If you refuse to take a crowded flight, can you get a refund?

Many travelers have found their flights are so crowded that they don't feel comfortable staying onboard. Here's how airlines are handling this situation.

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Tokyo's top prosecutor set to resign, media say, in blow to Japan PM Abe

Tokyo's top prosecutor was set to resign after a report that he gambled illegally during Japan's coronavirus state of emergency, media said on Thursday, in a blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose support has been hit over his handling of the pandemic.

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China reports two new coronavirus cases for May 20 vs 5 day earlier

China recorded two new coronavirus cases for May 20, down from five a day earlier, the National Health Commission (NHC) reported on Thursday.

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U.S. to sell Taiwan $180 million worth of torpedoes

The U.S government has notified Congress of a possible sale of advanced torpedoes to Taiwan worth around $180 million, a move likely to further sour already tense ties between Washington and Beijing, which claims Taiwan as Chinese territory.

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Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today

By BY PATRICK J. LYONS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2WPI8wE

As Virus Lingers in Michigan, a New Crisis Arrives: Flooding

By BY KATHLEEN GRAY AND JULIE BOSMAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2AHAyva

We’ve Got Way Too Many Trumps

By BY GAIL COLLINS from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2WPOBrl

Biden rips Trump for not wearing mask: 'I can't walk outside my house' without one

During a Yahoo News virtual town hall, the former vice president tore into President Trump’s refusal to wear a protective mask despite the recommendations of health experts and WH protocols for West Wing staffers.

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Israeli court orders Netanyahu to appear at trial's opening

An Israeli court Wednesday ordered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to appear for the opening of his criminal trial in Jerusalem, setting the stage for a dramatic scene on Sunday. Netanyahu will enter the Jerusalem District Court surrounded by a phalanx of security as he becomes the first sitting Israeli prime minister to go on trial. In its decision, the court rejected the request, saying that Netanyahu "must, like all other accused, appear and give his statement before the court."

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Michigan flooding forces thousands to flee, threatens chemical plant

Rising floodwaters unleashed by two dam failures submerged parts of the central Michigan town of Midland on Wednesday, displacing thousands of residents and threatening to inundate a Dow Chemical Co plant in the riverfront city. By late morning, floodwaters had reached the grounds of the Dow facility and were confirmed to be "comingling with on-site containment ponds," the company said in a statement, adding no employees had been hurt. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of "life-threatening" flooding as water levels of the Tittabawassee River in Midland, about 120 miles northwest of Detroit, rose to historic levels.

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Air Force F-35 Crashes at Eglin; Pilot Ejects Safely

The F-35 mishap marks the second accident at Eglin in a week's time.

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Trump news: CDC accuses administration of ‘muzzling’ science as Pelosi calls president a child with ‘doggy doo’ on his shoes

Nancy Pelosi has doubled down on her attacks against Donald Trump by saying that the president and his aides have "doggy doo" on their shoes when speaking to CNN.After the House Speaker called Mr Trump "morbidly obese" over concerns that he is at risk of dangerous side effects for daily dosages of hydroxychloroquine to prevent coronavirus infection, which is not proven, the president called her "sick" and claimed she has "mental problems".

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Judge rules all voters in Texas can apply for mail-in ballots during pandemic

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that during the coronavirus pandemic, every registered voter in Texas can apply to vote by mail.Under state voting rules, absentee ballots can only be sent to Texans who are disabled, 65 or older, in jail, or have plans to be out of their county on the day of an election. The Texas Democratic Party argued that the coronavirus would place in-person voters at risk, putting unconstitutional and illegal burdens on them, and absentee voting needed to be expanded.U.S. District Judge Fred Biery agreed, saying the right to vote "should not be elusively based on the whims of nature." Americans, he wrote, "now seek life without fear of pandemic, liberty to choose their leaders in an environment free of disease, and the pursuit of happiness without undue restrictions."The Texas attorney general's office opposed the expansion of absentee voting, claiming there is widespread fraud in states where more people use mail-in ballots, but Biery wrote in his ruling the office cited "little or no evidence" and the court "finds the Grim Reaper's scepter of pandemic disease and death is far more serious than an unsupported fear of voter fraud in this sui generis experience. Indeed, if vote by mail fraud is real, logic dictates that all voting should be in person." In a statement, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he will appeal.More stories from theweek.com Taxpayers paid for food, a harpist, and goody bags for Pompeo's frequent 500-guest formal dinners Republicans are up in arms about Flynn's 'unmasking.' He was reportedly never masked in the first place. A predictable catastrophe in Michigan

