saraacater--2020-04-17--CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: 671,425 infected, 33,286 deaths in U.S.

There are currently 671,425 cases of the coronavirus and 33,286 fatalities in the U.S .
The number of cases worldwide is 2,173,431 .
Global fatalities also reached 146,291 .
President Donald Trump released a plan for “ opening up America again ” during his press conference on Thursday .
The plan gives state governors three phases for steadily reopening their economy .
Each level is based on data within each state .
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo extended the shutdown of non-essential businesses in his state to May 15 .
The President scolded Democrats on Twitter Friday for not returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Congress is scheduled to be back in session .
On Thursday , the need for additional funding for American workers and small business owners became all too real when the SBA ’ s payment protection program site closed all loan applications after running out of funding .
Worldwide cases of the coronavirus have surpassed 2 million .
The number of cases in the U.S is 639,664 .
There have been 30,985 fatalities in the U.S .
According to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday , 5,245,000 Americans applied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump is expected to issue a plan for state governors to ease social distancing guidelines .
The US Food and Drug Administration approved the emergency use of coronavirus antibody tests to determine immunity .
Chembio Diagnostic Systems , Ortho Clinical Diagnostics , and Abbott Laboratories .
The number of people infected with the coronavirus in the U.S. climbed to 609,685 .
The number of fatalities is 26,059 .
During Tuesday ’ s White House press conference , President Donald Trump announced a pause in U.S. funding to the World Health Organization .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization ’ s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus , ” Pres .
Trump told the nation .
The WHO discouraged member countries from instituting early travel bans in curbing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and misled the world about how the virus is spread , which it earlier said is not from person-to-person .
President Trump and health experts on the task force , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which set the U.S. apart from many countries like Italy , one of the hardest hit countries .
Trump called the WHO “ China-centric ” last week accusing its leaders of supporting China more than the U.S. , which is its biggest contributor .
In terms of reopening the economy , the President said he ’ s leaving that up to state governors .
Coronavirus has infected over 1.9 million people worldwide and has killed over 120,000 people , according to Johns Hopkins University .
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said Tuesday morning on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraging Americans who had the coronavirus to donate blood plasma for treating new patients .
He also shared that new saliva testing is becoming available as a more comfortable alternative to testing .
The saliva test will provide health care workers on the frontlines the ability too receive testing multiple times a day , Hahn said .
The U.S. has over 582,000 cases of the virus and has a death toll of over 21,000 people .
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday that he is working with governors in the northeast region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen the economy .
Cuomo also said that “ the worst is over ” for his state .
Governor Abbott of Texas also signaled Tuesday that he ’ s developing a plan to reopen his state ’ s economy and is set to announce “ a new small business initiative in Texas.
” One of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic , Italy , allowed some retail stores to reopen on Tuesday .
Over 20,000 people have died from the virus in Italy since it landed in the country .
The number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday and the global death toll rose above 110,000 , according to Johns Hopkins University .
The United States has confirmed more than 556,000 cases , with New York City alone reporting over 104,000 infections .
More than 22,000 people have died countrywide .
Speaking on Sunday , the country ’ s top medical expert on the pandemic , Dr. Anthony Fauci , told CNN that lives would have been saved if mitigation efforts had started earlier .
Dr. Fauci said on CNN that he “ can ’ t guarantee ” US voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for president in person in November , saying that there could be a rebound in coronavirus cases in autumn or winter .
More than 29,000 members of the National Guard supporting Covid-19 response There are over 467,184 people infected with the coronavirus in the U.S .
The number of deaths in the country has reached 17,836 , according to Johns Hopkins University .
New York officials confirmed Friday that Hart Island will be used to bury unclaimed coronavirus victims , according to CNN .
“ It is likely that people who have passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be buried on the Island in the coming days , ” New York City Mayor Press Secretary Freddi Goldstein told CNN .
Hart Island is a public cemetery operated by Department of Corrections .
New York State saw a negative net change in intensive care admissions on Thursday for the first time since the coronavirus crisis began , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said Friday .
World Health Officials said on Friday that the coronavirus appears to be slowing in some of the hardest-hit countries in Europe like Spain , Italy , Germany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders too soon could lead to a “ deadly resurgence.
” Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said that the U.S. economy could reopen in May .
More than 14,700 people have died from the new coronavirus in the United States , according to Johns Hopkins University .
More than 432,000 people across the country have been sickened by COVID-19 .
The coronavirus was likely spreading in New York City as early as February , weeks before the Big Apple ’ s first confirmed case , according to a report citing new research .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship , which is docked in Los Angeles to provide medical support during the pandemic , has tested positive for the novel coronavirus .
US Navy Lt. Andrew Bertucci told CNN the crew member is “ currently isolated aboard the ship , and will soon transfer to an off-ship isolation facility where they will self-monitor for severe symptoms.
” Globally , nearly 1.5 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 , and more than 88,000 have died .
Rising cases in Japan : Tokyo reported 144 new infections on Wednesday — the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
Big jump in Singapore : Another 142 infections were recorded in Singapore on Wednesday — the largest rise in new cases in the city-state .
South Korea ’ s flag carrier Korean Air has instructed more than 70 % of its employees to take paid leave , at a reduced rate , for six months from April 16 until October 15 .
The Chinese government ’ s mishandling of the coronavirus epidemic from its start at a wet market in Wuhan has shown its overall incompetence and has put us all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host of “ The Buck Sexton Show ” said on Tuesday .
There are 399,929 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 12,911 fatalities in the U.S. New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy told residents to avoid holding family gatherings during Passover and Easter .
World trade is expected to fall by between 13 % and 32 % in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic disrupts normal economic activity and life around the world , the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) said in its annual trade report and outlook .
WTO economists believe the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought on by the global financial crisis of 2008 .
New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio says officials have seen some progress in fighting the virus , he cautions against relaxing social distancing guidelines .
The city of Wuhan , where the virus originated , has opened back up after a 76-day travel ban .
Wuhan residents were able to leave their homes and go to work beginning Wednesday at 7 A.M. To leave the city , residents must have an app on their phones that ’ s used for “ data-tracking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are not infected with the virus , according to the Associated Press .
According to local reports , 65,000 people left the city by plane or train in the first few hours after the ban was lifted .
During Tuesday ’ s White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing , President Donald Trump threatened to pause U.S. funding to the World Health Organization , who he called “ China centric.
” The President criticized their early advice in which they discouraged him from instituting his January 31 travel ban on China .
House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chuck Schumer penned a letter Wednesday describing their priorities for Interim Relief for small businesses and working families .
Both the House and the Senate are set to return to session on April 20 .
“ The heartbreaking acceleration of the coronavirus crisis demands bold , urgent and ongoing action from Congress to protect Americans ’ lives and livelihoods.
” the two lawmakers wrote , “ As Democrats have said since Day One , Congress must provide additional relief for small businesses and families , building on the strong down-payment made in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Democrats ’ priorities for interim funding : • $ 250 billion in assistance to small businesses , with $ 125 billion channeled through community-based financial institutions that serve farmers , family , women , minority and veteran-owned small businesses and nonprofits in rural , tribal , suburban and urban communities across our country , and improvements to ensure all eligible small businesses can access this critical funding and are not turned away by banks ; • $ 100 billion for hospitals , community health centers and health systems , providing desperately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , including production and distribution of national rapid testing and Personal Protective Equipment ( PPE ) ; • $ 150 billion for state and local governments to manage this crisis and mitigate lost revenue , doubling down on the investment secured in the CARES Act ; • Strong additional support for families with a 15 percent increase to the maximum SNAP benefit to help put food on the table .
There are 368,449 people with the coronavirus and 11,000 fatalities in the U.S. President Donald Trump authorized the use of the USNS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid patients on Monday .
The vessel was originally prepared to take patients needing hospital care for conditions other than Covid .
However , after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo requested its use for Covid patients Monday , President Trump gave his approval .
This week Vice President Mike Pence will hold four conference calls to brief House Democrats , House Republicans , Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans on coronavirus , according to spokesperson Katie Miller .
US Surgeon General Jerome Adams said by the end of this week , the will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday that President Trump is looking at how to reopen parts of the U.S. economy as the coronavirus pandemic forces an unprecedented shutdown of business throughout the country .
After negotiating with 3M , The President announced Monday that the company will produce “ 55.5 million high-quality face masks each month ” for medical personnel in the U.S. Last week , it was discovered that the 3M ’ s Personal Protective Equipment was going overseas when domestic consumers were awaiting their shipments .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defense Production Act last week to ensure the issue would be resolved .
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s condition as he suffers from the coronavirus worsened over the weekend and he was admitted to a London hospital ’ s Intensive Care Unit .
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister confirmed Tuesday that Johnson received oxygen overnight .
Further , the spokesperson reported that the Prime Minister didn ’ t have pneumonia and had not been put on a ventilator .
There are currently 337,933 people in the U.S. infected with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country from the disease .
Experts on the White House Coronavirus Task Force warned that this week would likely be one of the deadliest since the start of the pandemic .
“ This is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most Americans ’ lives , quite frankly , ” U.S .
Surgeon General , Jerome Adams said during an interview on “ Fox News Sunday ” with host Chris Wallace .
“ This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment , our 9/11 moment , only it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s going to be happening all over the country .
And I want America to understand that.
” On Monday morning , President Donald Trump shared on Twitter that docked cruise ships with passengers infected with the coronavirus that “ no other countries would allow ” were being closely treated by medical personnel .
Moreover , he ensure that passengers were “ under strict supervision ” and will be given permission to disembark “ when appropriate.
” Last week , two ships were awaiting U.S. clearance to dock off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the Coral Princess Ship which carried seven passengers and five crew members who tested positive for the coronavirus .
On Friday , Holland America ’ s Zaandam and the Rotterdam disembarked in Florida .
Those ships reported a total of 233 passengers experiencing flu-like symptoms .
There were 14 people evacuated to local hospitals from the two ships .
“ We commend the decision by the cruise industry to cease operations .
However , pausing a global tourist industry does not happen instantaneously or easily , ” said Vice Admiral Dan Abel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The federal , state , local and industry cooperation to achieve this feat truly represents the whole-of-nation approach directed by the president and is essential to fighting the spread of this virus and working to minimize the loss of life.
” The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Saturday that 114 cruise ships are currently in U.S. waters .
The cruise ship industry and U.S. Centers for Disease Control have stopped cruises from the U.S .
The CDC has also advised the general population to wear cloth masks when going out in public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to make your own .
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 1,000,000 .
The U.S. number of case increased to 245,601 with 6,058 now dead .
