Facebook owner Meta to launch Twitter-like 'Threads' app

WASHINGTON -- Facebook owner Meta's new Threads app, meant to compete with Twitter, was available for pre-order on mobile app stores on iPhone and Android operating systems on Monday.

Listed as "Threads, an Instagram app," the new program should be available in the coming days, and is described on Apple's app store as "Instagram's text-based conversation app."

"Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what'll be trending tomorrow," says the app's description on the store.

Thread's launch comes after a period of uncertainty at Twitter since Tesla owner Elon Musk took over in October, with the billionaire restructuring the company, firing thousands and placing many features behind a subscription paywall.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced in mid-March that it was working on a new social network whose description made it a potential competitor to Twitter.

Threads will enable users to "connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things -- or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world," according to its app store description.

"We're thinking about a decentralized, independent social network for sharing written messages in real time," the group said in a statement sent to AFP.

Twitter provoked ire last week when Musk announced that the platform would limit the number of tweets that could be read per day, with people not paying for subscriptions -- by far the majority of users -- limited to 1,000 tweets a day.

The stated aim of the decision was to limit the use of the social network's data by third parties, in particular companies feeding artificial intelligence models.

Agence France-Presse

US orders 300 million doses of potential COVID-19 vaccine

The US government has ordered 300 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and hopes first doses can be made available by October, the Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday.

"This contract with AstraZeneca is a major milestone in Operation Warp Speed’s work toward a safe, effective, widely available vaccine by 2021," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. 

The US has the world's worst coronavirus affliction, with over 1.52 million cases, including 91,664 deaths, according to data from its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of May 20. 

-reuters-

Coronavirus was 'not man-made or genetically modified' - US spy agency

WASHINGTON - The top US spy agency said for the first time on Thursday that the American intelligence community believes the COVID-19 virus that originated in China was not man-made or genetically modified.

"The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not man-made or genetically modified," the Office of Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said in a statement.

"The (Intelligence Community) will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan," it added.

The ODNI statement appeared to sharply contradict conspiracy theories floated by anti-China activists and some supporters of US President Donald Trump suggesting that the new coronavirus had been developed by Chinese scientists in a government biological weapons laboratory from which it then escaped.

US officials familiar with intelligence reporting and analysis have said for several weeks that they do not believe the conspiracy theories.

Rather, they have said they believe the virus either was introduced naturally into a Wuhan meat market or could have escaped from 1 of 2 Wuhan government laboratories, which are believed to be conducting civilian research into possible biological hazards.

More than 3.21 million people have reportedly been infected by the novel coronavirus globally, and 227,864 have died, according to a Reuters tally as of 10 am EDT (1400 GMT) on Thursday. 

-reuters-

COVID-19 patients respond positively to remdesivir in major US trial

WASHINGTON - Gilead Science's remdesivir, one of the most highly anticipated drugs being tested against the new coronavirus, showed positive results in a large-scale US government trial, the company said Wednesday.

"We understand that the trial has met its primary endpoint and that NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) will provide detailed information at an upcoming briefing," the company said.

Though it is difficult to precisely quantify the finding in the absence of results, it represents the first time any drug has been shown to improve outcomes against the COVID-19 illness, which has claimed more than 200,000 lives globally and brought the world economy to a grinding halt.

There have been mixed results for the intravenous antiviral in recent weeks. A summary of results posted on the website of the World Health Organization showed it failed in a smaller Chinese trial, but days before that, Stat reported it had shown significant efficacy at a Chicago hospital.

However, this trial, begun in late February and overseen by the US government, is the largest and technically most robust. 

According to a data sheet, its estimated enrollment was 800 patients, a portion of whom received the drug while the rest received a placebo. 

Neither the patients nor their physicians were aware of which group they belonged to, in order to eliminate unconscious bias.

It is a Phase 3 trial, the final stage before any medication can receive regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Remdesivir, which previously failed in trials against Ebola, belongs to a class of drugs that act on the virus directly -- as opposed to controlling the abnormal and often lethal autoimmune response it causes.

It mimics 1 of the 4 building blocks of RNA and DNA and gets absorbed into the virus's genome, which in turn stops the pathogen from replicating.

The antimalarial drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are also being widely used against COVID-19 on a so-called "compassionate basis" pending results from large trials, with early studies decidedly mixed.

Other therapies that are being studied include collecting antibodies from COVID-19 survivors and injecting them in patients, or harvesting antibodies from genetically-engineered mice that were deliberately infected.

