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Hydroxychloroquine fails to prevent COVID-19 in rigorous study - CBS News

The first large study of whether the drug could prevent people from getting infected finds it's no better than a placebo.

A malaria drug President Donald Trump took to try to prevent COVID-19 proved ineffective for that in the first large, high-quality study to test it in people in close contact with someone with the disease. Results published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine show that hydroxychloroquine was no better than placebo pills at preventing illness from the coronavirus. The drug did not seem to cause serious harm, though — about 40% on it had side effects, mostly mild stomach problems. "We were disappointed. We would have liked for this to work," said the study leader, Dr. David Boulware, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Minnesota. "But our objective was to answer the question and to conduct a high-quality study," because the evidence on the drug so far has been inconclusive, he said. Hydroxychloroquine and a similar drug, chloroquine, have been the subject of much debate since Trump started promoting them in March. Hydroxychloroquine has long been used for malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, but no large studies have shown it or chloroquine to be safe or effective for much sicker patients with coronavirus, and some studies have suggested the drugs may do harm. Mr. Trump took a two-week course of hydroxychloroquine, along with zinc and Vitamin D, after two staffers tested positive for COVID-19, and had no ill effects, according to results of his latest physical released by his doctor Wednesday. Federal regulators have warned against hydroxychloroquine's use except in hospitals and formal studies because of the risk of side effects, especially heart rhythm problems. WHO pauses hydroxychloroquine from drug study, warns of possible "second peak" of coronavirus Boulware's study involved 821 people in the United States and Canada living with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or at high risk of getting it because of their job — doctors, nurses, ambulance workers who had significant exposure to a sick patient while not wearing full protective gear. They were randomly assigned to get either the nutrient folate as a placebo or hydroxychloroquine for five days, starting within four days of their exposure. Neither they nor others involved in the research knew who was getting which pills. After 14 days in the study, 12% on the drug developed COVID-19 symptoms versus 14% in the placebo group, but the difference is so small it could have occurred by chance, Boulware said. "There's basically no effect. It does not prevent infection," he said of the drug. Even if it were to give some slim advantage, "we'd want a much larger effect" to justify its use and risk of side effects for preventing illness, he said. Results were no different among a subgroup of participants who were taking zinc or vitamin C, which some people believe might help make hydroxychloroquine more effective or fight the coronavirus. There are some big caveats: The study enrolled people through the Internet and social media, relying on them to report their own symptoms rather than having them tracked in a formal way by doctors. Participants were not all tested for the coronavirus but were diagnosed as COVID-19 cases based on symptoms in many cases. And not all took their medicines as directed. The results "are more provocative than definitive," and the drug may yet have prevention benefits if tried sooner or in a different way, Dr. Myron Cohen of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill wrote in a commentary in the journal. Others were glad to see a study that had a comparison group and good scientific methods after so many weaker reports on hydroxychloroquine. "This fits with everything else we've seen so far which suggests that it's not beneficial," said Dr. Peter Bach, director of a health policy center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. This study was in younger relatively healthy people, but the results "would make me very discouraged about trying to use this in older people" who are most vulnerable to serious illness from the coronavirus, Bach said. "If it does work, it doesn't work very well." Dr. Dan Culver, a lung specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, said there's still a chance that giving the drug sooner than four days after someone's exposure to the virus may help prevent illness. But the study "takes 'home run' off the table" as far as hopes for the drug, he said. The study was mostly funded by David Baszucki, founder of Roblox, a California-based game software company, and other private donors and the Minnesota university. Boulware also is leading a study testing hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19. The study is finished and results are being analyzed now. On Tuesday, the journal Lancet posted an "expression of concern" about a study it published earlier this month of nearly 15,000 COVID-19 patients on the malaria drugs that tied their use to a higher risk of dying in the hospital or developing a heartbeat problem. Scientists have raised serious questions about the database used for that study, and its authors have launched an independent audit. That work had a big impact: the World Health Organization suspended use of hydroxychloroquine in a study it is leading, and French officials stopped the drug's use in hospitals. On Wednesday, the WHO said experts who reviewed safety information decided that its study could resume.

