She wants Trump's DNA - USA TODAY

She wants Trump's DNA - USA TODAY
Federal quarantine order issued for 195 Americans who returned from China - USA TODAY
George Soros: Facebook, Zuckerberg in cahoots with Trump to win 2020 election - USA TODAY
'We’ll find the right time.' Pompeo demurs on White House visit for Ukraine's Zelensky - USA TODAY
Police rescue 23 children, kill alleged captor who held them hostage for 11 hours in India - USA TODAY

Posted: 30 Jan 2020 02:53 PM PST

Well, it took 30 days of 2020, but we finally have some good news for you.*

*You'll just have to dig through some less-than-great news to find it.

It's Ashley with the headlines everyone is talking about Thursday.

But first, not just a guy and a ferret: A ferret may seem an unlikely hero to many, but to one man, Bandit was exactly that.

The Short List newsletter is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe here!

She says Trump raped her and seeks his DNA for testing

Lawyers for a woman who accused President Donald Trump of raping her asked for a DNA sample, seeking to determine whether his genetic material is on a dress she said she wore during the encounter. Author and advice columnist E. Jean Carroll's lawyers served notice to a Trump attorney Thursday for Trump to submit a sample for "analysis and comparison against unidentified male DNA present on the dress." Such legal demands often spur court fights requiring a judge to weigh in on whether they will be enforced. Carroll filed a defamation suit against Trump in November after the president denied her allegation that he raped her in a dressing room more than 20 years ago.

Coronavirus outbreak considered an international health emergency

As the death toll from the illness alarming the world climbed past 170, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency Thursday. The declaration came soon after health officials reported the first case of person-to-person spread of the coronavirus in the USA. The new case, confirmed by the CDC, is the sixth reported in the USA. The U.N. health agency defines an international emergency as an "extraordinary event" that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response.

What everyone's talking about

Good news for humanity: Life expectancy in USA is up

To soften the blow of all the coronavirus coverage, we've got some rare good news in health: Life expectancy in the USA is up for the first time in four years, new reports show. Americans can expect to live to an average age of 78.7 years, a gain of a 10th of a year from 2017 to 2018 (that's a little more than a month, but I'll take it). Perhaps more importantly, the gain reversed a three-year trend of decreases or no gains in life expectancy. Lower death rates in the two leading causes of death – heart disease and cancer – contributed to Americans' increased longevity.

House votes to curb Trump's war powers

The House voted Thursday to sharply limit Trump's ability to launch a military strike against Iran and to repeal the 2002 law that authorized the Iraq War, which has been used as justification for other U.S. military operations. Democrats said the two votes were vital to rein in what they see as an impulsive president, pointing to his decision to authorize a U.S. drone strike that killed Gen. Qasem Soleimani. Republicans warned the bills would tie the president's hands at a perilous moment, and they applauded Trump's decision to target Soleimani, saying the Iranian leader was a terrorist with American blood on his hands. Both bills will face stiff opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate. Trump could veto both measures.

Real quick

Are you ready for some football? 🏈

Super Bowl LIV is almost upon us, sports people. Here's a super-quick recap of what to know before Sunday's big game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs: What time should I expect to hear grown men yelling at TVs? Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. EST. If I feel like yelling, too, what channel will it be on? Fox. Who will belt the national anthem? Demi Lovato. Great, but what about the ✨halftime show✨? Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, Shakira(future footage of me watching the show, probably). Most importantly: Who is going to win this thing? Experts who know more than I do about sports say this game should be a close one.

A break from the news

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network.

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Federal quarantine order issued for 195 Americans who returned from China - USA TODAY

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 02:21 PM PST

Coronavirus has spread from Wuhan, China, to countries across the world. But how do you know you have it? Here are some signs to watch out for. USA TODAY

For the first time in a half-century, U.S. health officials have issued a federal quarantine order, compelling all 195 Americans evacuated from China to remain at an air base in California for 14 days.

A flight carrying the Americans arrived Wednesday in Riverside, California, where they had purportedly agreed to remain at March Air Reserve base for monitoring for the deadly coronavirus, which erupted in Wuhan, China, in December.

The quarantine, implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was announced Friday following a report that an unidentified person tried to leave the base despite being ordered to stay confined until cleared by the Riverside County Public Health Department.

The incubation period for coronavirus is two weeks. Officials said on Thursday that the individuals had agreed to stay on the base voluntarily.

