| Citing coronavirus, Trump threatens to adjourn Congress to make recess appointments Posted: 15 Apr 2020 04:29 PM PDT  President Trump said Wednesday that he was considering taking the unprecedented step of adjourning both houses of Congress in order to make recess appointments to fill government posts, citing the emergency created by the coronavirus outbreak.
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| Can you tell a coronavirus cough from a regular cold? There could be an app for that. Posted: 15 Apr 2020 01:08 PM PDT  Everyone knows that one of the main presenting symptoms of COVID-19 is cough. But what kind of cough, exactly? The data will be secure, Karlin emphasizes, and the app will not run in the background or monitor other people nearby.
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| Kim Jong Un tribute absence sparks speculation Posted: 15 Apr 2020 08:02 PM PDT  The April 15 birthday of the North's founder is the most important celebration of the nuclear-armed country's annual political calendar, known as the Day of the Sun. The state KCNA news agency did not mention him in a Thursday report on senior officials visiting the Kumsusan Palace to pay the "highest tribute" to the two late leaders.
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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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| Brazil Negotiating With Maduro to Repatriate Staff in Venezuela Posted: 15 Apr 2020 09:31 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Brazil is negotiating with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to airlift diplomatic and military staff who are stranded after his government denied permission for a Brazilian Air Force cargo jet to land in Caracas, two people familiar with the matter said.The plane was scheduled to land in the Venezuelan capital on Friday to pick up diplomatic officials and their family members as part of Brazil's repatriation efforts during the coronavirus pandemic, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to discuss the subject publicly.But Venezuelan military officials on Wednesday told the Brazilian embassy a permit to land would no longer be provided, without providing a reason. More than 50 embassy and consular employees and their relatives now don't know if and how they will be able to leave the country, the people said.Brazil's foreign ministry said late Wednesday night it was following the case and insisted no citizen would be left behind, citing the more than 10,000 Brazilians who have so far been brought home in the wake of the pandemic. The international department of Brazil's justice ministry said it's aware of the situation.Calls requesting comment to Venezuela's Ministry of Communication and Information outside of regular business hours went unanswered.Brazil was on track to withdraw its personnel in Venezuela even before the pandemic. In February, Brazil decided to withdraw its diplomatic personnel from the country in another attempt to increase Maduro's isolation. But the move was set up as a gradual process in which diplomats and other employees used then-available commercial flights.Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a U.S. ally, recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate leader of Venezuela and has provided Guaido's envoy in Brasilia full ambassador status. The U.S. campaign to try to oust Maduro with economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation and backing for Guaido has so far failed to dislodge the Venezuelan leader, who has remained solidly entrenched with the apparent support of his military.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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| 'Commander' of New Mexico group that detained migrants near border is sentenced Posted: 16 Apr 2020 02:16 PM PDT  Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 70, was arrested in 2019. He was a "commander" of a group accused of detaining migrants at the New Mexico-Mexico border.
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| Photos and charts show how the natural world is thriving now that humans are staying indoors Posted: 16 Apr 2020 04:29 AM PDT  From cleaner beaches to less air pollution, here are 10 examples of how the world's condition is improving while people stay indoors.
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| Sen. Mitt Romney was the only GOP senator not invited on Trump's new coronavirus advisory group Posted: 16 Apr 2020 02:55 PM PDT  Sen. Mitt Romney was the only Republican senator not invited to serve on the president's new panel addressing ways to reopen the country.
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| 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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| IMF approves $1.4 billion in coronavirus aid to Pakistan Posted: 16 Apr 2020 04:18 PM PDT  The IMF on Thursday approved nearly $1.4 billion in emergency aid to Pakistan to help it weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. "While uncertainty remains high, the near-term economic impact of COVID-19 is expected to be significant, giving rise to large fiscal and external financing needs," the international lender said in a statement. Pakistan has recorded just over 100 deaths but experts have voiced fear that the country of 215 million people could see a rapid and devastating increase due to its shortage of medical infrastructure and crowded cities.
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| Gov. Andrew Cuomo just extended New York's stay-at-home order to May 15 Posted: 16 Apr 2020 09:19 AM PDT  Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday that New York's stay-at-home order would be extended to May 15.
