Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Coronavirus live updates: More American deaths than on 9/11; US projections of 240,000; Dow's worst 1st quarter ever

Coronavirus live updates: More American deaths than on 9/11; US projections of 240,000; Dow's worst 1st quarter everThe coronavirus death toll surged past 3,100 on Tuesday, eclipsing the total from the 9/11 terror attacks. Here are the latest updates on the crisis.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3bHApVE

J&J just sped up the timeline for its coronavirus vaccine, and said it could be ready for emergency use early next year

J&J just sped up the timeline for its coronavirus vaccine, and said it could be ready for emergency use early next yearThe drugmaker said human testing will start no later than September on the potential coronavirus shot.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3bDN5gr

President Trump Insists New York Will Be ‘Fine,’ Won’t Need Extra Ventilators

President Trump Insists New York Will Be ‘Fine,’ Won’t Need Extra VentilatorsJust hours after it was confirmed that New York’s coronavirus death toll has shot up to over 1,000 people, President Donald Trump has predicted that the state will be “fine” because he’s heard “stories” that it has more than enough ventilators to go around.The president appeared on Fox & Friends on Monday, a day after he officially abandoned his hope of reopening the U.S. economy by Easter after his aides successfully persuaded him to keep federal guidelines on social distancing in place through the end of April. In a 54-minute phone call broadcast on air, the president dismissed concerns that New York could be overwhelmed, and took credit for the rising popularity of its governor, Andrew Cuomo.“I think New York should be fine based on the numbers that we see. They should have more than enough [ventilators],” Trump told the Fox News morning hosts. “I’m hearing stories that they’re not used or not used them right. We find anywhere from 2 to 4,000 that have been sent and aren’t used. We’ve done a job. Now, we’re still getting more ventilators... after this is over they’ll be selling ventilators for a dollar a piece, we’ll have a lot of them.”Cuomo and Trump have repeatedly clashed over ventilators, with Cuomo telling CNN last Friday that Trump’s assessment of New York’s situation was “incorrect and grossly uninformed.” Cuomo has called for 30,000 ventilators, explaining that state hospitals had only 4,000 in the system at the beginning of the outbreak. Trump has previously said that he didn’t believe the state would need anywhere near that number, and clearly hasn’t yet been persuaded otherwise.Asked specifically about Cuomo, whose popularity has shot up during the outbreak, Trump told Fox & Friends that it was down to him. “One of the reasons his numbers are high on handling it is because of the federal government,” Trump said. “We give him ships, we give him ventilators, we give him all the things that we’re giving him... One of the reasons he’s been successful is because we’ve helped make him successful.”Trump was also asked about the nationwide pandemic situation, and why he has suddenly decided to step back from his plan to loosen social-distancing guidelines and reopen the economy. In a chilling answer, the president said it only dawned on him Sunday how many people might die if lockdown measures were lifted, even though that has been known for weeks.“If we didn’t shut it down... I used to say, a lot of people said, could you just have kept it going? Like the flu, a bad case of the flu, a really bad case,” Trump said. “And the answer came in yesterday through Dr. Fauci and Deborah Birx... If we did that, if we just kept business as usual and didn’t do anything to stop or impede it, 2.2 million people could have died.”Trump went on to say: “The federal government has done far more than if anybody else was president. If Sleepy Joe was president, he wouldn’t even know what’s going on. You know that. I mean everybody knows that.”At the end of the interview, before Trump headed off for a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the hosts begged permission to ask one last question. “How can we pray for you?” Ainsley Earhardt asked. “The Bible is clear, we need to pray for our leaders and we are praying for you. Many in this country are clinging to God right now.”Trump said receiving Earhardt’s prayers was a “great honor.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3bzfioA

Australia’s Banking Chiefs Warn of Extreme Economic Pain Ahead

Australia’s Banking Chiefs Warn of Extreme Economic Pain Ahead(Bloomberg) -- Australia’s banking chiefs are braced for a nightmare scenario of a 10% economic contraction, “shockingly high” unemployment and spiraling loan losses as shockwaves from the coronavirus ripple through the economy.As Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s administration follows other countries in shutting down large segments of the economy to try to stem the virus’s spread, signs of individual and business tolls are starting to multiply.Tens of thousands of workers have already been sent home as retailers and airlines all-but close and queues outside job centers lengthen. Australia’s lenders are watching this play out in real time, with hardship telephone numbers ringing off the hook as consumers and businesses try to access relief packages.Banks are the “ICU unit of the economy,” Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Shayne Elliott said Monday at an Australian Financial Review event -- conducted online due to the pandemic. “Corporates and households will come into care and we will have this unfortunate role at some point of having to decide who comes out at the end.”A week ago, Commonwealth Bank of Australia Chief Executive Officer Matt Comyn said he would have estimated the economy would shrink by about 5% in the first quarter. Now, a 10% contraction is a “reasonable assumption,” Comyn said at the same event. “No question there are going to be higher loan losses.”The nation’s banks have special dispensation from the competition authority to co-operate throughout the crisis and have banded together to launch a range of hardship measures, including allowing consumers to suspend mortgage payments for up-to six months.National Australia Bank Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Ross McEwan echoed his counterparts on the dire outlook for the economy.“I think you will see very, very large GDP drops,” he told the the same forum. “Unemployment will also go shockingly high for a period of time.”NAB’s economics research team said Friday the jobless rate could soar to 12% and hold there for the remainder of the year.Right now, the three CEOs emphasized that the focus is on getting through the crisis and being prepared to help the economy reboot on the other side. In the medium term, that’s likely to mean tough choices about who gets help.“There is no playbook for this,” McEwan said. “We’ve not seen this sort of health and financial crisis at the same time.”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.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3dGCTFH

Open coffins are left on roads to remind people to stay inside while soldiers shoot disinfectant from water cannons. Here's what lockdown for 57 million people in the Philippines looks like.

