| A national lockdown to stop coronavirus? Trump is 'thinking about doing that' Posted: 01 Apr 2020 05:57 PM PDT  President Trump shied away Wednesday from issuing domestic travel restrictions or a national lockdown to try and beat back the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic that, in a best case scenario, is expected to kill between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans.
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| American Airlines crammed the only 11 passengers on a flight into 3 rows because they only bought basic economy, report says Posted: 02 Apr 2020 09:15 AM PDT  American Airlines has risked the health of flight attendants and passengers by enforcing rules about riding in coach, it is alleged.
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| 'Ventilators' donated by Elon Musk can't be used on coronavirus patients, health officials say Posted: 02 Apr 2020 08:00 AM PDT  Elon Musk's ventilator giveaway may do more harm than good.After weeks of brushing off the COVID-19 pandemic as "dumb," the billionaire Tesla founder earlier this week announced he had 1,000 "FDA-approved ventilators" and ended up donating 40 to New York City's hospital system. Except the devices Musk gave away aren't powerful enough to use in the ICU, and health officials have actually warned against using them on COVID-19 patients because they could spread the virus further.What Musk purchased and gave to New York's hospitals were BiPAP machines made by ResMed, a photo shared by the hospital system reveals. ResMed CEO Mick Farrell later confirmed Musk's purchase of 1,000 5-year-old "bi-level, non-invasive ventilators" known as BiPAPs to CNBC, and said it was "fantastic" that Tesla could transport ResMed's product like it did.But hospitals are far more desperate for ventilators more invasive than BiPAP and CPAP machines, which are usually used to treat sleep apnea — many doctors don't even call them "ventilators," the Los Angeles Times' Russ Mitchell reports. In fact, CPAP machines may have only helped spread COVID-19 through the nursing home outside Seattle that was the center of the U.S.'s initial coronavirus outbreak, NPR reports. These machines can "possibly increase the spread of infectious disease by aerosolizing the virus," NPR writes. Health officials in King County, Washington, have since warned against using CPAP machines on coronavirus patients, as did the American Society of Anesthesiologists back in February.What would actually help, Farrell added to CNBC, is if Musk's Tesla could produce and donate lithium ion batteries — ResMed can use them to make invasive ventilators that hospitals actually need.More stories from theweek.com The Secret Service signed an 'emergency order' this week — for 30 golf carts There are now over 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide Experts warn as many as 1 in 3 coronavirus test results may be incorrectly negative
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| China's Shenzhen bans the eating of cats and dogs after coronavirus Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:41 PM PDT  The Chinese city of Shenzhen has banned the eating of dogs and cats as part of a wider clampdown on the wildlife trade since the emergence of the new coronavirus. Scientists suspect the coronavirus passed to humans from animals. Authorities in the southern Chinese technology hub said the ban on eating dogs and cats would come into force on May 1.
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| Iran warns of months of crisis as virus deaths reach 3,160 Posted: 02 Apr 2020 04:18 AM PDT  Iran on Thursday reported 124 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising its total to 3,160, as President Rouhani warned that the country may still battle the pandemic for another year. Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour announced the latest toll in a news conference and confirmed 3,111 new infections over the past 24 hours, bringing Iran's total to 50,468. Iran has been scrambling to contain the COVID-19 outbreak since it reported its first cases on February 19.
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| Chinese Doctor Disappears after Blowing the Whistle on Coronavirus Threat Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:20 PM PDT  Wuhan doctor Ai Fen, who expressed early concerns about the coronavirus to the media, has disappeared and is believed detained by Chinese authorities.Fen, the head of emergency at Wuhan Central Hospital, was given a warning after she disseminated information about the coronavirus to several other doctors. She recounted the reprimand in an essay titled, "The one who supplied the whistle," which was published in China's People (Renwu) magazine. The article has since been removed.The reprimand from her boss came after Fen took a photo of a patient's positive test results and circled the words 'SARS coronavirus' in red.She brought several cases of coronavirus to the attention of her colleagues, eight of whom were later called in by police for revealing information about the respiratory illness, according to Radio Free Asia. One, opthalmologist Li Wenliang, warned fellow med school grads to wear protective clothing, an early warning that was condemned by authorities as "rumormongering." Wenliang eventually died from the virus himself.Fen's social media account on the Chinese platform Weibo has been updated several times since her disappearance, although Chinese authorities have been known to update detainees' social media accounts or order them to do so themselves. On Wednesday, a post appeared on her account reading "Happy April Fools Day," with a picture of her in a lab coat and mask.About two weeks ago, a post appeared on Fen's account reading, "Thank you for your care and love. I'm fine at the moment and I'm still working."However, Fen's whereabouts are now unknown, 60 Minutes Australia reported Monday.China has confirmed a total of 81,554 infections and 3,312 deaths from the coronavirus.However, the U.S. intelligence community concluded in a classified report Wednesday that China deliberately provided incomplete public numbers for coronavirus cases and deaths resulting from the infection. In December, local and national officials issued a gag order to labs in Wuhan after scientists there identified a new viral pneumonia, ordering them to halt tests, destroy samples, and conceal the news.
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| Tablighi Jamaat: The group blamed for new Covid-19 outbreak in India Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:50 PM PDT  Hundreds of new coronavirus cases have been linked to a conference held by the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi.
