thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Amid anxiety, Georgia lets close-contact businesses reopen

SAVANNAH , Ga. - Some salons , gyms and other close-contact services in Georgia prepared to open Friday as the Republican governor eased a month-long shutdown amid experts ’ warnings of a potential new surge in coronavirus infections and a potent objection from President Donald Trump .
With deaths and infections still rising in Georgia , many business owners planned to remain closed in spite of Gov .
Brian Kemp ’ s assurance that hospital visits and new cases have levelled off enough for barbers , tattoo artists , massage therapists and personal trainers to return to work with restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for appointments Friday at his nail salon in Savannah .
He said that ’ s less than half the customers he would normally see .
But he ’ s also starting back with fewer nail technicians to allow for empty work stations between them .
Huynh ’ s business , Envy Nail Bar , has been closed since March 26 .
But the losses extend beyond just the month he ’ s been shut down .
“ We lost graduations , proms and weddings , ” Huynh said .
“ Already I see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of people don ’ t realize , if the nation stays shut down any longer , there will be severe consequences.
” Kemp ’ s order allowing certain businesses to reopen Friday requires precautions such as screening customers for potential symptoms , providing staff with masks and other protective gear as available and doing frequent cleaning .
The governor has said it ’ s imperative to begin easing his state ’ s economic suffering .
The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that 1.1 million workers — about one-fifth of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the five weeks since the crisis started .
Public health experts have warned that reopening too quickly could trigger a coronavirus resurgence .
Preventing that will require increased testing and robust tracking of infected people ’ s contacts .
Georgia has ranked in the bottom 10 of states for testing per capita .
But the state is showing progress .
Georgia on Thursday reported 7,000 new tests , its highest daily total yet .
Kemp ’ s timeline to restart the economy proved too ambitious even for Trump , who said Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fellow Republican ’ s plan .
Shannon Pengitore , a massage therapist in Marietta outside Atlanta , had a few clients ask for appointments this week .
But she ’ s not ready , saying she hasn ’ t seen clear protocols from the state for protecting herself and her clients .
“ Massage therapy is continual contact with the customer for long periods of time in a small room , ” Pengitore said .
“ If I ’ m not really comfortable with this , what ’ s getting transmitted to them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anxiety.
” Starting Monday , Georgia will allow movie theatres to reopen and restaurants to resume dine-in service — as long as customers are kept at a distance .
Chef Hugh Acheson , who owns three fine-dining restaurants in Athens and Atlanta , said Georgia ’ s conducting too little testing to safely reopen .
He also doubts it would be profitable .
“ If I open up fine dining in midtown Atlanta and ... 25 people show up to dinner because I ’ m brazen enough to do this , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay in business , ” Acheson said .
Bethany Farmer works at an Atlanta yoga studio and tends bar at a burger joint .
She said neither has asked her to return yet , and that ’ s fine with her .
She fears slow business would mean reduced wages , and the virus remains too much of a threat .
“ I could be a carrier even if I don ’ t feel anything , ” Farmer said .
“ I get worried about all the other people I would encounter.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed to this report .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Fight against malaria could be set back 20 years, WHO warns

CAPE TOWN , South Africa - One of the hard lessons the World Health Organization learned during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa was this : Other diseases can be forgotten and take a deadlier toll .
The WHO is now warning that the battle against malaria in sub-Saharan Africa , where it already kills hundreds of thousands of people a year , could be set back by 20 years as countries focus energy and resources on containing the coronavirus .
The WHO said new projections indicate that in a worst-case scenario , 769,000 people could die of malaria in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat it are interrupted .
That ’ s more than double the deaths in the last detailed count two years ago , when more than 360,000 people died , and would be the worst figures for the region since 2000 .
“ We must not turn back the clock , ” Matshidiso Moeti , WHO regional director for Africa , said Thursday .
While health experts express fears that the coronavirus pandemic could erode the global fight against many diseases , sub-Saharan Africa is by far the worst affected by malaria .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s cases and 94 % of deaths in 2018 , the WHO said .
The deaths were mainly children under the age of 5 .
There have already been “ severe disruptions ” to anti-malaria campaigns and access to anti-malaria medication in Africa , WHO said .
The warning came ahead of World Malaria Day on Saturday .
Malaria remains one of the leading killers in low-income countries .
“ I urge all countries to not lose focus on their gains made in health as they adapt to tackle this new threat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa that we lost more people to malaria , for instance , than we lost to the Ebola outbreak .
Let us not repeat that with COVID-19.
” Africa has reported more than 27,000 cases of COVID-19 and nearly 1,300 deaths , according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The continent is at a point in the outbreak that more than one health expert has referred to as the calm before the storm .
“ This means that countries across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to minimize disruptions in malaria prevention and treatment and save lives , ” WHO said in a statement aimed at highlighting the threat malaria still poses .
Immunization campaigns to protect children against measles , polio and yellow fever are also affected , and not just in Africa .
Earlier this month , the Measles and Rubella Initiative said more than 24 countries including South Sudan , Mexico and Bangladesh had suspended immunizations , and that figure could rise to 37 .
More than 117 million children may miss out on receiving possibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen a resurgence in recent years .
Perhaps the most alarming suspension of an immunization program has occurred in Congo , where more than 6,000 people have died in the world ’ s largest current measles outbreak .
The outbreak has lasted over a year , an immensely frustrating development for health officials given that a vaccine was developed more than 50 years ago .

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thetorontostar--2020-04-24--The Latest: HealthPartners furloughs 2,600 employees

BLOOMINGTON , Minn. - The Latest on the coronavirus outbreak in Minnesota ( all times local ) : Another prominent @ @ @ @ @ 2,600 employees as the coronavirus cuts into revenue .
HealthPartners , the second-largest non-profit group @ @ @ @ @ seven hospitals , dozens of clinics and a health insurance business .
COVID-19 has eliminated @ @ @ @ @ financial challenges for health care groups .
Earlier this month Minnesota ’ s largest non-profit @ @ @ @ @ , announced pay cuts for more than 20,000 workers .
HealthPartners employs about 26,000 people @ @ @ @ @ billion in 2019 , the Star Tribune reported .
The Minnesota Hospital Association said hospitals @ @ @ @ @ a financial hit of $ 2.9 billion over the next 90 days due to COVID-19 @


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Meghan’s privacy case against tabloid heard at UK Court

LONDON - A preliminary hearing opened Friday at Britain ’ s High Court in the Duchess of Sussex ’ s legal action against a British newspaper that published what she describes as a “ private and confidential ” letter she wrote to her father .
Meghan is suing the Mail on Sunday and its parent company , Associated Newspapers , for publishing a letter she wrote to her father , Thomas Markle .
The civil lawsuit accuses the newspaper of copyright infringement , misuse of private information and violating the U.K. ’ s data protection law .
Associated Newspapers denies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the letter was presented in a way that changed its meaning .
The company has said it intends to vigorously fight the case .
Lawyers for Associated Newspapers will ask the court to strike out parts of Meghan ’ s case ahead of a full trial of the issues , arguing that allegations of “ dishonesty and malicious intent ” should not form part of her case .
As the hearing opened via video conferencing , Anthony White , a lawyer representing the publisher , told the judge that lawyers for Meghan had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliberate conduct , “ and accused the publisher of ” harassing , humiliating , manipulating and exploiting ” Thomas Markle .
Harry and Meghan were expected to listen in to the part of the hearing conducted by her lawyers .
Thomas Markle ’ s strained relationship with his daughter complicated Meghan ’ s entry into the royal family .
He had been due to walk Meghan down the aisle at her May 2018 wedding , but pulled out at the last minute , citing heart problems .
The former television lighting director has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaining in December 2018 that he ’ d been “ ghosted ” by his daughter after the wedding .
The letter was written three months after the royal wedding at Windsor Castle .
Analysts have compared the legal case to the late Princess Diana ’ s lawsuit over photographs showing her exercising on gym equipment .
The case was settled before it was to be heard .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Kentucky mayor finds woman hiding in his home’s cellar

BOWLING GREEN , Ky. - A Kentucky mayor said he found a woman hiding in his cellar .
Bowling Green @ @ @ @ @ found the woman Wednesday morning after he heard noises and smelled cigarette smoke outside a @ @ @ @ @ WNKY-TV reported .
When he checked the cellar , he told Bowling Green police he @ @ @ @ @ the cellar ’ s doors and a bag with women ’ s leggings .
Wilkerson @ @ @ @ @ went back to the cellar a second time after the electricity in his house went @ @ @ @ @ Daily News reported .
He said a young woman with dark hair told him she @ @ @ @ @ ” before she ran away into the street .
The mayor said he doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ started living in his cellar , but noted she did not steal anything from the @ @ @ @ @ wanted to let people know about about the report before “ a story would come @ @ @ @ @ lady locked up in my cellar .
”


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Countries take different approaches in lifting lockdown

