| The coronavirus pandemic is straining hospitals, but many medical school grads can't get jobs Posted: 27 Mar 2020 12:49 PM PDT  As the need for physicians has increased, many qualified medical school seniors each year — and this year is no exception — fail to acquire a residency position in a hospital, a requirement for beginning a practice.
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| Senator says White House turned down emergency coronavirus funding in early February Posted: 27 Mar 2020 05:33 PM PDT  Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, says that Trump administration officials declined an offer of early Congressional funding assistance that he and other senators made during a meeting to discuss the coronavirus on Feb. 5.
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| Saudi Arabia expands lockdown as coronavirus death toll doubles Posted: 29 Mar 2020 03:59 AM PDT  Saudi Arabia halted entry and exit into Jeddah governorate on Sunday, expanding lockdown rules as it reported four new deaths from a coronavirus outbreak that continues to spread in the region despite drastic measures to contain it. The Saudi health ministry said four more foreign residents, in Jeddah and Medina, had died from the virus, taking the total to eight. Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain reported more cases, taking the total in the six Gulf Arab countries to over 3,200, with 15 deaths.
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| Coronavirus Comes to the Kremlin Posted: 27 Mar 2020 06:04 PM PDT  After months of denials, Russia is facing a new reality with respect to the rapid spread of the coronavirus in the country. Friday's statistics officially acknowledge 1,036 diagnosed cases of COVID-19, including four deaths. The real numbers are undoubtedly much higher, as testing for the potentially deadly disease is only starting to pick up steam and some coronavirus deaths are being attributed to other causes.The highly contagious virus has already penetrated the walls of the Kremlin. Russian media reported that two Kremlin officials may have tested positive for the coronavirus. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed he was aware of one of those cases, but claimed no knowledge of the second. State media outlet TASS speculated that one of the infected persons may have been a staffer responsible for awards, who traveled to Spain and later attended Putin's presidential awards ceremony in occupied Crimea.Putin's own spokesman couldn't avoid the handshake of the disease, having been present at a star-studded birthday party attended by pop singer Lev Leshchenko, who recently tested positive for coronavirus. Peskov claimed that attendees at the fancy affair maintained proper distancing and "barely even shook hands" in light of the coronavirus advisories. However, video clips aired by the Russian state media TV show 60 Minutes demonstrated that celebrity partiers hugged, kissed and made silly gestures mocking the coronavirus precautions. Peskov denied interacting with the infected singer at the party.Russia Swore It Whipped the Virus, and Fox and CNN Bought ItRussia's State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia that consists of 450 members, said it will require all of its deputies to take coronavirus tests on Monday.Putin expressed near certainty that Russia could defeat the coronavirus "in two or three months time… maybe even earlier." Taking an obvious jab at the United States, he added: "In some countries, it is said that the war with the virus (they call it a 'war') will be a very long one."State media outlet RT hinted at the upcoming unrest in the United States: predicting that "a people deprived of their myths will not remain complacent forever." RT opined: "With no brawls or ballgames to watch, and the fear of potential hunger gnawing at their bloated bellies and brains… Americans will now find it harder and harder to ignore the truth about their country and its deplorably corrupt media, financial, government, education and health care systems… The crisis is going to get worse before it gets better… America, on the other hand, will only get much worse, with no hope that it is ever going to get better."Moscow's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin expressed his hope that Russia's fight against the coronavirus will be "more smooth and painless than in other countries." He ordered Moscow's restaurants and most stores to shut down for eight days and noted: "The restrictions introduced today are unprecedented in the modern history of Moscow and will create many inconveniences for the everyday life of every person," but argued that "they are absolutely necessary in order to slow the spread of coronavirus infection and reduce the number of cases."Meanwhile, during his Thursday telephone call with reporters, Peskov insisted that in Russia "there is de facto no epidemic" and the Kremlin hopes "to be able to avoid one."Kremlin-controlled Russian state media are using the crisis to promote the view that democratic, progressive countries' inability to curtail the pandemic demonstrated the superiority of Russia's paternalistic government. Russian state media argued that the failure of the United States to prepare for coronavirus, even with a two-month advance notice, also demonstrates the loss of America's global leadership.Appearing on The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev, Political scientist Sergey Mikheyev said that he was very happy to report: "Things are better in Russia than in Europe or America." Mikheyev pointed out that the United States failed to extend a helping hand to Europe, after decades of transatlantic solidarity. He attributed the failure of the Trump administration to help America's European allies to "stupidity, greed," or the overt manifestation of total disregard.The host, Vladimir Soloviev, asserted that overcoming the pandemic "with minimal losses" would cement Putin's success in securing the upcoming nationwide vote on the constitutional amendments designed to maintain the Russian leader's grip on power. In anticipation of the inevitable suffering, Russian state media have been promoting outlandish conspiracy theories that blame the United States—and even their alleged "secret bio-laboratories in Ukraine"—for the creation of the coronavirus.Fiona Hill: Trump's Coronavirus Talk Sounds a Lot Like Russia'sThe ongoing spread of the coronavirus in Russia will be accompanied by the inevitable escalation of anti-Western propaganda. When push comes to shove, the Kremlin frequently resorts to its traditional methods of assigning the blame to evil external forces (most frequently, the United States) and portraying Putin as Russia's only hope and savior of the Motherland.The scope of the pandemic, suddenly extending to the Russian president's inner circle, caused obvious nervousness on Russian state television. Appearing on Russia's 60 Minutes, unsettled pundits traded insults and practically screamed at each other. In spite of the Kremlin's initial claims of successfully controlling the spread of the virus, many are realizing that the worst is yet to come.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| While the US Postal Service fights for its life financially, 2,000 of its workers are in quarantine and dozens have tested positive for the coronavirus Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:05 PM PDT  The union on Thursday announced the death of New York City carrier Rakkhon Kim, age 50, "from complications related to COVID-19."
