| US blasts China at Southeast Asian meeting on coronavirus Posted: 23 Apr 2020 07:36 AM PDT  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told his Southeast Asian counterparts on Thursday that China is taking advantage of the world's preoccupation with the coronavirus pandemic to push its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. Pompeo made the accusation in a meeting via video to discuss the outbreak with the foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Beijing's expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea conflict with those of ASEAN members Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, and are contested by Washington, which has an active naval presence in the Pacific.
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| Meghan McCain asks if George and Kellyanne Conway's 'gross' feuding is their 'kink' Posted: 24 Apr 2020 10:32 AM PDT  Meghan McCain has criticised Kellyanne Conway's marriage, saying that she and her husband shouldn't disagree in public.Ms Conway is a counsellor to president Donald Trump and one of his most high-profile advisors, but her husband, George Conway III, an attorney, often publicly criticises the president.
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| Antarctica's A-68: Is the world's biggest iceberg about to break up? Posted: 23 Apr 2020 05:31 AM PDT  The 5,100 sq km behemoth which broke away from Antarctica in 2017 drops its own large chunk of ice.
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| U.S. warship heads to port after coronavirus outbreak Posted: 24 Apr 2020 07:45 AM PDT  At least 18 sailors aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer have tested positive for the new coronavirus, U.S. officials said on Friday, dealing another blow to the military as it faces fallout over its handling of an outbreak on an aircraft carrier last month. The Navy confirmed a Reuters report on the outbreak aboard the Kidd, a destroyer that was on a counter-narcotics mission, and said the number of those infected with the virus on the vessel was expected to rise. A Navy spokesman said the Kidd was currently operating in the Pacific.
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| Cruise Ship Infamous for Triggering Virus Surge Leaves Australia Posted: 23 Apr 2020 12:43 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- A coronavirus-stricken cruise ship that's been linked to hundreds of cases and at least 20 deaths in Australia, leading to a criminal investigation, has began its departure from the country.The Princess Cruises-operated Ruby Princess left Port Kembla in New South Wales state on Thursday and is expected to sail to the Philippines where it will offload its crew, weeks after its passengers were allowed to disembark in Sydney before test results were known.After docking in Sydney on March 19, some 2,647 passengers left the ship even as 13 individuals on board suffered flu-like symptoms. With the first infections confirmed the next day, state and federal leaders blamed each other for the lapse, and health authorities raced to track down and isolate the thousands who had left the boat and dispersed across Australia.The health department of New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, assessed Ruby Princess as "low risk" when she berthed. The medics on board couldn't test for the virus themselves and passengers were allowed off pending official results. The state later announced it was conducting a criminal probe into the debacle.Many countries have become increasingly reluctant to grant entry to cruise ships after the infection of more than 700 people on the Carnival Corp.'s Diamond Princess berthed off Japan in February showed how quickly the virus could spread.On Tuesday, Carnival Corp.'s Costa Deliziosa, reached Italy, becoming the operator's last vessel to reach port.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 Government’s Small Business Loan Program Is Lending Money Again. Here’s How to Apply Posted: 24 Apr 2020 09:33 AM PDT  Everything small business owners need to know about the renewed Payroll Protection Program (PPP).
