| Schiff proposes postelection 9/11-style commission to study coronavirus response Posted: 03 Apr 2020 09:03 AM PDT  Rep. Adam Schiff's proposal for a 9/11-style commission to study the nation's response to the coronavirus outbreak "is not an exercise in casting blame or scoring political points, but something that the American people should rightly expect from their government as an exercise in accountability," he said.
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| As coronavirus ravages Spain, doctors get a grim order on 'futility of care' for the very old and very sick Posted: 03 Apr 2020 01:24 PM PDT  A document circulated by the health department of Catalonia recommends that emergency teams and health care workers stop using ventilators for patients older than 80, and further recommends that extremely ill victims of COVID-19 be allowed to die at home rather than being taken to the hospital.
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| North Korea's official coronavirus count: Zero. Why that claim is hard to believe Posted: 04 Apr 2020 10:20 AM PDT  Experts are skeptical of the no-coronavirus claim from the tightly controlled country so desperate to maintain the status of its border with China.
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| Coronavirus: RBS says revamped loan scheme will make 'big difference' Posted: 03 Apr 2020 04:54 AM PDT  The revamped loan fund for ailing firms hit by the lockdown will have an immediate impact, RBS says.
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| WHO Official Warns Against ‘Profiling’ China, Says Observers ‘Over-Focused’ on Coronavirus Data Posted: 03 Apr 2020 05:12 AM PDT  Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Program, defended China on Thursday against accusations that the country has underreported cases and deaths from the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak."I think we need to be very careful also to not to be profiling certain parts of the world as being uncooperative or non-transparent, and we need to look at transparency across the board," Ryan said at a Geneva press conference."We need to be balanced in that, and we need to recognize that systems under pressure find it hard to share everything on a minute-to-minute basis," Ryan continued. "Frankly, at times I think we get over-focused on this issue."Ryan claimed that there was a "lack of precise information from Italy," whose medical system has been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of coronavirus patients. "Are we saying they're lacking in transparency and not sending WHO all the data every day? No."As of Friday morning, Italy has over 115,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 13,915 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker. However, a Wall Street Journal analysis suggests the Italian coronavirus death toll could be much higher than was reported, because health workers did not have the time or resources to test all the casualties for the illness.The U.S. Intelligence Community has reportedly concluded that China covered up the extent of the outbreak in the country. One recent study found that roughly 95 percent of global cases could have been prevented if China acted earlier to stem the outbreak. Meanwhile, Senator Rick Scott (R, Fla.) has called for a congressional hearing on the WHO's ties to China, while Senator Martha McSally on Thursday called on the director of the WHO to resign.
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| Asia virus latest: China mourns dead, S. Korea extends social distancing Posted: 04 Apr 2020 01:08 AM PDT  China came to a standstill to mourn the patients and medical staff who died because of the coronavirus outbreak, with the country observing a nationwide three-minute silence. At 10 am Saturday, Citizens paused as cars, trains and ships sounded their horns, and air-raid sirens rang out in memory of the more than 3,000 lives lost to the virus in mainland China. In Beijing's Tiananmen Square, the national flag flew at half-mast, and state media showed President Xi Jinping and other officials standing outside a government compound wearing white flowers.
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| Medical stockpile seized from alleged hoarder to be distributed Posted: 03 Apr 2020 04:39 AM PDT  U.S. officials have seized a stockpile of personal protective equipment from an alleged hoarder.
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| CDC gives 'voluntary' guidance on wearing coronavirus masks. Trump isn't volunteering. Posted: 03 Apr 2020 03:55 PM PDT  President Trump said Friday that despite new CDC guidance recommending that American citizens wear masks or facial coverings to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, "I don't think that I'm going to be doing it."
