MORTGAGE RATE CHANGES There were no home loan rate changes today , but the NZCU Baywide group ended its personal loan ' special ' , bumping up its 8.90% rate to 9.90% .
TERM DEPOSIT RATE CHANGES There were no term deposit rates changes today , but both Heartland Bank and the Police Credit Union cut savings account rates .
BUSINESS BORROWING TO PAY THE GROCERIES The Government has announced it will write ' viable ' small businesses loans of up to $100,000 , interest-free for the first year , depending on how many employees they have . The borrower will still have to pay the principal back . The scheme seems to be unsecured lending to help businesses pay bills when they have no or suppressed revenues . How such businesses can be ' viable ' in such a state is n't clear . Borrowing to pay operating expenses is n't something any adviser would recommend , apart from covering an in-month cashflow timing issue with an overdraft . This new scheme imagines borrowing for up to five years . Business lobby groups welcomed the news , of course .
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE DIVES The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " Consumer confidence fell 21 points in April to 84.8 , about where it troughed in 2008 when the Global Financial Crisis hit . The net proportion of households who think it 's a good time to buy a major household item plummeted 67 points to -51% ( 18% thinking it 's a good time outweighed by 69% thinking it 's a bad time ) . Even when retailers are able to reopen their shops , they 're going to find the going very tough , with job security front of mind for consumers . "
SHARP PULLBACK StatsNZ released March home transfer data today . As you would expect , it shows that in late March the industry went into hibernation . Included in the data was transfers to and from foreigners . Foreign owners are quitting their NZ residential properties at twice the rate they are buying them , with sales of to foreign buyers down by 85% in the last two years .
PAYMENTS NZ HAILS PROGRESS IN OPEN BANKING Payments NZ , the bank owned company overseeing NZ 's development of open banking , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiation and account information . They leverage the latest UK open banking standards but are tailored to fit local market conditions , Payments NZ says . Meanwhile online payments provider POLi says retail transactions through POLi increased by 450% in April from March 2020 .
SMARTPAY SALE TO VERIFONE OFF Smartpay says its proposed sale to Verifone is off . Smartpay says revised terms from Verifone are n't acceptable . Smartpay has confirmed to Verifone that it considers the agreement cancelled and " has reserved its rights . " Furthermore , the termination releases Smartpay from its restriction to seek other potential offers for the business , Smartpay says .
NO ACTIVITY BUT NO PRICE DROPS EITHER According to the CoreLogic Home Value Index results out today , Australian housing values have not seen any evidence of a material decline in April , despite a sharp drop in market activity and a severe weakening in consumer sentiment . But prices did slip marginally in both Melbourne and Hobart in April .
LOCAL UPDATE There are 1476 Covid-19 cases identified in New Zealand , with +3 new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died , unchanged from yesterday , almost all geriatric patients . There are six people in hospital with the disease ( -1 ) , but none are in ICU . Our recovery rate is now up over 85% and rising .
AUSTRALIA UPDATE In Australia , there are now 6753 cases ( up +7 ) , 91 deaths ( +2 ) and a recovery rate of just under 85% , marginally higher . 89 people are in hospital ( -4 ) with 34 in ICU ( -4 ) .
GLOBAL UPDATE The latest compilation of Covid-19 data is here . The global tally is now 3,256,600 and up +65,000 from this time yesterday which is an unchanged level of growth . Now , just on 33% of all cases globally are in the US , which is up +31,000 since this time yesterday taking the total to 1,069,400 and the only country to exceed 1 mln cases . This is also an unchanged level of increase . US deaths now exceed 63,000 . Global deaths are about to exceed 233,000 .
EQUITY UPDATE The Aussie equities market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far . That at least a -AU$70 bln daily dump . If it holds , that will mean week will end with a gain of only +1.5% rather than the rise to Thursday of +5.3% . The NZX50 Capital Index is down -0.4% near the end of trade today , and closing in on a zero weekly change . Earlier , the S&P500 was down -0.9% . Overnight , the European markets tumbled hard , down the thick end of -2.5% on the day . It is a public holiday in both Shanghai and Hong Kong so no trade there today . Tokyo is down a very chunky -2.3% so far today , but still heading for a +2.3% weekly gain .
SWAP RATES UPDATEUpdate : Local swap rates fell again today , down to new record lows . The two year is now 0.19% and -10 bps lower in a week . The five year is now 0.33% and -13 bps lower in a week . The ten year is now 0.72% and -14 bps lower in a week . We do n't have wholesale swap rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the day if they show a significant change . The 90-day bank bill rate is back down -1 bp to its record low of 0.26% . The Aussie Govt 10yr is down a sharp -6 bps at 0.87% . The China Govt 10yr is also unchanged at 2.52% . The NZ Govt 10 yr yield has crashed today down -15 bps to just 0.60% and now below the equivalent American rate . The UST 10yr is unchanged from this time yesterday at 0.62% .
NZ DOLLAR GIVES UP SOME GAINS The Kiwi dollar has given up some of its recent gains , now back to 60.9 USc . But against the Aussie we are up more than + ? c to 94.3 AUc . Against the euro we are down almost -1c at 55.7 euro cents . That means the TWI-5 is down to 66.8 .
BITCOIN RETREATS The price of Bitcoin has also given up recent gains , down -4.9% from this time yesterday to US$8,711 as the halving hype fades . The bitcoin price is charted in the currency set below .
We welcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Any examples or experiences to relate ? Any links to other news , data or research to shed more light on this ? Any insight or views on what might happen next or what should happen next ? Any errors to correct ?
Remember we welcome robust , respectful and insightful debate . We do n't welcome abusive or defamatory comments and will de-register those repeatedly making such comments . Our current comment policy is here . The NZ Govt 10 yr yield has crashed today down -15 bps to just 0.60% and now below the equivalent American rate . The rentier bond trading crowd are certain to line up lower yields after yesterday 's Treasury tender for the RBNZ LSAP ( QE ) action , come Monday . The 5.5% 15/04/23s which traded at 0.099% at the RBNZ purchase window on Monday were issued yesterday at 0.1693% and are conveniently quoted this afternoon at : 0.09/0.06 20x100 last traded at 0.06% . Some are fundamentally screwed in that their business model does n't work anymore , but for each one of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a giant cashflow hole from being shut down . There are also quite a few that are still viable but require some sort of logistical pivot to stay alive ( eg switching from a physical store to online store and delivery system ) . The Aussie equities market is in a serious fall today , currently down -3.8% so far . Is the reality of Australia 's war like posture towards China finally evident to those least likely to benefit . It is a most ludicrous and immature illusion for Australia to think it is growing bigger and taller by waging one skirmish after another against China . By placing itself as a chess piece in Washington 's Indo-Pacific Strategy , Australia is still playing its part as America 's " deputy sheriff . " Bilateral relations between China and Australia have hit a record-low over the past three years . For almost 30 years , Australia sustained its economic growth by riding on the coattails of China 's monumental development . China is Australia 's largest destination of exports , largest source of international tourists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Morrison government 's adventurism to fiddle with this mutually beneficial comprehensive strategic partnership is in defiance of rational thought and common sense . It has seriously ravaged trust , confidence and shared interests , which are the bedrocks of the bilateral relationship . Canberra is treading on a hazardous path that has no prospect for a U-turn during the COVID-19 pandemic , and likely for a long time afterward . Link " I have been able to confirm with a highly reliable source that @NZNationalParty is 29% in the latest UMR poll sent to its corporate clients . This is not a bullshit whispered " private poll " but one they have put their brand to and sent to people who pay a lot of money for it . " However , UMR warned that the political numbers should be taken with a grain of salt . " They the poll numbers need to be interpreted extremely carefully . The conventional wisdom is that natural disasters ( and wars ) are usually good for governments but that those effects can wear off quickly . " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ govern in the next turn and have to clean up the terrible financial mess the current government are creating . Labour has to and will have another term and crash spectacularly in 3 1/2 years . Quote me then I imagine the short-term loan market is about to have a bunch of 7-week loan offerings hit the market ..... It 's a great piece of work , but I do hope they 've got failsafes to prevent the industry just gaming the timings of the loan to completely avoid the legislation . A great example from my late-teens , there was a generation of us drinking cheap nasty spirits , $11 for 1 litre of 22% Vodka , Gin , Whisky in the late 90 's was very economical . There was a lot of harm going on from these drinks , so they put on an decent sized extra tax on beverages in a range ( 14% - 30% I believe ) and excluded Ports etc to not annoy the oldies . What happened next ? 13.9% for 1 litre , for $7.99 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 'll still find Kristov Vodka at 13.9% on the bottom shelf . " The NZX50 Capital Index is down -0.4% near the end of trade today , and closing in on a zero weekly change . " Zero weekly change , , I can live with that , it is better than a reversal . We are also a week closer to level 2 and more businesses starting up again , not this level 3 nonsense where everybody 's interpretation differs . Stand behind the line , come forward again , now move back again . The shop manager wanted me to confirm the price quoted elsewhere so I showed him on my phone , I held out my phone for him to see but he insisted I place it on the door table then move back and then he picked up my phone with his dirty hands . Dumb .
@@31813241 I would say the only time liberals aligned with the left was in The New Deal and even then only because the US communist and socialist parties and unions threatened FDR with a revolution in the wake of the Great Depression unless he used the government to take care of unemployment and infrastructure , which he did . Post-WWII and after FDR 's death the corporate America began its relentless push to draw back all those social advances and escape regulation and control , and the liberals went along with it . That slow slide to the right then hit rock bottom with the 1970s launch of the disastrous neoliberal experiment that George Monbiot talked about so well here . True.Same with Brexit , this is made out to be some working class phenomenon.Actually , whiteness and of course , age is a stronger link than class is . But in Trump 's case , it 's very much whiteness that is the stronger link . Yet we still hear the term ' working class ' used instead , as some sort of euphemism.Meanwhile , the metropolitan and mutilcultural vote is middle class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as housing campaigners and the like get called . Only now , with ethnic minorities dying of Covid , this term ' essential worker ' comes into play , rather than acknowledging them as working class . I donot support Trump but if one looks around the results of glbalization picture is not that rosy . People who beefited from it are the share holders and the rest of people did not see uch increase in their level of prosperty . This was results of Clinton and Obama vision ofglobalization . Now we have seen furtherin to the limitations that countries likes of UK and USA look towards china to have medical equipment for those who are suffering . When November arrives the only thing that may matter is whether people can feed themselves . Covid-19 is an indiscriminate adversary that has only one agenda - to survive . Covid-19 does n't care about anybody 's economic condition , feelings , political affiliation , etc . The only thing that may matter is whether or not Covid-19 is under control . It wo n't matter how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if there is nothing in the supply chain to purchase . Most on the liberal side of the fence are already society 's disadvantaged and have demonstrated that they will not engage in violence to fight for their rights , but that may change if they begin to starve . However , I believe those on the right will ( consider who most of the gun owner are ) and if their lives are disrupted to the point where they are starving then political agendas will no longer matter . Part of that death rate is attributable to lack of effective state government oversight of the nursing homes . Officials in California and New York even allowed asymptomatic infected individuals to go back into the nursing homes . Real negligence . Cut that death rate in half if you remove the nursing home stats . We have to disagree . Our elections are privately funded and then privately funded employees draft legislation for our public officials . We have voter suppression to an alarming degree . Our election systems vary from state to state , have no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Our political elites are essentially two things : pro rich , and liberal democratic . The latter is democracy that protects minorities and the like . And it 's easy to be all this when the economics is running nicely.Now , during difficult times , on the left you see people rising who are liberal democratic but a threat to the rich . And on the right , you have people who are illiberal democratic , but no threat to the rich whatsoever.And so the liberals put energy on seeing off the left . Biden staffers have said on Al Jazeeera that Sanders is the greater of two evils ( compared to Trump ) , because of the cost of universal public healthcare . This happened in the 1930 's in each country that saw rise of fascism , it 's happening with national populism now.The onyl times liberals aligned left were in the post 1945 years , when inequalty was reduced . Those protesting around the country are going against the vast majority of the rest of us here in the US . They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manipulating them to protest are not doing for anything other than to get Trump re-elected . They are going after mainly Democratic governors and leaders and thus after Democrats generally including Biden . Those who are manipulating them stay safe and healthy at home . Pretty sad state of affairs . Too Undemocratic ? I vote to decide on my neighborhood association representatives in relatively fair elections . I vote for my city council members and mayor in relatively fair elections . I vote for my county government in relatively fair elections . I vote for my state representatives in fair elections . I vote for my representatives in Washington DC in fair elections ( Go Lloyd Doggett ! ) . Indulging in conspiracy theories , injecting bleach , indulging with far-right militia , inciting uprisings against governors , do n't give a toss about people dying and dead , but despite all that he still got a chance to win the re-election . Thing is , armed doomsday right-wing militias have been around for decades and there have been standoffs and mini-battles erupting with the fanatics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the steps and inside of state buildings and the president actively supports them . It would be unthinkable such a president would do that but today shows how fucked up US is . There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Trump 's support was disproportionately unemployed or " economically devastated . " It was white though . Mehdi Hasan , September 2018 : " The thesis is as follows : Working-class voters , especially in key " Rust Belt " swing states , rose up in opposition to the party in the White House to punish them for the outsourcing of their jobs and stagnation of their wages . These " left behind " voters threw their weight behind a populist " blue-collar billionaire " who railed against free trade and globalization . You should rethink on calling it " Trump money " , if Trump and the Republicans had their way , that cash would be going to you or anyone who lost their job due to the pandemic , and to corporations with offshore accounts and already receiving subsidies The unemployed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fever pitch by Fox and Trump 's racism and xenophobia , put him in the Oval Officer last time . The Democrats , once again , are offering yet more " Stronger Together " , Kumbaya , and Evil Trump . If the Democrats offered and *committed to* something *concrete* that would benefit every single American if voters gave them the presidency and Congress , like a Works Progress Administration/Clean Energy $25/hr job guarantee along with guaranteed medical care and college for their kids , then they 'd win . Unfortunately , with a candidate who wo n't even endorse full cradle-to-grave high quality medical care for every single person , the Democratic Party Machine will just dither around , play the polling marginals , await the inevitable October Surprise , and we 'll all get yet another unwelcome push along that cough-filled journey from cradle to grave . Trump has no worries in November . You know it - I know it - everybody secretly knows it . Trump is " not " the coronavirus . To say that he is is ludicrous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task force and the job they did to supply 50 states and Governors with hospital beds , PPE 's , ventilators , etc. etc . He 's a lock to win because America knows it 's he and he alone who can rebuild the economy like he did the first time - do n't take my word for it - go with the " smart " money who invest in the future - the stock market is past 24,000K yet again - during a pandemic ? A Minimum redundancy pay should be paid to all forloughed employees by the respective state governments till such time they are re-employed by their ex.employers on resumption of normal life , post pandemic lockdown . I 'm unemployed due to the pandemic . I 'm now receiving $750 unemployment per WEEK because of pandemic unemployment insurance . You can literally quit your job and receive this in my state . I guarantee you a lot of people are loving unemployment right now . I used to bring home $350 per week . I 'm getting double to sit home . I call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . The economy will pick back up and I 'll have put thousands of dollars in my savings account ! Win , win . An historic , humiliating landslide defeat in November . Trump will inevitably cry fraud , claim the election was stolen and be dragged kicking and screaming from the White House in January . After telling his dumbass supporters to take to the streets with their guns and prevent the coup against their glorious leader . I know how unlikely that sounds , but does anyone seriously doubt this is at least a possibility ... ? The " land of the free and home of the brave " has always been a delusional illusion to gloss over slavery , racism and exploitation of the weak and vulnerable , which belies the " free " part . How much bravery does it take to wage an endless genocidal war that specifically targeted elders , women and infants , and included the extermination of food sources and deliberate environmental destruction ?
@@31813441 Minnesota antiviral mask maker 3M has filed five more lawsuits in its campaign to stop price gouging and fraud in the sales of its N95 mask . The mask is the most effective protection against transmission of the unique COVID-19 coronavirus that spawned the current pandemic . Attempts to trade on public fear of the virus , which has now killed more Americans than the Vietnam War , led to a number of scam sales of N95 masks . In the latest of 10 lawsuits filed in April , 3M charged businesses and an individual in Florida , Indiana and Wisconsin with falsely claiming business relationships with 3M that allowed them to sell millions -- and in one case billions -- of nonexistent masks to state agencies . N95 masks remain in critically short supply as health care workers treat victims and businesses like grocery stores , pharmacies and food processors try to provide essential services to the country in close quarters . In the three Florida cases and one Indiana case filed late Thursday , and a Wisconsin lawsuit filed on Tuesday , 3M said it " is seeking injunctive relief to require the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of business relationships with 3M . 3M said it will donate any damages recovered to COVID-19-related nonprofit organizations . The latest round of 3M suits claim that businesses based in Atlanta , St. Petersburg , and Orlando tried to sell Florida emergency-management agencies millions of nonexistent N95 masks at prices inflated from two to nearly five times higher than list price . Minnesota antiviral mask maker 3M has filed five more suits in its campaign to stop price gouging and fraud in the sales of its N95 mask . ( Dreamstime/TNS ) ORG XMIT : MIN2004212009377930 In Indiana , 3M alleged that an individual and two business affiliated with him told state officials he had access to 5 billion N95 masks . In Wisconsin , a company claiming an affiliation with 3M allegedly told state officials it could sell up to 250,000 masks for double the normal price if the state would sign a nondisclosure agreement . In each case , state officials notified 3M , the company said in a Friday news release . In Indiana , 3M alleges , Zachary Puznak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 5 billion N95 masks to the state as an " Easter gift . " The total sales price Puznak sought depended on the number of masks provided , according to 3M 's suit . The total amount due ranged from $285 million to $14.25 billion , 3M said . Puznak and his businesses " claimed to be working through ' two different 3M reps , ' ? " the suit alleges . " When the Chief of Staff of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation asked Defendants to provide proof of their affiliation with 3M , Defendants responded that ' nobody from 3M has time or interest ... in satisfying ... paranoid irrationality ' and that the State 's diligence was ' quite sad ... for the people of Indiana . ' ? " In one Florida case , 3M alleged that several Atlanta-based businesses claimed to be working with a 3M attorney and someone named " Khalid " to provide the state 's emergency management personnel with masks . The businesses , 1 Ignite Capital LLC , also known as 1 Ignite Capital Partners , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be placed in an escrow account ahead of the delivery of the masks , which were being sold at a large markup over list prices . 3M also sued King Law Center , Chartered , in federal court in Orlando , saying the business had " initiated " actions that would make it the escrow agent holding funds in a transaction in which Florida 's Department of Management Emergency Operations Center got 5 million N95 masks for which the state would pay more than four-and-a-half times list price . The third Florida suit , filed in federal court in Tampa , involved TAC2 GLOBAL LLC , a business that 3M said tried to sell 5 million to 10 million N95 masks for the state 's Emergency Operations Center at a price that was 430% over list price . The suit alleges that TAC2 GLOBAL promised Florida officials that 3M inspectors would examine each mask . TAC2 GLOBAL had no relationship with 3M , the suit said . The Wisconsin case , filed Tuesday , alleged that a company , Hulomil LLC , claimed " direct access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks to the state at " inflated prices . " Hulomil LLC wanted the state " to sign a nondisclosure agreement about the deal " that would keep terms secret , 3M charged . One of 3M 's first legal actions involving fraudulent N95 sales is slated soon for a telephone conference with a federal judge in California . The case against Utah-based RX2Live , LLC and RX2Live , Inc. , filed April 10 , surrounds an accusation by 3M that the Utah-based company tried to fraudulently sell N95 masks to a California heath center . Federal Judge Dale A. Drozd of the Eastern District of California has issued a temporary restraining order and injunction against RX2Live to stop it from trying to sell masks as it awaits a May 12 telephone conference .
@@31813541 Edwin Chang , center , a staff member at the Stanford Radiology department and Stanford medical student Thomas Koehnkz , right , along with fellow students and volunteers prepare to take blood samples during a coronavirus antibody study April 3 at Mountain View 's First Presbyterian Church . Researchers are engaged in a fierce debate over the startling estimates in a Stanford study suggesting that 48,000 to 81,000 of Santa Clara County 's 1.9 million residents had been infected with the virus by the first week of April , which is 50 to 85 times more than the official count of cases at the time . If undetected infections are that widespread , then the death rate in the county could be less than 0.2% , making the virus far less lethal than authorities have assumed . Researchers are engaged in a fierce debate over the startling estimates in a Stanford study that suggested as many as 81,000 people could already have been infected with coronavirus in Santa Clara County , with some of the world 's top number crunchers calling the study sloppy , biased and an example of " how NOT to do statistics . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an apology ... not just to us , but to Stanford , " wrote Andrew Gelman , a professor of statistics and political science and director of the Applied Statistics Center at Columbia University . Yet after a weekend of attacks on the paper , a study announced Monday out of the University of Southern California on a sampling of residents in Los Angeles reached a very similar conclusion : It found hundreds of thousands of adults there may have already been infected . As of Monday , Los Angeles County had recorded fewer than 13,000 cases . The Santa Clara County study concluded that the virus had infected 2.5% to 4.2% of residents here ; in LA , the estimated infection rate ranged from 2.8% to 5.6% . The early studies set off a firestorm -- not only among academics taking to Twitter to debate sampling methods , false positives and Bayesian inferences with a furor reminiscent of the banning of @BabyYodaBaby -- but critics who believe the numbers show that COVID-19 is merely a partisan-driven flu hoax . The showdown over a few percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fear of both a virus and an economic meltdown . In response , on Sunday , the Stanford study 's authors said they are planning to soon release a detailed appendix that addresses many of the " constructive comments and suggestions " the team has received . " This is exactly the way peer-review should work in scientific work , and we are looking forward to engaging with other scholars as we proceed in this important work , " said Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya , professor of medicine at Stanford University , who along with colleague Dr. Eran Bendavid , also assisted with the USC study . The estimate , posted on the website medRxiv , comes from a first-in-the-nation community study of newly available antibody tests of 3,300 Santa Clara County residents in early April . Like all other emerging COVID-19 research papers , the work had not been peer reviewed prior to its release . Based on those tests , the authors contend that between 48,000 and 81,000 of the county 's 1.9 million residents had been infected with the virus as of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times more than the official count of cases at the time . If true , it suggests that the large majority of people who contract COVID-19 recover without ever knowing they were infected . If undetected infections are that widespread , then the death rate in the county could be less than 0.2% , making the virus far less lethal than authorities have assumed . Los Angeles authorities also peg their death rate at 0.2% based on the USC study . Santa Clara County Executive Dr. Jeff Smith remains steadfast in his interpretation of the study 's findings : It suggests that asymptomatic people spread the virus , and that more than 95% of the population remains susceptible to infection . " That all means that there is more risk than we initially were aware of , " said Smith , lamenting how some are using the study to challenge Bay Area health officials ' unprecedented stay-home orders . Similarly , Los Angeles Department of Public Health 's chief science officer Dr. Paul Simon said Monday that the LA study " suggests that many folks out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or have mild symptoms .... I think it is really important to continue the social distancing at least for the next month . " The Los Angeles study was smaller than the Santa Clara County study , testing fewer than 1,000 people . This puts it at greater risk of distorted results . Researchers there plan to repeat the study to improve the accuracy of their results and track the virus ' spread . However , researchers in LA took a more representative sample of residents than the Stanford team , using a market research firm rather than recruiting study subjects through Facebook , and including more minority groups . They both used the same test kit , which is not FDA approved and has a 90 to 95% accuracy rate . The Stanford study 's authors said they adjusted for the test kit 's performance and their limited sampling techniques to estimate the prevalence of the virus in Santa Clara County . But over the weekend , some of the nation 's top number crunchers said their extrapolation of the results rests on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a way to say this diplomatically , but I think it 's important to tell the truth : I have zero confidence in the Santa Clara serology study , and the recent work of Eran Bendavid generally . They contended the Stanford analysis is troubled because it draws sweeping conclusions based on statistically rare events , and is rife with sampling and statistical imperfections . Gelman of Columbia University called the conclusions " some numbers that were essentially the product of a statistical error . " " They 're the kind of screw-ups that happen if you want to leap out with an exciting finding , " he wrote , " and you do n't look too carefully at what you might have done wrong . " From the lab of Erik van Nimwegen of the University of Basel came this : " Loud sobbing reported from under Reverend Bayes ' grave stone , " referring to a famed statistician . " Seriously , I might use this as an example in my class to show how NOT to do statistics . " " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fraction of population exposed , " wrote Marm Kilpatrick , an infectious disease researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz . " Authors have made no efforts to deal with clearly known biases and whole study design is problematic . " Loud sobbing reported from under reverend Bayes ' grave stone . Seriously , I might use this as an example in my class to show how NOT to do statistics . Note that the CI on specificity includes false positive rates larger than the observed fraction of positives. https : //t.co/SV7VwjU5yw Others accused the authors of having agendas before going into the study . Back in March , Bhattacharya and Bendavid wrote an editorial in the Wall Street Journal arguing that a universal quarantine may not be worth the costs . Their colleague John Ioannidis has written that we lack the data to make such drastic economic sacrifices . One major problem with the Santa Clara County study relates to test specificity . It used a kit purchased from Premier Biotech , based in Minneapolis with known performance data discrepancies of two " false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although it was the best test at the time of the study , that 's a high " false positive " rate that can skew results , critics say -- especially with such a small sample size . With that ratio of false positives , a large number of the positive cases reported in the study -- 50 out of 3330 tests -- could be false positives , critics note . To ensure a test is sensitive enough to pick up only true SARS-CoV-2 infections , it needs to evaluate hundreds of positive cases of COVID-19 among thousands of negative ones . This potential error in the test can easily dominate the results , they said . Statistician John Cherian of D. E. Shaw Research , a computational biochemistry company , made his own calculations given the test 's sensitivity and specificity -- and conservatively estimated the proportion of truly positive people in the Stanford study to range from 0.2% to 2.4% . Adjusting for demographics , Cherian 's calculations suggest that county prevalence could plausibly be under 1% and the mortality rate could be over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper -- that is , the range around a measurement that conveys how precise the measurement is -- " are nowhere close to what you 'd get with a more careful approach , " he noted . Assuming a sensitivity of 72% , this is a histogram of possible true positive rates , according to statistician John Cherian . Even if the test were completely accurate , there would still be sampling problems in the Stanford study , critics said . Biostatistician Natalie E. Dean of the University of Florida called it a " consent problem . " The Facebook ad might have attracted people who thought they were exposed to the virus and wanted testing . " The prevalence drops off quickly when adjusted for even a small self-selection bias , " wrote Lonnie Chrisman , chief technical officer at the Los Gatos data software company Lumina Decision Systems . Addressing the critics , Stanford 's Ioannidis , professor of medicine and biomedical data science at Stanford University , promised an expanded version of their study will be posted soon . " The results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end , no single study is going to answer the question of how prevalent COVID-19 is in our communities , scientists said . More studies with different technologies and analytic approaches are needed . That 's coming . A UC Berkeley project , which will begin in May , will test a large and representative swath of 5,000 East Bay residents . Scientists will take saliva , swab and blood samples from volunteers between the ages of 18 and 60 around the region . Starting Monday , UC San Francisco and a privately-funded operation will test all 1,680 residents of rural Bolinas for evidence of the virus . UCSF will launch a similar effort Saturday in San Francisco 's densely populated and largely Latino Mission District , where it hopes to test 5,700 people . Results are expected soon from seroprevalence surveys run by other groups around the world , including teams in China , Australia , Iceland , Italy and Germany " This pandemic , " wrote research scientist Ganesh Kadamur , " has been one giant Stats class for everyone . " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News , covering research , scientific policy and environmental news from Stanford University , the University of California , NASA-Ames , U.S. Geological Survey and other Bay Area-based research facilities . Lisa also contributes to the Videography team . She graduated from Duke University with a degree in biology . Outside of work , she enjoys photography , backpacking , swimming and bird-watching . Instead of the flocks of sunbathers defying health directives that some had feared , beaches from Orange County through the Bay Area were largely empty , with a park district in the East Bay reporting busy but manageable hiking and biking trails . The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic . The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people . For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness or death . After weeks of intense speculation about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un , the country 's official media said he had attended the completion of a fertilizer plant , the first report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
@@31814141 How well Gilead Sciences ( NASDAQ:GILD ) does this year will inevitably depend on how effective the company 's antiviral drug , remdesivir , is in treating COVID-19 . If the drug proves to be a flop , the stock will fall from where it is today . However , if the treatment is effective and widespread adoption looks imminent , then Gilead 's stock is likely headed skyward , hitting new all-time highs along the way . Unfortunately , thus far , there have been conflicting results surrounding whether the drug can help COVID-19 patients . Let 's take a closer look at the remdesivir results and what they mean for investors to decide whether the stock is a buy or not . On April 23 , the results of a remdesivir study in China were released to the public . And although the study did n't have enough patients to be completed , the initial results showed that for adults with severe COVID-19 , remdesivir " was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one month , 13.9% of patients who received remdesivir died compared to 12.8% of patients in the control arm . Gilead discounted the results . The company 's spokesperson Amy Flood said the study " had too few patients " to be meaningful ; just 158 patients took redesivir and 79 patients in the control group . The company also said the data suggested the drug had a potential benefit if patients used it in the early stages of COVID-19 . Image source : Getty Images . But not even a week later , on April 29 , the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ( NIAID ) released data from its study which indicated more positive results for remdesivir . The study involved 1,063 patients and the results showed that using remdesivir led to quicker recovery times . Patients with COVID-19 who took remdesivir had a median recovery time of 11 days compared to 15 days for those who took the placebo . The mortality rate of 8% in the remdesivir group was also lower than the 11.6% of patients in the control group who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , " the data shows that remdesivir has a clear-cut , significant , positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery " and that " what it has proven is that a drug can block this virus . " Investors should disregard the study from China because the sample size is much smaller than the one from the NIAID , and it would be difficult to gain any strong conclusions from that data . COVID-19 has proven to be a volatile and unpredictable disease . Some people with COVID-19 have shown no symptoms , while others require hospitalization and in extreme cases , ventilators . Due to the disease 's complexity , a large sample size is needed to get a good cross-section of patients and more balanced results . What 's disappointing is n't that the Chinese study showed no improvement but that the results from the NIAID were not definitive in showing that remdesivir stopped the virus . While the median recovery time did improve by four days , it 's not the slam dunk that investors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop COVID-19 in its tracks and that it can completely prevent fatalities . But at the very least , the study was positive , and there 's hope that remdesivir can reduce hospitalizations and deaths from the disease . The good news is that there will be a lot more data coming in the weeks ahead that will provide more insight into the drug 's effectiveness . On Friday , the Food and Drug Administration gave remdesivir emergency use authorization so that it can be used to treat patients with severe COVID-19 , which the agency defined as " patients with low blood oxygen levels or needing oxygen therapy or more intensive breathing support such as a mechanical ventilator . " With more patients now able to access remdesivir , it will help give medical professionals more insight into how the drug works and which scenarios it 's effective and in which it 's not . And that can go a long way in arriving at some more definitive conclusions as to how useful remdesivir can be in the fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The key takeaway from the results thus far is that it 's just too early to tell whether remdesivir will be a success in the battle against the coronavirus . As more patients are treated with remdesivir , there 'll be more clarity as to which situations it works best in and which it does n't . There 's still a lot of optimism that remdesivir can help treat COVD-19 patients , and there 's potential to make the stock one of the hottest buys of 2020 . But even without remdesivir , Gilead 's still a good dividend stock to own . It pays a quarterly dividend of $0.68 , which yields 3.4% annually -- more than you 'd earn from the average S&P 500 stock that pays just 2% per year . Gilead 's stock is up around 25% this year , as it has also outperformed the index this year , which is down 12% . At a price-to-earnings ratio of 18 , Gilead is n't a terribly risky buy today , even if remdesivir fails to live up to the hype . The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's been in the black in each of the past 10 years . In the past two years , its profit margin has been a very healthy 24% of revenue . Gilead released its first-quarter results of 2020 on April 30 , which showed revenue growth of 5% from the prior-year period . And although the company 's net income was down by 21% from where it was a year ago , that was largely due to higher taxes and other expenses ; Gilead 's operating income was 7% higher than Q1 2019 . Overall , there are good reasons to invest in the healthcare stock even without remdesivir , and that 's why Gilead 's still an attractive buy even if the drug fails . And if it succeeds , the sky 's the limit for Gilead.