White House trade advisor Peter Navarro announced Thursday the implementation of a “ Buy American ” executive order to ensure that after the coronavirus pandemic comes to an end , “ the government buys American for essential medicines ” and supplies .
Further , the order will cut regulations for the FDA and EPA to incentivize domestic innovation .
“ The key here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can leapfrog other countries so we don ’ t have to worry about competing against cheap sweatshop labor , lax environmental regulations , different tax regimes , and the massive subsidies of foreign governments who are actually directly attacking our industrial base , ” Navarro said .
The White House also cracked down on 3M for exporting Personal Protective Equipment abroad , prioritizing foreign profits over domestic need .
The order , invoked by the Defense Production Act , calls on Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf to “ use any and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from any appropriate subsidiary or affiliate of 3M Company , the number of N-95 respirators that the Administrator determines to be appropriate.
” In a written statement released Friday , the company asserted that the administration asked “ that 3M cease exporting respirators that we currently manufacture in the United States to the Canadian and Latin American markets.
” The company raised concerns over potential “ humanitarian implications ” where foreign countries could “ retaliate and do the same , as some have already done.
” 3M added , “ If that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of respirators being made available to the United States would actually decrease .
That is the opposite of what we and the Administration , on behalf of the American people , both seek.
” The President ’ s doctor also tested President Trump a second time for the coronavirus , announcing that the test came back with a negative result .
He had no symptoms , the physician said in a statement .
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus reached 216,772 in the U.S. Thursday .
The U.S. fatalities increased to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay at home orders is Florida , which the State ’ s Governor Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday afternoon .
It is set to begin at 12:01 a.m. on Friday and is set to end on April 30 .
“ All persons in Florida shall limit their movements and personal interactions outside of their home to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or conduct essential activities , ” the order stated .
The Mayor of Los Angeles advised residents Wednesday to wear masks when leaving their homes .
During Wednesday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the President and Pentagon officials revealed that they have intelligence that the drug cartels are looking to exploit the coronavirus crisis in the country .
“ We came upon some intelligence some time ago that the drug cartels as a result of COIVD-19 were going to try to take advantage of the situation and try to infiltrate additional drugs into our country , ” Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley said , without providing further detail .
“ We ’ re at war with COVID-19 , we ’ re at war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at war with drug cartels as well.
” In response , the Department of Defense is enhancing counternarcotics operation in Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea .
Two cruise ships operated by Holland America Line off the coast of Florida reached a deal with the U.S. to disembark passengers in the U.S .
There are over 200 passengers who reported flu-like symptoms since March .
At least eight people tested positive for the virus and four guests have died on one of the vessels .
There are currently 189,663 confirmed cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Globally , there are 877 , 422 confirmed cases and 43,537 deaths .
In New York City , the epicenter of the country ’ s national crisis , there are 41,771 cases and 1,096 fatalities .
During Tuesday ’ s White House Task Force briefing , President Donald Trump and his team offered a sobering message that the situation will get worse before it gets better .
Additionally , the Task Force issued new social distancing guidelines in a new “ 30 days to stop the spread ” guideline .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very tough two weeks , ” Trump said .
“ And then , hopefully , as the experts are predicting , I think a lot of us are predicting after having studied it so hard , you ’ re gon na start seeing some real light at the end of the tunnel.
” The United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres told reporters Tuesday that the pandemic is the worst global crisis since World War II .
“ The combination of the two facts and the risk that it contributes to enhanced instability , enhanced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that make us believe that this is the most challenging crisis we have faced since the Second World War , ” Guterres explained .
The number of worldwide confirmed cases of the coronavirus surpassed 800,000 .
In the U.S. , there are 164,610 cases .
The number of deaths in the U.S. have climbed to over 3,000 .
The states of Maryland and Virginia and the District of Columbia have all increased social distancing measures by implementing “ stay-at-home ” orders to the public .
Virginia ’ s order is effective immediately and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three regions have also increased the penalties for residents who don ’ t cooperate with the social distancing guidelines .
In D.C. , violators will face misdemeanor charges with a fine of $ 5,000 and 90 days in jail .
Virginians who violate the order could face Class I misdemeanors , punishable by up to a year in jail and a $ 2,500 fine .
Maryland violators could face up to a year in jail and/or a $ 5,000 fine .
The USNS Comfort docked in Manhattan , NY on Monday and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are warning that the worst is yet to come and applauded the President ’ s fast-tracking of the floating hospital .
During Monday ’ s White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing , the President revealed a new test for the virus that would diagnose patients in around five minutes .
It was created by Abbott Laboratories , an Illinois Health Care technology company .
The source of the coronavirus pandemic , Wuhan , China , has recently come under scrutiny for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Chinese government reported 2,535 people had died from the virus in Wuhan , but , now , there ’ s questions as to whether that number was downplayed .
According to many reports , there are truckloads of urns being brought into the city .
The U.S. number of confirmed coronavirus cases has surpassed 143,000 , with over 2,500 deaths .
The number of worldwide cases surpassed 700,000 .
New York remains the epicenter for the epidemic in the U.S. with 776 deaths .
The U.S. Navy ’ s hospital ship Comfort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the area .
the floating hospital is equipped with 1,000 beds , 12 operating rooms , and 8 ICU beds .
On Sunday , the President extended the social distancing guidelines for the country until April 30 .
During the news conference , Trump said that the number of deaths in the U.S. will peak in the next two weeks and will hopefully see an end come June 1 .
The U.S Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of life saving treatments for patients suffering from the coronavirus , hydroxychloroquine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight malaria , however , doctors have seen success in patients diagnosed with the coronavirus .
As the U.S. coronavirus death toll sailed past 1,000 , the governor of New York — the state with the worst outbreak so far — warned residents they ’ re “ still on the way up the mountain.
” Meanwhile , Americans displaced by the coronavirus crisis filed unemployment claims in record numbers , with the Labor Department reporting Thursday a surge to 3.28 million .
Businesses across the country have shut down amid a policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus ’ s growth in check .
Individual states have reported websites crashing amid a rush to file .
Late Wednesday , the Senate unanimously passed a $ 2 trillion stimulus package called the CARES Act — the Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security Act — that boosts unemployment insurance payouts and aims to send relief checks to many Americans .
To provide additional ways for Americans to access cash , the bill also allows people to take a withdrawal of up to $ 100,000 from their retirement savings , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retirement accounts , without the typical penalty .
As hospital ICUs and morgues began filling up in some U.S. cities , the Senate passed an unprecedented $ 2 trillion relief package to help American workers , businesses and the severely strained health care system survive the pandemic .
Hospitals in London are experiencing a “ continuous tsunami ” of coronavirus patients , according to a group that represents Britain ’ s hospitals , ambulance services and community health services .
Louisiana has seen a spike in the number of coronavirus cases , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is currently the LSU Health Care Services Division CEO , said the federal government needs to step in , especially to provide more ventilators .
At least 4,089 people have now died from Covid-19 in Spain with a total of 56,188 cases recorded , according to Spanish Health Ministry data released Thursday .
The number of doctors in Italy who have died of coronavirus has risen to 37 , the Italian Federation of Medical Professionals said Thursday .
Italy , the new epicenter of the virus , has recorded more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday more than 30,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the state and “ we ’ re still on the way up the mountain.
” The peak of the pandemic – the point where the most people are coming into hospitals – could be in about 21 days , Cuomo said .
New York medical supply shortages spread to some Long Island hospitals .
Catholic Health Services , which is comprised of six acute care hospitals on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN they are now in need of isolation gowns , procedural masks with and without face shields , and N95 respirators of all sizes .
Fourteen million US jobs could be lost by this summer as businesses shutter in response to the coronavirus pandemic , the Economic Policy Institute predicts in a new report .
That ’ s more than 10 % of all private sector jobs lost , the group writes .
Retail , leisure and hospitality are expected to take the biggest hits .
The stimulus bill includes $ 324 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifically includes funds for “ evacuation expenses , ” according to a draft obtained by CNN .
The proposed legislation doesn ’ t specify who would be evacuated , whether it ’ s US diplomats or American citizens living overseas , or potentially both .
Nearly three dozen state attorneys general have called on Amazon , Craigslist , eBay , Facebook and Walmart to fight price gouging during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Even new protections by your company including heightened monitoring , bans on certain advertisements , and bans on selling certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priced critical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic , ” the attorneys general wrote .
Italy has recorded 683 deaths in the past day , with a total number of 7,503 fatalities from coronavirus , according to the civil protection agency .
All travelers returning to Canada will have to enter a 14-day mandatory quarantine as of midnight Wednesday as the country deals with a significant spike in coronavirus cases and hundreds of thousands of people return home to Canada by both air and land border crossings .
President Trump said Tuesday during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s economy re-opened by Easter amid questions over how long people should stay home and businesses should remain closed to slow the spread of coronavirus .
Trump argued he doesn ’ t want “ to turn the country off ” and see a continued economic downfall from the pandemic .
He also said he worries the U.S. will see “ suicides by the thousands ” if coronavirus devastates the economy .
Meanwhile , the World Health Organization said Tuesday the U.S. could become the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very large acceleration in cases in the U.S .
So it does have that potential , ” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said , according to the Reuters news agency .
GOP Rep. Doug Collins sent a letter to Pompeo Tuesday , urging him to temporarily ban exports of medical supplies related to coronavirus over concerns that private companies will send supplies to foreign countries instead of states seeking the same equipment .
Three sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for coronavirus and have been flown to a military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly said Tuesday .
“ Three cases of COVID19 have been identified among personnel currently deployed and underway on the USS Theodore Roosevelt , these are our first three cases of COVID19 on a ship that is deployed , “ Modly said .
Medical workers in Spain account for 13.6 % of its total coronavirus cases , according to Fernando Simón , director of the Spanish Coordinating Centre for Health Alerts and Emergencies at Spain ’ s Ministry of Health .
About 20 % of people on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop the spread of COVID-19 , which has infected nearly 400,000 people globally and killed more than 17,000 people .
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 is now approaching 600 and there are more than 46,000 cases across the nation , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Doctor says he ’ s 3-4 weeks from developing treatment to ‘ neutralize ‘ coronavirus Distributed Bio co-founder and CEO Dr. Jacob Glanville revealed on “ The Story with Martha MacCallum ” Thursday that his company ’ s laboratory is three to four weeks away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
“ What my company is doing is adapting antibodies to recognize and neutralize the novel coronavirus .
So this would … [ be ] sort of skipping what a vaccine does , ” Glanville said .
“ Instead of giving you a vaccine and waiting for it to produce an immune response , we just give you those antibodies right away .
And so within about 20 minutes , that patient has the ability to neutralize the virus.
” Mortgages : – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will suspend mortgage payments for 90 days for borrowers who face financial hardship such as losing their job .
The announcement is intended to provide financial relief for those impacted by the coronavirus .
“ This is a real-life benefit , ” Cuomo said .
“ People are under tremendous economic pressure .
Making a mortgage payment can be one of the number one stressors .
Eliminating that stressor for 90 days , I think , will go a long way.