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| Trump Sent Them to the Coronavirus Front Line but Denied Them Health Care Posted: 04 Apr 2020 02:06 AM PDT  Thousands of National Guardsmen around the country are in contact with people who've contracted COVID-19. But while the federal government has called on them for frontline assistance in battling the pandemic, it's not giving them what they need to protect themselves: access to the military's health insurance.The approximately 20,000 guardsmen who have been called up to help states around the country deal with the spread of the coronavirus are federalized on what's called Title 32 status, which puts them in command of their various state governors but with the federal government paying costs. But according to the National Guard's advocates and the U.S. governors' association, the guardsmen are activated on orders that last 30 days. That puts them one single day shy of the requirement allowing the military health insurance system known as TRICARE—think of it as Medicare For All In Uniform—to cover them. Military Times first reported the eligibility shortfall. It's an urgent problem for guardsmen now that the pandemic-spurred economic collapse has exposed the folly of the current system of employer-provided health insurance. Some proportion of the guardsmen who may expose themselves to COVID-19 will have lost their jobs, and more surely will in the weeks to come.If their jobs came with health insurance, they would be qualified to shop on the Obamacare exchanges. But that process can be cumbersome and expensive at a moment when they face unemployment. If they never had job-based insurance, then they've lost their income right at the moment they are being asked to risk their own health and what remains of their financial security. Similarly, Guardsmen on orders short of 31 days qualify for an aspect of TRICARE called TRICARE Reserve Select. But that's an optional purchase, and while its premiums are lower than civilian health insurance, Guardsmen will still have to pay.'New York Is in Crisis': Cuomo Pleads for Help as State Suffers Worst Single-Day Death Toll The lack of TRICARE eligibility puts guardsmen and their families "in a terrible position," said J. Roy Robinson, a retired one-star general and the president of the National Guard Association of the United States. "These kids are in jeopardy, and it's wrong." Robinson, who served for 33 years as an officer in the Mississippi National Guard, continued: "Leadership at the Pentagon, either knowingly or unknowingly, are putting soldiers and airmen, in my opinion, in harm's way without them having proper medical coverage."On April 1, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) asked Trump to ensure federalized guardsmen's TRICARE eligibility during an "unprecedented situation." "During this time, we should do all we can to support the men and women being asked to assist our nation's response to this pandemic and ensure that they are put on orders long enough to make them eligible for TRICARE," Daines wrote.The first U.S. servicemember to die from coronavirus was 57-year-old New Jersey National Guardsman Douglas Linn Hickok, an Army captain. Hickok had not deployed to respond to COVID-19 when he contracted it, but he was preparing to deploy when he grew sick on March 21. He died on March 28. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast's request for comment. GOP Plows Forward on Plans to Kill Obamacare, Pandemic Be DamnedAs coronavirus has spread, the Trump administration has faced mounting pressure to expand health insurance coverage options for the broad universe of the uninsured. But it has so far resisted allowing a special enrollment period for Obamacare, claiming that there are other options for those in need to get insurance and that cash assistance from the government could help instead. The issue is more acute with members of the Guard who are being tasked by the government to help combat the spread of the pandemic. A senior administration official told The Daily Beast that the governors were receiving "full federal funding of the state National Guard"—a separate issue from the guardsmen's TRICARE access. The official, who would not speak for the record, said that every "request granted is set for a full month," which confirms the activation period falling just short of TRICARE eligibility. "We are working with states and the National Guard by continuously monitoring the situation on the ground to determine any Title 32 extension," the official said. The official would not address why the current orders fall short of the TRICARE eligibility period. Without TRICARE, warned Robinson, members of the Guard will "have to fall back on their personal health insurance. I hate to say it, but in a lot of those areas, a lot of these guys don't have health insurance." Robinson lamented that as of Friday, "there is no agreement to fix this." "We appreciate the administration's willingness to take steps to address this need, however, we are concerned that the current orders coming down from the Department have been limited to only 30 days," said James Nash, a spokesman for the National Governors' Association. "As you note, service members will not have full federal protections for anything under 31 days. We would encourage the administration to look at this and extend orders."Some 24 states and territories are receiving Title 32 funding for their National Guard operations, with other states continuing to submit funding requests, the senior official said. It's unclear how many guardsmen are currently operating without health insurance and require TRICARE—let alone how many of their private insurance companies will charge them substantial deductibles for any COVID-19-related treatment they might require as a consequence of their service. On Friday morning, with no agreement in place to extend the Guard's orders to ensure TRICARE eligibility, President Trump tweeted, "Thank you @USNationalGuard, keep up the great work!"\-- Sam Stein contributed reportingRead 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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| Airline refutes Mexican authority's account of spring break coronavirus outbreak Posted: 04 Apr 2020 02:25 AM PDT  College students from Texas who tested positive for the novel coronavirus after spring break in Los Cabos traveled to the Mexican beach resort on Viva Aerobus, the airline said, and were there a week later than reported by the local tourist board. At least part of the Texas group stayed at the luxury Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos hotel, two people familiar with the arrangements told Reuters.
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| U.S. warns Americans to leave Japan as COVID-19 cases rise fast Posted: 02 Apr 2020 07:54 PM PDT  Strongest message to date from U.S. Embassy comes as experts warn Japan could be heading for a surge in new coronavirus infections.
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| Here's how to safely reopen America when coronavirus pandemic wanes Posted: 03 Apr 2020 12:13 PM PDT  It's important that we assess the threat of the virus region by region and consider reopening in phases or by industry.
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| 'Protective bubbles': How 2 Army generals stopped the spread of coronavirus among their soldiers Posted: 03 Apr 2020 02:01 AM PDT  Two Army generals took critical actions early to stop the spread of the coronavirus in Asia and Europe from spreading to military bases.
