upi--2020-02-04--Pete Buttigieg takes narrow lead as first Iowa caucus results roll in

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- Pete Buttigieg held a narrow lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders in the early returns announced Tuesday in the Iowa caucuses .
With about two-thirds of precincts reporting , the former South Bend , Ind.
, mayor received 26.9 percent of the state 's delegates , while Sanders , I-Vt. , had 25.1 percent .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass.
, had 18.3 percent , former Vice President Joe Biden had 15.6 percent and Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn. , had 12.6 percent .
At the bottom of the field were Andrew Yang ( 1.1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent ) .
Buttigieg , speaking on the campaign trail in Laconia , N.H. , announced the early results of the caucuses to his supporters .
`` We do n't know all of the numbers , but we know this much : A campaign that started a year ago with four staff members ... has taken its place at the front of this race to replace the current president with a better vision for this country , '' he said .
`` That fact represents an astonishing victory for this campaign , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been a part of . ''
The results of the Iowa caucus were delayed by nearly a full day , giving a black eye to the first state voting in the 2020 primary season .
State Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price told the candidates ' campaigns more than half of the results would be available by 5 p.m. EST , though he did n't specify when the full results might be known .
Earlier Tuesday , he told reporters the `` underlying data collected '' on a smartphone app used by precinct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sound , '' but a coding issue in the system produced only partial results .
`` This issue was identified and fixed , '' he said .
`` The application 's reporting issue did not impact the ability of precinct chairs to report data accurately . ''
The ultimate goal , he said , is to ensure the `` integrity and accuracy of the process . ''
He added the party has `` every indication '' the app was secure and there was no hacking .
Some Iowa precinct chairs had noticed problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but assumed they were sporadic issues , the Des Moines Register reported .
The issue turned into a paralyzing malfunction after the caucuses concluded , and organizers found they were unable to log into the app .
Price said the trouble was first spotted when initial results began to arrive and officials vetted them with accuracy checks .
Nevada State Democratic Party Chairman William McCurdy II said on Tuesday that the party `` can confidently say what happened in the Iowa Caucus last night will not happen in Nevada on Feb. 22 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use the same app .
`` We will not be employing the same app or vendor used in the Iowa Caucus , '' he said .
`` We had already developed a series of backups and redundant reporting systems and are currently evaluating the best path forward . ''
Democratic presidential hopefuls who 'd spent a number of days in Iowa left for New Hampshire -- the next stop on the primary calendar -- without knowing how they performed .
New Hampshire will stage its primary next Tuesday .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an adviser to former Vice President Joe Biden , said earlier .
`` From all indications , it 's going to be close , '' he said .
`` We 're going to walk out of here with our share of delegates .
We do n't know what it is yet , but we feel good about how we are . ''
The campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders , who has led some of the recent polls , released its own internal polling numbers showing him as the winner with 30 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of precincts .
`` I have a good feeling when [ results are announced ] , we 'll be doing well in Iowa , '' the Vermont senator said .
The Sanders ' camp 's figures showed former South Bend.
, Ind.
, Mayor Pete Buttigieg second with 24.6 percent , followed by 21.2 percent for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and 12.4 percent for Biden .
Not all precincts , however , were included in Sanders ' numbers .
`` We recognize that this does not replace the full data from the Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that our supporters worked too hard for too long to have the results of that work delayed , '' Sanders ' adviser Jeff Weaver said .
`` The race still appears to be wide open , and that 's what we thought would happen after last night , '' Benjamin Gerdes , spokesman for businessman and philanthropist Tom Steyer , told The Hill .
`` We still feel like we have a real shot at this thing . ''
In a speech to her supporters Monday night , Warren focused on criticism of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump will make a speech about the state of the union , '' she said .
`` But I have a message for every American : Our union is stronger than Donald Trump .
And in less than a year , our union will be stronger than ever when that one man is replaced by one very persistent woman . ''
`` We know there are delays , but we know one thing : We are punching above our weight , '' she told a crowd Monday night .
`` Somehow , someway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plane tonight to New Hampshire . ''
Buttigieg said he 's confident he 's the big winner in the Hawkeye State .
`` We do n't know all the results , but we know by the time it 's all said and done , Iowa , you have shocked the nation , '' he said .
`` Because by all indications , we are going on to New Hampshire victorious . ''
`` This race is a muddled mess , '' added candidate Andrew Yang .
`` That means the opportunity for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear front-runner or even field .
New Hampshire will be more important than ever . ''
Author Marianne Williamson , who left the race last month , criticized Iowa election officials .
`` Making it all about the app is a red herring , '' she said .
`` Something went wrong here tonight , and it was n't just an app .
`` In a healthy democracy , [ Democratic Party leader ] Tom Perez would resign today .
As it is , the results will probably never be fully determined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'll get over it , ' and the entire incident will hang like a cloud of uncertainty over the entire campaign . ''

1/2
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg held an early lead Tuesday evening as the Iowa Democratic Party began reporting caucus results. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Pete Buttigieg held a narrow lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders in the early returns announced late Tuesday in the Iowa caucuses. With about two-thirds of precincts reporting, the former South Bend, Ind., mayor received 26.8 percent of the state's delegates, while Sanders, I-Vt., had 25.2 percent. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., had 18.4 percent, former Vice President Joe Biden had 15.4 percent and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., had 12.6 percent. Advertisement
At the bottom of the field were Andrew Yang (1 percent) and Tom Steyer (0.3 percent).
Buttigieg, speaking on the campaign trail in Laconia, N.H., announced the early results of the caucuses to his supporters.
"We don't know all of the numbers, but we know this much: A campaign that started a year ago with four staff members ... has taken its place at the front of this race to replace the current president with a better vision for this country," he said.
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"That fact represents an astonishing victory for this campaign, this candidacy and this vision that you all have been a part of."
The results of the Iowa caucus were delayed by nearly a full day, giving a black eye to the first state voting in the 2020 primary season.
State Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price told the candidates' campaigns more than half of the results would be available by 5 p.m. EST, though he didn't specify when the full results might be known.
Earlier Tuesday, he told reporters the "underlying data collected" on a smartphone app used by precinct leaders to report vote tallies were "sound," but a coding issue in the system produced only partial results.
"This issue was identified and fixed," he said. "The application's reporting issue did not impact the ability of precinct chairs to report data accurately."
The ultimate goal, he said, is to ensure the "integrity and accuracy of the process." He added the party has "every indication" the app was secure and there was no hacking.
Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee, issued a statement late Tuesday, stating what happened Monday night "should never happen again."
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"We have staff working around the clock to assist the Iowa Democratic Party to ensure that all votes are counted," he said. "It is clear that the app in question did not function adequately."
The technology vendor must provide "absolute transparent accounting" of what went wrong with the application, he demanded.
Some Iowa precinct chairs had noticed problems with the app during tests earlier Monday but assumed they were sporadic issues, the Des Moines Register reported. The issue turned into a paralyzing malfunction after the caucuses concluded, and organizers found they were unable to log into the app. Price said the trouble was first spotted when initial results began to arrive and officials vetted them with accuracy checks.
Nevada State Democratic Party Chairman William McCurdy II said on Tuesday that the party "can confidently say what happened in the Iowa Caucus last night will not happen in Nevada on Feb. 22, " denying reports that it was set to use the same app.
"We will not be employing the same app or vendor used in the Iowa Caucus," he said. "We had already developed a series of backups and redundant reporting systems and are currently evaluating the best path forward."
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Democratic presidential hopefuls who'd spent a number of days in Iowa left for New Hampshire -- the next stop on the primary calendar -- without knowing how they performed. New Hampshire will stage its primary next Tuesday.
"It's a total meltdown," Anita Dunn, an adviser to former Vice President Joe Biden, said earlier.
Biden
told supporters he'd anticipated "a long night" due to the delay, but added, "I'm feeling good."
"From all indications, it's going to be close," he said. "We're going to walk out of here with our share of delegates. We don't know what it is yet, but we feel good about how we are."
The campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has led some of the recent polls, released its own internal polling numbers showing him as the winner with 30 percent of the vote in nearly 40 percent of precincts.
"I have a good feeling when [results are announced], we'll be doing well in Iowa," the Vermont senator said.
The Sanders' camp's figures showed former South Bend., Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg second with 24.6 percent, followed by 21.2 percent for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and 12.4 percent for Biden. Not all precincts, however, were included in Sanders' numbers.
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"We recognize that this does not replace the full data from the Iowa Democratic Party, but we believe firmly that our supporters worked too hard for too long to have the results of that work delayed," Sanders' adviser Jeff Weaver said.
"The race still appears to be wide open, and that's what we thought would happen after last night," Benjamin Gerdes, spokesman for businessman and philanthropist Tom Steyer, told The Hill.
"We still feel like we have a real shot at this thing."
In a speech to her supporters Monday night, Warren focused on criticism of Trump.
"[Tuesday] Donald Trump will make a speech about the state of the union," she said. "But I have a message for every American: Our union is stronger than Donald Trump. And in less than a year, our union will be stronger than ever when that one man is replaced by one very persistent woman."
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar promised to press forward amid the Iowa mystery.
"We know there are delays, but we know one thing: We are punching above our weight," she told a crowd Monday night. "Somehow, someway, I'm going to get on a plane tonight to New Hampshire."
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Buttigieg said he's confident he's the big winner in the Hawkeye State.
"We don't know all the results, but we know by the time it's all said and done, Iowa, you have shocked the nation," he said. "Because by all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious."
"This race is a muddled mess," added candidate Andrew Yang. "That means the opportunity for us is growing because there isn't a clear front-runner or even field. New Hampshire will be more important than ever."
Author Marianne Williamson, who left the race last month, criticized Iowa election officials.
"Making it all about the app is a red herring," she said. "Something went wrong here tonight, and it wasn't just an app.
"In a healthy democracy, [Democratic Party leader] Tom Perez would resign today. As it is, the results will probably never be fully determined, the DNC attitude will be 'They'll get over it,' and the entire incident will hang like a cloud of uncertainty over the entire campaign."
Democrats campaign in Iowa ahead of caucus


upi--2020-02-04--January 2020 hottest on record, EU climate monitoring system says

