| Citing coronavirus, Trump threatens to adjourn Congress to make recess appointments Posted: 15 Apr 2020 04:29 PM PDT  President Trump said Wednesday that he was considering taking the unprecedented step of adjourning both houses of Congress in order to make recess appointments to fill government posts, citing the emergency created by the coronavirus outbreak.
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| Can you tell a coronavirus cough from a regular cold? There could be an app for that. Posted: 15 Apr 2020 01:08 PM PDT  Everyone knows that one of the main presenting symptoms of COVID-19 is cough. But what kind of cough, exactly? The data will be secure, Karlin emphasizes, and the app will not run in the background or monitor other people nearby.
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| China has been told by the UK that it cannot return to 'business as usual' after the coronavirus pandemic Posted: 16 Apr 2020 10:26 AM PDT  The UK is calling for an investigation into how the coronavirus pandemic started in China.
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| Kim Jong Un tribute absence sparks speculation Posted: 15 Apr 2020 08:02 PM PDT  The April 15 birthday of the North's founder is the most important celebration of the nuclear-armed country's annual political calendar, known as the Day of the Sun. The state KCNA news agency did not mention him in a Thursday report on senior officials visiting the Kumsusan Palace to pay the "highest tribute" to the two late leaders.
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| Michigan Gov. Claims Protesters are Spreading Virus, Making It ‘More Likely’ State Will Continue Strict Lockdown Measures Posted: 16 Apr 2020 12:53 PM PDT  Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer suggested the "sad part" of state residents protesting her strict quarantine measures was that they would likely be exposed to and spread Wuhan coronavirus, resulting in further lockdowns.Thousands of protestors, organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition under the hashtag OperationGridlock, took to the capitol in Lansing on Wednesday to voice their disapproval of Whitmer's rules, which include the closing of businesses selling hardware supplies and gardening seeds, and the banning of travel "between residences." While Whitmer said she respected the "right" of the "small segment of the state" to protest, she warned they could be furthering the lockdowns by refusing to social distance."We have to take serious measures, and people are getting a little stir-crazy from being at home, being worried about work, worried about paying the bills, worried about their businesses, and a small segment of the state is protesting, and that's their right," she stated. "The sad part is, though, that the more likely they're out and about, the more likely they are to spread COVID-19 and the more likely we're going to have to spread this posture for a longer period of time."> Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: "A small segment of the state is protesting, and that's their right. The sad part is, though, that the more likely they're out and about, the more likely they are to spread COVID-19 and the more likely we're going to have to spread this posture." pic.twitter.com/eMo4aNxfpB> > -- The Hill (@thehill) April 16, 2020In a Wednesday interview with MSNBC's Joy Reid, Whitmer went further, saying the protest was "essentially a political rally.""This small group that came together without masks on, passing out candy with bare hands to children, who were congregating together, brandishing their weapons, having posters of being anti-choice — this was a political rally. It was a political rally that is going to endanger people's lives because this is precisely how COVID-19 spreads," she stated.As of April 16, Michigan has the fourth-most coronavirus cases in the country with 28,059 and 1,921 deaths.
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| 'Commander' of New Mexico group that detained migrants near border is sentenced Posted: 16 Apr 2020 02:16 PM PDT  Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 70, was arrested in 2019. He was a "commander" of a group accused of detaining migrants at the New Mexico-Mexico border.
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| Coronavirus: Japan declares nationwide state of emergency Posted: 16 Apr 2020 06:55 AM PDT  Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been facing criticism for his response to the coronavirus outbreak.
