down. Photo by Yahya Arhab/EPA-EFE
Feb. 15 (UPI) -- The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen has confirmed that one of its fighter jets crashed in the northern province of al-Jawf. A coalition spokesman said the Saudi Tornado fighter jet had crashed while carrying out a support mission near Yemeni army units. Advertisement
That statement came after Houthi rebels claimed credit for shooting down a Tornado jet belonging to "enemy forces."
Houthi military spokesperson said the aircraft was taken down by an advanced air-to-ground missile.
According to the United Nations, 31 civilians were killed in Saudi air strikes in the region Saturday and 12 others were injured.
The coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has been fighting Yemen's Houthi movement since 2015, when the Houthis ousted the internationally recognized government in the capital Sanaa.
In January the U.N. reported that at least 80 Yemeni soldiers were killed in an airstrike at a military camp, and as many as 130 others were injured in the same attack.


upi--2020-02-15--Police arrest 17-year-old Virginia boy charged in death of mother, brother

Police arrested a 17-year-old Virginia boy -- who was wanted in connection with the Friday shooting that killed his mother and six-year-old brother and injured his father -- in North Carolina Saturday .
WBTV in Charlotte reports that on Friday , Joshua Norwood came home in Fauquier County , Va. , to find his 34-year-old wife , Jennifer , and younger son , Wyatt , shot to death .
Levi , Joshua Norwood 's older son , then allegedly fired several shots at his father and then fled the scene .
Joshua Norwood then called for help .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a retail store called in a shoplifting report .
A car in the store 's parking lot matched the description of one reported stolen Friday in Fauquier County .
Prior to his arrest , Norwood was at large and considered armed and dangerous .
During the search , police urged residents of Fauquier County -- about 53 miles southwest of Washington , D.C. -- to shelter in place as law enforcement agencies from several surrounding counties , as well as the Virginia State Police , searched for the teenager .
Joshua Norwood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was taken to an emergency room after the shooting .
As of Saturday , authorities said Joshua Norwood was in stable condition .

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U.S. News Police arrest 17-year-old Virginia boy charged in death of mother, brother By Christen McCurdy
Feb. 15 (UPI) --
Police arrested a 17-year-old Virginia boy -- who was wanted in connection with the Friday shooting that killed his mother and six-year-old brother and injured his father -- in North Carolina Saturday.
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WBTV in Charlotte reports that on Friday, Joshua Norwood came home in Fauquier County, Va., to find his 34-year-old wife, Jennifer, and younger son, Wyatt, shot to death.
Levi, Joshua Norwood's older son, then allegedly fired several shots at his father and then fled the scene.
Joshua Norwood then called for help.
According to police, Norwood was captured after employees at a retail store called in a shoplifting report.
A car in the store's parking lot matched the description of one reported stolen Friday in Fauquier County.
Prior to his arrest, Norwood was at large and considered armed and dangerous.
During the search, police urged residents of Fauquier County -- about 53 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. -- to shelter in place as law enforcement agencies from several surrounding counties, as well as the Virginia State Police, searched for the teenager.
Joshua Norwood, the suspect's 37-year-old father, was taken to an emergency room after the shooting.
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As of Saturday, authorities said Joshua Norwood was in stable condition.


upi--2020-02-17--WWE NXT TakeOver: Adam Cole, Tommaso Ciampa clash

Feb. 17 ( UPI ) -- Adam Cole defended his NXT Championship against Tommaso Ciampa at WWE NXT TakeOver : Portland .
Ciampa dominated the early part of the main event on Sunday as The Blackheart tried his best to reclaim Goldie , the name he gave to the NXT Championship when he held it the first time .
Cole turned things around by tossing Ciampa into the side of the announce table .
The move gave Cole an advantage as Ciampa had landed on his surgically repaired neck .
The Panama City Playboy continued to attack Ciampa 's neck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
Things got competitive and Cole was able to survive Project Ciampa along with a Air Raid Crash from the second rope while Ciampa was able to avoid being pinned after being hit with The Last Shot .
Cole 's Undisputed Era teammates Roderick Strong , Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly came to the ringside area to help him .
Cole would unleash three consecutive Superkicks followed by a Last Shot but Ciampa still did not stay down for the three count .
Cole and Ciampa exchanged low blows after the referee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fairytale Ending but there was no one around to make the three count .
Suddenly , Ciampa 's former tag team partner and rival Johnny Gargano then arrived , seemingly there in support .
Gargano shockingly took the NXT Championship and attacked Ciampa with it .
The referee was able to recover , allowing Cole to finally win the match .
The Undisputed Era then celebrated together .
Also on WWE NXT TakeOver : Portland , NXT Women 's Champion Rhea Ripley defended her title against Bianca Belair in a hard-hitting match .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and even performed a Senton over the top rope to the ringside area .
Ripley won the match after she nailed Belair with The Riptide to earn the three count .
As Ripley was celebrating , she was attacked by Women 's Royal Rumble winner Charlotte Flair .
Ripley has been asking Flair to challenge her for the NXT Women 's Championship at WrestleMania in recent weeks .
Flair accepted the WrestleMania challenge and then delivered the Natural Selection to Ripley .
The BroserWeights , consisting of Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tag Team Championships .
Riddle and Dunne , despite accidentally attacking each other twice during the match , remained strong as a team .
The new duo won after Riddle launched Fish into the air while Dunne attacked with a leaping kick for the three count , making The BroserWeights the new NXT Tag Team Champions .
The Undisputed Era , after having multiple titles in their possession , not only hold the NXT Championship .
Other moments from WWE NXT TakeOver : Portland include Keith Lee successfully defending his NXT North American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeating Tegan Nox in a Street Fight with help from Raquel Gonzalez ; and Finn Balor defeating Gargano .

Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Adam Cole defended his NXT Championship against Tommaso Ciampa at WWE NXT TakeOver: Portland.
Ciampa dominated the early part of the main event on Sunday as The Blackheart tried his best to reclaim Goldie, the name he gave to the NXT Championship when he held it the first time.
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Cole turned things around by tossing Ciampa into the side of the announce table. The move gave Cole an advantage as Ciampa had landed on his surgically repaired neck.
The Panama City Playboy continued to attack Ciampa's neck throughout but Ciampa would just not stay down. Things got competitive and Cole was able to survive Project Ciampa along with a Air Raid Crash from the second rope while Ciampa was able to avoid being pinned after being hit with The Last Shot.
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Cole's Undisputed Era teammates Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly came to the ringside area to help him. Cole would unleash three consecutive Superkicks followed by a Last Shot but Ciampa still did not stay down for the three count.
Cole and Ciampa exchanged low blows after the referee was knocked out and Ciampa landed a Fairytale Ending but there was no one around to make the three count. Suddenly, Ciampa's former tag team partner and rival Johnny Gargano then arrived, seemingly there in support. Gargano shockingly took the NXT Championship and attacked Ciampa with it.
The referee was able to recover, allowing Cole to finally win the match. The Undisputed Era then celebrated together.
Also on WWE NXT TakeOver: Portland, NXT Women's Champion Rhea Ripley defended her title against Bianca Belair in a hard-hitting match.
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Belair held her own against The Nightmare and even performed a Senton over the top rope to the ringside area.
Ripley won the match after she nailed Belair with The Riptide to earn the three count. As Ripley was celebrating, she was attacked by Women's Royal Rumble winner Charlotte Flair. Ripley has been asking Flair to challenge her for the NXT Women's Championship at WrestleMania in recent weeks.
Flair accepted the WrestleMania challenge and then delivered the Natural Selection to Ripley.
The BroserWeights, consisting of Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne, battled O'Reilly and Fish for the NXT Tag Team Championships.
Riddle and Dunne, despite accidentally attacking each other twice during the match, remained strong as a team. The new duo won after Riddle launched Fish into the air while Dunne attacked with a leaping kick for the three count, making The BroserWeights the new NXT Tag Team Champions.
The Undisputed Era, after having multiple titles in their possession, not only hold the NXT Championship.
Other moments from WWE NXT TakeOver: Portland include Keith Lee successfully defending his NXT North American Championship against Dominik Dijakovic; Dakota Kai defeating Tegan Nox in a Street Fight with help from Raquel Gonzalez; and Finn Balor defeating Gargano.


upi--2020-02-17--Texans DE J.J. Watt marries soccer star Kealia Ohai

Feb. 17 ( UPI ) -- Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt married soccer star Kealia Ohai over the weekend in the Bahamas .
The newlyweds were married Saturday and posted several photos and videos from the event on social media .
Watt called the event the `` best day '' of his life `` without question . ''
`` The best day of my life , '' Ohai wrote on one of her Instagram posts .
`` I love you forever . ''
Watt , 30 , and Ohai , 28 , were engaged in May .
They met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is married to Ohai 's older sister , Megan .
They went public with their relationship in 2017 .
`` The most beautiful bride in the world and the most perfect day , '' Watt commented on one of Ohai 's Instagram posts .
`` I could not possibly be happier .
I love you ! ''
Several star athletes from soccer and football penned congratulatory comments on the couple 's social media posts .
United States Women 's National Team star Crystal Dunn attended the ceremony .
Ohai played collegiately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Women 's Soccer League 's Houston Dash in 2014 .
She announced she was traded to the Chicago Red Stars Jan. 6 .
U.S. women 's team stars Julie Ertz and Morgan Brian also play for the Red Stars .
Watt was the No .
11 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft .
The 6-foot-5 , 288-pound defensive end appeared in eight games in 2019 due to a torn pectoral muscle .
The five-time Pro Bowl selection , five-time All-Pro and two-time Defensive Player of the Year has 96 sacks in 112 @ @ @ @ @ @

