| 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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| Liberty University students choose sides after fallout from coronavirus reporting Posted: 31 Mar 2020 03:30 PM PDT  The New York Times reported this week that almost a dozen Liberty University students have come down with COVID-19 symptoms since the school reopened last week. But Liberty University officials have since pushed back on these claims, calling the Times story "fake news". Now, students are choosing sides in who they believe is telling the truth.
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| 'We are on the verge of a massive collapse': Ex-Energy Secretary Perry says COVID-19 will ravage oil industry Posted: 01 Apr 2020 04:53 PM PDT  "I'm telling you, we are on the verge of a massive collapse," Perry said of the impact the plunge in oil prices could have on U.S. operators.
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| Almost 30 spring breakers test positive for coronavirus following Mexico trip Posted: 31 Mar 2020 01:50 PM PDT  Almost 30 students who recently traveled to Mexico for spring break have tested positive for COVID-19.Health officials in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday announced an investigation into a "cluster" of COVID-19 cases among a group of roughly 70 people in their 20s who traveled in a chartered plane to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for spring break about a week-and-a-half ago amid the coronavirus crisis. "Currently, 28 young adults on this trip have tested positive for COVID-19 and dozens more are under public health investigation," the Austin Public Health Department said. "Four of the confirmed cases did not present any symptoms."The 28 people who tested positive are currently self-isolating, and more are being monitored while quarantined, according to the statement. The University of Texas at Austin told NBC News that the 28 young adults with COVID-19 are students at the school. Some individuals who went on the trip came back home on commercial flights, according to the Austin Public Health Department's statement. Austin officials said that although Mexico wasn't under a federal travel advisory when the young adults traveled there, "Austin-Travis County residents should follow CDC's travel recommendations indicating travelers avoid all non-essential international travel," and "a leisure vacation of any kind is not considered essential." The University of Texas at Austin told NBC that this serves as a "reminder of the vital importance" of following health officials' warnings amid the coronavirus pandemic. More stories from theweek.com How the coronavirus fight might end up at the Supreme Court Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is what real coronavirus leadership looks like Trump is incapable of taking the coronavirus outbreak seriously
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| Masquerade or needed aid? Virus help from China proves contentious Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:13 AM PDT  China has stepped in to help the West tackle the coronavirus crisis after managing to quell its own outbreak. As European and American healthcare systems creak under the strain, China has offered millions of face masks and teams of medical experts. As well as seeking to deflect criticism over initial Chinese missteps in handling the epidemic, analysts say, the campaign is a public relations opportunity in China's great power rivalry with the West and especially the United States.
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| New York scolds 'selfish' residents, California intensive care beds running out Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:42 AM PDT  The governor of New York on Wednesday clamped down harder on public gatherings in the face of the coronavirus, calling residents "selfish" for refusing to stay home as California's governor warned his state may run out of intensive care beds and ventilators next month. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told New York City police to more aggressively enforce rules for social distancing as deaths in the state shot up to nearly 2,000. "Young people must get this message, and they still have not gotten the message, you still see too many situations with too much density by young people," said Cuomo in imposing new rules to close playgrounds, swing sets, basketball courts and similar spaces.
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| Trump sees 'hard days' ahead in coronavirus fight, with as many as 240,000 Americans dead Posted: 31 Mar 2020 08:05 PM PDT  Nearly a quarter million people in the United States could die as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, Trump administration officials said Tuesday.
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| Great Recession showed countries can’t fight the coronavirus economic crisis alone Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:02 PM PDT  Trade represents close to 60% of world GDP, and national economies can't thrive in isolation. We needed a global response in 2008 and we need one now.
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| Japan Counting on Obedient Citizens to Lock Themselves Down Posted: 31 Mar 2020 09:10 PM PDT |
| April to treat stargazers to 1st meteor shower in months and these other celestial events Posted: 31 Mar 2020 11:32 AM PDT  Springtime stargazers will have plenty to look for throughout April, ranging from a meteor shower to the rare opportunity to see a comet.The wide variety of astronomy events this month will be great for people looking to spend some time outside under the night sky, including families with young children, as they will not require any special equipment apart from a blanket, warm clothes and a clear sky.Here are the top three astronomy events to look for in April:1\. Super Pink Moon When: April 7-8 The moon will be the main feature in the night sky during the first full week of April as it will be the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2020.The supermoon will rise on the night of April 7, glowing all night long, and will be bright enough to cast shadows on the ground. Although it will appear slightly bigger and brighter than normal, the difference will be subtle and may be difficult for the average observer to notice.April's full moon is also known as the Pink Moon, but contrary to its name, the moon will not appear pink. Instead, it has been given this nickname due to the phlox, a perennial plant that blooms in April with pink flowers. A view of the full pink moon, in Lakatamia, a suburb of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Friday, April 