| As coronavirus cases increase, Defense Secretary Mark Esper places new restriction on Pentagon Posted: 23 Mar 2020 12:40 PM PDT  Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday he is again raising the protection condition on the Pentagon, which will further restrict access to one of the world's largest office buildings. The Pentagon will now be at Level C, the second highest of the military's five health protection conditions.
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| CDC should be leading the US response to coronavirus, former director says Posted: 24 Mar 2020 05:42 PM PDT  The United States' response to the COVID-19 epidemic is haphazard, uncoordinated and sorely missing the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control.
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| As New York faces coronavirus 'bullet train,' experts warn of challenges ahead Posted: 24 Mar 2020 02:39 PM PDT  Gov. Andrew Cuomo painted a dire forecast of the outbreak Tuesday morning, saying spread of the disease was accelerating and the state was in "desperate" need of ventilators.
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| "I hope to be roaming outside freely and without a face mask very soon," says an American quarantined in Beijing Posted: 23 Mar 2020 04:21 PM PDT  Patrick, who is an American citizen, returned back to his current home in Beijing recently and per law is being quarantined in his apartment for 14 days since his arrival back to China. "Right now, [I'm] keeping my spirits up and enjoying it. I hope to be roaming outside freely and without a face mask very soon."
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| Mexico calls for halt to business that puts people in street Posted: 24 Mar 2020 07:50 AM PDT  Mexican health officials on Tuesday called on all businesses and organizations to suspend work that requires the movement of people. Deputy health secretary Hugo López-Gatell said at a news conference hosted by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that work that requires people to travel between home and work sites or be in public spaces must stop. "The moment has arrived where we can make a greater impact with collective strategies," López-Gatell said, now that the virus is being transmitted within the community rather than just imported.
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| Hawley, Stefanik Introduce Bill to Investigate China for Coronavirus Coverup Posted: 24 Mar 2020 08:09 AM PDT  Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) and Representative Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) on Tuesday introduced a bicameral resolution to condemn the Chinese Communist Party for its initial handling of the coronavirus outbreak, and called for an international investigation to determine how the coverup hastened the emergence of a global pandemic."Since day one, the Chinese Communist Party intentionally lied to the world about the origin of this pandemic. The CCP was aware of the reality of the virus as early as December but ordered laboratories to destroy samples and forced doctors to keep silent," Hawley, who first called for an investigation last week, said in a press release."There is no doubt that China's unconscionable decision to orchestrate an elaborate coverup of the wide-ranging and deadly implications of coronavirus led to the death of thousands of people, including hundreds of Americans and climbing," Stefanik added. "This Resolution calls for China to provide compensation for the harm, loss, and destruction their arrogance brought upon the rest of the world. Simply put China must, and will, be held accountable."The bill calls the international community to "quantify the harm caused" by China's actions and to "design a mechanism for delivering compensation" from the CCP to those affected.Reports have detailed how Wuhan laboratories in December discovered that coronavirus was related to the deadly SARS virus which broke out in 2002-2003, but were subsequently gagged by government authorities, who ordered them to turn over or destroy evidence.China has also promoted a propaganda campaign to push a conspiracy theory that the virus originated in the U.S., which experts have called "a counteroffensive" and "a kind of blame-shifting."
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| Taiwan says WHO ignored its coronavirus questions at start of outbreak Posted: 24 Mar 2020 02:50 AM PDT  Taiwan accused the World Heath Organization of ignoring its questions at the start of the coronavirus outbreak, part of what it has long described as a pattern that puts it at risk because of Chinese pressure to exclude it from international bodies. Taiwan is barred from membership in the WHO under pressure from China, which views it as a province rather than a state. It responded early to the coronavirus outbreak in China, and has had notable success in limiting contagion so far, with just two deaths and 215 cases.
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| Pence again touts chloroquine as coronavirus treatment after it's linked to deaths Posted: 24 Mar 2020 10:40 AM PDT  Vice President Mike Pence touted a potentially unsafe COVID-19 treatment on Tuesday even after it had been linked to deaths.Pence, who's been leading the White House's response to the new coronavirus, appeared for a Fox News town hall on Tuesday. That's where Dr. Mehmet Oz asked him about the malaria drug chloroquine that's been discussed as a potential treatment for the new coronavirus, and Pence seemed more than hopeful about the drug's prospects."There's no barrier to access chloroquine in this country. We're looking to add to that supply," Pence said of the drug. "We are engaging in a clinical trial" with the intent to make chloroquine available "for off-label use." But when asked if he'd take chloroquine if he became infected with COVID-19, Pence only said he'd follow the advice of his physician, even after repeated prodding from Oz. That cautious part of Pence's response was left out of a clip shared by the Trump campaign.Pence's chloroquine confidence comes after President Trump repeatedly touted the drug's potential in a Monday night press conference. After that, Nigeria reported two fatal overdoses of chloroquine and implored its citizens not to use the drug, which "will cause harm and can lead to death." A man in Arizona died and his wife was hospitalized after ingesting a form of chloroquine that's used to clean fish tanks. The woman said she got the idea from Trump.More stories from theweek.com Britney Spears calls for wealth redistribution, general strike on Instagram New Oxford study suggests millions of people may have already built up coronavirus immunity Trump, whose hotel business is losing millions, says 'I'll be the oversight' of $500 billion coronavirus 'slush fund'
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| Italy coronavirus deaths rise by 602 in a day, lifting total death toll to 6,077, suggesting downward trend Posted: 23 Mar 2020 03:20 PM PDT  The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Italy has grown by 602 to 6,077, the head of the Civil Protection Agency said on Monday, the smallest rise in numerical terms since Thursday, suggesting a clear downward trend.