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| Receiving Government Benefits? Here’s What to Know About Your Stimulus Payment Posted: 16 Apr 2020 02:12 PM PDT  Most people receiving Social Security or disability will get their payments automatically
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| What should Democrats do about the sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden? Posted: 15 Apr 2020 02:55 AM PDT  After the brief but intense drama of the early primaries, things have settled down quite quickly in the contest for the Democratic nomination for president. With former Vice President Joe Biden already the presumptive nominee, it should be a moment of well-earned healing and consolidation for the party. Yet instead it's one marked by anxiety about a sexual assault allegation that threatens to weaken Biden's general election prospects even before the campaign gets started.Biden's bid for the presidency wouldn't have been threatened by the kind of allegations originally brought forth by Tara Reade, a former staff assistant to Biden's Senate office in the early 1990s. Interviewed by The Associated Press last April about Biden's handsiness problem with numerous women down through the decades, she indicated only that Biden had rubbed her shoulders, neck, and hair. That's inappropriate and more than a little creepy by today's standards of professionalism but hardly unusual for a male politician of Biden's age.But then, during an interview on a podcast last month, Reade alleged far more: that back in 1993, Biden shoved her against a wall and penetrated her with his fingers. That's sexual assault. An allegation of that seriousness would have rocked a presidential campaign at any point in the past. But it's especially awkward and highly charged now — several years into the MeToo movement that has inspired countless women to speak up forthrightly against sexual abuse in the workplace. At least one predator has been sent to jail, while the careers and reputations of hundreds of men — from powerful politicians to prominent figures in media, entertainment, journalism, finance, sports, and other fields — have been adversely effected by MeToo allegations.Will Democrats now apply the same exacting and often unforgiving standards to the man who's locked down the party's presidential nomination?The problem is real. But it's not quite as bad as some appear to think.That certainly includes Republicans. They insist Democrats accepted the activist slogan and hashtag BelieveWomen and used it as a bludgeon against Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings when psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford accused him of a drunken sexual assault at a high school party three decades in the past. Republicans claim that for Democrats to be consistent, they need to apply precisely the same standard to Reade and Biden: They must believe her without question, drag Biden through the mud, and presumably keep him off the Democratic ticket for his alleged behavior 27 years ago. Anything less would be a blatant double standard.It's pretty rich for Republicans to accuse Democrats of hypocrisy for failing to live up to standards that Republicans themselves show no sign of caring about when it comes to their own party and president. The term bad faith is far too mild to capture the chutzpah of people who carry water for the Trump White House 24/7 feigning outrage at others struggling to live up to moral principles and apply consistent standards. Yet the charge would nonetheless sting if it were true that leading Democrats cared less about accusations against a leading member of their own party than against a Republican Supreme Court nominee.Thankfully, the core of the problem isn't the application of the principle but the principle itself: BelieveWomen should never have been the standard for adjudicating such issues in the first place, in either a court of law or the court of public opinion.Yes, women accusing men of bad behavior have too often and easily been ignored or dismissed. That was wrong, and the proper response is to take allegations more seriously, applying less doubt and suspicion to them, along with less deference to the accused. But that's very different than denying the possibility of doubt altogether. To the extent that some activists, writers, and officeholders favored doing this at the time of Kavanaugh's confirmation battle, they were wrong and should admit it. Female accusers need to be heard, but to treat them as infallible and incapable of lying about or misremembering details decades in the past is to do the opposite. It is to pretend that women are inhumanly perfect and incorruptible.As I wrote at the time of the Kavanaugh hearings, we knew nothing for certain about what, if anything, happened between the nominee and Blasey Ford when they were in high school. I found the latter to be a credible witness. When paired with Kavanaugh's bizarre, unhinged, wildly defensive, and dishonest response to her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I concluded that, on balance, the best option was for his nomination to be withdrawn and for the president to nominate an alternative conservative jurist to the high court in his place. But I never for a moment supposed that I knew for certain that Kavanaugh had done what Blasey Ford accused him of doing.Based on what we know at the moment, Reade's accusation against Biden is flimsier than Blasey Ford's. Democrats would be foolish to BelieveReade over the Biden campaign's blanket denial when her account of events from nearly three decades ago has changed so dramatically in just the past few weeks. As Michelle Goldberg recently pointed out in The New York Times, Reade also has a history of saying … peculiar things about Russia and Vladimir Putin that raise questions about her judgment. That doesn't mean that the events she now describes didn't happen. But in deciding whether to accept her account, we must make our own judgment about her credibility and trustworthiness — and as Cathy Young at Arc Digital has shown with care and skill, there is a lot of reason for doubt, and so ample reason for Democrats to treat her claims with skepticism.If another accuser emerges with more credible claims, or Reade presents additional compelling evidence of her own accusation, that could certainly change my view, just as it likely would that of many rank-and-file Democrats. In that case, Biden would be in serious trouble. (If it's going to happen, let's hope it does before he becomes the official nominee at the party's convention, which is now slated for August.)But short of such developments, the matter should be considered closed — and without too much agonizing about double standards. The standards that some Democrats have latched onto over the past three years have overcompensated for past errors. There's nothing shameful in recognizing a mistake and making a course correction. Now would be an excellent time to do precisely that.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com Michigan governor says protesters against stay-at-home order 'might have just created a need to lengthen it' Late night hosts deconstruct Trump's coronavirus 'buck-passing,' doubt its efficacy Why can't you go fishing during the pandemic?
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| Sen. Mitt Romney was the only GOP senator not invited on Trump's new coronavirus advisory group Posted: 16 Apr 2020 02:55 PM PDT  Sen. Mitt Romney was the only Republican senator not invited to serve on the president's new panel addressing ways to reopen the country.
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| Checking blood for coronavirus antibodies – 3 questions answered about serological tests and immunity Posted: 16 Apr 2020 05:20 AM PDT  Coronavirus testing in the United States is moving into a new phase as scientists begin looking into people's blood for signs they've been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This technique is called serological testing.Virologist Daniel Stadlbauer helped develop a serological test to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and helped transfer it from the research lab to the clinical setting. Epidemiologist Aubree Gordon regularly uses serological assays in her research studies on influenza and dengue fever. She's now established serological testing for SARS-CoV-2 in her research lab.Here, the collaborators explain how the technology works. What do these tests look for?Serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 are blood tests. They look at serum or plasma – basically blood that has been processed to remove the cells – for evidence that at some point you've been infected with the coronavirus.These tests look for antibodies that your body's immune system generated to fight the infection. So, the tests detect the response to the virus, not the virus itself. They cannot be used early in infection, before a patient's body has mounted an antibody response. A serological test may focus on different types of antibodies. It can measure what are called neutralizing antibodies, which protect against the virus in question. Or it may measure what are called binding antibodies, a type that recognizes SARS-CoV-2 but does not necessarily protect against it.Several types of serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 exist. Clinical laboratories and research laboratories typically use what's called an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that consists of plastic plates that are coated with lab-made proteins that match those on the surface of the virus. For the test to be specific, it uses the spike protein from the surface of SARS-CoV-2 that gives the coronavirus its crown-like appearance.This spike protein is immunogenic, meaning it's one of the main targets of the body's immune response; an infected person would make antibodies against the spike protein. The test measures if and how many serum antibodies in the sample bind to the viral proteins on the plates. Another type of serological test uses what's called a lateral flow assay. A variety of medical tests, including at-home pregnancy tests, use this technique. It relies on liquid flowing over a pad treated with chemicals that will interact with the molecule you are testing for. Usually the test will indicate the presence or absence of antibodies through easy-to-read lines. They have the benefit of being relatively simple and rapid, but are generally less sensitive and do not give a measure of the amount of antibody present. The FDA has so far approved one test of this type, from the company Cellex. Why is it helpful to know who has antibodies against the virus?From a public health perspective, knowing who has already been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 paints a clearer picture of how widespread the virus is in the local population. Some people are asymptomatic or only came down with mild symptoms, so they might not be counted in other COVID-19 statistics. Epidemiologists can use the serology results to determine how common those cases are. Serological studies can also help figure out a death rate for COVID-19, by clarifying how many people in total have been sick.Serosurveys are currently generating this kind of data. They use the serological techniques to test a large number of serum samples from people without a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, coming up with statistics about the group as a whole.Knowing a true rate of infection allows public health workers to better predict the likely future course of the pandemic in individual locations and figure out what interventions are needed to control an outbreak. That's because researchers think, although no one's entirely sure yet, that once you have antibodies to the virus it will confer immunity, meaning you'll be protected for some period of time.Serological testing could also be used to make strategic staffing decisions about essential workers, including medical personnel – for instance, assigning to the front lines those who are have antibodies and are thus presumably immune. These people would be able to go back to work without the risk of getting sick or infecting others.Identifying individuals who were already infected and who are now potentially immune could play an important part in when and how social distancing restrictions are lifted. Broad SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing could help control the pandemic until a potent vaccine is available – the real coronavirus "end game." Where are these tests being performed so far?Serological testing is already being used to identify people who can serve as plasma donors. In a process called plasmapheresis, doctors transfer plasma that contains antibodies to a disease into an ill person. Plasmapheresis has been used for decades to treat a variety of diseases.In this case, plasma from someone who has recovered from COVID-19 – or was infected with the disease but didn't develop symptoms and has a high level of antibodies – is transferred into a sick patient, typically someone critically ill. At Mount Sinai hospital in New York City, medical workers have started transferring plasma into patients with the hope of neutralizing the virus and alleviating the disease. In other locations, hospitals have started or are preparing to begin this process as well.Serological testing is also being used to diagnose individual patients who are suspected SARS-CoV-2 cases, but have not tested positive for the virus using the molecular test that looks for the virus's genetic material.Multiple serosurveys are underway, or soon will be, in medical systems and in the general population. For instance, Beaumont Hospital System in Michigan has begun a large serosurvey in their medical staff. The Krammer and Simon research labs at Mount Sinai have started a serosurvey with samples from New York City.Commercial companies have also developed serological tests, including many rapid tests, that are making their way into the marketplace. Ultimately these may be very useful for letting individuals know their infection status. But the currently available commercial tests haven't been validated by the FDA or a similar authority to say they work well.There is such high, unmet demand that for the most part, clinical laboratories are choosing to put together their own serological tests, using publicly available instructions, something which is common in research laboratories, but not done as often in U.S. clinical laboratories. Though it takes more time and effort than purchasing ready-to-go tests, which are hard to come by anyway, it provides the clinical labs access to serological tests that have been proven to work well.[You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read The Conversation's newsletter.]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * Antibodies in the blood of COVID-19 survivors know how to beat coronavirus – and researchers are already testing new treatments that harness them * Want to know how many people have the coronavirus? Test randomlyThe authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| Immigrants living illegally in California to receive cash amid coronavirus Posted: 16 Apr 2020 04:23 AM PDT  California is giving cash payments to immigrants living in the country illegally who are being affected by the coronavirus.