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- Last month was the hottest January on record , according to newly published data from the European Union 's climate monitoring system .
Earlier this year , the Copernicus Climate Change Service , or C3S , determined 2019 was the second hottest year on record , bringing the streak of record-warm years to five in a row .
According to the latest report from the Copernicus survey , 2020 is off to a record hot start .
According to the data , last month was 0.03 degrees Celsius warmer than January 2016 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planet , as a whole , was only marginally hotter , some regions were significantly hotter .
`` For Europe , it was the warmest January on record , about 0.2 degrees Celsius warmer than the previous warmest January in 2007 , and 3.1 degrees Celsius warmer than the average January in the period 1981 to 2010 , '' C3S reported .
January temperatures were also well above average across most of the Eastern United States and Canada .
The C3S survey works a bit differently than temperature tracking efforts managed by NASA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combines a multitude of data sources to model the daily weather in locations across the globe each day for the last several decades .
`` These observations come from a variety of platforms or instruments , from weather stations to weather balloons and satellites , '' according to C3S .
This localized data offers an incomplete picture of global weather and climate .
To produce a more complete picture , C3S climate scientists use a unique processing technique called `` reanalysis '' to stitch together a complete , hour-by-hour simulation of weather all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together , these pictures of global weather conditions and atmospheric composition provide a comprehensive historical record of the Earth 's climate that can be used to monitor how fast it is changing , '' according to C3S .
When researchers ran the model for January 2020 , it was revealed as the hottest January on record .
The majority of climate scientists agree that record concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere , the result of human-caused emissions , are responsible for global warming .

January 2020 was the hottest January on record, according to the latest data from the European Union's Copernicus climate reporting service. Photo by EU/C3S
Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Last month was the hottest January on record, according to newly published data from the European Union's climate monitoring system. Earlier this year, the Copernicus Climate Change Service, or C3S, determined 2019 was the second hottest year on record, bringing the streak of record-warm years to five in a row. According to the latest report from the Copernicus survey, 2020 is off to a record hot start. Advertisement
According to the data, last month was 0.03 degrees Celsius warmer than January 2016, the hottest year on record. While the planet, as a whole, was only marginally hotter, some regions were significantly hotter.
"For Europe, it was the warmest January on record, about 0.2 degrees Celsius warmer than the previous warmest January in 2007, and 3.1 degrees Celsius warmer than the average January in the period 1981 to 2010," C3S reported.
January temperatures were also well above average across most of the Eastern United States and Canada.
The C3S survey works a bit differently than temperature tracking efforts managed by NASA and NOAA.
First, the service combines a multitude of data sources to model the daily weather in locations across the globe each day for the last several decades.
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"These observations come from a variety of platforms or instruments, from weather stations to weather balloons and satellites," according to C3S.
This localized data offers an incomplete picture of global weather and climate. To produce a more complete picture, C3S climate scientists use a unique processing technique called "reanalysis" to stitch together a complete, hour-by-hour simulation of weather all over the globe.
"Once stitched together, these pictures of global weather conditions and atmospheric composition provide a comprehensive historical record of the Earth's climate that can be used to monitor how fast it is changing," according to C3S.
When researchers ran the model for January 2020, it was revealed as the hottest January on record.
The majority of climate scientists agree that record concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the result of human-caused emissions, are responsible for global warming.


upi--2020-02-04--Watch: Alligator makes a meal of invasive python in Florida

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- Florida 's Everglades National Park shared a video showing what happened when an alligator @ @ @ @ @ Burmese python .
The park tweeted a video showing the native alligator coming out victorious @ @ @ @ @ chomping down on the big snake 's body .
The tweet said the python was @ @ @ @ @ the alligator .
`` With all the news of pythons overwhelming the Everglades ecosystem , @ @ @ @ @ see our native animals fighting back , '' the tweet said .

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Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Florida's Everglades National Park shared a video showing what happened when an alligator faced off with a large Burmese python.
The park tweeted a video showing the native alligator coming out victorious against the invasive python by chomping down on the big snake's body.
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The tweet said the python was "no match" for the alligator.
"With all the news of pythons overwhelming the Everglades ecosystem, it gives us hope to see our native animals fighting back," the tweet said.


upi--2020-02-04--Avalanche kills at least 4 in eastern Turkey

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- An avalanche in eastern Turkey on Tuesday struck a bus , killing at least @ @ @ @ @ others , local officials said .
Van Gov .
Mehmet Emin Bilmez said some 200 @ @ @ @ @ where the avalanche struck on Van Bahcesaray highway .
`` The search and rescue efforts @ @ @ @ @ region are continuing , '' he told Anadolu Agency .
He said rescuers also received @ @ @ @ @ Sabah reported the minibus was carrying up to 15 people at the time .
Also @ @ @ @ @ a heavy-duty vehicle , the driver of which was able to evacuate before the snow @ @ @ @

Feb. 4 (UPI) -- An avalanche in eastern Turkey on Tuesday struck a bus, killing at least four people and injuring seven others, local officials said.
Van Gov. Mehmet Emin Bilmez said some 200 rescuers evacuated several people from where the avalanche struck on Van Bahcesaray highway.
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"The search and rescue efforts of our teams in the region are continuing," he told Anadolu Agency.
He said rescuers also received medical treatment.
The Daily Sabah reported the minibus was carrying up to 15 people at the time. Also struck by the snow was a heavy-duty vehicle, the driver of which was able to evacuate before the snow inundated the truck.
The avalanche happened amid harsh weather conditions.


upi--2020-02-04--Truck driver strikes group of high school runners in Oklahoma; 2 dead

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- An Oklahoma man faces a manslaughter charge for crashing his pickup truck into a group of high school cross-country athletes , killing two and injuring several , authorities said .
Officials said the driver , Max Leroy Townsend , ran his truck into the group Monday in suburban Oklahoma City .
He also struck several vehicles , authorities added .
Moore High School senior Rachel Freeman died at the scene Monday and sophomore Yuridia Martinez died Tuesday after being hospitalized in critical condition .
Kolby Crum , a senior , remains in critical condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is no longer in critical condition but remained hospitalized .
Shiloh Hutchinson , a junior , underwent surgery for a broken arm and a broken leg and Ashton Baza , a sophomore , was released after being treated for a broken leg and a broken ankle .
Townsend also faces six counts of leaving the scene of an injury accident .
`` Our hearts are heavy in Moore Public Schools as we process this tragedy that is unbearable to comprehend , '' district Superintendent Robert Romines said in a statement .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cross country/track team were running on the sidewalk , six of them were violently struck by a vehicle .
`` Please keep our students , staff , and families in your thoughts and prayers . ''
Townsend 's son Cody died in an unrelated three-vehicle collision the previous day , police said .

Feb. 4 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma man faces a manslaughter charge for crashing his pickup truck into a group of high school cross-country athletes, killing two and injuring several, authorities said.
Officials said the driver, Max Leroy Townsend, ran his truck into the group Monday in suburban Oklahoma City. He also struck several vehicles, authorities added.
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Moore High School senior Rachel Freeman died at the scene Monday and sophomore Yuridia Martinez died Tuesday after being hospitalized in critical condition.
Kolby Crum, a senior, remains in critical condition and Joseph White, also a senior, is no longer in critical condition but remained hospitalized. Shiloh Hutchinson, a junior, underwent surgery for a broken arm and a broken leg and Ashton Baza, a sophomore, was released after being treated for a broken leg and a broken ankle.
Townsend also faces six counts of leaving the scene of an injury accident.
"Our hearts are heavy in Moore Public Schools as we process this tragedy that is unbearable to comprehend," district Superintendent Robert Romines said in a statement. "While members of the Moore High School cross country/track team were running on the sidewalk, six of them were violently struck by a vehicle.
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"Please keep our students, staff, and families in your thoughts and prayers."
Townsend's son Cody died in an unrelated three-vehicle collision the previous day, police said.


upi--2020-02-04--GM issues second recall over brake-failure issue in Silverado, Sierra, Cadillac

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- General Motors has updated a December recall for 2019 Chevy Silverados , GMC Sierras and some Cadillac CT6s since the fix in the initial recall caused a brake-failure problem .
GM initially recalled the 2019 model vehicles in December to fix a software error found in the electronic brake controls that could cause the vehicles anti-lock brake systems to shut off with the warning lights in the instrument panel failing to illuminate , increasing risk of a crash .
The Detroit Free Press first reported that GM confirmed about 1,600 to 1,700 owners of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Cadillac CT6 have complained of electronic brake failure and dashboard illuminating warning errors after dealers performed the December recall .
GM said the software update used for the last recall disrupts the electronic brake control module when the consumer starts the vehicle using the OnStar app .
The issue was reported after owners used the OnStar app to remotely start their vehicles , complaints show on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website .
GM spokesman Dan Flores told Car and Driver about 162,000 vehicles received the original fix .
The new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicles ' electronic brake control module with a new calibration that resolves [ both ] the initial issue and recent complaints , '' Flores said .
Nearly 550,000 2019 model vehicles were affected by the original recall , mostly the Silverado and Sierra , but also some Cadillac CT6 sedans with four-cylinder and V-8 engines .
A stop-sale order was placed on impacted vehicles until dealers perform a series of fixes .