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| After ignoring warnings, Israeli ultra-Orthodox hit by virus Posted: 02 Apr 2020 11:43 PM PDT  Early this week, the streets of the central Israeli city of Bnei Brak were bustling with shoppers as ultra-Orthodox residents, obeying their religious leaders, ignored pleas to stay home in the face of the coronavirus threat. The military will soon be sending troops in to assist local authorities. The city has become a lightning rod for anger and frustration by some secular Israelis who allege insular Haredi communities — with disproportionately high numbers of confirmed cases — are undermining national efforts to contain the virus.
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| FISA court orders FBI to review if wiretaps are invalid after errors found during investigation Posted: 03 Apr 2020 03:22 PM PDT  The directive comes just days after an internal Justice Department review found new problems with the FBI's management of wiretap applications.
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| FEMA said only 3,200 of the 100,000 new coronavirus ventilators it is sourcing will be ready in time for the peak of the pandemic Posted: 03 Apr 2020 04:42 AM PDT  Details of closed-door briefings by US disaster management officials were made public this week, and paint a bleak picture of US preparedness.
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| Bernie Sanders calls for guaranteed paid medical leave, $2,000 monthly checks in new coronavirus relief proposal Posted: 03 Apr 2020 02:17 PM PDT  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is looking ahead to the next few steps in the coronavirus pandemic response.On Friday, Sanders unveiled his "Priorities for the Next Coronavirus Relief Package," proposing a number of relief measures from guaranteeing paid medical and sick leave to all workers to expanding food programs like Meals on Wheels.The proposal unsurprisingly includes a major expansion of Medicare. "We were facing a catastrophic health care crisis before the pandemic, and now that crisis has become much, much worse," writes Sanders. The legislation would use Medicare to cover all health care expenses, notably including anyone who is sick, "regardless of immigration status." In addition to further invoking the Defense Production Act, Sanders says payment on all rent, mortgage payments, and forms of debt should be suspended entirely, not just deferred during the pandemic only to cause "financial ruin" once they become due. Building on the one-time $1,200 payments, Sanders calls for monthly $2,000 payments.The entire plan fits alongside policy ideas Sanders has touted throughout his presidential bid, but are ramped up in both scale and urgency now that the COVID-19 pandemic has quickly exploded to affect millions of Americans both medically and economically. This week's jobs reports showed that likely 3.5 million Americans have lost employer-provided health insurance since the pandemic began.Bloomberg's Joe Weisenthal noted the similarities between Sanders' presidential platform and his latest proposal to Congress, but argued the ideas now sound remarkably "un-radical." The suggestions are "obviously on par with the scale of this crisis," says Weisenthal, and in line with the $2.2 trillion relief package Congress previously passed, "except on a sufficient scale to really counteract the damage." "To prevent the collapse of the economy is far more humane and cost effective than rebuilding the economy after it collapses," Sanders told MSNBC. See Sanders' proposal, which does not yet have a budget estimate, here.More stories from theweek.com Social distancing is going to get darker The noble lie about masks and coronavirus should never have been told 5 brutally funny cartoons about Trump's TV ratings boast
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| MSNBC Host Stephanie Ruhle Shuts Down Marco Rubio’s Coronavirus Spin Posted: 03 Apr 2020 09:26 AM PDT  "Can we talk about your state of Florida?" MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle asked Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) midway through their interview Friday morning. Explaining Florida is "one of the last states" to issue a stay-at-home order for its residents, Ruhle asked, "What in the world is going on down there? You have a whole lot of senior citizens and last I checked, they're pretty high risk."Despite the fact that Gov. Ron DeSantis waited until this Wednesday to lockdown his state, Rubio claimed that "for all practical purposes, we were in a stay-at-home order" and that "virtually every county in the state had restrictions in place.""Senator, come on now, stop it," Ruhle said, interrupting him. "Sir, hold on," she added. "Those handful of counties don't have walls around them. You and I both saw pictures of partiers on beaches jamming on it, right? They're not bound by those counties. They can get all over the state. Come on!" Rubio dismissed those photos of crowded beaches by noting that they are mostly from two or three weeks ago. "What I'm trying to say is just because you didn't have a stay-at-home order doesn't mean people weren't staying at home," he added. After saying DeSantis did the right thing by deferring to local officials, he admitted, "That said, I think he made the right decision at this point yesterday with regards to it." Fox News Host Martha MacCallum Nails Kellyanne Conway for Rewriting Trump's Coronavirus History"So you support how he's handled it?" Ruhle asked. "You don't think he should have done it two weeks ago, three weeks ago?" "You know, honestly, I