| GOP governor: Hundreds asked about ingesting disinfectants after Trump coronavirus briefing Posted: 26 Apr 2020 08:37 AM PDT  Gov. Larry Hogan said he had to put out a warning after a surge in calls asking about the president's off-the-cuff medical advice at a White House briefing.
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| House Speaker Pelosi says may look at guaranteed income, other aid Posted: 27 Apr 2020 06:36 AM PDT  U.S. lawmakers may need to think of different ways to put money in Americans' pockets if coronavirus aid does not reach enough people and may look at providing a minimum guaranteed income, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Monday. The Democratic House leader was asked if $310 billion in fresh small business aid due to be released by the government on Monday would help enough Americans. "Let's see what works, what is operational and what needs attention," Pelosi said in an interview with MSNBC.
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| 'A new normal': Hilton follows Marriott, Airbnb with cleanliness initiative amid coronavirus pandemic Posted: 27 Apr 2020 10:43 AM PDT  Hilton is partnering with the company behind Lysol, as well as the Mayo Clinic, to better ensure cleanliness in its hotels.
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| China envoy threatens Australia boycott over virus inquest demand Posted: 27 Apr 2020 12:00 AM PDT  China's ambassador in Australia has warned that demands for a probe into the spread of the coronavirus could lead to a consumer boycott of Aussie wine or trips Down Under. Australia has joined the United States in calling for a thorough investigation of how the virus transformed from a localised epidemic in central China into a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people, forced billions into isolation and torpedoed the global economy. In a thinly veiled threat, ambassador Cheng Jingye warned the push for an independent inquest into the origins of the outbreak was "dangerous".
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| After sailing into New York less than a month ago, the USNS Comfort is set to discharge its last coronavirus patient Posted: 26 Apr 2020 09:19 AM PDT  According to a report by ABC7, the USNS Comfort will be discharging its last coronavirus patient on Sunday, April 26 and returning to its homeport.
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| Lives Lost: Virus fells double-lung transplant daredevil Posted: 26 Apr 2020 09:31 PM PDT  Before her double-lung transplant, Joanne Mellady could barely put on a shirt without losing her breath. Mellady, who died of the coronavirus in March, had a bucket list that made her family blush. Before her death, Mellady was talking of a return visit to Alaska this summer and of participating again in the Transplant Games (now postponed).
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| Supreme Court Dismisses NYC Gun Rights Case; Conservative Justices Dissent Posted: 27 Apr 2020 08:00 AM PDT  The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a case brought by three New York City handgun owners challenging a city regulation that prohibited gun owners from transporting their firearms outside the city.The court agreed to hear the case in December, but the city then amended the regulation to allow gun owners to bring firearms to other locations. The Supreme Court ruled 5-3 in an unsigned opinion that the case was moot because the city had amended its original regulation.Conservative justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch wrote in their dissent that the case should not have been dismissed."By incorrectly dismissing this case as moot, the Court permits our docket to be manipulated in a way that should not be countenanced," the justices wrote. Lawyers for the plaintiffs had argued that the case should not be dismissed because the city changed its regulation due to fears that the Supreme Court would use the case to restrict broader gun control measures.Gun rights advocates had initially hoped the court's conservative majority would tip the case in their favor."I believe it will change the way the Second Amendment is applied to everyone who owns a gun in the country," Romolo Colantone, a resident of Staten Island and one of the plaintiffs in the case, said in December 2019.
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| Louisiana officer killed, another wounded; suspect arrested after hourslong standoff Posted: 27 Apr 2020 04:51 AM PDT  Ronnie Kato, 36, was detained after a roughly four-hour standoff in which he barricaded inside a house, police said.
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| More US states begin lifting virus lockdown orders Posted: 27 Apr 2020 01:29 PM PDT  Some Americans can resume going to restaurants, cinemas and nail salons starting this week.
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| Biden challenged to pick a black woman as running mate Posted: 27 Apr 2020 12:51 PM PDT  "Knowing the support that we have always given to this party. We have carried this party for as long as I can remember," said Congresswoman Alma Adams.