General Motors has issued an updated recall on certain Silverados, Sierras and CT6s after a December recall caused additional problems. File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 4 (UPI) -- General Motors has updated a December recall for 2019 Chevy Silverados, GMC Sierras and some Cadillac CT6s since the fix in the initial recall caused a brake-failure problem. GM initially recalled the 2019 model vehicles in December to fix a software error found in the electronic brake controls that could cause the vehicles anti-lock brake systems to shut off with the warning lights in the instrument panel failing to illuminate, increasing risk of a crash. Advertisement
The Detroit Free Press first reported that GM confirmed about 1,600 to 1,700 owners of 2019 Chevrolet and GMC pickups and possibly the Cadillac CT6 have complained of electronic brake failure and dashboard illuminating warning errors after dealers performed the December recall.
GM said the software update used for the last recall disrupts the electronic brake control module when the consumer starts the vehicle using the OnStar app.
The issue was reported after owners used the OnStar app to remotely start their vehicles, complaints show on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
GM spokesman Dan Flores told Car and Driver about 162,000 vehicles received the original fix.
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The new repair involves having dealers "reflash the vehicles' electronic brake control module with a new calibration that resolves [both] the initial issue and recent complaints," Flores said.
Nearly 550,000 2019 model vehicles were affected by the original recall, mostly the Silverado and Sierra, but also some Cadillac CT6 sedans with four-cylinder and V-8 engines.
A stop-sale order was placed on impacted vehicles until dealers perform a series of fixes.


upi--2020-02-04--Website seeking 'Hut Hunter' to travel English coast looking at beach huts

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- A British website is offering a dream job for a candidate who aspires to @ @ @ @ @ photographing and writing about the most scenic beach huts .
BeachHuts.com , a rental and @ @ @ @ @ chosen `` Hut Hunter '' will take an all-expenses-paid tour of the English coastline from @ @ @ @ @ out the huts offered .
The Hut Hunter will be required to photograph and write @ @ @ @ @ each location .
`` This is a fun opportunity for anybody who fancies a tour @ @ @ @ @ armed with a campervan , camera and pen and paper , '' BeachHuts.com CEO Charlie @ @ @ @ @ Forget the 9-5 job and get sandy . ''
Interested applicants are instructed to email @ @ @ @ @ 29 .

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Feb. 4 (UPI) -- A British website is offering a dream job for a candidate who aspires to travel the English coast while photographing and writing about the most scenic beach huts.
BeachHuts.com, a rental and sales website, said the chosen "Hut Hunter" will take an all-expenses-paid tour of the English coastline from Norfolk to Cornwall to check out the huts offered.
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The Hut Hunter will be required to photograph and write about the beach huts in each location.
"This is a fun opportunity for anybody who fancies a tour around our beautiful coastline, armed with a campervan, camera and pen and paper," BeachHuts.com CEO Charlie Ramsay told Stylist. "Forget the 9-5 job and get sandy."
Interested applicants are instructed to email [email protected] before Feb. 29.


upi--2020-02-04--Magnitude-5 earthquake rattles Puerto Rico

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- A magnitude-5 earthquake rattled Puerto Rico on Tuesday , the latest in hundreds of temblors to plague the island territory over the past month .
The epicenter of the quake was about 13 miles southeast of the town of Guanica , the U.S. Geological Survey said .
A 3.6-magnitude aftershock followed shortly afterward .
There were no reports of injuries or damage .
More than 500 earthquakes of at least a 2-magnitude have hit Puerto Rico since late December .
The strongest , a 6.4-magnitude earthquake Jan. 7 , killed one person and caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plants .
A school in Agripina Seda collapsed and an iconic natural stone formation arch in Guayanilla known as Punta Ventana , or Window Point , fell .
President Donald Trump declared a major disaster on the island Jan. 16 .
The declaration allows the federal government to channel funding for recovery efforts from the temblors , which began Dec. 28 .
The money will be available for the municipalities of Guánica , Guayanilla , Peñuelas , Ponce , Utuado and Yauco .
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar also declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making services available to Medicare , Medicaid and Children 's Health Insurance Program recipients .

A pizza restaurant sits in rubble on January 29 after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Guanica, Puerto Rico, earlier in the month. Photo by Jorge Muniz/EPA-EFE
Feb. 4 (UPI) -- A magnitude-5 earthquake rattled Puerto Rico on Tuesday, the latest in hundreds of temblors to plague the island territory over the past month. The epicenter of the quake was about 13 miles southeast of the town of Guanica, the U.S. Geological Survey said. A 3.6-magnitude aftershock followed shortly afterward. Advertisement
There were no reports of injuries or damage.
More than 500 earthquakes of at least a 2-magnitude have hit Puerto Rico since late December. The strongest, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake Jan. 7, killed one person and caused damage to roads, bridges and power plants. A school in Agripina Seda collapsed and an iconic natural stone formation arch in Guayanilla known as Punta Ventana, or Window Point, fell.
President Donald Trump declared a major disaster on the island Jan. 16. The declaration allows the federal government to channel funding for recovery efforts from the temblors, which began Dec. 28. The money will be available for the municipalities of Guánica, Guayanilla, Peñuelas, Ponce, Utuado and Yauco.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar also declared a public health emergency Jan. 8, making services available to Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program recipients.


upi--2020-02-04--E-cigarettes popular with people who recently quit smoking

Smokers who recently quit tobacco cigarettes are much more likely to use e-cigarettes than those who quit more than a decade ago , a new study says .
The findings suggest that smokers who want to quit are now using e-cigarettes to help them , according to the authors .
In the past , quitters had to rely on other smoking cessation aids .
`` Duration of smoking cessation was a major determinant in understanding the complex interaction between smoking and e-cigarette use , and this parameter may be important in examining the impact of e-cigarettes in future population studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos , a cardiologist at Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in Kallithea , Greece .
The researchers analyzed data on more than 6,900 current smokers and more than 6,100 former smokers in 28 European countries .
Current daily e-cigarette use was reported by 2 percent of current and 3 percent of former smokers .
Former daily use of e-cigarettes was reported by nearly 6 percent and 2 percent , respectively .
More than half of all former smokers had quit more than 10 years ago .
Of those , only 0.2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 9 percent of those who had quit between three and five years ago , and about 13 percent of those who had quit in the last two years .
Compared with former smokers who had never used e-cigarettes , current e-cigarette users were nearly five times more likely to have quit smoking within the last two years and over three times more likely to have quit smoking between three and five years ago .
The findings indicate that smokers find e-cigarettes a useful and effective quitting aid , and that some successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the authors .
The study was published online Feb. 3 in the journal Tobacco Control .
`` Former daily e-cigarette use was positively associated with smoking cessation of two or fewer years indicating that some smokers may have quit with e-cigarettes and then quit e-cigarette use too , '' they wrote in a journal news release .
The American Cancer Society has more on quitting smoking .

Smokers who recently quit tobacco cigarettes are much more likely to use e-cigarettes than those who quit more than a decade ago, a new study says.
The findings suggest that smokers who want to quit are now using e-cigarettes to help them, according to the authors. In the past, quitters had to rely on other smoking cessation aids.
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"Duration of smoking cessation was a major determinant in understanding the complex interaction between smoking and e-cigarette use, and this parameter may be important in examining the impact of e-cigarettes in future population studies," said the study authors led by Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, a cardiologist at Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in Kallithea, Greece.
The researchers analyzed data on more than 6,900 current smokers and more than 6,100 former smokers in 28 European countries.
Current daily e-cigarette use was reported by 2 percent of current and 3 percent of former smokers. Former daily use of e-cigarettes was reported by nearly 6 percent and 2 percent, respectively.
More than half of all former smokers had quit more than 10 years ago. Of those, only 0.2 percent reported daily e-cigarette use, compared with 9 percent of those who had quit between three and five years ago, and about 13 percent of those who had quit in the last two years.
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Compared with former smokers who had never used e-cigarettes, current e-cigarette users were nearly five times more likely to have quit smoking within the last two years and over three times more likely to have quit smoking between three and five years ago.
The findings indicate that smokers find e-cigarettes a useful and effective quitting aid, and that some successful quitters eventually stop using e-cigarettes, according to the authors. The study was published online Feb. 3 in the journal Tobacco Control.
"Former daily e-cigarette use was positively associated with smoking cessation of two or fewer years indicating that some smokers may have quit with e-cigarettes and then quit e-cigarette use too," they wrote in a journal news release.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more on quitting smoking.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-02-04--Biggest snowstorm of season predicted to hit central U.S.

A long-tracking winter storm could deliver the most substantial snowfall of the season across portions of the central United States , including cities like Chicago and Oklahoma City , as it is predicted to affect a 1,500-mile corridor this week .
Winter storm watches and warnings had been issued from West Texas to Illinois by midday on Tuesday , and AccuWeather meteorologists warn that the winter storm will disrupt daily commutes , school and long-distance travel from Tuesday night into Thursday .
The main storm will follow a preliminary dose of light snow that will coat areas from northeastern New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Temperatures plummeted into the single digits in Denver as snow from the first system moved into the area Tuesday morning , just two days after the high climbed into the mid-70s .
The same system unleashed double-digit snowfall totals farther west in Utah .
Salt Lake City International Airport was buried under record snow on Monday when 8.6 inches of snow fell .
That amount shattered the Feb. 3 record of 7 inches , which had stood since 1936 .
This lead storm is helping to usher in colder air that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snow farther to the southeast at midweek .
Major cities , including Oklahoma City , Chicago , Detroit and Columbia , Mo.
, are expected to be blanketed by a 3- to 6-inch snowfall .
For these locations and many others , the approaching weather system has the potential to be the biggest single snowstorm of the winter so far -- and an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 10 inches is forecast along the storm 's route .
`` Snowfall for the season has been near to below normal across this corridor , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Chicago has recorded three snow events of 3 inches or more this season .
Its biggest single-day snow total this season is 3.4 inches -- from a storm that hit on Oct. 31 and another that hit on Nov. 11 .
The Windy City picked up 3.1 inches on Jan. 17 .
Oklahoma City has seen almost no snow so far this season .
Apart from picking up a tenth of an inch on Jan. 22 , the city has recorded no other measurable snowfall .
Detroit is a different story .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was from a storm that dropped 8.5 inches on Nov. 11 .
And on Jan. 18 Detroit saw an accumulation total of 6.8 inches .
If AccuWeather 's StormMax total hits Detroit , the storm could be the biggest of the season to date for the Motor City .
Since the storm is targeting major population areas and airport hubs in the region , travel disruptions could be substantial .
Airline passengers should anticipate flight delays and cancellations stemming from the major hubs of O'Hare International , St. Louis International and Detroit Metro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning commute on Wednesday will be a mess .
Travel conditions around St. Louis are likely to be rough throughout Wednesday .
Both the morning and afternoon commute on Thursday around Chicago and Detroit have the potential to be slow and slippery .
Some schools may close during the storm due to the poor road conditions .
The Kansas City area in Missouri is likely to be grazed by the midweek storm but will be in the thick of the cold air .
Flurries could evolve into steadier snow as the Chiefs ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the storm track by as little as 50-100 miles could move the heaviest swath of snow a bit farther to the northwest or southeast .
Even so , a broad area of 1- to 3-inch snowfall is likely from portions of the southern High Plains to the middle Mississippi Valley and the lower Great Lakes region .
The storm will travel along the boundary between cold air to the northwest and warm air to the southeast .
The zone of stark temperature changes will be set up a few hundred miles to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A cold rain will fall over lower portions of the southern Plains and the Ohio Valley .
In between the rain and snow , freezing rain and sleet can occur across a narrow area .
In some cases , snow will follow a period of ice as temperatures dip and a rapid freeze-up occurs .
The icy conditions can occur in such places as Abilene and Wichita Falls , Texas ; Tulsa , Okla. ; Fort Smith , Ark .
; Springfield , Mo .
; St. Louis ; Lafayette , Ind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures are forecast to be in the single digits , teens and 20s in locales expected to receive snow and ice .
Forecasters say motorists should be prepared for slow , difficult and , in many cases , dangerous travel along portions of interstates 20 , 35 , 40 , 44 , 55 , 57 , 65 , 69 , 70 , 72 , 74 , 80 , 90 and 94 .
The wintry precipitation will end from west to east across the southern Plains on Wednesday , then the middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night and Thursday morning .
The bulk of the snow will depart the Great Lakes region by Thursday night , but a large area of snow showers is forecast to linger over the Midwest through Friday evening .
It is possible that a sneaky storm will bring snow or a wintry mix to portions of the Ohio Valley this weekend , which will largely be missed by the midweek storm .

A motorist clears his car from snow as traffic makes its way through downtown St. Louis during a snow storm in St. Louis on Monday, December 16, 2019. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
A long-tracking winter storm could deliver the most substantial snowfall of the season across portions of the central United States, including cities like Chicago and Oklahoma City, as it is predicted to affect a 1,500-mile corridor this week. Winter storm watches and warnings had been issued from West Texas to Illinois by midday on Tuesday, and AccuWeather meteorologists warn that the winter storm will disrupt daily commutes, school and long-distance travel from Tuesday night into Thursday. Advertisement
The main storm will follow a preliminary dose of light snow that will coat areas from northeastern New Mexico to northern Missouri into Tuesday evening.
A far-reaching storm will unload snowfall across the central United States during the middle of this week. (NOAA / GOES-EAST)
Temperatures plummeted into the single digits in Denver as snow from the first system moved into the area Tuesday morning, just two days after the high climbed into the mid-70s. The same system unleashed double-digit snowfall totals farther west in Utah. Salt Lake City International Airport was buried under record snow on Monday when 8.6 inches of snow fell. That amount shattered the Feb. 3 record of 7 inches, which had stood since 1936.
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This lead storm is helping to usher in colder air that will lay the groundwork for moderate to heavy snow farther to the southeast at midweek.
Major cities, including Oklahoma City, Chicago, Detroit and Columbia, Mo., are expected to be blanketed by a 3- to 6-inch snowfall. For these locations and many others, the approaching weather system has the potential to be the biggest single snowstorm of the winter so far -- and an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 10 inches is forecast along the storm's route.
"Snowfall for the season has been near to below normal across this corridor," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Erickson pointed out.
Chicago has recorded three snow events of 3 inches or more this season. Its biggest single-day snow total this season is 3.4 inches -- from a storm that hit on Oct. 31 and another that hit on Nov. 11. The Windy City picked up 3.1 inches on Jan. 17.
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Oklahoma City has seen almost no snow so far this season. Apart from picking up a tenth of an inch on Jan. 22, the city has recorded no other measurable snowfall.
Detroit is a different story. Its biggest snow event of the season was from a storm that dropped 8.5 inches on Nov. 11. And on Jan. 18 Detroit saw an accumulation total of 6.8 inches. If AccuWeather's StormMax total hits Detroit, the storm could be the biggest of the season to date for the Motor City.
Since the storm is targeting major population areas and airport hubs in the region, travel disruptions could be substantial. Airline passengers should anticipate flight delays and cancellations stemming from the major hubs of O'Hare International, St. Louis International and Detroit Metro airports.
Around Oklahoma City, the morning commute on Wednesday will be a mess. Travel conditions around St. Louis are likely to be rough throughout Wednesday.
Both the morning and afternoon commute on Thursday around Chicago and Detroit have the potential to be slow and slippery. Some schools may close during the storm due to the poor road conditions.
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The Kansas City area in Missouri is likely to be grazed by the midweek storm but will be in the thick of the cold air. Flurries could evolve into steadier snow as the Chiefs' victory celebrations continue.
A slight shift in the storm track by as little as 50-100 miles could move the heaviest swath of snow a bit farther to the northwest or southeast. Even so, a broad area of 1- to 3-inch snowfall is likely from portions of the southern High Plains to the middle Mississippi Valley and the lower Great Lakes region.
The storm will travel along the boundary between cold air to the northwest and warm air to the southeast. The zone of stark temperature changes will be set up a few hundred miles to the southeast of where the snow falls.
A cold rain will fall over lower portions of the southern Plains and the Ohio Valley. In between the rain and snow, freezing rain and sleet can occur across a narrow area.
In some cases, snow will follow a period of ice as temperatures dip and a rapid freeze-up occurs. The icy conditions can occur in such places as Abilene and Wichita Falls, Texas; Tulsa, Okla.; Fort Smith, Ark.; Springfield, Mo.; St. Louis; Lafayette, Ind.; and Toledo, Ohio.
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AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures are forecast to be in the single digits, teens and 20s in locales expected to receive snow and ice.
Forecasters say motorists should be prepared for slow, difficult and, in many cases, dangerous travel along portions of interstates 20, 35, 40, 44, 55, 57, 65, 69, 70, 72, 74, 80, 90 and 94.
The wintry precipitation will end from west to east across the southern Plains on Wednesday, then the middle part of the Mississippi Valley later Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The bulk of the snow will depart the Great Lakes region by Thursday night, but a large area of snow showers is forecast to linger over the Midwest through Friday evening.
It is possible that a sneaky storm will bring snow or a wintry mix to portions of the Ohio Valley this weekend, which will largely be missed by the midweek storm.


upi--2020-02-04--Boeing receives $18.2M deal for MH-47G Chinook parts for Special Ops

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- Boeing has received an $ 18.2 million contract to procure parts of the MH-47G Chinook helicopter for U.S. Special Operations Forces , the Department of Defense announced .
According to the Pentagon , the order `` is required to satisfy an urgent need to sustain U.S. Special Operations Forces ( SOF ) heavy assault , rotary wing aircraft and to mitigate the impact of the MH-47G aircraft availability in light of increased SOF operational demands . ''
In the past year , Special Operations Forces has issued three contracts for Chinook aircraft that include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 39 million deal for finalization of four new-build MH-47G Chinook helicopters in February 2019 ; a $ 30.7 million delivery order issued in June for Chinook component ; and a $ 194.2 million deal for seven new Chinooks , also awarded in June .
That contract was also described as meeting an urgent need for Special Operations Force Chinook helicopters , of which the Army had 69 at the time .
The majority of work on the new deal will be performed in Ridley Park , Pa .
The total amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately available to Boeing , and contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year .

