| Trump sees 'hard days' ahead in coronavirus fight, with as many as 240,000 Americans dead Posted: 31 Mar 2020 08:05 PM PDT  Nearly a quarter million people in the United States could die as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, Trump administration officials said Tuesday.
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| Liberty University students choose sides after fallout from coronavirus reporting Posted: 31 Mar 2020 03:30 PM PDT  The New York Times reported this week that almost a dozen Liberty University students have come down with COVID-19 symptoms since the school reopened last week. But Liberty University officials have since pushed back on these claims, calling the Times story "fake news". Now, students are choosing sides in who they believe is telling the truth.
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| The US intelligence community has reportedly concluded that China intentionally misrepresented its coronavirus numbers Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:39 AM PDT  US officials have accused China of spreading disinformation, and even some Chinese residents have expressed skepticism about the numbers.
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| Netanyahu reportedly mistook a Hallmark series clip for proof of an Iranian coronavirus coverup Posted: 01 Apr 2020 02:49 PM PDT  Everyone gets duped now and then. That goes for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well.Netanyahu recently showed his cabinet a video he claimed was evidence Iran was engineering a novel coronavirus coverup, Axios reports. Tehran has reported more than 47,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 3,000 deaths, but those figures have been eyed with suspicion by much of the rest of the world, including Israel, which, to put it gently, does not get along with Iran.The video showed people dumping bodies into garbage dumps, two cabinet ministers told Axios. They said Netanyahu's national security adviser, Meir Ben Shabbat, showed him the video, but he probably should've checked his source. Upon further review the clip turned out to be a scene from the 2007 Hallmark Channel miniseries, Pandemic. The Israeli government certainly did a bad job of vetting the clip, but the fact it made its way up the flagpole wasn't completely random. Iranians were reportedly sharing the footage on social media last week. Read more at Axios.More stories from theweek.com Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is what real coronavirus leadership looks like China is bracing for a second wave of coronavirus How the coronavirus fight might end up at the Supreme Court
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| 'We are on the verge of a massive collapse': Ex-Energy Secretary Perry says COVID-19 will ravage oil industry Posted: 01 Apr 2020 04:53 PM PDT  "I'm telling you, we are on the verge of a massive collapse," Perry said of the impact the plunge in oil prices could have on U.S. operators.
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| Trump criticizes Cuomo for saying states have to bid on ventilators as if on eBay to fight coronavirus Posted: 31 Mar 2020 04:55 PM PDT  At the coronavirus task force briefing, President Trump rebuked New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for saying states have to compete and bid against each other like they're on eBay.
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| Global virus cases near million as US records youngest death Posted: 01 Apr 2020 05:42 PM PDT  A six-week-old baby died of COVID-19 and global agencies warned of food shortages as coronavirus infections around the world neared one million Wednesday. Governments expanded lockdowns to affect about half of the planet, with funeral parties banned in the Democratic Republic of Congo, New York locking up its famed street basketball courts, and hard-hit Italy extending its economically-crippling lockdown until April 13. More than 900,000 people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and nearly 46,000 have died since it first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, according to an AFP tally.
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| China under-reported coronavirus cases and deaths, U.S. intelligence reportedly concludes Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:06 AM PDT  There has been some skepticism about China's reporting on the novel COVID-19 coronavirus for some time, especially as smaller countries like Italy surged past the world's most populous nation in both overall cases and deaths. On Wednesday, U.S. intelligence officials told Bloomberg on condition of anonymity that the skepticism is valid.Per Bloomberg, the U.S. intelligence community reportedly concluded in a classified document that China, where the pandemic originated, has under-reported its totals. The officials didn't reveal any of the reports contents, but said the gist of it is China intentionally left death and cases reports incomplete — two officials reportedly said the numbers out of China are fake.Officially, China has tallied more than 82,000 cases and 3,300 deaths, whereas the U.S. already has more than 189,000 cases and 4,000 deaths. Beijing somewhat acknowledged their stats were skewed after they changed their methodology to include some asymptomatic cases, but it's unclear how many more asymptomatic infections were discounted overall. Thousands of urns outside funeral homes have reportedly led people to doubt the Chinese government's death total, as well. Read more at Bloomberg.More stories from theweek.com Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is what real coronavirus leadership looks like China is bracing for a second wave of coronavirus How the coronavirus fight might end up at the Supreme Court
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| 28 University of Texas students test positive for coronavirus after Mexico spring break trip, officials say Posted: 01 Apr 2020 07:50 AM PDT  Officials said a group of about 70 people in their 20s departed on a chartered plane to Cabo San Lucas about a week and a half ago.