@@31814441 You 'll get the latest updates on this topic in your browser notifications . " It 's surreal to think he 's not here anymore . It 's such a devastating loss , " she says . " You 're talking about someone who had a full life still ahead of him and it was taken away in a snap of a finger by something that nobody could 've ever seen coming . " Part of the life that was stolen from him by coronavirus was watching his children , 3-year-old daughter Bella and 1-year-old son Noah , grow up . Despite being so young , Jenn notes that Bella has been a source of comfort for her as they continue to grieve . " There are nights where I lay with her and cry -- because , to me , she needs to see my emotions too and know that I 'm sad about it -- and she 'll say , ' Why are you crying ? ' and I 'll say , ' I miss Aba dad in Hebrew . I 'm thinking about him , ' " Jenn , 36 , recalls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands , and she 'll say ' It 's okay , Mommy , Aba 's in heaven , and in our hearts and our heads . ' " As remarkable as that is , Jenn acknowledges that her 3-year-old does n't quite " understand the permanency " in her father 's loss . " She understands it from a black and white perspective . If I ask her to tell me what happened to him , she will tell me that he got this sickness -- that 's what she calls it -- and it killed him and he died , and now he 's in heaven , " Jenn explains . " But then the next day , she 'll say to me , ' I hate the sickness . I wish it would go away because then maybe Aba would get better and come back . ' " " There are so many different ranges of emotions that she has , " she continues . " It 's crazy to think that my 3-and-a-half-year-old is comforting me sometimes . " " The sickness " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in February , Jenn explains . After weeks of coughing and not getting any better , the father of two -- who was otherwise healthy -- went to Stony Brook Hospital , where he tested positive for COVID-19 on March 13 . He remained hospitalized for a few days , before appearing to be getting better and returning to their Hauppauge home on March 15 . But just six days later , Jenn found herself driving Yoni back to the hospital , where she is employed as a psychiatric social worker , after his condition worsened . " He did n't like going to the doctor when he was sick , he never was that kind of person , " Jenn recalls . " For him to wake up one day and say to me , ' I need to go to the hospital right now , ' he really meant it because he would never do that . " Yoni Bradin with wife Jenn and their kids courtesy jenn bradin Due to visitor restrictions at the hospital , and the fact that she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under mandatory quarantine , Jenn was not immediately allowed to go in with her husband . Instead , the couple communicated via phone -- some exchanges which Jenn says she still has difficulty looking back on . " I remember when I dropped him off at the emergency room , we were so nervous that I did n't kiss him goodbye , " she says through tears . " Right before they intubated him , I was able to talk to him and it was the last time I spoke to him . He called me and told me that he loved me and to hug and kiss the kids , which was really hard to hear . " Once she was healthy , Jenn was able to be by his side in the Intensive Care Unit , thanks to a hospital policy that allowed clinical workers to visit family and friends who were COVID-19 patients . She remained with him until Yoni tragically died last week . In the wake of his death , a GoFundMe campaign was started for the Hauppauge father , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funeral costs , medical bills , and educational aspirations . It has since raised over $190,000 . Though Jenn feels grateful to have shared those final moments with her husband , especially since many families have not had that same opportunity , she says watching an intubated Yoni fight for his life in the ICU was " really hard . " Also extremely heartbreaking for her was witnessing Yoni 's 90-year-old grandfather , who is a Holocaust survivor , at his small funeral service on April 22 . Yoni Bradin with his son , father , and grandfather " His grandfather lost his entire immediate family in Auschwitz when he was a young boy , " she explains . " One of the most devastating things about that day , for me , was him sitting there having to watch his grandson , who he was so close to , be buried . " " After going through so much unimaginable tragedy in his life to now have to see this , " she continues . " He was so proud of Yoni and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the hardest things . " As the family continues to cope with the loss , Jenn is taking comfort in remembering all the things she loved most about Yoni . " He was so genuine . He had the ability to walk into any room and light it up and could connect with anyone , no matter what their background was , " she says . " He loved me so much . There was a connection there that I never had with anyone else before . The kind of love that we had , it was almost like we were put on this Earth for each other . " " It makes me nervous because this is very real and I do n't think we 're at a point where it 's over yet , " Jenn says . " I know there is a reality of certain things , like the economy , having to get moving again , but at what cost are we talking here ? " " I would n't wish this upon anyone else in the world and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she continues . " Until we find a way to eradicate this virus , we need to continue social distancing and keep as many things shut down as we can . " " People do n't realize what 's important until you lose what 's important . Even we were guilty of that , " she adds . " You take a lot of things for granted and then all of a sudden something like this happens . You 're totally blindsided . I just wish we could go back somehow and change it . " As of Thursday , there have been over 1 million cases and at least 62,708 deaths attributed to coronavirus in the United States , according to the New York Times . In New York , at least 309,696 cases and 23,616 deaths have been reported , according to the Times . As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes , PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage . Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication . For the latest on COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , WHO , and local public health departments . PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund , a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need , as well as organizations helping communities . For more information or to donate , click here .
@@31815541 A small Monmouth County nursing home has seen 50 residents test positive for coronavirus , all while having its employee ranks thinned by 30 percent due to sick or quarantined staff . The number of sick may be dozens fewer than at some larger nursing homes around the state , but at Manor Health and Rehabilitation Center in Freehold , it represents the vast majority of its 63 residents . The facility had 49 residents test positive but also admitted another new resident who was positive , as required by the state , according to a spokeswoman . Lori Palmer of CentraState Healthcare System , which runs the facility , also confirmed that of the Manor 's 145 staffers , 23 have tested positive and another 21 are in quarantine due to potential exposure . Three others who work in the facility under contracts but are not employed directly by the Manor have tested positive and two others are in quarantine , she said . Despite numerous requests , Palmer did not provide an accounting of any deaths at the facility or how many were currently hospitalized . The state does not currently provide a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since the COVID-19 outbreak began , we have cared for our residents at The Manor and protected our employees using CDC guidelines , " Palmer said in an email Thursday . She noted the facility stopped allowing visitors and non-essential healthcare staff into the facility March 12 . " Soon after we began monitoring staff temperatures and asking them questions on their risk of exposure in the community , " she said . The facility 's first positive test result for a resident was on March 31 , she said . While The Manor has 121 beds , the number of residents is down to 63 as some patients are hospitalized , and people who might otherwise come for rehabilitation choose to stay away , Palmer said . " Western Monmouth County has been hit particularly hard with COVID-19 and our entire organization has been working around the clock to prevent its spread , isolate patients and provide the best care possible during very challenging circumstances , " she said . As in other parts of the country , coronavirus has swept through long term care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious disease protocols put in place . State officials have acknowledged that staff -- some of whom have complained about a lack of protective gear -- were likely spreading the virus unwittingly to the patients in their care . As of Saturday , 413 of the state 's long-term care facilities have reported at least one case , and a total of 1,655 residents of those homes have died . Over 10,000 residents have the virus , or more than 12% of the 81,420 cases reported in the state .
@@31815741 The plan would require the Government to move the country into COVID-19 Alert Level 2 on May 12 , to allow the five franchises three weeks of full-contact training . NZME reports the season would consist of 10 rounds , pitting each side against their four local rivals on a home-and-away basis , with the team finishing atop the table crowned champions . Following that , NZ rugby fans would be treated to an all-star-type All Blacks trial match , replacing international tests against Wales and Scotland that seem certain to be cancelled . The report suggests the trial would allow new All Blacks coach Ian Foster and his staff a chance to interact with players and prepare for a potential Bledisloe Cup series later in the year , if Australia 's border restrictions are lifted . Next , the Mitre 10 Cup provincial season , following its two-tier format , would play into December and could involve international players , depending on the state of coronavirus recovery abroad . NZ Rugby is also considering a massive overhaul of Super Rugby from 2021 , which could include two new home-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be considered , depending how they rebound from their current crisis .
@@31815841 Member of Parliament(MP) for the Assin Central Constituency , Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has called out some of his colleague legislators for splashing their photos on relief items and Personal Protective Equipment ( PPE ) they donated to their constituents in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic . ADVERTISEMENT He says it is cheap for any Member of Parliament to want to take political advantage of a serious national issue that requires all hands on deck like the fight against COVID-19 . " What politicians are doing will not help this country ; you see people slashing their pictures on Veronica buckets ; you will see President Mahama walk around doing cheap politics ; I was surprised when I heard the very decent Rawlings ' daughter also making cheap political allegations over the sharing of food " , he said in an interview on his Net 2 TV . " but for future reference , bi would n't have brought my donations to the limelight , but if I do n't , people will say in future that I make empty noise without doing anything to help the country " , he said . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicising the issue . I have also seen NPP MPs who have put their pictures on Veronica buckets and that is cheap ; it 's below their standard , they should stop that ; it is the country you are helping and God knows your heart " , he said . Kennedy Agyapong has made arguably the singular largest contribution to the fight against COVID-19 . He had earlier donated some 100,000 nose makes , 3000 PPEs , 450 hospital beds , gallons of liquid soap and hand sanitizer and some monetary commitments , before topping it up with his latest donation to the Presidency .
@@31815941 Bill Beaumont has been re-elected as the chairman of World Rugby after beating back Agustin Pichot in a closely fought race . According to World Rugby , Beaumont won by 28 votes to 23 over the Argentinian darkhorse . The late backing of both Africa and Japan in favour of Beaumont appears to have swung the election in his favour . ADVERTISEMENT Beaumont has called on the game to unite and get working immediately to achieve sustainable growth in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic after being elected for a second term . Beaumont achieved a first-round majority of 28 votes to 23 in the election which was independently managed by PwC , standing against Pichot , whose maverick candidacy has caused a stir the last month in rugby circles . Pichot had promised a reform of World Rugby in order to better represent Tier 2 nations and to grow the sport beyond its traditional strongholds . Standing unopposed , F ? d ? ration Fran ? aise de Rugby President Bernard Laporte was elected the new Vice-Chairman . A new Executive Committee was also confirmed with seven new members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two independents Angela Ruggiero and Lord Mervyn Davies ( see below ) . Beaumont 's second term will be officially confirmed at World Rugby 's annual meeting of Council on 12 May , after which the new leadership 's four-year mandate will begin . Both candidates agreed to an early announcement given the process concluded at first round stage and no further votes were required for the Vice-Chairman and Executive Committee positions . Beaumont , in partnership with Laporte , will build on strong foundations to deliver a mandate of progressive reform , uniting stakeholders for the betterment of the game for all . This will include enhanced governance reform , an aligned and integrated approach to the global intenational calendar , accelerated prioritisation of player welfare , injury-prevention and modified contact variants , accelerated promotion of the women 's game and sustainable investment the sport . ADVERTISEMENT Work is progressing on a global women 's 15s competition and a global men 's emerging nations 15s competition that , alongside a record number of fixtures against top nations , targets union competition needs , provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivers an annual champion . " I am honoured to accept the mandate of the World Rugby Council to serve as the international federation 's Chairman once again and would like to thank my union and region colleagues , members of the global rugby family and , of course , my family for their full support and trust . " I would like to thank Gus for his friendship and support over the last four years . While we stood against each other in this campaign , we were aligned in many ways and I have the utmost respect for him . Gus is passionate about the sport and his contribution has been significant . " Beaumont has called on the organisation to get to work , deliver the sport 's response to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic , and implement progressive change : " Over the last four years we have achieved a lot , but we are at half-time and need to press on in the second half . I have a clear mandate to work with Bernard to implement progressive , meaningful and sustainable change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must lead , be transparent , accountable and continue to serve for all . We must be united in our drive to make this great sport even better , simpler , safer and more accessible . We must listen to players , fans , competitions , our unions and regions , and take decisions that are in the best interests of all with our strong values to the fore . " Now is not the time for celebration . We have work to do . We are tackling COVID-19 and must implement an appropriate return-to-rugby strategy that prioritises player welfare , while optimising any opportunity to return to international rugby this year in full collaboration with club competitions for the good of players , fans and the overall financial health of the sport . " I am determined to ensure that the spirit of unity and solidarity that has characterised our work so far in response to an unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic , is the cornerstone of a new approach that will deliver a stronger , more sustainable game when we emerge with new enthusiasm , a renewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : " Congratulations to my friend Sir Bill Beaumont on his re-election . I would also like to express my best wishes to Agust ? n Pichot , a legend of Argentinian rugby and a great rugby leader . I also want to thank all unions who have expressed their opinion in this important ballot , giving a clear mandate for the governance which Bill and I will undertake on their behalf . " During this unprecedented and global COVID-19 crisis , we must act and unite unions from the north and south and the professional leagues around a common objective to define a strong and sustainable future for all . We will pursue these reforms together and act in solidarity with the rugby family , to drive the game forward on and off the field , further the welfare of our players and make the sport more attractive and accessible . " RugbyPass is the premier destination for rugby fans across the globe , with the best news , analysis , shows , highlights , podcasts , documentaries , live match & player stats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streaming of the world 's greatest rugby tournaments all in HD.
@@31816041 Madison Monk , centre , had been looking forward to seeing her mum Donna , right , and sister Hannah , left , as well as other family members after being in self-isolation on her return from her OE . After spending nine months juggling communication in opposite time-zones on different sides of the world , Madison Monk was most looking forward to a cuddle from her mum when she finally touched down in New Zealand . But despite being less than a ten minute drive apart , the family reunion took four long weeks to happen , with the country entering level four lockdown the day Monk landed back home in Christchurch . On Wednesday , Monk finally reunited with her parents , along with her younger sister , at their Bishopdale home . Her brother , who lives in Bali , had also returned to the family home with his wife and two young children , making it possible for Monk to meet her six-month-old niece for the first time , and reunite with her young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July on her big OE , travelling in Europe for two months before settling in London . She secured a job , settled in to a flat and was planning weekend trips to Amsterdam , Germany and Paris when coronavirus concerns escalated in Britain . " I really did n't know what to do but I was worried about being stuck in my flat in London by myself and then not being able to get home if I really needed to . " She booked a ticket home , travelling through Indonesia , and was en route when the news of New Zealand going into level four lockdown was announced . " I was in Bali when I started getting texts from my family ... that was quite scary because I did n't really know what that meant for me and if I would even be able to get back in to the country so I was trying to find all the information I could . " Monk , once back from overseas , was required to spend two weeks in self-isolation before seeing anyone . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the remainder of the four-week lockdown at a nearby flat . She works night shifts , in line with daytime hours in London , and her parents stopped by to drop off groceries and deliver Easter goodies . They met her Kiwi boyfriend through the window , who returned from England with her , but it " was n't the same " as sitting down together for a meal and a catch up , Monk said . Donna Monk said having her daughter home was " bittersweet " , " I felt sad that this is not where she wanted to be having just started her big OE ( but ) once the decision was made I was looking forward to giving her a big hug . " Donna Monk had it was nice to have a full house again . " To take any positives from this experience is the privilege of such quality time with the family . " Madison Monk said she hoped to get back to London as soon as possible , but for now , she was enjoying spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of Kiwis leave New Zealand for working holidays . Last year , almost 4000 Kiwis were granted a Tier 5 youth mobility visa to Britain , which allows under 31-year-olds a two-year working holiday . More than 60,000 New Zealanders live in the UK , with many choosing to make London home . Donna , and Madison 's father Kevin Monk , had planned to met Monk in Ireland ahead of a two-week holiday driving through the country in September . The trip had been cancelled , so seeing each other earlier than expected -- and finally getting to have a hug -- was the silver lining in all the chaos , Monk said .
@@31816241 The number of deaths in the U.S. totaled more than 60,000 as of Wednesday evening , according to NBC News ' tally , while the global death toll climbed over 226,000 , according to Johns Hopkins University . The growing U.S. death toll has n't prevented some states from relaxing their lockdowns , including Florida , which announced it would begin lifting stay-at-home orders on Monday . New York Gov . Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday unveiled a wall of donated masks that he said are an example of the compassion shown by many Americans during this deadly and economically-crushing pandemic . Cuomo dramatically took down a black curtain to display the assembled work of art made up of facial coverings donated to New York from throughout the nation . " This is what this country is about , and this is what Americans are about , " said Cuomo , who has been critical of Republican opposition to supporting coronavirus-ravaged states that are struggling to stave off deep spending cuts and balance their budgets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little less of the partisanship and the ugliness , and this county would be better place , " he said . Share this - David K. Li 5d ago / 4:50 PM UTC Elective surgeries can begin again in New York state , as long as a region 's hospitals have available beds in case of a coronavirus surge , Gov . Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday . At least 30 percent of overall hospital beds and 30 percent of intensive-care beds in a county must be available for elective procedures to be allowed , the governor said , adding that the counties where these criteria would be met are all well outside the New York City metropolitan area . " We ca n't go back to where we were , where we overwhelmed the hospital system , " said Cuomo . " You have to have a 30-percent buffer . " Share this - Elisha Fieldstadt 5d ago / 4:43 PM UTC Starting May 4 , customers will be required to wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth at all times while inside the store , according to a coronavirus response update from Costco . Children under the age of 2 and people who ca n't wear masks because of medical conditions are exempt . " The use of a mask or face covering should not be seen as a substitute for social distancing . Please continue to observe rules regarding appropriate distancing while on Costco premises , " the company said . Share this - Tom Winter 5d ago / 4:26 PM UTC New York Gov . Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday that another 330 people had been added to the state 's death toll from coronavirus , for a total of 17,968 since the outbreak began . The daily death rate in New York is continuing to decline . It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22 , and 335 on Tuesday . However , the rate at which the daily total is shrinking has started to decelerate , having fallen by 10 deaths from Sunday to Monday , two from Monday to Tuesday , and five from Tuesday to Wednesday . YouTube has removed two videos of California doctors whose calls to ease coronavirus lockdowns have become the newest ammunition used by conservative media and fringe activists in their calls to end government measures to slow the spread of the disease . The doctors , Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi of Bakersfield , California , downplayed the risk of the coronavirus and asserted that stay-at-home measures were unnecessary . They also promoted a conspiracy theory that doctors were falsely attributing unrelated deaths to COVID-19 . Facebook , however , has not removed the doctor 's videos , and dozens of others remain on YouTube , some in full , some sliced into segments , racking up hundreds of thousands of views . One video on Facebook has been viewed more than 9 million times . " Watching the book and comics communities unite and rise to the occasion to help the stores that are the backbone of our industry has been a heartening and inspiring experience , " said Gwenda Bond , author of " Stranger Things : Suspicious Minds . " The campaign -- which was coordinated by the authors Kami Garcia , Brian Michael Bendis , Gwenda Bond , Sam Humphries and Phil Jimenez -- involved a series of more than 600 online auctions , whereby buyers could bid on books and other paraphernalia using #Creators4Comics on social media . Winning bidders donated their funds directly to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation ( BINC ) , an organization dedicated to supporting independent booksellers . A heartwarming video showing hospital employees cheering for a 6-month-old who recovered from COVID-19 has gone viral on social media . The video , which was recorded at Alder Hey Children 's Hospital in Liverpool , England , celebrates young Erin 's recovery from COVID-19 after she spent 14 days inside an isolation room . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospital , clapping as the young patient was moved out of isolation . 6 month old Erin ? ? was recently diagnosed with #COVID19 and was in an isolation room here for 14 days with mum Emma whilst being treated ? ? Today , Erin beat COVID-19 & received a guard of honour by the treating team on our HDU as she was moved out of isolation ? ? ? ? ? ? **26;302;TOOLONG The U.S. Navy 's top civilian leader said he is calling for a deeper investigation into the circumstances around the firing of Capt . Brett Crozier , who was relieved of his command after the leak of a letter he sent detailing concerns about a coronavirus outbreak on the USS Roosevelt . Top officials with the Navy last week recommended Crozier be reinstated . But acting Secretary James E. McPherson said that after reviewing the events and speaking with the chief of Naval Operations , he was left with unanswered questions . Dutch teens cheer on their schooner Wylde @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Netherlands . Peter Dejong / AP A group of teenagers sailed 4,500 nautical miles across the Atlantic because they feared coronavirus restrictions would prevent them from flying home to the Netherlands . " It was really scary because before that we had been making jokes like , ' oh , we can always cross the Atlantic if necessary , ' but it was more like a joke , " said Isabella van den Hout , 16 , after they docked in the Dutch port of Harlingen on Sunday . " And then it became a reality . " The 24 students aged between 14 to 17 , had planned to spend six weeks sailing Wylde Swan -- the biggest topsail schooner in the world -- around the Caribbean , learning nautical skills as well traditional academic subjects , from the 12 adult crew members and four teachers accompanying them .
@@31816341 Edgar Wright weighs in on the Shaun of The Deadcoronavirus memes that have come up this week . Some protesters were fed up with being inside and took to the streets of Columbus , Ohio to voice their displeasure . Governor Mike DeWine had effectively shut down the state in an effort to slow down the coronavirus pandemic . People are getting antsy though , and they wanted the state to open up , despite the entire country being far from out of the woods . The amazing images of people banging on the capital doors spread across social media like wildfire . It was n't long before someone juxtaposed the images against the poster for Shaun of the Dead . Of course , it would make its way back to the director . Wright wrote , " The world must be going downhill fast if we 're already onto our third wave of Shaun Of The Dead memes ... " Dispatch Alerts photojournalist Joshua A. Bickel delivered the first images and Twitter would go on to do a lot of the work . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about once an hour since this whole thing started . With so much of the state still closed down , it makes sense that there would be some anxiety about the future , but the virus is nowhere near done yet . With major corporations still taking necessary precautions and massive entertainment entities still just eating the losses , we 've still got a little while before things can just be back to normal . The world must be going downhill fast if we 're already onto our third wave of Shaun Of The Dead memes ... **26;360;TOOLONG Shaun of the Dead fans were just happy to see the film trending yesterday . When they discovered the entire story , the delight only increased . A good meme will do that , and it was n't long before most of Twitter was wondering exactly what was going on in Ohio right now . For what it 's worth , the ordeal seemed to make everyone aware of just how much further the country has to go before just ditching social distancing . For those who are worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control and Prevention offers a litany of tips , including covering coughs and sneezes , avoiding large gatherings or close contact with people who are sick , and washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds . Did you see the memes on social media yesterday ? Let us know in the comments ! Disclosure : ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive , a division of ViacomCBS.
@@31816641 President and CEO of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore , Dr. Ruth Jones Nichols , and Mercy Chefs founder Gary LeBlanc , are seen March 19 announcing plans for distributing food during the coronavirus pandemic . Both of their groups received grants from the United Way of South Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Community Foundation to help them continue to do so . ( Stephen M. Katz ) A number of the region 's nonprofits that are focused on feeding , housing and counseling people amid the COVID-19 pandemic have received a lifeline from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation and United Way of South Hampton Roads . The two organizations teamed up to give out $517,410 in grants to 34 organizations . " Our nonprofit partners continue to be on the front lines of responding to the crisis , which challenges their already tight resources , " said Deborah M. DiCroce , president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation , in a statement . Michele Anderson , president and CEO of United Way of South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their services to respond . " The Up Center was awarded $25,000 and Communities in Schools of Hampton Roads received $10,000 for mental health services . Kelsey Mohring , vice president of corporate responsibility and marketing for the United Way of South Hampton Roads , said several grant applications came in after the deadline and are being reviewed . Both organizations plan to issue additional grants , she said .
@@31816841 A closed sign is posted at a restaurant along the River Walk in San Antonio in this file photo . Banks reported a little more success late last week in getting small business owners ' applications for coronavirus relief loans into government processing systems . ( AP/Eric Gay ) NEW YORK -- The smallest companies seeking coronavirus relief loans were moving to the head of the line one day last week as the Small Business Administration said that for an eight-hour period it would accept loans only from small lenders . The step was being taken to ensure that small community lenders , those with under $1 billion in assets , and their small-business customers would have access to the $310 billion program , SBA head Jovita Carranza said in a tweet . There have been concerns about the nation 's smallest businesses being able to get loans because small banks -- many of them with just a few hundred applications -- have had to compete with big national banks submitting hundreds of thousands of loan requests . Carranza said smaller lenders would still be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them . News that big companies , including restaurant chains like Shake Shack and the NBA 's Los Angeles Lakers , had gotten loans in the first $349 billion round of funding also raised anger that well-financed companies had taken priority over struggling small businesses . Shake Shack , the Lakers and some other large businesses have since said they would return the money , and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said loans above $2 million will be audited to ensure that the businesses actually need the money . Last week , banks including community lenders reported more success in getting small-business owners ' applications for coronavirus relief loans into the SBA 's processing system known as ETran . Banks had been frustrated by the slow pace of submissions earlier last week , the first two days of the current round of funding . The loans , part of the government 's $2 trillion relief coronavirus relief package , are intended to help businesses hit hard by the virus retain their workers or rehire those who were laid off . Thousands of businesses have been forced to shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost business as customers stayed home or cut their spending . The Commerce Department reported last week that the economy shrank nearly 5% in the first quarter , with consumer spending dropping 7.6% ; the virus began spreading in the U.S. midway through the quarter . Demand for the small-business loans has been intense -- a first $349 billion round of funding was depleted in less than two weeks with the SBA approving 1.7 million loans . Banks had thousands of applications ready when the current round began . SundayMonday Business on 05/03/2020 Print Headline : Small firms move to head of line ADVERTISEMENT COMMENTS - It looks like you 're using Internet Explorer , which is n't compatible with the Democrat-Gazette commenting system . You can join the discussion by using another browser , like Firefox or Google Chrome . It looks like you 're using Microsoft Edge . The Democrat-Gazette commenting system is more compatible with Firefox and Google Chrome .
@@31817541 The defender is currently on loan at Estudiantes until the end of the season and a video , which was posted on social media and later deleted , showed the centre back playing poker and smoking with his friends . Argentina , like most of the world , is currently in lockdown until at least May 10 due to the Covid-19 pandemic which means gatherings are not permitted . It is understood United will contact the 30-year-old to remind him of his responsibilities and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is likely to have taken a dim view of Rojo 's actions . The defender , who had made just one Premier League start this season before he went out on loan in January , has not been part of the Norwegian 's plans since he took charge at Old Trafford and has struggled for game time . Rojo made just nine appearances in all competitions before he left on loan , and with the arrival of Harry Maguire last summer , the 30-year-old fell further down the pecking order and he is hoping to extend his loan spell at his childhood club after the season was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If it depends on me , I will speak to Manchester United 's management about the possibility of staying here for another six months , " Rojo told local radio programme Estudiantes Y Su Gente . Article continues below " I will feel a tremendous sense of pain if I have to leave after playing in so few matches . I am completely recovered now , and fit to play once more . " The centre back is the latest footballer to break the lockdown rules . Everton striker Moise Kean was caught hosting a house party during lockdown in England at his Cheshire home while Aston Villa midfielder , and United target , Jack Grealish apologised after he was spotted leaving a party at his former teammate 's house . Lockdown rules in England are currently in place until at least May 7 and the Premier League are in ongoing discussions with the government over " Project Restart " in an effort to work out the safest and best way for football to start again .
@@31817641 The High Court in Auckland where Justice Tracey Walker ruled against the Director General of Health , allowing a dying man to see his son for the last time . The son of a dying man had to take emergency court action against health authorities so he could spend one last day with his terminally ill father . Stuff understands the emergency court action allowed Oliver Christiansen to spend just over 24 hours with his father , retired associate High Court judge Tony Chrstiansen , before the older man died of a brain tumour . Since the case came to light , the Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Health to review all cases of quarantined family members being denied permission to visit dying relatives . Oliver Christian 's lawyer Simon Foote QC said while the Judge 's ruling allowed Christiansen to leave the 14-day mandatory isolation for overseas arrivals early , he hoped authorities would exercise their discretion in the future . " The comfort that everyone gets from being together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ca n't be under-valued . " Oliver Christiansen lives in London and flew back to New Zealand on April 23 because his father was terminally ill and in palliative care at home . POOL VISION Dr Ashley Bloomfield says the fact there are no new cases of Covid-19 on Monday is just a ' point in time ' and not a reason to slacken . At that stage the medical advice was that his father had weeks to live and Christiansen would still be able to say goodbye , once Christiansen completed his mandatory 14 days in self-isolation at an inner-city Auckland hotel . However , the following day , his father 's condition took a turn for the worse and medical specialists revised his father 's life expectancy as likely to last between one and three days . Christiansen initially wrote to the Ministry of Health on April 24 asking to be let out of enforced quarantine . He had no symptoms , was being monitored by medical professionals every two days and despite repeatedly asking for a Covid-19 test , he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their discretion on compassionate grounds . Instead , authorities wrote back saying they could only excuse Christiansen if he had a medical condition that could not be treated in isolation . The following day , Christiansen wrote back to authorities , imploring them to look at his " exceptional circumstances " . He told authorities his father had started asking " Where is my boy , where is my boy ? " . The next day Christiansen also wrote directly to the Director General of Health , Ashley Bloomfield , and Health Minister David Clark . Blomfield responded , saying that authorities were looking into the case . However , Christiansen was again declined . He then took his case to the High Court in Auckland to have his situation reviewed by a judge . Justice Tracey Walker heard the case on Friday and allowed Christiansen to visit his father . She found the authorities had interpreted the rules narrowly , based on the criteria available on the Government 's Covid-19 website , and had failed to use their powers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favour of a man who wanted to see his dying father . " No matter how necessary or demonstrably justified the Covid-19 response , decisions must have a clear and certain basis " she said . Justice Walker ordered Christiansen travel by private car and wear full PPE while visiting his father . " It is difficult to envisage more compassionate grounds than those presented here , " she said . Foote said the time Christiansen had with his father was " priceless " . " These end of life situations are perhaps the most tragic consequences of the pandemic because , of course , they are final . " There are lots of awful consequences , of people losing businesses , but there 's no way to rewind or re-visit end of life circumstances . " There had been 24 requests to visit a relative dying or close to dying as of April 30 , a spokesperson for the prime minister said . None of those requests have been granted " The Prime Minister has spoken to the Minister of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now be reviewed in light of the Court 's ruling . " The Ministry of Health would not comment on whether it had apologised to the Christiansen family . Instead , the spokeswoman said each request for leave from isolation on compassionate grounds or exceptional reasons is considered on its individual merits . " The fact that the Court decided to intervene in this case does not mean that it would take the same approach in respect of other decisions by the Ministry not to allow leave from isolation . " She said the Ministry is reviewing its processes for considering requests for leave on compassionate grounds and exceptional reasons to prevent this issue arising again .