Boeing received an $18.2 million contract to procure parts of the MH-47G Chinook helicopter for Special Operations Forces. Photo by Christopher Prows/U.S. Army
Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Boeing has received an $18.2 million contract to procure parts of the MH-47G Chinook helicopter for U.S. Special Operations Forces, the Department of Defense announced. According to the Pentagon, the order "is required to satisfy an urgent need to sustain U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) heavy assault, rotary wing aircraft and to mitigate the impact of the MH-47G aircraft availability in light of increased SOF operational demands." Advertisement
In the past year, Special Operations Forces has issued three contracts for Chinook aircraft that include text about urgent mission load: a $39 million deal for finalization of four new-build MH-47G Chinook helicopters in February 2019; a $30.7 million delivery order issued in June for Chinook component; and a $194.2 million deal for seven new Chinooks, also awarded in June.
That contract was also described as meeting an urgent need for Special Operations Force Chinook helicopters, of which the Army had 69 at the time.
The majority of work on the new deal will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa.
The total amount of funds obligated in the contract will be immediately available to Boeing, and contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year.


upi--2020-02-04--WHO demands more coronavirus data-sharing, notes global cost of outbreak

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has asked public health officials in countries impacted by the 2019 novel coronavirus to improve data-sharing in response to the outbreak .
Ghebreyesus announced during a meeting of the WHO 's executive board on Tuesday that he had sent letters to the relevant agencies in each of the 23 countries with confirmed cases of the virus known as 2019 n-CoV .
The agency also said the cost of response to the new coronavirus , for the next three months , is estimated at just under $ 700 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic cost of the outbreak , for just China , at more than $ 60 billion , illustrating that the costs of 2019 n-CoV go well beyond just treating patients .
In the United States , officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health have acknowledged that their counterparts in China had been proactive in sharing information on the virus genome -- which can be used as a starting point in the development of drugs and vaccines against it -- with other countries in early January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Chinese government has been reluctant to allow U.S. health experts to visit the country to observe or assist outbreak response .
On Tuesday , though , Ghebreyesus reiterated the WHO 's plan to send a team of international experts to work with Chinese responders .
Exactly when that team will be on the ground is still to be determined .
Whether or not other countries are eventually able to work directly in China , the outbreak response is already projected to be an expensive proposition .
WHO officials estimate that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in February , March and April will be $ 675 million .
Their cost estimates were announced on the heels of a report from financial publication Learn Bonds , which has pegged the total economic toll of the ongoing outbreak in China at $ 62 billion , or about 2 percent of the country 's gross domestic product , for the first quarter of 2020 alone .
If accurate , that would make 2019 n-CoV the most expensive infectious disease outbreak of the past 20 years .
To compare , the economic impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Africa was $ 53 billion .
According to reports , China has already spent approximately $ 12.6 billion on outbreak response .
The meeting of the executive board of the WHO was previously scheduled , and has dealt with other issues beyond the 2019 n-CoV outbreak .

WHO officials have been contacting countries with coronavirus infections or deaths, including China, to ask for more and complete data as the agency attempts to help nations around the world grapple with the outbreak. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 4 (UPI) -- World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has asked public health officials in countries impacted by the 2019 novel coronavirus to improve data-sharing in response to the outbreak. Ghebreyesus announced during a meeting of the WHO's executive board on Tuesday that he had sent letters to the relevant agencies in each of the 23 countries with confirmed cases of the virus known as 2019 n-CoV. Advertisement
The agency also said the cost of response to the new coronavirus, for the next three months, is estimated at just under $700 million. Another report put the potential economic cost of the outbreak, for just China, at more than $60 billion, illustrating that the costs of 2019 n-CoV go well beyond just treating patients.
In the United States, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health have acknowledged that their counterparts in China had been proactive in sharing information on the virus genome -- which can be used as a starting point in the development of drugs and vaccines against it -- with other countries in early January.
However, they have also implied that the Chinese government has been reluctant to allow U.S. health experts to visit the country to observe or assist outbreak response.
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On Tuesday, though, Ghebreyesus reiterated the WHO's plan to send a team of international experts to work with Chinese responders. Exactly when that team will be on the ground is still to be determined.
Whether or not other countries are eventually able to work directly in China, the outbreak response is already projected to be an expensive proposition. WHO officials estimate that the overall public health cost of outbreak response in February, March and April will be $675 million.
Their cost estimates were announced on the heels of a report from financial publication Learn Bonds, which has pegged the total economic toll of the ongoing outbreak in China at $62 billion, or about 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product, for the first quarter of 2020 alone.
If accurate, that would make 2019 n-CoV the most expensive infectious disease outbreak of the past 20 years. To compare, the economic impact of the 2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa was $53 billion.
According to reports, China has already spent approximately $12.6 billion on outbreak response.
The meeting of the executive board of the WHO was previously scheduled, and has dealt with other issues beyond the 2019 n-CoV outbreak.


upi--2020-02-04--Watch live:  Trump gives State of the Union address

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- President Donald Trump is scheduled to give the State of the Union address Tuesday night , one day before the Senate votes in his impeachment trial .
The president is expected to speak at 9:10 p.m. EST at the U.S. Capitol .
Among the special guests Trump 's invited to the event are : -- Stephanie Davis and her daughter , Janiyah Davis , to illustrate Trump 's education policies .
-- Kelli Hake , whose husband was killed in a terror incident linked to Iranian Gen. Qaseem Soleimani , and her son , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose brother , Rock Jones , was killed by an undocumented immigrant .
-- Paul Morrow , an Army veteran whose company will help build new F-35 jets .
-- Tony Rankins , a veteran who beat a drug addiction and underwent job training to be reunited with his family .
-- Robin Schneider and her daughter , Ellie Schneider , who was born premature .
-- Ivan Simonovis , the former chief of police in Caracas , Venezuela , who immigrated to the United States .
Meanwhile , at least five House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's speech , including Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon , Steve Cohen of Tennessee , Al Green of Texas , Hank Johnson of Georgia and Frederica Wilson of Florida .
Each skipped last year 's State of the Union , in addition to Rep. John Lewis , D-Ga .
It 's unclear if Lewis will attend this year 's event after announcing his cancer diagnosis .
Rep. Gretchen Whitmer , D-Mich. , will be giving the Democratic response to Trump 's speech in English and Rep. Veronica Escobar , D-Texas , will give @ @ @ @

1/13
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tears up her copy of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday night. Vice President Mike Pence applauds at left. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 4 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump touted the strength of the U.S. economy in his State of the Union address on Tuesday. Trump praised the economy as the best it's ever been, declaring he has ushered in a "great American comeback" through trade deals, his tax package and repeals of regulations put in place by the previous administration. Advertisement
"From the instant I took office, I moved rapidly to revive the U.S. economy -- slashing a record number of job-killing regulations, enacting historic and record-setting tax cuts and fighting for fair and reciprocal trade agreements," Trump said.
He cited as an example last week's signing of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement -- a revision of the North American Free Trade Agreement of 1994 -- which Trump has predicted will improve U.S. economic growth by 1.2 percent, generate $68 billion in new economic activity and create 176,000 new jobs.
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Trump also mentioned that the United States signed a deal with China "that will defend our workers, protect our intellectual property, bring billions of dollars into our treasury and open vast new markets for products made and grown right here in the United States of America."
During the speech, Trump announced that Venezuelan National Assembly President Juan Guaido was in the chamber and reasserted the United States' backing of Guaido's claim that President Nicolas Maduro's presidency is illegitimate and Guaido is the country's rightful leader.
"All Americans are united with the Venezuelan people in the righteous struggle for freedom," Trump said. "Socialism destroys nations. But always remember, freedom unifies the soul."
Trump said he is pursuing peace negotiations to end America's wars in the Middle East, citing the "determination and valor" of fighters in Afghanistan.
"I am not looking to kill hundreds of thousands of people in Afghanistan, many of them innocent," Trump said. "It is also not our function to serve other nations as a law enforcement agency. These are warfighters, the best in the world, and they either want to fight to win or not fight at all. We are working to finally end America's longest war and bring our troops back home."
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Trump also remarked on the January airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani at his direction.
"Our message to the terrorists is clear: You will never escape American justice. If you attack our citizens, you forfeit your life." Trump said.
Trump praised the United States' $2.2 trillion investment in the military and his recent $738 billion defense bill that established the Space Force, a new sixth branch of the military that will be responsible for training, equipping and organizing a cadre of space professionals to "protect U.S. and allied interests in space while also providing space capabilities to the joint force."
He acknowledged Arizona eighth-grader Iain Lanphier, 13, who has expressed aspirations to join the newly formed military branch.
"He aspires to go to the Air Force Academy and then, he has his eye on the Space Force," Trump said. "As Iain says, 'Most people look up at space, I want to look down on the world.'"
The president also called on Congress to pass multiple pieces of legislation, including the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, which would provide scholarships to encourage freedom of school choice.
Trump awarded an Opportunity Scholarship to Philadelphia fourth-grader Janiyah Davis, who attended the speech.
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"Now, I call on Congress to give 1 million American children the same opportunity Janiyah has just received," he said. "Pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act -- because no parent should be forced to send their child to a failing government school," he said.
He called attention to a bill by Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., that would allow Americans to sue so-called sanctuary cities and states that choose not to cooperate with federal immigration authorities if a loved one is injured or killed by an undocumented immigrant.
"I ask the Congress to pass the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act immediately," Trump said. "The United States of America should be a sanctuary for law-abiding Americans -- not criminal aliens."
He also called for legislation to cut the cost of prescription drugs and to ban late-term abortion.
Trump's speech made no mention of the impeachment proceeding against him, which is expected to end in a vote for acquittal on Wednesday after senators voted against allowing witnesses and evidence in the trial.
As he spoke, several Democrats walked out.
Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio left, stating on Twitter that he "had enough."
"It's like watching professional wrestling," he said. "It's all fake."
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Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. of New York said he also left, as did Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
"The lies, the bigotry and the shameless bragging about taking away food stamps that people depend on to live -- it was all beneath the dignity of the office he occupies," Tlaib said on Twitter. "Shame on this forever impeached president."
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's guest, Fred Guttenberg, father of a Parkland, Fla., school shooting victim, was escorted from the building for heckling Trump after the president vowed to "always protect your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms" during his address.
Guttenberg later issued an apology for his outburst.
"I have tried to conduct myself with dignity throughout this process, and I will do better as I pursue gun safety," he said.
As Trump concluded his speech, Pelosi dramatically tore in half a printed copy that the president had handed her earlier.
Asked why she tore the speech, Pelosi told reporters, it was "the courteous thing to do given the alternative."
Early Wednesday, Pelosi issued a statement deriding Trump's address as a "manifesto of mistruths."
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Ten House Democrats boycotted Trump's speech, including Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Al Green of Texas, Hank Johnson of Georgia, Frederica Wilson of Florida, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Maxine Waters of California, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and Bobby Rush of Illinois.
Rep. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., delivered the Democratic response to Trump's speech in English, and Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, gave the Spanish response.


