washingtonpost--2020-06-10--California’s Solution for a Looming Covid-19 Budget Disaster

These include Arizona , where taxes would be raised on incomes above $ 250,000 to boost teacher salaries ; Colorado , which is targeting corporations for at least $ 151 million in taxes to fund out-of-school learning ; and North Carolina , which would issue bonds worth $ 1.9 billion in part to pay for school capital improvements .
But it ’ s a ballot measure in California that may have the biggest effect , upending the business property tax structure to send as much as $ 12.5 billion annually to public schools ( K-12 education currently receives $ 97.2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources ) .
The measure , if adopted , could set a new standard for how property taxes are used in other states .
It would certainly help California deal with its projected $ 54 billion shortfall .
California ’ s ballot initiative wouldn ’ t change that system .
Rather , its proponents say it would make it more fair .
Under the state ’ s heretofore untouchable Proposition 13 , which took effect in 1978 , property is re-assessed only when it changes hands or is redeveloped , a boon for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Local Communities Funding Act of 2020 , however , would assess the market value of some business properties every three years .
Given high property values in some parts of the state , this “ split-roll ” measure could mean big money for public schools .
“ We ’ re ensuring that if you started a business yesterday and the person next to you started theirs 40 years ago , that they don ’ t pay the same taxes they did 40 years ago , ” said Alex Stack , communications director for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of school district officials and labor groups behind the initiative .
Stack points to a study from the University of Southern California showing that 78 % of the revenue generated would come from just 6 % of the property owners .
The ballot measure would affect any parcel owned by an entity whose total commercial or industrial land holdings exceed $ 3 million .
The proposal seeks to protect small business owners , while big companies that own a large number of small properties ( like a restaurant chain ) must pay up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maximum tax rate to 1 % while offering some exemptions .
Proposition 13 has long been defended as a lifeline to senior citizens in California who , without it , might have trouble paying property tax bills .
But its most powerful defenders have been corporations and other owners of high-value commercial and industrial properties that have saved billions of dollars over the years .
“ We have the highest marginal income tax rate in America , the highest sales tax rate in America , the highest gas tax in America , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mississippi , ” said Jon Coupal , president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association , a lobbyist group which actively opposes the ballot measure .
“ The costs of businesses are invariably passed along to consumers , and a $ 12 billion tax increase will simply exacerbate the cost of living situation in California.
” With the recession likely to slash states ’ revenue for years to come , schools are going to need help from somewhere .
Many are still recovering from the last economic downturn .
By 2017 , the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , spending on elementary and secondary education in 22 states had yet to recover to levels prior to the Great Recession , according to an April report from the Albert Shanker Institute , a Washington-based nonprofit .
The effects of the 2008 financial crisis were most severe in districts that could least afford the cutbacks , and occurred amid 25-year declines in both state revenue and state spending on education as a share of personal income .
This time may be worse .
“ What ’ s happening now will have a much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Phil Vaccaro of the consulting firm EY-Parthenon , partly because of the social-emotional and academic setbacks resulting from a truncated school year , as well as trauma felt by families of the 111,000 Americans killed in the pandemic , the most of any nation by far .
“ It will be felt disproportionately by students from low-income families , with special education needs , and in earlier grades , ” he said .
California ’ s schools rank in the middle of states by per-student spending .
Before 1978 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the years after Proposition 13 , it fell toward toward the bottom .
The recent climb back up is largely a function of other states ’ declines .
“ Some folks had their property tax in place for 20 years , ” Hime said .
“ Suddenly they ’ re going to get a tax bill reflecting a 2020 value rather than a 2000 value , and they ’ re going to be very hard-pressed to make those payments.
” Willie Brown , the former San Francisco mayor and speaker of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in Cal Matters , a news site on state policy , that a significant percentage of California businesses are minority owned , and many rent from entities that will be forced to pay more .
Because of Covid-19 shutdowns , there has already been a 41 % decline in black-owned businesses .
( Brown , who didn ’ t respond to a request for comment , received $ 20,000 from a group opposing the ballot measure , according to state records . )


washingtonpost--2020-06-10--Analysis | Zara’s Latest Fashions Will Be a Post-Covid Hit

The world ’ s largest fashion retailer is also aggressively overhauling its store network to focus on more muscular flagships .
It has already been closing smaller outlets , while opening fewer , larger stores for the past few years .
This will accelerate over the next two years , with between 1,000 and 1,200 stores closed , many belonging to Inditex brands other than Zara , such as Pull & Bear , Oysho and Stradivarius .
The aim is to transfer their profit contributions to bigger shops or online .
There are important costs related to that transformation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ euros ( $ 465 million ) included a 308 million-euro charge for closing stores .
And Inditex hasn ’ t been completely insulated by the retail dislocation .
Net sales fell 44 % in the three months from Feb. 1 to April 30 due to the coronavirus impact .
But Inditex ’ s business model came into its own during the pandemic .
Most garments are ordered within the fashion season , and the company , which gets about two-thirds of its revenue from Europe , has kept its supply chain tight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturers in Spain , Morocco , Portugal and Turkey .
In early March , the company scaled back purchases when it saw how the pandemic was developing .
In early May , it sped them up again to make sure it had enough playsuits and flimsy blouses on hand for June and July .
The strategy worked .
Inditex actually ended the first quarter with 10 % less stock , an impressive feat when other retailers have been saddled with a mountain of unsold spring and summer garments .
At the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts including the introduction of radio-frequency-identification technology that tracks where every maxi dress and balloon-sleeve blouse is .
This enables online orders to be fulfilled from wherever the stock is , be that in warehouses or stores .
As my Bloomberg News colleagues have noted , when shops were closed , Inditex was able to redeploy stock to its digital business .
Online sales rose 95 % year-on-year in April .
To capitalize on this trend , Inditex will spend 1 billion euros between now and 2022 to bolster its internet sales , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its stores and further integrating them with its digital platform .
Shops will become distribution hubs as well as places that customers can browse and buy products in real life .
The aim is for more than 25 % of sales to come from digital channels by 2022 , up from 14 % in 2019 .
Despite its strengths , Inditex has not been immune from the pre-Covid-19 pressure on the apparel retail sector , with women generally buying fewer clothes and cheaper rivals , such as Boohoo Group Plc and Associated British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nipping at its heels .
That means the strategic blueprint for the next few years is not without risk .
Zara is not the cheapest clothes retailer , and in tougher economic times the chain could prove too pricey for some cash-strapped consumers .
What ’ s more , it could be a tricky time for Inditex to put its faith in big flagships if people emerging from lockdown shun larger stores , malls or city centers .
And rivals are not giving up .
Even fusty British retailer Marks & Spencer Group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its supply chain , including using factories closer to its U.K. market .
But thanks to its strong balance sheet , Inditex should be able to stay ahead .
The company had net cash of 5.8 billion euros at the end of the first quarter .
While Covid-19 has upended retail , some things should stay the same , including Inditex ’ s superstar status .

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washingtonpost--2020-06-10--Analysis | Clothing Stores’ Devastation Has Only Just Begun

Not so fast .
Optimism about the clothing business seems misplaced , at least for now .
This retailing category will likely end up more scarred by the pandemic and recession than any other , and the bankruptcies and store closures announced so far are just the beginning of the devastation .
In part , this is because many players in the segment didn ’ t enter this tumult in a position of strength .
A long list of clothiers , including Victoria ’ s Secret , Banana Republic , Chico ’ s and Express have endured years of lackluster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fashions .
And the likes of Macy ’ s Inc. and Nordstrom Inc. have been trying to reimagine the tired department store format with only limited success .
If they were already straining to attract shoppers before the Covid-19 crisis , good luck doing so when many are approaching store visits with caution .
It also could prove tough for clothing stores to renegotiate with landlords for more favorable lease terms right now if they weren ’ t a powerful driver of traffic to shopping centers in the first place .
Apparel chains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment .
Social distancing , of course , has turbocharged the shift toward online shopping .
Plenty of clothing retailers have invested heavily in their digital experience and infrastructure in recent years and thus are decently positioned to handle the surge in orders .
But return rates for online purchases of clothing are estimated to be far higher than for other types of items , and all that return shipping and restocking could crimp profits .
Meanwhile , stores are revamping their procedures around trying on clothes .
Nordstrom is opening only a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them between customers .
Kohl ’ s is keeping them closed altogether .
They are right to make adaptations in the interest of public health .
But “ try before you buy ” is crucial to the brick-and-mortar clothing model , and these set-ups just make it that much harder to score a sale .
Plus , as Moody ’ s analyst Raya Sokolyanska pointed out to me , even if shoppers generally get more comfortable going to stores in a post-lockdown world , that doesn ’ t necessarily mean they ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just because someone is willing to wait in line to buy groceries doesn ’ t mean they ’ ll do so for swimsuits or sneakers .
Then there ’ s the merchandise itself .
Instead of dressing up for vacations , weddings , church services and board meetings , many shoppers are going to spend the rest of 2020 in sweatpants or their comfy , sartorial cousins .
Yes , retailers have spent years making their supply chains speedier and more flexible to react more nimbly to trends .
But this situation requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than adding more off-the-shoulder tops or animal prints , and I fear many of them will end up with piles of blazers , dresses and glittery high heels that they can ’ t sell .
That ’ s all before you consider another particularly cruel reality that the entire retail industry is facing .
For about a decade , stores have been obsessively focused on adapting themselves for the so-called “ experience economy , ” adding nail salons , personal styling services , coding classes , wine bars , Instagram-worthy photo-ops , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linger and socialize .
Those investments feel painfully useless at a moment when shopping safely means doing it in a solo , task-oriented way .
So forgive me for not feeling much assurance from the lines seen at T.J. Maxx re-openings or from comments from Macy ’ s that demand its reopened stores was “ moderately ” better than their expectations .
Those store visits came when shoppers might have had stimulus checks in hand and were itching to get out of the house as states had just begun lifting lockdowns .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment rate will remain high and Covid-19 fears and precautions will remain in place ; that will make for extremely tough circumstances for selling clothes .
Moody ’ s estimates that Ebitda will decline by at least 50 % for most apparel retailers this year , and that even by 2021 , earnings will be 15 % to 35 % below what they were in 2019 .
It seems inevitable that some chains won ’ t survive those conditions .
Last month , J .
Crew Group Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was followed soon after by Neiman Marcus Group Inc. and J.C. Penney Co .
In the past week , Bloomberg News has reported that both Ascena Retail Group Inc. , the corporate parent of Ann Taylor and other stores , and Tailored Brands Inc. , parent of Men ’ s Wearhouse , are also considering bankruptcy .