” Cuomo said he will also temporarily postpone or suspend foreclosures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , credit cards and overdrafts .
Two active duty Army mobile hospital units have received “ prepare to deploy ” orders , according to Army Chief of Staff General James McConville .
The units receiving the orders are the 47th Combat Support Hospital based at Joint-Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state which has seen a significant virus outbreak , and the 586th Field Hospital at Fort Campbell , Kentucky .
Both units typically deploy with hundreds of troops , including full surgical and trauma care capability .
The State Department is preparing to raise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Do Not Travel – the highest level — in the face of the coronavirus pandemic .
President Trump has signed a second , mammoth financial relief package to help Americans weather the coronavirus crisis , as new data on the pandemic brings warnings for younger generations that , while their parents are still most at risk , they ’ re not “ invincible.
” The phase-2 relief package approved Wednesday night will provide free testing to build a clearer picture of how much COVID-19 there really is in the U.S .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs and for paid sick , family and medical leave for workers at companies with 500 employees or fewer .
Domino ’ s Pizza is looking to hire up to 10,000 workers as people shift their eating habits to takeout or delivery amid restrictions surrounding the growing coronavirus pandemic .
Prince Albert II of Monaco has tested positive for COVID-19 , a palace spokesperson told CNN .
Japan Olympic Committee ( JOC ) board member Kaori Yamaguchi has called for the Tokyo Olympics to be postponed because athletes are unable to prepare adequately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , she told the Nikkei newspaper .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo attempted to assuage concerns this morning by saying “ there is no quarantine plan for New York City ” as it relates to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
The federal government is working on a $ 1 trillion coronavirus stimulus package to try and rescue the U.S. economy from the abyss opened by the coronavirus pandemic .
Other major governments have announced similar plans , aimed at keeping businesses afloat as virtually all of their customers are told to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 .
Officials in New York are clearly debating a lockdown for America ’ s biggest city , too , but for most Americans , it remains just a stern recommendation .
“ Stay at home as much as possible , limit the spread , ” Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Tuesday , reiterating the Trump administration ’ s appeal for people nationwide to avoid unnecessary travel and all gatherings .
“ We do not want to look like Italy does two weeks from now.
” There are signs Italy ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the disease , but the strict measures came too late to prevent a disaster .
COVID-19 has killed more than 2,500 people in the country .
Hospitals , doctors and nurses have been pushed beyond capacity .
JetBlue announced today that it will make a 40 % cut to its schedule as it weathers damage to the aviation industry from the coronavirus .
The Justice Department announced overnight that it ’ s closing an additional 10 immigration courts , spread out across the country , through April 10 as the novel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A statement released by White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham says the April 21 official state visit of Spain ’ s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia has been postponed in its entirety .
US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams called on healthy Americans to donate blood .
Click below to see an interactive map of virus spread across all continents .
China is sending 100,000 novel coronavirus test kits and other essential medical supplies to the Philippines to assist the country “ in fighting the epidemic , ” according to Philippines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Sunday that no gatherings with 50 people or more — including weddings , festivals , parades , concerts , sporting events or conferences — be held in the United States for the next eight weeks in one of the federal government ’ s most sweeping efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
As the country increasingly prepared for the coronavirus pandemic , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday that schools in New York City , the nation ’ s largest public school system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s mayor , Bill de Blasio , said they would close Monday and would reopen April 20 at the earliest .
California called for all people 65 and older to shelter in their homes .
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker ordered all bars and restaurants in the state to close .
The move will affect the nation ’ s third-largest city , Chicago .
Federal Reserve cut interest rates to nearly zero to prop up the economy during the pandemic .
There are 1,701 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. as of Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths across the country .
The number of worldwide cases reported are 135,467 .
The Trump Administration will begin implementing a travel ban from Europe , with the exception of the U.K. Friday at midnight .
The ban will span for travelers from Europe ’ s Schengen Area , which includes : Austria , Belgium , Czech Republic , Denmark , Estonia , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , Hungary , Iceland , Italy , Latvia , Liechtenstein , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Malta , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sweden , and Switzerland .
The suspension will last 30 days .
The White House said citizens returning to the U.S. from Europe “ will be directed to a limited number of airports where screening can take place ” where they will undergo “ appropriate screenings.
” There were more than 1,030 cases in the U.S. as of Wednesday , eight times more than just a week earlier .
At least 32 people have died of the virus nationwide , and there are cases in 37 states — 15 of which have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In origin country China , there was mounting evidence that strict control measures pay off .
Premier Xi Jinping has declared the disease “ basically curbed , ” and with only about 10 new domestic infections reported in China on Wednesday , other countries were adopting similar tactics .
Italy has the biggest outbreak outside China , with more than 600 dead and 10,000 infections .
The whole nation is under travel restrictions , with stricter controls in hard-hit northern regions .
New York state has taken dramatic action to contain one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. , setting up a “ containment area ” of about three square miles around the city of New Rochelle , less than 10 miles from the heart of Manhattan .
There were at least 108 confirmed cases there alone .
A cruise ship hit by the new coronavirus is headed to the port of Oakland , California , authorities said Sunday , though passengers were destined to stay aboard the ship for at least another day .
California residents will be brought to facilities within the state , and non-residents will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a military base in Marietta , Georgia .
OES said 1,000 passengers are California residents .
The number of cases worldwide continues to climb .
According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins , there have been more than 109,600 confirmed cases of the virus as of Sunday morning .
More than 60,000 people have recovered , and more than 3,800 people have died .
Right now there are 483 cases of confirmed infected with COVID-19 in United States , and 20 confirmed deaths .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the head of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said on Sunday that while he hopes it doesn ’ t come to it , the government could shut down certain sections of the country hit hard by the coronavirus .
Speaking during an interview on “ Fox News Sunday , ” Fauci said that “ anything is possible ” when asked if measures like those currently being imposed in Italy could be enacted in the U.S. to help prevent the continued spread of the coronavirus .
“ I don ’ t think it would be as draconian as nobody in or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But if we continue to get cases like this , particularly at the community level , there will be what we call ‘ mitigation , ’ where we have to essentially do social distancing , keep people out of crowded places , take a look at seriousness , do you really need to travel , and I think it ’ s particularly important among the most vulnerable.
” Fox News is reporting the first cases of coronavirus in Georgia .
The two infections are tied to a father and his 15-year-old son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials in Georgia confirmed the state ’ s first two cases of the novel coronavirus .
The U.S. has seen an increasing list of cases across the country and test kits for the virus are expected to increase substantially by the end of the week .
There have been at least nine deaths in the United States as of Wednesday .
Currently , the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracking map estimates over 94,000 infections worldwide with more than 3,200 deaths associated with the virus .
Dr. Stephen Hahn , the F.D.A.
’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing that actions taken by the agency to allow private labs and companies to begin making their own tests would allow for quicker expansion of testing for the virus across the nation .
“ With this new policy , we have heard from multiple companies and multiple academic centers , and we expect to have a substantial increase in the number of tests this week , next week , and throughout the month , ” said Dr. Hahn .
“ There will be — the estimates we ’ re getting from industry right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , close to a million tests will be able to be performed.
” The Georgia Department of Public Health ( DPH ) said the two cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Fulton County .
The father and son had recently returned from Italy , which has seen a surge of cases in recent weeks .
According to Fox News the “ father and his son saw a private doctor before they were tested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) in Atlanta.
” Monday , March 2 : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 12 states , with almost 90 cases in all and two deaths .
Both U.S. fatalities were in Washington state — residents of a King County nursing home where dozens more were sick and being tested for the virus .
Both of the victims had underlying health conditions .
The disease has killed more than 3,048 people globally and infected more than 89,197 , with the vast majority of cases and deaths in China .
While the number of new cases recorded daily in that epicenter country has declined for weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korea , Iran and Italy , prompting increased travel warnings and restrictions .
Saturday , Feb 29 : The US Food and Drug Administration announced on Saturday a policy allowing certain US labs to test for the novel coronavirus using diagnostics the labs developed and validated , even before the agency has reviewed them .
The policy will enable more rapid testing capacity , the agency says .
Iraq reports five new positive cases of coronavirus , the Health Ministry says .
That brings the country ’ s total to 13 .
Japan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bringing total to 944 .
Qatar has become the latest Middle Eastern country to report its first case of coronavirus .
The patient , a 36-year-old man , returned from Iran , which has the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths outside China .
The news on Saturday comes amid growing concerns in the Gulf , with Saudi Arabia having recently halted travel to holy sites such as Mecca and Medina .
In Europe , Italy has reported 888 coronavirus cases and 18 deaths , the most in Europe .
On Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned that the spread of the virus is “ getting bigger ” .
More than 85,000 people have been infected worldwide .
Friday , Feb 28 : There are now 62 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in the United States , Dr. Nancy Messonnier , director of the CDC ’ s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases , said during a press briefing on Friday .
• 44 people who were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship Thursday , Feb 27 : Israeli scientists are on the cusp of developing the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis .
If all goes as planned , the vaccine could be ready within a few weeks and available in 90 days , according to a release .
“ Congratulations to MIGAL [ The Galilee Research Institute ] on this exciting breakthrough , ” Akunis said .
“ I am confident there will be further rapid progress , enabling us to provide a needed response to the grave global COVID-19 threat , ” Akunis said , referring to the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country reported 334 new cases and one death today , bringing the national total to 1,595 cases and 13 deaths .
Many of the cases are linked to a religious group in the country ’ s south .
• Military infections : Joint US-South Korea military drills have been postponed “ until further notice ” after a US soldier and several members of the South Korean military contracted the virus .
• Travel disrupted : Numerous countries are implementing travel restrictions for those coming to and from South Korea , while the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to the country .
• European spread : Italy now has 400 cases — the largest outbreak outside Asia .
And the virus is spreading across Europe , with several countries reporting their first cases , including Norway , Romania , Georgia , and North Macedonia .
Many European countries are now implementing emergency measures , with Italy effectively placing 100,000 under quarantine with travel restrictions .
• Middle East borders closed : Iran now has 139 cases and 19 deaths .
This week , the virus has spread to across Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Lebanon , prompting similar travel restrictions and closed borders as seen in Asia and Europe .
• US warning : United States health officials warn the country may have had its first case of community transmission — where the patient did not have “ relevant travel history or exposure to another known patient.
” In response to rising fears , some communities are taking precautions ; San Francisco , which has no cases , declared a state of emergency .
• More new cases outside China : For the first time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases reported outside of China in a single day was larger than those reported inside the country , said the World Health Organization .
