| THE BIG STORY
Don’t worry about the coronavirus. Worry about the flu.
In less than a month, a report of dozens of people infected with a newly identified virus in Wuhan, China, after visiting a seafood market has turned into an outbreak affecting more than 2,000 people, causing over 100 deaths so far.
The Chinese government has quarantined 50 million people in central China, banning travel following a small number of air travel-related cases, all nonfatal, which have spread to more than a dozen countries.
In the US, there are now five confirmed cases, all travelers from Wuhan. An additional 110 people are under observation, according to experts. But the first new disease outbreak in the social media era has been defined by panic and uncertainty — and a deluge of disinformation.
In China, the risk of catching it is high — 50% of the new cases in the country are outside Wuhan's Hubei province, so it’s spreading. Outside of China, cases are not spiking.
👉To put the risk in more context, the current US flu season has killed 54 infants so far, according to CDC. And in the first two weeks of 2020, the flu has killed more than 5,000 people in the US, mostly through associated pneumonia.
Justin Tallis / Getty Images STAYING ON TOP OF THIS Trump’s defense team wrapped up its case in the impeachment trial
President Donald Trump’s legal team concluded its opening arguments in the president’s impeachment trial by urging senators not to remove Trump from office.
The president’s defense attorneys argued House Democrats failed to present enough evidence, even as an explosive report emerged suggesting Trump gave direct orders to John Bolton, his former national security adviser, to withhold aid to Ukraine until it announced an investigation into Joe Biden — which is exactly what Trump was impeached for.
Trump’s legal team leveled a two-pronged attack at Bolton, saying the allegations are not credible, but even if they were, they are not impeachable.
Senators now have 16 hours to ask questions of both legal teams. What happens after that is up in the air.
Impeachment Today
A well-rested defense. The final day of presentations from Trump’s defense team was...brief. Very brief. And with the vote on whether to call witnesses in the trial looming and less certain than ever, things are getting tense. Listen and subscribe. SNAPSHOTS Clearview AI once told cops to “run wild” with its facial recognition tool. It’s now facing legal challenges. The facial recognition company that claims to have amassed a database of more than 3 billion photos scraped from Facebook, YouTube, and millions of other websites, is scrambling to deal with calls for bans from advocacy groups and legal threats.
An officer who shot a handcuffed man inside a cop car was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Maryland officer Cpl. Michael Owen was arrested and charged after he fatally shot William Green, whose arms were handcuffed behind his back inside a squad car.
A man arrested by airport officials allegedly tried to escape by hiding in a bathroom ceiling for two hours. The man, a US citizen who was prohibited from leaving New York state pending a trial, asked to use the restroom in Newark Airport and then “attempted to escape into the ceiling.”
A YouTuber admitted to faking his girlfriend’s death to promote their joint channel. Toronto-based Jason Ethier, better known as ImJayStation on YouTube to more than 5.4 million subscribers, has admitted to lying about his girlfriend dying in a car accident in a video he posted last week.
THE SILENCE BREAKERS They each broke their silence about Harvey Weinstein. At his rape trial, they’re finding support in each other.
The story of what disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein allegedly did to women has been characterized as a story about power dynamics in the workplace and the way Hollywood treats women; the feat of incredible journalism it took to uncover it; and a reckoning, possibly the reckoning of our time.
Now, as Weinstein is on trial, it has become a story about the judicial system, and whether it can keep up with a rapidly evolving culture against abuse.
But as Nishita Jha writes, “for the women at the heart of it, the Silence Breakers, this is a story about the power of friendship between women, and its ability to both fracture and heal.”
Read Jha’s piece on how the Silence Breakers began to reach out to one another, share their experiences, and gradually, to heal.
View Press / Getty Images REMEMBER THE NAME Brad Pitt wearing a name badge at the Oscars luncheon is infinitely charming
We all know Brad Pitt, right? You know, he’s the Brad Pitt-looking guy. Well, Pitt just attended the Oscars luncheon, an event to celebrate and honor those nominated. He’s up for Best Supporting Actor.
As one does at any respectable luncheon, Pitt wore a name badge so he can introduce himself properly. But this stars-are-just-like-us moment came across as particularly charming from one of the most recognizable people on the planet.
And no one is more delighted about Brad Pitt getting a name badge than Brad Pitt himself:
Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images Wishing you a day where you feel seen and cared for, Elamin P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (Monthly memberships are available worldwide). 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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