Political reality

February 02, 2016 - Daily News Briefing

The sound and fury of political campaigns can be exciting and sometimes dismaying. Voting is quiet and small and far more profound.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international emergency on Monday in response to the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which may be linked to birth defects in the Americas, saying it is an "extraordinary event." The United Nations health agency convened an emergency meeting of medical experts in Geneva to assess the outbreak after noting a suspicious link between Zika's arrival in Brazil last year and a surge in the number of babies born with abnormalities. WHO officials say that up to 4 million cases of Zika could turn up in the Americas within the next year.

It took eight days and an exhaustive statewide manhunt to recapture three violent inmates after a California jailbreak, but with last of the inmates taken into custody on Saturday attention will return to how they were able to escape the jail – specifically why it took so long for jailers to notice their absence. The final two inmates – Hossein Nayeri and Jonathan Tieu – were apprehended on Saturday in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park after a civilian alerted police officers to a van similar to one the inmates were believed to be using. The third escaped inmate, Bac Duong, had surrendered to authorities on Friday.

A survivor hidden in a tree says he watched Boko Haram extremists firebomb huts with children and adults inside. Officials say 86 people died in the latest attack by Nigeria's homegrown Islamic extremists. Scores of casualties littered the streets from Saturday night's attack on Dalori village and two nearby camps housing 25,000 refugees, according to survivors and soldiers at the scene just 3 miles from Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram and the biggest city in Nigeria's northeast.

As a global boycott movement against Israeli universities gains steam, Israeli professors say they are feeling the pressure from their colleagues overseas. Although the movement ostensibly targets universities, not individuals, Israeli academics say they are often shunned at the personal level. They experience snubs at academic conferences, struggle to get recommendations and can experience difficulty publishing their work in professional journals. The academic boycott is part of the broader pro-Palestinian "BDS" campaign, which advocates boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. Inspired by the anti-apartheid movement, BDS organizers say they are using nonviolent means to promote the Palestinian struggle for independence.

Nicole Madison Lovell, a 13-year-old who was abducted and killed for motives that are still under investigation, is being remembered by people who knew her as an “angel.” A Virginia Tech student, 18-year-old David Eisenhauer, has been charged with first-degree murder and abduction in the death of Nicole, who was missing for several days from Blacksburg, Va., before her body was found Saturday in North Carolina, police said. Another Virginia Tech student, Natalie Keepers, 19, faces charges of improper disposal of a body and accessory after the fact in the commission of a felony.

The US coal industry has been in decline for years, a high-profile victim of federal efforts to limit American greenhouse gas emissions, and a new moratorium on new leases for coal mined on federal lands is crystallizing for many coal towns around the country that the historically boom-and-bust industry may be entering a prolonged slump. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced the moratorium on Friday, saying it was time to review the decades-old leasing program for a variety of reasons, from the environmental and health impacts of coal burning to whether Americans are getting fair return on the sales.

After 15 years of near austerity, US airlines are restoring some small perks for passengers crammed into coach. Don't expect ample legroom or free checked bags. But fliers will find improved snacks, a larger selection of free movies and — on a few select routes — the return of free meals. Monday, American Airlines became the latest carrier to add something back. It announced the return of free snacks in the economy section and more free entertainment options on some aircraft.

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