China reported 412 newly confirmed cases yesterday , while 459 additional cases were reported outside of China , according to the WHO ’ s daily report .
Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli told Fox News on Monday that the origin of the coronavirus outbreak remains virtually unknown — and refused to rule out a startling theory that the virus may have originated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , China .
“ Our colleagues at CDC [ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ] and NIH [ National Institutes of Health ] on the task force have made it very clear .
We don ’ t yet know the origin of this particular virus , ” Cuccinelli told Siegel on “ Tucker Carlson Tonight.
” “ We are not entirely sure how this one started yet , ” he continued .
“ There is a biological facility in the … province that people worry about .
But I will say the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professionals suggest that the structure of the virus seems unlikely to have been man-made because if it was made to be a threat , you would expect to see certain characteristics that aren ’ t present.
” “ Does that mean it rules it out ?
” Cuccinelli added , “ No , not absolutely.
” The White House is reportedly preparing to ask Congress for emergency funds to help the administration fight the outbreak of the coronavirus , which has infected almost 80,000 people around the world and accounted for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be around $ 1 billion , two individuals with knowledge of the matter told Politico .
A federal judge has temporarily blocked state and federal officials from moving as many as 50 Americans infected with the coronavirus to a city in southern California for quarantine .
U.S. District Judge Josephine Stanton , an Obama appointee , issued an order late Friday to prevent the transfer of coronavirus patients from Travis Air Force Base in Northern California to Costa Mesa in Orange County .
The patients were previously quarantined on a cruise ship in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile news from mainland China reported 97 new deaths Saturday .
According to the health commission , 96 deaths occurred in Hubei province and one person died in Guangdong .
In addition , China also reported 648 more confirmed cases .
This brings the global total number of deaths to 2,456 , and the number of confirmed cases worldwide to at least 78,442 .
Friday , Feb 21 : The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has passed 30 , health officials said Friday .
Most of the 34 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. from a cruise ship in Japan over the weekend , Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters .
Eighteen of the over 300 Americans evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship were infected with COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus , according to Messonnier , the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases .
All of the Americans evacuated from the ship are nearly halfway through a two-week quarantine since returning to the U.S. late Sunday night .
The fight against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the worse on Wednesday night , as Chinese health officials in the Hubei province reported 242 new deaths and 14,840 new cases of the flu-like virus .
That brings the worldwide death toll to at least 1,357 and the number of confirmed cases to more than 60,000 .
The rise in cases comes as Chinese officials broadened their definition of confirmed cases .
Now , lung imaging can be used to diagnose the virus in a suspected patient , in addition to the standard nucleic acid tests , according to AFP .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evacuee from Wuhan , China , had been diagnosed with the coronavirus , bringing the total number of U.S. cases to 14 .
Although that evacuee had been quarantined at the same base as another coronavirus patient , the CDC said there is no evidence of contact between the two .
Wuhan Coronavirus death toll in China has risen to 814 .
The death toll now surpasses the toll from the SARS epidemic of 2002-2003 , according to data released from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus map tracker Sunday .
In comparison , the SARS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global outbreak .
According to China ’ s National Health Commission the infections are now at 37,198 .
According to The New York Times 89 deaths and 2,656 new cases were recorded in the preceding 24 hours .
Those deaths mostly occurred in Hubei Province , the heart of the outbreak .
Further , a U.S. citizen died from the coronavirus in Wuhan , according to U.S. officials on Saturday .
However , Dr. Marc Siegel , Fox News medical analyst , said there is no need for Americans to worry about a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Siegel , who appeared on “ Fox & Friends : Weekend , ” said ‘ Chinese misinformation and secrecy has made the virus harder to control , but the United States has done a great job in helping to control the spread and treat infected people.
’ For more details on the death toll go to Johns Hopkins online tracker .
Tuesday , Feb 4 : The deadly new coronavirus continued to spread apace on Tuesday , with more than 23,500 cases confirmed worldwide and at least 490 deaths in China alone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and all but two of the deaths , were in mainland China .
Chinese officials have agreed to let American experts into the country as part of a World Health Organization team in the coming days , and senior members of the Communist Party have admitted “ shortcomings and deficiencies ” in the country ’ s response .
President Xi Jinping declared “ a people ’ s war of prevention ” against the epidemic Monday , threatening punishment for anyone deemed to be neglecting their duties as control efforts ramped up .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19,700 confirmed cases in more than two dozen countries , the vast majority of them in China , according to the World Health Organization .
There have been at least 425 deaths in China , and one in the Philippines .
A pandemic is described as a disease that spreads across a large region , across continents and even the entire globe .
The coronavirus is reportedly spreading at a similar pace to influenza compared to the slow-moving SARS and MERS , according to the New York Times .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost certainly is going to be a pandemic , ” Dr. Anthony S. Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease , told the paper .
Sunday , Feb 2 : Three more cases of coronavirus were confirmed in California on Sunday , including two people in San Benito County , bringing the total number of U.S. cases to 11 .
The first death outside of China was reported in the Philippines on Sunday There are at least 17,373 confirmed cases worldwide , with the majority in China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are 362 deaths worldwide — more than the death toll of SARS — with 360 of those deaths in China .
Saturday , Feb 1 : 8th U.S. case of coronavirus confirmed in Massachusetts The number of confirmed coronavirus cases keeps rising .
As of Saturday , there were 12,036 cases globally , and an eighth case was confirmed in the United States .
U.S. officials on Friday declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency .
As a result of the declaration , foreign nationals who have traveled to China in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate family members of U.S. citizens or permanent residents will be temporarily banned from entering the U.S. , according to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar .
Azar also announced that anyone entering the U.S. who has been in China ’ s Hubei province in the last two weeks will be subject to a two-week quarantine .
Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang and Vice mayor Xu Honglan spoke to reporters in a news conference .
Xianwang said the efforts to contain the virus are “ severe and complex ” as the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern over a shortage of medical supplies and masks , Honglan explained .
World Health Organization declared a global health emergency Thursday as the Coronavirus continues to spread .
The WHO announcement the decision at a meeting , after 19 nations confirmed patients with the virus .
Moreover , on Thursday the United States confirmed its first person to person transmission of the virus .
The White House has told airline executives it ’ s considering suspending flights from China to the U.S. amid an escalating outbreak of a new coronavirus that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people familiar with the matter said .
The restrictions could affect flights into and out of China , as well as airports across the United States , the officials said .
U.S. health officials are fast-tracking work on a coronavirus vaccine , hoping to start an early-stage trial within the next three months , the Trump administration said .
That timeline is optimistic , and a phase 1 trial does not mean “ you have a vaccine that ’ s ready for deployment , ” said Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diseases .
United Airlines plans to suspend some China flights next month because of a “ significant decline in demand ” for service to the country as it battles the growing number of coronavirus cases .
The flight cancellations take effect Feb. 1 and last through Feb. 8 .
Top U.S. health officials and infectious disease specialists held a news conference Tuesday morning on the coronavirus outbreak .
The briefing , hosted by U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar , was held at the agency ’ s headquarters in Washington , D.C. Centers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also speak , as well as representatives from the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
The coronavirus outbreak has killed 107 people and infected 4,474 people in China , state-run newspaper the People ’ s Daily reported on Tuesday .
The U.S. Department of State on Monday raised its travel advisory for China from Level 2 to Level 3 asking Americans to “ reconsider travel to China due to the novel coronavirus.
” They added that some areas have “ added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had risen to at least 80 by Monday .
Most of those deaths , 76 people , were in the central province of Hubei , the center of the outbreak .
Shanghai , a city of 24 million , recorded its first death on Saturday .
Across China there have been 2,744 confirmed cases , of which 1,423 cases were in Hubei .
The youngest confirmed case is a 9-month-old girl in Beijing .
Thailand and Hong Kong have each reported eight cases of infection ; the United States , Taiwan , Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Japan , South Korea and Malaysia each have reported four ; France has three ; Canada and Vietnam have two , and Nepal has one .
There have been no deaths from the virus reported outside China .
The death toll from the Wuhan coronavirus now stands at 80 , with almost 2,800 cases confirmed across China , as the country initiates emergency procedures to try and rein in the pathogen ’ s global spread .
A fifth U.S. case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Arizona ’ s Maricopa County .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona Department of Health Services described the patient as “ a member of the Arizona State University community who does not live in university housing.
” What are the symptoms of coronavirus ?
For confirmed 2019-nCoV infections , reported illnesses have ranged from infected people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying .
Symptoms can include : CDC believes at this time that symptoms of 2019-nCoV may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 after exposure .
Click here for more from CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more cases of the new coronavirus have been diagnosed in the U.S. , bringing the national total to four .
The new cases are both in California — one each in Los Angeles County and Orange County — in addition to one case in Washington state and another in Chicago .
The State Department is reportedly ordering an evacuation of American employees at the U.S. Consulate in Wuhan amid a deadly coronavirus outbreak in the central Chinese city .
The department said in an email Sunday that it is arranging a flight from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of an effort to relocate diplomats and some private U.S. citizens Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering launched tracking map website of the Wuhan ‘ coronavirus ’ as it appears to be rapidly spreading around the globe .
The website tracks the spread of the deadly virus in real time and provides valuable information for people who want to understand what is happening and know more about the spread of this flu .
News reports of the virus and the increasing infections , along with the death toll , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t understand what it really means and if it could potentially affect you or members of your family .
The website also offers a blog that explains almost everything you need to know about the virus .
I have to admit I was more concerned about how rapid the virus is traveling and with two cases now confirmed in the United States having more resources to understand it helps alleviate that concern .
The Johns Hopkins University blog on the Coronavirus brings home how quickly this virus has traveled since it was first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ On December 31 , 2019 , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) was informed of an outbreak of “ pneumonia of unknown cause ” detected in Wuhan City , Hubei Province , China – the seventh-largest city in China with 11 million residents .
As of January 23 , there are over 800 cases of 2019-nCoV confirmed globally , including cases in at least 20 regions in China and nine countries/territories .
The first reported infected individuals , some of whom showed symptoms as early as December 8 , were discovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South China Seafood Market .
Subsequently , the wet market was closed on Jan 1 .
The virus causing the outbreak was quickly determined to be a novel coronavirus .
On January 10 , gene sequencing further determined it to be the new Wuhan coronavirus , namely 2019-nCoV , a betacoronavirus , related to the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome virus ( MERS-CoV ) and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus ( SARSCoV ) .
However , the mortality and transmissibility of 2019-nCoV are still unknown , and likely to vary from those of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Civil Engineering Professor Lauren Gardner worked with the center to build the map and website .
It “ displays up-to-the-minute statistics from various sources : the World Health Organization ( WHO ) , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , the National Health Commission of the People ’ s Republic of China ( NHC ) , and two other sites , ” the press release states .
For more on the Johns Hopkins ‘ Coronavirus tracking map go here .

