| ICRC donates vital medical equipment to Gaza in coronavirus crisis Posted: 23 Apr 2020 05:59 AM PDT  The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Thursday donated vital intensive care equipment to Gaza hospitals but said they remain underequipped for any wider outbreak of the new coronavirus in the territory. With passage through Gaza's borders tightly controlled by neighbouring Israel and Egypt, only 17 people have tested positive in the Palestinian territory for the novel coronavirus. "The prospect of an outbreak of COVID-19 in Gaza is frightening, given the weakness of the health infrastructure and the dense population of the Gaza Strip," said Daniel Duvillard, head of the ICRC Delegation in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
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| Judge: California can't require background checks for ammo Posted: 23 Apr 2020 07:57 PM PDT  "California's new ammunition background check law misfires," wrote U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez.
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| Meghan McCain asks if George and Kellyanne Conway's 'gross' feuding is their 'kink' Posted: 24 Apr 2020 10:32 AM PDT  Meghan McCain has criticised Kellyanne Conway's marriage, saying that she and her husband shouldn't disagree in public.Ms Conway is a counsellor to president Donald Trump and one of his most high-profile advisors, but her husband, George Conway III, an attorney, often publicly criticises the president.
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| Stained sheets, pills but no clarity on Gillum hotel run-in Posted: 23 Apr 2020 11:26 AM PDT  Photos released by Miami Beach police show what a luxury hotel room looked like when officers found former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum drunk and with two other men. Fire rescue crews and officers were called to the Miami Beach hotel March 13 for a suspected drug overdose. Police say Gillum and two other men were in the hotel room and Gillum was inebriated.
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| Pelosi says Republicans reject science and governance Posted: 24 Apr 2020 10:09 AM PDT  In a press conference on Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized President Trump's suggestion that disinfectant could be used to treat the coronavirus, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's comments that bankruptcy could be an option for states and local governments trying to finance their response to the pandemic. Pelosi said it shows how "Republicans reject science and reject governance."
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| China to prosecute Belize national for Hong Kong 'interference' Posted: 23 Apr 2020 10:17 PM PDT  A Belize national detained in China will be prosecuted on charges of colluding with foreign forces in protest-wracked Hong Kong and funding "hostile elements in the United States", Chinese authorities confirmed Friday. It follows a roundup of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, which last year was rocked by months of massive demonstrations and clashes with police. Authorities in the southern city of Guangzhou told AFP that preliminary investigations into Lee Henley Huxiang -- for financing criminal activities against national security -- had been completed a day earlier.
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| An alarming number of Americans believe a coronavirus vaccine exists and is being withheld Posted: 24 Apr 2020 06:39 AM PDT  Nearly a third of Americans believe that it is either "probably" or "definitely" true that a coronavirus vaccine exists and is being withheld, according to a new study by the Democracy Fund and the UCLA Nationscape Project, in partnership with USA Today. "To see about a third of people give that some level of, 'Yeah, that might be true,' that was pretty shocking to me," said Robert Griffin, the research director at the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group. "That's a pretty dark type of thought to be floating around the public."While there are as many as 150 different vaccines in various stages of development at this point, a COVID-19 vaccination will only be ready in 12 to 18 months "if we're really lucky," Seth Berkley, the head of the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, a global immunization partnership, told AFP on Friday. He added that "one of the challenges" of this particular pandemic is that "we don't know if we can make a vaccine … we have no proof of concept yet."Still, the Democracy Fund/UCLA Nationscape Project study found that many such unfounded beliefs have become widespread among the American electorate, including that some 44 percent of voters think it is probable that the virus was created in a lab, while another 48 percent think the U.S is "concealing" the true number of COVID-19 deaths, a belief that is held by more than half of Democrats."Not all of this is necessarily conspiracy-thinking," argued Griffin. "Some of it might just might purely be misunderstanding or things that people don't know yet, a lack of education."The survey was conducted as part of a large-scale survey of the American electorate, which will be ongoing through the 2020 election cycle. The latest results came from a sampling of 6,300 Americans between April 2 and 8, and has a margin of error of 2.2 percent. You can read more of the results here.More stories from theweek.com The president is unwell The Trump administration reportedly wants control over U.S. Postal Service in return for emergency loan Even Fox News wasn't convinced when Trump claimed his disinfectant injection comments were 'sarcasm'
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| New Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows Trump voters worry less about coronavirus — and take fewer precautions — than Clinton voters Posted: 23 Apr 2020 07:55 AM PDT  Voters who cast their ballots for Donald Trump in 2016 are more likely than voters who cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton to say that they have "cheated" on social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
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| 30 of Hubble's Best Photos for Its 30th Birthday Posted: 24 Apr 2020 09:28 AM PDT |
| Workers volunteered to live in a factory for 28 days to produce millions of pounds of raw PPE materials to make masks and gowns for frontline medical workers Posted: 23 Apr 2020 08:17 PM PDT  Forty-three Braskem America employees volunteered to live in the factory to limit outside exposure to the coronavirus as they made raw PPE materials.