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| Deaths and desperation mount in Ecuador, epicenter of coronavirus pandemic in Latin America Posted: 24 Apr 2020 05:21 AM PDT  Dead bodies are lying at home and in the streets of Guayaquil, Ecuador, a city so hard-hit by coronavirus that overfilled hospitals are turning away even very ill patients and funeral homes are unavailable for burial.Data on deaths and infections is incomplete in Ecuador, as it is across the region. As of April 22, Ecuador – a country of 17 million people – had reported almost 11,000 cases, which on a per capita basis would put it behind only Panama in Latin America. But the true number is likely much higher. The government of Guayas Province, where Guayaquil is located, says 6,700 residents died in the first half of April, as compared to 1,000 in a normal year. A New York Times analysis estimates Ecuador's real coronavirus death toll may be 15 times the 503 deaths officially tallied by April 15.In a pandemic that has largely hit wealthy countries first, Ecuador is one of the first developing countries to face such a dire outbreak. Wealth is no guarantee of safety in an epidemic. Italy and the United States have both run short of necessary medical equipment like ventilators and dialysis machines. But experts agree poorer countries are likely to see death rates escalate quickly. Our own academic research on Ecuadorean politics and human security in past pandemics suggests that coronavirus may create greater political and economic turmoil in a country that already struggles with instability. Ecuador's swift responseThe coronavirus outbreak in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city and economic engine, began in February, apparently with infected people returning from Spain. Its rapid escalation prompted panicked officials to impose social isolation quickly as a containment strategy. Ecuador's restrictions on movement are strict and getting stricter. Ecuadorians may not leave their homes at all between the hours of 2 p.m. and 5 a.m. Outside of curfew, the may only go out to get food, for essential work or for health-related reasons. They must wear masks and gloves.President Lenín Moreno has opened shelters to get homeless people off the streets and commandeered hotels to isolate those infected. Public transport is canceled. In Quito, Ecuador's capital, people may only drive one day a week as determined by their license plate. This is the second time in a year Quito residents have found themselves under lockdown. In October 2019, a nighttime curfew was established quell massive protests against austerity measures that were imposed in exchange for a large loan from the International Monetary Fund. The protests, led by indigenous groups, dissipated after President Moreno backed away from austerity – but not before at least eight people were killed. Latin America's looming epidemicEcuador has been more proactive in responding to the epidemic than many neighboring countries. In Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro has largely downplayed the severity of the coronavirus, despite thousands of new COVID-19 infections reported every day. In Venezuela the power struggle between the government of Nicolás Maduro and the opposition government of Juan Guaidó impedes any coordinated pandemic response. Most Latin American leaders who have taken decisive action against coronavirus see stay-at-home orders as the only way to avoid collapse of their fragile, underfunded health systems. Panama is limiting outings based on gender, allowing men and women to leave their homes three days each. Everyone stays home on Sundays. El Salvador's president sent soldiers to enforce a 48-hour full lockdown of the city of La Libertad that prohibited residents from leaving home for any reason – including to get food or medicine.It's unclear how such restrictions can persist in a region with considerable poverty and social inequality. Large numbers of Latin Americans live day-to-day on money they make from street trading and other informal work, which is now largely banned. Hunger threatens across the region. Limits of Ecuador's responseIn Ecuador, where the average annual income is US$11,000, the Moreno government is giving emergency grants of $60 to families whose monthly income is less than $400. And an active network of community organizations is working to provide basic food and shelter the needy, which includes most of the quarter million Venezuelan refugees who entered Ecuador in recent years. Despite its active coronavirus response, Ecuador is unlikely to cope well if the epidemic spreads quickly from Guayaquil into the rest of the country. Ecuador has a quarter as many ventilators per person as the United States. Testing for COVID-19 has largely been outsourced to private corporations, making it prohibitively expensive for most. President Moreno's expulsion of 400 Cuban doctors from Ecuador last year – part of his emphatic shift rightward for Ecuador – has left big holes in its already understaffed hospitals.Ecuador's economy is in crisis after the collapse in oil prices and tourism. And while last year's deadly protests are over, politics – and political unrest – continue to polarize the nation. On April 7 Ecuador's highest court sentenced the popular but divisive leftist former President Rafael Correa to eight years in prison on corruption charges. Correa, who now lives in Belgium, says the charges are fabricated to ensure he cannot run for office again. His conviction increases political divisions during a crisis that calls for unity.Ecuador's death rate is starting to slow after more than a month of lockdown. But the specter of COVID-19 victims lying unburied at home, in hospital hallways, and on the streets, hangs as a specter across Latin America. Guayaquil is a grim forecast of how this pandemic kills in the less wealthy world.[Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research. Sign up for The Conversation's newsletter.]
Este artículo se vuelve a publicar de The Conversation, un medio digital sin fines de lucro dedicado a la diseminación de la experticia académica. Lee mas:
The 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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| New Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows Trump voters worry less about coronavirus — and take fewer precautions — than Clinton voters Posted: 23 Apr 2020 07:55 AM PDT  Voters who cast their ballots for Donald Trump in 2016 are more likely than voters who cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton to say that they have "cheated" on social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Stained sheets, pills but no clarity on Gillum hotel run-in Posted: 23 Apr 2020 11:26 AM PDT  Photos released by Miami Beach police show what a luxury hotel room looked like when officers found former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum drunk and with two other men. Fire rescue crews and officers were called to the Miami Beach hotel March 13 for a suspected drug overdose. Police say Gillum and two other men were in the hotel room and Gillum was inebriated.
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| Coronavirus and smoking: How do cigarettes, pot and vaping affect infections and outcomes? Posted: 23 Apr 2020 04:23 PM PDT  Studies are finding that cigarette smokers are more likely to have severe cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. Many lung doctors say that doesn't surprise them much.
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| Pelosi says Republicans reject science and governance Posted: 24 Apr 2020 10:09 AM PDT  In a press conference on Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized President Trump's suggestion that disinfectant could be used to treat the coronavirus, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's comments that bankruptcy could be an option for states and local governments trying to finance their response to the pandemic. Pelosi said it shows how "Republicans reject science and reject governance."
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| Coronavirus: China rejects call for probe into origins of disease Posted: 24 Apr 2020 12:59 PM PDT  Beijing's deputy ambassador to the UK tells the BBC the demands are politically motivated.
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| Fox News' Sean Hannity says Americans 'dying to get back to work,' but polls say otherwise Posted: 23 Apr 2020 11:05 AM PDT  Fox News host Sean Hannity said that Americans are "dying to get back to work" on both his talk radio and television shows on Wednesday, despite evidence pointing to the contrary.The comment was made while Mr Hannity was discussing pockets of anti-lockdown protests organised by far-right Facebook groups.
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| Italy's daily coronavirus death toll lowest since March 19, but new cases rise Posted: 24 Apr 2020 09:06 AM PDT  Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 420 on Friday, the smallest daily tally since March 19, the Civil Protection Agency said, but the number of new infections rose to 3,021 from 2,646 on Thursday. Friday's death toll was down from 464 the day before.
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| Hubble Turns 30: How the Famous Space Telescope Went From Idea to Launch Posted: 24 Apr 2020 09:14 AM PDT |
| Mexico’s Daily Coronavirus Cases Top 1,000 for First Time Posted: 22 Apr 2020 06:26 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Mexico rose by more than 1,000 in one day for the first time on Wednesday, signaling the country's curve is moving sharply higher.Confirmed cases rose by 11% to 10,544, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said at a nightly press conference. The number of deaths rose by 13% to 970. The Health Ministry estimates as many as eight times more people have had the virus than is shown by the official data.Lopez-Gatell said the tally of deaths includes cases when conditions indicate the victim had Covid-19, even if it hasn't been confirmed. Mexico has faced criticism for its lax approach to the coronavirus including a lack of testing.Test Scarcity Means Latin America Is 'Walking Blindly' on VirusPresident Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said Mexico won't enforce stricter measures on companies that don't follow guidelines as the virus spreads. Instead the president will name the companies that don't comply."Everything is done through persuasion," Lopez Obrador said in his morning press conference on Wednesday. "Nothing will be done with the use of force, all is done through reason and the law."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 Ends Coronavirus Briefing in Minutes After Fury Over Insane Bleach Suggestions Posted: 24 Apr 2020 03:23 PM PDT  President Donald Trump left Friday's coronavirus task force briefing without taking a single question just a day after stunning medical experts by using the daily briefing to float bizarre and dangerous ideas about possible coronavirus treatments, like injecting disinfectants.Reporters tried to shout questions at the president to no avail Friday as Trump ended what was an abnormally short briefing. The entire briefing, which featured Trump talking at the start, lasted roughly 20 minutes. Idiot Alchemist Donald Trump Says Sun and Bleach Will Save YouWith Trump at the helm, the coronavirus briefings have often been unwieldy affairs, sometimes running to almost two hours long and featuring sparring matches between reporters and the president. Trump has appeared to relish the daily confrontations with the press, and has gushed on Twitter about the briefings garnering high TV ratings. However, a White House official confirmed to The Daily Beast that talks had been underway "for a while" to thin out the briefings and that Trump had appeared "more receptive" recently to the idea of not dominating each one. But the official said that staffers do not know exactly when he'll start fading himself out. "Up to the president," the official said.Trump has been told by several top advisers repeatedly that the way the briefings are currently conducted could in fact be inadvertently helping the poll numbers of former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump's likely 2020 general election rival. Still, whatever their private counsel, few, if any, administration officials, surrogates, outside allies, or Trump confidants were eager to go on the record to convey any relief to the possible end to Trump's relentless domination of the briefings. Some administration officials feared doing so would anger the president and risk having him double-down on holding daily marathon performances. Others simply shrugged it off as just another thing that was up to Trump's discretion and impulses."The president has the best instincts for how to manage his public appearances," Ed Brookover, a former senior Trump adviser during the 2016 run, tersely noted on Friday evening.During Thursday's briefing, Trump used an "emerging result" from the Department of Homeland Security that showed sunlight and heat can weaken the spread of coronavirus to pose frightening questions about dangerous coronavirus treatments. 