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| Trump downplays coronavirus threat again, even as number of cases in U.S. surges Posted: 23 Mar 2020 05:13 PM PDT  President Trump continued to downplay the exponential spread of the coronavirus in the United States on Monday, comparing the rising death toll to the number of Americans killed in car crashes and by the seasonal flu.
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| Coronavirus: American children are dying because of quarantine, doctors warn Posted: 24 Mar 2020 12:38 PM PDT  Children kept at home due to the coronavirus pandemic may be putting them at greater risks of harm from both accidents and - tragically - abusive parents, according to a doctor.In Fort Worth, Texas, a sudden surge of child abuse cases has raised red flags for doctors at the facility.
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| Former CDC director: China travel ban 'made a difference' but US didn't prepare enough for coronavirus Posted: 24 Mar 2020 12:08 PM PDT  The former CDC director is lauding America's China travel ban, but says the U.S. didn't do enough to prepare for the COVID-19 outbreak.
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| Rand Paul says amid criticism that more Americans should be able to get tested for coronavirus Posted: 23 Mar 2020 11:14 AM PDT  "I believe we need more testing immediately, even among those without symptoms," Paul said.
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| West Virginia governor rambles, mixes messages on virus Posted: 23 Mar 2020 04:35 PM PDT  As the coronavirus raged across the nation, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice wondered why people were looking to him for answers. Justice, a billionaire Republican with no previous political experience leading a particularly high-risk state, has rambled through mixed messages on the virus, diminishing his credibility with some West Virginians who have said it's been a struggle to discern exactly what he wants them to do.
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| A Colombian woman who broke her coronavirus quarantine was publicly shamed on national TV, and she now faces up to 8 years in prison Posted: 24 Mar 2020 06:47 AM PDT  The woman was told that she faced prison time. Her husband, a US national, will face deportation back to the US and may have to pay a fine
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| Pentagon leaders indicate coronavirus outbreak could last for months Posted: 24 Mar 2020 08:11 AM PDT  Senior Pentagon leaders said on Tuesday that the fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak that has hit the United States could continue for months and that the military would continue to support efforts to counter it for as long as needed. The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 660 people in the United States and infected more than 50,000. President Donald Trump said on Monday he is considering how to reopen the U.S. economy when a 15-day shutdown ends next week, even as the highly contagious coronavirus is spreading rapidly and hospitals are bracing for a wave of virus-related deaths.
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| Spain's coronavirus death toll has more than doubled in just 3 days with more than 2,000 people now dead Posted: 23 Mar 2020 07:31 AM PDT  Spain is now the worst affected country in Europe, outside of Italy.
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| Fauci on working with Trump: 'I can't jump in front of the microphone and push him down' Posted: 23 Mar 2020 06:15 AM PDT  One of the nation's top doctors in the fight against coronavirus expressed frustration and some praise for his experience working with the White House in an interview with Science magazine.
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| Rep. Ben McAdams hospitalized with 'severe shortness of breath' after testing positive for coronavirus Posted: 23 Mar 2020 05:01 AM PDT  Rep. Ben McAdams (D-Utah) has been hospitalized after testing positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus.McAdams last week became the second member of Congress to announce they had tested positive for the novel coronavirus after Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), saying he had cold-like symptoms. On Sunday, McAdams announced he had been hospitalized after he "experienced severe shortness of breath" on Friday."I was admitted and have been receiving oxygen as I struggled to maintain my blood oxygen at appropriate levels," McAdams said. "I am now off oxygen and feeling relatively better and expect to be released as soon as the doctor determines it is appropriate."Since McAdams and Diaz-Balart announced they had the novel coronavirus last week, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Sunday became the first senator to test positive.In an interview with CNN on Friday, McAdams said he was "feeling about as sick as I've ever been" with "labored breathing" and "pain every time I cough." He also explained that he's living proof of the fact that the coronavirus must be taken seriously."This is not overblown, this is very serious — I'm 45, I'm in good health, and it has knocked me down," he said. "And so we need to follow these guidelines to slow the spread of this. This is going to be bad."More stories from theweek.com Trump aides say he's starting to lose his patience with Dr. Anthony Fauci Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick thinks grandparents should be willing to sacrifice their lives to save the economy Olympics officially postponed until 2021
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| A case of hantavirus has been reported in China. Here's why you shouldn't worry. Posted: 24 Mar 2020 10:38 AM PDT  A man who died in China Monday reportedly tested positive for a hantavirus, but that doesn't necessarily mean you should worry another pandemic is coming.
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| This is how South Korea flattened its coronavirus curve Posted: 24 Mar 2020 08:31 AM PDT  South Korea's COVID-19 infection rates have been falling for two weeks thanks to a rigorous testing regime and clear public information.
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| 'A mess in America': Why Asia now looks safer than the U.S. in the coronavirus crisis Posted: 23 Mar 2020 07:09 PM PDT  In a clear sign that the U.S. botched its coronavirus response, some Americans are relieved they stayed in countries closest to the outbreak's origin.
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| U.S. could be next 'virus epicenter' as India locks down, global recession looms Posted: 24 Mar 2020 05:06 AM PDT  GENEVA/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The United States could become the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, as India announced a full 24-hour, nationwide lockdown in the world's second-most populous country. India joined the ranks of Britain and other countries clamping down to hold back the virus as business activity collapsed from Japan to the United States at a record pace in March. The highly contagious coronavirus has caused entire regions to be placed on lockdown.
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| Russia Swore It Whipped the Virus, and Fox and CNN Bought It Posted: 24 Mar 2020 02:03 AM PDT  As the world reels from the novel coronavirus pandemic, Russia is doing its best to turn global turmoil into propaganda fodder. To date, a country of 146 million people straddling Europe and Asia and that has a great deal of commerce with those two great epicenters of the disease reports only 438 confirmed coronavirus cases and no deaths. One previously disclosed fatality has been dismissed by authorities as attributable to other causes. But according to official statistics from Russian state media, over 52,000 people remain under medical supervision "in connection with suspected coronavirus infection." Perhaps the real number of Russia's coronavirus patients lies somewhere in between. Garry Kasparov, a world-renowned former world chess champion and the chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative, told The Daily Beast why the Kremlin's dubious claims shouldn't be taken at face value: "Of course Russia is lying about their coronavirus stats and I can say that confidently because they lie about everything," said Kasparov. "Dictatorships lie when they have to—and when they don't; it's about control. Control of information, shaping reality, and, most importantly, appearing all-powerful and all-knowing. If the regime can be surprised or overwhelmed by a virus, maybe it's not so powerful after all, a dangerous line of thought for a repressed population to have. Until there is truly independent testing—and the stories we're hearing out of Russia are not encouraging—we just don't know what's going on." Even so, Western media outlets have disregarded the Kremlin's less-than-sterling reputation for honesty and transparency, and lauded Russia's self-proclaimed success in controlling the deadly virus.In January, Fox News reported Russia's decision to close its border with China and in early February uncritically repeated the claim that "Russia has only two confirmed cases of the virus, but authorities have taken measures to prevent its spread by hospitalizing people returning from China as a precaution." In late February, Fox News stated that "Russia only has three confirmed cases of the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus," without questioning the probability of such fantastic statistics in light of a pandemic raging in neighboring China. Last Sunday, showcasing Russia's coronavirus aid to Italy, Fox News posted photographs released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, with the doors of Russian military trucks adorned with heart-shaped flags that read: "From Russia with love." Apparently accepting Russia's claims as ironclad facts, Fox News fawned: "Russia has so far reported very few confirmed coronavirus cases, noting just 306 infections and one death. As the U.S. and Europe struggle to contain the virus, nations once viewed as rivals are stepping up in the global coronavirus response." CNN wrote on Saturday that, "According to information released by Russian officials, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's strategy seems to have worked. The number of confirmed Russian coronavirus cases is surprisingly low, despite Russia sharing a lengthy border with China and recording its first case back in January." Kasparov, a persistent critic of Putin, wonders why anyone would believe this stuff, much less report it. "Repeating Russia's numbers is ridiculous. Trust must be earned, and Putin lies about everything from his invasion of Ukraine to the more directly comparable epidemic of HIV in Russia that officially doesn't exist. Why should western governments and media treat Putin's dictatorship in good faith when it's not returned, and in fact is exploited?" Putin Worries Coronavirus Could Screw Up His Constitutional 'Coronation'Russia's alleged triumph over the coronavirus coincides with Putin's maneuvers to become the country's president for life, a role all but assured through pending constitutional changes. Amendments in question have already been approved by both houses of parliament and are now pending a nationwide vote on April 22, which will take place come rain or shine—coronavirus notwithstanding. The possibility of conducting the vote by mail is currently under consideration. In the meantime, the Kremlin-controlled Russian state media are reminding citizens that the country's very survival depends on Putin's leadership. Dmitry Kiselyov, the host of Russia's most popular Sunday news program, Vesti Nedeli, is leading the way. "Let's be honest," he insisted earlier this month: "Russia without Putin is non-viable." But there is ample evidence the regime's information war is being disregarded by Russians in the trenches trying to deal with the reality of the disease. On Monday, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin gave the authorities five days to develop a system that would track and notify people who have come in contact with any known carriers of coronavirus. The system would simultaneously notify special regional headquarters set up to fight the pandemic.Authorities have begun building a 500-person hospital to house coronavirus patients near Moscow and Russian doctors reportedly are alarmed that some cases are being ascribed to pneumonia and seasonal flu without testing. The same state media TV shows that would have you believe everything is under control are being filmed without audiences. Everyday Russians are stocking up on astronomical quantities of toilet paper and buckwheat, disregarding the government's assurances that coronavirus is being contained. Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of state media outlets RT and Sputnik, launched a Twitter initiative designed to prove that Russian grocery stores show no signs of panic buying. Simonyan's idea backfired, as multiple citizens responded with photographs of emptied store shelves.Lingering memories of Soviet-era cover-ups are exacerbated by more recent denials, such as Russia's covert warfare in Ukraine, its role in the downing of the Malaysian aircraft MH-17, clumsy denials of the Skripal poisonings and obfuscation of crucial details about a radioactive explosion involving a nuclear-powered missile in northern Russia last year. But the Kremlin's persistent aim to keep the coronavirus numbers down is paying off thus far, since Russia's international flights are unimpeded by worldwide bans. While U.S. President Donald J. Trump barred travelers from China, its largest neighbor continues to receive the benefit of the doubt."Just as China's information crackdown led directly to the massive outbreak now threatening the world," says Kasparov, "Putin's will also have an impact across the Russian border. The radioactive cloud from Chernobyl poisoned much of Europe. The flights still coming out of Russia—not on the banned list because of the low official numbers—could spread disease all over the globe." Painting a rosy picture of Russia's future, the Kremlin-controlled state media predicted doom and gloom for everybody but the motherland, especially the hated United States.Last week, experts on The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev were crowing about economic troubles for the West. Russian economist Mikhail Khazin opined that Russia is the only region that can grow and prosper economically during the challenging times of the coronavirus pandemic. Other experts on the show suggested that America is withering as a superpower, while a new age is dawning for Russia and China. They concurred that "Soviet-like regimes are winning" and the new world will be more authoritarian. Host Vladimir Soloviev concluded: "Enough talk about individual freedoms." With angry animus, Soloviev argued that history would disprove the premise of Francis Fukuyama's book, The End of History and the Last Man and would lead to the uprooting of liberal democracies.As he has in the past, Soloviev referred to President Trump as "Donald Ivanovych" and marveled at the statements and actions of the American leader who is himself in the risk group for contracting coronavirus. The Russian Models Instagramming From China's Coronavirus CapitalStill, Russian state TV pundits kept their usually sharp ridicule to the minimum. Their exchanges revealed the hope that Western sanctions imposed after the annexation of Crimea and other Putin abuses of international law would soon be lifted, with the coronavirus pandemic overshadowing all prior concerns. Dmitry Kiselyov argued during this Sunday's episode of Vesti Nedeli that multiple Western governments will be undergoing deep changes and the sanctions against Russia will soon become obsolete. As for the short-term propaganda goals, the Kremlin still anticipates the arrival later this spring of U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien for Moscow's big 75th anniversary celebration of victory over the Nazis. President Donald J. Trump reportedly "wanted to go but faced pressure from advisers not to embark on such a journey." The parade is scheduled for May 9—the very month the coronavirus epidemic is expected to have reached a peak in Russia.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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| Trump administration threatens to cut funding to Afghanistan — report Posted: 24 Mar 2020 07:22 AM PDT  Amid fears the coronavirus outbreak soon could ravage Afghanistan, the Trump administration is threatening to shut off US aid as talks towards a power-sharing pact sputter.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Kabul for meetings on Monday, making clear that the White House is prepared to slash $1bn in assistance funding this year and next unless the two sides can broker a deal.
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| Trump boasts of 'great early result' against coronavirus in one Florida man Posted: 23 Mar 2020 12:39 PM PDT  President Trump again touted the promise of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine on Monday for use treating COVID-19, retweeting a story that appeared in the New York Post.
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| Austria prosecutors probe coronavirus outbreak in ski resort Posted: 24 Mar 2020 10:25 AM PDT  Austrian prosecutors said Tuesday they were investigating possible negligence during a coronavirus outbreak in a ski resort that led to hundreds of foreigners travelling back to their countries infected. Prosecutors in Innsbruck, the capital of western Tyrol province, said Tuesday that they were investigating a business thought to be a restaurant or bar on suspicion of "recklessly endangering people through infectious disease". The German ZDF news channel had reported that the business in the ski resort of Ischgl had failed to inform authorities that one of its employees had tested positive for the new coronavirus in late February.
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| Bill Gates said the US missed its chance to avoid a coronavirus shutdown and recommended businesses stay closed for 6 to 10 weeks Posted: 24 Mar 2020 01:25 PM PDT  Gates admitted a mandated shutdown could be "disastrous" for the economy, but said the US didn't act fast enough to avoid it.
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| 'Every part of me hopes it doesn’t come to that': What if Italy's coronavirus lockdowns don't work? Posted: 24 Mar 2020 06:34 AM PDT  Italy could soon receive some sustained good news about the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the country – or it may need to do more to protect lives.
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| Liberty University welcomes students back amid coronavirus pandemic Posted: 24 Mar 2020 11:37 AM PDT  One professor slammed the move in an op-ed, saying, "Falwell's lack of concern does nothing to mitigate these students likely becoming vectors of the pathogen."
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| Chicago woman gets prison for beating death of son in Iowa Posted: 24 Mar 2020 05:16 AM PDT  A woman from Chicago has been sentenced to up to 50 years in prison on charges stemming from the beating death of her 5-year-old son in Iowa. Jacqueline Rambert, 26, was sentenced Friday in Davenport, court records said. Under state law, Rambert must serve at least 40%, or 20 years, of the sentence.