Agence France-Presse

Meanwhile, in the United States

Two men hold signs as they protest against the state's extended stay-at-home order to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as hundreds gather to demonstrate at the Capitol building in Olympia, Washington, U.S. on Sunday. The protesters believe their rights as free citizens are more important than the restrictions being imposed to counter the spread of the disease. 

-reuters-

Second man dies of coronavirus in US

WASHINGTON — The second fatality on US soil from the novel coronavirus has been confirmed, health officials said Sunday, as New York reported its first case.

The man, who died Saturday, was in his 70s and had "underlying health conditions," according to the public health office in King County, Washington state.

The death occurred in King County, the most populous in the state and home to Seattle, a city of more than 700,000 people.

It is the second death in both Washington state and King County. The first victim, who died earlier Saturday, was in his 50s and also had "underlying health conditions," according to Jeff Duchin, public health officer for Seattle and King County.

The first victim was one of a handful with no known links to global hot zones to have contracted the virus -- indicating that the pathogen was now likely spreading in communities.

On the opposite coast, New York confirmed its first positive case of the COVID-19 virus.

"The patient, a woman in her late thirties, contracted the virus while traveling abroad in Iran, and is currently isolated in her home," said New York governor Andrew Cuomo in a statement issued Sunday.

He added she was "not in serious condition and has been in a controlled situation since arriving to New York."

Agence France-Presse 

Cheers, jeers and a ripped speech: Trump and a House divided

WASHINGTON - One half of the chamber was on its feet, roaring its approval for Donald Trump. The other sat in sullen silence, broken by boos and occasional hisses, until their leader Nancy Pelosi ultimately ripped up the president's speech.

Six weeks after he was impeached by the House of Representatives -- and a day before his expected acquittal in the Senate -- Trump's annual State of the Union address was delivered in a triumphant vein, and could not have been more polarizing.

Chants of "Four more years! Four more years!" greeted the president as he entered the chamber headed by his chief political nemesis in Washington: the Democratic Speaker of the House.

After a slow stroll down the center aisle, accepting backslaps from Republican lawmakers, Trump stepped up to the rostrum and handed Pelosi a copy of his speech.

The smiling speaker reached out for a handshake. Trump did not return the favor.

And at the very end of his address, Pelosi -- very deliberately -- ripped up her copy of the president's speech -- in a pointed political statement delivered on live television.

The bitterness between the 73-year-old president and the 79-year-old speaker is nothing new.

But the latest flashpoint comes one day before the US Senate votes almost certainly to acquit the 45th president on the impeachment charges of abuse of power and obstruction of justice.

Throughout the impeachment crisis, Trump has repeatedly assailed Pelosi for her impeachment "hoax," branding her "nervous Nancy" and "crazy Nancy" on Twitter.

Trump leaned into Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over his Senate trial, and spoke with him for a good 7 seconds -- an eternity in the walk-up to his speech.

THEATER

The shadow of impeachment hung heavy over the evening -- neatly illustrated by Jerry Nadler, one of the lawmakers who led the prosecution at Trump's trial, who sat leafing through a pocket copy of the US Constitution ahead of his address.

But Trump made no mention of impeachment or his expected acquittal in the 1 hour and 18 minutes speech, opting instead to focus on his "incredible" record on the economy.

"Jobs are booming, incomes are soaring, poverty is plummeting, crime is falling, confidence is surging," Trump said, earning a prolonged standing ovation -- one of dozens during the night.

Democrats remained largely silent as Trump boasted of his achievements -- with many female lawmakers dressed in white in a nod to the suffragette movement for women's voting rights.

But when he spoke of creating an "inclusive society," elevating "every race color, religion and creed," many in the opposing camp winced, hissed or jeered. 

"No!" cried one female lawmaker. Several Democrats walked out.

Democrats, many looking shell-shocked, booed further as the president accused them of being soft on "dangerous criminal aliens" and seeking to "impose a socialist takeover of our healthcare system."

In a reality TV-style flourish, Trump paid a live tribute to controversial conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, who recently disclosed he has advanced lung cancer, asking Melania Trump to present him with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Trump went on to single out a woman in the audience whose army husband had been away for months on foreign deployments, telling her he had "a very special surprise."

It was her husband, in full uniform, coming down the stairs for a tearful, surprise reunion -- in front of a primetime national television audience.

But Trump's theatrics appeared to largely leave Democrats cold.

"Every State of the Union has oratorical and presentation flourishes, but you don't want to make it into a theater, you know -- we didn't go to the opera," House Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi told AFP.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

US Senate rejects witnesses in Trump impeachment trial, clearing way for acquittal

WASHINGTON - The US Senate voted on Friday against calling witnesses and collecting new evidence in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, clearing the way for Trump's almost certain acquittal next week.