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| Hundreds of USPS workers have tested positive for the coronavirus, but it still may be safer to get postal mail than other types of packages Posted: 16 Apr 2020 10:27 AM PDT  The risk of contracting COVID-19 from a piece of mail is extremely low, according to experts. But plastic packaging may be riskier than paper mail.
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| IRS launches second web tool to expedite stimulus payments Posted: 15 Apr 2020 08:16 AM PDT  More than 80 million Americans have received payments since they started flowing last weekend, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.
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| Defense chief says Navy captain who raised coronavirus concerns could return Posted: 16 Apr 2020 06:15 AM PDT  Capt. Brett Crozier was removed after a strongly worded letter to Navy leadership detailed his concerns about the spread of the coronavirus on the USS Roosevelt.
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| Trump administration aims to buy milk, meat to help farmers hit by coronavirus: Perdue Posted: 15 Apr 2020 09:19 AM PDT  The decision comes amid rising pressure from the U.S. farm lobby for government purchases as growers and ranchers struggle to get their goods to market because of disruptions caused by the pandemic, forcing some of them to throw out their supplies. "We want to purchase as much of this milk, or other protein products, hams and pork products, and move them into where they can be utilized in our food banks, or possibly even into international humanitarian aid," Perdue said in an interview on Fox News. Reuters reported on Monday that Department of Agriculture will spend up to $15.5 billion in the initial phase of its plan to bolster the nation's food supply chain against the impacts of the outbreak, the first big push to ensure the pandemic doesn't trigger consumer food shortages.
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| American Shipments of Coronavirus Supplies Stranded in China Under Export Restrictions Posted: 16 Apr 2020 08:55 AM PDT  American companies have seen their shipments of coronavirus medical equipment, such as face masks and test kits, stranded in China after the country implemented new export restrictions this month.The shipments of personal protective equipment and other medical equipment currently remain in warehouses in China, unable to obtain the new clearances required to be shipped out of the country.About 1.4 million coronavirus test kits made by Massachusetts-based PerkinElmer are not able to leave the company's Suzhou factory under the new restrictions, according to a State Department document obtained by the Wall Street Journal.The document also noted that Minnesota-based 3M was told by a Shanghai vice mayor that Shanghai "relies on 3M's locally produced N-95 respirators for its Covid-19 prevention efforts and lacks viable alternatives." Lifting the restrictions would require permission from the upper echelons of the Chinese government, the mayor indicated, according to the State Department.General Electric was able to extract its shipment of parts needed to make ventilators after days of negotiations. Other companies, however, have not been able to do the same. Healthcare logistics company Owens & Minor, hospital operator Emory Healthcare, and biotech company Cellex have been unable to ship their medical equipment, which includes N95 face masks, isolation gowns, and coronavirus antibody tests.China's rules governing exports "disrupted established supply chains for medical products just as these products were most needed for the global response to Covid-19," one of the State Department documents said. Beijing has said the rules were meant to ensure quality control of medical products and to prevent necessary items from leaving China"Countries across the world are all hunting for medical supplies, causing a big challenge for China's efforts of quality control and regulation of export," the Chinese Embassy in Washington said.U.S. ambassador to China Terry Branstad said Wednesday that he does not believe China is intentionally blocking exports to the U.S. of medical supplies required to fight the pandemic."Yes, they want to enforce their laws and regulations," the ambassador said. "We're trying to say let's use some common sense in doing this, and if it's Food and Drug Administration approved and companies like 3M have already been shipping these things to the United States, it doesn't make sense to hold them up when we feel confident that it meets the quality requirements that we have."U.S. officials have criticized U.S. dependence on Chinese supply chains for medical products as the coronavirus outbreak has caused shortages of desperately needed medical equipment in hospitals across the country."Unfortunately, like others, we are learning in this crisis that over-dependence on other countries as a source of cheap medical products and supplies has created a strategic vulnerability to our economy," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said early this month.