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) 2\. Lyrid meteor shower When: April 21-22April 22 is known around the world as Earth Day, and the global event will kick off with a light show from Mother Nature as the Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak.This is the first major meteor shower since January and will bring 15 to 20 shooting stars per hour on the night of April 21 into the early hours of April 22. This year will be a particularly good year for the "Earth Day meteor shower" as it occurs on a moonless night, meaning darker skies for onlookers.CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP"These meteors are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere where the radiant is high in the sky at dawn," the American Meteor Society explained on their website. "Activity from this shower can be seen from the Southern Hemisphere, but at a lower rate." Folks that miss the Lyrids will only have to wait about two weeks for the next chance to see a meteor shower, with the Eta Aquarids set to peak during the first full week of May.3\. Comet ATLAS When: Late AprilA newly discovered comet will soon make a splash in the night sky as it grows brighter throughout April, potentially becoming bright enough to see with the naked eye by the end of the month.Comet ATLAS, also known as Comet C/2019 Y4, was discovered on Dec. 28, 2019, by astronomers using the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Hawaii. It is still too dim to see without a telescope, but it is expected to get much brighter in the coming weeks. Animation of a comet. (NASA/JPL-Caltech) "If predictions are correct, Comet ATLAS might reach a visual magnitude of +5 around May 1, 2020. That is theoretically bright enough to be seen with the eye, but the fuzziness of faint comets can make them harder to spot than comparably bright stars," Earthsky explained on their website."To spot the comet, look in the northern sky. It is not far from the Big and Little Dippers," AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel said.Comet ATLAS is projected to make its closest approach to Earth on May 23, followed by its closest approach to the sun on May 31.On March 19 at 11:50 p.m., winter transitioned to spring across the Northern Hemisphere during the earliest March equinox since 1896.Hours later, just before sunrise, early risers were treated to a celestial alignment as the crescent moon fell in line with Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Mercury in the morning sky.Around the same time, a newly released photo revealed a stunning view of Jupiter like we've never seen it before. The image was captured by the Juno spacecraft which is orbiting the solar system's largest planet.At the beginning of March, NASA announced that it was accepting applications for the astronaut program that would fly on future trips to space. This includes the possibility of being on one of the upcoming trips to the moon in the 2020s.A few days later, the space agency announced the name of the next visitor being sent to the Red Planet. The Mars 2020 rover was officially given the name Perseverance, chosen from a nationwide student competition. Perseverance was once of 28,000 name entries and was proposed by an elementary school student from Virginia.The first mission of the U.S. Space Force launched from Earth on March 26 as an Atlas V rocket blasted into space. The rocket launched a $1.1 billion communications satellite that will be used by the military.Meanwhile, NASA was forced to suspend work on the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket due to the coronavirus. The rocket is still in development and was preparing for a major test at the Stennis Space Center, but the test has been delayed "due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the community around the center," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said.Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| The US intelligence community has reportedly concluded that China intentionally misrepresented its coronavirus numbers Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:39 AM PDT  US officials have accused China of spreading disinformation, and even some Chinese residents have expressed skepticism about the numbers.
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| Russian plane makes its way to U.S. with coronavirus medical equipment Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:12 PM PDT  A Russian military transport plane was headed to the United States on Wednesday carrying tons of medical equipment and masks to help Washington fight the coronavirus outbreak, Russian state TV reported and a U.S. official said.
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| Coronavirus live updates: US has its deadliest day yet; Florida, 3 other states issue stay-at-home orders Posted: 01 Apr 2020 06:35 PM PDT  Florida announced a stay-at-home order, and officials weighed recommending more Americans wear masks. Here are the latest coronavirus updates.
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| AP-NORC poll: Less than half back Trump's pandemic response Posted: 01 Apr 2020 11:35 AM PDT  Americans give high marks to state and local governments for their handling of the fast-moving coronavirus pandemic that has swiftly remade everyday life. The coronavirus pandemic, which has already killed more than 4,000 Americans and shut down much of the U.S. economy, is the most urgent and unpredictable crisis of Trump's presidency. The coming weeks will likely shape how Americans view the wisdom of giving him a second term in the November election, where he is likely to face off against former Vice President Joe Biden.
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| U.S. records 700 coronavirus deaths in a single day for first time Posted: 31 Mar 2020 02:01 PM PDT  The U.S. government raced to build hundreds of makeshift hospitals to ease the strain on overwhelmed healthcare systems as the United States marked 700 deaths in a single day from COVID-19 for the first time on Tuesday. Nearly half those deaths were in New York state, still the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pleaded for reinforcements from the Trump administration, saying the worst may still be weeks away. De Blasio, a Democrat, said he had asked the White House for an additional 1,000 nurses, 300 respiratory therapists and 150 doctors by April 5 but had yet to receive an answer from the Trump administration.
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| Iran warns U.S. over Iraq deployment amid virus Posted: 01 Apr 2020 07:06 AM PDT  On Wednesday Iran warned the U.S. it was "warmongering during the coronavirus outbreak," after it deployed Patriot air defense missiles to Iraq.