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| Europe, US virus tolls surge as Trump reverses on New York lockdown Posted: 28 Mar 2020 06:39 PM PDT  The coronavirus death toll shot past 20,000 in Europe on Saturday, with Italy and Spain each reporting more than 800 dead in one day, as US President Donald Trump pulled back on putting the hard-hit New York region under quarantine. Up to one-third of the world's population is under lockdown as the virus leaves its devastating imprint on nearly every aspect of society: wiping out millions of jobs, straining health care services and weighing heavily on national treasuries for years to come. Globally, the death toll has surged past 30,000 and officials in some countries say the worst still lies ahead.
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| Mexico's president shifts tone on coronavirus, urges people to stay home, warns of dire consequences Posted: 29 Mar 2020 01:48 AM PDT  Critics said Mexico's president was downplaying the coronavirus threat. But he has now shifted his tone.
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| Woodland Park boy donates 1,000 sanitizer sprays to town amid coronavirus concerns Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:11 PM PDT  11-year-old Jayden Perez and his family donated 1,000 hand sanitizer sprays to his New Jersey community as concerns around the spread of COVID-19 grow.
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| AP Sources: Alleged Maduro co-conspirator is in DEA custody Posted: 27 Mar 2020 03:29 PM PDT  A retired Venezuelan army general indicted alongside Nicolás Maduro has surrendered in Colombia and is being taken by Drug Enforcement Administration agents to New York for arraignment, four people familiar with the situation said Friday. Cliver Alcalá has been an outspoken critic of Maduro for years.
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| 4 passengers dead aboard cruise ship anchored off Panama coast Posted: 27 Mar 2020 03:59 PM PDT  Four passengers have died aboard a cruise ship now anchored off the coast of Panama and two people aboard the ship have tested positive for the coronavirus, the cruise line said Friday, with hundreds of passengers unsure how long they will remain at sea.
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| Migrants in Central American limbo as coranavirus relocation plans falter Posted: 28 Mar 2020 06:27 PM PDT |
| Detainees in US immigration jails living in fear as coronavirus spreads Posted: 28 Mar 2020 11:00 PM PDT  Recordings obtained by Guardian reveal people in Ice centers in the south concerned they are not being properly cared forDetainees at immigration detention centers across the American south have alleged heavy-handed crackdowns amid increasing panic and protest over the coronavirus pandemic, according to advocates and recordings of detainees obtained by the Guardian.A number of detainees have expressed concern they are not being properly cared for in packed detention centers. Former senior immigration officials and attorneys have called for the release of nonviolent detainees. Judges in New Jersey, New York and California have ordered the release of small numbers, based on health concerns."People are terrified for their lives and think that they're going to die there," said Phoebe Lytle, a law student volunteer who has spoken with detainees at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) facilities in Louisiana. "I don't think anyone is saying it in a light or flippant way."Jaclyn Cole, an outreach paralegal at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), said she was called on Tuesday by a Cuban asylum seeker who said officers dressed in riot gear were shooting rubber bullets and using chemical agents on detainees after a dispute with guards.During the five-minute call to Pine Prairie Ice processing center, Cole said she heard between 10 and 15 shots.Ice spokesperson Bryan D Cox did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He has previously denied that the privately operated facility possesses rubber bullets, after detainees have reported their use. Cox did confirm to Mother Jones that seven people at Pine Prairie were pepper-sprayed on Tuesday.Elsewhere in Louisiana, guards at the LaSalle Ice center allegedly sprayed a man with what he called "toxic gas" on Monday after two other detainees cautioned detainees to forgo meals because food could carry Covid-19. The man was hospitalized, said Verónica Fernández, a project coordinator with the SPLC's Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative.Cox did not respond to a request for comment on that incident. He did confirm a separate use of force at LaSalle on Wednesday to Buzzfeed News.Since Covid-19 started spreading through the US, health and immigration experts have expressed concern that Ice is unequipped to deal with the crisis. The US runs the largest immigration detention system in the world and there is a well-documented record of infections ballooning into outbreaks in such facilities. Now, coronavirus has infected some of the agency's employees and detainees, which experts said was inevitable.Two detainees in New Jersey Ice facilities and five employees at four facilities in Texas, Colorado and New Jersey have confirmed coronavirus cases, according to Ice. No cases have been publicly announced in southern states.The Trump administration has massively expanded the use of immigration detention facilities, with hardline policies that have driven the detention population to record highs. States in the deep south have opened more new facilities than anywhere else.Advocates say immigrants held in Louisiana suspect Covid-19 has reached their facilities as the state becomes a major virus hotspot. At Ice's South Louisiana center, a woman alleged she saw officers in hazmat suits feeding someone through a slot in a door, Cole said. At LaSalle, Fernández said, a dorm has reportedly been quarantined, and detainees believe two people have the disease."They're not giving people what they need to protect themselves, and that is social distancing," said Fernández. "That's not something people can do in detention."Ice has said detainees' "health, welfare and safety … is one of the agency's highest priorities"."Since the onset of reports of Covid-19, Ice epidemiologists have been tracking the outbreak, regularly updating infection prevention and control protocols, and issuing guidance to Ice Health Service Corps (IHSC) staff for the screening and management of potential exposure among detainees," according to the agency's website.Some detainees believe they will not receive fair treatment in government care. In a recorded call from Richwood correctional center in Louisiana, released by the Southeast Immigrant Rights Network and the New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice and shared with the Guardian, one detainee said: "They're not going to take a facemask from anyone, from any American, to put it on an immigrant. This means we are going to die."Advocates say anyone in detention is likely to have a compromised immune system, but some also have pre-existing conditions. Lytle said she spoke to a 61-year-old asthmatic at Jackson Parish correctional center, another facility used by Ice in Louisiana, whom she said was "very, very worried" and called to tell her people in his dorm were refusing meals.A woman named Denisse, whose husband is at Stewart detention center in Georgia, feared what might happen as new detainees arrived and guards came and went."It's just spreading rapidly, you know?" Denisse said. "And his immune system is already weak."Her husband has a pre-existing condition that has become worse since he arrived at the facility in September, she said, adding that he recently underwent a procedure and uses a catheter. She shook with relief when she learned he would be released on Monday. The reason for his release was unclear.Hilda Jorge Perez, whose husband is at Richwood, said he had heart problems and high blood pressure. She worried that if he got infected, she would not be able to see him.Perez's husband was among at least 60 people who staged a hunger strike earlier this week. The protesters were forced to end the strike after officials told them they would be put in Ice's version of solitary confinement and have phone and television privileges removed, Perez said.Detainees at Stewart planned a similar strike. They demanded they either be released or deported instead of waiting to be infected, according to recordings of calls provided by a North Carolina advocacy group."We're not going to eat until Ice comes here and gives us answers, and gives us a solution," one man said.A spokesperson for Ice accused advocates of circulating rumors about a hunger strike at Stewart, which she said never happened.
