jerusalempost--2020-12-17--Earthquake shakes eastern Japan, no tsunami warning

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.6 shook eastern Japan on Thursday , the Japan Meteorological Agency said .
@ @ @ @ @ was in Ibaraki prefecture , north of the capital Tokyo , the agency said , @ @ @ @ @ had not been issued .
There were no were immediate reports of damage .

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.6 shook eastern Japan on Thursday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The epicentre of the earthquake was in Ibaraki prefecture, north of the capital Tokyo, the agency said, adding that a tsunami warning had not been issued.
There were no were immediate reports of damage.


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--US gov't official: F-35 sale continuing as planned

By subscribing I accept the terms of use

A US government official said on Thursday that the US-UAE F-35 sale is continuing well, despite the upcoming change in presidency and policy, Maariv, The Jerusalem Post's sister publication, reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--Body of 30-year-old man found dead in northern West Bank, cause unknown

A 30-year-old man from Kafr Kassem was found lifeless on Thursday on Route 557 between Tayibeh and the Te'enim checkpoint.The MDA team that arrived at the scene found the man unconscious with several bullet wounds on his body, and his death was determined at the scene.Israel police opened an investigation into the incident.


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--US Interior Secretary Bernhardt tests positive for COVID-19

US Interior Department Secretary David Bernhardt tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday , a representative for the department said .
@ @ @ @ @ continue to work while in quarantine , Interior spokesman Nicholas Goodwin told Reuters by email @

US Interior Department Secretary David Bernhardt tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, a representative for the department said.
Bernhardt was asymptomatic and would continue to work while in quarantine, Interior spokesman Nicholas Goodwin told Reuters by email.


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--30-year-old Kafr Kassem man found shot to death on road near Tayibe


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Microsoft says it found malicious software from SolarWinds in its systems

Microsoft said it detected a malicious version of software from SolarWinds inside the company but that its investigation so far showed no evidence hackers had used Microsoft systems to attack customers.


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--Biden tests negative for COVID-19 after aide tests positive

US President-elect Joe Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Thursday, after an incoming White House adviser, Cedric Richmond, contracted the deadly respiratory disease, a spokeswoman for Biden said in a statement.Richmond was not in close contact with Biden as defined by the Centers for Disease Control, spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said.


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--Microsoft breached in suspected Russian hack using SolarWinds

As with networking management software by SolarWinds , Microsoft 's own products were then used to further the attacks on @ @ @ @ @ .
It was not immediately clear how many Microsoft users were affected by the tainted @ @ @ @ @ Homeland Security , which said earlier Thursday that the hackers used multiple methods of entry @ @ @ @ @ .

Microsoft was hacked as part of the suspected Russian campaign that has hit multiple U.S. government agencies by taking advantage of the widespread use of software from SolarWinds Corp, according to people familiar with the matter.
As with networking management software by SolarWinds, Microsoft's own products were then used to further the attacks on others, the people said.
It was not immediately clear how many Microsoft users were affected by the tainted products. The Department of Homeland Security, which said earlier Thursday that the hackers used multiple methods of entry, is continuing to investigate.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--US has evidence hackers accessed its nuclear networks -Politico

The US Energy Department and National Nuclear Security Administration, which manages the country's nuclear weapons stockpile, have evidence that hackers gained access to their networks as part of a massive cyber campaign, Politico reported on Thursday, citing officials directly familiar with the matter.


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--Trump spoke with Saudi Arabia's King Salman about regional security

`` President Trump thanked King Salman for his leadership and expressed his optimism towards resolving the Gulf Rift , '' @ @ @ @

"President Trump thanked King Salman for his leadership and expressed his optimism towards resolving the Gulf Rift," the statement said.
President Donald Trump spoke with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia on Thursday, discussing regional security issues, according to a statement from the White House.


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--Lockdown of Kafr Kanna in northern Israel extended by five days

The Ministerial Committee for Restricted Areas on Thursday decided to extend the lockdown of the Arab town Kafr Kanna in northern Israel by five more days, a joint announcement by the Prime Minister's Office and Health Ministry noted.Kafr Kanna will remain in lockdown until Wednesday, December 23, at 7:00 p.m.


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--Education Min. reports 4,485 active coronavirus cases in education system

The Education Ministry published on Thursday a report detailing COVID-19 morbidity rates among students in Israel's education system.According to the data, out of 512,555 kindergarten children, 508 tested positive for the virus, making up 2.35% of all patients in the population - lower than their share in the general population of 5.61%.In primary education, out of 1,072,301 students, 1,950 students tested positive, making up 9.04% of all patients in the population - also lower than their share in the general population of 11.74%.In middle schools and high schools, out of 805,779 students, 2,027 students were found to be ill, making up 9.39% of all patients in the general population - narrowly lower than their share in the population, 8.82%.Overall, the ministry reported 4,485 active coronavirus cases in students, along with another 916 active cases which have been found in teaching staff across the country.


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--Regev holds inspection at Ben-Gurion Airport, pleased to see progress

Transportation Minister Miri Regev held a surprise inspection at Ben-Gurion Airport on Thursday following several reports in the past few days indicating serious logistical failures regarding the arrival of Israelis returning from abroad and separating returns from red and green countries.Regev wrote that she was "glad to see that the airport had drawn the necessary conclusions and the issue of waiting lines and preventing crowded areas was dealt accordingly."
סיימתי בדקות אלו ביקורת פתע בנמל התעופה בן גוריון. שמחתי לראות שהשדה הפיק את הלקחים הנדרשים ותנועת הנוסעים ומניעת ההתקהלויות מטופלים כנדרש. הנחיתי על מספר סוגיות לטיפול שעלו במהלך הביקורת, כגון הפעלת כריזה על חובת שמירת המרחק ועטיית המסכות, הוספת פקחים שיוודאו את שמירת ההנחיות — מירי רגב (@regev_miri) December 17, 2020


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--Yisrael Beytenu MK demands more transparency of vaccine and its risks

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein lashed out Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman on Thursday afternoon , accusing him and his party of spreading fake news and encouraging people not to get vaccinated .
`` In recent days , there have been cases of the spreading of fake news and calls not to get vaccinated by Yisrael Beytenu MKs , '' Edelstein wrote on Twitter and Facebook .
`` I would like to understand from the chairman of the party , Avigdor Liberman , if this is the official position of the party .
And , if not , then I ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens to vaccinate so we can beat this pandemic . ''
“ If you do not want to get vaccinated , don ’ t get vaccinated , ” he continued .
“ But do not discuss things you don ’ t understand or spread lies .
This could cause someone who hears this nonsense to not get vaccinated , become sick and possibly even die.
” The Pfizer vaccines , several hundred thousand of which have already arrived in Israel , are approved by the Food and Drug Administration , and the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health professionals inside and outside the Health Ministry .
Edelstein said his ministry would provide information about the vaccines to the public and would closely monitor the results and any side effects of those who receive inoculations .
“ The people of Israel will not be given any vaccine that we do not trust 100 % , ” he said , noting that he had signed the approval for the coronavirus vaccine to be covered under the Vaccine Victims ’ Law , which would ensure compensation to anyone harmed by it .
Liberman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccines are not a political issue , but an individual decision .
`` Regarding vaccines - there 's no such thing as partisan discipline or agreements between parties , '' Liberman tweeted .
`` Every person , according to their age , medical condition and doctors ' recommendations , will make their own decisions . ''
Liberman noted that while he intends on getting vaccinated for the virus , he will not tell others how they should act and will not judge anyone for their choices .
Another member of Liberman ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressed a letter to MK Yifat Shasha-Biton , chairwoman of the Knesset 's Coronavirus Committee , demanding to make the information relating to the coronavirus vaccines transparent and available to the public .
`` Who will be held responsible for damages caused by the vaccine ?
What populations are more prone to be damaged by the vaccine ?
Will there be any sanctions or benefits to those who choose to vaccinate ? ''
Malinovsky asked in her letter , which was sent Thursday evening .
`` The importance of holding a public debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure that the information is transparent so that every citizen in Israel can form an opinion after hearing all medical recommendations .
”

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein lashed out Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman on Thursday afternoon, accusing him and his party of spreading fake news and encouraging people not to get vaccinated.
"In recent days, there have been cases of the spreading of fake news and calls not to get vaccinated by Yisrael Beytenu MKs," Edelstein wrote on Twitter and Facebook. "I would like to understand from the chairman of the party, Avigdor Liberman, if this is the official position of the party. And, if not, then I ask you to join the efforts to encourage citizens to vaccinate so we can beat this pandemic."
Edelstein's social posts followed an impassioned speech in the Knesset on Wednesday , where he told MKs that if they spread fake news or tell people not to vaccinate they could cause people to die.
“With all due respect to the spreaders of lies, we are constantly approached by the heads of authorities, celebrities and doctors, who want to set a personal example,” the health minister said at the Knesset. “My main mission is to fight fake news in the coming weeks and months.
“If you do not want to get vaccinated, don’t get vaccinated,” he continued. “But do not discuss things you don’t understand or spread lies. This could cause someone who hears this nonsense to not get vaccinated, become sick and possibly even die.”
The Pfizer vaccines, several hundred thousand of which have already arrived in Israel, are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and the data has been reviewed carefully by teams of health professionals inside and outside the Health Ministry.
Edelstein said his ministry would provide information about the vaccines to the public and would closely monitor the results and any side effects of those who receive inoculations.
“The people of Israel will not be given any vaccine that we do not trust 100%,” he said, noting that he had signed the approval for the coronavirus vaccine to be covered under the Vaccine Victims’ Law, which would ensure compensation to anyone harmed by it.
Liberman later responded to Edelstein by saying that the vaccines are not a political issue, but an individual decision.
"Regarding vaccines - there's no such thing as partisan discipline or agreements between parties," Liberman tweeted. "Every person, according to their age, medical condition and doctors' recommendations, will make their own decisions."
Liberman noted that while he intends on getting vaccinated for the virus, he will not tell others how they should act and will not judge anyone for their choices.
Another member of Liberman’s party, MK Yulia Malinovsky, addressed a letter to MK Yifat Shasha-Biton, chairwoman of the Knesset's Coronavirus Committee, demanding to make the information relating to the coronavirus vaccines transparent and available to the public.
"Who will be held responsible for damages caused by the vaccine? What populations are more prone to be damaged by the vaccine? Will there be any sanctions or benefits to those who choose to vaccinate?" Malinovsky asked in her letter, which was sent Thursday evening. "The importance of holding a public debate is extremely high, in order to ensure that the information is transparent so that every citizen in Israel can form an opinion after hearing all medical recommendations.”