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| Vietnam closes Ho Chi Minh City restaurants to curb virus outbreak Posted: 24 Mar 2020 01:57 AM PDT  Restaurants in Vietnam's business hub, Ho Chi Minh City, must close until March 31 to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, the city's ruling body said on Tuesday. Ho Chi Minh City has recorded 39 cases of the virus, most of which were imported from Europe, and has already closed cinemas, clubs, bars, massage parlors and karaoke lounges since the virus outbreak began. The move has been taken because some infected people spread the disease at popular restaurants and bars in the city, according to Vietnam's health ministry.
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| Russian President Putin dons hazmat suit as Moscow mayor says coronavirus outbreak is worse than it looks Posted: 24 Mar 2020 11:33 AM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin wore a hazmat suit and respirator on Tuesday during a visit to a hospital treating coronavirus patients, and the mayor of Moscow said the outbreak in the Russian capital was much worse than official figures showed.
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| Indian police clear out anti-government protest citing coronavirus Posted: 24 Mar 2020 02:38 AM PDT  Police in India's capital broke up the longest-running protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's citizenship law on Tuesday, citing a ban on public gatherings because of the coronavirus outbreak. Dozens of people, many of them women, have been staging a sit-in protest since early December on a street in the Shaheen Bagh neighbourhood, which has become a focal point for opposition to the law seen as discriminating against Muslims. Hundreds of police in riot gear surrounded the protesters early on Tuesday and told them to leave, said Delhi's joint police commissioner D. C. Srivastava. "It is a dangerous environment, with this coronavirus, we urged them to leave," he told reporters. Some demonstrators resisted the police and at least nine people had been detained, six of them women, Srivastava said, adding there was no violence. Television showed police taking down tents and billboards at the protest site with bulldozers. Delhi is under a lockdown until the end of the month to halt the spread of the virus and public gatherings of more than five people have been banned. The Citizenship Amendment Act, which eases the path for non-Muslims from neighbouring Muslim-majority countries to gain citizenship, triggered weeks of sometimes violent protests against Modi's government after it was passed in December. At least 78 people have been killed in demonstrations triggered by the law across the country, a large number of them in another part of Delhi in clashes between Hindus and Muslims. Critics say the law discriminates against Muslims and it has deepened concern that Modi's administration is undermining India's secular traditions. Modi's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party denies any bias against India's 180 million Muslims. Even before the coronavirus epidemic, the protest at Shaheen Bagh had become a thorn in the government's side, and there had been calls by hardline Hindu groups linked to Modi's alliance and residents in the area to clear it out. India has reported 471 cases of the coronavirus but health experts have warned that a big jump is imminent, which would likely overwhelm the underfunded and crumbling public health infrastructure.
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| Surgeon General Shuts Down ‘Fox & Friends’ for Hyping Unproven Coronavirus Cure Posted: 23 Mar 2020 12:55 PM PDT  U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams pushed back on the hosts of Fox & Friends on Monday morning after the trio hyped up an anti-malaria drug as a potential treatment for coronavirus. Social distancing, the top doc said, is still currently the best way to stem the spread of the virus.In recent days, President Donald Trump has embraced chloroquine and its derivative hydroxychloroquine as a "game changer" after a small clinical trial in France showed promise of the drugs' effectiveness in treating the viral infection. While Trump has hyped the medications as potential cures, the nation's top infectious-disease expert has expressed hesitancy, noting that the findings are merely anecdotal and that more studies and trials are needed.During Monday's broadcast of the president's favorite morning show, however, celebrity doctor Dr. Oz excitedly shared with the Fox News audience that he had spoken with French doctor behind the trial that's thrilled Trump and he agrees that it is indeed a "game changer."Lou Dobbs Said Media Hyped Coronavirus. Now He's in Quarantine.After Oz, who has a history of "dispensing misinformation" on his show, said that he would be working alongside other universities and clinics to start trials soon, Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade brought up Dr. Anthony Fauci's attempts to temper expectations of the drugs' abilities to combat the coronavirus, wondering what was "going on there" since it appears there's no "downside" since it isn't "hurting people." (Nigerian health officials have, in fact, issued a warning after three people overdosed on chloroquine.)Oz, meanwhile, said that while he respects Fauci he feels comfortable hyping the drug treatment because "the data is so strong" and Americans will be taking it anyway now that it's been advertised. "It's going to happen anyway," he added. "We need more data. Let's do both. You don't have to be right or wrong. Start the clinical trials. Get the data back over the next week or two, three, whatever it takes. But meanwhile, people can start treating."Later in the hour, the program welcomed on Adams, who immediately tossed cold water on the unproven treatment that the TV doctor had just breathlessly promoted. "He wonders, you know, and worries about the fact that we don't have enough pills yet in this country if that works," co-host Steve Doocy pointed out to Adams."Here is the thing about those drugs: There is may and actually does," Adams noted. "These may be promising. So we are trying to make them as available as possible to people across the country. We need to verify through studies that they actually work.""But I also, again, want to go back to the fact that it's not practical to think we are going to treat our way out of this problem with new drugs or with ventilators or with supplies," he continued. "We need to lower demand. We need more people talking about staying at home."The surgeon general went on to say that this is the reason why he's contacted young celebrities to get the word out to millennials and Generation Z that they need to stay home and socially distance themselves.During another morning-show appearance, Adams gave a stark warning to Americans that the worst was yet to come. "I want America to understand, this week, it's going to get bad," he said on NBC's Today.Trump, however, has begun to hint that he may give up on social-distancing guidelines as early as next week. Even though health experts believe it will take several more weeks or months before people can start living life normally, the president fired off an all-caps tweet on Sunday night saying "WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF." He also retweeted several right-wing personalities on Monday morning calling for social-distancing guidelines to be abandoned after the White House's 15-day period is up.Dr. Anthony Fauci: I Don't Want to 'Embarrass' TrumpRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet 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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| Why this Nobel laureate predicts a quicker coronavirus recovery: 'We're going to be fine' Posted: 23 Mar 2020 09:13 PM PDT  A Nobel laureate predicted China's recovery weeks before it happened. Analyzing the numbers, he sees a much brighter global outcome than many experts.
