(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.8 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 925,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 64.5% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 16, 10:50 am
Deaths increasing in 15 states
The U.S. daily case rate has dropped to 144,000 — an 81% drop since the peak about one month ago, according to federal data.
But experts continue to caution that the pandemic is not over, with the country reporting millions of new cases every week and 97% of counties still reporting high transmission. Experts also point out that many Americans are taking at-home tests and not submitting their results, so case totals may be higher than reported.
Deaths — a lagging indicator — remain high.
The U.S. is reporting an average of 2,200 lives lost to COVID-19 each day.
Fifteen states are reporting at least a 10% increase in daily death rates over the last week: Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Feb 16, 10:00 am
Report highlights mounting evidence vaccines can significantly reduce risk of developing long COVID
A new report from the United Kingdom’s public health agency highlights mounting evidence that getting vaccinated can significantly reduce the risk of developing long COVID.
Most people recover fully from COVID-19 but some experience symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath and brain fog for months after infection.
The U.K. report summarizes the results of 15 previously published studies on long COVID from around the world. Collectively, these studies suggest that people who have been vaccinated are far less likely to develop long COVID.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos, Sony Salzman
Feb 16, 7:37 am
WHO: Weekly global number of COVID-19 cases fell by 19%
The global number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases fell by 19% during the week ending on Feb. 13, compared to the previous week, according to a weekly epidemiological update released Tuesday by the World Health Organization.
Meanwhile, the number of newly recorded deaths from the disease that week remained similar to that of the previous week. Just over 16 million new cases and just under 75,000 new fatalities were reported worldwide during the week of Feb. 7 to Feb. 13, the WHO said.
All WHO regions reported decreases in the number of weekly cases except for the Western Pacific region, which reported an increase of 19%. The number of new weekly deaths increased in the Eastern Mediterranean region, the Western Pacific region, the African region and the region of the Americas, while it remained similar to that of the previous week in the European region and decreased in the Southeast Asia region, according to the WHO.
(NEW YORK) — The United States continues to warn that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region.
More than 150,000 Russian troops are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders, U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday, as U.S. officials have urged all Americans to immediately leave Ukraine.
Biden said Tuesday that the U.S. has “not yet verified” claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin that Russia was withdrawing some troops from near Ukraine’s borders.
ABC News has learned Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade by Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack his neighbor. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a national day of unity Wednesday.
Russia has denied it plans to invade and has demanded the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Feb 16, 9:30 am
US condemns Russian parliament vote to recognize Donbas
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has condemned a vote by Russia’s parliament to call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize two Russian-controlled breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent.
The Russian parliament passed a law on Tuesday that is a formal appeal to Putin to recognize the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, in an area of southeastern Ukraine known as the Donbas, where Russian-backed separatists forces have been battling the Ukrainian army since 2014. Such recognition would open a path for Russia to formally annex the two regions as it did the Crimean Peninsula almost eight years ago.
However, Putin indicated Tuesday that he will not immediately recognize the regions.
“To be clear: Kremlin approval of this appeal would amount to the Russian government’s wholesale rejection of its commitments under the Minsk agreements, which outline the process for the full political, social, and economic reintegration of those parts of Ukraine’s Donbas region controlled by Russia-led forces and political proxies since 2014,” Blinken said in a statement Wednesday. “Enactment of this resolution would further undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, constitute a gross violation of international law, call in further question Russia’s stated commitment to continue to engage in diplomacy to achieve a peaceful resolution of this crisis, and necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our allies and partners.”
Blinken did not specify what that response would be.
Feb 16, 8:52 am
Blinken: US has seen ‘no meaningful pullback’ of Russian forces
While the Russian Ministry of Defense said some of its troops positioned near Ukraine’s border would begin returning to their bases, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Wednesday that the U.S. has seen “no meaningful pullback” and described the situation as “deeply, deeply concerning.”
“On the contrary, we continue to see forces, especially forces in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine, continuing to be at the border, to mass at the border,” Blinken said, emphasizing the choice to deescalate is squarely on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“President Putin’s put in place the capacity to act on very short notice,” he said. “He can pull the trigger — he could pull it today. He could pull it tomorrow. He could pull it next week. The forces are there if he wants to renew aggression against Ukraine.”