Asteroid as large as Empire State Building to zoom past Earth, NASA says - CBS News

Asteroid 2002 NN4 is estimated to be 820-1,870 feet in diameter and is expected to fly by Earth this weekend.

NASA is monitoring an asteroid that may be as large as the Empire State Building, expected to pass Earth on Saturday, June 6. Asteroid 2002 NN4 is estimated to be 250-570 meters (820-1,870 feet) in diameter, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). New York City's iconic Empire State Building is more than 1,400 feet tall at its tip. The asteroid may seem daunting, but it will pass Earth at a safe distance, a representative for JPL told CBS News. Information about the asteroid is listed on NASA's Center for Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) website, which monitors close approaches to Earth. Several other objects are expected to fly through space near Earth this week, according to the data. NASA has built a widget so star gazers can keep track of asteroids that may appear in the night sky. The widget keeps track of any Earth approaches within 4.6 million miles of the planet. The tool also uses common Earth objects to compare asteroids' sizes. Some asteroids are as big as houses, others planes, and some are as large as stadiums, the widget shows. While it is unlikely for an asteroid to hit Earth anytime soon, scientists have prepared just in case. Scientists from around the world gathered at a 2019 conference and discussed how to respond to an asteroid big enough to destroy a major city.  "All we have to do is change its speed a little faster or a little slower so that when it crosses Earth's orbit, it crosses either in front of us or behind us," said Dr. Lori Glaze, director of planetary science at NASA. There are 20,000 near-Earth asteroids and they do occasionally make an appearance. In 2013, one slammed into Russia, injuring 1,600 people. "It doesn't really keep me up at night," Glaze said.

After Facebook staff walkout, Zuckerberg defends no action on Trump posts - CBS News