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| U.S. warship heads to port after coronavirus outbreak Posted: 24 Apr 2020 07:45 AM PDT  At least 18 sailors aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer have tested positive for the new coronavirus, U.S. officials said on Friday, dealing another blow to the military as it faces fallout over its handling of an outbreak on an aircraft carrier last month. The Navy confirmed a Reuters report on the outbreak aboard the Kidd, a destroyer that was on a counter-narcotics mission, and said the number of those infected with the virus on the vessel was expected to rise. A Navy spokesman said the Kidd was currently operating in the Pacific.
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| Fox News' Sean Hannity says Americans 'dying to get back to work,' but polls say otherwise Posted: 23 Apr 2020 11:05 AM PDT  Fox News host Sean Hannity said that Americans are "dying to get back to work" on both his talk radio and television shows on Wednesday, despite evidence pointing to the contrary.The comment was made while Mr Hannity was discussing pockets of anti-lockdown protests organised by far-right Facebook groups.
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| New York man and girlfriend quarantining in Mexico are shot and killed Posted: 24 Apr 2020 06:42 AM PDT  Police said at least 20 gunshots were fired at the couple's car as they were driving down a street in Juarez.
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| Coronavirus and smoking: How do cigarettes, pot and vaping affect infections and outcomes? Posted: 23 Apr 2020 04:23 PM PDT  Studies are finding that cigarette smokers are more likely to have severe cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. Many lung doctors say that doesn't surprise them much.
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| Coronavirus: China rejects call for probe into origins of disease Posted: 24 Apr 2020 12:59 PM PDT  Beijing's deputy ambassador to the UK tells the BBC the demands are politically motivated.
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| Unprecedented virus lockdown as Muslims mark sombre Ramadan Posted: 24 Apr 2020 10:08 AM PDT  Mosques stood empty and fast-breaking feasts were cancelled as Muslims around the world began marking Ramadan under coronavirus lockdown on Friday, while a pushback in some countries sparked fears of a surge in infections. Mecca's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, was among those devoid of worshippers as the holy month got under way amid unprecedented bans on family gatherings and mass prayers. A stunning emptiness enveloped the sacred Kaaba -- a large cube-shaped structure in the Grand Mosque towards which Muslims around the world pray -- in the most potent sign of how the daytime fasting month will be a sombre affair across Muslim-majority nations.
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| 10 Home Items We’re Eyeing at the AllModern Sale Posted: 24 Apr 2020 11:17 AM PDT |
| Trump suggests the US could buy plane tickets and fuel in advance as a way to help struggling airlines and oil companies Posted: 24 Apr 2020 11:53 AM PDT  US airlines are receiving aid under the CARES Act, but oil companies have been hit by reduced demand in recent weeks.