jerusalempost--2020-12-17--Russia's Putin blames Washington for starting new arms race

Responding to a question about the risk of a new arms race , Putin told his annual news conference : @ @ @ @ @ and this is obvious . ''
Putin earlier urged Washington to agree a one-year extension @ @ @ @ @ , the last remaining agreement maintaining the nuclear balance between the two countries , which @ @ @ @ @ said he believed U.S. President-elect Joe Biden was open to dialogue on the issue , @ @ @ @ @ reaction from our American partners '' .
The New START ( Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty @ @ @ @ @ 2010 , limits the numbers of strategic nuclear warheads , missiles and bombers that Russia @ @ @ @ @ deploy .

Responding to a question about the risk of a new arms race, Putin told his annual news conference: "It happened already, and this is obvious."
Putin earlier urged Washington to agree a one-year extension of the New START treaty, the last remaining agreement maintaining the nuclear balance between the two countries, which expires in February.
He said he believed U.S. President-elect Joe Biden was open to dialogue on the issue, but "we need some reaction from our American partners".
The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) accord, signed in 2010, limits the numbers of strategic nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers that Russia and the United States can deploy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday blamed the United States for starting a new arms race, saying Moscow had been forced to develop hypersonic weapons in response.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--COVAX program doubles global vaccine supply deals to 2 billion doses

The COVAX alliance which aims to secure COVID-19 vaccines for the world's most vulnerable people said on Friday it had gained access to nearly 2 billion doses, roughly doubling its supply, with the first deliveries expected in the first quarter of 2021.The initiative run by the Gavi vaccine alliance and World Health Organization (WHO) said that it aimed to deliver 1.3 billion doses of approved vaccines next year to 92 eligible low- and middle-income economies.All 190 economies that have agreed to participate in the program will "have access to doses in the first half of 2021, with first deliveries anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2021 – contingent upon regulatory approvals and countries’ readiness for delivery," it said in a statement."Today’s announcements offer the clearest pathway yet to end the acute phase of the pandemic by protecting the most vulnerable populations around the world," it added.New agreements announced on Friday include an advance purchase agreement with AstraZeneca for 170 million doses, and a memorandum of understanding for 500 million doses from Johnson & Johnson.Richard Hatchett, CEPI's chief executive, said the COVAX alliance was also in talks with Pfizer and BioNtech - whose COVID-19 won regulatory approval in the United States last week and in Britain this month. The group is also in talks with Moderna, which expects to have its COVID-19 vaccine approved shortly, he said.Getting vaccine doses to poor countries is a huge challenge, with wealthy countries determined to vaccinate their entire populations as quickly as possible. COVAX is funded by donor countries, multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and private charities such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.The WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Friday's announcement of extra COVID-19 vaccine doses for COVAX was "fantastic news and a milestone in global health."GAVI's chief executive, Seth Berkley, said the goal of providing global, equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines was "alive and well." But he added: "We still need more doses, and yes, we still need more money."COVAX was launched by GAVI and the WHO in April to ensure access for COVID-19 shots to poor and middle-income countries.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Slovak PM Matovic tests positive for coronavirus

Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic said on Friday he had COVID-19 , a week after attending a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron who later tested positive for the disease.Matovic, 47, posted a message showing his positive test and an order to observe 10 days of isolation on Facebook, but did not say where he had been infected.The government office said he had canceled all events for the coming days but gave no details of the circumstances behind him being tested. Matovic did not mention having any symptoms.The announcement on Thursday that Macron had tested positive for COVID-19 prompted a track-and-trace effort across Europe following numerous meetings between the French leader and European Union heads of government, some of whom decided to self-isolate.A French presidential official said it was almost certain Macron was infected at last week's EU summit in Brussels, given the timing of his symptoms.Friday's announcement that Matovic had tested positive triggered self-quarantine announcements by a number of ministers who had attended a government meeting with Matovic on Wednesday.During the meeting, the government approved a partial lockdown starting on Saturday as numbers of new infections rose across the country of 5.5 million people."For nine months I have been battling people who measure the pandemic just by the number of closed bars and incite people against measures and the government. I admit I am out of strength and was hoping for a few days without stress,” he said on Facebook. “Now it seems it will be a different holiday.”Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic has tested positive for COVID-19, the government office said on its website on Friday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--IDF drone destroyed during riots in West Bank

The drone reportedly landed in the area of Kafr Qaddum in the northern West Bank , where clashes between Palestinian @ @ @ @ @ taking place .
It was reportedly found and smashed by several rioters .

The drone reportedly landed in the area of Kafr Qaddum in the northern West Bank, where clashes between Palestinian protesters and IDF troops were taking place. It was reportedly found and smashed by several rioters.
IDF troops collected the drone shortly after.
An IDF drone was destroyed by Palestinian protesters during riots in the northern West Bank on Friday afternoon, Ynet reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Malha Mall closed by police conducting manhunt

Police have closed Malha Mall in Jerusalem on Friday and are conducting a manhunt.The actions come after police received a report of a third party overhearing the man in conversation talking about weapons. The suspect is not thought to have a weapon in his possession, according to a police report.No shooting has taken place at the scene contrary to rumors, the report noted.Nobody has been allowed in or out of the mall for at least 40 minutes as of 12:15 this afternoon.This is a developing story.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Iran rejects IAEA chief's call that new agreement needed under Biden

In an interview with Reuters on Thursday , Rafael Grossi , who heads the IAEA that polices Iran 's compliance to the 2015 nuclear deal , said there had been too many breaches by Iran for the agreement to simply snap back into place when US President-elect Joe Biden takes office next month .
Biden has said the United States will rejoin the deal `` if Iran resumes strict compliance . ''
After President Donald Trump quit the deal in 2018 and reimposed US sanctions , Iran responded by breaching many of the deal 's restrictions .
3 .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in case of its revival , there is no necessity for a new document on the Agency ’ s role .
It ’ s not needed to complicate the situation .
( 3/3 ) pic.twitter.com/c1u1YfCDEy — Gharibabadi ( @ Gharibabadi ) December 17 , 2020 `` Presenting any assessment on how the commitments are implemented is absolutely beyond the mandate of the agency and should be avoided , '' Kazem Gharibabadi , Iran ’ s ambassador to IAEA in Vienna , tweeted .
“ @ iaeaorg played its part during negotiations on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , architect of the 2015 nuclear deal with six powers , has repeatedly said Tehran 's nuclear steps were reversible if the United States lifted sanctions and fully respected the pact .

Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency on Friday rejected the UN atomic watchdog chief's suggestion that reviving Iran's nuclear deal after a new US administration comes to power would require striking a new agreement.
In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, Rafael Grossi, who heads the IAEA that polices Iran's compliance to the 2015 nuclear deal, said there had been too many breaches by Iran for the agreement to simply snap back into place when US President-elect Joe Biden takes office next month.
Biden has said the United States will rejoin the deal "if Iran resumes strict compliance."
After President Donald Trump quit the deal in 2018 and reimposed US sanctions, Iran responded by breaching many of the deal's restrictions.
"Presenting any assessment on how the commitments are implemented is absolutely beyond the mandate of the agency and should be avoided," Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s ambassador to IAEA in Vienna, tweeted. “@iaeaorg played its part during negotiations on the JCPoA.” 3. There would be no renegotiation on the Deal and in case of its revival, there is no necessity for a new document on the Agency’s role. It’s not needed to complicate the situation. (3/3) pic.twitter.com/c1u1YfCDEy — Gharibabadi (@Gharibabadi) December 17, 2020
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, architect of the 2015 nuclear deal with six powers, has repeatedly said Tehran's nuclear steps were reversible if the United States lifted sanctions and fully respected the pact.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Nirmod Krivitsky, Israel's taekwondo runner-up, positive for coronavirus

Nirmod Krivitsky, the taekwondo runner-up in the European Championship from tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday, KAN News reported.Krivitsky reportedly caught the virus from taekwondo gold-medal champion Avishag Samberg who tested positive for the virus on Thursday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Coronavirus in Israel: 2,809 diagnosed in last day

According to a Health Ministry report, 2,809 people were diagnosed with coronavirus in Israel in the last day.Of those, 419 are considered to be in serious condition, and 105 are intubated.In addition, the death toll stands at 3,050.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 33,777