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| Venezuela appoints alleged drug trafficker El Aissami as oil minister Posted: 27 Apr 2020 01:16 PM PDT  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday appointed his economy vice president, Tareck El Aissami, who has been indicted in the United States on drug trafficking charges, as oil minister, amid acute fuel shortages across the country. Maduro named Asdrubal Chavez, cousin of the late President Hugo Chavez, as interim president of state oil firm PDVSA, according to the appointments published in the government's official gazette.
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| Hawaii won't reopen anytime soon. Coronavirus stay-at-home order extended through May Posted: 27 Apr 2020 09:47 AM PDT  The islands will keep stay-at-home rules in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
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| China seizes over 89 million shoddy face masks Posted: 26 Apr 2020 02:41 AM PDT  China has confiscated over 89 million poor quality face masks, a government official said Sunday, as Beijing faces a slew of complaints about faulty protective gear exported worldwide. Demand for protective equipment has soared as nations across the globe battle the deadly coronavirus, which has infected around 2.9 million people. China's market regulators had inspected nearly 16 million businesses and seized over 89 million masks and 418,000 pieces of protective gear as of Friday, said Gan Lin, deputy director of the State Administration of Market Regulation, at a press conference.
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| A 'nanofiber' mask fabric manufactured in Oklahoma filters 9 times as many tiny, potentially dangerous particles as a bandana, independent tests show. Here's how you can buy it. Posted: 26 Apr 2020 05:35 AM PDT  Here's what you need to know about an Oklahoma company called Filti that's selling material for homemade masks.
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| US review: Airstrike in Somalia killed, injured civilians Posted: 27 Apr 2020 03:04 AM PDT  An American military airstrike in Somalia more than a year ago killed two civilians and injured three others, U.S. Africa Command acknowledged in a new report on Monday. The deaths, confirmed by an internal investigation, mark only the second time Africa Command has determined that civilians were killed in a military strike in Somalia. The decision comes even as U.S. airstrikes against the al-Qaida linked al-Shabab extremist group this year are increasingly outpacing 2019 totals.
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| Governors urge Trump to keep briefings 'fact-based' after disinfectant comments Posted: 26 Apr 2020 10:02 AM PDT  "I want to say, unequivocally, no one should be using disinfectant ... to fight COVID-19," Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. "Please don't do it."
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| These are the 6 new possible symptoms of the coronavirus the CDC added to its list Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:16 AM PDT  Chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and a loss of taste or smell are the new symptoms added to the CDC list.
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| Whitmer Says She and Biden Are Cut From ‘Similar Cloth’ Posted: 27 Apr 2020 08:34 AM PDT |
| Supreme Court tells U.S. government to pay insurers $12 billion under Obamacare Posted: 27 Apr 2020 07:12 AM PDT  The federal government must "honor its obligations" and pay private insurers $12 billion owed to them under an Obamacare provision aimed at encouraging them to offer medical coverage to uninsured Americans, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday. The 8-1 ruling authored by liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor paves the way for a significant one-time cash infusion for major companies such as Humana Inc, Anthem Inc and Centene Corp. The justices reversed a lower court's ruling that Congress had suspended the government's obligation to make such payments under the Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare.
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| No more bodies on the streets. But coronavirus batters Ecuador with disproportionate force Posted: 26 Apr 2020 10:00 AM PDT  Images of corpses in Ecuador stoked fear of the coronavirus' effect on developing nations. Infections have yet to peak elsewhere in Latin America.
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| Pentagon downplays Iran military satellite as 'tumbling webcam' Posted: 27 Apr 2020 06:30 AM PDT  The head of the US Space Command said the Pentagon believes that Iran's first successful launch of a military satellite into space does not pose any intelligence threat. The Nour satellite placed into orbit on April 22 is classified by the US military as a small 3U Cubesat, three adjoined units each no more than a liter in volume and less than 1.3 kilograms (one pound) each, said General Jay Raymond in a tweet late Sunday. "Iran states it has imaging capabilities -- actually, it's a tumbling webcam in space; unlikely providing intel," he wrote.