Amid some tensions between U.S. and Ukrainian officials over the level of urgency here, Blinken defended Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying the former comedian is “taking it very seriously. He’s trying to maintain calm. He doesn’t want his people to panic. That’s the right thing to do. But I think the Ukrainians are taking it very, very seriously.”
ABC News Anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Blinken directly if the threat of attack in Ukraine is “today greater than it was yesterday.”
“From day to day, George, you can’t say it’s higher or lower. It’s there. It’s there. It’s real. We haven’t seen a pullback. We’d like to see one. If we see one, we would welcome it,” Blinken said. “We’re prepared for diplomacy. We’re prepared for aggression prepared either way.”
Feb 16, 8:31 am
Kremlin reacts to Biden’s speech on Russia
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Russia has “grown tired” of listening to “threats,” referring to U.S. President Joe Biden’s speech the previous night.
“We’d prefer not to listen to various sorts of threats as to what would happen to us if we did something that we have no intention of doing,” Peskov told reporters during a daily call.
If the United States did not issue warnings about a Russian invasion of Ukraine and threaten consequences, then perhaps the Russian people would like Americans more, Peskov said.
“We have pretty much grown tired of [the threats],” he added. “If we heard such messages that would be free of threats, the Russian people would probably like them much more.”
Peskov noted that Russia hopes it would be able to begin a “negotiating process” with the U.S. over the Kremlin’s demands for security guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO, as well as confidence building measures such as limits on missile deployments and troops exercises.
Biden during his speech Tuesday night again ruled out any guarantee on Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, saying the U.S. will not sacrifice fundamental principles and that countries have a right to choose their alliances. The Biden administration, however, has offered to engage with Russia on the confidence-building measures, which Western nations have put forward in the hope of persuading the Kremlin to choose a diplomatic route out of the crisis.
Feb 16, 7:48 am
Kremlin criticizes ‘Western hysteria’ around possible invasion
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that while he expects the “hysteria” in Western media outlets about the threat of a Russian invasion to continue, he hopes foreign journalists will ultimately admit that they were wrong.
During a daily call with reporters, Peskov was asked whether Western media reports that Russia would attack Ukraine on Wednesday could be described as the culmination of “information hysteria.”
“Frankly, the way the Western hysteria is developing indicates there is still a long way until culmination. There won’t be a remission any time soon, we should be patient,” Peskov said. “Still, it is very important that Western media outlets, in this case, the British ones, say at least at the end of every day that their predictions have been wrong.”
Feb 16, 6:55 am
Russia says some troops returning to base after loading up tanks
The Russian Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that troops from its Western Military District massed near Ukraine have completed loading their tanks and are now returning to their bases, some 1,000 kilometers (over 620 miles) away.
“Personnel of the units of the Western Military District’s tank army have finished loading their tanks and tracked armored hardware onto flatbed railcars and have embarked on a 1,000-kilometer march using various means of transportation back to their permanent bases upon completion of their routine drills,” the defense ministry said in a statement.
Russia has currently deployed forces from all of its military districts near Ukraine. The Russian military has said that the Western and Southern Military Districts are returning to their bases. Meanwhile, units from Russia’s Eastern Military District remain in Belarus, having traveled some 10,000 kilometers (over 6,200 miles) there.
Feb 16, 6:33 am
NATO: ‘Russia continues their military build-up’
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Wednesday that Russia has still shown no signs of de-escalation on the ground, despite claims of withdrawing troops from near Ukraine.
“We have heard the signs from Moscow about the readiness to continue diplomatic efforts, but so far we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground,” Stoltenberg said during a press conference outside NATO headquarters in Brussels. “On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues their military build-up.”
NATO continues to monitor the situation “very closely,” as it remains unclear whether Russia is pulling back, according to Stoltenberg.
“What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way,” he told reporters. “So, so far, no de-escalation but of course, we hear also the message about diplomacy and we are ready to engage in diplomatic efforts with Russia.”
Stoltenberg explained that the Russian military has “always moved forces back and forth.”
“So, just that we see movement of forces of battle tanks doesn’t confirm a real withdrawal,” he said. “It has been a big up and down, back and forth, all the way, but the trend over the last weeks and months has been a steady increase in the Russian capabilities close to Ukraine’s borders. So Russia retains the capability of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine without any warning time.”