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| Do I Have to Pay My Rent or Mortgage During the Pandemic? Posted: 31 Mar 2020 01:44 AM PDT  As March winds down, at least 250 million Americans have been told to stay home or "shelter in place" to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Problem is, many can't help wondering if they can still afford a place to shelter in—if they ever could.Long before the coronavirus pandemic, generous swaths of the United States faced an affordable housing crisis. With millions of Americans losing their jobs and millions more facing unemployment in the near future thanks to a concerted economic shutdown geared at reining in the disease, talk of rent strikes and freezes are in the air.The Trump administration recently nodded to the problem by ordering a foreclosure moratorium on single-family home mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration or obtained through government-owned lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie and Freddie have also offered forbearance for borrowers experiencing hardship. And the finance giants have dangled payment relief to indebted apartment building owners who grant respite to renters, a move the Federal Housing Finance Agency estimates could affect 43 percent of the market in multifamily leases. Then there's the $2 trillion stimulus bill that passed last week, which contains language forbidding evictions and late charges on any property receiving virtually any federal aid. It also permits those owing money to Fannie or Freddie to request up to six months of forbearance, though it leaves the onus on borrowers to do so.If your home doesn't fall under one of these categories or programs, and you're wondering if you owe money to your landlord or lender, the answer is probably yes—at least for now. Still, some state and local governments have moved to stem evictions and foreclosures for everyone, and a few are even freezing rent and mortgage payments entirely. Here's a breakdown of COVID-19 rules on housing across every state and many large metropolitan areas. This story will be updated as events warrant.Will the U.S. Run Out of Groceries Under Lockdown?Alabama: No specific government measures to prevent evictions or foreclosures, but local Regions Bank is offering a mortgage payment reprieve and the state Supreme Court has cancelled in-person proceedings until April 16, which may stem new removal proceedings. Individual judges may conduct business via phone or video, however.Alaska: Gov. Mike Dunleavy has forestalled evictions and foreclosures of any tenant or homeowner covered by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, while the state Supreme Court has halted eviction hearings until May 1 and barred enforcement of outstanding ejectment orders against quarantined people.Arizona: Gov. Doug Ducey has ordered a 120-day stay on eviction orders against anybody quarantined or experiencing hardship because of COVID-19, starting March 24, and has launched a $5 million rental assistance fund. The state's "Save Our Home AZ Program" is offering principal reduction assistance, monthly mortgage subsidy assistance, and second lien elimination assistance.Arkansas: No special COVID-19 programs in place as of this writing.California: Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered a statewide ban on evictions through the end of May, so long as tenants provide notice in writing within one week of their rent coming due that they cannot pay due to the disease. He has also cut a deal with Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, and 200 smaller lending institutions to defer mortgage payments for up to 90 days from borrowers who can show they've lost income during the crisis. Bank of America has assented to a 30-day grace period for mortgage payments. The City of Glendale has banned rent increases through at least April 30 (though not rent payments). Philanthropists in San Diego have established a COVID-19 Community Response Fund to provide rent, mortgage, and utility assistance to struggling locals. Colorado: Gov. Jared Polis has issued non-binding guidance to state-chartered banks discouraging foreclosures, and Denver has reassigned deputies away from eviction enforcement.Connecticut: James W. Abrams, Chief Judge for Civil Matters, has issued a stay of all evictions and ejectments through May 1, and postponed all foreclosure sales until June 6.Delaware: The Justice of the Peace Court has postponed all eviction proceedings until after May 1, while Gov. John Carney has put off all residential mortgage foreclosures until 31 days after he lifts his order of emergency. Late fees or excess interest are forbidden.Florida: No state programs in place as of this writing, but the Orange County Sheriff's Office has put off eviction enforcement "until further notice," as have police in Miami-Dade. The latter county has also called off evictions in its public housing.Georgia: No state programs in place as of this writing. But on March 17, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an executive order imposing an eviction moratorium on the Atlanta Housing Authority, Atlanta Beltline Inc., the Fulton County/City of Atlanta Land Bank Authority, Invest Atlanta, Partners for Home, and the city Department of Grants and Community Development.Hawaii: The Hawaii Department of Public Safety Sheriff Division has indefinitely suspended evictions.Idaho: No state programs in place as of this writing, but Boise public housing has waived rent and ended removals, and a judge has called off eviction hearings in Blaine County.Illinois: Gov. J.B. Pritzker has barred evictions through April 7 by executive order. Courts have ordered longer cessations of evictions, including in Cook County (April 15) and in Peoria, Tazewell, Marshall, Putnam, and Stark Counties (April 17). A court covering Kendall and DeKalb Counties has barred new eviction and foreclosure proceedings for 30 days beginning March 18. Chicago is providing 2,000 residents with $1,000 grants to help cover rent and mortgage payments.Indiana: Gov. Eric Holcomb has decreed an end to evictions or foreclosures until the end of his declared state of emergency.Iowa: Gov. Kim Reynolds has halted foreclosures and evictions for the duration of a declared state of emergency, except in cases involving squatters.Kansas: Gov. Laura Kelly has stayed evictions and foreclosures until May 1.Kentucky: Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order March 25 suspending all evictions for the term of a declared emergency, while the Kentucky Supreme Court suspended all evictions until April 10.Louisiana: Gov. John Bel Edwards has halted evictions and foreclosures.Maine: Maine courts are closed for eviction proceedings through May 1.Maryland: Gov. Larry Hogan has forbidden the eviction of any tenant who can demonstrate loss of income related to the crisis.Massachusetts: Trial courts are closed through April 21 under order of the State Supreme Judicial Court, preventing evictions from advancing. Gov. Charlie Baker has announced $5 million in rental assistance, while the mayor of Boston has called off evictions by the city housing authority.Michigan: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has banned evictions until April 17, and the state Department of Health and Human Services is offering up to $2,000 in emergency assistance to prevent foreclosures.Minnesota: Gov. Tim Walz has suspended evictions and foreclosures during a declared state of emergency.Mississippi: No programs in place as of this writing.Missouri: No state programs in place as of this writing, but evictions are suspended in Jackson County until at least April 18, in Boone and Callaway Counties until April 17, and indefinitely in St. Louis County.Montana: No programs in place as of this writing.Nebraska: Gov. Ed Ricketts' executive order has postponed all eviction proceedings for anybody impacted by the virus until May 31. The Omaha Housing Authority has called off evictions, while the Metro Omaha Property Owners Association—a landlord group—has requested its members