Colorado legislators back psychedelic drug research

(The Center Square) – The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is targeting multiple seats in Congress to take back the Democratic majority in November. 

Its “2026 Red to Blue” program’s goal is to flip 18 seats in 12 states in November.

Republicans hold a slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives of just three seats. Current polls indicate Republicans are likely to lose the midterm elections. Historically, the political party in the White House loses seats in Congress during midterm elections. In 2010, when Barack Obama was president, Democrats lost 63 seats in the House and six seats in the U.S. Senate. In President Donald Trump’s first term, in 2018, Republicans lost 40 seats in the House and gained two in the U.S. Senate, the American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara notes.

The DCCC, the official campaign arm of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, says its “Red to Blue” program is “highly competitive and battle-tested,” designed to arm “top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them continue to develop strong campaigns.”

The candidates it supports are extremists, “far-left,” “radical,” “out of touch” “hate farmers,” and are elitists, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the DCCC counterpart, argues, among other claims.

The DCCC’s greatest Red to Blue targets are four Republican incumbents in Pennsylvania: U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA 1), Ryan Mackenzie (PA 7), Rob Bresnahan Jr. (PA 8) and Scott Perry (PA 10). 

In response to the DCCC’s backing Democrat Bob Harvie in PA 1, NRCC Spokesman Reilly Richardson said, “Corrupt Bob Harvie, the subject of an FBI investigation, has spent his time in office raising taxes and abusing taxpayer-funded resources. Corrupt Harvie’s record is uniquely disqualifying and his candidacy is dead on arrival.” 

The DCCC is also targeting three seats in Arizona. One is AZ 1, where multiple candidates are running in a Democrat July 21 primary. In response to the DCCC’s pick, Marlene Woods, NRCC Spokesperson Ben Petersen said, “D.C. Democrats meddling in a primary to boost Marlene Woods, who is currently trailing the Democrat primary by 21 points, showed how panicked Democrats are about losing the 1st district. Marlene Woods promised to vote ‘100%‘ for their liberal tax-hiking, job-killing agenda, showing she’s deeply out of step with Arizonans.”

The DCCC is also trying to unseat Republican incumbents U.S. Reps. Eli Crane in AZ 2 and Juan Ciscomani in AZ 6. 

It’s also hoping to flip two seats each in Iowa, Texas and Virginia. In Iowa, the DCCC is targeting incumbent Republicans U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in IA 1 and Zach Nunn in IA 3. 

In Texas, it’s targeting incumbent U.S. Rep.  Monica De La Cruz in Texas’ new CD 15 and hoping to win a new open seat in CD 35. After a new Texas redistricting law is in effect, voting patterns indicate both districts represent Hispanic Republican majorities. 

In Virginia, the DCCC is targeting Republican incumbents U.S. Reps. Robert Wittman in VA 1 and Jennifer Kiggans in VA 2. 

The Red to Blue campaign is also targeting one seat each in the California (CD 22), Colorado (CD 5), Maine (CD 2), Michigan (CD 4), North Carolina (CD 11), Tennessee (CD 5) and Wisconsin (CD 3). 

Overall, the DCCC is focusing on 44 districts in 23 states. Its Red to Blue campaign is part of it, noting that all 44 districts “are in play.” 

With three seats “standing between Democrats and reclaiming the House majority, we have an aggressive and disciplined strategy to get us above and beyond 218 seats,” it says. “With strong recruits, firm financial support, and a clear message, Democrats will flip these seats.”

Overall, the DCCC is targeting the most Republican incumbents in two states: four seats each in Florida and Pennsylvania. It’s also targeting three seats each in Arizona, Michigan, Ohio and Virginia. It’s also targeting two seats each in California, Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. 

In California, the NRCC says Democrats Derek Tran and Dave Min “hate California farmers” because they “voted against bipartisan legislation that strengthens risk management, expands access to credit, lowers costs, and invests in farming communities.” 

The DCCC is also targeting one seat each in Alaska, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Tennessee.