As of Wednesday morning, there were still approximately 100,000 Russian troops at Ukraine’s borders, including in Belarus, according to Stoltenberg, who said he hopes the dialogue with Russia will continue and that the claims of withdrawal are true “because nobody has any interest in confrontation or war in Europe.”
“We are at a pivotal moment in the history of Ukraine, Europe and global stability,” he added. “We look forward to seeing evidence of the withdrawal of troops on Russia’s part, but we need to prepare for any eventuality, with that significant escalation of Russian troops that we have seen over the last weeks and months.”
Stoltenberg’s comments came ahead of a meeting of the military alliance’s defense ministers, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, to discuss the current crisis.
Feb 16, 5:36 am
Russia releases video showing more troops leaving Crimea
The Russian military released more videos on Wednesday morning purportedly showing troops pulling back from Moscow-annexed Crimea.
The footage aired on Russian state media, with one video showing a trainload of armour being carried across the Russian-built bridge that connects the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula to Russia’s mainland. Another video shows military trucks driving out of Crimea across the bridge, which Russian state media described as support troops leaving “exercises.”
However, officials in the West and regional analysts continue to caution that they have not yet seen significant movements of Russian troops pulling back from near Ukraine’s borders.
Meanwhile, massive military exercises continue in neighboring Belarus and are not due to finish until Sunday. Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said Wednesday that “not a single” Russian soldier will remain in the country once those drills end.
Feb 16, 5:05 am
Zelenskyy wishes Ukrainians ‘a happy day of unity’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wished citizens “a happy day of unity” on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy had said on Monday evening that instead of Feb. 16 being “the day of the attack,” he would make it “the day of unity” and declared an impromptu national holiday.
ABC News has learned that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade Ukraine by Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack the neighboring country.
“We are all united by our wish to live, to live in peace, to live a happy life with our families, parents and children. We have the full right to all of this, because we’re at home here, in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in an address on social media Wednesday morning. “Nobody will love our home as much as we do, and nobody can defend our home as we can. I wish you a happy unity day, my blue-yellow ones, a happy day of unity of Ukraine, in the east and west, in the south and north. It works only together, and when it works, we’re strong.”
(HONG KONG) — Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Hong Kong officials to “take all necessary steps” to contain the city’s worst coronavirus outbreak to date.
Hong Kong — which went for months without any daily cases last year — reported a record 4,285 daily cases on Wednesday, driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant.
Speaking with pro-Beijing media, Xi said Hong Kong authorities “should earnestly assume the main responsibility and regard the rapid stabilization and control of the epidemic as the current overriding task.”
Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam said she appreciated Xi’s concern and will work to unite the city to defeat the virus. Lam is doubling down on the city’s no-tolerance approach to the virus, despite escalating infections in the densely populated city.
Several public hospitals are overwhelmed and running out of beds.
Outside one hospital in the Sham Shui Po district, dozens of patients, many of them elderly, could be seen lying on hospital beds outside in a makeshift triage area, waiting for space to free up in the chilly weather. Rain is forecast in the coming days.
Hong Kong Hospital Authority official Sara Ho said, “We also feel very sorry for letting the elderly wait outside in such unfavorable conditions.”
Under the city’s “dynamic zero-infection” strategy, people who test positive cannot currently isolate themselves at home, even if they have mild or no symptoms. As a result, thousands are waiting to be admitted to hospitals or quarantine facilities.
The Hong Kong government is looking at ways to handle the bottleneck, including the possibility of turning hotels, housing estates and student housing into isolation facilities. There are also talks of building a makeshift mass hospital to cope with the surge, much like the one quickly constructed in Wuhan at the very start of the pandemic.
A special fleet of several hundred taxis will soon begin transporting COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms to and from their homes to designated clinics for treatment.
Beijing said it will assist Hong Kong with resources to fight the outbreak, including sending rapid antigen tests, medical expertise and workers.
Officials say there is currently no plan for a city-wide lockdown, like those that have been implemented in mainland Chinese cities like Xi’an.