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| New Zealand says it has eliminated community spread of the coronavirus but is keeping most restrictions to stop it coming back Posted: 27 Apr 2020 03:08 AM PDT  New Zealand will ease its strict lockdown by reopening some businesses. Officials warned people to stay vigilant to ensure the virus doesn't return.
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| Trump cancels daily coronavirus press briefing – then appears unable to resist Posted: 27 Apr 2020 08:17 AM PDT  The White House cancelled a planned Monday afternoon coronavirus task force briefing, the third consecutive day Donald Trump was not scheduled to appear for what had become his daily – and chaotic – Covid-19 press conference. But, later, his press secretary tweeted that Mr Trump would indeed brief the country on Monday evening."UPDATE: The White House has additional testing guidance and other announcements about safely opening up America again. President @realDonaldTrump will brief the nation during a press conference this evening," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted.
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| Coronavirus is a lurking danger for pregnant women. Congress should act: March of Dimes Posted: 27 Apr 2020 04:00 AM PDT  COVID-19 calls for studies focused on pregnant women and infants. And ensure that every pregnant woman in the USA has insurance and access to care.
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| Over-70s should not be forced to stay in isolation when coronavirus lockdown eased, Sage adviser says Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:34 AM PDT  The over-70s cannot be told to continue isolating once Britain's coronavirus lockdown measures are eased, a Sage scientific adviser has suggested. Last month, Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said older people would be "shielded for their own protection", meaning those aged 70 and over could be asked to stay at home for up to four months to protect themselves from the risk of coronavirus. However, a scientist on a sub-committee of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) board, has called for "more reformed and nuanced" guidance. Susan Michie, professor of health psychology and sirector of the Centre for Behaviour Change at UCL, said: "The guidance is based on averages, and as we know there's huge individual differences for every average. "So there are many 70 and 80-year-olds that are much fitter and healthier than those who are a lot younger. I think the problem is that if people don't perceive the guidance to be proportionate to their own situation there will be problems with adherence, and we now know more about who is at risk and the whole progress of the disease."
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| Saudi eases coronavirus curfews, keeps 24-hour curfew in Mecca Posted: 26 Apr 2020 02:16 AM PDT  Saudi Arabia eased curfews on Sunday across the country but kept 24-hour lockdowns in place in the city of Mecca and neighbourhoods previously put in isolation to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, state news agency SPA said. Outside Mecca and lockdown areas, curfews will be eased between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (0600-1400 GMT) until May 13.
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| Coronavirus impact: Meat processing plants weigh risks of prosecution if they're blamed for spreading infection Posted: 27 Apr 2020 10:54 AM PDT  Tyson Foods recently suspended production at its Waterloo, Iowa, pork processing plant due to a growing coronavirus outbreak among employees. The plant was Tyson's largest, employing some 2,800 workers and processing 19,500 pigs a day. At least 180 confirmed infections originated from the plant, about half of all cases in the county.It's not the first meat processing plant to close. In the U.S., at least eight have halted in recent weeks, affecting over 15% of the nation's pork processing capacity. As a result, pig farmers have begun euthanizing hundreds and potentially tens of thousands of animals that can't be processed – raising fears of a meat shortage on grocery shelves. Managers at essential companies like Tyson considering plant shutdowns over coronavirus are weighing a variety of factors, from worker safety and profits to keeping afloat a US$230 billion segment of the U.S. economy that supplies food for hundreds of millions of Americans.As a corporate and white-collar crime scholar, I believe there's another variable they're weighing: criminal liability. Coronavirus crimePut simply, executives at food companies like Tyson face a heightened risk of criminal prosecution for the decisions they make. This is due to a quirk in American law, known as the "responsible corporate officer doctrine," that allows senior executives in certain industries to be held criminally responsible for wrongdoing at their companies – even if they've never set foot in a plant or factory.In the case of the coronavirus pandemic, potential criminal liability stems from a meatpacking facility sending out a contaminated product and knowing there was an outbreak among employees. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not found evidence that COVID-19 has been transmitted through meat or poultry, public health officials have said that coronavirus strains can live at low and freezing temperatures and on food packaging. And so much about the risks of COVID-19 are uncertain and evolving that companies need to be on their toes. In addition, there's the danger that if plants stay in operation without enough workers, there's a greater risk for other types of food contamination, like of E. coli or salmonella. And the Food and Drug Administration has reduced the number of inspections during the outbreak, which doesn't limit the criminal liability of executives if tainted food reaches a consumer. This means food safety procedures are paramount to keeping the public safe. Executives that don't take steps to ensure those procedures are in place – for example, by keeping processing lines going as usual while employee infections spike – are at risk of ignoring their legal duties and becoming a "responsible corporate officer."Normally, criminal law insists that a defendant must be aware that he's doing something wrong to be held liable. But courts have decided that this element of intent can be ignored in limited situations where the public's health and welfare are at stake – namely, in the making of drugs and in food production. 'Strict liability'Although the responsible corporate officer doctrine is an anomaly in the criminal law, it has a lengthy history. In 1943, the Supreme Court in United States v. Dotterweich found that the president and general manager of a pharmaceutical company was liable for the misbranding of the company's drugs that were later distributed across state lines. In upholding his conviction under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the court stated that there need not be a showing that Joseph Dotterweich knew of the illegal activity. The court reasoned that Congress had balanced the relative hardships that came from imposing "strict liability" on corporate executives who had a "responsible share" in the illegal conduct and those imposed on the innocent public "who are wholly helpless." Dotterweich was found guilty by a jury and had to pay a small fine. Thirty years later, in United States v. Park, the Supreme Court again considered the responsible corporate officer doctrine, this time specific to food distribution. John Park, president and CEO of a national food chain, was charged with violating the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act for allowing food to be shipped from company warehouses infested with rats.Although the contamination occurred in locations Park did not personally oversee, the court found him responsible. The court held that the food act imposes not only a positive duty to seek out and remedy violations but also a duty to "implement measures that will insure that violations will not occur." While this standard is demanding, the court conceded, the public has a right to expect executives to assume such a standard when taking positions of authority that affect the health and well-being of the public. He was required to pay a small fine. While the penalties in responsible corporate officer cases have mostly been minor, some have involved months of jail time. For example, in 2016, the Eighth Circuit not only upheld the conviction of two executive owners of a large Iowa egg production company for not preventing a salmonella outbreak, but also their three-month jail sentences. Relying on the previous Supreme Court rulings, the court in United States v. DeCoster brushed aside arguments that jailing the the owner and his son for a strict liability crime violated the Constitution. The punishment was proportionate and reasonable, the court found, for those overseeing "egregious" safety and sanitation procedures that allowed salmonella-contaminated eggs to enter the market and sicken consumers. Executive dutiesSo what does this mean for executives at American food companies today? While it would be easy for those executives with responsibility over our nation's food supply to defer to others, such as governors or the president, that thinking ignores their own duties – legal and ethical – as well as their own criminal risk.The law is clear that even if an executive is not involved in the day-to-day operations of production, he or she could be held criminally responsible for the distribution of contaminated food. That's one more risk to weigh in the decision to keep the plant doors open. Let's see if it tips the balance. [Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research. Sign up for The Conversation's newsletter.]
Este artículo se vuelve a publicar de The Conversation, un medio digital sin fines de lucro dedicado a la diseminación de la experticia académica. Lee mas:
Todd Haugh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| Under-fire Israeli health minister says wants new cabinet post Posted: 26 Apr 2020 07:55 AM PDT  Israel's Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, whose handling of the coronavirus crisis within his own religious community has been criticised, said Sunday he wanted a different cabinet post in the next government. Litzman, a member of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community hit disproportionately hard by the virus in Israel, informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had "decided not to return to the health ministry," Litzman's office said in a statement. Israeli ministerial portfolios are being divided up days after Netanyahu agreed to form a unity government with his election rival, ex-military chief Benny Gantz, ending an unprecedented year-long political stalemate.