'Jaw-Dropping': Trump Slammed for Touting Dangerous New Virus Treatments After Favored Drug Is DiscreditedAt one point, he asked Bill Bryan, who leads the science and technology directorate at DHS, whether UV light could be used to help people with the virus, whether sunlight could be brought "inside the body," or whether disinfectant materials could be injected into bodies or used to cleanse bodies in the same way they disinfect surfaces. "So supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light and I think you said that hasn't been checked but you're going to test it? And then I said supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way," Trump said, adding it "sounds interesting." After Bryan said that bleach and isopropyl alcohol kill the virus on surfaces quickly, Trump pondered: "And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks [the virus] out [from a surface] in a minute, one minute, and is there a way we can do something like that [by] injection inside or almost a cleaning, because you see it gets on the lungs and it does a tremendous number?"His suggestions were immediately slammed by medical experts, federal health agencies and even bleach manufacturers, who pleaded with people not to ingest bleach.The president later backtracked on Friday, claiming he was being "sarcastic." "I was asking the question sarcastically to reporters like you, just to see what would happen," he told reporters at the White House. Amidst the outcry from the medical community, Democrats went after Trump over the dangerous concepts he was floating during a briefing that is intended to provide Americans with helpful information during the deadly pandemic. Biden took aim at him on Twitter Thursday night. "UV light? Injecting disinfectant? Here's an idea, Mr. President: more tests. Now. And protective equipment for actual medical professionals," he tweeted A follow up tweet Friday was even simpler. "I can't believe I have to say this, but please don't drink bleach," he wrote. White House Aides Groan, Try to Clean Up After 'Dumb' Trump AgainNeither Dr. Deborah Birx, the coronavirus task force response coordinator, or Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appeared at Friday's briefing. Stephen Hahn, head of the Food and Drug Administration, briefly spoke at the start of the briefing but wasn't at the podium long enough to be asked out about the president's outlandish suggestions from the day before. He took one question from a reporter on the topic of faulty antibody tests. And Vice President Mike Pence gave a presentation detailing progress in different states. But after he was finished, the briefing wrapped and officials cleared the room immediately. Axios reported minutes after Friday's briefing ended that Trump could cease his daily presence at the briefings in favor of less lengthy stops when he does attend. 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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| AG Barr Assures Faith Leaders Administration Will Shield Them from Being ‘Singled Out’ By State, Local Lockdowns Posted: 24 Apr 2020 09:35 AM PDT  During a White House conference call with more than 500 faith leaders on Thursday, Attorney General William Barr assured the participating priests, rabbis, and ministers that the administration is on guard against overzealous state governments intent on "singling out" religious groups with punitive coronavirus lockdown measures.Barr, who spoke for roughly ten minutes, told the religious leaders that, while "Draconian measures" were initially necessary to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, the administration is now working to ensure that those measures are not extended unnecessarily, and will be particularly aggressive in combating efforts to apply them disproportionally to religious organizations."Standing up for liberty is one of our highest priorities, my highest priorities," Barr said, according to a transcript of his remarks provided to National Review by a participant on the call. When reached for comment, the Department of Justice confirmed the participant's description of the call.The attorney general cited his intervention in the case of a Mississippi church as an example of legal action the administration will take to shield religious groups from being targeted by overzealous state and local authorities.The Department of Justice filed a statement of interest last week in a lawsuit brought against the local police department by the Temple Baptist Church in Greenville, Miss. Church officials claim that police officers were dispatched to their April 8 drive-in service and began "knocking on car windows, demanding drivers' licenses and writing citations with $500 fines."The service was held one day after the city banned all drive-in events, in a move that seemed to violate the state's designation of religious services as "essential" so long as they complied with Center for Disease Control social distancing guidelines."So this was a case of singling out a religious community," Barr said.A number of other states, including North Carolina and Indiana, have joined Mississippi in deeming religious services "essential," provided they adhere to social distancing guidelines that are in some cases stricter than those applied to other essential businesses, such as grocery stores. Both states have limited the number of congregants to ten or fewer and in Indiana, the Eucharist must be "pre-packaged" if it is to be distributed at all.Barr told the faith leaders that he has been in close