reduce rents by 10 percent in the month of April.Nevada: Gov. Steve Sisolak has blocked all eviction notices, executions, and tenant lockouts via emergency order for the entire length of the pandemic. State Treasurer Zach Conine has announced that lenders have agreed to a 90-day grace period for borrowers, although each mortgagee must reach an individual payment arrangement with their bank.New Hampshire: Gov. Chris Sununu has barred evictions and foreclosures via executive order during the emergency.New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order March 19 placing a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures for at least 60 days. On March 28, he instated a 90-day grace period for late mortgage payments, forbidding banks from charging hard-up borrowers late fees or making negative reports on them to credit agencies.New Mexico: The State Supreme Court has indefinitely suspended evictions of tenants who can furnish evidence the crisis has left them unable to pay rent. Albuquerque has suspended evictions for public housing tenants, while Santa Fe has halted removal of those who can prove hardship.New York: Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks has suspended all evictions until further notice, while Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered banks to waive mortgage payments in hardship cases for 90 days. There is no state policy in place on rent payments, despite the governor's claim that he "took care" of the issue.North Carolina: State Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley on March 13 ordered courts to postpone eviction and foreclosure cases for at least 30 days.North Dakota: The State Supreme Court has placed a hold on all eviction proceedings "until further order."Ohio: Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor has requested, but not obligated, that lower courts stay eviction and foreclosure proceedings. Huntington, PNC, Fifth Third, Citizens, Third Federal, Chase, and Key Banks are all offering mortgage assistance to struggling borrowers.Oklahoma: No state policy in place as of this writing, but Tulsa County has halted evictions and foreclosures until April 15, while the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office has suspended enforcement of housing ejectments until "appropriate."Oregon: Gov. Kate Brown has suspended eviction for nonpayment of rent for 90 days beginning March 22.This Is What a Coronavirus Lockdown Means in Each StatePennsylvania: The state Supreme Court decreed March 18 that neither evictions nor foreclosures could go forward for at least two weeks.Puerto Rico: U.S. District Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí has suspended all eviction orders and foreclosure proceedings until May 30. The island's Public Housing Administration announced it will not collect rent from tenants until the expiration of Gov. Wanda Vasquez's order of social isolation—an order she recently extended to April 12. Residents of the government-owned developments will be liable for the payments after the governor's decree lifts, although they may apply for reductions based on loss of income.Rhode Island: Gov. Gina Raimondo ordered courts not to process evictions for 30 days starting March 19.South Carolina: Chief Justice Don Beatty has ordered a halt to all evictions until May 1.South Dakota: No state policies in place as of this writing, but Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken has established a fund to provide financial assistance to those facing eviction.Tennessee: The Tennessee Supreme Court has ordered judges not to proceed with eviction cases until April 30, unless "exceptional circumstances" prevail.Texas: The Texas Supreme Court halted all evictions until April 19, subject to an extension by the chief justice. A Dallas County judge has put a stop to new removal cases and landlord recoveries until May 17. The city of Austin passed an ordinance March 26 granting renters a 60-day grace period and preventing landlords from initiating evictions. Nonetheless, renters who can pay rent are encouraged to do so.Utah: No state policies in place as of this writing, but the Utah Apartment Association—a trade group— has generated a proposed "rent deferral agreement" for impacted tenants.Vermont: The Vermont Supreme Court has suspended non-emergency hearings such as evictions until April 15, but individual courts may hold such proceedings remotely. Burlington-based affordable housing operators Champlain Housing Trust, Burlington Housing Authority, and Cathedral Square have all committed to suspending evictions.Virginia: The Virginia Supreme Court has suspended non-essential, non-emergency proceedings such as evictions and foreclosures until April 6.Washington State: Gov. Jay Inslee inked a 30-day eviction moratorium on March 18. Seattle has imposed a 60-day moratorium on evictions beginning March 3, with no late fees, and the King County Sheriff has suspended evictions "until further notice."Washington, D.C.: The D.C. Superior Court has suspended evictions and foreclosures.West Virginia: The State Supreme Court has suspended all non-emergency proceedings, including housing-related matters, until April 10, and left open the possibility of extension.Wisconsin: Gov. Tony Evers ordered the suspension of evictions and foreclosures until May 26. Judges in Dane and Milwaukee counties have forbidden sheriffs from executing outstanding eviction orders, and the Milwaukee Housing Authority has said it will not evict anybody during the crisis.Wyoming: State Supreme Court Justice Michael K. Davis has ordered all in-person proceedings suspended, and recommended civil trials be rescheduled, which could serve to delay evictions or foreclosures. But local judges have some discretion on whether to conduct trials via video or teleconference.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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| Fauci suggests U.S. would broaden mask recommendations if it had enough Posted: 31 Mar 2020 08:02 AM PDT  Dr. Anthony Fauci sees some positive news finally coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.Fauci, the U.S.'s top infectious disease doctor who's leading its coronavirus response, spoke to CNN's Jim Sciutto on Tuesday about the ongoing crisis. While COVID-19 case numbers are still expanding every day, Fauci suggested "we're starting to see glimmers" of social distancing having its intended "dampening effect.""You're starting to see that the daily increases are not in that steep incline, they're starting to be able to possibly flatten out," Fauci said of case numbers across the country. But he was cautious and showed no sign he would recommend lifting stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines, saying "I don't want to put too much stock on it, because you don't want to get overconfident, you just want to keep pushing in what you're doing."Fauci also acknowledged America's mass shortage of medical supplies, particularly protective masks. While there aren't enough masks to go around right now, once they are in better supply, "I believe there will be some very serious consideration about more broadening this recommendation of using masks," he said. That topic will be on the table for the White House's coronavirus task force on Tuesday.And as for chloroquine, the drug that has been used for decades to treat malaria that President Trump touted as a possible treatment, Fauci said there hasn't yet been any "definitive evidence that this works" for treating COVID-19.More stories from theweek.com Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is what real coronavirus leadership looks like Biden says it's 'hard to envision' Democratic convention happening as planned in July Stephen Colbert airs a 2016 duet with John Prine he'd kept in reserve in case 'we have to cheer up the world'
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| Coronavirus: Millions will be left in poverty, World Bank warns Posted: 31 Mar 2020 04:30 AM PDT  "Significant economic pain seems unavoidable in all countries", the World Bank warns.