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| The Pentagon releases footage of ‘aerial phenomena’ from the Navy that it says is ‘unidentified’ Posted: 27 Apr 2020 08:22 AM PDT  The Department of Defense released three Navy videos from 2004 and 2015 that it says contain "aerial phenomena" that remains "unidentified."
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| Mike Bloomberg's failed presidential campaign cost him over $1 billion. Here are some of the things the billionaire spent money on, from free booze and NYC apartments for staff to sponsored Instagram posts. Posted: 27 Apr 2020 07:48 AM PDT  Mike Bloomberg paid staffers $6,000 a month (plus perks) while they did work that other campaigns gave to volunteers.
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| Trump Questions Whether U.S. Should Aid ‘Democrat’ States Posted: 27 Apr 2020 09:35 AM PDT |
| Erdogan backs cleric who claims homosexuality brings disease Posted: 27 Apr 2020 01:27 PM PDT |
| E.R. doc on COVID-19 'front lines' died by suicide Posted: 27 Apr 2020 03:18 PM PDT  Dr. Lorna Breen was a "hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department," the hospital said in a statement.
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| The White House is reportedly discussing a plan to replace HHS chief Azar Posted: 26 Apr 2020 04:50 AM PDT  It may seem unlikely that the White House would implement any major departmental leadership changes during a global health crisis, especially in the Department of Health and Human Services, but don't count it out just yet.Though they're indeed reluctant to complete any major shakeups during the coronavirus pandemic, White House officials are discussing a plan to replace HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Politico and The Wall Street Journal report. Criticism of Azar's role has reportedly mounted in recent weeks, especially after Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Rick Bright was moved to a National Institutes of Health position, a transfer which Bright described as a form of retaliation, reportedly rattling some administration officials.President Trump had reportedly expressed frustration with Azar even before the pandemic and ultimately replaced him as the coronavirus task force leader with Vice President Mike Pence. Some names that are being considered as his replacement include coronavirus coordinator Dr. Debora Birx, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma, and Deputy HHS Secretary Eric Hargan, Politico reports.Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said in a statement Saturday that Azar "continues to lead on a number of the president's priorities" and "any speculation about personnel is irresponsible." Read more at Politico and The Wall Street Journal.More stories from theweek.com Everybody Loves Raymond creator highlights the people who stand behind Trump, literally and awkwardly American optimism is becoming a problem Texas governor says some nonessential businesses can reopen on Friday
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| Russia overtakes China with coronavirus cases at 87,000 Posted: 27 Apr 2020 01:10 AM PDT  Russia overtook China in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday, when its tally climbed above 87,000, as pressure rose on the government to consider easing lockdown restrictions for businesses to help shore up the rattled economy. Russia, the world's largest country by territory, has been on lockdown since President Vladimir Putin announced the closure of most public spaces in late March. Anna Popova, the head of Russia's safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, told state television on Monday that, in her view, restrictions should be in place until May 12.
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| Mexico all but empties official migrant centers in bid to contain coronavirus Posted: 26 Apr 2020 02:25 PM PDT  Mexico has almost entirely cleared out government migrant centers over the past five weeks to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, returning most of the occupants to their countries of origin, official data showed on Sunday. In a statement, the National Migration Institute (INM) said that since March 21, in order to comply with health and safety guidelines, it had been removing migrants from its 65 migrant facilities, which held 3,759 people last month. In the intervening weeks, Mexico has returned 3,653 migrants to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador by road and air, with the result that only 106 people remain in the centers, it said.
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| Nigeria to ease lockdown for millions in key cities Posted: 27 Apr 2020 01:06 PM PDT  Nigeria will start easing a coronavirus lockdown covering its largest city Lagos and capital Abuja from May 4, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday. "I have approved a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures," Buhari said in a televised broadcast. More than 25 million residents in Abuja, Lagos and neighbouring Ogun state have been under federal lockdown since March 30 and other states have introduced their own restrictions.
