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Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Editors  |  Paste BN

Hundreds may already be infected by coronavirus in Washington state, scientist says  

Washington state declared a state of emergency Saturday after a man in his 50s was identified as the first person in the U.S. to die from the coronavirus outbreak. A second man in the same area died on Sunday. Globally, there are more than 87,000 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus and 3,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins. In the U.S., there are nearly 80 confirmed cases. But a Seattle scientist estimates that a "few hundred" residents of Washington state alone may already have been infected with the virus. Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday there’s “no question” that there will be more U.S. cases of coronavirus, but he said the risk to the average American remains low and the government is doing "everything possible to prevent the spread." 

Here's the latest on the outbreak of COVID-19:

Former Vice President Joe Biden finally got the win he needed

After underperforming in Iowa and New Hampshire, and finishing in a distant second in Nevada, Biden sealed a definitive win in the South Carolina primary, with black voters pushing him to victory. The 77-year-old, three-time presidential candidate emerged from South Carolina with such a convincing lead in exit polls that cable networks projected his victory before a single vote had been counted. The blowout was Biden's first win in a presidential primary, and Democratic analysts described the victory as having the potential to reshape the race for the nomination. It complicated former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's bid, several said, and had the potential to winnow the race to a battle between Biden and Sanders.   

Buttigieg ends history-making bid for White House; Steyer also drops out 

Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg announced Sunday he was ending the presidential campaign in which he set history as the first openly gay man to win delegates in the race for the nomination of a major political party. His exit comes a day after his disappointing fourth-place finish in South Carolina. Tom Steyer, who invested millions into the South Carolina primary, ended his campaign Saturday after finishing in a distant third place.

Historic peace deal in Afghanistan reached with Taliban

U.S. and Taliban negotiators on Saturday signed a historic agreement that could end 19 years of war in Afghanistan. The pact spells out a timetable for the United States to withdraw its 13,000 troops from Afghanistan. The agreement sets the stage for further negotiations between Afghanistan's government and the Taliban, a militant Islamist group that once ruled Afghanistan and provided safe haven to Osama bin Laden. American officials hope those talks will lead to a power-sharing deal, a permanent end to the bloody conflict, and a full withdrawal of American forces.

Real quick 

Sanders leads Biden in key Super Tuesday states, polls find

Former Vice President Joe Biden scored a major victory Saturday in South Carolina's primary, but his celebration could prove short-lived, according to polls released Sunday that show Sen. Bernie Sanders with leads in the delegate-rich states of California, Texas and North Carolina. Voters in those three states, along with 11 others, will cast their votes on Tuesday, when about a third of all the delegates in the Democratic primary will be up for grabs. The delegates in those Super Tuesday contests are almost 10 times the number available in the first four contests combined. 

Vanessa Bryant 'devastated' by allegations deputies shared graphic photos from crash site

Vanessa Bryant's team released a statement Sunday saying that the wife of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant is "devastated" by a report that revealed deputies in the Los Angeles sheriff's department may have shared graphic photos of human remains from the site of the helicopter crash. Kobe Bryant, 41, was one of nine victims in the Jan. 26 crash, including the couple's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. "First responders should be trustworthy," the statement said, calling the alleged acts “inexcusable and deplorable.” According to the LA Times, the photos were seen on smartphones and shown to others, although it is not known whether the images were taken by a first responder or someone else. 

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This is a compilation of stories from across the Paste BN Network. Contributing: Associated Press.

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