Houston Texans defender J. J. Watt and soccer star Kealia Ohai were engaged in May. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt married soccer star Kealia Ohai over the weekend in the Bahamas. The newlyweds were married Saturday and posted several photos and videos from the event on social media. Watt called the event the "best day" of his life "without question." Advertisement
"The best day of my life," Ohai wrote on one of her Instagram posts. "I love you forever."
Watt, 30, and Ohai, 28, were engaged in May. They met through Watt's former teammate Brian Cushing, who is married to Ohai's older sister, Megan. They went public with their relationship in 2017.
"The most beautiful bride in the world and the most perfect day," Watt commented on one of Ohai's Instagram posts. "I could not possibly be happier. I love you!"
Several star athletes from soccer and football penned congratulatory comments on the couple's social media posts. United States Women's National Team star Crystal Dunn attended the ceremony.
Advertisement Best day of my life. Without question. pic.twitter.com/hEfQ1N4Bl9— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) February 16, 2020
Ohai played collegiately at North Carolina before joining the National Women's Soccer League's Houston Dash in 2014. She announced she was traded to the Chicago Red Stars Jan. 6. U.S. women's team stars Julie Ertz and Morgan Brian also play for the Red Stars.
Watt was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5, 288-pound defensive end appeared in eight games in 2019 due to a torn pectoral muscle. The five-time Pro Bowl selection, five-time All-Pro and two-time Defensive Player of the Year has 96 sacks in 112 career starts for the Texans.


upi--2020-02-17--GM retiring Holden in Australia, New Zealand after 90 years

Feb. 17 ( UPI ) -- General Motors has announced it will exit markets in Australia and New Zealand next year and withdraw the Chevrolet brand from Thailand by the end of this year .
The U.S. automaker said Sunday it will `` wind down '' sales , design and engineering operations in Australia and New Zealand and retire the Holden brand by next year , opting instead to focus on specialty vehicles for those markets .
Holden has been a GM subsidiary since 1931 .
In Thailand , it will phase out Chevrolet sales and the sale of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Great Wall Motors .
The announcements represented the latest phase in GM 's global restructuring effort that began in 2015 , Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said .
`` We are restructuring our international operations , focusing on markets where we have the right strategies to drive robust returns , and prioritizing global investments that will drive growth in the future of mobility , '' she said .
GM President Mark Reuss added the company is reluctant to discontinue Holden in Australia and New Zealand , where it 's been an automotive staple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market for right-hand drive vehicles is too fragmented for sustained profitability .
`` After considering many possible options -- and putting aside our personal desires to accommodate the people and the market -- we came to the conclusion that we could not prioritize further investment over all other considerations we have in a rapidly changing global industry , '' he said .
The U.S. automaker said its decision to sell the Rayong plant came due to its `` low utilization '' and unfavorable forecast volumes .
The plant sale spells the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Under its global realignment effort , GM has recently retreated from several underperforming markets .
In 2017 , it sold its European operations to French automaker PSA Group and has also ended or cut back operations in Russia and India .

A Holden sign is seen at a dealership in Adelaide, Australia, on Monday, a day after GM announced it would stop selling the brand in Australia and New Zealand. Photo by Kelly Barnes/EPA EFE
Feb. 17 (UPI) -- General Motors has announced it will exit markets in Australia and New Zealand next year and withdraw the Chevrolet brand from Thailand by the end of this year. The U.S. automaker said Sunday it will "wind down" sales, design and engineering operations in Australia and New Zealand and retire the Holden brand by next year, opting instead to focus on specialty vehicles for those markets. Holden has been a GM subsidiary since 1931. Advertisement
In Thailand, it will phase out Chevrolet sales and the sale of its Rayong vehicle manufacturing facility to Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors.
The announcements represented the latest phase in GM's global restructuring effort that began in 2015, Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said.
"We are restructuring our international operations, focusing on markets where we have the right strategies to drive robust returns, and prioritizing global investments that will drive growth in the future of mobility," she said.
GM President Mark Reuss added the company is reluctant to discontinue Holden in Australia and New Zealand, where it's been an automotive staple for decades, but ultimately decided the market for right-hand drive vehicles is too fragmented for sustained profitability.
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"After considering many possible options -- and putting aside our personal desires to accommodate the people and the market -- we came to the conclusion that we could not prioritize further investment over all other considerations we have in a rapidly changing global industry," he said.
The U.S. automaker said its decision to sell the Rayong plant came due to its "low utilization" and unfavorable forecast volumes. The plant sale spells the end of Chevrolet in Thailand's new-vehicle market.
Under its global realignment effort, GM has recently retreated from several underperforming markets. In 2017, it sold its European operations to French automaker PSA Group and has also ended or cut back operations in Russia and India.


upi--2020-02-17--Photographers gather in Yosemite hoping to capture 'firefall'