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| Coronavirus can linger in the air of crowded spaces or toilets for hours, study finds Posted: 27 Apr 2020 11:00 AM PDT  Covid-19 can linger for hours in the air of crowded spaces and rooms such as toilets that lack ventilation, according to a new study by scientists who now recommended wearing masks in public. While the transmission of the coronavirus from direct human contact and through respiratory droplets, such as coughing or sneezing, is clear, the potential for airborne transmission is much less understood. The World Health Organisation has said the risk is limited to very specific circumstances, pointing to an analysis of more than 75,000 cases in China in which no transmission from breathing or talking was recorded. However, a study carried out by scientists from the University of Wuhan and published on Monday in the scientific research journal Nature, suggests the virus can potentially remain in the fair or some time in areas with poor ventilation. The study took samples from 30 sites across Wuhan, China, where the novel virus was first reported, including inside hospitals as well as public areas of the city during the height of its outbreak in February and March. It found levels of airborne virus particles in the majority of public areas was too low to be detectable, except in two areas prone to crowding - including the entrance of a department store.
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| A Detroit healthcare worker died after reportedly being denied coronavirus testing 4 times from the hospital she worked at for 31 years Posted: 26 Apr 2020 11:30 PM PDT  "The fact that she got infected by doing the job she did for 31 years and she couldn't get taken care of ... it's sad," her daughter told Fox 2 Detroit.
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| Cuomo hits back at Trump, McConnell over federal aid for states due to coronavirus Posted: 27 Apr 2020 10:11 AM PDT  In a press conference on Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo responded to a tweet by President Trump in which he said the federal government should not be "bailing out poorly run" democratic-led states. Cuomo said this is not the time to be keeping track of who contributed the most money, but said that New York and other states that have been hit hard by the coronavirus and have Democratic governors give more money to the federal government than states like Kentucky. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a republican from Kentucky, said last week that states should consider bankruptcy as a response to financial hardship due to the pandemic.
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| The Latest: Trump: US coronavirus deaths could reach 70,000 Posted: 26 Apr 2020 10:38 PM PDT  — California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state may be just weeks away from "meaningful changes" to its stay-at-home order. — Nevada, Colorado governors will join three West Coast states on issues for reopening society. President Donald Trump is projecting that deaths in the United States from the novel coronavirus could reach as high as 70,000, but says original projections were much higher as he explained why voters should consider re-electing him in November.
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| Supreme Court rules Congress must pay Obamacare insurers Posted: 27 Apr 2020 09:24 AM PDT  The government had insisted it had no obligation to pay — which one lawyer said was "a massive government bait and switch."
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| South Africa Seeks 95 Billion Rand From IMF, World Bank, NDB Posted: 26 Apr 2020 05:35 AM PDT |
| Bill Gates Dismisses Chinese Coronavirus Coverup: ‘It’s Not Even Time for That Discussion’ Posted: 27 Apr 2020 07:16 AM PDT  Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates called allegations that China cost the world valuable time by covering up the origins of the Wuhan coronavirus a "distraction" in an interview Sunday, adding that "China did a lot of things right at the beginning."Speaking to CNN's Fareed Zakaria on Sunday, Gates pushed back on criticism of Beijing's initial response, saying "I don't think that's a timely thing, because it doesn't affect how we act today.""It's not time to talk about that, this is the time to take the great science we have, the fact that we're in this together, fix testing, treatments, and get that vaccine, and minimize the trillions of dollars and many things that you can't even dimensionalize in economic terms that are awful, about the situation that we're in," Gates stated. "So that's a distraction, I think there's a lot of incorrect and unfair things said, but it's not even time for that discussion."> The challenges of fighting Covid-19 in developing countries, how China and the WHO have handled this crisis, and what to make of wild coronavirus conspiracy theories. Pt. 3 of my GPS interview w/ @BillGates: pic.twitter.com/QJJuAR52SM> > -- Fareed Zakaria (@FareedZakaria) April 26, 2020A detailed timeline of Beijing's response to the virus's origins in Wuhan shows that the government gagged the spread of information about the virus for weeks after it had first been noticed, with health officials being warned privately of "a major public health event" nearly a week before the public was alerted to the threat.U.S. intelligence believes that China purposefully misled the global community on the extent of its coronavirus outbreak, with one study finding that the government could have prevented 95 percent of coronavirus infections if it had acted sooner to stem the initial outbreak. Last week, the head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention admitted to state media that the government "knew there must be human-to-human transmission" of the novel virus, despite his organization saying January 15 that "the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission is low."When asked about the World Health Organization's culpability on Sunday, Gates said "basically no," pushing back on President Trump's claim that the organization is "very China-centric.""In the retrospective, we'll see things the WHO could have done better, just like every actor in this whole picture, but the WHO has a strong connection with one country. That country is the United States," Gates stated. He went on to call the WHO a "phenomenal organization that we're more dependent on today, to drive things, than we ever have been."