washingtonpost--2020-05-23--Analysis | Who’s Succeeding Against the Coronavirus and Why

Early testing is paramount .
Countries that rolled out good diagnostics in January -- including South Korea and Germany -- have managed their crises comparably well , since it enabled policy makers to react quickly to the growing threat and convinced people of the danger at hand .
The picture was grimmer for countries that failed to put early testing into effect , including the U.S .
There , the virus spread largely unchecked through February .
When cases exploded , hospitals in hot-spots such as New York City were overwhelmed , states had to compete with each other for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to conflicting , often highly politicized messaging about the stakes of the twin health-care and economic crises .
While the virus obeys no borders , it spreads only where humans are allowed to go .
That ’ s enabled island nations such as Japan , Iceland , New Zealand and Australia to reduce new daily confirmed cases to extremely low numbers by fully isolating themselves .
The number of visitors to Japan , for example , fell 99.9 % in April compared to a year ago .
It remains to be seen whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries start allowing more arrivals .
Geography can also pose challenges .
China , where the pandemic began , acted swiftly and curbed its outbreak .
But in re-opening its economy , it ’ s had to take special precautions to prevent case spillovers along its borders with Russia , which has one of the biggest outbreaks in Europe , and North Korea , which has yet to report any infections .
Once the virus begins circulating , a new set of questions arises : Are those who develop bad cases of Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical workers have sufficient personal protective equipment to safely care for the sick ?
Are there enough ventilators and intensive-care beds to accommodate the worst cases ?
Public-health officials and policy makers all over the world have long discussed the probability of a pandemic like this one .
Now that it ’ s here , the impact of the decisions that were made -- or postponed -- are glaringly obvious .
In Brazil , where cases have soared , the public health system was already under strain before the pandemic , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coherent strategy to stop the spread .
In Taiwan , by contrast , a combination of early health screening for arrivals to the country , thorough testing and contact tracing , and widespread medical mask usage has brought new domestic infections close to zero .
China raised eyebrows globally when it locked down tens of millions of people in January to stanch the spread of the virus .
The effort worked , and was soon copied by countries on other continents .
As China re-opens , it ’ s raising eyebrows again -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too intrusive .
For example , authorities use data from government departments , phone carriers , locations and transactions to assign citizens a color-coded risk level .
Millions of people have to show they have a green code on their mobile phone before being allowed into hotels , restaurants , shops and subways or out of their residential compounds .
The codes are updated frequently .
Just visiting a shopping mall where an infected person also went can change one ’ s code to yellow , which forces mandatory home isolation , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are infected .
Less restrictive measures have also succeeded .
In Japan , whose outbreak didn ’ t really arrive until April , the government declared a state of emergency and instituted stay-at-home requests .
By mid-May , rates of new infections had fallen and the government lifted its state of emergency for 39 of Japan ’ s 47 prefectures , although Tokyo and other dense economic centers remained under heavy restrictions .
Similarly , Germany has maintained a relatively permissive quarantine regime .
And it ’ s begun opening up again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a robust contact tracing program that it has maintained throughout its outbreak .
Thanks to some of the world ’ s toughest privacy laws , the country ’ s 375 local health authorities couldn ’ t rely on digital surveillance for help .
Instead , they recruited teams ranging from medical students to firefighters , who work via email , telephone , and sometimes even fax .
Their work is considered a key reason Germany has about a third the number of coronavirus deaths per capita as the U.S .
The credibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when citizens are flooded with news , scientific research ( some of it bad ) and often conflicting messages about how to support both public health and the economy .
Countries with lower levels of trust in authorities are especially vulnerable to conspiracy theories that some are calling the “ Infodemic.
” Distrust of the government in Iran , after it lied to cover up the military ’ s mistaken downing of a civilian airliner Jan. 8. , led citizens to ignore directives not to travel during the Persian New Year , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll from April 2019 , fewer than 1 in 5 Americans said they trusted the federal government to do the right thing ; in the 1960s , it was around 4 in 5 .
Meanwhile , trust in the government is high in Germany and South Korea .
The same is true in Singapore , which had early success containing the virus that was set back by an outbreak among foreign workers .


washingtonpost--2020-05-22--Analysis | Universal’s Wizardly World of Masks and Thermometers

But it ’ s the wait for the ride that will feel especially strange : The healthy jitters of thinking about the first drop may be replaced by either the unnerving feeling of wearing a mask or the simple annoyance of it .
After all , Orlando was 95 degrees Thursday afternoon .
( Workers will get more frequent breaks so that they can wash their hands and , if there ’ s an open area , to take off their mask for a breather . )
Universal ’ s plans — which were approved by the county task force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ portion of the day will be slightly tainted by this new reality .
It could make for an almost eerie experience , or at least one very different from the vacation most families probably envisioned when they shelled out $ 119 a ticket .
Some of these measures may not even do much good : As we ’ ve all learned in recent weeks , not everyone infected with Covid-19 gets a fever , and in fact , many don ’ t .
Eating will be an interesting experience : Universal realizes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Butterbeer ice cream cone with a mask on , so it ’ s spacing out tables to allow people to remove their masks while they eat .
Good luck to parents getting the masks back on their kids after that and to the workers who must clean those tables .
( The menus will at least be disposable . )
Meanwhile , other changes aren ’ t so bad : Universal is encouraging contact-less payments , and there will be lots of hand-sanitizer dispensers .
It ’ s also making use of virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people aren ’ t physically standing together for long periods , and it ’ s eliminating single-rider lines so that groups aren ’ t paired with strangers .
In theory , it ’ s a carefully constructed plan by Universal to make the best of a terrible situation .
In practice , it could prove to be a logistical nightmare that ’ s difficult to enforce .
The internet is full of videos of Americans defying mandated face coverings and lashing out at these types of restrictions .
John Sprouls , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far guests have signaled that they are understanding and accepting of the boundaries .
But there ’ s always one — and in a park of thousands , perhaps more .
Sprouls said it would be a “ capacity-managed ” opening , but didn ’ t specify how many people would be allowed in .
Universal will “ stress ” its system on June 3 and 4 by opening to select invited guests .
It ’ s unclear how much all these new safety protocols will cost Universal and Disney , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after welcoming back guests to its Shanghai park on May 11 .
The added safety and security expenses combined with intentionally selling fewer tickets will crimp profits for these companies .
To what extent remains to be seen .
For them , from a financial standpoint , it ’ s certainly better than having the parks shut down .
For visitors , though , a trip that ’ s supposed to provide a fun escape from reality may instead be a reminder of it .


washingtonpost--2020-03-12--Analysis | What It Means Now That the Coronavirus Is a Pandemic

The technical criteria are when a new infection , against which most people do not have immunity , mushrooms across continents .
That ’ s a bigger threat than an epidemic , which refers to a more constrained spread to a specific country or area .
But the dividing line can by fuzzy .
The WHO ’ s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stopped short of labeling the outbreak a pandemic at a Feb. 24 press conference , citing the lack of an “ uncontained global spread ” or “ large-scale severe disease or death , ” even though about 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In general , the WHO will examine the geographical reach of cases , along with the deadliness of the disease and the effectiveness of containment efforts before declaring a pandemic .
In this case , the virus , which causes the pneumonia-like Covid-19 illness , has spread well beyond its original epicenter in the Chinese city of Wuhan .
There are aspects of the virus ’ s spread and transmission that are still not clear , as well as early indicators of slowed or stopped transmission in some places , including China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A declaration is often triggered after efforts to contain the outbreak in specific regions or countries fail .
The goal then switches from containment to mitigation -- trying to ease the pain .
( On March 10 , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said that the window for fully containing the coronavirus has passed in some areas of the U.S. ) The WHO director has expressed frustration with what he described as a lax response to the crisis in some countries , which he didn ’ t identify .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he signaled that there had been “ alarming levels of inaction ” and called again for a more aggressive response , saying countries “ should double down.
” At the same time , cases have proliferated across the globe , with many of them showing more evidence of sustained person-to-person transmission .
It could spur more countries to roll out higher-level , emergency-grade response plans at local and state levels .
The CDC , for example , said there are a range of measures health officials can take if the outbreak spreads widely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s known as social distancing -- finding ways to limit personal interactions where the virus could transmit , such as closing schools or canceling public events .
Still , the way the WHO talks about the virus isn ’ t any sort of legal designation , and precautions were already being deployed in many countries , including a massive quarantine in parts of China , Italy and extended school closings .
Australia activated an emergency plan on Feb. 27 , although details were sparse , and scores of American universities -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked students not to return to campus after spring break .
Shortly after the declaration , U.S. President Donald Trump suspended all travel from continental Europe to the U.S. for 30 days .
The new coronavirus is from the same family as the one that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS ) .
Its mortality rate appears to be much lower , but its highly contagious nature has led to more deaths in two months than all those recorded in the nine-month SARS epidemic .
Another related virus , known as MERS-CoV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2012 , has led to death in 34 % of the 2,499 cases recorded .
Neither of those outbreaks qualified as pandemics , by WHO standards .
The last virus that did make the cut as a pandemic was the 2009 outbreak of a new strain of H1N1 flu , or swine flu .
It infected an estimated 61 million people in the U.S. alone and may have killed as many as 575,000 people worldwide in the first year it circulated , according to the CDC .
Even then , the WHO faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Perhaps one of the most widely cited pandemics was the 1918 flu outbreak , which killed about 5 % of those infected , an estimated 50 million people worldwide .
Tedros said the call does not change the WHO ’ s overall assessment of the threat or its recommendations for what countries should be doing .
“ All countries can still change the course of this pandemic , ” he said in the briefing .
“ Those with a handful of cases can prevent those cases becoming clusters and those clusters becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rattle traders who were already on edge , with expectations mounting that the spreading virus will upend global growth .