Hong Kong reported nine COVID deaths on Wednesday, including a 3-year-old girl, the city’s youngest pandemic fatality so far.
Currently, only about 64% of Hong Kong’s population has received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Rates among the elderly population are less than 30%.
(NEW YORK) — Two young Texas sheriff’s deputies are recovering after they were shot in an “ambush,” but managed to return fire, fatally shooting the suspect, officials said.
The Harris County sheriff’s deputies — ages 27 and 28 — were both hospitalized in stable condition, Harris County Chief Deputy Edison Toquica told reporters late Tuesday.
The incident began when the officers responded to a call Tuesday night by someone who reported a family member firing a gun in the home, Toquica said.
Deputies were confronted by the suspect, who Toquica said immediately pointed his gun at the deputies and fired in their direction.
One deputy was hit in the leg and the other was struck in the leg and grazed in the head and ear, Toquica said.
The deputies returned fire, hitting the suspect, who died from his injuries, he said.
Toquica commended the deputies, saying they “probably wouldn’t have done anything different … they approached the residence as they should have.”
“They were ambushed,” he said.
Remarking on how the deputies returned fire after being shot, Toquica said, “They stayed in the fight and did what they were supposed to do, and as a result, they’re alive.”
One deputy has been on the job for two years and the other has been on the force for one year, he said.
The suspect had been out on a personal recognizance bond for a 2020 charge of aggravated assault of a family member, Toquica added.
(NEW YORK) — Fans will soon be able to call Disney home.
On Wednesday, the company announced the launch of Storyliving by Disney, a new community for Disney fans to live in that incorporates the company’s brand of magic.
“These master-planned communities are intended to inspire residents to foster new friendships, pursue their interests and write the next exciting chapter in their lives — all while enjoying the attention to detail, unique amenities and special touches that are Disney hallmarks,” Disney said in a press release.
Disney Imagineers will develop the community’s concept while working with developers and homebuilders. Storyliving communities will also include a club membership so that residents can access curated experiences, such as wellness programming, and entertainment, such as live performances, cooking classes, seminars and more. Some neighborhoods will also be for residents ages 55 and up.
Disney’s first Storyliving location, Cotino, will be in Rancho Mirage, California, which is located in California’s Coachella Valley. This location is special to the company because it was once a retreat for Walt Disney and his wife, Lillian.
Cotino will also pay tribute to the history and rich, present-day culture of the Coachella Valley.
“Story is at the heart of everything we do and we love bringing authentic places to life to immerse you into those stories,” Michael Hundgen, executive producer of Walt Disney Imagineering, said in a statement. “We dive deep into the history and the culture of the place itself and we’re really inspired by its surroundings.”
Cotino, which will have private homes and a hotel, will surround a 24-acre grand crystalline turquoise lagoon. It will also have a clubhouse and feature Disney programming, entertainment and activities throughout the year.
To see if Storytelling by Disney is coming to your neck of the woods, visit Storylivingbydisney.com, to learn more.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Good Morning America.
(NEW YORK) — The United States continues to warn that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region.
More than 150,000 Russian troops are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders, U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday, as U.S. officials have urged all Americans to immediately leave Ukraine.
Biden said Tuesday that the U.S. has “not yet verified” claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin that Russia was withdrawing some troops from near Ukraine’s borders.
ABC News has learned Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade by Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack his neighbor. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a national day of unity Wednesday.
Russia has denied it plans to invade and has demanded the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Feb 16, 8:31 am
Kremlin reacts to Biden’s speech on Russia
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Russia has “grown tired” of listening to “threats,” referring to U.S. President Joe Biden’s speech the previous night.
“We’d prefer not to listen to various sorts of threats as to what would happen to us if we did something that we have no intention of doing,” Peskov told reporters during a daily call.
If the United States did not issue warnings about a Russian invasion of Ukraine and threaten consequences, then perhaps the Russian people would like Americans more, Peskov said.
“We have pretty much grown tired of [the threats],” he added. “If we heard such messages that would be free of threats, the Russian people would probably like them much more.”
Peskov noted that Russia hopes it would be able to begin a “negotiating process” with the U.S. over the Kremlin’s demands for security guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO, as well as confidence building measures such as limits on missile deployments and troops exercises.