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| Lindsey Graham Calls on IG Horowitz to Testify in Further FISA Hearings after Scathing New Report Posted: 31 Mar 2020 12:50 PM PDT  Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) plans to call DOJ inspector general Michael Horowitz to testify before congress regarding his office's audit of the FBI's FISA application process, which was released Tuesday and revealed potentially systematic abuses of the transparency measures required of the Bureau when agents interact with the FISA court."I have just been briefed on Inspector General Horowitz's audit of FISA applications involving American citizens. This random audit shows discrepancies regarding verification of the information under the Woods Procedures," Graham said in a press release. "I intend to have Inspector General Horowitz come to the Committee to explain his findings and receive his recommendations about how to change the program."Horowitz's latest report revealed that the FBI included "apparent errors or inadequately supported facts" in all 29 FISA surveillance applications filed between 2014 and 2019 and reviewed as part of the audit.The Woods Procedure dictates that the Justice Department verify the accuracy of and provide evidentiary support for all facts stated in its FISA application. The FBI is required to share with the FISA Court all relevant information compiled in a Woods file when applying for a surveillance warrant.Four of the 29 applications lacked Woods files entirely, while the other 25 had "an average of about 20 issues per application reviewed, with a high of approximately 65 issues in one application and less than 5 issues in another application.""FBI and NSD officials we interviewed indicated to us that there were no efforts by the FBI to use existing FBI and NSD oversight mechanisms to perform comprehensive, strategic assessments of the efficacy of the Woods Procedures or FISA accuracy, to include identifying the need for enhancements to training and improvements in the process, or increased accountability measures," the report states.Horowitz recommended that the FBI begin to "systematically and regularly examine" its Woods reviews to uncover abuse, beginning with a "physical inventory to ensure that Woods Files exist for every FISA application submitted to the FISC in all pending investigations."In a statement after the audit's release, the DOJ said that it is "committed to putting the Inspector General's recommendations into practice and to implementing reforms that will ensure all FISA applications are complete and accurate."> DOJ statement on today's report from IG Horowitz identifying concerns with the FBI's handling of procedures related to FISA applications. pic.twitter.com/DAiB61IoSk> > -- KerriKupecDOJ (@KerriKupecDOJ) March 31, 2020The findings are the latest in a growing trail of FBI abuses involving the FISA Court. Horowitz appeared in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee in December after finding "basic and fundamental errors" in the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign, and blamed the FBI chain of command for lacking oversight in the FISA applications used to surveil Trump-campaign adviser Carter Page."The circumstances reflect a failure, as we outline in the report, not just by those who prepared the applications, but also by the managers and supervisors in the Crossfire Hurricane chain of command, including FBI senior officials who were briefed as the investigation progressed," Horowitz said in his statement to Graham and the other senators.Later in the hearing, Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) said Horowitz's findings showed how the "the FBI effectively meddled in an ongoing presidential campaign," while other Republicans acknowledged that they had not realized FISA abuse was a serious threat."As a national security hawk, I've argued with Mike Lee in the four-and-a-half or five years that I've been in the Senate that stuff just like this couldn't possibly happen at the FBI and at the Department of Justice," Senator Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) said. " . . . Mike Lee has warned me for four-and-a-half years the potential for abuse in this space is terrible and I constantly defended the integrity and the professionalism of the bureau and of the department that you couldn't have something like this happen."Senator Thom Tillis (R., N.C.) echoed Sasse in recognizing Mike Lee's past criticisms of FISA."Because we've now seen the abuses we were warned about, you can smirk again, you were right," Tillis told the Utah Republican.