washingtonpost--2020-03-12--Analysis | Will Warm Weather Curb Coronavirus? What the Experts Say

It ’ s too early to know .
The new coronavirus , which causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19 , has infected more than 120,000 people worldwide , but it only appeared in central China at the end of last year .
Officials of the World Health Organization said March 5 there ’ s no reason to believe temperature will play a role in the outbreak but that the subject was worth investigating .
A few researchers have prepared analyses on the subject , but none have been yet been published in scholarly journals , which require papers to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field .
A group of U.S. and Iranian researchers concluded that the places Covid-19 infection has mostly taken hold so far -- such as Wuhan in central China , Milan and Seattle -- share similarly mild humidity and temperatures ranging from about 5 to 11 degrees Celsius ( 41 to 52 degrees Fahrenheit ) in winter .
In hotter , more humid places like Bangkok the virus has mainly been seen in people who brought it in from outside , and has not spread quickly through the community , the researchers said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarded with “ extreme caution.
” In temperate regions , flu is largely a winter phenomenon , whereas in tropical and subtropical areas it tends to occur during the rainy season , if there is one , or year-round if not .
There are various theories why .
There ’ s evidence that both cold , dry air and especially humid conditions are favorable for flu ’ s transmission .
Just as people tend to crowd indoors in cold and rainy weather , boosting contagion , they spend more time outside in fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the possibility that summer lifts people ’ s melatonin and vitamin D levels , which can boost their immune systems , and that viruses lose their punch in warmer weather because their fatty coating degrades .
The 2002-2003 epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome did indeed ease over the summer .
But that may have had little to do with the weather .
“ SARS did not die of natural causes , ” Harvard epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch writes .
“ It was killed by extremely intense public health interventions in mainland Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thailand , Canada and elsewhere.
” Among other things , authorities isolated cases and quarantined their contacts .
The strategy worked , Lipsitch says , because the most infectious SARS patients showed obvious symptoms .
While China has taken similar steps with the new coronavirus , its long incubation period and many mild cases have complicated containment efforts .
The easing of flu outbreaks doesn ’ t mean the virus dies out in warmer temperatures .
It just doesn ’ t transmit as easily .
So , even if the coronavirus does subside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the fall .


washingtonpost--2020-03-12--NYC Declares Emergency; France Closes All Schools: Virus Update

President Trump said he will suspend all travel from Europe to the U.S. for the next 30 days , the @ @ @ @ @ the administration ’ s efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus .
The restrictions , @ @ @ @ @ the U.K. , will go into effect Friday at midnight , he said in an @ @ @ @


washingtonpost--2020-03-12--Trump’s Error-Laden ‘Foreign Virus’ Speech Spooks Investors

He blamed allies for not adopting tough immigration measures that he said had prevented a wider outbreak in the U.S .
But the combative approach and small-bore measures seemed only to highlight the president ’ s struggles to confront the most consequential moment of his presidency .
He overstated the European travel restrictions , saying he was “ suspending all travel ” from the continent , and suggested they would also apply to trade .
He tweeted later that trade wouldn ’ t be affected , and the Department of Homeland Security clarified that the restriction applies generally to foreigners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 days .
Futures on the benchmark S & P 500 index steadily deteriorated as details of Trump ’ s plan leaked out over the dinnertime hours in New York .
Down about 0.8 % when his remarks began , the loss extended to 2 % by the time the president finished speaking and got worse from there .
“ Investors are looking for bold government stimulus .
So far we haven ’ t seen a lot of detail and there isn ’ t much confidence it will happen quick enough , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s head of global asset allocation .
Trump ’ s most ambitious proposals include a suspension of U.S. payroll taxes , paid sick leave for hourly workers and $ 50 billion in additional loans for small businesses .
Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed reticence about a payroll tax cut , and about three hours after his address , House Democrats released their own plan to fight economic fallout from the virus that served to highlight how modest Trump ’ s offering sounded .
The address demonstrated that for the president , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be resolved with a characteristically Trump approach : Closing U.S. borders .
He hardly acknowledged the spread of the virus within the country , where there are now more than 1,300 cases and 38 people have died .
“ We are moving very quickly , and for the vast majority of Americans , the risk is very , very low , ” Trump said , once again describing the threat in more optimistic language than U.S. health authorities use .
“ Young and healthy people can expect to recover fully and quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he added .
Trump appealed to Americans to wash their hands and stay home if they ’ re ill .
He said nothing about the U.S. delay in testing potentially infected people that has left public health authorities blind to the spread of the disease .
“ Testing and testing capabilities are expanding rapidly , day by day , ” the president said .
But beginning within minutes of Trump ’ s address , events rapidly demonstrated the extent of the crisis .
The American movie star Tom Hanks and his wife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were infected , and the National Basketball Association suspended its season after Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus .
Twitter told all of its employees to work from home .
Senator Maria Cantwell , a Washington State Democrat , said a staffer in her Washington , D.C. , office had tested positive for the virus .
The White House said after his speech that Trump had canceled plans to travel this week to Nevada and Colorado , and his campaign said an event with Roman Catholics planned for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- has also been canceled .
Vice President Mike Pence made the rounds on cable and network shows Thursday morning to try to calm Americans .
He said the Trump administration supports family leave benefits for hourly workers and small businesses so that anyone who feels they may have been exposed to coronavirus can stay home “ without fear of losing a paycheck.
” The crisis has gone to the heart of core , unresolved questions about Trump ’ s presidency : whether his streak of economic growth could be maintained through Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penchant for bold proclamations and political warfare as experts issued dire warnings about the disease , and how a West Wing staffed by novices and defiant outsiders would navigate the complexities of a true crisis .
Early reviews -- based on both public opinion and the reaction of financial markets that Trump himself has called the best barometer of his success -- have not been kind .
Just 43 % of Americans approve of the president ’ s handling of the outbreak while 49 % do not , according to a Quinnipiac University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of Americans approve of Trump ’ s overall job performance , with a majority -- 54 % -- disapproving .
Americans considering whether to re-elect Trump in November will get a look on Thursday at how the crisis might have been handled in a different administration .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , the front-runner to challenge the incumbent president , will deliver a speech on the virus , after announcing a Public Health Advisory Committee on Wednesday to provide his campaign “ science-based , expert advice ” on the outbreak .


washingtonpost--2020-03-11--Cases Top 124,000; Australia Announces Stimulus: Virus Update

U.K. cases jumped 22 % to 456 , while Italy , the center of the outbreak in Europe , saw a 31 % increase in fatalities , to 827 .
Italy closed all businesses except pharmacies and grocery stores .
Local and state officials across the U.S. took several steps to discourage or ban large gatherings .
Click VRUS on the terminal for news and data on the coronavirus and here for maps and charts .
For analysis of the impact from Bloomberg Economics , click here .
To see the impact on oil and commodities demand , click here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle-America agriculture industry .
Derivatives exchange CME Group said it will close its famed trading pits in Chicago at the end of Friday , a precaution to prevent a large gathering that may contribute to the virus ’ s spread .
Elsewhere , the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo shut down more than a week early , and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said it was postponing an agriculture conference that had been scheduled for Kansas in early April .
The details could still change before Trump addresses the nation at 9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide relief to hourly earners who are either quarantined and unable to work or caring for someone with the virus , people familiar with the matter said .
That means accepting that the virus spread can no longer be contained , and instead looking to slow its spread .
Options include encouraging home-working , restricting large gatherings , and closing schools .
Johnson ’ s government has faced questions about why it hasn ’ t done that sooner , but has insisted it ’ s following scientific advice about the most effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is weighing whether to restrict non-essential travel from Europe to the U.S. as the outbreak of coronavirus continues to spread on both continents , according to two people familiar with the matter .
Seattle will close its public schools starting Thursday for at least two weeks .
With more than 53,000 students , it would be the first major public school district in the U.S. to shut its doors in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus .
Several other schools in the area , including the University of Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock offered to work with his Labour opponents on writing emergency laws to tackle the virus outbreak .
Labour welcomed the move and said it would join talks , expected to start on Thursday .
Emergency laws are likely to allow teachers to teach larger classes , hauliers to work longer shifts .
Local and state officials across the U.S. took several steps to discourage or ban large gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Washington recommended that meetings of more than 1,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ canceled or postponed through at least March 31 .
San Francisco public health officials banned events of 1,000 people or more , including games for the National Basketball Assocation ’ s Golden State Warriors , which will play without fans during its game Thursday night against the Brooklyn Nets .
The order lasts for two weeks but can be extended as needed .
“ All countries can still change the course of this pandemic , ” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in the briefing .
“ If countries detect , test , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their people in the response , those with a handful of cases can prevent those cases becoming clusters and those clusters becoming community transmission .
”


washingtonpost--2020-03-12--Analysis | Limit Travel to Fight Coronavirus? The Pros and Cons