@@31818141 The yuan is subject to capital controls . Oil exporters do n't want it , China does n't want to pay in it ( since it would require them to open up more than it wishes , at this stage ) . So it pays out of FX reserves . so you think Chinese refiners and oil companies tap the PBOC FX reserves to sell Yuan and buy dollars to purchase crude , which they then sell domestically in Yuan again , and this is Chinese governments preferred mechanism , because China does not want to pay for oil in its own currency that is controls and issues . brilliant but completely mad . a sort of vote of no-confidence in its own currency . God forbid the Yuan became an international currency used for trade . that would be a disaster for China and its companies and its economy , according to Chinese policy makers . My greatest fear is that there will be an interval before the main act commences ; an attack of some sort by Trump on either Libya or Iran as a distraction to the election . He 'd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big boy ' and can fight back . What this would do is only to be guessed at but the overall consequences could be potentially even more destructive and economically more costly than what we 're currently experiencing . Although many a Europhile told me in CiF ( the Guardian , also Le Monde and Die Zeit ) that Hillary was a warmonger and that it ( quote ) " made no difference " if Trump was elected . So how is that difference panning out for you ? Also , please check the polls this week ( Rasmussen is a conservative poll , USA Today is moderate ) . Trump is in the cellar . He 's also doing rather poorly in the three states he needs for reelection : Wisc. , Mich. , and Penn . Apart from the fact that if I were a U.S. national I would vote Democrat ( the only Republican post-WWII that has deeply impressed me was your IKE ! ) , therefore for me Hillary without a moment 's hesitation . Hillary by any standards and measures was/is head shoulders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans would agree with that . And how many have walked out the party . ) But look , I 'd be delighted if you could elect a serious statesman to lead your country . Unfortunately , that pest is rooted to stay and serve another term . And not only , I fear that even worse types than him could be made presidents . Can it get worse than Trump ? Roy Moore makes Trump look like a fountain of wisdom . So yes , the U.S. 's politics machinery can churn out worse figures than Trump . We never thought Trump could be made president and he did , and it 's probable he 'll have a 2nd term . So no , I do n't rule out the day a Roy Moor-esque figure makes it to the White Hs . Thanks for all of you who have tried to explain this phenomenon . Can I understand that FTSE , Dow Jones etc are just legalised gambling houses . If the hyper rich who control the governments can tell anything positive through their media , spokes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get their share price higher even if there was a massive asteroid strike and get some share prices lower even if there was a good economic activity . Also most capitalist government will bend over the back to please their hyper rich masters even during a pandemic . " if that were the case , why has China only recently started paying for a small portion of oil in Yuan , when according to you it already could have done so before . " The yuan is subject to capital controls . Oil exporters do n't want it , China does n't want to pay in it ( since it would require them to open up more than it wishes , at this stage ) . So it pays out of FX reserves . Except that quite a few EU posters still say the opposite : the EU is weak , a groveler , etc . Also , they say that the time of a European superpower is well off in the future ( as in : 2060 earliest ) . We 're talking trade negotiations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or anything like that , say , the E.U. becoming what the U.S. once was in the ' 50s or ' 60s . Quite simply , the UK sitting across the U.S. for trade would be a meeting of the giant with the midget . It stands to reason planet earth 's #1 in size economy ( +327 mil . consumers ) and a single mid-sized European country are not *equal* . Before even the negotiations begin , the clout and leverage you bring set the scene . Clearly , little Britain needs a heck of a lot more the U.S. market than the other way around . For these reasons , when the U.S. and the E.U./eurozone meet there is a meeting of giants . I am stating the obvious . I hope the other 15 EU states will oppose as strongly as possible the proposal to allow airlines to keep the cash of the canceled flights.Or next we will see banks having the option to give us a voucher instead of the money on the account . The ussr never had the reach of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war in Mexico ? Or the Caribbean ? Us military in Vietnam , korea etc show the difference clearly . so fighting a decade long war in south east asia and being eventually defeated , only reinforces the US dollar as the global reserve currency . brilliant . There can only be one world reserve currency by definition . Bretton woods gave that honour to the US dollar and their military might it was not their military might that made the US dollar the global reserve currency . it was their economic might . as stated before , the Soviet Union had military might and had just defeated Nazi Germany . Portuguese , dutch , french , english and spanish , all lost their status when they suffered.military defeats No , they were superseded by the US. by the end of WW2 , the US was by far the largest economy in the world . the European colonial powers were bankrupt . it was not about European nations suffering military defeats . the UK was on the winning side in WW2 , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . The exporter will be happy to invoice you in this basket of currencies that is simply not true . if that were the case , why has China only recently started paying for a small portion of oil in Yuan , when according to you it already could have done so before . China paid for all its oil in dollars , even when buying it from Saudis . Why make your domestic refiners convert yuan to dollars for no reason . they sell the refined oil in Yuan , but the Chinese govt wanted them to convert their Yuan into dollars just for fun ? . European oil companies sell their oil in dollars to China . Copper is mined in the Congo . it is priced and paid for in dollars . Lithium is mined in Chile , it is priced and paid for in dollars . Everything is driven by the choice of currency basket in which the oil exporter wishes to accumulate its FX reserves again , that is simply not true and not how central banks operate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build up and alter currency reserves not through a policy of conducting oil sales in different currencies , but through the FX markets . Central banks are not oil companies . Oil companies are not central banks . to combine the two into 1 entity would be ridiculous and dangerous for obvious reasons . Which means that there is , at times of uncertainty , mass buying of US$ to cover this short position at times of uncertainty , the dollar gets shorted ? . no . in fact , the dollar gets bought even more than usual and the dollar strengthens as happened over the last few months . what happened a few weeks ago , was that there was so much demand for dollars and they became so scarce , that the Federal reserve opened up swap lines so that assets like treasuries could be converted into cash dollars by other central banks , directly with the Fed and not through the usual markets . Except that quite a few EU posters still say the opposite : the EU is weak , a groveler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a European superpower is well off in the future ( as in : 2060 earliest ) . " do enjoy ( more likely than not ) a 2nd presidential term with that bright gem " Although many a Europhile told me in CiF ( the Guardian , also Le Monde and Die Zeit ) that Hillary was a warmonger and that it ( quote ) " made no difference " if Trump was elected . So how is that difference panning out for you ? Also , please check the polls this week ( Rasmussen is a conservative poll , USA Today is moderate ) . Trump is in the cellar . He 's also doing rather poorly in the three states he needs for reelection : Wisc. , Mich. , and Penn . The ECB does n't care about the rating . And if the useless ? zone politicians do n't act and mutualise some of the debts ( it does n't have to be all or nothing ) they 'll wake up one morning and find that ECB has done it by the back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed , w/o their ( explicit ) consent , but they are changing .. And then they 'll have a very simple question to ask of themselves . Do they want to take responsibility for destroying their economies , and take the rest of the world down with them ? The useless politicians know this . But they do n't yet know how to explain it to their electorates , and Merkel can palm off that rather awkward discussion to her successor . The ECB has taken control . Draghi set it up , slowly and patiently building up ECB 's arsenal w/o many realising where he was leading . Now for Lagarde to carry it through to the logical conclusion . Without the b word , whatever the EU is and what people within thought about it before the crisis , it will be a different **28;185;TOOLONG after i suspect . It has hovered between ineffective and doubtful . All the advantages of what it is were thrown out of the bath , with the baby i fear . Without the tools to face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown as a purely subjective issue , transnational health and treatment were reserverd for soundbites , money as always was the big question ( how can i prevent you from hurting me ) ... does n't look good
@@31818241 A picture taken March 21 , 2020 , of the reflecting pool at the National Mall , apparently drained to make repairs . " Adds to the mysteriousness of our days , do n't you think ? " ponders photographer Robin Fader . The " Streets of Corona " -- a.k.a. , Washington D.C. during the COVID-19 pandemic -- take on an aura both isolated and communal in Fader 's black-and-white images . While her pictures capture once-bustling streets and parks that are now empty , they also show residents who persist -- in helping others , spreading signs of hope , and taking the insecurity and hazards of a viral outbreak in stride . Credit : Robin Fader Workers at the community service organization Martha 's Table prepare 400 meals for distribution . Credit : Robin Fader Credit : Robin Fader Robin Fader is a Washington , D.C.-based photographer and award-winning producer and director of commercials and public service announcements . Her portfolio includes work for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She also photographs music festivals . " I photograph using predominantly available light , which allows me to be free in any environment ; it also allows a more comfortable experience for my subjects , " she writes . " There 's no question that I 'm happiest with camera in hand . Being a photographer means engaging with people and providing images that can last for generations ... and thatis what I see as my legacy . " Credit : Courtesy of Robin Fader Signs on a sidewalk outside the Jos ? Andr ? s restaurant Jaleo in Washington , D.C. Credit : Robin Fader Decorating the window at Jaleo , in Washington , D.C. Credit : Robin Fader Credit : Robin Fader Credit : Robin Fader Credit : Robin Fader Social distancing . Credit : Robin Fader Musician Jon Noel . " I was fortunate to experience the amazing @jonnoelmusic . He played to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , " Fader said . Credit : Robin Fader Kids learn to do cartwheels . Credit : Robin Fader Credit : Robin Fader Credit : Robin Fader Fader wrote : " They were grateful that a school offered their parking lot to do COVID-19 testing . The nearby shopping center turned them down , saying it would look like there was an epidemic if they did testing there . " Credit : Robin Fader H Street Bridge . Credit : Robin Fader Credit : Robin Fader Credit : Robin Fader As Fader was taking pictures on 14th Street , a friend of hers , Donnell Karimah , passed by . " It took all I had not to hug you ! ! ! ! " he wrote on Facebook of their encounter . Credit : Robin Fader " For some reason , these really got to me , " Fader said of images she took of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
@@31818941 They 've been stolen , confiscated by federal agents , and flown in secretly from China . N95 masks are in such short supply amid the coronavirus outbreak that hospitals are now sanitizing and reusing face coverings they once tossed in the trash after a single use . But how many times can a mask be cleaned and reused -- and still be safe ? That 's a question nurses , doctors and medical researchers are asking , as hospitals and first responders across the country increasingly turn todecontaminating masks at mass scale , from Boston 's most prestigious hospitals to the Los Angeles County sheriff 's office . One arm of the federal government is allowing for 20 cycles of cleaning for a single mask . Another suggests three . Many hospitals are touting five to 10 . " One of the concerns we have is that these masks are n't designed to be reprocessed , " said Richard Peltier , an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts , Amherst , who is working alone in his lab on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ degrading each time they are sterilized and reused . " This is a case where we have to follow the science , and frankly , the science is kind of lacking right now , " he added . " I do n't necessarily buy that you can reprocess these things 20 times without evidence to support that . " There 's plenty cause for confusion amid the crush of COVID-19 cases , coupled with political pressure to respond to the scarcity of protective gear available for medical workers . Partners HealthCare -- which runs Massachusetts General Hospital , Brigham and Women 's Hospital and others -- has embraced a cleaning system that uses vaporized hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate masks . The initial announcement said masks could be cleaned up to 30 times . That cleaning system is managed by Battelle Memorial Institute , a multi-billion-dollar Ohio company that operates as a nonprofit and is a major government contractor . Battelle had undertaken a mask-cleaning study back in 2016 , but in March pushed hard for approval by the Food and Drug Administration , as coronavirus cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's lieutenant governor urged the agency to approve the system , according to public records and remarks by Ohio Gov . Mike DeWine . In the wee hours of March 29 , the FDA sent a letter approving the mask-cleaning system for emergency use amid the COVID-19 pandemic -- because there were not enough news masks . Based on the evidence available , it said , the system " may be effective at preventing exposure " to airborne particulates , and could be used up to 20 times per mask . The letter also contained this caveat : " No descriptive printed matter relating to the use of the Battelle Decontamination System may represent or suggest that this product is safe or effective for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 . " But given the need and urgency , the FDA gave Battelle the green light to clean 10,000 masks a day at its headquarters in Columbus , Ohio . The governor was furious at the limitation ; Battelle wanted to process 80,000 masks a day , in locations around the country . " Needless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said at a press conference that same day . " I picked up the phone , I called President Trump . " Within hours , the president tweeted that he hoped the FDA would approve the sterilizing equipment . And by that evening , the regulators had relented . At 10:45 p.m. , DeWine tweeted his thanks to Trump and the FDA . Days later , Somerville was one of the first sites for a Battelle mask-cleaning operation to launch , and by April 13 , the company announced it had a $415 million contract from the Defense Department to roll out 60 machines in an array of cities . Partners executives have said they 'll likely clean masks up to five or 10 times , rather than 20 . But prominent nurses ' groups , both local and national , have raised questions about the safety of sanitized masks . And another arm of the federal government , the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) , came out with a study suggesting three cleanings was safe -- but did n't test them beyond that . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton , Montana , was a leader of the mask study . He and his team had been working on other coronavirus-related research since January . Then in March , as the virus was exploding , they shifted to a quick three-week N95 mask project , he said . They tested four different methods of cleaning , and found that vaporized hydrogen peroxide was best . All the methods worked , Munster said in an interview , including one using UV light that some Boston facilities have adopted . In each case , the mask fabric came out clean and sanitized . But the masks do eventually degrade in various ways , including losing their tight fit on the face . " You need to know what the strain on that mask is . And I personally do n't think you should push that , " Munster said . The available studies have not yet taken into account the unusually long hours medical staff are having to wear masks in the current environment -- often all day . " Do you wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you worn it a complete day and then decontaminated it and then wear it again , " Munster said . Medical workers do n't necessarily get their own masks back . They come back from Battelle with a number , indicating how many cleaning cycles they 've been through . If there 's one thing that may stop hospitals from trying to reuse masks 20 times or more , it 's the elastic bands that hold them to the face ; everyone seems to agree they break down at that point , or sooner . Munster declined to comment on why the FDA is allowing 20 cleanings , while his group had only tested for three . Asked how many times he 'd be willing to wear a sanitized N95 , he said , " I think I would be comfortable wearing that mask for three times " -- and only after making sure it still fit properly . Researchers interviewed by WBUR said the fast turnabout by the FDA is part of a trend developing during the pandemic . The White House has been pressing regulators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for instance , before they 've been fully vetted . " I think I would be comfortable wearing that mask for three times . " Researcher Vincent Munster In a statement , Brittney Manchester , a spokeswoman for the FDA , said , " We worked with Battelle expeditiously , turned around Battelle 's request in a matter of hours , and issued a new authorization on March 29th . " She also said the FDA is " committed to working with our federal government partners and the private sector to find solutions fast , so that we can get essential medical devices to those needing them to protect against COVID-19 . " Now , millions of medical professionals are counting on the safety of mask-sanitizing . Peltier , the UMass Amherst researcher , is trying to get hold of masks that have been through the Battelle process , to do further safety testing . He said he 's heard from medical providers who are caring for patients with coronavirus -- and concerned about reusing masks . " If there are front-line medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " Peltier said , " I want them to know about it . "
@@31819041 A press freedom organization has claimed that 55 journalists have died worldwide from the novel Coronavirus in the past two months . The Press Emblem Campaign ( PEC ) , made this known in a statement ahead of World Press Freedom Day on Sunday . The organization lamented that media workers often lack proper protection for covering the pandemic and warned that many of them were putting their lives in danger . Since March 1 , the PEC said it had recorded the deaths of 55 media workers across 23 countries from the virus , but admitted that it was unclear if all of them had become infected on the job . " Journalists are at great risk in this health crisis because they must continue to inform , by going to hospitals , interviewing doctors , nurses , political leaders , specialists , scientists , patients , " PEC said in a statement . It said that in a range of countries " indispensable protective measures " like physical distancing , quarantines , and mask-wearing had not been applied , especially early on in the outbreak . Ecuador was the hardest-hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the virus , followed by the United States , with eight , Brazil with four , and Britain and Spain with three each , it said . The organization also echoed warnings from the United Nations that the pandemic , which had killed more than 230,000 people out of more than 3.2 million infected worldwide is being used in some countries as an excuse to crackdown on the media . It added that this was particularly worrying at a time when access to reliable public information was more vital than ever . " Transparency is paramount and can be lifesaving in a health crisis , " it said .
@@31819241 An Amazon executive has resigned in protest after the company fired employees who drew attention to unsafe conditions in its warehouses . Tim Bray , a former vice president and engineer for Amazon Web Services , Amazon 's cloud computing division , wrote in a blog post he " quit in dismay at Amazon firing whistleblowers who were making noise about warehouse employees frightened of Covid-19 . " Bray said his last day at Amazon was May 1 , and that quitting will cost him over $1 million in lost salary and stock . Last month , Amazon fired two user experience designers , Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa , who were members of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice and who had recently criticized Amazon 's warehouses as unsafe . Both Cunningham and Costa made offers on Twitter to match donations up to $500 to support Amazon warehouse workers . In late March , Amazon fired warehouse assistant manager Christian Smalls after he organized a walkout from the company 's facility in Staten Island , New York , over lack of safe working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than five years , said he " snapped " after the company started firing activist employees and warehouse workers , who he said were disproportionately women , minorities , or both . He described Amazon 's actions as " chickenshit " and " designed to create a climate of fear . " " VPs should n't go publicly rogue , so I escalated through the proper channels and by the book , " Bray wrote . " That done , remaining an Amazon VP would have meant , in effect , signing off on actions I despised . So I resigned . " Amazon declined to comment . The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted how many of the global economy 's most essential workers are also its lowest paid and most vulnerable . Amazon warehouse workers are among them : They have kept Amazon 's deliveries moving despite often lacking adequate protective equipment and having to work in crowded spaces where social distancing is impossible . Amazon raised its minimum hourly wage to $17 from $15 in late March and said US workers would receive double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results ( pdf ) that its investment in increased pay will be nearly $700 million through May 16 . Even with those raises , an Amazon warehouse worker working a regular 40-hour week would earn barely half of the US median household income . Amazon also said in its latest earnings report that it has procured 100 million face masks for frontline workers and purchased more than 1,000 thermal cameras and 31,000 thermometers to conduct daily temperature checks on employees . Workers at Amazon and Amazon-owned Whole Foods planned to join other essential workers on International Workers ' Day ( May 1 ) in a strike for better protections and benefits during the pandemic that Smalls helped organize . It 's unclear how many workers ultimately participated . In France , all six of Amazon 's warehouses were closed last month after a French court ruled the company was n't doing enough to protect its workers from the coronavirus , and the French government today rejected a request by Amazon to use a partial unemployment scheme for the 10,000 workers at those facilities .
@@31819341 News from WCC The need for food bank services and distribution across Wellington has increased dramatically since the lockdown -- and the Wellington City Council 's Community Services team is helping organisations meet those demands . Before COVID-19 made its impact felt , the Wellington City Mission would deliver around 80 food parcels to people in need each week , but that number has climbed to around 250 since lockdown started . To help meet the high demand , Community Services mobilised " Team Food " to support the food security aspect of Council 's COVID-19 welfare response . The City Mission is just one of the organisations they 're supporting , and since establishing the team , they 've organised the delivery of over 350 crates of fresh fruit and vegetables to them . " As well as supporting the City Mission , we are organising a fresh produce delivery from regional farmers for The Salvation Army , Student Volunteer Army and St Vincent de Paul , " says Team Food 's Brittany Rymer . " We connect people with a food security organisation that can meet their needs , and we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as we move down alert levels . " The Compassion Soup Kitchen is the only organisation offering hot meals to Wellington 's homeless . Their newly adapted and COVID-compliant takeaway service has increased from an average of about 70 per day to about 130 meals a day . The Soup Kitchen is also preparing and delivering meals to other agencies in the homeless network . These include DCM , the Women 's ' Refuge , Wellington Night Shelter and Women 's Night Shelter . Their service is now extended to Sunday to step in as other agencies no longer deliver a Sunday service . " We are funding increased food supply lines and promoting messaging to the public about how emergency food services can be accessed . We are also supplying these organisations with appropriate PPE and health and safety guidelines advice . " We 've also developed a Welfare Map to help the public find services and agencies that can support them , and we have a team who can provide advice who are just a phone call away on 04 499 4444 . " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to food is a key component in the city 's response to need . One of those is Council-supported Kaibosh , which is experiencing an increased demand for food and needs all the help they can get for their ' Give a Meal in May ' fundraising campaign , says Mayor Andy Foster . " This year Kaibosh is asking us to donate what we 'd usually spend on a meal out to help put a meal on a table for people who need it . Just $20 can provide 29 meals to those struggling -- which is more than usual during this crisis . " So we encourage you to show the generous , kind , and supportive spirit of Wellington by digging deep to support this important campaign . " Financial donations are the best way to help others in need . You can donate online via bank transfer at :
@@31819641 Growing pressure on Sri Lanka 's scarce foreign exchange resources , due to the spread of COVID-19 across the globe , is now more real than ever before . To ease this pressure , the Central Bank of Sri Lanka ( CBSL ) has taken many measures to attract and retain more foreign exchange in Sri Lanka . On March 19 , the CBSL curtailed the import of non-essential goods , followed by the relaxation of its foreign exchange regulations on April 2 . The CBSL invited Sri Lankans and well-wishers living in the country and abroad to deposit their savings and other funds in foreign currency to the Sri Lankan banking system . This invitation came with the assurance that such deposits will be accepted without any hindrance from the government , CBSL , or any other authority . More recently , the Finance Minister suspended outward remittances , other than current transactions through Business or Personal Foreign Currency Accounts , reduced the first time migration allowance to a maximum of USD 30,000 , and introduced a Special Deposit Account , which can be opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest rate . Yet , it is uncertain if these efforts alone would be able to address Sri Lanka 's deepening foreign exchange concerns . This blog highlights the importance of remittances to Sri Lanka and outlines how to harness the potential of international remittances to complement other efforts already taken by the CBSL . Remittance economy Sri Lanka is often identified as a remittance economy , due its heavy reliance on remittances . In 2019 , the Sri Lankan economy received USD 6.7 billion as remittances , which was capable of covering 84% of its trade deficit . Moreover , recent estimates show that one in every 11 households received international remittances , migrants normally remit once a month , and the average amount remitted is Rs. 40,000 per month . Seasonality of remittances Remittances to Sri Lanka are seasonal , and traditionally , peak in the months of April , right before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year , and in December , the month of Christmas . During the five year period from 2015 to 2019 , on average , March has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) . Lockdowns However , by the end of March 2020 , a majority of the top destination countries of Sri Lankan migrant workers had come under lockdown , in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 . For instance , around March 9 , all schools and universities were closed in Qatar and Saudi Arabia , followed by the subsequent closure of all restaurants , cafes , food outlets , and food trucks in popular areas . By March 20 , many labour camps in Qatar -- home to migrant workers in the construction sector - were also locked down . Similarly , a large expanse of the industrial areas in Qatar employing migrant workers , was also locked down . While some migrant workers continue to get paid , others in these labour camps and industrial areas were provided no pay leave , with facilities for food and accommodation . Adding fuel to the flame , the rift between Saudi Arabia and Russia over the supply of oil , in the wake of declining demand for oil in the world market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since March 9 . Together with other issues related to COVID-19 in countries of destination ( COD ) , the impending global recession means less stability and job security for Sri Lankan-origin migrant workers , who under normal circumstances would remit regularly . Travel bans While migrant workers living abroad were locked down , new or returning migrants from Sri Lanka were temporarily banned from entering many countries of destination by mid-March . Initially Qatar imposed a travel ban that restricted Sri Lankan origin migrant workers entering the country , while Kuwait and Saudi Arabia followed suit by mid-March . Subsequently , on 14 March , the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau ( SLBFE ) restricted migrant workers leaving the country for foreign employment . As such , the regular flow of migrant departures were curtailed in mid-March , resulting in a decline in the stock of migrant workers overseas , and thereby , triggering the likely decline in remitters . Migrants and remittances The decline in the stock of migrants and the economic difficulties faced by those in CODs translate into lower remittances to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timing of the lockdowns made it harder to remit their wages via traditional methods , such as visiting a bank or a money transfer operator ( MTO ) . For those who were not paid , remitting to Sri Lanka was not even an option , especially under the growing concerns about their job security . Remittance channels Under normal circumstances , most migrant workers of Sri Lankan origin prefer to remit money via the banking channel , mainly as a result of information provided during pre-departure training in Sri Lanka . For instance , in a sample of 602 migrant households in Sri Lankan , 81% indicated that remittances from the countries of destination were sent via banks , while another 9% used MTOs . For most female domestic workers in the Middle East , the nature of work and workplace enable remittances through a bank account of the employer , often via online bank transfers . High skilled migrants are also most likely to adopt online methods for remittances . Such groups are less likely to be affected by lockdowns and curfews to remit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers other than female domestic workers are more likely to rely on traditional brick and mortar methods for remittances , and are likely to be the ones to cut back on their remittances to Sri Lanka in these trying times . Informal and illegal remittance channels Some migrants resort to informal and illegal channels , mainly due to the lower cost of remitting , and other reasons , such as absence of a need to prove legal status in COD and door-step delivery in Sri Lanka . Recent estimates indicate that the average cost of remitting to Sri Lanka via the banking channels is 5.4% of the amount remitted , while via the MTO channels the cost is 3.7% . There are no reliable estimates about the share of remittances sent via informal and illegal channels , or its cost . The informal and illegal channels of remittances operate by the remittance service provider collecting remittances in the COD ( in foreign currency ) , and distributing the same in Sri Lanka using his/her Rupee funds in Sri Lanka , often through a partner here . Such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , foreign exchange destined to Sri Lanka remains in the COD . This is a serious concern in the current context , with the decline of foreign exchange to Sri Lanka . Future scenario The travel restrictions on many countries are likely to remain effective in the next couple of months , eliminating the possibility of departures for the already processed and approved job orders from Sri Lanka . On the other hand , the approaching global recession will decrease the demand for foreign workers.At the same time , migrant workers currently in CODs will undergo severe economic stress , or will be compelled to return to Sri Lanka if rendered unemployed . Similarly , the migrant workers , who were able to return to Sri Lanka , especially from Italy , before the closure of borders in mid-March , are very likely to be laid off , and not have a job to return to in the future . As such , even after the travel restrictions are lifted , the availability of employment opportunities for migrant workers from Sri Lanka would be slim . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the stock of Sri Lankan origin migrant workers , and thereby a drop in remittances to Sri Lanka in 2020 . Way forward In this context , to address the growing foreign exchange concerns , Sri Lanka needs to adopt aggressive measures to increase the amount of foreign exchange received as international remittances in 2020 . In addition to the already proposed measure by the CBSL , the following are some strategies to maximise the receipt of remittances to Sri Lanka in 2020 : 1 . Encourage migrant workers currently under lockdown in CODs to adopt online methods to remit money to Sri Lanka . The SLBFE and the Ministry of Foreign Employment can adopt a targeted social media campaign to reach Sri Lankan migrant workers abroad . 2 . Encourage Sri Lankan banks operating in CODs to adopt doorstep collection methods to encourage remittances by Sri Lankans in lockdown . The CBSL and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can spearhead this effort by guiding the Sri Lankan missions in CODs to liaise with relevant financial authorities in CODs to enable such a maneuver . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formal channels in Sri Lanka , thereby mobilizing remittance receivers in Sri Lanka to influence remitters overseas . A few strategies to implement this would be to : 1 . Provide doorstep delivery of remittances in Sri Lanka by commercial banks and MTOs during curfew hours . The CBSL could guide commercial banks and MTOs to offer such facilities .
@@31820241 Sprawl is a good thing to be encouraged because it provides houses that people can afford to buy . This type of homeownership gives people dignity . It should be noted that , in plain English , " high density " means " crowded , " a word the anti-sprawl elite dares not use , as this would surely be a turnoff . It is time to build single-family homes -- real homes -- again , ones that are not jammed up against each other , and the only homes that can be all yours . Advertisement Steven Pedersen , Rancho Palos Verdes .. To the editor : Thanks to UC San Diego professor James Sallis for his well-stated response to the misguided notion that the coronavirus pandemic vindicates the skeptics of urban density . With the Earth 's population expanding rapidly , we must look to more environmentally friendly , pedestrian-friendly , low-cost , high-density housing if we are to survive . To deny this in the face of one virus is absolutely shortsighted . Anger at Xi Jinping 's government over the coronavirus crisis is warranted , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to satisfy domestic political needs is n't the smart way to go .
@@31820541 A worker takes down a customer 's contact details before allowing her into the shop , part of several measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic as businesses resumed yesterday . PUTRAJAYA : The government says it is satisfied with the smooth flow of the conditional movement control order yesterday , which saw the resumption of businesses nationwide after almost two months of lockdown . Senior Minister ( Security ) Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the public were adhering to standard operating procedures ( SOP ) provided by authorities to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic . He said it also showed that fears of chaos when businesses reopen were baseless . " Thank God , from the reports I received from the police this morning , even though there had been an increase of cars on the road , the situation is under control , " he said during his daily security briefing on the management of the movement control order ( MCO ) . Ismail also thanked Malaysians for helping authorities enforce the rules under the conditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as large crowds without social distancing in place . " If these videos were genuine , we would like to thank you . This is one way to help the authorities monitor the compliance with the SOP , " he said , but cautioned the public to verify material they received before posting . He also praised the people for adhering to regulations such as the practice of social distancing and use of face masks when out shopping or taking public transport . " This shows that the new normal has begun and is becoming a culture , " he said , adding that self-regulation was vital in containing the spread of infection despite the relaxed MCO . He said the government had set up a special task force to monitor and enforce nationwide compliance with the SOP . He said the task force comprised personnel from 14 government agencies including the armed forces , immigration department , Rela and the National Security Council . He added that police chiefs in all districts had set up teams to monitor compliance with the enhanced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police , armed forces , Rela and Civil Defence Force . Ismail said the team would be allowed to take action under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 against individuals and industries which do not adhere to regulations . As of today , he said , police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission had opened 259 investigation papers into fake news on Covid-19 . Of these , 179 are being investigated while 26 have been brought to court . The following are frequently asked questions prepared by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry on the rules of doing business during the movement control order as well as sectors allowed to operate .
@@31820641 The Member of Parliament ( MP ) for Kumbungu , Mr Ras Mubarak , says the fight against the novel coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic will be won through sustained public education , science , technology and prayers.According to him , this was the time that public health practitioners must be encouraged and supported to educate the populace to halt the community spread of COVID-19 . Mr Mubarak , who is the National Democratic Congress ( NDC ) MP for Kumbungu in the Northern Region , made the remarks in an interview with journalists at Dalun , after he distributed 150 gift boxes to some vulnerable groups in the constituency last Saturday , May 2 , 2020 . Donations The gift boxes contained assorted food items such as bags of rice , sugar , cooking oil , canned fish , sachets of tomato paste , milk , tea bags and packs of fruit juice to the aged , widows and people living with disabilities ( PWDs ) in Zangbalun , Dalun , Satani and the Kumbungu township . The food items that were donated with the support of the government and the people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at easing the burden of the vulnerable groups during the month of Ramadan . Earlier in the day , he had also donated four bags of rice and a check for GH ? 2,000 to members of the Tamale branch of the Ghana National Association for the Deaf before setting off to Kumbungu . The occasion was also used to educate the beneficiaries and some members of the public at the separate venues for the donation on the COVID-19 safety protocols . Dispel rumours Mr Mubarak used the occasion to dispel the notion being held by a section of his constituents that the coronavirus could not infect people , especially Dagombas , who claimed to have some form of immunisation through the drinking of herbs against such viruses . " One thing that I heard on my return to the constituency was that this virus can not infect a Dagomba man because he has a form of immunisation through the drinking of herbs against such viruses but this is not true when it comes to all viruses , including coronavirus which has no cure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laboratory Scientist , Dr Seidu Fiter , who was part of Mr Mubarak 's team , urged Muslims to strictly follow the safety protocols by washing their hands thoroughly under running water with soap and sanitise their hands before performing ablution.
@@31821041 Ghana will from Thursday , May 7 , begin daily testing for the COVID-19 virus to pave the way for daily updates . So far , Ghana had conducted over 130,000 tests with a backlog of 1,9829 samples awaiting testing at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine ( KCCR ) , which they hope to clear by May 7 . The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research ( NMIMR ) , however , had no backlog . Professor William Kwabena Ampofo , the NMIMR Head of Virology , College of Health Sciences , University of Ghana , disclosed this in Accra at the press briefing on COVID-19 , organised by the Ministry of Information to give an update on the pandemic . He assured Ghanaians that once the backlog of testing was cleared they would be able to provide results within 24 hours to the Ghana Health Service when samples were received from contact tracing and from hospitals ' surveillance . " We have expanded testing beyond Accra and Kumasi . There is limited testing in Ho at the University of Health and Allied Sciences . " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Energy through the Ministry of Health . We hope that by next week , this will be fully established and , therefore , they will be able to increase testing in Ho for the Volta Region and also the Oti Region , " he said . Prof. Ampofo said the Northern Region had testing centres established at the Public Health Laboratory of the Tamale Teaching Hospital and also the Veterinary Services Directorate Lab at Pong-Tamale . He noted that those testing centres would provide services for the northern sector . " We hope that we will also be able to get the War Memorial Hospital ( in Navrongo ) testing as soon as possible , " he said . Prof Ampofo said another testing centre was being established in the Western Region at the Veterinary Services Directorate Laboratory in Takoradi . " This was being done in conjunction with Public Health Lab at the Afia Nkwanta Government Hospital . " " So , it is a joint effort , one health approach being practiced directly between the Ghana Health Service and the Veterinary Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Takoradi , which was likely to start operating from May 6 , would provide services for the Western Region . " We are also going to utilise the gene expert system , which is prevalent in almost every region of Ghana -- there is a specific centre that has gene expert machine for tuberculosis ( TB ) and there is a test that has been developed for COVID-19 , " he said . Prof Ampofo said those facilities would complement the PCR ( polymerase chain reaction ) testing stations established to test for COVID-19 adding that by the end of May , virtually every region would be able to test for COVID-19 . He said the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health would determine the actual strategy for the testing .