Employees and civil-rights leaders are denouncing the Facebook CEO's decision to leave Trump's posts alone.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg isn't budging over his refusal to take action on inflammatory posts by President Donald Trump that spread misinformation about voting by mail and, many said, encouraged violence against protesters. Zuckerberg's critics, however, are multiplying.  Some employees have publicly quit over the issue and civil-rights leaders who met with him Monday night denounced Zuckerberg's explanation for choosing to leave Trump's posts alone as "incomprehensible." Criticism has been mounting after Mr. Trump's social media posts about protests in Minneapolis and across the country in the wake of George Floyd's death became increasingly aggressive. Social media companies call President Trump's executive order a threat to internet freedom A day after dozens of Facebook employees staged a virtual walkout over the issue, the Facebook chief met Tuesday with employees for a Q&A session held via online video. During that session, which had been moved forward from later in the week, Zuckerberg reportedly doubled down on his stance to leave Trump's posts alone — although he did suggest that the company was considering changes to its existing policies around "state use of force," which Trump's Minneapolis post fell under. Facebook rival Twitter flagged and demoted a Trump tweet in which he referenced protests over police violence in Minneapolis using the phrase "when the looting starts the shooting starts." But Facebook let an identical message stand on its service.  Zuckerberg explained his reasoning in a Facebook post Friday, a position he has since reiterated several times. "I know many people are upset that we've left the President's posts up, but our position is that we should enable as much expression as possible unless it will cause imminent risk of specific harms or dangers spelled out in clear policies," Zuckerberg wrote. The Facebook CEO has long resisted the idea of tamping free speech on the world's largest social network, even as examples piled up of misinformation and sometimes dangerous and hateful language spreading widely on Facebook. "Vehemently disagree" The resignations, which multiple engineers tweeted and posted on LinkedIn and Facebook, also began Tuesday. "I am proud to announce that as of the end of today, I am no longer a Facebook employee," tweeted Owen Anderson, who was an engineering manager at the company for two years. "To be clear, this was in the works for a while. But after last week, I am happy to no longer support policies and values I vehemently disagree with." Anderson did not immediately respond to a message for comment on Tuesday. But he wasn't alone. "Today, I submitted my resignation to Facebook," Timothy J. Aveni, a software engineer who'd been at the company for a year, wrote on LinkedIn and on his Facebook page. "I cannot stand by Facebook's continued refusal to act on the president's bigoted messages aimed at radicalizing the American public. I'm scared for my country, and I'm watching my company do nothing to challenge the increasingly dangerous status quo." Censoring information that might help people see the complete picture *is* wrong. But giving a platform to incite violence and spread disinformation is unacceptable, regardless who you are or if it’s newsworthy. I disagree with Mark’s position and will work to make change happen. — Andrew (@AndrewCrow) June 1, 2020 Aveni did not immediately respond to a message for further comment. Other employees posted their concerns about Zuckerberg's stance.  "Censoring information that might help people see the complete picture *is* wrong. But giving a platform to incite violence and spread disinformation is unacceptable, regardless who you are or if it's newsworthy. I disagree with Mark's position and will work to make change happen," tweeted Facebook employee Andrew Crow. "Speak openly" Facebook said it encouraged its workers to "speak openly." "We recognize the pain many of our people are feeling right now, especially our Black community. We encourage employees to speak openly when they disagree with leadership," Facebook said in a statement. "As we face additional difficult decisions around content ahead, we'll continue seeking their honest feedback." Barry Schnitt, who served as Facebook's director of communications and public policy from 2008 until 2012, wrote a blistering Medium post Monday. "Facebook says, and may even believe, that it is on the side of free speech," he wrote. "In fact, it has put itself on the side of profit and cowardice." "I do not think it is a coincidence that Facebook's choices appease those in power who have made misinformation, blatant racism and inciting violence part of their platform," he added, urging Facebook leaders to take responsibility and "show the world that you are not putting profit over values." Civil rights leaders Zuckerberg and other Facebook leaders also met with civil rights leaders on Monday night. That conversation apparently didn't go well. "We are disappointed and stunned by Mark's incomprehensible explanations for allowing the Trump posts to remain up," three civil-rights leaders wrote in a joint statement. "He did not demonstrate understanding of historic or modern-day voter suppression and he refuses to acknowledge how Facebook is facilitating Trump's call for violence against protesters." Signing that statement were Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change. "Mark is setting a very dangerous precedent for other voices who would say similar harmful things on Facebook," the three leaders added.

Asteroid that may be the size of Empire State Building to zoom past Earth - CBS News

Asteroid 2002 NN4 is estimated to be 820-1,870 feet in diameter and is expected to fly by Earth this weekend.

NASA is monitoring an asteroid that may be as large as the Empire State Building, expected to pass Earth on Saturday, June 6. Asteroid 2002 NN4 is estimated to be 250-570 meters (820-1,870 feet) in diameter, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). New York City's iconic Empire State Building is more than 1,400 feet tall at its tip. The asteroid may seem daunting, but it will pass Earth at a safe distance, a representative for JPL told CBS News. Information about the asteroid is listed on NASA's Center for Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) website, which monitors close approaches to Earth. Several other objects are expected to fly through space near Earth this week, according to the data. NASA has built a widget so star gazers can keep track of asteroids that may appear in the night sky. The widget keeps track of any Earth approaches within 4.6 million miles of the planet. The tool also uses common Earth objects to compare asteroids' sizes. Some asteroids are as big as houses, others planes, and some are as large as stadiums, the widget shows. While it is unlikely for an asteroid to hit Earth anytime soon, scientists have prepared just in case. Scientists from around the world gathered at a 2019 conference and discussed how to respond to an asteroid big enough to destroy a major city.  "All we have to do is change its speed a little faster or a little slower so that when it crosses Earth's orbit, it crosses either in front of us or behind us," said Dr. Lori Glaze, director of planetary science at NASA. There are 20,000 near-Earth asteroids and they do occasionally make an appearance. In 2013, one slammed into Russia, injuring 1,600 people. "It doesn't really keep me up at night," Glaze said.