Small Minnesota City Loses Entire Police Force Amid Recruitment Struggles
In an unexpected turn of events, the city of Goodhue in southeastern Minnesota finds itself without a police force as...


saraacater--2020-04-20--Major Media Outlets Fail To Expose Bombshell Evidence Showing Dodgy Dossier Was Russian Disinformati

Major Media Outlets Fail To Expose Bombshell Evidence Showing Dodgy Dossier Was Russian Disinformation

Many main stream media outlets and cable networks have failed to correct their record of misinformation they delivered to the American people regarding President Donald Trump ’ s 2016 campaign , even after evidence continues to surface showing that the dodgy dossier compiled by a former British spy was Russian lies .
Sen. Ron Johnson and Sen. Chuck Grassley ’ s urging to have acting Director of National Intelligence Rick Grenell and Attorney General William Barr declassify footnotes in Inspector General Michael Horowitz ’ s December report on the FBI ’ s handling of the Russia investigation , cleared any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia .
However , very few so-called mainstream media outlets published the bombshell findings .
The declassified footnotes revealed that the FBI “ possessed intelligence reports that stated key portions of the anti-Trump dossier were tainted by Russian disinformation , yet it continued to rely on them to justify Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) warrants against Trump campaign aide Carter Page , ” the Senators press release Monday stated .
Those footnotes were so damaging to the FBI and intelligence community ’ s actions that last week , Grassley , chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson , Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee , sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray requesting all the records from the FBI ’ s Crossfire Hurricane team after declassifying the Horowitz footnotes .
Even with all this explosive news over the dossier , very few news outlets have reported or clarified their previous reporting to the American people .
The Senator ’ s pointed to Eric Wemple ’ s Washington Post column on Monday that scrutinized the other major media outlets , for not doing so .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ news outlets were quick to cover the dossier and the FBI ’ s reliance on it when it suited their assumptions that Trump conspired with Russia but have failed to correct the record now that the evidence reveals it was tainted by Russian intelligence .
“ Freshly declassified footnotes from a 2019 Justice Department report cast further doubt on one of the central documents of Russiagate — a collection of memos compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele and published by BuzzFeed in January 2017 .
The dossier contained extravagant allegations about presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deference in some precincts of the mainstream media , ” Wemple wrote .
Steele ’ s dossier was not only central to the FBI ’ s Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Applications on campaign volunteer Carter Page but also played a central role in the Intelligence Community Assessment that Russia preferred Trump to former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton , which was also debunked in the declassified footnotes .
Interestingly enough , it was Hillary Clinton ’ s campaign and the Democratic National Committee that funded Steele ’ s dossier with Russian disinformation and the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the information being supplied was false .
“ The declassified footnotes lend texture to that grim assessment .
They have been unsheathed at the urging of Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley ( R-Iowa ) and Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson ( R-Wis. ) , two critics of the investigation into Trump ’ s ties to Russia .
Even a cursory look at the footnotes makes clear why they pushed for sunlight , ” stated Wemple in his column .
“ Remember the dossier ’ s famous allegations that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of illicit alleged activities in a Russian hotel ?
A declassified footnote elaborates on the provenance of that story : According to an intelligence community report , a source who spanned Trump ’ s circles and Russia said that it was false and resulted from Russian intelligence ‘ infiltrat [ ing ] a source into the network.
’ ” Still , CBS News , the Associated Press , MSNBC , the New York Times and CNN have failed to cover the footnotes or clarify the findings to their viewers and readers .

