Mar 21, 2019

"We do not know his whereabouts": Venezuelan forces detain key opposition aide

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Photo: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

Venezuelan security forces detained Roberto Marrero, a lawyer and key aide to opposition leader Juan Guaidó, on Thursday morning after raiding his home, per the AP.

The big picture: The U.S. has warned Maduro and the Venezuelan government to not take action against Guaidó, who is supported by over 50 countries in his bid to be Venezuela's president and is also being investigated by Venezuelan prosectors for an alleged attack on the country's power grid. Maduro, backed by allies Russia and Cuba, says Guaidó is part of a U.S. plan to overthrow his government.

What's happening: Marrero's detainment was reported by neighboring lawmaker Sergio Vergara, who said that his home was also raided. Guaidó tweeted on Thursday morning: "We do not know his whereabouts. He must be released immediately."

Go deeper: Inside Trump's Venezuela pivot

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Orion Rummler

Mass shooting in Milwaukee: What we know

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 on Wednesday, including the gunman, Mayor Tom Barrett told reporters at a Wednesday 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 3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Axios

Coronavirus updates: South Korea case count tops 2,000

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.

33 people in California have tested positive for the coronavirus, and health officials are monitoring 8,400 people who have recently returned from "points of concern," Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed more than 2,850 people and infected over 83,000 others in some 50 countries and territories. 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.

Go deeperUpdated 3 hours ago - Health

Dave Lawler

Syria's darkest chapter

Family room without a family, in Idlib. Photo: Muhammed Said/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The worst humanitarian crisis of Syria’s brutal civil war is colliding today with what could be the war’s most dangerous geopolitical showdown, after at least 29 Turkish troops were killed in an airstrike.

The big picture: The fighting is taking place in Idlib in northwest Syria, where a ferocious Syrian and Russian offensive has displaced 1 million civilians and infuriated Turkey, which borders the region.

Go deeper5 hours ago - World