By a vote of 51-49, the Republican-controlled Senate stopped Democrats' drive to hear testimony from witnesses like former national security adviser John Bolton, who is thought to have first-hand knowledge of Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.

Those actions prompted the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives to formally charge Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in December, making Trump only the third president in US history to be impeached.

He denies wrongdoing and has accused Democrats of an "attempted coup."

The Senate approved on a party-line vote a timeline for the rest of the trial that calls for a final vote on the impeachment charges at 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT) on Wednesday.

Closing arguments will begin at 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT) on Monday, with 4 hours split between the prosecution and defense. That will give the 4 Democratic senators who are running to be their party's presidential nominee time to get to Iowa for that night's first nominating contest.

In between the closing arguments and final vote, senators will have an opportunity to give speeches on the Senate floor, but the trial will not formally be in session. Trump will deliver his State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.

The Senate is almost certain to acquit Trump of the charges, as a two-thirds Senate majority is required to remove Trump and none of the chamber's 53 Republicans have indicated they would vote to convict.

Trump is seeking re-election in the Nov. 3 vote. Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face him.

In Friday's vote on witnesses, only 2 Republicans - Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, and Susan Collins, who faces a tough re-election in November in her home state of Maine - broke with their party and voted with Democrats.

"America will remember this day, unfortunately, where the Senate did not live up to its responsibilities, where the Senate turned away from truth and went along with a sham trial," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters.

After the first vote on calling witnesses, Schumer offered more amendments seeking to call witnesses and obtain more evidence, but the Senate rejected them all. Romney and Collins were again the only Republicans to support calling Bolton as a witness.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said the trial should end as soon as possible. 

"The cake is baked and we just need to move as soon as we can to get it behind us," he told reporters.

NEW DETAILS

Friday's vote on witnesses came hours after the New York Times reported new details from an unpublished book manuscript written by Bolton in which the former aide said Trump directed him in May to help in a pressure campaign to get Ukraine to pursue investigations that would benefit Trump politically.

Bolton wrote that Trump told him to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to ensure Zelenskiy would meet with Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, a key player in the campaign, the Times reported.

Robert Costello, a lawyer for Giuliani, called the Times report "categorically untrue." Bolton's lawyer and spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

The Times previously reported that Bolton - contradicting Trump's version of events - wrote the president told him he wanted to freeze $391 million in security aid to Ukraine until Kiev pursued investigations of Democrats, including Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.

Democrats had said the news illustrated the need for the Senate to put Bolton under oath.

But Republicans said they had heard enough. Some said they did not think that Trump did anything wrong, while Senators Lamar Alexander and Rob Portman said his actions were wrong but did not amount to impeachable conduct. Sen. Marco Rubio said impeachment would be too divisive for the country, even if a president engaged in clearly impeachable activity.

Lisa Murkowski, a Republican moderate who Democrats had hoped would vote with them to extend the trial, said the case against Trump was rushed and flawed. She told reporters she was "angry at all sides" and the prospect of a tie vote on witnesses weighed heavily on her decision.

After the Senate adjourned on Friday, she said she knew how she would vote on the charges but she would not reveal it yet.

"Will I share it with you tonight? I’ve had so much drama today, I’m just going to chill. How’s that? Was that fair?" Murkowski told reporters.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Ex-US vice president Biden enters 2020 presidential race

WASHINGTON - Former Vice President Joe Biden, a moderate who has made his appeal to working-class voters that deserted the Democrats in 2016 a key part of his political identity, launched a bid for the White House on Thursday as the party's instant frontrunner.

Biden announced the third presidential bid of his career by video on YouTube and other social media. He is expected to make his first public appearance as a candidate on Monday at an event in Pittsburgh featuring union members, a key constituency.

Biden, 76, had been wrestling for months over whether to run. His candidacy will face numerous questions, including whether he is too old and too centrist for a Democratic Party yearning for fresh faces and increasingly propelled by its more vocal liberal wing.

Still, he starts as the leader of the pack in opinion polls of a Democratic field that now will total 20 contenders seeking the chance to challenge President Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee, in November 2020.

Critics say his standing in polls is largely a function of name recognition for the former U.S. senator from Delaware, whose more than four decades in public service includes eight years as President Barack Obama's No. 2 in the White House.

As speculation about his bid mounted, Biden faced new questions about his longtime propensity for touching and kissing strangers at political events, with several women coming forward to say he had made them feel uncomfortable.