Many main stream media outlets and cable networks have failed to correct their record of misinformation they delivered to the American people regarding President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, even after evidence continues to surface showing that the dodgy dossier compiled by a former British spy was Russian lies.
Sen. Ron Johnson and Sen. Chuck Grassley’s urging to have acting Director of National Intelligence Rick Grenell and Attorney General William Barr declassify footnotes in Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s December report on the FBI’s handling of the Russia investigation, cleared any speculation that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia.
However, very few so-called mainstream media outlets published the bombshell findings.
The declassified footnotes revealed that the FBI “possessed intelligence reports that stated key portions of the anti-Trump dossier were tainted by Russian disinformation, yet it continued to rely on them to justify Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants against Trump campaign aide Carter Page,” the Senators press release Monday stated.
Those footnotes were so damaging to the FBI and intelligence community’s actions that last week, Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Johnson, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray requesting all the records from the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane team after declassifying the Horowitz footnotes.
Even with all this explosive news over the dossier, very few news outlets have reported or clarified their previous reporting to the American people.
The Senator’s pointed to Eric Wemple’s Washington Post column on Monday that scrutinized the other major media outlets, for not doing so. Wemple noted that many outlets and cable news outlets were quick to cover the dossier and the FBI’s reliance on it when it suited their assumptions that Trump conspired with Russia but have failed to correct the record now that the evidence reveals it was tainted by Russian intelligence.
“Freshly declassified footnotes from a 2019 Justice Department report cast further doubt on one of the central documents of Russiagate — a collection of memos compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele and published by BuzzFeed in January 2017. The dossier contained extravagant allegations about presidential candidate Donald Trump and was treated to deference in some precincts of the mainstream media,” Wemple wrote.
Steele’s dossier was not only central to the FBI’s Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Applications on campaign volunteer Carter Page but also played a central role in the Intelligence Community Assessment that Russia preferred Trump to former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, which was also debunked in the declassified footnotes.
Interestingly enough, it was Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee that funded Steele’s dossier with Russian disinformation and the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane team was aware that the information being supplied was false.
“The declassified footnotes lend texture to that grim assessment. They have been unsheathed at the urging of Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), two critics of the investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia. Even a cursory look at the footnotes makes clear why they pushed for sunlight,” stated Wemple in his column. “Remember the dossier’s famous allegations that the Russians had kompromat against Trump because of illicit alleged activities in a Russian hotel? A declassified footnote elaborates on the provenance of that story: According to an intelligence community report, a source who spanned Trump’s circles and Russia said that it was false and resulted from Russian intelligence ‘infiltrat[ing] a source into the network.’”
Still, CBS News, the Associated Press, MSNBC, the New York Times and CNN have failed to cover the footnotes or clarify the findings to their viewers and readers.


saraacater--2020-04-20--‘You love to see it’: AOC Deletes Tweet Celebrating Oil Industry Nosedive

The oil industry took a massive nosedive on Monday amid the coronavirus pandemic and although it means American workers will likely lose their jobs , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-NY , celebrated the move saying “ you absolutely love to see it ” on Twitter .
Within minutes , however , she deleted the tweet and replaced it with a different message .
“ You absolutely love to see it.
” she wrote in her original tweet , “ This along with record low interest rates means it ’ s the right time for a worker-led , mass investment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The revised tweet said , “ Now is the time to create millions of good jobs building out the infrastructure and clean energy necessary to save out planet for future generations.
” Oil prices fell to the lowest they ’ ve ever been Monday all the way to - $ 40 a barrel and the expectation is that many workers in the industry will lose their jobs as a result .
“ There is such a massive supply surplus and very little places to store it , and that ’ s what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burkhard , vice president and head of oil markets at IHS Markit , told The Hill .

The oil industry took a massive nosedive on Monday amid the coronavirus pandemic and although it means American workers will likely lose their jobs, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, celebrated the move saying “you absolutely love to see it” on Twitter. Within minutes, however, she deleted the tweet and replaced it with a different message.
“You absolutely love to see it.” she wrote in her original tweet, “This along with record low interest rates means it’s the right time for a worker-led, mass investment in green infrastructure to save our planet *cough*”
Now is the time to create millions of good jobs building out the infrastructure and clean energy necessary to save our planet for future generations. For our economy, our planet, and our future, we need a #GreenNewDeal. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 20, 2020
The revised tweet said, “Now is the time to create millions of good jobs building out the infrastructure and clean energy necessary to save out planet for future generations.”
Oil prices fell to the lowest they’ve ever been Monday all the way to -$40 a barrel and the expectation is that many workers in the industry will lose their jobs as a result. “There is such a massive supply surplus and very little places to store it, and that’s what’s driving this,” Jim Burkhard, vice president and head of oil markets at IHS Markit, told The Hill.


saraacater--2020-04-20--LIVE: White House Coronavirus Task Force Briefing

President Donald Trump , along with the White House Coronavirus Task Force , are updating the American public on the @ @ @ @ @ COVID19 virus and what will be the next steps to opening up the economy .

Officials found an illegal Chinese biotech laboratory being conducted in a warehouse in Reedley, California. The Chinese medical company Prestige Biotech “was the largest creditor of the now defunct med-tech company Universal Meditech and took control of it following bankruptcy. The Chinese-run company did not have a license to operate in California” reports National Review.
Wang Zhaolin, a spokesman for Prestige Biotech, told the San Joaquin Valley Sun that the mice “were genetically engineered to catch and carry the Covid-19 virus,” the newspaper reported. Court documents further showed that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) conducted tests on the more than 800 chemicals found at the site and that over 20 infectious agents were found present, including Hepatitis B and C, streptococcus pneumonia, chlamydia, rubella, and Herpes 1 and 5.
The investigation began in April after a garden hose was illegally attached to the back of the building. Biological agents from the building were destroyed July 7 following a legal abatement process by the Fresno County Public Health Department.
Foreign Desk News reports:
According to reports, the tenant of the illegal lab was Prestige BioTech; a company registered in Nevada and unlicensed for business in California. City officials spoke with the company’s President, Xiuquin Yao, who told officials that Prestige BioTech transferred assets belonging to a defunct company, Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI), to the Reedley warehouse from Fresno after UMI went bankrupt.
Another official from the company, Wang Zhaolin, told investigators the mice were genetically engineered to catch and spread the COVID-19 virus.
The lab had “around 30 refrigerators, operational and non-operational freezers, incubators, and medical testing supplies. Upon searching the building, officials found 800 different chemicals and have yet to identify all of them.”


saraacater--2020-04-20--Antisemitism Physical Acts Spike 18% In 2019, COVID Only Worsening It

Physical acts of antisemitism spiked by 18 percent in 2019 compared to 2018 , according to Tel Aviv University Kantor Center ’ s annual report .
There were 456 total incidents reported in 2019 , 169 were physical attacks , 129 targeted personal property , 77 targeted cemeteries , 53 synagogues , and 28 community centers and schools .
Moshe Kantor , the Center ’ s founder , shared that they ’ re also seeing a spike in antisemitism amid the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic , there has been a significant rise in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a collective , are behind the spread of the virus or are directly profiting from it , ” Kantor said .
A man in Columbus , Ohio recently walked through the city touting a sign characterizing a Jewish person as a rat that read “ THE REAL PLAGUE.
” “ The man holding the atrocious antisemitic rat sign from this weekend ’ s Columbus , Ohio rally has been confirmed to be the same person from a Detroit 2019 Pride Rally , a member of the National Socialist Movement , ” StopAntisemitism.org @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rez from StopAntisemitism.org provided SaraACarter.com with a flier that a man was distributing to homes in Washington D.C. ’ s Dumbarton neighborhood in Georgetown .
The homes in the area are located within walking distance of a local synagogue , Kesher Israel .
The man pictured above was distributing the hate-filled fliers that blamed the Jewish people for the virus and its spread .
With the observance of Israel ’ s Holocaust Remembrance Day being this week , antisemites also didn ’ t miss the opportunity to promote # Covid48 on Twitter comparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The propaganda “ clearly identifies a revival of the medieval ‘ blood libels ’ when Jews were accused of spreading disease , poisoning wells or controlling economies , ” Kantor said , adding that the recent sensation is “ consistent with the rise of antisemitism over the last few years .
”