Open coffins are left on roads to remind people to stay inside while soldiers shoot disinfectant from water cannons. Here's what lockdown for 57 million people in the Philippines looks like.Despite the lockdown, on Sunday the Philippines reported a daily increase of 343 new coronavirus cases — its highest one day increase yet.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3dJFHSo

Saudis Start to Unleash Oil Wave Despite U.S. Pressure

Saudis Start to Unleash Oil Wave Despite U.S. Pressure(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia has made good on its pledge to ramp up oil exports in April, with a first wave of crude already on its way toward Europe and the U.S., a clear sign the price war remains in full swing.The kingdom has loaded several of the supertankers it hired earlier this month to boost its ability to increase exports, according to ship-tracking data. In addition, Riyadh has used the last few weeks to shuttle large amounts of crude into storage in Egypt, a stepping stone to the European market.The movements suggest that Riyadh is ramping up its oil production toward its target of supplying a record 12.3 million barrels a day in April, up from about 9.7 million in February, despite American pressure to end the price war.Saudi Arabia earlier this month slashed its official selling prices and announced the output hike after Russia refused to join other nations inside the OPEC+ alliance to cut output. The announcement, interpreted in the market as an oil price war, sent Brent and West Texas Intermediate crudes tumbling. Since then, the collapse in oil demand due to lockdowns to stop the spread of the coronavirus has depressed prices even more.In a sign that Riyadh is opening the valves, oil shipments have already surged in late March. For the first three weeks of March, Saudi Arabia was exporting at a rate of around 7 million barrels a day, but that jumped to more than 9 million barrels a day in the fourth week of the month.With oil prices at the lowest in nearly two decades, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo last week directly asked the kingdom to “rise to the occasion and reassure” the energy market, diplomatic language for ending the oil price war.American President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed in a phone call Monday that “current oil prices aren’t in the interests of our countries,” according to a Kremlin spokesman, though he declined to say what might be done to change the situation.Trump earlier indicated that he was concerned about the impact of low oil prices on the American petroleum industry. In an interview on “Fox & Friends,” he said Russia and Saudi Arabia “both went crazy” and started an oil price war.Despite the diplomatic pressure, Saudi Arabia is preparing to export more in the next few days. At least 16 very large crude carriers, collectively able to carry about 32 million barrels, are stationed near the Saudi oil terminals of Ras Tanura and Yanbu, according to shipping data tracked by Bloomberg.“Regardless of the recent headlines about the U.S. pressuring Saudi Arabia, we do not see any change in Saudi or Russian policy for now,” said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at Energy Aspects Ltd., a London-based consultant.Riyadh has already loaded three supertankers that are likely to head to the U.S., and it’s loading a fourth right now, according to oil market intelligence firm Vortexa Inc. The tankers, all hired by the Saudi national tanker company in the past few weeks to boost its shipping capacity, include the Dalian, the Agios Sostis I, the Maran Canopus, and the Hong Kong Spirit.Shipments to EgyptAlready through March, Saudi Arabia has exported about 1.3 million barrels a day into Egypt -- the highest level in at least three years -- to pre-position crude for re-export into Europe, according to shipping tracking data compiled by Bloomberg and people familiar with the operation.The surge in shipments to Egypt was so large that the African nation may become the largest destination for Saudi crude in March, displacing China and Japan, which traditionally top the ranking every month.The cargoes have gone to a terminal at the south end of the Suez Canal before getting pumped via pipeline across the country to a storage and export facility called Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean Sea. From there, the crude will then get re-exported as part of Saudi Arabia’s plan to supply as much as it can, at deep discounts, into a market that doesn’t need the supply. The world’s largest oil tankers, known as VLCCs, cannot sail the Suez Canal fully loaded due to draft limitations.The next sign of whether the oil price war continues will come around April 5, when state-owned Saudi Aramco is expected to release its monthly official selling prices for May. Oil refiners and traders believe that Riyadh will have to deepen its discounts to sell all the oil the kingdom wants. If Aramco does indeed deepen the discounts, it will trigger a fresh round of tit-for-tat actions with other oil producing nations, piling further pressure on prices.(Updates with statement from Kremlin in seventh 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.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UOsiQx

'I don't know what he's trying to say': Cuomo on Trump's accusation that medical PPE is being stolen by health workers

'I don't know what he's trying to say': Cuomo on Trump's accusation that medical PPE is being stolen by health workersAt a coronavirus press briefing, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he didn’t know what President Trump was talking about with regard to his accusation that medical personnel were stealing personal protective equipment.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3bAd1cM

Justice Department audit finds widespread flaws in FBI surveillance applications

Justice Department audit finds widespread flaws in FBI surveillance applicationsThe finding by Inspector General Michael Horowitz came after an earlier inquiry found numerous errors in court submissions seeking surveillance of a former Trump campaign adviser.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3dMSZOm

Venezuela rejects a U.S. offer to ease sanctions in exchange for transitional government

Venezuela rejects a U.S. offer to ease sanctions in exchange for transitional governmentA former senior U.S. government official says it's the "best" deal they can get, while an analyst said this is more about "politics than policy."




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2w3wzat

10 cruise ships that are still at sea as the coronavirus shuts down the cruise industry

10 cruise ships that are still at sea as the coronavirus shuts down the cruise industryShips from cruise lines like Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Cunard Line are still at sea.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2xGzp5r

Huawei warns China will strike back against new U.S. restrictions

Huawei warns China will strike back against new U.S. restrictionsHuawei warned on Tuesday that 2020 would be its most difficult year yet due to American trade restrictions which dealt a blow to its overseas sales in 2019, and predicted the Chinese government would retaliate against the United States. It said Beijing could hit back against U.S. measures to restrict chip sales to Huawei, by restricting sales of American products in China and by shifting to alternative suppliers in China and South Korea. "The Chinese government will not just stand by and watch Huawei be slaughtered on the chopping board," Chairman Eric Xu told reporters at the launch of Huawei's annual report.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UxsvZr

What does furlough mean? Can I leave my home under shelter-in-place? Coronavirus terms, explained

What does furlough mean? Can I leave my home under shelter-in-place? Coronavirus terms, explainedWhat does it mean when you hear New York is the coronavirus "epicenter" in the United States? Do doctors say they need ventilators or respirator?




