China’s virus death toll surpasses SARS but new cases fall
By JOE McDONALD Associated Press
China’s death toll from the new virus outbreak has risen by 89 to 811, surpassing the number of fatalities in the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic, as other governments step up efforts to block the disease. Some 2,656 new cases were reported, fewer than on the previous day, something experts see as a sign the virus’s spread may be slowing. SARS killed 774 people and sickened 8,098, mainly in mainland China and Hong Kong. Elsewhere, France closed two schools after five British visitors contracted the virus at a ski resort. Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam reported one new case each. Six more cases were reported on a quarantined cruise ship.

Police: 2nd officer shot in Bronx hours after ambush
By SOPHIA ROSENBAUM undefined
A second New York City police officer has been shot in the Bronx, hours after a gunman shot and wounded an officer in an unprovoked attack on a patrol van. Police said the shooting happened at the headquarters of the 41st precinct. An NYPD spokesperson says the injured officer is in stable condition at Lincoln Hospital. Officials say it is unclear if Sunday’s shooting is related to Saturday evening’s ambush on a patrol van in the same area. Police officials confirmed a suspect in Sunday’s shooting is in custody.

NYPD: Officer shot, wounded in ‘assassination attempt’
New York City’s police commissioner says an officer was wounded by gunfire in the Bronx in “an assassination attempt.” Commissioner Dermot Shea says two uniformed officers were sitting in a police van on Saturday night when a man engaged them in conversation and then pulled out a gun “without provocation.” The man fired multiple shots, striking one officer in the chin and neck. Shea says the officer is “lucky to be alive” and is expected to make a full recovery. The commissioner indicated that no one was in custody, but said police had a description of the shooter.

1. Robert Conrad, star of “The Wild, Wild West,” dies at 84
   Robert Conrad, the rugged, contentious actor who starred in the hugely popular 1960s television series “Hawaiian Eye” and “The Wild, Wild West,” has died. He was 84. A family spokesperson says the actor died Saturday morning in Malibu, California, from heart failure. Conrad became an overnight star after the show  “Hawaiian Eye” debuted in 1959. Conrad was known as a tough customer with a reputation for fist fights. Playing himself in a 1999 episode of the TV series “Just Shoot Me,” he lampooned his threatening, tough-guy persona.

20 dead, 31 hurt in Thai mass shooting; gunman hides in mall
By SAKCHAI LALIT and TASSANEE VEJPONGSA Associated Press
A gunman described as a soldier angry over a financial dispute killed two people and then went on a far bloodier rampage Saturday in northeastern Thailand, shooting as he drove to a busy mall where shoppers fled in terror. At least 20 people were killed in all, 31 were injured and others were believed to be still inside the building as more gunshots rang out early Sunday morning. Police commandos are searching the mall for the shooter, and police say they have now secured the building from the ground floor up. It was the country’s second mass shooting in about a month.

Biden tells NH Democrats that Buttigieg ‘not a Barack Obama’
By JULIE PACE and HUNTER WOODALL Associated Press
Former Vice President Joe Biden is stepping up his criticism of rival Pete Buttigieg, telling New Hampshire voters ahead of the Democratic primary that Buttigieg’s experience as a small city mayor doesn’t prepare him for the White House. And as Buttigieg compares himself to the last Democratic president, Biden is declaring that “this guy’s not a Barack Obama.” Biden’s biting attacks on Buttigieg’s relatively thin resume during campaigning Saturday mark a new effort to slow the momentum of the youngest candidate in the Democratic field. Biden is trying to avoid falling far behind both Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, who outperformed Biden in the Iowa caucuses.

Payback: Trump ousts officials who testified on impeachment
By DEB RIECHMANN, COLLEEN LONG and NANCY BENAC Associated Press
President Donald Trump is exacting swift punishment against those who crossed him during his impeachment hearings. On Friday he ousted two government officials who had delivered damaging testimony. The president took retribution just two days after his acquittal by the Senate. First came news that Trump had ousted Lt. Col Alexander Vindman, the decorated soldier and national security aide who played a central role in the Democrats’ impeachment case. He was escorted out of the White House complex Friday. Next came word that Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union, also was out.

Actor-comedian Orson Bean, 91, hit and killed by car in LA
Authorities in Los Angeles say actor and comedian Orson Bean was hit and killed by a car in Los Angeles. He was 91. He was known for his appearances on TV game shows and for playing a crotchety merchant on “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” among scores of other film, television and theater credits. Police say he was walking in the Venice neighborhood when he was clipped by one vehicle and fell. A second driver then struck him in what police say was a fatal collision. He’s survived by wife Alley Mills and four children. He was also the father-in-law of late conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart.

Key takeaways from Democratic debate in New Hampshire
By HUNTER WOODALL and NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press
At the Democratic presidential candidate debate in New Hampshire, the top finishers in Iowa, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, gained the most attention from their opponents Friday night and had some standout moments. Joe Biden, whose campaign is flagging and in the middle of a shakeup, had some feisty exchanges, but it’s not clear whether his performance will quell worries. Elizabeth Warren, who is competing with Sanders among progressives, also did little to change the campaign narrative. And Amy Klobuchar was quick with the quips as she tried gain an edge in the primary’s moderate lane.