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| Kellyanne Conway Keeps Attacking Joe Biden for Staying Inside Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:48 PM PDT  While leaders across the country are urging Americans to stay in their homes to stop the spread of the coronavirus, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway is openly mocking former Vice President Joe Biden for setting that example. "Why doesn't Vice President Biden call the White House today and offer some support? He's in his bunker in Wilmington," Conway said Wednesday morning on Fox & Friends. In her next breath she added, "I have to tell you, we're not talking about politics here at the White House at all. We're talking about ventilators and vaccines, not Biden and Bernie."And yet Conway continued to attack Biden for criticizing President Donald Trump's response to the crisis from inside his home later in the day.During a press gaggle outside the White House, Conway called it "completely unhelpful" to have the former vice president "in his bunker in Wilmington just lobbing criticisms" at the current president. She called Biden's interviews "painful to watch" before adding, "He's got a lot of fans out there that can't get enough of Joe Biden in the bunker in Delaware."At that point, a reporter asked her, "When you say he's 'in his bunker,' are you suggesting Vice President Biden should be disregarding federal guidelines and be out there mixing with people?""You know I'm not," Conway shot back. "Let's not be silly. Let's not be silly about it." When the reporter said she just wanted to know what Conway was "implying" with her repetition of the "bunker" line, she replied, "I'm not implying anything. In fact, I'm not implying a single thing. I wonder what you're implying.""I'm not implying anything," she added again later. "He can stay in the bunker all he wants. He can cough into or sneeze into his hand all he wants. He can read from prepared notes all he wants. I'm yet to hear a single idea from Vice President Biden that would be helpful to the American people or is different from what we're doing." In a statement responding to Conway, Biden deputy communications director Kate Bedingfield said, "Vice President Biden has been extending his advice for months, and he did so again on the air last night." But as the presumptive 2020 nominee told MSNBC on Tuesday night, "I don't get a sense that the president wants to hear from anybody. It's all about, like, asking governors to thank him for what he's doing as president."Biden has repeatedly stated that he does not believe the coronavirus pandemic is Trump's "fault" but has pointed out that his lack of speed in trying to contain it within the United States has made the situation far worse than it needed to be. One of his biggest suggestions has been to let the medical experts handle the daily briefings and take the microphone away from the president. Read 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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| France passes 4,000 coronavirus deaths, no end of lockdown in sight Posted: 01 Apr 2020 11:30 AM PDT  France became the fourth country to pass the 4,000 coronavirus deaths threshold on Wednesday, after Italy, Spain and the United States, as the government scrambles to stay ahead of the curve regarding ventilator-equipped beds that are quickly filling up. French health authorities reported 509 new deaths from the disease, taking the total to 4,032. Speaking by videoconference in front of a parliament committee created to hold the government accountable for the way it handles the crisis, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the lockdown would likely be unwound gradually rather than in one go.
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| U.S., South Korea Near Tentative Troop-Funding Deal, Yonhap Says Posted: 31 Mar 2020 08:06 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. and South Korea have tentatively reached a military cost-sharing agreement, the Yonhap News Agency reported, potentially ending months of bickering over the Trump administration's demands for a massive increase.The announcement could come as early as Wednesday, the Seoul-based news service reported, citing a South Korean government official it didn't identify. The two sides agreed to sign a multiple-year contract rather than another stopgap one-year deal, it said.The seven-decades-old military alliance was dealt a blow Wednesday when the U.S. military put almost half of its 8,500 South Korean civilian workers on furlough due to the funding dispute. General Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, called the furloughs "heartbreaking" and "unfortunate," saying in a statement the move was "not what we envisioned or hoped what would happen."The furlough was a first of its kind for the American security partnership that serves as a check on China, as well as North Korea. It also unsettled operations at military facilities in South Korea, where about 28,000 U.S. service personnel are stationed.The two sides are putting the finishing touches on the deal, the person told Yonhap on the condition of anonymity, adding various possibilities still remained open. The report did not mention how the two sides bridged a gap after President Donald Trump asked for as much as a five-fold increase and South Korea showed no signs of paying anywhere near that much.South Korea's foreign ministry and the U.S. State Department declined to comment on the Yonhap report.The two sides have been deadlocked over what's known as the Special Measures Agreement, with Trump initially demanding about $5 billion a year from South Korea to pay for U.S. security. South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration has indicated that it wouldn't pay much more than the almost $1 billion it agreed to in a one-year deal in 2019.The tensions over funding comes as the U.S. military struggles to keep coronavirus outbreaks from disrupting operations in South Korea and elsewhere and the allies watch for fresh provocations from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.While the U.S. and South Korea have been bargaining, North Korea has been busy testing new types of solid-fuel, nuclear-capable ballistic missiles designed to strike anywhere on the peninsula and evade U.S. interceptors. It has fired off nine in March alone, a record for a month.More MoneyNegotiators from the U.S. and South Korea met in March in Los Angeles but a wide gap remained between the two sides, according to a State Department spokesman who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.Trump has repeatedly insisted that the U.S. gets a raw deal from partners who host American troops around the world, and he's focused particular ire on the South Korean agreement. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper told his counterpart, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, in February that "as a global economic powerhouse and an equal partner in the preservation of peace on the peninsula, South Korea can and should contribute more to its defense."South Korea's National Assembly must sign off on any deal and Trump's demands have brought about a rare moment of unity from progressives and conservatives in the country who see them as unreasonable. With parliamentary elections set for April 15, siding with Washington could lead to defeat at the ballot box.The negotiations in South Korea could affect other U.S. allies hosting troops, such as Japan, with Esper saying the Trump administration wants them to pay more, too. Japanese officials are watching the South Korea negotiations closely with the approach of talks set to begin later this year for a U.S-Japan cost-sharing deal.(Adds comment from U.S. general)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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| The US passed a grim milestone with a single-day coronavirus death toll above 500, bringing the country's overall count past 3,000 Posted: 30 Mar 2020 08:34 PM PDT  As of Monday, there were more than 164,000 confirmed coronavirus cases across all 50 states, including at least 3,050 deaths.