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| China tries to revive economy but consumer engine sputters Posted: 15 Apr 2020 06:42 PM PDT  China, where the coronavirus pandemic started in December, is cautiously trying to get back to business, but it's not easy when many millions of workers are wary of spending much or even going out. Millions of families were told to stay home under unprecedented controls that have been copied by the United States, Europe and India. The ruling Communist Party says the outbreak, which had killed more than 3,340 people among more than 82,341 confirmed cases as of Thursday, is under control.
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| Britons make a noise for their health workers with weekly applause Posted: 16 Apr 2020 07:33 AM PDT  Britons applauded health workers from their front doors and windows again on Thursday in what has become a weekly moment of cacophony and solidarity during the coronavirus lockdown. Foreign minister Dominic Raab and finance minister Rishi Sunak joined in from outside the Foreign Office, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson continues to recuperate after contracting COVID-19. "Like millions of people across the country, the Prime Minister joined in the clap for carers this evening, to say thank you for the incredible efforts of the country's doctors, nurses and care workers," his office said in a statement.
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| Coronavirus: Japan declares nationwide state of emergency Posted: 16 Apr 2020 06:55 AM PDT  Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been facing criticism for his response to the coronavirus outbreak.
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| Immigrants living illegally in California to receive cash amid coronavirus Posted: 16 Apr 2020 04:23 AM PDT  California is giving cash payments to immigrants living in the country illegally who are being affected by the coronavirus.
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| Defense chief says Navy captain who raised coronavirus concerns could return Posted: 16 Apr 2020 06:15 AM PDT  Capt. Brett Crozier was removed after a strongly worded letter to Navy leadership detailed his concerns about the spread of the coronavirus on the USS Roosevelt.
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| Bill Gates says Trump's decision to ax WHO funding during a pandemic is just 'as dangerous as it sounds' Posted: 15 Apr 2020 05:26 AM PDT  President Trump announced Tuesday evening that he will direct the government to stop funding the World Health Organization and "assess the WHO's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus." Bill Gates, who has steered much of his Microsoft fortune to public health initiatives, said halting funding for the WHO "during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds," because "their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them."> Bill Gates has taken pains during this crisis to not really respond to Trump directly.> > Not being as cautious now. https://t.co/Wblj3MeFET> > — Teddy Schleifer (@teddyschleifer) April 15, 2020His wasn't the lone voice of criticism. Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association, said cutting off the WHO during "the worst public health crisis in a century" is a "dangerous step in the wrong direction," adding, "Fighting a global pandemic requires international cooperation and reliance on science and data." Nahid Bhadelia, a Boston University infectious disease expert, called the WHO "our eyes on the global scope of this pandemic" and said stripping it of 15 percent of its budget now "is an absolute disaster."Democrats and even some conservatives joined in the condemnation of what The New York Times called "the latest example of the president's attempt to shift the blame for the handling of the crisis." Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said the WHO could have "declared a global health emergency sooner," but "withholding funds for WHO in the midst of the worst pandemic in a century makes as much sense as cutting off ammunition to an ally as the enemy closes in. The White House knows that it grossly mishandled this crisis from the beginning." Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Ct.) said Trump had little room to talk.> Trump is suspending funding for the WHO because he says they were too complimentary of China. > > See below. https://t.co/q1SzCHuY0D> > — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 15, 2020Not everyone thought it was a bad idea, though. Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro told Fox News that WHO officials have "blood on their hands" for having "fail[ed] us in a pandemic."More stories from theweek.com Michigan governor says protesters against stay-at-home order 'might have just created a need to lengthen it' Netflix is now worth more than Disney Why can't you go fishing during the pandemic?
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| My cruise was canceled due to coronavirus. Here's how experts say you should navigate refunds, credits Posted: 15 Apr 2020 07:22 AM PDT  I was scheduled to depart on my first cruise on May 10 on Royal Caribbean's Oasis Of The Seas. Until the coronavirus pandemic struck.
