| Coronavirus outbreak diverts Navy aircraft carrier to Guam, all 5,000 aboard to be tested Posted: 26 Mar 2020 12:31 PM PDT  The number of infected sailors has risen sharply — from initial reports of three to "dozens" as of Thursday, officials said.
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| Chinese arrivals to U.S. plummet in February as coronavirus forces travel curbs Posted: 27 Mar 2020 01:26 PM PDT  Arrival data from the International Trade Administration (ITA) also said the number of Chinese travelers in the first two months of 2020 fell 35.4% to 353,911 from a year earlier. U.S. airlines started extending China flight cancellations https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-united/u-s-airlines-extend-china-flight-cancelations-into-late-april-idUSKBN20703W early in February after the government placed restrictions on travelers who had visited China. The total number of overseas arrivals through January and February also fell 3.8% to 5.29 million, with Asia accounting for the steepest decline due to the coronavirus outbreak that began in China.
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| Coronavirus stimulus package: Who will get $1,200 checks and when will they be sent out? Posted: 27 Mar 2020 11:18 AM PDT  The one-time payments are part of a $2 trillion relief package designed to help the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic fallout.
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| Pope faces coronavirus 'tempest' alone in St Peter's Square Posted: 27 Mar 2020 04:46 PM PDT  Pope Francis stood alone in vast Saint Peter's Square Friday to bless Catholics around the world suffering under the coronavirus pandemic, urging people to ease their fears through faith. In a historic first, the Argentine performed the rarely recited "Urbi et Orbi" blessing from the steps of the basilica to an empty square, addressing those in lockdown across the globe via television, radio and social media.
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| Nicolás Maduro: US charges Venezuelan president with 'narco-terrorism' Posted: 27 Mar 2020 03:49 AM PDT  It also offers a $15m (£12.5m) reward for information leading to Nicolás Maduro's arrest.
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| 'You Must Wash Properly.' Newspaper Ads From the 1918 Flu Pandemic Show Some Things Never Change Posted: 27 Mar 2020 08:35 AM PDT  Medicine has advanced, but the core messages from a century ago are similar to today
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| Italy suffers setback to hopes its coronavirus epidemic might be in retreat Posted: 26 Mar 2020 10:27 AM PDT  Hopes that Italy's coronavirus epidemic might be in retreat suffered a setback on Thursday when data showed that both the number of new cases and deaths had ticked higher, underscoring how hard it is to halt the disease. Officials said 712 people died of the illness in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally to 8,215, well over double that seen in anywhere else in the world, while new infections rose by 6,153 to 80,539. The number of cases is nudging close to the more than 81,000 infections recorded in China where the pandemic began.
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| Europe Reaches Libya Breakthrough With Naval Mission Deal Posted: 26 Mar 2020 10:45 AM PDT |
| Pedestrian bridge falls onto Detroit freeway after collision Posted: 27 Mar 2020 08:34 AM PDT  A truck collided with a pedestrian bridge early Friday in Detroit, sending a portion of the span onto a freeway and blocking traffic along part of the heavily traveled thoroughfare, authorities said. No one was injured in the collapse onto westbound Interstate 94, Lt. Mike Shaw, a Michigan State Police spokesman, said in an email. The freeway in both directions was closed after the collapse, which was caused by a truck apparently carrying a large load hitting the bridge at some point after 5 a.m, said Diane Cross, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Transportation.