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| Italy again reported the highest single-day death toll since the coronavirus outbreak began: 919 deaths. Its cases have surpassed China's. Posted: 27 Mar 2020 10:26 AM PDT  Italy's coronavirus death toll is the world's highest: More than 9,000 people have died, compared with 1,300 people in the US and 3,300 in China.
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| Cuomo threatens to sue Rhode Island if it doesn't ease up on New Yorkers during coronavirus pandemic Posted: 29 Mar 2020 04:55 AM PDT  The New York area has been the hardest-hit region in the United States during the novel coronavirus pandemic, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) doesn't want his state singled out.After President Trump said he was considering quarantining New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut on Saturday, Cuomo pushed back, calling the idea "preposterous" and a "federal declaration of war," while noting he didn't think it was even legal. Eventually, Trump said it wasn't necessary, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory, urging tri-state residents to refrain from non-essential travel for the next 14 days.But Cuomo isn't completely satisfied — he said he still may sue Rhode Island if the state doesn't halt its new policy of stopping vehicles with New York license plates and collecting information about people who have traveled between the two states. Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) issued an order Friday empowering law enforcement to conduct those searches, and the National Guard will be stationed at airports and train stations for similar purposes. The National Guard will also knock on doors in coastal communities to identify anyone who has been in New York in recently to make sure they self-quarantine for 14 days. Cuomo, though, thinks those precautions are "reactionary" and "illegal," but he is confident he and Raimondo can work out their differences "amicably" before getting the courts involved. Read more at CNN and The Hill.More stories from theweek.com Why Minnesota's coronavirus response is different Joe Biden is the worst imaginable challenger to Trump right now Elton John to host 'Living Room Concert for America' with stars performing from home
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| The stimulus check won't be in the mail for Americans who owe child support Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:26 PM PDT  But back taxes or late student loan payments don't disqualify people from getting the full amount they're eligible for.
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| Why the US is leading the world in confirmed coronavirus cases Posted: 27 Mar 2020 01:58 PM PDT  From the first known patient in late January to now almost 100,000 infected, the United States has earned the unwanted distinction of leading the world in confirmed coronavirus cases. Public health experts say that while we've yet to hit the peak of the US epidemic, there are several reasons why the COVID-19 disease has exploded in America. Early on in the outbreak, President Donald Trump was accused of downplaying its severity, saying that sustained community spread was not "inevitable" even after a senior health official said it was, which could have led to a sense of complacency.
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| What you need to know today about the virus outbreak Posted: 28 Mar 2020 11:25 AM PDT  President Donald Trump has backed away from calling for a quarantine for coronavirus hotspots in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, instead directing Saturday night that a "strong Travel Advisory" be issued to stem the spread of the outbreak. Trump's talk earlier Saturday of what he called a quarantine for those hard-hit areas raised questions whether the federal government had the power to do so. Vice President Mike Pence has since tweeted federal health officials are urging residents of the three states "to refrain from non-essential travel for the next 14 days."
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| Tornado rips through Arkansas city Posted: 28 Mar 2020 08:49 PM PDT  The mayor of Jonesboro said the more people may could have been harmed by the tornado had the mall not been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Malaysia arrests hundreds for flouting curbs on movement as virus deaths rise Posted: 29 Mar 2020 02:28 AM PDT  Malaysia this week arrested hundreds of people for violating restrictions aimed at stemming the spread of coronavirus, a senior minister said on Sunday, amid a spike in the number of deaths linked to the outbreak. The death toll rose from 27 to 34 within a 24-hour period, the biggest daily rise so far, while the number of reported cases was up to 2,470, the highest in Southeast Asia. Malaysia has closed schools and non-essential businesses and imposed restrictions on travel and movement until April 14 to try to contain the spread.