According to a RealClear Polling Generic Congressional average of polls, the latest data shows Democrats beating Republicans in the House by 5.6% in November. Margins range from Democrats winning by three points in a Morning Consult poll to winning by 10 points in Emerson and Marquette polls, according to the data.

Holders Paris Saint-Germain set up a Champions League final against Arsenal after a 1-1 second-leg draw at Bayern Munich secured a 6-5 aggregate victory on Wednesday.

PSG exploded on the counter less than three minutes in and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele put Luis Enrique's visitors ahead on the night and two goals up in the tie.

PSG largely succeeded in subduing Bayern's attacking threat, despite Harry Kane's stoppage-time goal.

On their return to Munich's Allianz Arena, the scene of their greatest triumph against Inter Milan in last year's final, PSG once again emphasised their excellence in a competition they coveted without success for so long.

The French giants will be favourites to lift the trophy for a second successive season when they face Premier League leaders Arsenal on May 30 in Budapest.

The French giants are hoping to become only the second back-to-back winners since 1990, after Real Madrid.

Bayern were angered by some first-half refereeing decisions but were largely toothless in attack.

The six-time European champions have still not reached the final since beating PSG in the 2020 showpiece in Lisbon.

Both sides were playing their 52nd match of the season in all competitions -- not even counting last summer's Club World Cup -- but only the hosts looked weary.

So dangerous in the first leg, Bayern were surprisingly stodgy in attack, with Michael Olise in particular having an off night.

In the midst of a record-breaking season, Bayern's fourth defeat in all competitions will sting for a club set to wonder what might have been.

- Dembele scores early -

With Bayern already Bundesliga champions and PSG also on track for the Ligue 1 title, both sides heavily rotated their line-ups in the weekend's league fixtures.

But both teams only made one change to their starting XIs compared to last week's spectacle in Paris. Only PSG's was forced, with Fabian Ruiz in for the injured Achraf Hakimi.

The high-octane first leg, won 5-4 by PSG, was widely lauded as among the best matches in the competition's history and Wednesday's game offered more of the same early.

Ruiz, starting his first European match since January, set Khvicha Kvaratskhelia down the left flank with an excellent through ball.

The Georgian latched onto the pass, blazed past his marker before cutting back for the perfectly placed Dembele to slam home. 

Bayern conceded after just 36 seconds against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and fought back to win but seemed stunned by the early goal this time around.

Olise, Kane and Joshua Kimmich all mislaid passes in the opening half-hour, ending promising attacks.

Bayern surrounded referee Joao Pinheiro claiming a penalty on the half-hour mark when Vitinha's clearance hit Joao Neves's outstretched arm in the box, but their appeals were waved away.

The home players had already been left incensed when PSG full-back Nuno Mendes was not shown a second yellow card for handball.

PSG went inches from scoring a second but Manuel Neuer tipped a close-range Neves header just wide of the post.

The home team rediscovered their rhythm just before the break, with Jamal Musiala forcing an excellent low save from PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov and blasting over the bar.

PSG showed a more measured side to their game in the second half, sitting back to absorb Bayern pressure while never losing their own threat on the counter.

Neuer made fine second-half saves from Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue to keep Bayern in the tie.

The Bavarians dominated possession and territory but could not break through until Kane scored for a seventh straight Champions League match in stoppage time.

There was time for the restart, but it was too little, too late for the hosts.

dwi/jc

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has improved suicide risk screening and follow-up care among veterans in its system after a December 2024 federal watchdog report found staff were failing to complete required suicide risk checks for 40% or more of patients.

As of March 2026, 88% of veterans who received VA care in the prior 12 months had completed an annual suicide risk screen, up from 55% in fiscal year 2023, when VA's Office of Inspector General found the rate never exceeded 60% in any single month. The OIG attributed the failures to inadequate staff training, missing performance benchmarks and unclear accountability for who was responsible for fixing the problem.

Ninety-six percent of veterans identified as at risk completed a follow-up evaluation within 24 hours as of March 2026, up from 82% in fiscal year 2023. VA said both figures are records since tracking started in 2021.