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Michigan declares an emergency after 2 dams collapse threatening a town with 9 feet of flooding

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency Tuesday evening and deployed the National Guard.

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'You pay the price sometimes': Australian man could face £14,500 fine for rescuing trapped whale

An Australian man who saved a trapped whale calf from a net could be fined nearly AUS$27,000 (£14,500) for his troubles. The man took matters in to his own hands after authorities took over two hours to respond to calls about the animal's plight. The rescuer, who identified himself only as "Django", told local reporters: “I saw the whale and I thought, ‘That is pretty cool’. Then I saw he was in the net and I thought, ‘That is not cool’.” He proceeded to dive down and free the baby whale’s pectoral fin using his knife. The fin had become entangled in the shark net, which was cutting in to its flesh. It is unclear how long the whale, believed to be a humpback, had been trapped before the rescue. While returning to shore, the man was intercepted by the Department for Agriculture and Fisheries and told he faced a heavy fine, subject to an investigation. “Yeah, I’m in trouble. I wasn’t going out there to see whales. It was an expensive day but whatever... you pay the price sometimes,” he said. The state of Queensland has penalties for both tampering with council property and for moving too close to whales. Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said: “It is dangerous equipment. We have unfortunately seen the loss of life when people have themselves become entangled in this equipment. It will be up to the department to consider whether this gentleman will be prosecuted.”

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Man abducted as child in China reunited with parents after 32 years

A Chinese man kidnapped as a toddler 32 years ago has been reunited with his biological parents, after police used facial recognition technology to help track him down. Mao Yin was just two when he was snatched outside a hotel in Xi'an in central Shaanxi province in 1988 and sold to a childless couple in neighbouring Sichuan province who raised him as their own son, Xi'an's public security bureau said in a statement. Police "aged" one of Mao's childhood photos, according to state broadcaster CCTV, and used the model to scan the national database and find close matches.

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Republicans issue subpoena in Biden probe

Democrats have called the investigation politically motivated.

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Australian states split over opening borders for domestic tourism

Australian state and territory leaders bickered on Thursday over whether to reopen internal borders, a major step to rejuvenating the country's A$80 billion ($50 billion) domestic tourism industry, as part of measures to ease coronavirus restrictions.

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Ecuador's largest city eases quarantine as COVID-19 deaths decline

Ecuador's largest city allowed some businesses to reopen on Wednesday following a fall in daily deaths from the coronavirus pandemic that had for weeks required the city to remain in quarantine.

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Mexico registers record one-day coronavirus death toll with 424 fatalities: health ministry

Mexico's health ministry on Wednesday registered 2,248 new coronavirus infections and an additional 424 fatalities, a record one-day death toll since the start of the pandemic.

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Magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes central Mediterranean Sea: EMSC

An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck in the central Mediterranean Sea region early on Thursday, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).

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Bolivia investigates health officials over ventilator deal after public outcry

Bolivian authorities on Wednesday fired the health minister and opened an investigation of potential corruption over allegations that officials bought ventilators at inflated prices, underscoring the global challenge to prevent graft in the coronavirus pandemic.

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New Zealand opens bars as more curbs eased, four-day work week idea floated

Bars and pubs opened in New Zealand for the first time in months on Thursday, as restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus were eased further and the government looked to revive economic activity.

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