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| Mystery of India's lower death rates seems to defy coronavirus trend Posted: 24 Apr 2020 12:43 AM PDT |
| Asia Today: Jakarta suspends passenger flights, rail service Posted: 22 Apr 2020 08:44 PM PDT  Indonesia is suspending passenger flights and rail service as it restricts people in the world's most populous Muslim nation from traveling to their hometowns during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan because of the coronavirus outbreak. The transportation ministry's director general of aviation, Novie Riyanto, said late Thursday the flight ban applies to both domestic and international flights. President Joko Widodo previously banned people from traveling home to celebrate Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of the daily fasting, amid warnings from health experts that Indonesia could face a virus outbreak affecting 1 million people unless it takes stricter measures.
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| After months of norovirus outbreaks at sea, a smoothie is implicated Posted: 23 Apr 2020 10:21 AM PDT  CDC investigators finally traced the norovirus - not coronavirus - illnesses last year back to a smoothie made with frozen raspberries.
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| CDC: Frozen raspberries were culprit behind 2019 norovirus outbreak on multiple cruises Posted: 24 Apr 2020 02:52 PM PDT  Smoothies: Nutritious, delicious – and according to the CDC, the source of a norovirus outbreak that infected hundreds of cruise passengers in 2019.
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| High-Seas Energy Fight Off Malaysia Draws U.S., Chinese Warships Posted: 23 Apr 2020 03:58 AM PDT |
| 12 rangers among 17 killed in attack in DR Congo's Virunga park Posted: 24 Apr 2020 02:47 PM PDT  At least 17 people, including 12 rangers were killed on Friday in an attack in Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the restive east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, an official said. It said that civilians were the apparent target of the attack. Virunga is a UNESCO-listed site which is spread over 7,800 square kilometres (3,000 square miles) over the borders of DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.
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| AG Barr Assures Faith Leaders Administration Will Shield Them from Being ‘Singled Out’ By State, Local Lockdowns Posted: 24 Apr 2020 09:35 AM PDT  During a White House conference call with more than 500 faith leaders on Thursday, Attorney General William Barr assured the participating priests, rabbis, and ministers that the administration is on guard against overzealous state governments intent on "singling out" religious groups with punitive coronavirus lockdown measures.Barr, who spoke for roughly ten minutes, told the religious leaders that, while "Draconian measures" were initially necessary to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, the administration is now working to ensure that those measures are not extended unnecessarily, and will be particularly aggressive in combating efforts to apply them disproportionally to religious organizations."Standing up for liberty is one of our highest priorities, my highest priorities," Barr said, according to a transcript of his remarks provided to National Review by a participant on the call. When reached for comment, the Department of Justice confirmed the participant's description of the call.The attorney general cited his intervention in the case of a Mississippi church as an example of legal action the administration will take to shield religious groups from being targeted by overzealous state and local authorities.The Department of Justice filed a statement of interest last week in a lawsuit brought against the local police department by the Temple Baptist Church in Greenville, Miss. Church officials claim that police officers were dispatched to their April 8 drive-in service and began "knocking on car windows, demanding drivers' licenses and writing citations with $500 fines."The service was held one day after the city banned all drive-in events, in a move that seemed to violate the state's designation of religious services as "essential" so long as they complied with Center for Disease Control social distancing guidelines."So this was a case of singling out a religious community," Barr said.A number of other states, including North Carolina and Indiana, have joined Mississippi in deeming religious services "essential," provided they adhere to social distancing guidelines that are in some cases stricter than those applied to other essential businesses, such as grocery stores. Both states have limited the number of congregants to ten or fewer and in Indiana, the Eucharist must be "pre-packaged" if it is to be distributed at all.Barr told the faith leaders that he has been in close contact with state attorneys general in recent days in an effort to identify any state or local ordinances that place a "special burden" on religious groups, though it's not clear whether the aforementioned restrictions would qualify. After spending the first weeks of the crisis insisting on the importance of social distancing and praising governors for implementing stringent lockdown regimes, the administration