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| Germany’s New Coronavirus Cases Decline for a Sixth Day Posted: 14 Apr 2020 10:47 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The number of new coronavirus cases in Germany fell for a sixth day on Wednesday ahead of talks between Chancellor Angela Merkel and regional premiers on a possible easing of restrictions on public life.There were 2,138 new infections, the lowest increase this month, bringing the total to 132,210, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. The number of deaths rose by 301, the second highest increase this month, putting Germany's death rate at 2.6%, with a total of 3,495 fatalities.Europe's leaders are sketching out strategies for reactivating economies battered by the virus, with Denmark ready to reopen primary schools and Merkel consulting later today with Germany's 16 state leaders on scaling back some curbs on activity.The chancellor will hold a conference call with the regional premiers at 2 p.m. local time and is expected to give a news conference at around 4 p.m.Officials are broadly cautious and have warned that hasty action could reverse the positive effects of three and a half weeks of social distancing. Germany has the fourth-highest number of cases worldwide and is eighth in fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins."It's clear that the danger is a long way from being averted," German Health Minister Jens Spahn said in a tweet late Tuesday. "A step-by-step return to normality is only possible if we continue to keep the outbreak under control."(Updates with expected time of Merkel's news conference in fourth paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump's performance against Biden reportedly improves after voters watch 90 seconds of a coronavirus briefing Posted: 15 Apr 2020 02:29 PM PDT  President Trump's daily briefings on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic are apparently working to his political benefit, The Atlantic reports.A Democratic strategist, speaking on condition of anonymity, described a private research initiative in which voters were shown a 90-second clip of a recent briefing. Trump's general election performance against his likely Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, reportedly improved by more than two percentage points after voters watched the clip. Considering most polls are indicating a tight contest, that's quite a shift after such a small amount of footage.Per The Atlantic, part of the briefings' purpose is to serve as a platform for Trump to reclaim the narrative about his initial response to the coronavirus, and push the idea that the president acted swiftly. Trump initially downplayed the threat of the virus and suggested further response efforts were unnecessary. Similarly, The Atlantic notes, the National Republican Congressional Committee sent robocalls to more than 120,000 numbers over a three-day period in late March, during which people were polled about Trump's press coverage, followed by a "sympathetic female voice" expressing frustration with the media coverage of Trump's handling of the pandemic. Read more at The Atlantic.More stories from theweek.com Lindsey Graham keeps breaking fundraising records. His Democratic challenger still outraised him. Why can't you go fishing during the pandemic? Airline conducts COVID-19 blood tests on passengers
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| US governors grapple with relaxing virus restrictions Posted: 14 Apr 2020 10:18 PM PDT  After a month of draconian steps to minimize deaths and prevent hospital overload from the coronavirus pandemic, governors now face a new challenge: Deciding when and how to begin easing restrictions on businesses and social gatherings. Many of the states' chief executives say they don't want to move too quickly and risk a public health crisis, despite pressure from Republican lawmakers, business leaders, professional sports leagues and some parents. "We all want to open up tomorrow, but people will die if we do that without having things in place," Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Monday.
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| US Navy sailors aboard French aircraft carrier hit hard by coronavirus have tested positive for the virus Posted: 15 Apr 2020 08:43 AM PDT  All of the US Navy sailors assigned to the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier as part of an exchange program are reportedly in quarantine.
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| Royal Caribbean suspends cruises through June 11; Carnival, Princess cruises cancel through June Posted: 16 Apr 2020 02:56 PM PDT  Royal Caribbean Cruises has extended its sailing suspension through June 11. The CDC extended a no-sail order that may dock ships through late July.
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| U.S. coronavirus deaths increase by record amount for second straight day: Reuters tally Posted: 15 Apr 2020 11:14 AM PDT  The United States recorded its first coronavirus fatality on Feb. 29. U.S. confirmed cases topped 635,000 in the United States and 2 million globally. Governors of about 20 states with few coronavirus cases believe they may be ready to start the process of reopening their economies by President Donald Trump's May 1 target date, a top U.S. health official said on Wednesday.
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| These European Countries Are Slowly Lifting Coronavirus Lockdowns. Here's What That Looks Like Posted: 16 Apr 2020 10:46 AM PDT  From France to Italy, here's how European countries are handling lifting coronavirus restrictions.