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| Fox Business Ditches Trish Regan After Coronavirus ‘Impeachment Scam’ Rant Posted: 27 Mar 2020 01:54 PM PDT  Fox Business Network announced on Friday that it has officially "parted ways" with anchor Trish Regan following her controversial rant against what she called the "coronavirus impeachment scam" earlier this month. "We thank her for her contributions to the network over the years and wish her continued success in her future endeavors," the network said in a statement. "We will continue our reduced live primetime schedule for the foreseeable future in an effort to allocate staff resources to continuous breaking news coverage on the Coronavirus crisis.""I have enjoyed my time at FOX and now intend to focus on my family during these troubled times," Regan said in her own statement. "I am grateful to my incredible team at FOX Business and for the many opportunities the network has provided me. I'm looking forward to this next chapter in my career."Regan was previously placed on an indefinite hiatus after she delivered a surreal monologue on Monday, March 9th in which she accused Democrats and the media of perpetuating a coronavirus hoax. With the words "Coronavirus Impeachment Scam" on the screen next to her, Regan told viewers, "We've reached a tipping point. The chorus of hate being leveled at the president is nearing a crescendo as Democrats blame him and only him for a virus that originated halfway around the world. This is yet another attempt to impeach the president.""Many in the liberal media using, and I mean using, coronavirus in an attempt to demonize and destroy the president," she added. Following what amounted to a suspension, Regan tried to pass off her situation as part of larger safety measures at Fox, tweeting, "FBN has taken prudent steps to limit staffing levels and is prioritizing its coverage during market hours. I fully support this decision — we all must to do our part to keep our colleagues safe."Since then she has mostly used her Twitter account to encourage private companies to help fight the pandemic and cheer on the stock market during its rare rallies. Sean Hannity: Media Scared Trump Looks 'Too Presidential' in Coronavirus BriefingsRead 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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| Sidelined in the final days of stimulus talks, McConnell again learns the risk of getting ahead of Trump Posted: 27 Mar 2020 04:00 AM PDT  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was largely sidelined during final talks on the massive economic rescue package that cleared the Senate on Wednesday. Once again, he's learned the risk of getting ahead of President Trump.
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| American Airlines flight attendant dies of coronavirus, elevating fears in the industry Posted: 27 Mar 2020 11:21 AM PDT  Paul Frishkorn, a Philadelphia-based flight attendant, has died from coronavirus, fueling fears in a profession on the front lines of the pandemic.
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| Russia confirms coronavirus case in Putin's administration, tightens curbs Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:42 AM PDT  The Kremlin confirmed a coronavirus case in President Vladimir Putin's administration on Friday and the government said measures imposed in Moscow to fight the virus should be extended across Russia. The Kremlin said it was taking measures to stop the virus spreading further after a staff member in the presidential administration contracted the virus. It said the person had not come into contact with Putin, but declined to identify them.
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| Italy, Spain suffer record virus deaths as British PM tests positive Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:50 PM PDT  Italy on Friday recorded the most daily deaths of any country since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and Spain had its deadliest day, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson became the first major world leader to test positive. Italy reported 969 new deaths, Spain 769 and France 299 as Europe reeled from a crisis that led the United States on Friday to finalise an unprecedented $2 trillion stimulus package.
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| Without any interventions like social distancing, one model predicts the coronavirus could have killed 40 million people this year Posted: 27 Mar 2020 01:05 PM PDT  The researchers warned that governments and individuals must take immediate steps like lockdowns and staying home to stem the impacts of the pandemic.
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| Venezuela’s Dollar Lifeline at Risk From Anti-Virus Lockdown Posted: 26 Mar 2020 11:35 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Business closures and lockdowns in the U.S., Europe and Latin America are putting at risk billions of dollars in remittances on which Venezuela's economy depends.Venezuelan families get nearly $4 billion per year from relatives abroad, but that figure is projected to slump as migrants lose their jobs amid the coronavirus pandemic. That would bring additional misery to a country that has also been hit by a crash in crude prices as well as its own outbreak of the virus.Mariang Stefanie Escala, 29, earned 34,000 pesos ($8) a day as a waitress in a Bogota restaurant until March 19, when the managers told her they were closing due to a lockdown announced by the mayor's office.Escala sent 300,000 pesos per month to her family in the Venezuelan city of Puerto la Cruz, but now doesn't even have enough to pay her own rent or electricity bill."There are a lot of Venezuelans in the same situation," she said, in a phone interview.Venezuela is undergoing the deepest depression in the history of the Americas, made even worse by U.S. sanctions. The inflow of dollars from the 5 million Venezuelans who left the country in recent years is a lifeline for about a third of the households left behind.Now Venezuelan migrants in countries such as Colombia, Peru and Spain risk being thrown out of work amid the global downturn."The economies of the countries where Venezuelans are living and sending remittances from are losing dynamism and, adding the exceptional situation of the coronavirus, impediments to sending money build up," said Francisco Rodriguez, a Venezuelan economist who teaches at Tulane University.Rodriguez estimates remittances will drop 60% this year. Other economists, such Ecoanalitica director Asdrubal Oliveros, estimate a less dramatic drop of 30%, depending on how severely the global crisis affects employment.A quarter of Venezuelans -- about 7 million -- face regular food shortages, according to the United Nations Food Program.President Nicolas Maduro ordered a nationwide lockdown on March 17 to curb the spread of the virus, which has so far infected at least 106 people in Venezuela and more than 490,000 worldwide.(Updates with latest numbers of infected people in the 11th 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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| Coronavirus response coordinator questions report that had predicted 2.2 million deaths in the U.S. from the pandemic Posted: 26 Mar 2020 04:21 PM PDT  At a press briefing, Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, questioned a report that had predicted 2.2 million people in the United States would die due to the coronavirus.