began this week to shift its messaging to accommodate the growing sense of frustration among many Americans — particularly those who live in less densely populated areas — who feel they should not be subject to the same kind of comprehensive regulations that have been applied to the residents of major cities.Barr's comments to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt earlier this week seemed to reflect that growing frustration."We're looking carefully at a number of these rules that are being put into place," Barr said. "And if we think one goes too far, we initially try to jawbone the governors into rolling them back or adjusting them. And if they're not and people bring lawsuits, we file statement of interest and side with the plaintiffs."During the Thursday call, Barr extended that line of thinking to religious groups, telling the participants that he believes they will soon be able to hold outdoor services — and even return to indoor worship in certain parts of the country that have not been hit as hard as the major cities. He did not, however, provide any specific timelines."It may be possible to be a bit more liberal about how many people can gather inside…we hope to see a loosening of the restrictions community by community and based on diminution of infection rate," he said.Surgeon general Jerome Adams, who took over the call after Barr finished up, echoed his predecessors' optimistic tone, saying he was "surprised at how well the American people did following guidelines.""It saved lives," he added.
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| Trump directs experts to see whether they can bring 'light inside the body' to kill the coronavirus, even as his own expert shuts him down Posted: 23 Apr 2020 05:07 PM PDT  Trump added that he wasn't a doctor and was "just here to present ideas" after a reporter suggested he was spreading "rumors" that might be dangerous.
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| New North American trade pact to take effect July 1: USTR Posted: 24 Apr 2020 04:41 PM PDT  U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Friday said he has notified Congress that the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement will take effect on July 1, a month later than initially proposed. In a statement, Lighthizer said both Mexico and Canada had taken measures necessary to comply with their commitments under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaces the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Mexico had asked the United States and Canada for a longer transition period for the auto industry to certify that it was meeting new, more stringent North American content rules.
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| Kentucky lawyer arrested for allegedly threatening governor over lockdown Posted: 23 Apr 2020 05:38 AM PDT  Attorney James Gregory Troutman allegedly said on Facebook that he hopes Gov. Andy Beshear would see the same fate as a former governor, William Goebel, who was assassinated in 1900.
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| Coronavirus: Drones to deliver NHS supplies to Isle of Wight Posted: 24 Apr 2020 02:32 PM PDT  A delivery drone trial between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has been brought forward.
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| China buys crude as prices collapse, adding to stockpiles Posted: 22 Apr 2020 07:37 PM PDT  China, the world's biggest energy consumer, is building up stockpiles of crude oil as global prices plunge due to the coronavirus outbreak. The price collapse is battering state-owned oil producers and possibly disrupting official plans to develop the industry but is a boon to Chinese drivers and factories. It gives Beijing a chance to add to a strategic petroleum reserve that is meant to insulate the country against possible supply disruptions.
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| Riots Erupt in Venezuela’s Countryside Over Food, Fuel Scarcity Posted: 24 Apr 2020 09:20 AM PDT |
| Coronavirus FAQ and What You Really Need to Know Posted: 23 Apr 2020 10:53 AM PDT  The virus has been deemed a global health emergency as it continues to spread.
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| 2 notoriously unstable regions of Russia could be sitting on a coronavirus outbreak far worse than they admit Posted: 24 Apr 2020 05:51 AM PDT  Russia's neighbours fear Russia's regions of Ingushetia and Chechnya could be concealing worse outbreaks than what the country is reporting.
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| World leaders launch plan to speed COVID-19 drugs, vaccine; U.S. stays away Posted: 24 Apr 2020 04:17 AM PDT  World leaders pledged on Friday to accelerate work on tests, drugs and vaccines against COVID-19 and to share them around the globe, but the United States did not take part in the launch of the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa were among those who joined a video conference to launch what the WHO billed as a "landmark collaboration" to fight the pandemic. The aim is to speed development of safe and effective drugs, tests and vaccines to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19, the lung disease caused be the novel coronavirus - and ensure equal access to treatments for rich and poor.