Also on Friday, the White House declared coronavirus to be a public health emergency in the United States. But the Trump administration downplayed the threat of the virus to Americans.

"The risk of infection for Americans remains low," said Alex Azar, secretary of Health and Human Services and chairman of the coronvirus tax force set up by Trump. "We are working to keep the risk low."

U.S. citizens from parts of China will undergo entry health screenings and will be monitored during a 14-day self-quarantine, officials said. Azar also announced a suspension of entry into the United States of foreign nationals who pose a risk for the transmission of the virus.

'I'm still wearing my mask': American evacuated from China still fears deadly coronavirus

It was the first time a federal quarantine has been ordered since the 1960s, when one was issued over a concern about potential spread of smallpox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We are preparing as this is the next pandemic, but hopeful this is not and will not be the case," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters Friday. "We would rather be remembered for overreacting to under-reacting."

At least 213 people in China have died from it since the virus erupted in the city of Wuhan. The latest cases added to the 98 cases already reported from 18 other countries. Almost 10,000 people have contracted the illness worldwide.

"The current scenario is a cause for concern," Messonnier said.

In the U.S., only a handful of infections have been confirmed. The seventh case in the U.S. was confirmed Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the San Francisco Bay area. The man infected had recently visited Wuhan and Shanghai before returning Jan. 24 to California, where he became ill, the CDC reported.

The man was never sick enough to be hospitalized and "self-isolated" by staying home.

Britain and Russia on Friday reported their first cases of the deadly coronavirus that has spread from China to at least 20 countries and claimed more than 200 lives.

In Britain, the two cases involved members of the same family who tested positive for the virus.

Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said in a statement that Britain's National Health Service had "robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately" to the outbreak.

"The N.H.S. is extremely well prepared and used to managing infections," Whitty said. "We are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread."

Virus in the US: Chicago man is first US case of person-to-person coronavirus spread

Everything you need to know: Coronavirus, the deadly illness alarming the world, explained

Health authorities declined to provide any detail on the condition of the two Britons and did not indicate whether they had recently traveled to China.

A charter passenger jet brought back 83 British nationals from Wuhan on Friday.

In Russia, two Chinese nationals were diagnosed with the virus and placed in isolation.

'A lot of chaos':State Department to fly Americans back from Wuhan

Anna Popova, head of Russia's public health agency Rospotrebnadzor, said the pair have not been in contact with anyone and there is no risk of the virus spreading further.

The Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization, a U.N. agency, declared a global health emergency on Thursday, focusing primarily on the spread of the virus outside China.

American trapped in Wuhan: Despite coronavirus, I won't evacuate without my wife and son

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking in Geneva, said China had taken extraordinary steps to try to contain the virus and that the committee was most concerned about its impact in countries with weaker health systems.

Although the number of coronavirus cases is larger than for the SARS epidemic that broke out in 2003 and spread to more than two dozen countries, the mortality rate is far less.

The latest figures show a death rate for coronavirus patients of 2%, 10% for SARS and 70% for the Ebola virus that has repeatedly ravaged sub-Saharan Africa.

In America: Something far deadlier than the Wuhan coronavirus lurks. It's the flu.

Face masks: Offer little protection against coronavirus, flu, experts warn

Russia, Singapore tighten borders

As the coronavirus spreads, several countries have been tightening their borders and controlling the flow of visitors.

Russia closed its land border with China on Thursday and suspended most train traffic between the countries.

Singapore announced that it will bar all visitors from China starting on Saturday and will bar all Chinese travelers who have visited China in the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, China was arranging special flights to help Wuhan residents return home from holidays abroad. Some waiting for a flight leaving Bangkok said they wanted to return to take care of their loved ones.

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing said on Friday it was authorizing the departure of family members and all non-emergency U.S. government employees from Beijing and the consulates in four cities.

The State Department also issued its highest grade "Do Not Travel" advisory warning for visits to China.

US issues 'do not travel' advisory: All your coronavirus travel questions answered

Japan and Germany have also advised against non-essential travel and Britain did as well, except for Hong Kong and Macao.

Contributing: Associated Press

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George Soros: Facebook, Zuckerberg in cahoots with Trump to win 2020 election - USA TODAY

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 02:27 PM PST

Despite escalating pressure ahead of the 2020 election, Facebook reaffirmed its freewheeling policy on political ads Thursday, saying it won't ban them, won't fact-check them and won't limit how they can be targeted to specific groups of people. (Jan. 8) AP Domestic

George Soros blasted Facebook at Davos, accusing the company of conspiring to help President Trump win re-election.