Physical acts of antisemitism spiked by 18 percent in 2019 compared to 2018, according to Tel Aviv University Kantor Center’s annual report.
There were 456 total incidents reported in 2019, 169 were physical attacks, 129 targeted personal property, 77 targeted cemeteries, 53 synagogues, and 28 community centers and schools.
Moshe Kantor, the Center’s founder, shared that they’re also seeing a spike in antisemitism amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant rise in accusations that Jews, as individuals and as a collective, are behind the spread of the virus or are directly profiting from it,” Kantor said.
The man holding the atrocious antisemitic rat sign (right) from this weekend's Columbus, Ohio rally has been confirmed to be the same person from a Detroit 2019 Pride Rally, a member of the National Socialist Movement. pic.twitter.com/yII2SwqRZl — StopAntisemitism.org (@StopAntisemites) April 20, 2020
A man in Columbus, Ohio recently walked through the city touting a sign characterizing a Jewish person as a rat that read “THE REAL PLAGUE.”
“The man holding the atrocious antisemitic rat sign from this weekend’s Columbus, Ohio rally has been confirmed to be the same person from a Detroit 2019 Pride Rally, a member of the National Socialist Movement,” StopAntisemitism.org said in a tweet Monday.
Liora Rez from StopAntisemitism.org provided SaraACarter.com with a flier that a man was distributing to homes in Washington D.C.’s Dumbarton neighborhood in Georgetown. The homes in the area are located within walking distance of a local synagogue, Kesher Israel.
The man pictured above was distributing the hate-filled fliers that blamed the Jewish people for the virus and its spread.
On the eve of #YomHaShoah, as #Israel commemorates the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust, there's a campaign going on in Palestinian social media using the hashtag #Covid48.
This wouldn't be the first time Jews are compared to viruses. pic.twitter.com/ZEfTAj73Gv — Dan Poraz (@PorazDan) April 20, 2020
With the observance of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day being this week, antisemites also didn’t miss the opportunity to promote #Covid48 on Twitter comparing the Jewish state to the virus.
The propaganda “clearly identifies a revival of the medieval ‘blood libels’ when Jews were accused of spreading disease, poisoning wells or controlling economies,” Kantor said, adding that the recent sensation is “consistent with the rise of antisemitism over the last few years.”


saraacater--2020-04-20--Bipartisan Group Of Senators Call For Funding Of Local Media Through PPP

A bipartisan group of United States Senators wrote a letter Sunday calling for expanding payroll assistance to struggling local newspapers and broadcast stations that have seen reduced advertising revenue during the nation ’ s coronavirus epidemic .
U.S .
Senators Maria Cantwell ( D-WA ) , Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) , John Kennedy ( R-LA ) and John Boozman ( R-AR ) have requested that Senate leaders amend the rules of the Paycheck Protection Program ( PPP ) in order to make thousands of local newspapers and television and radio stations eligible for assistance .
Many local outlets across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding because they are owned by parent companies too large to qualify , particularly in local television ( i.e .
Sinclair , Nexstar , TEGNA ) .
“ Ensuring that local news outlets remain viable at this critical time is not only a matter of fairness , but is essential to public health , ” the senators wrote in their letter .
The bipartisan group of four senators added that local newspapers have lost as much as 50 percent of advertising revenue .
Meanwhile , the National Association of Broadcasters ( NAB ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as a 90 percent loss in ad revenue .
“ Waiving SBA ’ s affiliation rules for local newspapers and broadcasters and ensuring that financial assistance flows to the local affiliate , not the parent company , would allow these small , local operations to be eligible for much-needed financial relief .
Local newspapers and broadcasters have been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis , are essential for maintaining a well-informed public , and deserve our help , ” the senators wrote .
According to Reuters , “ tens of thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take unpaid furloughs or seeing cuts to paychecks , while other outlets are shrinking staff and reducing the frequency of printing , and some smaller newspapers in California , Vermont and South Dakota are closing.
” To read the senators ’ full letter , click here .

A bipartisan group of United States Senators wrote a letter Sunday calling for expanding payroll assistance to struggling local newspapers and broadcast stations that have seen reduced advertising revenue during the nation’s coronavirus epidemic.
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Kennedy (R-LA) and John Boozman (R-AR) have requested that Senate leaders amend the rules of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in order to make thousands of local newspapers and television and radio stations eligible for assistance.
Many local outlets across the nation are currently ineligible for the funding because they are owned by parent companies too large to qualify, particularly in local television (i.e. Sinclair, Nexstar, TEGNA).
“Ensuring that local news outlets remain viable at this critical time is not only a matter of fairness, but is essential to public health,” the senators wrote in their letter.
Louisiana newspapers and broadcasters have been hit hard. ⁰ They’re keeping the public informed during the #coronavirus crisis and deserve #SmallBiz relief. pic.twitter.com/sqBSsxtksQ — John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) April 19, 2020
The bipartisan group of four senators added that local newspapers have lost as much as 50 percent of advertising revenue. Meanwhile, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) says some local broadcasters have reported as much as a 90 percent loss in ad revenue.
“Waiving SBA’s affiliation rules for local newspapers and broadcasters and ensuring that financial assistance flows to the local affiliate, not the parent company, would allow these small, local operations to be eligible for much-needed financial relief. Local newspapers and broadcasters have been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, are essential for maintaining a well-informed public, and deserve our help,” the senators wrote.
According to Reuters, “tens of thousands of local media workers are being forced to take unpaid furloughs or seeing cuts to paychecks, while other outlets are shrinking staff and reducing the frequency of printing, and some smaller newspapers in California, Vermont and South Dakota are closing.”
To read the senators’ full letter, click here.


saraacater--2020-04-20--Universities ‘feeding at the public trough’ Find Themselves At The Center Of COVID Lawsuits

Riley Heath was gearing up to graduate from Princeton University when he received an unexpected notification from his school saying he needed to vacate the campus within a week .
He wasn ’ t the only one at his school and it was one of the first of many American universities to close its campus before the end of the semester amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The FitzRandolph Gate , where students traditionally walk through only after graduating from Princeton , was closed when Heath was leaving his campus alone with his belongings in tow .
He manually kicked open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving his college career behind .
He told me it was a symbolic moment of the abrupt end of his four years that was anything but pomp and circumstance .
Heath and his peers are finishing their semesters of classes via Zoom video conferencing , which he described as “ painful ” and a format that “ doesn ’ t compare ” to in person learning .
“ The discussion is so flat because you don ’ t know when to talk because you don ’ t want to talk over people.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of ends up sitting there looking at each other while the preceptor just asks questions , which is just like honestly a little painful.
” Heath , however , is the example of so many college students across the country who are trying to adapt to a new method of learning , which they say isn ’ t what they paid for .
That argument has become a sticking point for several recent class action lawsuits in which students are asking universities to provide partial tuition refunds .
The University of Miami @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are facing similar suits from students arguing that online programs offered by colleges are typically significantly cheaper than in person programs .
Moreover , the students are saying that the university ‘ breached ’ their contracts with them and engaged in “ unjust enrichment ” from tuition that was collected but unused to better the students ’ experiences .
The firm representing these students has created collegerefund2020.com because of the influx of inquiries they have received amid the coronavirus , Roy Willey IV , a lawyer with the Anastopoulo Law Firm , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of universities , however , have come around to reimbursing students for their room and board costs on a prorated basis .
Rep. Lance Gooden , R-TX , was an early advocate for the move in March , but argued that Congress shouldn ’ t get involved in the matter .
This reporter spoke with Rep. Gooden last week about the additional pressure students are placing on universities .
He told me that the schools have “ compelling arguments ” that their students are still receiving their education , even if classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and board repayments , he said , are a “ nonnegotiable ” for students who paid for their housing and were ultimately “ kicked out.
” “ Some of these are kids that don ’ t have anywhere to go , maybe they don ’ t have a home to return to or they can ’ t afford to get there , maybe they ’ re foreign and can ’ t leave the country .
There ’ s so many sad stories , ” Gooden said .
When asked if many American universities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the hundreds of millions and tens of billions of dollars , could play some role in repaying students , because after I spoke with several students , they appear to be much more self-serving than not , Gooden replied that it ’ s “ frustrating ” and that “ there ’ s probably some reforms to be made.
” “ I know that it ’ s very frustrating when a school that has over a billion dollars , or hundreds of millions of dollars of an endowment comes and sends a team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how broke they are and it ’ s frustrating when I see schools put up a fight for returning money that should be owed to students knowing that they have hundreds of millions of dollars just sitting in a bank account and I realize that these endowments probably have taken a hit when the markets tanked in the last month , but I would think that the purpose of these endowments are to ensure for the continuity and the education of students , ” Gooden explained .
He added , “ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made .
I don ’ t know if the government has the answers , but it ’ s really hard to feel sorry for any university that has such a huge endowment and they ’ re not really seemingly wanting to help .
And I haven ’ t picked on any in particular , but we all know who the rich schools are and the level of sympathy for management of high dollar universities that have such huge bank accounts is just not there.
” Some universities are asking Congress to step in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite their calls , Gooden says he “ can not imagine a scenario where we need to bail out universities who are not having to pay for the daily expense of the university because the campus is closed.
” He continued , “ the universities are not profit centers , they shouldn ’ t be , they should be educating students .
And , if anything , now I can ’ t imagine a scenario where that needs to be the case , but nothing surprises me .
We ’ ve bailed out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t surprise me if the universities feel like they need a feeding at the public trough.
” The University of Texas is one of the schools saying that the pandemic has taken a significant financial toll on the institution .
However , the CARES Act allocated $ 14 billion for America ’ s higher education institutions and UTexas received $ 172.5 million of that funding , according to the Texas Tribune .
The school ’ s endowment is the third-highest in the country with over $ 30 billion , right below Harvard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an online tracking tool for students who want to learn what their university is reimbursing and to compare that with their school ’ s endowments .