MADRID - Without a tried-and-tested action plan for how to pull countries out of lockdown , the world is seeing a patchwork of approaches .
Schools reopen in one country , stay closed in others ; face masks are an obligation here , a simple recommendation there .
Kids still attend soccer practice in Sweden while they are not even allowed outside in Spain .
In the U.S state of Georgia , gyms , hair salons and bowling alleys were being allowed to reopen Friday even as American hospitals still heave with virus emergencies .
In other parts of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still weeks away .
There is no simple , one-size-fits-all answer .
As governments and scientists fumble around , still struggling with so many unknowns , individuals are being left to take potentially life-affecting decisions .
In France , for instance , the government is leaving families to decide whether to keep children at home or send them back to class when the nationwide lockdown , in place since March 17 , starts to be eased from May 11 .
“ It is hard to decide , ” said Helene Alston , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a son in middle school .
“ I think I will send them back to school because it allows us to restore a bit of normality in our lives.
” But “ we don ’ t want to deliberately put them in a dangerous situation , ” she said Friday .
“ I might change my mind.
” In Spain , parents face a similarly knotty decision : whether to let kids get their first fresh air in weeks when the country on Sunday starts to ease the total ban on letting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will still have to abide to a “ 1-1-1 ” rule : no more than one hour per day , within a 1 kilometre radius of their house and with no more than one supervising adult .
The imperative to reopen is largely driven by economics , with lockdowns bleeding companies and government coffers of cash .
In a trend seen around the globe , roughly 26 million Americans have filed for jobless aid in five weeks , pushing unemployment to levels last seen during the Great Depression of the 1930s and raising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ease shutdowns of factories and other businesses .
But the risk of reopening too much , too fast is possible fresh infection spikes that again overwhelm hospital ICUs .
Japan initially seemed to have controlled the outbreak by going after clusters of infections .
But on Friday , Japanese medical experts issued a stark warning that the country ’ s emergency medicine resources are starting to collapse amid dire shortages of protective gear and test kits .
“ We can no longer operate normally , and in that sense I say the collapse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Takeshi Shimazu , head of Japanese Association for Acute Medicine .
“ I ’ m most concerned about a collapse of healthcare for the critically ill patients.
” The coronavirus has killed more than 190,000 people worldwide , including more than 100,000 in Europe and nearly 50,000 in the United States , according to a tally compiled by John Hopkins University from government figures .
The true numbers are undoubtedly far higher , and new cases are surging in Africa and Latin America as outbreaks subside in some places hit earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up despite warnings from health authorities that it may be too soon to do so without sparking a second wave of infections .
A major meatpacking plant in northern Colorado that closed because of an outbreak that killed four workers was set to reopen Friday after a two-week disinfection , even as some questioned how employees can maintain social distancing inside the facility .
On the economic front , few experts foresee a downturn as severe as the Great Depression , when unemployment remained above 14 % from 1931 to 1940 , peaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered likely to remain elevated well into next year and probably beyond , and will surely top the 10 % peak of the 2008-09 recession .
Janet Simon , laid off as a waitress at a Miami IHOP restaurant , said she has just $ 200 and is panicking over how she will care for her three children .
Simon , 33 , filed for unemployment a month ago , and her application is still listed as “ pending.
” “ I ’ m doing everything to keep my family safe , my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me is falling apart , ” Simon said .
“ But they see it , no matter how much I try to hide my despair.
” Huge lines have formed at food banks from El Paso , Texas , to the Paris suburbs , and food shortages are hitting Africa especially hard .
In Africa , COVID-19 cases have surged 43 % in the past week to 26,000 , according to John Nkengasong , director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The figures underscored a World Health Organization warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 300,000 people in Africa and push 30 million into desperate poverty .
In Muslim communities , the pandemic was casting a shadow over the holy month of Ramadan — marked by daytime fasting , overnight festivities and communal prayer .
Ramadan begins for the world ’ s 1.8 billion Muslims with this week ’ s new moon .
Many Muslim leaders have closed mosques or banned collective evening prayer to ward off infections .
The virus has already disrupted Christianity ’ s Holy Week , Judaism ’ s Passover , the Muslim hajj @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the health crisis has eased in places like Italy , Spain and France , experts say it is far from over , and the threat of new outbreaks looms large .
“ The question is not whether there will be a second wave , ” said Dr. Hans Kluge , the head of the WHO ’ s Europe office .
“ The question is whether we will take into account the biggest lessons so far.
” Leicester reported from Le Pecq , France .
Associated Press reporters from around the world contributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

John Leicester And Aritz Parra - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Knife found in jail cell of accused white supremacist

ROME , Ga. - Authorities said they found a knife in the jail cell of a Georgia man accused of @ @ @ @ @ white supremacist group known as The Base .
The thin home-made knife , also known @ @ @ @ @ found during a random search of Michael John Helterbrand ’ s cell in Floyd County @ @ @ @ @ News-Tribune reported .
Helterbrand was arrested with two other men in January for conspiring to @ @ @ @ @ group .
An FBI arrest affidavit from the arrest said the three men believed killing @ @ @ @ @ group would send a message to enemies of The Base .
Helterbrand has since been @ @ @ @ @ charge because of the knife .
Jail Administrator Maj. Bob Sapp said the knife could @ @ @ @ @ handle that came off a bucket .
The jail is doing an internal search to @ @ @ @ @ in Helterbrand ’ s hands , he said .
Helterbrand , 25 , and the @ @ @ @ @ this case were denied bond this month amid coronavirus concerns .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Climate activists take global protest online during pandemic

BERLIN - Youth groups are staging a long-planned global climate demonstration online Friday because of restrictions on public protests during @ @ @ @ @ student group Fridays for Future , whose past rallies have drawn hundreds of thousands onto @ @ @ @ @ using a livestream to call on world leaders to act against global warming .
Some @ @ @ @ @ to stage very limited demonstrations despite the lockdown .
In Berlin , activists placed thousands @ @ @ @ @ of the German parliament .
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg , 17 , the most prominent @ @ @ @ @ movement , said Wednesday during an online Earth Day event that the climate crisis “ @ @ @ @ @ as the corona crisis but we need to tackle this now , otherwise it will @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Miss watching sports? Cricket final going live  -  in Vanuatu

PORT VILA , Vanuatu - They ’ re ready to go live in Vanuatu .
A tropical island in the South Pacific is very likely to be the only venue in the world hosting a competitive cricket final on Saturday , as most international sport remains shuttered around the globe .
Vanuatu Cricket Association chief executive Shane Deitz is inviting anyone missing live action to tune in to a live stream .
“ It ’ s one of the only live sports around the world at the moment .
We can showcase a bit of cricket for everyone who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Associated Press .
Bored sports fans , he added , “ can see something a bit different .
We can offer some entertainment — that ’ s what we ’ re trying to do.
” The Tafea Blackbirds and the Power Sharks are playing off in the morning in a women ’ s match , with the winner playing the Mele Bulls in the women ’ s domestic league final .
A condensed men ’ s exhibition match starts at 11 a.m. local time ( 0200 GMT ) with the women ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deitz is calling the V.C.G — the Vanuatu Cricket Grounds in the capital Port Vila , on the island of Efate .
They ’ re setting up four cameras and commentary for the online stream on Vanuatu Cricket ’ s Facebook site .
Vanuatu went into lock down late last month as a precaution during the coranavirus pandemic , and was then hit hit by a destructive cyclone on April 6 .
So while they ’ re celebrating a reopening — a lockdown and closed borders meant there were no reported cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work to be done in parts of the island archipelago that are rebuilding in the wake of Cyclone Harold .
The United Nations last week released $ 2.5 million from its emergency humanitarian fund to help thousands of people affected when the cyclone made landfall on Vanuatu ’ s largest island of Espiritu Santo before hitting the Solomon Islands , Fiji , and Tonga .
In Vanuatu , the U.N. humanitarian office said initial reports suggest as much as 90 % of the population in Sanma , the most affected province , lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all schools and almost a quarter of health centres were damaged .
Crops were destroyed and many communities were cut off from help because of flooding and washed out roads .
The cricket association is helping with fundraising for the relief effort at Santos , where it has an office and a lot of keen players .
Cricket is a serious sport in Vanuatu , which has roughly 80 islands and a population of nearly 300,000 .
It ’ s located east of Australia , west of Fiji and north of New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said stars including former Australia captain Steve Waugh and fast bowler Merv Hughes visited Port Vila .
After a decade of playing first-class cricket for South Australia , Deitz moved into coaching initially in New Zealand , then in Bangladesh and has lived for five years in Vanuatu , where he made his international debut as a player in 2018 .
His aim is to keep developing the game and facilities , hoping to make Vanuatu a destination for club teams and national junior teams to practice and play .
The national women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , and most of the players in the squad will be involved on Saturday .
Among them will be Selina Solman , who is captain of the national team .
She has represented the International Cricket Council ’ s global development squad , and has played premier cricket for Deitz ’ s old club the Southern Districts Stingrays in Adelaide , South Australia .
Lining up for Mele will be Valenta Langiatu , a hard-hitting opening bat and a potential star of the future .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Coronavirus shakes the conceit of ‘American exceptionalism’

