| Yahoo News/YouGov coronavirus poll: Most Americans reject anti-lockdown protests Posted: 20 Apr 2020 05:42 AM PDT  The total number of protesters may be small. But the public's dismissive attitude toward them reflects a deeper sentiment: Americans strongly disagree with those who claim the country is ready to reopen for business.
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| China Daily Bureau Chief: Trump a ‘Racist A**hole’ for Suggesting China Has More Coronavirus Deaths than U.S. Posted: 20 Apr 2020 02:47 PM PDT  The European bureau chief of China's state-run publication China Daily has called President Trump a "racist a**hole" for claiming China "must have the most" deaths from the global coronavirus pandemic."We don't have the most-in-the-world deaths — the most in the world has to be China," Trump said during Friday's White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing. "It's a massive country. It's gone through a tremendous problem with this, a tremendous problem. And they must have the most."China Daily's Chen Weihua, an outspoken critic of the Trump administration's coronavirus response, responded by tweeting that Trump's suggestion was "coldblooded." He added in a later tweet that "Trump is like a mad dog with rabies biting everyone, only to divert attention from his failures," before tweeting that it was "irresponsible" and "immoral" for Trump to suggest that the virus could have come from a Wuhan lab. He also floated a theory pushed as Chinese propaganda that a U.S. military athlete brought the disease to China.In 2018, U.S. officials flagged the Wuhan Institute of Virology as the potential starting point of a "future emerging coronavirus outbreak," citing the lack of safety protocols applied to the Institute's research on "SARS-like coronaviruses in bats."While there is no documented evidence that China has more coronavirus deaths than the U.S., reports have detailed how China covered up the initial coronavirus outbreak, with the Chinese Communist Party recently restricting research into the pandemic's origins and censoring reports of thousands of asymptomatic cases. Radio Free Asia reported in March that Wuhan residents were dismissing the government's reported death counts, anecdotally referencing steep increases in funerals and cremations to estimate at least 40,000 deaths during the city's lockdown.Chen Weihua has been outspoken on Twitter about what he claims is the "racist" U.S. response to the pandemic, echoing a tactic used by other Chinese media outlets to suggest any scrutiny of China's handling of the coronavirus is xenophobic.
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| Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps says its handheld device can detect coronavirus, scientists scoff Posted: 20 Apr 2020 11:09 AM PDT  Iranian scientists have rejected the claim and other government officials have distanced themselves.
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| 9 Homes For Sale With Beautiful Workout Facilities Posted: 21 Apr 2020 02:36 PM PDT |
| United Auto Workers union backs Democrat Biden for president Posted: 21 Apr 2020 09:40 AM PDT  The United Auto Workers union is endorsing Democrat Joe Biden for President. The roughly 400,000-member union says in a statement Tuesday that the nation needs stable leadership with less acrimony "and more balance to the rights and protections of working Americans." The union says Biden has committed to reining in corporate power over workers, encouraging collective bargaining, and making sure workers get the pay, benefits and protections they deserve.
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| Coronavirus: Amazon using thermal cameras to detect Covid-19 Posted: 20 Apr 2020 05:50 AM PDT  The retail giant is using the technology in its warehouses around the world.
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| The IMF says governments should consider new wealth taxes to raise cash from the rich as coronavirus slams the global economy Posted: 21 Apr 2020 01:03 PM PDT  In recent years, the IMF has shifted its focus from tax cuts and recommended policies aimed at reducing income inequality.
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| Trump starts new coronavirus feud with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Posted: 20 Apr 2020 06:06 PM PDT  President Trump has started feuds with several governors during the coronavirus response. Monday presented Trump with a new target: Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland.