Biden during his speech Tuesday night again ruled out any guarantee on Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, saying the U.S. will not sacrifice fundamental principles and that countries have a right to choose their alliances. The Biden administration, however, has offered to engage with Russia on the confidence-building measures, which Western nations have put forward in the hope of persuading the Kremlin to choose a diplomatic route out of the crisis.
Feb 16, 7:48 am
Kremlin criticizes ‘Western hysteria’ around possible invasion
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that while he expects the “hysteria” in Western media outlets about the threat of a Russian invasion to continue, he hopes foreign journalists will ultimately admit that they were wrong.
During a daily call with reporters, Peskov was asked whether Western media reports that Russia would attack Ukraine on Wednesday could be described as the culmination of “information hysteria.”
“Frankly, the way the Western hysteria is developing indicates there is still a long way until culmination. There won’t be a remission any time soon, we should be patient,” Peskov said. “Still, it is very important that Western media outlets, in this case, the British ones, say at least at the end of every day that their predictions have been wrong.”
Feb 16, 6:55 am
Russia says some troops returning to base after loading up tanks
The Russian Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that troops from its Western Military District massed near Ukraine have completed loading their tanks and are now returning to their bases, some 1,000 kilometers (over 620 miles) away.
“Personnel of the units of the Western Military District’s tank army have finished loading their tanks and tracked armored hardware onto flatbed railcars and have embarked on a 1,000-kilometer march using various means of transportation back to their permanent bases upon completion of their routine drills,” the defense ministry said in a statement.
Russia has currently deployed forces from all of its military districts near Ukraine. The Russian military has said that the Western and Southern Military Districts are returning to their bases. Meanwhile, units from Russia’s Eastern Military District remain in Belarus, having traveled some 10,000 kilometers (over 6,200 miles) there.
Feb 16, 6:33 am
NATO: ‘Russia continues their military build-up’
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Wednesday that Russia has still shown no signs of de-escalation on the ground, despite claims of withdrawing troops from near Ukraine.
“We have heard the signs from Moscow about the readiness to continue diplomatic efforts, but so far we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground,” Stoltenberg said during a press conference outside NATO headquarters in Brussels. “On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues their military build-up.”
NATO continues to monitor the situation “very closely,” as it remains unclear whether Russia is pulling back, according to Stoltenberg.
“What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way,” he told reporters. “So, so far, no de-escalation but of course, we hear also the message about diplomacy and we are ready to engage in diplomatic efforts with Russia.”
Stoltenberg explained that the Russian military has “always moved forces back and forth.”
“So, just that we see movement of forces of battle tanks doesn’t confirm a real withdrawal,” he said. “It has been a big up and down, back and forth, all the way, but the trend over the last weeks and months has been a steady increase in the Russian capabilities close to Ukraine’s borders. So Russia retains the capability of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine without any warning time.”
As of Wednesday morning, there were still approximately 100,000 Russian troops at Ukraine’s borders, including in Belarus, according to Stoltenberg, who said he hopes the dialogue with Russia will continue and that the claims of withdrawal are true “because nobody has any interest in confrontation or war in Europe.”
“We are at a pivotal moment in the history of Ukraine, Europe and global stability,” he added. “We look forward to seeing evidence of the withdrawal of troops on Russia’s part, but we need to prepare for any eventuality, with that significant escalation of Russian troops that we have seen over the last weeks and months.”
Stoltenberg’s comments came ahead of a meeting of the military alliance’s defense ministers, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, to discuss the current crisis.
Feb 16, 5:36 am
Russia releases video showing more troops leaving Crimea
The Russian military released more videos on Wednesday morning purportedly showing troops pulling back from Moscow-annexed Crimea.
The footage aired on Russian state media, with one video showing a trainload of armour being carried across the Russian-built bridge that connects the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula to Russia’s mainland. Another video shows military trucks driving out of Crimea across the bridge, which Russian state media described as support troops leaving “exercises.”
However, officials in the West and regional analysts continue to caution that they have not yet seen significant movements of Russian troops pulling back from near Ukraine’s borders.
Meanwhile, massive military exercises continue in neighboring Belarus and are not due to finish until Sunday. Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said Wednesday that “not a single” Russian soldier will remain in the country once those drills end.
