promoearn: Stone's sentence comes with a question mark

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Stone's sentence comes with a question mark

Thursday, February 20

Roger Stone, former political adviser to President Donald Trump, arrives for his sentencing hearing at the Federal District Court in Washington on Feb. 20, 2020.

Stone's sentence comes with a question mark

Roger Stone gets 3 years in prison. The first U.S. coronavirus patient is fully recovered. It's Thursday's news.

President Donald Trump's longtime ally is heading to the big house. A few drinks a day could lead to serious health issues (yikes). And finally, a piece of good-ish news on the coronavirus front.

It's Ashley with the news you heard about but didn't have time to read.

But first, they're pink da ba dee da ba daa: All grasshoppers may bring good luck. But they're not all green.

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Roger Stone's heading to prison for 3 years

Roger Stone, a longtime friend and Trump ally, was sentenced Thursday to 40 months in prison, substantially less than what prosecutors originally recommended before the Department of Justice backtracked.

Wait, what? Let's back up. First, prosecutors recommended Stone serve seven to nine years. After Trump said that would be a "miscarriage of justice," the DOJ said the sentence would be too harsh. Thursday, Stone got a little more than three years.

Now what? What Trump might do is the next big question. Though he has used his broad clemency powers to grant legal forgiveness to controversial figures, he signaled Thursday that a pardon is not imminent.

What did Stone do again? The 67-year-old was convicted of lying to the House Intelligence Committee and obstructing its investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race.

You might want to put your beer down for this one

For years, doctors preached drinking in moderation. But it now seems that even a few drinks a night can lead to serious liver disease. Doctors report a dramatic increase in the number of young people – those in their 20s and 30s – who have been hospitalized because of alcohol-related liver disease . These millennials often hold down jobs and have families; they look nothing like the old guy sitting on a barstool knocking back one too many. Instead, they indulge daily with just a few drinks. And by the time they reach the hospital, they have developed a potentially fatal disease.

What everyone's talking about

•	These are the top 10 best new cars, trucks, SUVs of 2020.
•	"Recline to one another": Ellen DeGeneres defended an airline passenger after her seat was punched.
•	Would you pay $13 for a box of cereal? General Mills hopes you will.
•	More than 12 million people in the Southeast brace for a snowstorm.
•	Two women died when a Mercedes-Benz rolled off a ferry in Florida.

Good news: The first US coronavirus patient is A-OK

Finally, some decent coronavirus news: A Washington state man who was the nation's first confirmed case of the new coronavirus made a full recovery and is no longer quarantined , health officials announced. Almost 800 people remain on the state's watch list as health officials around the world battle to contain the virus, COVID-19, which has infected more than 75,000 people worldwide and caused 2,130 deaths, mostly in mainland China. In the USA, 15 cases have been confirmed, and one American has died in China.

More bad news: Two elderly cruise ship passengers with coronavirus who were on Princess Cruises' Diamond Princess died.

Dem debate: What happened in Vegas?

It was more like fight club than debate club. Candidates piled on former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg – and at times Sen. Bernie Sanders – during a tense Democratic primary debate in Las Vegas on Wednesday . Bloomberg had to answer for his positions on health care, policing policies that disproportionately affected black New Yorkers and his company's treatment of female employees. While most of the candidates focused on Bloomberg, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg kept his eye on his main competitor, Sanders. Buttigieg took his own hits, mostly from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who again questioned his limited experience as mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Here's more on how each candidate fared in the rowdy debate.

Six Democratic presidential candidates debate in Las Vegas on Feb. 19.

Mario Tama, Getty Images

Real quick

•	"Mamma Mia," "Harry Potter" actress Julie Walters revealed she was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer.
•	E. Jean Carroll, the columnist who said Trump raped her, was fired from Elle.
•	A whiteout caused a 200-car pileup near Montreal. Two people were killed in the crash.
•	Kelly Ripa opens up about her decision to quit drinking. It started with a "sober month" with her friends.
•	A massive fire at a Minnesota recycling plant has been burning for 2 days. It could last several more.

Nearly 25 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking

Airbnb is expanding its commitment to fight human trafficking as the hospitality industry faces a series of lawsuits claiming it's not doing enough to curb the crime. The work is pressing: Nearly 25 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking, according to nonprofit anti-trafficking group Polaris. Among the allegations of sex trafficking crimes at rentals : A runaway teenage girl was coerced into sex acts in Florida, and a 29-year-old man was arrested after an underage girl was found in Utah. Airbnb plans to create a training curriculum to provide a deeper understanding of human trafficking – beyond just seeing the signs.

A break from the news

•	The 5 best Amazon deals you can get Thursday.
•	The richest people across America: Here's the wealthiest person in each state.
•	From smartphones to flip phones and bending tablets: Why the future is foldable.