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| Don't Expect Boris Johnson to Be the Same Prime Minister Posted: 20 Apr 2020 11:34 PM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- In his absence, Boris Johnson's British government has mainly followed the lockdown strategy that was determined before the prime minister was infected with Covid-19. Many are hoping that he will soon return to work and change course; that he'll celebrate signs of a flattening infection curve and reopen Britain for business. It's unlikely to work out that way.It's true that you almost expect Johnson to bound up to the cameras and change the narrative. His modus operandi throughout his career has been Tiggerish enthusiasm. The politician who banished the "gloomsters and doomsters" on Brexit and championed the three-word campaign slogan ("Take Back Control" and "Get Brexit Done") might well have been expected, before his illness struck, to make "Lift the Lockdown" his mantra.Even if Johnson looks and sounds much the same when he returns to full-time work, the experience of serious illness and a forced leave of absence as thousands died must have affected his sense of mission. Johnson had often used the country's National Health Service as a prop when building his case for Brexit and his election campaign (leaving Europe, he argued speciously, would free money to spend on health care). Will he not now do more to support an underfunded, overstretched and ill-equipped service that he credits with saving his life?There will certainly be no immediate rush to relax the lockdown strictures. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has deputized for Johnson, has already extended the measures by another three weeks. Still, as other nations begin to loosen controls, the clamor will grow louder in Britain too.Last week Raab announced five tests that would determine the timing for a reopening of the U.K. The first three are fairly straightforward: The government must be confident that the NHS can provide sufficient care across the country; there must be a sustained fall in the daily death rate; and there needs to be evidence that the infection rate is decreasing.The fourth test — confidence that the supply of testing and personal protective equipment for medical workers can meet demand — is more vague. The U.K. is increasing testing, finally, but it's a long way from the kind of regimes put in place in east Asian countries that quickly suppressed the spread of the virus, including contact tracing. Germany is well ahead on this too. PPE shortages, one of the unnecessary tragedies of this outbreak, persist, as the British Medical Association and doctors repeatedly note. And yet Raab's fourth target doesn't specify what levels of testing and PPE need to be delivered.Even if the government fixes these problems, the fifth test is that there can be no risk of a second peak in infections from relaxing the lockdown. While Johnson is a political gambler who favors the bold stroke, he surely wouldn't open the sluice gates and let a new wave of infections wash away the stability built through social distancing and curtailed activity. Indeed, Bloomberg News reported Monday that in Johnson's conversations with cabinet members, he emphasized caution. Updated models based on more recent infection data will offer some basis for judgment, but a guarantee against a serious second wave of Covid-19 will require a vaccine or widespread testing and contact tracing. Neither are certainties, suggesting that social distancing measures of some sort will be around for a while.A report released Monday by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change argues that since a total lockdown isn't sustainable, the government should use hard metrics for its five tests and phase in some liberalization. For example, it could specify that if there were fewer than 500 new daily cases, testing capacity had expanded to more than 100,000 people per day, and contact tracing was widespread, then conditions could be set for a return to the workplace for individuals not in a high-risk category and for schools to reopen. It's not a bad suggestion, but where to put the thresholds and how to manage the complexities of restrictions are ultimately political decisions for Johnson and his cabinet.The pressure is on to find some way to ease up. The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates a massive drop in national income during the second quarter if the lockdown persists through June. Unemployment is expected to rise by 2 million to 10% from historic lows. That blow might be temporary, but the longer the economic shutdown lasts, the greater the risk of lasting damage.There's also the impact on the business sectors that Johnson most wanted to "level up" — to help working-class communities — with new investment and infrastructure spending. The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that a third of employees in the lowest-earning part of the income distribution chart are in sectors that have been mostly or completely shut down.If, as some have argued, restrictions are lifted by age group, there are questions about how that would be enforced. Johnson has set himself a unifying mission to keep the support of the ex-Labour Party voters who delivered him a handsome election victory. He'll have to find ways to restart the economy that don't ignore or further worsen inequalities. It's hard to imagine Johnson releasing wealthier parts of the country from lockdown while poorer areas languish under restrictions. But some phasing will be necessary.These decisions will have a profound impact, not only on the fight against the coronavirus but on the economic recovery and on how politics is redefined through this crisis. And they come amidst growing scrutiny of Johnson's early handling of the outbreak. The government has spent much of the past two days trying to rebut a Sunday Times investigation of how it did too little too late.Johnson's mistakes will be subject to a proper inquiry in time. His challenge when he returns will be to avoid compounding them.This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.Therese Raphael writes editorials on European politics and economics for Bloomberg Opinion. She was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Saudi executions a record last year Posted: 20 Apr 2020 05:03 PM PDT  "The death penalty is another violation which has gone in line with that trend of a real deterioration in civil and political rights," said a rights advocate.
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| College students forced home by coronavirus stuck paying rent — for nothing Posted: 20 Apr 2020 04:26 PM PDT  There are few remedies for students paying rent on empty apartments. They don't rent from colleges, like in a dorm, so they're not entitled to refunds
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| Gov't relief loans to restaurant chains draw complaints Posted: 19 Apr 2020 11:39 PM PDT  The Paycheck Protection Program exhausted its $350 billion in funding last week and many small businesses were unable to obtain loans they desperately need to stay afloat. Congress and the White House say they're close to an agreement on that would give the program about $300 billion in fresh funds.