think that we will have plenty of time to look back when this is all done and see all the mistakes that were made, all the errors that were committed at every level, starting at the CDC, congressional oversight, maybe we should have started on the relief bill a week earlier in Congress," Rubio answered. "Right now, though, we can't stop to do that. We have to focus on the emergency that's at hand right now." But Ruhle wasn't done. "With all due respect, sir, you're not immune to finger pointing yourself," she said. "Earlier this week you called out people that share my job." She was referring to a tweet Rubio posted this past Sunday that read, "Some in our media can't contain their glee & delight in reporting that the U.S. has more CoronaVirus cases than China." He added that "beyond being grotesque" it is "bad journalism." "I need to ask you this because I am a journalist, we're not just some personalities," Ruhle said. "You called out journalism. And I need to understand why on earth you did this." When he attempted to defend his tweet as an effort to counter "Chinese propaganda," she added, "Sir, just a moment ago you said we shouldn't be wasting any time pointing fingers or criticizing and that's exactly what you did in that tweet." 'Inexcusable': Dr. Sanjay Gupta Goes Off on Georgia Governor's 'Stunning' Coronavirus AdmissionRead 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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| Spain overtakes Italy in coronavirus cases, death rate slows Posted: 03 Apr 2020 02:57 AM PDT  Spain overtook Italy for the first time on Friday for the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, but the overnight death toll fell from the previous day, providing a small glimmer of hope. With a total 117,710 confirmed cases, Spain is now second in the number of infections only to the United States, which has a population some seven times larger. Spain's total death toll now stands at 10,935, second only to Italy's 13,915 fatalities.
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| French Coronavirus Fatalities Hit 6,507 in Deadliest Day Posted: 03 Apr 2020 11:41 AM PDT |
| Wuhan residents told to stay inside and stay vigilant as China begins to lift virus lockdown Posted: 03 Apr 2020 01:48 AM PDT  The top official in Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic in China, warned residents to stay vigilant and avoid going out, even as the latest data showed a decline in new cases in the mainland and zero new infections in the city. The country where the virus emerged late last year will hold three minutes of silence nationwide on Saturday to mourn the thousands of "martyrs" who died in the fight against the epidemic, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Air raid sirens and horns of automobiles, trains and ships will "wail in grief" after the minutes of silence are observed at 10 am (0200 GMT) across the country, Xinhua said. China appears to have curbed the epidemic through draconian restrictions that paralysed the country for two months and effectively shut down the world's second-biggest economy.
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| Coronavirus and Hunter Biden: Congressional investigators prepare for war over 2020 election Posted: 03 Apr 2020 08:49 AM PDT  As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the United States, it has, for the moment, brought the partisan investigations taking shape on Capitol Hill that could swing the balance of the 2020 election to a screeching halt.Lawmakers, scattered across the country in their home states and districts for the indefinite future, have the health and economic welfare of their constituents to attend to.
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| A Kentucky resident who was potentially exposed to the coronavirus and refused to self-isolate was forced to wear an ankle monitor Posted: 03 Apr 2020 07:53 PM PDT  One man who tested positive for the coronavirus was put under house arrest after he went out shopping and violated his quarantine.
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| President Trump says US to deploy 1,000 military personnel to New York City to battle coronavirus Posted: 04 Apr 2020 02:21 PM PDT  President Donald Trump says the U.S. will send 1,000 military personnel to New York City to help battle the coronavirus epidemic.
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| Sleeping in the attic: How a NYC nurse is trying to keep her family safe from the coronavirus as she works on the front lines Posted: 04 Apr 2020 06:08 AM PDT  Diana Torres, a nurse who works in Manhattan, moved into her attic to avoid exposing her family to the coronavirus when she comes home after shifts.
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| Controversial Soviet-era statue removed in Prague Posted: 03 Apr 2020 07:14 AM PDT  Prague authorities on Friday said they had removed a controversial Soviet-era statue, despite protests from Moscow, to make way for a World War II memorial. The Russian embassy on Friday protested the removal of the bronze statue of Soviet general Ivan Konev, terming it an "unfriendly" act of "vandalism by unhinged municipal representatives." While Konev is regarded as a hero in Russia, many Czechs see him as a symbol of Soviet-era oppression.
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| 3M pushes back at Trump over order to produce more face masks Posted: 03 Apr 2020 04:48 PM PDT  Manufacturing giant 3M pushed back Friday against criticism from President Trump over production of face masks that are badly needed by American health care workers.