Fauci predicts U.S. should have "couple of hundred million doses" of coronavirus vaccine by new year - CBS News

Fauci said there are four to five trials underway for coronavirus vaccine candidates.

Washington — Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation's leading infectious disease experts, believes that by early 2021, the U.S. will have "a couple of hundred million doses" of a vaccine for the coronavirus. In an interview with the Journal of the American Medical Association on Tuesday, Fauci said there are four or five trials underway for vaccine candidates, and he expects the U.S. to have millions of doses of a vaccine by the end of the year. "By the beginning of 2021, we hope to have a couple of hundred million doses," he said. The Trump administration launched Operation Warp Speed several weeks ago with the goal of speeding up the development and distribution of a coronavirus vaccine. While public health experts, including Fauci, have said it takes 12 to 18 months to develop a vaccine, President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar are aiming to have 300 million doses of a vaccine available to the American people by the new year. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said Phase III trials for a vaccine candidate developed by Moderna, a U.S.-based biotech company, are expected to begin in early July. The trial will involve 30,000 people and include a wide spectrum of participants, including the elderly and those with underlying conditions and comorbidities.  Another vaccine candidate from AstraZeneca, developed by the University of Oxford, is proceeding on a similar track, Fauci said. "I'm cautiously optimistic that with the multiple candidates that we have with different platforms, that we're going to have a vaccine that shows a degree of efficacy that would make it deployable," he said, adding that most who become infected with the coronavirus recover and make an immune response to clear the virus. "If the body is capable of making an immune response to clear the virus of natural infection, that's a pretty good proof of concept to say that you're going to make an immune response in response to a vaccine," he said. But Fauci cautioned there is "never a guarantee, ever, that you're going to get an effective vaccine." Fauci said production of a vaccine is going to proceed as trials are underway, speeding up the time it takes to get it to the public. "It isn't as if we're going to make the vaccine, show it's effective and then have to wait a year to rev up to millions and millions and millions of doses," he said. "That's going to be done as we're testing the vaccine." As many states begin to slowly ease restrictions put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, public health officials say a return to normalcy will hinge on the widespread availability of a vaccine. The Trump administration last month announced a partnership with AstraZeneca for at least 300 million doses of the vaccine developed by Oxford and committed up to $1.2 billion to the effort.

Biden says country is "crying out for leadership" amid protests - CBS News

"I will seek to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued this country — not use them for political gain," Biden plans to say.

Former Vice President Joe Biden said the country is "crying out for leadership" amid nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd and accused President Trump of using force against peaceful protesters to stage a "photo op" near the White House on Monday. In an address at City Hall in Philadelphia, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president said Floyd's death in police custody was a "wake-up call for our nation, for all of us." Floyd died after an officer pinned a knee on his neck for more than eight minutes. "The country is crying out for leadership, leadership that can unite us," Biden said. Biden condemned Mr. Trump for his response to protests in the nation's capital on Monday, when mostly peaceful protesters were tear-gassed and cleared from Lafayette Park across the street from the White House. Soon after, Mr. Trump walked through the park and posed for photos in front of historic St. John's Episcopal Church. "When peaceful protestors are dispersed by the order of the president from the doorstep of the people's house, the White House, using tear gas and flash grenades in order to stage a photo op at a noble church, we can be forgiven for believing that the president is more interested in power than in principle," Biden said. The former vice president nominee slammed Mr. Trump for "brandishing" a Bible while being photographed in front of St. John's, saying: "I just wish he opened it every once in a while." He said Mr. Trump should read the Constitution to understand the freedoms granted by the First Amendment. "We will not allow any president to quiet our voice," Biden said. He also addressed institutional racism, a root cause of the protests which have roiled the nation. "The moment has come for our nation to deal with systemic racism," Biden said. He said police misconduct "should be dealt with severely and swiftly," adding that the country also needed to address the "culture" that allows for police officers to conduct unjustified violence. "We need each and every police department in the country to undertake a comprehensive review of their hiring, their training, and their deescalation practices," Biden said. He added that Congress should make a "down payment" on this effort and pass legislation to outlaw police chokeholds and review police departments' use of "weapons of war." Biden contrasted his style of leadership with Mr. Trump, who called himself "the president of law and order" on Monday. "The president of the United States must be part of the solution, not the problem," the former vice president said. "I ask every American: look at where we are now and think anew, 'Is this who we are? Is this who we want to be?'" "I promise you this. I won't traffic in fear and division. I won't fan the flames of hate. I'll seek to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued this country — not use them for political gain," Biden continued. "I'll do my job and I will take responsibility. I won't blame others. I will never forget, I promise you, this job is not about me. It's about you. It's about us. And I'll work to not only rebuild this nation, but to build it better than it was." Biden is expected to deliver several addresses in the coming weeks on how the country should move forward after the nationwide protests and COVID-19 pandemic. He spent time on Monday listening to the concerns of political and religious leaders, including the mayors of St. Paul, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles.