contact with state attorneys general in recent days in an effort to identify any state or local ordinances that place a "special burden" on religious groups, though it's not clear whether the aforementioned restrictions would qualify. After spending the first weeks of the crisis insisting on the importance of social distancing and praising governors for implementing stringent lockdown regimes, the administration began this week to shift its messaging to accommodate the growing sense of frustration among many Americans — particularly those who live in less densely populated areas — who feel they should not be subject to the same kind of comprehensive regulations that have been applied to the residents of major cities.Barr's comments to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt earlier this week seemed to reflect that growing frustration."We're looking carefully at a number of these rules that are being put into place," Barr said. "And if we think one goes too far, we initially try to jawbone the governors into rolling them back or adjusting them. And if they're not and people bring lawsuits, we file statement of interest and side with the plaintiffs."During the Thursday call, Barr extended that line of thinking to religious groups, telling the participants that he believes they will soon be able to hold outdoor services — and even return to indoor worship in certain parts of the country that have not been hit as hard as the major cities. He did not, however, provide any specific timelines."It may be possible to be a bit more liberal about how many people can gather inside…we hope to see a loosening of the restrictions community by community and based on diminution of infection rate," he said.Surgeon general Jerome Adams, who took over the call after Barr finished up, echoed his predecessors' optimistic tone, saying he was "surprised at how well the American people did following guidelines.""It saved lives," he added.
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| A journalist who disappeared while investigating a coronavirus cover-up in Wuhan reappeared 2 months later, praising the police who detained him Posted: 23 Apr 2020 05:47 AM PDT  Li Zehua reported on allegations of a coronavirus cover-up in Wuhan in February. On Wednesday, he remerged on YouTube after a 56-day silence.
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| Navy admiral advises reinstatement of fired carrier captain Posted: 24 Apr 2020 12:34 PM PDT  The top Navy officer has recommended the reinstatement of the aircraft carrier captain fired for sending a fraught email to commanders pleading for faster action to protect his crew from a coronavirus outbreak, officials familiar with the investigation said Friday. Adm. Mike Gilday recommended that Navy Capt. Brett Crozier be returned to his ship, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the results of an investigation that have not yet been made public. If approved, his recommendation would end a drama that has rocked the Navy leadership, sent thousands of USS Theodore Roosevelt crew members ashore in Guam for quarantine and impacted the fleet across the Pacific, a region critical to America's national security interests.
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| 10 Home Items We’re Eyeing at the AllModern Sale Posted: 24 Apr 2020 11:17 AM PDT |
| Blood pressure drugs are in the crosshairs of coronavirus research Posted: 23 Apr 2020 10:09 AM PDT  A disproportionate number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, have high blood pressure. Theories about why the condition makes them more vulnerable — and what patients should do about it — have sparked a fierce debate among scientists over the impact of widely prescribed blood-pressure drugs.
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| Mystery of India's lower death rates seems to defy coronavirus trend Posted: 24 Apr 2020 12:43 AM PDT |
| Coronavirus: Australia urges G20 action on wildlife wet markets Posted: 22 Apr 2020 09:32 PM PDT  It's thought the Coid-19 outbreak may have begun in a Chinese market that sold wildlife alongside food.
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| High-Seas Energy Fight Off Malaysia Draws U.S., Chinese Warships Posted: 23 Apr 2020 03:58 AM PDT |
| Trump skips questions at coronavirus briefing after disinfectant debacle Posted: 24 Apr 2020 04:04 PM PDT  The daily briefing, which have sometimes gone as long as two hours, lasted just over 20 minutes.
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| Coronavirus chokes the drug trade — from Wuhan, through Mexico and onto U.S. streets Posted: 24 Apr 2020 03:00 AM PDT  The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted many industries, both legal and illicit. Production of fentanyl, which relies on chemical ingredients sourced mainly from Wuhan, China, has been particularly hard hit.
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| Iraqi on genocide charges in Germany for IS killing of child Posted: 24 Apr 2020 07:03 AM PDT  An Iraqi man went on trial in Frankfurt on Friday for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, on allegations that as an Islamic State member he was part of an effort to exterminate the Yazidi religious minority, and killed a five-year-old girl he purchased as a slave by chaining her in the hot sun to die of thirst. Taha Al-J., 27, whose full last name wasn't given in line with German privacy laws, faces a possible life in prison if convicted of the charges, and others including murder for the death of the Yazidi girl and membership in a terrorist organization. Al-J.'s wife, a German convert to Islam identified only as 28-year-old Jennifer W., has been on trial separately in Munich since last April on charges of murder, war crimes and membership in a terrorist organization.