Biden struggled in his response to the concerns, at times joking about his behavior. But ultimately, he apologized and said he recognized standards for personal conduct had evolved in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

Trump and his allies seized on the flap, attempting to weaken perhaps his top rival before Biden entered the race.

Even so, Biden was determined to push forward, arguing his background, experience and resume best positioned him to take on Trump next year.

In a speech to union members in April, Biden called Trump a "tragedy in two acts."

"This country can’t afford more years of a president looking to settle personal scores," he said.

Biden's candidacy will offer early hints about whether Democrats are more interested in finding a centrist who can win over the white working-class voters who went for Trump in 2016, or someone who can fire up the party's diverse progressive wing, such as Senators Kamala Harris of California, Bernie Sanders of Vermont or Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Biden's long history in the Senate, where he was a leading voice on foreign policy, will give liberal activists plenty to criticize. As Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, he angered women's rights activists with his handling of sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas during the justice's 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

He also has been criticized for his ties to the financial industry, which is prominent in his home state of Delaware, and for his authorship of a 1994 crime act that led to increased incarceration rates.

Biden has been one of the party's more aggressive Trump critics. Last year, he said he would "beat the hell" out of Trump if the two were in high school because of the way the president has talked about women. That prompted Trump to call him "Crazy Joe Biden" and claim on Twitter that Biden would "go down fast and hard, crying all the way" if they fought.

Biden later lamented the exchange, saying "I shouldn't get down in the mosh pit with this guy."

Known for his verbal gaffes on the campaign trail, Biden failed to gain traction with voters during his previous runs in 1988 and 2008.

He dropped his 1988 bid amid allegations he plagiarized some of his stump oratory and early academic work. But his experience and strong debate performances in 2008 impressed Obama enough that he tapped Biden as his running mate.

Biden decided against a 2016 presidential bid after a lengthy public period of indecision as he wrestled with doubts about whether he and his family were ready for a grueling campaign while mourning his son Beau, who died of brain cancer in May 2015. His son had urged him to run.

Biden faced some of the same family considerations this time around, as he is still coping with Beau's death while his other son, Hunter, has gone through a divorce amid a reported relationship with Beau's widow. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Google to spend over $13-billion on US data centers, offices

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Wednesday it would spend more than $13 billion on data centers and offices in the United States this year.

"These new investments will give us the capacity to hire tens of thousands of employees, and enable the creation of more than 10,000 new construction jobs in Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Virginia," Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a blog post.

With the new investment Google will now be in 24 out of the 50 states in the US

Google will continue to expand its presence in Chicago and Washington, and the company's workforce would double in Virginia and Georgia, according to the blog post.

The company said it had hired more than 10,000 people in the United States and made over $9 billion in investments in the last year.

For the fourth quarter, Google reported $31.07 billion in costs and expenses, up 26 percent from last year. Capital expenditure rose 64 percent to $7.08 billion.

Last week, Reuters reported Amazon.com Inc was exploring alternatives to locate part of its new headquarters in New York in case the plan fails due to local opposition.

Google has seen some pushback about its plans to expand in San Jose, near its Mountain View headquarters, but otherwise has not met strong local opposition.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

State of emergency declared in US measles outbreak

LOS ANGELES - A state of emergency was declared on Friday in the western US state of Washington following a measles outbreak that has affected more than two dozen people, majority of them children.

The disease was declared eliminated in the US in 2000 but has since made a comeback that is tied to imported cases and the rise of the anti-vaccine movement.

"Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease that can be fatal in small children," Washington Governor Jay Inslee said in a statement. "The existence of more than 26 confirmed cases in the state of Washington creates an extreme public health risk that may quickly spread to other counties."

The outbreak began near Portland, Oregon, at the start of the year and quickly spread to nearby Clark County and King County, both in Washington.

Health officials have warned that people infected with the disease had visited schools, churches, a dentist's office, a Costco store, an Ikea store and the Portland airport.

The majority of those infected are children, many of whom have not been immunized against the disease, officials said.

They added the outbreak could still be in its infancy as the incubation period of the virus averages 14 days. Those infected can spread measles to others 4 days before and 4 days after the rash appears. 

The highly contagious disease can cause severe diarrhea, pneumonia and vision loss, and ultimately can be fatal. 

The World Health Organization in November warned that measles cases worldwide had jumped more than 30 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year, in part because of children not being vaccinated.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Prosecutors to subpoena Trump hotel business records

WASHINGTON - Prosecutors in Maryland and Washington announced Tuesday subpoenas for the records of 13 private businesses owned by Donald Trump as part of an investigation into whether the US president is illegally benefiting from his Washington hotel.