Social media is going dark for Blackout Tuesday. Here's why the wrong hashtag can hurt Black Lives Matter. - CBS News

What began as a movement for the music industry to respond to the death of George Floyd has now sparked a larger call to action.

As anti-police brutality protesters march across the nation, two black women in the music industry have created a movement for social media users to go dark for a day of protest.  #TheShowMustBePaused is an industry-wide call to action for social media users to acknowledge "the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless other black citizens at the hands of police" by posting only a black tile on their social media platforms. The initiative is the brainchild of Jamila Thomas, senior director of marketing at Atlantic Records and former Atlantic Records employee Brianna Agyemang. However, as the movement grew, most people began using the hashtag #BlackoutTuesday, and activists urged social media users against using #BlackLivesMatter, saying it will drown out vital resources and information for the unaffiliated movement.  "If you use the Black Lives Matter hashtag, use it to share necessary resources and information for the movement. If you are not using it for that purpose, please type out Black Lives Matter with no hashtag, so we do not inadvertently mute vital dialogue in a sea of black boxes," the organizers wrote. Agyemang and Thomas are targeting the music industry with their campaign as they believe it is an industry "that has profited predominantly from black art." "Our mission is to hold the industry at large, including major corporations + their partners who benefit from the efforts, struggles and successes of black people accountable," they wrote. The demand for the day of pause has been met with widespread support. Major music labels such as Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Atlantic Records vowed to back the movement. Streaming services such as Apple Music, YouTube and Spotify have also stepped forward. Music giant Spotify pledged to "stand with black creators," with some playlists and podcasts featuring an 8 minute and 46-second long track of silence to acknowledge the amount of time fired officer Devin Chauvin held his knee on the neck of Floyd. Artists and celebrities such as Drake, Katy Perry, Mick Jagger, Quincy Jones, Rihanna and many others have posted the black tile in solidarity. "It's hard to know what to say because I've been dealing with racism my entire life," said legendary producer Quincy Jones. "My team & I stand for justice. Convos will be had & action will be taken." While Agyemang and Thomas have addressed the incorrect use of #BlackLivesMatter with their movement, some activists and celebrities have also raised concerns. "It has come to my attention that many allies are using #BlackLivesMatter hashtag w black image on insta," wrote one activist on Twitter. "We know that's it no intent to harm but to be frank, this essentially does harm the message. We use hashtag to keep ppl updated." "Don't use the tag #BlackLivesMatter. It's pushing down important and relevant content," wrote comedian Kumail Nanjiani. If you are participating in this, don’t use the tag #BlackLivesMatter. It’s pushing down important and relevant content. Use #BlackOutTuesday. https://t.co/OPMNeEB15n — Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) June 2, 2020 Grammy Award-winning artist Lil Nas X also chimed in on the debate. "I don't think the movement has ever been this powerful. we don't need to slow it down by posting nothing," he said. "We need to spread info and be as loud as ever." i just really think this is the time to push as hard as ever. i don’t think the movement has ever been this powerful. we don’t need to slow it down by posting nothing. we need to spread info and be as loud as ever. https://t.co/9nvy3HodjD — nope (@LilNasX) June 2, 2020 The "Old Town Road" artist has joined some activists who have asked followers to use their platforms to post donations and petitions instead of the black square. The organizers of #TheShowMustBePaused have also encouraged donations for a variety of purposes including the families of victims, bail funds and other campaigns. "This is not just a 24-hour initiative," they wrote. "We are and will be in this fight for the long haul. A plan of action will be announced."