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| Gun background checks smash records amid coronavirus fears Posted: 01 Apr 2020 02:49 PM PDT  Background checks required to buy firearms have spiked to record numbers in the past month, fueled by a run on guns from Americans worried about their safety during the coronavirus crisis. According to figures from the FBI, 3.7 million background checks were done in March — the most for a single month since the system began in 1998. Background checks are the key barometer of gun sales, but the FBI's monthly figures also incorporate checks for firearm permits that are required in some states.
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| Pelosi forming House committee to investigate the coronavirus outbreak Posted: 02 Apr 2020 11:42 AM PDT  The panel will investigate the pandemic and ensure that the funding Congress has already approved, and may approve in the future, is spent wisely.
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| New financial disclosure shows Sen. Kelly Loeffler invested in firm that makes personal protective equipment Posted: 01 Apr 2020 08:16 PM PDT  A financial disclosure filed Tuesday shows that from mid-February to mid-March, Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and her husband, New York Stock Exchange Chairman Jeff Sprecher, invested in DuPont, a company that makes personal protective equipment used by first responders fighting the COVID-19 coronavirus, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Loeffler, worth an estimated $500 million, came under fire last month when it was discovered that she dumped millions in stock after receiving private briefings on the coronavirus pandemic and before she publicly downplayed the threat from the virus; 15 of the stocks had, on average, lost more than a third of their value by late March. Loeffler has denied using insider knowledge to influence her decisions to buy and sell stock, and her campaign says an investment firm manages her stocks and she does not have any control over day-to-day decisions.The disclosure filed Tuesday shows that the largest transactions made between mid-February and mid-March involved $18.7 million in sales of Intercontinental Exchange stock. ICE owns the New York Stock Exchange, and Loeffler is a former company executive. Loeffler's campaign said the sales were prearranged as part of Loeffler's and Sprecher's compensation package. Read more about Loeffler's stock sales at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.Update, April 2: In a statement to The Week, a Loeffler spokeswoman said, "Sen. Loeffler filed another Periodic Transaction Report (PTR) and the facts are still the same. These transactions are consistent with historical portfolio activity and include a balanced mix of buys and sells. Her stock portfolio is managed independently by third-party advisors and she is notified, as indicated on the report, after transactions occur. Sen. Loeffler continues to operate with integrity and transparency — following both the spirit and the letter of the law. While some will continue to make baseless accusations devoid of facts, Sen. Loeffler will continue working to keep Americans safe and provide much-needed relief to Georgia families and businesses impacted by COVID-19."More stories from theweek.com The Secret Service signed an 'emergency order' this week — for 30 golf carts There are now over 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide Experts warn as many as 1 in 3 coronavirus test results may be incorrectly negative
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| Why is New Orleans' coronavirus death rate twice New York's? Obesity is a factor Posted: 02 Apr 2020 11:07 AM PDT  Doctors, public health officials and available data say the Big Easy's high levels of obesity and related ailments may be part of the problem. "We're just sicker," said Rebekah Gee, who until January was the health secretary for Louisiana and now heads Louisiana State University's healthcare services division.
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| Angry Wuhan next-of-kin seek answers over virus handling Posted: 02 Apr 2020 12:42 AM PDT  Zhang took his elderly father to a Wuhan hospital for a surgical procedure in January, just as coronavirus was consuming the central Chinese city. Devastated and angry, Zhang is now demanding answers from a government that he accuses of incompetence and lying about the extent of the virus. Zhang says he has linked online with dozens of other people whose grief over lost loved ones is paired with anger.
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| PA Man ‘Upset Over Coronavirus’ Shoots Girlfriend Before Turning Gun on Himself: Cops Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:54 AM PDT  A Pennsylvania man "extremely upset" about losing his job amidst the coronavirus pandemic allegedly shot his girlfriend, before turning the gun on himself in an attempted murder-suicide, authorities said Wednesday.The Wilson Borough Police Department said in a statement to The Daily Beast that Roderick Bliss IV, 38, attempted to fatally shoot his girlfriend with a semi-automatic pistol on Monday afternoon, before dying by suicide, after he "had become increasingly upset over the COVID-19 pandemic." The 43-year-old girlfriend, who was shot once in the back, survived the attack and is in St. Luke's hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. "In the days prior to the shooting, Bliss had become increasingly upset over the COVID-19 pandemic," police said. "Minutes before the shooting Bliss was extremely upset about the pandemic and the fact that he had recently lost his job."What if This Coronavirus Lockdown Is Only the Beginning?At around 1:20 p.m. on Monday, authorities responded to reports of "multiple shots fired with injuries" at Bliss' Wilson Borough home, about an hour outside of Philadelphia. Upon arrival, officers found Bliss "unresponsive and not breathing" and a semi-automatic pistol near his body. The Northampton County Coroner ruled Bliss' death a suicide.The girlfriend, who is alert, and other witnesses told police that Bliss had become upset that the pandemic—which has infected more than 206,200 people and killed 4,542 nationwide—cost him his job. Authorities said an enraged Bliss "went into the basement and came outside on to the rear porch" with a handgun. "While holding the handgun, Bliss told the victim, 'I already talked to God and I have to do this,'" police said. "The victim ran off of the porch and he shot at her four times striking her once. Bliss then shot himself."The attempted murder-suicide marks the latest example of the collateral damage of the coronavirus pandemic. Domestic violence experts and law enforcement believe domestic violence incidents will rise as families are forced into social isolation across the country.Judy Harris Kluger, executive director of Sanctuary for Families in New York, told The Daily Beast that, for some survivors of domestic violence, being able to leave their home is critical—and forced stay-at-home orders isolate them from the "social support system" that would have previously allowed them to report abuse. White House Trots Out Grim Death Models to Drive Home Social Distancing"Domestic violence is all about power and control and what a powerful tool it is to be able