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Showing posts from December, 2019

Lewis Capaldi named the UK's biggest-selling musician of 2019

The Scottish star helped the UK music industry towards a fifth consecutive year of growth. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/359zIB7

Smokers past and present 'live in more pain'

Smokers and ex-smokers who have quit report being in more pain than people who have never smoked. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/36fX8G6

'I still have confidence in package holidays'

New research suggests most people still want to book package holidays despite what happened after the collapse of Thomas Cook. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2rIc40I

Rams GM: No regrets on huge Goff, Gurley deals

Rams general manager Les Snead said Tuesday that he doesn't regret signing quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley to record-breaking contracts despite the fact the Rams missed the playoffs this season. from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/2QekSFe

U.S. auto safety agency to probe fatal Tesla crash in Los Angeles

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The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said late on Tuesday it will investigate a fatal Dec. 29 Tesla Inc crash in Los Angeles that killed two people. from Reuters: U.S. https://ift.tt/39sMk9z

FAA probes clusters of mysterious drones flying over Colorado

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The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into nighttime sightings of unidentified drones flying in formation over rural northeastern Colorado and southwest Nebraska over the last two weeks, the agency said on Tuesday. from Reuters: U.S. https://ift.tt/2SH6qXR

Over 90,000 to Celebrate Jewish Talmud Milestone at MetLife Stadium New Year's Event

CBN News has learned a massive sold-out event is happening New Year's Day at East Rutherford, New Jersey's MetLife Stadium where the reading of the entire Jewish Talmud will be concluded after 7 and 1/3 years. from CBNNews.com https://ift.tt/2ua9txB

Happy New Year: Know Which Place Celebrates New Year First, Which Last

New Year 2020: New Year is first celebrated on the small Pacific island nations of Tonga, Samoa, and Kiribati. New Zealand follows next in celebrating the New Year, followed by Australia, Japan, and... from NDTV News - Special https://ift.tt/2rIjh0V

Iraqi protesters breach U.S. Embassy complex in Baghdad amid anger over airstrikes

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Anger over U.S. airstrikes Sunday against Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah boiled over in Baghdad on Tuesday as militia supporters broke into the U.S. Embassy complex and set fire to a reception area, The Associated Press reports. Iraqi officials say the U.S. ambassador and other staff evacuated the embassy as militia supporters started gathering outside, but the security forces who remained fired tear gas at the dozens of protesters who breached a side gate. AP reporters at the scene also heard sounds of gunfire and saw U.S. troops on the embassy roof with guns pointed at the attackers.Leaders of several Iran-backed militias were in the crowd at the embassy shouting "Down, Down U.S.A." and "Death to America." Sunday's airstrikes killed 25 Kataib Hezbollah militants, a response, U.S. officials said, to an attack Friday that left one U.S. contractor dead. The attack on the U.S. Embassy followed funerals for the militants in a Baghdad neighborhood. Before brea

Bailed tycoon Ghosn flees to Lebanon from 'rigged' Japan

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Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn said Tuesday he had fled to Lebanon to escape injustice in Japan, where he was on bail awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges. The auto tycoon's abrupt departure was the latest twist in a rollercoaster journey that saw him fall from boardroom to detention centre and sparked questions over an embarrassing security lapse in Japan. It was not clear how he managed to leave Japan, as his bail conditions barred him from exiting the country he had been held in since his sudden arrest in November 2018 sent shockwaves through the business world. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2sB1nxl

Greta Thunberg said it would be a waste of time for her to talk to Trump about climate change

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President Donald Trump, who is withdrawing the US from the Paris climate accord, has a long record of expressing skepticism on climate science. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Q97wtQ

North Korean leader calls for ‘military countermeasures’

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Kim spoke for seven hours during the ruling Workers’ Party meeting. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2QD2h4q

Swiss Embassy worker detained in Sri Lanka gets bail

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A Sri Lankan Court on Monday granted bail to a Swiss Embassy employee who was detained pending charges that she made statements to create disaffection toward the government and fabricated evidence. Before her arrest, the employee, a Sri Lankan national, had reportedly said she was abducted, held for hours, sexually assaulted and threatened by captors who demanded that she disclose embassy-related information. Sri Lankan authorities have said they investigated her complaint but found no evidence to file charges against anyone. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2F5rTSj

Trump says he has been denied due process. But the Constitution does not afford him that.