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| Vietnam protests Beijing's sinking of South China Sea boat Posted: 03 Apr 2020 10:36 PM PDT |
| Provincial Communist Party Officials Are Concealing Extent of Coronavirus Outbreak from Beijing, According to U.S. Intelligence Posted: 03 Apr 2020 07:51 AM PDT  The U.S. intelligence community has concluded that the Chinese government does not know the full extent of the coronavirus outbreak within the country, the New York Times reported on Thursday.China's government has encountered difficulties collecting accurate data on the spread of the coronavirus because mid-level bureaucrats in Wuhan and elsewhere in China have been lying about the number of cases, current and former intelligence officials told the Times. Local administration officials in China fear that their superiors will punish and even fire them if they report high numbers of cases.U.S. intelligence believes that China does conceal the extent of the outbreak known to higher-level Communist Party officials. However, because of inaccurate reporting of cases at local levels of government, the C.I.A. and other agencies have themselves been unable to determine the full scope of coronavirus cases in China.While doctors in Wuhan were sounding the alarm about the then-unidentified illness in late December and early January, local government and hospital administrators attempted to prevent doctors from spreading news of the infections, the Wall Street Journal reported. In one case, the administration of Wuhan Central Hospital reprimanded Dr. Ai Fen, head of the hospital's emergency department, for "spreading rumors" and damaging "the stability of Wuhan" after she alerted authorities to the spread of the SARS-like virus.On Tuesday Dr. Deborah Birx, response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, suggested that the U.S. responded slowly to the pandemic in part because of faulty data from China."The medical community interpreted the Chinese data as, this was serious, but smaller than anyone expected," Birx said at a press conference. "Because, probably … we were missing a significant amount of the data, now that we see what happened to Italy and we see what happened to Spain.
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| Italy, Spain showing signs of downward coronavirus trends Posted: 04 Apr 2020 10:52 AM PDT  Both countries are far from out of the woods, but Italy and Spain have reported some encouraging novel coronavirus trends over the last few days.Italy continues to see daily increases in new COVID-19 infections and fatalities, but the rate is slowing. While there was a slight uptick in new cases Saturday from the day before, the daily average appears to have mostly plateaued, signaling the country's lockdown which started on March 9 has been at least somewhat effective. The number of deaths also dropped from previous days, though the total — 681 — was again quite high. Deaths will continue to lag behind the infection rate, so another spike remains possible, but the country may be past its peak.> New data from Italy - daily cases and fatalities. pic.twitter.com/mCTu4uyAMW> > — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) April 4, 2020Perhaps the most positive news from Italy is the announcement that the number of patients in intensive care throughout the country's health care system declined for the first time since the outbreak began in February.Spain, for the first time, overtook Italy as the European country with the highest number of new cases Friday, and it is still overwhelmed by new infections and deaths. Yet Maria Jose Sierra, the deputy head of Spain's health agency, said the figures "confirm the downward trend we have seen in the last few days." Two weeks ago, Spain saw a 20 percent increase in daily deaths, while on Saturday the amount rose by just 7 percent from the previous day. But with the understanding that there's still a long way to go — and that there are likely a large amount of undetected, mild cases — Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez extended lockdown measures for another 15 days until April 26. Read more about Spain and Italy at Reuters.More stories from theweek.com Social distancing is going to get darker The noble lie about masks and coronavirus should never have been told 5 brutally funny cartoons about Trump's TV ratings boast
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| Biden to name VP vetting team, thinking about Cabinet makeup Posted: 03 Apr 2020 05:55 PM PDT  Joe Biden said Friday that he will announce a committee to oversee his vice presidential selection process and is already thinking about whom he'd choose to join his Cabinet. Biden, who holds a significant lead in delegates over Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential primary race but has yet to officially clinch the nomination, also said he's spoken to Sanders to let him know he'd be proceeding with the vice presidential vetting process. Biden, a former vice president himself, has previously committed to choosing a woman as his running mate.
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| Coronavirus: A visual guide to the economic impact Posted: 03 Apr 2020 03:42 AM PDT  Key maps and charts explain how the virus has impacted markets and businesses around the world.
