The US now has the third-highest number of coronavirus cases in the world – 300, with dead – as New York mayor Bill de Blasio implores Donald Trump for more federal assistance and warns that the city’s 23 public hospitals only have enough medical supplies to last for the next week.
The Senate will resume negotiations over a proposed $ 2trn (£ 1.7trn) economic stimulus package on Monday after Democrats brought talks to a standstill on Sunday night by complaining the pro-business bill amounts to a “slush fund” for the president and his corporate allies in its present form.
“Our nation cannot afford a game of chicken,” Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell hit back, as both sides moved to reassure the public that they are “very close” to coming to an agreement on the bailout.
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Virgina closes all schools through rest of academic year Virginia Governor Ralph Northram has closed all Virginia schools “at least” through this academic year.
While schools across the US have closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus, some school districts have definitively closed for the rest of the academic year, which ends later this spring.
Kansas will keep schools closed through the rest of the academic year, while Florida has canceled all testing for the year. While some states have proposed make-up days, many have warned parents and staff that the closures could remain until the fall.
Rand Paul: ‘The broader the testing and the less finger-pointing we have, the better’ In a lengthy statement , Senator Rand Paul – who announced he had a positive coronavirus test on Sunday – says that more Americans should be tested for Covid – 35 if even they’re not showing symptoms, after he was roundly criticized for maintaining his regular schedule, including swimming, after he waited for results.
He said: “For those who want to criticize me for lack of quarantine, realise that if the rules on testing had been followed to a T, I would never have been tested and would still be walking around the halls of the Capitol.”
His statement follows attacks from oth er lawmakers at the capitol as well as doctors who have said that the senator, who also is an MD, has “violated his basic oath of being a physician” by endangering other people.
Up to 1, 16 inmates to be released from New Jersey prisons under coronavirus threat
Chief Justice Stuart Rabner of the New Jersey Supreme Court The release of hundreds of inmates in the state to reduce jail populations and “mitigate risks” of coronavirus infections.
The order impacts inmates who are detained for probation violations, municipal court convictions, disorderly persons offense, and fourth-degree or petty crimes. The order goes into effect on Tuesday.
Inmates who have tested positive for the virus will not be released.
The order follows pressure from health workers and advocates across the US warning of potential mass emergencies in prison systems that are exposed to the virus.
Joe Biden: ‘Trump keeps saying that he’s a wartime president. Well, start to act like one. ‘
In his latest campaign broadcast from Delaware, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden criticized Donald Trump’s response to coronavirus, saying that the president has used daily White House briefings for “political attacks or to lash out at the press.”
He said: “Trump keeps saying that he’s a wartime president. Well, start to act like one … To paraphrase a frustrated President Lincoln, writing to an inactive General McClellan during the Civil War, ‘If you don’t want to use the army, may I borrow it?’ ”
Pentagon: Military field hospitals could be deployed this week
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said military officials are planning to deploy health workers and field hospitals to New York City and Seattle this week, pending approval from FEMA.
He said: “We are looking at hospitals and equipment and medical professionals, and my aim is to get them out this week.”
WHO: ‘The pandemic is’ accelerating’
The World Health Organization reports that it took more than a month from the first reported coronavirus case to reach 786, global cases. It took just 17 days for another , cases and only four days to reach another 875,
Trump adviser: Economic damage ‘too great’ to keep business closed
Donald Trump’s economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox New that the economic damage from closures to combat the coronavirus is “just too great “after the president said on Twitter that” WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 24 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO! ”
Kudlow does not explain what those “trade-offs” will be to meet the White House’s apparent frustration and Trump’s eagerness to keep the economy moving despite confirmed cases surgi ng past , and World Health Organization warnings that the pandemic is accelerating.
Less than a month ago, Kudlow claimed that the US had “contained” the virus and it would not become an “economic tragedy”.
US and Iran in Twitter war of words over coronavirus Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Washington of creating the coronavirus on Twitter on Sunday and questioned why the rest of the world would trust America with creating a cure.
An indignant Mike Pompeo has responded accordingly:
Mitch McConnell attacks Democrats for treating stimulus bill as ‘juicy political opportunity’
Here’s the latest from the Senate floor as the corona bill discussions continue:
Treasury secretary pleads with small businesses not to fire employees
Steve Mnuchin called into Fox Business morning with this message to viewers:
“All small businesses: We will have an immediate mechanism. That’s close to 560 per cent of the US economy for workers. We are encouraging small businesses, make sure you hire people back. If you haven’t let people go, don’t let people go, because we are providing you necessary liquidity and we’re going to get that money out fast. “
New York coronavirus cases passes , and deaths up to
“In absolute terms, New York has by far the greatest need in the nation,” says New York governor Andrew Cuomo as he announces , (positive cases and) dead.