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| Russian plane makes its way to U.S. with coronavirus medical equipment Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:12 PM PDT  A Russian military transport plane was headed to the United States on Wednesday carrying tons of medical equipment and masks to help Washington fight the coronavirus outbreak, Russian state TV reported and a U.S. official said.
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| Trump: US to deploy anti-drug Navy ships near Venezuela Posted: 01 Apr 2020 11:55 AM PDT  President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Navy ships are being moved toward Venezuela as his administration beefs up counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean following a U.S. drug indictment against Nicolás Maduro. "The Venezuelan people continue to suffer tremendously due to Maduro and his criminal control over the country, and drug traffickers are seizing on this lawlessness," Defense Secretary Mark Esper said after the president's announcement. The deployment is one of the largest U.S. military operations in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama to remove Gen. Manuel Noriega from power and bring him to the U.S. to face drug charges.
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| Coronavirus live updates: US has its deadliest day yet; Florida, 3 others to issue stay-at-home orders; New York state death toll near 2,000 Posted: 01 Apr 2020 05:20 PM PDT  Florida announced a stay-at-home order, and officials weighed recommending more Americans wear masks. Here are the latest coronavirus updates.
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| Woodworking Can Bring Solace in Times of Uncertainty Posted: 01 Apr 2020 12:00 PM PDT |
| April to treat stargazers to 1st meteor shower in months and these other celestial events Posted: 31 Mar 2020 11:32 AM PDT  Springtime stargazers will have plenty to look for throughout April, ranging from a meteor shower to the rare opportunity to see a comet.The wide variety of astronomy events this month will be great for people looking to spend some time outside under the night sky, including families with young children, as they will not require any special equipment apart from a blanket, warm clothes and a clear sky.Here are the top three astronomy events to look for in April:1\. Super Pink Moon When: April 7-8 The moon will be the main feature in the night sky during the first full week of April as it will be the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2020.The supermoon will rise on the night of April 7, glowing all night long, and will be bright enough to cast shadows on the ground. Although it will appear slightly bigger and brighter than normal, the difference will be subtle and may be difficult for the average observer to notice.April's full moon is also known as the Pink Moon, but contrary to its name, the moon will not appear pink. Instead, it has been given this nickname due to the phlox, a perennial plant that blooms in April with pink flowers. A view of the full pink moon, in Lakatamia, a suburb of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Friday, April 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) 2\. Lyrid meteor shower When: April 21-22April 22 is known around the world as Earth Day, and the global event will kick off with a light show from Mother Nature as the Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak.This is the first major meteor shower since January and will bring 15 to 20 shooting stars per hour on the night of April 21 into the early hours of April 22. This year will be a particularly good year for the "Earth Day meteor shower" as it occurs on a moonless night, meaning darker skies for onlookers.CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP"These meteors are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere where the radiant is high in the sky at dawn," the American Meteor Society explained on their website. "Activity from this shower can be seen from the Southern Hemisphere, but at a lower rate." Folks that miss the Lyrids will only have to wait about two weeks for the next chance to see a meteor shower, with the Eta Aquarids set to peak during the first full week of May.3\. Comet ATLAS When: Late AprilA newly discovered comet will soon make a splash in the night sky as it grows brighter throughout April, potentially becoming bright enough to see with the naked eye by the end of the month.Comet ATLAS, also known as Comet C/2019 Y4, was discovered on Dec. 28, 2019, by astronomers using the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Hawaii. It is still too dim to see without a telescope, but it is expected to get much brighter in the coming weeks. Animation of a comet. (NASA/JPL-Caltech) "If predictions are correct, Comet ATLAS might reach a visual magnitude of +5 around May 1, 2020. That is theoretically bright enough to be seen with the eye, but the fuzziness of faint comets can make them harder to spot than comparably bright stars," Earthsky explained on their website."To spot the comet, look in the northern sky. It is not far from the Big and Little Dippers," AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel said.Comet ATLAS is projected to make its closest approach to Earth on May 23, followed by its closest approach to the sun on May 31.On March 19 at 11:50 p.m., winter transitioned to spring across the Northern Hemisphere during the earliest March equinox since 1896.Hours later, just before sunrise, early risers were treated to a celestial alignment as the crescent moon fell in line with Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Mercury in the morning sky.Around the same time, a newly released photo revealed a stunning view of Jupiter like we've never seen it before. The image was captured by the Juno spacecraft which is orbiting the solar system's largest planet.At the beginning of March, NASA announced that it was accepting applications for the astronaut program that would fly on future trips to space. This includes the possibility of being on one of the upcoming trips to the moon in the 2020s.A few days later, the space agency announced the name of the next visitor being sent to the Red Planet. The Mars 2020 rover was officially given the name Perseverance, chosen from a nationwide student competition. Perseverance was once of 28,000 name entries and was proposed by an elementary school student from Virginia.The first mission of the U.S. Space Force launched from Earth on March 26 as an Atlas V rocket blasted into space. The rocket launched a $1.1 billion communications satellite that will be used by the military.Meanwhile, NASA was forced to suspend work on the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket due to the coronavirus. The rocket is still in development and was preparing for a major test at the Stennis Space Center, but the test has been delayed "due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the community around the center," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said.Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| Top Marine ‘signaling’ to industry that F-35 cuts are on the table Posted: 01 Apr 2020 02:28 PM PDT  "I'm signaling to the industry, we have to be prepared to adjust as the operating environment adjusts," said Marine Commandant David Berger.
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| U.S. records 700 coronavirus deaths in a single day for first time Posted: 31 Mar 2020 02:01 PM PDT  The U.S. government raced to build hundreds of makeshift hospitals to ease the strain on overwhelmed healthcare systems as the United States marked 700 deaths in a single day from COVID-19 for the first time on Tuesday. Nearly half those deaths were in New York state, still the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pleaded for reinforcements from the Trump administration, saying the worst may still be weeks away. De Blasio, a Democrat, said he had asked the White House for an additional 1,000 nurses, 300 respiratory therapists and 150 doctors by April 5 but had yet to receive an answer from the Trump administration.
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| Joe Biden says he'd be happy to talk coronavirus with Trump — and suggests he call Obama too Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:21 PM PDT  Former Vice President Joe Biden isn't afraid to reach across the aisle during this national crisis.In a press gaggle on Wednesday, Kellyanne Conway, a counselor to President Trump, snapped at Biden's apparent "criticism" of the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus. "Why doesn't Vice President Biden call the White House today and offer some support?" Conway questioned — and so Biden offered to do so."I think it's really disappointing to have President Obama's number two ... out there, criticizing, instead of saying 'hey, here is what we did that we thought was effective,' Conway said Wednesday. She repeated the criticism on Fox News and in a tweet, even though Biden had offered up both his and former President Barack Obama's advice on MSNBC Tuesday night.Biden's deputy campaign manager fired back with another statement on Wednesday, saying Biden "has been extending his advice for months" — Fox News agreed that was true. "The Obama-Biden administration even wrote a literal playbook for pandemic response, but unfortunately Trump's administration left it on the shelf," the statement continued.> Biden campaign confirms @FoxNews report that @JoeBiden is offering to call President Trump to discuss a strategy to combat the coronavirus> > Full stmt below from @KBeds pic.twitter.com/6EE0RLu0VD> > — Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) April 1, 2020Now, the ball is in Trump's court.More stories from theweek.com Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is what real coronavirus leadership looks like China is bracing for a second wave of coronavirus How the coronavirus fight might end up at the Supreme Court
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| How the coronavirus death toll compares to other pandemics, including SARS, HIV, and the Black Death Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:14 AM PDT  So far, COVID-19 has killed four times as many people as the Ebola outbreak of 2014, but far fewer than the swine flu pandemic in 2009.
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| Coronavirus: Millions will be left in poverty, World Bank warns Posted: 31 Mar 2020 04:30 AM PDT  "Significant economic pain seems unavoidable in all countries", the World Bank warns.
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| Hezbollah shifts attention from Syria fight to battle virus Posted: 01 Apr 2020 07:41 AM PDT  In the streets of Beirut's southern suburbs, Hezbollah paramedics and volunteers on trucks and on foot sprayed disinfectants on shops and buildings. Hezbollah says it is turning the organizational might it once deployed to fight Israel or in the civil war in neighboring Syria to battle the spread of the virus pandemic in Lebanon. It wants to send a clear message to its supporters in Lebanon's Shiite community that it is a force to rely on in a crisis.