On March 11 , the U.S. said it would bar entry of most foreigners from the European Union beginning March 13 , the most far-reaching restrictions yet .
The U.S. move added to restrictions in Australia , Japan , Singapore , the Philippines and other countries that have been limiting entry for non-citizens who had been in mainland China and other virus hotspots .
India suspended most visas .
As the spread of the outbreak has shifted outside of China , some places , including Hong Kong and Israel , have begun to quarantine certain visitors .
Italy , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , has become increasingly isolated within Europe ’ s passport-free travel zone .
Austria and Slovenia restricted entry from Italy , and Switzerland sealed off some minor border crossings .
According to the World Heath Organization , the evidence from previous outbreaks has generally shown that such restrictions are “ ineffective in most situations.
” It ’ s difficult to evaluate the efficacy of travel restrictions because they are often imposed along with other measures , making it difficult to sort out the effects of each .
Thus , most related studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therefore somewhat limited .
A review of studies published in 2014 concluded that travel restrictions had limited effectiveness in preventing the spread of influenza .
Another in January found the same for two non-flu diseases , Ebola and severe acute respiratory syndrome , or SARS , which like Covid-19 is caused by a coronavirus .
The studies that were reviewed often concluded that travel restrictions , especially when implemented quickly , could delay the importation of a virus or the peak of infections by days , weeks or even two months .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an outbreak , for example by preparing tests and training medical workers .
In a March 10 report , the WHO advised that measures restricting people ’ s movements during the Covid-19 outbreak should be proportionate to the public health risk .
They should be short in duration and reviewed regularly as more information about the virus becomes available .
There was considerable skepticism among global health officials when China imposed the most extensive quarantine in known history in response to its Covid-19 epidemic .
Yet China ’ s apparent success curbing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imitation by Italy .
In a lockdown affecting as many as 60 million people , Chinese officials sealed off Wuhan , where the Covid-19 outbreak began , and nearby cities in Hubei province .
Within these areas , people were largely confined to their homes .
Italy ’ s restrictions , which apply to the entire country , include shuttering all shops except grocery stores , pharmacies and a few others .
Many countries are taking measures such as closing schools and universities , canceling all public events , barring large gatherings or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a business or health-related justification .
With the number of new cases in China falling , the WHO concluded in a Feb. 28 report that the country ’ s “ bold approach , ” which included the lockdown , “ changed the course ” of the epidemic .
“ These are the only measures that are currently proven to interrupt or minimize transmission chains in humans , ” it said .
WHO officials have said China ’ s strict quarantine likely bought the rest of the world two to three weeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of people from becoming sick .
The WHO notes that they can interrupt the flow of aid , technical support , and goods that people regularly need .
The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS said in February that a third of people living with HIV in China were at risk of running out of their medicine because of restrictions on movement .
Restrictions on movement can contribute to the stigmatization of people from communities affected by epidemics , and they can create a false sense of security in unaffected areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The fear of having trade and travel limits imposed on an area can lead governments to conceal outbreaks , or the extent of them .
And restrictions disrupt commerce .
A slowdown in China prompted economists to downgrade forecasts for economic growth in the world ’ s second-biggest economy to the lowest level in three decades .
They also warned of a global recession , with growth contracting in countries across the globe .
The WHO advised on Feb. 29 that temperature screening at border points “ is not an effective way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason is that monitoring for fever may miss infected passengers still in the incubation phase and asymptomatic , or those trying to hide symptoms by taking medication .
People suffering from other illnesses could also get caught up in the process .
What it does recommend is collecting health declarations from people when they arrive .
These typically ask travelers to state any disease symptoms and recent trips to epidemic hotspots , and to give a seat number and contact details , in case it ’ s necessary to trace travelers later .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s outbreak , and a trade group of Asian airlines urged governments to roll back or refrain from using travel restrictions , arguing that the virus is now being spread through local transmission .
Most international air carriers have halted service to China and the restrictions announced by Trump will stop flights on some of the most popular routes to the U.S. , the world ’ s largest air travel market .
France , Germany and the Netherlands are home to three of the top 10 gateways to the U.S. , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even before the U.S. clampdown , the financial toll was estimated at as much as $ 113 billion in lost revenue for carriers , whose shares have tumbled .
Cruise companies have also suffered and some ships have found themselves temporarily trapped at sea , as governments seek to keep cases away from their shores .
Carnival Corp. shares plunged after its Princess Cruises division halted all sailings for two months , affecting 18 ships .


washingtonpost--2020-03-12--Analysis | With Oil This Cheap, Why Bother Going Green?

First the good news , such as it is .
In the short term the coronavirus almost certainly reduces greenhouse gas emissions .
The world ’ s biggest polluter , China , was the source of the outbreak and temporarily had to idle much of its industry .
Many airlines are grounding their fleets , and people are also shunning other forms of travel as industry fairs and meetings are cancelled .
Less kerosene and gasoline is being burned to carry people around , and less carbon dioxide is escaping into the air .
But this reprieve is merely a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green Deal is the effect of the crisis on energy costs .
Less demand also means lower prices , which has strained relations between the major oil producing nations .
Saudia Arabia and Russia are suddenly at each other ’ s throats , with the former dumping so much oil onto the global market that the crude price on Monday collapsed to its lowest level since 1991 .
It could stay dirt-cheap for some time .
Gas prices have plummeted alongside those of oil .
And these two fossil fuels are now making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is good if gas power plants drive out even dirtier coal-fired ones .
But it ’ s bad when , in transport or heating for example , cleaner and greener alternatives lose attraction : fuel cells , say , or electric cars charged with power from the sun or wind .
In green technology , innovation and adoption tends to accelerate when fossil-fuel prices are high , and to decelerate when they ’ re low .
Now take a closer look at the EU ’ s Green Deal .
It ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it breaks down into two conceptual parts .
The bigger one consists of various forms of direct state intervention in the market — ranging from subsidies to prohibitions and coaxing — to help technologies , investments and companies that are deemed “ green.
” These projects just got , relative to their fossil-fuel alternatives , much more expensive for taxpayers , and much more invasive and distorting for market participants .
To drivers refueling at the pump or homeowners installing a heater , the market ’ s price signal points in one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other .
This won ’ t go well .
The Green Deal ’ s other part is much more promising , especially from a liberal ( meaning market-friendly , not leftist ) perspective .
It involves expanding and tightening the EU ’ s existing emissions trading system , which relies on price signals and market forces to decide where in the economy it ’ s cheapest and easiest to cut emissions fastest .
In this system , the EU fixes the total quantity of carbon that can be emitted by certain industries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and power plants , and gives out allowances .
Companies that find ways to emit less , by investing in new technologies or processes , can sell their certificates to others who need more time .
As the EU notches down the overall quantity , certificates gradually become scarcer and thus dearer , giving companies even more incentive to reduce or recapture their carbon footprint .
But the system has two big challenges .
One is that the price of allowances , even though it ’ s gone up recently , is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ euros ( $ 26.1 ) per metric ton .
The even bigger problem is that the system at present only covers sectors responsible for less than half the EU ’ s total carbon footprint .
Among the most glaring omissions is the entire transport sector ( meaning road , rail and water , not air ) .
Fortunately , the EU now has an ideal opportunity to fix that : It should , with haste , step in to extend the emissions trading system to the petroleum industry .
With crude oil prices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t initially feel the difference .
But as the oil and Covid-19 crises recede , the carbon price would bite just as it should , changing behavior and investment decisions throughout society .
Europe , like other parts of the world , has several big tasks in 2020 .
One is to beat the virus , another is to save the economy in the process , a third is to start rescuing our climate .
If the European Green Deal fails , others , from China to India , won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The eventual fallout from the coronavirus and the oil shock would then be planetary .


washingtonpost--2020-03-12--Analysis | Why Havens Might Not Be Safe When Everybody Rushes In

Merriam-Webster defines a haven as a “ refuge ” or “ a place of safety.
” In the financial markets , “ haven asset ” is applied to a range of assets , primarily those whose values are expected to rise when global market sentiment sours into a so-called “ risk off ” environment .
They usually behave counter-cyclically , or tend to appreciate when the business cycle is in a downdraft .
For debt securities , it ’ s those also deemed to have no -- or little -- credit risk , meaning you ’ re assured of repayment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are also expected to be very liquid , meaning they can be bought or sold in big sizes with ease nearly anytime .
• U.S. Treasuries are the global safe-haven asset of choice , as nobody expects the U.S. to default on its debt obligations .
America ’ s ballooning deficit over recent years has created an ample supply of about $ 16.7 trillion .
The suddenly insatiable demand by worried investors for the securities has sent long-term Treasury yields to all-time lows .
Germany ’ s government debt also falls into this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its bonds of all maturities below 0 % .
• Certain currencies .
Among the more than $ 5 trillion in currencies traded each day , the U.S. dollar , Japanese yen and Swiss franc have tended to be favored havens ( although not always , with the yen going a bit offsides lately ) .
The International Monetary Fund has described currency havens as those from countries with relatively low interest rates and deep and liquid financial markets .
• Gold has long been a haven asset .
When the prospect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think “ risk off ” -- gold becomes more attractive as a way for investors to get returns as the world sours .
That ’ s why investor Warren Buffett says gold buyers are motivated by their “ belief that the ranks of the fearful will grow.
” Some people even have hidden gold underground , viewing it as the safest way to store their wealth .
• Within the world of stocks , avoided by many in a “ risk off ” period , some investors snap up lower-volatility shares and those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain in demand even if Armageddon arrives .
Simple answer : yes !
For starters , behind the rally in Treasuries lurks a potential disaster waiting to happen if any downturn gives way to a rapid rebound -- what ’ s known as a V-shaped recovery .
That could send yields sharply higher and make prices tumble .
That ’ s especially true because of the way so many investors have piled into long-term debt .
The market ’ s growing duration -- a measure of how much prices will fall if yields @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coiled spring ready to break .
And dwindling liquidity in the Treasuries market has created volatility that ’ s made it harder for traders to establish the true value of the more than $ 50 trillion in assets that use them as a benchmark .
The widening gap from models of fair value in years suggests that the odds are greater that prices snap lower than that they keep rising .
And quantitative strategists warn that low-volatility stocks have become very richly valued .
There ’ s good news and bad news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to buy a house now may be able to set their sights higher as tumbling debt yields have sent mortgage rates lower , and millions of Americans are expected to lock in lower monthly house payments by refinancing .
On the flip side , this might be a good month for ignoring brokerage statements , given that $ 3 trillion has been wiped off the value of U.S. stocks .