NYC looting persists despite curfew, with Macy's among stores hit - CBS News

Two arrests made at iconic store as rowdiness accompanies peaceful protests

A late-night curfew imposed on New York City Monday failed to prevent another night of destruction, including arrests after a break-in at the iconic Macy's store on 34th Street, following protests over George Floyd's death. As the 11 p.m. deadline to get off the streets approached, bands of protesters marched peacefully through Manhattan and Brooklyn, but police simultaneously responded to numerous reports of roving groups of people smashing their way into shops and emptying them of merchandise. The doors of Macy's flagship Manhattan store were breached. Police pulled two handcuffed men out and put them in a van. New York police officers park their vehicles outside Macy's store after it was broken into hours after a solidarity rally calling for justice over the death of George Floyd, on June 1, 2020. Wong Maye-E / AP People rushed into a Nike store and carried out armloads of clothing. Near Rockefeller Center, storefront windows were smashed and multiple people arrested. Bank windows were smashed. Wreckage littered the inside of an AT&T store. Video posted on social media showed some protesters arguing with people breaking windows, urging them to stop, but instances of vandalism and smash-and-grab thefts mounted as the night deepened. "We worked hard to build up the business, and within a second, someone does this," said the owner of a ransacked Manhattan smoke shop, who identified himself only by the name Harri. "Really bad." New York joined other cities around the country in imposing a curfew after days of unrest. They came on top of months of restrictions on public gatherings already imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the vandalized stores were already closed due to the pandemic, and now many, especially the mom and pop shops that were hit, may never reopen again, points out CBS New York. Enough mayhem happened before the curfew took effect that Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted that it would move up to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The curfew lifted at 5 a.m. De Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo said the outbreaks of violence the previous two evenings - which left stores ransacked and police vehicles burned - gave them no choice to impose a curfew and boost police presence, even as they insisted they stood with the throngs of peaceful demonstrators who have spoken out for several days against police brutality and racial injustice. "We can't let violence undermine the message of this moment," de Blasio said in a statement. He and Cuomo are Democrats. Big crowds rallied in Times Square and Brooklyn on Monday afternoon and marched through the streets for hours. As in previous days, the demonstrations in daylight were peaceful, with officers mostly keeping their distance from marchers. A nighttime march through Brooklyn was also peaceful, and police let it continue for hours after the 11 a.m. curfew passed. But midtown Manhattan descended into chaos as night fell. There were dozens of arrests, police said. De Blasio tweeted at 1 a.m. that there were also "real problems" in the Bronx, which had largely escaped previous nights of unrest unscathed. Video posted on social media showed multiple piles of rubbish on fire on a debris-strewn street and people smashing into stories. Another video showed a group of men beating a police officer who was alone and down on the ground, smashing him with pieces of wreckage until he pulled his gun and they ran. Yet another video showed an officer being hit by a car after responding to a report of a break-in at a pawn shop. The drive got away. The officer was in serious but stable condition, police said. After the curfew took effect, police moved more actively to clear the streets, chasing after and knocking down some people who wouldn't comply as they streamed toward Times Square. At the same time, the city's elected public advocate, Jumaane Williams, and some other officials held a news conference in Brooklyn criticizing the curfew. "In the black community, every time we ask for resources or assistance, they send police," said Williams, a Democrat. Earlier in the day, one Times Square demonstrator, Giselle Francisco, considered the curfew necessary. "There are people who have ulterior motives, and they're trying to hijack the message," the New Yorker said. Monday marked the fourth night in a row of mainly peaceful daytime demonstrations, chaotic nights, hot spots of violence and arrests, with the mayor's daughter among those arrested over the weekend. Chiara de Blasio, 25, refused to leave a Manhattan street officers were clearing Saturday because people were throwing things. She was released with a court summons. Her father said Monday she told him she'd behaved peacefully and believed she had followed officers' instructions.