Feb. 17 -- Yosemite National Park in California is world-renowned for its dramatic landscape , sheer granite cliffs and cascading waterfalls , the most famous of which being aptly named Yosemite Falls .
But this week , people visiting the park will be looking for a smaller , little-known waterfall that may briefly appear as if it were made of fire .
Of the millions of people that visit the park every year , a select few chose to travel to Yosemite around the third week of February to try and catch a glimpse of a rare event known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phenomenon only occurs a few days every year when light hits Horsetail Fall at just the right angle shortly before sunset , to make the waterfall appear like it is on fire .
`` It 's a once in a lifetime thing , but it 's really iffy becasuse you never know [ if it will happen ] , '' Reno DiTullio , a photographer visiting Yosemite , said .
`` This unique lighting effect happens only on evenings with a clear sky when the waterfall is flowing , '' the National Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website .
`` Even some haze or minor cloudiness can greatly diminish or eliminate the effect . ''
In 2019 , the firefall put on an incredible display for those in the park as all of the ingredients came together perfectly .
This year , the setting sun is expected to be at the best angle for the firefall between Friday , Feb. 21 and Sunday , Feb. 23 .
However , visitors in the right place at the right time may end up missing the show due to the lack of one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem is you ca n't have a firefall without a spark or in this case the water , and it just has n't rained or snowed enough so far this year here in Yosemite , '' AccuWeather News Reporter Jonathan Petramala said .
As of Friday , Feb. 14 , Horsetail Fall was dry following a stretch of dry weather across the region , according to the NPS .
With no rain or snow in the forecast from Feb. 21 through Feb. 23 , people in the park may end up missing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although Horsetail Fall may not be flowing , there is still a silver lining to the dry conditions .
Instead of the sun illuminating the waterfall to make it look like lava flowing off a mountain , it will instead transform the eastern edge of El Capitan to a colorful cliffside right around sunset .
The firefall that has become a sensation to photographers in recent years is the second such event to take on this name in Yosemite 's history .
`` Although entirely natural , the phenonemon is reminiscent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glacier Point , '' the NPS said .
Every afternoon , a fire would be lit atop Glacier Point that would eventually burn down to a large pile of coals .
Around 9 p.m. , after the sun had set , these glowing red ashes would be pushed off the cliffside , cascading thousands of feet into the valley below , resulting in an incredibly beautiful firefall for visitors in the park .
This man-made firefall took place on-and-off between 1872 and 1968 , but was discontinued in 1968 as it was deemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of the National Park Service .
Additionally , the large crowds that would gather on a nightly basis would cause traffic jams in the park before trampling through and damaging meadows to watch the light show from a unique perspective .
With the first firefall a thing of the past , photographers and visitors in Yosemite can only look on to the road ahead .
`` Pictures from the past are all anyone will have of the famous firefall until at least next year , '' Petramala said .

Feb. 17 -- Yosemite National Park in California is world-renowned for its dramatic landscape, sheer granite cliffs and cascading waterfalls, the most famous of which being aptly named Yosemite Falls. But this week, people visiting the park will be looking for a smaller, little-known waterfall that may briefly appear as if it were made of fire.
Of the millions of people that visit the park every year, a select few chose to travel to Yosemite around the third week of February to try and catch a glimpse of a rare event known as the "firefall."
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The firefall phenomenon only occurs a few days every year when light hits Horsetail Fall at just the right angle shortly before sunset, to make the waterfall appear like it is on fire.
"It's a once in a lifetime thing, but it's really iffy becasuse you never know [if it will happen]," Reno DiTullio, a photographer visiting Yosemite, said.
The firefall in Yosemite National Park in 2019. Photo by Rodney Chai
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"This unique lighting effect happens only on evenings with a clear sky when the waterfall is flowing," the National Park Service (NPS) explained on their website. "Even some haze or minor cloudiness can greatly diminish or eliminate the effect."
In 2019, the firefall put on an incredible display for those in the park as all of the ingredients came together perfectly.
This year, the setting sun is expected to be at the best angle for the firefall between Friday, Feb. 21 and Sunday, Feb. 23. However, visitors in the right place at the right time may end up missing the show due to the lack of one key ingredient: water.
"The problem is you can't have a firefall without a spark or in this case the water, and it just hasn't rained or snowed enough so far this year here in Yosemite," AccuWeather News Reporter Jonathan Petramala said.
Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park in February 2019 compared to February 2020. Photo courtesy NPS
As of Friday, Feb. 14, Horsetail Fall was dry following a stretch of dry weather across the region, according to the NPS.
With no rain or snow in the forecast from Feb. 21 through Feb. 23, people in the park may end up missing the show due to a lack of water.
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Although Horsetail Fall may not be flowing, there is still a silver lining to the dry conditions.
Instead of the sun illuminating the waterfall to make it look like lava flowing off a mountain, it will instead transform the eastern edge of El Capitan to a colorful cliffside right around sunset.
The dry rock face in Yosemite National Park, where Horsetail Fall should be flowing, is seen on February 13, 2019. Photo by Jonathan Petramala
The firefall that has become a sensation to photographers in recent years is the second such event to take on this name in Yosemite's history.
"Although entirely natural, the phenonemon is reminiscent of the human-caused firefall that historically occurred from Glacier Point," the NPS said.
Every afternoon, a fire would be lit atop Glacier Point that would eventually burn down to a large pile of coals. Around 9 p.m., after the sun had set, these glowing red ashes would be pushed off the cliffside, cascading thousands of feet into the valley below, resulting in an incredibly beautiful firefall for visitors in the park.
Footage of the man-made firefall in Glacier Falls in the 1960s. Video courtesy Yosmite National Park
This man-made firefall took place on-and-off between 1872 and 1968, but was discontinued in 1968 as it was deemed to be an unnatural spectacle by the director of the National Park Service. Additionally, the large crowds that would gather on a nightly basis would cause traffic jams in the park before trampling through and damaging meadows to watch the light show from a unique perspective.
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With the first firefall a thing of the past, photographers and visitors in Yosemite can only look on to the road ahead.
"Pictures from the past are all anyone will have of the famous firefall until at least next year," Petramala said.