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| Deaths and desperation mount in Ecuador, epicenter of coronavirus pandemic in Latin America Posted: 24 Apr 2020 05:21 AM PDT  Dead bodies are lying at home and in the streets of Guayaquil, Ecuador, a city so hard-hit by coronavirus that overfilled hospitals are turning away even very ill patients and funeral homes are unavailable for burial.Data on deaths and infections is incomplete in Ecuador, as it is across the region. As of April 22, Ecuador – a country of 17 million people – had reported almost 11,000 cases, which on a per capita basis would put it behind only Panama in Latin America. But the true number is likely much higher. The government of Guayas Province, where Guayaquil is located, says 6,700 residents died in the first half of April, as compared to 1,000 in a normal year. A New York Times analysis estimates Ecuador's real coronavirus death toll may be 15 times the 503 deaths officially tallied by April 15.In a pandemic that has largely hit wealthy countries first, Ecuador is one of the first developing countries to face such a dire outbreak. Wealth is no guarantee of safety in an epidemic. Italy and the United States have both run short of necessary medical equipment like ventilators and dialysis machines. But experts agree poorer countries are likely to see death rates escalate quickly. Our own academic research on Ecuadorean politics and human security in past pandemics suggests that coronavirus may create greater political and economic turmoil in a country that already struggles with instability. Ecuador's swift responseThe coronavirus outbreak in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city and economic engine, began in February, apparently with infected people returning from Spain. Its rapid escalation prompted panicked officials to impose social isolation quickly as a containment strategy. Ecuador's restrictions on movement are strict and getting stricter. Ecuadorians may not leave their homes at all between the hours of 2 p.m. and 5 a.m. Outside of curfew, the may only go out to get food, for essential work or for health-related reasons. They must wear masks and gloves.President Lenín Moreno has opened shelters to get homeless people off the streets and commandeered hotels to isolate those infected. Public transport is canceled. In Quito, Ecuador's capital, people may only drive one day a week as determined by their license plate. This is the second time in a year Quito residents have found themselves under lockdown. In October 2019, a nighttime curfew was established quell massive protests against austerity measures that were imposed in exchange for a large loan from the International Monetary Fund. The protests, led by indigenous groups, dissipated after President Moreno backed away from austerity – but not before at least eight people were killed. Latin America's looming epidemicEcuador has been more proactive in responding to the epidemic than many neighboring countries. In Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro has largely downplayed the severity of the coronavirus, despite thousands of new COVID-19 infections reported every day. In Venezuela the power struggle between the government of Nicolás Maduro and the opposition government of Juan Guaidó impedes any coordinated pandemic response. Most Latin American leaders who have taken decisive action against coronavirus see stay-at-home orders as the only way to avoid collapse of their fragile, underfunded health systems. Panama is limiting outings based on gender, allowing men and women to leave their homes three days each. Everyone stays home on Sundays. El Salvador's president sent soldiers to enforce a 48-hour full lockdown of the city of La Libertad that prohibited residents from leaving home for any reason – including to get food or medicine.It's unclear how such restrictions can persist in a region with considerable poverty and social inequality. Large numbers of Latin Americans live day-to-day on money they make from street trading and other informal work, which is now largely banned. Hunger threatens across the region. Limits of Ecuador's responseIn Ecuador, where the average annual income is US$11,000, the Moreno government is giving emergency grants of $60 to families whose monthly income is less than $400. And an active network of community organizations is working to provide basic food and shelter the needy, which includes most of the quarter million Venezuelan refugees who entered Ecuador in recent years. Despite its active coronavirus response, Ecuador is unlikely to cope well if the epidemic spreads quickly from Guayaquil into the rest of the country. Ecuador has a quarter as many ventilators per person as the United States. Testing for COVID-19 has largely been outsourced to private corporations, making it prohibitively