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 33,777 to 1,439,938, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday. The reported death toll rose by 813 to 24,938, the tally showed.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--US FDA decides to approve Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on emergency basis

A panel of outside advisers to the FDA overwhelmingly endorsed the emergency use of Moderna 's coronavirus vaccine on Thursday , virtually assuring a second option for protecting against COVID-19 for a pandemic ravaged nation .
The committee voted 20-0 with one abstention that the benefits of the vaccine outweighed its risks in people aged 18 and older .
A week ago , the same panel backed a vaccine from Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE , leading to an FDA emergency use authorization ( EUA ) a day later .
Following Hahn 's comments , the Financial Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approve Moderna 's vaccine candidate on an emergency basis .
It cited people close to the process and added that the emergency approval will be granted in coming days .
The FDA and Moderna did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Financial Times report .
The FDA is expected to grant EUA late on Thursday or Friday .
`` To go from having a ( genetic ) sequence of a virus in January to having two vaccines available in December is a remarkable achievement , '' said Dr. James Hildreth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who voted to recommend the vaccine for emergency use .
The one abstention came from Dr. Michael Kurilla , who works at the National Institutes of Health and felt blanket authorization for those 18 and older was too broad .
`` I 'm not convinced that for all of those age groups the benefits do actually outweigh the risk .
And I would prefer to see it more targeted towards people at high risk of serious and life threatening COVID disease , '' he said .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million doses of the Moderna vaccine have been allotted for states and large cities and were ready to ship nationwide .
The vaccines are not a panacea , however , as they will take months to roll out to a nation where the virus is running rampant and public health measures such as social distancing and mask wearing are being rejected by large parts of the population .
Moderna 's vaccine does not require specialized ultra-cold freezers or vast quantities of dry ice , unlike Pfizer 's vaccine which needs to be shipped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ F ) , making it easier to supply rural and remote areas .
Moderna said on Thursday it had expanded the vaccine 's handling guidance to allow it to be moved locally in a liquid state at standard refrigerated temperatures .
In some cases , Moderna said , this could be the only practical way to move it to clinics or remote locations .
US officials have said they expect to have 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines by the end of the year - enough to inoculate 20 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % effective at preventing illness in pivotal clinical trials with no serious safety issues .
The first wave of doses are expected to be earmarked for healthcare workers who treat COVID-19 patients and vulnerable residents and staff of nursing homes .
The Moderna vaccine , based on new synthetic messenger RNA ( mRNA ) technology , is administered in two shots about 28 days apart .
The Pfizer/BioNTech shot is also an mRNA vaccine .
Documents prepared by FDA scientists and released ahead of the meeting , said a two-dose regimen of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 and did not raise any specific safety issues .
There were no cases of severe COVID-19 among those who got the vaccine in the trial versus 30 such cases in the placebo group , which could be significant as hospital intensive care units fill up with infected patients .
The United States in August entered a $ 1.5 billion pact with Moderna to acquire 100 million doses of its vaccine .
About 20 million doses are expected to be delivered this month , with the rest of the initial purchase coming in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last week , Moderna agreed to deliver an additional 100 million doses in the second quarter .
In the global race to produce highly effective vaccines against the coronavirus , the Massachusetts-based biotech company is reaching the finish line ahead of some much larger rivals such as AstraZeneca Plc and Johnson & Johnson .
An emergency meeting of a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel is expected to follow the FDA 's authorization of Moderna 's vaccine with its official recommendation of its use for the US public .
Following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities will begin administering the first doses .

US President Donald Trump said in a tweet on Friday that Moderna Inc's vaccine had been approved and would ship immediately, although the US Food and Drug Administration has made no public announcement yet regarding its decision.The FDA had not yet authorized emergency use of the vaccine, a Bloomberg reporter said on Twitter, citing the agency."Moderna vaccine overwhelmingly approved. Distribution to start immediately," Trump said in a post on Twitter.
Moderna vaccine overwhelmingly approved. Distribution to start immediately. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2020
US Vice President Mike Pence said the US approval for Moderna Inc's coronavirus vaccine could come within hours later on Friday, after President Donald Trump tweeted that the vaccine had been approved.Moderna did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The US Food and Drug Administration has made no public announcement yet regarding its decision, and redirected Reuters to its statement from Thursday that the agency was working to rapidly authorize the vaccine.
A panel of outside advisers to the FDA overwhelmingly endorsed the emergency use of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine on Thursday, virtually assuring a second option for protecting against COVID-19 for a pandemic ravaged nation.
The committee voted 20-0 with one abstention that the benefits of the vaccine outweighed its risks in people aged 18 and older.
A week ago, the same panel backed a vaccine from Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE, leading to an FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) a day later.
Following Hahn's comments, the Financial Times reported that the FDA had decided to approve Moderna's vaccine candidate on an emergency basis. It cited people close to the process and added that the emergency approval will be granted in coming days.
The FDA and Moderna did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Financial Times report.
The FDA is expected to grant EUA late on Thursday or Friday.
It would provide more hope to a nation that has lost more than 300,000 lives to COVID-19 - including a one-day high of 3,580 deaths on Wednesday - while record numbers of patients threaten to overwhelm US hospitals and healthcare workers.
"To go from having a (genetic) sequence of a virus in January to having two vaccines available in December is a remarkable achievement," said Dr. James Hildreth, chief executive of Meharry Medical College, who voted to recommend the vaccine for emergency use.
The one abstention came from Dr. Michael Kurilla, who works at the National Institutes of Health and felt blanket authorization for those 18 and older was too broad.
"I'm not convinced that for all of those age groups the benefits do actually outweigh the risk. And I would prefer to see it more targeted towards people at high risk of serious and life threatening COVID disease," he said.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told CNBC on Thursday that 5.9 million doses of the Moderna vaccine have been allotted for states and large cities and were ready to ship nationwide.
The vaccines are not a panacea, however, as they will take months to roll out to a nation where the virus is running rampant and public health measures such as social distancing and mask wearing are being rejected by large parts of the population.
EASIER TO TRANSPORT AND STORE
Moderna's vaccine does not require specialized ultra-cold freezers or vast quantities of dry ice, unlike Pfizer's vaccine which needs to be shipped and stored at -70 Celsius (-94 F), making it easier to supply rural and remote areas.
Moderna said on Thursday it had expanded the vaccine's handling guidance to allow it to be moved locally in a liquid state at standard refrigerated temperatures. In some cases, Moderna said, this could be the only practical way to move it to clinics or remote locations.
US officials have said they expect to have 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines by the end of the year - enough to inoculate 20 million people. Both vaccines were about 95% effective at preventing illness in pivotal clinical trials with no serious safety issues.
The first wave of doses are expected to be earmarked for healthcare workers who treat COVID-19 patients and vulnerable residents and staff of nursing homes. The Moderna vaccine, based on new synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, is administered in two shots about 28 days apart. The Pfizer/BioNTech shot is also an mRNA vaccine.
Documents prepared by FDA scientists and released ahead of the meeting, said a two-dose regimen of the Moderna vaccine was highly effective in preventing COVID-19 and did not raise any specific safety issues.
There were no cases of severe COVID-19 among those who got the vaccine in the trial versus 30 such cases in the placebo group, which could be significant as hospital intensive care units fill up with infected patients.
The United States in August entered a $1.5 billion pact with Moderna to acquire 100 million doses of its vaccine.
About 20 million doses are expected to be delivered this month, with the rest of the initial purchase coming in the first quarter of next year. Last week, Moderna agreed to deliver an additional 100 million doses in the second quarter.
In the global race to produce highly effective vaccines against the coronavirus, the Massachusetts-based biotech company is reaching the finish line ahead of some much larger rivals such as AstraZeneca Plc and Johnson & Johnson.
An emergency meeting of a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel is expected to follow the FDA's authorization of Moderna's vaccine with its official recommendation of its use for the US public.
Following that, state and local public health authorities will begin administering the first doses.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--FDA chief says 'rapidly' working to issue Moderna vaccine authorization


jerusalempost--2020-12-19--US Senate OKs stopgap funding bill to avoid gov't shutdown, sends to Trump