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| 12 rangers among 17 killed in attack in DR Congo's Virunga park Posted: 24 Apr 2020 02:47 PM PDT  At least 17 people, including 12 rangers were killed on Friday in an attack in Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the restive east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, an official said. It said that civilians were the apparent target of the attack. Virunga is a UNESCO-listed site which is spread over 7,800 square kilometres (3,000 square miles) over the borders of DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.
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| 2 notoriously unstable regions of Russia could be sitting on a coronavirus outbreak far worse than they admit Posted: 24 Apr 2020 05:51 AM PDT  Russia's neighbours fear Russia's regions of Ingushetia and Chechnya could be concealing worse outbreaks than what the country is reporting.
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| World leaders launch plan to speed COVID-19 drugs, vaccine; U.S. stays away Posted: 24 Apr 2020 04:17 AM PDT  World leaders pledged on Friday to accelerate work on tests, drugs and vaccines against COVID-19 and to share them around the globe, but the United States did not take part in the launch of the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa were among those who joined a video conference to launch what the WHO billed as a "landmark collaboration" to fight the pandemic. The aim is to speed development of safe and effective drugs, tests and vaccines to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19, the lung disease caused be the novel coronavirus - and ensure equal access to treatments for rich and poor.
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| Spain Reports Most New Virus Cases, Deaths in Almost a Week Posted: 23 Apr 2020 02:20 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Spain reported the most new coronavirus cases and fatalities in almost a week, a day after the government secured parliamentary approval to extend a state of emergency through May 9.There were 4,635 new infections in the 24 hours through Thursday, taking the total to 213,024, according to Health Ministry data. The number of deaths rose by 440, compared to Wednesday's increase of 435, to 22,157. Almost 90,000 have recovered from the disease in the world's most extensive outbreak behind the U.S.Parliament on Wednesday authorized the government to extend the state of emergency for two more weeks. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez signaled that some rules may be eased in the next phase as the trend of new cases and deaths has largely stabilized. Still, any easing would happen slowly and caution is paramount, he said.The complexity of the balancing act faced by the administration -- trying to contain the spread while also getting people back to work -- is compounded by the fact that it is working with what would would appear, at times, to be deficient data on deaths and contagion.Local radio Cadena Ser reported this week that 6,800 elderly died in Spanish nursing homes with symptoms linked to the coronavirus yet not recorded as such, citing data from 17 regional administrations that the central government has yet to publish.The New York Times reported this week that Spain has the highest number of unexplained "excess deaths" not attributed to the virus among 11 countries and cities it studied.Even under the state of emergency, Spanish law doesn't require a coronavirus test be performed post-mortem when the dead have clear Covid-19 symptoms. Funeral homes estimate that many virus deaths are going unreported in some regions, according to the National Association of Funeral Services trade group.Having large numbers of unreported infections increases the risk of the outbreak reigniting once confinement is ended, a top concern of the government.A first step to ease confinement will be taken at the weekend, when children will be allowed out for walks accompanied by an adult. But while the government made three different announcements in recent days about relaxing rules for children, it has still to flesh out most of the details.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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| New York man and girlfriend quarantining in Mexico are shot and killed Posted: 24 Apr 2020 06:42 AM PDT  Police said at least 20 gunshots were fired at the couple's car as they were driving down a street in Juarez.
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| Coronavirus: Trump signs order on immigration green card suspension Posted: 23 Apr 2020 11:00 AM PDT  The measure, which contains a number of exemptions, lasts for 60 days and could be extended, he said.
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| Joe Biden campaign refunds donation from comedian Louis CK Posted: 23 Apr 2020 08:31 AM PDT  Former vice-president Joe Biden has returned a donation from Louis CK.Mr CK's $2,800 donation was not welcome by the Democratic hopeful, with a campaign spokesman saying it has since been refunded and would be reflected in the next report filed to the Federal Election Commission in May.
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| Coronavirus FAQ and What You Really Need to Know Posted: 23 Apr 2020 10:53 AM PDT  The virus has been deemed a global health emergency as it continues to spread.