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| Moscow Mayor’s Tough Virus Stance May Hasten Russia Lockdown Posted: 28 Mar 2020 02:22 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- As Russia steps up its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has emerged as the leading voice for ever harsher measures that may become the model for locking down the country.Sobyanin has ordered restaurants, bars, parks and most stores in Europe's largest capital city to close temporarily from Saturday and urged Muscovites to stay home. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin embraced his approach on Friday, saying measures adopted by Moscow "should extend to all regions" of Russia as the number of declared coronavirus cases passed 1,000."We need tough restrictions," to ensure Russians stay at home during a planned shutdown of most workplaces next week, Mishustin said at a televised meeting with Sobyanin and other top officials charged with containing the outbreak. "We managed to win time thanks to preventative measures."President Vladimir Putin gave Russians a week of paid leave in his first televised speech on the Covid-19 threat on Wednesday, while also promising benefits to help companies and individuals through the crisis.On Friday, however, the Kremlin walked back the decision amid reports that some Russians planned to travel to the country's vacation spots or visit relatives, taking advantage of reduced domestic air fares offered by the state airline Aeroflot. Mishustin ordered all Russia's parks and resorts to shut down.Police EnforcementSobyanin sent a message via email to residents of the Russian capital on Saturday morning with a list of instructions -- without any mention of police enforcement -- similar to those applicable in European cities under lockdown. These include limiting going out from home to essential shopping at stores, short walks with family members or journeys to and from work.Russia on Saturday reported 228 new cases of coronavirus overnight, bringing the total to 1,264, with four deaths attributed to the virus.Authorities in Moscow are seriously considering shutting down the city, said four people familiar with discussions on the subject. A Moscow government representative declined to comment.Center StageThe president has allowed Sobyanin, a former Kremlin chief of staff who's led the city of 12.7 million since 2010, to take center stage in advocating intensifying restrictions to head off the greatest public health challenge of Putin's 20-year rule."They're playing good cop and bad cop," said Alexei Mukhin, head of the Moscow-based Center for Political Information. "Putin is doling out goodies while Sobyanin is in charge of taking unpopular measures."Until recently, officials have ruled out a lockdown adopted by governments in the worst-afflicted European countries of Italy and Spain as well as in France and the U.K.. Putin's top public health official, Anna Popova, on Monday called the measure unnecessary.But while Russia's patient numbers are well below the levels in those countries, Putin made his address to the nation a day after Sobyanin warned him that the official figures understated the true scale of the outbreak and that Moscow had nearly twice as many cases in reality.Nikolai Malyshev, a leading infectious diseases specialist in the Health Ministry, warned on state TV this week that Russia is readying itself for an "explosive development like a nuclear reaction" with the coronavirus epidemic. In the near future, "large numbers of people will fall ill and need medical treatment," he said.Despite Moscow's gradual tightening of restrictions, the city so far has remained free of the home confinement imposed in other capitals including Paris, London, Rome and Madrid. The subway is open, even if traffic last week was down by half, and until Saturday there were plenty of cars on the roads.The World Health Organization's representative in Russia, Melita Vujnovic, said Thursday that if Muscovites and others across the country exercise self-discipline and stay home, then officials may avoid imposing strict quarantine."If it becomes necessary, I am sure they will take this measure," she said.(Updates with Moscovites told to stay home in sixth paragraph, new cases in seventh.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Cuomo and Trump clash over talk of New York 'quarantine' Posted: 28 Mar 2020 06:27 PM PDT  President appears to reverse stance after governor said sealing off states would amount to 'federal declaration of war' * Global coronavirus outbreak: live * Read all our coronavirus coverageDonald Trump appeared to back away from talk of a quarantine on New York and other states after Andrew Cuomo, the New York governor, warned that sealing off the state would lead to "chaos and mayhem" and amount to a "federal declaration of war"."It's a preposterous idea, frankly," Cuomo told CNN on Saturday evening, hours after the president floated the idea of locking down parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to try to slow the coronavirus spread.According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, by Saturday night more than 116,000 Covid-19 cases had been recorded across the US with nearly 2,000 deaths. New York is by far the state heaviest hit."Why you would want to just create total pandemonium on top of a pandemic I have no idea," Cuomo said."It's totally opposite with what the president would want to do, work with the states, get the economy running and get some sense of stability. You wouldn't at this point literally fracture the entire nation because it's not just New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, it's Louisiana and New Orleans. The numbers will continue to rise and every few days it's going to be another hotspot."> If we start walling off areas it would be totally bizarre, counterproductive, anti-American, anti-social> > Andrew CuomoHe added: "It would be chaos and mayhem. If we start walling off areas all across the country it would just be totally bizarre, counterproductive, anti-American, anti-social."Trump suggested imposing a quarantine earlier in the day, as he left the White House for a visit to Norfolk, Virginia. "We might not have to do it, but there's a possibility that sometime today we'll do a quarantine, short-term, two weeks on New York. Probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut. This would be an enforceable quarantine. I'd rather not do it, but maybe we need it."Later the president wrote: "On the recommendation of the White House coronavirus task force, and upon consultation with the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked [the CDC] to issue a strong travel advisory, to be administered by the governors, in consultation with the federal government. A quarantine will not be necessary."Cuomo said Trump had not mentioned it when they had spoken in the morning about a US navy hospital ship being deployed to New York City and four temporary hospital sites. "If the president was considering this, he would have called me," Cuomo said, adding: "This would be a federal declaration of war on states."This is a time when the president says he's trying to restart the economy. New York is the financial sector. You geographically restrict a state, you would paralyze the financial sector."In an earlier press conference from Albany, the governor seemed blindsided by the president's comments and a tweet in which Trump said: "I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing 'hot spots', New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly."In Norfolk to say farewell to the USNS Comfort, Trump said "this great ship" was "a 70,000-ton message of hope and solidarity to the incredible people of New York, a place I know very well, a place I love."But the president added: "We will stop at nothing to protect the health of New Yorkers, and the health of people in our country."He also said any quarantine would "not apply to people such as truckers from outside the New York area. It won't affect trade in any way."Cuomo also continued to weigh the need for ventilators in New York, which with more than 52,000 positive coronavirus tests has more known infections than any other state. Trump this week told Fox News: "I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators."At his Albany press conference, Cuomo held a "bag valve mask", in effect a manual ventilator.