WASHINGTON - What if the real “ invisible enemy ” is the enemy from within — America ’ s very institutions ?
When the coronavirus pandemic came from distant lands to the United States , it was met with cascading failures and incompetencies by a system that exists to prepare , protect , prevent and cut citizens a check in a national crisis .
The molecular menace posed by the new coronavirus has shaken the conceit of “ American exceptionalism ” like nothing big enough to see with your own eyes .
A nation with unmatched power , brazen ambition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be humanity ’ s “ shining city upon a hill ” can not come up with enough simple cotton swabs despite the wartime manufacturing and supply powers assumed by President Donald Trump .
The crisis turned doctors in the iconic American shining city , New York , into beggars with hands outstretched for ponchos because they couldn ’ t get proper medical gowns .
“ Rain ponchos !
” laments tech entrepreneur Marc Andreessen .
“ In 2020 !
In America !
” It ’ s turned a Massachusetts hospital executive into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deal through a friend of a friend of an employee who heard about a warehouse more than five hours away with masks .
Two tractor-trailers disguised as grocery trucks picked them up , dodged interference from Homeland Security and took separate routes back in case one load got intercepted on highways through the northeast “ pandemic alley.
” “ Did I foresee , as a health system leader working in a rich , highly developed country with state-of-the-art science and technology and incredible talent , that my organization would ever be faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” asked Dr. Andrew W. Artenstein of Baystate Health , who was on hand at the warehouse to help score the booty .
“ Of course not.
” But , he said , “ the cavalry does not appear to be coming.
” At the time of greatest need , the country with the world ’ s most expensive health care system doesn ’ t want you using it if you ’ re sick but not sick enough or not sick the right way .
The patchwork private-public health care system consumes 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But it wants you to stay home with your COVID-19 unless you are among the minority at risk of death from suffocation or complications .
It wants you to heal from anything you can without a doctor ’ s touch and put off surgeries of all kinds if they can wait .
In the pandemic ’ s viral madhouse , the United States possesses jewels of medical exceptionalism that have long been the envy of the world , like the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
For effective diagnostic testing , crucial in an infectious outbreak , look abroad .
To the United Arab Emirates , or Germany , or New Zealand , which jumped to test the masses before many were known to be sick .
Or to South Korean exceptionalism , tapped by Maryland ’ s Republican governor , Larry Hogan , who accepted a planeload of 500,000 testing kits from Seoul to make up for the U.S. shortfall .
The aid was dubbed Operation Enduring Friendship and annoyed Trump , the “ America First ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Special lab chemicals .
Tests .
Swabs .
Masks .
Gowns .
Face shields .
Hospital beds .
Emergency payouts from the government .
Benefits for idled workers .
Small business relief .
Each has been subject to chronic shortages , spot shortages , calcified bureaucracy or some combination .
“ This monumental failure of institutional effectiveness will reverberate for the rest of the decade , ” Andreessen , a tech investor best known for the Netscape browser in the 1990s , said in his company newsletter .
Yet Trump uses his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and talk about his poll numbers , TV ratings , favourite theories about science and the praise he gets from governors , who may be at risk of seeing their states intentionally shortchanged by Washington if they don ’ t say something nice about him .
“ A lot of people love Trump , right ?
” Trump asked himself at the briefing Monday .
He then answered himself .
“ A lot of people love me .
You see them all the time , right ?
I guess I ’ m here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... And I think we ’ re going to win again , I think we ’ re going to win in a landslide.
” Connecticut Gov .
Ned Lamont , a Democrat , found something nice to say about the administration this past week : It ’ s relaxing some regulations .
“ They ’ ve now said you can come up with your own swab , ” he said .
“ One good thing is , the federal government is getting out of the way.
” That is one iteration of American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a national crisis by getting out of the way .
That ’ s what plunged Dr. Artenstein into his great mask caper .
If the Strategic National Stockpile has been of any benefit to Baystate Health in western Massachusetts , Artenstein , the organization ’ s chief physician executive , is not aware of it .
The backup emergency medical supply worked in 2015 , speeding 50 doses of botulinum antitoxin to Ohio when people ate bad potatoes at a church potluck .
One person died , dozens got sick , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But in today ’ s pandemic , the stockpile drained before the peak .
Artenstein and his team were drawn into what seemed like a zero-sum game to keep their doctors , nurses and staff protected with the most basic gear .
Purchases have been known to fall apart at every stage of a transaction over the past six weeks , he said , at times because the federal government has apparently outbid his team for supplies .
So when Baystate Health learned about a large shipment of three-ply face masks and N95 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was time for a road trip .
Baystate Health was using up to 2,000 disposable masks a day and within several days of running out .
Two disguised trucks headed south , several members of a supply team flew down and Artenstein decided he ’ d best go , too , in his car .
“ It was felt by all that a little executive muscle might help in this situation , ” he told The Associated Press , expanding on his account in The New England Journal of Medicine .
Baystate Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the masks and found out that only one-quarter of the original order would be available .
But the team converged at the distant warehouse and verified that the masks were good .
Then two FBI agents , on the lookout for illegal reselling , flashed their badges and began asking questions .
“ They were doing their job , ” Artenstein said , “ and that was fine with me because we were doing our job.
” But passing muster with the FBI was not the last hurdle .
Homeland Security , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks in the shipment should be allocated elsewhere .
“ They had to hoist it up the chain , ” he said of the agents .
“ The wheels turn slowly.
” That took hours .
“ I really was nervous the whole time.
” Driving back on his own with the shipment still in limbo , Artenstein got on the phone to “ try to thaw this frozen structure a little bit.
” Baystate Health ’ s CEO contacted Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts , chairman of a powerful House committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shipment was eventually cleared , and the trucks set off through the Northeast Corridor .
Artenstein got the call around midnight that the masks were coming off the trucks and into hospital inventory .
With that , the acute mask shortage was resolved .
But when Artenstein spoke with the AP , Baystate Health was two days from running out of disposable gowns .
Public institutions are measured by their foresight as well as by their response .
Why didn ’ t you see this coming ?
they get asked when things go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flood a city , a pandemic arrives .
The United States saw this coming 15 years ago and still wasn ’ t prepared .
“ If a pandemic strikes , our country must have a surge capacity in place that will allow us to bring a new vaccine online quickly and manufacture enough to immunize every American against the pandemic strain , ” President George W. Bush said in a call for readiness in 2005 .
The principal goal was “ the capacity for every American to have a vaccine in the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus is , ” said Michael Leavitt , then the health and human services secretary .
Bush announced billions of dollars for a wide-ranging plan for a pandemic like this one .
It accelerated a new method of vaccine research , beefed up stockpiles and steered aid to states to build mobile hospitals and more .
Many of the needs of today were anticipated in a mix of federal and state plans .
Children would be schooled remotely — TV was the medium of choice then .
People would need ready access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine to seek care — in Texas , the plan was to have retired doctors staff phone banks for that purpose .
If 911 dispatchers got sick , librarians would step in .
Colorado parked trailers filled with medical supplies and cots in secret locations .
In emergency simulations , officials in Idaho and Hawaii dispensed M & Ms for antiviral pills .
But for all the creativity and ambition , a year later almost half the states had not spent any of their own money for the preparedness subsidized by Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the Great Recession , more war , more time passing — the federal effort languished , too .
“ Our country has been given fair warning of this danger , ” Bush said at the launch , recalling the lethal 1918 pandemic and bird flu outbreak then spreading overseas .
Americans have “ time to prepare.
” But foresight became a thing of the past .
And to hear Trump , it ’ s as if it never existed .
“ Unforeseen problem , ” Trump says of the pandemic .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is something , ” he said , “ that you can never really think is going to happen.
” Associated Press writers Lauran Neergaard in Washington , Ted Anthony in Pittsburgh and Aya Batrawy in Dubai , United Arab Emirates , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Pandemic forces Arctic expedition to take 3-week break

BERLIN - Organizers of a year-long international Arctic science expedition say they have found a way to keep going despite difficulties caused by the pandemic lockdown , but it will require a three-week break in the mission .
Germany ’ s Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Ocean Research said Friday that the expedition ship RV Polarstern will leave its position in the high Arctic , breaking through the surrounding sea ice to rendezvous with two German vessels bringing fresh supplies and crew .
The manoeuvr is necessary because travel restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship from Norway impossible .
Expedition leader Markus Rex told The Associated Press that the lockdown could have scuttled the remainder of the mission .
“ For a long time it was on a knife edge and there was even a possibility that the expedition might have to be broken off , ” he said .
The 140-million-euro ( $ 158 million ) expedition set out last September with 100 scientists and crew from 17 nations on board .
Its goal is to study the impact of global warming on the Arctic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the climate will change worldwide .
Rex said expedition members will have to pause numerous scientific measurements during the three-week supply run , but that this was preferable to abandoning the mission entirely .
“ In view of the massive challenge caused by the global pandemic we ’ re very glad that we can do this , “ he said , adding that the expedition should be able to continue until October as planned .
Seven team members were flown out Wednesday using two Twin Otter aircraft from Canada , but the planes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger crew rotation and resupply required , Rex added .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--N.C. woman sentenced for impersonating FBI Agent on date

CHARLOTTE , N.C. - A North Carolina woman was sentenced to three years in prison for impersonating an FBI agent @ @ @ @ @ , and on a date .
Riane Brownlee , who identified herself as Agent Alexandria @ @ @ @ @ dating profile with a fake FBI badge and a stolen gun , the U.S. Attorney @ @ @ @ @ Western District of North Carolina said Thursday in a news release .
Brownlee had prior @ @ @ @ @ including identity theft .
The day she got arrested in February 2019 , she told @ @ @ @ @ as an undercover agent in a drug case without the awareness of law enforcement .
@ @ @ @ @ picture of a person who will not be stopped from stealing people ’ s identity @ @ @ @ @ what she wants , ” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Kaufmann .
Authorities said Brownlee @ @ @ @ @ driving a stolen car when she got arrested .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Minister: COVID-19 outbreak in Istanbul now under control

ISTANBUL - Turkey ’ s health minister has compared the city of Istanbul to Wuhan — the Chinese city where the novel coronavirus first emerged — as epicenter of infections in Turkey .
“ Turkey ’ s Wuhan was Istanbul , ” Fahrettin Koca told a columnist from the pro-government Sabah newspaper in an interview published Friday .
Koca claimed the spread of COVID-19 in Istanbul was brought under control through contact tracing executed by a team of experts , and early treatment .
“ They followed trails like medical detectives , ” he said and argued it would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The latest official figures show 101,790 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Turkey and 2,491 people have died .
The country ranks seventh in the world in the number of confirmed infections , surpassing Iran and China , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Experts say the true toll of the pandemic around the world is much higher than the Johns Hopkins tally , due in part to limited testing and difficulties in counting the dead in the midst of a crisis .
Nearly 800,000 people have been tested for COVID-19 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 83 million .
The highest number of cases is in Istanbul , the health minister said earlier in April .
Istanbul is Turkey ’ s largest city with over 15 million residents and is in the second day of a four-day lockdown along with 30 other provinces .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’ s government has refrained from imposing a total lockdown , fearing its negative impact on the already fragile economy .
It has opted for piecemeal measures instead , including weekend curfews and banning people above the age of 65 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving their homes .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Fitch lowers outlook of Greece’s credit rating to stable