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| Citing virus, EPA has stopped enforcing environmental laws Posted: 26 Mar 2020 06:53 PM PDT  The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday abruptly waived enforcement on a range of legally mandated public health and environmental protections, saying industries could have trouble complying with them during the coronavirus pandemic. The oil and gas industry were among the industries that had sought an advance relaxation of environmental and public health enforcement during the outbreak, citing potential staffing problems. The EPA's decision was sweeping, forgoing fines or other civil penalties for companies that failed to monitor, report or meet some other requirements for releasing hazardous pollutants.
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| A 90-year-old woman in Washington state recovered from the coronavirus, and she credits family, God, and potato soup Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:38 PM PDT  Family members of 90-year-old COVID-19 patient Geneva Wood were called to the hospital to say their goodbyes. After seeing them, she recovered.
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| Darkweb Seizes on Trump’s Nod to Unproven Malaria Drug Posted: 26 Mar 2020 01:17 AM PDT  The COVID-19 pandemic is driving sellers on encrypted darknet markets—usually used for selling hard drugs in anonymity—to offer chloroquine and scarce N95 protective masks for sale.The Daily Beast searched Empire Market, an encrypted site that uses cryptocurrency and the Tor network to anonymize sellers and buyers, and found multiple advertisements for the drug and protective masks available in bulk by the thousands.For now, the advertisements remain few, but the presence of what was once an obscure anti-malaria drug on a prominent encrypted platform for sales of cocaine, heroin, and other narcotics highlights how the unproven hope for chloroquine, stoked by President Trump, has rocketed the drug to global prominence and made supplies scarce for those who truly need it. Advertisements for chloroquine on Empire Market offer to make the drug available to customers around the world, but at least one indicates that its supply originates in the U.S., where the drug is only available by prescription. Some other countries allow over-the-counter purchases. Prices on four different posts for the drug ranged from $1,000 for a package of 250 milligram tablets to as little as a dollar for a 30-day supply (plus shipping). Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the drug was cheap—in some cases just $12 for a five-day dose—and widely available, but supplies have become scarce following Trump's endorsement, as even doctors have begun to hoard the pills.Sellers have tried to spice up their advertisements with unproven claims like "it kills coronavirus" and links to articles that cite Trump's endorsement of the drug. The earliest of the four chloroquine advertisements reviewed by The Daily Beast dated to March 21, just two days after a press conference last week where Trump claimed the drug had "very promising early results" and erroneously stated that the FDA would make it available to treat COVID-19 "almost immediately."To the embarrassment of public health officials, Trump has gotten out ahead of the scientific evidence and proclaimed chloroquine to be a drug with "a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine."FDA Urges Caution After Trump Says Malaria Drug Will Be Available to Coronavirus Patients 'Almost Immediately'One advertisement from a seller who retails black tar heroin, crack cocaine, xanax, and numerous other illegal drugs offered a package deal of chloroquine and azithromycin—two drugs which featured in a hotly debated French study tweeted approvingly by the American president. Dr. Didier Raoult of the University of Marseilles recently published a draft of a study involving 20 patients infected with COVID-19, six of whom also received a dose of the common antibiotic azithromycin in combination with the anti-malaria drug. The small sample size of the study and the fact that four people were removed from it (one died and three had to be placed in intensive care) have led many scientists to urge extreme caution about overinterpreting the findings. As of yet, there is no clinical evidence sufficient to prove that chloroquine, or the closely related hydroxychloroquine, are effective against COVID-19, either to prevent infection or fight it once a patient is sick. Taking chloroquine in the absence of a valid medical need and a doctor's prescription is both socially reckless and dangerous to one's health. But since Trump hyped the drug's effectiveness without evidence, some have rushed to take the drug, wrongly believing it to be a consequence-free miracle cure. Three people in Nigeria have already overdosed from taking the drug without a prescription or medical direction and one man in Arizona died and his wife was sickened after the two took chloroquine phosphate intended for use in cleaning aquariums.In the Empire darknet market, demand appears to be much lighter, with only one sale thus far. But the rush to secure supplies of the drug has also made it hard to get for those with a valid reason to take it, including immunocompromised