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| Putin, Xi slam attempts to blame China for late virus response Posted: 16 Apr 2020 11:09 AM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday rejected as counterproductive attempts to blame Beijing for delaying informing the world about the coronavirus, the Kremlin said. Putin and Xi spoke after US President Donald Trump's administration berated China for not sharing data more quickly. Washington is also investigating the origins of the coronavirus -- which has killed more than 140,000 people worldwide -- saying it doesn't rule out that the disease came from a laboratory researching bats in Wuhan, China.
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| US Navy sailors aboard French aircraft carrier hit hard by coronavirus have tested positive for the virus Posted: 15 Apr 2020 08:43 AM PDT  All of the US Navy sailors assigned to the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier as part of an exchange program are reportedly in quarantine.
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| Mexico sees widespread noncompliance with business closures Posted: 15 Apr 2020 06:15 PM PDT  Mexico's coronavirus point-man said Wednesday there has been widespread non-compliance with orders for all non-essential businesses to close. Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell said those firms that don't comply would be inspected, fined and possibly subject to criminal investigations for endangering the health of employees. While there have been widespread reports that border assembly plants known as maquiladoras had failed to close during the pandemic, López-Gatell cited only one border state — Baja California — as having a high level of non-compliance.
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| India charges Muslim leader with culpable homicide for coronavirus surge Posted: 15 Apr 2020 11:07 PM PDT |
| Stacey Abrams, a top choice for vice president, pitches herself to Joe Biden: ‘I would be an excellent running mate’ Posted: 15 Apr 2020 11:57 AM PDT  Stacey Abrams, the former Democratic gubernatorial candidate from Georgia who lost in a race mired in voter suppression controversies, has said she would make an "excellent running mate" for Joe Biden in a new interview.The popular Georgia Democrat told Elle Magazine she would be "honoured" to serve as the former vice president's running mate in the race for the White House against Donald Trump, while outlining her qualifications and enthusiasm for the role.
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| Nurses suspended for refusing to treat coronavirus patients unless they have N95 masks Posted: 16 Apr 2020 03:54 AM PDT  Nurses at a California hospital were suspended after they refused to enter the rooms of coronavirus patients unless they had N95 respirator masks.
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| Trump Is Right about the WHO Posted: 16 Apr 2020 03:30 AM PDT  President Trump announced that he would halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) pending an investigation into the agency's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The White House based its decision on a series of misleading statements issued by the WHO, as well as on director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus's effusive praise of the Chinese government. (Not coincidentally, China backed Tedros's bid to lead the organization in 2017.)Critics charge Trump with scapegoating the WHO for the administration's failures, while others caution that pulling funding will weaken efforts to combat the pandemic. They are wrong on both counts.It's no secret that the White House got off to a late start in combating the coronavirus. Trump downplayed the threat of the disease even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans to brace for an outbreak, and we criticized him for it. But this obviously doesn't vindicate the World Health Organization. We noted its failures last week.Tedros objected to Trump's correct decision to impose travel restrictions on China, claiming it would "have the effect of increasing fear and stigma, with little public health benefit" — a stark contrast with his deferential statements about China's response. In mid January, the WHO announced that there was "no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus," despite numerous reports to the contrary. Parroting Chinese misinformation wasn't enough for Tedros: He went on to praise the Chinese Communist Party for "setting a new standard for outbreak control." Later, Tedros overruled the objections of WHO colleagues and delayed the declaration of a public-health emergency, which cost the world precious time in preparing for the pandemic.Because there are no existing vaccines or proven treatments for COVID-19, information is our most valuable resource in fighting this pandemic. Policymakers must calibrate their responses based on data collected domestically and received from abroad. In its capacity as the facilitator of international information exchanges, the WHO is supposed to vet and disseminate data from its 194 member states. The organization fell down on this most basic task by buying Chinese spin wholesale.Some argue that withholding our funding of the WHO — $400 million a year — will hinder its international relief efforts. This is a legitimate concern, but the WHO's missteps themselves hindered the fight against the pandemic at a critical stage. In any event, U.S. funding of pandemic relief does not depend on any single multilateral bureaucracy. In fact, the U.S. has already spent more than $500 million on foreign aid to combat the pandemic — roughly 25 percent of the WHO's annual budget — on top of existing contributions to multilateral and nongovernmental organizations. During the 60-day hold on funds to the WHO, the White House says it will redirect resources to public-health programs untainted by Chinese influence. While the White House conducts its investigation, the WHO will retain the bulk of its considerable resources. In the meantime, it will deservedly face more international scrutiny for its apparent complicity in China's coverup of the coronavirus.The more the World Health Organization capitulates to Chinese soft power, the less effective — and the less deserving of our support — it will be. The White House is right to bring serious pressure to bear to try to check this trend.