Feb 16, 5:05 am
Zelenskyy wishes Ukrainians ‘a happy day of unity’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wished citizens “a happy day of unity” on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy had said on Monday evening that instead of Feb. 16 being “the day of the attack,” he would make it “the day of unity” and declared an impromptu national holiday.
ABC News has learned that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade Ukraine by Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack the neighboring country.
“We are all united by our wish to live, to live in peace, to live a happy life with our families, parents and children. We have the full right to all of this, because we’re at home here, in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in an address on social media Wednesday morning. “Nobody will love our home as much as we do, and nobody can defend our home as we can. I wish you a happy unity day, my blue-yellow ones, a happy day of unity of Ukraine, in the east and west, in the south and north. It works only together, and when it works, we’re strong.”
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden has rejected another of former President Donald Trump’s executive privilege claims, deciding that Trump White House visitor logs should be handed over to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — and the effort to overturn the 2020 election — within 15 days.
A letter from Chief White House Counsel Dana Remus to the National Archives obtained by ABC News states, “The President has determined that an assertion of executive privilege is not in the best interests of the United States, and therefore is not justified, as to these records and portions of records.”
The visitor logs in question, Remus writes, “are entries in visitor logs showing appointment information for individuals who were processed to enter the White House complex, including on January 6, 2021.”
The letter goes on to explain that the Biden administration routinely discloses visitor logs, as did the Obama administration, therefore “preserving the confidentiality” of the Trump logs “is not necessary to protect long-term institutional interests of the Executive Branch.”
Biden likewise ordered the Archives to hand over previous batches of Trump documents, and in Tuesday’s letter regarding the visitor logs, Remus quotes Biden’s previous justifications: “Congress has a compelling need in service of its legislative functions to understand the circumstances that led to . . . the most serious attack on the operations of the Federal Government since the Civil War. . . . Constitutional protections of executive privilege should not be used to shield, from Congress or the public, information that reflects a clear and apparent effort to subvert the Constitution itself.”
Trump lost a legal challenge to prevent the release of previous tranches of documents.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.8 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 925,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 64.5% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Feb 16, 7:37 am
WHO: Weekly global number of COVID-19 cases fell by 19%
The global number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases fell by 19% during the week ending on Feb. 13, compared to the previous week, according to a weekly epidemiological update released Tuesday by the World Health Organization.
Meanwhile, the number of newly recorded deaths from the disease that week remained similar to that of the previous week. Just over 16 million new cases and just under 75,000 new fatalities were reported worldwide during the week of Feb. 7 to Feb. 13, the WHO said.
All WHO regions reported decreases in the number of weekly cases except for the Western Pacific region, which reported an increase of 19%. The number of new weekly deaths increased in the Eastern Mediterranean region, the Western Pacific region, the African region and the region of the Americas, while it remained similar to that of the previous week in the European region and decreased in the Southeast Asia region, according to the WHO.
(WASHINGTON) — As the midterm primary season approaches, several Republicans running for state or national office are either refusing to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status or advertising that they haven’t received a shot, even as former President Donald Trump calls on his followers to get the vaccine.
Some experts say that disconnect could expose cracks in a party that continues to grapple with its loyalty to Trump as well as a growing distrust of government, scientists and the media — and may signal a loosening of Trump’s grip on the Republican voting base, according to Sarah Isgur, a former spokesperson for the Justice Department during the Trump administration.
“There’s been an assumption within the political class that these are ‘Trump voters,’ implying that the former president himself can dictate their political support for or against a given candidate,” said Isgur, who is also an ABC News contributor. “But the vaccine issue demonstrates the limits of that idea.”
After denigrating many of the measures promoted by scientists to help curb the spread of COVID-19 during his time in office, Trump has emerged as an unlikely champion of vaccines. His promotion of the shot as “something that works” belies polling that shows unvaccinated adults are more than three times as likely to be Republicans than Democrats.
Trump has at least twice been booed by supporters for promoting the vaccine — once at an August rally in Alabama and again in December when he told an audience that he’d received a booster shot.
“Don’t, don’t, don’t,” Trump told dissenters who booed the vaccine at the December event.