people with lupus who are especially vulnerable in the pandemic.Darknet markets rely on the encrypted Tor network, which disguises the location of a site's server and users visiting it through special browser software. Since the debut of Tor's hidden services, a handful of sites have cropped up to sell illicit drugs through the mail in exchange for cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. Law enforcement agencies have at times been able to unmask users and administrations on darknet markets, leading to arrests and the seizure of entire sites, like Silk Road. Empire Market, founded in February 2018, is one of the last large-scale darknet drug markets still running after law enforcement seized the Silk Road, AlphaBay, Wall Street and Hansa markets and another, Dream Market, shut down voluntarily.In addition to Empire's illicit pharmaceutical offerings, the COVID-19 pandemic has also spurred a number of advertisements for personal protective equipment (PPE) like N95 masks, which are desperately needed by health-care workers and other first responders to protect them from the virus. One of the sellers offering chloroquine posted an ad for bulk shipments of N95 face masks. The ad offers scaled pricing depending on the size of the order, down to $2 a mask for those purchasing between two and three thousand of the masks. In a press conference on Sunday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the shortage of PPE has forced states to bid against each other and driven up the price from legitimate vendors to as much as $7 a mask for N95 equipment. The private sale of N95 masks remains legal in the U.S. if socially scorned in light of the shortages faced by health-care workers fighting the pandemic. Large e-retailers like Amazon and eBay recently banned the sale of medical-grade personal protective equipment on their platforms. 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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| 5 reasons the coronavirus hit Italy so hard Posted: 26 Mar 2020 05:09 AM PDT  Italy is one of the nations worst hit by the global coronavirus pandemic. As a scholar in the field of security and emergency management who has studied and worked in Italy, I have determined that there are at least five major reasons why the country is suffering so much. 1\. Lots of old peopleItalians have the sixth-longest life expectancy in the world – 84 years old. That means lots of Italians are elderly: In 2018, 22.6% of its population was 65 or over, among the highest proportions in Europe.Medical researchers have said the coronavirus poses a more serious threat to older people than to younger ones. Older people are more likely to contract the COVID-19 disease and, mostly, to have a more severe case of it. That can also increase the demand for hospitals' intensive-care units.Many older Italians may have been also exposed to the virus in the workplace; in 2019 the average Italian retirement age was expected to be 67, at least two years later than average retirees in other Western developed nations. 2\. Close proximityItalians aren't used to social distancing. They are very physically affectionate people: Hugs and cheek-kisses are common not just among family members but also friends and even work colleagues.Even when they're just chatting, Italians are closer together than many other people, because their culture's psychological perception of personal space is smaller than in other countries. Large social gatherings, formerly common in public areas, were banned by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the beginning of March 2020. 3\. Dense populationThere isn't a lot of space in Italy for people to spread out in. Italy is a densely populated country, with an average density of 533 people per square mile. In comparison, Germany has a population density of 235 people per square mile while the U.S. has 94.Two-thirds of Italians live in urban areas that are even more dense. Rome has 5,800 people per square mile, and Milan packs more than 19,000 people into every square mile. That's almost twice the density of Berlin and Washington, D.C. 4\. Northern Italy is a business hubMilan, in northern Italy, is the country's financial capital, and has close trade and educational connections with China. The whole region of northern Italy is home to offices for many multinational corporations. Workers travel from all over the world to attend meetings and conventions in northern Italy. An infected person not only could infect others, but those people could rapidly spread out across the entire country. 5\. Massive number of casesAs of March 25, China is the only country registering more COVID-19 cases than Italy. With far fewer people, Italy's infection rate is much higher than China's. No other country has a truly comparable set of circumstances.A key factor in emergency management is learning lessons from others in similar circumstances – but there is no one for Italy to learn from at this stage of the crisis. Chinese experts have traveled to Italy to help – but many of the lessons they are bringing only became clear after Italy's outbreak began, so the Italians are behind where other countries, with more recent outbreaks, may be.The Italian government has progressively worked to contain the disease, including declaring a total national lockdown on March 10. More than two weeks later, the country may finally be seeing a decline in the number of new cases. Italy has struggled – and is continuing to fight – against an unprecedented crisis that found dangerously fertile ground in elements of the country's demographics, business, geography and culture. But its people haven't lost their social habits – just adapted them, and created perhaps a temporary new national motto: "Distanti ma uniti." Distant, but united.