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| Ivanka Trump skirted coronavirus guidelines to travel to N.J. for Passover Posted: 16 Apr 2020 08:34 AM PDT  The president's daughter has promoted staying at home during the pandemic.
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| China secretly prepared for a pandemic as tens of thousands of people dined together in Wuhan, AP reports Posted: 15 Apr 2020 03:51 AM PDT  There was compelling evidence by late December that the new coronavirus in Wuhan, China, was spreading from person to person, but Chinese officials didn't take the threat of a significant outbreak seriously until the coronavirus was detected in Thailand on Jan. 13, The Associated Press reports, citing internal documents and interviews with Chinese officials. Top officials in Beijing started preparing for a pandemic on Jan. 14, but secretly, keeping the public in the dark as the virus spread for six days. President Xi Jinping issued a televised warning on Jan. 20, at which point more than 3,000 people had been infected.Chinese officials spent the six days distributing test kits to trace the virus nationwide, ordering wider screening of patients, preparing hospitals for an infectious virus, and easing the stringent rules for confirming coronavirus infections, AP reports. During that week, Wuhan "hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of people" and "millions began traveling through for Lunar New Year celebrations.""If they took action six days earlier, there would have been much fewer patients and medical facilities would have been sufficient," Zuo-Feng Zhang, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, told AP. "We might have avoided the collapse of Wuhan's medical system," and lives would have been saved. Researchers later estimated that if the public had been warned a week earlier and told to wear masks, forego travel, and social-distance, cases could have been cut by up to two-thirds.China denies that it hid the outbreak early on, and some outside experts argue that Beijing's actions were defensible given its private actions and the risk of provoking unnecessary hysteria. "But the early story of the pandemic in China shows missed opportunities at every step," AP reports. "Under Xi, China's most authoritarian leader in decades, increasing political repression has made officials more hesitant to report cases without a clear green light from the top." Read more at The Associated Press.More stories from theweek.com Michigan governor says protesters against stay-at-home order 'might have just created a need to lengthen it' Elizabeth Warren, mother of plans, would say yes to Joe Biden's VP offer, makes Samantha Bee feel hope Why can't you go fishing during the pandemic?
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| These European Countries Are Slowly Lifting Coronavirus Lockdowns. Here's What That Looks Like Posted: 16 Apr 2020 10:46 AM PDT  From France to Italy, here's how European countries are handling lifting coronavirus restrictions.
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| Israeli president asks parliament to choose prime minister Posted: 16 Apr 2020 12:37 AM PDT  Israel's president on Thursday asked the Knesset to choose a new prime minister, giving parliament three weeks to agree upon a leader or plunge the country into an unprecedented fourth consecutive election in just over a year. President Reuven Rivlin made the move after his prime minister-designate, former military chief Benny Gantz, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to reach a power-sharing deal by a midnight deadline. The bitter rivals had pledged to form an "emergency" government to steer the country through the coronavirus crisis, which has ravaged the economy and sent unemployment to record highs.
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| Trump administration aims to buy milk, meat to help farmers hit by coronavirus: Perdue Posted: 15 Apr 2020 09:19 AM PDT  The decision comes amid rising pressure from the U.S. farm lobby for government purchases as growers and ranchers struggle to get their goods to market because of disruptions caused by the pandemic, forcing some of them to throw out their supplies. "We want to purchase as much of this milk, or other protein products, hams and pork products, and move them into where they can be utilized in our food banks, or possibly even into international humanitarian aid," Perdue said in an interview on Fox News. Reuters reported on Monday that Department of Agriculture will spend up to $15.5 billion in the initial phase of its plan to bolster the nation's food supply chain against the impacts of the outbreak, the first big push to ensure the pandemic doesn't trigger consumer food shortages.
