Apr 10, 2017

Alabama governor resigns, sentenced on ethics charges

Montgomery County, Alabama Sheriff's Office

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley has resigned following a guilty plea on two misdemeanor charges stemming from state ethics violations. He was sentenced to a 30-day suspended sentence and required to return tens of thousands of dollars to the state of Alabama. Lieutenant Governor Kay Ivey will be sworn in as the next governor of Alabama.

The AP reported that Bentley "is in good spirits" over his decision to step down just as an impeachment investigation regarding his misuse of state funds to cover up an affair with a staffer kicked off today.

Go deeper

Axios

Coronavirus updates: New global case numbers surpass China's

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 is now affecting every continent but Antarctica and the WHO said Wednesday the number of new cases reported outside China has exceeded those inside the country for the first time.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed more than 2,800 people and infected over 82,000 others in some 50 countries and territories. As Denmark and Estonia both reported their first cases on Thursday, Scott Morrison, prime minister of Australia — which has 23 confirmed cases — told a news conference, "The risk of a global pandemic is very much upon us."

Go deeperUpdated 12 mins ago - Health

Orion Rummler

Mass shooting in Milwaukee: What we know so far

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in 2012. Photo: John Gress/Corbis via Getty Images

Six people died in a shooting at the Molson Coors Brewing Company in Milwaukee Molson Coors on Wednesday, including the 51-year-old gunman, Mayor Tom Barrett told reporters at an evening press conference with local police.

Details: All of the victims worked at the brewery complex, as did the shooter who died of "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police confirmed in a statement late Wednesday.

Go deeperUpdated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Rebecca Falconer

WHO official leads criticism of Trump's coronavirus response

President Trump with members of the new coronavirus task force, including Vice President Mike Pence at the White House on Wednesday. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, special advisor to the director general of the World Health Organization, told MSNBC Wednesday he found "most" of what President Trump said at his briefing on the novel coronavirus "incoherent."

The big picture: As the number of confirmed cases reaches 60 in the U.S., the top health professional — who was a health policy adviser in the Obama administration — is among several leading figures, in particular, Democrats, to criticize the president for his response to the outbreak.

Go deeper3 hours ago - Health