to say to somebody, 'You can't go out of this house, you have to be here,'" Kluger said. "Even though people can go out for certain things, this environment just engages in the most negative way the power of the abuser." Kluger said her organization, and several others across New York—the current epicenter of the outbreak in the United States—are anticipating an increase in domestic violence calls as the pandemic continues. A spokesperson for the National Domestic Violence Hotline said they haven't yet seen a significant increase in call volumes but were receiving an increase in calls related to COVID-19 and the anxiety of people being stuck in their homes. "Right now, the people who are at risk are very isolated," Kluger said, noting her organization is reaching out to former clients who might be at risk. "We are worried that we are going to see an uptick while this 'shelter-in-place' is in effect. Also, as the tension of the crisis rises, we anticipate people will begin reporting soon."But, even as the looming number of domestic violence cases threatens New York and other cities, the number of healthy police officers is also dwindling. New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Wednesday there were at least 1,400 officers who had tested positive for coronavirus, while about 17 percent had called out sick. Despite trying to police a city with a virus-related death toll of more than 1,000, Shea has previously stressed the NYPD is focused on domestic violence cases. "What I'm concerned about is, it's happening and it's not getting reported," Shea said Tuesday, noting that survivors may not be calling for help. "We've asked the domestic violence officers—you know who the people are in your commands, who are most vulnerable. Pick up the phone, pick up the computer keyboard and start communicating with them. Just make sure that things are OK."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| How coronavirus has halted Central American migration to the US Posted: 02 Apr 2020 03:32 AM PDT  Border closures and strict lockdowns have led to a steep decline in the number of migrants coming from Central AmericaWhen Angelica turned 30, she realized there was no future for her in Honduras.Although she had a college degree, she was still living paycheck to paycheck and was stuck in a neighborhood of the capital Tegucigalpa ruled by violent gangs.So, after years contemplating migration to the US where she has relatives, she finally made arrangements to depart."I didn't want to stay in a neighborhood where there are massacres or where the people lock themselves in their homes at six at night because the gangs impose a curfew," she said. "I realized I was more surviving than living."But by the time she was due to start her journey north, Honduras had closed its borders and declared a state of emergency. She could no longer leave her city – much less take a bus to northern Guatemala, to meet a coyote who would guide her through Mexico."I had thought that only a hurricane could stop me," she said. "But I hadn't thought of a pandemic."Border closures and strict lockdowns prompted by the Covid-19 crisis have disrupted the migrant trail through Central America and Mexico, forcing some would-be migrants to postpone their journeys – and stopping many others in their tracks.The result has been a deterrent more effective than any wall Donald Trump could build.Activists across the region have reported a steep decline in the number of migrants coming from Central America since the restrictions were implemented. One Mexican shelter near the Guatemalan border said it hadn't received a new arrival in a week."The crisis has facilitated Trump's policies because [Central American] migrants can't even leave their countries," said Sister Nyzella Juliana Dondé, coordinator of a Catholic migrant aid organization in Honduras.El Salvador closed its borders on 11 March, and the governments of Guatemala and Honduras quickly followed suit. All three countries in the so-called northern triangle have since announced internal lockdowns of differing strictness.The three nations had recently signed "safe third country agreements" with the US government under which they agreed to increase enforcement on their borders, and receive migrants who had transited their country on the way to the US.Only Guatemala had begun to implement the new measures, but it announced on 17 March that it would suspend the deportations of Hondurans and Salvadorans from the US to its territory.But Guatemala and Honduras continued to receive deportation flights bringing their own citizens from the US – despite concerns that the practice could accelerate the spread of the virus. In the past week, a migrant who was deported from the US to Guatemala was diagnosed with Covid-19 and a group of deportees to Honduras escaped from the shelter where they were to be quarantined. Guatemala has now requested that the US suspend deportation flights.Meanwhile, migrants who were already en route have been left exposed by the closure of shelters and the difficulties facing humanitarian organizations which would normally attend to them."They are in a vulnerable situation because the guidance is to stay at home – but the migrants don't have homes," said Dondé, who mentioned a case of a large group of Haitian and African migrants who were detained after crossing into Guatemala from Honduras amid the lockdown. "Neither Honduras or Guatemala wanted to offer them a place to stay."Migrants who already had arrived to Mexico have been left in limbo by the US government's decision to immediately return all migrants from Mexico and Central America who cross into the country irregularly along the south-west border.When restrictions are eventually eased, a fresh surge in migration seems likely: multiple would-be migrants who spoke with the Guardian said it was only a question of when, not if, they would set out for the US.And the economic impact of the crisis may in turn cause others to migrate.. "Before many people migrated because they lacked work and a dignified life," said Silva de Souza. "Now there will be many more."Migrants who have come from even farther afield, have no choice but to try to push on. Mohamed left Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, in 2018, following the well-trodden migrant path via Ecuador, Colombia and the jungles of Panama. He was burning through his savings and racking up debt, but making steady progress north.But he reached Guatemala just before the government announced a state of emergency which has made moving on impossible."Travel has become very difficult," he said in a brief exchange via Facebook Messenger. But he was still determined to reach the US – even if he now has to move more carefully – traveling at night and avoiding large caravans. "With God's will, I'll get there. I will build a life of opportunity." * Additional reporting by Joe Parkin Daniels
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| Trump says he doesn’t want a nationwide stay-at-home order because some states don’t have a high number of coronavirus cases Posted: 01 Apr 2020 04:42 PM PDT  At the coronavirus task force briefing, President Trump said he didn't want to issue a nationwide stay-at-home order to fight the pandemic because there are some states that don't have a large number of positive coronavirus cases.
