 | Friday 02.21.20 What's spreading faster than the coronavirus? In the US at least, racist and xenophobic attacks against anyone who looks Asian. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
By Harmeet Kaur | |  | | Russia Intelligence officials warned lawmakers that Russia is already trying to interfere in the 2020 election to help President Trump win, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Aside from helping Trump get re-elected, Russia is also trying to raise questions about the integrity of the election process, one of the sources said. News of the briefing didn't go over well with Trump, who has repeatedly downplayed Russia's efforts to interfere in US elections and has dismissed findings by US intelligence agencies. The President was furious when he found out that House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, a Democrat and frequent critic, was included — he believed that Schiff would try to use the information against him as he runs for re-election, according to a person familiar with the matter. Then earlier this week, Trump announced he was replacing the acting intelligence chief with someone who had no related experience. | |  | | Roger Stone
Roger Stone, a longtime friend and former adviser of President Trump, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison. Stone was convicted last fall of lying to Congress and threatening a witness regarding his efforts for Trump's 2016 campaign. The sentence caps off an intense week that prompted new concerns about impartiality at the Justice Department. Four federal prosecutors quit last week after top DOJ officials recommended a lighter sentence for Stone — just hours after Trump complained on Twitter. The judge spent much of yesterday's hearing criticizing Stone and defending the prosecutors at the center of last week's drama. Stone is still challenging his conviction by claiming juror misconduct and is asking for a new trial. Trump said he wanted the process to play out before deciding whether to grant Stone clemency but didn't rule it out. | |  | | Coronavirus
Earlier this week, it looked like the novel coronavirus outbreak appeared to be slowing down. That's no longer the case. China's Hubei province, which is at the center of the outbreak, announced 631 new infections today, bringing the total number of cases worldwide to more than 76,000. South Korea is also seeing a surge in cases, with the number of infections almost doubling in 24 hours. Meanwhile, passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that had been quarantined for two weeks have tested positive for the virus after arriving in the US and Australia. | |  | | Iran
Iranians are voting in parliamentary elections today, as things are tense both at home and abroad. Barely a month ago, the US and Iran were brought to the brink of war. A few months before that, Iranian leadership responded to anti-government protests in the country with a brutal crackdown. Today's election is expected to show how far the highest powers in Iran have moved from current President Hassan Rouhani's modernizing agenda in favor of conservatives and hardliners. There will be few moderates for Iranians to vote for, after thousands of candidates were disqualified from running. That suggests that the Iranian establishment is in no mood to re-engage with the West any time soon. The results will most likely be a big win for conservative and hardline candidates. The only unknown is how many people will turn out.
| |  | | Israel
With 11 days to go until Israel's election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans to build thousands of new homes in a part of Jerusalem that the international community holds as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The announcement immediately angered Palestinians, who called it "land theft" and a "violation of international law." The international community considers Israeli neighborhoods in East Jerusalem as settlements in violation of international law, though Israel insists it has the right to build anywhere in its capital city. This latest announcement is an attempt to woo right-wing voters, as election polls have repeatedly shown Netanyahu's Likud party trailing the rival Blue and White party by one or two seats.
| |  |  People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. The creator of cut, copy and paste has died RIP to a true revolutionary. We owe him so much. This season's flu shot is working pretty well, CDC says It's not too late to get the vaccine. The Whitney Houston hologram tour is already creeping people out Maybe we could just let her rest in peace. McDonalds is making scented candles that smell like Quarter Pounder ingredients Is there an aroma as sweet as that of greasy meat and processed cheese? The Baby Yoda toys we've been waiting for are finally here Adorable, he is. A year on this exoplanet only takes 18 hours And every year, it gets one step closer to potentially being ripped apart. | | 500,000
The number of workers the Census Bureau is hiring to count every resident in the United States in 2020. | | |  This is Harvard's chance to be on the right side of history. Amanda Chan, one of five Harvard University students suing university officials over Harvard's investments in what they call the "prison-industrial complex." Harvard says it uses its endowment to help the university ensure it "has the financial resources to confidently maintain and expand its leadership in education and research for future generations," according to its website. | | |  | This man owns 2,371 cell phones
How does he remember all their numbers? How does he charge them all? When the phone rings, how does he figure out which one to pick up? I have so many questions. | | | | |
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