> We will stop at nothing to protect the health of New Yorkers, and the health of people in our country> > Donald Trump"This is the alternative if you don't have the ventilators," he said. "We are actually buying these. We bought about 3,000. We've ordered an additional 4,000 of these bag valve masks."We're even talking about training national guard people to learn how to operate this device, which is relatively simple to operate but you need a lot of people to operate this 24 hours a day for each patient."If we have to turn to this device on any large-scale basis that is not an acceptable situation. We're planning for that worst-case scenario."The governor said Trump had approved temporary hospitals in the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn. He also called for unified purchasing of medical supplies – either federally or a through a consortium among states.The USNS Comfort is expected in New York harbour on Monday as local medical centers face collapse. On Saturday there were reportedly nearly 27,000 known Covid-19 cases and 450 deaths in New York City. Cuomo said the state death toll had risen close to 800.The ship is the second US navy vessel deployed to a city battling coronavirus: the USNS Mercy docked in Los Angeles on Friday.On Twitter late on Friday, Trump continued to rail against the Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, who reportedly claimed medical equipment suppliers were sending products to the federal government first."I love Michigan, one of the reasons we are doing such a GREAT job for them during this horrible Pandemic," Trump wrote. "Yet your Governor, Gretchen 'Half' Whitmer is way in over her head, she doesn't have a clue. Likes blaming everyone for her own ineptitude!"On Saturday, Whitmer said in a tweet she had "a good call" with Vice-President Mike Pence."We'll keep working around the clock with [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] and the White House to get more of the personal protective equipment we need to keep Michiganders safe," she wrote. "Stay home. Stay safe. Save lives."
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| Biden could reportedly soon embrace 'key planks' of more progressive agenda Posted: 28 Mar 2020 11:01 AM PDT  Former Vice President Joe Biden may have emerged as the leading Democratic presidential candidate because the party's more moderate bloc rallied around him, but now that the nomination looks likelier than ever, his campaign is making sure they don't lose support from the progressive wing come November, Politico reports."The dirty little secret is everyone's talking to Biden's campaign," said Sean McElwee, co-founder of liberal think tank Data for Progress. "There will be fights, but at the end of the day, progressives still hold votes in the Senate and increasingly Democratic voters stand behind our views. I expect we'll see Biden embracing key planks of the ambitious agenda progressives have outlined on issues like climate and pharmaceutical policy."Most of Biden's support comes from older voters, so his team is trying to court younger generations who are more likely to back the policies MccElwee referred to. They're reaching out to groups like the climate-focused Sunrise Movement, as well as other organizations tied to gun control, immigration, and other issues. Most groups are committed to backing whoever the nominee is against Trump, but there is a sense that a lack of turnout among younger, progressive voters could hinder Biden if he's the nominee, making these efforts more crucial. And he may need to meet some expectations to convince people.Evan Weber, the national political director for the Sunrise Movement, said their explicit support for Biden — compared to a broad anti-Trump campaign — depends on whether his campaign can "demonstrate that they are taking the climate crisis seriously." Read more at Politico.More stories from theweek.com Why Minnesota's coronavirus response is different Joe Biden is the worst imaginable challenger to Trump right now Elton John to host 'Living Room Concert for America' with stars performing from home
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| Venezuelan ex-general surrenders to US on drug trafficking charges Posted: 28 Mar 2020 09:12 PM PDT  A retired Venezuelan general who was charged by the United States with "narco-terrorism" along with President Nicolas Maduro and other officials has surrendered in Colombia to US authorities, prosecutors said Saturday. "The national Attorney General learned that Mr Cliver Alcala surrendered to US authorities," the Colombian prosecutor said in a statement, adding there was no arrest warrant when he gave himself up. Alcala turned himself in on Friday to the Colombians, who in turn handed him over to US authorities, the El Tiempo de Bogota newspaper said.
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| Historic $2.2 trillion coronavirus bill passes House after lawmaker controversy Posted: 27 Mar 2020 01:13 PM PDT  The House on Friday approved a $2.2 trillion aid package — the largest in American history — to help people and businesses cope with the economic downturn inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Microsoft divests from Israeli facial-recognition startup Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:42 PM PDT |
| German health institute warns pandemic could overstretch system -paper Posted: 29 Mar 2020 12:31 AM PDT  Germany's health system could face strains similar to those in Italy if the coronavirus outbreak in the country worsens, the head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the federal agency responsible for disease control, told a newspaper. Lothar Wieler's comments came as RKI data on Sunday showed the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany had risen to 52,547 and 389 people had died of the disease there. "We cannot rule out that we will have more patients than ventilators in this country ... Of course, we must expect that the capacities will not be sufficient," Wieler told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
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| A US aircraft carrier could be stuck in port for almost a month for coronavirus testing, but the Navy is trying to cut that time down Posted: 27 Mar 2020 12:03 PM PDT  At the current pace, testing the entire crew could leave the carrier stuck in port for nearly a month.
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| Coronavirus cradle Wuhan partly reopens after lockdown Posted: 28 Mar 2020 02:21 PM PDT  People enter the Chinese city where the coronavirus outbreak began for the first time in months.