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| A small Georgia city is facing hundreds of coronavirus cases after residents flocked to a beloved janitor's funeral Posted: 02 Apr 2020 07:57 AM PDT  Atlanta's Dougherty County has reported 490 confirmed cases of COVID-19, that all emerged after two funerals were held in the town of Albany.
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| 10 Great Deals on Apparel From REI’s 25% off Sale Posted: 02 Apr 2020 08:23 AM PDT |
| One nursing home offers grim advice: Take your loved ones home Posted: 02 Apr 2020 04:59 PM PDT  Coronavirus cases are increasing so rapidly that one New York nursing home CEO is advising families to take their loved ones home if possible.
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| COVID-19 cases and deaths rising, debt relief needed for poorest nations: WHO Posted: 01 Apr 2020 11:11 AM PDT  The head of the World Health Organization voiced deep concern on Wednesday about the rapid escalation and global spread of COVID-19 cases from the new coronavirus, which has now reached 205 countries and territories. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that his agency, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund backed debt relief to help developing countries cope with the pandemic's social and economic consequences. "In the past five weeks there has been a near-exponential growth in the number of new cases and the number of deaths has more than doubled in the past week," Tedros told a virtual news conference at the organisation's Geneva headquarters.
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| Spain Virus Deaths Rise by 864 in Deadliest Day of Outbreak Posted: 01 Apr 2020 02:48 AM PDT |
| FL Gov. Overrides County Officials to Allow Church During Coronavirus Lockdown Posted: 02 Apr 2020 01:41 PM PDT  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has overruled local counties' power to ban large religious gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic, carving out an extraordinary loophole that officials say will violate social distancing guidelines and ensure further spread of the virus. By allowing religious services to continue, DeSantis is seemingly siding with religious leaders who've stood against the federally mandated guidelines—including controversial Tampa pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, who refused to stop holding services because he believed his church had machines that could stop the virus.After weeks of political pressure and public outcry, the Republican governor signed a "stay-at-home" order Wednesday to curtail the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. But, unlike most mandates implemented in dozens of states, DeSantis ruled that religious services were an "essential activity."Florida Megachurch Pastor Cancels Services After Arrest for Breaking Coronavirus RulesDeSantis originally resisted a "stay-at-home" order but said he had a change of heart after President Donald Trump extended national social distancing guidelines—which limit social gatherings to 10—and expressed grave concerns about the severity of a pandemic that has killed at least 5,300 Americans. Some counties had already implemented their own orders, like Hillsborough County, where Sheriff Chad Chronister had issued misdemeanors to Howard-Brown for violating an order against large gatherings. However, in a clarifying memo on Thursday, DeSantis said his order "shall supersede any conflicting official action or order issued by local officials in response to COVID-19.""Our hospitals better get ready," Hillsborough County Commission Chairman Les Miller said on Thursday, according to WFLA. "That's all I'm gonna say."The Sunshine State has scrambled to combat over 7,773 positive cases of coronavirus and 100 deaths less than a month after the first known infection in the state.The statewide order, which goes into effect on Friday, requires all Floridians to remain indoors and "limit personal interactions outside the house" unless "to obtain essential services" or "conduct essential activities.""This thing is really nasty. It's something that's caused a lot of harm to a lot of people, and I think that we need to have all levers going," DeSantis said Wednesday. "We don't know how all these measures are going to work. But we'll figure out on the back end how this will work out."The measure lists several "essential activities" residents are permitted to do during the 30-day lockdown, including solitary exercising, taking care of pets, and "attending religious services conducted in churches, synagogues, and houses of worship."What if This Coronavirus Lockdown Is Only the Beginning?The order bans any gatherings above 10 people not considered "essential activity" and gives local law enforcement the authority to take criminal action if residents don't comply. "A social gathering in a public space is not an essential activity," the order states.DeSantis defended his controversial decision on Thursday to continue religious services, stating in a press conference that the "government does not have the authority to close a church" and saying he met with religious leaders and felt that "their work is important." "There is no reason why you can't do a church service six feet apart," he said. "In times like this, I think the service that they are performing is going to be very important to people... particularly coming up in the Easter season." When asked about his second executive order that overrides local governments, DeSantis said he thought it was understood that his stay-at-home decision was going to be the newest guideline but said he is "happy to work" with officials to make sure everyone is safe. "[Local governments] can go beyond what I've done...What we're doing is setting a floor," he said. "And they can't go below the floor."Despite Howard-Brown's church, The River at Tampa Bay, now technically being an "essential activity," the pastor, an ally of Trump, canceled his upcoming service on Wednesday, stating that he made the choice to "protect the congregation—not from the virus but from the tyrannical government."In a Thursday statement, Howard-Browne said DeSantis' decision to make religious services "essential" showed that county orders violated the U.S. Constitution's freedom of religion. This Is What a Coronavirus Lockdown Means in Each State"We did not hold church to defy any order; nor did we hold church to send a political message," he said, stating he maintained his decision to close down his church doors this week. "We did not hold church for self-promotion or financial motives, as some have wrongly accused. We held church because it is our mission to save souls and help people, and because we in good faith did everything possible to comply