Reading Time: 2 minutes United States President Donald Trump has named Vice President Mike Pence as head of government response in handling the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the infection caused by the Wuhan coronavirus (nCoV), outbreak in the country.

The announcement was made after confirmed coronavirus cases in the US soared to 60 on February 26.

“We’re very, very ready for this.” Researchers have been “rapidly developing” a vaccine, Trump said. “Because of all we’ve done, the risk to the American people remains very low.” However, he also warned that “every aspect of our society should be prepared.”

Reading Time: 2 minutes The deadly novel coronavirus (nCoV) is spreading faster outside of China for the first time, with Austria, Croatia, Greece, Switzerland and Algeria registering their first confirmed cases.

Italy and Iran have recently experienced a spike in new coronavirus infections, becoming the new epicenters of the deadly virus spread outside of China.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Thich Quang Do, a Buddhist monk in Vietnam who had stood up to the Communist Party for human rights and religious freedom, died on Saturday at the age of 91. He passed away from complications related to diabetes, a heart condition and high blood pressure.

Thich Quang Do spent many years in conflict with the government. He had been under house arrest since 2003 for his role in leading a religious institution known as the Unified Buddhist Church that had been banned by the government for non-adherence to its communist ideology.

Reading Time: 3 minutes Early on Tuesday, clashes broke out between police and protesters on the Greek Island of Lesbos as residents set fire to bins and used municipal rubbish trucks to try to block the port area in an attempt to prevent the unloading of machinery that will be used to build new migrant detention centers.

The police fired teargas to disperse crowds with clashes spilling into the streets as residents tried to block access to the construction site. Similar clashes were reported on the island of Chios.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What is the current situation on the Greek islands?

Reading Time: 3 minutes With the recent partnership between SpaceX and Space Adventures, a space tourism company, the next decade could see a boom in the number of civilian space flights.

The partnership between the two companies, coupled with the continued advancements at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), looks likely to see the development of new space-related technology, particularly sensors designed for use in space, which will herald a new age in space tourism.

Go beyond the headlines…

– Who was the first space tourist?
– What has caused the boom in space sensors?

Reading Time: < 1 minute The US Border Patrol is opening a 1,040-person detention center in Texas due to the outcry that has arisen over conditions that children and adults were being detained in for up to 27 days without adequate food, water and sanitation.

The new center, intended to house migrants on a short term basis, features play areas for children, showers and other basic necessities that have not always been available at Border Patrol detention centers.

Reading Time: 2 minutes In efforts to dollarize the retail sector and its economy, Cuba’s government has begun selling used cars in tradable currencies for the first time. About a hundred prospective buyers showed interest in the sales held at a Havana outlet on February 25.

Only 1 in 20 Cubans own a car due to the high cost of purchasing a vehicle, especially in the Carribean nation where the average salary is below US$100 per month.

Reading Time: 2 minutes At least 13 people, including a police officer, have been killed in riots in New Delhi, which broke out as hundreds of thousands of Indians protest the anti-Muslim citizenship law on February 25 in one of the deadliest communal clashes in the capital in decades.

More than 150 were injured in the two-day protest, both Hindus and Muslims were found with bullet wounds as residents attacked each other with petrol bombs, clubs and rocks.

Reading Time: 2 minutes On Monday, February 24, a story was published showing that a staffer for the Bernie Sanders’ campaign has been tweeting out inappropriate, insensitive and downright cruel tweets about Sanders’ rivals on Twitter.

After the story came out, the staffer was fired. The ordeal, however, has led to renewed concern that a number of Sanders supporters are engaging in campaign tactics, especially online, that serve to discredit his campaign.

Reading Time: 5 minutes On March 31, 2020, US Attorney General William Barr is set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee regarding, among other things, his role in reducing the sentence of Roger Stone. Stone is an ally of President Donald Trump, and many believe the Justice Department’s intervention in his sentencing was a result of Trump pressuring Barr, who oversees the department.
Barr has had a long career in law enforcement, stretching back to his days with the Central Intelligence Agency. He was previously attorney general under President George H.W. Bush.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What are the responsibilities of an Attorney General?
– What controversial statements has Barr made under the Trump administration?

Reading Time: 4 minutes On Sunday, the Belgian city of Aalst held its traditional carnival, which for the second year in a row included stereotypical depictions of Jews. The satirical carnival took place despite calls from Israel’s Foreign Minister to ban the event.

Last year, the yearly Aalst carnival, which pokes fun at ethnic, social and religious groups as well as leaders and politicians, drew criticism from the Belgian and international Jewish community due to the presence of a parade float depicting Orthodox Jews with hooked noses sitting on gold.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What controversy have other music festivals around the world faced?

Reading Time: 2 minutes United States President Donald Trump has announced that he will be seeking US$2.5 billion from Congress to help fight the coronavirus epidemic. The funds will be used for vaccines, treatment and protective equipment such as masks and gloves.

The request came after the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had tapped into its emergency infectious disease rapid response fund and was seeking to transfer more than US$130 million from other HHS accounts to combat the virus.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Italian authorities have urged residents not to panic-buy as cases of coronaviruses in the north of the country increased to at least 229. In the city of Milan, local supermarket shelves usually filled with canned goods and pasta are reportedly empty. Protective masks have also run out in pharmacies.

“Rather than dashing to the supermarkets to grab food, perhaps we should spend time looking after the most vulnerable, such as old people, who are particularly at risk,” said Milan’s Mayor Beppe Sala.

Reading Time: 3 minutes Democrats who once said a brokered convention was unlikely now see it as a distinct possibility.

Although the primary season is well underway, the Democratic field is still crowded with candidates and there are no signs that anyone is about to suspend their campaign as Super Tuesday approaches. Some Democrats worry that no contender will win a majority of delegates before the convention in July.