ATHENS , Greece - Fitch ratings agency has lowered its outlook on Greece ’ s credit rating , from positive to stable , amid the financial impact the coronavirus measures are taking on the country ’ s economy .
In its report issued late Thursday night , the ratings agency did not downgrade Greece ’ s credit rating , leaving it at the BB level it had upgraded it to in January .
Greece has been gradually emerging from a decade-long financial crisis that wiped out a quarter of its economy , and its credit rating is still two to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rating agencies , although it has seen some upgrades .
Fitch ’ s lowering of its outlook indicates it is unlikely to upgrade the country ’ s rating again soon .
Greece saw its ratings plunge in 2010 , when it was revealed that key financial data had been misreported and the budget deficit would be several times the initial forecast .
The country lost market access as investors shunned its bonds , and was forced to sign a series of international bailouts to keep afloat .
Fitch said its revision of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact of the COVID-19 crisis on economic activity , the public finances and external accounts.
” The ratings agency expects Greece ’ s gross domestic product to fall by 8.1 % this year , “ reflecting the necessary restrictive measures to slow the spread of the pandemic , the global recession and sharp fall in tourism , ” which is a major industry in the country .
It said it expects “ some recovery in activity ” in the second half of 2020 and in 2021 , and predicted GDP growth reaching 5.1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the fall in GDP and subsequent recovery are highly uncertain .
There are downside risks to our projections around the extent and duration of the coronavirus outbreak , ” Fitch said .
“ Prolonged lockdown periods or a second wave of infections in Greece and other European countries would imply much larger declines in output in 2020 and a weaker recovery in 2021 .
”


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Asian shares lower as Wall St rally fizzles amid virus fears

TOKYO - Asian shares are lower Friday after an early rally on Wall Street suddenly vanished , the latest example of how fragile the hopes underpinning the stock market ’ s monthlong recovery are .
Japan ’ s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.9 % to finish at 19,262.00 .
South Korea ’ s Kospi lost 1.3 % to 1,889.01 , while Australia ’ s S & P/ASX 200 climbed 0.5 % to 5,242.60 .
Hong Kong ’ s Hang Seng fell 0.4 % to 23,878.54 , while the Shanghai Composite lost 1.1 % to 2,808.53 .
In India , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shares fell in Taiwan and Southeast Asia .
Investor sentiment was back in fragility mode as attention again shifted to the economic damage the world is likely to suffer because of the pandemic , says Prakash Sakpal and Nicholas Mapa , economists at ING .
“ Investors will continue to be monitoring developments on the COVID-19 front with a setback on clinical testing for a treatment to the virus .
Meanwhile , the U.S. passed a fresh round of stimulus while oil prices continued to inch up slightly , ” they said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the S & P 500 flipped between gains and losses , ending the day down 0.1 % .
It ’ s a microcosm of the extreme swings that have gripped markets for months , as investors struggle to set prices for where corporate profits and the economy will be months from now .
The S & P 500 has skidded by a third from its record in February until a month ago , and since then has roughly halved its losses on a series of tenuous hopes — of businesses reopening , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and of possible treatments for COVID-19 .
A report from the Financial Times on Thursday afternoon undercut that third hope .
It said a potential antiviral drug flopped in a Chinese clinical trial , citing documents published accidentally by the World Health Organization .
The study said the sample size was too small to draw scientifically valid conclusions and ended early .
The Foster City , Calif.-based company behind the drug , Gilead Sciences , said the data represented “ inappropriate characterizations ” of the China study .
Gilead ’ s shares flipped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4.3 % loss after the report .
It also helped topple the market .
The S & P 500 finished at 2,797.80 , down 1.51 points .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2 % to 23,515.26 after losing almost all of a 409-point gain .
The Nasdaq composite slipped 0.63 points to 8,494.75 .
“ It should be expected — even as we are optimistic , and we see signs of progress in treatment , testing and vaccines — that there ’ s going to be some forward and some backsliding , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Edward Jones .
She said investors are still encouraged by signs of progress in some places that are seeing fewer new patients and deaths .
“ The risk is that these fundamentals that we ’ re seeing now that are dastardly , just terrible and reflective of the economy really going into a sudden stop , last longer than what the markets currently anticipate , ” she said .
“ That uncertainty will cause volatility , even if the overall trajectory in the market is positive.
” Preliminary data on manufacturing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States came in even weaker than economists expected , as did a report on sales of new U.S. homes .
The headliner , though , was job losses .
Another 4.4 million U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits last week , raising the total over the last five weeks to 26 million , or roughly one in six U.S. workers .
Analysts said investors may have found some encouragement in a dip from the prior week ’ s 5.2 million or were looking past the dismal data because they fully expected it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they ’ re reported , it ’ s almost like a sigh of relief that they aren ’ t higher , ” said Scott Wren , senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute .
U.S. benchmark crude rose 11 cents to $ 16.61 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
It rose 19.7 % to settle at $ 16.50 a barrel .
It has recovered after falling below $ 12 Monday , though it remains well below the roughly $ 60 level where it began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international standard , rose 23 cents to $ 25.02 a barrel .
The dollar inched up to 107.69 Japanese yen from 107.50 yen Thursday .
The euro inched down to $ 1.0745 from $ 1.0777 .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Brazil becoming coronavirus hot spot as testing falters

RIO DE JANEIRO - Cases of the new coronavirus are overwhelming hospitals , morgues and cemeteries across Brazil as Latin America ’ s largest nation veers closer to becoming one of the world ’ s pandemic hot spots .
Medical officials in Rio de Janeiro and at least four other major cities have warned that their hospital systems are on the verge of collapse , or already too overwhelmed to take any more patients .
Health experts expect the number of infections in the country of 211 million people will be much higher than what has been reported because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Jair Bolsonaro has shown no sign of wavering from his insistence that COVID-19 is a relatively minor disease and that broad social-distancing measures are not needed to stop it .
He has said only Brazilians at high risk should be isolated .
In Manaus , the biggest city in the Amazon , officials said a cemetery has been forced to dig mass graves because there have been so many deaths .
Workers have been burying 100 corpses a day — triple the pre-virus average of burials .
Ytalo Rodrigues , a 20-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manaus , said he had retrieved one body after another for more than 36 hours , without a break .
There were so many deaths , his employer had to add a second hearse , Rodrigues said .
So far , the health ministry has confirmed nearly 53,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 3,600 deaths .
By official counts , the country had its worst day yet on Thursday , with about 3,700 new cases and more than 400 deaths , and Friday was nearly as grim .
Experts warned that paltry testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far greater .
And because it can take a long time for tests to be processed , the current numbers actually reflect deaths that happened one or two weeks ago , said Domingos Alves , adjunct professor of social medicine at the University of Sao Paulo , who is involved in the project .
“ We are looking at a photo of the past , ” Alves said in an interview last week .
“ The number of cases in Brazil is , therefore , probably even greater than what we are predicting.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paulo , University of Brasilia and other institutions say the true number of people infected with the virus as of this week is probably as much as 587,000 to 1.1 million people .
The health ministry said in a report earlier this month that it has the capacity to test 6,700 people per day — a far cry from the roughly 40,000 it will need when the virus peaks .
“ We should do many more tests than we ’ re doing , but the laboratory here is working at full steam , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease specialist at the Hospital Sao Jose in northeastern Ceara state who has been advising state officials on the pandemic response .
Meanwhile , health care workers can barely handle the cases they have .
In Rio state , all but one of seven public hospitals equipped to treat COVID-19 are full and can only accept new patients once others have either recovered or died , according to the press office of the health secretariat .
The sole facility with vacancy is located a two-hour drive from the capital ’ s centre .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city of Belem ’ s intensive-care beds are all occupied , according to online media outlet G1 .
As the number of cases rises in the capital of Para state , its health secretary said this week that at least 200 medical staff had been infected , and it is actively seeking to hire more doctors , G1 reported .
On Saturday , the city of Rio plans to open its first field hospital , with 200 beds , half reserved for intensive care .
Another hospital erected beside the historic Maracana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next month .
In Ceara ’ s capital , Fortaleza , state officials said Friday that intensive care units for COVID-19 patients were 92 % full , after reaching capacity a week ago .
Health experts and officials are particularly worried about the virus spreading into the poorest neighbourhoods , or favelas , where people depend on public health care .
Edenir Bessa , a 65-year-old retiree from Rio ’ s working-class Mangueira favela , sought medical attention on April 20 ; she was turned away from two full urgent care units before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kilometres ( 25 miles ) away .
Hours later , she was transferred by ambulance almost all the way back , to the Ronaldo Gazzola hospital , according to her son , Rodrigo Bessa .
Still , she died overnight , and he had to enter the hospital to identify her body .
“ I saw a lot of bodies also suspected of ( having ) COVID-19 in the hospital ’ s basement , ” said Bessa , a nurse at a hospital in another state .
The hospital released Edenir ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , meaning that her death — like so many others — doesn ’ t figure into the government ’ s official tally .
A small group of family members gathered for her burial on Wednesday , wearing face masks .
“ People need to believe that this is serious , that it kills , ” Bessa said .
Bolsonaro has continued to dismiss health officials ’ dire predictions about the virus ’ s spread in the country .
Last week , the president fired a health minister who had supported tough anti-virus measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening the economy .
Bolsonaro ’ s stance largely echoes that of his counterpart and ally U.S. President Donald Trump , who has been stressing the need to put people back to work as unemployment figures reach Depression-era levels .
Unlike Bolsonaro , however , Trump has moderated his skepticism about the virus .
The fight to reopen business “ is a risk that I run , ” Bolsonaro said at the swearing-in of his newly appointed health minister , Nelson Teich .
If the pandemic escalates , Bolsonaro said , “ it @ @ @ @ @ @