The investigation focuses on the Trump International Hotel just four blocks away from the White House, which has become popular with foreign dignitaries and businessmen seeking to gain favor with the Trump administration.

The Maryland and Washington attorneys general also issued subpoenas to five federal agencies for records related to the Trump hotel, which occupies the stately Old Post Office Pavilion on Pennsylvania Avenue and is owned by the federal government.

Trump's victory in the presidential election in November 2016 immediately made the five-star hotel a hub for Washington politics, with various governments and embassies hosting receptions there.

According to the Washington Post, the Saudi government spent more than $270,000 on rooms and other facilities in the hotel.

In June 2017 Washington and Maryland filed suit, saying Trump was violating the emoluments clause of the US constitution, which prohibits US government officials from receiving gifts, payments or other valuable benefits from foreign governments and foreign officials.

The lawsuit seeks "to make certain that (Trump) faithfully serves the American people, free from compromising financial entanglements with foreign and domestic governments and officials," the suit said.

Behind the suit were complaints that the hotel and its restaurants have -- because of the link with the US president -- unfairly siphoned off business from local Washington and Maryland businesses, including convention centers in Washington and nearby Baltimore.

The first complaints were made shortly after Trump became president. On Monday, a judge turned away objections by the US Justice Department, which argued that there was no basis for the case.

Trump stepped away from involvement in his real estate business, The Trump Organization, when he became president, leaving management in the hands of his two sons.

To skirt controversy over the hotel, Trump announced early on that profits from the Washington hotel and others derived from foreign customers would be donated to the US Treasury.

In March they announced a donation of $151,470 for 2017, but without detailing how that figure was determined.

chp-pmh/ia

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Storm lashing US Northeast kills at least five people

BOSTON - A powerful storm lashing the northeastern United States on Friday killed at least five people as winds topping 129 kms per hour helped flood streets in Boston, ground flights and halt train service across the region.

Almost 1.7 million homes and businesses were without power in the Northeast and Midwest as the storm pummeled the East Coast from Virginia to Maine. Government offices in Washington closed as winds gusted to more than 96 kph in the US capital.

A flood surge at extreme high tide sent seawater into Boston's coastal streets, the second time this year that the area had flooded. Wind gusts approaching 70 mph (113 kph) helped force in the water while downing trees and power lines.

The high water receded in the afternoon, but the National Weather Service said Boston could face renewed flooding with a near-record high tide forecast around midnight on Friday.

"That one still looks like it's going to be on target for at least moderate coastal flooding, which means we're going to see some problems in Boston," said Jim Hayes, a meteorologist with the agency's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

Snow and rain are forecast to taper off through Friday night and into Saturday as skies clear, Hayes said, adding that winds are also expected to drop somewhat overnight and into Saturday as the offshore storm system recedes.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency, streamlining state aid to communities harmed by high winds.

The storm packed a deadly punch, with a falling tree killing a man in his 70s in Newport, Rhode Island, a police spokesperson said.

In Putnam Valley, New York, an 11-year-old boy was killed when a tree crashed into his home, WPIX television reported, citing Putnam County sheriff's deputies. A spokesman for the sheriff's department could not be reached for comment.

A 44-year-old male passenger in a truck was killed in James City County, Virginia, when an oak tree toppled onto the vehicle, police said in a statement.

In Chesterfield County, Virginia, a tree fell onto a home and struck a sleeping 6-year-old boy, the county said in a statement. The child died of his injuries at a hospital.

Outside Baltimore, a 77-year-old woman was struck by a falling tree branch at her home near Kingsville, Maryland, a Baltimore County Fire Department spokesperson said.

Private forecasting service AccuWeather said the storm dumped as much as 46 cms of snow on parts of New York state and Pennsylvania.

It also snarled transportation from the Middle Atlantic into New England, with more than a quarter of flights into and out of New York's three major airports and Boston's airport canceled, according to tracking service FlightAware.com.

One flight landing at Washington's Dulles International Airport came in through turbulence so rough that most passengers became sick and the pilots were on the verge of becoming ill, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Passenger railroad Amtrak halted service between Boston and Washington through Friday, and said it was suspending southbound service out of the US capital until at least Saturday morning because of downed trees on the track.