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2wHrll9

Russia's top coronavirus doctor who met Putin tests positive

Russia's top coronavirus doctor who met Putin tests positiveThe head of Moscow's main coronavirus hospital who met with President Vladimir Putin a week ago has tested positive, he said Tuesday, as the Kremlin announced the Russian leader's health was fine. Last Tuesday Denis Protsenko met with the Russian leader who inspected the Kommunarka hospital while wearing a bright yellow hazmat suit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov swiftly told Russian news agencies that Putin took regular tests and there was no reason to worry about his health.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3ateFwG

Liberty University students choose sides after fallout from coronavirus reporting

Liberty University students choose sides after fallout from coronavirus reportingThe New York Times reported this week that almost a dozen Liberty University students have come down with COVID-19 symptoms since the school reopened last week. But Liberty University officials have since pushed back on these claims, calling the Times story “fake news”. Now, students are choosing sides in who they believe is telling the truth.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3dLYdtl

Wuhan Residents Dismiss Official Coronavirus Death Toll: ‘The Incinerators Have Been Working Around the Clock’

Wuhan Residents Dismiss Official Coronavirus Death Toll: ‘The Incinerators Have Been Working Around the Clock’Wuhan residents are increasingly skeptical of the Chinese Communist Party’s reported coronavirus death count of approximately 2,500 deaths in the city to date, with most people believing the actual number is at least 40,000."Maybe the authorities are gradually releasing the real figures, intentionally or unintentionally, so that people will gradually come to accept the reality," a Wuhan resident, who gave only his surname Mao, told Radio Free Asia.A city source added that, based on the aggregation of funeral and cremation numbers, authorities likely know the real number and are keeping it under wraps."Every funeral home reports data on cremations directly to the authorities twice daily," the source said. "This means that each funeral home only knows how many cremations it has conducted, but not the situation at the other funeral homes."The city began lifting its lockdown on Saturday after two months of mandatory shutdown, with a complete lift of restrictions set for April 8. Funeral homes in Wuhan have been handing out the cremated remains to families every day, but rumors began circulating after one funeral home received two shipments of 5,000 urns over the course of two days, according to photos reported by Chinese media outlet Caixin, which were later censored.Reports of the funeral’s crematoriums working nonstop also raised questions."It can't be right … because the incinerators have been working round the clock, so how can so few people have died?" a man surnamed Zhang told RFA.Wuhan residents said the government was paying families 3,000 yuan for "funeral allowances" in exchange for silence."There have been a lot of funerals in the past few days, and the authorities are handing out 3,000 yuan in hush money to families who get their loved ones' remains laid to rest ahead of Qing Ming," Wuhan resident Chen Yaohui said, in a reference to the traditional grave tending festival on April 5.“During the epidemic, they transferred cremation workers from around China to Wuhan keep cremate bodies around the clock," he added.China has used state propaganda in an attempt to avoid blame for the spreading of COVID-19, despite reports showing how the government suppressed initial reports of human-to-human transmission and gagged Wuhan labs that discovered the novel virus resembled the deadly SARS virus of 2002-2003.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3dFrlCK

U.S. records 700 coronavirus deaths in a single day for first time

U.S. records 700 coronavirus deaths in a single day for first timeThe U.S. government raced to build hundreds of makeshift hospitals to ease the strain on overwhelmed healthcare systems as the United States marked 700 deaths in a single day from COVID-19 for the first time on Tuesday. Nearly half those deaths were in New York state, still the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pleaded for reinforcements from the Trump administration, saying the worst may still be weeks away. De Blasio, a Democrat, said he had asked the White House for an additional 1,000 nurses, 300 respiratory therapists and 150 doctors by April 5 but had yet to receive an answer from the Trump administration.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Ju1W0Q

Do I Have to Pay My Rent or Mortgage During the Pandemic?

