Miscellaneous
Episode Notes Coronavirus Updates The WHO has now reported that more than 90,000 people have been infected by the COVID-19 virus, with the global death toll rising above 3,000. Cases have spread in recent days to Oman, India, Qatar, France, and Iran, where 77 people have died from the virus. After the first death was recorded in the U.S. in Washington state earlier this week, state officials have now confirmed six deaths, and the virus has spread to at least fifteen states. Federal employees who visited infected patients in California did not follow proper safety procedures, one whistleblower reports, as they took commercial flights and were not tested after leaving the quarantine sites. The CDC encountered problems developing diagnostic testing for the virus, and President Trump is facing backlash for appointing Mike Pence chief of a new coronavirus task force. U.S.-Taliban Negotiations The U.S. government signed a deal with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar this week to withdraw all U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan within 14 months, conditional upon the Taliban not allowing terrorist groups such as al Qaeda to operate under its control. The U.S. currently has around 12,000 troops in the country and will incrementally draw that count down over the next year. The Taliban also agreed to a prisoner exchange with the Afghan government, releasing Afghan security personnel while receiving Taliban government prisoners, but the Afghan president has rejected that exchange. Talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government are expected to begin this week. Weinstein Verdict Harvey Weinstein was convicted of criminal sexual assault and rape in the third degree, with an expected sentencing of five to twenty-nine years. He was acquitted of three other charges, but after five days of deliberation at the New York Supreme Court, the jurors rendered their verdict. A dozen victims of Weinstein’s conduct testified during the trial, and the verdict seen as progress in creating criminal accountability for acts of sexual misconduct and assault that have come to light over the past two years. Weinstein now waits in Rikers Island, but he also will face additional charges in Los Angeles, where prosecutors have filed charges for sexual battery and rape related to eight allegations. 2020 Primary A chaotic debate took place on Tuesday. Joe Biden won big in South Carolina on Saturday. Amy Klobuchar and Mayor Pete dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden. Nonvoters in battleground states may actually prefer Trump over a Democratic candidate. For more on the 2020 primary, check out our 2020 Fever podcast. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.