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| Alexis Martin: Governor commutes sentence of sex trafficking survivor supported by Kim Kardashian West Posted: 21 Apr 2020 07:52 AM PDT  The governor of Ohio has commuted the sentence of a woman previously imprisoned in relation to the fatal shooting of the man who allegedly forced her into sex work.Governor Mike DeWine announced on Friday that he had granted seven commutation requests and denied 84.
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| Landlords on the pandemic: 'Everyone has an impression of us as rich and greedy' Posted: 20 Apr 2020 09:41 AM PDT  Many renters can't afford to pay – and some are threatening rent strikes. But some landlords say they're being unfairly punished * Coronavirus – live US updates * Live global updates * See all our coronavirus coverageThe coronavirus pandemic has brought mass unemployment . To prevent a spate of homelessness, governors across the US have promised moratoriums on evictions, and mortgage forgiveness for those who can't keep up with their payments. But many renters say the protections do not go far enough, and some are threatening rent strikes.Ricardo Reis, who owns 16 properties in Michigan, says there is a stigma against landlords, which means people are less empathetic about their needs during such times."Everyone has an impression of us as being rich and greedy. A lot of tenants will be thinking, how can they ask [us to pay] during this time? But in reality, there are costs involved," says Reis.Those costs include property taxes, insurance, maintenance and mortgage payments. Although homeowners will be provided with mortgage relief during the pandemic, many renters are wondering why they should still pay rent. But plenty aren't aware that commercial property owners – landlords, in other words – are not entitled to this benefit. Furthermore, forbearance programs only defer mortgage payments, rather than completely forgiving the cost."They are seeing this as an opportunity, as opposed to asking for help and relief … to inflict damage on the landlord as some sort of a class warfare," says Jay Martin, the executive director of the community housing improvement project (Chip) in New York.Many landlords say this class-warfare view – the moneyed landlord versus the renter – is misguided. Reis, who also manages properties on behalf of a property management company, says that renters are used to a faceless landlord and don't realize that on the other side is a family looking to pay the mortgage."Tenants have a misconception that landlords make a lot of money, because they think what they pay goes straight into the landlord's pocket," says Reis. In his state,he says most make less than what is presumed."In Michigan, landlords make around $200 to $300 per month for each property, after expenses are accounted for."He adds that the risk landlords take on is high: they take the loan , risk foreclosure if they can't pay the mortgage, and could potentially lose everything. "It's an extremely risky position. And as they say, with risk comes a little bit of reward … and in this case that's dependent on their tenant making their payment on time."Reis believes most tenants won't pay rent if they don't have to, and so criticizes the government for leaving landlords with that risk by offering eviction moratoriums."The state is trying to put it on landlords to house individuals for free," he says. Reis says the government "should instead bolster social housing if they believe that people should live rent-free".He says understands people might look at his 16 homes as a lot. But he says: "For a true real estate investor, it's not a lot. My wife is a school teacher."Greg Margulies, a landlord in LA, is not worried about rent strikes. He says most people understand the consequences of not paying rent.> What could be more greedy than withholding rent that you have the ability to pay?> > Jay Martin"They'll only band together for a very short time – until the first eviction paper comes [through]. Then I think it will hit home," said Margulies. He owns four properties in LA and still has a mortgage on each of them, and he says his property taxes on each building costs him between $500-$1,000 per property.While eviction moratoriums prevent them from being evicted now, in the long term, landlords still have the upper hand: "I can't imagine most landlords are going to look favorably on renters who band together like that. I expect they will get their leases non-renewed, even if they don't get evicted."Margulies empathizes with the fact that there are currently millions out of work. He stresses that most landlords want to work with tenants, to keep them in their properties, not to work against them – he has allowed one tenant who could only pay partial rent, and another who has had to defer payment.But that sympathy can only go so far, he says. "At the same time, [they] still get to stay in the unit: you have a safe place to sleep, you're away from the virus."It's unfortunate you're not working, but that should have nothing to do with paying for what you used. You still have to pay for gas, you still have to pay for groceries."Asked what message he would give to renters thinking of striking, Margulies advises them to keep in contact with their landlord. "We are not blind to what's going on in the world – we see that the world has been turned upside down. We are willing to work with tenants, but if you ignore the landlord, thinking it's going to go away, it's not."But Reis warns that reforms such as moratoriums or rent caps, which are intended to help the tenant, will always ending up costing them as landlords cut corners to seek to make costs back."Moratoriums sound great right now, but come fall [we will have to start changing] how we screen tenants," he says. "It's opened up our eyes, we realize there is just not enough security if the government can freeze rents or put a moratorium in place and just leave us stranded."Martin says it is the behavior of renters rather than landlords that should concern people at the moment."What could be more greedy than withholding rent that you have the ability to pay? [You will] damage the entire housing market, push it towards collapse. To me, it's incredibly short-sighted."