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Like Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson before him, President Trump does not have the same constitutional protection afforded to criminal defendants. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2tjBZMz

Indonesia protests to China over border intrusion near South China Sea

Indonesia said on Monday it had protested to Beijing over the presence of a Chinese coastguard vessel in its territorial waters near the disputed South China Sea, saying it marked a "violation of sovereignty". from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/37uzNRv

Immigration in 2019: Trump restricts asylum and overhauls legal immigration

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2019 was arguably the Trump administration's most successful one in its quest to severely restrict asylum and overhaul the legal immigration system. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ZG0AYn

Powerful winter storm lingers in Upper Midwest

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A fierce winter storm that created blizzard conditions in parts of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota shut down interstates, led to hundreds of vehicle crashes and brought a metropolitan area of more than 200,000 people to a standstill on Monday morning. Residents in the Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota area who are used to snowstorms were told to stay home after a foot of heavy, wet snow made that fell on top of a sheet of ice made travel difficult and stoked early fears about spring flooding. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning in northeastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where periods of heavy snow and gusty winds were expected to create difficult travel conditions. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2QdKZw1

Why Does Russia Want the United States to Buy the F-15EX Fighter?

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We shouldn't take Moscow's advice. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/354aofK

Here's who will be onstage for the January Democratic presidential debate in Iowa and how to watch it

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CNN and the Des Moines Register will co-host the seventh Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines three weeks before the Iowa caucuses. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39pIsq3

GOP Senator: President Trump 'Not a Role Model For Young People'

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In an interview with Face The Nation, Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma said Trump isn't a good role model for young people from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2sA7Zfq

Texas Churchgoers Welcomed the Poor, but Sensed This One Was Trouble

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By BY DAVE MONTGOMERY, ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS AND RICK ROJAS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/37mK6XF

Al interior de un tribunal de guerra estadounidense: la ropa y la cultura en Guantánamo

By BY CAROL ROSENBERG AND WENDY MACNAUGHTON from NYT en Español https://ift.tt/2uaRjvL

Science Panel Staffed With Trump Appointees Says E.P.A. Rollbacks Lack Scientific Rigor

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By BY CORAL DAVENPORT AND LISA FRIEDMAN from NYT Climate https://ift.tt/356WYj6

Ohio St. all-time top rusher Dobbins enters draft

J.K. Dobbins announced Monday that he's entering the NFL draft. Dobbins leaves Ohio State after setting the school record for rushing yards in a season with 2,003. from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/2MFqXs8

Cowboys yet to announce decision on Garrett

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn't announce what the future holds for head coach Jason Garrett, though the two met after Jones and Garrett spoke briefly with players on Monday. Garrett's contract expires Jan. 14. from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/2ZCJESe

NHL experts: 2020 NHL All-Star Game roster snubs

No Brad Marchand? Where's Max Pacioretty? Our experts weigh in on the biggest snubs from the NHL All-Star Game rosters. from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/2MII2RK

Texas church shooter wore wig and fake beard, says security head who shot him

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A gunman wearing a wig and fake beard raised immediate suspicion when he walked into a church service in Texas before opening fire with a shotgun and killing two people, a volunteer security member who shot the assailant said on Monday. from Reuters: U.S. https://ift.tt/35chEpT

National living wage to rise by 6.2% in April

The government says it will boost pay by more than four times the rate of inflation. from BBC News - Business https://ift.tt/2SIsGR5

NBA fines Warriors' Chriss $35K for Doncic shove

Golden State Warriors forward Marquese Chriss was fined $35,000 on Monday for shoving Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic. from www.espn.com - NBA https://ift.tt/2Q9d47E

Several Noida Routes To Be Diverted On New Year's Eve

Multiple routes leading to and from Sector 18, the commercial hub of Noida, which attracts a large number of visitors on New Years's eve, will remain diverted from 4 pm on Tuesday till 2 am on... from NDTV News - Special https://ift.tt/2MI0wBS

Bernie Sanders Condemns Rise of Anti-Semitism in Iowa Menorah Lighting

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(Bloomberg) -- Bernie Sanders helped light a menorah at a “Chanukah on Ice” event at an Iowa ice skating rink Sunday night, and condemned a rise in anti-semitism in America and “all over the world.”It’s rare to see the U.S. senator from Vermont, who is a secular Jew, in a religious setting while running for the Democratic presidential nomination.The annual Hanukkah event, organized by Des Moines Rabbi Yossi Jacobson, came less than 24 hours after an intruder stabbed five people at a rabbi’s home in the New York City suburb of Monsey Saturday night.“What we’re seeing right now -- we’re seeing it in America, we’re seeing it all over the world -- is a rise in anti-semitism. We’re seeing a rise in hate crimes,” Sanders said.“We’re seeing somebody run into a kid here in Des Moines because that child was a Latino. We’re seeing people being stabbed yesterday in New York City because they were Jewish. We are seeing people being assaulted because they are Muslim,” he told an audience of about 9

Greta Thunberg said it would be a waste of time for her to talk to Trump about climate change

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President Donald Trump, who is withdrawing the US from the Paris climate accord, has a long record of expressing skepticism on climate science. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Q97wtQ