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| Ethiopia's Abiy seeks $150bn for African virus response Posted: 24 Mar 2020 02:03 AM PDT  Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday urged G20 leaders to help Africa cope with the coronavirus crisis by facilitating debt relief and providing $150 billion in emergency funding. The pandemic "poses an existential threat to the economies of African countries," Abiy's office said in a statement, adding that Ethiopia was "working closely with other African countries" in preparing the aid request. The heavy debt burdens of many African countries leave them ill-equipped to respond to pandemic-related economic shocks, as the cost of servicing debt exceeds many countries' health budgets, the statement said.
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| A Mexican man died in ICE custody. He's the 10th person since October. Posted: 24 Mar 2020 06:02 AM PDT  ICE said Hernandez's preliminary cause of death was complications related to septic shock but did not provide further details.
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| Coronavirus: Fury as world's richest man Jeff Bezos asks public to donate to Amazon relief fund Posted: 24 Mar 2020 10:33 AM PDT  Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos faces backlash after publicising a relief fund the public can donate to for his contract employees working during the Covid-19 pandemic.The Amazon Relief Fund was created with $25m from the e-commerce company to assist its "employees and partners", specifically those who are responsible for the necessary task of delivering all the products consumers order across the US.
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| Russia sends ship with military ambulances toward Syria after virus outbreak Posted: 24 Mar 2020 10:15 AM PDT  A cargo ship operated by the Russian Navy transited Turkey's Bosphorus strait en route to Syria on Tuesday loaded with ambulances, a Reuters reporter saw. Syria reported its first case of coronavirus on Sunday after weeks of rejecting opposition allegations that the disease had already reached a country with a wrecked health system and thousands of Iranian-backed militias and Shi'ite pilgrims. The Russian Dvinitsa-50 ship, part of Moscow's auxiliary fleet, was carrying at least three military ambulances along with a shipping container on its deck.
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| COVID-19 closures could hit historically black colleges particularly hard Posted: 24 Mar 2020 05:16 AM PDT  As the COVID-19 crisis forces many schools to close their campuses and move all courses online, some worry that the pandemic could have a bigger negative impact on the nation's historically black colleges and universities, than for other campuses. Here, The Conversation US has assembled a panel of experts to forecast what's in store for HBCUs. How is the outbreak is affecting HBCUs?Marybeth Gasman, professor of education at Rutgers University: I am worried about the technology demands on HBCUs, given how few IT specialists many smaller HBCUs have as well as the costs of managing online classes. I'm also worried about students not having access to Wi-Fi at home or laptops – 75% of HBCU students are eligible for Pell Grants for students from low- to middle-income families. I'm happy to see some HBCUs – Paul Quinn College, in Dallas, Texas, for example – lending students laptops for the rest of the semester.HBCUs rely a lot on tuition and have smaller endowments than other schools. If these HBCUs get into financial trouble, they risk losing their accreditation since financial stability is one part of what it takes to remain accredited. Without accreditation, it is nearly impossible to recruit students.Ivory Toldson, professor of counseling psychology at Howard University: In 2008, during the Great Recession, The New York Times published an article that mentioned an old saying: "When America catches a cold, African-Americans catch the flu." This applies to HBCUs. Disruptions in enrollment and fundraising efforts, as well as closed dorms, prorated rebates, and lost revenue from food services and university bookstores will short-circuit normal streams of revenue for all universities. But HBCUs might see worse effects because they have less money to begin with.The challenge of abruptly moving to a virtual learning environment may adversely impact HBCUs more than other schools. Most do not have the technical capacity to deliver quality online classes. Even those with the technical capacity will have challenges if their students do not have adequate computers and broadband at home.Gregory Price, professor of economics, University of New Orleans: To the extent that HBCUs, relative to other schools, owe more debt tied to their dorms, the absence of students in residential on-campus housing could constitute a severe revenue shock. Perhaps an extreme example of this is the case of Bethune Cookman. The private historically black university in Daytona Beach, Florida is obligated to spend about US$306 million to pay off debt it took on to build a new dorm. If the outbreak continues, many of Bethune Cookman's dorm rooms could wind up empty, as enrollment was already declining before this pandemic began. If that happens, it would reduce revenues to pay off the debt on the housing.In general, I believe that prolonged closures could make it harder to pay off debt for new student housing at many HBCUs, which could move them closer to the financial brink. Do HBCUs have rainy day funds?Gasman: No. Because HBCUs have small or relatively small endowments and because they educate some of the most socioeconomically vulnerable students, they face a disproportionately high level of risk right now. HBCUs are similar to families without substantial savings. HBCUs are funded heavily by tuition. Any drop in enrollment, which could happen by way of students not returning next year or not enrolling next year, will be devastating. Keep in mind that, with few exceptions, HBCUs have rarely gotten large donations. When institutions have a long history of being underfunded, they can't build the same foundations as those that do. What, if anything, should the federal government do to help HBCUs now?Gasman: HBCUs are vitally important to African Americans and other students as well. Their outsized contributions in STEM, in the preparation of students for graduate