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| India coronavirus: Tablighi Jamaat leader on manslaughter charge over Covid-19 Posted: 16 Apr 2020 07:50 AM PDT  The head of Tablighi Jamaat faces arrest after a gathering spawned Covid-19 clusters across India.
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| Obama convinced Bernie Sanders to drop out by arguing that he already succeeded in pushing Biden to the left, new report says Posted: 15 Apr 2020 03:12 AM PDT  The former president and Vermont senator had four lengthy talks starting in late March which led to Sanders ending his Democratic presidential bid.
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| Nigerian Forces Imposing Virus Controls Kill 18, ThisDay Says Posted: 16 Apr 2020 12:46 AM PDT |
| WHO chief Tedros in the eye of pandemic and Trump storm Posted: 15 Apr 2020 01:43 PM PDT  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the first African to head the World Health Organization, has drawn the ire of US President Donald Trump over his chummy tone with China in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump ramped up criticism of him and the WHO, accusing them of being too close to China and have mismanaged the response to the pandemic. On Tuesday, the US president announced that Washington, the biggest contributor to the UN health agency, would suspend its funding.
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| Coronavirus may wane this summer, but don't count on any seasonal variation to end the pandemic Posted: 15 Apr 2020 03:30 PM PDT  Will SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, fade away on its own this summer?After all, other viruses – including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes bronchiolitis in little children – are mostly seen in the winter.The National Academies' Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats recently addressed the question of whether SARS-CoV-2 will follow the same pattern. The group of experts corralled the research that's been done so far – much of it not yet peer-reviewed – to assess the evidence.While there is some reason to hope that things may get better as the weather warms up, there is plenty of reason for the U.S. to keep its guard up. Are heat and humidity reason for hope?Although the U.S. is early in the course of the pandemic, there is evidence from other countries that SARS-CoV-2 spreads more rapidly in cold, dry weather.One preprint study of 30 Chinese provinces showed that the number of COVID-19 cases went down by between 36% and 57% for every 1.8 degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature. When temperatures held steady in the low 40s F, the number of cases went down between 11% and 22% with each 1% increase in relative humidity (how much water is in the air).A larger preprint study looking at 310 regions in 116 countries found that 11% more cases were reported when the temperature went down 9 degrees, the relative humidity went down 10% and when the wind speed went up. Laboratory research also suggest that the virus survives longer in cold conditions. One study showed that SARS-CoV-2 lasts for 14 days at 40 F in lab media but is gone after one day at 98.6 F.These and other studies suggest that warm, humid weather may slow the spread of this virus, although not all commentators agree.New research on this topic appears almost daily, and scientists are watching to see what happens as summer comes to the Northern Hemisphere. Which clues call for caution?COVID-19 is already spreading in many parts of the world where it's hot, including Australia and South America, demonstrating that high temperatures are not enough to stop the disease.The most important reason to be concerned about ongoing spread is the fact that this is a brand new virus for humans, so almost everyone is susceptible to being infected.In fact, weather actually appears to play a minor role in the rate at which this virus spreads.Other influences on infection rates include individual behaviors, cultural practices, geography, income and living conditions. Public health practices such as social distancing, the intensity of testing for infection, contact tracing, quarantine of people who are exposed and isolation of people who are actually infected also play a big role in how the coronavirus spreads.The news from other viral diseases is not encouraging either. The two most serious coronavirus diseases that are closely related to COVID-19, the first SARS outbreak and MERS, did not vary with the seasons after they emerged. In fact, MERS is still found year-round in the Middle East, where it is hot and dry. Pandemic influenza infections have emerged at different times of the year as well. What should we do?The long-term solution to SARS-CoV-2 will be to develop a safe and effective vaccine. This work is proceeding at unprecedented speed, but it will still take anywhere from months to a few years and will require trials involving thousands of people and massive international leadership and collaboration.Until there's a vaccine, prevention will require avoiding exposure to people who can spread the virus. Communities need to test people to find out who is contagious and engage in serious contact tracing, quarantine and isolation. Scientists need to learn more about how to determine if someone is immune and how long immunity lasts, a big open question at the moment. As individuals, each of us will need to follow expert scientific advice about good hygiene practices and distancing.SARS-CoV-2 is likely to keep circulating until the human population has widespread immunity, which hopefully will come not from an unchecked pandemic but from developing and deploying a safe and effective vaccine.[You're too busy to read everything. We get it. That's why we've got a weekly newsletter. Sign up for good Sunday reading. ]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * 'Tis the season for conception * This year the flu came in two waves – here's whyEllen Wright Clayton reviewed the statement on seasonality by the NASEM Standing Committee.