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| Feds Find Smuggling Tunnel Linking San Diego to Tijuana, Seize $29 Million in Drugs Posted: 31 Mar 2020 12:27 PM PDT  Federal immigration authorities have discovered a drug smuggling tunnel leading from San Diego under the U.S.-Mexico border and seized nearly $30 million worth of drugs found inside.Federal agents on the San Diego Tunnel Task Force discovered the "sophisticated" tunnel on Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a release Tuesday. The discovery resulted from a joint investigation by members of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Attorney's Office.The tunnel extends more than 2,000 feet underground from a warehouse in Tijuana to a warehouse in the Otay Mesa area of San Diego. Authorities found an estimated $29.6 million in drugs in the tunnel, seizing 1,300 pounds of cocaine, 86 pounds of methamphetamine, 17 pounds of heroin, 3,000 pounds of marijuana and more than two pounds of fentanyl.Investigators estimated the passageway is several months old based on "advanced construction" in parts of the tunnel, including reinforced walls, ventilation, lighting and an underground rail system. U.S. investigators worked with the Fiscalia General de la Republica and Secretaria de la Defensa Naciona to find the tunnel's entrance on the Mexico side.The discovery comes two months after authorities in January discovered the "longest cross-border tunnel" yet in the same area, a 4,309-foot passage running from Tijuana to San Diego."Despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, DEA employees continue to work tirelessly to serve and protect the community," DEA special agent in charge John W. Callery said in a statement."I hope this sends a clear message that despite the ongoing public health crisis, [Homeland Security Investigations] and our law enforcement partners will remain resilient and continue to pursue criminal organizations responsible for the cross-border smuggling of narcotics into the United States," Homeland Security Investigations San Diego acting special agent in charge Cardell T. Morant said.
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| Travel demand won't return to normal until mid-2021, even in the best-case scenario, an analyst warns Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:25 PM PDT  Under the best-case scenario, with slowing case growth, a Stifel analyst says air travel demand could return in 2021. But airlines may suffer longer.
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| Black, Asian and Hispanic House caucus chairs unite in 'no tolerance' for coronavirus racism Posted: 31 Mar 2020 03:08 PM PDT  Rep. Judy Chu, head of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said about 100 hate incidents a day have been directed at Asian Americans.
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| Biden says Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is on his list for vice president Posted: 31 Mar 2020 06:05 PM PDT  Former Vice President Joe Biden says Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is on his shortlist for vice president should he win the Democratic presidential nomination.
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| Trump: US to deploy anti-drug Navy ships near Venezuela Posted: 01 Apr 2020 11:55 AM PDT  President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Navy ships are being moved toward Venezuela as his administration beefs up counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean following a U.S. drug indictment against Nicolás Maduro. "The Venezuelan people continue to suffer tremendously due to Maduro and his criminal control over the country, and drug traffickers are seizing on this lawlessness," Defense Secretary Mark Esper said after the president's announcement. The deployment is one of the largest U.S. military operations in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama to remove Gen. Manuel Noriega from power and bring him to the U.S. to face drug charges.
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| China starts to report asymptomatic coronavirus cases Posted: 31 Mar 2020 09:40 PM PDT  Chinese health authorities began on Wednesday reporting on asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus as part of an effort to allay public fears that people could be spreading the virus without knowing they are infected with it. China, where the coronavirus emerged late last year, has managed to bring its outbreak under control and is easing travel restrictions in virus hot spots. Up to now, the number of known asymptomatic cases has been classified, and it is not included in the official data, though the South China Morning Post newspaper, citing unpublished official documents, recently said it was more than 40,000.
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| Six-week-old newborn dies of coronavirus in US: state governor Posted: 01 Apr 2020 05:03 PM PDT  A six-week-old infant has died of complications relating to COVID-19, the governor of the US state of Connecticut said Wednesday, in one of the youngest recorded deaths from the virus. Governor Ned Lamont tweeted that the newborn was "brought unresponsive to a hospital late last week and could not be revived." "Testing confirmed last night that the newborn was COVID-19 positive," Lamont said.