The improvements come as veteran suicide remains a persistent crisis. In 2023, the veteran suicide rate was 35.2 per 100,000, up slightly from 34.7 per 100,000 in 2022 and about double the national rate of 14.1 per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

VA spent $714 million on suicide prevention outreach programs in 2026, up from $556 million in 2025, according to the department's fiscal year 2027 budget request.

Jim Whaley, CEO of Mission Roll Call, a nonprofit veterans advocacy organization, told The Center Square in March that prevention spending has not moved the needle on outcomes.

"A lot of money has gone into suicide prevention, and it really hasn't worked," Whaley said.

VA's then-Under Secretary for Health accepted the OIG's six recommendations and submitted action plans in September 2024, under the Biden administration. The OIG acknowledged VA's progress on those recommendations in April 2026.

"VA care and benefits are key to reducing Veteran suicide, and under President Trump, the department is redoubling its efforts to reach those most at risk," VA Secretary Doug Collins said Wednesday.

Collins made a similar commitment in March, pledging for the first time to track the efficacy of the hundreds of millions of dollars spent annually on prevention programs.

"A serious effort to track the efficacy of the hundreds of millions the department spends per year in this area to ensure we have real solutions, not just rhetoric," he said at the time.

VA's suicide risk screening program requires all patients to get an annual screen. Veterans who screen positive must receive a comprehensive follow-up evaluation, typically the same day. The OIG's 2024 review found that while the program had been in place since 2018, required staff training did not include instruction on how to conduct screenings or evaluations. It also found that more than half of facility staff believed suicide risk screening was only the responsibility of dedicated suicide prevention teams, not all clinical staff.

More than 60% of veteran suicides involve people who were not in VA care in the two years before their death, according to VA.

Veterans in crisis can contact the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1, chatting at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or texting 838255. 

(The Center Square) – A breakthrough deal may be on the horizon between the U.S. and Iran, according to President Donald Trump.

During a Wednesday afternoon news conference in the Oval Office, Trump indicated that Iran has agreed not to have a nuclear weapon – a stipulation in a deal between Iran and the U.S.

“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won’t, and they’ve agreed to that, among other things,” Trump told reporters.

The president said a deal with Iran is close, despite making the same claim multiple times since a ceasefire went into place April 7. However, Trump appears to acknowledge the Islamic Republic’s reluctance to reach a deal over the last month after several failed attempts to make a deal.

“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran. If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,” Trump posted to Truth Social Wednesday morning.

While the president appeared to indicate Operation Epic Fury could continue, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters during a White House press briefing Tuesday that it was indeed over.

“Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. We’re not cheering for an additional situation to occur. We would prefer the path of peace,” Rubio told reporters.

The latest claim comes less than 24 hours after the president announced the pause of “Project Freedom,” a U.S. operation to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz safely. Trump implemented Project Freedom Monday morning.

The president cited “great progress” being made toward a deal with Iran.

“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” Trump posted on Truth Social Tuesday afternoon.

The president continues to defend a potential deal and the fragile ceasefire, despite Iran firing on U.S. naval vessels and attacks on commercial vessels.

Trump defended the talks after a reporter argued that Iran has been unwilling to submit, asking “what’s different about this moment now than in other where a deal has seemed close?”

The president responded, “Why do you say they refused to submit? You don’t know that. You don’t know what’s going on.”

The Trump administration has conceded the Iranian government is fractured, it is unclear if the fractured leadership would jointly agree to a proposed deal presented by the U.S.

Ruhi Cenet was surprised when cruise-ship life carried on as usual aboard the MV Hondius, even after the captain announced the first passenger's death.

The Turkish travel vlogger had boarded the ship in Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 to do a story about one of its stops, Tristan da Cunha, the remote archipelago in the South Atlantic.

It started out as an idyllic trip, with 59 crew attending to the 88 passengers -- most of them amateur birdwatchers aged 60 and up, Cenet, who is 35, told AFP in an interview.

But things turned strange the morning of April 12, when the ship's captain announced into a microphone that a passenger had died.