U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria hit sites linked to Iran

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The United States carried out airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, targeting weapons and munitions depots used by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia.Over the last two months, there have been 11 rocket attacks against bases used by the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State. U.S. officials said Sunday's airstrikes were in response to an attack that took place in Kirkuk, Iraq, on Friday, which left one U.S. contractor dead and four U.S. troops injured.Kataib Hezbollah is connected to Iran's paramilitary Quds Forces, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal, and the Pentagon said the airstrikes are meant to serve as a warning to stop attacking the coalition's bases. A Kataib Hezbollah official said 25 members of the militia were killed in the airstrikes.More stories from theweek.com The best headlines of 2019 Giants, Browns fire head coaches on otherwise quiet 'Black Monday' The White House always knew Trump's order to freeze Ukraine aid could

Hasan Minhaj’s 2020 Advice: Be Like Mitch McConnell

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Before signing off for 2019, Hasan Minhaj has turned his eye towards 2020. The host of Netflix’s Patriot Act ended his final episode of the year by sharing some updates from stories he covered earlier in the year, including an interview during which he tried to get Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to accept Islam as his “one true faith.” Two weeks later, his brownface scandal erupted. “Little did I know he had actually converted decades ago,” Minhaj joked.  The biggest problem of 2019, he went on to argue, is that “we’re exposed to all the news, all the time, which makes us feel like we have to care about everything all the time.” It’s called “compassion fatigue” and Minhaj compared it to feeling like you have “50 tabs open in our mental browsers and we’re about to crash.” “You know who really figured out 2019?” he asked, before adding, “You’re not going to like this.” He was talking about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. “We’ve shat on Mitch McConnell all year. ‘He’s a go

Trump National Security Aide Is Rebuffed in Impeachment Lawsuit

(Bloomberg) -- A federal judge is taking a pass -- for now -- on deciding whether President Donald Trump’s former deputy national security advisor must comply with a congressional subpoena to testify at the impeachment hearings.Charles Kupperman, who served under John Bolton, sued Trump and House Democrats in October seeking a ruling on whether the president’s order for him to ignore the subpoena was legal. The president claims to have absolute power to decide whether his advisers can testify.The House ultimately withdrew its subpoena, and the Justice Department said it wouldn’t go after Kupperman for flouting it, making the dispute moot, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington said Monday in dismissing the case.“Kupperman no longer faces the ‘irreconcilable commands’ of two coordinate branches of government,” Leon wrote in a 14-page decision.The Democrats never issued a subpoena to Bolton, who was forced out of his job in September, even though testimony in the impeachment inqu

Battle to save Australian wildlife as bushfires rage

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A possum severely burnt by bushfires in Australia's Blue Mountains laps water from a bowl as her rescuer holds her gently in a towel, while at a nearby home a kangaroo with bandaged feet is rocked like a baby by another carer. As Australia battles wildfires that have razed more than 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) across five states, volunteers are trying to save wild animals caught in the inferno. Australia's bushland is home to a range of indigenous fauna, including kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, possums, wombats and echidnas. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ZALaEr

Wisconsin election officials deadlock on culling voter rolls

The Wisconsin Elections Commission deadlocked Monday on whether to comply with a judge's order to remove anywhere from 144,000 to more than 200,000 names from the state's voter rolls before a higher court can weigh in — a move that could influence the outcome of next year's presidential election in the key swing state. The commission's three Republicans wanted to remove the voters in question from the rolls but were blocked by the panel's three Democrats, the Milwaukee Journal Sentine l reported. The affected voters are in heavily Democratic areas of Wisconsin, a battleground state in the 2020 presidential election. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2QChVNu

A sports reporter who died in a Louisiana plane crash tried to contact her husband before the aircraft went down. He didn't see her text.

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A sports journalist named Carley McCord was one of five people who died in a plane crash near Louisiana's Lafayette Regional Airport on Saturday. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2F4pYxi

Juul employees vape at desks despite company threat to dock bonuses for e-cigarette use, report says

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Juul banned vaping at its offices last year, but some employees continue to use e-cigarettes at their desks, in hallways and in meetings, according to the Wall Street Journal. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2MJ39mW

Cyprus court finds British woman guilty of false rape claim

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A court in Cyprus on Monday found a British woman guilty of falsely claiming she was gang-raped by a group of Israeli tourists in the holiday resort of Ayia Napa. "The statements you have given were false," the judge told the defendant in remarks translated by the court interpreter. The Israelis, aged 15 to 18, were released without charge the same month after the woman was arrested on suspicion of making a false statement. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ZBd6bh

Pompeo to Meet With Ukraine’s Zelensky in Kyiv

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By BY EDWARD WONG from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2QBrqwz