@@31821341 " Using online services and innovative digital applications , our staff have been able to work remotely to continue to support the building and construction industry in this difficult time , " he says . A total of 400 technology-assisted remote inspections were performed during Alert Level 4 . Normally , the council would do between 650 and 800 inspections per day across Auckland , however , with the restrictions on construction activity , the only work available to inspect related to essential services and owner-builders . " The construction industry has only been back at work for four days and we are already back at 90 per cent of the booking volume we 'd normally expect for this time of year , " Craig says . " This is great news . " Two months before the lockdown , council building inspectors were trained to do remote inspections on innovative digital platforms , like Artisan . Artisan is a state-of-the-art mobile phone app and web solution , developed by BRANZ in partnership with Auckland Council , which allows builders to better manage the quality of construction works on site . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elements which can be reviewed remotely through the web by inspectors . It also supports better quality work and the work is easier to monitor for inspectors . General Manager Building Consents Ian McCormick says using Artisan and other software like Conqa and ZYTE , means staff could keep working through the lockdown instead of coming to a complete standstill . " Not being able to get out in level 4 and do physical inspections only slowed us down a little -- but our technology has allowed us to do everything else , " he says . Craig says remote inspection technology is more cost-effective and customers will be encouraged to use it , moving forward . " If the building project can be inspected and recorded online it saves the need for an inspector to leave their desk at all , which has got to be good for the economy . " With COVID-19 having a deep impact on the building , construction and land development sectors , Chair of Auckland Council 's Regulatory Committee Councillor Linda Cooper says she is proud of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The silver lining of this crisis is that it has helped us to speed up and streamline the flexible option to work from home and still provide Aucklanders a good service . " Craig says staff " really stepped up " . " The adaptability they 've shown has been phenomenal and there 's been a very little negative impact from working remotely . " A move to Alert Level 3 has seen physical building inspections resume , however , with strict guidelines in place . " Before an inspector heads to a site they have to be assured the builder has the appropriate controls in place in terms of distancing and contact tracing and has addressed any safety issues . If the inspector gets there and is not comfortable with how the site 's operating , then they wo n't continue with the inspection . " Processing and digitally issuing all hard copy applications received before 24 March 2020 . Customer meetings and advice ( e.g. Pre-Application meetings ) will be undertaken by email , phone or online conferencing ( e.g. Skype ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and safety measures in place , including physical distancing . Remote and physical building inspections will be available . Physical inspections will only take place where sites can demonstrate that they are minimising the risk of spread of COVID-19 infection through social distancing . Our online booking tool has re-opened and is accepting bookings . For four weeks , from 28 April 2020 , Auckland Council is temporarily relaxing the rules around construction noise in the region , and construction hours will be extended . More information here . Structural and development engineering input will continue into resource consent applications , building consents and assessment of engineering plan approval applications - including coordination of advice from Auckland Transport , Watercare , Healthy Waters , Parks , Community Facilities and all other technical inputs . Inspections associated with compliance and monitoring will also resume .
@@31821541 The stock market was largely irrelevant , though it only closed for a few days in total , because the government took over a very large section of industry . directing labour and materials . I studied the subject at was at the time a polytechnic . The businessmen I was referring to were the Jewish businessmen imprisoned in the Ghetto by the Nazis . It was very sad , those businessmen trying to keep up some semblance of normality , going about their normal daily routine , considering what was going to happen to them . Why do you just pick out Hungary ? Because it suits your angle ? I said the UK is doing the worst job . The figures show it . Compared with all other governments . If this was an attack with a military grade weapon the UK would be fucked . Half of you would have your lips attached to boris 's arse to the grave . A tragicomedy . If it were a " fine piece of legislation " it would be applicable to the whole nation and not only to some . That makes it a faulty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is applicable to all of us . A fine piece of legislation ! That depends on how the " extra " deaths are/were distributed with time . But I can agree that the official UK figures are looking a little unreliable ; having said that , I think we must recognize that it 's very hard to be both timely and accurate . The data from France show that all too clearly . Hear hear . The free market meant there were no customers and staff were scared to go to work . All the first companies that closed did so because no one was coming through their doors - Starbucks and Apple being two of the first . That 's capitalism . It was n't forced closures at all . That 's only true if you think that no clubs are going to go into liquidation . Across Europe some very big names are about to disappear - Standard Liege are being kept alive only by loans from Marouane Fellaini - so plenty of footballers are going to be in the same boat as those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany are signatory to the European treaties , where the supremacy of European law supersedes national law , and that 's the position . " This is the EU line , per Hogan . So it would seem that , as far as they are concerned , the ruling of the CJEU is the higher law . Thus the FCC is at liberty , it would seem , to pass judgement on whatsoever it chooses , but must submit to rulings from a higher court . America will only bounce back if it uses its military and intelligence might to bully others , like toppling the Shah of Iran and wondering why Iranians cry Death to America . They are so disingenuous the Americans . They happily lie to themselves and they lap up their own myth-making . Utter bullies . Nobody likes them anymore , they have totally afallen from grace , so we will see more muscle power and forced ' economic and political reform ' . But they 're nobodies now . Receiving medical aid from Vietnam ? That was their end point , you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be delighted for USA to get a total walloping from this virus . Sorry but they need it . Happy for Australia and New Zealand to open travel with each other and domestically , and the USA and others can sort their own selves out before we let them touch our shores . No - it will be Europe as the moral , liberal ( true sense ) , enlightened , values-based leader , with economic and political clout and an ability to own past failures and learn from its own missteps in history . America 's failure is its constant need to find an enemy and abject failure to recognise and own up to any of its many , many errors . I asked you not anyone else . Beijing or LA or any where in the whole of that great country . The world loves the USA and always has . Why do you think millions want to go there ? Nobody emigrates to China . O spent much time there and they are nothing like your European wet rag . The USA is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the richest country on earth , it is unable to protect , save , educate or house its own people . The Constitution is a bad document , designed with inherent flaws and leaves itself far too open for discord . A for-profit health system with no central coordination means public health emergencies can not be controlled . No one will take America seriously on the world stage anymore . It has no right to tell other nations what to do , when it has failed its own people and is so deeply rotten from within . Gun toting white supremacists intimidating the government and the people ? No thanks . That 's ISIS . A total fall from grace , the American dream shattered . Not just because , and you know that v. well . I have at length laid out my rational . You are sure , certain , positive ( ! ) even that Trump 's U.S. will just accept all or a lot of Britain 's many and very sacred cows ( on the NHS , current UK farming standards , this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making an FTA and , of course , the U.S. opening up their 330-mil.consumer market to British firms & industries . OK ! I hope you are right . We 'll soon see if there is a U.S.-UK FTA & what this entails . My point is that the leader of Hungary responded to the Corona pandemic by seizing power and effectively ending democracy in his country . First they did stop the virus . We will see in a few months whether they cjhange politics or not . While Germany looks like it has dealt with its response well now that might not look the same in 2 years time . Personally I think the Sweden model is the right way forward but no one will know for a while yet . That does not make sense . If you check ICU beds and do some basic maths you will find the disadvantage of the Swedish model . Herd immunity means many infected old people . Sweden has even less ICU beds per million citizens than UK . Germany has the claer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beds , this should in all cases give a better result , even if better means Italian like situation during next winter . You seem to be extremely argumentative but lacking the ability to construct a coherent argument . A strong opinion combined with complete ignorance of the subject matter . A damning combination . Have you thought about changing to the Daily Mail ? They love that sort of thing there . What is becoming clear now that we are a couple of weeks in the crisis is that Europeans are looking for solutions and Americans are looking for whom to blame . The European way is obviously more successful with the virus more or less contained . In America the virus is still spreading rapidly and reports have been leaked to the press predicting a doubling of the daily death rate by the end of the month . View from europe : it 's clear that Americans have noone to blame but themselves .
@@31823941 Have you listened to the comparison between the Covid-19 pandemic and electricity generation in Ghana ? Was it a harmonious sound blended of soprano , attenuated by a bass , highly pitched by a tenor or smoothened by an alto singer ? It simply never was a harmony . Forever , I think , it remains cacophony that is a mockery of common sense . The reasons are not far-fetched as might be the case . Mathematically , fractions can best be compared when there is a common denominator . Do not be confused . Simply put , it is out of common sense to have a chameleon paired with a cheetah in a race . That would not be fair . To have a good comparison , it could be a cheetah of North America with a cheetah from Africa . A better one will be , comparing chameleon from North Africa to that from South Africa in a race , because they have a common base which is the Africa continent . At best , you can do a cheetah from Tema , and that from Accra and that would be deemed most fair . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dwelling in the same environment with same climatic conditions . That is why I am amazed at comparing the Covid-19 crisis to the lack of electricity generation . Kilowatts and Watts ( Electricity ) can not be compared with degrees Celsius ( Temperature ) . Coronavirus pandemic has not touched base with electricity generation at all . In fact , the two are dichotomized and highly polarized like the sky from Kalahari Desert . Coronavirus pandemic is a global situation but the electricity generation was domestic . Coronavirus and for that matter , Covid-19 had directives , guidance and indeed clear set of protocols dictated by WHO . Electricity generation had no such protocols . Per the nature of Covid-19 , a regular update is necessary as part of the solution and that is not the case of electricity generation . COVID 19 , relies on Ghana Health Service and already established hospital facilities to tackle the situation . The generation of electricity does require an immediate building of electricity generation units . Indeed , whiles there might be a need to build more hospitals , doing that immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nevertheless , building electrical power and purchasing electrical power generation units were immediately needed and remained the necessary and sufficient condition to stop " Dumsor " . Covid-19 could kill people in a matter of days if not hours , the lack of electricity might do so perhaps in months and years . Covid-19 requires a lockdown . Since 1957 , when Ghana attained independence as a nation , there are villages in districts that are yet to have electricity . Such villages have never suffered a lockdown due to a lack of electricity . Covid-19 requires that we wash our hands frequently , the lack of electricity generation has no such requirement . Thus , the free water and the reduction in electricity cost , are simply part of the indirect solutions to Covid-19 . Covid-19 requires all public gatherings to stop , but I remember keeping wake in social gathering for departed souls without electricity in the past in my village . Without electricity , we were still going to schools but Covid-19 will simply not allow that . I could go on and on ! @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 with electricity generation ? This is just a mockery of common sense ! Such a comparison is not only inhumane but an insult to the intellectual independence of voters . The comparison demonstrated the extent to which politicians could go to play the advantage even on the verge of all of us dying . In a nutshell , it is a demonstration of how politicians can stop at nothing , just to have their grip firmly . I am simply stunned !
@@31825641 Free streaming service Pluto TV is expanding . The company has today gained access to streaming sports network CBS Sports HQ as a result of the ViacomCBS merger . It has also forged new distribution deals with Verizon and TiVo , both of which were detailed this week . On Tuesday , TiVo announced a partnership with Pluto TV that will give TiVo device owners one-click access to Pluto TV 's over 250 live , linear and ad-supported channels and its thousands of movies and TV shows on demand as a part of TiVo 's own ad-supported video network , TiVo+ . Launched last fall , TiVo+ is enabled by partnerships with XUMO , Jukin Media and others , to deliver a range of free streaming content to TiVo viewers . ( XUMO has since been snatched up by Comcast , we should note . ) Meanwhile , Deadline exclusively reported on Pluto TV and Verizon 's plans to team up on a distribution deal that will see Pluto TV distributed across Verizon 's wireless network , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay TV service , FiOS . Pluto TV has confirmed the deal to TechCrunch . And today , the addition of CBS Sports HQ will bring live , anchored sports news coverage to Pluto TV , as well as new programming like " Fantasy Football Today , " " Pick Six " and " Nothing Personal with David Samson . " The streaming sports network appeals to a younger demographic , with a median age of 35 , which makes a good fit for an over-the-top streaming service like Pluto TV . Despite the cancellation of live sports events due to COVID-19 , or perhaps because of it , people are hungry for sports-related content . CBS Sports HQ reports 31% year-over-year growth in unique viewers in March , some of which could be influenced by the overall growth in streaming seen during the COVID-19 quarantine . " Pluto TV viewers have shown us how much they value news and sports offerings on the platform , " said Jeff Shultz , chief business officer , Pluto TV , in a statement . " In partnership with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBS Sports HQ to our growing audience of sports fans . " CBS Sports HQ is not the first CBS property to make its way to Pluto TV . The free streamer already offered CBS ' streaming news service , CBSN ( including local versions like CBSN:NY and CBSN : LA ) as well as its streaming entertainment network , ET Live . Pluto TV has grown to 22 million monthly active viewers in the U.S. , and these numbers should increase as new deals and expansions fall into place .
@@31825741 No matter how the world changes , Auckland Zoo will always have a role to play in its community . It 's a school , a mental health tool and a force against injustice ; and now , it 's online . For almost a century , Auckland Zoo has brought the natural world to its urban community . It has wildlife found nowhere else in the country , ecosystem-building conservation systems , and educational programmes for every age and stage . The Covid-19 crisis has n't stopped that . On the zoo 's social media you can watch a tutorial on how to give your teddy bear a vet check-up or see a keeper play tug-of-war with a Tasmanian devil . On its website you can book a guided education session and read the latest zoo-related news . " It 's part of the cultural and community fabric of the city , " said Dr Sarah Thomas , the zoo 's head of conservation advocacy and engagement . For Thomas , the zoo is an educational facility , a social leveller , and a way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lockdown has n't changed this . " We have had to be creative , and think about new ways to achieve similar impacts using online platforms , " she said . The result is online content that includes footage from zoo habitats , " keeper cams " for a more personal view , a news page , and learning resources for students ranging from pre-school to secondary school levels . Thomas has been on the ground setting up the cameras for animals and keepers . For some , the camera footage could actually provide a more in-depth experience than they might get visiting the zoo in person . " We probably do have some people who would like to sit with the orangutans for an hour , " she said , " but a normal day at the zoo would involve moving around . " " People know who our orangutans are , they know them by name , and you can see them commenting and connecting , even though they ca n't come in . " Charlie , Melur and Wanita have all been having a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Photo : Auckland Zoo ) People also enjoy the sound of the videos : the running water , birdsong and rustling plants . The footage brings a multi-sensory experience into people 's bubbles , which can generate a sense of calm in otherwise stressful times . " This is a way we can keep people feeling that they 're part of nature , " she said . This online content has been a long time in the making . Because of the level three and then four lockdown , the zoo was able to divert some of its resources into getting its content hub up and running . " This is content we 've been wanting to develop and deliver for a while to sit alongside the Zoo experience , " said zoo director Kevin Buley . The aim of the hub is to help people feel connected to the zoo , and nature more broadly , when they 're unable to visit . " That opportunity to reach out and find connections in a way that until recently we were n't able to do has really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Buley . He feels the online offerings are an extension of what the zoo has always done . " We 've always been there , as part of the Auckland community , offering this opportunity for connection with wildlife , with nature , and to immerse yourself and escape from the urban melee . " Buley is unsure when exactly the zoo will resume business as usual , because it needs the coast to be completely clear . " The absolute priority is keeping people safe , and keeping our animals healthy . All that happens around the various levels is with keeping those two things in mind , " he said . Even before levels three and four in March , the zoo had introduced mitigation methods to prevent the spread of Covid-19 . These measures will remain in place as the zoo heads back down the levels . The current pandemic is one Buley is n't totally shocked by . Auckland Zoo , like many wildlife organisations around the world , has been trying to shut down the wildlife trade alleged to be behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is worth billions annually , and is ranked alongside arms dealing and drug trafficking , and human trafficking as one of the most lucrative illicit industries . " The international wildlife trade has been a massive concern for anyone who cares about wildlife and wild places for decades , " said Buley . " Our consumptive demand for wildlife has driven many species to the point of extinction . You name it , it 's traded . Whether it 's amphibians , reptiles , birds , or mammals . From a conservation point of view it is an unmitigated disaster . " Auckland Zoo has recently put its name to the #EndTheTrade petition , an attempt to draw international attention to the health , economic , ecological and moral drawbacks of trading illegal wildlife . " It 's unfortunate that the rest of the world only really sits up and takes notice on a much larger scale because it 's impacted human health , and because it 's decimated our global economy , " said Buley . There 's been a yearning over the past month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheme of things -- economics , health , the environment -- it 's clear that business as usual is how we got here . " We have an opportunity to redefine how we interact with each other , how we manage the global economy , how we interact with wildlife " , said Buley . " I have to remain optimistic that things wo n't go back to the way they were , because I do n't think we were on the right track there . " Auckland Zoo , with its century-long focus on education and appreciation of our natural world , has a role to play in this future . For Thomas , the evidence is clear : now is the time to address the changes we 've wrought on the climate and the ecosystems we live in . " We feel it is a huge impact of a zoo visit to support and enable our communities to take small steps together to make a collectively big impact for our futures , " she said . " Being connected to the zoo through these kinds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversations about what they can see , " said Thomas . " They build empathy for wildlife and they can continue to connect and value nature despite not being able to access nature in the same way as pre-lockdown . " Buley , too , believes that Auckland Zoo 's continuing mission -- within lockdown and without -- is one that fosters the better side of man . " You find an inherent good in people , and an inherent positivity in people , " he said . " That 's coming through louder and clearer . If we can hold onto that as we move back down the alert levels , then the world 's going to be a better place . " This content was created in paid partnership with Auckland Zoo . They 'll be able to welcome you back before you know it , but in the meantime you can visit them online here . The Bulletin is The Spinoff 's acclaimed daily digest of New Zealand 's most important stories , delivered directly to your inbox each morning . The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint must first be directed in writing , within one month of publication , to info@thespinoff.co.nz . If not satisfied with the response , the complaint may be referred to the online complaint form at www.presscouncil.org.nz along with a link to the relevant story and all correspondence with the publication .
@@31826141 By REUTERS MAY 8 , 2020 05:55 More Japanese prefectures were reporting zero coronavirus cases on a daily basis , and lifting the state of emergency for those regions was within sight , Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Friday . Nishimura , who is also in charge of the government 's overall coronavirus response , added that he still wanted people to try to reduce person-to-person contact by 80% . Japan this week extended the nationwide state of emergency to the end of May but said it would reassess the situation on May 14 and possibly lift the measures earlier for some prefectures . The Jerusalem Post Customer Service Center can be contacted with any questions or requests : Telephone : *2421 * Extension 4 Jerusalem Post or 03-7619056 Fax : 03-5613699E-mail : subs@jpost.com The center is staffed and provides answers on Sundays through Thursdays between 07:00 and 14:00 and Fridays only handles distribution requests between 7:00 and 13:00 For international customers : The center is staffed and provides answers on Sundays through Thursdays between 7AM and 6PM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 972-3-561-3699 E-mail : subs@jpost.com
@@31826441 The Bud and Susie Rogers Garden at the Akron Art Museum during its July 16 opening in 2016 . Richard Rogers , a major benefactor behind the garden , has called for replacement of the museum 's director , Mark Masuoka , following news about employees ' claims that he failed to address a culture of racism , sexism and bullying of employees by managers.The Plain Dealer AKRON , Ohio -- A major Akron Art Museum donor who served as a trustee and board chairman there issued an open letter Thursday saying the museum has failed to respond adequately to allegations of racism , sexism and bullying of employees by managers . In the letter , Richard Rogers , a museum trustee from 1998 to 2007 and chairman of its board from 2005 to 2007 , calls for the replacement of the museum 's management team , including Mark Masuoka , its director since 2013 . " It could be done through a resignation or a replacement by the board , ' ' Rogers said in an interview Thursday morning . " Of course , the longer that this management team stays in place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become . " Masuoka declined to comment in an email Thursday afternoon . Dr. Drew Engles , the museum 's current board president , and a hand and microvascular Surgeon at Akron Children 's Hospital , did not respond to a request for comment made in Thursday morning . Rogers , with his wife , Alita , donated more than $2 million to build the one-acre Bud and Susie Rogers Garden at the museum , completed in 2016 and named for Rogers ' parents . In his letter , Rogers said five generations of his family have " made a substantial commitment of time and money in support of the institution . " The Rogers letter follows news stories last week about a June 2019 complaint letter anonymously sent to trustees by 27 employees . First reported by ARTnews , the letter claimed that Masuoka and Chief of Staff and then director of special projects Jennifer Shipman had " created and promoted a pervasive culture of race and gender discrimination and bullying which have resulted in a dysfunctional work environment and severely unhealthy turnover rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffing related to loss of revenue caused by the closure of the museum in response to the coronavirus pandemic were in fact an attempt to remove employees involved in the anonymous complaint . The museum denies the claim . Masuoka , whose salary is more than $170,000 , has not responded to several calls requesting comment . Shipman , who left the museum and now works in Los Angeles , said in an email last week " The allegations concerning my name are simply not true and do not accurately represent my professionalism and character . " Following the 2019 allegations , the museum 's board hired Kastner Westman & Wilkins , an Akron law firm , to investigate and make recommendations . On Monday , Engles , the museum 's current board president , posted a letter to museum members saying that " prompt , appropriate and specific actions were then taken by the Museum Board to comprehensively and directly address any substantiated allegations . ' ' Because the museum 's actions concerned personnel , the institution would " not engage in any form of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit of our reputation , " Engles said . He said that " several of the claims raised ' ' in the 2019 complaint " were not substantiated , ' ' but did not specify which ones , or how many were substantiated by comparison . Engles also said that the board concluded its investigation Aug. 1 , 2019 . The letter then said that the museum initiated anti-bias training in early February . The letter did not explain why the museum waited six months to start the training . In his letter , Rogers , a retired past president of BW Rogers Co. , a distributor of electromechanical , hydraulic and pneumatic motion control products and systems , said he felt compelled to speak out " after watching the tragedy at the Akron Art Museum unfold in the national and local press , seeing the recent feeble and defensive response to the public , and learning that the plans are to keep the leadership team in place . ' ' In his letter , Rogers said that the museum 's board " ignored the pleas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . " The result , he wrote , " is ruined careers , departure of talent , rock bottom morale , flight of donors and sullying of the museum 's impeccable reputation . " With the brand in tatters how will they attract great artists , exhibitions and staff ? " Aside from protecting the collection , preserving and enhancing the reputation and standing of our institution is the prime responsibility of leadership , ' ' Rogers wrote . " On this measure alone we have an unequivocal failure . It 's also a big embarrassment to the City of Akron . " Rogers added that in light of the recent news stories about the June 2019 complaint by employees , " I expected the prompt resignation of the current management team and a fresh approach . It 's my understanding that the board plans to leave this team in place . Pretending that everything is fine with the museum is not working . Changes need to be made . Somebody needs to have the courage to make them , as painful as that may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primarily the executive committee ) needs to be held accountable . I have personally observed inappropriate , aggressive bullying behavior from a past president and inaccurate , dismissive , and belittling comments about employees from others . Rogers declined Thursday morning to provide details on his personal observations . " The root cause of this fiasco is bad board leadership , lack of enforcement of good governance , and failure to follow proven best practices like board orientation and training , a human resource function , and routine review of the executive director . ' ' Rogers called the museum 's present troubles " a preventable disaster . " He said that " when I learned of the brewing troubles with the staff in June of 2019 , I made repeated attempts in writing and in person to express my concerns to the board 's executive committee . It fell on deaf ears . In fact the board actively tried to discredit me . " Rogers , in the interview Thursday morning , declined to describe the attempt to discredit him . Engles , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Akron Art Museum continues to see great support from its members and community leaders as we navigate this difficult time . We thank everyone for their ongoing contributions to this important Akron institution . " Engles also praised Masuoka for closing the Akron Art Museum in March ahead of the stay-at-home order issued by Gov . Mike DeWine related to the coronavirus pandemic . Neither the Engles letter nor a press release issued by the museum last week responded to the criticisms of Masuoka leveled by employees in the 2019 letter . Note : This story has been updated to indicate that Mark Masuoka , director of the Akron Art Museum , declined comment . Note to readers : if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission .
@@31826541 Migrant workers and their families resume their trek to their hometowns after the government eased the lockdown restrictions , in Siliguri on May 7 . Photo : DIPTENDU DUTTA/AFP The Union Home Ministry has written to the West Bengal government highlighting the concerns raised by the two Inter-Ministerial Central Teams ( IMCT ) that were deployed to look into allegations of violation of the nationwide lockdown in the State . In a letter to Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha dated May 6 , Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote : " The response to COVID-19 in the State of West Bengal is characterised by a very low rate of testing in proportion to the population and a very high rate of mortality of 13.2 per cent ... by far the highest for any State . " Bhalla emphasised the need to increase random testing in crowded clusters . The letter also spoke of violations of the lockdown , particularly in Kolkata and Howrah " by specific groups in specific localities " ; instances of overcrowding in bazaars , with poor sanitation ; free movement of people in large numbers without masks ; people bathing in rivers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in enforcing lockdown measures in containment zones . " These are all examples of poor supervision and implementation of crowd control measures by the district authorities . Ensuring strict adherence to social distancing norms and requisite hygiene and sanitation measures are required to be taken by the State . Poor community awareness , especially among labourers is also a cause of concern , " the letter stated . According to the feedback received by the Home Ministry from the IMCTs , there remain " gaps " in the surveillance and contact tracing of positive cases . " The State has not furnished any data regarding the number of households and individuals contacted and surveyed for signs of COVID symptoms . Further , testing facilities need to be set up in hill districts of North Bengal , as transporting the test samples to Siliguri is challenging and causes delays , " the letter stated . It also pointed out that indefinite delays in testing results have further affected the contact tracing process and put patients under high risk . The Centre suggested that a public grievance redress mechanism for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to " equip public with right kind of information regarding the testing protocols and actions to be taken thereafter " . The letter also drew attention to the need to " pay attention to the well being of poor and migrant labourers in accordance with the Government of India guidelines and share information on the steps taken to mitigate their hardship ... " . The letter mentioned in particular the plight of the workers of the tea gardens of Darjeeling and Siliguri and suggested that steps should be taken to adequately compensate them as " reportedly lesser wages were paid to them during the first phase of the lockdown " . The Union Home Secretary also said a " strong surveillance and testing regime coupled with confidence building measures and effective use of Aarogya Setu App could help in curtailing the spread of the virus " . Comments that are abusive , personal , incendiary or irrelevant can not be published . Please write complete sentences . Do not type comments in all capital letters , or in all lower case letters , or using abbreviated text @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , d is not ' the ' , n is not ' and ' ) . We may remove hyperlinks within comments . Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name , to avoid rejection . The steep fall in oil prices improves India 's manoeuvrability to address an economic recession . However , the government 's decision to increase the excise duty on fuel betrays an attempt to appropriate for itself the benefits that may have otherwise accrued to the citizens .
@@31826941 The Columbian Published : May 8 , 2020 , 8:38am Share : FILE - In this April 16 , 2020 file photo , a note on a locked door at the New Hampshire Employee Security center , which handles unemployment claims , gives directions to those in need in Manchester , N.H. The U.S. unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April , the highest rate since the Great Depression , as 20.5 million jobs vanished in the worst monthly loss on record . The figures are stark evidence of the damage the coronavirus has done to a now-shattered economy . ( AP Photo/Charles Krupa , File ) WASHINGTON ( AP ) -- Nearly 33.5 million Americans have lost their jobs and applied for unemployment benefits in the past 7 weeks -- a stunning record high that reflects the near-complete shutdown of the U.S. economy . On Friday , the government said the U.S. unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April , the highest rate since the Great Depression . As recently as February , the unemployment rate was just 3.5% , a 50-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's a frightening time . Bills need to be paid . Do they qualify for unemployment benefits ? How fast will the money arrive ? Here are some questions and answers : HOW CAN I GET UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ? Workers who have lost their jobs or income through no fault of their own should immediately file a claim for unemployment aid through their state labor departments . The benefit program is administered by state agencies . Most states are encouraging people to request benefits online or , if necessary , over the phone . I 'VE HEARD THE SYSTEM IS OVERWHELMED BY REQUESTS . Yes , several state websites initially crashed and phones lines were jammed as agencies faced a surge of applicants and new eligibility rules . Things have improved some as states have brought on extra workers and expanded hours to accept calls . The pressure has also eased as more people make their way through the system . However , there may still be a wait . All the same , people who have lost jobs or whose income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does take time to process a claim , potentially several weeks , but benefit payments are retroactive : Eligible workers will receive benefits from the date they lost their jobs , regardless of when they file . HOW CAN I MAKE THE PROCESS OPERATE MORE SMOOTHLY ? Have all your information ready . This includes contact information for all your employers from the past 18 months , your Social Security number and documentation of your income , such as from tax forms or pay stubs . HOW LARGE ARE THE UNEMPLOYMENT AID CHECKS ? They vary sharply by state . Mississippi provides the lowest amount , $235 a week . Massachusetts pays $823 a week , the highest . I HEARD THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS PROVIDING AN EXTRA $600 A WEEK . Yes . After problems with state computer systems had slowed the distribution of federal benefits for many laid-off workers , all 50 states are now paying the $600 extra weekly benefit that the federal government included in a relief package enacted in late March . I 'M SELF-EMPLOYED . WILL I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes made by the $2.2 trillion economic rescue package signed into law by President Donald Trump . If you are self-employed , a contractor or a gig worker , you are now eligible to claim unemployment benefits . Yes , you should apply . State rules differ , and it depends how large your income loss is . But in some states , workers whose hours have been sharply cut may be able to claim benefits that would make up for at least some of the lost income . Generally , if your lost pay exceeds what you would receive in unemployment benefits , you may be eligible for aid . You can potentially receive benefits , too . The U.S. Labor Department said states can make unemployment benefits available to people who are quarantined , who left work because of risk of exposure or to care for a family member . The Columbian is becoming a rare example of a news organization with local , family ownership . Subscribe today to support local journalism and help us to build a stronger community . That said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave is often still receiving full pay . So according to the Labor Department , that person is not " unemployed " and does not qualify for unemployment benefits . The federal rescue package provides a one-time payment of $1,200 for all Americans earning less than $75,000 a year . This money is totally separate from unemployment benefits -- and for the jobless , will be in addition to unemployment aid . It will likely be a critical lifeline for many Americans . The payments begin to phase out at above $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples filing jointly and drop to zero for individuals above $99,000 and couples earning $198,000 . For heads of household with one child , the benefit starts to decline at $112,500 and falls to zero at $146,500 . Even those who just receive Social Security or other government benefit programs can receive a check . HOW LONG WILL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS LAST ? The duration varies by state . But the federal relief package adds 13 weeks of coverage for people who have exhausted their existing jobless benefits . Under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended benefits will become eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance . People can receive a maximum of 39 weeks of benefits this year from all three sources combined . WHAT ABOUT GOVERNMENT AID FOR COMPANIES ? CAN THAT HELP ME ? It might . Small businesses are eligible for loans that will be forgiven if they keep or rehire people they have laid off . About $535 billion of loans have been approved as of Thursday , according to the Treasury Department .