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| There’s Nothing Generous About Putin’s Coronavirus Aid to US Posted: 03 Apr 2020 08:52 AM PDT  The Kremlin's highly publicized "humanitarian aid" to the plague-stricken United States is not an altruistic gesture. It's a coldly calculated political move. But that doesn't seem to worry President Donald Trump, who proclaimed during his press conference Thursday: "I'm not concerned about Russian propaganda. Not even a little bit."A Doctor Who Met Putin Just Tested Positive, and Russia's COVID-19 Crackdowns Could Get Real Ugly.That's a very big mistake. Yes, yet another one. This is an example of the Kremlin's time-honored tactic diverting attention to another country as an example of things going even worse elsewhere, and Russian state media make it clear it's anything but a goodwill gesture.As the official story goes, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked Trump whether the United States needed Russia's help in dealing with the coronavirus. As a publicity stunt, this could hardly be more obvious. But, likely to Putin's surprise, the president of the mightiest country in the world said "Yes." According to Russia's state news outlet TASS, Trump accepted the favor "with gratitude" and is expected to reciprocate as needed in the future.According to Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, the conversation between Trump and Putin pertained to the lack of Personal Protective Equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE," in the United States. (Trump's request is especially puzzling in light of his public statements claiming that there is no shortage of PPE in the U.S.) State media outlet RIA Novosti reported that Putin dispatched a planeload of "disinfectants, glasses, respirators, masks and equipment." Kremlin-funded RT (formerly Russia Today) described it as "a gift from the Kremlin to its coronavirus-stricken rival."Not quite. The U.S. Department of State said that this "gift" was actually a purchase of "needed medical supplies, including ventilators and personal protection equipment, from Russia." Maria Zakharova, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, specified that the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) paid for half of the shipment. The semi-generous gesture is indeed somewhat of an investment, providing a possible excuse to Trump if he moves to lift U.S. sanctions against Russia, imposed for its unlawful annexation of Crimea, covert military activities in Ukraine, attempted poisoning of Sergei Skripal, the downing of the Malaysian aircraft MH-17, and U.S. election interference.The ventilators provided by Russia, as it happens, were manufactured by a subsidiary of a company that is currently under U.S. sanctions. Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies is a holding company within the Russian state-owned Rostec group.The Kremlin denies that Putin has ever asked Trump to lift the sanctions, while the U.S. president claimed that the Russian president "has been asking that for two years," and Russian state media pundits complain that Trump didn't get the message when Putin called for the immediate removal of all sanctions at the recent G-20 summit. The lifting of the western sanctions remains one of the Kremlin's top priorities.During his press conference on Thursday, Trump claimed that Russia offered to send the supplies to America because it had a surplus. On the contrary, Russia itself is in dire need of tests, disinfectants, PPE and medical equipment, and the consequences are surfacing even on state television. "They say, sew your own masks. There are no antiseptics… The doctors have no masks," complained Russian lawmaker Alexei Zhuravlyov, appearing on Russia's 60 Minutes. Olga Skabeeva, the host of 60 minutes, agreed: "There are no masks. That is completely true. Not a single pharmacy in Moscow has any masks… They don't have the masks in our hospitals," she said. "We're all sewing them," said Russian state TV host Vladimir Soloviev during his own program, The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev. In March, convicts in three Russian prisons produced 132,000 masks. In April, prisoners in 120 of Russia's penal colonies are set to begin mass-producing them. It's unclear whether the masks produced in Russian prisons were sold by Putin to the United States under the guise of "humanitarian aid" requested by Trump."Overnight, the United States became the anti-leader—in the number of infections and deaths from the coronavirus," proclaimed Igor Kozhevin, the host of Russian state TV news show Vesti on channel Rossiya-1, naming the U.S. as an example not to be followed.What the Russians want their people to believe is that they have a handle on the pandemic, and they're going to emerge as the great victors when the COVID-19 crisis eventually subsides. Thus they portray America's failure to contain the disease as the collapse of the entire democratic system of government. Discussing Russia's aid to the United States, the Russian newspaper Vzglyad wrote: "America is no longer a hegemon, but is still trying to act as such… If the death rate from coronavirus in the United States goes to many tens, or even hundreds of thousands, and the economic disruption continues, against the backdrop of the elections, this could lead to serious internal upheavals in the already divided American society."Vzglyad concluded: "In any case, China emerges victorious—not because it defeated the virus first, but because it will continue its expansion into all parts of the world… The U.S.-Chinese battle is only part of a common geopolitical war… In this complex conflict, Russia appears not just as the owner of a 'golden share,' as the Americans think, but as the main engine of the whole process of creating a new world order. Russia and China are essentially allies; we have a very close vision of the post-American world."Appearing on The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev, political scientist Sergey Mikheyev opined about the United States: "They're hiding, trying to solve their own problems. Russia and China are helping them… Everyone noticed it. Even the most pro-Western people noticed it… This will degrade the value of democracy in the entire world." In point of fact, Russia is not doing well at all. After months of denial, the Kremlin is suddenly forced to admit the unfolding reality of the coronavirus pandemic. Official statistics this Friday reported 4,149 cases of infection and 34 deaths, with 215,000 "under observation" for potential exposure to the virus.Russian President Vladimir Putin shook hands with a coronavirus-infected doctor, minutes before encasing himself in a yellow hazmat suit. The stunt of visiting a hospital that treats the coronavirus patients, meant to reassure the general population, turned out to be a much