upi--2020-02-17--China increases death toll; U.S. evacuates citizens from cruise ship

Feb. 17 ( UPI ) -- Chinese health officials said the death toll rose by 105 over Sunday as governments rushed to evacuate citizens from a cruise ship off Japan 's eastern coast that is home to the world 's second-largest and still growing cluster of COVID-19 patients .
Japanese health officials have reported in the last 24 hours 72 new cases of COVID-19 among the passengers of the Diamond Princess cruise ship under quarantine in Yokohama Port since Feb. 3 , increasing the ship 's number of confirmed cases to at least 357 .
The next highest number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 75 .
The U.S. State Department said in a statement early Monday that two chartered planes with more than 300 U.S. citizens and their family members who had been quarantined 12 days on the cruise ship had taken off from Japan and were en route to the United States .
The passengers were evaluated by medical staff from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and were all deemed clear to fly , the State Department said in a joint statement with the Department of Health and Human Services .
Fourteen passengers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were moved to a `` specialized containment area '' of the aircraft to isolate them from the other passengers , the statement read .
The United States currently has 15 confirmed cases of the virus , according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The State Department said it made the call to transport the infected patients back to the United States following consultations with health officials .
`` All passengers are being closely monitored by medical professionals throughout the flight , and any who become symptomatic will be moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will be treated , '' the departments said in the statement .
Upon arrival in the United States , the passengers will disembark at one of two military bases -- either at the Travis Air Force Base in Solano County , Calif. , or at the Joint Base San Antonio in Texas -- where they will be subjected to a second 14-day quarantine .
In a letter to passengers of the cruise ship on Saturday , the U.S. Embassy in Japan said the decision to evacuate them was made as those onboard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Earlier , Japans ' Ministry of Defense said via Twitter it helped escort some 340 U.S. nationals and their luggage on 14 buses from the Diamond Princess to the Tokyo International Airport to board the charter planes .
News of the planes ' departures come as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Monday that they would be evacuating more than 200 citizens from the ship upon chartered planes on Wednesday .
He said they were taking the measure on the advice of medical professionals .
On return to Australia , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine due to the virus ' spread upon the ship despite it being under a nearly two-week lockdown , Morrison said in a press conference .
`` At this stage , it is not clear how further cases of infection have occurred on that vessel ... but because of the nature of the quarantine not being able to be assured , for those more than 200 Australians who will be returning to Australia we are going to have to require a further 14-day quarantine period . ''
He said he was `` very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second quarantine measure upon the evacuees `` but our first responsibly -- and I 'm sure all Australians will agree -- is to protect the health and safety of Australians here in Australia . ''
The announcement comes as 242 Australians evacuated earlier this month from the virus ' epicenter of Wuhan to Australia 's remote Christmas Island were released following their 14-day quarantine period on Monday .
Australia has transported nearly 280 citizens since early this month from China amid the outbreak .
Those being evacuated from the cruise ship will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Howard Springs facility near Darwin , he said .
`` It 's frustrating and it 's unfortunate , but it is absolutely necessary to ensure we put the measures in place that have been so effective in containing the spread of this virus , '' he said .
Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said the second quarantine is necessary due to the rate the disease is spreading on the ship .
He said the Australians have already been under 12 days of lockdown on the vessel but health officials are n't sure why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ca n't ensure that any of the Australians evacuated would be sickened with the virus .
`` We can not be sure and if we can not be sure , we have to take precautions , '' he said .
Chinese health officials increased the death toll on Monday to 1,770 since the outbreak began in December .
Among the 105 new deaths , 100 were reported in the epicenter Hubei Province with 76 in the capital of Wuhan where the disease is believed to have emerged .
The number of infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , China 's National Health Commission said Monday in its daily update on COVID-19 .
Of the confirmed cases , 10,844 have recovered and have since been released from the hospital , it said .
Outside of mainland China , five people have died , including a Taiwanese man in his 60s despite having no history of travel to the mainland .
Taiwan 's ministry of health said Sunday he had died the day prior of pneumonia-induced sepsis caused by COVID-19 .
Meanwhile , Japan 's fifth government charted flight landed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadcaster NHK News .
The flight was to return later in the day with several dozen people on board , the government said , adding it will be its last chartered flight from the virus-stricken country after having returned some 760 people from Hubei .

