| Senators say leaders from both parties are stopping renewal of small business relief for coronavirus Posted: 16 Apr 2020 03:45 PM PDT  The $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program to aid small businesses is reportedly already used up, and leaders of both parties blame the other for holding up additional funding
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| Trump's guidelines for reopening country show it could take a while Posted: 16 Apr 2020 05:05 PM PDT  President Trump announced new federal guidelines on Thursday for the easing of social distancing orders put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus, leaving their implementation and timing up to state governors.
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| China has been told by the UK that it cannot return to 'business as usual' after the coronavirus pandemic Posted: 16 Apr 2020 10:26 AM PDT  The UK is calling for an investigation into how the coronavirus pandemic started in China.
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| Biden Stumbles Through Televised Interview on Coronavirus Response: ‘You know, There’s — During World War II, You Know, Where Roosevelt Came Up With A Thing’ Posted: 17 Apr 2020 12:28 PM PDT  Joe Biden on Friday stumbled through an interview on his proposed response to the coronavirus pandemic.Following a long and disjointed introduction, Biden appeared to suggest policy proposals similar to those Franklin D. Roosevelt employed to coordinate manufacturing for the war effort in the 1940's.> BIDEN: "Um, you know, there's a, uh, during World War II, uh, you know, where Roosevelt came up with a thing, uh, that, uh, you know, was totally different than a- than the- it's called, he called it, the, you know, the World War II, he had the war- the the War Production Board." pic.twitter.com/CwFSW2UITD> > -- Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) April 17, 2020"You know, there's a, uh — during World War II, you know, Roosevelt came up with a thing that uh, you know was totally different than a, than the, you know he called it you know the, World War II, he had the war… the war production board," Biden said.Biden has a history of public speaking gaffes, although the recent frequency of his slip-ups have allegations of cognitive decline from President Trump and his allies. The former vice president's campaign was thrown into further uncertainty with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced various states to implement mail-in voting for their primaries, and has limited campaign events to virtual platforms.During the height of the outbreak in New York, some Democrats speculated on whether Governor Andrew Cuomo might make a better presidential candidate. Cuomo's favorability ratings shot up in his home state as he dealt with the pandemic, however he has denied that he has any intention of challenging Biden.Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) dropped out of the race after weeks of speculation following a string of Biden primary victories and endorsed the former vice president several days later. Barack Obama has also endorsed his former running-mate.
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| Some small businesses got $0, while lenders got billions Posted: 17 Apr 2020 02:19 PM PDT  Approximately $6 billion of the $350 billion program went to lender fees, as provided in the legislation.
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| Rohingya crisis: UN reports surge of deadly fighting in Myanmar Posted: 17 Apr 2020 01:14 PM PDT  At least 32 civilians are said to have died in fighting between the military and ethnic militants.
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| Coronavirus Deaths in Africa Could Reach 300,000 and Overwhelm Health Systems, Says Report Posted: 17 Apr 2020 07:14 AM PDT  Under the worst-case scenario with no interventions against the virus, Africa could see 3.3 million deaths said a report
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| After dozens of deportees are positive for coronavirus, U.S. deploys CDC to Guatemala to 'validate' its tests Posted: 16 Apr 2020 09:44 PM PDT  After Guatemalan officials reported more than half of deportees on two flights from the U.S. tested positive for COVID-19, the Trump administration deploys the CDC to 'review' the country's results.
