| Florida man whose 'game changer' coronavirus treatment was touted by Trump is a believer, but warns: Don't try this at home Posted: 26 Mar 2020 06:44 AM PDT  Despite warnings from experts that existing evidence of hydroxychloroquine's effect on coronavirus symptoms is limited and largely anecdotal, President Trump's promotion of the prospective treatment has prompted stockpiling and fatally misinformed attempts to self-medicate.
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| In shadow of coronavirus, Congress contemplates 'one of the biggest rule changes in the last century' Posted: 26 Mar 2020 03:43 PM PDT  The pandemic has left multiple members of Congress in quarantine and led to restrictions on movement that could prevent the House from voting.
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| Spain, Europe's worst-hit country after Italy, says coronavirus tests it bought from China are failing to detect positive cases Posted: 26 Mar 2020 06:44 AM PDT  Spanish researchers found that the tests could identify cases only 30% of the time. Testing delays could hamper Spain's efforts to slow the virus.
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| Chinese arrivals to U.S. plummet in February as coronavirus forces travel curbs Posted: 27 Mar 2020 01:26 PM PDT  Arrival data from the International Trade Administration (ITA) also said the number of Chinese travelers in the first two months of 2020 fell 35.4% to 353,911 from a year earlier. U.S. airlines started extending China flight cancellations https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-united/u-s-airlines-extend-china-flight-cancelations-into-late-april-idUSKBN20703W early in February after the government placed restrictions on travelers who had visited China. The total number of overseas arrivals through January and February also fell 3.8% to 5.29 million, with Asia accounting for the steepest decline due to the coronavirus outbreak that began in China.
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| A 90-year-old woman in Washington state recovered from the coronavirus, and she credits family, God, and potato soup Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:38 PM PDT  Family members of 90-year-old COVID-19 patient Geneva Wood were called to the hospital to say their goodbyes. After seeing them, she recovered.
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| India's coronavirus heroes come under attack Posted: 26 Mar 2020 10:07 PM PDT  Some e-commerce giants have even halted deliveries partly due to the harassment of staff, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi said abuse of hospital workers had become a "huge issue". Reports of attacks and abuse have come from across India, increasing with the imposition this week of a 21-day nationwide lockdown. Sanjibani Panigrahi, a doctor in the western city of Surat, described how she was accosted as she returned home from a long day at a hospital that is treating COVID-19 patients.
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| What you need to know today about the virus outbreak Posted: 26 Mar 2020 05:28 AM PDT  The number of people around the world who have contracted the coronavirus has surged past 500,000, and the United States tops the list, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. The administration agreed last week to close some parks, including Yellowstone, Grand Teton and the Great Smoky Mountains, after requests from the park managers.
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| Coronavirus: Asia's 'shining star' heads for recession due to virus Posted: 26 Mar 2020 10:53 AM PDT  Singapore's sharp slowdown suggests a major contraction for a world economy battling coronavirus.
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| Letters to the Editor: The obvious vice presidential pick for Joe Biden is Michelle Obama Posted: 26 Mar 2020 03:00 AM PDT  The former first lady is admired by liberals and conservatives. Putting her on the ticket would make defeating Trump easy.
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| The stimulus check won't be in the mail for Americans who owe child support Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:26 PM PDT  But back taxes or late student loan payments don't disqualify people from getting the full amount they're eligible for.
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| There's been a coronavirus outbreak aboard a deployed US Navy aircraft carrier, and at least 25 sailors have it Posted: 27 Mar 2020 06:01 AM PDT  The Navy announced the first three cases on Tuesday. By Thursday, the number of cases had jumped to 25, and more cases are expected.
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| Russia confirms coronavirus case in Putin's administration, tightens curbs Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:42 AM PDT  The Kremlin confirmed a coronavirus case in President Vladimir Putin's administration on Friday and the government said measures imposed in Moscow to fight the virus should be extended across Russia. The Kremlin said it was taking measures to stop the virus spreading further after a staff member in the presidential administration contracted the virus. It said the person had not come into contact with Putin, but declined to identify them.
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| 101-year-old Italian man, born amid Spanish flu pandemic, survives coronavirus illness, official says Posted: 27 Mar 2020 10:01 AM PDT  Identified as Mr. P., a 101-year-old man from Rimini, Italy, survived COVID-19, an official from his city told local media.
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| China threatens to strike back after Taiwan deal Posted: 27 Mar 2020 06:37 AM PDT  China has denounced a U.S. act that increases American support for Taiwan internationally.
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| As planned, US-led coalition pulling out of 2nd Iraqi base Posted: 26 Mar 2020 12:33 AM PDT  The U.S.-led coalition on Thursday started pulling out of a second base in Iraq, in line with a planned drawdown of troops, hours after two rockets hit inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. The attack in the Iraqi capital, the seat of government and home to the American Embassy, was the first following a brief lull in violence from earlier this month. Iraqi officials also said the U.S. renewed a sanctions waiver enabling Iraq to import crucial gas and electricity from Iran, but with a shorter deadline.
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| Coronavirus: Mexicans demand crackdown on Americans crossing the border Posted: 26 Mar 2020 09:48 AM PDT  Wearing face masks, protesters blocked the US southern border, telling Americans to 'stay home'
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| Erdogan Urges Voluntary Quarantine as Turkey’s Virus Deaths Rise Posted: 27 Mar 2020 01:08 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced new measures against the spread of the coronavirus, imposing further restrictions on people's movements and banning large gatherings.Addressing the nation from Istanbul late Friday, Erdogan said everyone must observe "voluntary quarantine" or face more stringent controls.The Turkish leader announced all flights abroad were suspended and that intercity travel was banned unless authorized by authorities. Some public areas such as picnic spots will be closed during weekends and large groups won't be allowed in on weekdays. Governors of Turkey's 30 largest cities, including Istanbul and Ankara, were granted greater powers to implement the limitations, he said.Erdogan's speech followed fresh figures that present a worrisome increase in coronavirus cases. Earlier Friday, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Turkey tested 7,533 people over the last 24 hours, diagnosing 2,069 infections. The total number of cases rose to 5,698, while fatalities reached 92, the minister said."People should meet each other as rarely as possible," Koca said. "Working hours, work days and holidays should be arranged."Turkey had its first coronavirus case March 11, while the first fatality occurred March 17.READ: Turkey's Top Businesses Urge Erdogan to Do More on Virus FalloutFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| U.S. warship passes through the sensitive Taiwan Strait amid heightened tensions Posted: 26 Mar 2020 06:44 AM PDT  A U.S. warship passed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, the U.S. and Taiwan militaries said, following heightened tensions between China and Taiwan that have seen Taiwanese air force jets scramble to intercept Chinese fighters.
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| Without any interventions like social distancing, one model predicts the coronavirus could have killed 40 million people this year Posted: 27 Mar 2020 01:05 PM PDT  The researchers warned that governments and individuals must take immediate steps like lockdowns and staying home to stem the impacts of the pandemic.
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| China Supplied Faulty Coronavirus Test Kits to Spain, Czech Republic Posted: 26 Mar 2020 09:23 AM PDT  The majority of rapid test coronavirus test kits supplied by China to Spain and the Czech Republic are faulty, local news outlets reported.Up to 80 percent of the 150,000 portable, quick coronavirus test kits China delivered to the Czech Republic earlier this month were faulty, according to local Czech news site Expats.cz. The tests can produce a result in 10 or 15 minutes but are usually less accurate than other tests. Because of the high error rate, the country will continue to rely on conventional laboratory tests, of which they perform about 900 a day.The country's Health Ministry paid $546,000 for 100,000 of the test kits, while the Interior Ministry paid for the other 50,000.Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Jan Hamacek downplayed the discovery that many of the tests were faulty, blaming it on a possible wrong methodology and saying the kits can still be used "when the disease has been around for some time," or when "someone returns after quarantine after fourteen days.""In my opinion, this is not about some scandalous revelation that it is not working," Hamacek said.Meanwhile, Spain, which has more than 56,000 infected people and more than 4,000 coronavirus deaths, the second-highest number of fatalities in the world after Italy, found that the rapid coronavirus test kits it purchased from Chinese company Bioeasy only correctly identified 30 percent of virus cases, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.The director Spain's Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies, Fernando Simón, said Spain tested 9,000 of the test kits and will return them based on their high error rate.Studies performed on the tests which discovered the high error rate caused the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology to recommend officially that the tests not be used.The Chinese embassy in Spain claimed the Bioeasy products are not included in the products China has been supplying to countries where the virus has broken out.
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| Pope holds dramatic solitary service for relief from coronavirus Posted: 27 Mar 2020 11:54 AM PDT  Pope Francis said the coronavirus had put everyone "in the same boat" as he held a dramatic, solitary prayer service in St. Peter's Square on Friday, urging the world to see the crisis as a test of solidarity and a reminder of basic values. "Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities," he said, speaking from the steps of St. Peter's Basilica into an eerily empty and rainy square before delivering an extraordinary "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) blessing - something he normally does only twice a year. The Vatican called the service "An Extraordinary Prayer in the Time of Pandemic," a sombre echo of an announcement by Italian officials minutes earlier that the coronavirus death toll in the country had surged past 9,000.
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| Opinion: Trump isn't alone in worrying about closing churches during the pandemic Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:12 PM PDT  Christians are debating whether a total shutdown of church services is necessary.
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| 'There's only going to be more': NYC nurse dies after contracting coronavirus Posted: 26 Mar 2020 02:14 PM PDT  Kious Jordan Kelly, 48, suffered from severe asthma, but his sister questions whether his death could have been prevented.
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| Netanyahu rival becomes parliament speaker, signaling deal Posted: 26 Mar 2020 02:51 AM PDT  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief rival was chosen on Thursday as the new speaker of parliament, an unexpected step that could pave the way to a power-sharing deal between the two men as the country grapples with a worsening coronavirus crisis. The sudden turnabout by Benny Gantz, who has spent the past year trying to topple Netanyahu in three bitter and inconclusive elections, appeared to give the embattled prime minister a new lease on life as he prepares to go on trial for corruption charges. It also drew angry criticism from his political partners, who accused him of betrayal, and ripped apart his Blue and White party, an alliance of three anti-Netanyahu factions.
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| Sudden spike in new Tokyo virus cases brings dire warning for Japan Posted: 25 Mar 2020 06:53 PM PDT  Tokyo governor asks neighboring regions to help her lock down a region home to about 40 million people, as experts warn "rampant" infections "highly likely" in Japan.
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| Europe Reaches Libya Breakthrough With Naval Mission Deal Posted: 26 Mar 2020 10:45 AM PDT |
| Cruise-ship workers say they have so much sex that their ships are like college dorms Posted: 27 Mar 2020 07:37 AM PDT  Sex among cruise ship workers is pervasive, current and former cruise ship employees told Business Insider.
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| Coronavirus: People urged not to move house Posted: 27 Mar 2020 04:46 AM PDT  Buyers and renters should delay moving while emergency measures are in place, the government says.
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| India's coronavirus cases tick up, immense lockdown holds Posted: 26 Mar 2020 12:50 AM PDT  India's death toll from the coronavirus rose by six to 16 in the last 24 hours, as the government sought on Thursday to improve basic services to 1.3 billion people locked indoors to slow the spread of the disease. Streets were silent across Indian cities and towns on the second day of a three-week, 24-hour shutdown, as people heeded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call not to step out of homes except in emergencies or to buy food and other necessities. Police have strictly enforced the lockdown even though Modi said essential services would be maintained.
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| Disney World, Disneyland to stay closed indefinitely amid coronavirus pandemic Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:57 PM PDT  DIsney is closing its Florida and California parks will remain closed "until further notice" and will pay employees through April 18.
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| Mosques remain open in Pakistan despite virus threats Posted: 27 Mar 2020 06:59 AM PDT  The country's leading religious scholars have only advised that the old and sick avoid prayers and instructed clerics to keep sermons brief. Tiktok videos garnering hundreds of thousands of likes on social media in Pakistan have called for Muslims to attend mosques despite public health warnings. "Most of the people are terrified," said Islamabad resident Syed Ashfaq Ahmed after visiting a mosque this week.
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| US indicts Venezuela's Maduro on narcoterrorism charges Posted: 26 Mar 2020 07:31 AM PDT  Nicolás Maduro effectively converted Venezuela into a criminal enterprise at the service of drug traffickers and terrorist groups as he and his allies stole billions from the South American country, the Justice Department charged in several indictments made public Thursday against the embattled socialist leader and his inner circle. The coordinated unsealing of indictments against 14 officials and government-connected individuals, and rewards of $55 million for Maduro and four others, attacked all the key planks of what Attorney General William Barr called the "corrupt Venezuelan regime," including the Maduro-dominated judiciary and the powerful armed forces. One indictment by prosecutors in New York accused Maduro and socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello, head of the rubber-stamping constitutional assembly, of conspiring with Colombian rebels and members of the military "to flood the United States with cocaine" and use the drug trade as a "weapon against America."
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| Coronavirus unemployment benefits. Here's who qualifies and how much they get. Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:24 PM PDT  How long do the payments last? What if you worked part time? You got hired but couldn't start your job — are you eligible? And more.
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| Stacks of Urns in Wuhan Prompt New Questions of Virus’s Toll Posted: 26 Mar 2020 10:06 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The long lines and stacks of ash urns greeting family members of the dead at funeral homes in Wuhan are spurring questions about the true scale of coronavirus casualties at the epicenter of the outbreak, renewing pressure on a Chinese government struggling to control its containment narrative.The families of those who succumbed to the virus in the central Chinese city, where the disease first emerged in December, were allowed to pick up their cremated ashes at eight local funeral homes starting this week. As they did, photos circulated on Chinese social media of thousands of urns being ferried in.Outside one funeral home, trucks shipped in about 2,500 urns on both Wednesday and Thursday, according to Chinese media outlet Caixin. Another picture published by Caixin showed 3,500 urns stacked on the ground inside. It's unclear how many of the urns had been filled.People who answered the phone at six of the eight funeral homes in Wuhan said they either did not have data on how many urns were waiting to be collected, or were not authorized to disclose the numbers. Calls were not answered at the other two.Some families said they had been forced to wait for several hours to pick up the ashes. The photos circulated as mass deaths from the virus spiked in cities across the west, including Milan, Madrid and New York, where hospitals were erecting tents to handle the overflow as global infections soar past 500,000, with 24,000 dead.According to Chinese government figures, 2,535 people in Wuhan have died of the virus. The announcement that a lockdown in place since January would be lifted came after China said its tally of new cases had hit zero and stepped up diplomatic outreach to other countries hard hit by the virus, sending some of them medical supplies.But some in China have been skeptical of the accuracy of the official tally, particularly given Wuhan's overwhelmed medical system, authorities' attempts to cover up the outbreak in its initial stages, and multiple revisions to the way official cases are counted. Residents on social media have demanded disciplinary action against top Wuhan officials.China's Hidden Symptom-Free Virus Cases Means Epidemic Not OverMany people who died had Covid-19 symptoms, but weren't tested and excluded from the official case tally, Caixin said. There were also patients who died of other diseases due to a lack of proper treatment when hospitals were overwhelmed dealing with those who had the coronavirus.There were 56,007 cremations in Wuhan in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to data from the city's civil affairs agency. The number of cremations was 1,583 higher than those in the fourth quarter of 2018 and 2,231 higher than the fourth quarter of 2017.Mourning RestrictionsThe families of the deceased may not be able to say a proper goodbye to their loved ones just yet. Wuhan's government issued a statement on Thursday prohibiting individuals in the city from tomb-sweeping activities until April 30, meaning they would not be able to observe the traditional April 4 Ching Ming Festival, or tomb sweeping holiday. Other provinces including Guangxi and Zhejiang have also announced similar restrictions.Two locals in Wuhan who have lost family members to the virus said online that they were informed they had to be accompanied by their employers or officials from neighborhood committees when picking up the urns, likely as a measure against public gatherings."I was told by district government to wait until further notice on when I can pick up my father's ashes," one Wuhan resident using the name "Xue Zai Shou Zhong," meaning "snow in hand," posted on Weibo. "There is a staggered arrangement for urn collecting."Another Weibo user using the handle Adagier said she lost her husband to the coronavirus and had since been contacted by police warning her not to be too emotional -- and to stop posting online."I have only one demand," she wrote. "I want to give my husband a proper burial as soon as possible."For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Italy again reported the highest single-day death toll since the coronavirus outbreak began: 919 deaths. Its cases have surpassed China's. Posted: 27 Mar 2020 10:26 AM PDT  Italy's coronavirus death toll is the world's highest: More than 9,000 people have died, compared with 1,300 people in the US and 3,300 in China.
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| Iran's army sets up hospital in capital as virus toll climbs Posted: 27 Mar 2020 12:29 AM PDT  Iran announced another 144 deaths from the coronavirus on Friday and said thousands more were in critical condition as the military completed work on a 2,000-bed field hospital in an exhibition center in the capital. Iran has reported nearly 2,400 deaths among more than 32,000 cases. Late Friday, Jordan announced its first death from the virus, a women in her 80s who had underlying medical conditions, according to state-run news agency Petras and Jordan TV.
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| Biden reportedly says Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is in his 'top three' picks for VP Posted: 26 Mar 2020 02:58 PM PDT  While reportedly setting up video equipment in Delaware over four days, former Vice President Joe Biden was apparently mulling over possible running mates.Biden told former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) is one of his "top three" choices should he win the Democratic presidential nomination, Mediaite reported Thursday.Reid, who was also a longtime senator representing Nevada, is reportedly nudging Biden toward choosing Cortez Masto as his VP, and Biden's campaign apparently feels she would be a strong choice and could help expand Biden's popularity among Latinx voters. Biden publicly committed to choosing a woman as his vice president if nominated over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), sparking endless speculation over who that woman might be. CNBC says Biden's "business allies" are hoping for Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) or Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), two former presidential candidates themselves. The Washington Post, meanwhile, said Biden's shortlist probably included Cortez Masto, but also named more well-known Democrats like former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Biden's campaign declined to dispute Mediaite's reporting, simply saying he would vigorously vet candidates.New York magazine wrote that Biden is spending his "coronavirus bunker" time "thinking a lot" about a potential VP, and taking lots of calls from supporters and Democratic strategists who are pushing Biden to pick their candidate of choice. None of those calls, however, resulted in much reported information on whether Biden had narrowed his list.Biden told The View on Tuesday his "short" list was between "12 and 15" names, but if his reported statement to Reid is to be believed, he's done a lot of whittling in the past few days. Read more at Mediaite and New York.More stories from theweek.com Trump has never been worse — but his approval is surging. Why? Social distancing is about to get a whole lot harder Trump invokes Defense Protection Act to force GM to make ventilators
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| UAE orders overnight curfew for deep clean, Gulf coronavirus cases rise Posted: 26 Mar 2020 03:24 AM PDT  The United Arab Emirates directed most of the public and private sectors to have the majority of staff work from home, and imposed overnight curfews as a temporary measure this weekend for a nationwide disinfection to combat the coronavirus. Only essential service workers would be allowed out and violators will face fines, a security forces spokesman said in a press conference on Thursday. The UAE has slowly followed other Gulf states in suspending passenger flights and closing public venues such as restaurants and malls.
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| Coronavirus stimulus package: Who will get $1,200 checks and when will they be sent out? Posted: 27 Mar 2020 11:18 AM PDT  The one-time payments are part of a $2 trillion relief package designed to help the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic fallout.
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| Korean Air chief defeats 'nut rage' sister's challenge Posted: 27 Mar 2020 12:43 AM PDT  The "nut rage" heiress who forced a plane to turn back over her macadamias failed Friday to wrest control of the family airline from her brother, in what analysts said illustrated the power of incumbents at South Korea's chaebols. Cho Hyun-ah, 45, whose family control the Hanjin group that includes flag-carrier Korean Air, made headlines worldwide with her furious reaction over an improperly served bag of nuts in first class. A months-long battle for control came to a head Friday at the annual meeting of Hanjin Kal, the holding company for the conglomerate, when Cho and an activist investment fund, Korea Corporate Governance Improvement (KCGI), sought to oust her younger brother Cho Won-tae from the chairmanship.
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| These Republicans Think Trump’s Easter Deadline Doesn’t ‘Make Sense’ Posted: 27 Mar 2020 02:17 AM PDT  Republicans are often keen to follow Donald Trump's lead. But faced with whether or not to go along with the president's Easter deadline to begin reopening the country from the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 GOP candidates are all over the map. Tension over public health measures have begun to play out nationwide as long grocery store lines, closed schools and major canceled events serve as the backdrop for a nation sent reeling by the pandemic on Trump's watch. In the crowded GOP race to replace Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock in Montana, Al Olszewski, a Republican state senator and orthopedic surgeon, emphasized there is no one size fits all approach that works nationwide and isn't predicting "business as usual come Easter." "I am hopeful that we can open up and start opening up our economy come Easter time, but I don't think that it's going to be opened up 100 percent," he said. "I think it should be phased in to try to get us back up to full speed. It'll probably take us two to three months to do so, and it's dependent on successful treatments. It's dependent on the availability of testing."Olszewski said he understands that Trump "is trying to be our cheerleader" and "provide optimism." There's plenty of fear and anxiety in Montana, he said, where people are more worried about their business and taking care of their family than they are of getting sick. "With the president as the cheerleader, I know that he's got people behind him that I'm sure are going to be more measured and will create phases," Olszewski said. "That's just the public health way." There are 11 races for governor on the ballot nationwide in 2020, according to The Cook Political Report, with seven currently controlled by Republicans. But in the four states held at the moment by Democratic governors, some GOP challengers were quick to wrap their arms around Trump's approach as they look ahead to either longshot election chances or contests where they come in already at a disadvantage. "Impossible deadlines to solve impossible problems are what we are all about," North Carolina's Lt. Governor Dan Forest, who is running to oust the state's Democratic governor, said in a statement. "Today's challenge could be our moonshot, our version of the Apollo mission." Experts have derided the timeline and even officials in the administration's pandemic effort have shied away from the president's hope for an April 12 return during the daily coronavirus briefings. "America is a creative, innovative, resourceful and compassionate nation," Forest said in his statement. "Stopping the Coronavirus pandemic and getting the economy up and running again can and must be done at the same time." Republicans in the era of Trump have been loath to break too far from the president, but some incumbent governors facing re-election while leading their respective states through the pandemic on a daily basis were quick to push back on any Easter promises this week. North Dakota may have put on controls later than some places, Republican Gov. Doug Burgum said during a press conference Tuesday, but that could mean those controls remain on longer in the state than in other places "that are relaxing them.""Picking one date for the entire United States likely wouldn't make sense," Burgum said when asked about Trump's Easter timeline.A similar sentiment came across the country from New Hampshire's Republican governor, a state that is a possible pickup opportunity for Trump in November's general election. "What we are not going to do is overly accelerate or loosen regulations just for the sake of the economy at the risk of public health," Gov. Chris Sununu said during a press conference earlier this week. "...So whatever message is coming out of Washington, we're going to take care of New Hampshire first."As the pandemic began to freeze life nationwide, Trump's approach from the White House veered to concerns about a dire economic picture. Whether it came during a Fox News Town Hall held in the Rose Garden or during one of the daily White House press briefings, Trump's fretting about the economy has come sharply into focus as large scale legislation aimed at boosting the economy has been considered in Congress. In recent days, Trump has fixated on the country not shutting down and pushed the idea that an economic recession or depression could lead to death in "far greater numbers than the numbers that we're talking about with regard to the virus." By midweek, his fixation on re-opening the country had moved to the conspiracy theory that reporters were the "dominant force" in the country trying to keep the country "closed as long as possible" so that it would hurt his re-election chances in November. Later that same day, after he had frequently touted a push to reopen the country weeks instead of months, Trump said he wouldn't "do anything rash or hastily." "I don't do that," Trump said. Trump also wasn't specific during Thursday's coronavirus task force briefing when asked about guidelines possibly being extended. "When we're open, as soon as we open, that doesn't mean you're going to stop with the guidelines," Trump said. "You'll still try and distance yourself. Maybe not to the same extent because you have to lead a life."Later on in the briefing, Vice President Mike Pence pledged they would "listen to the very best health experts in the world.""We'll be presenting, this weekend, the president a range of recommendations and additional guidance for going forward," Pence said. "The president's made it clear that in his words he wants to open the country up, but we're going to do that responsibly and as the president told the governors today we'll do that based on the data."A fixation on the economy is shared by some candidates. In Minnesota, one Republican senate candidate urged in a statement Wednesday for his state to "ease" restrictions put in place over the virus next week. "By 'preferentially protecting the medically frail and those over age 60' and letting healthy working-age Minnesotans go back to work, we can avoid extending the very real social—and eventually health—costs of a second Great Depression," Republican Jason Lewis said. The president's response to the pandemic has been described as slow by some, and different Republican and Democratic governors nationwide have implemented their own strict measures in an effort to keep their state's residents safe. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, along with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee have been among the leaders aggressively pushing anti-virus measures. In Washington, one of Inslee's potential Republican challengers in November complained in an interview with The Daily Beast about people not being able to shop at a Best Buy and claimed to take some offense "over all these people that are going crazy over the fact that (Trump's) calling it a Chinese virus.""You need to minimize the number of businesses that are going to be affected, otherwise the economic impact here is just going to be so far off the charts that the cure might be worse than the disease," Washington state senator Phil Fortunato said, echoing a similar statement made by the president. The Republican described Trump's Easter deadline as "sort of ambiguous statements.""It's a guess," Fortunato said. "I mean, nobody knows what to do. Nobody knows how this is gonna go."This Is a Man-Made Disaster, and That Man Is Donald TrumpRead 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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| Catholics allowed to eat meat on Lenten Fridays Posted: 27 Mar 2020 09:18 AM PDT  Some bishops this year are telling parishioners that they've sacrificed enough as the coronavirus pandemic denies people of gatherings, outside entertainment and everyday conveniences.
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| IMF Sees Significant Cut in Sub-Saharan Africa Growth Over Virus Posted: 27 Mar 2020 03:26 AM PDT |
| New York just had its deadliest day since the coronavirus outbreak began Posted: 27 Mar 2020 12:34 PM PDT  In New York, 134 people died from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the deadliest day since the outbreak began, the governor said.
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| U.S. Treasury imposes fresh Iran-related sanctions despite coronavirus Posted: 26 Mar 2020 04:25 PM PDT  The United States blacklisted five Iran- and Iraq-based companies and 15 individuals on Thursday for supporting terrorist groups, its third round of sanctions on Iranian targets in the last two weeks even as Tehran battles the coronavirus outbreak.
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| British Prime Minister Johnson tests positive for virus Posted: 27 Mar 2020 04:23 AM PDT  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the first leader of a major nation to contract COVID-19, but he insisted Friday that he remains in charge of the U.K.'s response to the outbreak. Johnson, 55, said he was tested Thursday after showing "mild symptoms": a temperature and a persistent cough. Health Secretary Matt Hancock was also confirmed to have the virus.
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| 'Like wartime' - Philippine doctors overwhelmed by coronavirus deluge Posted: 27 Mar 2020 05:52 AM PDT  Private hospitals in the Philippines capital Manila have stopped accepting coronavirus patients in the face of surging numbers of sufferers and people seeking tests, the hospitals said. The Philippines has reported relatively fewer infections than many other countries in Southeast Asia, but medical experts say a lack of testing has meant that the scale of the epidemic has gone undetected. "It's like wartime," said Eugenio Ramos, a doctor and head of The Medical City, a Manila private hospital, which was among the first to turn away coronavirus patients.
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