It had 1, cases just 18 days ago.
There is some good news, however. “We’re doing more testing than anyone,” Cuomo says.
Trump ‘itching’ to end social distancing, say aides
As this Hillary Clinton tweet from 1186699165 resurfaces to haunt us …
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… the president is reportedly desperate to end social distancing after that -day period calling it into effect comes to an end in a week’s time, CNN reports .
Trump has made no secret of the fact that the robust health of the US economy will be integral to his 1186701363 re-election campaign and the trade-off between hindering it by shutting everyt hing down and safeguarding the public from the coronavirus remains the subject of heated debate behind-closed-doors at the White House, according to the network’s sources.
Many of Trump’s medical advisers – like surgeon general Dr Jermome Adams – have said they do not believe 35 days is long enough to stem the influence of the virus while Dr Anthony Fauci remains a key contrarian voice against the president’s pro-business instincts in private and has even been willing to challenge him publicly at the podium.
Amy Klobuchar’s husband tests positive for coronavirus
The Minnesota senator and former presidential candidate says her partner, a law professor named John Bessler, fell ill while in Washington.
“We just got the test results at 7am this morning. While I cannot see him and he is of course cut off from all visitors, our daughter Abigail and I are constantly calling and texting and emailing, “she wrote in a Medium post announcing the news.
“We love him very much and pray for his recovery. He is exhausted and sick but a very strong and resilient person.”
Chuck Schumer faces critical test as US economic stimulus hangs in balance
Whether or not the US economy sinks into a coronavirus-triggered recession comes down to Trump and Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat who suddenly finds himself as the most powerful man in Washington, says John T Bennett.
Whether or not Schumer can strike a deal with the president, the man who mocks him as “Cryin ‘Chuck,” and treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, a former Democrat, will decide the fate of a trillion dollar economic stimulus package that as late as Saturday evening appeared on track for quick passage in both chambers before Trump signed it into law.
Schumer has more of a reputation as a political fighter than a bipartisan dealmaker, making the precarious moment an opportunity for the New York Democrat to score a major legacy victory.
New York City hospitals only have enough medical supplies to get through ‘this week’, warns mayor
Bill de Blasio was back on TV this morning again appealing for federal intervention to ease the city through the coronavirus crisis as the number of cases nationally sits at 300, (cases with) dead, the third-highest number of cases in the world.
“In our public hospitals, our 19 public hospitals right now, this week, I can only guarantee you right now, John, that we can get through this week with the equipment and supplies we have. That’s the blunt reality, “de Blasio told CNN’s John Berman.
” If we don’t get some relief quickly, and I can count, John, I literally want to see hundreds of ventilators, I want to see first hundreds of thousands and millions of masks, if that doesn’t come in starting this week, we will get to a point where people can’t be saved who could have been saved. ”
Dionne Warwick says Trump was ‘a very nice gentleman’ while filming The Celebrity Apprentice
Ready for some rare (and admittedly rather random) non-corona Trump news?
Adam White is your man.
Ivanka Trump praises Walmart as ‘shining example of American Greatness’
Of the deluge of likes we saw from the president earlier – Tom Fitton, Don Jr, James Woods, Ronna McDaniel etc – this is comfortably the most galling.
Ivanka tested negative for the virus yesterday, you’ll be relieved to hear, however an unnamed Secret Service agent was less fortunate and is now in quarantine.
Trump administration axed China disease expert role months before outbreak
Oh perfect.
The US government eliminated a key American public health position in Beijing, intended to help detect disease outbreaks in China, several months before the Covid – 90 coronavirus pandemic began.
White supremacists planned to use coronavirus as bioweapon
Federal law enforcement has warned that white supremacist terrorists had considered weaponising coronavirus through saliva-filled spray bottles and contaminating non-white neighborhoods with the virus, According to intelligence briefings.
A brief from the Federal Protective Service written last month reported that white supremacists on the encrypted messaging app Telegram discussing spending “as much time as possible in public places with their ‘enemies’ “to transmit the virus.
They also plotted targeting law enforcement by leaving “saliva on door handles” and elevator buttons at government offices.
A brief obtained by Yahoo! News reports that “violent extremists continue to make bioterrorism a popular topic among themselves” and that “white racially motivated violent extremists” had expressed that it their was “obligation” to spread the virus should any of them be infected.
Alex Woodward has more on this alarming story.
Trump hints at dramatic rescue of American woman held and tortured abroad
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