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| Ilhan Omar unveils bill to cancel rent and mortgage payments amid pandemic Posted: 17 Apr 2020 09:47 AM PDT  Landlords and mortgage holders would be able to have losses covered by the federal government under the legislation * Coronavirus – live US updates * Live global updates * See all our coronavirus coverageThe Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar has unveiled a bill that would cancel rent and mortgage payments for millions of Americans struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic.Under the legislation announced on Friday, landlords and mortgage holders would be able to have losses covered by the federal government. The program would extend for a month beyond the end of the national emergency, which was declared on 13 March, and would be made retroactive to cover April payments.The proposal comes amid an unprecedented housing crisis: 31% of Americans in rental accommodation could not pay rent at the beginning of this month. Millions have lost their jobs since.Federal answers have been limited. The Cares Act stimulus package included $12bn for Department of Housing and Urban Development programs targeting homelessness and rental assistance. But those funds do little to address the needs of millions of Americans who now find themselves on the edge of acute housing insecurity.National housing groups have called for more funding for rental relief. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates it would cost about $76.1bn over 12 months to provide relief to the 11.5 million people who are already or soon will become severely housing cost-burdened. The group is demanding $100bn in emergency solutions grants towards short-term rental assistance.But many housing advocates are concerned that such assistance would fail to provide the long-term protection needed to prevent mass evictions. A federal eviction moratorium established through the Cares Act extends only through mid-May, prohibiting evictions within properties with federally backed mortgages.Without an enforcement mechanism, or a clear way for tenants to find out if their property is covered, evictions have continued.Omar's bill seeks to tie federal funding to clear renter protections. In order to receive funds, landlords and lenders would be required to follow a set of fair renting and lending practices for five years. These terms would prohibit rent increases, evictions without just cause, discrimination against voucher holders and more. Any owner or mortgagee who breaks the terms would be subject to a fine.Perhaps most ambitiously, the legislation seeks to establish a fund to finance the purchase of private rental properties by not-for-profits, public housing authorities, community land trusts and state and local governments.The legislation was developed with grassroots organizations including People's Action, the Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) and PolicyLink. Such groups hope to introduce the kind of solutions they wanted in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.Dianne Enriquez, CPD housing campaign coordinator, said the 2008 crisis wiped out "millions of dollars in generational wealth", particularly in black and brown communities, when people lost their homes."It created a devastation that we have not recovered from in the 12 years since," she said, adding that as a result, "we are now a majority renter nation".In New York, statewide tenant coalition Housing Justice for All is aiming to organize a million renters to withhold rent and compel the governor, Andrew Cuomo, to cancel rent and mortgage payments. Tenants are also organizing in Philadelphia and California, where thousands have pledged to withhold rent on 1 May.Omar's bill proposes "an amazing way to use the federal stimulus package to not just provide direct relief but the long-term transformation of a real-estate market that's based on speculation and private profit to a housing situation that prioritizes homes", said Cea Weaver, campaign coordinator at Housing Justice for All."It provides a pathway to a different ownership structure that doesn't rely on eviction and rent hikes to make money."
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| Italy's coronavirus death toll rises by 525, new cases push higher Posted: 16 Apr 2020 09:21 AM PDT  Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy increased by 525 on Thursday, down from 578 the day before, but the number of new cases accelerated sharply to 3,786 from a previous 2,667. The daily death toll was the lowest since Sunday, while the tally of new infections was the highest since Sunday. The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 rose to 22,170, the Civil Protection Agency said, the second highest in the world after that of the United States.
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| 11 Modernist Homes for Sale in the U.S. Posted: 17 Apr 2020 11:35 AM PDT |
| Sanders says Biden's sexual assault accuser 'has the right to make her claims and get a public hearing' Posted: 16 Apr 2020 07:53 AM PDT  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has responded to a sexual assault allegation against former Vice President Joe Biden.Last month, Tara Reade, a former assistant to Biden when he was in the Senate, accused Biden of sexual assault during that time. Sanders responded to them for the first time on Thursday, saying Reade "has a right to make her claims and get a public hearing."Sanders was asked about the claims in a Thursday interview with CBS This Morning, partly because Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a prominent Sanders supporter, had recently said the allegations are relevant when it comes to deciding whether to vote for Biden. "I think it's relevant to talk about anything. And I think every woman who feels she has been assaulted has every right in the world to stand up and make her claims," Sanders said. "The public will make their own conclusions about it," Sanders continued, before saying "I just don't know enough about it to comment further."> "I think it's relevant [...] And I think any woman who feels that she was assaulted has every right in the world to stand up and make her claims."> > -Sen. @BernieSanders on sexual assault allegations against VP Biden, via @CBSThisMorning pic.twitter.com/8NM3S7lqUC> > — Cara Korte (@CaraKorte) April 16, 2020Sanders was Biden's top rival in the presidential primary until he suspended his 2020 run last week and endorsed Biden. Biden "firmly believes that women have a right to be heard — and heard respectfully," his campaign said, but maintained Reade's claim is untrue.More stories from theweek.com 5 scathing cartoons about Trump's rush to reopen the economy The new mysteries of coronavirus Why can't you go fishing during the pandemic?
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| Guatemalan suddenly deported under coronavirus 'emergency' measures readmitted to U.S. Posted: 17 Apr 2020 02:32 PM PDT  Gilmer Barrios' case suggests border agents used the new emergency powers to deport an immigrant who had an open case in U.S. courts and no deportation order.