The 70-year-old Dutch man passed away the day before, the captain can be seen telling passengers in a video Cenet shot.

"I am told by the doctor that we are not infectious," the captain says in the footage -- little realising the ship's British doctor would himself be in serious condition weeks later.

"He said it was due to natural causes," Cenet recalled in an interview by video link.

"They didn't even consider the possibility of having such a contagious disease," he added.

"They didn't take the problem seriously enough."

- 'Worst-case scenario' -

Three of the ship's passengers have now died, including the first victim's wife and a German woman.

The World Health Organization says at least five others from the ship have definitely or probably been infected with hantavirus, a rare, potentially deadly respiratory disease.

Cenet said he was startled to see that "everyday life continued" on the ship after the captain's announcement.

His videos show elderly passengers mingling around the buffet table.

"We again kept eating all together... and we didn't wear any masks," he said.

To be safe, he and his cameraman decided to self-isolate, he told AFP.

"We didn't know there was a virus, but we just took precautions," he said.

A few days later, the ship anchored off Tristan da Cunha for the day.

Cenet remains haunted by that stop, fearing a "worst-case scenario", he said.

"I wish we did not land there after the first casualty, because along with us, there were a hundred more passengers, and they were interacting with the islanders," he said.

"This is one of my regrets, because the island is the most remote one, and they don't have enough medical centres, enough doctors."

- $10,000 trip -

Cenet disembarked from the ship on the British overseas territory of Saint Helena on April 24, along with about 20 other passengers.

The next day, he boarded a flight to South Africa.

It was the same one carrying the wife of the first victim.

She died the next day.

"She was in a wheelchair... Her head was down. Apparently the illness started getting to her," Cenet said.

He remembered how after her husband's death, many passengers on the ship had gathered around her to console her.

From South Africa, Cenet and his cameraman returned to Istanbul.

"When we got to Turkey, we were told that as long as we don't show any symptoms, at this point we don't have to be quarantined," he said.

"We are trying to isolate ourselves as much as we can."

The Hondius, which has been in quarantine off Cape Verde, left its anchorage there on Wednesday for Spain's Canary Islands.

An acquaintance still on board told Cenet the passengers were now isolated in their cabins and wearing masks.

But "I think these kind of ships should have some sort of a lab or necessary equipment" in case of outbreaks, said Cenet, adding that passengers had paid around $10,000 each for the cruise.

"I think these kind of amenities are needed," he said.

"One doctor wasn't enough."

dou-rba/jhb/ach 

(The Center Square) – Democrats in Congress on Wednesday renewed calls for U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to resign after testifying about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Lutnick spoke before lawmakers in the U.S. House Oversight Committee during a closed-door hearing. The commerce secretary has come under pressure to explain his ties to the deceased sex offender after communications between the two appeared throughout the U.S. Department of Justice’s release of files associated with Epstein.

Lutnick previously said he decided to “never be in a room” with Epstein after a tour of his home in 2005. The two were previously neighbors in New York City.

However, in testimony before the U.S. Senate in February, Lutnick said he visited Epstein’s private island, Little St. James, in 2012 with his family for lunch.

Chairman of the House Oversight Committee James Comer, R-Ky., said Lutnick had not been “100% truthful” about his visit to Epstein’s private island.

“Many of the members [of the Oversight Committee] wanted to hear from Lutnick and I’ll add he’s come in voluntarily so I appreciate that,” Comer said. “We haven’t talked to too many people that have admitted they’ve been on the island.”

Democrats on the Oversight Committee slammed Lutnick over his testimony when speaking to reporters. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said Lutnick’s testimony was “embarrassing” and called for President Donald Trump to remove him.

“He was asked very straight-forward questions about whether he regretted misleading the American people,” Khanna said. “It was just contortions and lies, and no acknowledgement that he misled the American public.”

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., repeated the call for Lutnick to resign. He said Lutnick was “dishonest” and “evasive” in how he answered questions from lawmakers.

“I feel very comfortable saying that Howard Lutnick is a pathological liar,” Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., said.