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| Receiving Government Benefits? Here’s What to Know About Your Stimulus Payment Posted: 16 Apr 2020 02:12 PM PDT  Most people receiving Social Security or disability will get their payments automatically
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| France urging top powers to endorse UN virus cease-fire call Posted: 15 Apr 2020 02:33 PM PDT  French President Emmanuel Macron says he hopes that "in the coming days" the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council can discuss and endorse U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call for a cease-fire to all conflicts in the world in order to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Macron, who has been pushing for more international cooperation in fighting the virus, said in an interview with French radio RFI broadcast on Wednesday that he is only waiting for agreement from Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold the 5-country video conference.
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| Young Thais join 'Milk Tea Alliance' in online backlash that angers Beijing Posted: 15 Apr 2020 06:44 AM PDT  Young Thais have banded together to pillory the Chinese embassy in Bangkok over a feud with Thai celebrities, part of a growing online movement to show solidarity with Taiwan and Hong Kong that has annoyed Beijing. The movement, which calls itself the "Milk Tea Alliance" after a shared passion for sweet tea drinks, has triggered a wave of online criticism of China at a time when Beijing is trying to improve its image hurt by the coronavirus crisis. The movement burst into the public eye in Thailand in recent days, after Chinese internet users launched a campaign against a young Thai actor whose TV drama has been popular in China, and his Thai model girlfriend.
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| 'Bring every ship in': Former Navy secretary says it's time for drastic measures to fight coronavirus Posted: 15 Apr 2020 03:05 PM PDT  "Offload most of the crew ... a little bit in a rolling fashion," former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said. "Leave a very skeletal force on board."
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| Top US general says COVID-19 likely occurred naturally but is not certain Posted: 15 Apr 2020 07:30 AM PDT  Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley says evidence that COVID-19 originated in a Chinese lab is 'inconclusive'; Jennifer Griffin reports.
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| Poll: Trump's approval rating drops as coronavirus pandemic, economic crisis continue Posted: 16 Apr 2020 02:34 PM PDT  The change in Trump's approval since March is the sharpest drop Gallup has recorded since Trump took office.
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| AOC Calls Out Hypocritical Response to Biden Sexual Assault Allegation: ‘Believe Women…Until It Inconveniences Us’ Posted: 15 Apr 2020 10:07 AM PDT  Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) criticized the lack of mainstream discussion surrounding the recent sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden made by former Senate staffer Tara Reade, calling the situation a "silencing of all dissent" that amounted to "a form of gaslighting.""I think it's legitimate to talk about these things. And if we want, if we again want to have integrity, you can't say both believe women, support all of this, until it inconveniences you, until it inconveniences us," Ocasio-Cortez said in response to a question during an online conversation Tuesday night with The Wing, a networking and community space for women.She added that the dismissing of allegations was the "exact opposite of integrity," after the Biden campaign categorically denied the allegation and caused the New York Times to retroactively edit its coverage of the allegation after complaining "that the phrasing was awkward." The Times's coverage came nearly three weeks after the story was first reported, while CNN has yet to detail the allegations."It almost felt like we started this cycle where we had kind of moved on from, you know, from all of this. And now it feels like we're kind of back in it," Ocasio-Cortez said. "And, you know, the most diverse field that we've ever seen — that we're kind of back kind of replaying old movies in a way."Ocasio-Cortez revealed on Wednesday that the Biden campaign had reached out to her after she told the Times in an interview that she had never spoken with the former vice president, but would not say if she would endorse Biden's campaign.> .@AOC speaking on Playbook event says that since NYT article Monday, her and Biden's teams have been in touch. She says "we'll see" on if she's going to endorse him or be a surrogate. But she said it is important to support Biden in November.> > -- Eliza Collins (@elizacollins1) April 15, 2020The freshman congresswoman, who is up for reelection in November, has clashed with Biden in the past. She said the former vice president would not be a "pragmatic" choice as the Democratic 2020 presidential nominee in June before endorsing Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.). After Biden implied in December that Ocasio-Cortez did not represent the mainstream position of the Democratic Party, the New York progressive fired back by saying the party was. "too big of a tent.""In any other country, Joe Biden and I would not be in the same party, but in America, we are," Ocasio-Cortez told New York Magazine.