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| City where coronavirus outbreak began revises death toll, reports 50% increase Posted: 17 Apr 2020 05:41 AM PDT  The city where the coronavirus outbreak began revised its death toll, adding at least a 50% increase to its previous count.
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| American Shipments of Coronavirus Supplies Stranded in China Under Export Restrictions Posted: 16 Apr 2020 08:55 AM PDT  American companies have seen their shipments of coronavirus medical equipment, such as face masks and test kits, stranded in China after the country implemented new export restrictions this month.The shipments of personal protective equipment and other medical equipment currently remain in warehouses in China, unable to obtain the new clearances required to be shipped out of the country.About 1.4 million coronavirus test kits made by Massachusetts-based PerkinElmer are not able to leave the company's Suzhou factory under the new restrictions, according to a State Department document obtained by the Wall Street Journal.The document also noted that Minnesota-based 3M was told by a Shanghai vice mayor that Shanghai "relies on 3M's locally produced N-95 respirators for its Covid-19 prevention efforts and lacks viable alternatives." Lifting the restrictions would require permission from the upper echelons of the Chinese government, the mayor indicated, according to the State Department.General Electric was able to extract its shipment of parts needed to make ventilators after days of negotiations. Other companies, however, have not been able to do the same. Healthcare logistics company Owens & Minor, hospital operator Emory Healthcare, and biotech company Cellex have been unable to ship their medical equipment, which includes N95 face masks, isolation gowns, and coronavirus antibody tests.China's rules governing exports "disrupted established supply chains for medical products just as these products were most needed for the global response to Covid-19," one of the State Department documents said. Beijing has said the rules were meant to ensure quality control of medical products and to prevent necessary items from leaving China"Countries across the world are all hunting for medical supplies, causing a big challenge for China's efforts of quality control and regulation of export," the Chinese Embassy in Washington said.U.S. ambassador to China Terry Branstad said Wednesday that he does not believe China is intentionally blocking exports to the U.S. of medical supplies required to fight the pandemic."Yes, they want to enforce their laws and regulations," the ambassador said. "We're trying to say let's use some common sense in doing this, and if it's Food and Drug Administration approved and companies like 3M have already been shipping these things to the United States, it doesn't make sense to hold them up when we feel confident that it meets the quality requirements that we have."U.S. officials have criticized U.S. dependence on Chinese supply chains for medical products as the coronavirus outbreak has caused shortages of desperately needed medical equipment in hospitals across the country."Unfortunately, like others, we are learning in this crisis that over-dependence on other countries as a source of cheap medical products and supplies has created a strategic vulnerability to our economy," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said early this month.
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| Climate change: US megadrought 'already under way' Posted: 17 Apr 2020 05:05 AM PDT  A drought as bad as any in recorded history may be under way in the US.
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| I waited in line for more than 2 hours to take the coronavirus antibody test and got my results in 10 minutes — here's what it was like Posted: 17 Apr 2020 07:37 AM PDT  The drive-thru antibody test for coronavirus took Jon Rettinger of California just 10 minutes from start to finish. His test came back negative.
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| Pompeo tells Russia's Lavrov any new arms control talks must include China Posted: 17 Apr 2020 09:33 AM PDT  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told his Russian counterpart on Friday that any future arms control talks must focus on an American proposal for a new arms control accord that includes Russia and China, the State Department said. Pompeo emphasized in a telephone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that "any future arms control talks must be based on President (Donald) Trump's vision for a trilateral arms control agreement that includes both Russia and China," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.
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| Venezuela slams US over 'vulgar' central bank funds seizure Posted: 17 Apr 2020 02:56 PM PDT  Venezuela on Friday hit out at the United States over the seizure of $342 million that its central bank had held in an account at Citibank. In a Twitter post, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza blasted the "vulgar dispossession" of the money "ordered" by the US -- and pointed to "complicity" by the opposition-controlled National Assembly. The US-based assets of Venezuela's central bank are among those that have been frozen under tough sanctions put in place by the government of President Donald Trump.