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U.S. citizens wave from a bus as they leave the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal for repatriation in Yokohama, south of Tokyo early Monday. Photo by Franck Robichon/EPA-EFE
Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Chinese health officials said the death toll from COVID-19 rose by nearly 100 over Monday as governments rushed to evacuate citizens from a cruise ship off Japan's eastern coast that's home to the world's second-largest and still growing cluster of patients. Chinese health officials increased China's total death toll on Tuesday to 1,868, including 98 new deaths, which is a drop from the 105 deaths tabulated over the day prior. Advertisement
The total number of cases reached 72,436.
Outside mainland China, five people have died, including a Taiwanese man, despite having no history of travel to the mainland.
Japanese health officials late Monday reported 99 new confirmed cases among passengers of the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which has been under quarantine in Yokohama Port, near the capital Tokyo, since Feb. 3 with 2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew. The total number of infected from the ship is 454. Outside China, the next highest number of cases is 77 in Singapore.
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The increased tally of infected came after the landing of two U.S. chartered planes with 328 American evacuees from the cruise ship back in the United States where they will be subjected to a second 14-day quarantine.
Among the passengers were 14 who tested positive for COVID-19, nearly doubling the number of confirmed cases in the United States to 29.
On Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo informed American Diamond Princess passengers in a letter that none who tested positive for the coronavirus would be allowed to board.
However, the State Department said in a statement that it made the call to return the infected passengers, who were moved to a "specialized containment area" of the aircraft, following consultations with health officials.
"All passengers are being closely monitored by medical professionals throughout the flight, and any who become symptomatic will be moved to the specialized containment area, where they will be treated," the department said in a statement.
Officials told reporters in a special briefing about the repatriation Monday the test results confirming the 14 infections came back only after the American citizens were taken off the cruise ship and loaded onto buses to be moved on to the aircraft.
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"It was only once they were loaded onto the buses, and the buses were in motion that we were made aware that these positive results had come back from the government of Japan," said Dr. William Walters, executive director and managing director for operational medicine for the Bureau of Medical Serves at the State Department.
The COVID-19 patients were then placed in the final 18 seats in the tail of the plane that had cordoned off with plastic sheets to create an isolation area, Walters said.
The officials decided to stick with the plan, he said.
"The question was simply this: Are these evacuees?" he said, referring to the 14 passengers contaminated with the virus. "And do we follow our protocol? And the answer to that was yes on both accounts."
One flight landed late Sunday at California's Travis Air Force Base, deplaning 177 people, seven of whom had been confirmed positive for the coronavirus and three others who were isolated during the flight with an elevated fever.
The other flight landed early Monday at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, where 151 passengers deplaned, including seven confirmed cases who were insolation during the fight. Two other passengers were also isolated due to fevers detected while in the air, the officials said.
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Thirteen passengers sicken with the virus were transported to Omaha, Neb., where they will be quarantined at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and further monitored and receive treatment.
"Those who have tested positive for this novel coronavirus, are only showing mild symptoms of the disease," the university said in a statement.
Those transferred to Omaha as "high-risk patients," Walters said.
The evacuation aircraft were to return to Atlanta where they had departed from for decontamination, he said.
Those who deplaned at the airbases have been processed and put into quarantine, said Dr. Robert Kadlex, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the State Department.
"These individuals will spend the next 14 days under the joint supervision and oversight of CDC and ASPR to monitor their health, and at which point in time, after 14 days, they'll be cleared to return to their home of record," he said.
Sixty-one Americans still remain on the ship in Japan, a number that does not include the 44 who were removed to local hospitals in the Asian nation after tests proved they were positive for the disease.
Walters said they're also tracking more than 300 American citizens who remain in Cambodia where a second cruise ship has been moored since Thursday after an 83-year-old American passenger who disembarked from the ship was confirmed sickened with the disease in Malaysia.
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A total of 92 American passengers remain on board the ship, Walters said with another 260 at hotels in Phone Penh.
On Monday, cruise ship operator Holland America Line said the Cambodian Health Ministry was on board testing for COVID-19.
"We anticipate this will take several days and greatly appreciate the thoroughness of all authorities involved in resolving this situation," the cruise liner said in an update.
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Monday more than 200 Australians on the ship will be evacuated on Wednesday. On return to Australia, they will be subjected to another 14-day quarantine due to the virus' spread upon the ship despite it being under a nearly two-week lockdown, Morrison said in a press conference.
"At this stage, it is not clear how further cases of infection have occurred on that vessel ... but because of the nature of the quarantine not being able to be assured, for those more than 200 Australians who will be returning to Australia, we are going to have to require a further 14-day quarantine period."
He said he was "very frustrated" about having to impose a second quarantine measure, "but our first responsibility ... is to protect the health and safety of Australians here in Australia."
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Nearly 250 Australians evacuated earlier this month from the virus' epicenter of Wuhan, China to Australia's remote Christmas Island were released Monday following their 14-day quarantine period.
Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said the second quarantine is necessary due to the rate the disease is spreading on the ship.
"We cannot be sure, and if we cannot be sure, we have to take precautions," he said.
Data from China suggesting that a decline in new COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks will likely continue but must be interpreted "cautiously," World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a press conference Monday.
"Trends can change as new populations are affected," he said. "It's too early to tell if this reported decline will continue. Every scenario is still on the table."
Based on data from more than 44,000 patients published by health officials in China over the weekend, he added, COVID-19 may be "not as deadly as other coronaviruses," including SARS and MERS.
The data suggest that more than 80 percent of patients have mild disease and will recover fully, while approximately 14 percent will experience severe disease, similar to pneumonia and 5 percent will suffer from respiratory failure, septic shock and multi-organ failure. The virus is fatal in roughly 2 percent of cases, he added.
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"The risk of death increases the older you are," he said. "We see relatively few cases among children. More research is needed to understand why."
Canada also announced Saturday that it will be sending aircraft to evacuate its citizens from the Diamond Princess.
"Our consular team at Global Affairs Canada has been in contact with all Canadians and their families on cruise and in hospital," Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois-Philippe Champagne said via Twitter Monday. "This is an extremely challenging situation and we are there to assist."
The Canadian Armed Forces medical personnel, experts with the Public Health Office, and four members of the Standing Rapid Deployment Team are in Japan to assist, the Canadian Embassy in Japan said.
Meanwhile, Japan's fifth government charted flight landed in Wuhan early Monday, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK News. The flight was to return later in the day with several dozen people on board, the government said, adding it will be its last chartered flight.