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| Russia Claimed It Created a Coronavirus Cure, but It’s an American Malaria Drug Posted: 29 Mar 2020 02:16 AM PDT  The headline of the Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti read, "Russia Created the Treatment for Coronavirus." The article went on to boast about the remedy based on the drug mefloquine, an antimalarial drug created in fact at the U.S. Army's Walter Reed Medical Center shortly after the Vietnam War and widely known as Lariam. Fiona Hill: Trump's Coronavirus Talk Sounds a Lot Like Russia'sMefloquine was created to replace chloroquine, another anti-malarial, which was President Donald Trump's recent drug of choice in his dubious battle against COVID-19. It is still prescribed in many countries to prevent and treat malaria, but it is known to have severe and sometimes shocking side effects. A study conducted from 2001-2003 "confirmed mefloquine's potential for causing psychological illness."Facing a wave of ridicule in social media, Russian state media changed the headline, which now reads: "Russia Offered a Drug for Treating the Coronavirus."It should be noted that there is no known cure or approved treatment for the coronavirus. Multiple clinical trials for potential medical treatments are still underway.The purpose of all this is less pharmacological than propagandistic. While Kremlin-controlled media outlets propagate conspiracy theories blaming the United States (and even Ukraine) for creating and spreading the coronavirus, Russia is presented as the potential savior of all of humanity. At a time when the Kremlin's cynical effort to hide the extent of the pandemic in Russia is becoming ever more apparent, state media are criticizing American and European tactics for containing the pandemic. Virologist Mikhail Shchelkanov, head of the Laboratory of Ecology of Microorganisms, FEFU School of Biomedicine, described the Western approach as "18th-century tactics." In contrast, he claimed that, "Russia, since the days of the Soviet Union, has had the world's best biological safety system."After Putin's Big Fail, Russia Braces for COVID-19 OnslaughtRussian coronavirus measures recommended by the government agency to the general public indeed seem more stringent than those offered in the United States. For example, everyday use of face masks in public is recommended for all individuals. Single-use masks are to be replaced every 2-3 hours. The risk to younger individuals is not being downplayed. To the contrary, parents are being advised to keep their children at home or in the yard of their own home. When in public, children are to be prevented from touching any surfaces or interacting with others. There is public guidance with respect to the disinfection of store-bought food and merchandise.During his state TV show, The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev, the host described Russia's approach to the pandemic as superior to that of Europe and the United States. "They're behaving in an uncivilized manner," Soloviev said, "They are being amoral. Our people unite and want to help others. Americans are just buying up guns." Speaking to RIA Novosti, Shchelkanov praised China's response to the pandemic and condemned the United States and Western Europe for their lack of coordinated actions, predicting that coronavirus "can easily spread like fire—and is spreading to neighboring countries." He claimed that "the Russian Federation continues to be a bulwark of European stability."In reality, the true numbers of coronavirus infections in Russia are grossly understated due to the lack of testing and creative approach to recording the number of deaths. Some quarantined Russians report receiving negative test results, in spite of not being tested. The cause of death for coronavirus patients in Russia is being determined posthumously through an autopsy, and sometimes attributed to other causes, such as pulmonary thromboembolism—therefore being excluded from the official statistics.The aid supplied to Western countries by China and Russia has been criticized as largely defective and mainly useless. But Russian state media claim such support as the manifestation of "soft power." Appearing on Soloviev's show, political scientist Dmitry Evstafiev noted, "Every country is using the coronavirus pandemic as cover, trying to achieve their own goals."One of the Kremlin's most pressing aims is the removal of U.S. and European sanctions against Russia and its informal allies: Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea. Experts on Russian state television repeatedly suggest that the Kremlin should bring up the removal of sanctions at every opportunity, especially while offering coronavirus aid to Western countries.During his state TV show, Soloviev expressed frustration that Trump "didn't understand anything" and ignored President Vladimir Putin's proposal at the recent G-20 summit calling for the immediate removal of all sanctions.Soloviev opined that the first country that is able to create the coronavirus vaccine would acquire an instrument of enormous political pressure. Russia is actively seeking to develop such a lever of global influence, but the unproven panacea it is currently touting was made in the USA.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Deadliest Day in Italy, Spain Shows Worst of Virus Not Over Posted: 27 Mar 2020 12:45 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Italy and Spain suffered their deadliest days yet from the coronavirus outbreak. The government in Madrid warned citizens that the situation will get worse.Italy reported 969 deaths in 24 hours, and Spain 769. Italy now has 86,498 total cases, roughly the same number as the U.S. and more than China, where the disease's first outbreak occurred. A slowdown in new cases in Italy was the one silver lining.Both countries are in almost complete lockdown, with their governments counting on limited social interactions to help contain the spread of the disease. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez convened an emergency cabinet meeting to try to chart a way out of the crisis rapidly engulfing the nation."We may be entering a phase of stabilization, but we haven't reached the peak yet," Health Minister Salvador Illa said at a news conference in Madrid.With Italy and Spain now reporting the most deaths worldwide, Europe's outbreak is stretching health-care systems and in some cases forcing doctors to choose who should live or die. The head of the World Health Organization tried to rally support for the battle against the disease on Friday, even as some world leaders like U.S. President Donald Trump question the need for extreme measures.U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was criticized for being slow to react to the epidemic, became the first world leader to say he has tested positive and is self-isolating in his Downing Street offices with "mild symptoms." Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, also has the virus.U.K. infections are doubling every three to four days, Cabinet Minister Michael Gove said. Some 14,543 people in Britain have now tested positive for coronavirus, a 2,885 increase on Thursday's tally. Apart from Johnson, Health Secretary Matt Hancock also tested positive and the government's chief medical officer Chris Whitty said he had symptoms and would self-isolate for a week.aIn France, cases rose to 32,964 from 29,155, with a total of 1,696 deaths.European Union leaders have largely recognized the danger but struggled to agree at a virtual summit Thursday on a joint strategy to limit the economic impact. They left key details to be hammered out in the weeks ahead.Italian President Sergio Mattarella said in a video statement that while the ECB and the European Commission have taken "important and positive financial and economic decisions" to counter the coronavirus crisis, heads of state so far have failed to act collectively.'Extraordinary Crisis'In the absence of a shared EU response, national governments have been going it alone. In Germany, the upper house of parliament gave the final green light Friday to a package totaling more than 750 billion euros ($826 billion).While the death toll is still mounting, Italy's health authorities sounded cautiously optimistic in recent days as new cases appear to be slowing. That was confirmed Friday, as new infections in the country slowed to 5,959, compared with 6,153 the previous day, civil protection authorities said at their daily news conference in Rome.Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana, who heads the region with the worst outbreak, said before Friday's death toll was released that a decline in cases may come in days.Even as the spread seems to be slowing, evidence of its impact on the economy is starting to emerge. Confidence among Italian businesses crashed this month across all sectors. Consumer sentiment also deteriorated.Alitalia, Italy's bankrupt state airline, announced it will lay off almost 7,000 workers, while Arcelor Mittal's Taranto steel mill, Europe's largest by capacity, asked to temporarily suspend its whole staff, more than 8,000 people.Italy's gross domestic product may shrink by 6.5% in 2020, according to research group Prometeia. The government has pledged to launch a second stimulus package worth at least 25 billion euros in April, after approving a similar amount this month.(Updates with French figures in eighth paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Iran warns of lengthy 'new way of life' as virus deaths rise Posted: 29 Mar 2020 04:20 AM PDT  President Hassan Rouhani warned Sunday that "the new way of life" in Iran was likely to be prolonged, as its declared death toll from the novel coronavirus rose to 2,640. The Islamic republic is one of the countries worst-hit by the virus, which first originated in China. Iran announced its first infection cases on February 19, but a senior health official has acknowledged that the virus was likely to have already reached Iran in January.
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| Police break up 'illegal' house party that violated N.J.'s stay-at-home order Posted: 28 Mar 2020 04:01 PM PDT  The party's organizer was charged, the governor said.
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| Trump tells Hannity he doesn’t believe New York needs 30,000 ventilators to fight coronavirus Posted: 27 Mar 2020 12:14 PM PDT  In an interview on Fox News, President Trump told host Sean Hannity that he doesn't believe places like New York need 30,000 ventilators.
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| Novartis CEO: Malaria drug is biggest hope against coronavirus - SonntagsZeitung Posted: 29 Mar 2020 12:15 AM PDT |
| Germany's Merkel shines in virus crisis even as power wanes Posted: 29 Mar 2020 12:18 AM PDT  In her first address to the nation on the coronavirus pandemic, German Chancellor Angela Merkel calmly appealed to citizens' reason and discipline to slow the spread of the virus, acknowledging as a woman who grew up in communist East Germany how difficult it is to give up freedoms, yet as a trained scientist emphasizing that the facts don't lie. For her, it was a regular shopping stop, but photos snapped by someone at the grocery store were shared worldwide as a reassuring sign of calm leadership amid a global crisis. Merkel has run Germany for more than 14 years and has over a decade's experience of managing crises.
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| New York just had its deadliest day since the coronavirus outbreak began Posted: 27 Mar 2020 12:34 PM PDT  In New York, 134 people died from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the deadliest day since the outbreak began, the governor said.
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| Column: China rises as Trump cedes leadership in coronavirus crisis Posted: 29 Mar 2020 04:00 AM PDT  For decades, the world relied on the U.S. to help in a crisis. But with Trump's blunders on coronavirus, China is stepping up instead. It's a historic shift.