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| Disgraced Trump aide Roger Stone is denied new trial as judge rejects jury bias claims Posted: 17 Apr 2020 12:27 AM PDT  Donald Trump's longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone has been denied a new trial after a failed attempt to claim jury bias during a previous trial.Amy Berman Jackson, a US District Court Judge in Washington DC, rejected Mr Stone's claim that a jury forewoman with strong opinions on the US president had been biased against him.
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| Elizabeth Warren is the 'candidate to beat' in Biden running mate poll of Wisconsin and Michigan Democrats Posted: 17 Apr 2020 11:21 AM PDT  A poll of Democrats in Michigan and Wisconsin found that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) was "the overall candidate to beat" as presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden's running mate, Axios reports.In a poll conducted by MRG Research for Donors of Color Action that Axios reviewed, 62 percent of registered Democratic voters in Wisconsin said Warren would make a "good" or "great" vice president, putting her ahead of Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) at 57 percent and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) at 52 percent. In Michigan, 53 percent of voters supported Warren as vice president, below only the state's governor, Gretchen Whitmer (D), who this week said Biden's running mate "is not going to be me.""Warren reflected the most consistent support among white and black voters in both states," although former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams was the top choice for black voters, Axios reports.This comes as Abrams and Warren this week have both expressed interest in serving as Biden's vice president in interviews. Abrams in an interview with Elle said she would be "an excellent running mate," and asked on MSNBC whether she would be Biden's running mate if asked, Warren responded, "Yes." The poll surveyed 1,640 registered voters in Wisconsin and Michigan from March 23 through April 5. The margin of error is 3.5 percentage points. Read more at Axios. More stories from theweek.com 5 scathing cartoons about Trump's rush to reopen the economy Why can't you go fishing during the pandemic? Cuomo reacts to Trump tweet in real time, slams president for 'sitting home watching TV'
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| U.S. intel community examining whether coronavirus emerged accidentally from a Chinese lab Posted: 16 Apr 2020 09:05 AM PDT  One expert said the theory the virus came from a Wuhan animal market has lost favor in some quarters, in part because an early patient had no market link.
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| Essential Gifts for Bakers That Go Beyond the Kitchen Posted: 17 Apr 2020 09:00 AM PDT |
| Beijing Admits to Undercounting Coronavirus Deaths, Raises Wuhan Death Toll by 50 Percent Posted: 17 Apr 2020 07:49 AM PDT  The Chinese Communist Party has revised its reported death count in Wuhan by exactly 50 percent, an attempt to improve the "credibility of the government" as residents and experts have warned the actual count is far higher that what's been previously reported.In an interview Friday with the Xinhua state news agency, officials pointed to unreported deaths at homes as the reason for the revision, to show "accountability to history, to the people and the victims," and to promote "open and transparent disclosure of information and data accuracy." Deaths rose 1,290 to 3,869 in the revised number.But Wuhan residents have warned that the death count is at least 40,000, pointing to increased demands on funeral homes and cremation numbers, which the government has censored reporting on. U.S. intelligence has also told the White House that mid-level bureaucrats in Wuhan have been lying about the number of cases, with some experts estimating that the total caseload in China could be close to three million, way above the official count of over 82,000 officially confirmed cases."The provinces report nonsense, such as Jiangsu with zero deaths in a population of 80 million," Derek Scissors of the American Enterprise Institute told National Review. "The lessons China learned are all wasted, even harmful if decision-makers elsewhere believe China is offering accurate information and represents a model."Wuhan lifted its total lockdown earlier this month, but city doctors have warned that tens of thousands of asymptomatic cases could exist, in comments that were subsequently removed from publication by the government.
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| Jeff Bezos reportedly buys 4th condo in NYC for $16 million and now owns nearly $100 million in property in one building alone Posted: 17 Apr 2020 08:32 AM PDT  The latest purchase would be on top of the $80 million worth of real estate Jeff Bezos already owns in the same New York City building.
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| Still reeling from pig disease, China pork output drops for 6th quarter Posted: 17 Apr 2020 03:37 AM PDT  China's pork output dropped for a sixth straight quarter, as the world's top producer continued to reel from the impact of the African swine fever disease that decimated its hog herd. A sharp 29% plunge in first-quarter output underlines the extent of the impact from the disease and the huge task the sector faces in trying to rebuild after African swine fever killed millions of pigs since August 2018. It slashed China's pork output to a 16-year low of 42.6 million tonnes in 2019, while some experts estimate the sow herd shrank by at least 60% last year after the disease spread throughout the country, largely unreported.