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– What do democrats say?
– What is a brokered convention?

Reading Time: 4 minutes Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has been taking heat this week for reversing her stance on accepting money from super PACs (short for super political action committees).

The Massachusetts Senator had been one of the few holdouts in this campaign who refused to accept the support of such groups, which are permitted to engage in unlimited political spending.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What are super PACs?
– Why did Elizabeth Warren change her stance on super PACs?
– What is Sanders’ Our Revolution?

Reading Time: 2 minutes On Monday, February 24, former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was convicted on two counts of sexual misconduct. He was sentenced to at least five years in prison for his crimes.

Weinstein, 67, faced five charges on accusations that he raped two women several decades ago. Based on these charges, he was convicted of third-degree rape and first-degree sexual assault.

He was not convicted on the charge of predatory assault, meaning the jury couldn’t determine without a reasonable doubt whether he committed those acts.

Reading Time: 2 minutes United States Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg has reportedly delayed a CNN town hall scheduled for February 24 in order to prepare for the next day’s debate in South Carolina.

According to a spokesperson for the Bloomberg campaign, the debate is seen as a “crucial” point in the Democratic presidential campaign. He is said to be preparing to stop Democratic frontrunner, Bernie Sanders, from opening a substantial delegate lead. Sanders has won the Nevada Democratic caucuses and has built a formidable lead, heading into the third democratic debate of the month in Charleston, South Carolina on February 25.

Reading Time: 2 minutes An influential group of medical scientists have predicted that by 2030, nearly one in two adults will be obese, and nearly one-quarter will be severely obese, said The New York Times.

The group adjusted for present underestimates of weight provided by individuals in surveys spanning the United States. In up to 29 states, the predominance of obesity will surpass 50 percent, with each state having at least 35 percent of citizens who are obese, they projected.

Reading Time: 2 minutes On February 24, 161 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed in South Korea. This brings the number to 763 confirmed cases, with the nation now handling the deadly coronavirus outbreak on its highest infectious disease alert.

This alert, also known as ‘red alert,’ entails restricted public activities, including delaying school sessions after the ending of school holidays.

Reading Time: 5 minutes US intelligence officials told members of Congress that Russia was interfering in the 2020 presidential election in an attempt to get President Trump re-elected, according to reports.

The revelation was first published by The New York Times on February 20, after reporters from the newspaper spoke with five people familiar with the matter.

Go beyond the headlines…

– How did the democrats and republicans respond to the published revelations?
– How has Russia responded?

Reading Time: 2 minutes The global danger posed by the coronavirus continues to strengthen as Europe and the Middle East face an increased threat.

Over the weekend, Italian officials announced that there was a spike in cases with nearly 150 people infected and three dead. Last week, Italy had just five confirmed cases.

The outbreak is centered around the Lombardy region of northern Italy, which includes the popular tourist city of Milan. In Iran, the virus is even more widespread. Six deaths have been reported across 12 provinces.

Reading Time: 2 minutes The campaign of United States presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has been briefed about an alleged Russian effort to assist his campaign. Reports of Russia’s assistance in the Vermont Senator’s campaign came a day after the US intelligence community reported that Moscow is taking steps to help President Donald Trump win reelection.

Top election security official Shelby Pierson told lawmakers that Russia is helping Trump to win and that the integrity of the election is in doubt.

Reading Time: 3 minutes On Saturday, February 15, English television personality Caroline Flack hung herself in the midst of a personal scandal that had become regular fodder for the British press.

In the week since her suicide, much attention has been given to how British tabloids and paparazzi cover celebrities and the ways in which they often hound the subjects of their stories.

Go beyond the headlines…

– Why did Harry and Meghan choose to give up their titles?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Senator Bernie Sanders won the Nevada Democratic caucuses, marking Sanders’ third popular-vote victory in three primary battles.

“I am delighted to bring you some pretty good news,” said Sanders from a campaign event in San Antonio, Texas. “I think all of you know we won the popular vote in Iowa. We won the New Hampshire primary. And according to three networks and the AP, we have now won the Nevada caucus.”

Reading Time: 2 minutes United States Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, has vowed to release several former female employees from their non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

The NDAs were signed by employees within Bloomberg’s company, Bloomberg LP from the last three decades. Several of the NDAs were reportedly signed after female employees alleged that discriminatory comments were made by the former New York mayor.

Reading Time: 4 minutes On Wednesday, February 19, it was revealed that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was allegedly offered a pardon by US President Donald Trump to cover up links to Russia.

This according to pre-trial depositions made by Assange’s lawyers in his extradition trial.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What is the connection between Trump and Russia?
– What did Assange’s lawyers reveal?

Reading Time: 2 minutes China has sent a team of investigators to several correctional facilities after a coronavirus outbreak in its prison systems was reported on February 20.

Five prisons in three provinces reported high amounts of coronavirus infections with more than 500 prisoners and guards infected.

“With a heavy heart and sense of responsibility, I am reporting to you that as of February 20, five prisons in Hubei, Shandong and Zhejiang have reported infections among their populations,” said Justice Ministry official, He Ping.

Reading Time: 3 minutes On Tuesday, February 18, 2020, the Boys Scouts of America released a press release stating the organization had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This follows years of sexual abuse allegations against the organization, which have resulted in numerous financial payouts to victims and their families.

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have been around since 1910, but in recent years the future of the organization has been in doubt as investigations have revealed a systemic pattern of covering up abuse allegations.

Go beyond the headlines…

– How many people have been barred from the BSA?
– What is Chapter 11 bankruptcy?