[You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read our newsletter.]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * In battling the coronavirus, will 'optimistic bias' be our undoing? * How can we prepare for the coronavirus? 3 questions answeredSara Belligoni 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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| Stacks of Urns in Wuhan Prompt New Questions of Virus’s Toll Posted: 26 Mar 2020 10:06 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The long lines and stacks of ash urns greeting family members of the dead at funeral homes in Wuhan are spurring questions about the true scale of coronavirus casualties at the epicenter of the outbreak, renewing pressure on a Chinese government struggling to control its containment narrative.The families of those who succumbed to the virus in the central Chinese city, where the disease first emerged in December, were allowed to pick up their cremated ashes at eight local funeral homes starting this week. As they did, photos circulated on Chinese social media of thousands of urns being ferried in.Outside one funeral home, trucks shipped in about 2,500 urns on both Wednesday and Thursday, according to Chinese media outlet Caixin. Another picture published by Caixin showed 3,500 urns stacked on the ground inside. It's unclear how many of the urns had been filled.People who answered the phone at six of the eight funeral homes in Wuhan said they either did not have data on how many urns were waiting to be collected, or were not authorized to disclose the numbers. Calls were not answered at the other two.Some families said they had been forced to wait for several hours to pick up the ashes. The photos circulated as mass deaths from the virus spiked in cities across the west, including Milan, Madrid and New York, where hospitals were erecting tents to handle the overflow as global infections soar past 500,000, with 24,000 dead.According to Chinese government figures, 2,535 people in Wuhan have died of the virus. The announcement that a lockdown in place since January would be lifted came after China said its tally of new cases had hit zero and stepped up diplomatic outreach to other countries hard hit by the virus, sending some of them medical supplies.But some in China have been skeptical of the accuracy of the official tally, particularly given Wuhan's overwhelmed medical system, authorities' attempts to cover up the outbreak in its initial stages, and multiple revisions to the way official cases are counted. Residents on social media have demanded disciplinary action against top Wuhan officials.China's Hidden Symptom-Free Virus Cases Means Epidemic Not OverMany people who died had Covid-19 symptoms, but weren't tested and excluded from the official case tally, Caixin said. There were also patients who died of other diseases due to a lack of proper treatment when hospitals were overwhelmed dealing with those who had the coronavirus.There were 56,007 cremations in Wuhan in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to data from the city's civil affairs agency. The number of cremations was 1,583 higher than those in the fourth quarter of 2018 and 2,231 higher than the fourth quarter of 2017.Mourning RestrictionsThe families of the deceased may not be able to say a proper goodbye to their loved ones just yet. Wuhan's government issued a statement on Thursday prohibiting individuals in the city from tomb-sweeping activities until April 30, meaning they would not be able to observe the traditional April 4 Ching Ming Festival, or tomb sweeping holiday. Other provinces including Guangxi and Zhejiang have also announced similar restrictions.Two locals in Wuhan who have lost family members to the virus said online that they were informed they had to be accompanied by their employers or officials from neighborhood committees when picking up the urns, likely as a measure against public gatherings."I was told by district government to wait until further notice on when I can pick up my father's ashes," one Wuhan resident using the name "Xue Zai Shou Zhong," meaning "snow in hand," posted on Weibo. "There is a staggered arrangement for urn collecting."Another Weibo user using the handle Adagier said she lost her husband to the coronavirus and had since been contacted by police warning her not to be too emotional -- and to stop posting online."I have only one demand," she wrote. "I want to give my husband a proper burial as soon as possible."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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| Coronavirus: People urged not to move house Posted: 27 Mar 2020 04:46 AM PDT  Buyers and renters should delay moving while emergency measures are in place, the government says.