expensive for most. President Moreno's expulsion of 400 Cuban doctors from Ecuador last year – part of his emphatic shift rightward for Ecuador – has left big holes in its already understaffed hospitals.Ecuador's economy is in crisis after the collapse in oil prices and tourism. And while last year's deadly protests are over, politics – and political unrest – continue to polarize the nation. On April 7 Ecuador's highest court sentenced the popular but divisive leftist former President Rafael Correa to eight years in prison on corruption charges. Correa, who now lives in Belgium, says the charges are fabricated to ensure he cannot run for office again. His conviction increases political divisions during a crisis that calls for unity.Ecuador's death rate is starting to slow after more than a month of lockdown. But the specter of COVID-19 victims lying unburied at home, in hospital hallways, and on the streets, hangs as a specter across Latin America. Guayaquil is a grim forecast of how this pandemic kills in the less wealthy world.[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:
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| DHS explains who will be affected by executive order temporarily suspending immigration Posted: 23 Apr 2020 04:18 AM PDT  DHS Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli details the immigration proclamation amid COVID-19 on 'Fox & Friends.'
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| AP Explains: What Virgin Australia's bankruptcy move means Posted: 22 Apr 2020 09:09 PM PDT  Virgin Australia has become the world's largest airline to seek bankruptcy protection in the weeks since the coronavirus shutdown created a debt crisis. Virgin Australia owed 5 billion Australian dollars ($3.2 billion) and hadn't posted a profit in seven years when the pandemic virtually grounded the aviation industry. Singapore Institute of Technology economist Volodymyr Bilotkach, author of "Economics of Airlines," says small-to-medium European airlines with small cash reserves are similarly vulnerable.
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| Bolsonaro Strikes Back After Key Aide Exit Leaves Brazil Reeling Posted: 24 Apr 2020 03:40 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The resignation of Sergio Moro, the Brazilian judge who gained superstar status for taking down a network of corrupt politicians and CEOs, set off a storm in President Jair Bolsonaro's administration.Pot-banging protests erupted across the country late Friday as the president spoke to refute Moro's allegations that he had tried to interfere with federal police investigations."I was promised carte blanche to appoint all advisers, including judicial bodies," Moro told reporters Friday morning, announcing his decision to quit after Bolsonaro fired Brazil's federal police chief. "I can't go on without ensuring the federal police its autonomy."Bolsonaro called the accusations unfounded and said he was disappointed and surprised at the former judge, who he said he saw as an "idol" in his lawmaker days. As the president spoke, the country's top prosecutor asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation on Moro's claims, which he said could either reveal illicit acts allegedly committed by the president or be seen as a slandering.Markets blew up as investors saw Moro's exit as further proof that Bolsonaro's administration is crumbling as it muddles its way through the coronavirus crisis, with speculation growing that Economy Minister Paulo Guedes may soon be out as well. The real sank almost 4% to as low as 5.74 per U.S. dollar, but closed the day at 5.58 as the central bank repeatedly stepped in to curb the losses. Stocks ended the day 5.5% lower, paring an earlier decline of almost 10%."We see a government that's collapsing in the middle of a pandemic," said Daniela Casabona, a partner at financial adviser FB Wealth in Sao Paulo.The unpredictable behavior and often explosive rhetoric that helped Bolsonaro get elected is proving a liability in the current crisis. The latest data from the Health Ministry shows coronavirus cases stand at almost 53,000, with 3,670 deaths, although health professionals doubt the official tally.Investors were already spooked after the president fired Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta last week. The pair publicly sparred over the best way to tackle the coronavirus crisis, with Mandetta urging Brazilians to self isolate, while Bolsonaro repeatedly flaunted that advice by mingling with supporters and calling the illness "a little flu."Moro's departures reinforces the perception that Bolsonaro's administration has fallen into disarray. The crisis is forcing cabinet members to rethink grand plans to get Latin America's biggest economy back on steady fiscal footing and kick-start growth. Tensions between Guedes and his