"I think there is a kind of informal mutual assistance operation or agreement developing between Trump and Facebook," Soros said at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. "Facebook will work together to reelect Trump, and Trump will work to protect Facebook so that this situation cannot be changed and it makes me very concerned for 2020."

The liberal billionaire did not offer any proof, and Facebook denied it, but Soros doubled down on his anti-Facebook talk Friday in an opinion piece published in The New York Times.

Mark Zuckerberg has a message for you: He doesn't care if you like him

Open season on Facebook: Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats declare war on Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg

"I believe that Mr. Trump and Facebook's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, realize that their interests are aligned – the president's in winning elections, Mr. Zuckerberg's in making money," Soros wrote.

Soros also said neither Zuckerberg nor Sheryl Sandberg, the company's chief operating officer, should be left in charge of Facebook. "They follow only one guiding principle: maximize profits irrespective of the consequences," Soros wrote.

Facebook pushed back in a statement.

"While we respect Mr. Soros' right to voice his opinion, he's wrong. The notion that we are aligned with any one political figure or party runs counter to our values and the facts."

Last week in Davos Trump was asked about Zuckerberg. "I heard he's gonna run for president," Trump told CNBC's Squawk Box. "That wouldn't be too frightening I don't think."

There's no evidence that Zuckerberg and Trump have any kind of pact. But it's true that Facebook gave Trump a big boost in 2016. Just ask Facebook.

In January, a leaked internal post from longtime Facebook executive Andrew "Boz" Bosworth credited Trump's 2016 win to the president's digital advertising campaign. In 2020, Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale is focused again on Facebook.

"Was Facebook responsible for Donald Trump getting elected?" Bosworth wrote in the Dec. 30 post. "I think the answer is yes, but not for the reasons anyone thinks. He didn't get elected because of Russia or misinformation or Cambridge Analytica. He got elected because he ran the single best digital ad campaign I've ever seen from any advertiser."

Earlier this month Trump told Rush Limbaugh's radio show that during a dinner in October, Zuckerberg told him that he was "No. 1" on the social media platform.

Facebook and Soros: How a lie about George Soros and the migrant caravan multiplied online

Facebook Russian ads: We read every one of the 3,517 Facebook ads bought by Russians. Here's what we found

Tensions have been running high between Soros and Facebook for some time. Soros, a bogeyman in right-wing conspiracy theories shared on social media platforms like Facebook, has used his annual Davos speech as a platform to criticize Zuckerberg's company in the past.

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/01/31/trump-re-election-george-soros-accuses-facebook-zuckerberg-conspiring-trump/4626183002/

'We’ll find the right time.' Pompeo demurs on White House visit for Ukraine's Zelensky - USA TODAY

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 07:34 AM PST

U.S. and Ukraine relations go further back than the now infamous phone call between Trump and Zelensky. We explain their relationship. USA TODAY

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky both insisted Friday that the impeachment of President Donald Trump had not soured U.S.-Ukraine relations.

"It seems to me it's the other way around. We have excellent relations between our countries," Zelensky said during a joint news conference with Pompeo in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

Pompeo described Ukraine as a "bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in Eastern Europe," but he demurred when asked if Trump would invite Zelensky to Washington for a coveted White House meeting.

"We'll find the right time," Pompeo said. "President Zelensky will be welcome to come to Washington when we have an opportunity to do good things for both the Ukrainian people and the American people. We'll get it done."

After his election last year, Zelensky sought a White House meeting as a show of U.S. support as Ukraine battles Russian aggression. Although Trump told Zelensky he would invite him, White House officials never gave Ukrainian officials a date.

In the article of impeachment charging Trump with abuse of power, House Democrats have accused Trump of using a White House visit and U.S. military assistance as leverage in his effort to coerce Zelensky into opening investigations into a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.

On Friday, Pompeo denied the Trump administration has set any conditions on Ukraine. And during his impeachment trial in the Senate, Trump's defense lawyers have stressed that Zelensky had a personal meeting with Trump last fall as the Ukraine controversy was dominating headlines; the two leaders met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

"There's no condition of the nature you described for President Zelensky to come to Washington and have that visit. It's just simply not the case," he said.

Pompeo said Ukraine has America's full support in its war with Russia, saying the U.S. had provided more than $1 billion in U.S. military and security assistance to Ukraine since 2017 and that would continue.