Ansari said lawmakers walked through the timeline of Lutnick’s relationship with Epstein, beginning in 2005. She said Lutnick described his interactions with Epstein as “meaningless” and “inconsequential.”

During the hearing, lawmakers said Lutnick admitted to having shared investments in a particular company with Epstein. The lawmakers did not disclose the name of the company in question.

Unlike the previous depositions of former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, Lutnick’s interview was not recorded on video. Comer said Lutnick’s decision to appear voluntarily meant he did not have to be recorded.

“Lutnick had three interactions with Epstein over 10 years,” Comer said. “He’s been very forthcoming with those interactions.”

Comer said a transcript of the interview would be released soon and that there would be six more witnesses that will have “pertinent information” on the Epstein investigation.

“I think we’ve got some more quality witnesses coming in in the next few weeks that will hopefully have more information that I think will be relevant to the investigation,” Comer said.

(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-TX, and her north Texas colleagues have called for a federal investigation into alleged H-1B visa fraud occurring in counties they represent. 

Similar to the alleged Somali welfare fraud in Minnesota and hospice fraud in Los Angeles, Van Duyne argues north Texas is grappling with an H-1B visa fraud problem involving Indian nationals concentrated in her Dallas-Fort Worth district in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties.

“H-1B visa abuse is an affront to our country, it harms American workers, depresses wages, leaves graduating university students without job prospects in their area of study, and it must be stamped out for economic and national security reasons,” she said.

She and Republican U.S. Reps. Ronny Jackson, Brandon Gill and Pat Fallon, who also represent the region, sent a letter to the vice president and secretaries of the departments of State, Labor and Homeland Security, urging them to investigate. 

Alleged visa abuse in North Texas, “a major economic hub for our nation – raises additional concerns about localized exploitation of the system,” the letter states. “When bad actors are able to manipulate visa pathways at scale, it distorts local labor markets, suppresses wages, and erodes trust in lawful immigration processes. 

“Beyond economic impacts, there are also broader compliance and security considerations. Fraudulent use of employment-based visas may indicate systemic weaknesses in interagency coordination, verification mechanisms, and oversight of sponsoring employers. Ensuring that individuals entering the United States through legal channels are properly vetted and placed in legitimate employment is essential to maintaining both economic integrity and national security.”

The H-1B program is administered and overseen by several federal agencies, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the departments of State and Labor. It allows employers “to hire nonimmigrant aliens as workers in specialty occupations or as fashion models of distinguished merit and ability … to help employers who cannot otherwise obtain needed business skills and abilities from the U.S. workforce by authorizing the temporary employment of qualified individuals who are not otherwise authorized to work in the United States.” 

The greatest number of H-1B visa holders nationwide are from India, more than 70% in 2024, according to USCIS data. The second greatest number of holders are from China.

The Texas Republicans called for respective federal agencies to conduct a coordinated, interagency investigation into reported H-1B fraud activities in North Texas, “including the role of employers, third-party agents, and any associated entities,” and review current H-1B adjudication and verification processes “to identify vulnerabilities that allow for fraudulent job offers, wage misrepresentation, or improper labor condition applications.” 

The Trump administration is already undergoing a massive review and overhaul of visa programs within USCIS, The Center Square reported. 

They also called on federal agencies to strengthen enforcement mechanisms, including increasing audits of H-1B sponsors, enhancing penalties for fraud and improving data sharing and coordination. They also asked the agencies to provide recommendations to Congress “to close loopholes and restore integrity to the H-1B program.”

They urged a federal agency investigation after presidential and state actions have been taken.  

President Donald Trump first addressed the issue by signing an executive order restricting entry for “aliens as nonimmigrants to perform services in specialty occupations in the H-1B program unless their petition is accompanied by a $100,000 payment.” He said, “American workers are being replaced with lower-paid foreign labor, creating an economic and national security threat to the nation,” The Center Square reported.