Do I Have to Pay My Rent or Mortgage During the Pandemic?As March winds down, at least 250 million Americans have been told to stay home or “shelter in place” to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Problem is, many can’t help wondering if they can still afford a place to shelter in—if they ever could.Long before the coronavirus pandemic, generous swaths of the United States faced an affordable housing crisis. With millions of Americans losing their jobs and millions more facing unemployment in the near future thanks to a concerted economic shutdown geared at reining in the disease, talk of rent strikes and freezes are in the air.The Trump administration recently nodded to the problem by ordering a foreclosure moratorium on single-family home mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration or obtained through government-owned lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie and Freddie have also offered forbearance for borrowers experiencing hardship. And the finance giants have dangled payment relief to indebted apartment building owners who grant respite to renters, a move the Federal Housing Finance Agency estimates could affect 43 percent of the market in multifamily leases. Then there’s the $2 trillion stimulus bill that passed last week, which contains language forbidding evictions and late charges on any property receiving virtually any federal aid. It also permits those owing money to Fannie or Freddie to request up to six months of forbearance, though it leaves the onus on borrowers to do so.If your home doesn’t fall under one of these categories or programs, and you’re wondering if you owe money to your landlord or lender, the answer is probably yes—at least for now. Still, some state and local governments have moved to stem evictions and foreclosures for everyone, and a few are even freezing rent and mortgage payments entirely. Here’s a breakdown of COVID-19 rules on housing across every state and many large metropolitan areas. This story will be updated as events warrant.Will the U.S. Run Out of Groceries Under Lockdown?Alabama: No specific government measures to prevent evictions or foreclosures, but local Regions Bank is offering a mortgage payment reprieve and the state Supreme Court has cancelled in-person proceedings until April 16, which may stem new removal proceedings. Individual judges may conduct business via phone or video, however.Alaska: Gov. Mike Dunleavy has forestalled evictions and foreclosures of any tenant or homeowner covered by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, while the state Supreme Court has halted eviction hearings until May 1 and barred enforcement of outstanding ejectment orders against quarantined people.Arizona: Gov. Doug Ducey has ordered a 120-day stay on eviction orders against anybody quarantined or experiencing hardship because of COVID-19, starting March 24, and has launched a $5 million rental assistance fund. The state’s “Save Our Home AZ Program” is offering principal reduction assistance, monthly mortgage subsidy assistance, and second lien elimination assistance.Arkansas: No special COVID-19 programs in place as of this writing.California: Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered a statewide ban on evictions through the end of May, so long as tenants provide notice in writing within one week of their rent coming due that they cannot pay due to the disease. He has also cut a deal with Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, and 200 smaller lending institutions to defer mortgage payments for up to 90 days from borrowers who can show they've lost income during the crisis. Bank of America has assented to a 30-day grace period for mortgage payments. The City of Glendale has banned rent increases through at least April 30 (though not rent payments). Philanthropists in San Diego have established a COVID-19 Community Response Fund to provide rent, mortgage, and utility assistance to struggling locals. Colorado: Gov. Jared Polis has issued non-binding guidance to state-chartered banks discouraging foreclosures, and Denver has reassigned deputies away from eviction enforcement.Connecticut: James W. Abrams, Chief Judge for Civil Matters, has issued a stay of all evictions and ejectments through May 1, and postponed all foreclosure sales until June 6.Delaware: The Justice of the Peace Court has postponed all eviction proceedings until after May 1, while Gov. John Carney has put off all residential mortgage foreclosures until 31 days after he lifts his order of emergency. Late fees or excess interest are forbidden.Florida: No state programs in place as of this writing, but the Orange County Sheriff's Office has put off eviction enforcement "until further notice," as have police in Miami-Dade. The latter county has also called off evictions in its public housing.Georgia: No state programs in place as of this writing. But on March 17, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an executive order imposing an eviction moratorium on the Atlanta Housing Authority, Atlanta Beltline Inc., the Fulton County/City of Atlanta Land Bank Authority, Invest Atlanta, Partners for Home, and the city Department of Grants and Community Development.Hawaii: The Hawaii Department of Public Safety Sheriff Division has indefinitely suspended evictions.Idaho: No state programs in place as of this writing, but Boise public housing has waived rent and ended removals, and a judge has called off eviction hearings in Blaine County.Illinois: Gov. J.B. Pritzker has barred evictions through April 7 by executive order. Courts have ordered longer cessations of evictions, including in Cook County (April 15) and in Peoria, Tazewell, Marshall, Putnam, and Stark Counties (April 17). A court covering Kendall and DeKalb Counties has barred new eviction and foreclosure proceedings for 30 days beginning March 18. Chicago is providing 2,000 residents with $1,000 grants to help cover rent and mortgage payments.Indiana: Gov. Eric Holcomb has decreed an end to evictions or foreclosures until the end of his declared state of emergency.Iowa: Gov. Kim Reynolds has halted foreclosures and evictions for the duration of a declared state of emergency, except in cases involving squatters.Kansas: Gov. Laura Kelly has stayed evictions and foreclosures until May 1.Kentucky: Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order March 25 suspending all evictions for the term of a declared emergency, while the Kentucky Supreme Court suspended all evictions until April 10.Louisiana: Gov. John Bel Edwards has halted evictions and foreclosures.Maine: Maine courts are closed for eviction proceedings through May 1.Maryland: Gov. Larry Hogan has forbidden the eviction of any tenant who can demonstrate loss of income related to the crisis.Massachusetts: Trial courts are closed through April 21 under order of the State Supreme Judicial Court, preventing evictions from advancing. Gov. Charlie Baker has announced $5 million in rental assistance, while the mayor of Boston has called off evictions by the city housing authority.Michigan: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has banned evictions until April 17, and the state Department of Health and Human Services is offering up to $2,000 in emergency assistance to prevent foreclosures.Minnesota: Gov. Tim Walz has suspended evictions and foreclosures during a declared state of emergency.Mississippi: No programs in place as of this writing.Missouri: No state programs in place as of this writing, but evictions are suspended in Jackson County until at least April 18, in Boone and Callaway Counties until April 17, and indefinitely in St. Louis County.Montana: No programs in place as of this writing.Nebraska: Gov. Ed Ricketts’ executive order has postponed all eviction proceedings for anybody impacted by the virus until May 31. The Omaha Housing Authority has called off evictions, while the Metro Omaha Property Owners Association—a landlord group—has requested its members reduce rents by 10 percent in the month of April.Nevada: Gov. Steve Sisolak has blocked all eviction notices, executions, and tenant lockouts via emergency order for the entire length of the pandemic. State Treasurer Zach Conine has announced that lenders have agreed to a 90-day grace period for borrowers, although each mortgagee must reach an individual payment arrangement with their bank.New Hampshire: Gov. Chris Sununu has barred evictions and foreclosures via executive order during the emergency.New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order March 19 placing a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures for at least 60 days. On March 28, he instated a 90-day grace period for late mortgage payments, forbidding banks from charging hard-up borrowers late fees or making negative reports on them to credit agencies.New Mexico: The State Supreme Court has indefinitely suspended evictions of tenants who can furnish evidence the crisis has left them unable to pay rent. Albuquerque has suspended evictions for public housing tenants, while Santa Fe has halted removal of those who can prove hardship.New York: Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks has suspended all evictions until further notice, while Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered banks to waive mortgage payments in hardship cases for 90 days. There is no state policy in place on rent payments, despite the governor’s claim that he “took care” of the issue.North Carolina: State Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley on March 13 ordered courts to postpone eviction and foreclosure cases for at least 30 days.North Dakota: The State Supreme Court has placed a hold on all eviction proceedings "until further order.”Ohio: Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor has requested, but not obligated, that lower courts stay eviction and foreclosure proceedings. Huntington, PNC, Fifth Third, Citizens, Third Federal, Chase, and Key Banks are all offering mortgage assistance to struggling borrowers.Oklahoma: No state policy in place as of this writing, but Tulsa County has halted evictions and foreclosures until April 15, while the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office has suspended enforcement of housing ejectments until “appropriate.”Oregon: Gov. Kate Brown has suspended eviction for nonpayment of rent for 90 days beginning March 22.This Is What a Coronavirus Lockdown Means in Each StatePennsylvania: The state Supreme Court decreed March 18 that neither evictions nor foreclosures could go forward for at least two weeks.Puerto Rico: U.S. District Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí has suspended all eviction orders and foreclosure proceedings until May 30. The island's Public Housing Administration announced it will not collect rent from tenants until the expiration of Gov. Wanda Vasquez's order of social isolation—an order she recently extended to April 12. Residents of the government-owned developments will be liable for the payments after the governor's decree lifts, although they may apply for reductions based on loss of income.Rhode Island: Gov. Gina Raimondo ordered courts not to process evictions for 30 days starting March 19.South Carolina: Chief Justice Don Beatty has ordered a halt to all evictions until May 1.South Dakota: No state policies in place as of this writing, but Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken has established a fund to provide financial assistance to those facing eviction.Tennessee: The Tennessee Supreme Court has ordered judges not to proceed with eviction cases until April 30, unless "exceptional circumstances" prevail.Texas: The Texas Supreme Court halted all evictions until April 19, subject to an extension by the chief justice. A Dallas County judge has put a stop to new removal cases and landlord recoveries until May 17. The city of Austin passed an ordinance March 26 granting renters a 60-day grace period and preventing landlords from initiating evictions. Nonetheless, renters who can pay rent are encouraged to do so.Utah: No state policies in place as of this writing, but the Utah Apartment Association—a trade group— has generated a proposed “rent deferral agreement”  for impacted tenants.Vermont: The Vermont Supreme Court has suspended non-emergency hearings such as evictions until April 15, but individual courts may hold such proceedings remotely. Burlington-based affordable housing operators Champlain Housing Trust, Burlington Housing Authority, and Cathedral Square have all committed to suspending evictions.Virginia: The Virginia Supreme Court has suspended non-essential, non-emergency proceedings such as evictions and foreclosures until April 6.Washington State: Gov. Jay Inslee inked a 30-day eviction moratorium on March 18. Seattle has imposed a 60-day moratorium on evictions beginning March 3, with no late fees, and the King County Sheriff has suspended evictions "until further notice.”Washington, D.C.: The D.C. Superior Court has suspended evictions and foreclosures.West Virginia: The State Supreme Court has suspended all non-emergency proceedings, including housing-related matters, until April 10, and left open the possibility of extension.Wisconsin: Gov. Tony Evers ordered the suspension of evictions and foreclosures until May 26. Judges in Dane and Milwaukee counties have forbidden sheriffs from executing outstanding eviction orders, and the Milwaukee Housing Authority has said it will not evict anybody during the crisis.Wyoming: State Supreme Court Justice Michael K. Davis has ordered all in-person proceedings suspended, and recommended civil trials be rescheduled, which could serve to delay evictions or foreclosures. But local judges have some discretion on whether to conduct trials via video or teleconference.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2WUAhht