WASHINGTON - The US Congress on Friday passed and sent to President Donald Trump a two-day stopgap extension of existing federal funds to avoid a midnight government shutdown , as negotiators work on a $ 900 billion coronavirus aid bill and a $ 1.4 trillion government-wide spending bill through September 2021 .
The House of Representatives and Senate , with little debate and with only hours to go before government funding expired , gave congressional leaders more time to try to craft a bipartisan coronavirus aid bill that would ride along with the massive spending legislation .
`` I believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress on a major relief bill that would travel with the full-year appropriations measure , '' Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell , a Republican , said just before the temporary spending bill was passed .
Assuming Trump approves the stopgap measure , lawmakers will try to beat a Sunday midnight deadline , which comes almost exactly two years after an unresolved spending fight triggered a 35-day government shutdown , the longest on record .
With some support from Trump , who leaves office on Jan. 20 , and Democratic President-elect Joe Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differences remain - including a dispute over a Republican-backed plan to rein in Federal Reserve lending programs intended to ease the pandemic 's economic sting - that talks look likely to stretch into the weekend .
Senator John Thune , the chamber 's No .
2 Republican , said an agreement was coming together , but disagreement over the Fed rules was a major sticking point .
`` That 's a big one , '' he told reporters at the Capitol .
`` There are various ideas about how to resolve that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very big priority for a lot of our members . ''
Some Republicans accused Democrats of using the lending authorities as a backdoor way to provide aid to state and local governments that Republicans dismiss as a `` slush fund '' for Democratic-controlled local governments .
Other sticking points include disagreements over the extent of relief for arts venues closed by COVID-19 restrictions and a dispute over whether to increase reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to local governments for items like personal protective equipment for schools .
Many issues have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to include onetime checks for most Americans of about $ 600 each , extended unemployment benefits of $ 300 per week , help for states distributing the vaccine , and assistance for small businesses struggling through the pandemic .
Congressional leaders plan to attach the COVID-19 aid to the $ 1.4 trillion spending bill .
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said talks remained productive .
`` I am even more optimistic now than I was last night that a bipartisan , bicameral framework for a major rescue package is close at hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate would remain in session through the weekend if necessary to reach a deal .
The prospect of a government shutdown increased pressure to come up with a relief plan .
An extended shutdown would force thousands more people out of work and disrupt services just as the country is ramping up distribution of coronavirus vaccines , though the effects would not be fully felt over the weekend .
`` I am so frustrated by the inability of us to act like adults , with responsibility , '' Steny Hoyer , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters .
`` We have a government of 2 million people that are waiting every hour to find out if they are going to be working . ''
Congress was spurred to action by an alarming increase in hospitalizations and deaths .
The U.S. coronavirus death toll , now over 311,000 , is by far the world 's highest and many Americans - who do not receive government aid that is automatic in many other nations - are at risk of homelessness or inability to feed their families .
Biden has said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , promising to do more after he is sworn in .
Republicans also have a wary eye on the impact inaction might have on a pair of Jan. 5 runoff elections in Georgia , which will determine whether their party maintains control of the Senate for the next two years or hands it over to Democrats .
Democrats say Republican Senator Pat Toomey is promoting his plan to rein in the Fed 's emergency lending authority in an effort to make it more difficult for Biden 's incoming administration to handle the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lending authorities were expiring anyway .
Larry Kudlow , director of Trump 's National Economic Council , told reporters at the White House that the Trump administration was `` strongly in support '' of Toomey 's plan .
Brian Deese , Biden 's pick to succeed Kudlow , said in a statement that the incoming administration was encouraged by the bipartisan effort to provide relief to Americans , but that it should not include Toomey 's provision .

The House of Representatives and Senate, with little debate and with only hours to go before government funding expired, gave congressional leaders more time to try to craft a bipartisan coronavirus aid bill that would ride along with the massive spending legislation.
"I believe all sides feel we are making good progress on a major relief bill that would travel with the full-year appropriations measure," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said just before the temporary spending bill was passed.
Assuming Trump approves the stopgap measure, lawmakers will try to beat a Sunday midnight deadline, which comes almost exactly two years after an unresolved spending fight triggered a 35-day government shutdown, the longest on record.
After months of Republicans and Democrats have been negotiating intensely on what is expected to be the biggest package since spring to provide relief to a country struggling with a pandemic killing more than 3,000 people a day.
WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Friday signed into law a two-day stopgap extension of existing federal funds passed by Congress to avoid a midnight government shutdown, as lawmakers negotiate a $900 billion pandemic aid bill and as part of $1.4 trillion government spending package.
The House of Representatives and Senate, with little debate and with only hours to go before government funding expired, gave congressional leaders more time to try to craft a bipartisan COVID-19 aid bill that would ride along with the massive spending legislation.
"I believe all sides feel we are making good progress on a major relief bill that would travel with the full-year appropriations measure," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said just before the temporary spending bill was passed.
Trump signed the bill into law Friday night, the White House said, leaving lawmakers to try to beat a new Sunday midnight deadline, which comes almost exactly two years after an unresolved spending fight triggered a 35-day government shutdown, the longest on record.
After months of partisan finger-pointing and inaction, Republicans and Democrats have been negotiating intensely on what is expected to be the biggest package since spring to provide relief to a country struggling with a pandemic killing more than 3,000 people a day.
With some support from Trump, who leaves office on Jan. 20, and Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, they have reported progress.
But significant differences remain, including a dispute over a Republican-backed plan to rein in Federal Reserve lending programs intended to ease the pandemic's economic sting.
Some Republicans accused Democrats of using the lending authorities as a backdoor way to provide aid to state and local governments that Republicans dismiss as a "slush fund" for Democratic-controlled local governments.
Other sticking points include relief for arts venues closed by COVID-19 restrictions and whether to include increased reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to local governments for items like personal protective equipment for schools.
Many issues, though, have been settled. The coronavirus legislation is expected to include onetime checks for most Americans of about $600 each, extended unemployment benefits of $300 per week, help for states distributing the vaccine, and assistance for small businesses struggling through the pandemic.
Congressional leaders plan to attach the COVID-19 aid to the $1.4 trillion spending bill.
'OPTIMISTIC'
The prospect of a government shutdown increased pressure to come up with a relief plan. An extended shutdown would force thousands more people out of work and disrupt services just as the country is ramping up distribution of coronavirus vaccines, though the effects would not be fully felt over the weekend.
"We have a government of 2 million people that are waiting every hour to find out if they are going to be working," Representative Steny Hoyer, the second most senior House Democrat, told reporters.
Congress was also spurred to action by an alarming increase in hospitalizations and deaths. The U.S. coronavirus death toll, now over 311,000, is by far the world's highest and many Americans - who do not receive government aid that is automatic in many other nations - are at risk of homelessness and going hungry.
Biden has said he wants COVID-19 relief for Americans passed immediately, promising to do more after he is sworn in on Jan. 20.
Republicans also have a wary eye on the impact inaction might have on a pair of Jan. 5 runoff elections in Georgia, which will determine whether their party maintains control of the Senate for the next two years or hands it over to Democrats.
Democrats say Republican Senator Pat Toomey is promoting his plan to rein in the Fed's emergency lending authority in an effort to make it more difficult for Biden's incoming administration to handle the public health crisis.
Toomey denied this, saying the lending authorities were expiring anyway.
Larry Kudlow, director of Trump's National Economic Council, told reporters at the White House that the Trump administration was "strongly in support" of Toomey's plan.
Brian Deese, Biden's pick to succeed Kudlow, said the relief bill should not include Toomey's provision.


jerusalempost--2020-12-19--25-year-old man shot and killed in Baqa al-Gharbiyye

A 25-year-old man , Amir Abu-Hussein , was shot and killed early Saturday in the city of Baqa al-Gharbiyye , @ @ @ @ @ a Ynet report .
He was pronounced dead at Hillel Yaffe Hospital in Hadera .

A 25-year-old man, Amir Abu-Hussein, was shot and killed early Saturday in the city of Baqa al-Gharbiyye, near Haifa, according to a Ynet report.
He was pronounced dead at Hillel Yaffe Hospital in Hadera.


jerusalempost--2020-12-19--Boeing 'inappropriately coached' pilots in 737 MAX testing - US Senate

The committee concluded Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) and Boeing officials `` had established a pre-determined outcome to reaffirm a long-held human factor assumption related to pilot reaction time ...
It appears , in this instance , FAA and Boeing were attempting to cover up important information that may have contributed to the 737 MAX tragedies . ''
The report citing a whistleblower who alleged Boeing officials encouraged test pilots to `` remember , get right on that pickle switch '' prior to the exercise that resulted in pilot reaction in approximately four seconds , while another pilot in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seconds .
The account was corroborated during an FAA staff interview , the committee added .
Numerous reports have found Boeing failed to adequately consider how pilots respond to cockpit emergencies in its development of the 737 MAX .
Boeing said Friday it takes `` seriously the committee ’ s findings and will continue to review the report in full . ''
Senate Commerce Committee chairman Roger Wicker said the report `` details a number of significant examples of lapses in aviation safety oversight and failed leadership in the FAA . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contacted the committee to allege FAA senior management was complicit in determining the 737 MAX training certification level prior to any evaluation . ''
Boeing resisted requiring simulator training for pilots before operating the 737 MAX but reversed course in January .
The report also noted Southwest Airlines was able to operate more than 150,000 flights carrying 17.2 million passengers on jets without confirmation that required maintenance had been completed .
The Senate report said the Southwest flights `` put millions of passengers at potential risk . ''
Southwest did not immediately comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probe into the MAX .
The committee said its review was `` constrained due to the continued criminal investigation '' Last month , the FAA approved the 737 MAX 's return to service and flights have resumed in Brazil .
The first U.S. 737 MAX commercial flight with paying passengers is set for Dec. 29 .
Last month , the Senate committee unanimously a bill to reform how FAA certifies new airplanes and grant new protections for whistleblowers , among other reforms , while the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Editing by Chris Reese and David Gregorio )