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| Another US-Mexico border tunnel has been discovered – with nearly $30 million worth of drugs, officials say Posted: 01 Apr 2020 07:40 AM PDT  Federal agents uncovered a tunnel used to smuggle drugs between warehouses in San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico.
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| Sweden's 'free will' coronavirus strategy alarms some scientists Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:09 AM PDT  "The material presented by the public health authorities is weak, even embarrassing," said one professor who is critical of Sweden's strategy.
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| An influencer, her husband, and their 5 kids broke quarantine to flee NYC in an RV. A wave of backlash followed. Posted: 31 Mar 2020 02:26 PM PDT  Naomi Davis is a parenting blogger with nearly half a million Instagram followers. She has since explained more about her decision to leave New York.
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| Serbian state secretary dies from coronavirus Posted: 01 Apr 2020 08:25 AM PDT |
| Fauci suggests U.S. would broaden mask recommendations if it had enough Posted: 31 Mar 2020 08:02 AM PDT  Dr. Anthony Fauci sees some positive news finally coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.Fauci, the U.S.'s top infectious disease doctor who's leading its coronavirus response, spoke to CNN's Jim Sciutto on Tuesday about the ongoing crisis. While COVID-19 case numbers are still expanding every day, Fauci suggested "we're starting to see glimmers" of social distancing having its intended "dampening effect.""You're starting to see that the daily increases are not in that steep incline, they're starting to be able to possibly flatten out," Fauci said of case numbers across the country. But he was cautious and showed no sign he would recommend lifting stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines, saying "I don't want to put too much stock on it, because you don't want to get overconfident, you just want to keep pushing in what you're doing."Fauci also acknowledged America's mass shortage of medical supplies, particularly protective masks. While there aren't enough masks to go around right now, once they are in better supply, "I believe there will be some very serious consideration about more broadening this recommendation of using masks," he said. That topic will be on the table for the White House's coronavirus task force on Tuesday.And as for chloroquine, the drug that has been used for decades to treat malaria that President Trump touted as a possible treatment, Fauci said there hasn't yet been any "definitive evidence that this works" for treating COVID-19.More stories from theweek.com Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is what real coronavirus leadership looks like Biden says it's 'hard to envision' Democratic convention happening as planned in July Stephen Colbert airs a 2016 duet with John Prine he'd kept in reserve in case 'we have to cheer up the world'
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| Delaying 'nonessential' abortions during coronavirus crisis endangers women's health and financial future Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:14 PM PDT  Several U.S. states are blocking health clinics from providing abortions, declaring the procedure to be "nonessential" during coronavirus business closures. Other services deemed medically unnecessary during the crisis include dental exams, colonoscopies and cataract surgeries. The inclusion of abortion on this list is controversial and legally contested. Judges in recent days struck down such abortion bans in Texas, Ohio and Alabama, allowing abortions to continue. However, on March 31, a Texas appeals court overturned the district court's ruling. Abortions that are not "immediately medically necessary" may now be prohibited in the state.Officials in these states argue restricting abortions will free up medical supplies and personnel by postponing elective procedures until the crisis is over. That will be at least a month, according to the Trump administration, if not several.Abortion is a time-sensitive procedure – in the majority of states, one cannot be performed after 24 weeks of pregnancy. As I've explored in my research on the adverse effects of restricting reproductive health care, forcing pregnant women to delay an abortion is a dangerous gamble for both their physical health and their economic future. Abortions already hard to getWhile abortions have been legal under U.S. federal law since the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, many states have legally managed to curtail abortion access, with increasingly severe restrictions in the past decade.New anti-abortion policies include requiring parental consent for minors who seek the procedure – as in Ohio and Missouri – and requiring abortion facilities and doctors to meet the same strict requirements as hospital surgical centers and their staff. In 34 states, those wishing to terminate a pregnancy must receive counseling about the procedure and fetal development. Twenty-seven of those states then require women to wait between 24 and 72 hours afterwards to have an abortion. These laws and regulations have contributed to service reductions and clinic closures nationwide. Today, 89% of U.S. counties have no abortion provider within their borders – up from 77% in 1978. In 27 American cities, women must travel more than 100 miles to reach an abortion clinic. In Texas, both Lubbock and Midland – which have a combined population of 382,000 people – are a five-hour drive from the nearest abortion provider. States such as Kentucky and Mississippi where women have extremely limited access to abortion are generally Republican dominated and have a strong Christian right influence. They also have fewer women legislators than states with more liberal abortion access, such as New Jersey and New York. Health risks and povertyMany of the same states that have enacted restrictive abortion policies in recent years are now moving to declare abortion a nonessential service during the coronavirus