Astronauts describe ride to space aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon - CBS News

SpaceX Crew Dragon astronauts say the ship is living up to high-tech expectations — but there was one rougher moment.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that boosted astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken into space provided a slightly rougher ride than expected during the later stages of the climb to orbit, but both said Monday they enjoyed their historic trip and marveled at a sooth-as-silk docking with the space station. And yes, the Crew Dragon brought a "new car smell" to the lab complex. "It absolutely did," said station commander Chris Cassidy, the lone American aboard the station until Hurley and Behnken arrived Sunday. "Then when we got that hatch open, you could tell it was a brand new vehicle, with smiley faces on the other side, smiley face on mine, just as if you had bought a new car, the same kind of reaction. "Wonderful to see my friends, and wonderful to see a brand new vehicle," he said. Astronaut Robert Behnken, left, Douglas Hurley, center, and space station commander Chris Cassidy talk with reporters Monday during a news conference from the International Space Station. Hurley and Behnken arrived at the lab Sunday after launch and a flawless rendezvous aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. The flag Hurley is holding was left aboard the station in 2011 at the end of NASA's final shuttle flight. Hurley was part of that crew and plans to bring the flag home when he and Behnken return to Earth. NASA TV Hurley and Behnkenblasted off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center Saturday afternoon, strapped into a Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket. It was the first piloted launch to orbit from U.S. soil in nearly nine years, the first flight of a SpaceX rocket carrying astronauts and the first new crewed spacecraft to fly in space since the first shuttle mission 39 years ago. Both Hurley and Behnken are space shuttle veterans, familiar with the initially rough ride when the orbiter's powerful solid-propellant boosters were firing and the transition to a much smoother experience after the boosters were jettisoned and only the ship's liquid fueled main engines were running. The Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket powered by liquid oxygen and kerosene. The first stage, featuring nine Merlin engines, generates 1.7 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. The rocket's second stage is powered by a single vacuum-rated Merlin engine. "Shuttle had solid rocket boosters, those burned very rough for the first two-and-a-half minutes," Hurley said. "The first stage with Falcon 9 ... was a much smoother ride." He said the shutdown of the first stage engines, the separation of the first and second stages and then the ignition of the upper stage's single engine was similar to the memorable launch sequence depicted in the movie "Apollo 13." "So the first stage engines shut off, and then it took some time between the booster separating and then the Merlin vacuum engine starting," Hurley said. "At that point, we go from roughly three Gs (three times the normal force of gravity on the ground) to zero Gs for, I don't know, a half a second probably, and then when that Merlin vacuum engine fires, then we start accelerating again. "It got a little rougher with the Merlin vacuum engine, and it'll be interesting to talk to the SpaceX folks to find out why it was a little bit rougher ride on second stage than it was for shuttle on those three main engines." The Crew Dragon is designed to rendezvous and dock with the space station autonomously, without any direct input from the crew. But for the first piloted test fight, Hurley took over manual control twice to verify astronauts can fly the ship on their own if necessary. A view of the Crew Dragon capsule docked to the space station as seen by a camera mounted on the lab's solar power truss. NASA TV There were no problems and when the Crew Dragon docked with the station Sunday morning, Hurley and Behnken were unable to detect the impact. "The thing that really stood out to both of us, and we mentioned it as soon as we docked, is we didn't feel the docking," Hurley said. "It was just so smooth." Hurley is a former test pilot and Behnken, who holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Caltech, is a veteran Air Force flight test engineer. They were selected for the first piloted Crew Dragon flight in part so they could bring those skills to evaluating the spacecraft before it begins operational missions to the space station in the late-summer timeframe. "We're there to evaluate how it does the mission and so far, it's done just absolutely spectacularly," Hurley said. "It's a very clean vehicle. ... It does everything we need it to do for this mission, so we're very happy with that part of it." Including the operation of the Crew Dragon's toilet. While he did not provide any details, Hurley said it is "very similar to the one we were used to in the space shuttle, and it worked very well. We had no issues with it." NASA managers have not yet decided how long Hurley and Behnken will remain in orbit. The Crew Dragon is certified for up to four months in space, but the crew could be ordered home earlier depending on how the space environment affects the capsule's solar arrays, the weather in the Atlantic Ocean splashdown zone and other factors. Not knowing when they might be coming home is "a little bit strange," Behnken said. "I'm trying to explain it to my son, just six years old, and from his perspective, he's just excited that we're going to get a dog when I get home. And so he's accepting that uncertainty and continuing to send messages to me while I'm on orbit." The mission is expected to last at least six weeks and possibly up to four months, far longer than their relatively brief shuttle flights. Staying in touch with their wives, both veteran astronauts, and their two sons is a top priority for both Hurley and Behnken. "One of the things I was most excited about (after launch) was being able to make a phone call home," Behnken said. "It's been a long time since I launched into orbit, and I've got a little boy who got a chance to watch me do that for the first time in his life. And I just wanted to understand what his experience was and share that a little bit with him. "He was able to make the trip back to Houston after watching the docking from down in Florida and was pretty excited about the whole thing. So that was wonderful for me."