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| Stephen Colbert Brutally Mocks Pro-Trump Coronavirus Protesters Posted: 16 Apr 2020 09:55 PM PDT  "With the economy plummeting, people are understandably eager to open things up again," Stephen Colbert said near the end of his Late Show monologue Thursday night. But some are more eager than others. The host proceeded to take on the pro-Trump protesters who have been gathering in large numbers this week to pressure state governments into ending stay-at-home orders, including a group in Ohio who attempted to storm the statehouse in Columbus. "Well, I'm sure that convinced the legislators," Colbert said sarcastically. "You know, the medical data doesn't back up an early reopen, but I did hear some sound policy ideas from lady flag-screamer and guy-in-a-Purge-mask." And then there were the "angry Trump supporters" in Michigan who blocked traffic, honked their horns and waved Confederate flags. "Because nothing says 'never surrender' like a Confederate flag," Colbert joked. John Oliver and Countess Luann: The Comedy Duo We Need Right NowTrevor Noah Mocks 'Idiot' Kellyanne Conway's 'COVID-1' NonsenseHe also played footage of the protesters directing a "classic Trump chant" at Governor Gretchen Whitmer: "Lock her up! Lock her up!"Or as Colbert put it, "Lock her up! Wait, never mind! It's safer inside! Make her go out! Lock me up! Inside my house! But first I need some eggs!" For more, listen and subscribe to The Last Laugh podcast.Read 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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| US says probing if coronavirus came from Chinese lab Posted: 16 Apr 2020 09:16 AM PDT  President Donald Trump's administration is investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, saying it doesn't rule out that it came from a laboratory researching bats in Wuhan, China. Chinese scientists have said the virus, which has killed more than 138,700 people worldwide, was likely transmitted to humans late last year at a Wuhan "wet market" that slaughtered exotic animals -- a longtime focus of concern for public health experts. "We're doing a full investigation of everything we can to learn how it is the case that this virus got away, got out into the world and now has created so much tragedy -- so much death -- here in the United States and all around the world," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News.
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| Senate fails to provide more coronavirus relief money for small businesses Posted: 16 Apr 2020 10:18 AM PDT  A government loan program for small businesses hit by the coronavirus pandemic is out of funds, and there's disagreement on how to replenish it.
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| Chinese and Malaysian ships in South China Sea standoff: Sources Posted: 17 Apr 2020 10:57 AM PDT  A Chinese government survey ship is tagging an exploration vessel operated by Malaysia's state oil company, Petronas, in disputed waters in the South China Sea, three regional security sources said on Friday.
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| Michigan Gov. Whitmer says she hopes to have 'some relaxing' of stay-at-home order by May 1 Posted: 17 Apr 2020 05:46 AM PDT  The Democratic governor did not elaborate Friday on which part of the order she might be willing to lift.
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| Huge British coronavirus drug trial could produce results by June Posted: 17 Apr 2020 04:36 AM PDT  Britain has enrolled more than 5,000 COVID-19 patients, or 10 percent of the country's cases, in a clinical trial to test out several drugs to treat the new coronavirus. The Recovery trial, conducted at 165 National Health Service hospitals, is "by far the largest trial in the world," Peter Horby, the Oxford University infectious disease professor leading it, told The Guardian. With such a large number of subjects, "we're guessing some time in June we may get the results," though "if it is really clear that there are benefits, an answer will be available quicker," he added.The study has randomly split the subjects into groups of 500 to 900 to test different drugs, with 2,000 patients getting placebos in a control group. Among the drugs being tested — first individually, but later perhaps in different combinations — are the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, the antibiotic azithromycin, two HIV antiretroviral drugs (lopinavir-ritonavir), and the anti-inflammatory steroid dexamethasone. Horby said his team will include other drugs soon and hopes to obtain a supply of the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir."We haven't got anything like a magic bullet," Horby cautioned. "I think we have to temper people's expectations about these drugs. It's possible some might have an effect, but it's likely to be modest. I think what we'll be looking at in terms of making a significant impact will be moving on to combinations once we know of things that work." Read more about the Recovery trial at The Guardian.More stories from theweek.com 5 scathing cartoons about Trump's rush to reopen the economy Why can't you go fishing during the pandemic? Cuomo reacts to Trump tweet in real time, slams president for 'sitting home watching TV'
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| Mexico Central Bank Rebuffs AMLO Request for Surplus Fund Posted: 16 Apr 2020 03:17 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador met central bank Governor Alejandro Diaz de Leon to ask for an advance on the bank's exchange-rate surplus. He returned empty-handed, for now.In a statement, Banxico said that both Lopez Obrador and Diaz de Leon discussed the importance of following the existing procedure and timing regarding the surplus as laid out in the central bank's own regulations.The surplus -- which is scheduled to be paid out in April next year -- may eventually represent a windfall for Mexico's government as it tries to hold its fiscal position amid shocks from an oil slump and the coronavirus."Banxico won't know how much is left over until the end of the year," said New York-based Bank of America economist Carlos Capistran. "It seems appropriate to me that Banxico respects the timing established by the law."Lopez Obrador had said that he would ask about a possible advance payment on that funding in a morning press conference on Thursday. In a tweet after the meeting, the president said that discussions were cordial and that he had reiterated his absolute respect for the central bank's independence.(Adds Capistran quote in fourth paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Pentagon chief pours cold water on theory that coronavirus was released from a Wuhan lab, despite Trump admin investigation Posted: 17 Apr 2020 05:55 AM PDT  Defense Secretary Mark Esper said most theories view the coronavirus as having emerged naturally, despite a government probe into a Wuhan lab.