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| Delaying 'nonessential' abortions during coronavirus crisis endangers women's health and financial future Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:14 PM PDT  Several U.S. states are blocking health clinics from providing abortions, declaring the procedure to be "nonessential" during coronavirus business closures. Other services deemed medically unnecessary during the crisis include dental exams, colonoscopies and cataract surgeries. The inclusion of abortion on this list is controversial and legally contested. Judges in recent days struck down such abortion bans in Texas, Ohio and Alabama, allowing abortions to continue. However, on March 31, a Texas appeals court overturned the district court's ruling. Abortions that are not "immediately medically necessary" may now be prohibited in the state.Officials in these states argue restricting abortions will free up medical supplies and personnel by postponing elective procedures until the crisis is over. That will be at least a month, according to the Trump administration, if not several.Abortion is a time-sensitive procedure – in the majority of states, one cannot be performed after 24 weeks of pregnancy. As I've explored in my research on the adverse effects of restricting reproductive health care, forcing pregnant women to delay an abortion is a dangerous gamble for both their physical health and their economic future. Abortions already hard to getWhile abortions have been legal under U.S. federal law since the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, many states have legally managed to curtail abortion access, with increasingly severe restrictions in the past decade.New anti-abortion policies include requiring parental consent for minors who seek the procedure – as in Ohio and Missouri – and requiring abortion facilities and doctors to meet the same strict requirements as hospital surgical centers and their staff. In 34 states, those wishing to terminate a pregnancy must receive counseling about the procedure and fetal development. Twenty-seven of those states then require women to wait between 24 and 72 hours afterwards to have an abortion. These laws and regulations have contributed to service reductions and clinic closures nationwide. Today, 89% of U.S. counties have no abortion provider within their borders – up from 77% in 1978. In 27 American cities, women must travel more than 100 miles to reach an abortion clinic. In Texas, both Lubbock and Midland – which have a combined population of 382,000 people – are a five-hour drive from the nearest abortion provider. States such as Kentucky and Mississippi where women have extremely limited access to abortion are generally Republican dominated and have a strong Christian right influence. They also have fewer women legislators than states with more liberal abortion access, such as New Jersey and New York. Health risks and povertyMany of the same states that have enacted restrictive abortion policies in recent years are now moving to declare abortion a nonessential service during the coronavirus crisis. As of April 1, officials in Texas, Ohio, Alabama, Iowa, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Kentucky have made executive declarations effectively halting abortion procedures until the crisis abates. But delaying an abortion can be dangerous. Women who have this medical procedure in the second trimester of a pregnancy face a greater risk of hemorrhage and other complications like uterine perforation, which may require further surgery or even a hysterectomy to address. Delays could also extend the pregnancy to the point of fetus viability, after which most states prohibit abortions except to protect the life and health of the woman.There are financial consequences when women are forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. Recent evidence from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco shows that women denied an abortion because of restrictive state laws are less likely to be employed full-time for years afterwards than women who got the abortion they needed. They are also more likely to live in poverty after being denied an abortion. The economic fallout from an unwanted pregnancy would likely be severe and long-lasting for a new mother in an economy already decimated by coronavirus-related layoffs and business closures. Keeping abortion safe during coronavirusAbortion remains an essential service in numerous states hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, including New York, New Jersey, and Michigan. In principle, women in states with coronavirus-related abortion bans could get the procedure in neighboring states. But distance as a barrier to abortion disproportionately affects poor women, who lack the financial resources and time to travel. These days, shelter-at-home laws and new restrictions on travel across state lines could make it difficult for even wealthier women to travel for an abortion. Easing existing restrictions on medication-based abortions – that is, non-surgical procedures – could resolve the tension between keeping people home and getting women the treatment they need. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration requires that mifepristone, the first of the two drugs used in medication abortions, be dispensed in a clinic, hospital or medical office. Allowing women to receive the drug by mail would limit their exposure to coronavirus and reduce doctors' workloads. Coronavirus is a national emergency. But U.S. states that bar abortions until the pandemic ends will merely compound the health and financial harms of the crisis. [Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research. Sign up for our newsletter.]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * A concise history of the US abortion debate * When religious ideology drives abortion policy, poor women suffer the consequencesYana Rodgers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| China is bracing for a second wave of coronavirus Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:59 PM PDT  A Chinese county that was largely unscathed by the novel COVID-19 coronavirus went into lockdown Wednesday, signaling fears of a possible second wave in the country where the virus originated, The South China Morning Post reports.The county of Jia in Henan province, home to 600,000 people, is now in lockdown after infections reportedly spread at a local hospital. There were previously only 12 confirmed cases in Henan, despite it being situated just north of Hubei province, where China's epicenter, Wuhan, is located. However, U.S. intelligence reportedly believes China under-reported the actual number of cases.Either way, the new lockdown, which shuts down all non-essential business and requires people to carry special permits to leave their homes, and wear face masks and have their temperature taken when out and about, comes at a time when the country clearly wants to get its economy up and running again. It's unclear if such measures will be limited to the county or if it's a sign of things to come for the rest of the world's most populous country, but President Xi Jinping has warned that China must return to normal gradually in the hopes of preventing a full-scale COVID-19 return. Read more at The South China Morning Post.More stories from theweek.com Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is what real coronavirus leadership looks like How the coronavirus fight might end up at the Supreme Court Pence encourages Americans to not attend worship services with more than 10 people
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| Woodworking Can Bring Solace in Times of Uncertainty Posted: 01 Apr 2020 12:00 PM PDT |
| I followed New York City 'deathcare' workers as they collected the bodies of people killed by the coronavirus, and I saw a growing, chaotic, and risky battle Posted: 31 Mar 2020 11:31 AM PDT  As hospitals and morgues fill with the bodies of coronavirus patients, mortuary professionals face a growing struggle in putting the dead to rest.