David Biller, Diane Jeantet And Leo Correa - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--100-year-old man and twin brother die in pandemics a century apart

Philip Kahn believed that history repeats itself , a truism that has hit home for his family in extraordinary fashion .
His twin brother , Samuel , died as an infant during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-19 .
Now Kahn himself has died of the coronavirus .
He was 100 .
“ He was a very healthy 100 , ” Warren Zysman , one of his grandsons , said in a phone interview .
“ He watched the news , he was completely aware of the pandemic .
When he started coughing , he knew he might have it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what was going on.
” Zysman added : “ And he would say , ‘ Warren my boy , I told you history always repeats itself .
We could have been much better prepared for this.
’ ” Philip Kahn , a decorated Second World War veteran , died April 17 at his home in Westbury , N.Y. , on Long Island .
“ Tests confirmed he had COVID-19 , ” his doctor , Sandeep Jauhar , a cardiologist in nearby New Hyde Park , wrote on Facebook .
“ Lovely man , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Jauhar added .
“ His twin brother succumbed in a different pandemic , the Spanish flu ... 101 years ago.
” The chances of siblings dying a century apart in global pandemics seem beyond remote , but the Kahns are not the only ones .
Selma Ryan , 96 , who died of the virus in San Antonio , Texas , on April 14 , lost her older sister , Esther , to the Spanish Flu 102 years earlier , according to News4SA , a local television station .
The sisters never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not know his brother either .
The twins , whose father ran a bakery on the Upper West Side of Manhattan , were born Dec. 15 , 1919 , also in Manhattan , while the Spanish Flu was still raging .
The boys were just a few weeks old when Samuel died .
“ He had this level of sadness about it because , while he was born a twin , he never got to experience being a twin , ” said Zysman , who is himself a twin .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his brother was for his parents , ” he added , “ and that he carried this void with him his entire life.
” Kahn served in a U.S. army aerial unit in the Pacific during the Second World War , participating in the Battle of Iwo Jima and later in firebombing raids over Japan .
He also helped make aerial surveys after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki .
He earned two Bronze Stars .
After the war , he worked as an electrical foreman and helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first New York City blood bank .
He was always active , enjoying swimming and dancing .
He would even dance on roller skates .
In addition to Zysman , Kahn is survived by his daughter , Lynn Zysman ; five other grandchildren ; and six great-grandchildren .
Zysman said that his grandfather loved to talk about the war and history , and that almost every story he told began with his brother , Samuel , and ended with the same point : it was important to learn from experience .
Toward the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often of Samuel .
Zysman ’ s wife , Dr. Corey Karlin-Zysman , who has been treating coronavirus patients around the clock at Long Island Jewish Medical Center , called the brothers “ pandemic bookends.
” The Spanish Flu killed 50 million people worldwide ; so far , the coronavirus has killed 191,000 .

Katharine Q. Seelye - The New York Times


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--3 states partly reopen, despite health officials’ warnings

SAVANNAH , Ga. - Even as the confirmed U.S. death toll from the coronavirus soared past 50,000 , Georgia , Oklahoma and Alaska began loosening lockdown orders Friday on their pandemic-wounded businesses , despite warnings from health experts that the gradual steps toward normalcy might be happening too soon .
Republican governors in Georgia and Oklahoma allowed salons , spas and barbershops to reopen , while Alaska opened the way for restaurants to resume dine-in service and retail shops and other businesses to open their doors , all with limitations .
Some Alaska municipalities chose to maintain stricter rules .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to social-distancing restrictions , the reopenings marked a symbolic milestone in the debate raging in the United States — and the world — as to how quickly political leaders should lift economically damaging lockdown orders .
Similar scenarios have been playing out worldwide and will soon proliferate in the U.S. as other governors wrestle with conflicting priorities .
Their economies have been battered by weeks of quarantine-fueled job losses and soaring unemployment claims , yet health officials warn that lifting stay-at-home orders now could spark a resurgence of COVID-19 .
During a White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump spoke optimistically of the economy but also asked people to continue social distancing and using face coverings .
The coronavirus has killed more than 190,000 people worldwide , including — as of Friday — more than 50,000 in the United States , according to a tally compiled by John Hopkins University from government figures .
The actual death toll is believed to be far higher .
In Oklahoma , Gov .
Kevin Stitt authorized personal-care businesses to open , citing a decline in the number of people being hospitalized for COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing , require masks and frequently sanitize equipment .
Still , some of the state ’ s largest cities , including Norman , Oklahoma City and Tulsa , were opting to keep their bans in place until at least the end of April .
Amy Pembrook and her husband , Mike , reopened their hair salon in the northwest Oklahoma town of Fairview after it had been shuttered for about a month .
“ We ’ re super excited about going back , but we have caught a little flak from people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Amy Pembrook said .
” We just said we can live in fear for a long time or we can trust that everything is going to be OK. ” With deaths and infections still rising in Georgia , many business owners planned to stay closed despite Gov .
Brian Kemp ’ s assurance that hospital visits and new cases have levelled off enough for barbers , tattoo artists , massage therapists and personal trainers to return to work with restrictions .
Kemp ’ s timeline to restart the economy proved too ambitious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagrees with the fellow Republican ’ s plan .
On Friday , Trump signed a $ 484 billion bill to aid employers and hospitals under stress from the pandemic — the latest federal effort to help keep afloat businesses that have had to close or scale down .
Over the past five weeks , roughly 26 million people have filed for jobless aid , or about 1 in 6 U.S. workers .
Without a tried-and-tested action plan for how to pull countries out of coronavirus lockdown , the world is seeing a patchwork @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , stay closed in others ; face masks are mandatory in some places , a recommendation elsewhere .
In Georgia , David Huynh had 60 clients booked for appointments at his nail salon in Savannah , but a clothing store , jewelry shop and chocolatier that share a street corner with his downtown business , Envy Nail Bar , remained closed .
“ The phone ’ s been ... ringing off the hook , ” Huynh said .
“ We ’ ve probably gotten hundreds of calls in the last hour.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside when the salon opened for the first time since March 26 .
“ Yes , I am ready to get my nails fixed , ” said Alina Davis , a police officer for the local school system , who kept working throughout the crisis .
Meanwhile , Nikki Thomas is overdue for a visit to her hair stylist , but she ’ s barely ventured outside her house in the six weeks since she ’ s been working from home .
She had no plans to change that now just because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s obviously extremely stupid and I ’ m simultaneously exhausted and so angry I can barely see straight , ” Thomas , 40 , said in a phone interview .
The gradual reopenings come as coronavirus testing continues to lag across the United States .
To date , according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project , just under 4.7 million people have been tested in the country of 330 million people .
A lack of tests and supplies has hampered the U.S. effort from the beginning .
About 193,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an increase from the two-week daily average of 163,000 , but far less than what public health experts estimate is needed to get a handle on the virus .
Researchers at Harvard University have estimated a minimum of 500,000 daily tests are needed , and possibly much more , in order to safely reopen the economy .
In Florida , Gov .
Ron DeSantis said his administration plans to let pharmacists administer virus tests to reach a broader range of people , including those with no symptoms who believe they may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer lengthened her stay-at-home order through May 15 , while lifting restrictions so some businesses can reopen and the public can participate in outdoor activities such as golf and motorized boating .
Michigan has nearly 3,000 deaths related to COVID-19 , behind only New York and New Jersey .
New York reported its lowest number of daily COVID-19 deaths in weeks on Friday .
The state recorded 422 deaths as of the day before — the fewest since March 31 , when it recorded 391 deaths .
More than 16,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak .
In Denver , Mayor Michael Hancock extended the city ’ s stay-at-home order and nonessential business closures through May 8 just as Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis , a fellow Democrat , prepared to relax some statewide restrictions next week .
In France , the government is leaving families to decide whether to keep children at home or send them back to class when the nationwide lockdown , in place since March 17 , starts to be lifted on May 11 .
In Spain , parents face a similarly knotty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their first fresh air in weeks when the country starts Sunday to ease the total ban on letting them outside .
This story has been edited to correct the time element and the spelling of flak .
Crary reported from New York .
Associated Press reporters from around the world contributed .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Russ Bynum And David Crary - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Mexico receives 2nd group of Cuban doctors for virus help

MEXICO CITY - Another group of Cuban doctors has arrived in Mexico to help with the coronavirus outbreak , the @ @ @ @ @ has welcomed .
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell said Friday that the Cuban doctors who @ @ @ @ @ invited by Mexico City authorities to bolster health care amid rising COVID-19 case numbers .
@ @ @ @ @ approved of the city ’ s decision .
The group reportedly included about 140 Cuban @ @ @ @ @ arrived in early April .
At that time , federal authorities said the Cubans would @ @ @ @ @ patient care , and López-Gatell said Friday that the new group would act as advisers @ @ @ @ @ the Cuban doctors were experts in public health and intensive care .
López-Gatell said Mexico @ @ @ @ @ 200,000 health care professionals , including doctors , nurses and other positions .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ workers have been infected with the coronavirus in Mexico since the pandemic began .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Alaska allows some businesses to reopen with limitations