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| State Department is reportedly concerned China is conducting nuclear tests Posted: 15 Apr 2020 11:09 AM PDT  A new arms-control report expected to be made public by the State Department shows the United States is concerned that China is conducting secret nuclear tests despite a pledge against doing so, The Wall Street Journal reports.There's reportedly no proof China is violating the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and the alleged tests are reportedly not very powerful, but Washington's suspicions are driven by "high tempo" activity at China's Lop Nur test site, extensive excavations at the site, and Beijing's "purported use of of special chambers to contain explosion," per the Journal.Additionally, the U.S. noticed interruptions in data transmission of radioactive emissions and seismic tremors from Chinese monitoring stations — which are part of an international network of sites to verify treaty compliance — in recent years. The Trump administration's report claims the data was deliberately blocked by Beijing, but a spokesperson for the body that oversees the international test ban treaty said those interruptions came during a negotiating process between the CTBT organization and the Chinese government.Either way, the report could certainly exacerbate tensions between Washington and Beijing, which are already rising because of longstanding trade disputes and, more recently, the U.S.'s criticism of China's handling of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan. Read more at The Wall Street Journal.More stories from theweek.com Airline conducts COVID-19 blood tests on passengers Trump reportedly invites every GOP senator to coronavirus task force — except Mitt Romney Michigan governor says protesters against stay-at-home order 'might have just created a need to lengthen it'
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| Nurses suspended for refusing to treat coronavirus patients unless they have N95 masks Posted: 16 Apr 2020 03:54 AM PDT  Nurses at a California hospital were suspended after they refused to enter the rooms of coronavirus patients unless they had N95 respirator masks.
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| Opinion: Elizabeth Warren just told progressives what they need to hear about Joe Biden Posted: 15 Apr 2020 07:30 AM PDT  One of Warren's central messages, conveyed subtly, is that the specifics of policy — the details that animate her — don't matter in the general election.
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| Mexico sees widespread noncompliance with business closures Posted: 15 Apr 2020 06:15 PM PDT  Mexico's coronavirus point-man said Wednesday there has been widespread non-compliance with orders for all non-essential businesses to close. Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell said those firms that don't comply would be inspected, fined and possibly subject to criminal investigations for endangering the health of employees. While there have been widespread reports that border assembly plants known as maquiladoras had failed to close during the pandemic, López-Gatell cited only one border state — Baja California — as having a high level of non-compliance.
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| A Russian fighter jet buzzed a US aircraft by flying an 'inverted maneuver' just 25 feet in front of it Posted: 15 Apr 2020 03:12 PM PDT  The Navy said the crew of its aircraft experienced "wake turbulence" during the 42-minute encounter.
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| Qatar illegally expelled workers during coronavirus outbreak: Amnesty Posted: 15 Apr 2020 10:38 AM PDT |
| Brazil Negotiating With Maduro to Repatriate Staff in Venezuela Posted: 15 Apr 2020 09:31 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Brazil is negotiating with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to airlift diplomatic and military staff who are stranded after his government denied permission for a Brazilian Air Force cargo jet to land in Caracas, two people familiar with the matter said.The plane was scheduled to land in the Venezuelan capital on Friday to pick up diplomatic officials and their family members as part of Brazil's repatriation efforts during the coronavirus pandemic, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to discuss the subject publicly.But Venezuelan military officials on Wednesday told the Brazilian embassy a permit to land would no longer be provided, without providing a reason. More than 50 embassy and consular employees and their relatives now don't know if and how they will be able to leave the country, the people said.Brazil's foreign ministry said late Wednesday night it was following the case and insisted no citizen would be left behind, citing the more than 10,000 Brazilians who have so far been brought home in the wake of the pandemic. The international department of Brazil's justice ministry said it's aware of the situation.Calls requesting comment to Venezuela's Ministry of Communication and Information outside of regular business hours went unanswered.Brazil was on track to withdraw its personnel in Venezuela even before the pandemic. In February, Brazil decided to withdraw its diplomatic personnel from the country in another attempt to increase Maduro's isolation. But the move was set up as a gradual process in which diplomats and other employees used then-available commercial flights.Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a U.S. ally, recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate leader of Venezuela and has provided Guaido's envoy in Brasilia full ambassador status. The U.S. campaign to try to oust Maduro with economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation and backing for Guaido has so far failed to dislodge the Venezuelan leader, who has remained solidly entrenched with the apparent support of his military.