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| 'All my income is gone': Tenants, landlords voice coronavirus fears as rents come due Posted: 26 Mar 2020 12:53 PM PDT  Southern California tenants and landlords are bracing for missed rent payments in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Pompeo attacks Chinese virus campaign at G7 as Europeans seek cooperation Posted: 26 Mar 2020 02:14 AM PDT  US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the Group of Seven powers were united in opposing China's coronavirus "disinformation," but European allies emphasized cooperation to fight the global pandemic. Pompeo, a sharp critic of Beijing who has gone on the offensive over what he calls the "Wuhan virus," said he shared a common view with the top diplomats of the other G7 countries -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. "Every one of the nations that were at that meeting this morning was deeply aware of the disinformation campaign that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in to try and deflect from what has really taken place," Pompeo told reporters.
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| Water shutoffs in sharp focus amid coronavirus outbreak Posted: 27 Mar 2020 11:35 AM PDT  The advice is simple and universal: Washing your hands with soap and water is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The Rev. Roslyn Bouier remembers when children began to show up at the Brightmoor Connection Food Pantry on Detroit's northwest side, clutching empty pitchers. Through the end of 2019, the city has recorded about 127,500 total service cutoffs, according to the water department, though that figure includes households where the water was turned off repeatedly.
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| After Putin's Big Fail, Russia Braces for COVID-19 Onslaught Posted: 26 Mar 2020 03:18 AM PDT  Only days after the Kremlin assured the Russians that the coronavirus pandemic was under control, Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin told Russian President Vladimir Putin that "the momentum is high and a serious situation is unfolding." Contrary to the previously reported low rate of infection, "the real number of those who are sick is significantly higher," Sobyanin said. He added that the number of tests conducted to date has been extremely low "and no one on earth knows the real picture."Russia Swore It Whipped the Virus, and Fox and CNN Bought ItOn Wednesday, officially released statistics listed 658 coronavirus infections and no deaths. To date, there have been at least 3 known deaths of coronavirus patients in Russia, but they are being attributed to other causes and thereby deceptively omitted from government reports. The official bulletin about the coronavirus, released by Russia's federal agency Rospotrebnadzor on March 24, states that more than 112,074 people remain under medical supervision.Concerned Russian doctors sounded the alarm that potential coronavirus cases are being ascribed to pneumonia and seasonal flu without testing. For example, the city of St. Petersburg experienced a sharp jump of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus cases. During just one week in March, 63,000 SARS cases and 406 cases of pneumonia have been recorded, according to Interfax. The city's administration emphasized that the incidence of SARS is at the epidemiological threshold. The Interfax news report did not point out that the official name of the novel coronavirus is SARS-CoV-2.In light of the Kremlin's pandemic propensity for lying, the public disregarded initial claims that the government successfully curtailed the spread of the coronavirus. Panic buying ensued, leading to the rising prices of sugar, buckwheat, produce and other food items.As the coronavirus curve keeps on climbing, President Putin is on a mission to demonstrate his leadership. He postponed a nationwide vote on pending constitutional changes, which are meant to secure his lifelong presidency. The voting may take place later in the year and possibly be conducted by mail. The decision is being left solely to Putin.Putin Worries Coronavirus Could Screw Up His Constitutional 'Coronation'In a televised address to the nation Wednesday, Putin announced a sweeping array of measures, which he said were designed to prevent "what is happening today in many Western countries, both in Europe and overseas" from becoming Russia's future. Starting on March 28, Russians are getting one week of paid leave to stay home, in an attempt to "flatten the curve" of the pandemic. With exception of the Russians trying to return from abroad, Russia stopped all international flights.Russian pundits and medical experts described the fight against the coronavirus pandemic as a rehearsal for biological warfare. Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian army to carry out drills designed to increase its readiness to fight the novel coronavirus. The drills will include specialist medical units and nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops. Discussions are underway as to the potential cancellation of the Victory Day parade in May of this year, but final determination will be made depending on the efforts to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. There is a possibility the parade, commemorating the surrender of the Nazis in WWII, may be held without spectators. U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien is currently set to attend the event, in lieu of Donald J. Trump. Kremlin-controlled state TV shows are taking unprecedented measures to protect some of their most cherished assets: the hosts, whose full-throated support of Vladimir Putin is especially important during these challenging times. Popular Russian info-talk show 60 Minutes is now filming its segments without audiences. After the host Olga Skabeeva could be heard coughing during a commercial break, she was separated from her husband and co-host Evgeny Popov. The married couple are now hosting 60 Minutes separately, on different days. Likewise, they are staying apart during the off-work hours, because even if one of them falls ill, the show must go on.Speaking of performance art, Vladimir Putin embarked on a visit to Moscow's hospital for monitoring suspected coronavirus patients. Unlike U.S. President Donald J. Trump, who frequently claims that the threat of coronavirus is widely overblown, Vladimir Putin is an old Chekist who believes in science, facts and bio-warfare. Taking no chances, Putin donned a hazmat suit and visited only one patient— Dmitry Garkavi, who is a doctor and a social media influencer. The drop-in was not particularly risky, since Garkavi was hospitalized with pneumonia, and tested negative for coronavirus—twice. In his social media posts, Garkavi remarked that he communicated with Vladimir Putin for all of "10-15 seconds." After the brief exchange, Putin observed other patients through the glass of the hospital's control room, was helped out of his outfit and promptly left the building. The hazmat suit sported by the Russian leader was distinctly different than the protective attire worn by hospital workers. It was purchased for the Russian president by his staff especially for his hospital visit. Putin's yellow jumpsuit is now in high demand, but is completely sold out at the store where it was bought.Vladimir Putin's coronavirus photo op promptly made the rounds on Russian state television. During his show, The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev, the host beamed with pride when he pointed out: "Out of all of the world leaders, only [China'a President] Xi Jinping and [Russian President] Vladimir Putin went to visit the sick." For contrast, Soloviev introduced a clip of the U.S. President Donald J. Trump rapidly moving away from the White House's coronavirus task force response coordinator, Dr Deborah Birx, as soon as she mentioned her low grade fever.In spite of Russia's own issues with coronavirus testing, widespread shortages of medical equipment and protective medical gear, the Kremlin is posturing by offering to help other countries in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov offered to help Washington in the fight against the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and complained about "rude" American media trying to switch the focus to other countries (like Russia).State TV host Vladimir Soloviev pompously predicted: "I have a feeling that we will end up saving humanity—again, like we've done more than once," an apparent reference to Russia's sacrifices defeating the Nazis in World War II. Russian state media are framing the failure by the Trump administration to offer help to its European allies in their fight against the deadly pandemic as the defeat of the United States, the end of NATO, and the virtual nonexistence of transatlantic unity. Russian experts believe that the outcome of the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic will change the entire balance of power in the world. Russian state media outlet Vesti described the course chosen by the administration of the U.S. President Donald J. Trump as "indecisive," "poorly coordinated" and hesitant to implement the tough measures recommended by the experts in curtailing the deadly pandemic.Vesti argued that "coronavirus will determine the winner in the rivalry between China and the United States." But the stakes are much higher. Kremlin-controlled media believe that on a larger scale, "the success or failure of the United States will form a global view of the effectiveness of democracy compared to autocracy. This, in turn, will affect America's global position, its ability to attract vacillating allies into its orbit from China's sphere of influence, and possibly determine the global geopolitical leader for years to come."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| 'Like wartime' - Philippine doctors overwhelmed by coronavirus deluge Posted: 27 Mar 2020 05:52 AM PDT  Private hospitals in the Philippines capital Manila have stopped accepting coronavirus patients in the face of surging numbers of sufferers and people seeking tests, the hospitals said. The Philippines has reported relatively fewer infections than many other countries in Southeast Asia, but medical experts say a lack of testing has meant that the scale of the epidemic has gone undetected. "It's like wartime," said Eugenio Ramos, a doctor and head of The Medical City, a Manila private hospital, which was among the first to turn away coronavirus patients.