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| Iran says 'illegal' U.S. presence in Gulf causes insecurity: IRNA Posted: 17 Apr 2020 12:44 AM PDT  Iran's defense minister on Friday dismissed U.S. reports of harassment by Iranian vessels as "baseless" and said the "illegal and aggressive" American presence in the Gulf was causing insecurity in the region. "What leads to insecurity in the Persian Gulf region is actually the illegal and aggressive presence of the Americans who have come from the other end of the world to our borders and make such baseless claims," Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami told reporters in Tehran, according to IRNA.
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| China's economy in worst downturn since '60s in virus battle Posted: 16 Apr 2020 07:06 PM PDT  China faces a drawn-out struggle to revive an economy that suffered its biggest contraction since possibly the mid-1960s after millions of people were told to stay home to fight the coronavirus. The world's second-largest economy shrank by 6.8% from a year earlier in the quarter ending in March after factories, offices and shopping malls were closed to contain the outbreak, official data showed Friday. China, where the pandemic began in December, is the first major economy to start to recover after the ruling Communist Party declared the virus under control.
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| Alarms ring as Greenland ice loss causes 40% of 2019 sea level rise Posted: 16 Apr 2020 11:20 AM PDT  The kilometres-thick icesheet that covers Greenland saw a near-record imbalance last year between new snowfall and the discharge of meltwater and ice into the ocean, scientists have reported. A net loss of 600 billion tonnes was enough to raise the global watermark 1.5 millimetres, about 40 percent of total sea level rise in 2019. The Greenland icesheet -- which, until the end of the 20th century accumulated as much mass as it shed -- holds enough frozen water to lift the world's oceans by seven metres.
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| Top House Republican Backs Dem. Hospital Funding Proposal as Part of Small Business Loan Package Posted: 17 Apr 2020 11:51 AM PDT  House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) announced on Friday that he would back a Democratic proposal to add hospital funding to a $250 billion relief package for small business loans, signaling that Congress may be closer to passing the legislation."Hospitals need the help. Hospitals are the modern-day soldiers," Mr. McCarthy told the Wall Street Journal. "I'd like to see money in there—money in the [Paycheck Protection Program] and money in hospitals—that would be a very smart move right now."Republicans have repeatedly urged their Democratic colleagues to back legislation that would replenish the Paycheck Protection Program, which was established with an initial $350 billion in loans to small businesses to provide relief during the coronavirus pandemic.The PPP ran out of funds on Thursday, faster than expected. While Republicans sought to pass emergency relief by unanimous consent, Democrats have insisted that the legislation include additional aid to hospitals and local governments, as well as targeted aid for minority and women-owned businesses.A deal must be "a little more comprehensive than just giving money to one small business program," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) told reporters on Friday. Schumer said he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would continue talks with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin regarding the legislation.However, some Democrats have called to immediately fund the PPP. Karen Mills, the head of the Small Business Administration during Barack Obama's first term, called on Democrats to act quickly to refund the program."Congress has to act as soon as possible," Mills told Roll Call on Thursday.Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D., Ariz.) on Thursday also backed immediate funding for the PPP."The Senate should approve additional funding by unanimous consent ASAP," Sinema wrote on Twitter on Thursday. "Small businesses need our help to survive during this emergency."
