May 24, 2019

3 more people died climbing Mount Everest yesterday

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An aerial of Mount Everest. (Photo: Sarah Lai/AFP/Getty Images)

3 climbers died of exhaustion while descending Mount Everest on Thursday, bringing the total number to seven deaths this week, as overcrowding plagues the world's highest peak, the BBC reports.

Details: Overcrowding has resulted from a record number of permits issued by Nepal as well as good climbing weather, per the New York Times. Due to the crowds, climbers are being exposed to high altitudes, wind and cold for longer, which could potentially be contributing to the deaths. This week's seven deaths is more than the total for all of last year, per the BBC.

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Coronavirus spreads to more countries, and U.S. ups its case count

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The novel coronavirus continues to spread to more nations, and the U.S. reports a doubling of its confirmed cases to 34 — while noting those are mostly due to repatriated citizens, emphasizing there's no "community spread" yet in the U.S. Meanwhile, Italy reported its first virus-related death on Friday.

The big picture: COVID-19 has now killed at least 2,359 people and infected more than 77,000 others, mostly in mainland China. New countries to announce infections recently include Israel, Lebanon and Iran.

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Wells Fargo agrees to pay $3 billion to settle consumer abuse charges

Clients use an ATM at a Wells Fargo Bank in Los Angeles, Calif. Photo: Ronen Tivony/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Wells Fargo agreed to a pay a combined $3 billion to the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday for opening millions of fake customer accounts between 2002 and 2016, the SEC said in a press release.

The big picture: The fine "is among the largest corporate penalties reached during the Trump administration," the Washington Post reports.

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