@@31827541 President Trump offered to give Joe Biden 's campaign a device that can detect the coronavirus in as little as five minutes so that the Democratic candidate could leave his home . " Yes , 100% . I 'd love to see him get out of the basement so he can speak , " Trump told Fox & Friends when asked if the White House would provide the rival campaign with rapid testing if necessary . " I 'll give them the test immediately . We would have it to them today . Nobody 's ever asked me for the test . I mean , if somebody asked , I would make sure " that the campaign was given an Abbott Laboratories device , Trump said . The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has been giving online speeches and interviews from a studio in his basement . The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a Washington Examiner inquiry about whether it would accept the rapid testing device . The White House has relied on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes , to check whether those who are interacting with the president have the coronavirus . Trump said Thursday he would now be tested every day after a member of the Navy who was one of the president 's personal valets tested positive . The valets assist the first family with personal tasks , including bringing the president 's meals to the West Wing and traveling with them . Trump said he had " very little personal contact " with the unidentified man . The president said Friday he had not been tested for the antibody to determine whether he 's already had the virus . House Democrats want the next round of coronavirus aid to include a massive bailout of the U.S. Postal Service , which has , for years , experienced declining revenue exacerbated further by the coronavirus epidemic . Advice circulating in traditional and social media to take vitamin D supplements to help stave off the coronavirus may be premature . The risks associated with taking more vitamin D are low , but there is the very real risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers producing the studies linking vitamin D deficiency and coronavirus mortality rates warn against drawing sweeping conclusions about the benefits of taking the supplement . Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says the actions of a Dallas hair salon owner who fought back against restrictive lockdown orders to open her business reminds him of a famous scene from the film Braveheart . Vice President Mike Pence promised during a visit to Iowa to defend religious freedom , as he heard from faith leaders about how they plan to resume services safely as the state lifts social distancing restrictions .
@@31828241 Here are the latest coronavirus updates from around the world . Healthcare workers wear personal protective equipment ( P.P.E. ) at a SOMOS Community Care COVID-19 antibody walk-in testing site during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) in Brooklyn , New York on April 24 , 2020 . Andrew Kelly / Reuters Get breaking news alerts and special reports . The news and stories that matter , delivered weekday mornings . President Donald Trump signed a nearly $500 billion interim coronavirus bill into law Friday that includes more money for the small-business loan program , hospitals and testing . The bill includes more than $320 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program , or PPP , created by the CARES Act , which was passed late last month and provides forgivable loans to small businesses that keep their employees on the payroll . The new legislation comes as the death toll in the U.S. topped 50,000 on Friday , according to NBC News ' tally . The global recorded death toll has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. Coast Guard late Thursday released video of oil tankers lined up off the Southern California coast , ocean traffic apparently caused by an oversupply of fuel and a lack of demand as residents stay home . The Coast Guard noted an " increased presence " of oil tankers -- 27 of them recorded Thursday -- headed to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach , collectively the busiest container destination in the Western Hemisphere . " Coast Guard watchstanders , in partnership with the Marine Exchange of Southern California , are closely monitoring each anchorage to manage the increased number of tank vessels we 're seeing off the California coast , " Coast Guard Cmdr. Marshall Newberry said in the statement . Oil prices started the week at less-than-zero pricing but domestic crude rebounded to $16.94 a barrel Friday . Global demand has decreased by about 30 percent as a result of the pandemic . Now oil producers appear to be running out of places to store their crude . Hundreds of Amazon tech and fulfillment center employees called out sick Friday , rallying virtually to protest what they say are unsafe and unethical working conditions for the more than 800,000 people the company employs around the world . The " sick out " was organized through an all-day livestream broadcast on YouTube and Facebook Live . The event kicked off with speeches from recently fired Amazon workers , followed by two warehouse workers in Poland who said their working conditions have also been unsafe during the pandemic . The writers and activists Bill McKibbon and Naomi Klein joined the event . Friday 's protest was spearheaded by Amazon Employees for Climate Justice , a group of Amazon tech workers formed in 2018 to pressure their employer to commit to reducing its fossil fuel emissions . For the " sick out , " the group asked tech workers at the company to take a day off to signal their support for warehouse workers . A New York woman traveling home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that a lot of travelers were n't wearing face masks . Angie Wong , 42 , said she boarded an American Airlines flight Wednesday morning at Miami International Airport headed for LaGuardia Airport in New York . She and her children have spent the past few weeks quarantining in Florida with her husband , but Wong had to return home for an urgent matter . She said that when she checked in at the airport , she was told there would be empty rows on the plane for passengers to space out a bit . But when she got on , she said the first 10 rows had a few empty seats and the rest , including where she was seated , was " packed , packed , packed . " The Cape Cod Baseball League , a famed training ground for future professional players , canceled its 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic , officials announced Friday . The league said it " would be impossible to guarantee the safety of players , coaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this unprecedented health crisis . " Every summer , the 10-team Massachusetts league invites the nation 's best college players to compete with wood bats , providing scouts a key glimpse at their pro potential . Opening day had been set for June 13 . Share this - Chiara Sottile 14d ago / 9:54 PM UTC Waratid Osotsapa , center , a nurse at the University of California San Francisco , and UCSF colleagues board a flight to Navajo Nation on Wednesday to treat COVID-19 patients . They volunteered for the assignment in hospitals in Arizona and New Mexico.Noah Berger / for UCSF With 1,360 positive cases , the rate of coronavirus infection on the Navajo Nation is worse than in 48 states , behind only New York and New Jersey . But now some help is on the way . Seven doctors and 14 nurses from the University of California San Francisco healthcare system traveled to hospitals in Chinle , Arizona , and Gallup and Shiprock , New Mexico , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care workers are being dispatched as part of a UCSF initiative called HEAL , committed to helping rural communities in need . " We have volunteers right now on the Navajo nation that are helping relieve some of the doctors and nurses that have been working around the clock to help the Navajo Nation , " said Jonathan Nez , president of the Navajo Nation . Also , this week the Navajo Nation joined 10 other tribes in a lawsuit against the federal government over $8 billion in coronavirus relief funds that were allocated to Native American tribes . The money has been tied up as the tribes and the government argue over whether Alaska Native corporations should be eligible for the money . Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez , right , thanks members of the California medical team working at Gallup Indian Medical Center on the Navajo reservation.Jared T Touchin / Navajo Nation WASHINGTON -- Members of President Donald Trump 's coronavirus task force and aides in the West Wing were shocked on Thursday when he promoted the use of light and disinfectant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . As Trump went off script to suggest people with the virus could be cured by UV rays or disinfectants " by injection inside , " White House officials began texting one another to ask where he got that idea because they thought , as one adviser put it , " this was going to be bad . " None of them seemed to know , as Trump did not consult with any task force members or administration officials before making his impromptu statement , which has now been universally rejected by health experts , the officials said . Instead , it appears Trump conflated and misinterpreted scientific information discussed with him in the Oval Office before Thursday 's daily briefing , according to the officials . The Treasury Department says more than half of people eligible for a coronavirus relief payment have gotten their stimulus money so far -- with 4 in 10 still waiting for their direct deposit or check . More than 88 million payments , totaling $158 billion , had gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most recent data available . The IRS expects to send out more than 150 million payments . There 's been widespread confusion about how the payments would be issued . When the IRS released a website for people to check their payment status , there were delays and glitches . Despite that , the distribution process appears to be on schedule . Earlier in April , the Treasury Department told Congress that payments would begin in mid-April , starting with people who filed tax returns in the last two years and then Social Security recipients . At the time , the department said paper checks would be mailed out in May , but now Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says that process has already started . A state-by-state breakdown released Friday by the IRS shows that progress sending out the payments has been relatively consistent . Residents of California , which has the largest population of any U.S. state , have gotten a total of 9.1 million payments -- which is worth nearly $16 billion . New York , which is the state hardest hit by coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . President Donald Trump on Friday blasted the U.S. Postal Service as " a joke , " and vowed to block financial aid for the struggling agency unless it raised prices for packages " four times or five times . " Trump said agency should hit Amazon and other tech companies with much higher prices for packages . " They do n't want to raise it because they do n't want to insult Amazon , " Trump said . The president essentially confirmed a Washington Post report that he wo n't sign off on a $10 billion loan for the postal service included in emergency coronavirus legislation unless the agency does what he wants . " If they do n't raise the price , I 'm not signing anything , " he told reporters during a bill signing in the Oval Office . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters that Trump is looking to privatize the Postal Service , which she called a " very big danger " for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " when vote by mail is so important in terms of as a health issue , but also medicines and all the rest of that people are depending -- on so many things that they 're ordering online coming by mail for them . " A short time later , he tweeted , " I will never let our Post Office fail . " I will never let our Post Office fail . It has been mismanaged for years , especially since the advent of the internet and modern-day technology . The people that work there are great , and we 're going to keep them happy , healthy , and well !
@@31828841 Editor 's Note:The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers . Find the collection here . There is no doubt that the coronavirus was spreading in the United States in January . We can at least start with that . Recently , California 's Santa Clara County reported that bodily tissues from a woman who died on February 6 tested positive for the coronavirus . She had not traveled outside the country , and based on what is known about the virus , she must have picked it up by January 31 ; in all likelihood , she was infected a week or two before that . The virus , it turned out , had been spreading in the United States well before we suspected , and weeks earlier than previous official estimates of community transmission had accounted for . Of all the things we still do n't know about SARS-CoV-2 -- how far can it travel through the air ? What treatments can tame it ? How many people will it kill ? -- the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January has held a special allure . A reliable estimate could help determine just how bad the United States ' botched early response to the pandemic was . We already know that the government failed to detect as many as 28,000 infections by March 1 , so just how late to the game were we ? Knowing more about January infections could also offer clues to the true number of Americans who have now been infected -- thanks to a shortage of tests , the official count of 1.2 million is almost certainly too low . A firm number could inform our strategies for preventing subsequent waves of COVID-19 from becoming even more disastrous than the first . Curiosity about January is n't driven only by the collective good . Many Americans are eager to know whether that lingering cough or punishing fever they had back in the winter was in fact COVID-19 . It 's tempting to believe that a sizable chunk of the population secretly carried the virus in January , because then there would be hope that anyone who came down with a suspicious illness in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . At the very least , if the U.S. dramatically increased its estimate of January infections , Americans could have some scientific backing for mourning a death in the family as coronavirus-related . Unfortunately , experts generally agree that the actual number of Americans carrying the virus by the end of January was nowhere near high enough to support speculation about herd immunity and star-studded superspreader events . Beyond that , the estimates vary widely . Lauren Gardner , an associate professor of engineering at Johns Hopkins University , who created the school 's popular dashboard for tracking coronavirus cases , told me that " there could have been hundreds of cases in the U.S. in January and thousands by the end of February . " Trevor Bedford , a biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center who has been at the forefront of the genetic study of SARS-CoV-2 , says that " more than 10 , less than 100 would be my guess . " Caitlin Rivers , a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , told me that she 's " confident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like it 's not millions . " It is scientifically possible for a country months into an infectious-disease outbreak to determine with some certainty how many of its residents were infected in the first few weeks . The challenge is that doing so would require data about the United States and the rest of the world that are currently a mystery . Many Americans ' most pressing questions -- did I have the disease without knowing it ? When ? -- will remain unanswerable forever . But with time , we 're likely to gain some limited clarity about what exactly happened at the beginning of this year . And we 're probably not going to like what we find . One crucial factor for estimating how many Americans were infected in January is understanding how many sick people traveled here in the first place . The more people who carried the virus into the country -- whether they were visitors or Americans returning home -- the more chances it would have had to cause large , undetected outbreaks . By mid-February , 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. There 's good reason to believe the actual number was at least marginally higher . In February , epidemiologists at both Harvard and Imperial College London estimated that the world 's disease-surveillance systems caught only about one of every three infections exported from Wuhan , China , where the virus was first identified . According to Bedford , this ratio suggests that about 20 to 50 infected people arrived in the U.S. from China or other countries in January . SARS-CoV-2 is highly contagious , but a few dozen imported cases would probably not be enough to spark many major undetected outbreaks . Based on related diseases such as SARS and MERS , epidemiologists suspect that the coronavirus 's spreading potential is irregular . In all likelihood , some sick people infect many others , but most infect just a handful . Alessandro Vespignani , a network scientist and public-health professor at Northeastern University , estimates that in each American city that later became a hot spot for COVID-19 , perhaps 10 to 20 " local transmission events " occurred in January . Aside from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places such as Seattle and New York , most infections that arrived from outside the country in January would have been transmitted to at most a few people , then quickly " fizzle out , " Bedford told me . Establishing a more precise number of how many sick people carried SARS-CoV-2 to the U.S. early this year would require data that can be difficult or impossible to collect , especially during a major global-health crisis . For one : how many people were actually sick with COVID-19 around the world in January ( or earlier ) . The official data out of Wuhan have been unreliable from the start . And countries that have since ramped up their coronavirus-detection efforts were not looking as carefully for cases at the beginning of the year . The World Health Organization did not declare a global-health emergency until January 30 . Researchers would also need to know where people traveled around the world in the early weeks of the pandemic . " One of the big challenges of looking at actual global spread of this disease is that , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " Gardner said . When researchers do n't have perfect travel data for a time and place they 're studying , she explained , they often substitute or extrapolate from data in the recent past . " Sometimes you can say , ' Well , I do n't have 2016 data , but I 'm using 2015 data . That 's representative . ' That does not apply anymore . " The Chinese government shut down Wuhan on January 23 ; even before then , individual people 's movement patterns might have begun to shift in ways that are difficult to track . When the living can not be fully accounted for , one way to move forward is to tally the dead . Testing shortages mean that some COVID-19 deaths have gone undetected , but researchers can get a better handle on just how many people the virus killed during a given time period by looking at the excess mortality : how many more people died than would have been expected to under normal circumstances . Last week , the National Center for Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 , which will be updated as the pandemic wears on . Bob Anderson , the chief of the NCHS 's mortality-statistics branch , told me that it 's " the first time we 've done something like this before the data were final . " The hope is that researchers can use the gross numbers to estimate how many Americans died of COVID-19 over a particular period , and from there estimate how many Americans were infected . But picking out excess deaths in the first few weeks of this year will be difficult . Compared with the hundreds of thousands of deaths the country experiences in a typical month , a handful of COVID-19 deaths would hardly be a blip . Indeed , by the NCHS 's count , the United States did not exceed the expected number of deaths by a significant margin until the week of March 22 . Even if the U.S. is able to more precisely nail down excess winter deaths a few months from now , using those numbers to calculate COVID-19 infections would depend on very accurate estimates of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sun , a postdoc at the National Institutes of Health 's Multinational Influenza Seasonal Mortality Study . Those estimates are just not there yet . Gardner pointed out that the case fatality rate of COVID-19 has been inconsistently reported , and that making reliable calculations with it will be hard until numbers from around the world start to balance out , which " could easily take through the year . " Cities and states around the country could consider following Santa Clara 's lead and combing through autopsy data of people who died earlier this year . " A routine part of the autopsy is to collect various tissue samples , " James Gill , Connecticut 's chief medical examiner , told me . Those tissues -- pieces of the deceased 's lungs , heart , and so on -- might be kept for six months to a year , or preserved in paraffin wax and stored for several years . They could be tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 whenever anyone decided to look at them . California Governor Gavin Newsom recently ordered the state 's coroners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been hesitant to make similar commitments . Gill estimates that less than 10 percent of patients who die in hospitals get autopsies . Combined with the small number of coronavirus deaths that likely occurred in January and February , this limited pool of autopsy data means that few COVID-19 infections are likely to be captured . Reviewing tissues from January and February autopsies could produce a few needles in the haystack , and perhaps push back the timeline of community spread in the U.S. even further . But medical examiners are unlikely to find enough infected samples to draw any meaningful conclusions about how many deaths in the first few weeks of the year were actually COVID-19 -- related . A third possible approach involves evidence that the virus leaves behind in the blood . After the human body fights off a viral infection , the immune system continues to produce antibodies -- proteins that can recognize the invader if it returns . Right now , blood tests can tell you if coronavirus antibodies exist in your body at the time of testing , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you were exposed to the virus . If scientists can pin down how long coronavirus antibodies stick around in the body , accurate serology tests would tell a patient the earliest possible date they were exposed . During the course of any viral infection , the human body produces different proportions of different kinds of antibodies . Gigi Gronvall , an immunologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , told me that with enough data , researchers could theoretically determine the antibody ratios likely to be found in the blood at different numbers of days or weeks postinfection . But , Gronvall said , individual variation in antibody ratios would be common . So even if a study like this were attempted , the best it could do is predict what proportion of many , many blood samples indicate an infection around January ; such a method probably could n't determine when exactly a specific person 's infection occurred . Given that scientists have yet to settle on how long the body produces any SARS-CoV-2 antibodies , no one should be optimistic that a system like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever . Just determining the immunity window of the virus could take " months and years , " according to Rivers , the senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security . " The virus has only really existed in the world , as far as we know , for a few months . And so we just have n't been able to study it over time . " Bedford , the biologist who has studied genetic changes in SARS-CoV-2 , suggested a simpler way to get around the time-blindness of serological tests : Use blood from January . He explained that often , when patients have their blood drawn for testing in a hospital , the hospital keeps the sample and makes it available to researchers , who will know only the date the blood was drawn and the patient 's age . Testing a critical mass of blood drawn in January to see what percentage has antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 could help modelers infer what percentage of the entire U.S. population was infected . Such a plan , though , would work only with serological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available . As Bedford explained , about 1 percent of results from the current tests are likely to be false positives . There 's some math involved , but the upshot is that until more than 1 percent of the population is infected -- about 3 million people nationwide -- you ca n't actually draw any conclusions from the results . The odds that 3 million Americans had COVID-19 in January are slim to none . After Bedford explained to me how retrospective blood tests would work , he clarified that they " probably should n't have strong research priority . " Other experts I spoke with agreed that chasing after precise numbers from January is unlikely to bring the closure Americans might be looking for , or make a tremendous difference in what we as a country choose to do next . Even if we could wave a magic wand and drop the exact number of infections for the month into every epidemiological model we have , " I do n't know that there 's any immediate changes that we would make to our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Still , there are some benefits to determining more precisely just how many infections escaped America 's detection in the first weeks of the year . Peter Hotez , a dean at the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine , mentioned that many countries in the Global South are still in the earliest stages of their own outbreaks . The more information that public-health experts in those places can get about how COVID-19 began to spread through the U.S. , along with Europe and East Asia , the better they can address local risks . It 's not just other countries : In all likelihood , the United States will face more waves of COVID-19 before the disease is brought to heel by a vaccine or herd immunity , both of which are months if not years off . We will probably , in a matter of weeks or months , find ourselves at a point along the epidemiological curve that is more similar to late January than mid-March . Repeating the same mistakes would be a tragedy . " We do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic , so that then , at the end of another four weeks or six weeks , we have to shut down everything again , " Vespignani , the Northeastern professor , told me . After weeks of our political leaders offering revisionist histories and lies about the severity of the outbreak in the United States , providing a close-to-exact portrait of the beginning of the outbreak might also help quell rumors that COVID-19 has been secretly spreading through pockets of the country since the fall . These theories can lead people to think that immunity is far more widespread than it actually is , and therefore encourage them to flout social-distancing guidelines . This is especially concerning as dozens of states , against the advice of public-health experts , have eased or made plans to ease legal restrictions around nonessential businesses and travel . To those of us desperate for any sort of certainty right now , January can seem like a good contender for a solvable mystery . But even if we did settle on a more precise tally of infections , it would not change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already clear enough to show that , unless you traveled to Wuhan in December or January or were in close contact with someone who did , any flu-like symptoms you experienced in the first month of the year were most likely not caused by SARS-CoV-2 . More precise numbers could marginally change our understanding of who might be immune , but they will not change the reality of the nightmare we 're living through . This is a hard truth to swallow . We still have a long way to go before we can return to work and pass others on the sidewalk and hug without fear . Even so , the more knowledge we have about how this crisis began , the more power we might have to shape how it ends . Despite all the barriers to deducing the pandemic 's history , Vespignani said that modeling the future is still more difficult . Modelers have to consider human behavior , policy , and testing resources , which are shaped not only by the speed of science but by political and economic will . " We need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vespignani said . " We do n't want to repeat history . " We want to hear what you think about this article . Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.
@@31828941 President Donald Trump on Tuesday softened his ambitious pledge from just days earlier that there could be a coronavirus vaccine by year 's end . " You can never be convinced , " Trump , during a trip to Arizona , told ABC News ' David Muir in an interview when asked whether he was still firm in that declaration , contending that " we have a really good shot of having something very , very substantial . " Advertisement The backpedaling from the president came 48 hours afterTrump said during a Fox News town hall that " we think we 'll have a vaccine by the end of this year and we 're pushing very hard , " a statement that contradicts his own health officials as well as companies developing and testing potential vaccines . His assertion comes amid fears that the coronavirus will continue to upend the globe -- and its economies -- until a vaccine for the highly infectious disease can be developed and delivered on a massive scale . Vaccines often take several years to develop , and Trump 's top health advisers have frequently warned that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to receive a coronavirus vaccine . " I can say this , we 're doing really great , " Trump told Muir on Tuesday , name-dropping Oxford University and the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson , which he said on Sunday was " close " to a vaccine . " I get reports every single day , they 're doing really great . " Still , he added : " Am I convinced ? I ca n't be convinced of anything . " All vaccines currently in development are still in the early phases of clinical trials , and Johnson & Johnson has said the soonest its first batch will be available is in 2021 . The company has not yet begun human trials , and does n't expect to do so until September of this year . Two other companies have said they have the potential to supply millions of doses by the end of the year if their vaccine candidate shows promising results in trials . Trump is shepherdingan effort within his administration aimed at drastically slashing the timeline for vaccine development , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the atomic bomb . But last week , Trump denied to reporters that he was over-promising with his goal of securing 300 million doses of the eventual vaccine once it 's ready to be administered to the public . " We 're building supply lines . We even have the final vaccine , " he said on Sunday . Trump 's top public health experts have expressed cautious optimism that finalizing a vaccine on the president 's declared timeline is possible -- with caveats . Three of the top U.S. health chiefs are self-quarantining after possible exposure to the coronavirus at the White House . The rush to produce a vaccine comes as the number of known cases in the U.S. has passed 1 million and the death toll has topped 70,000 , with more infections and deaths projected as states across the country begin to loosen strict social-distancing guidelines in the coming months . Trump on Tuesday continued to defend his administration 's early actions during the crisis , and his own personal downplaying of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of February , he asserted that the 15 known cases of coronavirus in the U.S. would quickly go down to zero , the president again fell back on his usual defenses of touting his decision to restrict travel from China a month earlier . He noted that those comments came while flights were still allowed into the country from Europe , another hot spot for the pandemic . And Trump reiterated his wish to be a " cheerleader " for the country . " I do n't want to be Mr. Gloom-and-Doom . It 's a very bad subject , " he said on ABC , though he acknowledged that his administration was still unsure of the severity of the outbreak . " I 'm not looking to tell the American people when nobody really knows what 's happening yet , ' Oh , this is going to be so tragic . ' " Even so , confronted by Muir with his varying prognostications of the U.S. death toll , the president insisted that he 'd " always felt " that number would range from 60,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many as 2 million dead without mitigation efforts .
@@31829641 The work of custodians and janitors has become even more important during the pandemic File : Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP Jackeline Bonett enters the lobby of a 17-storey office tower in downtown Miami , Florida , between 5:30 and 6pm every day , from Monday to Friday . There , a supervisor hands her the tools she will be using over the next four hours : two rags , two mop towels , and some gloves . The 55-year-old janitor then pairs up with a colleague to clean two floors of offices . " I 'll start cleaning the kitchen , the floors , the tables . I 'll take out the rubbish . I clean the refrigerator ... We go out into the hallway ; I 'll clean the hallway area , and then we go up to the next office on the next floor , " Bonett explains . As the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the United States , janitorial workers in many places have been deemed essential workers - and Bonett and her colleagues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus on the job . Bonett is employed by a large cleaning services contractor in South Florida . She says she did not receive any special training to clean during the COVID-19 pandemic , nor has she been provided masks or hand sanitiser . " We have masks because we bring them ourselves , " she tells Al Jazeera in Spanish through a translator . Bonett says she did not receive any special training to clean during the COVID-19 pandemi Courtesy of Jackeline Bonett Being deemed essential has not improved her working conditions or her salary - she gets paid $8.56 an hour , the state 's minimum wage . " We are on a miserable salary for the hard work that we do . It is not just the salary ; it is the miserable conditions that we 're working under . Bonett is not alone . More than 40,000 janitors work in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach areas of southern Florida , according to a November 2019 report by SEIU Local 32BJ , an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas for janitorial wages when compared with the cost of living , the report found , and 57 percent of office janitors in the Miami area lived at or below the poverty line . This is the day in the life of one : office janitor Jaqueline Bonett . It takes Bonett 90 minutes on a bus and a train to get to the office building from her home , a one-bedroom apartment she rents for $1,200 a month . She lives there with her husband and one of her three children . " I help pay the rent and the other bills , " says Bonett , who arrived in Miami 11 years ago from her native Colombia . She also sends money back to Colombia to support her parents - her mother has a heart condition and her father has problems with his knees - and her two other children . When she arrives at the building , she says the entire cleaning staff - about eight to 10 people - get into the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They then go up to the floors they are assigned to clean that day . " The rags look dirty , " she says . " We need more rags because we have so many things to clean . I have to wash the rags myself . " Bonett adds that during the pandemic , she has been bringing masks in for herself and her colleagues to use . I feel like people sometimes look down on us . They look at us as if we 're nothing . Jaqueline Bonett In addition to her janitorial job , she also sews clothes at a Goodwill second-hand clothing store . She works from 7am to 3:30pm at Goodwill every weekday , and then goes to the office to clean until 10pm . Recently , a colleague at Goodwill fell ill with coronavirus symptoms . " It felt like a bucket of cold water being thrown on me . I was thinking about my coworkers and my family . I was speechless , " says Bonett , about how she felt when she heard the news . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of COVID-19 , Bonett - who does not have health insurance - says she decided to go into self-quarantine in case . She took 14 unpaid days off work , which put a strain on her family . " Normally , I have to pay for my mom 's heart medicine , and I have to help my kids who right now do n't have jobs , " she says . " When I was self-quarantined , I could n't pay for any of this . I had to ask someone in Colombia for a loan to buy her my mom 's pills . " I have a big responsibility with my parents and my family , but I still made that decision to self-quarantine . " Bonett says that one of the biggest challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic is feeling unsupported at work . " They have n't given us any kind of training , any discussion on social distancing , " she tells Al Jazeera . " It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's a mask , here 's some training , here 's some hand-sanitiser ' - but nothing . " While many of the offices she cleans every day are empty , and fewer people are in the building than before the coronavirus outbreak , Bonett says she feels " exposed " at work . A custodian cleans the lobby of the Roundabout Theatre Company in Times Square in New York File : John Minchillo/AP Photo With a disease like COVID-19 , which can spread easily and rapidly , janitors need to clean things even more thoroughly than before , she explains . " Right now , it 's a lot of work . But once they reopen the economy , we 'll have more fear , more work , and we 'll need to clean things even better because we 're talking about 600 people that normally are in this building . " She says that she and her colleagues need better cleaning materials , better pay and better protection to do their jobs properly . And even though they are considered essential workers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appreciated . " I feel like people sometimes look down on us . They look at us as if we 're nothing , " she says . " $8.56 an hour is not enough . You can imagine the number of hours that we need to work to survive . We should be paid extra because they need to recognise us and our value . "
@@31829841 Kimberly and Matt Salcido of San Jose had to cancel their planned wedding , instead had a small wedding with a few family members . As of April 30 , Santa Clara County residents had 60 days to obtain marriage licenses via videoconferencing amid the COVID-19 pandemic . The Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council has launched SASCC Support , a connector between older adults and the support they need during the COVID-19 outbreak . This line connects people ages 65 and older , along with their families and caregivers , with a SASCC staff member to talk about how they 're doing , and an opportunity to request support such as grocery and supply delivery , social services , respite , legal help , financial assistance and other needs . The support line is open at 408-621-7526 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for residents of Saratoga , Los Gatos , Monte Sereno and Campbell . SASCC is also offering online tutorials on how to use Amazon , CVS Pharmacy and Doordash to have food , medications and household supplies delivered . Other videos include yoga and lip-reading classes made by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 , Santa Clara County residents had 60 days to obtain marriage licenses via videoconferencing amid the COVID-19 pandemic . " It 's a little piece of good news , and right now , we could all use a little more of that , " said County Supervisor Joe Simitian . Pursuant to the state executive order , both members of the couple must be located within California , be present for the videoconference , and present identification . A marriage license can then be issued via email . The Alameda County Fairgrounds held their third " Fair Food Fridays " at the fairgrounds in Pleasanton . Customers pre-ordered their fair food dinners online , with no-contact curbside pick up at the fairgrounds . As spring approaches summer and the weather turns balmy , people 's thoughts might turn to exploring the various preserves of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District , or Midpen . Acres of grassland carpeted with wildflowers including California poppies hold an enduring appeal , but local residents have to be vigilant due to the restrictions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
@@31830041 The opposition NDC 's Covid-19 Technical Team is backing the Ghana Medical Association 's call for the ban on public gatherings not to be lifted . Re-echoing the points raised by the GMA , the Team said the prevalence and speed of the spread of Covid-19 in Ghana remains a clear and present danger . " Any attempt to lift restrictions on all forms of public gatherings , in our view , is extremely premature and risky at this stage of the virus ' evolution in Ghana . In addition our borders should also remain closed at this time , " a statement copied to JoyNews said . The Team recommends the incorporation of mass testing into a holistic strategy to have a full and accurate picture of the number of cases in country . " As such , the Team is hopeful of good news from the Food and Drugs Authority ( FDA ) in it 's review of rapid test kits produced at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology ( KNUST ) to allow large scale community screening to be feasible and efficient . " For the foreseeable future , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more rigorously enforce all certified World Health Organization(WHO) protocols geared towards reducing the spread of infections . "
@@31830141 Geneva - Lebanese authorities must reconsider its arbitrary decision to remove a Syrian refugee camp in the Ghazze town of Bekaa in the west of the country , said the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor . Following clashes between residents of the town and Syrian refugees for two days , Ghazze Municipal Council decided to remove the Abdo Clinton camp . The Municipal Council justified its decision by noting it aims " to ward off reactions that may arise from any confrontation , and under the pressure of the townspeople who refuse the camp , " which is an unacceptable excuse and a practice of forced eviction . The Lebanese Constitution asserts in its Preamble , Paragraph B , that " Lebanon is also a founding and active member of the United Nations Organization and abides by its covenants and by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . The Government shall embody these principles in all fields and areas without exception " . In this regard , the Lebanese authorities must comply with international obligations in terms of actions taken towards refugees in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conventions , in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees , and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination . The Lebanese authorities must commit to the principle of " safe , voluntary and dignified return " for Syrian refugees in accordance with international principles on non-refoulement . The Lebanese government bears a large part of responsibility for the frequent clashes between Lebanese citizens and Syrian refugees , in light of incitement campaigns that target refugees , some of which officials in the country fuel , in addition to media campaigns aimed at denying refugees their right to live in dignity and have access to job opportunities . The Euro-Med Monitor had warned in a previous statement that such acts may lead to a wave of widespread violence . Euro-Med Monitor 's Legal advisor , Tariq Hajjar , pointed to the danger of removing the refugee camp in light of the crisis of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic . " This constitutes a serious violation of the basic rights of these refugees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . " International conventions relating to human rights and refugee status obligates governments to secure all necessary rights for refugees , the most important of which are health care , education , housing , and work , especially in light of the outbreak of the coronavirus , " he added . " Any procedures must be more humane in accordance with relevant national and international legal standards . " The Lebanese authorities must take the necessary measures to repeal any decisions that contribute to increase the hostile environment against Syrian refugees , make room for violence against them , and contribute to exacerbating their suffering and push them to unsafe return to the war zones from which they fled . 20 years of independent publishing is a milestone , but your support is essential to keep Scoop thriving . We are building on our offering with thedig.nz our new In-depth Engaged Journalism platform . Now , more than ever sustainable financial support of the Scoop Foundation for Public Interest Journalism will help to keep these vital and participatory media services running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal times , the world 's airlines would be carrying nearly 2 billion international passengers this year . That 's 5.7 million a day . But with the COVID-19 pandemic gripping the planet , these are not normal times . In its latest analysis of the economic ... More>> Measures by governments across the world to curb the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the widespread disruption of trafficking routes for illegal drugs , mainly by air and on land , upping some prices , according to a new UN report published on Thursday . ... More>>
@@31830241 This year is incontestably a significant year for Aotearoa 's music community , with this month 's 20th Anniversary of NZ Music Month highlighting the crisis faced by our live venue culture , currently effectively shut down by the coronavirus outbreak . The Official NZ Music Month Summit returns in 2020 in a slightly different form than usual , with four seminars being livestreamed via the net on Saturday 23rd May . Featuring artists and experts from throughout Aotearoa , sharing their firsthand insights and experiences on navigating the music industry , the day-long event is organised by MMF NZ and the NZ Music Commission , in association with Auckland Council Creative Communities and APRA AMCOS NZ . Celebrating 2020 's theme of Support Local , Stream Local , Follow Local , Buy Local , the topics for this year are The Importance Of Merchandise , Music Production In Aotearoa , L.A.B - From Indie Band To Number 1 and a special discussion about the skyrocketing success of NZ hitmaker Benee , who hasracked up over 400 million streams for latest single ' Supalonely ' : Benee - Finding International Success . Speakers include Liz Stokes ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McKessar ( CRS Management ) and more -- scope out the full details for each seminar here ... BENEE -- FINDING INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS Last year Benee was the toast of the Tui 's -- this year her songs are all over TikTok , helping propel her to international stardom . Speaker : Paul McKessar ( Manager , CRS Management ) Moderated by Charlotte Ryan , RNZ MUSIC PRODUCTION IN AOTEAROANew Zealand producers are shining on the world stage and forging new career pathways . We hear how turning to music production has enhanced their career . Speakers : P Money , Tom Healy , Villette , Devin Abrams Moderated by Greg Haver The MMF NZ and the NZ Music Commission , in association with Auckland Council Creative Communities and APRA AMCOS NZ , are thrilled to announce the return of The Official NZ Music Month Summit , which will take place as part of the very special 20th Anniversary of NZ Music Month . In keeping with the theme of this year 's annual kiwi music celebration , the topic of this year 's summit will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Local , Follow Local , Buy Local . The impact of Covid-19 upon the music industry continues to disrupt the tried and true methods of creating and sharing music , and this unprecedented situation has put Aotearoa 's creative sector squarely to the test . Despite these new challenges , Aotearoa 's music industry continues to thrive in the face of adversity . With resilience and progression in mind , our speakers at this year 's Summit will be sharing insights about their journey , and their drive to adapt and grow to find success . Topics such as the transition from indie band to number 1 , finding international success , sustaining a career as a music producer in Aotearoa and the importance of great merchandise will be covered by an impressive line-up of industry professionals who will deliver four separate panel sessions across the day . This year 's digital-only event will take place on Saturday 23 May , and will be live-streamed through the Music Managers Forum NZ and NZ Music Commission 's Facebook pages and YouTube channels , ensuring anyone in the NZ music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will benefit from the knowledge shared .