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| Italy's daily coronavirus death toll climbs, new cases also up Posted: 21 Apr 2020 09:10 AM PDT  Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 534 on Tuesday, up from 454 the day before and the largest daily tally since Friday, the Civil Protection Agency said. The number of new infections also increased to 2,729 from 2,256 on Monday.
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| Mexico admits it can't stop drug cartels distributing virus aid Posted: 21 Apr 2020 05:15 AM PDT  Drug cartels have been distributing aid packages amid the coronavirus pandemic, Mexico's president said Monday.
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| Biden plays the 'Buck Stops Here' card on Trump in biting new ad Posted: 20 Apr 2020 09:33 PM PDT  Some of President Trump allies and advisers have expressed concern that the daily coronavirus briefings Trump continues to hold are hurting his polling numbers and providing fodder for former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential campaign. Biden's campaign released a new ad on Monday featuring, you guessed it, Trump's comments from the coronavirus briefings, this batch focused on his renunciation of responsibility for the COVID-19 pandemic response, teeing off President Harry S. Truman's famous, folksy leadership motto: "The Buck Stops Here.""Donald Trump thought the job was about tweets and rallies and big parades," the Biden ad's narrator intones. "He never thought he'd have to protect nearly 330 million Americans, so he didn't."Biden made the same point more succinctly in a tweet Monday night.> The President needs to stop blaming others and do his job.> > — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 21, 2020The COVID-19 pandemic has dimmed Biden's visibility even as he became the presumptive Democratic nominee and Trump has jumped into the spotlight, for better or worse. But Biden's campaign announced Monday night that he raised more money than Trump in March, hitting a campaign high of $46.7 million.Trump has yet to announce his March total, but the Republican National Committee has said it and Trump's campaign jointly raised $63 million in March versus $79.4 million for Biden and the Democratic National Committee. Both Trump and the RNC have much more cash on hand than Biden and the DNC and it's not clear how the lockdowns and resulting lack of campaign events will affect either candidate's fundraising.More stories from theweek.com Excess mortality data suggests as many as 25,000 uncounted coronavirus deaths The Navajo Nation outbreak reveals an ugly truth behind America's coronavirus experience Netflix doubles expectations by adding almost 16 million subscribers amid pandemic
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| The White House appears to have silenced the surgeon general for his remarks on racial disparities in the coronavirus outbreak, as data shows black communities are hardest hit Posted: 21 Apr 2020 04:57 AM PDT  Health officials told Politico that Surgeon General Jerome Adams was one of the few to be talking about the impact on minority communities.
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| Asia virus latest: Virgin Australia collapses; oil rebounds Posted: 21 Apr 2020 01:14 AM PDT  Cash-strapped Virgin Australia collapsed Tuesday, making it the largest carrier to buckle under the strain of the coronavirus pandemic, which has ravaged the global airline industry. In an announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange, Virgin said it planned to keep operating flights despite handing over the keys to administrators. Chief executive Carrie Lam said social distancing measures and some business restrictions would continue for another two weeks until at least May 7.
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| Vietnam protests China's expansion in disputed waters Posted: 20 Apr 2020 10:43 AM PDT  Vietnam protested on Sunday at China saying it had established two administrative units on islands in the South China Sea, in Beijing's latest move to demonstrate its assertiveness in the disputed waters.
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| South Africa Gangs Call Truce as Lockdown Stifles Drug Trade Posted: 19 Apr 2020 11:49 PM PDT |
| New Zealand could pull off bold goal of eliminating virus Posted: 20 Apr 2020 06:54 PM PDT  While most countries are working on ways to contain the coronavirus, New Zealand has set itself a much more ambitious goal: eliminating it altogether. The virus "doesn't have superpowers," said Helen Petousis-Harris, a vaccine expert at the University of Auckland. If any place could be described as socially distant it would be New Zealand, surrounded by stormy seas, with Antarctica to the south.