Fact check: Did NY pass on buying ventilators to fund tuition for undocumented immigrants?

Fact check: Did NY pass on buying ventilators to fund tuition for undocumented immigrants?We rate as false a Facebook user's claim about New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, ventilator stockpiling and tuition for undocumented immigrants.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2w6NCsc

U.S. House Speaker Pelosi will not take coronavirus test

U.S. House Speaker Pelosi will not take coronavirus testU.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Tuesday she does not plan to be tested for coronavirus despite her proximity to the latest lawmaker diagnosed with the illness. U.S. Representative Nydia Velazquez, a Democrat from New York, said on Monday that she had been diagnosed with a presumed case of coronavirus after developing symptoms of the ailment on Sunday, although she had not been tested. Velazquez was in the Capitol on Friday and attended a ceremony at which Pelosi signed a $2.2 trillion coronavirus response plan.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/340NVS0

Coronavirus: Number of Louisiana patients on ventilators doubles in five days

Coronavirus: Number of Louisiana patients on ventilators doubles in five daysLouisiana's patients hospitalised for coronavirus and the number of patients on life-saving ventilators have doubled within the last five days, the state's governor has announced.The state also saw a one-day surge in more than 1,200 confirmed cases of Covid-19, a 30 per cent increase that brings the statewide total to more than 5,200.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Uy5B4j

Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jews in fight over virus rules

Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jews in fight over virus rulesIsraeli police with face masks and batons and backed by surveillance helicopters have stepped up patrols of ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhoods that have become coronavirus hotspots. This week has seen tense altercations, and some rabbis have admitted that their communities, where prayer and scripture study are traditionally communal, are not observing new social distancing regulations. A few days ago in Bnei Brak, a city near Tel Aviv with a largely ultra-Orthodox population, hundreds of faithful crowded together to attend the funeral of prominent rabbi Tzi Shenkar.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2QZvGXG

The US passed a grim milestone with a single-day coronavirus death toll above 500, bringing the country's overall count past 3,000

The US passed a grim milestone with a single-day coronavirus death toll above 500, bringing the country's overall count past 3,000As of Monday, there were more than 164,000 confirmed coronavirus cases across all 50 states, including at least 3,050 deaths.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UIXz7q

U.S. outlines plan for Venezuela transition, sanctions relief

U.S. outlines plan for Venezuela transition, sanctions reliefThe proposal would require Maduro and Guaidó to step aside and hand power to a five-member council of state.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39sllK5

Monday, March 30, 2020

Indian police fire tear gas at jobless workers defying coronavirus lockdown

Indian police fire tear gas at jobless workers defying coronavirus lockdownNEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) - Police in India fired tear gas to disperse a stone-pelting crowd of migrant workers defying a three-week lockdown against the coronavirus that has left hundreds of thousands of poor without jobs and hungry, authorities said on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the country's 1.3 billion people to remain indoors until April 15, declaring such self-isolation was the only hope to stop the viral pandemic. On Sunday, about 500 workers clashed with police in the western city of Surat demanding they be allowed to go home to other parts of India because they had no jobs left.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2wMxQmz