JUNEAU , Alaska - Businesses in parts of Alaska cautiously began reopening Friday , as part of Gov .
Mike Dunleavy ’ s plan to restart segments of the economy affected by coronavirus concerns .
Signs of the times were everywhere : barbers wore face masks , and notices warned of limits on customer numbers .
In Juneau , whose downtown core typically hums this time of year , many storefronts remained dark .
The city earlier Friday urged businesses to wait to commit to reopening until the Assembly on Monday considers whether to “ moderate ” Dunleavy ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest city , Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz outlined plans for reopening Monday largely consistent with Dunleavy ’ s approach .
Alaska is among the first states in the West to begin reopening , allowing restaurants to resume dine-in service and retail shops , personal care services and other businesses that were classified as nonessential to operate , all with limitations .
Dunleavy , a Republican , has said health considerations must come first and that officials feel good about Alaska ’ s numbers , health care capacity , equipment and ability to track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 350 cases of COVID-19 , which includes 208 recovered cases , and nine deaths .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .
The state believes it can maintain the health of Alaskans while beginning to reopen the economy , Dunleavy said Thursday .
“ And the near future ’ s going to determine whether that call is correct .
And , again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long as we follow the science and the data , ” he said .
He has said the state will adjust if needed .
He also said the state will continue working with communities , and there ’ s “ no need for the heavy hand of the state.
“ The state ’ s order restricts how many people can be in a restaurant , barber shop or other public-facing businesses and outlines protocols for face coverings and sanitation .
For personal care services , such as salons and tattoo shops , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopenings were met eagerly .
Homer hairstylist Ashley Story said she had Friday booked .
She told the Homer News people wait in their cars until she signals for them to enter .
A regular customer was waiting at Airport Way Family Restaurant in Fairbanks when it opened at 7 a.m. , Fairbanks television station KTVF reported .
Alice Camacho and William Hawkins went to Bishop ’ s Jewelry Gallery in Fairbanks to find rings for their wedding , also set for Friday , the station reported .
“ I ’ m pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get married before he comes , and William just came back from Iraq , so it seemed like a good time , ” said Camacho .
Hawkins is stationed at Fort Wainwright , KTVF reported .
In Juneau , barber Rhonda Adams was adjusting to a mask , which sometimes caused her glasses to fog .
She said she was excited to return to work and felt good about the protocols in place .
Alicia Smith , owner of the specialty toy store Juneau ’ s Imagination Station , has been doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours starting Tuesday .
She is considering capping the number of people inside the store below the state ’ s guideline due to the shop ’ s narrowness .
The Juneau Empire reported a downtown photo store owner was preparing to close up shop but still work from a personal studio .
In Nome , city officials asked restaurants to postpone opening until Monday to give them more preparation time , City Manager Glenn Steckman said .
Patrick Krier , owner of the Polar Cafe in Nome , has been doing takeout orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city ’ s recommendation and working to prepare the restaurant to resume a level of onsite dining .
“ We ’ ve got to protect the people .
I don ’ t want to get sick .
I don ’ t want to get anybody else sick , ” Krier said .
“ I mean , we ’ ve got to follow it to the tee so we don ’ t get people sick.
“


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Mexico’s gang violence appears to rise during pandemic

MEXICO CITY - Far from receding during the pandemic , Mexico ’ s homicide rate actually rose during March as the country started lockdowns to combat the coronavirus , accordingg to figures provided Friday by the government .
The report shows killings rose 8.46 % from February to March , from 2,766 to about 3,000 homicides .
Mexico began implementing widespread shutdowns and social distancing measures to fight the pandemic in mid- to late March .
The March homicide rate was the highest since the record 3,074 killings registered in July 2018 , five months before President Andrés Manuel López @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government said homicides had stabilized at around 2,850 a month .
López Obrador blamed the killings on drug cartels “ who continue to fight over turf and drug-trafficking routes ; they are fighting each other constantly.
” The homicide rate was highest in the north-central state of Guanajuato , which saw 1,163 killings in the first four months of 2020 .
The state is the scene of a bloody turf war between the Jalisco cartel and a local gang .
López Obrador acknowledged that the killings in the relatively wealthy , industrialized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone would not stop the violence .
“ Guanajuato is one of the states with the highest sustained rates of economic growth .
For a long time , factories , assembly plants , the automotive industry , auto parts have set up shop there , there are jobs , ” López Obrador said .
“ Nonetheless , it is the state with the most violence .
That has to do with other causes , inequality .
Growth is not synonymous with welfare.
” Bloodshed also rose in the northern border city of Ciudad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state of Michoacán .
Homicides decreased in the Pacific coast resort city of Acapulco .
The violence has touched health workers , for reasons directly related to the pandemic .
A series of verbal assaults and other incidents — like people dousing nurses with bleach — may be related to fears of contagion .
Mexico currently has nearly 13,000 confirmed cases and 1,221 deaths .
Attempted homicide charges were announced Friday against two suspects for one especially brutal attack that occurred April 17 , when a nurse was punched and kicked in Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence , it appears that relatively few federal forces are fighting the drug cartels , while many more are involved in López Obrador ’ s infrastructure projects .
Mexico ’ s 100,000-member National Guard and 225,000-strong armed forces had an effective strength of about 161,000 operational members — the rest are in administrative or support roles — with about 26,000 of the 161,000 held in reserve , according to the report released Friday .
Of the deployed total , the largest single contingent , about 69,000 troops , were on construction duty , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new airport .
An additional 18,600 troops were enforcing measures aimed to fight the pandemic , while about 12,500 were on border or migration duty .
About 4,000 troops were deployed to eradicate drug crops .
About 15,000 others are posted in regions where they may indirectly confront the cartels .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--New York’s virus death toll falls to lowest level in weeks

New York ’ s daily coronavirus death toll dropped slightly , state leaders braced for a $ 13.3 billion budget hit , and residents will be receiving applications for mail-in ballots .
Details on developments in the coronavirus outbreak in New York : New York reported its lowest number of daily COVID-19 deaths in weeks on Friday .
The state said there were 422 deaths Thursday .
That ’ s the fewest since March 31 , when it recorded 391 deaths .
More than 16,000 people have died in the state from the outbreak .
“ Again , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s dropping somewhat .
But it ’ s still devastating news , ” Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said at his daily briefing .
The total number of people hospitalized statewide continues to drop slowly , hitting 14,258 , though the number of new patients coming into hospitals is basically flat at around 1,300 , Cuomo said .
Though the overall trends provide some hope , the governor continued to stress that any gains could be lost quickly if social distancing restrictions are relaxed too quickly .
“ How fast is the decline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Cuomo asked .
“ Again , the variable is what we do.
” New York has begun to increase the amount of testing , conducting 34,736 on Thursday , compared to around 20,000 usually .
Cuomo administration officials cite an executive order directing private and public labs to work with the state to prioritize coronavirus testing .
The state hopes to conduct as many as 40,000 tests a day .
New York expects to see a budget-busting $ 13.3 billion drop in tax revenue through next March amid the pandemic , Cuomo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tens of thousands of state workers and warned of 20 % cuts to state aid for schools , hospitals and local governments .
The Democratic governor is criticizing Congress for having yet to follow through on promises of more state aid in coronavirus spending packages .
For a second day , he blasted Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for suggesting states facing shortfalls could declare bankruptcy .
Cuomo dared McConnell to pass a bill allowing states to legally declare bankruptcy , saying it would signal to financial markets and other countries that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City Mayor Bill de Blasio responded to President Donald Trump ’ s musing about the possible use of disinfectants or ultraviolet rays to treat COVID-19 by saying that it ’ s “ sad when you have to correct the president of the United States ” on basic science .
Trump noted Thursday that researchers were looking at the effects of disinfectants on the coronavirus and wondered aloud if they could be injected into people .
He also suggested that beaming ultraviolet light “ inside the body ” might be an effective treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blasio referred a question about Trump ’ s comments to the city ’ s health commissioner , Dr. Oxiris Barbot , who warned that disinfectants can be harmful if ingested or applied to the skin .
“ It ’ s sad when you have to correct the president of the United States on a matter of science and health , but I think Dr. Barbot just did a good job replying to the president , so please let the people of the city know the guidance that she is giving , ” De @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the president this week , declined to address Trump ’ s remarks directly at his own briefing .
“ I don ’ t know much about UV rays , ” Cuomo said .
“ Not my job .
Not my business.
” Trump said Friday that he ’ d been speaking sarcastically but a transcript of his remarks suggested otherwise .
Cuomo said he will order state elections officials to automatically mail every New Yorker a postage-paid application for an absentee ballot .
The governor had previously issued an executive order allowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23 primary election .
— A retired farmer in Kansas whose wife has one lung shipped one of the couple ’ s five masks to Cuomo for use by a doctor or a nurse .
Cuomo read the entire letter at his daily briefing as an example of courage and generosity in dark times .
“ Enclosed find a solitary N-95 mask left over from my farming days .
It has never been used ” read the hand-written letter from Dennis .
“ If you could , could you please give this mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your city.
” — New York ’ s plan for taming the coronavirus hinges on taking a time-tested practice to an extraordinary level : hiring an “ army ” of people to try to trace everyone who might be infected .
In the coming weeks , the state and city plan to build up a massive system to interview thousands of newly diagnosed people and track the places they visited and people they met .
Villeneuve reported from Albany , and Michael Hill contributed from Albany .

Karen Matthews And Marina Villeneuve - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Kentucky’s Democratic governor vetoes abortion legislation

FRANKFORT , Ky. - Kentucky ’ s Democratic governor vetoed legislation Friday that would have given the state ’ s anti-abortion attorney general new authority to regulate abortion clinics .
The measure cleared the GOP-dominated legislature in the waning hours of this year ’ s legislative session .
As a result , lawmakers won ’ t have an opportunity to override Gov .
Andy Beshear ’ s veto .
The bill also would have given Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron the power to suspend abortions as an elective procedure during the coronavirus outbreak .
Another part of the vetoed measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care for an infant born alive after a failed abortion attempt .
Beshear noted in his veto message that existing law already protects the life of infants .
Kentucky lawmakers have moved aggressively in recent years to put restrictions on abortions .
Their passage of the latest measure , and Beshear ’ s veto , sets the table for keeping the issue front and centre in this year ’ s election , when many GOP lawmakers face reelection themselves .
Republican House Speaker David Osborne said he was “ outraged and saddened “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistake , the governor had a choice and he used it to defend the indefensible , “ he said .
Cameron denounced the veto as “ reprehensible “ and “ an affront to the people of Kentucky.
” In his veto message , Beshear focused on the “ born-alive “ sections of the legislation .
He said existing Kentucky law already fully protects newborns from being denied life-saving care .
Beshear , a former state attorney general , added that similar measures have been struck down elsewhere .
“ During this worldwide health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for a divisive set of lawsuits that reduce our unity and our focus on defeating the novel coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) and restarting our economy , “ he said .
Cameron said there ’ s nothing more divisive than to veto a bill that “ protects our most vulnerable.
“ The bill ’ s lead sponsor , Republican Sen. Whitney Westerfield , also criticized the governor ’ s action .
“ I ’ m not surprised , but I am supremely disappointed the governor has once again shown his hostility to unborn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supports abortion rights but backs “ reasonable restrictions , ” especially on late-term procedures .
Beshear narrowly defeated Westerfield in the 2015 race for attorney general .
The new fight over abortion comes as Beshear is commanding unprecedented attention , and has drawn widespread praise , in leading the state ’ s efforts to combat the coronavirus outbreak .
The governor presides over daily virus briefings shown on statewide television .
Abortion-rights groups , including Planned Parenthood Advocates of Indiana and Kentucky and the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky , praised the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denounced the legislation as a “ power grab ” meant to make it harder for women to obtain abortions .
“ Not only is this bill unnecessary , it is a blatant display of anti-abortion politics by extremists in the Kentucky General Assembly , ” said Tamarra Wieder , Kentucky state director for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Indiana and Kentucky .
The legislation would have allowed the attorney general to take civil or criminal action against abortion facilities .
Under current law , the attorney general needs authorization from the state Cabinet for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action .
The measure would give the attorney general independent authority on those matters .
Cameron had said the continuation of abortions when elective medical procedures are halted amid the coronavirus pandemic showed the new enforcement powers for his office are “ necessary and timely.
” The pandemic has led to clashes in some Republican-led states over attempts to prohibit almost all abortions by classifying them as elective procedures that should be put off during the virus outbreak .
In recent years , Kentucky lawmakers have moved aggressively to put restrictions and conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the legislature in the 2017 session .
Some of those laws are being challenged in courts , including one that would ban abortion once a heartbeat is detected , usually around the sixth week of pregnancy .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--The Latest: 2020 Minnesota Fringe Festival cancelled

MINNEAPOLIS - The Latest on the coronavirus outbreak in Minnesota ( all times local ) : Add the 2020 Minnesota Fringe Festival to the list of events cancelled by the coronavirus .
Organizers announced Friday that the 27th annual Fringe scheduled over 11 days in August has been scrapped .
The performing arts festival usually draws 40,000 to 50,000 people to more than 100 shows in Minneapolis and St. Paul .
Executive director Dawn Bentley and her staff will be furloughed May 1 .
Bentley told the Star Tribune the Fringe is “ in survival mode.
” She said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in deposits to this year ’ s producers and artists and is losing about $ 160,000 in net income .
The organization is asking for the public ’ s help as it tries to raise $ 100,000 so it can return in the future .
The Fringe had already signed up more than 100 companies for shows .
Another prominent health care provider is furloughing 2,600 employees as the coronavirus cuts into revenue .
HealthPartners , the second-largest non-profit group in the state , operates seven hospitals , dozens of clinics and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elective surgeries and created some financial challenges for health care groups .
Earlier this month Minnesota ’ s largest non-profit group , the Mayo Clinic , announced pay cuts for more than 20,000 workers .
HealthPartners employs about 26,000 people with revenue of $ 7.2 billion in 2019 , the Star Tribune reported .
The Minnesota Hospital Association said hospitals across the state are projecting a financial hit of $ 2.9 billion over the next 90 days due to COVID-19 .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Probe: Breakdown in protecting feds during virus evacuation

WASHINGTON - A management breakdown led to some federal employees being sent to help American evacuees from the coronavirus epidemic in China without proper protective equipment , federal investigators have concluded .
Friday ’ s report from investigators at the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed central allegations from a government whistleblower who complained in February that some HHS employees were deployed without adequate protection while others arrived with full gear .
It found that some federal employees had to beg the local county for gear such as masks .
The report was released Friday evening by congressional offices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this scale has never occurred in the history of the United States , ” said the report by the HHS general counsel ’ s office .
“ In this unprecedented , dynamic , and evolving situation , the mission command and control structure ... temporarily broke down.
” The report focused on what happened as HHS employees were scrambled to help evacuees on a flight that landed at March Air Reserve Base in California the morning of Jan. 29 .
None of the evacuees showed symptoms during the flight but they were headed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procedures were in place at ( the base ) to ensure uniform infection-control and infection-prevention measures , including the proper use of personal protective equipment , ” the report found .
Safety officers were not appropriately designated , nor was an infection prevention control plan in place , “ a normal component of a deployment of this type , ” the report said .
Clear , written instructions for protective equipment were not posted until three days after the evacuees arrived .
The report faulted representatives of the Centers for Disease Control and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns of their fellow federal workers .
“ CDC personnel failed to provide formal training or written guidance regarding proper ( protective gear ) use to other ( federal ) personnel and responded to repeated inquiries ... with confusing , incomplete , and contradictory information , ” the report said .
The unnamed whistleblower complained that CDC employees arrived with full protective gear , while other federal workers were left to fend for themselves .
Some were forced to ask local officials from Riverside County for masks and other gear , the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly and sent a safety team to straighten out the situation .
Nonetheless , some of the federal workers who had been placed at risk of exposure were later sent via commercial airline flights to help evacuees at other bases .
Although some federal workers were shaken by the experience , the report found that none of them tested positive or contracted COVID-19 as result of being deployed at March .
It ’ s not the only whistleblower complaint arising from the government ’ s virus response .
This week , a senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his job and reassigned to a lesser role because he resisted political pressure to allow widespread use of hydroxychloroquine , a malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump .
Lawyers for Rick Bright , former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority , said they intend to file a formal whistleblower complaint .
On Friday , the FDA warned doctors against prescribing the drug except in limited circumstances .

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--High court declines to revisit immigrant issue during virus

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Friday declined a request by states who cited the coronavirus pandemic in asking the justices to reverse course and temporarily halt a Trump administration policy that makes it harder for legal immigrants to become permanent residents if they use public benefits .
The justices in January voted 5-4 along ideological lines to allow the Trump administration to implement its policy while lawsuits against it continued .
But earlier this month lawyers for Connecticut , New York , Vermont and New York City asked the justices to reconsider .
They said the Trump administration ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the states ’ ability to stop the spread of the coronavirus by “ deterring immigrants from accessing healthcare and public benefits.
” The order from the Supreme Court on Friday was brief , with no justice noting disagreement .
In January , the court ’ s five conservative justices allowed the Trump administration policy to go into effect over the objections of its four liberals .
The court said its order Friday didn ’ t prevent lawyers from going to a lower court .
Under the Trump administration ’ s policy , immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants over their use of public benefits including food stamps , Medicaid and housing vouchers .
Immigrants applying for permanent residency must now show they wouldn ’ t be public charges , or burdens to the country .


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Trump calls U.S. Postal Service 'a joke', says he won't approve loan unless it raises charges for Am

Trump calls U.S. Postal Service 'a joke', says he won't approve loan unless it raises charges for Amazon

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Friday that he won ’ t approve a $ 10 billion loan for the U.S .
Postal Service unless the agency raises charges for Amazon and other big shippers to four to five times current rates .
“ The Postal Service is a joke because they ’ re handing out packages for Amazon and other internet companies and every time they bring a package , they lose money on it , ” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office .
The president was responding to a question about reports his administration plans to force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price for approving a $ 10 billion loan that was included in the government ’ s $ 2 trillion economic rescue package .
Under the rescue package legislation , Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin must approve the loan before the Postal Service can receive the money .
Officials at the Postal Service had no immediate reaction to Trump ’ s comments .
Trump said the changes the administration will insist on will make it a “ whole new ballgame ” at the Postal Service .
He said the Postal Service did not want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to offend Amazon and other companies .
Looking at Mnuchin , who was with him in the Oval Office , the president said , “ If they don ’ t raise the price of the service they give ...
I ’ m not signing anything and I ’ m not authorizing you to do anything.
” Mnuchin told reporters that he had Treasury officials working with the Postal Service on the terms of the loan if postal officials decide they need more money .
“ We are going to post certain criteria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as part of the loan , ” Mnuchin said .
He said the Postal Service board is already conducting a search for a new postmaster general to run the agency and undertaking reforms of operations .
The Washington Post , which first reported the administration ’ s push for changes at the Postal Service , quoted unnamed officials as saying that senior Postal Service officials have been told the administration wants to use the $ 10 billion loan as leverage to influence how much the agency charges for delivering packages and how it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years that the Postal Service was being exploited by Amazon and other shippers and that was the reason the agency was losing so much money .
But analysts have said that efforts to sharply boost charges on big shippers like Amazon could backfire by raising prices above those being charged by competitors such as UPS and FedEx .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , asked about the administration ’ s efforts Friday , said the Postal Service enjoyed wide support with the American people and that the administration is threatening to harm a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is really dangerous and Mnuchin at Treasury is trying to leverage the debt situation in a way that must be stopped , ” Pelosi told reporters .
Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos , who owns The Washington Post .
Trump has often labeled the Post “ fake news ” after the newspaper has reported unfavourable developments during his campaign and presidency and highlighted the Bezos connection by calling it the “ Amazon Washington Post.
” Trump , however , tweeted Friday that he will not let the Post Office fail .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially since the advent of the internet and modern-day technology , “ Trump said in a tweet .
“ The people that work there are great , and we ’ re going to keep them happy , healthy , and well !
”