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| The 10 Most Challenging Puzzles To Try While You Stay Home Posted: 17 Apr 2020 11:58 AM PDT |
| Two felons escape Wisconsin prison, residents told 'lock your doors' Posted: 16 Apr 2020 01:23 PM PDT  "Please lock your doors, and stay home. See anyone suspicious call 911," the Columbia County Sheriff's Office said in a statement..
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| Coronavirus nightmare in Ecuador's main city Guayaquil - pictures Posted: 17 Apr 2020 02:00 PM PDT  Guayaquil is one of the worst-hit places in Latin America in the pandemic.
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| Fact check: Black people being targeted in Guangzhou, China, over COVID-19 fears Posted: 16 Apr 2020 07:50 AM PDT  Discrimination against blacks in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, including an incident at McDonald's, has sparked outrage.
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| Wuhan abruptly increased its coronavirus death toll to 50% higher than previously reported Posted: 17 Apr 2020 09:53 AM PDT  Local officials in Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus began, blamed the discrepancy on past underreporting from an overwhelmed medical system.
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| Saudi Aramco's oil allocations to Asia down by about 2 million bpd in May - Saudi source Posted: 17 Apr 2020 03:43 AM PDT  Saudi Aramco has allocated around 4 million barrels per day of crude oil to its Asian customers, which is lower than its full contractual volumes to Asia by about 2 million bpd, a Saudi oil source familiar with the company's plans told Reuters on Friday. The Saudi source was clarifying a Reuters report earlier on Friday, which cited four source saying Aramco has notified some refiners in Asia that it would supply full contractual volumes of crude in May.
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| Europe Is Taking a Harder Look at China After Virus Suspicions Posted: 17 Apr 2020 04:42 AM PDT |
| Michigan Gov. Claims Protesters are Spreading Virus, Making It ‘More Likely’ State Will Continue Strict Lockdown Measures Posted: 16 Apr 2020 12:53 PM PDT  Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer suggested the "sad part" of state residents protesting her strict quarantine measures was that they would likely be exposed to and spread Wuhan coronavirus, resulting in further lockdowns.Thousands of protestors, organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition under the hashtag OperationGridlock, took to the capitol in Lansing on Wednesday to voice their disapproval of Whitmer's rules, which include the closing of businesses selling hardware supplies and gardening seeds, and the banning of travel "between residences." While Whitmer said she respected the "right" of the "small segment of the state" to protest, she warned they could be furthering the lockdowns by refusing to social distance."We have to take serious measures, and people are getting a little stir-crazy from being at home, being worried about work, worried about paying the bills, worried about their businesses, and a small segment of the state is protesting, and that's their right," she stated. "The sad part is, though, that the more likely they're out and about, the more likely they are to spread COVID-19 and the more likely we're going to have to spread this posture for a longer period of time."> Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: "A small segment of the state is protesting, and that's their right. The sad part is, though, that the more likely they're out and about, the more likely they are to spread COVID-19 and the more likely we're going to have to spread this posture." pic.twitter.com/eMo4aNxfpB> > -- The Hill (@thehill) April 16, 2020In a Wednesday interview with MSNBC's Joy Reid, Whitmer went further, saying the protest was "essentially a political rally.""This small group that came together without masks on, passing out candy with bare hands to children, who were congregating together, brandishing their weapons, having posters of being anti-choice — this was a political rally. It was a political rally that is going to endanger people's lives because this is precisely how COVID-19 spreads," she stated.As of April 16, Michigan has the fourth-most coronavirus cases in the country with 28,059 and 1,921 deaths.
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| Biden looks to placate Sanders by letting him keep delegates Posted: 17 Apr 2020 04:59 PM PDT  Seeking to avoid the bitter feelings that marred the 2016 Democratic convention, Joe Biden's campaign is angling to allow Bernie Sanders to keep some of the delegates he would otherwise forfeit by dropping out of the presidential race. Under a strict application of party rules, Sanders should lose about a third of the delegates he's won in primaries and caucuses as the process moves ahead and states select the actual people who will attend the Democratic National Convention. The rules say those delegates should be Biden supporters, as he is the only candidate still actively seeking the party's nomination.
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