with the executive order."Tampa Mayor Jane Caster said Wednesday that it was reckless for Howard-Brown to hold services."So, what occurred at The River Church on Sunday, it was not allowable then and it's not allowable today, and it's not allowable Sunday either," Castor said in a Facebook Live. "It was a very reckless decision on the part of that pastor, and we are able to have more stringent regulations than the state's order."On Thursday, Caster had only one thing to say about DeSantis' decision to override local restrictions and continue in-person services: "It makes no sense."Florida is not the only state to allow religious services to continue despite the ongoing pandemic that the White House believes will claim between 100,000-200,000 lives at best. In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine issued a similar order to allow church services to continue while in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has ruled religious services that adhere to social distancing as "essential." Michigan and Kansas also have similar religious exceptions."We appreciate the difficulty that these public health orders pose for all of us, including those who find solace in religious services during such challenging times," Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church, said in a statement. "But this virus doesn't discriminate—it endangers people whether they gather for religious or secular purposes, and it puts entire communities at risk." 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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| Chinese government rejects allegations that its face masks were defective, tells countries to 'double check' instructions Posted: 02 Apr 2020 12:58 PM PDT  The Chinese government told other countries to "double-check" the instructions for using the defective face masks.
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| 3 people who survived the coronavirus describe what it's like and what they wish they would have known Posted: 02 Apr 2020 09:01 AM PDT  Three Americans told Insider what it feels like to be diagnosed with the coronavirus and recover. Here's what we can learn from them.
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| Iran parliament speaker, Israeli health minister have virus Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:02 PM PDT  Iran's parliament speaker has contracted the new coronavirus, the country's highest-ranking government figure yet to catch the disease, while in Israel, several top officials entered quarantine when the health minister tested positive on Thursday. Iran's parliament announced Ali Larijani's illness on its website, saying he was receiving treatment in quarantine. Iran, the regional epicenter of the virus, has been fighting one of the world's worst outbreaks.
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| Fauci says threats to his personal security 'secondary' to curbing coronavirus Posted: 02 Apr 2020 06:13 AM PDT  The infectious diseases expert at the forefront of the U.S. fight against the coronavirus outbreak on Thursday downplayed reports that his personal security was being threatened, saying he felt safe and was focused on doing his job. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has faced growing threats to his safety, and the government will step up his security, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday. Asked on NBC's "Today" show if he felt safe, Fauci said, "I do."
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| Clyburn Tapped to Chair Coronavirus Committee after Calling Pandemic ‘Tremendous Opportunity’ to Achieve Dem Spending Goals Posted: 02 Apr 2020 10:03 AM PDT  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) announced Thursday that she is tasking Majority Whip James Clyburn (D., S.C.) to lead a House oversight committee to ensure the government's coronavirus funds "are spent wisely and effectively.""The panel will root out waste, fraud and abuse; it will protect against price-gouging, profiteering and political favoritism," Pelosi told reporters on a press call. "The fact is, we do need transparency and accountability."She later added that the bipartisan committee would have subpoena power to carry out its tasks, and specifically cited the Truman Committee — formed by Congress during World War II to address profiteering and other abuses — as a guide."Where there's money there's also frequently mischief, and we want to just make sure that the funds that are expended, that are put out there, are done so with the conditions that we had in the legislation," she said.Clyburn drew the ire of Senate Republicans after he told caucus members on a call about provisions in the phase-three coronavirus package that the Senate's bill was "a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision."After Clyburn's comments, Pelosi flew into Washington D.C. as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) was negotiating with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.). Following Pelosi's arrival, House Democrats introudced their own spending bill that included a number of unrelated environmental and corporate diversity regulations for companies receiving the emergency funding. Senate Democrats then blocked the legislation that McConnell and Schumer negotiated on the grounds that it did not provide enough oversight over the $500 million allocated to corporations harmed by the pandemic.McConnell slammed the slow-walking and called on Democrats "to stop playing politics and step up to the plate," while Senator Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) said Pelosi was hijacking the negotiations with an "ideologically-driven wish list" of demands "that has absolutely nothing to do with the public health emergency that we face at this moment."McConnell later implied that the extended negotiations did not result in significant alterations to the bill, a claim reinforced by Senator Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) who suggested after a deal was reached that Democrats were falsely claiming to have achieved stricter oversight, and that before Pelosi arrived, allegations that the bill's corporate relief funds lacked oversight were "not a major topic of discussion."
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| Oil rockets as Trump signals end to price war Posted: 02 Apr 2020 01:10 PM PDT  Oil prices rocketed Thursday, posting the largeset percent increase ever, after US President Donald Trump said Russia and Saudi Arabia planned to end their price war by slashing output. After Trump tweeted that Saudi and Russia could slash production by up to 15 million barrels, Brent hit $36.29 a barrel, up almost 46 percent, and West Texas Intermediate soared around 35 percent to $27.39.