riskier photo-op than bare-chested horse riding.Adding to the Kremlin's worries, two of its officials reportedly have tested positive for the coronavirus. Additionally, Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov attended the same party as singer Lev Leschenko, who was later diagnosed with the coronavirus. Multiple Russian government officials, including Vladimir Putin, are reportedly being tested for the coronavirus on a daily basis.Viktor Maleev, the head of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of the Russian government agency Rospotrebnadzor, called the coronavirus test "a psychotherapeutic measure," meant to comfort worried citizens. It seems that these days, Kremlin officials are in need of much comforting. Russian state television program Vesti on channel Rossiya-1 assured anxious audiences: "Situation with the spread of the coronavirus in our country is under control… Unlike a number of other countries, there is no explosive growth of the number of infected people in Russia." The Kremlin is known for its creative approach to facts, skewing heavily in favor of saving face rather than saving the population.Surreal scenes are unfolding in Moscow, where barren streets are being heavily patrolled and the stern voice over the loudspeakers urges citizens to stay at home. Policemen stop passing vehicles and those traveling on foot, asking for their justification to venture outside of their home or work. All patients diagnosed with the coronavirus are entered into a specially-created database that includes their photographs. Appearing on the nightly television show The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev, former Chairman of the National Society of Industrial Medicine Alexey Yakovlev argued that eventually—unless the citizens comply with the terms dictated by the government—the time will come "to close the subways, bring out the army and chase them down with nightsticks." "Hard times lie ahead of us," warned Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Russia Claimed It Created a Coronavirus Cure, but It's an American Malaria DrugTensions run high on Russia's state TV, with out-of-control pundits yelling and finger-pointing about the best measures for dealing with the spread of the coronavirus. Appearing on state TV show 60 Minutes, lawmakers Leonid Kalashnikov and Alexei Zhuravlyov accused each other of lying to the people, "licking President [Putin's] behind" and drinking before the show. The host, Evgeny Popov, nervously attempted to calm them down, but the horrid story that the show covered next did little to diffuse the tensions.In a local hospital of Syktyvkar, the capital of Russia's Komi republic, located 620 miles northeast of Moscow, 55 people had been accidentally infected by a doctor. Multiple patients who tested negative for the coronavirus are being confined in the Ezhvinsky district hospital against their will. Terrified of being infected by the medical staff that is freely coming and going from the facility, these hostages of the medical system recorded a video pleading for their release—to no avail. A total of 261 people, including 24 members of the medical staff, remain in isolation at the hospital. After the government announced the commencement of an investigation into this matter, Governor of Komi Sergey Gaplikov promptly resigned."Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes," warns a Latin phrase from Virgil's Aeneid, referring to the hollow horse that defeated Troy's defenses. It has been paraphrased in English as the proverb "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts." The same could be said about accepting aid from the Kremlin.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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| The NRA is suing Gov. Cuomo after New York closed gun shops as non-essential businesses Posted: 04 Apr 2020 10:05 AM PDT  Under Cuomo's "PAUSE" order, which is in effect until at least April 15, gun stores were deemed non-essential and ordered to close.
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| Parts of Indian mega-slum cordoned off after virus deaths Posted: 03 Apr 2020 04:10 AM PDT  Indian police barricaded parts of one of Asia's biggest slums Friday after two coronavirus deaths, as under-pressure Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to dispel "darkness and uncertainty" with a national light show. India so far has largely escaped the pandemic with 2,300 infections and 56 deaths, according to official figures, but two fatalities and a third infection in the Dharavi neighbourhood of Mumbai have set alarm bells ringing. "We have home-quarantined people from these buildings and cordoned off the area so people can't enter them, and enforced social distancing," said Vijay Khabale-Patil, spokesman of Mumbai's city authority.
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| Orban Lashes Out at EU Over Hungary Emergency-Law Criticism Posted: 02 Apr 2020 11:17 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The European Union should worry about saving lives during the pandemic rather than waste time on criticizing Hungary's measures to combat the coronavirus, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said."In Brussels, they're dishing out criticism instead of saving lives," he told state radio on Friday.He disputed reports that the EU is helping Hungary financially to contain the pandemic, saying he "he hasn't seen a dime." On the other hand, China and the Turkic Council, an alliance of mostly central Asian nations that Hungary joined recently, have delivered aid to fight the virus, he said.Orban won parliament's consent on Monday to rule by decree indefinitely, which he has said is necessary to fight the virus. Critics said that threatens democracy as it lacks a firm end-date. Orban said he'll announce a stimulus package on Tuesday to help the economy, adding that Hungary shouldn't take on too much debt as that could undermine its independence.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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| SoftBank's Son tests state of emergency appetite via Twitter poll Posted: 03 Apr 2020 05:08 AM PDT  SoftBank Group Corp founder and CEO Masayoshi Son on Friday began polling his Twitter followers over whether a state of emergency should be declared, as the number of people in Tokyo infected with the coronavirus continues to rise. Japan has so far been spared the explosive surge in cases seen in some other countries but, with the capital the centre of the outbreak, clamour for tighter curbs is growing, with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike also indicating support for such a step. One of a small number of Japanese executives who are also household names, Son has recently returned to Twitter to express his concern about the coronavirus outbreak.
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| 'We're nesting. We prepared his room': Families adopting children from China anxiously wait Posted: 03 Apr 2020 07:53 AM PDT  At one agency, 250 families in the process of adopting children are on hold and wait for answers.
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| Boris Johnson's pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds suffers coronavirus symptoms Posted: 04 Apr 2020 09:49 AM PDT  Boris Johnson's pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds has revealed she has "spent the past week in bed" after suffering coronavirus symptoms but is now recovering. The 32-year-old, who is expecting the couple's baby in early summer, falls into the group of vulnerable people urged to avoid contact with those with symptoms of Covid-19. Prime Minister Mr Johnson said last week that he had tested positive for coronavirus and has now spent more than a week in self-isolation in Downing Street. Shortly after his announcement, Ms Symonds - who usually lives with the Prime Minister in the Number 11 flat - shared a photograph of herself self-isolating in Camberwell, south London, with the couple's dog Dilyn. But on Saturday evening she revealed she too has suffered coronavirus symptoms. She tweeted: "I've spent the past week in bed with the main symptoms of Coronavirus. I haven't needed to be tested and, after seven days of rest, I feel stronger and I'm on the mend. "Being pregnant with Covid-19 is obviously worrying. To other pregnant women, please do read and follow the most up to date guidance which I found to be v reassuring."
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| About 12 people an hour are dying of COVID-19 in NYC Posted: 04 Apr 2020 04:50 AM PDT  Warning the city is in a race against time, Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday issued a national call to arms in the fight against COVID-19, seeking thousands of more ventilators, beds and medical personnel as soon as possible.
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| Democrats blast Trump's 'unconscionable' decision to fire IG who informed Congress about Ukraine whistleblower complaint Posted: 04 Apr 2020 05:00 AM PDT  President Trump on Friday fired Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, who informed Congress about the whistleblower complaint regarding Trump's communications with Ukraine that eventually led to his impeachment. The president said he "no longer" has the "fullest confidence" in Atkinson.Democrats were not happy with the decision, especially considering it came as the novel coronavirus pandemic intensifies across the United States. "In the midst of a national emergency, it is unconscionable that the president is once again attempting to undermine the integrity of the intelligence community by firing yet another intelligence official simply for doing his job," said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.The Trump administration has already removed numerous officials from their posts involved with Trump's impeachment proceedings, including Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a former National Security Council official, and former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland. Others, like former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, resigned.Atkinson won't be immediately removed — the statute for the intelligence community inspector general requires both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees be informed of a dismissal with 30 days notice, so there won't be an official change until next month. Read more at The Guardian and CNN.More stories from theweek.com Social distancing is going to get darker The noble lie about masks and coronavirus should never have been told 5 brutally funny cartoons about Trump's TV ratings boast
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| New York Gov. Cuomo says he expects the peak of the coronavirus outbreak to hit in the 'seven-day' range as cases skyrocket Posted: 04 Apr 2020 11:33 AM PDT  New York has 11,000 new cases and China's donating 1,000 ventilators: Here are all the key takeaways from Gov. Cuomo's coronavirus press conference.
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| Cuban docs fighting coronavirus around world, defying US Posted: 03 Apr 2020 07:00 AM PDT  For two years the Trump administration has been trying to stamp out one of Cuba's signature programs __ state-employed medical workers treating patients around the globe in a show of soft power that also earns billions in badly needed hard currency. Labeling the doctors and nurses as both exploited workers and agents of communist indoctrination, the U.S. has notched a series of victories as Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia sent home thousands after leftist governments allied with Havana were replaced with ones friendlier to Washington. The coronavirus pandemic has brought a reversal of fortune for Cuban medical diplomacy, as doctors have flown off on new missions to battle COVID-19 in at least 14 countries including Italy and the tiny principality of Andorra on the Spanish-French border, burnishing the island's international image in the middle of a global crisis.
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| Coronavirus: Islamophobia concerns after India mosque outbreak Posted: 03 Apr 2020 01:54 AM PDT  Outrage over a Muslim congregation that led to new Covid-19 cluster turns hateful.
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