Romney support scuppers Dems hopes on Justice appointment
Democratic Party hopes of delaying the appointment of a successor on the US supreme court to Ruth Bader Ginsbourg faded on Tuesday when Republican senator Mitt Romney said he would support the nomination of a new justice. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and so far only Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska from that majority have said they will oppose filling Justice Ginsburg’s seat before the election. Ginsburg will lie in state at the court on Wednesday and Thursday. US president Donald Trump has announced he will reveal his nominee on Saturday.Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa are reported to be the frontrunners for the vacant seat after Trump said he favoured a female candidate and appears to have narrowed his choice down to five women. The Washington Post, The Economist, and The New York Times have analysis and opinion.
Covid law extended to end year
Luxembourg’s parliament on Tuesday voted to extend Covid-19 laws first introduced in June until the end of the year. The law includes requirements to isolate if tested positive for coronavirus and to quarantine if contacted by the authorities following test and trace procedures. Fines of up to €500 can be imposed. Wearing of masks in confined public places remains mandatory. More from our own story here.
Global Covid update
USA: deaths surpassed 200,000 and Wisconsin has declared a new public health emergency. President Donald Trump said “Well, I think it’s a shame,” when asked about the death toll. Reuters and CNN report. UK: Prime minister Boris Johnson delivered what some media called a “grim” televised speech in which he warned of a perilous six months ahead and said the army may even be called in to support police enforcement of coronavirus restrictions. The Guardian and the BBC have more. Germany: Bavaria on Tuesday imposed new measures including tighter limits on numbers of people meeting and earlier closing for restaurants, Reuters reports.
Luxembourg: quarantined teachers not in classrooms
Health minister Paulette Lenert said on Tuesday that although teachers placed in quarantine could request a return to the classroom, none had so far taken up the offer. Lenert was answering a parliamentary question after a leaked letter from the health authority caused a stir on social media. Delano has more.
Woman on moon by 2024
US space agency Nasa on Tuesday unveiled plans to resume manned flights to the moon by 2024. The outlined its $28bn Artemis porgramme will see the first woman land on the lunar surface, but Nasa’s timeline is contingent on congress releasing $3.2bn for building a landing system, the BBC reports.
Facebook could pull out of Europe
The legacy of the Max Schrems case at the European Court of Justice could lead to Facebook quitting Europe, the tech giant has said. The Irish data protection commissioner has begun the process of enforcing the ECJ ruling that bans the sharing of data with the US. In a court filing submitted on Tuesday, Facebook writes, “it is not clear…how, in those circumstances, it could continue to provide the Facebook and Instagram services in the EU.” The Guardian, Vice, and Forbes have reports and analysis.
Tesla shares waver after Musk presentation
Shares in Tesla dropped as much as 7% during a “Battery Day” presentation by Elon Musk on Tuesday in which he stated that much-heralded lower priced battery and manufacturing advances were still three years off. But Musk was confident 2020 would see the electric car maker increase vehicle deliveries by up to 40% over last year. CNBC, The Verge and TechCrunch have details.
Chinese critic jailed
Chinese real estate mogul Ren Zhiqiang has been sentenced to 18 years in prison and fined 4.2m yuan after being found guilty of “serious violations of discipline and the law”. Ren wrote an essay in March about the coronavirus outbreak and suggested that president Xi Jinping was a “clown” over his handling of the crisis. The Guardian, BBC and South China Morning Post have more
Cruise company boss cautiously optimistic
Norwegian Cruise Lines CEO Frank Del Rio has said he is “hopeful that 2021 can be an OK year” as bookings are “truly remarkable,” considering what a disastrous year 2020 has been for the cruise ship industry. CNBC says shares in the three major cruise companies that trade in the US are down at least 50% since the start of the year.
Luxembourg: footballer faces jail for conning “surrogate grandmother”
Former Luxembourg football international Dan de Motta was in court on Tuesday charged with abusing the state of weakness of an elderly woman whom he described as a “surrogate grandmother”. The woman, now 91, transferred some €167,000 to de Motta’s account between 2016 and 2018. He allegedly had a gambling problem and had lost some €100,000 in close to a year. RTL Luxembourg reports.
Trump Ricin attack woman charged
A woman from Quebec has been formally charged over sending a letter packed with Ricin poison to US president Donald Trump. Canadian citizen Pascale Ferrier told Trump in the letter to “remove your application for this election.” The BBC and New York Post report.
Asperger’s teen shot by police
13-year old Linden Cameron is “lucky to be alive” says a family lawyer after he was shot 11 times by police who were called by his mother to their house in Salt Lake City. Cameron suffers from Asperger's, a form of autism, and was experiencing a crisis when his mother asked 911 for help to get him to hospital. Reports from Sky News and CNN include disturbing body camera footage.
Lennon killer says sorry
The killer of John Lennon has apologised to Yoko Ono, the BBC reports. Mark Chapman, who shot Lennon in December 1980 outside his New York apartment, was denied parole for the eleventh time following a hearing last month. "I have no excuse. This was for self-glory,” Chapman said.
Return litter
Bored Panda reports that the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand has started sending trash found in the park back to the visitors who left it there. The novel littering awareness campaign, which has the support of Thailand’s minister of natural resources and environment, is made possible because visitors are required sign in with their contact information, including their home address.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts