DHS Secretary Nielsen calls Pittsburgh shooting "pure act of evil"

Screenshot: Fox News Sunday

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen condemned the mass shooting at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue as "a pure act of evil," and added that DHS officials had actually conducted a site visit to the synagogue in March to advise on active shooter scenarios.

The big picture: Asked by host Chris Wallace if President Trump bears any responsibility for the recent spike in political violence, Nielsen said that while First Amendment rights should always be protected, there is a line: "When those choose to use the First Amendment to incite violence, to incite disruption, rather than being constructive...to have conversations that instead tear Americans apart, I do not support that."

Go deeper

Rebecca Falconer, Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Updated 39 mins ago - Science

Deadly Hurricane Zeta pummels Alabama after Louisiana landfall

A satellite image of Hurricane Zeta. Photo: National Hurricane Center/NOAA

Hurricane Zeta has killed at least one person after a downed power line electrocuted a 55-year-old in Louisiana as the storm moved into Alabama overnight.

What's happening: After "battering southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi," it began lashing Alabama late Wednesday, per the National Hurricane Center.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Rebecca Falconer
57 mins ago - World

Taiwan reaches a record 200 days with no local coronavirus cases

Catholics go through containment protocols including body-temperature measurement and hands-sanitisation before entering the Saint Christopher Parish Church, Taipei City, Taiwan, in July. Photo: Ceng Shou Yi/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Taiwan on Thursday marked no locally transmitted coronavirus cases for 200 days, as the island of 23 million people's total number of infections reported stands at 550 and the COVID-19 death toll at seven.

Why it matters: Nowhere else in the world has reached such a milestone. While COVID-19 cases surge across the U.S. and Europe, Taiwan's last locally transmitted case was on April 12. Experts credit tightly regulated travel, early border closure, "rigorous contact tracing, technology-enforced quarantine and universal mask wearing," along with the island state's previous experience with the SARS virus, per Bloomberg.

Go deeper: As Taiwan's profile rises, so does risk of conflict with China

Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Politics: Biden ahead in Wisconsin, Michigan as cases surge in the Midwest.
  2. Health: Fauci says U.S. may not return to normal until 2022 — Trump's testing czar: Surge "is real" and not just caused by more tests — Some coronavirus survivors have "autoantibodies."
  3. Business: Consumer confidence sinking — Testing is a windfall.
  4. World: Europe faces "stronger and deadlier" wave — France imposes lockdown — Germany to close bars and restaurants for a month.
  5. Sports: Boston Marathon delayed — MLB to investigate Dodgers player who joined celebration after positive COVID test.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow