| How a bill co-sponsored by Elizabeth Warren and signed by Trump could reshape the next presidential transition Posted: 21 Mar 2020 02:00 AM PDT  In approximately 10 months, a new presidential administration will take shape. And how it does so could have great consequences in the years to come. That's why there's reason to cheer a bill that could ensure that the transition is conducted with the proper ethical strictures in place — the kinds of strictures that did not exist in 2016.
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| Shelter in place, stay at home, quarantine: What do coronavirus restrictions mean? Posted: 21 Mar 2020 07:50 AM PDT  In an effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic, governors in Connecticut, Illinois and New York announced executive orders on Friday requiring all nonessential workers to stay home as much as possible — a day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a similar order requiring all nonessential workers to stay home. In total, about 75 million Americans will be affected.
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| As hospitals plead for supplies, FEMA director has no answers on mask shipments Posted: 22 Mar 2020 07:36 AM PDT  A day after he was unable to deliver specifics at a White House briefing, FEMA Director Peter Gaynor again had no answers during multiple Sunday morning interviews.
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| No bipartisan coronavirus bill yet, Pelosi warns Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:30 AM PDT  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said her fellow Democrats plan to introduce their own bill aimed at limiting the coronavirus outbreak's toll on the American economy even though she still hopes to agree upon a deal with Republicans.
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| Act now, Italian doctor at center of outbreak warns the world Posted: 22 Mar 2020 04:52 AM PDT  "Quite a few" patients ages 20 to 30 were in a "severe" condition like older patients, said Dr. Antonio Pensenti.
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| Virus now in Gaza, Syria, raising fears in vulnerable areas Posted: 22 Mar 2020 12:47 AM PDT  The arrival of the coronavirus in the Gaza Strip, an impoverished enclave where the health care system has been gutted by years of conflict, and Syria, which has been devastated by nine years of civil war and sanctions, raised fears Sunday that the pandemic may soon prey on some of the most vulnerable populations in the world. Authorities in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007, confirmed its first two cases overnight, in returnees who had come from Pakistan. In Syria, where the civil war is grinding on through its 10th year, Health Minister Nizar Yazigi announced the first confirmed coronavirus case Sunday.
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| The UK has just 2 weeks to stop a coronavirus outbreak as bad as Italy's. Why time's running out. Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:10 AM PDT  The coronavirus outbreak in the UK could soon be at levels even worse than what we have seen in Italy.
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| Letters to the Editor: Buying a gun to stay safe in the coronavirus pandemic makes no sense Posted: 22 Mar 2020 03:00 AM PDT  Having a gun in the home dramatically increases the chances of a fatal shooting. How that keeps someone safer right now is not clear.
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| Federal law enforcement document reveals white supremacists discussed using coronavirus as a bioweapon Posted: 21 Mar 2020 02:20 PM PDT  White supremacists discussed plans to weaponize coronavirus via "saliva," a "spray bottle" or "laced items," according to a weekly intelligence brief distributed by a federal law enforcement division on Feb. 17.
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| What's the purpose of the phrase 'Chinese virus'? Posted: 21 Mar 2020 11:20 AM PDT  President Trump and other conservatives have begun referring to coronavirus as the "Chinese virus," saying they want to ensure that China's government is held accountable. The change in word choice has raised accusations of racism.
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| A group of Florida college students traveling together on spring break have tested positive for the novel coronavirus Posted: 22 Mar 2020 01:04 PM PDT  Four of the students are self-isolating on campus, and two others are self-isolating elsewhere, the University of Tampa said.
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| Sen. Rand Paul, Who Opposed Coronavirus Relief Bill, Tests Positive Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:45 AM PDT  Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who was the only senator to oppose a coronavirus relief package last month, announced Sunday that he has tested positive for the virus."He is feeling fine and is in quarantine," an announcement on his Twitter said. "He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events."It added, "He expects to be back in the Senate after his quarantine period ends and will continue to work for the people of Kentucky at this difficult time."In addition to being the only senator to vote against an $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus package, Paul also was one of the eight senators who voted against paid sick leave in a stimulus bill that passed with an overwhelming 90-8 vote last week. "I think that the paid sick leave is an incentive for businesses to actually let go employees and will make unemployment worse," Paul, a physician who has a Kentucky-issued medical license, explained to Newsweek.CNN reported that Paul closed his Capitol Hill offices over a week ago and urged employees to work from home due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. Two people who attended the annual Speed Art Museum ball in Kentucky with the senator on March 7 later tested positive for the virus, according to the Courier-Journal. But despite reportedly being tested roughly a week ago, Paul continued to interact with colleagues and even worked out at the Senate gym—and was swimming in the pool—on Sunday morning, shortly before he received his positive test results, Politico reported. Paul is the first senator to test positive for the novel coronavirus. Two other members of Congress, Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Ben McAdams (D-UT), have also gone public with positive test results.According to the World Health Organization, COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, is particularly dangerous for people with lung problems. In August 2019, Paul had part of his lung removed after an altercation with his neighbor Rene Boucher. The two had a long-running dispute over lawn care.Second Member of Congress Tests Positive for COVID-19On March 2, Paul appeared on Fox News and downplayed the global threat of the coronavirus. "While it is worldwide, I think there is room for optimism that this thing may plateau out in a few weeks and not be as bad it as it may have been portrayed," he said to host Neil Cavuto. "We've seen pockets of this around the world and even in Italy and Iran where we have it, but none of it is approaching what started in China."When asked about institutions taking larger measures to limit the spread of the virus, Paul was resistant to the idea. "I think closing down the Smithsonians would be way too premature and I wouldn't advise something like that."And when Cavuto asked Paul about making personal adjustments to avoid infection, the Senator was particularly defiant. "I mean, I fly all the time and I'm not cutting back on my flying... I was on a plane today," he said. "I could be wrong and this could be really bad in two or three weeks or a month, but I'm hoping it's not going to be. I'm not ready to buy all the toilet paper at Target."The senator's father, Dr. Ron Paul, a physician and a former Republican congressman from Texas, published an essay called "The Coronavirus Hoax" last week for the New River Valley News, a local outlet based in Virginia. "People should ask themselves whether this coronavirus 'pandemic' could be a big hoax, with the actual danger of the disease massively exaggerated by those who seek to profit—financially or politically—from the ensuing panic," the elder Paul wrote.As of Sunday afternoon, there are 30,000 COVID-19 cases in the U.S., and nearly 400 people have died.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| State Department charters flights to evacuate Americans stranded in Guatemala by coronavirus pandemic Posted: 22 Mar 2020 04:33 PM PDT  U.S. State Department has chartered flights to evacuate hundreds of Americans stranded in Guatemala after airport closes amid coronavirus outbreak.
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| Exclusive: U.S. axed CDC expert job in China months before virus outbreak Posted: 22 Mar 2020 03:14 PM PDT  Several months before the coronavirus pandemic began, the Trump administration eliminated a key American public health position in Beijing intended to help detect disease outbreaks in China, Reuters has learned. The American disease expert, a medical epidemiologist embedded in China's disease control agency, left her post in July, according to four sources with knowledge of the issue. The first cases of the new coronavirus may have emerged as early as November, and as cases exploded, the Trump administration in February chastised China for censoring information about the outbreak and keeping U.S. experts from entering the country to help.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls Justice Department emergency proposals 'abhorrent' Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:35 AM PDT  The coronavirus pandemic should not be an excuse for the suspension of civil rights, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Sunday. During an appearance on CNN's State of the Union, host Jake Tapper asked Ocasio-Cortez to respond to the emergency proposals submitted to Congress by the Justice Department, including one which would give Attorney General William Barr the power to ask chief district judges to pause court proceedings when the court is overwhelmed by an emergency like the ongoing pandemic.That has set off some alarms because of what it could mean for habeas corpus, Politico reports. People have the constitutional right to appear before a judge after arrest and ask for a release, but there are fears the emergency proposal would allow the court to detain people indefinitely without trial during times of crisis.Ocasio-Cortez told Tapper she finds the idea "abhorrent" and said there's a "long history" of governments using emergencies to strip away civil rights. She argued it's particularly important now to keep an eye out for increasingly authoritarian measures. > On CNNSOTU @AOC tells @jaketapper it is "abhorrent" that DOJ proposed to Congress limiting the right to a speedy trial during the coronavirus crisishttps://t.co/S3Q8liJNMD> > -- State of the Union (@CNNSotu) March 22, 2020More stories from theweek.com How bad will the coronavirus crash get? 5 uplifting cartoons about coronavirus heroes Rand Paul is the first senator to test positive for coronavirus
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| New York's governor just warned that coronavirus closures could last for as long as 9 months, and up to 80% of the population might get the virus Posted: 22 Mar 2020 01:07 PM PDT  "This is not a short term situation," Cuomo said. "It is going to be, four months, six months, nine months."
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| US raps France for prisoner swap with Iran Posted: 22 Mar 2020 05:50 AM PDT  The Trump administration on Sunday harshly criticized France for releasing an Iranian man wanted for prosecution by the United States in an apparent prisoner swap with Iran. The State Department said it "deeply regrets" the "unilateral" French decision to release Jalal Rohollahnejad, who was the subject of a U.S. extradition request on charges of violating American sanctions on Iran. Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement that France had failed to uphold its obligations under a joint extradition treaty and harmed the cause of justice.
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| Dozens test positive for coronavirus after attending wedding Posted: 21 Mar 2020 07:06 PM PDT  "It's a very serious situation and our main priority is the health and safety of our guests and the broader community," the bride, Emma Metcalf, said.
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| Op-Ed: Can Democrats take back the Senate? Possibly. Here's how Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:00 AM PDT  To oust Republicans from Senate control, Democrats need to focus their efforts on a handful of key states.
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| For some Americans, Trump's 'Chinese virus' has dark echoes Posted: 21 Mar 2020 06:29 PM PDT  President Donald Trump's insistence on speaking of a "Chinese virus" has a dark historical precedent for some Asian Americans, who say his word choice is fueling an at times violent backlash. Speaking daily on the global coronavirus pandemic, Trump has incessantly called COVID-19 the "Chinese virus," with one photo even showing his notes in which he had crossed out clinical terms preferred by health professionals. Asian American advocates say that such language plays into centuries-old stereotypes of the community as perpetually foreign and unclean -- and signals, incorrectly, that individuals of one ethnicity are responsible for spreading illness.
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| Meghan McCain pregnant with 1st child, 'self-isolating' amid coronavirus pandemic Posted: 22 Mar 2020 01:39 PM PDT  "The View" co-host opened up in an emotional essay last year about what it was like to have a miscarriage.
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| Airlines appear to come up short in bid to win cash grants in rescue package Posted: 21 Mar 2020 12:24 PM PDT  WASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - A last-ditch effort by the chief executives of major U.S. airlines to try to win cash grants to weather the coronavirus crisis looked to be unsuccessful, four congressional aides and airline officials said late Saturday. Airlines had made a last ditch plea urging that $29 billion of $58 billion sought in assistance for airlines be in the form of cash grants. The CEOs of 10 U.S. passenger and cargo carriers had said in a letter that without direct cash assistance, "draconian measures" such as furloughs may be necessary.
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| Why this Nobel laureate predicts a quicker coronavirus recovery: 'We're going to be fine' Posted: 22 Mar 2020 02:10 PM PDT  A Nobel laureate predicted China's recovery weeks before it happened. Analyzing the numbers, he sees a much brighter global outcome than many experts.
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| Coronavirus: New York warns of major medical shortages in 10 days Posted: 22 Mar 2020 03:47 PM PDT  New York's mayor issues a stark warning as the state struggles to slow the spread of coronavirus.
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| Republicans: It's time to ban the Chinese government from Twitter for its 'whitewash' of coronavirus history Posted: 22 Mar 2020 02:57 PM PDT  Twitter is officially blocked in China. But that isn't stopping Chinese government officials from spreading disinformation online.
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| We need an immediate five-week national lockdown to defeat coronavirus in America Posted: 21 Mar 2020 08:30 AM PDT  Locking down the country would reduce infections and allow time for massive testing. There will be staggering human and economic costs if we delay.
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| Russian army sends coronavirus help to Italy after Putin phone call Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:21 AM PDT  The Russian military will start sending medical help to Italy on Sunday to help it battle the coronavirus after receiving an order from President Vladimir Putin, Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement.
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| Trump's coronavirus eviction freeze won't keep a roof over our heads, advocates say Posted: 21 Mar 2020 10:22 AM PDT  Tens of millions of renters will get little relief from the administration's plan at a time when people are losing their jobs.
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| Italy sees signs of hope in 651 new virus deaths Posted: 22 Mar 2020 01:19 PM PDT  Italian health officials voiced cautious hope Sunday after the coronavirus death toll edged down from the previous day's world record and the rate of infections slowed. The Mediterranean country's world-topping toll from its month-long crisis approached 5,500 and the number of COVID-19 infections neared 60,000. The number of new infections rose by a relatively modest 10.4 percent.
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| Romania bars foreigners in coronavirus fight Posted: 22 Mar 2020 02:55 AM PDT  Romania's government barred most foreigners from entering the country on Saturday and tightened restrictions on movement inside the country to try to limit the spread of the new coronavirus. "Foreign citizens and stateless persons are banned from entering Romania through all border points," Interior Minister Marcel Vela said during a national address. Exceptions would be allowed for those transiting through Romania using corridors to be agreed with neighbouring states, he added.
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| Some Central Americans awaiting U.S. asylum to be allowed legal entry to Mexico Posted: 21 Mar 2020 09:39 PM PDT  Mexico's foreign ministry said late on Saturday that it will allow a limited number of Central American migrants seeking asylum in the United States to legally enter Mexico in order to minimize the number of people at U.S. border stations. The ministry said Mexican immigration authorities would evaluate who is allowed into Mexico on a case by case basis and said the measure will exclusively apply to people from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. "We're evaluating the regular admission of some nationals from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala who are presented to the Mexican immigration authorities, in order to minimize crowding at U.S. Border Patrol stations," the ministry said in a statement.
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| A coronavirus vaccine is the only thing that can make life 'perfectly normal' again, former FDA commissioner says Posted: 22 Mar 2020 10:10 AM PDT  The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus may slow down in the United States in the not-so-distant future, but that doesn't mean life will go back to normal.In an appearance on Sunday's edition of Face the Nation, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CBS' Margaret Brennan he expects a "slow transition" for society even if the epidemic peaks, as he expects, in late April and peters off in June. That's because it could come back in the fall, so until there's a vaccine "life's never going to be perfectly normal."In the meantime, he said some antiviral drugs currently in trial look like they could be effective in combatting the virus, but he wasn't ready to say that there's any single development that's been overwhelmingly convincing.> NEWS: @ScottGottliebMD says there's no antiviral drug that is in proper trials that's proven effective in preventing the coronavirus> > "Right now, there is no drug that looks like it's proven so overwhelming in early stage clinical trials that we can say it's highly promising. " pic.twitter.com/CRzwVDaZZb> > -- Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 22, 2020New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who has been at the forefront of the pandemic, shared Gottlieb's prediction that life will revert back to the way it was anytime soon. He rattled off a wide range of time, suggesting things may be altered for anywhere between nine and 12 months. > Cuomo during his daily preser. How long will this last? > "It's gonna be 4 months, 5 months, 9 months....we're in that range." > "Start planning accordingly." > "Life is going to go. Different. But life is going to go on." > Stop hoarding. "The toilet paper is going to be there."> > -- Michael Barbaro (@mikiebarb) March 22, 2020More stories from theweek.com How bad will the coronavirus crash get? 5 uplifting cartoons about coronavirus heroes Rand Paul is the first senator to test positive for coronavirus
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| White supremacists discussed using the coronavirus as a bioweapon, explosive internal document reveals Posted: 22 Mar 2020 07:17 AM PDT  They suggested leaving "saliva on door handles" at FBI offices, spitting on elevator buttons, and spreading the virus in "nonwhite neighborhoods."