Riley Heath was gearing up to graduate from Princeton University when he received an unexpected notification from his school saying he needed to vacate the campus within a week. He wasn’t the only one at his school and it was one of the first of many American universities to close its campus before the end of the semester amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The FitzRandolph Gate, where students traditionally walk through only after graduating from Princeton, was closed when Heath was leaving his campus alone with his belongings in tow. He manually kicked open the gate to exit and walked through leaving his college career behind. He told me it was a symbolic moment of the abrupt end of his four years that was anything but pomp and circumstance.
Heath and his peers are finishing their semesters of classes via Zoom video conferencing, which he described as “painful” and a format that “doesn’t compare” to in person learning.
“The discussion is so flat because you don’t know when to talk because you don’t want to talk over people.” Heath said, “So everyone just kind of ends up sitting there looking at each other while the preceptor just asks questions, which is just like honestly a little painful.”
Heath, however, is the example of so many college students across the country who are trying to adapt to a new method of learning, which they say isn’t what they paid for. That argument has become a sticking point for several recent class action lawsuits in which students are asking universities to provide partial tuition refunds.
The University of Miami in Florida and Drexel University in Pennsylvania are facing similar suits from students arguing that online programs offered by colleges are typically significantly cheaper than in person programs. Moreover, the students are saying that the university ‘breached’ their contracts with them and engaged in “unjust enrichment” from tuition that was collected but unused to better the students’ experiences.
The firm representing these students has created collegerefund2020.com because of the influx of inquiries they have received amid the coronavirus, Roy Willey IV, a lawyer with the Anastopoulo Law Firm, said in an email to insidehighered.com.
A majority of universities, however, have come around to reimbursing students for their room and board costs on a prorated basis. Rep. Lance Gooden, R-TX, was an early advocate for the move in March, but argued that Congress shouldn’t get involved in the matter.
This reporter spoke with Rep. Gooden last week about the additional pressure students are placing on universities. He told me that the schools have “compelling arguments” that their students are still receiving their education, even if classes are online, however, the room and board repayments, he said, are a “nonnegotiable” for students who paid for their housing and were ultimately “kicked out.”
“Some of these are kids that don’t have anywhere to go, maybe they don’t have a home to return to or they can’t afford to get there, maybe they’re foreign and can’t leave the country. There’s so many sad stories,” Gooden said.
When asked if many American universities’ immense endowments, which are often in the hundreds of millions and tens of billions of dollars, could play some role in repaying students, because after I spoke with several students, they appear to be much more self-serving than not, Gooden replied that it’s “frustrating” and that “there’s probably some reforms to be made.”
“I know that it’s very frustrating when a school that has over a billion dollars, or hundreds of millions of dollars of an endowment comes and sends a team of people to my office and complains about how broke they are and it’s frustrating when I see schools put up a fight for returning money that should be owed to students knowing that they have hundreds of millions of dollars just sitting in a bank account and I realize that these endowments probably have taken a hit when the markets tanked in the last month, but I would think that the purpose of these endowments are to ensure for the continuity and the education of students,” Gooden explained.
He added, “There’s probably some reforms to be made. I don’t know if the government has the answers, but it’s really hard to feel sorry for any university that has such a huge endowment and they’re not really seemingly wanting to help. And I haven’t picked on any in particular, but we all know who the rich schools are and the level of sympathy for management of high dollar universities that have such huge bank accounts is just not there.”
Some universities are asking Congress to step in and provide them with stimulus funding. Despite their calls, Gooden says he “cannot imagine a scenario where we need to bail out universities who are not having to pay for the daily expense of the university because the campus is closed.”
He continued, “the universities are not profit centers, they shouldn’t be, they should be educating students. And, if anything, now I can’t imagine a scenario where that needs to be the case, but nothing surprises me. We’ve bailed out everyone else like casinos. It won’t surprise me if the universities feel like they need a feeding at the public trough.”
The University of Texas is one of the schools saying that the pandemic has taken a significant financial toll on the institution. However, the CARES Act allocated $14 billion for America’s higher education institutions and UTexas received $172.5 million of that funding, according to the Texas Tribune. The school’s endowment is the third-highest in the country with over $30 billion, right below Harvard and Yale.
ReturnMySemester.com was created as an online tracking tool for students who want to learn what their university is reimbursing and to compare that with their school’s endowments.


saraacater--2020-04-20--Sara Carter To Pelosi: ‘Put the blame where it needs to reside…on the Chinese Communist Party’

Sara A. Carter criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during Fox News ’ “ The Next Revolution ” Sunday night for her response to the coronavirus pandemic , specifically her delay in pushing necessary funding through Congress after the emergency Paycheck Protection Program reached its funding limit of $ 350 billion last week .
The nationwide lockdown has only made matters worse for working Americans as the number of Americans filing for unemployment reached 22 million last week .
“ If Nancy Pelosi wants to do the right thing for the American people as House Speaker , she should stop playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where it needs to reside , and that is on the Chinese Communist Party that not only wounded and hurt their own people , but the rest of the world , ” Carter said .
Carter added , “ And if we stay together and focused on that , we can make real effective changes , but we can ’ t when the Democrats keep playing these political games.
” Pelosi has put the blame on President Donald Trump saying “ his earlier delay and denial caused deaths.
” During an interview on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris Wallace , Pelosi assured American workers and small business owners that more money will be coming ‘ soon ’ pending bipartisan agreement .
“ We want to add more money there , ” Pelosi said , but added that “ it is very urgent though that we support our — our police and fire , our health care workers , our nurses , our teachers.
” She continued , “ that ’ s what the state and local government is about , is meeting the needs of the coronavirus .
And everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , understand that.
” Republicans have called for $ 250 billion in additional funding , but Democrats have refused the offer and the two parties are at a standstill .
“ They will have more money as soon as we come to an agreement — which will be soon , ” Pelosi said .
“ And I think people will be very pleased because these small businesses must thrive in a community where they ’ re , again , health is essential to them opening up .
”

Sara A. Carter criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during Fox News’ “The Next Revolution” Sunday night for her response to the coronavirus pandemic, specifically her delay in pushing necessary funding through Congress after the emergency Paycheck Protection Program reached its funding limit of $350 billion last week.
The nationwide lockdown has only made matters worse for working Americans as the number of Americans filing for unemployment reached 22 million last week.
“If Nancy Pelosi wants to do the right thing for the American people as House Speaker, she should stop playing politics and she should put the blame where it needs to reside, and that is on the Chinese Communist Party that not only wounded and hurt their own people, but the rest of the world,” Carter said.
.@SaraCarterDC: If Nancy Pelosi wants to do the right thing for the American people as House Speaker, she should stop playing politics and she should put the blame where it needs to reside, and that is on the Chinese Communist Party…#NextRevFNC pic.twitter.com/LxpQTE2jvG — The Next Revolution (@NextRevFNC) April 20, 2020
Carter added, “And if we stay together and focused on that, we can make real effective changes, but we can’t when the Democrats keep playing these political games.”
Pelosi has put the blame on President Donald Trump saying “his earlier delay and denial caused deaths.” During an interview on “Fox News Sunday” with host Chris Wallace, Pelosi assured American workers and small business owners that more money will be coming ‘soon’ pending bipartisan agreement.
The President has announced plans to reopen the country. @SpeakerPelosi says there hasn’t been enough testing: “We’re way late on it. And that is the failure. President gets an “F” a failure on the testing.” #FNS pic.twitter.com/bBJaSpDJAx — FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) April 19, 2020
“We want to add more money there,” Pelosi said, but added that “it is very urgent though that we support our — our police and fire, our health care workers, our nurses, our teachers.” She continued, “that’s what the state and local government is about, is meeting the needs of the coronavirus. And everything that we’re doing is about the coronavirus, understand that.”
Republicans have called for $250 billion in additional funding, but Democrats have refused the offer and the two parties are at a standstill.
“They will have more money as soon as we come to an agreement — which will be soon,” Pelosi said. “And I think people will be very pleased because these small businesses must thrive in a community where they’re, again, health is essential to them opening up.”