upi--2020-02-17--Disney actress Nikita Pearl Waligwa dies of cancer at 15

Feb. 17 ( UPI ) -- Nikita Pearl Waligwa , the young actress who starred in Disney 's `` Queen of Katwe , '' has died at the age of 15 , according to the Ugandan school where she attended .
Waligwa died of a brain tumor , Gayaza High School announced in a statement on Twitter Sunday .
`` Fare thee well , Nikita Pearl Waliwa .
You were a darling to many and we have lost you to brain tumor at such a tender age , '' the school said .
`` ... Rest in Perfect Peace , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film directed by Mira Nair about the true-life story of chess prodigy Phiona Mutsei , Waliwa earned her only film credit staring as the protagonist 's friend , Gloria .
The film also starred Oscar winner Lupita Nyong ' o as Phiona 's mother .
`` It is with great sadness that I post about the passing of Nikita Waligwa , the sweet , warm , talented girl whom I worked with on the film 'Queen of Katwe , ' '' she said in a statement .
Nyong ' o said Waligwa played @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life she had an `` enormous challenge '' of battling brain cancer .
`` May she truly rest in [ peace ] , '' Nyong ' o said .
`` May it be well with her soul . ''
David Oyelowo , who also starred in the film , said Waligwa was `` a ball of light '' not only in her role as Gloria but in life .
`` Her battle with a brain tumor was humbling to witness , '' he said in a statement .
`` Her light will live @ @ @

Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Nikita Pearl Waligwa, the young actress who starred in Disney's "Queen of Katwe," has died at the age of 15, according to the Ugandan school where she attended.
Waligwa died of a brain tumor, Gayaza High School announced in a statement on Twitter Sunday.
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"Fare thee well, Nikita Pearl Waliwa. You were a darling to many and we have lost you to brain tumor at such a tender age," the school said. "... Rest in Perfect Peace, dear."
Fare thee well Nikita Pearl Waligwa. You were a darling to many and we have lost you to brain tumor at such a tender age. Nikita was in S.3. Rest in Perfect Peace dear pic.twitter.com/ny8I9YAjsQ— Gayaza High School (@gayazahigh) February 16, 2020
In the 2016 feature film directed by Mira Nair about the true-life story of chess prodigy Phiona Mutsei, Waliwa earned her only film credit staring as the protagonist's friend, Gloria.
The film also starred Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o as Phiona's mother.
Nyong'o confirmed Waligwa's death on Instagram.
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"It is with great sadness that I post about the passing of Nikita Waligwa, the sweet, warm, talented girl whom I worked with on the film 'Queen of Katwe,'" she said in a statement.
Nyong'o said Waligwa played the role with vibrancy but in real life she had an "enormous challenge" of battling brain cancer.
"May she truly rest in [peace]," Nyong'o said. "May it be well with her soul."
David Oyelowo, who also starred in the film, said Waligwa was "a ball of light" not only in her role as Gloria but in life.
"Her battle with a brain tumor was humbling to witness," he said in a statement. "Her light will live on."
Notable deaths of 2020


upi--2020-02-17--Famous birthdays for Feb. 17: Jason Ritter, Michael Jordan

Feb. 17 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Aquarius .
-- Author @ @ @ @ @ of U.S. President Harry S. Truman , in 1924