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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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| Trump threatens Iran – again – if it attacks U.S. interests in Iraq Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:32 PM PDT  The latest threat comes as both Iran and the United States battle the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Taiwan to Donate Ten Million Masks to U.S., E.U. Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:23 AM PDT  Taiwan will donate ten million face masks to countries struggling with the coronavirus pandemic, a move that will likely rile China, which claims Taiwan as a territory and has donated far fewer masks to other countries despite its role in covering up the risk posed by a deadly virus that originated within its borders."At the previous stage, we formed a national team, now we need to play an international match and fight the pandemic together with other countries," said Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen. "At this stage, we will donate 10 million masks."According to Taiwan's foreign ministry, 7 million of the masks will be sent to European Union countries, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. Taipei also plans to send masks to the U.S.Taiwan has done a remarkable job containing the spread of the virus, with only 322 confirmed cases of coronavirus and five deaths resulting from infection as of Tuesday.China criticized an agreement between Taiwan and American Institute in Taipei on coronavirus cooperation, calling it "a political plot to pursue independence with the help of the epidemic."China shipped only two million masks to be distributed across Europe, while Jack Ma, China's richest man, donated another two million."Today, we're grateful for China's support," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said of the mask shipments.China also supplied rapid test coronavirus test kits to Spain and the Czech Republic, but the majority of the tests turned out to be faulty. Up to 80 percent of the 150,000 portable test kits China delivered to the Czech Republic earlier this month did not produce correct results. Spain, which has the second-highest number of coronavirus fatalities in the world after Italy, found that the rapid coronavirus test kits it purchased from Chinese company Bioeasy only correctly identified 30 percent of virus cases.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. A recent collaborative study by scientists based in both China and the U.S. found that 95 percent of infections could have been prevented had China implemented measures to stem the spread just three weeks earlier.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.
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| Serbian state secretary dies from coronavirus Posted: 01 Apr 2020 08:25 AM PDT |
| 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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| FDA wants heartburn meds off the market due to contamination Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:49 AM PDT  U.S. health regulators are telling drugmakers to immediately pull their popular heartburn drugs off the market after determining that a contamination issue with the medications poses a greater risk than previously thought. The move from the Food and Drug Administration Wednesday applies to all prescription and over-the-counter versions of ranitidine, best known by the brand name Zantac. Patients should stop taking any of the medications they currently have and throw them away, the FDA said.
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| China under-reported coronavirus cases and deaths, U.S. intelligence reportedly concludes Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:06 AM PDT  There has been some skepticism about China's reporting on the novel COVID-19 coronavirus for some time, especially as smaller countries like Italy surged past the world's most populous nation in both overall cases and deaths. On Wednesday, U.S. intelligence officials told Bloomberg on condition of anonymity that the skepticism is valid.Per Bloomberg, the U.S. intelligence community reportedly concluded in a classified document that China, where the pandemic originated, has under-reported its totals. The officials didn't reveal any of the reports contents, but said the gist of it is China intentionally left death and cases reports incomplete — two officials reportedly said the numbers out of China are fake.Officially, China has tallied more than 82,000 cases and 3,300 deaths, whereas the U.S. already has more than 189,000 cases and 4,000 deaths. Beijing somewhat acknowledged their stats were skewed after they changed their methodology to include some asymptomatic cases, but it's unclear how many more asymptomatic infections were discounted overall. Thousands of urns outside funeral homes have reportedly led people to doubt the Chinese government's death total, as well. Read more at Bloomberg.More stories from theweek.com Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is what real coronavirus leadership looks like China is bracing for a second wave of coronavirus How the coronavirus fight might end up at the Supreme Court
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| A quick finger-prick blood test can determine whether you've ever had the coronavirus. It could be widely available within weeks. Posted: 01 Apr 2020 04:07 PM PDT  A finger prick, $10, and 15 minutes could help you figure out whether you've developed antibodies for the new coronavirus — which means you had it.
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| Trump criticizes Cuomo for saying states have to bid on ventilators as if on eBay to fight coronavirus Posted: 31 Mar 2020 04:55 PM PDT  At the coronavirus task force briefing, President Trump rebuked New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for saying states have to compete and bid against each other like they're on eBay.
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| Iran warns US after Patriot deployment to Iraq Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:06 AM PDT  Iran warned the US Wednesday that it was leading the Middle East to disaster in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic after it deployed Patriot air defence missiles to Iraq. Washington had been in talks with Baghdad about the proposed deployment since January but it was not immediately clear whether it had secured its approval or not. Iran, which wields huge influence in its western neighbour, said that it had not.
