They pushed the ‘pandemic’ button
While we're all here obsessively washing our hands, 3,500 people in blue body paint ignored coronavirus warnings and held a record-breaking Smurf rally in France.
Thank you for not being one of these people. It's Ashley with the news you need to know.
But first, the Smurfs:
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We're now facing a global pandemic
It's official. The coronavirus outbreak spreading across the world was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization as the global death toll rose above 4,300 and the number of confirmed cases exceeded 121,000 on Wednesday. In the USA, the death toll is at 31 and the number of cases rolled past 1,000, federal health officials said. Cities have been locked down, large gatherings banned or postponed (sorry, Coachella) and countless people quarantined in their homes. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told lawmakers Wednesday that the USA has yet to see the worst of the coronavirus outbreak. “Bottom line: It’s going to get worse,” he said.
Flattening the curve
Now, I realize a self-quarantine seems brutal when you're not sick with the coronavirus, but it really is for the greater good. Check out the chart below. If the spread of coronavirus happens too quickly, too many cases too soon could overwhelm hospitals. By keeping cases lower over a longer period, the health care system can better provide for the severely ill.
What's everyone talking about? You guessed it: Coronavirus
- Coronavirus has been declared a pandemic: What does that mean, and what took so long?
- March Madness: The NCAA is closing basketball tournaments to fans due to coronavirus concerns.
- Senate Democrats plan to ask Trump to declare a national emergency on coronavirus.
- Don't do this: A United flight was diverted after passengers became disruptive because someone was sneezing.
- Coronavirus fears cause product shortages, but Amazon still has these essentials in stock.
- Plenty of labs can test for coronavirus, but a key testing component is in short supply.
Have fun in prison, Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein is probably going to die in prison (his lawyer's words, not mine). The ex-movie mogul-turned-convicted sex offender will spend the next 23 years behind bars after he was convicted of third-degree rape and forcible sexual assault of two women. His sentence was pronounced Wednesday after Weinstein's victims scathingly demanded the stiffest punishment possible and after Weinstein expressed remorse to all the women who testified against him. “I’m really trying to be a better person," Weinstein said in court. Many accusers and #MeToo activists hailed the verdict as a triumph, considering the trial a historic first effort to present and punish the reality of sexual violence in workplaces, and in Hollywood especially.
- Read Harvey Weinstein's revealing, rambling statement before sentencing.
Bernie Sanders is still in the game
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders vows to carry on in the Democratic presidential race despite a disappointing Tuesday that saw his path to the nomination narrow considerably. Joe Biden racked up wins in Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi and Michigan that could make it almost impossible for Sanders to catch him in the coming weeks. Despite Sanders’ losses, he says he’ll be on the debate stage Sunday night in Arizona, the first time the two front-runners are set to appear on stage without any other candidates. After Tuesday night's primaries, Biden leads Sanders by nearly 200 pledged national delegates.
Real quick
- A tiny bird-like dinosaur that lived 99 million years ago was identified from a fossilized skull trapped in a block of amber.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin's bid to stay in office until 2036 was quickly backed by lawmakers.
- The Supreme Court allows Trump’s "return-to-Mexico" asylum policy to stay in place, for now.
- Experts declared that climate change is a far greater threat than the coronavirus.
- "The Bachelor" finale recap: Peter proposed. (SPOILERS!)
New study shows how effective Alcoholics Anonymous is
Alcoholics Anonymous, a well-known program that seeks to help people with alcohol use disorder, has long been criticized for not having the medical research to back up its effectiveness. Until now. A new study found that the free program not only helps people get sober, but it also has higher rates of continuous sobriety compared with professional mental health therapy. About 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the USA behind tobacco and poor diet, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
A break from the news
- This 73-year-old is definitely more fit than I am. 💪
- The 5 best Amazon deals you can get Wednesday.
- Celebrities who welcomed babies in 2020, from Cameron Diaz to Dylan Dreyer.
This is a compilation of stories from across the Paste BN Network.