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| Sweden's 'free will' coronavirus strategy alarms some scientists Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:09 AM PDT  "The material presented by the public health authorities is weak, even embarrassing," said one professor who is critical of Sweden's strategy.
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| Mike Pence just said the US is 'most comparable' to Italy now after the White House downplayed the coronavirus threat for weeks Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:17 AM PDT  The White House announced on Tuesday that it predicts between 100,000 to 240,000 people could die in the US from the coronavirus.
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| Medical experts are reportedly worried that close to 33% of people testing negative for the coronavirus are actually infected and don't realize it Posted: 02 Apr 2020 12:30 PM PDT  Doctors told the Wall Street Journal that tests are being developed so rapidly that the margin of error can vary widely.
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| Spain's coronavirus cases top 100,000 as masks, sanitiser flown in Posted: 01 Apr 2020 02:54 AM PDT  Two planes packed with protective equipment arrived to restock Spain's overloaded public health system on Wednesday as its confirmed coronavirus cases rose beyond 100,000 and it recorded its biggest one-day death toll from the outbreak. Barring Italy, the virus has killed more people in Spain than anywhere else, triggering a lockdown that has brought economic activity to a virtual standstill. A survey showed Spain's manufacturing sector is heading for a slump after shrinking in March at its steepest pace since 2013.
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| Tekashi 6ix9ine will serve the rest of prison sentence at home due to coronavirus threat Posted: 02 Apr 2020 03:01 PM PDT  Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine will serve the balance of his federal sentence in home confinement, a judge ordered, due to coronavirus-related conditions in prison.
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| Polyamory in a pandemic: who do you quarantine with when you're not monogamous? Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:00 AM PDT  Coronavirus is forcing people in poly relationships to make tough choices about who to be intimate withEarlier this month, after being exposed to the coronavirus, Chaele Davis had to decide if she would spend her quarantine with her primary partner, whom she has been dating for a year, or her secondary partner, with whom she just celebrated a four year anniversary.Davis, a polyamorous woman living in Brooklyn, had arranged her life not having to make choices like these. "But when you love two people, in a time like this, you just have to make the call," she said.The coronavirus has spread around the globe, infecting more than 750,000 and putting countless cities on lockdown. New social distancing guidelines have led many Americans to question whether it's safe to touch the same basket at the supermarket as other shoppers, let alone whom it is safe to sleep with. For those who are polyamorous, meaning having intimate relationships with more than one partner, it has meant renegotiating fundamental aspects of their dating lives.On 27 March, the New York City department of health and mental hygiene issued guidelines surrounding safe sex, advising New Yorkers not to have sex with anyone outside of their immediate households and to take a break from in-person dates. Coronavirus is highly contagious and spread by droplets of saliva or mucus, making contact with others risky.For people who consider themselves part of the poly community, that has meant making difficult decisions surrounding sexual monogamy and cohabitation, said Daniel Saynt, founder and head of New York City sex club New Society for Wellness (NSFW)."It's a terrifying time for non-monogamy," Saynt said. "There has been a stronger consideration recently for coupling off. It's kind of like cuffing season, but for corona season."Although just 5% of people in the US identify as polyamorous, up to 20% have attempted some form of consensual non-monogamy in their lifetimes, a 2017 study published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy found.Cat, a polyamorous woman living in New York City who asked her last name be withheld to protect her privacy, has spent the last 14 days in self-imposed quarantine with her roommate, who had been exposed to the virus. After she leaves the quarantine, she'll have to decide which of her two partners to see – and if it is ethical to do so. Ultimately, she said, she is leaning towards quarantining alone to avoid hurting either partner."Coronavirus is making everyone polyamorous, in a sense," she said. "We all have to navigate disclosure, safety, and health in similar ways."Being holed up at home with one partner does not necessarily mean strict monogamy, said Saynt the NSFW founder. A lot of non-monogamous couples are still seeking to interact in a virtual way, and a rise in online events is making it more accessible."In a way, this is also creating a new safety net for people who were curious about non-monogamy but were afraid of that initial intimacy point," Saynt said.NSFW has started to coordinate online parties for couples to engage in non-monogamy from a safe distance. Its first online "playdate" attracted nearly 100 people who met one another through group video chats and could pair off for private sessions. Like NSFW's in-person parties, the event had a dress code and a set of rules stressing consent and privacy. The group used the video streaming app GetVokl for the event.New York City artist Olivia Jane has been dating their partner for seven years, and during the last two they have introduced other people into their coupling. After learning about social distancing orders, Jane and their partner cut ties with a woman they were both dating when she fled the New York City area to quarantine in a remote cabin.Meanwhile, Jane said they have all but stopped using dating apps like Tinder and Feeld for the foreseeable future. "We are maintaining chats and sending nudes to people we were previously intimate with, but our schedule has really cleared up," Jane said.Their relationship with another couple who lives in Philadelphia has gone purely digital for now, but Jane said they are considering moving in together to create a quad relationship as they struggle to pay rent during the pandemic."We are comfortable being monogamous, but we prefer not to be," Jane said. "We are being forced back into it. But out of all the people I have to be stuck with, my primary partner is the one I would want to quarantine with forever."