In January, Gov. Greg Abbott directed all state agencies and publicly funded higher education institutions to freeze H-1B visa petitions and launch a review of current program use. A state investigation was necessary, he said, because of “recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa program, and amid the federal government’s ongoing review of that program to ensure American jobs are going to American workers."

The Office of Attorney General also launched an investigation into businesses in north Texas allegedly committing H-1B visa fraud after residents in Frisco have been sounding the alarm about alleged visa fraud and a disproportionate number of Indian nationals moving there, The Center Square reported. 

The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas is also prosecuting a case involving Pakistani nationals charged with defrauding the EB-2, EB-3 and H-1B visa programs, money laundering, racketeering and unlawfully obtaining and attempting to obtain United States citizenship, The Center Square reported. Department of Justice prosecutions against visa fraud are ongoing nationwide.

Kentucky Derby-winner Golden Tempo will not run in the Preakness Stakes, history-making trainer Cherie DeVaux said Wednesday, dashing hopes of a Triple Crown challenge in 2026.

Golden Tempo stormed from dead last to win the 152nd Derby on Saturday, making DeVaux the first woman trainer to saddle a winner in the iconic event at Churchill Downs.

DeVaux said in a statement on Wednesday that the horse's connections had decided "as a team" that Golden Tempo will bypass the May 16 Preakness, the second race in US flat racing's Triple Crown that concludes with the Belmont Stakes in June.

Only 13 horses have completed the treble, and DeVaux said she and Golden Tempo's team were "incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run."

However, she added, "Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort.

"His health, happiness and long-term future will always remain our top priority," she said, adding that Golden Tempo would be pointed toward the Belmont on June 6.

Neither the Preakness nor the Belmont will be run at their traditional venues this year.

The Preakness will be held at Laurel Park in Maryland as Pimlico Race Course undergoes renovations while the Belmont will be run at Saratoga for the third and final year due to renovations at Belmont Park.

bb/rcw

The first hantavirus case on the MV Hondius could not have been infected during the cruise, a World Health Organization expert told AFP on Wednesday.

The polar expedition ship left Ushuaia in Argentina on April 1 for a cruise across the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Verde, where it arrived on Sunday, with around 150 passengers and crew on board.

The WHO, which was alerted Saturday to a rare but deadly outbreak of hantavirus aboard the Hondius, has determined that the first of three people to die must have been infected before boarding the ship.  

Out of eight confirmed and suspected hantavirus cases, a 70-year-old Dutch passenger was the first to fall ill.

He began showing symptoms including fever, headache and mild diarrhoea on April 6, and developed respiratory distress on April 11, dying on board the same day, the WHO said.

"The incubation period -- the time between infection and the onset of symptoms -- is between one and six weeks", but it is typically "more like two to three weeks", Anais Legand, a technical expert on viral haemorrhagic fevers at the WHO, told AFP.

So the first case "could not have been infected on the ship, or on one of the islands" it called at on the way towards Cape Verde.

The man "very clearly had exposure before boarding the ship", an exposure "certainly linked to a rodent", she said.

Among the three people who have died, only the Dutch man's 69-year-old wife has been confirmed positive so far for hantavirus.

She had been suffering gastrointestinal symptoms when accompanied her husband's remains ashore on the remote British territory of Saint Helena on April 24, before flying to Johannesburg on April 25, and dying the following day.

A third passenger, a German national, is also suspected of having died from hantavirus on the ship on May 2. 

Two others who were on the ship and are being treated in hospitals in Johannesburg and Zurich have also tested positive, while three suspected cases have been evacuated from the ship and are being flown to the Netherlands.

The vessel, which has been anchored off the Cape Verde capital Praia since Sunday, set sail Wednesday bound for Spain's Canary Islands.

Hantavirus is usually spread from infected rodents, typically through urine, droppings and saliva.

There is documented human-to-human transmission for only one strain, Andes virus -- detected in both living confirmed cases.

- Cases in Argentina -

The case fatality rate for the Andes virus can reach up to 40 percent, which is "high", said Legand.

"For this virus, there is no evidence that the disease can be transmitted to someone before symptoms appear," she stated, with the highest risk of transmission during the first week of illness.