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| Turkey's Erdogan accuses Syrian government of violating Idlib ceasefire Posted: 20 Apr 2020 10:10 AM PDT  Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the Syrian government was violating a ceasefire in the northwestern Idlib region, warning that Damascus would suffer "heavy losses" if it persisted. Turkey and Russia, which back opposing sides in Syria's war, agreed on March 5 to halt hostilities in northwestern Syria after an escalation of clashes there displaced nearly a million people and brought the two sides close to confrontation. Speaking in Istanbul after a cabinet meeting, Erdogan said the Syrian government was using the coronavirus outbreak as an opportunity to ramp up violence in Idlib, and added that Turkey would not allow any "dark groups" in the region to violate the ceasefire either.
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| Profile: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un Posted: 21 Apr 2020 06:43 AM PDT  Kim Jong-un, the young leader driving North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
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| Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on reopening economy: 'More important things than living' Posted: 21 Apr 2020 11:27 AM PDT  Patrick was heavily criticized last month for suggesting on Fox News that senior citizens might be willing to die of coronavirus to save the U.S. economy.
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| Sweden has nearly 10 times the number of COVID-19-related deaths than its Nordic neighbors. Here's where it went wrong. Posted: 20 Apr 2020 02:04 PM PDT  Sweden, which has yet to order any lockdown amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, has seen 14,777 COVID-19 cases and 1,580 deaths from the virus.
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| My face has changed without botox and filler during lockdown, and it's making me rethink why I get these treatments in the first place Posted: 21 Apr 2020 09:57 AM PDT  After getting regular botox and lip filler treatments for three years, lockdown has prevented writer Amy Devese-Jenkins from maintaining her look.
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| Europe’s Call-to-Arms Moment May Disappoint Investors, Again Posted: 21 Apr 2020 05:52 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- A video call between European Union leaders on Thursday may fall short of giving investors clarity over how the bloc will finance economic recovery efforts, risking a prolonged paralysis that has pushed borrowing costs higher across peripheral euro-area countries.EU institutions are focusing on a proposal to boost the bloc's common budget, largely shunning demands by Italy and Spain for joint debt issuance to share the costs of cushioning a pandemic-induced recession. The plan being prepared would instead see the European Commission use the multi-annual budget to borrow from financial markets and then channel cheap loans to the worst-hit nations, according to two diplomats briefed on the ongoing preparations.The bulk of the leverage created in the so-called recovery instrument of the new EU budget would take place over the next two years and the loans would be repaid after 2027, according to one of the diplomats, who asked not to be named as negotiations are ongoing. Even though the use of the budget is a more palatable solution to countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, the plans have so far failed to sway Southern nations, which demand more solidarity and concessions from their richer peers, in the form of joint debt sales."We're pulling in the same direction as Germany, the Netherlands and other hard currency countries," Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said about the upcoming summit. "We want to show solidarity, we want to support other states, but what we reject is a mutualization of debt. I hope that at the end of the day we'll have a solution that's as good as possible and that we can work on it together."Europe is entering what is projected to be the steepest recession in living memory, while the timing of recovery depends on factors largely outside the control of policymakers, such as the availability of a vaccine or an antiviral cure for the lethal coronavirus. The drop in economic output and the massive funds needed to keep businesses and households afloat has investors doubting whether highly indebted European countries can foot the bill.The Commission told EU government envoys that the bloc's economic output will contract between 7.5% and 10% this year, according to an official familiar with Monday's briefing.Bonds FallItalian bonds fell again on Tuesday, with yields on 10-year notes rising by 5 basis points to 1.99%. That's more than double the borrowing costs from mid-February, as a package of economic measures adopted so far by EU finance ministers has left loose ends to be sorted out and is seen by many economists as insufficient.One of the officials familiar with the matter said that Thursday's video call between leaders will have to be followed by others until a concrete solution is reached. Failure to come up with a convincing plan would put more pressure on the European Central Bank to boost its bond purchases to prevent spreads between German and peripheral yields from widening.A French official concurred that an agreement at Thursday's call was unlikely, and that a few more weeks of negotiations was needed. The official also said that the size of the fund would have to be around 1 trillion euros ($1.1 trillion) and that it probably wouldn't be available for at least six months.The plan to be presented on Thursday by EU institutions revolves around four pillars, according to the officials briefed: mobilizing massive investment, repairing the bloc's single market after border closures, supply chain breakdowns and export restrictions disrupted the flow of goods, global action to fight the pandemic, and better communication between Brussels and national capitals.(Updates with Austrian Chancellor comments in fourth paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Defiant Louisiana pastor arrested over coronavirus protest Posted: 21 Apr 2020 09:02 AM PDT  Louisiana authorities arrested a pastor on an assault charge on Tuesday after he admitted that he drove his church bus toward a man who has been protesting his decision to hold mass gatherings in defiance of public health orders during the coronavirus pandemic. The police department in Central, a suburb of the capital of Baton Rouge, said on a posting on their Facebook page that Tony Spell, the pastor of Life Tabernacle Church, turned himself into the department and was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and improper backing. Officials said Spell also had outstanding traffic tickets.