boss worsened after a stimulus proposal was unveiled Wednesday that the economy minister views as unsustainable, according to people familiar with the discussions.Rambling SpeechFlanked by ministers and allies including Guedes and son Eduardo Bolsonaro, the president spoke for roughly an hour in Brasilia on Friday afternoon. In a rambling speech that mentioned everything from a murdered councilwoman to the presidential palace's heated pool and a swath of allegations against him and his family, Bolsonaro recounted his first meeting with Moro, and how the relationship deteriorated in large part due to the former judge's ego. He stated more than once that appointing positions at the federal police falls to the president, and he needs no authorization to do so."I never asked the federal police to shield me," he said. "I've always given freedom to my ministers. But if I can replace ministers, why can't I replace the head of the federal police? I don't need anyone's authorization."The president also accused Moro of trying to negotiate an appointment to the Brazilian Supreme Court in exchange for replacing the head of the federal police, Mauricio Valeixo. Valeixo was the star judge's right-hand man at the institution that's akin to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Earlier Friday, Moro said pressure to replace Valeixo began building last year for no obvious reason. Bolsonaro's insistence makes clear the shuffle was political interference, Moro said."The change isn't the problem -- the question is why?" he said. "I couldn't accept his departure."The federal police has been carrying out a number of investigations with potential to implicate Bolsonaro's sons, including a probe on the spread of fake news and another on alleged irregularities with their employees at Rio de Janeiro's state assembly. The family has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.Moro worked with Valeixo while helming the sweeping Carwash investigation that saw top executives and political leaders jailed, including former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The push made Moro a national hero among many Brazilians, who dubbed him "Super Moro" and made him the poster-boy of anti-corruption protests. With approval ratings that are higher than the president's, Moro could turn Bolsonaro rival in the 2022 presidential election.His departure is likely to cost Bolsonaro supporters. It could also be an attempt to reshape his cabinet with more like-minded people -- which could include replacing his economy chief as well.Moro's exit "brings up the possibility that Guedes will leave too," said Gilmar Alves Lima, an economist at BMG.Brazilian sovereign bonds were the worst performers among emerging markets on Friday. The 2045 bond fell 3.6 cents to 86.82 cents on the dollar.Plans to support the economy in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic have opened a rift between the president and Guedes, three people familiar with the discussions told Bloomberg News earlier this week. The tensions around market-darling Guedes have made investors even more concerned.BRAZIL INSIGHT: Long U-Shaped Virus Recovery Faces Many Pitfalls"In about a week, we've had the health minister depart, rumors of other ministers potentially leaving and increased political noise," said Jose Tovar, chief executive officer at Rio de Janeiro-based asset manager Truxt Investimentos. "That's too much."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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| No, You Should Not Have or Participate in a Coronavirus Party. Here's What to Know About Herd Immunity Posted: 24 Apr 2020 11:29 AM PDT  Experts warn that rushing to achieve herd immunity to COVID-19 could have deadly consequences.
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| Iran Guards chief vows 'decisive response' after Trump threat Posted: 23 Apr 2020 09:21 AM PDT  Iran's Revolutionary Guards chief on Thursday warned the US of a "decisive response" after President Donald Trump said he ordered the US Navy to destroy Iranian boats that harass American ships in the Gulf. Iran and the United States have appeared to be on the brink of an all-out confrontation twice in the past year. Decades-old acrimony between the two sides worsened in 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew from a deal that gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.
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| Pro-China trolls are doing their best to stoke tensions for Taiwan by amplifying racist claims and spreading misinformation about California leaving the US Posted: 23 Apr 2020 10:37 PM PDT  Maria Repnikova, a political scientist at Georgia State University, told the Sydney Morning Herald the trolling was "bottom-up cyber nationalism."
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