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Jason Ritter attends the premiere of "Frozen II" premiere at the Dolby Theatre in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on November 7. The actor turns 40 on February 17. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Aquarius. They include: Advertisement
-- Mail-order retailer Aaron Montgomery Ward in 1844
-- Texas oil millionaire H.L. Hunt in 1889
-- Author Margaret Truman Daniel, daughter of U.S. President Harry S. Truman, in 1924
-- Actor Hal Holbrook in 1925 (age 95)
File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
-- Actor/football Hall of Fame member Jim Brown in 1936 (age 84)
-- Singer Gene Pitney in 1940
-- Political activist Huey P. Newton in 1942
-- Actor Brenda Fricker in 1945 (age 75)
-- Actor Rene Russo in 1954 (age 66)
-- Actor Richard Karn in 1956 (age 64)
-- Actor Lou Diamond Phillips in 1962 (age 58)
-- Comedian Larry the Cable Guy, born Daniel Whitney, in 1963 (age 57)
-- Basketball superstar Michael Jordan in 1963 (age 57)
File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI
-- Film director Michael Bay in 1965 (age 55)
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-- Actor Denise Richards in 1971 (age 49)
-- Musician Billie Joe Armstrong in 1972 (age 48)
-- Actor Jerry O'Connell in 1974 (age 46)
-- Actor Jason Ritter in 1980 (age 40)
-- Heiress Paris Hilton 1981 (age 39)
File Photo by Christine Chew/UPI
-- Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 1981 (age 39)
-- Actor/singer Chord Overstreet in 1989 (age 31)
-- Actor Bonnie Wright in 1991 (age 29)
-- Singer Ed Sheeran in 1991 (age 29)
-- Actor Jeremy Allen White in 1991 (age 29)
-- Actor Sasha Pieterse in 1996 (age 24)


upi--2020-02-17--On This Day, Feb. 17: Geronimo dies as prisoner of war in Oklahoma

Feb. 17 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1801 , the U.S. House of Representatives chose Thomas Jefferson as the third president of the United States after he and Aaron Burr tied in the Electoral College .
It took 35 House ballots before Jefferson won and Burr became vice president .
In 1909 , Apache leader Geronimo died while under military confinement at Fort Sill , Okla. His grave remains there despite later efforts to move his remains to his native Arizona .
In 1933 , Newsweek magazine published its first issue .
In 1968 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fame opened in Springfield , Mass .
In 1993 , a ferry capsized during stormy weather off the western coast of Haiti , killing more than 500 people .
In 2005 , U.S. President George W. Bush nominated John Negroponte to be the first director of national intelligence .
Negroponte assumed office the following month .
In 2006 , a landslide that covered a village in Leyte in the central Philippines killed more than 1,100 people , including scores of children in an elementary school that was buried by mud and boulders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ declared independence from Serbia .
Thousands of ethnic Albanians celebrated in the streets but others resorted to violent protest .
The United States and several other countries , including Britain , Germany , and France , recognized Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state .
In 2009 , General Motors and Chrysler asked for an additional $ 14 billion from the government to keep from going bankrupt .
That upped their total requests to $ 39 billion .
In 2011 , the British government advised same-sex couples they could form civil partnerships in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon made its debut on NBC .
In 2019 , Denny Hamlin held off Kyle Busch to win the 2019 Daytona 500 in Florida .

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On February 17, 1909, Apache leader Geronimo died while under military confinement at Fort Sill, Okla. File Photo by Ben Wittick/U.S. National Archives
Feb. 17 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1801, the U.S. House of Representatives chose Thomas Jefferson as the third president of the United States after he and Aaron Burr tied in the Electoral College. It took 35 House ballots before Jefferson won and Burr became vice president. Advertisement
In 1904, Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly premiered in Milan, Italy.
In 1909, Apache leader Geronimo died while under military confinement at Fort Sill, Okla. His grave remains there despite later efforts to move his remains to his native Arizona.
In 1933, Newsweek magazine published its first issue.
In 1968, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame opened in Springfield, Mass.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (2nd-L) takes a tour of the National Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. File Photo by Altman/UPI
In 1993, a ferry capsized during stormy weather off the western coast of Haiti, killing more than 500 people.
In 2005, U.S. President George W. Bush nominated John Negroponte to be the first director of national intelligence. Negroponte assumed office the following month.
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File Photo by Greg Mathieson/UPI
In 2006, a landslide that covered a village in Leyte in the central Philippines killed more than 1,100 people, including scores of children in an elementary school that was buried by mud and boulders.
In 2008, the province of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. Thousands of ethnic Albanians celebrated in the streets but others resorted to violent protest. The United States and several other countries, including Britain, Germany, and France, recognized Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state.
In 2009, General Motors and Chrysler asked for an additional $14 billion from the government to keep from going bankrupt. That upped their total requests to $39 billion.
In 2011, the British government advised same-sex couples they could form civil partnerships in church if they wished.
In 2014, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon made its debut on NBC.
In 2019, Denny Hamlin held off Kyle Busch to win the 2019 Daytona 500 in Florida.
File Photo by Mike Gentry/UPI