Hayes said top wind speeds had been clocked at 134 kph in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and reached 125 kph at Etlan, Virginia.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

"Am I next"

Students who walked out of their Montgomery County, Maryland, schools protest against gun violence in front of the White House in Washington, US on Wednesday. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Protesters flock in droves to anti-Trump Women's Marches

NEW YORK - Protestors took to the streets en masse across the United States Saturday, hoisting anti-Donald Trump placards, banging drums and donning pink hats for a second Women's March opposing the president -- one year to the day of his inauguration.

Hundreds of thousands of marchers assembled in Washington, New York, Chicago, Denver, Boston, Los Angeles and other cities nationwide, many donning the famous pink knit "pussy hats" -- a reference to Trump's videotaped boasts of his license to grope women without repercussions.

Protestors hoisted signs emblazoned with slogans like "Fight like a girl" and "A woman's place is in the White House" and "Elect a clown, expect a circus."

The Los Angeles mayor said estimated turnout in the city was 500,000, while New York police estimated about 200,000 protesters.

In Manhattan, a diverse crowd descended on Central Park West, the avenue that borders the city's beloved park and arrives at the foot of the Trump International Hotel -- part of the magnate-turned-commander-in-chief's real estate empire.

"We live in an alternate universe -- it is so bad," said Althea Fusco, 67, who traveled to the city from upstate New York with two neighbors.

"I see an erosion of democracy," she said.

Speakers at the New York rally included activist and actress Rosie Perez and entertainer Whoopi Goldberg, who emphasized that "we are here to say -- as women -- we're not taking it anymore."

Throngs of demonstrators paraded in Los Angeles, where actress Natalie Portman was among the celebrities pumping up the crowd: "Because of you the revolution is rolling."

The marches aim to build on the movement launched last year when more than three million people turned out nationwide to voice opposition to Trump.

The weekend of demonstrations is aimed at translating enthusiasm into political action with the theme "Power to the Polls" -- a message designed to drive voter registrations and maximize women's involvement in the 2018 midterm elections.

The president meanwhile posted a deadpan tweet referencing the rallies protesting his policies, urging people to "get out there and celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months."

"Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March," he wrote.

CANNOT REST 

Many of the demonstrations indeed took place under sunny skies but marchers in Park City, Utah -- where the annual Sundance Film Festival is underway -- braved chilly temperatures and steady snow to make their voices heard, led by celebrities including activist and actress Jane Fonda.

This year's edition of Sundance took on a political bent in light of the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct, a campaign that has rippled through Hollywood and beyond since scores of actresses leveled sexual assault allegations against disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Crowds in the North Carolina city of Charlotte heard an address from its first black female mayor, while Washington protestors rallied at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial and marched to the White House, speaking out on a raft of issues ranging from immigrant protections to racial equality to sexual assault.

"We feel like our work isn't done and that there's so much more that we need to fix," said Tanaquil Eltson, 14, who also participated in Washington's 2017 march.

"I know the world around me isn't happy colors; it's scary. But I'm excited to be able to fix it," she said, clad in a red and blue Superwoman outfit.

Her mother Vitessa Del Prete, a retired US army lieutenant colonel, pointed to the recent flood of sexual abuse and harassment allegations against powerful men that has galvanized women to fight back against injustice.

"I've lived through decades of sexual harassment issues and it's getting better -- but it's nowhere near where it needs to be," the 51-year-old said, sporting a Wonder Woman costume in coordination with her daughter.

"Issues that face women are just not being represented well enough in our country, so it's a privilege to be able to get out here and try to do something from a citizen standpoint."

More than 300 towns and cities had organized anniversary marches and rallies. Other protests are set for Sunday, notably in Las Vegas, as well as in several European cities including Berlin.

"We cannot rest," said Pam Morris in Washington. "We have to keep energized until we overcome this administration."

"We cannot get worn down. We have to be here."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

LOOK: LeBron takes a shot at Trump during Washington visit

LeBron James used a visit to Washington on Sunday to express his continued displeasure at Donald Trump, without once mentioning the United States president by name.

James took the court wearing one white and one black shoe for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Washington Wizards in an NBA game in the national capital.

Both shoes had the word "EQUALITY" stitched in capital letters on the back, and they got the attention he apparently was seeking.

"Obviously, we know where we are right now and we know who's at the helm here,” the four-times NBA most valuable player told reporters after the game, played barely a mile from the White House.

"Equality is all about understanding our rights, understanding what we stand for and how powerful we are as men, and as women, black or white or Hispanic."

James, a frequent and outspoken critic of Trump, backed losing Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

He has continued his attacks on Trump in the 13 months since the election, saying that the president does not understand that many children look to their leader for guidance and encouragement.