Reading Time: 2 minutes A federal judge has sentenced United States President Donald Trump’s political advisor Roger Stone to more than three years in prison and two years of probation on February 20 for seven felony charges, including lying to Congress and threatening a witness in 2016.

Stone was found guilty of obstructing a congressional investigation, making numerous false statements to Congress and witness tampering in November 2019.

Reading Time: 2 minutes On February 20, the second day of his Saudi Arabia visit, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Saudi Arabia’s King Mohammed bin Salman to discuss mutual safety concerns involving Iran.

This was the first time that the US has formally revisited its concerns regarding Iran after the assassination of Iranian top commander General Qasem Soleimani on January 3 this year.

Reading Time: 4 minutes On Tuesday, February 18, 2020, the jury for the Harvey Weinstein trial began deliberations to determine whether the former Hollywood mogul should be convicted over multiple counts of rape.

The charges against Weinstein relate to two separate women, though over 80 accusations of sexual misconduct have been made against the defendant since 2017.

Go beyond the headlines…

– Who are Harvey and Bob Weinstein?
– What are the details of the trial?
– What is the #MeToo movement?

Reading Time: 2 minutes A 61-year-old woman has been identified as a “superspreader” after infecting at least 37 people while attending a service at the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony in Daegu, South Korea on February 10.

The woman reportedly refused to be tested for coronavirus, insisting that she hadn’t traveled abroad.

Authorities have described the service as a “superspreading event”.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Two elderly Japanese citizens who were on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship died on February 20 at the local hospital where they were being treated in the past week for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

“They were sent to medical facilities when they showed symptoms. I believe they received the best possible treatment,” said Health Minister Katsunobu Kato. They were believed to have had underlying diseases prior to contracting the virus.

Reading Time: 3 minutes On January 28, 2020, US authorities arrested Professor Charles Lieber, a celebrated chemist at Harvard University. Lieber, who is also a pioneer in the field of nanotechnology, has been charged with failing to disclose financial ties to the Chinese government and of lying to US officials.

The US government has concerns about the influence of China’s Thousand Talents Plan, which seeks to recruit experts from around the world to innovate for the country.

Go beyond the headlines…

– Who is Charles Lieber?
– What are the details of Lieber’s arrest?

Reading Time: 2 minutes A gunman has killed nine people after a shooting at two different hookah lounges in the western German city of Hanau. The suspect fled the scene and was found dead hours later next to another body which has not yet been identified, bringing the total fatalities to eleven – including the shooter.

The first shooting took place at the Midnight shisha bar in the city center, while the second shooting happened at the Arena Bar & Café in the Kesselstadt district. The city of Hanau is located in the state of Hessen, some 25 kilometers (15.53 miles) east of Frankfurt.

Reading Time: 3 minutes Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest person, has vowed to donate US$10 billion to combat climate change. His donation would be the largest ever given towards addressing the global phenomenon that threatens imminent, catastrophic environmental change.

Bezos has frequently faced criticism for how Amazon operates, both in relation to its employees and its reliance on the oil industry. Earlier this year, hundreds of Amazon employees risked their jobs to protest the company’s climate-related policies.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What criticism has Bezos’ previously received for his lack of philanthropy?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Several Boeing 737 Max jets in storage were found to contain debris inside their fuel tanks. The debris, which may cause damage, was discovered during maintenance checks while the planes were in storage awaiting delivery to airlines.

“While conducting maintenance we discovered Foreign Object Debris (FOD) in undelivered 737 Max airplanes currently in storage. That finding led to a robust internal investigation and immediate corrective actions in our production system,” a Boeing spokesperson told the BBC.

Reading Time: < 1 minute Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg appeared at the Nevada Democratic debate in Las Vegas on February 19. Prior to the debate, Michael Bloomberg released a plan to regulate cryptocurrencies.

“Cryptocurrencies have become an asset class worth hundreds of billions of dollars, yet regulatory oversight remains fragmented and undeveloped. For all the promises of the blockchain, Bitcoin and initial coin offerings, there’s also plenty of hype, fraud and criminal activity,” Bloomberg states on the final page of his plan.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Former New York City mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Michael Bloomberg appeared alongside Democratic rivals at the Nevada Democratic debate in Las Vegas on February 19.

The debate was the ninth of this primary cycle and the first that Bloomberg qualified for after the Democratic National Commission (DNC) changed the rules that candidates were required to abide by in order to appear on the debate stage.

Reading Time: 2 minutes United States President Donald Trump has granted clemency to 11 white-collar criminals, including former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on February 18.

The president has suggested that Blagojevich’s prosecution is linked to Trump’s longtime opposer, former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey who is a close friend of former US attorney in Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald, whose last name he misstated as “Fitzpatrick” when speaking to reporters on the matter.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Liu Zhiming, 51, director of the Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, has died of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), according to a statement released by local government authorities.

Liu was a neurosurgeon in the hospital located at the epicenter of the virus outbreak. He was in critical condition for a few days before passing away on February 18.

Reading Time: 3 minutes This last week, Facebook and Instagram were forced to amend and qualify their advertising policies after Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign bought ads with popular meme aggregating accounts. Then, on Sunday, February 16, a supporter of Pete Buttigieg’s presidential run was forced off Twitter when his account was falsely accused of being a sockpuppet account for the campaign.

Both events highlight the risks political campaigns face when engaging with voters through social media.

Go beyond the headlines…

– How did Facebook and Instagram respond?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Residents in Mexico City are outraged over the murder of a 7-year-old girl, further fueling anger over an epidemic of brutal murders of women in the country, including that of a young woman who was stabbed to death and skinned by her partner just days before.

The 7-year-old, a grade-school student named Fatima, was found wrapped in a garbage bag after being abducted by a stranger outside her school on the outskirts of Mexico City on February 11.