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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| Michigan governor says protesters against stay-at-home order 'might have just created a need to lengthen it' Posted: 15 Apr 2020 06:34 PM PDT  Demonstrators gathered in front of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing on Wednesday — some staying in their cars, others getting out and standing shoulder-to-shoulder — to protest against the stay-at-home policy enacted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) as a way to fight the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.The protest, called "Operation Gridlock," was organized by conservative groups arguing that Whitmer's order, which bans travel between homes and closes down non-essential businesses, is too strict. As of Wednesday night, Michigan had more than 28,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and the death toll stands at 1,921. The stay-at-home rules were enacted to prevent the COVID-19 outbreak from overwhelming the state's hospitalsSome demonstrators wore masks to cover their faces, but those who didn't posed a major health risk to those around them, Whitmer told reporters. "We know that this demonstration is going to come at a cost to people's health," she said. "The sad irony of the protest is that they don't like to be in this stay-at-home order, but they might have just created a need to lengthen it."Whitmer also said that while she understands their frustrations, she was disappointed to learn that an ambulance was stuck in the gridlock caused by the protest. "I know that people are angry, and that's okay, and if you want to, take it out and send it my way," she told the protesters. "I urge you, don't put yourself at risk and don't put others at risk, either."More stories from theweek.com Lindsey Graham keeps breaking fundraising records. His Democratic challenger still outraised him. Why can't you go fishing during the pandemic? Airline conducts COVID-19 blood tests on passengers
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| China trial of Gilead's potential coronavirus treatment suspended Posted: 15 Apr 2020 08:04 AM PDT  Earlier, another trial in China testing the drug in those with severe COVID-19 was terminated because no eligible patients could be enrolled. China, where the outbreak is believed to have originated, has been able to control it through tough measures such as lockdowns. The study was conducted by researchers in China and the suspension was posted https://bit.ly/3bcnyv4 on Wednesday on clinicaltrials.gov, a database maintained by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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| City leaders to Trump: Pay your bills, help us fight the coronavirus Posted: 16 Apr 2020 02:03 AM PDT  Fourteen city governments say the president's campaign now owes them a collective $1.82 million. The campaign says it's not responsible.
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| Photos and charts show how the natural world is thriving now that humans are staying indoors Posted: 16 Apr 2020 04:29 AM PDT  From cleaner beaches to less air pollution, here are 10 examples of how the world's condition is improving while people stay indoors.
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| Is Trump's tough action against the WHO warranted? Posted: 15 Apr 2020 09:37 AM PDT  The U.S. halts funding to the World Health Organization pending an investigation into their handling of COVID-19; reaction and analysis on 'Outnumbered.'
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| Israeli president asks parliament to choose prime minister Posted: 16 Apr 2020 12:37 AM PDT  Israel's president on Thursday asked the Knesset to choose a new prime minister, giving parliament three weeks to agree upon a leader or plunge the country into an unprecedented fourth consecutive election in just over a year. President Reuven Rivlin made the move after his prime minister-designate, former military chief Benny Gantz, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to reach a power-sharing deal by a midnight deadline. The bitter rivals had pledged to form an "emergency" government to steer the country through the coronavirus crisis, which has ravaged the economy and sent unemployment to record highs.
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| 'Bring every ship in': Former Navy secretary says it's time for drastic measures to fight coronavirus Posted: 15 Apr 2020 03:05 PM PDT  "Offload most of the crew ... a little bit in a rolling fashion," former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said. "Leave a very skeletal force on board."
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| AOC Calls Out Hypocritical Response to Biden Sexual Assault Allegation: ‘Believe Women…Until It Inconveniences Us’ Posted: 15 Apr 2020 10:07 AM PDT  Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) criticized the lack of mainstream discussion surrounding the recent sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden made by former Senate staffer Tara Reade, calling the situation a "silencing of all dissent" that amounted to "a form of gaslighting.""I think it's legitimate to talk about these things. And if we want, if we again want to have integrity, you can't say both believe women, support all of this, until it inconveniences you, until it inconveniences us," Ocasio-Cortez said in response to a question during an online conversation Tuesday night with The Wing, a networking and community space for women.She added that the dismissing of allegations was the "exact opposite of integrity," after the Biden campaign categorically denied the allegation and caused the New York Times to retroactively edit its coverage of the allegation after complaining "that the phrasing was awkward." The Times's coverage came nearly three weeks after the story was first reported, while CNN has yet to detail the allegations."It almost felt like we started this cycle where we had kind of moved on from, you know, from all of this. And now it feels like we're kind of back in it," Ocasio-Cortez said. "And, you know, the most diverse field that we've ever seen — that we're kind of back kind of replaying old movies in a way."Ocasio-Cortez revealed on Wednesday that the Biden campaign had reached out to her after she told the Times in an interview that she had never spoken with the former vice president, but would not say if she would endorse Biden's campaign.> .@AOC speaking on Playbook event says that since NYT article Monday, her and Biden's teams have been in touch. She says "we'll see" on if she's going to endorse him or be a surrogate. But she said it is important to support Biden in November.> > -- Eliza Collins (@elizacollins1) April 15, 2020The freshman congresswoman, who is up for reelection in November, has clashed with Biden in the past. She said the former vice president would not be a "pragmatic" choice as the Democratic 2020 presidential nominee in June before endorsing Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.). After Biden implied in December that Ocasio-Cortez did not represent the mainstream position of the Democratic Party, the New York progressive fired back by saying the party was. "too big of a tent.""In any other country, Joe Biden and I would not be in the same party, but in America, we are," Ocasio-Cortez told New York Magazine.