@@31830541 Air cargo has been severely hit by the spread of COVID-19 as is evidenced by the fact that major air cargo carriers have no immediate plans to add China flights to replace the capacity lost amid steep cuts to passenger travel due to the coronavirus , as many factories have remained shut down after the Lunar New Year . by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne Writing from Montreal The latest issue of The Economist says : " Connectivity is what the world 's agro-industrial complex is all about . Four-fifths of the planet 's 8bn mouths are fed in part by imports ; the $1.5trn that was paid for them last year was three times 2000 's bill . Battalions of lorries and fleets of ships connect tens of millions of farms to hundreds of millions of shops and kitchens . The newspaper starts by saying : " in late January China banned package tours from heading overseas for the lunar new-year holiday . This gave cold sweats to David Parker , New Zealand 's trade minister . Fewer tourists were a disappointment , but planes that did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in the other -- significantly more worrying , given that China is New Zealand 's biggest customer for the food which is its biggest export " . According to estimates by the United Nations the current crisis will result in an economic fallout of 265m people suffering from acute hunger in 2020 with no exception ascribed to developed countries . There is palpable evidence of the long stretched " kilometer long " food queues in the United States at food banks in some cities . As the Economist goes on : " in these circumstances even quite small dislocations in the food system could , by increasing prices further , lead to great suffering " . In February 2020 ING stated that " the coronavirus could potentially impact the annual level of world trade in 2020 , as it 's not certain that factories and logistics will be able to catch up and fully compensate for earlier delays , given the limited capacity . If they can not fully recuperate , global trade growth in 2020 will suffer " . The World Economic Forum has reported ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's economic growth was expected to slow to 4.5% in the first quarter of 2020 -- the slowest pace since the financial crisis . The International Energy Agency has stated that global oil demand has been hit hard by the effects of the coronavirus and the WEF concludes that factory shutdowns are slowing the flow of products and parts from China , affecting companies around the world , including Apple and Nissan . The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) has stated that " even in the best-case scenario of limited outbreaks in countries outside China , a sharp slowdown in world growth is expected in the first half of 2020 as supply chains and commodities are hit , tourism drops and confidence falters . Global economic growth is seen falling to 2.4% for the whole year , compared to an already weak 2.9 % in 2019 . It is then expected to rise to a modest 3.3% in 2021 " . OECD has added that " international merchandise trade ( in current US dollars , seasonally adjusted ) in the G20 continued its downward path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third quarter of 2019 , exports contracted by 0.1% and imports by 1.3% , and now stand at their lowest levels in two years . Evidence of significant disruption to Asian ( in particular ) supply chains related to the Covid-19 outbreak suggests that this downward trend is likely to continue into the first quarter of 2020 " . These facts have a direct impact on air transport and the trade implications it brings as it provides the only worldwide network of connectivity . The industry is known to be responsible for at least 40% of international tourists travelling by air generating a total of 29 million jobs globally ( through direct , indirect , induced and catalytic impacts ) . The Air Transport Action Group ( ATAG ) has recorded in an early estimate way prior to the pandemic spread of the virus that aviation 's global economic impact ( direct , indirect , induced and catalytic ) is estimated at US$ 2,960 billion , equivalent to 8% of world Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) . Aviation continued to expand until the Covid-19 crisis brought the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a substantial part of the overall air transport product , effectively connects markets distant from each other creating global supply chains with speed and efficiency . The International Air Transport Association ( IATA ) has stated that air cargo represents more than 35% of global trade by value . This makes businesses deal easily with inventory management and built-to-order production . The speed and efficiency inherent in air transport that makes transport of cargo by air more efficient is dependant on various factors including market access and liberalization as well as fair competition rules . Air cargo carriage often results in the cargo being trucked to its ultimate destination . This creates a complex supply chain across customs borders that call for multiple parties to be involved . In addition , various documents of carriage are used in the composite carriage and liabilities of various parties may ensued for loss or damage to cargo . The process involves ( in that order ) the consignor , origin freight forwarder , ground handler , carrier , ground handler , destination freight forwarder , and finally the consignee . The processes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that order ) are , pick up , consolidation , acceptance of cargo and documentation , departure , arrival and delivery , deconsolidation , and final delivery . Air cargo has been severely hit by the spread of COVID-19 as is evidenced by the fact that major air cargo carriers have no immediate plans to add China flights to replace the capacity lost amid steep cuts to passenger travel due to the coronavirus , as many factories have remained shut down after the Lunar New Year . Aviation data firm OAG has said : " there would be more than 25,000 fewer flights operated to , from and within China this week compared with two weeks ago , with 30 airlines halting services . About half of the air cargo carried globally is on passenger jets rather than in dedicated freighters , and the flight cuts have made the Chinese market more dependent on freight haulers " . There must be strong international accord to keep the transport supply chain going both nationally and internationally even if passenger air transport takes a long time to be revived . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lead and face the crisis head on so that there is an assurance of continuity in the global supply chain . The first step would be to establish a global crisis coordination team and ensure all parties are engaged , possibly comprising an executive team of IT management , a communications team , and management team from operations , safety and , security . The second would be to task this team to come up with a list of what might be needed for the transport chain to be strongly linked continuously and what the impacts might be from possible culture changes to cope with the financial sustenance of the providers of services and finally to plan ahead according to what the recovery from the crisis might look like .
@@31830641 While many Californians may be chafing under the statewide coronavirus stay-home order , three out of four favor sticking with the lockdown as long as it takes despite the considerable economic harm from shuttering schools and businesses , according to a new poll . The poll conducted April 17-22 came amid modest protests in California -- but more fervent demonstrations across the country -- over the stay-home orders that have put 26 million U.S. workers and 3.4 million Californians out of work . " There is widespread agreement among Californians that the state 's shelter-in-place orders should be continued as long as necessary , even if it means continued damage to the economy , " said Kristof Stremikis , the foundation 's director of market analysis . The poll found support strong across all demographic groups , with more than 70% of people in each age , income and racial or ethnic group in favor . Stremikis said support also was strong regardless of political leanings or party affiliation . The California Health Care Foundation poll found support for the stay-home order was higher among the poor , even though they are more likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those with low incomes -- defined in California as at or below 138% of the federal poverty guidelines -- favored maintaining the stay-at-home orders , and just 3.6% wanted them relaxed . " It 's particularly notable that low-income Californians who are most at risk from the economic losses imposed by the lockdown are still so supportive of proceeding with them , " said Dan Schnur , a political scientist who teaches at UC Berkeley and Pepperdine University . The poll 's findings track with others conducted nationally over the past week . An April 21 Reuters/Ipsos national online poll taken April 15-21 found 72% of U.S. adults said people should stay at home " until the doctors and public health officials say it is safe . " And an Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found 61% of Americans feel the steps taken by government officials to prevent infections of COVID-19 in their area are about right , while just 12% say they go too far . Schnur said the strong support reflects the confidence the public has in health professionals , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , to Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody , who implemented the country 's first shelter-in-place order . " There 's no denying the tremendous economic consequences of the shutdown , " Schnur said . " But it appears medical professionals like Dr. Fauci and Dr. Cody are carrying the day . " He added that they show the protests are not representative of most people 's views . " The loudest voices always get a disproportionate amount of attention , " said Schnur , a former Republican strategist , " but it appears that the protesters do n't represent the broader electorate . " The poll found majorities said they always adhere to social-distancing measures , including wearing face masks in public ( 58% ) , staying six feet from others ( 64% ) , avoiding unnecessary trips ( 53% ) and washing hands ( 74% ) . It also found 59% were willing to share personal information about their health , movements and contacts with local and state public health officials in order to help them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The poll , conducted by Ipsos , involved 1,015 representative interviews conducted among California residents statewide who were at least 18 years old . The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points . John Woolfolk is a reporter for the Bay Area News Group , based at The Mercury News . A native of New Orleans , he grew up near San Jose . He is a graduate of the UC Berkeley School of Journalism and has been a journalist since 1990 , covering cities , counties , law enforcement , courts and other general news . He also has worked as an editor since 2013 . San Francisco reported 52 new coronavirus cases on Sunday , more than anywhere else in the Bay Area . The county also recorded one of the region 's two deaths reported Sunday ; the other occurred in Santa Clara County . Alameda County reported 41 new cases Sunday , while Santa Clara County saw 32 new cases . Contra Costa County reported 12 new cases , while San ... On Tuesday , CalMatters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flame Medical LLC -- a company that had been in business for just three days -- then scrambled to get the money back when the deal mysteriously fell apart .
@@31830941 WASHINGTON -- Former President Barack Obama , talking privately to ex-members of his administration , said Friday that the " rule of law is at risk " in the wake of what he called an unprecedented move by the Justice Department to drop charges against former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn . In the same chat , a tape of which was obtained by Yahoo News , Obama also lashed out at the Trump administration 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as " an absolute chaotic disaster . " " The news over the last 24 hours I think has been somewhat downplayed -- about the Justice Department dropping charges against Michael Flynn , " Obama said in a web talk with members of the Obama Alumni Association . " And the fact that there is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who has been charged with perjury just getting off scot-free . That 's the kind of stuff where you begin to get worried that basic -- not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law is at risk . And when you start moving in those directions , it can accelerate pretty quickly as we 've seen in other places . " The Flynn case was invoked by Obama as a principal reason that his former administration officials needed to make sure former Vice President Joe Biden wins the November election against President Trump . " So I am hoping that all of you feel the same sense of urgency that I do , " he said . " Whenever I campaign , I 've always said , ' Ah , this is the most important election . ' Especially obviously when I was on the ballot , that always feels like it 's the most important election . This one -- I 'm not on the ballot -- but I am pretty darn invested . We got to make this happen . " Obama misstated the charge to which Flynn had previously pleaded guilty . He was charged with false statements to the FBI , not perjury . But the Justice Department , in a filing with a federal judge on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Mueller be dismissed , arguing that FBI agents did not have a justifiable reason to question the then national security adviser about his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak -- talks FBI agents and Mueller 's prosecutors concluded he had lied about . Still , Obama 's unvarnished remarks were some of his sharpest yet about the Trump administration and appeared to forecast a dramatically stepped-up political role he intends to play in this year 's election . The comments came during a lengthy chat in which he also sharply criticized the response to the coronavirus pandemic , blaming it on the " tribal " trends that have been stoked by the president and his allies . " This election that 's coming up on every level is so important because what we 're going to be battling is not just a particular individual or a political party . What we 're fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish , being tribal , being divided , and seeing others as an enemy -- that has become a stronger impulse in American life . And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well . It 's part of the reason why the response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty . It would have been bad even with the best of governments . It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset -- of ' what 's in it for me ' and ' to heck with everybody else ' -- when that mindset is operationalized in our government . " That 's why , I , by the way , am going to be spending as much time as necessary and campaigning as hard as I can for Joe Biden , " he added . Obama 's remarks about Flynn seemed especially pointed in light of the fact that the former Army general had served in his administration as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency -- until he was forced out by administration officials who viewed him as a chaotic , insubordinate manager . During the transition , Obama even warned Trump not to hire Flynn -- advice that Trump ignored . Obama also gave some insights into his life during the pandemic . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driving me nuts . " But there was a bright side , he added . His daughters , Malia and Sasha , " are stuck having dinner with me " at home . Click here for the latest coronavirus news and updates . According to experts , people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk . If you have questions , please refer to the CDC 's and WHO 's resource guides .
@@31831341 Millions of Italians Return To Work As Coronavirus Lockdown Eases : Coronavirus Live UpdatesItaly was one of the first countries to be racked by the disease . The government imposed strict lockdown policies on March 9 , earlier than many countries started responding . Italy has lost nearly 29,000 people because of the coronavirus , second only to the United States , according to data from Johns Hopkins University . More than 210,000 people in the country have been infected . Italy was one of the first countries to be racked by the disease . The government imposed strict lockdown policies on March 9 , earlier than many countries started responding , as NPR 's Sylvia Poggioli reported from Rome . The construction sector , wholesale and certain manufacturing companies started welcoming workers back to work Monday , as Poggioli reported . Many other aspects of Italian life will inch closer to normal . Restaurants are able to reopen , though they can prepare meals for takeout only . Parks can reopen with social distancing measures , and people can move beyond 200 yards from their home , among other activities . " There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , " Poggioli reported . " There 's really still lots of anxiety because the reopening is going to place a lot more responsibility on individuals . They 're going to have to weigh personal decisions based on health risk , psychological well-being and economic needs . " The government will continue to enforce social distancing guidelines , and individuals will still be required to carry documentation stating why they 're out of their homes . Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said last week that Italians were free to visit congiunti , a word that according to The Associated Press can mean either relatives , relations or kinsmen , within their home region . To clarify what he meant by the word , Conte said the term included " relatives , and to those with whom they have relationships of steady affection . " Conte called for increased personal responsibility during this period , as he warned in a Facebook post that there will be more opportunities for the disease to spread spread again under the eased restrictions . " Like never before , the future of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need even more collaboration , civic sense , and compliance with the rules by everyone , " Conte wrote .
@@31832041 Child Poverty Action Group applauds the Government for the skilful way it has led our country through this COVID-19 health crisis , inspiring an unprecedented cohesion not seen from Kiwis in many generations . Clearly , many New Zealanders have become emboldened by working for the collective good and there now seems to be a growing desire to extend kindness to each other across our society . CPAG would like the Government to take this opportunity and deliver a budget that extends that kindness to all , but primarily to our children who are at most risk from an economic downturn . CPAG executive officer Georgie Craw says the existing high levels of child poverty are distressing , as we know they are to the Prime Minister and her cabinet . " What is even more concerning is the impact of a COVID-19 related recession could have on swelling these numbers and further entrench those living in poverty , " she says . " To date we have been underwhelmed by aspects of the Government 's response when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children . " Benefit reforms Susan St John , economics spokesperson for CPAG says there are clear choices in this budget and the measures made to ensure the recovery of the economy must be carefully designed to also reduce inequality and poverty . " The budget offers a unique opportunity to make long-lasting beneficial reforms that reflect sound principles which ensure all families and their children are adequately supported throughout this crisis and beyond , " she says . " The aim should be to have benefits high enough that supplementary payments are rarely necessary , and penalties for additional earnings are greatly reduced . The current penal treatment of relationship status in the benefit system must be removed . CPAG would like to see all married person rates lifted to the single rate , and all benefits given on an individual basis . " In a world of great uncertainty about employment , the discrimination in Working for Families that denies the full package to the worst-off children in families with benefit income makes no sense . " CPAG urges the government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full Working for Families support . It would deliver at least another $72.50 a week to the very worst-off children in low-income families to help parents keep their children safe and well at an annual cost of around $450 million . " This change would accord with the principle of valuing the activities of caregiving and volunteering as work , greatly simplifying child payments , and reducing the worst child poverty in a highly cost-effective way , " St John says . " It would also reduce the risk of low income families having to rely on predatory lenders . " CPAG notes these recommendations are in line with many community groups and the recommendations of the Government 's own Welfare Expert Advisory Group . Health Professor Innes Asher , a paediatrician and Health spokesperson for CPAG , says the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a number of vulnerabilities in our healthcare system but these issues can be remedied . " Currently , children living in poverty are more likely to get sick . Therefore we would like to see free healthcare , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all children and adolescents under 18 years of age . It is vital that all our teenagers can easily access appropriate and timely primary healthcare . Their health and futures should not have to rely on their families ' ability to afford healthcare , as is currently the case . " Education COVID-19 has highlighted existing educational inequalities , most obviously in the digital divide between those students who have been able to continue their learning from home , and those who are severely restricted by the lack of access to devices . " CPAG has long called for the removal of the hidden costs of a so-called ' free ' public education , which many families struggle to afford . " says Professor Peter O'Connor , CPAG Education spokesperson . " The economic impacts of COVID-19 will impact on the mental health of children and young people disproportionately in existing areas of social deprivation . In recognising the vital role that schools will have in meeting the ongoing mental health needs of children post-COVID , increasing investment in support systems in schools will become even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be vital to ensure greater investment in funding for public education to ensure that expenditure on education becomes less of a household burden , and introduces systems to ensure that a genuinely free public education in New Zealand can be guaranteed . Housing Frank Hogan , spokesperson on Housing for CPAG says part of valuing the wellbeing of our children is to also have good housing policy . " A greater emphasis must be placed on building additional public housing , with less emphasis on the Accommodation Supplement and more government involvement to reduce rents in the rental market . " Craw says some children will be severely impacted by this crisis , but this challenging time has also shown us what 's possible when a nation unites . " The social changes we have committed to in curbing the spread of COVID-19 in our community is impressive . What else do we value enough to change ? What about a world with better income support so all families can retain financial independence for themselves and fully participate in our society . " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be held at 11am , May 15 . In fitting with the new normal we find ourselves in , our budget analysis will be showcased live and online , hosted on the NZPTV.org.nz website . To register to go to : **43;326;TOOLONG **199;371; Covid-19 : Police say most people sticking to level 3 restrictions this weekend Police believe that people have been in general sticking to the alert level 3 restrictions this weekend . Photo : RNZ / Richard Tindiller Sunlovers have flocked to beaches and there has been more traffic on the roads . Assistant Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said there has been a roughly 50 percent drop in the number of potential level 3 breaches compared with last weekend . He said in the 24 hours from 8am yesterday , police received 470 reports of potential breaches of Covid Alert Level 3 . The vast majority were not flouting the rules , but there had been some disappointing exceptions , he said . " A colleague of mine up in the Waikato , and this morning they visited a church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were about 24 members of the congregation there . " So after a chat with us and some encouragement , they decided it was probably not the right thing to be doing under alert level 3 . " But he said another breach was a three-year-old 's birthday party . " There were around about 35 members of the neighbourhood and whanau attending so whilst we understand totally that it 's tempting to celebrate occasions , it 's not the right thing to be doing under alert level 3 . " Chambers said , in comparison , none of the 80 vehicles passing through a checkpoint in Kaitaia were breaching the rules .
@@31832441 Actors Donald Glover , Joel McHale , Gillian Jacobs , Danny Pudi , Yvette Nicole Brown , Alison Brie , Jim Rash , and Ken Jeong , as well as Community creator Dan Harmon , will all participate in the table read , reports Variety . They will be doing a read of the episode " Cooperative Polygraphy " from the show 's fifth season . The live stream will raise money for Jos ? Andr ? s ' World Central Kitchen and Frontline Foods . It 's the latest special to help raise money for COVID-19 relief . NBC aired a half-hour scripted special of Parks and Recreationon April 30th for Feeding America 's COVID-19 Response Fund . And the World Health Organization and Global Citizen hosted the One World : Together at Home concert , which included performances by Lizzo , Elton John , and Lady Gaga , on April 18th.
@@31832541 Last week Chris Christie , the former governor of New Jersey , declared that the United States should push ahead to reopen the economy because " there are going to be deaths no matter what . " Christie compared the coronavirus crisis to World War I and World War II , when Americans sent young men abroad " knowing many of them would not come home alive . " As in 1918-1919 and the 1940s , he declared , " we have to stand up for the American way of life . " Along with the president 's encouragement of protesters seeking to " liberate " their ( blue ) states , these statements present a false choice : reopen the economy right now , or -- as Christie claimed -- stay " locked in our own houses for another year , " a recommendation no one has made . And Christie implied , falsely , that the number of fatalities in the United States is fixed and inevitable . ADVERTISEMENT In World War I and World War II , the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gear and weapons . Moreover , military strategy was -- or should have been -- designed to minimize casualties . What 's done is done , of course , but we must not lose sight of the impact of the failure of the United States -- despite dire warnings from public health officials -- to prepare for the pandemic . The United States and South Korea reported their first cases of COVID-19 on the same day , Jan. 20 , 2020 . During the early stages of an outbreak , epidemiologists have found , an infected person passes the virus to 2-3 other people . The spread accelerates when , as with the coronavirus , asymptomatic individuals are infectious . During the month of February , while President Trump claimed " when you have 15 people , and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero , that 's a pretty good job we 've done , " South Korea conducted 80,000 tests ; the United States conducted fewer than 1,000 . South Korea quarantined individuals who tested positive , tracked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantined them as well . As a result , South Korea has experienced five deaths for every 1 million of its citizens , while the United States has 237 ( a number that is certain to grow ) . Other countries that tested , quarantined , contact traced , mandated social distancing and kept all but essential workers at home early in the pandemic also avoided the murderous math : Germany has had 90 fatalities per 1 million in its population ; Japan 4 ; Australia 4 ; Taiwan 0.3 . With robust testing and contact tracing in place , these countries are now opening up their economies . And now , despite projections that fatalities are likely to spike , perhaps to 135,000 by August , as stay-at-home mandates are lifted and some states permit hair salons , restaurants , gymnasiums , and retail outlets to open -- in violation of the administration 's own guidelines , and in the absence of robust testing ( conducted randomly to identify " hotspots " as well as on those who present symptoms ) and contact tracing capacity -- Chris Christie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to get the economy open very soon . Every American wants the economy to reopen . Every American embraces " the American way of life . " With good reason , however , the vast majority of Americans are more concerned about opening up too quickly than they are about a more cautious approach , informed by public health realities and recommendations . Let 's put a sock in the crude and callous calculations and the false choices . We need to balance two vitally important priorities -- and learn from the experiences of other countries who are getting it right .
@@31832641 By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO . You can unsubscribe at any time . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply . Editor 's Note : Morning Education is a free version of POLITICO Pro Education 's morning newsletter , which is delivered to our subscribers each morning at 6 a.m . The POLITICO Pro platform combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day 's biggest stories.Act on the news with POLITICO Pro . -- Today begins the week when thousands of high schoolers will take Advanced Placement exams in hopes of earning college credit . But , this time , they 'll be taking the tests online from home . -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill wants a district judge to make a partial decision in a lawsuit challenging its use of race in admissions decisions , ahead of a trial rescheduled for November . AP EXAM WEEK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , but the College Board and thousands of students are gearing up to start the week of AP testing as normally as possible . Students will take online , open book tests from home instead of in the classroom . -- The testmaker announced in March that traditional face-to-face administrations of the exam had been nixed for this season in response to the coronavirus outbreak and replaced by 45-minute online exams that can be taken from home . -- The College Board said this has been an option in the past and " for decades , colleges have accepted a shortened AP Exam for college credit when groups of students have experienced emergencies . " The group also put out a thread on Twitter over the weekend about stopping potential cheating . JOIN THURSDAY - WHY IS THE INCARCERATION RATE OF WOMEN RISING ? Women are the fastest-growing segment of the incarcerated population in the United States , increasing at a rate nearly double that of men over the past 35 years . Join Women Rule Editorial Director Anna Palmer on Thursday at 3 p.m . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrogate and statewide coordinator for the Young Women 's Freedom Center ; Scott Budnick , founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition ( ARC ) ; and Emily Ratajkowski , model , actress and activist . Learn about the challenges women face behind bars and how they fit into the criminal-justice reform movement . Have questions ? Submit yours by tweeting it to @POLITICOLive using #AskPOLITICO . REGISTER HERE . IT 'S ON US CAMPAIGN FOLLOWS UP ON TITLE IX : The organization , founded during the Obama administration to combat sexual assault on college campuses , announced some of its next plans in pushing against DeVos ' finalized Title IX rule . It 's On Us hosted a video town hall with fellow advocacy group End Rape On Campus and thousands of participants , including Valerie Jarrett , a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama and former chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls . -- " We issued the original Obama era guidance because we wanted to make sure that schools understood that as recipients of federal dollars they have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , " Jarrett said . " The rule that was just released by the Department of Education strips away many of those protections , and it is particularly egregious , given that they issued 2,000 pages of regulations in the midst of this pandemic and now expect schools to be ready by August . " -- The groups asked participants to petition their schools to commit to using the preponderance of evidence standard instead of the clear and convincing evidence standard in their Title IX investigations . It 's On Us said it will provide language they can utilize within the coming weeks . -- Other plans include a national day of advocacy , and the group is working to build a campaign that illustrates the personal narratives of survivors and how the new rule will affect students . UNC WANTS PARTIAL JUDGMENT IN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CASE : The university is asking for partial judgment in a lawsuit led by Students for Fair Admissions that is challenging UNC 's use of race in admissions decisions . The trial , initially set for today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel restrictions and shelter-in-place orders from the coronavirus . -- UNC 's request asks for a decision on SFFA 's claim that says the " Supreme Court 's decisions holding that there is a compelling government interest in using race as a factor in admissions decisions in pursuit of ' diversity ' should be overruled . " Even with the partial judgment , SFFA would still be able to appeal the decision . -- " There is no dispute that the University considers race as a factor within its admissions process and therefore , the resolution of Count III does not involve any questions of fact , including with regard to the specific role that race plays within the University 's admission process or whether the University 's admissions practices comport with controlling precedent , " UNC argued . -- Separately , Harvard is expected to respond by May 14 to SFFA 's appeal of a lower court ruling that found the university did not intentionally discriminate against prospective Asian American students . Those who want to file briefs in favor of the lower court 's decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deadline . -- SFFA 's case against Harvard is widely believed to become the Supreme Court 's next opening to potentially ban affirmative action . The Trump administration has also urged the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the district court 's judgment that sided with Harvard . UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA LEADER LOOKS TO FALL REOPENING : University of Virginia President James Ryan , in an interview with CBS ' " Face the Nation " on Sunday , talked about his plans to reopen school in the fall , football and admissions . Virginia Gov . Ralph Northam is planning to loosen social distancing restrictions this week , and while nothing is set in stone , Ryan says UVA plans to announce its fall plans in mid-June . Here are the highlights , or read the full transcript : -- Coronavirus ' effect on international students and admissions : " International students are a particular challenge . A number of them are not likely to be able to be back in time . So one thing that we know for sure is that we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education to students who ca n't come back to campus . That may be true for students who are out of state or in state , who are at high risk as well . But our admissions season this year was remarkably strong ... and we fully expect to have a fully enrolled class when fall comes around . " -- UVA football this fall : " Our athletic director , Carla Williams , and our head football coach , Bronco Mendenhall , are committed first and foremost to the safety and well-being of their players , our student athletes . And they 'll begin practice when the medical experts tell them that it 's safe to do so . Our hope , obviously , is that there 's a football season this fall . " INSIDE THE BELTWAY : District of Columbia schools are also evaluating their fall plans . Catholic University of America was the first to announce its decision to reopen . American University , Georgetown University and George Washington University still have not firmly announced their plans . -- " I am happy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of The Catholic University of America for on-campus instruction and residential life this fall , " said CUA President John Garvey . " Even if we ca n't resume life exactly as we knew it just eight weeks ago , we can take the necessary steps to deliver a fully open campus at the earliest possible opportunity . " ALEXANDER WORKING FROM HOME : Senate HELP Chairman Lamar Alexander ( R-Tenn. ) will remotely lead a hearing on the coronavirus this week from Tennessee after a member of his staff tested positive for the virus , Pro 's David Lim reports . Alexander chose not to travel back to D.C. after discussing the situation with the Senate 's attending physician . The senator tested negative for the coronavirus on Thursday afternoon and is not exhibiting any symptoms . ARE YOU A LEADER BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE ? The Long Game , presented by Morgan Stanley , is designed for executives , investors , policymakers and activists who are leading the conversation about how our society can thrive in the future . Engage with the sharpest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , agriculture and government around our biggest challenges , from pandemics to plastics , from climate change to land use , from inequality to the future of work . Searching for a nuanced look at these issues and solutions ? Subscribe today . -- The Education Trust , with support from the TIAA Institute , launched its national study on black student loan debt . The study , done in partnership with Dr. Jalil Bishop of the University of Pennsylvania , aims to better understand the lived experiences of black borrowers to help inform policy solutions to address their needs . -- A new analysis from Citizens ' Committee for Children of New York shows how the coronavirus and economic crisis have increased the need for investments to support community-based programs that focus on child abuse and neglect prevention . -- The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy today will launch " Mrs. Bush 's Story Time , " a new podcastfor families featuring original recordings from the radio program that aired from 1990 to 1994 and featured Barbara Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CORRECTION : An earlier version of Morning Education misstated the period during which Barbara Bush was first lady . She was first lady from 1989 to 1993 . Bianca Quilantan is a higher education reporter . She has worked as a web producer at POLITICO since March 2019 and earlier was an intern with the education staff . Bianca is a 2018 graduate of California State University , Chico 's journalism program . She is also a proud graduate of Southwestern Community College , where she was the editor of the student newspaper , The Sun . She got her start in journalism as the weekend reporter for the Chico Enterprise-Record , where she covered the Camp Fire -- California 's deadliest , most destructive fire -- and was named a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in breaking news . Before that , she wrote for The Chronicle of Higher Education , ChicoSol and the Austin American-Statesman . A native of Chula Vista , Calif. , Bianca now lives in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
@@31832741 The removal of the former ExxonMobil C.E.O . Lee Raymond as the lead independent director of JPMorgan Chase 's board is a climate-activist victory.Photograph from Fort Worth Star-Telegram / ZUMA Subscribers to The Climate Crisis newsletter received this piece in their in-boxes . Sign up to receive future installments . On some long-distant day when some as-yet-unborn historian sits down to write the story of climate change -- the story of the greatest crisis humans ever faced -- it 's possible that they 'll choose an anecdote from this past week as a way into the story . Amid the coronavirus pandemic , it understandably did n't get much notice , but JPMorgan Chase announced on Friday that Lee Raymond will no longer serve as the lead independent director of the world 's largest lender to the fossil-fuel industry . I 've told the backstory at much greater length here , but , briefly : Raymond was a key Exxon executive from the nineteen-eighties onward -- the years when the company was one of the most profitable in the world . ( If you want a full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . " ) Those were also the years when Exxon 's scientists discovered -- before it was publicly an issue -- that climate change was real and dangerous , and when Exxon 's executives decided to join with others in the industry to cover up that truth . Raymond gave the single most audacious speech of the era , telling a World Petroleum Congress audience in 1997 , on the eve of the Kyoto climate talks , that the planet was cooling , and that it made no difference if we acted then or waited a quarter century . Raymond retired from Exxon as C.E.O. , in 2005 , having earned a reported six hundred and eighty-six million dollars ; in his retirement , his job was to help run the board at Chase . Advocates have urged Chase to remove him as lead independent director because of his climate-denying past , and last month the New York City comptroller , Scott Stringer , joined the fight , pledging to vote the city pension fund 's Exxon shares against Raymond ; he persuaded the New York State comptroller and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him . One can only speculate , but this clearly put pressure on giant investors such as BlackRock , who have been making climate-friendly noises ; in any event , as the Financial Timesreported , Chase has removed Raymond from his position , though he remains on the board . The effect is probably practical and definitely symbolic -- Raymond 's removal ratifies the notion that , after a decade of relentless campaigning by activists , Big Oil is no longer quite as big . It 's true that , in the same week , much of the industry got the bailout that it had been asking for from Washington . But that was scant cause for celebration : the International Energy Agency released new numbers , predicting that global oil demand would drop nine per cent this year . As economists at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis pointed out , the fossil-fuel sector really faces long-term solvency problems , not just short-term liquidity woes . Demand growth had been slowing in recent years , as regulatory pressure began to mount , as a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Even before COVID-19 really bit , Exxon had been " humbled , " according to Bloomberg Businessweek , becoming a " mediocre " company . Now it seems entirely likely that we have seen peak oil demand , a moment that the oil companies had predicted would n't come for decades . Here 's the energy analyst Kingsmill Bond 's precis : " If demand for fossil fuels bounces back in 2021 by half the amount it fell in 2020 , and grows at 0.5% a year , it would take 8 years to get back to where the industry started . And in the meantime , the renewable energy revolution has not stopped . " This process will accelerate in places where governments rebuild their economies with Green New Deals , and lag in places where a move back to private cars combines with cheap gas prices to keep the S.U.V. era alive a little longer . But the key point is that , as the industry flags , so will its political power . " The ability of the industry to dictate to governments will weaken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incumbents to frustrate the growth of renewables will reduce . " Exit Lee Raymond , stage right . Vanessa Hauc took over in March as the anchor of Telemundo 's weekend newscast , but she did n't give up her other role , leading the Spanish-language network 's **27;1243;TOOLONG unit for its remarkable program " Planeta Tierra . " She 's also notable for the fact that , in February , she was the first climate journalist chosen to ask questions at a Presidential debate . Every poll shows that Latinx Americans are the group most concerned about climate change in the country -- why ? The climate emergency is affecting everyone on the planet , but not equally . It disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable populations -- women , children , and minorities , among them Latinos . Here in the U.S. , half of our community lives in the twenty-five most polluted cities in the country , and in neighborhoods that are close to factories and refineries with high levels of pollution . Latino children are forty per cent more likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities work in sectors that are directly impacted by heat waves and extreme-weather events , like agriculture , construction , and landscaping . For us , the climate emergency is a reality affecting not only where we live but where we work . Still , I see my community as a powerful force of change . We care deeply about the environment . Our connection with nature is ancestral -- it 's in our DNA . I still remember my trips to the market with my grandmother , in a small town in Colombia , where all the fruits and vegetables were organic and sold to us by local farmers . I remember she did n't use a plastic bag but a costal , a bag made of dry leaves to carry practically anything . Many of my dresses first belonged to my sisters . I then passed them on to my cousins in Peru . We walked when we could , we shared rides , and food was the center of family gatherings . We feasted around my grandmother 's delicious recipes from Peru . Many Latino families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe in conservation , and no food will go to waste in our homes . We are a community that is ready to act on the climate emergency and that wants to be a part of the solution . The challenge we face is to insure that those communities have a platform and the necessary resources and information to work on solutions and live sustainable lives . What are the other issues that really draw a strong response on " Planeta Tierra " ? " Planeta Tierra " shines a light on the greatest challenges we are facing today , from plastic pollution to the loss of biodiversity and deforestation . But we frame our stories on solutions . We look for the stories of people who are making a difference . For example , entrepreneurs who are rethinking their way of doing business and creating more sustainable products . We interviewed a fashion designer in Mexico who is creating leather from the leaves of nopal , a traditional Mexican vegetable . We also ran a story about a factory that is producing plastic out of avocado seeds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ redesigning our food systems to make it healthy for us and for the planet , too . The story of our changing planet can feel overwhelming . Many of us have felt paralyzed in front of the magnitude of the challenge it presents . Therefore , as a journalist , my job is to inform my viewers about our changing climate in the most rigorous and scientific way . But , as an environmentalist , my job is also to give them hope , to empower them to be part of the solution , to offer the tools and information they need to really be agents of change . If there is one essay from the weeks of pandemic I wish I could make everyone read , it would be Kim Stanley Robinson 's offering on The New Yorker 's Web site . No novelist has engaged as long or as successfully with the climate crisis . ( Anyone who loves Gotham should immediately buy Robinson 's " New York 2140 . " ) Speaking of our quarantine , he writes that " we realize that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be remembered later on . This sense of enacting history matters . " But , he continues , thanks to global warming " we 've already been living in a historic moment . For the past few decades , we 've been called upon to act , and have been acting in a way that will be scrutinized by our descendants . " Advertisement It 's true that coal , oil , and gas use have fallen as we locked down , but the interesting thing may be that they 've fallen so little . As the Grist reporter Shannon Osaka points out , even with economies at an unprecedented idle , emissions are only slated to fall by five or six per cent . The NASA climate scientist Gavin Schmidt explains : " People focus way , way too much on people 's personal carbon footprints ... without really dealing with the structural things that cause carbon dioxide levels to go up . " Every life , even in quarantine , uses lots of energy for light and heat . And if you 're binge-watching at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy generated from 80 million views of the thriller Birdbox is the equivalent of driving over 146 million miles and emitting over 66 million kg of CO2 . " Thirty-two environmental organizations signed a letter to the asset-management firm BlackRock asking that it divest its holdings in Drax , which operates the biggest wood-burning power plant in the U.K. Rita Frost , a spokeswoman for the Dogwood Alliance in the southeastern U.S. , where much of that wood is cut , said , " We witness the social and environmental impacts of the biomass industry first hand . If BlackRock is classifying this as sustainable investment , we urge them to think again . " Here 's a really illuminating piece on the rocky but still remarkable progress that Germany has been making toward renewable power . Dan Gearino really explains what may be the most complex and hopeful energy story on the planet . Solar power just keeps getting cheaper , especially if you have a large , hot desert to work with : the latest bids for a giant array in Abu Dhabi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one cent per kilowatt-hour . A new study of tree mortality last month concluded : " forests are in big trouble if global warming continues at the present pace . Most trees alive today wo n't be able to survive in the climate expected in 40 years , " because " the negative impacts of warming and drying " are already outpacing any fertilizing effect from extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere . " We really need to be able to hear these poor trees scream , " an Australian researcher said . " These are living things that are suffering . We need to listen to them . " On the list of people who have willingly paid a price for their climate activism , few rank much higher than Tim DeChristopher . He was sentenced to two years in federal custody , for falsely bidding on Utah oil and gas leases as a protest . I will never forget visiting him in a high-desert prison on the California/Nevada line . He sent along this song , " Brother , " by the Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , it 's probably useful . Bill McKibben is a founder of the grassroots climate campaign 350. org and a contributing writer to The New Yorker . He writes The Climate Crisis , The New Yorker 's newsletter on the environment .