Go beyond the headlines…
– What is the history of Femicide in Mexico?

Reading Time: 2 minutes On February 17, tech giant Apple announced that the company would likely see losses in revenue due to an iPhone shortage.

China, which leads the world in overall manufacturing output, is on a partial lockdown due to the spread of the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) that is already responsible for the deaths of 2,004 people as of February 18.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders leads the field of 2020 democratic presidential candidates with 31% according to a new NPR/PBS/Marist poll, a nine point gain since December.

Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg comes in second in the poll with 19% support, up 15 points from December. Bloomberg’s placement in the poll means that he has now met the qualifications necessary to appear on the debate stage in Nevada on February 19.

Reading Time: 2 minutes New reports from Chinese scientists claim that a lab within 280 meters of the Huanan Seafood Market – where the coronavirus is believed to have originated – may be the possible ground zero for the deadly virus.
Scientists Botao Xiao and Lei Xiao from South China University of Technology in Guangzhou have recently published a paper that reveals the possible source of the coronavirus.

Reading Time: 2 minutes United States officials have confirmed that 14 Americans on an evacuation flight from a cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, in Japan had contracted the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

During the flight, all passengers were monitored and those who seemed to be showing symptoms or had contracted the virus were isolated in a designated area on the plane.

Reading Time: 4 minutes Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on February 15, United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told European allies that building their 5G networks with Chinese technology firm Huawei threatens their alliances with America.

Esper also warned that future intelligence cooperation is at risk if European countries grant Huawei access to their 5G networks. If that were to come to pass, Esper said, the US couldn’t be sure that their communication infrastructure is secure.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What has US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said about the situation?
– Which other US ally has also followed the US and banned Huawei from its 5G network?

Reading Time: 4 minutes On February 2, 2020, the European Schengen Area updated its rules for multiple-entry Schengen visas. These visas allow visitors to freely move between the 26 countries within the Schengen Area, an unrestricted zone that consists largely of European Union member states.

For American visitors to the Schengen Area, the changes will have no effect on their ability to travel to Europe. However, beginning in January 2021, US citizens will have to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization.

Go beyond the headlines…

– Currently, how many types of multiple-entry Schengen visas exist?
– What will change for Americans on January 1, 2021?

Reading Time: 2 minutes United States Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has urged Democrats to put up a unified front to defeat US President Donald Trump in the upcoming 2020 presidential elections.

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Pelosi said that it would be unimaginable for Trump to be reelected although current polls suggest that his chances of winning are good.

Reading Time: 5 minutes Responding to evidence from Australian Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor said that Australia’s offshore detention centers violate international law.

Yet despite finding that conditions in the centers are “cruel, inhuman or degrading”, the ICC will not prosecute the Australian government for human rights abuses.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What did the letter say?
– Why won’t the ICC prosecute the Australian government?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Saturday that social media companies need regulations from governments in order to deal with the increasing amount of harmful content online.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Zuckerberg said, “Even if I’m not going to agree with every regulation in the near term, I do think it’s going to be the thing that helps creates trust and better governance of the internet and will benefit everyone, including us over the long term.”

Reading Time: 2 minutes China recorded 105 new deaths due to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) on February 16, which brings the total death toll caused by the coronavirus on the mainland to 1,770.

China’s National Health Commission said that there were 2,048 new confirmed cases on February 16, almost all stemming from the epicenter of the outbreak – Hubei province.

A total of 100 coronavirus-infected patients died in Hubei province alone on February 16, while three others were from neighboring Henan province. The other two deaths were recorded in Guangdong province, in close proximity to Hong Kong.

Reading Time: < 1 minute The South East Asian financial hub of Singapore has been one of the worst-hit countries by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outside of mainland China, recording 72 cases, with five new cases reported on February 15.

The nation has seen a negative effect on its gross domestic product (GDP) forecast for 2020, which has taken the impact of the coronavirus into account, with DBS, the city-state’s largest bank, downgrading the country’s growth rate for 2020 to 0.9% from 1.4% on February 7.

Reading Time: 2 minutes In his campaign bid, US presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg has pledged to “always be a champion” for women in the workplace. “Working with Michael Bloomberg was one of the most empowering experiences that I’ve had,” said former employee, Shari Hyman in a campaign video testimonial made available online on February 16 on Bloomberg’s YouTube channel.

Reports of past racist and sexist remarks emerged when a booklet called “The Portable Bloomberg: The Wit and Wisdom of Michael Bloomberg” – containing alleged past comments and initially given as a gag birthday gift – was reported by Business Insider.

Reading Time: 3 minutes On Thursday, February 13, the United States Senate approved a measure that would limit President Donald Trump’s ability to wage war with Iran. In January, Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, which significantly escalated tensions between Iran and the United States.

Go beyond the headlines…

– How did the House’s constrain Trump’s war powers?
– Why would the US go to war with Iran?

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Malaysian Health Ministry has confirmed that an American woman who was onboard the MS Westerdam cruise ship is infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19). The ship was finally allowed to dock in Cambodia after having been denied entry by at least five other countries.  145 passengers from the cruise ship are reported to have flown to…

Reading Time: 2 minutes On Sunday, February 16, the Chinese government announced that the number of new coronavirus cases had dropped for the third straight day. The total number of cases on the Chinese mainland is now approximately 68,500 according to China’s National Health Commission.

Still, over the past 24 hours, over 2,000 new cases were reported. While this number represents a reduction from the previous several days, the number of new cases highlights the ongoing threat of the virus.

Reading Time: 3 minutes On Tuesday, February 11, the Washington Post reported that the United States and Germany had used a Swiss-based encryption company, Crypto AG, as a front to spy on allies and enemies for decades. The Guardian now reports that the Swiss government has ordered an inquiry into the company, which was headquartered in Zug until it closed in 2018.