China uses U.S. protests to cry hypocrisy amid Hong Kong standoff - CBS News

Beijing trolls the Trump administration's criticism over a feared crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong with 3 words: "I can't breathe."

The protests across the U.S. over George Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minneapolis have coincided with rising U.S. tensions with China. That tension has been fueled most recently by Beijing's hugely controversial move to impose new national security laws on Hong Kong, but China is using the mass protests roiling the U.S. to troll Washington, and demand the Trump administration mind its own business. China's criticism of President Trump has come from every angle — from the central government in Beijing; from Hong Kong and even from Washington D.C., where Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai blamed the massive pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong last year for forcing Beijing's hand to move ahead with the new security law. But it was China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying who referenced the death of George Floyd in a tweet. She replied to U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus' Twitter criticism over Hong Kong with just three words: "I can't breathe." "I can't breathe." pic.twitter.com/UXHgXMT0lk — Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) May 30, 2020 Those were the words Floyd was heard saying as a police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes, and the message from Beijing was clear: The Trump administration should worry more about the mass protests sweeping the U.S. before criticizing China for what it's doing in Hong Kong. China is using the protests to point out what it calls American "hypocrisy." London and Berlin amoung cities showing solidarity with American protests "Racism against ethnic minorities in the U.S. is a chronic disease of American society," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing, adding: "The current situation reflects once more the severity of the problems of racism and police violence in the U.S." But protests have also returned to the streets of Hong Kong in recent weeks over the new security laws. Thousands of people have turned out in the former British colony, met by riot police using water cannon and pepper balls to quash the demonstrations. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested. If and when the new legislation is officially enacted, the new laws will ban subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign interference. But many Hong Kongers are afraid Beijing will twist the interpretation of the laws to chip away at their freedoms of speech, press, assembly and Hong Kong's independent judicial system.  China approves controversial national security bill for Hong Kong Those freedoms — non-existent on mainland China — were enshrined in an agreement signed by both the U.K. and China when Hong Kong was handed back to Beijing in 1997, and they're meant to remain in place until 2047. But a new development on Monday night will fuel fears that those rights are at risk, and likely fuel the protests along with them: Hong Kong's police force has objected to the annual Tiananmen Square vigil in the city, set for this week. It will be the first time since Beijing's June 4, 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing that Hong Kongers will not be allowed hold a mass vigil marking the solemn date. Officials say a vigil would run against social distancing rules in place amid the coronavirus pandemic.