crisis. As of April 1, officials in Texas, Ohio, Alabama, Iowa, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Kentucky have made executive declarations effectively halting abortion procedures until the crisis abates. But delaying an abortion can be dangerous. Women who have this medical procedure in the second trimester of a pregnancy face a greater risk of hemorrhage and other complications like uterine perforation, which may require further surgery or even a hysterectomy to address. Delays could also extend the pregnancy to the point of fetus viability, after which most states prohibit abortions except to protect the life and health of the woman.There are financial consequences when women are forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. Recent evidence from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco shows that women denied an abortion because of restrictive state laws are less likely to be employed full-time for years afterwards than women who got the abortion they needed. They are also more likely to live in poverty after being denied an abortion. The economic fallout from an unwanted pregnancy would likely be severe and long-lasting for a new mother in an economy already decimated by coronavirus-related layoffs and business closures. Keeping abortion safe during coronavirusAbortion remains an essential service in numerous states hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, including New York, New Jersey, and Michigan. In principle, women in states with coronavirus-related abortion bans could get the procedure in neighboring states. But distance as a barrier to abortion disproportionately affects poor women, who lack the financial resources and time to travel. These days, shelter-at-home laws and new restrictions on travel across state lines could make it difficult for even wealthier women to travel for an abortion. Easing existing restrictions on medication-based abortions – that is, non-surgical procedures – could resolve the tension between keeping people home and getting women the treatment they need. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration requires that mifepristone, the first of the two drugs used in medication abortions, be dispensed in a clinic, hospital or medical office. Allowing women to receive the drug by mail would limit their exposure to coronavirus and reduce doctors' workloads. Coronavirus is a national emergency. But U.S. states that bar abortions until the pandemic ends will merely compound the health and financial harms of the crisis. [Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research. Sign up for our newsletter.]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * A concise history of the US abortion debate * When religious ideology drives abortion policy, poor women suffer the consequencesYana Rodgers 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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| Mike Pence just said the US is 'most comparable' to Italy now after the White House downplayed the coronavirus threat for weeks Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:17 AM PDT  The White House announced on Tuesday that it predicts between 100,000 to 240,000 people could die in the US from the coronavirus.
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| Trump threatens Iran – again – if it attacks U.S. interests in Iraq Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:32 PM PDT  The latest threat comes as both Iran and the United States battle the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
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| PA Man ‘Upset Over Coronavirus’ Shoots Girlfriend Before Turning Gun on Himself: Cops Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:54 AM PDT  A Pennsylvania man "extremely upset" about losing his job amidst the coronavirus pandemic allegedly shot his girlfriend, before turning the gun on himself in an attempted murder-suicide, authorities said Wednesday.The Wilson Borough Police Department said in a statement to The Daily Beast that Roderick Bliss IV, 38, attempted to fatally shoot his girlfriend with a semi-automatic pistol on Monday afternoon, before dying by suicide, after he "had become increasingly upset over the COVID-19 pandemic." The 43-year-old girlfriend, who was shot once in the back, survived the attack and is in St. Luke's hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. "In the days prior to the shooting, Bliss had become increasingly upset over the COVID-19 pandemic," police said. "Minutes before the shooting Bliss was extremely upset about the pandemic and the fact that he had recently lost his job."What if This Coronavirus Lockdown Is Only the Beginning?At around 1:20 p.m. on Monday, authorities responded to reports of "multiple shots fired with injuries" at Bliss' Wilson Borough home, about an hour outside of Philadelphia. Upon arrival, officers found Bliss "unresponsive and not breathing" and a semi-automatic pistol near his body. The Northampton County Coroner ruled Bliss' death a suicide.The girlfriend, who is alert, and other witnesses told police that Bliss had become upset that the pandemic—which has infected more than 206,200 people and killed 4,542 nationwide—cost him his job. Authorities said an enraged Bliss "went into the basement and came outside on to the rear porch" with a handgun. "While holding the handgun, Bliss told the victim, 'I already talked to God and I have to do this,'" police said. "The victim ran off of the porch and he shot at her four times striking her once. Bliss then shot himself."The attempted murder-suicide marks the latest example of the collateral damage of the coronavirus pandemic. Domestic violence experts and law enforcement believe domestic violence incidents will rise as families are forced into social isolation across the country.Judy Harris Kluger, executive director of Sanctuary for Families in New York, told The Daily Beast that, for some survivors of domestic violence, being able to leave their home is critical—and forced stay-at-home orders isolate them from the "social support system" that would have previously allowed them to report abuse. White