school and in medicine are essential to the representation of African Americans across these areas. Without HBCUs, we would see an immediate drop in the number of new black scientists, black professors and black doctors.In my view, the federal government could and should support a stimulus package for HBCUs to help them through this dire time. Rep. Alma Adams, a Democrat from North Carolina, is already working with input from the United Negro College Fund and Thurgood Marshall College Fund, two organizations that support students at HBCUs, on an initiative along these lines.I'd like to see the federal government invest in HBCU infrastructure, technology and institutional aid so that HBCUs can attract more students.Toldson: I think the federal government should provide emergency relief for revenue loss from unexpected closures, including the cost of having to reschedule commencements. The government should also provide support to students who had to spend money to relocate once their campuses closed.Price: A coronavirus stimulus package could include giving $1,000 for every enrolled student at an HBCU per academic year. For a private institution like Bennett College, in Greensboro, North Carolina – with approximately 500 students – this would translate into approximately $500,000 to offset declines in housing revenue. Can HBCUs rely on private philanthropy during this emergency?Gasman: No. Some big donors and foundations give to HBCUs but not in a way that will help them survive this crisis. In addition, HBCU alumni – for the most part – can't afford to give in the ways that are needed. The average African American family has roughly $5,888 in assets compared to the average white family's $88,000. Being wealthier makes people feel more free to give.Price: Probably not, as philanthropy targeted at HBCUs continues to lag significantly behind other schools. In 2019, the top seven predominantly or historically white colleges landed $2.94 billion in donations, versus just $43 million for the nation's 100 or so HBCUs. Are any HBCUs in danger of permanently closing?Gasman: Yes, but only those that were already in dire straits. And I'm not even convinced that they will close in those cases. I began doing research related to HBCUs in 1994, and I have listened to people say over and over that HBCUs are going to close. Someone will predict the imminent closure of 30-40 about every five years. They are always wrong. A few have closed but not many. Many colleges are closing and so yes, some HBCUs are in danger, but most HBCUs are incredibly resilient.Toldson: In my opinion, only the HBCUs that had – to borrow a phrase commonly used throughout this pandemic – preexisting conditions. HBCUs that are under-enrolled or financially impaired, with infrastructural issues, such as unfilled leadership positions, accreditation issues and subpar facilities, could have serious problems rebounding.Price: Yes, private HBCUs who are unable to withstand the declines in enrollment and the associated revenue similar to those that led to the closure of St. Paul's College, in Lawrenceville, Virginia, in 2013. Currently, several HBCUs have been placed on probation by their regional accreditor for financial instability reasons. If the coronavirus continues to keep their dorms empty, the revenue shock from the pandemic could conceivably cause those in a financial situation similar to St. Paul's College to close their doors.[You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read our newsletter.]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * Historically black colleges give graduates a wage boost * Why historically black colleges and universities matter in today's AmericaIvory A. Toldson is affiliated with Howard University. Marybeth Gasman is a member of the board of trustees at Paul Quinn College. Gregory N. Price does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| New York state plans to treat severe coronavirus patients with a 100-year-old blood therapy, which uses the plasma of recovered patients Posted: 24 Mar 2020 03:50 AM PDT  The state will treat critically ill patients with convalescent plasma to lessen their symptoms. The therapy dates back to the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic.
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| Former Trump Fixer Michael Cohen Denied Coronavirus Prison Break Posted: 24 Mar 2020 09:40 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- A federal judge brutally shot down a request by Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer, to be let out early from a three-year prison sentence due in part to his fears of contracting the coronavirus.Cohen's "raising the specter" of the virus in a court filing last week was just "another attempt to inject himself into the news cycle," U.S. District Judge William Pauley ruled Tuesday in New York.In a March 17 letter to the judge, Cohen, 53, asked to be allowed to finish his sentence at home due to his fears of contracting Covid-19 at a minimum-security federal prison camp in Otisville, New York. He already requested early release or home confinement in December based on his cooperation with authorities.Pauley rejected both of Cohen's requests, saying the former lawyer had not shown he was in any danger at the prison camp and that he had exaggerated his role in assisting prosecutors, who also opposed letting him out.The judge said it was time for Cohen to "accept the consequences of his criminal convictions for serious crimes that had far-reaching institutional harms."Once one of the president's closest associates, Cohen pleaded guilty in August 2018 to campaign finance violations related to his arrangement of hush-money payments to women claiming to have had affairs with Trump, including adult-film star Stormy Daniels. After he was charged, Cohen turned on his old boss, calling Trump a racist, a con man and a cheat at a congressional hearing.Cohen began serving his sentence in May.The case is U.S. v. Cohen, 18-cr-00602, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).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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| We need an immediate five-week national lockdown to defeat coronavirus in America Posted: 23 Mar 2020 01:12 PM PDT  Locking down the country would reduce infections and allow time for massive testing. There will be staggering human and economic costs if we delay.