Venezuelan ex-general surrenders to US on drug trafficking charges

Venezuelan ex-general surrenders to US on drug trafficking chargesA retired Venezuelan general who was charged by the United States with "narco-terrorism" along with President Nicolas Maduro and other officials has surrendered in Colombia to US authorities, prosecutors said Saturday. "The national Attorney General learned that Mr Cliver Alcala surrendered to US authorities," the Colombian prosecutor said in a statement, adding there was no arrest warrant when he gave himself up. Alcala turned himself in on Friday to the Colombians, who in turn handed him over to US authorities, the El Tiempo de Bogota newspaper said.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ULwj86

Biden says Trump's rising approval ratings are 'a typical American response' to crisis

Biden says Trump's rising approval ratings are 'a typical American response' to crisisFormer Vice President Joe Biden isn't surprised by President Trump's rising approval ratings, even as many argue his administration is floundering in their efforts to respond to the novel coronavirus crisis.Biden said the American public typically rallies around the president during times of crisis, going all the back to former President Jimmy Carter's uptick during the Iran hostage crisis in 1979. Former President George W. Bush is another example — he famously peaked at around 90 percent approval in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a number which he never came close to again. > WATCH: Former VP @JoeBiden calls the uptick in Trump’s job approval rating “a typical American response.” MTP IfItsSunday> > Biden: “In every single crisis we have had … president’s ratings have always gone up.” pic.twitter.com/WzB4qXjaDY> > — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 29, 2020Biden, who is Trump's most likely challenger in the 2020 general election in November, said he hopes the coronavirus outbreak is under control by then and that the U.S. has "done all the right things," including Trump refraining from attacking people who disagree with him. But he told NBC's Chuck Todd during Sunday's edition of Meet the Press that the "proof is gonna be in the pudding."More stories from theweek.com Trump's message to blue states battling coronavirus: Drop dead Fox News reportedly fears its early downplaying of COVID-19 leaves it open to lawsuits Nobody knows when Congress will go back to D.C.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Jq57a2

Incredible satellite photos show parked planes sitting on runways at airports in the US and Europe, as COVID-19 puts a near stop to global air travel

Incredible satellite photos show parked planes sitting on runways at airports in the US and Europe, as COVID-19 puts a near stop to global air travelAs the coronavirus causes airlines to cancel flights and ground planes, they've piled up on runways and taxiways as airlines look for parking spots.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/33Vjz36

Iran extends prison furloughs as coronavirus death toll rises

Iran extends prison furloughs as coronavirus death toll risesIran's coronavirus death toll has risen to 2,640, a health ministry official said on Sunday, as the Middle East's worst-hit country grapples with the fast-spreading outbreak. "In the past 24 hours we had 123 deaths and 2,901 people have been infected, bringing the total number of infected people to 38,309," Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to the health minister, said in a tweet. Health ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV that 3,467 of those infected were in "critical condition".




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39oIRI8

Leaked memo from Delta reveals plans to cut worker hours and pay, despite protections in the coronavirus stimulus package. United and other airlines are doing the same.

Leaked memo from Delta reveals plans to cut worker hours and pay, despite protections in the coronavirus stimulus package. United and other airlines are doing the same.Airline workers at Delta, American, United, and Southwest face hours cuts and less take-home pay as the crisis drags on, even before job losses.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/33UEvay

Some ultra-Orthodox Israelis chafe at coronavirus restrictions

Some ultra-Orthodox Israelis chafe at coronavirus restrictionsIsraeli police have used a drone, helicopter and stun grenades in recent days to prevent people gathering in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Jerusalem in defiance of Health Ministry measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. "Nazis!" shouted a group of boys, as police pulled men off the narrow streets of Mea Shearim. Many ultra-Orthodox reject the authority of the Israeli state, whose Jewish majority is mostly secular.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/33Y79aK

Mexico's president shifts tone on coronavirus, urges people to stay home, warns of dire consequences

Mexico's president shifts tone on coronavirus, urges people to stay home, warns of dire consequencesCritics said Mexico's president was downplaying the coronavirus threat. But he has now shifted his tone.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2WSamas

Saudi to raise oil exports to record levels as price war rages

Saudi to raise oil exports to record levels as price war ragesSaudi Arabia said on Monday it will raise its oil exports to a record 10.6 million barrels per day starting from May despite a global supply glut, escalating a price war with Russia. Oil prices are languishing at 17-year lows as the coronavirus pandemic threatens a painful global recession that could further sap demand. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter which already announced a sharp production increase for April, said it would add additional supplies to the global market, deepening a glut.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2wPpJ8H

Top U.K. Aide Cummings Self-Isolates With Coronavirus Symptoms



from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3dEXLNH

Governor: dozens at Tennessee nursing home have virus

Governor: dozens at Tennessee nursing home have virusAn outbreak of the new coronavirus at a Tennessee nursing home has forced the facility to be temporarily closed for cleaning with dozens of residents and staff members sent into quarantine, Gov. Bill Lee's office and a hospital said Sunday night. Tests results released Sunday show 59 additional residents of the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing tested positive for the virus, while 33 members of the nursing home's staff with confirmed cases are now isolated at their homes, the governor's office said in a news release. Sumner Regional Medical Center said Sunday on Facebook that 42 patients from the nursing home have been admitted and are in isolation after some tested positive for the virus.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ULQqTP

Pelosi: Trump's downplaying of coronavirus has cost American lives

Pelosi: Trump's downplaying of coronavirus has cost American livesHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi sharpened her criticism of President Trump’s early dismissal of the coronavirus, saying the delay cost American lives. She criticized the president's initial response to the virus during a Sunday morning interview on CNN.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/340Ubco

Dr. Birx predicts up to 200,000 coronavirus deaths 'if we do things almost perfectly'

Dr. Birx predicts up to 200,000 coronavirus deaths 'if we do things almost perfectly'"I think in some of the metro areas we were late in getting people to follow the 15-day guidelines," the White House coronavirus response coordinator said on "TODAY."