House Trots Out Grim Death Models to Drive Home Social Distancing"Domestic violence is all about power and control and what a powerful tool it is to be able to say to somebody, 'You can't go out of this house, you have to be here,'" Kluger said. "Even though people can go out for certain things, this environment just engages in the most negative way the power of the abuser." Kluger said her organization, and several others across New York—the current epicenter of the outbreak in the United States—are anticipating an increase in domestic violence calls as the pandemic continues. A spokesperson for the National Domestic Violence Hotline said they haven't yet seen a significant increase in call volumes but were receiving an increase in calls related to COVID-19 and the anxiety of people being stuck in their homes. "Right now, the people who are at risk are very isolated," Kluger said, noting her organization is reaching out to former clients who might be at risk. "We are worried that we are going to see an uptick while this 'shelter-in-place' is in effect. Also, as the tension of the crisis rises, we anticipate people will begin reporting soon."But, even as the looming number of domestic violence cases threatens New York and other cities, the number of healthy police officers is also dwindling. New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Wednesday there were at least 1,400 officers who had tested positive for coronavirus, while about 17 percent had called out sick. Despite trying to police a city with a virus-related death toll of more than 1,000, Shea has previously stressed the NYPD is focused on domestic violence cases. "What I'm concerned about is, it's happening and it's not getting reported," Shea said Tuesday, noting that survivors may not be calling for help. "We've asked the domestic violence officers—you know who the people are in your commands, who are most vulnerable. Pick up the phone, pick up the computer keyboard and start communicating with them. Just make sure that things are OK."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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| Masquerade or needed aid? Virus help from China proves contentious Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:13 AM PDT  China has stepped in to help the West tackle the coronavirus crisis after managing to quell its own outbreak. As European and American healthcare systems creak under the strain, China has offered millions of face masks and teams of medical experts. As well as seeking to deflect criticism over initial Chinese missteps in handling the epidemic, analysts say, the campaign is a public relations opportunity in China's great power rivalry with the West and especially the United States.
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| Coronavirus: Racist 'zoombombing' at virtual synagogue Posted: 01 Apr 2020 08:03 AM PDT  Hackers hijacking Zoom meetings to shout abuse is on the rise as more people talk virtually.
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| COVID-19 cases and deaths rising, debt relief needed for poorest nations: WHO Posted: 01 Apr 2020 11:11 AM PDT  The head of the World Health Organization voiced deep concern on Wednesday about the rapid escalation and global spread of COVID-19 cases from the new coronavirus, which has now reached 205 countries and territories. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that his agency, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund backed debt relief to help developing countries cope with the pandemic's social and economic consequences. "In the past five weeks there has been a near-exponential growth in the number of new cases and the number of deaths has more than doubled in the past week," Tedros told a virtual news conference at the organisation's Geneva headquarters.
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| A New York City mom gave birth in a hospital without her partner because of coronavirus restrictions. Here's what it was like. Posted: 01 Apr 2020 08:03 AM PDT  A short-lived rule at a number of NYC hospitals banned companions from delivery rooms because of risks related to the coronavirus.
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| Travel demand won't return to normal until mid-2021, even in the best-case scenario, an analyst warns Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:25 PM PDT  Under the best-case scenario, with slowing case growth, a Stifel analyst says air travel demand could return in 2021. But airlines may suffer longer.
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| Trump responds to questions about whether impeachment diverted his attention from the coronavirus outbreak Posted: 31 Mar 2020 04:56 PM PDT  President Trump on Tuesday responded to the idea that the impeachment trial kept his attention away from the growing coronavirus outbreak around the world.
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| Trump Threatens ‘Heavy Price’ If Iran Attacks U.S. Troops Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:37 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump warned Iran against what he said was a possible "sneak attack" the Islamic Republic was planning against U.S. troops in Iraq.Trump indicated in a tweet that the U.S. had "information" about a possible attack but didn't elaborate. He said Iran would pay a "very heavy price" if there's an attack.Tensions have soared this year between Washington and Tehran after a top Iranian general was killed by American forces at the start of the year, prompting a missile barrage on an Iraqi base used by American forces. There have since been strikes in Iraq by Iranian proxy groups, and the U.S. has seized shipments of allegedly Iranian weapons bound for Yemen.More recently, Iran and some other countries have called on the U.S. to ease sanctions to allow for faster importation of humanitarian goods needed to help fight the coronavirus outbreak, which has hit Iran particularly hard. The U.S. argues that its sanctions already allow for the importation of critical goods.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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