Martin Crutsinger And Darlene Superville - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--FDA warns of heart risks with Trump-promoted malaria drug

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned doctors against prescribing a malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump for treating the new coronavirus except in hospitals and research studies .
In an alert , regulators flagged reports of sometimes fatal heart side effects among coronavirus patients taking hydroxychloroquine or the related drug chloroquine .
The decades-old drugs , also prescribed for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis , can cause a number of side effects , including heart rhythm problems , severely low blood pressure and muscle or nerve damage .
The warning comes as doctors at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart rhythm abnormalities developed in most of 84 coronavirus patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin , a combo Trump has promoted .
Both drugs are known to sometimes alter the heartbeat in dangerous ways , and their safety or ability to help people with COVID-19 is unknown .
A National Institutes of Health experts panel earlier this week recommended against taking that drug combo except in a formal study because of the side effects potential .
Last month , the FDA authorized limited use of the malaria drugs for hospitalized patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in ongoing research .
The FDA said the drugs ’ risks are manageable when patients are carefully screened and monitored by doctors .
A number of studies are testing hydroxychloroquine as a treatment or for prevention of COVID-19 .
Regulators said they are now investigating dangerous side effects and deaths reported with the malaria drugs to poison control centres and other health authorities .
“ It is important that health care providers are aware of the risks of serious and potentially life-threatening heart rhythm problems that can occur with these drugs , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The agency did not specify the number of reports it has received of side effects or deaths .
Calls to U.S. poison control centres about the malaria drugs increased last month to 79 , compared to 52 in March 2019 , according to Dr. Christopher Hoyte of the Rocky Mountain Poison Center in Denver , Colorado .
The problems reported include abnormal heart rhythms , seizures , nausea and vomiting , Hoyte said .
Trump has repeatedly touted hydroxychloroquine during his regular coronavirus briefings , suggesting its skeptics would be proven wrong .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug is a lifesaver .
But a number of early coronavirus studies have suggested problems or no benefit .
In Friday ’ s report in the journal Nature Medicine , doctors at New York University and NYU Langone Health found a significant prolonging of what ’ s called the heart ’ s QT interval two to five days after coronavirus patients were given usual doses of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin .
The drugs can alter the QT interval , or the time it takes the heart to charge between beats .
When that time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rhythm problem that can lead to sudden death .
Nine of the 84 patients had severe prolongation of this interval .
Four patients died from organ failure but there was no evidence heart problems contributed .
Severe disease or other health problems may play a role in whether the heartbeat abnormality develops , the researchers speculated .
The results show how important it is that these drugs only be used in a study where patients are closely tracked , said one independent expert , Dr. Rais Vohra , an emergency medicine specialist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of California , San Francisco .
“ That combination really sets you up for having a problem with the heart , ” he said .
“ My colleagues and I are concerned .
People are self-medicating and coming down with very predictable side effects on the heart.
” Another recent analysis involving 368 patients in U.S. veterans hospitals found no benefit from hydroxychloroquine — and more deaths .
The report was not a rigorous test of the drug and results have not yet been reviewed by other scientists but are the largest so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last month , the federal government accepted more than 30 million doses of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine donated to the strategic national stockpile by drugmakers Sandoz and Bayer .
Since then , more than 14 million doses have been distributed to state and local health officials , according to the Department of Health and Human Services .
Accepting the donation required sign off by both the FDA and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority , or BARDA , a unit of HHS tasked with procuring treatments to combat bioterrorism and infectious diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director , Rick Bright , said he was demoted from his job leading the agency because he resisted political pressure to allow widespread use of hydroxychloroquine .
He has called for a federal investigation and reinstatement to his original job .
This story has been updated to correct the number hydroxychloroquine doses distributed from the national stockpile , based on new information from federal officials .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible @ @ @ @

Matthew Perrone And Marilynn Marchione - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-24--Bolsonaro in crisis mode after Brazil justice minister quits

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil ’ s government plunged into disarray Friday after Justice Minister Sérgio Moro , who became popular as a crusader against corruption , resigned and alleged political interference in the federal police force .
His resignation was prompted by President Jair Bolsonaro ’ s removal of the federal police ’ s chief .
Later in the afternoon , Bolsonaro sought to show a united front , speaking on national television flanked by all his remaining ministers .
As Bolsonaro began a 45-minute speech defending his decisions , many Brazilians in Rio de Janeiro , Sao Paulo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bang pots and pans in protest .
The ousted federal police general director , Maurício Valeixo , had worked closely with Moro in the sprawling Car Wash corruption probe until the end of 2018 and followed him when Moro joined Bolsonaro ’ s new administration .
The graft investigation ensnared dozens of politicians and businessmen throughout Latin America , including former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , and transformed Moro into a folk hero .
Moro told reporters he warned Bolsonaro on Thursday that removing the head of the federal police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolsonaro did so anyway , without consulting Moro , the minister said .
“ The president expressly told me more than once that he wanted someone with whom he has personal contact , someone he could call , get information from , get intelligence reports , whether from a director or a superintendent , ” Moro said .
“ It is really not the federal police ’ s role to provide that information .
Investigations have to be preserved.
” Brazil ’ s prosecutor general , Augusto Aras , asked the Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s allegations .
Bolsonaro , in his afternoon address , denied wanting to know about investigations underway , but did not address the accusation he wanted a successor who would share information .
He said it is the president ’ s right to replace the federal police ’ s chief .
“ I don ’ t have to ask anyone ’ s permission , ” Bolsonaro said .
Brazil ’ s benchmark stock index plunged on the news , and the currency weakened against the dollar to a record low amid fresh concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governance , said Thiago de Aragão , director of strategy for political consultancy Arko Advice , who spoke with foreign investors after the announcement .
“ The general director could have been changed as long as there was a consistent cause .
There was not a consistent cause , “ Moro said .
“ Political interference that could create inappropriate relationships between the general director or superintendents and the president is something I can ’ t agree with.
” Bolsonaro , a far-right politician , said he sought to discuss Valeixo ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister insisted on choosing .
“ Why should it be his and not mine ?
” the president asked during the news conference .
Moro said earlier Friday that Bolsonaro had promised him a free hand in choosing his directors .
Moro , who is hailed by many Brazilians while seen by others as an anti-left zealot , was also key in the process that led to the impeachment of former President Dilma Rousseff in 2016 .
Several of the Car Wash investigations in the southern city of Curitiba involved politicians linked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Nov. 2018 after Bolsonaro ’ s invitation to join his administration .
Bolsonaro , who was elected in large part due to his law-and-order platform , said in November that he wouldn ’ t have reached the presidency had Moro not “ fulfilled his mission ” as a judge .
“ Moro ’ s resignation is a seismic event in Brazilian politics , ” Ilona Szabó , executive director of the Igarapé Institute that ’ s focused on public security , said in an emailed statement .
“ His departure signals a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amounts to a ‘ coup ’ against democracy because the autonomy of the federal police ( and rule of law ) is an essential foundation for democratic governance.
” Bolsonaro has bounced from crisis to crisis during his administration , from his attacks on the media to his dismissal of last year ’ s raging Amazon fires and dust-ups with foreign leaders .
More recently , he has drawn outrage with claims that the coronavirus is “ a little flu ” and by scoffing at international health experts ’ recommendation for stay-at-home measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health minister , who had supported such measures that most Brazilian governors adopted .
Throughout it all , Moro ’ s place in the Cabinet helped secure the administration ’ s base of support and the appearance of respect for rule of law .
Moro cast doubt on that reputation on Friday , saying that the claim by the presidency that Valeixo had tendered his own resignation were untrue .
The former judge was Bolsonaro ’ s most widely known and popular Cabinet minister , with approval ratings considerably higher than the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cited as a contender for higher office , whether as a Supreme Court justice , vice-president , or even president .
“ My impression is that Moro ’ s departure and , most importantly , the way he is leaving , constitutes the most dire political crisis of the Bolsonaro government , ” Paulo Calmon , a political science professor at the University of Brasilia , said in a text message .
“ It deepens his isolation.
“ Crime has plunged during Bolsonaro ’ s tenure , which Moro celebrated as proof of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Valeixo himself .
He conceded the improvement was also due local governments , and represented the intensification of a trend that began in 2018 .
Since Moro became minister in January 2019 , however , he has had difficulties with Bolsonaro and with politicians in Brasilia , the capital .
In recent days , Bolsonaro had called for Moro to reopen Brazil ’ s borders with Paraguay and Uruguay during the pandemic , as the Brazilian leader has repeatedly said he wants economic activity to resume , but the minister did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and David Biller reported this story in Rio de Janeiro and AP writer Mauricio Savarese reported from Sao Paulo .

Diane Jeantet, David Biller And Mauricio Savarese - The Associated Press