WASHINGTON - Boeing officials "inappropriately coached" test pilots during recertification efforts after two fatal 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people, according to a lengthy congressional report released on Friday.
The report from the Senate Commerce Committee Republican staff said testing this year of a key safety system known as MCAS tied to both fatal crashes was contrary to proper protocol.
The committee concluded Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing officials "had established a pre-determined outcome to reaffirm a long-held human factor assumption related to pilot reaction time ... It appears, in this instance, FAA and Boeing were attempting to cover up important information that may have contributed to the 737 MAX tragedies."
The report citing a whistleblower who alleged Boeing officials encouraged test pilots to "remember, get right on that pickle switch" prior to the exercise that resulted in pilot reaction in approximately four seconds, while another pilot in a separate test reacted in approximately 16 seconds.
The account was corroborated during an FAA staff interview, the committee added.
Numerous reports have found Boeing failed to adequately consider how pilots respond to cockpit emergencies in its development of the 737 MAX.
Boeing said Friday it takes "seriously the committee’s findings and will continue to review the report in full."
Senate Commerce Committee chairman Roger Wicker said the report "details a number of significant examples of lapses in aviation safety oversight and failed leadership in the FAA."
The committee also said "multiple independent whistleblowers contacted the committee to allege FAA senior management was complicit in determining the 737 MAX training certification level prior to any evaluation."
Boeing resisted requiring simulator training for pilots before operating the 737 MAX but reversed course in January.
The report also noted Southwest Airlines was able to operate more than 150,000 flights carrying 17.2 million passengers on jets without confirmation that required maintenance had been completed.
The Senate report said the Southwest flights "put millions of passengers at potential risk." Southwest did not immediately comment.
Boeing still faces an ongoing criminal probe into the MAX. The committee said its review was "constrained due to the continued criminal investigation"
Last month, the FAA approved the 737 MAX's return to service and flights have resumed in Brazil. The first U.S. 737 MAX commercial flight with paying passengers is set for Dec. 29.
Last month, the Senate committee unanimously a bill to reform how FAA certifies new airplanes and grant new protections for whistleblowers, among other reforms, while the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a similar bill. (Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Chris Reese and David Gregorio)


jerusalempost--2020-12-19--US House passes two-day extension of government funding to avoid shutdown

WASHINGTON - The US House of Representatives on Friday passed a two-day extension of federal funding for a wide range @ @ @ @ @ money was set to expire at midnight .
The bill still must be approved by @ @ @ @ @ law by President Donald Trump .
Lawmakers hope that the two-day extension will give congressional @ @ @ @ @ to reach a deal on $ 900 billion in emergency coronavirus aid and $ 1.4 @ @ @ @ @ through September 2021 .

WASHINGTON - The US House of Representatives on Friday passed a two-day extension of federal funding for a wide range of agency programs as existing money was set to expire at midnight.
The bill still must be approved by the Senate and signed into law by President Donald Trump. Lawmakers hope that the two-day extension will give congressional leaders the time they need to reach a deal on $900 billion in emergency coronavirus aid and $1.4 trillion to fund the government through September 2021.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Two individuals found dead in a vehicle near Baqa al-Gharbiyye - report

An initial investigation indicates that the victims were shot and left to die in the vehicle .
Israel Police has @ @ @ @ @ circumstances that led to the unusual incident .

An initial investigation indicates that the victims were shot and left to die in the vehicle.
Israel Police has opened an investigation surrounding the circumstances that led to the unusual incident.
Two individuals were found dead on Friday evening in a vehicle near Baqa al-Gharbiyye, Israeli media reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--US says Ghislaine Maxwell should stay behind bars, deserves no bail

US prosecutors on Friday said Ghislaine Maxwell, the former associate of Jeffrey Epstein charged with helping enable his sexual abuses, should remain in jail, and urged a federal judge to reject her proposed $28.5 million bail package.In a filing with the US District Court in Manhattan, prosecutors said the charges against Maxwell are "incredibly serious," the evidence against her is strong, and that she poses an "extreme flight risk."


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Russian serviceman killed in Nagorno-Karabakh while dismantling landmine

He is the first casualty among Russian peacekeepers who were dispatched to the region last month after a ceasefire agreement @ @ @ @ @ three months of heavy fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces .
Interfax news agency @ @ @ @ @ on his way to hospital from heavy wounds after a mine exploded near Nagorno-Karabakh 's @ @ @ @ @ Azeris call Shusha .

A Russian serviceman was killed in the Nagorno-Karabakh region when he was demining a road, the defense ministry said on Friday, Russian news agencies reported.
He is the first casualty among Russian peacekeepers who were dispatched to the region last month after a ceasefire agreement signed on Nov. 10 ended three months of heavy fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces.
Interfax news agency said the officer had died on his way to hospital from heavy wounds after a mine exploded near Nagorno-Karabakh's second city Shushi, which Azeris call Shusha.
The enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but is populated by ethnic Armenians. Some 2,000 Russian peacekeeping troops are now being deployed to the region.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--South Africa identifies new coronavirus strain causing surge in cases

`` We have convened this public briefing today to announce that a variant of the SARS-COV-2 Virus - currently termed 501.V2 Variant - has been identified by our genomics scientists here in South Africa , '' Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize tweeted .
`` The evidence that has been collated , therefore , strongly suggests that the current second wave we are experiencing is being driven by this new variant , '' Mkhize added .
South Africa has recorded the highest number of coronavirus infections in Africa , approaching the 900,000 mark , with over 20,000 related deaths .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions on society this week .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) said on Friday it was in touch with the South African researchers who identified the new variant .
The global body added there was no indication there were changes in the way the new strain of the virus was behaving .
`` We are working with them with our SARS-COV-2 Virus evolution working group .
They are growing the virus in the country , and they 're working with researchers to determine any changes in the behavior of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove told a news conference in Geneva .
South African health authorities said the new variant seemed to spread faster than the previous iteration , but that it was too early to tell its severity and whether current vaccines would work against it .

South Africa has identified a new variant of the coronavirus that is driving a second wave of infections, the health minister said on Friday, days after Britain said it had also found a new variant of the virus boosting cases.
"We have convened this public briefing today to announce that a variant of the SARS-COV-2 Virus - currently termed 501.V2 Variant - has been identified by our genomics scientists here in South Africa," Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize tweeted.
"The evidence that has been collated, therefore, strongly suggests that the current second wave we are experiencing is being driven by this new variant," Mkhize added.
South Africa has recorded the highest number of coronavirus infections in Africa, approaching the 900,000 mark, with over 20,000 related deaths. A resurgence in cases saw the government tighten restrictions on society this week.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday it was in touch with the South African researchers who identified the new variant.
The global body added there was no indication there were changes in the way the new strain of the virus was behaving.
"We are working with them with our SARS-COV-2 Virus evolution working group. They are growing the virus in the country, and they're working with researchers to determine any changes in the behavior of the virus itself in terms of transmission," WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove told a news conference in Geneva.
South African health authorities said the new variant seemed to spread faster than the previous iteration, but that it was too early to tell its severity and whether current vaccines would work against it.
"In the UK they have also identified a new variant ... there are quite a few similarities between the two lineages ... there are also a similar number of mutations" said Prof Tulio de Oliviera, a member of government's genomics consortium in a televised briefing.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Google trial judge suggests potential trial date, and it's in 2023

The judge hearing the Justice Department's antitrust case against Alphabet Inc's Google suggested a trial date of Sept. 12, 2023, on Friday.Judge Amit Mehta suggested the date, and counsel for the two sides did not object, in a status conference in which the two sides also began consideration of consolidating a complaint filed against Google on Thursday by 38 states and territories.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--NYC changes admissions at many schools to ease racial segregation

New York City is overhauling how it admits students to some of its most competitive public schools to make them less segregated by race and wealth, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Friday.Some selective Manhattan high schools, particularly in wealthy neighborhoods, are allowed to give children who live nearby priority in admissions, which has tended to put children living in poorer neighborhoods at a disadvantage. These so-called geographic priorities will be ended over the coming two years, making it easier for children from anywhere to apply for a spot, the mayor said at a news conference.The city will also end "screening" practices at hundreds of middle schools that admit students based on a mixture of grades, test results, attendance rates.These practices led to disproportionately high admissions of white and Asian students and fewer Black and Latino students in the best-performing schools in the nation's largest and most diverse education system, which serves some 1.1 million children. Admissions will instead be determined by a random lottery."We have been doing this work for seven years to more equitably redistribute resources throughout our school system," de Blasio told reporters. "I think these changes will improve justice and fairness."Although calls to overhaul school admissions long predate the novel coronavirus pandemic, the disruption caused by school closures to stem the spread of COVID-19 was a factor in the overhaul: for example, some state exams were canceled and attendance rates became more difficult to track, Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza told reporters.The New York Civil Liberties Union welcomed the changes but said they should have come sooner, and called for the permanent removal of screening at the high-school level."It should not have taken a pandemic to finally remove discriminatory admissions screens for children applying to middle school and to remove the egregious district priorities that concentrate wealth and resources into a few schools," NYCLU organizer Toni Smith-Thompson said in a statement.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Android users report issues on Instagram: App keeps crashing

According to the reports , the app keeps shutting down .
It seems to be an issue with the app @ @ @ @ @ .

According to the reports, the app keeps shutting down. It seems to be an issue with the app and not the Android devices.
Android users across the globe reported experiencing issues on Instagram on Friday, according to Ynet.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Saudi-Led coalition destroys Iranian-made mine in Red Sea - state TV

By subscribing I accept the terms of use

The Saudi-Led coalition fighting in Yemen said on Friday it destroyed a marine mine laid by Iran-aligned Houthis in the southern Red Sea, and that the mine is Iranian-made, Saudi state TV reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Four arrested for Sept. 25 Paris knife attack - source

The source told Reuters that one of those held has been charged with a terrorism-related offense and placed in custody @ @ @ @ @ .
On Sept. 25 , a stabbing in which two journalists were wounded took place @ @ @ @ @ , where Islamist militants killed 12 people in the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo @ @ @ @ @ main suspect in the attack was an 18-year-old man from Pakistan .
Police arrested him @ @ @ @ @ French daily Le Parisien reported on Friday that the four detained people of Pakistani origin @ @ @ @ @ to act .