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3awxJtZ

New York's Cuomo pleads for doctors, nurses from other states to aid its hospitals

New York's Cuomo pleads for doctors, nurses from other states to aid its hospitalsSpeaking at a makeshift hospital in Manhattan preparing to receive its first patients on Monday, Cuomo sought to divert attention from any tension with Trump, with whom he has tussled in recent days over the distribution of ventilators in storage. "I am not engaging the president in politics," said Cuomo, who has emerged as a leading national voice on the coronavirus pandemic. New York is at the epicenter of the crisis.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2QXE2yT

The Justice Department is reportedly investigating actions by US lawmakers who dumped stocks before the market plunged over coronavirus fears

The Justice Department is reportedly investigating actions by US lawmakers who dumped stocks before the market plunged over coronavirus fearsThe FBI has reportedly reached out to Republican Sen. Richard Burr as part of the investigation, which is in its early stages.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UvAJkV

Iran virus cases top 40,000

Iran virus cases top 40,000The number of declared coronavirus infections in Iran topped 40,000 Monday, as the government warned the outbreak could run for several more months and cost over 10,000 lives. With the tally climbing, President Hassan Rouhani stood accused of failing to take prompt action by some of his political opponents. The row came as a report by Iran's anti-coronavirus committee said the country may struggle with the outbreak until at least early summer.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ULhiDv

'I don't know how you look at those numbers and conclude anything less than thousands of people will pass away': Cuomo discusses state fatality projections

'I don't know how you look at those numbers and conclude anything less than thousands of people will pass away': Cuomo discusses state fatality projectionsGov. Andrew Cuomo spoke about New York state’s fatality projections during a press conference on Sunday.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2xumm7p

A coronavirus patient's phlegm or poop could still have live virus in it even after they recover and test negative, new research suggests

A coronavirus patient's phlegm or poop could still have live virus in it even after they recover and test negative, new research suggestsNew research raises doubts about whether negative throat swabs are enough to say a patient is coronavirus-free. Doctors may have to sample their poop.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3bEH3fC

29 Best Closet Organization Ideas to Maximize Space and Style



from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2vWWBfk

Air strikes hit Houthi-held Yemeni capital Sanaa: witnesses

Air strikes hit Houthi-held Yemeni capital Sanaa: witnessesThe Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi group in Yemen carried out several air strikes on Monday on the capital Sanaa, witnesses and media said, killing dozens of horses at a military school. A number of sensitive sites including the presidential palace compound, the school and an air base close to Sanaa airport were hit, and loud explosions were heard across the city, residents said. The coalition said the operation was aimed at destroying "legitimate military targets including Houthi ballistic batteries which threaten civilian lives".




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2QUBgKI

U.S. set to lose title as top oil producer as demand plunges and gas drops below $1 per gallon

U.S. set to lose title as top oil producer as demand plunges and gas drops below $1 per gallonGas has dipped below $1 a gallon in Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin — but most people are not driving.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2wGbrrc

Trump says 'nobody' could've predicted a pandemic like coronavirus. Here are all the times he was warned about it and refused to take action.

Trump says 'nobody' could've predicted a pandemic like coronavirus. Here are all the times he was warned about it and refused to take action.Trump ignored multiple warnings about an impending pandemic and gutted the US agencies responsible for responding to such an outbreak.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2X1VCpz

AI tool predicts which coronavirus patients get deadly 'wet lung'

AI tool predicts which coronavirus patients get deadly 'wet lung'Researchers in the US and China reported Monday they have developed an artificial intelligence tool that is able to accurately predict which newly infected patients with the novel coronavirus go on to develop severe lung disease. Once deployed, the algorithm could assist doctors in making choices about where to prioritize care in resource-stretched health care systems, said Megan Coffee, a physician and professor at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine who co-authored a paper on the finding in the journal Computers, Materials & Continua. The tool discovered several surprising indicators that were most strongly predictive of who went on to develop so-called acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS), a severe complication of the COVID-19 illness that fills the lungs with fluid and kills around 50 percent of coronavirus patients who get it.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2wNFNbb

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Tapper Brutally Grills NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio for Delayed Coronavirus Response

Tapper Brutally Grills NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio for Delayed Coronavirus ResponseNew York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was left flailing on Sunday morning when CNN anchor Jake Tapper repeatedly pressed him on his delayed response to the coronavirus pandemic and whether the mayor’s assurances to New Yorkers that their lives would go on normally led to a more rapid spread of the virus.Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, de Blasio was first asked about his calls to the Trump administration to provide more ventilators and other life-saving medical supplies to his city, which has become the epicenter of the pandemic. After the mayor sounded the alarm on the “sharp escalation” of cases the city may see in the days ahead, Tapper brought up de Blasio’s previous downplaying of the pandemic.Playing a series of video clips of the Democratic mayor telling city residents to “go about your lives” over the past couple of months, Tapper noted that de Blasio delivered that message to the city as recent as March 13. “In retrospect, is that message, at least in part, to blame for how rapidly the virus has spread across the city?” Tapper wondered aloud.“Jake, we should not be focusing, in my view, on anything looking back on any level of government right now,” de Blasio deflected. “This is just about how we save lives going forward.”The mayor went on to say that it was a “very different world just a short time ago” and that “none of us have time to look backwards,” prompting Tapper to remind de Blasio that he has been critical of others over their lack of preparedness.“Mr. Mayor, you say you don’t think you should look backwards, but you’ve criticized President Trump for ‘actions that are far, far behind the curve,’” the State of the Union host pressed. “I mean, Mr. Mayor, weren’t your actions in this outbreak also far, far behind the curve?”De Blasio, however, was still unwilling to take any personal responsibility for his own actions, saying that he had criticized the lack of COVID-19 testing early on and that it could be a “very different reality” if the country had more robust testing from the beginning. “But there’s no time to go back over that,” he added. “There’s only time to focus on getting through the next week and the week after that.”At the same time, de Blasio acknowledged that Tapper’s questions were “fair” but told the CNN anchor that those questions were best left for “after this war is over” because New York City is currently in a “wartime environment.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UDNVTm