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| Trump Administration Has Turned Immigration Court Into ‘Public Health Hazard’ Posted: 02 Apr 2020 01:30 AM PDT  In a country ground to a standstill by the coronavirus pandemic, there is one place normalcy reigns: immigration courts.Overburdened judges oversee packed proceedings; attorneys shuttle clients and paperwork from room to room, often with interpreters in tow; aspiring legal citizens, or at least residents, follow closely, sitting through hearings famously described as death-penalty cases held in a traffic court.The courts, along with visa applications, detention hearings and other immigration related bureaucracy, are seemingly the lone part of the federal government still expected to function as if a global pandemic hasn't upended nearly every facet of American life. But those tasked with keeping the machine running say that they have received little guidance about how to keep the system running in the era of social isolation, and even less protection despite fears that immigration proceedings put some of the most vulnerable people in the country in the impossible position of choosing between their health or their home.The Trump administration has refused to allow immigration courts and visa hearings to comply with the same social isolation standards followed by nearly every other civil aspect of government, and has not allowed for previously scheduled hearings to be postponed. The administration has also issued little in the way of guidance for judges, immigration attorneys or immigrants, whose hearings—which often take years to schedule—directly conflict with stay-at-home orders across the county."The immigration court's refusal to adopt policies that protect the health of respondents, lawyers, judges and immigration court staff during the current pandemic forces immigrant families and their lawyers to make an impossible decision: endanger public health or risk being deported," said Nadia Dahab, senior litigation attorney at Innovation Law Lab, one of half a dozen immigrants-rights groups that on Friday filed an emergency order challenging the operation of immigration courts despite the crisis."We are in the middle of a global pandemic, but the immigration court system is continuing to operate as if it's business as usual," said Melissa Crow, senior supervising attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center's Immigrant Justice Project. "The government has turned the court system into a public health hazard."Is ICE's 'Risk Tool' Sentencing Innocents to COVID-19 Death?A similar dilemma faces individuals who are up against imminent deadlines to apply for or renew their visas. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service has so far declined to extend deadlines for the filing of key documents, putting visa hopefuls in the difficult position of running afoul of shelter-in-place mandates, not to mention risking their own and others' health, in order to get everything in on time. Failing to do so could do long-term damage for a person's eligibility for legal residence or put them in another dilemma—figuring out how to get back to another country in a time of unprecedented travel restriction."These are not trivial issues," said León Rodríguez, who ran USCIS during the Obama administration. "They're not bureaucratic issues. These issues have a lot to do with what a person's future is, their ability to do business, so people are doing what they need to do. They're being careful. But right now, people are going to the office where they otherwise wouldn't need to, in an effort to get their fillings done the right way and on time. If we're in a national emergency… that means it's time to protect as many people as we can."In a Wednesday letter to USCIS acting Director Ken Cuccinelli, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, urged "immediate action" to extend the deadlines, saying that the failure to do so forces "families to take unnecessary risks to their health and the health of our communities.""I would hope now, if ever, this administration would find some compassion and patience to serve the totality of the people of this country," Pocan said in a statement to The Daily Beast. The Trump administration has eased up some visa procedures; current biometrics, like a fingerprint scan, are no longer required for applicants on account of health concerns. USCIS is also implementing a 60-day extension for individuals to respond to some items, like requests for additional evidence to support an application. But the agency is still urging applicants to submit information "on time and in accordance with existing instructions" so as to "prevent a lapse in immigration status."A spokesperson for USCIS said: "We continue to monitor this evolving pandemic and remain prepared to take necessary steps in order to protect the health and safety of our employees, applicants and the nation." But the apparent reluctance to take additional steps—or the failure to provide specific guidance in some cases—stands in stark contrast to swift action from the Trump administration to, for example, push back Tax Day or extend Securities and Exchange Commission filing deadlines. To immigrants and their advocates, the evident lack of concern for those who are put at risk by the lack of uniform social distancing in immigration proceedings is just the latest in a long line of indignities."For whatever reason, USCIS has become an outlier," said Jesse Bless, director of federal litigation for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "Every federal agency is stopping time, and yet USCIS, who may have the largest population of people they serve, they have said it's business as usual."What little guidance there has been has largely put the onus of properly preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus on immigration judges—already the "sacrificial lamb" of the American immigration system. Last Wednesday, Executive Office of Immigration Review Director James McHenry issued a policy memo saying that it was effectively up to individual judges to make the decision to allow attorneys to appear by phone for proceedings and reduce the number of attendees "on a case-by-case basis," and allowing—but not requiring—judges to wave the presence of undocumented immigrants during proceedings and to conduct hearings by teleconference.Immigration proceedings, the National Association of Immigration Judges said in response, are an epidemiologist's worst nightmare for coronavirus transmission, with judges and court staff working "shoulder-to-shoulder," interpreters flying around the country to attend different proceedings, and people in immigration detention being moved in large groups with almost zero chance of proper social distance. The analogue nature of the paper-based immigration court system, too, makes the risk of transmission of infectious disease particularly acute."EOIR's refusal to close detained courts causes a cascade of social interaction that puts all of us at risk," the union said in a statement. "The immigration courts are in the midst of a crisis created by EOIR."One member stated that the crisis demonstrates that the