Iran Calls on People to Stay at Home as Death Toll Rises to 43

Nadler Demands Information From Barr Over Claims of Political Interference

The House Judiciary Committee on Friday sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting documents and interviews with former and current department officials over claims of “improper political interference” in the way several department matters have been handled. The committee’s chairman, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), said in his letter (pdf) to Attorney General William Barr that the lawmakers are requesting the information in order to fulfill its oversight responsibility. He is specifically asking the attorney general to turn over documents related to several criminal matters, including the sentencing of Trump associate Roger Stone and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and the department’s probe into the origins of the 2016 counterintelligence investigation on the Trump campaign. He is also asking for information in other matters such as the…

DUBAI鈥擠eaths in Iran from coronavirus have hit 43, the highest number outside China, and the total number of infected people has risen to 593, an Iranian health official said on Saturday.

As several countries in the Middle East reported cases of the coronavirus stemming from Iran, the country is at the epicenter of the outbreak in the region.

“Unfortunately nine people died of the virus in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll to 43 … the total number of infected people is 593,” Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV, calling on people to stay at home.

Iran’s Health Minister Saeed Namaki warned on Friday of “a very difficult week” ahead in Iran, which only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19 and where the death rate among confirmed cases has been around 10 percent, compared to around 3 percent elsewhere.

Tehran has ordered the shutting of schools until Tuesday and the government has extended the closure of universities and a ban on concerts and sports events for a week.

Several high-ranking officials, including a vice minister, deputy health minister, and five lawmakers, have tested positive for the coronavirus as the outbreak forced Iran’s clerical rulers to close the parliament and impose internal travel bans.

Iran Calls on People to Stay at Home as Death Toll Rises to 43

One lawmaker, elected in Iran’s Feb. 21 polls, had died of the coronavirus, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

Iran’s government spokesman will hold his weekly news conference online due to the outbreak, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

Iran’s foreign ministry advised Iranians to avoid trips to South Korea, which reported 594 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, taking its tally to 2,931 cases.

Saudi Arabia is now the only Gulf Arab state not to have reported any cases of the coronavirus.

“This is an international problem and all nations should work together to overcome the coronavirus crisis,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told Qatar鈥檚 ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Saturday by telephone, state TV reported.

However, Iran has rejected as “ridiculous” the U.S. offer to help with its coronavirus outbreak.

By Parisa Hafezi

This article is from the Internet:Iran Calls on People to Stay at Home as Death Toll Rises to 43

Education Department Creates Task Force to Help Parents, Schools Respond to Coronavirus

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced Thursday that her department is assembling a task force to respond to the potential impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on American schools. DeVos made the announcement during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on President Donald Trump’s proposed education budget for fiscal year 2021. When asked by Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) if there is any coordination between the Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that would allow parents and schools to obtain the resources and information they need, DeVos responded that a task force has been set up. It was revealed during the hearing that the task force would be led by Mick Zais, the deputy secretary of education. “I’ve convened a task force within the Department…