washingtonpost--2020-03-12--U.S. Stocks Sink in Worst Day Since Black Monday: Markets Wrap

President Donald Trump finally offered some attempt at fiscal stimulus , but the measures fell flat .
The European Central Bank took a stab by easing capital constraints and boosting liquidity , and losses only deepened .
Not even an unprecedented plan for $ 5 trillion in bond-buying from the Federal Reserve could mollify investors rattled by the growing likelihood that the coronavirus will plunge the global economy into recession .
Ten-year Treasury yields erased declines and inched higher as policy makers ’ liquidity pledge recalled the quantitative easing used during the financial crisis .
Oil and precious metals fell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
Thursday marked the greatest manifestation yet of how the one-two punch of the coronavirus and an oil-price war are destroying global growth prospects and fueling jitters around the world .
Now investors are trying to guess at the effectiveness of policy makers ’ efforts to limit economic damage , with Trump ’ s travel ban and tepid fiscal measures failing to impress most observers .
Spirits were further damped by new bans on public gatherings in the U.S. and professional sports leagues ’ move to suspend operations .
“ Markets likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banks , more targeted help for the most vulnerable parts of the economy -- and action from fiscal authorities to stop this transitory shock from developing into a more prolonged insolvency crisis , ” said Seema Shah , a global investment strategist for Principal Global Investors .
“ Emotion is now driving markets.
” • The S & P 500 , Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq 100 indexes are all in a bear market now , with losses from February closing records extending well past 20 % .
• Japanese stocks closed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pledge from the country ’ s central bank .
Australian shares sunk deeper into a bear market despite a stimulus plan there .
More bad news about the impact of the coronavirus emerged throughout the day .
The leading U.S. infectious-disease official said the testing system in the country is “ a failing.
” The European Union warned the sickness threatens to exceed health-care capacity across the region “ in a few weeks or even days.
” The National Hockey League followed the National Basketball Association ’ s lead and suspended its season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day would be delayed .
“ We need to see what is effectively a ‘ declaration of war ’ against the virus and full support to offset the economic damage that war will cost , ” said Peter Tchir , head of macro strategy at Academy Securities LLC .
“ Whatever has gone on this week , it ’ s not a liquidity crunch.
” Meanwhile , signs that companies in the hardest-hit industries were drawing down credit lines to battle the effects of the virus on their businesses added to anxiety .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Chris Gaffney , president of world markets at TIAA .
“ The question is how long will this last and I don ’ t think anybody can predict that at this point .
”


washingtonpost--2020-06-04--Analysis | Why the Breach Between Saudis, Qataris Goes On and On

The crisis was sparked in 2017 when hackers published a story on Qatar ’ s news agency quoting Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as criticizing mounting anti-Iran sentiment after a trip to the region by U.S. President Donald Trump .
Qatari officials quickly deleted the comments , called the FBI to help investigate the hack , and appealed for calm as Saudi and UAE newspapers and clerics accused Qatar of trying to undermine efforts to isolate Iran .
On June 5 that year , the Saudi- and UAE-led bloc cut diplomatic ties with Qatar .
At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rulers would resolve the spat quietly among themselves , as they did a similar dispute three years earlier .
Instead , the group issued tough demands , Qatar refused to bend , and the breach hardened .
Rivalry between Qatar and its neighbors now extends beyond the Persian Gulf .
The countries find themselves on either side of a proxy war in Libya .
Qatar has drawn closer to Turkey , which helped it weather the initial shock of the embargo .
Meanwhile , Turkey ’ s ties to other Gulf states have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has deployed troops to fight against UAE-backed forces in Libya , and it released information implicating Saudi agents in the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul .
The quartet complains about Qatar ’ s friendliness with Iran and accuses it of supporting al-Qaeda and Islamic State terrorists , as well as the Muslim Brotherhood , an Islamist organization that several Gulf states have banned and designated as a terrorist group .
Qatar ’ s leaders vehemently deny supporting terrorism and have argued that adhering to the bloc ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sovereignty .
In 2016 , the last full year before the embargo , Qatar ’ s trade with the UAE amounted to $ 3.5 billion , according to the International Monetary Fund , while trade between Qatar , Saudi Arabia and Egypt totaled about $ 3.3 billion .
That ’ s vanished .
So too have virtually all tourists visiting Qatar from the boycotting countries : 1.3 million people in 2016 , including three of the top five visiting nationalities .
The decline in intra-Gulf business contributed to a slide in real estate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Still , Qataris argue that the embargo has helped them forge new business ties and foster emerging industries , especially food production , that the country wouldn ’ t have otherwise developed .
It touted these moves while dealing with supply chain disruptions amid the spread of coronavirus .
The rift has not just hurt Qatar .
The boycotting states , particularly the UAE , lost tourists and investors from Qatar and the dispute shook confidence in regional business hub Dubai , which many companies use as a base for their Gulf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.K. , Qatari broadcaster BeIN even tried to block a consortium that included Saudi Arabia ’ s Public Investment Fund from buying soccer club Newcastle United , according to the New York Times .
More widely , the U.S. has voiced concern the row has complicated security cooperation in a region that hosts major U.S. bases and is a significant exporter and route for global oil supplies .
Washington also sees unity among Persian Gulf states as essential to combating the influence of its foe Iran , which U.S. officials view as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The conflict had been brewing for years .
With its oil riches and custodianship of Islam ’ s holiest sites , Saudi Arabia has long seen itself as the natural leader of the Gulf region , if not the entire Middle East .
Its strongest competitor is Iran , with whom it has a testy relationship .
Since Qatar began to grow wealthy from natural gas exports two decades ago , it has asserted its independence from the Saudis and sought cordial ties with Iran , with whom it shares a gigantic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost 50 trillion cubic meters of proven gas reserves , according to Qatar Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al Kaabi .
Some Qataris have provided support to al-Qaeda and its spinoffs , but the country says it has stepped up efforts to clamp down on terrorism financing , particularly since 2017 .
The U.S. State Department ’ s 2018 report on terrorism said Qatar has increased cooperation on counter-terrorism efforts and touted a new anti-money laundering law that was ultimately passed the following year .
Still , this cooperation followed years of criticism from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a key fund-raising locale for groups like al-Qaeda and the Taliban , particularly through then poorly regulated charities .
The U.S. says a longtime government minister provided support for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , mastermind of the September 11 attacks , who lived in Qatar for several years during the 1990s .
And in the disarray of the Syrian revolution , some Qatari support went to rebels who later went on to join Islamic State .
Still , the U.S. has levied similar criticisms at other Gulf states .
Qatar ’ s government denies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any political party , but rather says it helps governments and people who may at times be governed by the Muslim Brotherhood , such as Egypt from 2012 to 2013 .
Qatar ’ s accusers consider the Brotherhood to be a terrorist movement .
Egyptian leader Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi banned the organization and has overseen a crackdown on its supporters after overthrowing an elected president from the group in 2013 .
Qatar has hosted prominent Brotherhood cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi since he fled Egypt in 1961 , offering him a popular talk show on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arabia and its allies initially produced a list of 13 requirements including shutting down Al Jazeera , cutting back diplomatic ties with Iran , severing relations with the Muslim Brotherhood and removing a base Turkey established in Qatar in 2014 .
Subsequently , the group recast its list as six “ principles , ” including that Qatar must suspend “ all acts of provocation ” and refrain from “ interfering in the internal affairs of states.
” Kuwait and the U.S. have been attempting to broker a rapprochement between Qatar and the boycotting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When tension rose with Iran in May and September of 2019 , rapprochement efforts followed .
Prospects of an end to the dispute appeared more likely toward the end of 2019 , when Qatar ’ s foreign minister flew to Riyadh to discuss the rift .
Speculation that the emir of Qatar might join a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Saudi Arabia in December ultimately didn ’ t bear fruit , with the prime minister attending in his stead .
Qatar ’ s plans to host the FIFA World Cup soccer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sporting event , may provide some incentive for both sides to find common ground .
Qatar is one of the world ’ s wealthiest nations , and its economy has proved resilient .
Because the country has opened shipping corridors , sales of gas and oil have continued uninterrupted .
Saudi Arabia shocked Qatar by closing its only land border , halting shipments of food .
But the smaller country quickly opened alternative trade routes and found substitute suppliers , notably Turkey , Iran and India .
Denied overflight rights for Qatar Airways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them with Iran .
Turkey has sent additional troops and conducted joint exercises with Qatar .
The country remains on good terms with the U.S. , which bases thousands of troops and a regional air operations center there .


washingtonpost--2020-06-03--Analysis | Why Chinese and Indian Troops Are Scuffling, Again