Though the new report has drawn considerable attention, reports of the company’s ties to the CIA have been around for decades.

Go beyond the headlines…

– How was Crypto AG used to spy on allies and enemies?

Reading Time: 2 minutes On Friday, February 14, the US and the Taliban agreed to implement a temporary truce, laying the groundwork for sustained peace. If a formal peace agreement is eventually finalized, American troops could be sent home after 18 years of war.

For now, the agreement only stipulates an end of violence between the US and the Taliban, including Afghan security forces, for one week.

Reading Time: 2 minutes High profile attorney Michael Avenatti, who allegedly extorted footwear company Nike for up to US$25 million, was found guilty on February 14 on all three charges filed against him.

Avenatti was found guilty of threatening to make public that Nike had been illicitly paying amateur basketball players. He was also found guilty of betraying his client, Gary Franklin, a youth basketball coach who had initially made the allegations against Nike, by advocating for money for himself and not for his client.

Reading Time: 4 minutes The growing consensus that climate change is reaching a point of no return is leading to anxiety in children, psychologists have found. While eco-anxiety is also seen in adults, children who live through a devastating climate crisis are said to be especially susceptible.

In recent years, many teenage activists, including Greta Thunberg, have organized public strikes and protests to urge the world’s governments to take greater action towards addressing climate change.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What is eco-anxiety?
– What are the climate predictions for the future?

Reading Time: 2 minutes The hunt continues for the so-called ‘patient zero’ who reportedly is responsible for spreading the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, to at least four people from Britain, Malaysia and South Korea after attending a business meeting at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore.
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Patient zero presumably passed on the coronavirus to a Malaysian businessman at the conference, who then passed it on to his sister and mother-in-law while visiting family in Malaysia.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Using an algorithm designed at their laboratory, biotechnology company Inovio Pharmaceuticals claims to have discovered a vaccine to combat the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) in only three hours.

“We have an algorithm, which we designed, and we put the DNA sequence into our algorithm and came up with the vaccine in that short amount of time,” said Dr. Trevor Smith, director of research and development at Inovio.

Reading Time: 2 minutes US Attorney General William Barr has received criticism after his Justice Department sought to reduce the amount of prison time for Roger Stone, a Trump confidant accused of lying to Congress and playing a key role in seeking help from Russian hackers to influence the 2016 election.

In January, Stone was indicted by a grand jury for his role in trying to discredit Trump adversaries during the campaign by using stolen emails. During the trial, federal prosecutors recommended that Stone receive seven to nine years in jail for his crimes.

Reading Time: 4 minutes On Monday, February 10, 2020, federal prosecutors recommended a nine-year prison sentence for Roger Stone, a close ally of President Donald Trump. The sentence, for obstructing a congressional investigation, was immediately decried by the president as being too severe. Soon after, the Department of Justice (DOJ) stepped in to reduce the sentence.

The four lawyers who prosecuted the case against Stone have all withdrawn from the case in protest of the decision.

Go beyond the headlines…

– Who is Roger Stone?
– How did Trump react to the resignations?

Reading Time: 3 minutes On February 12, Mobile World Congress (MWC) canceled the annual tech event amid fears of the coronavirus outbreak. Prior to the cancelation, dozens of major tech companies had already pulled out of the Barcelona-based event over concerns of the virus’ spread.

Since 1987, the MWC has grown into the largest global exhibition for mobile technology, offering one of the best chances for companies to show off their latest designs.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What is the MWC?
– What were GSMA’s previous efforts to adapt to the coronavirus?

Reading Time: 3 minutes On Monday, February 10, 2020, US President Donald Trump’s administration published its proposed $4.8 trillion budget for the 2021 fiscal year. The budget, which has received criticism, makes cuts to many social programs as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The submission of the president’s budget is only the first step in an extended process for setting the country’s federal budget. By the time the budget is settled on by Congress and approved by the president, many of the suggested funding cuts or increases in the initial proposal may have been rejected.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What’s in Trump’s budget?
– What criticisms has the proposed budget received?

Reading Time: 2 minutes On Tuesday, February 12, Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte announced a formal end to the Visiting Forces Agreement — a defense pact between his country and the US. The pact has been a cornerstone of the Philippine-US security relations since 1999, when it was ratified.

Since taking office in 2016, President Duterte has taken a hard line against US influence in the Philippines. While the country has traditionally been a US ally, Duterte has turned away in an attempt to form closer relations with Beijing.

Reading Time: 2 minutes A new method of diagnosing new coronavirus cases by using computerized tomography (CT) scans to look for infections has been introduced to detect infections in Hubei province, China. Laboratories in China have been searching for a more precise test to locate hidden infections in the body to replace existing test kits that possess limited capabilities.

This new diagnostic procedure could also lead to a spike in the count of the death toll due to the inclusion of previously unaccounted for cases. With new clinical methods, old data will be revised to include previously suspected coronavirus diagnosed deaths.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Cambodia has agreed to take in a cruise ship known as the MS Westerdam which had been turned away by at least five countries in the past two weeks over fears of novel coronavirus (nCoV) victims aboard. On February 13, all 1,455 passengers, together with 802 crew on the MS Westerdam docked in Sihanoukville, a coastal city in Cambodia.

According to the MS Westerdam’s operator, Holland America, the passengers had been checked for symptoms on a regular basis. In a letter to the passengers, the ship’s captain Vincent Smit said the vessel would be anchored outside Sihanoukville to permit authorities to proceed with health inspections.

Reading Time: 4 minutes On February 10, the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte signaled its intention to shut down ABS-CBN, the largest broadcaster in the Philippines, by submitting a complaint with the country’s highest court to end its franchise.