James spoke on Sunday after compiling his third straight triple-double -- 20 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists -- as the Cavaliers beat the Wizards, 106-99.

   
"No matter your race, this is a beautiful country and we're never going to let one person dictate how beautiful and how powerful we are," he said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

It's official: the Obamas are Washington homeowners

Former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle initially decided to stay in Washington once he left the White House so their daughter Sasha could finish high school.

Now, their presence in the US capital looks more permanent.

The couple paid $8.1 million to buy the mansion in Washington's swank Kalorama neighborhood that they have been renting since January, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The eight-bedroom, nine-and-a-half-bath home is in the same neighborhood as the home of President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner.

Other Kalorama residents include Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post.

"Given that President and Mrs. Obama will be in Washington for at least another two and a half years, it made sense for them to buy a home rather than continuing to rent property," Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis told the paper.

The posh neighborhood has a long history as home to government ministers, Supreme Court justices, Treasury secretaries, and other powerful figures in government and business.

Other past presidents who have lived in the neighborhood located about two miles (three kilometers) from the White House include Woodrow Wilson and William Howard Taft.

Franklin D Roosevelt lived there before becoming president.

The Obamas have traveled a fair bit since leaving 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, vacationing in French Polynesia and Italy.

Obama and his wife have signed a contract with Penguin Random House to publish their memoirs, reportedly worth more than $60 million.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

US decries Washington brawl during Turkish president's visit

WASHINGTON - The United States on Wednesday said it was voicing its "strongest possible" concern to Turkey over a street brawl that erupted between protesters and Turkish security personnel during President Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Washington.

Police said the fighting outside the Turkish ambassador's residence on Tuesday injured 11 people, including a Washington police officer, and led to two arrests for assault. At least one of those arrested was a protester.

"We are communicating our concern to the Turkish government in the strongest possible terms," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

A video posted online showed men in dark suits chasing anti-government protesters and punching and kicking them as police intervened. Two men were bloodied from head wounds as bystanders assisted dazed protesters.

Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham said at a news conference on Wednesday that police had a good idea of most of the assailants' identities and were investigating with the Secret Service and State Department.

Turkey's official Anadolu state news agency reported that protesters were chanting anti-Erdogan slogans as the president entered the residence after meeting US President Donald Trump to discuss the fight against Islamic State militants.

"Police did not heed Turkish demands to intervene," the news agency said, and Erdogan's security team and Turkish citizens moved in and "dispersed them."

The Turkish Embassy did not respond to a request for comment.

Tens of thousands of Turks have been detained as Erdogan cracked down on the press and academia following an attempted coup in 2016. Trump made no mention on Tuesday of Erdogan's record on dissent and free speech.

House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, a California Republican, called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson "to hold individuals accountable" for the attack.

In a statement, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called the violence "an affront to D.C. (District of Columbia) values and our rights as Americans."

Mehmet Tankan, 31, said he was one of a dozen protesters outside the ambassador’s residence chanting slogans condemning Erdogan for supporting Islamic extremists and opposing political rights for Turkey’s Kurds when the brawl broke out.

Seven security personnel, some of them carrying firearms, rushed up and began punching him, bruising him all over his body, Tankan said by phone.

Tankan said the violence was worse than when Erdogan visited Washington in 2016 and scuffles erupted between his security detail and demonstrators.

“The next time they could kill us easily. I’m scared now too, because I don’t know how it will affect my life here in the United States,” said Tankan, who lives in Arlington, Virginia.

(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati, Julia Harte and Ian Simpson; Writing by Ian Simpson; Editing by Richard Chang and Tom Brown)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Blizzard paralyzes New York, Washington, 19 dead

New York City just shy of all time record

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON -- Millions of residents, business owners and workers began digging out on Sunday from a massive blizzard that brought Washington, New York and other northeastern U.S. cities to a standstill, killing at least 19 people in several states.

The storm was the second-biggest in New York City history, with 26.8 inches by midnight Saturday, just shy of the record 26.9 inches set in 2006, the National Weather Service said.

Thirteen people were killed in weather-related car crashes in Arkansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia on Saturday. One person died in Maryland and three in New York City while shoveling snow. Two died of hypothermia in Virginia, officials said.

On the New Jersey shore, a region hard-hit in 2012 by Superstorm Sandy, the storm drove flooding high tides.

After dumping about two feet of snow on the Washington area, the storm unexpectedly strengthened as it spun northward and slammed into the New York metropolitan area on Saturday, home to about 20 million people.