“If you don’t want to take it, you shouldn’t be forced to take it — no mandates,” said Trump, whose administration oversaw the speedy development of the vaccine. “But take credit, because we saved tens of millions of lives. Take credit. Don’t let them take that away from you.”
Critics of Trump, however, accuse him of paving the way for widespread vaccine hesitancy by undermining scientists in his own administration who advocated for masks and social distancing in the early months of the pandemic.
Now, several Republican candidates running under the Trump banner — including some who have already earned his endorsement — are parroting anti-vax rhetoric in their campaigns. Others are trying to toe the line by refusing to share their vaccination status altogether — a position Trump has characterized as “gutless.”
“Trump empowered this anti-vax monster, and now even he can’t control it,” said former Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va.
Former NFL running back Herschel Walker, who earned Trump’s endorsement for U.S. Senate in Georgia, has declined to say whether he has been vaccinated. The early frontrunner in Ohio’s GOP primary for U.S. Senate, Josh Mandel, has aligned himself with Trump but recently implied that he has not been vaccinated. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a longtime Trump ally, has dodged questions about whether he’s received a booster shot.
In Arizona, a gaggle of Trump-backed and Trump-aligned candidates have been more explicit in their opposition to vaccines. Former television anchor Kari Lake, who Trump endorsed in the state’s gubernatorial primary, said recently that she has “enough concern about the vaccine” to not take it.
Justin Olson, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Arizona, also said this month that he has not been vaccinated — calling his decision “an issue of rebellion against” the Biden administration’s vaccine mandates. And Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., enthusiastically accepted Trump’s endorsement for reelection, even as he continues to stoke anti-vaccine fears.
A number of Trump-aligned candidates have cast their vaccine status as a matter of privacy. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who is also running for U.S. Senate, has mocked reporters who have questioned him about it.
“My health information is my own information,” Brnovich said. “Have you had an STD? I mean, seriously, if we’re going to start asking about people’s health information.”
There’s already evidence that opacity could be a winning strategy. In Virginia’s recent election for lieutenant governor, Winsome Sears, a fierce Trump loyalist, refused to disclose her vaccination status, leading her Democratic opponent, Hala Ayala, to try to make it a major campaign issue.
“I encourage everyone to get the vaccine but no one should be forced to disclose their vaccination status,” Sears wrote in a tweet ahead of election day. She then won the race.
Sears’ triumph could be a sign that voters simply don’t care if public servants are vaccinated. But it could also indicate the evolving relationship between Trump and members of his base, many of whom Isgur says are “disaffected and angry” — even if some of that anger is directed toward Trump himself.
“It’s why Trump’s disapproval of a candidate has been so much more effective than his endorsement,” Isgur said. “These voters are on the hunt for enemies, and they are just as willing to turn on Trump as anyone else.”
(NEW YORK) — Victoria’s Secret has unveiled ads for its latest collection of bras and panties, called Love Cloud, featuring women of different shapes, sizes and backgrounds.
The Love Cloud collection announced last year, features ads with images of accessories designer Slyvia Buckler holding her pregnant stomach, and Nez Perce Tribe-Wildland Firefighter, Celilo Miles.
The ads also feature familiar faces such as top models Hailey Bieber, Adut Akech and Paloma Elsesser as well as Valentina Sampaio who became Sports Illustrated’s first transgender model to be featured in the publication’s swimsuit issue.
“Love Cloud Collection is a major moment in the brand’s evolution,” said Victoria’s Secret head creative director Raúl Martinez. “From the cast of incredible women that bring the collection to life, to the incredible inclusive spirit on set, this campaign is an important part of the new Victoria’s Secret standard we are creating.”
Officially available to shop in-stores and online, the new Love Cloud collection features a wide selection of bras and panties sized 32A-40DDD and XS-XXL. The pieces include cloud-like padding as well as a soft fabric that consists of smoothing technology to give a sleek appearance, according to the company.
“After listening to and being inspired by the real needs of our consumers, Love Cloud has been created as a collection that fits everyday comfort without sacrificing functionality or sexiness,” said Victoria’s Secret chief design officer Janie Schaffer.
She continued: “With this new line, we are launching high-quality bras and panties in shapes that fit women’s daily needs, in our ongoing effort to develop products that champion women and support their individual journeys.”