Critics have denounced the move as the most severe attack upon press freedom in the country yet. But the government claimed that the organization had violated ownership laws and was engaging in “highly abusive practices.”

Go beyond the headlines…

– How did the government respond?
– How did ABS-CBN respond?
– What was the reaction of Filipino media?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Facebook and Twitter have denied a request from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi asking the social media giants to remove a doctored video of herself that was tweeted by President Donald Trump and widely shared among his followers.

The video includes clips from Trump’s State of the Union address interspersed with manipulated footage of Pelosi ripping up his speech.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What does the Pelosi video show?
– Which photo did Trump decry as “fake news”?
– What efforts have large corporations taken to contain fake news?

Reading Time: 2 minutes The United Kingdom Home Office proceeded with the deportation of convicted offenders to Jamaica on February 10, despite a last-minute court ruling to overturn the decision. All of the deportees were of Jamaican nationality and had been detained for at least 12 months.

The lawyer of some of the offenders claims that a poor mobile signal in the detention centers near Heathrow deterred some of the detainees from receiving legal aid in time.

Reading Time: 2 minutes China has created and launched a mobile app that allows people to check whether they have been at risk of catching the coronavirus by being in close proximity to infected persons.

The ‘close contact detector’ app was created by China’s National Health Commission (NHC), General Office of the State Council and the China Electronics Technology Group Corporations (CETC), using health and transport data.

Reading Time: 2 minutes The polls for the Democratic primary race in New Hampshire closed Tuesday evening. Both the public and the candidates themselves are looking for some clarity on the state of the race following a caucus vote in Iowa last week marred by inconsistencies and confusion.

In Iowa, Pete Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a leader of the progressive movement, won the most support. Both candidates, including others like Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren, came to New Hampshire hoping to win and gain momentum going into the other states.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Swiss voters have supported a referendum to make it illegal to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation.

In Sunday’s vote, voters were 63.1% in favor to 36.9% against expanding the anti-discrimination law to cover sexual orientation. Of Switzerland’s 26 cantons (states), only three — Appenzell-Innerrhoden, Schwyz and Uri — had majorities vote against it.

Go beyond the headlines…

– How will homophobic comments be treated under the new law in Switzerland?
– Which associations supported the referendum?
– How have the people reacted to the amendment?

Reading Time: 2 minutes South Africa is looking to free up more than $1 billion in weapons sales that have come to a standstill, by changing a document at the center of an export row, a senior arms control official told Reuters.

Buyers include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. For months local defense firms have petitioned the government to alter a provision in the export document.

Go beyond the headlines…

– How is South Africa looking to free up its money from weapon sales?
– What alteration in the export document are defence firms asking the government to consider?
– How does exports to North Africa and Persian Gulf affects local defence companies?

Reading Time: 2 minutes China has reported another surge in cases of the coronavirus over the past few days, which has put the death toll at over 1,000 people. According to the Hubei Provincial Health Committee, 974 of those deaths occurred in Hubei province, the epicenter of the virus.

In response to the situation, the United Kingdom (UK) has started to implement new measures to fight back against the virus amid fears that the global spread is ramping up.

Reading Time: 2 minutes There has reportedly been a 50% increase in traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnosed in US soldiers caused by the missile attack by Iran on a base located in Iraq in January. According to the United States Armed Forces, 109 service members experienced mild TBI.

No soldiers were killed or immediately suffered injuries during the attack and of the 109 diagnosed with TBI, 76 of them have reportedly returned to duty.

Reading Time: 2 minutes In efforts to fight climate change, more trees will be planted in urban areas throughout England by 2021. A number of projects in the United Kingdom’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) are set to take off in the coming months, with each scheme taking a piece of the £10 million (US$12.9 million) pot.

Projects are focused on Manchester, Cornwall, London and North East England.

Reading Time: 5 minutes Since Chinese public health officials first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31 that the coronavirus was infecting people in Wuhan, over 37,000 have caught the virus and more than 800 are dead, according to China’s National Health Commission and other authorities.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What are the steps taken by the Chinese government to contain the virus?
– How has the epidemic affected everyday life in China?
– Who was the whistleblower?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Botswana auctioned off six hunting licenses on Friday. Each license allows hunters to kill 60 elephants in “controlled areas”. The auction is the first to be allowed in the country since President Mokgweetsi Masisi lifted a five-year ban on trophy hunting last year.

The auction was conducted by a local firm, Auction It Botswana, from the premises of the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism in the capital Gaborone.

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– Why did the Botswana government auction off hunting licenses?
– How have conservationists reacted to it?
– Why have Elephants migrated to Botswana?

Reading Time: 2 minutes A total of 97 people died from the coronavirus on February 9, the highest number of casualties recorded in a day. Across China, 40,171 individuals are infected and 187,518 are under medical observation. According to the Chinese government, as many as 3,281 patients are cured and have been discharged from hospital as of February 9.

On February 10, millions of people commuted to work after the extended Lunar New Year holiday – which was initially only until January 31 – comes to an end.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Journalist Gayle King has reportedly received death threats due to remarks she made against the late basketball player Kobe Bryant on a CBS interview with retired US Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star Lisa Leslie on February 5.

According to close friend media executive Oprah Winfrey, King has received is traveling with security due to concerns over her safety.

Reading Time: 2 minutes According to exit polling reports, Sinn Féin, a left-wing nationalist party, surged in popularity during Irish national elections on Saturday, February 8. The elections, which were held to elect representatives in the Dáil Éireann, or Lower House of the Irish Parliament, will be setting the tone of the government for the next several years.

When the polls closed, the results were too close to call.

Reading Time: 3 minutes An individual who works as a middleman for a company that connects wealthy gamblers to casinos, claims that they are responsible for almost AUD$2 billion flowing through the Crown Melbourne casino.