upi--2020-02-04--Number of homeless children, youth, reaches record high, nonprofit says

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- The number of homeless children and youth enrolled in public schools has reached 1.5 million , a record high , according to a national nonprofit .
Public schools identified 1.5 million homeless students in 2017-2018 school year , up 15 percent from 2015-2016 , the National Center for Homeless Education , funded by the Department of Education , found .
The increase was largely seen from 2016-2018 , when the number jumped 11 percent .
The 1.5 million is a record high , the national nonprofit , SchoolHouse Connection , said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and youth experiencing homelessness nationwide is alarming , '' SchoolHouse Connection Executive Director Barbara Duffield said in the statement .
`` But for many of these children and youth , public schools are their best -- and often only -- source of support .
Schools exist in all communities , regardless of whether or not there are enough shelter beds ; they are required to identify , enroll , and serve homeless children and youth ; they use a definition of homelessness that captures the reality of homelessness for youth and families ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youth need to succeed . ''
Under education law , children and youth are categorized as homeless if they are residing in shelters , cars , motels , or with other people temporarily due to lack of alternatives .
Those residing in cars , parks or streets are considered unsheltered homeless .
The number of unsheltered homeless children and youth was 102,527 in the 2017-2018 school year , a 104 percent increase from 50,187 in the same situation the previous school year , and a 137 percent increase over three school years .

A new report shows 102,527 children and youth were among the unsheltered homeless nationwide in the 2017-2018 school year. Homeless encampments are shown in the skid row section of Los Angeles. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 4 (UPI) -- The number of homeless children and youth enrolled in public schools has reached 1.5 million, a record high, according to a national nonprofit. Public schools identified 1.5 million homeless students in 2017-2018 school year, up 15 percent from 2015-2016, the National Center for Homeless Education, funded by the Department of Education, found. The increase was largely seen from 2016-2018, when the number jumped 11 percent. Advertisement
The 1.5 million is a record high, the national nonprofit, SchoolHouse Connection, said in a statement.
"The record number of children and youth experiencing homelessness nationwide is alarming," SchoolHouse Connection Executive Director Barbara Duffield said in the statement. "But for many of these children and youth, public schools are their best -- and often only -- source of support. Schools exist in all communities, regardless of whether or not there are enough shelter beds; they are required to identify, enroll, and serve homeless children and youth; they use a definition of homelessness that captures the reality of homelessness for youth and families; and they provide the tools children and youth need to succeed."
Under education law, children and youth are categorized as homeless if they are residing in shelters, cars, motels, or with other people temporarily due to lack of alternatives.
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Those residing in cars, parks or streets are considered unsheltered homeless. The number of unsheltered homeless children and youth was 102,527 in the 2017-2018 school year, a 104 percent increase from 50,187 in the same situation the previous school year, and a 137 percent increase over three school years.


upi--2020-02-04--Watch: Glitch results in Ohio couple receiving 55,000 identical letters

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- An Ohio couple received 55,000 identical letters at the same time due to a @ @ @ @ @ a student loan company .
Dan Cain of Twinsburg said the clerk at a Twinsburg @ @ @ @ @ a recent visit that all of his mail would n't fit through the front door @ @ @ @ @ back and was presented with 55,000 identical letters from College Avenue Student Loans .
The @ @ @ @ @ Student Loans , contained a statement for the student loan Cain and his wife , @ @ @ @ @ for their daughter .
The loan company said the letters were sent erroneously as a @ @ @ @ @ .
Cain said the company told him the statement inside the letters was incorrect and @ @ @ @ @ corrected statement .
Cain said he is now mulling what to do with the 55,000 @ @ @

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Feb. 4 (UPI) -- An Ohio couple received 55,000 identical letters at the same time due to a glitch in the system of a student loan company.
Dan Cain of Twinsburg said the clerk at a Twinsburg Post Office told him during a recent visit that all of his mail wouldn't fit through the front door, so he pulled around back and was presented with 55,000 identical letters from College Avenue Student Loans.
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The letters, from College Avenue Student Loans, contained a statement for the student loan Cain and his wife, Dee, had taken out for their daughter.
The loan company said the letters were sent erroneously as a result of a system glitch.
Cain said the company told him the statement inside the letters was incorrect and they will be sending a corrected statement.
Cain said he is now mulling what to do with the 55,000 incorrect statements.


upi--2020-02-04--Maryland woman's appetite leads her to $30,000 lottery prize

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- A Maryland woman said her need for a nosh led her to the store @ @ @ @ @ 30,000 winning lottery ticket .
The 48-year-old Prince George 's County woman told Maryland Lottery @ @ @ @ @ to her usual lottery retailer to buy a ticket because she was hungry and wanted @ @ @ @ @ food .
The woman said she ended up at Royal Farms in Upper Marlboro , @ @ @ @ @ and purchased some draw tickets and a pair of $ 3 scratch-off tickets .
One @ @ @ @ @ Peppermint Payout Multiplier ticket , earned her a $ 30,000 prize .
`` I wanted @ @ @ @ @ , '' the woman recalled .
The winner said she plans to use the money @ @ @ @ @ .

A Maryland woman said her need for food led her to eschew her usual lottery retailer for the store where she bought a $30,000 winner. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Feb. 4 (UPI) -- A Maryland woman said her need for a nosh led her to the store where she bought a $30,000 winning lottery ticket. The 48-year-old Prince George's County woman told Maryland Lottery officials she didn't go to her usual lottery retailer to buy a ticket because she was hungry and wanted a store that also sold food. Advertisement
The woman said she ended up at Royal Farms in Upper Marlboro, where she satisfied her appetite and purchased some draw tickets and a pair of $3 scratch-off tickets.
One of the scratch-offs, a Peppermint Payout Multiplier ticket, earned her a $30,000 prize.
"I wanted to scream in the store," the woman recalled.
The winner said she plans to use the money to pay off her debts.


upi--2020-02-04--Look: Pentagon shares 'Universe: The Black Hall' concept trailer

Feb. 4 ( UPI ) -- South Korean boy band Pentagon is gearing up to release its first full-length album @ @ @ @ @ a concept trailer for the album , Universe : The Black Hall , on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ Pentagon member Hui throwing a paper airplane from some bleachers .
The plane lands near @ @ @ @ @ metronomes on top and is stained by a mysterious black liquid .
Pentagon also shared @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter that shows its members wearing matching black suits .
The members have cuts @ @ @ @ @ .
Pentagon previously shared a trailer for the album that depicted outer space .
A @ @ @ @ @ glowing pentagon in space .
Pentagon will release Universe : The Black Hall on Feb. @ @ @ @ @ recently released the EP Sum ( me : r ) in July .
Pentagon debuted @ @ @ @ @ .
The group consists of Jinho , Hui , Hongseok , Shinwon , Yeo One @ @ @ @ @ Kino and Wooseok .

