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Northern Star

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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

South Korea ups emergency response as viral cases surge

By KIM TONG-HYUNG and HYUNG-JIN KIM | February 21, 2020

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's government banned major rallies in its capital and declared a health emergency in its fourth largest city as 100 new virus cases were reported Friday, bringing the country's total to 204.The spike forced officials...

Stress, rumors, even violence: Virus fear goes viral

By FOSTER KLUG | February 21, 2020

TOKYO (AP) — You might have heard that the fear of a new virus from China is spreading faster than the actual virus.From earnest officials trying to calm a building panic. From your spouse. From the know-it-all who rattles off the many much more likely...

Controversial church at center of S Korean outbreak

By KIM TONG-HYUNG | February 21, 2020

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A church whose leader claims he is an angel of Jesus has become the biggest cluster of viral infections in South Korea, where a surge in new cases raises fears that the outbreak is getting out of control.A total of 152 cases...

16 cruise ship evacuees being moved to US hospitals

By CARLA K. JOHNSON | February 20, 2020

SEATTLE (AP) — Eleven Americans who were brought to the U.S. from a quarantined cruise ship have been moved to hospitals, because delayed Japanese test results showed they had the new virus that caused an outbreak in China, officials said Thursday.Five...

EPA will regulate two toxic chemicals in drinking water

By MICHAEL CASEY | February 20, 2020

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it plans to regulate two nonstick and stain-resistant compounds in the drinking water amid growing concerns the chemicals found in everything from pizza boxes to carpet...

New threats emerge in outbreak while China voices optimism

By KEN MORITSUGU | February 20, 2020

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese health officials expressed new optimism Thursday over the deadly virus outbreak while authorities in South Korea’s fourth-largest city urged residents to hunker down as fears nagged communities far from the illness’ epicenter.The...

How major US stock indexes fared Thursday

By The Associated Press | February 20, 2020

Major stock indexes closed with modest losses Thursday after a wobbly day of trading on Wall Street that snapped a three-day streak of all-time highs for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.

Investors turned cautious following news of a surge in cases of the new virus in China. The latest figures dashed hopes that the spread of the outbreak was peaking, which had helped lift stocks earlier in the week.

On Thursday:

The S&P 500 index dropped 5.51 points, or 0.2%, to 3,373.94.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 128.11 points, or 0.4%, to 29,423.31.

The Nasdaq fell 13.99 points, or 0.1%, to 9,711.97.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks rose 4.36 points, or 0.3%, to 1,693.74.

For the week:

The S&P 500 is up 46.23 points, or 1.4%.

The Dow is up 320.80 points, or 1.1%.

The Nasdaq is up 191.46 points, or 2%.

The Russell 2000 is up 36.96 points, or 2.2%.

For the year:

The S&P 500 is up 143.16 points, or 4.4%.

The Dow is up 884.87 points, or 3.1%.

The Nasdaq is up 739.36 points, or 8.2%.

The Russell 2000 is up 25.27 points, or 1.5%.

Amid protests, Portugal lawmakers vote to allow euthanasia

By BARRY HATTON | February 20, 2020

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal’s parliament voted Thursday in favor of allowing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill people.The landmark vote left Portugal poised to become one of the few countries in the world permitting...

In rough US flu season for kids, vaccine working OK so far

By MIKE STOBBE | February 20, 2020

NEW YORK (AP) — It may end up being a bad flu season for kids, but early signs suggest the vaccine is working OK.The vaccine has been more than 50% effective in preventing flu illness severe enough to send a child to the doctor's office, the U.S. Centers...

AP-NORC poll: More Americans worry about flu than new virus

By CARLA K. JOHNSON and HANNAH FINGERHUT | February 20, 2020

A wide share of Americans are at least moderately confident in U.S. health officials’ ability to handle emerging viruses, and more express concern about catching the flu than catching the new coronavirus, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC...

Iran announces 3 new cases of new virus after 2 deaths

By AMIR VAHDAT | February 20, 2020

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran said Thursday that three more people have been infected with the new virus that originated in central China, following an announcement the day before that two people had died of the illness caused by the virus in the Iranian...

2 former cruise ship passengers with virus die in Japan

By MARI YAMAGUCHI | February 20, 2020

TOKYO (AP) — Two elderly passengers taken off the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess because they were infected with the new virus have died, Japan's Health Ministry said Thursday, becoming the first fatalities from the virus-stricken vessel.Japan...