Plane explosion in Philippines kills eight, including two foreigners

Plane explosion in Philippines kills eight, including two foreignersA medical evacuation plane exploded during take-off in the Philippine capital on Sunday, killing all eight passengers and crew, including an American and a Canadian, officials said. The plane, owned by a Philippines-registered charter service Lionair, had been bound for Haneda, Japan, but burst into flames at the end of the runway around 8 p.m. (1200 GMT), Manila's main airport said. Indonesian carrier Lion Air issued a statement making clear that it is unrelated to Manila-based Lionair.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2yiX0cY

Tom Coburn, GOP ‘Dr. No’ to Senate Democrats, Dies at 72



from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UMF2at

North Korea test fires missiles amid worries about outbreak

North Korea test fires missiles amid worries about outbreakNorth Korea on Sunday fired two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea, South Korea and Japan said, continuing a streak of weapons launches that suggests leader Kim Jong Un is trying to strengthen domestic support amid worries about a possible coronavirus outbreak in the country. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the projectiles flying from the North Korean eastern coastal city of Wonsan into the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan on Sunday morning.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2wAtTBy

Trump Backs Down on Quarantine After Cuomo Warns It Would Be ‘Declaration of War’

Trump Backs Down on Quarantine After Cuomo Warns It Would Be ‘Declaration of War’President Trump appeared to back down late Saturday on the idea of imposing an enforceable quarantine on coronavirus hot spots like New York, deeming the measure “not necessary” just hours after he sparked criticism for floating it as an option. “On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governor’s of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government,” Trump tweeted on Saturday evening. “A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you!”The CDC later released a travel advisory urging New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut residents to avoid “non-essential domestic travel” for 14 days. The announcement came shortly after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned against the proposed quarantine of “hot spots,” saying it would be nothing short of a “federal declaration of war” that would pit state authorities against the federal government. “It wouldn’t just be New York, New Jersey, Connecticut. Next week it would be Louisiana with New Orleans, and the week after that it would be Detroit, Michigan, and it would run all across the nation. I don’t think the president is looking to start a lot of wars with a lot of states just about now for a lot of reasons,” Cuomo said in an interview with CNN. In addition to such a quarantine likely being illegal, Cuomo said, it would cause “chaos” and “mayhem” and only make matters worse during the coronavirus pandemic. The governor said he had not spoken with Trump after the president announced the possibility of a short-term enforced quarantine on “hotspots” of the novel coronavirus, including New York state, New Jersey, and some parts of Connecticut.Immediately after Trump voiced the proposal, Cuomo appeared frustrated with the idea of an enforced quarantine (“I don’t know what that means”) and said the president had not discussed the matter with him when they spoke on Saturday morning.“I don’t know how that could be legally enforceable and, from a medical point of view, I don’t know what you would be accomplishing,” Cuomo added. “I don’t even like the sound of it, not even understanding what it is.”Trump told reporters on the White House lawn on Saturday that he had spoken to Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had complained about New Yorkers traveling south—and bringing coronavirus with them.“A lot of the states that are infected but don’t have a big problem, they’ve asked me if I’ll look at it so we’re going to look at it,” Trump said.“We’re thinking about certain things. Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it’s a hotspot. We might not have to do it, but there’s a possibility that sometime today we’ll do a quarantine, short-term, two weeks on New York. Probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut. I’d rather not do it, but maybe we need it.”The president doubled down on his suggestion in a tweet on Saturday afternoon and in remarks at a Virginia naval base, where he was seeing off the naval hospital ship, Comfort, that is heading to New York. “This does not apply to people such as truckers from outside the New York area who are making deliveries or are simply transiting through,” Trump said. “It won’t affect trade in any way.” He added that “a decision will be made, one way or another, shortly.” The question of whether the federal government has the power to impose restrictions on states has been a source of speculation since the virus has spread throughout the country.Federal laws give the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the authority to prevent the spread of communicable diseases between states by limiting the movement of people who are “reasonably believed to be infected with a quarantinable communicable disease.” However there is no law that grants the president authority to prevent an entire nation’s movements, NBC News reported. Any attempt to do so would likely be challenged in court.Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, has expressed his support for a potential 14-day national shutdown to slow the spread of the virus. “I think Americans should be prepared that they are going to have to hunker down significantly more than we as a country are doing,” Fauci said, stressing the importance of social distancing in the fight against the virus. The top infectious disease expert, however, has not provided any explanation for what such a plan could look like or how it could be carried out.Michael Ulrich, a public health law professor at Boston University, said the federal government would “have to be able to justify that some group is a credible threat to others, and that’s an easier thing to do on an individual level.” He added that it would be “a really hard thing to prove.”Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI), a former Republican who has been a fervent critic of Trump, questioned his power to implement such an order. “Under which authority?” Amash wrote on Twitter on Saturday. As of Saturday, New York reported at least 52,318 cases of the novel coronavirus, with over half in New York City and at least 7,328 in hospital. Coronavirus cases in the United States crossed the 100,000 mark on Friday, making it the new global epicenter of the pandemic. New Jersey reported at least 8,825 cases of the virus, and 108 deaths as of Saturday, while Connecticut confirmed at least 1,291 cases and 27 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University & Medicine tracker. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3armVNz

Saudi Arabia expands lockdown as coronavirus death toll doubles

Saudi Arabia expands lockdown as coronavirus death toll doublesSaudi Arabia halted entry and exit into Jeddah governorate on Sunday, expanding lockdown rules as it reported four new deaths from a coronavirus outbreak that continues to spread in the region despite drastic measures to contain it. The Saudi health ministry said four more foreign residents, in Jeddah and Medina, had died from the virus, taking the total to eight. Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain reported more cases, taking the total in the six Gulf Arab countries to over 3,200, with 15 deaths.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Usr4v6

Off to the cafe: Sweden is outlier in virus restrictions

Off to the cafe: Sweden is outlier in virus restrictionsPeople still sit at outdoor cafes in the center of Sweden's capital. Swedish authorities have advised the public to practice social distancing and to work from home, if possible, and urged those over age 70 to self-isolate as a precaution. Standing at bars has been banned in Sweden, but restaurant customers can still be served at tables instead of having to take food to go.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2WSYZ22