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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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| Energy Jobs Could Be Greener After Coronavirus Posted: 31 Mar 2020 06:04 AM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Energy enables work. Here endeth the physics lesson, because this is about jobs. Oil and gas, like most other sectors, is slashing payrolls amid the Covid-19 crisis. Even now, though, the industry must consider what comes afterward, especially in an election year when Uncle Sam's role in energy and economic stimulus looks poised for a big expansion.Oil and gas producers were trimming the ranks even before disaster struck (see this). Now Rystad Energy, a consultancy, estimates perhaps 30% of oilfield services workers could be let go by the end of the year. At the same time, it expects U.S. oil and gas production to drop about 8% by then. That outcome would accelerate productivity gains that kicked in after the last crash. On BLS numbers, oil and gas extraction and support payrolls peaked in September 2014 at almost 540,000 before shedding about a third of those. In the subsequent recovery, payrolls never got much above 420,000 — yet oil and gas production soared.One crude indicator I track is an estimate of how much industry revenue goes on payroll.(1) This is less about the absolute percentage; more the relative level and direction. In the last crash, the burden soared to about 20% of "revenue," indicating big job cuts were inevitable. In January, it was running around 10%, where it's been more or less since early 2017, when payrolls and production bottomed out. But commodity prices were a lot higher two months ago. Plug in today's and we would be back to the untenable levels of four years ago.Taking this a step further, assuming some recovery in oil and gas prices by December, a 30% cut to payrolls and Rystad's production estimates, the implied wage burden drops back to about 10% by then.(2)But that relies on a further productivity gain of almost one-third.Catnip for consultants, perhaps, but not for politicians. Even before Covid-19 showed up or Saudi Arabia and Russia started a price war, the U.S. oil and gas business was losing easy access to capital markets. Investors were, in effect, demanding rationalization, which is now happening at an apocalyptic pace. When the acute phase passes, though, the industry will face a world in which capital markets remain scarred (and still worried about climate change), inventories have ballooned and the previously reliable OPEC+ put can't be taken for granted. Remaining competitive precludes a big payroll rebound.Yet this will be happening even as the economic and political imperative is putting Americans back to work. With various secondary stimulus proposals being discussed, the fight is on for which bits of the energy sector will benefit. Jobs will be a potent weapon in that battle. Seeking to revive the economy after the financial crisis, then-President Barack Obama, no buddy of the fossil-fuel industry, was nonetheless "transformed from critic to reluctant ally" as the shale boom added hundreds of thousands of jobs, as ClearView Energy Partners pointed out in a recent report.But that boom sowed the seeds of shale's financial downfall; it can't repeat that. Moreover, even the oil and gas industry — bits of it anyway — now accepts climate change is happening. As I wrote here, while some frackers would welcome government aid, they may think otherwise if greener politicians take the reins. One of the hallmarks of the Green New Deal proposals floated a year ago was how they linked environmental policy with broader populist themes like job creation and investment in public infrastructure. That approach is tailor-made for a scenario of large-scale government intervention focused on getting people back to work, especially given the makeup of the energy-related labor force.The National Association of State Energy Officials and the Energy Futures Initiative , a clean-energy think tank, publish an annual round-up of employment across the U.S. energy sector. This puts fossil-fuel employment — including extraction, transportation, processing and power generation — at almost 1.7 million in 2019. The electricity sector, ex the bits related to fossil fuels, isn't far behind at almost 1.6 million. Within these totals, though, there are some striking details.A third of the fossil-fuel workforce, or about 550,000, is engaged in extraction and therefore exposed to sustained pressure on headcount. Coal, in structural decline, employs roughly 10% of the entire workforce. There's simply a lot of systemic drag in the fossil-fuel cohort. The one area with better growth prospects is natural gas, and that's mostly because more than half of those workers engage in transporting the stuff or using it to run power plants, taking share from coal and providing a lower-carbon narrative for oil producers. There's a reason why the American Petroleum Institute now styles itself as representing the "natural gas and oil industry," a formulation about as intuitive as asking someone to pass the pepper and salt.On the non-fossil electricity side, about 40% of employees, some 656,000, work on the grid. Meanwhile, wind and solar power's ranks, along with their close counterparts in battery storage and smart/micro-grids, now add up to almost half a million(3); not far off the entire workforce engaged in fossil-fuel extraction.More importantly, one-in-three non-fossil electricity jobs relate to construction — one-in-two for solar, wind, batteries and smart/micro-grids — versus just 13% for fossil fuels. GND-ers should hammer this point when stimulus is being debated. While the economics of extraction are both geographically concentrated and dependent on limiting headcount, electrification and renewables expansion demand more workers for construction roles deployable anywhere.In this effort, they should have a couple of natural allies. Utilities employ a quarter of the non-fossil energy workforce as opposed to 13% for fossil fuels (mostly natural gas). With their political power at the state level, and financially induced love of construction, utilities could be useful friends in this regard (even if some GND-ers might have to grit their teeth on this). Meanwhile, beyond direct energy jobs, energy efficiency-related roles employ another 2.4 million Americans. They are ostensibly agnostic about the source of the energy. In practice, though, 56% of energy efficiency jobs relate to construction, with building upgrades a big growth area, making that cohort a more natural ally for GND-ers.In broad terms, one side of the energy industry busies itself primarily with digging stuff out of the ground while the other concerns itself more with planting stuff in the ground. If one result of Covid-19 is that America finally gets around to infrastructure week, then the latter should enjoy a working advantage.(1) This is calculated using the BLS data for employment, average hours and average hourly rate for total wages. For revenue, I multiply monthly production data from the Energy Information Administration by average benchmark prices for liquids and natural gas. It doesn't take account of regional price differentials or hedging. Like I said, it's crude.(2) Assumes a 30% cut in oil and gas extraction and support workers in December, year over year. Production: 11.7 million barrels a day of crude oil, 4.6 million barrels a day of other liquids and 87 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas. Prices: $40 per barrel of crude oil, $0.4 per gallon of other liquids and $2 per million BTU of natural gas. Assumes average hours per week and wages per hour flat with January 2020 figures.(3) An additional 97,359 workers are classified as engaged in solar power on a part-time basis.This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.Liam Denning is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy, mining and commodities. He previously was editor of the Wall Street Journal's Heard on the Street column and wrote for the Financial Times' Lex column. He was also an investment banker.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Letters to the Editor: California got rid of surplus ventilators and mobile hospitals? Outrageous Posted: 31 Mar 2020 03:00 AM PDT  The decision to pare down California's $200-million stockpile of emergency equipment to save $5 million annually needs to be investigated.
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