Jul 30, 2018

Protests and questions over murder of Ethiopian engineer

Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Thousands gathered yesterday in Ethiopia’s capital, some dodging tear gas canisters from police trying to control the unruly scene, to pay their last respects to a man considered by many to be a national hero.

What's happening: Engineer Simegnew Bekele was found murdered Thursday in an SUV parked near the bustling center of Addis Ababa. Demonstrators have demanded an explanation as to who killed him, and why.

Bekele was overseeing the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam on the Nile river. The dam will be Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant when completed and is the centerpiece of an infrastructure-led push to modernize the impoverished East African country’s economy.
It is also controversial, particularly in Egypt, which fears the flow of the Nile will be disrupted. In Ethiopia, though, the project and its chief engineer had become symbols of national pride. It’s not yet clear whether Bekele's murder is linked to the dam project.

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Axios

Live updates: CDC confirms possible community spread of coronavirus

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 first case of the novel coronavirus in a person in the U.S. who did not recently return from a foreign country nor have contact with a confirmed case has been detected, the CDC said Tuesday.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed more than 2,700 people and infected over 81,000 others. By Wednesday morning, South Korea had the most cases outside China, with 1,261 infections. Europe's biggest outbreak is in Italy, where 374 cases have been confirmed.

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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 Milwaukee Molson Coors brewery complex on Wednesday, including the shooter, Mayor Tom Barrett told reporters at an evening press conference with local police.

What's happening: Police said "there is no active threat" just before 6 pm ET, but noted the scene remains active. Police chief Alfonso Morales told reporters that officers have "more than 20 buildings we have to secure" at the complex and they do not currently have all employees accounted for, as more than 1,000 were at the complex during the shooting.

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Trump assigns Pence to lead U.S. coronavirus response

Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump announced at a press briefing Wednesday evening that he'll be putting Vice President Mike Pence in charge of leading the administration's response to the coronavirus.

The big picture: In the wake of a market sell-off and warnings from health officials that there's a real threat of the coronavirus spreading in the U.S., Trump sought to reassure the nation and Wall Street that the U.S. is "ready" for whatever comes next.

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