USA

WASHINGTON (AP) — A flurry of newly released emails from scientists and top officials at the federal agency responsible for weather forecasting clearly illustrates the consternation and outright alarm caused by President Donald Trump’s false claim that Hurricane Dorian could hit Alabama.

A top National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration official even called the president’s behavior “crazy.”

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — When Bernie Sanders addresses throngs of supporters who gather at his rallies, the divisions that plague the Democratic Party can feel far away. The Vermont senator speaks of building a “mutliracial, mutli-generational movement” that will cut through economic divides, catapult him into the White House and transform the nation.

Some of the highest-profile surrogates campaigning on his behalf are less sanguine.

Washington, Feb 1 (AFP/PTI) The US said Friday it was declaring a public health emergency and temporarily banning the entry of foreign nationals who had traveled to China over the past two weeks to contain the spread of a deadly new virus.

Sweeping new restrictions will also be imposed on American citizens, with those returning from the province at the disease's epicenter placed in facilities for mandatory 14-day quarantines, said Health Secretary Alex Azar.

Des Moines (US), Feb 1 (AP) Billionaire Michael Bloomberg spent roughly USD 180 million in the month after his late entry into the Democratic presidential primary, a staggering sum that's drastically more than all other leading contenders spent during much of the past year combined.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump issued an expanded version of his travel ban on Friday that targets prospective immigrants from Nigeria and five other countries, a move that could affect thousands of people and reignite debate on whether the policy is discriminatory.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday aimed at preventing counterfeit products from abroad from being sold to U.S. citizens who shop online using Amazon.com, Walmart.com or other ecommerce websites, the White House said.

Presidential trade adviser Peter Navarro urged Amazon, Walmart and digital commerce sites to take steps to ensure that the goods they sell are safe and legal.

“If they don’t, DHS will take steps to ensure they do,” he told reporters, referring to the Department of Homeland Security.

(Reuters) - A man accused of killing two police officers while acting as the leader of an al Qaeda group in the Iraqi city of Fallujah was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, federal officials said on Friday.

Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri, 42, is wanted in Iraq on charges of premeditated murder of the Iraqi police officers in 2006, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Arizona.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two billionaire Democratic presidential hopefuls, Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer, collectively spent about $389 million last year on their campaigns, more than the rest of the remaining Democratic field combined, according to disclosures filed on Friday.

Bloomberg launched his campaign in November and spent more than $188 million in two months, a sum sourced entirely from his personal wealth.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two decades ago, President Bill Clinton addressed a nation transfixed by impeachment. He didn’t use the I-word once in a State of the Union address that ran on for 78 minutes.

Now, President Donald Trump prepares to address the nation under similar circumstances, with the added pressure of a looming presidential election thrown into the mix. And no one expects him to follow the Clinton model by ignoring the elephant in the room — especially since he now appears likely to be acquitted the day after the speech.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Three days before the Iowa caucuses begin the 2020 nominating process, Joe Biden’s campaign manager downplayed the significance of Iowa and New Hampshire and prepped supporters for an extended primary season.

“The vice president has said many times: Monday’s contest begins the process, it doesn’t end it,” Greg Schultz wrote in a Friday memo obtained by The Associated Press.