On May 5 , China surprised India by deploying troops in three main locations , two in Ladakh , a region of strategic importance nestled between western Tibet and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir .
The reason for the maneuver remains unclear , but India ’ s decision in 2019 to bring the region under direct federal control had drawn an angry response from China , similar to that of neighboring Pakistan , which has close ties with Beijing .
The government in Beijing said it was unacceptable that India “ continued to undermine its territorial sovereignty.
” Fighting has left scores of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Galwan River area and Pangong Tso , a glacial lake at 14,000 feet in the Tibetan plateau .
The dispute dates back to the 1950s .
Skirmishes were reported after India granted the Dalai Lama asylum following an uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959 .
War broke out three years later after China objected to India establishing outposts along the effective boundary , established by the British in 1914 , between the Tibetan region and Northeast India .
The current “ Line of Actual Control ” that forms the ambiguous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Clashes were also reported in 1967 and again in 1987 in what ’ s sometimes referred to as the loudspeaker war -- no bullets were fired and soldiers simply kept shouting at each other via loudspeakers .
Relations improved as the two governments signed five treaties between 1993 and 2013 and -- with economic growth racing ahead in both countries -- China became India ’ s largest trading partner .
The border remained mostly calm through 2017 , when troops faced off for several months at Doklam , a plateau near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China and Bhutan .
The clashes are mostly seasonal , given the harsh winter conditions .
The context .
India is fighting a growing coronavirus outbreak that infected about 200,000 people by early June as well as inflicting severe damage on the economy .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been shifting his country diplomatically closer to the U.S. , whose strained relations with China have worsened in 2020 in the wake of the pandemic that originated in China .
Since its 2017 standoff with China , India has signed crucial communications and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also recently blocked Chinese companies from taking over local businesses and stepped up road construction in border areas .
China has been building border infrastructure for decades , including -- to India ’ s chagrin -- through disputed areas that link China to Pakistan .
Meanwhile , China is getting more assertive .
It is pressing ahead in the face of international condemnation with stricter security laws in Hong Kong , while also getting involved in more military run-ins in the South China Sea and warning Taiwan against any moves toward independence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mediate by U.S. President Donald Trump was rejected by both nations .
India has downplayed the skirmishes and China says dialog can resolve the situation .
Most observers say war is unlikely since neither side wants to escalate matters .
One outcome may be closer alignment between India and the U.S. , which has called for expanding the G7 to include India .
The U.S. has been broadening trade and strategic ties with nations of the Indo-Pacific -- India , Japan and Australia -- who form the informal grouping known as the Quad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance border scuffles will resume elsewhere .
India this year opened a bridge to enable faster movement of troops and artillery in the region of the 2017 border clashes .


washingtonpost--2020-06-24--Americans Are Avoiding Stores Again in New Virus Hot Spots

While evidence of a virus-sparked consumer pullback is largely anecdotal for now , it would be a setback for a U.S. economy that has just started to perk up , with retail sales jumping to a record in May .
Some states that reopened the earliest are now seeing thousands of new cases that threaten to overwhelm health systems .
Greg Abbott , the Republican governor of Texas , warned tougher actions will be required if hospitalizations continue to rise .
In Arizona , where President Donald Trump visited Tuesday , Governor Doug Ducey , also a Republican , reversed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public last week , allowing local governments to mandate them .
“ Things are much slower ” at the taproom , said Shay Gau , a co-owner of the 3 1/2-year-old Wandering Tortoise .
The business also has a beer shop that remains busy as customers stock up to make fewer trips outside .
“ You don ’ t see people out and about.
” Orlando hair salon owner Nadine Tarpley was personally handling as many as 20 clients a day after reopening last month .
That has since declined to around five.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be the only person in the salon , ” Tarpley said , adding that it isn ’ t sustainable .
“ We ’ re awful nervous that they could possibly close us back down again.
” That ’ s a stark turnaround for the owner of OhSoooJazzy Hair Salon , who was asked to host a salon reopening discussion last month with Ron DeSantis , the Republican Governor of Florida .
Her business surged back after the state allowed barbershops and salons to reopen in mid-May , Tarpley said , briefly surpassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut or highlights rushed back .
Two hours to the west , Mark Ferguson operates Ferg ’ s Sports Bar in downtown St. Petersburg , a watering hole in the shadows of Tropicana Field , home of Major League Baseball ’ s Tampa Bay Rays .
Months without live sports events on TV or at the nearby stadium have been a huge challenge , but his spacious outdoor patio at least has put some patrons at ease .
Things have trended down again after the recent spike in Florida , Ferguson said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new order requiring everyone to wear face coverings inside businesses in the city .
Nearby , a popular outdoor music venue called Jannus Live shut down temporarily after a staffer got the virus .
“ They were coming out , and all of a sudden about 10 days ago the news was saying everything was spiking in St. Pete , ” Ferguson said .
A new survey by the National Federation of Independent Business underscored the improvement in demand for U.S. small businesses in May and early June : One-third of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 75 % of pre-recession levels .
Data from the OpenTable booking app also showed customers eager to get back to normal .
Reservations in Arizona , Florida and Texas have rebounded to about 50 % of their pre-pandemic levels , with restaurants in each state seeing a surge of business over the Father ’ s Day holiday .
Each had been down to near zero from mid-March through April .
Little Greek Fresh Grill , a chain of fast-casual restaurants in Florida , Texas and the Midwest , is heavily geared toward take-out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent months , company president Nick Vojnovic said .
Meantime , economic indicators including the OpenTable booking data show little sign of softening so far , said Michael Skordeles , an economist at SunTrust Bank in Atlanta .
“ When they first let us reopen , people were happy to come out , ” she said .
“ In the last week or so , it has slowed down .
People are scared.
” The restaurant , Brownie ’ s Café , can accommodate 158 customers .
It has been operating at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two cooks and reduced hours for hostesses .
It has scrapped two daily specials and mostly does take-out .
Concerns are spreading across the nation as businesses are forced to close down again .
On Tuesday , wine distributor Harry Root got word that six of his restaurant clients in Alabama were shutting because of the virus , although he was unclear whether employees had gotten sick or the restaurateurs feared for their workers ’ health .


washingtonpost--2020-06-24--Analysis | Why Would Europe Want American Visitors Right Now?

A glance down the list , which is still being drawn up and will be reviewed every 14 days based on new epidemiological data , will only make Americans madder .
How dare those Europeans treat us like Brazilians and Russians , who ’ ll also be restricted ?
How dare they treat us worse than Ugandan or Vietnamese visitors , who get the green light ?
Even China , the origin of what Trump — in typical race-baiting fashion — calls the “ kung flu , ” made the cut .
Actually , though , the only thing worthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American attitude .
It ’ s Trump and his cronies who want to pretend that absolutely everything , even epidemiology , is not only political but also about him .
The EU , for its part , is trying extra hard to base its decision purely on science .
Using those criteria , ask yourself : Why wouldn ’ t the EU try to keep non-essential American travelers out ?
The global heat map of SARS-CoV-2 has been shifting since the coronavirus spread from China at the beginning of the year .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other parts of Europe were the epicenter .
But most of the EU ( to which Britain no longer belongs ) has now controlled the virus ’ s transmission .
In fact , countries like Germany now have the relative luxury of exchanging the sledgehammer of general lockdowns for the scalpel of local and temporary restrictions , whenever there are isolated outbreaks , as in the city of Guetersloh .
Reimporting the virus wholesale from regions where it ’ s still rampant would be irresponsible .
And the U.S. is one such region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s currently the global epicenter , with more than 2.3 million cases and over 120,000 deaths from Covid-19 .
Within it , some regions have the virus under control , whereas others — Texas , Arizona and Florida , for example — don ’ t .
But such regional variance also applied to the EU when Trump slapped a widespread ban on European visitors in March , at a time when the virus was already spreading mainly within the U.S. That decision , like the additional scorn Trump will now predictably heap upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since before taking office , Trump has been treating some European countries and leaders , especially German Chancellor Angela Merkel , more like foes than allies .
Witness his decision just the other week to withdraw about one in four American troops stationed in Germany , apparently to settle personal scores .
On the European side , by contrast , there ’ s a genuine effort to keep politics out of decisions about travel restrictions .
Yes , reciprocity is admittedly one factor for the decision : The U.S. still keeps out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Europeans , however , as reported by the New York Times , is the average number of infections per 100,000 people over the past two weeks .
In the EU as a whole , that ’ s currently 16 .
In the U.S. , it ’ s 107 .
Case closed .
Most Europeans actually want U.S. visitors to return , just as they want to resume going stateside .
They like Americans as tourists , business partners , allies and above all friends .
And they want transatlantic relations to thaw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve been frozen since Trump entered the White House .
But they also want to keep a pandemic at bay .
Most Americans will understand that , and keep it in mind when Trump starts bashing Europe again .
But others will fume .
Those partial to Trump will do so because this European gesture holds a mirror to his own failings in responding to the coronavirus .
Others will be furious because they think the U.S. , especially in its relations with Europe , should be held to different rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s exactly the kind of American exceptionalism , often expressed in international “ exemptionalism , ” that I recently critiqued .
As a regular transatlantic traveller myself , I hope all restrictions will be gone as soon as possible .
But the best way to get there is for the U.S. to start dealing with this outbreak properly .


washingtonpost--2020-03-31--Analysis | When Will Tokyo 2020 Olympics Go Ahead? Not This Year