Winds gusting to more than 64 kph sculpted drifts many feet high, burying cars.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency, as did 10 other governors. A ban imposed on all travel on New York City area roads and on Long Island, except for emergency vehicles, was set to end at 7 a.m. on Sunday. Bridges and tunnels into the city were also set to reopen.

Subways running above ground and trains operated by the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North halted service on Saturday and were to be evaluated for service restoration at 6 a.m.

By early Sunday the storm had all but moved off the coastline, with remnants trailing over parts of Long Island and Cape Cod. Much of the northeast was expected to see a mix of sun and clouds on Sunday with temperatures just above freezing.

Shows, flights canceled

Given the massive storm's impact, it was too soon to tell how much Wall Street's reopening on Monday would be affected.

Broadway theaters canceled Saturday matinee and evening performances at the urging of the mayor, and a Bruce Springsteen concert set for Sunday was called off.

As an otherworldly quiet descended on the usually bustling city of 8.5 million, the nation's most populous, tourists and residents took to city streets, venturing into the expanses of parks, some on skis. Others built snowmen and had snowball fights.

Authorities in New York and New Jersey halted public transportation and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority took the rare step of suspending operations through Sunday.

About 3,500 flights were canceled on Sunday, with more than 600 already canceled for Monday, said FlightAware.com, the aviation data and tracking website.

United Airlines said it would not operate at Washington-area airports on Sunday, and would gradually resume service on Monday. The airline plans to start "very limited operations" on Sunday afternoon at its Newark, New Jersey, hub.

The brunt of the blizzard reached the New York City area after battering Washington, where snow piled up outside the White House and famous monuments were frosted with snow.

The record high of 28 inches of snow in Washington was set in 1922 and the biggest recent snowfall was 17.8 inches in 2010.

More high tides expected

High winds battered the entire East Coast, from North Carolina to New York, reaching 70 mph in Wallops Island, Virginia, late on Friday, whipping up the tides and causing coastal flooding, said National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Gallina.

The snow also engulfed the Mid-Atlantic cities of Baltimore and Philadelphia while about 150,000 customers in North Carolina and 90,000 homes in New Jersey lost electricity. Accumulations in parts of Virginia and West Virginia reached 40 inches.

Tides higher than those caused by Superstorm Sandy three years ago pushed water onto roads along the Jersey Shore and Delaware coast and set records in Cape May, New Jersey, and Lewes, Delaware, said NWS meteorologist Patrick O'Hara.

Some evacuations were reported along the New Jersey shore. Wildwood, a town of more than 5,000 people about 48 km southwest of Atlantic City on a barrier island, saw some of the worst flooding.

Emergency workers in inflatable boats rescued more than 100 people from homes, said Wildwood Fire Chief Christopher D'Amico.

Water levels reached chest-height in parts of Wildwood and refrigerators and soda machines floated down the main street.

Further north, barrier islands near Atlantic City were also experiencing significant tidal flooding, said Linda Gilmore, the county's public information officer.

The high tides were set to return on Sunday morning.

The storm developed along the Gulf Coast, dropping snow over Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky on Friday. On the coast, warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean collided with cold air to form the massive winter system, meteorologists said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pope Francis arrives for first visit to the United States

WASHINGTON D.C. - Pope Francis arrived on his first visit to the United States on Tuesday, bringing to Washington a message that its power and wealth should be made to serve humanity, and not the other way around.

An Alitalia plane carrying the Argentine-born leader of the world's 1.2 billion member Roman Catholic church touched down at Joint Base Andrews after a flight from Cuba.

Schoolchildren who gathered on the tarmac to welcome Francis cheered as the plane descended. "We love Francis, yes we do. We love Francis, how about you?" they chanted.

In a sign of the importance that the White House gives to the visit, President Barack Obama took the unusual step of traveling to the air base with his family to welcome Francis.

The two men meet again on Wednesday at the White House, after which the 78-year-old pope will parade past Washington's major monuments before a crowd expected to reach tens of thousands.

The pontiff has electrified liberal-leaning U.S. Catholics with his shift in emphasis towards forgiveness and concern for the poor. He has dismayed some conservative followers with comments of concern over climate change and a pivot away from messages focused on the church's ban on birth control and opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.

Francis was also expected to talk about immigration during his six-day visit, a top issue for him since his first days as pope in 2013.

He will make the first address by any pope to the U.S. Congress on Thursday, a speech to the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Friday and an open-air Mass in Philadelphia where 1.5 million people are expected to attend.

Francis spent four days in Cuba, where he urged a continued reconciliation between the Communist-run island and its superpower neighbor, building on a new detente he helped to broker earlier this year.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com