Four people have been arrested in France as part of an investigation into a knife attack in Paris on Sept. 25, a judicial source said on Friday.
The source told Reuters that one of those held has been charged with a terrorism-related offense and placed in custody in the southwestern Gironde region.
On Sept. 25, a stabbing in which two journalists were wounded took place in Paris's rue Nicolas-Appert, where Islamist militants killed 12 people in the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo five years ago.
The main suspect in the attack was an 18-year-old man from Pakistan. Police arrested him soon after the stabbing.
French daily Le Parisien reported on Friday that the four detained people of Pakistani origin had allegedly encouraged the attacker to act.
Several attacks in recent months, including the beheading of a teacher who had shown his class caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad, have prompted the French government to take action against Islamist "separatism."


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Mysterious N.Korea site may be building nuclear components - report

A mysterious North Korean facility may be producing components for building nuclear bombs, a new report suggests, offering clues to understanding the site near the capital that has perplexed experts and policymakers.The nondescript cluster of buildings called Kangson on the southwest outskirts of Pyongyang was first publicly identified in 2018 by a team of open-source analysts as the possible location of a facility for secretly enriching uranium, a fuel for nuclear bombs.But the report by North Korea watchers at the 38 North project, reviewed by Reuters before its release on Friday, says satellite imagery points to the facility making components for centrifuges, the high-tech spinners used to enrich uranium, rather than enriching the fuel itself."The characteristics of the site are more consistent with a plant that could manufacture components for centrifuges," writes former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) official Olli Heinonen in the report.The imagery suggests the site lacks the infrastructure needed for enrichment, writes Heinonen, a distinguished fellow with the Stimson Center, the Washington think-tank that runs the project.Pyongyang has denied having secret nuclear sites, an issue that contributed to the failure of a 2019 Hanoi summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Denuclearisation talks have remained stalled in part over US assertions that the North is not fully declaring the extent of its program."If the issue of undeclared facilities is going to be a factor in US-North Korea negotiations, as it was in Hanoi, the more we can learn about these suspected facilities, the better we can assess their role and value to North Korea’s overall nuclear weapons development," said Jenny Town, deputy director of 38 North.Friday's report could advance the debate on whether the Kangson site is building machines or using them to create bomb material.Clandestine enrichment sites would complicate efforts to estimate the number of nuclear weapons produced by the North, which has pushed ahead with enlarging its nuclear deterrent in the absence of a denuclearisation agreement.FILLING IN GAPSDavid Albright, one of the first analysts to reveal the site's existence, told Reuters it could be a covert enrichment facility but that the activity there is not convincing."We still see anomalies that do not allow us to reach a high confidence level" that enrichment is taking place at Kangson, said Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington.Similarly, a source familiar with US intelligence reporting and analysis told Reuters they have reasons to believe Kangson is enriching uranium but that the evidence is not conclusive.Kangson has many of features of an enrichment site, said Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. It had been monitored by US intelligence for more than a decade before he and a team of imagery analysts at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies identified the spot in 2018, he wrote in a report at the time.The IAEA says Kangson shows some characteristics of an enrichment site but the organization cannot be sure, as North Korea expelled its inspectors in 2009.IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told Reuters the UN watchdog has "indications," which he would not specify, that the site has a role in North Korea's nuclear program.Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a Korea expert at King's College London, said that "European intelligence officials are more cautious than their US counterparts" on whether Kangson is enriching uranium. The Europeans' position, he said, "is that we simply don't know what's going on there for sure, so they can't jump to the conclusion that enrichment is taking place without more solid evidence.”Friday's 38 North report attempts to fill in some gaps.Satellite imagery from 2003, when the main building was being constructed, shows a concrete floor that appears to be like those built for workshops, rather than the concrete pads used in enrichment facilities to protect sensitive equipment from vibrations, the report says.Kangson appears to lacking air conditioning units that are essential for enrichment plants, and its security perimeter is not as extensive as at other nuclear sites, Heinonen writes.He notes that the August UN report says an unnamed member state had spotted no cylinders used to transport uranium hexafluoride (UF6), a compound used in the enriching process.While commercial satellites might miss such transfers, he argues, it is unlikely that the intelligence services of foreign countries would fail to spot them.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--US Supreme Court rules for Trump over census immigrant plan

The US Supreme Court on Friday threw out a lawsuit seeking to block President Donald Trump's plan to exclude immigrants living in the United States illegally from the population count used to allocate congressional districts to states.The 6-3 ruling gives Trump a short-term victory as he pursues his hard-line policies toward immigration in the final weeks of his presidency. However, his administration is battling against the clock to follow through on the vaguely defined proposal before President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan 20. The justices left open the possibility of challengers filing a fresh lawsuit if Trump's administration completes its plan.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Bulgaria expels Russian diplomat over espionage

A ministry spokesman said it had informed the Russian Embassy in Sofia .
In a separate statement , prosecutors said @ @ @ @ @ seeking sensitive military information , including on the number of US troops deployed to NATO @ @ @ @ @ 's Embassy to Sofia said on Friday that Bulgaria 's expulsion of a Russian diplomat @ @ @ @ @ reserved the right to respond .

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry has given a Russian diplomat 72 hours to leave the country after prosecutors alleged he has been involved in espionage in the Balkan country since 2017, it said on Wednesday.
A ministry spokesman said it had informed the Russian Embassy in Sofia.
In a separate statement, prosecutors said the Russian diplomat has been seeking sensitive military information, including on the number of US troops deployed to NATO member Bulgaria during military drills.
Russia's Embassy to Sofia said on Friday that Bulgaria's expulsion of a Russian diplomat was groundless and that Moscow reserved the right to respond.


jerusalempost--2020-12-18--Businesses announce Sunday protest in light of looming closure of shops

The organizations released an invitation titled , `` We came to drive away the darkness - We wo n't let @ @ @ @ @ , '' referring to the Hanukkah song , `` We came to drive away the @ @ @ @ @ is expected to take place on Sunday , December 20 , at 1:30 p.m. in @ @ @

The organizations released an invitation titled, "We came to drive away the darkness - We won't let them close the street shops," referring to the Hanukkah song, "We came to drive away the darkness."
The protest is expected to take place on Sunday, December 20, at 1:30 p.m. in Tel Aviv.
In light of Sunday's coronavirus cabinet meeting that will examine the possible closure of street shops, Lahav, Israel's Chamber of Independent Organizations and Businesses and the Movement for Promoting Fashion in Israel announced that it will hold a protest in Tel Aviv on Sunday against the looming decision.


jerusalempost--2020-12-19--New COVID-19 strain spreads more quickly, UK medical chief says

`` As announced on Monday , the UK has identified a new variant of Covid-19 through Public Health England ’ @ @ @ @ @ Whitty said in a statement .

Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed an effective lockdown on over 16 million people in England and reversed plans to ease curbs over Christmas, saying Britain was dealing with a new coronavirus strain up to 70% more transmissible than the original.
Although Johnson and his scientific advisors believe vaccines will still be effective, and the new strain is not more deadly or more serious in terms of the illness caused, he said on Saturday the government had to take urgent action.
The number of cases in England has soared in the last two weeks because of the virus variant.
Johnson tore up plans to allow three households to mix indoors for five days over the festive period, and said London and southeast England, which are currently in the highest level of a three-tier system of rules, would now be placed in a new Tier 4 level, similar to those of a recent national lockdown.
"It is with a very heavy heart I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned," Johnson told a news conference. "I sincerely believe there is no alternative open to me."
People in Tier 4 - 16.4 million and about a third of the population of England - will be required to stay at home except for essential reasons such as work, and non-essential retail will close, as will indoor leisure and entertainment.
Social mixing will be limited to meeting one other person in an outdoor space. The new rules will come into effect from midnight on Saturday.
Johnson, whose initial response to the pandemic has been criticized for being too slow, had resisted calls to change plans for the Christmas relaxation, saying on Wednesday it would be "frankly inhuman" to ban it.
However, those now in Tier 4 will not be allowed to mix with others over Christmas. And everyone else in England will now be allowed to see friends and family only on Christmas Day itself, Dec. 25.
'CONFUSION'
"At this time of national crisis, the British people want clear, decisive leadership," opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer said on Twitter. "All we get from Boris Johnson is confusion and indecision."
Within minutes of Johnson's announcement, shoppers hit the streets for a final attempt to stock up on Christmas presents and supplies.
"It was fairly quiet all day, then suddenly there was this mass of people," said one sales assistant at a large department store at Westfield shopping center in West London, one of Europe's largest.
The UK's other nations, whose response to the pandemic differs from that of England at times, also took action.
Scotland said on Saturday it would impose a ban on travel to the rest of the United Kingdom, and the Christmas easing would be limited to Dec. 25 only. All of Wales will go into Tier 4 from midnight, but two households can mix on Christmas Day.
Business leaders said the government needed to provide emergency financial support.
"The consequences of this decision will be severe," said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium.
'TAKEN OFF'
Like other countries in Europe, Britain is battling to contain new waves of the virus. It reported 27,052 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the total over 2 million, and 534 more deaths, taking the overall official toll to more than 67,000.
There has been a surge in infections sparked by the new virus strain - VUI202012/01.
"This virus has taken off, it's moving fast and it's leading inevitably to a sharp increase in hospital admissions," Britain's Chief Scientific Officer Patrick Vallance said.
England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said the authorities had alerted the World Health Organization and were continuing to analyze the data.
"There's no evidence to suggest it is more lethal or causes more severe illness," Johnson said. "There's no evidence to suggest the vaccine will be any less effective against the new variant.
Other countries have also reported variants of the virus. South Africa said on Friday one such strain was driving a second wave of infections there.


jerusalempost--2020-12-19--Nine people killed in hospital fire in southeast Turkey

Nine people were killed in a fire which broke out in a private hospital 's COVID-19 intensive care unit in @ @ @ @ @ Gaziantep , Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Saturday .
The fire was caused by @ @ @ @ @ ventilator , the local governorship said in a statement , adding that other patients receiving @ @ @ @ @ hospitals .
Two prosecutors in the province were commissioned to investigate the cause of the @ @ @ @ @ 's office said .