@@31832841 Kristin McCurnin and Catherine Fowler , who provide care for Health Care for the Homeless , are coronavirus heroes of the week . In mid-March , a young man came to Health Care for the Homeless in Baltimore with a cough and fever . For Catherine Fowler , the clinic 's director of nursing , alarm bells immediately went off . He became the first of dozens of clients to test positive for COVID-19 . Advertisement Of all the fast-moving challenges in the early stages of the pandemic , finding an effective way to screen people was the most important . Fowler helped design what is in place today at the clinic -- a free-flowing screening area at the front door and a testing site inside the clinic 's garage . Advertisement " I think it was a challenge to be in that state of flux and to have new information coming at us at all times , " said Fowler , 39 . " But I also appreciated the challenge , the opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nursing education . " It 's Fowler 's job to keep everyone safe , making sure the clinic 's 50 to 70 staff members -- including two dozen nurses -- have the protective gear they need . The clinic has closed two locations but has maintained the same hours at its downtown location . Since the pandemic , there has been less foot traffic , but the clinic has been able to provide care for some of its 10,000 clients over the phone . During those early days of the pandemic , Fowler and her husband , Brad , also had to decide how to keep family at home safe , sending their two young boys to stay with their grandparents . " I miss them an awful lot , " Fowler said . " It 's been hard to be apart , but we see them on the weekends and it has given me peace of mind knowing they are safe and I can do the work I need to do without going home and worrying about potentially infecting them . " Kristin McCurnin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time the most rewarding in her profession . A Baltimore native , she went to college in Boston , and is happy she returned here in 2017 to provide care during this time of crisis . On the front line in triage , she addresses the same acute medical issues clients have always had -- hypertension , diabetes , substance abuse , common pain -- while educating them about coronavirus . Many people experiencing homelessness have a higher rate of chronic illnesses and , along with limited access to hand hygiene and private space to properly social distance , they are at a higher risk for worse outcomes from COVID-19 . Sixty-eight clients have tested positive -- 173 tests had been given as of Thursday -- and the clinic has worked with the city health department to provide transportation to hotel rooms for isolation . " I feel grateful that our clients are coming in and I have the privilege to do that for them in the safest manner possible , " said McCurnin , 36 , a Fells Point resident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ award for passion in 2019 . " I made the right decision entering this field and working with people who feel the same . " Fowler and McCurnin say they are only cogs in the wheel -- two of approximately 240 employees who share a common goal . Advertisement " We have a staff which are really passionate about the work they do , " said chief medical officer Dr. Adrienne Trustman . " They 're really concerned about how we 're going to make sure our clients ' needs are met . " We want to hear about the essential workers and everyday people who are keeping the Baltimore area safe , fed and cared for.Submit your heroes at baltimoresun.com/heroes.
@@31832941 From the living room window of her Brooklyn apartment , Alix Monteleone watched the team of workers assemble the morgue in stages over the weekend . First , they parked the refrigerated trailer along the curb , a white box about the size of a large shipping container . Then , they built a wooden ramp to allow hospital staff to wheel the bodies inside . Finally , on Monday , the workers erected a wall of panels , thin and white , to stop passersby from staring or getting too close to the dead . After that , the gawkers mostly went away . But Monteleone , a 28-year-old event planner from Long Island , kept up her vigil from the third-floor window . " I spend my entire day like this , " she says , propping her elbows onto the back of her couch and looking out toward the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center , the hospital across the street . " I still ca n't believe what I 'm seeing . " Workers build shelves for a makeshift morgue outside Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn , New York , on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street . Benjamin Norman for TIME The deployment of temporary morgues across the city -- known to emergency planners as Body Collection Points , or BCPs -- marks a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic for New Yorkers , whose city has rapidly become the global center of the crisis . By late Monday , the state 's death toll had surpassed 1,200 , with more than 66,000 confirmed infections . More than 900 of the deaths were in New York City . Until now , it had been largely possible for residents to shut out the worst of this calamity , retreat into their homes and only go out for short trips around the neighborhood , all without confronting anything more grim than empty streets and people wearing face masks . The arrival of the morgues and makeshift hospitals -- which have been installed in public spaces -- has thrust the pandemic into full view as it envelops the nation 's largest city , making this escapism difficult . Anyone strolling through Central Park could observe a field hospital erected on the lawns to alleviate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pop-up hospital has been set up at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan , and on Monday , the Navy ship Comfort docked in New York to take on more patients . Marc Kozlow , 33 , and Alix Monteleone , 28 , look out their window toward Wyckoff Heights Medical Center on March 30 . In one weekend , after a temporary morgue was erected outside , they counted more than a dozen bodies . " I want to know , " Monteleone says , referencing the temporary morgue parked nearby . " I want to know the body count . " Benjamin Norman for TIME The largest temporary morgue in New York City occupies a tent set up over the weekend outside Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan . " We have them at public and private hospitals throughout the boroughs , " says Aja Worthy-Davis , a spokesperson for the office of the chief medical examiner , the city agency responsible for caring for the dead . At least four had been set up as of Monday , she said : two in Brooklyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " We expect to start utilizing the large tent in Bellevue soon . " Keep up to date with our daily coronavirus newsletter by clicking here . Ramon Rodriguez , the President and CEO of the Wyckoff Heights hospital , says it was not his decision to deploy the refrigerated truck , but he is thankful that the office of the medical examiner was able to provide it to his facility , whose morgue can only house nine bodies at a time . " Over the last three weeks we have filled that morgue many times over , " he says of the hospital 's usual morgue space . The bodies in the refrigerated truck are being picked up by funeral homes for burial as quickly as possible , adds Rodriguez . Given the distress this process was likely to cause local residents , placing the truck on a public street was not an easy decision , he says . But the hospital had no other viable place to put the trailer , which is 53 feet long . " We want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left this earth and those who live across the street , " says Rodriguez . And the need for extra privacy is why the hospital put an enclosure around the wooden ramp leading to the trailer . Under the New York City medical examiner 's protocols for a pandemic , the deployment of temporary morgues becomes necessary when the death toll tops 200 per day , overwhelming the capacity of hospitals to store bodies safely . New York City passed that threshold last week , triggering a new " mobilization level " in the city -- the third level on a scale of six -- according to a copy of the chief medical examiner 's pandemic " surge plan " for handling the dead , which Worthy-Davis shared with TIME . Drafted in 2008 to prepare for a devastating flu pandemic , the plan envisions far more dramatic measures of " mass fatality management " if the virus continues to spread . Officials at Rikers Island , the city 's main jail , could put inmates to work burying some of the dead in the city-run public cemetery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current level of mobilization , the city must also draw up contracts with cemeteries that can accommodate temporary mass graves , which the plan describes in jarring detail : " Ten bodies in caskets are placed lengthwise in a long narrow section in the ground . " Workers transport a casket-sized box near the morgue set up outside Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn on March 30 . Benjamin Norman for TIME By comparison , the installation of temporary morgues would seem like a measure New Yorkers could stomach . But it has been enough to unsettle the neighbors of the Wyckoff Heights hospital . Before the refrigerated trailer arrived on Friday , Monteleone and her fiance , Marc Kozlow , had gotten used to the routines of confinement and boredom that come with social distancing . They took turns walking their dog Hank around the neighborhood . She had tried doing needlepoint to pass the time . He had started baking sourdough in the kitchen . But by Saturday , when they saw the first bodies taken on gurneys from the hospital and carried into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home began to dim . " If a nuclear reactor is exploding near you , you do n't stay near the hot zone , " says Kozlow , 33 . " You get out . " Although they understood from news reports that the hospital across the street was quickly filling with COVID-19 patients last week , the reality only sank in after they began to see the bodies , some of them zipped into bags , others wrapped in what appeared to be white bed sheets . They counted more than a dozen over the weekend . Monteleone keeps insisting they stay . " This is my home , " she says in the living room of their one-bedroom apartment . " The only semblance of control I have in my life right now is staying in my home . So we just need to adjust . We need to close the blinds . " But within a few minutes she was back at the window . " I want to know , " she says . " I want to know the body count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we 've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered . Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters . If you do n't get the confirmation within 10 minutes , please check your spam folder . @ @ Free coronavirus drive-thru testing site opens in Durham Durham , N.C. -- A Durham Walgreens is among the first pharmacies nationwide to offer free coronavirus testing . The Walgreens at 3798 Guess Road is among 21 sites in 13 states that now offer drive-thru tests for the virus . Spokesman Phil Caruso said Walgreens works with federal health officials to select sites and eventually plans to have them in 49 states and Puerto Rico . " Once all the sites are fully operational , we expect to be able to test about 50,000 people per week , " Caruso said in an email . CVS is also offering testing in some states , but not in North Carolina . Kathleen Jaeger , senior vice president for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores , said pharmacies are ready to help their communities through testing . " We really need to scale testing across the United States , and so it 's fantastic that we 're seeing some ramp up in North Carolina , " Jaeger said . " Pharmacies are located in every community , and we know that health is local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to serve their members to the very best of their ability . " During the test , which is a self-administered nasal swab , they are asked to stay inside their vehicles . A pharmacist will be nearby to answer questions and offer guidance . Walgreens will share the results of the test with public health officials , and the patient will learn results in 24 hours . " I think that 's fantastic , " Durham resident Dave Bjorkback said . " The more people that we can get tested , hopefully then we can get more accurate numbers , and when there 's more accurate numbers , we 'll have a better idea to know when it 's safe to reopen things . " Bjorkback said he has asthma , which puts him at higher risk for COVID-19 , the illness associated with the coronavirus . " The testing is crucial . It 's really important , " he said . " The more people we can get tested , I think , the better it 's going to help the epidemiologists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " Durham County Health Director said the site " will help make testing more accessible for our first responders , medical providers , high-risk individuals and all Durham County residents with symptoms . " People do n't have to live in Durham County to get tested at the Walgreens site , however . The testing is available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week .
@@31833441 On the sixth floor of the RSA Tower in Montgomery , what was recently an empty office suite is now abuzz with activity as National Guard troopers in fatigues roam the aisles between socially distanced cubicles stocked with nitrile gloves and hand sanitizer . That once-empty office suite is now Alabama 's COVID-19 Unified Command , a collection of resources from the Alabama National Guard , the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and the Alabama Forestry Commission to support the Alabama Department of Public Health in handling the information and logistical challenges in fighting the virus . " It 's been extremely important for us in the Alabama Department of Public Health because we simply do n't have the capacity to handle a problem this size , " Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said during a media tour of the facility . " To have an event that we 're responding to in every county of the state , all at the same time , that 's evolving this way when there 's so many unknowns , we simply can not do this without our partners . " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floors in the same building , including a conference room command center where twice daily briefings are held with the leadership of each organization . About 140 people now work at unified command every day , providing the state its constantly updated data on the virus , organizing the distribution of personal protective equipment across the state and cleaning and disinfecting nursing homes and other facilities that have had outbreaks . Retired Col. Jim Hawkins of the Alabama National Guard came back from the private sector to coordinate the unified command structure and make sure those agencies work together effectively . About half of the people working there are in the Guard , but Hawkins said the state health department is running the show . " Public health personnel are embedded across all areas , " Hawkins said . " Anything we do should look like a normal public health solution . " Inside the unified command , it might look like a typical , if sparsely decorated , office suite with an unusual dress code . Each division has taken over conference rooms on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in a field of cubicles . In addition to the printed signs listing the occupants of each conference room or cubicle , there are a handful of motivational posters and signs to keep up morale . A printed sign on the doorway of the medical operations division reminds those called there to stay on mission . " I am still falling but since the parachute slowed my fall that means it 's okay to take it off now ? " the signs asks , over a cartoon Wile E. Coyote and clipart of three parachuters gliding down to safety . " You are making a difference ! ! Stay the course ! ! ! " Another sign says " Keep calm what we do is hard , " in the style of the British campaign to carry on during World War II . Inside the conference rooms , the walls are plastered with maps of the state of Alabama , organizational charts with contact information for the leaders of various divisions and status updates written on butcher paper . In the data division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care facilities about how many beds , ventilators and intensive care unit spaces are available , providing as close to real-time information as possible to the Department of Public Health and the state . " There 's a lot of different data streams , so one of the challenges is , how do you take all that disparate data and put it together in a package that enables sound discussions on policy and policy decisions ? " Hawkins said . " We 're not making policy in the unified command . We 're arming the administration with the facts . " The logistics division takes requests from medical facilities and first responders around the state for more protective equipment like masks and gloves and uses National Guard or Alabama Forestry Commission to distribute material from the state 's stockpile to places where it 's most needed . Procurement officer Bethany Elliott , who works for the Forestry Commission , said tracking down that PPE is getting somewhat easier , but is still a challenge . " Our normal supply chains were almost non-existent , they just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we needed to go outside of the normal supply chains , " Elliott said . " There were a lot of vendors who jumped into this business , you know , Johnny-come-lately type thing and it took a lot of effort to source good , reputable vendors that we can get product from . " Elliott said medical gowns are now among the most needed items in addition to masks and gloves . " Right now we need isolation gowns so if you can make isolation gowns , give us a call because there is still a shortage , " Elliott said . " Those are lightweight gowns that you typically see in a lab setting that we could use a lot of those . If you 've got an empty factory somewhere and you want to start making gowns that 'd be perfect . " Not everything is in short supply , however . A chart on a dry-erase board in the conference room says the state received 10 more kiddie pools than it requested for the National Guard 's nursing home decontamination operations . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs for hospitals and care facilities across the state , as well as sending National Guard units to decontaminate nursing homes and other facilities that have seen outbreaks and training for staff of those facilities on minimizing contamination . " Right now the National Guard teams are being able to provide those decontamination services free of charge , which they 're pretty expensive , " said Col. Lisa Pierce , who leads that division . " If you try to hire a company , it might cost about $10,000 to do that , so that 's a free service provided by the Guard . " The unified command structure was implemented in late March , as the response to the disease was already well underway . Hawkins said the arrangement was like " building an airplane in the air . " " But it flies , " he said . Harris said that plane will need to keep flying for a long time . " I think we all agree that this is going to go on for some time , " Harris said . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the number of people here in the building for example may go up or may go down , depending on what 's happening in the state , but I think we all feel like that we 're going to need to continue to work together for many months to come . " There are going to be times when we see outbreaks that are going to require bigger responses and then there may be times when we 're not having so many people all at one time working together , but this is going to be going on for a while . " Harris said that pulling in the strengths of each participating agency will be important in the response going forward . " The most important part of this , honestly , is the relationships we 've built , with each other and with the other agencies , " he said . " We know each other , we understand what capacities people have . At the outset , I would say , those of us in public health did n't even know what was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring so many different skill sets and so much expertise , things that we do n't have internally , and so we 're fortunate to have all that in Alabama and have all that on the same team working together . " Note to readers : if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission .
@@31833841 The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus . To help keep this news free , become a memberand sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today . The COVID-19 death rate in the most deprived areas of England and Wales is double that of more affluent places , new data published by the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) has revealed . The research shows that in the most deprived areas of England , the death rate was 55.1 deaths per 100,000 population compared with 25.3 deaths per 100,000 population in the least deprived areas . The death rate progressively rises from the least deprived area to the most deprived places , according to the ONS figures . Data for Wales revealed a similar trend : the most deprived areas had a mortality rate of 44.6 deaths per 100,000 population , almost twice as high as better off places where the rate was 23.2 deaths per 100,000 population . Nick Stripe , head of health analysis at the ONS , said the gap in the death rate between poorer and richer parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is normally seen . " People living in more deprived areas have experienced COVID-19 mortality rates more than double those living in less deprived areas , " he said , adding " general mortality rates are normally higher in more deprived areas , but so far COVID-19 appears to be taking them higher still " . Deprivation levels were based on the index of multiple deprivation , which measures deprivation based on a range of factors such as income , employment , health , education , crime , the living environment and access to housing . According to 2019 data , the most recent available index , Middlesbrough , Liverpool , Knowsley , Hull and Manchester have the highest proportions of neighbourhoods among the most deprived in England . The index also shows that seven of the 10 local authority districts with the highest levels of income deprivation among older people are in London . Between March and April 17 2020 , there were 90,232 deaths in England and Wales , with 20,283 of these deaths involving the coronavirus . The vast majority of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a metric called age-standardised mortality rates to allow comparisons between populations that may contain different proportions of people of different ages . London has the highest age-standardised mortality rate with 85.7 deaths per 100,000 persons involving COVID-19 , almost double the next highest rate , according to the ONS . And local authorities with the highest age-standardised mortality rates are all London boroughs : Newham had the highest age-standardised rate with 144.3 deaths per 100,000 population followed by Brent with a rate of 141.5 deaths per 100,000 population and Hackney with a rate of 127.4 deaths per 100,000 population . Diana Johnson , the Labour MP for Kingston Upon Hull North , said that while she was very aware of the impact that deprivation had on life expectancy , the difference in COVID mortality rates was " shocking . " " This is something that I 'm sure scientists and doctors and researchers are going to be looking at for a long time , but clearly , there is something in it , " she told BuzzFeed News . " These figures are pretty stark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a deprived neighborhood , you are more like you twice as likely I think from those figures to die , which is , is very stark , " she added . While she said more research was needed to find out exactly what was behind the differences in mortality rates , she said it was clear that " there 's something that you 're most susceptible to , the poorer and more deprived a community you come from to , to succumb to COVID-19 " . Johnson suggested that one factor likely to be driving the discrepancy in mortality rates may be existing health inequalities in poor communities . " The doctors keep telling us that if you have a pre-existing condition , then that 's more of a problem for you fighting off COVID , " she said , " and I know in my constituency , people with chronic conditions tend to get them earlier . " Johnson said that relatively high levels of smoking leading to respiratory issues , more people developing coronary problems at a younger age , and higher rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she represents . " These are factors that we know generally can affect your ability to shake off diseases , " she said . " And they 're obviously having quite a dramatic effect on COVID . " Johnson suggested that the government should also consider the impact of deprivation alongside its inquiry into why coronavirus is disproportionately affecting black and ethnic minority communities in the UK . " Perhaps now they need to be widening that out and looking at deprivation as well , " she said . " I think for communities that are deprived , and also BAME communities , and often there 's quite a lot of overlap there , I think the government really need to look at that , " she added . Chris Thomas , a researcher at the think tank IPPR , said that disproportionately severe cuts to public health services in areas that rank highest for deprivation may have impacted their resilience to the virus . Public interventions that have been sharply reduced in those areas -- including anti-smoking campaigns , measures to reduce obesity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of underlying health conditions that experts now say put people at most risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19 . " Services designed to keep people in good health were cut by far the hardest in the most deprived local authority areas , " Thomas said . Alison Garnham , the chief executive of charity Child Poverty Action Group told BuzzFeed News : " The link between poverty and poorer health is well-established , so it comes as no surprise that deprived communities have worse outcomes when the country is battling the COVID-19 pandemic . ? " This finding makes it even more important that government measures to support people financially should focus particularly on those who were already struggling to make ends meet before the pandemic struck . " She called on on ministers to provide more support to families with children by increasing child benefit by ? 10 per child per week . The ONS also found that the death rate was much higher in urban than rural areas with the highest death rate in " major towns and cities " where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
@@31834241 This research study on the Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health DNA Test market enumerates details about this industry in terms of a detailed evaluation and also an in-depth assessment of this business . The Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health DNA Test market has been suitably divided into important segments , as per the report . A detailed overview of the industry with respect to the market size in terms of the volume and remuneration aspects , alongside the current Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health DNA Test market scenario has been provided in the report . Request a sample Report of Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health DNA Test Market at : https : **34;239;TOOLONG The study is inclusive of some of the major insights pertaining to the geographical spectrum of this vertical in conjunction with the firms that have gained an appreciable stance across the marketplace . A brief of the Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health DNA Test market scope : 1 A basic synopsis of the competitive landscape 2 An in-depth breakdown of the regional expanse 3 A short outline of the market segmentation An in-depth breakdown of the regional expanse : 1 ) The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . As per the study , the Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health DNA Test market has established its stance spanning the regions of USA , Europe , Japan , China , India , South East Asia . 2 ) The report is inclusive of insights pertaining to the industry share that these regions have acquired . Additionally , the details about the numerous growth opportunities for the players that have their base in these regions have also been enumerated . 3 ) The expected growth rate to be registered by every geography over the estimated timeframe has been specified in the research report . A short outline of the market segmentation : 1 . The Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health DNA Test market report presents the bifurcations of this vertical with the right precision . 2 . The product expanse of the Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health DNA Test market is split into , Type I , Celiac Disease , Parkinson Disease , Alzheimer Disease , Other . 3 . The application landscape of the Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health DNA Test market , on the other hand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 . Details with respect to the industry share amassed by every product segment , alongside their market value in the industry , have been exemplified in the report . 5 . Data with respect to the production growth has been included in the report . 6 . With respect to the application spectrum , the study includes details concerning market share procured by every application segment . 7 . The study presents details pertaining to the product consumption of every application , in tandem with the growth rate which each application segment is estimated to record over the forecast timeframe . Reports Insights is the leading research industry that offers contextual and data-centric research services to its customers across the globe . The firm assists its clients to strategize business policies and accomplish sustainable growth in their respective market domain . The industry provides consulting services , syndicated research reports , and customized research reports . Copyright 2020 IDG Communications . ABN 14 001 592 650 . All rights reserved . Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
@@31834441 The March 11 game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center was to have been the last game played before the NBA suspended its season , but it too was cancelled before tipoff . Photo : Ezra Shaw / TNS A timeline of sports and coronavirus Jan. 30 : The LPGA announces it has canceled a March event in China . A week and a half later , the women 's golf tour cancels the remainder of events of its Asian swing . March 3 : Chicago State University 's men 's and women 's basketball teams suspend their seasons . March 10 : The Ivy League cancels its men 's and women 's basketball tournaments . March 11 : The Warriors plan to play their home game against the Nets the next night without fans in attendance . The decision comes shortly after the announcement by Mayor London Breed that all events in San Francisco of more than 1,000 people would be canceled for two weeks . March 11 : The NCAA announces it will hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 11 : Shortly before tip-off , it is reported that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has tested positive for the coronavirus . The Jazz-Thunder game -- and the Pelicans-Kings game scheduled for later that night -- is postponed and the NBA suspends its season . March 12 : MLB , MLS and NHL suspend their seasons ; the NCAA announces remaining winter and spring sports championships are canceled , including the NCAA basketball tournaments . March 12 : The PGA Tour plays the first round of The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra , Fla. , with fans in attendance . The Tour announces the remainder of the tournament will be played without fans . Meanwhile , the LPGA suspends the rest of its season . March 12 : NASCAR announces events at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway will be held without fans . March 13 : The PGA Tour cancels the remainder of The Players Championship , along with its next three tournaments . March 13 : IndyCar suspends its season , cancels races through April . March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 17 : Former Warriors forward Kevin Durant is one of four Nets players to test positive for the coronavirus.
@@31834741 Coronavirus explainedEarly cases of COVID-19 are believed to be linked to a live-animal market in Wuhan , China.Kyle Grillot/Reuters , File A group of House and Senate Democrats seeking stronger oversight of the massive coronavirus relief programs is introducing a new bill to force companies to publicly report how they 're using the funds , and to beef up the oversight of the small business aid program . Introduced by Sens . Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass. , Chris Coons , D-Del. , and Richard Blumenthal , D-Conn. , the proposal would strengthen some of the key watchdog provisions in the original $2.3 trillion CARES Act , according to a review of the bill obtained by ABC News . The measure would require the Small Business Administration to publicly report information on lenders and recipients in the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses every week , in an effort to add transparency to an initiative that was criticized for initially allowing large , publicly-traded companies to participate in the program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congressional Oversight Commission -- appointed by Hill leaders to monitor the Treasury and Federal Reserve programs -- to include all spending , including the Paycheck Protection Program . The proposal , which is being introduced by Reps . John Sarbanes , D-Md. , and Pramila Jayapal D-Wash. , in the House , would also codify the Federal Reserve 's plans to release the names and amounts borrowed in their coronavirus lending programs and require borrowers to share how the funds are being used , along with information about compensation and their workforce -- such as executive salaries and bonuses . In response to President Donald Trump 's moves to sideline and replace key inspectors general involved in monitoring the federal government 's coronavirus response , the proposal would mandate that inspectors general be fired only for good cause . Any firing could be challenged in court , and reviewed by an outside watchdog panel . Democrats behind the proposal -- which has the support of several prominent oversight advocacy groups , including the Project on Government Oversight and the liberal Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next round of coronavirus legislation , but it 's not clear if the effort will be included in the package . House Democrats are finalizing a new $2 trillion-plus proposal that will likely include relief funds for state and local governments strained by the pandemic and lost tax revenues , as well as additional unemployment funding and more money for coronavirus testing and contact tracing , among other provisions . Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , has dismissed Democrats ' efforts as dead-on-arrival in the Senate , and the White House has signaled resistance to moving forward with another round of coronavirus spending in the near term .