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| A leading South Korean doctor says Trump's 'pride' and 'ego' are putting the world's health at risk Posted: 27 Mar 2020 04:50 AM PDT  "Trump has spoken dismissively about testing because of his ego," Min Pok-kee told Wired. "As we scientists see it, he's motivated by pride."
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| Biden reportedly says Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is in his 'top three' picks for VP Posted: 26 Mar 2020 02:58 PM PDT  While reportedly setting up video equipment in Delaware over four days, former Vice President Joe Biden was apparently mulling over possible running mates.Biden told former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) is one of his "top three" choices should he win the Democratic presidential nomination, Mediaite reported Thursday.Reid, who was also a longtime senator representing Nevada, is reportedly nudging Biden toward choosing Cortez Masto as his VP, and Biden's campaign apparently feels she would be a strong choice and could help expand Biden's popularity among Latinx voters. Biden publicly committed to choosing a woman as his vice president if nominated over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), sparking endless speculation over who that woman might be. CNBC says Biden's "business allies" are hoping for Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) or Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), two former presidential candidates themselves. The Washington Post, meanwhile, said Biden's shortlist probably included Cortez Masto, but also named more well-known Democrats like former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Biden's campaign declined to dispute Mediaite's reporting, simply saying he would vigorously vet candidates.New York magazine wrote that Biden is spending his "coronavirus bunker" time "thinking a lot" about a potential VP, and taking lots of calls from supporters and Democratic strategists who are pushing Biden to pick their candidate of choice. None of those calls, however, resulted in much reported information on whether Biden had narrowed his list.Biden told The View on Tuesday his "short" list was between "12 and 15" names, but if his reported statement to Reid is to be believed, he's done a lot of whittling in the past few days. Read more at Mediaite and New York.More stories from theweek.com Trump has never been worse — but his approval is surging. Why? Social distancing is about to get a whole lot harder Trump invokes Defense Protection Act to force GM to make ventilators
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| Police raid home of former Ohio councilman accused in sex trafficking ring Posted: 26 Mar 2020 11:31 AM PDT  Michael Mearan, a defense attorney, has been accused of being a prolific sex trafficker in Portsmouth, Ohio. He has not been charged.
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| Social Security recipients to get checks under coronavirus stimulus bill. Here’s how Posted: 27 Mar 2020 10:43 AM PDT  People who receive Social Security benefits are still eligible without having filed a tax return.
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| FBI: Soldiers set up deadly robbery to fund foreign fighting Posted: 26 Mar 2020 07:19 AM PDT |
| Korean Air chief defeats 'nut rage' sister's challenge Posted: 27 Mar 2020 12:43 AM PDT  The "nut rage" heiress who forced a plane to turn back over her macadamias failed Friday to wrest control of the family airline from her brother, in what analysts said illustrated the power of incumbents at South Korea's chaebols. Cho Hyun-ah, 45, whose family control the Hanjin group that includes flag-carrier Korean Air, made headlines worldwide with her furious reaction over an improperly served bag of nuts in first class. A months-long battle for control came to a head Friday at the annual meeting of Hanjin Kal, the holding company for the conglomerate, when Cho and an activist investment fund, Korea Corporate Governance Improvement (KCGI), sought to oust her younger brother Cho Won-tae from the chairmanship.
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| Japan, spared mass outbreak so far, now sees 'national crisis' after Tokyo surge Posted: 25 Mar 2020 07:45 PM PDT  Japan, so far spared the mass spread of coronavirus that has hit Europe and North America, took urgent new steps on Thursday to respond to what Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described as a "national crisis" following a surge of cases in Tokyo. With 47 new cases reported in the capital, Abe banned entry from 21 European countries and Iran, and set up a new crisis task force - a preliminary step toward declaring a state of emergency, although his government said none was planned. "In order to overcome what can be described as a national crisis, it is necessary for the state, local governments, medical community, and the people to act as one and press ahead with measures against coronavirus infections," Abe said at a task force meeting.
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| Can I walk outside? Is the virus on my shoes? Q&A with experts Posted: 26 Mar 2020 11:46 PM PDT  "CBS This Morning" assembled a panel of experts to answer questions from viewers who want to know how the coronavirus and its economic impact affects them.
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