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| Hannity Goes After Obama’s Old Pastor. No, It’s Not 2008. Posted: 14 Apr 2020 08:08 PM PDT  Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday night accused former President Barack Obama of being obsessed with him and the network—all while dredging up a 12-year-old controversy about Obama's ex-pastor.Earlier in the day, the former president took a veiled shot at Fox News during his video endorsement of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, and Hannity couldn't help but complain about Obama's not-so-subtle broadside."And he can't get Fox News out of his head," Hannity exclaimed, after leading off his Tuesday night primetime broadcast by mocking Obama's endorsement. "He can't. We live in his mind. He takes a shot at Fox again. Me, yours truly, I live in his mind!"Hannity, who devoted years of his show to attacking the former president, proceeded to play a clip of Obama saying it "won't be easy" to defeat President Donald Trump because the "other side has a propaganda network with little regard for the truth."The longtime Fox News star wondered aloud why "in the middle of a global pandemic" Obama couldn't stop attacking his channel—then played a montage of the former president taking jabs at Hannity himself. (Throughout the video clip, an on-air graphic blared "FLASHBACK: OBAMA'S 'HANNITY' OBSESSION.")Once again insisting—without a hint of irony—that it was Obama who couldn't get Fox News out of his head, Hannity then went on a rant running down the purported scandals of the Obama era that Fox News covered incessantly, boasting that "we are the only ones that exposed" them."We did a deep dive into the radical hate preacher. We were right about Reverend 'G-D America'—Reverend Wright," Hannity bellowed, referencing Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor.Besides Wright, Hannity also brought up former Weather Underground leader Bill Ayers, noting that Hannity and Fox News were also the "ones who exposed" Obama's ties to the former domestic terrorist. Numerous news outlets would later report that the two never had a close association, something Ayers himself would later confirm.During the 2008 election, Hannity and other Fox News hosts devoted round-the-clock coverage to Obama's relationship with the pastor following news coverage of inflammatory comments Wright had made during sermons. Even after Obama denounced Wright's remarks, the criticism continued, eventually leading to the then-candidate's famous "A More Perfect Union" speech, which touched on racial tension and anger in an effort to provide context to Wright's controversial statements. Eventually, after the controversy wouldn't go away, Obama withdrew from his church and condemned Wright.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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| Ethiopia moves to close Eritrean refugee camp despite virus fears Posted: 16 Apr 2020 03:28 AM PDT  Ethiopia plans to shutter a camp for Eritrean refugees and resettle thousands of its inhabitants in other camps that the UN considers already full, an official said, despite concerns this could make them more vulnerable to COVID-19. Hitsats camp is one of four in the northern Tigray region that together house nearly 100,000 people from Eritrea, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, out of more than 170,000 Eritrean refugees nationwide. In early March, Ethiopian officials informed UNHCR they intended to close Hitsats as part of a consolidation scheme, but it was delayed after Ethiopia confirmed its first COVID-19 cases in mid-March.
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| Chinese ship seen moving south near Malaysia amid rising South China Sea tensions Posted: 15 Apr 2020 10:17 PM PDT |
| Coronavirus: Is President Trump right to criticise the WHO? Posted: 16 Apr 2020 04:34 AM PDT  The World Health Organization "failed in its basic duty" over coronavirus, Donald Trump claims.
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| Private labs say demand for COVID-19 tests is down and they can test more people who aren't as sick Posted: 15 Apr 2020 01:43 PM PDT  The labs say they can now test more people who aren't already hospitalized or in other high-priority categories.
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| Republicans wary of Mnuchin's coronavirus relief talks with Dems Posted: 15 Apr 2020 10:05 AM PDT  "Mnuchin can make all the deals he wants to with Speaker Pelosi ... but I think it's going to have a tough time in the Senate."
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