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit by Ex-Trump Aide Subpoenaed in Impeachment Inquiry

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By BY CHARLIE SAVAGE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2F9n62h

Schumer Demands Witnesses Be Called at Senate Impeachment Trial

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By BY ERIC LIPTON AND MAGGIE HABERMAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2ZCv39z

Double the Federal Minimum Wage

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By BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2SIqNUv

After Death From Falling Debris, Violations Found at 220 Buildings

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By BY AZI PAYBARAH from NYT New York https://ift.tt/36acVGp

Australia: Volunteer firefighter killed by 'freakish' wind

There are also concerns in Australia that "extraordinary fire behaviour" will increase the flames. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Q9moIE

Ukraine holds big prisoner swap with pro-Russian separatists

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KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in the east completed a large-scale prisoner swap on Sunday after bussing scores of detainees in the five-year conflict to an exchange point in the breakaway Donbass region. The swap should help build confidence between the two sides, who are wrangling over how to implement a peace deal after the loss of more than 13,000 lives, but major disagreements remain and full normalization is far off. Ukraine said 76 pro-government detainees were handed over, while separatists said they took 120 of their prisoners during the swap at a checkpoint near the industrial town of Horlivka. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2MGKecG

Taliban council agrees to temporary cease-fire in Afghanistan

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The Taliban said Sunday they have agreed to a temporary cease-fire nationwide. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Q8aj6A

N Korea begins key meeting before year-end deadline for US

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North Korea has opened a high-profile political conference to discuss how to overcome “harsh trials and difficulties," state media reported Sunday, days before a year-end deadline set by Pyongyang for Washington to make concessions in nuclear negotiations. The ruling Workers’ Party meeting is a focus of keen attention as some observers predict North Korea might use the conference to announce it would abandon faltering diplomacy with the U.S. and lift its moratorium on major weapons test. The Korean Central News Agency reported that leader Kim Jong Un presided over a plenary meeting of the party's Central Committee convened in Pyongyang on Saturday. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ZuxBGO

Iran blasts France for 'interference' over jailed academic

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Tehran accused Paris on Sunday of "interference" in the case of an Iranian-French academic held in the Islamic republic, saying she is considered an Iranian national and faces security charges. France said Friday it summoned Iran's ambassador to protest the imprisonment of Fariba Adelkhah and another academic, Roland Marchal of France, saying their detention was "intolerable". from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Qte0CF

Turkey evacuates wounded after deadly Mogadishu blast

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A Turkish military cargo plane landed in the Somali capital on Sunday to evacuate people badly wounded in a devastating truck bombing that killed at least 90 people including two Turkish nationals. The plane also brought emergency medical staff and supplies, the Turkish embassy said in a tweet, adding these had been taken to a Turkish-run hospital in Mogadishu. Somali Information Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir Mareye told state media that 10 Somalis who were badly wounded in Saturday's blast would be evacuated to Turkey. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2F54cJY

Republican senator says ‘there are virtually no rules’ for impeaching Trump

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A Republican senator has said there are “virtually no substantive rules” for impeachment as he avoided criticising Mitch McConnell for pledging to coordinate with Donald Trump in the impending Senate trial.John Kennedy, a senator for Louisiana, was asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper if he was “disturbed” by Mr McConnell’s pledge, as Republican senator Lisa Murkowski said she was earlier this week. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Qr010a

Thai SEAL dies of blood infection a year after cave rescue

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A Thai navy SEAL who was part of the dramatic rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave has died of a blood infection contracted during the risky operation, the Royal Thai Navy said. Petty Officer 1st Class Bayroot Pakbara was receiving treatment but his condition worsened after the infection spread into his blood, according to an announcement on the Thai navy SEAL’s Facebook page. Lt. Cmdr. Saman Gunan died while resupplying oxygen tanks on July 6, 2018. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39lZxRC

Louisa May Alcott’s Courageous Career as a Civil War Nurse

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The Christmas release of director Greta Gerwig’s new film version of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women presents a fresh opportunity for Alcott’s 19th-century classic to be read as a book that speaks to the present feminist moment. But it will be a shame if the renewed interest in Alcott that Gerwig has sparked does not also lead to a long-overdue appreciation of Alcott’s heroism in the Civil War.In 1862, two weeks before Christmas, Alcott left her home in Concord, Massachusetts, to serve the Union cause by working in a military hospital in Washington, D.C.  In Little Women Alcott made the Civil War the background for her story of the March sisters and their mother, but in 1862 the Civil War became central to Alcott’s life.In the Union Hotel Hospital, a former Georgetown tavern in which she worked, Alcott saw death firsthand, and, like the doctors and nurses in the hospital, became vulnerable to the disease and infection the wounded troops brought with them.Men Will Love ‘Little Women’ T