Feb. 4 (UPI) -- South Korean boy band Pentagon is gearing up to release its first full-length album.
The K-pop group shared a concept trailer for the album, Universe: The Black Hall, on Tuesday.
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The teaser opens with Pentagon member Hui throwing a paper airplane from some bleachers. The plane lands near a circle of chairs with metronomes on top and is stained by a mysterious black liquid.
Pentagon also shared a new concept photo Tuesday on Twitter that shows its members wearing matching black suits. The members have cuts and bruises on their faces.
Pentagon previously shared a trailer for the album that depicted outer space. A previous teaser also showed a glowing pentagon in space.
Pentagon will release Universe: The Black Hall on Feb. 12. The group most recently released the EP Sum(me:r) in July.
Pentagon debuted as a group in 2016. The group consists of Jinho, Hui, Hongseok, Shinwon, Yeo One, YanAn, Yuto, Kino and Wooseok.


upi--2020-02-05--Marvin Lewis, former Pro Bowl LB Antonio Pierce named DCs at Arizona State

Feb. 5 ( UPI ) -- Former Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis and Pro Bowl linebacker Antonio Pierce have been named the co-defensive coordinators at Arizona State .
The Sun Devils announced the hires Tuesday .
Lewis and Pierce will take over for former defensive coordinator Tony White , who left the Sun Devils to take the same job at Syracuse .
`` Marvin Lewis is someone that I have come to trust wholeheartedly during my career and his coaching acumen will prove to be invaluable as we continue to push this program forward , '' Sun Devils coach Herm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` He has coached at the highest level of football and spearheaded some elite defenses in the process .
That kind of experience can not be measured and his passion for teaching will extend beyond the student-athletes , but also to our coaching staff itself . ''
Lewis joined the Sun Devils as a special advisor last year , following a 25-year coaching tenure in the NFL .
He was the Sun Devils ' interim defensive backs coach for the 2019 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl .
`` Antonio Pierce has established himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation and is one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches around , '' Edwards said .
`` His impact with the linebackers and with the Sun Devil program in just two seasons has been tangible and he has been a pivotal part in our defensive success since his arrival in Tempe . ''
Pierce was recently promoted to Sun Devils associate head coach .
He spent the previous two seasons as the Sun Devils ' linebacker coach and recruiting coordinator .
The Sun Devils went 8-5 last season , finishing in third place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ division .
They allowed the fifth-fewest points and third-fewest rushing yards in the Pac-12 in 2019 .
The Sun Devils also led the conference with 15 fumble recoveries and 28 turnovers forced .

Marvin Lewis coached the Cincinnati Bengals from 2003 through 2018. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Former Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis and Pro Bowl linebacker Antonio Pierce have been named the co-defensive coordinators at Arizona State. The Sun Devils announced the hires Tuesday. Lewis and Pierce will take over for former defensive coordinator Tony White, who left the Sun Devils to take the same job at Syracuse. Advertisement
"Marvin Lewis is someone that I have come to trust wholeheartedly during my career and his coaching acumen will prove to be invaluable as we continue to push this program forward," Sun Devils coach Herm Edwards said in a news release.
"He has coached at the highest level of football and spearheaded some elite defenses in the process. That kind of experience cannot be measured and his passion for teaching will extend beyond the student-athletes, but also to our coaching staff itself."
Lewis joined the Sun Devils as a special advisor last year, following a 25-year coaching tenure in the NFL. He was the Sun Devils' interim defensive backs coach for the 2019 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
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"Antonio Pierce has established himself as one of the elite recruiters in the nation and is one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches around," Edwards said. "His impact with the linebackers and with the Sun Devil program in just two seasons has been tangible and he has been a pivotal part in our defensive success since his arrival in Tempe."
Pierce was recently promoted to Sun Devils associate head coach. He spent the previous two seasons as the Sun Devils' linebacker coach and recruiting coordinator.
The Sun Devils went 8-5 last season, finishing in third place in the Pac-12's Conference's South division. They allowed the fifth-fewest points and third-fewest rushing yards in the Pac-12 in 2019. The Sun Devils also led the conference with 15 fumble recoveries and 28 turnovers forced.


upi--2020-02-05--Big Hit Entertainment unveils expansion, plans for new bands

SEOUL , Feb. 5 ( UPI ) -- Big Hit Entertainment , the label behind K-pop megastars BTS , announced massive business growth in 2019 and plans for upcoming tours and new bands at a corporate briefing in Seoul .
Revenues nearly doubled for the company in 2019 to 587.9 billion South Korean won ( $ 494.6 million ) , Big Hit CEO and founder Bang Si-hyuk said Tuesday at the private event , with annual operating profits reaching 97.5 billion won ( $ 82 million ) .
The briefing had been scheduled to include fans and media but was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the coronavirus outbreak .
A video of the corporate presentation was released Wednesday .
`` In 2019 , Big Hit grew rapidly and drove numerous changes , '' Bang said , as it worked to build `` the foundations of a multi-label , multi-business company . ''
The company acquired music label Source Music , game company Superb and established joint venture Belift with CJ ENM in 2019 .
Big Hit also expanded its BTS concert experiences with live streaming , cinema viewing and other packaged content .
The new platforms allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in BTS 's Love Yourself and Speak Yourself world tours , beyond the 2.06 million who attended in person , the company announced .
Bang also described the enormous economic boost that BTS 's concerts had on Seoul in 2019 .
The band 's three-day concert in Seoul brought in 187,000 additional foreign visitors and had an economic impact of nearly 1 trillion won ( $ 844 billion ) , he said , citing academic experts .
`` Our vision was to turn a city hosting a BTS performance into a festival like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` And we are witnessing this vision turn into a reality . ''
Big Hit Vice President Shin Young-jae announced plans for the first world tour for the label 's TXT ( Tomorrow X Together ) .
The boy band , which debuted in 2019 , will hold its first live show with fans in March before embarking on the tour and will release a new album in the first half of the year .
Shin also said that Big Hit is working on a new boy band and aiming for them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sung-jin said that performers recruited from the Plus Global Audition , held last year , would make their debut as a girl group in 2021 .
The label , which was acquired by Big Hit Entertainment last year , features K-pop stars GFriend , who released their new album Labyrinth on Monday .
And a new multinational boy band under the Belift joint venture will make its debut within the year , said Yoon Hyuk-choi , vice president of the label .
`` Belift 's goal is to become a label that takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , with the new project seeking to create `` idols for the global market . ''
Other announcements on Tuesday included boy band Seventeen , which is managed by label Pleidis Entertainment , becoming the first outside act to join WeVerse , a fan and artist community app launched by Big Hit .
Big Hit 's biggest stars , BTS , will release their new full-length album Map of the Soul : 7 on Feb. 21 and will kick off a world tour in April .
The BTS experience will also expand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a coming-of-age drama series based on the `` Bangtan Universe '' and Korean-language learning content called Learn Korean with BTS .
`` Big Hit 's business expansion will know no boundaries , '' Bang said .

Big Hit Entertainment CEO Bang Si-Hyuk unveils plans for the company's expansion at a corporate briefing in Seoul on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment
SEOUL, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Big Hit Entertainment, the label behind K-pop megastars BTS, announced massive business growth in 2019 and plans for upcoming tours and new bands at a corporate briefing in Seoul. Revenues nearly doubled for the company in 2019 to 587.9 billion South Korean won ($494.6 million), Big Hit CEO and founder Bang Si-hyuk said Tuesday at the private event, with annual operating profits reaching 97.5 billion won ($82 million). Advertisement
The briefing had been scheduled to include fans and media but was held in private instead due to fears over the coronavirus outbreak. A video of the corporate presentation was released Wednesday.
"In 2019, Big Hit grew rapidly and drove numerous changes," Bang said, as it worked to build "the foundations of a multi-label, multi-business company."
The company acquired music label Source Music, game company Superb and established joint venture Belift with CJ ENM in 2019.
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Big Hit also expanded its BTS concert experiences with live streaming, cinema viewing and other packaged content. The new platforms allowed over 5.5 million fans to take part in BTS's Love Yourself and Speak Yourself world tours, beyond the 2.06 million who attended in person, the company announced.
Bang also described the enormous economic boost that BTS's concerts had on Seoul in 2019.
The band's three-day concert in Seoul brought in 187,000 additional foreign visitors and had an economic impact of nearly 1 trillion won ($844 billion), he said, citing academic experts.
"Our vision was to turn a city hosting a BTS performance into a festival like the Olympics," Bang said. "And we are witnessing this vision turn into a reality."
Big Hit Vice President Shin Young-jae announced plans for the first world tour for the label's TXT (Tomorrow X Together). The boy band, which debuted in 2019, will hold its first live show with fans in March before embarking on the tour and will release a new album in the first half of the year.
Shin also said that Big Hit is working on a new boy band and aiming for them to debut 2022.
Source Music President So Sung-jin said that performers recruited from the Plus Global Audition, held last year, would make their debut as a girl group in 2021. The label, which was acquired by Big Hit Entertainment last year, features K-pop stars GFriend, who released their new album Labyrinth on Monday.
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And a new multinational boy band under the Belift joint venture will make its debut within the year, said Yoon Hyuk-choi, vice president of the label.
"Belift's goal is to become a label that takes K-pop into the mainstream," he said, with the new project seeking to create "idols for the global market."
Other announcements on Tuesday included boy band Seventeen, which is managed by label Pleidis Entertainment, becoming the first outside act to join WeVerse, a fan and artist community app launched by Big Hit.
Big Hit's biggest stars, BTS, will release their new full-length album Map of the Soul: 7 on Feb. 21 and will kick off a world tour in April.
The BTS experience will also expand into new realms, Bang said, including a coming-of-age drama series based on the "Bangtan Universe" and Korean-language learning content called Learn Korean with BTS.
"Big Hit's business expansion will know no boundaries," Bang said.


upi--2020-02-05--Houston Rockets trade Clint Capela, Nenê to Atlanta Hawks in 4-team, 12-player deal

Feb. 5 ( UPI ) -- The Houston Rockets have traded centers Clint Capela and Nenê to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal involving four teams , a dozen players and three draft picks .
ESPN , The Athletic and the Houston Chronicle reported the Rockets agreed to send Capela and Nenê to the Hawks .
The Rockets are also getting Minnesota 's Jordan Bell and Robert Covington and a second round draft pick via Golden State in the swap .
In return , the Minnesota Timberwolves will receive two first round draft picks , Malik Beasley , Juancho Hernangómez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turner from Atlanta .
The Nuggets will receive the Rockets ' first round pick , Shabazz Napier , Keita Bates-Diop , Noah Vonleh and Gerald Green .
Capela , 25 , is averaging 13.9 points and 13.8 rebounds per game this season .
He averaged a career-high 16.6 points last season , while pulling down 12.7 rebounds per game .
The No .
25 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft is signed through 2022-2023 and is earning $ 16.4 million this season .
Nenê is averaging a career-low 3.6 points per game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points and 6.0 rebounds .
The deal is the NBA 's largest , in terms of the number of players involved , since the 2000 trade that sent New York Knicks star Patrick Ewing to the Seattle Supersonics .
The 2019-2020 NBA trade deadline is at 3 p.m. EST Thursday .