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| CEO of ventilator maker speaks out as Trump invokes Defense Production Act Posted: 27 Mar 2020 05:37 PM PDT  Chris Kiple told NBC News his company was already well on its way to rolling out thousands of ventilators to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Johnson’s War With Coronavirus Is No Joke Anymore Posted: 28 Mar 2020 02:24 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- For Boris Johnson, as for others, it started with a cough and a fever.The British prime minister did what he was told by the most senior medic in the land and took a test. Johnson was in his Downing Street apartment at midnight on Thursday when the result came through: he'd tested positive for coronavirus. It was the moment the pandemic literally hit home. Johnson, 55, is the first world leader to reveal he has Covid-19. His illness graphically illustrates the indiscriminate nature of a disease that has now infected almost 650,000 people around the world and killed 30,000. But as Johnson isolates himself, picking up meals and official papers left outside his door, the infection raises more questions about his attitude to a crisis many medical experts felt he failed to take seriously for too long.For one thing, Johnson is not the only member of the British government to be hit. Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced on Friday that he too had tested positive for the virus. Three hours later, Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty revealed he was isolating with symptoms. While all three insist they're still working, one question now dominates the debate in the U.K.: if the officials leading the fight against the virus can't even keep themselves safe, how can they protect the rest of the country and its beloved National Health Service?"Patients will die unnecessarily, NHS staff will die unnecessarily," said Richard Horton, editor of medical journal The Lancet. "The gravity of that scandal has yet to be understood."In the U.K., 1,019 people have lost their lives. The rate of infection is racing ahead, with the number of new cases doubling every few days. In Italy and Spain, the rapid spread has sent their death tolls way beyond China's—the virus's original epicenter—and overwhelmed hospitals.Horton has been an outspoken critic of Johnson's approach, warning for weeks that the government has been too slow to act.There has been a litany of criticisms from many quarters, though, including among his fellow Conservatives: The government shouldn't have all but stopped testing in the community or begin a misguided policy of seeking "herd immunity" rather than fighting the contagion. It also delayed the imposition of tough restrictions, and kept schools open. While other countries were ordering curfews and deploying the military, Johnson instead sought to use behavioral psychologists in the government's so-called "nudge unit" to persuade the public to do the right thing.For Johnson, the gamble on a different approach was offset by the fact that his own advisers lent it their support. But the stakes now are high. "One of the functions of a prime minister is to take the blame," his biographer Andrew Gimson said. "He will take the blame if it all goes wrong—he will have to go, actually."At key moments in the outbreak, Johnson has seemed in denial about the size of the threat—and to his critics, it showed. At the start of the month, the premier quipped that while everyone must wash their hands for the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday," that did not stop him shaking hands with people he meets."I can tell you I am shaking hands continuously," Johnson told reporters in a clip that has since gone viral on Twitter. "I was at a hospital the other night where I think there were actually a few coronavirus patients and I shook hands with everybody."As the man who led his country out of the European Union, Johnson has often evoked his idea of British-ness, the unflappable belief that the country is different and all will be well. Indeed, it helped him to an emphatic election victory in December. But making light of a crisis has now landed Johnson in trouble.On March 16, after weeks of downplaying the issue, he suddenly urged all U.K. citizens to stay at home and avoid unnecessary contact with other people. It would be the prelude to more action that would shut the nation down. Yet later that evening, Johnson made light of the situation on a call with the manufacturers he was trying to persuade to produce thousands of urgently needed ventilators for hospitals. He joked that their task should be code-named "Operation Last Gasp."Not everyone saw the funny side. "I was shocked," said one witness, who asked to remain anonymous. "I don't know how many people were on that call but some of the comments were not appropriate to the seriousness of the situation."As the crisis deepened in the days that followed, the government's response accelerated further. The country's finance chief, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, unveiled a 350 billion-pound ($435 billion) "wartime" rescue package for businesses. The next day, Johnson finally agreed to close schools across the country.Yet after three days of drama and amid growing alarm, an upbeat Johnson decided on March 19 it was time to rally his troops for the push toward victory. He bounded into the wood-paneled state dining room in No. 10 Downing Street, smiling and joking with reporters in front of him."I am absolutely confident that we can send coronavirus packing," he defiantly declared. A new test could be a "game changer" in the fight against the disease, he said, adding that the U.K. could "turn the tide" of the outbreak in 12 weeks.By March 23, Johnson was addressing the nation in their living rooms, telling them they would be locked down for an initial three weeks. The first week hadn't even passed before the prime minister himself fell ill.Throughout, the government has insisted all his decisions were taken on the basis of "the best" scientific evidence. The public would get bored of being told to limit their movements for too long, so timing the restrictions perfectly was vital, officials said. The only verdict that counts will come when the death toll is finally known.But another explanation for Johnson's approach may lie in his temperament. "He loves being the center of attention," said Gimson.Most of all, Johnson has defined himself as a liberal conservative. He has long railed against the "nanny state" for telling people how to live their lives. Explaining his own reluctance to order stricter measures, he said on March 18: "We live in a land of liberty."Even when he did try to stop people socializing in bars and restaurants, Johnson could not quite bring himself to treat the issue seriously. In his words, he was asking people to accept an almost impossible demand and give up the "inalienable right" of every "freeborn" Briton to go to the pub. It was a light-hearted message that threatened to undermine the gravity of his request.On the Sunday before he ordered a full national lockdown, Johnson implored the public to value the freedoms they stood to lose. "Other countries have been forced to bring in restrictions on people's movements, altogether," he said. "I don't want to do that. It's so important that that pleasure and that ability is preserved—but it can only really be preserved if everybody acts responsibly."The tussle between freedom and responsibility may become the conflict that defines Johnson's career. He rode to power on a campaign to release the U.K. from the EU's legal shackles. His overriding promise was to "unleash" Britain's potential.Now Johnson, like thousands of his fellow citizens, is living in isolation in his apartment and dealing with the disease for the next week alone. The irony is that he has put the entire population—himself included—on the tightest leash of all.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Should travelers cancel their vacation to Mexico? Travel experts discuss the options. Posted: 28 Mar 2020 07:44 AM PDT  Travel agents say tourists should consider rebooking their trips to Mexico for later in the year rather than asking for a refund. Here's why.
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| 'Super-spreader' guru puts Indian villages on high alert Posted: 28 Mar 2020 02:21 AM PDT  At least 15,000 people who may have caught the coronavirus from a 'super-spreader' guru are under strict quarantine in northern India after the Sikh religious leader died of COVID-19. The 70-year-old guru, Baldev Singh, had returned from a trip to Europe's virus epicentre Italy and Germany when he went preaching in more than a dozen villages in Punjab state. It has sparked one of India's most serious alerts related to the pandemic and special food deliveries are being made to each household under even tighter restrictions than the 21-day nationwide stay-at-home order imposed by the government.
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| A 90-year-old woman in Washington state recovered from the coronavirus, and she credits family, God, and potato soup Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:38 PM PDT  Family members of 90-year-old COVID-19 patient Geneva Wood were called to the hospital to say their goodbyes. After seeing them, she recovered.
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