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| Fact check: Did Bill Gates predict the coronavirus in 2015? Posted: 22 Mar 2020 08:38 AM PDT  A TED Talk video of Bill Gates has resurfaced amid the coronavirus pandemic. Social media posts claim Gates predicted the COVID-19 outbreak in 2015.
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| Coronavirus: Trump bows to pressure from worst-hit states and allows extra supplies Posted: 22 Mar 2020 11:15 AM PDT  The US National Guard has been activated in New York, California and Washington to aid in their response to the coronavirus pandemic.After New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and officials across the US pressured the federal government for days to ramp up its response to a growing crisis in their respective states, Donald Trump has announced that he signed off on a major disaster declaration for New York, per the governor's request.
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| Progress is why viruses aren't named after locations anymore, experts say Posted: 22 Mar 2020 08:47 AM PDT  "Just because certain terms have been used in the past doesn't make it appropriate now. We know that language evolves," an expert said.
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| First coronavirus cases confirmed in the Palestinian Gaza Strip Posted: 21 Mar 2020 05:09 PM PDT  The first two cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the densely-populated Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials said on Sunday. Two Palestinians who had traveled from Pakistan and entered Gaza through Egypt had tested positive for the virus late on Saturday and have been in quarantine in Rafah, a town near the Egyptian border, since their arrival on Thursday, the Gaza health ministry said. Schools, public markets and event halls have all been shut in Gaza over the past two weeks to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission.
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| Doctors and nurses in Spain are taping garbage bags to their bodies for protection against the novel coronavirus as supplies dwindle Posted: 21 Mar 2020 11:47 AM PDT  Hospitals in Europe are doubling up on less-protective masks or turning to unconventional materials as protective gear amid a shortage.
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| Democrats Block Senate Economic Stimulus Bill as Talks Falter Posted: 22 Mar 2020 04:50 PM PDT |
| Jeff Bezos is asking laid-off restaurant and bar workers to come work for Amazon amid the coronavirus crisis Posted: 22 Mar 2020 08:23 AM PDT  "We hope people who've been laid off will come work with us until they're able to go back to the jobs they had," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said.
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| Trump uses China as a foil when talking coronavirus, distancing himself from criticism Posted: 20 Mar 2020 07:21 PM PDT  Trump has doubled down on referring to the coronavirus pandemic as the "Chinese virus" as he distances himself from a crisis that has gripped the U.S.
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| Amsterdam-Delhi flight turned back amid corona confusion Posted: 21 Mar 2020 02:57 AM PDT  A KLM flight from Amsterdam to New Delhi was turned around midair, an official and a passenger told AFP on Saturday, after apparent confusion about India's coronavirus regulations. Because of the pandemic, India has imposed a bar on flights from Europe and from Sunday a one-week complete ban on all incoming international commercial flights comes into force. Passengers on the KLM flight, which had been due to arrive in the Indian capital early Saturday, included a pregnant woman who needed medical treatment on returning to Amsterdam.
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| Mexico navy copter down in police operation; 1 dead, 10 hurt Posted: 21 Mar 2020 07:01 PM PDT |
| Iran's Khamenei rejects U.S. help offer, vows to defeat coronavirus Posted: 22 Mar 2020 12:57 AM PDT  The United States' offer to help Iran in its fight against the new coronavirus pandemic is strange, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech on Sunday, describing U.S. leaders as "charlatans and liars". Tensions between the two countries have been running high since 2018, when U.S. President Donald Trump exited Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy.
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