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| U.K. to Decide on Lockdown Extension as Virus Seen Peaking Posted: 16 Apr 2020 06:07 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The U.K. is expected to extend its nationwide lockdown even as pressure builds on the government to map out a strategy for easing the restrictions amid signs the country may soon be past the peak of the pandemic.U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab -- standing in for Boris Johnson as the prime minister recuperates following his hospitalization -- will make the lockdown call following an emergency committee meeting on Thursday. The panel is faced with a steadily rising death toll: 12,868 people have now died in hospitals due to Covid-19 in the U.K., after a daily increase of 761 in the latest figures.Still, hospital admissions and infection rates are stabilizing, and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said at a televised press conference Wednesday the outbreak is "probably reaching the peak overall."That's led to calls for the government to explain how it plans to ease the strictest social-distancing measures, as some other European countries have begun to do. Since March 23, U.K. citizens have only been allowed to leave their homes for essential work, exercise, and purchasing food or medicine.BE Primer: Pandemic Will Push U.K. Economy Into Deep RecessionBut Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told lawmakers in Edinburgh the measures must continue for at least three weeks."While we are increasingly confident the lockdown measures are working, we are not yet confident the virus has been suppressed sufficiently to lift any of the measures," she said ahead of U.K. government's emergency committee meeting.Too EarlyU.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said earlier that even discussing how the lockdown might be eased could lead the public to ignore instructions to remain indoors at a time when the virus's transmission rate is still too high."We will not be distracted into confusing the messaging," Hancock told BBC Radio 4. "The scientists can say what they like, the commentators can say what they like -- frankly, the interviewers can say what they like -- but we will do what is best in dealing with this virus."Hancock was speaking after Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London who advises the government on its response to the pandemic, said "decisions need to be accelerated and progress made" in putting in plans to exit the lockdown."If we want to reopen schools and get people back to work, we need a way of keeping transmission down in another manner," Ferguson said, pointing to measures countries including South Korea have put in place to isolate Covid-19 cases and trace people they have been in contact with.Testing RowFerguson said that would require a significant ramp-up of testing, another pressure point for the government. Johnson's spokesman, James Slack, told reporters the government still aims to achieve Hancock's target of 100,000 tests a day by the end of April.But the latest numbers show that while capacity is increasing, not all of it is being used. Just under 16,000 tests were carried out, according to the latest daily figures, compared with total capacity of about 35,000.Johnson himself has said widespread testing is the key to getting through the pandemic. It also feeds directly into the decision on the lockdown, where the challenge for the government is balancing the danger that lifting restrictions might increase infections against the potential harm to people's health and welfare of a long shutdown.Whitty, who is part of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies that counsels Raab and the government, said they are closely watching the rate of transmission of the virus -- the so-called r0 value -- a measure of how many people are infected by any one individual with Covid-19 in the U.K."It's between about 0.5 and about 1," he said. "The more we have an understanding of where that is, which will happen as we go over the next 10 days or so, the more easy it is for us to judge exactly how we can go through to the next phase."Elsewhere in the virus response effort, the House of Commons will resume on April 21 using teleconferencing software for the first time. Up to 120 MPs will take part in proceedings using Zoom, while about 50 MPs will gather in the chamber observing social-distancing rules.(Updates with Sturgeon comment in sixth 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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| 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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