Former Houston Rockets center Clint Capela (15) will add to the Atlanta Hawks' length and be a great outlet for point guard Trae Young. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 5 (UPI) -- The Houston Rockets have traded centers Clint Capela and Nenê to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal involving four teams, a dozen players and three draft picks. ESPN, The Athletic and the Houston Chronicle reported the Rockets agreed to send Capela and Nenê to the Hawks. The Rockets are also getting Minnesota's Jordan Bell and Robert Covington and a second round draft pick via Golden State in the swap. Advertisement
In return, the Minnesota Timberwolves will receive two first round draft picks, Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangómez and Jarred Vanderbilt from Denver and Evan Turner from Atlanta. The Nuggets will receive the Rockets' first round pick, Shabazz Napier, Keita Bates-Diop, Noah Vonleh and Gerald Green.
Capela, 25, is averaging 13.9 points and 13.8 rebounds per game this season. He averaged a career-high 16.6 points last season, while pulling down 12.7 rebounds per game. The No. 25 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft is signed through 2022-2023 and is earning $16.4 million this season.
Nenê is averaging a career-low 3.6 points per game this season while Covington is averaging 12.8 points and 6.0 rebounds.
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The deal is the NBA's largest, in terms of the number of players involved, since the 2000 trade that sent New York Knicks star Patrick Ewing to the Seattle Supersonics.
The 2019-2020 NBA trade deadline is at 3 p.m. EST Thursday.


upi--2020-02-05--Hong Kong imposes mandatory quarantine for all travelers from mainland China

Feb. 5 ( UPI ) -- Hong Kong announced Wednesday that all travelers from mainland China must remain in quarantine for 14 days as the global death toll from the fast-spreading novel coronavirus reached 492 .
Facing increasing pressure to institute a full border closure , Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the mandatory quarantine would apply to all travelers from China regardless of their nationality .
It is set come into effect Saturday .
The city 's medics have been on strike since Monday to pressure Lam into closing all of Kong Kong 's crossing points into the mainland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a handful land crossings , the airport and Kai Tak cruise terminal open .
One of the 492 deaths from the virus has been recorded in Hong Kong .
Another has been in the Philippines while the remaining 490 have been in mainland China , mainly in or around the outbreak 's epicenter in the city of Wuhan .
Princess Cruises instituted a quarantine of its own Wednesday , locking down 3,700 passengers and crew aboard a ship anchored at Yokohama , Japan , after 10 people aboard tested positive for the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay aboard the Diamond Princess vessel for two weeks , as required by the Japanese Ministry of Health .
`` These 10 persons , who have been notified , will be taken ashore by Japanese Coast Guard watercraft and transported to local hospitals for care by shoreside Japanese medical professionals , '' the company said .
Those quarantined aboard will receive complimentary Internet and phone service during the quarantine as the ship periodically goes out to sea to `` perform normal marine operations . ''
Food , provisions and other supplies will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people had been infected in China from the coronavirus -- called 2019-nCoV -- which emerged early December .
At least 159 people have been infected with the disease in 23 countries aside from China , according to the World Health Organization .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 11 cases of the virus in the United States with 82 cases under investigation .
Meanwhile , two flights evacuating hundreds of U.S. citizens from Wuhan departed from China Wednesday .
U.S. Northern Command said in a statement the flights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling with 350 passengers on board to California military bases .
Both of the flights were heading to Travis Air Force Base in Solano County where one of the planes will refuel before departing for its final destination , the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego , the officials said .
The Department of Defense announced that it was prepared to receive the two planes , which were scheduled to land Wednesday .
On arrival , the passengers will be subjected to a CDC-ordered 14-day quarantine at the two bases where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` work closely with our interagency partners and continue to provide support to the situation as requested.
`` The flights come a week after the U.S. government flew 195 citizens from Wuhan , the epicenter of an ongoing deadly coronavirus outbreak , to the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County , Calif .
Following the initial evacuation flight , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters while in Uzbekistan that they were working on bringing more U.S. citizens home from Wuhan that has been under lockdown for several weeks by the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak .
News of the departing flights comes amid strained relations between the United States and China as the Asian nation has criticized Washington 's response to the outbreak , accusing it of fanning fears of the disease by increasing its travel advisory on China while not living up to its offers of assistance .
`` The U.S. has said many times that it wants to help China , '' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Tuesday .
`` We would like to see early arrival of such help . ''
The U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan that they may be arranging further evacuation flights on Thursday .
`` Chinese health authorities will be screening travelers at the airport and may deny boarding to anyone who may be of health concern , '' the U.S. Embassy in China said .
`` They may also deny boarding to the passenger 's family members or involuntarily hospitalize anyone of health concern . ''
On Tuesday , Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Jonathan Rath Hoffman told reporters that Defense Secretary Mark Esper had requested assistance from the Department of Health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,000 people in quarantine if needed at the March Air Reserve Base .

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Hong Kong imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all arrivals from mainland China after striking hospital workers demanded that border crossings be closed to help contain the novel coronavirus outbreak. Photo by Jerome Favre/EPA-EFE
Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Chinese health officials said Thursday morning the death toll for mainland China from a mysterious new virus surged to 562 in the past 24 hours after 70 people in the outbreak's epicenter of Hubei province died of the disease. The Health Commission of Hubei Province in a statement revealed 52 deaths occurred in the province's capital of Wuhan where a seafood and animal market is believed to be ground zero of the coronavirus called 2019-nCov. Advertisement
The number is expected to increase as China's National Health Commission has yet to release its numbers over the past 24 hours.
Globally, the death toll stands at 564 with one death each in Hong Kong and the Philippines.
The number of confirmed cases of the disease also jump 2,987 in the province over Wednesday, raising its total to 19,665, of which 14,314 were still in hospital including 2,328 cases labeled severe and 756 considered critical.
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The new figures increase the number of confirmed cases for China to 27,378.
Outside of China, there are at least 191 confirmed cases of the disease in 24 countries, according to the World Health Organization.
On Wednesday, Hong Kong announced that all travelers from mainland China must remain in quarantine for 14 days.
Facing increasing pressure to institute a full border closure, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the mandatory quarantine would apply to all travelers from China, regardless of their nationality. It is set to take effect Saturday.
The city's medics have been on strike since Monday to pressure Lam into closing all of Kong Kong's crossing points to the mainland, but she has resisted, keeping a handful of land crossings, the airport and Kai Tak cruise terminal open.
Princess Cruises instituted a quarantine of its own Wednesday, locking down 3,700 passengers and crew aboard a ship anchored at Yokohama, Japan, after 10 people aboard tested positive for the coronavirus.
The passengers will be forced to stay aboard the Diamond Princess vessel for two weeks, as required by the Japanese Ministry of Health.
"These 10 persons, who have been notified, will be taken ashore by Japanese Coast Guard watercraft and transported to local hospitals for care by shore-side Japanese medical professionals," the company said.
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Those quarantined aboard will receive complimentary Internet and phone service during the quarantine as the ship periodically goes out to sea to "perform normal marine operations." Food, provisions and other supplies will be brought on board from Yokohama.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 12 cases of the virus in the United States, with over 200 cases under investigation.
Meanwhile, two flights evacuating hundreds of U.S. citizens from Wuhan landed on Wednesday.
The U.S. Northern Command said in a statement the flights, chartered by the State Department, were traveling with 350 passengers to California military bases.
Both of the flights landed in Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, where one of the planes refueled before departing for its final destination, the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego, the officials said.
Prior to the landing, the Department of Defense announced that it was prepared to receive the two planes and that the passengers were to be subjected to a CDC-ordered 14-day quarantine at the two bases, where the Department of Defense said it will "work closely with our interagency partners and continue to provide support to the situation as requested. "
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"We do not believe these people pose a threat to the communities where they are being housed," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, in a press briefing Wednesday.
The flights come a week after the U.S. government flew 195 citizens from Wuhan to the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, Calif.
Following the initial evacuation flight, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters while in Uzbekistan that they were working on bringing more U.S. citizens home from Wuhan, which has been under lockdown for several weeks by the Chinese government in an attempt to stem the outbreak.
News of the departing flights comes amid strained relations between the United States and China. China has criticized Washington's response to the outbreak, accusing it of fanning fears of the disease by increasing its travel advisory on China while not living up to its offers of assistance.
"The U.S. has said many times that it wants to help China," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Tuesday. "We would like to see early arrival of such help."
The U.S. State Department told American citizens still in Wuhan that they may be arranging more evacuation flights on Thursday.
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"Chinese health authorities will be screening travelers at the airport and may deny boarding to anyone who may be of health concern," the U.S. Embassy in China said. "They may also deny boarding to the passenger's family members or involuntarily hospitalize anyone of health concern."
On Tuesday, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Jonathan Rath Hoffman told reporters that Defense Secretary Mark Esper had requested assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services for assistance housing up to 1,000 people in quarantine if needed at the March Air Reserve Base.