Hardly .
It raises numerous logistical headaches , from how to treat athletes who already qualified for the world ’ s biggest multisports event to the status of tickets and sponsorships and even the availability of venues .
Then there are clashes with other sporting events , including those involving the games ’ two big draws : track and field and swimming .
Both disciplines are due to hold world championships that would overlap the rescheduled Olympics -- track and field in Eugene , Oregon and aquatics in Fukuoka , Japan .
Not according to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s far preferable to cancellation for organizers , sponsors , broadcasters and others that have invested billions of dollars .
Calling the games off could knock about 1.4 % from Japan ’ s gross domestic product , Nikko Securities Inc. Chief Economist Junichi Makino wrote in a recent research note .
The big unknown is the course of the virus : If training , traveling and big public gatherings remain a serious health risk for an extended period of time , the 2020 games may not happen in 2021 either .
Estimates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.7 billion ) and counting .
The biggest extras come from keeping staffers on the payroll and maintaining empty venues .
If sponsors don ’ t pony up , the municipal government and the International Olympic Committee -- along with any potential insurers -- will likely argue over who ’ s responsible for the shortfall .
The host city contract between Tokyo and the IOC doesn ’ t address postponement ; any disputes between the two parties can be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne , Switzerland .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government could provide some relief .
Having to recalibrate their marketing plans .
All sponsors retain their rights despite the postponement , including those with agreements expiring in 2020 .
The IOC ’ s top-tier global sponsors -- an exclusive list of 14 companies including Coca-Cola Co. and Visa Inc. -- pay well over $ 1 billion every four years to be associated with the games .
Those agreements tend to span multiple Olympics , whereas local sponsors are in it just for this event .
Tokyo organizers leaned on national pride to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 66 domestic brands such as Asahi beer and Asics sneakers -- raising more than $ 3.3 billion , triple the previous record for an Olympics .
While the Olympic Stadium designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will undoubtedly be available , several venues are already booked for at least parts of 2021 .
Tokyo International Forum , which was to host weightlifting , starts taking reservations two years in advance and has events booked through that time period , for example .
If venues aren ’ t available , organizers will have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even overseas .
Sailing events are often held outside of land-locked host cities , and equestrian competitions were held in Stockholm in 1956 and Hong Kong in 2008 to avoid quarantine and other equine travel issues .
With two-thirds of the 7.8 million available tickets sold or distributed already , holders have yet to learn whether their tickets will be honored for rescheduled events or whether the committee will offer refunds .
According to the official terms and conditions , they don ’ t have to .
The stars of the games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chorus calling for postponement , even at the expense of their own opportunity .
Global sports federations and national teams will have to decide what to do with the athletes who ’ ve already qualified , how to select the remainder , and how to remake their own sports calendars .
Five Olympic Games were scrapped , all because of world wars : The summer games were canceled in 1916 , 1940 and 1944 as were the winter games in 1940 and 1944 .
The 1940 games were initially postponed , but then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games to stand as a beacon of hope and the Olympic flame to become the ” light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present.
” Therefore , it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan and the event will keep the name Tokyo 2020 , according to a March 24 statement announcing the postponement .
By keeping the name , the IOC also insures that logos , packaging , t-shirts , merchandise and broadcast chyrons remain the same -- a big cost-saving move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization and sports federations discussed the possibility of staging the event without spectators , the New York Times reported .
Keeping fans out in this way has never happened at an Olympics , but multiple major sporting events including Japanese sumo wrestling have in recent weeks gone ahead “ behind closed doors.
” Given the global spread of the coronavirus , there were no realistic alternative venues .
The only time an Olympics got switched was when the 1976 winter games were moved to Innsbruck , Austria , from Denver after locals @ @ @ @


washingtonpost--2020-03-29--Virus Crisis Spurs Debate Over Which Social Model Is Best

On one side , the U.S. ‘ s traditionally more flexible labor markets mean individual workers are expected to take the brunt .
Last week ’ s stimulus bill included about $ 300 billion in cash handouts for households –- to support families until the virus clears , even if they lose their jobs in the meantime .
Meantime , in Europe , where states provide more generous unemployment benefits and it ’ s harder to fire staff , the focus has been on giving companies incentives to keep workers on their books , holding out for business to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The starting point for the two systems is very different , ” Catherine Mann , chief economist at Citigroup Inc. , told Bloomberg Television .
Europe has “ a much better social safety net that will support people .
In the U.S. , it ’ s necessary to be supportive of people and supportive of firms.
” In the unfolding transatlantic experiment , the virus ’ s effects are likely to show up differently in economic data .
The U.S. has already seen a record surge in unemployment claims , and policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In contrast to the systems which have subsidized short-term work programs and heavy costs associated with layoffs , it is likely that the U.S. will experience a larger rise in unemployment rates , even under the best policy design , ” said Bruce Kasman , chief economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
It ’ s rare to get a beauty contest between distinct approaches , and economic ideologies , like the one created by the virus.The 2008 crash wasn ’ t quite the same : European and U.S. authorities responded differently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific challenges .
But the pandemic is posing the same kind of threat to public health and economic activity across the developed world .
The surge in jobless claims is likely only just begining in the U.S .
Many analysts , including some Federal Reserve policy makers , say unemployment rates will hit levels not seen since the Great Depression .
After the 2008 crisis , the U.S. already lost a long-held lead over Europe in terms of the share of the prime-age population in work .
The $ 2.2 trillion rescue bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump on Friday , is designed more to cushion this blow than to forestall it.As well as the checks to households , $ 350 billion is earmarked for credit to small and medium-sized businesses , which employ about half the workforce .
These loans can be waived if companies retain staff -– or re-hire people they already laid off .
But there are worries that the bureaucracy supposed to administer the plan is ill-equipped for its scale .
In Europe –- where the first data on virus-driven job losses is due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans they can resort to .
Countries like Germany , France and Italy have responded by making more cash available to these programs , and widening their scope .
France , for example , is promising emergency pay of 84 % of normal after-tax earnings for those who earn up to 84,000 euros ( $ 94,000 ) a year .
It ’ s 100 % for those on the minimum wage.Even the U.K. , whose work practices have historically followed U.S. lines , announced that the government will cover up to 80 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk losing their jobs .
Canada followed suit on Friday with a similar policy .
The conservative Tax Foundation , for example , praised Germany ’ s wage-subsidy program last week -- noting that it helped limit job losses after 2008 , has been widely emulated since , and is likely to prove effective in the current slump too.If the virus delivers a sharp but short blow to economies , the European setup is perfectly adapted to dealing with it , according to Jacob Funk Kirkegaard , a senior fellow at the Washington-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a social model that can essentially freeze the economy for 3 months , ” he said .
“ And tell the vast majority of workers : ‘ Just stay home , we ’ ll pay your firms , so they ’ ll pay you – and on day one after the lockdown ends , you can go back to work ’ .
” Problems may soon arise , though.If the shutdown stretches much beyond three months , Kierkegaard says , even European-style subsidies won ’ t be able to make up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then a “ dramatic increase in layoffs ” is likely .
Euro-area economies also face another problem the U.S. doesn ’ t have , and one that could slow their recovery once the health emergency is over , according to Citigroup ’ s Mann.Economies will likely need more help from budget spending to get out of the slump , since central banks have little room to deliver stimulus by cutting interest rates .
Many analysts even expect fiscal and monetary policy to operate in tandem.That ’ s much easier to do in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has a single central bank but multiple governments in charge of budgets , and spending caps that often require tortuous negotiations .
Officials have also clashed over whether to issue debt together via so-called coronabonds .
As for the U.S. , while the immediate future may look harsh , the pain of job losses may be over sooner than in Europe .
Economists are predicting a much faster snapback for the U.S. economy .
“ The trajectories and the profiles of the economic part of this will be different , ” Mann @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. is that there will be a deeper downturn in the second quarter .
But the deeper you , go the faster you come out .
”


washingtonpost--2020-03-31--Analysis | The True Cost of All Your Amazon Deliveries

The comments came a week after Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos outlined many of the company ’ s efforts to blunt the effects of coronavirus in an open letter posted on Instagram , including boosting worker pay in the U.S. Demand for Amazon delivery services has , meanwhile , given its stock better protection than its tech peers from the recent market pummeling .
The shares are down 9.4 % since Feb. 19 , compared with the average 22 % decline of Apple Inc. , Google parent Alphabet Inc. , Microsoft Corp. and Facebook Inc .
The logical conclusion is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more to protect its workers .
It can afford to : It ’ s sitting on $ 55 billion in cash and is expected to generate another $ 34 billion of free cash flow this year .
But the stark reality is that Amazon ’ s e-commerce business isn ’ t very profitable .
Its cloud computing operations are the money-printing machine .
That unit will enjoy a 28 % operating margin on sales of some $ 46 billion this year , helped by the surge in internet usage caused by people logging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Intelligence analyst Jitendra Waral estimates .
The company ’ s other $ 288 billion of revenue will generate operating profit of as little as $ 3 billion .
That razor-thin profitability hints at the strict cost control upon which Amazon relies to ensure goods are delivered cheaply and quickly .
Unfortunately , cost control is often a euphemism for low wages , ungenerous benefits and a squeeze on suppliers .
A 2018 analysis by the Economist found that after Amazon opens a storage depot , local wages for warehouse workers fall by an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that inspire much confidence in Amazon ’ s latest moves : The recently announced $ 2 per hour pay bump will hold only until April , while the doubling of overtime pay will expire in May — for now , at least .
What ’ s more , workers ’ negotiating power is likely to be eroded by the coronavirus crisis .
The peak of U.S. labor exploitation came during the Great Depression , when everyone was scrambling for jobs , which in turn ultimately turbocharged labor organization .
The number of jobseekers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a half-century : A record 3.28 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in the week of March 21 , compared with 211,000 just two weeks earlier .
Bezos explicitly targeted those newly unemployed in his Instagram letter , explaining that the company would hire 100,000 additional employees to cope with increased demand .
So the fact that only 100 people from a workforce of 4,000 at the Staten Island site are striking is either indicative of minimal discontent or a fear of retributive job losses ( the only unionized Amazon employees in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ productions ) .
As if to underscore the point , Amazon fired the worker leading the strike on Monday , ostensibly for “ violating social distancing guidelines.
” According to Amazon , only 15 people ultimately demonstrated in the strike , of whom just nine were actual employees .
The working conditions at Amazon are partly our fault as consumers .
The company has groomed us to rely on next-day deliveries at no extra cost , at least if we have a subscription to its Prime service .
We probably don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
For all of its Kiva warehousing robots and efforts with drone distribution , Amazon still depends on hundreds of thousands of human workers around the world .
You know when you receive a massive box containing just a small parcel ?
That ’ s not because of some algorithmic misstep ; it ’ s a person in a warehouse making a quick decision on how best to deliver your package .
Amazon can for sure afford to lessen the load on its workers with better pay and working conditions , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its cloud business .
It ’ s harder for rivals to do so and still turn a profit .
The dilemma is accentuated by , but not peculiar to , the current crisis .
If that ’ s to change , we as customers must also be prepared to pay higher prices — and that ’ s as true in good times as it is in bad .