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| China buys crude as prices collapse, adding to stockpiles Posted: 22 Apr 2020 07:37 PM PDT  China, the world's biggest energy consumer, is building up stockpiles of crude oil as global prices plunge due to the coronavirus outbreak. The price collapse is battering state-owned oil producers and possibly disrupting official plans to develop the industry but is a boon to Chinese drivers and factories. It gives Beijing a chance to add to a strategic petroleum reserve that is meant to insulate the country against possible supply disruptions.
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| McConnell says giving aid to states to help ease the pain from the pandemic would be a 'blue state bailout.' But most states were doing the right thing before the coronavirus hit. Posted: 23 Apr 2020 02:01 PM PDT  States had sizable rainy-day funds and much larger cash reserves than during the Great Recession over a decade ago.
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| China reports six new coronavirus cases in mainland vs 10 a day earlier Posted: 23 Apr 2020 05:57 PM PDT  Mainland China reported 6 new coronavirus cases as of end-April 23, down from 10 reported a day earlier, putting the total number of COVID-19 infections at 82,804. China's National Health Commission said in a statement on Friday that 2 of the new cases were so-called imported ones involving travellers from overseas. There were 6 such imported cases reported a day earlier.
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| Turkey’s Covid-19 Recoveries Surpass New Cases for First Time Posted: 24 Apr 2020 10:54 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Turkey's daily recoveries surpassed new cases for the first time since the first coronavirus case was reported on March 10, suggesting that the outbreak in the country may be reaching a peak.In the last 24 hours, 3,246 people have been discharged from hospitals in Turkey, about 15% of the total number of people who have recovered, compared with 3,122 new coronavirus cases. Total cases are up 3.1% on a daily basis to 104,912 in all. Total fatalities now stand at 2,600 with the 109 new deaths reported.Turkey is targeting a gradual opening of its economy in late May, as Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said citizens must comply with restrictions during Ramadan. Erdogan's government has declared a lockdown on 31 cities, including Istanbul, the epicenter of outbreak in Turkey, during weekends and national holidays.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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| Fact Check: Trump says the US coronavirus mortality rate is 'one of the lowest' in the world Posted: 23 Apr 2020 09:37 AM PDT  President Trump claims the U.S. has "one of the lowest" coronavirus mortality rates in the world. Here's what the numbers say.
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| The U.S. has a quarter of the world's confirmed coronavirus deaths despite having less than 5 percent of its population Posted: 24 Apr 2020 06:51 AM PDT  Americans are disproportionately dying from COVID-19, at least according to current statistics.The U.S.'s coronavirus death toll surpassed 50,000 on Friday, with 15,000 of those deaths coming from New York state. That means the U.S. has been home to more than a quarter of the world's 192,000 deaths from COVID-19 despite the U.S. only making up about 4.25 percent of the world's population, writes The Washington Post's Greg Miller.It's important to note that it's hard to put a number on fatalities from a disease that has lacked widespread testing. U.S. municipalities have only recently started counting probable coronavirus deaths among their official tolls, while other countries haven't done the same. The New York Times recently estimated there are likely at least 25,000 additional deaths around the globe that can be attributed to COVID-19, whether those people died of the disease itself or because they didn't go to a hospital to receive medical care for another issue.China has also recently been updating its coronavirus death toll to include people who died at home or who likely died from the disease but were untested. A recent study also indicated the country's coronavirus case count could be four times what it reported.More stories from theweek.com The president is unwell The Trump administration reportedly wants control over U.S. Postal Service in return for emergency loan Even Fox News wasn't convinced when Trump claimed his disinfectant injection comments were 'sarcasm'
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| Judge Jeanine: Harvard should be 'embarrassed,' epitome of greed Posted: 24 Apr 2020 06:26 AM PDT  President Trump accused Harvard University of 'taking' money from the federal government as part of the Paycheck Protection Program under the CARES Act; 'Justice with Judge Jeanine' host, Jeanine Pirro weighs in on 'Fox and Friends.'
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| China to prosecute Belize national for Hong Kong 'interference' Posted: 23 Apr 2020 10:17 PM PDT  A Belize national detained in China will be prosecuted on charges of colluding with foreign forces in protest-wracked Hong Kong and funding "hostile elements in the United States", Chinese authorities confirmed Friday. It follows a roundup of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, which last year was rocked by months of massive demonstrations and clashes with police. Authorities in the southern city of Guangzhou told AFP that preliminary investigations into Lee Henley Huxiang -- for financing criminal activities against national security -- had been completed a day earlier.
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