Nine people were killed in a fire which broke out in a private hospital's COVID-19 intensive care unit in the southeastern Turkish province of Gaziantep, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Saturday.
The fire was caused by the explosion of an oxygen ventilator, the local governorship said in a statement, adding that other patients receiving treatment were transferred to nearby hospitals.
Two prosecutors in the province were commissioned to investigate the cause of the explosion, the local prosecutor's office said.


jerusalempost--2020-12-19--French President Macron's condition is 'stable', presidency says

French President Emmanuel Macron 's condition is stable and the results of a medical examination reassuring , the French presidency @ @ @ @ @ update on his bout of coronavirus .
`` The medical condition of the president is @ @ @ @ @ .
He presents similar COVID-19 symptoms which do not prevent him from fulfilling his obligations @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
Macron said on Friday he was doing fine a day after @ @ @ @ @ but was working at a slower pace than usual outside Paris .

French President Emmanuel Macron's condition is stable and the results of a medical examination reassuring, the French presidency said on Saturday in an update on his bout of coronavirus.
"The medical condition of the president is stable compared with ... Friday. He presents similar COVID-19 symptoms which do not prevent him from fulfilling his obligations," the presidency said in a statement.
Macron said on Friday he was doing fine a day after testing positive for COVID-19, but was working at a slower pace than usual outside Paris.


jerusalempost--2020-12-19--Coronavirus commissioner tours Reina as village's infection rate climbs

Coronavirus commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash visited the Arab town of Reineh in northern Israel on Saturday, stressing the importance of going to get vaccinated while still maintaining social distance guidelines, a Health Ministry statement read."In the past few days there has been a spike in coronavirus morbidity rates in Reineh," Ash said after his visit, adding that "I've seen the municipality step up in order to handle the situation and decrease the spread of the virus.""The village is currently quarantined. The only thing that people can do now is to go and get tested in order to identify more patients – that's the only way of slowly returning to normal life."Ash also addressed the arrival of coronavirus vaccines and the beginning of Israel's nationwide vaccination campaign , expected to kick off later on Saturday in a broadcasted event that will see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein receiving the vaccine.Ash noted that "vaccines are our hope of finally changing our reality and going back to the way things were," but he emphasized that "it depends on people actually going and getting vaccinated."Regarding speculations about the safety of the vaccines, Ash said that "the vaccines have been tested, they're safe; they don't cause those problems you hear about on social media."However, he also said that "even now, with the arrival of vaccines, we need to continue keeping the guidelines."Ash noted that "It will take time for the vaccines to have an impact," and addressed a message to the local population: "Go get vaccinated!" he said, "But keep wearing masks, maintain social distancing and avoid gatherings – even during the holidays."


jerusalempost--2020-12-19--Biden to introduce team tasked with ambitious climate agenda on Saturday

President-elect Joe Biden is scheduled to publicly introduce his climate and energy team on Saturday , a history-making group that will be tasked with advancing his ambitious climate policy and strengthening safeguards against pollution .
Biden has promised to make tackling climate change one of the pillars of his Democratic administration .
But with a slim majority in the US House of Representatives and control of the US Senate still undecided , Biden and his new team may see little success in Congress and instead rely on rules from his regulatory agencies to enact sweeping change .
The climate team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s home state of Delaware on Saturday , during a press briefing where he 's expected to tease further details of his climate plan .
The former Vice President to President Barack Obama tapped a familiar face , Obama ’ s US Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) administrator Gina McCarthy , to lead a newly-created position as national climate adviser tasked with implementing the domestic Biden agenda .
Biden nominated Michael Regan , North Carolina ’ s top environmental regulator , to head up the EPA .
Regan , who worked at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush administrations , has served as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality since 2017 .
Democratic congresswoman Deb Haaland will serve as Biden 's interior secretary , and former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm as his energy secretary .
The team also includes Brenda Mallory , an environmental lawyer , as chair of the Council on Environmental Quality and Ali Zaidi , a leading climate expert and Biden adviser , as deputy national climate adviser .
If confirmed by the US Senate , Haaland would be the first Native American to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be the first African American to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality , and Regan would be the first Black man to run the EPA .
The team has been largely praised by environmental groups for its experience and diversity .
But the powerful fossil fuel industry , which Biden has frequently targeted for criticism , said the administration must balance its climate efforts with preserving jobs .
`` We will also be watching closely to ensure that the incoming administration keeps President-elect Biden ’ s campaign promises to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs supported by our industry in states like New Mexico , Ohio , Pennsylvania and across the country , '' American Petroleum Institute President Mike Sommers said in a statement .

President-elect Joe Biden is scheduled to publicly introduce his climate and energy team on Saturday, a history-making group that will be tasked with advancing his ambitious climate policy and strengthening safeguards against pollution.
Biden has promised to make tackling climate change one of the pillars of his Democratic administration. But with a slim majority in the US House of Representatives and control of the US Senate still undecided, Biden and his new team may see little success in Congress and instead rely on rules from his regulatory agencies to enact sweeping change.
The climate team will be formally introduced in Biden’s home state of Delaware on Saturday, during a press briefing where he's expected to tease further details of his climate plan.
The former Vice President to President Barack Obama tapped a familiar face, Obama’s US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Gina McCarthy, to lead a newly-created position as national climate adviser tasked with implementing the domestic Biden agenda.
Biden nominated Michael Regan, North Carolina’s top environmental regulator, to head up the EPA. Regan, who worked at the Washington-based agency during the Clinton and Bush administrations, has served as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality since 2017.
Democratic congresswoman Deb Haaland will serve as Biden's interior secretary, and former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm as his energy secretary.
The team also includes Brenda Mallory, an environmental lawyer, as chair of the Council on Environmental Quality and Ali Zaidi, a leading climate expert and Biden adviser, as deputy national climate adviser.
If confirmed by the US Senate, Haaland would be the first Native American to hold a US cabinet post, Mallory would be the first African American to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Regan would be the first Black man to run the EPA.
The team has been largely praised by environmental groups for its experience and diversity. But the powerful fossil fuel industry, which Biden has frequently targeted for criticism, said the administration must balance its climate efforts with preserving jobs.
"We will also be watching closely to ensure that the incoming administration keeps President-elect Biden’s campaign promises to the energy workforce and protects the millions of jobs supported by our industry in states like New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and across the country," American Petroleum Institute President Mike Sommers said in a statement.


jerusalempost--2020-12-19--India passes grim milestone of 10 mln coronavirus infections

It reported 25,152 new infections and 347 deaths in the past 24 hours , data from the health ministry showed @ @ @ @ @ far killed 145,136 people in the country .
After hitting a peak of nearly 98,000 @ @ @ @ @ cases are now down to an average of 27,000 .

It reported 25,152 new infections and 347 deaths in the past 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed. The virus has so far killed 145,136 people in the country.
After hitting a peak of nearly 98,000 cases in September, daily cases are now down to an average of 27,000.
NEW DELHI - India's coronavirus tally breached the 10 million mark on Saturday, the world's second highest, even though the number of new daily cases has fallen sharply since a mid-September peak.


jerusalempost--2020-12-19--Trump signs stopgap government funding bill to avoid midnight shutdown