"We'll maintain support for a diplomatic solution to the Russia-instigated conflict in east Ukraine, and we'll maintain financial support for Ukraine's security," he said. "We will never accept anything less than the full restoration of Ukraine's control over its sovereign territory."

Zelensky said he would be "ready to go (to Washington) tomorrow," but that any visit should only be set when its in U.S. and Ukraine's strategic interests.

Pompeo arrived in Ukraine on Thursday at a particularly awkward time for him – and for the Trump administration, which is consumed with allegations that the president tried to pressure Zelensky for political favors.

Trump temporarily froze nearly $400 million in U.S. security aid that Congress had approved for Ukraine, around the same time of his controversial July 25 phone call with Zelensky. The move prompted accusations from Democrats that he misused U.S. foreign policy for personal gain. The Senate is weighing those allegations in its unfolding impeachment trial.

Pompeo's recent statements about Ukraine have complicated his mission in Kyiv and exacerbated the already strained U.S.-Ukraine alliance. The State Department said Pompeo's trip would highlight American support for Ukraine's sovereignty as it battles Russian aggression, a message reiterated by Pompeo on Friday.

But the U.S. has no ambassador in Kyiv right now – in part because of the impeachment scandal – and Pompeo recently suggested that Americans don't care about Ukraine. During a contentious interview with NPR last week, Pompeo grew irritated with host Mary Louise Kelly when she pressed him about Ukraine. After the interview, Kelly said Pompeo shouted and cursed at her.

"'Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?'" Pompeo yelled, according to Kelly's account, the substance of which Pompeo has not disputed. "He used the F-word in that sentence and many others."

More: Trump praises Pompeo for blasting NPR host

On Wednesday, Pompeo sidestepped questions about whether he would ask Zelensky in private about the two issues at the heart of the impeachment trial now unfolding in the Senate: former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden's work for a Ukrainian gas company.

Trump asked Zelensky to investigate Biden, a leading 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. Biden's son Hunter served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company, Burisma, while his father was vice president. Trump and his allies have made unsubstantiated claims that Joe Biden tried to shield Burisma from scrutiny.

Asked if he would raise the Biden-Burisma allegations with Zelensky, Pompeo did not directly answer on Wednesday. He said he would focus on helping Ukraine root out "corruption" and repel Russian attacks.

"When we were talking about corruption, we talked about every element of corruption inside of Ukraine," Pompeo told reporters traveling with him on the trip, which includes other stops in Europe and Central Asia. "I don't want to talk about particular individuals. It's not worth it. It's a long list in Ukraine of corrupt individuals and a long history there."

Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said he'd be shocked if Pompeo pressed Zelensky on such politically explosive issues.

"I would think he'd be extremely cautious in his meeting with Zelensky," said Miller, who has advised Republican and Democratic presidents on foreign policy.

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Police rescue 23 children, kill alleged captor who held them hostage for 11 hours in India - USA TODAY

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 02:30 AM PST

Biswajeet Banerjee, The Associated Press Published 8:52 a.m. ET Jan. 31, 2020

LUCKNOW, India – Authorities rescued 23 children and killed the man who allegedly held them hostage for nearly 11 hours after inviting them to his home for his daughter's birthday party in northern India, police said Friday.

Officer Mohit Agarwal said two police officers were injured after the man, identified as Subhash Batham, fired at them on Thursday night as they tried to enter his home in Kasaria village in Uttar Pradesh state.

The exchange of gunfire occurred after efforts to negotiate Batham's surrender over the phone had failed, police said.

Agarwal said Batham was a suspect in a murder case who was out on bail.

The incident occurred in Farrukhabad, a small town 200 miles southwest of Lucknow, the state capital.

Batham's motive for taking the children hostage was not immediately known. He kept them in the basement of his home, police said, and was drunk when the police encounter occurred.

At the state of the hostage crisis, Batham handed a six-month-old girl over to a neighbor from his balcony. But he later fired his weapon when anyone tried to speak to him, according to the Press Trust of India news agency, citing Home Secretary Awanish Awasthi.

Batham demanded to speak to a state lawmaker representing his area, but refused to communicate with the man when he arrived at the scene.

Bantham's wife was also killed. Awasthi said she died in the exchange of gunfire, but PTI reported that angry villagers beat her to death when she tried to escape.

An autopsy will determine the cause of death, Agarwal said.

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