@@31834941 NETANYAHU AND Gantz -- can they put their animosity aside and serve the public ? ( photo credit : CORINNA KERN AMIR COHEN REUTERS ) Advertisement In the course of three stormy election campaigns , Blue and White leader Benny Gantz delivered his worst criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the night in February 2019 that he unveiled his list of Knesset candidates at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds . Gantz called Netanyahu " stressed , fearful and sweaty " and attacked him for the time he spent in the United States representing Israel as a diplomat and public speaker . " When I crawled through muddy foxholes with my soldiers on frozen winter nights , you , Benjamin Netanyahu , left Israel to improve your English and practice it at luxurious cocktail parties , " Gantz said . " On the days when I commanded the Shaldag combat unit in life-threatening operations on enemy soil , you , Netanyahu , worked your way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While I trained generations of commanders and fighters , you took acting lessons in New York . " Netanyahu reacted by saying that " Gantz should be ashamed of himself , " and reminded Israelis that he risked his life and nearly lost it during his IDF service . Among Netanyahu 's worst attacks on Gantz , he mocked him at a conference of the right-wing newspaper Besheva that his rival had headed a cybersecurity firm but could not even stop his own phone from being hacked by the Iranians . Now that the three campaigns are all over and an agreement on a government headed by Netanyahu and Gantz has finally been signed , Israelis will be closely watching the two of them to see if they can put their past battles behind them to serve the public . Among the people who know both Netanyahu and Gantz very well , opinions are divided on whether that is even possible . One former politician who has worked closely with both men said the partnership is doomed to failure , and might not even be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed by May 7 , the agreement Netanyahu and Gantz reached on Monday could still end up not resulting in a new government , and even if it does , Netanyahu can force an election at any time . " This deal shows the total naivete of Gantz , " the former politician said . " Whoever knows Bibi well understands that he is manipulative and knows how to get what he needs . Had he gotten a right-wing government , it could have let him strangle the Knesset and trample the Supreme Court , but half the public would have been against him , and he would have had an assertive opposition . Now that he broke the Center-Left bloc , he gained legitimacy , which is even better for him . " The former politician said Gantz , with only 15 loyal MKs and his lack of political experience , would not be able to stop anything Netanyahu wants to do . He said Gantz 's decision to join Netanyahu 's government after a standoff over the Knesset speaker post does not bode well for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominate the next chief of police and decide who the next Supreme Court judges will be , " he said . " This is crazy and would n't happen in any advanced democracy . Gantz won the election , got the mandate from the president , got backing from the Supreme Court against Netanyahu and former Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein , and when the moment for action came , he gave in to Bibi 's empty gun . " Contrasting Gantz and Netanyahu , the former politician called the former " a good IDF chief of staff and a man of substance who is inexperienced and naive , " and the latter " a man who has no dissonance in lying and could easily pass a lie detector test . " SOURCES CLOSE to Netanyahu and Gantz who currently work closely with them downplayed the criticism of both men and said that regardless of what has happened in the past , they are now ready to work together for the good of all Israelis . " There is obviously a certain amount of suspicion between the sides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I believe the suspicion will decrease , " said a senior Likud politician who is very close to the prime minister . Sources in the Likud and Blue and White expressed confidence that the coalition agreement would prevent any attempt by their party leaders to undermine the other . " There are many guarantees within the legislation to make sure it will be fulfilled , " the Likud politician said . " There are suspicions about Bibi , and that 's why there are guarantees to make sure it will be fulfilled . If he stabbed Gantz in the back , Gantz would be prime minister , and we would go to elections . " " I disagree that he backstabs , " he said . " He is a clever politician . I do n't think he broke his promises . Those who receive promises understand that there are political realities that change . " Asked if Netanyahu 's trial , which is set to start next month , or the annexation set for July could deteriorate the prime minister 's relationship with Gantz , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial will start with the reading of the charges and then will have nothing substantive for many months , and applying sovereignty is part of the coalition agreement that Gantz accepted , and even if he opposes it and votes against it , it will move forward , " he said . The Likud politician concluded by saying that " after a horrible year and three very tough election campaigns , it is obvious to Netanyahu that it is time to move on . " The same was said by Blue and White MK and soon-to-be-minister Chili Tropper , a former Gantz adviser who is acknowledged to be the MK closest to him . " Moving on to reconciliation will be the primary challenge for all of us to face , " Tropper said . " What got the leaders together after a year and a half of war was that they saw what the public expected of them . With the coronavirus , it was no longer legitimate to deal with petty politics . It was time to start getting along . " Tropper also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Gantz will work together professionally . He cited clauses that would make Gantz prime minister in a transition government , Blue and White 's veto power over bills , and the party 's control over the powerful Ministerial Committee on Legislation . " The legislation is unprecedented , " Tropper said . " That is why all the comparisons to Mofaz and Livni are not serious . A team of lawyers worked on the bills for months . More importantly , Netanyahu and Gantz have been building trust , too , but that will take time . " Tropper -- who helped write Gantz 's first campaign speeches , presumably including the attack on Netanyahu the night he was introduced as a Knesset candidate -- said the public should notice how differently Gantz spoke in his address about the coalition agreement on Tuesday night . " Over the course of recent weeks , I 've spent dozens of hours in discussions and meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu , " Gantz said . " We arrived at agreements that will restore a functional government in this country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Netanyahu would jointly and responsibly manage the coronavirus , enable budgets to be passed and make sure that the justice system can operate soundly and freely . " Jews , Druze , and Arabs , the ultra-Orthodox , religious and secular , women and men , all of Israel 's citizens deeply wish that we could work together to the benefit of all of us , particularly in these unusual times , and I expect all of the partners to our new government to enlist in the effort to better our country , " he said . Gantz concluded his address by praising Netanyahu in a way that could not have happened during any of the campaigns . " I 'd like to use this opportunity to thank all the partners who allowed us to take this step for the Israeli people -- including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , who has also paid , and will continue to pay , a steep personal price for this move , " he said . " Together we succeeded in overcoming our differences to find common ground , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tomorrow , we will promote the establishment of a government for the sake and benefit of the Israeli people . 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@@31835241 In 126 tweets on Sunday , President Donald Trump offered scattershot commentary on a range of topics , including accusing former President Barack Obama of a crime . Here 's a check on some tweets from Sunday and Monday . ( Anna Moneymaker / The New York Times , file ) It was Mother 's Day , but President Donald Trump mostly had other things on his mind . In a giant tweetstorm on Sunday -- 126 tweets , the third-highest daily total of his presidency , according to FactBa.se , a website that tracks Trump 's statements -- the president offered scattershot commentary on a range of topics . He accused former president Barack Obama of committing a crime ( i.e. , #ObamaGate ) , railed about the prosecution of his former national security adviser Michael Flynn and defended his handling of the coronavirus pandemic . Most of Trump 's tweets were retweets by conservative commentators . A common theme is that somehow Obama manipulated the federal " deep state " bureaucracy to set Trump up to fail in his first weeks as president , resulting in the firing of Flynn . " It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters at a news conference on May 11 . " Some terrible things happened . . . and you 'll be seeing over the coming weeks . " But he refused to say what Obama did wrong , saying only , " You know what the crime is . " Here 's a guide through some of the president 's tweets , including some from May 11 , the day after Mother 's Day , as Trump continued having an itchy Twitter finger . -- -- -- " Because it was OBAMAGATE , and he and Sleepy Joe led the charge . The most corrupt administration in U.S. history ! " -- ( Tweet , May 11 ) Trump 's tweet here is over an article published in the Federalist , titled " Why Did Obama Tell The FBI To Hide Its Activities From The Trump Administration ? " The article , written by Margot Cleveland , argues that Obama directed top officials at the FBI and the Justice Department to withhold information from the incoming Trump administration about an investigation of Flynn . " There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-ranking officials to do likewise once the new president has taken office , " Cleveland writes . " Or , rather , the only excuse is an equally scandalous one : Obama knew the Russia investigation was a hoax from the get-go . " Advertising The Federalist , a conservative website with murky financial backing , has long argued that the Russia probe was a " hoax , " notwithstanding the numerous indictments , including of Russians , that resulted from the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller . Central to this narrative is a meeting held in the Oval Office on Jan. 5 , 2017 . Cleveland links to another Federalist article that alleges a series of leaks were engineered after the meeting " to sideline key law enforcement and intelligence officials and cripple the ability of the incoming Trump administration to run the country . " Coincidentally or not , a number of the articles cited were part of The Washington Post 's Pulitzer Prize-winning entry in national reporting , an accomplishment that Trump 's supporters have long tried to discredit . The fallacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a silver platter , doled out by scheming officials . The reality is that scoops in the national security realm almost always come about only after a reporter pulls at various threads , speaking to a variety of sources to figure out what is happening behind closed doors . It 's often like assembling a jigsaw puzzle . " Typically , I got my best stories in small pieces from people I had cultivated for years or discovered through a common web of trust , each contributing part of a whole that none would tell me directly , " noted three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Barton Gellman . As for the Jan. 5 meeting , a key document cited is an email that then-national security adviser Susan Rice sent herself on Jan. 20 , 2017 . Rice wrote that Obama told participants that " as we engage with the incoming team , we are mindful to ascertain if there is any reason that we can not share information fully as it relates to Russia . " Obama was aware of intercepts of conversations between Flynn and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions imposed by Obama for Russian interference in the 2016 election . He asked then-FBI Director James Comey to inform him if anything changes that would affect the sharing of classified information , Rice 's email said . An attorney for Rice said she wrote the email on the advice of White House counsel to create a permanent record of the conversation . " We were not informed by Director Comey or the Attorney General that there was an active investigation of anybody in the Trump orbit , " Rice told House investigators in an interview made public May 7 . " We would not have asked that question because , in the Obama White House , we maintained scrupulously the firewall between people in the White House and contacts with Justice about potential or actual criminal matters . " These two retweets of articles from conservative media outlets offer a similar theme , with Flynn 's attorney claiming ( without evidence ) that the alleged conspiracy against Flynn went all the way up to Obama . The second article also claims that federal officials engaged in orchestrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " Despite all of their scheming and calculating , the perjury trap failed miserably . Flynn told the truth " when he met with FBI agents asking about his conversations with Kislyak , the article claims . Flynn , however , has acknowledged he lied . In pleading guilty , Flynn said : " I recognize that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong , and , through my faith in God , I am working to set things right . My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel 's Office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country . I accept full responsibility for my actions . " Prosecutors said FBI agents gave Flynn multiple opportunities to correct his false statements during the interview . Flynn testified in 2018 that he knew it was a crime when he lied to the FBI . ( One unusual thing : At Comey 's direction , the FBI surprised top officials at the Justice Department by arranging the interview when the department was still considering whether to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Attorney General William Barr directed the Justice Department to drop the case against Flynn , in a filing that argued the investigation of Flynn 's calls was not justified . But a former top Justice Department official says Barr " twisted " her testimony to Mueller to make the case for dismissal . The testimony " does not suggest that the F.B.I . had no counterintelligence reason for investigating Mr. Flynn , " Mary McCord , former acting assistant attorney general for national security , wrote in The New York Times . " It does not suggest that the F.B.I . ' s interview of Mr. Flynn -- which led to the false-statements charge -- was unlawful or unjustified . It does not support that Mr. Flynn 's false statements were not material . " In her interview with Mueller 's team , McCord said that it had seemed " logical " to her for the Russians to have conversations with the incoming administration until she read the transcripts . " After reading them , she felt they were ' worse ' than she initially thought " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and she thought it is hard to forget something you raised yourself in a conversation . The Mueller report says that " with respect to the sanctions , Flynn requested that Russia not escalate the situation , not get into a ' tit for tat , ' and only respond to the sanctions in a reciprocal manner . " But the transcripts of Flynn 's calls have never been released . -- -- -- " Barack Hussain sic Obama is the first Ex-President to ever speak against his successor , which was long tradition of decorum and decency . Should anyone really be surprised ? " -- Tweet , May 10 The claim that no president before Obama was ever critical of his successor is not correct . Here 's a sampling . Bill Clinton , on George W. Bush , July 19 , 2007 : " The point is , that there is no military victory here . . . . There is no evidence that , whether we have a good day in a particular community or region in Iraq , that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or any diplomatic process that 's got a chance to help with the neighbors . " Jimmy Carter , on Ronald Reagan , Nov. 10 , 1982 : " Most of the quite radical departures in foreign , domestic and economic policy have not been good for the country . We have an unprecedented number of people unemployed ; bankruptcies are the highest in years ; farm income is at the lowest level ever ; the deficits have never been so high , and so forth . " Gerald Ford , on Jimmy Carter , April 17 , 1977 : " Mr. Carter 's anti-inflation program came in like a lion . It 's going out like a mouse . " Trump made this bewildering claim on a day when covid-19 deaths in the United States climbed past 80,000 , an increase of about 27% over the total on the previous Monday . Total confirmed cases reached 1.3 million on Monday , up by about 150,000 from the previous week . Let 's visualize what that means , using a logarithmic scale . At the rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month for the United States to double its total covid-19 cases , according to data from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering . But in Minnesota , which is above the U.S. average , it would take one week . In Kansas , Nebraska and South Dakota , it would take two weeks . Trump also made this claim just as the White House was asking most staff members to wear masks , after two tested positive for the novel coronavirus in recent days , including Vice President Mike Pence 's press secretary . So the numbers are actually going up , even in the president 's home . -- -- -- " Dems are trying to steal the Mike Garcia Congressional Race in California . " -- Tweet , May 11 Trump often makes unfounded accusations about fraudulent votes and rigged elections , including the one he won in 2016 . Advertising The president has tweeted frequently about California 's May 12 special election for a U.S. House seat vacated by former congresswoman Katie Hill , a Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then resigned amid scandal the next year . Trump claims that Democrats are trying to steal this race in Lancaster , a suburb of Los Angeles . His evidence is that local officials decided to open an in-person polling location instead of voting entirely by mail . But the Republican mayor of Lancaster agreed with the move to have an in-person polling location , and it 's not stealing an election to facilitate voting . -- -- -- " He should be FIRED by Concast . If done by a Republican , would be ' prosecuted ' . @AjitPaiFCC " -- Tweet , May 11 Trump spent several tweets railing against Chuck Todd , the host of NBC 's " Meet the Press . " During Sunday 's show , NBC briefly showed a snippet from an earlier interview Barr had with CBS News . Barr 's Justice Department had just filed a controversial motion to drop the criminal case against Flynn . Todd : Wait until you hear this answer . Take a listen . ( Roll tape ) CBS reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do you think it will be written ? Advertising Barr : Well , history is written by the winners . So it largely depends on who 's writing the history . ( Back to Todd ) Todd : I was struck , Peggy , by the cynicism of the answer . It 's a correct answer . But he 's the attorney general . He did n't make the case that he was upholding the rule of law . He was almost admitting that , yeah , this is a political job . Todd said the attorney general " did n't make the case that he was upholding the rule of law , " but Barr in fact went on to make such a case in the very next sentence . Here 's his full quote : " Well , history is written by the winners . So it largely depends on who 's writing the history . But I think a fair history would say that it was a good decision because it upheld the rule of law . It helped , it upheld @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undid what was an injustice . " It bears mentioning that NBC appended a correction to the transcript of Sunday 's " Meet the Press , " which reads : " We inadvertently and inaccurately cut short a video clip of an interview with AG Barr before offering commentary and analysis . The remaining clip included important remarks from the attorney general that we missed and we regret the error . " This story was originally published at washingtonpost.com . Read it here . The Seattle Times does not append comment threads to stories from wire services such as the Associated Press , The New York Times , The Washington Post or Bloomberg News . Rather , we focus on discussions related to local stories by our own staff . You can read more about our community policies here .
@@31835541 On Sunday , the day before the death count for the pandemic passed 80,000 in the United States , President Trump had a prolific day online , posting 126 tweets or retweets as part of his Mother 's Day celebration . Several of the missives treated a new political project of his : Obamagate . Or , as he styled it : In later tweets , he clarified that the term was just a rebranding of his festering complaints over the Justice Department 's probing of incoming National Security Adviser Michael Flynn during the transition between the Obama and Trump administrations . Though Senate Republicans are n't biting on a push to investigate the last Democratic president , the phrase may be part of an effort to make the 2020 election more of a referendum on Trump 's predecessor rather than a campaign against his actual political opponent . " When this election happens , " Fox News host Brian Kilmeade said on Monday morning , " it 's not gon na be Biden against Trump . It 's gon na be Obama against Trump . " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post 's Philip Rucker asked President Trump to define it at the White House coronavirus press conference : Rucker : In one of your Mother 's Day tweets , you appeared to accuse President Obama of " the biggest political crime in American history , by far " -- those were your words . What crime exactly are you accusing President Obama of committing , and do you believe the Justice Department should prosecute him ? Trump : Obamagate . It 's been going on for a long time . It 's been going on from before I even got elected , and it 's a disgrace that it happened , and if you look at what 's gone on , and if you look at now , all this information that 's being released -- and from what I understand , that 's only the beginning -- some terrible things happened , and it should never be allowed to happen in our country again . And you 'll be seeing what 's going on over the next , over the coming weeks but I , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose not to do so . Rucker : What is the crime , exactly , that you 're accusing him of ? Trump : You know what the crime is . The crime is very obvious to everybody . All you have to do is read the newspapers , except yours . The president provided his clarification standing next to a banner that claimed " America Leads the World in Testing " -- a Mission Accomplished -- quality placard that ignores that Denmark , Italy , Germany , New Zealand , and Canada lead the U.S. in testing rates . So far , Fauci has testified that treatments or a vaccine wo n't likely be available by the fall semester for schools , that the death count is likely higher than what 's reported and " consequences could be really serious " if states open up ahead of WH task force guidelines Remember this , every Governor who has sky high approval on their handling of the Coronavirus , and I am happy for them all , could in no way have gotten those numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Governments help . From Ventilators to Testing , we made it happen !
@@31836441 Of these , 1147 are confirmed and 350 probable . The death toll from the virus remains at 21 . Nine more people have recovered from COVID-19 in New Zealand , taking the total number of recoveries to 1411 - 94 percent of all cases . There are two people still receiving hospital-level care for coronavirus , one of which is in Auckland Hospital and the other at Middlemore . Neither are in intensive care . The figures follow the processing of 6568 tests on Wednesday , bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 209,613 . There are still 16 significant clusters - and while four of these were previously defined as closed , that has now changed . The Ministry of Health received new advice on how it should define a cluster closure , and is now retrospectively applying that new criteria . " We had previously closed four clusters as they met our definition of two full transmission periods ( the equivalent of 28 days ) since their last case was notified , " a press release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received and accepted advice that we will use an improved definition of a closed cluster . This is that there should be two full transmission periods since the last case completed their isolation period . " We are now using that definition ... It 's important to note that there has been no new disease activity in these clusters . " Under the updated definition , the Ministry of Health says it is unlikely that any clusters will close in the month of May . It says from a public health point of view , the change makes it easier for public health unit staff to retain appropriate health measures like isolation while they continue to learn all they can from the different clusters . From the public point of view , however , the ministry says it will mean " only minor changes to the information on our website " .
@@31837441 When Utah Gov . Gary Herbert announced that the state would move from the orange , moderate-risk phase of COVID-19 response to the yellow , low-risk response beginning Saturday , one of the first things he mentioned about the new phase was an increase in athletics . The governor 's designation , which applies to all state-owned land outside of Salt Lake City , West Valley City , and the counties of Grand , Summit and Wasatch , allows for congregations of groups as large as 50 individuals . That means that , while spectators will be expected to maintain proper social distancing standards , many local recreational sports are back on . Various criteria will remain in place , Gov . Herbert said . They include checking temperatures of all participants and maintaining adequate spacing to continue to slow the spread of COVID-19 . Of course , those in the high-risk category , such as the elderly and those with immunodeficiency disorders , should continue in at least the orange phase of moderate risks . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are involved in local sports ? Recreational leagues and youth sports will be allowed to make their own decisions , under the state 's guidelines . But the full answer is a lot trickier than simply turning on the next baseball game or soccer match , or organizing team practices for football in the fall . " It 's a slow opening of the valve , " Gov . Herbert said , " and I think people should approach it in that kind of context . " High school sports remain shuttered by the Utah High School Activities Association , in conjunction with the State Office of Education 's soft closure of all Utah schools through the end of the year . Herbert said Thursday that K-12 schools will remain closed . Utah Jazz players have been allowed to return to the team 's practice facility for individual workouts , but the NBA has given no indication of a potential restart date . ( Photo : Scott G Winterton , KSL ) Major League Soccer extended its moratorium late Thursday night on small group and team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outdoor training facilities for voluntary individual workouts , as RSL has done for the past week , and medical personnel are able to use facilities to conduct treatment and rehabilitation procedures . While teams are consulting regularly with local government and public health officials , the ultimate decision on a return to play lies in the hand of the governing league . Likewise with the University of Utah , the bulk of those decisions will fall under Pac-12 and NCAA jurisdiction . The conference has ordered all athletic facilities be closed until May 31 , and Thursday 's announcement in the Beehive State wo n't change that . " We are encouraged by today 's announcement about moving to the yellow or low risk level in the state of Utah as it relates to the coronavirus , " Utah State athletic director John Hartwell said . " Utah State athletics , in concurrence with the university , will continue to examine our policies and procedures for a safe return for our student-athletes . " Although our athletic facilities will remain closed through the end of May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our normal routines , which includes all of our student-athletes preparing for competition this fall . " Most of Utah will transition to the yellow , low-risk level for COVID-19 starting Saturday , Gov . Gary Herbert announced Thursday . Grand , Summit and Wasatch counties , as well as Salt Lake City and West Valley City , will remain in the orange , moderate-risk level , Herbert said . The rest of the state will transition to low risk at 12:01 a.m . Saturday . Although BYU football competes as an independent , the university has also closed all athletic facilities on a similar timeline as its peers , per NCAA recommendations . Those guidelines have n't changed . " We 've discussed contingency plans for a variety of scenarios , " BYU spokesman Duff Tittle said . " Currently all athletic facilities are closed through the end of May . Reconsideration of the closure period could take place if COVID-19 circumstances prompt a change in strategic directives from state leaders and the BYU administration . " The university released a statement earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be made until July . BYU 's campus remains closed , with instruction pushed online for both spring and summer terms , and all outside events such as sport camps and camps sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at church-owned facilities ( including BYU ) have been shuttered for the year . " Ideally , the university would like for all of its students , faculty and staff to be on campus learning together , and we are working on plans that we hope can make that happen in some form , " the university 's announcement reads . " BYU 's first priority , however , must always be the health and safety of the members of its campus community . For this reason , BYU 's leadership will continue to work closely with state and county health officials , as the university studies the possibility of holding classes on campus or continuing with remote learning . "
@@31838241 In the image which circulated by text through the local food-and-beverage community , approximately a dozen cheering patrons are visible on the patio ; one is drinking from a Champagne flute . Several appear to be standing inches apart . Another image in the same Instagram Stories series shows a smiling woman near a tight cluster of guests , hoisting a beer can and a light stick . " You wonder what people were thinking , " City Councilman Harry Griffin said at Tuesday 's council meeting , reflecting on the photograph . " Did they have a moment when they said , ' This is wrong ? ' " Gussin declined to comment further on the circumstance of Trio 's reopening . The Instagram user who posted the photographs did not immediately return a phone call or Instagram message seeking comment . Email Nicole Gordon , who identifies as a " close friend " of Gussin , said she did n't witness any social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday evening . According to Gordon , the drinks line was spaced out and hand sanitizer was available . " We felt comfortable , " Gordon confirmed , although she allowed that comfort is sometimes relative . " There are days I go with respirator mask to Harris Teeter and then there are days when you 're out in the sun , out in the fresh air and it feels normal . Maybe it 's a false sense of security . " At 9:30 p.m. , the Gordons left Trio to relieve the babysitter watching their three young children . " As we were leaving , there started to get lines toward the bar where people were closer than they should have been , " she said . Although Trio has operated on Calhoun Street since the 1990s , Gussin just recently took over ownership . It celebrated its grand reopening in March 2019 , following a $1 million renovation . Charleston City Paper reported the money bought new lighting and sound systems , as well as a lounge and patio . It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of " nugget service , " featuring chicken instead of Champagne . City Council on Monday will again take up the issue of whether Charleston bars and restaurants will be allowed to self-police compliance with recommended social distancing measures . Reach Hanna Raskin at 843-937-5560 and follow her on Twitter @hannaraskin.
@@31838541 If ( like me ) you watched too much true crime TV in the 1990s , the Unsolved Mysteries theme is enough to spark some pleasingly bizarre memories -- of aliens , psychics , ghostly phenomena , and host Robert Stack , always there to insist that you ( yes , you ! ) might be able to help solve that night 's string of cases . Advertisement Unsolved Mysteries ran for over a decade -- often dipping back into its own library of hundreds of episodes to update earlier segments as the years went on -- and Stack was n't its only host ; a revived version that aired after Stack 's passing in 2003 starred Dennis Farina , and there 's been talk of a new version in the works . Also , it 's worth noting that Unsolved Mysteries , which was structured around re-enactments and interviews with experts and witnesses , did n't only deal in paranormal subjects ; it also offered investigations into cold-case murders , long-lost relatives , fugitives from justice , and so on . But this very clearly was n't America 's Most Wanted -- it almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those Time-Life Mysteries of the Unknown books . For this list of our favorite eerie cases , we 've gone back to the classic Robert Stack Unsolved Mysteries era ; seasons 1-12 are all streaming on Amazon Prime and Hulu . Share your ( yes , your ! ) favorites in the comments ! In classic Unsolved Mysteries style , the saga of a late-1950s Yeti search party that traveled through the Himalayas is stitched into an episode that also contains far more serious tales -- like that of a recently reunited elderly couple searching for the baby they 'd been forced to give up for adoption decades prior . At any rate , the Yeti segment includes an interview with Peter Byrne , one of the members of that Himalayan expedition , who discovered mysteriously huge footprints on his initial visit -- and then , on a return trip , pilfered a finger from a " Yeti hand " on display in a mountain temple . Advertisement Back in the U.S. , tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is called Unsolved Mysteries , Stack himself gives Abominable Snowman believers a shred of hope , reminding us that " it seems impossible , but ... we must remember , it was only 70 years ago that the Giant Panda of China was first observed in the wild by Western man . Until then , it too was regarded as nothing more than a mythological creature . " The lead-off segment of this episode offers a re-enactment of the events leading up to the disappearance of Flight 19 -- five Navy planes that , famously , vanished into thin air during a training exercise in December 1945 . The Bermuda Triangle thus became seared into the popular imagination as a mystically perilous region -- the planes and their alien-abducted pilots a plot point in Close Encounters of the Third Kind . This Unsolved Mysteries episodebriefly follows an explorer 's determined hunt for one of the five missing planes , though later in season three , a follow-up episode focusing on the underwater wreckage deduced that it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which remains lost to this day . Unsolved Mysteries ' Halloween-themed episodes could always be counted on for extra helpings of the show 's brand of woo-woo content , and season three 's seventh episode did not disappoint . There are segments covering a coastal South Carolina ghost said to protect islanders from deadly hurricanes , the story of a stockbroker who was found dead after a vision quest ( or , more likely , a nervous breakdown of some kind ) in the Southwest desert , and a feature on a psychic named " Katie " whose story is so strange that Stack insists " you be the judge " of whether or not she 's for real . Advertisement Katie sees ghosts , has visions of crime scenes , that sort of thing . But her wildest ability is sweating what looks like gold leaf from pores all over her body -- something skeptics are seemingly able to duplicate using hairspray and metallic foil from an art-supply store , though Unsolved Mysteries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This action-packed episode -- filmed when notorious mobster-turned-fugitive Whitey Bulger was still at large -- stays mostly grounded , but it does include the very strange account of " tiny toxic blobs of goo " that rained down on a small Washington town multiple times in August 1994 . In the aftermath , many residents came down with the same mysterious flu . Under analysis , the " perplexing precipitation " ( some choice Stack phrasing there ) proved to contain human white blood cells , but was otherwise unidentifiable ; what 's more , nobody could figure out how it got up in the sky in the first place . Was it human waste expelled from an airliner ? The FAA was able to rule that out . Was it , as many locals believed , a secret military test of some kind ? Per usual , Unsolved Mysteries does n't make an outright judgment call , but the editing suggests that " maybe we were biological experiments of some kind ? " is still a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human combustion ( season 9 , episode 14 ) In an episode that also delves into the murder of Tupac Shakur ( still unsolved , 24 years later ) , Unsolved Mysteries also turns its attention to one of its beloved " mainstream science says it ca n't happen " situations : chronicling the phenomenon of people suddenly bursting into flame . We meet a man who discovered the charred remains of his father in 1986 , as well as a meter reader who was making his rounds back in 1966 and stumbled upon a pile of human ashes ( and , somehow , one lonely foot ) , and still seems quite unsettled by the memory . While Unsolved Mysteries itselfremains staunchly objective , the show does bring out a believer and a skeptic to weigh in separately -- and the word " crackpottery " is used by guess which guest . " More than 300 years ago , a condemned killer pronounced a curse on the seat as he was led to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Busby was allowed to visit his favorite North Yorkshire pub , sit in his favorite chair , and guzzle a pint before heading to his execution . His parting gift -- declaring that whoever sat in his place would meet a sudden end -- became a legend that persisted into the 20th century , with various soldiers , bricklayers , roofers , janitors , and others over the years proving its curse to be correct , at least anecdotally . These days , the macabre artifact is mounted on the wall of a nearby museum , placed too high for anyone to actually sit in ever again . As Stack reassures us , " Its killing days are presumed to be over . " The Yeti got its own Unsolved Mysteries spotlight , as did Florida 's famed Skunk Ape , but the series also devoted multiple segments to different Sasquatch sightings over the years . The man-ape 's first appearance on the show came in season one , in a story involving " 12 reliable witnesses " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a few shreds of evidence ( photographs of tracks in the snow , hair caught in a screen door ) collected in the Colorado mountains . Advertisement The re-enactments -- picture a hulking actor in a shaggy costume loping through the snow -- are probably more memorable than any of the actual findings , though that did n't curb the show 's enduring curiosity about the creature . In a season six episode , Unsolved Mysteries accompanies a group of Bigfoot enthusiasts ( including Peter Byrne , the finger bandit from the Yeti episode ) into the Pacific Northwest forest to check out reports of recent encounters . " Even hoaxes are usually based on something , " Stack declares , but anything that could constitute proof remains elusive by the end of the segment . Any series purporting to investigate the unknown must have a ghost ship , and there 's no more fascinating tale in that realm than the saga of Mary Celeste . In what has to be one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in time to a sepia-toned 1872 , when the ill-fated ship sailed out of New York harbor -- only to be found abandoned four weeks later off the coast of Portugal without any passengers ( or any solid clues as to what happened to them ) . The ship 's valuable cargo -- barrels of pure alcohol -- was mostly intact , so some suspected a conspiracy involving the captain of the ship that discovered the abandoned craft , or even a mutiny among the Mary Celeste crew was to blame . Advertisement Stack chimes in with the most boring , and therefore most likely , scenario -- that fumes from leaking barrels drove everyone into a lifeboat , which then accidentally became separated from the main ship . But all told , Stack reminds us , " the secret of the Mary Celeste remains to this day a tantalizing unsolved mystery . "