WASHINGTON - The US Congress on Friday passed and sent to President Donald Trump a two-day stopgap extension of existing federal funds to avoid a midnight government shutdown , as negotiators work on a $ 900 billion coronavirus aid bill and a $ 1.4 trillion government-wide spending bill through September 2021 .
The House of Representatives and Senate , with little debate and with only hours to go before government funding expired , gave congressional leaders more time to try to craft a bipartisan coronavirus aid bill that would ride along with the massive spending legislation .
`` I believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress on a major relief bill that would travel with the full-year appropriations measure , '' Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell , a Republican , said just before the temporary spending bill was passed .
Assuming Trump approves the stopgap measure , lawmakers will try to beat a Sunday midnight deadline , which comes almost exactly two years after an unresolved spending fight triggered a 35-day government shutdown , the longest on record .
After months of Republicans and Democrats have been negotiating intensely on what is expected to be the biggest package @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country struggling with a pandemic killing more than 3,000 people a day .
WASHINGTON , Dec 18 ( Reuters ) - President Donald Trump on Friday signed into law a two-day stopgap extension of existing federal funds passed by Congress to avoid a midnight government shutdown , as lawmakers negotiate a $ 900 billion pandemic aid bill and as part of $ 1.4 trillion government spending package .
The House of Representatives and Senate , with little debate and with only hours to go before government funding expired , gave congressional leaders more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 aid bill that would ride along with the massive spending legislation .
`` I believe all sides feel we are making good progress on a major relief bill that would travel with the full-year appropriations measure , '' Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell , a Republican , said just before the temporary spending bill was passed .
Trump signed the bill into law Friday night , the White House said , leaving lawmakers to try to beat a new Sunday midnight deadline , which comes almost exactly two years after an unresolved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the longest on record .
After months of partisan finger-pointing and inaction , Republicans and Democrats have been negotiating intensely on what is expected to be the biggest package since spring to provide relief to a country struggling with a pandemic killing more than 3,000 people a day .
With some support from Trump , who leaves office on Jan. 20 , and Democratic President-elect Joe Biden , they have reported progress .
But significant differences remain , including a dispute over a Republican-backed plan to rein in Federal Reserve lending programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sting .
Some Republicans accused Democrats of using the lending authorities as a backdoor way to provide aid to state and local governments that Republicans dismiss as a `` slush fund '' for Democratic-controlled local governments .
Other sticking points include relief for arts venues closed by COVID-19 restrictions and whether to include increased reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to local governments for items like personal protective equipment for schools .
Many issues , though , have been settled .
The coronavirus legislation is expected to include onetime checks for most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended unemployment benefits of $ 300 per week , help for states distributing the vaccine , and assistance for small businesses struggling through the pandemic .
Congressional leaders plan to attach the COVID-19 aid to the $ 1.4 trillion spending bill .
The prospect of a government shutdown increased pressure to come up with a relief plan .
An extended shutdown would force thousands more people out of work and disrupt services just as the country is ramping up distribution of coronavirus vaccines , though the effects would not be fully felt over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government of 2 million people that are waiting every hour to find out if they are going to be working , '' Representative Steny Hoyer , the second most senior House Democrat , told reporters .
Congress was also spurred to action by an alarming increase in hospitalizations and deaths .
The U.S. coronavirus death toll , now over 311,000 , is by far the world 's highest and many Americans - who do not receive government aid that is automatic in many other nations - are at risk of homelessness and going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 relief for Americans passed immediately , promising to do more after he is sworn in on Jan. 20 .
Republicans also have a wary eye on the impact inaction might have on a pair of Jan. 5 runoff elections in Georgia , which will determine whether their party maintains control of the Senate for the next two years or hands it over to Democrats .
Democrats say Republican Senator Pat Toomey is promoting his plan to rein in the Fed 's emergency lending authority in an effort to make it more difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public health crisis .
Toomey denied this , saying the lending authorities were expiring anyway .
Larry Kudlow , director of Trump 's National Economic Council , told reporters at the White House that the Trump administration was `` strongly in support '' of Toomey 's plan .
Brian Deese , Biden 's pick to succeed Kudlow , said the relief bill should not include Toomey 's provision .

The House of Representatives and Senate, with little debate and with only hours to go before government funding expired, gave congressional leaders more time to try to craft a bipartisan coronavirus aid bill that would ride along with the massive spending legislation.
"I believe all sides feel we are making good progress on a major relief bill that would travel with the full-year appropriations measure," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said just before the temporary spending bill was passed.
Assuming Trump approves the stopgap measure, lawmakers will try to beat a Sunday midnight deadline, which comes almost exactly two years after an unresolved spending fight triggered a 35-day government shutdown, the longest on record.
After months of Republicans and Democrats have been negotiating intensely on what is expected to be the biggest package since spring to provide relief to a country struggling with a pandemic killing more than 3,000 people a day.
WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Friday signed into law a two-day stopgap extension of existing federal funds passed by Congress to avoid a midnight government shutdown, as lawmakers negotiate a $900 billion pandemic aid bill and as part of $1.4 trillion government spending package.
The House of Representatives and Senate, with little debate and with only hours to go before government funding expired, gave congressional leaders more time to try to craft a bipartisan COVID-19 aid bill that would ride along with the massive spending legislation.
"I believe all sides feel we are making good progress on a major relief bill that would travel with the full-year appropriations measure," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said just before the temporary spending bill was passed.
Trump signed the bill into law Friday night, the White House said, leaving lawmakers to try to beat a new Sunday midnight deadline, which comes almost exactly two years after an unresolved spending fight triggered a 35-day government shutdown, the longest on record.
After months of partisan finger-pointing and inaction, Republicans and Democrats have been negotiating intensely on what is expected to be the biggest package since spring to provide relief to a country struggling with a pandemic killing more than 3,000 people a day.
With some support from Trump, who leaves office on Jan. 20, and Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, they have reported progress.
But significant differences remain, including a dispute over a Republican-backed plan to rein in Federal Reserve lending programs intended to ease the pandemic's economic sting.
Some Republicans accused Democrats of using the lending authorities as a backdoor way to provide aid to state and local governments that Republicans dismiss as a "slush fund" for Democratic-controlled local governments.
Other sticking points include relief for arts venues closed by COVID-19 restrictions and whether to include increased reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to local governments for items like personal protective equipment for schools.
Many issues, though, have been settled. The coronavirus legislation is expected to include onetime checks for most Americans of about $600 each, extended unemployment benefits of $300 per week, help for states distributing the vaccine, and assistance for small businesses struggling through the pandemic.
Congressional leaders plan to attach the COVID-19 aid to the $1.4 trillion spending bill.
'OPTIMISTIC'
The prospect of a government shutdown increased pressure to come up with a relief plan. An extended shutdown would force thousands more people out of work and disrupt services just as the country is ramping up distribution of coronavirus vaccines, though the effects would not be fully felt over the weekend.
"We have a government of 2 million people that are waiting every hour to find out if they are going to be working," Representative Steny Hoyer, the second most senior House Democrat, told reporters.
Congress was also spurred to action by an alarming increase in hospitalizations and deaths. The U.S. coronavirus death toll, now over 311,000, is by far the world's highest and many Americans - who do not receive government aid that is automatic in many other nations - are at risk of homelessness and going hungry.
Biden has said he wants COVID-19 relief for Americans passed immediately, promising to do more after he is sworn in on Jan. 20.
Republicans also have a wary eye on the impact inaction might have on a pair of Jan. 5 runoff elections in Georgia, which will determine whether their party maintains control of the Senate for the next two years or hands it over to Democrats.
Democrats say Republican Senator Pat Toomey is promoting his plan to rein in the Fed's emergency lending authority in an effort to make it more difficult for Biden's incoming administration to handle the public health crisis.
Toomey denied this, saying the lending authorities were expiring anyway.
Larry Kudlow, director of Trump's National Economic Council, told reporters at the White House that the Trump administration was "strongly in support" of Toomey's plan.
Brian Deese, Biden's pick to succeed Kudlow, said the relief bill should not include Toomey's provision.


jerusalempost--2020-12-20--Mexico's president says spoke by phone with US President-elect Biden

Mexico 's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador spoke by telephone with US President-elect Joe Biden on Saturday and said both leaders committed to collaborating for the benefit of the neighboring nations .
`` We reaffirmed our commitment to working together for the wellbeing of our peoples and nations , '' Lopez Obrador said on Twitter .
They both agreed agreed to work on a `` new approach '' to regional migration issues in Central America , according to a statement from Biden 's office .
Mexican foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard described the conversation as `` cordial '' and tweeted : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a very good relationship between the presidents of Mexico and the United States .
Good news !
!
!
`` They both agreed agreed to work on a `` new approach '' to regional migration issues in Central America , according to a statement from Biden 's office .
The leaders of Latin America 's two biggest economies , Brazil and Mexico , congratulated Biden on Tuesday , the day after the US Electoral College confirmed Biden 's Nov. 3 election win .
The long delay ignited criticism they were running the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats .

US President-elect Joe Biden and Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Saturday committed to work on a humane strategy to regional migration by addressing its root causes in Central America and southern Mexico.
The two leaders in a phone call "discussed working together on a new approach to regional migration that offers alternatives to undertaking the dangerous journey to the United States," a summary of the call provided by Biden's team said.
The two leaders said they shared a desire to address the reasons for migration in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and southern Mexico.
Biden pledged to build "the regional and border infrastructure and capacity needed to facilitate a new orderly and humane approach to migration that will respect international norms regarding the treatment of asylum claims," the statement from Biden's team said.
Earlier this week Lopez Obrador suggested the two neighbors under Biden's new Democratic administration work together on the thorny issue of immigration.
Republican President Donald Trump's unprecedented demands that the Mexican government do more to reduce the flow of US-bound migrants, including harboring migrants in Mexico while they wait for their US court dates and paying for a border wall, caused friction in the relationship.
Biden emphasized the need to reinvigorate US-Mexico cooperation on migration as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy and border security.
"We reaffirmed our commitment to working together for the well-being of our peoples and nations," Lopez Obrador said on Twitter.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard tweeted: "There will be extensive bilateral cooperation and a very good relationship between the presidents of Mexico and the United States."
A Mexican government source told Reuters that Biden and Lopez Obrador also spoke about investment for development and respect for the Mexican community in the United States.
The leaders of Latin America's two biggest economies, Brazil and Mexico, congratulated Biden on Tuesday, the day after the US Electoral College confirmed Biden's Nov. 3 election win. The long delay ignited criticism they were running the risk of alienating Biden and his fellow Democrats.