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One has to do with a missing tennis player, and the other about human rights issues in Western China that have led to a diplomatic boycott of these Games by the United States. More than a month ago, Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai went missing, and silent, after she posted on social media that a top Chinese Communist official allegedly sexually assaulted her. Officials from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) claimed it has spoken twice with Peng, who has reportedly had no other contact outside of China since Nov....

It was Beijing’s first material response to Washington’s far-reaching sanctions, a decision the White House said was taken on national security grounds. The unprecedented intervention sought to retain American primacy in emerging technologies by kneecapping China’s advanced chip-makers in the process, industry experts said at the time. “China’s lawsuit in the WTO is a necessary way to address our concerns through legal means and to defend our legitimate rights and interests,” said the ministry’s statement, which accused the U....

The woman had no direct contact with any of the other people and the only shared space was an elevator in the apartment block where she lived. Researchers say this superspreader case shows how a single case of the disease can result in “widespread community transmission” and the challenges of containment via self isolation. The 25-year-old woman returned to Heilongjiang Province, China, from the U.S. on March 19. Prior to her arrival, there had been no cases of COVID-19 in the region since March 11....

The final game of NFL Week 13 is here and you can sign up with Caesars promo code NEWSWEEKFULL to get three bonuses from Caesars Sportsbook. The most notable bonus is a first-bet insurance offer of up to $1,250, which you could use on any game or player market. Our Caesars promo code NEWSWEEKFULL will give new players access to the Full Caesar offer, which includes a fully-insured first bet on Caesars, as well as benefits for the Caesars Rewards program....

“It’s terrifying in some ways to think that two things could happen to her in this span of time, but Mom is a strong lady,” Ripken told The Baltimore Sun. On Tuesday, a man with a handgun approached 75-year-old Vi Ripken near a bank in Aberdeen, Md., and tried to carjack her, police said. She activated a key alarm and the man left. Aberdeen police later charged Jesse Bowen, 33, of Havre de Grace with attempted armed robbery, attempted armed carjacking, possessing a dangerous weapon, first degree assault and several controlled substance related charges....

California’s health department updated its advice about the most effective use of masks and when to consider “double masking” on Thursday, after Gov. Gavin Newsom said the decision to stop enforcing face covering use in Texas was “absolutely reckless.” The California public health agency said masks remain “essential” as they limit spread of the disease, which is critical as new COVID variants emerge. “Good fit and filtration improve protection for others if you are infected and protection for you if you are exposed to an infected person,” it explained in a release on Thursday, as the state logged 3,504 new cases of the disease over the past 24 hours....

The Line: Arizona -9.5, Total: 70.5 Line movement: Arizona opened -14 at The Wynn on Sunday, but it was all underdog money in early wagering, sending the line spiraling downward. While The Wynn was dealing -9.5 by midweek, Cal can be found at +10 elsewhere. For updated spreads and totals, visit our live odds board. Trends that matter: Cal is 2-6 ATS in its last eight road games, 3-11 ATS in its last 14 against teams with a winning record, and 2-12 ATS in its last 14 conference games…....

Ammar Campa-Najjar is running for California’s 50th congressional district, which is located in parts of San Diego County and Riverside County. He sat down for the interview with the founder of Defend East County to answer questions about his policy stances with less than a month to go until Election Day. “You know that no matter if it’s [Democratic presidential candidate] Joe Biden or [President Donald] Trump who wins—I know you guys want Trump to win—but whoever wins, you know that I on day one can work with both sides,” Campa-Najjar said during the interview, which was shared on Defend East County’s private Facebook page and later obtained by KPBS....

Lake Oroville helps irrigate about 25% of crops in the U.S. annually, in addition to playing key roles in Northern California tourism and endangered salmon conservation. A severe state drought is evaporating the water supply quicker than usual, leading officials to anticipate record low levels in the lake. Jay Lund, co-director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California-Davis, said that the approximately 1,500 reservoirs in California have fallen 50% lower than expected for this time of year....

The Fairview Fire, which has been burning since Monday, had killed two people and seriously injured another as of Tuesday. At 7 p.m. on Wednesday an RCFD update said the blaze had grown to 9,846 acres and was threatening 2,000 structures and had only been 5 percent contained. A further update at 10.30 p.m. on Twitter, said it had grown to cover 19,377 acres and was still only 5 percent contained....

The state’s next gubernatorial election is not scheduled until late 2022, but a petition seeking to bring forward a vote has gathered most of the signatures it needs to trigger a contest. The Recall Gavin Newsom campaign claims to have gathered more than 1.4 million signatures, approaching the 1,495,709 that are needed by March 10 in order for the recall to be confirmed—though they are likely to need more than that to account for any that are thrown out during verification....

Retailers, manufacturing companies, office spaces and outdoor museums can also proceed with in-person activity under Stage 2, while complying with safety measures to protect against further transmission of the novel coronavirus. As Newsom announced in early May, when his office released initial details about California’s four-phased reopening strategy, jurisdictions that meet certain public health criteria can submit a written request for Stage 2 status to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)....

The attack occurred at Cafe Istanbul, a family-owned restaurant in Malibu, California, at 8 p.m. on November 4, 2020. Stepanyan, an Armenian-American, and eight other people drove to the restaurant and attacked five people, including the restaurant operator and employees. Earlier that day, Stepanyan wrote a text stating that he wanted to go “hunting for [T]urks.” He wore a mask during the attack, threw chairs and shouted derogatory slurs about Turkish people....

A fire that broke out at the The Cellar restaurant in Fullerton, California, on Tuesday was extinguished before there was any serious damage. However, suspicions were raised over the cause of the blaze after two signs at the top of the staircase describing state orders for dining were ripped down and burnt. The signs ask people to enter the premises wearing a mask, and describe how temperature checks would be carried out, with those with a reading of above 100 degrees, being asked to reschedule their reservation to a later date....

Weather conditions dictate California’s wildfire season, which usually runs from May to November. In the past week, those conditions, including high winds and low humidity, were ripe for fires igniting and firefighters battled more than nine blazes at one time. As fires burned more than 60,000 acres in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency Sunday. He told the public in a statement that the government was deploying “every resource available” and called it “critical” that people, especially those in evacuation zones, heed warnings from officials....

The EDD said that those affected by the suspended payments will need to have their identity verified before the processing of their claim can resume, leaving many uncertain about when they will receive the financial support. Throughout the pandemic, the unemployment fund has been hit by delays and errors in its processing of financial support, as well as widespread fraud. In a tweet on Sunday, the EDD wrote: “As part of ongoing efforts to fight fraud, EDD has suspended payment on claims considered high risk and is informing those affected that their identity will need to be verified starting this week before payments can resume....

The consensus is that Akers will be the main man as a rookie out of Florida State, but Henderson was a major sleeper last preseason and Brown has actually contributed at times in pro football. While L.A. likely remains a pass-heavy team, its starting running back will matter in fantasy. DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2020 cheat sheet Cam Akers fantasy outlook Akers’ best college season came as a freshman with the Seminoles....

The ad starts with a group of children who are playing a fun football game, while their parents watch from the bleachers. As a Buick pulls up to the field, one dad remarks to another, “Check out that Buick!” The other father is skeptical and says, “If that’s a Buick, then my kid is Cam Newton.” Suddenly the man’s son turns into the Carolina Panthers quarterback, who hilariously starts to dominate his small opponents....