office needs "to be gutted and rebuilt from the ashes.""I've never witnessed an utter lack of concern for people like I have here," the judge said. "In my former life, we treated captured Taliban and ISIS with more humanity. Moreover, I've never seen worse leadership. A crisis usually brings good and bad to the light. We have nothing but darkness."According to immigration advocates, the guidance actually heightens the risk of infection for migrants, as well as their families, attorneys, and the immigration judges presiding over the proceedings."McHenry should reinstate previously rescinded guidelines for telephonic appearances and allow all advocates to appear telephonically for court," said Laura Rivera, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative.Democratic lawmakers say they are keeping close watch on the situation. "Coronavirus has exposed how the most vulnerable experience the most injustice during a crisis," Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus told The Daily Beast. "Instead of listening to CDC guidelines on social distancing, and state and local stay-at-home orders, several immigration courts remain open. This is not only risking the lives of judges, attorneys, and immigrants, but also their loved ones and entire communities."Immigration lawyers describe a similarly difficult and muddled situation for those who are attempting to apply for visas or get them renewed. Thousands of foreign nationals currently in the U.S. will see their legal status expire in coming months, and making those deadlines requires individuals to be in close cooperation with lawyers, as well as workplace H.R. departments, to navigate a complicated and paper-intensive process.That USCIS has not yet extended key deadlines due to the coronavirus emergency forces a set of difficult choices on applicants and their lawyers. Attorneys, said AILA's Bless, are in a Catch-22: meeting their clients in person and gathering evidence may help them make a deadline, but it also puts them in violation of shelter-in-place mandates in effect in many states—and risks spreading the virus.And if applicants, meanwhile, miss deadlines while remaining in the U.S., it can negatively impact their eligibility for legal status down the road. But leaving the country is currently difficult, not to mention dangerous. "From a practical standpoint, how can individuals protect themselves when they can't leave the U.S. and they can't file applications and get evidence to their employer or attorney right now?" asked Bless. "Whether you're an attorney or an individual, the USCIS position is, if nothing else, ramping up and contributing to what is a once in a lifetime stressful situation." The agency's decision to waive the need for new biometrics—and its decision to extend deadlines on some forms of documentation—has been interpreted by advocates as a signal that the administration is aware of the new problems the COVID-19 outbreak is posing for their normal functioning. USCIS has halted all face-to-face engagement with applicants at their offices through at least May 3. Some watchdogs are anticipating that USCIS will end up leaning on existing exceptions for "natural catastrophes and other extreme situations" to provide wiggle room to migrants on a case-by-case basis, according to a congressional source. But advocates are baffled that isn't translating into a broader extension for the many people impacted by the public health emergency. Rodríguez, the former USCIS director, told The Daily Beast that the administration doesn't "have to do anything magical" to make this happen."They have legal tools to do it," Rodríguez said. "I'd think that a global pandemic is an extraordinary circumstance—probably one of most compelling I can think of."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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| ‘We Didn’t Know That Until the Last 24 Hours’: Georgia Gov. Says He Just Found Out People without Symptoms Can Spread Coronavirus Posted: 02 Apr 2020 05:21 AM PDT  While announcing a statewide shelter-in-place order on Wednesday, Georgia governor Brian Kemp, a Republican, said that he had just been informed that asymptomatic individuals could spread the coronavirus.The illness "is now transmitting before people see signs….Those individuals could have been infecting people before they ever felt [symptoms]," Kemp said at a press conference. "We didn't know that until the last 24 hours."It has been widely known for months that the coronavirus can spread through asymptomatic transmission. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its guidelines for outbreak mitigation regarding asymptomatic transmission, leading Georgia health officials to change their projections for an outbreak in the state."It's a combination of recognizing there's a large number of people out there who are infected and who are infected, who are asymptomatic, who never would have been recognized under our old models, but also seeing the community transmission that we're seeing," said Dr. Kathleen Toomey, head of Georgia's Department of Public Health.Governor Kemp had initially resisted signing a shelter-in-place order due to the effect it would have on the state's economy. However, in recent days the governors of Florida, Texas, and South Carolina all introduced limitations on residents' mobility to combat coronavirus spread. Georgia has 4,748 confirmed cases, with Florida at 7,773, Texas at 4,607, and South Carolina at 1,293, according to Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker.With the extent of coronavirus spread across the U.S. becoming clearer, Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday said the outbreak in the U.S. was increasingly comparable to that of Italy, one of the worst outbreaks in the western hemisphere.
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| Russian plane with supplies for virus fight lands in US Posted: 01 Apr 2020 08:25 PM PDT  A Russian military plane carrying medical supplies arrived in the United States on Wednesday, the Russian mission to the UN said, as the Kremlin flexes its soft power during the coronavirus pandemic. The Antonov-124, landed at JFK Airport in New York -- the epicenter of America's coronavirus outbreak -- pictures and video posted on the mission's Twitter page showed. Russia's defense ministry had earlier announced that the plane "with medical masks and medical equipment on board," left for the US overnight, without providing further details.
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| WHO concerned by 'rapid escalation' of virus, as U.S. death toll nears 5,000 Posted: 02 Apr 2020 03:22 AM PDT  "In the next few days we will reach 1 million confirmed cases, and 50 thousand deaths," the World Health Organization's Director-General warned.
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| Fact check: Does New York have a stockpile of thousands of unneeded ventilators? Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:35 PM PDT  While it is true that New York maintains a stockpile of ventilators not in use, it is incorrect that these machines are unneeded.
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