The individual (officially known in the industry as a “junket”, the name for both the company and the middleman working for the company) works closely with the Australian casino group, Crown Resorts, and receives a commission for steering big spenders towards casinos under the Crown umbrella.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What is a junket?
– How has Coronavirus affected the casino business?

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Wuhan coronavirus has claimed the life of the first person outside of the Chinese community. A 60-year-old American who had contracted the virus died in the Chinese province of Hubei on February 6.

“We can confirm a 60-year old U.S. citizen diagnosed with coronavirus died at Jinyintian Hospital in Wuhan, China on February 6. We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we have no further comment,” the US embassy in China said.

Reading Time: 2 minutes On Saturday, February 8, a Thai soldier based in Nakhon Ratchasima, a city a few hours northeast of Bangkok, killed his commanding officer, stole semiautomatic weapons, and drove to a local mall, killing at least 21.

Some 33 other people were wounded. The gunman went on a rampage at the mall, eventually taking 16 hostages. Throughout the evening and into the night, Thai security forces evacuated and sealed off the mall and surrounding area.

Reading Time: 3 minutes On Wednesday, February 5, the United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that Ireland-based airline Ryanair must pull “misleading” ads. Those ads claim that Ryanair flights produce the lowest carbon dioxide (CO2) emission of any European airline. An investigation by the ASA determined that those claims were not substantiated.

CO2 is one of the main greenhouse gases and is a contributor to global climate change.

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– What were the claims made by Ryanair’s ads?
– What was the ASA’s take on Ryanair’s ads?
– How is the aviation industry hoping to reduce greenhouse emissions?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Antarctica, Earth’s southernmost continent known for its perpetually cold temperatures, hit nearly 65 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday. The temperature was recorded at the Esperanza research base on the northern tip of the continent.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), it is the highest temperature scientists have ever recorded on the continent.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Nine people were murdered and two more injured in a shooting at a video arcade in the Mexican state of Michoacan at around 3 pm on February 3.

According to the attorney general’s office, four shooters reportedly walked into the video arcade in the city of Uruapan and fired at the patrons with military-grade weapons. Authorities found 65 ballistic shells belonging to a 9mm caliber gun.

Reading Time: 4 minutes Andrew Anglin, the founder of the far-right, white supremacist website, The Daily Stormer, said he was cutting staff because the site’s readers had failed to donate. This follows years of efforts by opponents to have the site removed because of its antisemitism and racism.

Publications like The Daily Stormer and figures like Anglin experienced a rapid growth in popularity that coincided with President Donald Trump’s successful candidacy.

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– What is happening to The Daily Stormer?
– Who is Andrew Anglin?
– What is deplatforming?

Reading Time: 2 minutes A total of 61 people aboard Carnival Japan’s Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus (2019-nCoV), after a passenger, who disembarked six days earlier also tested positive on February 1. The ship is on a two-week quarantine in Yokohama, Japan with 3,700 passengers aboard after 10 people were discovered having contracted the coronavirus on February 3.

According to Japan’s Health Minister, Katsunobu Kato, 21 of the 41 new cases are all Japanese nationals. The remaining consist of eight Americans, five Australians, five Canadians, and one each from Argentina and Britain.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Sudden downpour across the east coast of Australia has provided much-needed relief to the regions which have been affected by bushfires. According to officials, the heavy rain has extinguished at least a third of the fires in the area.

In New South Wales (NSW), 20 of about 60 fires were extinguished in the state on February 6. Victoria recorded 21 active fires which are also at its lowest levels.

Reading Time: 2 minutes On Friday, February 7, Dr. Li Wenliang, a 34-year-old ophthalmologist, died at Wuhan Central Hospital.

The hospital’s social media account said that the doctor was “unfortunately infected during the fight against the pneumonia epidemic of the new coronavirus infection” and that they “deeply regret and mourn” his passing.

Reading Time: 4 minutes On Tuesday, February 4, 2020, President Donald Trump gave the annual State of the Union address in front of a joint session of Congress. The televised speech was used to tout the accomplishments of his administration and highlight special guests.

The State of the Union is customarily an opportunity for the president to lay out his agenda for the year. However, this year’s address was given in the shadow of Trump’s impeachment and was met with considerable criticism.

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– What did Trump say at his State of the Union address?
– Why was Trump’s speech heavily criticized by the Democrats?
– What is the history of the State of the Union address?

Reading Time: 3 minutes As the spread of the coronavirus increasingly isolates China, Taiwan is seeking inclusion in the World Health Organization (WHO), the agency focused on issues of international health. Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHO has long been a source of frustration for the island state, but the growing pandemic has heightened the issue.

Taiwan recently received high-profile support for inclusion in the WHO from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. However, deeply divisive political and economic factors involving China’s claim of control over Taiwan make the issue difficult to resolve.

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– Why does Taiwan want to be part of the WHO?
– Why is Taiwan not in the WHO?
– Which countries have supported Taiwan’s bid to be included in the WHO?

Reading Time: 2 minutes The dark ocean or “midnight zone” is considered to be one of the least understood parts of Planet Earth. In fact, the deepest parts of our oceans are home to some of the largest and most bizarre creatures humans have ever seen.

This week, a team of researchers from the United Kingdom are preparing to embark on a mission to take a dive into those waters to study the animals that call it home and to look for signs of climate change.

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Conservation Regulator with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) in the Australian state of Victoria, said it was investigating a cleared blue gum plantation near the coastal town of Portland, where many Koalas were found dead or injured.

Go beyond the headlines..

– Who was responsible for the death of numerous Koalas in Portland?
– How did Helen Oakley’s actions alert the authorities about the incident?
– What were the initial findings from the investigation?