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| Thailand to extend coronavirus emergency measures, sees improvement Posted: 26 Apr 2020 10:58 PM PDT  Thailand will extend a state of emergency over the coronavirus until the end of May, but will consider easing some restrictions on businesses and public activities as the number of new cases has eased, a government spokesman said. Thailand on Monday reported nine new coronavirus cases and no new local virus transmission in Bangkok for the first time since the outbreak began in January. Concerns over a possible second wave of outbreaks prompted the government's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to recommend extending emergency powers and a nationwide night time curfew for another month.
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| Missing your stimulus check? Posted: 26 Apr 2020 02:50 AM PDT  Here are three of the week's top pieces of financial insight, gathered from around the web:Missing your stimulus check? The rollout of stimulus checks last week was marred by serious snags, said Heather Long and Michelle Singletary at The Washington Post. "Up to 21 million tax filers" who used H&R Block, TurboTax, or Jackson Hewitt did not get refunds "if they received an advance on their tax refund or had the fee for tax preparation taken out of the tax refund." The IRS says it does not have access to bank account information for those filers, though TurboTax disputes that. While the IRS urged those affected to input their account information on the agency's "Get My Payment" portal, many filers who tried to use the site were confronted only with a cryptic message saying their payment status was not available. Some taxpayers also vented about not receiving the $500 allotted for children, while others said checks were going to dead relatives.More bets against the market Many hedge funds are betting the stock market rally won't last, said Karen Langley at The Wall Street Journal. The market rebounded 28 percent in the first weeks of April, but "investors are bracing for the possibility of more volatility" as companies report earnings. Short sellers, who borrow shares and sell them in anticipation of buying them back at lower prices, made $68.1 billion worth of bets last week against the SPDR S&P 500 Trust, the biggest exchange-traded fund tracking the broad index. Nearly a third of all available shares were purchased for the purpose of selling short — the most since January 2016. Fund managers are especially pessimistic about the travel industry; short sellers "have added a collective $797 million to their short positions against Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Marriott, and Wynn over the past 30 days."Forced out of network A patient battling cancer also had to battle with his insurer just to move his lifesaving surgery out of a hospital where he risked COVID-19 infection, said David Lazarus at the Los Angeles Times. David Roe, 29, is fighting stage 4 colon cancer and required immediate surgery. But his surgeon "advised having the operation performed" elsewhere, because recovery "would be too risky in the hospital's intensive-care unit, which was filled with dozens of COVID-19 patients." The other hospital wasn't in network for Roe, however, and his insurer, UnitedHealthcare, said Roe would have to pay the $75,000 surgery bill. The insurer reversed its decision only after Roe's lawyer and California regulators intervened.This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.More stories from theweek.com Everybody Loves Raymond creator highlights the people who stand behind Trump, literally and awkwardly American optimism is becoming a problem Texas governor says some nonessential businesses can reopen on Friday
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| US senator Lindsey Graham believes Kim Jong Un ‘dead or incapacitated’ Posted: 26 Apr 2020 05:33 AM PDT  US senator Lindsey Graham said he believes North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is "dead or incapacitated" following unconfirmed reports of his demise.Mr Graham, an ally of Donald Trump and member of the powerful senate foreign relations committee, speculated that the hermit kingdom would not let rumours of its leader's death go unanswered for so long.
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