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| Mortgage payments paused or reduced for 3 million U.S. households, survey suggests Posted: 20 Apr 2020 01:12 PM PDT  Some 3 million U.S. households have won at least a measure of relief on mortgage payments as efforts to squelch the coronavirus pandemic throw millions out of work and stretch household balance sheets, a survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association showed on Monday. About 5.95% of mortgage loans were in forbearance during the survey week of April 6-12, up from 3.74% a week earlier and from just 0.25% the week of March 2, the industry lobbying group said on Monday. Congress did not include any such relief in its recent $2.3 trillion stimulus package, though some top Democrats have called for it and Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan has said he is open-minded about potentially coming to the sector's aid.
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| China to ease entry ban on foreigners with South Korea 'fast track' Posted: 21 Apr 2020 04:59 AM PDT  China has reached an agreement with South Korea to set up a "fast track" for businesspeople to travel between the countries as Beijing looks to ease an entry ban on foreigners imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. With the deadly disease spreading globally, China last month blocked almost all foreigners from entering as authorities fretted over cases being imported from abroad. Beijing is also in talks with other countries including Singapore to set up a similar channel to stabilise economic cooperation and ensure supply chains run smoothly, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a press briefing Tuesday.
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| What happened when healthcare workers confronted anti-lockdown protesters – in one photo Posted: 20 Apr 2020 11:48 AM PDT  A standout image by photographer Alyson McClaran captures a face-off between a healthcare worker and an angry protester * Coronavirus – live US updates * Live global updates * See all our coronavirus coverageThe weekend has seen a spate of anti-lockdown protests across the US in Ohio, Michigan and Colorado.But a standout image by photographer Alyson McClaran came on Sunday from Denver, Colorado. As protesters gathered outside the capitol steps and others assembled in their automobiles to ask the city to reopen for business, healthcare workers stood in the middle of the road in their scrubs. After having spent the last weeks treating Covid-19 patients, they staged their own demonstration: they wanted to remind the protestors of why the shutdown measures are important.One protestor in particular did not like it. She leaned out of her car window, wearing an American flag T-shirt, holding a placard that read "land of the free". Then, she yelled to the protester wearing scrubs: "This is a free country. This is the land of the free. Go to China!"She appeared to be expressing the view that closing down non-essential services in the US is equivalent to the actions of a communist state, as she continued: "If you want communism, go to China. Now open up and go to work."> This video of a nurse who is on the frontlines of this pandemic being told to "go to China" has gotta be the most insane thing I've seen on Twitter dot com in the 11 years I've been on this platform. And I used to report ISIS accounts for a living.pic.twitter.com/5E4Hi6P7DR> > — Mari Manoogian ������ (@MariManoogian) April 20, 2020The anti-lockdown protesters drove to the protest in trucks, vans, motorcycles and buses – one man even protested on horseback, wearing a cowboy hat and carrying an American flag. Photographs show protestors in Maga hats and while some are wearing masks, social distancing protocol seems to have been largely ignored. (It is worth noting that the wave of anti-lockdown protests has also been fueled by fringe far-right groups organizing to cynically exploit this time of crisis.)Other sources report that frontline workers were applauded for taking a stand against the demonstration (a recent Pew Research poll shows that most Americans are worried about lockdown measures being lifted too soon).According to local reports, some protesters said that they believed the government shutdown was part of a wider plan to undermine the economy and hurt Donald Trumps' re-election prospects. Others voiced fears about businesses closing and the impact of a recession on the livelihoods of local employees.Colorado, like much of the rest of the country, has seen unprecedented job losses as a result of the pandemic, with more than 232,000 filing for unemployment benefits since mid-March. The pandemic has been responsible for around 400 deaths in the state.Commentators have accused Trump of egging shutdown protesters on, and have called his comments unhelpful. As protests erupted in Michigan on Friday, which has one of the highest COVID-19 death rates in the country, Trump tweeted "LIBERATE MICHIGAN."