Reading Time: 3 minutes On Friday, January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom officially left the European Union after over three years of uncertainty and political upheaval. However, many unanswered questions remain, perhaps the biggest related to the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Throughout the Brexit negotiations, the Irish border has been a roadblock to consensus.


Go beyond the headlines…

– What were the main issues in Theresa May’s Brexit proposal?
– How was Brois Johnson’s Brexit deal more comprehensive than the one presented by May?
– What is the Good Friday Agreement?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Police in the United Kingdom have gained access to the London hostel where the Streatham attacker Sudesh Amman had been living. The 20-year-old Amman was shot dead by the police on Streatham High Road after he stabbed three people in a terror attack on February 2. According to Scotland Yard, officers have blocked the hostel in Streatham, South London.

Amman had attacked two men and a woman with a machete, but reportedly did not cause any life-threatening injuries to them. Amman had reportedly been seen carrying a machete and wearing silver canisters on his chest in south London on February 2. He had randomly stabbed three people before being chased by undercover police. He was then later shot by the police officers.

Reading Time: 2 minutes On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union bloc after several years of negotiations, pushbacks and controversy.

With many long-standing agreements no longer valid, it is now up to UK leaders to negotiate new deals on a variety of issues – including trade. However, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been adamant that any future deals wouldn’t be agreed to lightly. Addressing business leaders and international diplomats in London on Monday, February 3, Johnson insisted that “[the UK] want[s] a free trade agreement,” but not at any cost. “I see no need to bind ourselves to an agreement with the EU,” Johnson added.

Reading Time: 2 minutes On January 3, a new natural gas field was discovered between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, holding 80 trillion standard cubic feet of gas. According to authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the discovery was made at the new Jebel Ali field, allowing the UAE into being more self-sufficient with regard to gas. This is the second time the UAE has found gas fields in the span of a week.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Nike’s Vaporfly line of running shoes will not be banned following an investigation into whether the shoes provide runners with an unfair advantage in competitions.

Nevertheless, World Athletics is introducing stricter regulations for how high technology running shoes are used in professional sports.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What is the new regulation introduced by the World Athletics concerning high technology running shoes?
– Does Nike’s Vaporfly give athletes unfair advantage?
– Are innovations in shoe technology threatening the integrity of sports?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Doctors in Thailand say they have successfully treated one Wuhan coronavirus patient with a cocktail of antiviral drugs, according to a briefing on February 2, from the country’s Ministry of Health.

Dr. Kriangsak Atipornwanich, a medical doctor at Rajavithi Hospital in Bangkok, combined the anti-flu drug oseltamivir with lopinavir and ritonavir – antivirals used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Reading Time: 2 minutes Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos reportedly amassed US$7.9 million in just one day on January 31. Amazon’s stocks surged to more than 7% and closed above US$2,000 compared to January 30’s close at US$1,870.

Bezos owns more than 57.5 million Amazon shares that he has the power to sell – which is about 12% of the company.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Malaysia’s securities regulator has announced that it will launch a probe into two Malaysian budget airlines, AirAsia and its subsidiary, AirAsia X, on whether they had broken securities laws.

The announcement came after prosecutors in the United Kingdom accused airline executives from AirAsia and AirAsia X of bribery charges for aircraft purchase agreements made with Airbus.

Reading Time: 3 minutes On Monday, January 27, 2020, The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to allow a controversial Trump administration immigration law to go into effect. The law, commonly referred to as the “Public Charge” rule, would bar immigrants from entering the country if they appear likely to require any form of government assistance.

As with other Trump immigration policies, this policy has fierce critics who believe it should not stand. Historians have pointed to similarities between this law and the law that prevented hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees from escaping Europe prior to the holocaust.

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– What is the Public Charge rule?
– What is the history of the Public Charge law?

Reading Time: 2 minutes In early 2009, a new strain of the flu called H1N1, also known as swine flu, emerged in North America.

It quickly spread around the world. According to the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it accounted for somewhere between 151,700 and 575,400 deaths worldwide within its first year of circulation.

Reading Time: 3 minutes The next decade will be an active one for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which is currently seeking a director to lead their Mars Sample Return (MSR) program. The purpose of the program is to devise a method for bringing materials back from Mars so they can be studied by scientists on Earth.

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– What is the main mission of the MSR program?
– How many NASA funded rovers are currently on Mars?
– How much has been learned about Mars through the four rovers?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Malaysia has pledged 18 million medical gloves to be sent to Wuhan, China in efforts to fight the spread of the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) epidemic. As the world’s largest producer and supplier of medical gloves, Malaysia exports approximately 180 billion worldwide.

According to Malaysia’s Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok, rubber glove manufacturers in Malaysia have pledged to donate the 18 million pieces to be sent to Wuhan. “The medical gloves, both natural rubber and nitrile, will be sent to China in batches with the first shipment already on its way to Wuhan,” Kok said on January 31. Two Malaysian rubber manufacturing companies, Top Glove and Supermax, are said to have already distributed 2.3 million pieces of gloves to Wuhan.

Reading Time: 2 minutes On Friday, January 31, the Trump Administration added 6 more countries to its list of places who face restricted travel access to the United States.

The new additions are mostly African nations, but also include Middle Eastern and Asian countries. Specifically, officials said immigrants from Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Eritrea, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania would be affected.

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Chief Executive of Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Alex Gorsky, was in a New Jersey court on January 27 over allegations that the company’s baby powder causes cancer.

Lawyers for four individuals who claim to have developed cancer from using the company’s products in their infancy questioned Gorsky over the timing of the sale of his company stock.

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– Will J&J develop a coronavirus vaccine?
– What was J&J’s response to the numerous lawsuits?