washingtonpost--2020-03-18--Analysis | A Coronavirus Treatment Worth Watching

There ’ s still a long road ahead and a lot of uncertainty .
Even in a best-case scenario , a drug won ’ t be tested for months and broad availability is even farther away .
But if Covid-19 sticks around , there ’ s at least a chance a Regeneron drug will be a tool used to fight it .
In addition to developing blockbuster medicines , Regeneron has a demonstrated ability to respond to outbreaks .
The company ’ s efforts are centered on using mice engineered with human-like immune systems and rapidly developing the antibodies they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created a trial-ready Ebola cocktail in about a year in response to a 2014 flareup of the disease , but the drug didn ’ t make it to market in time to help before the outbreak subsided .
The medicine stayed on the shelf until Ebola emerged again in 2018 , and it was sent to Africa to for testing alongside several other drugs .
Only 29 % of those who took Regeneron ’ s drug died throughout the trial , compared with a mortality rate of about 50 % for people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the medicines it beat by a significant margin was Gilead Sciences Inc. ’ s remdesivir , which has shown early promise as a Covid-19 treatment .
An additional advantage of Regeneron ’ s approach is that it ’ s intended to lead to a drug that could serve as both protection against the virus and treatment for active cases .
This duality may help it get to patients faster ; acute treatments have a lower safety bar and require less study than medicines intended for extensive protective use .
The company ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faster than what it ’ s managed in the past ; that ’ s in part because its team is working with more experience .
Still , there ’ s no guarantee of success , and what is considered “ rapid ” by the standards of drug development will still feel slow as U.S. cases grow in the next few weeks .
A best-case scenario requires Regeneron to hit multiple ambitious targets , including that the drug will work when others developed over a more extended period fail , that it will get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company will be able to quickly build the manufacturing capibility to produce it .
If every mark is hit , the drug could conceivably see limited use sometime in the fall .
The more likely scenario — especially when it comes to crucial preventative use — is that it takes longer .
That may not seem like much of a win as cases mount every day .
Keep in mind , however , that the most ambitious timeline for a vaccine is 12 to 18 months , and that the most promising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remedy any time this year would still be unprecedented , and with many drug companies having moved away from infectious diseases , it may be essential .


washingtonpost--2020-03-18--Analysis | Plastic Surgeons in the Coronavirus Fight? Doctors Are Doctors

How did we get here ?
The high cost of medical school is one culprit .
Median debt for new doctors is $ 200,000 after four years of expensive post-graduate education , so it ’ s no wonder that American medical students lean toward narrow and high-paying specialties rather than primary care .
The average salary for orthopedists and plastic surgeons is nearly $ 500,000 , as opposed to $ 230,000 for internal medicine .
Doctors also gravitate toward cities , leaving chunks of the country under-served .
Making things worse , a cap on federal funding of residency programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new doctors , contributing to a smaller population of physicians that are on the older side .
All health care workers are at risk of contracting the disease , reducing the numbers available to treat the sick , and older physicians will be at higher risk of becoming patients themselves .
As Covid-19 spreads , hospitals are likely to need all hands on deck .
While some specialists will be crucial , others will need to care for the sorts of patients they may not have seen since their training .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do more to boost the number of young generalists .
Paying a substantial portion of tuition would go a long way , as would finding ways to close the pay gap for physicians who choose that path .
This should be coupled with big subsidized boosts to residency programs and medical-school class sizes .
Some American medical schools offer three-year training , a development that should be further encouraged .
These steps won ’ t help in the current crisis ; for that , more immediate action is warranted .
On Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new regulation that will allow doctors and medical professionals to practice across state lines , which could help with acute shortages .
If the virus continues to spread nationwide , however , loosened rules won ’ t be enough .
New York governor Andrew Cuomo is reaching out to retired doctors and nurses as well as medical and nursing schools to bolster the state ’ s workforce .
The school initiative is worth exploring on a larger scale .
Those willing to delay their education and work in areas hard hit by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substantial debt relief .
This recruitment will be expensive and disruptive , and the students will need supervision .
But if it can ease looming staffing shortages and add an infusion of youth , it ’ s worth it .
Efforts to add staff need to be paired with steps to make things easier on those fighting the outbreak right now .
The biggest priority is keeping people out of the hospital to make sure institutions and physicians aren ’ t overwhelmed .
There ’ s been a recent step forward in terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it ’ s worth considering broader quarantines to slow spread in hard-hit areas .
Expanded outpatient and drive- or walk-through testing will be essential as well .
The message that most people are better off staying at home to prevent infection or recover needs constant and broad repetition ; hospitals need to be dedicated to treating seriously ill patients .
Dr. Jeremy Faust , a public-health focused emergency room physician , also suggests in a Washington Post editorial that the government temporarily relax legal medical malpractice standards .
Doing so could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and keep beds free without worrying about legal risk .
Within hospitals , shortages of protective equipment need fixing , and omnipresent physician paperwork burdens can ’ t hold up the ability to treat patients in a crisis .
Outside those doors , funding and space for child care is needed now that schools are closed in many areas .
The same goes for providing comfortable and affordable places for health care workers to stay who need to be quarantined or don ’ t want to put their families at risk .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few months for those working in American hospitals .
The sooner broad and inventive measures are put in place to help , the better .


washingtonpost--2020-05-04--Conte Faces New Lockdown Criticism as Italy Set to Reopen

Conte , a law professor who took office in 2018 during a populist rebellion against Italy ’ s political establishment , insisted on Sunday that the governing coalition is solid .
He pushed back against widespread criticism that he ’ s been excessively cautious .
“ There is disappointment among many economic operators , ” Conte told La Stampa newspaper .
“ I understand them .
But to restart the economic cycle of goods and services that are less essential , we need customers to feel safe and protected.
” That ’ s just one front for Conte .
Former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a junior coalition party , renewed his threat to withdraw support for the government if Conte fails to address the economic fallout , according to an interview with Corriere della Sera .
The euro area ’ s third-largest economy shrank 4.7 % in the first quarter , the biggest drop since the series started in 1995 , and figures published Monday by IHS Markit showed manufacturing in Italy shrank at the fastest pace since the series began in 1997 .
Demand also plunged , and factories cut jobs at the fastest pace since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throes of Europe ’ s deadliest coronavirus outbreak , more than 4 million people are cleared to return to work on Monday .
The reopening includes icons of Italian industry such as Ferrari ’ s supercar factory in the town of Maranello and nearby competitor Lamborghini .
Bars and restaurants can ’ t return to normal until the end of May , though eateries can start offering take-out from Monday .
Retailers and owners of small businesses rallied against the government ’ s policy in several cities last week .
In Milan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , barber shops and other small businesses handed their store keys to local officials to protest insufficient government aid and being left out of the initial reopening .
The premier has come under fire from coalition allies and companies for excessive caution , a lack of clarity on reviving the economy and occasionally confusing rules on social distancing .
Plans for an additional 55 billion euros ( $ 60 billion ) in emergency spending have been held up for weeks in his cabinet .
A cabinet meeting could be delayed until Thursday amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , daily Il Messaggero reported .
Conte ’ s office did not immediately reply to a request for comment on a possible delay .
Calls to lift a national lockdown and state of emergency also are surging in Spain , which has the most infections in Europe and the region ’ s second-highest death toll .
Like Italy , its tourism-dependent economy has been devastated and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is facing criticism for a shaky exit strategy .
Italy ’ s first-quarter decline only captures the first days of the lockdown that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 23 .
Italy ’ s government forecasts the economy will shrink 8 % this year , while Bloomberg Economics sees a 13 % contraction .
Given the human toll , Italy appears particularly vulnerable as public calls for a return to normal life increase .
But the U.K. , now free to chart its course outside the European Union , is facing a similar situation as its death toll closes in on Italy ’ s .
Another 315 fatalities reported on Sunday brought the total to 28,446 .
While the U.K. isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an Observer poll showed two-thirds opposed lifting it , the government says the peak of the outbreak has passed .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson — back at work after receiving intensive-care treatment for Covid-19 — is preparing guidance for the next steps of the crisis , including whether employees need to wear protective equipment and how transport should be used .
Italy ’ s 174 new deaths on Sunday increased the total to 28,884 , the second-highest after the U.S. Conte warned that reopening carries the risk of a spike in infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The more scrupulous we are , the sooner we will be able to regain other spaces of freedom , ” he said in a Facebook post .
“ We won ’ t squander what we have painstakingly achieved .
”