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| Rapes, murders ... and coronavirus: the dangers US asylum seekers in Mexico must face Posted: 23 Mar 2020 01:00 AM PDT  Migrants forced to wait in Mexico are confronted with another threat to their health and safety as the virus spreadsStuart isn't leaving his house in Tijuana right now unless it's absolutely necessary.Like countless others across the world, the Guatemalan asylum seeker is wary of contracting the coronavirus. But he's also worried about going outside after Mexican municipal police detained him illegally, then tortured and robbed him earlier this month, according to him and his attorney."I don't want to be here, and I'm afraid to be here," said Stuart, who asked to protect his identity by using a nickname.Migrants in Mexico are staring down yet another existential threat to their health and safety in the shape of the coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, they're stuck in cities where they can't trust the authorities, and where their attorneys say they have, at best, limited access to healthcare.Stuart is among the migrants who have been forced to wait in Mexico for months or even a year because of the Trump administration's crackdown at the border. One policy, called "metering", makes migrants join a line in Mexico for their chance to access the asylum process in the United States.Another, the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), strands people at the southern border before and between their US immigration court hearings.Through these changes to immigration norms, the Trump administration is sending migrants to a place that ranks first on "most dangerous cities in the world" lists, or a state under a "do not travel" advisory, instead of allowing them to at least temporarily come into the US.In late-February, Human Rights First compiled more than a thousand publicly reported rapes, murders, kidnappings and other violent crimes against migrants returned to Mexico to await their court dates. Like in Stuart's case, police were often the perpetrators."There are a lot of people who are sick in MPP, a lot of people who have kids or parents that have medical vulnerabilities already because they've been in Mexico, and homeless, and living in tent camps or crowded shelters for a really long time," said Christina Brown, a Denver-based immigration attorney.Yet even as the coronavirus spread across the US, migrants still amassed in large groups, were transported next to one another in vans and filed into US immigration courts, their attorneys said.When Brown started experiencing the virus's symptoms last week and tried to postpone her client's court date so she wouldn't potentially infect government workers and vulnerable migrants, it took multiple calls and an email from her or her paralegal just to get permission to file an emergency continuance over the web, instead of in-person.A judge eventually granted her motion, but Brown balked at the fact that it was a matter of discretion.In California, Robyn Barnard, a staff attorney with Human Rights First, asked her clients who came through the San Ysidro port of entry for their asylum hearing whether they were given additional screenings for health conditions or coronavirus symptoms. They told her they were asked by US officials for their names and if the women were pregnant or on their periods, but nothing more. The family packed into a court waiting room, where there weren't even enough chairs for everyone to sit.As immigration judges, government attorneys and immigration attorneys collectively sounded the alarm that continued operations at immigration courts could threaten public health, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which adjudicates immigration cases, slowly reacted.But even after EOIR closed some courts and postponed hearings for immigrants not in government custody, the MPP hearings continued. Meanwhile, Kim Hunter, a border rights fellow for Project Corazon who until recently worked in Matamoros, saw only a handful of people wearing masks.Not until Friday did MPP hearings cancel for the day, and confusion abounded as to when and how they would be rescheduled. Migrants who showed up at ports of entry were turned away, attorneys said; some were told to return the following day so they could be assigned a court date. The change in policy coincided with the Trump administration's announcement that it was closing the US-Mexico border to all non-essential travel.Hunter listed off clients who are currently in Mexico and fit the profiles of coronavirus's most at-risk victims – a girl with a life expectancy of 10, whose particular syndrome kills those affected when they breathe; a client with cardiomyopathy; a nearly 70-year-old living in a tent in one of the camps.But it's going to be difficult to get any of them into the US now, said Charlene D'Cruz, one of Hunter's colleagues at Project Corazon. To even try, she thought she would have to somehow go to Mexico and risk the spread of disease. Even then, the likelihood her clients would actually be removed from MPP and allowed into the US was still low, in her view.Erika Pinheiro, litigation director at Al Otro Lado, warned she fears that mass deaths will follow once the virus reaches the crowded spaces where migrants in Mexico find refuge. Already, attorneys said they constantly hear everyone staying in shelters and camps walking around with a cough, a testament to how quickly respiratory issues spread in such close quarters."Once it hits the camp, it will spread like wildfire," Hunter said. "There's no doubt in my mind."
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| Does alcohol weaken the immune system? Yes, if you drink too much Posted: 23 Mar 2020 09:19 AM PDT  Excessive alcohol consumption weakens the immune system and can lead to a range of health problems. Here's what you need to know.
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