According to the initial evidence available to the WHO, the Andes virus can only be transmitted from one person to another in cases of close contact.

Legand gave the example of an "exchange of saliva" when couples kiss, while underlining that investigations were ongoing to better understand human-to-human transmission of the strain.

The WHO says that before boarding the MV Hondius, the Dutch couple travelled in South America, including Argentina.

According to data published Monday by the Argentine health ministry, 42 new cases of hantavirus have been reported in the country this year.

The ministry also reported a family cluster in the southern Chubut region, with suspected human-to-human transmission.

- WHO team on board -

A day before the three suspected cases were evacuated from the Hondius on Wednesday, two WHO representatives joined the ship to work on an exposure assessment and help the crew keep the passengers properly informed and reassured, said Legand.

The cruise ship should arrive at a port in Tenerife in the Canaries "within three days", according to the Spanish authorities.

"Discussions between the ship, the national authorities, but also the medical authorities and WHO are ongoing," WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told AFP.

This is "to establish the protocol once the ship goes to dock at the harbour, how best these people on board will be treated, how quickly they can be removed off the ship, but also how safely they can be removed," he said.

The bodies of the three people who died have not been moved, according to Legand.

They remain in Saint Helena, Johannesburg, and in a cold storage room on the MV Hondius.

apo/ag/rjm/nl/giv

Democratic lawmakers accused US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Wednesday of lying to Congress and helping cover up the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein, demanding his resignation after a closed-door deposition in the investigation into the notorious sex offender.

The extraordinary attacks came as Lutnick was answering questions before the House Oversight Committee about his ties to Epstein, the disgraced financier whose connections to powerful figures have fueled years of political controversy and conspiracy theories.

Emerging from the interview, Democrats portrayed Lutnick -- a billionaire former financial executive -- as evasive and dishonest, accusing him of contradicting earlier public statements about when he severed ties with Epstein.

"After what we have seen so far in this transcribed interview, I feel very comfortable saying that Howard Lutnick is a pathological liar who is enabling the most egregious cover-up in American history," said Arizona Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari.

Democratic Representative Suhas Subramanyam called on Lutnick to quit, telling reporters: "That was absolutely mind-boggling, what we just heard in the room. He was evasive, nervous, he was dishonest."

The deposition centered heavily on Lutnick's previously disclosed 2012 visit to Epstein's private Caribbean island, which came years after Epstein's abuse was already public knowledge.

In a podcast interview last year, Lutnick recounted visiting Epstein's Manhattan home in 2005 and said he was so disturbed that he decided he would "never be in the room with that disgusting person, ever again."

But records later emerged showing plans in 2012 for Lutnick to meet Epstein on Little Saint James, the island often referred to as "Epstein Island."

Lutnick acknowledged during a Senate hearing earlier this year that he had visited the island with family members.

Ansari said lawmakers had questioned Lutnick in "excruciating detail" about his relationship with Epstein and argued it was implausible that he had remained unaware of allegations surrounding the financier after Epstein's 2008 plea deal on sex crime charges.

California Democrat Ro Khanna also accused Lutnick of misleading the public and suggested his testimony raised fresh questions about whether details about Epstein's activities were being concealed.

"Now we know why that interview was not videotaped," Khanna said. "If Donald Trump had seen the video transcript, he would have fired Howard Lutnick."

Khanna said Lutnick had also appeared to retreat from previous suggestions that Epstein engaged in blackmail operations involving videotapes.

"This raises a question of what the cover-up is," Khanna said.

Lutnick has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing and Republicans on the committee have defended the broader investigation against accusations from Democrats that it has become politically selective.

The billionaire cabinet secretary agreed in March to testify voluntarily before the committee after facing mounting scrutiny over his ties to Epstein.

Epstein admitted sex crimes in 2008 under a controversial plea agreement and was later charged with trafficking underage girls before dying in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. His death was ruled a suicide.

Reporters shouted questions at Lutnick as he arrived for his testimony but he walked in to the deposition without commenting.

ft/des