Yahoo Finance First Thing: A fourth coronavirus surge in the US is possible, CDC warns
Good morning.
The US could experience a “fourth surge” of coronavirus before the majority of the country was vaccinated, the director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warned yesterday.
Speaking at a White House briefing, Rochelle Walensky said a recent increase in coronavirus cases and the circulation of new variants of the virus meant another wave was possible, warning that “we stand to completely lose the hard-earned ground we have gained.” Daily case numbers fell sharply in January but have since begun to increase. However, Walensky said it was possible to prevent another surge, providing people followed “the critical safeguards that we know can stop the spread of Covid-19”.
The Trumps were vaccinated before leaving the White House, multiple reports suggest. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and a host of former presidents chose to get their vaccines publicly to encourage confidence in the inoculations, but it appears the Trumps did so quietly.
The pandemic is unlikely to be over by the end of the year, the executive director of emergency services at the World Health Organization has said. Dr Michael Ryan warned it was “premature” and “unrealistic” to hope coronavirus would end with 2021, but that vaccines could help us “accelerate toward controlling this pandemic”.
CO2 from fossil fuels could exceed pre-pandemic levels
The planet has just a few months to stop carbon emissions surpassing the levels seen before the pandemic, as economies begin to recover and return to burning fossil fuels, according to a global energy watchdog. Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) found the emissions from fossil fuels began rising steadily in the second half of last year, and levels recorded in December 2020 were 2% higher than in December 2019.
The coronavirus crisis caused the deepest drop in carbon emissions since the end of the second world war, and there were hopes that carbon dioxide output might have peaked in 2019. But the IEA executive director, Dr Fatih Birol, said rising fossil fuel usage was putting these environmental gains at risk, and that if governments did not green up their act, “we may well be returning to our carbon-intensive business as usual”.
Andrew Cuomo faces growing calls to resign
A group of former New York state legislative employees rejected the governor’s apology for his past behaviour, instead calling for him to resign or be removed. Andrew Cuomo has been accused of sexually harassing multiple women, and released an apology on Sunday. But on Monday night, a third woman came forward, alleging that he had made her deeply uncomfortable at a wedding reception in 2019. Members of the Sexual Harassment Working Group accused Cuomo of “gaslighting” his accusers and said they were expecting more allegations against him to surface.
The disturbing allegations appear to be part of a wider behavioural pattern relating to Cuomo, who has also been accused of threatening and insulting others, writes Moira Donegan.
To Cuomo, it’s not his behavior that’s a problem – it’s the women’s behavior, their audacity in feeling uncomfortable. In the statement, Cuomo shifts responsibility from himself on to the women who allege harassment. It’s not his job to behave appropriately. It’s their job to accommodate him, and to ignore their own discomfort.
What are the allegations and will they bring Cuomo down? Miranda Bryant explains the claims made by three women, and what the implications might be.
How war and famine could wipe out a generation of Yemenis
After years of violence, half of Yemen’s population – 16 million people – are going hungry. Aid agencies have warned that 400,000 children under the age of five are at risk of dying from malnutrition, and the rates are growing. Alongside this, diseases such as cholera are rife, and the average age for marriage for girls in some rural areas is dropping below 14. Our Middle East correspondent, Bethan McKernan, shares the stories of those she met in the country, and asks what the future holds.
In other news…
The government will not confirm if Saudi’s crown prince is subject to visa restrictions to the US, under the so-called Khashoggi ban. It comes after a US intelligence report concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman approved the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. According to the Biden administration, 76 Saudi nationals are subject to restrictions under the ban, but is unclear if the royal is included within them.
Biden is under pressure to chose progressive judges, after Trump replaced more than 25% of federal judges, generally with white conservatives. With spaces freeing up for new judges, progressives believe Biden has the chance to reverse some of this.
Lady Gaga’s dog walker has described a “close call” after he was shot in a robbery in which two of the singer’s pets were stolen. Ryan Fischer described the incident as “a very close call with death” as he was shot in the chest on Wednesday night.
Stat of the day: Zoom’s revenue soared 326% year-over-year
It is perhaps unsurprising given how much time we’re all spending video-chatting, but the video conferencing business Zoom has reported an increase in revenues of 326% year-over-year to $2.6bn – and there was little sign of it slowing at the end of 2020. The nine-year-old company has become integral to life during the pandemic, and is evidently repeating the rewards.
Don’t miss this: How coronavirus is endangering security officers
Security officers report being spat on and assaulted for enforcing state rules, as they protect empty venues and help implement rules in those which are open. They say their jobs have become increasingly dangerous but do not have the same recognition as other essential workers. At least 90 died last year but many lack PPE and none receive hazard pay.
Last thing: a delivery driver caught a toddler who fell from a 12th-floor balcony
A “superhero” delivery driver in Hanoi, Vietnam, managed to catch a two-year-old girl who fell from a 12th-floor balcony. Nguyen Ngoc Manh, 31, was waiting to make a delivery on Sunday evening when he heard a child crying and a woman screaming, and saw a small girl climbing out of a balcony 50 metres above the ground. He climbed on to a roof, where he lost his footing as the child began to fall, but flung himself forward and caught her. The child dislocated her hip but otherwise survived without further injuries.
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