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| Three Florida newborns abandoned at same apartment complex are siblings, DNA shows Posted: 21 Apr 2020 12:04 PM PDT  The babies, born and abandoned in 2016, 2017 and 2019, have the same mother and father, Orlando police said.
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| South Carolina has already begun to reopen beaches, department stores, and flower shops Posted: 21 Apr 2020 11:23 AM PDT  Gov. Henry McMaster is slowly reopening parts of South Carolina's economy, similar to Georgia and Florida, including nonessential stores.
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| Fauci warns protesters about dangers of ending lockdowns prematurely: 'It's going to backfire' Posted: 20 Apr 2020 06:56 AM PDT  Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning about the dangers of reopening the United States too quickly in a message to those protesting stay-at-home orders.Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and member of President Trump's coronavirus task force, appeared on Good Morning America on Monday after protests in some cities against stay-at-home orders; at one in Texas, video captured protesters calling for Fauci to be fired. Polls, however, have found that more Americans are worried about restrictions being loosened too soon than not soon enough.Asked for his message to those protesting, Fauci told ABC, "The message is that clearly this is something that is hurting from the standpoint of economics ... but unless we get the virus under control, the real recovery, economically, is not going to happen."Fauci went on to stress the importance of a gradual reopening."If you jump the gun, and go into a situation where you have a big spike, you're going to set yourself back," he said. "So as painful as it is to go by the careful guidelines of gradually phasing into a reopening -- it's going to backfire. That's the problem."These comments come after President Trump on Friday appeared to express support for stay-at-home protesters in some states on Twitter. During a White House briefing on Sunday, Trump said those protesting stay-at-home orders have "cabin fever" and "want their life back." > "Clearly this is something that this is hurting …. but unless we get the virus under control, the real recovery, economically, is not going to happen." -- NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci on protests against stay-at-home orders. pic.twitter.com/n7x3cunEAm> > -- Good Morning America (@GMA) April 20, 2020More stories from theweek.com What do animals think? Gretchen Whitmer's pandemic competence is a mirage Hospitals are seeing heart attack and other emergency patients drop off over coronavirus fears
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| Anthro Is Taking 25 Percent Off Mother's Day Gifts—Here's What to Buy Posted: 21 Apr 2020 10:45 AM PDT |
| Italy to Relax Lockdown in Key Step for Europe’s Virus Fight Posted: 21 Apr 2020 09:17 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Italy will present a plan this week to ease its rigid lockdown, joining Germany, France and Austria in pursuing a gradual return to normality as coronavirus infection rates fall and pressure mounts to reopen businesses.Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte aims to roll out a detailed restart program beginning on May 4, saying in a post on Facebook that the process will take time in order to mitigate risks of re-igniting the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the nation reported an almost equal number of virus recoveries and infections for the first time."Now, we must loosen restrictions," Conte later told lawmakers in Italy's Senate. "We must do everything possible to preserve the industrial sector. The country's engines must restart."Italy's commitment to relax containment measures is an important marker in Europe's battle with the pandemic. The original center of the continent's outbreak suffered the most deaths after the U.S. and has the third-most cases in the world.With more than 100,000 fatalities in the region, Europe's leaders are seeking to strike a balance between saving lives and securing jobs. The first steps to loosen curbs in Austria, Denmark and Norway are putting pressure on others to follow suit, despite the lack of treatments or a cure.Italy recorded 2,729 new cases of the disease, compared with 2,256 a day earlier, the first increase in five days, according to the civil protection agency on Tuesday. Against that, the number of recovered patients hit 2,723 over the past 24 hours, a daily record.Italy's current restrictions -- in force since mid-March -- shutter all non-essential businesses, ban movements within the country, and all but confine people to their homes except for buying food, going to work and seeking medical help.Conte is juggling caution from scientific and public-health advisers, who insist the decline in new cases is still slow and relaxed restrictions could trigger a new outbreak, with demands from businesses and regional governors to restart the economy.Similar pressures are playing out in capitals across Europe, and leaders are pleading for patience.Because of contagion risks, Munich canceled its famed Oktoberfest for the first time since World War II, and Spain won't hold the traditional running-of-the-bulls festival in Pamplona in July, the latest signs that disruptions will linger for months to come."We agreed that the risk is simply too great" to hold the traditional beer and folk festival in Munich, Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder said. "We are living in different times, and living with corona means living carefully." The move deals a $1.3 billion blow to the local economy, according to the city's mayor.Germany, which had the smallest rise in new cases this month in the 24 hours through Tuesday morning, started to allow small stores and some other retailers to reopen on Monday and will weigh next steps on April 30. France will unveil plans within two weeks to progressively lift restrictions amid falling numbers of patients in hospitals and in intensive care, and Spain plans to loosen rules for children.The European Union cautioned against complacency. Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said containment efforts that end too quickly and aren't coordinated across the bloc could threaten the sacrifices made by citizens and medical staff.As part of efforts to develop a vaccine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will host an online event on May 4 to generate funding pledges and mobilize investment necessary for research into effective treatments, she told the European Parliament's health committee.The pressures facing policy makers are evident in Austria. Despite being one of the first European nations to ease restrictions, the economy may take as long as three years to recover, according to a group of leading economists. Unemployment and state-wage support have skyrocketed, with almost every third worker receiving some form of subsidy due to the pandemic.After allowing small shops and hardware stores to open from April 14, Austria will let all other retailers resume operations in May and will begin to reopen schools, restaurants and places of worship May 15.Conte said that his cabinet is working with various experts to coordinate the so-called "phase 2," when Italians will have to adapt to the lingering threat of the virus, such as maintaining social-distancing guidelines and wearing masks in public.The plan could include a full reopening of stores on May 11 or more likely May 18, La Repubblica reported. Full movement for citizens would only come after that, the newspaper said.The lockdown is crippling an already fragile and debt-ridden economy. In an attempt to obtain some relief, Conte will make another push for so-called coronabonds, or joint debt issuance, at a virtual gathering of European Union leaders on Thursday.Italy's easing plan will be laid out at the national level but will take into account regional differences, according to the country's leader."I would like to be able to say: we will open everything. Immediately. Tomorrow morning," Conte said in a post on Facebook. "But a decision like that would be irresponsible" and could "jeopardize all the efforts we've made until now."(Updates with new Italian' cases and recoveries from second paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Canada shooting: Virtual vigil for victims due to Covid-19 Posted: 20 Apr 2020 10:26 PM PDT  A policewoman and two frontline coronavirus workers were among the 18 victims who died.
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| Missouri lawsuit alleges China caused coronavirus pandemic Posted: 21 Apr 2020 10:27 AM PDT  The state of Missouri filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Chinese government over the coronavirus, alleging that nation's officials are to blame for the global pandemic. The lawsuit, filed in federal court by the state's top lawyer, alleges Chinese officials are "responsible for the enormous death, suffering, and economic losses they inflicted on the world, including Missourians." Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt in a written statement said the Chinese government lied about the dangers of the virus and didn't do enough to slow its spread.
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| China detects African swine fever in another pig truck Posted: 21 Apr 2020 04:14 AM PDT  China's agriculture ministry said on Tuesday it had detected the deadly African swine fever virus in pigs transported to the southwestern province of Sichuan, the latest in a dozen such cases in the last two months. China has been battling African swine fever since August 2018, after the disease spread rapidly throughout the world's top pork producer, killing millions of pigs and sending pork prices soaring. "The government has easier access to pig transport trucks than having to rely on farmers' willingness to report outbreaks," said Dirk Pfeiffer, professor of veterinary epidemiology at City University of Hong Kong.
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| 'They should have done something': Broad failures fueled Wisconsin's absentee ballot crisis, investigation shows Posted: 21 Apr 2020 03:13 PM PDT  Inadequate computer systems, overwhelmed clerks and misleading ballot information hampered the historic election, an investigation has found.
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| As Latinos lose jobs, remittances to their relatives in Latin America dry up Posted: 20 Apr 2020 07:38 AM PDT  "I couldn't even pay rent this month," a Miami resident from Guatemala said, "and we need to keep a little bit of reserves so we can eat."
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| Air conditioning spread the coronavirus to 9 people sitting near an infected person in a restaurant, researchers say. It has huge implications for the service industry. Posted: 21 Apr 2020 08:49 AM PDT  As restaurants slowly reopen, they will likely have to reduce capacity, and patrons may have a limit on how long they can stay and eat.
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| Should you wipe down your food or packages? What the FDA is saying now Posted: 20 Apr 2020 07:15 AM PDT  NBC consumer correspondent Vicky Nguyen shares the latest guidelines for handling grocery items, cardboard boxes and more.
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